Cambodia Bridge Tragedy

Tragedies in Cambodia always seem to have an air of inevitability about them. The anti-Thai riots in 2003, 40-odd land mine victims a month, massive slum fires, routine floods, occasional droughts and unrelenting street crime have all left their mark on the country’s return to peace over the past 12 years.

But in terms of loss of life, none can surpass the sheer numbers and total senselessness that resulted from the bridge stampede on Monday night, during the final celebrations of the annual Water Festival.

At last count, the death toll from the Diamond Island Bridge disaster was 345, and still rising.


Hindsight is often discredited as too convenient and too late. But like the anti-Thai riots almost eight years ago, the second and third slum fires at around the same time and the culture of impunity that allows crime to flourish, this stampede and ensuing crush was sadly not unexpected.

For the uninitiated, the Water Festival – marking the end of the rainy season when the Tonle Sap changes directions and feeds into the Mekong River – is an extraordinary, colourful event attracting three to four million people each year to the capital. Here they cram and bunk down along the banks of the Tonle Sap, Sisowath Quay and within just two to three city blocks, each person angling for a view of the boat racing that dominates the festival.

Almost every man and his family will at some point make the annual pilgrimage from the remotest parts of Cambodia where much of the population spent decades in isolation because of on-going wars. Up to a quarter of the country’s entire population can be seen within a few square miles of each other once the festival gets underway.

Between boat races, Cambodia’s country cousins can be seen checking out the buildings of the Big Smoke, the local restaurants and an array of shops that stand in total contrast to life back home.

Among my fondest memories was settling in for a Water Festival weekend with a group of friends on a first floor balcony of the Foreign Correspondents Club, which commands a terrific vista along the river front, the races and the heaving spectacle below.

One family had adopted the common practice of walking Indian file along Sisowath Quay through the crowds with one hand on the shoulder of the person in front to make sure they didn’t get separated. Once outside the FCC they noticed us, about 10 Westerners well armed with wine, beer and whiskey, dining out on a pretty extensive spread, looking like a tribe of well-fed chimpanzees in a zoo.

Upon deciding we were worth further investigation this family carved out a space in the middle of the throng, laid out a blanket on the road, sat down and ate their lunch in front of us, often pointing and sharing a laugh while ogling the odd white people on the balcony above.

The Water Festival is when the country comes to town and in Cambodia the sheer weight of numbers that arrive each year for the nation’s biggest party can be terrifying.

Most Westerners and many Cambodians who live in the capital leave Phnom Penh during this period as the country’s poorest and least educated drink, gamble on the races and basically take over the streets.

Cambodia crowd control measures would infuriate and leave their more experienced counterparts elsewhere in South-east Asia and beyond totally aghast.

For the most part, Phnom Penh is safe during the water festival. But when the authorities investigating the bridge stampede sit down and ask themselves who could have seen this coming, the answer really should be everybody.

cambodia travel guide

PAD activists start fresh rally, block traffic on Ratchadamnoen Avenue

BANGKOK, Jan 25 -- The 'Yellow Shirt' People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) kicked off their fresh demonstration on Tuesday afternoon at Makkhawan Bridge on Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue to press the government to accept their demands over the Thai-Cambodian border disputes.

Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue between Misakawan intersection and Makkhawan Bridge was totally closed for vehicles as a stage, tents and facilities for encampment were set up.

Key PAD leader Maj-Gen Chamlong Srimuang threatened to prolong the rally nearby Government House until Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva responds to their demands.

He said firstly the government must revoke the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Thailand and Cambodia concerning their border disputes. The ultra nationalist movement claimed that the 2000 MoU puts Thailand at a disadvantage in handling such disputes with the neighbouring country.

Second, the government must withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee and remove Cambodian people from disputed border areas near Preah Vihear Temple.

Gen Chamlong stressed that there would be no negotiation with the government on its request to end the demonstration.

The former Bangkok governor said that he was well aware that the rally would affect the traffic and student access to schools as there are many schools around the protest site, but he asked for understanding as the issue of territorial integrity was very important.

The PAD co-leader said that he is unworried about the security measures even though the seizure of home-made bombs and ammunition, and the arrest of five men claiming that they have targeted causing trouble at the demonstration.

Gen Chamlong said he believes the capability of the police and the cooperation on the security measures to ensure the safety of the protesters.

Security has been tightened around Government House where 24 companies of police -- some 4,000 personnel -- were deployed early Tuesday to ensure law and order. (MCOT online news)

Cambodia gets a new investment management firm

VinaCapital Group, an asset management and real estate development firm focused on Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, launches VictoryCapital in Cambodia.
By Lara Wozniak | 26 January 2011
Keywords: vinacapital | victorycapital65279 | cambodia | vietnam

VictoryCapital, a new investment management firm, has decided to launch a business in Cambodia, and on Monday pledged to invest up to $100 million in the country's domestic economy during the next several years. It also announced a long-term vision to launch a dedicated Cambodia fund.

Simon Luu, formerly with ANZ Bank in Phnom Penh, will be VictoryCapital's country manager in Cambodia. The firm intends to invest in a broad range of sectors, including real estate, hospitality, infrastructure and agriculture.

VictoryCapital is a wholly owned subsidiary of VinaCapital Group, an asset management and real estate development firm focused on Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

With $1.7 billion in assets under management, primarily in three investment funds traded on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange, VinaCapital is well placed to deliver international investment across the Mekong region. VinaCapital has raised funds internationally from a range of major institutional investors such as Temasek and Morgan Stanley, as well as European and Japanese pension funds and private banks.

“Through VinaCapital we have access to international funds, which we are aiming to invest in long-term projects in Cambodia that will create value and promote sustainable economic growth,” said VictoryCapital CEO Don Lam.

cambodia news

Pesticides Continue to Harm Cambodia’s Farmers

A new study shows that many Cambodian vegetable farmers suffer from acute pesticide poisoning. It is the latest to indicate that Cambodia, like many other developing nations, is struggling to protect farmers and consumers from the dangers of pesticides.

Twenty-two-year-old Srey Kuot is a contract farmer who grows vegetables on a plot of land outside the capital, Phnom Penh. Like most Cambodian farmers she knows pesticides can harm her health. But, like most, she mixes several into a poisonous cocktail.

She says when she sprays pesticides she uses gloves, boots, a mask and a long shirt and trousers. If she did not, she says, it would enter her body and cause illness, which will be very difficult to cure, so she has to take precautions.

But Srey Kuot has no idea what pesticides she uses because the seller at the market in Phnom Penh provides them to her and tells her how to use them.

She says the person who gives her the pesticide tells her how strong it is. And the labels for these chemicals are only in Vietnamese and Thai.

A group of Danish researchers recently interviewed 89 farmers growing vegetables on outskirts of Phnom Penh. They found that 90 percent had experienced symptoms of acute pesticide poisoning.

Their report, published this month in the Journal of Toxicology, says many lack suitable protective clothing, even though about half the pesticides used by the farmers in that study are classified by the World Health Organization as Class I or Class II - which means they are moderately to extremely hazardous to human health.

Some of those pesticides are banned here, but the Danish report says they are smuggled into Cambodia.

The Danish survey echoes one done in 2008 by the Pesticide Action Network, Asia and the Pacific - or PANAP. That study looked at the use of highly hazardous pesticides in eight Asian nations, including Cambodia, Sri Lanka, India and China.

The PANAP study found that two-thirds of the active ingredients used in pesticides by the 1,300 farmers surveyed had highly hazardous characteristics, and presented what the organization called "unacceptably high risks to communities".

The Danish report calls the use of "highly toxic pesticides one of the most significant hazards" for farmers in low-income countries. And it notes that in many developing countries, the widespread availability of the most hazardous pesticides has turned them into a common method of committing suicide.

Moderate pesticide poisoning can cause muscle cramps, chest pains, blurred vision, vomiting and many other symptoms. Swallowing Class I and II pesticides can be very quickly fatal.

When it came to the Cambodian section of PANAP’s study, a third of farmers said they used no protective gear when spraying pesticides. And even among those who did use protective gear, none used a respirator.

Both the PANAP and the Danish studies found that none of the 95 pesticides it assessed carried labels in Khmer, the language of Cambodia, despite a law requiring Khmer labeling.

Keam Makarady, an agronomist and pesticides expert at Cambodian agricultural organization CEDAC, says that is typical.

"We can say that 95 percent are labeled in a foreign language. So it is difficult for the farmer to know what kind of pesticide that they use, and also the direction for the safe use of pesticides," Makarady said.

Makarady says CEDAC and other agricultural aid groups train farmers on safer handling of pesticides, and it pays off.

He says that typically 80 percent of farmers at the start of a training program use the most dangerous types of pesticides. After training, that number comes down sharply.

"But now [after trainin]) the number of farmers that use the banned and restricted pesticides or highly hazardous pesticides has decreased,” Makarady stated. “Now it’s only 10 percent."

Makarady says the problem with pesticides has him so concerned that he buys only organic fruit and vegetables for his family. But buying organic is not an option for most Cambodians, because produce grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers usually is more expensive.

The Danish team says that if the government enforced its own ban on the worst pesticides, the number of farmers being poisoned would come down.

The government says it is working on a new law that will punish people who import banned pesticides.

However, there is no set timetable for introducing the legislation on pesticides.

khmer krom news

Cambodia: Chokehold on Basic Freedoms Tightens

25 Jan 2011
Source: Content Partner // Human Rights Watch

(New York) - The Cambodian government tightened restrictions on fundamental freedoms in 2010, making it increasingly difficult and risky for human rights defenders, land rights activists, and trade unionists to operate, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2011.
The 649-page report, Human Rights Watch's 21st annual review of human rights practices around the globe, summarizes major human rights trends in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide. During 2010, Human Rights Watch said, the Cambodian government increasingly ignored or dismissed human rights concerns of United Nations agencies and international donors that have made significant contributions to the country's budget for years. Instead, Prime Minister Hun Sen rebuked UN officials, threatening to expel the UN resident coordinator and the UN human rights office director in Phnom Penh.
"The Cambodian government has used bluster and intimidation to push the UN and donors into silence about abuses," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "The international community needs to advocate more forcefully for the human rights of the Cambodian people."� �
The year started with the forced return of 20 ethnic Uighur asylum seekers to China, where they were at risk of torture. This flagrant violation of Cambodia's obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention was made over strenuous protests by key donors and UN agencies. In March, Hun Sen threatened to expel Cambodia's UN resident coordinator for calling for greater transparency in passage of an anti-corruption law. In October in a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Hun Sen demanded the closure of the UN human rights office in Phnom Penh unless the UN dismissed its country representative, whom the government accused without evidence of supporting the opposition. �
A new penal code contains draconian and vaguely defined provisions that permit criminal prosecution for peaceful expression. Shortly after the law went into effect in December, a World Food Program staff member was sentenced to prison on politically motivated incitement charges. Laws being drafted to regulate nongovernmental organizations and trade unions are expected to restrict their ability to exist, operate, and organize activities, in violation of the rights to freedom of association and assembly. Even without these restrictive laws, authorities regularly use force to disperse peaceful protests.
"The Cambodian government is using laws to restrict political space for activists who peacefully speak out against government misconduct and corruption," Robertson said. "The government should recognize its obligations to protect peaceful political speech, and not persecute those who exercise that right."
The repressive laws are implemented by a wholly pliant judiciary controlled by the government, which made no efforts during 2010 to improve judicial independence. Instead, the government used the courts to bring politically motivated prosecutions against opposition party members. In January, the opposition leader Sam Rainsy was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison in a closed trial on charges of racial incitement and destroying border demarcation posts. In September, he was sentenced to an additional 10 years in prison on trumped-up charges of "disinformation" and falsifying maps.
The credibility of the UN-backed Khmer Rouge Tribunal was undermined by political interference from the highest levels of government. While meeting with Secretary-General Ban in October, Hun Sen stated that the court would prosecute only the four Khmer Rouge leaders in custody, even though the tribunal's international co-prosecutor had submitted the names of six additional suspects for indictment in 2009.
"The UN and donors need to be much more vigilant and vocal in challenging political interference with the Khmer Rouge Tribunal so that it can do its work independently and impartially," Robertson said.
Illegal land confiscation and forced evictions escalated during 2010, putting the livelihood of millions of urban and rural poor at risk. Land rights activists faced violence and arrest, with more than 60 people jailed or awaiting trial for protesting forced evictions and land grabbing.�
Throughout the year the government arbitrarily detained sex workers, people who use drugs, homeless people, and the mentally ill in government-run Social Affairs Centers or drug detention centers, where they are subject to beatings and other serious abuses. More than 2,000 people have been arbitrarily detained in 11 government-run drug detention centers. Although they are mandated to treat and "rehabilitate" drug users, the centers subject detainees to violence, forced labor, and military-style drills. Many detainees are children or people with mental illnesses.
Women and girls involved in sex work, including transgender women, face beatings, rape, sexual harassment, extortion, arbitrary arrest, and detention by police, government-hired security guards and Social Affairs Center employees. Homeless people, beggars, the mentally ill, and other indigent people gathered in police sweeps are also detained and mistreated in these centers.
"Cambodia's donors need to wake up and recognize that the human rights situation in Cambodia is rapidly deteriorating," Robertson said.�"They should demand that the government abide by its human rights obligations, and they should be front-line defenders of civil society against government intimidation."

cambodia information

Thai Nationalists Begin Bangkok Protest Over Cambodia Dispute

Thai nationalists have begun what they call an indefinite protest in Bangkok to urge the government to take a tougher line in its border dispute with Cambodia.

At least 2,000 supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy, also known as Yellow Shirts, gathered Tuesday on a major Bangkok street near Government House and set up an encampment with a stage, tents and other facilities.

A Yellow Shirt leader, Chamlong Srimuang, said PAD members and their allies will remain at the site until Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva meets their demands. Thai authorities deployed almost 4,000 security personnel to the protest zone to maintain order.

The PAD accuses Mr. Abhisit of not responding strongly enough to Cambodia's arrest of seven Thai nationalists in a contested border region last month. The Yellow Shirts previously were supportive of the government, which is backed by the military and the monarchy.

The nationalists want the Thai prime minister to revoke an agreement with Cambodia on settling border disputes, pressure Cambodians to move out of disputed border areas, and withdraw Thailand from the U.N. cultural agency, UNESCO. Mr. Abhisit has rejected those demands as impractical.

UNESCO angered Thai nationalists in 2008 by approving Cambodia's request to grant World Heritage Status to the Cambodian-controlled Preah Vihear temple in a border area claimed by Thailand.

Thai police arrested five men Monday night on suspicion of plotting to bomb Tuesday's Yellow Shirt rally. Authorities say the suspects were in possession of weapons and explosives. The identities of the men were not revealed.

Bangkok has seen a series of prolonged and sometimes violent street protests in recent years by the Yellow Shirts and their arch-rivals, the Red Shirts. The Red Shirt movement is composed of mostly of rural and working class supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted by the military in 2006 for alleged corruption.

Red Shirt activists staged a major anti-government rally in Bangkok Sunday, drawing almost 30,000 people.

khmer information

Military flexes its muscle

Abhisit approves army exercise near temple

Published: 26/01/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has given the army the green light to conduct a military exercise near Preah Vihear temple to display its strength as Cambodia continues to lay claim to the disputed area.


Thousands of People’s Alliance for Democracy supporters join the movement’s protest near Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge on Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue. The yellow shirts gathered yesterday for the first day of what is expected to be a protracted rally. APICHIT JINAKUL

The provocative move came after Thailand demanded Cambodia remove a stone tablet carrying a message in Khmer that accused Thai troops of invading Cambodia territory from that spot.

A senior army source who asked not to be named said yesterday the military exercise near the border was proposed by the army.

Thai gamblers would also be blocked from visiting Cambodian casinos close to Thai territory if Phnom Penh refused demands to remove the tablet.

Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha said Thailand would follow proper procedures in handling border disputes with Cambodia.

''There are three steps to solving border issues. They include negotiations, intensified measures and the use of force. We will not move directly from Step 1 to Step 3,'' Gen Prayuth said.

The tablet was installed in front of Wat Kaew Sikha Khiri Sawara temple, about 300 metres from the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

''We must show our strength,'' the source quoted the prime minister as saying in his recent meeting with Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and Gen Prayuth.

The source said Gen Prayuth planned to deploy infantrymen close to Preah Vihear in Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket province.

The deployment will reinforce paramilitary rangers who are guarding a disputed area with no back-up.

''The army plans to conduct a drill that includes artillery fire close to the border,'' the source said.

The source revealed the military exercise was aimed at sending a message to Cambodia that Thailand is not only unhappy with the placement of the stone tablet in the disputed area but also Cambodia's continuing construction of a road to Preah Vihear.

The 3.6-kilometre road is being built on the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area next to Preah Vihear.

Cambodia has ignored Thailand's re peated protests against the roadworks. The source said Cambodia and China were accelerating the work on the road with the aim to facilitate visits to the Preah Vihear temple from the Cambodian side.

The source said Mr Abhisit also gave the nod to the army to prevent Thai gamblers from crossing the border to visit Cambodian casinos in Poi Pet, opposite Aranyaprathet district of Sa Kaeo province.

The source said the prime minister did not mention the possibility of border closure which would seriously affect local people.

as well as two Thai people: Veera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipatanapaiboon who were prosecuted allegedly for trespassing and espionage on Cambodian soil. Mr Veera is still detained and verdicts on their cases are expected on Feb 1.

Mr Abhisit was also said to have agreed to allow the army to buy weapons it needed to handle the border situation.

The nationalist People's Alliance for Democracy yesterday urged the gov ernment to use the country's stronger military capacity to gain leverage over the Cambodian government in its negotiations with Phnom Penh on disputed border areas.

Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang, a core PAD leader, said the Thai military did not have to wage a war with Cambodia to regain Thai sovereignty over disputed areas along the border.

But it could use the country's military might to gain a stronger bargaining position.

The government has not tried to gain such leverage through the demonstration of Thailand's military capacity, Maj Gen Chamlong said.

''Consequently, it has allowed the Cambodian government to have the upper hand,'' he said.

''Our fighter jets can reach Cambodian skies in five minutes.''

Asked if such a demonstration of Thailand's military might would hurt the country's bilateral relationship with its neighbour, Maj Gen Chamlong replied: ''What are you afraid of more? Hurting the ties or losing territory?''

PAD spokesman Panthep Phongphuaphan said Thailand's military capacity was certainly higher than that of Cambodia.

The government should use this advantage in its effort to protect the country's sovereignty and pressure the Cambodian government to move Cambodian communities out of the disputed areas along the border.

More importantly, Thailand should revoke the 2000 memorandum of understanding with Cambodia as the agreement gave Phnom Penh greater negotiating powers and enabled Cambodians to continue living on Thai soil, Mr Panthep said.

New tablet 'even worse'
Cambodian troops have removed a stone tablet placed near the Preah Vihear temple carrying a message accusing Thailand of invading the country.

But the tablet has been replaced with another that could ratchet up the tension even further between the two countries. It simply states the area is part of Cambodia.

The first tablet put in place last month at Wat Kaew Sikha Khiri Sawara, next to the Preah Vihear temple, read, according to the Phnom Penh Post: "Here! is the place where Thai troops invaded Cambodian territory on July 15, 2008."

This angered Thai troops, their commanders and Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who claim the temple is located in a disputed area open to Thai troops.

A Cambodian armed forces officer who asked not to be named said the offending sign had been replaced, Phnom Penh Post reported.

Whether the new sign will be received any more favourably remains to be seen.

"Here! is Cambodia," reads the sign erected yesterday.

"I heard [the placement of the sign] was ordered by Prime Minister Hun Sen," the officer said.

khmer info

How to get a site online and have it making money

When building and getting a site online you have to think of a number of things. Some of these include the following:

1. What is your site going to be about
If you want to get a site online to make money then you need to do some good research before you choose what your site is going to be about. This is because there is no point in you choosing a topic for your site where other people have no interest in. If no one has any interest in the topic of your site then you will find it very had to get a good amount of visitors to your site. So the best thing to do is to choose a topic that is likely to interest a large number of people and is also likely to make you some good revenue online.


2. What web hosting provider are you going to choose to host your site with
Choosing the right Web hosting provider is very important when choosing it to host your site. This is because there is no point in choosing a Web hosting provider that is likely to be unreliable just because it is cheap or just because you don’t know enough about it. The article at: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/a00033/854.html gives you a better idea on how to choose a good Web hosting provider to host your site with.


3. How can you add more content to your site
Once you have your site up and running, you will then need to think of ways of making your site bigger and also updating your sites content on a regular basis so that your visitors don’t get bored of your site and so that they will have a reason to keep visiting your site on a regular basis. Some ways of adding content to your site could include the following:

· You could add some free reprint able articles to your site that is on the same topic as your site. You can find well over 800 reprint able articles at: Articles Directory - Thousands of Quality Articles Listed
· You could add some free to play games on your site so it becomes stickier. You can find a load at: Games at Miniclip.com - Play Free Online Games
· You could add a forum to your site so people can keep informed of current events and updates on your site and also chat amongst each other. You can find some good forum scripts at: Hot Scripts - The net's largest PHP, CGI, Perl, JavaScript and ASP script collection and resource web portal. where some of these are free with the GPL.


4. How are you going to earn from your site
Once you have built your site and have found a good web host to host your site with, you will then need to think about how you are going to earn from your site.

If you are selling your own products or offering your own services, you may also want to add a few affiliate programs to your site so that you can produce a little extra income from these programs as well as earning the money from selling your own products or offering your own services. You can find well over 800 affiliate programs at: Affiliate Programs Directory - Many Affiliate Marketing Programs Listed These include pay per click programs, pay per lead programs, two-tiered programs, pay per impression programs, residual income programs and more.


5. How are you going to promote your site to get visitors
Now that you have your site up and running with maybe a few affiliate programs included within your sites content, you will now need to promote your site so that you can start getting noticed on the Web. The article at: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/a00000/197.html gives you some of the best ways of getting visitors to your site.

Once you have done the above five things, you should now have your own site online. The amount of visitors that your site will receive and the amount of money you will make from your site will all depend on the amount of work and effort you put into your site. The more work you do with your site, the more money you are likely to make.

http://hostingpost.com/articles/221997-how-get-site-online-have-making-money.html

How to get free stuff from the Internet!

Have you ever wondered how many free things you can get from the Internet? If you take a step back and looked at the situation you will realise that you can get thousands of free stuff from the Internet. These freebies can be things like free pens, free scripts, free web hosting, free memberships and subscriptions to some online sites and even free cash.

So now you know that there are lots of free stuff that you can obtain from the Internet, the only thing that you are probably thinking now is “where’s the best place to find all of these freebies.”

Well, truthfully there are many places across the Web where you can find freebies. The best places are probably specialty directories that offer free stuff. These are normally large categorized directories that contain and list a large amount of freebies that are offered by many different websites/ businesses across the World Wide Web. For example, best freebies sample free freebie at 1freebieseeking.com is a large categorized directory that offers free stuff.

So your question now is probably, “why do so many businesses give away free stuff and why are there so many of them doing this?” There are many reasons why businesses give away free stuff. One of the main reasons why businesses give away free stuff is so that they can promote their business. When these businesses give away free things, they normally imprint their business details on the free stuff. This is so they can promote their business, which will in return give their business more exposure not only from the World Wide Web, but also from the offline world.

Other than finding free stuff from using free stuff directories, you can also find free stuff from using other sites on the Web. These include individual sites that offer free stuff, but also offer other services other than free stuff. For example, you can get free reprint able articles from Articles Directory - Thousands of Quality Articles Listed where you can use them on your site for free.

http://hostingpost.com/articles/221998-how-get-free-stuff-internet.html

How to get repeat visitors to your site

When you have a website online it is important for you to try and get new visitors to your site, but it’s also important to take care of the visitors that you actually already have. This is because you will want your existing visitors to keep returning to your site again and again.

There are many ways that you can do this. Some of these include the following:

1. Updating your Website content continuously
This is an important factor to consider if you want your visitors to keep returning to your site. This is because if you keep on updating your sites content, then every time your visitors come back to your site they will see something new every time, which should then interest them even further. If you don’t update your content on a regular basis, then your visitors will end up getting bored of your site and will then go elsewhere.


2. Making your site more sticky
Giving your site more stickiness will make it more addictive to your sites visitors, which will in return make them want to come back to your site.
This can be done by many different approaches. For example, you can add games to your site like http://www.simplysearch4it.com/games/gamdir.html
You can even give free things away on your site. For example, you can give away free coupons, free scripts, free web hosting, etc. You can even offer your visitors free re-printable articles so that they can add them to their own site like Articles Directory - Thousands of Quality Articles Listed


3. Checking your site for broken links
This is very important when having a site. If your site does not function properly, then your visitors will not even bother with it. One of the most annoying things when visiting a site is when it has continuous broken links.
If you find it hard to manually check your site for broken links, then a good piece of free software to use would be the REL Link Checker Lite, which can be downloaded from Link Checker, Web Link Validator

4. Getting other people’s opinions
When having a site, other than your own thoughts, it is also a good idea to get other people’s opinions. For example, the colours of your site, what parts people like on your site the most, what parts people dislike the most, etc. Getting opinions from your visitors like this will help you to find out what most people dislikes about your site, which means you can then improve these parts, making it better for your visitors in return.

http://hostingpost.com/articles/221999-how-get-repeat-visitors-your-site.html

How To Rake In the Sales From Your Loyal Opt-In Subscribers for Free

If you're anything like me, you've probably heard it a thousand times before, stored it in the back of your memory bank, and haven't had the desire to go back there to get it. Well, now's the time to start acting on what I like to call “The Undiscovered Gold Mine.” What I'm talking about is the marketing power of an opt-in email list.
But what is the most compelling offer to truly get your visitors to opt-in?
Without a doubt...a Free Newsletter is your best bet!
In this lesson, we'll dive deep into the importance of a well-written newsletter, its impressive money-making potential, and the art of writing a profitable newsletter that your subscribers will eat up like candy!
Email marketing is a blessing for small business owners. An effective, targeted email-marketing campaign can drive traffic to your site, get your name in front of qualified prospects and turn leads into sales - for much less than what you'd spend on a traditional direct-marketing campaign. Once you have developed your email list, how do you turn those devoted subscribers into sales? No matter what strategies you used to get your subscribers to opt-in on your emailing list, many of them are already pre-sold to your product. Now, you just have to close the deal.
In this lesson, I'm going to show you why your site needs a newsletter and how to maximize your sales by using this powerful incentive. Offering a free newsletter is the best way to collect loyal subscribers who are actively looking for answers to their problems. If you offer to provide potential subscribers with information they need, they'll be glad to subscribe to your newsletter. But obviously the secret is out, and most online businesses are taking full advantage of the powerful capabilities of this marketing tool. And as a result, there has been a mass of newsletters on the Internet full of nonsense and spam - leaving Internet visitors with a wary concern about handing over their email addresses to just anyone.
This doesn't, however, mean that you shouldn't start your own newsletter. And it doesn't mean that you've missed the boat. All it means is that you are going to have to work at providing your subscribers with quality information that they deem worthy enough to entrust their email address with you. Not a problem! Just create a newsletter that people read faithfully, that is considered to be a reliable source of quality information, and that attracts a consistent number of opt-in subscribers.
The best part about newsletters is that you can produce them with little to no cost at all! Of course you can hire a ghost writer to compose your newsletter, but the best way to truly acquire a lasting relationship with your customer is by simply “talking” to them.
Nowadays, it's easy to get away with informal conversations with someone you don't know all that well. In fact, many people actually feel more comfortable with the fact that you're talking to them like a friend. Don't underestimate the power of this kind of relationship!
If you are communicating on a regular basis with your subscribers, giving them valuable information, and allowing them to get to know and trust you, you shouldn't be too surprised about how many of them will actually become devoted customers. Email newsletters are one of the great bargains in marketing. They keep your company in front of your customers on a regular basis for very little cost.
Newsletters aren't right for every audience - I wouldn't recommend them if you're targeting the local B-I-N-G-O crowd - but if you're in the web hosting business, there's a good chance that 100% of your customers and prospects use email, making newsletters a great tool!
Email newsletters are proven to increase sales, if used properly. It has been reported by rigorous research and testing that up to 50% in sales can be generated from newsletter auto-responder follow-ups! And I'm sure you'll also be glad to hear that if used properly, up to 10% of opt-in subscribers will purchase the product being sold. In case you didn't get that - it's been reported that...
10 people out of every 100 subscribers will buy!
That's enough to make me want to send out newsletters! But there are a few things that you have to be cautious of when preparing your newsletter. If you want to rake in the ALL of the financial benefits possible, you need to follow the tips below. Trust me, there's an art to creating a thriving, profitable newsletter.
There's no doubt about it - a free newsletter is your best source of generating a list of subscribers you can send promotions to in the future! But how should you go about delivering your message to your potential customers without coming off as a huge advertisement billboard? Because so many of us are already overwhelmed by the daily flood of email, your newsletter will need to be much more than just ads for your products. Including informative articles, interviews, or other information may help entice your subscribers to actually open and read your newsletter. Light “plugs” in the body of your newsletter aren't a bad idea, but remember that your subscribers are looking for quality information - not a salesletter…that's what your webpage is for.
To increase your sales and get the most out of your newsletter, we highly recommend following the tips listed below…

§ Registering New Subscribers
When asking visitors to sign up, ask only for the information you need - perhaps just the email address. Remember, that every additional bit of info you collect is another deterrent to customer signup. People don't like to give away their private information, so don't ask for anything more than what is needed.
Make it easy for subscribers to share your newsletter with others. They can simply forward the message, of course, but if you include an explicit send-to-a-friend link you are giving your customers and subscribers a gentle “nudge” to recommend your material to their friends and colleagues.
§ Check out your competition
Every business has competition. Find out what they are doing by researching their product or service. Sign up for their newsletters, and then make yours better than theirs. What could you do better? Is there a gap in their service you can fill?
§ Content
The first thing I want to tell you is that “Newsletters must be simple.” You do not want to be the next “delete” button in your subscribers email account. People get a lot of email. They don't have time to read a lot of text. Newsletters must be designed to facilitate scanning, but then again you want to give them the opportunity to get a “full dose” of what you have to offer. So the best recommendation is to provide links like “Click Here for the Full Report”, or “Discover the Answers To Your Problem by Clicking Here”.
Above all, deliver content with real value. We're all flooded by email, and if your users don't perceive your newsletter to be worthwhile, they'll just delete it and move to the next message in their inbox. That's why it's important to track your click-through rates: they're proof that your messages are being read - not just your message views. Also, if you have a newsletter that covers a ton of topics and starts to get too long, be sure break it into separate newsletters.
§ Write a Good Subject Line
Writing good subject lines is especially important, both to encourage users to open the newsletter, and to distinguish the newsletter from spam. I recommend including some actual content from the individual newsletter in each subject line, even though it's a difficult job to write good within the 50-60 character limit that is imposed by many email services.
§ HTML or plain text?
It's really a matter of what you think will most appeal to your readers. There really hasn't been much difference as far as which one sells the best. It truly depends on your target audience. So if in doubt, offer two lists: one in plain text and the other in HTML. Then let your subscribers decide which one they want to receive.
§ Let's Make a Profit! Selling to Your Audience
Many people try and sell their product or service directly from their emails. However this is really the job of your web site, not your newsletter. The purpose of your email campaigns should be purely to get people to click to your web site. Two of the most successful ways to do this are
a) A “Single-Topic” Article in Your Newsletter
Create a single article that describes a common problem that your product solves. BUT, don't necessarily mention your product in the article but do point out some of the things to be considered when choosing a solution. Close your article by simply saying something like "To read more about this problem and discover our Tried-and-True solution - Click Here". This link should then direct your opt-in subscribers to you product sales page at which point the user is already thinking about the problem and what to look for in a solution. Then, they discover your product, which just happens to solve their problem. Viola!
b) A Series of Articles in Your Newsletter
In each issue of your newsletter, focus on one particular problem that your product solves. But again, don't necessarily mention your product - simply talk about some of the things to be considered when choosing a solution. Dedicate the whole issue to describing this problem and what to look for in a solution. At the end of each issue point them in the direction of your product's sales pages. Again by the time they hit your web pages they will be primed and ready to learn how your product solves their problem.
Then, in your next newsletter series, you can incorporate a “new” problem that your product also solves. Get the picture? It's a great strategy once you get the hang of it.

http://hostingpost.com/articles/222000-how-rake-sales-your-loyal-opt-subscribers-free.html

How to use Search Engines effectively

The Internet is a wonderful place full of resources that can be really helpful for us.

The best way for finding information is through a virtual search engine. A search engine explores the resources on the Internet and gives results relating to your queries. Search engines allow keyword searches and use crawlers to locate sites or pages that match requests.

However, finding the information that is relevant for you is a challenge. Everyday more sites come into existence.
A simple query like "web hosting" on Google returns 15,100,000 results. Now how does the user know which site is useful for them, thus creating an "Information Overload" of sorts. How is the user assured of the quality of the information?

The thing about search engines is that they generally display all the web pages that contain any or both of the words contained in the search query.

So comes the question: how do we find the information we are looking for?

There are various techniques that you can use to make your search query better which will then help to achieve more relevant results.

For instance if you use the "+" operator and restructure your query to "web hosting" + Windows it will show only those sites that offer Windows hosting. You can also use the "AND" Boolean operator, depending on what you are comfortable with.

You can use the "-" operator and key in "web hosting" - Linux thereby telling Google to make sure that it does not display Linux related hosts. This is the same as using the "NOT" Boolean operator.


There are also keywords like ADJ, NEAR etc. that are used by some of the search engines. The NEAR operator looks for keywords specified in the query within certain proximity of each other i.e. it makes sure that both the keywords "web" & "hosting" are present on the same page and are placed nearby to each other in the text.

The ADJ operator is a stricter filter and returns only those pages where the keywords are next to each other i.e. it will only return pages where the keywords "web" and "hosting" are mentioned together.

Another technique to make sure you get better results is to use a sensible query. Make use of words that you think will be contained on the site you are looking for: "web hosting" is better then "I want web hosting".

Also remember that search engines normally ignore certain words like "a', "for", "of", "in", "at" etc.

Another important thing to remember is that most search engines have a 'tips' page that specifically contains information on how to make better searches on the search engine. It is always good to read these tips.

Most search engines have an advanced search option that is really useful if you are not proficient at using operators while searching.

Searching and finding what you are looking for is easy if you are armed with the know-how of how to do it.

http://hostingpost.com/articles/222001-how-use-search-engines-effectively.html

Dedicated domain hosting with Windows and Linux hosting plans

Dedicated servers provide you with an unparalleled ecommerce hosting environment.
With number of Windows and Linux plans, the dedicated severs provide you the leading edge technology, state of the art operating systems and hardware equipment with guaranteed 99.8% uptime.

Since you have choice of choosing your own operating system Linux, or windows, you have great flexibility for choosing different dedicated severs plans out of many available to you depending upon your e-commerce web site requirement. Dedicated domain hosting ensures freedom, control, bandwidth and security for your online success. Dedicated hosting servers are the best to meet the needs of your growing business by providing a no risk environment and a powerful foundation for your online success.

Linux Servers

Linux servers are perfect for frugal organizations that can't afford to compromise on security and performance. Linux offer unparalleled control options, network infrastructure, and root access.

There are many different Linux plans available for advanced users who have the expertise to manage their own server and need the flexibility to run their own applications. Linux platform offers a great flexibility of use.

A range of soft wares can be installed on Linux dedicated servers like the

Fedora Sendmail Apache Web Server
PERL Procmail POP3
MySQL BASH PHP IMAP
Unlimited email addresses
E-mail forwarding
Personal control panel


Window Based Servers
The window severs/NT plans are ideal entry level web hosting solutions. Windows Dedicated Hosting offers high end enterprise power along with small business affordability. You are assured of superior performance; control and reliability even with most affordable windows hosting plans available for customers who need to host Windows-based applications.

The following soft wares can be installed on the Windows dedicated servers:

IIS 6.0 MDAC POP3
.NET Framework 1.1 CDO SMTP Index Server
Database support (MS Access 2000)
ASP/Active State Perl support
CGI support


Along with the options to choose the operating server, you can also have the option to choose the kind of support you want to choose for hosting. The support can be chosen on based on your requirements.

The dedicated secure servers are based on the redundant, multi-homed, dedicated networks which are connected to web through the multiple connections which ensures that data reaches the end-user in the fastest and the most efficient manner.

BGP4 Routing
Some of the dedicated severs are dependent on the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP4) for best case routing. The entirely switched and powered networks employ best quality routers through which the data can be routed even in the event of a router failure. The BGP4 protocol is a standard that allows for the routing of packets of information sent out from the multiple networks. Each packet of information is evaluated and sent over the best route possible. The redundant network architecture allows for the alternative routes each delivering to the same end user. Should one of our providers fail, messages leaving one network are automatically redirected through another route via a different provider.

Bandwidth Utilization
Networks of the dedicated severs offer plenty of excess capacity, even during peak hours. This is to accommodate the largest peaks of traffic that are often associated with the most popular e-commerce web sites. Full control over the network connectivity and facility to add new routes makes it possible to deliver the content to the users as efficiently as possible. There are some Linux plans which use low bandwidth utilization but have maximum uptime, only due to the dedicated server technology.

Physical Security
The data center is physically isolated from everyone, only the technicians have access to it. Public access is strictly forbidden.

Conditioned Power
The dedicated server data centers are designed to run uninterrupted even in the unlikely event of total power failures. All servers are fed with conditioned UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) power and on-site diesel generators.


Serverplex’s dedicated hosting solutions allow you to build your server from the ground up depending on your requirements offering you around12 00 GB bandwidth, secured monitoring and a check on common vulnerabilities.

http://hostingpost.com/articles/221053-dedicated-domain-hosting-windows-linux-hosting-plans.html

Create Your Own Webcomic

Syndicated comic authors have been complaining about newspaper size restrictions, content censoring and similar issues for a long time. Comic enthusiasts have been increasingly irritated by the treatment their entertainment medium receives as well. Then along came the Internet, providing unlimited and unrestricted distribution possibilities. Thus the webcomic was born.

There are millions of webcomics out there, dealing with such vast topics as video games, college life, samurai, Lego men, identity and self esteem, depression, suicide, children and joy. People write them either for a living, for fun, as stress relief, for artistic expression, or often just for the hell of it. Then they stick their creations on the web and hope that just one more person will find and enjoy the fruits of their labour.

There seem to be several hundred new comics created each and every day. These often dwindle and fade after only a few months. Occasionally, however, a comic rises above the rest and gains such popularity that the creator is able to forgo all other work and scrape a living solely off the proceeds generated by their websites. Some examples of such are Penny-Arcade, PvP, CtrlAltDel and Squidi.net.

Many people, when introduced to the world of webcomics, think to themselves "Wouldn't it be cool to have my own comic?" and a few go beyond this and create their own. So how can a newcomer ensure that their comic continues beyond the first few weeks of enthusiasm?

Now before I go into some useful tips it is probably worth noting that I am the proud owner of a failed webcomic. It went for a few months before hitting a few snags and then grinding into the ground. I have plans to return to creating the comics, but as of yet have not. So I'm not really drawing from a foundation of success, more of failure and an understanding of some of the main factors contributing to my failure.

For starters, you're going to need to plan a little. It's unfortunate, unfair and certainly not fun, but it is necessary. Sit down and think about your comic. Come up with a location setting, some characters and maybe even a few plots to test them in. Run the characters through some adventures and see how they react and how you react to them. Your characters will grow and change throughout this process, and continue to do so throughout the life of your comic but you need to get a handle on their basic character traits.

For some reason the majority of comics revolve around a group of people (usually guys) that are somewhat geeky and live together. Usually in a university dorm. I would imagine that this is because that's the general life of the majority of webcomic authors. The premise itself also makes an awful lot of sense for the basis of a comic. When designing my own webcomic the process went a little something like this: I designed the main characters, most of which were drawings that I had been playing with since high school. Then I needed a reason for them to constantly see each other and interact, so I got them living together. They needed character traits that I could relate to, so they become university-aged students that had at least a passing interest in the geeky side of life.

I drew my first few strips and showed them to some friends, who liked them, so started looking into putting them online. The initial line up included two guys who lived together, a female love interest for one of the characters and a talking animal (in my case a frog, because I had this frog that I'd been drawing for years and had become quite attached to him).

At this point I wasn't very experienced with webcomics, having only really read the syndicated newspaper comics that the syndicated press companies post online. So I started looking through some of the major comics, only to find that Sluggy Freelance had the talking animals, geeky guys that lived together and female love interest already covered. A bit more research revealed that the "university students living together" was covered in the large majority of comics. Furthermore, having a kind of wacky (and just a little stupid) character, and a more sensible and reserved one was practically a given. Then, to rub salt in the wound, I found that another comic had its main character design very similar to my own. So I got rid of the frog, removed the focus on gaming and university and otherwise left the comic as it was. Not entirely original.

Anyway, the point is that you should probably try to be more original. Check through your concept and remove the whole university students living together with wacky talking inappropriately anthropomorphic sidekicks. You'll be better off in the long run and have a more original creation.

Before you jump headfirst into publishing your comics online, you should build up a bit of a backlog of comics. Try to draw at least ten or so quality comics that you would be proud to have on your site. If you're going to have a story-based comic then it would be a good idea to plan your first story arc. It is really useful to maintain this backlog of comics whenever possible, so that you can fall behind in the creation of the comics but still have content to post online. Nothing turns away readers faster than failing to provide them with content when you say you will. If you eat into the backlog, try to draw a few extra strips so that it doesn't get diminished.

As a helpful guide for your comics, decide roughly what format they will take (e.g. three or four panel gag strips etc.) and draw up the panels on your computer. You can then print these and draw the strips within the panels, ensuring that they stay neat and consistent. When the comics have been drawn, scan them into your computer and touch them up any way you like. It's generally the best practice to remove speech balloons and text and add these on computer, because it will usually be neater and easier to read. Remember to fit balloons around the speech, not the speech into the balloons. It's amazing how often this is forgotten. Some good fonts, free for non-commercial use, can be found at Blambot Comic Fonts and Lettering. Don't get too stressed about your artwork, I found that most people don't mind slightly inconsistent and not overly fantastic artwork provided they enjoy the content of the comic.

So now you're ready to get going with the online side of things. Start writing your web page so that you can just upload it when you're ready. Webcomic PHP management systems are relatively easy to find. I personally really like ComicPro that, unfortunately, seems to have vanished from the web. If you can hunt it down it's worth a look. Web hosting is quite easy to find as well, you won't need much space to begin with so you can use one of the many free providers out there (including Comic Genesis - New Worlds. New Dreams. that provides free hosting specifically for webcomics), use the web space provided by the majority of ISPs or purchase your own web hosting plan (you can get a quite cheap one because you won't be needing many features to begin with). When signing up for any hosting package, make sure you have permission to change the read/write attributes of your files because the PHP comic managers will need this (this is done on Linux servers using CHMOD from your FTP program; In Windows you can Right-Click a file, select Properties and change security permissions there; or you may need to use a proprietary control panel provided by the host).

You're going to need to decide on an update schedule for your comic. It's probably best to start small and build up; maybe two or three updates a week. This way you have three to five weeks of comics in your backlog, which allows you to fall behind substantially before anyone notices.

While we're on the topic of deciding schedules, it will help you if you actually try and schedule an hour or so into your day to write comics. If you just try to fit them into the free time that you're "bound to have just after you finish just this one last thing" then you'll often find yourself failing to get a strip drawn on time.

Now that you have your comic online you can start promoting it. There are a huge number of comic directories out there that will help get you exposure. Get your friends excited about your comic and they in turn will get their friends excited. Read other people's comics and get involved in their forums. Find sites that accept guest artwork or comics and send some to them. The best promotion comes from getting people to read your comic and fire a link across their instant messenger program to another friend. My current list of "must read every day" comics came entirely from various people sending links to me. Don't expect instant success, look to sharing your vision with even just one new person every day.

Well, I hope that helps to give you a few ideas about how to make your comic and keep it running. When your characters start to grow they'll almost create the stories and jokes themselves and the strip won't be anywhere near as hard to write as it was when you first started out. Just keep drawing the comics on a frequent basis so that you don't fall out of the rhythm of your created world and above all else have fun.

http://hostingpost.com/articles/221052-create-your-own-webcomic.html