Collegeกs Language Faculty and Student Develop Onl

Collegeกs Language Faculty and Student Develop Online Board for the World

by: Rand Huck

(WARWICK, RI) A new forum may be a great help to students of foreign language and those studying abroad. ก[it] is an important addition to the world of websites,ก says Dr. Brown, a professor of Spanish and Portuguese at the Community College of Rhode Island. The online discussion forum she is talking about, at http://language.scoutprovidence.com, contains 10 categories directly related to foreign language and culture, and 14 total categories, including two categories for users to discuss books and film.

Discussion forums are online locations where visitors may register and talk, much in the same way as email, except that instead of writing to one person, they are writing to the other visitors. It is different from chat rooms, since in chat rooms you are talking in realtime, whereas in a discussion forum, you are replying to a message that was posted anywhere from a few minutes ago to a few years ago. Discussion forums usually revolve around a central theme, such as cooking, a computer game, or jokes. This discussion forum revolves around foreign language and culture.

Rand Huck, who developed the software and made it a possibility for the faculty, says, กItกs not just about teaching students about language and culture, itกs about giving those students an outlet to discuss it in a world wide medium.ก Huck is a former student of the Community College of Rhode Island and a current student at the University of Rhode Island. The facultyกs objective is to make the discussion forum an attraction not only for students, but for those who live in those foreign countries to give their insight. กMost students learn about language and culture in a classroom where they rarely get a handson experience with it,ก Huck continues. กBy discussing foreign language and culture to, not only other students, but those living with the language and culture, I think they get a lot more out of it. Itกs important to know how to communicate in other languages online, since that is where global business is taking us in the new century. More often, workers are making trips to their email client to communicate to other countries, rather than using a telephone or traveling.ก

กFor now, in its initial phase, it serves as an excellent vehicle for students to communicate with one another about their interests and/or questions pertaining to their language courses,ก Brown states.

There are thousands of discussion forums on the Internet, but very few concentrate on language and culture, which is why the professors at the foreign languages department are excited about the new website. The forum began in the summer of 2004, but did not get much activity until the fall semester began, when the faculty enthusiastically told their students about the website. Although the website is not officially supported by the Community College of Rhode Island, and is an independent project of the faculty, the project for the idea was read and approved by the Foreign Language Department head, Anthony DiRuzzo.

About The Author

Rand Huck is a student of the University of Rhode Island, pursuing a degree in Economics. He currently owns a business in web development and serves the Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts area.

http://design.scoutprovidence.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on October 24, 2004

by Rand Huck

Culture and Website Localization

Culture and Website Localization

by: Neil Payne

With the rise in ownership of computers and internet usage growing daily, the internet is fast becoming the primary port of call for information, shopping and services. In addition, those computer and internet users are increasingly from nonEnglish speaking countries. At the end of 2002, it was estimated that 32% of internet users were nonnative English speakers. This figure is constantly rising. In response, businesses have quickly become aware of the benefits of website localization.

Website localization is the process of modifying an existing website to make it accessible, usable and culturally suitable to a target audience. Website localization is a multilayered process needing both programming expertise and linguistic/cultural knowledge. If either is missing, the chances are that a localization project will encounter problems.

In the majority of cases it is the lack of linguistic and cultural input that lets a website localization project down. In order to give an insight into the impact culture has on website localization the following examples depict areas in which a solid understanding of the target culture is necessary.

Language in Website Localization

Translating a website from English into another language is not as simple as it may appear. There are numerous factors that have to be taken into consideration when translating a websites’ content.

Do all the words, phrases, sayings and metaphors translate directly to the target language? Would it be wise to translate the phrase ขeveryman for himselfข in text describing a company or product if this is going to be read by a highly collectivist culture? Does the content of your website use humour and if so will the target culture appreciate or even understand it? Native alternatives should always be sought and used in any website localization.

When translating into another language carefully consider the variants. If it is to be an Arabic website then is aimed at Tunisians or Iraqis, Egyptians or Yemenis? If you are targeting all Arabic speakers then ensure Modern Standard Arabic has been employed by your translator.

One must analyse the style of the language and the target audience. If the audience is foreign business personnel, the vocabulary, grammar and punctuation must reflect this. If the audience is informal or youth orientated then a more relaxed language must used. Just as we in the UK would identify the difference between a site using ‘posh English’ and ‘street English’, other cultures will have the same perceptions of language. Using the wrong language for the wrong reader in your localization project will lead to a misunderstanding of the site or company.

It is essential to assess what information is necessary to carry over into the new site. Do not assume that all information on the English site is automatically transferred over. One must evaluate the target culture and society. Is it a culture that relies on information rich writing to fully understand a concept or product or is a culture that relies more on images or one that needs little text to grasp ideas and concepts? If your English site employs a lot of technical language then consider how best to transfer these concepts without the use of language.

Pictures in Website Localization

Images carry many subtle cultural messages within them. These can speak volumes about your company or product. Pictures or images may have certain negative connotations that may repel viewers. This is now an area that thankfully is receiving attention in website localization.

For example, if a travel site in a Muslim populated country used pictures of scantily clad women in bikinis, disco dancing and beer drinking, the chances are that they would not be very successful.

When including pictures of personnel it is wise to tailor these to what the target audience will look positively upon. A picture of the Director behind a desk in an office will be fine for a seniority respecting society, but for an egalitarian society it is better to show the Director mixing with staff.

It is through pictures that websites can either relate to an audience or repel them.

Symbols in Website Localization

As with pictures, symbols can cause problems in localization. Icons using fingers such as an OK sign or Vsign may mean different things to different cultures. Our Western symbols do not always mean the same abroad. An oft cited example is the representation of the house referring to a home page, or a letterbox to mail. The use of animals in logos can cause embarrassment and further problems. For example, pigs are considered unclean in the Middle East and cows as holy in India.

Colours in Website Localization

Colours are also loaded with cultural meanings that need to be analysed in website localization. Choosing the wrong colour for your logo or background will not always have disastrous consequences, but avoiding them is always advisable.

For example, in Japan white is commonly associated with mourning. In China red is auspicious. In Africa certain colours represent different tribes.

Navigation in Website Localization

It is even the most taken for granted aspects of website layout that must be analysed properly for a successful localization project. In the West we assume that how we present websites is how it naturally should be done. This is far from the truth.

A common problem experienced in localization is the effect on layout through translation. Foreign scripts can make your pages need more room or less room depending on the target language in the localization. Not all languages read from left to right. Arabic is from right to left and both Japanese and Chinese are from top to bottom.

Access to certain pages is also a factor that can be considered as relevant. Highly hierarchical cultures may view a site positively if it is ‘member only’ access, whereas an egalitarian culture may find it disagreeable.

Content in Website Localization

Examining your written content in any localization process in critical to its success. This is not only important for proper transfer of aspects such as dates, currencies, and units of measurement but for the presenting the correct image.

For example, will the site focus on a product or a company? Both bring with them certain considerations dependent on the target culture. If a company is marketing itself in a culture that respects seniority and hierarchy, readers will want to see information on senior members. Along with their titles and rank they will also want to evaluate them through information on their professional qualifications, experience and contacts. These areas in the UK may generally be avoided as in our culture it is bordering on selfindulgence and boasting.

Conclusion

Culture affects everything we do, say, read, hear and think and even websites cannot escape the influence of culture.

The impact of culture on website localization is huge. The above few examples are literally the tip of the iceberg. The number of variables that have to be taken into consideration requires the expertise of both a website designer along with a cross cultural communications consultant. In tandem they can identify the issues that will impact on the successful localization of a site.

At a time where the internet is entering more and more houses it is crucial that companies involved in the internationalization of their business consider website localization and take care to use effective cross cultural analysis.

About The Author

Neil Payne is Director of London based cross cultural communications consultancy Kwintessential.

If you wish to use this article elsewhere please contact me,
[email protected]

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk

This article was posted on August 12, 2004

by Neil Payne

What is SQL?

What is SQL?

by: John L

What is SQL? SQL stands for Structured Query Language and is the lingua franca in the database world. SQL is a standard that is used by all database vendors and programmers to define, extract and access the information that is stored in databases. SQL began life as an IBM creation but was standardized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as ANSI/ISO SQL in 1988. Since then ANSI/ISO SQL standard continued to evolve. The ANSISQL group has since published three standards over the years:

SQL89 (SQL1)

SQL92 (SQL2)

SQL99 (SQL3)

SQL is a query language. It is Englishlike and easy to use. However, although there are more than 90 SQL reserved words, most programmers seldom use more than the following handful of commands SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, FROM, WHERE, HAVING, BETWEEN, LIKE, OR, AND, NOT, IN, ORDER, GROUP and BY.

For example, if you had a database table named กemployeesก and you wanted to retrieve all records where the employee has the last name กgoodmanก, you would use the following SQL statement:

SELECT * FROM employees WHERE lastname = กgoodmanก;

There are many different categories of SQL statements but the basic ones which all programmers should be familiar with are the SQL statements that:

Create tables and manipulate their definitions

Query the table data

Manipulate the table data

SQL is predominantly used by 2 types of users programs and humans (keying in the commands through a database client) to pass instructions to databases. SQL commands can be keyed into a database client like the MySQL Query Browser or the SQL Server Enterprise Manager and executed to either return a result or modify records in the database. SQL can also be used in conjunction with programming language or scripting language like Microsoft Visual Basic or PHP to communicate with the database.

Although SQL is a world standard, it is unfortunate that most database vendors have come up with different dialects and variations. This is because every database vendor wants to differentiate their database products from the crowd. One good example is Microsoft SQL Serverกs TRANSACTSQL. TRANSACTSQL is a superset of SQL and is designed for use only with Microsoft SQL Server. Although it does make programming much easier for software developers, it is not compliant with other databases like Oracle or MySQL making TRANSACTSQL programs non databaseportable. As such, although many of these features are powerful and robust, it is good practice to exercise caution and limit your SQL use to be compliant with the ANSI/ISO SQL standards and ODBCCompliant.

Courtesty of SQLPrimer.com http://www.sqlprimer.com.

About The Author

John L

For more information, please contact the Webmaster of SQLPrimer.com http://www.sqlprimer.com.

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 06

by John L

Secret F/r/ee Ingredient Transforms Web Sites Into

Secret F/r/ee Ingredient Transforms Web Sites Into Money Machines

by: Jorge M Vega

The key to transforming your website into a serious income generator that consistently converts visitors into cash customers is right in front of your nose. Without beating around the bush, the often overlooked secret ingredient is, quite simply, to pay very close attention to the proper use of language on your site. As a professional marketer, you can’t afford to undermine your own image, or tarnish your good reputation, by using imperfect ad copy anywhere on your website.

Itกs plain and simple, words sell!

You have to choose them wisely and กpackageก them correctly. They’re the only vehicle you really have for making the sale. Everything else is just fluff along for the ride.

Recognizing the importance of this key ingredient, which costs you nothing, and taking appropriate action as suggested below, will set you apart from the millions of other webmasters who are just spinning their wheels…and making no sales!

Negligence on your part in this department, on the other hand, will cast all your marketing efforts into an uncontrolled tailspin, and turn your visitors away faster than if you stood before them wearing a big sign around your neck reading: กDanger Infected With Contagious Diseaseก

This key ingredient is all the more critical on the Internet because it is, and I think we can all agree, a text driven medium: words are its fundamental building materials.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROBLEM

All the fancy pictures in the world, even with just the right combination of colors, in the most imaginative layout, along with the most creative use of popup and popunder windows, cannot help your marketing efforts one iota if you use the wrong words in an incorrect manner. Meaning, do not expect miracles if, to use common street vernacular, กYou’re just trying to get over.ก

These props can only enhance, but never replace, your fundamental written message. Dignified, careful use of the English language is a prerequisite to successful online marketing. But, many marketers are blatantly disregarding many, if not most, of the basic rules of English usage. Sad, but true, just about everywhere you look online, the English language is suffering a fate worse than death.

Now, please note, Iกm not suggesting that before you design your website youกll need a Ph.D. in English literature, or be a noted, prize winning author. But, what I am suggesting is that you should be as careful as you possibly can with the contents of your website if you wish to attain recognition as a professional marketer. A professional marketer makes every effort to show his/her target audience that their approval, and their respect, are valued.

A shabbily written website conveys just the opposite sentiment. In fact, poor grammar, sloppy punctuation, and misspelled words galore tell the reader that they are not worthy of your very best effort; you are saying, กHereกs the best I could muster under the circumstances. Take it, or leave it. Pay me the $29.95 on the way out for taking a look.ก How inconsiderate!

Of course, this is not to suggest that all, or even most, sites are carelessly and sloppily contrived. Quite obviously, most webmasters invest a great deal of attention in all aspects of their creation. And, letกs face it, web design is a creative process.

ELEMENTS OF THE UNPROFESSIONAL SITES

At one end of the spectrum, there are enough กbad penniesก around to keep any surfer busy for hours rinsing out the bad taste from their mouths after a visit.

At the extreme end of the same category, encounters with sites where the choice of vocabulary is not in the best of taste, where reasonable attention to grammar and spelling have been grossly disregarded, and where simple English been battered beyond recognition, may leave an uprepared visitor with permanent, debilitating, psychological damage, such as a hard to diagnose speech impediment, or maybe an involuntary nervous twitch across one cheek.

In my personal case, after so many chance meetings with disastrous, unacceptable sites, Iกm left with a uncontrollable, drooping eyelid over my left eye which makes Bank tellers stir nervously whenever I announce a withdrawal. : )

Sites that have been compiled irresponsibly indicate a questionable professional intent by their owners, and a lack of interest in putting forth their best effort. Not only would I not buy anything from them, but you can bet your bottom penny that Iกll never revisit.

SOME SHINING EXAMPLES

At the opposite end of the spectrum, among the most professionally done websites I have visited are those belonging to Corey Rudl (this is not a plug, the man makes enough money without my help.)

Obviously, his sites are carefully reviewed for grammatical errors, punctuation is exemplary, spelling mistakes are usually nonexistent; they’re, all in all, a clean, crisp, professional rendering truly worthy of their creatorกs pride.

Two other marketers whose websites are a joy to visit, given their fastidious attention to the proper use of language in the manner described throughout this article are Bryan Winters, of www.pushbuttonpublishing.com, and Chris Carpenter, of www.googlecash.com. Again, as in the case cited above, both these gentlemen care enough about the impression they make on prospective customers to always กput their best foot forward.ก

Their websitesก content has been double checked for common usage errors, relieving the reader from any undue distractions; their sales messages come through as clear as a bell. Like Corey Rudl, they leave you with the image of a polished and sophisticated marketing professional. Your ultimate buying decision is based solely on the merits of their products, not on whether they botched up their sales pitch with carelessness.

Please note, my mention of these three particular marketers should not be considered endorsements of their products. I am a happy customer, but they are simply being singled out in this article as prime examples of how, in my modest opinion, one should handle the use of language as a skilled, responsible, Internet marketer.

SUGGESTIONS AND RESOURCES

A professional looking website, within the parameters I have pointed out, is not that hard to achieve. There are inexpensive, easy to use tools and aids to help you accomplish this indispensable goal.

For example, if, like most of us, you have a tendency to misspell words, take advantage of the SpellCheck feature built right into most word processor programs to double check your work. Or, better yet, since youกll be actively engaged in the process, buy yourself a pocket Dictionary for about six bucks to look up words. Personally, I own several of these, with a few foreign language versions for both Spanish and French.

If punctuation and grammar give you migraines, buy yourself a College level English Usage or Style handbook at any used bookstore in town. Then, when in doubt about any facet of your written work, leaf through it to find an acceptable solution. In no time at all, with just a little effort on your part, youกll gain mastery over any aspect of the English language which previously derailed you.

Personally, I use one, or both of the following when I run into a grammar roadblock: William Strunkกs Elements of Style, and American Heritage Book of English Usage.

And, if you’re fortunate enough to have, either a member of your family, or as a friend or neighbor, an educator who teaches English and whose expertise you trust, ask them to review your written work prior to publishing it as a website.

Youกll receive invaluable insights and suggestions from a specialized professional, at zero cost to you. Naturally, for your own peace of mind, refrain from taking their suggestions personally; it might be helpful to pretend that the work being reviewed by them is not your own.

Additionally, should be inclined to doing your revisions online, I offer up this list of grammar related resources with accompanying descriptions. They’re all fr*ee:

1. http://www.chompchomp.com/terms.htm Grammar terms are listed and each is linked to its own page of explanation and examples of correct and incorrect usage. There are also online exercises. By one Robin L. Simmons.

2. http://www2.ncsu.edu:8010/ncsu/grammar/ Home of the Grammar Hotline. Has tips and links. From North Carolina State University.

3. http://www.well.com/user/mmcadams/words.html Glossary of grammar terms and their meanings. From magazineediting guru Mindy McAdams.

4. http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/errors/errors.html Paul Brians of the Department of English at Washington State University talks about common mistakes and about perfect English that is often changed in error by wellmeaning editors.

5. http://www.worldwidewords.org/ All the pieces here are about English words and phrases—what they mean, where they came from, how they have evolved, and the ways in which people sometimes misuse them.

CONCLUSION

Thankfully, for the kind of writing that we do for the Web, you will not have to become adept at unraveling such mysteries as: What emotions dictate the use of the Subjunctive voice? Or, define a prepositional phrase. How about, what is the difference between a definite and an idefinite article? Or, can a personal pronoun be used in the possessive form? Better still, how would you indicate possession for a noun ending in the letter กs?ก Last but not least, does the English language have a future perfect tense?

Cast all your fears aside, because not only would answering those questions be beyond the scope of this narrative, they would surely be well beyond my own limited and flawed intelligence, as well! For website publishing, we only have to concentrate on writing clearly, sharply, and concisely; clean, simple, and well thought out copy is all we’re after. A basic common sense approach. Pulitzer prize winning authors are bred elsewhere.

Youกll find that, by taking the simple precautions and suggestions I have oulined here to spruce up your website, your professionalism will shine through, making you feel proud and empowered, your feelings of self worth will rise dramatically, giving you added confidence to tackle more and more written projects, praise from others will allow you to recognize your dormant talents, helping to fuel your creativity to a higher level…and your bottom line will inevitably soar as a result!

Copyright 2004 Jorge M. Vega After struggling for years trying to figure out what worked and what didn’t work online, the author has started to กbring home the baconก marketing on the Internet. See the few select, surefire ways he has found that anyone can use to begin making a comfortable homebased living, starting today: http://www.earnlarge.com/pbi

About The Author

Jorge M. Vega is foreignborn, and thanks God daily for the privilege of living in the land he loves, the good olกUSA. Taming the Internet beast took several years, but heกs found several easy ways to online profits which he gladly shares.

This article was posted on April 19, 2004

by Jorge M Vega

Create and Deploy a Website From Start To Finish!

Create and Deploy a Website From Start To Finish!

by: Brock Coffee

Need a website for small business, church, sports team, or community but don’t know where to start? Don’t have the time or maybe even the knowledge on how to build and or publish a website? Well let me say it’s really know big deal. I will try to give you the basics to get started.

Ok let’s get to it. Here are some steps you can follow in no particular order.

Step one, create some pages.

You probably have heard of ขHTMLข, html stands for ขhypertext markup languageข. Hypertext Markup Language is a textbased markup language used for web documents. In HTML, markup indicates page structure. A website can be made up of many ขhtmlข files. If you know absolutely nothing about HTML then you’re going to have to do some research or purchase a book. If you’re using a good HTML editor or MS Word then this task is not be so bad. I don’t want to get into the task of coding HTML in this article so you’re going to have to play around with building some practice pages.

About HTML editors

Their are many editors that can be used to create and edit html files. Some free, some costing hundreds of dollars. Since it is a text based language pretty much any text editor will do but I suggjest investing in a good WIZzeewig. (Short for what you see is what you get). My favorite is Macromedia Dreamweaver. If you have Microsoft word then you can save ขWordข documents as web pages as well.

Page Types

There are basically two types of web pages, static and dynamic. What’s the difference between a static and dynamic web page? Well it is exactly that, static or dynamic. Static never changes. It basically just text, links and images. Dynamic web page, dynamic HTML or DHTML is a technique of creating interactive web sites by using a combination of the static markup language HTML, a clientside scripting language (such as JavaScript, ASP, PHP) and the style definition language Cascading Style Sheets. I’ll get into JavaScript and Cascading Style Sheets some other time.

Step two, a name for your website. My favorite!

So you need a name for this website, it’s called a domain name. What is a domain name you ask? A domain name is a unique name that identifies an internet site. The Internet is made up of hundreds of thousands of computers and networks, all with their own domain name or unique address example (www.website.com). It’s as simple as that. You’ll have to find a name that no one else has taken and register it. The typical cost is less then $10 a year. If you are starting an online business it is best to select a name that is representative of the products you’re selling. For example, if you are going to sell potted plants then a name like ขpottedplants.comข would be your best choices. Why?, the search engines (Google, Yahoo, etc.) like it.

Step three, choosing a web host.

A web host is where you will serve your website to the world. You will create your site and upload it to your hosting server. This can be a daunting task if you are new to this kind of thing but before you know it, it will be as simple as pie. Here are few things to consider when searching for a web host.

Will this company be around in the long run. There are literally hundreds of web hosting companies out there and they are all pretty much the same.

Are they reliable? What’s the point of having a website if users can’t reach it. While we may not fully understand the intricacies of the internet, we want to be assured that our web hosting provider has enough room for growth as well as the expert manpower to take care of all this for us.

Is it easy to use? Many webmasters are quit techsavy, they don’t have a team of programmers on hand to execute thier every desire. Tools like a control panel and website builder can be very important.

Value: How does it compare in price to others web hosts with the same features.

Step four. Welcome to the show.

So now you got some web pages, a domain and a host. Its time to upload the files. Transferring a file or files from the userกs computer to a remote computer (Your Host).

Many HTML editors have upload capabilities built in. There are loads of free FTP (File transfer Protocol) software available.

In conclusion

Building and deploying a website may seem like quit a challenge but with some experience, practice and time along with a little research you can become a great web master. I suggest investing in some good books and a good HTML editor.

About The Author

Brock Coffee is IT professional with 10 years experience He is founder http://www.liquidmediastudios.com. LiquidMediastudios sells readymade website design templates created to use as a basis for fast and highquality website development. Professional flash and web design templates.

This article was posted on April 19

by Brock Coffee

The Polyglottal Internet

The Polyglottal Internet

by: Sam Vaknin, Ph.D.

http://www.everymail.com/

The Internet started off as a purely American phenomenon and seemed to perpetuate the fastemerging dominance of the English language. A negligible minority of web sites were in other languages. Software applications were chauvinistically illprepared (and still are) to deal with anything but English. And the vast majority of net users were residents of the two NorthAmerican colossi, chiefly the USA.

All this started to change rapidly about two years ago. Early this year, the number of American users of the Net was surpassed by the swelling tide of European and Japanese ones. NonEnglish web sites are proliferating as well. The advent of the wireless Internet more widespread outside the USA is likely to strengthen this unmistakable trend. By 2005, certain analysts expect nonEnglish speakers to make up to 70% of all netizens. This fragmentation of an hitherto unprecedentedly homogeneous market presents both opportunities and costs. It is much more expensive to market in ten languages than it is in one. Everything from email to supply chains has to be retooled or customized.

It is easy to translate text in cyberspace. Various automated, webbased, and free applications (such as Babylon or Travlang) cater to the needs of the casual user who doesn’t mind the quality of the endresult. Virtually every search engine, portal and directory offers access to these or similar services.

But straightforward translation is only one kind of solution to the tower of Babel that the Internet is bound to become.

Enter WorldWalla. A while back I used their multilingual email application. It converted text I typed on a virtual keyboard to images (of characters). My addressees received the message in any language I selected. It was more than cool. It was liberating. Along the same vein, WorldWallaกs software allows application and content developers to work in 66 languages. In their own words:

กWordWalla allows device manufacturers and application developers to meet this challenge by developing products that support any language. This simplifies testing and configuration management, accelerates time to market, lowers unit costs and allows companies to quickly and easily enter new markets and offer greater levels of personalization and customer satisfaction.ก

GlobalVu converts text to deviceindependent images. GlobalEase Web is a กJavabased multilingual text input and display engineก. It includes virtual keyboards, frontend processors, and a contextual processor and text layout engine for left to right and right to left language formatting. They have versions tailored to the specifications of mobile devices.

The secret is in generating and processing images (bitmaps), compressing them and transmitting them. In a way, WordWalla generates a FACSIMILE message (the kind we receive on our fax machines) every time text is exchanged. It is transparent to both sender and receiver and it makes a userdriven polyglottal Internet a reality.

About The Author

Sam Vaknin is the author of กMalignant Self Love Narcissism Revisitedก and กAfter the Rain How the West Lost the Eastก. He is a columnist in กCentral Europe Reviewก, United Press International (UPI) and ebookweb.org and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory, Suite101 and searcheurope.com. Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia.

His web site: http://samvak.tripod.com

This article was posted on February 2, 2002

by Sam Vaknin, Ph.D.

The AZ of Exhibiting Overseas

The AZ of Exhibiting Overseas

by: Susan Freidmann

Exhibiting overseas is one of the fastest and most cost effective ways to identify the best foreign markets for your products/services. International trade shows and fairs offer opportunities for multilateral contacts and business deals. They allow you to test your product’s export suitability; explore the strength and scope of your competition; and gain exposure to potential suppliers, incountry distributors and customers before making any sizable financial commitments. However, to effectively trade internationally, top management must commit to developing foreign markets.

More than 2,000 shows are organized worldwide each year, and approximately 150 of these events have significant global attraction. Most are held in the major trade show centers in the United States, Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom. The following AZ guidelines will help to take the fear and anxiety out of your overseas exhibiting ventures:

Ask questions and thoroughly research overseas shows to find the ones that attract your target market. A good starting point is the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service (FSC), part of the International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce. Other sources of information include banks, trade associations, foreign embassies and consulates, binational chambers of commerce and the Internet.

Book space early. Allocation for space is a กfirstcome, firstservedก basis. Applications for space need to be submitted as early as possible — 1218 months prior to the event. Reservations are made with the show organizer or their international representative. Most of the large shows, especially the German ones, have global sales offices.

Coordinate shipping arrangements. Most international trade shows have an officially designated freight forwarder who is familiar with all the relevant details. They will handle the invoicing, arrange for licenses and declarations, prepare packing list, issue bills of lading, handle insurance and prepare all necessary documentation. A duty charge is not normally assessed on equipment, unless it is destined to remain in the country after the show ends. An international carnet facilitates importation and movement of samples and professional equipment between countries.

Determine that your product complies with international technical and safety standards. Germany, in particular, has extremely stringent laws regarding testing products to comply with applicable specifications. Overseas companies are allowed to exhibit products at German trade fairs before their products have been inspected. Formal certification of required is necessary to legally sell your products in Germany. Certain types of merchandise are also subject to specialized safety codes and technical requirements. It is advisable to use a local consultant to help you through the compliance process.

Establish a realistic budget. Costs of overseas shows vary widely, depending on a host of variables, for example, location, exchange rates, time of the year. In addition to your display, shipping, promotional and staff costs, also take into consideration, import duties and export regulations. As a safety net, add 25% to your budget to cover unexpected costs, tipping and exchange rate fluctuations.

Familiarize yourself with overseas union policies. Strong unions exist in the U.K., France and Italy. Understand and appreciate the rules and treat everyone with respect. Offering to buy your union labor lunch or a beer, as well as tipping, often helps to minimize pilfering, loss and damage. When working with contractors, always have someone who can speak the language and give logistical instructions. Arrive at least a week prior to the show to iron out any kinks.

Get to know pricing. Your company representatives should be prepared to negotiate and agree to terms at the show. They should also be fully conversant with tariffs, the European Community’s Value Added Tax (VAT) and other tax implications, and importation and delivery procedures. When quoting prices, most buyers expect prices quoted c.i.f. (cost, insurance, freight), including duties, taxes and other charges. For a small fee, local freight forwarders will assist and prepare c.i.f. costs.

Have arrangements for credit and payment. You should make arrangements with a bank that has international banking affiliations to facilitate your banking needs. Discuss arrangements for transfer of funds, letters of credit and bills of exchange. Potential customers or representatives will expect a credit check. Individual profiles on overseas companies can be found through the World Trader’s Data Reports, available for a small fee from the US Commercial Service.

Since exchange rates fluctuate daily and can affect pricing, especially when dealing with Latin American countries, consider getting paid in U.S. dollars.

Insist on using a nativeborn translator. When translating copy or business communications, always hire a local translator who has technical knowledge of your products/industry. Embarrassing mistakes occur when a translation is done by a nonprofessional with limited knowledge of a language and little or no understanding of slang, colloquialisms and doubleentendres. Prepare product/service literature, data sheets, catalogues, etc. in the principal languages of the major countries represented at the show. Remember that most countries outside the U.S. use metric measurements.

Judge the context. Some cultures are more direct and explicit in their communication. Swiss, German and Scandinavian cultures are considered low context. Their words have specific meanings. In contrast, Japanese, Chinese and Arabs are high context. Their language is often vague, inexact and confusing for Englishspeaking cultures to understand. Reading between the lines is a must.

Keep language simple. Many of your international business contacts will speak English. Problems occur when you use slang, colloquialisms, idioms, jargon, buzz words, lingo, officialese, acronyms, and metaphors. These are often difficult to translate. It is far more effective to keep communication, written and verbal, basic and easy for anyone to understand.

Learn to speak body language. Seventy percent of our communication is nonverbal. We communicate by the way we stand, sit, tense facial muscles, tap fingers, etc. There are also hundreds of gestures to get across almost any meaning, from greetings, beckonings, and farewells, to terms of endearment and insults. Gestures and body language, with the exception of smiling, are not universal in meaning. Be aware of the etiquette on personal space, eye contact and when, what and how to touch.

Make sure that your top executives are available. Overseas shows, particularly in European and Asian countries, are serious business as they focus on sales. Toplevel management attend these shows expecting to place orders. They expect, and want, to deal with their counterparts in your company. They expect to spend time discussing technical details and will often want to close major deals on the show floor. Technical staff, sales people and incountry representatives will help form a complete team.

Nail negotiating. Negotiating in international business is extremely complex. Socializing is often considered essential to the negotiating process. Learn the cultural rules, especially as they relate to timing and how business is conducted. Patience is often a real virtue.

Offer quality and uniqueness. High quality products and services are expected, particularly when dealing with the Japanese and South Koreans. The packaging is as important as the product. If your products and services compete directly with native companies, there needs to be something unique in the technology, innovation, design, styling or image to gain acceptance in the Asian market.

Plan on having a thirdparty contact. Many Asian and Latin American cultures prefer to do business with people they know. Meeting the right people often depends on having the right introduction. If the person you wish to meet respects your intermediary, then chances are you too will be respected.

Question whether กnoก really means กno.ก Much confusion, frustration and irritation can occur when different cultures communicate real meaning. In some countries, such as France, กnoก can often mean กmaybe’ and กmaybeก can mean กno.ก In many Asian cultures, individuals will not say กnoก outright. Rather, they use subtle clues, for example, saying กIt’s very difficult,ก or กI’ll consider it.ก A กyesก or a nod of the head may very well mean กmaybeก or กI understand,ก instead of it being the affirmative response you might interpret. To avoid saying กno,ก Koreans in particular will often give you the answer they think you want to hear. Learn to listen to the subtleties by asking openended questions. It is at times like these that a cultural mentor can be particularly helpful.

Recognize the role of women in business. Research the customs of the country you are visiting as they apply to women. Although female business travelers account for one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry, problems still exist. Be prepared to prove yourself as you may not be taken as seriously as your male counterparts. Familiarize yourself with local and regional attitudes and cultural differences about women in business. This will help to define your approach and avoid potential problems and embarrassing situations. However, business overseas is based on trust and relationships. And women, like men, are responsible for creating the necessary rapport to accomplish their goals.

Supply all your company representatives with bilingual business cards. In Europe and Asian societies, business cards are essential. They act like a business passport. For countries where English is not widely spoken, have cards printed on the reverse side in the local language. This is best done in the country you are visiting. Also be aware of the specific etiquette that exists, particularly in Asian countries, for presenting cards. For example, in Japan, business cards are exchanged ceremoniously using both hands and a bow. Both parties will read and study the card. It is extremely impolite to write notes on the card or shove it in your pocket.

Train your people. Make sure that the people who represent your company at overseas shows are well trained and know and understand the cultural differences of the people with whom they will interact. They should know how to greet and address visitors. Formality is the norm in Europe, whereas a more casual and friendly style is acceptable in the U.S. Understanding different business negotiating styles, conversation sensitivities, and how women are treated in business, is essential, in addition to knowing eye contact, handshakes, body posture and spatial distance differences. The key is to develop relationships of trust and sincerity as they are critical for successful business.

Use ATM’s (Automated Teller Machines) to get local currency. They give you the wholesale exchange rate of 510%, which is a far better rate than you would get at hotels or currency exchanges. Always try to purchase enough local currency before leaving home to pay your transportation from your destination airport to your hotel, plus a little extra for tips.

Value different decisionmaking processes. The key is not to sell but rather to build relationships. Decisionmaking differs around the world. For example, in Asian cultures, it starts from the lower levels in the organization, and works its way up the ladder. Many times, lower level employees will visit a trade show to gather information, which they will include in a report to a higher manager. Don’t expect a decision from an initial meeting. Decisions are usually made collectively, and the process is often slow and thorough. However, once a decision is made, especially in Japan, a quick execution is expected. The key, once again, is to do your research.

Watch out for cultural differences. Know and understand the cultural differences of the people with whom you will interact. Be sensitive to color and symbols and their meanings in different countries. For example, mourning is symbolized by white in Asia, purple in Brazil and yellow in Mexico. If your product, packaging and literature are in the wrong color, you will lose sales. Red and yellow are lucky colors in China — conversely, never use red printing in South Korea. In many of the Asian countries, the number four denotes death and should be totally avoided, including products packaged in fours. If possible, avoid the number nine, as it has connotations of suffering. Seven and eight are considered lucky. Be safe and always do your research!

Expect to followup personally. Personal contact and immediate followup after the show is the best way to establish foreign buyer/seller relationships to produce future orders.

Yield to a time investment. Building relationships is a key component to doing business overseas. Behavioral differences are real. It is wise to recognize them and to make allowances when doing business. Willingness to cultivate business contacts through personal visits plays a major role in export success. Plan regular visits to your major buyers, agents, or distributors. Be available, interested and quick to react to problems or complaints.

Zero in on the fact that doing business overseas demands time and patience. It may take several appearances at trade shows before your company is taken seriously. Foreigners want to feel confident that you are sincere and totally committed to your involvement in their country.

About The Author

Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: ขMeeting & Event Planning for Dummies,ข working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. Go to http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com to sign up for a free copy of ExhibitSmart Tips of the Week.

[email protected]

This article was posted on December 03, 2004

by Susan Freidmann

Email Etiquette IV

Email Etiquette IV

by: Kathie M. Thomas

Further to my previous issues this subject continues part IV. This month Iกll share on Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) field and the use of backgrounds for your emails. The use of Bad language in emails will also be mentioned.

Many people do not understand the function of the BCC field in their email programs. When you set up a new message, if you cannot view the BCC field after TO: and CC: then click on View to see if you can add it to your current view, or check your Help file for the program you use for assistance.BCC is an old typing term กBlind Carbon Copyก. It means a copy of a letter or document that is being sent to someone not showing on the original addressee or distribution list. To use BCC in email means that recipients only see their address on received email and not the list of people that youกve sent the email to.I often receive emails from people in business who put every single recipient address in the TO: or CC: fields, when in fact they should be placed in the BCC: field. Your distribution list should be kept private so you are not exposing firstly, who your clients are, and secondly, their email addresses, should a spammer or someone unscrupulous come across the email. If you’re sending out a newsletter, or a merged letter by post you wouldn’t have your full address list or database included with that mail for all to see so why do it with your email?

Backgrounds

There is a great supply of backgrounds now available for use in various email programs which help make your emails look more attractive and less boring. However, some backgrounds would be better used as wallpaper on your computer desktop and make it difficult to read the email message you are sending. If you want to use them, keep them for family and friends, but stick with fairly plain backgrounds for business email. I like to use those that have a simple corner frame, or a side border with a pale background but never a background that has a print across the whole of the email that makes it difficult to read the text. And if you are replying to an email that uses a background give some consideration as to whether it should continue to be there or whether the background should be deleted before sending the email response.

Bad Language

On occasion over the past few months Iกve noticed some messages with bad language posted to online discussion groups that are usually maintained for business purposes, i.e. those groups that are designed to assist people with their line of business. Whilst I appreciate that we all get annoyed with some things I really do not feel that bad language has a place in a public forum that is used for business. Perhaps this might be an old fashioned value but I doubt that people would write a business letter using bad language so I cannot understand them doing the same when posting a message to a business group. Think carefully when writing your email is the language you are using something that might offend another person? Could the message get in front of someone youกd like to do business with? How would you like them to think of you? It only takes a moment to think about what you’re written and to read it again before sending it on.

I hope you have found these tips for Email Etiquette interesting and thoughtprovoking.For any assistance relating to the use of email please feel free to contact our team.

About The Author

Article reprinted by permission Kathie M. Thomas, Founder กA Claytonกs Secretaryก. Kathie is a multiple award winner in her industry as a Secretary and Virtual Business Operator, and has 30 yearsก experience in the secretarial/ administrative field. www.asecretary.com.au

[email protected]

This article was posted on February 09, 2004

by Kathie M. Thomas

How to Communicate with Prospects All Over the Wor

How to Communicate with Prospects All Over the World Who Speak a Different Language

by: Jeff Mills

I discovered a free service online, that allows me to communicate with people and watched my international sales begin to go through the roof.

Did you know that over 50% of all Internet traffic is from nonEnglish speaking countries? Companies like Adobe, Baxter Healthcare, EDS, GE, Microsoft, NetGear, PepsiCo, Socratic Technologies, US Government, XE.com are relying on this type of service already to get more done, with no language barriers.

As the Internet grows in popularity, more users will want to access websites in their native languages. According to a report by the World Intellectual Property Organization, twothirds of all Internet users by 2004 will be nonEnglish speakers.

Website translation demands total accuracy, specialist cultural knowledge and a high level of organization.

www.freetranslation.com is my best tool for bridging the language gap, making friends and customers around the world, and it also helps increase my international business profits too!

Here is what I do when I get an email from someone in Spanish.

I take the Spanish content, from the email, and I copy it.

Then I go to www.freetranslation.com and in their entry box, I paste the content, and I select which language I want to translate from. For example they offer doing the following languages:

English to French : French to English

English to Italian : Italian to English

English to German : German to English

English to Spanish : Spanish to English

English to Portuguese : Portuguese to English

English to Dutch : Dutch to English

English to Norwegian

Once I select the languages, I press a button and instantly, I receive a new translation in the language of my choice.

Now, one thing you must know, this is not a perfect translation word for word, but it does get the point across so you know what your international customers are asking. You will really get a good idea of what the most important questions are.

Now, you can type your response in English, and then hit the ขtranslateข button and turn it into Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, etc. Take the new content, past it into your email as a reply and then send! You just typed in a foreign language you did not even know how to pronounce it or even spell it!

Freetranslation.com offers other premium services too, that are for really small fees. For example, their Platinum service only costs about $8.00 a year, and with it, you get access to a human translator, can customize the ขfeelข in business language, standard language, or tech speak. Wow!

They also offer a desktop translator, or a chat interface translator which will translate your chat messages right out of Outlook, with a toolbar translator.

Take your business international, and reach 50% more people than you could before by using this great free translation service.

Copyright 2005 Jeff Mills

About The Author

Jeff Mills is a former Youth Pastor of 9 years, who is now a full time internet information entrepreneur, author, speaker, sales coach, and also an avid traveler. Jeff has passionately pursued seeking the best discount travel clubs and has discovered Coastal Vacations Travel Club to be the top of the heap. Discover more about it immediately at http://www.CoastalCallCenter.com.

This article was posted on August 20

by Jeff Mills

English Language Sputtering Online Like an Old For

English Language Sputtering Online Like an Old Ford!

by: Jorge M Vega

Sad, but true. Just about everywhere you look online, the English language is suffering a fate worse than death. The problem, in reality, is so widespread that it has begun to affect all aspects of the language. กBut, what on Earth does this have to do with Internet marketing?ก you may be asking. Well, my fellow netpreneur…Everything!

It has everything to do with Internet marketing if you wish to portray yourself, and be perceived as, a Marketing Professional on the internet. Just remember, professionally speaking, Image is Everything. On the other hand, if you’re not particularly interested in putting your กbest foot forwardก when marketing your services or products, and I really hope this is not the case, then none of this applies to you.

Obviously, we don’t have time here to do an indepth study of the many instances of, what I would term, กcasual disdainก Iกve witnessed online. So, in order to illustrate my point, Iกll concentrate on a small, but vital component of the English language: the innocent, harmless apostrophe.

Allow me to try to paint a picture for you. A long, long, time ago, around the time of the De Soto, the Corvair, bellbottoms, the VW กbugก (ring a bell?), and before beatniks became known as hippies, you could look at advertisement copy and expect, to some degree, that it had been reviewed and, presumably, corrected.

In other words, it was safe for women, children, and other life forms to view it, and read its content without suffering any permanent, debilitating psychological damage, such as a hard to diagnose speech impediment, or maybe an involuntary nervous twitch across one cheek.

What I see most of us doing now, at the dawn of the 21st Century, is that we read ad copy, and then, because itกs in bold letters on carefully selected background, surrounded by pretty pictures, we accept its message as Gospel truth. We get so bowled over by the กlookก of it, that we forget to examine it critically enough.

Talk about your viral strategy, indeed…

Today, in the age of the cell phone, the Lexus, Viagra, the twenty five cent phone call, and a PC กin every barn,ก wherever I look, I see the poor apostrophe maligned and misused. It gets no respect, either offline on signs, billboards, and latenight Infomercials, or (shudder) online in cyber country, on that very personal and intimate expression of its ownerกs taste and personality: an individualกs web site.

Since I spend so much time online, much more, I think, than I spend on the real pavement of our world, I notice the glaring mistreatment heaped upon our poor little fellow the apostropheby careless webmasters, even more. The main thing I notice is that the apostropheกs originally intended use is slowly eroding; people are just making up their own versions of what its purpose really is. This is a prime example of what I mean by กcasual disdain.ก

Itกs been reported in ‘the Really Up Yonder Gazetteก, an influential publication dedicated to digging up gossip about the well known dearly departed, that both William Shakespeare and John Milton have thrown up their arms in despair, and are contemplating turning their backs for good on something that some would consider their own creation: our English language.

As a matter of fact, in a recent exclusive interview, กWillie boyก himself bemoans the effect all of this is having on his favorite language, as follows:

กOh, perfidy that has befallen our instrument of expression, by us once nearly refined. Oh, treachery flung upon us by the masses shamelessly disdainful of reading and writing, of independent thought evidently incapable!ก

Ahem…

Frankly, I firmly believe that this unwarranted offense was perpetrated by one of the first guys, if not the very first, who threw up that first Web site selling, say, floppy disks with instructions on how to extend the mileage on singleply bathroom tissue by rewashing it, carefully drying it with your wifeกs hair dryer (when sheกd gone out of the house, natch), and then gingerly covering it with a special jelly for sofness. You know, just your average 3Step Recycling Process used mainly in Third World countries like Wyoming, for instance…

For the purposes of this little tale, letกs call this first marketer, Butcher D. Grammer.

Well, this confounded fellow started something which has become a movement, or a new language convention. Butcher decided that the little fellow, my friend the apostrophe, should not be used according to any rules or previous language conventions; heck no, the little fellow would, according to our Bathroom Recycle Consultant, be used any ol’time.

He would use it, and so would the masses who were yet to come, but who would follow suit, and our Butcher knew this well, to interchangeably indicate either the possessive or the plural forms in any sentence.

So, a sentence such as, ‘the seller does not guarantee its potential profit,ก became: ‘the seller does not guarantee itกs potential profit.ก

Here he turned the possessive form of กitsก into the abbreviated, or the contraction form of, it is. So, if you were to read the second sentence, removing the contraction, the last part would read: กdoes not guarantee it is potential.ก

But, our little Butcher, a thorough and disciplined craftsman, was not through yet. After all, there was even more damage he could inflict on American English; and, leeringly, he mused, rubbing his hands together, ‘theyกll follow me blindly anywhere.ก

Next, he turned his attention to the plural form of simple words. Just about any word ending in กs,ก indicating that there was more than one object of whatever unit was being counted or measured, he turned into, you guessed it, the possessive form.

Words or terms such as, buyers, software tools, ingrown toe nails, battering ramps, fools, attractive girls, dumbascanbeguys, and many, many others, became: buyerกs, software toolกs, ingrown toe nailกs, battering rampกs, foolกs, attractive girlกs, dumbascanbeguyกs.

As hard to believe as it may seem, Butcher reign of terror is still not only alive and well, but from what Iกm going to show you, itกs expanding frighteningly. Please have a look at the following three additional examples, and cringe in terror:

1. If your interested, just sign up from the link below.

2. Just click here, and your done.

3. Simply load email addressกs into your autoresponder.

Obviously, in the first two sentences, Butcher and his followers have cleverly used the secondperson possessive pronoun กyourก as a substitute for the abbreviated กyou’re.ก Their thinking being, ‘the heck with that commalike thing which is supposed to go on top. Nobody will even miss it. And, we can get away with chopping off the last กeก, also.ก (So, once again, the apostrophe gets the shaft).

As regards the third sentence shown above, quite frankly, I have no comment; I wouldn’t even know where to begin defining or deciphering it…Iกm afraid to look at it. Itกs just a stroke of genius from the hand of our hero, Butcher, who must have found the inspiration for this little morcel during a wrenching psychotic episode.

Now, I don’t know how other people feel about the sinister, pervasive, and, yes, viral damage caused by this one crazy guy, but I, for one, hope he has gone to his final resting place. Let him drive them crazy over there if (God forbid) he finds himself near a typewriter; as it is, Butcherกs handiwork makes me go nuts practically every day here in cyber space.

If only we could go back to that time in the past, 1962 comes readily to mind for one reason or another, when spelling and a little attention to grammar counted for something.

But, as they say, in Bolivia, กDude, tกain’t no use complaininก, กdem กdere dayกs is long gone.ก

Copyright 2004 Jorge M Vega

About The Author

After struggling for years trying to figure out what worked and what didn’t work online, the author, Jorge M. Vega, has started to กbring home the baconก marketing on the Internet. Quietly, he has found a few select, surefire ways that anyone can use to begin making a comfortable homebased living, starting today: http://www.earnlarge.com/pbi

This article was posted on April 04, 2004

by Jorge M Vega

How to Negotiate Effectively

How to Negotiate Effectively

by: Gary E. Cain

You may be thinking, กGary, I am a mom, housewife, or stayathome dad, so why do I need to know how to negotiate effectively?ก

Iกm glad you asked.

The truth is everyone needs to negotiate. Surprisingly, almost everything we do the moment we get up in the morning until we go to bed involves some type of กnegotiatingก.

I know, you are saying that I have lost my mind, but no, seriously, we do negotiate continuously.

Letกs say, you are 18 years old, live with your parents, yet work. So, you wake up at 6 am and begin a negotiation with your younger brother who is already in the very bathroom that you need in order to take a shower and get ready for work.

To avoid arriving late to work, you quickly offer to pay $5.00 to him to leave the bathroom immediately so that you can take a shower.

Next, you head into the kitchen to negotiate with your mother over your preference for orange juice and toast for breakfast, while she is counternegotiating a complete meal of oatmeal, eggs, milk, and sausage.

Who wins this negotiation is anyoneกs guess.

The point is that all of us constantly negotiate. For example, we negotiate – or should with our car mechanic to lessen the cost of maintenance and repairs.

Soooo …. to help you succeed in your negotiations, I have prepared this special article that will outline the tools and knowledge you need to succeed.

First, you need to know ขwhat is a negotiation.ข Simply put, it is the exchange of ideas with the intention of changing relationships, agreements, or viewpoints.

Negotiation requires …

Calmness

Understanding of people

Preparation before the negotiation (preferably written)

Strategy for success (you need to know what the other side wants from the negotiation)

Remember that negotiation requires that you give something of perceived value in order to receive something of value.

Negotiation may be giving up something today for a later advantage.

Here is a short list of a nonaggressive negotiation strategy:

Know what you want

Know what the other side wants

Note the กfeelingsก of your opponent

Verbally accept the opponentกs viewpoint

Give your opinion and ask for opponentกs opinion

Give positive comments and ask for positive comments

Respect differences of opinion

Verbally express กhowก the two sides are similar

Strive to reach ขmutualข benefits

Build a strong relationship for future negotiations

Be sure to note …

the tone of your voice.

how you pronounce your words.

your own body language.

your opponentกs body language.

Finally, remember that you should always keep the relationship positive so that you can return and negotiate another day.

About The Author

Gary is a business teacher and Internet marketer. He owns and operates his own language school in Brazil. Gary has written two books: Stop the Grammar and Internet Self Defense.

Gary provides forwardthinking and กalready put it in practiceก tutorials for homebased Internet businesses that are seeking information and free web tools to maximize sales and revenue.

Please take a moment to visit his website at http://www.dollarsforever.com and consider subscribing to Garyกs Dollarsforever Ezine. As a subscriber to his Ezine you will receive his monthly, highquality tutorials delivered directly to your email inbox.

This article was posted on March 21

by Gary E. Cain

One Point Two Billion

One Point Two Billion

by: tony dean

In this surreal world of the internet, anyone, even you, can put your point across to a staggering number of people in every country on the planet.
From political activists to artists and writers, can now find an audience to take notice of them where they could not get much attention in their local community. Their horizons have been dramatically extended, so their work will travel on indefinately with no end in sight as in entering a collosal black hole.
Where does their online work go? Where does it come to a stop? The answer is, it will go on as long as the internet is there. Even after they have no longer maintained a web site, their work can be handed on to other sites, to add content.
There are too, website archive sites who keep copies of websites for people to look at now and in the future. Twenty years from now people will be able to look through archived websites to see what was new then, what were the prices, what the stock market was doing, what writers and artists were putting out, and the list goes on and on. Ideal for a writer in the future.
Not only will people be able to see what was going on, but in some cases will be able to hear what peple had to say, for websites now are using music, video, and sound.
For those aspiring authors, and everyone it has often been said, has a book within them, can write their great work of literature, compile it to an ebook, and pass it around the internet, where it could go the rounds for ever more, long after the author has died. Conventional authors could hardly say that about their hardback or paperback books.
At this moment in time, maybe only 40% to 60% of people in any country log on to the internet every day, but the numbers keep growing every year, and for those wanting to make a living out of the internet, the future potential is enormous.
Consider the Asian market where the internet is fairly new, with China as the next real big explosive market with unlimited potential. Credit cards in China are unheard of, except for an elite minority. To receive payment for anything over the internet you would either, have to wait another 50 years if you want to be paid by credit card, or persuade your Chinese clients to open an internet payment account online with the likes of Stormpay, which is an innovative new company, who will take any form of payment to credit your new account, even cash, or bank check. Stormpay even have กWalkUpก offices around the world in major cities and more are being established where a client can deposit cash to credit their account for use on the internet. Then the client can pay for anything on your site, ebooks, software, music etc., if you also open a Stormpay account for receipt of the credits, all you need to open an account initially, is an email address. Could not be simpler. Credit cards over the internet could be a thing of the past, many people still will not use credit cards over the internet because of hackers, so what better way of secure transactions do you need than a Stormpay account? It gives confidence to your clients who need not hesitate to make a payment, there and then, for whatever type of goods and services you provide.
Consider another aspect of selling to Asia and China in particular. Most of the internet today is based on the English language, but that is not the language they understand in Asia and China. So, to sell to them you would have to make your site multilingual. This could be just a few captions in Asian or Chinese languages together with a button they can click on for web pages in their own language. Or failing that, clicking on a picture of an item on the screen can bring up a voice in their language to explain what it is and how much it costs, and to pay for it, they don’t need a credit card, just click on a link to to Stormpayกs site and sign up for an account and subsequently they can pay for anything on your site instantly. The voice in their own language can be reassuring to the client.
Consider once again, if you intend selling to the vast Chinese population, the enormous potential of this untapped market, if you could only make a single dollar from each one living there, you would be rich beyond your wildest dreams, for the population totals ONE POINT TWO BILLION and still counting.

About The Author

The author Tony Dean runs a web site where he has free ebooks for instant download as well as sells ebooks and software. ‘the Best Ebook and Software Site On The Net!ก

http://www.ebooksales.com

There is a link for Stormpay on his site for convenience.

This article was posted on June 24, 2004

by tony dean