In the eWorld of online gambling, casino reputation is King.
eCOGRA is a non-profit, non-partisan and totally international
organization, that allows legitimate players to feel comfortable
playing at casinos that have agreed to operate within certain
higher standards in order to receive and retain an eCOGRA Seal.
It provides participating casinos with a set of player-sensitive
regulations that are checked by independent inspection and
enforced by ongoing monitoring.

Established in 2003, with the first seals awarded in early 2004,
eCOGRA has demonstrated that it is a serious vehicle for
enforced, self-imposed regulation and quality assurance, despite
initial player apprehension about the “independence” of its
directors. A visit to any “watchdog” forum can confirm that by
and large eCOGRA measures up to its mission ” . . . to be an
independent entity that provides important player protections to
consumers, including that operators are honest, games are fair,
monetary deposits are safe and winning bets are paid in a timely
manner.”

Andrew Beveridge, eCOGRA’s CEO, has taken the time to discuss
eCOGRA, player advocacy and the online gambling industry with
us. Thank you and welcome, Andrew.

CGP: Andrew, what gaming software platforms (other than the
giant Microgaming) have been approved by eCOGRA?

Andrew: In addition to Microgaming, Virtual Holdings (the parent
company of Random Logic, software supplier to 888.com and
Pacific Poker) is also a founding member. A recently added
member is Ongame, software supplier to PokerRoom.com, so that in
effect we now have on board the two largest suppliers to the
online casino industry, and three of the top six suppliers to
the online poker business. In practical terms, that means that
seal operations handle well over fifty percent of the global
online casino and poker room business.

It’s important to understand that we don’t actually award the
seal to the software providers; it is the online gaming sites
that use the software of our members that are eligible to
receive the seal. However the review process does also include
probity checks on the software providers’ major shareholders and
management, a thorough inspection of the entire software
development environment and comprehensive testing for software
fairness.

CGP: When do you expect to have approved bingo and sportbooks
software and operators under The Seal?

Andrew: Ideally we’d like to be involved in the self-regulation
of this part of the industry, however it has been a significant
effort just to make sure we are adequately addressing the
regulation of online casinos and poker. Even in these areas it’s
a constant effort to make sure we stay abreast of new
developments, such as mobile technology and multi-player
casinos. With limited resources we’ll probably continue to focus
in the foreseeable future on casino and poker due to their
relative importance in the online gambling industry. In order to
maintain our own credibility and that of the approved sites, we
need to make sure our standards are thoroughly researched,
implemented and monitored, and there can’t be any shortcuts in
this process.

CGP: Are there any gaming softwares that have been specifically
disapproved? If so, what are they?

Andrew: Prior to a software provider becoming a member, we make
a preliminary assessement together with one of the independent
audit firms on our Audit Panel as to the organisation’s ability
to meet our standards. If compliance looks probable, then we’ll
proceed with the membership process which is only then followed
by the eGAP inspection. Each of our current members had to do a
fair amount of work in specific areas prior to submitting to the
eGAP inspection, and we provided guidance through much of this
process, which conceivably can take up to a year.

It’s worth noting that we’ve been approached by over 30 other
software suppliers seeking information about membership, but the
considerable financial commitment and effort required to comply
with our standards makes the membership application process a
little tougher than what these organisations may initially
anticipate.

CGP: How many Online Casinos have been denied the seal and have
any holders of the seal ever “lost” their seal?

Andrew: Most of the 55 approved casinos were denied the seal
following their first inspection. The process is such that the
audit firm highlights the areas of non-compliance, and the
casino is then provided with an opportunity to rectify these
areas. A follow-up inspection is then done on-site (as we
require substantiated evidence that there is appropriate
compliance) and ultimately the site will be awarded the seal
once they comply fully with our standards. These are serious and
detailed studies of every aspect of casino operation, with
particular emphasis on those that interface with the player, and
this demands both commitment and determination on the operators’
part to pass. In return, the operator gets not only our seal,
but a highly professional, independent business assessment of
the operation that can improve business efficiency and
performance.

To date no seal holder has lost the seal. Obviously we pick up
areas where compliance has slipped, but as long as the
infringement is not too material, and the will exists to address
it we provide the operator with an opportunity to rectify the
shortcomings within a limited time frame. Non-conformance
thereafter could well result in the seal being revoked, and I do
know that our independent directors who control the Seals
Compliance Committee would not hesitate to act if they thought
standards were being flouted.

Along with software fairness, information and player security
and payment standards, eCOGRA is also involved in the politics
and legalities of online gaming.

CGP: Andrew, in your opinion, what is the outlook for online
gambling legally? Is Great Britain any closer to licensing
online gambling establishments? What is eCOGRA doing politically
to affect online gambling positively?

Andrew: We’re not really active on the legal and political
front, and there are several industry trade associations whose
main focus is to satisfy the legal and political agendas of
their members which comprise software suppliers and operators.
eCOGRA is essentially about player protection, fair gaming and
responsible operator behavior. That being said though, we are
currently advising a number of jurisdictions in the area of
setting standards and the appropriate testing methodologies.

Developments in the United Kingdom are especially encouraging,
as provision has been made in the new Gambling Act for
interactive gambling, a new Gambling Commission has been formed
to draft and implement regulations, and offices have been
secured in Birmingham, England. The indications are that the new
controlling body, headed by Peter Dean who is highly experienced
in regulation is taking a consultative approach that bodes well
for the industry when it takes over in 2007.

Britain’s new controlling body for gambling will be officially
launched in October this year and is already planning to meet
the industry at the next Betting Show, scheduled for 19 and 20
October at the Birmingham NEC Pavilion.

There is no doubt in my mind that this will be serious and
highly professional regulation, and that is good for the
industry in Britain, which is increasingly being perceived as a
desirable jurisdiction for respectable businesses. It means more
protection for the player, and that’s a prime goal we can share.

Elsewhere, geographical jurisdictions (eCOGRA operates across
international boundaries) such as Alderney, Gibraltar and the
Isle of Man are all improving their regulatory climates and that
will hopefully encourage other licensors to follow suit and
improve controls and dispute handling.

The progressive developments in the UK are being closely watched
by other governments, and will no doubt have a beneficial impact
through this channel, too.

The United States remains, as always a confusing legal and
political climate where we are unlikely to see positive and
wide-reaching improvements in the recognition and regulation of
Internet gambling in the immediate future. But I remain
optimistic that the example set by the UK may help introduce a
more rational approach there.

The outlook in general is very encouraging in my personal view,
and we will continue to make available to others our
considerable regulatory experience should they wish to exchange
views with us. I think the growing number of large, successful
and professionally run online gambling companies that have
evolved is ideally positioned to complement this more regulated
environment, and we will see more industry consolidation with
this new maturity.

Most recently, eCOGRA has launched the Responsible Gaming
Initiative, with the full support of its seal holders. All sites
will be required to carry a prominent Responsible Gaming section
in which the dangers of under-age and problem gambling are
explained. 7 day “cooling off,” 6 month self-exclusion or
deposit limiting mechanisms will be provided for gamblers who
suspect they may be in difficulties. Staff will be on the alert
for playing and financial patterns that may indicate an
addictive gambler.

CGP: This seems a very admirable endeavor on the part of eCOGRA
and seal holders. Tell me a little about the new Responsible
Gaming Initiative. How do you expect it impact the industry as a
whole? Do you think the addicted or underage gambler will simply
avoid eCOGRA Seal Casinos?

Andrew: That is not our objective – our goal is to identify and
exclude underage gamblers as soon as possible, and provide
facilities whereby gamblers with a potential problem can test
themselves and then act accordingly to either give up gambling
altogether or exclude themselves for a safe period of time of
their choosing or limit their accounts. We want to ensure that
our seal casinos do not promote gambling to under-aged or
problem gamblers, and we seek to train our staff in the
professional indicators of a problem gambler so that appropriate
advice can be offered where necessary.

In short, our objective is to go considerably further than
merely placing a GA link or something similar on seal casinos,
although we recognise the excellent work such bodies do and will
continue to steer troubled players to them.

This is a complicated field, and we have followed our usual
practice of engaging with experts in our planning. We have
partnered with the specialised international G4 organisation
which has extensive experience and professional skills and is
helping us to construct policies and eGAPs, train casino
managements and introduce the diagnostic tests and Responsible
Gaming facilities for seal operations.

The bottom line here is that under-age and addictive gambling is
a dangerous element for the casino, the player and the industry;
it causes untold distress and financial hardship, it is morally
wrong to allow or encourage it and we are therefore committed to
taking serious steps to prevent it wherever we can.

CGP: What is next Andrew? Do you anticipate any standards and
seal opportunity for portalmasters and casino affiliates?

Andrew: Until now I think we’ve done a reasonably good job of
laying the groundwork for effective self-regulation of online
gaming, and I think our success is reflected in the performance
and reputation of the sites that have earned our seal.

I can’t see us setting standards for portalmasters and
affiliates as this is certainly not our area of expertise and we
need to remain focused on our principal objective of protecting
the player.

The next step is to make consumers more aware that there are
responsible organisations in this industry who are willing to
invest significantly to ensure the well-being of the players. So
the big focus in the near future is going to be on the marketing
and education front, but at the same time we’ll be careful to
ensure that our standards are continually enhanced and the seal
holders maintain compliance. Ultimately we’re aiming to
substantially improve the credibility of the industry as a
whole, and no doubt this will benefit all involved.

CGP: We have no doubt of the benefit as well.

Thank you Andrew for taking the time to inform us about eCOGRA,
its purview and its plans. Thank you especially for eCOGRA’s
continued efforts on behalf of players and improving the image
of online gaming as a whole.

Casino Gold Pages members wishing to address player issues
regarding any eCOGRA seal holder, listed below, can find the
guidelines and form here:

http://www.ecogra.com/dispute.asp

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Cindy Mancuso
http://www.articlesbase.com/online-gambling-articles/ecogra-strives-to-improve-player-confidence-and-online-gaming-3173.html

As more and more merchants move online, it becomes an increasing challenge to stand out from the pack. While price may influence a shopper’s choice, it’s usually not the deciding factor: most buyers would prefer to pay a bit more for an item they feel safe buying, than to spend less and worry they’re throwing their money away.

That’s why, as an online retailer, creating a safe and stress-free environment for your shoppers should be a top priority. With internet scams and identity fraud to worry about, most online buyers turn to merchants they recognize and trust. If customers don’t feel secure spending their money with you, they’ll move on to another auction or website where they do feel comfortable.

Suspicious Minds

According to Steve Woda, of http://BuySafe.com, “About fifty percent of people who surf online don’t buy online, and the number one reason is because they don’t trust something about the transaction-the merchant, the process, the payment method. Whatever it is, it’s always about trust.” There are numerous steps you can take to convey credibility to buyers and build their confidence in you:

Â? Professional Image. Your website or auction listing’s appearance creates a strong impression before customers read a single word. Make sure the message you’re sending is the one you want to be sending. Sloppy errors and misspelled words signal customers they aren’t dealing with a serious businessperson.

Â? Build Your Ratings. Your merchant ratings and feedback ratings go a long way towards assuring shoppers that, should they purchase from you, their products will arrive and be in good condition.

Â? Good Customer Service. Promptly returned phone calls and email inquiries, and thorough, courteous communications demonstrate to buyers that you’re a genuine, reliable merchant who will provide them good service.

Â? Third-party Solutions. This is one of the strongest signals you can send that your business is legitimate and trustworthy.

o Seals from companies like the Better Business Bureau, SquareTrade, and BuySafe tell customers your business has passed inspection and been approved by trusted third parties. BuySafe will even guarantee your transactions, so your buyers can shop risk-free.

o Verisign and GeoTrust SSL certificates let your buyers know their personal information is encrypted. Other third-party solutions are available, like HackerSafe which scans your site for vulnerabilities, and TRUSTe which examines your privacy policies. Making PayPal available as a payment option also tells buyers you’ve been through a very thorough verification process.

There’s more than enough data to prove that employing any of these solutions can significantly increase your conversion rate. When buyers trust you, they’re much quicker to spend money with you. Says Woda, “I do recommend merchants… deal with buyer uncertainties by leveraging as many of these things as they possibly can. It’s all about distinguishing [yourself] as professional, legitimate, and credible.”

By Chris Malta
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/safe-and-stressfree-shopping-building-customer-trust-104464.html

How do i build up my confidence and self esteem?
Im only in my early teens and i want to build up my confidence in life.. For example, when i want to say something, i just dont say it because im afraid of what people think… so basically its lack of confidence in my self… so people think im a shy person… i dont want to be labeled as a shy person… how do i build up my confidence and self esteem without appearing to be a try hard?

Thanks.

One thing, you can’t be afraid to make an as s of yourself. At some point you will say or do something to embarass yourself.

But more to the point it’s just a simple little step to say what is on your mind. You don’t have to make a speech, just say what you feel. Keep in mind though that when you speak people will listen and from that form their opinions of you. So, mind your manners, and think about what your saying and who your saying it to. I know opening my mouth has cost me way more than keeping it closed. To illustrate my point a quote my dad stole from somebody.

"It is far better to be thought of a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."

I don’t take compliments very well and handle tend to make them awkward. I think people can see that I’m not very confident and I want to give off the image that I’m comfortable with myself. Please help…I’ve been dealing with this for far too long!

You’ve kind of missed the train there. Childhood and teen years are the best time to build up self-confidence.

First thing you need to do is practice smiling. Not sheepish smiles, but confident, comfortable smiles. Practice in front of the mirror. A good smile is a great response to almost any situation. When receiving compliments, smile that smile and say "Thank you". Don’t gush or make self-deprecating comments (self-deprecating works only if you’re already full of confidence in yourself, like, say, Hugh Grant).

Then, work on your posture. Stand straight, ramrod straight. A good posture suggests confidence and competence. Again, practice in front of the mirror.

What all these stuff do, is that they project a positive image of yourself to others. When that happens, others will treat you positively as well. That does wonders for your self-confidence.

There are many other little things that you can do. Best to read up on some good self-help books. Go to the library and check out Anthony Robbins.

Where did you get that idea? The job of a journalist is to present the news, both large and small. Some news is uplifting. Some is tragic. Figure out for yourself what your confidence level should be.

Once you graduate college, itâ??s time to enter the work force (unless of course you plan to go directly to grad school). When you transition from university life to the real world, their will be a period of adjustment. You will have to find new ways to challenge yourself outside of the comfortable classroom structure. You will most likely have to relocate and secure new housing arrangements. Youâ??ll also have to go out and get a job.

Here are five tips to help you excel in your interview, and score the job you want.

1. Make and maintain eye contact

From the moment the interview starts, make eye contact. Look directly your interviewerâ??s eyes. Look at it like a staring contest that you canâ??t lose. No mater what goes down in the interview, your gaze will remain steadfast and self-assured. Read the eyes of the person whoâ??s interviewing you, so that you can gauge the overall atmosphere and respond to questions accordingly.

2. Speak clearly, confidently and in a reasonable volume

Before you speak, clear your throat. Organize your thoughts before you open your mouth. Be confident in your responses. Speak with poise, but keep your voices volume reasonable. Too quiet, you can sound too timid. Too loud, and you sound distracting. Just speak in a reasonable tone and answer every question completely.

3. Ask questions

Job interviews are supposed to be exchanges. You have to interact with your interviewer. Ask for clarification every now and then. Show that you understand the information thatâ??s being presented to you. Ask for more details. You are shopping around just as much as your interviewer. Play hard to get within reason.

4. Find a way to make a connection

Look for common ground. Make a comment about something and build from it. Pick up on details of interest, and refer back to them. Express understanding. Do whatever it takes to leave a good impression. You want to make your interviewer remember who you are, and how easy you were to get along with.

5. Stay positive

Donâ??t talk smack about anything. Did you absolutely hate your old boss? Well keep that little tidbit of info to yourself. Stay positive and optimistic and all times. You want to leave a lasting impression, but you also want to be certain that the imprint is positive.

Balance the need to promote your abilities with the realization that you have to be humble. Appear willing to help, but make it known that you are a strong-willed individual. Just be yourself. Make eye contact, speak clearly, ask questions, make a connection and always stay positive. Channel your confidence and if something doesnâ??t feel right to you, then donâ??t take the job. Always trust your instincts.

Chris Stout
http://www.articlesbase.com/interviews-articles/interview-tips-and-skills-84697.html

If you trade anything you need to educate yourself and I am not taking about how the markets work and how to place orders thatâ??s easy, but it wonâ??t help you win.

Below find some forex education thatâ??s free and will help you build a trading system that can make you big long term gains.

The good news itâ??s all free.

You may be tempted to buy an e-book from a guru and pay but you donâ??t need to, you can get a good solid system for free if you know what to look for.

Follow the advice on forex education below and you will see that you can build and apply a forex trading system from free sources on the net.

The Basics

The first thing to learn about is technical analysis simply type in the phrase and all the basics are there for free learn all about trend lines, support and resistance etc.

Now letâ??s look at a way of applying technical trading that works today as it always has.

Trading breakouts

If you look up this phrase then you will understand why breakouts work.

It really is simple to understand.

Keep in mind most of the worldâ??s top traders use breakouts in their methodology.

So now you will know the basics of technical analysis and the logic of trading breakouts.

The next bit of forex education we need to look at is timing trades.

For this we need to look at some indicators that will help us time trades, spot trend changes and help us calculate the strength of trends.

Here are a few you should learn about:

1. Bollinger bands

2. Stochastics

3. Moving Averages

4. RSI

There are more but over 20 years of trading I have always used these as the basis of my own trading.

Applying what you have learned

In further articles in this series I will show you how to use charts, a breakout methodology with the indicators above to build a trading system that you can use which you will understand have confidence in and could make some nice profits.

We will look also at money management and adopting the right mindset to go and make some big profits.

For now simply brush up your forex education in the areas indicated above and we will move to the next stage of putting it all together.

Sacha Tarkovsky
http://www.articlesbase.com/currency-trading-articles/forex-education-for-building-a-profitable-trading-system-for-free-106298.html

I am so upset now.Before the disastrous failure, I used to be a very confident person.Now I have low self-esteem and no self-confidence. I feel that I am abandoned by the society. What should I do now?

p.s. I’ve enrolled in a university course which I am not suitable. Now I wanna to change course. I feel I am a loser in my current course.

I kind of feel the same as you except I wasn’t that confident in the first place. My uni applications have gone to pot so I pretty much feel like I’m in the gutter now.

If you wanna change course then do it yo have to do what makes you happy and with a new academic year on the horizon make sure you apply for the course which is right for you.

I have this feeling that I’ve failed before I even set out on my journey but you have to stay positive and make the best of a bad situation. I too feel ashamed that I didn’t achieve what I set out for but perhaps everything happens for a reason we don’t yet know.

I think by going on a course which was made for you, you’ll be a hell of a lot happier and in your element. Then your confidence will rise you just need to find your place.

In the meantime do things you enjoy, esp. activities with other people. Do it to remind yourself that there are many dimensions to the world and many ways to find happiness and fulfillment.

Good luck and stay strong! =D

I’ve always had a very weak character and I’m tired of being taken advantage of. I need to learn how to stand up for myself and put my own needs first when it’s necessary. It’s affecting my relationships with my friends, family & my boyfriend. Does anybody please have any tips or ideas on building confidence??

You build confidence by experience. Start off by not allowing people to take advantage of you. There is a difference between being nice and helping people and letting them take advantage of you.
Educate yourself with a degree. Not everyone has the knowledge to talk about every subject. Find a few subjects that you enjoy and try to learn everything you can about them. Then bring it up in a conversation and see how much your friends really know, basically try to stump them. That is a good confidence booster.
Surround yourself with successful people. Learn what the do and how they react to certain situations.
Use everyday to learn something new and enjoy life. Your confidence will improve as you experience life.
I hope this helps a little.

Could I get an information on this topic about Ukraine? I am really stuck here… I googled for an hour now and could find nothing about space-related activities… HELP! If you have URLs could you also give it to me?? Thanks~!

Here’s the link to the NSAU, which provides some of the info you are looking for: http://www.nkau.gov.ua/nsau/nkau.nsf/indexE

Here’s a general search, which also covers it: http://www.google.com/search?q=Ukrainian+space+industry&rls=com.microsoft:*:IE-Address&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7ADBF