5 Copyright Facts Every Blogger Should Know – Here are the basics of copyright for anyone who publishes (or republishes) content on the Web or elsewhere. Simple, brief, and easy to understand. Stop copying content. Read this.
Corporate governance: The shareholder awakens – "Companies’ owners are slowly beginning to hold bosses to account, starting with closer scrutiny of their pay." It's about freaking time. Read more in The Economist.
Notes from the Field: Measles Outbreak – "Measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000. However, importations of measles from other countries still occur, and low vaccination coverage associated with parental concerns regarding the MMR vaccine puts persons and communities at risk for measles. Public health and health-care providers should work with parents and community leaders to address concerns about the MMR vaccine to ensure high vaccination coverage and prevent measles." In this case, one unvaccinated child gave measles to 12 others.
Make the Wealthy Pay their Fair Share – "With or without a government shutdown, Republicans have already won the debate on our nation's budget. Why? Because the corporate media is on their side." Read more on ThomHartmann.com.
It’s Not Really About Spending – The GOP is attempting to hold the country hostage, doing huge harm to the economy, just so they can get their way on a few ideological issues.
Why Pay Congress? – "If we careen over a cliff on Friday and the American government shuts down, hard-working federal workers will stop getting paychecks, but the members of Congress responsible for the shutdown are expected to be paid as usual." Can you believe this bullshit?
Why Groupon is bad for your business (and mine) – "Groupon, the so-called social buying site (even though there is very little social going on outside of the manipulation of basic human behaviors like their reaction to a situation where there is sense of scarcity) and the fastest growing company in history, is bad for your business." Read why on EmergenceMarketing.com.
Groupon Reviews: Worst Marketing For Your Local Business – "Just because millions of merchants have fallen under the spell of Groupon, a PR juggernaut, and their like, it doesn’t mean you should. It’s a killer alright, a profit-killer." Read a real case study on RetailDoc.com.
Opposed to vaccination? Let’s make that sting – "The 2008 San Diego measles outbreak was triggered by a pocket of parents who believed the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella) was worse than the diseases it prevents." Stupidity doesn't just breed fear. It also breeds disease and KILLS people. Great story about vaccinations in the Star Tribune.
Groupon’s big discounts: how its coupon business could eventually cripple the merchants that rely on it – The author of this piece almost gets it. "The logic is simple: Merchants are encouraged to use the deals to attract new customers, who in theory will return at full price. But, in what seems to be an increasing number of cases, customers come for the deals and then leave for deals offered by other merchants through Groupon. So the number of "new" customers attracted by cheap prices increases, and the number of loyal customers decreases as shoppers prefer to become "new" again for whomever offers the best deal." Read more on Slate.
