Alt Attribute & SEO Optimization

SEO Optimization images has become increasingly more essential in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for websites. The ALT attribute is a critical step that is sometimes forgotten. This can be a lost chance of better rankings.

In Google's webmaster guidelines, they advise the use of alternative text for the images on your web site:

Images:. Make use of the alt attribute to supply descriptive text. In addition, we recommend using a human-readable caption and descriptive text round the image.

Why would they ask us to do that? The answer is simple, really; search engines have a similar problem as blind users. They can't begin to see the images.

Many webmasters and inexperienced or unethical SEOs abuse using this attribute, attempting to stuff it with keywords, hoping to achieve a certain keyword density, which isn't as relevant for rankings now as it was previously.

On the contrary, high keyword density can, on some search engines, trigger spam filters, which might create a penalty for your site's ranking. Even without this type of penalty, your site's rankings will not benefit from this tactic.
This method also puts persons who use screen readers in a greater disadvantage. Screen readers are software-based tools that actually read aloud the contents of what's shown on the screen. In browsing the web, the alt features of images are read aloud too.

Imagine listening to a paragraph of text that is then repetitions of numerous keywords. The page would be far from accessible, and, to put it mildly, would be found quite annoying.
What is an Alt attribute?

An ALT attribute should not be used as a description or perhaps a label to have an image, though lots of people use it for the reason that fashion. Although it may appear natural to assume that alternate text is a label or perhaps a description, it's not!

What used within an image's alt attribute ought to be its text equivalent and convey the same information or serve the same purpose the image would.

The goal would be to provide the same functional information that a visual user would see. The alt attribute text should be the "stand in" in the event that the look is not available. Ask yourself this: If you were to replace the image using the text, would most users get the same basic information, and would it create the same response?
Some examples:

 

Some SEO Optimization Tips

If your search button is really a magnifying glass or binoculars its alt text ought to be 'search' or 'find' not 'magnifying glass' or 'binoculars'.

If an image is supposed to convey the literal items in the look, a description is appropriate.

If it's meant to convey data, then that data is what is appropriate.

If it is meant to convey the use of a function, then your function is what ought to be used.

Some Alt Attribute Guidelines:

Always add alt attributes to images. Alt is mandatory for accessibility as well as for valid XHTML.

For images that play only a decorative role in the page, make use of an empty alt (i.e. alt="") or a CSS background image to ensure that reading browsers don't bother users by uttering things like "spacer image".

Keep in mind that it's the function of the image we are attempting to convey. For example; any button images shouldn't include the word "button" within the alt text. They should emphasize the action performed through the button.

Alt text ought to be determined by context. The same image inside a different context may need drastically different alt text.

Try to flow alt text with the remainder of the text because that is how it will be read with adaptive technologies like screen readers. Someone hearing your page should hardly be aware that a graphic image is there.
Please keep in mind that using an alt attribute for every image is required to satisfy the minimum WAI requirements, that are used since the benchmark for accessibility laws in UK and the remainder of Europe. Also, they are required to meet "Section 508" accessibility requirements in america.

It is useful to categorize non-text content into three levels:

Eye-Candy
Mood-Setting
Content and Function

I. Eye-Candy

Eye-Candy are stuff that serve no purpose other than to create a site visually appealing/attractive and (oftentimes) satisfy the marketing departments. There isn't any content value (though there may be value to some sighted user).

Never alt-ify eye-candy unless there is something there which will enhance the usability from the site for somebody utilizing a non-visual user agent. Make use of a null alt attribute or background images in CSS for eye-candy.

II. Mood-Setting

This is the middle layer of graphics which might serve to set the mood or set happens so to speak. These graphics aren't direct content and may not be considered essential, but they're important in that they help frame what's going on.

Try to alt-ify the 2nd group as is sensible and is relevant. There might be instances when doing this might be annoying or detrimental with other users. Then try to avoid it.

For instance; Alt text that is identical to adjacent text is unnecessary, as well as an irritant to screen reader users. I recommend alt="" or background CSS images in such instances. But sometimes, it's important to get this content in there for all users.

Usually this will depend on context. The same image inside a different context may require drastically different alt text. Obviously, content ought to always be fully available. The way you go in this example is really a judgment call.

III. Content and Function

This is where the look is the actual content. Always alt-ify content and functional images. Title and long description attributes may also be in order.
The reason many authors can't figure out why their alt text isn't working is that they don't know why the pictures are there. You need to determined precisely what function a picture serves. Think about what it is concerning the image that's important to the page's intended audience.

Every graphic has a reason behind standing on that page: since it either enhances the theme/ mood/ atmosphere or it is advisable to what are the page is trying to explain. Knowing what the image is for makes alt text simpler to write. And exercise writing them definitely helps.
A way to check the usefulness of alternative text is to imagine reading the page on the phone to someone. What would you say when encountering a particular image to make the page understandable to the listener?

Besides the alt attribute you have a couple more tools available for images.
First, in level of descriptiveness title is in between alt and longdesc. It adds useful information and may add flavor. The title attribute is optionally rendered by the user agent. Remember they are invisible and not shown as a "tooltip" when focus is received through the keyboard. (A lot for device independence). So make use of the title attribute just for advisory information.
Second, the longdesc attribute points to the Link to a full description of the image. If the information found in an image is essential to the meaning of the page (i.e. some important content will be lost when the image was removed), a longer description than the "alt" attribute can reasonably display should be used. It may offer rich, expressive documentation of a visual image.

It ought to be used when alt and title are insufficient to embody the visual qualities of the image. As Clark [1] states, "A longdesc is a long description of the image...The goal is to use any period of description necessary to impart the details from the graphic.

It wouldn't be remiss to hope that the long description conjures an image - the look - within the mind's eye, an analogy that holds true even for the totally blind."

Although the alt attribute is mandatory for web accessibility and for valid (X)HTML, not every images need alternative text, long descriptions, or titles.

Oftentimes, you're best just going with your gut instinct -- if it's not essential to incorporate it, and when you don't possess a strong urge to get it done, don't add that longdesc.

However, if it's necessary for the entire page to work, then you've to include the alt text (or title or longdesc).

What's necessary and what's not depends a lot on the function of your image and its context about the page.

The same image may require alt text (or title or longdesc) in a single spot, but not in another. If the image provides absolutely no content or functional information alt="" or background CSS images may be appropriate to use. However, if the image provides content or adds functional information an alt would be required and maybe a long description would be in order. In many cases this kind of thing is a judgement call.

Image Seo optimization Tips

Listed below are key stages in optimizing images:

Choose a logical file name that reinforces the keywords. You should use hyphens in the file name to isolate the keyword, but avoid to exceeding two hyphens. Avoid using underscores as a word separator, such as "brilliant-diamonds.jpg";

Label the file extension. For example, when the image internet search engine sees a ".jpg" (JPEG) file extension, it's likely to assume the file is really a photo, and when it sees a ".gif" (GIF) file extension, it's going to assume that it is a graphic;

Ensure that the text nearby the image that's relevant to that image.
Again, do not lose a great opportunity to help your site together with your images in search engines. Begin using these steps to position better on all the engines and drive more traffic for your site TODAY.

Website Optimization

OwnLocal is a Y-Combinator bred startup that helps local newspapers survive on the Internet. OwnLocal swoops into small towns sprinkled across America’s less tech savvy plains and puts on quite a clever show. In no way are they grifters; but with their guaranteed promises of success, small town publishers don’t stand a chance.

Lloyd W. Armbrust, II, OwnLocal’s Founder and CEO, puts its technology in the hands of local publications, newspapers or television stations, so that they can then sell successful modern digital strategies like owning a website, blogging, SEO optimization, design, group deals and more to local businesses. In other words, OwnLocal acts like a web development department for local newspapers providing them with simple, sellable products including a white label daily deal product and a white label Yelp-like product.

“In rural America, small businesses would rather the Internet didn’t exist, but it does. We sell a package through their local newspapers that creates a website for them, writes relevant blog posts for them and pushes out media to Twitter and Facebook. So, we manage all of that for them but we do it through their newspaper.”

-Lloyd W. Armbrust

OwnLocal trains local media employees and shows them how to put on a “Web a la carte” presentation for small businesses even though the local businesses may have never heard of Groupon, Yelp or LivingSocial. To date, OwnLocal has powered more than 1,000 small businesses and over 100 publications.

OwnLocal also sells its product, “AdForge” as “the best print-to-digital ad conversion software in the world.” AdForge is designed to take print ads and put them on the web, on mobile and on tablets. AdForge easily converts print ads into clickable, shareable, printable, mappable and sendable digital ads.

Say you’re a lawyer or a plumber, OwnLocal will create websites optimized for search engines and deal with social media elements like blogging, tweeting and Facebooking, saving these small service businesses a lot of time and effort. Businesses can choose from a variety of different websites from simple splash pages to editable, manageable sites. OwnLocal then taps into its network of college students and stay at home moms to write the company’s blog posts. But again, all of this is through the local newspaper.

Today, OwnLocal announces its “Arcade” partnership with HeyZap, another YC startup, to bring more than 50,000 social and casual games to newspapers and local media. Rather than just having a few puzzle games like crosswords and Sudoku, newspapers will have access to games that reflect what their audiences have come to expect from social networks and social game sites. Initial launch partners include A.H. Belo Corp.‘s The Press-Enterprise and Impre Media, the largest Spanish language newspaper group in America as well as 25 other newspapers. OwnLocal expects that newspapers will see financial benefits, increased time-on-site and more return visits.

In York, Nebraska– a town with a population of 10,000– OwnLocal made The York News Times $140,000 last year. OwnLocal takes 30% and the newspaper gets the remaining 70% of revenues from its tech products sold. $100,000-300,000 is an easy number to make for local papers, says Armbrust.  OwnLocal doesn’t work with media outlets that have circulations less than 1,000. And its sophisticated system tell them exactly how much money they can make just from circulation numbers. Guaranteed revenue reports based on circulation for dying newspapers? Maybe dreams do come true.

“The community newspaper I worked at was purchased and sold to Gatehouse Media. I started thinking, what can we do? Is there a situation where you can make this product that’s all-encompassing that could make these newspapers money? I felt for these guys. Print is declining.”

–Lloyd Armbrust

Armbrust has worked in the newspaper industry for 11 years, including two years working on OwnLocal. His Co-Founder Jason Novack is the hardcore hacker in the pair. Armbrust says their main competitor, ReachLocal charges 5 times as much as OwnLocal because they utilize a network of 1,000 local sales reps.

To date, OwnLocal has received just under a million seed funding from Y Combinator, Baseline Ventures, Lerer Media Ventures, Paul Buchheit, Joshua Schachter and Alex Moore.

OwnLocal is a Y-Combinator bred startup that helps local newspapers survive on the Internet. OwnLocal swoops into small towns sprinkled across America’s less tech savvy plains and puts on quite a clever show. In no way are they grifters; but with their guaranteed promises of success, small town publishers don’t stand a chance.

Lloyd W. Armbrust, II, OwnLocal’s Founder and CEO, puts its technology in the hands of local publications, newspapers or television stations, so that they can then sell successful modern digital strategies like owning a website, blogging, SEO optimization, design, group deals and more to local businesses. In other words, OwnLocal acts like a web development department for local newspapers providing them with simple, sellable products including a white label daily deal product and a white label Yelp-like product.

“In rural America, small businesses would rather the Internet didn’t exist, but it does. We sell a package through their local newspapers that creates a website for them, writes relevant blog posts for them and pushes out media to Twitter and Facebook. So, we manage all of that for them but we do it through their newspaper.”

-Lloyd W. Armbrust

OwnLocal trains local media employees and shows them how to put on a “Web a la carte” presentation for small businesses even though the local businesses may have never heard of Groupon, Yelp or LivingSocial. To date, OwnLocal has powered more than 1,000 small businesses and over 100 publications.

OwnLocal also sells its product, “AdForge” as “the best print-to-digital ad conversion software in the world.” AdForge is designed to take print ads and put them on the web, on mobile and on tablets. AdForge easily converts print ads into clickable, shareable, printable, mappable and sendable digital ads.

Say you’re a lawyer or a plumber, OwnLocal will create websites optimized for search engines and deal with social media elements like blogging, tweeting and Facebooking, saving these small service businesses a lot of time and effort. Businesses can choose from a variety of different websites from simple splash pages to editable, manageable sites. OwnLocal then taps into its network of college students and stay at home moms to write the company’s blog posts. But again, all of this is through the local newspaper.

Today, OwnLocal announces its “Arcade” partnership with HeyZap, another YC startup, to bring more than 50,000 social and casual games to newspapers and local media. Rather than just having a few puzzle games like crosswords and Sudoku, newspapers will have access to games that reflect what their audiences have come to expect from social networks and social game sites. Initial launch partners include A.H. Belo Corp.‘s The Press-Enterprise and Impre Media, the largest Spanish language newspaper group in America as well as 25 other newspapers. OwnLocal expects that newspapers will see financial benefits, increased time-on-site and more return visits.

In York, Nebraska– a town with a population of 10,000– OwnLocal made The York News Times $140,000 last year. OwnLocal takes 30% and the newspaper gets the remaining 70% of revenues from its tech products sold. $100,000-300,000 is an easy number to make for local papers, says Armbrust.  OwnLocal doesn’t work with media outlets that have circulations less than 1,000. And its sophisticated system tell them exactly how much money they can make just from circulation numbers. Guaranteed revenue reports based on circulation for dying newspapers? Maybe dreams do come true.

“The community newspaper I worked at was purchased and sold to Gatehouse Media. I started thinking, what can we do? Is there a situation where you can make this product that’s all-encompassing that could make these newspapers money? I felt for these guys. Print is declining.”

–Lloyd Armbrust

Armbrust has worked in the newspaper industry for 11 years, including two years working on OwnLocal. His Co-Founder Jason Novack is the hardcore hacker in the pair. Armbrust says their main competitor, ReachLocal charges 5 times as much as OwnLocal because they utilize a network of 1,000 local sales reps.

To date, OwnLocal has received just under a million seed funding from Y Combinator, Baseline Ventures, Lerer Media Ventures, Paul Buchheit, Joshua Schachter and Alex Moore.

seo optimization services

Bench Craft Company on the art of jobs

Fewer than 1 percent of website visits come directly from a social media URL according to research just released by customer satisfaction analytics experts ForeSee Results.

The company surveyed 300,000 consumers on more than 180 websites across a dozen private and public sector industries. The referring social media sites covered were not just the usual suspects like Facebook and Twitter, but over 40 sites including Flickr, Foursquare, Scribd, Stumbleupon, Meetup and Youtube.

It’s not all bad news for social media marketeers. 18 percent of site visitors (averaged across surveyed websites) report being influenced by social media to visit a website. However, there was considerable variation in the results for different companies.

The social media budgets of marketers is constantly increasing as the survey data to the right shows. Forsee Results’ research showed that the resources companies put into social media and the results they receive vary wildly. Spending more money does not automatically lead to higher numbers of visits to websites, brand awareness or sales.

Promotional emails are also sometimes neglected in favor of the more glamorous social media, in spite of the fact that such emails influence 32 percent of purchases.

Companies themselves seem a bit confused about their objectives when it comes to social media. Internet Retailer Magazine surveyed 400 U.S. companies (19 percent of them retailers) in December 2009 and January 2010. It found that 74 percent of companies wanted social media to drive traffic to their websites, while only 56 percent wanted it to increase sales. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

Next Story: Why mobile app success is more than just download numbers Previous Story: Battle brewing at Microsoft over retail store expansion

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Kansas ticket office official sentenced to 57 months for role in scalping scandal

A former associate director in charge of the University of Kansas ticket office and "gatekeeper" for stolen tickets was sentenced Thursday to 57 months in prison for her role in the $2 million conspiracy.

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Fox <b>News</b> Reports That GWU Student&#39;s Suicide &#39;Tragically Coincides <b>...</b>

UPDATE: As of 4:30 p.m. EST, Fox has apparently pulled the article in question from their site.

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How <b>News</b> Corp Got Lost In Myspace | Yinka Adegoke | Voices <b>...</b>

As Rupert Murdoch stepped into the Grand Ballroom of San Francisco's Palace Hotel at the Web 2.0 conference in October 2007, the developers and engineers who packed the room fell into a respectful hush.

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Apple has reportedly become more aggressive in securing components from overseas suppliers, making moves such as upfront cash payments to both ensure supply and block out competitors.



Analyst Brian White with Ticonderoga Securities said in a note to investors on Thursday that Apple began "aggressively attacking" the component situation in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami that struck the country. The iPhone maker reportedly sent executives to suppliers immediately to ensure adequate supply of components, and also began offering upfront cash payments.



Separately, White's contacts in Taiwan also revealed that Apple is allegedly securing component capacity using what is known as a "three cover guarantee," referring to capacity, stock and price. Apple's move is seen as one that could potentially block out competitors and prevent them from building ample supply of devices.



The information comes as a separate report out of the Far East suggested that a one-month delay for Research in Motion's PlayBook tablet was as a result of Apple securing most of the available touch panel production capacity. The delay has forced the PlayBook to go on sale after Apple's in-demand iPad 2.



Last month, it was said that Apple could agree to price hikes in order to secure touch panel supply, particularly in the aftermath of the Japan earthquake. Apple was said to be in talks with component makers about touch panel pricing, and allegedly considered some price increases in negotiations.



In the company's last quarterly earnings call, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook revealed that Apple had invested $3.9 billion of its nearly $60 billion in cash reserves in long-term supply contracts. He declined to reveal what components Apple had put its money toward, citing competitive concerns, but said that it was a strategic move that would position the company well in the future.



Analysts largely believe that the secret investment was related to touch panel displays that are the centerpiece of devices like the iPhone and iPad. One cost breakdown estimated that such an investment could secure Apple 136 million iPhone displays, or 60 million iPad touch panels.



It's a move similar to 2005, when Apple inked a major deal with Samsung to secure longterm supply of flash memory. NAND flash would go on to become a major part of Apple's products, including the iPhone, iPad and new MacBook Air.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said in an interview this week that he would consider returning to an active role at the company he helped start if asked.



During an interview in England this week, Wozniak said, "I'd consider it, yeah," when asked whether he would play a more active role if asked, Reuters reports.



Wozniak, Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne founded Apple Computer in 1976. Wozniak left his full-time role with the company in 1987, but remains an employee and shareholder of Apple.



Since leaving Apple, Wozniak has been involved in a wide range of entrepreneurial and philanthropic endeavors. He currently serves as Chief Scientist for storage company Fusion-io.



Meanwhile, Jobs is currently taking an indefinite leave of absence to focus on his health, though he remains CEO of Apple and continues to be involved in strategic decisions.



Wozniak, who has widely been acknowledged as the technical genius behind Apple's early success, believes that he has a lot to offer the company he helped start, which went on to become the world's second-largest company in terms of market value.



"There's just an awful lot I know about Apple products and competing products that has some relevance, some meaning. They're my own feelings, though," Wozniak said during the interview.



When asked his opinion on Apple today, Wozniak praised the company for its track record with recent products. "Unbelievable," he said, "The products, one after another, quality and hits."



Even so, Wozniak admitted that he'd prefer Apple's devices to be more open, so he can "get in there and add [his] own touches." Last December, Wozniak revealed that he had purchased a DIY kit for the iPhone 4 and "modded" the device into the as-yet-unreleased white version.



"My thinking is that Apple could be more open and not lose sales," said Wozniak, while adding, "I'm sure they're making the right decisions for the right reasons for Apple."



Wozniak has been committed to openness since the beginning. In December, Wozniak told reporters that he didn't design the original Apple I to make a lot of money and had given the designs away for free after his former employer HP showed no interest in the computer.

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class="dropcap">Bill Thomas used to be a climate change skeptic, not believing that humans could have influenced the dramatic atmospheric shift, but two weeks in the woods — and chats with scientists — changed his mind.

“I remember vividly that first day with Dr. Jess Parker; he showed us a chart of CO2 levels increasing about the time of the industrial revolution,” says Thomas, who works for HSBC bank and participated in a 2007 Climate Champions training program. There, a personal epiphany led to a job title change — the former relationship manager for HSBC Technical Services is now group head of HSBC Technology and Services Sustainability.

Teaching employees the science behind green corporate values and how to make their workplaces sustainable isn’t just for “green” show — done right, it’s good business strategy.

“There seems to be a huge growth of interest among companies to not just keep the environmental initiatives within a subset of employees, but to make it a pervasive part of the corporate culture,” says Krista Badiane, who manages the business and environment program at the National Environmental Education Foundation.  And unlike broad, mandated rules — such as carbon caps — companies that create their own initiatives take ownership and credit for sustainable changes, which may well go beyond what laws would have dictated.

By cultivating current workers’ energy-saving ideas and environmental passions, companies can save resources, energy and money as well as boost their eco-friendly reputation. The key is to help employees learn why sustainability matters — for instance, unless it’s slowed, climate change could alter global landscapes and increase natural disasters in our lifetimes. And if employees realize what’s at stake, they’ll find ways to save resources at work — as well as at home.

Worker to Citizen Scientist/> In a patch of woods in Edgewater, Md., bordering Smithsonian Environmental Research Center campus buildings, HSBC technology managers are intently straightening a measuring tape wrapped around a mature oak. Phil Clarke, from Portland, Ore., leans in and meticulously gets a reading of its diameter: 94.8 inches. During this weeklong Sustainability Leader training, he’s learning what scientists do and what shape the planet is in. He knows that the measurements taken today — even though what they reveal won’t be known for awhile — will help guide decisions that will keep our world sound for future generations.

His employer, HSBC bank — a global financial services company with 300,000 employees working in 8,000 offices and pre-tax profits topping $11 billion — decided to go carbon neutral in 2005. For the past three years, HSBC bank has partnered with EarthWatch Institute for an international study on climate change’s effects on tree growth, as well as a program that trains employees around the world in sustainability. When workers return to the office after their forest immersion, they find ways to integrate newly learned sustainability lessons in their spheres of influence.

Clarke and the other HSBC technology services managers from around North America — key decision-makers hand picked for the training — earn the title of Sustainability Leader. A larger two-week program trains HSBC employees from all levels — from cashier to marketing staffer — to become Climate Champions.

Such citizen science training helps corporate employees understand the mechanics of science — that systems are complex, and that there are no easy answers. “You learn what a critical state the world is actually in,” says Annette Fasolino of HSBC’s payment operations division in Buffalo, N.Y.

Having that up-close experience with scientists and ecosystems helps employees better grasp how climate change is impacting, and may impact, the world. “Many of these people go back and question their decisions, and make sure they’re making the most sustainable decisions,” says Thomas.

Cultivating the Grassroots/> Though the partnership between HSBC and EarthWatch is unique, other companies are also looking to their staff for sustainable solutions. “There’s no one best program for a company to educate their employees,” Badiane says.

Some companies or groups of motivated employees organize green teams, which promote eco-friendly changes and teach colleagues sustainable alternatives. Initiatives range from banning disposable utensils in the lunchroom to redesigning an operating system to save raw materials. “Ideally, you’re getting some new ideas out of your employees,” says Deborah Fleischer, president of Green Impact, a sustainability consulting service.

Businesses also use social media sites such as Yammer — a private social network for companies — or online training to generate sustainable ideas.

Other companies dangle a carrot — awards and incentives — to get workers to make sustainable choices. Yogurt maker Stonyfield tied facility energy savings (based on energy use per ton of product) to employee bonuses. In this way, the company reduced energy use by more than 22 percent, according to a NEEF report.

To engage workers of all levels, eBay employed competition: a Big Green Idea Contest. To enter, employees identified ways the company could meet greenhouse gas reduction goals; then, employees voted on the top ideas. One idea, the eBay Box — simple, eco-friendly packaging that’s meant to be reused for eBay shipments — has become a useful tool that saves money and resources.

Unfortunately, some companies’ efforts are no more than greenwashing stunts to appear eco-friendly and keep up with their competition. Producing disposable trinkets with “green” logos or launching environmental-focused public relations initiatives while pushing pollution limits does not jive with true sustainability. The companies mentioned here, however, offer genuine solutions that leave a lighter footprint.

Two Kinds of Green/> Such engagement can yield significant savings: One North American HSBC Climate Champion noticed that co-workers weren’t shutting down their PCs every night, wasting energy. Now, NightWatchman software automatically shuts down more than 6 million computers left on. During fiscal year 2010 in North America, the software coupled with an awareness program saved 4 million kilowatts per year of electricity and about 900 metric tons of carbon dioxide, which shaved $332,000 on energy bills.

At defense contractor Lockheed Martin, a Camden, Ark., building uses a software system to control lighting and air conditioning, leading to more than $200,000 in reduced costs and savings of 2,332 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, according to the NEEF report. And at drugmaker Genetech,  green teams slashed the use of bottled water, saving the company $200,000 a year by using filtered water machines paired with reusable bottles, according to a white paper by Fleischer, “Green Teams: Engaging Employees in Sustainability.”

But benefits to a company can’t always be calculated in dollars.

“By creating an engaged employee base, we’re really putting it into hearts and minds of employees, and that’s going to be much more powerful and long-term than saying ‘you must turn off your PC,’” says Sharon Walck, senior vice president of sustainability at HSBC North America.

Investing in and teaching sustainable values to workers also boosts retention, according to NEEF, which is extremely important to large corporations. The foundation says losing and replacing a good employee can cost a company between 70 percent and 200 percent of that employee’s annual salary.

And, Badiane says, “employees who are motivated want to work for a company that has the same values.”

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Next, Odeo moved into an office and started hiring more employees – including a quiet, on-again, off-again Web designer named Jack Dorsey and an engineer named Blaine Cook. Evan Williams became Odeo's CEO.

By July 2005, Odeo had a product: a platform for podcasting.

But then, in the fall of 2005, "the shit hit the fan," says George Zachary, the Charles River Ventures partner who led the firm's investment in Odeo.

That was when Apple first announced iTunes – which included a podcasting platform built into every one of the 200 million iPods Apple would eventually sell. Around the same time, Odeo employees, from Glass and Williams on down, began to realize that they weren't listening to podcasts as much as they thought they would be.

Says Cook: "We built [Odeo], we tested it a lot, but we never used it."

Suddenly, says Zachary, "the company was going sideways."

By this point, Odeo had 14 people working full time – including now-CEO Evan Williams and a friend of his from Google, Christopher "Biz" Stone.

Williams decided Odeo's future was not in podcasting, and later that year, he told the company's employees to start coming up with ideas for a new direction Odeo could go.  The company started holding official "hackathons" where employees would spend a whole day working on projects. They broke off into groups.

Odeo cofounder Noah Glass gravitated toward Jack Dorsey, whom Glass says was "one of the stars of the company."  Jack had an idea for a completely different product that revolved around "status"--what people were doing at a given time.

"I got the impression he was unhappy with what he was working on –  a lot of cleanup work on Odeo."

"He started talking to me about this idea of status and how he was really interested in status," Glass says. "I was trying to figure out what it was he found compelling about it."

"There was a moment when I was sitting with Jack and I said, 'Oh, I do see how this could really come together to make something really compelling.' We were sitting on Mission St. in the car in the rain. We were going out and I was dropping him off and having this conversation. It all fit together for me."

One day in February 2006, Glass, Dorsey, and a German contract developer Florian Weber presented Jack's idea to the rest of the company.  It was a system where you could send a text to one number and it would be broadcasted out to all of your friends: Twttr.

Noah Glass says it was he who came up with the name "Twttr." "I spent a bunch of time thinking about it," he says.  Eventually, the name would become Twitter.

After that February presentation to the company, Evan Williams was skeptical of Twitter's potential, but he put Glass in charge of the project. From time to time, Biz Stone helped out Glass's Twitter team.

And it really was Glass's team, by the way. Not Jack Dorsey's.

Everyone agrees that original inkling for Twitter sprang from Jack Dorsey's mind. Dorsey even has drawings of something that looks like Twitter that he made years before he joined Odeo. And Jack was obviously central to the Twitter team.

But all of the early employees and Odeo investors we talked to also agree that no one at Odeo was more passionate about Twitter in the early days than Odeo's cofounder, Noah Glass.

"It was predominantly Noah who pushed for the project to be started," says Blaine Cook, who describes Glass as Twitter's "spiritual leader."

"He definitely had a vision for what it was," says Ray McClure.

"There were two people who were really excited [about Twitter,]" concurs Odeo investor George Zachary. "Jack and Noah Glass. Noah was fanatically excited about Twitter. Fanatically! Evan and Biz weren't at that level. Not remotely."

Zachary says Glass told him, "You know what's awesome about this thing? It makes you feel like you're right with that person. It's a whole emotional impact. You feel like you're connected with that person."

At one point the entire early Twitter service was running on Glass's laptop. "An IBM Thinkpad," Glass says, "Using a Verizon wireless card."

"It was right there on my desk. I could just pick it up and take it anywhere in the world. That was a really fun time."

Glass insists that he is not Twitter's sole founder or anything like it.  But he feels betrayed that his role has basically been expunged from Twitter history.  He says Florian Weber doesn't get enough credit, either.

"Some people have gotten credit, some people haven't. The reality is it was a group effort. I didn't create Twitter on my own. It came out of conversations."

"I do know that without me, Twitter wouldn't exist. In a huge way."

By March of 2006, Odeo had a working Twitter prototype. In July, TechCrunch covered Twttr for the first time. That same summer, Odeo employees obsessed with Twitter were racking up monthly SMS bills totalling hundreds of dollars. The company agreed to pay those bills for the employees. In August, a small earthquake shook San Francisco and word quickly spread through Twitter – an early 'ah-ha!' moment for users and company-watchers alike. By that fall, Twitter had thousands of users.

By this point, engineer Blaine Cook says it began to feel like there were "two companies" at Odeo – the one "Noah and Florian and Jack and Biz were working on" (Twitter) and Odeo. Twitter, says Ray McClure, "was definitely the thing you wanted to be working on."

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Roofing Contractors Vancouver - 5 Questions to Wonder

Roofing Vancouver - Faq's

1. Repair or Replace?

There's no opinion as an expert opinion. Most contractors will provide you with a totally free estimate. Get a list of a few trusted contractors and phone them well ahead of time of when you wish to get your homes roof fixed so you can compare costs and opinions.

2. Beauty versus Practicality?

Discuss this together with your spouse or partner. (The children could care less...at least the children.) Truth is, nobody wants an ugly roof the same as nobody wants to be seen with bed hair. If you've got a good quality roof and you simply need to do the repair, it's worthwhile to pay for the cost of the initial shingle rather than doing patchwork. A roof replacement doesn't happen frequently (hopefully!) and so make a choice that best suits you and your family well or it'll stick out like a sore thumb everyday you decide to go home.

3. Must i replace the roof so I can sell the house for more?

Consider this very carefully before making a choice. Depending on the roofing material you select, a new roof lasts between twenty, fifty, to one-hundred years! This means you have to check the year of the roof that's currently too deep first. Are you at year 18 of a 20-year warranted roof or year 30 of the 50-year warranted roof? Obviously, the standard is the reason why the rooftop last longer, but if you're not planning to remain in your current home throughout your life, the higher expense might not be worth your investment. Although a brand new roof can improve the value of your selling price, the rise might not be enough to pay for neglect the and that's bound to hurt your wallet.

4. Could it be a good idea for me to repair the rooftop myself?

Sure it is. Before you need to do, consult a specialist first. You can perform it yourself, however, you shouldn't be a complete ‘lone ranger.' Depending on the extent of your repair, you might or might not convince you. Either way, it will help to get a professional eye on the problem first and maybe a free quote so you can do the math later and see if it's truly worth your time, sweat, and money to be mister or miss fix-it.

5. Just when was a great time to get the roof replaced?

Weather may cause delays from days to weeks. Most people plan ahead to have their roof replaced in the summertime when they have a friend is going to be home during the day for a solid two weeks. Once you've this period in mind, create a call to some trusted contractor months ahead of time to get a quote. Some companies get booked up fast and chances are, they're the most reputable. Planning ahead of the summer also provides you with time for you to ask around many compare costs...especially if you want to have the roof made by a specified date.

 

The very best Roofing Company In Vancouver!

It is possible to leak inside your home's roof? Have you lost shingles or tiles in a storm? Have overhanging branches caused damage? Is the roof a lot more than 20 years old and showing wear and tear? Are your gutters overwhelmed and draining poorly?

When the response to any of these questions is "Yes" it's time to call the very best roofing company Vancouver - Crown Roofing & Drainage.

For over a century Crown Roofing continues to be the roofer of preference among our Vancouver neighbors. We provide complete roofing services, from emergency repairs and roof restoration, to complete roof replacement. All using the finest quality materials, installed with precision and also the highest degree of customer service.

YOUR Vancouver ROOF DESERVES NO LESS!

The rooftop of the Vancouver house is the very first type of defence against wind, rain, snow, ice and other weather elements. Be sure it is as much as the task. Among Vancouver Roofing companies, only Crown Roofing has the depth of experience and successful history to ensure your roofing system is going to be properly designed and installed.

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS.

One reason Crown Roofing has been the most successful roofing contractor in Vancouver is our resolve for our neighbors. We treat your home as though it were our own and we were creating a roof to protect our very own family. That's what neighbors do, and you will count on Crown Roofing being here to aid you and also back our work. After all, we've been repairing and replacing roofs in Vancouver since 1902!

GET A FREE INSPECTION AND EVALUATION OF YOUR Vancouver ROOF.

Go to the Roofers Vancouver for any FREE inspection and evaluation of your roof. Give you the best roof for your Vancouver home, in the cost effective. We build roofs to last!

 

Tacoma Roofer: Make your Home Beautiful

Very few people view the value of a solid roof, your knowledgeable Tacoma Roofing contractor does. From first hand experience, they'll be in a position to tell you the reason why you need a strong, secure, and leak-free roof on your home.

The local Tacoma Roofer is well aware how important an economic investment your house is for you, especially since it is a lasting one. Your home might have been damaged slowly over the years and also you need to take steps to reduce this damage. For a lot of people, keeping their property beautiful is another matter of pride. There are those too who'd like to turn their property into a cost effective and efficient living place. Your roof is a valuable part of your property and contributes to each of the aspects mentioned previously. For this reason, you need to employ the expertise of qualified a Tacoma Roofer.

Kinds of Roofs installed with a Tacoma Roofer

One of the more prevalent types of roofs are asphalt shingles, steel or metal sheeting, fiberglass, slate and terra cotta tiles.

Each type of roof invites distinct problems, however they can be easily taken care of by a trusted Tacoma Roofing company. It's imperative that you nip roof problems in the bud before they become too expensive or dangerous. You can schedule an appointment using the Tacoma Roofing contractor to take a look at your homes roof to determine if you will find any issues or potential problems with it. If you will find, they may be in a position to tell you how to approach them.

A Tacoma Roofing contractor Helps you to Build Strong Homes

The exteriors of any house, primarily the rooftop and gutters, face the onslaught of bitter and varying weather conditions, day after day. Painting, repairing, and cleaning gutters may be necessary. In some cases you may have to replace them completely. Usually, whenever your gutters show signs of trouble, your roof also needs to be inspected for problems. Whatever issues there may be, an experienced Tacoma Roofer can examine them at length and suggest the remedy.

If your gutters tend to clog all too often, or you will find leaks across the walls of your house, it might imply that there's debris piled up on the roof. Loose branches, piles of leaves, along with other light objects which are swept on your roof throughout a storm can all contribute towards damaging your homes roof, and these damages can be lasting. An educated Tacoma Roofing contractor will explain that birds, mice, and other types of rodents often build nest in the debris that collects on the top. While these nests may look rather innocent, they're great at collecting moisture, which can lead to loose shingles, mold, and indoor leaks in your home. In addition, it may also cause vermin infestation. Following a storm, your Tacoma Roofing contractor will suggest that you inspect your homes roof for any signs of debris or damage.

Reverse Damages with the Help of a Tacoma Roofer

However top quality the rooftop might be, it will eventually wear out with time. You will find shingles which are referred to as "25 year" or "30 year" shingles, but those numbers are only related to warranty produced by the manufacturers. They hardly ever require that long. Realistically speaking, "25 year" shingles will not last a lot more than a few years. Within an area that is vulnerable to storms, shingles or even the entire roof should be replaced every ten years. With a Tacoma Roofing contractor, the price will be less than what you think.

If there you lose any shingles, or there is some harm to them, a Tacoma Roofing company can assist you to. Damaged shingles can lead to indoor leaks, since the substrate from the roof becomes exposed to the elements. Shingles which are loose or broken can slip off and pose a potential hazard to people standing below. Missing shingles create a gap that allows rain, wind, ice, and debris to develop under the adjoining shingles, which creates a "domino effect" that affects other shingles plus they become loose or broken. A comprehensive investigation is going to be produced by your local Tacoma Roofing contractor, if you give them a call track of your suspicions of loose or missing shingles.

Your Tacoma Roofer will be in a situation to tell you what the best option is for your homes roof. If your roof is not inside a good condition, it's advised that you have it replaced completely. The Tacoma Roofing company can take you thru the different roofing options available to you that will fit your requirements as well as your budget.

Tacoma Roofer: Enhancing your Home's Efficiency

Your roof shelters you against storms, sleet, and hail. By giving adequate ventilation, your roof protects your home from overheating, by holding within the heat, it keeps your house warm. That's why you need to prepare your roof from indoors as well as outdoors for any kind of weather emergency. A professional Tacoma Roofer can offer help in this case.

First of all, inspect your homes roof thoroughly for just about any and all sorts of type of damage, prior to the beginning of the new season. The gutters should be clear, debris shouldn't be piled on or trapped under shingles, there should be no homes of squirrels or birds within the eaves or attic, and the roof ought to be structurally sound. For that last part, you'll need the help of your local Tacoma Roofing company. It can be quite dangerous to climb onto the roof of your property. This is when the contractor from Tacoma Roofing company is available in. He will check out the strength and security of the roof and shingles, and do a general inspection of the entire roof structure, to make certain that it is in proper working order. They'll be able to point towards problems that you have to keep close track of and problems you may not have spotted.

You will need all the assist you to can get from the Tacoma Roofing contractor. You can help your roof by installing a gutter guard or leaf cover to assist prevent debris from forming inside your gutters. The extra weight of debris prevents the gutters from draining and can even tear them down. Check the fasteners in your gutters and when they are loose, tighten them. Do something to change worn screws and brackets. If you have a chimney in your house, inspect the bricks and mortar signs of wear. A trusted mason could be recommended because of your Tacoma Roofer, if there are any repairs to be done.

Tacoma Roofing company: Someone You Can Count On
In the event that you know or suspect that there's a problem, your Tacoma Roofer should be contacted. They can use their knowledge and expertise to get your house back in ace condition by simply working on the roof. Your roof deserves attention. So give them a call today, to enable them to conclude caring for your roof.

 

What is Distinction between Commercial Roofing Companies From Residential Roofing Companies

If you are getting a roofing company to re roof your house or building then you can be wondering what are the differences are between residential roofing companies and commercial roofing companies. To start with, the one big difference is that often times an industrial roofing company may have signed a contract with and become obligated to some roofing union in able to focus on union commercial jobs.

If this is the case then their labor costs will prohibit them from working on non union residential jobs. Beyond that, if your commercial roofing company has not signed a contract having a union they may be outfitted simply for commercial jobs and that means that their workers and equipment may not be consistent with smaller residential jobs.

Residential roofing contractors in general tend to run smaller companies and hence, tend to be more capable of bid competitively on residential jobs, which tend to be smaller than comercial jobs. In fact, quite often residential roofing contractors will run one man operations, in which the contractor that you talk to could be the one that actually does the job about the building.

Also, liability insurance for commercial roofing is more epensive and a larger bond is needed for any commercial roofing work which will make it not economical for any commercial roofing contractor to complete residential roofing jobs.

Still an additional factor is that commercial jobs can operate on tighter time frame for just about any quantity of reasons, requiring a commercial contractor to employ a larger crew or crews which again makes smaller jobs less profitable on their behalf.

 

Difference Between Commercial Roofing and Residential Roofing

Are you aware that the roof of a house or building has a huge impact on the whole structure itself? Damage caused to roofs due to natural or other disasters causes a considerable loss of property everywhere. The kind of materials accustomed to construct the roof which should be sturdy and long lasting, the way where the roof has been installed as well as its timely maintenance are very crucial. There are two kinds of roofs that are utilized on all of the buildings that we see around us: commercial and residential. Even though it might seem that commercial roofing is performed only for businesses or offices and residential roofing is done for apartments and houses, the truth is the differences tend to be more complicated than that.

Residential roofing is usually completed by just one hired contractor but commercial roofing usually takes an entire team to accomplish the job. This is because a commercial roof tends to be larger when it comes to square feet than a residential roof.
Commercial roofs need to be made carefully keeping the nature and purpose of your building in mind. For example, when there is a restaurant in the building then external components like ventilation systems, smoke stacks and pipes will be required. Residential roofs tend not to have such components other than a chimney or two at the most.
Commercial roofs tends to be flat in design to accommodate further changes in a later period, whereas most residential roofs have peaks and other architectural features like roof gardens.
Commercial roofing is a lot more expensive than residential roofing due to the special tools, materials and safety equipment which are needed onsite. Usually the patching or maintenance jobs are done in segments unlike for a residential roof where the repair or replacement work can be carried out a short while. This is another reason why the equipment employed for residential roofs is often smaller and less costly as well.
Commercial roof installations take a extended period to complete in comparison to residential roof installations and therefore are usually constructed in large sections. During this phase however, it is important to ensure that there aren't any leakages, cracks or other visible wear and tear signs as it can certainly cause considerable harm to the entire building.
You should install the best roof for any building based on its purpose. Ensure that you hire a construction company that utilizes top notch materials and has the right equipment for the job or neglect the may turn out to be considered a huge loss later.

 

Commercial Roofing Contractors: How to Find a Qualified Commercial Roofing Company

If your clients are looking to have work done on its roof, it is important to work with commercial roofing contractors which have a keen understanding of any special needs that the business may have. As an example, a roofing job is often disruptive for the operation of economic as always. For this reason, it might be essential for the business to be temporarily shut down, or for the roofing to take place after business hours have ended. A roofer that understands these needs can function together with a business in order to make certain these types of issues are minimized.

First of all , a business must do when it's trying to find commercial roofing contractors is to discover who other businesses in the region are working through. Obviously, this article 't be helpful if it may come as a suggestion from competitors, but you will find circumstances in which it's not too difficult to find these details from suppliers or retailers. Since roofing isn't an industry-specific service, this information is easily available.

It is a wise decision for just about any business to get in touch with at least three commercial roofing contractors to make bids on the price. In this manner, the business can often obtain a better price. It is also important to ensure that each one of the roofing contractors is licensed and bonded. These details are available by getting touching their state contractor's board. This also assists you to determine whether there has been any claims filed from the company previously.

When examining bids, it is just as important to look at what services are being offered and which products is going to be used as it is to check out the total cost. The costs can vary quite drastically, but as tempting as possible to choose the lowest bid, this isn't always the best option. In many cases, more costs now will mean fewer costs over time due to an undesirable roofing job. To help investigate the caliber of the work, it is a good idea to check on with the Better Business Bureau in order to see if the business has been accredited, and when it has not, to a minimum of see what its rating is.

 

Selecting a Commercial Roofing Contractor

When you're looking for a roofer for your commercial roofing project you need to look for a contractor who understands the special needs of a commercial roofing project. For example it may be harder to operate on the business during business hours so either the company needs to be shut down for the repair or replacement or even the job needs to be done after conventional business hours. May be the roofer you are considering to do the job willing and able to operate around your schedule constrictions which might involve working weekends or evenings?

When you start your search for any roofing contractor you don't only need to answer those questions but you should also find someone that will do a top quality job with no great deal of time delays. Going about finding someone can feel as an obstacle by itself but there are some methods to result in the search easier.

Ask friends and family for referrals and then try to find at least three contractors to give you written bids on your job. Before you go any more you need to make sure that the contractors you are thinking about are fully licensed and bonded. An easy search with the state contractor's board will verify in case your roofer is licensed and when there are any past judgments or claims against their license.

When you select three or four roofers to put bids, you need to prepare yourself for the bids to become widely varied. Roofers will have brand preferences which will vary and could factor in more or less than the next guy for any labor estimate. The greater detailed an itemized bid may be the more helpful it will be for you to see in which the cost are going to be incurred. Don't, however, select a roofer based solely about the bid price. Any low ball bids might be tempting to take, but if they're low due to low quality workman ship it may not be worthwhile ultimately.

As the saying goes, you generally get what you pay for, if you are able to afford a mid-priced bid it's always a good idea to increase within your budget rather than down. You also ought to decide your roofer depending on how professional they were and how comfortable you anticipate you'll be dealing with them.

Finally your cost will be different based on what type of roofing material you select as well as the cost to haul your old roof to the landfill. Should you be looking for places to cut corners in your roof, rather than cutting labor set you back might want to inquire about metallic roof option. Metal roofs can be cost effective and efficient which makes them overall money savers for the long term, and on commercial buildings they may be very low maintenance. Plus given that they can be put along with an existing roof, you don't have to possess the old one removed and hauled away, that make a large impact on your cost.

Selecting a comerical roofing company nearer your home, does not have to become a struggle. To learn more, visit http://www.vancouverroofers.net