Blackberry promised us back at BBLive that we'd see BBM on Android and iOS devices before the end of the summer. Well, we've hit the dog days of August, and while most of those devices are still BBM-free, it appears a select few Androids are finally getting to beta test the app. Blackberry OS reports that email invites are rolling out now to folks registered with BlackBerry's Beta Zone to test out BBM. Other than registration, users simply need a handset running Android 4.0 and up and they'll be messaging across the great platform divide in no time. We've reached out to the good people at BlackBerry for comment on the matter, and will update this post when we hear back.
Update: We just got an official comment on the beta rollout, and it turns out the it had a limited number of slots, which have all been claimed:
BlackBerry has begun internal testing of BBM on Android and iOS devices. We invited our employees to nominate friends and family to participate in a limited Android beta. Those slots are now full. For more information, please visit www.blackberry.com/bbm.
Personality and social psychology at the 2013 APA ConventionPublic release date: 31-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Lisa M.P. Munoz spsp.publicaffairs@gmail.com 703-951-3195 Society for Personality and Social Psychology
From how secrets influence our emails to personality traits that increase the risk of obesity a guide to some talks with new research in personality and social psychology at the APA Convention in Honolulu, July 31 August 4, 2013 ...
Linguistic Fingerprints of Secrets
Keeping a secret not only burdens someone with the guilt of withholding information but also changes the way the person interacts with others, according to new research. In two studies, researchers looked at linguistic changes in the emails of people harboring secrets. They found that interactions with friends became more deceptive and detached, while interactions with acquaintances became more superficially positive and frequent.
Speaker: James W. Pennebaker (Pennebaker[at]mail.utexas.edu), University of Texas, Austin
Wed., July 31, 2013, 9:00-10:50 a.m., Convention Center, 319A, Symposium: Secrets and Health - New Insights Into How Concealment and Disclosure Affect Well-Being
Judging Health Based on Behavior, Personality
Can you accurately size up someone's health just by watching them? In a recent set of studies, researchers sought to answer this question by filming research participants and asking research assistants to assess their health or behavior. In one study, researchers judged participants on 15 health dimensions including general health, tobacco use, alcohol use, physical activity, sleep quality, cholesterol, and blood pressure based on just 5 minutes of film. They found that intuitive snap judgments of health can be surprisingly accurate.
Speaker: Christopher S. Nave (christopher.nave[at]rutgers.edu), Rutgers University
Fri., August 2, 2:00-3:50 p.m., Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort, Honolulu Suite III, Symposium: Personality Processes Identifying Instrumental and Reactive Mechanisms of Trait-Health Relations
Personalty Traits That Increase Risk of Obesity
A complex mix of biological and social factors affects a person's likelihood of becoming obese. Across four studies that looked at more than 8,900 people, researchers have found significant links between personality traits and obesity showing that that high neuroticism and low conscientiousness, among other traits, are consistently associated with increased risk for obesity. These associations are similar across samples that vary in ethnicity, age, and socioeconomic status.
Speaker: Angelina R. Sutin (angelina.sutin[at]med.fsu.edu), Florida State University College of Medicine
Fri., August 2, 2:00-3:50 p.m., Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort, Honolulu Suite III, Symposium: Personality Processes Identifying Instrumental and Reactive Mechanisms of Trait-Health Relations
The Benefits of Confronting Bias
Confronting discrimination may boost your well-being, according to new research. In three studies, researchers found that while experiencing discrimination is associated with depression, confronting that bias gives people more autonomy, which helps to moderate the stressful situation. These results were true not only for minorities but also for Whites.
Speaker: Diana T. Sanchez (disanche[at]rci.rutgers.edu), Rutgers University
Wed., July 31, 2013, 11:00-12:50 p.m., Convention Center, 305B, Symposium: Revisiting the Costs and Benefits of Challenging Racial Bias and Embracing Egalitarianism
Being Grateful Trains Our Brains for the Good
Feeling grateful can train us to feel better, finds a new study. Asking people daily for one week to write about three good things that made them grateful increased their well-being after the week, and even five weeks later. Researchers think that the gratitude exercise trains the brain for cognitive processes that support well-being, such as increasing attention so that individuals are more likely to notice benefits in their lives.
Speaker: Phillip C. Watkins (pwatkins[at]ewu.edu), Eastern Washington University
Thurs., August 1, 8:00-9:50 a.m., Convention Center, 318B, Symposium: Mechanisms of Gratitude Exploring How Gratitude Enhances Well-Being
Two Hormones Together Explain Status-Seeking
Looking at only testosterone as a hormonal measure of status-seeking behaviors is incomplete, argues new research. Testosterone's influence on status-related behavior critically depends on levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Six studies suggest that researchers must consider the effects of testosterone and cortisol together. The studies show that a profile of high testosterone and low cortisol is associated with leadership, social dominance, risk-taking, emotional stability, and monetary reward maximization. On the other hand, a hormone profile of high testosterone and high cortisol is associated with subordinate behaviors, socioemotional sensitivity, anxiety, and monetary loss.
Speaker: Pranjal Mehta (mehta[at]uoregon.edu), University of Oregon
Sun., August 4, 9:00-9:50 a.m., Convention Center, 318B, Symposium: Cutting-Edge Research in Social Behavioral Endocrinology Dominance, Mating, Affiliation
Positive Anticipation Helps Overcome Stress
Past research has shown that eliciting positive emotions immediately to offset stress can ameliorate the negative effects of the stressor. Now researchers are testing the effects on stress of anticipating positive events as that more realistically mirrors how people use emotion to regulate stress in daily life. In two studies, they found that anticipating a positive event leads to improved recovery after stress and is more effective in coping with stress than experiencing a positive event just prior to being stressed.
Speaker: Christian Waugh (waughce[at]wfu.edu), Wake Forest University
Sun., August 4, 10:00-11:50 a.m., Convention Center, 305B, Symposium: Positive Emotions in the Context of Stress How and When Are They Beneficial?
Recognizing that Life is Meaningful
In our never-ending quest to understand the meaning of life, social psychologists are bringing a different perspective: urging us to think of meaning as an experience that involves seeing, recognizing, and noticing rather than something to search for or struggle to create. Simply maintaining a positive mood, for example, can facilitate meaning in our everyday lives and connect us more to the world.
Speaker: Laura A. King (kingla[at]missouri.edu), University of Missouri, Columbia
Fri., August 2, 9:00-9:50 a.m., Convention Center, 304B, Invited Address: Life is Meaningful: The Commonplace Experience of Meaning in Life
###
For more personality and social psychology talks at the APA Convention, see the SPSP program online.
SPSP promotes scientific research that explores how people think, behave, feel, and interact. The Society is the largest organization of social and personality psychologists in the world. Follow us on Twitter: @SPSPnews
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Personality and social psychology at the 2013 APA ConventionPublic release date: 31-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Lisa M.P. Munoz spsp.publicaffairs@gmail.com 703-951-3195 Society for Personality and Social Psychology
From how secrets influence our emails to personality traits that increase the risk of obesity a guide to some talks with new research in personality and social psychology at the APA Convention in Honolulu, July 31 August 4, 2013 ...
Linguistic Fingerprints of Secrets
Keeping a secret not only burdens someone with the guilt of withholding information but also changes the way the person interacts with others, according to new research. In two studies, researchers looked at linguistic changes in the emails of people harboring secrets. They found that interactions with friends became more deceptive and detached, while interactions with acquaintances became more superficially positive and frequent.
Speaker: James W. Pennebaker (Pennebaker[at]mail.utexas.edu), University of Texas, Austin
Wed., July 31, 2013, 9:00-10:50 a.m., Convention Center, 319A, Symposium: Secrets and Health - New Insights Into How Concealment and Disclosure Affect Well-Being
Judging Health Based on Behavior, Personality
Can you accurately size up someone's health just by watching them? In a recent set of studies, researchers sought to answer this question by filming research participants and asking research assistants to assess their health or behavior. In one study, researchers judged participants on 15 health dimensions including general health, tobacco use, alcohol use, physical activity, sleep quality, cholesterol, and blood pressure based on just 5 minutes of film. They found that intuitive snap judgments of health can be surprisingly accurate.
Speaker: Christopher S. Nave (christopher.nave[at]rutgers.edu), Rutgers University
Fri., August 2, 2:00-3:50 p.m., Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort, Honolulu Suite III, Symposium: Personality Processes Identifying Instrumental and Reactive Mechanisms of Trait-Health Relations
Personalty Traits That Increase Risk of Obesity
A complex mix of biological and social factors affects a person's likelihood of becoming obese. Across four studies that looked at more than 8,900 people, researchers have found significant links between personality traits and obesity showing that that high neuroticism and low conscientiousness, among other traits, are consistently associated with increased risk for obesity. These associations are similar across samples that vary in ethnicity, age, and socioeconomic status.
Speaker: Angelina R. Sutin (angelina.sutin[at]med.fsu.edu), Florida State University College of Medicine
Fri., August 2, 2:00-3:50 p.m., Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort, Honolulu Suite III, Symposium: Personality Processes Identifying Instrumental and Reactive Mechanisms of Trait-Health Relations
The Benefits of Confronting Bias
Confronting discrimination may boost your well-being, according to new research. In three studies, researchers found that while experiencing discrimination is associated with depression, confronting that bias gives people more autonomy, which helps to moderate the stressful situation. These results were true not only for minorities but also for Whites.
Speaker: Diana T. Sanchez (disanche[at]rci.rutgers.edu), Rutgers University
Wed., July 31, 2013, 11:00-12:50 p.m., Convention Center, 305B, Symposium: Revisiting the Costs and Benefits of Challenging Racial Bias and Embracing Egalitarianism
Being Grateful Trains Our Brains for the Good
Feeling grateful can train us to feel better, finds a new study. Asking people daily for one week to write about three good things that made them grateful increased their well-being after the week, and even five weeks later. Researchers think that the gratitude exercise trains the brain for cognitive processes that support well-being, such as increasing attention so that individuals are more likely to notice benefits in their lives.
Speaker: Phillip C. Watkins (pwatkins[at]ewu.edu), Eastern Washington University
Thurs., August 1, 8:00-9:50 a.m., Convention Center, 318B, Symposium: Mechanisms of Gratitude Exploring How Gratitude Enhances Well-Being
Two Hormones Together Explain Status-Seeking
Looking at only testosterone as a hormonal measure of status-seeking behaviors is incomplete, argues new research. Testosterone's influence on status-related behavior critically depends on levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Six studies suggest that researchers must consider the effects of testosterone and cortisol together. The studies show that a profile of high testosterone and low cortisol is associated with leadership, social dominance, risk-taking, emotional stability, and monetary reward maximization. On the other hand, a hormone profile of high testosterone and high cortisol is associated with subordinate behaviors, socioemotional sensitivity, anxiety, and monetary loss.
Speaker: Pranjal Mehta (mehta[at]uoregon.edu), University of Oregon
Sun., August 4, 9:00-9:50 a.m., Convention Center, 318B, Symposium: Cutting-Edge Research in Social Behavioral Endocrinology Dominance, Mating, Affiliation
Positive Anticipation Helps Overcome Stress
Past research has shown that eliciting positive emotions immediately to offset stress can ameliorate the negative effects of the stressor. Now researchers are testing the effects on stress of anticipating positive events as that more realistically mirrors how people use emotion to regulate stress in daily life. In two studies, they found that anticipating a positive event leads to improved recovery after stress and is more effective in coping with stress than experiencing a positive event just prior to being stressed.
Speaker: Christian Waugh (waughce[at]wfu.edu), Wake Forest University
Sun., August 4, 10:00-11:50 a.m., Convention Center, 305B, Symposium: Positive Emotions in the Context of Stress How and When Are They Beneficial?
Recognizing that Life is Meaningful
In our never-ending quest to understand the meaning of life, social psychologists are bringing a different perspective: urging us to think of meaning as an experience that involves seeing, recognizing, and noticing rather than something to search for or struggle to create. Simply maintaining a positive mood, for example, can facilitate meaning in our everyday lives and connect us more to the world.
Speaker: Laura A. King (kingla[at]missouri.edu), University of Missouri, Columbia
Fri., August 2, 9:00-9:50 a.m., Convention Center, 304B, Invited Address: Life is Meaningful: The Commonplace Experience of Meaning in Life
###
For more personality and social psychology talks at the APA Convention, see the SPSP program online.
SPSP promotes scientific research that explores how people think, behave, feel, and interact. The Society is the largest organization of social and personality psychologists in the world. Follow us on Twitter: @SPSPnews
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
A little girl who survived brain cancer wanted to give other children a better chance of surviving, so she and her family went on a $4-million mission.
Austin Roberts was six years old when she was diagnosed with brain cancer. Doctors in Los Angeles removed her tumor. Neurosurgeons used what's known as intraoperative MRI, allowing them to see high resolution images of Roberts' brain during surgery.
"If they would of gone into surgery and not known how close it was to the motor cortex and damage that area, I would've been paralyzed on the left side of my body," Roberts said.
Now 18, Roberts leads a normal life. She's cancer-free and ready to start college. Once cured of cancer, she and her family set out on a five-year mission to raise $4.5 million to bring the same iMRI technology to Cook Children's hospital in Fort Worth.
"So, if you get all the tumor out that's a big deal because that means your patient is probably cured," said Dr. Dave Donahue, a neurosurgeon at Cook Children?s.
By 2007, Roberts' dream was realized. As a result, neurosurgeons at Cook Children's performed their 500th surgery this week using the technology that allows them to better see tumors as they operate, so they can remove all of it.
"It makes me so happy that what I went through is coming out to benefit others," she said.
Donahue believes using iMRI has resulted in shorter hospital stays and fewer repeat surgeries to remove parts of tumors left behind.
Best papers in applied technology from Springer journals chosenPublic release date: 18-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Joan Robinson joan.robinson@springer.com 49-622-148-78130 Springer
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology singles out 5 outstanding research papers
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), a scientific organization in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has provided awards for the best paper from five technical journals it publishes in collaboration with Springer. The articles chosen reflect not only excellent science, but also the potential impact of the discoveries. The winning authors receive the KACST Medal and $5,000 each.
KACST partners with Springer to publish a collection of international journals to foster the development of key applied technologies. The publications provide a forum for the dissemination of research advances from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the world. The first five journals were launched in 2011 and focus on the key technology areas of oil and gas, water, petrochemicals, nanoscience and biotechnology. The awards for best paper were based on a selection process by the editorial boards of each journal for articles published during 2011-2012.
The following papers were singled out for excellence:
From Applied Water Science: "An ambitious step to the future desalination technology: SEAHERO R&D program (2007-2012)" by In S. Kim of Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Korea, et al.
From Applied Nanoscience: "Synthesis and characterization of nanocomposites based on polyaniline-gold/graphene nanosheets" by Deepshikha Saini of Amity University Uttar Pradesh, India, et al.
From 3 Biotech: "Nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite and zinc-doped hydroxyapatite as carrier material for controlled delivery of ciprofloxacin" by G. Devanand Venkatasubbu of Anna University, India, et al.
From Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology: "Experimental study on the performance of sand control screens for gas wells" by Yan Jin of the China University of Petroleum, China, et al.
From Applied Petrochemical Research: "Desulfurization of heavy oil" by Rashad Javadli of the University of Alberta, Canada, et al.
###
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology is an independent scientific organization administratively reporting to the Prime Minister. KACST is both the Saudi Arabian national science agency and its national laboratories. The science agency function includes science and technology policy making, data collection, funding of external research and services such as the patent office.
Springer Science+Business Media is a leading global scientific, technical and medical publisher, providing researchers in academia, scientific institutions and corporate R and D departments with quality content via innovative information products and services. Springer is also a trusted local-language publisher in Europe especially in Germany and the Netherlands primarily for physicians and professionals working in healthcare and road safety education. Springer published roughly 2,200 English-language journals and more than 8,000 new books in 2012, and the group is home to the world's largest STM eBook collection, as well as the most comprehensive portfolio of open access journals. In 2012, Springer Science+Business Media generated sales of approximately EUR 976.3 million. The group employs more than 7,000 individuals across the globe.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Best papers in applied technology from Springer journals chosenPublic release date: 18-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Joan Robinson joan.robinson@springer.com 49-622-148-78130 Springer
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology singles out 5 outstanding research papers
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), a scientific organization in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has provided awards for the best paper from five technical journals it publishes in collaboration with Springer. The articles chosen reflect not only excellent science, but also the potential impact of the discoveries. The winning authors receive the KACST Medal and $5,000 each.
KACST partners with Springer to publish a collection of international journals to foster the development of key applied technologies. The publications provide a forum for the dissemination of research advances from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the world. The first five journals were launched in 2011 and focus on the key technology areas of oil and gas, water, petrochemicals, nanoscience and biotechnology. The awards for best paper were based on a selection process by the editorial boards of each journal for articles published during 2011-2012.
The following papers were singled out for excellence:
From Applied Water Science: "An ambitious step to the future desalination technology: SEAHERO R&D program (2007-2012)" by In S. Kim of Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Korea, et al.
From Applied Nanoscience: "Synthesis and characterization of nanocomposites based on polyaniline-gold/graphene nanosheets" by Deepshikha Saini of Amity University Uttar Pradesh, India, et al.
From 3 Biotech: "Nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite and zinc-doped hydroxyapatite as carrier material for controlled delivery of ciprofloxacin" by G. Devanand Venkatasubbu of Anna University, India, et al.
From Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology: "Experimental study on the performance of sand control screens for gas wells" by Yan Jin of the China University of Petroleum, China, et al.
From Applied Petrochemical Research: "Desulfurization of heavy oil" by Rashad Javadli of the University of Alberta, Canada, et al.
###
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology is an independent scientific organization administratively reporting to the Prime Minister. KACST is both the Saudi Arabian national science agency and its national laboratories. The science agency function includes science and technology policy making, data collection, funding of external research and services such as the patent office.
Springer Science+Business Media is a leading global scientific, technical and medical publisher, providing researchers in academia, scientific institutions and corporate R and D departments with quality content via innovative information products and services. Springer is also a trusted local-language publisher in Europe especially in Germany and the Netherlands primarily for physicians and professionals working in healthcare and road safety education. Springer published roughly 2,200 English-language journals and more than 8,000 new books in 2012, and the group is home to the world's largest STM eBook collection, as well as the most comprehensive portfolio of open access journals. In 2012, Springer Science+Business Media generated sales of approximately EUR 976.3 million. The group employs more than 7,000 individuals across the globe.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Russian and Chinese ships were practicing interacton in Peter the Great Bay. More than 4000 military men participated in the maneuvers from both sides.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Veteran singer and United Nations Messenger of Peace Stevie Wonder has canceled a planned performance for the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces after several organizations asked him not to perform.
The soul singer, 62, was scheduled to sing at a December 6 fundraising gala in Los Angeles hosted by the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), an organization set up to help those serving in the Israel Defense Forces and families of fallen soldiers.
"Given the current and very delicate situation in the Middle East, and with a heart that has always cried out for world unity, I will not be performing at the FIDF Gala," Wonder said in a statement sent to Reuters by his spokeswoman.
Wonder said he would make contributions to organizations that support Israeli and Palestinian children with disabilities.
The singer added that as a Messenger of Peace, a title he's held since 2009, "I am and have always been against war, any war, anywhere."
According to a statement from the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, a coalition that aims to change U.S. policy toward Palestine and Israel and support human rights and equality, Wonder's decision came after a "growing outcry" from several organizations and three international signed petitions.
The protest is part of a "cultural boycott" led by organizations that oppose Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, the statement said.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; editing by Todd Eastham)
In this photo taken Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012 an unidentified patient prepares to be tested for TB, at the US sponsored Themba Lethu, HIV/AIDS Clinic, at the Helen Joseph hospital, in Johannesburg. In the early 90s when South Africa?s Themba Lethu clinic could only treat HIV/AIDS patients for opportunistic diseases, many would come in on wheelchairs and keep coming to the health center until they died. Two decades later the clinic is the biggest ARV (anti-retroviral) treatment center in the country and sees between 600 to 800 patients a day from all over southern Africa. Those who are brought in on wheelchairs, sometimes on the brink of death, get the crucial drugs and often become healthy and are walking within weeks. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)
In this photo taken Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012 an unidentified patient prepares to be tested for TB, at the US sponsored Themba Lethu, HIV/AIDS Clinic, at the Helen Joseph hospital, in Johannesburg. In the early 90s when South Africa?s Themba Lethu clinic could only treat HIV/AIDS patients for opportunistic diseases, many would come in on wheelchairs and keep coming to the health center until they died. Two decades later the clinic is the biggest ARV (anti-retroviral) treatment center in the country and sees between 600 to 800 patients a day from all over southern Africa. Those who are brought in on wheelchairs, sometimes on the brink of death, get the crucial drugs and often become healthy and are walking within weeks. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)
In this photo taken Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012 Christinah Motsoahae, has blood taken for testing, at the US sponsored "Right to Care", Themba Lethu, HIV/AIDS Clinic, at the Helen Joseph hospital, in Johanneburg. In the early 90s when South Africa?s Themba Lethu clinic could only treat HIV/AIDS patients for opportunistic diseases, many would come in on wheelchairs and keep coming to the health center until they died. Two decades later the clinic is the biggest ARV (anti-retroviral) treatment center in the country and sees between 600 to 800 patients a day from all over southern Africa. Those who are brought in on wheelchairs, sometimes on the brink of death, get the crucial drugs and often become healthy and are walking within weeks. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)
In this photo taken Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, Tshepo Hoato, left, and colleague, Mongezi Sosibo, pose for a photo in Johannesburg. The two help run a support group for teens at the US sponsored Themba Lethu, HIV/AIDS Clinic, at the Helen Joseph hospital, in Johannesburg. In the early 90s when South Africa?s Themba Lethu clinic could only treat HIV/AIDS patients for opportunistic diseases, many would come in on wheelchairs and keep coming to the health center until they died. Two decades later the clinic is the biggest ARV (anti-retroviral) treatment center in the country and sees between 600 to 800 patients a day from all over southern Africa. Those who are brought in on wheelchairs, sometimes on the brink of death, get the crucial drugs and often become healthy and are walking within weeks. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)
In this photo taken Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012 Christinah Motsoahae, back receives her medication from a pharmacist at the US sponsored Themba Lethu, HIV/AIDS Clinic, at the Helen Joseph hospital, in Johannesburg. In the early 90s when South Africa?s Themba Lethu clinic could only treat HIV/AIDS patients for opportunistic diseases, many would come in on wheelchairs and keep coming to the health center until they died. Two decades later the clinic is the biggest ARV (anti-retroviral) treatment center in the country and sees between 600 to 800 patients a day from all over southern Africa. Those who are brought in on wheelchairs, sometimes on the brink of death, get the crucial drugs and often become healthy and are walking within weeks. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)
In this photo taken Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012, Dr. Dave Spencer, a physician who treats patients at the US sponsored Themba Lethu, HIV/AIDS Clinic at the Helen Joseph hospital in Johanneburg, talks during an interview with the Associated Press. In the early 90s when South Africa?s Themba Lethu clinic could only treat HIV/AIDS patients for opportunistic diseases, many would come in on wheelchairs and keep coming to the health center until they died. Two decades later the clinic is the biggest ARV (anti-retroviral) treatment center in the country and sees between 600 to 800 patients a day from all over southern Africa. Those who are brought in on wheelchairs, sometimes on the brink of death, get the crucial drugs and often become healthy and are walking within weeks. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)
JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? In the early '90s when South Africa's Themba Lethu clinic could only treat HIV/AIDS patients for opportunistic diseases, many would come in on wheelchairs and keep coming to the health center until they died.
Two decades later the clinic is the biggest anti-retroviral, or ARV, treatment center in the country and sees between 600 to 800 patients a day from all over southern Africa. Those who are brought in on wheelchairs, sometimes on the brink of death, get the crucial drugs and often become healthy and are walking within weeks.
"The ARVs are called the 'Lazarus drug' because people rise up and walk," said Sue Roberts who has been a nurse at the clinic , run by Right to Care in Johannesburg's Helen Joseph Hospital, since it opened its doors in 1992. She said they recently treated a woman who was pushed in a wheelchair for 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) to avoid a taxi fare and who was so sick it was touch and go. Two weeks later, the woman walked to the clinic, Roberts said.
Such stories of hope and progress are readily available on World AIDS Day 2012 in sub-Saharan Africa where deaths from AIDS-related causes have declined by 32 percent from 1.8 million in 2005 to 1.2 million in 2011, according to the latest UNAIDS report.
As people around the world celebrate a reduction in the rate of HIV infections, the growth of the clinic, which was one of only a few to open its doors 20 years ago, reflects how changes in treatment and attitude toward HIV and AIDS have moved South Africa forward. The nation, which has the most people living with HIV in the world at 5.6 million, still faces stigma and high rates of infection.
"You have no idea what a beautiful time we're living in right now," said Dr. Kay Mahomed, a doctor at the clinic who said treatment has improved drastically over the past several years.
President Jacob Zuma's government decided to give the best care, including TB screening and care at the clinic, and not to look at the cost, she said. South Africa has increased the numbers treated for HIV by 75 percent in the last two years, UNAIDS said, and new HIV infections have fallen by more than 50,000 in those two years. South Africa has also increased its domestic expenditure on AIDS to $1.6 billion, the highest by any low-and middle-income country, the group said.
Themba Lethu clinic, with funding from the government, the United States Agency for International Development and the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, is now among some 2,500 anti-retroviral therapy facilities in the country that treat approximately 1.9 million people.
"Now, you can't not get better. It's just one of these win-win situations. You test, you treat and you get better, end of story," Mahomed said.
But it hasn't always been that way.
In the 1990s South Africa's problem was compounded by years of misinformation by President Thabo Mbeki, who questioned the link between HIV and AIDS, and his health minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, who promoted a "treatment" of beets and garlic.
Christinah Motsoahae first found out she was HIV positive in 1996, and said she felt nothing could be done about it.
"I didn't understand it at that time because I was only 24, and I said, 'What the hell is that?'" she said.
Sixteen years after her first diagnosis, she is now on anti-retroviral drugs and her life has turned around. She says the clinic has been instrumental.
"My status has changed my life, I have learned to accept people the way they are. I have learned not to be judgmental. And I have learned that it is God's purpose that I have this," the 40-year-old said.
She works with a support group of "positive ladies" in her hometown near Krugersdorp. She travels to the clinic as often as needed and her optimism shines through her gold eye shadow and wide smile. "I love the way I'm living now."
Motsoahae credits Nelson Mandela's family for inspiring her to face up to her status. The anti-apartheid icon galvanized the AIDS community in 2005 when he publicly acknowledged his son died of AIDS.
None of Motsoahae's children was born with HIV. The number of children newly infected with HIV has declined significantly. In six countries in sub-Saharan Africa ? South Africa, Burundi, Kenya, Namibia, Togo and Zambia ?the number of children with HIV declined by 40 to 59 percent between 2009 and 2011, the UNAIDS report said.
But the situation remains dire for those over the age of 15, who make up the 5.3 million infected in South Africa. Fear and denial lend to the high prevalence of HIV for that age group in South Africa, said the clinic's Kay Mahomed.
About 3.5 million South Africans still are not getting therapy, and many wait too long to come in to clinics or don't stay on the drugs, said Dr. Dave Spencer, who works at the clinic .
"People are still afraid of a stigma related to HIV," he said, adding that education and communication are key to controlling the disease.
Themba Lethu clinic reaches out to the younger generation with a teen program.
Tshepo Hoato, 21, who helps run the program found out he was HIV positive after his mother died in 2000. He said he has been helped by the program in which teens meet one day a month.
"What I've seen is a lot people around our ages, some commit suicide as soon as they find out they are HIV. That's a very hard stage for them so we came up with this program to help one another," he said. "We tell them our stories so they can understand and progress and see that no, man, it's not the end of the world."
By Lee Ann Brown, Photography by Billy Brown, Styling by Mindi Shapiro
I first fell in love with Mid-Century Modern architecture when I was a kid, although I didn?t know it then. When I think back, my earliest recollections of being aware of liking a style of house was when I saw the father?s house in the original Parent Trap movie and, the iconic Brady house in the television show The Brady Bunch.
Whenever I watched The Brady Bunch, I always found myself looking at the house, the way it was laid out, the indoor planter, the exposed rock, and my favorite feature, the open staircase. These were features that I had never seen in a house before, certainly not in my own house or even in my neighborhood. Even though the houses were all based on the idea of MCM, sadly all the ?cool? features were left out. I had no idea that it was a ?style,? and in fact, I?m pretty sure I had probably never heard the word ?architecture?, except on the show, since Mr. Brady was an architect. I certainly was not aware at that young age of the term Mid-Century Modern. But I was drawn to it and the way it seemed to play a role in the life of the family.
After years of living in several different styles of houses as an adult, I have found myself being drawn back to the Mid-Century Modern style house that I grew up in, particularly the Ranch? style house. I can hear the groans from here, and I can relate, because the ranch?style house I grew up in, is probably a lot like the ones most people my age grew up in?a one-level with no distinguishing characteristics, just a boring brick house with small rooms. And that is most people?s view of this type of home. But, I have come to appreciate that even in that small, plain ranch?style house I grew up in, there was an underlying feeling of ease, and a casual laid back style to living that you just don?t seem to get with a soaring three?story house,? with a sky?high deck off the back that keeps you from enjoying your yard, and Palladian windows that don?t open to let in fresh air. You are practically hermetically sealed off from the outside world in today?s homes, starting with the moment you pull into the garage and close the doors behind you.
I must say that I am certainly no student of architecture or historian of architectural styles. What I am is an enthusiast of the Mid-Century Modern style, and I have developed a strong interest in the casual, laidback lifestyle that this type of home seems to invite. In fact, there are many different variations on the MCM style?some ranch style, some more modern?but that casual feeling is what they all seem to have in common and what I remember most fondly about the house I grew up in. And that?s what I have found myself wanting to have in my own home now. Certain features of the MCM?style house offers this casual lifestyle.
First and foremost, the home is usually a one-level house, though there are styles with second floors, and even basements. The main goal is to have the main living areas flow directly to the outside, ground level. Ideally, most of the rooms would have access to the outdoors, but at the very least the kitchen, den/living rooms, and master bedroom would all open to the outdoor patio. Not a deck. No steps to have to maneuver down to actually touch the grass. Other features include lots of glass, sliding doors, built in planters, atriums, exposed stone, natural floors. It?s all about blending the indoors and out. Bringing as much of nature in as possible. And it?s about embracing an ease of living that closes out the workday world, and is all about enjoying time with family and friends, or a peaceful retreat to enjoy the peace and quiet surrounded by light and nature. In fact, a lot of these homes present a closed off wall to the front, but are almost all glass and open to the back.
What I loved most about the ranch?style house I grew up in is the sliding glass doors to the outside patio. Most of the time the doors were open to the screen sliding door, and my dad was always out on the patio grilling steaks on his built?in gas grill (we got the very first one when the gas line was available on our street), and always, always Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr, Nat Cole, and the rest of the Swing Set were playing through the house on my dad?s beloved stereo console.
Everyone was always welcome at our house. We didn?t even lock the doors. On weekend mornings? I can remember waking up to a party that had already started. That is another thing about this type of house, it is great for entertaining. And my parents enjoyed this feature very much.
But this type of house is great for enjoying family time, too. Backyard games are especially fun since you don?t have to go up flights of stairs every time you need to use the bathroom, or forget something inside. Favorites include grilling out burgers and dogs, playing badminton, croquet, ping-pong or tag. And a swimming pool is groovy cool, too.
To me, Mid-Century Modern represents a chic and sophisticated style of living that celebrates quiet time alone, surrounded by nature, as easily as it embraces the casual ease of family living. It is an indoor/outdoor lifestyle, shoes optional with no stuffy worries about dogs, kids, or dirty feet running in and out. There?s grilling on the patio or a game of charades in the family room; and sophisticated but cool and casual adult entertainment. Have your friends over for cocktails, with a well stocked bar, swinging tunes on the sound system and maybe a game of cards or dominoes and sparkling conversation. Here we can make room for sharing good times and plenty of laughter. Oh, the glamour of it all!
My parents were always getting my brothers and me to take them their cocktails: Bloody Mary?s, Salty Dogs, Tom Collins, and I must admit that I sneaked my fair share of sips when I got the chance. So, a good cocktail is synonymous with entertaining in a MCM Style House. Along with the classics enjoy this recipe for a ?Rancher,? tastes like a Jolly Rancher. Cheers! 3 oz. Amaretto 1 oz. Cranberry Juice 3 oz. Watermelon Schnapps 2 oz. ice Pour into cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and pour into chilled martini glass.
Luckily more and more people are starting to appreciate what this style of architecture has to offer aesthetically as well as functionally, and hopefully more are being saved from the wrecking ball to build another McMansion. However, MCM is not a style suited just for private homes. Some of the most iconic buildings in the world are Mid-Century Modern, and we are fortunate to have a few MCM gems tucked here and there right here in Birmingham. These are some of the coolest, and most architecturally interesting, buildings and homes built by some of our own architects. The artistry and vision of these architects come to life in these buildings and create that same sense of design and space for the people that work in them that the houses do for the people that live in them. Next time you are out and about in the city, take a few minutes to enjoy looking at these ultra hip Mid-Century Modern buildings that help define the skyline and character of our Magic City.
The Internet and worldwide web has changed a lot about our daily lives. From the way we shop and communicate to the way we market our wares and engage in commerce have all been changed by the web. This great tool gives persons the ability to do things that were undreamt of just a short while ago. Te power to reach out to millions of potential customers with just a few clicks of a keyboard or digital pad enables individuals to enhance their marketing prowess in extraordinary ways. Internet Marketing Vancouver can help individuals and firms further their business through the use of web-based tools. Using a Vancouver Internet marketing firm can put you in touch with trends and consumer groups you may not even be aware of.
Among the many web-based tools used by Vancouver Internet marketing firms is SEO. Search engine optimization is the ultimate front in trying to gain notoriety and publicity in the virtual medium of the worldwide web. Search engine optimization can help put your company or product in the top listings for individual searches. However, this can only be accomplished through a careful analysis of the algorithms used by the SEO forums. Google and other search engines are making constant upgrades to their systems which can make it difficult to keep maintain or advance the ranking of your site. Indeed, Google updates require change to SEO methods regularly. In order to keep up with the latest updates you will need to work with a Vancouver Internet marketing firm with in-depth knowledge and expertise. If you have SEO experts on your side, you can stay ahead of the game. Such professionals can keep you very much in the vanguard of being found.
Nowadays, few companies can afford not to incorporate the web in their overall marketing strategy. Knowing the best ways of achieving search engine optimization is vital in executing such plans and attracting online users to your site. The most important thing for a company, in regard to its web presence, is to be found before its competitors are. This is essential if a company is to outpace its rivals in attracting new customers and new business. Now, there are many who believe that they can apply a few tricks and techniques to their online postings and all will be fine. But keeping or advancing your search engine rankings can be very complicated, and it is best to have the work properly done by professionals with the knowledge and insight to provide sound solutions.
Fortunately, it is not that difficult to get the help you need. The place to begin your search is, of course, the worldwide web. The web will allow you to bring all of the experts who work with SEO and other web-based marketing tools to your computer screen. It will also allow you to review the quality, service, and value of such vendors. Using the web will also enable you to find out the reputation of those offering such service. And this can be essential in helping you make the final decision on who to go with.
An Internet Marketing Vancouver can help your company keep up with the latest trends and advancements in web-based marketing.
Since my column about the Power of the About Us page (remember 2006 when MySpace was really popular) was written, not a week goes by that I don?t receive a comment about it. ?Every website needs an ?About Us? page, it?s one of the most important but undervalued elements of a company?s website. This is especially true in a world where social media profiles allow us to connect content to people. The ?About Us??page needs to show and tell about a company?s human side.
?About Us? is often the most neglected page on any website; if the page exists at all. It can put a human face on an otherwise technical, dry, and impersonal website. Properly written, it can provide some serious buying resolve to certain customer segments.
Humans want to connect with other humans. That?s easy to forget in an overly-transaction-focused business world. This critically important page allows visitors to connect if done well. ?However, this really important page seems to be the most difficult for so many to write about themselves.
As brands (from startups to multi-nationals), we should want people to like us, to share our values, to feel validated by doing business with us. How are we supposed to get them to do this if we don?t connect with them on a human level in a ?human voice??
What Your ?About Us? Page Should be About
This is where you get to tell your story, why you exist, what problems you solve.
The purpose of the ?About Us? page is to break down the facade of confidence-destroying anonymity of the web and of corporations. The visitor who clicks on that page is giving you their permission to share with them all about your company, in the spirit of transparency and with an authentic voice that allows you to share all that makes you the organization that you are.
Most companies are never shy about talking about themselves until it comes to this page. However, when a visitor clicks on your ?About Us? page it doesn?t mean you shouldn?t focus on why they are there and what problems they need solved. Please try to remember they want to know about you but from their perspective.
7 Questions to Start Writing Your ?About Us? Page
Your company exists as it is for several reasons other than to make money. You could sell one of a million different products or services, but you chose (or created) your products for a reason. That reason is the story your company has to tell and the value it has to offer. Your ?About Us??page is the perfect place to tell that story. If you tell that story with integrity and passion and speak to your customer personas? needs, you?ll have a powerful piece that will increase conversion. Please answer for your visitor:
Why do you do what you do? Really!
Who are the people behind the company? Even huge companies can do this well.
What kind of people are you? Who will I be working with or buying from?
What are you most proud of as an organization?
Why should your customers care about you or get know you better?
What does your company stand for?
What does your company stand against? ? Read through AimClear?s ??Our Philosophies? (bottom of the page) and you can see who their ?enemy? is.
Quick tip: It may help if you query your customer/fan base to share 3-5 words that describe what they think about when they think about ?your brand.?
7 Things your ?About Us? page Should Do:
Let customers see a more human side of your company. ?This is where you get to become more likable by including ?individual information and personal interests.? E-Trade?s advertising makes it seem like a fun company, but the E-Trade ?About Us? page displays none of that human personality. See how Dropbox shows and tell about the people in their company. As you navigate the page hover over the picture of anyone on the team and you get a fun blurb about the person. Or check out the bio?s and little known facts about the Raven Tool?s team.
How do you choose the voice of your ?about us? page? Here are some more ideas:
What is the overall emotional stance that your company has towards its industry/market?
If your company were an actual person, who would it be?
Is there a favorite quote you or the people in your company have?
Is there one particular moment in the life of your company that would capture its essence in a nutshell?
Do certain words or phrases keep popping up in your daily conversations, your salespeople?s sales calls, your blog posts, etc.
Use the verbiage your customers use. Mine your live chat logs, emails, customer service calls, in site search, and especially customer product reviews if you have them.
As an exercise, do a ?25 Random Things About Our Company.? Then pull out the nuggets and insert them into your about us page. Or leave the whole list as a link or tab from your about us page.
Make sure your voice on the about us page is consistent with the rest of the site. Yes, you can afford to be a little more conversational and personal/passionate, but the overall writing style should be relatively consistent.
Tell your company?s story. ?Check out how creative PPC ad optimization company DataPop begins to tell the story of why they exist and who the people behind this startup are. SeoMoz does a nice job at sharing who they are, why they exist and sharing their company history. They go over the top in a good way at letting visitors get to know their Mozzers team members, such as Joanna Lord, their Director of Acquisition and Retention. My only wish is that they provided links to the social profiles of their team members.
One way to do this is to use a company history timeline. such as this one from 37 Signals, it is a great way to highlight achievements without braggadocio.
Connect people to your leadership. See how Evernote includes links to their Twitter, LinkedIn or other relevant websites next to their executives? names. Check out the Mark Poirier?s profile page from the Acquisio Management team to see how they connect their founders to their social profiles.
Humans are attracted to humans, so why do so few sites include photos of company employees? This is a social networking nirvana. Let?s check out how social the social media platforms are: LinkedIn which is all about connecting people, shoots off bullet point after bullet point about the company with just 5 links to their founder. ?FaceBook takes you to this cold profile page (they had a real hard time here ? notice the copy under ?About? and ?Mission? are the same. Twitter at least does a good job explaining what they are but not who they are. Instagram?s about us includes a quick paragraph about the two founders and that is it. They don?t show any pictures or link off to any profiles. However, Pinterest does a great job explaining why they exist, what problem they solve and sharing pictures of numerous people from the company.
Reflect your company?s passion. Ok, when you think of hiring a plumber, passion is not what you naturally think about. Watch this video from the founders of Austin?s Radiant Plumbing?and tell me you wouldn?t think about calling them if you needed a plumber.
Make sure to take it easy on the sales pitch and give us you and your company?s story. Show us your passion.
Reflect your company?s personality. If you?re a fun company, your ?About Us? page should be fun. Do you think MailChimp would be a fun company to work with? Behind their wonderful mascot, they even highlight their customers?so you can try to relate to their stories as well.
Many ?About Us? pages seem like a copy-and-paste job from AboutUs.com. Thinking any old creative will do, will not do. The vast majority of ?About Us? pages are simply boring, stiff, and tightly clenched pages.
Let the customer inside your company. Everything about how BodyBuilding.com?has had the success they have had is about profiling people. Did you begin to watch their core values video?
I highly recommend the use of video to show off your human side. Of course, it?s important to tell us what you do, but put that content on another page. When visitors click on ?About Us,? they want to know about you.
Reiterate your company?s competence to serve the customers by using all the above tools. Take a few minutes and see how Zappos runs you through the A to Z of their company, team and culture. Google also walks you through from their mission, why their are passionate about the 10 things they believe to be true, who their management team is, why they value their corporate culture and what they do for you.
They have more pages dedicated to this area than many company overall pages on their website
Tell me why should your customers? care about you? ?Also, please feel free to share your favorite ?About Us? page in the comments below.
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* Image:?Social media network. Hand painted in people faces showing OK sign
The post The About Us Page in a Social World appeared first on Bryan & Jeffrey Eisenberg.
HEALTH has moved to reassure Islanders about a controversial end-of-life care programme after a family have claimed that their dying relative was not given food and water for two days.
The department has said that the Liverpool Care Pathway regime, which allows doctors in some cases to withdraw food and water from dying patients, would not be used without the consent or knowledge of family members.
This follows concerns raised to the JEP by a man whose wife died five weeks ago in the General Hospital and comments left by numerous Islanders about the LCP on www.thisisjersey.com.
After reading the JEP?s article on the Pathway, which Health Minister Anne Pryke defended last week in the States, chartered surveyor Alan Booth became concerned that his wife, Sue (63), had been placed on the programme.
The Open Internet Coalition, a mix of the most influential technology companies in the world, sans Apple and Microsoft, has filed a brief with the?Federal Communications Commission (FCC) arguing in favor of its current rules concerning net neutrality.
As The Hill notes, the brief is a response to a lawsuit by Verizon to overturn the law. For a very long, tedious, and broad take on Verizon?s suit, allegations, the current laws, and commentary, head here.
However, it?s worth taking a moment to understand that Verizon views the application of net neutrality laws an abrogation of its right to free speech, and an arrogation of authority to the FCC that it should not have. From our coverage, a short take on this situation:
Verizon filed a brief as part of its lawsuit to overturn the FCC?s rules that pertain to ?net neutrality.? A 2010 ruling, Comcast Corp. v. FCC, laid much of the policy groundwork for current net neutrality rules that bind Internet service providers into giving all traffic equal berth, not slowing or speeding any specific content.
If speech can be defined as the selective slowing, or speeding up of specific pieces of content on a network that consumers have?purchased?contractual access to, then Verizon has a case. If, however, the court feels that the Internet, being the headless horseman that it is (run by non-profits, built on datacenters run by giants, and delivered by myriad ISPs), isn?t something that can be thus constrained, then Verizon has no case.
With that, we begin.
The Response
In the face of the suit,?concerned?parties ? the Open Internet Coalition ? have taken Verizon to task on a point by point basis. The following are condensed excerpts from the filed brief. All bolding is via TNW.
Open Internet Coalition: The FCC has the authority to impose net neutrality rules.
Section 706 commands that the FCC ?shall encourage the deployment? of broadband Internet services ?on a reasonable and timely basis? through ?price cap regulation, regulatory forbearance, measures that promote competition in the local telecommunications market or other regulating methods that remove barriers to infrastructure investment.?
Open Internet Coalition: ?Open Internet? rules are in fact good for infrastrucutre investment, as they drive demand for content.
The main remaining question about Section 706 is whether the rules do what Congress asked the FCC to do: remove barriers to infrastructure investment. Notably, Petitioners never go so far as to say that there is no relationship whatsoever between assuring that content is not treated in a discriminatory fashion by broadband providers and investing in infrastructure.
As the FCC?s brief convincingly explains, both Verizon and MetroPCS have recognized that consumers? desire to use high-bandwidth applications, such as streaming video, leads directly to investment in infrastructure.
In addition to the examples from the record, recent pronouncements by both Petitioners confirm that they still hold a position in tension with the one they espouse here. As Verizon recently informed the FCC, ?it is well documented?and unchallenged by commenters?that skyrocketing demand for wireless broadband services requires carriers to accelerate the addition of network capacity to keep pace with consumer demand.?
Open Internet Coalition: Netflix is proof of this fact.
[Its] millions of viewers cannot knock on Netflix?s door directly. Nor can they rely on antiquated dial-up access to receive high-quality video. They must turn to their phone, cable, or cell phone provider for broadband access. Demand for Netflix and similar services has thus translated directly into increased demand for and investment in broadband deployment.
That matters, due to the fact that infrastructure investment is key. If the Open Internet Coalition can demonstrate that deconstructing net neutrality rules would?hinder investment into infrastructure, than the FCC would loath to make that change, as it has the purview to ?remove barriers? to that growth; thus striking net neutrality would be antithetical to its own job.
Open Internet Coalition: Comcast, another big ISP, agrees with this.
As Comcast has observed in the proceeding below, ?[t]he relationship between broadband ISPs and other creators of Internet content, applications, and services that benefit from broadband ISPs? networks is profoundly symbiotic.?
Open Internet Coalition: Allow for a gatekeeper, and investment in content will go down. This,?implicitly, will lower demand for said content, which will slow infrastructure growth.
The correlation between content and demand for access is unremarkable?no one buys broadband access for the empty pipes? own sake. The prospect of slowing growth in demand, in turn, is a deterrent to new entry.
If the main gatekeepers of broadband access prioritize their favored content, many content providers would be marginalized, stifled, endangered, or rendered extinct for failure to find funding. Thus, content would be suppressed, regardless of new entrants in the access business.
The echoes of free speech that you just picked up are not?irrelevant.
Open Internet Coalition: All this stuff matters right now, as we need this sort of protection today, and not down the road.
Although the opponents of the Open Internet Rules claim that the rules are a solution in search of a problem, discriminatory practices are no longer outliers. Cable modem service providers other than Comcast and Madison River Communications have ?managed? peer-to-peer traffic.
Similarly, Skype and Google Voice found their IP-based voice applications blocked on iPhones using?AT&T?s 3G network.
Open Internet Coalition: This is how the Internet has run, and should be run.
Openness is the ?highly successful status quo? on the Internet. The FCC?s high-level rules merely preserve that status quo. In so doing, the rules provide much needed certainty at a time when broadband roviders have enhanced incentives and ability to act unilaterally against edge-based content, application, and service providers. Preserving the ?virtuous cycle? and bringing a measure of certainty to the evolving Internet ecosystem is well within the FCC?s authority under Section 706.
Open Internet Coalition: Verizon is overstating the potential harm it could incur.
While there is no question that the rules solve a real problem and prevent Internet access providers from engaging in behavior that has been observed in the past, Verizon?s and MetroPCS?s injuries from the Open Internet Rules remain highly speculative.
Open Internet Coalition: An open Internet is better for free speech than one in which gatekeepers roam.
By invoking Turner I, Verizon and MetroPCS arrogate to themselves the role of the Internet?s ?speaker? or ?editor,? making decisions about what content does and does not travel over its network.
This presumption of control is inconsistent with Verizon?s contention elsewhere that operating a broadband network amounts ?to an ISP acting as a mere conduit for the transmission of information sent by others.?
Strength of Argument
A plain reading of this brief leaves TNW with much the same impression it had following reading Verizon?s claims in July,?namely that the legal case against net neutrality in its current form isn?t particularly strong
This is an issue with critical import to the Internet, and most especially our little technology industry. For proof of that just check the companies that are part of the Open Internet?Coalition:
Amazon.com, Ask.com, Chemistry.com, Citysearch, CollegeHumor, Computer & Communications Industry Association, Digital Media Association, DISH Network, Earthlink, eBay, Electronic Retailing Association, Facebook, Google, IAC, iWon, Match.com, Net Coalition, Netflix, PayPal, ServiceMagic, Shoebuy.com, Skype, Sling Media, Sony Electronics, Inc., StubHub, TechNet, TiVo, Twitter, Vanguard, Vonage, Writers Guild of America (West), and YouTube.
As a final note, provided that I didn?t gloss your eyes with all that quoting, this tussle underscores how technology is now a political issue. It?s something to keep in mind.
If she refuses stop, divorce is your only option. Unless you're willing to live in and open marriage and share her with the other man. Weren't your vows to forsake all others.
__________________ "In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing." T.R.
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Public release date: 31-Jul-2013
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Since my column about the Power of the About Us page (remember 2006 when MySpace was really popular) was written, not a week goes by that I don?t receive a comment about it. ?Every website needs an ?About Us? page, it?s one of the most important but undervalued elements of a company?s website. This is especially true in a world where social media profiles allow us to connect content to people. The ?About Us??page needs to show and tell about a company?s human side.
This is where you get to tell your story, why you exist, what problems you solve.
Today, 07:36 PM
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