tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84855932024-03-07T06:23:38.729ZA.M.Sall's Motivational/Inspirational RamblingsAmadou M. Sall - The Cross-cultural Connector, author, translator, coach, success mindset philosopherAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.comBlogger205125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-79017104728718002142013-08-25T18:44:00.000Z2013-08-25T18:44:38.985ZDevelop a Magnetic Personality<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>Every person has a little magnetism already inside him. Learn how to leverage it to draw in more business.</b></span><br />
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There are two elements involved in becoming a magnet. The first is your ability to attract people. The second is your approachability, the extent to which others perceive you as being open. Together, these two qualities create a positive attitude, one of the top traits of a master networker. Together, they influence how magnetic you are for your business.</div>
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In business, magnetism typically means being a center of influence. What if you could become a living magnet for your business? Who or what would be attracted to you? Being a center of influence involves positioning yourself to attract other people to you. It means becoming recognized as the go-to person, the one with a broad network, the person who knows people who can solve other people's problems. That's the person you want to become because that's who you need to be to stand out from your competition.</div>
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A magnet's strength is related to the composition of the magnet--not necessarily the size. You've probably heard of a person having a magnetic personality. If something or someone is magnetic, the object or person has an extraordinary power or ability to attract. We tend to attract people most like ourselves in our daily encounters. You may have experienced the challenges of trying to get a group of six close friends together. Busy people attract other busy people, making it more challenging to get that group together. But the rewards are great when the schedules align for a nice dinner or evening out.</div>
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Now let's consider the second element of becoming magnetic: your approachability factor. Author and professional speaker Scott Ginsberg has done extensive research on approachability in relationships. You may have heard of him. He's also known as "the Nametag Guy." (He wears a name tag everywhere he goes.) As the author of <em style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">The Power of Approachability</em>, he helps people maximize their approachability and become unforgettable.</div>
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Ginsberg says, approachability is a two-way street. "It's both you stepping onto someone else's front porch, and you inviting someone to step onto your front porch," he says. Here's a summary of Ginsberg's tips on how to maximize your approachability.</div>
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<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Be ready to engage.</strong> When you arrive at a meeting, event, party or anywhere conversations will take place, prepare yourself. Be ready with conversation topics, questions and stories in the back of your mind as soon as you meet someone. This will help you avoid awkward small talk.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Focus on CPI.</strong> CPI stands for common point of interest. It's an essential element in every conversation and interaction. Your duty, as you meet new people, or even as you talk with those you already know, is to discover the CPI as soon as possible. It helps establish a bond between you and others. It increases your approachability and allows them to feel more comfortable talking with you.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Give flavored answers.</strong> You've heard plenty of fruitless questions in your interactions--questions like "How's it going?" "What's up?" or "How are you?" When such questions come up, Scott warns, don't fall into the conversation ending trap of responding, "Fine." Instead offer a flavored answer: "Amazing!" "Any better, and I'd be twins!" or "Everything is beautiful." The other person will instantly change his or her demeanor, smile and, most of the time, ask what made you answer that way. Why? Because nobody expects it. Not only that, but offering a true response to magnify the way you feel is a perfect way to share yourself or make yourself personally available to others.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Don't cross your arms at networking events.</strong> Even if you're cold, bored, tired or just don't want to be there, don't cross your arms. It makes you seem defensive, nervous, judgmental, close-minded or skeptical. It's a simple, subconscious, nonverbal cue that says, "Stay away." People see crossed arms, and they drift away. They don't want to bother you. You're not approachable.<br /><br />Think about it. Would you want to approach someone like that? Probably not. So when you feel that urge to fold your arms across your chest like a shield, stop. Be conscious of its effect. Then relax and do something else with your arms and hands.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Give options for communication.</strong> Your friends, colleagues, customers and co-workers communicate with you in different ways. Some will choose face-to-face; some will e-mail; others will call; still others will do a little of everything. Accommodate them all. Give people as many ways as you can to contact you. Make it easy and pleasant.<br /><br />On your business cards, e-mail signatures, websites and marketing materials, let people know they can get in touch with you in whatever manner they choose. Maybe you prefer e-mail, but what matters most is the other person's comfort and ability to communicate with you effectively. There's nothing more annoying to a phone person than to discover she can't get a hold of you unless she e-mails you.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Always have business cards.</strong> At one time or another you've probably been on either the telling or listening end of a story about a successful, serendipitous business encounter that ended with the phrase, "Thank goodness I had one of my business cards with me that day." If you recall saying something like that yourself, great. You're practicing approachability by being easy to reach.<br /><br />If not, you've no doubt missed out on valuable relationships and opportunities. And it happens. People forget cards, neglect to get their supply reprinted or change jobs. Always remember: There is a time and a place for networking--any time and any place. You just never know who you might meet.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Conquer your fear of rejection.</strong> Do you ever hear yourself saying, "They won't say hello back to me. They won't be interested in me. I will make a fool of myself"?<br /><br />Fear is the number one reason people don't start conversations--fear of rejection, fear of inadequacy and fear of looking foolish. But practice will make this fear fade. The more you start conversations, the better you become at it. So be the first to introduce yourself, or simply to say hello. When you take an active rather than passive role, you develop your skills and lower your chances of rejection.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Wear your name tag.</strong> We've heard every possible excuse not to wear name tags, and all of them can be rebutted:</li>
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"Name tags look silly." Yes, they do. But, remember, everyone else is wearing one, too.</div>
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"Name tags ruin my clothes." Not if you wear them on the edge of your lapel, or use cloth-safe connectors, like lanyards and plastic clips.</div>
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"But I already know everybody." No, you don't. You may think you do, but people join and leave businesses and organizations all the time.</div>
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"But everyone already knows me." No, they don't. Even the best networkers know there's always someone new to meet.</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><br />(Read the whole post at : <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/198288#ixzz2d0WsGWjw" style="color: #003399; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/198288#ixzz2d0WsGWjw</a>/ )</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">What are your comments? How have you been using your own Magnetic Personality :-)?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Eagerly expecting your feedback!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><b><i>Amadou M. Sall</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><br /> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-22857953378039904112011-07-06T23:13:00.001Z2011-07-06T23:13:53.039ZSaint-Louis, Senegal All-inclusive Weekend Trip (3 days/2 nights)! « Delta Safari International<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Media_httpdeltasafari_abaja" height="287" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/amsall/xfHCuvwjEtoAkrIBmwAxrwuzxJxvbfxrExyIheIxrGsHxoyollvtvEakoCCw/media_httpdeltasafari_aBaJA.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="476" /> </div> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://deltasafariinternational.com/?page_id=131">deltasafariinternational.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/saint-louis-senegal-all-inclusive-weekend-tri">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-67472496051296858792011-07-06T00:38:00.001Z2011-07-06T00:38:58.469ZDelta Safari International Facebook Page<div class='posterous_autopost'><p>Have you visited the <strong>Delta Safari International</strong> Facebook Page lately? If not, what are you waiting for? Why not just go there and LIKE it :-) <br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/DeltaSafariInternational">http://www.facebook.com/DeltaSafariInternational</a> </p> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/delta-safari-international-facebook-page">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-41108928504812373272011-07-06T00:18:00.001Z2011-07-06T00:18:53.409ZInvestment case for Africa now stronger than ever, says Ecobank :The Cross-cultural Connector<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote><div> <h3><a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/"> The Cross-cultural Connector </a></h3> <p> Strategic Cross-cultural Communication and Marketing for SMB, Any-sized Businesses, and Organizations </p> <div><a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/?feed=rss2">Entries RSS</a> | <a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/?feed=comments-rss2">Comments RSS</a></div> <p> </p><div> <ul> <li><a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/">Home</a></li> <li></li><li><a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/?page_id=65" title="Contact Us">Contact Us</a></li> <li><a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/?page_id=2" title="About">About</a></li> </ul> </div> </div></blockquote><div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/?p=512">thecrossculturalconnector.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/investment-case-for-africa-now-stronger-than">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-89117868535395286362011-06-19T20:21:00.001Z2011-06-19T20:21:56.645ZSocial media glossary<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote><div> <img src="http://www.socialbrite.org/wp-content/themes/SocialBrite/img/eg/resource.gif" height="19" width="218" /> <h3> Social media glossary </h3> <p> <br /> </p><h3>The Top 100 words & phrases in the social media dictionary</h3> <p><span>T</span>he social media landscape is fast changing and filled with strange terms to the uninitiated. Don’t feel intimidated! Here’s a quick guide to some of the terms you may encounter. Please add other terms in the Comments below and we’ll incorporate them and credit you.</p> <div><a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#api">api</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#app">app</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#astroturfing">astroturfing</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#b-corp">B Corp</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#blog">blog</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#campaign">campaign</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#cause-marketing">cause marketing</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#civic-media">civic media</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#cloud-computing">cloud computing</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#copyleft">copyleft</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#creative-commons">Creative Commons</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#crowdsourcing">crowdsourcing</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#csr">CSR</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#digg">Digg</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#digital-inclusion">digital inclusion</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#digital-story">digital story</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#double-bottom-line">double bottom line</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#drupal">Drupal</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#ebooks">ebooks</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#embedding">embedding</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#facebook">Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#fair-trade">fair trade</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#fair-use">fair use</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#feed">feed</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#flash-mob">flash mob</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#flickr">Flickr</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#geotagging">geotagging</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#gov2">Gov 2.0</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#gpl">GPL</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#gps">GPS</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#hashtag">hashtag</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#hosting">hosting</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#internet-newsroom">Internet newsroom</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#lifecasting">lifecasting</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#lifestreaming">lifestreaming</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#mashup">mashup</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#metadata">metadata</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#microblogging">microblogging</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#moblog">moblog</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#myspace">MySpace</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#net-neutrality">net neutrality</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#news-reader">news reader</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#ngo">NGO</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#nptech">nptech</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#open-media">open media</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#open-platform">open platform</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#open-source">open source</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#open-video">open video</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#openid">OpenID</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#paid-search-marketing">paid search marketing</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#permalink">permalink</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#personal-media">personal media</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#platform">platform</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#podcast">podcast</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#podsafe">podsafe</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#public-domain">public domain</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#public-media">public media</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#remix">remix</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#rss">RSS</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#rt">RT</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#screencast">screencast</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#sem">search engine marketing</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#seo">SEO</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#short-code">short code</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#smart-phone">smart phone</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#sms">SMS</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#social-bookmarking">social bookmarking</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#social-capital">social capital</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#social-enterprise">social enterprise</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#social-entrepreneurship">social entrepreneurship</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#social-media">social media</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#social-media-optimization">social media optimization</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#social-networking">social networking</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#social-news">social news</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#social-return-on-investment">social return on investment</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#social-tools">social tools</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#splogs">splogs</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#streaming-media">streaming media</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#sustainability">sustainability</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#tag-cloud">tag cloud</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#tags">tags</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#technology-steward">technology steward</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#terms-of-service">terms of service</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#triple-bottom-line">triple bottom line</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#troll">troll</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#tweet">tweet</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#tweetup">tweetup</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#twitter">Twitter</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#twitterverse">Twitterverse</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#ugc">UGC</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#unconference">unconference</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#videoblog">videoblog</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#virtual-world">virtual world</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#web-20">Web 2.0</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#web-analytics">web analytics</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#web-conferencing">Web conferencing</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#webcasting">webcasting</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#webinar">webinar</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#wi-fi">wi-fi</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#widget">widget</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#wiki">wiki</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#word-of-mouth-marketing">word-of-mouth marketing</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#wordpress">WordPress</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#youtube">YouTube</a></div> <p> </p><div>Social media glossary</div> <div><a name="api"></a><p></p> <div>API</div> <div> <h3><span>What is an API?</span></h3> </div> <div>An API (a techie term for application programming interface) allows users to get a data feed directly into their own sites, providing continually updated, streaming data — text, images, video — for display. For example, <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#flickr">Flickr</a>‘s API might allow you to display photos from the site on your blog. When sites like Twitter and Facebook “open up” their APIs, it means that developers can build applications that build new functionality on top of the underlying service. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/API" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="app"></a><p></p> <div>app</div> <div> <h3><span>What is an app?</span></h3> </div> <div><img title="yelp" src="http://www.socialbrite.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/yelp.gif" height="74" alt="yelp" width="75" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 3px 14px; border: none;" />Popularized in the general lexicon by the iPhone, an app is simply an application that performs a specific function on your computer or handheld device. Apps run the gamut from Web browsers and games to specialized programs like digital recorders, online chat or music players. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_software" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="astroturfing"></a><p></p> <div>astroturfing</div> <div> <h3><span>What is astroturfing?</span></h3> </div> <div>Astroturfing is a fake grassroots campaign that seeks to create the impression of legitimate buzz or interest in a product, service or idea. Often this movement is motivated by a payment or gift to the writer of a post or comment or may be written under a pseudonym. (For more details, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroturfing" target="_blank">see Wikipedia</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="b-corp"></a><p></p> <div>B Corp</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a B corporation?</span></h3> </div> <div>A B corporation is a designation for a socially responsible company that takes not just profits into account but also employees, communities and the environment. (For more details, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_corporation" target="_blank">see Wikipedia</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="blog"></a><p></p> <div>blog</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a blog?</span></h3> </div> <div>A blog is an online journal that’s updated on a regular basis with entries that appear in reverse chronological order. Blogs can be about any subject. They typically contain comments by other readers, links to other sites and permalinks. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="campaign"></a><p></p> <div>campaign</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a campaign?</span></h3> </div> <div>An online campaign is a set of coordinated marketing messages, delivered at intervals, with a specific goal, such as raising funds for a cause or candidate or increasing sales of a product.</div> </div> <div><a name="cause-marketing"></a><p></p> <div>cause marketing</div> <div> <h3><span>What is cause marketing?</span></h3> </div> <div>Cause marketing is a business relationship in which a for-profit and a nonprofit form a partnership that results in increased business for the for-profit and a financial return for the nonprofit.</div> </div> <div><a name="civic-media"></a><p></p> <div>civic media</div> <div> <h3><span>What is civic media?</span></h3> </div> <div>Civic media is any form of communication that strengthens the social bonds within a community or creates a strong sense of civic engagement among its residents.</div> </div> <div><a name="cloud-computing"></a><p></p> <div>cloud computing</div> <div> <h3><span>What is cloud computing?</span></h3> </div> <div>Cloud computing (also called “the cloud”) refers to the growing phenomenon of users who can access their data from anywhere rather than being tied to a particular machine.</div> </div> <div><a name="copyleft"></a><p></p> <div>copyleft</div> <div> <h3><span>What is copyleft?</span></h3> </div> <div>A play on the word copyright, copyleft is the practice of using copyright law to remove restrictions on distributing copies and modified versions of a work for others and requiring that the same freedoms be preserved in modified versions. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyleft" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="creative-commons"></a><p></p> <div>Creative Commons</div> <div> <h3><span>What is Creative Commons?</span></h3> </div> <div><img title="Creative Commons logo" src="http://www.socialbrite.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/cc.gif" height="100" alt="Creative Commons logo" width="100" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 3px 14px; border: none;" />Creative Commons is a not-for-profit organization and licensing system that offers creators the ability to fine-tune their copyright, spelling out the ways in which others may use their works. See <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#" target="_blank">full entry on Socialbrite</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_commons" target="_blank">on Wikipedia</a>.</div> </div> <div><a name="crowdsourcing"></a><p></p> <div>crowdsourcing</div> <div> <h3><span>What is crowdsourcing?</span></h3> </div> <div>Crowdsourcing refers to harnessing the skills and enthusiasm of those outside an organization who are prepared to volunteer their time contributing content or skills and solving problems. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowdsourcing" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="csr"></a><p></p> <div>CSR</div> <div> <h3><span>What is CSR?</span></h3> </div> <div>CSR is short for corporate social responsibility, a concept whereby businesses and organizations perform a social good or take responsibility for the impact of their activities. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_social_responsibility" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="digg"></a><p></p> <div>Digg</div> <div> <h3><span>What is Digg?</span></h3> </div> <div><img title="digg" src="http://www.socialbrite.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/digg1.jpg" height="108" alt="digg" width="79" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 3px 14px; border: none;" /><a href="http://digg.com">Digg</a> is a popular social news site that lets people discover and share content from anywhere on the Web. Users submit links and stories and the community votes them up or down and comments on them. Users can “digg” stories they like or “bury” others they don’t. (Wikipedia offers a somewhat <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digg" target="_blank">different definition</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="digital-inclusion"></a><p></p> <div>digital inclusion</div> <div> <h3><span>What is digital inclusion?</span></h3> </div> <div>Digital inclusion, or e-inclusion, is an effort to help people who are not online gain access with affordable hardware, software, tech support/information and broadband Internet service, so they can begin to use this technology to improve their lives. (Wikipedia offers a somewhat <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_inclusion" target="_blank">different definition</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="digital-story"></a><p></p> <div> <h3><span>What is a digital story?</span></h3> </div> <div>digital story</div> <div>A digital story is a short personal nonfiction narrative that is composed on a computer, often for publishing online or publishing to a DVD. They are told from the narrator’s point of view and the subject is generally about something the maker experienced personally. Digital stories typically range from 2-5 minutes in length (though there are no strict rules) and can include music, art, photos, voiceover and video clips. They are also typically created by one person with little technical training, rather than by a team of professionals. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_story" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.) You can see digital stories at these sites:<br /> • <a href="http://www.storycenter.org/stories/" target="_blank">Center for Digital Storytelling</a><br /> • <a href="http://www.creativenarrations.net/" target="_blank">Creative Narrations</a></div> </div> <div><a name="double-bottom-line"></a><p></p> <div>double bottom line</div> <div> <h3><span>What is the double bottom line?</span></h3> </div> <div>The double bottom line refers to a business’s attention to both conventional profit and loss as well as to the social good. An increasing number of companies and organizations now seek a second bottom line look to measure their performance. (Also see: the <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#triple-bottom-line">triple bottom line</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="drupal"></a><p></p> <div>Drupal</div> <div> <h3><span>What is Drupal?</span></h3> </div> <div>Drupal is a free, open-source platform and content management system written in php. It is often used as a “back end” system that powers community features on many different types of sites, ranging from personal blogs to large corporate and political sites. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drupal" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="ebooks"></a><p></p> <div>ebooks</div> <div> <h3><span>What is an ebook?</span></h3> </div> <div>An ebook (or e-book) is an electronic version of a traditional printed book that can be downloaded from the Internet and read on your computer or handheld device. Something as simple as a PDF document can be considered an ebook — and anyone can create one. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-book" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="embedding"></a><p></p> <div>embedding</div> <div> <h3><span>What is embedding?</span></h3> </div> <div>The act of adding code to a website so that a video or photo can be displayed while it’s being hosed at another site. Many users now watch embedded YouTube videos or see Flickr photos on blogs rather than on the original site.</div> </div> <div><a name="facebook"></a><p></p> <div>Facebook</div> <div> <h3><span>What is Facebook?</span></h3> </div> <div><img title="Facebook-dominoes" src="http://www.socialbrite.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/facebook-dominoes.gif" height="86" alt="Facebook-dominoes" width="80" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 3px 14px; border: none;" /><a href="http://facebook.com/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> is the most popular social networking site in the world, with more than 200 million members. Members’ home page streams can now be seen in a wide range of applications and devices. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="fair-trade"></a><p></p> <div>fair trade</div> <div> <h3><span>What is fair trade?</span></h3> </div> <div>Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers and adherence to social, labor and environmental standards. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="fair-use"></a><p></p> <div>fair use</div> <div> <h3><span>What is fair use?</span></h3> </div> <div>Fair use is a doctrine in U.S. law that permits limited use of copyrighted material without obtaining the permission of the copyright holder, such as use for scholarship or review. Fair use is delineated in <a href="http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#107">Section 107</a> of the U.S. Copyright Code. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <p>.</p> <div><a name="feed"></a><p></p> <div>feed</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a feed?</span></h3> </div> <div>A Web feed or <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#rss">RSS</a> feed is a format that provides users with frequently updated content. Content distributors <em>syndicate</em> a Web feed, enabling users to <em>subscribe</em> to a site’s latest content. By using a <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#news-reader">news reader</a> to subscribe to a feed, you can read the latest posts or watch the newest videos on your computer or portable device on your own schedule. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_feed" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="flash-mob"></a><p></p> <div>flash mob</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a flash mob?</span></h3> </div> <div>A flash mob is a group of individuals who gather and disperse with little notice for a specific purpose through text messages, social media or viral emails. It’s now generally considered a somewhat dated term (already!). (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_mob" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="flickr"></a><p></p> <div> <h3><span>What is Flickr?</span></h3> </div> <div>Flickr</div> <div>Founded by two entrepreneurs and purchased by Yahoo! in 2005, <a href="http://flickr.com" target="_blank">Flickr</a> is the world’s premier photo sharing and hosting site. Its members have uploaded more than 3 billion photos. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flickr" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="geotagging"></a><p></p> <div>geotagging</div> <div> <h3><span>What is geotagging?</span></h3> </div> <div>Geotagging is the process of adding location-based metadata to media such as photos, video or online maps. Geotagging can help users find a wide variety of businesses and services based on location. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geotagging" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="gov2"></a><p></p> <div>Government 2.0</div> <div> <h3><span>What is Government 2.0?</span></h3> </div> <div>Government 2.0 is the term for attempts to apply the social networking and integration advantages of <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#web-20">Web 2.0</a> to the practice of government.</div> </div> <div><a name="gpl"></a><p></p> <div>GPL</div> <div> <h3><span>What is GPL?</span></h3> </div> <div>GPL is short for <a href="http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html">GNU General Public License</a>, often used with the release of open source software. An example of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyleft" title="Copyleft">copyleft</a> license, it requires derived works to be made available under the same license. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_General_Public_License" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="gps"></a><p></p> <div>GPS</div> <div> <h3><span>What is GPS?</span></h3> </div> <div><img title="gps" src="http://www.socialbrite.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/gps2.gif" height="128" alt="gps" width="160" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 3px 14px; border: none;" />GPS is shorthand for Global Positioning System, a global navigation satellite system. GPS-enabled devices — most commonly mobile handhelds or a car’s navigation system — enable precise pinpointing of the location of people, buildings and objects. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPS" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="hashtag"></a><p></p> <div>hashtag</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a hashtag?</span></h3> </div> <div>A hashtag (or hash tag) is a community-driven convention for adding additional context and <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#metadata">metadata</a> to your <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#tweet">tweets</a>. Similar to tags on <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#flickr">Flickr</a>, you add them in-line to your Twitter posts by prefixing a word with a hash symbol (or number sign). Twitter users often use a hashtag like <a href="http://search.twitter.com/#followfriday">#followfriday</a> to aggregate, organize and discover relevant posts.</div> </div> <div><a name="hosting"></a><p></p> <div>hosting</div> <div> <h3><span>What is hosting?</span></h3> </div> <div>A blog, video or podcast needs a hosting service before it can appear online. Companies sometimes host their blogs on their own servers, but a better choice for video or audio is to use a host such as <a href="http://youtube.com" target="_blank">YouTube</a>, <a href="http://viddler.com" target="_blank">Viddler</a> or <a href="http://magnify.net/" target="_blank">Magnify.net</a> for video and a host such as <a href="http://libsyn.com/" target="_blank">Libsyn</a> for podcasts. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosting" target="_blank">See Wikipedia</a> for different kinds of hosting.)</div> </div> <div><a name="internet-newsroom"></a><p></p> <div>Internet newsroom</div> <div> <h3><span>What is an Internet newsroom?</span></h3> </div> <div>An Internet newsroom (sometimes called Internet pressroom or online media center) is an area of a corporate website that communicates corporate messages and makes content available to the news media and the public. Rather than just feature little-read press releases, a true Internet newsroom incorporates features such as videos, podcasts, high-resolution image galleries, surveys, forums, blogs and other online marketing communications materials. See <a href="http://www.mindtouch.com/newsroom" target="_blank">an example</a>.</div> </div> <div><a name="lifecasting"></a><p></p> <div>lifecasting</div> <div> <h3><span>What is lifecasting?</span></h3> </div> <div><img title="ijustine lifecasting" src="http://www.socialbrite.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/ijustine1.jpg" height="116" alt="ijustine lifecasting" width="120" />Lifecasting is an around-the-clock broadcast of events in a person’s life through digital media. Typically, lifecasting is transmitted over the Internet and can involve wearable technology. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifecasting_%28video_stream%29">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="lifestreaming"></a><p></p> <div>lifestreaming</div> <div> <h3><span>What is lifestreaming?</span></h3> </div> <div>Lifestreaming is the practice of collecting an online user’s disjointed online presence in one central location or site. Lifestreaming services bring photos, videos, bookmarks, <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#microblogging">microblog</a> posts and blog posts from a single user into one place using RSS. <a href="http://friendfeed.com">Friendfeed</a> and <a href="http://tumblr.com">Tumblr</a> are examples of lifestreaming services.</div> </div> <div><a name="mashup"></a><p></p> <div>mashup</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a mashup?</span></h3> </div> <div>Mashups (or mash-ups) have several meanings. A music mashup is a combination of two or more songs, generally the vocals of one song overlaid on top of the melody of another. A video mashup is the result of combining two or more pieces of video, such as news footage with original commentary. A Web mashup result when a programmer overlays information from a database or another source on top of an existing website, such as homes for sale taken from Craigslist plotted on a Google Map. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mash-up" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="metadata"></a><p></p> <div>metadata</div> <div> <h3><span>What is metadata?</span></h3> </div> <div>Metadata refers to information — including titles, descriptions, tags and captions — that describes a media item such as a video, photo or blog post. Some kinds of metadata — for example, camera settings such as exposure, aperture, focal length and ISO speed — can be captured automatically from the device without needing a human to enter the data. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metadata" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="microblogging"></a><p></p> <div>microblogging</div> <div> <h3><span>What is microblogging?</span></h3> </div> <div>Microblogging is the act of broadcasting short messages to other subscribers of a Web service. On <a href="http://twitter.com" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, entries are limited to 140 characters, and applications like <a href="http://www.plurk.com/">Plurk</a> and <a href="http://www.jaiku.com/">Jaiku</a> take a similar approach with sharing bite-size media. Probably a more apt term for this activity is “microsharing.” (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro-blogging" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="moblog"></a><p></p> <div>moblog</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a moblog?</span></h3> </div> <div>A moblog is a blog published directly to the Web from a phone or other mobile device. Mobloggers may update their sites more frequently than other bloggers because they don’t need to be at their computers to post. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moblog" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="myspace"></a><p></p> <div>MySpace</div> <div> <h3><span>What is MySpace?</span></h3> </div> <div>An online social network similar to <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#facebook">Facebook</a>. MySpace caters to artists and bands, who enjoy the flexibility of creating an individual “look” for their page. As with Facebook, MySpace allows users to “friend” each other and create groups. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MySpace" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="net-neutrality"></a><p></p> <div>net neutrality</div> <div> <h3><span>What is net neutrality?</span></h3> </div> <div>Net neutrality is the principle requiring Internet providers to act as common carriers and not discriminate among content or users — for example, by providing degraded service to rich-media sites, by throttling file-sharing services, by penalizing customers who watch or download a lot of videos or by blocking Internet applications and content from competitors. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_neutrality" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="news-reader"></a><p></p> <div> <h3><span>What is a news reader?</span></h3> </div> <div>news reader</div> <div>A news reader (sometimes called a feed reader, RSS reader or news aggregator) gathers the news from multiple blogs or news sites via <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#rss">RSS</a> feeds selected by the user, allowing her to access all her news from a single site or program. Popular examples include <a href="http://reader.google.com/" target="_blank">Google Reader</a>, <a href="http://netvibes.com/" target="_blank">Netvibes</a> and <a href="http://bloglines.com/" target="_blank">Bloglines</a> (all accessed through a Web browser) and <a href="http://www.newsgator.com/Individuals/FeedDemon/" target="_blank">FeedDemon</a> or <a href="http://www.newsgator.com/Individuals/NetNewsWire/" target="_blank">NetNewsWire</a> (applications that runs on one machine). For a directory of news readers, see <a href="http://www.newsreaders.com/" target="_blank">NewsReaders.com</a>. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rss" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="ngo"></a><p></p> <div>NGO</div> <div> <h3><span>What is an NGO?</span></h3> </div> <div>NGO stands for nongovernmental organization, an entity apart from the business and government sectors. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngo" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="nptech"></a><p></p> <div>nptech</div> <div> <h3><span>What is nptech?</span></h3> </div> <div>nptech is shorthand for nonprofit technology. nptech encompasses a wide range of technologies that support the goals of nonprofit, NGO, grassroots and other cause organizations.</div> </div> <div><a name="open-media"></a><p></p> <div>open media</div> <div> <h3><span>What is open media?</span></h3> </div> <div>In its most common usage, open media refers to video, audio, text and other media that can be freely shared, often by using <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#creative-commons">Creative Commons</a> or <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#gpl">GPL</a> licenses. More narrowly, open media refers to content that is both shareable and created with a free format, such as <a href="http://theora.org/" rel="nofollow external">Theora</a> (video), <a href="http://vorbis.com/" rel="nofollow external">Vorbis</a> (audio, lossy), <a href="http://flac.sourceforge.net/" rel="nofollow external">FLAC </a>(audio, lossless), <a href="http://speex.org/" rel="nofollow external">Speex</a> (audio, voice), <a href="http://xspf.org/" rel="nofollow external">XSPF</a> (playlists), <a href="http://w3.org/Graphics/SVG/" rel="nofollow external">SVG</a> (vector image), <a href="http://libpng.org/pub/png/" rel="nofollow external">PNG</a> (raster image, lossless), <a href="http://opendocument.xml.org/" rel="nofollow external">OpenDocument</a> (office), <a href="http://w3.org/AudioVideo" rel="nofollow external">SMIL</a> (media presentations) and others.</div> </div> <div><a name="open-platform"></a><p></p> <div>open platform</div> <div> <h3><span>What is an open platform?</span></h3> </div> <div>Open platform refers to a software system that permits any device or application to connect to and operate on its network. See <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#platform">platform</a>.</div> </div> <div><a name="open-source"></a><p></p> <div>open source</div> <div> <h3><span>What is open source?</span></h3> </div> <div>In its strict sense, open source refers to software code that is free to build upon. But open source has taken on a broader meaning — such as open source journalism and open source politics — to refer to the practice of collaboration and free sharing of media and information to advance the public good. Well-known open-source projects include the Linux operating system, the Apache Web server and the Firefox browser. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="open-video"></a><p></p> <div>open video</div> <div> <h3><span>What is open video?</span></h3> </div> <div>Open video refers to the movement to promote free expression and innovation in online video. With the release of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_video">HTML5</a>, publishers will be able to publish video that can be viewed directly in Web browsers rather than through a proprietary player.</div> </div> <div><a name="openid"></a><p></p> <div>OpenID</div> <div> <h3><span>What is OpenID?</span></h3> </div> <div><img title="openid3" src="http://www.socialbrite.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/openid3.jpg" height="73" alt="openid3" width="223" /><a href="http://openid.net">OpenID</a> is a single sign-on system that allows Internet users to log on to many different sites using a single digital identity, eliminating the need for a different user name and password for each site. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenID" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="paid-search-marketing"></a><p></p> <div>paid search marketing</div> <div> <h3><span>What is paid search marketing?</span></h3> </div> <div>Paid search marketing is the placement of paid ads for a business or service on a search engine results page. An advertiser pays the search engine if the visitor clicks on the ad (pay-per-click or PPC).</div> </div> <div><a name="permalink"></a><p></p> <div>permalink</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a permalink?</span></h3> </div> <div>A permalink is the direct link to a blog entry. A blog contains multiple posts, and if you cite an entry you’ll want to link directly to that post. (This page’s permalink is <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary">http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="personal-media"></a><p></p> <div>personal media</div> <div> <h3><span>What is personal media?</span></h3> </div> <div>Personal media — user-created material — refers to grassroots works such as video, audio and text. When the works are shared in a social space, the works are more commonly referred to as <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#social-media">social media</a>. See <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#ugc">UGC</a>.</div> </div> <div><a name="platform"></a><p></p> <div>platform</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a platform?</span></h3> </div> <div>A platform is the framework or content management system that runs software and presents content. WordPress, for example, is a service that serves as a platform for a community of blogs. In a larger context, the Internet is becoming a platform for applications and capabilities, using <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#cloud-computing">cloud computing</a>. See <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#open-platform">open platform</a>. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platform_%28computing%29" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="podcast"></a><p></p> <div>podcast</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a podcast?</span></h3> </div> <div>A podcast is a digital file (usually audio but sometimes video) made available for download to a portable device or personal computer for later playback. A podcast also refers to the show that comprises several episodes. A podcast uses a feed that lets you subscribe to it so that when a new audio clip is published online, it arrives on your digital doorstep right away. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="podsafe"></a><p></p> <div>podsafe</div> <div> <h3><span>What is podsafe?</span></h3> </div> <div>Podsafe is a term created in the podcasting community to refer to any work that allows the legal use of the work in podcasting, regardless of restrictions the same work might have in other realms, such as radio or television use. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podsafe" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="public-domain"></a><p></p> <div>public domain</div> <div> <h3><span>What is the public domain?</span></h3> </div> <div>A work enters the public domain when it is donated by its creator or when its copyright expires. A work in the public domain can be freely used in any way, including commercial uses. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="public-media"></a><p></p> <div>public media</div> <div> <h3><span>What is public media?</span></h3> </div> <div><img title="NPR logo" src="http://www.socialbrite.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/npr.gif" height="37" alt="NPR logo" width="110" />Public media refers to any form of media that increase civic engagement and enhance the public good. The term often brings to mind public broadcasting such as <a href="http://www.pbs.org">PBS</a> and <a href="http://www.npr.org">NPR</a>, but many initiatives and organizations that receive no public funding fall within the scope of public media. (The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_media" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a> is confused and, in our judgment, off the mark.)</div> </div> <div><a name="remix"></a><p></p> <div>remix</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a remix?</span></h3> </div> <div>A remix is any work that takes elements from two or more media files and mashes them together to create a new piece of media. Often, these are called <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#mashups">mashups</a>.</div> </div> <div><a name="rss"></a><p></p> <div>RSS</div> <div> <h3><span>What is RSS?</span></h3> </div> <div>RSS (Really Simple Syndication) — sometimes called web feeds — is a Web standard for the delivery of content — blog entries, news stories, headlines, images, video — enabling readers to stay current with favorite publications or producers without having to browse from site to site. blogs and news content using a <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#news-reader">news reader</a>. All blogs, podcasts and videoblogs contain an RSS feed, which lets users subscribe to content automatically and read or listen to the material on a computer or a portable device. Most people use an RSS reader, or news aggregator, to monitor updates. Socialbrite founder JD Lasica coined the term “news that comes to you” to refer to RSS. See <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#">more detailed article</a>.</div> </div> <div><a name="screencast"></a><a name="screencasting"></a><p></p> <div>screencast</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a screencast?</span></h3> </div> <div>A screencast is a video that captures what takes place on a computer screen, usually accompanied by audio narration. A screencast is often created to explain how a website or piece of software works, but it can be any piece of explanatory video that strings together images or visual elements. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/screencast" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="search-engine-marketing"></a><a name="sem"></a><p></p> <div>search engine marketing</div> <div> <h3><span>What is search engine marketing?</span></h3> </div> <div>Search engine marketing (SEM) is a series of online tactics that, when combined with <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#seo">SEO</a>, helps to attract customers, generate brand awareness and build trust. SEM (sometimes called search marketing) seeks to increase websites’ visibility chiefly through the purchase of pay-per-click ads and paid inclusion. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_marketing" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="search-engine-optimization"></a><a name="seo"></a><p></p> <div>search engine optimization</div> <div> <h3><span>What is search engine optimization?</span></h3> </div> <div>Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of arranging your website to give it the best chance of appearing near the top of search engine rankings. As an Internet marketing strategy, SEO considers how search engines work and what people search for. Optimizing a website primarily involves editing its content, identifying high-traffic keywords and improving the site’s layout and design. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="short-code"></a><p></p> <div>short code</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a short code?</span></h3> </div> <div>A short code is a mobile shortcut — a telephone number consisting of four to six digits that makes it easier for subscribers to vote, subscribe to a service, order ringtones and the like via <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#">SMS</a> (eg., text HAITI to 90999 in order to contribute to the Red Cross’s relief efforts). See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_code" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.</div> </div> <div><a name="smart-phone"></a><p></p> <div>smart phone</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a smart phone?</span></h3> </div> <div><img title="iphones" src="http://www.socialbrite.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/iphones.jpg" height="112" alt="iphones" width="150" />A smart phone (or “smartphone”) is a handheld device capable of advanced tasks beyond those of a standard mobile phone. Capabilities might include email, chat, taking photos or video or hundreds of other tasks. See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartphone" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.</div> </div> <div><a name="sms"></a><p></p> <div>SMS</div> <div> <h3><span>What is SMS?</span></h3> </div> <div>SMS stands for Short Message Service, a system that allows the exchange of short text-based messages between mobile devices. See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.</div> </div> <div><a name="social-bookmarking"></a><p></p> <div>social bookmarking</div> <div> <h3><span>What is social bookmarking?</span></h3> </div> <div>Social bookmarking is a method by which users locate, store, organize, share and manage bookmarks of Web pages without being tied to a particular machine. Users store lists of personally interesting Internet resources and usually make these lists publicly accessible. <a href="http://delicioius.com/">Delicious</a> is the best-known social bookmark site. See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_bookmarking" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.</div> </div> <div><a name="social-capital"></a><p></p> <div>social capital</div> <div> <h3><span>What is social capital?</span></h3> </div> <div>Social capital is a concept used in business, nonprofits and other arenas that refers to the good will and positive reputation that flows to a person through his or her relationships with others in social networks. See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_capital" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.</div> </div> <div><a name="social-enterprise"></a><p></p> <div>social enterprise</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a social enterprise?</span></h3> </div> <div>A social enterprise is a social mission driven organization that trades in goods or services for a social purpose. See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_enterprise" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.</div> </div> <div><a name="social-entrepreneurship"></a><p></p> <div>social entrepreneurship</div> <div> <h3><span>What is social entrepreneurship?</span></h3> </div> <div>Social entrepreneurship is the practice of simultaneously pursuing both a financial and a <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#SROI">social return on investment</a> (the “double bottom line”). A social entrepreneur is someone who runs a <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#social-enterprise">social enterprise</a> (sometimes called a social purpose business venture), pursuing both a financial and social return on investment. Often, social entrepreneurs offer system-changing solutions for the world’s most urgent social problems.</div> </div> <div><a name="social-media"></a><p></p> <div>social media</div> <div> <h3><span>What is social media?</span></h3> </div> <div>Social media are works of user-created video, audio, text or multimedia that are published and shared in a social environment, such as a blog, podcast, forum, wiki or video hosting site. More broadly, social media refers to any online technology that lets people publish, converse and share content online. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="social-media-optimization"></a><a name="SMO"></a><p></p> <div>social media optimization</div> <div> <h3><span>What is social media optimization?</span></h3> </div> <div>Social Media Optimization (SMO) is a set of practices for generating publicity through social media, online communities and social networks. The focus is on driving traffic from sources other than search engines, though improved search ranking is also a benefit of successful SMO. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media_optimization" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="social-networking"></a><p></p> <div>social networking</div> <div> <h3><span>What is social networking?</span></h3> </div> <div>Social networking is the act of socializing in an online community. A typical social network such as Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace or Bebo allows you to create a profile, add friends, communicate with other members and add your own media. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="social-news"></a><p></p> <div>social news</div> <div> <h3><span>What is social news?</span></h3> </div> <div>Sometimes called social sites, social news sites encourage users to submit and vote on news stories or other links, thus determining which links are showcased. Social news was pioneered by community sites like <a href="http://slashdot.org">Slashdot</a>, <a href="http://www.metafilter.com/">Metafilter</a>, <a href="http://fark.com/">Fark</a> and <a href="http://kuro5hin.org">Kuro5hin.org</a>. It became more popular with the advent of <a href="http://digg.com">Digg</a> and similar sites such as <a href="http://reddit.com">Reddit</a>, <a href="http://www.newsvine.com/">Newsvine</a> and <a href="http://newstrust.net">NewsTrust</a>.</div> </div> <div><a name="social-return-on-investment"></a><a name="SROI"></a><p></p> <div>social return on investment</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a social return on investment?</span></h3> </div> <div>A social return on investment (SROI) refers to the non-financial returns sought by a <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#social-entrepreneur">social entrepreneur</a>. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_software" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="social-tools"></a> <a name="social-software"></a><p></p> <div>social tools</div> <div> <h3><span>What are social tools?</span></h3> </div> <div>Social tools (sometimes called social software) are software and platforms that enable participatory culture — for example, blogs, podcasts, forums, wikis and shared videos and presentations. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_software" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="splogs"></a><p></p> <div>splogs</div> <div> <h3><span>What are splogs?</span></h3> </div> <div>Splogs is short for spam blogs — blogs not providing their own or real content. Unscrupulous publishers use automated tools to create fake blogs full of links or scraped content from other sites in order to boost search engine results. See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splogs" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="streaming-media"></a><p></p> <div>streaming media</div> <div> <h3><span>What is streaming media?</span></h3> </div> <div>Unlike downloadable podcasts or video, streaming media refers to video or audio that can be watched or listened to online but not stored permanently. Streamed audio is often called <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#webcasting">Webcasting</a>. Traditional media companies like to stream their programs so that they can’t be distributed freely onto file-sharing networks. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streaming_media" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="sustainability"></a> <a name="sustainability"></a><p></p> <div>sustainability</div> <div> <h3><span>What is sustainability?</span></h3> </div> <div>In the nonprofit sector, sustainability is the ability is to fund the future of a nonprofit through a combination of earned income, charitable contributions and public sector subsidies. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="tag-cloud"></a><p></p> <div>tag cloud</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a tag cloud?</span></h3> </div> <div><img title="tag cloud" src="http://www.socialbrite.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/tagcloud.jpg" height="104" alt="tag cloud" width="110" />A tag cloud is a visual representation of the popularity of the <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#tag">tags</a> or descriptions that people are using on a blog or website. Popular tags are often shown in a large type and less popular tags in smaller type. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag_cloud" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="tags"></a><p></p> <div>tags</div> <div> <h3><span>What are tags?</span></h3> </div> <div>Tags are keywords added to a blog post, photo or video to help users find related topics or media, either through browsing on the site or as a term to make your entry more relevant to search engines. (See <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#hashtag">hashtag</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tags" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="technology-steward"></a><p></p> <div>technology steward</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a technology steward?</span></h3> </div> <div>A technology steward is someone who can facilitate community and network development. Nancy White offers the definition: “Technology stewards are people with enough experience of the workings of a community to understand its technology needs, and enough experience with technology to take leadership in addressing those needs. Stewardship typically includes selecting and configuring technology, as well as supporting its use in the practice of the community.” (Source: <a href="http://socialmedia.wikispaces.com/A-Z+of+social+media">Social media wiki</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="terms-of-service"></a><p></p> <div>terms of service</div> <div> <h3><span>What are terms of service?</span></h3> </div> <div>Terms of service (TOS) are the legal basis upon which you agree to use a website, video hosting site or other place for creating or sharing content. Check before agreeing to concede the rights the site owners may claim over your content. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terms_of_service" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="triple-bottom-line"></a><p></p> <div>triple bottom line</div> <div> <h3><span>What is the triple bottom line?</span></h3> </div> <div>The triple bottom line (sometimes abbreviated as “TBL” or “3BL”) is rapidly gaining recognition as a framework for measuring business performance. It captures the values that some organizations embrace: people, planet, profit — that is, social, environmental and economic factors. (Also see the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple-bottom-line" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="troll"></a><p></p> <div> <h3><span>What is a troll?</span></h3> </div> <div>troll</div> <div><img title="troll" src="http://www.socialbrite.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/troll.jpg" height="143" alt="troll" width="80" />In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%28Internet%29" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="tweet"></a><a name="rt"></a><p></p> <div>tweet</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a tweet?</span></h3> </div> <div>A post on <a href="http://twitter.com" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, a real-time social messaging system. While all agree on usage of tweet as a noun, people disagree on whether you “tweet” or “twitter” as a verb. RT stands for retweet: Users add RT in a tweet if they are reposting something from another person’s tweet.</div> </div> <div><a name="tweetup"></a><p></p> <div>tweetup</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a tweetup?</span></h3> </div> <div>An organized or impromptu gathering of people who use <a href="http://twitter.com" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Users often include a hashtag, such as #tweetup or #sftweetup, when publicizing a local tweetup.</div> </div> <div><a name="twitter"></a><p></p> <div>Twitter</div> <div> <h3><span>What is Twitter?</span></h3> </div> <div><a href="http://twitter.com" target="_blank">Twitter</a> is a popular social network, unveiled to the public in July 2006, that lets members post updates of no more than 140 characters. People have begun using Twitter in interesting ways to point to news stories, to raise funds for charity, and other unexpected uses.</div> </div> <div><a name="twitterverse"></a><p></p> <div>Twitterverse</div> <div> <h3><span>What is the Twitterverse?</span></h3> </div> <div>Akin to blogs and the blogosphere, the Twitterverse is simply the universe of people who use <a href="http://twitter.com" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and the conversations taking place within that sphere.</div> </div> <div><a name="ugc"></a><p></p> <div>UGC</div> <div> <h3><span>What is UGC?</span></h3> </div> <div>UGC stands for user-generated content, an industry term that refers to all forms of user-created materials such as blog posts, reviews, podcasts, videos, comments and more. (See <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#personal-media">personal media</a> or see the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User-generated_content" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="unconference"></a><p></p> <div> <h3><span>What is an unconference?</span></h3> </div> <div>unconference</div> <div>An unconference is collaborative learning event organized and created for its participants by its participants. <a href="http://www.barcamp.org/">BarCamp</a> is an example of a well-known unconference. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconference" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="videoblog"></a><p></p> <div> <h3><span>What is a videoblog?</span></h3> </div> <div>videoblog</div> <div>A videoblog, or vlog, is simply a blog that contains video entries. Some people call it video podcasting, vodcasting or vlogging. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_blogging" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="virtual-world"></a><p></p> <div> <h3><span>What is a virtual world?</span></h3> </div> <div>virtual world</div> <div>A virtual world is an online computer-simulated space like <a href="http://secondlife.com">Second Life</a> that mixex aspects of real life with fantasy elements. Typically, you can create a representation of yourself (an avatar) and socialize with other residents for free, though you can also buy currency (using real money) to purchase land and trade with other residents. Second Life is being used by some nonprofits and businesses to run discussions, virtual events and fundraising. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_world" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="web-20"></a><p></p> <div>Web 2.0</div> <div> <h3><span>What is Web 2.0?</span></h3> </div> <div>Web 2.0 refers to the second generation of the Web, which enables people with no specialized technical knowledge to create their own websites to self-publish, create and upload audio and video files, share photos and information and complete a variety of other tasks. In this new world, the Internet becomes a platform for self-expression, education and advocacy that “regular people” can use on their own without having to go to an expert to do it for them in contrast to the less interactive publishing sites of Web 1.0. Some of the best-known Web 2.0 websites include Wikipedia, MySpace, Digg, Flickr and YouTube. (For more, see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>, TechSoup’s <a href="http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/webbuilding/page4758.cfm" target="_blank">What Is Web 2.0 Anyway?</a> and publisher Tim O’Reilly’s essay, <a href="http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html" target="_blank">What is Web 2.0</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="web-analytics"></a><p></p> <div>web analytics</div> <div> <h3><span>What is web analytics?</span></h3> </div> <div>Web analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of Internet data for the purpose of understanding who your visitors are and optimizing your website. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_analytics" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="web-conferencing"></a><p></p> <div>Web conferencing</div> <div> <h3><span>What is Web conferencing?</span></h3> </div> <div>Web conferencing is used to conduct live meetings or presentations over the Internet. In a web conference, each participant sits at his or her own computer and is connected to other participants via the Internet. This can be either a downloaded application on each of the attendees computers or a web-based application where the attendees will simply enter a URL (website address) to enter the conference. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_conferencing" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="webcasting"></a><p></p> <div>webcasting</div> <div> <h3><span>What is webcasting?</span></h3> </div> <div>Webcasting refers to the ability to use the Web to deliver live or delayed versions of audio or video broadcasts. The chief distinctions between webcasting and traditional radio broadcasting include the following: Listeners can tune into webcasts from anywhere in the world, whereas radio broadcasting is generally local; webcasts may be “interactive” (for example, users may rewind the show) whereas radio broadcasting generally is not; listeners may receive textual or visual data (artist and song titles, ads, album artwork, etc.) during a webcast; if music is included, a “copy” is stored in the memory of the listener’s computer and thus webcasters are required to obtain a license from and make payments to a licensing agency such as <a href="http://www.bmi.com/" target="_blank">BMI</a>, <a href="http://www.ascap.com/" target="_blank">ASCAP</a> or <a href="http://www.sesac.com/" target="_blank">SESAC</a>. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webcasting" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="webinar"></a><p></p> <div>webinar</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a webinar?</span></h3> </div> <div>Short for Web-based seminar, a webinar is a presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar that is transmitted over the Web. In general, participants register in advance and access the presentation in real time over the Internet and listen to the presenter either through computer speakers or a telephone connection. Webinars are generally one-way and can involve chat or polls. There are a large number of companies that offer webinar services. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webinar" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="wi-fi"></a><p></p> <div>wi-fi</div> <div> <h3><span>What is wi-fi?</span></h3> </div> <div>Wi-fi (or wifi) stands for wireless fidelity, a simple system allowing enabled devices to connect to the Internet within short range of any access point without cables or adaptors. A more powerful wireless technology, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WiMAX%20">WiMAX</a>, is not yet deployed as widely as wi-fi. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="widget"></a><p></p> <div>widget</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a widget?</span></h3> </div> <div>A widget, sometimes called a gadget, badge or applet, is a small block of content, typically displayed in a small box, with a specific purpose, such as providing weather forecasts or news, that is constantly updating itself (typically via RSS). Widgets make it easy to add dynamic content to your site or blog. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_widget" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="wiki"></a><p></p> <div>wiki</div> <div> <h3><span>What is a wiki?</span></h3> </div> <div>A wiki is a collaborative website that can be directly edited by anyone with access to it. Small teams often find that they can accomplish a task easier by creating a collaborative online workspace using wiki software such as <a href="http://pbworks.com/" target="_blank">pbworks</a>, <a href="http://www.socialtext.com/" target="_blank">Socialtext</a> or <a href="http://www.mediawiki.org/" target="_blank">mediawiki</a>. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a> or compare wiki services <a href="http://www.wikimatrix.org/" target="_blank">at WikiMatrix</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="Wikipedia"></a><p></p> <div>Wikipedia</div> <div> <h3><span>What is Wikipedia?</span></h3> </div> <div>Wikipedia is a Web-based, multi-language, free-content encyclopedia written collaboratively by volunteers. Sponsored by the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation, it has editions in about 200 different languages. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="word-of-mouth-marketing"></a><p></p> <div>word-of-mouth marketing</div> <div> <h3><span>What is word-of-mouth marketing?</span></h3> </div> <div>Word-of-mouth marketing, sometimes called grassroots marketing or conversational marketing, is an umbrella term for dozens of techniques that can be used to engage and energize customers. By building relationships with influencers through WOM, marketers can get people to become so enthusiastic about a cause, product or service that they drive sales through conversations. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_of_mouth_marketing#Word_of_Mouth_Marketing" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="wordpress"></a><p></p> <div>WordPress</div> <div> <h3><span>What is WordPress?</span></h3> </div> <div>WordPress is a popular <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#open-source">open source</a> <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#blog">blog</a> publishing application. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WordPress" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div><a name="youtube"></a><p></p> <div>YouTube</div> <div> <h3><span>What is YouTube?</span></h3> </div> <div>YouTube is the world’s most popular video hosting site, making up 10 percent of all bits that travel across the entire Internet. (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry</a>.)</div> </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;"><a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#" style="text-decoration: none; color: #55750C;"><img src="http://cdn.printfriendly.com/pf-button-both.gif" height="17" alt="PrintFriendly" width="113" /></a><p><a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary#" style="text-decoration: none; color: #55750C;"></a></p></div> </div></blockquote><div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/glossary/">socialbrite.org</a></div> <p>Extremely useful for everybody, both newbies and others!</p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/social-media-glossary">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-55391694269376810732011-06-14T22:39:00.001Z2011-06-14T22:39:21.879ZCould your cell phone cause a plane crash?-14 June, 2011<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote> <table border="0" align="center" width="95%"> <tr> <td height="15"></td> <td height="15"></td> <td height="15" width="70"></td> </tr> <tr align="left"> <td height="25" colspan="3"><table border="0" align="center" width="100%"><tr> <td height="25"><img title="News" src="http://www.travelmole.com/images/airline_new.gif" height="21" alt="News" width="71" /></td> <td align="right"> <a href="http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1148064.php?mpnlog=1&m_id=s%7E_rvndb#"><img title="Printable version" src="http://www.travelmole.com/images/printer.gif" border="0" height="21" alt="Printable version" width="24" /></a><p><a href="http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1148064.php?mpnlog=1&m_id=s%7E_rvndb#"></a> <a href="http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1148064.php?mpnlog=1&m_id=s%7E_rvndb#"><img title="Email to a Friend" src="http://www.travelmole.com/images/emailto.gif" border="0" height="21" alt="Email to a Friend" width="24" /></a></p><p> </p></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>14 JUN</td> <td align="right" valign="top" style="font-size: 10px;" colspan="2"> Adjust font size: <img title="Increase Font Size" src="http://www.travelmole.com/images/icon_plus.gif" border="0" height="12" alt="Increase Font Size" width="18" /> <img title="Decrease Font Size" src="http://www.travelmole.com/images/icon_minus_dim.gif" border="0" height="12" alt="Decrease Font Size" width="18" /> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" colspan="3"> <table border="0" width="98%"> <tr> <td><span> <b>Could your cell phone cause a plane crash?</b> </span></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" width="97%"> <tr><td valign="top"> <div><p> If you’re like most occasional or even frequent fliers, you probably don’t take seriously those warnings about shutting off cell phones. But perhaps you should -- based on a new report.<br /> </p> <p> "We found that the risk posed by these portable devices is higher than previously believed," said Bill Strauss, who conducted a study with other researchers at Carnegie Mellon University.<br /> </p> <p> No one is yet to blame any specific air crash on cell phones but some call the report by the International Transport Association “alarming” or a “wake up call.”<br /> </p> <p> There’s been a proliferation of electronic devices on the market, with passengers becoming more inclined to ignore airline cell phone warnings. Even by accident, phones are often left on despite warnings.<br /> </p> <p> Boeing engineer David Carson says interference occurs when signals hit highly sensitive electronic sensors hidden in the passenger area.<br /> </p> <p> Older planes are particularly vulnerable to cell phone interference. Combine that with a growing number of electronic devices and there’s a possible “perfect storm” of future airplane crashes.<br /> </p> <p> The Federal Communications Commission’s regulation banning cell-phone use on airplanes has been in place since 1991. Several recent studies show, however, that passengers are not taking the rule seriously.<br /> </p> <p> The new study shows a whole range of in-flight incidents directly attributed to interference from a mobile signal.<br /> </p> <p> The report was put together by the International Air Transport Association and apparently first put out by ABC News. It puts as many as 75 incidents reported by planes in recent years as the direct result of interference from an electronic device. Mobile phones were the No. 1 culprit.<br /> </p> <p> The report covers the years 2003 to 2009 and is based on survey responses from 125 airlines that account for a quarter of the world's air traffic.<br /> </p> <p> The shut-off cell phone announcements are often ignored by many frequent fliers, who are skeptical that so-called "personal electronic devices" pose any safety threat to airplanes. Some passengers openly rebel, like New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, who cursed out one flight attendant who demanded he turn off his cell phone.<br /> </p> <p> According to ABC, “Just one cell phone could cause serious issues.”<br /> </p> <p> Previous studies have shown that there is no real evidence of accidents caused by cellphones but that using them in flight can be more dangerous than was understood before.<br /> </p> <p> "We can't say categorically that these devices cause interference," said IATA spokesman Chris Goater. "But there are enough anecdotal reports from pilots to raise the question."<br /> </p> <p> While the ABC feature wasn't able to present proof that the incidents were without any doubt the result of mobile interference, Boeing spokesperson Dave Carson nonetheless claims that all it takes is a mobile signal “in the right place and at the right time” to potentially lead to disaster” -- the perfect storm.<br /> </p> <p> “There are frightening statistics revealed in the report, which logged 26 of the incidents affected the flight controls, including the autopilot, and landing gear,” said The Christian Post.<br /> </p> <p> That study also revealed cell phones and other portable electronic devices, like laptops and game-playing devices, can pose dangers to the normal operation of critical electronics on airplanes.<br /> </p> <p> Finding that direct link between airline navigation systems and mobile phones may take a while, researchers said<br /> </p> <p> Incidents cited in the study include the navigational equipment of a Boeing 737 in the US failed after takeoff, only to reactivate after a passenger was told to turn off a sat-nav.<br /> </p> <p> David Carson, an engineer with Boeing, stressed that problems do not occur in every case.<br /> 'And that's good,' he said.<br /> </p> <p> Phone interference was also cited as a possible factor in a 2003 crash in New Zealand in which eight people died after the plane flew into the ground short of the runway.<br /> </p> <p> The pilot had been calling home.<br /> </p> <p> By David Wilkening<br /> </p> </div> </td></tr> <tr><td> </td></tr> <tr><td> </td></tr> <tr><td align="left" valign="top"> <img title="" src="http://www.travelmole.com/images/icon_plus.gif" border="0" height="12" alt="" width="18" /> <a href="http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1148064.php?mpnlog=1&m_id=s%7E_rvndb#">RELATED STORIES</a> <span style="display: none;"> <br /></span><table border="0" width="275" style="border: solid #000000 1px;"><tr><td align="left">RELATED STORIES</td></tr><tr><td align="left">No Related Stories.</td></tr><tr><td></td></tr></table></td></tr></table><br /> </td></tr> <tr><td align="left" valign="bottom" style=""> <img title="" src="http://www.travelmole.com/images/icon_plus.gif" border="0" height="12" alt="" width="18" /> <a href="http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1148064.php?mpnlog=1&m_id=s%7E_rvndb#">MORE 14 JUN BREAKING NEWS</a> <span style="display: none;"><br /> </span><table border="0" align="center" valign="top" style="border: solid 1px #000000; background-color: #ffffff;"> <tr> <td style="padding-left: 5px; background-color: #000000; color: #ffffff;" colspan="2"><b>MORE 14 JUN BREAKING NEWS</b></td> </tr> <tr><td height="1" colspan="2"></td></tr> <tr valign="top"> <td align="left" valign="top" style="padding-left: 5px;"><img title="" src="http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1148064.php?mpnlog=1&m_id=s%7E_rvndb/../images/bullet_black.jpg" border="0" height="10" alt="" width="12" /></td><td align="left" style="padding-left: 5px;"><a href="http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1148072.php">Want wacky? 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overflow: hidden; height: 20px;"></iframe><a href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fdeltasafariinternational.com%2F%3Fpage_id%3D30&title=Lodging%20%26%20Dining&description="><img src="http://deltasafariinternational.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_171_16.png" height="16" alt="Share" width="171" /></a><p><a href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fdeltasafariinternational.com%2F%3Fpage_id%3D30&title=Lodging%20%26%20Dining&description="></a></p></div> </div><h3>In Senegal, Lodge and Dine with Delta Safari International</h3> <p><a href="http://deltasafariinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Hotel-la-saint-louisienne-room.jpg" rel="wp-prettyPhoto[g30]"><img title="Hotel la saint-louisienne - room" src="http://deltasafariinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Hotel-la-saint-louisienne-room.jpg" height="238" alt="" width="390" /></a></p><p></p> <ul> <li>We book faster, and this makes you save time</li> <li>We guarantee availability</li> <li>Our huge hotel portfolio: instead of you calling hotels for bookings and reservations, we can instantly tell you which one is available, compare prices, all this in a human, not overly technological way</li> <li>Rooms, Senior Suites, Junior Suites, Bungalows, Traditional Lodging (Huts), Moorish Tents, Apartments, Vacation Rentals</li> <li>The Average Daily Rate for Hotels is $150 in Hawaii, $ 161 in the Dominican Republic, $235 in the Bahamas, $184 in Cancun. And I’m not telling you about New York, London, Paris. <strong> But do you know the Average Daily Rate for Hotels in Saint-Louis, Senegal? A mere… $50! Incredible, yet true</strong></li> </ul> <p><a href="http://deltasafariinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/IMG_2577.jpg" rel="wp-prettyPhoto[g30]"><img title="IMG_2577" src="http://deltasafariinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/IMG_2577.jpg" height="375" alt="" width="500" /></a></p><p></p> <ul> <li><strong>Culinary Tourism</strong>: Traditional dishes, Awesome dining experience – get a taste of Senegalese culture through its cuisine</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>Book you Hotel reservation with Delta Safari International, it’s much cheaper, because of the special relationships we’ve been able to build with local suppliers!</strong></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <div><div><iframe scrolling="no" class="addtoany_special_service facebook_like" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fdeltasafariinternational.com%2F%3Fpage_id%3D30&layout=button_count&show_faces=false&width=75&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=20&ref=addtoany" frameborder="0" style="border: none; overflow: hidden; height: 20px;"></iframe><a href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fdeltasafariinternational.com%2F%3Fpage_id%3D30&title=Lodging%20%26%20Dining&description="><img src="http://deltasafariinternational.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_171_16.png" height="16" alt="Share" width="171" /></a><p><a href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fdeltasafariinternational.com%2F%3Fpage_id%3D30&title=Lodging%20%26%20Dining&description="></a></p></div> </div> </div> </div> <div> <h3>Leave a Reply</h3> <div> <small><a href="http://deltasafariinternational.com/?page_id=30#" rel="nofollow" style="display: none;">Click here to cancel reply.</a></small> </div> </div> <p> </p><p><a href="http://deltasafariinternational.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=30&action=edit" title="Edit Page">Edit this entry.</a></p> </div></blockquote><div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://deltasafariinternational.com/?page_id=30">deltasafariinternational.com</a></div> <p>This is the new website for Saint-Louis Senegal-based "Delta Safari International" Tour Operator.</p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/lodging-dining-delta-safari-international">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-913935240828694462011-04-23T20:07:00.001Z2011-04-23T20:07:45.030ZDelta Safari International<div class='posterous_autopost'><h6 class="uiStreamMessage"><span class="messageBody" style="font-size: small;">'Delta Safari International' is my new Tour Operator business Facebook Page. Please go there and 'Like' it if (and only IF) you are interested in Travel and Tourism. Thanks a lot ;-) </span></h6> <div> <div class="mvm uiStreamAttachments clearfix"> <div class="UIImageBlock clearfix"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Delta-Safari-International/125753300834034?ref=nf" class="external UIImageBlock_Image UIImageBlock_MED_Image"><img class="img" src="http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/188071_125753300834034_4461592_n.jpg" alt="" /></a> <div class="UIImageBlock_Content UIImageBlock_MED_Content fsm fwn fcg"> <div class="uiAttachmentTitle"><strong><span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Delta-Safari-International/125753300834034">Delta Safari International</a></span></strong></div> <div class="mts uiAttachmentDesc">‎"Let's Know Each Other to Better Know Ourselves!"</div> </div> <p /> <div class="mts uiAttachmentDesc">Thanks a lot.</div> </div> <p /> <div class="mts uiAttachmentDesc">Have a great Easter</div> </div> <p /> <div class="mts uiAttachmentDesc">Amadou M. Sall</div> </div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/delta-safari-international">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-24869137560190228212011-01-23T20:47:00.001Z2011-01-23T20:47:32.698ZIt's time travel writers stopped stereotyping Africa<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/amsall/grImImghGAefEFpDigGdvmtuzibbszCdmqnoagFwfwfqBtwpABIFpJpiuawr/media_httpwwwblogcdnc_yclCo.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="250" height="333"/> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.gadling.com/2011/01/21/its-time-travel-writers-stopped-stereotyping-africa/">gadling.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/its-time-travel-writers-stopped-stereotyping">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-66936772792000424652011-01-12T23:26:00.001Z2011-01-12T23:26:28.428Z“Your Guideline for Successful First Time Cross Cultural Negotiations in Any Culture” (From 4u-2) :The Cross-cultural Connector<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote><div><p>Do you have an international sales negotiation coming up? Are you nervous about how it will go?</p> <p>Most people don’t give much thought to the actual cross cultural communication process prior to their first real cross cultural negotiation. They get obsessed with secondary details.</p> <p><strong> Cross Cultural Negotiation Skills </strong></p> <p>Imagine you are in a long line of people waiting for a taxi at the busy Paris airport. With people swarming everywhere. The noise of the street traffic competing with the noise from the airplanes in the background.</p> <p>And then you hear such a large commotion, right up at the front of your taxi line. You think it is yet another bomb scare and crane your neck to get a closer look with your bags in your hands ready to move. But out of the confusion you hear laughter.</p> <p>What happened?</p> <p>It was only someone who began to try bargaining the price of his ride before he got inside the taxi…with a Parisian taxi driver. The tension breaks as a ripple of laughter mixed with annoyance runs down the taxi line.</p> <p>It is an old story. But it does highlight cultural differences in negotiation very well.</p> <p><strong> Different Cultures Have Different Negotiation Practices</strong></p> <p>Negotiation practices differ from country to country. Some cultures expect clients to negotiate over things that would be totally unacceptable in other countries. Some cultures get upset or angry by things that are totally acceptable in other cultures.</p> <p>Different cultures simply have different approaches when it comes to negotiation.<br /> This can be intimidating when you travel to a new country to negotiate for business.<br /> And even more so if it is your first time.</p> <p>It is important to know what is culturally expected of you when it comes to negotiation.</p> <p>If you are just starting out in developing your international markets, it is wise to do some homework and identify the standard expected negotiating habits in the country you are travelling to.</p> <p>No matter how much research you do prior to your first cross cultural negotiation communication road blocks can easily come up. This is even more likely if your negotiation is taking place in a foreign environment to what you are used to.</p> <p>So it is even more important to develop skills to ride through communication hurdles.</p> <p><strong> A Beginners Guideline</strong></p> <p>Prior to your first cross cultural negotiation give some thought on how you will keep on track.</p> <p>Here is a guideline to help beginners.</p> <p>If you find yourself on your own in a country where negotiation practices are different to your own, there is a strategy to follow.</p> <p><strong> Prior To Your Negotiations</strong></p> <p>Do your research on what will be expected of you. Define your schedule, and what you are expected to wear and bring. If you are a woman, be sure to verify standard practices beforehand.</p> <p>Are there any standard culturally specific negotiating practices? Remember to ask for advice prior to cross-cultural negotiations.</p> <p>If you feel you will be in a different environment than you are used to you have two options to consider:</p> <p>Hire local representation. Some large multi-national companies hire local company representatives to facilitate all business procedures in certain countries in the Middle East and the Far East.</p> <p>Arrange for a local third party to accompany you. Look for someone who can tell you if you are making any cultural blunders. This will give you a certain peace of mind.</p> <p>Prior research helps, but even so, it is not always easy. You will also need to keep your own behavior and attitudes turned towards your negotiation.</p> <p>This is where the following 8 points are important.</p> <p><strong> Best Practices During Your First Cross Cultural Negotiation</strong></p> <p>Ask and find out what is expected of you.</p> <p>Explain that you are looking forward to the business opportunities open to both of you.</p> <p>Explain that this is your first trip and you have not done business in their country before.</p> <p>State your good will and that you do not mean to do anything awkward.</p> <p>Ask to be told or shown what to do.</p> <p>Apologize if you do or say something that seems to be out of place.</p> <p>Continue to show your desire to proceed in the negotiations.</p> <p>Continue to say that your look forward to doing business with them and learning more about their culture.</p> <p>Keep this guideline in mind during your negotiations.</p> <p>Remain constantly aware of your environment so you can implement any of these points if needed.</p> <p>Use each point appropriately when needed.</p> <p>Do not go overboard. Overly stating your enthusiasm or apologizing incessantly can be destructive to your negotiations in some cultures.</p> <p>Use this guideline as a gentle reminder to stay tuned to where the other party is at. If you feel in any way that you need to refer to one of the points above, do so, and continue your negotiation.</p> <p>Cross cultural communication is a process where you adjust your communication a little and learn to meet another culture in the area where you both feel comfortable. It is about knowing when to ask discretely for feedback to make sure you are all on the same path. (<a href="http://www.4u-2.com/business/business-communication/business-communication-negotiation/your-guideline-for-successful-first-time-cross-cultural-negotiations-in-any-culture-2/%20">Read the Whole Story</a>)</p> <p>Very best wishes for the New Year 2011, and beyond <img src="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif" height="15" alt=":-)" width="15" /> </p> <p>Amadou M. Sall</p> </div></blockquote><div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/?p=501&preview=true">thecrossculturalconnector.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/your-guideline-for-successful-first-time-cros">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-60693673932804636612010-11-13T01:01:00.001Z2010-11-13T01:01:35.940ZSome brand names don’t translate well (From “Deseret News”) :The Cross-cultural Connector<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote><div><p><span style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0.2em;"><br /> <a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/?attachment_id=473" rel="attachment wp-att-473"><img title="Some-products-may-never-have-the-chance-to-go" src="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/wp-content/uploads/Some-products-may-never-have-the-chance-to-go1.jpg" height="450" alt="" width="337" /></a></span></p><p><br /> </p> <p>Many global companies, like Coca-Cola, Nike, Google, Intel and Microsoft, choose to use the same brand name in multiple countries.</p> <p>This is not possible for every brand, but it can often be an advantage. Think of the degree to which a single brand name simplifies marketing and increases return on advertising investment. By comparison, how much more would one of these companies need to spend to achieve the same results with a different localized brand name in every market?</p> <p>Proctor and Gamble likely understood the benefits of a single global brand nearly 70 years ago when it considered launching a new soap named “Dreck” in the United States. According to the book <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=F-W2AAAAIAAJ" target="_blank">New Products Management</a> by Charles Crawford, shortly before the company introduced the soap to U.S. consumers, it discovered “Dreck” sounded like German and Yiddish words for dirt, garbage, body waste and a four-letter expletive that can not be published here. Fortunately, because Proctor and Gamble did its homework, it had time to change the detergent name to “Dreft” and has since sold it successfully in the U.S. and many other countries.</p> <p>Some products may never have the chance to go completely global because companies have already been branded with names that have embarrassing meanings abroad. For example, an Iranian company named Paxan Corp. currently produces a line of soaps and detergents under the name <a href="http://www.paxanco.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&Itemid=95&manufacturer_id=158&vmcchk=1&Itemid=95" target="_blank">“Barf.”</a> This word has a positive and clean meaning of “snow” in Iran, but what English speaker would ever choose to use a cleaning product with this brand? Likewise, if the Japanese sports drink <a href="http://pocarisweat.jp/" target="_blank">“Pocari Sweat”</a> were exported to the United States, how many English speakers would choose to drink “Sweat”?</p> <p>In Japan, automakers have marketed the <a href="http://www.nissan.co.jp/EN/LINEUP/moco.html" target="_blank">Nissan Moco</a> and the <a href="http://www.mazda.co.jp/philosophy/backnumber//motorshow/99/flash/lineup/img/line.swf" target="_blank">Mazda Laputa</a>. Unfortunately, these product brand names would never export well to Spanish-speaking countries where “moco” means booger and “laputa” sounds like a slang word for prostitute. (<em><strong><a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700078810/Some-brand-names-dont-translate-well.html%20">Read the Whole Story</a></strong></em>)</p> <p>Tell us about your experience!</p> <p>Amadou M. Sall</p> </div></blockquote><div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/?p=471">thecrossculturalconnector.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/some-brand-names-dont-translate-well-from-des">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-15857629884903543732010-10-30T23:49:00.001Z2010-10-30T23:49:17.128ZThe Cross-cultural Connector<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/amsall/uEfsAnGHkjEohrphleEJayjDBoBwpIgIljkeIbHegDnJtqoGatvehIJahpsF/media_httpthecrosscul_EqiDG.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="450" height="346"/> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/">thecrossculturalconnector.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/the-cross-cultural-connector">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-74496260911640747332010-09-24T19:12:00.001Z2010-09-24T19:12:56.522Z“We must promote multilingualism in our schools” (Rep. Judy Chu) – The Hill’s Congress Blog :The Cross-cultural Connector<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote><div><p>Yesterday, President Obama gave his second annual back-to-school address. In a speech to students at Julia R. Masterman School in Philadelphia, he urged them to take responsibility, work hard and dream big.</p> <p>The words that really stood out to me, however, came at the end of his remarks when he said, “I want you to take away the notion that life is precious, and part of what makes it so wonderful is its diversity, that all of us are different.” I couldn’t agree more.</p> <p>Unfortunately, the current system too often limits our students’ exposure to other cultures and languages. If we’re to fully embrace life’s wonderful diversity, this must change.</p> <p>About a year ago, the President set a goal for our country to reclaim the highest college graduation rate in the world. It’s a worthy goal and one I strongly support, but it’s not enough. We don’t just need college graduates. We need college graduates ready to compete on the world’s stage.</p> <p>Years ago, my mother immigrated to America at the age of 19, right before our country prohibited travel to China. For the next 25 years, she had virtually no contact with her family. But what isolated her even more was her inability to use English. Until she went to an adult education program to learn her second language, she never fully integrated into American society.</p> <p>Today, the lack of a second language doesn’t just isolate people. It makes them less competitive. There’s a Spanish proverb that says, “The person who speaks two languages is worth two.” And that’s why neglecting foreign language instruction prevents students from realizing their full worth.</p> <p>Lacking international knowledge and experience, many of today’s young Americans aren’t prepared for the increasingly global economy of tomorrow. This shortcoming limits our ability to address future international challenges. It restrains our relationships with other nations and could someday threaten our national security.</p> <p>Moreover, studies show that learning a second language improves cognitive flexibility. Because dual language learners naturally consider multiple meanings for words, they’re better able to manage complex situations. And that’s a skill our next generation of supervisors and executives can all use.</p> <p>That’s why legislation that creates a multilingual society is so important. These programs don’t just promote a second language; they advance the American workforce. Unfortunately, current instruction in our country lags behind our global competitors’. In Asia and Europe, the question is not whether you speak another language – it’s how many. (<em><strong><a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/education/119031-we-must-promote-multilingualism-in-our-schools-rep-judy-chu?page=1#comments%20">Read the Whole Story</a></strong></em>)</p> <p>Fascinating story, and so true. Regarding international business, it is a well-known fact that (in foreign countries) “even those who can speak English always prefer to be sold in their own languages”. Your experience and opinion?</p> <p>A.M. Sall</p> </div></blockquote><div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/?p=457">thecrossculturalconnector.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/we-must-promote-multilingualism-in-our-school">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-29898971149119528632010-09-10T00:39:00.001Z2010-09-10T00:39:10.050ZThe Global Office: How to run your business anywhere around the world – Part I (GlobalVision International) :The Cross-cultural Connector<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote><div><p>I just got back from a 2.5 months overseas trip where I visited 5 countries in <a href="http://www.globalvis.com/flush-twice-to-conserve-water/">2 continents</a>. Since office chores never stop or can be put on hold for too long, I had to turn my office into a global office to keep the wheels churning while on the road!</p> <p>Here are the first 5 out of 10 useful tips that you can use to help you deal with extended sojourns outside of the comfort of your home office.</p> <p><strong>1. </strong>Your constant companion and friend in you global office is your <strong>portable computer</strong>. Since you will be on the move, you need it to be light but powerful. If you are not already using a portable for your daily computer use, purchase one early, set it up immediately, and then get rid of your desktop. Make the portable your primary computer and use it for at least one full month before your scheduled departure. This will ensure that you have all the apps you need, with you when you travel. Your home office can be setup with the external drives, large screen, external full keyboard and mouse and all other handy appliances if you are used to having them. But when you travel, you want the maximum power with the minimum weight to get by with.</p> <p><strong>2. </strong>Once you’ve taken care of the portable, get a <strong>global phone</strong>. Technology today enables us to make and receive calls pretty much in any commercial country around the globe. Check your carrier and make sure that the same number and phone will work internationally, if not, get a global phone. While traveling, keep in mind that mobile phones are not as secure as land lines and can be very costly while roaming. You can pay upward of $2/min even on calls that you do not take. Inform your key clients and workers of your travel plans and ask them only to call in emergencies. Also, remind them of the difference in time zones.</p> <p><strong>P.S. </strong>Don’t be afraid to use the off switch on your phone when rest is warranted!</p> <p><strong>3. </strong>For free international calls to the USA, bring a <strong>Vonage, Ooma or Magic Jack</strong> with you. I have used both Vonage and Ooma and the Ooma Telo stopped working after a few days. Ooma’s support was very slow! <a href="http://www.vonage.com/">Vonage </a>worked non-stop my entire stay. You can even forward your home office calls to it.</p> <p><strong>4. </strong><strong>Email </strong>is of paramount importance and the centerpiece of the global office. The issue is not to have an email account, but to have A. a reliable internet connection everywhere you go, and B. to train everyone that you deal with to communicate with you by email and not by phone. Email is very cost-friendly and convenient and will allow you to be in control of your own time.</p> <p><strong>5. </strong>Most of us nowadays use <strong>online banking</strong>. When you travel internationally, you may need more than the basic features. You will need to be able to perform account reviews and transfers, pay checks online, and monitor your credit card transactions. But you may also need to make payments to overseas vendors, so look into online wire transfers options– they can now be handled online in all commercial currencies.</p> <p>Depositing checks still requires someone checking your snail mail and looking out for them. Checks can however be scanned to the bank for electronic deposit. (<em><strong><a href="http://www.globalvis.com/the-global-office-how-to-run-your-business-anywhere-around-the-world-part-i/%20">Read the Whole Story</a></strong></em>)</p> <p>Very interesting: You can run your business from anywhere in the world (Also remember Part II!), and <strong>please come back here to give us your opinions and experiences</strong> <img src="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif" height="15" alt=":-)" width="15" /> </p> <p>Amadou M. Sall</p> </div></blockquote><div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/?p=454">thecrossculturalconnector.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/the-global-office-how-to-run-your-business-an">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-79500796585308219812010-08-24T15:46:00.001Z2010-08-24T15:46:05.359ZGlobal Watchtower™ » Blog Archive » XIHA Creates a Social Network that Reflects Today’s Multilingual Reality<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/amsall/jACoesyaJrcGFqdadnJglJsirwrdadGJzHmdvilEworqyEGsevCtfECziscs/media_httpwwwglobalwa_wnJbx.gif.scaled500.gif" width="1" height="1"/> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.globalwatchtower.com/2010/08/23/xiha/#more-1052">globalwatchtower.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/global-watchtower-blog-archive-xiha-creates-a">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-89867589276930573532010-08-18T16:04:00.001Z2010-08-18T16:04:50.439Z10 Steps to Website Globalization (Search Engine Journal) :The Cross-cultural Connector<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote><div><p>There are now approximately 1.8 billion users throughout the world. They are located in many countries and speak multiple languages. Many of them could be potential customers. But how do you reach them? Not only do you have to speak their language, you have to ensure your website appears where they are searching.</p> <p>Website globalization can be achieved through market research, translation, localization and optimization. Following this 10 step process will help you rapidly increase site traffic from international search results.</p> <p><strong>1. </strong><strong>Analyze your target market</strong></p> <p>Market analysis should begin by understanding the answers to the following questions: What geographic markets are you targeting? Who is your target customer? What languages do they speak? What market opportunities exist for which your company has a product or solution?</p> <p>Identifying and understanding the characteristics and needs of your market segments will help you define the keywords and content you will use to connect, engage and interact with your target audience.</p> <p><strong>2. </strong><strong>Research keywords</strong></p> <p>For each identified customer segment, you can build a list of relevant keywords using these Google’s keyword research tools:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal">Google Adwords Keyword Tool</a>: use the advanced options to research keywords by country and language. Enter a seed keyword term and Google will provide many more suggestions as well as monthly search volumes.</li> <li><a href="http://www.google.com/insights/search">Google Insights for Search</a>: use this tool to research trends in keyword search demand over time in each of your target countries.</li> <li><a href="http://translate.google.com/">Google Translator</a>: if you don’t speak the languages, and don’t have the budget for translation services, you could start by translating your English language keywords using Google Translator. Be very careful though as automated translation services are far from accurate.</li> </ul> <p><strong>3. </strong><strong>Select the site structure</strong></p> <p>There are three ways to structure a multilingual site: 1) purchase country-specific domains and set up separate websites, 2) use subdomains for each country, or 3) use subdirectories for each country. If your international marketing is country-specific, then your site should be structured first by location and then by language. If you plan to market to all speakers of a particular language irrespective of location, then you may only need to incorporate language translations into your site architecture. Google’s Webmaster Tools team provides some great advice in this article: <a href="http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-to-start-multilingual-site.html">How to Start a Multilingual Site</a>.</p> <p><strong>4. </strong><strong>Choose the content </strong></p> <p>The content you publish for your international audience should be directed by the results of your market analysis and keyword research. Much of the content will be similar to the content you provide for your English-language visitors. However, a few new content pages will most likely be required based upon specific market needs.</p> <p><strong>5. </strong><strong>Translate the content</strong></p> <p>Professional translation services are expensive but if you are serious about marketing to an international audience, they are a necessity. If you don’t have the budget for a professional service, you can save money by using translation software. But if you do, have a native speaker edit the results to ensure the right message is being communicated. (<em><strong><a href="http://www.searchenginejournal.com/10-steps-to-website-globalization/23325/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SearchEngineJournal+%28Search+Engine+Journal%29%20">Read the Whole Story</a></strong></em>)</p> <p>What is your experience of website globalization?</p> <p>Amadou M. Sall</p> </div></blockquote><div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/?p=451">thecrossculturalconnector.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/10-steps-to-website-globalization-search-engi">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-86422709705575072952010-07-26T12:40:00.001Z2010-07-26T12:40:51.274ZAre You Really Bold Enough to Succeed as a Freelancer? | FreelanceFolder<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <a href='http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/amsall/cefinnpcaAgnGeJaasbaxthblznyrqgaCAGblpenftDEgFzHggiuhzehqcgt/media_httpfreelancefo_caiak.jpg.scaled1000.jpg'><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/amsall/cefinnpcaAgnGeJaasbaxthblznyrqgaCAGblpenftDEgFzHggiuhzehqcgt/media_httpfreelancefo_caiak.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" height="278"/></a> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://freelancefolder.com/are-you-bold-enough-to-succeed-as-a-freelancer/">freelancefolder.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/are-you-really-bold-enough-to-succeed-as-a-fr">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-39587506889286010962010-07-22T16:38:00.001Z2010-07-22T16:38:49.388ZHow long should it take to learn a language? - The Linguist - language learning should be fun<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/amsall/JodgtjpkIobfqgbAdowewbCpGbjefGffBpoEitCwojbJCkjuyDhIdxzugiCt/media_httpmlingqcomme_gmstz.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="243" height="151"/> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://thelinguist.blogs.com/how_to_learn_english_and/2010/07/how-long-should-it-take-to-learn-a-language.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheLinguistOnLanguage-eslLearningEnglishLearningLanguages+%28The+Linguist+on+Language-Blog%29">thelinguist.blogs.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/how-long-should-it-take-to-learn-a-language-t">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-1929600154832763352010-07-21T00:41:00.001Z2010-07-21T00:41:10.222Z“How to Start a Multilingual Site” (Google Webmaster Central Blog) :The Cross-cultural Connector<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote><div><p>Have you ever thought of creating one or several sites in different languages? Let’s say you want to start a travel site about backpacking in Europe, and you want to offer your content to English, German, and Spanish speakers. You’ll want to keep in mind factors like site structure, geographic as well as language targeting, and content organization.<br /> <strong><br /> Site structure<br /> </strong> The first thing you’ll want to consider is if it makes sense for you to buy country-specific top-level domains (TLD) for all the countries you plan to serve. So your domains might be ilovebackpacking.co.uk, ichlieberucksackreisen.de, and irdemochilero.es.es. This option is beneficial if you want to target the countries that each TLD is associated with, a method known as geo targeting. Note that this is different from language targeting, which we will get into a little more later. Let’s say your German content is specifically for users from Germany and not as relevant for German-speaking users in Austria or Switzerland. In this case, you’d want to register a domain on the <em>.de</em> TLD. German users will identify your site as a local one they are more likely to trust. On the other hand, it can be pretty expensive to buy domains on the country-specific TLDs, and it’s more of a pain to update and maintain multiple domains. So if your time and resources are limited, consider buying one non-country-specific domain, which hosts all the different versions of your website. In this case, we recommend either of these two options:</p> <ol> <li> Put the content of every language in a different subdomain. For our example, you would have <em>en.example.com</em>, <em>de.example.com</em>, and <em>es.example.com</em>.</li> <li> Put the content of every language in a different subdirectory. This is easier to handle when updating and maintaining your site. For our example, you would have <em>example.com/en/</em>, <em>example.com/de/</em>, and <em>example.com/es/</em>.</li> </ol> <p>(<em><strong><a href="http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-to-start-multilingual-site.html%20">Read the Whole Story</a></strong></em>)</p> <p>To be read carefully, and digested! You can also lean a lot from the Comments following the post on “Google Webmaster Central Blog”). Also remember to come back here and comment <img src="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif" height="15" alt=":-)" width="15" /> </p> <p>Amadou M. Sall</p> </div></blockquote><div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/?p=441">thecrossculturalconnector.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/how-to-start-a-multilingual-site-google-webma">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-47561934454540937282010-07-17T19:35:00.001Z2010-07-17T19:35:56.671Z10 Sites That Will Teach You How To Draw Well<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <a href='http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/amsall/efclubGIDyDfCxgbCJAliHFryqwHBrqbwtFporguFuECujwqcrzpGwAzznyv/media_httpmainmakeuse_EFlgi.png.scaled1000.png'><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/amsall/efclubGIDyDfCxgbCJAliHFryqwHBrqbwtFporguFuECujwqcrzpGwAzznyv/media_httpmainmakeuse_EFlgi.png.scaled500.png" width="500" height="316"/></a> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-sites-teach-basics-drawing-art/">makeuseof.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/10-sites-that-will-teach-you-how-to-draw-well-2">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-40794741516769110582010-07-04T02:32:00.001Z2010-07-04T02:32:27.550ZHappy July 4 :-) :The Cross-cultural Connector<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote class="posterous_short_quote">Happy July 4 :-)</blockquote> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/?p=437">thecrossculturalconnector.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/happy-july-4-the-cross-cultural-connector">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-2570768089829495752010-07-02T19:49:00.001Z2010-07-02T19:49:48.378ZBuilding a Global Brand on the Cheap :The Cross-cultural Connector<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote><div><p>If asked to name a few of the world’s top brands, you might include names such as Coca Cola, Disney, Microsoft, Intel, or perhaps Mercedes Benz, Toyota, and BMW. These companies have been around for many years (35 in Microsoft’s case and 122 in Coca Cola’s) and have spent hundreds of millions of dollars establishing global brand recognition.</p> <p><strong>The Newcomer</strong></p> <p>Interestingly though, sitting at number 7 on Interbrand’s 2009 list of <a href="http://www.interbrand.com/best_global_brands.aspx">best global brands</a> is Google, a mere baby at 12 years of age. Google’s rise has been fast and the Google brand has been built with little marketing in comparison to its peers.</p> <p>What can we learn from Google’s meteoric rise? Google has shown us that global brands can be built quickly and cheaply using the power and efficiency of the Internet. Knowledge of Google’s service spread quickly mainly through word of mouth and is now used by hundreds of millions of people all over the globe on a daily basis.</p> <p>Attempting to emulate Google’s success is a rather lofty goal. However, piggybacking Google’s position as the world’s number 1 search engine can be a very effective strategy for building global brand awareness.</p> <p><strong>Piggybacking Google</strong></p> <p>According to Internet World Stats and ComScore, 1.8 billion global internet users conduct an average of over 130 billion searches every month. Google is the world’s dominant search engine with approximately 70% market share. This equates to the potential of reaching up to 1.2 billion people and a total of 80 billion touch points per month. Numbers to make even the most successful marketers drool.</p> <p>How can you use this to your company’s advantage? The answer lies in the ability to position your website for visibility in Google’s search engine results. Google ranks result according to relevancy, i.e. your site must provide information relevant to the keyword terms used and also be considered one of the most important results for that keyword term.</p> <p><strong>Are you relevant?</strong></p> <p>For international search results, language and location also factor into ranking. An English-language website will never rank well for a Spanish-language keyword search. Similarly, an English-language site designed for a US audience will be unlikely to feature prominently in the search engine results in the United Kingdom or Australia. In these cases, Google just won’t consider your site relevant.</p> <p><strong>Where does one start?</strong></p> <p>Many marketers turn first to content translation. This is a critical step but should not be the first. Before translating content, you should first understand your international audience. Where are they located? What are their needs? What are they searching for? What keyword terms are they using to acquire information?</p> <p>Proper research, discovery and planning will identify the content you need to publish online in order to be considered relevant by search engines, and useful in the eyes of your target audience. Only once this stage has been completed does it make sense to bring in the translation experts. You wouldn’t roll out a major marketing campaign targeting a new market without first conducting in-depth research, so why would you skip this stage in your online marketing? (<em><strong><a href="http://www.searchenginejournal.com/building-a-global-brand-on-the-cheap/22229/%20">Read the Whole Story</a></strong></em>)</p> <p>What do you say?</p> <p>Have a great weekend!</p> <p>Amadou M. Sall</p> </div></blockquote><div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/?p=434">thecrossculturalconnector.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/building-a-global-brand-on-the-cheap-the-cros">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-65977115725393379622010-06-24T18:05:00.001Z2010-06-24T18:05:32.316ZFITA June 24 Issue is Out! :The Cross-cultural Connector<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote><div><p>The latest issue of <strong>FITA Newsletter</strong> is out! And this is what they say about themselves:</p> <p>“Dear International Traders,</p> <p>For 9 years this newsletter has been bringing you descriptions of useful websites for international trade.</p> <p>We are now expanding our activities and from now on will offer not only useful websites, but also 3 new services:</p> <p>• <strong>Useful service providers</strong> to help you sort out your overseas operations, taken from: <strong>GlobalTrade.net</strong> , our new, soon-to-be-released “Knowledge Resource” and database of qualified service providers for international trade.<br /> • <strong>Jobs</strong> from FITA’s Career Headquarters<br /> • Events offered by our partner the <strong>U.S. Commercial Service</strong> and other related agencies.</p> <p>This week in Really Useful Sites we will:<br /> • Learn about doing business in<strong> Morocco</strong><br /> • Get up-to-the-minute news about trade and finance events and issues worldwide on the website of <strong>Trade Finance Magazine</strong><br /> • Find economic data about all EU countries on <strong>Eurostat</strong><br /> • Be informed about worldwide <strong>Trade Barriers</strong><br /> • <strong>Get extra help from Global Sources to import successfully from China and India</strong>”</p> <p><em><strong><a href="http://fita.org/useful/archives/241.html%20">Click to Read the Whole Issue</a></strong></em></p> <p>Learn and enjoy. Please remember “<em><strong>The Cross-cultural Connecto</strong><strong>r</strong></em>” is your own community. So, give us your feedback and let’s talk about it!</p> <p>Amadou M. Sall</p> </div></blockquote><div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/?p=428">thecrossculturalconnector.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/fita-june-24-issue-is-out-the-cross-cultural">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-89855544275743543802010-06-24T03:59:00.001Z2010-06-24T03:59:04.858ZConsumers in Brazil, Mexico Use Internet Differently :The Cross-cultural Connector<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote><div><p>A digital divide still persists in <strong>Latin America</strong>, where 56% of metropolitan <strong>Brazilians</strong> and <strong>Mexicans</strong> are online. Understanding their differences in behavior and level of engagement is critical for marketers seeking an effective media allocation mix for <strong>Latin America</strong>.</p> <p>Here are some highlights from a new Forrester Latin American Technographics survey of more than 6,000 urban consumers in the 12 largest metropolitan regions in <strong>Brazil</strong> and 10 in <strong>Mexico</strong>:</p> <p>Broadband adoption is emerging but at different rates. While 45% of Brazilians — 50 million metropolitan adults — connect to the<strong> internet</strong> via broadband, Mexicans are adopting at a much slower rate of only 28%, or 16 million metropolitan consumers.</p> <p>Similar to what we’ve seen in other countries, the low adoption numbers are not influenced by consumers using at-home dial-up instead of broadband. Rather, these consumers do not have home computer access in the first place.</p> <p>Degree of online engagement is not similar — Brazilians are more active and social. Although online <strong>Brazilians</strong> and <strong>Mexicans</strong> are on par with the fundamentals like emailing, online Brazilians demonstrate higher levels of online engagement overall. The biggest difference is in <strong>social media</strong>. Brazilians are fanatical about <strong>social media</strong>: 63% of them regularly use social networking sites, adding up to 40 million metropolitan consumers. This is in stark contrast to Mexico, where only 22% of online metropolitan Mexicans — 7 million people — use social networking sites.</p> <p>Many offline consumers find the <strong>internet</strong> mysterious. In markets where the internet is relatively new, such as <strong>Brazil </strong>and <strong>Mexico</strong>, many consumers are still trying to understand what it will add to their lives. This is reflected in the fact that 66% of offline Mexicans and 44% of offline Brazilians say they aren’t online because they just don’t know enough about the internet. Furthermore, about one-third of offline consumers in both countries say that they will never go online.</p> <p>I’ve traveled extensively to <strong>Latin America</strong> over the last month, and one of the things most striking about technology adoption in the region is the ubiquity of cellphones: 75% of all metro consumers in the two countries own a <strong>mobile phone</strong>. (<a href="http://adage.com/globalnews/article?article_id=144489%20"><strong><em>Read the Whole Story</em></strong></a>)</p> <p>Your experience?</p> <p>Amadou M. Sall</p> </div></blockquote><div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/?p=424">thecrossculturalconnector.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/consumers-in-brazil-mexico-use-internet-diffe-0">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485593.post-72621292884821012612010-06-23T16:34:00.001Z2010-06-23T16:34:16.558ZGapminder World Map (2010) :The Cross-cultural Connector<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <a href='http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/amsall/afHcrwGftkliHtpepJjbtaboEkittktjqIuzEdzpoCmvDorwusedmgdlzfja/media_httpthecrosscul_xjtlo.jpg.scaled1000.jpg'><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/amsall/afHcrwGftkliHtpepJjbtaboEkittktjqIuzEdzpoCmvDorwusedmgdlzfja/media_httpthecrosscul_xjtlo.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" height="353"/></a> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/?p=413">thecrossculturalconnector.com</a></div> <p></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://amsall.posterous.com/gapminder-world-map-2010-the-cross-cultural-c">amsall's posterous</a> </p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027631514079042361noreply@blogger.com0