Computer Games Essays - Play, Childhood, Girl, Women, Spice Girls

Computer Games This Christmas, like millions of other parents, I bought my two children, a boy and a girl, a popular home video game system. I thought they could share it and when asked if this was OK with them, they replied, "Sure mom, that would be great." So, we planned on installing the little goody onto the TV in the family room, so that both kids would have an equal chance to play. So, "What then?" you may be asking is the problem. The problem arose when we went to shop for games for the system. They weren't hard to find. They were in all the local toy stores and Walmart and Kmart too! But, there weren't any for girls! I looked high and low and came up empty handed. Why was this happening? Surely, girls must want to play video games as much as boys do! Why then, aren't game manufacturers producing any video games that feature girls as the main character? On a recent trip to our local Walmart store, I found over two hundred video game titles, yes I counted, for our game system, but of these only two had female main characters. One of them was, you guessed it, Barbie! The other one was a female warrior dressed in a scantily clad leather outfit. I'm pretty sure the latter was designed for young men, and not for young girls. Surely, a big retailer, like Toys-R-Us would have more of a selection. So, off I went on my merry way only to be once again disappointed. Toys-R-Us had over 300 titles in stock for our game system and only the same two titles I found at Walmart were available there with one new addition, which was the Spice Girls CD. It's price had been reduced, so I guessed it was left over from last year when the Spice Girls used to be popular. I ended up purchasing 4 games for my kids to play. I found a few with cartoon characters as lead characters, that I felt would be appropriate for kids. I bought Rugrats, Loony Tunes, Grand Turismo (race cars), and Tetras (puzzle). All, except the puzzle game, had male characters in the lead, but at least these were rated as non-violent. After some careful research, I found that video games are a 7 billion dollar a year industry that out surpasses even the movie industry by 2 billion dollars each year ( 2 ). Mostly, these games are being sold to boys and young men. Girls currently represent only about 20 percent of the market, having been pretty much written off by important manufacturers like, Hasbro, Sony, and Sega ( 3 ). Girls have extensive buying power though, nearly 84 billion dollars annually, and over 6 million of them live in households with gaming systems ( 3 ). From ages, 6 to 10, girls play video games as much and as often as boys in that same age bracket, and one survey reports that if there were more games out there that they enjoyed, 85 percent of girls surveyed would use their gaming systems more ( 1 ). Girls don't seem to like the same kinds of games boys do. Instead of the violent, time-limited games boys go for, the girls like games that offer strong narratives, interaction, and creativity. It's not enough to simply convert or replace existing software for girls; the basic structure should be changed. A 1995 survey in Children's Software Review found only 28 of the 344 games with female characters in leading roles ( 3 ), proof that few producers have created games exclusively for girls. I believe this is largely so, due to the male dominance in the whole computer and technological industry. Males are turning out a product for other males. Then why aren't women out there designing a product girls will enjoy? Some are trying, but I have found it a catch-22 situation. Men are leading the technology industry because they are the ones inviting other males to join their ranks by making only games geared towards boys and young men. Girls are less likely to deem this area as fun and inviting and thus, turn their attention to other areas of study once college bound. Some companies are beginning to look for ways to encourage girls to get more involved in information technology. Girl Tech is one such group, in hopes of reaching 3.4 million Girl Scouts, they are sponsoring a technology merit-badge program (3 ). Efforts like this must

Essay on Educational Psychology and Learners

Essay on Educational Psychology and Learners Essay on Educational Psychology and Learners Principles of Learning Introduction The following assignment discusses motivation, learning activities, organisation of information, communication and feedback. The theories of psychologists will be referenced to the examples given for motivation and the organisation of information. Theories include those of Abraham Maslow, Jerome Bruner and David Kolb. Motivation Students attend Learning Resources IT training on a voluntary basis, and are therefore highly motivated. These students are intrinsically motivated. Borich & Tombari describe this type of motivation as follows â€Å"intrinsic motivation influences learners to choose a task, get energised about it, and persist until they accomplish it successfully, regardless of whether it brings an immediate reward† (p210). This description closely matches how our learners behave. Our students have recognised that they would benefit from improving their IT skills, have sought out and identified a resource to help them achieve this, and are happy to attend a programme that does not award a certificate. Some students are extrinsically motivated, as there are external factors for responsible for their attendance. An example of this if they are referred by academic staff for additional IT support, or if they are experiencing problems with an assignment involving IT. Social learning theorists such as Albert Bandura believe that observing peers shapes learners’ behaviour and that the social environment can influence personality Zimbardo, McDermott, Jansz & Metaal (p460). This could explain why some students attend because their peers are already competent in using a computer. If friends and family are IT literate then the learner feels they should be too. As more people become adept in using IT, then more people will follow this behaviour. Whatever the motivation factors, when a learner attends a learning programme it is the responsibility of the tutor to maintain their motivation. The learning environment Introduction A tutor’s first consideration is to establish and maintain an effective learning environment. Learners need to feel secure and emotionally safe. As the humanist psychologist Abraham Maslow’s (1962) Hierarchy of Needs shows, physiological and safety needs must be satisfied before a person can progress. These needs can be applied to a computer workshop as discussed in Reece & Walker (p101). To satisfy physiological needs the tutor must ensure that the room is not too hot/cold, the chairs meet health and safety regulations, and learners have adequate breaks. Many students feel insecure and apprehensive about learning IT, to ensure they feel emotionally safe it is important that the tutor show empathy. Computers must be regularly maintained and software properly installed to ensure the learner does not have to struggle with technical difficulties. Learning activities The Humanist psychologists believe behaviour is unique to each individual. We are not all motivated by the same things and we all have different aims and expectations. Borich & Tombari describe the humanist theory as follows: â€Å"It is called humanist because the primary focus is the inner thoughts, feelings, psychological needs, and emotions of the individual learner† (p285). The Humanistic approach should apply choosing teaching methods and planning learning activities. Learning activities must be structured to meet the needs of all learners. This can be a challenge as some learners expect formal instruction and the tutor-led approach, while others want to work independently, requesting help as required. Learners can become frustrated and de-motivated if the workshop is not at an appropriate level and/or the teaching methods and activities inappropriate to their needs. Psychologist Carl Rogers stated that the learner should be placed at the centre of the learning process through active self-discovery. He also stated that â€Å"the job of the teacher, in his view, is to

Staffing difficulties in the long term care nursing Essay

Staffing difficulties in the long term care nursing - Essay Example A recent research effort suggests that nearly 60% of all people will need extended help in one or more of the areas above during their lifetime (Thomas, 2008). The need for long-term care may for a short period or it may go on for years because it all depends on the underlying reasons for requiring the care. Temporary long term care includes nursing care needed for patient rehabilitation from a hospital stay, recovery from illness, recovery from injury, recovery from surgery and care needed by those with terminal medical condition (Dickinson, 2006). On the other hand, ongoing long term care is help need by those with chronic medical conditions, chronic severe pain, permanent disabilities and those with dementia among others. The main objective of this research paper is to examine staffing difficulties in long term care nursing One main staffing difficulty in the long term care nursing is clinical hand over. Clinical handover is the transfer of responsibility for care of patients between health care professionals (Whitt N, 2007). To this date, with the ever-transformation face of working hours for nurses the domain of handovers has come under debate in recent years. There is little or no study that has been carried out in this area and globally there is meager literature about nurse handovers in the long term care nursing. It is truer to say that as nurse work hours decrease, the number of handovers conducted should logically increase. In addition, the benefit of the patient being treated by a less fatigued nurse may be offset by the risk of information breakdown due to poor handover practices and systems (Whitt N, 2007). A reviewed research has found that more than half of nurses report that they had encountered difficulties more than seven times in their most recent clinical rotation. This in essence directly contributes to a poor handover in the long-term nursing care.. Other studies reveal

Reviews of the Articles about Global Problems Essay

Reviews of the Articles about Global Problems - Essay Example Soil, which is composed of organic and inorganic components, is an integral part of terrestrial life and many organisms including humans are greatly dependent on this vast resource. The organic or living components which are constituted by thousands of microbes, fungi, nematodes, mites and gophers play a vital role in maintaining soil health and fertility. The organic wastes that are present in the soil are processed by the soil microflora and the resulting nutrients are made available for the plants. Ground water is filtered and cleaned by the soil matter and soil also helps to retain atmospheric dust and other pathogens thereby contributing to cleaner air. Soil is also a major determinant of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Man-made activities such as plowing and soil changes due to erosion and neglect can result in the release of excessive amounts of carbon dioxide in to the atmosphere. Agricultural practices such as tillage can deprive the soil of essential organic nutrients an d the addition of fertilizer chemicals, pesticides and herbicides further deplete the soil nutrients. The large number of concrete layered on top of the soil in urban areas, heavy machines and pollution cause extensive and at times irreversible damages to soil life. The desert conditions in Africa are mainly due to extensive grazing and agriculture which has resulted in degradation of the top soil. The author further adds that unhealthy soil can also cause several human diseases. The increasing global warming poses a great threat to the biodiversity of the soil which can be adversely affected even with the slightest change in temperature and moisture. The author has also included the views of soil experts Eric B. Nelson and Diana H. Wall who respectively believe that soil... The essay "Reviews of the Articles about Global Problems" analyses eight articles by eight different authors about such global problems as like the effect of increasing carbon dioxide quantities on global warming, threats to soil life from globalization and industrialization, the harm of pesticides to the environment and the effect of technological advancements on humanity. For example, the article â€Å"The hidden world under our feet† by Jim Robbins focuses on soil life and the numerous threats that it faces due to globalization and industrialization around the world. Soil, which is composed of organic and inorganic components, is an integral part of terrestrial life and many organisms including humans are greatly dependent on this vast resource. The organic or living components which are constituted by thousands of microbes, fungi, nematodes, mites and gophers play a vital role in maintaining soil health and fertility. Another article â€Å"A Change in temperature† by Justin Gillis analyses the effect of increasing carbon dioxide quantities on global warming. Recent findings suggest that global temperature change is a more slow process and humans would be able to adapt to these changes. The major issue under consideration is about the sensitivity of the climate to increasing carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. Earlier in the 19th century, Svante Arrhenius estimated the earth’s average temperature to increase by nine degrees Fahrenheit, though, now it is likely to be between three to eight degrees Fahrenheit.

Personal Development Portfolio (Reflective Account) Essay

Personal Development Portfolio (Reflective Account) - Essay Example The actual process of writing the thesis took many twists and turns and there were long hours spent in accessing databases of stock exchanges and finding the reliable ones from the respectable ones; deciding on the methodology to be used, deciding the structure of the document and how information would be presented and so on. At the end of the thesis, I found that more than just a thesis, I was much richer as I had learnt the elements of conducting good research, how to structure the document, how to remain focussed and write so that the words represented my thoughts and analysis and how to conduct analysis of researched data. This document relates my experience as a researcher, learner and a student and my dissertation experience. The journey into conducting research for the thesis led me through various paths such as the very nature of equities, stock exchanges, bonds and debt instruments, share price indices, bourses, credit rating companies and other entities. I am glad to say that other than the 70 odd pages of the thesis, I also learn about many things such as how stock are evaluated, what is the nature of credit rating companies and more so, the intense efforts put in by these companies when they take up a debt instrument for rating. Prior to the thesis, I had very little idea of the methodology use behind rating. But now it is evident that rating agencies conduct very deep research into many aspects of a company such as its history, the nature of the market, history of the promoters, market sentiments and drivers and also variables that act on a debt instrument. The research taken up the teams in rating agencies cover many cross functional areas such as finance, accounts, economics and management and the research can take more than 2 months before a rating is given. When c company or its financial product is rated, it does not end at that as the rating is under regular

Democracy Of Goods In Contemporary Consumer Culture Media Essay

Democracy Of Goods In Contemporary Consumer Culture Media Essay The term democracy was defined as equal access to consumer products and by depicting the everyday functioning of that democracy with regard to one product at a time, these tableaux offered Americans an inviting vision of their society as an incontestable equality According to Onufrijchuk in Leiss et al 1997: 50 the course of the 20th century has seen a dramatic and sustained rise in the real income and purchasing power of the average person in western societies, where most people have access to a huge and constantly changing array of goods this may rely on the fact why Marchand argued the fact that the 20th century allowed for equal access to goods because individuals for example the working class individual in society were continually earning more, and what better way to spend the extra money they have than to buy products that the upper class would usually use, thus, they can then believe that they are having shared experience with the upper classs taste, whereas the upper class are getting furious because they have to continually look for ways in other to differentiate themselves from the other classes. Bourdieu in Gronow (1997: 11) argued that the taste of the ruling class is always the legitimate taste of a society, but in his own opinio n, this legitimate taste is not genuine good taste: in fact there could be no possible genuine good taste. He went on to argue that legitimate taste pretends to be the universally valid and disinterested good taste, whereas in reality it is nothing more than the taste of one particular class, the ruling class. The term Trigg 2001 calls trickle down, leap-frog and trickle down. Taste would be considered later on in the essay in relation to democracy of goods. This could be said as to why Marchand suggested that the early 20th century advertising offered access to goods and a vision of society of incontestable. Schudson 1986: 180-181 illustrates better as he argued that there was a new sense of scarcity of time, accelerated by the increasingly large array of choices available to people. There was more choice, or a sense of more choice, in part because the newspapers, movies, and radio bought to people a strong sense of other social worlds, and other possibilities. The advances in mass production methods made goods and luxuries unheard of a generation before potentially available to a large number of people. In the supermarket there were more product categories, and within these more brands to choose from. The different media outlets made people think or feel that they had many choices and that they could experience the world of the upper class just by buying certain products to make them blend in to the crowd of the upper class. With the i ncrease of mass production of products, it made it possible for the working class to have the shared experience and for the fact that there was an increase in mass product, goods were produced cheaper. Hence, Marchand 1985: 218 arguing that there were no discrepancies in wealth could prevent the humblest citizen, provided they chose their purchases wisely, from retiring to setting in which they could contemplate their essential equality, through possession of an identical productGIVE AN EXAMPLE LATER This can be said to be what is happening in our current contemporary society The advertising parables offered comfortable rather than distasteful truths. They usually sought to persuade more through insinuation than confrontation, and sought unthinking assent rather than active thought or new insight. They encouraged readers to assimilate the product into their present lives in order to force them to a decision to live by a different logic. Marchand 1985: 207. Advertising products makes the audience feel like they need to purchase certain products and that if they do not acquire the products, they cannot be satisfied in their lives, Marchand 1985: 207. The parables of advertising promised reads no insurmountable limitations and offered a reality easily within the reach of their hearts desires provide any one with the ultimate satisfaction (ibid: 218) GIVE AN EXAMPLE LATER) According to Marchand 1985: 217-218 Democracy of goods is the wonders of modern mass production and distribution enabled every person to enjoy the societys most significant pleasure, convenience, or benefit. The definition of the particular benefit fluctuated à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the cumulative effect of the constant reminders that any woman can and every home can afford was to publicize an image of American society in which concentrated wealth at the top of a hierarchy of social classes restricted no familys opportunity to acquire the most significant products. Daniel Boorstin in Schudson 1886: 181 stated that there was democratization of good. Products that once held some kind of uniqueness to them by being available only at certain times of the year or only certain parts of the country were increasing available all year-round and throughout the country, thanks to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ other technological and other social developments. Not only the means of production but the modes of became a continuous process' Boorstin argued that products became democratized in three ways. Firstly, they became more standard as they come to be produced for the mass audience. They are easier to handle, easier to do it yourself without great skill on the part of the user; both a mediocre cook and a great cook make equally good cakes from a cake mix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ standard products and standard situations for shopping make it easier for the unskilled consumer to avoid embarrassment and to become equal to the adept consumer. Secondly, products become not only more standard but milder and easier to use. They become convenient à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Convenience is an attribute that has much to do the social uses and social meaning of a product as with its engineering. The more convenient a good, the more it is equally available for the use if men and women, adults and children à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Thirdly, there is democratization when goods are consumed in increasingly public ways. To liberate from society, we ought and must was not for Marcuse a problem. What the problem the problem specific to society which delivers the goods was that for liberation there was no mass basis few people wished to be liberated, een fewer were willing to act on that wish, and virtually no one was quite sure in what way the liberation from society might differ from the state they were already in Bauman 2000: 16 One such issue was the possibility that what feels like freedom is not in fact freedom at all; that people may be satisfied with their lot even though that lot were far from being objectively satisfactory; that, living in slavery, they feel free and so experience no urge to liberate themselves, thus forsaking or forfeiting the chance of being genuinely free Bauman 2000: 17 is liberation a blessing, or a curse? A curse disguised as blessing, a blessing feared as curse? Bauman 2000: 18. other popular addresses for similar complaints have been the embourgeoisement of the underdog (the substitution of having for being, and being for acting, as the uppermost values) Bauman 2000: 19. However Gronow 1997: 9 argued that taste was an ideal means on making social distinctions. Any parvenu who tried to act as a gentleman could always be put in his proper place by letting him know through small gestures that even though he thinks he is acquainted with the right etiquette, he still does not master the requirements of good taste. This can us be used as a criticism in relation to democracy of good in the sense that even though there was mass production of goods, the working class were not accepted even though they tried fitting in, into the upper class. Thus it can be argued that the democracy of goods created an illusion of democracy, as it made working class ind ividuals Boorstin 1993 and others have suggested that mass consumption created democracy of goods. Schudsons account is somewhat different. Yes, goods became more uniformly available, more standardized, more convenient, and more likely to be consumed in public ways. Yet, although the goods displayed in a department store are in theory available to everyone, in practice they are available only ot those with the resources to make the purchase. Schudsons analysis reminds us that the displays of mass consumption creates a democratization of desire and envy (1984 pp 181, 151) Advertising reached its modern form around 1900 rather than simply describing products technical virtues, ads increasingly addressed consumers deeper concerns. Instead of extolling the cleaning powder of a particular soap, for example, the new ads emphasized the social embarrassment of body odor or the sex appeal of the skin (Fischer 2010: 65) The parable of the democracy of goods always remained implicit in its negative counterpart. It assured readers that they could be as healthy, as charming, as free from social offense as the very nicest (richest) people, simply by using a product that any one could afford (219) The parable emphasized the affordability of the product to families of modest income while attempting to maintain a class image of the products the preferred choice of their social better (221) The most attractive aspect of the parable to advertisers was that it preached the coming of an equalizing democracy without sacrificing those fascinating contrast of social condition that had long been the touchstone of high drama (221) They dressed up Americans wealthy as dazzling aristocrats, and then reassured readers that they could easily enjoy an essential equality with such elites in the things that really mattered GIVE AN EXAMPLE CHERYL COLE ADVERTISEMENT (she worked her way up, the general working class public could identify with her background and where she has come from. Thus suggesting that if they work really hard they could get to where they want be and be what they want in society

Loneliness in The Seafarer by Bradley and The Wifes Lament by Stanford :: essays research papers

When exiled from society, loneliness becomes apparent within a person. The poems The Seafarer translated by S.A.J. Bradley and The Wife?s Lament translated by Ann Stanford have a mournful and forlorn mood. Throughout each poem exists immense passion and emotion. In the two elegiac poems there is hardship, loneliness and uncertainty for each character to live with. The Wife?s Lament speaks movingly about loneliness, due to the speaker projecting the lonesomeness of the women who was exiled from society. The woman in the poem has been exiled from her husband and everything she loves, all she has is a single oak-tree to be comforted by. As she has been banished from all she loves, the tone becomes gloomy and depressing. The speaker uses expressions such as joyless and dark to create a sorrowful mood for the poem. As well as the expressions used in this poem, the setting also creates loneliness. The setting generates a darkened and desolate place which makes the woman feel exiled from society. The Seafarer is about an old sailor, and the loneliness and struggle of being out at sea. The speaker uses his loneliness out at sea along with his struggles such as the cold and hunger he faces. The speaker puts emphasis on his loneliness by saying, ?my heart wanders away, my soul roams with sea?. This adds to the imagery that the sailor is attached to his life at sea, his love for sailing yet adds the isolation that comes with his life. Both poems where written in the Anglo-Saxton era in Old English and later translated into English. As well as both poems being written in the same time period, they are both elegiac poems, meaning they are poignant and mournful.

Quality of life Scenario Essay

PART ONE Medical-Surgical Cases 2. What is the rationale for changing the method of administering furosemide? [c] M.G. is fl uid overloaded and needs to decrease fl uid volume in a short period. IV administration is delivered directly into the vascular system, where it can start to work immediately. In HF, blood fl ow to the entire GI system is compromised; therefore the absorption of orally ingested medications may be variable and take longer to work. 3. You administer furosemide 80 mg IVP. Identify three parameters you would use to monitor the effectiveness of this medication. [k] †¢ Daily weight †¢ I&O †¢ Decreased dependent edema †¢ Decreased SOB, decreased crackles in the bases of the lungs, and possibly decreased O2 demands †¢ Decreased JVD 4. What laboratory tests should be ordered for M.G. related to (R/T) the order for furosemide? [c] Furosemide 80 mg is a potent diuretic, which may cause the loss of potassium and magnesium. These 2 electrolytes are important in maintaining a stable heart rhythm. These electrolytes will need to be supplemented if the levels are low. âÅ" ½ Note: Most HF admissions are R/T fl uid volume overload. Patients who do not require intensive care monitoring can most often be treated initially with IVP diuretics, O2, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. 5. How do ACE inhibitors help in HF? [k] ACE inhibitors prevent the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II, a potent vasoconstrictor. This results in systemic vasodilation, thereby reducing preload (reducing the volume of blood entering the left ventricle) and afterload (reducing the resistance to the left ventricular contraction) in patients in HF. âÅ" ½ Instructor Note: You could tell the students that the most frequent side  effect of ACE inhibitors is a persistent, nonproductive cough. The intensity of the symptoms tends to be dose related; the higher the dose, the more intense the cough. An important alternative medication is an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), often called â€Å"an ACE without a cough.† Mosby items and derived items  © 2009, 2005 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. 3  chapter 1 Cardiovascular Disorders Case Study 1 6. M.G.’s symptoms improve with IV diuretics. She is ordered back on oral furosemide once her weight loss is deemed adequate to achieve a euvolemic state. What will determine if the oral dose will be adequate to consider her for discharge? [k] It is critical to help the primary care provider assess whether the change from IV to oral diuretics can maintain a stable weight. One of the fl uid management goals for patients in HF is to maintain a target weight. This is done by monitoring daily morning weight, keeping an accurate I&O, and recording subjective symptoms. 7. M.G. is ready for discharge. What key management concepts should be taught to prevent relapse and another admission? âÅ" ½ Hint: Use the mnemonic MAWDS. [k] The most essential aspect of teaching hospitalized patients without overloading them is to focus on realistic key points. Teaching should be aimed at tips to improve symptoms and prevent readmission. The 5 most important concepts for patients with HF are included in MAWDS instructions. Medications: Take as directed, do not skip a dose, and do not run out of medications. Activity: Stay as active as you can while limiting your symptoms. Weight: Weigh every morning. Call if you gain or lose 2 pounds overnight or 5 pounds from your target weight. Diet: Follow a low-salt diet and limit fl uids to less than 2 quarts or liters per day. Symptoms: Know what symptoms to report to your provider; report early to prevent readmission. Mosby items and derived items  © 2009, 2005 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.

Army of Ants essays

Army of Ants essays He was well aware of their power of adaptation, their sense of discipline, their marvelous talent for organization. Some might think that a well trained army of soldiers was the subject of this statement, not an insect of thumbs length. Ants are thought to be small, insignificant creatures that could cause no more harm than a ruined picnic and squashed without the slightest struggle, but not these ants. In the story Leiningen Versus the Ants, looking like something that comes from a horror film, the voracious ants ate everything in sight, including human flesh. But these ants seemed to have something else. An intelligence that only humans could possess and actions that were even more amazing. Organization and strategy hardly seem like an element that a swarm of ants would possess, but in this case, they had it. They separated their army into groups, with each taking a different course to try and enter the plantation. Such great intelligence could frighten anyone when it comes down to millions of razor jawed insects wanting nothing more than to immolate you until all that is left are your bones. Knowing that each time these creatures lose a battle, they get smarter, and could at any second come up with a massive plan, definitely adds to the suspense of the story, because you never know what the ants will come up with. The actions of these ants add even more horror to the story by showing their determination. Building bridges and sacrificing themselves for the rest of their army is shocking for creatures of their size and reputation. Just the act of building a bridge to get across a moat is something only a human should be able to do. The ants actually worked together, communicating with each other to accomplish this huge human-like task. Now the reader knows exactly what the ants are capable of doing, making the mystery of what they will do next a horrifying thought. ...

Data Protection among Employees Essay Example

Data Protection among Employees Essay Example Data Protection among Employees Essay Data Protection among Employees Essay P5, P6 AND M2 An employee working within the HR department at Dominos became frustrated when she found out that men working within the organisation were being paid more than women who were working in the same role. She decided that the best way to deal with this situation was to email all staff within the organisation and send documents proving her findings. These documents contained sensitive employee information (personal details: address, bank account and salary etc.), all staff were outraged, and the employee was dismissed immediately. The implications of the employee’s actions span across legal, ethical and operational issues in relation to the use of business information. LEGAL ISSUES Legislation (law) is outlined by the government and businesses need to enforce this when handling information. There are various amounts of legislations that protect, pertain to and manage business information. An example would be the Data Protection Act (1996). The Data Protection Act 1998 protects the information held about people from being misused. Another would be the similar and newer regulation The General Data Protection Regulation. There are 8 major principles of the Data Protection Act, these principles require that personal information is: 1. Processed fairly and lawfully 2. Processed for one or more specified and lawful purposes, and not further processed in any way that is incompatible with the original purpose 3. Adequate, relevant and not excessive 4. Accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date 5. Kept for no longer than is necessary for the purpose for which it is being used 6. Processed in line with the rights of individuals 7. Kept secure with appropriate technical and organisational measures taken to protect the information 8. Not transferred outside the European Economic Area (the European Union member states plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) unless there is adequate protection for the personal information being transferred The General Data Protection Regulation (2018) comes into effect on 25 May 2018. The GDPR builds on existing data protection law to strengthen the protection of individuals personal data. Personal data a business might hold includes: Employee records Customer databases There are stricter rules for sensitive personal data: Sensitive data continues to include information on racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, trade union membership, health, and information on sex life or sexual orientation. Genetic or biometric data are also sensitive data. Dominos must follow this act and make sure that all obtained customer and staff information is secure, relevant and accurate. At Dominos they collect â€Å"personal information such as your name, address, telephone number and email address as provided by you when you register to My Domino’s or place an order with us† . The employee broke the Data Protection and General Data Act by disclosing sensitive employee information such as financial and personal details to other staff. This is puts staff at risk of fraud and other financial crimes. In this case Dominos have failed, they have failed to maintain the Data Protection and GDPR and have allowed an employee to leak sensitive employee information this can have several major implications on the business staff morale and cohesion as inter-staff trust is likely to be weakened after this event, which can likely take a toll on business performance and therefore sales. Most important employees have now lost trust in the busine ss, it was Dominos job to keep their information safe and yet it got disclosed and spread in a public manner despite the woman’s perceived good will. In order to make employees feel safe and to prevent something similar from happening again, Dominos must implement new organisational policies pertaining to the protection and security increase of employee information. The Freedom of Information Act (2000) allows any individual or business to request information held by a public authority. E.g. Nottingham City Council and Nottingham County Council. In Domino’s privacy policy it outlines the fact that all customers â€Å"have a right to request access to or rectification of your personal data which we hold about you. You also have a right to erase your personal data, to restrict the processing of your personal data and the right to receive your personal data that you have provided to us and to transit such personal data to another data controller†. It was in the employee’s rights to request pay information of both male and female workers within the business but she The Computer Misuse Act (1990) Businesses have to ensure they protect business information. The act splits into three different sections and makes the following illegal: Unauthorised access to computer material Unauthorised access to computer systems with intent to commit another defence Unauthorised modification of computer material ETHICAL ISSUES Ethical issues refer to the codes of practice that exist in businesses to maintain ‘moral principles concerning acceptable and unacceptable behaviour by businesses’. They maintain these ethics on: Use of Email Whistle-Blowing Organisational Policies Information Ownership All businesses have codes of conduct on the correct use of email within the business. These codes often refer to how much and what you can send on email. Examples of expected emails would be: To send business information to staff To send a memo To send a notice of business meetings To distribute news To share basic information to a large group of people Examples of email against most email codes of conduct would be: Personal emails Large amounts of information/documents, to a large number of people Inappropriate content Personal Conversations Sending Confidential materials Dominos doesn’t not have open evidence of internal email codes of conduct however, in order to run the business as smoothly as possible they more than likely use a number of the aforementioned rules. The employee definitely broke these rules by sending confidential materials to the whole Dominos does have codes of conduct pertaining to the customer, they make sure to let customers know that they can unsubscribe from receive promotional materials from Domino’s via email.

US GAAP IFRS Convergence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

US GAAP IFRS Convergence - Essay Example According to the research findings over the past 15 years, many accounting controversies and scandals have caused financial turmoil and resulted in the bankruptcy of several major firms. In response to these events, the IASB (International Accounting Standards Board) began developing the IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) to provide transparency and comparability for investors across the world. Today, more than 113 countries have adopted the IFRS or are in the process of converging to the standard. While countries such as Canada adopted the IFRS as early as 2011, the United States has maintained that transition from the US GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) to the globally accepted IFRS will require more time. The US GAAP is the accounting standard followed by all companies registered in the United States. Doherty estimates that the US will not be able to adopt the IFRS completely before 2015. As a result, both the FASB (Federal Accounting Standards Board of the US) and the IASB have been working to achieve convergence between the two standards. However, this convergence exercise has been ongoing for several years as related agencies including the FASB, IASB, SEC and the general industry debate on the pros and cons of specific rules and regulations. The first step towards achieving convergence between the US GAAP and IFRS was initiated by the Norwalk Agreement in 2002, under which both governing bodies pledged their commitment towards the goal of convergence and agreed to realize it by the year 2008. The boards met once again in 2008 to discuss outstanding milestones and agreed to fulfill them by 2011. Both organizations planned to achieve this through joint projects that would help define and establish a set of principle-based standards (Nobes and Parker, 2010). Achieving these objectives, within the stipulated time period, has however not been possible, owing to a number of bottlenecks and shortcomings on the part of both the IASB and the FASB. For example, both parties realized during 2010 that they would be unable to resolve all outstanding issues by 2011 (Brands, 2011). In response, they decided to prioritize all such projects based on their relative importance. Despite ensuring quicker resolution of these urgent issues, many prioritized projects such as ‘Financial Instruments’ and ‘Revenue Recognition’ are yet to be resolved. As a result, other ‘low-priority’ projects like ‘Income Taxes’, ‘Financial Statement Presentation’ and ‘Liabilities’ are unlikely to be resolved in the near future (Bruce, 2010). Much of the delay can be attributed to the overwhelming and diverse nature of public feedback, received in the form of exposure drafts, which need to be thoroughly examined and analyzed to determine the most appropriate standard. The delay is further exacerbated, as the boards then have to prepare subsequent drafts after taking al l public feedback into consideration and re-expose them for further public scrutiny. Most recently, the FASB and IASB announced that they would re-expose their latest drafts on revenue and leases. Based on their expected date of publication and comments from interested parties, the effective date for both standards is unlikely to be set any earlier than 2015 (Jamal, 2010). Thus, it is evident that despite considerable planning it has been impossible to prevent unavoidable delays in the early adoption of a common accounting standard. Hail, Leuz and Wysocki (2010a) blame the IASB and the FASB for ignoring due diligence and instead focusing their efforts towards meeting the deadline. He criticizes both rule-setting bodies for setting highly optimistic targets instead of

Santa Monica Mountain Watershed Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Santa Monica Mountain Watershed - Research Paper Example The paper tells that the Santa Monica Mountains in the United State are parallel to the Mountain Santa Susana which is mainly situated straightly to the north side of the mountains crossways the San Fernando Valley. Many tourists come here every year for viewing and feel the beauty of the fresh air at the mountains, valleys, rivers, and forest in the Mountains. The mountain range is situated on the banks of Pacific Ocean. So it can provide a fantastic beach for the tourist in the evening. The UC natural set aside Scheme that plays an enabling position in the main research project that is of worldwide importance. By offering sheltered, landscape-scale locales, in addition, to support services devoted to research there sites to catch the attention of experts in a large variety of fields ranging from engineering, environmental science and marine environmental science to computer science, forestry sciences and geology. The Santa Monica Mountain Watersheds features and channel morphology are the main purposes of geologic and atmosphere controls. In the San Monica Mountain, the geology was discovered to be one of the significant aspects of developing the presence of summer low flow habitation which is possibly one of the main limiting aspects in California streams. Some of the places aquifers are present and also the water in the ground area is forced to the surface area due to the presence of sheer mistakes, springs and seeps are more general. The appearances of rocks by way of low hydraulic conductivity and a non-existence of faulting presence to show the way little or no base flow. On a regional level the eastern area of the Santa Monica Mountain likely provides a superior prospective for summer season low flow on the reason of the favorable geology. â€Å"Escondido and Little Sycamore also had potential in terms of providing low flow habitat with approximately 49 and 40 percent of the channel being wet during the dry months, respectively. Further comparison and ranking of the quality of fish habitat among basins will be elucidated through analysis of the existing field data† (Harrison et al. 13). Target audience of the Santa Monica Mountain Watersheds are, the K-12, University student, teacher, general public and Non-Formal Educator. More than 90,000 peoples are lives in the regions of the Los Angles state call this watershed house as do innumerable animals and plant species. Protection of watershed is the one of the extremely significant aspects not only the quality of life of the residents of the country but also to guarantee the long-term healthiness of the ecosystem. On the other hand enhanced urbanization has resulted in the quality of water and quantity matters in addition to the loss of grave habitat. Various association and organizations is gather various data’s and information in the watershed, a number of them are going back healthy more than 20 years. Information relating to the quality of water is of particular significance due to its consequence on plant, person, and animal and on the whole system health. â€Å"The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, H eal the Bay, the Resource Conservation District, the City of Calabasas and many other agencies has