I’ve seen this ongoing debate debate jump up again recently in
several Blogs and message boards and I can’t help but laugh.
It’s not a new debate… Ever since the long copy masters of the
early 1900’s, people have been arguing for or against the
practice.

As a copywriter and conversion specialist, convincing my clients
to test longer copy on their websites is often a very difficult
task. After all, online customers have microscopic attention
spans and are always in a hurry to move on.

Different visitors have different goals, different personalities
and different buying styles. Some visitors will want to read
everything you can give them before buying and then they still
need “more information” before they can decide. Others just want
to know “what are you selling”, “what does it do for me” and
“how much is it” and they want to know it NOW!

It may sound like an impossible task to write copy that sells
both of them… After all if you cut your copy to bone to sell the
second visitor, you won’t have enough information to persuade
the first visitor. And, if you waste the second visitors time by
forcing them to read a 20 page sales letter to “get to the
meat”, they will leave.

(Fortunately, there is a way to satisfy BOTH of them on the same
page… But more on that in a minute…)

There are two basic camps in this debate… The first group says
“Long copy ALWAYS outsells short copy”, while the second group
says stuff like “…as a consumer, I don’t have time to read all
that copy. I’ll NEVER buy from long copy.”

The part that makes me laugh is that 90% of the people in BOTH
camps have never scientifically tested copy of ANY length! They
make these statements of absolute facts, with no test results to
back up their claims.

The truth is, sometimes long copy out pulls short copy and
sometimes short copy out pulls long copy. But you have to TEST
it to know which is going to work for your site and your target
demographic. (Actually there is one absolute when it comes to
copy… Good copy always outsells Bad copy, regardless of length!)

Another thing to keep in mind is, just because you conduct a
test and find that a shorter version out pulls a longer version,
don’t automatically assume that “short copy is better than long
copy”. If you are testing a clear, attention grabbing short
message against a long, boring message, your test is not going
to tell you much.

Its much like comments I get from time to time about using audio
as a sales tool on websites. Occasionally a client will tell me
“we tested using audio and it didn’t work”. Well… Just testing
audio vs. no audio, doesn’t mean your test result is valid.
Perhaps your message was not effective, maybe they didn’t like
your voice. You need to test multiple audio scripts and even
multiple speakers, before you can draw a valid conclusion.

In the end the length of the copy is irrelevant, the response
rate is what matters.

From my own testing I have found, as long as you keep your
reader interested, keep your copy active and ensure a good flow,
longer copy usually out performs short.

To often, people who have heard that “long copy is better”,
write long copy for the sake of long copy. The result is usually
long-boring copy. Adding more words, just to have longer copy is
missing the point… The copy still needs to be tight, clean and
laser focused.

The good news is, if your prospect is truly qualified and in
real need (or want) of your product or service, they will read
everything you give them, as long as you keep it interesting.

My friend (and long copy sales letter king) Michel Fortin
recently posted an excellent article to his Blog about how to
keep long copy interesting. You can read it here:
http://michelfortin.com/archives/2005/05/how_to_write_co.htm

At the beginning I told you that there is a way to write your
copy to persuade and keep the interest of both long copy AND
short copy fans.

You can cater to both visitor types by using “Dual Readership
Paths”. You do this by using your headlines and sub-headlines
within your copy to tell the “scan and buy” visitors everything
they need to know to make their buying decision. By creatively
using your sub-headlines and bullet points you can persuade
those who do not have the time to read your entire message,
without sacrificing needed benefits and copy for those who won’t
buy without a “full” explanation of your product or service.

The bottom line is this…

The LENGTH of your copy is not what is important, it is the
EFFECTIVENESS and response rate that matters

Eric Graham
http://www.articlesbase.com/copywriting-articles/long-copy-vs-short-copy-if-youre-still-debating-this-youre-missing-the-point-761.html

Fertilizers - Pro’s and Con’s

The following is in no way intended to be the last word on the chemical-vs-organic debate, but rather a basic outline describing the pros and cons of each.

If you were to ask 100 people for their opinions on this subject, you might well receive a hundred different points of view. In my humble opinion, if used properly, both chemical and organic fertilizers can be safe. However, if used improperly, both can be, without question, unsafe.

Chemical

In very basic and general terms, a chemical fertilizer is a compound (collection of ingredients) that has been chemically processed or refined to increase its potency.

The introduction of chemical fertilizers in the early to mid 20th century is in many ways responsible for the massive increase in food an individual farmer can produce.

The main problem is the result of applying too much or an over-application of this class of fertilizers.

Any plant (wheat, corn, etc.), can only use so much food during its growth cycle.

What’s left over tends to travel into groundwater, streams, lakes and the ocean, due to rain or irrigation. This pollutes the natural environment and has caused a great number of problems.

More recently most farmers and fertilizer manufacturers are well aware of these problems and work hard to use this class of fertilizers responsibly.

The home gardener needs to be aware and use any chemical in a responsible manner as well. This is one instance where “too little” is much better than “too much.”

Organic

The organic class of fertilizers (again, in very basic terms) tends to be less refined and involve little or no chemical processing. Also, the natural environment tends to have an easier time of breaking down and absorbing them. However, a few types can and do pollute ground water and other water systems.

Animal manure (cow, chicken) can cause many problems if used improperly. Manure is a highly concentrated source of nitrogen, which is easily released when exposed to rain or other forms of irrigation.

Excess nitrogen and phosphorous have proven to be major problems when released into our waterways and other water sources.

One benefit of using an organic “fert” is an increase in the biological activities in the soil.

Micro-organism’s within the soil help plants convert nutrients into food and help to break down old plant material which adds to the over all health of the soil and garden.

Chemical products in general do not offer this benefit which is one of the complaints from the proponents of organic style gardening.

Chemical fert’s have been popular for a long time, though because of over-application have caused many problems. However, if used correctly, they have also proven to be beneficial and safe for food crop production.

With the rise in popularity of organic style gardening there is a risk of misusing this class of fertilizer as well. To say that an organic product is completely safe and leave it at that is to not really understand the question of fertilizers in general.

I strongly recommend learning more about the chemical vs organic issue, and deciding for yourself which type is best suited for your needs.

A Word on Plant Nutrients

Most garden centers will have a huge array of fertilizers to choose from and all will have numbers on the packaging such as 4-10-5 or 15-15-15.

A very simple and accurate way to understand the meaning of those numbers is to remember, leaf-flower-root.

For example, a 4-10-5 fertilizer indicates good leaves - big/many flowers or fruit - good roots. 4-10-5 = leaf-flower-root.

Think of “10″ as being the middle ground on a scale of one to twenty, one being the lowest, 20 being the highest.

A set of equal numbers such as 10-10-10 or 5-5-5 indicates an all-purpose plant food and as the name implies should work well with most plants.

Always follow the directions for application of any gardening product and remember that too much fertilizer can ultimately burn part or all of your plants.

Tip: Length times Width will provide your total square footage for a planting bed. Example: 10 feet x 3 feet = 30 square feet.

Most garden centers or nurseries will be happy to answer any questions you may have and will assist you in obtaining the right type and amount of fertilizer or other garden additives.

Good Luck and Happy Gardening!

Bill Watson
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/the-debate-on-chemical-vs-organic-fertilizers-54249.html

Climate Change and Global Warming are indeed a huge debate topic in all its controversy and media hysteria. The majority of people are up in arms over the thought of global warming and indeed they want the United States to sign the Kyoto Treaty and agree to reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases.

We cannot say for sure how much the globe may be warming up though, how much is due to human activities versus natural activities, or whether these movements in global temperature would be mostly good or mostly bad for the majority of us.

Recently in an online think tank one person was berrated for placing a post in the Global Warming area of the website on a Chinese Flooding event which washed away 90 people and in another province killed 117 folks.

Though Global Warming doesn’t seem that bad, with many people’s idea of it being that of a world wrapped snuggly in a warm blanket, it’s something that needs to be taken seriously and it’s something that could greatly hinder, and destroythe future.

In a nutshell, Global Warming is the gradual increase of the temperature of the earth’s lower atmosphere. Basically global warming is the ascent of the earth’s surface temperature due to chemicals in the atmosphere. Some Global Warming Alarmists believe it is too late to stop the effects of mankind on our atmosphere and that these undesired effects will cause the triggering of major storms, freak weather and catastrophic situations. In order to control and avoid the effects of global warming we must first agree with a fact that it is happening, and take some steps to end or even reduce it. Maybe the whole world needs to rethink the level playing field rules over again and then we can sit down and talk about Global Warming, CO2 emissions and the Kyoto Treaty or a more realistic version of it.

Luckily most of the Global Warming theories are not based on very solid scientific evidence, but our Planet is going through a climate change cycle and this cycle, which is being caused by a series of inter-related cycles are warming areas our Planet among other things. There is no compelling scientific evidence that global warming is caused by anything other than ordinary, natural climatic cycles.Some Global Warming alarmists are now thinking it is time to invest their money in House Boat Stocks and pick out a big ship to live on?

So the debate of climate change battles on and whilst I see no end in site to it the doomsdayers will have you agree the sky is falling ,remember chicken little.So get yourself some scientific knowledge on the subject because if you dont you’ll end up becoming one of them.

Calvin Leonard
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/the-new-climate-change-debate-124416.html

Medicine is a necessity to life however as the field develops and as medical scientists continue to search and discover new kinds of drugs, the debate remains on the effectiveness of these new discoveries compared to ancient forms. In ancient times, people resorted to herbal and spiritual medicine to ease the pains and injuries they have. Simple as these may seem, our ancestors have put their full trust in their effectively. In the advent of technology, medical scientists evolved and thousands of discoveries in the field cropped - each claiming effective curing properties. New drugs flooded the market. With its development in the early Renaissance, modern medicine became more specific and was separated into different fields. Healthcare providers focused increasingly on the technology that was enabling them to make dramatic improvements in patients’ health. With the synergy of modern technology and medical science, health care was then equated to this type of medication which gradually pushed herbal or alternative medicine on the sidelights. Modern medical practitioners believe that traditional medicine is unsafe and ineffective - these, they claim further aggravates the patient’s condition rather than ease the pain. Traditional medical practitioners, on the other hand, rebut these claims saying, modern medicine only aggravates the condition of the patient as their prescribed drugs are too expensive and somehow out of reach.

In remote areas of the world, in communities who strictly adhere to traditions, they look at modern medicine as an intrusion to their beliefs. They are not open to the idea of taking in prescribed and over-the-counter drugs to cure their illness. They feel that modern medicine is only for the “financially gifted” and that they are not among these people. In the later part of the century, however, the heightened debate yielded somehow positive results. Modern medical schools and scientists, although still with reservations, have taken cognizant on the effectiveness of traditional medicine. While they continue to criticize traditional medicine, modern medicine likewise has its share of the flak. But these criticisms of modern medicine led to some improvements in the curricula of medical schools, which now teach students systematically on medical ethics, holistic approaches to medicine, the biopsychosocial model and similar concepts.

Modern medicine claims to offer a handy remedy to illness but reality says otherwise. While modern practitioners deny, the fact remains that there thousands of patients who do not get well with their prescriptions, worst even loose their lives. With its inability to properly address many common complaints, many people are prompted to seek support from alternative medicine. Although most alternative approaches lack scientific validation, some may be effective in isolated cases. The paradigm of medical science and alternative health care may differ to such an extent that what constitutes scientific evidence is contested. Although efforts were started to make both beliefs meet, only very few physicians practice alternative medicine alongside modern approaches. Many still ignore the value of alternative medicine. As medical scientists religiously search for new technology and new drugs, practitioners of alternative medicine continue to fight for their niche in the medical field. However, as the debate never stops, the poor patients remain the silent victims. They would want to have their illnesses cured but do not want to take the risk and get caught between the debates. For them, at the end of the day, what really matters is not

What method was used but that they are alive…

DrugstoreTM.com Online Drug Store provides a wide range of services such as drug information, health care products and prescription medication online.

Jennifer Alinio
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/the-medical-debate-who-is-at-the-loosing-end-125482.html

Wind power is proportional to the cube of the wind’s speed, so relatively minor increases in speed result in large changes in potential output. Individual turbines vary in size and power output from a few hundred watts to two or three megawatts (as a guide, a typical domestic system would be 2.5 - 6 kilowatts, depending on the location and size of the home).

Uses range from very small turbines supplying energy for battery charging systems (e.g. on boats or in homes), to turbines grouped on wind farms supplying electricity to the grid.

In Saddleworth, near Greater Manchester, an eco-war about wind turbines is waging. United Utilities want to build seven 350 foot wind turbines.

These will generate enough power to supply the average electricity needs of 8,500 homes in the local area. This wind farm is not situated out to sea but in the picturesque hills of the Saddleworth Moors and would be visible for miles around. Government targets state that 10% of the UK’s energy should be supplied by renewable resources by 2010 and developments like the Saddleworth Moor turbines would contribute towards that total. Leading environmentalists from across the country have previously convened in Saddleworth for the first ever National Forum opposing the creation of wind farms on rural beauty spots.

World renowned TV botanist, Professor David Bellamy, joined former Downing Street press secretary, Sir Bernard Ingham and hundreds of activists at the National Wind Farm Group Conference. There were a total of representatives from over 50 environmental groups from across the country attending this event. It aimed to raise awareness about the perceived dangers of wind farms and bring environmental groups closer together in their fight against the government.

The Saddleworth Moors Action Group says the turbines would have a negative impact on a unique landscape. The group also insist their campaign is not prompted by “not in my backyard” sentiments, but through a genuine desire to preserve the character of the local area.

One could argue that the government is not bothered about the environment then they are continually financing the construction of coal fired power stations in the third world and building more airports and more motorways in Britain? As tensions are mounting in Iran and Nigeria leading to increased oil prices, is now not the ideal time to exploit wind power both on land and at sea via grants to companies? With labour slipping up at the local elections in 05/06 and the Conservatives pushing the eco argument, is not in Labours interest to follow the Conservatives lead and not to pay lip service to wind farms as they currently do?

OR

Will the people that have to live near wind farms and see the things every day change their minds and believe that wind farms form a concerted effort to save the environment or just another commercial money making scheme for the companies involved?

See renewable energy companies in GuideMeGreen’s green directory

Davinos Greeno
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/the-wind-farm-debate-84552.html

Reagan makes a witty response to a question about his age.

Duration : 0:0:41

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If you are planning to purchase an aquarium, you will want to make sure that your fish stay healthy, and the only way to ensure this is by cleaning the tank regularly. Many small stores do not carry everything you need so you might want to visit a larger store, the larger stores have many more items in stock for you to purchase. The aquarium is the home the fish live in and must be maintained for the welfare of the fish.

Before even setting up your tank decide what kind of fish you are going to keep, some people don’t have much time on their hands and so low maintenance cold or easy to manage tropical fish are the best ways to go, for those with much more time and a higher level of commitment there are many varied species to chose from, including the easiest to care for fresh water fish to beautiful and fascinating marine fish.

Unfortunately rushing to the pet store and picking out the prettiest, most colorful and interesting looking tropical fish is not the best way to stock the tank. Some people have synthetic decorations and rock for there fish tanks.

If you are thinking about purchasing a fish for your saltwater tank you need to plan it out first and make sure that the fish you purchase can live in the environment with the other fish. The first step to your fish tank is setting it up and this is only the beginning. After the fish tank is setup you will need to make many adjustments, some of the adjustments are the water temperature, food and lighting, plus you must consider the items and decorations that you put into the tank.

A fish tank that is a salt water tank needs to mimic the ocean, the salt water needs to be the same salinity and the environment needs to be very similar. Once you get your tank up and running with no problems you will able to enjoy the salt water tank and the fish.

Lighting is actually as important as filtration it mimics the day light and the night so fish think they are in their natural habitat. When choosing a salt water tank and filtration systems it can be a very confusing process since there are so many to choose from. One of the most important things to remember is that filtration is very important when taking care of you tank.

For freshwater fish you may be able to get by without having one. Many people think it is easy taking care of a freshwater fish, but in reality there is work involved. At time you will need to clean your freshwater tanks, they do require cleaning, so you will need to remove the fish and place them somewhere else for the time being.

When decorating the fish tank the gravel will sit at the bottom, this make the tank much more interesting and it gives a more real feel to it. Fish tank gravel can be bought in either natural or colored designs.

There are many tanks of various sizes and shapes, when choosing the tank for you home make sure the tanks size fits and it won’t be in the way or accidentally knocked over.

David Fishman
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/the-debate-over-salt-water-and-fresh-water-tanks-115534.html

Home schooling has been around for quite some time now. The debate about it’s overall effectiveness has been going on for just as long. Recently however, home schooling has been gaining more and more advocates in support of it.

For the longest time, home schooling has been viewed with a somewhat contemptuous attitude by many. They’re under the misguided notion that this type of schooling is for weirdoes and social misfits.

People these days are much more open minded about the idea of home schooling. Lots more parents are choosing to put their kids in some kind of home based program.

So what are the possible reasons for parents to home school their kids? What are the advantages and disadvantages of home schooling? Is it right for your child and what must be taken into consideration when choosing to home school your child?

Home schooling has traditionally been for those children who suffer from some kind of condition or whose current circumstances don’t allow them to attend regular school. However, more and more parents are choosing to home school their children because they believe it to be a more beneficial alternative to traditional schools.

There are a lot of advantages to be taken from this type of schooling.

Home schooling allows a child be taught in a more individualized way. The child will not have to compete with several other students for the time and attention of the teacher. Their parent is their teacher and the one-on-one teaching that the child receives will increase the quality of learning.

The nature of this schooling allows for an incredible amount of flexibility and freedom in regards to learning. The lessons and curriculum to be undertaken can be custom made to suit the particular educational needs of the child.

The child can also learn at their own pace, seeing as there’s no set schedule that must be followed. A child can take as much time as they need to learn something without being pressured, or they can go as quickly as they can, learning things that would normally take a much longer time to cover in a classroom.

In many cases home schooling will enforce an inherent love of learning and will strengthen the child abilities to learn on their own. These skill will become a valuable asset throughout their lives.

Many parents home school their kids in order to instill moral values that can’t be sufficiently achieved in traditional schools. This is especially true if they feel that the child is easily influenced and the schools in the area are a particularly bad influence.

Home schooling helps to cultivate family ties. The time that the family spend together teaching and learning helps to strengthen family bonds.

Thanks to more advanced technology and in particular the internet, home schooling has become even more effective. The internet is a vast source of knowledge and you can find a plethora of home schooling resources like sample curriculums, lesson plans, and all sorts of guides.

The greatest criticism aimed at home schooling is that it might hamper the child’s social growth. Home schooled kids tend to be more isolated and many feel that this is harmful.

This isn’t necessarily the case though, as studies have shown that many home schooled adults have excellent social skills and are living happy, meaningful lives.

These studies also show that home schooled individuals tend to do better academically than traditionally schooled individuals.

Despite the seemingly many benefits of home schooling, it isn’t for everyone. Parents should take in mind several considerations before taking the plunge.

Home schooling takes a tremendous amount of time and effort on the part of the parents.

Teaching will take up most of the teaching parent’s day, so this means that the they will most likely not have the time to work. The family must be able to cope with this situation. This is especially difficult for single parents.

Also, the parent must be sure that they will be able teach their child properly and handle all the possible problems and responsibilities that come with being home schooled.

Home schooling, when done right can have very positive results. However, getting it wrong can result in absolute disaster. Ultimately, it’s up to the parents to assess their child and decide if home schooling is the right choice for them.

Lee Dobbins
http://www.articlesbase.com/homeschooling-articles/the-great-home-schooling-debate-64776.html

We’ve all heard the old saying “Never discuss sex, money or politics”. Even conversation between good friends can end in an argument when discussing politics.

We have conservatives, liberals, democrats, republicans, independents, moderates… Everyone sees the world a certain way, and how we should go forth in improving our great nation. You would think it would be easy to talk about these things, discuss and come to agreements. Hardly! More often than not, these discussions turn into arguments, and at times get very heated.

For thousands of years there has been fighting over politics, many of which lead to wars. I we all agreed, it would obviously be a perfect world with no wars, but sometimes the political fighting gets fierce and things get ugly.

This is not only typical amongst our politicians but amongst every day people too. Seems less and less are willing to compromise when it comes to their political beliefs and the country is divided. We have world leaders arguing over politics, then we have the US politicians going at it, then state politics… you get the point, it all crumbles down, all the way to you and I.

The keys to staying cool when debating or discussing politics is to leave your emotions in check, leave room for compromise and/or discussion & realize that the other person believes in what they’re saying as well and remain respectful.

The best way to win a debate is to do so in a civil manner, presenting facts and explaining your point of view. Many times when points can’t get across, it quickly turns the debate into an argument. It’s best at that point to get back on topic, or try to move onto the next topic.

I have owned a few political on-line websites, been members & have moderated as well. Of all the forums I have participated on, the political scenery has to be the hardest for all of those involved. It’s a constant quagmire and the in-fighting never seems to cease. The best you can do is take the higher ground, remain impartial and apply rules equally.

James Lutz
http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/politics-can-debate-be-fair-138020.html

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This is one of the most famous debate in Paltalk in 2007 Wesam Abd Allah is an Egyptian American Sheikh, he is specialized in Biblical studies and debated many Christian Scholars. His debates held in his room “oJJl Muslim Christian Dialogue oJJl” at Paltalk. Rev. John C. Rankin is the President of the Theological Education Institute (TEI), and of the Mars Hill Society in Hartford, CT. USA. Sheikh Wesam Abd Allah annouced his challenge to any Christian Scholar who can ascribe any book of the gospel to its real writer You can find his challenge in my channel videos http://muslimchristiandialogue.com/

Duration : 0:9:48

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