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SOPA Is Off The Table For Now

Censorship is on hold
“SOPA is on hold”

When I heard the news that SOPA in its current form has been put on ice, I was relieved. I had outlined the reasons why I am opposing SOPA (↑) a couple of days ago on this blog.

Another battle in this ongoing war has been won, but the war is not over yet. Will there ever be an end to the debate?

Like look at this article in the Forbes magazine about what happened 30 years before SOPA, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) feared the VCR (↑) (video cassette recorder).


The new target is the Internet


There will always be a struggle between those who wish to defend the status quo and those who embrace change.
Don’t be afraid of “the New,” embrace it and look for opportunities.
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SOPA And Protect IP: Free Internet At Risk

Welcome in 2012!

My first post this year will be a short one but nevertheless a very important one.

The Free Internet in the USA is at risk!


It is challenged by two proposed laws which basically will allow or even require censorship.

Stop Internet Censorship


While the intent of the legislation is noble, “Stop online piracy and copyright theft!” The means the law provides will do more harm than good. And not only in the USA. There will be some global collateral effects as well.

At least this is my personal take.

Some say, “This will break the Internet as we know it!”


Here is what I wrote in a private forum earlier today.

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Daylight-Savings-Time Starts in Europe Tonight

Internet Marketing - Time Adjustment
At 2 AM switch to 3 AM in Europe on March 28, 2010.

It’s time to adjust the clocks in Europe again.

Tonight (or tomorrow morning if you will) clocks will be advanced from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. when daylight-saving-time begins in Europe this spring.

That means we (including me) lose one hour that we don’t get back until next fall when daylight-savings-time in Europe will end on Sunday, October 31, 2010. (Of course we will get it back without interest being paid. Maybe we’ll save a bit on the electric bill, but I’m not really sure about that.)




Attention to you folks in the USA and Canada: The time difference to Europe will get back to normal again.

Here are some examples to demonstrate the ‘usual time differences’ between USA, Canada and Europe.

AmericaEuropeTime
Difference
[hours]
New YorkLondon5
Berlin6
ChicagoLondon6
Berlin7
DenverLondon7
Berlin8
Los AngelesLondon8
Berlin9
Example: 10 a.m. in Denver is 6 p.m. in Berlin


You’ll find additional information and tools at timeanddate.com (↑).

_____
Browsing tip: Links designated with (↑) will open in a new browser window.

I think the next transition is on April 4th, when daylight-saving-time ends this year in Australia.

Kind of confusing, isn’t it.

Have a ‘short’ night sleep
(if you are in Europe.)

Yours
John W. Furst

Online Events in the USA 1 Hour Earlier

Daylight savings time has started in the USA (↑) today.

In Europe it will begin in two weeks, and it will end in Australia in three weeks.

Especially if you are in Europe you could easily miss online events in the USA during the next two weeks.

Be aware of those time changes when planning or attending online events.

Here is why.

For example, when it is 1pm in New York it is usually 6pm in London. Between March 14 and March 27, 2010, however, it will be 5pm in London, only 4 hours later.



Time zone tips for online events


Then on March 28 daylight savings time will rule on both continents and time difference will be the usual 5 hours till the clocks will be reset in fall of 2010, again.

Life could be easier if daylight savings time were changed on the same weekends all over the world, but that's not the case.

To make things worse, Hawaii (and many other regions in the world) don't observe daylight savings time at all. On top of that Australia and New Zealand are on the southern hemisphere. While we start daylight savings time in the North, Australia will end it on April 4, 2010.
Tip: TimeAndDate.com (↑) offers detailed information and tools. Like a timezone converter, etc., …


Personally I am adding timezone information to event details. Don't leave room for assumptions. Don't assume your readers are educated about timezones, it's your job to communicate in a way they understand easily.

Here is an example for unambiguous event information.
Webinar starts on Friday, March 12, 2010 at 3:30 p.m. EST (UTC-05) as in New York, USA

or

Teleclass starts on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at 3:30 p.m. EDT (UTC-04) as in New York, USA.

Note: EST is Eastern Standard Time and EDT is Eastern Daylight Savings Time.



Yours
John W. Furst

P.S.: Especially US marketers seem to be unaware of — or lazy about — timezone issues that go beyond Eastern versus Pacific time. Check out my previous post on this subject: Email Marketing And Troubles With Timezones.

Recording: Easy FTC Compliance Seminar - What You Need to Do, Step-by-Step

Serial Entrepreneur Robert Skrob
Serial Entrepreneur Robert Skrob

The recording of a free tele-seminar call from last Thursday is online now.

Easy FTC Compliance Seminar – What You Need to Do, Step-by-Step (↑)



The host Robert Skrob (↑) discusses with his guests — both experienced lawyers in Internet respectively direct response marketing and related fields — Peter Hoppenfeld (↑) and Michael E. Young (↑). If I remember correctly the call is about 1 hour 12 minutes and packed with great information.

They do not simply rehash general information that’s already circulating on the Internet about those new FTC guidelines in effect since December 1, 2009 in the USA. This is an advanced call for experienced marketers.

Actually they start answering real world questions from their members right away.
Not only that I was listening live myself, I also had submitted a question which was answered during the call.
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FTC Changes For Internet Marketers Coming Up Fast Dec. 01, 2009

Minisite Marketing Expert Jim Edwards
Internet Marketing Expert - Jim Edwards

New rules and guidelines for online Internet marketers and vendors are coming up fast. The date they become effective in the USA is Tuesday, December 1, 2009.

I guess some webmasters will be busy over the weekend to update their sites if they have not taken action earlier.

But what is this all about anyway?

Why not ask an expert?

Jim Edwards did.

FTC - Federal Trade Commission

FTC (Federal Trade Commission) Clarifies New Internet Marketing, Blogging & Affiliate Advertising Guidelines With Jim Edwards (↑)



I strongly recommend you go over there and take opportunity to get this FREE information. Jim offers you 3 options.
  1. Webinar Video Replay

  2. Webinar Audio Replay

  3. PDF Transcript

    (The PDF version is for Jim’s email subscribers only. But guess what, you can sign up for his list on the spot.)
Get all that legal info for FREE.

Jim Edwards interviews Rich Cleland, Assistant Deputy FTC (↑)



In previous posts I have also written about those changes in guidelines from the Federal Trade Commission in the USA for Internet marketing practices. I also wrote about similar — even tighter — legislation for Internet marketers in the EU (European Union).


At this point I want to thank Andy Beard (↑) who mentioned this interview in his latest blog post, “Harder Facts About Comment Spam (↑).”

Take a legal notepad, some time in the evening and listen to that valuable information. Or at least get the PDF for later reference. No idea how long it will be online.


Enjoy the weekend.

Yours
John W. Furst