The Advancement of Technologies in the Communication Field Essay

The Advancement of Technologies in the Communication Field - Essay Example A good case study to commence with will be our chemical process design group project. Through it, the description of what project management and planning is is revealed. Before the commencement of our project week, the inception of this project week was planned prior to our meetings which were organised with minutes and agendas being recorded concurrently. I was tasked with the role of being a chair of the design project since I was eloquent and fluent. With this, I was deemed to allow full participation and leadership in the project altogether. In order to meet project deadlines and also our groundwork, we used Gantt charts as well as some Microsoft programs. However, the major setback was the individual performances of project/group members in the assigned tasks. It was duly noted that the persona of each member played a critical role in project completion since some members were more involved than others. The result of this was a failure in the first part of the design project. Wi th this, I examined each member’s advantage and disadvantage, including myself, by requesting them to come up with a SWOT analysis of themselves. This assisted me to adopt dissimilar management as well as leadership techniques for individual members. As a result, the majority of inactive members became more involved with the second part of the design strategy, and we successively achieved a positive result. In order to solve and analyse a situation at hand, it is a necessity to embrace teamwork. This will ensure a more positive end result.

Luxury Brands Essay Example for Free

Luxury Brands Essay Luxury Brands: What Are They Doing About Social Responsibility? David S. Waller, Marketing Discipline Group, University of Technology Sydney Anurag G. Hingorani, Marketing Discipline Group, University of Technology Sydney Abstract Although luxury goods may be synonymous with extravagance, lavishness, and even waste, it may appear to be a contradiction that a number of companies that manufacture and sell luxury brands have also discovered the value of being socially responsible. With growing criticism of the high costs and exploitation in the manufacture of luxury goods, some companies are increasing the extent to which corporate social responsibility and sustainability issues feature in their business practices. This paper will look at the issues regarding luxury brands and social responsibility, and will focus on LVMH Moà «t Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world‟s largest luxury goods conglomerate. Introduction Despite the recent global financial crisis and continuing economic troubles worldwide, sales of luxury brands are growing. According to the Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study, luxury spending in 2011 rose 8% to â‚ ¬185 billion ($US274 billion) in 2011, with growth in the US, Europe and China, which was after a fall in sales in 2008 and 2009 (Holmes 2011). Brand names like Chanel, Yves St Laurent, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany Co. have become household names and brands that some people aspire to purchase and wear. However, luxury brands have also been often criticised for being extravagant, overpriced, exploiting third world suppliers, and wasteful when many people are struggling financially. As luxury brands promote themselves to the global audience, some companies are increasing the extent to which corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability issues feature in their business practices. This paper will explore the issues related to luxury brands and social responsibility, with a particular focus on LVMH Moà «t Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world‟s largest luxury goods conglomerate which includes internationally recognised brands such as Christian Dior, TAG Heuer, Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Guerlain, Kenzo and Givenchy. A content analysis of the 2010 Annual report will reveal the CSR initiatives/activities undertaken by LVMH and some implications for CSR disclosure will be discussed. Background Since some embarrassing corporate ethical and financial disasters, many organisations are taking steps to improve their corporate governance, ethical practice and CSR activities (Agrawal and Chadha, 2005; Margolis and Walsh, 2001). There has been particular interest in CSR, in which there is a â€Å"concern for the impact of all of the corporations activities on the total welfare of society† (Bowman and Haire, 1976, p. 13). CSR activities and disclosure have increased with organisations identifying different types of CSR initiatives that they undertake, including those that relate to work output, HR activities, social/community commitment, and environmental initiatives (Gray, Owen and Maunders, 1987; Luo and Bhattacharya, 2006; Waller 2009; Waller and Lanis, 2009). These CSR activities can help promote a specific image that management would like to portray to its various stakeholders, and counter criticism for other issues that may affect the company. The luxury industry thrives on the creation of an image and the communication of brandassociations. This contributes to the interest in luxury brands by many consumers who might want to portray a particular image or feel a certain way by acquiring and consuming luxury goods and services. Not only consumers but also academic and industry researchers are  interested in luxury brands (Bendell and Kleanthous 2007; Fionda and Moore 2009; Kapferer and Bastien 2009; Phau and Prendergast 2000). Most consumers prefer to purchase a wellknown, reputable brand over a cheaper, unknown brand, especially when making highinvolvement purchases, or products that reflect a buyer‟s personality. Luxury provides selfexpression which reflects class, status, and quality. However, at a time when there is increasing unemployment, economic troubles around the world, and a downturn in sales, there is a concern that a luxury brand is elitist and uncaring for the wider community. In 2007, the WWF-UK measured 10 luxury brands on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance – and the brands did not fair well (Bendell and Kleanthous 2007). In relation to the marketing of luxury brands in a world of rich and poor, the report states: â€Å"Luxury brands are experiencing rapid expansion in societies that contain both very rich and very poor people. Such societies can view displays of conspicuous consumption as a threat to social cohesion. This is true, for example, in China, where the authorities in Beijing have banned the use of billboards to advertise luxury products and services. In this context, the credibility of luxury products and services will be derived from their ability to generate wellbeing, not only for consumers, but also for those involved in (or affected by) their production, use, reuse and disposal.† The report ranked the top 10 largest luxury goods companies on an environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance ranking. This was based on: (1) what the companies report to the community; and (2) what media and non-governmental organisations have said about the companies. The companies were given a score out of 100, and graded from A (the best) to F (the worst). Out of the 10 companies, none were graded more than a C+ with LOreal topping the ranking, followed by Hermà ¨s and Louis Vuitton. By being more proactive in their civic responsibilities and keeping within government regulations in their business operations, an organisation can build a reputation as a good corporate citizen. Some CSR activities that luxury brands can undertake include eco-friendly ingredient sourcing, fair pricing, eco-manufacture, and efficient non-wasteful distribution, as well as corporate sponsorship. This study will examine the CSR activities run by LVMH Moà «t Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world‟s largest luxury goods conglomerate, via a content analysis of the LVMH 2010 Annual Report. The main company information about LVMH is found in Table 1. Table 1: LVMH Moà «t Hennessy Louis Vuitton Company Information Luxury goods, retail Industry Founded Headquarters Products Brands 1987 Paris, France Clothing, cosmetics, fashion accessories, jewellery, perfumes, spirits, watches and wines Includes: Moà «t et Chandon, Hennessy, Glenmorangie, Fendi, Donna Karan, Givenchy, Kenzo, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Parfums Christian Dior, Guerlain, Bulgari, TAG Heuer, Zenith, Hublot, DFS, Le Bon Marchà © â‚ ¬20.32 billion â‚ ¬3.032 billion 83,540 Methodology Organisations can communicate their CSR information through a variety of sources such as advertising, annual reports, public relations and their websites. In this study, the annual report was analysed as this is the only document produced regularly to comply with regulatory requirements and is central to the organisation‟s own image (Gray, Kouhy and Lavers 1995). After finding the LVMH 2010 annual report online from the company website (www.lvmh.com), a search was made for a social responsibility section in the report.

The Pros and Cons of Technology Essay examples -- Term Papers Research

The Pros and Cons of Technology As far back as I can remember my family and I have taken advantage of technology. The types of technology have changed over the years, along with our usage and dependence on it. Technology is a fundamental part of our lifestyle, including both work and play. What is interesting is that we also have many friends who use very little technology in their day-to-day living. This drastic difference makes one wonder how necessary the technology really is, and whether or not our dependence on it is healthy in the long run. It is really easy to just get caught up in using technology without thinking about the pros and cons. I was born in the 80’s, so technology as, I know it, was beginning to take aim at the mainstream United States and the world. I grew up in an era of change, whether or not this change is good is yet to be determined. When I talk about technology I am making reference to computers, automation, and most â€Å"new age† technology. My first exposure to computers was at my dad’s lab at the University of Michigan Dearborn. The computer was ancient by today’s standards, but at the time it was a marvel of technological triumph. When I was five we bought a home personal computer (pc) for my mother to write papers and utilize the Internet. I became increasingly fascinated with the possibilities the computer brought be and I was hooked. In school we had little Apple 2Es that only worked when they wanted to but we still used them every day. My mother had a large influence on my relationship with technology. First of all, she felt strongly enough to ban video games and most television shows the first ten years of my life. I started to test educational software for children when I was five because my... ...r, not batteries, because we were out in the woods for weeks on end. I settled on a small solar panel that could accommodate the digital device. The problem was that it didn’t work reliably, so just the use of the camera alone ate up my time that could have been better spent. Progress? I think not. Now, as I bash technology for some of its downfalls, I am still reminded about its benefits for medicine, and transportation. Isn’t that kind of progress beneficial for our civilization? Again the answer is, well, yes and no. Sure, we can get from point A to point B faster, but we pollute the environment and rely heavily on nonrenewable resources, which we can’t afford in the long run. I foresee my generation having to confront this. I see myself using new technologies, but, like Gomez-Pena, continuing to maintain balance, and staying grounded in a less â€Å"virtual† world.

Why People Commit Murder

What Triggers People to Commit Murder? Alicyn Nitsch Criminology April 17, 2013 Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide. (Wikipedia) In most countries, a person convicted of murder is typically given a long prison sentence, possibly a life sentence where permitted, and in some countries, the death penalty may be imposed for such an act. (Wikipedia) Murder has been a common crime in the United States and it has taken a lot of influence for kids and teens.  Control Key and Word – Text and Graphics.The rate of killings in the U. S. involving five or more victims — one generally accepted definition of a mass killing — represented less than 1% of all homicides 25 years ago, and still does today. (Kluger,Jeffery)Though it is difficult to have a control on such factors but a little attention of parents on their children can minimize growth of criminal nature in their kids. Education is another criterion of prevention of such criminal activities. Education makes a person to distinguish between right and wrong and makes him stable and balanced.He is thus able to withstand any kind of circumstances and develops a potential to overcome any situation. (Shipali, Sharma) Murders are committed for many different reasons. One major reason people commit murder is due to anger. People are often confronted with feelings of disappointment, frustration and anger as they interact with government officials, co-workers, family and even fellow commuters. (Greeneimer, Larry) In Anger, a person often tends to lose his senses. He loses the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. Also, the rush of adrenaline makes him to commit crime.What turns anger into action is self-control. Watching a movie showing violent acts predisposes us to act violently. Even just listening to violent rhetoric makes people more inclined to be violent. Iron ically, the same mirror neurons that make people empathic make them very vulnerable to all sorts of influences. Indeed, after many years of studies on mirror neurons and their functioning, scientists are shifting their lab research to the study of the control mechanisms in the brain for mirror neurons. The key issue is the balance of power between these control echanisms are called top-down—because they are all like executives that control from the top down to the employees—and bottom-up mechanisms, in the opposite direction, like mirror neurons. This anger could turn into something deadly such as revenge. Revenge can make a person to commit crime. When a person is not able to take revenge by direct means then he adopts indirect and unlawful means to punish his enemy. Peer influence and poor parenting skills are the reasons for easily giving up the path of honesty and truth. Signs that a person is disturbed enough to take action are quite visible.When it does happen, t he people likeliest to commit the crime fall into a drearily predictable group. They're 95% male, and 98% are black or white — not a big surprise since more than 87% of the population is made up of those two races. action itself is a sign, a desperate form of communication from a disturbed individual. Connecting with the subject, that person may have rethought some of the activity of mirror neurons toward a truly empathic behavior, rather than in the service of the deranged imitative violence leading to action. The violence shown in Televisions is also highly responsible in negatively affecting one’s mind.Kids and teenagers generally try to mimic the stunts and the violence acts shown in the TV. The violent games of video games and computer games are very famous among kids and teens. Such games and scenes shatter their innocent brain and are responsible for making them aggressive and violent. Another key note in why people commit murder is due to mental health and past experiences. According to neuropsychologist Jonathan Reed; 49. 4% had a developmental disorder in childhood, 87% had a brain injury, 85% had a history of substance abuse, 45% had a psychiatric history and 35% have had a history of abuse in childhood.Exactly what is going on in their heads can never be known and the neuropsychological factors don’t explain the trigger or situation in which the murder took place. However, it is clear that there are neurological and neurodevelopmental factors going on here, and given what we know about these in childhood and from case studies, it is unclear how much control such individuals have in a given situation. (Reed, Jonathan) So many of these people’s problems seem to stem from experiences and events in their childhoods. People are not criminals by birth.Their circumstances, needs and their upbringing make them criminals. Another big factor that criminals are brought up by is poverty. Poverty is one of the main factors for commit ting a crime. When a person is helpless with no money in hand and a huge family to support then in such cases his circumstances forces him to take up the gun in his hand. There are many terrorist associations that hire such needy people for little money and use them in their criminal acts like murders, bomb explosions, kidnapping etc. Unemployment, which is another cause of poverty, is the main cause of aggression in today’s youth.Lack of job opportunities misleads the youth to take up this direction and earn money in this way. (Shipali, Sharma) The Greed of possessing materialistic things and the intense desire to have a luxurious life by any possible means leads a person to follow this track of crime. It is a human desire to lead his life luxuriously which is sometimes not possible in the little income of a person. (Shipali, Sharma) For this reason some people look up for easy and fast methods of gaining cash and they do not even hesitate to take up the life of some other i nnocent person. It’s greed that completely weighs over their judgment.

One Art Essay

A villanelle poem is a nineteen line poem that consists of five, three-line stanza followed by a quatrain. Bishop’s poem brings a fascinating irony between different levels of losses. Between each stanza, the development of trivial losses escalates into a bigger and traumatic loss that was unprepared for. An intense repetition of the phrase â€Å"the art of losing isn’t hard to master† suggests a few given things (Bishop 1499). She attempts to bring out the fact that â€Å"losing† is a type of skill that you can gain by overcoming. Therefore, by mastering it, you have the ultimate control. Throughout the poem, the phrase â€Å"art of losing† has been used to emphasize the speaker’s effect on how â€Å"it isn’t hard to master,† which suggests â€Å" that the speaker is trying to convince herself that losing things is not hard and she should not worry† (â€Å"Essay Interpreting â€Å"one Art† By Elizabeth Bishop† Page 1 of 2). In fact, the â€Å"art of losing† takes an increasingly significant role all throughout the poem. Each stanza represents what she loss and the level of the loss. †Language and verse form show in â€Å"One Art† how the losses increase in importance as the poem progresses, with the losses in lines 1-15 being mostly trivial or not very important to the great loss in lines 16-19 or a beloved person† (Page 2 of 2). From the beginning of the poem, her losses began to be trivial such as â€Å"lost door keys, the hourly bad spent† (Bishop 1499). Bishop used â€Å"second person. â€Å"Lose something every day. † seems to command one to practice the art of losing things† (Page 1 of 2). Towards the last three stanzas, the second person point of view was shifted to first person point of view after a few references to herself using the subject â€Å"I. † Bishop also suggests how you can practice to perform this type of art by using illustrations of progressive losses from trivial to more significant losses throughout the poem. â€Å"Four times, the narrator asserts that there these losses are â€Å"no disaster. Thus, the central thesis of this poem is that over time, one may learn to cope with loss, even with the loss of those we love† (â€Å"Elizabeth Bishop’s â€Å"One Art† Page 1 of 2). By using different claims of losses, Bishop was able to suggest a statement following certain types of solutions to deal with the loss. For example, the first stanza, including throughout the poem, included the fiercely used phrase that â€Å"the art of losing isn’t hard to master† (Bishop 1499). In the second stanza, it provides the answer to the conflict of trying to master the art of losing by â€Å"losing something every day. Accept the fluster of lost door keys, the hourly bad spent†¦Ã¢â‚¬  With this said, Bishop suggests to readers that by â€Å"practicing losing farther, losing faster,† the readers will be able to achieve their goal: to master the art of losing (1499). â€Å"As we do so, we will recognize that these daily losses truly are no signifi cant† (â€Å"Elizabeth Bishop’s â€Å"One Art† Page 1 of 2). When Bishop adds reference to herself in the poem, the transition from the more trivial day-to-day losses is nothing compared to her own specific incidents. Her incidents include â€Å"lost of her mother’s watch,†¦/†¦next-to-last, of three loved houses went. /†¦lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,/ some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Bishop 1499). The bigger loss suggested in this poem was â€Å"-Even losing you† (1499). The Webster definition of losing is: resulting in or likely to result in defeat, or marked by many losses or more losses than wins. In the beginning of this poem, losing is defined as the misplacement of an item; therefore, resulting in not being able to locate the item again. For instance, the lost door keys were a misplaced item. But, as the poem progresses, the items being lost are getting bigger and more significant. The level of losing is definitely becoming more defining and more coping. â€Å"Places, and names, and where it was you meant/ to travel†¦ I lost my mother’s watch. And look! my last, or/next-to last, of three loved houses went†¦I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,/ some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent/†¦it wasn’t a disaster† (Bishop 1499). The combination of stanza 4 and 5 give a couple of suggestions. First, the poem progressed from the smaller things that should not have been of concern to larger things that start to matter. â€Å"But by stanza four, a slightly different meaning of â€Å"losing† creeps into the poem—that is, â€Å"losing† as â€Å"coping with loss†¦The narrator apparently manages to cope†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Elizabeth Bishop’s â€Å"One Art† Page 2 of 2). In this poem, the attitude that the speaker conveys in each stanza seems to fluctuate as the losses get greater. With her uses of punctuation and â€Å"courageous pretense built into this poem,† it seems as though Bishop tries to convey a â€Å"wry, funny, and flippant and very determined not to sound weepy- eyed† type of attitude (Krishnan Page 1 of 3). The trivial matters suggested in the beginning of the poem don’t seem to cause a big affect on the speaker’s attitude. Towards the end, the poem conveyed a sense of how the speaker was feeling by using â€Å"the joking voice, a gesture I love† (Bishop 1499). With this â€Å"joking voice,† she was able to yet again point out that â€Å"the art of losing’s not too hard to master† (1499). With this repetitive type of suggestion, it is almost as if â€Å"this phrase turns it into an incantation, warding off potential feelings of loss† (Elizabeth Bishop’s â€Å"One Art† Page 2 of 2). This poem uses an abundant amount of literary devices especially hyperboles and irony. One Art is a very ironic villanelle poem. The phrase â€Å"losing is an art† might suggest that her attempt of persuading herself and readers that internal pain can be evaded; even if the predictable, and most catastrophic, losses that happen in our lives does not have to be a disaster; or could it be an excuse? (Schmeer Page 1 of 3). The hedging in the narrator’s phrases parallels hedging throughout this poem, a poem whose very existence denies what its lines seem to want to claim: the art of losing is hard to master, especially when that â€Å"art† refers to coping with the loss of someone we love, someone who goes away, someone whose going away is a disasterâ⠂¬ .

civil war in rwanda essays

civil war in rwanda essays In this essay I will be writing about the civil war in Rwanda. I will be explaining, why it happened, how it happened, when it happened, and give you all the details. A mountainous country in east central Africa, the Republic of Rwanda lies south of the equator. It is one of Africa's smallest countries, covering an area of only 10,169 square miles (26,338 square kilometers). Zaire and Lake Kivu border Rwanda on the west, Uganda on the north, Tanzania on the east, and Burundi on the south. Rwanda's relief consists of a series of hills with steep slopes that often alternate with deep valleys. A chain of volcanoes, the Virunga Mountains, is in the north. Numerous small lakes are scattered in the southeast. It contains a population of 6,700,000 people, which are divided into the three major ethnic groups: Hutus (88%), Tutsis (11%), and Twa pygmies (1%). The civil war in Rwanda began in April 1994 and ended July 1994. This war was between the Hutus and the Tutsis. They both had different points of view in how to control Rwanda. The Tutsis then began a group called: Tutsi Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). On April 6, 1994, the airplane carrying President Habyarimana and the President of Burundi was shot down. This gave command to all military and militia groups to kill all of the Tutsis. In this event 800,000 Tutsis were killed. This was one of the reasons for their civil war. Another reason was because they didnt agree in sharing Rwanda in political matters. Rwanda was like a toy both Hutus and Tutsis wanted but couldnt share. This civil war only lasted fourteen weeks. During this war, 1.7 million Hutus fled Rwanda and found shelter in their neighboring countries: Uguanda, Burubdi, Tanzania, and Zaire. Fleeding from Rwanda also gave problems. In the refugee camps the people had concentrated in huge numbers at barren places with no sanitation, polluted water, and little food. These conditions added to the number of d...

APA Referencing †Citing Social Media Posts

APA Referencing – Citing Social Media Posts APA Referencing – Citing Social Media Posts With social media, information now spreads faster than ever. And you might even need to cite a social media post in an academic paper at some point. Its a strange new world were living in.(Photo Credit) But social media posts need to be cited when they appear in academic writing, so make sure you get it right! In this blogpost, we look at the rules for doing this with APA referencing. Citing a Social Media Post APA treats publicly available posts on platforms like Facebook or Twitter as websites. As such, if mentioning a Twitter account or Facebook page in passing, you need to provide a URL in parentheses within the text: Thousands of people use the Financial Times’ Twitter account (https://twitter.com/ftfinancenews) to get breaking news on the markets. If referring to a specific post or update on social media, however, you’ll need to give a full in-text citation with a named author and date of publication: In a post on Facebook, the former president referred to the Paris Climate Agreement as â€Å"a crucial step forward in the fight against climate change† (Obama, 2016). In such cases, social media posts cited in your work should be accompanied by an entry in the reference list at the end of your document. Reference List In the reference list, APA has specific requirement for social media posts. The general format is: Surname, Initial. [Screen name/given name]. (Year, Month Day). Title or excerpt [Platform]. Retrieved from URL This includes providing a screen name and the date that the post was made. Since many social media posts don’t have a title, an excerpt of up to 40 words can be used instead. For example, the reference for the Facebook post cited above would appear as: Obama, B. [Barack]. (2016, November 4). Today marks a crucial step forward in the fight against climate change, as the historic Paris Climate Agreement officially enters into force. Lets keep pushing for progress [Facebook status update]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/barackobama/posts/10154306132531749 Make sure that the URL provided is specifically for the post in question, not just the page or account from which it is taken. Citing a Personal Communication The rules for citing social media are a little different when the post isn’t publicly available (e.g., if it was a direct message). In this case, you treat the post as a personal communication. To do this, you should indicate that the information comes from a personal communication in parentheses as part of your citation, plus give a date for the message: Dr. Smith (personal communication, January 12, 2017) claimed that the study was promising but inconclusive. Since personal messages are not public, APA does not require you to include them in the reference list.

How to Pronounce Chongqing, One of Chinas Major Cities

How to Pronounce Chongqing, One of Chinas Major Cities Learn how to pronounce Chongqing (é‡ Ã¥ ºâ€ ), one of Chinas major cities. Its located in South-west China (see map) and has almost 30 million inhabitants, although much less live in the urban center itself. The city is important because of its manufacturing and is also a regional transportation hub. In this article, we will first give you a quick and dirty way of how to pronounce the name if you just want to have a rough idea how to pronounce it. Then I’ll go through a more detailed description, including analysis of common learner errors. The Quick and Dirty Way of  Pronouncing Chongqing Most Chinese cities have names with two characters (and therefore two syllables). There are abbreviations, but these are rarely used in spoken language (the abbreviation for Chongqing is  Ã¦ ¸ . Heres a brief description of the sounds involved:   Listen to the pronunciation here while reading the explanation. Repeat yourself! Chong - Pronounce a shorter choo in choose plus -ngQing - Pronounce as chi- in chin plus -ng in sing If you want to have a go at the tones, they are rising and falling respectively. Note:  This pronunciation is  not  correct pronunciation in Mandarin. It represents my best effort to write the pronunciation using English words. To really get it right, you need to learn some new sounds (see below). Pronouncing Names in Chinese Pronouncing  names in Chinese  can be very hard if you havent studied the language; sometimes its hard, even if you have. Many letters used to write the sounds in Mandarin (called  Hanyu Pinyin) dont match the sounds they describe in English, so simply trying to read a Chinese name and guess the pronunciation will lead to many mistakes. Ignoring or mispronouncing tones will just add to the confusion. These mistakes add up and often become so serious that a native speaker would fail to understand.   How to Actually Pronounce Chongqing If you study Mandarin, you should never ever rely on English approximations like those above. Those are meant for people who dont intend to learn the language! You have to understand the orthography, i.e. how the letters relate to the sounds. There are many  traps and pitfalls in Pinyin  you have to be familiar with. Now, lets look at the two syllables in more detail, including common learner errors: Chà ³ng  (second tone)  - The initial is a retroflex, aspirated, affricate. What does that mean? It means that the tongue should feel like the tongue is slightly curled backwards as when saying right, that there is a small stop (a t-sound, but still pronounced with the described tongue position) followed by a hissing sound (such as when urging someone to be quiet: Shhh!) and that there should be a sharp puff of air on the stop. The final is tricky in two regards. First, English doesnt really have a short vowel in this position. Its reasonably close to choose but should be short. Second, the nasal -ng should be more nasal and further back. Dropping you jaw usually helps.Qà ¬ng  (fourth tone) -  The initial here is the only tricky part. q is an aspirated affricate, which means that its similar to the ch above, but with a different tongue position. The tongue tip should be down, lightly touching the teeth ridge behind the lower teeth. -ing should have the same nasal as above, too, but with an i and an optional schwa (roughly the vowel sound in English the) inserted after the i and before the nasal. The are some variations for these sounds, but  Chongqing (é‡ Ã¥ ºâ€ ) can be written like this in IPA: [ʈʂÊ °uÅ‹Â  tÉ•Ê °jəŋ] Note that both sounds have stops (the t) and that both have aspiration (the superscript h). Conclusion Now you know how to pronounce Chongqing (é‡ Ã¥ ºâ€ ). Did you find it hard? If you’re learning Mandarin, dont worry; there arent that many sounds. Once you’ve learned the most common ones, learning to pronounce words (and names) will become much easier!

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT - Essay Example Bureaucrats create and enforce regulations in various sectors in economy and society. In Supreme Court justice is exercised for people who have disputes and protects civil freedom and rights. TheSupreme Court also ensures that the government wings use their powers to a sufficient limit. Although all this political players have some powers invested in them, some of them are very effective and powerful than others. Based on the different roles and actions of the congress, I feel this as most effective andpowerful. Apart from setting the budget, it has powers to make laws and rules for the landand government. The congress also determines the security status of the nations. For instance, it maintains the navy as well as army and declares war in deserving circumstances. It also imposes exercise duties to all the people in a state in uniformity. Another powerful influence of congress is its right to organize the Supreme Court. Congress membershave no term limit hence the decision to amend the term solely depends on them to devise a method to do so.Congress influences bureaucracy by applying its budgetary oversight functions. Any bureaucracy agency cannot spend money before its authority and the existence of any agency depends on congress approval. The presidency is also most potent because of being the leader of the executive branch. This is illustrated in a situation where civil servant may need to have common guidance and the president alone has the power to provide it.The presidency also plays a role in security matters. Training, supervising and deployment of forces is done by the president .In supporting opinion in a country, the president has the greatest influence. This is to say that presidency heads all ceremonies of the government. It’sthe authority of the president to modify the bureaucracy’s organizational structure, and to also submit to congress a

Strategic Management (M&S strategic analysis) Essay

Strategic Management (M&S strategic analysis) - Essay Example To maintain this, the company needs to develop a strategy that will take into consideration all the factors that might affect the sales of the company (Prince, M. 2012, 23). The aim of this essay is to determine all the factors that might affect the sales of each of the products of Marks and Spencer and come up with the most relevant strategy to help the company reach its goal. In an institution that relies on the will of a customer in a big part like Marks and Spencer, it would be prudent to have a plan that takes into consideration most of the needs of the customer (Worth, R. 2007, 62). This is just one of the needs that the company should take into consideration. For maximum productivity, the company must evaluate each of the PESTEL factors. This is to avoid being in trouble with the administration and other bodies. The company should make sure that its waste is not harmful to the environment. A big company like Marks and Spencer could easily bring catastrophic damages to the environment. The fact that it is widely over Europe, which makes it very visible, and the public is very conscious of what they do. If the company started destroying the environment, it would be seen by everyone, and this would lead to them loosing the trust and love of the customer (Marketing Society. 2009, 15). The company should also take into consideration the international tie s between the various countries that they operate in. It should follow the rules of the country to the latter. The other issue that the company should consider is how they treat their staff. A general well treatment of the members of a certain company brings a general improvement of output among the workers. This, in return, is beneficial to the company since they get products of better quality. The company should also take into huge consideration their competitors and the range of services that they offer.

Assignment 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 17

1 - Assignment Example The impact of globalization on developing and emerging nations is said to be minimal. The policies that are affected by globalization are of special consideration as they determine how a country performs in global affairs such as trade. Policies needed to reduce negative impacts of globalization on developed nations are suggested in the paper. Policies touching on immigration, employment, and foreign competition are of interest to the paper (Gokhale, 2010). In my opinion, globalization has not reduced poverty because, even if, it has boosted exports and foreign investment in countries, it has provided for a ground on which developed nations are abusing these merits of globalization. They take advantage of the cheap labor in developing nations, dump pollutants there, and the international companies are only after their gain of profits and not for the alleviation of poverty. An example of globalization in the US is that of the US Federal Reserve Bank. The US dollar is the global reserve currency; this has allowed the US to control global interest rates and investment trends (Goldberg, 2013). Hence, this has had a positive impact on the inner cities and rural areas of the country by providing financial stability in the country. Financial stability allows for growth in local start-up businesses and companies that are revenue sources for the rural areas and inner cities. Globalization is rooted in economics to the extent that if one currency in the globe does poorly, or a country is in recession, or the oil prices rise or fall, then nearly all countries are affected by these economic trends. Each country is affected in a unique way depending on their standing in the global occurrences. Goldberg, E. (2013, March 12). The Globalization 5 -- How Globalization Changed America in 2013, and What It Might Mean for 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2014, from Huffington Post:

How to Break Bad Habits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How to Break Bad Habits - Essay Example The initial phase of recovery is by admitting that they are living with a bad habit. Secondly, they should decisively choose to change such a habit. Consequently, they should seek to identify the cause of the habit, and eventually look for a healthier habit to replace the bad habit. According to Health Encyclopedia, such phases may assume other names such as pre-contemplation phase, contemplation phase, preparation, action, maintenance phase and termination. The initial stage of admitting helps in raising the consciousness of the victim. At this stage, one should seek to gather substantial knowledge on how beneficial would it be if he/she adopts a healthier habit. For example, what would be the benefit of becoming a non smoker? While, at the same stage, it is also essential to learn on how one can end a bad habit. This stage may be referred to as the pre-contemplation stage. At the contemplation stage, one begins to implement the knowledge gathered in the pre-contemplation stage; there is the commitment to start the process via which a bad habit is to be terminated. One may consider restricting themselves within six months. At the preparation stage, one is almost set; he/she plans on how to take necessary actions within the shortest time possible, probably a month after the six months of contemplation. Often, there is a plan on how to stop a bad behavior, when one is at this stage. For example, an alcoholic addict identifies a support group to be attending. On the other hand, a drug addict may opt for a health facility. The action phase means that a person takes a definitive action towards breaking a bad habit. For example, one may be actively adhering to the appointments with the doctor, or following a program of losing weight. However, only proven approaches are considered as actions. For example, cigarette smokers with an intention of just cutting back cigarettes cannot be

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 67

Leadership - Essay Example Nonetheless, his greatest gift as a conversationalist was that many people believed that he meant what he said. It was emblematic for him to be at odds with people that were very close to him. He also frequently experienced the disapproval and contempt from his enemies and critics. He was firm and had a great sense of responsibility to tackle the deeply decisive matter the nation was going through; the Civil War and slavery (Schwartz & Schuman, 2005). Lincoln often visited the areas where that had work that related to the matters he was fighting, asking many questions and getting insights from those with the most knowledge concerning a situation At the time of his presidency, the nation was divided into southern and northern regions. Civil war broke out, an extremely violent as well as a bloody war on the territory of both nations. He led the United States to eventually defeat the union, and following his celebrated Emancipation Proclamation, he set up measures to eliminate slavery (Schwartz & Schuman, 2005). Lincoln was right in backing the Union, which fought slavery. He did not protect the association and the people backing slavery (Schwartz & Schuman, 2005). He felt that it was particularly significant for the United States to stop slavery. When the war ended, he felt that it was critical to join up the Union and the coalition back into one nation. The measures he took to accomplish the goal to reunite the United States were some of his major

How to Break Bad Habits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How to Break Bad Habits - Essay Example The initial phase of recovery is by admitting that they are living with a bad habit. Secondly, they should decisively choose to change such a habit. Consequently, they should seek to identify the cause of the habit, and eventually look for a healthier habit to replace the bad habit. According to Health Encyclopedia, such phases may assume other names such as pre-contemplation phase, contemplation phase, preparation, action, maintenance phase and termination. The initial stage of admitting helps in raising the consciousness of the victim. At this stage, one should seek to gather substantial knowledge on how beneficial would it be if he/she adopts a healthier habit. For example, what would be the benefit of becoming a non smoker? While, at the same stage, it is also essential to learn on how one can end a bad habit. This stage may be referred to as the pre-contemplation stage. At the contemplation stage, one begins to implement the knowledge gathered in the pre-contemplation stage; there is the commitment to start the process via which a bad habit is to be terminated. One may consider restricting themselves within six months. At the preparation stage, one is almost set; he/she plans on how to take necessary actions within the shortest time possible, probably a month after the six months of contemplation. Often, there is a plan on how to stop a bad behavior, when one is at this stage. For example, an alcoholic addict identifies a support group to be attending. On the other hand, a drug addict may opt for a health facility. The action phase means that a person takes a definitive action towards breaking a bad habit. For example, one may be actively adhering to the appointments with the doctor, or following a program of losing weight. However, only proven approaches are considered as actions. For example, cigarette smokers with an intention of just cutting back cigarettes cannot be

Politics of education Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Politics of education - Annotated Bibliography Example The protagonist has quick wit and street smarts as his wealth to survive in the city and fight odds that comes across his way. Alger has brilliantly connected situations to make the changes look so easy and enticing for emerging young minds. The author has put a patron in place to turn Dick’s luck; then he sends Dick to escort his nephew along his tour which changes the hero’s life. Though Alger is trying to explore the inspiring example of an orphaned bootblack’s rags-to-riches experience, he keeps a place for the wonderful fictional literature too. Alger compares the buildings of New York to palaces, and in the development of the story he makes it a comfortable reading by the inclusion of all essential characters ranging from a patron to the villain. Altogether, the journey of an underdog from ‘Ragged Dick’ to ‘Richard Hunter’ perfectly blends all essential features that can evoke optimism among the under privileged. ‘The Lesson’ is a story told in the first person narration by the central character Sylvia about her life in the neighborhood consisting of several under cared children and their encounters with fate. There is a fictional Fifth avenue in the story as a dream model of their lifestyle around which all the discussions develop. Bambara places the theme based on the strong will, intelligence and leadership of an African American preteen girl with intent to challenge the practical meaning of democracy in the country. The story walks on the economic line that makes a visible separation between the rich and the poor with sensible dialogues to challenge the American society’s indifference towards the financially destitute natives and communally separated migrants. Bambara introduces Miss Moore as a messenger to exhibit the glory of education to show the children how life can be turned gaining with academic excellence. On the other hand, ‘The

Loyalty Program Essay Example for Free

Loyalty Program Essay We go through 7 strategy steps to design a loyalty program for Cabo San Viejo which are as follows:   Before we suggest a customer rewards or loyalty program, it is important to understand what is the company’s long term vision, For whom this program is to be implemented i. e. who are the company’s best customers, what are their needs and expectations, the reasons for having such a program and the expected outcome. So the first question is: What is Cabo San Viejo’s long term vision? Was the company directing its activities in overall achievement of this vision? The vision of the company was to help people live healthier lives. Initially there was a gap between the operational objectives of making people lose weight by way of low calorie diet and the vision of getting people to live healthier lives by inculcating sustainable lifestyle ways. However, this gap had been bridged but the positioning gap remained. Who were Cabo San Viejo’s targeted customers? Was there any gap between targeted and actual customers? If we go by the vision statement, anybody wanting to live a better and healthier life was Cabo San Viejo’s targeted customers. These could include smokers, obese men and women, even obese children, stressed couples or singles, workaholic professionals, over worked top executives and managers etc. However, Cabo San Viejo was attracting mostly females (70%-80% of the guests) with an increasing average age over the years, the last average being 57 in the year 2004. Thus, mostly older females were visiting the resort who wanted to indulge themselves and feel better about their body and themselves. Also, their household income was high. Comparing this with the summer guests, the latter group had less income and was also comparatively younger in population. Thus, we can link the age, income level and affordability. Usually younger people are less wealthy and thus find such vacations expensive. Not only this, the perception of Cabo San Viejo first as a fat camp and then as a boot camp was discouraging people to come there. Also, 67% of guests came through word of mouth indicating that the above line marketing was performing poorly. Campaigns targeting specific groups of people showing indulgence in activities of their interest like hiking for young crowd, spa treatment for women, consultation for couples etc would be likely to bring out the varied health solutions offered by Cabo San Viejo. What were the needs of the guests at Cabo San Viejo? Was there any gap in meeting the needs or their expectations? The individual needs of the customers varied quite a lot. To understand and cater to the needs of the customers, the company had efficiently trained its reservation staff who helped customers choose the appropriate package as according to their goals and objectives. The very fact that 95% of the customers rated their experience as either very good or outstanding shows that Cabo San Viejo was operating efficiently. However, if Cabo San Viejo was to target a more demanding and younger customer base in future, it would have to exceed is current delivery promise. The needs have been met but the expectations of repeat customers have not been satisfied some of whom have expressed their resentment for not being rewarded for their continued patronization. Therefore we have recognized: Perception of Cabo San Viejo as a boot camp needed to be changed. †¢Young customers needed to be attracted. As they had higher expectations and smaller pockets, loyalty program needed to focus on value proposition by means of discounts etc. †¢Older customers were mostly wealthier and would not be looking for a value deal like the younger customers. Cabo San Viejo had around 5000 repeat customers each year which a healthy figure is making up about 60% of the total arrival figure. Around 3500 new guests arrive each year of which 32% revisited within 5-6 years and 62% of repeat visitors returned again within 5-6 years. The primary reason for not returning was the high costs. Here we reiterate that to attract more repeat customers, value must be offered. Why does Cabo San Viejo need a customer loyalty program? †¢Retention: One of the primary reasons for most loyalty programs is o retain the loyal customers by appreciating them and the business they generate for the company by making them feel special and good about their association with the company. †¢Offer enhanced value proposition: A loyalty program which offers a value deal to its customers who need it will get Cabo San Viejo more patronization. However, it is to be understood that not all customers need or expect value deals. Enhanced Satisfaction: Recognition by way of loyalty program makes a customer feel good and thus enhances satisfaction which in turn leads to more positive word of mouth. †¢Positive Word of Mouth: Around 60% of Cabo San Viejo’s customers called in for inquiry based on word of mouth. †¢Enhance image as a responsive company: Cabo San Viejo explicitly encourages customers to complain if unsatisfied. It is through such feedbacks that Cabo San Viejo has got to know that customers expect such a program implementation. Whenever a company asks for and receives complaints, it is best to respond or may lead to customer resentment. Counter Competition: If not rewarded for loyalty, customers may switch to other competitors. How much is the desired/expected impact? Having analyzed this, we now estimate the impact. The impact of a loyalty program is usually incremental and observed over a period of time. The expected increase in retention is say, 10%1 over a period of say, 5 years2. Also, people coming from reference is expected to increase over the years enabling the company to cut marketing costs elsewhere. 1The expected retention percentage is found either based on internal company data or industry expert advice.

Limitations of Access Control Lists in Network Security

Limitations of Access Control Lists in Network Security On the Limitations of Access Control Lists (ACL’s) in Network Security In basic security parlance, the Access Control List (ACL) directly determines which parties can access certain sensitive areas of the network. Usually, there are several. One enables general access to the network, which includes non-sensitive information about company policy and operations (Verma 2004). Access is granted to a general audience and all personnel within the organisation. Confidential files and sensitive data, however, would only be available to a limited number of people, which would be specified. Such delicate information is often only available when accessing a certain terminal. For example, our hypothetical travel agency will allow only the network manager on a particular terminal to PING the proxy servers from the internal LAN as well as deny connections from the Internet to those hosts with private source IP addresses. As with any company, the travel agency wishes to protect its sensitive information from hackers and fellow competitors. The network administrator cr eated ACL’s congruent with the company’s security policy. However, additional protocols will need to be implemented in order to offer the agency the full protection it needs. The purpose of this essay is to highlight the vulnerabilities and limitations of the ACL and suggest supplementary protocols to ensure tighter security. Peter Davis (2002) identified six vulnerabilities of the ACL in the context of testing Cisco’s routers. First, because the ACL will not block the non-initial fragments of a packet, then the router will fail to block all unauthorized traffic. ‘By sending an offending traffic in packet fragments, it is possible to circumvent the protection offered by the ACL’ (Davis 2002). Secondly, if one were to send packet fragment traffic to the router, it is likely that there would be a denial-of-service on the router itself. This is because the router fails to acknowledge the keyword fragment when a user sends a packet specifically to the router (Davis 2002). Third, there is the odd phenomenon of the unresponsive router. ‘The router ignores the implicit deny ip any any rule at the end of an ACL when you apply an ACL of exactly 448 entries to an interface as an outgoing ACL’ (Davis 2002). The result of this would compromise the integrity of network security, as the ACL will not drop the packets. Fourth, modern routers allow support for the fragment keyword on an outbound ACL. In previous models, only the inbound ACL provided support for this keyword while ignoring the outbound ACL (Davis 2002). Fifth, the outbound ACL may fail to prevent unauthorized traffic on a router when the administrator configures an input ACL on some interfaces of the multi-port Engine 2 line card. ‘Any ACL you apply at the ingress point will work as expected and block the desired traffic. This vulnerability can cause unwanted traffic in and out of the protected network’ (Davis 2002). Last of all, even the fragment keyword is not sufficient to get the ACL to filter packet fragments, which would enable an individual or corporation to exploit this weakness—attacking systems that are supposed to be shielded by the ACL on the router (Davis 2002). To avoid many of these pitfalls, Davis recommends that administrators routinely filter packet fragments. Although filtering may be useful, it is insufficient in preventing security breaches according to Kasacavage and Yan (2002). Without supplementary processes, packet filtering will fail to identify the originator of the data, and it would fail to prevent a user from gaining access to a network behind the router. Thus, the creation of extended ACL’s along with the standard is very important. ‘Standard ACL’s can only filter based on the source address and are numbered 0 through 99’(Prosise Mandia, p. 429). Extended ACL’s, in contrast, can filter a greater variety of packet characteristics and are numbered 100-199. In other words, each object is supposed to enforce its unique access control policy (Sloot 1999). For instance, the ACL commands are applied in order of precedence and the second rule will not allow the packets denied by the first rule, even if the second rule does permit that (Prosise Mandia). Filling in the Gaps One recommendation for securing a private network is to use a firewall such as a DMZ LAN. Essentially, it does not have any connections save the router and firewall connections (Kasacavage Yan 2002). This would force all packets of all networks (public and private) to flow through the firewall. This greatly diminishes the breaches common in security systems employing mainly ACL’s as direct unprotected connection with the Internet is judiciously avoided. The problem with the router mentioned by Davis in the previous section was its failure to filter packets going in one direction, or outbound ACL’s with specific identifiers. Installing a firewall at each locus connected to the Internet is highly recommended (Kasacavage Yan 2002). Like most aspects of technology, the ACL must be updated quite frequently. However, this gives the individual employed in this task a high degree of latitude, which is why access to this function must be strictly controlled (Liu Albitz 2006). ‘In order to use dynamic updates, you add an allow-update or update-policy substatement to the zone statement of the zone that you’d like to make updates to†¦it’s prudent to make this access control list as restrictive as possible’ (Liu Albitz 2006, p. 232). As wireless communications technology continues to revolutionize the way people do business, another issue that will concern security administrators is the increase of wireless LAN attacks that result in the loss of proprietary information and a loss of reputation as customers become leery of a company that can easily lose personal data (Rittinghouse Ransome 2004). Most wireless networks identify individual users via the Service Set Identifier (SSID) in such a way that would repel wireless LAN attacks that greatly compromise network security by using the ACL that comes standard with WLAN equipment. Because all devices have a Media Access Control (MAC) address, ‘the ACL can deny access to any device not authorized to access the network’ (Rittinghouse Ransome 2004, p. 126). However, other host-based intrusion detection software such as Back Orifice, NukeNabber, and Tripwire are also instrumental in preventing these attacks. In sum, although it would be impossible to create an impregnable security system, it is necessary to ensure that the system one employs is extremely difficult to breach, with very little profit for their troubles. By identifying the six most significant issues ACL’s face and exploring other ways that network administrators can close the gaps, more sophisticated security protocols can be put into operation. However, while security systems are correcting their weaknesses, computing experts on either side of the law are still finding ways to circumvent them. Controlling access to sensitive data is a necessity in any network, even in an informal file-sharing network. With the enclosed ACL’s, the agency shall be able to successfully diminish its odds of a security breach. Bibliography Davis, P.T. (2002), Securing and controlling Cisco routers, London: CRC Press. [Online at books.google.com] Kasacavage, V. Yan, W. (2002), Complete Book of Remote Access: Connectivity and Security, London: CRC Press Liu, C. Albitz, P. (2006), DNS and BIND: Fifth Edition, Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media Inc. Prosise, C. Mandia, K. (2003), Incident Response Computer Forensics, New York: McGraw Hill Professional Rittinghouse, J.W. Ransome, J.F. (2004), Wireless Operational Security, Oxford: Digital Press Sloot, P., Bubak, M., Hoekstra, A. Hertzberger, R. (1999), High-Performance Computing and Networking, New York: Springer Verma, D.C. (2004), Legitimate Applications of Peer-to-Peer Networks, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons

George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four 1984 :: Free Essays on 1984

In the world of 1984, Winston rebels against the party, but not only does he do it in a different ways but his displeasure with the society leads him on to rebel numerous times. First of all, Winston has committed a â€Å"thought crime†, a crime which is used to prevent the individual from thinking and the penalty for committing a thought crime was death (so he thought). Winston knew he was guilty for the crime but at the same time he assumes that he is not going to be detected or caught, at least in he beginning. One thing Winston did was keeping a diary. A diary was of the more serious thought crimes. In his diary, it is pointed out of his sexual frustrations, along with the displeasure of society as a whole. In his diary, he expresses that he longs for the pleasures of the past that were once allowed but no longer due to the power of the Party. However his frustration leads to other things that were also deemed illegal and would eventually lead to his final downfall. Winsto n later goes on and meets a woman named Julia. He knows what he is doing is definitely wrong and is a crime but his dissatisfaction with life and his sexual frustration lead him to the wrong conclusion. That he still thinks that he can get away with this and that the thought police will never catch him. This is where Winston unconsciously seals his fate of being caught but he feels the adventure is well worth the risk. Later in the relationship, they both are aware that the end to them is near. There were a couple of things that Winston owned that were deemed illegal but ironically the glass paperweight seemed to be the most important. First of all, the paperweight serves no purpose in the world that Winston lives in. Another thing about it was that it represented individuality to him because he thought of it as a world in which he and Julia lived in and nobody could touch it, even the Party. Finally, it reminded him of the past, the past in which there was a better world and a worl d in which the Party never wanted anybody to think about again. â€Å"Ignorance is Stregenth†, one of the terms coined along with â€Å"War is Peace† and â€Å"Freedom is Slavery†, is used by the Party as a way of brainwashing the people of Oceania.

Amazon PORTER’S FIVE FORCES MODEL

AMAZON. COM PORTER’S FIVE FORCES MODEL Bargaining power of suppliers The power of suppliers is medium-high. Suppliers have a medium power in the sense that much of Amazon’s own inventory could be obtained from numerous suppliers across the country or even across the globe. Suppliers have a higher power given that Amazon. com cannot compete with suppliers. Amazon. com does not run any production plants. Bargaining power of buyers The bargaining power of buyers is high. Amazon. com’s customers have the option of buying the products and services they desire on the hundreds of thousands of other retail web sites on the internet.If Amazon. com does not offer low prices to satisfy the customer then the customer will search the Internet until they find that low price. Rivalry among competing firms Despite Amazon. com is one of the first companies into the e-commerce field, rivalry is high (Barnes and Noble  , Google, Walmart, Ebay etc. ) Threats of substitute products Amazon. com has innovated their services and products along the years and the name of amazon. com is well recognized and trusted into the field, but still the threat for substitutes is high (Books can be purchased at Barnes and Noble Books, Books-A-million, and Half Price Books.Books are additionally sold at newsstands, drugstores, and discount stores. Books can also be borrowed for free at university libraries, music can also be purchased at discount retailers) Threats of new entry Threat of new entrants is low. It would be virtually impossible for a new company to reach the magnitude of inventory and status that Amazon. com maintains. Amazon. com has been in the internet marketplace for about thirteen years now- it would be extremely difficult for a start-up company in the industry to raise enough capital to even compete with Amazon. com on a lower level.

Outcasts United: A True Story about Soccer and Immigration Made for Hollywood Essay

Rhetorical Analysis of â€Å"Outcasts United: A True Story about Soccer and Immigration Made for Hollywood? Pitch Invasion journalist, Andrew Guest, writes the article â€Å"Outcasts United: A True Story about Soccer and Immigration Made for Hollywood† from a sarcastic viewpoint. Guest starts by allowing his reader to get acquainted with Warren St. John’s cover article on â€Å"Outcast United,† which later became a book. He introduces the awestruck fact that Universal Studios wants to pay St. John and his main character, Luma Mufleh, $3 million to create a corresponding film to â€Å"Outcasts United. Guest then debates the question of why youth soccer appeals to Hollywood so much. He is concerned that their story will not be as serious, nor will it offer unity and enmity just as the original story did. Guest’s second worry is that St. John’s book version is nothing but a work of heartfelt journalism, instead of what he thought would be â€Å"more lighthearted† (par. 5). Andrew Guest does not build on ethos and there is very little logos, but does formulate his opinions through pathos, word choice, and tone. Guest wants to lure the audience whom has read â€Å"Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team† and that are familiar with it. He uses strong pathos to persuade the readers more closely. For example, Guest says, â€Å"But I was also worried that the real appeal here was the kind ‘heartwarming’ pabulum so often associated with the popular sports media†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (par. 2). He wants the reader to feel that Hollywood’s intentions may not be what they are expecting just as well as he does. Furthermore, he explains that the story answered his questions but did not stop his worrying. Guest also uses pathos in his repetition of â€Å"heartwarming† (par. 7) to reveal how the truth would really be portrayed by Hollywood. A cliche, such as this, would make the readers question whether Hollywood is sincere in what they are trying to do. Another strategy Guest uses to strengthen his stand point is his unique word choice. The way he catches the reader’s eyes and ears is by articulating his thoughts into strong opinions. He accomplishes this by explaining, â€Å"The game distracts people just enough that they are willing to reveal things about their inner lives and thoughts that they might not reveal over a cup of coffee† (par. ). His opinion makes the audience see that sports alone causes people to be more vocal about things they never thought they could actually say. Guest then uses the word â€Å"pabulum† to create a bolder statement in his argument that Hollywood’s intentions are only to nourish sports media in a way that would make society more sympathetic to the stories. In addition, Guest uses a vivid sarcastic tone in his article when referring to â€Å"Outcast United. † This tone is to exemplify how â€Å"heartwarming† continues to define soccer and the way it is socially connected with the popular sports media today. He supports this by sarcastically stating, â€Å"†¦look, world peace really is possible if we just learn the life lessons soccer has to teach us† (par. 2). However, Guest really feels that soccer only makes a difference to a certain extent. Guest goes on to say that it always surprises him when someone claims that soccer is a great force that draws people together. He acts as if he is in shock, when in reality he does not agree with that universal view. In fact he believes the complete opposite. His sarcastic tone weakens the article because sometimes that is the opposite of what the reader is looking for. Although Guest supports his appeals and gets his points across to the reader, he does not build much credibility as an expert on the subject. There was no ethos found throughout the article. Guest’s career is partially understood, and is not fully elaborated upon. He speaks on sports, Hollywood, and society throughout the article. However, Guest is not a sports fan, and this he supports by bluntly stating, â€Å"And while I don’t actually think of myself as a particularly obsessive sports fan or certainly not as a sports writer†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (par. 6). He is not a movie critic or socialist of the matter. He makes a great debater, but what has he shown about his personally? Has he played any sports? Why should one agree with what he believes, and not what they believe? Credibility is what increases the effectiveness of the article, not opinion alone. Andrew Guest succeeds in telling his readers his viewpoints on this book and on his social beliefs. He uses strong pathos, bold word choice, and a firm tone. He has built on little ethos and logos, which causes his article to be less effective. Guest career is never states throughout the article about his career or supports any of his opinionated arguments.

Divided Thesis Essay

This year for school I have some goals that I would like to accomplish. As I am coming along to be a senior I have high expectations for myself. My three main goals for myself are to be on high honor roll, to be on varsity volleyball with a better attitude, and lastly be the first in my family in three generations to graduate from high school. Being on high honor roll for me would be really great because I have been on honor roll all my life but I have only been on high honor roll two or three times.With me only going to four classes it should not be to difficult to acquire a four point grade point average. I am capable of doing this but it is going to take work and in order for me to get some scholarships and financial aid for college I need those good grades. The second goal I would like to accomplish is playing varsity volleyball with a better attitude. I go to Jefferson High School and we do not have the best athletic programs so I get frustrated easily with how things are ran an d how my school deals with problems.Having a better attitude about playing on a team with girls that I love should be better than moping about loosing every game. After you loose three games you get down on yourself and it would make it a lot better for the team to stay positive. The last goal for my senior year is to graduate. If I graduate I will be the first one from my mom and dad to my great grandmother and grandfather to graduate high school.Yes I have had uncles graduate but I am the fourth generation and I need to graduate not only for my family but for me to go to college and further my education and better my life. Since I am the first to graduate in so many years I have a lot of responsibilities to under go during this year. These are goals that I should be able to accomplish and they are going to be done for me and my family to better my future and provide me with good options in life.

Citizenship education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Citizenship education - Essay Example In most economies, education is a right to each and every citizen with permanent citizenship and they stretch education privileges to non-nationals who are democratically/ legally living in these states as outlined in the national task on citizenship education (Tilly, 2007, pp.13-16). Citizenship education can be viewed in two perspectives of immigrants or as a subject. As a subject it is designed to associate the learners with the cultural, social, and economic activities with the best approach as supported by Herbert and Kertz (2012, p.26) Bloor (2010, p.24) claims that â€Å"Citizenship education for immigrants is designed to prepare non-nationals/ non-citizens on their dos and don’ts so as to become legally and socially accepted as citizens of these states either on a permanent or temporal basis†. ... free interaction by people in a country exercising their rights and freedom, and taking part in legal and political activities of that country without discrimination. This forms the basis of a free and fair exchange of cultural diversities. Citizenship education platform can be gauged by multiculturalism in a state which can be simply described as a demographic make- up of the society at certain organizational levels such as schools, neighbourhoods, and cities within the state. Alternatively, Osler and Starkey (2006) define multiculturalism as â€Å"ideologies or policies that that promote institutionalization of diversified desires of human kind to express their identity in the manner they deem fit like equal respect of different cultures in the society and opportunities entitlement†(p. 11). They argue that for multiculturalism to hold a great measure of democracy needs to be put in place. An Intercultural citizen can be viewed as one who appropriately adapts valued rules, no rms and expectations of a given foreign state for a healthy relationship with the citizens and who effectively values the state’s goals and/or rewards in line with the society. This is to mean that intercultural citizen is knowledgeable enough and competent to interact freely with foreign cultures through understanding specific concepts of these cultures like perception, thoughts and feelings. Citizenship education, multiculturalism and intercultural citizenship are related in that for appropriate education, economies with multiculturalism have to come up with policies and regulations to govern interactions of foreign students/cultures and their establishment in terms of education and coexistence as described by Osler and Starkey(2005, p.11). For instance, multicultural economies will have to

MANAGING CHANGE. Work, Society and Organizations Assignment

MANAGING CHANGE. Work, Society and Organizations - Assignment Example Managing both change and resistance to change has gained significant importance in academics of management in recent years. Change is perceived to be a perfect way of reaction to external threats in volatile environments or as a proactive measure to seize growing business opportunities (Thompson, 1993, p. 697). This piece of paper addresses the theoretical perspectives of ‘change’, ‘managing change’ and managing ‘resistance to change’. This paper gives insight in to how managing change is influenced by individual as well as team motivation and organizational culture and structure. With help of reflect on Ford’s change management process, this paper elaborates real life experience of change and managing change. Managing Change Change is a very powerful strategy, a technique and an opportunity that an organization can achieve its goals by managing it effectively. Change is an opportunity since organizations can try some new ways or methods to carry out organizational activities and management functions and achieve organizational competence. Change is an informed and participative process resulting in newer methods of carrying out business to lead the business or other types of organizations in to success (Jacobs, 1997, p.22). ‘Strategic Change’ has become an increasingly important term in management studies. Strategic change refers to a process by which the present state of strategies will be transformed to compete with counter players in the market and with differentiated functioning so as to attain greater adaptability and viability in the current business contexts. There are basically three types of changes; reengineering, restructuring and innovation (Sekhar, 2009, p. 76). According to the strategic change theory of Peters and Waterman, an organization’s ability to change is the basic key to its excellence. Excellent organizations are those that continually foster on innovation, maintain better pace to quick actions and conduct on-going experimentations (Dobson, et al, 2004, p. 122). Change management involves process, people and managerial technique and incorporates a number of managerial functions like direction, planning, coordinating, organizing and controlling (Palmer, Dunford and Akin, 2009, p. 24). Change doesn’t occur automatically, but it requires managerial action and strategic activities with resources such as people, process, technology and managerial functions as well. Change management is a careful attempt from management to bring a change in any of its functional areas such as HRM, financing, marketing, manufacturing and so on. It is an effort to change the way the business has been carried out. Change management includes a set of concepts, principles, strategies, tools and techniques that are applied to human aspects in order to implementing a change within the organization (Rothwell, Sullivan and McLean, 2005, p. 17). Change management is a multi-d isciplinary action in which the management team who are responsible to execute the change are to possess certain skills, talents, supports, experiences and knowledge so as to influence others to get them involved in the change process. Paton, Paton and McCalman (2008, p. 40) emphasized that the management team being responsible to implement change is expected to possess following skills and abilities: Better communication

MBA Operation Management Problemsolving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

MBA Operation Management Problemsolving - Essay Example b) The lower capital intensity of the mentioned type of firms is explained by the stability of working processes when serving a focus customer. Crews do not need retraining because they do the same thing, for the same customer, all of the time. The machinery factor is also to be regarded: for example, the folding and gluing machine at Focus Packaging handles only one size box, so it never has to be reset. The press stops only to install a new roll of the thin cardboard on which it prints [12]. a) The necessity of the firms with a product focus to plan production and inventory levels further into the future is explained by the vitality of the production plan and inventories for successful supply chain management. It is necessary to plan thoroughly the production basing on the demand forecasts and according to this to make up the corresponding inventories. For the firms with focused production it is especially essential, because their performance depends on demands of particular customers, or one major customer [12]. b) All the above mentioned relates also to the necessity to have more formalized supplier relationships. ... b) All the above mentioned relates also to the necessity to have more formalized supplier relationships. In order for the firm to secure the manufactured product's future sale it is essential to develop clear terms of supplier/customer relationship and validate it formally. c) The low level of inventory accumulation at the work-in-process stage is explained by the simplified scheme of supply chain affording to avoid the overloading of the warehouses by unsold goods (the firm knows more or less precisely what number of goods it should produce). Describe four multi-plant location strategies The four principal location approaches are as follows: Land Use - optimal agricultural land uses based on transport costs to market; optimal distances of residential and commercial land uses from CBD; Industrial Location / Production Orientation - transport-cost minimizing location, profit maximization, optimal combination of inputs & optimal level of production at optimal location (allowing for scale economies and substitutability at any one level of production); Central Places / Market Areas - optimal market areas choosing; Spatial Competition - optimal response in the face of locational competition [11]. Why Colgate Palmolive, and not Campbell Soup be concerned about NAFTA The North American Free Trade Agreement, known usually as NAFTA, is a free trade agreement among Canada, the United States, and Mexico [7]. Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE: CL) is a multinational corporation in the business of the provision of products such as soaps, detergents, and oral hygiene products such as toothpaste and toothbrushes. Under its "Hill's" brand, it is also a manufacturer of veterinary products [3]. Campbell Soup Company

The temperature and forms of energy and alternative Essay

The temperature and forms of energy and alternative - Essay Example Energy is known to have existed in different forms and by law of conservation, it is neither gained nor lost, only transformed between such forms. Humans have since time hugely benefitted from utilizing energy with light, heat, gravitation, and sound. Scientific studies, moreover, allowed discoveries of other convertible energy forms such as mechanical energy, electrical energy, chemical energy, and nuclear energy. It is of primary significance to life that each energy form is capable of operating a specific engine or machinery to aid men in their means of comfortable living and advancement toward a more sustainable economy. Out of these forms, energy is further classified as either originating from resources or non-renewable resources. In particular, biofuels like the ones based on algae are a renewable alternative fuel used in producing electricity. Besides the renewably drawn energy derived through biomass, geothermal energy, hydroelectric energy, wind, and solar powers, good fuel alternatives are present as well in bioalcohols, non-fossil methane and natural gas, ammonia, and vegetable oil. These safer options create possibilities of reducing air pollution since less hazardous substances are involved during the crucial stages of extraction and emission processes. This way, state investments may be allocated for concerns other than for setting up

Extra Credit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Extra Credit - Essay Example Similarly, the FDA changed terms like â€Å"irradiation† to â€Å"cold pasteurization† to improve sales, as consumers shy away from terms that involve radiation (Unit Six page 5). In these cases the organizations took no action to change processes or procedures, but merely took action to change a products placement in the market. It is surprising to consider the enormous impact these organization must therefore play in product sales, and even which companies are able to succeed in national markets. From this example, I learned that food safety may sometimes not play as large of a role as economics in the food we, as consumers, are led to believe is safe—or even more shockingly the medicines that we take for sicknesses and disabilities. In the future, knowledge of these pressures have convinced me to take a more proactive approach to my health by more closely inspecting health labels and researching processing techniques that may appear as ambiguous statements, su ch as the â€Å"cold pasteurization† example above. By taking a proactive approach, consumers, like myself, can make better, more informed decisions about their health and well-being. The can also act to be more involved in policy making on food and drugs and encourage truth in labeling and advertising. Works Cited Unit Six†¦.

Equality and Diversity Essay Example for Free

Equality and Diversity Essay This essay examines the key factors that influence inclusive learning and teaching in the lifelong learning sector. Teaching methods will vary according to what you want to get out of the session, what the learners are able to achieve within the time frame, what materials and resources are available, what you are teaching, the needs of the learners and your personal style. This could be formal, informal or a mixture of both. Formal teaching methods include lecturers, demonstrations and presentations. Informal teaching includes discussions, group work and practical activities. As I will be teaching within the Beauty Therapy my lessons would be a mixture of both these delivery methods. Each activity within the classroom will consist of teaching and learning activities which are balanced to meet the different needs of my learners. Blended learning incorporates both traditional and computer based methods. This is commonly referred to as Information learning technology (ICT) this use of computer based technology to enhance teaching methods and resources or develop learner autonomy is widely promoted. The other main teaching methods other than ICT I am opting to use are lecturers and demonstrations. These demonstrations are very important as it would show the students the beauty routine that we would expect them to follow within their practical sessions. This ensures that students will be working to the same standard and will also adhere to the requirements of the awarding body. Practical sessions also help to explain difficult parts of the task when verbal exposition in not enough. I would also use group work activities, these particularly suit kinaesthetic learners but also when you have a group consisting of various abilities it allows both weak and strong learners to work collectively. Question and Answer sessions will be most commonly used in my tutorials. If I was teaching for example ‘the bones and muscles of the body) I would ask students to identify where muscles are on the body to help promote learning. At the start of the course the approach I will use to facilitate inclusive learning will be to carry out an initial assessment. This will help me identify what type of learners they are, I would then plan my teaching sessions to meet these individual needs by using a mix of visual, auditory, kinaesthetic teaching and learning strategies. For example I had just completed a practical demonstration to my group on ‘a facial routine’, I wanted to make sure my learners could confidently work in pairs and practice this routine on each other. A task like this would suit the kinaesthetic because he/she is provided with an opportunity to do and learn, and for the visual learner I would produce a step by step illustrated hand-out to support the routine. The Equality Act 2010 outlines protective characteristics which promote equality within schools and colleges and prevent discrimination. This includes sexuality, sex, disability, marital status and religion. In order to promote equality in my classroom I will need to respond positively to the diverse needs of all learners. Effective communication with learners is essential and it is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that learners understand appropriate vocabulary and terminology and that comments are not discriminatory or offensive. As a teacher I would keep language simple so that if I have a learner from different backgrounds they may not have the same level of English as British learners. Resources used such as hand-outs, assignments and work sheets will also aim to promote equality and diversity. For example I would produce worksheets in a gender free language and also aim to promote multiculturalism by producing scenario based worksheets that use names from various ethnic backgrounds. I would also pace my sessions so students have plenty of time to take notes and ask any questions. Although inclusion is about supporting learners’ needs. It is not always possible for teachers to do this without support themselves. All teachers should be aware of the limits of their own responsibility and know when and where to access support for learners. you will not be able to get students to solve all their own difficulties. Get to know and use your institutions student services or pastoral support system: it exists to support your students, and you, so do refer where it is appropriate† Petty 2004 There are many places of referral within education; these can be both internal within the education establishment or an external organisation. The internal places of referral may inc lude student support services, learner study support centre, and counselling and careers advice. If I had a student for example who needed help with writing their essay I would arrange for them to go to the learner study support centre who would be able to assist Learners with learning difficulties or disabilities may need additional support and may need a designated support worker to support them within the classroom. A learner with dyslexia may find it hard to read text or numbers or have difficulty with writing and spelling, therefore I would produce written hand-outs and allow learners with dyslexia to present their ideas verbally or tape notes if necessary. Political correctness is a commonly used term at the moment and is used to ensure that expressions do not cause offence to any particular group of people. There are also many external agencies where learners can be referred, and which agency they are referred to would depend on the individual’s needs of the learner. This may include health related issues, family difficulties, poor attendance, or repeated challenging behaviour. The purpose of referring a learner to an external support agency is to support an individual student and to help them overcome their difficulties which are impacting on their education. For example if I had a student who was constantly disruptive in class and had a record of aggressive behaviour I would refer them to the Pupil Referral Unit. They would help and encourage the learner to be involved in the learning process, but in a smaller environment where they be in a much smaller group (3-4 learners) and also receive one-to-one support. Functional skills such as literacy, numeracy and ICT can be easily integrated into my lessons. These activities will meet both literacy and numeracy standards but are more easily understood by the learner. An example of this would be an assignment covering salon duties. I would ask the students to produce a sales ledger for stock to be re-ordered from our supplier. This would include maths as the student would have to calculate the cost of goods and also the total value of the order, it would include English as the student needs to produce the document and ICT as the student would have to present it in a typed format. The best way to establish ground rules with my learners is to negotiate them. The rules should be appropriate and fair and agreed as a whole class. As a teacher, I would establish ground rules during the first session, and plan a short activity around this. The class could discuss what is expected of them and write the rules in small groups. I would also list a few ground rules and then negotiate them as a class. This gives all learners the opportunity to be included and involved and as they have decided on the rules they are also more likely to respect them. When establishing ground rules it is important to ensure they are clear and brief and start positively rather than with ‘do not’. Once the rules have been established I would ask the learners to write them on some flipchart paper and hang them up in the class so that they are visible to all. It is also important to reinforce the rules consistently and to phrase learners when rules have been adhered to. I feel this method would motivate learners and also model good behaviour. Some rules may not be able to be negotiated. For example when the students come into class they must be wearing their salon uniforms and hair must be tied back. As a teacher even though I have designed my lessons to meet everyone’s needs I still need to ensure that my learners are motivated and want to learn. Maslow (1970) argues that basic needs such a food, safety, love and belonging and self-esteem need to be met in order for them to achieve their goals and aspirations. Everyone is motivated through either Intrinsic (because they want to learn) or extrinsic motivators (because they have to i. e. better job prospects). â€Å"A good teacher will play to the strengths of the learner when trying to raise enthusiasm in learning† Wilson 2004 – page 188 Other theories of motivation that can be used to motivate learners include the goal orientated theory, based on desire to be rewarded for achievement. A learner is given a clear direction or task and when it is reached there is a reward. For example I would set a group task for my learners to complete within the lesson. If they finish before the end of the lesson they are allowed an early break. If they don’t complete the task at the by the end of the session they will have to complete as homework. Albert Bandura (1994) suggested that an individual’s belief in themselves and their ability is related to what they can achieve. An example of how this can be applied into the classroom is to encourage my learner to try, and re-explain the topic if they are unsure. Through coaching and reassurance I will enable that learner to achieve. Giving effective feedback will help to improve the confidence of learners and develop their potential. Feedback should be delivered promptly and be a two way process. I would ask the learner how they think they did and get an idea if their understanding of the topic. Even if I had negative feedback to give to my learner I would end with a positive statement to incite the learner to take my comments on board and leave them feeling more positive about their performance. To conclude I suggest that inclusive teaching can only take place if both equality and diversity are positively promoted. Inclusive teaching relies on a range of differentiation strategies which may include adapted resources or additional classroom support. Depending on individual learner needs, learners may need to be referred to internal or external places of referral for extra support. .

Vector And Raster Data In Gis Computer Science Essay

Vector And Raster Data In Gis Computer Science Essay A Geographical Information System (GIS) is a method of spatially storing, analysing, manipulating, managing and displaying geographical data. GIS data represents real objects such as roads, rivers, urban areas, place names, railway, places of interest, town names etc. with digital data determining the mix. A geodatabase is a database that is in some way referenced to locations on earth. Traditionally, there are two broad methods used to store data in a GIS; raster images and vector. Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI) data is supplied in both Vector and Raster format. In both cases the data is geo-referenced. VECTOR AND RASTER DATA Vector data is split into three types; polygon, line (or arc) and point data. Vector is a method for storing spatial data involving assigning coordinates for each entity; an X,Y, Z for a point, a pair of such points for a line and a series of such lines for a polygon. This method is very useful for modeling discrete physical features. Different geographical features are expressed by different types of geometry: Points A point is a zero-dimensional abstraction of an object represented by a single X, Y co-ordinate. It is normally used to represent a geographic feature too small to be displayed as a line or an area (e.g. location of a building on a small scale map or, for example, cities on a map of the world might be represented by points not polygons). No measurements are possible with point features. Figure 1- Vector representation Source: http://www.geom.unimelb.edu.au/gisweb/GISModule/GIST_Vector.html Lines or polylines A set of co-ordinates that represent the shape of geographic features that are too narrow to be displayed as an area, such as, county boundary lines or contours. At small scales geographic features may have no area, e.g. streams or streets and may be represented as linear features rather than as a polygon. Line features can measure distance. Polygons Polygons are used to represent areas. Such as lakes, park boundaries or land uses etc. Polygons convey the most amount of information of the file types and can measure perimeter and area. Rigaux et al. (2002:p.38) states, A point is represented by its pair of coordinates, whereas more complex linear and surfacic objects are represented by structures (lists, sets, arrays) on the point representation. These geometries can be linked to a row in a database that describes their attributes. For example, a database that describes lakes may contain a lakes depth, water quality, pollution level. Different geometries can also be compared and the GIS could be used, for example, to identify all wells (point geometry) that are within one kilometre of a lake (polygon geometry) that has a high level of pollution. Vector data can be displayed at any scale and individual layers (e.g. roads, buildings, etc) can be displayed or omitted (see Appendix A). Raster Ellis states that raster is a method for the storage, processing and display of spatial data. There are three types of raster datasets; thematic data, spectral data and pictures. Raster data consists of rows and columns of cells, with each cell storing a single value. Raster data can be images containing individual dots with colour values, called cells (or pixels), arranged in a rectangular evenly spaced array. Each cell must be rectangular in shape, but not necessarily square (Ellis 2001). Each cell within this matrix contains location co-ordinates as well as an attribute value. The spatial location of each cell is implicitly contained within the ordering of the matrix, unlike a vector structure which stores topology explicitly. Areas containing the same attribute value are recognised as such, however, raster structures cannot identify the boundaries of areas such as polygons. Raster data is an abstraction of the real world where spatial data is expressed as a matrix of cells or pixels with spatial position implicit in the ordering of the pixels. With the raster data model, spatial data is not continuous but divided into discrete units. Ellis states that this makes raster data particularly suitable for certain types of spatial operation, for example overlays or area calculations. Raster structures may lead to increased storage in certain situations, since they store each cell in the matrix regardless of whether it is a feature or simply empty space. Additional values recorded for each cell may be a discrete value, such as land use, a continuous value, such as temperature, or a null value if no data is available. While a raster cell stores a single value, it can be extended by using raster bands to represent RGB (red, green, blue) colours, colour maps (a mapping between a thematic code and RGB value), or an extended attribute table with one row for each unique cell value. The resolution of the raster data set is its cell width in ground units. Anyone who is familiar with digital photography will recognize the Raster graphics pixel as the smallest individual grid unit building block of an image, usually not readily identified as an artifact shape until an image is produced on a very large scale (see Appendix B). A combination of the pixels making up an image colour formation scheme will compose details of an image, as is distinct from the commonly used points, lines, and polygon area location symbols of vector graphics. Aerial photographs and satellite images are examples of raster images used in mapping. Figure 2 Aerial Photo Digitally scanned and ortho-rectified raster colour photography. The ortho-rectification process removes distortions caused by camera tilt and topographical features to produce a scale accurate image. Source: OSI Raster data is stored in various formats; from a standard file-based structure of TIF, JPEG, etc. to binary large object data stored directly in a relational database management system. Raster v Vector There are some important advantages and disadvantages to using a raster or vector data model to represent reality: Vector graphics are usually more aesthetically pleasing. Raster data will appear as an image that may have a blocky appearance for object boundaries (depending on the resolution of the raster file). Vector data is simpler to update and maintain, whereas a raster image will have to be completely reproduced (e.g. a new road is added). Vector data allows much more analysis capability, especially for networks such as roads, rail, telecommunications etc. Distances and areas can be calculated automatically. With raster data it is difficult to adequately represent linear features depending on the cell resolution. Therefore, network linkages are difficult to establish. Vector files require less disk storage space than raster data. Raster data allows easy implementation of overlay operations, which are more difficult with vector data. Raster data structure allows simple spatial analysis procedures An outline of the application of vector and raster data by OSI in Ireland is included in Appendix C. Non-spatial data Relating the spatial component along with the non-spatial attributes of the existing data e.g. census figures (see Appendix D) enhances the users understanding and gives new insights into the patterns and relationships in the data that otherwise would not be found. Non-spatial data can be stored along with the spatial data represented by the coordinates of vector geometry or the position of a raster cell. In vector data, the additional data contains attributes of the feature. In raster data the cell value can store attribute information, but it can also be used as an identifier that can relate to records in another table. Software is currently being developed to support the solutions to spatial problems being integrated with solutions to non-spatial problems. This will result in non experts using GIS to integrate spatial and non spatial criteria to view solutions to complex problems and to assist in decision-making. Data capture The processes of data collection are also variously referred to as data capture, data automation, data conversion, data transfer, data translation, and digitizing. The two main types of data capture are: Primary data sources e.g. those collected in digital format specifically for use in a GIS project. Secondary sources, digital and analog datasets that were collected for a different purpose and need to be converted into a suitable digital format for use in a GIS project. For vector data capture the two main branches are ground surveying and GPS. Survey data can be directly entered into a GIS from digital data collection systems on survey instruments. Positions from a Global Navigation Satellite System like Global Positioning System (GPS), another survey tool, can also be directly entered into a GIS. New technologies allow creating maps as well as analysis directly in the field and as a result projects are more efficient and mapping is more accurate. Remotely sensed data also plays an important role in data collection and consists of sensors (e.g. cameras, digital scanners) attached to a platform which usually consist of aircraft and satellites. The majority of digital data currently comes from photo interpretation of aerial photographs. Workstations are used to digitize features directly from stereo pairs of digital photographs. These systems allow data to be captured in two and three dimensions, with elevations measured directly from a stereo pair using principles of photogrammetry. Photographs are collected by analog or optical cameras before being entered into a soft copy system, but as high quality digital cameras become cheaper this step will be eliminated. Satellite remote sensing provides another important source of spatial data. Remote sensing collects raster data that can be further processed to identify objects and classes of interest, such as forested areas. The disadvantages are that the resolution is often too course or sensors are restricted by cloud cover. Entering data into GIS usually requires editing, to remove errors, or further processing. For vector data it must be made topologically correct before it can be used for some advanced analysis. For example, in a road network, lines must connect with nodes at an intersection. For scanned maps, blemishes on the source map may need to be removed from the resulting raster. To ensure that the data is specific and reliable and that represents as closely as possible the spatial world we live in, it requires a quality insurance process to manage completeness, validity, logical consistency, physical consistency, referential integrity and positional accuracy of data. Raster-to-vector translation Vectorisation is the process of converting raster data into vector data. For example, a GIS may be used to convert a satellite image map to a vector structure by generating lines around all cells with the same classification, while determining the cell spatial relationships. One of the biggest problems with data obtained from external sources is that they can be encoded in many different formats. Many tools have been developed to move data between systems and to reuse data through open application programming interfaces. Therefore, a GIS must be able to convert geographic data from one structure to another. CONCLUSION When data is captured, the user should consider if the data should be captured with either a relative accuracy or absolute accuracy, as this could not only influence how information will be interpreted but also the cost of data capture. Vector data can be manipulated, layers can be turned on and off, data can be edited or deleted and additional data can be added in. Raster data is usually used as a background map. Raster is not as intelligent as Vector, Rigaux et al. (2002: p.39) states the structure is unfortunately not powerful enough to ensure the correctness of the representation. It is more useful as a display map for brochures, internet and power point presentations. Oosterom Van, P.J. (1993:p.vii) states the ever increasing availabilitiy of hardware such as digitizers, scanners workstations, graphic displays, printers and plotters for the input, processing, and output of geographic data only partly explains the growing interest in GISs. GIS allows us to view, understand, question, interpret, and visualise data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of maps, globes, reports, and charts. GIS helps one answer questions and solve problems by looking at data in a way that is quickly understood and easily shared. Figure 3 GIS continues to evolve Source: Cummens 2010 ERSI Many forces are converging transforming how we work and improving efficiency and decision making (see Fig. 3 above). GIS Is becoming Mainstream Technology going beyond focused applications (Cummens 2010). GIS is helping citizens, business and Government by improving planning, management, communications and decision making. REFERENCES Cummens, Patricia (2010) Geographic Information Enabling a Smarter Government and Economy at the SCS Conference 2010. ESRI. Ellis, F. (2001) Introduction to GIS. Melbourne: University of Melbourne. Oosterom Van, P.J. (1993) Reactive Data Structures for Geographic Information Systems. New York: Oxford University Press. Rigaux, P., Scholl, M., Voisard, A (2002) Spatial Databases with Applications to GIS. San Fransisco: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. http://www.osi.ie/en/academic/third-level-and-academic.aspx?article=4bf958eb-bf0b-4b28-a0d9-24586fadbaab Accessed 27/10/2010