Why Writing Matters an Example by

Why Writing Matters Abstract There are many reasons why writing is important. For one thing, it is used to record information such as in scientific papers and to spread news to the remotest region on earth as in journalism. Another purpose of writing is to convey ones opinion or views about certain issues, such as in the essays Allegory of the Cave by Plato and The Death of the Moth by Virginia Woolf. Both contain very far-reaching thoughts about life or death. In essence, writing matters when people do not want to listen to such far-reaching ideas. Need essay sample on "Why Writing Matters" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Why Writing Matters There are many reasons why writing is necessary. For one thing, it is used to record information such as in scientific papers and to spread news to the remotest region on earth as in journalism. These purposes correspond to the needs of the people. Different types of writing materials are sold in the markets to serve different purposes. Perhaps one of the important purposes of writing is its use in conveying ones opinion or views about certain issues, such as in the essays Allegory of the Cave by Plato and The Death of the Moth by Virginia Woolf. Both contain very far-reaching thoughts about life and death. Both essays are significant in their ways. Both essays shows us why writing matters. University Students Frequently Tell EssayLab writers:Who wants to write paper for me?Essay writers recommend:Follow Essaylab Writing ServiceTop Essay Writing Company Get Paid To Write Papers For Students Essay Paper Writing Service Top Essay Writing Allegory of the Cave The Allegory of the Cave, written by Plato in his book The Republic, is by far the most comprehensive and far-reaching analogy he had. Platos purpose of writing this essay may have been to promote his Theory of Forms. He used the image of prisoners inside a cave who were chained and couldnt turn their heads. All they can see was the wall of the cave where shadows were casted by the objects through a burning fire behind them. The shadows were mere representation of the real objects but since the prisoners were not able to turn their heads, they could not see the reality. Instead, they fed on those images, consider them the reality, and called them names. This idea is very new to people that they can hardly comprehend. Plato would have ended killing himself if he chose a public discourse about his views, though, he still ended this way. Writing is so powerful yet so disguised. It can contain the most powerful idea such as Platos. He had the awareness that people during his time had no reason to think of. Lucky he was able to write his ideas and used them to initiate change in the status quo. He was able to draw the attention of the people during his time by his writings. He did it by using striking images to represent the uncommon for easy comprehension. The image of the prisoners chained in the cave was one of his striking images which he also used to spread his views regarding Athenian democracy compiled in The Republic. The Death of the Moth Virginia Woolfs The Death of the Moth is an explanation of the brief life of the moth which also corresponds to the true nature of life and death. In essence, the moth represented life to her as she wrote, He [the moth] was little or nothing but life. Woolfs use of this striking image to represent life summarizes her view on life and death. The images created out of sheer observation are presented in a manner appealing to the eye. For instance, she presented the dead body of the moth in a profound way that is appealing to the senses. This makes her essay more interesting yet her view on life can be easily seen amidst the vastness of her images. The images were just there to enhance the view of the larger picture. Writing is Power Writing is a powerful tool to present ones views on just about anything that concerns human beings. In Platos Allegory of the Cave, he was able to present his Theory of Forms in a way easy to comprehend. In Woolfs The Death of the Moth, she was able to present her views on life and death in a way appealing to the senses. The power of writing can help change this world. Writing really does matter. References Plato. The allegory of the cave. In Robert Diyanni (2nd Ed.) One Hundred Great Essays, pp. 598-602. New York, NY: Penguin Academics. Woolf, V. The death of the moth. In Robert Diyanni (2nd Ed.) One Hundred Great Essays, pp. 805-808. New York, NY: Penguin Academics.

Microsoft Internet Marketing Strategies and Competitive Advantage

Microsoft Internet Marketing Strategies and Competitive Advantage Introduction Internet technology inspired a business and commerce revolution not witnessed before. Once used for military purposes, internet communication nowadays provides an important platform for business to business, and business to customer interaction. Company websites have become primary tools where potential customers source for information on particular corporate products before making the actual purchase.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Microsoft Internet Marketing Strategies and Competitive Advantage specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Besides, websites have become important cost-effective marketing platforms where businesses launch products and display crucial marketing information for the end users (Arnold, J. et al, 2011, p. 56). Despite the unmistakable advantage however, the rise of the internet and other online technologies have led to creation of security loopholes that, when maliciously explo ited, negatively exposes the concerned businesses (Garfinkel Spafford, 2002, p. 48). This discussion will focus on internet technology, marketing and security from the perspective of Microsoft, a leading US software development firm whose products like windows have become a household name. Specifically, the discussion will concentrate on description and evaluation of Microsoft’s website in terms of product information, corporate contact information, tailoring of products for customers based on their taste and provision of customer information at purchase. Additionally, there will be an analysis and evaluation of Microsoft’s privacy and security policies as well as the envisaged corporate response to a security breach. In this regard, there will be special emphasis on a security breach on the company’s website and system sometime on October this year, which caused a scare among customers and prompted a quick reaction from Microsoft’s security team. Furthe rmore, the discussion will tackle the company’s internet marketing strategies and the competitive advantage that its website offers. Finally, there will be recommendations on two tools that the author feels are necessary in the firm to ensure greater security for its customers.Advertising Looking for research paper on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Microsoft Website A corporate website is a business’s online window and a vital gateway to online business success (Catalano Smith, 2000, p. 118). While a â€Å"good† corporate website is relative, web content in any credible website must identify specific problems to which they extend solutions to customers as well as the important goals they help customers attain. Additionally, web content must establish credibility and also present a call to action that nudges the customer to take the next step in buying the product or service. In Microsoftâ⠂¬â„¢s case, the website home page conspicuously displays the tabs linking to product information. Though a bit cluttered, the respective pages provide a somewhat brief explanation of the products under software, business software and hardware and entertainment categories. The approach the company has undertaken in dispensing its product information is understandable given the large portfolio of the products they offer under every category. The layout through the product information arrangement in the pages displays a subtle acknowledgement of the size of the product portfolio hence the efforts to balance the information available. In a nutshell, Microsoft’s website offers precise product information that is necessary and enough to help a potential customer make an informed decision. On a face value, the company’s website has not given any special emphasis on the contact information. The website displays the â€Å"contact us† tab in the traditional way that is c haracteristic of most corporate and private websites. The â€Å"contact us† link however leads to a detailed page that offers e-mail, chat and telephone links through which to reach the company. The above three links further have sub links that easily enable a prospective customer to access the required information with more precision. It is necessary however, to enhance the â€Å"contact us† link on the home page in a way that enhances a â€Å"good† customer service perception.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Microsoft Internet Marketing Strategies and Competitive Advantage specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There is a concerted effort to develop products to the specific needs of customers. Given the dynamic and varying nature of corporate needs, Microsoft’s website has done well in expounding the basic meaning of products, where they suit and where they best fit. One of the stren gths the website displays concerning customization of products for customers is avoidance of blanket statements that tend to lure customers with the belief that the company can sort their software problems â€Å"no matter what they are†. Microsoft’s website lacks an online portal that will enable customers place online orders, perhaps due to the complexity and specificity of the company’s products. It is apparent that the company relies on the contact information â€Å"further assistance† and possibly for provision of customer information on purchase. As a result, there is an acute lack of customer purchase information in the website. Despite the links however, it is a strategic failure for the website not to avail such information even in the most general terms. Microsoft Internet Marketing Strategies and Competitive Advantage Initially, Microsoft’s resources and innovation helped it to enjoy some sort of monopoly status in internet and software d evelopment market. However, the company nowadays is facing stiff completion from counterfeits and other rising companies such as Google and Apple (Boone Kurtz, 2011, p. 175). The company has in place a marketing strategy that places emphasis on internet marketing. Some of the internet strategies include, collaboration with social networking sites especially aimed at promoting its search engine Bing, placing ads in rival search engines and promoting offers through their main website (Beyazitoglu, 2010, p. 98). While the above strategies are likely to pay dividends, they are part of the traditional internet marketing strategies whose effectiveness is likely to face limitation. However, social networking sites are yet to give their full potential in terms of marketing, hence it is a smart strategy which the company needs to improve and concentrate on in order to stay competitive.Advertising Looking for research paper on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to McDaniel Gitman (2008, p. 108), competitive advantage is largely based on a company’s ability to outdo competitors by doing what they do better or by doing it in a completely different way. While Microsoft’s website is up to date, it offers little competitive advantage compared to its rivals. The only competitive advantage perhaps the website provides is the fact that is offers the company’s flagship products like Windows which have almost become a necessity for all computer users. Privacy/ Security Policy and Response to Security Breach In the backdrop of increased corporate espionage, web security has become a top priority in many organizations (Mackey, 2003, p. 78). Microsoft has an elaborate privacy policy that clearly stipulates the kind of information the company collects from the website and what it uses it for. According to the policy, the company clarifies that it collects personal information with a customer’s consent, explains the uses of the personal information, gives information on how to contact it in case of any issue regarding privacy and also highlights on a customer’s choices and options concerning promotional communication from the company. Generally, the policy is comprehensive and addresses most of the concerns an average Microsoft website users would be interested in regarding privacy. It is important to note that Microsoft has one of the most elaborate cyber security systems in the corporate world (Ratliff Ballard, 2006, p. 24). Despite assurance of security of personal information in the website, an attack on the website in October this year cast doubt on the company’s ability to detect and repulse hackers out to siphon information. In the attack, hackers remotely transferred source codes from the Microsoft website by sending passwords to an external e-mail account in Russia. The attack that according to the company lasted for 12 days used the QAZ Trojan malware which gained acce ss to the company system through an employee e-mail. It is possible that Microsoft did not secure their network’s access points effectively exposing their remote access system that resulted in security breakdown. The company’s response to the breach included invitation of FBI Computer Analysis Response Team that examined the company’s PC’s and including a review of network logs whose sole aim was to detect traceable fingerprints of the intruder. Additionally, Microsoft blocked and in some cases limited access of some of its employees to its network outside their office. By this action, Microsoft prevented a return of any hacker to its network. Security Recommendations In light of the above security breach it is important that the company beefs up its virus scanning/protection as well as network access point protection. The above attack may have happened due to a breakdown of virus and access point protection systems. Logging systems also have become some of the most vulnerable security points in any network system (Bhasin, 2003, p. 67). It is also important that the company disables unused ports besides initiating close monitoring of the logging system. Conclusion Given its ability to help businesses slash costs like in the case of Dell, the internet’s potential in business and commerce is yet to reach its epitome. Besides e-commerce, there are still more innovative applications that corporations are yet to exploit. Growing global access to the internet, especially by previously unreached populations especially in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe offer a great marketing opportunity. However, the threat from illegal intrusion is also growing by the day. It is therefore prudent for corporations to invest in secure internet technologies through research and development in order to ensure safe internet transactions, while guarding against data theft. References Arnold, J. et al. (2011). Web Marketing All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies. New York: Springer Verlag. Beyazitoglu, F. (2010). Business Marketing the Case of Microsoft. New York: John Wiley Sons. Bhasin, S. (2003). Web security basics. London: Sage Publications. Boone, L.E. Kurtz, L.D. (2011). Contemporary Marketing. New York: Springer. Catalano, F. Smith, B.E. (2000). Internet marketing for dummies. NJ: Infobase Publishers. Garfinkel, S. Spafford, G. (2002). Web security, privacy and commerce. London: McGraw-Hill. Mackey, D. (2003). Web security: for network and system administrators. New York: Routledge. McDaniel, C. Gitman, L.J. (2008).The Future of Business: The Essentials. London: Cengage Learning. Ratliff, B. Ballard, J. (2006). Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2004. Chicago: Cengage Learning.

Quotations About Fun by the Famous

Quotations About Fun by the Famous Fun is a state of mind. If you have a zest for life, you will wont miss out on making the most of the  good times. Do you go through life uptight and worried and need the  inspiration to chill out? These quotes will remind you of the fun moments in your life and that the key to a good life is to have fun. Quotes From Famous People About Having Fun Katharine Hepburn If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun. Dr. Seuss Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. Albert Einstein Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Sid Caesar In between goals is a thing called life that has to be lived and enjoyed. Alfred Souza Dance as though no one is watching you; love as though you have never been hurt before, sing as though no one can hear you, live as though heaven is on earth. Bob Basso If its not fun, youre not doing it right. Walt Disney Its kind of fun to do the impossible. TS Eliot If you havent the strength to impose your own terms upon life, you must accept the terms it offers you. Randy Pausch I am going to keep having fun every day I have  left​ because there is no other way of life. You just have to decide whether you are a Tigger or an Eeyore. Albert Einstein Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves. Thomas A. Edison I never did a days work in my life. It was all fun. Woody Allen Man consists of two parts, his mind and his body, only the body has more fun. Fred Couples Golf is supposed to be fun, but I dont think anything is fun if youre not doing it reasonably well. Jerry Seinfeld The Four Levels of Comedy: Make your friends laugh, Make strangers laugh, Get paid to make strangers laugh, and Make people talk like you because its so much fun. Adam Carolla If you want to have a good life, you should focus on your family, on your business, on your dog, on your fun, and youll have a good life. Rickey Henderson Once you can accept failure, you can have fun and success. Herodotus If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it. Tom Wilson About the only time losing is more fun than winning is when youre fighting temptation. Jimmy Fallon Have fun is my message. Be silly. Youre allowed to be silly. Theres nothing wrong with it. Nancy Mitford I love children, especially when they cry, for then someone takes them away. Mark Twain Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen. James Hetfield Its all fun and games till someone loses an eye, then its just fun you cant see.

Ethical guidelines of an accountant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethical guidelines of an accountant - Essay Example The globalization of most industries means new standards of financial reporting have to be followed.In many instances,new standards had indeed been adopted by accounting bodies eager to be of help in contributing to the promotion of the interest of various stakeholders such as varied investors,government regulatory bodies and the employees who also have a stake. Because of their confusing and complex nature, one has to be a detective of sorts to be able to sort out all the information contained in financial statements.Analysis of these statements require a certain degree of skill to be able to make fair comparisons between firms operating in various countries. Admittedly, there had been several efforts to standardize all the accounting rules and practices beginning in 1973 and took more concrete form by 1998 with a creation of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).My paper deals with the ethical issues confronting most chartered accountants today. It is because the prof ession of accounting is often a murky environment with various rules and regulations subject to different interpretations. In other words, most of the rules were formed from mere opinions of authoritative bodies. As such, opinions can be subjected to challenges. Despite all the efforts at standardization, there is still a long way to go before all accountants follow the same rules and procedures. Chartered accountants can be subjected to all various pressures for them to fudge the numbers if necessary. This puts them in awkward positions of conflicts of interest.

Reasons for Selecting Joanna Eberhart as a Representative in the Film Essay

Reasons for Selecting Joanna Eberhart as a Representative in the Film Stepford Wives - Essay Example During the year 1975 when the movie Stepford Wives was first released, it was widely regarded just as one of the chilling parables about men’s fears of feminism at the same time it was considered as a tale of horror which worked as a one of the social satire on bigotry. For sure, it struck a few women’s liberationists as a ham-fisted tried to cash in on the movements. Therefore it is curious that the term ‘Stepford’ wives that have really enjoyed such a strong meaning in our culture, is rarely used during a critique of sexism. The term has usually signified the kind of feminine perfectionism that is greatly evidenced in the domestic realm, though not necessarily in the services offered by husbands.   This clearly evokes the existing critique freak rather than hopeless submission that women have over their husbands as seen in the new 2004 film. Therefore, Eberhart Joanna is chosen to clearly bring out the subject of the story to show how men transform thei r wives into some cookie-baking robots. On the other hand, another most sticking thing regarding the original Stepford Wives, both the movie and the novel is generally how children occupy a small place. The protagonist Eberhart Joanna and her husband move out of Manhattan to a suburban Connecticut partially due to the reason that schools were much better there, though there is nothing else much about that fact is made. A Stepford Wives that acts as a satire today would definitely be different from its predecessor. It would be just as less about the project of trying to perfect children like that of perfecting wives. At the same time, it would be the collaboration between the ambitious mothers and fathers who always believe so much in the meritocracy as well as doing whatever it takes in order to rig it in the attention of their own offspring’s Ivy League prospects. This would be about shameless kind of string-pulling so as to get kids into the right nursery schools.  

Functionalist Views on Religion Essay Example for Free

Functionalist Views on Religion Essay The functionalist view of religion stems from Durkheim who said that society is like the human body. He argued that that religion reinforces collective conscience that leads to a unity within society as a whole and that each member of the society is joined in solidarity, therefore it acts as glue. It does so by reinforcing social norms and values that bring the community together. It allows people to accept that society is about more than just the individual. However this can be questioned as western societies such as Britain are becoming increasingly secular. This means that they don’t believe in religion as much, and therefore how can religion act as a collective conscience. People are turning to science as a way of life, theories which head down the evolutionary approach. It suggests that the theory is out of date. Malinowski looked at the psychological function of religion. This looked at when things such as funerals and divorce occur. Religion acts as an act of hope which allows individuals to feel at ease when they are increasingly stressed out. They are brought together like a community within things like a funeral because it allows the individual to grieve but collectively with active members of the family and church/synagogue/mosque etc. At times of uncertainty and stress, religion helps people to gain control of themselves again, and community acts like funerals progress that. This is supported by the study of the Trobriand Islanders. The fisherman had a number of prayer rituals which they performed before going out to sea. They did this as a group of individuals to have a sense of a belonging to a community of fishermen. They would not perform these then they were sailing because of safety. Malinowski suggested that the threat of the open sea to them, was like a threat to the stability of their community and therefore they had to perform those prayer rituals to prevent that from happening. However Marxists would criticise this and say that actually religion teaches people social control. And actually when people have grieved at a funeral it doesn’t allow them to fully express their grief, they are socially controlled into â€Å"getting over it† which is morally wrong. Parsons agreed with Malinowski and Durkheim, but went further and suggested that religion provided answers to unanswered questions about the meaning of life, and about things like death, it also prevented anomie. He agreed that religion promotes social solidarity, and agreed that it helps in times of stress. EG during the Second World War, people began to gather together in churches as a community as a source of comfort. Bellah suggested that there were functional alternatives to religion known as â€Å"civil religion†, which brought whole countries together regardless of their faith but on behalf of a civil religion. He suggested that instead of religion facing secularisation it is facing transformation into isms such as Americanism. Uses religious images to promote national identity, EG in America having â€Å"God bless America† on coins or the Queen’s coronation in Britain. It is an act that allows the country to come together without questions of ethnicity, gender, religion etc. The functionalist theory of religion benefits wider society and the individual through marriage, bar mitzvahs, christenings, pilgrimages to Mecca/Lourdes, praying the holy books – Quran, Bible, Torah, and things like hymns. Religion helps to bring communities together and also helps individuals who may not feel wanted, welcomed into religious practices. However, contemporary examples suggest that religion doesn’t bind people together at all; in fact it allows the complete opposite. For example, in Northern Ireland there is conflict between the Catholics and the Protestants, which suggests that religion doesn’t help equality between religious groups. And as functionalism is a consensus theory it is doing the actual opposite – allowing conflict. Functionalism has been criticised because of today’s multicultural society. Theorists such as post-modernists are questioning whether religion can actually integrate a multi-faith society, where lots of small groups have different religious views. They would agree that Durkheim’s view of religion was accurate for a primitive society but not for a complex society such as today. Many other theorists have criticised functionalists and their theories about religion. Marxists would argue that religion oppresses groups of women and the poor, so how can religion benefit the individual or society. If an individual is being separated due to his/her gender and class then how can religion allow them to fit into a community when the elites would look down upon them. People recognise that Bellah’s approach of civil religion begins to overcome the problem, but again can something like Americanism be considered as a religion, especially if there is no belief in he supernatural? Some people would argue that religion is spread as a plan to spring hatred on one group of people. It benefits one group but puts down another. Today’s example would be of Pastor Terry Jones, wanting to burn the Quran. He brought about this plan to make Muslims angry, and therefore how can a group of Muslims be part of a community when someone in a position like his can provide such hatred for another religious group. It goes back to the question of integrating a multi-faith society. Granted that the church proposing this was small, but sometimes minority influence has an impact which is why it was all over the media. This provides evidence that religion isn’t able to benefit society or an individual because certain groups are always made to feel alienated, from a mainstream trend. To conclude, religion is inevitably able to help people in terms of crises, and does prevent anomie, but on the other hand it does allow for social cohesion to break down, as hatred for religious groups grow subtly in countries.

Standardized tests in Illinois Essay example -- Standardized Testing Es

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Standardized tests are administered to allow reliable and valid comparisons to be made among students taking the test. Two major types of standardized tests are currently in use; norm-referenced and criterion-referenced. A norm-referenced test is a test that has been given to representative samples of students such that norms of performance are established. Each student taking the test receives a score that can be compared to the norm or normal or sample of students. The scores are then reported in percentiles. The main purpose of these tests is to rank students along a distribution of performance. Because of this tests are likely to have items that are very difficult for the grade level so students can be ranked. A criterion-referenced test looks like a norm-referenced test but multiple choice items are used and directions are standardized. The reason these tests are administered is based upon the content that all students are expected to learn. Scores are based on the amount learned by the student and a passing score is then given. These scores are not compared to other students. Standardized tests are used to show how a student is doing. They can show if a program is working well and can show if the educators are using effective teaching methods. Schools are graded to see if there overall program is helping the student to achieve their goals. In the next paragraphs I am going to explain to you about the purpose of the American College Testing Program (ACT) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Learned helplessness is a phenomenon containing three components: contingency, cognition, and behavior. Contingency addresses the uncontrollability of the situation. Cognition refers to the attributions that people make regarding their situation or surroundings of which they are a part. Behavior allows individuals to decide whether they will give up or proceed with the obstacle set before them† (Peterson, Maier, & Seligman, 1993; Firmin, Hwang, Copella, & Clark, 2004). When a student thinks about college he must take either the ACT or the SAT test to be admitted into the college. Students have a lot of decisions to make that can be stressful. Failure is an aspect that students fear and can determine whether they will succeed in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ACT was founded in 1959. A l... ...t you are allowed to guess on the ACT and on the SAT if you are unsure you want to leave it blank because getting it wrong will give you a lower score.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you are graduating high school in 2006 and beyond there will be a new SAT test. The test will contain three sections: Math, Critical Reading, and Writing. The math section will have 44 multiple-choice questions and 10 in-grid questions. You will be allowed 70 minutes to complete this section. The critical reading section will have 67 multiple-choice questions and you will be given 70 minutes to complete. The writing section has 49 multiple-choice questions and you are given 60 minutes. You are graded on Grammar, usage, and word choice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The need, as we view it, is to develop a number of different alternative evaluation instruments and strategies that provide hard data but are not in the form of the standard paper-and pencil multiple-choice tests now being used in most testing programs. What we advocate are assessment instruments that support proven methods in the visual arts and also take advantage of all the newer imaging technology† (Medeja, Dom, & Sabol, 2004).