'Counter-Terror' Policy Targets Uyghurs

2011-04-07
A new report says China uses the threat of terrorism to crack down on Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

AFP
Uyghur men and women chat outside a mosque in Urumqi, July 17, 2009.

China's anti-terrorism policy deliberately targets ethnic minority communities such as Uyghurs and Tibetans struggling for greater autonomy, according to a white paper by a rights group.

The policy equates terrorism with groups pushing for more self-governing rights, is too broad in scope, and shirks international human rights commitments, said the Hong Kong and New York-based Human Rights in China (HRIC).

The paper looked into human rights concerns within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional intergovernmental organization which includes China and five other member states-Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan-with a total population of 1.5 billion people.

It said the SCO approach to counter-terrorism, modeled on China'sThree Evils doctrine, and highlighting principles of territorial integrity, noninterference in internal affairs, and social stability, contributes to supporting repressive regimes at the expense of human rights.

A failure to demand accountability from the SCO undermines the effectiveness and integrity of the international system in countering terrorism and advancing rule of law, peace, and security, HRIC said.

"China's approach to counter-terrorism is the Three Evils doctrine, and it links terrorism with separatism and extremism," HRIC director Sharon Hom said in an interview.

"This Three Evils approach is overbroad, highly politicized, and while not exclusively applied only to ethnic minority groups, it is regularly applied to Uyghurs and Tibetans in its practice."

Hom said other SCO member states follow China's lead by recognizing Xinjiang and Tibet as inalienable territories of China and repatriating its ethnic minorities who seek asylum within their borders.

"China has enormous clout in the SCO, and you can also see it in the ways in which the other SCO member states and the SCO will completely parrot China's line and China's policy on these two so-called autonomous regions."

Treatment of Uyghurs

The HRIC white paper said it found "serious issues" concerning China's treatment of Uyghurs, including the principle of non-refoulement and potential use of torture during interrogations.

Regulations specific to Xinjiang became part of China's domestic counter-terrorism legal framework in December 2009 when provincial-level lawmakers revised the region's Comprehensive Management of Social Order.

Through the revisions, Chinese authorities were ordered to specifically crack down on the three threats of "terrorism, separatism, and extremism" in the aftermath of the July 2009 ethnic violence in Urumqi which left hundreds dead, according to official media reports.

HRIC called the amendments "unique" to Xinjiang, adding that "such singular focus by the Chinese government ... suggests that the concept of terrorism has been applied in a biased fashion, with the Uyghur community the subject of intense scrutiny and suspicion."

It noted that while China does face real threats of terrorism, "the limited involvement of Uyghurs in terrorist acts cannot serve as justification of widespread repression throughout [Xinjiang] or the labeling of peaceful Uyghur activists under the rubric of the Three Evils."

Adherence to rules

But despite its reliance on the Three Evils doctrine, HRIC wrote, China continues to claim that it is acting to "firmly uphold and fulfill the resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council," according to a statement by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

Under U.N. rules, China pledged to oppose the "arbitrary widening" of the scope of fighting terrorism and identifying terrorism with any specific ethnic group or religion.

"The Three Evils doctrine undermines this principled approach and, in doing so, compromises human rights guaranteed under international law, and international counter-terrorism efforts as a whole," HRIC said.

HRIC recommended that Beijing narrow its "Three Evils"-based approach to national security and reformulate its definition of terrorism.

On June 24 last year, Chinese authorities announced they had broken up a "terrorist" ring of a Uyghur separatist group, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), after arresting more than ten of its members involved in an alleged major plot against China.

The announcement said that information leading to the arrest had been obtained through the investigation of 20 "individuals of Chinese citizenship" who had been deported to China on December 20, 2009-the exact date that Cambodia deported 20 Uyghurs seeking asylum following the July 5 ethnic unrest in Urumqi.

The statement also indicated that several of the alleged ETIM members had confessed to participating in a wide array of terrorist activities during interrogation.

Human Rights Watch said in February that the Cambodian government has a "dismal track record" of deporting refugees granted asylum status by the UNHCR, particularly those from neighboring countries such as China and Vietnam.

Ethnic tensions

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

Ethnic tensions between Uyghurs and majority Han Chinese settlers have simmered for years, and erupted in riots in July 2009 that left some 200 people dead, according to the Chinese government's tally.

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

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

Reported by Mamatjan Juma for RFA Uyghur service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Copyright © 1998-2011 Radio Free Asia. All rights reserved.

 

Roofing Vancouver Issues

Vancouver Roofing

Within Vancouver special care is needed whenever getting a estimation for a house. A roofing contractor in Vancouver needs to know exactly what they are dealing with when getting your roof off. Unforeseen expenses really are a common scenario in Vancouver and every proprietor should be prepared

Heritage- becoming one of the oldest places within the GVRD you can understand that there are some fairly aged homes. With a steep message roofing, probably in the vicinity of 12/12 pitch that basically indicates 45 degree angle roof. The original roofing had been cedar tremble sitting on strapping. I'm not sure if it was being lazy or the tradition, if everyone was trying to cut costs but if you have this roofing you most likely got several coating on the roof. The original continues to be on and a pair of additional layers sit over the cedar shake. I've come across house where five layers sitting on top of the home. Based on building code now days the Vancouver Roofing contractor should eliminate all levels if a new roofing will be positioned over. A person folks tend to spend more due to the steepness, the actual few levels of roofing, the actual plyboard outdoor patio and the trouble. You are probably two ft out of your neighbors

Roofing Vancouver

Low Downward slope -- Vancouver special houses operate throughout East Vancouver. The actual minor problem with these homes when it comes to roofing is the fact that fewer and fewer roofing companies available do tar residue and gravel. The option you've is actually flashlight upon or even steel. Asphalt shingles can't go on these types of homes. Your own pitch would be to low as well as asphalt most likely wouldn't last 10 years. Vancouver Roofing companies which have been in the business associated with torch upon for more than ten years are probably dependable. Ice and snow develop on these types of roofs cause small swimming pools to build up on your roofing and cause major seeping, keep the actual gutters and downpipes clear.

Low Downward slope or even Steep Downward slope cedar tremble - In Vancouver this is common about the Western aspect. There is not much to say about Cedar within Vancouver. There was a long period with the 60's, 70's as well as 80's whenever Vancouver Roofing businesses weren't setting up cedar. Most Cedar roofs tend to be new construction. cedar is the 1 creation that most problems can be established before the function starts

Reduced Slope or Steep Slope Asphalt roofing -- For those who have asphalt roofing and it hasn't been changed within the last 10 years then you have a solid deck. Because the 1970's asphalt arrived to the marketplace. With brand new building shiplap or also known as tongue and groove had been the only real option of the strong deck. Shiplap moves a great deal in the winter as well as in summer time therefore plyboard should be split lower by the roofing contractor

 

Roofing within Burnaby

Roofing in Burnaby can have it's challenges and also the easiest way to go through all of them would be to function through North in order to Southern beginning towards the top associated with Burnaby. Within Northern Burnaby the actual hillsides start to incline as well as decrease to some fairly powerful angles. The big challenges I find here are front yard steepness as well as access to the home, although this might not appear to be the issue to you it's a really big issue for a roofer who has to hand have your aged roof up a hill as well as hand carry your brand-new roofing down the slope.

The hard, a slope region in this region stored creating companies away and as a result you've houses that were just about all built through separately hired building businesses. There are some portions associated with North Burnaby that have small groups homes just about all constructed together but as far as that Main Burnaby offers. North Burnaby offers more interesting constructed styles as well as rooftops creating a golf ball park figure estimation in this area pretty difficult.

Burnaby Roofing

Central Burnaby is how large construction businesses with a standard new method of creating the home was pretty busy throughout the 70`s and earlier 80`s. Having a shiplap deck being the only option as well as asphalt tiles becoming the choice as well as positioned on a house. These days shiplap may be the roofing contractors adversary because of the fact that the shingles nowadays are not designed to work with shiplap. Trying to convince main Burnaby they need to re-deck the roof along with plywood offers often been overlooked and for good reason.

The quality of shiplap has elevated levels of this region with most from it that I know of becoming in between 6 and 8 inches which is perfect. Apart from that this a part of Burnaby is pretty easy to roof in with entry not being an issue all that frequently along with a obvious design in sloped roof that's easy to understand. Lots of Vancouver special offers focused right here to with flashlight on being the main choice in the original tar residue and tiny rocks option. Cedar rooftops tend to sprinkle the east aspect of this area with many transforming to asphalt

Southern Burnaby tends to possess much larger roofs that are scattered along with asphalt and cedar tremble. Cedar shake rooftops in this area are generally from homes around Two decades aged. This particular home has a tendency to transform right into a asphalt roofing and many possess alright entry however, many don't and the rooftops aren't everything to high. A few asphalt roofs lower here actually have plyboard patio's that is usually a large saving idea for any home owner

 

West Vancouver Roofing

West Vancouver is a area associated with valley's and ridges, steep driveways as well as hidden roofs. This is often a roofing contractors headache however there are roofing businesses that are employed in the region and know what they probably might be dealing with. Unlike additional cities within the City Vancouver area, large construction businesses didn't buy large monitors associated with land and develop patterned suburban cul-de-sacs. They do exist however to a smaller diploma compared to additional metropolitan areas. Consequently you can find in one street 20 homes all constructed in a different way. I guess because of the land scenery this was the only way to get houses built-in some areas.

There is certainly a boom throughout the 70's through the shear number of shiplap decks available. The majority of roofs in West Vancouver that need a replacement are asphalt roofs that sit on the shiplap deck. These people shingle is normally the interlock shingle which was made for shiplap but no more obtainable in the higher Vancouver area. The majority of home owners in West Vancouver tend to be learning that they now require a plyboard deck to pay for the actual shiplap.

A few Cedar rooftops exist in West Vancouver but not much that needs replacing. The majority of twenty year old cedar shake roofs in West Vancouver happen to be changed so you find a cedar roofing here and there. Changing cedar with cedar isn't the just about all to common practice and most Cedar rooftops are in new building.

West Vancouver Roofing

Vancouver special offers are not just about all in order to typical within West Vancouver. Torch on as well as tar residue as well as gravel can be obtained although not recommended. The rain and blowing wind is commonly a bit more severe within West Vancouver, with the high amount associated with trees and shrubs and the chance of a heavy snow drop metal is a higher suggestion.

Getting a roof estimate in West Vancouver can be quite diverse from the person residing right on the doorstep. if you have a high driveway, have a roofing that is steeper compared to 30 levels and also over 2000 square feet compared to you can pay more than $ 3000 than your own neighbour. The kind of roofing as well as amount of flashing can make a huge difference. Within West Vancouver it is very tough to ball park a cost for this really cause. I guess you can state based on the small property you reside on and also the style from the roofing can make a big difference between a higher estimation along with a low estimation. Roof entry has become a issue with some roofing contractors needing to hands have the old roof over hundred ft than hand carrying the brand new roof a hundred ft to the house.

Obtain 3 estimations to compare celery along with apples and for the exact same item, provides you with the ability to become knowledgeable and get the right concerns. Most rooftops in West Vancouver is under ventilated so make sure when you get your roof estimate you can observe if every estimation you get may upgrade your ventilation or even your new roof won't final. The additional air flow is not a add-on cost therefore the much more the actual merrier, you can't have a limit on air flow. Sapling particles is really a issue so maintain your roofing without damaging the rooftop product. leak blower has become the greatest form of maintenance.

 

Victoria roofing Contractors - Altering Several roofs

Victoria roofing companies can help to save a little bit of money when caring for your roofing as well as a number of your neighbors. There are many cul-de-sac's out there in Victoria where the houses were constructed simultaneously and all with a cedar or even asphalt roofing with the same warranty as well as environment conditions. The home are usually built with exactly the same design and have the exact same ventilation issues then when it is time to replace your neighbors then its time to replace yours..

New building roofing Victoria twenty years ago came with in regards to a twenty 12 months warranty. The majority of rooftops begin to leak shortly after the actual 20 year tag as well as suddenly the whole street gets their rooftops replaced. When A Victoria roofing estimator involves your house and you're simply upon great conditions together with your neighbours you may could persuade your neighbors to get a roofing estimation too. Most Victoria roofing Contractors can offer two estimations. One is the estimation if perhaps you had been to change you home alone on the street. The other estimate is for you and also the neighbours which have opted for the estimate as well, for those who have convinced your neighbours to do so.

Victoria roofing Contractors can save money in 2 major places when several roofing. One in the actual shipping cost of the materials is reduced whenever a roof covering company can get 3 homes in one delivery. The second reason is the wastage, movement of wastage is what is expensive as well as ensuring the wastage is moved together allows the actual Victoria Roofing Company to reduce the buying price of your brand-new roof. When neighbors customize the roofing project carried out together this gives long term home owners to do the same within thirty years whenever your brand new rooftops obtain aged.

Find the Best Victoria Roofing Company

I live in Victoria and know how hard it is to locate a decent service provider to operate in your home. All of them appear real very first and they just about all guarantee the globe. Regrettably there are a few that really provide on these promises.

Roofing companies are no exclusion and want to do your own due diligence to be able to weed out the great types in the bad ones.

The rooftop is an important component of any kind of home. Here's your primary barrier of numerous from the elements found outside. For those who have the leaky roofing you could discover your self putting plenty of pans and pots throughout your house to catch water. If your roofing will get really poor additionally you risk this caving within at one point.

Fortunately if a roofing is actually constructed the right way it'll are a number of decades. There are even some rooftops that are each so great they are able to last for half a century.

Getting a reliable roofing organization in Victoria and you need this type of work done is extremely important. You would like somebody who's going to provide you with a fair bet, do the job in a timely manner, and use standard or above average materials.

This is actually the objective you just have to fine the roof for an region who is willing and able to do it.

Here are a few things that I personally might search for and will apply for not only Victoria, but every area in the united kingdom:

I first prefer to begin with referrals. I know I am not the only one who has a house and I want to ask others their own opinion but experienced roofing function done before me personally. Buddies, members of the family, colleagues, associates, and other people you know will usually not drive you wrong. They can make use of a immediate you to definitely a person who has done a fantastic job for them. Unless a person does not like a person these were usually not recommend a roof covering organization in Victoria who has done substandard work.

Next, you want to get at least three estimates. Roofing work is costly naturally and you desire a service provider who is going to provide you with a reasonable as well as reasonable price. Bear in mind a reasonable and reasonable quotation will be high. Understand as well that roof covering contractors spend some of the highest insurance costs from any industry within the country. Because the function done roofing Contractors workers comp prices tend to be about five times greater than additional such as companies. It's not out of the ordinary for this kind of organization to pay for $30 within workers comp premiums for every 100 dollars they shell out within payroll. These types of expenses have to be passed on to the customer. So, when you are getting an offer from the roofer realize that a minimum of Thirty to 40% associated with exactly what he's charging a person is just to pay for administrative and insurance costs. A person who sends in for you and extremely reduced bid is probably uninsured weren't covered at all.

Every thing should be written about the agreement. This includes the materials to be used in your house and the time that it will take to set up all of them. Do not depart something like a spoken agreement. You have to be able to accurately assess what you were obtaining for the price you're paying making an informed choice. Once the estimators arrive they will attempt to lure you in to signing something right away. Avoid them. You'll need three estimates, side by side in your table, and you have to take the time to read all of them every carefully such as the small print.

Finally, check on the Victoria's roofing Contractors encounter and reputation. You want them to possess sufficient encounter to be able to get the job done. Brilliantly, you want a business that has been neighborhood and nothing can surprise them. If they have existed not less than five years they're going to have a reputation of either performing excellent function are now being people. The best individuals to request our nearby contractors. Even if it's their own rival a company proprietor were usually not speak poor about another organization unless of course he or she truly seems he is doing care terrible function. You can also ask roofing suppliers who believe that is the best. They work with 100s a roofer's every month and are inside a excellent placement to provide you with within info.

These are the 3 products I'd look for when selecting my personal roofing contractor. I am picky concerning the people I choose to work with and you should be fussy as well. You cannot rely on the Contractors yellow-colored page advert to tell a person what they are regarding. Every organization says of their the best. Roofing companies are no exception and sometimes go with what the biggest phonebook ad of the biggest crooks.

Do your homework and you should manage to find a decent Victoria roofing company. Take your time and do not let anybody rush a person. Opt for your gut and don't invest your money with anybody you feel uncomfortable with

The best roofer Victoria is appropriate at your door step if you do your own research as well as thoroughly check a company's background and status. Doing this will be sure you don't get in love with something you don't need or doing business with the disadvantage artist.

Make sure you get more information at more info about Victoria roofing companies.

 

Roofing Vancouver evaluation, price estimations and pricing

Roofing can be described as one of the most essential stage of building while creating any creating or even house. In the past many years different roof covering techniques as well as materials have been used based on the weather problems and requirements of the dwellers. Using the remarkable development and enhancement in neuro-scientific building there are numerous roofing vancouver choices obtainable today. You will find various roofing companies Vancouver and roofing companies Vancouver, that offer Vancouver roofing services. Roofing Vancouver choices provided right now match the needs from the occupant, function nicely with regards to roof covering and look attractive additionally.

The very first part of direction of replacing of roofing vancouver should incorporate a considerable research produced on the internet or even by going to numerous roofing vancouver service providers. With this One may acquire information on unique facets of changing a roofing and get one of the most economical estimations. Roofing Vancouver service providers provide crucial abilities and engineering techniques for the replacement of an existing roof. For that replacement of roofing pick a service provider or a business that is properly most respected within Vancouver and it is certified to provide providers. Obtain different estimations to compare the expense supplied as there can be a difference in roofing vancouver expenses and estimations of several businesses. You will discover numerous components which determine the particular cost of replacing the roof, so having some precisely hand might be genuinely valuable.
When the roof covering from the framework continues to be done appropriately bearing in mind the latest methods as well as elements a roof helps in handling:


Ventilation

Drinking water ingress

Drinking water vapour diffusion

Surface area safety

Heat circulation


Roofing insulation basically helps in developing a barrier, that doesn't allow the outer atmosphere to mix with the environment associated with within. For this function there are lots of kinds of thermal insulations becoming applied these days during the process associated with roof covering.

To obtain one of the most appropriate as well as practical roofing vancouver materials, you need to execute an extensive research and maintain in your mind your requirements as well as financial spending budget.

Roofing Vancouver shapes accessible

There are lots of roofing vancouver designs accessible inside the marketplace nowadays, a few becoming pricey as well as although some being common or even inexpensive. Probably the most well-known roofing vancouver shapes include:

Gabled- This specific shape is given by developing a triangle about the entrance aspect as well as providing hills on each side of the form.

Side Gabled- Within this form the non gabled attributes face the leading generally as well as contain the front doorway.

Front Gabled- Within this situation the actual gabled attributes generally face the leading and include the front entrance.

Cross Gabled- In this particular condition the perpendicular wings are usually put into the primary portion which forms two person parts getting their very own gabled façade.


Top addresses tend to be essentially installed for the protection associated with below roof supplies from various Ultra violet rays as well as physical damage. Best addresses are available in different forms for example: liquid coating, manufacturing plant nutrient, steel surface, pavers and gravels.

Learn more about Vancouver roofing on roofing companies Vancouver website

Old car tires are a tremendous source of waste material today. Euroshield took this into account with the design of their rubber tiles, which prolong the tires’ lifecycle. The company is careful not to use the word “green” as a selling point or catch phrase — instead they call attention to the product’s high quality and durability. They’re quite right to do so — environmental design should be expected to be a part of every product on the market – not just a catchword.

To produce the shingles made from used vehicle tires, Euroshiled removes the tire wall and cuts the tread section into large pieces. Once the treading is buffed off, the rubber surface is coated with sawdust or slate dust. To create the shingle-like texture the pieces are heated and moulded into shape. A plastic tab on each shingle panel makes it easy to attach the pieces to the roof. The panels are 3 feet wide and fit into each other as they are laid across the roof. For an average-sized home, between 600-1000 rubber tires are used to create a rubber shingle roof.

The tiles come in three different shapes and styles — one can choose between a replica of chiselled slate, concrete-looking tiles or a raw wood look. The benefits are of course that the rubber tiles never will crack, rot or warp. The shingles still have the steel belting from the tire, which makes them strong and resistant to weather as well as natural wear and tear.

The tiles aren’t the cheapest choice of roofing material on the market, but the company has spent more than ten years developing the product and they offer a 50-year guarantee. Not only are the rubber tiles manufactured in an environmentally friendly way; they are also so durable you may never have to change your roofing material again. And if you do, they are recyclable again and again.

+ Euroshield

It’s an odd name for a nasty condition: shingles. It has nothing to do with roofing. The Latin name, cingulum, meaning “belt,” became “shingles” in early English. The Latin name is a reference to the strips of rash on one side of the body.

Shingles is a painful skin condition that can develop in anyone who has had chickenpox. The virus that causes chickenpox, Varicella zoster virus (VZV), is a member of the herpes family. It goes into hiding when a person recovers from chickenpox, but many years later if age, illness or stress weakens the immune system, VZV can reappear. It causes extreme tenderness along the path of the affected nerve. Within a few days, a blistering rash appears.

Shingles usually attacks older people, but even individuals in their 40s may suffer. Prescription antiviral drugs such as acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir) and valacyclovir (Valtrex) can shorten the duration and intensity of the attack. These drugs are most effective if taken within a few days of the initial symptoms.

There is now a shingles vaccine, Zostavax, that halves the chance of coming down with shingles. It also seems to reduce the severity of the attacks that occur.

Some people have wondered if they should get vaccinated after they have had shingles. One reader wrote: “I had shingles many years ago. So did my friend. Her doctor gave her a shingles shot so she won’t get it again. My doctor said by having shingles I built antibodies to it and don’t need the shot. Which doctor is correct?”

Data just published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings (February 2011) show that people can get shingles more than once. As a result, it makes sense to get vaccinated even after having shingles. People are urged to get the shot after they turn 60 and not to wait until they are debilitated. The shot is considered much less reliable if the immune system is weakened.

People with shingles are often desperate, like this reader: “I have recently had an outbreak of shingles, even though I had the vaccine last year. This is the sixth week of constant burning pain, with the rash gradually fading. It covers the right side of my chest, shoulder and back of neck.

“The doctor gave me Vicodin and lidocaine patches for the pain. Is there anything natural that I could take for this nerve pain?”

Readers of this column have offered several suggestions. One person took L-lysine twice a day, on the theory that it helps heal cold sores (caused by a different herpes virus). She reported: “I didn’t have all the after-pain and the rash disappeared fast.” Another reader reported success from adenosine monophosphate injections, based on decades-old preliminary research (Journal of the American Medical Association, March 8, 1985).

One popular home remedy is Listerine: “An unemployed friend without health insurance had an outbreak of shingles on the right side of his face. It made his ear and jaw ache, and the rash was becoming raw. I found a brief mention of using Listerine on shingles, and he tried it. After 72 hours of thrice-daily application of Listerine, the sores have dried up and are scabbing over, his pain is almost gone and he is healing nicely.”

Home remedies remain untested, so preventing an outbreak is best. The vaccine offers that possibility.

Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical anthropology and is a nutrition expert. Their syndicated radio show can be heard on public radio. In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.

seo toronto

Vancouver seo

Making Money Online Forum

Blogger Andrew Trench recently presented a theory on the threshold of when Internet penetration starts to matter, writing:

Social networks have also been given plenty of credit for the revolution unfolding in Egypt.

So I went and had a look at the numbers over on www.internetworldstats.com to see what they could tell us about these two scenarios. Well, fascinatingly, both Egypt and Tunisia have seen a massive growth in internet users and internet penetration over the last 10 years.

Both have now got internet penetration of over 20% and in Tunisia's case it was as high as 34%.

While it is clearly simplistic to over-state this factor and there must be many more drivers contributing to such a rapid political uprising, it is obviously a factor as evidenced by the Egyptian regime pulling the plug on the country's internet access to try and block the rising tide of revolt.

My back-of-napkin theory is this: that a rapid increase in internet penetration in a repressive regime does play an important role as it provides an unfettered channel of communication allowing disaffected citizens to share views - and more importantly - to rapidly organise and mobilise.

If Egypt and Tunisia are valid case studies, it looks like internet penetration of around 20% is the mark.

Geopolitics & Macroeconomics adds:

Internet penetration: Social networking sites were critical to sustaining the momentum in the recent protests. The internet penetration in Egypt is 16%. In Libya, it is a meagre 5% [1]. The unrest in Libya has thus far remained concentrated in regions that are geographically distant from the seat of ‘real' power (see more on this below). The dependence of momentum on internet communication is far greater in Libya than in Egypt where protests began in Cairo itself.

Taking the conversation to Pakistan, Sabene Saigol writes, on BrandRepublic:

Perhaps one reason for this is that we're still not that used to communicating via the ‘net - maybe we need greater broadband and internet penetration. Personally I think it is more to do with culture - while Pakistani internet users are savvy to using social media to connect with friends, I feel they have not yet ‘crossed over' to seeing SM as a means for professional communications - or even wider social communications that go beyond their immediate circle. Yes, there are no doubt savvy people - both within marketing and tech circles, and outside - however, these people are likely a tiny proportion of the total number of ‘net and social media users.

Surface Encounters

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Donald Trump learned the hard way this week that if you're going to call on the president to release his official birth certificate, you'd better do the same. The Note, authored by ABC News' Amy Walter and Michael Falcone, ...

Surface Encounters

I read an interesting article this morning that suggested Apple would change its mind and put Adobe’s Flash technology on its iOS devices within a year. I don’t think that’s going to happen.

In an open letter to users, Apple CEO Steve Jobs gave several reasons why he didn’t want Flash on the iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. They are: Flash isn’t open; the full web; reliability, security and performance; battery life; and touch.

Adobe began shipping Flash Player 10.1 for Mobile last June, but even Laptop magazine admitted that “Steve Jobs was right,” and that “Adobe’s offering seems like it’s too little, too late.” Granted, that report was from six months ago, but it still doesn’t bode well for the technology.

There is no doubt that Adobe is making advances with Flash on mobile devices, but I don’t believe future changes will be enough to get Apple to adopt the technology.

Jobs has been very clear that Apple supports HTML5, an open technology that is controlled by a standards committee, not one company. By building support for that technology into Webkit, Apple is ensuring that mobile Web browsers will be able to access what we’ve come to know as the “full web.”

Webkit is used by Google, Palm, Nokia and RIM, so it has a pretty solid base.

One of the arguments often bantered about when the discussion of the “full Web” comes up is video. There is no doubt that Flash made huge strides over the years in having sites like YouTube encode their videos in Flash. But that’s for the desktop.

As Jobs points out, almost all of this video is also available in H.264 format (a format Flash also supports), so it’s viewable on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

“Add to this video from Vimeo, Netflix, Facebook, ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, ESPN, NPR, Time, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, People, National Geographic, and many, many others. iPhone, iPod and iPad users aren’t missing much video,” wrote Jobs.

You may ask why other companies adopted Flash for their mobile devices when Apple won’t. That’s easy, they are looking for something they have that Apple doesn’t. Considering how hard it is for tablet makers to compete with Apple, any perceived advantage will work.

I’m not an Adobe hater—I know quite a few people that work at Adobe and I think they’ve done some amazing things over the years. Flash for mobile devices isn’t one of them.

Chris Dawson said he gives “Apple a year until they cave [and adopt Flash]. Android tablets will just be too cool and too useful for both entertainment and enterprise applications if they don’t.”

I have been using my iPhone for years and my iPad for one year. I honestly can’t remember the last time I went to a Web site that wouldn’t load because I didn’t have Flash installed. I can load videos from YouTube and a host of other sites too, no problem.

Apple has sold more than 160 million iOS devices and there are no screaming, angry hordes of users breaking down the doors at 1 Infinite Loop demanding Flash on their devices.

In order for Apple to change its mind and adopt Flash, the technology has to be proven to be indispensable and that it will benefit its users. Apple has proven just the opposite is true.

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

With few surprises, techies were underwhelmed with Apple’s iPad 2 announcement, but I’m confident that consumers will be thrilled with the product. Apple already had a massive lead in the consumer tablet market it created, and these “underwhelming” upgrades should keep the company comfortably ahead. Apple has given competitors an opening by sticking to 3G, and it did not further pressure them with a lower entry price point or higher-resolution display. However, Apple has three critical advantages.

1. Brand: When consumers are thinking about tablets, they say they are buying an “iPad,” not a “tablet.” The iPad was already the category and volume leader, and the iPad 2 builds on that. In this respect, Apple actually benefits from the crowd of new tablets hitting the market. If there were only one or two strong competitors, consumers would be able to weigh the pros and cons of each offering, but with dozens and dozens of options hitting the market over the next few months, decision paralysis can set in and many consumers will throw up their hands and make the “safe” choice: the iPad.

2. iTunes: The iPad is still the only tablet on the market with a huge digital marketplace for movies, TV shows, and music. Some competitors are taking steps in this direction (e.g., Samsung’s Hub), but iTunes remains a significant competitive advantage.

3. App Store: If all you want to do is browse the Web and check e-mail, any tablet will probably suffice. However, Apple has an enormous lead in purpose-built apps. The Android ecosystem is strong and app availability should improve significantly over time, but the iPad 2 is considerably more versatile than any of its competitors right now, and it appears unlikely to lose its lead any time in the near future.

So if you are competing with Apple, what should you do? Rather than copying Apple’s products, copy its old advertising tag line and Think Different.

Apple’s brand is focused on creative types (or those who aspire to be), which is why it spends so much effort creating things like GarageBand. Competitors should target IT managers, knowledge workers, outdoorsy people, or some other group and build software and hardware combinations better suited to those use cases. Of course, this will take imagination and the ability to tie hardware, software, and services together to build unique experiences. There are some companies thinking outside the box (HTC and RIM have clearly differentiated products on their roadmaps), but for the vendors who are trying to out-Apple Apple… good luck. Here are some pointers, you’re going to need them:

• Based on Apple’s financials, it is clear that the iPad with WiFi is Apple’s volume product and 3G versions are merely gravy. Why is the competition only targeting the gravy?

• iTunes remains a significant competitive advantage for Apple – I cannot easily explain to novices how to get a movie onto the XOOM. Rivals need an “iTunes” of their own, but having one just achieves parity with Apple, so partnering is an acceptable approach. However, half measures are not enough; digital media stores must include movies (including rentals) and TV shows and music. If multiple partners are used, the tablet vendor still needs to provide a common interface and single account/billing relationship.

• Nintendo has a significant base of game developers targeting the 3DS; if you cannot muster equivalent resources (for gaming, media playback, or some other use), adding 3D to your tablet is just a gimmick.

• Apple’s rivals can compete on 4G, higher-resolution displays, or a lower price. Even speed is a potential differentiator from a technical perspective; NVIDIA has quad-core processors sampling this month, so rivals could build even faster tablets for this holiday season. However, I must still caution vendors that all of these factors are irrelevant if consumers do not want your product.

Surface Encounters

Surface Encounters

What is your social media brand? Do you have one? Sure, many small business owners and entrepreneurs are coming around to the enormous importance of social media as a marketing, customer service, and, yes, even sales tool. But if you haven’t thought about how social media can define your brand, you are probably missing a HUGE part of what social media tools can do for your business. Here’s more…

Tools & Techniques

Creating a great brand with these blog tools. Tools that improve the look and functionality of your blog also improve your brand. A well-maintained small business blog is one of the most obvious and least expensive branding tools at the entrepreneur’s disposal even more so than social media channels like Facebook and Twitter because of how a blog can be customized to fit your needs and personality. This list of tools is a great way to start. EpicLaunch

What Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi can teach you about social media. One of the stars of the hit reality show “Jersey Shore”, “Snooki” is a perfect example of personal brand, but social media entrepreneurs could also learn much about building their own online presence from Snooki. Being yourself and using a simple, short tag to indelibly brand your identity are also great techniques in social media. One site is already trying to apply the starlets techniques in the social media space. Brand-Yourself

Tito Philips doesn’t want your comments on his blog! At least, not if they’re the wrong kind. And the wrong kind would be comments left for no other purpose than to get the blogger and his/her readers to visit your blog and perhaps comment on it in return. Why is comment trading bad? Don’t get Tito started! There are many ways to engage in social media marketing. Be sure you understand and respect some of the attitudes you may face. Blogging Bookshelf  

News & Trends

The best of the best. Want to get a look at arguably the 20 best Facebook fan pages for business on the planet? By now you should know the value of a Facebook fan page to your branding efforts. What’s also true, however, is that not all Facebook sites are created equal. If you want to take your social media marketing to the next level, have a look at this list of cream of the crop sites. Inc.com

Even churches use social media marketing! In this article on the growing market for tech services among religious organizations, we learn that many churches have also already entered into the social media space. As houses of worship, particularly huge mega-churches, expand and build congregations, it’s easy to see how social media can work as a marketing tool here as well. Is your religious organization using social media for branding? WSJ

Tips & Tricks

20 tips that will make you a Twitter star. Among the tools popular in the new digital space is Twitter. The microblogging platform can be used for business or non-business purposes and it can be the key to your small business’s success. Learn how to use Twitter like a pro and you may be surprised at the benefits your small business gains as a result. Global Copywriting

Valuable lessons in social media. Gary Vaynerchuk, author of The Thank You Economy and a successful social media entrepreneur in his own right, has many insights to share with small business leaders seeking a new way to define their brands in an age of social communications. Read some of the takeaways Vaynerchuk shares with those trying to define their businesses with social media. E-Marketing Associates

Success Stories

Doubt the power of FB to create brand for almost anyone? You won’t after you read the story of Princeton English Professor Jeff Nunokawa and “Jeffbook”, a collection of 3,221 brief literary essays on Facebook, that have created an incredible cult status for Nunokawa in the process. His motivation? Not too different from those of most marketers. Nunokawa simply started sharing where he knew his audience already spent lots of their time. The results speak for themselves. Fast Company

Increase exposure with niche social media. Blogger Mavis Nong talks about the importance of niche social media sites including social bookmarking sites as a key method of creating exposure for your online business. Mavis talks about her experience with our sister site BizSugar.com (thanks for the shout out! ) and explains how smaller more focused social sites can sometimes have a surprising impact even larger than the big guys. Attraction Marketing Online

Opportunities

Sponsors wanted for new SugarTone Sweet Business Blogging Contest. Put the power of social media to work for your brand. We’re looking for sponsors to help with a brand new blogging contest involving two of the fastest growing small business communities on the Web, BizSugar.com and Bloggertone.com. Learn more about the contest by reading the full announcement and get in touch today! BizSugar Blog

What’s affecting me, my clients and other small-business owners this week.

THE QUAKE IN JAPAN, A GOOFBALL IN VENEZUELA Japanese earthquake damage is estimated at $310 billion and could be the costliest natural disaster ever. Japanese exports suffer. Kate Rogers of Fox revisits how to protect your business from catastrophe. “Small-business owners can determine if they should be seeking disaster coverage by weighing their investment in the business itself, among other factors. If the business is the sole form of income, the risk is much greater than if it is a hobby or part-time project.” Elsewhere around the world, the war industry gets a boost in Libya. And Hugo Chávez of Venezuela says capitalism may have destroyed life on Mars.

REAL ESTATE FALLS, JOBS RISE Mark Thoma says commodity prices are increasing because of world demand. A small-business owner in Georgia is trying not to pass on the cost of high gas prices. Detroit’s population declines 25 percent. Existing-home sales fall to the lowest on record. Meredith Whitney, an investment adviser, says, “Unless the government comes out with a 50-year mortgage, this market is in trouble longer term.” Gallup’s job-creation index is the highest since September 2008. Durable goods orders fall.

ANNE HATHAWAY AND WARREN BUFFETT The Fed earns $79 billion and predicts that the recovery is taking hold. Nonetheless, one of its officials warns that the United States is approaching insolvency. Meanwhile, Warren E. Buffett predicts growth but some think his company’s stock is buoyed by Anne Hathaway. Household balances sheets continue to improve. Scott Grannis says “the Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey came in very strong. It hasn’t been this strong since the economic boom times of the early 1980s. It’s very difficult to ignore the mounting evidence of a strong economic recovery.” Architect billings increased slightly in February.

DEFICIT THRILLS The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget is thrilled to see 64 senators calling for comprehensive deficit reduction. But Stan Collender, a budget expert, isn’t thrilled at all: “Does a letter that is so vanilla that it could have been written at any time over the past 40 years really indicate any movement on the current budget debate?” James Pethokoukis of Reuters says he thinks President Obama’s budget is wildly dangerous.

A NEW DEFINITION OF SMALL BUSINESS Timothy F. Geithner says that American small businesses need greater access to capital to spur innovation. The Small Business Administration, facing even more cuts, is for the first time in more than 25  years proposing to change the way it defines small businesses. JPMorgan Chase says it will cease its debit card rewards program because of new legislation that would restrict fees. Missouri gets $27 million in incentives for small-business growth. The Small Business Savings Account Act makes its way through Congress.

TAKING CREDIT The health care legislation celebrates its first anniversary and Ezra Klein defends it by saying, “Is it a perfect piece of legislation? Not even close. Will everything work as expected? Almost certainly not. But for all its flaws, it’s a good law. And it’s worth trying.” Many small businesses are still not taking advantage of the health care tax credit.

TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES A Google project manager pitches cloud computing: “Web-based software is much less costly for buyers than traditional software, and programmers can be so much more innovative, that it’s worthwhile for an entrepreneur to say, O.K., let’s start from scratch.” Paul Mah, an information technology expert, gives us eight reasons to upgrade to Internet Explorer 9. Firefox 4 is released. Microsoft jumps to second in video search and introduces a new PC tool for small business. Netflix suffers an outage. BlackBerry’s tablet is scheduled to arrive in April. AT&T buys T-Mobile but not for the reason you think. And boy. has computer technology come a long way in 10 years.

THE GROWING APPS MARKET Information Week reports that 38 percent of small- and medium-size businesses depend on mobile apps. Amazon introduces an Android app store, and Apple is not pleased. Minda Zetlin of Inc. asks if you should make a tablet app for your business: “The answer is likely a yes if one, your product or service is one where having tablet access could benefit customers; and two, your customers are the type who use tablets.” Just in time: a flood of royal wedding apps.

SPEAKING OF THE BIG WEDDING General Electric releases a much-needed William and Kate refrigerator. Jack Daniels introduces a new product — perhaps to help us forget the royal wedding. Danny Wong gives us three winning ideas to consider. A dating site features a new single man every day. Score plans an e-business learning Web site for small business. Small Business Television is rebranding itself and has introduced a new Web site. Small Business Opportunities magazine is doing the same. A small business introduces its first electric car. Sales of e-books have doubled. The group buying industry is projected to grow to $2.7 billion this year.

TWITTER’S TAX BREAKS Casey Hibbard explains how one company used social media to make $300,000 in a weekend. Robert Scoble discovers the future of work: “Just when we thought we figured out the new ’social enterprise’ market along comes Convofy.” Twitter shows San Francisco’s businesses how to save a bundle on taxes. A one-legged wrestler shows us how to become a national champ.

IT’S GOOD TO BE GREEN A woman in Canada gets a standing ovation for being green. The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce holds its green marketing event on Wednesday. The Clinton Global Initiative holds its university conference this week with a focus on entrepreneurship and a live webcast.

ADVICE FOR SXSW: HAND OUT PILLOWS The Global Entrepreneurship Congress meets in Shanghai this week. April 2 is International Pillow Fight Day. The South By Southwest conference: as seen from a bunch of social media video bloggers — which is yet another reason I won’t attend next year. American Airlines offers a big promo for California business travelers. John Jantsch wants to know the worst business advice you ever received. A third-base coach gives life advice.

SEARCHING FOR HELP WITH SEARCH An American Express survey finds that more than half of small-business owners say they need help with search-engine marketing. A video about why it’s not important to go viral goes viral. Dharmesh Shah shares a few low-cost advertising ideas for start-ups and cautions readers to “think of advertising not as a long-term traffic strategy but as a testing tool to improve your Web site and find out more about your ideal visitor.” An advertising blog discusses how to develop a relationship with the media. Lucy Thornton comes up with a few good marketing themes for April.

A 100-MILLION-MEMBER NETWORK LinkedIn officially reaches 100 million members. Seems like a good time to read the co-founder’s 10 rules for entrepreneurial success.

TRIED TALKING? Whitson Gordon of Lifehacker gives us his top 10 tricks for working while on the go. Example: “Whether it’s that old, dead iPod or the smartphone you’re already carrying with you, you probably have gigs of unused storage lying around waiting to be filled with portable apps, files and other digital travel necessities.” Melanie Brooks of Workawesome.com explains why she uses a leather day planner instead of a smartphone. Greg Schinkel warns against hiding behind our keyboards: “Before you hit ‘reply to all’ and send back a zinger to someone who maligned you, stop and go talk to the person.”

THIS WEEK’S AWARDS

BEST WAY TO GET YOUR CUSTOMERS TO LOVE YOU Ben Yoskovitz talks about the benefits of delighting your customers: “The rewards are immense. Loyal, rabid fans tweet shamelessly about how incredible you are, how valuable your Web application is and how successful your start-up will be.”

BEST WAY TO MARKET WITHOUT A BUDGET Shisha Dublin-Green explains how to market without a marketing budget: “Form an alliance: if you have a hair salon that’s mostly frequented by women with young children and elderly women, you can offer a service whereby you arrange to do their grocery shopping whilst they’re in the salon. You may decide to form an alliance with a local reputable grocer or delivery service to provide this for your customers. This could also be a way to reach out to new customers via your local grocer.”

BEST ADVICE FOR BOOTSTRAPPERS The Smart Bear says that the things money cannot buy are still the most valuable things: “Show proof of your ability to master the things money cannot buy — your ability to learn, change and improve.”

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: How do you bring in customers without spending a lot? We do free webinars every month.

Gene Marks owns the Marks Group PC, a Bala Cynwyd, Pa., consulting firm that helps clients with customer relationship management. You can follow him on Twitter.

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Money Making Websites

ICE Boss: It's Okay To Ignore The Constitution If It's To Protect Companies

from the how-nice-of-them dept

While the folks at Homeland Security keep telling me that they simply cannot speak publicly about the seizure of various domain names -- and specifically the numerous mistakes they've made that appear to clearly violate both the First Amendment and Due Process rules -- it seems they have no problem talking about the domain seizures to folks in the press who don't bother to ask tough questions.



ICE boss John Morton did an interview with Politico, where he trots out a bunch of highly questionable statements about the domain seizures, including claiming that it's all okay for them to do this because they're trying to "protect U.S. industry" rather than "regulate the internet." But that's not the role of Homeland Security or ICE. And there are limits on what ICE is actually allowed to do, and Morton's technically clueless agents seem to have ignored many of those rules.

"We don't have any interest in going after bloggers or discussion boards," he said. "We're not about what is being said by anybody. We're about making sure that the intellectual property laws of the United States, which are clear, are enforced. When somebody spends hundreds of millions of dollars to develop the next movie or a billion dollars to develop the next heart medicine, the innovation and the enterprise that went into that effort is protected as the law provides. It's that simple."

There's so much wrong in that statement that it should be grounds for dismissal. Morton is not representing what has happened, the law or the facts accurately here. He's lying to the American public (and to Politico, who appears to have failed to call him on any of it). First of all, if they don't have any interest in going after bloggers or discussion boards, why did they? Second, if the intellectual property laws of the US are "clear" -- why did ICE not use them and actually get anyone charged with infringement? Third, the laws aren't that clear -- which is why we (normally) have trials to make sure there was actual infringement. If ICE had been willing to let due process play out, it would have avoided embarrassing mistakes, like taking down 84,000 websites because a few may have had illegal content. Or seizing a blog (yes, a blog, despite what he says) that posted links to music elsewhere that was sent by the labels and artists. And, when someone spends all that money to develop something, there are plenty of business models for them to use, and they have every right to use civil laws to go after those who violate their rights. What they shouldn't have is some government agents taking down websites with no due process, seizing plenty of protected speech in the process.



Finally, for Morton to claim "it's that simple," when the law is anything but simple should get the man fired. Seriously. No one who knows anything about the law thinks it's that simple. He shouldn't be in charge of ICE if he thinks that the laws are as simple as he makes out. It's not, and either he knows it and he's lying or he doesn't know it and he's unqualified for the job. Which is it? I figure I'll send these questions to my friendly press contact at Homeland Security, and I imagine the answer will be the same: "I'll have to direct you to the Justice Department on those questions." Because actually responding to American citizens whose rights he seems to have no problem trampling is not in his job description. Helping Hollywood by violating multiple parts of the Constitution is much more fun.



Morton also seems to think there's simply no legal questions in seizing domain names:

"We can seize and forfeit them just like we seize and forfeit bank accounts, houses and vehicles that are used in other crimes," he said. "Any instrument of a crime is subject to our jurisdiction in terms of seizure and forfeit."

Again this is incorrect on a number of levels, and again raises questions about Morton's competence to hold the job he holds. You can seize property, but the case law is pretty clear on the different rules when it comes to seizing speech. And he's never responded to that at all. Because, of course, he cannot.



John Morton seems to think it's fine to be censor-in-chief and to violate multiple parts of the US Constitution, because it protects a few businesses who have failed to adapt their business models. This is a sickening display of the takeover of the American government by corporations.

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The recent $315-million acquisition of The Huffington Post and the $75-million or so spent on AOL’s Patch.com hyper-local platform aren’t the only big bets that the media company is making According to a cover story in the latest issue of The Hollywood Reporter, the one-time web portal is also putting some big money down in Tinseltown, where CEO Tim Armstrong has been signing content deals with celebrities such as former supermodel Heidi Klum, singer Queen Latifah and the musical group The Jonas Brothers. In some ways, it appears AOL’s new “content farm” ambitions are designed in part to produce content that can be wrapped around big Hollywood brands. But can this strategy produce enough financial bang to make a difference to a fading giant like AOL?

In the case of Klum and Latifah, the deals with AOL involve websites and content produced by the stars’ production companies, but AOL is going to be helping generate content — including web-based video shows — and promoting the sites through its network as well. According to The Hollywood Reporter, these types of deals involve AOL putting up between $1 million and $10 million per project (some of which comes from advertisers that the company lines up). According to Hollywood sources quoted by the magazine, those kinds of dollars look pretty good compared to what cable networks can offer.

Armstrong suggests that some of the content for these sites will be generated by other parts of AOL, including its Demand Media-style Seed.com “content farm,” whose approach was described in a leaked memo recently entitled “The AOL Way.” The AOL chief executive told the magazine that “the system that we’ve been building — which the press has taken to calling a content farm — is simply a platform,” and gave an example where Klum might decide to produce a video about making jewelry, and the AOL platform could then generate information and other content about how jewelry is made. Armstrong made it clear that he thinks content is the future of the Internet:

The first phase of the Internet was about access, and I believe AOL was the biggest player in that phase. Then the next phase has really been about the platform, so you’ve seen Apple, Google and Facebook there. But the phase after this is going to be more of the Hollywood phase, where it’s about content, creativity and really putting a human face on the Internet.

In addition to using its content farm to generate material to wrap around these celebrity sites, AOL also used its own internal research to decide which celebrities to approach. According to The Hollywood Reporter piece, the company only took its “Planet Heidi” idea to the supermodel after its algorithmically-generated “quality score” showed that Klum was influential on topics like parenting, fashion and style — all of which appeal to the female demographic that Armstrong wants to focus AOL’s content on — and after Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble had signed on.

The big question, of course, is whether this Hollywood strategy is going to produce enough revenue to make a difference for AOL, a company that is still in fairly precarious financial shape: in the final quarter of last year, for example, revenue sank by 26 percent and advertising revenue fell by almost 30 percent.

As I’ve written before, AOL is like a train running down a track that is disintegrating rapidly underneath it. That track is the dial-up access business, which still produces gigantic amounts of revenue — close to 40 percent of the company’s total — but is declining at a rapid rate. What Armstrong is trying to do is to build new businesses that have the ability to generate similar kinds of revenue, which amounts to laying new tracks quickly enough that the train doesn’t go hurtling into an abyss. The launch of Patch was one such attempt, and the acquisition of The Huffington Post was another.

The purchase of Arianna Huffington’s content-aggregation business is part of the same strategy that has taken AOL into the celebrity circus of Hollywood. One of the things the web giant has lacked on the content side is identifiable personalities, and that is clearly something the Huffington Post founder brings to the table. Huffington’s site started as a collection of blogs written by famous people from various walks of life who were drawn together by their friendships with Huffington herself, and celebrities continue to make use of the site as a personal blogging platform when they have a cause they want to push.

Huffington, who is now in charge of all AOL’s editorial content, is also in charge of the Hollywood operation. All she has to do now is turn all those celebrity websites into cold hard cash for her new boss before AOL runs out of track.

Related GigaOM Pro content (sub req’d):

• How Media Companies Can Compete Online


• What We Can Learn From the Guardian’s Open Platform


• The Near-Term Evolution of Social Commerce

Post and thumbnail courtesy of Flickr user Zert Sonstige

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