System Development - Tools and Techniques Essay

System Development - Tools and Techniques - Essay Example The causes of information systems failure may therefore include: - lack of research, risk management criteria as well as long term commitment. In terms of costs and their required functions, the implementation of information systems becomes more complex day by day. Mere assumptions that an individual is in the position of managing and IS project without conducting thorough prior research, formal training, and the engagement of required expertise would be a lie (Korac-Boisvert and Kouzmin 1995). In line with the same, all the stakeholders of an information systems management right from the management, Information technology staff and the leadership ought t be engaged. Risk determination with regards to the project needs to be undertaken as well as factors such as budget overruns and delays needs to be researched and distributed normally before the project is initiated (Westrup 1998). The facilitation of this elaborate plan is majorly only possible when the management engage all partie s in setting a more realistic period under which any given form of information system is delivered. The second cause of failure is the, â€Å"acceptability† of failures. ... Despite being involved in repeated high profile failures you will find that a health institution still succeeds in winning over 60% of government contracts with the only looser being the taxpayer. The training given the high demand for their services at present does not seem to be of any significance as failure seems and order of the day and hence acceptable or to an extent is even expected. The third cause is the lack of user buy-in and ownership. It should be noted that despite an introduction of change, there is need to convince the users of the efficiency that is likely to arise out of a given new system. These would include the onset of better work practices and better patient in the unique environment of the National Healthcare System (Slater 1996). Due to the pragmatism portrayed by most clinicians, the above factors may be of much value to them as well as the convenience brought about by the use of information technology system. Overlooking the end users of a system may be qu ite detrimental; consulting them should therefore be of priority since this would enable the establishment of systems, which are of great relevance to the users of such information (ParA and Elam 1998). An example in the healthcare system would be the implementation of the Computerized Physician Order Entry Systems. Such a system is of much benefit to the management since they provide them with detailed information to enable their scrutiny of the physicians. On the other hand, there is no addition to the daily practice of the physician since with the slowdowns of the systems what results is more frustration (Westrup 1998). The system becomes even more redundant

Situation Essay Example for Free

Situation Essay Situation A: An employee took time off due to his wife giving birth prematurely. His requested time off was approved by his original manager as the employee qualified for FMLA since he has been with the company for two years and was for the care of his spouse. Under (1)†FMLA rules certain employees can be provided up to 12 weeks unpaid, job-protected leave per year. The employee must work for the company at least 12 months, have at least 1250 hours during the 12 months and the where the employee work, the company must employ at least 50 employees within 75 miles†. (1) â€Å"Eligible reasons for leave to be granted to an employee are: * birth and care of the newborn child of an employee; * placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care; * to care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or to take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.† The employee requested to return to work after 11 weeks, his new manager approved his return along with his pay prior to his leave from the company. The employee’s request for payment of his salary while he was on leave for 11 weeks was not approved. The company would not be in violation of FMLA rules if the new manager decides not to pay the employee. (1)FMLA states that leave is to be unpaid and therefore the company has the right not to pay. The company complied with all the FMLA eligibility rules when they granted leave and reinstated the employee to his original position and pay rate at the end of his 11 week leave to care for his wife and new born children. If the company provides sick or vacation time an employee can take this during their time off. It’s an unfortunate situation for the employee and the company. The returning employee’s original manager left the company during the employee’s leave and approved his being paid during his leave I feel the following actions should take place. First, attempts to contact the previous manager to confirm the employee’s statement and upon confirmation payment should be granted. Second, the company should show a gesture of good faith and up hold the original manager’s agreement. Third, an amendment to company policy should be put in place to cover future events. Written and signed by both management and employee to the exact terms agreed upon prior to leave under FMLA are to be taken. This is for the protection of the company and their employees. Situation B: A company conducts its annual review in which the results reveal one of its senior employee’s (68yr old) is doing exemplary work and another younger employee (32yr old) is doing average work. The promotion was given to the younger (32yr old) employee over the senior (68yr old) employee due to his age. Even though the fact that the senior employee’s work was above par in comparison to the younger employee. The company is in direct violation of the ADEA of 1967 which states (2)â€Å"certain applicant and employees who are 40 years of age and older are protected from discrimination on the basis of age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, or terms, conditions or privileges of employment.† In this case the 68 year old employee could sue the company based on Age Discrimination and win. Situation C: A potential applicant who is wheelchair bound due to paralysis of his lower extremities applied for an open position with company x. The applicant would need to have access to all seven floors in order to do their job. The company would need to provide â€Å"reasonable accommodations†. Company X denied the potential applicant because of â€Å"undue hardship† that would be brought on the company for retro fitting the elevator keypads in two of the four elevators to accommodate the potential applicant needs to gain access to all the floors. After reviewing the American Disabilities Act of 1990 and the needs of the potential applicant to determine whether retro fitting the existing elevator keypads would create an undue hardship to Company X or not I found the following (34) †Reasonable accommodation is any change or adjustment to the work environment that would allow the disabled worker to perform the essential functions of the job or to allow the disabled worker to enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment equal to employees without disabilities. These additional accessibility alterations are only required to the extent that the added accessibility costs do not exceed 20% of the cost of the original alteration. However, the facility is obligated up to the 20% limit. The path of travel requirement covers elevators, ramps, doorways, pathways, drinking fountains, phones, work space etc.† Company X should provide backup documentation that shows retro fitting the elevators would exceed 20% therefore creating the â€Å"undue hardship†. The only alternative suggestion would be not to retro fit the elevators. Two of the four are not in need of retro fitting so if the potential applicant could safely gain access to all seven floors and still be in compliance with â€Å"ADA† then Company X would be and only then be in violation of â€Å"ADA† when they denied the applicant employment.

90s :: essays research papers

Music in the nineties can be simply described as diverse. Diverse meaning that music has been segregated into hundreds of groups. This report will refer in detail to three genres of music: Alternative Country, Rap, Alternative Rock. It will also cover certain aspects indicative of the 90's. Alternative Country Music In 1990, a band called Uncle Tupelo from Belleville, Illinois, released their debut album. Titled No Depression, it featured a rough mixture of punk-rock songs, but it also added something different: several toned-down, acoustic ballads that had a distinct country flavor. A few years later, that simple little song and album title became the name of an internet fan club and chat group. It didn't stop there, in 1995, a magazine of the same name went into publication, and "No Depression" soon became the leading title for a progressive alternative country movement. Other names include "insurgent country" "Americana," or simply "alt.country," the latter is a reminder of the role the internet has played in the growth and publicity of this movement. For the most part, No Depression or alt.country bands aren't much of a threat to the sales figures of mainstream Nashville country artists. But the speed with which this music has caught on has shown that a substantial number of people have grown weary of the overproduced pop trends of 1990's mainstream country music, and the limited range of styles and sounds that are typically played on country radio stations. Rap Music Rap of the late 70's and 80's, commonly called "old school", was made by DJs scratching records and playing drum loops, with MCs rapping over the resulting rhythms. As the genre progressed, hard-rock guitars and hard-hitting beats were introduced by Run-D.M.C., the first hardcore rap group, and the scratching techniques were replaced by sampling. With their dense collages of samples, beats and white noise, Public Enemy took sampling to the extreme, and they helped introduce a social and political conscience to rap. This faded in the '90s, as gangsta rap, originally introduced by NWA, who used Public Enemy's sound as a template, became the dominant form. By the '90s, gangsta rap, which originally was in direct opposition to such pop-oriented rappers as MC Hammer, had become smoothed over and stylish, and consequently was more popular than ever, as evidenced by the success of pop-gangsta Puff Daddy in the late 90's. Alternative Rock Music Alternative pop/rock is essentially a catch-all term for post-punk bands from the mid-'80s to the mid-'90s. Though there is a variety of musical styles within alternative rock, they are all tied together since they originally existed outside of the mainstream.

About Ginger

Ginger or ginger root is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family (Zingiberaceae). Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal. Ginger cultivation began in South Asia and has since spread to East Africa and the Caribbean. Ginger oil has been shown to prevent skin cancer in mice and a study at the University of Michigan demonstrated that gingerols ([6]-gingerol) can kill ovarian cancer cells. Ginger can also heal inflammation. Ginger is particularly useful in treating chronic inflammation because it partially inhibits two important enzymes that play a role in inflammation gone awry — cyclooxygenase (COX) and 5-lipoxygenase (LOX). Ginger does not cause stomach irritation; instead it helps protect and heal the gut. Ginger also treats a broader range of the inflammatory problem because it affects both the COX and the LOX enzymes. And because it doesn't shut down the inflammatory process entirely, ginger may actually allow it to work properly and then turn itself off, the way it does with an injury. Besides reducing inflammation, ginger has many other benefits. It helps relieve nausea, destroys a host of viruses, and in some laboratory studies has shown promise as an anticancer agent. Health care professionals may recommend ginger to help prevent or treat nausea and vomiting from motion sickness, pregnancy, and cancer chemotherapy. It is also used to treat mild stomach upset, to reduce pain of osteoarthritis, and may even be used in heart disease. Ginger extract is not widely known as a solution for hair loss, but it has properties to improve blood circulation in the scalp, which may protect the hair from falling off.

Comparing Regional Embroidries

Three Types of Embroidery Kashida Kari of Kashmir Kashida has taken it roots from the word Kashmir. KASH means water channel and MIR means mountain. KASHIDA KARI means work of water channel. Kashmiri embroidery has become world renowned, largely through it superb shawls. All the fact Kashmir incomparable beauty seems to be reflected its needle work. The shawl industry flourished during the rule of Sultan Zain-ul-Abiden during 15th century. He brought craftsman from Persia to revive the existing art. The demand for Kashmiri shawls increased during Mughal rule.Motifs A large variety of flowers of tremendous colors, shape, size, namely lily, tulip, saffron, iris, bunches of grapes, apple, cherries, plums, birds like kingfisher, parrot, wood pecker, magpie, canary all appears in kashida kari. China leaf is the motif most abundantly used along with Cyprus tree. Many beautiful colored butterflies found in sanctuary and valley has occupied an important place in kashida. Animal and human fig ures are not found in kashida kari of Kashmir. Embroidery Threads Embroidery thread employed earlier was fine quality woolen yarn.Gradually woolen yarn were replaced by the each and lustrous silk thread. The bright, gorgeous in expensive art silk [rayon] has entered the industry by replacing the expensive silk threads. Colors Used The embroidery is comprised of wide spectrum of colors of light and dark shade such as crimson red, scarlet red, blue, yellow, green, purple, black and brown. Earlier, yarn was locally dyed by embroider himself, with the help of natural ingredients. PHULKARI The art of phulkari has its origin in the early part of the 19th century when the ODHNI or head cloth was highlighted with embodied flowers.The embroidery is very simple but the color combination, stitches and the patterns makes it spectacular and gorgeous. It is made on all sorts of cloth and is used in various ways. Bright colors are always preferred when it comes to phulkari, because it refers to fl owers and gardens. The main colors used are yellow, red, green, orange, pink and blue. The most interesting part of phulkari is that no different shades are used for shading purpose, rather, it is done with the horizontal, diagonal, and vertical stitches . the shiny threads reflect different shades in different directions.Thread Soft, glossy, untwisted silk thread is employed for the stitching, which is supplied from Kashmir, Afghanistan and Bengal, which is called â€Å"PAI†. Phulkari And Its Types This is a red colored cloth that has phulkari on the border and edges and is presented to a bride by her grandmother just before the wedding. Vari-da-Bagh It is a red colored cloth, which has embroidery in small patterns all over in yellow, denoting fertility and happiness. Along the border, patterns are smaller and beautifully designed in different color thread. Ghunghat-Bagh/Sari-PalluIt is usually used to cover the head as a symbol of respect for elders. There is embroidery on the small borders on all the four sides. A larger triangular motif is embroidered at the center, making it beautiful. Darsha-Dwar It is a gate that gives a view of deity. It is basically embodied to be presented in the temple or gurudwara. Satarangi A seven colored PHULKARI. Kantha of Bengal; Kantha means throat. The origin of kantha traces its history to a period not less than thousand years. In East-Bengal kantha was a personal expression of arts and crafts that was made spontaneously.A real kantha is able to narrate a story, and is much more compact in design and it is made out of used material. Motif The kantha of individual is unique by itself. Because it is always the craftsman’s creation, ideas, innovation, taste of fancies, and art of executing how fresh form, designs, figures, and motifs. However some basic traditional designs are commonly seen in each piece of their work. Their motifs are composed of heterogeneous objects like various types of lotus flower, mandala, satadala, Padma tree, foilage, floral scrolls, kalkas, animal and human figure, spiral, bird, fish, and boat.There are different types of kanthas and are named according to its utility. Arshilata It is used as a cover or wrap for mirror, comb, and other accessories. It is a narrow rectangular piece. It has a wide border and central motif. The lotuses, trees, inverted triangles, are some commonly used motifs. Bayton A three feet square piece serves as a wrap for books and similar valuables. It has a central motif usually the lotus with hundred petals called SAFADALA PUDMA. The traditional and folk design of oldest style in bayton is mandala. Durgon Square piece which is used a wallet cover.It has a central lotus motif, with an elaborated border. The three corners of this piece are drawn together inwards to make the tips to touch at the center and are sewn together like an envelope. Sujani It is used as spread during ceremonial occasions. This rectangular piece is divided into nine e qual parts, and the motifs are distributed accordingly. Colors This colorful embroidery is made with yellow, green, blue, red, and black color thread. Mainly traditional colors like black, deep blue and red which symbolizes three basic qualities and also corresponds to the three aspects of nature i. . earth, sky and space. Thread Threads used in kantha are usually pulled out from worn sarees, or cotton thread is used. Comparing Three Types The darn stitch is used in PHULKARI, while the base material for embroidery has traditionally been hand spun, hand woven, and natural dyed khadi. Whereas, the novel-ness of the Kashmiri embroidery is that the whole pattern is created using one or two embroidery stitch style. The base cloth used in Kashmiri embroidery is cotton or wool. Running stitch is used for making simple quilt.The traditional form of kantha embroidery was done with soft dhotis and saris, with a simple running stitch running along the edges. Motifs used in kantha embroidery ar e human and animal figures, floral symbols, which cover the surface from the corner. Different patterns like fishes, birds, Kalka, mandola, mythological stories are also figured. Comparatively, motifs used in Kashmiri embroidery do not include animals or human figure, but floral motifs, birds, parrots, canary, green plums, almonds, cherries are commonly used. Whereas in phulkari fauna and flora motifs, peacock, red chilies, ace of diamond are used.Lotus motif is used in all three types of embroidery. Their source of inspiration is nature. The ways in which motifs are used make the three embroideries completely different from each other. They have their own unique features. The colors used in phulkari are bright like golden yellow, crimson red, bright orange, green, blue and pink. The colors found in kashida kari are white, purple, ferozi, yellow, black and scarlet. In kantha traditional colors are used like blue, green, yellow, red, and black. All three embroideries have many common features, yet they have their own unique style.

Free Essays on Why Im In College

Why am I in College? College was a big goal that I have had since I started school. I was always pressured to go to college by my parents and by myself. Not only would I be the first child out of my brother and sister to go to college, but I would be the first out of my whole family to go. I have always had certain goals for my life since I was a child. One was to be a computer animator, and the other was to be an architect or mechanical engineer. Right now I’ve decided to go with being a mechanical engineer. Being a mechanical engineer has many benefits. One being that it has a lot to do with design. I’ve been an avid artist since the age of four. Design has been a big part of my life. I have become an excellent artist since then. I’m able to copy a picture or design perfectly if not better. I’ve always thought that the best job to have is a job that makes you want to go to work. Doing something like this would enable me to work on something and no that I would enjoy it. I also would like to be able to help my community. I would like to help design new ways to get construction done quicker and faster. I would also like to design better technology to keep our community in the best shape as possible. It could be new garbage trucks or new street sweepers. I think that our community needs some new technology to help out the hard working people of this community. Furthermore, I am in college to make my family proud. I would like to lead an example for the generation beneath me. I would like more of my family to know that they too can go to college. As long as you have goals, you will have something to drive you to success.... Free Essays on Why I'm In College Free Essays on Why I'm In College Why am I in College? College was a big goal that I have had since I started school. I was always pressured to go to college by my parents and by myself. Not only would I be the first child out of my brother and sister to go to college, but I would be the first out of my whole family to go. I have always had certain goals for my life since I was a child. One was to be a computer animator, and the other was to be an architect or mechanical engineer. Right now I’ve decided to go with being a mechanical engineer. Being a mechanical engineer has many benefits. One being that it has a lot to do with design. I’ve been an avid artist since the age of four. Design has been a big part of my life. I have become an excellent artist since then. I’m able to copy a picture or design perfectly if not better. I’ve always thought that the best job to have is a job that makes you want to go to work. Doing something like this would enable me to work on something and no that I would enjoy it. I also would like to be able to help my community. I would like to help design new ways to get construction done quicker and faster. I would also like to design better technology to keep our community in the best shape as possible. It could be new garbage trucks or new street sweepers. I think that our community needs some new technology to help out the hard working people of this community. Furthermore, I am in college to make my family proud. I would like to lead an example for the generation beneath me. I would like more of my family to know that they too can go to college. As long as you have goals, you will have something to drive you to success....

Tell Asmar Statuettes, Victory Stele of Naram-sin, Law Code of Hammurabi, Ishtar Gate.

Tell Asmar Statuettes, Victory Stele of Naram-sin, Law Code of Hammurabi, Ishtar Gate. 1) Tell Asmar Statuettes -dated around 2700-2600 B.C. and came from Sumerian architecture. These statuettes were from the Abu temple and these statuettes represented the goddesses. The tallest one was 30 inches high, which was the god of vegetation. In correlation, the rest of the statuettes, all had their purposes in representing different kinds of goddesses.2) Victory Stele of Naram-sin - was during the Akkad period, which was around 2230 B.C. and made out of pink sandstone. It was also about six feet and six inches tall. Originally, this stele was erected in the town of Sippar, to the north of Babylon. In addition, the sculpture illustrates the victory over the mountain people of western Iran by Naram-Sin, which was the fourth king of the Semite dynasty of Akkad.Hammurabi Code3) Law Code of Hammurabi- was made during the era of the old Babylonian period under the rule of King Hammurabi. The inscriptions of his codes were inscribed on a black basalt stele, beneath King Hammurabi an d the shamash. The sculpture is approximately seven feet tall. It was made around 1792-1750 B.C. and King Hammurabi himself along with the shamash writing all of the laws down, while the king is dictating them to him.4) Ishtar Gate- built by Nebuchadnezzar II in 575 B.C. in Babylon was a glazed-brick structure decorated with figures of bulls and dragons, symbols of the weather god Adad and of Marduk. The repeated design served as a guide for the ritual processions from the city to the temple. The gate was made out of blue-gazed enamel bricks and edged with white and gold geometric designs. I have learnt a lot just from looking at such beautiful architecture. After researching the detailed facts, I have realized that this took lots of effort, manpower, very...

Big Picture Questions in ACT Reading Whats the Main Point

Big Picture Questions in ACT Reading What's the Main Point SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips On ACT Reading, you'll encounter questions that ask you to be able to read large amounts of text and distill them down; we call these "big picture" questions here at PrepScholar. Big picture questions can ask about the entire passage, a series of paragraph, or even just one paragraph (as opposed to "little picture" questions, which will ask for specific information). Being able to answer these types of questions will prove very useful for college/university, where professors will expect you to use these skills with even more dense and academic writing. What are â€Å"big picture† questions on ACT Reading, and what are the best ways to approach answering them? I’ll start by discussing the two primary types of big picture questions you’ll encounter on the ACT, along with common ways the ACT will ask you about each. After that, I’ll give you some strategies to answer both types of questions, illustrated with examples from prose fiction and academic writing. feature image credit: The Bigger Picture by F Delventhal, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. Type 1: Main Point Questions First of all, what is the main point of a passage or paragraph? For Social Science, Humanities, and Natural Science passages, the main point is the central argument. It's a little more complicated for Prose Fiction or Literary narrative, since they don’t always have central arguments; for these passage types, the main point is often the central conflict and its implications. If you're stumped, it can also sometimes help to think of the main point of a Prose Fiction/Literary Narrative passage as a short summary of what happens, or even the â€Å"moral of the story.† Questions that ask you about the main point are not asking about the topic, or theme, of the writing, but are instead looking for something more specific. The main point should answer the question, â€Å"so what’s the author’s point in this paragraph/passage?† in a short sentence. Identifying Main Point Questions It’s usually pretty clear when you’re being asked about the main point of a passage. The wording will go something like the following (all extracted from and modified from actual SAT questions): â€Å"Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?† â€Å"The primary focus of lines 65-92 is..." "The author’s main purpose in lines 54-69 is to show..." â€Å"The main theme of this passage concerns the...† â€Å"The main idea of the first paragraph is that the music of the video game Portal...† Main Point Questions: Examples Let’s take an example from a paper I wrote during graduate school (minus footnotes). I’ll even include introductory material, similar to what you might find on the ACT. This paragraph is excerpted from the paper â€Å"‘This was a triumph:’ Narrative and dynamic uses of music in Portal† by Laura Staffaroni ( ©2013 by Laura Staffaroni). This paper was written as the final assignment for a Research and Materials class. In general, because Portal is a puzzle game, it might be expected to lack a strong narrative; this, however, is not the case. While the gameplay is focused on the solving each level’s puzzle, you are also provided with tantalizing bits of story in the form of dialogue spoken to you by GLADoS, the AI directing the â€Å"tests.† Bits of the story are revealed over the course of the game in this way, picking up with the introduction of secret rooms with writing on the walls and the adorable but deadly turrets. So what’s the main point of this paragraph? If you just go with what the topic is, then your answer might be something like â€Å"games,† or even â€Å"the video game Portal.† *buzzer* EHHHHHH. WRONG. Remember, the main point should be able to answer the question "What's the author's point in this paragraph?" The answer to that question will be something like "The author is arguing that [main point]." So "the video game Portal" doesn't even make sense as an answer - "The author is arguing that the video game Portal" is not a complete sentence, which means "the video game Portal" cannot be the main point of this paragraph. Here's my short answer for what I think the main point of that paragraph is: Portal is a puzzle game that also has a narrative. This successfully answers the question "what is the author's point in this paragraph?" in a way that makes sense: the author is arguing that Portal is a puzzle game that also has a narrative. I will go into strategies for how to extract this information from a paragraph or passage in a little bit. For now, let’s take a look at another example, this time from prose fiction. This paragraph is excerpted from the short story â€Å"Writer’s Block† by Laura Staffaroni ( ©2009 Laura Staffaroni). This story was written as an assignment for a Creative Writing class. Emma gave her friend a glare that conveyed both her disbelief and annoyance. Really, sometimes Rachel could be a bit melodramatic, as shown by, oh, EVERYTHING she had just said and done. If anyone had trouble writing, it was her, Emma. When given a prompt, Rachel’s pen would start racing back and forth across the page like a ping-pong ball on a string, going to the right right right AND back to the left, where the metaphorical paddle awaited. Meanwhile, Emma would be sitting with her pen pushed into the paper, hoping for a few sentences or paragraphs in half an hour. It just didn’t seem fair. Now Rachel was worried about writing? It was probably a ploy, some kind of act she was putting on, so that when she ended up producing a three-page story in the space of fifteen minutes everyone would feel especially awed. What’s the main point, or primary focus, of this paragraph? If you go with â€Å"theme,† your answer might be along the lines of â€Å"jealousy,† or â€Å"writing.† Again, this is not specific enough to be correct. The answer to the question "What's the main point of this paragraph?" should be able to give a person who hasn’t read the paragraph a good idea of what goes on in it, not just what it’s about. So what’s the focus of this paragraph? Again, that can be answered with just a short statement: Emma’s jealousy of Rachel’s ability to write a lot quickly. What about the main point? The main point is that Emma is jealous of Rachel's ability to write a lot quickly. 1961 Triumph TR3A by The Car Spy, used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Cropped from original. Type 2: Perspective Questions Rather than asking about â€Å"what happened†, perspective questions ask â€Å"what is the perspective, attitude, or point of view of the [person, narrator, author], shown in this [paragraph, series of paragraphs, passage]?† These questions are a little different from main point questions (and occur less frequently than main point questions), but since answering them requires you to synthesize large amounts of information down into one central point, perspective questions are still big picture questions. It's a subtle distinction, but it is important to make a note of whether a question is a main point or perspective question, particularly if it is asking about a paragraph, rather than the whole passage. Why? Because it's entirely possible that a single paragraph is from a particular character/person's point of view, and that person's opinion may differ from the objective reality presented in the rest of the passage. Identifying Perspective Questions Here are a couple examples of how a perspective question might be phrased on the SAT: "The passage is written from the point of view of..." "Based on the passage, which of the following statements best describes the overall attitude of the narrator?" Perspective Questions: Examples Let’s use the example of my paper on Portal again. This paragraph is excerpted from the paper â€Å"‘This was a triumph:’ Narrative and dynamic uses of music in Portal† by Laura Staffaroni ( ©2013 by Laura Staffaroni). This paper was written as the final assignment for a Research and Materials class. In general, because Portal is a puzzle game, it might be expected to lack a strong narrative; this, however, is not the case. While the gameplay is focused on the solving each level’s puzzle, you are also provided with tantalizing bits of story in the form of dialogue spoken to you by GLADoS, the AI directing the â€Å"tests.† Bits of the story are revealed over the course of the game in this way, picking up with the introduction of secret rooms with writing on the walls and the adorable but deadly turrets. Question: â€Å"The passage is written from the point of view of...† Correct answer: This passage is written from the point of view of†¦a dispassionate narrator describing a component of Portal’s gameplay. True. The narrator doesn't appear to have particularly strong feelings about Portal, and the excerpt describes an aspect of the gameplay (that you get bits of story through dialogue). Incorrect answer: This passage is written from the point of view of†¦GLADoS, the AI. No. The passage mentions GLADoS, but isn’t written from her POV. Incorrect answer: This passage is written from the point of view of†¦a narrator unhappy that Portal is different from all other puzzle games. No. The narrator mentions that Portal is a puzzle game, but doesn’t mention that it is different from all other puzzle games, nor does the narrator seem unhappy about this. Here's a prose fiction example, again using the passage from before: This paragraph is excerpted from the short story â€Å"Writer’s Block† by Laura Staffaroni ( ©2009 Laura Staffaroni). This story was written as an assignment for a Creative Writing class. Emma gave her friend a glare that conveyed both her disbelief and annoyance. Really, sometimes Rachel could be a bit melodramatic, as shown by, oh, EVERYTHING she had just said and done. If anyone had trouble writing, it was her, Emma. When given a prompt, Rachel’s pen would start racing back and forth across the page like a ping-pong ball on a string, going to the right right right AND back to the left, where the metaphorical paddle awaited. Meanwhile, Emma would be sitting with her pen pushed into the paper, hoping for a few sentences or paragraphs in half an hour. It just didn’t seem fair. Now Rachel was worried about writing? It was probably a ploy, some kind of act she was putting on, so that when she ended up producing a three-page story in the space of fifteen minutes everyone would feel especially awed. Question: â€Å"Based on the passage, which of the following statements best describes the overall attitudes of Rachel and Emma?† Correct answer: Emma does not believe Rachel’s anxiety is real. True: Emma thinks that Rachel's worrying about writing is an an "act [Rachel is] "putting on", which means it is not a real emotion. Incorrect answer: Rachel likes writing, while Emma doesn’t. Possibly true, but not directly supported by anything in the paragraph. Incorrect answer: Rachel is manic and exuberant, while Emma is depressed and calm. Again, maybe true, but not apparent from this paragraph alone. Warning: Main Point and Perspective ≠  Function Warning by Stefano Brivio, used under CC BY 2.0. Main point and perspective questions are different from function questions. Instead of asking "what's the point," function questions usually ask "what does this [line, sentence, paragraph] DO?" Rather than asking "What is the perspective from which the author is arguing her point?" (a perspective question), you'll be asked questions about the author’s purpose: â€Å"why is the author writing this?† Example: "The main idea of the first paragraph is..." You can translate this to "What does this paragraph say,† a main point question. Compare to: "Which of the following best describes the way the fifth paragraph (lines 48–54) functions in the passage as a whole?" You can translate this to "What does this paragraph do," a function question. On the other hand, sometimes main point questions can masquerade as function questions. Take this example (1): "1. In terms of the passage as a whole, one of the main functions of the third paragraph (lines 13-19) is to suggest that... A. ER’ s successes in various professional pursuits helped prepare her to take action in the political world.B. ER had avoided the political spotlight in her personal pursuits.C. ER had competing and conflicting interests during her first year as first lady.D. while ER had many personal accomplishments, little could have prepared her for life as the first lady." Even though the question has the word "function" in its wording, it is actually asking about the main idea of the paragraph. How can you tell? Compare the above question to a similarly-worded function question (2): "2. The function of the first paragraph in relation to the passage as a whole is to: A. orient the reader to the subject of longitude by explaining how longitude is determined at sea.B. explain the political significance of developing an accurate way of determining longitude.C. establish that longitude calculations are necessary to determine time in two different places at once. D. introduce a discussion of how knowledge of Earth’s position relative to the Sun was gained in the process of advances in timekeeping. " The difference is in both the wording of the question and in the answer choices presented. If you reduce the questions down to their basic strucutre, example 1 asks "what does this paragraph SUGGEST (what does this paragraph say)?" By contrast, example 2 asks "What is this paragraph's FUNCTION (what does this paragraph DO)?" The answer choices are also telling: function questions often have answer choices in the form of "verb a noun" (in this case, "orient the reader," "explain the political significance," "establish that longitude calculations are necessary," and "introduce a discussion"). Main point questions, on the other hand, have answer choices that answer the question "what's the point?" For more on the distinction between big picture and function questions, check back soon for my ACT Reading function questions article. Now that you know what big picture questions are, though, how do you go about answering them? Strategies For Answering Big Picture Questions The strategy you use to answer big picture questions depends on how you read the passage. If you have enough time to read each passage in full and answer questions afterwards without feeling rushed, then you should be trying to figure out the main point and author perspective as you read. You can do a quick check to see if there will be any questions about it first, but even if there aren’t any questions that directly ask you about the main point, it can be helpful in answering other questions (more on that later). If you read the questions first, you may be able to get a sense of what the big picture is just by the questions asked. If you skim the passage, then attack questions, you should focus on just the key information the first time through But how do you know what the key information is? Read on to find out! Check The Introduction and Conclusion For questions about non-Prose Fiction/Literary Narrative passages, chances are that if the author’s done a good job, the main point and perspective should be clear in the conclusion, if not the introduction as well. This can, of course, be true for Prose Fiction/Literary Narrative passages as well, but since it isn’t as essential to the construction of a successful piece of prose fiction or literary narrative, an author won't always structure her writing that way. When finding the main point of a single paragraph, on the other hand, this rule gets a little fuzzy. Sometimes there will be direction-changing words in the middle of the paragraph that are essential to understanding the main point - words you might miss if you only focus on the introduction and conclusion sentences. Last sentences also often try to take the argument a step beyond what has been discussed in the article, placing it in a broader context. Still, the introduction and conclusion can be helpful as places to start. If the introduction and conclusion seem to contradict each other, that is a clear sign that you need to dig deeper into the passage/paragraph to find the main point. Use Key Words It makes intuitive sense that you’d want to note where the author says things like â€Å"important† or â€Å"significant† – those things probably are important (or even significant). You can also uncover key information, however, by paying attention to words and phrases that signal changes of direction, like â€Å"in contrast,† â€Å"while,† â€Å"however,† and so on; because the information associated with these words contrasts with what came before, it often is important. Key words can help you get to the meat of the issue by helping you avoid the trap of just reading the first sentence of a paragraph and assuming that is what it will be about. Let's take yet another look at my Portal paper for an example of this. In general, because Portal is a puzzle game, it might be expected to lack a strong narrative; this, however, is not the case. While the gameplay is focused on the solving each level’s puzzle, you are also provided with tantalizing bits of story in the form of dialogue spoken to you by GLADoS, the AI directing the â€Å"tests.† Bits of the story are revealed over the course of the game in this way, picking up with the introduction of secret rooms with writing on the walls and the adorable but deadly turrets. The beginning sentence of this paragraph basically says that Portal doesn’t have a strong narrative. The â€Å"however† later on in that same sentence should catch your eye....however, as should the following sentence that starts with â€Å"While†, because they indicate that something in contrast to the opening statement is being presented. Don't ever abandon a paragraph without double-checking for contrast words.  ©2013 Laura Staffaroni. Answer In Your Own Words If you come across a question that asks you a big picture question, try to formulate the answer using your own words before you look at the test's answer choices, relying only on what you read in the passage or paragraph, not on things that COULD BE true but aren’t supported. Then, when you go to look at the answer choices, see which one best matches the answer you came up with in your own words. If you use this strategy, however, you have to be careful not to oversimplify when you answer the question in your own words. Remember, the central argument is the specific point the author is making, not a general topic or theme. Use as few words as possible to write down your version of the answer – after all, you don’t want to waste too much time on something that won’t be graded – while still being precise. It can be a tough balance to maintain at first, but practice makes it easier. Putting Strategies To Use: A Final Big Picture Example Let’s end by taking a look at the conclusion paragraph of my Portal paper and seeing if we can extract the main point from it, using some of the strategies I mentioned above. This paragraph is the conclusion of the paper â€Å"‘This was a triumph:’ Narrative and dynamic uses of music in Portal† by Laura Staffaroni ( ©2013 by Laura Staffaroni). The paper was written as the final assignment for a Research and Materials class. Overall, the music of Portal tends to fit more within a narrative framework than it does the ideal of interactivity. The use of an ambient musical soundtrack, silences, musical dialogue, non-ambient music for dramatic effect and underscoring of characters’ psychological states, and thematic music for narrative continuity and as a way to transition in and out of the game world all serve narrative purposes. Yet, like many other current game music composers, the composers of Portal created a paradigm wherein â€Å"the music and sound effects are responding to the needs of the game and the gameplayer† by creating tracks like â€Å"Procedural Jiggle Bone† that are able both to loop back into themselves and to move on to other tracks without a problem. This dichotomy confirms that the best way to analyze the music in Portal is not by applying any one analytical schema to it, but instead to assess what the most important elements of the game are and decide from there wh at methods of analysis are most appropriate. Perhaps the way music functions in Portal is best summed up by Whalen’s description of how music should function in general when it comes to digital games: â€Å"By simultaneously enriching the worlds of video games and assisting the player’s navigating the syntagmatic structure of video games, music is essential to the semantic operations of a video game as an interactive story.† If the music in Portal did not both provide narrative structure and respond to each player’s interaction with the game, it would not have been nearly as engaging and successful a game. Whew, that’s a lot of words. Where should I start if I want to figure out the main point of the paragraph? Step 1: check out intro and conclusion sentences: Intro: â€Å"Overall, the music of Portal tends to fit more within a narrative framework than it does the ideal of interactivity.† Conclusion: â€Å"If the music in Portal did not both provide narrative structure and respond to each player’s interaction with the game, it would not have been nearly as engaging and successful a game.]† Do these sentences support each other or contradict each other? My thinking: First sentence says music in Portal fits better with narrative framework than interactivity (whatever I meant by that); last sentence says music in Portal has both narrative structure and interaction parts. Hmm. Better go deeper to double check. Step 2: Look for direction words. Here's a sentence that begins with "yet," a direction word: â€Å"Yet, like many other current game music composers, the composers of Portal created a paradigm wherein â€Å"the music and sound effects are responding to the needs of the game and the gameplayer† by creating tracks like â€Å"Procedural Jiggle Bone† that are able both to loop back into themselves and to move on to other tracks without a problem.† Yikes. This is saying that the composers for Portal’s music did†¦something†¦to make music that could loop and also go on to other tracks. This is sort of contradicting the opening sentence (responding to the needs of the game is interactive, but the opening sentence says the game isn’t interactive). Also, that seems way too detailed to be a main point. Are there any other direction words? Aha, next sentence! "but instead": â€Å"This dichotomy confirms that the best way to analyze the music in Portal is not by applying any one analytical schema to it, but instead to assess what the most important elements of the game are and decide from there what methods of analysis are most appropriate.† [bolding mine] This says you shouldn’t just analyze Portal in one way, which seems to support the conclusion sentence. Good sign. Step 3: Answer in your own words. My thoughts: Main point is that music in Portal is used in both narrative and interactive ways (can’t just go with one or the other). Time to look at the actual answer choices... The main idea of the last paragraph is that the music in Portal: A. was a key factor in the game’s success B. occurs as a way of maintaining narrative continuity C. can be analyzed from a narrative or interactivity perspective D. results entirely from interactions between player and game My thoughts: A: could be true, but not really what this paragraph is about B: true, but that’s not the main idea C: true, and that’s close to how I phrased the main idea D: no, that’s entirely wrong. So the answer must be C. (and so it is) August 25th "The Big Picture We've Done It_I'm a World Record Holder!" by Amanda Slater, used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Cropped from original. In Conclusion... Big picture questions require being able to scan a text and sum up â€Å"what’s the point.† Knowing the main point or perspective of a paragraph, series of paragraphs, or passage can be useful for answering other types of questions, especially function and author technique questions; on occasion, knowing the main point/perspective can also be helpful for little picture, vocab-in-context, and inference questions as well. No matter how you approach the passage, use the strategies of checking intro/conclusion, looking for key words, and coming up with the main point in your own words to help you answer main point and perspective questions. What’s Next? Are these strategies fine in theory...but in real life, you always run out of time when reading (especially on the ACT)? Discover how to avoid that terrible fate here. Want more in depth guides like this? Check out our articles on other ACT Reading skills types, starting with vocab-in-context questions! What are the other types of questions you’ll find on the ACT Reading, and what’s the best way to read the passage to answer them? We have ways of making you...read the passage effectively. Find out what's actually tested on ACT Reading here. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Reading lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Discuss the internet in terms of the concept of the public sphere Research Paper

Discuss the internet in terms of the concept of the public sphere - Research Paper Example Specifically the theory of Habermas with regards to public sphere is no longer applicable in online public sphere. For this reason, this study highly recommends the need to modify Habermas’ theory on online public sphere. Table of Contents Executive Summary †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 Table of Contents †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 1. Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4 2. Literature Review †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 2.1 General Information about Public Sphere †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦ 5 2.2 Herbamas Theory in Public Sphere †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦... 6 2.3 Differences between the Use of the Internet and Traditional Mass Media †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.... 9 2.4 Significance of the Internet within the Context of Public Sphere †¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 12 2.4.1 Main Actors in Online Public Sphere †¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ... 18 References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 20 - 25 1. Introduction In relation to globalization, the use of the Internet together with a widerange of different social networking tools and other digital gadgets plays a significant role in today’s communication (Khan et al., 2011). In line with this, a lot of private and state-owned companies today are using their own websites, e-mail, and chat rooms to facilitate communication between and amongst the group of business people, customers, and employees (James, 2008). Likewise, the same communication platform is currently being used by the government sector for political communication and persuasion as well as online campaign purposes (Hepburn, 2012; Ameripour, Nicholson and Newman, 2010; Robertson, Vatrapu and Medina, 2010; Wattal et al., 2010) , public libraries which aim to promote community learning purposes (Jaeger et al., 2011; Nawaz et al., 2011), educational institutions for online academic teaching and learning purposes (Greenhow, Robelia and Hughes, 2009), and religious sectors that aim to educate people about the importance of renewing their religious faith (Dinham and Jones, 2012). The main purpose of this study is to explore and analyse the significance of the Internet within the concept of public sphere. In general, the public sphere is referring to a medium where people can freely observe and communicate a wide-range of social issues as well as political and economic concerns (Gerhards and Schafer, 2009). Because of the role of the Internet in today’s modern mode of communication, it is necessary to closely examine how the use of the Internet has significantly affects the traditional context of public sphere. The target readers of

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Health policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

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Health policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

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Advanced entrepreneurship - intrapreneurship & entrepreneurship Essay

Advanced entrepreneurship - intrapreneurship & entrepreneurship - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to launch an innovative new product in its industry through intrapreneurship describing the strategies employed, factors considered and challenges one would have likely faced in the process. The second part of the paper also explores how different the approach would have been and the changes in the marketing environment if the product had been introduced into the market by way of entrepreneurship. The main purpose of the activity is to shed light on the difference between intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship in a practical setting. Research for this paper has been conducted chiefly from the internet as well as some available course material and the strategies detailed in the same have been compiled based on real case studies as well as the theory studied during the course. Part 1: Product Idea Product The product chosen for the purpose of this activity is a P2P (peer to peer software) file transfer client similar to the ‘Torrent’ clients enc ountered today with modification that it is used exclusively for the exchange of licensed audio and video files. There is currently no player in the industry that offers original DVD videos of movies and series recently out of cinemas licensed by the proprietor for free. Piracy through other P2P clients poses a high risk to the (downloader and the distributor of such illegal media) being prosecuted by the EFA when discovered and also causes considerable losses to the industry. The innovation in the product lies in the fact that a good quality print of the media is available for free to any user, which negates the requirement for piracy. The revenue losses incurred by the proprietor of the media (in DVD sales) can be recovered through placement of advertisements in the media.1 Introduction into the Market The approach selected to introduce this new product (dubbed VideoGenie) into the market is Intrapreneurship. Developing software of this caliber as well as maintaining a team that c an service clients and develop business, coordinate licensing deals, insert advertisements into videos, maintain servers for downloaders and publicize the product would require a huge infusion of capital. Despite that, there is no guarantee of the product becoming profitable in the first year after its launch. Therefore, it seems more sensible to find a company to fund its development and launch and bear the losses rather than invest one’s own money into it. To decide how the product is introduced into the market, one has to consider the demographic and psychographic profile of the target group / audience. Target Audience Demographic Profile Since the medium for distribution of the product chosen is the internet, there are no geographic constraints. The age group of the target audience will range from 16 to 45 years as the target audience needs to comprise cinema / series/ sitcom enthusiasts who are savvy enough to use the internet for downloading these files. There is no bar rier relevant to the occupation, marital status or gender of the target group. Psychographic Profile The customer targeted by this product includes cinema/ series buffs and a patron of any form of entertainment that is currently sold on DVD (and is plagued by piracy). The customer should be internet savvy, have an internet connection that allows frequent and heavy downloads and intent on saving money (i.e. reluctant to spend on purchasing the DVD). The customer should also be an opinion leader among his / her friends to increase word-of-mouth publicity of the product. The product also targets people who are averse to using pirated media and are afraid of legal action taken by intellectual proprietors for the same. The distribution of the software can best be done over the web. Since the software will be available for free and it provides licensed versions of videos that would otherwise be downloaded illegally, it makes most sense to distribute it

Stargirl loves Leo Essay Example for Free

Stargirl loves Leo Essay The Stargirl fad is now dying at Mica Area High. Leo Borlock, though always find much excitement and purpose in the company of Stargirl Caraway, was beginning to feel the sharp rub from the spillover of Stargirl’s shunning. After Leo received a good douse of love from Stargirl’s huge sign painted with â€Å"STARGIRL LOVES LEO† and, afterwards, abject rejection by his school, he begged Stargirl to change and be â€Å"normal†. This conformity gave birth to â€Å"Susan†, a girl who is everything but â€Å"Stargirl†. However, it was not enough. May brought the final days of Stargirl at Mica High until she disappeared the day after her most glorious night at the Ocotillo Ball. Her disappearance eventually forced Leo to reflect upon his life and found peace and contentment knowing that at least, someone was bold enough to love and care for him for who he was and will continue to do so even after it all. A celebration of the pure essence of nonconformity, the book draws readers to reflect on their own circumstances and find out which character are they unconsciously playing in reality—the individualistic and exotic â€Å"Stargirl†, the indecisive Leo, or one with the Mica Area High crowd who finds comfort in being just like everyone else. In the form of normal teen-age circumstances and decisions, the book effectively conveys its stand on the serious social issue of conformity. The mesh of light humor, drama and love that was meant for both the young and old, in the end, brings a resounding resolution to that certain point in our lives where we find ourselves pondering on how to discover our own purposes—do we seek it in our own terms or must we still care for another’s opinion? Certain instances during my reading process brought me to reflect deeply on some issues I have found that piqued my interest and some that left me with so many questions. This in turn made me realize that it would greatly help if I could have someone with me to whom I could disclose my insights and whose insights, in turn, would help compensate for the issues I failed to understand. This experience will help me learn from and acknowledge the opinions of my students as well when discussing lessons that warrant such rapport. Though, as a teacher, I would be personally responsible for the learning process of my students, I know that there would be instances where I would fail to maximize that responsibility if I do not recognize their ideas and insights as well. Bibliography Spinelli, J. (2000). Stargirl. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf.

Postponement in Manufacturing and Supply Chain

Postponement in Manufacturing and Supply Chain In general production process, many of the end products shares some common process and some of them in the initial stages. At some specific point in the process, specialized processes or components are used to customize the work-in-process, which was a common (generic) product up to that point in the process, into the different end-products. This point is referred as point of product differentiation. Postponement refers to redesigning the process to delay the point of differentiation. The point of differentiation may occur in two stages of supply chain, first it may occur in early stage which is referred as early level of postponement and in the other case it may occur in the late in the supply chain which is referred as late level of postponement. This concept had actually been mostly used in the logistics business (Shapiro and Haskett, 1985). Even consumer products industries started using this type of concepts in their process to improve their service for customers orders. In every scenario we need to follow a special strategy for effective results. In Manufacturing and distribution of products, we need to use the following structure, which describes the process in which product variety is proliferated. Lets go through the five important steps of a product in its supply chain: Manufacturing (2) Integration (3) Customization (4) Localization (5) Packaging Here these sequence of steps matches to most of the process flow in the industries. Manufacturing: This is the initial step where the core of the product is made. Usually small numbers of products or a single generic product are made at this stage. Integration: This is the step where all the main core products are assembled with the sub assemblies. For example in the case of computers, the body will be made in the manufacturing stage and it will be assembled with the Mother board and circuits in this integration stage. Customization: This stage refers to the further assembly of the product with different accessories to form distinct product choices. For example in the case of computers, this is the stage where they insert all the necessary I/O cards, install all necessary softwares and accessory boards constitute different end product options. Localization: Here all the products are localized to suit the local requirements of different regions or countries. For example different countries may have different power supply requirements and different languages for their manuals. We can imagine that each of the product options gets raised into more different end products for different places. Packaging: This step sounds meaningful only for the few products, those requires some special kind of packing. For example in the case of Computers, monitors need to be packed properly so that they dont damage when they are in transit. Here the below figure shows the product variety proliferation tree that branches out at various stages: Diag from pg 6 http://e3associates.com/files/Article%2520-%2520Designing%2520Products%2520and%2520Processes%2520for%2520Postponement.pdf In this context of product variety structure, postponement as a strategy to defer, it can be of two types: Time Postponement and Form Postponement. Time Postponement: This refers to delaying the various product differentiation tasks as late as possible. It is something like switching from Build-to-Stock to a Build-to- order mode (Zinn 1990).One more great advantage of this time postponement implementation is related to the geographical location in which the differentiating tasks are performed. Usually these tasks will be performed at manufacturing factory, Distribution centers or distribution channels and customer sites. Here the earliest level of postponement refers to the case, when all the tasks are performed at the manufacturing factory. And the latest level of postponement refers to those, where the tasks are performed at the customer sites. This strategy is usually helpful in the case where delivery or distribution of a product is delayed until customer demand is known. This allows inventory to be reduced as it reduces the necessity to maintain inventories or stocks at distribution centers. Lets go through some case, which can give a clear idea of this strategy being used. Whirlpool, washing machine manufacturer has implemented this strategy very effectively in their US operations (Waller, et al, 2000).By one of their market research, they have found that most of the consumers dont expect their order to be delivered immediately, as most of them will be ordering for their new houses, into which they cannot move immediately. So they redesigned their supply chain in such a way that the inventories in the department stores are kept to minimum and this delayed delivery until the orders have been received. This reduces the need for cross docking to a great extent and reduces inventory and transportation costs dramatically. In overall it improves customer service and decreases stock outs. Form Postponement: This strategy delays certain stages in manufacturing process of a product until a customers order has been received (Zinn and Bowersox, 1988). This mainly aims at standardizing the upstream stages to the maximum extent. Here they follow a different kind of manufacturing strategy. At first, parts or components that are common to more than a model are used to build a generic platform. Now these semi finished items will be shipped to separate markets and specific countries or items are added when a customer order is received. Most of the computer manufacturers use this strategy in their operations. Most of the components of a computer are relatively generic and common to many markets (e.g. casing, mouse, board), while other components restricted to certain markets (e.g. power supply, differs from one country to the other) (Aviv and Federgruen, 1999).Usually demand in few places may be stable, demand in specific places may be difficult to predict. Thus using Form postponement strategy, all the basic components of a computer are assembled at a central location. As these components have longer life cycle, compared to other components, the inventory risk is reduced at this stage. Then modules are sent to different markets and country specific or high value components are inserted, once the customer orders are received. Markets leader Dell is a classic example of this. By taking up a build to order (BTO) approach, the company started maintaining very low levels of inventory (Radstaak, 1998). This strategy allowed the company to improve their customer service, as their products can be customized on demand. Place Postponement: This strategy is used to redesign the location of process, in order to postpone the product differentiation. HP had used this strategy in their operations; in this case they put off their final assembling activities and made the final product at the distribution centre. This reduces the Inventory costs and response time to the customer. This strategy can be implemented in seven different ways. The first one focuses on delaying the differentiation tasks to downstream in the final processing and manufacturing.Zinn and Bowserox 1988(manufacturing, labeling, assembly, packaging) postponement, Lee and Billingtons(1994) time postponement, Lee and Tangs (1997) operations postponement, Lees (1998) Logistics postponement and van hoeks (1999) Place postponement all deals with the same strategy. Here are some places, where these strategies are implemented successfully. European computer manufacturer implemented this strategy; they started assembling all their personal computers in their local distribution centre to the response of customers order, instead of completing in the factory. Then their focus turned in delaying the downstream movement of goods which is discussed by time and place postponement. Logistics postponement discusses about the movement of goods, which is a delay in deployment of inventory. Rover car manufacturer had implemented this strategy, which centralized the inventory from all his dealers, so that he can respond to customers quickly. If a company does not start manufacturing or assembly before customers order is received then it is existed the highest possible level of postponement. On the other hand if company is able to meet customer requirement as close as end user then it is the lowest possible level of postponement where maximum flexibility is existed. Decoupling Point http://www3.unicatt.it/unicattolica/centriricerca/cersi/allegati/wp12009.pdf Applications of Postponement Inventory reduction Better forecast accuracy Logistics Cost reduction Improved Customer service levels Inventory Cost reduction More Variety Risk minimization Procurement cost reduction Transportation cost reduction Manufacturing and procurement cost reduction Challenges in Postponement Product Modularity Ability to quantify benefits Misperception with risks, costs, benefits and general lack of understanding Competing Interest Visibility into Supply Chain Change Management Which signifies Top-down support Ability to recognize Postponement Opportunity Fundamental changes to manufacturing and logistics processes Too costly to implement Complex to implement Consumes too much of management time Too difficult to align organizationally Critical Success Factors Business process reengineering Product design standardization Enabling supply chain technology Collaboration with Customers / Suppliers Organizational design and accountability Enabling collaborative internet technology Internal cross-functional collaboration Issues relating to Postponement Conclusion Case study: When we think of postponement and their advantages, Auto industry is the one which strikes the mind first for many reasons. Firstly a car can be described as a modular system of components. This shows that there is an opportunity for commonality by producing a platform and adding modular subassemblies customized according to the customers demand. Then secondly, individually customized vehicles have higher forecast variability. Since this case shows that there are too many varieties to be forecasted accurately of each combination, there is typically disagreement on the forecast within the different divisions of a company. Finally is high inventory holding costs. It is much riskier to hold a finished vehicle in the showroom floor than to hold a partly finished one waiting for final customization because of high forecast variability for end products and high obsolescence. General Motors (GM) offers over 600 million combinations, when different combinations are considered. Because of these many options, forecasting becomes very difficult. Excess inventory on the field is evidence of this. So they started to search for a way to create variety and mass customize beyond the idea of the platforms, GM looked at software configuration as a different way to use postponement. From software view, each of the systems in a vehicle can be considered as central processing unit (CPU) made up of several electronic control units (ECUs).At present they are using 30-35 ECUs per vehicle because software is becoming essential in automobiles for many reasons. Before postponement, GM faced many problems regarding product variety proliferation and higher inventory costs of storing ECUs for individual models. Usually these ECUs come to GM in finished form with all the softwares pre-loaded. And each of this is assigned to a specific vehicle but they all looked same from outsid e. Suppliers charged GM for custom software installation which not only raised the price but also resulted in problems with repair and maintenance. Then GM decided to assume the responsibility for software configurations and postpone the installations till the latest possible point in the assembly process. Foe this to be executed, GM had to redesign both assembly process and the ECU hardware. Then in mid 1990s they achieved to install the custom softwares for individual orders at the end of the assembly process. Now the ECUs come from suppliers to GM in a generic form. After realizing that even software can be postponed, they started looking for other systems that could be delayed until purchase. Now GM offers 99 % guarantee to deliver the vehicle within one day of the projected delivery day to a dealer closer to the customer. In a study done by GM to measure the benefits of postponement, they have projected inventory cost savings to be 10-15 percent and even maintenance cost saving s. . . Here GM has taken benefits of both outsourcing and postponement. All the subassemblies are outsourced to suppliers with the comparative advantage of expertise and quality. As auto industries go with predominately build-to-order manufacturing system, their suppliers need to commit to the increase demand for customized features instead of aggregate orders.

Free Essays - Holy Feast and Holy Fast and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight :: Sir Gawain Green Knight Essays

Forbidden Fruit in Holy Feast and Holy Fast and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight  Ã‚  Ã‚   The forbidden fruit, its properties, and its affects, has vast ramifications within the ethics of the women in Holy Feast and Holy Fast. as well as those of the characters portrayed in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 2. Perhaps the connection is less obvious with Gawain. It must be realized that this story contains multi-leveled metaphors which approach modern literature in their complexity. Argument will be made that Gawain betrays an isomorphism with Eden's tale. The author's attitude toward the fruit and perhaps toward fasting will become evident. Bynum's incisive argument has been extremely helpful in this analysis of Gawain; but, with respect to medieval women she has surprisingly little to say about Eve and the Tree. Although this neglect is regrettable, it is not fatal. This paper will tend to support the major theses of Holy Fast. The people described by these authors did not dwell inordinately on any essential weakness of women. It is hoped that this refocusing on the forbid den fruit will help us to see more clearly their perspectives. The isomorphism of Gawain with the story of Eden can be demonstrated only after the stage is set. It may be helpful to think of this isomorphism as a kind of image or reflection. This puts it squarely within the realm of neoplatonic forms. Medieval nobility, often well versed in neoplatonic thought, would be quick to point out that Arthur, the king is a lesser image of God and that his court is a reflection of the heavenly host. This assertion is not without textual support. Happiest of mortal kind King noblest famed of will You would now go far to find So hardy a host on a hill. (2) Presently, the Green Knight rides in. He mirrors Lucifer in God's court, and more; He is full of slander (7:315). He is described in titanic imagery (4:140, 9:390), which was commonly attributed to the anti-christ. The Round Table cannot abide this affront to the King so Gawain, with Guenevere's permission, steps in to intercede. Here Gawain is like Christ or Michael, going out to battle the dragon. He severs his head. Gawain is full of reversals and inversions. This is consistent with the neoplatonic model since Arthur's court is a lesser image. Later, we will present Bynum's views on this point.

Company Evaluation Essay

A: Evaluation: Company Q is a small grocery store chain working on being profitable in a large city. Company Q had a couple of stores that were not profitable and were in an area rated for higher crime, so they chose to close these two stores. The social responsibility choice by Company Q was abatement, choosing to remove the stores from the negative environment (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2008). Company Q has by request, been offering high margin items, specifically organic products which are considered a health conscious choice for customers concerned with the environment. These items have to be fresh and being perishable after being displayed for the day result in discarding or wasting by throwing the food away, which is of concern to the community. The community has a food bank which asked for donations of this organic food hoping to help those in need, but Company Q turned them down and showed no real interest in helping the community with the excuse for concern over possible fraud or empl oyees stealing the food that was claimed to be for donation. The social responsibility for helping those in need is being avoided by Company Q simply because they claim concern over fraud by employees. This choice by Company Q may give them a negative reputation for the community (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2008). Job seekers may not want to work for Company Q if they see it as not being socially responsible and the possibility of being stereotyped as a possible thief just because you work for Company Q. The employees may have lower morale because of the negative reputation and disgust towards management for the lack of trust as an excuse for being socially irresponsible towards those in need. This choice may also cause a drop in current shoppers and a choice by possible new shoppers to choose to shop elsewhere. Recommendations: 1. Regarding the stores that were closed in the higher crime rate section of the city due to loss in revenue, the employees and customers or primary stakeholders would be negatively affected. These individuals might not be able to find employment elsewhere and the customers may not be able to travel to another store to remain satisfied customers. This likely being  the case, Company Q has a social responsibility to improve this situation. They can reopen the stores, hire security employees, and install security cameras to discourage the theft problem. This will restore the positive attitude with the employees and customers. This will restore relations with the community and the suppliers. 2. Company Q by request has made a good choice to offer the health foods, though they are high margin products. However, the customers have been asking for years for healthy foods, so the responsibility of Company Q remains that they should sell much more in the health food line. They should choose to sell as much of the lower priced items in the health food line as possible. The community wants the healthy food and it is an important step for Company Q to care about the health of the community as well. Taking care of the community from a healthy standpoint is an important social responsibility that reaches out to the health and mental attitudes of all those who chose to take advantage of a healthy diet. The next step is to choose an ethical way to give back to the community as a social responsibility for the unsold perishable items. To relieve the concern of employee bad behavior, Company Q could draw up an agreement with the local food bank such that they would have to pick up the day-old products and sign a check sheet list of items that were accepted on the given day date. This would create accountability by the food bank personnel and eliminate the possibility for employee theft. It also would yield a positive attitude in the community for Company Q and possibly increase their bottom line making it attractive to shareholders. 3. Company Q has a responsibility to their employees to restore relations with them, as well. Company Q might explore the possibility of donating their time through volunteerism with employees who are willing to sign up for a given number of hours per week at the food bank. Therefore, Company Q would be showing their concern for the community and persons who are less fortunate. This will restore employee trust to know that they work for a company who is socially responsible by giving back to the community and employees would appreciate the opportunity to participate in a volunteer outreach to the food bank. These changes would improve the employee morale. This will get some recognition by the community and likely, some of the secondary stakeholders including media may want to air Company Q on TV relating the donation to the food bank of the day-old food and may film the  employees donating their time to the food bank. This could help Company Q with their interest in the community and shareholders by possibly making their stock go up and increase their sales in all of their stores. References Ferrell, O., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2008). An Overview of Business Ethics; Ethical Issues and The Institutionalization of Business Ethics. In O. Ferrell, J. Fraedrich, & L. Ferrell, Business Ethics Ethical Decision Making and Cases (pp. 4-85). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Philosophies & Democracy Essay

Democracy and capitalism gave way to concentration of wealth amongst a small group of people. Private entrepreneurship got a boost due to capitalism. Given this scenario, many private entrepreneurs rose to build their industrial empires. There are many examples, where, the starting point of a given business was zero, and it rose to become a leading international business house. Increase in business, resulted in exaggerated accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few, and that was the time, when these new class of rich entrepreneurs, gave a thought to the society, in which they have been operating, and which has supported their enterprise in its rise. Carnegie Melon, at the beginning of industrial revolution, and Bill Gates, at the end of the twentieth century, are two solid examples of business rise from zero to international giants. Both of them, spent their full life, in amassing wealth, and as they grew, they started framing corporate philosophies, which put society at the focus of their activities. While they applied the rule of ‘everything is fair in business’, they turned towards society at the fag end of their lives. Corporate philosophies, by and large have nothing new to say, except that they work for the society, and they care for their customers. All corporate philosophies are concentrated around these central themes, in different words and sentences. Often, it is proved that corporate philosophies are not as sweet as they sound. When it comes to business, these philosophies are sacrificed, partially or fully. Was only genuine software skill responsible for the stupendous rise of Bill Gates and Microsoft? Of course no. There is in fact, considerable shrewdness going into the rise of Microsoft. In fact, corporate houses, as they grow, turn their attention towards betterment of society, in one or the other way. There are numerous examples to prove this, in the time gap between Carnegie Melon and Bill Gates. However, they are targeted at multiplication of business. An average American fully understands the implications of these corporate philosophies, and their implied meanings. For example, when cyber attacks started assuming alarming proportions, Bill Gates ordered a change in their corporate philosophy. It implied change in the approach of all software development. Now, instead of adding new features to the software, the focus was to be laid on protection of the software, because, Bill Gates argued, â€Å"In the past, we’ve made our software and services more compelling for users by adding new features and functionality, and by making our platform richly extensible . . . but all those great features won’t matter unless customers trust our software,† wrote Gates. â€Å"So now, when we face a choice between adding features and resolving security issues, we need to choose security. † ( Trustworthy computing, para 2) â€Å"Some of Microsoft’s perennial critics claim the initiative is long overdue, and question whether or not Microsoft will follow through on its promises, as the company could be forced to bear a reduction in the number of new features in its programs and significant new product delays. Some go further in arguing that such a massive security initiative cannot be undertaken without subjecting the Windows operating system source code to public domain — something the company has fought hard to avoid†. Writes an observer, in his opinion. ( Trustworthy computing, Para 4) What is true of Microsoft , is perhaps true of other companies also. An average American is well aware of the status of the company, and its capacity to deliver the promised goods, and is also right in judging the ethical behavior of a company. Conclusively it can be said that despite the tall claims made by the corporate philosophies, the average American of the ins and outs of that firm. References: 1) Trustworthy computing, Security and privacy deemed Microsoft’s top priorities, retrieved on 5 May 2009 from :

Youth Tourism

2. 3 Youth Tourism Youth tourism has been identified as one of the largest segments of global tourism, and is also seen as having considerable potential for future growth as student numbers rise and youth affluence increases (Buhalis and Costa, 2006). To cater for younger surf tourists, a number of companies now offer surf safaris, generally a charter bus which travels along a mainland coastline stopping at well-known surf breaks, with accommodation typically in backpackers and similar establishments.As surfing becomes easier to learn, it seems likely that its popularity will continue to increase in future generations. In regards to marketing, specialist surf tour operators in the Indo-Pacific region for example, market principally through specialist surfing magazines, specialist surf travel agents, and directly via the internet. Some operate at only a single location, whereas others offer tours to a wide variety of different countries and destinations.Some surf lodges and surf chart er boats sell their products through many different agents, whereas others have exclusive agency agreements with particular agents in individual countries (Buckley, R. C 2000). According to Richards and Wilson (2003) growing travel participation by young people is being fuelled by a number of factors, including increased participation in higher education, falling levels of youth employment, and increased travel budgets through parental contribution, savings, and combining work and travel.The search for more exciting and unique experiences, combine with cheaper long-distance travel, has also pushed youth travel ever further towards the geographical margins of the travel industry. In 1995, the European Travel Commission published a study specifically dedicated to Europe’s youth travel market covering 26 countries. The study was commissioned in response to a perceived neglect of the market both by the travel industry and by government authorities.It concluded that the 15 to 26 a ge group took around 80 million trips and made 100 million border crossings per year, representing a fifth of all international trips and around a quarter of all holiday travel (Horak and Weber, 2000). In a study of outbound travel of German, British and French young people, the WTO (2002) stated that outbound youth tourism accounted for 17% of all international trips in these markets in 2000, concluding that more and more young people are travelling abroad on holiday, to visit friends and to tudy, as well as for business (Richards and Wilson, 2003) In a study carried out by Tourism Australia (2008) â€Å"Tourism Australia defines the youth segment as males and females, aged between 18 and 30 years†. They stated that the youth segment have information at their fingertips such as the use of technology, they are innovators of new products and trends and accepting of change (www. tourism. australia. com Accessed 18/02/2011).When resorts bring a large number of guests to a destin ation they become inverse factories, bringing customers to their product which has been pre-assembled and resourced for their enjoyment rather than shipping the product out to customers around the world. Saveriades (2000: 154) as citied in (Murphy 2008), notes in his survey of residents in Cypriot seaside resorts, that it has been widely accepted that there have been changes in the lifestyle, traditions, social behaviour, and moral standards, especially of the younger generation.One of the reasons residents make such correlations is that tourism is highly visible (Murphy, 2008). According to Hinch and Highman (2004) water sports such as swimming, surfing, water skiing, and diving hold strong appeal for the youth market. In Peru, more than 20. 000 surfers are visiting the country every year, to enjoy the best waves of the country. Surf tourists to the area come mainly from Australia, USA and Brazil. There are a lot of surf schools and a young surfboard manufacturing industry and ther e is a connection between water-based sports, surfing and the youth market (www. urfertoday. com Accessed 22/03/2011). According to the UK Coast guide, surfing is a popular water sport which is growing in the UK at a rapid rate. It is estimated that there are now around 250,000 surfers in the country and the sport appeals to all ages and both sexes, not just the young but also the grey market. There has been a particular increase in female surfers, in recent years and there is a growing band of professional female surfers who compete in competitions worldwide (www. ukcoastguide. co. uk Accessed 22/03/2011).