What You Should Know About Work Carried Out On Any Gas Appliance

The Gas User

When it come’s to having any work carried out on a gas appliance in your home, you must use someone who is gas safe registered, this is the law in the United Kingdom, other countries may have similar regulations.

Lets say you are looking for someone to service your gas boiler, the only person who can carry out this work, is a gas safe registered engineer – plumber, if one of your friends tells you they have a friend who can service the boiler and it will be cheaper for you, then unless he is registered you should not let him near your boiler.

Everybody who works on gas has to be registered with Gas Safe, they also have to be registered for the gas appliance they may work on, so how do you know if someone is registered to work on gas?

All gas safe engineers carry an identification card which you as the gas user should always ask to see, on this card will be the picture of the person who is registered plumber Athens, GA. You will also see the gas safe registration and licence number along with the expiry date. These details can be found on the front of the card.

On the back of the card you will find details of what gas appliance the engineer can work on, this is very important to check over, it also states what gas they can work on, be it natural or LPG gas.

To give you an example, lets say you want the boiler serviced you should check the card and look for boilers, if boilers are not on the card then they cannot service your boiler.

Everyone who is registered with gas safe renews their membership each year. The expiry date of all members is 31st March, so if someone presents a card out of date they are no longer registered to work on any gas appliance. Should someone tell you they have misplaced their card and are waiting for a new one to arrive, they are not allowed to work unless they have their card with them.

You can also check the credentials of any gas engineer by going to the Gas Safe Register website, hear you can find out everything about what gas appliance the engineer can work on. I would always advise you to check the website just for peace of mind. If any of his details don’t tally up, then it’s your responsibility as a gas user to find someone who is fully qualified for the work to be carried out.

Landlords

Landlords who rents out their properties must by law have a gas safety check carried out every 12 months without fail, this involves checking any gas appliance connected to the supply is safe to use. The gas supply within the property has to be checked for tightness at the meter. Once the safety check is completed, the engineer will issue a certificate with his findings. The tenant must also have a copy of this certificate.

With rental properties, should a new tenant move in with 6 months left on the safety certificate, it is the landlords responsibility to have the property checked over again and a new certificate issued, the reason being you don’t know what the previous tenant may have done to any gas appliance or the supply. I know that sounds a bit drastic but it does happen.

Penalties

There are big penalties being given out by the courts and this includes being sent to prison for anyone breaking these gas regulations, and should something happen where you need to make a claim on your home insurance you may find your insurance is void because you have used someone who was not qualified to work on your gas appliance.

Safety

Safety is very important when it comes to working on gas, don’t ever try and fit a gas appliance yourself, you may think it’s easy to do, it may be, but other safety checks need to be carried out as well. Don’t risk your families lives just to save a few pounds, it could cost you a lot more.

Drain Cleaning Techniques

Drain chocking is one of the major problems that affect the modern sanitation system. We need to have effective techniques which will help us in getting away from such problem with less effort. Below are some of the widely accepted techniques which will help us in solving the Drainage problem.

Roto-Rooting- Is a technique which is used to clean long chocked pipe best plumbers near me. Roto rooting blades cut the twigs and other material which is present inside the chocked pipe into small pieces, so that it can be flushed out with water pressure

Hydro Jetting- Is one of the widely used techniques, in this process we generate huge water pressure up to several psi, which help us in removing all the obstruction that to is without causing any damage to drainage system.

Visual Inspections- We use specialized technique like video monitoring; this will help us in visualizing the clogs efficiently. By doing so it become easier for us to work on the problem and find quick solution

Pipe ferreting- Verities of nozzle are used to clean the clogs from the hidden location.

Acid Washing -This technique is used in the place where water pressure fails to remove the dirt accurately. For example in case of swing pool, water at high pressure can not remove the algae and fungus that get glued to the wall of the swimming pool, so there is a need for acid wash in such situation. This will automatically remove the fungus and bacteria.

Smoke Test It is one of the most intelligent testing. When your sewer line is chocked you will smell different type of gas, this might be toxic in nature due to which your health may be affected. So call the experts immediately

Re-piping In this method we remove the old and near decayed pipe with the new one. If they are not removed early there is probability that it may hinder the normal functioning of the drainage system

Manual check In this method drains are manually checked by taking help of long flexible rod.

Above mention technique will help us a lot in dealing with drain cleaning problem. As we know that instruments can reach any place no matter what the size is, this increases the efficiency of cleaning process.

Maintaining Your Septic Tank

The septic system is an indispensable part of the home. The septic tank is the device that removes, cleanses, and returns clean water to the water table. An issue with the septic tanks can be a very serious problem that can be expensive to fix or replace. For this reason, it is essential that every homeowner maintain their septic tank.

One way to make sure your septic system remains working properly is getting the tank pumped every couple of years, depending how much it is used. If you do not have the tank pumped, then over time the solids laying at the bottom of the tank will accumulate and a layer of scum will form as the water flows through the septic and out to the drain field plumbers in my area. Eventually a blockage will develop which can block the system and cause a sewer backup. It can go right into the basement. When determining when you should have the tank pumped, consider the storage volume of the septic tank, the amount of waste coming from the garbage disposals and toilets everyday, and the volume of wastewater you produce per day and per person.

Another way to maintain the septic system is to keep items that can cause damage out of the septic tanks. This includes such items as: kitty litter, paper towel, grease, paint, oil, chemicals, and anything else that does not belong in the plumbing system. It is important to be aware that garbage disposals can double the amount of waste going into the septic tank.

A plumbing system inspection by a plumber will not only help maintain the septic systems, but also the entire system. A plumber will look for damaged or worn pipes, leaks, problems with plumbing fixtures such as toilets, showers, and faucets, as well as any issues with drainage. A plumber will also check the condition of the hot water tank. Any problems found can be easily repaired before the problem gets worse. As well, adding bacterial enzymes to the septic tank will ensure the waste is properly broken down in the tank. It is a good idea to add a bacterial additive monthly.

You can also take measures to protect and maintain the drain field. For instance, clear out any tree roots and other plant life that is near the tank. Make sure cars are not parked on top of the septic tank. You can prevent flooding of the septic tank area by diverting excess water away from the septic system area, including the drain field. As well, you should direct water away from the septic tank that comes from roof drains and sump pump drains. Too much water can hinder the septic treatment process and cause a septic systems backup. It is important to protect all of the plumbing system components from damage and flooding.

Because the septic tank and system is such a vital part of the home, it is important to properly maintain it to prevent problems. A properly functioning septic will not only save you money, but it will extend the life of the septic system.

Sports Handicapping Your Way to Riches

The belief that no one can make millions by sports handicapping is a myth. People have done it, and people will continue to do it all over the world 메이저사이트. I’m not saying we’ve personally made millions, but that it’s very much possible to live a luxurious life from sports betting.

What is Sports Handicapping?

Very simply put, it’s figuring out the odds for a given sporting event. Average and below average sports handicappers are abundant in the sports betting world. But, exceptional sports handicappers are hard to come by. The difference between the two is that exceptional handicappers have a knack for predicting winners, while everyone else is just guessing. These handicappers usually either work as bookies, lines makers in Vegas, or expert handicappers who sell sports picks.

Why Should You Care About Sports Handicapping?

You should care about sports handicapping for one sole reason. There’s money to be made. There’s also money to be lost. But sports handicapping for you, could mean the difference between living the life of your dreams and living the life you currently have. Sure, working 9-5 pays the bills, but why work 8 hours a day for someone else, when you can work one hour a day and make just as much money.

How Do You Become a Sports Handicapper?

You have to learn how to read the ins and outs of sports. Create a notebook and try to pick consistent winners in sporting events for over 4 years. This is how you learn the art of handicapping.

Don’t get me wrong, there are going to be years where you lose more games than you win. But, sports handicapping isn’t only about picking more winners than losers. It’s also about knowing how much money to place on each bet so that even when you have bad streaks, you still come out in the green.

Arizona Sports News Online

Local news brings you details about the spring training stadium/complex which will be built for the Arizona Diamondbacks which can be reported to be a $100 million investment. Updates on all Arizona college, high school and pro teams give you enough date to choose feeds and teams 메이저놀이터. Sportsbook reviews are extremely informative. Sports news cover sports that vary from cycling, fantasy sports, NBA, NFL, Olympics, Pac-10, Spring Training, Soccer, Racing etc.

The web Arizona Starnet.com has online registrations to Sports conferences at the Convention Center at Downtown Phoenix, Arizona. Your valued ratings and picks can be send online such as voting for sports that you see ought to be contained in the 2016 Olympics! It’s imperative that an avid gambler who is hooked on online sportsbetting helps it be an indicate subscribe to sports news just like the Arizona Daily Star etc. Pull down menus will help you to locate notes, standings, news, statistics, live results and rosters for sports like Baseball, Football, Women’s basketball, Men’s basketball, Golf, Hockey, Racing, Tennis, Soccer and much more!

Arizona has always treated baseball like a tradition and Phoenix is among typically the most popular cities with this game. Online sports news offers you all the most recent updates that you would otherwise miss. The big names in cable television in Phoenix are Qwest and Cox with great customer service. Online sites helps you save cash by offering you other services as well. Online sports news is a highly effective media format by which sports  news can be spread extremely fast to a huge number of individuals at exactly the same time.

With Qwest in Phoenix, though they are generally classified as “cable”, they are technically satellite services that offer you a very good customer support and you are able to watch the most recent sports news online. Avid online sports gamblers believe it is simple to navigate through various sites offering thorough details and home elevators betting. The Arizona Starnet.com etc are sites that has various content and covers a large selection of sports like online horseracing, football, baseball and hockey. 

Apart from the usual sports news with latest updates of a certain sport Arizona sports news online gives its readers important gambling online news that provide them the upper hand since they are more savvy about what’s going on in the sporting world and this increases their odds of winning. This online sports news will show you all you have to know from “Chizbang” to Chase Field and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Use Caution When Using A Plumber Torch

A plumber torch is among the most crucial tools he uses on the job. Usually consisting of a tiny tank of propane with a fuel control nozzle attached, the torch is essential to most of the tasks he has to perform plumbing companies near me. For a few jobs requiring work in close quarters, a bigger tank of gas with the control nozzle attached with a set of flexible hoses is used.

The majority of the plumbing being installed in today’s homes is made of PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) material. Special adhesive (plumbers tape) can be used to produce joints that melts the surface of pieces being fit together to produce a watertight seal. Not long ago, most home plumbing contains copper piping, which was put along with solder and a plumber torch. A good plumber needed to learn not only how to fasten every one of these pieces of pipe together properly, but in addition how to do it without wrecking the remaining water pipe system.

With lots of experience, some plumbers can claim that they’ll make the solder they use run uphill. Using his torch to make the top of the pipe hotter compared to rest, the plumber can obtain the melted solder to flow towards the hottest area of the joint, thus inducing the solder to indeed flow uphill to the other pipe and make the seal.

The Dangers Of Using A Plumber Torch

When using a plumber torch near flammable materials [http://www.i-plumbing.com/Toilet_Plumbing/] such as for instance interior walls or floors, it is essential to take extreme care not allowing the flame to come into any long-term connection with the materials. Your water emergency will seem just like a day in the park compared to a genuine fire emergency!

In the winter months, some homes develop frozen water lines a plumber torch can help thaw out. The plumber will most likely start working the flame of his torch from the joint nearest the tap and work his way over the frozen pipe thawing the freeze. The tap is opened fully allowing the melting ice to flow towards that opening. If the thawing procedure is attempted without first opening the tap, the resulting steam build-up could easily cause the pipe or the joints to burst.

If you learn yourself with older piping and fittings, you might decide to replace them, which does not cost that much or make use of a plumber torch and fit the prevailing piping. You could find the trouble well worth changing to PVC piping and getting rid of the old piping in the home.

Realtor Social Media Sites – Turn Prospects Into Clients Even Quicker

Realtor social networking sites are excellent marketing weapons. And I really do mean excellent! They’re popping up all over the web these days Goth Egg. What Realtor social networking sites allow you to do is connect with your prospects on a further level and start building those relationships that become clients even quicker. And I’m not referring to those dating sites!

Frankly, I’m certainly not into the non-public social aspect of these Realtor social networking sites like many individuals are. I can’t lay on Facebook all day and chat with friends while Tweeting about watching the Simpsons on TV. It’s simply not me. But MANY people do that. They love being social with their friends in this way and you have to be there and enter the mix.

On a business level, when it comes to connecting with other professionals, I really like Realtor social networking sites! I recently don’t utilize them like an 11 year old teenage girl and you don’t need to either.

The big Realtor social networking sites available (in my opinion) are, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, ActiveRain, Localism, Zillow and YouTube (just to mention a few). They’re all fantastic to take advantage of if you want to build relationships with increased prospects.

Some of those sites are specific to real estate. Others are more general but can be utilized for gaining property clients. Realtor social networking is all about building relationships; hence the “social” part.

There are numerous explanations why these social networking sites are useful; I’ll cover 5 of the big ones…

1) All your prospects are on them. Well, almost all of them. Many your prospects are likely on Facebook or Twitter or a couple of the other sites. For you personally not to be there and visible for them is like not likely to your senior school prom; you’ll be the only person not there and nobody will remember you. I don’t think that’ll allow you to get much business.

2) Realtor social networking sites might help drive your internet search engine rankings higher. It plays a function, while not hugely significant, into your general internet search engine optimization (SEO). You are able to link your Facebook and Twitter page with your blog and visa versa. You are able to submit an article to Squidoo that’s a link to your Facebook page, which has a link back again to your website, back again to your blog and etc and so forth.

That’s what search engines, like Google, wish to see. They want to see your info, websites, blogs and profiles blasted all over the web linking back and forth with one another and other popular websites.

Plus, you would like prospects to obtain all the data you have. You don’t want them only seeing your Facebook page and missing your blog, for example. Give them to be able to get to understand you more. You’re leaving money on the table if you don’t!

3) Your prospects will get the chance to stumble across your profile and “follow you” when they’re searching on a specific topic on these Realtor social networking sites. They could add you as a buddy on Facebook, they could follow you on Twitter, they could contribute to your YouTube channel, they could follow your blog on ActiveRain, etc.

In case a prospect is searching for “Seattle real estate agent” and your page pops up, they’re likely to follow you if your information is pertinent, informative and fun. Prospects will then get to understand you and you are able to build that vitally important relationship with them. That’s the essence of these Realtor social networking sites!

4) When you’re designing a marketing/advertising piece, to be able to mention your Facebook or Twitter page, for example, helps your brand immensely. It’s just like “co-branding” where you’re glued to some other highly recognized company and logo. People observe that and associate you with this highly recognized brand. Even though it’s an unconscious thought in the prospect’s mind, it’s still a massive benefit for you. Take advantage.

5) And this one is the best, it’s the best. When you have these “followers” and “friends” from various property social networking sites, you are able to send them messages and communicate with them actively. You don’t need to relax and hope they go to your blog or pray they read a specific article you wrote. You can easily send them an email or post an email letting them know about it.

Obviously, they aren’t obligated to see it however you get the chance to actively communicate and build these relationships. It’s great! Just don’t start spamming everyone with sales pitches. That won’t review very well.

So get your profile on these sites I’ve mentioned, alongside a number of others, and let prospects start to find you and your website. You might not personally carry on these sites at all but many of one’s prospects do, which explains why you have to be there.

For ideas and examples of what you can wear these sites about yourself, just look at Facebook and Twitter and see what others are doing. Don’t go and outright copy someone else but get ideas and tweak them to accommodate your brand and personality.

But don’t go hardcore and have just marketing and sales pitches all over these sites. Just give people information they want and that tell them about you; how wonderful and intelligent you are. You need to create yourself apart, not look like the other 20 gazillion agents available trying to sell every second to every person!

Wait, did I mention that these Realtor social networking sites are all about building relationships? Just ensuring you’re paying attention.

You’ll observe that YouTube is just a bit different from the majority of the other social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. That’s obviously because it’s all about video media, that will be precisely what so many prospects prefer vs. text and pictures.

So with YouTube, you’ll want to produce some informative videos and get them posted. I’d recommend using Animoto and/or Jing or Camtasia to produce your video.

Jing and Camtasia allow you to capture video on your desktop, exactly like you see inside our video tutorials. So if you want to assembled a power point presentation, for example, either of the vendors will be great. You could even take a desktop video with Jing and then use that in your Animoto video, primarily because Animoto can actually spice up your video in an awesome way.

Be sure you then add relevant keywords to your YouTube videos. In this way, when people are searching on YouTube, your video can be pulled up and viewed when someone is searching for “Your town property“, as an example.

You’ll have the ability to put a blurb about yourself underneath the video so be sure you include your website or blog. If it’s just your video they see and there’s no link inside it or in your “about you” blurb, it’ll be pointless marketing for you. You want prospects to understand more about you; everything they could find out. Well, perhaps not everything but you would like them to click through to your website or blog, for sure.

So that’s marketing with social networking sites. What it all boils right down to is putting your “web DNA” available for all your prospects to find when they’re searching. The more of “you” that’s available, especially on popular sites, the more traffic you’ll generate to your pages, website, blog and the more deals you’ll eventually close as a result. Just don’t start offering your social security number, that won’t assist you to at all.

맞춤형 스포츠 데칼의 장점

비닐 데칼로 우리 차를 커스터마이징하는 것은 약간의 색상을 포함하고 약간 창의적으로 묘사되며 우리 차에 약간의 개인적인 개성을 부여하는 훌륭한 방법입니다. 실제로 스포츠 데칼과 같은 그래픽은 우리 자동차의 약간의 예술이 될 수 있으며, 특정 스포츠 팀에 대한 광고 형식일 뿐만 아니라 우리 삶의 열정을 의미하는 방법으로 설명됩니다 꽁머니. 우리 대부분이 자동차용 스포츠 데칼을 구입할 때 접할 수 있는 많은 문제 중 하나는 개인이 진정으로 독특한 터치를 위해 쉽게 개인화할 수 있는 것을 찾을 수 없다는 것입니다. 개인이 데칼에 우리의 개인 이름을 추가하기를 원하거나 특정 스포츠 팀에서 뛰는 자녀가 있고 그들의 스포츠 성취에 대한 지원을 표시하려는 경우; 우리는 이러한 요구 사항을 구현하는 데칼을 찾는 것이 점점 더 어려워지고 있다고 믿을 수 있습니다.

그러나 개인화 된 데칼을 구입하면 선택한 팀에 대한 지원을 보여줄 수있을뿐만 아니라 독특하고 다른 카본 카피 스포츠 데칼과 차별화되는 매우 디자인 된 데칼을 제공받을 수도 있습니다. 따라서 특정 스포츠 번호, 이미지, 귀하의 이름 또는 다른 사람의 이름이 있는 스포츠 데칼을 구입하는 경우 개인화 된 스포츠 데칼을 사용하면 모든 요구 사항을 하나의 디자인에 통합할 수 있습니다. 좋아하는 스포츠 팀이 특정 이벤트에서 우승한 것을 축하하는 스포츠 데칼을 구입해야 하는 경우 또는 아들이나 딸이 첫 번째 레슬링 경기에서 승리한 경우와 같이 자신의 차량에서 이를 기념해야 하는 경우에도 유용합니다.

평판이 좋고 전문적인 자동차 데칼 제공업체로부터 개인화된 데칼을 구매하기로 선택하면 의심할 여지 없이 전문적으로 디자인되었을 뿐만 아니라 내구성이 있는 데칼을 받게 될 것입니다. 강력한 접착 비닐을 사용하여 제작된 맞춤형 스포츠 데칼은 차량 내부 또는 외부에 부착할 수 있으며 모든 기상 조건과 세차를 견딜 수 있습니다. 앞으로 꽤 오랫동안 개인화된 스포츠 데칼을 자랑스럽게 표시할 수 있습니다. 클래식한 흰색으로 제작된 이 스포츠 데칼은 확실히 모든 자동차에 훌륭한 추가 기능을 제공하며, 자녀 또는 선택한 스포츠 팀에 대한 지원을 보여주면서 차량을 사용자 정의하고 장식할 수 있는 독특한 방법입니다.

따라서 특정 농구, 축구, 하키 또는 미식 축구 팀의 열광적인 팬이든, 아니면 아들이나 딸에게 스포츠 성과에 대해 얼마나 자랑스러워하는지 보여주기를 원하든 상관 없습니다. 나만의 맞춤 데칼만 있으면 됩니다. 선택한 팀이 각 시즌을 어떻게 수행할 수 있는지에 관계없이 각 개인화된 데칼의 우수한 품질로 인해 해당 팀에 대한 열정과 지원의 상징을 맞춤 제작할 수 있습니다. 당신은 스포츠에 대한 당신의 사랑이 제공될 수 있다는 것을 보장할 수 있습니다.

Top Five Reasons To Get CompTIA Certification

Competition in the employment arena over the last few years has caused many job seekers to explore ways to make themselves more marketable. Even technology graduates are finding themselves competing for high-paying positions. Receiving CompTIA certification has proven to become a catalyst for several technology professionals being able to land a sought-after job Security Clearance Recruiters in Arlington VA. The certifications available help diversify a job seeker’s resume, along with add value from what they bring to the organization that employs them. Five reasons to get certified include the following.

1. Receive more career opportunities. Careers in the IT business are numerous and advancement opportunities continue to emerge every day. Certification shows that employees are motivated and highly skilled within their fields. Employers are prone to give serious consideration to candidates who have passed certification exams even when they lack experience. In reality, many companies require certification to even apply for a position. CompTIA certification is also advantageous to job seekers because this content of the exams is broad. This sets CompTIA apart from certifications such as Microsoft or Cisco, which only prepare professionals for that specific software.

The kind of job an avowed professional qualifies for varies on the basis of the form of certification completed and the industry. Examples include the following.

CompTIA A+: Computer technician, help desk specialist, tech support team or service technician.

CompTIA Network+: Junior level network administrator, network technician or engineer.

CompTIA Security+: Security specialist or analyst, network security engineer or many other positions that want security clearance.

2. Build knowledge. CompTIA helps emerging IT professionals gain the fundamental knowledge that’ll propel their careers. In reality, it’s recommended that students undergo each amount of certification, as opposed to skipping to a greater certification first. The culmination of knowledge acquired during the process is invaluable. Passing through the certification process gives professionals the non-public satisfaction and boost of confidence to enter the job market.

3. Get a greater salary. Certified employees earn between five and 15 percent a lot more than non-certified employees. Getting certified adds value to each employee and saves the organization money on training and support services.

4. Get college credit. Many colleges and universities can give students college credit for CompTIA certifications. Additionally, major technology corporations, such as Cisco, Novell and Microsoft, give credit in their own certification schedules for CompTIA participants.

5. Add value to the company. Whenever a company has employees who are certified, they look better. Having knowledgeable employees increases customer care and profits. Having skilled workers increases productivity and lowers the price of training new employees. Limiting new hires to only those people who are certified simplifies the recruiting process and provides the organization with tangible competency standards. Recognizing these facts, many companies require that employees be certified or get certified within a quantity of time from the hire date.

Getting certified has both personal and professional benefits. Participating in another of CompTIA’s certification programs gives participants greater marketability and brings more value to the table for the businesses that hire them.

The Big Social Pop: 3 Factors Fueling a Social Bubble

Maybe it’s just me, however it sure seemed like well before your website had a #1 box office film bearing its story and grossing a good $23 million in its opening weekend, Facebook and the remainder the sites that compose the social media phenomenon were already ubiquitous in our society.

In reality, I think Facebook and Twtiter have grown to be so mainstream, you might produce a wildly successful frat party drinking game out of how usually the logos are punching us in the facial skin, a not exactly 24/7 occurrence these days:

1. Grab an 18 pack and three buddies.

2. Everyone crowd round the TV, and making use of your remote, scan through commercials.

3. Anytime the players see or hear a solicitation by the company or spokesperson in a commercial soliciting viewers to “follow them” on Facebook, Twitter, or some other social networking site, or flashes the logos on the screen, each player must drink.

4. The last person to drink loses, and has to follow Lindsey Lohan on Twitter for another 6 months.

OK, so my penalties are a tad too harsh, but the purpose is that people, organizations, companies, and well, everyone are piling into social media and online networking sites by the (probably) billions everyday – the classic “craze” signature of a bubble – and that kind of inflation and obsession can’t sustain forever.

The social media bubble isn’t your typical bubble, however, as the sites we belong to aren’t really a tool with any monetary value to us Sydney Brooke Simpson. But I don’t believe means it couldn’t pop, and when it does, which social media companies will survive, and that will be caught naked and void of value, importance, and relevancy?

Is social media in a perennial bubble? Listed below are three profound points for you to choose for yourself.

“So, where’s the money going to come from?”

If there’s a very important factor we ought to have recinded from the Dot-com bubble in 2000, it must be that creating and investing money into a company should come after the company’s founder have decided (or at the very least picked) a revenue model. The epic failures of larger-than-life sites back those times, with names like toys.com, pets.com, and hundreds more, sunk themselves among a mad gold-rush to obtain a website live and drive traffic without the real consideration how the company would definitely generate revenue. People publicly dedicated to the firms anyway, and lost billions when it popped.

Have we made no progress in 10 years? The social media sites of today resemble nearly flawlessly, from an economic and business perspective, those goofy, worthless Dot-com bubble companies. The flight to launch is the same: some suave entrepreneur comes up with the concept, a friend or a small team of programmers launch your website, and the traffic pours in because it’s free. There’s a formula at play: create something that’s free, launch it, seek venture capital investors, and grow the website, but don’t necessarily be concerned about revenue because you might always fall back on advertisers.

“Just how do we earn money?” said the VC, as he writes a check always for half a million dollars.”Oh, don’t be concerned about that. We’ll figure it out later. At this time, we want traffic” I could hear some skinny, pimple-faced, flip-flopped 20-something encouraging his partner. Still need more proof? Just read the real history of Twitter, an internet site with over 100 million users and still, no clear plans on how to generate revenue.

There’s no real value

Readers who’re devotees to social media sites will probably balk at this statement, and everyone is unquestionably entitled to their opinion. But the truth is there’s really no sustainable economic value in social media networking websites. While Foursquare is an appealing GPS enabled platform that enables for small businesses to advertise themselves with virtually limitless bound, I think in the end, social media all together brings nothing to the world’s table but advertisers and get-rich-quick internet entrepreneurs who want your disposable money.

Facebook’s mission statement is always to “help people communicate more efficiently making use of their friends, family and coworkers” ;.Since when did humans, the most socially advanced creatures in the world, begin suffering from the need to communicate more efficiently with this friends, family, and co-workers? And so just how valuable are those relationships anyway? When I look at my Facebook profile and see 565 friends, I think wow – either I have plenty of acquaintances or I’m quite a popular guy (knowing that in the back of my head, the latter is probably not the case).

There was a period, and not too long ago at all, when Silicon Valley was rampant with brilliant scientists creating and continues to produce incredibly powerful inventions and innovations like semiconductors, micro chips, and the Internet. Companies that are universally credited with drastic life-altering innovations like Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, and Google have brought a measurable economic affect the world’s societies. Today, I wonder if it’s just packed with app developers bent on dreams of making several million overnight selling virtual farms to anyone who’d actually be willing to buy it.

Consolidation

As with other famous and historical asset bubbles, in the length of the evolution of social media networking websites, you will have rampant consolidation and spectacular companies imploding on themselves beneath the influence of a dangerous cocktail of overwhelming debt and influences the I’ve mentioned above. There’s no need to worry, though; even after the Dot-com bubble, not merely did many Internet companies survive, however they thrived in the years following including Amazon, eBay, and more, and the same fate lies for social media and networking sites.

In researching for this information, I came across a tiny flurry of press releases from obscure social media-related companies have been merging together, including an advertising firm and European’s largest blogging platform, both in separate instances and deals.

And rumors continue steadily to fly today ever since Facebook released news that they’d be creating a big announcement today shortly following a publicized partnership with Skype was announced last week. Perhaps it’s the anticipated integration of voice and video chat for the Facebook platform, but whatever it is, rest assured that consolidation on the list of strongest and the weakest social media sites is coming, and likely in a much bigger fashion that both of these are exhibiting.

A minumum of one social media site has failed this year, and a reasonably substantial site at that. 12 Seconds was a user-generated website that allowed users to generally share videos with each other. As a member on the internet site, I received a message three days ago from the company that basically said 12 Seconds is shutting the doors, thanked several select key people in the company, thanked the users, and that was it. The site will undoubtedly be turning off October 22nd.

Could this be the start of the end of the rampant and infectious social media websites, or are we just warming up? I’d like to just say that I’m a prolific Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube user, and will continue to become listed on and use social media networking sites because I like what burgeoning technology provides to me. Unfortunately, I am also an economics student, and with that can come speculation on everything bubblish.