Students are earning money for reporting the errors they see online through the TypoBounty.com contest. By employing their newly acquired knowledge to company websites, they are creating the classic win-win situation. Students are gaining financial benefits, educational benefits and self-confidence. Companies gain professional copy and an enhanced ability to sell their products and services.
Houston, Texas (PRWEB) September 24, 2007 -- Students are using www.TypoBounty.com to earn money and bragging rights in the Internet competition of the ages. TypoBounty.com is a fun, new website where companies offer cash rewards to students for locating and reporting errors on their web properties.
The continuation of student rivalries in this online free contest benefits both the companies and the students in many ways.
It is a classic win-win situation. Students gain a fun means of earning money to live the college lifestyle without the near poverty experience, usually associated with college life. The money can be used to supplement student loans. Companies gain perfected copy and the focused attention of a powerful demographic.
Since students are able to contribute to online organizations and earn over $2.00 per reported error, one can see why this is becoming popular. Since, students are able to earn cash right from their dorm room with nothing more than a computer and an Internet connection, college students are uniquely suited to earn while helping companies succeed without overloading their already hectic schedules.
There are educational benefits for students as well. As students compete they review real live business offerings and employ and reinforce the communication techniques they've enhanced during their years of school. Since students are required not only to report the errors, but to provide an optional solution as well, students learn how to steer clear of common mistakes once they deploy their own businesses strategies and websites.
Students also gain an opportunity to shine in front of prospective employers, as this is really a competition that allows students to display their grasp of the need for attention to detail, communication skills, and marketing skills.
"I believe that Texas A&M will do well in this contest." says Pete R. "Our student body tends to rise to challenges such as this."
Students learn to structure their proposals, and test the skills that they have acquired in the real world of business. Companies then agree or disagree with the suggestion. Money changes hands when the suggestion is valid.
The competition, educational benefits and school pride draws many students. The cash rewards of the contest draw even more. Students actually get a chance to make a difference online and stand out.
It is essentially an intelligence and dedication contest between schools and individuals. It requires maturity, intelligence, communication skills, marketing skills and a certain level of attention to detail. Students not only learn what businesses are doing wrong, they also gain understanding of what real companies are doing right. This provides invaluable insight into the business world.
Students are positively contributing to something that they use daily and companies seeking to market to the college demographic have an opportunity to gain the attention they seek.
All college students are welcomed. Some of the rivalries that are brewing in this new competition include:
Army vs. Navy, Florida State vs. Miami, Air Force vs. Colorado State, Akron vs. Kent, Akron vs. Youngstown St., Alabama vs. Tennessee, Alabama A&M vs. Alabama State, Alabama State vs. Tuskegee, Albion (MI) vs. Olivet (MI), Alcorn State vs. Jackson State, Amherst vs. Williams, Appalachian State vs. Western Carolina, Arizona vs. Arizona State, Arizona vs. New Mexico, Arkansas vs. LSU, Auburn vs. Georgia, Bethune-Cookman vs. Florida A&M, Boise State vs. Idaho, Boston College vs. Notre Dame, Bowling Green vs. Toledo, BYU vs. Utah, BYU vs. Utah State, California vs. Stanford, Cal-Davis vs. Cal-State Sacramento, Carleton College vs. St. Olaf, Central Michigan vs. Western Michigan, Cincinnati vs. Louisville, Cincinnati vs. Miami (OH), Citadel vs. VMI, Clemson vs. N.C. State, Clemson vs. South Carolina, Coast Guard. vs. Rensselar, Colorado vs. Colorado State, Colorado vs. Nebraska, Colorado State vs. Wyoming, Cornell vs. Pennsylvania, Cortland State vs. Ithaca, Dartmouth vs. Princeton, DePauw vs. Wabash, Dickinson vs. Franklin & Marshall, Dickinson vs. Gettysburg, Duke vs. North Carolina, East Carolina vs. N.C. State, Elizabeth City State vs. Norfolk State, Florida vs. Florida State, Florida vs. Georgia, Florida vs. Tennessee, Franklin College vs. Hanover College, Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, Grambling vs. Southern, Harvard vs. Yale, Hope vs. Kalamazoo, Houston vs. Rice, Idaho vs. Montana, Illinois vs. Northwestern, Illinois vs. Ohio State, Illinois vs. Purdue, Indiana vs. Kentucky, Indiana vs. Michigan State, Indiana vs. Purdue, Indiana (PA) vs. Slippery Rock, Iowa vs. Iowa State, Iowa vs. Minnesota, Iowa State vs. Missouri, Jackson State vs. Tennessee State, , Jackson State vs. Southern, Jacksonville State vs. Troy State, Juniata College vs. Susquehanna, Kansas vs. Kansas State, Kansas vs. Missouri, Kentucky vs. Louisville, Kentucky vs. Tennessee, Knox vs. Monmouth, Lafayette vs. Lehigh, Louisiana vs. McNeese State, LSU vs. Ole Miss, LSU vs. Tulane, Marshall vs. Ohio, Miami (FL) vs. Syracuse, Miami (OH) vs. Ohio, Michigan vs. Michigan State, Michigan vs. Minnesota, Michigan vs. Ohio State, Michigan State vs. Notre Dame, Michigan State vs. Penn State, Middle Tennessee State vs. Tennessee Tech, Minnesota vs. Wisconsin, Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss, Missouri vs. Nebraska, Missouri Southern State vs. Pittsburg State(KS), Montana vs. Montana St., Morehouse vs. Tuskegee, Nebraska vs. Oklahoma, Nevada vs. UNLV, Newberry (SC) vs. Presbyterian College (SC), New Mexico vs. New Mexico State, New Mexico vs. UTEP, New Mexico State vs. UTEP, North Carolina vs. North Carolina State, North Carolina A&T vs. North Carolina Central, North Dakota vs. North Dakota State, Northwestern State (LA) vs. Stephen F. Austin, Notre Dame vs. Purdue, Notre Dame vs. USC, Occidental vs. Pomona, Oklahoma vs. Texas, Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State, Oregon vs. Oregon State, Pennsylvania vs. Princeton, Penn State vs. Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia, Prairie View A&M vs. Texas Southern, Rensselaer vs. Union, Rensselaer vs. Worcester Tech, Richmond vs. William & Mary, Samford vs. Troy State, SMU vs. TCU, Syracuse vs. West Virginia, Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt, Texas vs. Texas A&M, UCLA vs. USC, Utah vs. Utah State, Virginia vs. Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia, Washington vs. Washington State.
More students and non-students are joining this competition daily.
http://www.emediawire.com
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Make Money Online With Blogging To The Bank 2.0
BLOGGING is easy but only a few blogs get noticed. The blogs like Engadget, Boing Boing, Problogger are among the top ones that are highly searched for. Every one of us might be interested in duplicating these most successful blogs.
There is a opinion that only Darren Rowse and John Chow could earn millions with their blogs. But when you follow the exact steps for blogging you too can make money online for life long.
Let me review the latest ebook on Blog marketing by renowned author Rob Benwell - Blogging to the Bank 2.0. It is a complete step-by-step blueprint for making the most successful search engine friendly blogs.
Blogging to the Bank 2.0 reveals a simple formula to create blogs instantaneously that helps to make money online without having a product or website of your own. You do not need to be proficient in HTML.
The success of the blog depends upon the traffic it receives. Blogging to the Bank clearly explains how to get traffic from the search engines and Web 2.0. Moreover it laid emphasis on SEO techniques to get thousands of quality backlinks so that your blog rockets up in the search engine results.
Personally I feel that Blogging to the Bank is definitely one of the best ebooks I've ever come across to build a successful niche blog. It teaches you the solid blogging techniques that can earn decent money over the internet. It covers all the basics of pro blogging and monetization.
The author Rob Benwell claims that his blogging blueprint makes you to earn in millions. However I feel that as the earning potential is dependent on multiple factors, it may not be a correct statement. But I agree that with his cutting edge promotional tips you could begin earning a decent money atleast in thousands (not millions as posed by the author).
Blogging to the Bank 2.0 is not a get rich quick scheme guide but in fact a legal blueprint for effective blogging to make money online. Truly this is a must have informational guide for every blogger.
Cher K. Markov
There is a opinion that only Darren Rowse and John Chow could earn millions with their blogs. But when you follow the exact steps for blogging you too can make money online for life long.
Let me review the latest ebook on Blog marketing by renowned author Rob Benwell - Blogging to the Bank 2.0. It is a complete step-by-step blueprint for making the most successful search engine friendly blogs.
Blogging to the Bank 2.0 reveals a simple formula to create blogs instantaneously that helps to make money online without having a product or website of your own. You do not need to be proficient in HTML.
The success of the blog depends upon the traffic it receives. Blogging to the Bank clearly explains how to get traffic from the search engines and Web 2.0. Moreover it laid emphasis on SEO techniques to get thousands of quality backlinks so that your blog rockets up in the search engine results.
Personally I feel that Blogging to the Bank is definitely one of the best ebooks I've ever come across to build a successful niche blog. It teaches you the solid blogging techniques that can earn decent money over the internet. It covers all the basics of pro blogging and monetization.
The author Rob Benwell claims that his blogging blueprint makes you to earn in millions. However I feel that as the earning potential is dependent on multiple factors, it may not be a correct statement. But I agree that with his cutting edge promotional tips you could begin earning a decent money atleast in thousands (not millions as posed by the author).
Blogging to the Bank 2.0 is not a get rich quick scheme guide but in fact a legal blueprint for effective blogging to make money online. Truly this is a must have informational guide for every blogger.
Cher K. Markov
Friday, September 21, 2007
The Marketer Guys Makes a Come Back!
Here is a word the Marketer Guy himself has to say about earning money on the internet
Dear friend !
Have you ever wanted to earn money online? Furthermore, have you ever wanted to make a living using your computer?
If you\'ve tried and failed before, relax. It\'s not your fault! I\'ve been there too. I\'ve followed trillions and zillions of scams and fake guru advice. This equals a loss of thousands and thousands of dollars. But I found a way out of this.
I finally made it to my first $100 dollars. Then I went a step further and made $500. Guess what? $1000 and $2000 checks didn\'t delay too much.
After that you can easily find your own way to make a part or full time job from the Internet. This is real money, no \"million dollar\" impossible to believe stories. This is real, bill paying cash. And oh yes. You\'ve got it.
ANYONE CAN DO IT.
If you can do a simple little research, point and click and have the guts and motivation to make it online, then you are like me. I now can make money working a few hours each day (or each week when I feel lazy).
I made my way to success. You can do it too, without the desperate mistakes I made.\"
I am currently using his methods and making tons of cash and traffic.
http://www.themarketerguy.com
by EditorChoice
Dear friend !
Have you ever wanted to earn money online? Furthermore, have you ever wanted to make a living using your computer?
If you\'ve tried and failed before, relax. It\'s not your fault! I\'ve been there too. I\'ve followed trillions and zillions of scams and fake guru advice. This equals a loss of thousands and thousands of dollars. But I found a way out of this.
I finally made it to my first $100 dollars. Then I went a step further and made $500. Guess what? $1000 and $2000 checks didn\'t delay too much.
After that you can easily find your own way to make a part or full time job from the Internet. This is real money, no \"million dollar\" impossible to believe stories. This is real, bill paying cash. And oh yes. You\'ve got it.
ANYONE CAN DO IT.
If you can do a simple little research, point and click and have the guts and motivation to make it online, then you are like me. I now can make money working a few hours each day (or each week when I feel lazy).
I made my way to success. You can do it too, without the desperate mistakes I made.\"
I am currently using his methods and making tons of cash and traffic.
http://www.themarketerguy.com
by EditorChoice
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Earn 100% Commissions On Internet Marketing Scripts
ScriptDojo is a blog, though they called it a review site, about internet marketing scripts, affiliate tools and product launches. Each product post, in a blog format, is not really a review about it but merely a description on the product. Below each post, it has a link where it will go to the sales page of the certain product. That link is designed for ScriptDojo’s unique Affiliate Program in which you can earn 100% commissions generated from your referral URL.
Highlights and Benefits
ScriptDojo’s affiliate program concept was not new to me and as I have remembered, I knew and joined one affiliate program which works very similar with them. But in your case, their concept might be different and you may only know it by now. Below are some of the unique benefits when you join ScriptDojo affiliate program.
1. Dozens Of Products To Promote
As I mentioned aboved, the products are posted in a blog format, thus, more and more products are added on a regular basis. If ScriptDojo post another product on their site, it will automatically become one of yours. In addition, with ScriptDojo you will be one of those who will know first about new products about internet marketing.
2. Earn 100% Commissions
When someone go to ScriptDojo’s site from your referral URL and purchase one of those internet marketing products, you will earn all the commissions.
3. Earn From Your Lists
Their site is just a blog format as I repeatedly mentioned and it has also an option to join in their mailing list. When you refer visitors to them and didn’t purchase any item but join in their mailing list, you still have a chance to earn from that visitors in the future. They will send email to their list with your affiliate ID encoded in it when there’s a product launches. Therefore, if your referred visitors that joined in their mailing list buy the new product launches (which they send through email), you will earn the commissions.
4. Earn From Your Affiliates
Same with the above process, you can make money from your afiliates if they buy on the new product launches.
As you might have noticed, their biggest asset would be the products itself as they will continually add new one at a time. However, it costs just $0.01 for the first 30 days (at the time of writing) and then $9.95 per month thereafter to stay with their affiliate program. This makes them again different from others since most affiliate programs are free. Visit ScriptDojo now and start make money online today with internet marketing scripts, affiliate tools and product launches.
Ramil Alcibar
The Top 20 Most Powerful Secrets to Getting Rich
Highlights and Benefits
ScriptDojo’s affiliate program concept was not new to me and as I have remembered, I knew and joined one affiliate program which works very similar with them. But in your case, their concept might be different and you may only know it by now. Below are some of the unique benefits when you join ScriptDojo affiliate program.
1. Dozens Of Products To Promote
As I mentioned aboved, the products are posted in a blog format, thus, more and more products are added on a regular basis. If ScriptDojo post another product on their site, it will automatically become one of yours. In addition, with ScriptDojo you will be one of those who will know first about new products about internet marketing.
2. Earn 100% Commissions
When someone go to ScriptDojo’s site from your referral URL and purchase one of those internet marketing products, you will earn all the commissions.
3. Earn From Your Lists
Their site is just a blog format as I repeatedly mentioned and it has also an option to join in their mailing list. When you refer visitors to them and didn’t purchase any item but join in their mailing list, you still have a chance to earn from that visitors in the future. They will send email to their list with your affiliate ID encoded in it when there’s a product launches. Therefore, if your referred visitors that joined in their mailing list buy the new product launches (which they send through email), you will earn the commissions.
4. Earn From Your Affiliates
Same with the above process, you can make money from your afiliates if they buy on the new product launches.
As you might have noticed, their biggest asset would be the products itself as they will continually add new one at a time. However, it costs just $0.01 for the first 30 days (at the time of writing) and then $9.95 per month thereafter to stay with their affiliate program. This makes them again different from others since most affiliate programs are free. Visit ScriptDojo now and start make money online today with internet marketing scripts, affiliate tools and product launches.
Ramil Alcibar
The Top 20 Most Powerful Secrets to Getting Rich
Monday, September 17, 2007
Sunshine is where the savings are
Fishers cyber-entrepreneur hosts online shopping community from home
Like many stay-at-home moms on a budget, Rachel Brolsma of Noblesville turned to the Internet for money-saving solutions for everyday living. But with a whole universe of sites dedicated to bargain hunting, which ones are trustworthy?
“A lot of times online you kind of question different businesses that you go into and you can run into problems,” Brolsma said.
Then she found www.sunshinerewards.com, an online shopping community where Brolsma not only finds discounts but earns cash back on purchases. The site is the brainchild of Tricia Meyer of Fishers.
Like Brolsma, Meyer is a stay-at-home mom. From a cozy office tucked between her 4- and 6-year-old daughters’ bedrooms, the former lawyer turned cyber-entrepreneur guides Sunshine members through an expansive array of retailers offering bargains. Members can find anything from Apple Computers to Zales diamonds.
“We’re a loyalty community,” Meyer said. “You have two choices. You can either join as a member and be a full part of the community, or you can just come in to do your shopping and you’ll still get all the same discounts, same coupons as everybody else, you just won’t get the cash back rewards. If you join as a member, it’s free to sign up.”
Meyer isn’t a middle man. She doesn’t process any transactions. Members scan discounts and cash back rewards from a list of hundreds of retailers like Barnes & Noble, Dell Computers, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Hyatt Hotels.
Once they’ve found what they want, they click over to the retailer’s site and purchase directly from them.
Meyer earns fees from the retailers for every Sunshine Rewards member who clicks over to the retailer’s site from the Sunshine Rewards site. She then splits the fees with her members. Cash back rewards can range from 1 percent to as much as 15 percent. Brolsma is taking her rewards to Disney World.
“A lot of my rewards have helped me pay for almost a third of our trip that we’re getting ready to take on Friday,” she said.
Membership has grown mainly through cyber buzz about the service. Since going online two years ago, more than 6,500 members nationwide have joined. Meyer expects the company to earn approximately $500,000 this year.
The site includes a message board where members can clue each other in to deals, share ideas, rate retailers or simply chat about various topics. Members can also earn money taking online surveys through the site.
“We add coupons like crazy. We add coupons all day, every day,” Meyer said. “A lot of them are exclusive coupons that we work directly with the companies to exclusive so they can’t get them anywhere else except from us.”
With the holidays coming up, Meyer has added new features to the site to help members find the products they are looking for faster. But for Brolsma, just knowing there is a real person to go to for help is what makes Sunshine Rewards her first stop when she’s out to shop.
“If there is even one little thing that you have a question on, she’s just so quick to get back to you,” Brolsma said. “She’s personal with every single person on there.”
By William Fouts
wfouts@noblesvilledailytimes.com
Chelsea owner looking for first UEFA trophy
The 8 secrets that made the Model T No. 1
Like many stay-at-home moms on a budget, Rachel Brolsma of Noblesville turned to the Internet for money-saving solutions for everyday living. But with a whole universe of sites dedicated to bargain hunting, which ones are trustworthy?
“A lot of times online you kind of question different businesses that you go into and you can run into problems,” Brolsma said.
Then she found www.sunshinerewards.com, an online shopping community where Brolsma not only finds discounts but earns cash back on purchases. The site is the brainchild of Tricia Meyer of Fishers.
Like Brolsma, Meyer is a stay-at-home mom. From a cozy office tucked between her 4- and 6-year-old daughters’ bedrooms, the former lawyer turned cyber-entrepreneur guides Sunshine members through an expansive array of retailers offering bargains. Members can find anything from Apple Computers to Zales diamonds.
“We’re a loyalty community,” Meyer said. “You have two choices. You can either join as a member and be a full part of the community, or you can just come in to do your shopping and you’ll still get all the same discounts, same coupons as everybody else, you just won’t get the cash back rewards. If you join as a member, it’s free to sign up.”
Meyer isn’t a middle man. She doesn’t process any transactions. Members scan discounts and cash back rewards from a list of hundreds of retailers like Barnes & Noble, Dell Computers, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Hyatt Hotels.
Once they’ve found what they want, they click over to the retailer’s site and purchase directly from them.
Meyer earns fees from the retailers for every Sunshine Rewards member who clicks over to the retailer’s site from the Sunshine Rewards site. She then splits the fees with her members. Cash back rewards can range from 1 percent to as much as 15 percent. Brolsma is taking her rewards to Disney World.
“A lot of my rewards have helped me pay for almost a third of our trip that we’re getting ready to take on Friday,” she said.
Membership has grown mainly through cyber buzz about the service. Since going online two years ago, more than 6,500 members nationwide have joined. Meyer expects the company to earn approximately $500,000 this year.
The site includes a message board where members can clue each other in to deals, share ideas, rate retailers or simply chat about various topics. Members can also earn money taking online surveys through the site.
“We add coupons like crazy. We add coupons all day, every day,” Meyer said. “A lot of them are exclusive coupons that we work directly with the companies to exclusive so they can’t get them anywhere else except from us.”
With the holidays coming up, Meyer has added new features to the site to help members find the products they are looking for faster. But for Brolsma, just knowing there is a real person to go to for help is what makes Sunshine Rewards her first stop when she’s out to shop.
“If there is even one little thing that you have a question on, she’s just so quick to get back to you,” Brolsma said. “She’s personal with every single person on there.”
By William Fouts
wfouts@noblesvilledailytimes.com
Chelsea owner looking for first UEFA trophy
The 8 secrets that made the Model T No. 1
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Orange can let the secrets out of the bag today
Today, Orange County commissioners are slated to decide whether tens of millions of dollars in tax money can continue to be spent in secret.
We're talking about the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the not-for-profit agency that is slated to receive nearly $50 million in hotel taxes this year alone.
For years, this private agency has eagerly lapped up public money -- while shunning public scrutiny. The bureau, for instance, refused to say how much tax money has been spent on everything from executives' salaries and expense reports to dinners and travel.
But now, infused with more cash than ever, thanks to a recent hike in the resort tax -- and with financial scandals at visitors bureaus in other parts of the country making headlines -- county officials are finally talking about toughening up their contract with the CVB.
The vote on the new contract is scheduled for today. And some of the new provisions show promise. But it's far from perfect.
What to like
The bureau itself has agreed to divulge the salaries of a few more of its top executives. And the agency has toned down what was once an intense lobbying campaign to keep information from you.
The county has beefed up accountability and auditing requirements, asking the agency for more detailed accounting of its spending and an audit committee.
The county has included specific language that bans tax money from being spent on adult entertainment and gambling. One would like to think this was already common sense. But tell that to residents in Palm Beach and Fresno, Calif., where their CVB officials were caught doing everything from stealing money to spending it at Victoria's Secret.
What not to like
The CVB still wants to keep most of its salaries secret. No public agency works like that. And considering that the CVB has been known to provide its CEO with a compensation package in excess of $300,000 -- and who-knows-what for its eight vice presidents -- that's a lot of unknown money.
While the county has asked the CVB to beef up its audits and internal checks, there's no guarantee that specific and line-item details will ever be available for public inspection. Instead, county officials would have to ask for much of the information before you can see it.
Current plans do not call for turning the agency into a public one that would be subject to the state's public-records law. They should -- just like leaders did with the visitors bureau in Orlando's chief rival, Las Vegas.
Hopefully, Mayor Rich Crotty and county commissioners will ask a few more tough questions this morning before approving the contract.
Commissioner Linda Stewart plans to. She has long approached this matter the way most of you would -- trying to comprehend any legitimate reasons not to let the public see how its money is spent. Not surprisingly, she hasn't come up with many.
Stewart said Monday that she still hopes to push for more disclosure about salaries, contracts and spending in general -- with the information placed online for residents to see.
It's hard to think of why any of Stewart's peers would oppose her efforts. Would any of them really want to be remembered as the politician who voted to keep secrets about how tax money is spent?
Sure, the CVB has understandable concerns about not wanting to give competing markets sneak peeks on its marketing plans. So public-record exemptions can be allowed.
But it's hard to see how divulging things like salaries, contracts with consultants and expense reports would somehow put Orlando at a disadvantage for luring visitors.
New CVB chief Gary Sain said last week that he has tried to be responsive to concerns. And he's taken some steps in that direction.
But if the county isn't going to take the agency public and let the full "Sunshine" laws in, it should at least make sure that the public has enough light to see what's really going on.
What Would Walt Do?
Disney may need to take a timeout. The theme park recently raised parking rates to $11 a car on the heels of raising single-day ticket prices to $71 for adults and $60 for children ages 3 to 9. You're now talking more than $270 for a family of four to spend a single day at a park. And yet now comes word that the park may be experimenting with a system that would allow the customers who stay at the resort's most-expensive hotels to get through the ride lines faster than others. Yes, we now have the possibility of blatant classism . . . in Fantasyland. You know, ol' Walt himself once said: "You reach a point where you don't work for money." It's hard to imagine, though, that the average American working stiff will ever reach that point -- not if he has any hope of taking his family to one of Walt's parks, anyway.
Hey, politics is entertainment
In the past few days, Florida's political pages have started looking more like Daily Variety. We have Republican Gov. Charlie Crist traveling to Sundance to meet with Robert Redford about the environment; South Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Connie Mack announcing his engagement to Sonny Bono's widow, fellow GOP Rep. Mary; and Law & Order actor Fred Thompson announcing the Florida swing of his campaign for the GOP presidential nomination. No wonder complaints about "Hollywood liberals" have died down.
Scott Maxwell, who thinks it would take a slick politician to keep a straight face while arguing to keep information about public money away from the public, can be reached at 407-420-6141 or smaxwell@orlandosentinel.com.
We're talking about the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the not-for-profit agency that is slated to receive nearly $50 million in hotel taxes this year alone.
For years, this private agency has eagerly lapped up public money -- while shunning public scrutiny. The bureau, for instance, refused to say how much tax money has been spent on everything from executives' salaries and expense reports to dinners and travel.
But now, infused with more cash than ever, thanks to a recent hike in the resort tax -- and with financial scandals at visitors bureaus in other parts of the country making headlines -- county officials are finally talking about toughening up their contract with the CVB.
The vote on the new contract is scheduled for today. And some of the new provisions show promise. But it's far from perfect.
What to like
The bureau itself has agreed to divulge the salaries of a few more of its top executives. And the agency has toned down what was once an intense lobbying campaign to keep information from you.
The county has beefed up accountability and auditing requirements, asking the agency for more detailed accounting of its spending and an audit committee.
The county has included specific language that bans tax money from being spent on adult entertainment and gambling. One would like to think this was already common sense. But tell that to residents in Palm Beach and Fresno, Calif., where their CVB officials were caught doing everything from stealing money to spending it at Victoria's Secret.
What not to like
The CVB still wants to keep most of its salaries secret. No public agency works like that. And considering that the CVB has been known to provide its CEO with a compensation package in excess of $300,000 -- and who-knows-what for its eight vice presidents -- that's a lot of unknown money.
While the county has asked the CVB to beef up its audits and internal checks, there's no guarantee that specific and line-item details will ever be available for public inspection. Instead, county officials would have to ask for much of the information before you can see it.
Current plans do not call for turning the agency into a public one that would be subject to the state's public-records law. They should -- just like leaders did with the visitors bureau in Orlando's chief rival, Las Vegas.
Hopefully, Mayor Rich Crotty and county commissioners will ask a few more tough questions this morning before approving the contract.
Commissioner Linda Stewart plans to. She has long approached this matter the way most of you would -- trying to comprehend any legitimate reasons not to let the public see how its money is spent. Not surprisingly, she hasn't come up with many.
Stewart said Monday that she still hopes to push for more disclosure about salaries, contracts and spending in general -- with the information placed online for residents to see.
It's hard to think of why any of Stewart's peers would oppose her efforts. Would any of them really want to be remembered as the politician who voted to keep secrets about how tax money is spent?
Sure, the CVB has understandable concerns about not wanting to give competing markets sneak peeks on its marketing plans. So public-record exemptions can be allowed.
But it's hard to see how divulging things like salaries, contracts with consultants and expense reports would somehow put Orlando at a disadvantage for luring visitors.
New CVB chief Gary Sain said last week that he has tried to be responsive to concerns. And he's taken some steps in that direction.
But if the county isn't going to take the agency public and let the full "Sunshine" laws in, it should at least make sure that the public has enough light to see what's really going on.
What Would Walt Do?
Disney may need to take a timeout. The theme park recently raised parking rates to $11 a car on the heels of raising single-day ticket prices to $71 for adults and $60 for children ages 3 to 9. You're now talking more than $270 for a family of four to spend a single day at a park. And yet now comes word that the park may be experimenting with a system that would allow the customers who stay at the resort's most-expensive hotels to get through the ride lines faster than others. Yes, we now have the possibility of blatant classism . . . in Fantasyland. You know, ol' Walt himself once said: "You reach a point where you don't work for money." It's hard to imagine, though, that the average American working stiff will ever reach that point -- not if he has any hope of taking his family to one of Walt's parks, anyway.
Hey, politics is entertainment
In the past few days, Florida's political pages have started looking more like Daily Variety. We have Republican Gov. Charlie Crist traveling to Sundance to meet with Robert Redford about the environment; South Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Connie Mack announcing his engagement to Sonny Bono's widow, fellow GOP Rep. Mary; and Law & Order actor Fred Thompson announcing the Florida swing of his campaign for the GOP presidential nomination. No wonder complaints about "Hollywood liberals" have died down.
Scott Maxwell, who thinks it would take a slick politician to keep a straight face while arguing to keep information about public money away from the public, can be reached at 407-420-6141 or smaxwell@orlandosentinel.com.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
The Easy Way to Make Money from home on eBay
(ARA) - For a mom working from home, a part-time second job, or as a hobby that pays, you can make extra money selling on eBay. All you need is a computer and a few hours.
Ruth G., a homemaker in Rexburg, Idaho, who's been an eBay seller for some time says, "I have a 17-month-old son and another baby on the way, so [making] a real financial contribution to our family budget AND [being] at home as a mom is very important to me. In just a couple of hours a week, I am able to meet our financial goals, leaving me plenty of time to do the things that are really important to me in life."
Many folks out there are curious about eBay. How do you build up your buying score? How does PayPal work? What is involved in the auction process? These are just a few questions about getting started as an auctioneer, and they all get answered in "eBay Tips For Dummies," just part of the Auction Success Kit. This downloadable "book" provides the answers.
Also included are 14 bonus chapters that provide what you need to get started and be successful. Chapter topics include: streamlining your eBay business by leveraging eBay technologies; fast and effective techniques for finding items to sell; and starting and automating your eBay business. These books reveal some of eBay's best kept secrets, and advice on how to get bids. Included in the kit is a free, 14-day trial to BidFuel.com, a membership service that offers access to everything required, including the inventory you're going to sell.
BidFuel.com is an eBay sellers' inventory supplier, offering literally thousands of products with member discounts of up to 90 percent off. They keep the products so you don't need to store, pack or ship anything. BidFuel takes care of it all.
As reported on "60 Minutes Wednesday," In 2001, 50 million people were using the eBay Web site. Today, more than 125 million people worldwide use the site, with people buying and selling more than $1,000 worth of merchandise every second. "eBay seems to have tapped into something uniquely American and entrepreneurial… where anyone can be a buyer or a seller," says correspondent Charlie Rose. "As many as 150,000 people have literally given up their jobs to create their own businesses selling on eBay."
The BidFuel Auction Success Kit is the ORIGINAL eBay starter kit. Gain financial independence, pay off debt, or earn extra cash with this free offer at www.auctionsuccesskit.com/tips.
*For Dummies is a registered trademark of Wiley Publishing, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Used here by license.
By ARA Content
Ruth G., a homemaker in Rexburg, Idaho, who's been an eBay seller for some time says, "I have a 17-month-old son and another baby on the way, so [making] a real financial contribution to our family budget AND [being] at home as a mom is very important to me. In just a couple of hours a week, I am able to meet our financial goals, leaving me plenty of time to do the things that are really important to me in life."
Many folks out there are curious about eBay. How do you build up your buying score? How does PayPal work? What is involved in the auction process? These are just a few questions about getting started as an auctioneer, and they all get answered in "eBay Tips For Dummies," just part of the Auction Success Kit. This downloadable "book" provides the answers.
Also included are 14 bonus chapters that provide what you need to get started and be successful. Chapter topics include: streamlining your eBay business by leveraging eBay technologies; fast and effective techniques for finding items to sell; and starting and automating your eBay business. These books reveal some of eBay's best kept secrets, and advice on how to get bids. Included in the kit is a free, 14-day trial to BidFuel.com, a membership service that offers access to everything required, including the inventory you're going to sell.
BidFuel.com is an eBay sellers' inventory supplier, offering literally thousands of products with member discounts of up to 90 percent off. They keep the products so you don't need to store, pack or ship anything. BidFuel takes care of it all.
As reported on "60 Minutes Wednesday," In 2001, 50 million people were using the eBay Web site. Today, more than 125 million people worldwide use the site, with people buying and selling more than $1,000 worth of merchandise every second. "eBay seems to have tapped into something uniquely American and entrepreneurial… where anyone can be a buyer or a seller," says correspondent Charlie Rose. "As many as 150,000 people have literally given up their jobs to create their own businesses selling on eBay."
The BidFuel Auction Success Kit is the ORIGINAL eBay starter kit. Gain financial independence, pay off debt, or earn extra cash with this free offer at www.auctionsuccesskit.com/tips.
*For Dummies is a registered trademark of Wiley Publishing, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Used here by license.
By ARA Content
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Profiting from Adsense
You've probably heard a lot about Google AdSense, but you may not know just what it is. Well, for one thing, it's one of the hottest new ways to make money online without having to do a whole lot. If you've read Robert Kiyosaki's book, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad", you know that passive income is the best kind of income to have.
You'll have to invest just a little bit of time in learning about it, but once you get it set up you can look forward to seeing those nice checks roll in. Or, if you're totally online, seeing money flow into your PayPal account.
Google AdSense is a fast and absolutely ridiculously easy way for people with websites of all types and sizes to put up and display relevant Google ads on the content pages of their site and earn money.
So what kind of ads do you have to put up? That's the good part. You don't have to decide. Google does it for you. AdSense always delivers relevant ads that are precisely targeted on a page-by-page basis to the content that people find on your site. For example, if you have a page that tells the story of your pet fish, Google will send you ads for that site that are for pet stores, fish food, fish bowls, aquariums. You get the picture.
Here's the thing you need to know: Google has no strict criteria for acceptance into the AdSense program, and Ad Sense doesn't hit you with a minimum traffic requirement. The only criteria they're really sticky about is the standard "acceptable content" requirements, and that's pretty standard almost anywhere.
Once you've been accepted into Google AdSense, you'll be able to get the AdSense advertisements on any site you own using the same ad code, provided you obey the Google guidelines. (And that's very, very important more on that later.)
It's easy to get started with AdSense and it only takes a few minutes. You fill out one single online application and that's it. Once you’re approved, it takes only minutes to set up AdSense; all you have to do is copy and paste a designated block of HTML into the source code for your site. Once you do that, targeted ads will start showing up on your website and start watching those nice checks roll in.
While i can't guarantee results, of course, since a lot of your success lies in your own hands, i wouldn't have written this article if i didn't believe in the power of Google AdSense. A lot of webmasters are making a lot of money off of AdSense, and there's no reason you shouldn't be one of them.
The Easy Way to Make Money on eBay
To date, comparisons of AdWords rates with AdSense earnings add up to commissions of between 40% and 60%. People speculate all the time on user boards as to why Google refuses to publish its commission rates, but no one has the answer. It might have something to do with legal reasons or it could just be that Google wants to retain the ability to change rates without having to send out an announcement about it each time, which costs money.
by Gabriel Clyde
You'll have to invest just a little bit of time in learning about it, but once you get it set up you can look forward to seeing those nice checks roll in. Or, if you're totally online, seeing money flow into your PayPal account.
Google AdSense is a fast and absolutely ridiculously easy way for people with websites of all types and sizes to put up and display relevant Google ads on the content pages of their site and earn money.
So what kind of ads do you have to put up? That's the good part. You don't have to decide. Google does it for you. AdSense always delivers relevant ads that are precisely targeted on a page-by-page basis to the content that people find on your site. For example, if you have a page that tells the story of your pet fish, Google will send you ads for that site that are for pet stores, fish food, fish bowls, aquariums. You get the picture.
Here's the thing you need to know: Google has no strict criteria for acceptance into the AdSense program, and Ad Sense doesn't hit you with a minimum traffic requirement. The only criteria they're really sticky about is the standard "acceptable content" requirements, and that's pretty standard almost anywhere.
Once you've been accepted into Google AdSense, you'll be able to get the AdSense advertisements on any site you own using the same ad code, provided you obey the Google guidelines. (And that's very, very important more on that later.)
It's easy to get started with AdSense and it only takes a few minutes. You fill out one single online application and that's it. Once you’re approved, it takes only minutes to set up AdSense; all you have to do is copy and paste a designated block of HTML into the source code for your site. Once you do that, targeted ads will start showing up on your website and start watching those nice checks roll in.
While i can't guarantee results, of course, since a lot of your success lies in your own hands, i wouldn't have written this article if i didn't believe in the power of Google AdSense. A lot of webmasters are making a lot of money off of AdSense, and there's no reason you shouldn't be one of them.
The Easy Way to Make Money on eBay
To date, comparisons of AdWords rates with AdSense earnings add up to commissions of between 40% and 60%. People speculate all the time on user boards as to why Google refuses to publish its commission rates, but no one has the answer. It might have something to do with legal reasons or it could just be that Google wants to retain the ability to change rates without having to send out an announcement about it each time, which costs money.
by Gabriel Clyde
Monday, September 3, 2007
Get paid to use your mobile
Telecom company Noodle will pay you to make and receive calls on your handset, writes Ali Hussain
FANCY being paid every time you use your mobile? It may sound too good to be true, but a free mobile-phone service that can be used alongside an existing contract is offering customers money back each time they make or receive a call.
Some customers are already making up to £100 a week, more than enough to cover a phone’s running costs, according to Noodle, the telecom firm providing the service.
Noodle customers make 2p a minute if they make or receive a call during peak hours and 1p at other times. You can also make money by signing up a friend. You earn money each time you receive a call on your Noodle number, which is obtained by texting “Noodle” to 81025. Calls made by dialling the Noodle number first also earn money.
There is no contract or monthly fee and you can keep your mobile number and any free bundled minutes you have with your existing provider.
If you have free minutes to spare you earn money every time you use the phone. Once you run out of bundled minutes you cut the cost of your calls by up to 2p a minute by calling via Noodle.
Rob Barnes at comparison firm Moneysupermarket, said: “It’s exciting to see a new entrant creating a different product that is so good other networks should be replicating it. There are no discernible drawbacks and the product works.”
After obtaining a Noodle number, you can register online to set up an account. You can then see how much money you have accumulated. There is no need to provide bank details though transferring money to your account is easier if you do. You have to wait 60 days after setting up your Noodle plan before you can withdraw money.
To earn extra by signing other people on to the network, you register a unique word of your choice online. You then ask people to text Noodle followed by your word to 81025.
Savvy customers have set up websites where they encourage people they have never even met to join. Noodlesuper.com or Natter2.com, which look similar to the official Noodle website but are not affiliated, invite you to text “Noodle Super” or “Noodle Natter” to 81025. This will connect you to the Noodle network but also make the website owners money when you use your service.
Some customers have preset a Noodle number on their phones so it is dialled automatically each time they make a call.
Joe Weston, 21, a student at the University of the West of England in Bristol has an Orange contract that costs £45 a month. He has been using Noodle for four weeks and has made £22, covering about half the cost of his mobile contract.
He uses his Noodle number each time he makes calls and has signed up five other students, his older brother and his uncle, so he makes money each time they use the service as well. “I’m hoping to get a few more people to sign up and hopefully cover my entire monthly bill,” he said.
Noodle, owned by the private-equity firm Gerrard Bailey, is able to pass money on to customers because mobile operators pay to connect calls to rival networks.
When a T-Mobile customer makes a call to an Orange phone, for example, T-Mobile pays Orange a fee to connect the call to its customer.
If you make or receive a call on your Noodle number, the caller’s mobile operator has to pay Noodle. A slice of this is then passed on to the customer.
The service also allows you to make cheap or free international calls. Mobile users can pay over £1 a minute to make a call and they are also charged to receive them. The European Commission’s clampdown on overseas call charges, which will slash the cost to 38p a minute, takes effect this month.
But Noodle will still be cheaper. Most international calls, including to America, Australia and Canada, are charged at a local rate so are free if you have spare bundled minutes. You will also be making 2p a minute at peak times so you will in effect be paid to chat to friends and family abroad.
There are some downsides to the service. If a Noodle user calls you on your Noodle number, the caller makes the money not you. Also, you do not make any money at weekends.
All major operators allow customers to use Noodle apart from T-Mobile, which blocks its customers from making a call using the service. A T-Mobile spokesman said the operator was “not averse to working with Noodle” and that it was in discussions with the firm.
Some experts believe that it won’t be around for long though. Anthony Ball, director of comparison firm Onecompare.com, said: “The networks won’t like it and are sure to close the loophole that Noodle is exploiting.”
HOW THE SCHEME WORKS
Register for an account by texting NOODLE to 81025. You will receive a text with a Noodle mobile number and a pin to access your account on noodle.co.uk. To make calls, you dial your Noodle number and wait for a dial tone before calling. If you give your Noodle number to friends and colleagues, you make money every time they call you. You make more money by signing up other people.
FANCY being paid every time you use your mobile? It may sound too good to be true, but a free mobile-phone service that can be used alongside an existing contract is offering customers money back each time they make or receive a call.
Some customers are already making up to £100 a week, more than enough to cover a phone’s running costs, according to Noodle, the telecom firm providing the service.
Noodle customers make 2p a minute if they make or receive a call during peak hours and 1p at other times. You can also make money by signing up a friend. You earn money each time you receive a call on your Noodle number, which is obtained by texting “Noodle” to 81025. Calls made by dialling the Noodle number first also earn money.
There is no contract or monthly fee and you can keep your mobile number and any free bundled minutes you have with your existing provider.
If you have free minutes to spare you earn money every time you use the phone. Once you run out of bundled minutes you cut the cost of your calls by up to 2p a minute by calling via Noodle.
Rob Barnes at comparison firm Moneysupermarket, said: “It’s exciting to see a new entrant creating a different product that is so good other networks should be replicating it. There are no discernible drawbacks and the product works.”
After obtaining a Noodle number, you can register online to set up an account. You can then see how much money you have accumulated. There is no need to provide bank details though transferring money to your account is easier if you do. You have to wait 60 days after setting up your Noodle plan before you can withdraw money.
To earn extra by signing other people on to the network, you register a unique word of your choice online. You then ask people to text Noodle followed by your word to 81025.
Savvy customers have set up websites where they encourage people they have never even met to join. Noodlesuper.com or Natter2.com, which look similar to the official Noodle website but are not affiliated, invite you to text “Noodle Super” or “Noodle Natter” to 81025. This will connect you to the Noodle network but also make the website owners money when you use your service.
Some customers have preset a Noodle number on their phones so it is dialled automatically each time they make a call.
Joe Weston, 21, a student at the University of the West of England in Bristol has an Orange contract that costs £45 a month. He has been using Noodle for four weeks and has made £22, covering about half the cost of his mobile contract.
He uses his Noodle number each time he makes calls and has signed up five other students, his older brother and his uncle, so he makes money each time they use the service as well. “I’m hoping to get a few more people to sign up and hopefully cover my entire monthly bill,” he said.
Noodle, owned by the private-equity firm Gerrard Bailey, is able to pass money on to customers because mobile operators pay to connect calls to rival networks.
When a T-Mobile customer makes a call to an Orange phone, for example, T-Mobile pays Orange a fee to connect the call to its customer.
If you make or receive a call on your Noodle number, the caller’s mobile operator has to pay Noodle. A slice of this is then passed on to the customer.
The service also allows you to make cheap or free international calls. Mobile users can pay over £1 a minute to make a call and they are also charged to receive them. The European Commission’s clampdown on overseas call charges, which will slash the cost to 38p a minute, takes effect this month.
But Noodle will still be cheaper. Most international calls, including to America, Australia and Canada, are charged at a local rate so are free if you have spare bundled minutes. You will also be making 2p a minute at peak times so you will in effect be paid to chat to friends and family abroad.
There are some downsides to the service. If a Noodle user calls you on your Noodle number, the caller makes the money not you. Also, you do not make any money at weekends.
All major operators allow customers to use Noodle apart from T-Mobile, which blocks its customers from making a call using the service. A T-Mobile spokesman said the operator was “not averse to working with Noodle” and that it was in discussions with the firm.
Some experts believe that it won’t be around for long though. Anthony Ball, director of comparison firm Onecompare.com, said: “The networks won’t like it and are sure to close the loophole that Noodle is exploiting.”
HOW THE SCHEME WORKS
Register for an account by texting NOODLE to 81025. You will receive a text with a Noodle mobile number and a pin to access your account on noodle.co.uk. To make calls, you dial your Noodle number and wait for a dial tone before calling. If you give your Noodle number to friends and colleagues, you make money every time they call you. You make more money by signing up other people.
CashCrate - another method to earn money online
Other than serving ads on my blog, putting Amazon affiliated links within my content, I recently use GPT (Get Paid To) sites to earn some money online. What GPT means is that you will get paid to:
-Fill up survey
-Sign up for trials
-Request for free samples
-Enter a contest
-Apply for a credit card
There are literally thousands of GPT site in the internet, with hundreds popping up everyday. There are some scam sites definitely and also some sites that fold before they can pay their customers. The two sites I am referring you to have good reviews and well established track record for paying their customers.
The web interface is nice and clean, not those flashy banner type site. After you join up, there are three offers categories to get you started.
Cash offers - where you will complete offers to earn cash. The one I complete is to sign up for eMusic trial to earn $3.oo.
Points offers - to earn points that can use to exchange for Sony PSP or XBOX360.
Daily survey - earn $0.75 per day filling surveys.
The problem for me is that I am from Singapore, so there are only a few offers for me to complete. I am also not eligible for the daily survey. If you are U.S. based, you will benefit the most. That’s why I am using it’s referral system.
How does the referral program work?
The referral program has two levels. You get paid 20% of what your direct referrals make and 10% of what THEIR referrals make. Members can make hundreds a month just by referring other members to our free program!
From Cashcrate FAQ
To see proof of payment from Cashcrate, go to their Official “I got paid!” Thread. at their forum.
Other reviews of Cashcrate:
CashCrate - Get Paid completing Offers and Make Money Online - From Dosh Dosh
CashCrate Proof Of Payment: $116.56- From Bloggingfingers
I hereby refer you to sign up at Cashcrate. Sign up now to start making money online.
http://blogmunch.com
-Fill up survey
-Sign up for trials
-Request for free samples
-Enter a contest
-Apply for a credit card
There are literally thousands of GPT site in the internet, with hundreds popping up everyday. There are some scam sites definitely and also some sites that fold before they can pay their customers. The two sites I am referring you to have good reviews and well established track record for paying their customers.
The web interface is nice and clean, not those flashy banner type site. After you join up, there are three offers categories to get you started.
Cash offers - where you will complete offers to earn cash. The one I complete is to sign up for eMusic trial to earn $3.oo.
Points offers - to earn points that can use to exchange for Sony PSP or XBOX360.
Daily survey - earn $0.75 per day filling surveys.
The problem for me is that I am from Singapore, so there are only a few offers for me to complete. I am also not eligible for the daily survey. If you are U.S. based, you will benefit the most. That’s why I am using it’s referral system.
How does the referral program work?
The referral program has two levels. You get paid 20% of what your direct referrals make and 10% of what THEIR referrals make. Members can make hundreds a month just by referring other members to our free program!
From Cashcrate FAQ
To see proof of payment from Cashcrate, go to their Official “I got paid!” Thread. at their forum.
Other reviews of Cashcrate:
CashCrate - Get Paid completing Offers and Make Money Online - From Dosh Dosh
CashCrate Proof Of Payment: $116.56- From Bloggingfingers
I hereby refer you to sign up at Cashcrate. Sign up now to start making money online.
http://blogmunch.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
