Su Sheng Loong Dot Com

Go for business, grads urged

2009-08-10T08:48:00.001+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Universities should encourage students to get involved in entrepreneurial development programmes such as the Global Entrepreneurship Week 2009, which starts on Nov 16.

Higher Education Deputy Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said this would increase the number of fresh graduates venturing into business. Only 2.4 per cent of them venture into business.

He said between 10 and 15 per cent of fresh graduates at established universities of the world entered business.

GEW was founded by USA-based Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and British-based Make Your Mark. Warisan Global Sdn Bhd is the event host in Malaysia.

Speaking to reporters after launching the countdown to GEW 2009 here yesterday Saifuddin said: "The various public and private higher learning institutes should take advantage of this event as it is a platform for unleashing ideas.

"Entrepreneurial skills are not only meant for use in business but can be a soft skill to develop creative thinking among graduates."

Saying youths were rich with entrepreneurial potential, Saifuddin added: "They should be allowed to search for opportunities and seize the moment in making a difference in their lives and the lives of others, through entrepreneurial ventures."

On a related matter, Saifuddin said the ministry was talking with local business schools to encourage them to become premier institutes of learning.

"The lecturers should either have corporate experience or be actual businessmen teaching on a part-time basis.

"Business lecturers should be allowed to sit on the board of companies or hold stakes in businesses so that they can share their experience with students."

Saifuddin also called on banks to be more flexible in providing start-up financing to young entrepreneurs.

Warisan Global chief executive officer B. Dhakshinamoorthy said: "GEW 2009 aspires to cultivate a new breed of entrepreneurs in line with the national agenda of 1Malaysia in distributing the fruits of progress and prosperity to all Malaysians."

Source: http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Malaysia/Story/A1Story20090809-160021.html

Penang: Glimpses of Hope (with English Subtitle)

2009-07-30T21:08:00.002+08:00

If you are a Malaysian, make sure you watch all the three videos below. It's good for you to know a bit about what has happened and what is still happening in our country.

Hong Kong TVB Special Programme on Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng
香港无线电视节目- [檳城在望]

Part One:

Part Two:

Part Three:

Jolin蔡依林 - 妥協

2009-07-27T08:15:00.002+08:00

Nice song from Jolin Tsai. I once heard it on radio and thought the song was quite nice. And I just found the music video while rambling around Youtube virtually. Enjoy!

China Focus: China prepares for the total eclipse

2009-07-21T22:15:00.000+08:00

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/21/content_11746972.htm

BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Many Chinese people were busy Tuesday getting preparing for the longest total solar eclipse visible in Asia in a century.

According to Li Jing, a research fellow with the National Astronomical Observatories (NAO), some astronomy fans even planned to watch the eclipse in their cars. If weather conditions are not favorable, they will change their observation venue.

This was unimaginable to the ancient Chinese people, who viewed the solar eclipse as an apocalyptic act of God.

SUPERSTITION AND HISTORY

In ancient China, people believed that a solar eclipse occurred when a celestial dog swallowed the sun.

One of China's old history Shangshu, the Book of Documents, recorded a story from China's Xia Dynasty (21st-16th century BC).

Once in an autumn, when farmers were working on the fields, they saw a darkness swallow the sun. People ran and knocked on their basins or gongs in an attempt to scare the "celestial dog" away.

The emperor ordered his ministers to kneel and beg the gods to pardon them for their mistakes.

When the eclipse was over, the emperor immediately ordered the governor in charge of astronomy be beheaded.

In the Han Dynasty, the emperors would reflect on their policies in case of solar eclipse. They reduced or exempted the taxes, helped the impoverished and remitted the criminals, said Yan Feng, editor-in-chief of the magazine Science & Vie.

Solar eclipses were also seen as a sign of loss in battles, Yan said.

Ancient astronomers began to understand the cause of solar eclipses in the Han Dynasty (202 BC - 8 AD), when they knew that when the moon moved between the sun and the earth, it cast a shadow. Those people in the shadow would see the sun as eclipsed.

TOURISM AND PREPARATION

The Yangtze delta, one of the best venues of watching the eclipse, attracted tens of thousands of watchers from foreign countries or other parts of China.

According to sources with the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, more than 200,000 foreign tourists entered China via the airport from Thursday to Saturday. On Monday alone, more than 40,000 passengers entered China.

Passenger liner companies launched Solar eclipse tours to bring tourists to the sea to watch the eclipse.

In the southern Guangdong Province, two eclipse-watching tourism lines were opened to astronomy fans. According to local tourism agencies, more than 10,000 people will leave for east and central China to watch it.

The enthusiasm of watchers pushed up prices of equipment for watching the eclipse.

Ji Shisan, 32 and founder of the science club Scientific Squirrel, remembered that when he was young, he brushed ink onto apiece of glass and watched the eclipse with it.

Now glasses used for watching the eclipse have been sold out in many stores.

"It was astonishing," said Yin Jian, a staff with a Tesco Supermarket in Shanghai. "We began to sell the 3.9-yuan glasses since Saturday and by Sunday evening, more than 1,000 were sold."

Unable to buy a pair in the supermarkets, many fans logged online to order the glasses.

On Taobao.com, one of the biggest consumer-to-consumer electronic commerce sites in China, more than 30,000 items valuing1.5 million yuan were sold in a week. Prices of solar-eclipse watching glasses spanned from 2.5 yuan to 165 yuan.

To ensure people's safety on Wednesday when the eclipse occurs, the zoo of Yichang city in central China's Hubei province planned to check the cages in advance so as to prevent the animals being scared by the sudden darkness.

Night mode will be used in the Sanxia Airport, said local sources.

Although Beijing will be able to see a partial eclipse, the city is ready to turn on its 183,000 street lamps if necessary.

EXPECTATION AND SIGNIFICANCE

Ji Haisheng, a research fellow at the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that they will try to get some data so as to resolve any issues, such as the influence of solar movement on the radiation of sun, and the search for asteroid within the mercurial orbit.

Li Jing with NAO noted that the solar eclipse provided a chance for the youngsters to know more about astronomy.

The 81-year-old scientist remembered that he was fascinated by sciences when he was a fifth-grader and heard the story of Albert Einstein validating his theories by watching the solar eclipse.

"Young people had a natural eagerness to learn, so long as their curiosity was ignited," he said.

In the Beijing Book Building, books about astrology became bestsellers recently according to a man surnamed Yin who worked in the popular science section of the book store.

"The solar eclipse just lasts several minutes, but many people spent several months to prepare, and it might influence their whole life," he said.

Backgrounder: Timetable of solar eclipse in China major cities

Michael Jackson's Neverland "Ghost" Mystery Solved By CNN

2009-07-20T00:01:00.001+08:00

You Are Not Truly Happy

2009-07-19T10:35:00.002+08:00

Definitely not a new song. But I just watched the MV recently on Youtube. I found both the lyrics and MV very meaningful and touching so decided to publish it here. Too bad I am not good at translating Chinese lyrics into English lyrics.

五月天 - 你不是真正的快樂

人群中哭著你只想變成透明的顏色
你再也不會夢或痛或心動了
你已經決定了你已經決定了

你靜靜忍著緊緊把昨天在拳心握著
而回憶越是甜就是越傷人了
越是在手心留下密密麻麻深深淺淺的刀割

你不是真正的快樂你的笑只是你穿的保護色
你決定不恨了也決定不愛了
把你的靈魂關在永遠鎖上的軀殼

這世界笑了於是妳合群的一起笑了
當生存是規則不是你的選擇
於是妳含著眼淚飄飄盪盪跌跌撞撞的走著

你不是真正的快樂你的笑只是你穿的保護色
你決定不恨了也決定不愛了
把你的靈魂關在永遠鎖上的軀殼

你不是真正的快樂你的傷從不肯完全的癒合
我站在你左側卻像隔著銀河
難道就真的抱著遺憾一直到老了然後才後悔著

你值得真正的快樂你應該脫下你穿的保護色
為什麼失去了還要被懲罰呢
能不能就讓悲傷全部結束在此刻重新開始活著

Protesters want MACC probed, 7 arrested

2009-07-18T08:54:00.003+08:00

July 17, 2009

The police this morning dispersed about 300 protesters who gathered outside the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Selangor office in Shah Alam demanding that MACC be investigated for the death of an opposition politician's aide.

As they shouted 'Siasat, siasat, siasat' (investigate, investigate, investigate), top Pakatan Rakyat leaders submitted a protest memorandum to MACC.

At least seven protesters were arrested in the melee. They included Kapar parliamentarian S Manikavasagam and Selangor exco Dr Xavier Jayakumar.

Camera: Mohd Kamal Ishak
Editor: Lydia Azizan
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMjYgso2yOg

15 Successful Entrepreneurs Who Didn’t Need College

2009-07-07T18:44:00.001+08:00

How many times were you told to make sure you worked hard in high school so you could go to college and get a good career job? Okay, maybe not all of you got nagged about it, but probably a good portion of today’s generation of adults did.

It’s natural to wonder whether college is really necessary. A college degree, as many have found, is no guarantee of a good career. On the flipside, there are many successful entrepreneurs who didn’t need their college education and become millionaires anyway. Here are fifteen of them, both contemporary and from the past, in alphabetical order.

* Mary Kay Ash. The founder of Mary Kay Inc. started a cosmetics business. While she didn’t have a college education or any training, she successfully created a brand known throughout the world. To date, nearly half a million women have started Mary Kay businesses, selling cosmetics. Their appreciation for Mary Kay Ash is unwavering.
* Richard Branson. Richard Branson is best known for his thrill seeking spirit and outrageous business tactics. He dropped out at the age of 16 and started his first successful business venture, Student Magazine. He is the owner of the Virgin brand and its 360 companies. His companies include Virgin Megastore and Virgin Atlantic Airway.
* Coco Chanel. An orphan for many years, Gabrielle Coco Chanel trained as a seamstress. Determined to invent herself, she threw out the ideas that the fashion world deemed feminine, boldly using fabric and styles normally reserved for men. A perfume bearing her name, Chanel No. 5 kept her name famous.
* Simon Cowell. Simon Cowell started in a mailroom for a music publishing company. He has since become an Artist and Repertoire (A&R) executive for Sony BMG in the UK, and a television producer and judge for major television talent contests including American Idol.
* Michael Dell. With $1,000, dedication and desire, Michael Dell dropped out of college at age 19 to start PC’s Limited, later named Dell, Inc. Dell became the most profitable PC manufacturer in the world. In 1996, The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation offered a $50 million grant to The University of Texas at Austin to be used for children’s health and education in the city.
* Barry Diller. Fox Broadcasting Company was started by a college dropout, Barry Diller. Diller is now chairman of Expedia, and CEO of of IAC/InterActiveCorp which includes Home Shopping Network and Ticketmaster.
* Walt Disney. Having dropped out of high school at 16, Walt Disney’s career and accomplishments are astounding. The most influential animator, Disney holds the record for the most awards and nominations. Disney’s imagination included cartoons and theme parks. The Walt Disney Company now has annual revenue of $30 billion.
* Debbi Fields. As a young, 20 year old housewife with no business experience, Debbi Fields started Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chippery. With a recipe for chocolate chip cookies, this young woman became the most successful cookie company owner. She later renamed, franchised, then sold Mrs. Field’s Cookies.
* Henry Ford. At 16, Henry Ford left home to apprentice as a machinist. He later started Ford Motor Company to manufacture automobiles. Ford’s first major success, the Model T, allowed Ford to open a large factory and later start the assembly line production, revolutionalizing the auto-making industry.
* Bill Gates. Ranked as the world’s richest person from 1995-2006, Bill Gates was a college drop out. He started the largest computer software company, Microsoft Corporation. Gates and his wife are philanthropists, starting The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with a focus on global health and learning.
* Milton Hershey. With only a fourth grade education, Milton Hershey started his own chocolate company. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate became the first nationally marketed chocolate. Hershey also focused on building a wonderful community for his workers, known as Hershey, Pennsylvania.
* Steve Jobs. After attending one semester of college, Steve Jobs worked for Atari before co-founding Apple Computers. Now without the “Computers” in their name, Apple includes innovative products such as the iPod, iTunes, and most recently the iPhone. Steve Jobs was also the CEO and co-founder of Pixar before it merged with Walt Disney.
* Rachael Ray. Despite having no formal training in culinary arts, Rachel Ray has made a name for herself in the food industry. With numerous shows on the Food Network, a talk show and cookbooks, high-energy Rachael doesn’t slow down. She has also appeared in magazines as well has having her own magazine debut in 2006. She knew she was a success when a website dedicated to bashing her was created.
* Ty Warner. Sole owner, CEO, and Chairman of Ty, Inc., Ty Warner is a savvy, yet private business man. Ty, Inc., made $700 million in a single year with the Beanie Babies craze without spending money on advertising! He has since expanded to include Ty Girlz dolls, directly competing with Bratz dolls.
* Frank Lloyd Wright. Having never attended high school, Frank Lloyd Wright surpassed all odds when he became the most influential architect of the twentieth century. Wright designed more than 1,100 projects with about half actually being built. His designs have inspired numerous architects to look at the beauty around them and add to it.

Of course, just because these people made it does not of course mean that most people can do without a college degree. If you’ve got an entrepreneurial spirit, the degree is just a backup.

Source:http://www.college-startup.com/college/15-successful-entrepreneurs-who-didnt-need-college/

Spongebob Squarepants - Procrastination

2009-07-04T16:20:00.005+08:00

I don't usually watch Spongebob Squarepants. But I stumbled upon this interesting episode when I was browsing through a programming forum. Though it's not a new episode. I just find it interesting and educational.

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wq2XW1dNb0

The video cannot be embedded on third-party websites because the embedding function has been disabled by request.

Have you always been doing what spongebob does in the video? I think I have. Procrastination is one of my shortcomings. Anyway enjoy!

Googling with Bing

2009-06-28T10:18:00.001+08:00

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1915736

Michael Jackson The Legend

2009-06-27T13:21:00.001+08:00

Pop Star Michael Jackson Dead At 50

2009-06-26T07:52:00.002+08:00

Paramedics arrived at his Bel-Air home today and found the singer in full cardiac arrest. A doctor was in the home performing CPR on him. LAPD has opened an inquiry.

Pop star Michael Jackson was pronounced dead today after paramedics found him in a coma at his Bel-Air mansion, city and law enforcement sources told The Times.

Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda told The Times that paramedics responded to a 911 call from the home. When they arrived, Jackson was not breathing. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda said.

Hundreds of reporters gathered at the hospital awaiting word on his condition. The sources, who spoke on the condition that they not be named, said family members rushed to Jackson's bedside, where he was in a deep coma.

The circumstances of Jackson's death remain unclear. Law enforcement sources said that Los Angeles Police Department robbery-homicide detectives have opened an investigation into the death, though they stressed there is no evidence of criminal wrongdoing. The detectives plan to interview relatives, friends and Jackson's doctors to try to figure out what happened. The L.A. County coroner's office will determine a cause of death.

A Los Angeles Fire Department source told The Times that Jackson was in full cardiac arrest when rescue units arrived on scene. A doctor was in the house performing CPR on him, said the source, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Paramedics were called to a home on the 100 block of Carolwood Drive off Sunset Boulevard. Jackson rented the Bel-Air home -- described as a French chateau built in 2002 with seven bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, 12 fireplaces and a theater -- for $100,000 a month.

The home is about a six-minute drive from UCLA Medical Center.

Jackson has three children -- sons Prince Michael 7, and Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., 12, and daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11.

The news comes as Jackson, 50, was attempting a comeback after years of tabloid headlines, most notably his trial and acquittal on child molestation charges.

In May, The Times reported that Jackson was living in a Bel-Air mansion and rehearsing for a series of 50 sold-out shows in London's O2 Arena. Jackson had won the backing of two billionaires to get the so-called King of Pop back on stage.

The concerts had been scheduled to kick off July 13.

Johnny Caswell, a principal at Centerstaging, the Burbank soundstage where Jackson rehearsed for his London concerts, watched many of the run-throughs and said he was "absolutely shocked" by the performer's death.

Jackson, he said, was "very frail" but approached the rehearsals with boundless energy.

"He was working hard. Putting four days a week in here. Six hours a day. Working hard. Dancing," Caswell said. "We're in shock over here."

The performer moved from the Burbank facility to the Forum at the beginning of June, Caswell said.

His backers envisioned the London shows as an audition for a career rebirth that could ultimately encompass a three-year world tour, a new album, movies, a Graceland-like museum, musical revues in Las Vegas and Macau, and even a Thriller casino.

Such a rebound could wipe out Jackson's massive debt, estimated at $400 million.

Jackson needed a comeback to reverse the damage done by years of excessive spending and little work. He has not toured since 1997 or released a new album since 2001, but he has continued to live like a megastar.

To finance his opulent lifestyle, he borrowed heavily against his three main assets: his Neverland Ranch, his music catalog and a second catalog that includes the music of the Beatles that he co-owns with Sony Corp. By the time of his 2005 criminal trial, he was nearly $300 million in debt and, according to testimony, spending $30 million more annually than he was taking in.

Compounding his money difficulties were a revolving door of litigious advisors and hangers-on. Jackson has run through 11 managers since 1990, according to Frank DiLeo, his manager and friend of three decades.

Times staff writers Richard Winton, Chris Lee, Carla Hall, Ari B. Bloomekatz, Anna Gorman and Nicole Santa Cruz contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-michael-jackson-dead26-2009jun26,0,2152435.story

Google: Let's Make The Web Faster!

2009-06-24T14:05:00.004+08:00

I stumbled upon this announcement on Google Code.

Google:
What would be possible if browsing the web was as fast as turning the pages of a magazine? We invite you to join us in exploring and innovating across the entire spectrum of performance - from Internet protocols to the browser to website development. Together, let's make the web faster!

Visit: http://code.google.com/speed/

How To Get Started In Game Development

2009-06-24T11:39:00.004+08:00

I believe most boys once had a dream of creating their own games. However, it seems almost impossible for average people to create a fantastic game like Warcraft 3, Left 4 Dead, Need For Speed, Fifa, etc. Those games are developed by a team of professional game programmers and designers and are often funded in millions of dollars.

Nevertheless, you can always start small. "Start small and think/dream big!" It has always been my favorite quotation. Sadly most people do not know where to start and are usually overwhelmed by the jargons of game programming. Fortunately, you can find lots of free and useful online information on how to get started in game development. The drawback, however, is people tend to get information overloaded. So I am recommending a good resource for you.

http://www.gamedev.net/reference/programming/features/davegpg/

(introduction quoted from the above site)
I often get asked how someone with little or no programming experience can get started in game development. Up until now, I have always tried to help them along as much as I can on a one-to-one basis. However, because the number of questions has grown to an almost unmanageable level lately, I decided it is time for me to put all my advice in an article to serve as a general resource.
This article is intended for people who want to make their own games, but who have little or no programming experience. In fact, I'm going to assume the reader has no programming knowledge at all. I will focus mainly on the programming and design aspects of game development, and not the artistic side. I am not going to cover actually getting into the industry (because there are already ample resources for that) but I will walk you through the things you need to do to get to the point that you can make your own games. Finally, the path I lay out here should not be looked at as the only - or even the best - route to learning how to make games, but it has worked well for me and for other people.

The Future Of Facebook - Mark Zuckerberg Interview Video

2009-06-19T21:36:00.002+08:00

Barry Diller Said The Internet 'Absolutely' Will Become a 'Paid System' Within 5 Years, True Or Not?

2009-06-15T20:57:00.007+08:00

My friend, Peter sent me another email to inform me about an article that might interest me...

You may read the original article at http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=19552.

Frankly speaking, I do not 'Absolutely' agree to what Barry Diller said, despite he is way more successful than me in the Internet business field. Well I do believe that more and more businesses with paid products and services will appear online gradually or even exponentially. However, there are still many websites which provide free contents and are able to make sustainable income from displaying advertisements on the sites. A few very good examples are Google, Yahoo, Youtube, Facebook, etc.

You might argue that Google and Yahoo do provide some paid products and services for the high end users such as business owners and professional webmasters. But think about it. What is the primary income source for Google and Yahoo? It's the search engine which is FREE for the end-users. They make most of their money from the advertising programs, namely Google Adwords and Yahoo Search Marketing.

I really cannot imagine Google and Yahoo start charging people for using their search engines. If it really happens, other competitors will easily take over their current market share. Who would want to pay for using the search engine?

This is just my two cents. Anything can happen in the next five years since the Internet evolves too rapidly. What's your opinion?

Can You Read This?

2009-06-07T19:42:00.000+08:00

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too.
Cna yuo raed tihs?
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Source: http://forum.codecall.net/blogs/chetanbhagde/308-can-you-read.html

The Flash Mind Reader - I Can Read Your Mind!

2009-06-02T17:01:00.005+08:00

Very interesting and fascinating, isn't it? During one of my classes, my lecturer showed us this little flash game and asked us to figure out how the logic works. We were quite bored with the lecture so he decided to give us something challenging to refresh our minds.

Basically you have to choose a number from the schedule. For example, I choose 23. Then sum up the two digits of the number. Thus, 2+3=5. Next, subtract the original number with the sum of the two digits, that is 23-5=18 in this case. You click on the shining crystal ball and it will give you the symbol of the final answer, 18 in this case. You may try the game with any number in the schedule.

Eventually a new student managed to give the correct answer. In fact, the answer is simple and you can easily notice it after playing for few rounds.

Have you understood how it actually works? Give me your answer in the comment section!

Disclaimer: Flash file Hosted At http://www.exstatica.net/flash/psychic.swf

again by YUI

2009-05-27T13:21:00.007+08:00

This is the opening song of the latest Full Metal Alchemist 2: Brotherhood anime series. If you wish to watch Full Metal Alchemist 2: Brotherhood online for free, you may visit Revolution Anime via the link below.

Link: http://revolution-anime.net/index.php?/Fullmetal-Alchemist-2/

When Is MLM A Pyramid Scheme? Do Yourself A Favour - Asess These Businesses Carefully

2009-05-26T18:51:00.003+08:00

The following content is extracted from an article posted at malaysiafinance.blogspot.com and my friend, Peter told me about it. He thought the article might be useful and beneficial for the readers. I really appreciate it and thus post it here today. Perhaps this topic might offend some network marketing distributors or even companies. In fact, a direct selling business can be good for anyone who wishes to create a passive income source. Moreover, the network marketing business has been recommended by Robert T. Kiyosaki, author of the bestsellers "Rich Dad Poor Dad", as a real life business school for those who are keen on becoming an entrepreneur. So I am not trying to be stereotyping the entire industry. Instead I hope you all can distinguish between the genuine direct selling business and the pyramid scheme.

Disclaimer: The following article was written and posted at http://malaysiafinance.blogspot.com/2009/05/when-is-mlm-pyramid-scheme-do-yourself.html by Salvatore_Dali. Hence, I am not responsible for the article.

We know of Bernie Madoff, who basically ran a Ponzi scheme. A Ponzi scheme is in some ways close to a "pyramid scheme". The new phrase we use is "multi level marketing", some critics call it the new pyramid scheme. These MLMs need to be vetted properly before you go and sign up as a member or distributor. Some are genuine businesses, even though you may call them MLMs, such as Amway and Hai-O. In its intended form, MLM is a marketing strategy that compensates promoters of direct selling companies not only for product sales they personally generate, but also for the sales of others they introduced to the company. The products and company are usually marketed directly to consumers and potential business partners by means of relationship referrals and word of mouth marketing.

Independent, unsalaried salespeople of multi-level marketing, referred to as distributors (or associates, independent business owners, dealers, franchise owners, sales consultants, consultants, independent agents, etc.), represent the parent company and are awarded a commission based upon the volume of product sold through each of their independent businesses (organizations).

Independent distributors develop their organizations by either building an active customer base, who buy direct from the parent company, or by recruiting a downline of independent distributors who also build a customer base, thereby expanding the overall organization. Additionally, distributors can also earn a profit by retailing products they purchased from the parent company at wholesale price.

Danger Signs #1: Downline - Distributors earn a commission based on the sales efforts of their organization, which includes their independent sale efforts as well as the leveraged sales efforts of their downline. This arrangement is similar to franchise arrangements where royalties are paid from the sales of individual franchise operations to the franchisor as well as to an area or region manager. Commissions are paid to multi-level marketing distributors according to the company’s compensation plan. There can be multiple levels of people receiving royalties from one person's sales.

The MLM can easily be transformed into a pyramid scheme (Ponzi scheme) if you do not look at them closely. Even the insurance agents scheme we had, before it was revamped, was a bit questionable as the downline can be almost limitless. The downline depth is a first indication of how deviant the business model is. It cannot be forever limitless, because if it is it means its already a pyramidic scheme in essence, always creaming off the next level.

Danger Signs #2: Sign Up Fees - In the most legitimate MLM companies, commissions are earned only on sales of the company's products or services. No money may be earned from recruiting alone ("sign-up fees"), though money earned from the sales of members recruited is one attraction of MLM arrangements. If participants are paid primarily from money received from new recruits, or if they are required to buy more product than they are likely to sell, then the company may be a pyramid or Ponzi scheme, which is illegal in most countries.

New salespeople may be asked to pay for their own training and marketing materials, or to buy a significant amount of inventory. This is considered as acceptable. A commonly adopted test of legality is that MLMs follow the so-called 70% rule which prevents members "inventory loading" in order to qualify for additional bonuses. The 70% rule requires participants to sell 70% of previously purchased inventory before placing new orders with the company. There are however variations in interpretations of this rule. Some attorneys insist that 70% of purchased inventory should be sold to people who are not participants in the business, while many MLM companies allow for self-consumption to be a significant part of the sales of a participant.

Danger Signs #3 - Recruitment: The Federal Trade Commission in the US advises that multi-level marketing organizations with greater incentives for recruitment than product sales are to be viewed skeptically. The FTC also warns that the practice of getting commissions from recruiting new members is outlawed in most states as "pyramiding". In April 2006, it proposed a Business Opportunity Rule intended to require all sellers of business opportunities—including MLMs—to provide enough information to enable prospective buyers to make an informed decision about their probability of earning money.

Rules and regulations are getting tougher in developed countries, which is why many MLMs are moving to emerging markets to ply their trade. Be very careful with them because in MOST cases, they are pyramidic schemes rather than businesses that offer a genuine product. I would be even more wary if they were from a stand alone product - i.e. one product solely. NAME ME ONE MLM COMPANY WITH ONE PRODUCT THAT YOU HAVE BOUGHT FROM OR USED THEIR PRODUCT THAT IS STILL AROUND AFTER 3-5 YEARS (that's about the length of time for the founders to make their pile... remember Noni juice, what about Lampe Berger, Bel-Air). The danger in many Asian countries with MLMs is that the rules and regulations have NOT CAUGHT UP yet with some pyramid schemes which may be masquerading as MLMs. The second point is that even some MLMs are more sinister in that it obtains more profit from members recruitment than actually from selling the product. Our rules and laws are NOT ADEQUATE for the time being. I would strongly advise the Ministry Of Domestic Affair/Local Biz to have all MLMs properly registered, have a Complaints Bureau with teeth, have a Commission that looks at the integrity and credibility of the people behind these businesses.

I do not wish to attract legal repercussions by saying the following businesses are pyramidic schemes, but I would like to highlight that they need to be looked at and over many times, and if you still want to be a member, go talk to a psychiatrist or a really rational friend or write to me or the Securities Commission, maybe they can help you in the legitimacy of the businesses:

These are some well know MLMs, its been passed around a bit, do feel free to add your views. Up to you to consider if they are worth getting involved with... to me, they are not worth your time and heartache.The key takeaway from this posting is that: of course pyramid schemes are evil and absolutely wrong, but you don't have to be a purely pyramid scheme to have evil intent, and MLM being what it is, a multi level scheme / binary scheme needs to be vetted thoroughly.

To continue reading, please visit http://malaysiafinance.blogspot.com/2009/05/when-is-mlm-pyramid-scheme-do-yourself.html

Some Random Updates

2009-05-23T20:31:00.004+08:00

I have a couple of unrelated things to write in this post. Therefore, I cannot think of an appropriate title. Anyway I have come back to Kuala Lumpur to prepare for the new semester in my University.

Just the day I was going to leave my hometown in Johor Bahru, I found out that I actually missed the lessons of the first week of a subject that I am taking under another department, the American Degree Program(ADP). The reason was simply the schedule of the school of ADP is different from the Department of Information Technology and they started the new semester one week earlier than us. My classmates and I were not aware of it and we were still enjoying our holiday. So I was a bit irritated at that moment but fortunately I managed to enroll the subject online and write off the outstanding tuition fee within the due date(I am a scholarship holder).

After grumbling for the entire paragraph, I am going to provide a solution to my disciple's recent problem. Kai Chiew is applying for a Google Adsense account and he/she(sorry, I forgot your gender) is having problem with submitting the tax information. To be frank with you, I forgot how I did it. After all it was something happened at least a year ago. So I searched for the solution on the Internet and I found a post written by a popular Malaysian problogger, Liew CF. Man, he is earning full time income by writing on blogs and he isn't even a native English speaker! Anyway you may read it at http://www.liewcf.com/blog/archives/2006/05/submit-google-adsense-tax-information/. It is dead simple and if you still have any problem, ask someone else. Sorry about it but I really forgot how I did it as I said.

Regarding a comment left on my blog, someone called chokilala made a post on how to delete message on shoutmix on his/her blog. Unfortunately, the website is having an error with establishing database connection. If you are reading this, chokilala please check it out and fix it.

Finally, here's a very good news for me! My last semester result was released today and I just checked it online. Guess what? I got straight A's for all four subjects taken in the previous semester! In other words, I scored at least 90 marks for the four subjects. In my first semester which was a short semester, I only got A- and B- for two subjects. So I sort of lost confidence in myself. I thought I could never achieve A since the bencemark here is relatively high. Fortunately I managed to obtain good result for the second semester and it definitely helps in ensuring my next scholarship. I am not trying to show off my result. Instead, I am trying to show that everything is possible. Do not dismay even if you do not get what you want at the beginning. As long as you work hard and stay focused, you will get what you want, provided you plan everything well beforehand. Good luck everyone!

Introduction To Keyword Sniping

2009-05-18T20:26:00.009+08:00

Here's a small guide on how to make money from the Internet with a technique called "Keyword Sniping". This guide was actually written by a popular online keyword and SEO guru, Court and was posted on his blog at courtneytuttle.com. Nevertheless, the original post was pulled down by Court and I don't know why he did so. Fortunately I managed to find a same copy elsewhere on the Internet. This guide is absolutely impressive despite it's free. I turned the guide into a pdf file and uploaded it to Scribd.com whereby I can use it to embed the document here.
Introduction to Keyword Sniping

Like it or not, leave me your comment!

p/s: Just realized that it's a bit difficult to read the pdf file on my blog because of the post width constrain on my blog. It's more pleasure to read it on scribd and you may do it by clicking here.

My Favourite ShoutMix Widget Has Been Removed From The Sidebar

2009-05-18T20:16:00.002+08:00

After getting more spam messages, I decided to remove my favourite ShoutMix widget from the right sidebar. Apparently I still have not found a way to fight against the spammers. EliteVillain said that I can only block their IP addresses but there are simply too many spammers out there. Therefore I think I can barely implement the method. Eventually removing the widget is the last resort.

ShoutMix, I Hate It, I Like It!

2009-05-10T12:20:00.007+08:00

Most of the personal bloggers would like to place a little chat box widget on their blogs. I know many friends of mine use cbox and I also tried using it few years ago. You may have noticed that I am using ShoutMix here instead of cbox. There is no significant reason for me to do so. It's simply because I admire the success and entrepreneurial spirit of the founder of ShoutMix. I forgot his name but he is a young Malaysian who dropped out from MMU. He dropped out so that he could focus on the development of ShoutMix. This is what Bill Gates from Microsoft and Mark Zuckerberg from Facebook did, isn't it?

I am not sure whether the founder of cbox is also a college drop-out, but anyway I am writing this post because I saw something on my shoutmix widget. Check it out!

Yes, there are SPAM messages! What ridiculous is the person who spammed my ShoutBox used "admin" as his nickname and people could probably mistake it as my message! Thanks to EliteVillain for informing me about it although I have seen it earlier.

I actually tried to find a way to delete the spam messages but I could not find the delete button on the widget itself. So I thought I might have to log into my shoutmix account to delete the messages. After logging into the user panel, I finally saw the "Delete" tab and quickly clicked it. It led me to the page where it prompted me to select which batch of messages to delete.

Oh no! I only want to delete certain messages which are the spam messages. It seems I can't do so. Too bad. That's why the spam messages are still existing on my ShoutBox. Arrrggghh!

If anyone from ShoutMix is reading this blog post, I hope you can modify the settings so that the user can delete any selected message, as few as one. I don't want other messages to be deleted. Any solution my friends please post it on the comment section. Thanks a lot!

I just finished the "I Hate It" part. Now it's the "I Like It" part. ShoutMix is definitely one of the best chat box widget services on the Internet. It provides convenience for visitors who are lazy enough to leave comments on blog posts. Lol, I am just joking. In fact, it is a also good tool for visitors and bloggers to communicate with each other on topics that might be irrelevant to the blog posts. For example, "how r u?", "u come back jb ad?", "i added u on my blogroll, check it out", "sheng loong lazy blogger"(lol!) I can say that a chat box, whether it's cbox or shoutmix, is important and everyone should place it on his/her personal blog. The only drawback is you have to deal with the spam messages. Just like what I have described above.

Here's a good news I got from my ShoutBox. There are two messages left on my ShoutBox. Kai Chew from kafechew.com told me that he/she(sorry for not being able to know your gender) read my blog last year in May and got inspired to start his/her website. Now he/she had earned more than $250 USD (>RM875) online. Although the figure is not big enough to surprise you, but it proves that making money online definitely works, only if you take action and are willing to learn. I believe Kai Chew will earn stable income online as long as he/she persists on it. Another person called "Malaysian actuary" (obviously not a real name) also left a message. But I believe both of them are the same person. I have some advice for you, Kai Chew if you are reading this. You can learn the basics of SEO from the Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide, released by Google itself. You may download it instantly by visiting the link. It provides enough information for newbies to start performing SEO on their websites. However, SEO is a very broad topic on its own and the information you receive can be obsolete very quickly as Google and other search engines are changing their algorithms constantly. There are many other good ebooks on SEO but I would advise you to read the one I mentioned above first. Once you have finished it then only I will introduce other books to you. Good luck!

JB Song By Namewee, JB Kia Must Listen!

2009-04-21T10:19:00.003+08:00

I actually found this video from Bon's blog. It looks like songs and videos by Namewee (黄明志 in Mandarin) always go viral very rapidly. Anyway this time I was a bit surprised at the beginning. Man, this is JB SONG! "新山真好", or "JB so good". I was thinking whether this was another 麻坡的华语 (muar chinese). After watching the music video, I can say the song is really nice, especially the melody. Suddenly I miss my hometown...Oh, JB so good! But of course you might notice that on the hand Namewee has put in some crime issues into the music video. After all, it is undeniable that the JB is no longer a safe place.

Enjoy!