Monday, December 30, 2019

Headphones - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1438 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Technology Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Introduction Headphones are smaller versions of loudspeakers, one that can be carried around ones neck all day. They cover up both the ears reaching across from around the head. They are generally cushioned for comfort and this also helps in noise cancellation. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Headphones" essay for you Create order Over the years, the headphones have found themselves useful in more ways than one. Airplane pilots are among the many professionals to use headphones on the job; most often headphones are used as auxiliary stereo equipment, to listen to music without disturbing others, and in the production of music in the recording studio.'(Thomson Gale, 2006) SUMMARY The History of Headphones The headphones were originally adopted from the idea of telephones. By 1919 radio headphones, as shown in the picture below, had started being manufactured. These headphones were initially used more by the professionals in comparison to the public. The original headphones were far from the ones that are used today with extremely poor sound quality and no cushioning for comfort. The radio operators and telephone exchanges were the initial users of these original headphones. The drawbacks in these headphones were covered for by the invention of the first Dynamic Headphones. A German company called Beyerdynamics created these in 1937 and called them the DT 48. The production of these headphones sets a fine example of innovation in the late 1930s. However, they were incapable of producing stereophonic sounds that we get from the headphones today. Stereo Headphones can be dated back to 1958. The first Modern stereo headphones came into being as a result of the innovation of entrep reneur John C. Koss, a Milwaukee-based jazz musician and audiophile. Before this advancement by Koss, simplistic headphones were merely used in industries by telephone operators for around a century. Koss designed his version distinctively for music and they also supported stereo sound. Kosss first headphones, SP/3, were marketed as an accessory to a suitcase-sized phonograph. The phonograph was not as big as a hit as the headphones since they were largely accepted by the recording industries. Koss made a number of improvements in his original headphones and introduced the Pro/4 model in 1962. It had a microphone transducer that included an improvement in the sound quality. Gradually, new methods of producing sound in headphones were employed by Koss, such as the introduction of the electrostatic headphones, which used stator plates per ear to vibrate air molecules and create sound (Valens Quinn, 2008). These innovative steps had changed the look and quality of headphones. But th ey were still bulky and heavy. There was a need to make them lightweight and compact. By the 1980s, Sony introduced the Walkman Headphones. These were small, portable stereo headphones. They were designed completely different i.e. supra aural as oppose to the circumaural design. The first cordless headphones were by john Koss that used an infrared signal to link the amplifier to the headphones (Thomson Gale, 2006). In the 1990s, the earbud headphone came to light; a small headphone that fit inside the ear instead of sitting over it. Canalphones also came along in the 1990s, providing sound directly into the ear canal for superior sound quality and the combined effect of earplugs to prevent outside noise from leaking inside. (Dachary Carey, 2009) From Theory To Practice Competition when first innovated There was not much competition in the initial period of the birth of headphones. Beyerdynamics was the first to produce the first dynamic headphones in the 19030s. Whereas Koss Corporation produced the first stereo headphones in the 1958. With a number one rating according to the Consumer Report magazine, Koss stood for quality. Though there were other companies that tired to over their monopoly, the company managed to squelch competition from cheap imports by offering a superior product. Research shows that when a Japanese firm began selling an inexpensive $12 headphone set in the early 1960s, Koss raised its own prices, widening the gulf between the two. The company grew at roughly 15 to 20 percent annually in its early years, with profit of around ten percent (James Press, 2001). This proved Kosss company to be a lucrative one, thereby withstanding any competition that was thrown at them. Subsequent Competition But Koss Corporations principal competitor was Sony (James Press, 2001). Sony had its own set of competitors. The Walkman craze began in Japan and reached the US by 1980. Other audio companies jumped on the personal stereo bandwagon, and by Spring of 1981, at least two dozen companies were selling similar devices, many of which were marketed with catchy names of their own. Toshiba had their Stereo Walky, Infinity had their Intimate, and Panasonic sold their Stereo-To-Go. (Walkman History 101, 2002) Resistance to Innovation Innovation in the field of headphones continues to occur, but even the highest quality headphones have drawbacks and limitations. As the headphone speakers are inserted into the ear, the sound deviates from the natural conditioning and sensing elements leading to a disconnected sound effect coming from the middle of the listeners head. Another useful yet unhealthy innovation was the noise cancelling headphones. They can create a level of social isolation and feeling of detachment from the surroundings because of which the listener does not engage with the outside world. Environmental safety is compromised, as listeners cant hear traffic or other social safety cues when enjoying their favorite songs. This has led to many road accidents. Health issues can also arise when a headphone fits deep inside the ear, because during exercise a plugged headphone can cause bacteria growth. In addition, many users report increased earwax. Other health issues like long term or permanent hear ing damage has been reported when users are exposed to high volume levels over long periods of time. (Headphone History And Evolution, 2007) Despite all the changes, nothing was done to check these problems then and they carry on even today. Future Developments The future has much in store for us when it comes to headphones. A lot of research has been done to improve the way headphones look and sound. In the near future, we will be seeing something called bonephones, that use bone conduction to create vibrations against the head to transmit sound to a listener. Its principal benefit is that it prevents ears from damaging due to the outside environment. (Valens Quinn, 2008) Also new to the headphone world will be the introduction of the InAir technology. This technology uses the ear to its full advantage, i.e. its uses all the parts of the ear to create sound, allowing one to have an experience of personal listening similar to high quality, surround sound home stereo system while still allowing ambient sounds to be heard (Headphone History And Evolution, 2007). Critical Analysis Over time, as developments have taken place, headphones have become sleeker, more stylized and comfortable to carry, thereby replacing the huge music players. As innovators find means and ways to attract customers to headphones, their health is at stake. The in-ear headphones may cancel sound for better hearing, but it can also lead to bacterial growth inside the ear if plugged on for a long time. Nowadays, headphones have become Bluetooth enabled, though it clearly known that these rays are injurious to our health. Inventors should focus on these issues rather than stylizing headphones to make sales. With the gradual increase in the population of the world and it becoming more technology savvy, headphone use has increased. Nowadays millions of people use headphones during online gaming, online chatting such as Skype and watching videos on Youtube. Another issue with the headphones is that they sometimes do not fit the price tag. They have recently become expensive due to the in trusion of new technology, e.g. sound cancellation frequency used in Bose speakers, cordless headphones. Either the headphones are too expensive or too cheap to work properly. Another problem faced by the old school headphones lovers and myself rather than the cordless headphones lovers is the tangling of cable. Not much has been done to check the problem. However, keeping in mind the growing number music lovers, the future of the headphone market seems to be a profitable one. References Thomson Gale. (2006). World of Invention. Available: https://www.bookrags.com/research/headphones-woi/. Last accessed 7 November 2009. Valens Quinn. (2008). Time Warp: A History Of Headphones. Available: https://www.gadgetguy.com.au/time-warp-a-history-of-headphones-article-3769-115.html. Last accessed 7 November 2009 Dachary Carey. (2009). The History Of Headphones. Available: https://www.life123.com/technology/home-electronics/headphones/the-history-of-headphones.shtml. Last accessed 7 November 2009. James Press. (2001). Koss Corporation. Available: https://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Koss-Corporation-Company-History.html. Last accessed 24 November 2009. Anonymous. (2002). Walkman History 101. Available: https://www.pocketcalculatorshow.com/walkman/history.html. Last accessed 24 November 2009. Anonymous. (2007). Headphone History and Evolution. Available: https://inairtechnology.com/development.html. Last accessed 24 November 2009.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

African Americans and the Civil War - 774 Words

December 15th 2013 AP US History Unit 7 Essay African Americans and the Civil War Slavery affected many of the political reasons that contributed to causing the Civil War in 1961. Most in the Northern states including President Lincoln were more concerned with preserving the Union rather than fighting for the freedom of all. On the other hand the South fought to preserve what they believed to be absolute state rights. However the overall goals of the war were altered significantly by the willingness of African Americans during war. This also later contributed to the new culture and politics that followed. There was always a constant controversy with the issue of fugitive slaves throughout the time of the Civil War. Major Butler†¦show more content†¦In the beginning, the concern of popular sovereignty in new territories and the reformation of the United States was a very important issue; however, now the government was faced with different issues involving the South. It was said by the Republican Party that the thirteenth amendment was expected and essenti al but if the African Americans had not been so persistent, this would not have been the case. Also the addition of the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments further more angered the Southern people (Doc H). This resulted in the majority of Johnson’s presidency to be focused on Reconstruction. Black’s participation and involvement in the constitutional conventions showed their endless support to the Reconstruction (Doc J). Even though grandfather clauses and poll taxes would soon cut the blacks off from their involvement, they were able to gain full citizenship and suffrage. These particular triumphs would have been impossible if they had not altered the outcome of the war. Not only were African Americans majorly involved in political issues, but they were also very major contributors to social changes in the years that followed the Civil War as well. Many blacks disregarded Southern discouragement and many joined colored regiments or found jobs of their own (Doc F). It was alarming to most Southerners, but after the war African Americans started attending school and the onceShow MoreRelatedAfrican Americans And The Civil War1076 Words   |  5 Pages Throughout history African Americans have had is bad in the United States. First they went through slavery which lasted about two hundred year and was ended around the Civil War which was in the 1860s-1870s. Next after they went through slavery they went through the law of Jim Crow that started after the Civil War which stated, â€Å"Separate but Equal†, and that was not the case because African Americans were still treated as second class citizens. After about ninety years around the 1960s Dr. MartinRead MoreAfrican Americans And The Civil War1449 Words   |  6 PagesWhen the Civil War began, they wanted to take part in fighting to free all slaves. At the end of the civil war passed the civil rights act that gave citizenship to people that are born in the united states, years later African American men were given the right to vote. This might give equal rights but African Americans are still being discriminated. Almost century later, African Americans are still being discriminated. They got jobs and their kids go to school, but more notice that it wasn t rightRead MoreThe Civil War On African Americans Essay1421 Words   |  6 PagesThe years preceding the Civil War were monstrous for African Americans located in the South of the country. Northerners and Southerners would argue that their visions of how society is structured is the right way and should be expanded throughout the nation. Southerners claimed that slavery is okay, and it’s a positive labor system. On the contrary, Northerners claim that laborers should be paid by wage, men should have equal opportunities, and slaves should gain freedom. The four most significantRead MoreAfrican American And The Civil War876 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1865, when the civil war ended in America and slavery was abolished, the African American population in the South faced many challenges related to their new found freedom. Following the pos t-Civil War Reconstruction period, white supremacy resurfaced in the South (AE Television, 2015). Beginning in the early 1900s through 1970 there was a mass exodus of African American s from South to North America. Although some African American s were known to have moved from the South as early as 1850Read MoreThe Civil War Of African Americans1010 Words   |  5 Pagescentury. For an African American, the word â€Å"life† evolved from a word that meant absolutely nothing, to a word that stood for an individual’s highest commodity. After the civil war, emancipation for slaves transformed from a dream to a reality. Although the civil war finally ended in 1865 after four years of fighting, certain citizens and groups across the nation still remained in a state if disagreement with the freedom granted to African Americans. The years after the civil war revolutionizedRead MoreAfrican Americans And The Civil War1309 Words   |  6 PagesIn the summer of 1619, the fir st Africans were brought to Jamestown, Virginia not to live as free settlers but as subordinate slaves. They worked strenuously for Whites, who considered themselves superior to Africans, without much benefit. Racism is not just the belief that one race is superior to others, but the act of negatively identifying individuals based on the color of their skin. Attributing race to individual character has proven to have negative implications that are difficult to mend.Read MoreAfrican Americans And The Civil War1540 Words   |  7 Pageshistorical backdrop of the United States, African Americans have dependable been victimized. When Africans first came to America, they had no choice but to be slaves. The progressed toward becoming slaves to the rich, covetous, lethargic Americans. African Americans had given no compensation and regularly whipped and beaten. They battled for their opportunity, yet when the Civil War came African Americans had this logic that if they were to join the Ci vil War they could liberate all slaves. HoweverRead MoreAfrican Americans And The Civil War859 Words   |  4 Pagesslavery, predominately in the American South, African-Americans were finally set free from bondage. The fourteenth and fifteenth amendments quickly followed, granting citizenship to â€Å"all persons born or naturalized in the United States† and granting African American men the right to vote, respectively. Naturally, Americans denoted these momentous legislative feats, collectively packaged as the Reconstruction Amendments, as a means of celebration for African-Americans. However, in order to rectifyRead MoreAfrican Americans in the Civil War1971 Words   |  8 PagesAnderson HIST 3060 February 25, 13 African Americans and the Civil War The role African Americans played in the outcome, and the road to the outcome of the Civil War was immense. The fact that the south had slaves and the north did not played an enormous role in the issues. The north wanted to abolish slavery, and the south did not and after the war started this became one of the main reasons for the Civil War. Since most African Americans could not read or write, this made them an easyRead MoreAfrican Americans And The Civil War971 Words   |  4 PagesAfter the civil war African Americans hoped that the world they lived in would be an equal one; little did they know they had more struggles to conquer. Three major amendments were passed to provide African Americans with equality; the 13th amendment officially and finally put an end to slavery and any future involuntary servitude, the 14th amendment states that colored men and women were given citizenship, and the 15th amendment gave black men the right to vote. Although these amendments were passed

Saturday, December 14, 2019

The Impact of the Current Regulatory Framework on Water Quality in Ireland Free Essays

Lecturer: Aisling O’Gorman Waste Process Management Lecturer: Aisling O’Gorman Waste Process Management 08 Fall 08 Fall Submission Date: 11/10/2012 Word Count: 2387 Submission Date: 11/10/2012 Word Count: 2387 The Impact of the Current Regulatory Framework on Water Quality in Ireland: Maria McShane The Impact of the Current Regulatory Framework on Water Quality in Ireland: Maria McShane Introduction Based on the evaluation of various reports, papers, documents, regulations and legislation from numerous agencies, departments, directives and bodies it can be seen that although â€Å"on paper† major changes have been made so as to improve the quality of water in Ireland, realistically the amendments do not match up. This being that progress has been slow and minimal when compared to the reform of regulations and legislation and the introduction of the Water Framework Directive. Considering the key importance of water as a natural resource both to society and habitats alike it will be argued that although the intention is there to improve the quality of water in Ireland (and there have been some improvements) as an overall, actual major physical improvements to the water quality has yet to be seen. We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact of the Current Regulatory Framework on Water Quality in Ireland or any similar topic only for you Order Now Report Firstly the Water Framework Directive will be examined to highlight its purpose, current status and goals for the future and how it fits into impacting Irelands water quality. The WFD was set up by the EU â€Å"in response to the increasing threat of pollution and the increasing demand from the public for cleaner rivers, lakes and beaches† (The Eu Water Framework Directive. [online] Available at: http://www. wfdireland. ie/wfd. tml[Accessed on 08/10/12]). According to the Water Framework Directives’ website, their aims are to â€Å"protect/enhance all waters (surface, ground and coastal waters), achieve â€Å"good status† for all waters by December 2015, manage water bodies based on river basins (or catchments), involve the public and streamline legislation†1 (The Eu Water Framework Directive. [online] Available at: http://www. wfdireland. ie/wfd. html[Accessed on 08/10/12]). In order to achieve these goals a timetable for implementation of the directive was created, starting from its transposition into Irish Legislation by the European Communities (Water Policy) Regulations 2003, (Statutory Instrument 722) on 22nd December 2003 (European Communities (Water Policy) Regulations 2003, (Statutory Instrument 722). (The Eu Water Framework Directive. [online] Available at: http://www. wfdireland. ie/wfd. html[Accessed on 08/10/12]). From the 22nd December 2003 to the 22nd June 2009 no Programmes of Measures were actually implemented in order to beneficially impact Irelands water quality by the WFD. Instead the WFD established (June 2004) and characterised (December 2004) Irelands River Basin Districts, submitted a National Summary Report on the characterisation of the RBDs to the European Commission (March 2005), developed classification systems for surface water and groundwater (June 2006), established and maintained appropriate Monitoring Programmes (June 2006), prepared and published a work programme and timetable for the production of River Basin Management Plans (RBMP) (June 2006), identified the significant water management issues in each river basin (June 2007), drafted RBMPs and allowed six months for written comment (June 2008), and finally established environmental objectives and final Programmes of Measures and developed RBMPs for implementation (June 2009), (Water Framework Directive, [2005]). Although this research and reporting is a vital function of improving Irelands water quality, the timeframe in which this has been done means that physical progress has been h indered. The actual recovery progress made to Irelands water quality can be seen in various Environmental Protection Agency reports. According to the EPA’s Water Quality in Ireland Report of 2007-2009, between 1987 and 1990, 77. 3, 12. 0, 9. 7 and 0. % surveyed river channel length were unpolluted, slightly polluted, moderately polluted and seriously polluted respectively. By the 2001-2003 report the percentage of unpolluted rivers had dropped from 77. 3% to 69. 3% which is significant, in addition to this the percentage surveyed of seriously polluted rivers had risen from 0. 4% to 0. 6%, slight and moderate pollution had also risen by 5. 9 and 2. 6 percent respectively. By the 2007-2009 report the percentage of surveyed river that remained unpolluted had dropped again to 68. 9%, slight pollution had also risen to 20. 7%. Fortunately moderate and seriously polluted waters had seen a drop from 12. 3 and 0. 6 to 10. 0 and 0. 4 percent respectively (M. McGarrigle et al. [2009). Considering that the water quality of rivers for the 2001-2003 recording period was healthier than the 2007-2009 recording period, even though the 2001-2003 period coincides with the implementation of the WFD, highlights that for a period of six years that the WFD was in effect Irelands river water quality declined. This corroborates to the argument that yes the WFD has carried out reports, monitoring programs and drafted plans all well and good, but without any actual meaningful actions taken, what good is the WFD at all? This is not to say that the WFD has not done anything positive, for example since its introduction â€Å"the percentage of channel surveyed classified as seriously polluted has decreased to 0. 4 percent compared with the previous period when 0. 5 percent was seriously polluted† (M. McGarrigle et al. [2009]). It cannot be stressed enough that in order to improve the quality of water in Ireland research and reporting is fundamental, however the point being made is that pencil pushing and fiddling around writing reports and documents will not recuperate Irelands water systems. Six years is a very long timeframe for an EU commissioned directive to take no feasible action other than talk about and plan what it’s going to do and then expect to reach its target of returning all waters to â€Å"good status† by December 2015. To emphasise the case that without acting and merely focusing on the bureaucratic side of things the WFD has impeded its own progress, citing’s from the South Western River Basin Management Plan (2009-2015) report will be looked at. It states, â€Å"municipal wastewater discharge is one of the two most important sources of pollution in Irish rivers, accounting for 38% of the number of polluted river sites recorded (the other source being agricultural activities)† (South Western River Basin District [2010]). This is not new news, this has been known for quite some time and â€Å"the two top sectors responsible for the pollution of Irish rivers are municipal and agriculture† has even been quoted in the 1991-1993 EPA water quality in Ireland report. To add to this the Nitrates Directive was set up in 1991 for the â€Å"protection of waters against pollution by nitrates from agricultural sources† (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, The Nitrates Directive. [online] Available at: http://www. nviron. ie/en/Environment/Water/WaterQuality/NitratesDirective/ [Accessed on 08/10/12]). This directive actually implemented legislation that â€Å"required the avoidance of practices by farmers which create a risk of causing pollution to water courses and provide for inspections by local authorities. They also provided for strengthened enforcement provisions and for better farmyard management. They included provisions relating to times of the year, weather and soil conditions when the application of fertilisers is permitted, the minimum setback distances from water sources for the application of fertilisers and minimum storage capacity for manures†. Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, The Nitrates Directive. [online] Available at: http://www. environ. ie/en/Environment/Water/WaterQuality/NitratesDirective/ [Accessed on 08/10/12]). Why then is the SWRBD reporting that agriculture is the second biggest cause of pollution to Irish rivers, number one when this has long been known and number two when measures have already been put in place a long time ago to address this problem? To add to this they also quoted â€Å"The main objective i n relation to wastewater is to meet the requirements of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations (2001-2010) in full† (South Western River Basin District [2010]). Not to be crude, but are they for real? This is common sense, these regulations have been in place since 2001, and yes they would have been modified over the years but how in 2010 when this report came out can meeting these regulations still be just an objective? To highlight further the WFDs failure to have a significant positive impact on the quality of Irish water a recent EPA report on the assessment of aquatic ecosystem responses to POM’s intended to improve water quality in Ireland was released. According to this report, â€Å"results presented suggest that many existing POMs have proven or are proving ineffective in raising BWQ (biological water quality) and restoring ecological functioning† (D. Taylor et al. [2012]). An example of this can be seen in the â€Å"strategic replacement of 10% of septic tank systems in part of the Blackwater catchment in CO. Armagh† (D. Taylor et al. [2012]). The report showed that overall, prior and subsequent to the replacement of the septic tank systems phosphorous loads remained largely the same. In conjunction with this result, â€Å"in other parts of the Blackwater, the replacement and upgrading of septic tank systems had no significant phosphorous concentration effects, despite the implementation of additional POMs aimed at reducing phosphorous inputs from point and diffuse sources† (D. Taylor et al. [2012]). The report goes on to say that some of the â€Å"potential reasons why the implementation of POMs have had limited success include the delayed, incomplete or uneven application of measures† (D. Taylor et al. [2012]). This only solidifies the argument that the WFD spent too much time thinking about what to do, and then what measures they did put in place, for the most part either took too long to do so or did not implement the measure properly in order to meet their 2015 deadline. Which follows now onto a report that was released in July 2010 on behalf of the WFD entitled â€Å"Final River Basin Management Plans Background Documentation, Alternative Objectives: Approach to Extended Deadlines†, its main purpose, to focus on certain cases that require an extension past the 2015 deadline (kind of defeats the purpose of the WFD if they are admitting defeat five years before the deadline). Under section 4. 0 ‘Agriculture’ of this report, one of the cases for exclusion is nitrate losses from agriculture to groundwaters. The reason for this, â€Å"Scientific data indicates status recovery extends beyond 2015. â€Å"Recovery of elevated nitrate levels in groundwater bodies is expecte d to take place in approximately 20 years even with full implementation of the Good Agricultural Practice regulations (Fenton et al, in press). So yes, while it is known that the natural recovery of a water system takes substantial time, with technology today could the WFD not invest in developing nitrate removal techniques such as, layered double hydroxides which â€Å"are of interest because of the potential to use LDHs to remove agrochemicals from polluted water, reducing the likelihood of eutrophication† (Wikipedia. org, Layered Double Hydroxins. [online] Available at: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Layered_double_hydroxides [Accessed on 08/10/2012]). Another case looked at in this report is wastewater discharges from some treatment plants. The reason for the exemption, a technical/practical constraint, it states â€Å"The time required to plan and design upgrades to treatment plants and to achieve approvals and licensing means it is not technically possible to achieve good status in 2015,† the action applied is to leave â€Å"Local Authorities to upgrade plants through the Water Services Investment Programme† meaning that funding is one of the reasons that there will be a delay in the overhaul of wastewater treatment plants in Ireland. Unsurprisingly, according to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government website â€Å"with the changed economic climate and the finalisation of the first cycle of River Basin Management Plans, the new programme aims to prioritise projects that target environmental compliance issues† (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, Water Services Investment Programme. online] Available at: http://www. environ. ie/en/Environment/Water/ WaterServices/WaterServicesInvestmentProgramme/ [Accessed on 08/10/2012]). This here shown lack of initiative by the Government and the WFD by not investing in technology that can help recover Irish waters allows the development of this last argument. In a very recent position paper entitled â€Å"Reform of the Water Sector in Ireland† carried out by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government it was highlighted that â€Å"water services cost over â‚ ¬1. 2 billion to run in 2010, of which operational costs amounted to some â‚ ¬715 million, with capital expenditure of over â‚ ¬500 million†. The paper goes on to tell of the impending establishment of the state company ‘Irish Water’ â€Å"that will take over the water investment and maintenance programmes of the 34 county and city councils with the key aim of supervising and accelerating the pace of delivery of planned investments needed to upgrade the State’s water and sewerage networks† (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, [2012]). This state company intends on funding its investments and programmes via water charges paid for by Irish householders. Despite the fact that Ireland is in a recession and its people are struggling as it is financially, the fact remains that Ireland is the only country in the OECD that does not pay for its water use (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, [2012]). It states, â€Å"Our capacity to fund the future capital investment requirements from the exchequer is severally constrained. The Government’s plan for Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-16 shows a decline in exchequer capital investment in water and waste water services from â‚ ¬435 million in 2011 to â‚ ¬371 million in 2012 and a further decline to â‚ ¬296 million by 2014† (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, [2012]). This is one of the reasons why Irish Water is a good idea as it will actually fund the necessary wastewater treatment plant changes that need to be done in order to tackle some of Irelands water pollution issues while also effectively reducing the amount of treated potable water wasted everyday by Irish households. So to sum up, yes, introducing the WFD has had a positive impact as it has lead to developments in implementations that will help to recover the quality of Irelands waters, however the main argument being made in this paper is that they failed on several points. Firstly they spent too much time on the bureaucratic side of things, six years to be exact figuring out what the problems were and where, when a lot of them were obvious, had been known about and reported on several years previously and many had already been addressed. Secondly, a lot of POMs that were implemented were done so either to late or not properly, meaning that a lot of them have not lead to any significant positive changes. Finally where the WFD failed was a lack of investment into developing technologies that might help accelerate the return of Irish waters to their natural state, and a huge time lag into implementing water charges so as to invest into Irelands infrastructure regarding wastewater treatment. Overall time here is what has been wasted, as for every day that no action is taken is another day when Irelands water and habitats suffer. Nature does not and can not wait for the pencil pushers. References 1. The Eu Water Framework Directive. [online] Available at: http://www. wfdireland. ie/wfd. html[Accessed on 08/10/12] 2. Water Framework Directive, [2005]. The Characterisation and Analysis of Ireland’s River Basin Districts, National Summary Report. Ireland 3. Environmental Protection Agency, M. McGarrigle et al. [2009]. Water Quality in Ireland. Ireland 4. South Western River Basin District, [2010] South Western River Basin Management Plan. Ireland 5. Environmental Protection Agency, [1993] Water Quality in Ireland. Ireland 6. Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, The Nitrates Directive. [online] Available at: http://www. environ. ie/en/Environment/Water/WaterQuality/NitratesDirective/ [Accessed on 08/10/12]). 7. Environmental Protection Agency, D. Taylor et al. [2012] Water Quality and the Aquatic Environment STRIVE Report 91. Ireland 8. Lag Time: A Methodology For The Estimation Of Vertical, Horizontal Travel Flushing Timescales To Nitrate Threshold Concentrations In Irish Aquifers Fenton et al under review 9. Wikipedia. org, Layered Double Hydroxins. [online] Available at: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Layered_double_hydroxides [Accessed on 08/10/2012]. 10. Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, Water Services Investment Programme. [online] Available at: http://www. environ. ie/en/Environment/Water/WaterServices/WaterServicesInvestmentProgramme/ [Accessed on 08/10/2012]). 11. Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, [2012] Reform of the Water Sector in Ireland. Ireland How to cite The Impact of the Current Regulatory Framework on Water Quality in Ireland, Papers

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Segmentary system free essay sample

M.N Srinivas sees caste as a segmentary system. Every caste for him divided into sub castes which are the units of endogamy whose members follow a common occupation, social and ritual life and common culture and whose members are governed by the same authoritative body viz the panchayat. Srinivas was an eminent Indian sociologist who is known for his work on caste and caste systems, social stratification, Sanskritization and Westernization in southern India and the concept of Dominant Caste. As part of his methodological practice, Srinivas strongly advocated ethnographic research based on fieldwork, but his concept of fieldwork was tied to the notion of locally bounded sites. Thus some of his best papers, such as the paper on dominant caste and on a joint family dispute, were largely inspired from his direct participation (and as a participant observer) in rural life in south India.MN Srinivas in his paper entitled dominant Caste in Rampura featured the procedure of social change in India in view of the idea of prevailing standing. As per him, a station to be named, as a prevailing position must have broad cultivable land ought to have significant numerical quality and ought to possess a high place in the neighbourhood caste order.The dominant caste may assume self-importance, separate itself from others and think about itself as the defender of the group. Compelling individuals from the prevailing caste settle question in their group as well as intra-station debate. A prevailing station keeping in mind the end goal to keep up agreement among the diverse financial strata inside its standing structure may shape position based affiliations. Position individuals are admonished to take measures to keep up the virtue of the standing and enhance their caste status.M.N Srinivas introduced the term sanskritization with Indian Sociology. The term refers to a procedure whereby individuals of lower ranks all in all endeavor to receive upper standing practices and convictions to get higher status. It shows a procedure of social portability that is occurring in the conventional social arrangement of India. M. N.Srinivas in his investigation of the Coorg in Karnataka found that lower standings with a specific end goal to bring their situation up in the rank chain of command embraced a few traditions and practices of the Brahmins and surrendered some of their own which were thought to be tainted by the higher stations. For instance they surrendered meat eating, drinking alcohol and creature forfeit to their gods. They imitiated Brahmins in issues of dress, food and rituals. By this they could assert higher positions in the pecking order of standings inside an age. The reference assemble in this procedure isnt generally Brahmins however might be the prevailing position of the area. Sanskritization has happened typically in bunches who have appreciated political and monetary power yet were not positioned high in custom positioning. Srinivas, truth be told, has been widening his meaning of the term Sanskritisation every once in a while. At first, he portrayed it as— the procedure of versatility of lower caste by adopting vegetarianism and teetotalism to move in the caste hierarchy in a generation.Sanskritisation is a much broader concept than Brahminisation. M.N. Srinivas preferred it to Brahminisation for some reasons:-Sanskritisation is more extensive term and it can subsume in itself the smaller procedure of Brahminisation. For example, today, however all around, Brahmins are veggie lovers and nondrinkers, some of them, for example, Kashmiris, Bengalis and saraswath Brahmins eat non-vegan nourishment. Had the term Brahminisation been utilized, it would have turned out to be important to indicate which specific Brah ¬min gather was implied. Further, the reference gatherings of Sanskritisation are not generally Brahmins. The procedure of impersonation require not really occur on the model of Brahmins. Srinivas himself has given the case of the low ranks of Mysore who received the lifestyle of Lingayats, who are not Brahmins but rather who guarantee uniformity with Brahmins. So also, the smiths (one of the lower positions) of Mysore call themselves Vishwakarma Brahmins and wear holy strings and have sanskritised some of their customs. (All things considered, some of them eat meat and drink alcohol. For the exceptionally same reason, numerous positions, including some untouchable standings dont acknowledge nourishment or water from their hands). The bring down ranks imitated Brahmins as well as Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Jats, Shudras, and so forth in various parts of the nation. Subsequently the term Brahminisation does not totally clarify this procedure. M.N. Srinivas himself recognized this reality and stated: I now understand that, I underscored unduly the Brahminical model of Sanskritisation and disregarded alternate models Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra.According to Prof Satish Deshpande the 1980-90 witnessed the return of the repressed- the renewed militancy and social visibility of the lower classes.  During the Nehruvian era, Caste was among the few traditional institutions that were presented as all bad, as social evils without any redeeming features. And in 1950s and 60s, it seemed to have no active role in urban everyday life. After Mandal, we have realised that the sole reason for the invisibility of caste in the urban context is that it is overwhelmingly dominated by the upper castes. This homogeneity has made caste drop below the threshold of social visibility. Satish Deshpande (2003) have been critical of income and size-based assessments of the middle class. They have analyzed the middle class from the Marxist perspective and have examined it with respect to ideology and power. As a consequence, while Vanaik contends that the middle class is a part of the ruling elite, Deshpande argues that the Indian middle class is hegemonic. Most importantly, they look at class through the lens of power and contend that the middle class derives power from ideological representations. Deshpande, however, sarcastically remarks that with the gradual eclipse of the idea of development one could no longer be confident that the middle class, the developmental state, and the nation were marching in step. The middle classes have since then gradually distanced themselves from the idea of nation state and its development.The processes of globalisation and localisation have seen the emergence of sub national loyalties as well as the lure of transnational identities among the new middle classes seeking adjustment. Thus having consolidated its social, economic and political standing, this new class, especially its upper segment, is all set to corner the benefits of globalisation. All the issues like modernity, the nation, Hindutva, or the middle class, seem to veer around to the overarching theme of globalisation and the geography of cultural regions. Deshpande suggests that the processes of globalisation that produce a sort of identity anxiety should be accompanied by the g rowth of particularistic cultural identities of all kinds. caste inequalities) where one sees in India an aggressive return of the repressed expressed in the resurgence of Hindu communalism in the 1980s. Deshpande overviews the spatial strategies Hindu communalism takes up to entrench its interest and re-constitute an idea of India in a different direction from that of the Nehruvian secular-modernist vision. It broadly has been described as a process of competitive de-secularization of the public sphere and a re-sacralization of the nation as pace. Genealogically it draws from the writings of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, a militant Hindu nationalist. Symptomatic of its efforts are the events of 1992 Ayodhya – being the demolition of the Babri Mazjid by carders of the Hindu right by claiming that the mosque was originally the site of an ancient Hindu temple. The displacement of the other from the public space via an aggressive symbolic intrusion into it for its own privilege by claiming a mythic historical right over the site has characterized the political spatial strategy of resurgent Hindu communalism. Alongside such developments the book takes a keen look at the class which s eems most embroiled in the factors being discussed – the middle class. It historicizes the notion of this category by bringing to bear how it has been thought of in the past and what it may be becoming today. Marxs initial dismissal of the middle class is re-contextualized using a Gramscian understanding of how the middle class perpetuates and regulates the dominant ideology serving the present social structures – which in some ways accounts for the historical conservativeness of this section. The section then takes a close look at just how large this section may be and considers the possibility that the commonsensical notion of the middle classes now constituting the majority of the country is again a gross misunderstanding. Rigorous quantitative analysis done on the basis of earning, expenditure and consumption demonstrate that the middle class is actually much smaller than we suppose. Having established its relatively smaller size than supposed it then explores as to how this entity is in a position to see itself as the repository of the true moral legitimacy of civil society. Fundamental to this position (as already noted) is the fact that it is the middle class which articula tes the hegemony of the ruling bloc, hence the class most dependent on cultural capital (this seems to be as true in the Nehruvian period as it is in the subsequent ones). The post-independent project of developing the state via the Nehruvian middle class also invested this group with the added moral legitimacy they seem to command.Louis Dumonts treatise on the  Indian caste system.   It analyses the caste hierarchy and the ascendancy tendency of the lower castes to follow the habits of the higher castes. This concept was termed as  Sanskritisation  by  MN Srinivas.  Louis Dumont the theory of Varna is Dumont has viewed that India has the traditional hierarchy of Varnnas, colours. Through this  there is the fourfold division of the society, such as Brahmins or priest, Khatriyas or warriors,  Vaishyas or the traders/ merchants and the Shudras or the servants.   He found that there was no  categories below this called to be the untouchables.  Caste and varnas are to be understood with  relationship of hierarchy and power.  He has made a disjunction between the ritual   status and the secular power which includes the  political and economic power. There is the subordination of the political and economic criteria of  the social stratification to that of the ritual status in Dumonts model.  At the end Dumont  discusses, the significant changes in the castes. He views that the traditional interdependence of  castes has been replaced by  a universe of impenetrable blocks, self-sufficient, essential,  identical and in competition in one another.Various sources of changes in caste system includes  judicial and political changes, socio-religious reforms,  westernisation, and growth of modern  professions, urbanization, spatial mobility and the growth of market economy. But, despite all  these factors making for change, the most ubiquitous and the general form the change has  occurred  in contemporary times is one of a mixture or combination, of traditional and modern  features.  Those low in a hierarchical system universally see it as disadvantageous to them   and object to the system or to the manner i n which it is applied   to themselves. Any social hierarchy, then, is perpetrated and perpetuated by elites and is struggled against as circumstances permit, by those they oppress.Name:- SachinEnrollment No:-SKG162E0458BA Sociology Hons

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Computer Security Essays - Security, Cybercrime, Cryptography

Computer Security About two hundred years before, the word "computer" started to appear in the dictionary. Some people even didn't know what is a computer. However, most of the people today not just knowing what is a computer, but understand how to use a computer. Therefore, computer become more and more popular and important to our society. We can use computer everywhere and they are very useful and helpful to our life. The speed and accuracy of computer made people felt confident and reliable. Therefore, many important information or data are saved in the computer. Such as your diary, the financial situation of a oil company or some secret intelligence of the military department. A lot of important information can be found in the memory of computer. So, people may ask a question: Can we make sure that the information in the computer is safe and nobody can steal it from the memory of the computer? Physical hazard is one of the causes of destroying the data in the computer. For example, send a flood of coffee toward a personal computer. The hard disk of the computer could be endangered by the flood of coffee. Besides, human caretaker of computer system can cause as much as harm as any physical hazard. For example, a cashier in a bank can transfer some money from one of his customer's account to his own account. Nonetheless, the most dangerous thief are not those who work with computer every day, but youthful amateurs who experiment at night --- the hackers. The term "hacker "may have originated at M.I.T. as students' jargon for classmates who labored nights in the computer lab. In the beginning, hackers are not so dangerous at all. They just stole computer time from the university. However, in the early 1980s, hackers became a group of criminals who steal information from other peoples' computer. For preventing the hackers and other criminals, people need to set up a good security system to protect the data in the computer. The most important thing is that we cannot allow those hackers and criminals entering our computers. It means that we need to design a lock to lock up all our data or using identification to verify the identity of someone seeking access to our computers. The most common method to lock up the data is using a password system. Passwords are a multi-user computer system's usual first line of defense against hackers. We can use a combination of alphabetic and number characters to form our own password. The longer the password, the more possibilities a hacker's password-guessing program must work through. However it is difficult to remember a very long passwords. So people will try to write the password down and it may immediately make it a security risk. Furthermore, a high speed password-guessing program can find out a password easily. Therefore, it is not enough for a computer that just have a password system to protect its data and memory. Besides password system, a computer company may consider about the security of its information centre. In the past, people used locks and keys to limit access to secure areas. However, keys can be stolen or copied easily. Therefore, card-key are designed to prevent the situation above. Three types of card-keys are commonly used by banks, computer centers and government departments. Each of this card-keys can employ an identifying number or password that is encoded in the card itself, and all are produced by techniques beyond the reach of the average computer criminals. One of the three card-key is called watermark magnetic. It was inspired by the watermarks on paper currency. The card's magnetic strip have a 12-digit number code and it cannot be copied. It can store about two thousand bits in the magnetic strip. The other two cards have the capability of storing thousands of times of data in the magnetic strip. They are optical memory cards (OMCs) and Smart cards. Both of them are always used in the security system of computers. However, it is not enough for just using password system and card-keys to protect the memory in the computer. A computer system also need to have a restricting program to verify the

Monday, November 25, 2019

Mrs. Wright versus Louisa essays

Mrs. Wright versus Louisa essays Desolate, solitary and lonely: these are all qualities that are affiliated with the character Mrs. Wright. Mrs. Wright is a character from the short story "A Jury of her Peers" by Susan Glaspell. Unlike Mrs. Wright, Louisa, from "A New England Nun" by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, lives alone, but Louisa was not truly lonely. Both women, Mrs. Wright and Louisa, were alone, nonetheless Mrs. Wright was lonelier. Louisa, a spinster in the short story, decided that she wanted to live her life alone. Because she was set in her way of doing things, she did not want to change her lifestyle for someone else. Just because Louisa lived alone, does not make her a lonely person. "She had lived so long in one way that she shrank from making a change (page 71)."" Louisa may have been alone, without a companion, but she had a dog and a canary for company, and she liked to sew, polish her china to perfection and look out her window. She had hobbies, and did not feel as if she were lonely. Mrs. Wright, on the other hand, was extremely lonely. She did not have children, and did not have any friends or pets. She had her husband, but they did not have a very good relationship. Thus, this excludes her having a companion, that is, someone to talk to. In fact, Mr. John Wright was not a very cheerful person. He even, supposedly, killed Mrs. Wright's pet canary. "Wright wouldn't like the bird, a thing that sang. She used to sing. He killed that too (page 170)."" She had liked to sing in the choir, and bought the bird to listen to and also for companionship. She had been lonely previously, but must have been even lonelier without it. Even the trees outside her house were lonely, and her house was lonesome. Mrs. Wright didn't have anything to subside her loneliness without her bird, a caring husband or close friends. Mrs. Wright was so lonely, that she must have become crazy. Without having anybody ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Main Development of e Marketing and its Effect on Tourism Essay

The Main Development of e Marketing and its Effect on Tourism - Essay Example This essay will seek to address some of the major developments of e marketing and their effects on tourism. Additionally, it will also look at the major issues related to technology and innovation as well as their impacts on global tourism. Understanding and managing technological change and innovation To begin with, the recent advances and developments in connectivity and power processing facilitated by Information Communication Technology are undeniable. It is also agreeable and true that the expansion of broadband is part of the greatest challenges of the 21st century, which, once the world overcomes it, will witness the end of the ‘plague of distance’ that exists globally. Simultaneously, the ‘smart world’ in which are living in whose landscape albeit experiencing a permanent process of evolution is offering clearer, becoming friendlier, and presenting solutions that serve in reducing money and time and opening new paths towards the personalization of pr oducts and services. At this point, it is understandable that, in this world, in spite of its tones of inequalities offers an immense space to increase travel, because many barriers that once prevented or slowed global travel are gradually declining (Alipour, 2011:1). As of today, combination of technology and price comparison is increasingly shaping the activities of tourism. Experts are developing new applications for mobiles that offer a wide range of opportunities, social networks are consolidating themselves within a more transparent market where citizens are in a position to develop and provide services together, and changes in the concept of the value chain are producing new business models. In other words, change is becoming more constant and obvious, just as the opportunities that it is creating and presenting. However, technological advancements are presenting a challenge for the tourism industry. It is therefore vital understand the main trends that are influencing supply and demand, to know what is managing the change in the external environment while evolving at the same rate (McMaster, Kato, and Khan, 2005:12). Moreover, it is congruent to converse with the improved capacity for tourism organizations to respond via policies that can better integrate diverse interests, taking into account the whole range of potential of a destination. Business analysts recognize the internet as a widely and extremely valuable tool of marketing. This is because; the internet gives substantial merits over traditional methods of communication. The offers increased customer involvement in controlling transactions, increases the speed of transferring and retrieving information, and reduces the costs involved in communication. The internet is offering the tourism industry a greater flexibility of using the marketing mix (Kim, 2004:5). As such, it increases internal and external communications as well as facilitates market research. Tourism industry depends highly on int ernet in intensifying and improving customer services, product development, market penetration, cost saving via reengineering, product delivering, and in direct marketing. The use of internet transformed the tourism indus

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Consider the ways in which actual readers may deviate from the role Essay

Consider the ways in which actual readers may deviate from the role assigned them as implied readers and why this happens. Make very specific and detailed reference to the texts and make use of quotations - Essay Example Written by Chinua Achebe, it is regarded as the seminal novel within African literature. Achebe has said that he wrote his famous book, at least in part, because of the anger he felt at being made to read Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Cary's Mister Johnson in colonial schools. The latter features a slavish African who adores his white boss so much that he is gladly shot to death by him. In the former, white men go insane because of the 'heart" of the "darkness" revealed by Africa and Africans. In Things Fall Apart Achebe intends to speak to an implied reader who has read books similar to the ones he was made to read in high school. Achebe assumes a knowledge of Africa based upon books such as these, and then turns that "knowledge" on its head by giving the African viewpoint. Colonization had a profound effect upon many parts of the now developing world. Formulated as part economic expansion and part assertion of supposedly superior values and culture by mainly European countries, the effects of colonization were similarly varied. Colonial areas essentially became vassals of their colonial masters. Their economic riches were taken for the good of the colonists and old customs often subsumed within the changes brought about by European education of the elite and the attempts of missionaries to convert the local people to Christianity. Achebe is attempting to put the reader in the shoes of the Africans being influenced by these policies rather than, as is more normal within literature, in the position of the Europeans. In 1914, Lord Frederick Lugard, the governor of the British territories in Nigeria united areas in the North and South of the country into a single colony, thus creating "Nigeria" at a stroke. This was a common occurrence: countries were essentially just drawn on a map with little attention paid to natural geographical, cultural or tribal boundaries. It also played into the idea that all Africans were somehow the 'same': that is, primitive, innately stupid and dangerous unless treated with a carefully harsh hand. There were no differences in culture to the colonial's eyes, or if there were, they were insignificant as the Africans were just "natives" first and members of individual and contrasting groups second. In Things Falling Apart the author takes this tendency to see all Africans as a homogenous whole and turns it on its head. He suggests that Africans are almost as responsible for their lowly state as the colonial powers because they essentially buy into the idea of their supposedly primitive nature. If Africans are not interested in their history and culture, then how can they expect colonial powers to be In the book an attempt is made to show native African culture as complex and sophisticated with various traditions that date back centuries. But this culture was essentially dwarfed and overwhelmed by unimpeded contact with Western culture. Take the example of the Oba leaders called Afins. Under colonialism their wealth tended to disintegrate because their economic system had changed so rapidly. They could no longer benefit from free labor and the chief was no longer allowed to impound properties. The Oba could not support large numbers of wives, children and servants. The Afins were often forced to shut down their large houses and to turn to ordinary work. Achebe argues that all too many Africans are willing to accept the European

Monday, November 18, 2019

ITM 501 MoD 5 SLP Information networks as enterprise glue Essay

ITM 501 MoD 5 SLP Information networks as enterprise glue - Essay Example Problem Identification It can be stated that as technology is running on high tech products backed up with trained IT professionals, there always exist a probability to create problems or even threats while performing various significant operational functions (5 Star Support, 2012; Edwards, 2012). However, the basic problem that seems to affect the whole of the operational processes in relation to information systems is continuous threats associated with virus attacks. The information systems are much prone to be attacked with a varied number of viruses that can permanently damage a system or a computer program (Lawson, 2005). And the worst part about these computer viruses is that these malwares do not get identified every time in the computer system, and affect the computer programs as well as systems incessantly (Pour, 2003). The affect of viruses in computer programs or systems can be duly considered as quite grave resulting in slowing the overall process of the systems (Gizmoâ⠂¬â„¢s Freeware, 2013; Kim & Solomon, 2010). ... In relation to this particular question/aspect, it can be stated that Free Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware Software manufactured by the one of the best technical supports sites i.e. 5-Star Support can be taken into concern for solving the problem. This particular site can be considered as it possess the capability to provide numerous benefits to its users in terms of delivering online services that are free of cost. Moreover, the users can find this particular tech-support site to be quite convenient in relation to its utilization by the users. It is worth mentioning that the aforesaid software comes with various important features that tend to provide the users with error free computing experiences. In this similar concern, the facets comprise easy to use and possessing the capability to save the computer systems from being attacked with viruses (The SANS Institute, 2011; Whitman & Mattord, 2010). Moreover, the other characteristics include identification of different errors that arise in the computer systems or programs, recognition of various symptoms of viruses, determination of possible amount of infections in the systems and most vitally collection of valuable information that can be effectively utilized for ensuring greater protection of the systems. Certain other extended benefits of 5-Star Support can also be apparently observed that the users can avail. These broad benefits include gathering information pertaining to corrupted files, identification of unsolicited emails and developing booting options among others (Gizmo’s Freeware, 2013; Grimes, 2001). Assessment Report The Free Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware Software which manufactures by 5-Star Support might prove to be quite beneficial for resolving all major problems or complexities that arise

Friday, November 15, 2019

Facebook and Knowledge Management

Facebook and Knowledge Management Until the advent of Facebook, no inventor of an Internet-based technology has ever been heralded on TIME Magazine as person of the year (Grossman 2010) until Mark Zuckerberg came up with an invention that ate the world (Grossman 2009). The importance of Facebook as a technological platform has been unparalleled precisely because it has transcended from being a mere digital platform to become a part of the social reality of people around the globe (Naughton 2010). In the Facebook Age, knowledge creation has become ubiquitous. People transmit and consume knowledge every second as they share information, thoughts, opinions, and multimedia (Richardson 2010). This innovation started out as a college tradition before becoming a social networking site (Grossman 2007). Facebooks launch occurred in 2004 in a Harvard dorm room and started out as a networking for undergraduate students (Fuglsang 2008, p. 13). Students get introduced to one another using photographs into a physical facebook patt erned after Hot or Not where students got to vote who looked hotter in compared photos (Schwartz 2003). From its origin as a networking tool, Zuckerberg developed it into a web-based service where members can post their profiles containing information such as birth dates, employment, interests, favourite books, favourite music, and others (Schonfeld, 2008). Moreover, the service enabled people to privately communicate with each other through messages or by posting a message on someones wall (Richardson 2010). During his interviews, Zuckerberg underscores the motivation behind Facebook: enhancing real connections (Grossman 2010). His theory revolves around the fact that people communicate most naturally and effectively with those they know friends, family, and associates. All Facebook did was to provide information to a set of applications through which people want to share information, photos or videos or events (Calrson 2010). Today, Facebook is a way of life for millions of peopl e, which as of January 2011 total 600 million users (Carlson 2011). Due to its phenomenal rise and usage, Facebook has become a significant product that has several implications for the practice of knowledge management. How Facebook has revolutionised collaboration for knowledge management One area where technology has become a crucial tool for knowledge management has been in collaboration. Among the fundamental goals of knowledge management is to improve organizational performance by enabling individuals to capture, share, and apply their collective knowledge to make optimal decisionsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in real time (Smith and Farquhar 2000, p. 17). Knowledge management goes beyond technology facilitating information sharing and collaboration; it creates and sustains communities of practice, copes with culture and behavior of people, and creates trust and validated content (Payne 2007).The use of technology for collaboration has vastly changed from what it meant 10 years ago. The evolution could be divided into stages: Disks and file transfers via email. Before, collaboration referred to the process of transferring files one-by-one via email or passing around floppy disks. This proved time-consuming for people and difficult to retrieve information; labelling was either incomplete, out-of-date, or the contextual information was vague. The effect was that people took too much time browsing in order to retrieve data (Adler and Kwon 2002). Network drives. After file transfers came the more advanced collaboration tool by using network drives so that all folders can now be accessed by all through a local network. Yet, this system of collaboration posed problems: it was limited by memory and attention spans and personal connections. People still relied on others to determine where data can be retrieved. A linear relationship existed between the time required to manage data and the size or number of data being managed. Hence, managing data was still time-consuming and people found minimal incentives in dealing with data or information management. Web-based software solutions. The advent of the Internet made collaboration easier especially when Web-based collaboration software was developed by companies. A case in point is Microsoft SharePoint which offered features that allowed the smooth flow of information: alerts, document libraries, forms, surveys, discussion boards, personal profiles, categorizations, and functions such as pulling information from data sources on the Web (Payne 2007). Despite expanding access to resources and organizing data at the same time protecting information, what lacked was a critical element of the collaboration process: user participation. Social networking. Encouraging people to become active participants in the knowledge management process is a challenge. With the popularity of social networking sites like Facebook, knowledge management has now considered the use of the social media approach to stimulate collaboration (Shih 2009). Facebook offers not merely a platform where people exchange information it also enhances satisfaction and emotional gratification because the engagement becomes personal and hence, more fun. Effective collaboration requires two primary elements: adoption (number of teams having access to the system) and engagement (number of people regularly using the system) (Alavi and Leidner 2001). Social media such as Facebook has revolutionised the way knowledge management among organisations has been defined. Current state of the art of Facebook: a review From a simple networking technology, Facebook has progressed and evolved in terms of interface and interaction for users, ability for knowledge creation, as well as potential threats to knowledge creation (Gawer 2009). Interface and interaction for users. Many interface changes have been made to address privacy issues and improve page management for Facebook users. Some of these changes were received positively and negatively. On the one hand, the new privacy features limited knowledge sharing and exchange while on the other hand, it also enhanced trust during the knowledge exchange. Some of the following listed here are the major interface changes in Facebook: May 2006 Networks are expanded to workplaces as well as colleges and high schools. September 2006 News Feed and Mini-Feed are added, aggregating profile changes of friends. New privacy settings are made available. Additionally, registration is expanded so anyone can join. May 2007 Facebook launches their Applications platform. July 2007 Facebook removes the profile field that allows users to list their courses. March 2008 New privacy controls are added (Lampe, Ellison and Steinfeld 2008). October 2010 Facebook changed user interface to accommodate its Groups feature. The Edit Notifications button was changed to Edit Settings and users have the option to opt out (Constine 2010) February 2011- Providing one-click link for various administrative tasks, removal of tabs for page improvement, a new masthead composing five images latest to be added (called Photostrip) (Ware 2011) Ubiquity in knowledge creation. What makes Facebook lead its rivals such as MySpace is its friendliness to third-party application developers. Facebook developed an application programming interface (API) which developers can now use and take advantage of in the context of social networking at Facebook. Developers can now utilize user social graphs and from there design applications which would enhance user interaction in a myriad of ways. Aside from user interaction, businesses stand to gain from API because advertising and financial transaction functionalities can also be integrated. However, the key element to the ubiquitous knowledge creation in Facebook is the news feed which has already been patented to Zuckerberg. Developers could now tap into the social graph of users and create applications of all types that would allow people to interact in new and interesting ways. Once a user posts information, status, media, or installs an application, a message kicks off and appears in the news feeds of all the users friends (Treadaway and Smith 2009, p. 186). For November 2007, more than 7,000 applications were developed using the Facebook Platform or roughly 100 every day (Rampell 2007). There were over 400,000 registered application developers (Ustinova 2008). Moreover, Facebook simplifies gathering and connecting information between images, videos, and text. Its structure allows individuals (nodes) to be connected to information from non-connected individuals; for instance, a user can view messages through the news feed made by unconnected contacts to the users friends. Moreover, groups are able to create knowledge based on interest such as social or political groups or a group of experts exchanging knowledge. Another interesting feature that enhances knowledge creation is Notes which allows individuals to create content on topics or concepts (Kirkpatrick 2010). People may respond through the comment facility which refines and develops information further. Som e of the numerous features which Facebook has that contribute to knowledge creation include: liking; comment; ratings; threaded conversations; feeds; automatic updates when specific things of interest happen; the ability to ask questions (survey); the ability to make requests; and the ability to pass word along about things that are happening (Hearn 2008, Gawer 2009). Factors that help or hinder KM when using Facebook. While Facebooks API platform has made knowledge creation and knowledge sharing easier, it has also raised questions of privacy. Some of the popular apps that Facebook has have become spam or in some cases, relayed identifying information without users consent (Acohido 2011). These are then transmitted to advertising companies and Internet tracking businesses (Steele and Fowler 2010). Privacy issues have affected nearly 10 million Facebook users; this issue is forecast by some tech experts to plague Facebook for years to come (Malbon 2011). The impact of Facebook of KMS Knowledge work. Facebook has facilitated the process in which users share their knowledge with a group of other users or an organisation (Hearn 2008, p. 74). The sharing of knowledge can be within a closed or open community. In the knowledge sharing process, users possess the knowledge they contribute (Van Grogh 1998, p. 151). This means that the identity of the users is known and associated with the contributions. Ideally, users have full control over the content with respect to granting and withdrawing access rights for sharing, grouping, and annotating contributions (Alavi and Leidner 2001) but loopholes in Facebook has led to significant privacy control issues (Van Grove 2010). Collaboration communication. Mass collaboration using digital technologies like Facebook is transforming all aspects of the knowledge society even more rapidly than envisioned (Howlett 2010, p. 21). These users can give hints, make suggestions how to solve the problem, or give concrete solution directions (Choi and Lee 2003). Private communication between the users through the collaborative problem-solving platform is not possible, thus all feedback, hints, answers, and solutions provided are visible to all users of the community (Golder and Huberman 2006). There are however features which allow for private communication. Management. Facebook has had several implications for management. First, there is the perceived loss of productivity because of excessive engagement with social networking sites. An article featured in The Economist stated that an IT company lost over 1.4 billion pounds (USD 2.3 billion) yearly due to overuse of social networks during working hours. The same article cited how banning Facebook from the workplace would improve productivity (Yammering away at the office 2011). However, Facebook has also revolutionised the recruitment process because it has made information transparent. In fact, almost half (47%) of executives in the U.S. reported that they browsed through the Facebook pages of potential candidates and from that information, made decisions pertaining recruitment (Anonymous no more 2010). Trust issues. Perhaps the biggest issue with Facebook in relation to knowledge management is trust (Schwartz 2011a). Privacy experts have repeatedly indicated that Facebook sent user information to its advertising through cookies (Van Grove 2010). Essentially, Facebook is said to have deanonymised the whole social networking process and only when the issue gained significant media mileage did Facebook act (Malbon 2010). The future of Facebook The future of Facebook with respect to KMS seems bright but if it is unable to resolve privacy issues, it may find itself out of the lead (Schwartz 2011b). Facebook may lead to fast and easy knowledge creation but the high participation of end users presents problems such as privacy issues and low productivity. The Facebook Platform allows the integration of different kinds of knowledge particularly the integration of applications and the constant creation of content (Gawer 2009, p. 134; Kirkpatrick 2010). Facebook, when properly managed, can provide knowledge management support for professional organisations as well as of non-professional organisations.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

All Quiet On The Western Front :: essays research papers

All Quiet on the Western Front  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The remains of Paul Baumer's company had moved behind the German front lines for a short rest at the beginning of the novel. After Behm became Paul's first dead schoolmate, Paul viewed the older generation bitterly, particularly Kantorek, the teacher who convinced Paul and his classmates to join the military, feeling alone and betrayed in the world that they had left for him. Paul's generation felt empty and isolated from the rest of the world due to the fact that they had never truly established any part of themselves in civilian life. At boot camp, Himmelstoss abused Paul and his friends, yet the harassment only brought them closer together and developed a strong spirit amongst them. Katczinsky, or Kat, was soon shown to be a master scavenger, being able to provide the group with food or virtually anything else; on this basis Paul and him grew quite close. Paul's unit was assigned to lay barbed wire on the front line, and a sudden shelling resulted in the severe wounding of a recruit that Paul had comforted earlier. Paul and Kat again strongly questioned the War. After Paul's company were returned to the huts behind the lines, Himmelstoss appeared and was insulted by some of the members of Paul's unit, who were then only mildly punished. During a bloody battle, 120 of the men in Paul's unit were killed. Paul was given leave and returned home only to find himself very distant from his family as a result of the war. He left in agony knowing that his youth was lost forever. Before returning to his unit, Paul spent a little while at a military camp where he viewed a Russian prisoner of war camp with severe starvation problems and again questioned the values that he had grown up with contrasted to the values while fighting the war. After Paul returned to his unit, they were sent to the front. During an attack, Paul killed a French soldier. After discovering that this soldier had a family, Paul was deeply shattered and vowed to prevent other such wars. Paul's unit was assigned to guard a supply depot of an abandoned village, but he and Kropp were soon wounded when trying to escape from the village. Paul headed back to the front, only to engage in final battles where all of his friends were killed. The death of Kat was particularly hard for Paul because they were very close. One month before the Armistice, Paul was killed.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Indirect Taxes

Using the appropriate diagrams, explain why the relative burden (incidence) of an indirect tax on the producers & on the consumer varies depending on the price elasticity of demand for the good/product. Indirect Tax is a tax placed upon the selling price of a product, so it raises the firm’s cost and shifts the supply curve left or vertically upwards depending on the amount of tax. Because of this shift, less products will be supplied at every price. The diagram below shows the effect of imposing a tax and how the tax is being paid. There’re two types of indirect taxes, they are ‘Specific Taxes’ and ‘Ad Valorem’.Specific Tax is a fixed amount of tax that is imposed on a product. For example, if the government imposes a tax of $2 per loaf of bread, it will shift the supply curve vertically upwards by the amount of tax, which is S2. This is shown by the diagram below. Ad Valorem, also known as ‘percentage tax’, is a percentage of tax from the selling price of a good. In this case, the supply curve will not shift directly upwards because the gap between the ‘price’ and the ‘price + tax’ will get bigger as the price rises. For example, a packet of cigarette costs $10.If the government imposes a 20% tax per packet, the tax on each packet of cigarette would be $2. This is shown by the diagram below. When the government puts a tax on a product, the product’s price will usually increase in order to achieve maximum profit. Which means that the quantity demanded for the product is likely to decrease. If the demand for a product is very elastic, then a price increase as a result of the imposition of a tax on the product will lead to a relatively large fall in the demand for the product. For example, Waitrose pasta and Tesco Value pasta both cost $5 per pack.However the price of Waitrose pasta increases to $6 because of the rise in tax. This would result an immediate change in demand from Waitrose pasta to Tesco Value pasta instead. This means that the Tesco Value pasta consumers would carry on buying pasta from Tesco, whiles a lot of the Waitrose pasta consumers would switch to buy pasta from Tesco instead of Waitrose. This can be shown by the diagram below. On the other hand, if the government imposes a tax on a product where demand is relatively inelastic, the demand for product will not fall significantly despite the huge rise in price.For example, coffee and tea both cost $5, but coffee has become an absolutely essential drink in the morning, whiles tea is just for people’s interest. If the price of the coffee rises significantly to $10 and the price of tea stays the same, the coffee demanded will not change a lot because people still see it as a necessity good (a good that we can’t live without, or won’t likely to cut back on even when times are tough), and therefore the change in demand would only decrease by a little. This is shown by th e diagram below.As we can see from the two diagrams above, the share of the tax burden from consumers and producers varies. The reason for that is because the price elasticity of the demand and supply for the product costs a different shift towards the supply curve. Another reason is because there are other firms (different numbers of firms, the size of a firm) producing the same good, causing competition. Therefore, the relative burden of an indirect tax on the producers and consumers would vary depending on the price elasticity of demand for the good/product.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Fun with Education Essay Essay Example

Fun with Education Essay Essay Example Fun with Education Essay Essay Fun with Education Essay Essay In a general sense. ‘education’ means a signifier of larning procedure in which cognition. accomplishments. and wonts of a group of people are transferred from one coevals to the following through learning. preparation and research. Consequently. instruction aims at the physical. rational. religious and moral development of adult male. Education simply does non give cognition to a human being and enabling him to gain his support. But it does much more than this. Nowadays. what we can see the society as a hereafter instructor is the pupils do non hold an involvement in larning by the manner of ‘chalk and talk’ any longer. : They prefer something new from the instructors which are more interesting and merriment. One of the most effectual ways is including games in instruction and acquisition procedure. Education can be fun through games. As a athleticss instructor. we can construct our student’s potency. Games are a mean of maintaining the organic structure healthy and fit. Indeed. good wellness is the first status of felicity in life so those who play games by and large maintain good wellness. For illustration. athleticss teacher can make interesting games that can assist pupils in constructing up their critical thought accomplishments besides physical strength. They can larn different types of accomplishments such as throwing. passing. and kicking in athleticss like hoops. football and others. On top of that. instruction can besides include vocals which are signifiers of amusement. In this manner. we can do our category more interesting and pupils will be entertained. From the vocal wordss. we can smooth our student’s linguistic communication and vocabulary besides doing larning more merriment. They can besides larn to show their emotions through vocals as vocals can be a good remedy for emphasis. Furthermore. instruction can be fun through function playing. We can affect our pupils move out a play which may assist to better their playing accomplishments and ego assurance. Indirectly. they will be able to show their ideas through role-play in a signifier of voice projection. facial look and besides organic structure linguistic communication. Apart from that. they can beef up their memorizing accomplishments excessively. This is because they need to memorise their books. As we know. the universe we are populating today is engineering dominated and everything can be done fast and ferocious. For illustrations. cell phones. instant java machine. one hour-photo stores and cyberspace can assist us to finish our undertaking in a short clip. In short. engineering makes the universe moves faster than the past. But. instruction does non hold any cutoff for us to make the finish. We must larn measure by measure. Practice makes perfect. So. we take clip to accomplish our ends in the field of instruction. In a nutshell. we can do instruction merriment in many ways such as games and vocals. Therefore. we can do our schoolroom full of joy and pupils will non experience bored while larning from the instructors. Besides. pupils will be able to believe out of the box. With this. the ends of ‘fun in education’ could be achieved.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Animal Farm Essay Complete

Animal Farm Essay Complete Animal Farm Essay Complete ‘A knowledge of the Russian Revolution is needed to truly understand Animal Farm.’ To what extent do you agree? George Orwell’s Animal Farm – published in 1945 – is a satirical allegory on the Russian Revolution. Orwell explained in his preface that the novel was his method of, â€Å"exposing the Soviet myth,† which generated a great amount of controversy at the time. He states this piece was intended to clear all misconceptions of the Soviet ideals of ‘everyone being equal’ and exploited all its flaws. The characters play major roles in retelling the Russian Revolution, with the plot’s events strongly resembling the historical timeline. Animal Farm can also be read as a fable, with only the less obscure morals within being conceived. For such reasons, the novel can be read without background knowledge; however a brief understanding of the Russian Revolution is necessary to unveil the deeper allegorical elements Orwell is portraying to the readers. Orwell utilises his characters to recreate the Russian Revolution and imitate the prominent figures and classes of society involved. In the opening, Old Major is introduced as the leader of the farm animals, to symbolise the likes of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin, who were both significant in establishing the foundations of communism. Old Major organises a gathering for the animals to share knowledge of a dream in which he comes to the realisation that â€Å"Man is the only creature that consumes without producing†¦ yet he is lord of all the animals† and they must rebalance the inequalities placed upon them through â€Å"work night and day†¦ for the overthrow of the human race†. This speech was heavily based upon Marx’s The Communist Manifesto and Old Major was used to captured the same essence of it, essentially exposing the flaws of capitalism and a rebellion must occur of a â€Å"dictatorship of the proletariat† to counter this. A hierarchy is created in the animals to symbolise the different ‘classes’ of the time. The animals are categorised in order of significance through a hierarchy as they congregate at Old Major’s meeting. The more influential animals are introduced with more complexity, as â€Å"first came the three dogs, Bluebell, Jessie, and Pincher, and then the pig† and the level of detail gradually decreases through the progression of the characters until it is merely â€Å"last of all came the cat† which does not bother to specify detail, thus drawing more attention toward the aforementioned animal’s influential presence over their peers. The pigs use the dogs to reinforce their reign over the other animals and abuse their power, similar to Stalin’s control of the KGB to do his bidding. Napoleon takes on the responsibility to â€Å"wean† the dogs and â€Å"make himself responsible for their education,† which ultimately leads to their transformatio n into â€Å"huge dogs†¦ as fierce-looking as wolves†; mindless murderers on Napoleons command, and a representation of Stalin’s abuse of power over the KGB to assassinate and execute anybody who opposed his leadership. Each individual character is a representation in itself to convey messages of their purpose in the society and acts as a summary of the complex, more expansive back story of the Russian Revolution. Many of the plot elements follow the events of the Russian Revolution to explore the manipulation that occurred. After Snowball is accused of betrayal, Napoleon then places him in exile, akin to the happenings of the Russian Revolution. Napoleon appears to be against Snowball’s ideas of â€Å"the pigs†¦ should decide all questions of farm policy,† as long as it were â€Å"ratified by a majority vote,† and sends â€Å"nine enormous dogs†¦ into the barn† to attack Snowball who â€Å"sprang†¦ just in time to escape.† This mirrors Trotsky’s exile as he began to criticise Stalin’s Communist Party, in this case depicted through his straying away and leaning toward democracy, which lead to his removal from the Communist party and exile from Russia. The Battle of the Cowshed represents

Monday, November 4, 2019

Planning and Implementing Financial Management Approaches Essay

Planning and Implementing Financial Management Approaches - Essay Example The company is a family business, and has enjoyed brisk sales for the past three years. Team: Store management. Briefly described, the team is in charge of the conduct of day-to-day operations of the store. Team members ensure the shelves are well-stocked, put out the order for deliveries when inventory runs low, adjust prices according to promotional campaigns, and attend to the general maintenance of store equipment and facilities. Type of team budgets: Monthly cash budgets One of the financial plans the team is guided by is the monthly cash budget, a short-term planning and monitoring tool which aids in the planning of cash flows, predicting short-term shortfalls, and monitoring the collection of accounts receivables. Forecasted cash shortfalls enable store management to make the decision as to whether it could draw down on its credit facility with the bank, to cover short-term cash needs when cash at hand is unable to meet the cash needed to cover the month’s obligations. Task 2: A sample of the monthly cash budget used by the store management team at Vital Essence is shown at the end of this report. The purpose of the cash budget is to guide the store manager’s decision as to enhancing store cash sales as well as credit sales, collecting accounts receivables, and disbursing cash in payment of expenses; it is the aim of management to ensure that sufficient cash is available to settle the month’s obligations, thereby avoiding penalties and surcharges associated with past-due accounts. The prompt settlement of fees is also important to maintain the company’s good credit standing among its suppliers and financiers. Achievability – The cash budget shown is considered achievable, because while shortfalls are expected at the beginning of the year, this is seen to be diminishing within the first quarter, and the store is able to attain positive cashflow in the fourth month of the year. Short-term cash inadequacy can be supplement ed by a short-term bank loan which may be resolved by the second quarter of the year. Accuracy – The cash budget plan is not entirely accurate, since it is essentially a forecast and much of the bases for arriving at the amounts are speculative. There are also events during the year which may affect the sales, cash flow, and disbursements in ways which cannot be foreseen at the time the budget was being prepared. It is reasonably accurate, however, for the purpose of observing how any variations in cash flow may affect the activities of the store, and may inform concerning contingency measures that may be taken; therefore, it is also a risk-management tool. Comprehensiveness – The cash budget is not very comprehensive, because there are items which it may have failed to take into consideration because the likelihood of their occurrence in indeterminate. What are usually included in a forward-looking budget are those which are recurrent and have occurred regularly in th e past, or at least with predictability if not regularity, so that the planner has sufficient bases upon which to value the possible cash receipt or disbursement. Task 3 Contingency plan Consequences if the situation or event occurred If only a minor deviation in the plan occurred, then there are no serious consequences foreseen, only an equally minor adjustment may be involved. However, a number of serious consequen

Friday, November 1, 2019

LAW OF TORTS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

LAW OF TORTS - Essay Example Trespass is identified as a form of redress in case of direct or indirect injury and the system also recognises other civil actions such as defamation as going to be explained in detail below. In the case of tort law, the person who suffers injuries is called a plaintiff and the person who has inflicted those injuries is called a defendant. It is of paramount importance for the claimant to be able to prove that the negligent behaviour of the defendant has caused injuries or loss of business. There are traditionally three elements in the tort action which the plaintiff has to prove in order to be successful in winning the claim. There is need to prove that the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care, the defendant breached that duty by falling below expected standards and the defendant’s conduct caused the plaintiff to suffer physical or economic harm (http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Tort+Law). Where it can be proved, recovery for loss can be effected by the court of law. As going to be discussed in detail below, there is need to establish three elements in tort action. Tort action also encompasses negligence which is described as the act of doing something a reasonable man would not do and a plaintiff must prove in such a case that the defendant owes a duty of care (Donoghue V. Stevenson 1932). The House of Lords in the case of Capiro Industries vs. Dickman (1990), proposed the adoption of the following conditions where the three stages should be taken into consideration which include; foreseeability, proximity as well as reasonability. In some cases it may not always follow that a duty of care exists but common sense ought to prevail to avoid an otherwise serious injury to another person or loss of business or profit. Due to the fact that a person may deliberately expose someone to danger or a situation which can cause losses leaves him liable to negligent behaviour where he is

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Madoffs Fraud Case Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Madoffs Fraud Case - Research Paper Example He said that he earned the capital he invested in the business from Far Rockaway as lifeguard earnings. His firm was a major contributor to the growth of Nasdaq and boasts of succeeding in creating a system where brokers who mostly had traded in the New York Stock Exchange could do more business with the Nasdaq. When news that the business executive had been defrauding the investors and that the firm was nothing but a scam went public, it became a shock for most people. The scheme was a well-organized plan by a number of people to convince the regulators, investors, and visitors in the firms’ office that trading was going on while in real since it was not. In fact, there was no trading in the company for most of its life, with Mr. DiPascali an employee, revealing that he discovered that the company was not trading at all since the late 1980s. In addition, the firm also used a program that generated numbers randomly to choose the people to award-trading orders to, which happene d in varying intervals and in different increments. In such a case, it is unlikely for the investors to face charges for being victims of injustice (Efrati, 2009). However, Efrati, (2009) explains that two of the biggest investors in the firm, who had invested and trusted the firm with billions of dollars, got involved in the case, and the prosecution dragged them individually as well as their foundations to court to face charges. Instead of winning sympathy from the prosecutors and the judge, as they faced the charge of conspiring with the managers to defrauding other investors in the company. In a Manhattan court, Peter Madoff confessed among other crimes that he had faked documents and lied to regulators, which helped his elder brother Bernard Madoff to perpetuate the biggest of all investment frauds. The multi-billion dollar fraud scheme, known as the Ponzi scheme, defrauded investors of their invested capital during the collapse of Benard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC inv estment firm owned by Bernard Madoff. According to his confession in the court, Peter said that the investment sham caught him in shock when his brother told him the truth in the December of 2008 but said that he helped to divert the firm’s remaining funds to friends and family of the Madoffs. The employees forged documents that created a wrong impression of the company as trading and lured them into getting into the contracts and later lost their money. During his confession, Peter apologized for his irresponsible behavior, which is nothing, compared to the number of losses that investors suffered under his watch. For Peter, pleading guilty for his actions did not let him walk free after the judge sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment (Bray & Lauricella, 2009). The sentence also requires him to forfeit all his personal assets that include a Ferrari and more than 10 million dollars in cash. The sentence did not spare his wife and daughter, where he is required to forfeit the ir assets too. According to Peter, Bernard always acted as the boss, without giving his younger brother a chance for dialog. Despite this, he had an option of choosing not to honor his brother’s commands and do the right thing. He contributed to losses estimated at 17 billion dollars, money owned by the company on behalf of the investors, of which he promised to recover 11 billion.Â