Computers and Technology: The Danger of Using Social Media

December 13, 2012 By

Computers and Technology: The Danger of Using Social Media

Do you think you would ever walk into a bar, stand on a table and start shouting out all the details of your life?

What about walking up to a complete stranger in the mall and asking if that person would like to be your friend or build a relationship with you?

Well, those who use the internet and social media often do things online that they would never do face-to-face or in public.

The problem is that when you post things that you think are only for the eyes of friends or family, you forget that there are thousands of other people who can also view them. Some might be innocent bystanders whereas others might not have noble intentions. And don’t try to tell me that you have an antivirus program to protect you. If there are people smart enough to hack into the Pentagon’s computer, there are people who can get around your program.

This week, researchers have warned that no matter how secure your site is, those who play FarmVille can easily become victims of identity theft. The terms of agreement that you likely didn’t read when you made a Facebook account state that all information and photos you post become the property of Facebook. That means that you might see your photo plastered on an advertisement for Viagra or in another place that you would not otherwise approve in the future.

Teenagers who grew up with the internet tend to use it as their major form of communication but they don’t seem to have gotten the message that what you put on the internet stays there forever – even if you think you have erased it. Imagine how embarrassed one might be in the years to come if or when others access information you wrote as a youth just when you are applying for an important job, running for a political office or trying to be an example for others to follow.

And the problems are not just occurring because of the actions of children and teenagers. Adults who think it is cute to post pictures of their children or grandchildren risk having them be seen by perpetrators – and some of them might not just be interested in looking. When you add personal information, it sets the child up for a kidnapping – or worse.

I have heard people state that they are not worried about identity fraud because they don’t have any money anyway. Well, consider this. Have you ever lost your wallet? Think of all the problems you had in trying to replace ID and notify credit card companies about the loss. Now add to this the fact that someone is out there ruining your reputation as they try to impersonate you in any number of ways.

Someone told my daughter that you should never post anything you wouldn’t want your mother to see. Well, that doesn’t even take it far enough. You can trust your mother – but you can’t trust everyone else who has access to a computer.

It’s time to stop playing innocent or pretending that it won’t happen to you. When you put information on the internet, you risk your financial security, your reputation and may even set up the ones you love the most for serious harm.

Computers and Technology: The Danger of Using Social Media

Computers and Technology: The Danger of Using Social Media

And now I would like to invite you to claim your Free Instant Access to a complimentary list of 10 Steps to Making Your Life an Adventure when you visit lindahancockspeaks.com

From Dr. Linda Hancock, Registered Psychologist and Registered Social Worker

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Promote Your Product Using Promotional Food and Drink Products

November 25, 2012 By

Promote Your Product Using Promotional Food and Drink Products

To make your product popular in the market, there should be an item that will advertise your brand. For a promotional product to be effective, it should have increased chances of being seen by the customers, must be made of quality materials, and must be affordable. These characteristics bring food and drink products in mind. Create promotional food and drink products and make your business known to your clients.

Using food and drink products for brand promotion comes with a lot of advantages. First off, you will be able to advertise your brand while your clients are having a good time, that is, while they are eating their favorite food. Also, you will be able to promote your brand in almost all events that have food and drinks in them. This will give your clientele increased chances to see your product.

Another edge that these customized food and drink have is that they are very easy to produce. There are many online suppliers out there that can provide you with these items at different order packages and a lot of perks. It’s just a matter of choosing the supplier that can give you the most out of your budget.

On top of them all, you will also be able to enjoy the widest range of options that these personalized food and drink products have. Make sure that you pick the item that you think would perfectly represent your brand, and would make your product popular.

The printing spaces available on these food and drink products vary from limited to expansive. Regardless of the printing spaces available, it is important that you make an imprint of a stylish business name or logo design. This will make your marketing product attract the attention of your customers.

Go online and find the supplier that will give you this promotional food and drink at very affordable costs that would bring you the most out of your budget. Make a survey of the different order packages that online suppliers offer, and choose the deal that would be best for your business. Have a stylish business name or logo imprinted on these products that will surely catch the attention of your customers and your brand will definitely be popular in no time.

Promote Your Product Using Promotional Food and Drink Products

Promote Your Product Using Promotional Food and Drink Products

Beth Loggins is a promotional items expert on promotional food products [http://www.branders.com/category/promotional_items_Food_Drink?catid=81737] & promotional chocolates. Read articles by Beth Loggins on how you can market your products.

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The Benefits of Using a Book Review Service For Your Book Marketing

November 16, 2012 By

The Benefits of Using a Book Review Service For Your Book Marketing

The primary goal for a book review service is to see you succeed as an author and provide honest, professional book reviews for their clients. This service is just another avenue for the author, publicist, publisher, or literary agent to successfully market your book to its fullest potential. It’s important for authors to get as many reviews as possible for their book. A review is not only a great way to promote your text, or ms; it is also a very effective way. It helps potential readers understand your text and gives good reasons why they should purchase your it. Reviews are very affordable, especially given the exposure that you receive from them.

Many different types of books are sold online, via the Internet. Of course the Internet is a great way to advertise. When a company reviews your text, most creditable and reputable review companies also will place the review on their website once they have completed the review. The potential customers will have the ability to purchase the text on that particular review website. This is another portal for selling your book, and having a link to your website increases web traffic. In addition, some review companies will post your reviews in multiple places, such as Amazon, or Barnes & Noble and many other places to help you get the desired exposure that your book needs.

These days it is very important for the author to be “Hands on” throughout the marketing process. This is really expected from the publishing industry. Having a book review is a very affordable way to market your book on a grander scale. You should include all of your book reviews in all of your press releases. Also it’s strongly recommended that you include your reviews in all of your book signings that you plan. You should have the review on display as a billboard, poster, or handout. This will give your book more credibility and deliver optimum authority.

The Benefits of Using a Book Review Service For Your Book Marketing

The Benefits of Using a Book Review Service For Your Book Marketing

For more information about book review services and how you can obtain one for your book or upcoming book please visit http://www.pacificbookreivew.com. We look forward to your success as an author.

Nicole Sorkin is the Managing Editor for Pacific Book Review. http://www.pacificbookreview.com

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Using Animation For Effective Marketing

November 11, 2012 By

Using Animation For Effective Marketing

Over the last couple of decades the face of marketing has changed drastically. About a decade ago marketing underwent another transformation. Where paper advertisements and radio spots used to be, the internet has stepped in to become one of the most widely used advertising and marketing tools throughout the world. Currently more people are using the internet to dig up reviews, information, and products than ever before and the amount of potential clients you can reach is growing daily. With this being the case, how can you make your site, product, or company stand out from the thousands of websites available to be memorable in a client’s mind? This is where animation steps in.

A website complete with tasteful flash animations, informational videos, and interactive content allows visitors to engage with your site and remain there longer to discover more about your company. While a static website is the bare minimum for any business these days, it isn’t enough to win out over a competitor who took the time to include an animation or two on their site. What is needed now is an aesthetically designed, visually appealing, and easy to navigate user interface that will provide a memorable and positive user experience.

Some forms of animation that are used to demonstrate an idea or illustrate a concept and which capture a visitor’s interest are:

• 2D Animation

• 3D Character Animation

• 3D Modeling & Product Design

• 3D Walkthrough Animation

• 3D Mobile, Online and PC Games

Using one of these forms of animation in a short, tasteful, and informative manner can let your visitors get a snapshot of your company before they decide to explore further. This is very similar to the teaser trailer of a movie. You put your best foot forward and from that impression you entice a movie-goer to see your movie weeks or even months later because it impacted their desires and engaged their interest. Using this same analogy we can take it one step further. The visitor watches the trailer (your animation), then decides to read the full plot summary (your text), then they look to find out when and where the movie is playing (your company information), following that they go to see the movie (purchase your product or service). By including an animation on your page you have just moved a visitor to your website into a client for your company. Your animation gave you that leg up on the competition who decided to leave the animation out of their site. In summary the advantages of animation are:

• more visual appeal

• lasting impression

• greater product understanding

• preference is given by all major search engines to sites with animation

Properly conceived and executed animations have no disadvantages. However, if an animation is poorly done, the impact on your website can be severe. Silly animations on a professional site decrease the company’s image, reliability, and value. Similarly, animations inappropriate for the intended audience can cause a perpetual block on your website and may even offend some visitors. It is for these reasons that you need to meet with a professional web design firm who can work with you to develop an audience appropriate, company mindful animation that can help influence each visitor to decide on your company.

Cybervation, Inc is a Columbus, OH based company specializing in 2D, 3D, and Flash animations for use both in websites and as stand alone marketing tools. Going with Cybervation, Inc. allows you to keep your web design, application development, animation, and internet marketing all under the same roof, saving you time and money.

Using Animation For Effective Marketing

Using Animation For Effective Marketing

To learn how Cybervation, Inc. can add value to your organization or company, please call (614) 356-8000 or email: info@cybervationinc.com or you can visit our website at: http://www.cybervationinc.com

Cybervation, Inc. is a Columbus, Ohio based company founded in 1998 and specialized in Website Design and Development, E-Commerce, SEO, 2D and 3D Animation, Game Development and Flash Presentation technologies. Through Cybervation, Inc. you can subcontract or outsource all your developmental tasks to a domestic US Company or supplement your existing team and reduce cost with our affordable pricing structure with no sacrifice in quality. Our rates of $ 10 – $ 15 per hour are the lowest in the US market.

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Who’s Financing Inventory and Using Purchase Order Finance (P O Finance)? Your Competitors!

November 6, 2012 By

Who’s Financing Inventory and Using Purchase Order Finance (P O Finance)? Your Competitors!

It’s time. We’re talking about purchase order finance in Canada, how P O finance works, and how financing inventory and contracts under those purchase orders really works in Canada. And yes, as we said, its time… to get creative with your financing challenges, and we’ll demonstrate how.

And as a starter, being second never really counts, so Canadian business needs to be aware that your competitors are utilizing creative financing and inventory options for the growth and sales and profits, so why shouldn’t your firm?

Canadian business owners and financial managers know that you can have all the new orders and contracts in the world, but if you can’t finance them properly then you’re generally fighting a losing battle to your competitors.

The reason purchase order financing is rising in popularity generally stems from the fact that traditional financing via Canadian banks for inventory and purchase orders is exceptionally, in our opinion, difficult to finance. Where the banks say no is where purchase order financing begins!

It’s important for us to clarify to clients that P O finance is a general concept that might in fact include the financing of the order or contract, the inventory that might be required to fulfill the contract, and the receivable that is generated out of that sale. So it’s clearly an all encompassing strategy.

The additional beauty of P O finance is simply that it gets creative, unlike many traditional types of financing that are routine and formulaic.

It’s all about sitting down with your P O financing partner and discussing how unique your particular needs are. Typically when we sit down with clients this type of financing revolves around the requirements of the supplier, as well as your firm’s customer, and how both of these requirements can be met with timelines and financial guidelines that make sense for all parties.

The key elements of a successful P O finance transaction are a solid non cancelable order, a qualified customer from a credit worth perspective, and specific identification around who pays who and when. It’s as simple as that.

So how does all this work, asks our clients.Lets keep it simple so we can clearly demonstrate the power of this type of financing. Your firm receives an order. The P O financing firm pays your supplier via a cash or letter of credit – with your firm then receiving the goods and fulfilling the order and contract. The P O finance firm takes title to the rights in the purchase order, the inventory they have purchased on your behalf, and the receivable that is generated out of the sale. It’s as simple as that. When you customer pays per the terms of your contract with them the transaction is closed and the purchase order finance firm is paid in full, less their financing charge which is typically in the 2.5-3% per month range in Canada.

In certain cases financing inventory can be arranged purely on a separate basis, but as we have noted, the total sale cycle often relies on the order, the inventory and the receivable being collateralized to make this financing work.

Speak to a credible, trusted and experienced Canadian business financing advisor as to how this type of financing can benefit your firm.

Who’s Financing Inventory and Using Purchase Order Finance (P O Finance)? Your Competitors!

Who's Financing Inventory and Using Purchase Order Finance (P O Finance)? Your Competitors!

Stan Prokop – founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial – http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com. Originating business financing for Canadian companies, specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing. In business 6 years – has completed in excess of 50 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations.Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details: http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com/p_o_purchase_order_finance_financing_inventory.html

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Using Facebook To Meet More Women

November 1, 2012 By

Using Facebook To Meet More Women

Do you know that more and more guys are using their Facebook account to meet more women and start dating them? Are you doing that? If so, what is your success rate?

If your success rate is low and you are often being ignored by women you are contacting, then you ought to know that you may be playing this dating game the wrong way. If that is the case, this article will show you how to increase your chances tremendously in meeting women using Facebook.

First and foremost, contact only women who are available. Women who say in their profiles that they are interested in meeting men for dates or want to make new friends. By doing it this way you won’t be wasting your time and effort contacting women who won’t even reply to you much less be interested in meeting you.

But first, a word of warning. Beware of scams! Although all of us know that the internet world is abound with scams and people are still falling for it everyday. So don’t be a potential victim.

How do you know if the person you are contacting is out to scam you? You will know when that person ask for money or your credit card number before you even meet up. The most common scams are the ones that are designed to tug at your emotional heartstrings by telling you a sob story or to appeal to your greed by asking you to pay for some legal fees so that she can receive a large inheritance that the person will share with you. I am not saying that scams take place only before you meet up. It can also when you have finally gets to meet her. So be extremely careful.

Let’s proceed. Now, if you are serious about getting women interested in you, go and make your Facebook profile interesting and even outstanding. Post smart photographs of yourself and interesting places you have been. This is in order for women to choose you over other men who are also trying to meet them.

Look, you have only your profile and your messages to make her decide whether she wants to reply you, so make the most out of this. If your profile must shows that you are a fun and interesting guy whom every girl wants to meet, then yes, girls will want to meet you, won’t they?

Another important thing to do is to pay detailed attention to her profile. If you asked her things that are already in her profile, you are going to make her pissed off with you. This is a sign that you are not paying attention to her.

Yes, I know that men are creatures of sight and the first thing we check will be pictures of her and to many men, the pictures alone will make them want to contact her without reading her profile at all. You must read her profile because you will need to discover her interests, hobbies and the other things about her. The information on her profile can then be used as subjects of conversation instead of just writing to her like most other would with a single liner that says, “What’s up, can we be friends?”

Hey, what are you waiting for, go and brush up your Facebook profile and start contacting and meet more women now.

Using Facebook To Meet More Women

Using Facebook To Meet More Women

Chris Chew is relationship and music consultant. If you really want to be successful at meeting more women, then read How to meet and date women and Attract women with eye contact.

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Lookup and Discover the Owner of Any Mobile Cell Phone Number You Like Using These 3 Ninja Steps

October 7, 2012 By

Lookup and Discover the Owner of Any Mobile Cell Phone Number You Like Using These 3 Ninja Steps

If you are wanting to know how to play detective and discover who the owner is of a mobile cell phone number, then read on because you’re about to get the full scoop.

You are not alone:

Amazingly you are not alone. There are tons of people who basically seek the same information as you do – that is, to trace a currently “unknown” telephone number back to its original and rightful owner. I don’t know why you want to know this, but I found that for most people it came down to one of 3 reasons. Ranging from the darn right devious “checking up” on your partners phone (come on, you ever wondered who all those numbers belong to?) to the plain curious “who owns that number on our telephone bill”?

Only possible due to technology advances:

In the past, it was just not possible to trace a number back to its owner unless you were a law enforcement agency. The telecommunication companies always keep their customers data private and you got zero chance getting them to spill the beans. So what has changed? Well, thanks to advances in technology, dedicated companies have taken up the challenge who can now provide you with the information you seek.

Normally called “reverse phone lookup directories” these companies are literally specialists when it comes to unearthing the sensitive and private data relating to a telephone number. By mining all kinds of data from a huge array of sources, these companies are able to give you and I a full detailed and accurate report on literally millions of telephone numbers. They’re quick too – you could have all the sensitive private information in front of you in literally minutes from now.

Here are the 3 super simple steps to get that data:

1. Grab the currently “unknown” cell phone number that you want to perform a search on…
2. Go visit a reputable reverse phone directory – a link to one is provided below…
3. Enter the telephone number!

It is really that simple. No fuss. And you’ll remain entirely anonymous throughout as well.

Are you ready to perform your search?

Lookup and Discover the Owner of Any Mobile Cell Phone Number You Like Using These 3 Ninja Steps

Lookup and Discover the Owner of Any Mobile Cell Phone Number You Like Using These 3 Ninja Steps

You can go and perform a search on the telephone you have using this reputable search directory [http://searchforcellphonenumbers.com] – You are only minutes away from finding out who the owner is. Click here now! [http://searchforcellphonenumbers.com]

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“One comes to believe whatever one repeats to oneself sufficiently often, whether the statement be true or false. It comes to be dominating thought in one’s mind.”

– Robert Collier

Repetition of words creates repetition of thoughts.

Repetition of thoughts creates reality.

By intentionally choosing the words that wallpaper your mind, you change the tone of the room in which you live and you change the life you are living.

******* The Power of Words *******

We typically dilute our words by drawing them from vague and conflicted states of mind. We present a muddy impression on the creative medium in which we live and our reality mirrors our dull efforts. This is so easy to remedy that you may actually shock yourself with your radical improvement in results as you become more intentional with your affirmations.

Words are not just signposts that point to meaning. When we use them to simply report what we observe it’s like using a racecar to deliver newspapers.

Words are powerful instruments of manifestation. When given an open road they will perform extraordinary feats.

******* Eliminate These Words *******

We use certain words habitually and somewhat unconsciously. By eliminating them from your affirmations, you will automatically begin implementing 2 of the 3 ways to supercharge your affirmations, without even yet knowing what these 3 ways are.

Here are the words to eliminate:

no, not, don’t, doesn’t, never, won’t, can’t, stop, quit, will, am going to, should, want to, plan to, hope to.

Every time you create an affirmation, check for these words. If you find them, reword your affirmation without them.

******* 3 Superchargers for Your Affirmations *******

Supercharger #1

==>Always Affirm in the Present Tense

When you are creating an affirmation, you are like an artist creating a painting. Whatever you affirm with your paintbrush becomes the reality on the canvas. As an affirmation artist, you do not have colors on your palette. Your words are your paint. You are pulling potential realities from the formless realm into the manifest realm through the narrow birth canal of your carefully chosen words.

Choose your words in the present tense so that the reality you choose becomes experienced now. Now is the only time that has the mystical power to pour forth a manifestation. If you word your affirmations in the future by saying, “I will…,” you keep that carrot dangling in the fictitious future and you pull the plug on the power of your affirmations. A surefire way to begin an affirmation is with the sacred words, “I am…”

Supercharger #2

==> Always Affirm in the Positive

You are bothering to create an affirmation because you are living something unwanted and you desire a change. It is only natural that you would understand your desire as not wanting what you’ve got. But if you point your affirmation toward getting rid of a habit or condition, if you say what you will not do, or if you affirm that something will go away, you are actually chaining yourself to it.

It simply does not work.

In fact you’d be better off not to affirm at all because this sort of negative affirmation is like affirming the opposite of what you want. Remember, to affirm means to make firm. It is the process of bringing things into form. Remember also that the universe does not hear the word “no.” So whatever you are talking about, whether you are affirming or denying it, you are in effect, affirming it.

Instead of saying, “I will quit smoking,” which is both in the future and negative, say something like:

All my actions are healthy and intentional. I choose my actions and I enjoy all my choices. I am in charge of my actions. I have healthy life affirming habits. I love being in charge of my life.

Supercharger #3

==> Feel as if it’s Already True

Once you have a well-chosen phrase to affirm, one that is positive, in the present tense, and feels good when you consider it, enter into its world. Step into the affirmation as if it were already your reality. When you say it, imagine that it is already true. Feel how you would feel if it were already manifest. Steps 1 and 2 build a powerful rocket. Step 3 lights the fuse and sends it off with a blast.

Affirmations can literally change your life. They are free. Everyone has equal access to them, and they work day and night, always ready and willing to bring your good to you. Use these 3 superchargers every time you do an affirmation process and watch your life transform before our eyes.

October 2, 2012 By

Find out more about the power of affirmations at the Affirmative Contemplation website at http://www.AffirmativeContemplation.com . You can receive Dr. Rebbie Straubing’s Free e-Course, 7 Secrets for Manifesting Your Heart’s Desire, at http://www.yofa.net/7secret.html . Dr. Rebbie Straubing is a workshop leader, Abraham Coach, and inspirational writer.

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Business Travel – Discover the Biggest Secret CEOs Are Using to Earn Huge Profit Off Corp Travel

September 30, 2012 By

Business Travel – Discover the Biggest Secret CEOs Are Using to Earn Huge Profit Off Corp Travel

Up until the break of the new millennium, business travel has always seemed to be more of a burden of business expenses and earnings. The only upside is the huge tax deductions for small businesses. Even at present times, it doesn’t seem to matter who your company’s personal travel agent, travel vendor, or online travel website is that you use for travel, it’s still expensive.

Next to customer fulfillment and office supply expenses, travel expenses are major. However, every since the recent recession that the entire U.S. has collapse into, new and great innovations of the 21century has finally change the way corporate America travels.

Now CEOs and savvy business owners that travel frequently discovered a rich business travel success. A travel success that only the few and profound has been using since 2001.

That’s right. The chosen few that have found this hidden secret are calling it the “Small business and corporate travel bail out plan through travel.” Plus. It’s quite simple…

Book a flight, get paid for it, book a hotel, get paid for it, car rentals, condos, and anything affiliated with business travel, your company gets a large percentage of the travel commission earned back into the business. I’m talking “cold hard Cash.” Not some travel points or rewards cards either. Your membership puts your business in profit instantly!

Your business now generates income from every employee, executive and anyone who books travel from the company. Plus, your company travel is still a write-off, how cool is that.

With this newly innovative business travel revenue and revolutionary breakthrough, Expedia, Hotwire, and even your personal travel agent become useless. You’d actually lose money by using these old 20th century tactics in the 21st century.

These are one of those business travel news secrets they don’t want you to know about until they “milk the cow dry.” Well now you know.

So while companies are easily loosing thousands from travel expenses, you can be massively earning thousands from your own travel expenses, off every trip.

It’s been around since 2001, but because of it’s none mainstream media influence, only the savvy and smart business travelers have adopted this business travel model into their income streams. And boy is it revenue generator. I’m talking profits, earnings, positive cash flow, you name it.

One of the biggest names thus far that quickly adapted this new corporate travel innovation is NFL’s Kansas City Chief football team. They’re faithful members because the business model makes common since, “if you use travel for business why not make a profit from it.”

So if your company struggles to earn profit in this troubled economy while still taking flight after flight to increase revenue, easily step up your game and increase earnings to be among the elite business owners that use this new income stream everyday. You may just meet your quarterly goals with this revenue generator alone.

Business Travel – Discover the Biggest Secret CEOs Are Using to Earn Huge Profit Off Corp Travel

Business Travel - Discover the Biggest Secret CEOs Are Using to Earn Huge Profit Off Corp Travel

Bradford Addo, an online travel specialist since 2005, has been sharing business and leisure travel tips online that many don’t know about. The corporate travel secret is by far one of smartest innovations that work for small business who frequently use travel at least once a quarter. For more on this great way of business travel, go to http://travelingentrepreneurs.com

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How to Research Any Legal Issue Using Free Resources on the Internet

September 30, 2012 By

How to Research Any Legal Issue Using Free Resources on the Internet

Free legal advice is hard to come by as legal help is expensive. Much of the cost is related to the time attorneys spend conducting legal research. Before someone hires a lawyer, they should perform a legal research on their own. This can result in significant savings on legal bills. There are a number of free legal resources on the Internet that can be used for this purpose. This article describes a method anyone can use to research any legal issue using free resources on the Internet.

Start by Researching Broad Categories of Law in General

The purpose of legal research is to find the very specific laws that apply to a given legal issue. Unless the researcher has been trained to perform legal research or experience with this particular legal issue, the research process should start by considering the law in general. This means the researcher must cast his nets wide. Starting with a broad category of law is advisable.

This part of the legal research process is not aimed at discovering the answer to specific legal questions. Rather, this part of the legal research process is aimed at gaining an understanding of what issues and sub-issues should be considered. This will often help change the way the legal issue is worded and lead the researcher down an entirely different path. Unfortunately, researchers often succumb to the temptation to skip this step and, as a result, they often miss these valuable alternative research paths.

Information about general categories of law can be found throughout the Internet. Legal article websites and specialized law firm blogs can provide a good starting point. Search engines can help researchers find these Internet resources. Information linked to these resources should also be explored. The researcher should read these law articles by making a mental note of the types of issues and facts that are being addressed. The researcher should also make note of any law that is mentioned in the legal articles, such as case names, statute numbers, or citations for administrative rulings.

Continue Researching the Actual Law

With a broad understanding of the issues and facts, the researcher can now focus on finding the specific law applicable to his legal issue. There are a number of different types of laws in the U.S.

With federal law, the sources of law include: the Constitution, federal statutes, court opinions from federal courts, and rulings from federal agencies (with international issues, treaties may also come into play). These sources of law are described in their order of authority. For example, the Constitution trumps all other sources of law and administrative rulings are trumped by all other sources of law. Notably, court opinions may either create law (this is called common or judicial law) or define ambiguities in the Constitution or statutes (i.e., fill in the law). Each state in the U.S. has developed these same sources of law for issues particular to their state. City and local governments have also established many of these sources of law for issues specific to their city or locality.

This overview provides a way of searching for legal authority. The legal researcher must initially decide whether to search for federal, state, or local law. Then the researcher must try to find and comprehend the law, focusing on the law that has the highest authority. Very few legal questions will involve references to the Constitution. Most legal questions will involve one or more statutes and one or more court or administrative rulings supplementing or interpreting the statute.

Researchers may be able to work backwards by finding the court or administrative rulings and then finding the statutes cited in the rulings. Nonetheless, the researcher should not forget that the statute is probably going to be the most authoritative source of law. The researcher should also know that lower court and administrative rulings may not be a valid statement of the law. Judges and agencies make mistakes and they often put those mistakes in writing. If a court or administrative ruling is contrary to the statute or some policy argument, the researcher may need to argue that the ruling should be overturned or differentiate the facts from the facts involved in the legal question being researched.

The researcher should be able to find most of these sources of law on the Internet. The U.S. House of Representatives has a copy of the U.S. Statutes on its website. Many of the federal courts publish their court opinions on their websites. Most federal agencies publish their administrative rulings on their websites. Most state legislatures, courts, and agencies also have the same free legal advice resources on their websites. There are a number of third party websites that compile these laws and allow users to search the law for free.

Conclude the Research by Applying the Law to the Facts at Hand

With an overview of the law and issues involved and a review of the law itself, the legal researcher should be at the point of reaching a conclusion. This involves applying the law to the case at hand. It is often necessary to write this part down, as what seems solid will often become distorted with a closer look. Let’s work through a real life example.

I want to know what I can do about a speeding ticket “someone” received while driving through an area designated as a school zone. This “someone” was driving in Lubbock, Texas. While the “someone” does not normally speed through these areas, the road was a four lane U.S. Highway and the driver was merely going with the flow of traffic. The driver did not see a sign on the road at the time. The driver has since driven back through the area and noticed that the speed limit sign is quite a ways off in the distance. The driver would not have seen the sign because he entered onto the highway and was pulled over by the police after the location where the speed limit sign was located.

It appears I need to research city and possibly state law. I was able to find several websites that discuss what to do about traffic tickets. Most of these articles discussed various defenses and strategies. One of these articles discussed the specific school zone sign requirements for Minnesota. I wonder if the City of Lubbock or State of Texas has such a rule.

In looking at the traffic citation, I notice the police officer left the space blank where it provides me with the citation to the municipal ordinance I violated. I was able to find the local municipal code for the City of Lubbock online. The municipal code has a great index that helped me find the applicable section of the municipal code. I noticed the specific code section provides a list of all of the authorized school zones inside of the City of Lubbock. The location involved in the speeding citation, which is written on the traffic citation, is not listed in the code. It was not an authorized school zone.

The municipal code cites me to the state statute for determining what an authorized school zone is. I was able to find these statutes online too. These statutes explain that a local school zone cannot slow traffic on a U.S. highway. I was cited for driving on a U.S. highway.

The end result was that the City of Lubbock had decided to put up a school zone sign to slow down traffic on this street. The city agency responsible for putting up the sign would have (or should have) known this was not an authorized location for a school zone. The school zone sign went up anyway. Using the sign as justification, the police started issuing tickets to motorists who drive through the unauthorized school zone.

I assume most of the persons cited for this traffic violation merely paid the fine. The “someone” in my example had his traffic ticked dismissed by the local municipal court. Had the other persons cited for this traffic violations used the free legal research tools available on the Internet they too could have had their traffic citations dismissed.

How to Research Any Legal Issue Using Free Resources on the Internet

How to Research Any Legal Issue Using Free Resources on the Internet

Gary operates LawFiles. LawFiles is a free legal advice forum where attorneys answer legal questions submitted by users. It also provides free legal information, law-related tips, legal news, and free legal forms. Topics covered include, traffic law, criminal law, estate planning law, business law, real estate law, internet law, intellectual property law, entertainment law, family law, and much much more.

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