The Pearson Hall Self Assessment Library - 1482 Words

Introduction The Pearson Hall Self-Assessment Library contains several assessment tests that an individual may complete to determine his or her personality type and provides insight regarding skills and abilities. The assessment tests were extremely detailed. I completed three of the four sections which included personality insights, working with others, and life in organizations. After completing the assessments, I learned additional information about my personality type, strengths and weaknesses, and areas that require improvement. I feel that I will be able to apply what I have learned successfully within the organization as well as my personal life. STEP 1 What About Me? The five-factor model of personality or Big Five has five dimensions which underlie human behavior. These dimension are extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness to experience (Robbins Judge, 2008). My scores to the assessment are as follows: extroversion – 5, agreeableness -10, conscientiousness – 12, emotional stability – 5, openness to experience -11 (Robbins Judge, 2008). Two of my strengths are that I am dependable and conscientious. I received a moderate score on openness to experience. I am open to new experiences. I am imaginative, intellectual, and artistically sensitive. I enjoy writing and the performing arts. My score on agreeableness was moderate. The analysis and interpretation described a person who possessed agreeableness as being trusting,Show MoreRelatedMy Self Assessment Essay1289 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract When examining your own personal assessment I found some interesting views of myself by working through the Pearson Prentice Hall Self-Assessment Library. Some of the judgments resulting from the tests have surprised me, while other results confirmed what I already suspected. This assessment will examine and give some insight on who I am in the business world, how I work with others in the realm of business, and life within my organization. I will also explain how the Holy Spirit hasRead MoreA Positive Motivation Plan1199 Words   |  5 PagesA Positive Team Motivation Plan Patrick Hall, Joyce Woodbury, William Leonardi LDR 531 July 09, 2012 Eric Heard A Positive Team Motivation Plan In today’s business world, each business organization has a diverse workforce and each worker has specific motivations and emotions. An effective manager understands the challenges involved in creating a workplace that combines the employees’ motivations, satisfactions, and performance into a cohesive and effective workforce. A manager must developRead MoreOrganizational Behavior1284 Words   |  6 Pagesand videos. Resources Principal Reading 1. Robbins, S. P. and Judge, T.A. (2015). Organizational Behavior (16th Global Edition). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ISBN #978-0-13-800040-0 Supplementary Reading 1. Frost, P.J., W.R. Nord, L.A. Krefting. (2004). Managerial and Organizational Reality. Upper Saddle River: Pearson (pp.244-249, 307-319). 2. Gibson, J,L., J.M. Ivancevich, J.H. Donnelly, R. Konopaske (2004). Organizations. (11th Ed). New York: McGraw Hill, pp.351-376. Read Morestarting with the basics1043 Words   |  5 Pagesthe six Other Math Content  resources available for study  in the Center for Mathematics Excellence? (Click on Library Center for Mathematics Excellence Running Start) - Self assessment , ALEKS Math refresher, Pre Algebra reviewer, Algebra 1, Algebra 2 introduction to statistics. .2 There are basic academic skills tutorials offered for which two subjects? (Hint: Click on Library Center for Writing Excellence or Center for Mathematics Excellence) Mathematics and Writing .3 The CenterRead MoreWhat I Learned About Myself By Prentice Hall Self- Assessment1675 Words   |  7 Pagesbusiness world more and more organizations are seeking ways to incorporate self-appraisal and personality assessments into their hiring decisions. Robbins and Judge’s chapter on personality and values highlights how tools such as the Myers-Briggs type indicator and the Big Five Personality Model are helping employers to determine if an employee’s personality will fit into their organizational culture (2009). Assessments on employee behavior supply employers with a broader perspective on how theRead MorePersonality Profile And Pearson Assessment Results Essay1505 Words   |  7 Pagespersonality profile and Pearson Assessment results real to one another and how they play major roles. Specifically discussing my values and motivations it the work place, how I work with others, and life in organizations. Everything we do is for the greater food for our purpose in life. In the final section of this paper, I describe how God has helped realize and me shape my weaknesses into strengths and keep my strengths at bay in key moments. â€Æ' Prentice Hall Self-Assessment Online Library Due to the natureRead MoreProject: Group Dynamics and Teamwork1644 Words   |  7 PagesEach project part requires you to work individually as well as in groups. Project Part Individual Task and Deliverable Group Task and Deliverable Part 1 (due Complete the self-assessment Choose the topic of research for Project Part 2 Deliverable: Individual answers to the Deliverable: None in Module 3) self-assessment tasks Create a team charter Deliverable: Team charter document Part 2 (due Research around the chosen theory Collaborate with your team to create a group in Module 5) Read MorePersonal Leadership Development Plan2021 Words   |  9 PagesPhoenix Abstract This leadership development plan (LDP) is tailored for its author and is not a research paper in the traditional sense. The author begins with his personal framework for leadership. Included are the results of several leadership assessment tools, information from coaching, and personal feedback, and insights into the author’s goals for career and leadership development. The report concludes with thoughts on future development, and evaluating the progress of personal development. Read MoreSecondary Research1650 Words   |  7 Pagesresearch†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 1.4. Disadvantages of secondary research†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 2.0 How primary research supplements secondary research†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 5 2.1 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. .5 2.2 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 2.3 Self assessment form†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...7 1.0 Introduction:- Market research is â€Å" The function that links the consumer, customer and public to the marketer through information-information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems;Read MoreHow Individual Behaviors Affect The Overall Health Of An Organization1314 Words   |  6 Pagesfailure, that were explored through the use of Prentice Hall’s Self-assessment Library (2008) and discuss the premise that individual behaviors affect the overall health of an organization. Additionally, my personal behaviors will be compared and contrasted in their prior form to how they are being changed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In the end, one of the most important facets of completing and applying this self-assessment is its effect on how one values the individual worth of others

The Physics of Acoustic Guitar - 800 Words

The Physics of Acoustic Guitar Everything in the universe involves some type of physics. Even the universe itself does, but have you ever wondered about the physics of simpler items? Physics is vital for all musical instruments, if it wasn’t; they probably wouldn’t produce the beautiful sounds that they do. One of these instruments is acoustic guitar. By looking at the instrument, it doesn’t look very complicated, but if you delve deeper into its composition, you’ll find that it’s very complicated. Physics takes part in the making of acoustic guitars, all the way to how it produces its beautiful music. Before you can understand the physics of playing the guitar, you must first know the brief history of it. The guitars’ history can be†¦show more content†¦The strings can be made nylon or steel, nickel, and bronze. What particular kind of string one uses usually depends on the type of chords that are being played. When the strings are plucked and played, the air around them vibrates, hence creating a sound wave. The mass, length, and tension of the strings are what creates the frequency in which the guitar makes. The tuners at the head of the guitar can change the tension of the strings, this in turn, changes the frequency, which is the rate at which the vibration occurs. For example, if the strings are heavier they will vibrate slower and the pitch will be lower. The pitch will be higher if the tension of the strings is tighter. The frequency also depends on the length of the string that is free to vibrate. When playing, you can change this by holding the string firmly against the fret board with a finger (Wolfe). The strings themselves hardly make any noise when plucked. They disrupt very little air since they make less contact with the other air molecules. However, if the string is attached to a large object, more air is disturbed. In this case, the string forces the larger object to begin vibrating at the sam e frequency as the string. Now that a larger area is disturbed, this means that more air molecules are being vibrated. When all the molecules are vibrating at the certain frequency of the string, then the sound is produced. The frequency at which theseShow MoreRelated Physics of an Acoustic Guitar Essay1756 Words   |  8 PagesPhysics of an Acoustic Guitar I have been watching my husband play the guitar in a band for five years and he has made it look so easy to make such beautiful music. Most guitar players have progressed with the technology of electric guitars, but when my husband picks up an acoustic guitar and starts to play a song for just me, I hear his love for me in the sounds that he produces. Imagine my surprise when a physics class conveyed to me that there was much more to his playing than I hadRead MoreThe Bands And Music Groups That Are Popular Today1179 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction: Look at the bands and music groups that are popular today. They use many different instruments to create the songs they present to us. A common instrument they tend to use is the guitar. Whether it is acoustic or electric, the guitar can be used in various styles of music such as rock, pop, or country, presenting it’s ability to adapt and change the different forms, creating perfect harmonies. Although, it is a well known instrument around the world, people do not appreciate the timeRead MoreEssay on Acoustic Waves in Physics682 Words   |  3 PagesAcoustic Waves in Physics  An acoustic wave can simply be described as a longitudinal wave. A longitudinal wave is a wave that vibrates and moves in the direction of its propagation. This means the medium is either in the same or opposite direction of the way the wave travels. Acoustic waves are a form of Mechanical longitudinal waves; these waves are otherwise known as compression waves or compressional waves. Compressional waves obviously produce compression, decompression, and rarefactionRead More Physics of Guitars Essay2340 Words   |  10 Pagesappreciate guitars. Guitars are at the forefront of music as the centerpiece of most bands. Guitars are a highly versatile instrument capable of playing full 6 note chords, unlike most instruments. As much as music depends on guitars, guitars also depend on physics. Without understanding the properties sound, guitars wouldn’t be possible. Guitars use the principles of acoustics to produce the sound you hear. Acoustic guitars and electric guitars produce sound in two different ways. Acoustic guitarsRead MoreIs Beauty A Mathematical And Non Mathematical Context?1652 Words   |  7 Pageswaves are created from a vibrating object. This object could be the vocal chords of a person singing or a vibrating string of a guitar. Any object that can vibrate will create a sound, therefore creating sound waves. The sound could be musical or just noise. Most objects will vibrate when hit, struck, plucked, strummed or disturbed. For example when you pluck a guitar string, or drop a pencil, it will begin to vibrate. When these objects vibrate, they often vibrate at a certain frequency or a specificRead MoreThe Physics of Music Essay examples880 Words   |  4 PagesPhysical science is the study of non-living matter which I will be talking about the physics of music, and how pitch and frequency play a role together in science. Physics is known to be the most fundamental science, based on the principle and concepts. It deals with matter, motion, force, and energy, (Shipman-Wilson Higgins, 2013). In this report I will be dealing with pitch, frequency sound and waves which are also dealing with physical science and how they our related. Sound is (a) the physicalRead MoreThe Day My Grandfather Richard1590 Words   |  7 Pagesthe city for a college education. This allowed him to focus on studies while still being able to live out one of his dreams of being a cowboy on his own ranch. He graduated from Colorado State University with three bachelor degrees in engineering, physics, and mathematics. This lead him back into the class rooms where he tried to become a mathematics professor. Although is knowledge surpassed the requirements of being an excellent professor, this career was not meant for his life. He could not be trappedRead MoreMusic : My Perception Of Music3395 Words   |  14 Pagesloud as the sonic signal strength, a 0 dB SNR. Understanding is poor with a 5 dB SNR, OK with a 10 dB SNR, good with a 15 dB SNR and excellent with a 20 dB SNR. In order to appreciate how so much time, effort and money can be spent getting good acoustics in the auditorium, it helps to understand something about signals and noise. A good signal includes early reflections. Early reflections help people listen to and understand speech. Any reflection that arrives at the listener s ear within theRead MoreSound Waves1917 Words   |  8 PagesWild life sound waves Reflection, Refraction, and Diffraction Forced Vibration Standing Wave Patterns Bibliography http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/20/researchers-convert-soundwaves-into-electromagnetic-energy-sile/ http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/music/guitar/guitarintro.html http://www.physicsclassroom.com/mmedia/waves/gsl.cfm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppler_effect http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/microphones/how-microphones-work.html Future Plan Project Day: Bring in speakers, instruments and differentRead MoreA Short Note On My Experience With Alzheimer s Disease2458 Words   |  10 Pagesyounger brothers, and El Pavo started hitting him instead of raping me. That, to me, is a hero. It is incredible how life works. You two kids are way too different, which means that you need different explanations. Ryan, my dear, you’re studying physics. Every crap that you’ve learned about gravity, free fall and all that paraphernalia that you keep talking about, is useless. There’s only one freaking thing you need to memorize in order to understand life: Newton’s Third Law—for every action, there

Strategic management Tesco free essay sample

The report below provides an insight into the supermarket company Tesco, with emphasis on the company’s internal analysis of resources, competence and competitive advantage, whilst also considering its external environment. Tesco are the chosen company for this report as they are the market leader within the supermarket industry, Tesco controls over 30 percent of the UK grocery market, a figure which is almost double the combined share of nearest rivals Asda and Sainsbury’s. This provides the report with an excellent basis for analysis of competitive advantage. The statistical evidence for the company’s performance over the last five years can be seen in the table and graphs, within in the appendix. Tesco Chairman Sir Richard Broadbent states that Tesco’s core competencies are that â€Å"it has outstanding operational effectiveness; it understands deeply what it means to orientate a business around the customer; it is passionate, and successful, about developing talent from within; and it manages a complex operating environment with great team work. † (TescoPlc, 2013). Tesco state that their core values and strategic objectives are meeting customer needs through innovation and change and treating colleagues with a culture of trust and respect (TescoPlc, 2013). When Tesco competes to gain a competitive advantage, it is not just the environment that distinguishes them from their competitors but their internal strategic capabilities (Oxtoby et. al, 2002). For Tesco to gain an advantage over its competitors, it must use its resources and capabilities that enable it to manage a superior performance compared with its competition (Bolivar-Ramos et.  al, 2012). It must have distinctive core competencies, which are the skills, and abilities by which resources are deployed through activities and processes that allow it to deliver the value to the customer (Grewal and Slotegraar, 2007). For these recourses to be used in order to gain a competitive advantage, Tesco must have unique strategies, which will allow it to use these resources in a way that its comp etitors find it difficult to imitate or obtain (Dai et. al, 2011). The profits earned from resources and capabilities depend not just on their ability to establish competitive advantage, but also on how long that advantage can be sustained (Civelli, 1998). Tesco’s main strategies for achieving their objectives are as follows. The Building a Better Tesco plan has been implemented through a comprehensive series of in-store improvements for the benefit of the customer. Adding a wider range of products and services in-store and online, bringing Tesco value and quality to many more categories. And Tesco is investing in the development of more leaders and a bigger, more diverse talent pool to support the growth of the operations functions. Michael Porters value chain analysis will be used to identify Tesco’s most valuable activities that allows them to achieve their strategic objectives, which enable them to gain a competitive advantage over they’re competition. It must be taken into consideration that although this model has its benefits, the popular version of Porters value chain has been criticised by Snyder and Ebeling (1992) among others for not considering the value concept in sufficient depth in order to be useful. The value network will be used to analyse Tesco’s ability to link the value chains activities more closely, which will allow them to coordinate their actions with customers and suppliers and enable them to deliver their strategic objectives. Michael Porter’s generic strategy will be used, as it will provide further depth of the concept of the value chain and the value network. It will be used as a framework in which by describing how the combination of cost leadership and differentiation, through a coherent delivery of activities from the value chain, can determine how capable Tesco are of achieving a competitive advantage (Wright et.  al, 1990). Criticisms of this concept are based on the fundamental that cost leadership and differentiation strategy will be mutually exclusive. In particular, Miller (1992) questions the notion of being caught in the middle. One of the primary activities of the value chain model and one of Tesco’s core competencies is marketing and sales. Evidence of this is through Tesco’s use of information technology as a key resource, with over 40 million customer’s worldwide using loyalty card’s such as ‘Clubcard’ (TescoPlc, 2013). Research by Clemons and Row (1991) suggests that although it is unlikely that any single investment in information technology will lead to competitive advantage, what does make a difference is the competency to innovate with IT over a period of time. This shows how Tesco’s innovation of the ‘Clubcard’ has enabled them to differentiate from their competitors, as they have shown the notion of innovation that is not easily replicated. Specifically, Tesco’ use of information technology has lead to a competitive advantage as it is  used to leverage differences in strategic resources. Evidence of this is supported by Rowley (2005), who describes how Tesco’s ability to understand their customers effectively, as a source of both differentiation and cost advantages, provides them with a competitive advantage. Rowley states that unlike other companies, Tesco uses data about its customers to provide services for them. This innovative capability allows making correct decisions about which products to supply and the best way to introduce this in-store as one of their key strategies. Thus, Tesco have fulfilled its strategy of meeting customer needs with in-store improvements through technology innovation and its use of marketing and sales. This applies to Porters generic strategy of gaining a competitive advantage, as Tesco have gained rare and imperfectly imitable competencies and resources. This discourages consumers from moving to Tesco’s competitors because Tesco have successfully differentiated. It also applies to the bargaining power of buyers, as ‘Clubcard’ remains as Tesco’s most successful customer retention strategy that significantly increases the profitability of Tesco’s business. In meeting customer needs, customising service, ensuring low prices, wider choices, constant flow of in-store promotions and improvements, enables Tesco to control and retain their customer base. Through the value network, this allows them to successfully form a link with the value chains other activities and build more capable inbound and outbound logistics by understanding they’re customers needs in more depth and develop they’re capability to fulfil those needs. One of the value chains primary activities and one of Tesco’s core competencies is outbound logistics. Evidence of this is supported by Smith and Sparks (1993), who describes the constant upgrading of Tesco’s systems and processes through innovative IT. Tesco have been substantially re-engineering their outbound logistics with the use of information technology, to facilitate better management of product lifecycles and more efficient delivery of wide ranges of products to customers, with a focus on enhancing core ranges and introducing quality products (TescoPlc, 2013). This is truly evident in terms of tremendous growth of on-line sales where the company has a strong platform to further develop this revenue stream. After considering the fact that the majority of people have less time for shopping, Tesco employed this online system and have now became the UK’s biggest online supermarket. Inbound logistics is another primary activity of the value chain and one of Tesco core competencies. Tesco use their leading market position and economies of scale as key bargaining powers to achieve low costs from its suppliers, and therefor lowering the costs of their products. Evidence of this is provided by Lindgreen and Hingley (2003), who describe how Tesco are able to use innovative suppliers as a rare capability because no other company are able to use data based management so extensively. This applies to Porters generic strategy of gaining a competitive advantage by Tesco using they’re resources to achieve cost leadership, and shows their ability to fulfil its strategic objectives of meeting the needs of its customers. Another one of the value chains primary activities is operations and Tesco operational effectiveness is one of their core competencies. Evidence of how Tesco’s sustain their operational effectiveness is the Extranet systems it has employed (Ward and Daniel, 2012). Evidence of this is also supported by Francis (2004), who describes how Tesco uses the Extranet system to manage a complex operating environment that helps them to organise their operations in order to fulfil their objectives of meeting customer needs, by providing customers with a wider range of products and improving in-store logistics Pfaffenberger, 1997). This shows evidence of how Tesco fulfil their strategic objectives of developing a successful operating environment for its colleagues. This is coherent with Porters generic strategy framework, as technology is used an effort to maintain Tesco’s ability to handle an increase in product and service volume while controlling costs, thus, it enables Tesco to be differentiated from its market through innovation, whilst being cost effective. Providing customers with effective inbound and outbound logistics through implementing effective IT operations systems, and gaining a better understanding of customers and suppliers through information technology through marketing and sales, shows how Tesco are able to use the value network by linking primary activities of the value chain. Furthermore, this cannot be done without Tesco implementing one of their key strategies of investing in the development of more leaders and a bigger, more diverse talent pool to support the growth of these operations functions. Evidence of this is supported by Palmer (2005), who states that Tesco’s HR managers are trained to make data based decisions and forget previously used management methods. Tesco is also organised to capture value from this capability, as it has trained HR managers that know how to use the data and manage people accordingly and who also have the needed IT skills to collect and manage the data about its customers effectively.

The True Devils In Salem Essay Example For Students

The True Devils In Salem Essay English The Crucible by Arthur MillerThe True Devils in SalemIn The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the madness of the Salem witch trialsis explored in great detail. There are many theories as to why thewitch trials came about, the most popular of which is the girlssuppressed childhoods. However, there were other factors as well, suchas Abigail Williams affair with John Proctor, the secret grudges thatneighbors held against each other, and the physical and economicdifferences between the citizens of Salem Village. From a historical viewpoint, it is known that young girls in colonialMassachusetts were given little or no freedom to act like children. They were expected to walk straight, arms by their sides, eyes slightlydowncast, and their mouths were to be shut unless otherwise asked tospeak. It is not surprising that the girls would find this type oflifestyle very constricting. To rebel against it, they played pranks,such as dancing in the woods, listening to slaves magic stories andpret ending that other villagers were bewitching them. The Cruciblestarts after the girls in the village have been caught dancing in thewoods. As one of them falls sick, rumors start to fly that there iswitchcraft going on in the woods, and that the sick girl is bewitched. Once the girls talk to each other, they become more and more frightenedof being accused as witches, so Abigail starts accusing others ofpracticing witchcraft. The other girls all join in so that the blamewill not be placed on them. In The Crucible, Abigail starts theaccusations by saying, I go back to Jesus; I kiss his hand. I saw SarahGood with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw BridgetBishop with the Devil! Another girl, Betty, continues the cry with, Isaw George Jacobs with the Devil! I saw Goody Howe with the Devil! ;From here on, the accusations grow and grow until the jails overflowwith accused witches. It must have given them an incredible sense ofpower when the whole town of Salem listened to t heir words and believedeach and every accusation. After all, children were to be seen and notheard in Puritan society, and the newfound attention was probablyoverwhelming. In Act Three of The Crucible, the girls were calledbefore the judges to defend themselves against the claims that they wereonly acting. To prove their innocence, Abigail led the other girls in achilling scene. Abby acted as if Mary Warren sent her spirit up to therafters and began to talk to the spirit. Oh Mary, this is a black artto change your shape. No, I cannot, I cannot stop my mouth; its Godswork I do. The other girls all stared at the rafters in horror andbegan to repeat everything they heard. Finally, the girls hystericscaused Mary Warren to accuse John Proctor of witchcraft. Once the scamstarted, it was too late to stop, and the snowballing effect of wildaccusations soon resulted in the hanging of many innocents. After the wave of accusations began, grudges began to surface in thecommunity. Small slights were made out to be witchcraft, and badbusiness deals were blamed on witchery. Two characters in The Crucible,Giles Corey and Thomas Putnam, argue early on about a plot of land. Corey claims that he bought it from Goody Nurse but Putnam says he ownsit, and Goody Nurse had no right to sell it. Later, when Putnamsdaughter accuses George Jacobs of witchery, Corey claims that Putnamonly wants Jacobs land. Giles says, If Jacobs hangs for a witch heforfeit up his property thats law! And there is none but Putnam withthe coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors fortheir land! Others also had hidden motives for accusing theirneighbors. Once the accusations began, everyone had a reason to accusesomeone else which is why the hangings got so out of hand. The wave ofaccusations can be likened to mass hysteria, in which the peopleinvolved are so caught up that they start having delusions of neighborsout to do them harm. One of the main accusers, Abigail Williams, had anult erior motive for accusing Elizabeth Proctor. In The Crucible,Abigail believed that if she got rid of Goody Proctor, then JohnProctor, her husband, would turn to Abby. John Proctor had an affairwith Abigail, but for him it was just lust, while Abigail believed it tobe true love. She told John that he loves her, and once she destroysElizabeth, they will be free to love one another. John is horrified atthis, but can do nothing to convince Abigail that he is not in love withher. Because of Abigails twisted plot to secure John for herself,Elizabeth is arrested. It is the hidden motives behind the accusationsthat fan the flames of the Salem witch trials. To get the complete picture of the causes behind the witch trials, youmust look at the physical reasons as well. Two historians, Paul Boyerand Stephen Nissenbaum, drew a map of Salem Village and plotted theaccusers, the defendants, and the accused witches. An interestingpicture arose when a line was drawn dividing the town into east andwest. It became clear that nearly all the accusers lived on the westside, and almost all the defenders and accused witches lived on the eastside. To determine the cause of the east-west split, the historiansexamined many disputes, chief among them being the choice of ministers. Once Salem Village was granted the right to have its own meeting house,quarrels arose over who would preach in the pulpit. There were fourministers between the time period of when the meeting house was builtand the end of the witch trials. The arguments over ministers soonbecame a power struggle. There were two factions that arose during thisdispute, and it was noted that one group supported two ministers whilethe other group supported the other two ministers. Each group wanted toprove its influence by choosing a minister and making him the spiritualguide to Salem Village. The two groups were found to coincide closelywith the east-west division. When the economical divisions of the village were examined, it was foundthat in general the western citizens of Salem Village lived an agrarianlifestyle and were hard-pressed economically. The land on the westernside was well-suited to farming and grazing. By contrast, the villagerson the east side were mainly merchants and lived fairly opule ntly. Theroad to Salem Town traveled through the east side of Salem Village. Many innkeepers and tavern owners lived on this road and made a goodprofit off all the travelers. Tension often arose between the twogroups because of their vastly different lifestyles. It is not difficult to see why a catastrophe such as the Salem witchtrials occurred. Once one accusation was made, it was easy to releaseall the buried suspicions and hatred into a wave of madness. TheCrucible simplifies the cause to make for a better story, but in realitythe reasons for the witch craft accusations were much more complex. Thereasons behind the accusations would result in many more quarrels overthe years, but none as interesting or as horrifying as the Salem witchtrials. In such a straight-laced Puritan society, there lived manypeople with hidden darkness in their hearts, and the Salem witch trialsexposed and magnified the consequences of those black desires. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the madness of the Salem witch trialsis explored in great detail. There are many theories as to why thewitch trials came about, the most popular of which is the girlssuppressed childhoods. However, there were other factors as well, suchas Abigail Williams affair with John Proctor, the secret grudges thatneighbors held against each other, and the physical and economicdifferences between the citizens of Salem Village. From a historical viewpoint, it is known that young girls in colonialMassachusetts were given little or no freedom to act like children. They were expected to walk straight, arms by their sides, eyes slightlydowncast, and their mouths were to be shut unless otherwise asked tospeak. It is not surprising that the girls would find this type oflifestyle very constricting. To rebel against it, they played pranks,such as dancing in the woods, listening to slaves magic stories andpretending that other villagers were bewitching them. The Crucible starts after the girls in the village have been caught dancing in thewoods. As one of them falls sick, rumors start to fly that there iswitchcraft going on in the woods, and that the sick girl is bewitched. Once the girls talk to each other, they become more and more frightenedof being accused as witches, so Abigail starts accusing others ofpracticing witchcraft. The other girls all join in so that the blamewill not be placed on them. In The Crucible, Abigail starts theaccusations by saying, I go back to Jesus; I kiss his hand. I saw SarahGood with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw BridgetBishop with the Devil! Another girl, Betty, continues the cry with, Isaw George Jacobs with the Devil! I saw Goody Howe with the Devil! From here on, the accusations grow and grow until the jails overflowwith accused witches. It must have given them an incredible sense ofpower when the whole town of Salem listened to their words and believedeach and every accusation. After all, ch ildren were to be seen and notheard in Puritan society, and the newfound attention was probablyoverwhelming. In Act Three of The Crucible, the girls were calledbefore the judges to defend themselves against the claims that they wereonly acting. To prove their innocence, Abigail led the other girls in achilling scene. Abby acted as if Mary Warren sent her spirit up to therafters and began to talk to the spirit. Oh Mary, this is a black artto change your shape. No, I cannot, I cannot stop my mouth; its Godswork I do. The other girls all stared at the rafters in horror andbegan to repeat everything they heard. Finally, the girls hystericscaused Mary Warren to accuse John Proctor of witchcraft. Once the scamstarted, it was too late to stop, and the snowballing effect of wildaccusations soon resulted in the hanging of many innocents. After the wave of accusations began, grudges began to surface in thecommunity. Small slights were made out to be witchcraft, and badbusiness deals were blam ed on witchery. Two characters in The Crucible,Giles Corey and Thomas Putnam, argue early on about a plot of land. Corey claims that he bought it from Goody Nurse but Putnam says he ownsit, and Goody Nurse had no right to sell it. Later, when Putnamsdaughter accuses George Jacobs of witchery, Corey claims that Putnamonly wants Jacobs land. Giles says, If Jacobs hangs for a witch heforfeit up his property thats law! And there is none but Putnam withthe coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors fortheir land! Others also had hidden motives for accusing theirneighbors. Once the accusations began, everyone had a reason to accusesomeone else which is why the hangings got so out of hand. The wave ofaccusations can be likened to mass hysteria, in which the peopleinvolved are so caught up that they start having delusions of neighborsout to do them harm. One of the main accusers, Abigail Williams, had anulterior motive for accusing Elizabeth Proctor. In The Crucible,Ab igail believed that if she got rid of Goody Proctor, then JohnProctor, her husband, would turn to Abby. John Proctor had an affairwith Abigail, but for him it was just lust, while Abigail believed it tobe true love. She told John that he loves her, and once she destroysElizabeth, they will be free to love one another. John is horrified atthis, but can do nothing to convince Abigail that he is not in love withher. Because of Abigails twisted plot to secure John for herself,Elizabeth is arrested. It is the hidden motives behind the accusationsthat fan the flames of the Salem witch trials. HELPING THE HOMELESS EssayTo get the complete picture of the causes behind the witch trials, youmust look at the physical reasons as well. Two historians, Paul Boyerand Stephen Nissenbaum, drew a map of Salem Village and plotted theaccusers, the defendants, and the accused witches. An interestingpicture arose when a line was drawn dividing the town into east andwest. It became clear that nearly all the accusers lived on the westside, and almost all the defenders and accused witches lived on the eastside. To determine the cause of the east-west split, the historiansexamined many disputes, chief among them being the choice of ministers. Once Salem Village was granted the right to have its own meeting house,quarrels arose over who would preach in the pulpit. There were fourministers between the time period of when the meeting house was builtand the end of the witch trials. The arguments over ministers soonbecame a power struggle. There were two factions that arose during thisdispute, and it was noted that one group supported two ministers whilethe other group supported the other two ministers. Each group wanted toprove its influence by choosing a minister and making him the spiritualguide to Salem Village. The two groups were found to coincide closelywith the east-west division. When the economical divisions of the village were examined, it was foundthat in general the western citizens of Salem Village lived an agrarianlifestyle and were hard-pressed economically. The land on the westernside was well-suited to farming and grazing. By contrast, the villagerson the east side were mainly merchants and lived fairly opule ntly. Theroad to Salem Town traveled through the east side of Salem Village. Many innkeepers and tavern owners lived on this road and made a goodprofit off all the travelers. Tension often arose between the twogroups because of their vastly different lifestyles. It is not difficult to see why a catastrophe such as the Salem witchtrials occurred. Once one accusation was made, it was easy to releaseall the buried suspicions and hatred into a wave of madness. TheCrucible simplifies the cause to make for a better story, but in realitythe reasons for the witch craft accusations were much more complex. Thereasons behind the accusations would result in many more quarrels overthe years, but none as interesting or as horrifying as the Salem witchtrials. In such a straight-laced Puritan society, there lived manypeople with hidden darkness in their hearts, and the Salem witch trialsexposed and magnified the consequences of those black desires.

What Is a Community free essay sample

To me, this means that along with the two definitions, there are mainly two deferent reasons for which communities form. According to the first definition, one reason communities form Is because people find themselves In a common location as other people, unintentionally, and It Is natural that each person and their work becomes a part of a community. A clear example of this would be In Jails, Most people dont go to Jail because they want to be part of the community In Jail. They got sent there because they were believed to be guilty of committing crimes.They then find themselves In a common location as others and In order for their community within the Jail to be functional: they must take on Jobs and responsibilities. While being incarcerated, people need to eat, so a cook is needed. Some people would need to take on the responsibilities of cleaning laundry. We will write a custom essay sample on What Is a Community? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They would need people to take out the trash and clean the halls. A law librarian is even needed to help defend inmates. Eventually, as responsibilities are filled a community forms.While not all examples are as clear as this, many communities form in this way. A child is born into the place which their parents live, and until they are an adult, they are included as part of that community. People can find themselves in communities for many reasons but the first definition describes location as being the common factor between the members. The second definition defines a situation where communities are intentionally formed over a common goal or interest. An example of this would be a 4-H group. Kids from all over will come together to learn more about their shared interest such as different animals, sewing, or crafts. For these groups and communities to be functional certain Jobs and responsibilities are also needed. There needs to be a President, Vice President, a secretary, and a treasurer. Certain people may be assigned to run planned events and fund raisers. All of these Jobs are closely related and all help contribute to the common goal of the group. All Jobs within an equine 4-H group would be related to horses In some way.These are nice definitions of work and community! They are very clear. No matter what type of community we are referring to, the Jobs within are all Important. Each lob Is a piece of a whole and without them, the community becomes dysfunctional. A puzzle with a missing piece Is still a puzzle but Is not complete and wouldnt be worth framing. Some Jobs may be more efficient In accomplishing a certain purpose than other Jobs. For example, the concrete foundation of a building Is more effectiveIn holding up the building than a light bulb would be. This does not mean the light bulb Isnt Important. The light bulb Is essential for humans to see In the bulling especially at night. In the first deflation of community, the different variety of Jobs may be great. Towns need a doctor for those who are sick, and a plumber to fix peoples toilets. Jobs may vary from doctor, nurse, lawyer, judge, farmer, teacher. Different professions and are also very important in the stability and function of the community.

Linux, the Operating System of Choice

Linux, the Operating System of Choice Introduction In recent years, the global marketplace has witnessed an enormous rise in the use of computers and ultimately the software used in them. Computers have principally made their mark in almost all the spheres of mankind (Kirby, 2000), and with this growth the softwares required for them have also grown at an exponential rate (Kumbhar et al., 2011).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Linux, the Operating System of Choice specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With an abundant rise of the computer industry, new software products keep on creeping in the market, adding more capabilities as well as complexities to the assiduous and conscientious end users. Now, more than ever before, customers or end users have a wide range of software options available at their disposal which can be used for their requirements and/or business purposes (Lone Wani, 2011). As acknowledged by Kumbhar et al (2011), the development of high quality software has followed two main trajectories, namely open source and closed source softwares. A recent trend in the field of software is the open source genre, and it can rightly be said that the Linux operating system has become the embodiment of this genre (Kirby, 2000). The present paper purposes to argue that Linux has not only emerged as a competitor to both Microsoft Windows and Macintosh operating systems, but is a better choice than the other two. Overview the Linux Operating System The history of the Linux operating system can be traced back to 1991 when Linus Torvalds, a student at the University of Finland in Helsinki, decided to develop a UNIX-type operating system called MINIX (McLaren, 2000). Available literature demonstrates that the MINIX platform was initially developed by university student Andrew S. Tannenbaum, but Linus decided to add more functionality into the system than originally proposed by Tannenbaum (Delozier, 2009). As acknowledged by Bala krishnan (1999), Linus â€Å"†¦released version 0.02 of the operating system in 1991 and worked steadily on till 1994 when he released version 1.0 of the Linux Kernel† (p. 3). Eventually, according to this particular author, more and more programmers around the world came together and decided to give a Portable Operating System Interface for Computer Environments (POSIX) compliant UNIX-like system hinged on the founder’s operating system to global users under the GNU General Public License (GPL). Technically, according to MacKinnon (1999), â€Å"†¦Linux just refers to the core of the operating system, the so called kernel, which interacts directly with the hardware and supervises the operation of other programs† (P. 2). However, it is imperative to underline the fact that a fully functional Linux system includes many other components, without which the system would not be of much use. The important fact that makes Linux more appealing than Windows or M ackintosh operating system in this context is that most of these components are entirely non-commercial, and are developed and maintained by thousands of volunteers across the world (Delozier, 2009).Advertising Looking for research paper on computer science? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Growth Trends of Linux Operating System The popularity of Linux, the open source operating system originally developed and launched by Linus Torvalds, has grown noticeably over the past decade, (Delozier, 2009) and even more tenaciously over the past three years (Hong Rezende, 2011). While some sources cited in McLaren (2000) now claim that millions of end-users have already installed Linux on their computers, a report released by the International Data Corporation (IDC) and cited in Kirby (2000) point to a â€Å"†¦rapidly increasing usage of the Linux operating environment among a large sampling of organizations† (p. 85). In 2006, the IDC projected that Linux-based server shipments would reach 25.7% of total shipments by 2008, and that Linux-based packaged software was expected to surpass $14 million the same year (Economides Katsamakas, 2006). In 2006 some studies suggested that the market-share of Linux operating system was around 3% though it was largely anticipated to rise to 7% by 2007 (Economides Katsamakas, 2006). As acknowledged by these authors, the slow growth of Linux in these formative years was largely â€Å"†¦attributed to lack of ease of use, small variety of applications and problems with drivers that [enabled] users to connect other devices to their computing systems† (p. 210). Many of these challenges have been adequately solved by the open source community, making Linux to become the operating system of choice as we progress deeper into the 21st century (Hong Rezende, 2011). Statistics released in 2011 by the IDC demonstrated that Linux server demand was increas ingly growing and represented â€Å"†¦18.4% of all server revenue, up 1.7 points when compared with the fourth quarter of 2010† (Vaughan-Nichols, 2012, para. 2). It is important to note that while the market share for Windows and UNIX-oriented software shrank in 2011, the demand for servers running on Linux open source software grew due to high performance computing (HPC) as well as cloud infrastructure deployments (Vaughan-Nichols, 2012). Available literature demonstrates that â€Å"†¦with a reputation for speed, reliability, and efficiency, GNU/Linux now has more than 12 million users worldwide and an estimated growth rate of 40% per year† (Lone Wani, 2011, p. 166). The market threat of Linux to Microsoft’s and Apple’s proprietary software (Windows and Mackintosh) is becoming more evident because more that 50% of Fortune 500 companies has already made the big switch to GNU/Linux (Lone Wani, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom re search paper sample on Linux, the Operating System of Choice specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Linux: Why it’s a better Choice than Windows or Mackintosh A strand of existing literature (e.g., Hong Rezende, 2011; Lone Wani, 2011) demonstrates that with the recent surge in the use and adoption of Linux operating system by individuals and organizations, it may be just a matter of time before users of Linux eventually outshine those using Microsoft’s and Apple’s proprietary software. This section attempts to demonstrate why Linux is a better choice than Windows or Mackintosh by analyzing several issues, including: code accessibility; cost concerns; security issues; distrust of monopolies; functionality and features; applications; support availability; as well as ease of use and quality. Code Accessibility A predominant attribute of the Linux operating system that differentiates it from Windows, Mackintosh, and other propri etary software is that it is one of the few feasible operating systems whose source code is also easily obtainable as free software under the protocols of the GNU GPL. According to Balakrishnan (1999), â€Å"†¦the GNU GPL is intended to safeguard and guarantee the freedom of any user of free software to share, modify and also share the modified software† (p. 1). This view is reinforced by Mackinnon (1999), who argue that open-source software such as Linux â€Å"†¦is free in the sense that it can be obtained without payment, and it is free in the sense that users are allowed to modify it, but it is not free in the sense that anyone can do whatever they want with it† (p. 2). This orientation, according to Balakrishnan (1999), is in sharp contrast to the authorization agreements given for Windows and Mackintosh commercial software that forbids customers or end-users to distribute or adjust the software without seeking express permission from the parent companies . It can be remembered that â€Å"†¦Apple pioneered the home computer, only to pay the penalty for steadfastly refusing to make its Mackintosh operating system available to users of other PCs† (Daisy, 2004, p. 12). In sharp contrast, Linux software code is freely available online and thus holds the advantage of being entirely customizable to cater for the unique needs and demands of different customers and end-users (Delozier, 2009). According to Daisy (2004), this is precisely the reason why Linux is increasingly becoming the operating system of choice for government-sponsored institutions within emerging countries like China and India who are also using a Sun Systems package instead of the well known Microsoft Office operating system.Advertising Looking for research paper on computer science? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Cost Concerns As noted by McLaren (2000), â€Å"†¦the most obvious way in which Linux differs from Microsoft Windows is in its price: Linux is free† (p.82). Indeed, Linux and many of its components can be downloaded from hundreds of FTP sites on the internet for free because it was developed, and continues to be developed and fine-tuned, by a huge number of hobbyists and enthusiasts from all over the world (Kumbhar et al., 2011). The difference in cost between Linux and other proprietary software such as Windows and Mackintosh makes Linux operating system a very serious contender in the home, business, government, and academic domains (McLaren, 2000). The cost consideration seems to put Linux squarely ahead of other operating systems, including Microsoft’s Windows and Apple’s Mackintosh. Security Issues Security challenges and risks are hurting windows operating system, thereby giving millions of computer users a reason to migrate to Linux (Schryen, 2011). An independent study cited in Economides Katsamakas (2006) demonstrates â€Å"†¦that Linux kernel has 0.17security flaws per 1,000 lines of code, compared to average 10-20 flaws of proprietary software† (p. 211). According to Schryen (2011), the Linux open source software development is credited for preventing extremely bad patching behavior that is repeatedly accused of leading to potentially harmful security vulnerabilities in Windows and Mackintosh operating systems. The way the account privileges are assigned in Linux makes it impossible for users to be given administrator access by default as is the case with Windows (Kumbhar et al., 2011). In Windows, users have access to everything on the system, making it vulnerable to attacks from viruses and worms. However, due to the incapacity by users to get ‘root’ privileges in a Linux system, the viruses and worms are denied access to critical system resources, implying that only a few user local files and pr ograms are damaged in the event of an attack (Noyes, 2010). This in effect means that Linux has more efficient security features than either Windows or Mackintosh and therefore is a better choice. Distrust of Monopolies One of the reasons that continue to draw more customers into the Linux fold is the modicum of distrust associated with Microsoft. As noted by McLaren (2000), Microsoft is viewed by many enlightened software consumers as an undemocratic organization because it has â€Å"†¦too much money, too much control, [and] too much industry influence† (p. 82). This author bravely contend that monopolies are not good for consumers and Microsoft is a monopoly in the software market due to too much control and too much influence on the industry. In sharp contrast, there is no â€Å"corporation† or â€Å"influence† behind Linux as it is a grassroots operating system that has the interests of customers and end-user organizations at heart (McLaren, 2000). Func tionality Features Theoretically, the fact that Linux is a fully-fledged operating system makes it â€Å"†¦a viable alternative to any other operating systems, including DOS, Windows, UNIX, NetWare, and so on† (McLaren, 2000, p. 82). Extant literature demonstrates that â€Å"†¦Linux does true multitasking and includes virtual memory, shared libraries, demand loading, memory management, TCP/IP networking and other features that are available with current full featured commercial operating systems† (Balakrishnan, 1999, p. 1). In multi-tasking, the Linux operating system allows manifold programs to share a computer system that give the end-user the illusion that the programs are running simultaneously either preemptively or cooperatively (Schryen, 2011). Virtual memory, according to Balakrishnan (1999), â€Å"†¦is a scheme employed by the operating system to provide means of executing programs whose code occupy more space than the size of the on-board sem iconductor memory† (p. 2). The Linux operating system is capable of accomplishing this important function by provisionally managing recently used constituents of a program from memory into the system’s hard disk and replicating them back on demand (Delozier, 2009). When combined with Linux’s low initial purchase price and an ever-increasing number of enterprises willing to provide fee-based technical support for Linux, these two features provide a compelling reason for customers and end-user companies to consider Linux as an effective and efficient alternative to commercial operating systems such as Windows and Macintosh (Kirby, 2000). Moving on, it is imperative to mention that shared libraries are used with dynamic linking in the Linux open source software not only to distribute commonly used routines but also to achieve efficiency and reliability. As suggested by Balakrishnan (1999), â€Å"†¦each reference to a library routine is replaced with a stub tha t indicates how the appropriate routine can be located in memory† (p. 2). A stub primarily executes/implements and substitutes itself with the signature of the suitable library schedule, meaning that the next time round a similar code fragment is triggered the library schedule is executed/implemented directly with no additional outlay of situating the memory-resident sector of the library (Balakrishnan, 1999). The overall effect of this functionality is that Linux operating system is efficient in optimizing resources and therefore runs faster on slow computers (Kirby 2000). Proprietary software such as Windows has this functionality but is expensive to purchase and heavy on slow computers, ultimately affecting efficient optimization of resources (Loni Wani, 2011). Additionally, The Linux operating system has the demand loading functionality, which is basically â€Å"†¦a method of loading only parts of the program that is currently being executed into primary memory (RAM ) from secondary memory (disk)† (Balakrishnan, 1999, p. 2). In memory management, the Linux operating system bears the capability to share â€Å"†¦the memory in a computer system among several programs or several programs or several modules of the same program† (Balakrishnan, 1999, p. 2). Applications Many computer users all over the world think that the most obvious drawback for Linux operating system must be the sustained lack of software applications that run on the system. However, this belief is further from the truth as â€Å"†¦there are thousands of applications that will run on Linux, and most of these are also free, from Web browsers to word processors to spreadsheets† (McLaren, 2000, p. 83). The OpenOffice.org, which is an office software suite incorporating word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and drawing applications, runs well on the Linux platform and has inherent advantages when compared to the Windows Microsoft Office package not o nly because it utilizes XML file formats, but also because it is open source and multiplatform (Wusteman, 2004). Additionally, while it is often difficult for users to read a document using a previous version of Word software because Microsoft is yet to provide filters on its Web site, the OpenOffice.org appears to have no difficulty in availing filters for all versions of Microsoft’s Word currently in use (Wusteman, 2004). This predisposition, in scope and context, implies that Linux is a better choice than Windows. Other end-users believe that although Linux is supported by many applications, it is incredibly hard to use these applications and probably this is the sole reason why the operating system is being held back by Microsoft Windows in terms of competition (Karimi Noori, 2011). However, as noted by McLaren (2000), â€Å"†¦Linux has a number of GUI shells that can be loaded over the top of the command line interface (just as Windows 98 was loaded over DOS) that will give it a Windows look and feel† (p. 83). Two of the most recognized shells used by Linux, according to this author, include the K Desktop Environment (KDE) and Gnome, not mentioning that Linux has an actual Windows emulator available called WINE. This view is reinforced by Economides and Katsamakas (2006), who observe that â€Å"Linux has been mostly an operating system for power-users who have Unix-like skills but this may change since the open source community is developing several friendly user interfaces such as KDE† (p. 210). These applications, it is argued, make Linux unbelievably easy to use for computer amateurs (Loni Wani, 2011). Extant literature demonstrates that Linux operating system has in recent years emerged as a viable competitor to other proprietary operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows, Mackintosh and other commercial implementations of UNIX, primarily due to its solid support systems (Choi et al., 2007), as well as multifaceted functi onalities (Delozier, 2009). Indeed, as postulated by Kirby (2000), â€Å"†¦Linux provides a robust, stable computing environment on a variety of architectures including Intel X86, SPARC, and Alpha† (p. 85). Overall, these capabilities have made it possible for a substantial number of desktop and server applications to be ported to Linux (Kirby, 2000), making it the operating system of choice in the 21st century. Support Availability McLaren (2000) is clear in his analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of Linux that â€Å"†¦it will fail precisely because it does not have the one characteristic that causes so many to hate Microsoft Windows: a huge corporation backing it up† (p. 83). Microsoft Windows users can escalate challenges discovered at their workstations or mission-critical servers to Microsoft technical support on a 24/7 basis, but it may not be possible for Linux users to receive immediate support to deal with their challenges because the system is developed by a global team of enthusiasts and lobbyists who appear thrillingly uncontrolled and unregulated (Schryen, 2011). It may take a while for Linux users to get the kind of guarantees of system compatibility and stability provided by Windows and Macintosh operating systems (Apple Computers, Inc., 1997; Daisy, 2004), but this incapacity does not necessarily implies that Linux is simply inoperable due to support hitches (Economides Katsamakas, 2006). On the contrary, millions of users across the world are making the switch to Linux operating system due to small startup companies like Red Hat and Caldera that are beginning to get into the support act for Linux for a small fee (McLaren, 2000). More importantly, according to McLaren (2000), â€Å"†¦is the interest that industry juggernauts like IBM and Hewlett Packard are starting to pay to Linux support† (p. 84). It has been reported in the literature that multinational computer company IBM is investing billions of dollars in Linux operating system and backing its distributors/ suppliers such as Red Hat and Novell (Moranda, 2005). Available projections indicate that Linux may have a global support platform by 2015 (Delozier, 2009), further demonstrating that it is increasingly becoming the operating system of choice due to a multiplicity of variables that put Windows and Mackintosh operating systems at a distinct disadvantage, such as cost overruns and limitations of use (Hong Rezende, 2011). Even so, users must be cautious that it may take a very long duration of time before these companies demonstrate any support capabilities which may be equated to Microsoft’s or Apple’s knowledge base (Weber, 2007). Ease of Use Quality Extant literature demonstrates that Linux is â€Å"†¦far easier to use out of the box than any proprietary version of UNIX, partly because it comes with so many useful programs already installed† (MacKinnon, 1999, p.3). It is noted in the liter ature that most of these programs, including the comprehensive GNU tool kit, can be easily downloaded and installed on any adaptation of UNIX but fulfilling this command would generally consume time and effort (Delozier, 2009). Additionally, it is important to note that â€Å"†¦commercial training and support are available for most widely used OSS [open source software] such as Linux and Apache† (Wusteman, 2004, p. 232). In terms of quality, extant literature demonstrates that the approach used in the development of Linux â€Å"†¦can result in software of higher quality and greater stability than that of many commercial rivals† (Wusteman, 2004, p. 232). Additionally, according to this particular author, the Linux operating system avail a Web site and discussion lists for users and programmers, as well as other documentation which assists to improve the quality attributes of the open source software when compared to either Windows or Mackintosh. Conclusion Fro m the ongoing, it is indeed clear that Linux has gained much acceptance from users for a number of reasons. Indeed, the growth of Linux operating system in the global marketplace augurs well when factors such as code accessibility, cost concerns, security issues, functionality and features, as well as applications, ease of use, and quality issues are concerned. Although Microsoft has evolved to become the dominant force in the computer software sector for almost a generation (Moranda, 2005), a sense of their decimation of the competition in the operating systems sector tends to be the prevailing feeling among mainstream commentators due to the increasing use and adoption of Linux by individuals and organizations across the world. While Microsoft and Apple face challenges of their own and their dominance even in operating systems business seems not secure, Linux is increasingly becoming popular among users and governmental organizations in the developing world not only due to its low cost solution, but also its efficiency, security and enhanced functionalities. Indeed, it is now correct to say that Linux has not only emerged as the new threat to Microsoft and Apple in developing markets, but will soon surpass them and become the incumbent operating system of choice. Reference List Apple Computer, Inc. (1997). 75 Mackintosh advantages: Why mackintosh computers are better than PCs running windows. Retrieved from 13idol.com/mac/75reasons.pdf Barakrishnan, S. (1999). The Linux operating system. Retrieved from ias.ac.in/resonance/Apr1999/pdf/Apr1999Balakrishnan.pdf Choi, C.J., Millar, C.J.M., Chu, R.T.J. Berger, R. (2007). Increasing returns and marketing strategy in the twenty-first century: Nokia versus Microsoft versus Linux. Journal of business Industrial Marketing, 22(5), 295-301. Daisy, L.M. (2004). What does the future hold for Intel, Apple and Microsoft? Big three face new challenges ahead. Strategic Direction, 20(11), 10-13. Delozier, E.P. (2009). The GNU /Linux desktop: An open source primer for libraries. OCLC Systems Services, 25(1), 35-42. Economides, N Katsamakas, E. (2006). Linux vs. Windows: A comparison of application and platform innovation incentives for open source and proprietary software platforms. Journal of Econometrics 85(2), 207-217. Hong, S.H., Rezende, L. (2011). Lock-in and unobserved preferences in server operating systems: A case of Linux vs. Windows. Journal of Econometrics, 167(2), 494-503. Karimi, A., Noori, A. (2011). Threads in the operating systems. International Journal of Academic Research, 3(2), 1008-1013. Kirby, S. (2000). Free to Choose: The real power of Linux. Library Hi Tech, 18(1), 85-88. Kumbhar, S.S., Ghotkar, S.N., Tumma, A.K. (2011). Appraisal and dissemination of open source operating systems and other utilities. Trends in Information Management, 7(2), 154-162. Lone, M.I., Wani, Z.A. (2011). Analysis of operating systems and browsers: A usage metrics. Trends in Information Management, 7 (2), pp. 163-175. MacKinnon, J.G. (1999). The Linux operating system: Debian GNU/Linux. Retrieved from http://qed.econ.queensu.ca/faculty/mackinnon/linux-review.pdf McLaren, S. (2000). Linux: A viable alternative or direct mirage? Library Hi Tech, 18(1), 82-84. Moranda, M.I. (2005). Microsoft’s fighting future: software giant’s dilemmas and lessons in ring craft. Strategic Direction, 21(10), 5-8. Noyes, K. (2010). Why Linux is more secure than Windows. PC World. Retrieved from pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/202452/why_linux_is_more_secure_than_windows.html Schryen, G. (2011). Is open source security a myth? Communications of the ACM, 54(5), 130-140. Vaughan-Nichols, S. (2012). Linux servers keep growing, windows UNIX keep shrinking. Retrieved from zdnet.com/blog/open-source/linux-servers-keep-growing-windows-and-unix-keep-shrinking/10616 Weber, R.M. (2007). I (mostly) love my Mac. Journal of Financial Service Professionals, 61(2), 34-36. Wusteman, J. (2004). Poten tially ridiculous. Library Hi Tech, 22(2), 231-237.

MD3 Assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MD3 Assignment 3 - Essay Example What is the importance of education? Does education help individuals make decisions on what is good or wrong? At school, there are rules and regulations, students follow them and failure to do so, there are consequences. Do these rules help people to become successful in life, after attaining education? Imagine education as your brother, parent or even a friend. Would you want to let that person who you care for down? My guess is that every person works hard to have a good relationship with their loved ones so that they can get the best out of each other. The same way, education enables us to be better people or citizens in our country. Education is important since it creates a sense of goodwill among individuals, and this will ensure that peace prevails in the country if people get educated. Personal reference would be the most effective in giving a speech, since people remember most stories told of an individual’s personal life. This is because people can relate with the story from the past to what an individual has achieved in the present. It is also effective because it shows that the person giving the speech understands the topic perfectly through having personal experiences related to the