text:
- Home
- News
- Sports
- Opinion
- Obituaries
- Features
- Special Sections
- Classifieds
- Public Notices
Since 2006, the state of Kentucky has used shock probation, the program that last year allowed for the release of admitted killer Tonya Nicole Brown from state prison, to send 10,006 convicted criminals back into public life.
Brown admitted to delivering a baby in 2008 and leaving it in a trash bag in the restroom at a restaurant in Shelbyville, and, facing murder charges, she agreed to serve 15 years in prison on reduced charges of second-degree manslaughter.
She was freed by Senior Judge Steven Mershon after serving 15 months and 14 days, benefiting from this unusual, decades-old program that grants judges wide latitude in dealing with first-time offenders.
A study of state records acquired by The Sentinel-Newsshows that Brown's release is far from a rare occurrence and that many who have been released on the same terms as she frequently find themselves back before a judge for new or related offenses.
The study also shows that Mershon likely would have no idea what happens to Brown because the Administrative Office of the Courts does not track the fate of those inmates that its judges release on shock probation.
But records kept by the Department of Corrections and not shared with AOC show that about one in three offenders in Kentucky who are granted shock probation find themselves back in court.
The Sentinel-News' analysis of the separate sets of statistics from the AOC and DOC revealed that:
8,315 of the 10,006 inmates released on shock probation from 2006 to 2010 had been convicted of a felony.
35 percent of the felons who requested shock probation throughout the state – 8,315 out of 23,736 – were granted it.
43 of those felons were from Shelby County.
There were 31 homicide-related requests statewide in 2010, and 10 were approved, including Tonya Nicole Brown.
Shelby County saw 457 requests in the 5-year period – 147 of them for felonies – with 65 percent of misdemeanors granted and 40 percent of felonies.
65 percent of those given shock probation were men, and record-keepers couldn't determine the gender of 16 percent.
None of these statistics were shared between the two agencies, and there is a discrepancy in figures supplied by the AOC and the DOC. The DOC reported 1,786 cases of shock probation granted in 2008, and the AOC said 2,231.
Of the 1,785 cases recorded by the DOC in 2008, a third of those released (595) were back in court within 24 months.
Kentucky is one of seven states that employ shock probation, which is designed to keep previously law-abiding citizens who have committed only one crime that landed them in jail or prison from becoming hardened criminals.
That's why they must spend at least 30 days, but not more than 180, behind bars after sentencing, which is estimated to be a sufficient time to let them experience the trauma of incarceration without suffering its long-term ill effects.
The theory is that the experience of being in jail for the first time in their lives will have been such a shock to them that it is unlikely they would commit a crime again.
But judges who grant that freedom to inmates most likely never will know whether or not they made good decisions.
Statistical gaps
Although data on shock probation is compiled by the AOC, Analyst Tammy Collins said that information does not include data on success and failure rates because that would be too difficult to keep track of. "We don't keep statistics on that," she said when asked why.
Rather, statistics on rates of recidivism – a term describing convicted criminals who return to a life of crime – are compiled by the DOC.
Todd Henson, public information officer for the DOC, explained that the reason for the discrepancy between how the agencies maintain records is based on their systems for counting the cases.
"If somebody has more than one felony charge, they [AOC] will count them separately, whereas we just count the number of people," he said
But that would not be readily recognized because the DOC's records are not shared or cross indexed with the information kept with the AOC's to form a thorough database and offer a complete picture to all involved about how well the program works, and the reason apparently is governmental alignment.
"The Department of Corrections, which operates under the Executive Branch, operates its own database, and the Administrative Office of the Courts, which operates under the Judicial Branch, operates its own database as well," Collins said. "At this time, these two agencies do not share data."
There's also lag time in the DOC. Henson said the reason DOC's records are updated only through 2008 is because corrections researchers have to wait for two years to see whether those who have been granted shock will re-offend.
"These are the latest statistics we have available for the year ending December 2010," he said. "Since we have to wait twenty-four months to see if an inmate re-offends, we can only use those offenders that were shock probated in 2008, then wait to the end of 2010 to see if they have re-offended."
Figures for 2009 would be out by the end of this year.
Henson said that about 30 percent of those who re-offend go back to jail on a "technical violation," and about 3 percent were charged with "new commitments" – which means a new charge.
Technical violations are violations other than felony-related offenses, and that people usually face them when they do things to violate the conditions of their parole, such as staying out past curfew, not reporting to a parole officer, absconding, drug or alcohol use, or associating with convicted felons, to name a few.
"Once they are convicted of a new felony, then they come into the custody of the Department of Corrections, and that is our new commitment date," Henson said.
If you track the 3-year trends from DOC, you find that 2006 cases generated the largest number of inmates who were charged with new felonies (3.4 percent) but that the trend averages around 3 percent for all three years.
Further, in cases such as Brown's, there would be no data to track her as a felon from Shelby County, because, Henson said, records on recidivism are not kept on individual counties. He cited problems with movement to different addresses as being difficult for tracking.
"The problem with focusing on one particular county is that if someone is convicted in Shelby County and receives shock probation, they may not have remained in Shelby County after their release," Henson said. "Conversely, if someone in another county received shock probation, there is the possibility that they could have relocated in Shelby County."
He said he could not find out if anyone from Shelby County had gone elsewhere and re-offended, but he did say that from 2005 through 2007, no offenders in the Shelby County court system were charged with re-offending on a previous charge for which they had been granted shock probation.
Demographic issues
Terry Cox, a professor with a doctorate in criminal justice who has taught classes on violent crime at Eastern Kentucky University for 32 years, said that data speaks volumes about the way that society in general, and the criminal element in particular, is reacting to the economy.
"First of all, I want to say that I absolutely think shock probation is a good tool; it works very well a good majority of the time," Cox said. "However, it works better for certain types of offenders than for others.
"For example, if you look at this data, you will see that, in general, although the percentage of people going back in on things like parole violations is decreasing slightly, it is remaining fairly constant. And those committing new crimes [while they are out on shock probation] is fluctuating, and several factors play into that.
"First, when the economy plunges, drug-related crimes go up, because that is a way to acquire income. Secondly, if someone has been incarcerated, then they've had an income disruption. That's another factor.
"This would become more apparent if you could dissect the data and look at it on a case-by-case basis; you could then see the relationship between types of crimes and recidivism rates and how things like demographics plays a role in that."
In figures for 2010, only one county in Kentucky among those whose 2010 census population was between 40,000 and 50,000 had fewer applicants for shock probation than Shelby with 12: Scott County with none.
Henderson County, for instance, had 149 applicants and 113 approvals, and Barren County had 86 and 51 granted. Both counties are only slightly larger than Shelby.
This data, Cox said, would shed light on the matter if the cases were to be examined individually – a time-consuming task no one has undertaken – and correlated with crime trends in corresponding areas.
But despite the facts that of so many criminals being released and such a large percentage that returned to crime, the consensus among judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officers appears more positive than negative.
Types of offenses matter
Judges who serve both district and circuit courts in Shelby County say that although they turn down more requests for shock than they grant, they believe the practice is beneficial overall.
District Judge Donna Dutton said she doesn't have many cases come before her in which offenders ask for shock probation, and when they do, she said she is very selective about saying yes.
"The whole idea of shock probation is the whole experience of going to jail for the first time shocks people so much they never want to go back," she said. "So when someone asks me for shock, I really scrutinize their criminal history, and if it's lengthy, then I'm not going to grant it.
"But if they have only traffic offenses, or something that happened when they were very young, I probably would. But on the rare occasions that I grant it, I put them back on probation, and I tell them if I see them again, the option is off the table. It's a one-time chance. They're not going to get it again."
Dutton said that generally, she doesn't see people back in the courtroom that have been granted shock. "When it's properly used, it's an excellent option," she said. "I really believe in shock probation when it's properly applied."
Mershon, the judge who released Brown, said that although he can't speak for how other judges make decisions concerning shock, he thinks most share his views on it, an opinion he had previously shared with The Sentinel-News.
"It's always been my philosophy – and I don't think I've ever made an exception to this – I tell people, if you were granted shock probation in the past, it's not appropriate to grant it to you again," he said. "Because they're only supposed to get the benefit of that statute one time."
Mershon also said he thinks that the majority of people granted shock probation take advantage of that opportunity to stay out of jail.
Prosecutors vary
Shelby County Attorney Hart Megibben doesn't deal much with shock cases in his current job, but he did when he was assistant commonwealth attorney from 1994 to 1998 for Shelby, Anderson and Spencer counties.
He said that in his experience in that capacity, in dealing with felony shock probation cases, some did eventually re-offend, but not the vast majority.
"It's kind of hard to lump them all together, because some are willing to try to change, and there are some people you could shock with a cattle prod and they would never change their ways," he said. "I can't really say how many of them did, because the ones who were successful and did not re-offend don't stand out in my mind as much as the ones who did.
"But the program is geared toward those who are just starting down that path, and generally, I have found that folks who are willing to try to change their ways and live law-abiding lives, they are amenable to that."
Shelbyville Police Detective Jesse Paulley says that though shock probation does work sometimes, he can never predict who is going to be successful and who isn't.
"I do think it has merit," he said. "But it just depends on the individual. It's totally up to them [the offenders], and some people take advantage of getting a second chance, and some don't."
Commonwealth Attorney Laura Donnell, who negotiated the plea deal for Brown and then protested her release in a brief letter to Mershon, said she stands behind the concept of shock probation:
"The goal that we have as prosecutors is that we want people to learn from that lesson and become good citizens of the community."
Only the next few years will tell us if Tonya Nicole Brown will become a "good citizen." Her case will show up on the DOC's records in two years, and her probation will end in 2015.
By that time, shock probation will have been employed in Kentucky for more than 40 years.
Steven Mershon will have retired as a senior judge.
And the baby Brown left behind in the trash would have turned 7 years old.
Add new comment
Read and share your thoughts on this story


text:
Trading Cards
We try to process all orders within 24 hours. 2nd day shipping available Monday-Thursday only. No orders are processed on weekends or holidays.
We cannot guarantee packages delayed due to carrier error, customer error, weather problems, or labor dispute.
Please call for store hours. Thank you for supporting Minor League Baseball

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Elaine Ray is a writer, editor and now family historian who began her career in book publishing in Boston and New York. She spent several years at Essence magazine, first as editor of the magazine's career and travel sections and ultimately as executive editor.
For several years, she served on the editorial board of the Boston Globe, helping to shape the paper's positions on such topics as civil rights, domestic violence, K-12 education, Haitian refugees and South Africa. In 1990, she and her colleague Peggy Hernandez shared first prize for editorial writing from the Education Writers Association. In 1993 and 1995, respectively, Elaine won second prize and third prize, for editorial writing from the New England Associated Press News Executives Association. In 1995 she won a John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship at Stanford University.
Elaine has written freelance articles and columns for the Boston Globe, Essence, Black Enterprise, Modern Maturity, the San Jose Mercury News and the San Francisco Chronicle.
In 2005, Elaine joined forces with other Palo Alto Unified School District parents to found the Parent Network for Students of Color, an organization dedicated to advocating at all levels to create a climate of high expectations and academic achievement for all. She currently serves as president of the board of Foundation for a College Education.
A native of Pittsburgh, Elaine earned her B.A. from Chatham College and an M.A. in journalism from Kent State University. Her daughter, Zuri Adele, is an actress and a 2012 graduate of the Spelman College.


text:
Squallstar Studio has made their simple, easy-to-use to-do list app, Due, available for free for the next 48 hours. Due is a cleanly designed task list that lets you manage your chores and errands quickly without having to use your calendar. A start screen tile displays the latest item on your list for easy viewing.
Tasks can be added in seconds, complete with due dates, and set for Today, Tomorrow, or Someday. Simply tap an item to move it manually to another list. Tomorrow's items automatically get moved to the Today screen the next day.
The price cut is already live in the store. You can download Due free of charge here for the next two days or so.
Thanks for the tip, Sergio!


text:
Advanced Search |
Search Tips
This product hasn't received any reviews yet. Be the first to review this product!
Click the button below to add the Briggs & Riley @ Work- Slim Portfolio to your wish list.
About Us
Repair Status
Repair Specialties
Questions & Concerns
Prop 65 Information
Corporate Accounts
(503) 222-6086
Downtown Portland
between Washington & Alder
517 SW 12th Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97205
fax: (503) 222 0506


text:
He was the last patient in my clinic on a Friday - a wizened chestnut husk of a man, timelessly ancient, with a veritable Matterhorn of snowy hair atop his head.
We reviewed his colonoscopy results and decided upon a follow-up interval. He asked about my family, who he knew. We rambled on about my column and the aftermath of the annual St. Patrick's Day celebration.
And then he asked one final thing.
"Doc, why do you love Savannah so much?"
It seemed a simple question. But it gave me pause.
For I do love this city, with all my heart.
I answered him, but the question stayed with me. I could not let it go.
Why, indeed?
I awoke on Saturday before dawn, as I always do, and strode eastward towards my dock through a noble phalanx of live oaks. Their moss-draped branches extended wide to catch the sun; their gnarled roots twisted into the dark earth.
Killdeer and seagulls cried out in harsh voices to greet the morning as the sun clambered over the edge of the horizon, its brilliance scattering tiny flecks of gold across the gleaming Vernon River.
I took a deep breath, savoring the rich organic tang of the marsh.
I love this city for moments like these - when the world seems at peace and the tangible essence of life itself is distilled into a single transcendent experience.
I also love Savannah for its collections of unique juxtapositions - SCAD students with shocks of purple hair and tattoos of flaming dragons toting backpacks stuffed with textbooks through the city's ancient squares, or raw-boned old men playing checkers on a park bench with angular teenagers.
I see River Street's rugged cobblestones, disgorged from the bellies of sailing ships over a hundred years ago - and today beautiful young women totter across them in stiletto heels and skin-tight jeans, oblivious.
My love for this city is about all of this - from the bustle of downtown to the calm waters of Wassaw Sound, from the gold dome of City Hall to the gleaming red and green beacons high atop the Westin.
It's about old soldiers raising a fluttering flag on Veterans Day, paying homage to the brothers they left behind on distant shores. It's about the Benedictine cadet corps, eyes forward and faces stern, as they march through the streets on St. Patrick's Day smeared with red lipstick courtesy of the women who love them.
It's about the ghosts, real and fictitious, that haunt us: old Captain Flint, dying in the upper room of the Pirates' House while calling for his rum, or the rambunctious poltergeists that inhabit 432 Abercorn St.
Savannah's long history is populated with fascinating individuals, from Oglethorpe and Tomochichi in the Colonial years to Button Gwinnett, Eli Whitney and Nathanael Greene during the Revolution, and then onto the Civil War-era likes of the Reverend Ulysses Houston, Robert E. Lee and William T. Sherman, and then finally into more recent luminaries such as Flannery O'Connor, Johnny Mercer and W.W. Law. Savannah is in a perpetual love affair with its past - and that is an essential part of its charm.
Savannah is also a thoroughly modern city, filled with art and music and good food. The Savannah Music Festival is unique and wonderful, the Savannah Book Festival is gaining national recognition, and the city bustles with creative and vibrant individuals that infuse the old town with the fresh bloom of youth, devoid of regret and full of promise.
But all of these things, as wonderful as they are, not the main reason why I love Savannah.
You see, I grew up here.
I constructed elaborate forts in the lanes of Ardsley Park out of bamboo and palmetto fronds, ate fried shrimp and drank Coke from glass bottles at Williams' Seafood on Friday nights, and once even climbed a magnolia tree on 44th Street to retrieve a wayward parrot. Every weekend, I biked to the Science Museum on Paulson, stopping by Medical Arts Shopping Center to visit the Hobby Shop and eat a scoop of chocolate mint ice cream at Leopold's.
UGA III - the dog that would later serve as the mascot for the University of Georgia's 1980 National Championship team - once skedaddled through our front door as a puppy, frightened out of his canine wits, and urinated under my parents' bed.
I spent my summers watching the Savannah Braves at Daffin Park's Grayson Stadium, swimming in a mask and flippers at the Golf Club pool, fishing with my father near Little Tybee, or escaping the sweltering summer heat munching on buttered popcorn in the air-conditioned bliss of the Weis Cinemas.
I saw my first rock concert here (Peter Frampton!), first fell in love and even stole my first kiss in this wonderful, crazy old town. I graduated from Calvary in 1980 and went out to see the rest of the world, returning in 1985 on the most important day of my life to stand before God and everybody and declare a vow of lifelong devotion to the most beautiful girl I had ever seen.
And in 1994, with two young children, Daphne and I came back to Savannah to build the rest of our lives.
Leaning back in my chair, I looked the old man in the eye and smiled, clapping him firmly on the back.
"Why do I love Savannah?" I said.
"I love Savannah because it's home."
Mark Murphy, M.D., is a Savannah physician and writer. firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
I bought a custom built Pavilion DV6 last year. Last month (one month before the one year warranty expired), I couldn't get the laptop to turn on so I called HP Customer Care. The CSR got it up and running by having me remove the battery, unplug the power cord, and holding the power button down for 10 seconds. I was able to power up the laptop. Toward the end of the phone conversation, the CSR asked if I wanted to purchase a 2-year extended warranty for $199. Since my warranty was due to expire on the 6th of April, I decided to purchase it. Little did I know what was to come.
On April 20th, I couldn't get the laptop to boot up so again I called Customer Care again. This was 16 days after the one year warranty would've expired. Had I not purchased the extended warranty, HP would've said "Too bad, so sad" and I'd be left with a one year old laptop that I'd have to repair.
Back to the call: The CSR diagnosed the problem as hard drive failure. I had expectations that a product such as HP would not have such a problem with a fairly new machine. In doing some research on the internet, however, I've found that this particular problem on HP's products goes back YEARS!
A ticket was submitted by the CSR to have the hard drive and recovery discs sent to me. I was told HP doesn't deliver to PO Boxes so I told him that it could be shipped to my work address, and emphasized that it was my work address and not where the laptop was. An appointment was set up to have a technician come install the hard drive on the morning of April 27th. According to HP, a FOUR HOUR window is required which means I had to sit around and wait for four hours. I had to reschedule and cancel appointments, including a medical appointment so I could sit and wait for four hours!
Two days prior to the scheduled date, I received emails and calls from HP asking if the hardware and software arrived. I also received what I perceived as an email reminder that a technician was scheduled to come on the 27th and that the service address was at my work address! I called HP Customer Care to tell them and the CSR told me, "Oh, just tell the technician when he calls".
On April 26th at 8PM (the night before the scheduled technician arrival), I received a call from HP telling me ALL the service technicians were "busy" and wouldn't be coming. I was LIVID! Not only had I cleared my appointments for the morning and it was too late to schedule them back in, I had received emails just two days prior that a technician was coming! The CSR kept telling me she understood my frustration and guaranteed they were doing the best job possible. Seriously?
If HP Customer Care thinks their service is the best, they are in serious denial. The CSR must've repeated the phrase at least three times before I finally said "Look, your guarantee doesn't mean squat to me so quit repeating it over and over!" I couldn't foresee my frustration level was going to increase...
The next morning, I called HP's Customer Care again and demanded to talk to a supervisor, however the CSR wouldn't transfer me until *after* I repeated the entire tale again. Once the supervisor got on the line, I had to repeat the story again! He supposedly escalated my ticket and told me a technician would be calling me within an hour. Guess what? Over an hour later, no technician had called.
I called HP Customer Care once again. By this time, I was out running errands and didn't have my ticket number and told the CSR that. What is the first thing he asked me after my name? "Ma'am, do you have your ticket number?" HP Customer Care truly does NOT listen. The CSR looked up my name and told me I had two laptops... one under warranty and one not. No, I have one laptop.
Then he tried to inform me that it's not their "policy" to have a technician call in an hour. That it takes 24-48 hours to set up appointments. I responded back that I didn't care what the policy was, that the supervisor I talked to earlier told me a technician would be calling within an hour. I asked to speak to another supervisor.
Supervisor #2 told me Supervisor #1 didn't escalate it my issue properly; that he just sent it to dispatch. After an hour on the phone explaining the entire thing AGAIN, he put me on hold so that he could get a conference call with a case manager. He asked me for a 2-3 hour time frame on Sunday, April 28th for a technician to come and for a case manager to call. He told me a technician would be coming to install the HD and recovery discs (on the 28th), making sure that the computer was in running order before he left. Guess what? No one called. No one showed up either.
By this time, my frustration level was wayyyy higher than I am tall. I was so irritated and tired of the service HP Total Care had not provided. I made yet another call to HP. The CSR put me on hold while he read the notes on my account (because I told him to... I refused to repeat the story again). After about 5 minutes on hold, I was disconnected!
I called back again. CSR #2 said he saw in the system that I called a few minutes prior and that a request was put in to talk to a case manager. This CSR told me that case managers don't work on the weekend (remember earlier, Supervisor #2 told me one would be calling on Sunday?), that he didn't care what was said previously, they only go by what's in the system and somewhere along the line they had put in a request for my hard drive to be replaced on May 4th! Since the case was already "escalated", this CSR refused to give me to another supervisor because the issue was being "addressed" and that was the end of it.
On April 29th at 8:22PM, I received a voicemail message from case manager "**". What's with the late night phone calls? I work for a living and have to get up early. A second voicemail was received 12:32PM the next day from **. I returned the call at 6:21PM after I got home from work.
I did not reach **, but another case manager in queue who had an accent that I had difficulty understanding. When I asked to either transfer me to ** or another case manager who spoke clear English, I was told that I could communicate via email. I asked him how he thought I would do that since I have ONE computer that was broken. Then he asked, "What's the problem with your computer?" I responded, "Seriously? Have you not read the notes on my account?" He said, "I'm doing that right now."I hung up on him, frustrated once again.
On May 1st, I received a call from a repair technician located 3 hours south of where I live. Through the phone conversation, I learned that he thought the service call was going to where the hard drive was shipped. Keep in mind that I had the hard drive shipped to where I work because HP would not ship it to a PO Box.
When I received the email stating where HP "thought" the service address was, I immediately called HP and told them. The woman I talked to said, "Oh, just let the technician know when he calls." I ALSO told one of the "supervisors" during many round-and-round phone calls to them where the service address was... had to spell out my street address and city. Yet, they STILL had my work address as the place to repair my laptop!
The technician laughed at my complaints about HP and gave excuses as to HP's poor customer service. He said he didn't understand why they would want someone from so far away to repair the laptop. He said he'd contact HP and get back to me. On May 2nd, the technician left a voicemail message around 12:30 to confirm the repair on Saturday morning, May 5th.
Since I have added a second hard drive to a desktop PC years ago (not an easy task to connect two HD's, btw), I decided that a laptop couldn't be that hard. I opened the box HP sent me to find step-by-step instructions on how to do it! It took me all of 8 minutes to remove the faulty one and install the new one. Yet, HP wanted a technician to drive 3 hours to do this??? Installing the OS took longer... several hours to reinstall using the restore disks sent by HP.
On May 3rd, I used the box and packaging material that the replacement hard drive came in to return the failed hard drive. I put the return slip in with it and placed the FedEx return label (both provided by HP) on the outside of the box. I dropped it in the FedEx pickup box located on the lower level of the local banking center building. It was due for pick up at 5:45pm on the same day. I called HP and politely told them to cancel the technician and to note I returned the hard drive. Not surprisingly, HP did not contact the technician and tell him that the service call was cancelled. He actually wanted me to sign a paper that he did the work so he could get paid. Uh no.
The next thing I know, there's a voicemail from a lady at HP stating that I *just* cancelled the service call and to call them back. The number I was given was for AT&T! So, I called HP's Customer Care and the CSR could see on my ticket that I had called to cancel the appointment and that I had sent the faulty hard drive back. He "assured" me that he was going to see if the appointment could still be cancelled. What? It should've already been canceled!
I also asked about why I was given a number to AT&T. He said AT&T was their internet service provider and that the lady probably gave the wrong number. Interesting... I was put on hold while he tried to rectify the problem. After 5 minutes, I hung up.
When I purchased the HP Total Care warranty, I received an email stating I could and I quote exactly, "take full advantage of HP's award winning Total Care service and support programs, giving you the peace of mind and confidence that comes with knowing that HP will take care of you if you need help with your HP or Compaq products." Based on my experience, I did not receive award winning service nor did I feel HP "took care" of me. Not only did I get poor service, I was given false and misinformation. I spent hours on the phone with HP's Total "Care" and received nothing but VERY HIGH levels of frustration and irritability.
The only good thing I have to say is that HP shipped the replacement hard drive and restoration CD's relatively quickly. HP's "Total Care" needs some serious help! I sincerely hope that I do not have any other problems with this HP laptop now that I have experienced HP's Total "Care".
DENVER, COLORADO -- You can keep the $100,000+ of Hewlett Packard equipment I (and the companies I have purchased for) have spent with you over the last fifteen years. Though we've been together a long time, it has come time to part ways. I feel like I am ending a long romantic relationship. We've been through a lot together but I still have a lot of good buying years left.
You see, you're just not the person I met fifteen years ago. Back then you were attentive and accommodating. When I had a problem you'd work with me, as a team, and we'd both be happy at the end. Now, however, it has really become all about you and I feel like as the years have progressed you have just taken one Liberty after another with me and now this relationship has become all about what I can give; and what you can take from me.
There are a lot of youngsters out there who have expressed an interest in trying to make something meaningful together and truth be known, I've really started to listen to what they're saying while my faith in you has just continued to dwindle. I find myself in a sad place as I know that tomorrow you will just go out and find someone else to fill the void while I will be trying hard not just to find somebody to take your place but someone who's truly worth everything I have to give; something that will last a lifetime.
Though it comes at some great personal pain to end this relationship to which I have become so accustomed, the promise of a new, happier life is with someone special is just too great an opportunity to pass up. So this is farewell. I am looking forward to a life without data loss, cheap and faulty components, and your deaf ear and cold shoulder to cry on. I really do wish you the best in life and will always look back fondly on the good times we had early on in our relationship. All I hope is that at some point you will see that in the end: It's not me; it's you.
The past twelve months of my professional life have been characterized by continuous hardware failures, inadequate support, and sub-standard products. It all began with a faulty RAID controller on a proliant server but in the end it is a $700 pavilion desktop that has me saying goodbye forever to Hewlett-Packard.
In 15 years of being an IT buyer and a SERIOUS brand advocate for HP, I have NEVER had this many problems with HP's products, support, and customer service. In twelve months I have experienced two major failures in my proliant servers, a bad hard drive in one laptop, the same issue in a netbook, and now a faulty SATA controller in a pavilion desktop. With each failure came the loss of priceless data and countless man hours' worth of work.
For the first time in many years I had to call HP support today and I am appalled at what HP considers to be customer service these days. The inbound call center was located in India and the support and escalation process with deplorable.
Now...I outsource to India as well and completely understand the economic benefit of $3/hr labor, however, are we really still learning that India and other countries are NOT the best place to centralize customer service operations?
My phone call began with ** (his assigned name I am sure) in regards to a dysfunctional SATA controller installed on the Pegatron M2N78-LA motherboard. I was informed by ** that in order to diagnose (yes you read that right, DIAGNOSE!) the problem, I would have to pay $100 via credit card. I was less than enthusiastic about paying $100 to diagnose a what is obviously a hardware failure in the integrated SATA controller on the motherboard of this unit.
** informed me that my desktop computer was "Out of Warranty" and that he was unable to help without collecting the $100. I informed ** that I would not be forking over $100 so that he could tell me my SATA controller was bad. ** then basically told me I was SOL and without paying the fee, I wasn't going to make any progress with him. ** and I continued to go back and forth on the matter whilst he consistently reminded me "There is nothing free in this world" to which my response was "The computer wasn't free".
After about 40 minutes of our back and forth banter about what I expect customer service to be and what HP is willing to provide "by policy", I asked to be escalated up in the process. ** informed me that his supervisor "Refused to speak to me" as it is against policy to do so under HP rules and guidelines. I fought ** for another twenty minutes about letting me speak to this Supervisor; who he named as "**" when ** figuratively threw up his hands and simply stopped responding to me.
That's right, didn't hang up (because apparently that too is against HP policy) but instead, just let me talk to myself for ten minutes. At the end of those ten minutes **'s voice appears again and his only words are: "Sir, I am transferring you to a supervisor now". I am placed on hold for just a moment and a new voice (self identified as **) appears on the line.
** reiterates that because my computer is a few months out of warranty, I will have to provide the $100 necessary to diagnose my computer. I ask ** point blank: "This computer is just over a year old and the on board SATA controller has gone bad. Is HP going to be willing to replace this component or am I going to be expected to pay for it?". **'s response was this: "If the on board SATA controller is bad, you will need to purchase a new motherboard at your own expense."
So: For this $700 computer I need to pay $100 additional to have HP "Diagnose" the problem then another $300 for a new motherboard? I don't think so.
I have used many HP products in the past, and was satisfied. When I purchased my very first home unit I had a horrible experience with my HP Pavilion dv9000 series laptop. From the beginning there were issues with the memory and frequent shut downs. Fortunately I had a warranty and used the support available. I was told by the technicians that the problems I was experiencing were errors I committed in usage. As a casual computer user I took them at their word.
I find now that my problems were in reality related to nVidia causing a problem with motherboard, memory, etc. Long story short, my machine went completely out of service just AFTER my warranty and an extension issued by HP had also expired. The unit was literally smoking. At the time I was in a bind, and purchased another machine and placed the old one in the closet.
A few months later, I happened to overhear a conversation regarding the almost the exact experience with the HP Pavilion dv9000 series. The gentleman informed me that HP had promised to do the repairs for free since it was an intrinsic problem with interactions of software and hardware. I was so excited because I really did prefer the Windows XP to the VISTA I now used, and erroneously thought that HP was concerned with keeping long-term customers satisfied. I do believe this problem with products and services is quite widespread, based upon the review of message boards for HP and for your competitors.
I have contacted the office of the CEO office previously and received a pre-formatted e-mail response...shoddy service again! I have tried the on-line chat (disconnected 3 times!). I have tried calling (several lengthy phone calls, and the poor men in the offshore call center were helpless to address the situation, plus the communication was strained due to my inability to understand them at times.)
The most appalling thing that I find with the whole situation is that when I finally spoke to the so-called supervisor, and asked to speak to his supervisor regarding my displeasure...I was told that "Upper level supervisors don't talk to customers, I have the authority to make this decision. The best I can do is a repair for about $300.00 US. Your machine failed outside the extension. You should have kept up with the updates on the extension we put on the website (Monitor a website for a product that is no longer functional...that is certainly an interesting way to spend my valuable time!). This is really not our problem, at this point we are doing you a favor."
I was also informed that to pay for the repairs I had to verbally give my credit card information to him. It cannot be reasonable in these days of online theft for HP to seriously expect a customer to give sensitive financial information by unsecure means!
I paid over $1500.00 US 3 1/2 years ago for a piece of equipment (not to mention the purchase of an expensive printer/FAX/scanner at the same time!!) and you are doing me a favor by repairing it for about half the cost of a new computer today? Even though this is a problem regarding the software and hardware that HP designers chose? I don't think so. I am requesting again that the repairs be made at no charge to rectify the problems I have experienced.
I have told this story to anyone I know considering a new computer or other technology. I work for a large university and am on a committee for new technology purchases. During our meetings HP has been discussed as an option, but several other people have also not had good experiences with customer care. Bad customer service damages your reputation and in the long run will cost you a great deal of business. In this economic climate bad experiences by even a few people can have a ripple effect on your bottom line.
I am requesting that you forward this correspondence to the appropriate person or persons on the board of directors. In addition, I hope this e-mail may inspire someone at HP to consider a review of your customer service policies, call center standards and to also take a hard at whether or not your choice to operate in this fashion will allow your company to continue to prosper in the future. Thank you for your attention in this matter, I eagerly await your response.
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA -- I have a story to share about Hewlett-Packard. This topic has become huge. And despite tons of complaints, HP turns it back on loyal customers. And they continue to sell defective products, after tons of complaints about the models.
The Core i7-based Elite Pavilion desktops from HP; namely the e9150t and e9180t models, are highly defective. Just ask me. I'm on my 3rd PC for example. After contacting HP repeatedly about the constant freezing and blue screen errors, HP is still yet to give me an answer. This isn't the case of just a "bad batch" on the assembly line. We're talking tons of people with faulty PC's. Just check out HP's own forums, and you'll see what I mean.
Here is a brief description of the process I've been through. I bought my first e9150t with the i7-920, back at the end of June. It froze right out of the box, constantly. Not to mention the BSOD's multiple times a day. So being past the 21 day exchange mark, I had no choice but to send it in for repair. It came back to me with the exact same problems. Not to mention a nice scratch on the side of my brand new PC, and it was missing the rubber pieces on the bottom. I'm sure they took great care of my machine while it was under repair.
Next, I convinced HP to send me another e9150t, this time with the i7-950 CPU. Whoo hoo! It did the same as the last. It was even worse than the first one. This one not only had the freezing and BSOD's, but it randomly rebooted, and the back fan ran at full speed 24/7. I again, sent this one back and had HP send me the e9180t model this time, with the i7-975 CPU. It froze at the HP setup screen on the first boot. Upon restarting and logging in, it went straight to a blue screen error. The odds of getting 3 bad machines in a row are astronomical. Not to mention there are plenty of others who are now on their 3rd PC as well.
There is an obvious defect, most likely in the Pegatron motherboard that comes in the e9150t and e9180t models (Truckee v1.03 and 1.04). HP has turned a deaf ear to it's customers. I've contacted the executive office on the phone, sent multiple faxes and emails. Yet HP has yet to even admit that they see an issue to their customers. Tons of us have emailed Mark Hurd, HP's CEO, only to get a call from the executive office telling us they don't have an answer for us. HP has even been reported to the Better Business Bureau about the issue, with no response.
These are high-end PC's that are extremely defective. After contacting Pegatron about the issue, they directed me back to HP, saying that it's their problem. Countless people have said that if HP would only acknowledge the fact that they see the problems and are working on a fix, that would give them peace of mind. But apparently, that's too much to ask of HP. I'm sure they are sweating bullets trying to figure out how they are going to get out of this one.
I'm sorry, but I'm not the kind of person that let's a huge corporation like HP walk all over me. Something has to be done, and I'm not backing down and going away quietly like they'd like me to. If you'd like to get a glimpse of what's going on, just check out the HP forum for example: **. Be advised that out of the over 1,000 posts, the moderator on the forum has only posted in reference to advising someone how to Private Message. At no time out of all the posts, has the moderator tried to give advice or help customers going through this mass defect. Comments have been deleted by the moderator.
Also, on Expert Day in the forums, a topic called "e9150t, e9180t" was created. Customers asked the "experts" if they knew if HP was addressing these issues. Immediately the moderator told them that they were not posting on the topic, (which was PC Performance), and locked the forum they created. Let me see, how is trying to resolve a huge defect in your PC, not related to PC performance? It's like they are desperately trying to hide this as best they can. Here are some other articles that I'm sure will interest you as well: **.
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA -- A little over a year and a half ago I bought an HP Laptop (DV9000). It turns out there was an issue with the companies' Motherboards (Actually many HP motherboards have this issue, which makes them fall apart easily. Just search around, their computers are crap). Anyway, I sent in the computer twice, the first time they just reinstalled windows but left the motherboard with known issues installed, the second time they replaced the motherboard with another motherboard of the same exact type (Even though they knew they were prone to breaking).
At this point my computer was out of service for nearly 20 days due to sending it in repeatedly. HP then had the nerve to ask me to send it back again! They said "Well it's out of the normal warranty, but we've extended the warranty by two years" as if they were doing me a favor! They had to extend the warranty because there is class action lawsuits popping up over their PC's and way too many complaints. Before they became complete lemons they tried to cover themselves.
Anyway I filed a Better Business Bureau Complaint after telling HP I wasn't sending in my $1500 laptop for a third time! They basically blew me off. Here is my full Better Business Bureau complaint against HP. Take my advice, buy a different brand, you'll see why below: I am so pissed my plans are to post this 1000 times on various forums and to build an HP Sucks Website with my programming and design Skills.
"Complaint Description Posted To BBB - Posted 6/2/2009 9:49:19 AM: This problem extends nearly 2 years! In September 2007 and October 2007 my wife and I had to send a laptop back to HP to be repaired. The unit in question the HP Pavilion DV9000 CTO was known to have a bad motherboard which was to be replaced with a new motherboard model that would not have compatibility issues.
On the first occasion they simply did a software reset and sent the item back, on the second occasion they replaced the motherboard with the EXACT same motherboard type originally in the device even though it was known to go bad in a relatively short period of time. They also did not update the bios to even try to fix the actual problems. Now still under warranty in 2009 (The laptop has so many issues with the motherboard they had to offer an additional 2 years on the warranty) they want us to once again send in the laptop for repairs and another motherboard.
This has created a loss of wages as my wife uses the device for work and it has already been out of her hands for almost 20 days in total when shipping and repair times are included. HP has in no way attempted to actually fix the device instead relying on old worthless products.
Complaint Summary: Hewlett Packard has continually accepted a laptop back from me that has motherboard issues. The motherboard type is known to be defective. Resolution Sought: Replace the laptop with a working device (same specs or higher) with a non-defective motherboard and have us send the old laptop back at the time we receive the working device so there will be no lost wages from my wife's engagements. Or Offer a local service call to fix the issue by replacing the motherboard and wireless card with non-defective offerings."
Basically HP has NO ALTERNATIVE TO FIXING A LEMON DEVICE OTHER THAN TO REPAIR IT 3 TIMES. They will also NEVER escalate your claim. NEVER NEVER NEVER according to their own words listed above. They also will not offer expedited fixes on a third repair. That's right folks be ready to wait 14 days! Look for this same post 1000 more times and I'll post my new HP complaint site shortly.
Over the past 15 years I have bought so much merchandise from HP, I've spent thousands of dollars on their electronics and up until now was satisfied with their customer service. In June of 2010, I needed to send my notebook (that I recently purchased from them) in for repair. The Notebook was out of warranty by one week so I knew that I would be paying out of pocket for repairs.
HP Tech Support informed me that my notebook needed several parts replaced (due to some coffee being spilled on the keyboard). HP promised to replace the several parts for a total of $400.00. I agreed and paid the $400.00 but when I got the notebook back I realized that several of the parts that were promised to be replaced were not.
Also they refused to give me my old parts back. The notebook was experiencing the same problems it had when I sent it in for repair. I spent another couple of hours on the phone with HP (being handed off from one person to another) and finally was given a ticket number to send the notebook back in for the repair that it should have had; that I already paid for.
An unusual amount of time for HP to contact me had gone by so I called them to check the status of my notebook. Another at least hour and a half on the phone between hold times and talking to several different people I finally got someone that could figure out what I was calling for. This tech told me that my notebook was sent out without being worked on at all, by accident of course.
I was assured that the notebook would be repaired as promised and in fact the technician whom I spoke with was going to call me the next day to make sure that HP contacted me regarding the repair. HP never called me. About a week and a half later I received my note book in the mail. I went over the repair sheet and noticed that several of the parts I was promised and PAID FOR were not replaced. The notebook was still not functioning properly. Back on the phone with HP I was trying to explain the situation.
This time one of the many technicians that I spoke with was rude to me and said that my computer was fixed and basically that was that. I became impatient at this point and told them that this is ridiculous and I want to talk to a supervisor. Reluctantly I was handed over to a supervisor after many, many minutes on hold. I finally convinced the supervisor that my notebook needs to be repaired and I've already paid for the repairs. I sent the notebook back again. No follow up call from the supervisor, in fact no call from HP at all. When I got the notebook back it functioned but not properly.
Still the speakers and the fingerprint reader didn't work, they were supposed to be replaced especially since it was paid for. I called the supervisor back and she told me to go online and I could download some sort of driver to make the fingerprint reader work. I couldn't believe what I was hearing from her, this was totally unacceptable to me and I told her so and hung up the phone.
A week or so later I called and left a message for the supervisor stating that the way they handled my situation was completely unacceptable and wondered what ever happened to HP's customer service because it really SUCKS now. I also left on the message that I would be contacting the CEO in hopes to find a resolution. To make a long story short... It was to my surprise that no resolution was made nor was any offered. All I got from the office of HP's CEO was a "Thank You For Your inquiry, we here at HP strive to keep our rate of excellence in customer service and we will direct your letter to the correct department".
A Couple of days later that same supervisor called and asked me if I were having a problem still. I told her "Yes, of course I am, nothing has changed, the notebook is still as it was when I last spoke with you". She stated that she spoke with the repair department and that my computer was repaired. I became too angry to speak with her anymore so I hung up the phone. I wrote back to the CEO's office and explained to them that handing my letter off to someone else didn't work and that I sent it to the CEO and that is who I want to read it or at least acknowledge it. Never heard back from HP whatsoever.
My notebook is still in the same condition and I'm out $400.00. I've never experienced such horrid customer service in my life. How unfair it is for HP to claim in magazines around the globe how excellent their customer service is. Unbelievable, I will never order anything from HP again. After going on the HP site today (only to look up their web address for this complaint) I see that there is a different CEO now.
This dv6t select edition laptop has the 2.4ghz i5-450M processor, 4 gb ram, touch screen, in home warranty and the extra large battery offered. When I first started updating it and getting it ready for her out of the box my first impression was that it was rather slow and the construction was not that impressive. Finally around week 5 of owning it my wife starts using it daily and right away it started to crash if you lifted and slightly tilted the PC.
HP gives me the run around about a bad battery and or power cord and then supposedly bad power connection to the motherboard. At this point the computer was dead and would not start plugged in or on battery after 4-5 crashes. After more run around on the phone (not sure if the next day home service even exists) I'm told that instead of emailing me a FedEx label for me to return it to their service center in its original shipping package, they will fedex another box that turned out to be much the same.
After sending it in, I get a call about a week later that the computer is fixed and on its way back (it was just that the ram had fallen out of the socket which means it was never installed correctly) but that dust and a lot of use could cause this, but not to worry it was 100% Quality tested as well (true story mind you this computer maybe had 4 hours of use on it at a desk).
The computer arrives (looking like it obviously was not put back together correctly with bottom middle cover tabs hanging out on one side. It crashed again within the first ten minutes of use. At this point my experience with the case managers is that of complete horror. From the start they would not return phone calls and will only offer to buy the machine back for something less than I paid for it (I'm sorry their defective computer is somehow my fault).
Finally the last straw was with the manager of the case management department, who had promised to get an answer on a full refund and or different PC but has now blown me off as well and not gotten back to me with any update. I've never seen worse customer service in the PC industry. I had no idea that HP was this way also. I've purchased 4 HP machines for over $8K in the last 6 months and the others have been great. Never Again will I make this mistake.
I really did my research trying to find the right balance of power, performance and battery life for my wife who's a nursing student. I looked up reviews on CNET and HP.com in this process. Later to find out when I wrote a truthful review on HP.com it was tossed out because their fine print states that no comments about customer support and or service are allowed. Save Your Bread...
I bought this desktop computer a year ago from the HP website. It was purchased as Vista operating system with free upgrade to windows 7. Because of the economy I am in and out of my home for work relying on a laptop because the desktop is not workable. I have spent days on the HP computer service line a minimum of 6 hours per call. I had purchased the factory recovery discs, not made my own.
I was initially upgradeable to windows 7 and was running on windows 7 successfully but then couldn't get on the internet and then through many calls to customer service they had me go back to system recovery twice and the second time I could not upgrade to windows 7. So it was agreed that I would send my computer in for repair and they would make it upgradeable to windows 7.
I got the computer back under the initial factory Vista working system. I could not reload my files. It could not be upgraded to windows 7 because of a hardware issue. That is with the discs that came with the machine which said it was compatible under the advisor to upgrade to windows 7. I couldn't upgrade even with my father's commercial upgrade to windows 7. I couldn't get on the internet which I was able to do before I sent the computer off. I complained and they sent me to a Case Worker ** at HP who told me I had to go through the same thing again.
Doing another system restore to factory conditions and then upgrading to windows 7 which I had done unsuccessfully with HP customer service prior to sending the computer in. Then and only then could I send the computer back for another repair. I checked their website. They don't build this computer any more so clearly there were problems with it and I think the t probably meant test. They were foisting an expensive product (1500) off on the consumer which they no longer offer.
When they sent the machine back it was not repaired but it did have the factory Vista preloaded on it. They did not send the machine repaired and then gave me a run around. I'm taking it to get it repaired locally which means I won't be out of a computer for 2 weeks and then find it not workable again. HP does not honor its repair. They give the customer a run around. Their technical service is a joke mandating a 6-8 hour call. The case manager wanted to send me through the same procedures I had followed that were unsuccessful before I sent the computer off.
In contrast I bought an Apple ipod touch, under warranty I took it in because it stopped working and they replaced it no questions asked. I was very impressed with apple's warranty and service. Next time I buy a laptop or desktop I am buying Apple because they provide the service and warranty. HP promises something it doesn't deliver because the upgrade issue is hardware related on the windows 7 advisory, why I can't upgrade windows 7.
I bought a laptop and ordered a laptop from HP for my father. I have done a lot of business with HP and I will never order anything from them again. Their customer service is terrible and they do not repair what they were asked to repair and they do not admit that they are at fault. They just give you a run around until you are forced to spend the money elsewhere to fix what they should have fixed.
My wife has a HP laptop I just bought her for Christmas last year. I have the same one just the older model and have had it for about 3 years and 1 deployment. I am a very loyal customer of HP and recommend them to everyone until now. I recently experienced my first problem with their customer service department. My wife's computer just recently lost a key on the keyboard. The plastic connector that holds the key to the laptop broke. No big deal I thought I will just call HP and order the part to have it sent to me so I can fix it.
Well after about 2 hours on the phone with an Indian or Pakistani girl I could barely understand, they said they would call me back in 1 hour. This is at 11pm. I was staying up late doing some work so I thought what the hell. 3 hours later no call. It took two days and I finally got a call back from a girl in India or Pakistan who once again I could barely understand. (I am not trying to be rude about this as I am an affluent traveler and have lived in the middle east for an extended period of time over 2 years). It was just really hard to get past her accent.
Well she takes all my credit card information and the computer information as far as date of purchase, serial number, model number, etc. She confirmed that yes my laptop is still under warranty for 1 year and it won't cost me anything. She says they will send me a box to put the laptop in, send it away and then they will fix it send it back to me and all it will cost me is the shipping and handling. It was only $16.00 so I said OK. I got a series of confirmation emails and they even gave me a tracking number. Well 2 weeks go by and no box.
I call HP customer service and after trying to explain my situation to the Indian guy on the other end of the line he tells me that I need to send my original proof of purchase of the product in. I simply asked him why no one would have called me or emailed me telling me I needed the receipt faxed in. He gave me some long run around story that hardly made any sense so I simply thanked him and hung up.
I understand this is probably not that big an issue to most and it's certainly not the worst customer service I have ever experienced but it just perturbs me that in this day and age we can't have prompt customer service and the fact that you buy a $1,000 dollar computer and can't get a 5 cent piece fixed is absurd. I am a very loyal customer and this experience just put a bad taste in my mouth. So I called my local computer shop and they can fix it for me for about $5.00. Guess HP won't be getting my $16.00 anytime soon.
I only bought my HP because I thought it was a great deal and wanted to try something new. My previous computer was an Alienware and I had great customer service. Which is surprising since Dell bought out Alienware but I think my next laptop will be a Alienware.


text:
The bodies of both men who died in a Hunter Valley coal mine collapse have been recovered.
Phillip Grant, 35, from Maitland and 49-year-old Cessnock resident Jamie Mitchell died when a wall collapsed in the Austar Coal Mine in Paxton on Tuesday night.
They had been working 500 metres below the surface and 10 kilometres along the mine.
Workmates attempted to save them on Tuesday night but were forced to leave the mine because of safety fears, with both men pronounced dead just after midnight on Wednesday.
Police confirmed they had recovered Mr Mitchell's body about 8am on Thursday with Mr Grant's body recovered just before 5pm.
Police have established a crime scene and the mine will remain closed indefinitely.


text:
Welcome to our Dutch translation page. Here you will be able to find 3 kinds of services:
I hope you found the service you were looking for. If you want to keep on learning Dutch, then please check our Dutch lessons homepage.
Inspirational Quote: An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching. Gandhi


text:
Doyle Lee Parsons
Doyle Lee Parsons, age 42, of Blackwell, passed away on Tuesday, July 2, 2013 at Hendrick Medical Center. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 5, 2013 at Decker Cemetery with Dr. Stan Cosby officiating. Burial will follow. Arrangements are under the direction of Cate-Spencer & Trent Funeral Home. Doyle was born on Oct. 10, 1970 in Abilene, Texas to Rodney (Tinker) and Linda (Alderman) Parsons. He graduated from San Angelo State University with a Bachelor of Science degree. He was a registered nurse working for Shannon Hospital in San Angelo, hospitals in Austin and Hendrick Hospital in Abilene. He had been a resident of Blackwell for the last three years, moving from Austin. He is survived by his parents, Tinker and Linda Parsons of Blackwell; sister, Carrie Allen of Blackwell; brother, Robert Parsons and wife Melanie of Abilene; two nephews, Jaylee Allen and Luke Parsons; two nieces, Jessa Kay Allen and Danielle Parsons; uncles, Reese Parsons and wife Tere of Midland and Robert Parsons and wife Sheila of Sweetwater; aunt, Patricia Rainey of Austin; and numerous cousins and other family members. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hendrick Hospice, 1682 Hickory, Abilene, Texas 79601.


text:
Il y a 3 offres de stages à Metz.
An internship abroad is your chance to grow personally and professionally, to develop your independence and to meet like-minded people from all around the world. We hear time and time again that our programs directly influence the future careers of our alumni. In fact, past participants have gone on to work at companies including Microsoft, Dior, Deloitte, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Volkswagen, Pepsico and many more. We strive to get you where you want to go. For Summer 2019 we're offing programs in Barcelona, Beijing, Bogota, Hong Kong, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Montreal, Shanghai, Singapore, Stockholm and Tokyo. Spots are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, so don't dally! Take the first steps in your incredible summer experience now. Multiple industries are available.
GUANABANA HANDMADE a fashion company offering two internship positions in Sales for a period of 6 months in Madrid, Spain. We guarantee an enriching work experience in a dynamic and positive work environment with a great team.
Ever thought of playing a key role in shaping the future of Gastronomic Luxury Travel? If you share our passion for food, travel, entrepreneurial spirit, and are excited by the opportunity to provide a service that will inspire and astound our clients then we'd love to hear from you. We are looking for a person who has previous experience in gastronomy and hospitality, ideally in luxury travel, have spent time traveling and living abroad, and have a highly personalized approach to gastronomic and travel advisory. We love creative people with open minds and ideas that will contribute to both your own team and the wide


text:
Search results for 'sedov'
Leon Sedov: Son, Friend, FighterLeon Sedov, the son of Leon Trotsky and Natalia Sedova, was the victim of a medical murder organized by the Stalinist GPU in February 1938. This pamphlet contains three articles, two by Trotsky and one by Sedov's mother, Natalia Sedova. Learn More
Regular Price: $3.50
Special Price $3.15
The Red BookWritten in 1936 by Trotsky's eldest son and closest political collaborator, this book was a meticulous exposure of the first Moscow Trial ("Trial of the Sixteen") organized by Stalin to justify the liquidation of the surviving leaders of the October Revolution. Learn More
Regular Price: $14.95
Special Price $7.95


text:
Body Donation Program
The training and research this unique gift enables, can lead to important health discoveries that have the potential to alleviate suffering and improve community wellbeing. For this reason, it is greatly appreciated by medical researchers, teachers and students. The University of Wollongong offers a Body Donation Program to the public to help us train health-care workers and scientists including doctors, nurses, medical scientists, exercise physiologists, and other health-related professions.
Memorial honours bodies donated to science
Body Donation Program commemorates 10 years of operation


text:
Marsh Archaeology Award Winners Announced
A range of high quality community archaeology projects from across the UK were celebrated at the recent Discover Archaeology Live event at Olympia with the announcement of the winners of the inaugural Marsh Archaeology Award.
The judges for the Award were unable to separate the four short-listed entries and with the full support of the award's sponsor all four projects were declared joint winners and each given a cheque for £500 to support their work!
The winning projects are:
- The North of Scotland Archaeological Society∞ – Glen Feshie
- The Badsey Society∞ – the Enclosure Map project
- The Mellor Archaeological Trust∞ – Mellor Hilltop
- Royton Local History Society∞ – Royton Lives Through the Ages
With the North of Scotland the Badsey projects, the judges were particularly impressed by the contribution made to archaeological knowledge and understanding. The Mellor and Royton projects were commended for the high of engagement of the community in their activities.
For details of the seven other projects entered for the 2007 Award, click here∞.
Details of the 2009 Marsh Archaeology Award can be found on the CBA Grants & Awards pages∞.
| CBA, St Mary's House, 66 Bootham, York YO30 7BZ.
tel: +(44) (0)1904 671417 | fax: +(44) (0)1904 671384 | email:


text: {-# LANGUAGE MultiParamTypeClasses, FlexibleInstances, FlexibleContexts, IncoherentInstances #-} module Data.Random.Sample where import Control.Monad.State import Data.Random.Distribution import Data.Random.Lift import Data.Random.RVar import Data.Random.Source import Data.Random.Source.Std -- |A typeclass allowing 'Distribution's and 'RVar's to be sampled. Both may -- also be sampled via 'runRVar' or 'runRVarT', but I find it psychologically -- pleasing to be able to sample both using this function, as they are two -- separate abstractions for one base concept: a random variable. class Sampleable d m t where -- |Directly sample from a distribution or random variable, using the given source of entropy. sampleFrom :: RandomSource m s => s -> d t -> m t instance Distribution d t => Sampleable d m t where sampleFrom src d = runRVarT (rvar d) src -- This instance overlaps with the other, but because RVarT is not a Distribution there is no conflict. instance Lift m n => Sampleable (RVarT m) n t where sampleFrom src x = runRVarT x src -- |Sample a random variable using the default source of entropy for the -- monad in which the sampling occurs. sample :: (Sampleable d m t, MonadRandom m) => d t -> m t sample = sampleFrom StdRandom -- |Sample a random variable in a \"functional\" style. Typical instantiations -- of @s@ are @System.Random.StdGen@ or @System.Random.Mersenne.Pure64.PureMT@. sampleState :: (Sampleable d (State s) t, MonadRandom (State s)) => d t -> s -> (t, s) sampleState thing = runState (sample thing) -- |Sample a random variable in a \"semi-functional\" style. Typical instantiations -- of @s@ are @System.Random.StdGen@ or @System.Random.Mersenne.Pure64.PureMT@. sampleStateT :: (Sampleable d (StateT s m) t, MonadRandom (StateT s m)) => d t -> s -> m (t, s) sampleStateT thing = runStateT (sample thing)


text:
6SimS-Sven Master UTOPiA Wednesday 16/05/2007, 07:00
Introeople signing up on the tournament should be able to be active and a trusworthy that they are really joining the tournament
-no cr(except sun/soleil cards)
-no doubles
-30 stars of the deck(soon wil degrade but were still thinking)
-some clans will be ban
-any level 5 card that costs about 2000 and up(so no eyrton and gary:smirk
-2000 clintz
-i will also try add some clintz/cards to the pot too
Please give the inscription to 0cr-warrkid,pm him.....and post here if you like to join
Good game to all
Obey Giant Imperator Wednesday 16/05/2007, 07:40
Send your inscriptions to at the end of inscription entries we'll post the groups and the players in each respective group
good luck to all
Obey Giant Imperator Wednesday 16/05/2007, 09:17
Ok im not sure if my 1st msg went through so here it goes again...Inscription fees come to me, if you post but dont pay you will not take part in this tournament so pm me
Good luck
rogueSleipnir Guru URBAN MADNESS Wednesday 16/05/2007, 11:58
Is there a lvl restriction or is this a free-for-all?
is the prize just for the first placer or are there consolation prizes?
6SimS-Sven Master UTOPiA Wednesday 16/05/2007, 13:07
Knives69:Is there a lvl restriction or is this a free-for-all?
its a free for all...for those who cant buy credits or cant sell in the market...ur entry/inscription is free
Just post if you like to join
Ernieqo we need to post our decks on here before using them to prove they match up to the rules?
Yes,all that is joining in this tournament will send me their decks...about the clans...im still thinking
Strong Raist Imperator Past Present and Future Wednesday 16/05/2007, 13:56
I'm in
6SimS-Sven Master UTOPiA Wednesday 16/05/2007, 15:23
Ok thanks dudes
anymore people who could join?
We still dont know how to reward the prizes....warr is still thinking i bet


text:
Lescott, a life-long Villa supporter, is out of favour at the Etihad Stadium and has been strongly linked with a move away in the current transfer window.
Lambert says he will be backed in the transfer market by owner Randy Lerner, although Lescott would almost certainly have to take a wage cut for a deal to go ahead.
"He has been a top player and still is," Lambert said of the 30-year-old former Wolves and Everton centre-back.
"He's a top, top player. He's not getting a game at Manchester City at the minute.
"As I've said before, I will sit with the rest of the staff and see what I can do.
"But I don't think you can ever dismiss it any level whenever you are talking about a top player."
Lambert insists he will not press the panic button in his efforts to strengthen his squad despite a run of three defeats and draw in four games over Christmas during which Villa conceded 17 goals while scoring just two.
"There are names we're trying to do," Lambert continued. "I think everyone has said it's a really tough window in January.
"We won't just get people in for the sake of getting them in - there is ridiculous money and that sort of thing.
"That's not something I'll do but there's one or two that we will try to.
"People go on about age and all that. If players want to do it and are hungry then we're open to that. I'll just see, I'll wait and see."
Lambert insists he continues to have a strong relationship with Lerner despite the club's struggles in the league.
He said: "I speak to the chairman all the time. I speak to him every week really. There's never a problem.
"He's been great, he really has. He said himself that this was always going to be a really tough year because of the transition."


text:
Portions of this column are meant to be read with a grain of salt.
OK, David Krejci. We get it. You're the Bruins' No. 1 center.
We know how fed up you are hearing about Patrice Bergeron's two-way play and his consistency and his Selke Trophy. You've won the Stanley Cup more recently than Pavel Datsyuk and you showed Ryan Kesler what he could do with his Selke in the historic 2011 Stanley Cup Final.
And what has Sidney Crosby won lately?
Now after a subpar 2013 regular season, where 33 points in 47 games is considered subpar, you've decided to dominate the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs as if you're some sort of cross between Superman and Gordie Howe in an effort to write your name in permanent ink at the top of the list of best centers in the NHL. Maybe you'll even get atop the list of best players, regardless of position.
It's certainly appropriate that in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Wednesday you became the first visiting player to burn Toronto for a playoff hat trick since Wayne Gretzky. After all, your performance in the Bruins' 4-3 overtime win was a Great One. You capped that hat trick with an overtime goal after your revitalized linemate Nathan Horton took a hit to make a pass out of the zone. Once mostly a playmaker, you've decided to unleash your shot and now you have five goals as part of your 10 points in the first four games of this series.
This has the makings of a lengthy playoff run for the Bruins, and I'm just wondering how much further you're willing to take this massive effort to convince the world that you're the greatest. I mean, I gave you that recognition already in a column on April 1. Will you let anyone else's line on your team get into the spotlight. It looks like you've zapped Patrice Bergeron's line (despite Bergeron's power-play goal) of its offense. The other lines have been pretty quiet too.
Assuming you keep this up and the Maple Leafs finally fold and add a post-series handshake to their list of new experiences from this playoff season Friday, this Bruins run could last a while. You already lead the NHL playoffs in points, just like you did in 2011. And your 18 goals since those 2011 playoffs are the most of anyone in the league. What's the ceiling here?
Here in Boston, we all know about you multi-faceted offensive stylings. You're not too shabby in the defensive zone either. Even after leading the Bruins to the '11 Cup, you still fly under the radar a tad nationally. I find that hard to believe but I get asked about it all the time on radio shows, so it must be true.
Now there's no radar, limbo poll or weed in the grass low enough for you to hide beneath. You're the top dog, the bee's knees, the top banana, the center of attention, if you will. To think that there could be room for improvement and there might be plenty of games left on the docket for you to soar even higher has to make every active player in the NHL shiver a little.
Now we'll see how you perform without everyone doubting or forgetting about you. There could be match-ups against elite centers like Sidney Crosby, John Tavares, Ryan Getzlaf, Datsyuk or Jonathan Toews in your playoff future. At this rate, everyone will be asking those guys and their teammates how to stop David Krejci. There might not be an answer. If you keep producing at this rate, the Bruins and the world might get to find out just how unstoppable you are.


text:
Write a News Story
Meet a Pioneer Pilot
Amelia Earhart Home
Back to
Story List
By: Nora H.
Michigan, Age 9
Amelia Earhart bought her first plane after flying for less than eight months. Borrowing money from her parents and using all her savings was just enough to buy the Kinner Airster for $2,000.The Kinner Airster is a new model that offers advances in technology. The Airster has double the mile range of Neta's, but is smaller and faster than the planes she usaully flys. Although it was more expensive than any other plane its size, Amelia had to have it. Her Airster is painted bright yellow and is called
Back to
Story List


text:
WEDNESDAY: Voter ID Election Law at Supreme Court
Contact: Jim Gavin
(Washington D.C.) This week, the United States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments regarding Indiana's voter ID law, which could lead to a decision that impacts the 2008 election cycle. Currently, 24 states require every voter to provide identification before casting a ballot and seven of these states require photo identification.
Counsel for the two consolidated cases, Indiana Democratic Party v. Todd Rokita and Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, will present oral arguments on Wednesday, January 9 at 10:00 a.m.
"This case is about accuracy – are we going to demand accuracy through integrity in our election process? The answer from the American people continues to be an overwhelming 'yes'," stated Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita, the named respondent in the case.
"The law is a common sense, low-cost requirement that improves accuracy and provides protection against election fraud. In turn, the law provides confidence in the system for voters and taxpayers," he added.
Indiana's Voter ID law has become the focus of a national debate after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and the federal Southern District Court of Indiana upheld the constitutionality of the law. Opponents claim that no proof exists of in-person vote fraud and cite voter disenfranchisement as a reason the Court should strike the law.
"In-person fraud, or identity theft – which is what this is, occurs in all facets of our lives. Unfortunately, the fastest growing crime in the nation does not stop at the polling booth," stated Sec. Rokita.
"We've worked hard to provide voter protection, yet increase turnout," Sec. Rokita said. "The law provides free IDs to the public, and statistics show that more Hoosiers voted in every population segment after Indiana implemented the law. It is no coincidence that the petitioner could not produce even one person that the law disenfranchised."
Opponents also claim the law creates a partisan divide.
"Over 80% of the nation approves of the law – that hardly makes it a partisan issue," stated Sec. Rokita. "I am proud that this has been a bipartisan effort from the start. Leaders from Jimmy Carter to James Baker have called for this very reform."
Secretary of State Todd Rokita will be making a statement from the U.S. Supreme Court steps after the oral arguments on Wednesday at approximately 11:30 a.m. (EST). The statement will be released in written form later in the day, approximately 1:00 p.m. (EST). Background information can be viewed here. To schedule an interview, please contact Allison Fore at the number above..


text:
Issues with brand-new INTEL S3420GPLX Server Boardselig Sep 6, 2010 1:12 PM
Dear Experts,
I've just bought the INTEL S3420GPLX Server Board to build my private server.
1) I want to setup RAID on my HDDs.
What should I choose and why:
a) Intel Matrix
b) Intel Embedded Server RAID Technology II
c) Windows RAID (in Disk Management)
I'm also interested in:- differences between a) and b),
- if any of them hardware RAID.
2) I have GPLX version of my motherboard. On Intel website, in product specification, there is information that it should have
Intel RMM3 included, but BIOS tells me that this module is not present. I CAN ping IP address (assigned in BIOS) of NIC1,
but I'm unable to connect to https://<IP>/. Port scanner shows, that only ports that are available are 22 and 6xx (don't remember it exactly).
- Why I am unable to access RMM3?
- Where can I find mmconfig.exe?
3) What the hell exactly is BMC and how can I access to all of it options?
4) I am very confused about BIOS settings: in Product Technical Product Specification, on page 42, there is mentioned
that board S3420GPV (so lower model than mine) has options to control PWM FAN speeds manually. In my board's BIOS there are
no options about hardware monitoring like temperatures and FAN speeds. I'm really sad about this, because after firmware update (full
update: BMC, SDR, FDR and BIOS) my FANs are running at full speed - this is deffinitely too loud for me.
- I HAVE NON-INTEL CHASSIS (it is too expensive for me, especially that this server will be used for private purposes),
- I was trying to modify GP17.sdr file (which I included in attachment: other.sdr.txt) but it didn't work,
- I've put jumper on Chassis Intrusion - no change,
- All my FANs are high quality REVOLTEC products, with PWM,
- I've tried to set BIOS options to OLIT, 300m or less, Acoustic.
- I've searched entire Intel Community forum and pages found by Google - no change,
- SEL shows nothing interesting.
I'm really resigned now, I don't know what should I do next.
Please help! I would finally star enjoining my server!
Thank You!
other.sdr.txt.zip 2.1 K


text:
EEOC Prevails in Case Involving Physical and Verbal Abuse of Glassblowers
PHOENIX – A federal district court today entered a Federal Court Judgment for over $267,000 and significant injunctive relief in favor of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in a discrimination lawsuit against Sunfire Glass, Inc. The EEOC's suit charged that the company's owner subjected a class of female employees to severe physical and verbal sexual harassment in violation of federal law.
Judge Lawrence O. Anderson found that Sunfire owner Paul McBride sexually harassed two female glassblowers by touching the women on their breasts and between their legs, hitting the women on the buttocks, making obscene gestures, and verbally harassing the women by talking about their bodies and using vulgar language. At times, the court also found McBride would touch the women while they were working with hot glass and were unable to defend themselves against McBride's advances. The two women, Tineke Meyer and Karina Mercado, complained repeatedly to management, and no action was taken. As a result of the abuse, both Meyer and Mercado were forced to resign.
The EEOC's suit (EEOC v. Sunfire Glass, Inc., Civ. 08-1784 PHX-LOA) was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona in September 2008. Despite receiving notice of the lawsuit, McBride failed to submit an answer to the litigation or otherwise appear in the case, and the court entered a default judgment against the company.
The court, in making very specific findings of fact and conclusions of law, awarded Tineke Meyer the equitable remedy of back pay plus prejudgment interest through March 12, 2009, in the sum of $60,287; compensatory damages in the sum of $50,000; and punitive damages in the sum of $50,000; totaling $160,287 in damages against Sunfire Glass, Inc. The court also ordered post-judgment interest at the legal rate until paid in full. Additionally, the court awarded Karina Mercado the equitable remedy of back pay plus prejudgment interest through March 20, 2009, in the sum of $6,781; compensatory damages in the sum of $50,000; and punitive damages in the sum of $50,000; totaling $106,781 in damages against Sunfire Glass, Inc.
The EEOC, as plaintiff, was awarded injunctive relief against Sunfire Glass, Inc. The Federal Court Judgment was signed by Magistrate Judge Lawrence O Anderson on April 10, 2009. The judge ordered Sunfire enjoined from engaging in sex discrimination, ordered Sunfire to train employees on sexual harassment, ordered Sunfire to post notices about sex discrimination, and ordered Sunfire to create anti-discrimination policies and procedures.
Sexual harassment, and forcing employees to quit as a consequence, violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including sexual harassment) and national origin.
"The conduct at issue in this case was deplorable," said EEOC Phoenix District Director Chester V. Bailey. "The fact that the owner of the company was the harasser left the women in a difficult situation. Fortunately, these victims bravely stepped forward to report Mr. McBride's conduct and have it addressed."
EEOC Regional Attorney Mary Jo O'Neill said, "Sexual harassment is the toxic waste of the workplace. This case was especially troublesome because the victims are in low-wage jobs and are particularly vulnerable. I commend Ms. Mercado and Ms. Meyer for their courage in standing up for themselves and each other. Their effort has been truly heroic."
Sunfire Glass, Inc. is a glass company located at in Phoenix at two locations: 3031 N. 31st Avenue, and 10297 West Van Buren.
The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.
This page was last modified on April 13, 2009.
Return to Home Page


text:
Please note illustrations are for guidance purposes only, the positioning of the text on your chosen cushion may vary slightly, although it will still be fantastic and amazing but no two cushions will ever be exactly the same due to the hand finished process.
Personalised unique products are exempt from distance selling regulations, this does not affect your statutory rights. Please see our terms and conditions for full information.
'Prosecco Princess' Glitter Unicorn emoji® Brand Cushion
Price in GBP
- We currently have 10 in stock.
For Christmas delivery please choose express delivery and order this item before Wednesday, 19 December.
Despatch of this item is currently 1 to 2 days from the date of ordering
'Prosecco Princess' Glitter Unicorn emoji® Brand Cushion
Unique emoji® Brand Cushion from Love Bomb Cushions
"Prosecco Princess" Glitter emoji® Unicorn Cushion.
For the prosecco mums this Mother's Day where the little white lie of "I'm only having one glass" is forgiven and forgotten. If breakfast in bed isn't your style then fear not as here at Love Bomb Cushions we have the best alternative with our "Prosecco Princess" emoji® Unicorn cushion.
Our "Prosecco Princess" emoji® Unicorn cushion makes the perfect companion to relax with and let's face it there is no mother in the land that wouldn't appreciate being pampered on her rest day. Show your mum just how much you love and care for her with our fun and unique novelty emoji® pillows.
All of our cushions are packed with up to 50% more filling than any other non-licensed imitation cushion brands making this pillow a perfect gift.
Our "Prosecco Princess" Unicorn emoji® is a cushion you just HAVE to get.
emoji® is a registered trademark. ©2015-2017 emoji company GmbH. All rights reserved. Licensed by Global Merchandising Services Ltd.
Brought to you by Love Bomb Cushions™: the fun, novelty cushion company.
- Specification
- Ethical Production
- Technical Information
- Officially Licensed
Love Bomb Cushions are on average 2-4 cm wider & filled with up to 100% more fibre than other unlicensed imitations, they are;
- CE Certified tested to comply with European Standard EN71
- Wider and deeper with dimensions: 28cm Length x 12cm width x 38cm height
- Finished by expert seamstresses to the highest manufacturing standards
- Manufactured in ethical facilities where social responsibility is maintained
Love Bomb Cushions are manufactured in facilities which are audited by 3rd Party Organisations to be sure they;
- are free from Child Labour
- are free of dangerous long hours
- promote the wellbeing of all employees
- have full labour policies and procedures in place
- provide waste management and environmental management
- promote Health & Safety and Hygiene
The technical information below is provided as a guide our customers to ensure they know exactly what our cushions are made from including love!
- Ages 3+ not suitable for children under 3 years of age
- Hand Wash Only
- Dry Clean Only
- All new material
- Polyester Fibre
- Tagged with EN-13 (Europe and other Countries) Barcode
- Tagged to meet UK Trading Standards Specifications
Officially Licensed emoji® products
• Love Bomb Cushions are holders of the Official License from emoji®- company and all our emoji® products are manufactured under license. The Official Brand – The Iconic Brand.
• Love Bomb Cushions have access to over 2000 icons under license which offers longevity, sustainability and consumers reassurance.
• Love Bomb Cushions only use the highest quality fabrics, embroidery, and expert seamstresses to hand finish our products all of which are CE tested in facilities which undergo vigorous social audit and are ICTI accredited to ensure our consumers are absolutely confident in the origin.
• We strive to create memories that last a lifetime and aim to place an Officially Licensed emoji® in every household in the UK and Ireland.
• Love Bomb Cushions are licensed to produce;
• Plush shaped emoji® cushions
• Plush shaped emoji® Keyrings
• Plush shaped emoji® Buddies
• Plush shaped emoji® Foot Cushions
• emoji® is a registered trademark. ©2015-2017 emoji company GmbH. All rights reserved. Licensed by Global Merchandising Services Ltd.


text:
Our Aprilia RS-250 race systems are being used in competition throughout the World and this experience has allowed us to develop our exhausts to be the best available in the market. Our latest systems provide excellent power, ground clearance and weight saving.
Side by side (left and right exiting) stainless steel chambers, EXCS-0007
GP (conventional twin right exiting) chambers, EXCS-0008
We recommend a change of main jet from #270/#280 to #280/290 for fitment with stock bikes.
Important when ordering
When ordering a complete system system for your Aprilia RS250:
A.)1 X chamber set. When you order this you will receive included in the chamber set:
1 X left chamber
1 X right chamber
2 X manifolds with flanges and 'o'rings
4 X manifold to chamber springs
1 X double clamp and mounting hardware on GP systems (the systems with two silencers stacked on top of one another exiting on the right of the bike) to mount to original position on subframe.
2 X single clamps and mounting bolts, nuts and washers on the side by side systems (the systems with one silencer exiting left and one exiting right)
B.)2 X silencers of your choice. Each silencer is provided with mounting hardware and we will badge them according to the chamber set you order. For the GP systems, you will get a right side badge on one silencer and an unbadged silencer. On the side by side, you will get a left badged and a right badged silencer.


text:
There are a number of different types of website available for you to choose from now that you have decided to promote your business via the internet. This article intends to highlight four of the main types, which are:
- Static Website
- Blog Website
- Content Managed Site
- E-commerce Website
Static Website
A static website (sometimes referred to as a brochure site) generally consists of 5 to 8 pages, supplying basic information about the company, its operation and the services it has to offer. A typical static website might include the following pages:
- Home
- About us
- Services
- Testimonials
- FAQs
- Contact
As the title implies, the content of these pages generally remains the same over time. Therefore, in this instance a website owner will most likely employ a web designer to create the site to begin with. Then, should the owner wish to make any changes at a later date, he/she would need to request the designer (or anyone with sufficient programming knowledge) to make the changes on their behalf.
These types of website are most commonly used by small to medium sized companies. They provide an excellent mechanism for companies to sell themselves and showcase the services they have to offer. In this day and age, this is the absolute minimum web presence a company should look to maintain. When looking to employ a company, customers will frequently look to the internet to gain an insight, prior to engaging the company.
Blog Website
A blog website (sometimes referred to as a journal site) allows users to publish articles or pages themselves via a protected user control panel. These articles are then browsed by date or category archive.
There are a variety of open source (free) software packages available, that will allow users to create and publish a blog website. The most common in use today is called WordPress (used to power this blog). To run an installation of WordPress you need web hosting with MySQL Database and PHP support.
The principal idea behind a blog site is that the user (website owner) supplies the information via the control panel, then he/she chooses a 'theme' to determine how that information is displayed. There are a variety of themes available to download for a low cost or for free via the internet.
Whilst the themes you can download via the internet are excellent to use and very professional looking in a lot of cases, they are generally quite fixed in appearance. Therefore should a website owner decide that they want a theme to match their companies brand or indeed merge with an existing site. He/she will need to employ a website designer to develop a bespoke theme for their company.
These types of websites are an excellent way of allowing less technically minded individuals to publish content regularly. If a website stays the same over a long period of time, it is less likely to encourage people to revisit the site. One of the best ways to increase traffic to your website is to provide new quality content to your target audience, if someone finds your articles informative, not only will they keep checking back, but they might link to your site from elsewhere on the web.
Good dynamic content is also likely to increase your Google rankings, provided it is authentic.
Content Management System
A Content Management System (often referred to as a CMS) allows users to publish web pages within a sites hierarchy. Once a CMS is set up for a company, any authorized user can:
- add a page
- choose how the page will be laid out (from selection of templates)
- populate the page with data and images
- choose exactly where it appears in the site (i.e. from which pages it can be accessed, and which pages can be accessed from it)
- publish the page
Once a page is published, the system will then add the new page to the menu system in the correct place (i.e. as a subsection of services).
The main difference between a Blog website and a CMS is in the control the user has over the structure of the site. Blog sites allow people to add articles over time, then those articles are accessed via rigid archiving systems. A CMS allows the user to design both the structure and choose how each page is displayed.
Content management systems are ideal for larger companies, that are likely to need a higher volume of pages. In these circumstances there are normally a number of people involved in the provision of the content, therefore a development involving all would be timely and harder to control. The benefit of a CMS is that you can devolve control of sections of the website to different groups of people. Due to the fact that everyone is constrained by the templates offered by the system, you are ensured a uniform look and feel to the site.
The slight drawback to using content constrained system is the lack of flexibility in page designs. If you are likely to need a high percentage of bespoke pages then perhaps a CMS is not for you. If however the majority of pages are common, but a low number need to be bespoke, a web designer can add them individually to suit your needs.
E-commerce Website
An E-commerce website is a site that allows you to advertise and sell goods over the internet. The term 'e-commerce' covers a wide range of websites, from sites with simple one off fixed donation buttons to multiple tiered shops with hundreds of categories and 1000′s of products.
The solution for you depends entirely on your needs. You need to condsider:
- what volume of products do you intend to offer?
- do you need to be able to add products / images yourself? or would you like someone else to manage them
- how frequently will you need to update them or add new products?
- do you need to store customer information? send out emails?
- would you like your products to be searchable?
- will you offer promotions, vouchers or gift cards?
- what types of payment would you like to receive?
- would you like to automate shipping information?
The more complex of these solutions would undoubtedly require using one of the many open source (free) platforms like Magento or OScommerce. In these instances they require installation and management together with the creation of bespoke themes and templates.
If however you are looking at a lower volume of products, or would like to integrate it with an existing blog site, there are plugins that can be added to systems like WordPress to deal with your needs. These again would need to be customized to suit.
If all of the above seems a little over the top, for example you might have 5-10 products that you would like to sell which you don't need to control yourself (i.e. availability, price and information), then a smaller less costly solution is undoubtedly more suitable to your needs.