What To Look For In Persian RugsWritten by Jeff Brokob
Selecting a Persian rug can be a daunting task for most people. There is a lot of misinformation out there as to what to look for. Let's face it, a good Persian rug can cost a lot of money, and most people will be hesitant to make a significant investment on something they know little about.The best solution for most is to find a reputable dealer who will work with you to find rug you are looking for. The disadvantage to this is you will be paying for their help and advice in markup of rug, which can be quite high. Another alternative is to use power of internet. There are a number of sites out there that sell authentic Persian rugs, with money back guarantees and free shipping. Which ever way you choose, a little knowledge can go a long way. An authentic Persian rug is handmade. There are a lot of machine woven imitation rugs out on market. How do you tell difference? Two ways: 1. The loops on back of rug will be visible on a handmade rug. 2. If fringe is sewn on, then rug is probably machine made. Another advantage of an authentic rug is its durability. The natural fibers have a greater level of strength than machine-made rugs with synthetic fibers. Once you have determine a rugs authenticity, there are several things to look for in selecting a rug. Probably most well known and widely used is Knots Per Square Inch, commonly abbreviated as KPSI. Persian rugs can typically have between 20 and 700 knots or more in a one-inch by one-inch area. Generally, more knots per square inch, more valuable rug. As a rule, a good quality rug should have at least 70 knots per square inch.
| | Downloading Spyware Removers: Think Before, not AfterWritten by Alexandra Gamanenko
Just imagine: you are walking, say, towards your car, and all of a sudden somebody comes up to you and begins... polishing your shoes. Or even better example--a guy you've never met before opens hood of your car, says engine is broken and tries to persuade you to add some gadget your car desperately needs--and now! What you'd do if such a crazy thing happened? Wouldn't you readily accept help, paid for it and thank this unknown altruist for his generosity? Why not? Lots of people are doing exactly same on their PCs. A pop-up ad offering you a pop-up blocker--funny, isn't it? With those numerous spyware removers it isn't even funny. Obtrusive advertising in itself is not necessarily suspicious (it might be just a sign that company's marketing director is stupid), but some dishonest software vendors are applying deceitful tactics in marketing their anti-spy solutions (often of low or zero quality), trying to make money quick. Almost any product can be faked, but with software it is especially easy. It is also very tempting to take advantage of huge demand for security solutions without much effort. The recent story with a placebo product Spyware Assassin proves it. What a simple but efficient (and disgusting) scheme--offer users a free system scan, which is bound to find spyware (even if there isn't any--because no scan actually takes place), then sell them a "solution" to this problem for only $30. This product (Spyware Assassin) seems to be about as fake as spyware found on a "clean" PC. As a result, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently took action against MaxTheater--the company which distributed Spyware Assassin. The site used for selling this bogus anti-spyware software has been taken down. Users who were literally forced to buy Spy Wiper or Spy Deleter, or those who remember notorious litigation in fall 2004, can say a lot of things about authors and sellers of such programs--if written down, their remarks can make paper blush. In short, Seismic Entertainment Productions, Inc., another vendor prosecuted by FTC, applied even more impudent tactics than MaxTheater. Computers were infected with real spyware and adware to be later "cured" with Spy Wiper or Spy Deleter. The spyware changed consumers' home pages, changed their search engines, and generated constant flow of pop-up ads.
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