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Amazon Butts in on Google-Facebook "Duopoly" in the Huge Business of Internet Advertising. Publishers Hung Out to Dry
by Wolf Richter • May 14, 2019 • 84 Comments
Here are the latest numbers.
Spending on internet advertising in the US jumped 21.8% in 2018 to $107.5 billion, and is up 117% in four years, according to the annual report commissioned by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and conducted by PwC. This is the amount that advertisers such as Ford or P&G spent on internet ads in the US. My WOLF STREET media mogul empire is at the far end of this sector, successfully picking up crumbs.
There are two diverging dynamics: Ad spending on laptop/PC platforms (blue columns) has been declining since 2015, as advertising on mobile platforms, such as smartphones and tablets, (red columns) is rocketing higher – from a share of close to zero in 2010 to a share of 65% in 2018:
Internet advertising, at $107.5 billion, accounted for 39% of total advertising dollars of $274 billion spent in the US in 2018. TV, the top dog through 2015, is now in a distant second place with $71 billion and a share of 26%.
Year-over-year, advertising spending declined in the two segments that have been getting crushed for years: "paper" newspapers (-7%) and "paper" magazines (-2.1%). All other media types gained ad dollars, but in only the low single digits, except video-game advertising, which grew by 9.7%. However, internet advertising with a 21.8% growth rate the largest base by far widened the gap rapidly ("OOH" = out-of-home advertising, such as billboards, ads inside public transit, etc.):
And just 10 companies took in 75% of this $107.5 billion, the report says without naming these companies. But we know the top five.
Google, Facebook, and Amazon are the top three, according to eMarketer: Google took a share of 38.2% of all internet advertising revenues in the US in 2018, and Facebook a share of 21.8%. Combined, the "duopoly" hogs 60% of all internet ad dollars in the US.
Amazon is muscling in on them. According to eMarketer, Amazon's ad venture will grow its revenues by 50% in 2019 and become number 3, with a share of 8.8%.
I have been contacted by Amazon to join its platform for publishers which is competing head-on with Google. Google runs many of the ads you see on WOLF STREET. That Amazon bothered to seek me out and spend time with me, including actual phone calls conducted by real people, though I'm just a little speck, is not only impressive in the Google universe but also shows how aggressively Amazon is going after this. Via testimonials, it said that its deal pays publishers more than Google's deal, but that remains to be confirmed because we couldn't work out a deal.
In its Q1 earnings release, Amazon reported that quarterly revenue in its "Other" category – which "primarily includes sales of advertising services…" – was $3.4 billion in the quarter.
Q1 is typically not the strongest advertising quarter in the year – that would be Q4. So by the looks of it, Amazon will likely haul in close to $12 billion in ad revenues in 2019, which would grow its share to 8.8% of total internet ad spending of $129 billion, according to eMarketer estimates. Facebook's share is expected to remain about stable and Google's share is expected to shrink by one percentage point. So this is shaping up to be a battle royale.
The other two of the top five recipients of internet advertising dollars, according to eMarketer, in 2018 were:
Microsoft and LinkedIn combined, in fourth place, with a share of 4.1%
Verizon (AOL, Yahoo, Huffington Post, etc.), in fifth position with a share of 3.4%.
This year, Google, Facebook, and Amazon will take close to 70% of all the money advertisers spend on internet advertising. So what do publishers get? Publishers such as the New York Times and the WOLF STREET media mogul empire?
The advertising universe is divided into three factions:
At one end are the publishers. Like many publishers, WOLF STREET is in the advertising business based on the now classic internet model: The content is free for anyone but you get hammered with ads, on the hope that it balances out for everyone.
At the other end are advertisers – the companies that pay for it all, such as Ford or P&G. They spent $274 billion in the US last year to entice consumers and businesses to buy their products or services. And $107.5 billion of that got spent on internet ads.
Between these two factions is an entire universe teeming with companies that shoehorned themselves between advertiser and publisher to take their bite. This includes various entities of Google, Facebook, and Amazon, the smallest outfits no one has ever heard of, ad agencies representing advertisers, ad agencies representing publishers, thousands of "ad exchanges" (automated systems were bidding takes place in an opaque manner to get ads placed on websites), various opaque layers of "ad tech" companies and other middlemen, and countless scams and assorted nastiness.
Google, Facebook, and Amazon dominate in all three factions with their different roles as they also serve ads to their own users – Google with search, Facebook with its social media platforms, and Amazon with its shopping site that runs ads on every page that shoppers look at.
And the money that advertisers pay filters through these layers, and each layer takes a portion of it along the way. In the end, only a small portion of what the advertiser actually spends for an ad on a website actually goes to the publisher that puts the ad in front of the consumer. And this small portion gets smaller every year, even as the amount spent on internet advertising continues to balloon.
This is a growing complaint among internet publishers that don't have a subscription model. Even the large and successful ones are now going through cycles of layoffs because the revenues per ad served keep shrinking, eaten up bite by bite by the middle layers, including by the three giants that dominate those layers.
There is a democratic beauty to the ad-supported publishing model: The content is free and anyone has access to the content. In return, readers are served up distracting ads. But all these layers in the middle have destroyed the model for publishers. Many publishers have already switched to subscription models, where much or all of their content is hidden behind paywalls, and readers are still exposed to ads. While this seems like a no-brainer, here is why I rejected that no-brainer. Read… Why WOLF STREET is Still Free and Not Behind a Paywall Though You Have to Put Up with Ads and I Make (Maybe) Less Money
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84 comments for "Amazon Butts in on Google-Facebook "Duopoly" in the Huge Business of Internet Advertising. Publishers Hung Out to Dry"
Technology has been all about cutting out the middleman and streamlining transactions. Seems like the current situation is ripe for a market disruptor to come along and streamline the whole process.
All of this could be automated or done online, without a sales force. Advertisers could sign up for this service, specify which sites they want their ads to appear, and websites could specify which types of advertisers they do not want ads from.
It would just be a single layer market exchange, with the hook being that advertisers pay less and websites earn more.
Probably the only thing keeping this from happening are the monopolistic practices of the big three. Google for sure has been known to lower the search order of its competitors.
"All of this could be automated or done online, without a sales force."
Well, that is how it has been done for years via algos, servers, in the cloud…. Internet advertising is totally automated. Every ad you see on this site comes through an automated process and ad exchanges and layers of ad tech, and I have no idea what ads you're seeing. There is no human being involved.
And the "market disruptors" you're waiting for have arrived years ago and they now dominate. Their names: Google, Facebook, and Amazon. Plus thousands of ad exchanges, thousands of assorted "ad tech" companies, etc.
There are thousands of totally automated ad exchanges where the automated bidding takes place. Google has the largest one. And often ads get sold through several ad exchanges automatically by various ad tech companies in fractions of a second before they land on a page on WOLF STREET.
It's an amazing technology, actually, when you think about it. Except publishers are no longer in control of what ads run on their sites, or how much they get paid for those ads, if they even get paid.
Well then, the large profits kept by Google must be from its monopolistic practices and the lack of competition. Or, the big players could be colluding, as they did with agreeing not to steal each other's employees, ti keep the profits for themselves. If the ad exchanges are all automated, there's no reason for the exchanges ti keep the majority of the profits
It's been a long time since the last big anti-monopoly case against ATT. It will take the politics of the US to change back more in favor of government intervention again for things to change
And whaddya know? Brett Kavanaugh sided today with the liberals in a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling to allow a class action lawsuit against Apple for monopolistic pricing to proceed.
There is hope. You should sue the bastards
Yes, there are definitely some issues in that department. EU regulators have tried to draw some lines. But when it comes to Silicon Valley, US regulators have all averted their eyes for years.
Javert, Chip says:
Presumably tech companies discovered the advantages of "political campaign contributions" around the time of the Microsoft anti-trust trial. The reciprocal is politicians discovered a new, lush source of "campaign contributions".
The first (actually, only) rule about eating beef is you must milk the cow dry before eating it.
It is amazing citizens have to pretend corporate campaign contributions are anything but bribes.
GrassRanger says:
The same thing can be said about a number of areas in the US economy today, especially the medical and pharmaceutical industries.
Geo says:
Well said. I worked for two years as an "ad buyer" for a modest global ad campaign with traditional media and spent each day calling publishers to negotiate rates we'd pay for ads going back and forth in size (full page, quarter page, eighth page, etc), full color, black & white, placement (front of the publication or back, etc.
As online advertising entered the market it was similar (top banner, side panels, animated or still, etc). But, as you said, these new means arrived and took the negotiations away from the publishers and put them in the "hands" of algorithms.
It's much easier but publishers have no control over their "cut" of the deal anymore. Now, you're at the whim of Google's generosity…. similar to being a vendor for Walmart or author on Amazon (I don't know how much you get for your books but as a filmmaker I get approx $.10 per hour of viewing on my films though they just changed their pay scale so we'll see what I get in the next quarter).
It's democratized the market in ways that allow more people to utilize what we're once gated markets but it's also pilphered the vast majority of profit from it into the hands of a select few.
It takes me over an hour to upload 1 minute of video to YouTube so that's off limits to me. Craig's List has died and I don't have smart phone so I can't sell on OfferUp or LetGo. I'm under a sort of non-compete clause on Ebay so that's out too.
The working method for me has been to go backwards in technology. From trumpet which takes modern brass-bending technology, and regular maintenance, to a simple 5-hole flute.
Perhaps I will get into making woodcut prints – it was good enough for Escher and Hiroshige – and sell them by the side of the road…
c smith says:
What about a single advertiser or "underwriter"? Or maybe two or three? I've seen other (smallish) publishers do this – Shane Parrish/Farnam Street come to mind. Then you could leave the whole ad network behind?
NARmageddon says:
It all started when AOL had the awful idea of herding it's users into its proprietary "channels" known by keywords, rather than letting people experience the wide-open internet that already existed. Then it went downhill form there.
In the time of dial-up modems and limited DSL, there were few, if any, resources on the internet, available to consumer retail. AOL may have been proprietary and self dealing, but it started up the beginning vision for many of the coming internet explosion.
Otishertz says:
Prodigy and compuserve came before AOL just like Myspace before facebook and askJeeves before google. Remember Hotmail? AOL was internet for dummies. When darpanet was bulletin boards you didn't show up if you were a dummy. The dialogue was different then because of this. Now these usurper quasi govt surveillance fangma companies are doing the same thing as anyone did before but this time herding the whole society into a panopticon honeypot.
Who is InQtel? Who do they finance and why?
Buy silicon valley! Get on the mussolini express.
How does $107 billion in total ad sales for the industry support the fantastic multiple trillions in combined market cap on these top 5 internet advertiser companies that must share that meager $107B??
otishertz,
Not defending the sky-high valuations here, but that $107 billion was for US internet ad sales only. Google, Facebook, and Amazon are global giants, and US ad revenues are only a portion of their total revenues. Also, for Amazon, US ad revenues are only a tiny portion of its total revenues because it gets most of its revenues from its other operations (retail, AWS, etc.)
Of course, but they offered nothing in reference to Narmageddons post. Yeah yeah, we all remember the days of the grandfather DarpaNet for nerds, text only BBS's, CompanyServe, and limited dialog.
No argument that the current 'uqgsf' companies are not doing the same herding that AOL started, but that AOL exposed this to MUCH more of the 'dummies'/general population.
Now current electronics communicate directly with these 'uqgsf' companies! It's becoming harder to find anything electronic without an intent to 'herd us into their honeypot'. Would you have ever believed Alexa would be riding babysitter on all these devices now being sold?
I do remember when Prodigy switched over to Yahoo! in the early 2000's. That at first was one big SBC mess! I think I still have an old IBM clone from the early 90's, with Prodigy (pre WWW) still loaded on it!
JFP says:
I'd be very leery of Amazon's claim that they "pay more." What really drives publisher revenue is not the revenue percentage, but the depth of the demand behind the advertising supplier. Greater demand means higher ad prices, and right now Google has the most demand if you are locked into a single advertising system. Larger publishers can blend demand from multiple to make more money, but that requires sufficient size which you probably don't have yet. Couple that demand with better targeting data, which in turn drives more demand, and you can see why Google, Facebook and Amazon keep gaining.
JFP,
Yes, so I use three ad agencies. Two of them are mostly ad tech companies, and all three of them use other ad tech companies to make their systems work; one of them runs on the Google DoubleClick platform. The three provide higher paying ads than Google most of the time. These firms have several dedicated locations on my site, and Google backfills automatically when these ad agencies cannot fill the slot.
But when readers come to my articles via an Android app such as Google News, Google ads pay relatively well within the Google universe. It appears that Google really knows its Android users and can serve them the appealing high-value ads that actually get clicked on.
That's a better set-up than a lot of the small publishers I see. Full disclosure, I've been in internet media for over twenty years, and I make a lot of my living doing Adtech consulting for small and medium-size publishers. If you ever want to discuss anything, let me know. I'd be happy to help you in return for all the enjoyment I've received from your books and site.
That's because Google spies on everything you do on their Android phones if you log into one of their accounts and then it tracks everything you surf through or buy in that phone, as well as tracking your GPS location. So it knows how to send the most enticing ads.
I think it's possible to turn off all that tracking on an Android phone, but most people just stay automatically logged in (including terrorists and murderers – which has helped law enforcement in the past)
Juanfo says:
Phones are simultaneously listening and watching us. Perpetually uploading to giant server hangars. What is the reason for all the information? Predict where I'm buying dinner Friday night.
Of course GOOG "really knows" its Android users; their OS is built into the phones, and designed and built to sweep, store and use as much data as possible.
Escher says:
Have always wondered how effective these online ads are, since it should be easy to track their clicks to purchase percentage.
Over the years I must have clicked on 1-3 ads intentionally. Am I an outlier?
"I'd be very leery of Amazon's claim that they "pay more." "
Yes, "leery" doesn't even describe it. Everyone promises this all the time. I try out different things, and what you see on my site now are the survivors — those that do mostly a pretty good job and actually pay (which is another issue on the internet).
It still boggles my mind that people are impulsively clicking ads and buying the shiny things. What are we – monkeys?
TheBenBernank says:
You've never met my wife…
Howard Fritz says:
Should I be the one to break it to you?
Bobber,
Without consumption, such as buying things or services that we may or may not need to survive, the entire economy would grind to a halt, and there would be no jobs and no retirement and no cars and no internet, and no WOLF STREET and no commenters.
Nothing in commerce happens until there is a sale. And ads lead to those sales.
Balem Abrasax:
"Life is an act of consumption, Jupiter. To live is to consume and the human beings on your planet are merely a resource waiting to be converted into capital, and this entire enterprise is just a small part in a vast and beautiful machine defined by evolution, designed to a single purpose: to create profit."
HowNow says:
All well and good until the end, Gandalf. The only creation on earth that has the "purpose" of "profit" are humans. All the others settle for "reproduction". Humans engage in reproduction, and some do it at a profit, but "purpose" as "profit" makes no sense. That is, it is not logical. Sounds impressive…
And for Javert Chip to not recognize that "campaign financing" and political capture by the wealthy and large corporations are an inevitable outcome of "Capitalism" gives me pause. I guess that if you worship some ideal, reason won't get in the way.
wkevinw says:
I know in the past of the effectiveness of ads was almost impossible to measure. I guess the www ads can now be tracked through to the % that lead to sales. I'd like know what that number is.
The other "past" fact/stat is that one of the first areas that get cut (i.e. is very cyclical) is ad spending.
I kid you not. FB has a patent based on the idea of listening to your television through your phone microphone to determine whether you watched an advertisement.
And of course, all the smart TVs are already tracking that.
wkevinw,
The Google ads on my site get clicked on about 0.3% of the time ("click-through ratio"). I have run unique ads for my own clients that got above 1.0% CTR, but that is very high and rare. I have run other ads for my own clients that practically no one clicked on… so around 0%. So this gives you the range.
A bit of an exaggeration, I think, Wolf
My trade in cattle, timber and gas leases has involved no advertising at all and I pay no attention to ads. I know what I want and seek it out.
Wolf didn't state ads substituted for sales, but that they facilitate sales.
The point about "no sale = no commerce" is accurate whether you've seen an ad or not.
But WAIT A MINUTE… Didn't you, dear RD Blakeslee, publicly proclaim here on this forum that you buy a lot of stuff on the internet because you live out in the country? If you buy on the internet… you follow ads consciously or subconsciously to the different options that you have. When you go on Amazon, you are practically INSIDE an ad – the whole site IS an ad, and ad blockers cannot block them or there would be nothing on the page!
RagnarD says:
Which correlates well with how a rural resident circa 1919 would have used the Sears catalog. The catalog/site was/is the advertisement.
noplacetolive says:
What has the economy done for you lately?
noplacetolive,
I assume you're asking me, given that you replied to my comment… It's a valid question and it made me think — even if that's not what you had in mind :-]
So I'll give your question a shot.
Look, there were phases in my life when I got kicked around. But "lately" (to use your term), meaning the past 7 years, I built a thriving little business that I work on balls-to-wall every day, often seven days a week, and I'm having a blast, and the business is growing — April was another all-time record month.
I'm not sure what, if anything, "the economy has done for me lately," but I know my readers have! They're coming in larger numbers to my site and they're reading more of my stuff, which generates more revenues for my little company. Without my readers, there would be nothing. So I thank my readers, and not "the economy."
Blaming people about this is not necessarily correct IMO. In the 20th century teams of psychologists were working on figuring out the weaknesses of the human mind, including the subconscious, that can be played for marketing, social engineering (mass manipulation -> propaganda) etc. Science of Persuasion is an example. It does not work on everyone but statistically it works on a lot of people. You can call them monkeys but I personally would not. IMO victim is a more appropriate phrase.
Something works on everybody. I read Sapolsky's' "Behave"….we all have a ton of biological biases of which were r not aware.
james wordsworth says:
I click on all the ads of companies I hate. Easiest way to send them a bill at no cost to me.
At says:
Be careful. The online advertising chain has no trust built into it. In cybersecurity, it is called 'malvertising' since an attacker can buy an ad and present you a link to a malicious site. Especially effective as a spear-phishing technique.
A year or so ago I clicked on a search ad for a product I was already planning to buy, figuring 'why not' give the revenue to Google. To my surprise, I was served a popup in Cyrillic. Oops! Never again.
Here is a description:
https://blog.checkpoint.com/2018/07/30/malvertising-the-illegal-form-of-lying/
This is why I do not enable JavaScript on browsers. JS gives way too much power to attackers. Not enabling JS also means I don't have to deal with ads. Which reminds me… it's about time for another donation to Wolf.
I click on some of the ads to help Wolf, and also I get ads for Japanese clothing and interestingly the prices have been declining slightly. From $100+ to a little under $100.
I just bought a little LCR meter on Amazon, I wonder if I'll see ads for test equipment more on here now? Hey, it was only a little more than $30 and I'll have it tomorrow. No more mystery coils!
It may be more nuanced than just seeing an ad and then clicking on it. Often we see the ad, and it may enter our subconscious, and then at a later time we strangely seek out that product after mulling it over. This mulling may not even operate at a conscious level, and we didn't click on it initially.
A similar process happens when we watch a movie preview at a theater. There's a few snippets of memorable action or cute one liners, and months later, even though the movie may be total crap, we have this vague familiarity of the title and plot (or lack thereof) when the movie is released, and feel it may be worth watching. This does not always work, since back in the day, Tiger Woods was a spokesperson for Buick, and there was no way in hell I would ever consider buying one either then or now.
Reminds me of a movie preview I saw as a teen: "Sin on the beach". My friend and I went to see it the following week, expecting provocative stuff. We were surprised to find that some of the sexy "previews" were not even in the movie! Needless to add, as an early porn movie, it would have gotten a "G" rating by today's standard. (A major film-going disappointment for the two of us)
"There is a democratic beauty to the ad-supported publishing model."
Democratic indeed Wolf street has become one of my principal time wasters, I mean, the place to be online. Although with the passing of my godson, I've decided to return to the office apparently its slim pickings with accountants they all want to work for the big four or Koch. I'll still be here but less so.
This does violate the comment etiquette, so I hope I don't get deleted.
KGC says:
"hung out to dy" is a great pun…
illumined says:
If publishers are getting squeezed out then doesn't that mean sooner or later they either go out of business or switch to a different business model? Wouldn't that cause a market shakeout since a source of those ad revenues would dry up?
illumined,
Yes, happening, both options – going out of business and switching to a paid subscription model. Not sure about the consequences though for the ad business. The internet is teeming with activity of all kinds.
The AD business remains a method of conspicuous consumption, esp the glossy ads in magazines. We are in a depression and we don't know it. The ad industry today is like Hollywood in the 30s. Ads are also a form of social realism, they remind you that blacks have kinky hair and hispanics need car insurance but to the degree that you only see what your demographic requires, you aren't getting that. The US culture police need to step in,, and force people to view a diverse range of ads, including children, who we are told should limit their screen time, (in order to further their sense of entitlement).
Most of us are quite aware that we're in a depression. It's hard to forget we're in one when we used to make $70k or better and are now lucky to make $15k.
This year when my internet and cable package came up for renewal I was ready to cut the cord on cable. I really tried to get rid of it, but the offer for internet and cable was $15 a month cheaper than internet alone. Basically, they are paying me $15 a month to keep cable TV. The only way this makes sense is they need the eyeballs to keep their advertising revenue up or stable.
The next thing to go will be my cheap fashion magazine subscriptions. I basically only look at the ads to see what's new in fashionista land. But I find that the online videos posted by other fashionistas offer a better window into what's new, what's worth the money, and what's not worth it. I can already see that the fashion magazine business is dead.
I love to critique those ads (see McLuhan The Mechanical Bride). I think they serve as a form of propaganda, which operates as positive feedback ( like Sitcoms) The fact they pay you to watch must say something and as such serves as a financially engineered solution to a social problem, much as cheap credit harms savers but it also leads to lower gasoline prices and energy independence in US policy.
I saw it mostly as a financial gambit on their part, they pay me to watch and they make advertising revenue from having another subscriber. I had a similar experience many years ago when I cancelled a magazine subscription, they kept sending it anyway to keep their circulation numbers up.
I wasn't considering the social or political aspect, but if I'm not watching then they have no hope of reaching me with their social or political propaganda. It warms my heart to know that political campaign money will be paying my cable bill.
Does any of it actually work though? I mean does anyone actually click ads?
I suppose someone must, otherwise nobody would pay for them. I'd like to meet these people. :)
Go to almost any political comments section and you'll find hundreds of presumably home-bound high-school dropouts with no life who post about making $100/hour clicking ads.
Yes. This site served 2.9 million Google ads over the past 30 days (not including the non-Google ads). And it generated close to 8,500 clicks, for a click-through ratio of close to 0.3%. IN terms of performance — what people actually buy off those ads — only the vendors would know that. Performance tracking is pretty good these days, and they know what works and what doesn't.
At a 0.3% rate of success, you'd think that that would be abysmal failure. So, if your ad get a 0.5% click-through rate, you're brimming over with joy.
This doesn't even count the amount that Google takes from people who drive to make a living on YouTube or Amazon does from people doing the same on Twitch. And then because so much goes to those companies, they offer the creator subscriptions, of which half goes to Google/YouTube.
Simjam says:
I suspect that the NYT, WP, CNN, etc. get healthy subsidies from the Intelligence Community, which has money to burn. What else would explain their slavish adherence to never ending war?
The interesting "hidden" mystery is what do people pay per click. I have noticed my cost per click (for ads I place), or at least what Google wants me to pay has moved steadily higher. If I don't pay (bid) then my ad rank for my web site goes down, and the price goes up even more. I have actually started reducing my ad spend … especially when you look at the search queries (I only advertise on search – best for our product) and see how far they stretch it to get an impression. Lots of time spent building up a lengthy negative key word list.
Wolf:
Can some banner space on this site be shared between those who spend money for PPC anyway – like James Wordsworth above, myself and others? Not much targeting options of course, but can be tried. No middlemen and an alternative to beer money :)
Yes. Contact me by email howlatwolfstreet@gmail.com
Please note that any new banner replaces a revenue-producing existing banner already in this slot. So the rate has to be competitive. I'd love to discuss this with you.
Go with Amazon. Google's / FB's advertising technology has become privacy-invasive.
Apeon says:
Never buy anything advertised on TV, magazines, newspapers. The internet ads are all stuff I bought, by getting on line and searching.
must be a whole lot of foolish people out there.
Just a thought why don't all companies eliminate their entire advertising budget and pass the savings onto consumers by reducing the cost of everything because they can still maintain their margins perhaps even improve them now that they no longer have these huge useless expenses known as advertising budgets. This will also eliminate the need for adjusting prices and perhaps allow us to impose even greater tariffs to make sure we as Americans do everything we can to cripple the Chinese economy which uses slave labor to build crap no one needs. When was the last time anyone bought anything because they saw or heard an ad other than to notify you that a store was having a going out of business sale, which is the only time shopping retail makes any sense because markups on retail goods are ridiculous relative to the actual cost of production.
You'd be amazed how well advertising works in getting people to buy things they wouldn't otherwise buy, or to buy things from a different vendor, or to buy a different product. Business people who make the decisions to spend a large amount of money on ads aren't morons. They're armed with data. Sure, some ad campaigns fail. But that's a general risk in business anyway.
I know advertising works that's the problem. It works on people who have access to credit that shouldn't. The people who consume based on advertising are the people who pay $100k for a degree in communications, buy homes and cars they can't afford, take vacations they can't afford, have children they can't afford, but crap they can't afford, etc. That's my point and the problem with the global economy. We live in a world based on want not need. People have been given access to the ability to consume they never should have been. If we as Americans refuse to buy only what is necessary there would be so much surplus in the world the price of everything would probably be cut in half. The Chinese are the biggest drug dealers the world has ever seen and they make a fortune off morons who never should have been given the credit in the first place. No need for advertising and no need for credit. Buy what you can afford based on your willingness to save for consumption.
Harvey Cotton says:
Through my cell phone, Google and Facebook know every facet of my life. Google knows where I have been, when, for how long, and how much I spent when there. Facebook knows all of the people I know, what I think, what I feel is important and worth arguing about, my hobbies, interests, and beliefs. And with this mountain of datums, what psychologically manipulative, data-driven advertisements do I get? Little girls' sketchers. Or Prager U. Or Home Depot D.I.Y. Or a load of other crap I have no need or interest in. The absolute best Google and Facebook do is advertise to me things I have either bought online, or searched Google for. This is the benefit to me of surveillance capitalism.
nicko2 says:
A week ago I did some googling for a new airconditioner… a week later, on the few sites that I don't block ads…the banners are chock full of ads for….. Air conditioners. ?
GK says:
Well, you never know! You might decide to take up collecting them, as a hobby!
Laurence Hunt says:
Your moderated discussions work, Wolf. This is the ONLY site where I read the discussions. Usually on Amazon Kindle. I'm sure I see more ads in the discussion section. I just tried clicking on an Amazon ad. They are well targeted. Most of the ads are displaying things I have zero interest in.
A. Ferreira says:
Wolf, once more I urge you take a look at Brave. Their model would increase privacy for users and leave the publisher with more income.
For more than a decade, I've used firefox loaded with ad and script blocking extensions. IMHO, the money fuelling the Internet revolution is limitless… why should we, lowly citizens (ie. The Product) have to pay for anything? We are past the Rubicon….through the looking Glass… the likes of facebook/amazon/apple pay hardly any taxes, and offshore the majority of profits. On the other side of the coin, we have the upcoming government supported mega Chinese Internet companies. In a world where half a dozen megacorps own everything, why pay anything at all?
drg1234 says:
I do the same thing. I also donate to Wolf. The content on this site is worth more than an occasional comment from me.
MC01 says:
I hope Wolf will forgive me for the very slight hijack but as a former (horrible) musician and big music fan I am intrigued in how those statistics are tabbed.
For example if Mazda or Honda pay to have one of their cars featured in a music video, how is that tabbed? Under "Music", "Television" or… ?
What if the video is a YouTube exclusive? Will that be tabbed under "Music" or "Internet"?
Just very curious.
Let's see if I understood your question correctly…
It goes by spending and by platform and then by category.
If Honda pays for a product placement, it is part of Honda's ad spending and counts as advertising spend, just like an ad.
If this product placement runs on TV, no matter what show and even if it's in a music video, this portion counts as ad spending on TV (not internet).
If the same product placement also runs on a YouTube video, even if it's the same video than runs on TV, this portion of spending counts as internet ad spend.
If you see this product placement on YouTube on your laptop, it counts as internet ad spending "PC/laptop". If you see the same ad on your smartphone, it counts as internet "mobile" ad spending.
In other words, Honda pays for a package that gets split up in different ways. And Honda tracks it that way.
However, if a product placement goes viral and Honda didn't pay for it, it doesn't count as ad spending because Honda didn't spend anything. It's just free advertising. Apple is a master of this. When Apple comes out with a new product, it's all over the media and social media, and Apple doesn't pay a dime for this coverage. And since Apple didn't pay for it, it doesn't count as ad spending and is not part of these figures.
By contrast, and separately, "video ads" in this data set are internet ads that show up in your browser on the website that you're in now as videos; in other words, instead of seeing a banner in a box, you see a video ad in a box.
Thank you very much for the explanation.
That makes those $3.3 billion in "Music" look about right.
Outstanding article, one of the best I've read on internet marketing. So there are 10 big players currently in this business and Amazon is really shaking things up. One has to wonder what will happen to one trick ponies like Google and especially Facebook if these 10 players become 20 or 50 resulting in asubsequently smaller overal market share over time.
c1ue says:
I would add that there is some significant amount of fraud embedded in online advertising.
Proctor and Gamble cut its ad spend 20% – about $1.2B in 2017 and saw no change in outcomes. They furthermore specifically called out bots as one of the reasons for this change.
This confirms for me that a significant percentage of the $350B to $400B worldwide online ad market is fraudulent. How much? Could be 10% or 50% but likely somewhere in the 30s.
There are good reasons for this:
1) Ad agencies are "use it or lose it". Failure to spend allocated budget means budget cuts next year. I'm not saying the ad agencies indulge directly in fraud, although some certainly do, but that the sector in general is criminogenic due to this structural requirement.
2) Platform owners gain around 50% of all dollars spend by advertisers. Again. I do not believe they are actively abetting the fraud, but clearly they directly benefit. Hard to really crack down when the outcome is less revenue…
3) Affiliate marketers. They get a cut on all traffic they refer, but there are multiple channels to create additional referrals including fake traffic, tagging organic traffic as referred, etc.
This can largely be blamed on the Doubleclick/Google "refinement" of advertising based on target collections of cookies rather than people. Collections of cookies are far easier to fake than extrapolated surveys.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Jon Shimmons – PGA Director of Golf
Jon qualified as a PGA Professional back in 1997 at Airlinks GC in Middlesex. He moved to Dorset in 1999 and spent two years as an assistant at Broadstone GC before taking up the role of Head Professional at Ashley Wood GC, where he spent 14 years. Jon took a step up the career ladder when he became the Director of Golf here at Wareham GC in May 2015.
Matt Williams – Assistant Professional
Matt started playing at Killiow GC in Cornwall, and got down to 1 handicap at Trevose GC before moving to Bournemouth University where he studied Sports Management and Golf. He then turned Professional while working at Dudsbury GC in 2014, where he undertook his PGA training.
Matt is a very enthusiastic coach, and plays in many Professional tournaments both locally and nationally. He is very keen to promote his coaching here at Wareham as one of the Elite Performance Coaches to the Bournemouth University golf squad and looks forward to being a part of Wareham golf club`s future success. For more about Matt please see his website: www.mattwilliamsgolf.co.uk
The pro shop is fully stocked with many of the major brands, and as a Foremost golf member Jon has access to all makes and models of golf equipment and clothing. He will also match any locally advertised price!
Jon and Matt will help improve your technique and enjoyment of the game with their range of knowledge and experience, their prices are:
JON SHIMMONS HEAD PGA PROFESSIONAL
40 minute lesson £25
5 x 40 minute lessons £100
5 hole playing lesson £45
MATT WILLIAMS ASSISTANT PROFESSIONAL
JUNIOR ACADEMY – Every Saturday!
For juniors aged 6 – 18, learn to play golf, meet new friends and have fun.
Only £6.00 a session and all equipment is provided.
Saturdays 9.00am – 10.00am & 10.15am – 11-15am
Call us on 01929 554147 to book or for more details


The workers, represented by Teamsters Local 251, are concerned about their families' health care and a secure retirement. Additionally, Airgas' proposed contract language would allow the company to operate driverless trucks transporting dangerous materials through our communities and on America's highways.
"Airgas has been demanding contract language nationally that would allow the company to operate driverless vehicles. They have failed to take into consideration the potential dangers of the cargo or the fact that it could jeopardize the safety of the public if an accident were to occur," said Sean M. O'Brien, Teamsters International Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Joint Council 10 New England.
Airgas is America's largest distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases. Airgas' parent company, Air Liquide [EPA: AI], is based in France, and is the world's largest distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases and technology.
In 2016, an Airgas plant in Cantonment, Fla. had a deadly explosion of nitrous oxide that killed a plant worker. OSHA fined Airgas for failing to use safeguards that would have prevented such an explosion.
"Since 2010 Airgas and Air Liquide have been fined more than $330,000 for safety and environmental violations. This is in addition to Airgas Doral's $7 million combined criminal fine and restitution when its hazmat violations resulted in the deaths of three stevedores," said Keith Gleason, Teamsters' Tank Haul Division Director.


text:
Q: Powershell script to restore a SQL Server database with multiple TRN files I am trying to come up with a Powershell script to dynamically do 'Restore Database' in SQL Server 2019 with multiple TRN (or BAK in my case) files that are located in one folder on a daily basis.
I will manually do the full backup first, and this task will be scheduled to run after (once on a daily basis).
So, a Python script will grab only yesterday's files from another folder into this folder, and this Powershell script will execute to run to restore a database using these TRN / BAK files (located in this folder).
The plan is go thru each TRN files (located in the same folder) sequentially (not with the time files were created, but by file name).
For example, it will start from "..04" --> "..12" in this case.

I found some examples from this site, but I was not sure how to code where it recognize the sequence ("..04" --> "..12") to run.
PS C:\> $File = Get-ChildItem c:\backups, \\server1\backups -recurse
PS C:\> $File | Restore-DbaDatabase -SqlInstance Server1\Instance -UseDestinationDefaultDirectories

A: So, by default, I think Get-ChildItem should be already displaying the files starting from lowest to highest but if you want to make sure you could try something like this and see if the output fits your case.
For starting the test I'll create files using the same names as yours:
$i=1;1..12|foreach{
    $null > "LOG_us_bcan_multi_replica_20210427$($i.ToString('0#')).bak"
    $null > "LOG_us_bcan_multi_replica_20200327$($i.ToString('0#')).bak"
    $i++
}

This creates 24 files with the same naming convention you have.

*

*From ...multi_replica_2021042701.bak to ...multi_replica_2021042712.bak

*From ...multi_replica_2020042701.bak to ...multi_replica_2020042712.bak
We know sorting by DateTime is possible so we can use string manipulation to get the date of your FileNames and use the ParseExact method on them.
Example:
# Assuming your current directory is the directory where the .bak files are

$expression={
    [datetime]::ParseExact(
        $_.BaseName.split('replica_')[1],'yyyyMMddHH',[cultureinfo]::InvariantCulture
    )
}

Get-ChildItem | Select-Object BaseName,@{n='DateFromFileName';e=$expression}

# This will return a side by side FileName with their Dates from FileName

BaseName                             DateFromFileName
--------                             ----------------
LOG_us_bcan_multi_replica_2020032701 3/27/2020 1:00:00 AM
LOG_us_bcan_multi_replica_2020032702 3/27/2020 2:00:00 AM
LOG_us_bcan_multi_replica_2020032703 3/27/2020 3:00:00 AM
LOG_us_bcan_multi_replica_2020032704 3/27/2020 4:00:00 AM
LOG_us_bcan_multi_replica_2020032705 3/27/2020 5:00:00 AM
LOG_us_bcan_multi_replica_2020032706 3/27/2020 6:00:00 AM
.....

Now we can use the same $expression with Sort-Object instead of Select-Object
Get-ChildItem | Sort-Object $expression

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Where in the (Stack Exchange) world can I initiate a programming-related discussion? I fired up Stack Overflow just now and entered in the search "best jquery tooltip plugin", and was met with a fine collection of perfectly clickable candidates ... many of which have been closed as not constructive.
I've read the FAQ and I get it; it's not necessarily a factual programming question, and at some point they have to draw a line in the sand.  Alas, I'm spoiled, and at this point I've pretty much convinced myself that if a SO post fails to generate traction then my question is untenable.
Where in the Stack Exchange universe does a question like the one above make the most sense?  Is it just flat out unacceptable anywhere?  Is there a stackdiscussion.com?  Should I be asking this in meta.stackoverflow?  Someone kinda did.  But this is a programming question.  Factual?  debatable.  But most certainly a programming question.

A: If you're looking for discussion instead of Q&A, I'd suggest the chat.
SO usually has chat rooms for specific languages/technologies, or there are some more active chatrooms that are for general chat
There's also the Programmers.SE chat, which is the main chat room for programmers.stackexchange

A: As pointed out in comments, the most enlightening guidance on asking and answering best / recommendation type questions appears to be one given in Q&A is Hard, Let's Go Shopping!

...consider the voluminous amount of information you need to even begin properly answering...
Let's say the question asker provided all that information. Fat chance, I know, but let's pretend for a moment they did — and we were able to provide the perfect, ideal shopping recommendation to them. Even if that was the case, technology moves so rapidly that the best shopping recommendations will be utterly obsolete within a year! What's the point of a bunch of labor intensive questions that provide only temporary benefit to a limited (some might say Too Localized) audience? There isn't any...
... there is a way to ask these questions that avoids the inherent problems with shopping recommendations. For example, let's say you wanted — as I did — to buy a point-and-shoot camera that takes good low light photos. So we're going to ask on photo.stackexchange.com, naturally!
Here's one way to ask:

Q: What's the best low light point-and-shoot camera?

...Here's another way to ask:

Q: How do I tell which point-and-shoot cameras take good low light photos?

...The former question provides the path of least resistance: a laundry list of products I can buy without thinking about it too much. But that answer will only be valid for a year at best. The latter question may take some thinking, but its answer will be valid forever … or at least until camera technology somehow shifts beyond lenses and sensors as we know them today. Thus, when it comes to shopping questions, don't ask us what you should buy — ask us what you need to learn to tell what you should buy...

Applied to your particular case, a more appropriate question could be like like "How do I tell which jquery tooltip plugin <fill in what do you want from it>"

A:
Where in the stackexchange universe does a question like the one above make the most sense?

Nowhere.
Stack Exchange is not a place for discussions or debates. The very design of SE is built around quelling debates should they spring up, not encouraging them out. That's why the comment system is restricted.
Stack Exchange is for answering questions, not discussing things and putting forth various opinions. Even subjective questions must be held to certain standards, and answers have to be backed up by either facts or actual experience.
You could try the chatrooms if you feel like it. That's as close to "discussion" as it gets.

A: There's now programmers.stackexchange.com, which accepts many questions about programming projects, techniques, and designs, which aren't specific to a particular piece of code.

Gee, this started a firestorm.  I didn't feel there was enough information to know for sure whether the question would or would not be on-topic at Programmers.
I can't tell whether he's looking for an existing plugin (the "best" one, whatever that means) or "best practices" for writing his own plugin.
But go ahead and downvote my answer into oblivion.  I'm assuming the intent is that "this answer is not helpful" rather than incorrect, and that may be true, depending on what kind of question the user was really asking.


text:
package org.treetank.access.conf;

import static com.google.common.base.Objects.toStringHelper;

import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileReader;
import java.io.FileWriter;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.lang.reflect.Constructor;
import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Objects;
import java.util.Properties;

import org.treetank.access.Session;
import org.treetank.api.IDataFactory;
import org.treetank.api.IMetaEntryFactory;
import org.treetank.exception.TTIOException;
import org.treetank.io.IBackend;
import org.treetank.io.IBackend.IBackendFactory;
import org.treetank.io.bytepipe.ByteHandlerPipeline;
import org.treetank.io.bytepipe.Encryptor;
import org.treetank.io.bytepipe.IByteHandler;
import org.treetank.io.bytepipe.IByteHandler.IByteHandlerPipeline;
import org.treetank.revisioning.IRevisioning;

import com.google.gson.stream.JsonReader;
import com.google.gson.stream.JsonWriter;
import com.google.inject.Inject;
import com.google.inject.assistedinject.Assisted;

/**
 *
ResourceConfiguration

 *
 *

 * Holds the settings for a resource which acts as a base for session that can not change. This includes all
 * settings which are persistent. Each {@link ResourceConfiguration} is furthermore bound to one fixed
 * database denoted by a related {@link StorageConfiguration}.
 *

 *
 * @author Sebastian Graf, University of Konstanz
 */
public final class ResourceConfiguration {

    /**
     * Paths for a {@link Session}. Each resource has the same folder.layout.
     */
    public enum Paths implements IConfigurationPath {

        /** Folder for storage of data. */
        Data(new File("data"), true),
        /** Folder for transaction log. */
        TransactionLog(new File("log"), true),
        /** File to store the resource settings. */
        ConfigBinary(new File("ressetting.obj"), false);

        /** Location of the file. */
        private final File mFile;

        /** Is the location a folder or no? */
        private final boolean mIsFolder;

        /**
         * Constructor.
         *
         * @param pFile
         *            to be set
         * @param pIsFolder
         *            to be set.
         */
        private Paths(final File pFile, final boolean pIsFolder) {
            this.mFile = pFile;
            this.mIsFolder = pIsFolder;
        }

        /**
         * Getting the file for the kind.
         *
         * @return the file to the kind
         */
        public File getFile() {
            return mFile;
        }

        /**
         * Check if file is denoted as folder or not.
         *
         * @return boolean if file is folder
         */
        public boolean isFolder() {
            return mIsFolder;
        }

    }

    // MEMBERS FOR FIXED FIELDS
    /** Type of Storage (File, Berkeley). */
    public final IBackend mBackend;

    /** Kind of revisioning (Incremental, Differential). */
    public final IRevisioning mRevision;

    /** Path for the resource to be associated. */
    public final Properties mProperties;

    /** Data Factory for deserializing data. */
    public final IDataFactory mDataFac;

    /** MetaEntry Factory for deserializing meta-entries. */
    public final IMetaEntryFactory mMetaFac;

    // END MEMBERS FOR FIXED FIELDS

    /**
     * Convenience constructor using the standard settings.
     *
     * @param pProperties
     * @param pBackend
     * @param pRevision
     * @param pDataFac
     */
    @Inject
    public ResourceConfiguration(@Assisted Properties pProperties, IBackendFactory pBackend,
        IRevisioning pRevision, IDataFactory pDataFac, IMetaEntryFactory pMetaFac) {

        this(pProperties, pBackend.create(pProperties), pRevision, pDataFac, pMetaFac);
    }

    /**
     * Constructor.
     *
     * @param pProperties
     * @param pStorage
     * @param pRevisioning
     * @param pDataFac
     * @param pMetaFac
     */
    public ResourceConfiguration(Properties pProperties, IBackend pStorage, IRevisioning pRevisioning,
        IDataFactory pDataFac, IMetaEntryFactory pMetaFac) {
        mProperties = pProperties;
        mBackend = pStorage;
        mRevision = pRevisioning;
        mDataFac = pDataFac;
        mMetaFac = pMetaFac;
    }

    /**
     *
     * Factory for generating an {@link ResourceConfiguration}-instance. Needed mainly
     * because of Guice-Assisted utilization.
     *
     * @author Sebastian Graf, University of Konstanz
     *
     */
    public static interface IResourceConfigurationFactory {

        /**
         * Generating a storage for a fixed file.
         *
         *
         * @param pProperties
         *            Properties of resource to be set.
         * @return an {@link ResourceConfiguration}-instance
         */
        ResourceConfiguration create(Properties pProperties);
    }

    private static final String[] JSONNAMES = {
        "metaentryClass", "revisioningClass", "DataFactoryClass", "byteHandlerClasses", "storageClass",
        "properties"
    };

    public static void serialize(final ResourceConfiguration pConfig) throws TTIOException {
        try {

            final File file =
                new File(new File(new File(pConfig.mProperties.getProperty(ConstructorProps.STORAGEPATH),
                    StorageConfiguration.Paths.Data.getFile().getName()), pConfig.mProperties
                    .getProperty(ConstructorProps.RESOURCE)), Paths.ConfigBinary.getFile().getName());

            FileWriter fileWriter = new FileWriter(file);
            JsonWriter jsonWriter = new JsonWriter(fileWriter);
            jsonWriter.beginObject();
            // caring about the meta-entries
            jsonWriter.name(JSONNAMES[0]).value(pConfig.mMetaFac.getClass().getName());
            // caring about the versioning
            jsonWriter.name(JSONNAMES[1]).value(pConfig.mRevision.getClass().getName());
            // caring about the DataFactory
            jsonWriter.name(JSONNAMES[2]).value(pConfig.mDataFac.getClass().getName());
            // caring about the ByteHandlers
            IByteHandlerPipeline byteHandler = pConfig.mBackend.getByteHandler();
            jsonWriter.name(JSONNAMES[3]);
            jsonWriter.beginArray();
            for (IByteHandler handler : byteHandler) {
                jsonWriter.value(handler.getClass().getName());
            }
            jsonWriter.endArray();
            // caring about the storage
            jsonWriter.name(JSONNAMES[4]).value(pConfig.mBackend.getClass().getName());
            jsonWriter.name(JSONNAMES[5]);
            jsonWriter.beginObject();
            for (String key : pConfig.mProperties.stringPropertyNames()) {
                jsonWriter.name(key).value(pConfig.mProperties.getProperty(key));
            }
            jsonWriter.endObject();
            jsonWriter.endObject();
            jsonWriter.close();
            fileWriter.close();
        } catch (final IOException exc) {
            throw new TTIOException(exc);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Deserializing a Resourceconfiguration out of a JSON-file from the persistent storage.
     * The order is important and the reader is passed through the objects as visitor.
     *
     * @param pFile
     *            where the resource lies in.
     * @return a complete {@link ResourceConfiguration} instance.
     * @throws TTIOException
     */
    public static ResourceConfiguration deserialize(final File pFile, final String pResource)
        throws TTIOException {
        try {

            final File file =
                new File(new File(new File(pFile, StorageConfiguration.Paths.Data.getFile().getName()),
                    pResource), Paths.ConfigBinary.getFile().getName());

            FileReader fileReader = new FileReader(file);
            JsonReader jsonReader = new JsonReader(fileReader);
            jsonReader.beginObject();
            // caring about the kind of the metabucket
            jsonReader.nextName().equals(JSONNAMES[0]);
            Class<?> metaBucketClazz = Class.forName(jsonReader.nextString());
            // caring about the versioning
            jsonReader.nextName().equals(JSONNAMES[1]);
            Class<?> revClazz = Class.forName(jsonReader.nextString());
            // caring about the DataFactory
            jsonReader.nextName().equals(JSONNAMES[2]);
            Class<?> dataFacClazz = Class.forName(jsonReader.nextString());

            // caring about the ByteHandlers
            List<IByteHandler> handlerList = new ArrayList<IByteHandler>();
            if (jsonReader.nextName().equals(JSONNAMES[3])) {
                jsonReader.beginArray();
                while (jsonReader.hasNext()) {
                    Class<?> handlerClazz = Class.forName(jsonReader.nextString());
                    Constructor<?> handlerCons = handlerClazz.getConstructors()[0];
                    if (handlerClazz.getName().equals(Encryptor.class.getName())) {
                        handlerList.add((IByteHandler)handlerCons.newInstance(StandardSettings.KEY));
                    } else {
                        handlerList.add((IByteHandler)handlerCons.newInstance());
                    }

                }
                jsonReader.endArray();
            }
            ByteHandlerPipeline pipeline =
                new ByteHandlerPipeline(handlerList.toArray(new IByteHandler[handlerList.size()]));
            // caring about the storage
            jsonReader.nextName().equals(JSONNAMES[4]);
            Class<?> storageClazz = Class.forName(jsonReader.nextString());
            jsonReader.nextName().equals(JSONNAMES[5]);
            Properties props = new Properties();
            jsonReader.beginObject();
            while (jsonReader.hasNext()) {
                props.setProperty(jsonReader.nextName(), jsonReader.nextString());
            }
            jsonReader.endObject();
            jsonReader.endObject();
            jsonReader.close();
            fileReader.close();

            Constructor<?> metaBucketCons = metaBucketClazz.getConstructors()[0];
            IMetaEntryFactory metaFac = (IMetaEntryFactory)metaBucketCons.newInstance();

            Constructor<?> dataFacCons = dataFacClazz.getConstructors()[0];
            IDataFactory dataFactory = (IDataFactory)dataFacCons.newInstance();

            Constructor<?> revCons = revClazz.getConstructors()[0];
            IRevisioning revObject = (IRevisioning)revCons.newInstance();

            Constructor<?> storageCons = storageClazz.getConstructors()[0];
            IBackend backend = (IBackend)storageCons.newInstance(props, dataFactory, metaFac, pipeline);

            return new ResourceConfiguration(props, backend, revObject, dataFactory, metaFac);

        } catch (IOException | ClassNotFoundException | InstantiationException | IllegalAccessException
        | InvocationTargetException exc) {
            throw new TTIOException(exc);
        }
    }

    /**
     * {@inheritDoc}
     */
    @Override
    public int hashCode() {
        return Objects.hash(mBackend, mRevision, mProperties, mDataFac);
    }

    /**
     * {@inheritDoc}
     */
    @Override
    public final boolean equals(final Object pObj) {
        return this.hashCode() == pObj.hashCode();
    }

    /**
     * {@inheritDoc}
     */
    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return toStringHelper(this).add("mBackend", mBackend.getClass()).add("mRevision", mRevision).add(
            "mProperties", mProperties).add("mDataFac", mDataFac.getClass().getName()).toString();
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Adoption starts with finding a dog you like on our Adoptable Dogs page then filling out the Dog Adoption Application. Even if you don't see a dog that meets your needs you can still pre-qualify by filling out our Dog Adoption Application, listing the type of dog that you are looking for limiting any excessive time of the process when we have an adoptable dog of your choice.
After receiving the Dog Adoption Application, please give us a full 24 hours to contact you. We are constantly on-the-go at shelters rescuing more dogs, tending to our fostered dogs everyday needs or sometimes dealing with emergency veterinarian situations. After filling out the form you will receive an email confirming your application has been received.
Prior to adoption all dogs are spayed or neutered, if needed, and receive all vaccinations. They are checked for both heart and intestinal worms and receive the appropriate treatments. Each dog is current on vaccinations, flea preventive, and on HW preventive.
Adoption fees are to assist us with their transports, sterilizations, vaccinations, medications, micro chipping, tests, grooming, feed, toys, doggy blankies, general care, ect.
See all the happy dogs we have provided homes for already. Soon, your adopted dog could be listed there!


I was lucky to call Italy home for four amazing years. That experience did much to shape the person I am today. A piece of my heart will always belong to bella Italia. Below are a few of my favorite photos captured in Italy and Sicily.


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Brutality, Food for Thought, Gang-rape, India, News, Post A Day 2013, Rape, Sex, Sexual harassment, This is Life, Women
News: India Shocked by Another Gang Rape. This Time a Swiss Tourist
March 19, 2013 tvaraj	7 Comments
On Friday, March 15, 2013, six men attacked a Swiss woman aged about 40 and her husband. The Swiss couple was on a three-month holiday in India. They had visited the temple town of Orchha in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Prades. On their way to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal, the couple had stopped to camp for the night in the forest near a village in Datia district, Madhya Pradesh, India.
A local police official told the media the gang beat up the husband, tied him to a tree before raping the woman. The gang after assaulting the husband tied him to a tree before raping the woman. The couple was not sure of the exact number of assailants since it was dark. The gang robbed them of their cellphone, laptop, and 10,000 rupees ($185).
On Monday, March 18, 2013, police paraded five men before television cameras.
On Monday, March 18, 2013, the police produced in court six farmers from nearby villages. Dilip Arya, the deputy inspector general of police of the area, told reporters that the accused had confessed to the charge of gang-raping the Swiss woman tourist. They also face other charges such as robbing the Swiss couple. Police said they recovered the laptop and the cellphone from one of the suspects.
Reacting to the unfortunate incident, the Swiss embassy in India said the health and treatment of the victim was a priority for them at the moment. Distraught over the rape, the Swiss foreign ministry in Bern released a statement on Saturday expressing deep shock at the 'tragic incident'. They sought a "swift" investigation into the incident so that the victim gets justice.
Last month, the Swiss government issued a travel notice for India that included a warning about "increasing incidences of rape and other sexual offenses in India." The latest incident could prompt other countries to issue similar warnings as regards to travel within India.
This attack comes just three months after the fatal gang-rape of 23-year-old physiotherapy intern Jyoti Singh on a bus in New Delhi in December 2012, which spurred outrage over how the Indian society treats its women, and the way the Indian judicial system meets out punishment for rapists.
Five confess to gang raping Swiss tourist in Madhya Pradesh: Police (deccanchronicle.com)
6 Indians accused of raping Swiss appear in court (sify.com)
India shocked by another gang rape, this time a Swiss tourist (theglobeandmail.co)
Six held over rape of Swiss woman (bbc.co.uk)
6 Indians accused of raping Swiss appear in court (foxnews.com)
Five men admit to raping Swiss tourist, say Indian police (guardian.co.uk)
Tourists putting themselves at risk of rape, India minister warns after attack on Swiss woman (telegraph.co.uk)
Five admit gang-rape of Swiss tourist in India (thetimes.co.uk)
SWISS WOMAN GANG RAPED IN INDIA – AS THE USUAL SUSPECTS ARE ROUNDED UP (bonjublog.com)
News: Main Delhi Gang Rapist Dead. Was It Suicide or Murder? (tvaraj.com)
News: The Re-Arrest of Bitihotra Mohanti, the Fugitive Rape Convict (tvaraj.com)
23-year-old physiotherapy intern23-year-old physiotherapy studentbrutalityDecember 16 Delhi gang rapeFood for Thoughtgang rapegangrapeIndiaJyoti Singh PandeyMadhya PradeshNew DelhiNewsRapesexsex abuseSexual abusesexual harassmentSwissSwiss woman touristSwitzerlandThis is lifetvaraj


The other day, I took G over to Reach Dance Academy in Burbank. Reach is owned by my friend, Raquel Cordova, and is the studio where we rehearsed for the show I danced in last November. I've also substitute taught ballet for Raquel. (It was so much fun! Raquel, if you're reading this, I would love to sub for you any time!) Reach recently opened and they were having an open house. I wanted to take G over so she could meet my dancer friends and see where mommy likes to spend her time. Unfortunately, due to obligations earlier in the day, we got there right as the open house ended. Fortunately, Raquel likes me and let G run around in the studio as much as she wanted.
Once in the studio, G had a blast! I never thought about it before, but toddlers and dance studios are the perfect combination – a big open space with nothing but kid friendly emptiness! G ran back and forth over and over again. Eventually we tried to teach her some dance moves. I showed her a pirouette and then she ran around herself in a circle. I attempted to teach her tendus, which resulted in her kicking her feet out and then running some more. We even taught her to chasse – and she actually picked that move up!
It was ridiculously adorable! I can't wait until she's old enough for me to enroll her in an actual class. I would love to take a mommy & me class with her, too, but it seems like all the mommy & me classes are geared toward the stay at home mom crew. I have yet to find one offered on the weekend. Maybe during maternity leave I can find one and enroll short term . . . you know, when I'm not dealing with sleep deprivation and spit up.
Looks like she's doing a saute.


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The most popular items voted for by the public will be selected for a new permanent exhibition highlighting the personal experiences of the young men and women of the newly-formed Royal Air Force (and its parent organisations the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service) and their contribution to the Allied victory.
Curators from the RAF Museum have selected 100 artefacts from its rich and diverse First World War collection, with each object specifically selected to tell a story about the experiences of those men and women, at home and overseas, who lived, fought, worked and died during this cataclysmic period.
The collection includes objects ranging from Baron Manfred von Richthofen's lucky charm (a blue glass dog) to Lieutenant Frank McNamara's Victoria Cross, awarded to the Australian pilot for rescuing a fallen comrade despite being gravely wounded himself.
Members of the public are invited to vote for, debate and explain which objects should be given greatest prominence in the museum's new First World War exhibition (opening to the public in Spring 2014) by logging onto the museum's Flickr and Pinterest channels.
"The Royal Air Force Museum is justifiably proud of its First World War collection, which contains the most comprehensive collection of aircraft from the period, anywhere in the world.
"Just as importantly, we also hold a large range of other artefacts that tell the stories of the thousands of individuals caught up in the dangerous, costly and traumatic struggle that became 'The First War in the Air'.
"Over the past four years, the museum has been developing its plans and acquiring objects to form the first comprehensive exhibition on the role of aviation, and the impact on those thousands of individuals who flew in or supported the air services, at home and overseas, during this momentous period.
"To help us in our aim of making all the museum's exhibitions as accessible as possible, we would like to invite the public – our future visitors – to tell us which objects and their stories inspire them, and those that they would like to hear more about, by viewing our Flickr and Pinterest streams.
See Related Links to view the museum's Flickr and Pinterest streams or for more information go to the RAF Museum's website.
The museum would also welcome general input from the public, as part of a consultation process for the redevelopment of the museum's London site, about the types of future displays visitors would like to see. See Related Links to access the consultation document.


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Royal Armories, London
#224 of 257 in Museums in London
Trip Planner: Europe / UK / England / London / Royal Armories
Specialty Museum Museum
The White Tower is a central tower, the old keep, at the Tower of London. It was built by William the Conqueror during the early 1080s, and subsequently extended. The White Tower was the castle's strongest point militarily, and provided accommodation for the king and his representatives, as well as a chapel. Henry III ordered that the tower be whitewashed in 1240.HistoryThe castle which later became known as the Tower of London was begun by William the Conqueror in 1066. It began as a timber fortification enclosed by a palisade. In the next decade work began on the White Tower, the great stone keep that still dominates the castle today. The precise date of the White Tower's foundation is unknown, and it is also uncertain how long building took. It is traditionally held that construction began in 1078. This is because the Textus Roffensis records that Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester, oversaw the building work under instruction from William the Conqueror. Dendrochronological evidence suggests construction of the White Tower began in 1075–1079. The archaeology of the standing building suggests there was a pause in construction between 1080 and 1090–1093, although it is unknown why. Gundulf did more than just oversee work and was a skilled architect. Rochester's castle and cathedral were rebuilt under his auspices. As the main castle in England's capital, the Tower of London was an important royal building. The keep built by Gundulf bears testament to this as it was one of the largest in Christendom.
By using our London vacation builder tool , you can arrange your visit to Royal Armories and other attractions in London.
https://royalarmouries.org/visit-us/tower-of-london
White Tower | HM Tower of London,
London EC3N 4AB,
Create an itinerary including Royal Armories
Royal Armories Reviews
By Mark42139
The armories are incredibly impressive, and in my opinion worth a visit on your trip to the Tower of London more »
By MillanAAP
En el edificio central de la Torre de Londres guardan una buena colección de armaduras medievales. Yo las califico de segunda pues son de uso cotidiano y no destacan tanto como otras de distintos muse... more »
A good collection of medieval armour is kept in the central building of the Tower of London. I call them second because they are of everyday use and do not stand out as much as others of different museums and collections engraved and designed for monarchs and high dignitaries. This collection was mostly for your usual use and are less spectacular.
By Rob Andrew
Probably the best part of the tower experience, seeing the suits of armour in all shapes and sizes for man and beast (horses) some of which are absolutely stunning, as you move onwards and upwards you'll see all manner of weaponry from various stages of history and development, through to some very modern firearms, some very blinged up ones too, there also a beautiful chapel, fairly large and very modest but this just adds to it's beauty, there's quite a lot to see, with a few interactive things, a definite high light.
By Helen H
Lots of great displays. Definitely for anyone who loves medieval armour
Brent Valley Golf Course
American Memorial Chapel
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Plans to Royal Armories by other users
20 days in Dublin, Edinburgh & London BY A USER FROM SOUTH AFRICA December, culture, historic sites, museums, shopping, popular sights PREFERENCES: December, culture, historic sites, museums, shopping ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular sights PACE: Medium 34 days in London BY A USER FROM UNITED ARAB EMIRATES July, kids, culture, outdoors, relaxing, beaches, historic sites, museums, wildlife, hidden gems PREFERENCES: July, kids, culture, outdoors, relaxing, beaches, historic sites, museums, wildlife ATTRACTION STYLE: Hidden gems PACE: Medium 60 days in London & Denver BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES May, culture, outdoors, beaches, historic sites, museums, wildlife, slow & easy, hidden gems PREFERENCES: May, culture, outdoors, beaches, historic sites, museums, wildlife ATTRACTION STYLE: Hidden gems PACE: Slow & easy 43 days in London BY A USER FROM ISRAEL September, culture, historic sites, museums, shopping, hidden gems PREFERENCES: September, culture, historic sites, museums, shopping ATTRACTION STYLE: Hidden gems PACE: Medium 26 days in London & Edinburgh BY A USER FROM AUSTRALIA August, culture, relaxing, romantic, historic sites, museums, shopping, wildlife, fast-paced, popular sights PREFERENCES: August, culture, relaxing, romantic, historic sites, museums, shopping, wildlife ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular sights PACE: Fast-paced 60 days in Hampshire & London BY A USER FROM UNITED KINGDOM June, romantic, popular sights PREFERENCES: June, romantic ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular sights PACE: Medium


An unmanaged HVAC system is a quick way to use money. With that said, it's also the quickest to recapture those lost dollars. Our system is automation capable, and manages your temperature at any time, from anywhere.


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responsibility.
Board of Directors – role, characteristics, competences
We have written about simple joint-stock company (PSA) on the blog HERE. Depending on how you form the articles of association of a PSA, its authorities may include:
general meeting (of shareholders) – always;
management board – alternative to board of directors (either board of directors, or management board);
board of directors – alternative to management board (either management board, or board of directors)
supervisory board – optional and only if the articles of association stipulate existence of the management board (the existence of the board of directors excludes supervisory board).
We explain here the function of the board of directors – one of the "novelties" in the context of a PSA.
Board of directors – new type of company authority
We are all familiar with the general meeting, management board, and supervisory board. The role of a board of directors needs some explanation. In a simple joint-stock company (PSA) the board of directors performs both the executive and supervisory functions – in accordance with new Article 30073§1 of the Code of Commercial Companies "board of directors manages the company, represents the company, and supervises management of the company matters". So it combines the functions of the management board and supervisory board.
Board of directors may be composed of one or more directors who are by default appointed, dismissed and suspended in their duties by shareholders through resolutions. However, articles of association may stipulate a different mode and procedure of director appointment. For example, directors may be appointed by a shareholder named in the articles.
As mentioned above, the board of directors represents the PSA. When the board of directors is composed of one director, such director is authorised to solely represent the company and to make declarations of will on behalf of the company (including to enter into contracts). However, in case of more directors, PSA may be represented by two directors jointly or by one director jointly with an authorised signatory [prokurent]. Obviously this issue may also be regulated differently in the articles of association.
On the subject of authorised signatories – appointment of an authorised signatory requires consent of all directors, however, they may be dismissed by any one director.
Resolutions of the board of directors
The board of directors, as a collegial body, makes decisions through resolutions. Adoption of resolutions requires quorum of half of the number of directors in office. Resolutions are adopted by an absolute majority of votes. Both the quorum and the majority required to adopt resolutions may be modified in PSA's articles of association.
Executive and non-executive directors
When the board of directors is composed of more than one director, all or some (save those explicitly listed in the legislation) business management responsibilities may be delegated to one or some directors. Delegation of those responsibilities may be stipulated in the articles of association or regulations of the board of directors. The board may also assign competences to its members by way of a resolution. The new rules introduce here two new terms:
executive director;
non-executive director;
Executive directors are directors who are entrusted (by articles of association, regulations of the board of directors, or resolution of directors) with some or all business management responsibilities. An executive committee, composed of executive directors only, may be appointed to perform business management for the company.
Non-executive directors oversee company management. A board of directors committee may be created to carry out ongoing supervision of the company management. It is composed exclusively of non-executive directors. Specific duties of non-executive directors include:
review of the fairness and accuracy of reports referred to in Article 300822.1 of the Code of Commercial Companies, namely the report of the management board on the company's activities and financial statements; and also
presentation of an annual written report on the outcomes of that review to the general meeting.
Relationship of the director and PSA
The most important issues related to company representation also include company representation in relations with its directors. The new rules offer two approaches – in the contract between the company and the director and in any dispute with the director the company may be represented by:
attorney appointed by a resolution of shareholders;
non-executive director acting on the basis of a resolution of the board of directors adopted by non-executive directors only.
Those rules are not applicable when the director (being a party to the contract in question or a dispute with the company) is also the sole shareholder of the company. In such case, in accordance with Article 30079§ 4 sentences 2 and 3 of the Code of Commercial Companies: "Legal transaction between such shareholder and company represented by them requires the form of a notarial deed. The notary notifies registration court of each such legal transaction through an ICT system." This solution corresponds to the regulation in Article 379.2 of the Code of Commercial Companies concerning situations where management board member is also the sole shareholder of a joint-stock company.
Board of directors starting point
The rules on the board of directors will enter into force on 1 March 2020. Only after that we will see how the new type of company authority will work in practice and how simple joint-stock companieswill create their authorities and their roles.
Joanna Szumiło, Attorney-at-Law
Code of Commercial Companies
new company amendment
new type of company
new type of company p.s.a.
representation of a company
representation of a simple joint-stock company
representation p.s.a.
simple joint-stock company
© 2019 Office of Advocate Grzegorz Leśniewski. All Rights Reserved.
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Phuket Property Investment Strategies – Be Business Savvy!
Interested in taking up property investment in Phuket, one of the most premier tourist destinations in the world? Then read onto find out a few key strategies that will help you do so.
Be smart and subscribe to the early bird strategy involving investing in pre-sale condo or villa developments and reselling them before completion, in order to reel in a good capital gain. Reputed property developers, including the likes of Infinite Luxury, are usually prepared to propose exclusive pre-launch prices to interested parties.
It's crucial to have an exit strategy in place, that will depend closely on your own personal investment goals. Investing in something with no option to sell or divest, will leave you with limited options and possibly even result in a loss.
Business savvy investors will understand the fact that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to Phuket property investment. Which will give them an added advantage compared to those who believe there are boundaries when it comes to buying and selling real-estate.
Invest in a number of units at the pre-sale stage and re-sell all but one with the aim of gaining a unit at no added cost. Investors can either live there, rent it out or use it as a holiday home for a few weeks and still receive a handsome return.
Recently ranked fifth among top holiday destinations in the world, Phuket is attracting more and more property investors than ever before. Read on to find out why.
Apart from investments for business purposes, a growing demand for real estate to fulfil lifestyle choices have emerged. Many people now wish to own a holiday home or private villa tucked away someplace beautiful.
The stability of the Thai Baht and lower taxes in Thailand have contributed to an increase in foreign investments. This, in turn, has led to the improved development of infrastructure of the burgeoning residential areas. While a number of schools and hospitals too have been founded to cater to the growing affluent population.
Given the large amounts of tourists that Phuket attracts each year many premier hotels, exclusive beach clubs, and theme parks have popped up thus allowing the island to establish itself as an internationalised destination.
Over the latter years, a number of private villas and condominiums have sprung up to facilitate the growing trend. These range from basic entry level properties to high-end ones which have in turn been developed by Phuket property investment companies such as Infinite Luxury.


BENTONVILLE, Ark. (BP) -- As I drove by the school our church met in, my son said to his friend, "That's where our church meets." In protest, the friend said, "That's not a church, that's a school."
Technically he was right. I glanced in the rearview mirror as my son explained in his 9-year-old way, "I know it's a school, but we use the building for our church to meet in." My son understood a simple truth that many adults forget: The building isn't the church; the people are.
Every Sunday for five years, as the sun came up, we "set up church." And as most people were eating lunch, we were packing it back up into the trailer again.
I'll never forget the Sunday morning a guy walked in straight from the woods after hunting. Dressed in camouflage, he still had that hunting smell. We welcomed him as he said, "I figure I'm dressed for church in a school." We made friends with a homosexual man who brought his partner to church because, as he said, "I'm not typical, and you're not typical either."
Well over a decade ago, we started the church. We didn't make any fastest-growing church magazine articles. We didn't hit mega-church status in record time. But we grew. And we are healthy. And we are reproducing ourselves and planting churches around the world.
The first Sunday in our own building felt good. No set up! Unexpectedly, though, it felt strange. For five years, we didn't arrive at church but at a building, and the church -- the people -- came together. We had been a team and a community that broke down barriers for the lost to feel at home. Now that we have a building, we work at creatively reminding the people that our church building is just a toolbox and the work is "out there."
So, if your church is still living out of a suitcase and setting up every Sunday, don't overlook the blessings!
If your kids are young and you're wondering if they are missing "real church," take a look again. They are growing up learning to be the church. Step back, breathe in, and open your eyes to see what our creative God is doing.
Lori McDaniel (lorimcdaniel.org) serves as church initiatives manager with the International Mission Board, mobilizing churches to participate in God's global mission. She and her husband Mike and three children were missionaries in Africa before returning to plant Grace Point Church in Bentonville, Ark., where Mike is the lead pastor. This column first appeared at Flourish, an online community for ministers' wives sponsored by the North American Mission Board.