Sunday, December 22, 2019

Disaster Of Emergency Management Plan - 1276 Words

When disasters strike, emergency management plans get put into action. Often we see terms such as mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery used to describe emergency management. This paper will look into the recovery aspect of disasters. We will see all of the planning that goes into recovery to best minimize the effects of a disaster. From the planning to the training to the execution phases, we can agree that recovery is an important part of emergency management. We will explore disaster recovery from the points of view of the American Red Cross, FEMA, and other key agencies. Because when we think about it, disasters are going to happen and recovery will happen too. When disaster strikes will you be ready? We hear this all the time and I think some us are ready. But what about after? What do you do? Where do you go or turn for help? Most us will turn to our leaders for guidance and help. To look at recovery lets first define it. The dictionary defines recovery as a return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength. The action or process of regaining possession or control of something stolen or lost. Disaster recovery is the area of security planning that deals with protecting an organization or community from the effect of significant negative events. (Rouse, M) These negative events could be anything from hurricanes, earthquakes, other types of natural disasters to that of cyberattacks and terrorist attacks. Plans to help with recovery tend to give policies,Show MoreRelatedCommunity Disaster Assessment and Planning Essay1241 Words   |  5 PagesCommunity Disaster Assessment and Planning The potential for natural and manmade disasters is a constant threat, especially in today’s world of climate change, political upheaval, and global unrest and terrorist activity. 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Hurricane Katrina was one of the biggest emergency management catastrophesRead MoreEmergency Responders And Emergency Emergencies1233 Words   |  5 PagesHowever, their effectiveness depends upon proper coordination of volunteers, groups an d volunteer organizations. Having large numbers of people and supplies can pose serious challenges for emergency management. Massive volunteer responses are typically part of the initial response phase following a disaster but, on some occasions volunteer efforts extend throughout the post-impact and recovery periods. In order for the volunteers to remain successful throughout the post-impact period, it is important

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Internet The New Drug of Choice Free Essays

string(66) " and more cases like this are being uncovered all over the world\." Internet! The New Drug of Choice It is difficult in these modern times to find anyone who doesn’t use the Internet. I am not speaking of North Americans (but mainly N. Americans), but the rest of the world is quickly catching up. We will write a custom essay sample on Internet: The New Drug of Choice or any similar topic only for you Order Now China already has more users than Canada and the US put together. According to Internet World Stats (2012), China has 538 million online frequenters and 82. 5% of the Korean population use the Internet. Korea’s penetration rate is third with England leading the way at 84% and Germany at 83%. Canada doesn’t have a big enough population to make a dent in the number of people using the Internet, but 81% of Canadians do use it, which was a higher penetration percentage than the US at 78. 3%. Currently only 41% of China is using the Internet, once their economy improves and more people get connected, China is likely to take over the Internet. North Americans might need to start learning Chinese to get their daily news. With so many people online I started to wonder; is it safe for us to be using the Internet? Before I delve deeper I wanted to point out that because I am also a frequent Internet user, this question also pertains to me, so I decided that it only made sense to write this report in the first person. When I decided to start researching about if the Internet is safe for us, it seemed to me that the best place to research about the Internet would be online. I typed in web browser â€Å"Is the Internet bad for us? † and â€Å"Does the Internet make us crazy? † I was shocked at the number of results that popped up. It took some sifting through to find what I needed. It seems that the biggest concern about the Internet is â€Å"online addiction†. Some people might think it is the pornography or some of the other content or even the technology itself, but these only factor into the big picture of addiction. After a little research I realized that my true question wasn’t â€Å"is the Internet bad for us†, but the real questions are â€Å"why is Internet addiction bad? † The Internet is not bad, it has some many advantages over other media and it so very useful in our lives. The Internet and video games help increase choice reaction time, spatial skills, scientific problem solving skills, multitasking abilities and intelligence (Greenfield, Brannon, and Lohr, 1996). The elderly use the Internet to keep their brains stimulated by using it to gain information and keep in contact with family. Actually everyone is doing that, not just the elderly. The Internet is like drinking wine, if not in moderation, it can be harmful for us, but in moderation the Internet can produce a wonderful experience. However, also like wine or any alcohol, the Internet can become an addiction. In fact addiction has become so bad that in China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea (Cafferty, 2012) treatment centers have been established to help people with online addiction. Near may home in the city of Nagoya, the Futoko Shien Center received 327 individual requests for consultation for online game addiction from the beginning of this year. (Doi, 2012) That is only in one city in one country. China seems to be one of the worst places I have found in my research. It has become so bad that boot camps have developed to help young help rid their problem. Wired. com featured a story in 2010 about a boot camp in China, â€Å"The Qihang camp promised to cure children of so-called Internet addiction, an ailment that has grown into one of China’s most feared public health hazards. (Stewart, 2010) And according to Scientific American online, â€Å"as much as 14 percent of urban youth there—some 24 million kids—fit the bill as Internet addicts, according to the China Youth Internet Association. † (Mosher, 2011) I myself have noticed that I am slowly using the Internet more since I bought a smartphone last year. I would say I am an addi ct and I definitely don’t want to counseling, but I am starting to worry. So why do some people think the Internet addiction is a bad thing if it stimulates the brain and creates intelligence and multitasking abilities, Dr. Grohol director on the Mental Health Net, makes a good point â€Å"I don’t see how they can see the Internet as a disorder, but not look at a bookworm who reads 10 hours a day and not say he’s a book addict. † (Brown, 1997) The criticism the Internet receives in not a new phenomenon, Psychologists have been studying the effects of the Internet for almost 20 years. And in the last 20 years Internet use has sky rocketed, meaning effects and studies have increased as well. Psychiatrist Kimberly Young of Saint Bonaventure University in New York State, even designed a self- assessment test in 1998 because of Internet addiction concerns. Numerous studies have linked excessive online use to depression, poor school performance, increased irritability and more impulsiveness to go online. † (Mosher, 2011) One problem is that people are losing sleep because they get lost in the Internet for hours upon hours and turn into zombies as they deprive their brains and bodies of fuel and rest. Recently in the Japanese newspaper, The Daily Yomiuri a report about online addiction stated â€Å"A 19-year-old vocational school student recalled how one morning, he woke up at 6 a. . on a sofa, still clutching his mobile phone. â€Å"Damn it! I was probably asleep for two hours,† he said. Then he leaped up from the sofa and began fiddling with the phone again. Sometimes he was so preoccupied with the games that he forgot to sleep, he said. † (Doi, 2012) One such documented case in Taiwan, a boy ended up in the Asylum after his iPhone usage reached 24 hours a day. (Dokoupil, 2012) At first I thought that that must be a rare case. But more and more cases like this are being uncovered all over the world. You read "Internet: The New Drug of Choice" in category "Essay examples" Just recently in American news Jason Russell became famous twice; the first time was for his amazing documentary he aired on YouTube called â€Å"Kony 2012† which was one of the most viral movies to hit the web â€Å"clocking more than 70 million views in less than a week. † (Dokoupil, 2012) He then became famous again after having a nervous breakdown and marching through the streets naked and talking to himself rampantly. Before putting the document online Jason was not an excessive user of the Internet, but after his video went viral, he couldn’t get enough of his new found addiction. In the first four days after his successful video premiere he only slept 2 hours, which is a probable cause to his breakdown. I personally have never stayed up that long, but I do feel quite bizarre after being online for 10 hours. I have been warned since I was a child that lack of sleep will deter my performance at school, work and even sports. But of course most of humans don’t spend days at a time online without sleeping. Most normal humans have jobs, although many of our jobs involve the Internet these days, and still manage our daily lives of chores and eating and sleeping. But I wasn’t surprised to find out that most people including myself, I think especially those with smartphones, check their email and social sites more often than we realize. Dr. Larry Rosen, professor and past Chair of Psychology at California State University, surveyed 750 people, a spread of teens and adults and detailed their tech habits, their feelings about those habits, and â€Å"their scores on a series of standard tests of psychiatric disorders. He found that most respondents, with the exception of those over the age of 50, check text messages, email or their social network â€Å"all the time† or â€Å"every 15 minutes. More worryingly, he also found that those who spent more time online had more â€Å"compulsive personality traits. † (Dokoupil, 2012) Without being aware of it, we above the â€Å"digital divide† are becoming compulsive, needy little onliners. People constantly feel the need to check their Internet for updates on our social site s, email, tweeters and blogs. I myself don’t blog or tweet, which I can say cuts some of my time on the net down to a little more of a sane time. It is amazing how quickly my friends reply to any and all emails and social site updates. It is almost as if the message jumped out of their phone and into their eye while they were driving to work. People have become so connected that the Internet has become a distraction and to some, the most important thing in their lives. The author of â€Å"Is the Internet driving us mad? † in Newsweek magazine claims that regardless of age, most people send or receive about 400 texts a month. The average teenager processes about 3700 texts a month. Also many of these same people, two thirds, sense their phone vibrating in their pockets when in fact it is not. Researchers call it â€Å"phantom-vibration syndrome. † It is evident that we have become dependent on the Internet that we drool in anticipation waiting for a message or call or any kind of update to fulfill our hourly or for some minutely dose of feeling wanted and or accepted. I myself have felt the â€Å"phantom-vibration† a few times, but I don’t think enough to warrant it as a syndrome. I have been witnessing the dependency for the Internet on an everyday basis as everyone around me; mostly younger people seem to always have a reason to have their smartphone out. At school, older kids are sending messages to each during class time and even when sitting together on their free time. It seems that the Internet provides better conversation than their friends sitting across from them. I cannot say that I am not innocent from this same intervention and have been known to hope online at while waiting for friends to buy their ice cream or something of that nature. We are so dependent on the Internet, not only individually, but also a group. Hurricane Sandy, a terrifying hurricane, hit New York causing more than 150 fatalities. In the November 3rd issue of Newsweek’s online magazine released a feature about the Heroes of the Hurricane. One of the reports was of the â€Å"Heroes† who guarded and protected an Internet hub, considered to be very important to the world, because it is â€Å"one of the fastest connections between world financial centers; it maintains Internet connectivity for en ­tire regions of the country. † (Keller, 2012) I remember about years ago reading reports that the Internet caused depression and loneliness. I think that depression can be triggered by so many things, especially in those who more prone to depressive feelings. As for the loneliness factor, I always believed that the Internet was addictive because it replaced feelings of loneliness because people are more connected to more people. It is true that it reduces face-to-face interaction, but it increases interaction with people. Researchers have found that â€Å"internet use was associated with increased well-being and social involvement. † (Kraut, 2002) Because of the Internet I socialize more with people who are not within close distance which makes me feel happier that I can keep in touch with them. I probably have a better relationship with my mother than I did when I lived at home and before smartphones. During the Tohoku earthquakes and Fukushima crisis in 2011 the internet help people all over Japan talk to each other and others from abroad; the whole country might have felt lonely or separated from the rest of the world if it weren’t for the Internet. So what cause these emotional and mental changes in people who absorb themselves with the Internet too much. Besides Internet is just like reading books, watching television and listening to the radio in one package. In recent reports, it has been revealed that â€Å"brain scans hint excessive time online is tied to stark physical changes in the brain† (Mosher, 2011). These physical changes caused by the over stimulation of the parts of the brain that deal with attention, multitasking, spatial awareness etc. are extracting from the parts of other parts of the brain. Dave Mosher describes the latest findings in his online report with Scientific America’s online magazine. One set of images focused on gray matter at the brain’s wrinkled surface, or cortex, where processing of speech, memory, motor control, emotion, sensory and other information occurs. The researchers discovered several small regions in online addicts’ brains shrunk, in some cases as much as a 10 to 20 percent. The affected regions included the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, rostral anterior cingulate cortex, supplementary motor area and parts of the cerebellum. What’s more, the longer the addiction’s duration, the more pronounced the tissue reduction. The study’s authors suggest this shrinkage could lead to negative effects, such as reduced inhibition of inappropriate behavior and diminished goal orientation. But imaging neuroscientist Karl Friston of University College London, who helped pioneer the VBM technique, says gray matter shrinkage is not necessarily a bad thing. The effect is quite extreme, but it’s not surprising when you think of the brain as a muscle,† says Friston, who was not involved in the study. â€Å"Our brains grow wildly until our early teens, then we start pruning and toning areas to work more efficiently. So these areas may just be relevant to being a good online gamer, and were optimized for that. † Although we can alter ou r brains through practice like the rest of our body, we still need to have the will power to make these changes. Maybe for many online addicts, the morphing of their intelligence to certain cortex might be rewarding for them. But it is evident that for many of us who need to work and have face-to-face conversations and have proper behaviour, need to reduce our Internet time. I personally want to keep the â€Å"grey matter† of my brain from shrinking because it is accountable for dealing with speech, memory, motor control, emotion, sensory, and other information. (Dokoupil, 2012) We know that exercise is good for our bodies’; it has been pounded into us since we were little children. Eat healthy food, exercise 3 times a week, stay away from sugars etc. , has been taught to us by media, teachers and parents. Now we need to exercise our brains as well. The Internet is one form of exercising certain parts, but we need to exercise all parts of our body. Think about how ridiculous someone would look if they only spent their time pumping iron to make their only their shoulders really big and barely did any movement to strengthen their legs. That person would look like a balloon with the string tied to the bottom being their legs. Not only would that person look silly, but probably would fall over when then tried to walk. That is similar with what is slowly happening to our brains with the more time we spend on the Internet. Internet addiction is causing too much exercise on only one part of our brain and not enough on the other. With more and more reports stressing the problems of Internet addiction, depression, compulsive behaviour, sleep deprivation and lack of memory; it is difficult to ignore the issue. Obviously scorning the Internet is not the solution, since it isn’t the Internet’s fault; it is the lack of control that we humans possess to control our desire for social acceptance, informational and visual stimuli, and the speed of which we can retrieve these desires. I am sure if the Internet was as slow as it was in 1995, this topic would be moot. But now the evidence is clear and people need help, just like there is help for alcoholics and drugoholics. All users of the Internet, there are few that aren’t users; need to use the Internet sparingly or at least with some control. Limit the amount of time spent on the Internet, especially consistent hours, the brain needs a rest. To help the grey matter in our brains it is important to involve ourselves in face-to-face conversation for speech. Exercise is also important as it always has to maintain motor control. Memory is one of the most important issues dealing with grey matter; playing trivia games or not being dependant on the auto phonebook in our phone is a great way to improve memory. Once I am finished this report will go outside and try to not use the Internet for at least the weekend, not even on my smartphone. Internet addiction is a serious issue that hopefully in the future psychologists and the public will get a better at dealing with. References Bercovici. J. , (July 10. 2012) We’re All Internet Addicts, And We’re All Screwed, Says Newsweek. Forbes Magazine. Retrieved November 10, 2012 from website: http://www. orbes. com/sites/jeffbercovici/2012/07/10/were-all-internet-addicts-and-were-all-screwed-says-newsweek/ Brown, J. (1997). BS detector: â€Å"Internet addiction† meme gets media high. Communications Study 421: Being Online. Gackenbach, J. (Phd. ). Athabasca University, 2006 (pp. 101). Carlson, B. , (June 5, 2010). Nicholas Carr on the ‘Superfici al’ Webby Mind. The Atlantic. Retrieved November 10, 2012 from website: http://www. theatlantic. com/entertainment/archive/2010/06/nicholas-carr-on-the-superficial-webby-mind/57610/ Cohill, A. , (December 31, 2004). Is the Internet good or bad for us? Design Nine. Retrieved November 10, 2012 from website: http://www. designnine. com/news/content/internet-good-or-bad-us Doi, H. , (Oct. 17, 2012) Online gaming addictions growing more serious. Daily Yomuiri Online. Retrieved November 10, 2012 from website: http://www. yomiuri. co. jp/dy/national/T121016001977. htm Dokoupil, T. , (July 9, 2012). Is the Web Driving Us Mad? Newsweek Magazine. Retrieved November 10, 2012 from website: http://www. thedailybeast. com/newsweek/2012/07/08/is-the-internet-making-us-crazy-what-the-new-research-says. html Greenfield, P. , Brannon, C. and Lohr, D. How to cite Internet: The New Drug of Choice, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Contract Market Maker Infrastructure

Question: Discuss about the Contract Market Maker Infrastructure. Answer: Introduction In the present times information can be transmitted over time in a rapid manner. This has also led to the creation of an additional facility related to the electronic commerce. E commerce in the present times offers a large number of flexibility with respect to the different business environment which includes the place, time, space, distance and payment. With the recent growth in E commerce the term E contract has also come up into picture. There has been a recent advancement in E Contracts in the recent times. But, there are a significant number of challenges behind the deployment and implementation of E Contracts. In this research paper, the discussion will be done on the legality of E Contracts. In this report the comparison will be done between the formation of a contract by electronic means and its comparison with the other means. In addition to this, the crucial role which is played by the different offers which are displayed on the internal will be discussed. Further, there w ill be analysis of the way how offer and its acceptance can occur amidst different parties. Further, with the help of the legislation and regulatory action the same will be analyzed. In addition to this, the observations related to the problems associated with the same will be analyzed. What is E Contract? One of the most common contracts in the present times which is widely used in the world is the E contract. E contract is the kind of contract which has been actually modeled, specified, executed and deployed with the help of the software systems. E contracts are the ones which are generally very much similar in comparison to the traditional contracts. Under the same, the online vendors present different products, prices and terms to different buyers. The buyers which look around for online shopping, consider the options put forward by the vendors, negotiate with them on the prices and terms, place the order and make the payments (Kwok et al, 2008). After this the purchased products are delivered to the customer. As a result of the different ways, the traditional contract may differ from an E contract. In addition to this, it can also cause some of the technical challenges as well (Teveler Kaydanov, 2001). In order to do the recognition of E contracts, it is important to do the consi deration of some of the questions such as the validity of the contract, the details of the goods and services, legal validations of the contract and the legal standards which have been employed by them. Differences between E contract and Normal contract: Though, there is not much of a change in case of E Contract and the normal contract, but there is a huge different in their forms: Firstly, the environment is different for both the contracts. On one hand the tradition contract actually take place in the real world. In the same, the two different sides can deal with one another in the consultation which is conducted face to face. In case of an electronic contract the same can happen in the virtual space and the two companies who are signing the contract may not even meet with one another. The identity of the companies is to be dependent on the password authentication (Daskalopulu Maibaum, 2001). The different kinds of contracts may enter into the different aspects which are related to the change. The different offers may be there at the time of dispatch and receipt of the contract which in traditional contract the formation and composition of the contract entry may be different. The form of the contract is different in both. While Electronic contract information is contained in the form of the data, there may not be any kind of distinction between the originals and the copies cant be signed using traditional methods (Daskalopulu et al, 2002). The electronic performance and the complexity related to the payment is much more high in case of the traditional contract. Recognition of e contract: There are several laws related to the recognition of E Contracts which includes the following: Offer: As per this law, there is recognition of the contract which can be formed with the help of the facsimile, telex and any similar kind of technology. Under this contract, there is an agreement between different parties. This agreement is legally valid if and only if it satisfies the required law which may be considered to be important behind its formation. This means that the parties are required to create contract formally and primarily. The intention of the same can be viewed by checking the compliance of the offer with the three most prominent cornerstones including the offer, acceptance and consideration (Sall, 2002). One of the earliest steps which can be used in the formation of the E contract actually lies in the arrival at a given agreement. This agreement is done between the different parties by the means of the offer and the acceptance. The website which does the advertisement may constitute or it may not. When an offer is for the unspecified person, there is a probabi lity that the same may be a invitation for treat. The test is relation to the intention which specifies if the person is intended to be bounded by the legal procedures or not. Whenever the different consumers give the response through the E mail by filling any online form which is actually build in the web page, they actually constitute an offer. The seller can accept such a kind of offer either with the help of the express confirmation or with the help of the conduct (Griffel et al, 1997). Acceptance: It is very important to have the unequivocal and unconditional communication for the purpose of acceptance in case of the offer. This is important for the purpose of creation of the valid E contract (Tan,2000). One of the critical issues may come up when the acceptance may take the effect for the determination related to the existence of the contract. The general rule states that any kind of acceptance may be effective whenever it is received. In case of the contracting there is not a settlement of any kind of conclusive rule. The rule of communication which may be application actually is dependent on the reasonable certainty which is regarding the reception of the certain message. Whenever the different parties have the direct connection without any server, they also have the better idea about the failure or the partial receipt which may be related to the message. This kind of party which may realize the fault is required to do the request for re-transmission (Xu, 2003). This is bec ause; an acceptance is valid only when it is received. Whenever there is a requirement of the common server, it is very crucial to have the actual point related to the receipt for the purpose of acceptance. This is useful in making the decision related to the jurisdiction in which the E-contract is created, In case, the server is the trusted server, the partial rule may be actually applicable. Though, in case the server isnt a trusted one, there may be an uncertainty which may be related to the rule of the E Mail. Though, it is not as per the postal rule (Kunz et al, 2003). Whenever there is presumption that the arrival at the server is not sufficient, the receipt at the mail box rule is given a higher preference. Consideration and performance of E contract: A contract is something which can be applicable online if there is a promise related to the exchange of something in return. This something is known as the consideration. The present rule which may be related to the consideration can be actually applied to the E-Contracts. This is actually the concern which is there among the different consumers related to the Transitional security which may be there over the internet (Sandholm et al, 1995). The E-Directive which may be there on the distance selling may help in the overall generation of the confidence with the help of minimization of the abuse which is done by the purchasers and the suppliers. This specifies the following: First, it includes the list consisting of the key points. There are required to be supplied to the consumer in a completely clear and the proper manner. Second, there is a requirement to have the written confirmation or the confirmation in another durable medium which may be available and accessible by the consumer and consists of some of the principle points. Third, it includes the right of withdrawal which may enable the different consumers to avoid the different deals which may be entered in the inadvertently or without having a proper or the sufficient knowledge (Need, 2006). It also provides a cooling period of around seven days. Fourth, includes the performance which is required to be delivered within the thirty days or unless it is properly agreed. Fifth, it includes the proper reimbursement of the sums which may be lost in the fraud use of the credit cards. It also leads to the risk related to the fraud on the credit card company. Sixth, there is also the need for the protection of the sellers from rogue purchases. For the same, there is the provision related to the charge back clauses and there is also an encouragement of the pre-payment by the different buyers which is actually recommended. Liability and the damages: The party which gives the commitment related to the breach of a given agreement may face different types of liabilities which may be there under the contract law. Because of the nature which has actually been exhibited by the system and also due to the networks which are employed by the different businesses for the conduction of the E commerce, the different parties may also find themselves actually liable for the contracts which may actually be originated with them. But as the result of the different errors due to the programming the employee may make different mistakes or does the execution of the misconducts. The same is released without having an actual intent or the proper authority from the party (Daskalopulu Maibaum, 2001). Digital Signature: As stated by the section 2 P of the IT Act 2000, it has been defined that the digital signatures is actually the authentication of any kind of record which is created in an electronic manner by the subscriber in an electronic manner (Ludwig et al, 2003). A digital signature is something which actually acts as the signature for the electronic documents. The signature is something which is an unforgivable piece of data. The receipt of the message which is digitally signed can be used to verify the information related to the sender and the receiver. Can a party withdraw an offer: There are different methods which can be implemented for the purpose of termination of the offer. This can be done by different methods such as revocation and rejection. In order to do the revocation of the offer, it is important that there should be the proper communication to the different parties that the offer is not available anymore. Rejection of the offer can be done when the offer actually comes to the end (Marjanovic et al, 2001). It can be stated that there may be a condition in which the counter offer may terminate the original offer. Conclusion In the present times, each and every thing is being controlled by the internet. Internet has largely proved to be one of the most dominating sources in the world for each and everything. Also, with the recent advancement in a number of areas including the computer technology, telecommunication technology, software and internet, there is also an observation of change in the standard of living enjoyed by the people in a unique manner. The communication amidst different people is not any restriction anymore even if there is a constraint of geography and time. E contract plays an important role in the same. Thus, it can be concluded that the E contract is a valid contract which can be used for E commerce. In this report, the discussion has been done on the E contract. The differences of the same with the traditional contract has been discussed and analyzed. Further, the recognition of the contract has been discussed by conducting an analysis of offer and acceptance. In addition to this, the consideration and the performance of the contract have been discussed. References Kwok, T., Nguyen, T. and Lam, L., 2008, July. A software as a service with multi-tenancy support for an electronic contract management application. InServices Computing, 2008. SCC'08. IEEE International Conference on(Vol. 2, pp. 179-186). IEEE. Teveler, E. and Kaydanov, V., 2001.Electronic contract broker and contract market maker infrastructure. U.S. Patent Application 09/788,417. Daskalopulu, A. and Maibaum, T., 2001. Towards electronic contract performance. InDatabase and Expert Systems Applications, 2001. Proceedings. 12th International Workshop on(pp. 771-777). IEEE. Daskalopulu, A., Dimitrakos, T. and Maibaum, T., 2002. Evidence-based electronic contract performance monitoring.Group decision and negotiation,11(6), pp.469-485. Sall, M., 2002, May. Electronic contract framework for contractual agents. InConference of the Canadian Society for Computational Studies of Intelligence(pp. 349-353). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Griffel, F., Tu, M.T., Munke, M., Merz, M., Lamersdorf, W. and Da Silva, M.M., 1997, October. Electronic contract negotiation as an application niche for mobile agents. InEnterprise Distributed Object Computing Workshop [1997]. EDOC'97. Proceedings. First International(pp. 354-365). IEEE. Tan, Y.H. and Thoen, W., 2000. DocLog: an electronic contract representation language. InDatabase and Expert Systems Applications, 2000. Proceedings. 11th International Workshop on(pp. 1069-1073). IEEE. Xu, L., 2003, June. Monitorable Electronic Contract. InCEC(p. 92). Kunz, C.L., Ottaviani, J.E., Ziff, E.D., Moringiello, J.M., Porter, K.M. and Debrow, J.C., 2003. Browse-Wrap Agreements: Validity of Implied Assent in Electronic Form Agreements.The Business Lawyer,59(1), pp.279-312. Sandholm, T. and Lesser, V.R., 1995, June. Issues in automated negotiation and electronic commerce: Extending the contract net framework. InICMAS(Vol. 95, pp. 12-14). Need, W.C.D.H.P., 2006. Human resource management: Gaining a competitive advantage. Ludwig, H., Keller, A., Dan, A., King, R. and Franck, R., 2003. A service level agreement language for dynamic electronic services.Electronic Commerce Research,3(1-2), pp.43-59. Marjanovic, O. and Milosevic, Z., 2001. Towards formal modeling of e-Contracts. InEnterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference, 2001. EDOC'01. Proceedings. Fifth IEEE International(pp. 59-68). IEEE. Daskalopulu, A. and Maibaum, T., 2001. Towards electronic contract performance. InDatabase and Expert Systems Applications, 2001. Proceedings. 12th International Workshop on(pp. 771-777). IEEE.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Visual Language in Video Games free essay sample

I believe this is very essential to video games and not just the obvious reason, which is that video games are all visual. There are many visual aspects that have to go into a video game for it to be successful. The creators must be able to create something that visually fits with their game but also visually relays to the player were and what to do. There are many aspects that I could go into that visually effect a game, but this is about visual language in video games not the visual aspects of games. Visual language is basically a language that everybody picks up in their life especially now that we’re more of a visual culture; the only thing is that they don’t really realize that they know this language. It’s really simple to understand once someone opens your eyes to it. Something like video games which are all visual can be easier or harder for someone to analyze it. We will write a custom essay sample on Visual Language in Video Games or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page To give you an example, I will explain the visual elements of games, the pros and cons of visual realism in games, visual effects of games on gamers, and an Image analysis of a picture of a character of a video game. For me to accurately example visual language in video games you need to understand some basic visual aspects of video games. Ever game has the same general visual elements to â€Å"†¦guide, direct, and communicate with the player. † (Visual Elements within Games) For example, every level that you play is designed to lead you to your goal. The level designer must make this easy for the player to visually find their way either with a map or simply by the way the level is laid out with a set path that player has to take. In any game there is a HUD (Heads Up Display) which is where the player is able to see things that they can’t physically look and see. For example, in first person shooters the HUD would show you how many bullets you have, which weapons you have available, your navigation, and grenades. The title screen is also a visual element that every game has. The title screens were originally used to attract the players when games were in arcades. They had to visually communicate to the player what the game was about. Finally every game has some sort of menu system to communicate to the player the options they have in this game. If one of these elements is missing the game will fail because it will not be able to visually communicate to the player and the player will not be able to play it. Now a day’s almost all games try to be visually realistic to increase the enjoyment of playing the game; however there are pros and cons to this. The more realistic the games graphics become the more visual elements the creators can incorporate in it. For Example, now they can put actual weather in games; the next generation consoles can actually create random weather patterns just like in real life. A game also is limited on where they can expand, you can only tell the same story over so many different ways. Graphics can continuously be improved and thus give the game industry a way to expand. The reason anybody plays games is to escape reality. There is a story of a king during a famine ordered everybody to play a game all the time and only eat once a week. Games throughout centuries have been able to let people escape there reality. With games becoming more realistic the easier it is for the player to experience enhanced escapism; basically the easier it is for the player to become the character and live in the characters world. The down side to hyper realism is a game trying to be realistic a game company may focus most of their time and money on the graphics side of the project; which may be bad do to every other aspect of the game will be hindered, if this happens then the story or concept of the game will be lacking and won’t be able to sell because the stories boring. Another con is games become more expensive. The more time, labor, and software usage the game company has to spend money on so that’s why games continuously become more expensive. The final con is the biggest one of all. Desensitization of reality; it is the biggest political argument against the game industry. Since games have become so realistic the players since of reality is distorted. For example, when someone shoots so many virtual people and have no remorse since its virtual they can also kill real people because they won’t feel guilt for taking someone’s life because they have done it so repetitively in their games virtual reality. The visual effects on gamers are very beneficial to the gamers and the game industry. â€Å"Video game players may get an unexpected benefit from blowing away bad guys—better vision. † (Brian Handwerk) Playing video games improve the players contrast sensitivity function which is the first thing to fade with age. This is the ability to see the different shades of things, also gives us the ability to see at night or when there is minimal amount of light. There are actually a lot of visual aspects in a person’s vision that is increased when they play video games, especially first person shooters. â€Å"†¦games can help an individual learn to focus on relevant visual information† (Rick Nauert). Games help us to determine what we need to focus or not focus on; because the player strains their vision to see the little figures when there try to shoot them in the distance. This benefits us because it will help us determine relevant and non-relevant information in our world of visual communication; however it only benefits the person who actually plays the first person shooters, not the spectators due to the spectator not actually reacting to the situation just watching the situation unfold. Visual language is all about analyzing the things we see so I will show you how I have analyzed a picture I found of Master Chief, the main character of Halo. The value states it’s a futuristic era by the armor/suit, also since he’s wearing a helmet possibly a place without oxygen. The focus is master chief since he’s in the foreground and in an action pose. The audience is anyone who likes the halo series and the picture states he’s ready for anything. The tone is apprehensive do to the smoke in the background; master chief looking like he’s ready for hordes of covenant to come after him, isolation, but it is also calming since the environment consists of earthy and cool tones. The structure is to have the focal point in the foreground in a heroic or dynamic pose and the background is added to show its set on the edge of a wilderness that master chief probably had to fight his way through, which is shown by the smoke; master chief is on top of the rock to emphasize his type of character. To summarize everything, visual elements of games, the pros and cons of visual realism in games, and the visual effects of games on gamers are all ways the games speak to us visually. The next time you play your favorite game, take a second to find out all the different reasons that game creators put certain things in their games. No creator will get the go ahead to put something in there game just because it is cool. There always have to have a reason why or how it fits in the universe that they are creating. We as a culture are becoming more visually lead, and we as a culture must be able to determine whats real or not and to not fall prey to â€Å"pretty pictures† that tell or sell you something and you try to recreate it in reality; almost all visual things are done virtually where restrictions can be stretched.

Monday, November 25, 2019

ww2 essays

ww2 essays What is war? Websters Encyclopedic Dictionary describes it as: an armed clash between nations or factions in the same nation. Thats how a dictionary describes it, but in fact, it is something much worse. War is the epitome of what is wrong with human nature. War is devastating. Perhaps no other war was as devastating as World War II. (1)World War II killed more people, destroyed more property, disrupted more lives, and had more far-reaching consequences than any other war in history. It brought about the downfall of Western Europe as the center of world power and led to the rise of the Soviet Union. The development of the atomic bomb in 1945 would begin nuclear war. There is no one simple cause to World War II. There were many causes, most of which grew out of World War I. World War II was known as the war to end all wars. Instead of fixing old problems, it actually crated new ones. Germany was mad at the Allies for making it loose its territory. It lost one eighth of its land, and its army and navy were virtually wiped away. If Germany ever got strong again, it would definitely seek revenge. On September 1, 1939, the German army stormed across the borders of Poland. First came the stuka, dive-bombers that blasted the Polish planes on the ground. Then the German pilots bombed major railroads and highways. After that came the motorcycle infantry the fast soldiers that moved in to finish the job. This was a new kind of war employed by the Germans known as Blitzkrieg, which is a German word meaning lightning war. The German soldiers were trained for this and the Polish soil was flat and just right for it. Poland had no chance against the German army. Its army had no chance to fight back or even retreat. Poland was overwhelmed. Within two weeks, Germans surrounded Warsaw, the biggest city in Poland. In a li...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Caligua Roman Empire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Caligua Roman Empire - Research Paper Example By that time Caligula’s father was dead and his mother and two brothers were in disgrace. At Capri, Caligula was appointed as heir together with Tiberius Gemellus, son of Drusus the younger. According to the Roman law, Caligula did not have a right to be the emperor, but nevertheless it happened. After the death of Tiberius, with the help of Macro, Caligula was proclaimed â€Å"princeps† (first citizen) by the Senate. Tiberius’s will was invalidated and Caligula was proclaimed emperor with the official name of Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus in AD 37. The people of the empire were happy with the news, because Caligula’s parents were very popular in Rome and loved and respected by people. The first actions of the new emperor were directed at gaining popularity. When he entered Rome, he put Tiberius body into Augustus’ mausoleum, and made a funeral speech, in which he promised to rule Roman Empire together with the Senate and under its supervision. C aligula dropped a request for the deification of Tiberius, who was very unpopular in Rome, and announced amnesty. He put the taxes down and paid all the debts made by previous emperor. The new emperor won over the masses by resuming gladiator fights, bringing back actors from exile, and renewing of theatrical performances. Of course, such politics was very popular among the people. At this festive background, amplification of the monarchical principle and exaltation of power and personality of the emperor occurred. Caligula made a visit to Pandateriya and Pontius, and moved the ashes of his mother Agrippina and his brother Nero to Rome. There were yearly sacrifices yielded in honor of Germanicus and Agrippina, and circus games were arranged in honor of his mother. There were a lot of coins depicting the princeps’ brothers and parents. In six months Caligula got seriously sick. After his recovery he was no longer the same person. Some of the historians say that he had epilepsy from his childhood. †This, or some other cause, violently affected his mental state, and he became totally irrational, with delusions not only of grandeur but also of divinity.† (http://www.roman-empire.net/emperors/caligula.html, para.15). Caligula’s policy has changed so much that there was a firmly established belief in the society about his madness. It could be seen through his actions (for example, he was going to make his horse a consul) and in his appearance. The issue of mental normality of Gaius Caligula has occupied many researchers’ minds, both historians and psychologists. The opinions were divided. Some scholars have regarded him as mentally ill, while others believed that he was mentally normal. The range of definitions of his disease varies from schizophrenia to psychopathy. The latter version is the most recognized by modern scholars and seems the most convincing. In AD 38 Caligula put to death without trial his principal supporter, the pra etorian prefect Macro. Gemellus was also killed by his order. Marcus Junius Silanus, the father of the first of Caligula's wives was compelled to commit suicide. A new feature was that the process did not occur in the Senate: princeps alone decided the fate of the eminent dignitaries of the empire. In a short period of one year Caligula wasted all of the reserves of the state treasury accumulated by the Tiberius. New taxes were introduced to

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 16

Case Study - Essay Example The punishment on the four boys has a beneficial impact on the greater society since it teaches on the importance of morals such as respect for one’s property. Through the punishment of the boys, the need to have a well-functioning society devoid of disregard to other people’s property is supported. I strongly feel that the punishment on the boys is morally justified, though the sentencing of the boys may be extremely unreasonable. The punishment is moral since the conduct of the boys cannot be tolerated at any cost. Any wrong action must be followed by a tough consequence. This is the only way that will allow for a complete weakening of any wrong systems that might be thriving in the society. As utilitarianism goes, punishment contributes to a greater good in the society (Williams & Arrigo 180-181). Chang, Juju., Brown, Ely & Effron, Lauren. The Controversial Felony Murder Case of The Elkhart 4: Should Teens Be Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison? 25 Jul. 2014. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Ethics in International Environments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethics in International Environments - Essay Example â€Å"Ethics has†, the Columbia University Press views, â€Å"developed as people have reflected on the intentions and consequences of their acts. From this reflection on the nature of human behavior, theories of conscience have developed, giving direction too much ethical thinking†. (Retrieved from cup.edu.com)   Case Background: In the article under study, the writers, Chen & Fletcher (2007) point out how cultural differences force international firms and corporations make immediate alterations in their strategies in order to combat with the prevailing cultural and regional divergences observed by the individuals belonging to one specific society or region. The case under study focuses upon the problems faced by a well-established and renowned Australia-based sheep exporting and meat processing company under the title â€Å"Samex†, which has been involved into a business transaction with the Middle East businessmen and corporations for the last few decades. The Australian company launched its business on the foundations of international rules and values but had to undergo ethical dilemma in the Arab countries due to the prevailing contradictory values. Consequently, it had to revise its business scheme while conducting the business in that region.   Cultural differences can be estimated on the basis of Hofstede’s index of cultural divergence, which describes variation in the cultural patterns of different societies. For example, people living in advanced countries give priority to individual achievements, while in developing countries people are bound in the tie of â€Å"we† feelings and collectivism.   The Middle East refuses to accept any product that carries even the slightest sign of deformity, low quantity or defect.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Comparing America And Asias Elderly Care Social Work Essay

Comparing America And Asias Elderly Care Social Work Essay In general, society considers the elderly as persons above the ages of sixty or sixty-five. This is usually the beginning of old age as a person becomes less active in political, social and economic affairs. Though there are elderly persons who are in good health and active members of their communities, majority are the ones whose physical and mental functions are on the decline. Since they are not able to get along on their own, majority of the elderly persons require attention and care from their loved ones as well as friends. Consequently, psychologists use the term elderly care to refer to the personal as well as medical attention that this group of the population receives. It is evident that elderly care takes a variety of forms, ranging from personal care such as feeding and dressing, to medical attention. In addition, the care that a family chooses for its elderly persons will depend on their needs. This is because some of the elderly persons may still be in good health while others may be frail. Consequently, some of them may require home-based care while others may need specialized attention in a nursing home or in a hospital. Whatever the case, the elderly do need some form of care. In this study, I shall focus on the American culture and the Asian culture, and make comparisons between the two, in relation to the aspect of caring for the elderly. For the Asian culture, I shall examine the Japanese. In both United States of America and Japan, the number of elderly persons is on the increase. This means that both governments have to consider and put in place the best mechanisms to cater for this group of the population. Different communities accord the elderly different forms of care, depending on how their cultures dictate. The way a community perceives old age will therefore affect the manner in which it treats the elderly. The responsibility of caring for the elderly in Caucasian and Japanese cultures lies mainly with the woman, because these societies consider her as an innate caregiver due to her maternal abilities and instincts. However, this is also due to the fact that, over the years, the woman has fewer opportunities in the economic scene, and as a result, she remains at home most of the time to take care of her children and the elderly. On the other hand, when the woman is able to access the labor market, she finds herself in positions where she has to provide care for others. Most nurses, school and hospital matrons are women. However, in the above cultures, children also participate in elderly care, as a form of compensation for the nurture their parents gave them when they were young. The American society places a lot of emphasis on staying young. Consequently, as Samovar et. al. (2009) notes we find a culture that prefers youth to old age. (p.71). This negative perception of old age makes the young people avoid staying together with the elderly and caring for them. The older adult population rather than the young adults are the ones taking care of the elderly. This explains why some families in the United States give over their old relatives to nursing homes. This does not however mean that the young cut all their links with their elderly relatives. They do provide support and maintain contact with them. The nursing homes are an option for the elderly people who have no family or relatives to look after them at home. This is especially the case for those who are physically handicapped and require the help of another person to take care of them. Though the nursing homes have become the choice for most families with elderly relatives, they do have their limitations. Some of these institutions for the elderly have become money-making ventures, therefore reducing their emphasis on the needs of the elderly. Poor hygiene and lack of trained medical personnel and quality treatment as well as poor feeding programs are some of the problems the elderly face in these nursing homes. Moreover, placing the elderly in nursing homes limits their freedoms as they have to follow the stipulated program. They cannot choose when to feed, sleep, interact with their fellow housemates and cannot keep their belongings. However, nursing homes for the elderly still remain the option for most American families, as there has not been much success with home-based care. On a positive note, the elderly persons in American society have more groups of friends and neighbors whom they can go to for support, than the aged people in Japanese society. This means that the American elderly are likely to receive care from their friends and neighbors, apart from their immediate family members. However, the Americans usually tend to give special care to their elderly only after they learn that the latter are facing a medical problem. However, since the family is still the main caregiver for the elderly, some of the American families employ professional nurses to take care of their old at home, instead of sending them away to nursing homes. Another reason for this is that, institutions for taking care of the elderly are expensive, and some of these families are not able to afford them. Moreover, some families opt to take their elderly to day nursing institutions, where they receive care throughout the day and then return home in the evening. This is suitable for those people who are working and cannot stay with the elderly relatives during the day as they have to report to work. It is also convenient for working adults who cannot afford specialized care for their elderly ones, either at home or in a nursing institution. In some instances, the elderly person may be able to live in his or her own house, and may be strong enough not to require specialized attention and care. In such cases, the family members of such an elderly person find a house near other aged people, in areas where the amenities they need on a day-to-day basis are readily available. This form of elderly care appeals to the community and involves them in taking responsibility for this group of the population. On the economic front, some of the big corporate organizations have introduced benefit schemes for their employees, in order to help them in caring for their elderly relatives. This is because most companies want to avoid losses in production, due to having employees who have to work while at the same time take care of their elderly relatives. Some companies also provide home-based care services for the elderly, but as a profit-making venture. This however, has a negative side to it as these privatized services are costly and not many families are able to afford them. On the other hand, Asian culture of the Japanese has a positive perception of the elderly. It teaches the children to respect and care for the elderly. The Japanese consider the family as the prime caregiver for their elderly, and in this case, it is usually a female member of the family who carries out this duty. This is because the Japanese believe that it is not in order to take the elderly to a nursing home as this is equivalent to neglecting ones responsibility of taking care of ones parents. This also makes the Japanese families give the required care to their elderly relatives throughout their old age, rather than only when they are facing a health problem. In the case of aged people who are not related to the family, Japanese wives or their daughters are the ones who tend to give their elderly friends the care they need. Sometimes, the daughters-in-law also give care to the elderly, especially if the patient is female. However, if other friends and non relatives are living under the same roof with the elderly persons, they may provide the necessary care to the latter. This is in contrast to the case of the American elderly who receive care from their family as well as friends and neighbors. In Japan, the activity of giving care to the elderly is mainly as an act of duty, rather than voluntary will. The caregiver considers this act as one that he or she has to give, and in most cases, the Japanese wife will provide the elderly attention at her husbands request. The dependence of the Japanese elderly on their immediate family is also evident in the fact that most of them rely on their spouses and their children for financial support. Since the Japanese believe that giving the elderly care is a womans job, the men usually leave this task to their wives. However, though the Japanese men are away from home most of the time, they also contribute to elderly care by giving their spouses financial as well as emotional assistance. Again, by participating in looking after their children, they allow their wives to find time to take care of the elderly members of the family. Elderly care in Japan still remains largely in the hands of the family, especially for those who are not sickly and in need of specialized medical attention. However, caring for the elderly at home is no longer the only option, and families have begun taking the old to nursing homes. This is due to a number of reasons such as the aging of the family members providing the care as well as the increasing involvement of the Japanese women in formal training and employment. Moreover, Japanese families are not living in large numbers as they did in the past. However, the number of nursing homes for the elderly and professional caregivers is on the decrease because of the Japanese belief that it is the immediate family which bears the responsibility of taking care of their elderly relatives. The elderly who are in need of very little personal and health care remain at home, but get visits from personnel who attend to them. This happens either a few times a week or every day depending on the needs of the elderly person. Due to the rising demand for health caregivers for the elderly, Japan has sought the help of care personnel from the Philippines. These caregivers are more experienced and are willing to work at a low pay. Due to the increase in the elderly population, financial resources have not been enough to allow families to put their relatives under specialized care at home and in nursing institutions. It is due to this situation that hospitals in Japan have offered to accommodate the elderly who are in need of both personal as well as medical attention. This way, the elderly in Japan can access long-term care. Though on a small-scale, the Japanese elderly engage in volunteering programs where they offer services to the community and in turn, they receive personal as well as medical care. There are however some similarities in the aspects of elderly care in American and Japanese cultures. Care for the elderly is still one of the concerns of both the United States and Japanese governments, though they differ in their policies. America gives priority to provision of medical attention, pension for retirees and shelter, while the Japanese government came up with policies to put in place insurance for every citizen including the elderly, for a long-term period. In both countries, the increase in aging members of the population has put a lot of pressure on the medical as well as retirement schemes. However, technological advances in medicine have increased and they are being used to improve the life-expectancy levels of the American and Japanese aging populations. Again, since women are increasingly going into formal employment, the men in both countries are also becoming more and more involved in elderly care. In conclusion, due to lifestyle changes, many people have started living in smaller groups and families, and are also located far from each other. Consequently, caring for the elderly can no longer be the responsibility of the immediate family alone, but has to be a prerogative of governments, non governmental organizations as well as private institutions.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Essays --

Accounting is used as a tools to inform investors and other stakeholders about management’s performance. However, accounting standards permits management to use judgment in financial reporting methods for some accounts as they have best knowledge of its business so it can choose accounting alternatives that suit their business. With ability to choose its preferable reporting methods, estimates and disclosure, this flexibility creates opportunity for managers to distort earnings in which they adopt accounting methods that do not truly reflect firms’ financial status (Healy and Wahlen, 1999). In addition, due to the fact that management has better access to firms’ business transactions and operations than stakeholders do and auditing and monitoring system are not always effective, these lead to an information asymmetry problem which increases earnings management opportunity. For example, they can alter some information and do not disclose all the information to the stakeholders. This essay will first describe the definition of earnings management and its evolution. Then, the proxies used to detect earnings management will be illustrated. Next, the motives for earnings management and its effect on financial reporting process will be discussed. Subsequently, it will turn to the impact of debt financing on earnings management. Finally, this paper will examine the factors that may constrain the degree of earnings management. Definition of earnings management and its evolution Many researchers has given different earnings management definitions. For instance, Healy and Wahlen (1999,p.368) states that ‘Earnings management occurs when managers use judgment in financial reporting and in structuring transactions to alter financial repor... ...orts (Houqe et al., 2012) Also, the adaptation of widely-used accounting standards, for example, IFRS, may help prevent management from manipulating financial information and, therefore, improve the quality of earnings because such standards require managers to provide a true and fair view of its report and may help reduce the earnings management activities. Houqe et al. (2012) conclude that the adoption of mandatory IFRS increases the quality of earnings in the countries that provide strong protection for investors. However, there is some controversy if accounting standards would reduce earnings management. Tendeloo and Vanstraelen (2005, cited in Houqe et al., 2012) and Lin and Paananen (2009, cited in Houqe et al., 2012) find that after adopting IFRS, firms in Germany recorded more discretionary accruals and those accruals are lowly-correlated with cash flows.