Lying and Honesty - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 824 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/04/01 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Truth Essay Did you like this example? Lying Lying is an important social category. We, as humans, tend to react negatively to ‘‘lies and the lying liars who tell them’’ (Franken, 2003). We humans, expend considerable effort and resources developing techniques to detect lies and liars, both as a practical matter when, say, developing technologies to screen for terrorists at airports, and as a moral matter when assigning blame and evaluating character. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Lying and Honesty" essay for you Create order These efforts all assume a conception of lying. A defective conception will lead to inappropriate moral evaluation of assertions and confound the effort to systematically detect lies. So there are moral and practical benefits to a complete and accurate conception of lying. And improving our understanding of the concept of lying improves our understanding of important social and moral judgments implicated by lying. What is it to lie? The standard view in social science and philosophy is that a lie is a dishonest assertion. You lie if you say something which you think is false in order to deceive your audience into believing it. Lying does not require your assertion to be objectively false, only that you believe it is false. This has long been the standard view in philosophy. Social scientists adopt the same basic definition. For example, a widely cited textbook on lying says that it is defined solely from the perspective of the deceiver and not from the factuality of the statement. A statement is a lie if the deceiver believes what he or she says is untrue, regardless of whether the statement is in fact true or false.Several studies have shown that lying requires deceptive intent. Both children and adults view deceptive intent as necessary for lying, but no empirical studies have shown that lying does not require objective falsehood. Instead, philosophers and social scientists reject a falsehood requirement by appealing to their intuitions about thought experiments (Mahon, pg2). The one empirical study of the issue found some evidence that falsity is one of several features associated with a prototypical lie (Coleman Kay, pg 12). But falsity was judged to be the least important element of the prototypical lie, most participants attributed lying even when the assertion was true, and the study had several methodological flaws. In particular, the conditions were not minimally matched, so we cannot be confident that a difference in truth-value is responsible for ob served differences in people’s judgments; participants knew the purpose of the study, which raises the possibility of socially desirable responding; and no steps were taken to avoid agreement bias or order effects. The studies reported below avoid all these problems. rest to better understanding the important social category of lying. Honesty All human relations rely on trusting that those in the relations will, as a rule, tell the truth. Honesty seals a relationship with trust, and too many breaches in honesty can corrode any relationship beyond repair. Friendships, family, work, and civic relations all suffer whenever dishonesty comes to light. No one wants to be known as a liar because people shun liars as individuals who can’t be trusted. Honesty’s vital role in human society has been observed and celebrated for all of recorded history. The ancient Greeks considered the goddess Veritas to be the â€Å"mother of virtue†; Confucius considered honesty to be the essential source of love, communication, and fairness between people; and of course the Bible’s Old Testament prohibited bearing false witness. The two most universally heralded US presidents (George Washington, who â€Å"could not tell a lie,† and Abraham Lincoln, who was known as â€Å"Honest Abe†) were acclaimed for the ir trustworthiness. In this same vein, religious leader Gordon Hinckley has written that â€Å"where there is honesty, other virtues will follow† indicating, as did the ancient Greeks, the pivotal role of truthfulness in all moral behavior and development. Hinckley’s comment, which was made in his alarm-sounding book on â€Å"neglected virtues,† points to the problematic status of honesty in our society today. Truthfulness may be essential for good human relationships and personal integrity, yet it is often abandoned in pursuit of other of life’s priorities. Indeed, there may be a perception in many key areas of contemporary lifelaw, business, politics, among others, that expecting honesty on a regular basis is a naive and foolish attitude, a â€Å"loser’s† way of operating. Such a perception is practically a mandate for personal dishonesty and a concession to interpersonal distrust. When we no longer assume that those who communicate with u s are at least trying to tell the truth, we give up on them as trustworthy persons and deal with them only in an instrumental manner. The bounds of mutual moral obligation dissolve, and the laws of the jungle reemerge. Conclusion In short, lying is a disease that has been around since the beginning of time. If I continue to lie I will be harming my own future. Honesty is one of the things that must be upheld at all times, no matter the circumstances.

Horror Movies The Horror Movie Genre - 859 Words

From people gathered around a campfire telling scary stories to people gathered in a crowded theater people love to be frightened. Scary stories were told to teach a lesson or warn someone about something. Horror movies specifically slasher movies do more than just entertain us in their way, they also warn us to be aware of what we’re doing or our surroundings. In most slasher films, there are certain scenarios that have been repeated and copied from the beginning of the genre. Because of the numerous imitations by other films in the past and the present the themes put forth in ground breaking slasher movies are continually reinventing the genre and have added significantly to horror movie history. The definition of a horror film, â€Å"is a film genre seeking to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience’s primal fears (â€Å"Horror Films† (1))†. In the beginning gothic novels by literary works by Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and Edgar Allan Poe inspired the horror movie genre. These literary works entertain us by teaching us about society or human behavior. When the Lemiere brothers created the film â€Å"Spook Tale† in 1895 it was the first telling of a scary story on film. It wasn’t until 1896 when Georges Melies created the film â€Å"The Manor of the Devil† making it the first horror film some experts argue. Often times there are themes or motifs from past films that in some of the modern films may homage to. In 1932 George ArchainbaudShow MoreRelatedMovies : Genres Of Movies892 Words   |  4 PagesGenres of Movies Movie theater tickets have become increasingly more expensive in recent years. As a result, movie genres that offer a broad range of entertainment and stimulation can make the theater going experience more worthy of the ticket price. 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Beginning roughly 100 years ago, early horror films were based off of the writings of famous Gothic writers such as Edgar Allen Poe, Bram Stoker and Marry Shelly. However, it was later when the German Expressionism in the form of film dominated the industry, horror films started to develop stronger and stronger. Horror movies are film genre, which typically relates to two patterns as supernatural, massacre, violence and zombies. Each movie genre has different specialRead MoreEssay on Discuss the Appeal of Horror Movies813 Words   |  4 PagesThe horror industry has been virtually dominating Asian cinema over the past few years, overshadowing any other genre in consistency of production and consequent box-office reaping. Countries like Japan, South Korea and Thailand h ave tapped on this market, fuelling their local film industries and clearly profiting from the appeal that horror movies have over audiences globally. Yet, even as we look beyond the economic profitability of this genre, we will discover far more reasons why this genre ofRead MoreThe Horror Of Horror Films1360 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Horror Films are unsettling films designed to frighten and panic, cause dread and alarm, and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience.† Horror films have been to Hollywood since the early days of cinematography. Horror films are very interesting to watch because horror movies are scary and we don t know what is going happen next. That kind of suspense in the movies makes us watch moreRead MoreHorror Movies : The 80s And 80s1190 Words   |  5 PagesThe decades that stick out in horror movie history are the 70s and the 80s. Most c ritics would agree with me when I say that the horror movies in the 70s and 80s changed the horror genre forever. The horror movies during those decades are viewed as being the foundation for the horror movies today. But why did those two decades have a significant impact on the horror genre? What made the horror movies better than the horror movies today? The horror movies in the 70s reflected the grim mood of theRead MoreParadox Of Horror Movies951 Words   |  4 PagesThe Horror Paradox Horror movies have been classified as the type of genre that heavily exploits the use of violence and grisly images to appeal to different audiences. In fact, one of the main reasons that horror movies are still celebrated is because of a term, discovered by behavioral researchers, called the â€Å"horror paradox†. Joanne Cantor, the director of the Center for Communication Research at University of Wisconsin, states that â€Å"Since it doesn’t require logic to appreciate, audiences watchRead MoreLiterary Devices In Bram Stokers Dracula1296 Words   |  6 Pagesand still has an immense effect on horror through its use of literary elements which are observable in horror movies. Bram Stokers Dracula was revolutionary in its use of literary devices such as dramatic irony, to convey suspense, and the use of sexuality in literature. These devices were adapted to film in early horror movies and continue to appear till today. Dracula was very influential to the film indus try when it comes to horror movies because horror movies draw a lot of devices used in DraculaRead MoreAnalysis Of Joss Whedon s The Cabin1677 Words   |  7 PagesThe combination of horror and comedy provides an interesting contrast as the two genres try to illicit opposite emotions from their audiences. Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods is a film that falls under the pseudo-genre of horror comedy, the movie satirizing the cabin-in-the-woods horror subgenre while still providing a good scare. Though the monsters and ghouls of the film are still pretty terrifying, Whedon still manages to poke fun at the tropes found in horror movies and provide insight onRead MoreDesigning An Effective Advertising Poster Campaign For A Specific Film Genre1332 Words   |  6 Pageseffective advertising poster campaign for a specific film genre. I chose the horror genre as I am very interested in the way they are put together and how they create an eerie atmosphere by the technical codes ( e.g. camera shots). For the primary research I created a questionnaire that looked at all the different aspects used to create a successful horror poster. I based my questionnaire around three different posters that were in the sub-genre that I wanted to research, so I could see how effective

The common wealth party Essay Example For Students

The common wealth party Essay The second character I will now comment on is Sheila who is a member of the younger generation. Again the inspector has a methodical approach and is able to receive all the information he requires and doesnt have to speak a great deal in order to get what he wants. He only talks to one character at a time to stop confusion and so that he doesnt leave himself in a difficult distressing position. He has an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness, which shows us that he grows and remains solid while each of the characters crumble in distress. He is a catalyst, which gives him the advantage against Sheila and his other victims. He is there to bring about change and dissolve the affluent status quo. We will write a custom essay on The common wealth party specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now His use of economical questioning gives him the aptitude to draw information from Sheila as they have a desired affect, which she isnt very aware of at this point. The inspector asks his questions relatively fast and in this case of doing so he receives a rather fast answer. But they fail to recognise, they gave him what he wanted. A nice little promising life there, I thought, and a nasty mess somebodys made of it. There is a sense of dryness in the way the inspector speaks and yet he cleverly points out the obvious. He allows Sheila to think, allows here to realise what she has done and since she is a member of the younger generation she accepts her responsibility. Yes, but it didnt seem to be anything very terrible at the time. Dont you understand? And if I could help her now, I would. Through Sheila Priestley separates the difference between the older and younger generation. But these girls arent cheap labour, therere people. Priestley includes this quote to show that she realises that she has responsibilities for others and how wealth and power has an impact upon her community. However the older generation fail to accept this responsibility. It isnt going to do us much good. The press might easily take it up. This is an example of the older generation. They just cared about appearances and, reputations and fall short to see the impact they have on others and in this case there wasnt one mention of Eva Smiths case, which backs up the argument even more. Whereas the younger ones accept what theyve done. Through Sheila Priestley allows us to see the class system of the time. Priestley helps us understand that the younger generation are the future and through this play he helped people seize opportunity and to build a better, more caring society.  It is important to focus our attention on the inspectors final speech as it has a huge effective impact upon the structures and effectiveness of the play. The inspector is an allegory as he has a fixed symbolic meaning. He acts as a socialist, believes that wealth should not only belong to one person but also be spread all around and share responsibility for each other. We dont live alone. We are members of one body. After this speech it takes you back to when Mr Birling said, Youd think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive. In contrast the inspector believes we all have collective responsibility and as members of a community, we must live together or we will face fire, blood and anguish. From this he clearly means war. However Mr Birling acts as a capitalist, believes that wealth should only be for ones who earned it and be spread through only groups worthy of it.  Inspector Goole tries to demonstrate how people are responsible for how they affect the lives of others. He sees the world as districts, were everyone should be helping each other (socialism). The fact of the timing of his entry was very significant because Birling was talking about how every man should look after himself. So now the inspector articulates how everyone has a responsibility. .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a , .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a .postImageUrl , .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a , .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a:hover , .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a:visited , .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a:active { border:0!important; } .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a:active , .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u015ff125a323db7853d6e4ef5147c58a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Pathetic Fallacy in Romeo and Juliet in Act 3 Scene 1 EssayThe inspector is talking about a collective responsibility where everyone in society is linked in the same way that the characters are linked to Eva Smith. Everyone is apart of one body. The inspector sees society as more important that individual interests. The views he is propounding are like those of Priestley who was a socialist.  The inspectors final speech has a different impact upon each generation. The old are set in their ways. They are utterly confidant that they are right and that they see the young as foolish. They have never been forced to examine their consciences before and are unable to do it now as the old saying goes, you cant teach an old dog new tricks. However the young are open to new ideas. This is first seen early in act one when both Eric and Sheila express sympathy for the strikers, an idea that terrifies Birling, who can only think of production, costs and ignores the human side of the issue. Just because the miners came out on strike, theres a lot of wild talk about possible labour trouble in the near future. Dont worry. Weve past the worst of it. Also the young examine their conscience and see the human side of Evas story and are troubled by their part in it. Soon after the inspectors departure the family discuss what has happened and their suspicions about him. As they find out that the inspector isnt really what he said to be, the older generation are relieved and already building another faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade, as the stage direction says Has his drink now, and raises his glass. In contrast the younger generation still accept the part they were involved in. Thats whats important-and not whether a man is a police inspector or not. This quote identifies that the inspector has had a huge impact upon Sheila and has been successful in her case as being her conscience and made her face up to her responsibility. But compared to the older ones they take his true identity nothing but a joke and put the young girls death behind them and build another. We can be optimistic that the young-those who will shape the future society are able to take on board the inspectors message. Weve all been had. Ultimately we find out the inspectors true identity nearing the end of the play and it makes us wonder, who is the inspector? Well first of all Priestley was concerned with social inequality. Priestley was so concerned that he did all he could to set up a political party called The common wealth party. He wanted public ownership of land, greater democracy and new morality. His party soon merged with the labour party and soon developed the wealth fair state. Priestley may have also thinking partly about the World War they had just lived through the result of governments blindly pursuing national interest at all costs. Well who was the inspector? I believe the he represents Priestleys strong moral view. The moral dimension of allowing people like the Birlings to see that they can find forgiveness through future good. Behaviour makes Goole different from the normal policeman. He is more concerned with morality than legality. Inspector Goole is what puts the structure of this play together. Not only does he teach the characters on stage a lesson but also kept the audience engraced and full of tension and suspense throughout, from beginning to end. As a dramatist he has the skill to provoke thought and debate throughout the world. Priestley made the audience understand that the ruling classes saw no need to change the status quo but afterwards there was a great desire for social change. Since Priestleys creation of the inspector, times and situations have changed massively since 1945.

With reference to one specific area of the media d Essay Example For Students

With reference to one specific area of the media d Essay iscuss the ways it may be termed popular cultureFor this essay I am going to be studying the popular animated TV series The Simpsons and saying why I think that it is a classic example of popular culture texts. The programme is twenty-five minute animation about a family at the bottom of the social ladder, the Simpsons. Revolving around the central family the show takes a sideways look at the life of ordinary American people. The family has five main members; Homer the father of the family is a blue-collar worker at the local nuclear power station. Marge the mother is a housewife who stays at home all day, then there are the children. Bart (a mischievous prankster) and Lisa (school swat) are pre-teens and lastly there is baby Maggy who doesnt do that much at all. Every week the family get into various and amusing scrapes and generally carry out the activities that a working class family are supposed to do. There are many factors that could categorise The Simpsons as being popular cul ture, one of them being its intertexuality. The show makes great use of both parody and pastiche as a reference to other popular culture texts such as Star Wars, Psycho and the James Bond films. The programme also features guest appearances by stars of popular culture, such as actors, sports personalities and musicians. Very few people in these roles could be classed as examples of high culture. The other major factor in The Simpsons being termed popular culture is the fact that the show is in animated form. No form of animation has ever been seen as a worthy piece of culture by academics and those who decide what is significant and what is not. We will write a custom essay on With reference to one specific area of the media d specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now To establish just why The Simpsons can be termed as popular culture we have to define just what it is that we mean by the phrase popular culture. To put it in its most simple form popular culture can be anything that isnt categorised as high culture. Academics and members of certain social groups look down on anything termed popular culture as dumbed down entertainment for the masses and something that isnt worthy of reading. These people attack popular culture as being vulgar and brash, they say its texts are insignificant culturally and that they are only superficial forms of entertainment. Popular culture on the other hand strives to include all forms of entertainment and cultural texts. Raymond Williams defines popular culture in four basic points; 1, its well liked by many people, 2, inferior kinds of work, 3, its work that deliberately sets out to win favour with the people and 4, culture actually made by the people for themselves. So lets take these points and use them to see if they can define The Simpsons as popular culture. Ok then point 1, something thats well liked by many people, well The Simpsons certainly is that. Its takes up one of the highest positions in the ratings charts, which are published in the Radio Times magazine as well as on their website. These figures can also be obtained from the BBCs site, and American audience figures are freely available on the web. During this summer the Auntie screened a Simpsons night, an evening dedicated to the show, something which is very rare and shows us how significant a show it is for the BBC. Point 2, an inferior kind of work. Well the show is an animation, a form of entertainment which until recently was seen as something just for the kids. The only artistic merit going to the drawing skills of the animators. 3, work that deliberately sets out to win favour with the people. Right from the start The Simpsons was intended as something that everyone could enjoy. It began life as a small segment on th e Tracy Ullman show, which was very popular in the USA, so you can say that it was targeted to be something that was hugely popular. And finally point 4, culture made by the people for themselves. Creator Matt Groening was never a culturally snobbish academic; he was an ordinary person who wanted to create

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams Free Online Research Papers â€Å"The Glass Menagerie† by Tennessee Williams is a book about a family of three, Amanda the mother and her two kids Laura and Tom who are struggling after their father suddenly left them. Which makes one wonder how far a family will go for each other? Some would lie to avoid hurting family member’s feelings, some may convince others to lie to protect another member and some might even hide the way they really feel to not disappoint them. Children never like seeing the look of disappointment on their parent’s faces, so instead of being honest they rather tell a lie so they get in trouble. For example if they were to get a bad mark on a test instead of showing it to their parents they would pretend to forget it at school or lose it so the parents aren’t disappointed. Laura did the same thing in scene two where her mother found out she was no longer attending Business College and that she had been lying about it for a while. Laura’s reason as to not telling her mother about her dropping out was because she didn’t want to see her disappointed face she compares it to â€Å"[The] awful suffering look on your face [is] like the picture of Jesus’ mother in the museum†. (p.15) Meaning Laura lied because she didn’t want to disappoint her mother. Although in some case is lying really necessary? Even if it were to stop a fight between a family member? After the fight between Tom and his mother the next morning Laura begged Tom to speak to Amanda, even when he didn’t want to stating â€Å"[Amanda] not speaking- is that so bad?†(p.28) meaning that he didn’t care if they made up or not but eventually apologized for his sister so he and his mother wouldn’t continue their silent war. Lying though having good intentions cause others to hide their true self. For example Tom lies to his mother about how he feels living at home. In scene four he even tries to tell her the truth by saying â€Å"There’s so much in my heart that I can’t describe to you!† (p.33) Meaning that he’s hiding the way he feels and is not telling his mother so she won’t be hurt, even though all he really want is more adventure â€Å"[which] Adventure is something [he] don’t have much of at work,† in his boring day to day life working at a warehouse, and how he wants to travel like his father which he knows causes he’s mother a lot of pain when she thinks about it. In life there are times when we have to lie, convince others or even hide the way we feel inside to protect the people we love whether it is family members or friends. I related to Laura while reading the book but thought that she was too forgiving of the mother who didn’t even help her son that was working to support them both. I thought the way the author put the book in play form was interesting, but not a story I would read again. Research Papers on â€Å"The Glass Menagerie† by Tennessee WilliamsPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Fifth HorsemanBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoTrailblazing by Eric AndersonMind TravelThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Spring and AutumnHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionEffects of Television Violence on Children

Easy on the adjectives - Emphasis

Easy on the adjectives Easy on the adjectives New research suggests that if you want your writing to be shared online then overusing adjectives is not wise, advisable, judicious, big or clever. [Mental note: should probably edit this.] The findings come from social media scientist Dan Zarrella, who aims in his book Zarrellas Hierarchy of Contagiousness to demystify social media marketing for the masses. After examining how often online content was shared, he came to one definite conclusion: the less complex the language, the more likely it was to be passed on. And, after studying which types of words were the most mobile, he found the biggest no-nos were adjectives and adverbs. This is actually a good tip for just about any writing. Its easy to imagine that cramming in adjectives will give your writing colour or help create more vivid images in your readers mind. But more often than not they do just the opposite, and merely add clutter that slows your reader down. Fledgling fiction writers are taught to adopt the lotus position and chant the mantra show, dont tell over and over until their posture is perfect and they never want to overdo the adjectives and adverbs again. But this advice evidently isnt only for creative writing. Its much better to choose verbs (the most-shared word type) and nouns that work hard, rather than using adjectives or adverbs as crutches for your writing to hobble along on. The finished piece will be tighter and more expressive for it. For example, instead of ran quickly, how about sprinted? Or bounded? See how either could replace the phrase, but each gives a very different and more distinct mental image? Sometimes adjectives are simply redundant. Forward planning, for example. Is anyone out there still planning what to do yesterday? Have a look at these (genuine) examples and spot the pointless words: Teen dies after fatal stabbing Gunned down by armed rebels A visual treat for the eyes Ill-chosen adjectives can also lead to unintentional silliness (which can be delightful for everyone but the writer): Stiff opposition expected to casket-less funeral plan Statistics show that teen pregnancy drops off significantly after age 25 This isnt to say that all adjectives should be banned on pain of death. Mark Twain put it nicely, if youll forgive the adverb: When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I dont mean utterly, but kill most of them then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart. Perhaps its worth thinking of them like magnets: repellent together, useful kept apart, and not recommended anywhere near computers.

Information Security Audit And Assurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Information Security Audit And Assurance - Essay Example Data is stored in a database that makes access, retrieval and manipulation easy and more secure (Chrisopher, 2012). The Department of information technology in the organization oversees the security of the information system and hardware that is used in running all the activities in the organization. Computer and information security entails the safeguarding of computer resources, limiting access to authorized users, ensuring data integrity, maintaining data confidentiality and enhancing accountability in the organization (Chrisopher, 2012). The effective security will therefore involve taking security measures to ensure hardware and media are not stolen or damaged. Developing back –up strategies to minimize loss of data and information, encryption of sensitive data files and appropriate user identification (Ruskwig, 2012). Audit checklist: INFORMATION SECURITY SYSTEM AUDIT AND ASSUARANCE CHECKLIST Personnel/ Human resources Check item Answer Responsibility Who has the respons ibility for ensuring system security? employee Do employees and other users of the system have the knowledge and training on how to handle security threats? Training Do the personnel and staff member with any responsibility of system security have adequate training and do they receive training to support their roles? Computer security policy Is there a documented security policy that is fully supported by the senior management , with associated operating systems Non – disclosure Agreements Is there confidentiality agreements to sensitive employee data and information and its disclosure to third parties Process Audit Are the installed systems in the company including security systems and firewalls installed in the company audited on a regular basis? Software patches Do mechanisms exist that are used to deploy software patches at the security systems in the company in a timely and audited manner? Data protection Are employee and company data well secured in the database? And co mply with the legislative frameworks such as data privacy Act. Authentication Are there reliable and effective authentication mechanisms in the organization? Technology External network security Are there security measures such as intrusion detectors, firewalls that are used to protect against external computer access such as internet. Are these safety measures authorized by the senior management. Content monitoring Is there proper monitoring of the content of emails, and internet to prevent virus infection, internet fraud, SPAM and also litigation from the improper use and improper content. Anti virus Is there an installed antivirus and is it up to date, are all users trained and educated on how to identify and avoid suspected files to avoid virus and malware infection. Physical security Are critical IT systems, equipment and servers, stored in a secure and protected area free from unauthorized access? Security policy. Policy statement: The department of information technology in t he organization is vested with the responsibility to provide the substantial data security and confidentiality of all the resources, data and information that are held in the organization which include local storage media, or remotely placed in order to ensure the continuous availability resources and data to the authorized users in the organization and also to provide integrity of these data and configuration controls (Ruskwig, 2012). Security policies: a) The data

Tell us something special about yourself, including any leadership Scholarship Essay

Tell us something special about yourself, including any leadership opportunities - Scholarship Essay Example Though I would not say that I have achieved my purpose of standing out, I take pride in the fact that I have been able to excel in my studies and the testimonials from my teachers attest to this fact. Thus, I was able to ensure that I get a decent start in my chosen field. I have great admiration for our current president, Barack Obama and he is my idol in many ways. Like him, I want to be successful and demonstrate my leadership abilities. Towards this end, I have taken part in sports, particularly in the track events and football. I can claim that I have been able to achieve some success in this area. Further, as I have mentioned about Barack Obama, I want to be a good husband and father who takes pride in his family and is not intimidated by successful women. Finally, I have always striven to make life better for people around me and I have touched their lives and made them feel special. I am a relationship oriented person and I have several friends and well-wishers who take pride in my success and provide encouragement to me. I make it a point to reciprocate their affection and wishes for me. In conclusion, I would say that given a chance, I would like to put my abilities to use and be a leader in all respects of the

Facilitating the Project Lifecycle the Skills & Tools to Accelerate Progress for Project Managers, Facilitators, and Six Sigma Project Teams Essay Example for Free

Facilitating the Project Lifecycle the Skills Tools to Accelerate Progress for Project Managers, Facilitators, and Six Sigma Project Teams Essay One of the most important aspects to put into consideration when taking up a project is project risk management. A project risk is an event / condition, which is uncertain that, upon it occurrence brings either a positive or a negative impact on the project. A positive manager should consider this as one of the ten knowledge areas where competence is highly regarded. Risk management is critical, especially to organizations working I multi-project environments and the maturity for risk is high. A wide range of risks is apparent when working in projects involving construction among other engineering work. These risks are mostly attributed to government policy, diversity in stakeholders’ aspirations and the challenges of adding multiple projects. For a good risk management process, there must be a clear statement and understanding of roles and responsibilities, proper skills on technical analysis and the prevailing organizational factors should support the project. Project risk management involves identifying, assessing and prioritizing of risks: and thereafter putting resources to use in order to reduce, monitor and control those risks that could affect the project negatively and increase realizing of opportunities. This report seeks to outline the knowledge acquired on management of risk in projects. Discussion               All organizations exist for their own different purposes, and that of public engineering organizations in the construction business, the purpose is to deliver a service, which brings a beneficial result in the public/ stakeholders interest. Decisions to pump resources into investments on capital infrastructure are prompted by needs that are meant to enhance the achievement of the major purpose. According to Flanagan and Norman (1993), the benefits of efficient risk management are evident especially in projects involving capital infrastructure because they are dynamic in nature and bring positive cost implications from the construction related decisions. Risk management should be taken as an intrinsic part of capital infrastructure investment decisions mainly because, as project ventures get more elaborate, the role of risk management is exemplified. In regard to this realization, some countries have enacted government policies on constructors emphasizing on th e need to incorporate risk management in capital infrastructure schemes. Risk is therefore, in many occasions, viewed as a condition or event whose occurrence will have adverse effects on the project and may hinder the attainment of set objectives. Hence, risk management relates decisions to such probable harmful effects.                  This philosophical approach to risk management enables the process to be broken down into four fundamental sub-processes. These involve identification, analysis, response and monitoring. The former step of identification is the most critical step because it has the biggest effect on decisions emanating from the process of risk management. Reviewing risk management, in his article, Williams (1995), notes that there is little structured work in publication about typical risks. According to Chapman (1998), as much as risk identification is critical on the risk assessment and response phases, very little empirical evidence is available at this early phase. The heavier task in risk management remains in the analysis and response to the risk, yet the reasoning stands that unless the risks are identified, they cannot be analyzed and responded to.                  For most engineers, the need to have a set out program is critical for it provides an umbrella under which all current projects fall so that an outcome can be delivered massively in general, and greater than the total sum of all others. A program is usually temporary, and flexible; created to direct and oversee the implementation of a set of related projects and activities for the deliverance of beneficial outcomes that relate to the organization’s strategic objectives. Several projects are undertaken under this umbrella. This explicitly differentiates between program management outcomes and project management outputs. However, there is a link between projects and strategy through the program. Risk management is becoming an increasingly important process due to external pressures in existence. However, good risk management is seen as a critical attribute of organizational success in the field of engineering. The assumption that programs are merely extensions of projects should cease to exist because many will tend to reflect program risk management to project risk management (Allan, 2008). Program management is a broad extension of the varied, yet related, projects.                  On projects, it is important to define one or more objective functions like capital expenditure and completion time to represent it to measure the probability of achieving the set targets. Risk management then goes on to model the project’s objectives against the projects variables like costs and the quantity of inputs. These variables are usually uncertain as time goes on, hence the uncertainty of a hundred percent achievement of the objectives set. The most ideal situation would be identifying and characterizing the variables in advance providing that they will remain unchanged by time. This would make it easy to estimate the possible risks and the consequent variance of the project’s objective(s). However, not all project variables can be identified as new variables might surface as the project goes on while the probability of occurrence of the initial variables may vary. The impacts of the initial variables, both positive and negative, m ay change too hence making risk management even more hard (Drummond, 1999).                     Certainty and uncertainty of realizing a project’s objectives are measurable, only ideally. The possibility of a project not breaking even could be considered as a representative of the whole project, and then used in turn to evaluate against variable and try and reduce the risks involved as well as become a basis for decision-making. Some projects may proceed normally in a stable environment, hence making the uncertainty high at the time it is conceptualized. Pro-active planning and making prudent decisions will see the uncertainty reduce. However, uncertainty in complex projects within a changing environment will not necessarily reduce/ diminish as time goes by Chapman (1998). It is necessary to keep on checking on the project’s variables and re-evaluating of the objective function’s status to facilitate adjustments in the project’s strategies. Uncertainty surrounds many parts of a project; hence early resolution of vari ables may not be possible always. Variables change over time leading to exposure to new threats and risks along the way. This fact should not be refuted and a lot of work is required in the planning evaluating phases, where most of the critical work is done. In spite of all the uncertainty and complexity surrounding risk management and project management, it is important to seek methods of improving the project’s base value (Drummond, 1999).                  Conceptualization, planning, and implementation of a project is a complex process that requires management based on set strategic objectives, which vary from time to time. The objectives should be integrative and holistic in the sense that it caters for social, political, environmental, and community aspects. Traditionally, planning in project management should form the basis of planning, alongside other functions of project management including; human resource, time, scope, integration, quality and procurement. These should be the fundamental factors f consideration along each phase. A variety of guidebooks, protocols and codes of practice in the engineering field have been made available for use in risk management in project management. In the United Kingdom, the ‘Orange book’ is a framework that is set to offer guidance on basic risk management concepts and as a resource for developing risk management processes and implementing them I the public sector. It is also aimed at using a risk based decision-making on investment. There have been many more publications and publications aimed at dictating hoe risk management should look like. These guidelines have offered a basis upon which projects are appraised and their investment viability tested. This has enhanced the process and shifted its reception and perception from project risk management to a risk management strategic level (Melton, 2011).                  In engineering and construction professions, program management and project management came to existence due to the changing procurement environment. In the United Kingdom, procurement of infrastructural assets was done in a sequential manner, which involved a clear differentiation in the project life cycle phases. Currently there are three major procurement systems, that is; prime contracting, Design and Build procurement and Private Finance Initiative. These methods were because of the need to adopt integrative and collaborative project delivery methods. The procurement systems have features like framework agreements, the use of specifications that are output based, and more importantly, emphasis on the lifelong value of the structures (Shehu and Akintoye, 2009). The office of Government Commerce has facilitated the change in construction procurement in the public sector too. The agency’s main agenda is to ensure that policies are followed and en hancing promotion of the best performance practices. These systems ensure that the project undertaken are of high quality and are in regard to the set policies and guidelines. These sanctions in the public works and construction sector have acted as strategic risk management tools for they ensure quality assurance as well as proper quality management.                  Project management should incorporate the use of a strategy-based management approach. This will facilitate the integration of planning, risk management and decision-making hence ensuring real time real time realization of an optimum of the project’s strategic objective against its variables. The project’s promoters are not always the investors. Investors are not always actively involved in the management of the project, but invest resources into the project hoping to get dividends. The promoters’ objective, on the other hand, is to deliver a facility that will ensure a long term balanced and financially viable business entity. The project is therefore a compromise between the attainment of investors’ interests and that of the community. Project development should be based on a set of strategic objectives, which stamp the project as a business and entwining project decisions to strategic business decisions. Amid all risks, the project should be planned proactively with regards to its variables and with a focus on the life cycle objective functions (Westland, 2007).                  The life cycle objective functions are functions such as: financially related functions- such as the project’s net worth, satisfaction of customers- those affected by aspects such as safety, project utility, operability, and quality, lastly, due diligence must be adhered to- that is, statutory concerns and policies should be observed especially when the project is located in highly populated areas or is adjacent or near ecological systems deemed to be sensitive (Janet Tammy, 2005). This factor also goes hand in hand with the ethical code that is supposed to guide the execution of projects. Proactive planning of the project ensures that project uncertainty is minimized in real time. Effective risk management ensures that there is typical conceptualization of projects and their subsequent implementation using strategic objectives. It also ensures any further variables are assessed and managed accordingly to optimize the project’s strategic ou tcome, that which of a business entity. Since projects are subjected to changes in objectives and variables due to external factors, it is important to incorporate a continuous risk management process that involves continuous risk and uncertainty management process conducted in real time to bring value to the project manager. Strategies made from risk analysis should be seen as a basis upon which decisions are made going forward. Objectives of the life cycle should be used as the vessel for analysis. Reflective assessment                  Engaging in exhaustive personal research and involvement of the same with groups has incapacitated adequately with sufficient knowledge on managing projects as an engineer. I have come to evolve from a mediocre project manager, thinking that technicalities were all I needed, to a project under-taker equipped with the relevant skills. Undertaking projects with my group and alone was not like undertaking them with my professor. Comparing personal projects and those done in groups, with those guided by the professor, flaws are clear to point out. In my first group project, our then project leader, whose name I will not disclose for discretion purposes, was too impulsive at times and objectives were not achieved as expected because of poor decision-making, even on the most obvious issues. The project resulted in high costs in execution unlike what had been anticipated and took longer. However, it is from the mistakes that my group and I learnt the importance of risk management in project management as an important tool to facilitate proactive planning, rather than responding to results. Another lesson learnt from that experience was the need to incorporate continuous analysis as a way of implementing risk management to ensure real time solutions. However, it is through solving these and other hurdles that the learning process in the field has been enhanced and increased my knowledge. The short yet detailed experience coupled with the many articles and critiques I have encountered have inspired me to get to want to explore more on the field by undertaking and managing more projects to experience more than I have. By initiating and overseeing projects as well as assuming responsibility for achievement of objectives and integration will boost my intuition and judgment on decision-making for future projects and for professional expertise. I know trying to venture into projects of high magnitude is a risk, but the ability to tackle the risk itself is way beyond the risk management of the process and a success would ultimately mean victory on both ends. References Allan, N., Davis, J., 2006. Strategic risks — thinking about them differently. Proceedings of ICE 159 Drummond H 1999. Are we any closer to the end Escalation and the case of Taurus? International Journal of Project Management Flanagan, R., Norman, G. (1996). Risk management and construction. Oxford [u.a.], Blackwell Science.Means, J. A., Adams, T. (2005). Facilitating the Project Lifecycle the Skills Tools to Accelerate Progress for Project Managers, Facilitators, and Six Sigma Project Teams. Hoboken, John Wiley Sons. http://www.123library.org/book_details/?id=9130. Melton, T. (2008). Real project planning developing a project delivery strategy. Amsterdam, Butterworth-Heinemann. Shehu, Z., Akintove, A., 2010. Major challenges to the successful implementation and practice of programme management in the construction environment: a critical analysis. International journal of project management Westland, J. (2007). The project management life cycle: a complete step-by-step methodology for initiating, planning, executing closing a project successfully. Williams, T., 1995. A classified bibliography of recent research relating to project risk management. European Journal of Operational Research Source document

The Solution Essay -- Philosophy Philosophical Papers

The Solution The business man behind a desk, the scientist in the lab, the artist approaching his canvas, the mathematician examining the symbols he placed on the blackboard--the thoughts going through each of their heads are very different in many ways, yet amazingly similar. For example, the business man must come up with an idea to cut costs and increase revenue for his company. He must find a creative twist to an old idea, a new combination of numbers that allows the company to increase profit and drop costs. Yet this man strays from the numbers and thinks in images, and during the brief moment before the creative act his consciousness seems to play absolutely no role. Often times we must get away from the problem to get closer to the solution. Similarly, we need to get away from words to think more clearly. I once heard a story of a semi-truck that got stuck while trying to drive through a tunnel that was too small. A traffic jam occurred and a team of engineers were called to solve the problem. The engineers measured the semi-truck, the tunnel, the length, the width and the height. But they still could not fmd a solution. A little girl in one of the cars behind the truck asked her father why they did not just let some of the air out of the tires. The father rushed the girl to the engineers and had her tell them the solution that had been at their feet the whole time. The air was taken out, the semi was taken through, and the little girl was taken home. In Physics, we are taught that there are many planes and many points of reference. To Person A, who is standing on a train, he is standing still; to the Person B on the ground, Person A is moving. Within Physics the difference in your point of... ...t everyone can complete on their own and thus make it more personal, in the same way that everyone has their own idea about love that is not ever fully crystallized for lack of words to describe it. The idea in Koestler's essay can be applied to everyday life. When writing this essay I was supposed to form a thought. This essay is the series of thoughts that went through my head while I tried to understand the ideas of Koestler, organized and appended with other ideas and images to strengthen my idea. By the end, I believe that I have finally formed my thought enough to crystallize it into words. By trying hard to search for a solution we sometimes forget our age old instincts. By trying too hard to grasp a hazy image we sometimes find ourselves with nothing more than a dying puff of smoke. One must allow the image to form and come to us. That is creativity.

Kite Runner Essay Essay

Khaled Hosseini’s kite runner has many themes that are significant. This book also has themes that are hidden to the reader, to find these themes the reader needs to think about the events that occur in the book. In this book redemption, discrimination, and violence play a big role in the events in this book. Redemption is one of the most important themes in the kite runner. Throughout the story, Amir is trying to redeem himself because of many events that he was a part of. In the begging of the story Rahim Khan calls Amir and tells him â€Å"There is a way to be good again.† (Page 2) Putting this in the first chapter of the story tells the reader many things about Amir, it could tell us that Amir has done many things that he regrets, or he has done things that caused pain to someone else. Amir’s mother dies when she is giving birth to him, throughout the story Amir tries many different things to redeem himself to his father. When Amir wins the kite competition he thinks that he would finally redeem himself for his mothers death. Amir thinks that he redeems himself because â€Å"A smile played down on my father’s lips. He opened his arms† (Page 79) When someone does this someone will automatically think that you redeemed yourself to that person. Another event that Amir does that he redeems himself for later is when he blackmails Hassan. Amir’s father gives him a watch and Amir decides to put it under Hassan’s pillow. Later when Amir’s father finds out that he took his watch he forgives him, but Ali (Hassan’s father) says that they make the decision to leave. To the near end of the book, when Amir goes back to Afghanistan, he receives a letter from Hassan. The letter tells him that he (Hassan) died, and that he has a son that it taken by the Taliban. Amir tells Farid (The person who takes Amir around in Afghanistan) about Sohrab, and he tells him â€Å"You have a visa to go to America, to life with me and my wife. It’s true. I promise† (Page 355) When Amir found out that he lost his best friend he went through a lot of trouble to get Sohrab. Amir could have avoided this if he did not frame Hassan. If Amir did not frame Hassan, Hassan and Ali could have fled the country with Amir and his father. This event has a big impact on the events in the story. Without these examples of redemption, it is hard to picture the book ending in the way that it did. Along with many other themes, discrimination is one of the less discussed themes in this book. In my opinion I think that discrimination should be a theme that should be as important as any other theme. Discrimination plays a big role in the kite runner because of the structure of the social classes. In the begging of the story we know that Hassan is Amir’s Hazara but later we know that he is Amir’s brother. When Amir won the kite competition Hassan went to get the winning the kite. Hours had passed and Hassan did not show up. Amir goes looking for him and he asks Omar (only involved in one paragraph) if he saw Hassan, Omar answers him by saying â€Å"Your Hazara?† (Page 68) without saying more than two sentences, we can see that people in the class with Hassan are treated with no respect and they are called Hazaras. Another event that happens when Hassan finally finds the kite that allowed Amir to win the competition he is surrounded by Assef and his gang. Assef is one of the biggest discriminators towards Hazaras as he is intimidating Hassan, he says, â€Å"A loyal Hazara, Loyal as a dog† (Page 72) When Hassan said this he could of compared Hassan to something else, but he picked a dog to show the most disrespect towards Hassan. In my own opinion I think that discrimination towards Hazaras in Kabul is horrible because they are treated as if they are a different race of people. Hazaras have the exact physical features as any average human being but they are treated like they are slaves. This is how discrimination, which is one of the themes that is not talked about a lot, is significant in this book. Violence is also one of the themes that are not discussed as much, violence should be because it is important and it is hidden. There are many examples that show violence in the book. One of the examples that show violence is when Hassan gets raped when Assef and his gang surround him. The author does not tell the reader that Hassan got raped but instead he makes Wali, one of the members of Assef’s gang, tell Assef â€Å"My father says it’s sinful† (Page 75) This is a indirect message to inform the reader that Hassan gets raped. This is one great example that violence plays a big role in the process of this book. Assef could of threated Hassan instead of raping him. In my opinion I think that he could not have done something that wasn’t related to violence. Assef wanted to have his revenge on Hassan but it was hard to do something that has nothing to do with violence. Later on in the book, when Amir and Hassan do not talk to each other after Hassan got raped for him over a kite. Hassan asked if he could go under the pomegranate tree and let Amir read a story for him. When Amir and Hassan were under the pomegranate tree, Hassan asked Amir what he was doing wrong so he could stop, Amir told him that Hassan should stand up for himself. Hassan did not answer and Amir started to throw pomegranates on Hassan, Amir then told him â€Å"Hit me back! Hit me back goddamn you† (Page 92) this is another great example that shows the violence that is included in the book. Hassan is the most loyal person in the book and Amir does not appreciate it; instead Amir wants Hassan to hit him with a pomegranate. When Hassan stands up, he then smears a pomegranate on his face and walks away. This is how violence plays a theme in the book. It is not as visible as the other themes in the book but it is as significant as the other themes. Redemption, discrimination, and violence are themes in Khaled Hosseini’s kite runner that play a big role in the book. Without these three themes it is hard to picture if the book would end up the way that it actually ended up being. Quotes and Information taken from â€Å"Kite Runner† by Khaled Hosseini

Public Drinking and Violence: Not Just an Alcohol Problem Essay

The research article was published in Journal of Drug issue 22 in 1992. The research was conducted using a qualitative approach that uses words as the output and input of the research rather than focusing on numbers (Adlers and Clark, 2008). The writer also agrees with the notion that qualitative data have the ability to produce theories that accurately describe real-world issues and processes than do quantitative (Gary Fine and Kimberly Elsbacht, 2000). The researchers suggest that alcohol drinking is very much a part of the Australian culture, a routine activity for Australians. Research by Cohen and Felson (1975) linking routine daily activities with predatory crimes is made reference to by the researches. From this, the researchers state that assaults and homicides frequently involve alcohol in the offenders, victims or both. It is also noted that the researchers pointed to the issue that Australia was facing a hike in violence and made a statement that it was becoming a more violent and lawless country during that period of time. The question that the article wants to address, though, is not the established presence of alcohol intoxication in violent crime cases, but, rather, the researchers want to look into the environment that created the issue. By conducting observational research into pubs and clubs in Sydney, the study attempted to systematically examine the link between aspects of the environment of public drinking and the occurrence of violence. The research aimed to transcend the narrow debate on the effect of ethanol (the substance), by focusing on the total environment of drinking and its regulation (or lack of it) by management, police and public officials. The researchers established a theoretical framework by presenting several past research reports. In a study of serious assault in New South Wales by Robb (1988), the finding stated that 40% of them were nominated by police officers as involving alcohol. Moreover, assaults that come to police attention and are recorded by them frequently occur after midnight around pub closing times, and at least 20% take place in or around licensed premises. The researchers also mentioned a Sydney hospital survey claiming that in a year, many thousands of people, mostly young men, are injured sometimes quite seriously) as a result of assaults occurring in or around licensed premises (Cuthberth, 1990). The article presented a theory by McGregor suggesting that it is quite possible, for example, that male attitudes which legitimize the physical maltreatment of women, or environmental factors like crowding, discomfort, and aggressive bouncers in pubs and clubs, are the real cause of much alcohol related violence (McGregor, 1990). The researchers argued that the regulatory system was dragged down by the notion of the deserved misfortune of victims of pub violence and that this belief is partly responsible for the historic failure in Australia to recognize violence occurrence in, or around, licensed premises as a major societal problem, which has led to the lackluster of legislation and police regulation. This, in the end, has resulted in helping the entrenchment of negative environmental factors, making some establishments into something they dubbed and many more establishments violent on a less predictable basis. The researchers also cited two studies, one conducted in New Zealand and another in Vancouver as influential to their own work. The first study was conducted by Graves, Graves and Semu and Sam (1981) using records kept by security officers employed in twelve pubs in Auckland to examine the frequency and seriousness of pub violence there. The study found that Polynesian patrons drink more and are involved in more violence than European patrons. This was attributed to the former’s preference for drinking longer in larger groups and their tendency to be engaged in group activities rather than individual ones by the study. Thus, the study highlights the importance of patron mix, group sizes, and time spent drinking as variables. The second study by Graham et al (1980) was cited as especially valuable to the researchers as their research’s guide. The study was conducted in Vancouver and found several variables as being positively connected to the aggression; they include percentage of drunken patrons, percentage of American Indians, poor ventilation, the amount of sexual body contact, lack of cleanliness and hostile environment. The authors of the study stressed their view of the environment as an ecological system and implied that the overall effect of this ecology has more impact than the sum of the effects of individual variables. The researchers used the Vancouver study as their starting point for their own study. They used a qualitative method by relying more on unstructured observations on licensed premises, as these are the places where alcohol related aggression most likely will occur. To a lesser degree, they also used semi-structured interviews with some officials and security industry personnel for their study. The study aims to contrast between premises known to have many violence occurrences with the ones noted for their lack of them. Using this design, they hoped to explore the possible drinking settings that were associated with violence by observing any occurrence of violence, however small. The researchers identified 4 premises known for regular violence occurrences and 2 premises known for the lack of them on the basis of first-hand knowledge, police information and exploratory visits. Two observers visited those premises at least 5 times, each observation visit about 2 to 6 hours in duration. It is to be noted that the researchers sent an observation team to another 16 sites, at least once, making a total of 55 visits to 23 sites at 17 establishments. They stated that the total observation times they completed were 300 hours. In the results report, they observed 32 total assaults involving physical violence, excluding 9 rough ejections which were borderline assaults. The results amount to about 11 occurrences per one hundred hours of observation. This is much more than the 7. 4% showed in the Vancouver study. It is to be noted, though, that the researchers oversampled the violent premises and conducted many of the samplings late at night when violence was more likely to occur. Further result comparisons with the Vancouver study show that while the Vancouver study didn’t report any and serious physical injuries, the Sydney study claimed four and several occurrences were rated as physical by their observers. The results presented very interesting variables as the cause of violence occurrences. Presence of big males groups often spell trouble, while single males, groups of mixed males and females, and couples are less likely to be involved in a fight. The researchers also suggested that the boredom factor is one of the key variables in the cause of physical violence occurrence. Premises with entertainment like TVs, game machines and stage entertainment creates comfort levels that appease the patrons’ boredom level which resulted in less violence occurrence. The researchers also suggest that in live bands quality of music matters very much, and that small crowds of patrons entertained with bad quality music will more likely cause trouble than large crowds entertained by good quality music. It is to be noted that, despite all myths, rough pubs with rowdy crowds are not necessarily violent. The results also stressed high levels of drunkenness as a major issue in pubs, especially those caused by management styles encouraging such behaviour, along with the pubs’ staff behaviour, especially with the bouncers. Summarizing the results, the researchers attributed violence occurrences to interactions of several key variables. Some of them are groups of male strangers, high boredom, low comfort, high drunkenness and aggressive bouncers. The researchers pointed out that the NSW legislation bodies did not pay enough attention to the issue, and that there are major flaws in the NSW Liquor Act. They concluded that better regulation and legislation can help solve the problem. They cited Sherman et al (1989) suggesting that it is easier and more desirable to regulate the routine activities of the premises rather than trying to regulate the routine activities of the patrons. Jumping forward to the present day, the NSW Liquor Act 2007 addresses many points being brought up by this study. This includes the need and the enforcement of RSA certification to work in any premises that serve alcohol, fines to servers serving alcohol to intoxicated patrons, setting up 50 meters perimeter from the premises for ejected patrons, and mandating premises to provide free water and also to serve warm meals to help patrons deal with alcohol intoxication. Examining the Sydney study and its comparison with the Vancouver study, it might help for future studies to set up a standard for what constitute a brawl and serious physical injuries. Different observers will have different standards for these issues which might cause discrepancies, especially when studies are being compared with one another.

The Chemistry of Natural Water Essays - Water, Inorganic Solvents

The Chemistry of Natural Water Essays - Water, Inorganic Solvents The Chemistry of Natural Water INTRODUCTION The purpose of this experiment is to explore the hardness of the water on campus. Hard water has been a problem for hundreds of years. One of the earliest references to the hardness or softness of water is in Hippocrates discourse on water quality in Fifth century B.C. Hard water causes many problems in both in the household and in the industrial world. One of the largest problems with hard water is that it tends to leave a residue when it evaporates. Aside from being aesthetically unpleasing to look at, the build up of hard water residue can result in the clogging of valves, drains and piping. This build up is merely the accumulation of the minerals dissolved in natural water and is commonly called scale. Other than clogging plumbing, the build up of scale poses a large problem in the industrial world. Many things that are heated are often cooled by water running thru piping. The build up of scale in these pipes can greatly reduce the amount of heat the cooling unit can draw away from the source it is trying to heat. This poses a potentially dangerous situation. The build up of excess heat can do a lot of damage; boilers can explode, containers can melt etc. On the flip side of the coin, a build up of scale on an object being heated, a kettle for example, can greatly reduce the heat efficiency of the kettle. Because of this, it takes much more energy to heat the kettle to the necessary temperature. In the industrial world, this could amount to large sums of money being thrown into wasted heat. In addition to clogging plumbing and reducing heating efficiency, the build up of hard water also adversely affects the efficiency of many soaps and cleansers. The reason for this is because hard water contains many divalent or sometimes even polyvalent ions. These ions react with the soap and although they do not form precipitates, they prevent the soap from doing it's job. When the polyvalent ions react with the soap, they form an insoluble soap scum. This is once again quite unpleasing to look at and stains many surfaces. The sole reason for all these problems arising from hard water is because hard water tends to have higher than normal concentrations of these minerals, and hence it leaves a considerable amount more residue than normal water. The concentration of these minerals is what is known as the water's Total Dissolved Solids or TDS for short. This is merely a way of expressing how many particles are dissolved in water. The TDS vary from waters of different sources, however they are present in at least some quantity in all water, unless it has been passed through a special distillation filter. The relative TDS is easily measured by placing two drops of water, one distilled and one experimental on a hotplate and evaporating the two drops. You will notice that the experimental drop will leave a white residue. This can be compared to samples from other sources, and can be used as a crude way of measuring the relative TDS of water from a specific area. The more residue that is left behind, the more dissolved solids were present in that particular sample of water. The residue that is left, is in fact, the solids that were in the water. Another, perhaps more quantitative way of determining hardness of water is by calculating the actual concentrations of divalent ions held in solution. This can be done one of two ways. One is by serially titrating the water with increasing concentrations of indicator for Mg++ and Ca++ (we will be using EDTA). This will tell us the approximate concentration of all divalent ions. This method of serial titrations is accurate to within 10 parts per million (ppm) . Another possible method for determining the hardness of water is by using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry or AA for short. AA is a method of determining the concentrations of individual metallic ions dissolved in the water. This is accomplished by sending small amounts of energy thru the water sample. This causes the electrons to assume excited states. When the electrons drop back

Create Your Own Tree Leaf Exhibit or Collection

Create Your Own Tree Leaf Exhibit or Collection The thrill of correctly identifying trees can be enhanced by properly collecting leaves to make a tree leaf collection and then mounting them in an exhibit. Some properly prepared collections have survived for over a century in botanical sections of museums. Obviously, the best time to collect green leaves is early in the leafing season but not so early that immature leaves can confuse the collector. The months of June and July provide the best leaf samples but you can find great leaf samples throughout the summer. To make a fall color collection you have to collect the leaf in autumn. I have seen many beautiful fall color collections. Collecting the Leaves for a Tree Leaf Collection When selecting leaves for your collection, avoid leaves damaged by insects, disease or the environment. Try to select leaves of about the same size and shape as a majority of the leaves on the tree. Make sure that the complete leaf is collected. Remember, simple leaves have only one blade or leaflet. Compound leaves have several to many leaflets. You must know these two leaf characteristics. Please review parts of a tree if you need more help on tree leaf and twig structures. Good leaf collections include the entire leaf attached to a small part of the twig with a lateral or terminal bud. The collected leaves should be handled carefully before being placed in a leaf press (more on this later) for final drying. Leaf specimens can be protected while collecting in the field by placing them between the pages of a magazine. All specimens should be removed from this temporary magazine press as soon as possible and placed in a leaf press. You should have identified and noted each leaf name and these names should follow the specimen until it is exhibited. Pressing Leaves Before leaves are prepared for the collection, they need to undergo a final drying and preserving process which can take up to six weeks. The best way to do this is by using a leaf press. The press not only preserves much of the leafs color and shape, it also reduces moisture to a point where mold and spoilage is minimized. Students given an assignment to make a leaf collection generally dont have weeks to prepare a collection. However, you must dedicate at least three to five days of press time for each leaf depending on its size and moisture content. Leaf exhibits become more attractive as the length of pressing time is extended. Although I recommend you use a real leaf press for best results, there is a low cost method used to press leaves. This method requires no special equipment and is outlined below. The method does demand a lot of space, a flat surface, and a tolerant family. Select a flat area on the floor, desk, or tabletop in a room with good air circulation.Prepare necessary sheets of unfolded newspaper adequate for the number of leaves you have collected. You want several paper thicknesses per layer between each pressing.Place the fresh leaf specimen(s) to be pressed on the first sheet layers. Be careful not to let leaves overlap or wrinkle by overcrowding. Then simply use additional layers of paper between more pressings.Cover the top and final layer of newspaper with stiff cardboard or plywood, which has been cut to the same size as the paper.Place sufficient weight (books, bricks, etc.) on top of the plywood/cardboard to press leaves flat and hold them in position. Exhibiting the Leaves These collected dried leaves are brittle and do not withstand repeated handling or rough treatment. You should keep the leaves in the press until time to mount them on the exhibit board (if that is what you are using). To preserve the beauty of the collection and add strength to the leaves, a clear plastic or acrylic spray finish may be added to them. To do this: Place leaves flat on a piece of newspaper or butcher paper.Apply the spray in a thin coat to the leaf surface.Allow leaves to dry completely between coats and before handling.Turn leaves over and apply a thin coat of acrylic spray to the underside of the leaf.Handle sprayed leaves only after they have dried completely. Either mount your entire collection on an exhibit board or place each leaf on a separate sheet of poster board or art paper (all cut to a size which will hold the largest leaf). Prepare the leaf for mounting by applying several drops of clear-drying glue to the back, place the leaf on the mounting surface and place weight on leaf until dry. Add an attractive label to each leaf and you are done! In the very least you should have included both the common tree name and the scientific name to each specimen (ex: Sweetgum or Liquidambar styraciflua).

An introduction to business and management Assignment

An introduction to business and management - Assignment Example is responsible for how tasks are done in the organization as it facilitates and puts into action all the directives that have come from the management of the organization (Functions of Human Resource Department, n.d). This implies that realization of organizational objectives and goals, which determines the performance of the organization, is in the responsibility of the HR department. To fulfill these goals, the HR department has various functions that are delegated to it. First, it has the responsibility of hiring new talent to fill specific spots in the organization. This is one of the most important roles of the HR department because it helps an organization in acquiring a set of skills that it requires. This comes with other objectives that include retention, which is determined by how the HR department treats the employees. The right set of skills is responsible for raising an organization’s profile and even in acquiring a competitive strategy. Second, the HR department trains and develops the employees. Following recruitment, this department trains the employees to acquire skills for performing in various segments of the organization. Third, HR department also plays the role of compensating the employees according to performance. Rewarding systems are developed according to organizations where some allow employees to suggest the rewards they would li ke while others are dictated. This department also has other roles such as determining salaries, dismissal, and safety of employees (Mayhew & Demand Media, 2015). Being a multinational business, Tesco should use online and social media recruitment as its key external recruitment method and emails as internal recruitment methods. External recruitment methods such as online recruitment have a key advantage of providing a wide pool of qualified individuals to choose from. In addition, this gives the organization a new set of skills and it is affordable because social media is free for most entities (Kleynhans,

Growth and world's cities Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Growth and world's cities - Assignment Example The city was founded in 1565 after the French flee the region. Currently, the city rests over a flat yet narrow plain situated between the foothills which lay between the Atlantic Ocean and the Highlands of Brazil, right over the shore residing on the Guanabara Bay. Though the public policy regarding urban planning in Brazil isn`t quite impressive, yet the city reflects considerable urban development which makes it one of the most anticipated tourist resorts. A few communities in Rio exhibit remarkable projects undertaken by private investors like their own waste collection and sewerage systems, gay care centers, considerably higher literacy rate, support centers for the elders, nutrition, recreational and sports centers, metropolitan hotels and other similar urban hubs. Yet, a few other areas seem to be lagging behind in terms of urban development. Rio de Janeiro grew over time to become what it is now. In the first few decades of the 20th century, Rio saw a drastic increase in its population to around 2 million. In 1927, when Antionio Prado was heading the state, the Agache Plan was incorporated into public policy regarding urban development which boosted the growth of the city in the context (Vojnovik 2013) . Thus, during the late 1920`s, th e city saw its golden age which continued till the 1950`s where high profile hotels like Copacabana Palace and the Hotel Gloria were built. Also, the city was turned into a destination for hollywood celebrities and other high profile people from all around the world. Thus, private investment flew in and urban resorts like the Copabana beach and the Santos Dumont airport was inaugurated, further giving the urban touch to the city. After the 1950`s, transportation infrastructure was the focus of the government along with industrial development, which further paved way for the development of advanced housing communities for the blue

Motivating the Employees Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Motivating the Employees - Case Study Example If Maryann is solely responsible for such behavior, then Burt can set Harriet Simon, who had always maintained the reports properly, as an example. However, Maryann failed to properly record the data, and this created grievances among the employees. Such irresponsible behavior by Maryann can considerably reduce the productivity of the employees. Burt needs to communicate to Maryann that such incident occurring due to her actions might lower the morale of the staff. In order to correct the irresponsible behavior of Maryann, it is quite imperative for Burt to act immediately – to identify the reasons for her actions and take corresponding measures to improve the behavior of Maryann and thus stimulate responsible work. Maryann must be reminded of the policies and the procedures of the company that she is supposed to abide by. The meeting can be conducted with Maryann and other employees to discuss the incidents of irresponsibility. During this meeting, the impacts of such unfavor able scenario on the organizational productivity should be addressed and certain corrective strategies developed. Burt could have prevented the dilemma by making his viewpoints apparent to Maryann at the time when he realized that the attitude of Maryann was quite unfavorable and she was incapable of accomplishing the delegated task. If Burt had corrected Maryann at the time she committed a mistake, he would have conveniently prevented the dilemma from occurring. If the evidence of poor performance had been produced before Maryann, the matter would have been resolved. When the evidence reveals the fact that there is an issue with an individual’s performance in terms of conduct, then it is necessary to refer to an organization’s disciplinary procedure. Training and coaching could have been offered to Maryann in order to improve her skills. Through adequate mentoring, Burt could have developed the knowledge  and the skills of Maryann. It is apparent from the case that Maryann was not serious enough and also did not properly focus on her job responsibilities.  

Examining The Importance Of System Investigation Information Technology Essay

Examining The Importance Of System Investigation Information Technology Essay Fact-finding is an important activity in system investigation. In this stage, the functioning of the system is to be understood by the system analyst to design the proposed system. Various methods are used for this and these are known as fact-finding techniques. The analyst needs to fully understand the current system. The analyst needs data about the requirements and demands of the project undertaken and the techniques employed to gather this data are known as fact-finding techniques. Tools, such as data and process models, document facts, and conclusions are drawn from facts. If facts are not collected, tools can ¿Ã‚ ½t be used effectively and efficiently. After gathering needed information of the system the analyst should record them in a proper way which is known as fact-recoding methods. What are the facts to be collected Any information System can be examined in terms of four building blocks:  ¿Ã‚ ½ Data: The raw material used to create useful info.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Processes: The activities that carry out the mission.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Interfaces: How the system interacts with people.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Geography: Where data is stored, processes interfaces happen. Fact-finding skills must be learned and practiced. Systems analysts need an organized method of collecting facts. They especially need to develop a detective mentality to be able to discern relevant facts. When do perform fact-finding  ¿Ã‚ ½ System Analysis Phase. ? Study Phase. ? Definition Phase. ? Selection Phase.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Design.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Post Implementation Review. Fact-finding techniques Various kinds of techniques are used and the most popular among them are, 1. Interviews. 2. On-Site Observation. 3. Investigation. 4. Questionnaire. 1. Interviews Interview is a very important data gathering technique. Analysts can use interviews to collect information about the current system form the potential users. Here the analysts discover the areas of misunderstanding, unrealistic exception and descriptions of activities and problems along with resistance to the new proposed system. Goal of interview  ¿Ã‚ ½ Find facts, verify facts, and clarify facts.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Generate enthusiasm.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Get end user involved.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Identify requirements. Steps involved  ¿Ã‚ ½ Set the stage for the interview.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Establish rapport; put the interviewee at ease.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Phrase questions clearly and succinctly.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Be a good listener; avoid arguments.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Evaluate the outcome of the interview. The interviews are of two types namely, Structured Interview Structured interviews are those where the interviewee is asked a standard set of questions in a particular order. All interviewees are asked the same set of questions. The questions are further divided in two kinds of formats for conducting this type of interview.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Open-response format e.g. Why are you dissatisfied with the current scheduling method?  ¿Ã‚ ½ Closed-response format e.g.. Are you satisfied with the current scheduling methods? Do you think that the manual scheduling procedure be changed with some automated procedure? Unstructured Interview The unstructured interviews are undertaken in a question-and-answer format. This is of a much more flexible nature than the structured interview and can be very rightly used to gather general information about the system. Here the respondents are free to answer in their own words. In this way their views are not restricted. So the interviewer gets a bigger area to further explore the issues pertaining to a problem. Advantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ Can motivate the interviewee to respond freely.  ¿Ã‚ ½ More feedback can be probed.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Can adapt or reword questions for each individual.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Extra information from body movement and facial expressions. Disadvantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ Time consuming.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Requires good communication skills.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Requires good interviewing skills.  ¿Ã‚ ½ May be impractical due to location constraints.  ¿Ã‚ ½ The interviewee may not answer/give appointment. 2. On-Site Observation On-site observations are one of the most effective tools with the analyst where the analyst personally goes to the site and discovers the functioning of the system. As an observer, the analyst can gain first hand knowledge of the activities, operations, processes of the system on-site, hence here the role of an analyst is of an information seeker. This information is very meaningful as it is unbiased and has been directly taken by the analyst. This exposure also sheds some light on the actual happenings of the system as compared to what has already been documented, thus the analyst gets closer to the system. This technique is also time-consuming and the analyst should not jump to conclusions or draw inferences from small samples of observation rather the analyst should be more patient in gathering the information. This method is however less effective for learning about peoples perceptions, feelings and motivations. Mainly observation categorized into two, Formal observation  ¿Ã‚ ½ Observation a person by him being noticed. Informal observation  ¿Ã‚ ½ Observing a person without him being noticed. Do ¿Ã‚ ½s  ¿Ã‚ ½ Obtain permission from appropriate supervisors or managers.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Prepare special forms to record data.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Determine who, what, where, why, when and how of the observation.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Takes notes immediately or after the observation.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Review the observation notes with appropriate individuals.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Also observe during low, normal, and peak periods of operations. Don ¿Ã‚ ½ts  ¿Ã‚ ½ Don ¿Ã‚ ½t interrupt the individuals work.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Don ¿Ã‚ ½t focus on trivial activities.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Don ¿Ã‚ ½t make assumptions. Advantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ Observation of people at work provides first hand experience of the way that the current system operates.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Data are collected in real time and can have a high level of validity if care is taken in how the technique is used.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Observation can be used to verify information from other sources or to look for exceptions to the standard procedure.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Baseline data about the performance of the existing system and of users can be collected. Disadvantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ The act of observation alters the behavior.  ¿Ã‚ ½ The act of made may not involve the difficulty and volume normally experienced during that time period.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Some task may not always be performed in the manner in which they are observed.  ¿Ã‚ ½ People may not let u see what you want to see. 3. Investigation Third fact finding technique is to thoroughly investigate the application and problems. The analyst has to read computer journals, reference books, internet white papers and case-studies for investigation. The Analyst can visit other companies or departments which have addressed similar problems. Advantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ Can save time if solution already exists.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Investigator can see how others have solved similar problems or met similar requirements.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Keeps investigator up to date with current developments. Disadvantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ Requires access to appropriate sources of information.  ¿Ã‚ ½ May ultimately not help in solving problem because problem is not documented elsewhere. 4. Questionnaire Questionnaires are another way of information gathering where the potential users of the system are given questionnaires to be filled up and returned to the analyst. Questionnaires are useful when the analyst need to gather information from a large number of people. It is not possible to interview each individual. Also if the time is very short, in that case also questionnaires are useful. If the anonymity of the respondent is guaranteed by the analyst then the respondent answers the questionnaires very honestly and critically. Just like the interviews and on the same lines questionnaires are of two types. Open-Response Based Questionnaires The objective of open-response questionnaire is to gather information and data about the essential and critical design features of the system. The open-ended question requires no response direction or specific response. This form is also used to learn about the feelings, opinions, and experiences of the respondents. This information helps in the making the system effective because the analyst can offer subsequent modifications as per the knowledge gained. e.g. What additional reports would you require from the System? Closed-Response Based Questionnaires The objective of closed-response questionnaire is to collect the factual information of the system. It gives an insight in how the people dealing with the system behave and how comfortable are they with it. In this case the respondents have to choose from a set of given responses. Thus the respondent can express their liking for the most favorable one from the possible alternatives. The closed questions can be of various types and the most common ones are listed below. e.g. 1. Yes/No Question Do you print reports from the existing System? (please circle the appropriate answer) Yes No 2. Multiple Choice Questions How many new surgery appointments do you obtain in a year? (please tick one box only) 3. Scaled Questions How satisfied are you with the response time of the patients ¿Ã‚ ½ records update? (please circle one options) Advantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ Can be answered quickly.  ¿Ã‚ ½ An economical way of gathering data from a large number of people.  ¿Ã‚ ½ If the questionnaire is well designed, then the results can be analysed easily, possibly by computer. Disadvantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ Good questionnaires are difficult to construct.  ¿Ã‚ ½ There is no automatic mechanism for follow up or probing more deeply, although it is possible to follow up with an interview by telephone or in person if necessary.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Postal questionnaires suffer from low response rates. Conclusion Interview is the most suitable fact-finding technique of gathering information for Victoria Hospital System. Because there are small numbers of people are working, hence result can be produced in a short period of time, easy to evaluate the result, more feedback can be a probed and new ides may arise. Fact-recording methods and standards The fact recording is a reverence for facts and knowing how to look for them. You do not go into data collection with a predetermined opinion of the design of the final procedure. You let the facts tell you what shape the procedure should take. But, you must be able to find facts and know how to record them. This is done by breaking down the procedure into steps and listing them in proper sequence, without leaving things out. The analyst keeps his or her attention on the subject being charted, follows its flow, step by step, and is not distracted by other subjects that could easily lead off onto tangents. The analyst becomes immersed in the data collection, one flow at a time. Record what is actually happening, not what should happen or could happen. When later you have them neatly organized and present them for study the facts will assert their authority as they tell their story. Software Standard A Software Standard is a standard, common format of a document, file, or data transfer accepted and used by one or more software developers while working on one or more than one software programs. Software standards enable interoperability between different programs created by different developers. Software standards consist of certain terms, concepts, data formats, document styles and techniques agreed upon by software creators so that their software can understand the files and data created by a different software program. To be considered a standard, a certain protocol needs to accepted and incorporated by a group of developers who contribute to the definition and maintenance of the standard. Developers prefer using standards for software development because of the efficiencies it provides for code development and wider user acceptance and use of the resulting application. The followings are computer and paper based fact-recording methods and standard documentation techniques, which are being used in software development.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Data flow diagrams  ¿Ã‚ ½ Context diagrams  ¿Ã‚ ½ Flow charts  ¿Ã‚ ½ Decision tables  ¿Ã‚ ½ Grid charts Data flow diagrams  ¿Ã‚ ½ Graphically describe the flow of data within an organisation  ¿Ã‚ ½ Composed of four basic elements represented by standard symbols: Basic data flow diagram Context diagrams  ¿Ã‚ ½ Show major data flows into and out of a system  ¿Ã‚ ½ Describe each subsystem as a process showing interrelationship of those subsystems and their relationship to main system  ¿Ã‚ ½ Depict logical flow of data in summary form  ¿Ã‚ ½ The starting point for studying any system  ¿Ã‚ ½ Depict the system at its highest level  ¿Ã‚ ½ Referred to as level zero data flow diagrams Flow charts  ¿Ã‚ ½ Document physical flows determined after logical data flows have been documented using data flow diagrams Flow chart symbols Advantages and disadvantages of flow charts Advantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ Enable any system to be represented in easily understandable manner  ¿Ã‚ ½ Overall picture of system easily seen  ¿Ã‚ ½ Highlight relationship among different parts of the system Disadvantages  ¿Ã‚ ½ Creation can be time-consuming  ¿Ã‚ ½ Numerous symbols can be confusing  ¿Ã‚ ½ Process may not be completely representable using symbols There are three types of flow chart, namely 1. System flow charts  ¿Ã‚ ½ Show the relationship between input, processing and output including data, documents and storage  ¿Ã‚ ½ Represent the relationship between various processes 2. Document flow charts  ¿Ã‚ ½ Emphasise the flow of documents between various people, groups and departments of an organisation. 3. Program flow charts  ¿Ã‚ ½ Show the detailed steps of a computer program  ¿Ã‚ ½ Show the logic and processing steps used to develop a computer program Decision tables  ¿Ã‚ ½ List the decision logic of a program flow chart in tabular form  ¿Ã‚ ½ Constructed with two main columns and two rows: ? First row is further divided into a number of rows of conditions ? Second row is further divided into a number of rows of actions The decision table tells us the following  ¿Ã‚ ½ if stock is not available and floor stock is not being sold, collect 10% advance  ¿Ã‚ ½ if stock is available but delivery is not within three days, collect 10% advance  ¿Ã‚ ½ if stock is available and delivery within three days, collect full value of sale  ¿Ã‚ ½ if stock is not available but floor stock is being sold within three days, collect full value of sale  ¿Ã‚ ½ if stock is not available but floor stock is being sold after three days, collect 10% advance Grid charts A grid chart is a type of chart that shows the interaction of two data points at the grid intersection of their respective axes.