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Comcast’s $10 internet plan opens up to all low-income and disabled Americans

by Loknath Das August 7, 2019

written by Loknath Das

Closeup of colored computer network cables connected to a switch

Low-income families face the same issues the luckier among us do when it comes to getting broadband: few options and fewer still that are affordable. Comcast, though simultaneously the source of many of these issues, has a good program for anyone facing financial hardship, and several new groups now qualify for $10 connectivity.

The “Internet Essentials” program has for several years now offered cheap internet to the economically disadvantaged and other groups who need a helping hand. It has connected some two million households so far and may connect plenty more under the new, expanded eligibility options the company just announced.

Essentially if you’re the beneficiary of any of a bunch of financial aid programs from the government, or are disabled, or a low-income household, you’re eligible. You can apply here for free.

Previously you were eligible under a dozen or so of those programs, but today Comcast announced that the following groups are newly able to take advantage of the program:

Persons with disabilities
Seniors on Medicaid
All low-income adults (defined as 38% above the poverty line in your area)

That last one probably makes a lot of people eligible who might not have participated in one of the other programs, like the National School Lunch Program or Section 8 housing. If you’re low income, get on in there.

In case you’re not quite sure of your exact income, you’re also welcome if you take part in any of the following assistance programs:

Medicaid
National School Lunch Program (NSLP, free and reduced-price lunch)
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps)
HUD housing assistance and Section 8
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (welfare)
Supplemental Security Income (social security)
Head Start or Early Head Start
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Tribal assistance (TTANF and FDPIR)
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
VA pension

Any of these should qualify you for $10 (plus applicable taxes and fees — probably a couple bucks) broadband. You also can apply for a $150 computer, but I’m not sure I’d recommend whatever they’re selling. Cheap laptops are pretty easy to find, so ask around before you go in on Comcast’s house brand.

Just to make sure expectations are in line with reality here, this is a 5-megabit connection, meaning it doesn’t really even qualify as “broadband” under current definitions. But you’ll be able to stream music, play games, do most web stuff and watch YouTube perfectly fine. Just be ready to buffer a bit if you want to watch Netflix in HD. There’s also a 1-terabyte data cap, so 4K all day probably isn’t a good idea.

Good on Comcast for offering this (and rare it is the company deserves kudos). It’s more comprehensive than other low-income connection options from AT&T, Cox and so on, though if they’re the monopoly in your area, you might not have a choice. At least the programs exist — there’s a pretty good list here. Be sure to ask your provider if they have one before you decide to pay full price.

[“source=techcrunch”]

August 7, 2019 0 comment

Education

There is more to Karnataka than just Bengaluru in education

by Loknath Das August 5, 2019

written by Loknath Das

Bengaluru University

MANGALURU/HUBBALLI: While Bengaluru might be the most preferred destination for students, education in Karnataka is not just about the state capital. There are several education hubs across the state and many famous institutions that do not have a Bengaluru address.

Coastal Karnataka is also a popular destination for students, many of whom prefer the beaches of Mangaluru to the hustle of the state capital. Till a decade ago, Mangaluru and Udupi were famous for nursing colleges which drew students from Kerala, the north-eastern states as well as from across Karnataka. Over the past decade, this region has developed into a major educational hub with a lot more on offer.

With more than 20 engineering colleges, over a dozen medical, dental and Ayurveda colleges and several others that offer trendy courses like communication, aviation, fashion, ecosophical aesthetics, cyber management, and sports science, coastal Karnataka is not a niche education hub anymore.

Though comparatively smaller in size than other tier-two cities in the state, the coastal region hosts the second-highest student population after Bengaluru. According to educationist Mahabaleshwara Rao, this is due to the good eco-system and infrastructure the region provides. Compared to Bengaluru, the cost of education and living is cheaper here too, he adds.

“Unlike in other places, commercialisation is not a big menace here. They deliver what they promise, are quality conscious and pay attention to various aspects on a day-to-day basis,” points out Rao. For many engineering colleges, innovation seems to be the key to survive the tough competition in the backdrop of reforms in the sector. Colleges like Manipal, Nitte, St Joseph’s, Sahyadri and others have start-ups and units of industries in their campuses that makes the students industry-ready.

Further north, another hub is developing around the twin cities of Hubballi and Dharwad. The establishment of an Indian Institute of Technology and an Indian Institute of Information Technology have raised the profile of Dharwad, which has been termed the ‘VidyaKashi’ in the past.

Hubballi also plays host to one of the oldest universities of the state. The Karnatak University has produced numerous luminaries across fields for decades. The region has a good mix of private and government Universities offering post-graduate programmes in many streams and drawing thousands of students each year.

Besides the colleges and universities, the region also has a burgeoning number of coaching institutes, which prepare students for the JEE and NEET exams. This draws students from north Karnataka as well as neighbouring states. With living costs much below that of Bengaluru and comparable infrastructure, the twin cities are fast becoming the education hub in the north.

“Most importantly, the students will have none of the distractions of the metro cities. Hubballi-Dharwad is the most ideal place for students. Bengaluru is just a brand,” said Professor Ashok Shettar, vice-chancellor of the KLE Technological University.

[“source=newindianexpress”]

August 5, 2019 0 comment

Education

Virginia’s Board of Education is considering recommendations to ‘force the hand of the General Assembly’

by Loknath Das July 30, 2019

written by Loknath Das

The Virginia Board of Education is considering a recommendation that would lay out minimum funding requirements for a state budget item used to help at-risk students, a move intended to put pressure on the General Assembly to increase education spending.

The board is going through its regular process of amending the Standards of Quality, or SOQs. SOQs provide guidelines for minimum resources in schools related to staffing, student achievement and graduation, accreditation and other areas.

Per the state Constitution, only the General Assembly can revise the board’s standards of quality. It’s also up to lawmakers to “determine the manner in which funds are to be provided for the cost of maintaining an educational program meeting the prescribed standards of quality,” as well as deciding how costs should be split between the state and local governments.

Lawmakers could fund education according to the standards — though they haven’t in several years, said Jim Livingston, president of the Virginia Education Association.

The boards’ proposed Standards of Quality are “foundational components of Virginia’s education program,” board documents stated.

Adding a standard that addresses how much money a certain fund should get is a maneuver that puts pressure on lawmakers who have been slow to restore education funding to pre-recession levels, Livingston said.

“It’s really a way to force the hand of the General Assembly to say, ‘Look, you’ve been shortchanging K-12 for years and it’s time for you to step up,’” he said.

The standards are revised every two years (which coincides with state budgets) and this round of changes better reflects what’s actually happening in localities, Livingston said.

The General Assembly cut K-12 education funding during the recession and ever since many localities have had to pay for more staff and other items the state no longer covers.

The board discussed the new standards and changes to existing ones this week and will make a decision on them in September.

In total, the board is considering changes that would cost just about a billion dollars per year if funded as presented. Here are some of the items up for consideration:

At-risk add-on funding: The at-risk add on is money distributed for general use by school districts with high concentrations of students on free and reduced lunch. It’s allocated in the budget and can be used for anything a school deems necessary.

The state has limited information on how school districts use at-risk add on money, board documents stated. After lawmakers approved a teacher pay raise this year, some school systems said they could use the at-risk add on money for the local share of the pay raise.

At a committee meeting this week, Department of Education staff suggested clarifying that the at-risk add on had to be used for staff unless 55 percent or more of the school’s population was on free or reduced lunch. Those schools could use additional money for support positions (like nurses) or hiring and retention incentives.

The proposal would cost $4.9 to $77.4 million more a year, depending on the proportion of at-risk students in a given school district.

“If the General Assembly funds the at-risk add on as proposed, it frees up local dollars so those localities can use that money for other things like salary increases,” Livingston said.

In the most recent General Assembly session, lawmakers approved adding $25 million over two years for the at-risk add on fund. Gov. Ralph Northam had proposed putting $35 million more in the fund before the session began.

Class sizes: One budget item the Board of Education wants to move under the new at-risk add on standard is funding to keep classrooms at an optimal size.

Class size reduction money has been in the budget since the mid-1990s. The state currently pays for capping class sizes up to third grade at 19 to 24 students, depending on age and the percentage of students on free and reduced lunch.

The original proposal suggested extending class-size reduction measures up to sixth grade, for an annual cost of $213.8 million a year.

The board has directed staff to consider cutting the class size reduction item (and some other proposals) and move that possible future funding under the at-risk add on to give school systems more freedom in deciding how to use money.

More money for certain teachers: The other major standard change the board wanted to move under the at-risk add on was an effort to keep experienced teachers in high-poverty schools.

The proposal would make it standard practice to pay teachers with five or more years of experience $6,000-$12,000 extra a year if they teach at a school with at least 70 percent of its students on free or reduced lunch.

A higher percentage of students on free or reduced lunch would mean more additional pay.

Specialized student support personnel: A new standard would move nurses, school social workers and psychologists into a new staffing category to remove them from the state’s decade-old support staff cap.

The cap limits how many school staff — custodians, nurses, social workers, psychologists and others — the state will pay for. Lawmakers put it in place during the recession.

The proposed standard for nurses, social workers and psychologists would consider four specialized student support positions per 1,000 students an adequate number. It would cost $100 million more per year, VDOE staff estimated.

“While the recommendation … would not specify ratios for each individual position, it would ensure that students across the commonwealth have access to student support services,” board documents stated. “This approach would provide school divisions with flexibility to determine how these positions should be filled based upon local conditions.”

Lifting the support staff cap: The board also wants to reaffirm its 2016 recommendation to lift the support cap. It would be a $371 million annual undertaking.

Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, asked the Senate Finance committee to consider lifting all or some of the support cap earlier this year. She said at the time she didn’t expect lawmakers to do it all at once, so instead asked school divisions what was most important.

Their response: nurses, social workers and psychologists, which the Board of Education has proposed moving out from under the cap.

The board included a number of previously approved standards in this year’s proposal, including its preference for having one guidance counselor for every 250 students in every school.

[“source=virginiamercury”]

July 30, 2019 0 comment

Education

Capacity and quality of higher education need to be transformed

by Loknath Das July 26, 2019

written by Loknath Das

As the new government settles down in office, there are several areas that need immediate attention. However, one policy that can have a really long-term effect and needs to be dealt with great urgency – and care, is the education policy.

As of 2016, about 37 percent of our population is below the age of 19 years. Further, 45 percent below the age of 24 years, and this policy set the course for India’s economic and social trajectory for decades to come. The urgency is even more because of the moribund state of this sector, particularly the higher education sector. There are two things that need to be tackled, capacity and quality of higher education.

The Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) today is 25 percent. The Draft National Education Policy 2019 report submitted by the committee chaired by K Kasturirangan sets the objective of higher education policy to increase this to 50 percent by 2035. It is extremely important that this objective is met for India to have any chance to transition to a High-Income Country. Note, in comparison China’s GER is already above 50 percent and that in US is about 89 percent.

However, achieving this will be no mean task. For one, given the large young population, the base is expanding. This would mean more than doubling the capacity. The amount of investment that will be needed for this, even for just the physical infrastructure, is huge. Where will that come from? Then there is the big question of finding competent faculty members for these colleges and universities.

How do we go about even attempting to achieve this goal? The new draft policy has some useful advice in this regard, yet it does not provide a clear path to this end. An important aspect that the report notes is the fragmentation of higher education sector. It points out that while there are 800 universities and about 40,000 colleges, over 40 percent of the colleges run only one programme. More than 20 percent of colleges, that is, more than 8,000 colleges, have enrollment less than 100.

The report suggests that in the future we should move towards large multidisciplinary higher education institutes. This, the report suggests can be achieved, by giving autonomy to colleges and universities and doing away with the system of affiliations. This is a great suggestion and the government must act on this swiftly. Yet, from the experience of those colleges who were given autonomy and, moreover, converted into universities, we know this will not be an easy path.

It will require massive up-gradation of infrastructure, which is expensive but doable. It will also require the setting up of an administrative and governance structure which is very different from the current college system, which is challenging but still doable. Recruitment of large number of competent faculty members in a short period will be needed, this is almost impossible given the current state of affairs.

Another aspect of the current state of affairs that the report laments on is the lack of research in most universities and colleges. This is critical, not only for quality but also for capacity in higher education sector. In the most straight-forward way, if we do not have research in universities, we do not produce enough PhDs and the acute shortage of faculty members will persist. But, also very importantly if we do not have faculty members who can inspire the young minds with their research, we will lose these minds who could have pushed the boundaries and solved complex societal problems.

The report provides one way we can encourage research – by setting up a National Research Foundation which will grant research funding across all discipline in a competitive and transparent way. This is again something that the government must implement immediately. This is a minimum requirement to kick-start a research culture in Indian academia.

However, just setting up a research funding agency will not be enough. In fact, that body itself may fail to deliver unless we consciously dismantle a Nehruvian policy that has persisted for this long – to take research away from universities to specialised institutes. Post-independence, it is no secret that Nehru imagined that science will play an important role in nation building, rightfully so. This meant encouraging research, particularly scientific and engineering research. The question was where will this research take place, in universities or purposefully set up institutes and laboratories?

Teaching and research cannot remain separated. When the National Research Foundation is set up, it must be clear of this bias. If at all it should favour funding to the universities. This will attract bright researchers from across the world to our universities and make the universities vibrant once again. This will have a cascading effect in inspiring and attracting more and more young people to research and innovation. However, there is more that the government can do which will help in solving this problem–that how do we quickly ramp up supply in higher education sector.

It can expand the scope of these numerous standalone institutes and laboratories and introduce teaching programmes in these. We have 38 National Laboratories under CSIR, 24 research institutes under Indian Council of Social Science Research (and some other affiliated), several more scattered under different ministries and government departments. If all these introduce teaching programmes, we can increase capacity very quickly, but more importantly these programmes can possibly be of great quality. Many of these places already have a PhD programme in place and some of the people in these institutes do have teaching experience.

True, they may not be multidisciplinary programmes from the onset, but maybe that can also be changed over time through collaborations and creative designs. What we need is intent and some steely resolve. If we want to give ourselves any chance to become a developed economy, the education sector has to be set right immediately.

[“source=moneycontrol”]

July 26, 2019 0 comment

Blogging

How to Use Guest Blogging for Natural Link Building

by Loknath Das July 22, 2019

written by Loknath Das

How to Use Guest Blogging for Natural Link Building

Guest blogging and link building are powerful tactics that belong in every SEO specialist’s toolkit.

Some experts are skeptical of guest blogging because of the vast number of unsuccessful examples you can find online.

However, when used correctly, guest blogging has the power to boost your brand’s online image.

What Is Guest Blogging?

Guest blogging (or guest posting) is publishing your content on other companies’ websites, preferably related to your niche.

As a rule, guest bloggers incorporate links to their own sites into their guest posts, driving traffic to their own platforms. However, this is becoming more difficult because many websites add nofollow or even strip out links completely

Guest blogging has been actively used in the SEO world for many years and is not going away anytime soon.

Collaboration within the niche is useful for both the host site and the guest writer.

Large companies often invite partner authors to post on their blogs and in turn post articles on other websites.

Benefits of Guest Blogging

There are several key benefits to contributing as a guest blogger:

Increased brand awareness. To increase their exposure in the real world, many companies participate in conferences and other important professional events, organize meetings with potential contractors and clients, interact with customers, and make every effort to stay visible. The same principles apply in the digital space. The more sites you visit and leave your imprint on, the more web users know about you, and the stronger your authority.
More transitions to your site. Placing a link to your landing page in your bio, or inviting readers to sign up for your newsletter, are a couple of good ways to increase leads and traffic.
Useful contacts. You can build partnerships with influential companies, enter a privileged community of contributors within your niche, learn from other’s experiences, and exchange knowledge and resources.
Shorter sales cycle. Don’t wait for potential clients to find and visit your website and read about your goods and services. Your guest posts published on popular online platforms provide the perfect forum to promote your brand. Interested readers will follow your links to get more information.

6-Step Strategy for Using Guest Blogging as a Link Building Tool

1. Find Relevant Opportunities

Search for Guest Blogging-Friendly Websites

To achieve impressive and lasting results, devise a strategy for your guest blogging.

Take advantage of Google search to find relevant websites that welcome guest posts.

Use queries that include the name of your niche (design, medicine, art, etc.) and phrases like “guest post,” “write for us,” “guest blog,” or “contributor.”

Analyze Competitors’ Links

Find out which guest bloggers are posting links on your selected websites.

Analyze their strengths and weaknesses.

This is more easily done with small and medium-sized platforms. For larger ones, you can use special tools like Netpeak Spider and Moz Link Explorer.

Search by Influencers

It is always easier to bypass pitfalls when you learn from the experience of others. Successful guest bloggers have already overcome the challenges you are about to face.

Assess the online behaviors of the main influencers in your niche.

Compile a list of websites they contribute to and avoid wasting time and energy on irrelevant or unpopular online platforms.

2. Refine Your List of Websites

Conduct a donor analysis. It is the study of a website’s traffic and the keywords that generate it.

With this data, the placement cost can be compared with the donor’s value.

Check the following criteria before contacting blog administrators:

The domain authority of 50 and above. Websites with DA lower than 40 will most likely be a waste of time (but not always).
Quality of content. Assess blog posts from the viewpoint of a reader. Are they valuable? Are you interested? Would you like to comment and share them with your friends? Are new materials posted regularly? If the answers are positive, visitors to the website are likely to read your articles and follow your links.
Organic traffic. The more traffic a site has, the more keywords are at the top of the search rankings. When keywords are similar to the project being developed, the link equity promoted by the donor is maximized.
Author bio. Will you be permitted to include information about yourself and your company in your posts? Will they be published in a prominent place?

Other useful tips:

Discard donors with small numbers of keywords and low traffic. They will not benefit you, and they can sometimes be harmful.
The best donors are sites with a narrow theme relevant to your own, and sites with a general format (for example, news sites). If the site has a general theme, select an anchor according to your promotion plan. If it is narrowly specialized, try to use an anchor based on the donor’s top keywords.

3. Brainstorm Content Ideas

Now that you know where to post your content, the next question is what to post.

Above all, your articles should correspond to the thematic of the host website and be useful to its readers.

Analyze current trends, controversies, and the hottest news in the target industry to find inspiration and get an idea of popular topics.

Constantly tracking important events and innovative ideas can be time-consuming, but you can automate this process by taking advantage of helpful tools like BuzzSumo, or use CoSchedule to help you generate great titles.

Target your posts to both beginners and pros, to diversify your readership and provide relevant solutions to specialists in your field.

4. Begin Your Outreach

Now it is time to make useful contacts with administrators of the selected blogs.

Use data in the “Contact Us” section, a contact form on the website, or search for email addresses using tools like Interseller or Anymail finder.

Be prepared to wait for a response. Large website owners are not always receptive to outreach emails because they receive dozens of similar offers every day and have a well-established publishing schedule.

It may take much time to build good relationships with influencers or get them to notice you. Reach out to administrators of reputable websites in social networks, and comment on their photos, posts, and other content.

Adhere to the following rules when sending a personal message:

Since you are sending a cold email, use a neutral address to avoid spam filters.
Write the original text.
Greet the email recipient warmly and introduce yourself.
Refer to materials on their website or personal page, and mention that you like their content.
Be straightforward about why you are writing, and indicate where you think would be the best placement for your article.
Offer a few interesting guest post ideas.
Provide examples of your articles.
Offer to advertise the host website on your social media platforms.

5. Create Your Posts

Once you get approval from a website owner, start writing posts for their platform. Here are some important nuances to be kept in mind:

Become acquainted with the host’s guest blogging guidelines and adhere to them, to avoid conflicts with administrators and deleting of your content. If there are no specific instructions, read other contributors’ articles to identify patterns.
To optimize your content, take SEO principles into account.
Provide a link to your website or other relevant resources, but make sure it fits organically into your text. Blatant promotion of your platform will do more harm than good.
Do not use anchors like “follow this link” or “here”. You can refer to your blog, but first, prepare the articles you are going to link to. You can redirect link juice from there to your “selling” pages.
Before submitting, take a break and look at your post with fresh eyes. Make sure it is reader-friendly, rephrase awkward sentences, and eliminate grammar and spelling errors.

6. Track & Measure

Do not expect fast results. It takes time to become a good guest blogger.

You should have a well-organized tracking system to determine the efficiency of each post and host website, distinguish positive trends and patterns, and improve the position of your brand in the future.

This may be done using a spreadsheet with data on views and referring traffic. Also, you can take advantage of Google Analytics to measure the influence of guest blogging on your SEO indicators.

Pro Rank Tracker can help you understand changes in your search ranking position over time.

How to Use Guest Blogging for Link Building

Summary

Guest blogging key concepts:

Guest bloggers publish original content on partner websites.
Guest blogging helps boost brand awareness, draw referring traffic, shorten the sales cycle, and build strong relationships with influencers in your niche.
To use guest blogging efficiently, you must find relevant websites, generate interesting content ideas, reach out to website owners, write impressive posts, organically incorporate links, track and measure the efficiency of your strategy, evaluate donors, and attract only those with a large number of keywords and high traffic.
Additional ways to get backlinks include scholarships, discounts, forums, and interviews with experts.

Timeframe: Ongoing starting Month 3

Results detected: 4-12 months after implementation

Average links sent per month: 4

Tools needed:

Netpeak Spider
Moz Link Explorer
BuzzSumo
CoSchedule
Interseller
Anymail finder
Google Analytics
Pro Rank Tracker

Benefits of guest blogging:

Increased brand awareness. The more sites you visit and leave your imprint on, the stronger your SEO authority.
More transitions to your site. Placing a link to your landing page in your bio, or inviting readers to sign up for your newsletter are good ways to increase leads and traffic.
Useful contacts. You can build partnerships with influential companies and enter a privileged community of contributors within your niche.
Shorter sales cycle. There is no need to wait for potential clients to find and visit your website. Your guest posts would promote your brand and invite readers to get more information.

Hopefully these tips will contribute to your success.

Take advantage of the many opportunities provided by guest blogging, and enjoy a robust influx of new visitors to your website!

[“source=searchenginejournal”]

July 22, 2019 0 comment

Internet

Free Wi-Fi is dicey: how to safely access the Internet when traveling

by Loknath Das July 19, 2019

written by Loknath Das

Free Wi-Fi is irresistible for many travelers but it carries risks.

The Portland, Oregon office of the FBI earlier this month put out an advisory on travel scams, with free Wi-Fi at the top of their list of concerns, citing an FTC advisory.

The key takeaway is that never assume that free Wi-Fi at airports, coffee shops, restaurants, hotels, and other public places is safe.

The inconvenient truth is that the internet was created as a medium for easy information exchange, so privacy and security are often vulnerable. And hackers love public wireless hotspots because it’s a relatively easy way to intercept and steal your personal information.

If you must use public Wi-Fi, avoid accessing bank accounts, doing online shopping that requires credit card purchases, and generally sending sensitive personal information.

Be smart about using public Wi-Fi while traveling. (iStock)

Also, don’t stay signed into a website or account. Log out when you’re done. And don’t use the same password across different websites. If a hacker gets into one account, that could give them access to multiple accounts that use the same password, according to the FTC’s advisory.

Even better, shun public Wi-Fi altogether and connect to the Internet via your carrier’s 4G/LTE connection (and in the coming years 5G).

Though 4G “can be compromised…it is much more difficult to hack than public Wi-Fi, which attackers mainly have their sights set on,” according to a Symantec advisory entitled, “How safe is surfing on 4G vs. WiFi?”

Overall, the most secure way to connect is a virtual private network (VPN), which essentially creates a private connection, where your traffic is routed through an encrypted “tunnel.” That means no one can see your web traffic. “A virtual private network…should be a must for anyone concerned about their online security and privacy,” according toSymantec.

There are many VPN services to choose from but be careful because some are not very reputable.

Most people don’t know what a safe connection is

A sizeable 60 percent feel their personal information is safe when using public Wi-Fi, yet 53 percent can’t tell the difference between a secure or unsecure public W-Fi network, according to the Norton Wi-Fi Risk Report done in 2017.

And 87 percent of consumers “have potentially put their information at risk while using public Wi-Fi,” according to Symantec.

A whopping 75 percent of consumers don’t use a Virtual Private Network to secure their Wi-Fi connections, Symantec said.

[“source=foxnews”]

July 19, 2019 0 comment

Internet

Amazon asks FCC for permission to launch internet satellites

by Loknath Das July 8, 2019

written by Loknath Das

Amazon is moving fairly quickly on its plan to deploy thousands of internet satellites. The company has filed for FCC permission to launch 3,236 satellites as part of Project Kuiper. The spacecraft would be grouped into 98 orbital planes, and fly at altitudes between 366 and 391 miles. The filing reiterated Amazon’s plans to connect “tens of millions” of people around the world, although the company warned that it couldn’t cover everything — it asked for a waiver on a requirement to serve the whole US as its satellites wouldn’t cover parts of Alaska.

They’d use Ka-band frequencies like those Iridium is using in its latest satellites, and Amazon is asking for clearance to use anti-interference technology to avoid headaches. And yes, Amazon is aware of the potential problems with space debris. The satellites would deorbit themselves in less than 10 years whether or not they were still in contact with Earth.

Amazon didn’t mention a timeline for putting the satellites into orbit. However, the FCC filing shows that it has been thinking about this plan for a while. Whether or not it’s timely is another story. SpaceX is already launching its first broadband satellites, and plans roughly three times as many. Although it will take years for satellite constellations like these to roll out, there’s a concern that Amazon might already be at a disadvantage.

[“source=engadget”]

July 8, 2019 0 comment

Blogging

Nonprofit Blogging Tips and Why You Need to Blog

by Loknath Das July 6, 2019

written by Loknath Das

Blogging is one of the most versatile digital marketing tools that organizations can use to craft a compelling story and engage with their audience. When a nonprofit blogs as part of its content marketing strategy, it is in a unique position to leverage its efforts by shaping engaging stories that speak directly to its target audience about its mission and cause without needing to rely on outside sources to help spread the word.

To put this valuable tool into motion for your content marketing plan, I’ll explain the reasons why nonprofits need to blog and the best practices for nonprofit blogs.

Why Your Nonprofit Needs A Blog

image: https://cdn.business2community.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/nonprofit-blog.jpg

Why Blog ? Blogging drives traffic to your website and creates content that can be shared.

Unlike large scale businesses, nonprofits operate with limited staff and funding, which makes competing in the digital space a challenge. When deciding on which content marketing platform to focus your efforts, nonprofit blogging has enormous benefits like providing free publicity for your cause, driving traffic to the website and creating content that can be shared by the organization and reshared by supporters. In fact, a report by Hubspot said, “55% of marketers say blog content creation is their top inbound marketing priority.”

Here are more encouraging statistics for creating and maintaining a nonprofit blog on your website, pulled from that same report:

Marketers who prioritize blogging efforts are 13 times more likely to see positive ROI
Over its lifetime, one compound blog post creates as much traffic as six decaying posts
One in 10 blog posts are compounding, meaning organic search increases their traffic over time

Another compelling reason to start a nonprofit blog it circumvents waiting for a journalist or media contact to inquire about newsworthy stories. The blog provides a place for the organization to share current activities, campaigns and events with its audience on its own timeline. Plus, when outside sources do write articles, a blog gives journalists a bonafide source to quote from as well as a link back to.

One of the most significant benefits of maintaining a nonprofit blog is that it drives more traffic to your website and helps Google understands how to rank and categorize your organization, which allows potential supporters and donors find your site more easily in internet searches.

Nonprofit Blogging Provides a Real Connection

A website provides information about a nonprofit’s mission, goals, volunteer opportunities, fundraising efforts and ways the organization makes a difference for its cause.

image: https://cdn.business2community.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/group-holding-up-a-donation-sign.jpg

Charity Donations for Nonprofit Blog A nonprofit blog can share the latest news and fundraising campaigns.

By nature, websites are static with multiple pages dedicated to one aspect of the nonprofit. For example an organization may have one page dedicated to its mission and another page dedicated to accepting donations.

A blog is different. It is a living component on a website. By updating your blog regularly, you let search engines like Google know it should keep coming back to look for new content, which helps increase your visibility in search results.

Blog posts also provide timely and in-the-know information that a website cannot, which serves to amplify the overall objectives of a nonprofit’s mission. With the use of text, visuals and video, it also offers a more creative way to connect with your audience. What types of connections can a nonprofit blog create for your organization?

Spread awareness of your cause
Establish credibility as an expert
Build trust with your supporters
Drive interested people to your mission
Convert readers into supporters and donors
Create a space for conversation and learning

What to Write About for Your Nonprofit Blog

image: https://cdn.business2community.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/food-line-at-a-homeless-shelter.jpg

A nonprofit blog series allows multiple stories to be told within in organization.

There are multiple ways to come up with ideas for blog topics. To start, make it simple. Begin by writing down the top 10 questions people ask your nonprofit the most often. Then consider ways to turn those questions into a blog post or blog series.

For example, make an inquiry about who benefits from donations to the nonprofit into a blog series that highlights individuals who are the beneficiaries. For a sustainable foods-based charity, this might look like an article on a family whose life has improved from being gifted chickens. For a question that asks how one becomes a volunteer, give a behind-the-scenes view into the life of a volunteer as they start and end their shift.

Other nonprofit blog ideas include:
Milestones and goals
Progress and achievements
Upcoming events and conferences
Fundraising campaigns
How donations generate an action or create an impact
Personal stories of those that have benefited from your organization’s work
Breaking news
Giving thanks to volunteers and donors

Another way to get inspiration for blog ideas is to use Google Analytics to see what search terms your audience is using while navigating the website. Google Analytics is free to sign up for and provides incredibly useful insights about audience demographics, which social media platform is driving the most traffic and which nonprofit blog posts on your website rank the highest.

Another useful free tool is Google Trends, which allows users to search trending topics and words used in different parts of the world, which is helpful if a nonprofit has an international reach.

The ideas for nonprofit blogging are limitless, but no matter what topic you choose to write about, make sure it adds value to the nonprofit’s mission or its supporters. Moreover, while you want to include best practices for SEO (Search Engine Optimization), don’t sacrifice targeting the search engines for writing an article that will connect authentically with your reader.

Tips for Maintaining a Nonprofit Blog

To make the most of your time and resources, it is essential to develop a content marketing plan and be strategic with articles and target keywords. This is not something a nonprofit needs to pay for as there are plenty of free content marketing tools to help, such as Keywords Everywhere to search for the best keywords for blog posts and Google Trends to find what search terms are trending in the world.

Include Keywords In Every Nonprofit Blog Post

image: https://cdn.business2community.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/man-holding-a-magnifying-glass-to-search-for-keywords.jpg

Find keywords concept. Marketing specialist looking for keywords (concept with magnifying glass). Writing for SEO will increases ranking and visibility online.

To increase SEO ranking and online visibility, include keywords with every blog post. What are keywords? They are words or phrases that someone uses to search for and find information about an organization or topic. To start, develop a list of keywords that includes both short-tail (one or two words), middle-tail (three to four words) and long-tail keywords (four or more words).

For example, a short tail keyword would be ‘nonprofit’ or ‘nonprofit organizations.’ For middle and long-tail keywords, the search terms might be ‘water charities in Africa’ or to get more specific about a nonprofits in a location the search term might be ‘top clean water nonprofits in Seattle.’

Gather the keywords and rank them by Volume, Cost Per Click (CPC) and Competition, then evaluate the list and highlight the terms you think will yield the most SEO traffic. To find out more information about keywords, review Blogging Wizard’s beginner’s guide.

Mix Up The Nonprofit Blog Post Length

As you create your content marketing plan, it is best to include a mix of multi-length blog posts. Short form blog articles (300 to 500 words) can be read quickly and are an excellent way to engage with your audience. With its reduced length and being mobile friendly, a short form blog post is accessible to read as supporters move throughout their busy day. Long form blog posts (1,500 to 3,000 words or more) enhance credibility and allow for the inclusion of more keywords, which increases SEO ranking. While longer posts are less mobile friendly, stats show that long-form blog posts receive the most social shares.

Link Building In Nonprofit Blog Posts

Along with keywords, you’ll want to focus on link building. Why? Links factor into how Google understands how to rank and categorize your organization. An internal link is a link in a blog post that links back to your website, which is useful if you’ve written a blog series and want to link back to a Part 1 or Part 2 or to direct a reader to your donation page.

An inbound link, also called an external link, directs the reader to another website. This takes some extra thought as you’ll want to link to a page that provides information that benefits the reader and to a website that is an authority on the subject matter. Moz is a helpful tool that makes discovering the domain authority of a link easy, plus they offer a discount for nonprofits with plans that include backlink analysis, keyword research and site audit tools.

Attention-Grabbing Images in Nonprofit Blogs

image: https://cdn.business2community.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/dog-visit-program-nonprfit.jpg

Choose images that capture the essence of the nonprofit’s mission.

Nonprofit blogs need to include stellar images that are visually pleasing and capture the cause and efforts of the organization. According to Hubspot, “Visual content generates up to 94% more views,” and, “A 37% increase in engagements from targeted customers if the article is optimized by adding more compelling visual elements.”

A resource to create eye-catching graphics for blog posts and social media is Canva for Nonprofits. Qualified nonprofits have free access to the premium version, including hundreds of templates for brochures, infographics, social media posts, royalty free photos and much more.

[“source=business2community”]

July 6, 2019 0 comment

Internet

BSNL REVISES EIGHT ADSL, TWO BHARAT FIBER INTERNET PLANS TO OFFER BETTER BENEFITS

by Loknath Das July 2, 2019

written by Loknath Das

BSNL revises eight ADSL, two Bharat Fiber internet plans to offer better benefits

BSNL has been gearing up to take on the upcoming JioFiber service and has been making some new changes to its broadband and internet offerings. The state-run telecom operator recently announced some new plans that offer up to 8Mbps speeds, along with daily data. Now, it has revised a total of ten internet plans out of which, eight are ADSL broadband packs while the remaining two are Bharat Fiber broadband plans. All the new revised internet plans offer additional data per day, more free voice call benefits, faster speeds after FUP with a “minimum increase in the Fixed Monthly Charges.”

Opinion | New education policy misses a critical chance to address inequalities in system

by Loknath Das June 12, 2019

written by Loknath Das

Not specifying a common minimum standard below which schools cannot fall, creates conditions where quality of facilities in some schools will only sink lower. (Mint)

The draft National Education Policy (NEP), 2019, is full of provisions that many in the education sector have been desperate to see for decades. The conferring of the Right to Education to children under six and above 14, doubling of the overall financial allocation to education and strengthening the teaching profession bring cheer. However, many of the policy’s omissions and contradictions, combined with the previous track record of central and state governments in implementing existing education policies, diminish this hope.

The omissions: While the policy talks about the need to bring “unrepresented groups” into school and focus on educationally lagging “special education zones”, it misses a critical opportunity of addressing inequalities within the education system. It misses to provide solutions to close the gap of access to quality education between India’s rich and poor children. It proposes to remove the expectations that all schools meet common minimum infrastructure and facility standards, and that primary schools be within a stipulated distance from children’s homes.

India’s schools already vary across the scale—from single room structures without water and sanitation, to technology-enabled international schools. Not specifying a common minimum standard below which schools cannot fall, creates conditions where quality of facilities in some schools will only sink lower, widening this gap.

This is even more of an issue since it proposes a roll back of existing mechanisms of enforcement of private schools making parents “de-facto regulators” of private schools. Parents, and particularly poor and neo-literate parents, cannot hold the onus of ensuring that much more powerful and resourced schools comply with quality, safety and equity norms.

India should have moved towards a national system of education that shapes India’s next generation and enforce standards of quality across the country.

The contradictions: While the policy places considerable emphasis on the strengthening of “school complexes” (clusters of schools sharing joint resources) and decentralized mechanisms for supporting teachers, their everyday management appears to have been tasked to the head teacher of the secondary school in the cluster.

Furthermore, no separate funding appears to have been earmarked for this. This is false economy, since this is a full time activity and needs to be staffed and resourced accordingly.

Lessons from non-implementation of past policies: The policy’s implementation is predicated on the assumption that the education budget would be almost doubled in the next 10 years through consistent decade-long action by both the centre and states. However, the revenue is decentralized to the states and it is unclear what would be done to ensure that resources needed will be allotted. The sheer scale of changes expected, the rapid timeline, the absence of a strong mechanism for handholding states on this journey and the probable inadequate budget raises questions on the full implementation of this policy. India’s history is littered with ambitious education policies that have not been fully implemented. The National Education Policy risks following this tradition, unless the government addresses the reasons behind the past policy-practice implementation gap and makes conscious efforts to carry all of India on the same road towards improvement in education.

[“source=livemint”]

June 12, 2019 0 comment