General

Sic Bo

The game of Sic Bo is less well known than other casino games. Perhaps you have heard about the game Sic Bo and would like to know a little bit more? In this article, I will outline some information regarding this simple but fascinating pursuit.

From Ancient China to the U.S.

The game of Sic Bo is actually an ancient Chinese game. It is believed that this amusing game was introduced into the United States by Chinese immigrants in the early 20th century. Thanks to its popularity among the Asian communities, awareness of this game spread until it evolved into a casino activity.

Sic Bo is one of the popular Asian games that can be found in today’s casinos around the globe. In many casinos this game is kept in special rooms or areas designated for Asian games. Today it can also be found at many online casinos that can be accessed around the globe, at a player’s convenience.

Dice Game

The name ‘Sic Bo’ means dice pair or dice bowl. The way in which this game was originally played involved the shaking of three dice under a small bowl on a plate. The bowl was then removed to reveal the outcome. I presume that this is how this fun game received its name.

Chance and Luck

It should be noted that this is a game of luck. Bets are placed upon on various possibilities of combinations of a roll of the dice. Take your chances as your fortune depends upon the roll of three dice.

Do not be put off by the layout of the Sic Bo table, which may appear rather complicated, as this is a simple game. Instructions for playing the game may be found at the online casino. It is recommended to read up on the game before trying your luck.

Free Sic Bo Games

Today, at the best online casinos, games of Sic Bo may be played for free. Some people like to play this way just for enjoyment. Others find it worthwhile playing for free in order to obtain a feel for the game before placing money on the table.

Online steps to play the game

This game is simple to learn – there is not much to it. Play online and experience a touch of the old with this ancient game combined with the new of the online casino technology. Follow these easy steps in order to play Sic Bo.

– First of all, make use of the chip selector increase (+) or decrease (-) in order to choose the size of your bet.
– You may then place your bet by clicking on one of the dice totals or combinations.
– Get into action and start the game by clicking on ‘roll’.

Prepare yourself for fun and get ready to play Sic Bo.

The Factors that Affect Horse Racing Betting Odds

People who gamble their money in competitions like boxing matches or horse racing know that they cannot bet their cash indiscriminately. You see, gambling in events like these do not purely depend on luck. You cannot trust your money to pure luck when you have other factors to consider. One thing that people who bet on the track always do is consult the horse racing betting odds. These figures help them decide where to place their money on. They bet their money depending on the chances shown by the horse racing betting odds.

But what factors affect horse racing betting odds?

1) Reputation – the reputation of the horses and their jockeys obviously affects the horse racing betting odds. When you think about it that is the factor on which they base the horse racing betting odds before it can be affected by other factors.

The reputation of a horse and its rider sets the horse racing betting odds. This is because of the fact that the reputation provides people with the initial impulse to bet or not to bet. The reputation of a horse and its rider is earned through countless races. Thus, a reputable competitor gets good odds of winning a race. The horse race betting odds are affected by the reputation mainly because of the fact that it is, in fact, an amalgamation of the results of the horse’s previous races. Thus, if the horse is a virtual unknown, then it would be hard to set the horse race betting odds.

2) Condition – before the actual race, many “experts” study the condition of the competitors. This will help determine the actual horse race betting odds in the day of the race. By “condition” we refer to the various characteristics of the horse and of the rider before the actual race. This includes the physical condition of the horse, which tells you about its potential performance in the race. It also includes the emotional condition or “fighting spirit” of the horse which will tell you how far a horse will go to achieve its potential.

Today, the condition of the horse is so important that various experts make use of different equipment in order to observe it properly. Some people may see this as an extravagant expense, but people who are in on the business know that a lot more money depends on the condition of the horses.

3) House – it is often the case that the “house” or the track actually places a bet on the horses. Because of this, the horse race betting odds become adjusted. Many people base their bets on the decision made by the track. This is often the case when a gambler wants to win a specific quantity of cash. If, for example, he or she bets on the “underdog” of the race, he or she could win a huge amount of cash.

Of course, most people just go with the house since the house is actually able to observe the competitors better. This way, they have a larger chance of winning although their winnings would be comparably smaller.

What’s important about horse racing betting odds is the fact that those figures are information. Those figures help the undecided commit their cash to something. Without the horse race betting odds, a person would have no way to figure out which horse to bet on.

Different Varieties Of Affiliate Marketing

The benefits of affiliate marketing is more pronounced today than before. This is one of the main reason for the immense popularity of affiliate marketing programs among so many thousands of internet marketers.

Latest web technology has enabled the affiliate marketers to get their statistics and income figures the moment they make an affiliate sale. It is now possible to use companies like PayPal for payment and receipt processing. This has highly curtailed the time that an affiliate marketer needs to wait for his payments to be collected from the merchants.

Both the affiliates and the merchants have now realised that affiliate marketing is effective for both of them. The merchants perceive affiliate marketing as an opportunity to advertise their products at a much lesser cost. On the other hand, the affiliates see affiliate marketing as a uncomplicated way of earning profits online by doing something which they like most, and that is web publishing.

Just as the popularity of affiliate marketing has gone into overdrive, similarly the outlook of people has changed for the better about affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is no longer considered as a secondary method of marketing by the merchants, or as an additional income source by an affiliate marketer. For merchants and affiliates alike, affiliate marketing is now considered as a main source of profits and revenues.

We now need to analyze what type of affiliate marketing will work best for any person? Are there any differences in affiliate marketing programs? Are the paybacks from these programs the same? Which are those affiliate marketing programs that work better than the others?

There are actually varieties of affiliate marketing, and the types will depend on how you are going to classify them. The primary classification of affiliate marketing programs falls under two categories: pay-per-click (PPC), and pay-per-performance (PPP).

1. Pay Per Click (PPC) – PPC is the most popular type of affiliate marketing for affiliates with small websites, and probably the easiest way for them to earn money. In this affiliate marketing type, the merchant pays his affiliate whenever a visitor is referred to his site, that is whenever someone clicks through the merchant’s banner or text ads. The affiliate gets paid a certain amount even if the visitor he referred does not purchase anything from the merchant’s site. However, typical fees for PPC affiliate programs are small, usually not exceeding a dollar for every click.

2. Pay Per Performance (PPP) – PPP affiliate marketing is well liked among merchants and is also the most rewarding type for the affiliates. In this type of affiliate program, the merchant pays the affiliate only when his referral converts into an action – that is whenever the visitor he has referred actually buys something from the merchant’s site or when the visitor becomes a lead. This means that the merchant saves a lot on his own direct marketing efforts. On the other hand, this type of affiliate marketing becomes financially most rewarding for the dedicated affiliate, for commissions in PPP affiliate marketing usually comes in the range of 15% to 20% of the actual product sales. And, in the case of e-products or e-goods, the affiliate commission can go as high as 70 – 75% of the sale price.

Pay-per-performance affiliate marketing can further be classified into two types: pay-per-sales (PPS) and pay-per-lead (PPL). Both these are highly popular.

a) Pay Per Sale (PPS) – In a pay-per-sale type of affiliate marketing, the merchants pay the affiliate a certain fee whenever the visitor he has referred to the merchant’s site actually buys something from the merchant’s site. Affiliates are often paid on commission basis, although other merchants would opt to pay a fixed fee. But no matter what the basis of the fee is, it is generally higher than the fee paid to affiliates in a pay-per-click affiliate program.

b) Pay Per Lead (PPL) – The pay-per-lead type of affiliate marketing is a slight variation of the PPS type and is often used by insurance and finance companies and other companies who rely on leads for their company to grow. In this type of affiliate marketing, the affiliate is paid whenever the visitor he referred to the merchant’s site fills up an application form or any similar form related to the business of the company. Compensation for this type of affiliate marketing is based on a fixed fee whose rates approximate that of the fixed fee in the PPS type. Generally, the sales conversion rate is the highest in the case of PPL, because, the visitor is not required to purchase anything but only complete a non-financial transaction, like, filling up an application form, subscribing to a newsletter, etc.

Aside from these three specific types of affiliate marketing, a lot of other affiliate marketing types exist. If the classification is based on the depth of the affiliate network, it can be classified as single-tier, two-tier, and multi-tier affiliate marketing. There is also another type of affiliate marketing that pays the affiliate each time the customer he has referred purchases something from the merchant’s site.

Single-Tier, Two-Tier, and Multi-Tier Affiliate Marketing

These types of affiliate marketing are based on the different levels or tiers in the affiliate network by which payments are made.

A) Single Tier – In a single-tier affiliate marketing program, the affiliates are only paid based on the direct sales or traffic he has referred to the merchant. All the previously mentioned affiliate marketing types (i.e. PPS, PPL, and PPC) fall under the single-tier classification.

B) Two Tier – In two-tier affiliate marketing programs, the affiliates are not only paid for the direct traffic or sales that he brings to the merchant’s site, but also on every traffic or sales referred by other affiliates who joined as sub-affiliate of the above affiliate marketer.

C) Multi Tier – Multi-tier affiliate marketing works the same way, although the affiliate gets additional commission for more number of levels of affiliates in different tiers in the affiliate network.

D) Residual Income Affiliate Marketing – In this type, apart from the affiliate getting paid for every customer he has referred to the merchant’s site, the affiliate is also paid whenever the customer he has referred goes back to the merchant’s site and purchases another product. Commission for such type of affiliate marketing is based on either percentage of sales or based on fixed fee.

Every affiliate marketer finds that these different affiliate marketing methods work differently for each of them. For instance, multi tier affiliate marketing, also called Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) is a highly difficult type of internet marketing and it does not work for everyone. As a matter of fact, many legitimate marketers consider MLM as illegal or something which is undesirable.

An affiliate marketer has to try out different methods and decide which will work best for him or her. He/she should then concentrate on those affiliate marketing methods which are suitable for his/her style of internet marketing business.

Starting a Business Accounting

Starting a business can be quite trying at times. There are many things you must consider when starting a business. In addition to deciding what type of business you will start up, what the business will sell or what services the business will provide, you must also make sure that your business is in compliance with all local, state, and federal business laws.

In addition to a business license, required by almost all localities in the United States, a new business must file many tax forms at the start of the business. If you are selling a product, your business will need to file for retail sales tax licenses. Depending on the location of your business, you may need to file for a retail sales tax license from your city, county, and/or state. If you are selling a service, and your state or city requires sales tax for services, your business will also need these forms.

Another thing your business will need to file for is a federal tax identification number. This number is used on all tax documents for your business. It may not be required if you will be the only person working for your business. However, if you plan to use subcontractors or employees, you will need a federal tax identification number in order to pay your contractors or employees. This is required by the federal government so that wages paid can be tracked by the IRS for purposes of collecting income taxes.

Some cities require that individuals and businesses pay a local income tax in addition to state and federal income taxes. You should find out if your business will need to pay this type of tax, and what the filing requirements are for your location. Many businesses are required by law to file quarterly federal income taxes. If you are a smaller or home based business, these quarterly tax payments are not necessary by law, but can prevent you from owing taxes at the end of the year. If you are not sure whether or not your business should make quarterly tax payments, you should contact a professional accountant to answer these and any other questions. If your business does need to make quarterly tax payments, you will want to obtain the necessary forms for your business taxes from the IRS prior to starting your business. Become familiar with the forms and the processes, and organize yourself so that your business runs smoothly after start up.

There are many other considerations when starting a business. You need to make sure that your business follows all business laws applicable to your type of business. Some industries and businesses require additional licensing. Other industries require additional insurance to be purchased. Workman’s Compensation insurance is required by federal and most state laws if you have any employees. Some states require a business to carry liability insurance to cut down on law suits, while in other states this type of business insurance is optional.

Make sure you know the legal requirements for starting a business before you actual begin doing business. This way, you will be compliant with all local, state, and federal business laws, thereby cutting down on your risk of running a business as well as cutting out the possibility that your business could be shut down before it has ever truly begun.

Gospel Music: Tracing Back Its Roots

Ever since some cognitive human beings have set foot on Earth, music has greatly taken part of their lives. The folks belonging to the days of yore created their own musical arrangements by plucking strings and hitting things like wood, hide, or stone. The sounds of nature have also served as one pleasant musical sound for them. They undoubtedly took pleasure listening to the sound of the waterfalls, the animals, and even the weather-related reverberations.

Music has then taken a further course. Throughout the passing of time, people have invented creative means of creating music. From the schools to the churches, there is music. The music industry has also created varied genres of music for all occasions.

You will often see or hear people preaching about the word of God. The gospel of the Lord is being delivered through the means of other people who serve as His own instruments. Simply listening to His words enlightens your spirit, right? God has often reminded His people to love one another as he loves everyone. He places every creation he has made under His care. Although every person has been created in His image and likeness, still no one leads a perfect life. To put it in a much simpler term, no one is as perfect as God is.

One’s spirituality and faith can thus be manifested by several means. Reading the bible, following the ten commandments of God, praying, singing gospel music, and attending mass are among the typical ways by which one’s spirituality is nourished. They often say that those who sing praise twice. Thus, by singing the gospel music, you are praising twice!

What is gospel music?

Gospel music is a religious music that contains the word of God. Gospel music is at all times used as one medium to praise God Almighty. In varying tunes and arrangements, gospel music can always be heard during the celebration of the mass, praise and worship activities, and healing mass.

There is no limit as to the use of gospel music. You can even make it as your morning praise habit. You can listen to it while driving your car. Or you can let it resound in your house. Some gospel music singers perform the genre in nightclubs and secular settings. These days, more and more gospel music are hence becoming danceable therefore making the enlightening of the spirit more effective.

The Roots of Gospel Music

The gospel music was first popularized by the African-American churches way back in the 1930s. Two styles of the gospel music emerged in those days—that of the black people and that of the white southerners. Despite the two separate styles, gospel music still traces its roots from the Methodist hymnal. There came a time when the artists from the two separate categories sang the gospel music of each other.

The onset of gospel music has marked a phenomenon in America regardless of the distinction between the while and black churches. Indeed, gospel music has reached Australia that gave birth to the gospel choirs of Jonah and The Whalers and The Elementals plus the beginning of the Australian Gospel Music Festival. Norway also gave rise to both the Oslo Gospel Choir and the Ansgar Gospel Choir.

The Influences of Gospel

The trendy pop music had greatly influenced the gospel artists. In turn, gospel music has also influenced the rhythm and blues singers of the 1940s up to the 1950s.

Gospel music has reached the peek of its popularity. Until now, several other gospel musical artists are gaining their own fame for the genre and a lot other patrons are getting drawn on them.

What It Makes A Video Game Popular

Video games are big business to the financial world. It is important for video games developers to constantly improve upon their existing games and to develop new ones. Companies hire Hollywood calibre graphic artists to provide Oscar winning quality graphics. Focus groups try to spot trends and preferences to target what features should be added to traditional games or incorporated into new ones. Children are often “hired” as consultants to test games and report on their appeal and flaws. They are paid with newly developed games and game related items, such as a Nintendo player or Game boy instruments.

But what features are crucial in the development of a popular Video game that will be successful financially? Of all the elements that comprise a popular video game, interactivity is the most important. This feature enables the player to explore virtual environments that range from realistic depictions of the normal world to highly stylised, artistic virtual environments, and sometimes alternate between them. Interactivity allows the flow of the game to change with the player’s movements and decisions, thereby creating an individual scenario or experience for each player and every game. Interactivity has given rise to the phenomenon of emergent narrative, which occurs within the context of the game and represents the player’s reactions to elements of the game and even his own reactions to them. It is this emergent narrative concept that makes playing the game and experience that is unique to the players and to each and every game played.

A sense of danger, or at least drama, is important to a successful video game. To the extent that a player is drawn into the game and feels involved is proportional to the success and popularity of a video game. Graphic presentation of the game is integral to this and most games require eye popping, three-dimensional artwork. The graphics must present and create a virtual environment that is alluring, navigable and ever changing in response to the player’s actions. Most video games rely nearly equally, ironically enough, both on repetition and the element of surprise to create a hypnotic world that remains both challenging and interesting. Most video games must tell a story and the level of manual dexterity required to play the game increases as the complexity of the story line gets more involved.

Finally, music plays a fundamental role in popular video games. Music adds to the mood, the element of surprise and the general tone of the video game. Video game players no longer choose games on the basis of graphics and character appeal alone. Now the type of music that is incorporated into the game is equally important in the selection process. And the overwhelmingly most desired form of music in video games is hip-hop. This form of music provides an intensity that draws the player in, and the rhythmic beat makes for a hypnotic quality. Hip-hop is the type of music that the player can coordinate his movements to and achieve a movement flow with. Hip Hop gives energy of its own to the game and is rapidly becoming a key element in the development of a popular video game.

Career Planning: The Step Ahead

Career planning is an excellent way to prepare for what the world ahead has to offer you. While many people find that career planning is something that is done in college, it can be and should be done throughout life as a way of making sure that you are on the right track. There are many opportunities to get the planning that you need. In fact, it can start a long time before college as well. So, what can career planning do for you?

To start, we need to understand when you can get career planning started. You can find a wide range of options right from the high school level. You?ll find that career planning can and does happen as an introduction to college as well as all through college. But, you can also take advantage of services long after you have graduated. Career planning can happen anytime.

What happens in career planning? There are a number of different things that can happen in career planning. You will be able to get an understanding of what the career you are considering has to offer. Or, if you are unsure of what you would like to learn and do, you can take a wide variety of testing solutions that will help you to determine what you are interested in as well as careers that you are talented for. You will also find that in some college level classes of career planning you will be able to learn about many different careers and test your hand at what they have to offer you. This is an excellent way to see what?s out there.

Career planning is important because it allows you to be able to get a good idea of what you would like to do with your life. Counselors and teachers can help you find the answers that you need to your questions and give you options to consider. Career planning can help anyone, at anytime in their lives to find solutions to their needs. Beyond being able to help you plan for the classes you will take, career planning can help you to begin your future.

The info you need to play a free online casino game

Many people may be wondering what an online casino is. It is a virtual replica of a land based casino, a place where people can play a casino game (any casino game in fact, this being one of the advantages of an online casino). Another advantage of this kind of casino is the possibility to play a free online casino game.

There are two types of players: the ones that play for the money and the ones that play just for fun. The second category now has another option. If they don’t want to go to the casino and spend money while playing, they can choose a free online casino game. Now what’s that? you might ask. A free online casino game is a casino game that you can play for free, just like the name says. The advantage of a free online casino game is that you can enjoy yourself but you won’t loose any money while doing so. These free gaming sites can’t be called online casinos because a casino involves loosing or winning money. When you start playing on this type of gaming site you receive an online casino bonus in the form of credits, points or even currency. This casino bonus will be your virtual money which you can bet with. This is the beauty of a free online casino game: you play, you enjoy yourself, but your pockets are as full as they were when you started. Another advantage of a free online casino game is that it eliminates the stress factor. Any person who plays in a real casino will be under a lot of stress if he looses all of his money. Fortunately this will not happen with a free online casino game. If you loose all your credits, then you can just ask for more or wait another 24 hour for your credit to restore, depending on the rules of the site.

People have been trying to compare online casinos with land based casinos ever since competition appeared between the two. This is a very tricky thing to do because both have their advantages and disadvantages. It depends on how every person looks at the problem. Suitability is questionable when deciding between a normal casino or an online casino. If you want to play a casino game for fun you should consider going to a land based casino because it’s a lot more fun. You’ll be able to interact with other people, meet a lot of interesting persons, maybe even persons like you who come there for fun and not necessarily for the winnings. At a normal casino you can be caught in the moment and do all kind of crazy things; it’s not necessary to play the games. You can just go there walk around, enjoy your drink and go home. On the other hand the online casino experience is different. Most of the players prefer it not for fun necessarily, except when you play a free online casino game, but for the financial improvements. Usually people that play at an online casino play for the money. The experience is a lot colder, you won’t be able to interact with anyone, you won’t be able to meet anyone, and you basically play to earn money. So, depending on what you want, you can make a choice.

The thing with online casinos is that everything happens a lot faster and that is absolutely understandable because one of the defining proprieties of the Internet is speed. This speed can be a good thing, but it usually means otherwise because it increases the loosing of money. This is one of the reasons more and more people stop playing online. So, to stop people from giving up their favorite virtual games, a new concept has been introduced: the online casino bonus. This online casino bonus doesn’t have a real life equivalent, like a casino bonus or something else; it’s a strictly online bonus. This online casino bonus is a sum of money the casino gives you when you deposit money into an account. It’s virtual money which you can use to play. An online casino bonus can come in different forms, depending on the policy of the casino. It can be a fixed bonus, which means you get a certain amount of money no matter what amount you deposit. Another type of bonus is the variable bonus, this means you gat a certain percent of the sum you deposit. The percentage is different for each site – it can be 20% or 50%. Some casinos even give a 100% casino bonus. This is a way to get people back in the virtual game rooms, but an online casino bonus means that you have to play by some rules especially when you want to redraw your money. This is difficult because when you get an online casino bonus you have to meet some conditions which are not very easily accomplished. However, your efforts will be rewarded.

There is a category of people who play online just for the online casino bonus. They are called casino bonus hunters. These people look for the sites where the casino bonus is the largest so they can scam the casino. Being a bonus hunter is not a brilliant idea because, when you get caught, all your rights are revoked and you won’t be able to get a bonus on that site again.

So it doesn’t matter whether you play for the money or just for the fun of it because, whatever choice you make, you must think of your actions thoroughly before. And if you do pick an online casino you have to be attentive also because, if you don’t, you won’t get the results you expected.

Scams: How to identify and avoid – List of the most known ,including Ebay Scams

Telephone lottery scams: These include the Canadian lottery scam and the El Gordo Spanish lottery scam, which deceptively uses the name of a genuine lottery. People respond to an unsolicited mailing or telephone call telling them they are being entered into a prize draw. They then receive a telephone call congratulating them on winning a big prize in a national lottery – but before they can claim their winnings, they must send money to pay for taxes and processing fees. The prize doesn’t exist.

Prize draw, sweepstakes and foreign lottery mailings: many typical scams take the form of prize draws, lotteries or government payouts. Most appear to be notification of a prize in an overseas draw or lottery in return for administration or registration fees.

Premium rate telephone number scams: Notification by post of a win in a sweepstake or a holiday offer includes instructions to ring a premium rate 090 number to claim your prize.

Investment related scams: An unsolicited telephone call offering the opportunity to invest in shares, fine wine, gemstones or other soon-to-be rare commodities. These investments often carry very high risk and may be worth a lot less than you pay. The shares are not quoted on any stock exchange and you will not be able to sell them easily afterwards. ‘Solid’ valuable investments, such as gem stones, are often said to be stored in secretive Swiss bank vaults, so you can never see your investment.

Nigerian advance fee frauds: THE MOST KNOWN SCAM. An offer via letter, e-mail or fax to share a huge sum of money in return for using the recipient’s bank account to permit the transfer of the money out of the country. The perpetrators will either use the information given to empty their victim’s bank account; or convince him or her that money is needed up front for bribing officials. Pyramid schemes: offer a return on a financial investment based upon the number of new recruits to the scheme. Investors are misled about the likely returns as there are not enough people to support the scheme indefinitely – only the people who set up the scheme are able to make any money.

Matrix schemes: are promoted via web sites offering expensive hi-tech gadgets as free gifts in return for spending £20 or similar on a low-value product such as a mobile telephone signal booster. Consumers who buy the product join a waiting list to receive their free gift. The person at the top of the list gets their free gift only after a prescribed number – sometimes as high as 100 – of new members join up. In reality, the majority of those on the list will never receive the expensive item they expect.

Credit scams: another advance fee fraud, originating in Canada. Advertisements have appeared in local newspapers offering fast loans regardless of credit history. Consumers who respond are told their loans have been agreed but before the money can be released they must pay a fee to cover insurance. Once the advance fee is paid, the consumer never hears from the company again and the loan never appears.

Property investment schemes: would-be investors attend a free presentation and are persuaded to hand over thousands of pounds to sign up to a course promising to teach them how to make money dealing in property. Schemes may involve the opportunity to buy properties which have yet to be built at a discount. A variation is a buy-to-let scheme where companies offer to source, renovate and manage properties, claiming good returns from rental income. In practice, the properties are near-derelict and the tenants non-existent.

Work-at-home and business opportunity scams: often work by advertising paid work from home but which require money up-front to pay for materials; or by requiring investment in a business with little or no chance of success.

Ebay Scams/PaypalBank scams

1. You can receive an email from “your” bank or paypal asking you to log in in order to..(say verify something) the page you are redirected is actually a phishing page and all the information,including your account passwords will be stolen. DO NOT EVER trust any emails like this. If in doubt,call your bank or go directly to the website(eg. www.ebay.com) and inter your account details there.

2. EBay scams may involve people trying to buy goods from you with money order,where they pay you with fraudulent bill. You sent the goods,thinking your bank will clear this up,but it would not…. Always wait until the money are cleared by your bank,before sending stuff. Sometimes they use their own shipping company.

3. Ebay scam which is also popular involves stealing someone elsese account(by the means of #1,etc). Then they post an item for sale for a price you can’t resist. When you purchase it, they will ask you to pay,using money order or similar service. They can also set up a fake escrow service. Beware.

Use commone sense for every purchase. If it’s too good to be true- IT IS. No free cheese in this world other than for your pets 🙂

Job Opportunities

Video games industry is the latest cash cow in the world of business. This industry is making more than $10 billion and that’s more business than what Hollywood is presently doing. With phenomenal sales records being the order of the day, the industry is ever on the look out for fresh talent.

To be a typical video game professional one should have the skills of an artist and present day computer skills. Generally speaking, the following are the broad categories of jobs that are available in the industry:

Audio: The field of audio is relatively new to the video game industry. This part has so far been neglected and the industry bigwigs are now slowly recognizing the importance of a good audio to make a video successful. So, Sound Engineers and Composers who can strike the right chord are in demand.

Designers: Designers are the bread and butter of this industry. Depending on the specialization, people are designated as – Game Designer, Lead Designer, Level Designer, and Screenwriters. These are those people who bring a game alive.

Production: Being a Producer requires multi tasking, analytical skills and decision making under stress. It’s a difficult role and further categorized as Project manager, Associate Producer, Game Tester & Lead Tester. To bring out a game successfully, Production team works come hell or high water.

Programming: It’s natural for any one who thinks of a job in the games industry to go in for software skills. Yes, Programming is the core of the games and here too specialization is the name of the game. Jobs begin with being a Junior Programmer, Lead Programmer, Tools Programmer, Graphics Programmer, Artificial Intelligence Programmer and Multiplayer Networking Programmer.

Visual Arts: This is the niche field for the Artists who have the traditional hand skills and have mastered or specialized in the various animation software. Depending on the skill sets and experience, jobs are designated as Intern Artist, 3D Model Builder, 2D Conceptual Artist, 2D Texture Artist, 3D Cut Scene Artist, 3D Character Builder, 3D Character Animator, Level Builder, Art Director and Art Technician.

Miscellaneous: This means the “support staff”- people who handle accounts, administration, marketing, public relations and system administrators are always in demand as no business can ever be run without these people.

Skills are more valid in this field than degrees. Most of the companies don’t insist on a degree if the job seeker proves his skills. Skills are not acquired over night. It’s only with repetitive and continuous practice that one gets to master the crafts. So, all the technically qualified people should hone their skills if they ever dream of getting recognition for their skills. Those gifted and skilled people are apt to find instant world wide recognition for their work here in this industry than anywhere else. Just as one gets instant recognition for a good work, the pay too is extremely good in this field. For all kinds of jobs, the average pay for a person with an experience of 1-2 years is $50,000 and going up to almost $ 300,000 for the specialists. Yes, the glamorous video games industry is keeping its doors open, welcoming all those young whiz kids.