This Terms of Service Agreement ("Agreement") is an electronic contract that sets out the legally binding terms of your use of the OwnForce, Inc. website, web application, mobile applications, software, content, platform, and all services available on or through OwnForce.com or any site powered by OwnForce, collectively, the "Platform". This Agreement also includes all policies located at ownforce.com/legal section in the Platform.
BY USING THE PLATFORM YOU, AS A "User", AFFIRM THAT YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTAND, AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT WHEN VIEWING OR USING THE PLATFORM, ALL POLICIES ON THE PLATFORM, AND AFFIRM THAT YOU ARE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. ALSO BY USING THE PLATFORM, YOU CONSENT TO HAVE THIS AGREEMENT PROVIDED TO YOU IN THIS ELECTRONIC FORMAT AS POSTED ON THE OWNFORCE.COM WEBSITE.
The Platform is a cloud-based social network, a contracting marketplace (the "Marketplace"), and a source of business services applications that facilitate the delivery of products such as payroll services, human resource services, insurance services, financial tracking services, marketing services, training, administrative services and other business services. OwnForce, Inc. and other third parties provide these services. If you want to use any third party services you will be provided with any additional agreements before you will have access to those third party services.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A USER AND OWNFORCE, INC.
As a User you agree that you are a private individual, an independent contractor, or a business.
You agree that no agency, partnership, joint venture, employer-employee or franchiser-franchisee relationship between you and OwnForce, Inc. is intended or created by this Agreement. You also agree that you are not entitled to workers' compensation or any other benefits from OwnForce, Inc. in connection with your use of the Platform. OwnForce, Inc. will not be liable for any payroll tax or withholding, including but not limited to unemployment insurance, employer's liability, social security or payroll withholding tax in connection with your use of the Platform. You understand and agree that if OwnForce, Inc. is found to be liable for any payroll tax or withholding tax in connection with your use of the Platform or any third party service, you will immediately reimburse and pay to OwnForce, Inc. an equivalent amount, including any interest or penalties thereon. For more information, you should consult your tax advisor or the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at: http://www.irs.gov.
The Marketplace connects Users who need things done ("Task Owners") with Users who want to do them ("Task Pros"). The Task Owner posts projects or tasks that need to be done ("Task" or "Tasks") on the Platform. Task Pros can bid on Tasks, confirm the terms of the Task if they are chosen to do the work, complete the Task, be paid in a timely manner, rate, and review the Task Owner. Task Owners can choose Task Pros to complete the task (either from their bids or by directly contacting them on the Platform), confirm the terms with them, approve Task completion, pay for the task completion in a timely manner, rate, and review the Task Pro.
OwnForce, Inc. does not participate in any negotiations or interactions between Task Owners and Task Pros other than providing the Platform for them to find each other, and pay and be paid for completed and accepted Tasks. As a Task Owner and/or a Task Pro using the Marketplace, Users agree to interact with each other under these conditions. The Task Owner decides at his or her sole discretion if the task was completed to their satisfaction and payment is warranted. Task Pros agree to bid and work on tasks that will be approved for payment at the sole discretion the Task Owner. Task Owners and Task Pros will rate and review each other accurately, based on the task performed and the payment for that task completion.
OwnForce, Inc. does not exercise any influence or control over the quality, timing, legality, required certifications or licenses necessary to perform the Tasks, failure to provide, integrity, responsibility, or any other aspect of the provided Task, by Task Pros or the requested Task or compensation by Task Owners.
OwnForce, Inc. makes no representations about the suitability, reliability, timeliness, or accuracy of the Tasks requested and ultimately provided and compensated or exchanged by Task Owners and Task Pros, whether via the Marketplace or in public, private, or offline interactions. OwnForce, Inc. cannot confirm that each Task Owner or Task Pro is who he or she claims to be. OwnForce, Inc. does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or reliability of any information provided through the Marketplace by Task Owners or Task Pros.
Consequently, when interacting with each other on the Marketplace, Task Owners and Task Pros should exercise caution, prudent judgment, and common sense to protect their own personal safety and property, just as one would when interacting with other persons whom one does not know. NEITHER OWNFORCE, INC. NOR ITS PRINCIPALS, INVESTORS, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, SUBCONTRACTORS, AFFILIATES NOR LICENSORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONDUCT, WHETHER ONLINE OR OFFLINE, OF ANY TASK OWNERS AND TASK PROS OF THE MARKETPLACE. OWNFORCE, INC., ITS PRINCIPALS, INVESTORS, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, SUBCONTRACTORS, AFFILIATES, AND LICENSORS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, INJURY OR DAMAGE ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF THE MARKETPLACE.
This is a BETA (preliminary) version of the Marketplace that is undergoing final testing before its official release. Although the Marketplace is stable, there is the possibility that all functionality is not fully operational or that it may be temporarily inoperable, or fail to perform up to your expectations. If this does happen, there is a possibility that the information that you were entering at that time may be incorrect or lost and have to be re-entered. You agree and accept use of this BETA version of the Platform with this understanding.
The Marketplace is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. OwnForce, Inc. does not give any express or implied warranties as to the suitability or usability of the Marketplace. The Marketplace is subject to the limitations, delays, and other problems inherent in the use of cloud based services, the Internet and electronic communications, and as such OwnForce, Inc. shall not be responsible for any delays, failures, or other damages resulting from such problems. You agree and accept use of the Platform with this understanding.
There is limited technical support for the Marketplace at this time. Users may report bugs or suggestions through the Feedback Button on the right side of every page of the Marketplace. Responses to such reports may come back from the development team through the Marketplace messaging system.
OwnForce, Inc. will not be liable to any User or any third party for any direct, indirect, special, or consequential loss resulting from or in any way related to the use of the Marketplace. Users are solely responsible for any damage to any computer system, errors or loss of data that results from such activities. Should you encounter any bugs, glitches, lack of functionality, or other problems on the Marketplace, please let us know immediately via the online Feedback button visible on the side of the Marketplace screens.
By using the Marketplace, Task Owners agree to assume total responsibility for the content of the their Tasks and their requested Tasks, and agree that how a Task listing appears in Marketplace search and browse results may be based on certain factors including, but not limited to, listing format, title, interest activity, end time, keywords, price, and feedback. Task Owners and Task Pros agree to the Appropriate and Legal Use Section of this Agreement in posting Tasks, commenting on them, rating and reviewing and any other communications on or related to the Platform.
Task Pros are responsible for reading and understanding each Task Owner's posted Task, including any instructions the Task Owner provides on the posted Task, before making/posting a bid ("Bid") or agreeing to provide the service. Task Pros may contact Task Owners through the Task messaging features to obtain clarification to any questions regarding the Task prior or after Bidding. By confirming to complete the Task, Task Pros are committing to provide the service to that Task Owner at the agreed upon price and any other agreed upon terms defined in the Task. Task Pros agree that the Task Owner, in their sole discretion, will accept and confirm the services performed by the Task Pro in order for payment to be due to the Task Pro. Task Owners and Task Pros agree to work together in good faith to mutually achieve high quality task completion and complete and timely compensation for each Task. Task Owners and Task Pros can rate and review each other on the Marketplace, based on their respective experiences during and after the Task completion.
As a Task Pro, you agree that you are interacting with your Task Owner as an Independent Contractor as defined by the United States Internal Revenue Service ("IRS"). When a Task is defined, it is declared as being for personal or business purposes. If a Task is for business purposes, payment to the Task Pro will be included in the total earnings that qualify for the issuance of the Task Pro's annual 1099-K if your gross amount of total reportable payment transactions exceeds $20,000 and the total number of such transactions exceeds 200 during a calendar year. You will be issued one or more 1099-K's as defined in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2010-43 and Section 6050W(b)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code. As a Task Pro, if you receive payments for business services, you confirm you are operating as in Independent Contractor as defined in IRS Publication 1779. Task Pros are also solely responsible for determining if you are required to declare the income earned on the Marketplace and for all sales, use, privilege, or service taxes, however designated, that you may owe based on the income you earned using the Marketplace under this Agreement. For more information, you should consult your tax advisor or the United States Internal Revenue Service at: http://www.irs.gov.
As a User, you can browse some parts of the Platform prior to registration. However, you cannot post any information to the Platform, nor transact any business until you create a personal account. All accounts on the Platform are personal accounts, which have personal banking, Payment Methods, and unique access by individual Users. Users can operate under their personal account using their Personal Profile or they can create additional Business Profiles by creating a new Business Profile or by asking to join an existing Business created by another User. Business Profiles are discussed below in the 'Business Profile' section.
To create a personal account on the Platform, you must provide and maintain a valid email address and create your own confidential password. OwnForce, Inc. does not have access to your password, as it is stored in an encrypted format. As the sole authorized User of your account, you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password. You are also solely and fully responsible for all activities that occur under your account. OwnForce, Inc. has no control over the use of your account and expressly disclaims any liability derived therefrom. Should you suspect that any unauthorized party may be using your email address and password to access or affect your account in any way or you suspect any other breach of security, you must contact OwnForce, Inc. immediately.
You agree to include your full legal name to your profile prior to posting any information to the Platform. As a User you may choose to provide your full and correct legal contact information and Social Security number to the payment processor of choice depending on the payment method you define to received payments (e.g., PayPal®, credit card processer, etc.). Payment processors will require this information before you can receive any payments on the Marketplace or through the Send Money feature on the Platform. You confirm that you have the legal authority to use all Payment Methods, bank accounts or other accounts that you define in your account, and that you are a legal signatory on, or authorized user for, those accounts.
If you choose to access any third party services provided on the Platform, you agree to provide information to and will enter into any agreement required by any third party. These are optional and include such services as payroll services, health insurance, and others services as discussed below in the Business Services section.
All User accounts are personal accounts. However, an individual can define one or more businesses or organizations they are affiliated with and which are visible from the Marketplace/Businesses option found in the drop down MENU. In creating a business or organization you create a business profile in addition to your personal profile and become the 'Super Administrator' of that business or organization. You may upload your business logo to a Business Profile. The Super Administrator can designate Users as members, staff or administrators of your business or organization by. Various business roles, which may be selected by the Super Administrator, have various permissions of allowable activities. You as the Super Administrator of your business or organization may accept or reject these requests.
All financial transactions occur using Payment Methods that are in your name, as the User. Therefore, in order to transact business on behalf of a business or organization, a Super Administrator or Administrator must enter a 'Payment Method' in their individual User account and accept that they are personally responsible for all transactions they initiate using that Payment Method. The use of the Platform is governed by your acceptance of this Agreement as an individual. OwnForce enters into no agreement with any business or organization for the use of the Marketplace or the Platform. Any use of and subsequent payment for any Business Services, as described below, will be governed by additional agreements entered into directly between a business or organization and the third party providing those services.
The fees OwnForce, Inc. charges for using the Platform are listed on its Fee Schedule on OwnForce.com/legal that OwnForce, Inc. may change from time to time or in a separate additional agreement with you, the User. Changes to the Fees Schedule are effective when posted. All Fees are quoted in United States Dollars.
In order to pay for or receive payments from other Users on the Platform, payment methods ("Payment Methods") are created by a User within the Platform from the Payment Methods option under the 'My OwnForce' menu or the 'Send Money' option found in the drop down MENU. Payment Methods include credit cards, PayPal® accounts, OwnForce, Inc. Prepaid Debit Cards, or Automated Clearing House ("ACH") transactions using bank accounts provided by Users.
All payment processor vendors used by OwnForce, Inc. are compliant with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards ("PCI DSS"). OwnForce, Inc. does not store or hold any financial account information on any OwnForce sites or servers. All bank, credit card, PayPal® or OwnForce Prepaid Debit Card account numbers for all Payment Methods are stored using secured and encrypted "Vault" technology based accounts at payment processor sites such as banks, merchant account providers and other organizations that are PCI DSS certified to secure such confidential information.
The Task Owner waives any and all rights the Task Owner may have to any chargebacks, or refunds for any Marketplace service Fee payment or any payment for any work or services of any Task Pro on the Marketplace. OwnForce, Inc. has no obligation to provide refunds or credits, but may grant them in extenuating circumstances and at its sole discretion. The Task Owner is responsible for all reversals, chargebacks, claims, fees, fines, penalties and other liability incurred by OwnForce, Inc. or a third-party caused by or arising out of your use of the Marketplace and/or a breach of this Agreement.
If your Payment Method fails or your account is past due, we may collect fees owed using any permissible collection methods that are available to OwnForce, Inc. If OwnForce, Inc. retains a collection agency, the agency may report information about your past due account to credit bureaus, and as a result, late payments, missed payments, or other defaults on your account may be reflected on your credit report and credit score. If you wish to dispute the information a collection agency reported to a credit bureau regarding your account, you must contact the collection agency directly.
OwnForce, Inc. uses Braintree, a division of PayPal, Inc. (Braintree) for payment processing. In order for you to use Braintree's payment processing services, you must read and agree to the Commercial Entity User Agreement (CEA) available at https://www.braintreepayments.com/legal/cea-wells and the Payment Services Agreement available at https://www.braintreepayments.com/legal/gateway-agreement. By accepting this Agreement, you agree: (a) that you have downloaded or printed the CEA, and (b) that you have reviewed and agree to the CEA. If you have questions regarding the CEA or the PSA, please contact Braintree at 877.434.2894.
If a dispute arises between a Task Owner and Task Pro, the resolution of the dispute and any subsequent liability rests solely with and between the Task Owner and the Task Pro.
In addition to the Marketplace, the Platform also provides business services to independent contractors and small businesses that have active User accounts.
Business Services offered are provided by third party agencies and provide small and medium sized businesses access to competitively priced health insurance, human resource services, payroll, and other employee benefits. Health insurance can be provided for an individual or multiple employees. Users will be asked to provide relevant demographic data in order to identify third party providers with products/services that meet your health insurance needs. Third party providers offer payroll and human resource services on a cloud-based platform that allows easy access to comprehensive employee information and reports. Payroll services provide accurate, on time payments while handling tax filings and reporting requirements. When selecting business services, Users may be required to execute a separate agreement with the third party provider.
OwnForce, Inc. does not control these third party sites and/or services, and is not responsible for their content or the quality of their services. It is your responsibility to evaluate the content and usefulness of these third party sites and/or services.
The Marketplace is not an employment service. As such, OwnForce, Inc. will not be liable for any employee related insurance, tax or employee withholding, including but not limited to unemployment insurance, worker's compensation, employer's liability, social security, payroll withholding tax or any other employee or payroll related expense or activity in connection with your use of the Marketplace. Users understand and agree that if OwnForce, Inc. is found to be liable for any tax or withholding tax in connection with your use of the Marketplace, Users will immediately reimburse OwnForce, Inc. an equivalent amount, including any interest or penalties thereon.
When you use the Marketplace 'Contact Us' or send e-mail messages to us, you are communicating with us electronically. You consent to receive communications from us electronically. We will communicate with you by e-mail, the internal Marketplace messaging system or by posting notifications for you on the Marketplace. You agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures, policies, and other communications that we provide to you electronically satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing. By using the Platform you agree to keep a valid email address on your account.
If you need further information regarding the Platform or any services provided on it, or need to notify OwnForce, Inc. regarding any other matters, please contact OwnForce, Inc. via the Support/Contact Us option found in the drop down MENU. You will receive notifications and communications from OwnForce, Inc. within the Platform notification and messaging systems and via email to the email address used to login to your account.
The COPPA is a United States federal law, located at 15 U.S.C.§§ 6501-6506. OwnForce, Inc. takes the COPPA and all applicable Federal and State regulations seriously. The use of the Platform is intended for people that meet all legal requirements, including age. People under the age of 18 are not authorized to use the Marketplace. Therefore you must provide your correct date of birth during the registration process. This being said, OwnForce, Inc. does not assume any responsibility for any misrepresentations regarding your age when using the Platform. Should OwnForce, Inc. determines that you provided any false information to us when registering or using the Platform, your use of the Platform will be immediately terminated.
• Engage in any type of affiliate marketing unless previously approved by OwnForce, Inc.
• Encourage, assist, or authorize any other person to copy, modify, reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble, or otherwise tamper with the Platform, whether in whole or in part, or create any derivative works from or of the Platform.
• Defame, abuse, harass, stalk, threaten, or otherwise violate the legal rights (such as, but not limited to, rights of privacy and publicity) of others.
• Use the Platform for any purpose that violates any local, state, national, or international laws or regulations.
• Upload files that contain malware, viruses, Trojans, worms, corrupted files, or any other similar software that may damage the operation of another's computer or the Marketplace.
• Advertise or request any services for any purpose through the Marketplace that is not in keeping with the highest standards of integrity, ethics, and morality.
• Conduct or forward surveys, contests, pyramid schemes, or chain letters, except those provided by the Marketplace and approved by OwnForce, Inc.
• Impersonate another person or allow any other person or entity to use your identification to post or view.
• Post the same information repeatedly ('spamming'). Spamming is strictly prohibited.
• Download any file posted by another Task Owner or Task Pro that you know, or that you reasonably should know, cannot be legally distributed through OwnForce, Inc.
• Restrict or inhibit anyone from using the public areas of OwnForce, Inc.
• Imply or make any statements that you are endorsed by OwnForce, Inc. unless authorized to do so in writing by OwnForce, Inc.
• Use a robot, spider, or automatic processes or devices to data-mine, data-crawl, scrape, index, or upload information from or to the Marketplace, unless prior approval is received from OwnForce, Inc.
• Hack or interfere with the operation of the Marketplace in any way.
• Adapt, alter, reverse engineer, license, sublicense or translate OwnForce, Inc.'s proprietary software and/or design for your personal or commercial use.
• Remove or alter, visually or otherwise, any copyrights, trademarks or proprietary marks and rights owned by OwnForce, Inc.
• Upload content that is offensive and/or harmful, including, but not limited to, content that advocates, endorses, condones or promotes racism, bigotry, discrimination, hatred, slander, defamation of character, or physical harm of any kind against any individual or group of individuals.
• Upload content to Marketplace that provides materials or access to materials that exploit people of any age in an abusive, demeaning, violent, or sexual manner.
• Solicit for any other business, website or service that is a competitor of the Marketplace.
• Solicit, advertise for, or contact Marketplace Task Owners or Task Pros in any way or for any other purpose not related to the services facilitated by the Marketplace.
• Collect the names and/or email addresses of Marketplace Task Owners and Task Pros by electronic or other means.
• Circumvent any technological measure implemented by OwnForce, Inc. to restrict the manner in which content may be posted on the Marketplace or to regulate the manner in which content (including but not limited to email) may be transmitted to other Task Owners and Task Pros. This prohibition includes, without limitation, a ban on the use of multiple email addresses (created via an email address generator or otherwise); the use of multiple IP addresses (via proxy servers, modem toggling, or otherwise); Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart ("CAPTCHA") circumvention, automation or outsourcing; multiple and/or fraudulent OwnForce, Inc. accounts, including phone-verified accounts; URL shortening, obfuscation or redirection; use of multiple phone lines or phone forwarding for verification; and content obfuscation via HTML techniques, printing text on images, inserting random text or content "spinning".
OwnForce, Inc. reserves all of its rights in law and equity to prevent or stop any other use of the Platform that OwnForce, Inc. believes violates the letter or spirit of this Appropriate and Legal Use section.
You agree to report any violations of the Restricted Activities to OwnForce, Inc. as promptly as possible via the Support/Contact Us option.
LIABILITY ACTIONS THAT CAN BE TAKEN BY OWNFORCE, INC.
If OwnForce, Inc., in its sole discretion, believes that you may have engaged in any Restricted Activities, it may take any action OwnForce, Inc. deems necessary to protect OwnForce, Inc., its directors, officers, employees, contractors, subcontractors, affiliates, licensors, and customers from any liability.
OwnForce, Inc. may terminate or suspend your right to use the Platform at anytime for any or no reason, after providing you with email notice, to your email address on record on the Platform, of such termination or suspension. Termination or suspension will be effective immediately after providing this email notification. You agree to this Termination or Suspension without any claim for any damages against OwnForce, Inc. or any other party or other User.
Without limitation, OwnForce, Inc. may terminate or suspend your right to use the Platform if you breach any term of this Agreement or any policy of OwnForce, Inc. posted on the Platform from time-to-time, or if OwnForce, Inc. otherwise finds that you have engaged in inappropriate and/or offensive behavior. If OwnForce, Inc. terminates or suspends your right to use the Platform for any of these reasons, OwnForce, Inc. reserves the right to take appropriate legal action, including without limitation pursuing civil, criminal, and equitable remedies. Even after your right to use the Platform is terminated or suspended, all portions of this Agreement that by their nature should survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect.
You may terminate this Agreement at any time by ceasing all use of the Marketplace and upon payment of all applicable outstanding fees. All portions of this Agreement that by their nature should survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect.
YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE NOT TO HOLD OWNFORCE, INC., ITS AFFILIATES, LICENSORS, OR ANY AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, CORPORATE PARTNERS, PRINCIPALS, INVESTORS, CONTRACTORS, SUBCONTRACTORS, OR OTHER USERS LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGE, SUITS, CLAIMS, AND/OR CONTROVERSIES (COLLECTIVELY, "LIABILITIES") THAT HAVE ARISEN OR MAY ARISE, WHETHER KNOWN OR UNKNOWN, RELATING TO YOUR OR ANY OTHER USER'S USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE PLATFORM. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL OWNFORCE, INC., ITS AFFILIATES, ITS LICENSORS, OR ANY AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, CORPORATE PARTNERS, PRINCIPALS, INVESTORS, CONTRACTORS, SUBCONTRACTORS, OR OTHER USERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE MARKETPLACE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE SAME.
IF, DESPITE THE EXCLUSIONS STATED ABOVE, IT IS DETERMINED THAT OWNFORCE, INC. OR ITS AFFILIATES, ITS LICENSORS, OR ANY AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, CORPORATE PARTNERS, PRINCIPALS, INVESTORS, CONTRACTORS, SUBCONTRACTORS, OR OTHER USERS ARE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES, THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF OWNFORCE, INC AND ITS AFFILIATES, ITS LICENSORS, OR ANY AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, CORPORATE PARTNERS, PRINCIPALS, INVESTORS, CONTRACTORS, SUBCONTRACTORS, OR OTHER USERS WHETHER ARISING IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, WILL NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL PLATFORM SERVICE FEES PAID BY YOU TO OWNFORCE, INC. DURING THE SIX (6) MONTHS PRIOR TO THE TIME THE CLAIM DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE DETERMINATION OF LIABILITY, AROSE.
You agree that the laws of the State of Florida USA, without regard to principles of conflict of laws, will govern this Agreement and any claim or dispute that has arisen or may arise between you and OwnForce, Inc. You consent to the jurisdiction and venue of the courts sitting in Alachua County, Florida USA with respect to any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement.
DISPUTES BETWEEN YOU AND OWNFORCE, INC.
If a dispute arises between you and OwnForce, Inc. you agree that the mutual goal is to resolve the dispute as quickly, amicably, equitably, and cost effectively as possible. In that regard, you agree that with respect to any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement between you and OwnForce, Inc., the three-step process described below shall be followed.
1. Before instituting or taking any legal action with regard to any dispute, you agree to first contact OwnForce, Inc. by providing a written Notice of Dispute ("Dispute"). When sent to OwnForce, Inc., the Dispute should be marked to the attention of OwnForce, Inc.'s Customer Support Division and sent to the address listed on the 'MENU/Support/Contact Us' page. The Dispute must include at a minimum: your name, your contact information, the valid email address you use to access the Platform, and a description of the Dispute, so that the OwnForce, Inc. may evaluate it. OwnForce, Inc. and you shall have sixty (60) days from the date the Dispute is received by OwnForce, Inc. to attempt to resolve the Dispute.
2. In the event that OwnForce, Inc. and you are unable to resolve the Dispute within this 60-day period, OwnForce, Inc. and you next agree to try to resolve the Dispute through mediation. A Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator affiliated with The Resolution Center in Gainesville, Florida USA shall conduct the mediation. If The Resolution Center is not available or no longer operating in Alachua County, Florida, USA the mediation shall be conducted by a mutually agreed upon Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator and shall occur in Alachua County, Florida USA. OwnForce, Inc. and you agree to this venue and location for mediation regardless of their respective country, the state where OwnForce, Inc. or you is located, or wherever OwnForce, Inc. or you have accessed, used, or provided the Platform. OwnForce, Inc. and you shall equally share the expenses of mediation. If OwnForce, Inc. or you refuse to mediate the other party may file a petition with the Circuit Court in Alachua County, Florida USA to specifically enforce this mediation covenant. The party whom the Court decides against shall pay all costs, fees, and expenses associated with enforcing this mediation covenant.
3. In the event that OwnForce, Inc. and you are unable to resolve the Dispute through the mediation process, either party may commence civil litigation in Alachua County, Florida USA. OwnForce, Inc. and you agree that they will submit to personal jurisdiction in the courts located in this venue and location for litigation, regardless of their respective country, the state where they are each located, or wherever a party has accessed, used, or provided the Platform. OwnForce, Inc. and you further agree that any Dispute is unique to the particular circumstances of that Dispute and therefore not subject to consolidation into a class action lawsuit, and therefore must be resolved upon its own individual merits.
If you have a dispute with one or more third party service providers, you release OwnForce, Inc. or its affiliates, its licensors, or any agents, employees, officers, directors, corporate partners, principals, investors, contractors, subcontractors, or other Users from all claims, demands, and damages (actual and consequential) of every kind and nature, known and unknown, arising out of or in any way connected with such disputes. In entering into this release you expressly waive any protections (whether statutory or otherwise) that would otherwise limit the coverage of this release to include only those claims that you may know or suspect to exist in your favor at the time of agreeing to this release.
All trademarks that appear on the Platform are the property of their respectively specified owners. OwnForce, Inc. shall promptly respond to any Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") Takedown Notice.
OwnForce, Inc. does not solicit ideas, suggestions, or materials that you consider to be your intellectual property. You will not send OwnForce, Inc. unsolicited ideas, suggestions, or materials that you consider to be your intellectual property. If you submit any feedback, ideas, suggestions, or materials regarding the Platform (collectively "Submissions"), such Submissions shall become the absolute property of OwnForce, Inc. OwnForce, Inc. will not be liable to you for any future use or non-use, disclosure, attribution, royalties, fees, commissions, licenses, copyrights, trademarks, or service marks of these Submissions.
OwnForce, Inc. reserves the right, at its sole and absolute discretion, to change, supplement, or delete any of the terms and conditions of this Agreement and its Policies and review, improve, modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Platform or any content or information provided on or through the Platform at any time, effective with or without prior notice and without any liability to OwnForce, Inc.
OwnForce, Inc. will post any changes to this Agreement and its Policies via the Platform's notification system. You agree to monitor and read your notifications when using the Platform.
If any changes to this Agreement or Policies are unacceptable to you or cause you to no longer be in compliance with this Agreement or Policies, you must immediately stop using the Platform. All current obligations to OwnForce, Inc., other Users, or other parties that were initiated under the previous Agreement or Policies, must be completed within thirty (30) days from the date OwnForce, Inc. posts the revised Agreement or Policies, and then your use of the Platform must cease. Otherwise, your continued use of the Platform following any revisions to this Agreement or Policies constitute your complete and irrevocable acceptance of any and all such changes to this Agreement or Policies.
Although OwnForce, Inc. may modify content, conduct, and compliance with this Agreement and Policies, third parties do not have the authority to make binding commitments, promises or representations to you that they, on behalf of OwnForce, Inc., will "take care" of any alleged problem or complaint.
You further agree that any representation (written or verbal) by any representative of OwnForce, Inc. (or by anyone else acting on behalf of OwnForce, Inc. or by anyone purportedly acting on behalf of OwnForce, Inc.) that OwnForce, Inc. would or would not prevent, restrict, redress or regulate content (including, without limitation, screen, block, moderate, review, remove, terminate, delete, edit or otherwise stop, cure or exclude any content), or to implement other enforcement measures against any content, conduct or potential or purported violation of this Agreement is superseded by this provision and is nonbinding and unenforceable.
Consequently, no representative of OwnForce, Inc. or anyone else authorized to act on behalf of OwnForce, Inc. shall be liable as a result of any representation that OwnForce, Inc., a representative of OwnForce, Inc. or anyone else on behalf of OwnForce, Inc. would or would not restrict or redress any content, conduct a potential or a purported violation of this Agreement.
Software from the Platform is subject to United States of America export controls. No Platform software may be downloaded from OwnForce, Inc. or otherwise exported or re-exported (1) into (or to a national or resident of) Cuba, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Iran, Syria, or any other country to which the U.S. has embargoed goods; or (2) to anyone on the U.S. Treasury Department's list of Specially Designated Nationals or the U.S. Commerce Department's Table of Deny Orders. By using the Platform you represent and warrant that you are not located in, under the control of, or a national or resident of any country or on any such list.
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BEVERLY HILLS, October 10, (THEWILL) – The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has stated that the Federal Government and the organised labour are yet to reach an agreement on the new National Minimum Wage as being reported in the media.
Ngige said this in an interview with State House correspondents after a meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The minister said there was no truth in the claim that those concerned have agreed to increase the minimum wage to N30,000 insisting that the government was still consulting and negotiation was still ongoing.
He declared that in accordance with Convention 131 of the International Labour Organisation, the most important thing to consider in fixing the new minimum wage is the ability to pay.


text:
https://www.middletownpress.com/news/article/Oddfellows-Playhouse-to-celebrate-35th-birthday-11868728.php
Oddfellows Playhouse to celebrate 35th birthday
JULIE ANNE RANCOURT, Press Correspondent
Published 12:00 am EDT, Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Matt Pugliese, director of the Oddfellows Playhouse, is seen in front of the Middletown building. (Catherine Avalone
MIDDLETOWN -- Oddfellows Playhouse, Middletown's premiere youth theater organization, is all grown up and celebrating its 35th birthday tonight with a gala at St. Clement's Castle in Portland.
The evening will feature a live and silent auction to raise money for their scholarship program as well as the presentation of the first Distinguished Alumni Award to Christopher Shinn.
Shinn attended Oddfellows during his sophomore and junior years of high school. During that time, he entered a statewide playwriting contest sponsored by the organization and won for his play, "Safety."
"It seemed like a really exciting thing to do, to write a play, and I never would've done it had it not been for this competition. That's what got me writing plays," Shinn explained.
Shinn went on to NYU to study playwriting under the award-winning playwright Tony Kushner ("Angels in America" Parts 1 and 2) Since that time, Shinn has enjoyed much success. In 2003 he was nominated for an Oliver Award as Most Promising Playwright and in 2008 his play, "Now or Later," was produced at London's Royal Court Theatre. Also in 2008, Shinn was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his play, "Dying City," which was produced by Hartford Stage last year. Most recently, his adaptation of "Hedda Gabler" premiered on Broadway at the Roundabout, starring Mary Louise Parker in the title role.
Currently, his play, "Four," is being adapted for film and set to start shooting in Hartford.
Shinn is looking forward to returning to Connecticut and getting an opportunity to advocate for Oddfellows.
The playwright is more comfortable celebrating the organization that gave him his start than being the center of attention.
"It's a great honor, but it comes with mixed emotions. Artists try not to think of themselves as having achieved a lot because it's not a great motivator to do more," Shinn explained, adding, "It is very exciting though. I'm looking forward to celebrating Oddfellows."
There will be plenty of people for Shinn to celebrate with. Among the over 300 guests attending will be many local dignitaries, including Mayor Sebastian N. Giuliano, Middlesex Chamber of Commerce President Larry McHugh, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, Congressman John Larson, Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz, President/CEO of the Community Health Center Mark Masselli, President of Citizens Bank Rich Barry, President/CEO of Liberty Bank Chandler Howard, President of Wesleyan University Michael Roth, President of Middlesex Community College Wilfredo Nieves and Dr. Arthur "Bud" McDowell, director of medicine at Middlesex Hospital.
Giuliano said that it is not by accident that Oddfellows Playhouse exists in Middletown.
"Oddfellows fits in with the culture of our town. We like to enjoy ourselves here and they make people want to come here. They also add to our reputation as a community that supports the arts," he said.
Giuliano has attended several performances at Oddfellows over the years and has participated in their production of "Hamlet" as well as the Children's Circus, most recently by getting a pie smashed in his face.
The man behind the curtain for many of the productions, Producing Artistic Director Jeffery Allen, has been at Oddfellows for five years now and finds the work incredibly gratifying.
"To be present when a child who was afraid to speak, delivers dialogue in a clear, confident voice, to be present when a child who has come from horrible circumstances moves on to college -- this is not just a place to create art, but to learn to be the best person you can be," Allen said.
He also said that Oddfellows Playhouse is all about creating a safe environment for a quality experiential program for children that values self-expression.
"Come as you are and we'll take you somewhere new."
The event is being made possible through the generous support of Pratt & Whitney, Liberty Bank, Centerplan Companies, Citizens Bank, Community Health Center, Inc., Middlesex Hospital and Young's Printing.
The celebration will continue Saturday, June 19, from 1 to 5 p.m. with an open house at Oddfellows Playhouse on Washington Street. The schedule is as follows: 1 to 3 p.m., build a wacky cake, an Oddfellows tradition; 3 to 4 p.m., Oddfellows traveling circus will present "Spring"; 4:30 p.m., 35th program dedication; and at 5 p.m., a group photo will be taken on the front steps of the theater. The suggested donation is $20.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Most of us constantly carry on an internal dialogue. While talking to ourselves, we tend to miss the moment to moment awareness of life. Practicing meditation (zazen) brings us back into the moment, where our lives take place. The breath is central to this moment. In sitting meditation the body, breath and heart-mind are brought together in one reality.
The most effective body position for zazen has been the pyramid structure of the seated Buddha. Sitting on the floor is recommended because it is very stable. We use a zafu (a pillow) to raise the behind so the knees can touch the ground. With your bottom on the zafu and your knees on the ground, you form a tripod base that is very stable. There are several different leg positions that are possible. You should choose the one best suited to you depending on the legs and body structure. The postures are full lotus, half lotus or cross-legged. Some use a small wooden bench while others use a chair. When using a chair, sit in a natural upright posture with feet on the floor. It is best to not lean on the back of the chair. The ideal posture is neither too rigid, nor too relaxed.
The spine is kept straight in a 90-degree angle to the floor.
The head is held so that the nose is in a straight line with the navel and hara (tanden), which is the physical and spiritual center of the body two inches straight down from the navel. The chin is tucked in slightly and the ears are in line with the shoulders.
The arms are held slightly loose at the side, as if one were holding an egg underneath each armpit – not loose enough to drop them, but not tight enough to break them.
The hands are held below the navel, in front of the hara. The rear hara is always pressed towards the front hara to prevent bending of the spine.
The hands are held with the left hand on the right palm and the thumbs joined together in a circle. This is a mudra – a symbolic gesture, which symbolizes the universe.
The eyes are half open, neither staring intently (which causes headache), nor completely shut (which can lead to daydreaming and drowsiness). The angle of vision is approximately 15 degrees in front of you, towards the floor. Do not focus on anything in particular.
Keep the mouth closed so that all breathing takes place through the nose. The teeth join naturally as a result of the chin being held in. The tongue is held against the roof of the mouth to prevent saliva from filling up the mouth.
It's just your natural breathing. Do not try to control your breathing. The breath is used as a way to focus, to concentrate the mind. In other words, we bring the two things – the breathing and the mind together.
We begin our practice by counting the breath. Count each exhalation. Begin counting up to the number ten and then begin again. Do not force your breath or try to control it. The only agreement you make with yourself in this process is that if your mind begins to wander or if you become aware that you are chasing thoughts, you will look at the thought, acknowledge it and consciously let it go and start counting again at one. The counting is feedback, letting you know when your mind has drifted. You are not trying to stop thinking, you are allowing thoughts to rise and fall away naturally. As you relax into what is, the mind will naturally settle down. Whether you can count to ten or not is not important. Just be present to what is happening.
Watching the Breath. If your wandering thoughts are minimal, and you can maintain the count without losing it, you can drop counting and just observe your breath going in and out. Keep your intention at the tip of your nose. If, without any conscious effort, your breathing naturally descends to the lower abdomen, allow your attention to follow your breathing there. Do not try to control the tempo of your breathing: just watch and follow it naturally. A less strenuous method, also conducive to a peaceful mind, is to just keep your attention on the breath going in and out of your nostrils. Again, ignore wandering thoughts. When you become aware that you have been interrupted by thoughts, just return to the method.
A third method of focusing the mind is to focus the attention on the Hara, which is a point located below the navel. The hara is not an organ, but a center of psychic energy similar to the Indian chakras. This method is best employed when your breathing has naturally descended to the abdomen. The technique consists simply of mentally following the movements of the dan tian as the abdomen moves in and out as a natural consequence of breathing. This method is more energetic than the methods of breath counting or following, and should be used only after gaining some proficiency in those methods. In any case, the method should not be forced.
In practicing meditation, it is important that body and mind be relaxed. If one is physically or mentally tense, trying to meditate can be counter-productive. Sometimes certain feelings or phenomena arise while meditating. If you are relaxed, whatever symptoms arise are usually good. It can be pain, soreness, itchiness, warmth or coolness, these can all be beneficial.
It is said that 20 to 30 minutes sitting zazen is ideal. However, even 5 minutes will help you focus and get some clarity into your life. Start where you are. Try to practice every day. You will discover that everything you do is part of your practice. Standing, sitting, walking, laying down, everything is your practice. It is life changing.
In slow walking, the upper body should be in the same posture as in sitting, the difference being in the position of the hands. The left palm should lightly enclose the right hand, which is a loosely formed fist. The hands should be held in front of, but not touching, the abdomen. The forearms should be parallel to the ground. The attention should be on the bottom of the feet as you walk very slowly, the steps being short, about the length of one's foot. If walking in an enclosed space, walk in a clockwise direction.
You are developing the power of concentration, focus, and clarity.
As our practice deepens, insight naturally develops into our true nature, which is free from distractions, vexations and delusion. Developing insight, we see the world as it actually is, interconnected and free, without being clouded by our own self-referenced likes and dislikes, judgments and assumptions. We see through our emotional and psychological baggage, experience, and knowledge. From a Zen perspective, things exist interdependently, apart from our labels, likes and dislikes. Everything is unfixed, interdependent, and inseparable.


The communication and marketing channels we once relied on have changed dramatically since users made the Internet and search engines their platform of choice for finding information. Today, approximately 5.5 billion searches are performed on over 175 million search engines in the United States every month. Users are using the Internet to research everything. The web contains information from every source imaginable, including consumers themselves. While user generated content, also known as consumer generated media, has been around a long time, it went mainstream in 2005 (Hitwise). Nielsen BuzzMetrics estimated over 1.4 billion comments archived on the web in 2005, further estimating that user generated content on the web is growing at the rate of 30 percent annually. PewInternet & American Life Project estimated 44 percent of online consumers (more than 53 million adults) have created online content.
With all the self-publishing options on the web, nothing is sacred, including control over your brand. The multiple sources of user generated content published and communicated online can dramatically affect your company's reputation.
The rise in user generated content has accelerated over the last few years, starting with discussion forums, blogs, vlogs, opinion postings and reviews, expanding into more areas every day. People have become very vocal in expressing opinions on the web.
The latest onslaught comes in the form of personal profiles posted on a variety of social networking sites like MySpace, Flickr, LinkedIn, Facebook and Friendster, to name a few. There are hundreds of social networking sites focused on every kind of interest imaginable, and the list is increasing at a rapid rate. If you can build a community around it, there is usually a social network to be found.
Bloggers have influenced the political and business sectors to the point where they are now considered part of the mainstream news media. Blogging was enabled by RSS (Really Simple Syndication), an XML-based format for content distribution that allows anyone to easily create and publish content without knowledge of HTML. Once content is created, it can be updated and aggregated in real time. Blogs have become a powerful business communication and marketing tool with the power to influence multitudes via the web.
The user generated content found on blogs and social networking sites is exerting influence in the business world and beyond. While marketers view this media as a vehicle for advertising products and services, there can be pros and cons because consumer opinion cannot really be controlled.
User generated content has changed the way some businesses communicate and market to consumers. One of the benefits for marketers is the opportunity to learn what consumers think about their products for future improvements. Marketers can identify trends, spot service issues and gain competitive intelligence to help in decision making. UGC can create lavish praise or negative publicity if consumers attack the brand.
The Chevy Tahoe campaign reported by The New York Times ("Chevy Tries a Write-Your-Own Ad Approach and the Pot Shots Fly") illustrates both the positive and negative aspects of a UGC marketing campaign. Chevy posted a web site inviting visitors to use the video clips and music provided by Chevy to create their own ad copy. Chevy's hope was that visitors would create a word of mouth campaign by distributing all these great videos around the web. At first, it looked like this backfired because the campaign turned into a bashing contest with video captions like "$70 to fill up the tank, which will last less than 400 miles. Chevy Tahoe." The negative ads got more press coverage than the positive ones. However, in the end, the campaign created a lot of buzz, and Chevy Tahoe got a lot of publicity.
In other instances, sites have been created for the sole purpose of publishing negative information about brands. If you go to Google and search for Coke, you will see a listing for Killer Coke, a site alleging that Coca-Cola bottling plant managers in Colombia, South America encourage the murder of union members. The site lists names and dates of the murders and displays photos. It solicits help in stopping the murder, kidnapping and torture of union leaders and organizers. This obviously cannot be good for Coke, especially in Columbia.
These are just two examples, but there are many more for companies from Walmart to Paypal to Google. This is why reputation management has become necessary for all brands. As consumers continue to satisfy their informational needs through online research, it becomes necessary for organizations to know what people are saying about their company and its products and/or services.
It is important to become aware of how you are being portrayed online. There are two options for doing this. You can assign someone to monitor incidents of company mentions on the web, or you can hire an outside reputation management vendor.
To handle reputation management in house, start by requesting Google Alerts and Yahoo Alerts. Alerts will be delivered to you via email on topics you select (including mentions of your name, industry, company products, services, etc.) every time a new mention of one of your terms appears in Google News or Yahoo News. These alerts can help you monitor a developing story, keep you current on competitors and help you keep tabs on various issues posted on the web. You can find a lot of user generated content in Google Blog Search, Yahoo News Search (includes blogs) and the specialty blog search engines such as Technorati, Feedster or Sphere.
You might also run searches on industry specific portals periodically. For instance, those in the search marketing industry could try Search Engine Watch or SEMPO. If you find information damaging to your brand, don't wait - take defensive action as soon as possible.
Your first line of defense is to meet the criticism head on with a public relations campaign, well-conceived email campaign or blog response. Use whichever outlet you feel best enables you to address the highlighted concern, explain your company's stance, and either dispels the criticism or fixes it. Arguments without solutions are generally a bad idea. If you must defend your brand, respond promptly and directly. It pays to investigate the validity of a negative claim. Remember the incident about a person finding a finger in the chili at Wendy's? Rather than ignore the complaint, Wendy's actively pursued clues surrounding the incident by offering a substantial reward for information. Ultimately, the claim was exposed as an insurance scam.
Search engine optimization can be used as a tool to promote your company's brand while insulating it from potential harm. An excellent long-term defense that is preventive in nature is to ensure that your brand is well positioned with favorable rankings in both the organic and sponsored sections of search engines. If you own multiple brands for the same company, optimize them all before you need them.
An added bonus of this strategy is that it makes search engine marketing a component of your reputation management strategy, which can help offset your marketing costs. When you appear in the natural section of search results, your well-crafted title and description on the top pages create a powerful, positive impression on users' perception of your brand. This perception is reinforced when you also appear in the sponsored section of search results.
The dynamics of how well your brand succeeds online can change in a New York minute. A single post to a blog can start an avalanche that can bury your brand if you are not prepared to deal with the consequences of user generated content. Set up a system to monitor your reputation online. Control will go to those who invest in preventive and discovery tactics consistently over the long term. When it comes to your brand, reputation is everything.
Online Reputation Management, Are You Doing It?
Bruce Clay is president of Bruce Clay, Inc. Since 1996, www.bruceclay.com has been one of the foremost search engine optimization Web destinations. Services include: tool subscriptions, training classes, site assessments, consulting services, and full-service projects. Areas covered are SEO, PPC, Analytics, e-mail, ad programs, and consulting.


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Home » Sterling Ranch plans to deploy up to 8GB of internet in partnership with Lumen
Sterling Ranch plans to deploy up to 8GB of internet in partnership with Lumen
STERLING RANCH, Colorado–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sterling Ranch, Colorado 21st century master-planned community with over 1,600 occupied homes (over 12,000 residences planned) on 3,400 acres, is proud to announce an expansion of its existing relationship with Lumen (formerly CenturyLink) that will bring some of the speeds Fastest internet to any community in the Denver metro area. Sterling Ranch (www.sterlingranchcolorado.com) has always been a leader in the broadband internet market and this is the next leap forward.
The new technology, XGS-PON, is expected to be available throughout Sterling Ranch by the end of 2024 and will enable internet speeds of up to 8 gigabits per second, 40 times faster than the average advertised download speed in the United States. United*. This is possible thanks to Sterling Ranch's investment in bringing fiber to every home in the community.
"Providing our residents with the ultimate in technology has always been our vision for Sterling Ranch, and the introduction of XGS-PON technology is the latest example of how our goals continue to be met," said said Brock Smethills, president of Sterling Ranch. Development company. "Whether it's for our many residents who work from home and depend on fast internet speeds and strong connections, managing their utility usage, water and energy conservation, or security and home security, we are developing a "smart city" at Sterling Ranch."
XGS-PON technology is made available at Sterling Ranch by Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN), through its first fiber internet service, Quantum Fiber. The multi-gig service provides up to 8 gigabits per second of symmetrical internet speeds currently in select locations with plans to add new areas throughout 2023 and 2024.
Quantum Fiber is designed for always-on individuals and small businesses, with a focus on symmetrical broadband fiber optic connectivity and a fully enabled digital customer experience delivering:
Gigabit and multi-gigabit broadband speeds
Unlimited data on a 99.9% reliable network based on network uptime or availability
Symmetric upload and download speeds
100% digital ordering and invoicing by subscription
*Based on advertised weighted average download speed of participating internet service providers' US data connections of 193.9 Mbps. FCC Measuring Fixed Broadband Eleventh Report, December 2021.


text:
Hawaii governor promotes proposals for working families
https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/LinkedIn-now-offering-corporate-profiles-3290696.php
LinkedIn now offering corporate profiles
Firm to provide users with details about workforces at Google, Yahoo, HP, Facebook
By Ellen Lee
Published 4:00 am PDT, Friday, March 21, 2008
Yahoo employees tend to land at rival Google for their next job. The median age for Facebook employees is 27. And Hewlett-Packard draws as many graduates from Bangalore University in India as it does from San Jose State and Stanford.
In a new feature introduced today, LinkedIn, the Mountain View professional social networking site, has produced 160,000 corporate profiles, from Microsoft Corp. to Apple Inc., detailing information such as common career paths, top schools and popular employees for each company.
The corporate profiles draw on data culled from and supplied by its 20 million users, who list their employer, title, work history and other personal details in their profile. Members also use the site to connect with their colleagues, friends and other associates, which LinkedIn also tracks.
LinkedIn is one of a slew of social networking sites, from Facebook to MySpace, that have emerged in recent years. It has sought to distinguish itself as a place for professionals to connect with each other, network and find new jobs and leads. It said it hopes the corporate profiles will help its users gain more insight into their industry and potential employers, more so than traditional company profiles.
MBA BY THE BAY: See how an MBA could change your life with SFGATE's interactive directory of Bay Area programs.
"This is a unique lens on that information," said David Hahn, director of product management. "There's a lot of new information, instead of just a company description and financial statistics. We're giving our audience a lot more information about people news."
Businesses can also use their corporate profiles as a place to advertise job listings and other corporate information.
Granted, the data crunched by LinkedIn comes from a self-selected group, because not all employees from a particular company are LinkedIn users. It also assumes that the information supplied by its users is accurate. But LinkedIn said that a good percentage of employees from the listed companies, particularly technology companies and large corporations, use LinkedIn.
Among its findings:
-- Google draws its employees from Microsoft, IBM, Sun Microsystems, Oracle and Yahoo. They mostly go on to jobs at Yahoo, Microsoft, Facebook, Cisco Systems and Apple.
-- Google hires graduates from Stanford, followed by UC Berkeley and Carnegie Mellon, and 23 percent of its employees are software engineers.
-- Common job titles for Yahoo workers are "technical Yahoo," at 8 percent, and software engineer, also 8 percent.
-- At Facebook, 20 percent of employees are software engineers, and Facebook employees are most connected to other employees at Google, VideoEgg, Yahoo and YouTube.
The corporate profile also supplies a list of employees from that company, tailored to the user's network of connections. It details the company's new hires and people who were recently promoted or changed their job responsibilities, customized to the people the user already knows. And it lists the most popular employee profiles, based on how often they're viewed.
In the future, LinkedIn said it also plans to let verified employees supplement the corporate profiles with additional information, such as company perks.
Collins and Romney hold the keys in the impeachment trial


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Longtime TPD officer proud and thankful to be a public servant
By Kelly Ring
What's Right with Tampa Bay
Faith gets TPD officer through the tough times
He's what's right with Tampa Bay
TAMPA, Fla. - Leaving the Tampa Police Department is a walk that TPD officer Ferdinand Barbossa knows well. He's been doing it for more than 20 years.
"If I were to go back and say, you know, 25 years ago, go back in time and talk to myself, I would still say go into law enforcement. No regrets whatsoever. I love the job."
It's a love that started 47 years ago in a small town in New Jersey.
"I grew up in a town called Passaic, New Jersey. It's in Passaic County, North Jersey. It's a predominantly urban area right now. It's predominantly a Hispanic city. It's only three square miles, but it's got like 80,000 residents. I mean, everybody's packed up on each other in the town."
Office Barbossa graduated high school and went to Rutgers University.
"I double-majored in criminal justice and history. And then I minored in Latin American history. And I did a concentration in Puerto Rican studies and Afro Caribbean studies."
He decided to pursue a career in law enforcement but wanted to get away from the cold northern winters.
"My brother was working down here, so he's like, you know, 'Come down to Tampa. Great weather. We have a great agency.' I tested down in Tampa and within two weeks I got a notice from Tampa that they were going to hire me."
Officer Barbossa says his strong Christian upbringing is useful on the police force.
"It was always right and wrong. You always stick with the right. And through all my life, I practiced that. I followed that."
His goal is to lead others down that same righteous path.
"Hopefully I can change somebody's life or divert somebody or work for the community, work in the community, be a positive aspect for the community."
Officer Barboosa believes that he is not a law enforcement officer by chance.
"Certain people go into the ministry and become pastors. It's a calling. I definitely believe the law enforcement and the military is a calling. You feel that urge inside of you and it's something that drives you to be something that you want to be."


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"Life is right in any case.
Love the movie….a beautiful and emotional story!
I found your website by tonight by miracle!!…and am so grateful. Gainesville is now blessed with a beautiful, remarkably talented girl, who adds that extra ray to 'The Sunshine State'!
Thank you Monica… the movie is stunningly beautiful, isn't it?


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: How to pass data from a FSharp.Data.CsvProvider to a Deedle.Frame? I'm trying to pass data from a FSharp.Data.CsvProvider to a Deedle.Frame.
I'm almost new in F#, and I need to convert some CSV files from culture "it-IT" to "en-US", so I can use the data.
I found Deedle, and I want to learn how to use it, but I was not able to directly convert the data from a CSV file in Deedle (at least is what is printed in F# interactive).
I noticed that the CsvProvider makes the conversion, but after some days of attempts I am not able to pass the data.

A: I believe that Deedle should be able to deal with CSV files that use non-US culture:
let frame = Frame.ReadCsv("C:\\test.csv", culture="it-IT")

That said, if you want to use the CSV type provider for some reason, you can use:
let cs = new CsvProvider<"C:/data/fb.csv">()

cs.Rows
|> Frame.ofRecords
|> Frame.indexColsWith cs.Headers.Value

This uses Frame.ofRecords which creates a data frame from any .NET collection and expands the properties of the objects as columns. The CSV provider represents data as tuples, so this does not name the headers correctly - but the Frame.indexColsWith function lets you name the headers explicity.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: How to add column for previous visits in MySQL table I have a table with columns (visir_id, patient_id, and date)
I need to add a column called previous_visit that shows the date of the patients previous visit. I am completely lost. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Is there a way to get the new previous_visit column to autopopulate based on patient_id and visit_date data of previous entries?

A: If you want add the column previous_visit before visit_id column, write:
alter table table_name add previous_visit date first;

Next may be create a trigger,
create trigger ti_visit_date before insert on table_name for each row set new.previous_visit=(select max(visit_date) from table_name);

and then insert script into table_name.


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Bexley AC is an expanding club with many excellent facilities. If you are keen to improve and develop yours or your children's athletic ability then you have come to the right place. Most importantly we have qualified and skilled coaches that support and guide athletes and runners of all abilities and all ages from 7 upwards. If you join Bexley AC you will be sure to meet lots of like-minded people and make new friends.
Not sure? We welcome prospective new members to attend a free training session to see if Bexley AC is right for you.
In addition, for each training session there is a track fee – one Token per session ( to help pay for the hire of the track from the Council).
Please note payment for track fees is by a token system – if tokens are bought in bulk a discount is available as below (see FAQ for more details).
Membership is renewed every year and runs from 1st March to 28th February. If you join in January, you will be charged the full current rate of membership but your membership will run for 14 months (i.e. until the following February). Those joining later in the year will have reduced rates to end on 28th February.
Does the membership fee increase every year?
A small increase is generally made every year to ensure the Club can meet its running costs.
You do not have to become a member but you will not be able to compete for Bexley AC if you do not. Part of your membership fee is paid to England Athletics to register you for a Competition Licence: you must hold a Competition Licence to compete in athletics events. You will not be eligible for the Athlete Development Programme if you are not a member.
Do I have to pay for anything else?
When competing for the Club you are required to wear Club kit – black shorts and a Bexley AC vest. A vest is provided with your initial membership and additional vests are available from the Club House at a cost of £16 (as at Jan 2018). You must also pay track fees (via token, see below) when attending training sessions.
When do I pay track fees?
Track fees are payable for Bexley AC training sessions (Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday mornings). When the Club offers additional training sessions you may be asked for payment, should the session incur a cost that is not being met by the Club. Track fees are also payable on Club Championship nights, regardless of whether you compete or not.
How do I pay track fees?
Track fees are payable by token. Tokens can be bought from the Clubhouse before or after training sessions. Tokens must be handed to your coach when the register is taken before the beginning of the session. You will need 1 token per training session. Your coach will only train those who have given him/her a token. Remember: no token = no training.
See table above. Tokens can be purchased individually or in multiples which benefit from a discount. The more tokens you buy the greater the saving. Non-members are charged a standard rate and do not benefit from discount.
What happen if I lose/forget my token?
It is your responsibility to take care of your token as if it were cash. You will need to purchase another token from the Clubhouse before you can train.
Track fees (cost of tokens) may be subject to a small annual increase to meet increasing costs of hiring the facilities.
We are a voluntary organisation and those wishing to give a donation over and above the requested membership and training fees will be gratefully received. Another way is to join the 100 Club monthly draw at £12 per annum.
What should I wear for training?
You should wear appropriate clothing such as T-shirts/running vests, shorts/jogging bottoms, running shoes/trainers. Please bring with you a sweatshirt and drink for when you have finished your training. If you are training outside the stadium when it is dark you must wear a white or fluorescent top or you will be expected to wear a hi-visibility vest, provided by your coach.
How do I get the equipment I need on training nights?
Your coach will provide you with the equipment you require. You should not take equipment out of the equipment room unless authorised to do so by a coach.
Can I train without being under the supervision of a Bexley AC coach?
No, not usually. You will be appointed to a training group and should remain under the jurisdiction of that coach. If you are bringing your own suitably qualified coach, you must seek permission of Bexley AC before they can coach you on training nights.
What should I wear for competition?
You will need to wear appropriate footwear (spikes or running shoes), black shorts and a Bexley AC vest (available from the Clubhouse on training nights at a cost of £16*).
My parent/guardian/friend wants to take photographs of me at training/competition. Are they allowed to do so?
On training nights they should seek the permission of the coach. At competitions they should obtain permission from the meeting manager of the venue you are attending. Photographers may be required to provide personal details and ID before being allowed to take photographs.


Serbian U21 midfielder confirms Chelsea offer!
The MFK Kosice midfielder Nemanja Matic has confirmed that Chelsea are in talks with his club, and he has accepted a four year contract which will be signed when the two clubs have agreed the transfer fee.
The 20 year-old is hoping that everything will be signed and sealed in time for him to join the Chelsea squad on their trip to the USA where they will play Seattle this weekend.
"I can confirm that Chelsea have offered me a four-year contract, which I have accepted," Tosic told Dennik Sport.
Now that is one signing that nobody saw coming!
Its great that he is only 20 as our midfield is getting on a bit, and i believe the Serbian U21 is pretty good.
It is going to be interesting whether these new boys will get much playing time this season. Obviously Zhirkov will be grafted straight into the first team, but the other three…………..?


First to admit that she's no TV host, Jennylyn Mercado humbly stated that she had to undergo a workshop to prepare her for the task.
Singer-songwriter Yeng Constantino remained unbelieving that a musical play inspired by her music was actually unfolding before her eyes.
Matteo Guidicelli, logging 10 years in show business, offer sa basic point as his guide in life.
First, be patient. Matteo says he doesn't want to rush things. He values the art of waiting.
As if fate is testing him, Edu Manzano is faced with confronting dreaded Alzheimer's Disease on and off screen.
Two of the main cast members of "Sunday PinaSaya" claim they still can't believe their show continues to topple competition in ratings.


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Hume, Fergus
Chronological Checklist
The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (Australia: publisher unidentified, 1886)
The Year of Miracle: A Tale of the Year One Thousand Nine Hundred (London: George Routledge and Sons, 1891)
The Gentleman Who Vanished: A Psychological Phantasy (London: F W White and Co, 1892)
The Man that Vanished (New York: George Munro, 1892)
The Island of Fantasy (London: Griffin, Farran and Co, 1892)
Aladdin in London: A Romance (London: Adam and Charles Black, 1892)
Chronicles of Faeryland: Fantastic Fables for Old and Young (London: Griffin, Farran and Co, 1892)
When I Lived in Bohemia (New York: Tait, Sons and Company, 1892)
The Nameless City: A Rommany Romance (London: J R Osgood and Co, 1893) as by Stephen Grail
The Nameless City: A Rommany Romance (London: Osgood, McIlvaine and Co, 1893) as Fergus Hume
The Harlequin Opal: A Romance (London: W H Allen, 1893)
The Dwarf's Chamber, and Other Stories (London: Ward, Lock and Bowden, 1896)
The Expedition of Captain Flick (London: Jarrold and Sons, 1896)
The Tombstone Treasure (London: Jarrold and Sons, 1897)
The Devil-Stick (London: Downey and Co, 1898)
For the Defense (Chicago, Illinois: Rand, McNally, 1898)
The Silent House in Pimlico (London: John Long, 1899)
The Golden Wang-Ho: A Sensational Story (London: John Long, 1901)
The Mother of Emeralds (London: Hurst and Blackett, 1901)
The Scarlet Bat (London: F V White and Co, 1905)
The Mystery of the Shadow (London: Cassell and Company, 1906)
The Silent House (New York: C S Doscher, 1907)
The Yellow Hunchback (London: F V White and Co, 1907)
The Green Mummy (London: John Long, 1908)
The Crowned Skull (London: Laurie, 1908)
The Sacred Herb (New York: G W Dillingham Company, 1908)
The Solitary Farm (London: Ward, Lock and Co, 1909)
The Spider (London: Ward, Lock and Co, 1910)
The Secret of the Chinese Jar; Or, the Loot of the Summer Palace (Cleveland, Ohio: Arthur Westbrook Co, 1912)
The Blue Talisman: A Detective Story (London: T Werner Laurie, 1912)
A Son of Perdition: An Occult Romance (London: William Rider and Son, 1912)
Mother Mandarin (London: F V White and Co, 1912)
The Curse (London: T Werner Laurie, 1913)


Abstract : This paper addresses the problem of full-order dynamic output-feedback stabilization for linear discrete time periodic systems. The adopted framework is based on the Lyapunov theory and uses the Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMI) formalism. The output-feedback design is tackled along with fragility issues. This is performed by the synthesis of convex sets of stabilizing controllers guaranteeing closed-loop resilience with respect to uncertainties on the controller parameters. Full-order dynamic output-feedback without resilience considerations is proved for the LTI case to have a convex LMI formulation. This result is extended here to the periodic case and the major contribution of the paper is to prove that the resilience can be as well handled with LMI formulations. This last result is new, even in the LTI framework.


Our Kipling Sunita shoulder bag is versatile and spacious, ideal for the modern girl about town. The Sunita bag comes with a furry monkey key charm, adding an extra spark of happiness to everyday. You can wear this handy shoulder bag 2 ways; lengthen the strap for cross-body wear or shorten and pop it on your shoulder for a hands free approach. There's plenty of room to keep your favourite essentials super organised with an assortment of pockets and useful compartments.


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Schools using online resources find that common frustrations disappear with RM Unify
Posted on 7 December 2016, by Gerald Haigh
It's probably fair to say that the conventional VLE (virtual learning environment) or learning platform – the terms are really interchangeable – is a heavyweight beast. In fact it puts me in mind of the beautiful shire horses admired in my childhood; glossy, powerful, uniquely effective in the right hands and the appropriate setting – and, sadly, doomed to be replaced by more flexible, bespoke tools.
All too often, an individual school would find that their VLE, chosen after much thought and a convincing demonstration, did not, as time went on, quite meet their specific requirements. Enthusiasts on the staff would persevere and bend the creature to their will, but all too often, others were more reluctant. Unsurprisingly, there was 'churning' as schools tried different VLEs, at a financial cost that sometimes turned leadership teams against the whole idea. Before long, the main VLE suppliers realised that the way forward was to offer more of a framework, often Microsoft SharePoint-based, within which they could negotiate a tailored solution for each customer. Even then, though, the process was 'top-down' and could be expensive.
Meanwhile, the app revolution was in full swing, together with the increasing attraction of cloud services, so heads and teachers began to say:
'Would it not be better if we saved the considerable cost of the VLE and just concentrated on choosing what we need from the online cloud applications that are becoming available in ever-increasing numbers?'
In fact, within many classrooms and departments, teachers were already moving that way, choosing and using favourite apps to support skills and knowledge. IT managers were keen to bring this trend under control, making the app environment safe and manageable school-wide. It would certainly be possible, they said, to put together a collection of educational apps – selected and approved as safe and educationally sound for the school. The downside, though, would be the need for users, students and teachers, to use separate log-in for each application – half a dozen or more per user would not be unusual, with every prospect of the number increasing rapidly. It was obviously possible – many schools did it – but the burden on the IT department, particularly in terms of rescuing users from failed log-ins – was always going to be considerable.
One group of schools where that scenario was played out was Victoria Park Primary Academy Trust in Sandwell. I talked about it to the Trust IT manager Saheed Iqbal.
'We use a lot of internet-based resources – applications such as Mathletics, Education City, Little Bridge and others, around eight different services for the children. It was a nightmare. Eight different log-ins. Every day there would be children who couldn't do their homework because they had lost their log-in details.'
Clearly, something needed to be done. What was happening was not only inconvenient, but was affecting children's learning. The answer, as Saheed and his colleagues rapidly realised, lay with RM Unify.
The principle of RM Unify is simple enough. It brings together the cloud-based applications and services that a school wishes to use, making them accessible from a 'Launch Pad' which presents a set of 'tiles', each one giving access to an application. Once signed in to Unify, no further log-on is necessary. Microsoft Office 365, for example, becomes easy to manage across the school.
At the heart of RM Unify is the 'Application Library' a rich resource which is likely to contain every service and application that a school might need. (Although it's possible to bring a favourite app that's not in the library into the Unify single sign-on environment.)
By providing a wide choice of apps and services, organising them into launch pads (one for each user – as many as are needed) and making them easily accessible with one log-in, RM Unify gives reliable, quick, anytime anywhere, cost-effective access to essential and familiar apps and services. It brings apps under the umbrella of the IT team covers data safety issues, and the organisation of resources and user identities. In short, RM Unify makes it possible for learners and teachers to concentrate on the core task of improving teaching and learning, while providing the IT team with a pro-active learning support role. Add the functionality of comprehensive cloud services such as Office 365, which has become a major feature of RM Unify, and schools can now have a truly transformational teaching and learning environment. Certainly that's the view of senior RM Education Manager Emma Brown, who makes the comparison with VLEs.
'With VLEs you were asking a lot from the teachers. A small number of keen users would make the VLE work, but with RM Unify, the ability to scaffold it to the needs of the school offers a genuine change in practice and culture. What's refreshing is that it does what people want it to do.'
Saheed Iqbal adds,
'For me as administrator, I see it as fantastic. As a MAT we use one tenancy and all the students are in it, all staff in all schools have access to it and can communicate with staff in other academies.'
Unsurprisingly, there are currently 5,000 RM Unify user schools across the UK, including virtually every school in Scotland, where the Scottish Government's comprehensive 'Glow' environment is at the heart of Education Scotland's digital learning strategy.
Finally, RM Unify is a living, breathing part of the school's learning and teaching activities. As a cloud service it's continually updated with more apps and features. And, because RM is all about education, the team of RM education experts is always on hand to provide advice and practical support.
Gerald Haigh
@geraldhaigh1
Gerald is a former head teacher and a writer on education.
Read his blogs about Microsoft Office 365.
To find out more about how RM Unify can support you please call 0808 172 9525 or visit rm.com/unify
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Working Families' employer membership is made up of some of the UK's leading public, private and third sector organisations. Members are invited to take part in the Top Employers for Working Families Benchmark, providing an annual assessment of their flexible, agile and family friendly working policy and practice.
The Benchmark reveals trends and best practice, building a picture over time of changes and developments in flexible, agile and family friendly working policy and practice.
Key findings from the 2018 Benchmark are summarised in this report, providing insight into the policies organisations have developed, how they are used and supported, and the impact that flexible, agile and family friendly working has.


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Home News GREPA advocates creation of new settlement to decongest cities
GREPA advocates creation of new settlement to decongest cities
Prince Nketiah, Member of GREPA
A member of Ghana Real Estate Professionals Association (GREPA), Prince Nketiah, has called on government to deal with the congestion in main cities by creating settlements around neighbouring towns that have vast lands.
According to him, government should encourage the private sector to take up the challenge by offering some tax reliefs to them, as well as ensuring there is a proper road network and electrification, amongst others, to attract them.
Mr. Nketia opines that when this is done, issues of rural-urban migration which have been fuelled mainly by lack of working opportunities in the rural areas will be reduced, and as well free the cities from congestion.
"I think it is about time our government started thinking of creating new settlements in the surrounding areas; because if you go to areas like Aburi, Akropong and Nsawam, you will find vast lands which are not used. Government can actually enhance the private sector organisations, those that would want to move to these areas and entice them with some tax reliefs.
"This will be something that attracts such companies to set up offices in these places. Government can also create the road networks in these areas, and also help in electrification of these areas. And this is something that can actually entice investors to move to these areas where we can create new settlements," he said on the HomeOwners show on Metro Television.
Citing Nigeria's Victoria Island as an example he said: "If you look at Nigeria and you look at places like Lagos – the Victoria Island for instance was something that was not like how it is now; but it has become a hotcake that everybody wants to move to and settle there. So I think it is about time our government started looking at things like this, which can release the pressure on urban centres like Accra."
According to him, government has been talking without actions; thereby leaving the country with a deficit of about 1.8 million housing units. He also mentioned that government must also begin to move some headquarters of agencies to other regions.
Sharing his thoughts on the World Habitat Day celebration in Ghana on the theme 'Housing for all: A Better Urban Future', he said sustainable urbanisation is one of the key drivers in achieving sustainable development goals. He indicated the performance of Ghana on the new urban development report is not something to boast about; therefore, government must ensure it restores hope.
VIABy Emmanuel AKOMEA
Ghana Real Estate Professionals Association (GREPA)
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