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|Anti-Terrorism, Crime And Security Bill - continued
|House of Commons
|back to previous text
Clause 55 Consent to prosecution
138. This clause requires the Attorney General's consent for prosecutions under clause 47 and 50 in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.
Clause 58 Pathogens and toxins in relation to which requirements under Part 7 apply
139. This clause identifies those dangerous pathogens and toxins which will be brought immediately within the controls set out in this part of the Bill on Royal Assent. These pathogens and toxins - listed in Schedule 5 - are those that potentially pose the greatest risk to human life if misused by terrorists. The clause gives the Secretary of State a power, by order, to modify the list.
140. Subsection (4) defines "dangerous substance" to include anything (such as a plant or animal) that is infected by or is a carrier of a pathogen listed in Schedule 5.
Clause 59 Duty to notify Secretary of State before keeping or using any dangerous substance
141. This places a duty on the occupiers of premises to notify the Secretary of State before keeping or using any dangerous substance there. Occupiers of premises holding these substances when the Bill is enacted must notify the Secretary of State within one month. Similarly, occupiers of premises holding substances which are subsequently added to the Schedule will have one month in which to notify the Secretary of State of their holdings once any such modification comes into effect.
Clause 60 Power to require information about security of dangerous substances
142. This clause is concerned with the security of dangerous substances and the premises in which they are kept or used. It allows the police to require occupiers to provide information about the security of any dangerous substances kept or used on their premises.
Clause 61 Power to require information about persons with access to dangerous substances
143. This will allow the police to request information about persons who have access to dangerous substances or to the premises in which they are kept or used. It also places a duty on occupiers to ensure that other persons do not have access to the premises or substances. Where it is intended to give access to anyone else, notification of this must be given to the police, and access should be denied until 30 days following the notification unless otherwise agreed by the police.
Clause 62 Duty to comply with security directions
144. This gives the police the power to require the occupier of premises holding dangerous substances to make improvements to the security arrangements operating there.
Clause 63 Duty to dispose of dangerous substances
145. This will give the Secretary of State a power to require the disposal of any dangerous substances kept or used on premises where security arrangements are unsatisfactory.
Clause 64 Denial of access to dangerous substances
146. This clause will give the Secretary of State the power to require that any specified person be denied access to dangerous substances or the premises in which they are held. The Secretary of State will be able to do so only where this is necessary in the interest of national security or public safety.
Clause 65 Powers of entry
147. This gives the police the power to enter relevant premises, following notice, with any other persons, to assess security measures. This includes power to search or inspect the premises.
Clause 66 Search warrants
148. This clause deals with the issue of search warrants to enable the police to enter and search premises. They may be issued where the police believe that dangerous substances are kept or used on premises for which no notification has been given, or where it is believed that the occupier may not be complying with directions under Part 7.
Clause 67 Offences
149. This clause will make it an offence for occupiers of premises to fail, without reasonable excuse, to comply with any duty or directions imposed by or under this Part of the Bill.
Clause 68 Offences: bodies corporate
150. This clause concerns offences committed by a body corporate, as the occupier of premises, under this Part of the Bill. It enables the prosecution of certain officers or employees, in addition to the body corporate.
Clause 69 Offences: partnerships and unincorporated associations
151. This clause clarifies how the provisions relating to offences apply to an unincorporated association or partnership where it is the occupier of the premises.
Clause 70 Denial of access to dangerous substances: appeals
152. This clause provides for the establishment of the Pathogens Access Appeal Commission to receive appeals made by any person denied access on the direction of the Secretary of State under clause 55. It also clarifies that a further appeal may be made on a question of law and brings Schedule 6 into effect, defining the constitution and procedures of the new commission.
Clause 71 Other appeals
153. This clause will provide occupiers of premises with a right of appeal to the magistrates' court, in the first instance, against directions relating to compliance with security directions, disposal of dangerous substances or the provision of information about security arrangements, on the grounds that the requirement is unreasonable.
Clause 72 Giving of directions or notices
154. This allows directions or notices under Part 7 to be sent by post.
Clause 73 Orders and regulations
155. This contains supplementary provisions about orders or regulations under Part 7. They will be made by statutory instrument subject to the draft affirmative resolution procedure (in the case of orders amending Schedule 5) and the negative resolution procedure (in other cases).
Clause 75 Power to extend Part 7 to animal or plant pathogens, pests or toxic chemicals
156. This provides the Secretary of State with the power to add toxic chemicals, animal and plant pathogens and pests to the controls set out in this part of the Bill. The powers may be extended where the Secretary of State is satisfied that the chemicals concerned are capable of endangering life or causing serious harm to health or the pathogens or pests could cause widespread damage to property, significant disruption or alarm. Orders under this clause will be subject to the draft affirmative resolution procedure.
Clause 76 Atomic Energy Authority special constables
157. Subsection (1) extends the places within which the AEAC has powers of constables to include any licensed nuclear sites, and not just those of those of UKAEA, BNFL and Urenco Limited.
158. Subsections (2) and (8) provide an order-making power which can be used to list the sites used primarily or exclusively for defence purposes at which the AEAC will not operate. It is intended that the AEAC will operate on civil nuclear sites only.
159. Subsection (3) extends the constabulary powers and privileges of AEAC officers to 5 km from any licensed site. It is intended that administrative arrangements between the AEAC and local police forces will set out how the two will exercise their powers in relation to the other.
160. Subsection (4) gives the AEAC power to escort nuclear material and to pursue, arrest and detain any person who steals, attempts to steal or otherwise interferes with nuclear material whilst it is in the care of the AEAC.
161. Subsection (5) confers constabulary powers to prepare a trans-shipment or storage point that nuclear material will pass through or be stored whilst it is being transported. A trans-shipment point is a point of transport interchange, such as from road to air, sea to air, train to train, etc.
162. The definition of "nuclear material" in subsection (7) is a narrower definition than that contained in the current legislation. It includes only fissile material, and not non-nuclear radioactive material, which is less sensitive and does not require AEAC escort.
Clause 77 Regulation of security of civil nuclear industry
163. Subsection (1) contains a power to make regulations to ensure security in the civil nuclear industry. The main areas covered by the regulations are the security of nuclear sites, nuclear material in course of transport, and sensitive information relating to the security of nuclear sites, nuclear material and sensitive nuclear technology, in particular uranium enrichment technology.
164. Subsection (2) provides that the regulations may include various provisions of a kind which may be included in regulations under Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Because of the significant overlap between security and safety of nuclear sites and material, it is intended that a single set of regulations will be made under both the provisions of this Bill and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
165. Subsection (2) also provides for the regulations to include enforcement provisions, including the scope to create criminal offences. It is intended that the new security regulations will borrow the existing enforcement provisions in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Clause 78 Repeals relating to security of civil nuclear installations
166. This repeals certain provisions which are no longer needed.
167. Subsection (1) repeals paragraphs 5 and 6 of Schedule 1 to the Nuclear Installations Act 1965. Paragraph 5 gives the Secretary of State powers to issue directions to certain designated nuclear operating bodies (BNFL, UKAEA, and later Urenco Ltd). This is the basis of the current system of nuclear security regulation at sites other than nuclear generating stations. This system will be replaced by the regulations which will be made under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
168. Paragraph 6 has become redundant. It provided a safeguard for employees in the bodies listed above through requiring the Minister's consent to be obtained before dismissing an employee on security grounds. In recent years however, the appeal procedures established under the security vetting system have replaced the need for this provision.
169. Subsection (2) amends section 19(1) of the Atomic Energy Authority Act 1971 to reflect the changes in subsection 1.
Clause 79 Prohibition of disclosures in relation to nuclear security
170. Subsection (1) prohibits various disclosures which may prejudice the security of any nuclear premises or nuclear material.
171. Subsection (2) makes clear that the offence covers the disclosure of information which might prejudice the security of nuclear material which is being transported to or from the UK.
172. The definition of "nuclear site" in subsection (4) covers both civil licensed nuclear sites, and licensed and other nuclear sites used for the purposes of the Secretary of State for Defence.
Clause 80 Prohibition of disclosures of uranium enrichment technology
173. This clause enables the Secretary of State to make regulations prohibiting disclosures of information and other things relating to the enrichment of uranium. The regulations will be subject to the draft affirmative resolution procedure.
Clause 82 Arrest without warrant
174. This clause provides for certain offences to be inserted at the end of section 24(2) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). This has the effect of giving the police the power to arrest suspects, even though the maximum penalties for the offences in themselves are not sufficient to give an automatic power of arrest.
175. The offences to be covered are those relating to unauthorised presence in the restricted zone of an airport or on an aircraft (sections 21(C)(1) and 21D(1) of the Aviation Security Act 1982) and trespassing on a licensed aerodrome (section 39(1) of the Civil Aviation Act 1982).
176. Section 24 of PACE extends only to England and Wales. The clause therefore also makes similar change to the equivalent policing legislation in Northern Ireland to ensure consistency. In Scotland, powers of arrest for these offences would be subject to the general rule that arrest without warrant is not justified unless necessary in the interests of justice. In order to ensure that the police in Scotland have the desired power of arrest a statutory power of arrest without warrant is to be introduced.
Clause 83 Trespass on aerodrome: penalty
177. The penalty for the above offence is being increased. The proposed penalty (a level 3 fine, currently £1,000) reflects the view that the offence is not as serious as unauthorised access in a Restricted Zone or on an aircraft (level 5 fine, currently £5,000), but would be proportionate to penalties existing under Article 122 of the current Air Navigation Order 2000 (S.I 2000/No.1562). Currently these involve fines in the level 3 and level 4 scale. At the present time a fine under level 4 involves a maximum sum of £2,500.
Clause 84 Removal of intruder
178. Sections 21C and 21D of the Aviation Security Act 1982 make it an offence for an unauthorised person to go into an airport's restricted zone, or onto an aircraft, or to remain in either place after being asked to leave. However there is no specific power to remove someone who refuses to leave after being asked to do so. This clause provides such a power to enable a constable or duly authorised person to do so. Subsection (1) deals with aerodromes and subsection (2) deals with aircraft.
179. Similar powers appear in section 31(4) of the Channel Tunnel (Security) Order 1994 and in section 39(2A) of the Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990, as amended.
Clause 85 Aviation security services
180. Under section 21F of the Aviation Security Act 1982, the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions may, by regulations, maintain a list of air cargo agents who are approved by him to offer secure air cargo services. Under the regulations (S.I 1993/No.1073) air cargo agents may only apply to be included on the list if they are involved in applying security controls to air cargo.
181. The Government wishes to make similar arrangements for other parts of the industry which provide security services to civil aviation - for example companies contracted by airports and airlines to provide passenger and baggage screening services, and companies and individuals who provide aviation security training services.
182. The clause inserts a new section 20A into the 1982 Act, which will give the Secretary of State the power to set up, by regulations, lists of other categories of companies or individuals associated with the provision of aviation security services.
Clause 87 Detention of aircraft
183. Under the Aviation Security Act 1982 there is no specific power for a Department for Transport, Local Governments & the Regions (DTLR) Aviation Security Inspector who is an example of "an authorised person" for the purposes of the 1982 Act to detain an aircraft other than for the purposes of inspecting it (see section 20(3) of the 1982 Act). However, once that inspection is finished, an inspector has no further powers to detain the aircraft even if he is concerned about the standard of security applied, although they can advise the pilot not to fly. Similarly there is no direct power for an authorised person to prevent aircraft from flying because there is good reason to believe it could be a target for attack.
184. The clause inserts into the 1982 Act a new section 20B, which gives an authorised person the power to detain aircraft by direction if there is reason to believe that its security has been compromised because of a failure to comply with the Department's statutory Directions or an Enforcement Notice. Directions are issued by the Secretary of State to aerodrome managers and airline operators using the powers contained in sections 12-14 of the 1982 Act. An Enforcement Notice is defined in section 24A of the 1982 Act. Consequently if a threat has been made against the aircraft; or an act of violence is likely to be committed against the aircraft, then a detention direction can be issued.
185. The clause enables a detention direction to be issued in respect of any aircraft operating or registered in the United Kingdom. Such a direction can apply to all aircraft in a specified class, for example all flights leaving for the USA from UK airports. In effect this means the power ranges from the detention of a single aircraft, to detaining all flights going to specific destinations.
186. The new section provides for what the authorised person may do. This may include entering the aircraft, removing things and using reasonable force to ensure that the aircraft does not fly. The new provision also allows for objections to the direction, and provides for offences for failing to comply or obstruction. On summary conviction fines up to £5,000 (level 5) can be imposed. Alternatively, on indictment the penalty could be a maximum of 2 years and or a fine of any level set by the court.
187. An analogous provision for detention of ships and Channel Tunnel trains exists (section 21 of the Aviation & Maritime Security Act 1990 and article 27 of the Channel Tunnel (Security) Order 1994 [SI 1994 No 570] respectively) when there has been failure to comply with a direction or Enforcement Notice.
Clause 88 Air cargo agent: documents
188. By regulations under Section 21F of the Aviation Security Act 1982, the Secretary of State operates a listing system for security approved air cargo agents. Such agents are allowed to apply security controls to cargo before it is passed to an airline for carriage. To be added to the list, a cargo agent must be able to demonstrate that he has the capability to meet security criteria set down by the Secretary of State. However, there is no offence of pretending to have been approved by DTLR to operate as a security approved air cargo agent.
189. The clause inserts into the 1982 Act a new section 21FA, to create a new offence of issuing a document which falsely claims to come from a security approved air cargo agent. It is proposed that this be a summary offence, attracting a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment or a fine not exceeding £5,000 (level 5) on the standard scale, or both.
190. Clause 89 of the Bill amends the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) to provide additional powers to carry out searches and examinations of those in police detention for identification purposes and to take fingerprints for identification purposes.
191. In respect of searches of detained persons for identification purposes, the police have existing powers of search for other reasons. In particular section 54 (6) of PACE allows a custody officer to authorise a detained person to be searched if this is necessary in order to ascertain and record everything the detained person has with him. The new provisions will make it clear that searching could be specifically directed towards establishing identity. Currently, where identifying marks are clearly visible and outside those parts of the body normally covered by clothing, it is normally a straightforward matter for the police to record them for the purposes of identification. However, in circumstances where they are not clearly visible the only powers currently available to the police are to question the suspect as to whether such marks exist. The suspect may agree to submit to a voluntary examination, but if he refuses there is no authority whatsoever to compel him to do so. The new provisions will rectify that.
192. Sections 27 and 61 of PACE as amended by section 78 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 provide powers to take fingerprints without consent where persons have been convicted or charged or cautioned for a recordable offence or where there are reasonable grounds to suspect their involvement in a criminal offence and that fingerprints would tend to confirm or disprove that; and on answering bail at a court or police station if there is a dispute about identity. Where fingerprints are authorised to be taken to confirm or disprove a person's involvement in a crime, the prints can only be taken if an officer of at least superintendent rank (amended to inspector rank on implementation of section 78 of the 2001 Act) authorises them to be so taken. Fingerprints cannot, however, be taken where the issue is merely one of identity. Where someone enters police custody and refuses to identify themselves or where the police have reason to doubt the information they provide about their identity, there is no legal entitlement for the police to take fingerprints which could be examined against existing databases in an attempt to resolve the identification issue.
193. The effect of clause 89(2) is to provide an additional power in PACE to take fingerprints from an arrested person in an effort to establish or check their identity.
194. There are no provisions in PACE on the taking of photographs of suspects. PACE Code D sets out guidance on the taking of photographs of those in police custody. In short, photographs can be taken without consent on charge or conviction for a recordable offence; where there are reasonable grounds to suspect involvement in an offence and identification evidence in relation to the offence is available; and where a number of people are arrested at once and it is necessary to photograph them to establish who was arrested and when and where. But there is no power to use reasonable force to take a photograph.
195. Consequently there is no explicit power for the police to require the removal of masks, face coverings or face paint of those in custody so that those wearing them can be reliably photographed. Clause 88 provides both the power to require the removal of masks, coverings or face paint to identify and photograph a person and to use reasonable force to do so, if necessary.
196. Clause 93 strengthens police powers in relation to the removal of face coverings. It adds to the power in section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 1994 to require the removal of face coverings where an authorisation is given by a senior officer for a given locality. The test for an authorisation under section 60 is reasonable belief that incidents of serious violence may take place in the locality and that it is expedient to give an authorisation to prevent their occurrence. An authorisation under that section gives the police powers to stop and search pedestrians and vehicles for offensive weapons or dangerous instruments. It also gives the police power to require the removal of face coverings. This clause provides that in relation to the power to require the removal of face coverings only, an authorisation may also be given where a senior officer reasonably believes activities may take place in the locality involving the commission of offences and that it is expedient to give such an authorisation to prevent or control those activities.
Clause 88 Fingerprinting of terrorist suspects
197. Clause 88 amends the provisions in the Schedule 8 to the Terrorism Act 2000 by providing that in addition to the grounds already specified fingerprints can be taken from those detained under the Act in order to ascertain their identity. At present fingerprints may only be taken from a person detained under the Act to establish if he has been involved in certain offences under the Act or to establish if he has been concerned in the commission, preparation, or instigation of acts of terrorism.
198. Subsection (2) amends that part of Schedule 8 which covers the fingerprinting of persons detained under the Act in England Wales and Northern Ireland by inserting two new sub-paragraphs in paragraph 10 of Schedule 8. Sub-paragraph (6A) allows an officer of at least superintendent rank to authorise the taking of fingerprints of a person detained at a station without the person's consent if the officer is satisfied that the fingerprints will enable the identification of the person, and that the person has refused to identify himself or the officer reasonably believes that he has given a false identity. Sub-paragraph (6B) allows the powers to be used to show that a person is not a particular person. For example this would cover incidents where an officer believes that a suspect has claimed to be his brother or friend rather than himself.
199. Subsection (3) makes similar amendments to the provisions of Schedule 8 which apply to Scotland by adding two further subsections after section 18(2) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995. The new subsections allow a constable to take or require fingerprints from a person if he is satisfied that they will help to identify the person and the person has refused to identify himself or the constable reasonably believes that the person has given a false identity including circumstances where the constable believes that the person has claimed to be another person such as a relative or friend.
Clause 89 Searches, examinations and fingerprinting: England and Wales
200. Subsection (1) inserts after section 54 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (searches of detained persons) a new section 54 A. The new section provides that where an officer of at least inspector rank authorises it, a person who is detained in a police station may be searched or examined or both (a) for the purposes of ascertaining whether he has any mark on him which would identify him as a person involved in the commission of an offence or (b) for the purpose of facilitating the ascertainment of his identity.
201. Subsection (2) of the new section 54A limits the grounds for authorising a search or examination under subsection (1)(a) to circumstances where the suspect withholds consent to an examination for a mark, or it is not practicable to obtain such consent, because for example the suspect is drunk and unable to give consent.
202. Under Subsection (3) in a case to which subsection (2) does not apply, the officer can only authorise a search to establish identity where the person has refused to identify themselves or there are reasonable grounds for doubting whether he is the person who he says he is.
203. Subsection (5) provides that any identifying mark found during a search or examination may be photographed with appropriate consent or where consent is withheld or it is not practicable to obtain it, a photograph may be taken without the appropriate consent.
204. Subsection (6) provides that where a search or examination or the taking of a photograph are authorised, only constables and persons who are designated for the purposes of this section by the relevant chief officer of police, may carry out the search or examination or take the photograph. This subsection also applies section 117 of PACE, the use of reasonable force, to the exercise of the powers conferred by subsection (1) and (5) to designated non constables.
205. Under Subsection (7) a person may not carry out a search or examination of a person of the opposite sex or take a photograph of any part of the body of a person of the opposite sex. Where a search involves the removal of more than outer clothing it will fall within the definition of a strip search for the purposes of PACE Code C and will be subject to the safeguards contained in the code in relation to the conduct of such a search.
206. Subsection (8) prohibits the carrying out of an intimate search under new Section 54 A. An intimate search is a search of body orifices other than the mouth.
207. Subsection (9) provides that a photograph of an identifying mark can be used by or disclosed to any person for the purpose related to the prevention or detection of crime, the investigation of an offence or the conduct of a prosecution and they can be subsequently retained, but then only used for a related purpose.
208. Subsections (10) to (12) set out definitions of references to crime, references to ascertaining a person's identity, references to taking a photograph and marks.
209. Subsection (2) of Clause 89 amends section 61 (4) of PACE which sets out the grounds on which an officer of at least superintendent rank can authorise the taking of fingerprints of a person detained at a police station without the appropriate consent. Authorisation can currently only be given where the officer has reasonable grounds (a) for suspecting the involvement of the person whose fingerprints are to be taken in a criminal offence; and (b) for believing that his fingerprints will tend to confirm or disprove his involvement. Subsection (2) amends the grounds in s.61 (4)(b) so that an officer may authorise the taking of a person's fingerprints if the prints will facilitate the identification of the person.
210. By virtue of subsection (2) (b) the power will only apply to a person who is detained at a police station and refuses to identify himself or there are reasonable grounds for doubting whether he is the person who he says he is.
211. The effect of the amendments to section 61 (4) of PACE as amended by section 82 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 is that fingerprints taken for identification purposes will be retained in the same way in which fingerprints taken in order to prove or disprove involvement in a crime are now retained. In other words, fingerprints will be retained regardless of whether the person is proceeded against or convicted, but can be used only for the purposes of the prevention or detection of crime, the investigation of an offence or the conduct of a prosecution.
|© Parliamentary copyright 2001
|Prepared: 13 November 2001


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Welcome to WebmasterWorld Guest from 188.8.131.52
Forum Moderators: anallawalla & bakedjake
Is it simply first-mover advantage?
Is it because of the value it extends to users and listers?
Why do you think Craig's List has been so successful?
It has recently been pointed out the there will never again be another Craig's List. Is that an accurate prediction in your opinion?
Have you used Craigs List? Has it worked for you?
Is it because of the value it extends to users and listers?
A lot of sites have done well with a free-to-pay type of business plan: offer a free service that's very valuable and get people hooked--and then start to charge a fee (or not?) later on.
There may never be another Craig's List per se, but that's one particular niche/type of site. There are plenty of other niches.
I would never call someone brilliant unless I meant it.
yep ~ organic, free, and inherently local.
local by the locals as you say Webwork.
WebmasterWorld has similar organic and communal characteristics.
>>get people hooked.
Yes, but for Craigs List you are talked about a significant amount of time in the marketplace livin off of scraps. ~free and scale = users =.
And for similar organic approaches, a la Google, you are talking abount standford incubation and significant revenue lose prior to becoming mainstream.
getting people hooked ain't easy. in fact, it is the mother load.
>> There are plenty of other niches
Niches are full of potential but by nature lack levels of scale. Niches will also have to mature slowly and grow organically and yet will face significant competition from horizontal players.
My experience with Craigs List has been very positive. I even hear that you can't find an appartment in NYC unless you use craigs list - they move that quick. Although it has largely been a big city phenomina, particularly in the west. We still use Craigs list for jobs and the resume come flooding in. Free. we even sold internet marketing packages on it, now that i think about it.
eBay has there hands on them now and they are starting to monetize categories for postings (like jobs) in certain cities. so the craigs list that we knew may be soon gone. we know google has changed.
what is your experience?
We still use Craigs list for jobs and the resume come flooding in. Free.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't it charge for job listings in some of the big cities? I'm pretty sure they do in some if not all of the California cities, and here in the East I believe they were going to start in some of the larger markets as well.
I did the math once just using San Francisco's job listings, and they bring in many 000's a day in that single city alone. Of course it's probably their biggest city, but several other cities are beginning to rival it.
The main problem I've seen is the bad that comes with the territory of running a free community site. It's a spammer's paradise, and I would imagine they have several full time staff deleting posts. They have a "flag spam" button but since it seems almost a majority of the listings in some ways fall under that category I doubt it works very well.
I've heard that bots spider the site so often that it's possible to get the g-bot visiting a link from a post within a few hours.
there will never again be another Craig's List. Is that an accurate prediction in your opinion?
Another craig's list, in the same juggernaut form...not likely.
But, lets not count out the large media companies that are just starting to enter. Tribune, Knight Ridder, etc. All these companies have the resources, financial and cross marketing mediums, to create competition here. Especially as Craigslist goes more commercial and less communal. I suspect with the king of online commercial, ebay, as their new partners we will see more and more revenue models intertwined.
I don't believe these media companies will create something to the scale we see with Craigslist, but they will not go quietly into the night while they are losing ground to the free classifieds.
Nothing that Craigslist does is technically difficult. It's a glorified bulletin board. They don't advertise. They have a staff of (i think) 12 people managing billions of page views per month.
But what they have been able to recreate is the coffee shop bulletin board feel - a community resource with minimal commercial intrusion. Everthing about this site screams - we are just here to provide a community resource. Craigslist is the cosmic opposite of Adsense financed scraper sites.
I think what makes Craigslist special is not the buying and selling - it's the community tools like Missed Connections (a service that allows you to post something like "You were the girl in the blue hat at the 16th and Mission bart station." Believe it or not, it makes for interesting reading, and these types of features make craigslist an every day site - not just a site that you go to when you need to buy or sell something.
So unparalleled community, below (traditional) market prices for things like apartment listing, dating, job posting, and a fanatical user base that is encouraged by the non-commercial feel.
And now that they have built the community, they can do anything they want.
What do you guys think of a niche craigslist like site targeted specifically at an ethnic minority here in the United States. Such as the hispanic community or asian community.
Talking about ebay attempting to get their feet in to this field.
Check out www.kijiji.com - its a ebay owned sub, they seem to want to take over the world here : ) with exception of craigslist occupied area, since they are a family and all.
The funny part is.. check out www.loquo.com or www.gumtree.com. They have all became part of the kijiji arm.
I believe the idea is that ebay is afraid of these sites. After all, their emergence naturally cut into ebay's business model. I won't say ebay is scared to death of it, but they are paying attention to these sites.
Imagin Craigslist combined with a IYP type of function within the site, now thats a giant local site.
With Ebay running a few of their shares now, I'm sure there are people who would love to commercialize a lot of aspects of CL. But I think they also know that it wouldn't work as well if it wasn't what it is now.
They can't add business related information or advertising without their base screaming bloody murder. I doubt they could even effectively add such material if the community didn't mind.. there's just no fit for it that wouldn't disrupt the kind of ongoing community conversation that the site seems to be.
And certainly if anyone had the capital to forge forward with this strategy it is ebay. The potential there is awesome.
Yea, then there is the Judy's Book or Insider Pages model. Check those out. Yellow Pages by your friends concept.
I read somewhere that craigslist gets about say.. 10million in revenue, divded up with about 20 employees ain't too bad. But they are costing local newspapers 40-60 million in ad revenue which I won't say its an exaggeration.
So now they are trading 10 million for 60 million.. What other business model can it follow to make them a 100 million dollar company? or maybe Mr. Craig doesn't care..
I just don't see how Craigslist can ever become more than a community type site without losing its following.
If done in a non-intrusive manner (say a subtle sponsored by link e.g. top right corner of your current webpage) or a manner wherein CL is only monetizing aspect which are used by organizations rather than individuals (say...job listings) this will have little or no effect on its following. CL only has to tweak their model ever so slightly to make a boat load of revenue, and they can do so without offending their base - at least 95% of their base.
One thing I don't understand about craigslist.. is that its business model is really screwing everyone up without helping itself out too much. I guess its similar to the open source mentality.
You're right about that. The founder Craig Newmark is much more about the mission than the money. He still spends half his days filtering through email complaints himself. His business card says something like "Founder and Customer Service Representative". So yes, he is the worst kind of enemy for a big-for-profit company like the Media organizations. His focus is first on the mission and then probably a few other hundred things, then oh yeah lets make enough money to cover my humble lifestyle.
"Newmark, who rode public transportation to the AP office on Thursday, said he already has all the riches he needs. Still, he says, "sometimes I've winced when I thought about how much money I've walked away from.""
It�s pretty tough when you are up against someone who has a completely different set of rules and values. I like it, as it forces the Media companies to innovate or be marginalized.
Oh yeah, by the way, sorry for the double post, my thoughts dont' come together all at once.
I have a question about local search. With the big hype about local search... what kind of revenue models are here for local searches?
Sure we have the IYP with their sponsor links, google, yahoo local.. again wtih their sponser links. So if thats all it is.. is that enough?
Craiglist would be considered local right?
So all I see here is basically: Yellowpages/directories, local search engin, classified.
Frankly, IYP took the yellowpages part. Local search engin taken by yahoo and goolge. Classified taken by craigslist/ebay. Vertical sites like dating site, hotel sites, jobs sites taken long time ago..
What else is left in this industry? other than really special niche.. lets say .. online tractor classified.
SO back to craig - I agree that they won't piss off their user if they just let ads sink in little by little. It eventaully will happen, afterall, craig only owns 50% of the share.
What do you guys think a online classified site should contain other than whats on craigslist already? What if its combined with yellow pages?
Online commentry? I heard of a Korean website which basically allow user to write articles and stuff on a specific topic, kind of like what craig had in mind.
I think these type of interactive type of stuff could really drive traffic.
Its popularity grew out of the 2000 tech-job crisis if I recall correctly.
Whatever CL or anyone else charges for, jobs for instance, will be ripe for "free and useful" competition.
I can think of a couple other freebie and useful mailing lists that have the necessary audience to be able to launch immediately successful websites (although they probably won't). And their listings are mutually exclusive to CL.
Its very interesting.. it integrated social networking, with user based recommandations, with craiglist like classified.
Do you guys think this will work?
Its really just taken couple of proven formulas and put it into one. lack creativity I say.. but it seems to make sense to me. Except for the user recommandation part, I think it is subject to schems.
The internet will have grown up completely when Craigs List drops the hippy act and joins the world of complete and absolute monetization.
It makes little sense to me that I can list a $1,000 used saxaphone for free. It's just not right!
Ebay will shortly teach these flower children how an honest buck is made!
In the end nothing beats the word *free*. If you care for traffic, that is.
Big business has nothing to teach to grass-root internet... webmasters doing great things for pennies out of a basement.
more or less is in itself a perfect example of applied capitalism, i prophetize that before or later the many EBAYs, Google, and MS will own the huge bulk of the web but they'll be forced to cut their revenues to the extreme to maintain their position and kill the competition from the ground.
(for instance McDonalds does the same thing,btw)
the result of this is terrible!
- you get only a very limited choice of brands
- the average product is trash since they have no competition
- everything is based on low price
- no innovation at all (they don't need it since there's no competition)
but at the same time we can't dream of living in a perpetual competition where quality goes up and prices go down, and this is the final end of capitalism, like it or not.
capitalism in every form is a transition process, not a perpetual process, and it will always end up with few big corporations owning anything and a mass of consumers fighting in a pathetic rat race to find a better job.
what happens if one day someone make something like EBAY but with really low margins and profits?
would it kill EBAY?
it happens, and has happened, just think about the huge success of the low-cost air companies like Ryanair...
but the consumer can no more choose, what they have is the junk wal mart is selling (mostly cheap chinese stuff), for anything else they got to pay high prices
but there's not much in the middle since wal mart can even sell under-priced goods if they really want to kick you out of biz, and they will.

subset: commoncrawl


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The battle lines in the fight over the future of Mexico's state-run oil monopoly Pemex have been drawn.
On one side is President Enrique Peña Nieto who wants to open the company to private and foreign investment; while on the other end are many longtime Pemex employees and much of the Mexican public who see the aging business as a poignant symbol of the country's independence. Peña Nieto's decision on the future of the seven decade old energy monopoly is expected to be made sometime next week.
"Mexico has many new allies and this is a glorious opportunity for the country to take advantage of its resources," Larry Birns, the director of the Washington D.C.-based think tank The Council on Hemispheric Affairs told Fox News Latino. "The question is, 'is there a national desire to do so?''"
Created in 1938 when former Mexican President Lázaro Cárdenas sided with oil workers and expunged all private foreign and domestic companies from the country, Pemex has over the decades become bogged down by corruption, inefficient management and a dearth in technological advancements. Despite being the world's ninth-largest oil producer, Pemex's production has declined to 2.5 million barrels a day – down from a high of 3.4 million in 2004 – and the country will become a net energy importer by 2020.
Peña Nieto claims that Pemex's outdated and poorly maintained equipment is hindering the country's chances of dredging up oil in the deep waters in the Gulf of Mexico. Pemex can currently detect where the deposits of oil are, but does not have the proper equipment to drill.
"Enrique Peña Nieto has the political capital and votes in congress to put through a constitutional change to break the monopoly of Pemex and allow foreign oil companies to look for oil in the deep Gulf waters," said Duncan Wood, the director of the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Companies such as ExxonMobil and Petrobras – the Brazilian oil giant that seems like a regional and ideological fit with Pemex – have expressed interest in drilling in Mexican waters. Telecom billionaire Carlos Slim has also given his attention to becoming involved in his country's oil industry.
The interest from foreign and domestic partners may be there, but many Mexicans contend that selling off Pemex to investors is akin to blasphemy. A 2008 poll found that almost 85 percent of Mexicans did not support private companies investing in Pemex.
When Cardenas nationalized Pemex and kicked out foreign companies it "gave Mexico its true independence from the great powers," Jesus Castillo Sanchez, a 46-year-old handyman, told the Los Angeles Times. "After [the foreigners] bring their oil platforms, they will bring their armies and their troops."
A number of recent explosions, is fledgling output and concerns from lawmakers in Mexico City, however, have cast light on need for technical expertise from outside businesses to help Pemex revamp its production and expand into deep water and shale-rock drilling that are believed to contain more than half of Mexico's estimated 14 billion barrels of reserves.
"There's currently an inability to maintain, modernize and reform the company from within," Birns said.
Follow Andrew O'Reilly on Twitter @aoreilly84.
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The latest in news, events, and technical articles
Please see below the press release on our Machine shop official opening. This release was sent to our industry media contacts, and added to our website and extranet.
Wall Colmonoy Officially Opens New 23,500ft2 Machining Facility at UK Site
Wall Colmonoy Marketing Team


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Thomas the Train Village Cake
I am not responsible for the original design of this cake, but I just love it. I was thrilled when the customer asked me to create it for her. The Thomas and little boy on top are created completely of fondant.
Hope, Hope's Sweet Cakes
4 Comments
Love it !!!
Well done!
So pretty!


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On June 29, 2008, boys and girls from all over America (quite literally) came together to see the exuberant Hold Steady in their hometown and the open air.
The McCarren Park Pool venue is a unique one, to be certain. The once-pool has been out of use for quite some time, and some promoters over at JellyNYC thought it would be a fitting place to set up a stage and invite a couple of thousand people out to play and hear great music. The show was free, as are most of the Pool Parties, and concertgoers were discouraged by neither heavy showers, lightning, nor thunder. Apparently there is absolutely nothing that can get The Hold Steady's fans down--especially not when they know they are just moments away from seeing their favorite band.
The Hold Steady has enjoyed a constant ascent to the top of the indie rock scene over the past several years, recording four albums along the way. Each album has its own characters and stories, but the messages remain the same. Guys go for looks, girls go for status. You can make him like you. Certain songs get scratched right in your soul. Ya gotta stay positive. It is those simple truths that have garnered the band a huge following. Maybe not huge in size compared to say, Radiohead's fan base, but huge in spirit, comraderie, and passion. The Unified Scene travels from all over to meet up at shows, with matching shirts that certain scene members front the money for, to have a couple of drinks or talk music with each other - everyone with the same thing in common - love for a band that has truly impacted their lives. At any Hold Steady show you can bet that you will see a bunch of nerds in matching shirts, forced forward into the stage or barrier, shouting lyrics and getting a glimmer in their eyes at the beginning of each song. The Unified Scene certainly made a strong showing at June 29th's Brooklyn show.
When the band took the stage, it was like coming home again. There is comfort in finding a band -and a scene- that makes you feel like you are home at last. The cheers were overwhelming. The setlist was absolutely conflagerant. Almost every track from the forthcoming CD, Stay Positive, and plenty of crowd pleasing back catalogue songs. With the sun just coming out after a rough day in torrential rain, there was a certain something in the air that infected everyone present-in a positive way of course. Screaming lyrics up to the stage with arms outstretched to embrace and be a part of something bigger, The Hold Steady's biggest fans exuded energy that enchanted press photographers, who took as many photos of the fans as they did of the band.
The entire band was on. Every song was performed to its fullest, with each band member feeding off of the crowd's energy in his own way. Close your eyes and imagine if you will: Craig Finn: spitting and ranting and singing, moving around the stage to have little dialogues in pantomime with the crowd. Tad Kubler: humbly accepting birthday wishes, rock solid soloing, facile fingers and a double-necked guitar. Galen Polivka: slumped and sweating, pounding out basslines with precision and animation, adding something new to each song. Franz Nicolay: shouting, grimacing, smiling, stomping, spinning, dancing, and making eye contact and singing with the fans. Bobby Drake: an anchor to the entire band, creating the entire texture of every song from the bottom up, blindingly precise beats. Seriously serious musicians. Friends and colleagues. It is pretty clear that not only do each of these men know exactly what they are doing, but they do it damn well together. The chemistry is incomparable.
In an interview just yesterday, The Hold Steady's frontman and lyricist, Craig Finn, said this, "Do I believe in the redemptive power of rock'n'roll? Absolutely. At its peak, played with the best intentions, it can be transcendent." Inadvertantly, Finn described the experience that the Unified Scene undergoes at every show, every venue, in every city, state, and country. As they start a huge tour again (after 200 shows last year), hitting Europe and the states, I once again encourage you not to miss it. It is truly one of the most euphoric things that a music lover can experience.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
We're Gonna Build Something This Summer
Posted by Kim Harrison at 5:15 PM
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Jesse Mccartney has spoken out to dismiss false reports suggesting he had died in a car accident on Sunday (13Jan13).
The Beautiful Soul hitmaker became a hot topic on Twitter.com over the weekend after a report posted on a hoax news website alleged he had been killed in a "single vehicle car crash on Route 80 between Morristown and Roswell" in New Jersey.
Jesse McCartney promptly put his fans at ease after hearing the sick claims and simply tweeted, "The Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated."
The 25 year old is the latest to be targeted by online pranksters - Justin Bieber, dance DJ David Guetta and soccer superstar David Beckham have all been 'killed off' in the exact same way, while Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman and Russell Brand have recently been forced to dismiss erroneous reports about their untimely demise.


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- Diabetes Research Institute Recruits Snoopy in Fight Against Diabetes.
- Join us for a special "Back to School Chat" with Steph Schwartz and Betty Brackenridge on Thursday, August 30th at 9pm Eastern in the School Chat Room.
- Read the transcript from last week's Virtual Support Group: Type 2 Diabetes chat.
- Join in the Diabetes Fun Club day at Six Flags AstroWorld in Houston, Texas, on Saturday, September 8, 2001. For more information about the Diabetes Fun Club, the day at AstroWorld, or how to sponsor tickets or donate a raffle item, please e-mail Michele Corriston at email@example.com or call (281) 821-4164.
- We review the Wizdom Kit from the American Diabetes Association, a new set of booklets for parents and kids.
- Insight by Disetronic is an online tool to help you manage your diabetes and includes uploading of data from a variety of blood glucose meters.
- The September 2001 issue of Diabetes Care has several excellent articles:
- Young Adults With Diabetes - Need for a new treatment paradigm comments on Clinical and Psychological Course of Diabetes From Adolescence to Young Adulthood, a study which found that "behavioral problems in adolescence seem to be important in influencing later glycemic control."
- Can Diabetes Be Prevented by Vegetable Fat? explores the association between the type of dietary fat and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes as reported in Dietary Fat and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in Older Iowa Women.
- Neuropsychological Profiles of Children With Type 1 Diabetes 6 Years After Disease Onset found that "children with type 1 diabetes performed more poorly than control subjects on measures of intelligence, attention, processing speed, long-term memory, and executive skills." See also Predictors of change in the neuropsychological profiles of children with type 1 diabetes 2 years after disease onset from 1999.
- Treatment Satisfaction With Inhaled Insulin in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes.
- Does Microalbuminuria Predict Diabetic Nephropathy?
- Total Antioxidant Status and Coronary Artery Calcification in Type 1 Diabetes.
- Subcutaneous Continuous Glucose Monitoring: Feasibility of a new microdialysis-based glucose sensor system reports on a new continuous blood glucose sensor under development.
- The Promise in Selling Stem Cells from The New York Times examines patents that protect embryonic stem cells and their commercial use.
- Abnormal Glucose Handling by the Kidney in Response to Hypoglycemia in Type 1 Diabetes.
- World Leaders In Endocrinology Call For New Diabetes Guidelines.
- ACE Consensus Conference on Guidelines for Glycemic Control.
- Prediction of silent celiac disease at diagnosis of childhood type 1 diabetes by tissue transglutaminase autoantibodies and HLA.
- Risk assessment, prediction and prevention of type 1 diabetes.
- Historical and current perspectives on bone marrow transplantation for prevention and treatment of immunodeficiencies and autoimmunities.
- Insulin resistance as a predictor of age-related diseases.
- Novel approaches toward early diagnosis of islet allograft rejection. (Full text at LWW Online)
- Transdifferentiation of human islet cells in a long-term culture. (Full text at LWW Online)
- Life with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) therapy: child and parental perspectives and predictors of metabolic control.
- Animas Corporation and the Diabetes Trust Fund to Provide Insulin Pumps to Children and Teens.
- One diabetic therapy discontinued; Mother of children with disease criticizes Lilly.
- Medscape answers a question about type 1 diabetes and insulin resistance. (Free Medscape membership required)
- University of Miami Football Player with diabetes uses an insulin pump.
- Tour of the Ozarks is a bicycle excursion to benefit the American Diabetes Association.
- Ralph Fatello concludes his 365th consecutive day surfing in his quest to raise money and awareness for diabetes.
- Man Stealing Donations For Diabetes Research.
- About Me Jewelry, founded by a mom who has a child with diabetes, sells medical identification jewelry.
- Last week's poll asked readers readers if they know how their insulin is shipped to their pharmacy. This week's poll asks readers about the blood glucose meter they use most often.
- The Featured Book of the Week is Fast Food Facts by Marion Franz, MS, RD, LD, CDE.
- Our page about Insulin Pumps is Worth a Look.
Watch for the indicator throughout the web site. You'll know you found something that's new to these pages. You can also click on it to return to this page.
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Strong yet elegant semi-opaque hold-ups with a floral lace top for day or evening wear. Made with double covered Lycra for strength and fit.
We send parcels WORLDWIDE from our warehouse in Letchworth, UK. Our aim is to ship all orders within 24 hours (Monday-Friday). All orders are sent in plain packaging. Standard delivery is just £1.75 for the UK, £5.95 for Europe and £7.50 for the rest of the world.
If you're unsure about a product you've purchased, you can return it for a refund or exchange at any time within 60 days.
To place an order, ask for advice, or if you have a query about an existing order, please call us FREE (UK only) on 0800 999 2 SHQ (0800 999 2 747). If you're outside the UK please call +44 1462 677970.
Alternatively, our email address is email@example.com.


text: 29 July, 2004 - 9.00 GMTAs you may have noticed, we have not seen (m)any digital camera announcements by Toshiba lately. As an active player in the digital camera arena, Toshiba used to announce a new model or series at least every two or three months. The Toshiba PDR-5300 is the last announcement that we've seen in the US and Europe in October of last year. The last Toshiba announcement in Japan has been nearly a year ago. So what's going on? Is Toshiba quietly getting out of the digital camera business or is this the still before the storm. Update Nov 9: Steve Sanders has received confirmation that Toshiba has left the digital camera business...More


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Ford Mustang Fog Light Switch Electrical Connector with Wiring Pigtail - 1AZMX000111AZMX00011
This electrical connector with pigtail for the fog light switch is a new, aftermarket replacement part. It is designed to REPLACE the original plug that may have failed or melted by the switch it connects to. It's just what you need to get your vehicle in good working order again!
This electrical connector with pigtail for the fog light switch has the following specifications:
- 2 Female terminals
- Correct plug configuration
- 2 wire pigtail
- Will need to be spliced into dash harness by buyer
- Attaches to the back of the headlight switch that has the fog light option
If your vehicle lighting system is having problems because of a defective electrical foglight switch connector, this is the part for you!
Returns Note:
Our electrical and electronic parts are subject to strict quality control testing. Once the item has been installed or plugged in, it is no longer eligible for a refund. The item may be eligible for replacement, only if it is found to have a manufacturing defect. Before purchasing, please ensure proper diagnosis of the failed original part is performed.
Lifetime Warranty
This item is backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty. In the event this item should fail due to manufacturing defects during intended use, we will exchange the part free of charge (excludes shipping charges) for the original purchaser.
Vehicle Fit
|Ford Mustang Fog Light Switch Electrical Connector with Wiring Pigtail
|Ford Mustang Cobra Fog Light Switch Electrical Connector with Wiring Pigtail
This part replaces:
- Standard Motor Products S-663
Part #: 1AZMX00011
Order must be placed by 4pm ET
Get it in: 2 - 4 Business Days
Want it sooner? Choose Next Day Air at Checkout


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Review: Jamie's Italian at Westfield Stratford Shopping Centre
Published 17 August 2014
Jamie's Italian, in my opinion, is one of those places that have successfully combined tasty dishes but with a quality consistency that comes with being part of a chain. It is hard to do both – you get a lot of one-off restaurants serving great food, and a lot of chain restaurants serving mediocre food.
I went last weekend to the Stratford Westfield branch of Jamie's Italian, having been invited a few weeks back. You wouldn't purposely make a trip out to Jamie's Italian at Stratford if you didn't live in the area – it isn't at the level of a destination restaurant yet. But when I do go to Westfield, it is probably one of my top three places I would consider.
The location is perfect for either alfresco dining or people watching, as it faces the Four Dials plaza, one of the main thoroughfares at Westfield Stratford.
The menu is the same across all the Jamie's Italian branches, but they also have a few daily specials on the blackboard, which is worth checking out. On the day, the fish special was sustainable whole baked lemon sole with a nutty seed crust finished with butter and zesty orange sauce. Quite a long name, but it was fresh & tasty, with a finger licking sauce:
I jumped the gun there to the mains with the lemon sole daily special, as we did had starters to begin with:
Crab and Avocado Bruschetta
Sourdough, fresh crab & avocado with apple, chilli, mint & lemon
Arancini Margherita
Tomato & mozzarella risotto balls with arrabbiata sauce
Both starters were good, and generously sized. I felt that the arancinis were really flavourful, with quite a bit of a chilli kick (don't order if you can't take spicy). And while the crab bruschetta was nice, I would have liked crab meat with a stronger flavour to it
The mains portions were quite substantial – we thought we would be able to get through three courses each, but after the starters & mains, we were quite stuffed! I had already described the lemon sole main special above, so the other main course we had was the Jamie's Italian Signature Porchetta – British pork belly with herbs & garlic, fennel crackling & wild mushrooms
This was fantastic – and well worth its designation of a signature dish! The stuffing really complemented the tender and juicy pork belly. The only complaint I have is that I wish there was more pork belly, even though it was a generous portion already. It was that good!
For sides, we decided to go for Posh Chips (truffle oil & parmesan). It sounded better than it tasted – the addition of the truffle oil and greasy parmesan made the chips triply oily and thus soggy. I can see what was attempted here, to elevate the humble chip, but the oily chips just reminded me of cheap takeaway shop chips.
For the other side, we decided to go with a half portion of a pasta dish – Fresh Crab Spaghettini (With capers, chilli, fennel, parsley, anchovies & lemon). Having a pasta dish at Jamie's Italian is a smart move, as they make all their pastas freshly on site each day. And it shows – the pasta had a good springy bite to it, something you don't get with dried pasta. However, this dish was also slightly hit and miss – while the pasta was good, the crab sauce was too salty.
If you're after good quality food at Stratford Westfield, Jamie's Italian is probably one of my top choices. It offers a much more relaxed dining atmosphere than the chaotic food court, and if you get a window seat there is the bonus of being able to people watch. I've been to various Jamie's Italian branches, and the food is consistently good. The service at this branch was also friendly and efficient, despite being quite full on a Saturday evening.
Don't forget to bring your free Jamie's Gold Card for some exclusive freebies each time you dine!
Jamie's Italian Westfield Stratford, 158 The Street (in front of John Lewis and Four Dials). Reservations online or via phone (020 3535 8063)


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"We commend NASEM and its study committee on the tremendous work they have done to fully capture the scope of the challenge before us," said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness.
CHICAGO (PRWEB) September 15, 2016
Today, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Health and Medicine Division (NASEM) released its consensus study,."Making Eye Health a Population Health Imperative: Vision for Tomorrow." Prevent Blindness, the nation's oldest volunteer eye health and safety organization, and the National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness, joined other leading national vision health organizations in co-sponsoring the study.
The extensive report provides detail on the scope of vision problems, barriers to eye health, and system-wide issues that are prevalent in the United States. It presents recommended population health strategies which will reduce vision impairment and promote eye health, in an effort to slow a projected doubling of chronic vision impairment by 2050. A few highlights from the numerous issues discussed throughout the report:
- While a wealth of information on the state of the problem is provided, the report strongly points to a need for future epidemiological research that better characterizes disparities in terms of prevalence, incidence, and severity of disease.
- While calling out the significant role that governmental public health agencies must play in our nation's population health strategies, the report notes the absence of significant funding to support this sector, highlighting both the need for increased federal resources dedicated to eye health as well as the active involvement of external stakeholders.
- The committee identifies the important role of both a common message and a set of unified, evidence-based practice guidelines in establishing a solid foundation upon which to tackle this public health challenge.
- The committee acknowledges the potential for emerging technologies- such as telescreening and cell phone applications- to expand the availability of vision screening, diagnostic and monitoring services in remote and medically underserved communities, while recognizing the challenges that such technologies bring with them.
While the report broadly addresses vision and eye health concerns across the lifespan, as it relates specifically to children's vision, the recommendations in the NASEM report echo those already underway through the work of Prevent Blindness's National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health (NCCVEH). In 2009, the Maternal and Child Health Bureau at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), recognizing the importance of early vision health as a component of a child's overall development, funded the establishment of the NCCVEH. Through collaboration with nationally recognized clinicians, researchers, public health experts, and family partners, the NCCVEH published peer-reviewed protocols supporting a comprehensive system of care for children's vision. The NCCVEH has also engaged in collaborations with professional associations, state public health departments, and key stakeholder groups to establish programs addressing the public health infrastructure supporting the early detection of children's vision problems and increasing access to eye care.
"Prevent Blindness and our National Center for Children's Vision and Eye
Health commend NASEM and its study committee on the tremendous work they have done to fully capture the scope of the challenge before us," said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. "Together with our network of affiliates and partner organizations, we are eager to expand our own best practices and join with our colleagues in government, community and professional organizations, industry, and across all sectors to work collaboratively in advancing the impressive agenda NASEM sets before us. Together, we truly can put an end to preventable vision loss in the United States."
As part of the new Prevent Blindness The Focus Initiative, a webinar will be held on Sept. 20, during which members of the NASEM Study Committee will share highlights from the new report. The free webinar will be held from 3-4:15 p.m. (ET). Those interested in participating may register at http://www.preventblindness.org/webinar-registration.
For more information on the NASEM study, the National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness, or other general eye health information, please visit preventblindness.org or call (800) 331-2020.
About Prevent Blindness
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and patient service programs and research. These services are made possible through the generous support of the American public. Together with a network of affiliates, Prevent Blindness is committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America. For more information, or to make a contribution to the sight-saving fund, call (800) 331-2020. Or, visit us on the Web at preventblindness.org or facebook.com/preventblindness.


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Headquartered in Newport, Wales, Certus Technology Group, which also has an office in Hemel Hempstead, has acquired Ensphere Consulting in a deal worth £2m.
Certus TG provides more than 120 clients across the UK with infrastructure and services ranging from managed IT support and security to advanced storage solutions, cloud services and desktop virtualisation.
Based in Warrington, Ensphere Consulting has a turnover of £2.8m and employs 30 members of staff. It uses state-of-the-art Sage enterprise software to support around 90 clients across the UK. Ensphere's technical expertise allows it to assess how clients operate and then identify IT solutions to improve operations, saving them time and money.
Nigel Griffiths, chief operating officer of Certus TG, said, 'This is an exciting time for the business, with this acquisition representing an important milestone in our expansion strategy. By combining these two businesses, it will help us to uncover opportunities in new marketplaces. We will be able to provide software solutions from Sage, as well as underlying infrastructure, IT support and business storage for businesses based across the UK.'
Managing director of Ensphere Consulting Wayne Nolan, who joins the board of Certus TG and will continue to oversee the Sage side of the business, said, 'We are delighted to be part of the Certus TG group and believe that this move will have a positive impact on existing customers as we will now be able to providing businesses with all the IT technical and business related services they may require.'
Photo: Wayne Nolan (left) and Nigel Griffiths
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McLaren Automotive today confirmed that McLaren Special Operations (MSO) will be building a luxuriously appointed 'Super GT' codenamed the BP23 (Bespoke Project 2 and featuring 3 seats). Yes, three seats – just like you used to find in the legendary Gordon Murray-penned McLaren F1 that was the undisputed teenage-dream poster car of the 1990s.
So this means that you can scare not just one but two passengers as your right foot unleashes what will no doubt be an astronomical amount of power. How much power? Well we can't give you an exact number but we can tell you that this McLaren will sport a hybrid powertrain similar to the one already doing duty in the P1. So expect a veritable shitload of the stuff. Further details on the BP23 remain sketchy but we can confirm that it will offer dihedral doors, a carbon-fibre body and endless scope for customization.
According to the press release "Future owners will work alongside MSO to create their own bespoke cars, being able to select colour, trim and other points of personalisation unique to them." Design work has already begun (see weird abstract sketch above) and McLaren hopes to deliver the first BP23s to customers early in 2019. Production has been capped to just 106 examples and, surprise, surprise, every last one has been spoken for. – Thomas Falkiner


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BPI Credit Card Application Status Inquiry
- Reply
BPI Credit Card Application Status Inquiry
Hello world! :)
I got a question on how can I know my status of my bpi credit card application?
I applied to them 1st week of April. Got an initial interview 2 weeks ago after submitting all my requirements and they told me that they will notify me once my credit card application has been approve by bpi. However, it's been 2 weeks now, I never heard from them again. Do I need to call the bank to know my status of my credit card application? Or where can I contact them?
Your help is greatly appreciated.
Reply To: BPI Credit Card Application Status Inquiry
Since you already submitted all the neccessary requirements to them, usually it will only take 5-7 banking days to process your credit card application to bpi. If within 2 weeks time you haven't heard anything from them, expect that your application is already denied.
You can call their hotline (89-100) or if your outside Metro Manila, you can reach them via 1-800-188-89100 (PLDT).
A piece of advice, just apply to other banks instead of waiting since you stated that it's been 2 weeks since the last time you talk with them. From what I know, Eastwest bank and Metrobank have a higher rate of credit card approval, but of course it will depend on your qualifications (e.g. salary, work tenure, and other factors).
This site provide a comparison portal of credit cards in the Philippines. You can check this link -> https://www.ecomparemo.com/credit-card. Just choose what type of card you want to apply for, then hit the "compare" button or you can use the cc wizard found below the widget. There is a form on the left side corner of your screen, just fill it up and it will automatically send you results based on what you type in on the eligibility fields.
I already tried it and it is very useful and helpful. It gave me the results, just what I needed. There is also a rating for each credit cards so it will help you decide if it is a good fit for you or not. It also indicate the annual fee and the monthly interest per year. Once you already decide what credit card you want to get, there is a "contact me" button. They will call you immediately to assist you with the application process which I find it very convenient since I don't need to call the bank and apply. And oh, one more thing, in case you are rejected by your preferred bank, they will call you back and update you about it and will give you other options to ensure that your credit card application will be successful. Actually, I just got my first ever credit card with the help of them, it's a Toyota Mastercard. :)
Reply To: BPI Credit Card Application Status Inquiry
I received a text from BPI dated August 4, 2015. Here's what it say "Congratulations! Your BPI Express Credit Card application has been approved. Your card will be delivered in 5 days. For inquiries, pls call 89-100".
It's been almost 2 weeks, but until now I haven't receive my card yet. I place my office address in the mailing address. I already called the said number and they said that I should refer to the courier. I tried to asked the customer service rep. to check which courier they let them delivered my card so I can call them instead of waiting, but they don't provide it to me.
My question now is, which courier does BPI have?
Reply To: BPI Credit Card Application Status Inquiry
It also happened to me and it took more than a month before I received my credit card from BPI, I get it directly from the branch. I volunteered myself to avoid further delay and anticipation. :(
I suggest to call them again. One of the possible reason why your card is not yet deliver to you is because they have the wrong address of your office. Based from my experience, they got the incorrect address of my office that's why it bounce back to the bank. Or someone else receive it on your behalf. Maybe the guard or receptionist, so better ask them as well.
Reply To: BPI Credit Card Application Status Inquiry
CC Application status
Reply To: BPI Credit Card Application Status Inquiry
If in case you're still wondering why they haven't call you back or heard from them after few days of submitting all the required documents, this maybe because your credit card application is already denied. In case of disapproval, most of the times BPI or any other credit card providers in the Philippines don't provide any reason or they don't have any obligation to explain such decision.
There are a lot of factors that might contribute to the rejection and approval of one's application:
1. Your have a bad credit score standing (this will greatly affect your chances of approval so make sure you have no bad credit history to any banks or lenders)
2. Your monthly income is not enough (bpi and most banks required at least a minimum of P15,000/month)
3. Your personal information is inaccurate (if deemed necessary, they may request for additional documents to support your application)
Here are some tips to ensure that your bpi credit card application process will run smoothly:
1. Assess yourself and check all their eligibility requirements, whether you'll be qualified or not
2. Make sure that you fill out all the necessary details/information in the application form correctly
3. You must submit all the documents they needed for a smoother application process
4. Patience is the key. It make take some time before they will give you a call to verify your credit card application. Just give yourself a timeline, after which you can assume that you've been denied
Pro Tips:
If you have a good credit score/standing, it would be easier for you to apply, and the application process will be faster. Or sometimes, if you hold an account with BPI or in any other banks in the Philippines, they probably offer you a pre-approved card.
Want to apply for a BPI credit card? Let us help you. Chat with us now or give us a call (02 919-6776) and we will guide you every step of the way.
You can also use our credit card comparison widget for free to check which BPI credit card suits you best.
Need a Credit Card? Get the best deal here.
Low Interest Rate or Low Annual Fee? There's one suited specifically for you.
Reply To: BPI Credit Card Application Status Inquiry
No text or email notification if approved. But the credit card account is already reflected on my savings account. What does it mean?


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Latin America Faces Growing Challenges for Pension System
"While for the last 25 years there has been decreasing social security coverage, Latin America's population over 65 is growing and will triple from 6.3% in 2005 to 18.5% in 2050. Also, labor markets continue to be highly informal, while independent and short-term employment have been increasing, which further complicates coverage and affiliation to retirement schemes. South American pension systems have been diverse in terms of coverage and quality, yet in no case have they incorporated all workers (see figure). Currently, states are assuming more active roles and universal coverage schemes are again gaining relevance.
"There have been recent reforms away from the market in at least two countries. After privitization in 1997, Bolivia is now undergoing a nationalization process and a non-contributive pension system for all over 65 was recently strengthened. In Argentina, President Cristina Kirchner's government decided that private funds that cover nearly 10 million people would be transfered to state hands in 2009.
"Decreased emphasis on individual contributions contributions to determine coverage is also being observed in other countries. In Chile, where market reforms began, a universal non-contributive pension system (where beneficiaries are covered regardless of affiliation to pension systems) has been expanded in recent years. And in Peru a public pension for all poor adults over 75 was announced in July 2010. Renewed concern for assuring access to pensions has also reached the supranational level. Since 2006, Mercosur's unified retirement allows workers to have contributions in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and uruguay count towards their pensions if they reside in any of these countries."
"Countries have learned that individual capitalization schemes are useful but insufficient for social inclusion. There is a need for public policies to better complement public and private financing, and to adopt non-contributive programs to protect those most vulnerable to old-age poverty. Faced with rapidly aging populations and changing labor markets, in the medium term South American policymakers will have to find the right formulas for each country in order to protect the right of all to pensions of acceptable quality."
The pursuit of a fair pension system that is able to provide enough funds for all people to avoid poverty in their retirement is a great pursuit, unfortunately the ability to do so is not simply a matter of finding the correct policy. First we must ask ourselves, is it possible within our global system for all people to live without poverty, at any age?
Latin American countries are correct in adjusting their pension funds to be able to provide for people who have spent most of their lives in informal or short-term employment. These trends of increased unemployment in the traditional sense are the new norm.
Sources:FORO Nacional International, August 2010, pg. 2
For an in depth look at labor issues see William Greider's One World Ready or Not: the manic logic of global capitalism


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Traditional organizational structure employs a familiar power dynamic: somebody leads, others follow, with extra managers deputized to help run things. Companies still use this structure of top boss, middle management and employees, because it provides control and stability. Different priorities have given rise to alternate contemporary structures. The team structure transfers power from middle management to employees. The network structure, meanwhile, isn't so much a structure as it is a hub connected to outside suppliers. In some ways, these contemporary structures are the opposite of the traditional structure.
Vertical Vs. Horizontal
Companies depict organizational structure by way of a diagram called an organizational chart. When charted, the traditional organizational structure gains height thanks to rows of middle managers, whose subordinates occupy the bottom of the structure. The team structure removes most, if not all middle management, creating a shorter, flatter chart. Naturally, the team structure is less bureaucratic and, therefore, less rigid.
Authoritarian Vs. Autonomous
Removing middle managers means the authority they once wielded must be redistributed to employees. This decentralization of power gives employees of the team structure much more autonomy than employees working within traditional structures. In a traditional structure, a clear-cut chain of command flows in an unbroken line from employees all the way up to the top of the organization. Just how much authority any one person has is defined by a strict job description. Many rules exist to ensure subordinates understand company expectations.
Hierarchy Vs. Hub
The network or, "virtual," structure forgoes the hierarchical approach of the traditional organizational structure. A virtual structure instead uses a small group of managers and their support staff to coordinate a network of outside suppliers. The suppliers fulfill the functional work needed for business. The company might hire a manufacturer to assemble products, an accounting firm to manage finances and a shipping company to distribute orders. Traditionally, companies kept such work in-house, creating functional departments such as accounting and manufacturing, along with the management hierarchy needed to oversee operations.
Instead of the managed functional departments found in the traditional structure, the team structure uses employee project groups or teams created by mixing work specialties. For instance, a team might include marketing specialists, a financial expert and technical experts. Experience and knowledge guide decisions instead of a supervisor.
Mechanized Vs. Organic
The traditional organizational structure can be likened to a machine. Every part has a specialized purpose, and those parts are coordinated to efficiently output a predictable and consistent result. In contrast, contemporary organizational setups function like organic structures, adapting dynamically to the environment. The virtual structure can change its supply network according to its needs. The empowered employees of a team structure can act independently in real time, without waiting for permission from the command chain. This organic nature provides flexibility and innovation, while the mechanistic traditional structure allows for standardization and efficient, large-scale production.
References (3)
- Management: Meeting and Exceeding Expectations; Warren R. Plunkett, et al.
- Reference for Business: Organizational Structure
- Pearson Higher Education: Chapter 6 - Organizing the Business
Photo Credits
- Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images


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As a young student, just starting college, there is a good chance you haven't established a credit score or credit history at this stage of your life. However, establishing a credit history isn't something you want to put off. Once you leave home, you'll want to rent an apartment, buy a car or even get a better job. Unfortunately, all of these goals are affected by your credit history. Therefore, it only makes good sense to establish a credit history with credit cards for students as soon as possible.
How Students Can Apply for Credit Cards
Local Bank
Even though you may be a young adult, there is a good chance you've already opened a checking account at your local bank branch. If so, explain to the bank personnel that you are seeking a credit card to build credit. They'll be happy to help you.
Getting a relative like your parents or another responsible party to co-sign on a credit card with you is an excellent way to be approved for a card. Cards list you as the account holder, so payments are posted to your credit history at anyone or all of the three main credit bureaus.
Student Credit Cards
Utilize the internet to search for credit cards specifically designed for students with no credit. You'll find a huge number of companies offering student cards. Most of the offers will have lower limits until you prove you are responsible and make payments on time. However, it's a good way to start building credit.
Secured Credit Cards
Consider secured credit cards, which require you to put down a cash deposit into a charge card account. In essence, your deposit secures the card in case you should fail to make payments. You are free to charge up to your limit just like a regular charge card. Many charge card companies refund deposits after a certain time limit and increase card limits once you've proven yourself to be reliable.
Credit Reporting
While researching credit cards to build credit, verify the cards you're considering report to one or more credit bureaus. If payments aren't reported, you can't build a credit profile, which is your goal.
Credit Cards for Students
Discover it for Students
Many credit card companies like Discover are keenly interested in helping young people to establish their credit because they know they will eventually get good jobs with spendable cash. Overall, Discover offers students a pretty good deal.
- No annual cred card fee.
- Keeping your GPA at 3.0 or higher can result in $20 cash back per year up to five years.
- Special cash back offer. Discover matches the total cash back earned in a given year for each new student with a Discover it card.
- Earn cash back rewards of 5 percent on Amazon.com, restaurants and gas stations each quarter. All other purchases can earn rewards of 1 percent.
- Rewards won't expire. You are free to redeem them any time for any amount.
- Not responsible for unauthorized charges.
- Free FICO credit scores included in monthly statements.
- Capital One Secured MasterCard
- Regularly reports to all three major credit bureaus.
- Requires a deposit of $49 with an initial credit limit of $200, depending upon your credit.
- Easy account management 24/7 using mobile applications, phone or online access.
- Secured MasterCards are accepted at millions of places worldwide.
- No annual fee.
- Accepts applicants with bad credit.
- Variable APR 24.99 percent.
Building credit takes time. Don't jump at the first couple of credit card offers you see. Spending a little more time researching rewards, minimum payment amounts and interest rates is important when establishing your new credit profile.


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Press release
Extra money to keep dangerous goods off Britain's streets
The government has pledged an extra £400,000 to help trading standards officers prevent dangerous goods being sold in the UK.
The government has pledged an extra £400,000 to help trading standards officers prevent dangerous goods being sold in the UK, Consumer Affairs Minister Jo Swinson announced today (17 February 2015).
The money will be allocated by National Trading Standards (NTS) and includes £182,000 for its ports and borders project which is improving surveillance at Southampton and Felixstowe ports.
Jo Swinson will make the announcement on a visit to Southampton Port where she will see the work of local trading standards officers first-hand.
Consumer Affairs Minister Jo Swinson said:
Dangerous and fake goods hurt legitimate businesses and put consumers at risk of harm.
This extra money will help protect the public and make it easier to catch rogue traders.
Anyone who has concerns about the safety of a product they have bought should contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 03454 04 05 06.
Lord Harris of Haringey, Chair of National Trading Standards Board, said:
We welcome these additional funds to help our teams across the country continue their important work. I am particularly pleased that the Safety at Ports and Borders teams, who face a growing challenge in terms of preventing potentially dangerous products coming into the UK, will now be able to put extra resource into intercepting these items before they can do consumers any harm.
The NTS's work at ports and borders is proving very successful. It is helping trading standards officials to build relationships with key partner agencies such as the UK Border Force and is allowing them to establish a greater presence at ports and borders. This is helping to clamp down on people who are trying to sneak unsafe and fake goods into the country.
Enforcement work at ports has had some notable recent successes including:
- 9000+ unsafe consumer goods seized, including toys, electrical goods and cosmetics
- an additional 2030kg of unsafe cosmetics seized
- 68,000+ non-compliant consumer goods intercepted
- 96 samples taken, of which 50 failed tests
- 70+ importer notification letters sent to inland local authorities relating to unsafe or non-compliant consumer goods
- three referrals from Special Branch investigated
- 30,000+ consumer goods examined that were confirmed compliant
- 54 external transit shed facilities (ETSFs) visited
- 22 officers trained on consumer product safety market surveillance.
Notes to editors:
- The Ports and Borders project is funded by NTS and is concentrated at the 2 main ports of entry for consumer products into the UK, which are currently Felixstowe and Southampton. Suffolk Trading Standards and Southampton Trading Standards (as part of Trading Standards South East) deal with imports directly and make referrals to inland trading standards services to prevent potentially unsafe or non-compliant goods from entering the UK.
- National Trading Standards (NTS) has been operating since 1 April 2012, taking responsibility for prioritising national and cross-local authority boundary enforcement, such as illegal money-lending and rogue and incompetent traders, to provide a more coherent approach to trading standards enforcement. This works well in the NTS's specialist enforcement teams such, which target the worst rogue and misleading trading practices and fraudulent activities that may be beyond the capacity of individual local authorities. The NTS is made up of the heads of Trading Standards Services in England and Wales.


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A month ago I created a heatmap visualization of driving under influence records in Finland 2012. The story and visualization itself were fairly popular on svenska.yle.fi during the week of the release, ranking up to be the most read news-article (see inrikes category artikel.har-aker-rattfylleristerna-fast-se-karta.sivu). It also raised a fair amount of feedback trough the comments section about usability of heatmap visualizations in general.
Heatmaps are a bit tricky to use as visualizations. XKCD-comic has tackled the essence of it. If a map correlates heavily with the population distribution, it may only tell to the viewer what people can already expect, things happen where there is a lot of people. Also when the visualization is dynamic, you get more details on demand. When you zoom in, you'll see more details and when you zoom out you see less details..which can mean that there will be a huge red blob on top of a map at certain distance.
The data for the map was acquire by a journalist via a information request to police. We received it as an excel-form with 20352 lines of raw data of DUI incidents in Finland. Data included an identification number to police records, municipal area and a mysterious area code, street-address of incident, weekday of incident and date and time of incident. As usual the data was somewhat 'dirty' and required thorough clean-up to make it fit our needs.
Data itself may reveal patterns and information about measurement and how it was collected. In our case we noticed that the naming convention of incident addresses is fairly imaginative. There's an address-field that police officers fill in, among other things, when they report the DUI incidents into the system. This field should contain an address of incident so it can be pinpointed if necessary. However there doesn't seem to be an unified practice of reporting the addresses.
Address field seems to be filled in many different ways which makes the exact pinpointing of the incident later on a fairly difficult task. For example an incident address that has happened at crossroad of two roads might be marked as road1 X road2, or road1, road2 crossroad or road2xroad1 or road1 at crossroad road2 etc. Or the address-field has been used to give more information about place of incident instead of just an address, i.e. Address xyz, from the yard.
My personal favourite version of the data in the address field was 'Kylän Kohdalla Jäällä' = 'at the region of the village on the ice (lake)', which couldn't be more vague in terms of locating the exact spot.
Sure, all these addresses could probably be pinpointed by someone with knowledge of local surroundings, but for outsiders the location stays a mystery. For a future implementation of such a system I'd highly recommend adding the possibility to insert longitude and latitude coordinates field. But enough ranting and back to the topic.
The dataset is fairly large (20k+ addresses) and if one wants to get a overview of geographically distributed data one method to approach this is to plot incidents on to a map. But what tool to use?
I personally prefer to use existing methods and tools to visualize and gain insight on data and after googling for a while I bumped into a heat map javascript library called Heatmap.js. So it was chosen as a prominent technology to implement the test-case. A random city of choice was chosen -Tampere.
The next task was to figure out how to translate this given data from excel-format into a format that Heatmap.js accepts. Heatmap.js uses a list of longitude and latitude coordinates and a weight of how many incidents are at those coordinates. The weight can be calculated in Excel by counting the amount of occurrences of addresses, but the addresses need to be converted into coordinates. This conversion of address into longitude and latitude is usually referred to as geocoding.
There exists a fair amount of web-based tools to quickly geocode a single address into gps coordinates. I used http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/geocoder/. It's probably not the best, but it gets the job done. The downside of it lies in the ability to geocode multiple addresses. Gpsvisualizer.com offers an ability to use yahoo geocoder for multiple addresses, but sadly it's fairly inaccurate in Finland. For example I tried to geocode street-addresses from Tampere and ended up getting a wad of similar coordinates.
But it's possible to geocode a single address at a time with Google geocoder at gpsvisualizer.com, which gives much more accurate readings, but as you would guess it is also a lot slower method. As I had a deadline breathing down my neck and 20k+ addresses to geocode I gave it a shot. In my case roughly a week of typing and copy+pasting, so clearly a slow method.
A slightly better way to do this is to use Google geocoder api and create your own geocoder. This is the method I would use to geocode multiple addresses now if I'd have to do another address based visualization. But at the time I was working on this the deadline was looming on and I was busy with getting the visualization forward. So I accepted the fact that I'd be spending a considerable amount of time on smashing the same button combination over and over.
After the data was in a appropriate format for visualization tool it was a fairly straightforward job to fine tune it and release it.
Well, what I learned from the project or at least reconfirmed, is that 80 percent of the time goes into purifying, transforming and fiddling with the data to get it into a format that can be represented and the rest 20 percent is fine-tuning and adding extra functionalities into it. An interesting dataset and a fun project, and when the data is interesting it seems to translate fairly well into 'news'.