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5 Things Every Student Should Know About Online Reputation Management

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Social media is in many ways changing the way we communicate in today’s world. It is also having effects on the academic life of students. Several schools and teachers are trying to use the internet to create more interesting ways of learning. 

Schools are even now having social platforms where students can talk to their teachers, fellow students, and school authorities. Social media gives you as a student the opportunity to do many tasks at the same time. It gives you increased control over what you do, where you do it, as well as when and how you do it. 

Young people, especially students, have been seen to be active consumers. This means that they are always on the move. Whatever information they feel is necessary for them can be gotten from a few clicks. In addition to this, they also put up their own content on social media and on the internet. This personal content can either YouTube videos downloaded with an MP3 converter, or something written.

No matter the form of content you put up or the social platform you use as a student, there are bad things that could take shape. These issues happen because you need to put in place a very good system that manages your online reputation. 

Some of these issues involve you dealing with too many negative reviews from teachers or comments from classmates; being involved in a public incident that is bad for your image, or receiving accusations of exam malpractice or plagiarism. 

Reputation management is very important to your progress and success as a student. This is because as a student you are already dealing with more than enough in your courses, assignments, and tests. 

A 2017 HuffPost article stresses that time you spend monitoring and actively focusing on your reputation is an investment. A negative comment or accusation online could destroy your academic work or even make you feel depressed.

These negative reviews online usually come in insulting language. They are used to report false information and its final aim is to destroy your reputation as a student. When these happen, you can reduce the effect or stop the accusation by working on your Search Engine Optimization (SEO). 

By doing this, you can ensure that the best thing about you, either written by you or someone else, shows up on the first and second pages of the search results whenever someone googles your name. 

According to Forbes, you can’t get people to see your name online if you do not have a strong SEO in place. If it is a case whereby the accusations or comments thrown at you are too serious to be ignored, then you can immediately go straight to the right authorities and report the comment. This usually happens when the comment is only made to destroy your public image rather than to correct or to instruct you.

On social platforms such as Twitch, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, there are always provisions for you to report any harmful comments or reviews made towards you.

Having understood the bad effects of negative or false comments online, we can now go on to see how to handle issues like this and get back on your feet when it happens. 

According to Digital Authority, the following steps can help you successfully get back your online reputation. Most of these steps are marketing methods. They include building a website for yourself; starting a blog, writing blog posts for other websites, having powerful social media accounts, and being helpful online. Let us look at these five tips in detail.

  • Website: 

When people want to visit you, they come to your home. A website is like a home you build for yourself online. Building a website for yourself is a great step in getting back your online reputation. 

This is because a good website tells your story, it shows off your core values and provides other people’s testimonies about you and your work. If you have a properly done website, it will always be found whenever people search for your name online. 

This is helpful because people can always have a place that tells the truth about you even if other sources are making false accusations. Having a website also helps you to place importance on the things you want people to know about you. 

You also have the ability to create your own rules on your website. You can share updates about your growth and progress as well as engage with fellow classmates or people who want to know more about you.

  • Blog: 

A blog is another great way of managing your reputation as a student. Your blog will always be on the internet as far as your payment to host it online does not expire. A blog allows you to speak to those who care to know about you or find out the truth about negative comments made towards you.

 It also helps you show off your knowledge and your skills. Think of it as a way of winning people’s hearts. Once people come on your blog and see you for who you really are, they will not waste any more time in throwing away any bad things they heard about you.

  • Blog posts on other websites: 

Creating posts for other people’s websites also helps you manage your online reputation. This is because the people who own these blogs that you post on will stand for you no matter what. 

When someone allows you to come and live in their house, it means that they trust you well enough. Also, when someone allows you to post on their blog, it also means they trust you very much. And when people see that you are trusted by other website owners, they tend to trust you more too.

  • Social media:

 It is very important that you have a good profile or page on your social platforms. This is because when people search for you on google, most times it is your social media accounts that come up. 

By creating a strong social media accounts and posting regularly, your social media page will come up on the first page of a google search of your name. According to Entrepreneur, not only can you reach a global audience with limited resources but social media can get you a target audience.

  • Be helpful online: 

In our everyday lives, everyone always loves someone who is helpful. The same thing happens online. By posting on relevant sites, answering people’s questions on sites such as Quora and offering your opinion about a particular topic, people admire and trust you more. Also, your name will come up more when people search for something they need help with.And just in case you’re getting overwhelmed with any technical terms, you can always seek help. Check out this list of companies with a long history of helping folks manage their online reputation.

8 Gifts For Your Brother-In-Law

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No matter how much you know your in-laws, purchasing gifts for them can be an overwhelming experience. 

You want to buy them something that suits their personality and that they’ll genuinely use, but knowing what that perfect gift is isn’t always easy. 

If you’ve already exhausted your options, or are purchasing a gift for your brother-in-law for the first time, you needn’t let it overshadow the occasion. 

In this list, we’ve compiled several items to cover all personality types and budgets, guaranteeing you’ll find some cracking ideas to help reduce your nerves for the big event. 

Personalized Star Map

For the brother-in-law who has just moved into his new home, or prefers sentimental gifts to practical ones, these personalized star maps by Twinkle In Time are perfect. 

Contrary to what you may originally think, these are fairly minimalistic and unisex in design, and you are given a few different options to really give your brother-in-law something they’ll love.

After deciding the color scheme, you will then be given the option to create the map itself, which shows the alignment of stars on a specific date in a specific location. After choosing the event you’re going to reference, there’s also a small memo section for you to jog his memory and remind him of said event. 

Protein Coffee 

Protein coffee is a really versatile gift option for anyone, regardless of their age. For the new parent or college student, this coffee provides enough fuel in one cup to get them through their grueling day.  

Packed full of 15G of protein, this coffee is also an exciting option for gym enthusiasts, who may be bored of their usual protein shakes and are looking for a change. Despite offering four exciting different coffee options, they’ll still be able to drink this and be well within their macros for the day. 

Kool 8 Water Bottle

For the brother-in-law who is constantly on the go, help make sure they’re constantly hydrated by investing in one of these stylish stainless steel water bottles from Kool 8.

With double insulation properties, this gift will not only help keep water cold for up to 24 hours but will also keep hot drinks hot for up to 12 hours, making it the perfect gift for morning strolls to work. 

As a side effect of this purchase, you will also help your brother-in-law be more sustainable towards the environment, helping them reduce their disposable plastic water bottle consumption over time. 

Whiskey Glass Set

Also featured in a Giftwits gift guide, this whiskey glass set is perfect for anyone above the legal drinking age. 

Adding an element of luxury into an otherwise ordinary activity allows your brother-in-law to truly relax and release the stresses of the day as he indulges in a bottle of his favorite bourbon or scotch. 

This kit also includes eight granite stones as an alternative to ice, allowing your brother-in-law to enjoy their beverage without worrying about it watering down. 

Rheumatoid Arthritis Test 

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a serious auto-immune disease that is largely undiagnosed, affecting approximately 2M people in America alone. If your brother-in-law complains of pain in one or several different joints, and stiffness in the mornings, he may be included in the statistics. 

To help him with his complaints, gift him this testing kit, which can be completed from the comfort of your own home in under 5 minutes. 

The best part of this is that the test itself was created by leading doctors, meaning it’s going to be accurate in providing him with the answers needed to approach an in-person specialist if necessary. 

Shaving Kit

Whether your brother is a beard lover or completely clean-shaven, we’re sure he won’t be disappointed with this shaving kit. 

Considered the most comprehensive shaving kit on the market, it includes everything a male could possibly need to remain well-groomed. This includes a high-quality safety razor, hair shave brush, alum block, shave soap, shave bowl and 5 additional razor blades. 

To really give this the gifting vibe, it also comes in a sophisticated gift box, giving you the real old-school barber feel.   

Fitbit Charge 3

The exclusive world of smartwatches has opened up in recent years, having become a popular accessory for everyone, regardless of their fitness abilities. 

This is partly due to their many functionalities, which Fitbit does better than most of the rest. 

In fact, this model, in particular, was even named one of the best heart rate monitor devices by CoolThingsChicago

These qualities also make it suitable for those who want to track their sleeping patterns, but this isn’t all that the device can do. 

You can also do other things you may once have relied on your phone for, like checking the time or weather in the location you’re visiting. 

Personalized Poker Set 

If your brother-in-law is a keen gambling lover with an eye for poker games, this personalized set is the perfect way to show how much thought went into the gift you’ve chosen. 

With a sophisticated, black leather design, this set offers you an opportunity to engrave anything you desire in silver letting on the top. 

This gift continues to give once you look into the contents, however, providing you with everything you need for any poker game, which includes four different colored poker chips, five dice and two packs of playing cards. 

Regardless of whether your brother-in-law is a big fan of Texas Hold ‘Em or prefers a game of Craps, this kit is sure to get a lot of use. You may also check this list of other poker chips options.

Summary 

In our comprehensive gift guide, you have everything you need to purchase a gift that your brother-in-law will love. 

Whether he’s a man who likes to relax in the evening with a nice glass of bourbon or an energy-deprived student who needs a boost, our gift suggestions cover every possible scenario. 

Now, all you have to do is decide which gift suits your budget and your brother-in-law the best and make your purchase, without the stress you may have previously harbored. 

What Current Trends Say About the Future of e-Commerce

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The best way to predict the future has always been to look at current trends and try to determine where they might lead. Even though some trends are harder to interpret than others, they can all be used to paint a fairly accurate picture. In this post, we will examine three current trends and see how they might influence e-commerce in the future.

We might see stronger cybersecurity measures. 

The need for stronger cybersecurity measures is quite glaring in the world today.The rate of cyberattacks has been on a steady rise. In 2018, hackers were said to steal approximately $3 billion worth of data from organizations in the United States. The good news is that current technology trends suggest that we may see a change in the situation. 

This is why it is crucial for companies to have staff with expert data science skills to thwart off any unfortunate cyberhacking event. Artificial intelligence and machine learning have the potential to defend security systems in ways other programs never could. AI/ML systems can learn and adapt to their environment through more complex defense mechanisms with every attack. Several tech companies are already working on prototypes that can harness the power of artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have the potential to defend security systems in ways other programs never could. AI/ML systems can learn and adapt to their environment through more complex defense mechanisms with every attack. Several tech companies are already working on prototypes that can harness the power of artificial intelligence. 

Another potential source of stronger security is cryptocurrency. Cryptos are based on blockchain, a highly secure open ledger system. Online vendors have already begun to accept blockchain-based cryptocurrency payments. While it’s difficult to tell which cryptocurrencies will be here in ten years, we at least know that blockchain is here to stay. Its payment processing ledger system may just replace velocity checks as the new standard of transaction security. 

Cheaper products and services

Current trends suggest that online vendors are finding new ways to offer more affordable products and services to the public. Consider that products offered by giants like Amazon and Alibaba are priced so competitively that other websites need unique strategies just to stay in the game. There are also companies like R2 Logistics, that are handling shipments, tracking and the like, that are making that part of the game cheaper, and more convenient as well. Add in that you can hire Amazon account management services and it really just keeps these giants in control of trends. These cheaper offerings are all due to market forces and profitability. If consumers want cheaper products, they’ll flock to the vendors that can provide them. Since people will always want lower prices, we can expect cheaper goods.

Understandably, these low prices aren’t going to be across every product category – goods that are expensive to manufacture will remain costly. But then, if you consider that China’s Alibaba has been practically bombarding the rest of the world with ridiculous prices, you can see that the trend is more than likely to continue.

Rise of premium goods

Even though this point seems like a contradiction of the previous, it really isn’t.There are always going to be socioeconomic classes in society, which means that there will always be upper-class individuals who demand high-end products. Luxury items will always be in demand, and lower commodity prices can’t affect that.

As an example, consider the iPhone. Every new model costs a little more than the previous one, with the latest iPhone 11 costing as much as $849. Luxury fashion brands also come to mind when we discuss the subject of higher prices. While the future probably holds the potential for cheaper goods, there will probably be more expensive ones, too.

Common Cybersecurity Concerns for Private Equity and Hedge Funds

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As alternative investments such as private equity and hedge funds explode with success, more and more fund managers are entering the space. For many new fund managers, the process of starting a private equity firm or hedge fund often doesn’t give cybersecurity practices enough weight – a decision that can lead to huge ramifications in the future.

To help small and future fund managers understand the risks of ignoring cybersecurity is Agio, a managed IT and cybersecurity firm specializing within the financial space.

The Most Common Threat: Phishing

By far, the most common threat to small private equity firms is phishing. This is becoming more and more relevant as firms are relying more on third-party services to sort and analyze enormous amounts of data or provide other services. Oftentimes, these vendors deal with confidential information – meaning a breach at the vendor level can expose your investors and clients. The more vendors a firm works with, the more points of entry become available to potential hackers.

Smaller Firms are More Attractive

The size of a firm matter to hackers – smaller is better in their minds. Both private equity and hedge fund managers contact and move enormous amounts of money regularly. While giant financial institutions may touch more capital, they also have more stringent and better-tested cybersecurity procedures. On the other hand, small one-man fund managers can’t possibly compete in terms of digital security.

Considering the fact that many small firms still rely on email verification to move capital, wire transfer fraud becomes especially threatening. A transaction that doesn’t have multi-level authentication and involves just a small number of parties makes it so just a single party needs to be compromised in order for fraud to take place. Many private equity firms face wire transfer fraud as much as twice a quarter, which can affect anywhere between $250,000 to $6 million in each attempt.

Read more about how to start a private equity firm

Taking the First Step Towards Stronger Cybersecurity

Phishing and wire transfer fraud are both very easy to prevent if employees have proper phishing-resistant procedures, proper employee education, and consistent data monitoring. The good news is that identifying gaps in user knowledge and money transfer procedures can be done through a DDQ, or Due Diligence Questionnaire.

A DDQ provides a standardized way to audit your firm’s cybersecurity practices, allowing targeted overhauls of poor practices. For many small fund managers, the prospect of creating, testing, and executing a DDQ can be daunting. Fortunately, Agio can help streamline and complete the process. As an expert in IT outsourcing for hedge funds and private equity firms, Agio can ensure that a firm meets and exceeds all relevant regulatory requirements.

Reasons Why Texting and Driving is Worse Than Drinking and Driving

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Thanks to aggressive campaigning, everyone is aware of the dangers of drinking and driving. From the old-school Red Ribbon Week to DUI defense lawyers and police stations, organizations have done their part to reveal how hazardous driving under the influence truly is. Did you know that texting and driving is worse than drunk driving, though? 

It might not seem like a harmless text could ever be as disastrous as one too many drinks, but the reality is that even the most intoxicated of drivers stand a better chance (if slightly) of avoiding an accident than texters. Don’t believe it? Here’s why. 

Reaction Time

A recent test conducted Car and Driver Magazine studied reaction times for sober and drunk drivers, as well as those texting. Driver Eddie Alterman climbed to 70 miles per hour in a safe setting for each scenario, braking when a red indicator light came on. 

It took Alterman just 0.54 seconds to brake when sober, but he traveled an extra four feet once intoxicated. After sobering up for another day of testing, it then took him an additional 36 feet to stop while reading an email. As his attention was on texting, he failed to fully stop until 70 feet after the indicator light came on. On average, it was four times as long before he hit the brakes while on his phone. 

The Time Factor

Alterman’s test isn’t the first to show that texting is drastically more dangerous than drunk driving, despite public opinion. Another study looked at the risk drivers take when removing their eyes from the road to read a text. 

When traveling at 50 miles per hour, your car can clear an entire football field in roughly five seconds. While not every text takes five seconds to read, removing your eyes from the road for any more than a second can easily cause a disastrous accident. 

One Less Hand

Let’s say you don’t take five seconds to read or respond to a text and that you rarely drive 50 miles an hour. Even then, you still need one spare hand to handle your phone. That might not seem dangerous, people drive with one hand all the time, but it becomes a risk when you consider your ability to react to road hazards. 

With both hands on the wheel or even one while watching the road, you can quickly maneuver out of harm’s way should the need arise. With your attention split and one less hand at the ready, your ability to avoid a pileup or debris is cut by more than half. 

These three key factors make texting and driving more of a danger than most realize. As a society, we rightfully demonize drunk driving. Critics across the country and personal injury attorneys alike, argue that it’s time for the country to accept how dangerous checking a text behind the wheel truly is. Remember, one text isn’t worth your life or anyone else’s. 

How to Manage an Employee Going Through a Divorce

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Personal issues directly affect an employee’s ability to perform the duties of their job. With 40 to 50 percent of all marriages ending in divorce, the likelihood of this tragedy affecting your employees is high. Naturally, you want to be proactive about this situation before your employee’s productivity starts slipping. Here’s how to manage the situation with empathy and efficiency. 

What You Can Expect

Everyone reacts to situations in their own way, which makes it hard to identify when someone is struggling with a divorce. There are, however, ways to identify when your employees are struggling in general. Workers often:

  • Breakdown or cry
  • Act embarrassed or ashamed
  • Avoid other co-workers
  • Begin performing poorly for a period of time

These reactions are symptoms of mild to severe depression and anxiety brought about from the grief and stress of the situation. While everyone handles divorce differently, knowing what signs to look for allows you to open the door to positive communication between you and your employee. 

The Talk

Handling an employee during this time is challenging. Simply firing an employee for slipping performance isn’t the way to approach this situation, according to a wrongful termination lawyer. Instead, you need to have an honest conversation with the individual in question. 

When you see the signs of an employee struggling, bring them into the office for an honest conversation. Let them know which signs you have observed, let them know you are concerned about them, and ask them what’s going on. 

Keep your tone comforting during this talk. Show compassion, let them know it’s okay to be sad, and genuinely listen to what they have to say. Avoid any sort of negative reaction and never resort to a pep talk. The goal isn’t to help them feel better or happy, it’s to address the issue. 

Finding Solutions

The next step to handling an employee going through a divorce is to find a set of solutions that work in their benefit as well as the company’s. If your business offers employees paid time off or a form of leave, allowing your employee to take that time is often the best solution. They can deal with their emotions, handle any legal responsibilities with a divorce lawyer, and come back to work with the situation behind them. 

If that isn’t an option, then you’re going to have to cut the employee some slack for a while. Keep an eye on their performance and give them gentle reminders if their performance slips too far. Instead of hammering them about it, find a way to work with them as they get their performance back on track. 

If there is no improvement over a period of time and their performance is below standards, then you need to have another talk with them. For some, gentle reminders aren’t enough. You might need to, in the nicest way possible, warn them about termination. 

It’s also essential that you set realistic expectation during this time. Your employee won’t go from subpar performance to their normal work ethic overnight. Let them know you’re not expecting perfection as they grapple with their divorce, but that you do need to see consistent improvement as time goes on. 

Policeman Wins Sexual Orientation Award of Twenty Million Dollars.

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A Missouri police officer has been awarded just about twenty million dollars by a court jury, after alleging that the officers above him in his department found his sexual orientation objectionable and asked him to ‘tone down’ his homosexualality. Sergeant Keith Wildhaber of Saint Louis County Police claimed in his suit that he was tipped off five years ago by a local restaurant owner who also happened to be on the County Board that his lifestyle choices were negatively impacting his chances at promotion in the department. Wildhaber had just applied for a lieutenant position, and the restaurant owner, John Saracino, told him the Board would not approve his promotion if he continued to remain openly gay.

In court Saracino denied that any such conversation took place between them.

Wilhaber was passed over for promotion, even though he had twenty years of service in the department. In 2017 he filed suit, claiming wrongful discrimination due to sexual orientation.

Wildhaber was then transferred, without any reason being given, to a graveyard beat that was nearly thirty miles from his home. 

After the jury heard all the testimony it took them only a week to render a verdict. They also took the extraordinary step of recommending that the members of the County Board should voluntarily all step down.

Wildfires Blaze Out of Control in California.

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The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has now declared a state of emergency for the entire state as wildfires ravage both northern and southern California. Hundreds of thousands of people are being evacuated this evening, and over a million residents are without electricity because the utilities are afraid of starting new wildfires while the Santa Ana winds are picking up velocity throughout the state. The unremitting wind is drying up underbrush and even hardy cacti have lost enough moisture now to become nothing more than kindling for the next spark that comes their way. 

In the north the Sonoma wine country is being roasted by the Kincaid fire, which has not yet been contained and threatens to defeat firefighter’s every effort to control it. A large winery has already fallen victim to the flames, as over sixty-six thousand acres go up in flames. Schools and businesses are closed and over one-hundred structures have already been consumed by the fire. 180-thousand people in the area are preparing to evacuate their homes tonight.

In the Los Angeles area the Getty Museum of Art is now threatened by a fire, which has been named it its honor. Celebrities such as Arnold Schwartzenegger and LaBron James have had to flee their exclusive Hollywood homes. Firefighters expect to muzzle this smaller fire by early tomorrow morning.

YouTube to MP3 Converters: Storage

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In order to get started saving YouTube videos as MP3 files, there are a few things you need to check off your list. While it’s not hard to use YouTube to Mp3 converters, its best to have everything you need to get the full, successful experience of using a YouTube to MP3 converter. Mostly (other than a converter) you need to have the storage to put the audio files on your device. 

Check your storage.

In order to save video files, you have to have the space for it. If you are almost at capacity in your device’s memory and storage, then you may only be able to save a few files. Then if you decide you want more in the future (or anything else for that matter) you won’t have room for it. 

Tip 1: Go through your pictures on your device. Chances are there are a couple you can delete, whether they were accidental pictures, or you just don’t need them anymore. You can also print them out and put them on the wall or into an album before deleting. 

Tip 2: Delete some unused contacts. Take a look at your contact list to see if you still need them all. If there are some you’d like to keep just in case, write them down in a journal to save memory, or put them into a document on another device. 

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Tip 3: Invest in some cloud storage. There are many places that you can store things online that can be accessed from multiple devices. So, you can either transfer some old files to the cloud, or the audio files themselves, and get to them from all devices associated with that account. 

You can use Google drive, DropBox, and iCloud storage. Most online storage places may offer a small amount for free. You can use the small, free amount across these online storage programs. You can also pay for more storage on each location.

Tip 4: You can buy a memory card for your Android phone. You can also buy a new phone. iPhones vary in their allowed amount of memory (32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB, etc.). 

Tip 5: Delete any unused or unwanted apps. Cleaning out apps can save a lot of space. 

Tip 6: Look for a solid-state drive for your computer. This is like a high-tech flash drive that can hold large amounts of information. 

Tip 7: Spread your data out among devices. If you have 200 pictures from your trip to New York last summer, then upload them to Facebook or your computer then delete them from your phone. This can give you more room for audio files on your phone. 

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Once you have made room for the audio files, don’t hesitate to download as many as you want. Not only have you organized and cleaned up your device, freeing up storage and memory can make your device faster and more efficient, as well. 

There are other alternatives like MyFreeMP3. Give these a try and see if they work for you.

America’s Air Quality Declines.

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A new study shows that toxic air pollution is increasing on a national level, and has been for the past three years, which reverses more than ten years of cleaner air gains. The EPA has published data this week from researchers at prestigious Carnegie Mellon University that show a jump in fine particulate pollution during a three year period that ended in 2018 — prior to that two year jump air pollution had decreased by twenty-five percent in the seven previous years. 

Fine particulate air pollution stems largely from coal powered plants and older car emissions. It’s speculated that adding to the fine particulate mix on a national and catastrophic level now are the plumes of smoke from wildfires across the American West, especially in California. 

The researchers also speculated that lax enforcement of the current Clean Air Act may also be responsible for the rise in particulate matter in the atmosphere, as the Trump administration looks the other way at minor infractions of the law among utility companies, mining corporations, and chemical plants. The increasing use of natural gas in cars and in heavy industry is also part of the problem because even though natural gas is touted as a completely clean fuel it can put a small residue of particulate matter into the atmosphere when used in inefficient and older model engines.