August 28, 2008

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) And Its Definition

Filed under: Great Travel Tips — admin @ 9:29 am

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a condition that can happen to anyone, regardless of age, sex or economical condition. It has been found that OCD is one of the 10 leading causes of disability around the world and just in the United States there are approx. 5 million people suffering this ailment.

OCD manifests in the individual as the presence of persistent ideas, thoughts, images or impulses that are experimented as intrusive and alien to the person having them. This means that they are against the will of the individual and with themes that generally make the person suffer greatly.

An important characteristic of this ailment is the obsession that accompanies the alien thoughts; this is they repeat themselves during long periods of time without the person being able to stop them and in occasions causing a great discapacity due to the amount of time dedicated to these ideas.

These obsessions are frequently accompanied by behaviors that are also repetitive and perceived as useless at the beginning of the OCD condition manifestation and this is what is known as compulsions. Compulsive behaviors, as well as obsessions, consume lots of time and they are generally done as a response to the obsessions. This is because the compulsions diminish a bit the great anxiety felt by the person suffering the obsessive thoughts. Though this behavior is not the solution to the intrusive thoughts of the person suffering from OCD. On the contrary they only favor the continuing of the ailment making it even worse due to the simultaneous presence of obsessions and compulsions causing great suffering to the person.

It is all this combined characteristics of obsessions and compulsions that is clinically characterized as the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It is very important to mention that these words; obsession and compulsion, as used in the medical terminology related to this ailment, have a different connotation than when used in the everyday life when they refer to characteristics of the personality as perfectionism, perseverance, scrupulosity, etc.

Natan Young is an expert author in a number of health themes. If you or some relative is struggling with OCD you should know there is help available, visit:

=> http://www.askingplanet.com/OCD

August 25, 2008

Outsourcing - For Cutting Costs

Filed under: Great Travel Tips — admin @ 11:49 am

Outsourcing is the delegation of projects or jobs to a sub-contractor who could be based in the same country or outside the country. The word outsourcing has been used a lot nowadays. Lot of outsourcing in the IT sector has made this word a buzz.
Outsourcing is not only done in the IT sector. Many other sectors like manufacturing, fashion designing etc are outsourced. Companies outsource mainly to cut costs. The salary of overseas staff is quite less compared to the current staff salary.

Nowadays, most of the software and other IT related work are outsourced to countries like India, Singapore and China. The hourly wages are low in these countries compared to UK and US wage rates. When a company can get the same quality at a lower price then it is very good for the company to outsource some of its operations. Out of the fortune 500 companies in US, nearly 400 companies outsource their work to countries like India and China. UK and other European countries also outsource their work to many Indian companies. Call centers have sprung up in India, Caribbean and Philippines. Telemarketing work has been outsourced by many US banks to many call centers in other countries. The main job of these call centers is to sell more credit cards, insurance and provide customer support services.

In manufacturing sector, components, textiles etc are outsourced to countries where the labor costs are very low. Most of the companies outsource around 50% of the work. For example: A car manufacturing company could outsource its gear parts to a company in India to cut down its costs. To manufacture the gears, the company has to invest a lot, so they outsource it to other companies, which has the competency to manufacture these products.

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Don’t Worry Be Tired

Filed under: Great Travel Tips — admin @ 12:45 am

As an emergency room physician, I’ve had my share of sleepless nights. Trying to get to sleep knowing you will have to get up in thirty minutes to read x-rays and interpret laboratory resorts makes it hard to relax and get to sleep.

So, how do you get to sleep when you just get more and more frantic with worry that you won’t be able to get enough sleep?

I’ll be sharing more in future articles, but for now, use these two simple principles to finally get some great sleep.

Don’t Worry

One of the things that will cut your ability to fall asleep to zero in a hurry is worrying. I can’t tell you how many times I have been wakened in the middle of the night to see someone just because they were worried.
Now I don’t mind getting up to help someone out. After all, that is what I’m there for. But wouldn’t it be nice if those people could have prevented the worry in the first place?

There is a proverb in The Bible that says, “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6: 34. Good advice. When you go to bed, the bad things that happened that day are over - the things of tomorrow are not here yet, so don’t think about them.

Another way of saying the same thing is from Desiderata by Max Ehrmann:

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

If you can put yourself in this state of mind, that everything is happening the way it is supposed to, you are practically there.
Even if you are facing financial, social or physical problems, things really are going the way they are supposed to. I know this can be very hard to do. It may take some special meditation methods, prayer or reading of spiritual literature to get to that state. But, it will be well worth it.

Be Tired

One of the main requirements for sleep is to be tired. This may sound trite, but it is not as obvious as it sounds.
The average person in western society is almost always tired. In the morning a cup of coffee seems the minimum. Now, it is almost the norm to have a triple latte. How much caffeine is that?
Then at each break, a pick me up of some type seems in order. After all, you need to get back in shape for the next rush of work.

At the end of the day, you surely feel tired. So, why can’t you get to sleep?

Well, you need more than mental fatigue to get a good nights sleep. You need at least some physical fatigue as well.

The body and mind were designed for optimum physical activity. But most of us don’t get even the minimum daily adult requirement of walking. We tend to sit at a desk in a cubicle and push paper. Or, we may work on an assembly line. But we go through the same motions over and over. We have used only a few of our muscles during the day.

The best way to get your body in shape to be relaxed and let your mind sleep is a good workout. I highly recommend one of two methods - a good brisk walk or a good brisk swim.

If you can’t walk without quite a bit of pain in your joints - combine the activities and walk in the pool. You will find that there is a lot less stress on your joints.

Finally - Sleep

There are other things that will help you with a good nights sleep and I will be covering those in future articles. But for now, try these two things and you will definitely notice a great improvement in your ability to get to sleep easily and feel more refreshed in the morning.

Dr. Ron is an Emergency Room physician with over twenty years experience in the health care field. He often treats people for problems with their
insomnia. Come to Eight Steps to Health now for more great resources.

http://eightstepstohealth.com

August 22, 2008

Save Time, Money, and Find More Unique Collectible Dolls When You Shop At the Right Online Dealer

Filed under: Great Travel Tips — admin @ 1:10 am

If you have a passion for collectible dolls, the Internet is the place for you to shop. Whether you have a collection of hundreds of dolls or you are just starting out, you’ll find that the Internet really can broaden your horizons as far as collectible dolls are concerned. Online you will find collectible porcelain dolls, collectible baby dolls, collectible bears, and more. If you feel as though the local supply of collectible dolls in your area is limited, you are probably right. You don’t have to settle anymore, you can find great dolls from all over the country, as well as all over the world so that you can take pride in a truly diverse collection of dolls.

Expanding your Collectible Porcelain Dolls Collection

Collectible porcelain dolls are a great way to collect dolls because you can get some very different looks. Whether you collect ethnic looking porcelain dolls or you collect a little bit of everything, there are some great collectible dolls to be found online. Porcelain dolls can be found in all shapes and sizes, and if you are looking for something tiny, or something quite large, you can find these dolls online. Collectible porcelain dolls come in all shapes and sizes, and the more you shop around online, the more diverse your personal collection can be. Porcelain dolls can be purchased from obscure vendors from all over the world when you shop at the right doll retailer online.

Collectible Baby Dolls

Baby dolls are something that everyone has admired at some point in their life. Many of us never outgrow the desire to hold and own these beautiful dolls. Baby dolls just have a beautiful quality to them, and you can find great numbers of beautiful dolls online. Collectible baby dolls come in many shapes and forms, even antiques can be found online. No matter what your current baby doll collection is compromised of, you’ll find that an outstanding retailer of collectible dolls will be able to offer you a little bit of everything.

Collectible bears have become quite popular and don’t just come in the stuffed variety, but also come in ceramic and other material forms. If you want to start a collection for someone in your life and you aren’t sure how they feel about collectible porcelain dolls, collectible baby dolls, or other types of collectibles, collectible bears are usually quite safe. Boys, girls, and even grown men and women often find that collectible bears are just what they have been looking for. Because bears are such a common collectors item all across the world, you’ll find that you can get some very unique bears in a collection over time.

When you shop online for your collectible dolls you are simply provided with a greater number of dolls to choose from. You can also find great prices, or at least prices that compete with other doll boutiques in your area. One great benefit of shopping online for your collectible dolls is that you can order the dolls that you want right now from anywhere in the world and have them delivered to your door. If you don’t have a doll boutique in your area you may have become accustomed to driving long distances to pick up the dolls for your collection. When you shop online you can usually find collectible dolls that can arrive at your door step in a matter of days. Imagine the joy of opening a box and finding your favorite doll without ever having left home! When you consider all of the benefits, it doesn’t make sense to buy your collectible dolls any other way.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Learn more about Buy Beautiful Collectible Dolls or Majon’s Gifts and Collectibles directory.

August 17, 2008

Budget Travel and Having Fun While Doing It

Filed under: Great Travel Tips — admin @ 7:53 pm

Traveling can be expensive. Sometimes there is just no other choice but to travel and it may not be something that you want to spend a lot of money on. There are some ways that you can save money while traveling and still have a comfortable and enjoyable trip.

How to save money by flying

If you have to travel remember that holidays are the best days to fly. Thanksgiving is a great day because hardly anyone will be flying that day. The day before and the day after a holiday are the worst days to travel. These are the busiest days of the year to be on a plane. Pack light when you are traveling. Extra baggage could cost you time and money and you can save by packing a little less and you will save a lot more.

Take a train instead of flying

Trains are a great way to travel because they are usually less expensive than a plane. They are also less crowded. When you decide to take a train you will save money that can be used for other things on your vacation.

Traveling with your children can sometimes be a little stressful and maybe even a downright nightmare. However, this does not have to be the case. There are ways for you to keep your children occupied while you are on the road or in the air. You can keep them happy and at the same time keep your sanity.

Bring along some snacks

The one thing you can always depend on is your child getting hungry. They are always asking for a snack or something to nibble on at the worst possible times. These times are when you are busy or when you have nothing for them to snack on. One good way to prepare for this situation is to bring along a variety of their favorite things. Another good idea is to have some drink boxes on hand for them also. You know if they are hungry then the next thing they are going to say is they are thirsty. Think ahead and get a list of the things they like and pack them along with you.

When you are traveling either alone or with your family, bring your own snacks. This will save you time and money when you get hungry. Sometimes with the hustle of traveling we forget to get ourselves something to eat. This may cause an all of sudden sick feeling for you. By having some snacks on hand you will save yourself the trouble of feeling sick. This will also save you money. Snacks on coach flights and sections are not free and can be expensive in some cases.

Driving in a car

When you are driving to your destination, there are some things that you can do to save yourself money. Remember to not drive too fast. Driving fast can cause your car to use more fuel. It may also get you a speeding ticket, which will cost you a lot of extra money in the end. It is better to stay at a steady and safe speed while you are driving. Also bring your own food. Make up some sandwiches and bring along some sodas and water. This will save you money and time by not having to stop for food.

Another good piece of advice when traveling by car is to take turns driving with someone. Make sure that you have another safe driver for times when you need a break. You can sleep while someone else drives for a while and then switch back and forth when a rest is needed. This will save you the expense of paying for a room and get you to your destination sooner.

If you are traveling with children on a plane, remember to arrive at the airport early. Make sure that you allow yourself plenty of time to get you and your children checked in and not to mention leave yourself some time for bathroom breaks. You know how kids can sometimes slow you down and you want to make sure that you have enough time for the unexpected things that can come up at any given time.

Traveling with your children can be memorable experience in your life and with a little planning and thought; you can make that memory a great one.

About the Author:
M. Johnsona operates a variety of travel websites, travel blogs and newsletters. Visit the website for many money saving tips. http://www.findingtraveldeals.com

Know Which Key Words Will Bring Targeted Visitors to your Web Site

Filed under: Great Travel Tips — admin @ 10:12 am

Who helps you know this valuable information? One added value I give book and Internet coaching clients is to know all the free ways to optimize your site for search engines - free.


Learn from coaching client Bill Quesnell, author of Minerals: The Essential Link to Health: Six Ways to Put the Mineral Team Back in Your Diet. You can receive his free ezine or reach him at http://www.mineralsbuildhealth.com.


“Judy Cullins is a wealth of information–even key words for your site or articles to submit to promote your books or business. She sent me to www.goodkeywords.com to catapult hits and sales.


1. I made copies of my pages and underlined the words and phrases I could change to bring me the most targeted traffic.


2. I went to www.goodkeywords.com and downloaded their free Full Installation pack. The site has a simple tutorial and reviews their Frequently Asked Questions.


Their virus-protected download allows you to hook up with a particular search engine, Overture for example, and detect how many “hits” Overture has received for particular words and phrases over a set period of time.


Boy, was this a good learning experience. My site markets my book. Before I used www.GoodKeywords.com, I used phrases like ‘prevent heart disease,’ ‘prevent cancer,’ ‘prevent stroke,’ and ‘prevent diabetes.’ throughout my site.


3. I typed in ‘prevent heart disease’ and GoodKeywords informed me that phrase received only 162 “hits.” Considerably smaller than 740 “hits” for ‘heart disease prevention.’ Yet, both of these were insignificant when compared to ‘heart disease,’ which produced 32,143 “hits.”


Now I know which words people type into their search engines to get their health information on the web.


In essence the program serves as a self-correction tool. You quickly realize which of your candidates for key words are lousy ones. Wherever I have ‘prevent heart disease’ in my web pages, I do not tag the entire phrase; I tag ‘heart disease’ to maximize the number of visits to my site and hence sales.


Bill, like myself learned the value of key words that get a lot of hits and we all need to be creative and apply potential customer’s input to get out Web site up to the top ten in our field.

Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including “Write your eBook Fast,” and “How to Market your Business on the Internet,” she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says…and Business Tip of the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 140 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com

August 11, 2008

Travelers Urged To Remain Vigilant As Holidays Approach

Filed under: Great Travel Tips — admin @ 6:58 pm

Security on America’s mass transit systems has been stepped up following a threat to New York’s subways but travelers everywhere are warned today to remain vigilant against terrorist attack especially as the holidays draw near.

Intelligence experts believe that it is only a matter of time before there is another terrorist attack in the U.S. and mass public transport systems and holiday resorts are both prime targets. Both are easy to attack and difficult to defend and both could lead to mass casualties and major disruption, said Don Philpott, of IsAmericaSafe.com, a website dedicated to protecting Americans and the Homeland.

“The recent deadly terrorist bombings in Bali were designed to disrupt tourism and hit the economic wellbeing of that country. Similar attacks were recently carried out at a popular tourist resort in Egypt for the same reasons. Other attacks took place in London and Madrid with the aim of causing death and destruction and striking terror among the millions of people who daily use the mass transport systems in the two capitals”, he said.

Americans travel on public transport more than 32 million times a day and subways are particularly vulnerable targets to bombs or biochemical attack with hundreds of passengers crowded into a very confined space often well below ground, said Philpott.

“How long will it be before an attack is carried out in the US either at a top tourist destination or on a mass transport system? That is why we all have to be vigilant and play our role in defending the Homeland,” he warned.

“This means reporting anything that you think is suspicious and being alert to what is going on around us at all times. If you are traveling on any form of mass transport system keep an eye on what others are doing - just in case - and report any suspicious parcels or packages. By being vigilant we will help protect ourselves and others,” he said,

New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Director of Security William A. Morange, echoed the call, and said that the help of passengers is critically important to maintaining a high level of security for the regional public transportation system.

“It is impossible for the police departments to be everywhere and see everything. Our passengers extend our reach and-by sharing their information-make the system safer, he said.”

Don Philpott - EzineArticles Expert Author

Don Philpott, is Moderator of http://www.isamericasafe.com and senior correspondent of Homeland Defense Journal.

August 10, 2008

A Case Study on Selecting Contract Management Software

Filed under: Great Travel Tips — admin @ 10:52 pm

Professional services firm cuts costs and improves productivity with integrated software system.

“I could satisfy the government, but I couldn’t give managers the information they needed to do their jobs,” says Shannon Winston, Controller for Apex Environmental.

Apex Environmental, like many professional services firms with a competitive edge, offers a widely diverse group of services to both government and commercial clients. Managing and accessing data is critical with every contract. Recently - after years of using multiple software systems, supplemental spreadsheets, and manually transferring data from one incompatible system to another - Apex Environmental purchased and deployed a single software system (developed by Wind2 Software - www.wind2.com) that handles the entire operation and serves both public and private sector clients with an integrated package. The new system streamlines planning, management, and reporting requirements for the entire company. It also helps contract managers win more contracts, manage them more efficiently, and make them more profitable because it automates the entire process - addressing everything from the initial technical proposal to the DCAA close-out audit with greater efficiency and reliability.

Business Complexities:

As a comprehensive health, safety, and environmental services firm, Apex Environmental specializes in consulting and remediation work. The firm’s professional, technical, and field experts are located in 10 offices across 25 states, and services include compliance, environmental assessments, remediation, health and safety, program management, energy management, and information technology.

All clients, of course, require careful tracking, reporting, and invoicing of actual labor and direct project expenses. The company’s government clients, however, also demand strict adherence to a host of requirements as defined by CAS, FAR and DCAA. In working with their government contracts, Apex staff members must meticulously account for allowable overhead expense (which can vary considerably from contract to contract); they must follow strict guidelines for time and expense entry; and they must report project direct and overhead charges on pre-approved government forms.

In addition to being an environmental consultancy, simply charging fees for professional services, Apex also has a $6 million construction division that performs actual remediation work in the field. In support of this division, Apex staff must also handle construction-related activities — generating purchase orders, managing subcontractors, and hiring and paying construction workers.

Searching for Solutions:

Apex Environmental has attempted to handle this complex mix of data tracking and reporting requirements in a variety of ways over the years. During its first few years in business, the firm used a manual record-keeping system. Quickly outgrowing the manual system, company leaders purchased a basic accounting program in an effort to automate the operation. That program managed the financial aspects of the business, but it offered no support for the governmental reporting requirements.

Thinking they had found the answer, Apex purchased an accounting system designed specifically for government contractors. While this program did a better job of managing information needed for government reporting, its project management and general reporting capabilities were weak. In an attempt to make up for the lack of functionality in the accounting software, office personnel used several spreadsheet and word processing programs to generate reports and other documents in the formats they needed. As a result, staff members were constantly re-entering data from the accounting system into these supplementary programs - a time-consuming and frustrating duplication of effort.

“I could satisfy the government, but I couldn’t give managers the information they needed to do their jobs,” says Shannon Winston, Controller for Apex Environmental.

When the firm decided to replace this piece-meal system with a more powerful and useful software system, the most important requirement for the new software was flexibility.

“We didn’t want different software for different types of work,” explains Winston. “The software we were looking for had to have the flexibility to do everything we needed it to do on both private and government-sector work.”

Cost was another consideration. Apex leaders wanted a system that could meet all current needs, expand its functionality to meet future needs, and still sell for a reasonable price. The company simply did not want to spend $100,000 for a software system, even one that could handle their needs.

Meeting Contract Requirements and Business Goals:

After extensive investigation and product comparisons, Apex Environmental decision-makers chose a business system from Wind2 Software that fully integrates general accounting functions with project invoicing and reporting, budget control, profit analysis, employee management, cost proposal development, accounts receivable tracking, and government contract management. The system is flexible enough to handle the company’s mix of clients and activities today, and its scalability makes it capable of doing more as the company grows.

“We needed an application that would let us focus on being a smart business first, while still handling our government contract specific needs completely,” says Winston. “Wind2 enables us to efficiently handle all of the requirements of our federal, state and local government projects, without sacrificing good, solid and simple business practices. That flexibility is really what makes this program so well suited to a company like ours that has so many different activities and a mix of government and private sector work.”

Like all government contractors, Apex Environmental must comply with all government accounting requirements (e.g., FAR, CAS, Incurred Cost proposals, DCAA guidance) and prepare for government audits. According to Winston, the company is saving hundreds of man-hours every month by eliminating the use of spreadsheets and simple accounting software to meet the stringent audit and reporting requirements of their government contracts. These resources are now freed to support ongoing work and to land new contracts.

Apex’s new software is fully equipped to meet the 17 contract and billing types defined by DCAA, including fixed price, cost-plus, and time and materials. It addresses “Other Transaction Authority” (OTA) contracts and handles timekeeping practices, direct and indirect costs, overhead and G&A rates, unallowable costs, pre-award costs, incurred cost proposals and invoicing properly.

Within two months of installing the new software, Apex was able to reduce its accounts payable staff through attrition from six people to five. Staff members no longer need to manually calculate expense rates or enter data into two systems to prepare reports. And they have immediate access to financial and project data that has been unavailable to them in the past.

Winston explains it this way: “When a vendor calls asking about a payment, staff members can now query the database to find the answer. Instead of searching through old hard copy reports and files, we simply find the vendor record and drill down into the database to see all the related invoices and payments.”

According to Winston, Apex Environmental now has the system it needs to handle its complex spectrum of government and private sector work. And company leaders know that as their business continues to grow and evolve, the Wind2 system’s inherent flexibility and scalability will let them expand its functionality in any direction they chose to go.

Case study provided by Wind2 Software, Inc. in conjunction with Virtual Contract Manager, LLC (www.virtualcontractmanager.com). Wind2 has more than 3,000 client companies in North America, Wind2 delivers software solutions for government contract management, timekeeping, contract costing, billing, project management, financial accounting, customer relationship management, and marketing automation. Contact: Nicholas T. Bettis, Tel: 800-779-4632. Fax: 970-493-4578. E-mail: nbettis@wind2.com. www.wind2.com

Virtual Contract Manager, LLC is a one-stop “information” shop for and about Contract Managers. We provide a suite of FREE locator tools for contract management software solutions, attorneys, consultants, software escrow services and a whole lot more! Let us help you find a Contract Management software solution by saving you weeks, if not months, of preliminary market research. Contact Lisa DeMaio at 508-668-2811 or lisa@virtualcontractmanger.com or visit us at http://www.virtualcontractmanager.com

August 4, 2008

FUTURE SHOCK: What’s In Store For Online Trading

Filed under: Great Travel Tips — admin @ 1:56 pm

Remember the days when HTML was the craze and the race to online fame was reduced to a game of who could come up with the coolest scripts? Back then, we used to meet girls via telnet or MiRC, and we’d entertain amorous possibilities with them, though we knew not what they looked like. Online transactions were also avoided like the plague in those times, what with the rampant cases of credit card information theft. We likewise built sites like crazy, on geocities and similar services, and jumped for joy when we were able to integrate midi files to our welcome page.

It’s hard to believe that those memories are just five years old.

And where are we now? A new age of internet marketing has dawned upon us all, making the phrase “instant millionaires” more than just a byline. The web has become a large network of multi-level systems for business. It has never experienced this stage of acceptance and general enthusiasm before, at least, not in the post-bubble burst era.

From a glorious past to a revival of technological splendor, this has been the story of the internet so far. So what’s in store for us in the future? Or more particularly, what’s in store for our passion, online trading?

Universal Online Currency

It is spoken in hushed tones, and there is no conclusive way of distinguishing facts from rumors at this point. But the grapevine is ablaze with stories of the next big thing: a universal online currency that shall be used for all manners of online trade. There is news that Microsoft is behind the idea. Others claim that it’s the natural extension of Googles’ aggressive campaign as of late. Regardless of whichever party will come up with a viable way to implement such a novel idea, changes would be forthcoming, for good or for bad.

It would be good because such would help facilitate more convenient online transactions. It would also greatly diminish, if not totally eliminate, online fraud. Well, at least not until some whiz kid would be able to find wickedly clever means to exploit the system.

It would be bad because it would pave the way for a monopoly of payment systems. They would be able to implement unfavorable rules, and we will have no choice but to comply.

Deeper Integration with the Physical World

In a study conducted by the Pew Internet Project, 56% of the respondents believed that the internet would further blur the line between business and leisure in the next 5 years. This is already becoming manifest these days, with the proliferation of telecommuting ventures and home based businesses. A great number of mothers don’t have to spend time away from their kids anymore just to make a living. It is happening now. And it will continue to evolve.

There are a large number of entrepreneurs who are afraid of joining the internet bandwagon. This is more a result of poor perception rather than wrong attitude. But with the expected elevation of broadband connection as the new standard, and the development of more secure networks for delicate transactions, the next few years would herald the migration of more businesses to the online playing field.

The Great Earthquake

Not really in the literal sense, but a catastrophe of equal magnitude is anticipated within the next 10 years. In the same Pew Internet Project report, 66% of the respondents believed that there will be at least one major attack that would cripple the online world. The internet has become a lucrative target for small time hackers, and methods are being devised everyday to maim the system. At least one of them is bound to succeed.

It is predicted that a great depression of sorts would be felt in the aftermath of such disaster. But the online market would rebound, eventually. It has proven its resilience in the past. It will do so again.

Conclusion

Change is the only thing constant in this world. As prudent businessmen, we should anticipate it and adapt correspondingly. Most, if not some, of these changes can be used to better our enterprises, if cultivated properly. Let us welcome the challenge with open arms then, armed with lessons learned, with our convictions fortified, and with our game faces on.

Cheers for the future!

Gunnar Berglund - EzineArticles Expert Author

Gunnar Berglund has been a “internet-hardworker” for the last six years
He runs http://www.meonit.com and http://www.liveofftheweb.com

Should Ezine Writers Write on More Than a Few Subjects

Filed under: Great Travel Tips — admin @ 6:55 am

Recently a discussion broke out about authors on a very popular online article directory website, some in the industry call it a “category killer,” as it has over 13,000 authors and some 85,000 articles in it’s directories now. The discussion surrounded around the topic of the “Expert Author Status” and about the quality of information in an article. An author who was irked that another author had written so many articles on so many unique topics made the first comment on the subject. In fact the author had written at least one article in every single category in the website directory. The complaintant had chosen to write on only two topics.

The author the comment was geared towards is me and after much thought on this subject and 2736 articles in 7 months and 670,000 article views and an average click thru rate approaching 3%, I think it is appropriate to respond to the gentleman. First, I understand his frustration having written so very few articles. Yet, I had written over 750 articles on the two-subjects, which were geared toward my profession. Until retiring at age 40 last year; I was involved in the franchising and cleaning industries. The gentleman who complained has only written 10% of that number of articles. Thus if his average click throughs are the same as mine or slightly higher a 4% and if he has an average article view of 177 per article then I believe that my tact is in fact the better model. What I am trying to say is “I win” and any comments negative towards such facts are ludicrous.

Furthermore I sincerely believe that a person who can only write 75 articles on a subject or two that he or she is a so-called expert in over a 2-year period is unbecoming of the word expert. Secondly it is not fair for someone to comment or call into question my integrity who has only mastered two-skills in their lives that they know enough about to write on because they would have a skewed view of the world and be very limited in their abilities and thinking. Thirdly, since all things in the human endeavor relate to all other things, such a limited view of the world is dangerous, one would have to call into question the complaining author’s articles in their entirety and wonder if in fact they should be giving anyone advice on anything at all. I therefore challenge the commenter on my integrity to answer my reciprocal response and ask for him to put up his credentials and stand toe to toe.

The fact is that writing articles on subjects you have an intimate knowledge of is smart, the more things you know and the more things you feel comfortable in writing about the better. The more subjects, topics, industries and knowledge you have all adds to your over all abilities to write articles. Why would anyone limit themselves, their article subjects or their minds? May as well live in a box. Think on it. (article # 2737).

Lance Winslow - EzineArticles Expert Author

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