US Politicians Debate “Net Neutrality“ Vocabulary and Expressions suspend fuel (v.) unleashUS Politicians Debate “Net Neutrality“ Another political fight is taking shape in Washington, D. C. One side wants rules to suspend plans to charge extra for some heavy users of the Internet. The other side says new rules will slow the economic growth fueled by online services. Earlier this year, U. S. regulators proposed big changes in the way the Internet operates in the country. The Federal Communications Commission voted to offer a plan that could affect Internet service providers. Under the plan, the service providers could make deals with companies like Google and Facebook to provide them with faster paths to get their content to consumers. Some consumer groups and Internet companies oppose the plan. President Obama also dislikes the proposed changes. “Ever since the Internet was created, it has been organized around basic principles of openness, fairness and freedom. There are no gatekeepers deciding which sites you get to access, there are no toll roads on the information superhighway. This set of principles, the idea of net neutrality, has unleashed the power of the Internet and given innovators the chance to thrive. Abandoning these principles would end the Internet as we know it. “ The FCC is an independent regulator, so President Obama cannot order the FCC to make changes. Harold Furchtgott-Roth, an economist and former FCC commissioner, says the Internet adds hundreds of billions of dollars to the U. S. economy. He adds that new rules would be unnecessary and unwise. “American online companies are the leading on-line companies in the world in practically every field. I think that is in part a result of our lighter regulatory approach relative to a lot of other countries. “ The former commissioner says even the threat of new rules is bad for the investments needed to support innovation on the Internet. Some Republican members of Congress and the U. S. Chamber of Commerce are in agreement with Mr. Furchtgott-Roth. The Chamber of Commerce speaks for many major businesses. The issue will likely be fought over by regulators, the courts and Congress.

Consumers Still Waiting for Personalized Videos to Drive Intent Vocabulary and Expressions sophistication smartphone align favorability consolidateConsumers Still Waiting for Personalized Videos to Drive Intent Online video ads are far more effective than other platforms — aside from search engine marketing — at driving purchase intent, but data from a recent survey identifies specific features that make these ads most influential. One feature that is lacking is personalization, to help consumers make better purchase decisions. A Millward Brown Digital study looks at the effectiveness of advertising at 1 exposure to an ad, a digital video ad has an average 1.1% increase in purchase intent, whereas a standard static ad has an average 0. 2% increase in purchase intent, and a rich media ad has an average 0. 6% increase in purchase intent. There’s a perfect opportunity to build video applications to show what specific pieces of furniture look like in a room or several pieces of clothes pieced together, but brands have not reached that sophistication. Building a video app that allows consumers to pull together pieces of furniture to configure a layout based on the dimensions of a room, or pulling together pieces of clothing to complete an outfit, would personalize the experience. Since Millward Brown Digital began measuring digital advertising, favorability of all digital formats has consistently lagged behind television advertising, and other traditional formats, by nearly 50%. While in the U. S. multiscreen audiences spend 147 minutes per day watching TV, they spend 297 minutes with digital screens. The attention span of consumers has much to do with the success of a video advertisement, especially when watching it on a smartphone. It takes between five and 10 minutes to complete a task on desktop and five to eight on a smartphone. The Millward Brown Digital data identifies four best practices for enhancing the effectiveness of a brand’s digital video presence. They include: tap into consumer emotions, consolidate the source of the audio and the video rather than to help focus consumers, align the complexity of the message and the length of the creative to become more effective, and consider the platform where the ad will serve up to the consumer. Brands may need something that quickly captures the attention of the audience.

The Key Difference Between Online and Print Publishing Vocabulary and Expressions essential alien voracious archaic embed obsess cult budgeThe Key Difference Between Online and Print Publishing The Ebola factsheet page from the World Health Organization (WHO)has been visited millions of times. Yet it was a real challenge to get this page reviewed and updated, for WHO was so focused on publishing new information about Ebola that it struggled to review and update essential content already published. This is a critical challenge that almost all websites face. An urge to publish new content is embedded in the DNA of every organization. To many, that is the whole point and essence of publishing. It is why the website exists: to publish stuff. It is totally alien to most organizations to review, renew and remove that which is already published. There are two main reasons. Firstly, the organization feels it always has to show it is doing something new. Marketers, communicators, PR and other content professionals are obsessed with the new. They rarely see it as part of their job to focus on current customers, current programs, etc. Secondly, in a print world you rarely have to worry about old print content too much, for print degrades and disappears over time. Not so for digital. Like a good wine, digital content tends to get “better“ over time. Better in the sense that it ranks higher in search engine results, gets more links, etc. To many web professionals, the idea that they can focus on continuously improving the top tasks of their customers is an unattainable dream. Their work lives are ruled by a voracious organization in constant need to show it exists, show it is relevant, and show it is doing something. It is A Cult of Volume: the more I publish the more important I am. This deeply negative, archaic way of thinking is hugely damaging, but it will be hard to budge, because it is often senior and middle management who are the most voracious publishers of all. Nobody cares. Customers aren’t loyal anymore. The best employees are always looking out for new career opportunities. Everyone is in a hurry. Focus on what matters most to your customers. And remember: that’s rarely what matters most to you.

Legality of Vietnamese Blogger’s Release Questioned Vocabulary and Expressions propaganda expel evasion harassmentLegality of Vietnamese Blogger’s Release Questioned This week, the Vietnamese government released one of the country’s best known political bloggers from prison. The government then sent the man, Nguyen Van Hai, to the United States. His release has been widely welcomed. But the legality of the move has raised questions. A crowd of supporters welcomed him as he arrived Wednesday in California. Hai was sentenced to 12 years in prison for directing “propaganda against the state. “ Two other bloggers also received jail sentences at the trial. Many Vietnamese have welcomed his release. But his lawyer says the government had no legal reason to expel him from the country. Ha Huy Son represented the blogger. He said under Vietnamese law, officials can release a person only after he has served more than half their sentence or admitted to a crime and asked for mercy His son says his father was put in jail illegally, and Vietnamese officials did not give his father any papers explaining why he was in jail. In his words, this shows what is happening in Vietnam right now. “People can be caught any time“ the government wants “for any reason. “ Nguyen Van Hai was sentenced to two and one-half years in prison for failing to pay taxes. Government critics say the tax evasion charges were made for political reasons. After serving the sentence, he reportedly stayed in prison while Vietnamese officials carried out an investigation. The United States was among several foreign governments to call for his release. Reports say the temporary suspension of Hai’s sentence was a result of negotiations with U. S. officials over the partial lifting on the American arms ban on Vietnam. Rights groups have welcomed the release. But an official with one such group warned it does not mean a change in Vietnamese policy. Phil Robertson is the deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch. In his words, “ Dieu Cay’s many readers will not read his blog from the U. S. . But that doesn’t change the fact that other bloggers who take his place in Vietnam will still face the same systemic police harassment and abuses as he did. “

Junior Lawyers Aim to Inspire Pupils to Study Law Vocabulary and Expressions Magna Carta baron monarchy notoriouslyJunior Lawyers Aim to Inspire Pupils to Study Law The anniversary of the Magna Carta next year will be used as an opportunity to inspire school-age children around the country to pursue a career in law. Signed in 1215 by King John and the barons of medieval England, the Magna Carta contained a series of promises about how England would be governed. It was an attempt by the barons to prevent the monarchy abusing its power and to ensure it ruled the country in the interests of its people. The project will provide a rare opportunity for pupils from more disadvantaged backgrounds to be introduced to a profession that is notoriously difficult to get into. Lawyers will underline the point that law is a career open to all. Sophia Dirir is a lawyer at Action for Children and chair of the junior lawyers division of the Law Society. She said: “As junior lawyers, we assume some responsibility to protect the diverse future generation of legal experts. We try to reach those from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. “ The project’s success will depend on participation, so both schools and lawyers need to sign up. Dirir said: “We have already seen a significant commitment from junior lawyers prior to the launch of this project, and we hope that this will only increase now that the project has been launched. “ George, Magnus, Ollie and Ed, students aged 13-14 from north-west England who attended the launch, were unsure whether their schools had signed up to take part. They said they’d never heard of the Magna Carta before or been properly introduced to law. They think more debating exercises in class would be a good thing. Nicola Doughty, a teacher, has designed some teaching aids on the Magna Carta as part of the project. She said: “ At a very young age, children are talking about their aspirations. Law might be a challenging concept, but it’s about the way you engage with them. Teaching the Magna Carta will help improve children’s awareness of law as a subject and take those ideas with them to secondary school. “

What attitude does President Obama have towards the the proposed changes?

What will happen to innovators if the idea of net neutrality is abandoned?

What prevents President Obama from ordering the FCC to make changes?

In Harold Furchtgott-Roth’s view, what makes American online companies’ leading role in the world?

Among whom will the issue be debated for making new rule?