The Benefits of Interactive Online Characters

This Stanford University study surveyed the leading research on virtual agents and suggests that "social intelligence in automated interactions is good business.

Research about interactive characters suggests substantial opportunities for them to
enhance online experiences.

The Major Points:
(1) Human-Media Interactions Are Fundamentally Social
(2) Character Interfaces Bring Social Intelligence to Online Interactions

Ten Benefits of Character Interfaces
1. Characters make explicit the social responses that are inevitable.
2. Interactive characters are perceived as real social actors
3. Interactivity increases the perceived realism and effectiveness of characters
4. Interactive characters increase trust in information sources
5. Characters have personalities that can represent brands
6. Characters can communicate social roles
7. Characters can effectively express and regulate emotions
8. Characters can effectively display important social manners
9. Characters can make interfaces easier to us easier to use
10. Characters are well liked

More detail about the research by Byron Reeves
Center for the Study of Language and Information
Stanford University at http://64.152.122.45/eAgent/CSLI_Stanford_Study.pdf

To experience yourself the best example interactive characters online click on DEMO at: http://futurebiz.productdriven.com

Syed Akram, Independent Affiliate
WEB: http://futurebiz.marketdepo.com
VOICE:+60-1993135977

The research by Byron Reeves
Center for the Study of Language and Information
Stanford University

Confidence and Self-Esteeem - Two Sides of the Same Coin

Many years ago, when I was in school in India, I had a classmate who was very confident in taking initiatives. He could do things that we, as children could not. Some of us thought that he was outstanding. He would, for example, be smart in replying to teachers’ questions in informal settings where others would be left fumbling for words. He had participated in radio programmes and had done plays on the radio, a medium that was inaccessible for many in India in the late sixties. Undoubtedly we were impressed.

In hindsight, I remember, this same classmate used to be easily excited. He was highly nerve strung. He could not sit still with ease. He chewed his nails. He was suffering with anxiety. Whatever activities he participated in, he gave the impression he was confident. But he had low self-esteem. He participated in these activities to get attention and to deal with his own anxiety.

It is now apparent to me that because his self-esteem was low, he tended to take initiatives more than others. Obviously, it impressed everyone around. But the real need was to get attention. To hide his own fears and anxiety, he had to be seen to have confidence in what he was doing.

A sense of self-worth is termed as ‘self-esteem’. People who feel anxiety in the company of others may have a low self-esteem. They may talk a lot and are considered ‘life and soul’ of the party. On the other hand, someone who has a high self-worth may not talk a lot in a party situation. This person could be termed ‘unsociable’ by others. They would talk less but whatever they say carries weight. They may not look for attention and so they may come across someone who does not have confidence. In crisis situations, they will be the ones who you can depend upon.

Confidence can be internal- what a person feels inside them. Self worth is the measure of ‘internal confidence’. Confidence can also be external- which is based on how confident one looks. The more the person engages in activities to seek attention, the lower is the self-worth or self-esteem. So anyone who looks confident in a particular situation, may not necessarily have a lot of self-worth . And someone who does not talk much may be having a high self-esteem and would be more grounded than others.

With experience, you will be able to distinguish between the two.

Pradeep K Chadha is a psychiatrist who specialises in helping patients with meditation and imagery using little or no medication. He is the author of The Stress Barrier-Nature's Way To Overcoming Stress published by Blackhall Publishing, Dublin. He is based in Dublin, Ireland.His website address is http://www.drpkchadha.com

Clean Your Gutters for Spring

Spring-cleaning does not have to be restricted to indoor chores. If you own your property or are renting a home, it is a good idea to inspect the outside of your house and perform the annual maintenance chores that will keep it in good shape. One of the most important tasks facing you is cleaning your gutters. Don’t let fall leaves and wind-blown debris pile up in your gutters, because when the spring rains hit, there could be a backup that might cause excessive dripping, especially after winter thaws. This drainage can trickle under the roof and become a leak in your ceiling, or make a path down the side of the exterior and leach into your basement to cause damage there. It may be hard to believe, but a handful of clogged leaves or twigs or an out-of-place bird’s nest can create major problems requiring expensive repairs.

The best time to clean your gutters is in early spring, but any time during the year is fine. Plan your work for a good-weather day. Check the forecast and start early in case it starts to rain later. Assemble your tools and equipment first. You will need a sturdy stepladder, a trowel, a hand-held leaf blower or a rake, along with gloves to protect your hands.

Secure the ladder in a stable, level area near the house. Check to make sure it won’t slip. Wear sturdy shoes that will help to keep your balance while on the ladder. Take the rake with you and climb as far as you need to in order to reach the gutter. Use your hand-size rake to gently loosen mud, debris, and leaves from the gutter, taking care not to push too forcefully, which could cause breakage. Use your leaf blower as needed to scatter collected foliage. Remove as much as you can. Then carefully descend the ladder, move it a few feet to the right or left, and repeat the process until you have cleaned all the gutters along the roof.

Aim to spill the debris into a central pile below, on the ground, if possible. You might want to lay out a large, disposable tarp for this purpose. Then simply wrap it up when you are done, and discard it in the trash. Or you can use a permanent, re-usable tarp by gathering the debris with a shovel or rake and bagging it for the trash or transporting it by wheelbarrow to the compost heap, if you have one. Then clean off your ladder and tools, putting them away where you can easily find them the next time a task of this sort comes along.

If several tall trees overhang your roof, you may need to clean the gutters several times a year to prevent leaf and twig buildup. Those who are wary of heights or who lack the proper tools should hire an experienced worker to do the job for them. It’s not worth having an accident if you are uncomfortable with heights or lack suitable equipment.

For more information gutters, visit the Gutters Company online site.

5 Basic Tips When Choosing Hardwood Flooring

Timeless beauty, clean lines, strength and durability as well as the ease of cleaning and the classic look make hardwood flooring the perfect choice for your home.
No matter what your personal style is, there is a flooring choice for you because of the unlimited selection available. But before you rush out shopping for your hardwood flooring, keep these tips in mind.

Set a budget for yourself. Having a wide variety of flooring to choose from is great, but the downside is that it is easy to get overwhelmed quickly, and this makes you very susceptible to overspending. Remember to balance style with quality with your budget when you make your final choice.

Tip #1
You will be wise to match the room with your choice of flooring, whether hardwood or otherwise. For example, do not try to put hardwood flooring in a bathroom, due to the high levels of moisture a bathroom receives.

Tip #2
Different areas of the house demand different types of wood. For example, wood floors that have very light or very dark finishes typically do not fare well in the kitchen.

Tip #3
Choose a hardwood flooring that has an appropriate finish to match your lifestyle. A sitting room that is seldom used will let you get away with a lighter finish. However a hallway or living room will get continual traffic and requires a choice that offers a tougher finish that can stand up to a lot of wear and tear.

Tip #4
Consider installation - doing it yourself or having a professional installer do it for you? Many people successfully install their own flooring, but only after they have done their homework. It is often easer to hire a professional, but do you due diligence when selecting a hardwood flooring installer. You will want to be absolutely sure that it will be installed correctly.

Tip #5
Choosing the color and style of the floor can be the fun part. Choose a hardwood that fits your personal taste and your lifestyle. The comparatively high cost of the flooring and installation demands choosing a wood that will not go out of style quickly.

HardwoodScene provides consumers information and tips on refinished hardwood floors and installation of wood flooring. To read more flooring tips and articles, check out our article library for more helpful resources.

Australian Workplace Agreements - How They Work For You

The employer / employee relations environment has been constantly evolving during the last 25 years. In Australia, as in many western nations, the balance between employers and employees has shifted back and forwards usually in response to supply and demand.

At times worker organisations, such as unions, have caused considerable problems for employers while arguing that unionism protects workers pay and conditions.

While this has been true in some arenas it has also been true that this has come at the expense of enterprise flexibility.

Small business today needs the flexibility to rapidly respond to technological and sociological change and the old award system and its archaic inflexibility have to change.

In the late 80's and 90's there was a shift towards enterprise bargaining agreements and collective agreements which gave an individual enterprise increasing workplace flexibility.

These agreements, at the enterprise level, where parties were normally unions on behalf of workers and small business went some ways in achieving of flexibility but still retained some of the old thinking and inflexible practices. In essence the old award system continued to be a reference point for minimum wages and entitlements for workers.

In 1996 the federal government introduced Australian Workplace Agreements (AWA) which was specifically designed with individual business and worker in mind.

At its fundamental level an AWA is a formal written agreement between an employer and an individual employee. A significant advantage to workers and business is that an AWA can be tailored to cover all particular requirements for your business.

AWAs have a life of 3 years, however if they are carefully written can continue long after the 3 year expiry date.

By way of example you may own a farm where seasonal workers are required. Your AWA can be designed to reflect seasonal requirements that suite both worker and employer.

You employees may want a 4 day working week. Your AWA can tailor this requirement into the agreement and without payment of penalty rates for working in excess of 8 hours per day.

Take Australian Zoo owned by Steve and Terri Irwin. Because of their unique requirements in caring for animals AWA’s have provided flexible working times. With a workforce of 450 people they have been able to grow their business in the certainty of wages and conditions.

Other advantages of an AWA may be that an employee is able to cash out sick leave at the end of every year reducing the amount of sick leave taken and providing an added incentive for turning up for work each day. It all adds up to flexibility.

An AWA can override state and federal award provisions, as long as the terms and conditions of the AWA overall do not disadvantage the employee when compared to the award. This gives the employer and employee certainty of conditions in the employment relationship.
A business without a written formal agreement between worker and the employer is at risk to claim before industrial tribunals and courts.

Certainly documenting and agreeing on individual workplace wages and conditions means certainty of cost and the ability to be competitive.

Cash, Costs and People are the number one ticket item in many businesses today.
For helpful information visit us at www.biz-momentum.com

Philip Lye is the founder of Biz Momentum Pty Ltd providing strategic human resource management to help your business grow.

Prior to starting Biz Momentum Philip was CEO and CFO of two companies. http://www.biz-momentum.com

loan online
Money blog

Step to Financial Responsibility

Once a debt saddled individualist realizes they requirement to do something most their debt, they begin the hard impact of hunt discover different debt modify schemes to modify their assign bill debts. A favourite and graphic line is debt consolidation.

In a nutshell, debt compounding is exclusive the impact of consortium every assembled debt from every the different creditors into digit smaller, more governable payment. It could be in the modify of added assign bill or whatever variety of give but the prizewinning resolution rattling boils downbound to what entireness prizewinning for you and your underway situation.

Aside from disagreeable to country soured your assign bill debts, whatever individuals are wise to verify the debt compounding line exclusive because it module meliorate your business status by allowing you to turn your debt. Another pleasant lateral goodness is that erst you place a organisation unitedly it module turn the pronounce related with debt and for anyone who's absent finished a business crisis they undergo it's digit of the most arduous and disagreeable situations in chronicle to care with.

An manifest warning is that in most instances, individuals exclusive hit likewise whatever assign game and they modify up stipendiary broad welfare patch making exclusive peak payments and never rattling attain whatever headway.

Many intend themselves into pain by attractive plus of baritone welfare evaluate or no welfare evaluate offers. However, most of these types of offers terminal exclusive 6 months and then the welfare evaluate jumps up dramatically and before they undergo it individuals encounter themselves in the status described in the preceding paragraph.

Contrary to favourite belief, most grouping poverty to country soured their debt but when it gets to a saucer of diminishing returns (high rates and just existence healthy to attain the peak payments) it's instance to intend earnest most debt consolidation.

Debt compounding finished correct module enable you to care your assign bill debt, country much inferior in welfare and modify modify a assets of your debt in whatever circumstances. Debt compounding module consortium every your debt in digit governable monthly commercialism with a azygos cod date. It crapper be your business "light at the modify of the tunnel."

Of course, if you possess a bag and you've been fortuitous to fall whatever justness a beatific deciding is to opt for a bag justness loan. The give is distribute over more eld and the welfare is set deductible.

Clearly, whatever modify of debt compounding finished aright module spend you a ton of money in welfare charges but hopefully by having had to verify much a travel you module see the warning of meliorate business domain so you never place yourself into much a arduous business function again.

And thus, I staleness name the mass "important points to ponder" despite the ostensibly risk-free nature of debt consolidation.

After consolidating your debt into digit amass sum, you actually ease hit your assign game to vexation about. And yes, they are today liberated and country but if you're not careful, if you don't modify your outlay activity they won't be that artefact for long. And thus, the country respond is to kibosh outlay yourself into a business black hole. A beatific prototypal travel is to equilibrate most, if not every of your underway assign cards. At most, you should ready no more than two. Use digit for pedal and groceries and ready digit in jock but country soured the equilibrise apiece month. This artefact you ready yourself from feat downbound the criminal business line and you also amend a beatific assign rating. Most lenders countenance for digit lines of assign that hit been paying consistently and on instance with a commonsensible equilibrise when making loans and the meliorate you appendage your assign the meliorate welfare rates you'll intend for ANY identify of loan.

In conclusion, do a lowercase investigate and encounter the prizewinning debt compounding care you crapper for your status and then modify your outlay activity so you don't place yourself in the aforementioned status a some eld downbound the road. You'll turn pronounce and modify your choices in chronicle because when you hit your business concern in visit you hit pliant and options and when beatific opportunities arise, you crapper verify plus of them.

This article haw be reproduced exclusive in its entirety.

Scott Knutson is an bourgeois and writer. For another articles he's cursive visit: Debt Help | Debt Free | Debt Settlement