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While video conferencing and web conferencing are sometimes confused, the
reality is that web conferencing is a completely different animal, with far more
options available and a much greater range of functionality than video
conferencing. Web conferencing offers not just the opportunity to chat and
communicate via webcam so that you can see each person in your conferencing
link, but to exchange documents, share applications, access shared desktops, use
PowerPoint, whiteboards and other presentation features and even poll
participants.
It all started with PLATO…
Web conferencing is “the total package.” Interestingly, the conceptual design
of web conferencing began long before there was a World Wide Web or Internet
structure in place. In the 1960’s, the University of Illinois developed a system
known as PLATO for their Computer-based Education Research Laboratory (CERL). It
was a small, self-contained system supporting a single classroom of terminals
connected to one mainframe computer. In 1972, PLATO was moved to a new system of
mainframes that eventually supported over one thousand users at a time.
In 1973, Talkomatic was developed by Doug Brown. This was essentially the
first “instant messaging” program ever designed, with multiple windows
displaying typed notes in real time for several users simultaneously. In 1974,
Kim Mast developed Personal Notes, a new feature for PLATO that enabled private
mail for users.
In 1975, Control Data Corporation set up its own PLATO system in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, the first commercial use of multi-function conferencing system.
Within ten years, PLATO was being used in over one hundred sites around the
world, some with dedicated lines for full-time use.
In the late 1980’s, however, microcomputers were becoming more reasonably
priced and the heyday of mainframe-based systems was over. Eventually the
original Control Data systems were shut down because PLATO was no longer
cost-effective. Control Data now has a few systems operating under the name
CYBIS.
PLATO’s descendants
In the late 1970’s, Ray Ozzie and Tim Halvorsen worked at CERL. Years later
they took some of the features of PLATO and greatly expanded on their
capabilities when designing one of today’s most powerful web conferencing tools
– Lotus Notes, released in 1989.
Lotus Notes was the first commercially released product that really took off
to offer user-created data-bases, document sharing, and remote location
communication under one umbrella. It created a “relationship based” environment
that took the corporation world by storm.
Other descendants of PLATO included DEC Notes, originally known as VAX,
written by Len Kawell. It is still used today on DEC’s EASYnet and on Starlink,
a universal web conferencing community. NetNotes is a client-server system
designed to improve on the original DEC Notes, with WebNotes as an add-on for
World Wide Web access.
True WEB conferencing
The distinction between true web conferencing and systems conferencing is
difficult, however, to define. When the Web first became a contender as a valid
means of collaborative conferencing with document sharing, etc, many companies
took conferencing packages originally designed for intranet systems and
redesigned them. The results weren’t always seamless. It wasn’t until the
mid-1990’s that true Web Conferencing software that was reliable was available.
PLATO and other main-frame based conferencing systems were based on a
centralized structure, with all elements feeding into a central computer. This
structure saw the development of several types of conferencing software that
included Backtalk, Caucus, COW, Motet, Web Crossing, Podium, TALKaway and YAPP.
PlaceWare, arguably one of the most influential Web conferencing systems
developed, had interesting origins in the 1990’s at the Xerox Palo Alto Research
Center, where it began as a multi-user game called LambdaMOO. PlaceWare was one
of the first companies to provide complete Web conferencing after the initial
release of PlaceWare Auditorium in 1997. In April of 2003, Microsoft purchased
PlaceWare, adding it to its newly formed Real-Time Collaborative Business Unit.
P2P shifts the focus of web conferencing
Another popular form of software was Groupware, essentially defined by Lotus
Notes. The difference between the centralized structure of PLATO-based systems
and Lotus is in the additional functions — Lotus provided a host of other
options like scheduling and document sharing. Groupware software is more complex
than Centralized software and focus on work flow; that is, making sure
documents, graphics and templates are where they need to be. Popular Groupware
products developed in the 1990’s included InTandem, Livelink, Lotus Domino,
Oracle InterOffice, TEAMate and WebShare.
As the price of home computers dropped, peer to peer (P2P) file sharing
became more and more commonplace over the World Wide Web, although primarily on
a user to user basis. That changed when members of Napster, then an illegal,
informally organized group of college youth and other music-lovers, began
sharing millions of music files among themselves. It began a revolution in the
use of the Internet that changes the way Web conferencing was eventually
perceived. P2P began to be seen as the way to host Web conferencing, rather than
through a single server. .
Groove took this peer to peer concept and applied it to Web conferencing. The
Groove technology, originally released in 2000, was upgraded to real performance
power with Groove 2.1 in 2002 and was impressive. The advantages of peer to peer
were immediately obvious — once you loaded the software and were set up, you
never had to pay a subscription or user fee for an offsite server to store any
files, you will never lose all files in one central location, and you are set up
and good to go for life (or until the next upgrade, at least).
Another company that recognized the need for quality Web conferencing
software during these years was WiredRed Software, founded in 1998. In 2003,
they released e/pop, a real-time Web Conferencing suite with comprehensive
features for all aspects of industry — it was the first installable web
conferencing software with no significant install time.
NextPage also offers P2P web conferencing and document sharing capabilities
developed out of the Napster movement. In fact, they use the example of Napster
file sharing and downloads to illustrate to companies the advantages of using a
peer to peer network over a centralized server.
What about UseNet?
In the 1980’s, Usenet software was developed with specific protocols to
format and transmit messages. It also allowed messages to be passed from one
news server to another, replicating around the world rather than being stored in
any one location. It has become the standard for news readers on the Internet,
with Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer both having built-in news readers
for UseNet. .
For some, web conferencing can be achieved simply by taking advantage of
UseNet. Download free software to set up a news server, create a few local
newsgroups on it, and have your users access your server with their Web browsers
to create your conferencing site.
Most companies, of course, prefer to have a more professional package than
that, and ease of use and security are concerns that are addressed better by
companies who have specifically developed company or enterprise Web Conferencing
solutions. A good web conferencing package today contains voice over IP (VoIP),
co-browsing and application sharing at the minimum, with add-ons and other
features if needed, including polling, event management, PowerPoint
presentation, playback, recording and live annotation and markup.
Easynet, founded in 1994, is a broadband networking company based in Europe
providing primarily European businesses with Web conferencing capabilities. This
infrastructure based provider provides unbundled loop access to companies in
some countries as a part of a “leased line” program for conferencing.
VoIP is making noise
The latest frontier in Web conferencing is the practicality of using IP based
voice communications on a regular basis with Web conferencing. While Web
conferencing is considered desirable for document exchange, text messaging and
whiteboards and many other functions, many people still think VoIP technology
has poor quality overall, especially with so many people still using dial-up
connections. .
Actually, there are several contenders in the marketplace who have produced
excellent quality VoIP offerings in their Web conferencing packages, including
Voxwire, Orbitalk, RoomTalk, and VoiceCafe.
The future of web conferencing
One of the last stumbling blocks for web conferencing has been the
incompatibility between Macs and PC’s. With the heavy preference for Macs by
those in graphics heavy industries such as architecture, advertising and
publishing, it has always been difficult to share documents and set up effective
Web conferencing if the clients are PC-based. .
Session from WaveThree was released in 2003 to address this problem and seems
to have actually overcome this seemingly insurmountable problem — one of the
first really effective systems for Mac/PC collaboration over the Internet. Using
a bandwidth of 128 KBPS or above, Session provides videoconferencing, desktop
sharing, document sharing, whiteboards and live annotations on photos and/or
documents. More Web conferencing platforms of this type will no doubt be on the
horizon.
As Web conferencing becomes more and more common, new developments will
inevitably arise, including, perhaps, dedicated lines that are constantly open,
improved, secure peer-to-peer access and more Mac/PC web conferencing options.
With so many players on the field, it is likely that there will be a variety of
divergent developments over the next few years.
This article on the “The History of Web Conferencing” reprinted with
permission.
Copyright © 2004-2005 Evaluseek Publishing.
About the Author
Lucy P. Roberts is a successful freelance writer providing practical information and advice for businesses about everything related to web conferencing software and web based meetings. Her numerous articles include tips for saving both time and money; product reviews and reports; and other valuable insights for persons searching the Internet for information about how web conferencing works and related topics.
Anyone who has given more than two presentations can remember sitting in a dankly lit office, behind a desk covered with research material. A blank stare upon your face as you gaze at the stack of information you so desperately want to pull into a first rate presentation. You hope for some spark of genius, yet all you get is frustration and probably a headache. You try harder and harder to pull together the words, thoughts and phrases to articulate your message, but your brain gives you nothing to work with.
Well, fear no longer for those days are over. Today you are going to learn a technique that will pull out those ideas into a form that allows you to ’see’ your message in a natural flow. Once your see your message, writing that speech or presentation will come far easier than you ever expected.
I use this technique over and over again to create articles like the one your are currently reading. The only downfall to this brain web or inspiration web as I prefer to call it, is that I often get too many ideas and have to cut many of them out of the article I am writing. But that is ok, for that leaves me with plenty of ideas for the next article or presentation, all ready and waiting for me to call upon them in a moments notice. This even works for those times when you have only minutes before you have to stand before your audience.
Let’s spinning a web of ideas. The tools you will need to create your web are a pen, paper, and a timing device. Larger paper is better, but standard 8 x 11 paper will do as well. In the center of this sheet of paper, write the topic of your presentation and draw a circle around your words.
Now take a few deep breathes, and stand up, yes that’s right, stand up. Hold your head high and look up at the ceiling. Throw your shoulders back, and puff out your chest proudly. And smile a really huge smile. The kind of smile you would see on the face of a child before opening that wonderfully wrapped present on their birthday or on Christmas morning. Feel those feelings, the excitement and the thrill of finding what is within the brightly colored wrapping. Breath fully and deeply while doing this. Open your mind - remember that for now there are no rules, no limitations. This is the time for no-holds-barred idea creation.
Now feeling those wonderfully energizing feelings set the timer for five minutes. Sit down, grab your pen, and begin to write. Write down every idea that comes to mind. Write fast; do not let your pen stop moving. Abbreviate so that you can get as many ideas down on your sheet as fast as possible. What you will find is that you will be writing one idea and BANG the next one hits. Then, before you finish writing that idea down, BANG another, then another and so on. Write every thought that comes to mind, filling up your paper. Don’t be concerned with spelling, grammar or neatness. Make no judgements as you write during this five-minute period. Only record the thoughts as they come to you. Your end goal right now is a vast number of ideas and thoughts.
While you are writing, circles each idea, and connect related ideas/thoughts with lines or even arrows. Keep writing until the timer goes off. Then relax, sit back and review your inspiration web. Is it full of ideas? It should be. Did you make all the connections? If not make those obvious connections now, again using lines, arrows or whatever your are comfortable with.
Take a break, ten to fifteen minutes is a good period of time. During this break get away from your idea sheet, and take your mind off of it completely. Then come back and look at the page. By now a few main idea threads will become obvious on your web of lines or arrows. Identify three to five ideas (five maximum for the best audience retention) that you want to cover. Highlight or color-code them so they stand out on the page. Now you have your topic and speaking points. Your lines and arrows will guide you in your flow from one speaking point to another. I guarantee by this point your speech is taking direction in your head and you will be quite ready to begin putting it to paper.
Use this inspiration web technique anytime that you need to give birth to some creative ideas. This technique will work not only on coming up with speaking points for your main topic; it will work in problem solving, product enhancement and innovation as well.
Think Successfully & Take Action. Tracy
http://www.SuccessAtlas.com (C) Tracy Brinkmann 2000-2005 all rights reserved
Do you remember the days? Firing up your 200Mhz turbo PowerPC, dialling up using your 56k modem, waiting an age for your hotmail page to show up, waiting some more to check your e-mails only to have your connection die just as you hit the send button! How times change.
It’s funny, once you’ve used broadband you quickly forget how painful the dial up connection was. I used to run my business on dial up and looking back I managed rather well. But these days there’s no way I could do without my broadband connection.
There’s no doubt about it, broadband is well and truly here to stay. It is of course a logical progression - streaming audio and video demand much higher bandwidth and broadband connections are the only way to achieve anything which is at all usable.
A recent survey revealed that 53% of Americans who use the Internet now use a broadband connection. What they failed to point out is that obviously this means 47% still use a dial up connection. This actually equates to around 60 million people. These kind of statistics are mirrored in other developed countries. When you consider a large chunk of the developing world still uses dial up then you realize that’s an awful lot of people still using a slow Internet connection.
So is it possible to speed up your dial up connection?
Well actually yes it is. There are quite a few services online these days allowing you to “accelerate” your dial up connection. These Internet accelerators claim to be able to boost the speed of your dial up connection by as much as six or seven times.
Before you scream with delight at this prospect I feel I should point out right now that these accelerator services are not high speed broadband Internet services. They use a different kind of technology based on the same idea as things like zip files and mp3 files. These files use a compression algorithm to dramatically reduce the file size.
Internet accelerators work in the same way and most providers have also implemented a caching technology whereby they store local copies of popular web sites. These local copies are pre compressed and can be sent to the user very quickly. The user has a piece of software sitting on their PC which decompresses the data as it comes in. This is how the dramatic speed increases are achieved.
Many people report excellent success with these systems. Some people are even comparing the accelerators with broadband services
So while this is a really good thing for basic web pages, the technology falls down as soon as you start working with large video or audio files etc. Since an mp3 file is already compressed there’s not much more compression that can be done and so the Internet accelerator has little effect. Plus many services have a file size limit meaning they will not even attempt to compress anything as big as a regular pop music mp3 file.
But if you’re just loading up normal web pages without too much flash animation and all the other bells and whistles, then I highly recommend you get yourself an accelerated service. If your ISP doesn’t offer it there are plenty that do so vote with your feet and check out some of these excellent services.
For more information simply search Google or Yahoo! for the term “dial up accelerator” or something like “speed up my dial up connection”. You’ll find lots of providers ready to supply you with service.
Some popular services in the USA are NetZero and Earthlink. In the UK you want to be taking a look at someone like Mistral or Onspeed.com
Fabio writes for many niches and is an experienced researcher. He has written articles covering a wide range of subjects and enjoys plying his trade especially on the Internet. He is currently sponsoring Ambient Modem News and Blogs and can be reached on fabio@linkz-and.info
Fax is one of the many forms of telecommunications technologies in widespread use today. You can find a fax machine in almost every office anywhere in the world. The word “fax” is short for facsimile, which is Latin for “make a copy.” Fax technology basically works by transmitting copies of documents through a telephone network using a device called a fax machine. In simple terms, a fax machine works as if you sent pieces of paper documents to a receiving end almost instantaneously.
A fax machine is basically a scanner, modem and computer printer all rolled into one. The fax process begins with scanning the graphical images from the document inputted into the fax machine. As the sender feeds paper documents into the machine, a sensor scans the document for the white and black spots that comprise it. This data is then encoded so that it can be transmitted through a phone line. At the receiver’s end, the fax machine’s mechanism marks the heat-sensitive paper with a reproduction of the original document sent.
Fax machines are indispensable office equipment. Today’s fax machines have evolved from simply sending documents to and from, to integrating various functions all into one device. Some fax machines also feature advanced handset functions and can work as the chief phone of a small office.
Multiple functions are also common to many modern fax machines. For instance, a fax machine can also work as a copier, a scanner and a printer. These multi-use fax machines virtually eliminate all other electronic machines and offer their functions all in one package. At present, even though various innovative telecommunication technologies have been introduced, fax machines continue to be an integral part of office equipment. Also, fax machines and fax services continue to evolve to better serve the needs of today’s users.
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Fax provides detailed information on Fax, Fax Machines, Broadcasting Fax, Fax Services and more. Fax is affiliated with Free Internet Fax. |
PRESENT LIKE A PRO! Ten Ways to WOW Your Audience
By Alan Cutler, alan@leadershiptalks.com
“I do not object to people looking at their watches when I am speaking. But I strongly object when they start shaking them to make sure they are still going!” Lord Birkett
OK. You have been working in the company for a few years now and, through hard work and enthusiasm, have risen up the ranks to a responsible middle-management position. You know your job backwards and are confident that you could rise to any challenge.
One day your Chief Executive asks to see you. You know you have kept your nose clean of late so this can only be good news. No doubt he has a job that needs doing and has looked no further than you. A good choice!
He sits you down and, after a little polite chat, he says:
“As you know, our company is looking to develop its services into other sectors and an opportunity has arisen to raise our profile at a national conference. If we can make our name there it could be the best thing that has happened to us in years. I need someone that I can trust to pull this off and I have been keeping an eye on you for some time. I would like you to make a presentation about our company at the conference.”
What would your reaction be? Perhaps:
I have never spoken in public before Everybody will be looking at me! I am sure that I will forget what I have to say! I may get asked a difficult question! What happens if I screw up!
But it does not have to be so frightening. In fact, it can be immensely stimulating and rewarding. There is no other feeling like standing on a platform in front of people, with them hanging on your every word. You can see by their rapt attention that you have them in the palm of your hand. And afterwards they come up to you and say how much they have enjoyed your presentation.
You don’t believe me! Well, read on and believe how even you could PRESENT LIKE A PRO by applying my Ten Ways to WOW Your Audience
Step 1 - Understand Your Audience
“Some speakers electrify their listeners, others only gas them” Sidney Smith
The first lesson you must learn is that your presentation must be geared towards your audience’s needs, not yours.
Your audience will respond to your approach, based broadly upon their:
- educational background - culture - existing knowledge of the subject - technical expertise - position within the organisation - enthusiasm for the subject and event - expectation of the experience
Ask yourself the following questions: * How much does my audience already know about the subject? * What do they expect from me? * What interests them in the subject area of my presentation? * What is their likely attitude towards me and my subject? * Are there any ‘hidden agendas’? * Is there any internal politics or inter-group tensions I should be aware of? * What ‘language’ do they speak? * Do they want to be at the event? Were they pressed to attend? * What is the age range? * What is their educational and social background? * What is their cultural or ethnic background? * Could religion and/or politics influence their reception to my presentation? * What positions do they hold in the organisation? Is there a mix of grades present? * What presentation style are they most likely to relate to?
Step 2 - Set Your Objectives
“Men never plan to be failures; they simply fail to plan to be successful” William A Ward
The key to planning a powerful presentation is to determine its objectives. Again, these should be largely formed with the audience in mind. For example, they may be to:
pass on pure information: the results of some recent market research, perhaps improve the work performance of members of the audience by imparting new skills or knowledge to them change the attitude of the audience towards factors that they have recently faced, or will be facing in the future persuade key decision-makers to use a product or service your organisation offers introduce new working policies or procedures entertain and amuse
Step 3 - Structure Your Presentation
“A speech should be like a lady’s dress: long enough to cover the essentials, but short enough to be interesting” Anon
Have you ever heard anyone complaining that a presentation was too short? No? I bet that you have heard the opposite, though! Your presentation should be structured into three distinct sections: The opening (5% - 10% of total time) has three main functions:
1. To attract the audience’s attention as a means of starting the presentation on a positive note. 2. To explain the purpose of the presentation 3. To advise the audience of any ground rules
The main body (75% - 85% of total time) should be split into a number of main sections: from three to no more than six. This is where you aim to fulfil your main objectives, be they to pass on information; change attitudes; introduce new concepts; or to entertain. Each section should be easily identified by the audience as being separate to that which proceeds or follows it. The use of bold visual aids with the title or description of the section (possibly numbered) will assist in differentiating each section.
The conclusion (5% - 10% of total time) is the most important section of the presentation because people tend to remember the last thing they hear.
The four purposes of the conclusion are to:
1. Recap the important points you made in the main body of the presentation - although do not be tempted merely to repeat them at length. Make them short and snappy. 2. Reinforce the main message - which could be the dire consequences of not taking the actions you have proposed. 3. Provide a springboard for action: in other words what you want the members to do after the presentation. 4. End on a high note. Do not let your presentation peter out to a feeble, forgettable end.
Step 4 Practice, Practice, Practice
“When other speakers present, we applaud. But when Demosthenes speaks, we arise and go to war!”
The above quotation refers to Demosthenes, a speaker in ancient Greece, who had a stutter, but who practiced his speeches so much, with pebbles in his mouth to counter his stutter, that he became famous for his passion and eloquence.
Do not try to ‘wing it’ - the only way to guarantee a successful presentation is to practice it until it becomes second nature. Doing so:
o Helps reduce the possibility of nerves on the day o Improves the delivery of the presentation o Determines the timing of it o Allows you to refine the content o Familiarises you with any aids you will be using
Step 5 - Arrive Early and Check
“There are risks and costs to a programme of action. But they are far less than the long-range risk and costs of comfortable inaction” J F Kennedy
It is essential that you arrive in plenty of time in advance of your presentation, not least because it will allow you time to gather your thoughts, have a glass of water and a deep breath, and relax before you take the stage. Better still, visit the venue days in advance, thus allowing you to take any necessary actions or amendments to your plans.
The principle reason for arriving early is to check every aspect appertaining to your presentation. You need to check out the:
Room Environment Equipment
Step 6 - Control Your Nerves
“The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public” Anon
Let’s get one thing straight first: to some degree, everyone has butterflies in the stomach before having to speak to an audience. The key is to have the butterflies flying in formation.
Can you ever remember someone having difficulties when performing or speaking in public? I bet that you felt for him and his discomfort. I bet that you wanted to find some way to help him; to reduce his discomfort. Audiences are not evil; they do not want you to fail. And if things do get a little difficult for you they will want to assist you through it, rather than revel in your discomfort. They will wait patiently; suggest words; tell you that you have missed out a page of notes; or put the transparency on the OHP upside down. After all, it could be them up there having to make the presentation! So put your fears into perspective.
Step 7 - Build Initial Rapport With Your Audience
“A speaker who does not strike oil in ten minutes should stop boring” Louis Nizer
You have researched your audience (Step 1) so you know a lot about them. Hence, you have all the information you need to build an immediate rapport with them. One-size-fits-all may apply to socks but it does not apply to audiences. You must understand what their ‘hot buttons’ are and be prepared to press them from the outset. The over-riding objective must be to get them on your side.
Try out these ideas to build an initial rapport:
* Boost their personal egos. * Stress the importance of their roles, however menial they believe them to be. * Talk their language. * Dress the part. * Establish your credibility. * Use examples and anecdotes they will relate to. * Stress that you understand the challenges they face.
Step 8 - Deliver with a Passion
“We communicate with passion - and passion persuades” Anita Roddick
Once you have built an initial rapport with your audience, you must maintain it throughout your presentation. People will have come to hear you speak with some preconceptions and expectations. They may initially have been negative but you have worked hard in your initial five to ten minutes to grab the audience’s attention and raise expectations for the remainder of your presentation. It is your job now to meet, or even exceed, their high expectations. You must stand and deliver!
There is nothing more engaging in a speaker than for her to give the impression that she is really enjoying the presentation herself. It may be that she has given that very speech a hundred times but the audience feels and believes that this is the first time and that they are being given special attention. Yes, it is about the professionalism of the delivery, but it is also about the enthusiasm behind the delivery - the passion. Speakers must make their audience believe that they, the speaker, are as interested in, and committed to, the subject as they hope their audience will be.
Step 9 - Tell Them a Story
“Once you get people laughing, they’re listening and you can tell them almost anything” Herbert Gardner
People have been using stories as a means of passing on information and messages since time began. People would sit around a fire and exchange experiences and these stories would be passed on from generation to generation. People love to hear stories - they hold our interest as they take us from level to level, from incident to incident, building up our curiosity until all is revealed at the ending. Our love of stories begins in early childhood and never leaves us. The camp fire may have been replaced by the bar counter or the dining room table but the fascination remains. Effective speakers understand the power of storytelling and use it to good, even dramatic, effect in their presentations. Stories add variety and can be used to illustrate and emphasise messages.
Step 10 - Use Visual Aids and Props
“Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it”. Joseph Pulitzer
Visual aids are used to add interest for your audience, and there is a wide range of such, including:
Slides (OHP or PowerPoint) Video Flipcharts Slide projectors Props, models, jigsaws, Lego pieces etc Graphs, charts Demonstrations Cartoons Photographs Handouts
Props. Even novice speakers should consider using props as well as visual aids. Props are particularly good at adding interest and humour to a presentation. Here are some props that I and fellow speakers have used to good effect:
* A giant toy telephone to reinforce points about telephone selling. * Throwing small toy dinosaurs or ostriches into the audience when talking about people’s resistance to change. * Simple magic tricks. * Wearing costumes - from complete clown outfits to a simple baseball hat. * Toy bombs or machine guns to grab the audience’s attention through noise. * Aerosol sprays to invoke the sense of smell associated with a story, perhaps.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Alan Cutler is a Member of The Professional Speakers Association and The International Federation of Professional Speakers. Further details of his services are at www.leadershiptalks.com
This article is taken from his 48-page ebook ‘PRESENT LIKE A PRO! Ten Ways to WOW Your Audience’. Copies can be purchased for immediate download for only $14.95 by clicking on http://www.leadershiptalks.co.uk/productdetail.cfm?ProductID=14
Copyright Alan Cutler 2005
Permission is given for this article to be copied and used in any way so long as it is not changed in any way
While we are here sending messages in English, there are at least one third
of the worlds population who can’t read them, for English is not even a second
language for them.
I refer to China.
More people in China are logging on to the net every day, but most of what
has been put up on the net is in English, this can be very frustrating for them.
Very few web sites I visit, and I visit very many in any given week, don’t have
any way of giving translations into other languages, and I feel, this is a thing
that webmasters have got to address as soon as possible.
On my own website, www.ebook-sales.com I have inserted a script code at
the top of every html page to offer Alta Vista’s translationservice - ‘Babel Fish’.
This offers translation into eight languages at present, including Chinese,
Japanese, and Korean, as well as European languages. As more
languages become available automatically the script will activate them.
Since I put “Babel Fish’ on my site I have noticed in the stats on my server that more people are logging on from China!
This problem of translation for web-sites I recently wrote up about in a article filed with IdeaMarketers.com called “Reach Out And Touch Billions”, no sooner
it was filed within minutes it was being read by users of the service, usually
editors.
Take a look at the article and let me have some comments, and if you know
of other translation services, why not give me some details about them for
others to benefit from?
Question 1.
Should it be a mandatory requirement that a translation should be
made available for web-sites - incuding blogs?
Question 2.
Now that there is the technology available, should search engine’s
like Google and Yahoo rank sites lower if they have no translation
available?
(Therefore rank sites higher if they do provide translation?)
Question 3.
Should all email service providers be made to provide translation
services for all emails?
(Do you know of any that do?)
________________________________________________________________
Tony Dean is a publshed author and writer of ezine articles. He
runs a web site at:- http://www.ebook-sales.com
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Animal Communication, offered by animal intuitives, consists of three categories. The first category is communicating personal messages from animal family members to their people. This is called an animal intuitive reading. Category two is delivering messages from animals who walk the earth, as guides, to people they select. Thi sis called an animal spirit guide reading. The third category entails bringing people to animals, such as whales and dolphins, who have volunteered to assist people in spiritual awakenings. A swim with dolphins or a swim with whales in a seminar context can be an enlightening experience.
Animal intuitives are able to understand animal’s messages through pictures, words, feelings and unique multi-dimensional experiences. Animals send out messages with photographs, words and emotion that moves as energy through the air. Intuitives are able to see, hear and feel the messages when next to the animal or from miles away. Unlike people, animals do not rely on physical proximity for communication and are accustomed to speaking to others psychically. An animal intuitive has learned to speak in a psychic language also. This is available to all people who wish to study through the heart as well as the mind.
Master teacher animals are also able to send out messages that occur in realms beyond the third dimensional sight, sound and emotion that all of us are accustom to. These types of experiences catapult people into awakenings often written about by ascended gurus and enlightened masters. Many people have experienced a deepening of the heart and a relaxing into infinite and unconditionally blissful realms when swimming with the dolphins. Those who have had the opportunity to swim with whales, sometimes experience the ONENESS of all life. Many people find swimming with these beings to be life altering.
I became interested with animal communication when my cat, Jessie Justin Joy proved to me that he had reincarnated. I was a skeptic until then. I was told by three animal communicators that Jessie was planning to do this after his body was eaten by coyotes, that his death was simply a learning experience for him and that he was eager to return. Doubting but open to anything that would bring my beloved feline home, I followed instructions being sent by Jessie. The fact that the same instructions were received by three different intuitive during three separate animal intuitive readings gave me hope.
I met many a cat until I felt I had found the one that Jessie Justin Joy desired me to bring home. This lovely cat named Shadow had a beautiful and attractive personality but he was very different from Jessie Justin Joy. Nevertheless, I was assured that the two felines had arranged a soul switch. When I got home I was devastated. Shadow was not Jessie and deserved complete love but my heart was still with Jessie.
I sat in meditation on my bed searching for peace. As I settled into acceptance for the situation as it was and gratitude for Shadow, Shadow who was timid and hiding suddenly jumped on to the bed. “Meow!” He stared into my eyes and I realized the switch had occurred. It was Jessie. Gazing into my eyes, assuring me that my boy was back home, Jessie melted my heart into profound trust in miracles.
To erase any further lack of faith I harbored, Jessie, with his new body, turned about in a circle and mushed his back against my chest, his nightly ritual. When we went into the kitchen and I fed him some ocean fish, he gave me a friendly little nip on the ankle as he always had, reminding me he wanted Savory Cuts. When he got the Savory Cuts he gobbled them up. We went into my office where he attempted to unplug my computer, an old tactic of his to get me to stop working so much. Despite the new fur and size, friends came over and said, “It is Jessie!” recognizing his distinct dog like friendliness as he ran to greet them and walk them in.
I studied animal communication with Gina Palmer, whose teacher was Penelope Smith so I think of both of them as my teachers. Over many years I listened to Gina meticulously whenever I received an animal intuitive reading from her. I believe that this was one of the most valuable components of my training. Both of them gave me an incredible gift. At first, I was uncertain that I would ever have the ability they had. I could feel hear and see the animals but didn’t trust my psychic knowing. I needed proof and so I asked the universe to bring proof.
On a hike with my partner, a little lizard ran up my body and accompanied me for about twenty minutes. The little reptile responded to my telling him with my heart that I desired to be friends. On a visit to Hawaii I requested validation that the communication I had been receiving from whales back in California was real. I was unaware that any whales were near but called out to the sea. Immediately, a whale jumped out of the water and proceeded to wave his tail over and over and over. People began to report to me that my readings were very accurate. When people gave me several animals to read at a time I was able to identify the unique personalities of each. Proof increased my trust in the communication I was receiving from the animals.
How this works is that I listen with all my heart and the communication comes in. To begin to do this yourself simply ask your animal if there is something s/he wishes for you to know. Next, notice what you hear, see or feel with out editing it. Ask your animal if you are right and pay attention to the clues s/he gives you back. One time I felt Jessie telling me to include him in a big painting I was making so I did. The next day I pointed out to him that I had honored his request. He walked up to the big painting of which about 1% was him, stared precisely at himself and kissed himself, meaning. “Thank you, Mom, I know.”
Animals all over the planet send out important messages about trust, community, love and other valuable lessons to learn. Elephants often approach people on the inner planes to teach lessons of community. Dolphins approach to teach unconditional joy. For this reason I offer people an opportunity to swim with dolphins and swim with whales. Dogs approach to teach loyalty and devotion. Cats are great at assisting with the mysteries of life. Birds come to help uplift people. I was taught trust by mallards who flew to my car at the grocery store. Two of my client’s were greeted by an owl who flew to them after a seminar in which they made a profound shift into deeper spiritual love and joy. I offer animal intuitive readings for all species.
One morning before a client arrived I asked the universe to tell me if any animals would be assisting. I was told, “gold finch.” Unaware of what a gold finch was I went upstairs to ask my partner, Ray, where the bird book was. Ray was sitting beneath a cedar tree on our deck in meditation. I noticed a delicate little yellow bird I had never seen before. We looked up the bird in the book and found out he was the gold finch. When my client arrived the gold finch told her how to be happy. When she left, the little yellow one left and I have not seen him since. When you open your heart to the animals they will come to help. It was ravens who educated me on how to turn around years of financial hardships and their advice proved true.
Some of the messages I have received from people’s animal family members that most touched me are as follows. A little dog, about the size of a cat, was asked why he was running next door to the neighbors, knowing that the neighbors had a vicious dog at their place. “I go out of my way to create trust,” he replied.
A cat told me that her person had not been the same since she was emotionally devastated by someone whom she dated. “She needs to go back to lullabies and dreams. She packed up and left but didn’t address t healing the emotional wounds.” Upon hearing this, the woman burst out crying, touched that her cat understood her and cared for her so deeply. Her beloved feline’s message was incentive for her to do some necessary healing.
A dove said that he was made of light and that to “be full, simply choose fullness. No need to solve problems. Just choose gratitude, fullness and light.”
A dog told me that he was called peanut but he preferred to be named “Prime Minister.” What a wonderful soul and humorous soul! He was indeed a Prime Minister!
Sometimes animals assist people in forgiving each other by offering kinder perspectives. Sheila and Sandra, two friends got in an argument. It was one of their dogs who helped Sheila to find compassion in the place of judgment.
People go to animal intuitives when they wish to better understand their animal friend, when they wish to contact an animal who has passed over and when they wish to receive guidance from their animal spiritual guides on anything important to them. People may go to an animal intuitive reading to improve a problem or simply to find out what is on their animals’ minds.
People tend to feel very touched by readings as animals have a non judgmental way of speaking from the heart, with great devotion and love. People are often surprised at how intelligent and wise their animals are. Sometimes people think they will only hear about an animal’s world but find themselves deeply comforted by the depth of awareness the animal has about his/her person’s world.
Each intuitive is different. Some prefer that you ask specific questions while others simply converse with the animal. Some give you an understanding of your animal’s soul purpose and your soul purpose and how they are connected. Other’s stick more to practical matters.
If you ask three therapists to give an over view of a client some of the basic points will be the same while details and focuses may differ depending upon the therapist’s view point and values. This is the same case if you ask three animal intuitives to speak to your animal friend.
People often ask, how will an animal intuitive reading or swim with dolphins benefit the receiver? Here are some ways that I have personally witnessed.
Animals have assisted me with increasing my peace of mind and heart, my financial income, my relationship fulfillment, my spiritual awakening, my health, my happiness level, my overall fulfillment, my spiritual awakening , my health and my natural joy. They may do any of these things for you as well.
When you can hear what your animal says, you strengthen your bond. When you hear what your animal shares, you better care for your beloved animal. When you hear what your animal says, you get to know yourself better.
When you hear your animal’s messages, you are invited into deeper peace and love. When you hear from your animal, unresolved feelings resolve themselves.
When you live in harmony with the animals, you may have Heaven on Earth. Heaven on Earth begins in your own heart and answers all prayers. Animals often have secret advice for their family members to make your lives more rewarding, fulfilling, successful and overflowing with love.
If your animal is experiencing difficulty, find out now so you can contact the appropriate healer or vet or learn how to talk to your animal friend so that little troubles do not grow into bigger ones. If you understand your animal from his or her soul purpose and view point, problematic behaviors are much more easily addressed.
Your animal feels so happy to be heard by someone who understands his/her language. After readings, people have reported their animals to exhibit a new sense of relaxation, well being, satisfaction, contentment, pride in a good sense, self esteem and release of upsetting habits.
Any workshop, opportunity to swim with dolphins, swim with whales, or animal intuitive reading conducted for you by an animal communicator will bring surprises and most likely bring up some laughter and gratitude. Dr. Laurie Moore www.animalintuitivereadings.com
©2003 Dr. Laurie Moore, LMFT is an animal intuitive who takes people to Hawaii to swim with dolphins and Tonga to swim with whales. Well known for her book, Creative Intimacy she has been seen on Ricki Lake, O’Reilly Factor, and In the Company of Angels. Animal Readings for ALL SPECIES 831-477-7007 Laurie@DrLaurieMoore.com
Most of us have become so used to logging on to the Internet and using the most popular search engine to research a topic that we’ve invented a new verb: Google. We don’t “use Google,” to look up a subject anymore, we “google” it.
Using Google or another popular search engine is a great way to locate plenty of information, fast; but, believe it or not, these search engines only uncover the surface of the vast amount of information available. Extensive online databases covering an amazing range of subjects do not necessarily get picked up in a Google search; you need to know the website address of the database and log in to search it. Some of these databases are open to the Internet-surfing public; others are only available by paid subscription. (Some websites will allow you to search the database for free to discover whether they have the information you need, but to access the information itself you have to buy a subscription.) Other sources aren’t even available on the Internet, but must be researched using traditional means.
When doing serious research on a subject, your first stop may be to check your local library. It has plenty of reference materials on magazines, newspapers, and other source materials. The Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature, for instance, offers constantly updated citations of the most recent magazine articles on thousands of topics and may be available at your library online as well as in a hard copy.
Don’t forget to search their catalog for books available at the library; skimming through some books on the general subject matter will give you an idea of the breadth of the topic and may help you narrow your focus to a particular aspect of the broader subject, as well as provide you with valuable source material.
Ask your librarian what online databases can be accessed at the library. Also, check the library’s website; you may be pleasantly surprised to find that many of the databases subscribed to by the library can be accessed online from your home computer via their website.
Two invaluable books offer enormous assistance in researching a topic. The Facts on File Guide to Research, by Jeff Lenburg (Checkmark Books, 2005), covers the basics of research, then gets into the meat of the matter: thousands upon thousands of sources, both online and off, including archives, professional and social organizations, newspapers, magazines, radio and TV news, electronic databases, governmental resources, and libraries (including public, academic, research, military), and more. Online discussion groups and e-zines are also covered. This 560-page book also offers a section of resources divided by general topic ranging from Aging to Women’s Studies. The last two chapters, “Citing Your Sources” and “Creating Your Bibliography, Works Cited, or References” gives you the details of crediting your source material; the appendices cover citation styles preferred according to the MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style.
For more information on the research process itself, check out The Craft of Research by Wayne C Booth, Joseph M. Williams, and Gregory G. Colomb (University of Chicago Press, 2003). This book presents an organized method of researching a subject; while geared toward academic works like term papers and advanced theses, the method can be extrapolated for use in writing newspaper and magazine articles and books for both academic and trade publishers. The book succeeds in making sense of what can be a confusing and complicated process.
Taking some time to identify the right resources and plotting your organizational approach can save you hours of research time and will probably result in a better end product, so be sure to do your preliminary research and cover the basics first. Then, once you’ve given yourself a road map of where you want to go, you’ll be able to hone in on the specific source material you need to cover with confidence.
Using body language to enhance how you start a conversation can lead to great conversation. You do not have to say much just a look or a movement can speak volumes for you.
This is especially useful in situations where you can not seem to get a word in or where you are unsure of how to start a conversation.
Body language is a way to communicate without putting yourself at risk of saying something wrong. You probably already use body language, but do not even notice it. The following list shows the main points of body language that you should be aware of whenever you wonder how to start a conversation.
1. Eye use:
People say that they can learn all about a person through their eyes. It is probably the most used part of the body to communicate next to the mouth.
Your eyes can say many things, from rolling them to winking, you can display many messages with just your eyes. Sometimes you may unaware of what your eyes are saying.
Be careful to not let your eyes say you are bored or not interested in a conversation. You should maintain good eye contact to let others know you are listening.
2. Body moves:
Everyone has said hello with a wave of the hand or shown a lack of patience with a tap of the foot or nodded in agreement.
Your hands, arms, feet and head can speak for in many cases. Crossing the arms, tapping the foot rapidly or putting your hands on your hips can all say things that might not be too good.
On the other hand, clapping, tapping your foot to music or extending a hand shake can say great things. Always be aware of what your body is saying.
3. Facial expressions:
Smiling can say more than words sometimes. You should be aware of your facial expressions at all times. You may frown and be unaware of it.
Facial expressions can often be misinterpreted. A serious look of concentration may be seen as disapproval. Just make sure you are using the rest of your body to speak as well and your facial expressions should come across clearly.
Your eyes, body and face can carry on a whole conversation for you. You can speak volumes with a simple movement. You can use body language to convey a message you may not otherwise want to vocalize.
Knowing how to end or start a conversation with body language can come in handy if you do not have time to carry on a conversation, but would like to acknowledge someone.
Body language can also share a feeling with someone so only the two of you know. Make sure your body language is saying what you want it to.
It is hard to imagine the present-day world of million per minute transactions without an organizer, without someone ready to serve the God of Instant Deals thus making profits. These organizers do not have to go the extra mile looking for customers - their clients are everywhere, all way around the globe. The organizers are those telecommunications companies and owners of conference centers that provide conference call services.
The significance of conference call services is hard to overestimate: their mission is to provide a continuously high quality of real-time(or near real-time) communication for those, who are eager to save time, travel costs and concerned about security, in a word for those in the know of modern-business values.
Basically, there are two types of conference call providers: mortar-and-brick and online ones. The first type can lend you conference rooms and cutting-edge equipment (depending on the company), while the virtual one provides you with software and connection services.
Conference centers are impressive buildings with a wide range of facilities and equipment installed and designed to meet the high needs of top-management meetings and gatherings. They usually have business centers with classrooms ideal for arranging presentations, cabarets (with two delegates at a table, suitable for presentations that involve audience participation), boardrooms for interactive discussion, spacious theatres with several hundred seats and other facilities. They provide such services as audio- and video-conferencing tools and equipment. As well, there is a team of professionals responsible for security-related issues and an efficient event-planning service that offers specialist advice in catering, technical issues, telecommunications and room set-ups.
The option described above is the best for large meetings drawing top managers of different companies and corporations. It is rather costly. For those, who would like to have access to less expensive conference call services, virtual solutions can be more attractive.
Among the most popular companies that offer conference calls online are Free Conference, Conference Call and Conference Call Unlimited. If you want to organize an audio conference, you can use reservationless and managed or operator-assisted solutions. A telecommunications company allocates a dial-in number and a password code to the user of the service, who sets a date and time of the conference and invite participants. If you want to have specialist assistance in organizing a conference event over the phone, they can again give you advice and take responsibility for inviting all conferees on your list. Microsoft offers downloadable LiveMeeting and NetMeeting solutions, which are first-class: free of charge private and low-cost business versions.
Besides, conference calls are easy to make using such software as Skype, Firefly, Yahoo! Messenger, Hotmail MSN and others. You will just need a PC, a headset and broadband connection. You can enhance your conferencing experience adding a camera. Conference calls are getting overwhelming attention and great respect from businesses in all countries. Try to bring together 4 people from 4 different countries together in one place at one time and then trying making a conference call. As soon as you realize the benefits of the latter, you will start saving considerably.