Faithing :: Essays Papers

Faithing Faith is an odd sort of virtue. In these days of televangelism, tracts, and the "Christian right," one would be tempted to identify faith with a set of beliefs, a conglomerate of successive religious propositions that one has accepted; a branch of one’s "mental furniture," so to speak. However, to limit one’s definition of faith to this narrow band is to do faith itself a disservice. In the history of literature and philosophy alike, there are those who have conceived of faith rather differently. Among these are Myles Connolly and Sà ¸ ren Kierkegaard in their respective works Mr. Blue and Judge for Yourself! What these men seek to effect is not so much a redefinition of faith as a refinement and expansion it. Principles, yes, they say; but furthermore, actions flowing out of those principles. This type of faith is thus characterized not only by beliefs, but also the natural actions that come from those beliefs. In this way, faith becomes something that envelopes a per son’s whole being; it is transmuted into a complete orientation for one’s life. This type of faith, extolled by Kierkegaard, is embodied in the character of J. Blue in Myles Connolly’s book Mr. Blue. Blue was a rather singular person to say the least. At the very beginning of the book, the narrator says the following of Blue: I have not the slightest doubt he would have been †¦ immensely happy in a poorhouse. He had no money. When by accident he happened upon some he gave it away. He worked here and there for his meals and a place to sleep. He roamed eastern United States and really did get abroad. The while he lived gloriously, and, withal, religiously. He impressed one as a sort of gay, young, and gallant monk without an Order. Or perhaps his Order was life, and the world his monastery. (15) Such a person was Blue. He had little interest in possessions, he was much more entranced by a bright splash of color, a marching band, or a sunset viewed off the top of a skyscraper. But above all, his profession, if he could be said to have one, was people. Blue was in love with people, his eyes sparkled for them, his mind was on fire for them, his heart bled for them. Blue’s idea of the ultimate life project was to establish what he called the "Spies of God," an unorganized group of people that simply went around loving other people, people in need, poor people.

Impact of ICT on the community Essay

Southall is located in a town of London borough of Ealing it is close to Heathrow airport which is one of the busiest airports in the world, which creates lots of jobs and large number of Southall residents are employed in Heathrow. Southall is quiet a small area but holds a large amount of population. Southall is one of the busiest places in England. In this area the route of communication such as, railways and roads need real improvement because at the moment they are not good enough and doesn’t meet the needs of the community really well. There is also project going about trams but our community is not happy with the decision made by the Ealing Council. In Southall it is very difficult to settle down for a person who has just been to this town because there are no enough jobs for people to do and those with jobs are paid very less wages compared to national average wage. Southall also has a very low reputation is attracting the visitors to the town, that’s because of the low employment rate. Basically this means that the people with business should give others a chance to work and pay them the same amount of wages like other employees are being paid in other towns and countries. This town is one of the towns in England which has most problems with public transport because there are very few buses to go around and the population is bigger if a bus comes early the person still can’t reach his destination in time because of the traffic. This means that the local governors of Ealing must improve the services to keep the people in the community happy and to attract more people in the town. In Southall there is also quiet a lot of traffic but mostly it’s controlled by CCTV, there is also speed limit but the residents in our community don’t follow the rules. Southall is primarily an Asian residential district, and is informally known as â€Å"little India†. Over 55% of Southall’s population of 70,000 is Indian/Pakistani. One of the Sikh Gurdwaras in Southall won the Ealing Civic Society Architectural Award in 2003. There are a few Christian churches and there are few mosques as well. The main street in Southall is called The Broadway. Southall contains the largest Asian shopping centre in the London area. Southall was the main location for the film Bend It Like Beckham. Southall is also the location of the Glassy Junction, which serves several Indian draught beers and was the first pub in the UK to accept payment in Indian rupees. Recently Southall has become notorious for the amount of violence caused by Tamil gangs and the consequences on the community. South India and Sri Lanka have been brought to the United Kingdom. There have been many shootings and other incidents that have been connected to Tamil gangs. In origin this rivalry was caused by rival politcal groups vying for power. However many of these groups have now formed street gangs abroad and resort to violence to gain power. Percentages of group per authentic group Indian: 50.3% White: 29.8% Black: 7.5% Pakistani/Bangladeshi: 7.2% Chinese: 0.2% Others: 4.9% Needs of my local Community > Banks > Sports and Leisure > Public Transport > Schools and Colleges > Medical Centre > Hospitals > GPS > Internet Cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ > Information Point > Security CCTV > Southall community Website > Fire Department Every Community have needs and they have to meet Banks My community needs banks and ATM machine as people needs to keep their money secure people can also withdraw money from the ATM machines they need ATM because they can skip queues. The people can withdraw money from the ATM any time; it also provides us with a mini statement and gives you many more options. People in our community need to skip queues so they can have a service that’s give you all the detail about your bank online. Sports and Leisure Centre People in my community need to stay healthy and eat balance diet so the Leisure centre provides them with pre-booking and computer readable cards. It also gives help about eating healthily and gives information about other sports for e.g. Cricket, Karate, and Football etc. My community also need to know what activities are taking place and how to book it. My Community need to know where is the nearest leisure Centre and about the costs. Public Transport People in my community need Transport for moving and travelling around the city. My community provide use of Oyster card which is machine readable so they don’t have to wait in the queue for waiting to get inside and Oyster pre-pay. In addition we need to have ICT technologies in our transport for e.g. CCTV cameras so the passengers are safe and every moment is recorded. People need countdown timer which will tell them what time will the next bus come and which bus will come. My community also need a replacement service if one bus has a mechanical fault they need to have another bus at that time which will take the passenger. Schools and Colleges My Community needs to have schools which would provide basic education to younger generation. Students in schools need computer and internet access. Schools in our community need computers so they can keep record of every students and staffs to keep the school on track. Schools also need CCTV cameras to record student’s behaviour and don’t cause trouble. So the community will need computer and ICT to stop the students causing trouble. Health Centre People in MY community also need health centre to be provided with quick efficient service. Health centre will need to provide people with easy services and making registration. Health centre in Southall should have better ICT facility they should be given a choice to book on the phone. An also they shouldn’t take time to give an appointment. Internet Cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Every person in my community doesn’t have access to the internet. Some might not even have computer. People in my community are multicultural and came from other countries so they will need to communicate with their relatives in a cheaper way so internet cafes will meet their need. They need ICT that provides them with cheaper internet and let them have access to internet with cheaper offers as well. Southall Community Website Most of the people in my community will need to know widely about their community events and businesses in the community so the Southall website also provide information about the leisure and sport, religion, culture and businesses in the community. My community need ICT facilities to provide people with better services and keep people up to date about the events in our community. Police Station My community need to be safe and secure and police also need to try protecting people from theft, robbery and murder. My community needs good technology to keep record of crime and CCTV, so it needs ICT technology to keep records and solve people’s problem. In the above the need of my community some are more important than others. For my report I will need to look in detail of five of them. I will also need to describe the way it is used in my community. I have to define each technology and the use of the technology. I will look at the technologies that are used the most and have effect on my community. I will look at technologies that affect the whole of my community not a single person. I will also need to include how people benefit from using the service. And finally I will then evaluate how the technology will meet the need of my community. In my coursework I will write about those technologies which are in the most need and has impact on my community. Financial Transaction- Banking Definition of ATM: ATM stands for Automated teller machine is computerized telecommunications device that provides an agents customer a secure method of performing financial transactions is a public space without the need for a human teller. Using an ATM, customers can access their bank accounts in order to make cash withdrawals or credit card cash advances and check their account balances. Many ATMs also allow people to deposit cash or cheques, transfer money between their bank accounts, pay bills, or purchase goods and services. Explanation of the technology Banking is the biggest place in the world that uses ICT. ICT is used in ATM Machines (electronic funds transfer at point of sale). ATM is used to withdraw money there are also other facilities that ATM machines provide other facilities for example: you can print or view balance on the screen, change pin, order statement. EFTPOS helps customers to withdraw money through Debit Card it is mostly used in shopping. The customer’s card is swiped through a card reader and the merchant usually enters the amount of the transaction before the customer enters their account and PIN number. Before the customers didn’t needed to enter their PIN number now the customers has to enter it for security reasons. How does the technology meet the needs of the community? Every bank has its own ATM’s machines however the bank card works in every ATM machine. These machines meet the needs of the community as people are able to withdraw money at any time. It is also quick to withdraw money as if there weren’t any ATM machines it would have taken much time queuing in a lane and getting cash from the bank. It is quicker and reliable as the customer doesn’t need to show ID when withdrawing money from your own account. ATM machines are safe as no one can get the data from the ATM. How ATM works? ATM is simply a data terminal. Like any other data terminal, the ATM has to connect to, and communicate through, a host computer. The host computer is analogous to an Internet Service in that it is the gateway through which all the various ATM networks become available to the cardholder the person wanting the cash. The host computer may be owned by a bank or financial institution, or it may be owned by an independent service provider. Bank-owned processors normally support only bank-owned machines, whereas the independent processors support merchant-owned machines. Use of ICT in the banks > CCTV > Database > Security Alarm Evaluate on the use of ICT – good/ and bad features and also advantages and disadvantages of the technology ICT that is used in the banks is a big advantage to people working in the bank and to the public as well. ATM’s and EFTPOS services are open 24 hours 365 days in an year, this means the people in the community can withdraw money at any time so they don’t have to wait for the bank to open. Another advantage is that there are a lots of ATM machines in Southall so there aren’t big queues which is then quicker to withdraw money from the bank. People also need to skip queues in the banks so they can do banking online which helps the sort transaction quickly and efficiently. Online banking also has disadvantages as there is danger from hacker. You will need to provide your bank details so there is risk of you details transferred. In addition the people in my community can also check their bank detail by internet it can be done 24 hours a day using a computer and internet connection. It can help my community in various ways: * People in my community can pay bills from the comfort of their home or the workplace. * People in my community can also transfer money immediately to high interest accounts. * People in my community can check balances and daily transactions on line. * People in my community can set up direct debits and order stationery on line. * People in my community can get higher interest rates and are available to Internet bankers. * It is easy to shop around on line for the best interest rates and switch funds automatically. * And also in some banks the counter can speak more than one language it benefit my community as some people in my community can’ speak English. There are also many concerns about ATM and the Banks: * Small banks in my community closes or having opening hours reduced * Reductions in staffing at the major banks. * Some customers have worries about security because of possible credit card fraud. How ever there are two new banks which will be opening in the next few months one of the Bank has already opened ICIC. And the other banks is Panjab national it will help my community and the people in my community will benefit a lot because they can send or transfer money to their country quick and reliable. And also some people in my community won’t be able to read English so it will help the Punjabi and Indian people a lot but it will also help other people. How does the technology benefit my community? Modern ATMs provide customers with their bank account balance; they can issue money, print statements and even take cash deposits. Customers are able to use almost any ATM in any bank, supermarket or garage. And in this country it is normally a free service. Customers could get hold of their money without having to queue. This saved the customer’s time; it also saved the bank a huge amount of money since fewer staff was needed. The people in my community can benefit in many different ways as there are many more banks been opened in Southall for e.g. Panjab national it will benefit my community as well as the Panjabi and Indian people benefiting other people from different culture can benefit. Panjab national provide their service to my community in many different language for e.g. Hindi, Panjabi and English The people in Southall can also call the Centres where the Customers could now telephone the centre using either a free number or local cost number and find out information on their accounts without even leaving home. They can also change their bank detail. The people in my community can also access the their bank detail and information by internet they can open their account, check their balance online, move money pay bills and print statements from the comfort for their own homes. Lastly the ATM machines are free to use and most of the ATM machine are free of charge. To what extent does the technology meet my community need Without ATM people in my community will face various problems they won’t be able to send money abroad. People will also need to keep their money in their houses where they might face robbery. Buying house will be hard as people wouldn’t be able to get loan where they will need to pay all the money. ATM’s machine also play a very big role in my community banking as people doesn’t keep all the money in their pockets due to risk of theft so they need the ATM to withdraw money whenever they need. There are various ATM machines in Southall nearly every bank has an ATM in Southall Broadway e.g. HSBC, Abbey National, Barclays, Nat West etc. To some extent it doesn’t meet the needs of my community as some of the people in my community are not educated so they aren’t able to withdraw money they has to go inside the bank and withdraw money which takes time. Another disadvantage is that ATM’s and EFTAPOS provide money and can’t provide advice. Last disadvantage of ATM’s Machines and EFTAPOS is that whoever doesn’t have a bank account that person won’t be able to use these facilities. Possible development of the technology in the future They can improve the ATM machine by storing more cash so it doesn’t run out. In the past years there were frauds where the ATM machine takes your card and doesn’t give it back. They can also improve the ATM machine by having a secure place where people can’t see your Pin number or your bank details. In some places for e.g. Tesco or Sainsbury the can charge you for taking money so it could be free of charge. And the big improvement of ATM machine could be that they can have other language on the screen for e.g. Urdu, Pashto, Farsi, Punjabi, Somalian and Gujarati. They can make the ATM machine safe in the future where the ATM machine won’t need your pin number but it will need scanning of a customer’s fingerprint. Control and Monitoring- CCTV Explanation of the Technology CCTV stands for Close Circuit Television camera it is used for video surveillance. In my community CCTV is used in banks, casinos, shopping centres, streets, airports and now days it is even in the shops etc. Now it isn’t expensive people uses it at home for security. CCTV in Southall is used for security and to decrease crime it is also used as evidence. It is also used in schools which help the school to control behaviour of the students. CCTV is used by police and council to decrease crime and used it as evidence against the criminals. There are different types of CCTV cameras as some of the can turn at the bearing of 3600 and some of them are straight. There are also some cameras that have black glass cover and the people around can see which direction is the camera recording. How CCTV camera works? CCTV cameras in my area are continuously monitored at the Council’s Communications Centre. The Police are informed of suspicious incidents as they arise and can be directed to the exact location by CCTV operators. Since CCTV has been introduce in our community and in the borough, Southall crimes have been decreased for e.g. shoplifting, Pick Pocketing, Possessions of Drugs and unauthorised taking of motor vehicles. The control room for CCTV is in Ealing Town hall they are responsible for round the clock monitoring of over 337 CCTV cameras are fixed and 20 mobile cameras. The cameras can pan, tilt and zoom to record the action, and radio link with police make sure that the cameras are capturing the right footage. How does the technology meet the needs of the community? CCTV is used in various and different places in Southall, some CCTV cameras in my community are located in Southall Broadway and in High Street it control Anti Social Behaviour and some people drive over the speed of the limit it meets my community needs as it makes it easier to stop crime and record what has been happening it is also helps in controlling crime on the streets and shopping centres. It is used in streets to help the police catch crime and use evidence against trouble makers. It is also used in traffic lights which helps the police catch people who passes red lights and charge penalties those against who breaks the law it meets community needs as it decreases crime. CCTV cameras in Southall are able to zoom in and zoom out as it makes it easier and clearer for police and staff in the community to see what is happening. They are also computerised this means that it can record for some days and it can be used as an evidence. CCTV is also meets the needs of the community w hen it comes to use against criminals it helps my community as it produce a clear picture of the place where it is placed. It meets my community needs in a better way because every community needs to be as secured as it can be, in Southall CCTV is used in several places which meet the needs of the people and community as it provide security and records every thing is happening around. It also helps police in the as one of the CCTV cameras are able to rotate at 360 degrees which helps the police check around direct through the camera. Evaluate on the use of ICT – good/bad features (advantages/disadvantage of the technology The introduction of CCTV cameras in my community has been one of the best weapons against crime in the Borough and in this community. It has been proved effective in both cutting and detecting crime and because of this people now feel safer when they’re out and about. CCTV cameras are a big advantage for my community. If my community didn’t have CCTV the crime rate would be high and people will be free to cause trouble in my community. It will be hard for the police to find evidence and use it against the criminals in the court. People also wouldn’t feel safe in shopping centres and also when traveling. CCTV cameras can deal with everything from murder to suicides, rapes and paedophiles, although they are very rare. CCTV cameras in my community are also used in shops and supermarkets which help the customer buy stuff safely and securely and it also helps the shop owner and use CCTV evidence against thieves. The crimes that have been tackled in my community by using CCTV cameras are: * Shoplifting * Pick Pocketing * Possessions of drugs * Assault * Unauthorised taking of motor vehicle * Public order offence CCTV is a tool that saves a lot of time. Aside from the disadvantage of not attending school, youngsters can also get into serious trouble if they hang around unsupervised on the streets. So CCTV is the best technology to catch them. Some teenagers in South all are not scared of CCTV cameras as when they are doing graffiti in bus stop and damaging the environment they don’t stop, they carry on causing more damage. And when someone inform the police the operator attend the call then he tell the police about the incident and then they will deal about the incident so it’s a long process for the police to come and deal with the incident and it also cost a lot of money repairing the damage. How ever if there are more CCTV cameras placed in Southall there will be less police on patrol so it won’t cost the council a lot of money. CCTV cameras can also help my community to catch domestic and trade litterers in the act as the Council tries to get the message of Project Street clean across and those who refuse to pay their fines will end up in court. CCTV cameras are also use in Southall Railway station and it’s safer for the community to travel at night time. If people cause trouble they can call in back-up from officers to stop antisocial behaviour immediately and arrest offenders on the spot. They can also stop people intent on harming themselves. There are suicides on railways Southall station so they can stop people committing suicide. There are many advantages of CCTV cameras but there are also disadvantages CCTV increased the workload of officers. Most of the CCTV cameras in Southall are black and white colour so it doesn’t have a good quality picture. How does the technology benefit my community? CCTV benefit my community if my community doesn’t have CCTV the crime rate would be high and people will be free to cause trouble in the community. People also wouldn’t feel safe in shopping centres and also when travelling. CCTV cameras are also used in shops and supermarkets which help the customer buy stuff safely and securely and it also helps the shop owner and use CCTV evidence against thieves. CCTV cameras are place in various places in Southall most of them are placed in Schools, shopping centres, supermarkets and busy roads. It would benefit the community if they use CCTV on busy roads because some drivers drive over the limit of speed. So it’s easy for the police to catch them. To what extent does the technology meet my community need To some extent CCTV cameras meet my community needs as they can control anti social behaviour and also if they wouldn’t had CCTV cameras so people would be free to cause trouble. To some extent it doesn’t meet my community needs as most of the cameras aren’t very clear and they are placed in one place so it can’t move round as it makes it hard for the police to see around and they will need to place more cameras. Most of the advance cameras are expensive so overall it cost lots of money to install it in the community. And some time it won’t sort out some people who are causing trouble and damaging the environment. As I explained in Page 10 it’s a long period for the police to arrive and deal with the problem. The police won’t be able to catch the people but they can use the evidence of CCTV in the court. Possible development of the technology in the future They can improve the CCTV for the future as in Southall most of the CCTV cameras are black and white colour and have a poor quality so they can replace the old cameras with the latest CCTV cameras. They can have more CCTV cameras in the railways so people don’t commit suicide and already in the past the number of suicide has decreased. Internet – Learn Direct Explanation of the Technology Learn direct is a program run by a company for the people aged over 16. It a service for people who wants to learn online and doesn’t has time to go physically and study. It is also for people who has less education and want to have more education. It also helps people to get educated and have a good future. Learn direct tells people the easier way to achieve what the want in life and help them achieve it. These courses are available for all kinds of people whether they are educated or not. Learn direct have various centres in out community where they provide computer and internet access. Learn direct also covers a range of inter-related services for online learning, advice and guidance. These include: * Learn direct advice service: a government-funded telephone helpline and website providing impartial information, advice and guidance relating to learning opportunities and career development. * Learn direct is online learning service aimed at small to medium-sized enterprises. * A higher education offer aimed at people in work. Deciding what’s best for you depends on factors such as your personal circumstances and what you enjoy doing. If you’re unsure about what you want to do next, we can learn direct can help you. How Learn Direct works? Learn direct can help you in lots of different ways they can help you find a suitable course or you can search their database on Learn Direct website. Learn Direct have database of nearly one million courses from right across the UK, from short courses lasting one day to longer courses lasting a few years. Learn direct courses are a brilliant way to learn. You learn either online through the Internet or by using workbooks and/or CD-ROMs, so you’re free to learn where and when you want, at a pace you choose. You can contact learn Direct on this number 0800 100 900 or email an advisor. How does the technology meet the needs of my community? Learn direct and the courses available meet the needs of the people in my community extremely well because there are courses available for nearly every one. Learn direct meets the needs of my community really well because Learn direct have many branches so there would be no shortage of space for people choosing to do the courses. Another big advantage for the people in my community can be that they can choose their courses online before actually talking to learn direct. There are 900, 000 different courses so there is a course for everyone. Evaluate on the use of ICT – good/bad features (advantages/disadvantage of the technology Learn direct is a great advantage to the whole Southall community because most people in my community and in Southall are unemployed and uneducated. The other advantage people who came to this country new they can get a lot of help from Learn Direct. But since this online system is been introduced the unemployment rate have decreased and the amount of people with futures have been increased. Learn direct is a great advantage because it offers great advantages like: there are many courses available for all people whether employed/ educated or not. Also learn direct is available to everyone and people can use it online. Learn direct courses are broken down into bite-sized chunks, so you can do as little or as much as you like at any time, picking up where you left off. And if you get stuck, help is always at hand. The Advantages of Learn Direct are: * Equips people with the skills they need for employability * Is delivered innovatively through the use of new technologies; * Reaches those people with few or no skills and qualifications who are unlikely to participate in traditional forms of learning. There are some disadvantage of Learn direct in my community as some people in my community doesn’t have computers and don’t have access to the internet so they will need to use the cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ so it will cost them quite a lot. Without Learn Direct my community will would have lack of education and uneducated people will still be having problems in the community. Most of the people in my community work and study both, it would be hard for people to go physically to go study centre and it would take more time. How does the technology benefit the community? My community benefits learn direct because there are more uneducated people in my community Learn Direct give advice on phone they give advice on courses and impartial information training, apprenticeships, careers, returning to work, and childcare. They can also advise you on paying for your learning. Any one in my community can get help and advice from Learn Direct it’s also free. Some people can benefit from learn direct a lot as for women they can’t go to college physically because they have kids in the house to look after and in some culture women are not allowed to go to study and college so it will benefit women in my community as they can sit at home and learn. To what extent does the technology meet my community need To some extent it doesn’t meet my community needs as some people who come to this country and they are in this community they really need help and advice and most of them don’t know about Learn direct. Some people in my community don’t know how to use computer so they will need another person to show them. Most of the people in my community also don’t have access to computer so they will have to use library and library is not open all the time. Possible development of the technology in the future They can help my community in the future in different ways. All the staffs in Learn direct speak English so some people in my community might need help and they can’t speak English and read English so the staff should be able to speak more than one or two languages as in our community some people can’t speak English. And also there should be more advertising of Learn direct and in different languages so people can find about it easily. Communication – Information Point Explanation of the Technology Information point are screens based in various places it provide a direct link to the council, free email, BBC news and sport, transport information and job search facility. It is free and every one in my community can use it. Information points provide users with local, national and international news. It also allows the user to use free email facility. It helps the people my community to communicate with other people and it lets them access to internet and search for jobs. How Information Point works? Information points are easy to use the best thing about information point is that it’s touch screen. As you go to the Information Point just follow the instruction on screen. It will tell you all the information about Traffic, News, and your local community it can also help you to look for jobs to the nearest location. How does the technology meet the needs of my community? Information points are located in various places in my community and in Southall Information point in Southall is located in South road opposite the bank. It meets the needs of the community as it makes it easier for people to access to free internet, provide them with latest information and also has link to council. This meets the needs of my community as it makes it easier for the council to contact people and it meets the needs of the people in my community as they can use it at any time and anywhere. If anyone is searching for a job they don’t have to go around and ask they can easily search at an information point. It also meets the need of my community as in council there won’t be too many people having problem so the council won’t need to have a lot of staff and it is also quicker for the staff to solve problems easily. Evaluate on the use of ICT – good/bad features (advantages/disadvantage of the technology Information points also attract more tourists in my community as the tourists are able to find information, events and businesses in my community. Information Points are located in various places in Southall for e.g. it’s located in Southall Broadway Information points are widely used by the people in my community. The content on Information Points can be tailored to suit each client, and ranges from local council, transport and community information to free email and job finding services. Users benefit from the opportunity to access what they need, where and when they need it. The Information Multipoint broadcast screen provides an effective communication tool for councils as they can be used to promote local services to citizens, such as Real-Time Passenger Information for local transport. In addition an Information Point network ensures the most appropriate services to suit the needs of citizens are available, e.g. council, government, transport and local news services. One of the biggest advantages of using Information Point there is not need of IT skills to use Information Point, the information provided is accessible to all. And also some people might don’t know about the Councillor of Ealing they can get information about them and also when they have to elect a new councillor they can vote by using the Information Point. The disadvantage is that some of the information Points in my community not weather-proof and resistant to vandalism. How does the technology benefit my community? It also meet makes it easier for people in Southall to search for a job at anytime as there is more unemployment. It also meets the needs of the community as the council won’t have to employ more staff. In order to provide Outdoor broadband service for everyone in our Community Information point provides network of interactive touch screen internet-based services on-street. They are free and easy to use. As I said above that unemployment rate in Southall is high and it would be hard for people to find jobs and read news and reviews. To what extent does the technology meet my community need To some extents it doesn’t meet the need as there aren’t many around my community so people need to use their nearest information time. Also most of the people don’t know how to use Information points. It is also some time slow and takes time to download the page. And some teenagers do graffiti on information point and damage the point so it gives a bad image to my community. Possible development of the technology in the future Information Point is really useful for my community and it attract tourist. They can improve for the future by keeping clean and in a safe place because people in our community do graffiti and break the glasses. People in my community don’t look after the information point so the grand council may not introduce any more information point in Southall and other places. Data Capture – Bar Code Scanner Explanation of the Technology Bar Code scanner is specialized for reading bar codes. Bar Code readers are used in various places in my community for example, supermarkets, leisure centres, community centres and local shops. It allows people to buy stuff from supermarkets easily and also they get receipt. How Bar Code scanner works? A barcode reader is a computer peripheral for reading barcodes printed on various surfaces. Bar code scanner is like a flatbed scanner, it generally consists of a light source, a lens and a photo. Additionally, nearly all barcode readers currently produced contain decoder bar code scanner send the information to the computer and it prints the receipt. As I have show a picture of a Bar code scanner on the left they cashier scans the product and the scanner send all the information to the computer. How does the technology meet the needs of my community? Bar code Scanner meets the needs of my community as it convenient for the people of my community. It also helps as cashier can’t cheat with their customers as they can’t charge people higher price which all computerised and all the cashier has to do is to scan it and the customer will receive the receipt which say the price. Evaluate on the use of ICT – good/bad features (advantages/disadvantage of the technology Bar Code scanner is used in various places in my community it is mostly used in Supermarkets, leisure centres and the big stores like Tesco, Sainsbury and Asda. It is used for various purposes e.g. in leisure centres they have provided their customers a membership card which has bar code scanner and when it is scanned all the information comes up on the screen with the picture of the person which helps them to identify the person, in supermarkets it used for products as every product has bar code which is brought to the cashier and it calculates the total price and it also prints out a receipt. Bar code Scanner is also used in the local library in my community it helps the librarian to find all the details about the students and the information about the books. It is used by every single person in my community. It meets the needs of the community as it makes it easier for people to buy stuff efficiently and quick it also gives them a prove (receipt) which is then used to refund stuff which damaged. There are also some disadvantages of Bar code scanner Bar code scanner is when it’s scan a bar code, the cursor has to be in the correct input data field, and in the correct application otherwise the bar code data will end up in whatever application that is active. This can cause all sorts of problems. Bar code scanner is also more complicated to use as it is hard for new cashier to use and it give the wrong detail to the person who purchase the product and it can cause a lot of problem to the cashier and also to the buyer. So in my community all the people employees have to be familiar with using the bar code scanner. How does the technology benefit my community Bar code scanner benefit my community in many different ways it benefit my community as it makes it easier for people to buy stuff efficiently and quick it gives them a prove which is then used to exchange or refund the stuff which is damage. To what extent does the technology meet my community need To some extents it doesn’t meet the needs of my community as it is not available in all the shops and the shops can also charge people high prices. Possible development of the technology in the future They can improve the Barcode in different ways some shop’s in Southall and in my community doesn’t have Bar code scanner, some of do but it’s not the latest technology. There are many different type of Bar code scanner for e.g. Laser Barcode Scanners This is the most popular bar code scanner. A laser bar code scanner need not be close to or touch the bar code to do its job. A standard range laser bar code scanner can read a bar code from about 6 to 24 inches away, and a long range scanner can read bar code from about 2 to 8 feet away. An extra long-range scanner can read a bar code 30 feet away. Laser barcode scanners vary in price from $200 to $2,000 and come in a variety of models. Future Developments ICT needs to be improved for the new generation. It is hard to cope with the old technology for the new generation. For example community will need more telephone boxes on the streets they will also need to improve the facility for example some of them has the e-mail and news facility. Learn Direct will also need to improve as in the past the population of the community was less now it increased so they need to provide more centres and also more courses to give a wide choice. Community will also need to put more CCTV cameras on the streets as the crime rate increased and to put better quality cameras. My community also need to improve the transport it takes normally about 15 to 30 minutes for a bus to come. To meet the needs of the community in the future the technologies needs to be updated and improved so it will meet the community needs in a better way. Overall Evaluation ICT is a big help to Southall and my community ICT made several changes as in the past most of the organisation had problems dealing with task now with the help of ICT everything is done in less time and with less loss of energy. ICT meets the needs of my community as unemployment rate is high with the help of ICT it provided jobs and decreased the unemployment rate. It also helps uneducated they can learn on learn direct. ICT also provide security for my community as now the crime rate is low as more criminals are caught on CCTV and charged, people can report crimes online which saves time by going to the police station and getting a report written. Lastly with the help of ICT a person who can’t afford to buy computer or use internet cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ they are provided with information points which lets them send free emails and has information. Overall without ICT people in our community would have problems and small tasks would take them long time.

King Philip’s War Essay

King Philip’s War lasted from 1675 to 1676. It was the bloodiest conflict between American colonists and Indians in the 17th century New England. By 1600, colonial settlers no longer depended on the Indians for survival; therefore they pushed into Indian Territory in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. To protect their lands, the Wampanoag chief, King Philip, also known as Metacom organized a federation of tribes, which in 1675 destroyed several frontier settlements. King Philip’s War was the beginning of the development of a greater American identity; the conflicts suffered by the colonists gave them a distinct identity than that of the subjects of the English crown. The first Thanksgiving feast took place in 1621. This celebration marked the partnership of the Native Americans and the colonists. That year, Massasoit signed a treaty with the Pilgrim governor promising to give aid against enemies; they maintained 40 years of peace. However after Massasoit died in 1661, this peace began to deteriorate. The population of the colonial settlers grew rapidly and soon they outnumbered the Indians. Therefore, Europeans and the Indians frequently fought overland. When Metacom became sachem he was amid Plymouth Colony’s demands for land. He was humiliated several times, and forced to admit guilt and surrender. He then soon became angry at the colonists because they forced him not to sell Wampanoag without seeking their council first. Benjamin Church is considered the father of  American ranging. He was the captain of the first  Ranger force in America. Church was commissioned by the Governor of the  Plymouth Colony  Josiah Winslow  to form the first ranger company for  King Philip’s War. He played a unique and crucial role in King Philip’s War because he developed friendship with Native Americans and worked to understand and learn from those who lived near his frontier home. Church designed his force primarily to emulate Indian patterns of war. Toward this end, he endeavored to learn to fight like Indians from Indians. Philip and his followers went to New York hoping to find recruit and supplies. However Edward Andros, the governor of New York feared that the war might spread to his colony, therefore, he formed allies with the Mohawks who were enemies of Wampanoag. The Mohawks attacked Philip’s forces, and he returned to the New England colonies. On Aug. 12, 1676, a Wampanoag informer named Alderman killed King Philip. Philip was beheaded and quartered, and his head was displayed on a pole in Plymouth for more than 20 years.

3 Changes That Will Take Your Essay From Good To Great

3 Changes That Will Take Your Essay From Good To Great Whether youre sitting down to write a research paper for English class about Buddha or youre hours deep in the writing portion of the ACT, you want to write a great essay. And although different people have different notions about what makes an essay truly great, there are a number of things that educators and writers generally agree upon as gold-quality standards. Here are three of those qualities that can take your essay from basic to fabulous. 1. Language The usage of language in an essay is more than just the actual words you use throughout. Things like sentence structure, stylistic choices, levels of formality, grammar, usage, and mechanics all come into play.    Good Language Good language in an essay is merely adequate. Its basic. Theres nothing inherently wrong  with your language, but theres nothing exceptional about it, either. Good essay language means youre using  some variety in your sentence structures. For instance, you may write a few simple sentences interspersed with some compound sentences. Your level of formality and tone are also appropriate to the essay. Youre not using familiar language and slang, for example, when youre writing a research report in class. Good language in an essay does not disrupt your thesis. Your point gets across and thats all well and fine if youre happy with a good essay. Example:  When Jack walked into his grandmothers kitchen, he spotted the freshly baked cake on the counter. He helped himself to a huge piece. It was chocolate, and the frosting was a delicious vanilla buttercream. He licked his lips and took a gigantic bite.   Great Language Great language is fresh, full of sensory detail when appropriate and propels your essay forward in invigorating ways. Great language uses a variety of sentence structures and even some intentional fragments when appropriate. Your tone isnt merely adequate; it enhances your argument or point. Your language is precise. Its chosen specifically to add nuance or shades of meaning. The sensory details you select pull your readers in, giving them goosebumps, and make them want to keep on reading. Great language makes readers take what youve said very seriously. Example:  Jack stepped over the threshold of his grandmothers kitchen and inhaled. Chocolate cake. His stomach rumbled. He walked to the counter, mouth watering, and took a   rose-pattered china plate from the cabinet and a bread knife from the drawer. The slice he sawed off was enough for three. The first bite of rich vanilla buttercream made his jaw ache. Before he knew it, nothing was left but chocolate crumbs scattered on the plate like confetti.   2. Analysis Teachers are always asking you to dig deep in your essay, but what does that really mean? Depth is the level at which you analyze the topic you are writing about. The deeper you dive into your essay, the more poking and prodding at values, tensions, complexities, and assumptions you will do.   Good Analysis The word analysis in and of itself implies a certain level of depth. A good analysis will use reasoning and examples that are clear and adequately demonstrate the importance of the topic. Support may be relevant, but it may come across as overly general or simplistic. You will have scratched the surface of the topic, but you will not have explored as many of the complexities as you could have.   Lets take, for example, this question: Should cyberbullying be stopped by the government? Example: Cyberbullying needs to be stopped in its tracks by the government because of the harm that it causes to the victim. Teenagers who have been bullied online have had to be treated for depression, have felt compelled to change schools, and some have even committed suicide. A persons life is too important not to intervene.   Great Analysis A great analysis of a topic is a thoughtful critique that demonstrates insight. It critiques assumptions and details complexities not hinted at in just a good analysis. In the example above, the good analysis mentions the harm to a victim of bullying and names three things that could happen to him or her because of it, but doesnt get into other areas that might offer more insight like societal values, governmental control, effects rippling from one generation to the next, for example.   Example:  Although cyberbullying needs to be stopped - the effects are to dire not  to intervene - the government cannot be the entity to regulate speech online. The fiscal and personal costs would be staggering. Not only would citizens be forced to give up their First Amendment rights to free speech, they would have to relinquish their rights to privacy, as well. The government would be everywhere, becoming even more of a big brother than they are right now. Who would pay for such scrutiny? Citizens would pay with their freedom and  their wallets.   3. Organization Organization can quite literally make or break your essay. If a reader doesnt understand how youve gotten from point A to point B because none of your dots seem to connect, then he or she wont be compelled to read any further. And more importantly, he or she will not have listened to what you have had to say. And thats the biggest problem there is.   Good Organization A standard five-paragraph essay structure is what most students use when they write essays. They start with an introductory paragraph ending with a thesis sentence. They move on to body paragraph one with a topic sentence, and then proceed, with a few scattered transitions, to body paragraphs two and three. They round out their essay with a conclusion that neatly restates the thesis and ends with a question or a challenge. Sound about right? If this sounds like every essay youve ever written, then you can be sure youre not alone. Its a perfectly adequate structure for a basic essay.   Example: Introduction with thesis Body paragraph oneSupport oneSupport twoSupport three Body paragraph twoSupport oneSupport twoSupport three Body paragraph threeSupport oneSupport twoSupport threeConclusion with restated thesis Great Organization Great organization tends to move beyond just simple supports and basic transitions. Ideas will progress logically and increase the arguments success. Transitions within and between paragraphs will strengthen the argument and heighten meaning. If you start out organizing your essay strategically, with room for analysis and counterarguments built in, your chances of building a great essay improve by quite a bit. And some students find it easier to get more in depth by writing a four-paragraph essay instead of five. You can engaged more with a particular topic in the body paragraphs if you knock out your weakest argument and focus instead on providing a deeper, more thoughtful analysis with just two.   Example:   Introduction with thesis Body paragraph oneSupport one with detailed analysisSupport two that addresses values, complexities and assumptionsCounterpoint and dismissal of the counterpoint Body paragraph twoSupport one with detailed analysisSupport two that addresses values, complexities and assumptionsCounterpoint and dismissal of the counterpointConclusion with restated thesis and option for better idea Writing Great Essays If your goal is to move forward out of mediocrity, then spend some time learning the basics of great essay writing. After that, pick up your pencil or paper and practice. Nothing will prepare you better for your next essay then writing strategically-organized, well-analyzed, and carefully-worded paragraphs when the pressure  isnt  on. Here are some places to start: Enhanced ACT Writing Essay PromptsOld SAT Essay PromptsPhoto Writing Prompts for Any Age14 Ways to Write Better in High School

Hand Sanitizers vs. Soap and Water

Hand Sanitizers vs. Soap and Water Antibacterial hand sanitizers are marketed to the public as an effective way to wash ones hands when traditional soap and water are not available. These waterless products are particularly popular with parents of small children. Manufacturers of hand sanitizers claim that the sanitizers kill 99.9 percent of germs. Since you naturally use hand sanitizers to cleanse your hands, the assumption is that 99.9 percent of harmful germs are killed by the sanitizers. Research studies suggest that this is not the case. How Do Hand Sanitizers Work? Hand sanitizers work by stripping away the outer layer of oil on the skin. This usually prevents bacteria present in the body from coming to the surface of the hand. However, these bacteria that are normally present in the body are generally not the kinds of bacteria that will make us sick. In a review of the research, Barbara Almanza, an associate professor at Purdue University who teaches safe sanitation practices to workers, came to an interesting conclusion. She notes that the research shows that hand sanitizers do not significantly reduce the number of bacteria on the hand and in some cases may potentially increase the amount of bacteria. So the question arises, how can the manufacturers make the 99.9 percent claim? How Can Manufacturers Make the 99.9 Percent Claim? The manufacturers of the products test the products on bacteria-tainted inanimate surfaces, hence they are able to derive the claims of 99.9 percent of bacteria killed. If the products were fully tested on hands, there would no doubt be different results. Since there is inherent complexity in the human hand, testing hands would definitely be more difficult. Using surfaces with controlled variables is an easier way to obtain some type of consistency in the results. But, as we are all aware, everyday life is not as consistent. Hand Sanitizer vs. Hand Soap and Water Interestingly enough, the Food and Drug Administration, in regards to regulations concerning proper procedures for food services, recommends that hand sanitizers not be used in place of hand soap and water but only as an adjunct. Likewise, Almanza recommends that to properly sanitize the hands, soap and water should be used during hand washing. A hand sanitizer can not and should not take the place of proper cleansing procedures with soap and water. Hand sanitizers can be a useful alternative when the option of using soap and water is not available. An alcohol-based sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol should be used to ensure that germs are killed. Since hand sanitizers dont remove dirt and oils on hands, it is best to wipe your hands with a towel or napkin before applying the sanitizer. What About Antibacterial Soaps? Research on the use of consumer antibacterial soaps has shown that plain soaps are just as effective as antibacterial soaps in reducing bacteria related illnesses. In fact, using consumer antibacterial soap products may increase bacterial resistance to antibiotics in some bacteria. These conclusions only apply to consumer antibacterial soaps and not to those used in hospitals or other clinical areas. Other studies suggest that ultra-clean environments and the persistent use of antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers may inhibit proper immune system development in children. This is because inflammatory systems require greater exposure to common germs for proper development. In September 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the marketing of over-the-counter antibacterial products that contain several ingredients including triclosan and triclocarban. Triclosan in antibacterial soaps and other products has been linked to the development of certain diseases. More on Hand Sanitizers vs. Soap and Water Hand Sanitizers No Substitute for Soap and Water - Purdue NewsTop Five Reasons to Wash Your Hands

Implementation of Balance Score Card (BSC) Essay

Implementation of Balance Score Card (BSC) - Essay Example Balance Score Card (BSC) is a framework for measuring performance on strategic level and accounts both financial and non financial measures (Banker, Chang, and Pizzini. 2011). BSC, since introduced by Kaplan and Norton in the early 1990s, has been adopted by large number of organizations. It is called BSC as it attempts to balance between short and long term goals while maintaining balance between financial and non financial variable (Kalpan, 2010). Proponents of BSC claim that it has many beneficial features that makes it preferred choice; such as connecting vision with strategy and activities down the hierarchy; cause and effect relationship of performance drivers with outcome etc (Chavan, 2009). Other feature that makes it most advocated is the fact of providing performance measurement and goal oriented guidance by combining variables or perspectives (2GC Limited, 2011). With agreement on benefits BSC offers to organization, fact remains that due benefit from BSC can only be avail ed based on appropriate and well thought implementation and there has been considerable debate on the implementation of BSC. This paper is also aimed to investigate and analyze success or failure of BSC that can be attributed to the appropriate implementation. Followed by introduction is the literature review of past academic studies done in the selected domain. Research methodology contains information related to method adopted to address the selected question. Analysis section provides analysis of the case studies selected to address the aim of this research. Finally, conclusion provides response to the question based on evidence collected in analysis section. LITERATURE REVIEW There is immense literature available on the BSC from various perspectives. This section will draw some relevant literature to BSC, its implementation with its proponents and critics. The section will also draw references related to implementation phase and cause implementation failure. Variation in studies are present that discussed increase in the adoption BSC due to the benefits it offers while others revealed firm’s decision of not adopting BSC due to less benefit it offers in proportion to the efforts required to implement it (Cardinaels, Paula, and Veen-Dirks. 2010). BSC has also undergone critical evaluation of assumptions on which it is built; such as managers’ capacity to link strategy to operational matrices in different departments and levels and issues related to designing BSC related to the respective organization etc (Geuser, Mooraj, and Oyon. 2009). Hence, discussion from various perspectives to explore possible deviation (Neely, 2005) while each aspect, directly or indirectly, referred to the factors that lead or hamper successful implementation of BSC. PEA, for instance, suggested complete procedure to develop balance score card to meet the challenges posed by other performance measurement in procurement organizations. It provided detailed guidance for a ll four perspectives including customer, financial, internal business processes and learning and growth perspective. It was also aimed to develop a model that allows comparability among various organizations along with providing a comprehensive performance measurement system (as given in image below (Procurement Executives’ Association, 2000). Hence, BSC shall be devised with adaptability to the nature and size of the firm (Rompho, 2011). Richardson (2004) provided six elements to be employed for the successful implementation of balance score card. These six elements include: first, development of strategy; second, involvement of strategic management and feedback from other management level of the new strategy; third, development of balance score card and its vision while both being aligned with vision of organization; fourth, implementation of balance score card performance measurement systems all around the organization and each level; fifth, communicating and educating the objective of BSC to employees and lastly

Organisational Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example From this research it is clear that most of the modern organisations are essentially multi-tasked and multi-faceted. There are numerous theories on contemporary organisations. However, the common factors that are noted in all the theories are the importance of external environment and its influence upon the organisation, the significance of strategic planning and top managerial decision making, the requirement of workers cooperation, the importance of technology and resource dependence among others. The discovery of the human relation theory in management is linked to George Elton Mayo. The theory focuses upon the individuality of each human being. It can be stated that the worker has his own attitude, ways and beliefs and he tends to inculcate this in his workplace. According to scientific management theory which has been prepared by Frederick W. Taylor, managers are supposed to observe and evaluate each aspect of the task in order to identify the most economical way of allocating t he process into general operations. It has been observed by Frederick W. Taylor that all the individuals in this world are not created equal and therefore it is significant to provide them adequate training in order to alter the differences in the behaviour and the performance. The classical management theory was floated by Henry Fayol. He tried to monitor workplace processes and therefore categorized to be into rational and descriptive, possessing broad applications and importance. The numerous workplace processes upon which he paid due attention are division of work, hierarchy, unity of command, discipline, unity of direction, chain of command, order and stability of tenure among others (Montana & Charnov, 2008). Systems Theory It can be mentioned that the systems theory of organisational behaviour embraces various key components to the parameters of the field replicating the evolutionary process of the time. This theory has numerous characteristics which need to be noted. The con temporary organisation tends to obtain inputs from the external environment, change inputs into outputs and therefore return them back to the society. When there is constant interaction with the environment, organisations learn and try to adapt themselves with the environment (McCrie, 2006). Contingency Theory Contingency Theory is almost similar to the systems theory and therefore states that it is the environmental situation that demonstrates the structural and functional perspectives of the organisation. It further tries to mention that in order to respond to the contingencies of the environment there is requirement of numerous organizational forms. Contingency theory can be summarized as the ways of organizing activities that relies upon the characteristics of the environment to which the organisation must have some linkage (Farazmand, 2002). It can be observed that the evolution of the management theory tries to reflect how there has been significant modifications in the enviro nmental conditions as well as in organizational and managerial practices. In order to assist the modern managers