WooCommerce vs Shopify Who Comes Out On Top (Aug 2019)

Which hosting provider to choose, what domain to purchase, which theme to pick – setting up a website can require a seemingly endless number of choices. Even more so when were talking about an e-commerce site, since then you have to make yet another crucial choice: Shopify vs WooCommerce.There are, of course, plenty of other options available besides these two, but thats not what were here to discuss. Shopify and WooCommerce are two of the most popular ones, and were here to pit them against each other.During this article, well be taking a long hard look at both platforms to figure out which comes out on top. Its Shopify vs WooCommerce time!In a hurry? Watch this video:Click here Whats unique about each e-commerce platform?Shopify is an all-in-one solution which enables you to create an online store, manage your products, and handle payments using a single service.WooCommerce is an open-source solution built on top of WordPress, which supercharges the Content Management System (CMS) and enables you to run an online store using the platform you know and love.Shopify vs WooCommerce: A look at their featuresThese are the bullet points of the Shopify vs WooCommerce showdown, so keep an eye out for your favorite features:ShopifyWooCommerceOffers three different plans for its users, starting at $29 per month.Completely free, although you will need to purchase your own hosting.Comes with a free myshopify.com subdomain for all plans.Doesnt include a free domain – you need to buy your own.Enables you to add unlimited products to your store.Also supports an unlimited number of products.Charges you specific fees for all your payments.Payment fees depend on which payment processors you decide to add.The platform offers its own app shop – both free and paid – which enables users to extend the functionality of their stores.Comes with an extension system (basically the same as WordPress plugins) which provides additional functionality to your store . Extensions come in both free and premium varieties.24/7 support.The developers behind WooCommerce offer support through a help desk for their users, as well as extensive documentation for the software.Dozens of premium themes are available to customize the look and feel of your site.There are dozens of premium and free themes for WooCommerce.Includes a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate alongside all its plans.Includes SSL support  (as long as youve obtained your own certificate).Features its own analytics system, and can also be integrated with Google Analytics.Can be integrated with Google Analytics using a plugin. As mentioned in the table above, using WooCommerce requires you to buy your own web hosting. Although this might seem intimidating at first, its actually not that difficult of a task to handle.Just to point you in the right direction, a while ago, we compared the top hosting providers in the e-commerce space the best hosts for all kinds of e-commerce sites. Long story short, if youre looking for an affordable solution that will be able to handle your WooCommerce setup, check out SiteGround they will give you a suitable hosting plan for $3.95 / month. (Theyll also handle setting up the site for you, but thats another story.)Who uses those platforms?Shopify is the home of over 243,000 merchants selling everything from customized skateboards to baby-friendly jewelry (yes, thats a thing). It powers both small operations and renowned  names such as Lollapalooza and Party Rocks clothing channel.Lets take a quick look at  one Shopify user who has leveraged its features all the way to success.SoYoung makes use of MailChimp through their Shopify integration to send out targeted marketing campaigns. They manage their accounting using the third-party Xero app – which also comes with a Shopify integration – thus making the most out of Shopifys wide catalog of apps.WooCommerce is no slouch when it comes to adoption – the e-com merce platform powered approximately 400,000 sites by early 2015, and that number  will have increased exponentially since.Plenty of well-known names rely on WooCommerce for their online sales channels, such as Ripleys Believe It or Not! and New Balance. To better understand what the platform can offer, lets take a look at  a real use case:Quade Ecuador is Ecuadors first locally-built smartphone distributor, and they use WooCommerce to manage their online orders. Their site showcases all the features that you would expect from a professional online store such as reviews, discounts, multiple colors for each product, and related products. Its all made possible thanks to WooCommerces flexibility.What about pricing?Shopify offers a simple pricing method including three basic plans and a custom enterprise option. Their three plans are priced at $29, $79, and $299 respectively, and the main difference between each lies on the fees it charges for accepting credit cards.These difference s may seem minimal at first, but everyone who is familiar with retail operations can attest to the fact that credit card fees rack up fast. Furthermore, each successive plan also reduces the transaction fees for using external payment options such as PayPal and Stripe, as seen above.Each Shopify plan changes the number  of staff accounts available, as well as the ability to send out gift cards, and recover abandoned shopping carts (both are limited to the last two plans).WooCommerce, on the other hand, costs nothing upfront, but you need to set up hosting on your own. Hosting costs may vary depending on the scale of your store but generally speaking, a modest operation should run you less than Shopifys basic plan.WooCommerce extensions tend to cost more upfront than their Shopify counterparts, but theyre usually sold as one-time licenses rather than month to month subscriptions (as is the case with Shopify).Shopify vs WooCommerce: Which one is right for you?Weve made  it  to t he end of the Shopify vs WooCommerce brawl, and now  its time to determine which platform is best for you:Shopify is the way to go for users who dont want to deal with a complicated setup process and need  premium support. The service guarantees a smooth ride at the expense of a monthly subscription.WooCommerce can go blow-for-blow with Shopify and come out on top due to its inherent flexibility. However, its setup process is a bit more complicated and will require you to get your hands dirty. Its perfect for those of you who have an affinity for open-source software and want to customize every aspect of your experience.Its perfectly normal to feel intimidated by the choice of which e-commerce platform to pick. Running an online store is a massive undertaking, and choosing the wrong one could potentially cripple your operation right from its inception.Both Shopify and WooCommerce are great platforms on their own right – although each has its own set of pros and cons. As l ong as you go with whichever one suits your needs the best, youll have made the right decision.For which platform are you rooting when it comes to Shopify vs WooCommerce? Tell us why in the comments section below!Free guide5 Essential Tips to Speed Up Your WordPress SiteReduce your loading time by even 50-80% just by following simple tips. * This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and then purchase the product, well receive a small fee. No worries though, youll still pay the standard amount so theres no cost on your part.

Bilingualism and Multilingualism

Bilingualism and Multilingualism Language is the influential aspect which determines the peculiarities of the people’s interactions in society. It is possible to discuss the usage of language for communication from psychological, linguistic, and sociolinguistic perspectives because language plays an enormous role in the formation of human identity.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Bilingualism and Multilingualism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The peculiar features of the social development influence the progress of the situation when today many people are considered as bilingual or multilingual. Economical, political, cultural and social shifts to the development of international economy and integration caused the fact that the notions of bilingualism and multilingualism which are closely connected with the phenomenon of globalization became important aspects of a modern society. To understand the peculiarities of this tendency, it is neces sary to examine the definitions of bilingualism and multilingualism and determine the features in which these notions are similar or different. The issue of defining such notions as bilingualism and multilingualism is widely discussed by many researchers nowadays. The main difference of their approaches is in the consideration of these notions as similar or different in relation to their major characteristics. In her work, Pavlenko accentuates the fact that traditionally bilingualism and multilingualism are discussed as the same notions that is why she uses use the term ‘bilingualism’ in order to study the aspects of bi- and multilingualism with paying attention only to the number of languages used by a speaker (Pavlenko, 2006). According to this idea, bilingualism should be defined as the phenomenon when people use two languages to realize their social interactions, and multilingualism is the phenomenon when people use more than two languages to complete their social n eeds (Altarriba Heredia, 2008).Advertising Looking for essay on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, to discuss the aspects of bilingualism and multilingualism, it is necessary to focus on the factor of the social motivation and psychological peculiarities of the ability to use two or more languages for interactions. To discuss the notions as the same, it is necessary to state that bi/multilingualism is a complex phenomenon which is influenced by social and psychological factors and also affects the structure of the languages used. This phenomenon is connected with the notion of codes. Thus, bilingualism is a result of â€Å"psycholinguistic functioning of the mind when having two codes† (Ceroz Gorter, 2011, p. 357). Nevertheless, it is also possible to notice that multilingualism is a result of using more than two language codes. The usage of two or more codes results in developing code-mix ing and code-switching during the communication process (Ceroz Gorter, 2011). The peculiar features of code-mixing and code-switching are widely discussed by those researchers who support the opinion that bilingualism and multilingualism cannot be considered as the same notions. The base for their arguments is two views known as the ‘fractional’ view and ‘holistic’ view (Perani Abutalebi, 2005). According to the first perspective, a bilingual is a person who interacts as two monolinguals depending on definite circumstances (Altarriba Heredia, 2008). The ‘holistic’ view is more general and states that the languages used are interdependent and influence each other. Thus, the person who uses them should be considered as a unique personality following definite sociolinguistic peculiarities. Focusing on these two views, sociolinguists and psychologists accentuate that code- switching as the selection of definite linguistic elements in languages t o use is more typical for bilinguals and code-mixing is more typical for multilingual persons who combine the elements of many languages in one speech to complete the conversation goal (Myers-Scotton, 2006). Moreover, it is significant to pay attention to such points as the types of bi/multilingualism and their differences. Researchers define circumstantial bilingualism as the person’s usage of two languages according to the situation of communication and other socio-environmental factors which influenced the necessity to learn the second language (De Bot, Lowie, Verspoor, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Bilingualism and Multilingualism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Circumstantial multilingualism can develop on the base of previous bilingualism under the definite living circumstances. That is why it is almost impossible to determine any strict differences in these types. Sequential bilingualism is based on the fact bilinguals develop some proficiency in their native language and then learn the second language. Thus, their knowledge about the native language can influence their acquiring the second language. The next stage after acquiring the second language can be multilingualism when a person studies languages sequentially. Thus, there are no obvious differences in sequential bilingualism and sequential multilingualism. The only fact which can influence the peculiarities of multilingual persons’ interactions is the ability to learn languages more effectively with using the knowledge about the first two or more languages (Wei Moyer, 2008). Passive bi/multilingualism is characterized by a person’s knowing two or more languages, but active usage in communication of only one of them (Paradis Navarro, 2003). Thus, the peculiarities of circumstantial, sequential, and passive bi/multilingualism cannot be considered as decisive for determining the differences in usin g the notions. Those researchers who develop the idea that bilingualism and multilingualism are similar notions accentuate the fact of ‘soft boundaries’ between languages which are typical both for bilinguals and multilingual persons (Ceroz Gorter, 2011). Nevertheless, the other linguists argue that because of predominantly circumstantial character of bilingualism, ‘soft boundaries’ between languages are more typical for the multilingual practice (Myers-Scotton, 2006). To determine the differences and similarities in the notions of bilingualism and multilingualism, it is possible to provide the general definition which is based on the opinion that a multilingual person differs from a bilingual only in the number of languages he knows. Moreover, multilingualism can also include the concept of bilingualism as the certain type of the phenomenon.Advertising Looking for essay on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, according to the ‘holistic’ view with focusing on such aspects as code-mixing and ‘soft boundaries’ between languages, it is possible to define a multilingual person as a man who uses more than two languages for realizing everyday social interactions. The main peculiarities of multilingual persons is the effective usage of more than two languages as the combination of codes (code-mixing) in order to achieve the goal of communication in spite of environmental factors. Multilingual persons differ from bilinguals in such aspects as the intensity of interdependence of the languages used, forming a unique personality from the psychological and sociolinguistic perspectives, and the usage of two or more languages and their combinations depending on their effectiveness according to the communicative goal. References Altarriba, J. Heredia, R. R. (2008). An introduction to bilingualism: Principles and Processes. USA: Psychology Press. Ceroz, J. Gorter, D. (2011). Focus on multilingualism: A study of trilingual writing. The Modern Language Journal, 95(iii), 356-369. De Bot, K., Lowie, W., Verspoor, M. (2007). A dynamic systems theory approach to second language acquisition. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 10, 7–21. Myers-Scotton, C. (2006). Multiple voices. USA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Paradis, M. Navarro, S. (2003). Subject realization and crosslinguistic interference in the bilingual acquisition of Spanish and English: What is the role of the input? Journal of Child Language, 30, 371–393. Pavlenko, A. (2006). Bilingual minds. USA: Multilingual Matters Ltd. Perani, D. Abutalebi, J. (2005). Neural basis of first and second language processing. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 15, 202–206. Wei, L. Moyer, M. G. (2008). The Blackwell guide to research methods in bilingualism and multilingualism. USA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

What Are The Effects of High Oil Prices On The Economy of Oil Essay

What Are The Effects of High Oil Prices On The Economy of Oil Exporter, a Case Study of Nigeria - Essay Example However the risk that Nigeria takes solely depending on oil and not finding another source of revenue is risky in the long run. Nigeria has able leadership in the Presidents but they have to go a long way to make oil their own ‘prize cow’. At present, foreign companies are exploiting the oil reserves. The paper elaborates more about the oil revenues and the ways in which these revenues have influenced the various activities of Nigeria. Viewpoints of researchers, authors and the media have been added. The oil prices and how they affect the economy of Nigeria has been discussed. Nigeria is a powerful nation in national and international affairs (Nigeria, Oxford Business Group). Having gained independence from the British in 1960, Nigeria was an active participant in African politics and had a major role in UN and African Union missions across the nation. A rich diversity of peoples exists with 250 ethnic varieties. The landscape ranges from the semi-arid desert in the northern regions and tropical forests towards the south (Nigeria, Oxford Business Group). History is accompanied by the tales of frequent military coups and secessionist wars. The violence in the past appears to have been influenced by the demographic and geographic profile. Recent years have however led to a political stability unseen in its history. The GDP which is expected to cross 8% this year also conveys a rosy picture. The principal exports are oil coming to $ 20.7bn. It exports mainly to the US and then India (Nigeria in Country profiles, 2007). Oil has made Nigeria a rich nation and t he economy is growing fast. Nigeria has relied on the hydrocarbon sector for its largest revenues and exports since the oil boom in the 1970s. It is the largest oil producer in Africa and provides 11% of the US oil imports.

Home Depot's Blueprint for Culture Change Research Paper

Home Depot's Blueprint for Culture Change - Research Paper Example One of the greatest levels of inference that this can help to provide is with respect to the deviation that oftentimes occurs between the real world application of theory as compared to the academic interpretation for theoretical models and approaches. Firstly, Kotter and Cohen present what they term as the first stage of the eight step plan. Within this first stage, three particular steps are evidenced. These are as follows: increasing urgency, building what they term as â€Å"guiding teams,† and getting the right vision. It can immediately be inferred that they engaged with each and every one of these. Firstly, the urgency was created within the corporate level and soon diffused to the lower middle management within the entity. Secondly, it can be directly noted that the implementation of guiding teams was something that Nardelli placed a high emphasis upon. Although it would have been nice to see these guiding teams leverage a further degree of information rather than merel y seeking to implement a rather vague vision. Further, with regards to the last step in this three-step first stage, the actual vision creation and definition that Nardelli sought to engage within Home Depot was largely lacking. Although it is obvious that a new CEO was to seek to leverage increased profitability and maintain sales in an era of growing complexity and competition, the actual means by which this was to be effected were not presented in a step-by-step metric that the reader was able to follow in any discernible or applicable way. Similarly, the second stage of Kotter and Cohen’s eight step plan for instituting change is what is termed as â€Å"engaging and enabling the organization.† This stage includes the following: communication for buy-in, enablement of action, and creation of short-term wins. The is the particular stage of Kotter and Cohen’s process that Nardelli accomplished so effectively and to such a high degree, most likely providing this particular change approach with the degree of success that it ultimately achieved. By interacting with the respective stakeholders of this change process early, the communication for buy-in was related to them and understanding of the need for action was enabled. A more difficult part of this process is allowing for a situation in which short-term wins can be created so that stakeholders not only are continually cognizant of the process but also are aware of the fact that the changes that they have thus far implemented have reflected positively and will allow for future success. However, even though this is difficult, it was achieved by Nardelli in the fact that the changes in approach were proven successful to the stakeholders by increased sales numbers and profitability (Charan, 2006). Moreover, even though the cultural change that was implemented forced many individuals within middle management out of their respective comfort zones, it also allowed for a reconsideration of the a version to paperwork and central procedures that have thus far pervaded the entire business. The final stage of Kotter and Cohen’s eight step process is what is termed as implementing and sustaining change. Within this particular stage exist the following two steps: not letting up and making the idea / change stick. Although it might be easy to say that there are verified statistics that help to prove that Nardelli did not

Law of Contract, Assignment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Law of Contract, Assignment - Case Study Example This does not mean that there must be an exact subjective matching of the internal thoughts of the two parties. What the law looks for is outward evidence of what the parties agreed or what has been termed the 'external indicia of agreement'.1 This means that even if the parties did not have the same agreement in mind, if their actions, from an objective standpoint could be said to demonstrate an agreement, then a contract has been formed.2 This follows the sensible approach that 'commercial contracts cannot be arranged by what people think in their inmost minds. Commercial contracts are made according to what people say'3 What this means for our problem question is that, while searching for the consensus in idem between Riz and Jatinder, we look at how they acted in the above negotiations. To form a contract, all you need to identify is an offer and an unqualified acceptance of it. The question here is whether the advertisement in the magazine constituted an offer. Offers may be express such as 'I'll give you 50 for that skirt', or they can be implied such as hading over the fare as you get on the bus. In both cases it is open for the offeree to accept the offer. This will conclude the contract. However, despite the ease of making offers or implied offers, some actions will not form offers at all but merely invitations to treat. An invitation to treat may look like an offer but if you look closely, there has not been agreement on the essential factors of the contract, there has just been some words passed that would entice or make it easier for the other party to make a suitable offer. For example, in Harvey v Facey4 one party asked the other what would be the lowest cash price they would be willing to sell a property in Jamaica. The other party replied that it would be 900. The first party then telegraphed them 'We agree to buy BHP for 900 asked by you'. The owners argued that they had never offered to sell the property and the agreed with this. It is also generally accepted that advertisements and announcements to the public at large are not intended to be offers but merely invitations to treat. This is for the simple practical reason that if too many people responded to the advertisement, the advertiser could be placed in a position of breaching limitless contracts. Therefore, unless words specifically forming a contract are used, an advertisement will be deemed to be an invitation to treat and not an offer.5 b. Riz's offer of 5,000 When Riz saw the advertisement he called Jatinder on the phone and offered her 5,000 for the car.

Performance Measurement In The Public Sector Finance Essay

Performance Measurement In The Public Sector Finance Essay In recent years governments within Canada have been facing increased pressure from the public to be more financially accountable, transparent and responsible when it comes to managing tax dollars. In large part, this is due to several economic and social pressures, such as an aging population, budgetary deficits and various financial scandals, which make the need for effective and efficient financial management a pressing matter. Governments have been developing systems, approaches and processes to continually ensure value for money, including integrating private sector practices into the public sector (e.g. New Public Management and Public Sector Renewal). One such private sector practice is the extensive use of and reliance on performance measures, which are used to obtain information thought to be critical to ensuring effective and efficient financial management, such as tracking government debt, program success, and forecasting future programming needs. This paper will demonstrate and explore the theory of performance measurement, including its advantages and disadvantages. A case study will then be presented, which will outline, apply, and assess financial performance measures used by the Ontario government on its provincial budget covering the period from 2002 to 2007. The paper will then conclude with observations and recommendations for more effective use of performance measures and a better understanding of the benefits and, perhaps more importantly, the limitations of performance measurement. Performance measures, while a useful tool, are not sufficient to guarantee effective and efficient management of public resources. Context for the need for performance measure in the public sector Governments are increasingly grappling with complex social and economic pressures. For instance, the aging of the population is expected to have important impacts on governments revenues and expenditures. With soaring health care costs as the population ages, Roy Romanow (2002) in his report on the future of health care in Canada estimates that annual per capita expenditure on people aged 65 and over is three times as much as the average of all age group spending (p.57). Looking at Ontarios annual report and consolidated financial statements between 2002 and 2007, the province has seen a significant increase in its expenditure in health and long term care where the province increased its expenditure by approximately 9.9 billion dollars or a 36.8 percent spending increase over five years. Overall expenditures during the same time period have increased by 20.4 billion dollars or a 28.6% increase. This essentially means that approximately 49% of the increase in expenditure went to health care spending. Ontarios revenues on the other hand increased by 21.8 billion dollars or a 31.8% increase. However, net debt has increased by 8.5 billion dollars or a 6% increase (Please refer to appendix 1.1). As these statistics show, expenditures on health care represent a significant proportion of provincial spending, a situation that may be exacerbated by an aging population. Furthermore, Saks and Haccoun (2004) estimates that Canadian labour supply shortage will reach the one million plateau by year 2020, which can have significant adverse effects on the Canadian economy and its provincial and territorial counterparts in terms of ability to raise taxes and maintain current program expenditures and ensure a sustainable economy in the future. As a result of these pressures and complexities, governments have started to examine its role in society and the various ways through which programs are delivered and managed. For instance, governments are increasingly delivering programs and services through partnerships as a means of improving efficiency in the delivery of services to Canadians. With increasingly complex and varied configuration of delivery of public services, there exists a real need to identify separate roles and responsibilities of participating partners and to develop expectations, standards, and measures of performance to ensure transparency, accountability, and sustainability. What is Performance Measure: Definitions and Considerations One of the results of this movement for better public service delivery is the integration of private sector practices, including performance measurement to ensure transparency, accountability and sustainability even in the face of pressures and complexities facing the public sector. In recent years, several developed countries and some developing countries have made increasing use of performance concepts and results indicators, both in their managerial practices and in the formulation and execution of public programs (Performance Measurement in Public Administration, p. 649-650). Performance measurement is also considered by some experts as the first step toward improving the performance of a public-sector organization, and, if backed by an appropriate incentive system, it can help shift organizational focus from inputs to outputs and outcomes and thus improve efficiency and effectiveness (Performance Measurement in Public Administration, p.663). It is essentially the collection of a bout an organizations performance indexes that will equip a program manager to evaluate its changes in performance over time (Carroll and Dewar, 2002). Performance measures are believed to be first applied in the public sector in 1960, when calls for the improvements in processes in which the way the government manages its resources or inputs to maximize efficiency and effectiveness started becoming more pronounced. It is argued that by tracking performance, the government is better able to meet its budget goals and objectives. There are many factors to consider when developing or applying a performance measure in an organization. The main factor that must be considered is cost. Can the organization afford the costs associated with developing, maintaining and implementing a performance measure? Clear, concise and realistic performance goals are needed. The performance measure must be fully communicated to everyone in the organization, as the success of a performance measures implementation depends on everyone buying into the concept. Once a performance measure is approved, an appropriate rewards system should be included, as well as a system for modifying the performance measures if the organizations objectives are not being realized. The organization must also ensure that individuals who have to work with the performance measures within the organization are well informed about the process and the benefits of the system and how to implement it (Mayne, 2005). In other tools, realizing and achieving the full benefits of performance measurement may be compromised or limited if analysts/managers fail to appreciate and understand the nature, purpose, meaning, and limitations of the indicators. Benefits of Performance Measurement As the economy grow, the demand for government services increases as well. Ontarios gross domestic product (GDP) increased from 493.1 billion dollars in 2002 to 586.2 billion dollars in 2007 or an increase of approximately 18.9% (Please refer to appendix 1.6). This means that there could be an increased demand for government programs and services and, likely, for the Ontario governments workforce. As programs, service, and government workforce grow, there would be a need to track the various programs the government provides. Performance measures can be beneficial in a given organization in various ways if implemented properly. Some of these benefits include: workforce and program management, assessment of program effectiveness, and increased accountability. Performance measures assist in organizing information that will help track, assess and analyze how various programs are progressing over time. It is a control measure that will make sure that the public sector is delivering services to the public that will maximize the publics utility level and at the same time ensure that resources are utilized efficiently and effectively(Carroll and Dewar, 2002). The management of these processes will also ensure compliance within various departments where the process can be standardized across various departments to ensure compliance. The application of performance management hopes that managers would change from being inwardly focused to being outwardly focused on public conditions, needs and problems (Waldt, 2004, p.21). By helping managers think outside the box, performance measure will hopefully generate innovation that can be fed back into the policy process to incorporate these innovations. However, this will only work if senior management i s able to sell this idea to everyone in the organization that will help break down resistance. By overcoming these barriers, an organization can now look ahead and collect various information regarding its performance, how well it is doing in comparison to previous years?, and how it is performing against other organizations. Performance measures can also help in improving public accountability. Outcomes information will inform public debate and the political process, and thereby providing direction to Government(Waldt, 2004, p. 19). In recent years, various government sectors have faced heavy scrutiny from the tax payer, electorate, opposition parties and the media. This is due to mismanagement of government funds such as the sponsorship scandal. This is one of the reasons why various performance control measures are increasingly filtering through the public sector. Since performance measure requires information gathering, maintaining and analyzing, then its proper implementation improves government accountability, transparency and responsibility. Since the public sector is more open to scrutiny because of the advancement of the information technology and the availability of legislations such as the Freedom of Information Act, this will further assist in ensuring that public sector managers are more cons cientious. Although one must ask whether or not performance measures in the public sector exist because there is a real need to improve performance or a perceived need for one. If the cost of performance measure outweighs its benefits, then performance measures can be seen as a ploy by the government to provide peace of mind to the public. Then the cost of performance measure is essentially the cost of buying peace of mind which is a waste on its own. Finally, another benefit of proper application and implementation of performance measure is through benchmarking (Carroll and Dewar, 2000). Benchmarking allows government agencies to create and compile best practice information that can help other agencies achieve their goals. This information may be useful to other organizations to help make their operations effective. A word of caution with utilizing benchmarks is that each organization is different from one another. Therefore, these benchmarks must be modified to fit into the organizations culture, goals and objectives. Though this may be helpful, the flip side is a potential to promote laziness and block innovation (De Bruijn, 2007). Limitations to the Use/Application of Performance Measurement The main idea behind performance measures is to be able to reduce cost and at the same time provide services at the least possible cost without jeopardizing the quality of service. However, the application of performance measure alone does not mean that governments will start realizing the benefits associated with this practice. Some may question the underlying reason why performance measures are needed in the public sector. It can be argued that performance measures were implemented in another country or province and they have been successful at achieving goals through the use of performance measures as a tool (Carroll and Dewar, 2002). However, just because performance measurement works in one particular organization does not necessarily mean that it can be fully integrated in another organization and be expected to provide the same level of success (the idea of benchmarking). This brings into light various motives or the driving force for the use of performance measures. Do public sector analysts and managed really believe that performance measurement contributes to more effective financial management? Or are they simply forced to include performance measures to fulfill reporting and financial requirements from the Center of government (e.g. Treasury Board)? Or are they just following a trend or a passing fad? The implementation of performance measure in the public sector can have a few disadvantages. These limitations include the manipulation of the performance measure system, challenges and difficulties in quantifying qualitative objectives (Carroll and Dewar, 2002). One of the major problems of performance measure is the manipulation of the performance system to maximize rewards by a particular individual/organization. Performance measure objectives can be interpreted in a variety of ways that can potentially give way to manipulate the system to allow a given organization to meet its objectives on paper but not in reality. One example of how performance measure can be manipulated happened in Australia when an Aboriginal tribe was informed that its sanitation and other subsidies would depend on their performance in keeping sanitary facilities clean, they did so most effectively by thoroughly cleaning the toilets, and then closing them to the public. (p. 660, Performance Measurement in Pu blic Administration) Performance measure can be manipulated by defining the goal and manipulating other variables to meet its objectives. For instance, if a police forces objective is to decrease crime rate in a given community, it can essentially meet its goal without any real changes to the crime rate in the community in question by choosing not to report certain crimes. This practice is a waste of resources that could have been used to fund other programs that are more efficient in nature. As illustrated by the examples given, the application of performance measure can potentially generate good performance on paper but not in reality. Another disadvantage of performance measure is the challenges associated to applying it to the public sector (Graham, 2007). This is because private sector is mostly concerned with profit maximization which is a quantifiable objective. The public sector on the other hand is concerned with measuring qualitative objectives and quantifying its results. Qualitative measures can be quite challenging because it involves subjective interpretation of quality. For instance, if the governments goal is to measure the quality of secondary education provided in Ontario, and then it becomes hard to determine how well the ministry of education is performing. The reason for this is because there are a variety of ways to measure quality, where is the data coming from? What measures are used? Who measures performance? And whether or not there is a conflict of interest that will manipulate the system. Finally, quality of education may not be measured until a few years later when the students graduate h igh school. The application of performance measure also calls for rewarding good performance and punishing poor performance (Waldt, 2004). The implementation of this premise may be a challenge in the public sector because politicians can over ride budget allocation. If for instance, health care is the governments top priority, if for instance health care is the worst performing ministry within the public sector then this may be a challenge. However, this will not work in the public sector because politicians can opt to ignore the performance measure in place and increase funding for the ministry of health. It is also useful to note that the implementation of performance measurement in the public sector could potentially be more challenging than in the private sector, in part because of differing operations/service goals. While the private sectors bottom line is profit maximization, the public sector involves multiple competing stakeholders with multiple goals (Graham, 2002). For instance, there are certain stakeholders who believe in maintaining balanced books and reducing debt, while there are others who believe that the government should consistently provide for social programs, even if this implies financing services through deficit. Furthermore, a performance measures effectiveness may not be fully utilized because politicians can choose to ignore these measures or can over ride budget allocation based on performance measures. Case Study: Ontario Financial Performance Measure A budget is one of the most important pieces of legislation in any given government because it outlines how the government plans to manage its limited resources effectively. A well-conceived, -applied, or -implemented budget allows the organization to realize its goals and objectives with maximum efficiency and effectiveness (McKinney, 2004, p.264). For many years, the public sector has been experiencing increased pressure from the public to provide the best quality of service at the least possible cost. Furthermore, governments have been facing increased pressure from the public to reduce its debt, otherwise debt servicing costs will be transferred to future generations at a higher cost (principal plus interest charges). As the government becomes larger, the role of financial management plays an indispensable role in the achievement of an organizations objective. It is the fuel that gives life and substance to the engine of public administration (McKinney, 2004, p.1). Along with its growth, the number of competing stakeholders also increases and therefore, the process of allocation becomes more complicated. This is the very reason why governments are increasingly finding ways to improve its financial reporting such as the adoption of accrual based accounting and the implementation of the Public Sector Accounting standards. These are some measures used in the private sector that are now being applied in the public sector. In theory, the purpose of the application of these measures is to be able to make governments responsible, responsive and fully accountable. This section will explore and analyze the financial performance measures used by the government of Ontario to assess its effectiveness. The government of Ontarios financial analysis measures three areas which includes sustainability, flexibility and vulnerability. Sustainability measures the governments ability to meet its financial obligations. Sustainability measures Assets to Liabilities, Financial Assets to Liabilities, and Net Debt to Total Annual Revenue, Net Debt to GDP and Deficit to GDP. Flexibility measures the governments ability to move around its financial obligations across programs or across various years to be able to provide the best possible programming level. Flexibility measures Public Debt Charges to Revenue and Net Book Value to Cost of Capital Assets. Finally, vulnerability measures the extent to which the government is dependent on or can be influenced by external organizations such as the federal government, foreign institutions and foreign governments. Vulne rability measures Government Transfers to Total Revenue and net Foreign Currency Debt to Total Debt. Sustainability Assets to Liabilities measures the governments ability to meet its financial obligations through the liquidation of its assets. In the private sector depending on the company, an acceptable ratio is 2:1. However, looking at the Ontario governments assets to liability ratio, this figure hovers around 0.27:1 0.31:1 between 2002 and 2007. (Please refer to appendix 1.3). This figure may be way below the private sector expectations but the chances of a government experiencing bankruptcy (especially in developed countries) is quite low, since governments tend to have the ability to raise money by issuing debt to cover liabilities. Therefore, the use of this measure is limited to just merely observing upward or downward trends. Furthermore, with the implementation of full accrual based accounting in the public sector it becomes hard to determine the exact total value of the governments assets. These assets include heritage assets where a market value is non- existent or there are competin g estimates. It becomes a challenging task to assign a value on such an asset, or the asset may be of value to the government who owns the asset but not to anyone else. Given the challenges associated with determining an actual value for an asset, care should be taken when using this ratio as a financial performance indicator since its accuracy can be challenged. Financial Assets to Liabilities measures the governments ability to raise cash quickly or its liquidity to cover its liabilities. The Ontario governments ratio ranges from 0.18:1 to 0.23:1, where it reached its peak in year 2004/2005 and in 2006/2007 (measured at 0.21:1). (Please refer to appendix 1.3) Net Debt to Total Annual Revenue measures the governments net debt in relation to its ability to generate revenues. This ratio reached its peak over a five year span at 2.03:1 in 2003/2004 and 1.56:1 in 2006/2007. (Please refer to appendix 1.3) Since 2003/2004, the Ontario government has been able to reduce its net debt in relation to its annual revenue. Net Debt to GDP measures the governments fiscal capacity. They relate bond indebtedness to the sources of government revenue (McKinney, 2004, p.245). Ontarios net debt is hovering around a quarter of its GDP and between 2002 and 2007 where it has been slowly declining from 0.27 in 2002 to 0.24 in 2007. (Please refer to appendix 1.3) Since a consistent downward trend exists in this measure, this means that the government is improving in this ratio. Since both Net debt and GDP has increased from 2002 to 2007, this means that the GDP has increased at a faster rate than the increase in net debt. This means that governments ability to pay its debt obligations has improved over five years. Deficit to GDP measures the governments deficit in relation to its GDP. In this measure, the government has seen improvements from 2003/2004 to 2006/2007. This means that the Ontario government is continuously managing its expenditure and making sure it spending is within its capacity. Even though the Ontario government has seen deficits in the years 2003/2004 and 2004/2005, this ratio is looking favourable since deficits are declining in relation to GDP, which has seen a constant increase over five years. (Please refer to appendix 1.3) Flexibility Public Debt Charges to Revenue measures the governments ability to raise funds to pay its debt servicing charges. In this measure, the Ontario government has seen a constant improvement or a downward trend during the five year term from 14.9% in 2002/2003 to 9.7% in 2006/2007. The reason for this is because Ontarios revenues over the same five years have seen consistent growth and have increased by approximately 31.8% while interest on debt has seen a 13.7% decline over the same period. (Please refer to appendix 1.3) Net Book Value to Cost of Capital Assets measures the true value of the governments capital assets. This value is hovering around two thirds of the cost of capital assets and it has seen a slight downward trend from 69.5% in 2002/2003 down to 67.2% in 2006/2007. (Please refer to appendix 1.3) This figure is a good indication of the governments capital assets such as land, buildings, and transportation infrastructure such as highways, railroads and bridges. However, looking at the Ontario governments public accounts, it does not state whether or not the value of land is recorded at historical cost or fair market value. If the land is recorded as historical cost, then it does not really show the true value of the governments assets; instead it is under estimated if the value of the land increases in market value and vice versa if it decreases in market value. Furthermore, depreciation is measured based on estimates; it could be that the life span of an asset could be higher than expec ted and therefore, while the asset is recorded on financial statements as having no value, the asset could still be utilized. Furthermore, an asset can be estimated to have a lifespan of 10 years; at year 10, even though the asset can still be used, an organization can continue using the asset or request for new funding for the replacement of the asset. Since the asset can still be utilized, the organization can sell the asset and make money out of it (scrap value) and record it under its miscellaneous revenues. This becomes an issue of operational efficiency versus manipulation of assets to maximize revenues. Vulnerability Government Transfers to Total Revenue measures the proportion of the federal governments share of the province of Ontarios total revenue. Federal funding that flowed into the provincial government ranges between 13% (2002/2003), which is its lowest level between 2002 and 2007, and has increased steadily to approximately 15.8% (2005/2006) and dropped slightly to 15.5% in 2006/2007. (Please refer to appendix 1.3) This figure can be interpreted in various ways where the upward trend shows that the federal government is continually increasing its transfer payments to the province of Ontario in relation to its total revenue. Looking at nominal figures, the federal government has increased its transfer every year between 2002 and 2007 (from 8 billion dollars in 2002/2003 to 14 billion dollars in 2006/2007. (Please refer to appendix 1.2) Part of this increase is due to huge surpluses the federal government has been reporting in recent years. However, the increased in federal transfer can b e seen both negatively and positively. This can be viewed positively because the province is able to provide more services to the public. However, funding commitments can be revoked especially with a change in government and government priorities. Furthermore, budgetary models are built upon expectations, if the province expects to receive a certain amount of dollars from the federal government, and this is not realized, then it can potentially adversely affect the financial standing of the province. The provincial government should also use this figure as a sign of caution in terms of its forecasts not to rely heavily on federal transfers. The province should try to provide the same level of programs and services to its citizens without relying heavily on federal transfer payments because of fluctuations and uncertainty. However, others may argue that increasing federal transfers is a positive step towards addressing the so-called fiscal imbalance and providing Ontario a fair share of federal funding that is more proportional to the contributions that Ontarians make to the federal tax base. This demonstrates another useful limitation/caveat: performance ratios/indicators are not purely objective, in that their interpretation and ultimately the manner in which they are used/applied depend on the subjective point of view of the public sector analyst/manager. Net Foreign Currency Debt to Total Debt measures the provinces debt level to foreign countries and or organizations. This figure has seen an increase from 21.4% in 2002/2003 and 23% in 2004/2005 and from that point it declined to approximately 20% by 2006/2007. (Please refer to appendix 1.3) This measure is a good indicator on Ontarios reliance on foreign governments in terms of trade and its indebtedness. A declining net foreign currency debt to total debt means that the province can have a positive effect on the provinces credit rating that assesses the governments vulnerability and stability which can have an impact on interest rates on its debt. An improving credit rating will increase the chances of the Ontario government to refinance its maturing debt because of lower risk of default from its debt. An increase in this ratio might cause international panic where other countries can call the province on its debt that can have adverse effects on the economy in terms of attracting investors and other countries willing to do business with the province. As a useful summary of the provinces dependence on foreign debt, it is important to keep track of this budget measure of vulnerability. Discussion of the Ontario governments Financial Analysis as a Measure of Performance Based on the above discussion the ratios used by the government of Ontario is a useful tool as part of a comprehensive strategy or approach to analyzing, measuring the provinces economic and financial performance. However, these tools alone are clearly not sufficient to obtain a full and clear picture and forecast of the economy. Variables such as domestic and international political conditions, international and domestic commodity prices, supply and demand, price of oil, interest parity, price parity, and other non-financial indicators, such as demographic trends, should be considered when formulating, implementing, and assessing the effectiveness of policies and programs. Furthermore, these budgetary performance measures tend to be applied at a relatively high level (i.e. on rolled-up or summed-up figures or estimates) with a view to gauging whole of government performance. Since the Ontario government comprises of individual ministries and departments, improving whole of government performance must start with the individual ministries and their specific programs and projects. This reinforces the idea that full and effective performance measurement entails consideration of other and more specific factors/elements. The government of Ontarios financial measures provide very useful snapshots of the government position at a particular point in time. However, there are other measures, information and factors that one has to consider in gauging the performance of the government and formulating recommendations and strategies moving forward. Conclusion Increased pressures and complexities confronting the public sector has encouraged the proliferation of private sector practices, including the use of performance measurement to gauge program outcomes and ensure transparency, accountability, and sustainability of government operations. As this paper has demonstrated, there are benefits to performance measurement, such as providing opportunities to track, compile, and maintain data and requiring regular reporting, thereby helping in promoting transparency and benchmarking. However, these financial/material indicators are not sufficient to ensure effective and efficient management of public resources. As this paper has pointed out, there are several limitations and caveats to performance measurement that public sector managers/analysts must bear in mind, including the need to incorporate other information (e.g. non-financial and qualitative data) in developing, implementing, and assessing policies and programs. These points were reinfor ced in this paper through an examination and evaluation of financial ratios intended to measure the performance of Ontarios budget between the period of 2002 and 2007. While this paper presented a case study of performance measurement from a financial perspective, perhaps a more interesting and richer case study would be to explore quantifying qualitative program performance measures in which represents another area of future research. Indeed, performance measurement when used in a public organization by itself is a fools gold (Carroll and Dewar, 2002).

Slave Narrative Essay -- Comparative, Brown, Douglass, Jacobs 1

The purpose of a slave narrative during the American abolition movement was to directly address the violent truth of slavery. But to what effect did the truth of their autobiographical stories have on readers at the time? Within this essay, I am going to explore themes such as truth, motherhood and religion, and how they interact as narrative strategies throughout. In order to support the analyses, my primary authors will be William Wells Brown, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs 1. The primary texts stated are written in a voice which is antebellum of the American Civil War (1861-65), so it is interesting to see the that the two male authors use their own identity to title their work despite the risks involved, unlike Jacobs who uses pseudonyms to portray her story. Throughout all three texts, there is a familiar structure. Olney comments on how this is 'a sense not of uniqueness but of overwhelming sameness' 2. He continues to state how slave narratives follow a 'chronological, episodic narrative beginning with an assertion of existence' 3. This can be seen in my primary texts, for example, 'I was born in Tuckahoe' (Douglass, Narrative, p.2072) and 'I was born a slave' (Jacobs, Incidents, p.1809). On the other hand, Heermance disagrees, stating that the 'specifically personal, [†¦] unique and exotic, nature [...] made each narrative intriguingly different from its brethren' 4. This quote supports the individuality of each slave, and their reactions and representations of the different forms of violence they were subjected to. However, Andrews justifies the similarity of structures within slave narratives; 'The ex-slave narrators and their sponsors had learned that [...] facts plotted in certain kinds of story structures... ... this analyse of strategies to a close, I believe that the theme of religion creates a greater impact in narratives. This because even without being religious, the scripture is known, thus quotations are relatable. Not only this, the narrators themselves were a huge part of the abolition movement, especially Douglass who wrote and delivered many speeches; 'Morality and religion were one and the same thing for Frederick Douglass, and it should come as no surprise that [...] (Matthew 7:12) would become the perfect embodiment of human equality for him' 15. This concludes how religion within narratives, exposed slave owners' misconception of scripture, and their unholy violence based on those wrong interpretations. The narratives tactfully show the true and fair intentions intended by God for all of humanity, and no doubt this helped the abolition movement dramatically.

Ship Accidents

ABSTRACT Safety may be defined as an acceptable state of risk by society. In this respect, for assessing the current safety level of ships, it is necessary to quantify the risk level of the operating world fleet, thus estimate and assess the basic contributors to risk, namely the frequency of maritime accidents and the extent of their consequences. As this paper deals with a systematic analysis of ship accidents in recent years and evaluates the current level of safety for the majority of ship subtypes present in the world fleet, namely, tankers, bulk carriers, containerships passenger and cruise ships, passenger Ro-Ro cargo vessels, Ro-Ro cargo ships, general cargo vessels, reefer ships, car carriers, fishing vessels, LNG and LPG carriers. Introduction The history of maritime transport is marked by ship accidents with partly disastrous consequences on human lives and impact on society and the marine environment. In response to these disastrous accidents, more and more new requirements and amendments of existing regulations for the safe maritime transport were introduced by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), as this paper gives an overview of the global safety level of all basic merchant ship types in terms of accidents' occurrence, frequencies and consequences. For each ship type, accidents occurred within the time period 1990-2012 are presented and analyzed with respect to the degree of accident severity, accident category and accident's geographic area, number of fatalities and total losses of ships. Furthermore, the total accident frequency and frequencies per main accident categories are given as well as comparative results among the different ship types. The ultimate goal of this investigation is the assessment of the relative safety level per ship type in order to identify those ship types that are more prone to marine accidents (per ship type), possible historical trends, and geographical areas, where accidents more often happen. Frequencies and basic consequences were investigated for the entire period of interest (i.e. 2012), as well as separately for the last decade of the studied period. The source of the analyzed accidental data is the IHS Sea-web ® database and the analysis pertains to the generic ship types as defined by the particular database; namely, Bulk carriers, Passenger and Cruise ships, Passenger Ro-Ro cargo vessels, Ro-Ro cargo ships, General Cargo vessels, Reefer ships, Car carriers, Fishing vessels, LNG and LPG carriers. The analysis of accident records was performed for the time period 1990-2012; we included those accidents associated with merchant passenger and cargo ships, regardless ship size, however built after 1980. Operational fleet at risk has been calculated from the Lloyd's Register of Shipping ® database for all the afore-mentioned ship types. The output of the particular calculations was compared with corresponding data from Clarkson's SIN ® and a rather good fit of the respective results was recorded. The presented results related to Cellular Containerships and Large Crude Oil tankers (greater than 60,000 DWT) are coming from two earlier completed research projects of NTUA, namely CONTIOPT (2011-2013) and SAFEDOR (2005-2009), as well as from internal NTUA research (Eliopoulou et al. 2012, 2013).

How the Evolution of Mobile Phone Affect People Communicate Essay Example

How the Evolution of Mobile Phone Affect People Communicate Essay Example How the Evolution of Mobile Phone Affect People Communicate Essay How the Evolution of Mobile Phone Affect People Communicate Essay How the evolution of mobile phone change the way people communicate? Previously, people used to communicate with some of the earliest forms of communication devices included smoke signal, morse code, and pigeons. With all these communication devices, messages probably need weeks or months to reaching its destination. With the invention of mobile phone, all you have to do these days is send a text or make a call and your message will reach its destination within minutes. THE EVOLUTION OF MOBILE PHONE Nowadays, mobile phone is no longer a want but is a need. Everyone including people from teenagers to old people has a personal cell phone of their own on their hands. You couldn’t imagine how a mobile phone looks like in the past; it is totally different from now. Improved technology has made a great change in the history of mobile phones, transforming the huge mobile phones into sleek and stylish smartphones we carry with us now. Let’s take a look at how mobile phones developed from the bulky walkie-talkie look to today’s swipe-savvy descendants. Previously, a mobile phone use to be like this. The design is huge and with a long antenna. A few years later, mobile phones became a little more defined and better looking than how they were before. Antennas were shortened and the designs modified. Only text messaging service and voice call service are included in the function of mobile phone. Besides making a call and texting a message, there is nothing else a mobile phone can do. In 2000, the world’s first touchscreen phone has been invented. More and more advanced technology was included in this world’s first touch screen phone. Besides than making a call and text a message, user can also get entertained from the phone. There are some simple games included in the phone and a lot of simple applications such as a calendar and a calculator. The image shows a Motorola phone which has a simple black and white touchscreen. Next,  technology has undergone a big change in history of mobile phones, putting a colour display and integrating camera to mobile phones, producing the mobile phone with a basic camera. Users can take pictures on the spot when needed with the phone and they need not to carry a digital camera with them wherever they go. Sooner, mobile phones are no longer limited to single screen. This model has a small screen on the outside to notify calls and text messages coming in, and a big screen on the inner for the user to type messages and carry out other functions of the phone. There are some mobile phones built for delivering great music. A button for music playback and memory support has made the gadget become a great gadget for enjoying music anytime and anywhere. Now, is the time to talk about the most popular phone used by many of us nowadays. There are many company compete in producing smartphones such as Samsung, Apple, Blackberry and so on. All this advanced touchscreen smartphone are operated by iOS or android, enabling a lot of apps to run on the smartphone. Apps are available in many categories such as games, book, business, communication, education, travel, music and so on. This has make smartphone become a multifunctional device that you must carry with you all the time. You can contact to each other as easy as ABC Evolution of mobile phone has changed our communication easier. With the basic function of making a voice call and text messaging service, we can keep in touch with our loved ones. Look at the past, we communicate with each other by letter, and it takes long time to receive. For example, if your loved one had moved to a country far from you to pursue his or her study, and both of you only can communicate with each other by letters. It took a few weeks for a letter to reach to your loved one and a few weeks later for the letter to reach back to you again. This is a waste of time and money. The cost of sending a letter overseas is quite expensive if you regularly contact with each other by letter. But now we have mobile phones, we can connect to each other in a second. By just a click on the tip of your hand, you can have a voice call or a text message to your loved one. It is easy and cost effective. In recent years, mobile phones have become a basic part of life as the number of users of mobile phones has increased. Also, mobile phones are cheap to purchase. There are many reasons why people support and use mobile phones. Millions of other people also support for similar reasons. For example, many people around the world like to use the mobile phone for social networking. There are a lot of social networking websites available on mobile phone nowadays. Some of the examples are Facebook, Twitter, Skype. With smartphone operated by android system, users can even have multiple social networking applications such as Viber, Whatsapp, Line and many others. If there is a need to talk to friends or families, you can do it from anyplace and at any time. Some of it can also find the friends that had already lost contact and keep in touch again. Besides, you can also take pictures of where you are or what you are doing and post this information to your mobile phone. You can update photos or videos and show your friends and family what you are doing. This ensured the relationship between you and your friend and between you and your family will be maintained with the power of mobile phone. Mobile phone has change our language Have you ever noticed how the usage of mobile phone has changed our language? On Facebook you â€Å"like† things. Like is a great word but now it is used for much more. And you also â€Å"comment† on things. All these words may be familiar to us in our life but now when you hear these words you will automatically think of Facebook. In our daily conversation, we may also use â€Å"like† to express that we agree on something. For example, when your friend said something that you think is very true, you will say: I wish to give you a â€Å"like†. This shows that how a simple word has a different meaning when we expose to mobile phone frequently. We also use letters for phrases rather than typing the whole thing out. Many people have been using abbreviations when texting with other people such as LOL, BRB, ASAP, OMG and so on. For individuals who are unfamiliar with these abbreviations, the message will become unclear. Table 1 : Some of the common shortcut used Shortcut| Original Phrases| BRB| Be right back| ASAP| As soon as possible| OMG| Oh my God| LOL| Laughing out loud| L8R| Later| BTW| By the way| 2MORO| Tomorrow| 2NITE| Tonight| The term â€Å"Google† is actually a search engine but now it also function as a verb. For example, when you look something up, you tell people you googled it. The interesting part is that people will exactly understand it. They wouldn’t misunderstand that you looked at someone. They will know that you researched something on the search engine. It changed the way people interact with each other Truth be told, almost everything can be done through the mobile phone nowadays. It started with online shopping where people can now just hold the phone on their hand and buy whatever they what easily. And then came mobile banking, as security became better and better, so did the people’s trust in providing their bank details and doing their banking transactions with their mobile phone. Breakdown of Communication One of the greatest disadvantages of the mobile phone is the fact that we do not talk to strangers when traveling anymore. In the past, several people waiting for a bus would engage in a conversation while they were waiting. People who travelled the same routes every day might develop friendships along the way. This situation does not happen anymore. Today when people are waiting for a bus, they just pull out their mobile phones and speak with old friends, missing out on the opportunity to make new ones. In large cities, many people do not know their neighbours, even though they may have lived in the same neighbourhood for years. As a society, we are beginning to lose the face-to-face contact that was such an important part of our lives in the past. Communication is at the core of every relationship, personal or professional, that you hold in life. A breakdown of communication caused by technology can affect your job, your friendships, your relationship with others, and your family relationships. In face to face communication your nonverbal communication, like facial expressions and body language, reinforce the tone of your message. These nonverbal indicators do not exist with technology based communication, making your message more likely to be misinterpreted. The user of mobile phone increases significantly from year to year. More and more people use mobile phone to keep in touch with family, friends, online shopping and even conduct business. The statistics shows how human communication has changed in recent years: 2006 Text Messages: 158 billion MMS Messages: 2. 7 billion Voice Minutes: 1. 7 trillion Cell phone subscribers: 233,041,000 Land lines: 140 million Twitter Accounts: just launched that July Facebook accounts: 12 million Skype accounts: 171 million 2010 Text Messages: 2. 052 trillion MMS Messages: 56. 6 billion Voice Minutes: 2. 241 trillion Cell Phone Subscribers: 302. 9 million Land lines: 153 million at the end of 2009, (but losing 700,000 a month) Twitter accounts: 175 million Facebook accounts: 500 million Skype accounts: 560 million In a nutshell, the evolution of mobile phone has change the way people communicate. The effects come on both positive and negative side. In positive side, mobile phone has make the world seems smaller and smaller because everyone can easily connected no matter where there are. Family and friends can keep in touch can up to date to the latest news. On the other hand, mobile phone also caused some form of communication breakdown. Face to face interaction has slowly being eliminated. Everyone seems need to be connected through the mobile phone and live in a virtual world. However, as long as we use mobile phone wisely, we can still maximize the function of a mobile phone to optimum.

Generating Bankable Story Ideas for Film and Television

Generating Bankable Story Ideas for Film and Television So, you’ve finally decided to try your hand at screenwriting. You’ve read  Syd Field’s Screenplay  cover to cover. You’ve bought the latest version of Final Draft. You’ve set aside time each night to write three pages knowing that in a month you’ll have a first draft of your 90-page opus. You’re pumped! There’s just one small problem. You have no idea what to write. I mean, you know what topics you’re passionate about, but that doesn’t necessarily make for a sellable screenplay†¦ does it? Where and how does one generate those great story ideas that make it from script to screen? The good news is there’s no magic formula, no hidden secret, no play- Look at What’s Hot Critics often pan Tinseltown for its plethora of derivative works. But there’s a very simple reason why the same kinds of movies and TV shows get made over and over: they work. If audiences keep tuning in, why stop? Look at the type of content that’s doing well with audiences right now and how long it’s been that way. If it’s been a few years with no signs of abating, there’s a good chance producers want more of it. Figure out what hot content you enjoy and then come up with your unique spin on it. Consult an Expert Experts are everywhere. Producers, script consultants, distribution execs, sales agents. And while they may not have a crystal ball, their position in the industry means they likely see what’s selling and what’s making money. Moreover, they’re often desperate for writers willing to eschew personal passions in favor of writing what’s marketable. So, where do you find these experts? Attend networking events, film markets and festivals, join a professional writers’ group, or ask friends who have connections. Open a Newspaper Some of the best ideas hide in plain sight. Newspapers, magazines, and blogs are rife with human interest stories and current events that might make for strong movies or TV shows. How do you know which ones? First, look at how popular the story is. Have you seen it in numerous publications? Is it a front-pager? Has it been getting tons of hits? And second, is real drama there? Real adversity? Something that’s almost too amazing to believe? If readers are responding, audiences probably will, too. It Really Is Who You Know Movie-goers love true stories. And while newspapers are filled with them, it may be challenging for a frosh screenwriter to secure a subject’s life rights without significant money involved. (A true story is essentially worthless to a screenwriter without a life rights option in place.) Instead, look at people you know who have highly peculiar, unique, or exceptional life stories. They may just be the hidden gem you’ve been searching for, and they’re more likely to option their life rights to you for cheap. Adapt Preexisting Material The Academy doesn’t offer a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for nothing. Preexisting material is fertile ground for new story ideas. And it doesn’t have to be some book on the New York Times bestseller list either. In fact, it doesn’t have to be a book at all. Novellas, short stories, poems, comic books, graphic novels, blogs, even advice columns have all found second lives as movies or TV shows. Consider whether the material is topical and relevant to today’s audience, and you may just have a winner on your hands. Partner Up Producers who are having trouble finding specific types of material may be willing to partner with you if you write on spec. Both sides put in sweat equity – you write the material, and they guide the process, develop the material, and eventually shop it. If it gets sold, everyone gets paid. If the producers can at least offer basic story direction or lay out their investor’s parameters, you can start

World Cinema in the 1950s Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

World Cinema in the 1950s - Essay Example The cultural differences that are portrayed in the foreign movies might not convince them. They feel at ease watching a movie that exhibits their daily life, culture, custom or any of their routines. American movies are mostly stunt based; they can visualize the real horror and the actual graphical effects which are not experienced in most of the other language movies. They would like a blend of action, romance and comedy. When we talk about the other language movies those factors might be missing. The factors of language and accent are the major aspects of Americans not wanting to watch foreign movies. In spite of all these factors, I still love watching foreign movies. Every movie has its own essence. There cannot be just one variety that a person could keep enjoying. There should be a variety and blend in everything. There are a lot of foreign movies which are really good and carry a lot of message in them with a new learning. Watching movies of varied languages would give good understanding of the world, different cultures, different custom, different people etc. There is much beyond a language is something that all of us have to accept. The foreign movies depict a lot of social activities, problems faced by the people at different levels, new cultures, more emotions and they also show the different perception. Foreign movies are based on the reality than fantasy. Americans could watch those movies dubbed in English language , which might make them understand the quality of the movies and slowly it might create an interest in them to watch more foreign movies and later in the original language. Lashkari says† If we never try something new and totally out of the box, will we ever discover of fun it might have been?† There could be a lot of learning from the movie; they can give the same text a different meaning. A good exposure is always a good learning which in turn creates a good human. There must be unity in the world beyond

Cloning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cloning - Research Paper Example This is the very reason that an identical clone is formed through this process. The future of cloning depends totally on the new researches which are being done. Cloning Cloning so far has not been successful as it was expected. A sheep dolly was cloned in the year 1996 and it was considered as one of the most successful cloning experiment on an animal. Cloning has never showed any positive results on human beings. Cloning has been approved by many scientists and groups who argue that it holds the potential for many benefits for human beings and can serve to provide results and treatments that other methods have failed to provide. On the other hand, cloning has been rejected on the basis of ethical considerations. It has faced social as well as religious criticism owing to many reasons which include the fact that cloning has not yielded any major benefits as yet and also it serves to challenge the normal working and equilibrium of the world (Human cloning 2011; Phil B). Cloning is a process which can be compared to the stem cell research. Extracting stem cells and using them for curing diseases uses the process of cloning. Currently many research therapies are being carried out to find the viability of the stem cells. A study done in New England Journal of Medicine validates the use of stem cells in the patients who are suffering from leukemias. The research undertook many patients into consideration who were suffering from leukemias and their treatment options. The research then compared the patients who were provided with stem cell transplants with those who were not and it was found that stem cell transplant from newborn babies were effective in treating these patients. Thus it was concluded that leukemias can be treated with effective treatment by adult stem cells based on the process of cloning (Leukemia Patients Survive with Stem Cell Transplant, 2004). Similarly another research done by the UC researchers showed that bone marrow stem cells can be used to effectively treat disorders which are related to the eye. These stem cells can greatly help to cure the genetic eye disorders in children. Research done by the UC researchers was carried out on animals and the tests were positive. This showed that stem cells may also effectively work on human subjects to cure eye disorders (Bone Marrow Stem Cells May Cure Eye Disease, 2007). Not only this, but it was also found that adult stem cells can be used to cure heart attacks by the British physicians. The new treatment helped the heart muscles to recover from the shock that the treatment received. In other words because of the patients own stem cells the patient could recover from a heart attack as their heart muscles could be revived (Julie Wheldon, 2006). Another research carried out on skin cells to make them act as the stem cells worked quite effectively in treating rats with diseases of the brain. Parkisons Disease is one of the examples which the rats were suffering from and showed im provement because of the stem cells. This clearly shows that embryonic stem cells which are considered to be the basic cells of an organism can provide a breakthrough in treatments of different diseases which were previously not curable. (Stem Cells from skin treat brain disease in Rats, 2008). Another research being carried out in Spain shows that stem cells can greatly help to treat genetic disorders such as the Crohn’s Disease. It was found that 20% of the patients on which the stem cell transpl