Wednesday, July 31, 2019

How Does Tourism Affect Hong Kong?

In this piece of coursework, I will keep a diary of primary and secondary data and analyze them so that it can explain to me the circumstances which Hong Kong tourism is facing and how it can be improved in the future. It also explains the advantages and disadvantages which tourism brings to Hong Kong. How I did it? What information was needed? In my piece of coursework, I will use a mixture of primary data such as questionnaires for tourists which I have designed and secondary data such as cuttings from newspaper and magazines. The questionnaire which I designed was used at hot tourist attractions in Hong Kong such as the Peak, Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, Stanley and the Star Ferry. My questionnaire was designed to get an impression of Hong Kong from a tourist's point of view. The secondary data such as newspaper and internet articles which I collected explains to me the current state of tourism in Hong Kong. How does tourism affect Hong Kong economically? Tourism is one of the biggest industries in Hong Kong. In fact from research, Hong Kong is one of the most popular single destinations for tourists in the world. Hong Kong relies very heavily on tourism. Without tourism there wouldn't be Hong Kong. Each year, Hong Kong brings in more than 10 million tourists. However, there are both advantages and disadvantages of the large tourism industry in Hong Kong. Social Costs and Benefits Firstly, tourism brings to Hong Kong both private costs benefits, as well as social costs benefits. Private costs are costs paid by economic decision makers. Private benefit is benefit received by economic decision makers. Social costs and social benefits are costs and benefits associated with the society. * Private Benefit + External Benefit = Social Benefit * Private Cost + External Cost = Social Cost You can read also Classifications of Restaurants This Social Cost and Benefit graph clearly shows the system of tourism. The private cost of tourism is the money spent by the government or private sectors to lure more tourists into Hong Kong. This could mean building more landmarks and tourist attractions or improving the surrounding environment. On the other hand, private benefit is when bringing in more tourists, a higher level of employment level could be achieved as the companies would be much more likely co hire more labour to improve the company's service and efficiency to make more money from the tourists. The external cost of tourism is resulted from the usage of Hong Kong's land to produce landmarks to attract coming tourists. External cost of tourism also includes environment damage or loss of greenery. The external benefits of tourism is when the local companies improves their services in order to attract tourists, there would be a higher standard of living for the local residents. The opportunity cost of the tourism industry is the next best alternative. If land is not used up to create build landmarks for tourists, the next best more might be to build better schools for improved education. For the society, the total benefit is the private benefit + external benefit, or in other words the social benefit. Only when the social benefit exceeds pass social cost will the tourism industry be beneficial to Hong Kong. Therefore, the role of both the government and private sectors is to decide to produce the right amount of services to make the tourism industry beneficial to Hong Kong. Circular Flow of Income A circular flow of income could be suited to the tourism industry. In a circular flow of income diagram, it shows the flow of money around the economy as it as passed between consumers and producers over time. The withdrawals from an economy is the money which is paid for goods and services what are produced within the economy such as tax and savings. Injections are the government expenditures, investments or exports. Sometimes in the short term, withdrawals might exceed injection, however if the injection in the long run is more than that of withdrawals, there will be economic growth. National Income The tourism industry plays a large role in contributing to the national income of Hong Kong. It is researched that a tourist is more likely to spend more money during their holiday weeks than any other week of the year. Therefore when tourists visit Hong Kong, they tend to spend a large proportion of their savings all in the particular visit to Hong Kong. The income from the tourism industry is mainly contributed by hotels, restaurants, amusement parks, shopping, and tourist attractions. From research, in the year 2001, each tourist visiting Hong Kong spent an average of $4532HKD. This extra spending from tourists leads to a total addition to the GDP of Hong Kong. It also leads to more income by both private and public sectors. As more income is made by private sectors, the government would therefore tend to collect more tax revenue. They can use this money to spend of schools and colleges, hospitals, roads and many other services which would benefit us all. When the National Income per capita exceeds the number from the previous year, we say there is economic growth. Economic Growth Hong Kong, like any other economies grows from booms and suffers from slumps. But in the long term the economy continues to grow. During a boom, the standards of living are high because the unemployment level is low meaning everyone has a job to earn money. More money means more spending to satisfy people's needs and wants. However during a boom, there is also a high inflation rate and a high deficit for the balance of payment. In a slump, or in other words a recession, the standards of living are low because of a high unemployment level. Less people are hired for services meaning less people have money to spend for satisfying their needs and wants. But on the other hand, the inflation level is low and there is also a low deficit for balance of payment. As you probably know, the impact of SARS on Hong Kong tourism industry has been greatly damaging. During the SARS period, Hong Kong headed into a slump, in other words a recession. When a recession occurs, there are many negative effects to the economy. For example, the standard of living might drop, demand for goods might decrease, high unemployment level, deflation and much more. From the graph below, it clearly shows that during April 2003 to July 2003, the average visitor arrival has dropped magnificently from a monthly average of 1,347,386 to 493,666. This was due to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Because the tourists were tried their best to avoid nearing not only Hong Kong but the Asian region as well where SARS was most devastating, there was a huge decrease in the tourism industry in the South East Asian Region. A lot less income was received by the local firms from tourists coming into Hong Kong. Even if tourists were to visit Hong Kong, they stayed for much shorter periods. However, the tourism industry as shown from below has begun to bounce back earlier than many expected. Attractions offered to Overseas Visitors Hong Kong has known to be â€Å"The City of Life†. But has Hong Kong lived to its reputation? Are tourists who visit Hong Kong satisfied by the attractions which Hong Kong has to offer? According to the primary data which I collected from my surveys at different tourist points. I have found out that most tourists like to visit attractions such as The Peak, Stanley and the Big Buddha located on Lantau Island. These are the three most popular attractions in Hong Kong. However, the list goes on. Whether it's the museums, great restaurants or the exciting nightlife, the Hong Kong tourism association tries their best to guarantee to offer a tourist an unforgettable experience. Tourist Attractions – Hong Kong provides fun-filled experiences for tourists. The top tourist attractions include: * The Peak Tower- The peak tower is definitely the place for tourists to visit if they want to take an overview of the magnificent infrastructures of Hong Kong. The Peak Tower has a wide range of restaurants and food outlets plus novelty shops where visitors can get a souvenir to preserve their memories of their exciting experience. A good idea of reaching The Peak Tower could be taking a ride on the Peak Tram where on the way up, a good overview of Hong Kong could be captured. * Stanley Market – The Stanley Market is one of Hong Kong's most popular destinations for overseas visitors. It fulfills a tourist's day with both fun-filled shopping and relaxation. The Stanley Market is an open-aired market where souvenirs could be bought at a bargainable price. * The Big Buddha – The Big Buddha is located on one of the out lying islands in Lantau. The Big Buddha statue weighs more than 220 tonnes and sits 24.6 meters high opposite the Po Lin Monetary on the hillside of Ngong Ping in Lantau Island. * Ocean Park – Ocean Park is the one and only joint zoo and amusement park in Hong Kong. Located in the southern part of Hong Kong, the Park exceeds more than 200 acre of land. Ocean Park provides a mixed experience of education and fun. Built in 1977, it was primarily to promote animal preservation in Hong Kong. Very soon, it became very popular with both tourists and local residents developing into an amusement park. Overtime, the park has been renovated and updated with the top entertainment facilities. Shopping – Hong Kong has grown into the reputation for a shopping paradise. The shopping malls such as Times Square and Pacific Place provide tourists with famous designer labels at a reasonable price. On the other hand the open-air market places such as Stanley and Temple Street gives tourists a taste of the cultural life in Hong Kong as well as providing memorable souvenirs which could be bought at a low price. Cuisine – The international city of Hong Kong provides tourists with a rich variety of cuisines ranging from Asian dishes to Western buffets. You name it, Hong Kong has it. Restaurants are located everywhere in Hong Kong. * Lan Kwai Fong – Lan Kwai Fong is a very popular destination among incoming tourists as it provides many western style restaurants along with bars and nightclubs. * Jumbo Floating Restaurant – The Jumbo Restaurant is the world's largest floating restaurant. At anytime, the ship can hold up to 3200 customers and employed with more than 300 staff members. At the Jumbo Restaurant, tourists have a chance to try the sea-food of which local residents would normally eat. Neighboring Cities – The neighboring cities of Hong Kong, including Macau and Shenzhen adds to a tourist's to-do list during their visit to Hong Kong. Tourists can take advantage of the convenient transportation to and from these cities. What needs to be improved and how can this be done? What is being done already and how successful has it been? Although Hong Kong already has sufficient top tourist attractions, in order for them to lure tourists into come again, many things have to be done and improved. For example, improve the quality of the provided attractions or even to build new landmarks. In the past few years, the Hong Kong Government has planned to develop five major tourism clusters in the territory with a view to enhancing the attractiveness of Hong Kong as a premier tourist destination. The five tourism clusters cover a wide range of projects, which are at various stages of development. A number of enhancement projects are being carried out to give a facelift to the existing popular tourist areas including the Central and Western District, Sai Kung waterfront and Lei Yue Mun. Other improvement schemes coming on stream include those at the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, Stanley waterfront and the Peak. Visitor signage is being installed in all 18 districts to make Hong Kong more tourists friendly. A number of major projects are also under way. Phase 1 of Hong Kong Disneyland, Tung Chung Cable Car and Hong Kong Wetland Park are all scheduled for completion in 2005. To enrich the heritage tourism products, the Government has awarded to the private sector the development right to restore and convert the former Marine Police Headquarters (MPHQ) compound into a tourism-themed development. Planning work is being conducted for the development of the south-east Kowloon tourism node, the integrated arts, cultural and entertainment district at West Kowloon Reclamation and the preservation and conservation of the Central Police Station, Victoria Prison and the former Central Magistracy compound into a heritage-themed development. The Hong Kong Government is also working with the Ocean Park in the strategic development plan of the park, which will form the basis for the development plan of the Aberdeen Harbour tourism node. Also taking forward a Harbour Lighting Plan to enhance the night vista of Victoria Harbour with the use of modern, energy efficient technology. The promotion of tourism is not simply about construction of new facilities. The Government has not lost sight of the fact that Hong Kong's traditions, offering visitors a fascinating insight into Hong Kong and Chinese history by providing museums and other The HKTB also offers a culture and lifestyle experience program called Cultural Kaleidoscope, enabling visitors to try out tai chi and kung fu, or appreciate the arts of Cantonese opera, Chinese tea preparation, Chinese antiques and feng shui. With the building of the World's third Disney theme park outside the United States, millions of people are sure to want to have a taste of the action. Tourists who have visited Hong Kong once already would probably come back again to visit this new theme park. This project would surely attract more overseas tourists to transit to Hong Kong. Mr. Donald Tsang, the financial secretary spoke of the many benefits to Hong Kong's economy from this Disneyland project. He describes the project as an infrastructure investment and he said it would cause returns not only for the government, â€Å"but for ordinary people who are operating restaurants in Hong Kong. Our hotels will benefit. Our tourist industry will benefit. Our airlines will benefit. And all the retail shops will benefit as a result of more tourists coming to Hong Kong†. The construction of the new Disney Land will definitely bring more tourists into Hong Kong by 2005. Although the Park is mainly aimed at mainland Chinese tourists rather than western tourists, mainland Chinese tourists already make up more than 85% of the total visiting tourist. The Hong Kong Government has also planned many campaigns recently after the SARS period to boost its economy. The campaigns included the Hong Kong Super Draw and the Harbour Fest. Through August and September, the Hong Kong government held a Super Draw campaign to encourage spending within both local residents and tourists. The draw allows a chance to prizes totaling up to $15 million. To enter the super draw, participants must spend at least $100 in three different areas; dining, shopping and transport. For each $100 they spend, they will be given a stamp. A collection of all three stamps will be eligible to enter the super draw. The second campaign which the government held after the SARS crisis was Harbour Fest. The Harbour Fest is music festival featuring both International and Local pop stars. The aim was to attract tourists to visit Hong Kong to watch this fantastic music festival. It also tries to prove to people that Hong Kong is now SARs free and would rise again to be one of the top international tourist destinations. On July 27th 2003, the Hong Kong Stadium hosted a football match between the top class English Premiere League team Liverpool and the Hong Kong National Football Team. Following this event, the less than 2 weeks later, it again hosted another football match against the even more famous Real Madrid as the Government-sponsored mega-events of the Relaunch Hong Kong campaign. The Hong Kong Government has raised all these campaigns to prove that Hong Kong is now SARs free and is capable of hosting international mega events. Conclusion In conclusion, the government has done a great job trying to boost its tourism industry especially after the SARS epidemics. In the meantime, it has raised many campaigns and promoted Hong Kong's tourism in various ways. As most Hong Kong's economist predicted, the tourism industry in Hong Kong will hopefully bounce back to its original state by the end of 2003.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Analysis of Newspaper Research Report Results Essay

A study recently published in the San Jose Mercury News suggests the parents of obese children do not perceive their children as obese. An analysis of this study, its methods, and its findings is an important exercise in understanding the meaning and relevance of all research. The ability to read research critically and understand how it was generated allows us to identify possible design flaws or to realize the validity of its conclusions and make appropriate use of the data. The study was conducted through an internet research firm for the University of Michigan. Its goal was to determine the percentage of parents who realized their children are obese and to compare it to the percentage of parents that do not realize their children are obese. The participants were selected by simple random sampling and were considered a representative sample of American parents. The sample included 2060 respondents (Runk, 2007). The data appeared to be collected through internet surveys. The study was observational and measured continuous data sets including the height, weight, age, and gender of the participant’s children (Bennett, Briggs, & Triola, 2003). A body mass index greater than or equal to the 95th percentile in comparison to children the same age and gender was the criteria used for obesity in this study. The data from these children was then compared the national percentage of children considered obese by the same standards. Qualitative data pertaining to whether or not the parents thought their children were â€Å"slightly overweight, very overweight, or about right† was also collected (Runk, 2007). Although it was not specifically stated, I hypothesize the children studied were broken down into bins by age and gender. The first bin comprised of obese girls six to 11 years old and the second bin obese boys six to11 years old. For the 12 to 17 year old group the first bin included obese girls 12 to 17 years old and the second bin included obese boys 12 to 17 years old. I further hypothesize the parents of children in each group were binned according to their response to the qualitative assessment of their child’s weight. For each age group the first bin included parents who answered †Ã‚  very overweight,† the second bin included parents who answered â€Å"slightly overweight,† and the third bin included parents who answered â€Å"about normal† (Bennett, Briggs, & Triola, 2003). The findings in the six to 11 year old group revealed 15% of the children in this age group met the criteria for obesity. This finding was not significantly different from the national figure which reports 17% of all children in the United States are obese by the standard of this study. Thirteen percent of the parents of obese children in this age group categorized their children as â€Å"very overweight,† 37% classified their children as â€Å"slightly overweight,† and 43% reported their children were about right† (Runk, 2007). The findings in the 12 to 17 year old group revealed 10% of children in this age group met the criteria for obesity. This finding is significantly lower than the national figure for obese children. Thirty one percent of the parents of obese children in this age group reported their children as being â€Å"very overweight,† 56% reported their children as â€Å"slightly overweight,† and 11% reported their children were â€Å"about right† (Runk, 2007). Researchers concluded both age groups under reported the incidence and severity of obesity when compared to the national statistic stating 17% of all children meet the criteria for obesity outlined in this study (Runk, 2007). I agree the severity of obesity was greatly under reported in both groups. However, I disagree with the assertion the incidence of obesity was under reported in the six to 11 year old group. I believe the difference between 15% and 17% could easily be a coincidence. It may also have resulted because the internet was used to collect data and poor children are more likely to be obese and less likely to have internet access (Vieweg, Johnston, Fernandez & Pandurangi, 2007). I do agree that obesity seemed to be considerably under reported in the 12 to 17 year old group. A statistically significant difference (about 7%) occurred between that age groups 10% incidence and the 17% national incidence of childhood obesity (Runk, 2007). Such a large difference is unlikely to be a coincidence and supports the theory that obesity was under reported in this age group or  confounding was present (Bennett, Briggs, & Triola, 2003). Critical analysis of this data reveals many strengths and a few significant weaknesses in the design and implementation of this study. The goal is clearly stated, to determine the percentage of parents who realized their children are obese and to compare it to the percentage of parents that do not realize their children are obese. This goal was clearly accomplished for all the study participants. The source of the study is the University of Michigan which can be considered a reliable, neutral source. The sampling is sufficiently large, but whether or not it is representative of childhood obesity in this country is questionable. A serious problem with the sample exists as a result of using the internet as the setting. High proportions of obese children are socioeconomically disadvantaged and may not have internet access. The internet setting is likely to account for the apparent under reporting of obese children noted in this study and as such is a probable source of confounding. The criterion for obesity is well defined and could be easily measured in all the subjects, but I remain concerned a significant portion of obese children may have been inadvertently omitted from consideration. In the end, however, I find there is a strong practical use for this data. Healthcare providers are made conscious of the fact that the parents are, more often than not, genuinely unaware their child is obese. This data supports the decision to open a dialogue with parents and offer teaching about the dangers and prevention of childhood obesity the clear course of action. References: Bennett, J., Briggs, W., & Triola, M. (2003). Statistical Reasoning for EverydayLife, Second Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Addison Wesley. RetrievedDecember 5, 2007, from University of Phoenix rEsource HCS 438. Runk, D. (2007, December 24). Parents don’t realize their kids are fat. MercuryNews (San Jose). Retrieved December 28, 2007, fromhttp://www.mercurynews.com/healthandscience/ci_7799918?nclick_check=1. Vieweg, V., Johnston, Fernandez, A., & Pandurangi. A. (2007). Correlation between high risk obesity groups and low socioeconomic status in school children. Southern Medical Association. Retrieved January 12, 2008, from University of Phoenix library [EBSCOhost].

Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface

Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 1/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface by Karen D. King, RDH, MHeD and Dr. Rosalee Seymour, Associate Professor, EdD, RN Abstract This report presents the results of a usability evaluation of the Web design interfac e for an instructional unit prototype on Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers. Usability is defin ed as the measure of a product’s potential to accomplish the goals of its users (Dumas, 1999). The unit and the Web interface were designed to deliver instruction to undergraduate dental hygien e students.The three randomly selected users/subjects for this evaluation were from an undergrad uate class of dental hygiene students. This report describes the usability evaluation planning, im plementation, data analysis methods, and results. The results demonstrate that conducting usabilit y evaluations help to determine the organization and ease of navigation of an interactive, Web- base d, instructional unit. Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface Computers are used to educate, in many instances, with conventional interfaces that i nclude those used to create documents and manipulate data.A Web interface, which was tested in t his case, is very different from a conventional one. The Web is a domain that must be instantly u sable and support many communication modalities. Web designers must focus on the computer user whose goal is to gather information rather than to create documents or manipulate data (Raj ani & Rosenberg, 1999). It is critical that the accomplishment of the users’ goals be the primary objective o f a usability evaluation (UE) of Web site interface design.Users will not be able to access correc t pages unless the constructed site reflects their needs and contains a navigation scheme that allow s easy access to the desired information (Nielsen, 2000a). In Web interface designs the properties of color, sound, navigation, and place ment must be considered from a different perspective than with c onventional interfaces. Usability evaluation purposes. The faculty of the Department of Dental Hygiene, where this evaluation was conducted developed an oral pathology course for undergraduate student s in dental hygiene and wanted to deliver it via a Web design interface.The instructional unit o n Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers is the prototype for nine instructional units to follow. It was anticipated that conducting a UE, on the prototype instructional unit Web interface, would enable identification of any usability issues or problems relevant to this Web interface before the constru ction of subsequent instructional units. In keeping with Rajani and Rosenberg (1999), the primary purposes of this UE were agr eed upon as: 1) to determine if the Web-based Herpes Simplex and Apthous ulcer prototype is easy t o navigate 13/3/2013 0:50Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 2/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm and meets the goals of undergraduate dental hygiene students, 2) to use any identifie d problems to revise this unit, 3) to make recommendations on the construction of additional units based on this prototype, 4) to save faculty time, and 5) to insure students’ goals will be met in t he Web interface format. The Literature Usability evaluations include a range of methods for identifying how users actually i nteract with a prototype or completed Web site. Planning of a UE egins with a statement of the ove rall purpose and objectives for the investigation and a clear identification of the problem (Hom, 1999; Instone, 1999). In a typical approach a UE is conducted while users perform tasks and a modera tor watches, listens, and records for later data analyzes and reporting of results (Fichter, 2000) . The next steps are the identification of the subject/users and the design of the study. Graham (2000) describes many ways to get feedback about the usability of a Web site. Gra ham (2000) recommends that a moderator observe a user representing the site’s target audi ence as they navigate the site.Graham (2000) cautions moderators against the interruption of the subject/user while conducting any observations. Nielsen (2000a) also recommends that the user/subj ects be representative of the target audience and not colleagues or others who may know too m uch about the site. Nielsen (2000a) recommends that user/subjects perform specific tasks durin g a UE as opposed to asking them to just play on the test site. These test tasks need to be re presentative of the types of tasks that users will actually perform on the Web site within the Web in terface being tested.Nielsen (2000a) suggests that the moderator solicit comments from users as they progr ess through to task completion to help determine their thought process. Hom (2000) refers to thi s encouragement of user comments during the evaluation as the ‘think aloud protocol’. H om (2000) des cribes this technique as one in which the user verbalizes any thoughts, feelings, and/or opinions while interacting with the test site. The inclusion of the ‘think aloud protocol’ all ows the moderator to qualitatively measure how the user approaches the Web interface and what consideratio ns they keep in mind when using it.For example, a user verbalizing that the sequence of steps, d ictated by a task, is different from what was expected, could demonstrate an interface problem (Ho m, 2000). Hom (2000) recommends using the qualitative ‘think aloud method’ in conjunction with performance measures. The performance measures add to the data collected noting such things as: 1 ) the time it takes for a user to complete a task, 2) the number and type of errors per task, 3) the number of users completing a task successfully, and 4) the satisfaction of the user with the si te (Nielsen, 2000a).After determining the study design and identification of the users, Spool et al. (199 9) in agreement with Nielsen recommend development of specific tasks for users to perform during the UE. In addition to a task list, Hom (1999) advocates during the planning phase of UE that on e specify materials needed and the site evaluation environment. Rubin (1994) agrees that the U E process needs test users from the target population to evaluate the degree to which a product meets specific 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface /12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm criteria. Rubin (1994) describes six basic elements of a UE: 1) a clear statement of the problem and/or evaluation objectives, 2) a sample of users, which may/may not be randomly cho sen, 3) a setting representative of the actual work environment, 4) observation of users who either use or review a representation of the product, 5) a collection of quantitative performance and qualitative preferences measures, and 6) an analysis leading to recommendation for design of the product evaluated.When analyzing data from having conducted a UE, rather than supporting hypotheses one is looking for patterns to identify common problems, in the remarks or observations, between use rs (Dumas, 1999; Hom, 1999). Performance data is statistically analyzed while qualitative data, collected by observing the user’s actions and opinions, is analyzed for trends. The data analysis results should lead to identification of strengths and recommendations for improving the site or pro duct (Nielsen, 2000a; Spool, et al. 1999; Hom, 1999; Dumas, 1999). Usability Evaluation: The Case This UE was conducted because usability problems, within any prototype, are important to discover prior to the costly, time consuming, construction of a web interface for additional i nstructional units. The specific purpose of this UE was to determine if the Web interface presented the H erpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcer prototype interactive educational unit in a way that allowed underg raduate dental hygiene students to successfully achieve unit outcomes.Specific objectives for this usability evaluation were to determine: 1) navigational and/or organizational problems with the Web interface, 2) the presence of any confusing term inology in the site, 3) if the site meets the goals of the user, 4) if the users can complete the as signed tasks, and 5) user’s attitudes toward the Web site. Methods A description of the UE environment, user selection criteria and profiles, usability evaluation process, the task list, and evaluation measures for this study follow. Usability evaluation environment. The UE took place in the moderator’s private campus office.This is a quiet, well-lit room with a comfortable temperature, equipped with a Dell computer workstation, which was used for the evaluation. A sign reading â€Å"Usability Evaluation in Session. Please Do Not Disturb† was posted on the closed office door to prevent interruptions and distractio ns. The UEs were co nducted on July 2, 2001, at 1:00 p. m. , 2:00 p. m. , and 3:00 p. m. Subject/users interacted with the Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers Web interface one at a time. Each subject /user had 20 minutes to complete the usability evaluation. Subjectuser selection and profile.Three randomly selected undergraduate dental hygi ene students, from a target population of 24 (class of 2002), became subjectusers. All 24 students will be required to take the oral pathology courses including the instructional units reflect ing the results of this UE. Alphabetical order by user’s last name determined the order of subjectuser participation. In order to be selected the subject/users must have met the following criteria: 1) be an undergraduate 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 4/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm ental hygiene student, 2) have successfully completed one academic year of the Denta l Hygiene Program, 3) have previous experience with the Internet, and 4) have previous experien ce with Web browsers The demographic characteristics of the users for this evaluation were that: 1) they all were female, 2) ages 25, 22, and 43, 3) all had successfully completed on e academic year in the Dental Hygiene Program, 4) all had previous experience with the Internet, and 5) all had between 1 and 3 years experience with Web browsers. Administration protocol. Prior to the UE a training packet and session of 30 minutes were provided to each subjectuser.The training session included a brief description of the UE proce ss, purpose and objectives, and the UE protocol instructions. Each subject/user was given an opportun ity to review the packet and ask any questions before agreeing, by signing a consent form, to be a voluntary participant. The UE packet included: 1) a user profile questionnaire, 2) a task list , 3) a statement of the purposes of the evaluation, 4) evaluation instructions, and 5) a consent form. Prior to each actual UE every subjec tuser was again given a 10-minute review of the UE instructions and opportunity to ask questions.Subjects/users were told it would take one hour to complete the entire UE process; 20 minutes to complete the task list. According to Nielsen (2000a) , a UE time of 30 minutes or less is adequate to conduct a UE. An additional 15 minutes allowed time for the user to verbalize about the Web interface and to complete a follow up questionnaire to de termine their attitude towards the Web interface. The remaining 15 minutes of the hour the moderat or used to review notes of comments and observations and to make corrections so that no misunder standing would occur later in interpreting results.Shneiderman (1998) suggests the moderator rewrite UE notes as soon as possible, reducing moderator errors in note interpretation later. The subjectusers were required to use the’ think aloud method’ (Hom, 2000) to provid e subjective data in conjunction with the collection of various perfo rmance measures. The performa nce measures included: 1) the time it took the user to complete the task list; 2) the number of er rors per task, 3) the number of users completing the task list successfully in the allotted time, and 4 ) the attitude of the user toward the Web interface.In addition, the moderator collected qualitative data by observing each user during completion of each task and taking notes regarding their f acial expressions, opinions expressed, and verbalized thoughts while completing UE. The mo derator made notes on the opinions and thoughts of the user following UE. Finally, the subje ctusers completed a questionnaire to describe their attitudes about the Web interface. Implementation Piloting the UE administration protocol.A Department of Dental Hygiene professor, fa miliar with the Internet, Web browsers, and oral pathology pilot tested the UE administration protoco l one week prior to testing subjectusers. The moderator provided the pilot test user with the s ame pre UE instructions and task list that would be given to subject/users. The pilot test resul ted in no problems with the UE administration protocol. The moderator observed the pilot test subject/us er and collected the same quantitative and qualitative data that was to be collected from th e research 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 5/12 http://ojni. rg/602/usability. htm subjectusers. The results of the pilot test showed that the UE protocol could be use d with subject/users without revision. Pre-training for UE. At 12:30 p. m. July 2, 2001, the subjectusers arrived for the pr e UE training session. The moderator distributed the UE packet and described the purpose and proce dures of the UE. The users were given an opportunity to review the UE packet and to ask questions . Each of the three subjectusers signed consent forms before leaving the pre UE training. Administration of UE. Each of the three subject/users arrived at the moderator’s offi ce for the UE.The moderator reviewed the evaluation instructions and gave time for any additional q uestions to be answered. The following sequence of events occurred for the three users, each: a) beg an the UE , 2) completed the task list, 3) responded to questions about the evaluation experience, 4 ) added thoughts or opinions regarding interaction with the Web interface, and 5) left the mo derator’s office in 45 minutes each. The administrator used the remaining 15 minutes of each of the t hree hours to rewrite portions of notes taken during observation in preparation for the UE report o f results.Task list and description. The tasks were identified using the purposes and objective s of the UE. The task list includes 10 primary tasks for subjectusers to perform in navigation of the Website interface for the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers prototype. The task list beginning wi th accessing the Website via the interface and progressing through the instructional unit follows. Because many of the 10 primary tasks were repeated the actual count of performing tasks is 31. Task 1 – with the browser open go to www. etsu. edu/cpah/dental/dcte760.This task was chosen to determine if users, indicating they had between 1 and 3 years experience with a Web b rowser, would have a problem accessing a Web site when given only a Web address without a dir ect link. Task 2 – read the instructions on the first page of the Web site and click on the lin k that it directs you to go to first. This task was to determine the clarity of the Web interface in p roviding instructions for beginning the instructional unit. Task 3 – click on Assignment 1 Task 4 – access the discussion forum and enter your name and email address.This task helped determine the Web interface design, by allowing for observing if users had difficulty locating the discussion forum area and/or entering information into it. Task 5 – When done in discussion forum, re turn to Assignment 1. This task will ident ify if users have difficulty returning to the designated page using the Web interface. Task 6 – Click on Assignment 2 Task 7 – Read the content on Apthous Ulcers. This task requires users to read content on a Web page on the site. Task 8 – Click on the images on this page to enlarge them. This task determines the e ase of click navigation to enlarge thumbnail images. 3/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 6/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Task 9 – Return to Assignment 2. This task determined if users could navigate the We b interface via a link taking them back to a designated page in the Web site. Task 10 – Answer the study questions in Assignment 2. The study questions direct the user through a series of multiple-choice items in a linear fashion. Correct responses allow the u ser to continue to the next question while incorrect responses require the user to go back to the que sti on and make another attempt to answer.Users cannot go to the next question until the previous q uestion is answered correctly. This task requires navigating through a series of questions with the potential for going back and forth if an answer is wrong. This task determined if users could succe ssfully navigate the Web interface to the study questions Task 11 – When the study questions are all answered, return to Assignment 2. This tas k again measures their ability to use the Web interface to return to a designated page in the Web site. Task 12 – Click Assignment 3. Task 13 – Read the entire case 2 Herpes Simplex.Again, users are required to read c ontent on the Web site but they must use the Web interface design to do it successfully. Task 14 – When you have finished reading Case 2, return to Assignment 3. This task de termined if users could navigate the Web interface to a case study contained within the instructi onal unit and return to a designat ed page in the Web site. Task 15 – Click on Assignment 4. Task 16 – Go to Case 1. Task 17 – Fill in the diagnosis form. This task required students to locate a case, fill in case study information obtained from previous exercises.This task measures the Web interface’s ease of navigation using forms to complete information. Task 18 – Submit the Form. This task demonstrates if the Web interface allows for ea sy form submission upon completion. Task 19 – Return to Assignment 4. User must complete a form by diagnosing the case s tudy patient in this assignment. This task determined if users could easily navigate the case stud y, fill in the appropriate form fields, submit the form, and return to the designated page in the We b site. Task 20 – Click on Assignment 5. Task 21 – Go to the reflection form.This task demonstrates if the Web interface all ows users to navigate to the reflection form. Task 22 – Write your reflections on the unit on the form. A form to reflect on the in structional unit is required for assignment 5. This task demonstrates if users will be able, through thi s Web interface, to make text entries in the appropriate form fields in the reflection form. 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 7/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Task 23 – Submit the form. The task determined if users could navigate the Web inter face to send the completed reflection form electronically.Task 24 – Return to Assignment 5. Determines if users via the Web interface, can eas ily return to a designated page in the Web site. Task 25 – Go to the course evaluation survey. An evaluation form is included in this instructional unit to determine student attitudes and satisfaction levels with the instructional un it. This task measures if the Web interface allows the user to easily locate a survey on the site. Task 26 – Complete the course evaluation survey. This task determined if users using the Web interface, could easily navigate a form to reply to the questions. Task 27 – Submit the survey.This task measures whether the Web interface allows use rs to easily submit form information electronically. Task 28 – Return to Assignment 5. This task measures the Web interface as it allows u ses to return to designated pages in the Web site with ease. Task 29 – Go to the discussion forum. This task determined if the users could open t he forum and is a test of the Web interface design and its ease of promoting discussion. Task 30 – Make a forum entry indicating that you have finished the usability evaluati on. This task measures the Web interface design’s success with entering comments into a discussion forum.Task 31 – Return to Assignment 5. This task measures the Web interface designs succ ess with returning users to designated pages in the Web site. (N=31 navigational tasks) Non-task performance measur es. Following Nielsen, (2000a) subjectusers were asked t o use the ‘think aloud method’ in conjunction with performance measures. The quantitative measu res to be evaluated included the: 1) amount of time to complete the task list, 2) number of err ors per task, 3) number of users completing the task list successfully in the allotted time, and 4) at titude of users toward the Web interface.In addition to the quantitative measures, the administrato r collected qualitative data during and after the usability evaluation by each user. This UE was designed to measure the ease of undergraduate dental hygiene student user s navigation through the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers instructional unit prot otype Web interface. Although all task completion or non completion allowed for tests of the in terface, the following three questions focus more directly on navigation of the prototype Web inte rface: Do all the navigational links in this Web site work correctly?Is the or ganization of this Web site consistent? Is there any confusing terminology regarding navigation and organization on this Web site? Results The success or failure on each task performed as well as the qualitative data collect ed from the 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 8/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm post-test interview and the post-test questionnaire are reported. Because the tasks in the UE were short, the quantitative data collected was based on the entire task list and not on each task independently. Users had adequate time to complete the enti re task list.There were 31Website interface navigation tasks completed by three subject/users with a total of seven navigation errors. 1. User #1 took 20 minutes to successfully complete the task list with one Web i nterface navigation error. 2. User #2 took 18 minutes to successfully complete the task list with three Web interface navigation errors. 3. User #3 took 19 minutes to successfully complete the task list with three Web interface navigation errors Task 1 –Users #1 and #2 completed task #1 easily and were able to successfully open t he designated Web site without Web interface navigation error.User #3 entered the Web site address in the search line of the Web browser, an error message was returned by the browser, and then the user entered the Web site address in the address line of the browser and was able to successfully access the home page of the instructional unit via the Web site interface. In this c ase the navigational error relates to lack of knowledge about where to type in a Web address in a Web browser. Task 2 – Read the instructions on the first page of the Web site and click on the lin k that your are directed to go to first.User #1 asked, â€Å"Do I make the decision myself to go to assi gnment 1 or to the course syllabus? † The administrator did not answer this question as the instruct ions on the Web page indicated the first link. Th is error, while not significant since both links ta ke the student to the appropriate Web page to begin the instructional unit as well as the usability evaluat ion, could add user frustration to the mix. Users #2 and #3 use the Web site interface on the first page of the Web site to readily access the needed location.Task 3, 4, and 5 – Click on Assignment 1 and enter your name and email address in the discussion forum. When this task is complete, return to Assignment 1. User #1 was unable to re adily use the Web interface to access the discussion forum. This user consistently scrolled to the bottom of any page before making any choices about where to go next. This scrolling is not consider ed an error in the prototype but could indicate that the Web interface design needs revision to stop this behavior. Once the discussion forum was accessed, this user asked, â€Å"Is this where I go to post my name? The administrator did answer in the affirmative and the user continued with the task. Upon completion of the discussion forum entry user #1 could not navigate back to the desig nated page. The administrator finally intervened and instructed the user to use the â€Å"back† button on the browser. The user then looked for the â€Å"back key† on the keyboard. Further instructi on from the administrator got the user back on task. When user #2 realized that the task involved a discussion forum, the user indicated n o previous 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 9/12 ttp://ojni. org/602/usability. htm experience with discussion forums of any type. Her response was â€Å"Am I being timed, b ecause here is the first problem? † The administrator reassured the user that there is as much ti me as needed to perform the task. Upon submission of the discussion forum entry, user #2 chose the â€Å" back† button on the browser quickly. User #3 got to the discussion forum easily, but then asked, â€Å"Am I the subject? † The administrator informed the user that the responses in the form fields did not matter and that any i nformation could be entered in any field.Upon submission of the form entries, user #3 used the â€Å"back† button on the browser but indicated that she thought only one click of the â€Å"back† button was sufficient. All users successfully completed the task. The Web interface design was not the culprit in these task struggles. Tasks 6, 7, 8, and 9 – Click on Assignment 2. Read the content on Apthous Ulcers. Cl ick on the images to enlarge the view. Return to Assignment 2. Users #1 and #3 did not click o n the images to view a larger version of the image. Both disregarded this portion of the task com pletely.Perhaps the images were large enough for them. User #2 opened the larger view of the images a nd returned to the designated page in the Web site indicating no problem with the Web interface d esign in the area of enlarging images. All users returne d to the designated page in the Web site, but only one user completed the entire task successfully. Tasks 10 and 11 – Answer the study questions in Assignment 2. When the study questio ns are all answered, return to Assignment 2. All users navigated through the study questions ea sily.User #1 expressed embarrassment, because the administrator of the UE is also a faculty member in the Department of Dental Hygiene, and the user did not want the administrator to know if the answers to the study questions were incorrect. The administrator reminded user #1 that the an swers to the questions were not the purpose of this evaluation. The Web site was being evaluated n ot the knowledge of the user. User #1 continued to navigate through the study questions, but indicated distress any time she chose an incorrect response to a study question.It is assumed this frustration related to having to go back and continue to answer until the answer was correct befo re going on. User #2 quickly re alized that the links chosen by user #1 were a different color. Sin ce all users participated in the UE on the same computer, the visited hyperlinks were apparent. U ser #2 easily navigated the questions with much less distress about incorrect responses, because sh e realized that her peers had chosen incorrectly as well. User #3 also noticed the visited hyperlinks and navigated the questions without incident.However, user #3 had a problem choosing answers beca use the hyperlink was on only one letter, the user had trouble positioning the mouse pointer exactly over the single letter link. The user clicked several times before realizing that the link ar ea was very small. This indicates an area of the Web interface design that needs improvement. All users successfully completed these tasks. Tasks 12, 13, and 14 – Click on Assignment 3. Read Case 2. When you have finished re turn to Assignment 3. Users #1 and #3 quickly read the case and returned to the designated We b page.Use r #2 appeared to have accidentally clicked the wrong link and could not locate Cas e 2. The administrator provided instruction because the user seemed frustrated. After the user located the correct page, there was no problem completing the task. Here it is hard to distingui sh if this is a 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 10/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Web interface design error or not. Tasks 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 – Click on Assignment 4. Fill in the form. Submit the form. Return to Assignment 4. This was the first form in the Web site.User #1 began with â€Å"OK, what is this? † The user had never filled in a form and submitted it through a Web site. Users #2 and #3 both accessed and filled in the required information in the form fields and returned to the designa ted Web page easily. User #1 took more time, but successfully completed the task. Tasks 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 – Click on Assignment 5. Go to the reflection fo rm. Fill in the form. Submit the form. Return to Assignment 5. This was the second experience with the Web interface using a form. All three users accessed, filled in the form, and submitted the form wi thout a problem.Task 25, 26, 27, and 28 – Go to the course evaluation survey. Complete the course eva luation survey. Submit the survey. Return to Assignment 5. Users #1 and #2 had difficulty loc ating the survey link on the page. Once the survey evaluation link was located, no user had any difficulty completing the task. User #3 completed the task easily, but after submission of the form, the user clicked on the â€Å"back† button to return to the designated Web page in the site. As use r #3 clicked on the â€Å"back† button she said, â€Å"Is it erasing the form information if I am going back wi th the back button? The moderator assured her the action of the â€Å"back† button would not erase fo rm input after submission. Task 29, 30, and 31 – Go to the Discussion Forum. Make a forum entry indicating that you have finished the UE. Return to Assignment 5. By task 31, all users were familiar with th e site and had no trouble navigating the discussion forum and returning to the designated page in the W eb site. Upon completion of the task list, each user had the opportunity to comment on the Web site and offer suggestions and opinions. The following were offered:User #1 indicated that she would be more comfortable if the administrator had not bee n watching her progress. She indicated being watched so closely made her very nervous and she th ought the site would have been much easier to navigate on her own. She indicated that she like d the set up of the Web interface and asked if there were going to be other sites like this for her u se in the dental hygiene curriculum. User #2 indicated that she liked the site and thought it was easy to use. User #3 lik ed the site and would like similar sites for other topics in the dental hygiene curriculum.She indi cated that she did not like using the ‘back button’ after all the forms. All three users expressed nervo usness about being watched by the administrator. Discussion A sample of three users completed this UE. Nielsen (2000b) indicates that three to f ive participants in a UE are adequate. Usability problems were identified in some part of nine of the ten primary tasks on the task list. In addition, some of the problems as told by the users, rela ted to: 1) the administrator present during the UE was also a professor in the Department of Dental Hygiene in 3/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 11/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm which the user is a student, 2) the evaluation was conducted during the summer school session, and 3) all users were also students in the administrator’s class. Users reported being mo re nervous about the site content in the presence of this administrator. In future UE studies th e us ability administrator should be a neutral observer The questionnaire completed by the users following the usability evaluation demonstra ted user satisfaction with the site.Shneiderman (1998) suggests users should give their subje ctive impressions of the Web interface. All but one of the responses indicated that the us ers were satisfied with the site’s navigation and organization. The users indicated that the t erminology used in the site was clear, they were able to complete the assigned tasks easily, the site me t their needs, and the users liked the appearance of the site. The only responses not scored as sati sfactory were related to using the â€Å"back button†. Overall, all three users indicated the ease of na vigating the Web site interface was satisfactory. RecommendationsIt is evident from the results of this UE that Web-based interfaces for instructional delivery should be evaluated for usability problems. Corrections, suggested by the results, to the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers instructional unit prototype and Web interface should be made and the site re-tested before continuing development of the remaining nine courses in the oral pat hology Web-based instructional unit series. The usability evaluation of the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers Web-based inst ructional unit prototype resulted in the following recommendations for improvement to the Web site n avigation and organization. . This may be one time when the use of standard link colors should be violated. Students using the same computer to complete an instructional unit would be able to discern the answ ers chosen by the student previously using the computer. Changes in the Web interface design for te sts so that the link color does not change when a user chooses a particular response is recommended. 2. When assigning form submissions, provide a link to take the user back to the designated page in the Web site. The users in this UE did not like using the brow ser’s â€Å"back† button after completing the forms nor following entries to the discussion forum.The Web site interface desig n will be changed so the confirmation pages following discussion forum postings and submission of forms will take the user back to the page accessed immediately prior to the form or discussion f orum. 3. The hyperlinks for the answers to study questions were not large enough. Cli cking on a one letter link made users have a hard time identifying the link. This Web site interfac e design will be corrected so that the entire cell in which the letter choices are located will be the hyperlink. ConclusionsThe UE conducted on the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers instructional unit pro totype Web design interface proved to be a successful method for the determination of usability problems in a 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 12/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Web-based instructional delivery method. The users identified usability problems with the Web interface as well as with their own skill or lack of skill with using any browser. Re commendations for revision have been identified by the researcher and will be implemented. Authors NoteShould anyone wish to examine the Website and review the Herpes Simplex and Apthous U lcer instructional unit prototype it can be accessed at http://www. etsu. edu/cpah/dental/dcte760/. References Dumas, J. , & Redish, J. (1999). A Practical Guide to Usability Testing. Portland: In tellect Books. Fichter, D. (2000). Usability Testing Up Front. Online, 24 (1), 79-84. Graham, J. (2000). Usability Testing Basics. INT Media Group. Retrieved June 30, 2 001, from the World Wide Web: http://clickz. com/print. jsp? article=2053. Hom, J. (1999). The Usability Testing Toolbox.Retrieved June 10, 2001, from the Wo rld Wide Web: http://www. best. com/~jthom/usability. Instone, I. (1999). User Test Your Web Site: An Introduction to Usability Testing. Retrieved July 1, 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://instone. org/keith/howtotest/introduction. html. Nielsen, J. (2000a). Designing Web Usability. Indianapolis: New Riders Publishing. Nielsen, J. (2000b). Why You Only Need to Test with 5 Users. Jakob Nielsen’s Alertb ox. Retrieved June 12, 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://www. useit. com/alertbox/20000319. html. Rajani, R. , & Rosenberg, D. (1999).Usable? Or Not? Factors Affecting the Usability of Web Sites. CMC Magazine. Retrieved June 23, 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://www. december . com /cmc/mag/1999/jan/rakros. html. Rubin, J. (1994). Handbook of Usability Testing. New York: Wiley. Shneiderman, B. (1998). Designing the User Interface. Strategies for Effective Huma n-Computer Interaction. Third Edition. Reading: Addison-Wesley. Spool, J. , Scanlon, T. , Schroeder, W. , Snyder, C. , & DeAngelo, T. (1999). Web Site U sability: A Designer’s Guide. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, Inc. 13/3/2013 0:50

Monday, July 29, 2019

Health Promotion for Early Years Practitioners Essay

Health Promotion for Early Years Practitioners - Essay Example ..It is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources as well as physical capabilities (Health Promotion glossary, WHO, 1998). In the 1948 Constitution, WHO further declares that enjoying good health is the basic fundamental right of an individual, and the state must necessarily take measures to fulfil its obligation to this end. In context to child health WHO points out that â€Å"Healthy development of the child is of basic importance†, as good health during the formative years forms the foundation for a healthy adulthood. The state must make available to all its citizens the basic resources for medical, psychological well being and all relevant information that aims to achieve good health; and here there must not be any distinctions, based on â€Å"race, religion, political belief, economic, or social condition.† However in this context it must be mentioned that health is not only an obligation solely on the state; but there must also be an active coop eration and informed opinion based feedback from the general public that would help the state to function even more effectively. â€Å"Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health† (Health Promotion glossary, WHO, 1998). Health promotion is an ongoing process that reflects the social and political conditions pertinent to health conditions within a country. Promotions are not only aimed at improving individual health but are directed towards transforming the entire social-economic and the physical environmental conditions, so that is an overall improvement in the life qualities of the society as a whole. There are various socioeconomic factors of health, based on the economic and social conditions of different countries. WHO delineates the general factors that are necessary for achieving good health and these are: sufficient economic resources, adequate food and shelter, stable eco-system, sustainable natural resource s and their appropriate use., and in the process highlights the important yet complex links that exist between an individual’s socio-economic conditions, his physical environment, his lifestyle, and his health. A UK team of researchers identified the socioeconomic factors of health as: social/class gradient, social support, social exclusion, early life, work, joblessness, stress, food, transport, and addiction (Marmot and  Wilkinson, 2005). On the other hand, we find that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  identifies socioeconomic factors of health as, social status, housing, transport, easy access to various services, bias on the basis of gender/ race/ or social standing, and various stressors (environmental or social) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). Models and approaches to health promotion: There are various models and approaches to the health promotion plans seen in different countries worldwide. Such variations are owing to the var ying socioeconomic factors that are seen worldwide that makes it necessary for each country to adopt a health promotion plan that is made suitable for its social, cultural and economic conditions. In this context we will examine some of the well known approaches to health promotions, commonly seen in practice worldwide. In the Ottawa Charter WHO identifies three basic approaches

Sunday, July 28, 2019

The Strategic Position of Apple Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

The Strategic Position of Apple - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the major objective of the Apple Company has been to add a new phase of technology to the era. Apple is ranked as third in terms of producing mobile phones in a global context. The company also sells various sorts of third-party compatible products that include iPad, iPod and iPhone comprising accessories and software via retail outlets or online stores. The company thereafter sells its products to the customers as well as big or small business houses. The company has been identified to generate annual revenue of about US$ 182 billion. Moreover, the company supplies applications through App Store, iBooks Store, and iTunes Store among others. In order to enlarge and expand the business capacity, the company continued to invent as well as deliver new products with innovative specifications. Recently, Apple has launched a new handset i.e. Apple iPhone 6 or 6+ in the market with different innovative features. Apple iPhone 6 is power efficien t with HD quality display. The company provides a high quality of electronic products with efficiency. The phone undertakes certain features such as fast and unmatched wireless technology and superior quality of Wi-Fi. It gets connected to every network widely. All these factors enabled in fast accessing of iPhone 6. Apple’s strategy to enlarge its business goal is unmatched. The company develops as well as enhances its designs in relation to hardware and operating systems, application of software to add new and exclusive electronic items and accessories among others. Moreover, the factors provided the customers to utilize the products with an ease. The applications, as well as the advanced techniques present in the smartphone of the company, are identified as safe in terms of utility. This criterion attracts the customers towards the iPhones that the company has launched.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

How far does the development of children s theory of mind contribute Essay

How far does the development of children s theory of mind contribute to their ability to manage emotions - Essay Example Many branches of psychology do exist but our major concern here is the branch called developmental psychology. When one talks of developmental psychology, he is referring to the systematic study of the psychological changes that occur in humans as they grow and throughout their entire life span. At its inception, the field of developmental psychology targeted mainly infants and children. However, with time, the field has evolved to embrace the adolescents, adults, aging and the entire life span to be precise. The changes studied under developmental psychology range from motor skills to psycho-physiological concerns. Similarly, cognitive changes especially skills such as problem solving, ethical and moral perceptions are also considered (Louw, 2003). Other developmental areas considered include but are not limited to emotional development, conceptual understanding, self-image formation (basically called self-concept) and identity formation. It is important to note that developmental p sychology is concerned with growth as per the gradual accumulation of knowledge and mostly considers individual stages of development such as infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, late adulthood and aging. Each developmental stage has its psychological developments analyzed, compared to the general norm and hence identify anomalies in development. This paper seeks to explain how the development of children’s theory of mind contributes to their ability to manage emotions (Richardson, 2000). The distinction of the age range within each stage of development or within a single stage say childhood or adolescence varies from one community to another. These distinctions are not fixed and they vary greatly depending on the culture and the social orientation of the society doing the distinction. For instance, the age at which an individual is seen as a juvenile varies from one state to another and therefore it is automatic that the age of at which one converts to an adult

Friday, July 26, 2019

Environmental Case Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Environmental Case Analysis - Essay Example The individuals in effect make up the society and hence have to decide what they want to do with their resources but the ultimate decision maker is the government who has to look after the environmental as well as economical side of each decision. The society's concern is to increase their welfare from the amount of resources that they have and the government has to take the decision with economic viability in mind, the case points out that the only way to strike a balance between the two is to have a free market economic system in place which will balance the amount of resources that need to be put in to reduce pollution and those that need to be employed else where. The major economic concepts in the case are of opportunity costs and cost benefit analysis, these concepts are the binding factors for the environmental and economic side of the argument. The analysis can be divided into two portions: the scientific point of view and the ethical point of view, talking of the scientific point of view the first thing that is to be understood is that all things that are achievable in a laboratory are not achievable in the world outside it for example clean water only exists in laboratories and not outside them. But who is to decide what clean is What is clean for some one is not clean for some one else and hence there is no agreement. ... extent does it have to be curbed Should it be cut off from its roots Should it be allowed to remain at a level These are the questions that have to be answered by the scientific side of the issue. When we speak of science, inevitably we have to speak of economics because it is economics that shows us the way to have a cost effective method of curbing pollution. Such methods and processes should be introduced, which tend to minimize maximum amount of pollution using the minimum amount of resources available. The first thing to understand is that there are a limited number of resources that every community has on its disposal and it has to decide how and where to use these resources, hence not all the resources can be used to curb pollution because then the community will have nothing to eat, wear and will have no shelter over their heads. On the other hand if none of the resources are used to curb pollution then pollution would become a major issue for that community. Hence this shows that we have to strike the right balance, that is, the right decision in the right area at the right time. As stated in the case, the right balance can only be achieved if there is a free market economy in place. A free market economy is one where every individual seeks to attain his or her goals in any suitable way he or she wants without any specific restriction or restraints and hence increase his or her satisfaction. By doing this they increase the over all utility of the community and hence in a free market economic system there is a negligible role of the government. Adam smith, the father of economics, said the free market economy operates as if an invisible hand guides each and every individual to attain their goals, and keeps on shifting the economy to the right equilibrium

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Written Evaluation of the Research Articles Article

Written Evaluation of the Research Articles - Article Example In order to address all listed points, the author uses qualitative research. In the first part of the paper, Waldron implements such research method as literature review for the representation of existed studies regarding the main statement. During the second part of the study, the author uses data analysis and triangulation for showing research results to the readers. Waldron interviews twenty six participants via Skype, phone and e-mail offering carefully elaborated questionnaires. In addition, the author conducts face-to-face interviews with four teachers and analyzes online data through forum posts, digital videos and discussion platforms. The main subjects of descriptive analysis are two online music communities such as the Online Academy of Irish Traditional Music (OAIM) and the Banjo Hangout. The author represents detailed characteristics of both sites. Juxtaposing chosen subjects with each other, it has been found out that despite the fact that they have different ideological approaches of the work, the influence of user-generated content and Web 2.0 on both of them is practically the same. The research provided in the article is relevant and makes sense in the conditions of quickly developing technologies that currently we live in. The author chooses appropriate research methods and offers available for comprehension interpretations of study results so that it is easy to conclude that the statement and the purposes of research have been achieved. The article provides valuable findings asserting that participatory culture and such tools like YouTube do not substitute traditional music learning classes but mostly are used to supplement the study activities (Waldron, 2013). There are examples of teachers testimonials and tips that can be very useful for other tutors. Hence, all interviewed teachers stated that they had to modify their teaching approaches because of digital video usage. Their sharing of experience may

Evaluation of Apple Store Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Evaluation of Apple Store - Assignment Example This makes the reader interested to know the various items found in the apple store. The article has described apple commodities as those which as combined with technology and are easy to use. By touching on the issue of technology most readers, both young and old will like to know more about the commodity because the world is technology oriented. Â  The article has used amazing pictures for advertising apple commodities. Readers are likely to have the first-hand experience and understand the commodities found in an apple store. The article has also explained how the commodities are used and in case of difficulties, they have illustrated how to get a solution to the problem. The language applied to this piece of writing is simple and easy to understand since it explains everything in details. A subdivision in subtopics prepares the reader for what he is reading under the subtopic. Â  The article has used bright colors in its pictures that are appealing. This makes a reader interested to read on what is being offered in the apple store. It is one strategy for advertising apple products. The background of the picture is also bright; hence, readers do not have to strain while reading the article. Pictures are large enough to pass the intended message clearly (Apple store, Pp 8). The pictures are put at the center for customers get a clear illustration of apple commodities. Â  The article has done a tremendous job of explaining how apple commodities work. They have clearly illustrated to the reader how an individual makes a movie through the iPhones. This is captivating to teenage readers since they are interested in this kind of staff. This is a strategy of catching the attention of a larger population (Apple store, Pp 9). The article has used a technique where pictures change constantly to show the diversity of the apple store commodity.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

The Significant Level of Success of Marks and Spencer Stores Research Paper

The Significant Level of Success of Marks and Spencer Stores - Research Paper Example In viewing the resources of the company, it is important to determine the assets that Marks and Spencer have at present. Although the data only provides consolidated assets, it is sufficient to define the capacity of the company to improve its performance. Overall, the assets of the company are higher than the total liabilities. The net assets of the company have increased from 2005 to 2006. This shows that the company continues to acquire resources that are vital for the company. The figures may its entirety, but the impact in the food retail sector is expected to be felt (Marks and Spencer, 2006). One significant observation that can be made is that the company has a wide range of quality food sources. This is in references to the responsible food sourcing that the company adopts. The supplies of the company are considered as one of its valuable resources. Because of its outstanding food production materials, the quality of the finished products has improved. Boosting the food with the finest inputs allow the company to effectively satisfy the needs of the consumers. Subsequently, quality sources also make the company more cost-effective. Another important resource of the company is its identity. This is established through the brand name of Marks and Spencer. Despite some criticisms, the brand has gained the distinction of being the most trusted retailer in the UK. Over the years, the brand name has been embraced in different areas of the world. The credibility of the company is one of its intangible resources that deserved to be recognised.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Occupational Therapist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Occupational Therapist - Essay Example Education: The child has lower participation levels in education, especially school activities, with a reduced academic achievement plus attention. Thus, he is at a higher threat of experiencing learning difficulties since his aversive-evasion sensory behaviors produces lower grades in most of his school function, like spelling, reading, or writing. Social participation: His loneliness and social dissatisfaction can be attributed to his deficits in physical coordination. His minimal physical skill or coordination has exposed him to increased social isolation, particularly in natural environments like school playground Minimal participation in school tasks and this can be due to his developmental delays and aversive-avoidance behaviors. In particular, his poor hand preference is a result of loss of his cognitive functions, along with gross and fine motor deficits (Poulsen, Ziviani, Cuskelly, & Smith, 2007). Child is from culturally and linguistically diverse family, and the family is reluctant to have their son identified as having autism. Family feels that their son has been cursed and they lack confidence to discern what questions to ask. The child speaks repetitively while avoiding eye contact, and displaying hyperactivity behaviors, like self-injurious behaviour. The boy has recurrent negative outbursts coupled with odd comments plus crying fits. He lacks social skills along with social cognition notable by his lack of emotion recognition, such as facial recognition or gestures. He also lacks interest or rendezvous with others, and he has not developed normal relationships with his peers due to difficulty in discerning others perspectives. He experiences temper tantrums with aggression, when there are adjustments in daily routine and environment. He has major problems when processing time and does not perform well when the instructions are not accessible within the movement setting. Even though he has weak

Monday, July 22, 2019

Great Advertisement Essay Example for Free

Great Advertisement Essay When you think about advertisements you don’t realize what’s within, Weasel words. Weasel words are just a tricky skill used by the advertisers. People who try to persuade you into buying their product are using a trick mask they hope you don’t see. While thinking of how to develop this essay I found a great advertisement that relates a Wrinkle-free lotion to be exact. I looked at it and I was surprised to see how fake it looked, and how desperate they were. Also how badly they wanted for the audience to buy it. They used weasel words in all of the advertisement; it was basically covered with it. An example is â€Å"less wrinkles in only sixty minutes†. The â€Å"Less wrinkles† statement doesn’t actually tell you that all your wrinkles are going to go away it may be only some or maybe just one. â€Å"Sixty minutes† statement is another weasel word because that’s basically what people like to hear and say â€Å"wow this really works†. Plus the pictures has a big role in all this, It shows a before and after picture. That’s how they try to get our attention away from the actual meaning. The whole advertisement is misleading. Why? It gives a wrong impression. It says less wrinkles not every wrinkle will disappear, which is what the viewers have in mind that all the wrinkles will go away. Another misleading fact is that it says sixty minutes. Well what about if you leave it on for sixty minutes but it still hasn’t worked enough so you leave it longer but you think â€Å"Oh it’s just 10 minutes more†. They impress the viewer with the sixty minutes when that is not even realistic or possible maybe with a surgery you can have less wrinkles in some hours not with a lotion. Also the viewer doesn’t know what is in the lotion they just put it on because on the advertisement it says it works. The viewer may be putting something on their skin that can damage it permanently. To make it even better they add an image that tricks the viewer. Well first of all, it looks like two different people. The image which is the lady with wrinkles is an older woman. The other lady has no wrinkles at all and is young like in her twenties and in the bottom it has a caption that says â€Å"I’m wrinkle less†. Another strategy is they go towards a certain audience. The audience is mostly for women in their thirty’s and up. When seeing an advertisement you don’t realize that beneath it theirs tricks used by the advertiser. Many products can trick us with images or emotionally. Especially when its something that people want. Just remember how advertisers twist words to make us think one thing when its another, that’s because they know weasel words.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Challenges Facing Facilities Management Departments Construction Essay

Challenges Facing Facilities Management Departments Construction Essay Within the coming years Facilities Management Departments (FMD) are going to be faced with a number of challenges and they will be expected to do a lot more with so much less. These challenges are mainly due, to the ever expanding business sector; this expansion has seen the emergence of new buildings taking place at much faster rate, than the refurbishment or demolition of other predated structures. But this is just the tip of the ice burger, as there are other pertinent issues facing the FMD such as: The rapid pace of change, changing technology, building automation, security issues, sustainability, aging buildings, geographic barriers, cultural differences and Environmental factors such as changing regulatory environments, rapid population growth and continued limitation of energy resources (IMFA 2007). So the need for the FMD to incorporate new technology, that utilizes Renewable Energy Sources to produce energy, and reduce the impact that aged buildings in particular are having on the environment is a high priority. The majority of these issues currently facing the FMD are not new, in fact they have been around for a long time, but have escalated over time, due to increased human activities. This is an exciting time to be a facility management professional. Although facility management professionals will face more challenges than ever before, they have greater opportunity to add value for their customers through efficient management and improved technology.'(IFMA 2007) INTRODUCTION Time present and time past are both perhaps contained in time future and time future contained in time past (T.S. Eliot, Burnt Norton, The Four Quartets) The aim of our FMD is to continue to provide a safe, comfortable and a well maintained working environment, for both staff and clients. By providing a full range of services which incorporates all of the latest technology currently available, these services are then executed by a an experience and well trained group of people who, are both loyal and committed to achieving all the goals set out by the financial institution. The practice of co-ordinating the physical workplace with people and work of the organization, integrating the principles of business administration, architecture and the behavioural and engineering science (Becker 1990) There are a number of new legislations and technological advancements that have emerged over the last decade, which has caused the role of the FMD to constantly evolve, thus requiring the development of both tactical and strategic methods, so that our goals can be achieved, so that we can have continued success in this technological developing world. The FMD is presently performing a number of services throughout this multi-national financial institution, such as but not limited to, maintenance, energy conservation, repairs, maintenance, security, information technology (IT), renovations, capital renewal, training, cleaning, customer services, workplace comfort, occupancy planning, business continuity planning (BCP) etc. So to properly prepare this years budget the FMD is suggesting that careful consideration be given to the following critical service areas: New legislations Energy conservation Capital renewal Workplace comfort Training Energy Conservation Climate change legislations There is a growing concern about global warming and the lasting impact its having on humanity and the environment. Due to this crisis the Global community has implemented a number of legislations geared towards the reduction of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions, two (2) of which are the Kyoto Protocol See Appendix 1 and Copenhagen Accord See Appendix 2. Older building especially consumes a lot more energy than those that were recently built; due to this they are having a significant impact on the environment. So the need to reduce our CO2 emissions by reducing our dependency on Fossil Fuels by using technology that uses Renewable Energy Sources to produce clean energy. Add a little more Buildings have a significant impact on energy use and the environment. Commercial and residential buildings use almost 40% of the primary energy and approximately 70% of the electricity in the United States (EIA 2005) Capital Renewal Replacement of outdated equipment, buildings etc. This is an important process which the FMD have already begun to implement, mainly because the buildings that we presently occupy are in excess of ten (10) years old, making both the HVAC and lighting systems inefficient and obsolete. Because of this they are the two (2) of the largest consumers of energy, simply because they are both required building components and are essential mechanisms for occupants comfort. These technological upgrades off all outdated equipment, coupled with the installation of Energy Management Control Systems (EMCS) and electrical meters, throughout our institutions, are all geared towards reducing our energy demands. This will enable us to reduce our CO2 emissions and conform to all Climate Change Legislations, with the eventual aim of reducing our overall electrical bills. Workplace Comfort Customer Services No employers would like to be on the wrong side of the law, and because of this they are obligated to ensure that the health, safety and welfare of their all employees are adhered to under Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSW which states that employers should: Providing safe equipment and working practices Ensuring safe handling, storage and transportation of goods and substances Providing information, training and supervision Providing a safe place of work with safe access and egress Providing a safe working environment and facilities So ensuring that all our staffs needs are met and taken care in a timely manner is of utmost importance. Due to the fact that our staff can be considered like a persons heart in that, they are a vital part of the institution and without them we will cease to exist. Add a little more Training This is an integral part of any institution given that technology changes on a daily basis, so every effort should be to insure that each member of staff is kept update with all of the latest technology. As is customary with all recessionary periods it does not last forever, so by keeping abreast of all advance technology, we will not only be gaining an advantage over all of our competitors, but also the advance knowledge needed for our continued sustenance when this period of economic down turn comes to an end. Add a little more Future Challenges So what does the future hold for us as a FMD will apart from being constantly referred to as the Jack of All Trades? what and where we are most liking heading in the future is best summed up by in the following: The future workplace will bring with it a number of distinct priorities. More attempts to make flexible working a reality are likely, requiring improved IT and communications infrastructures. The expansion of a 24/7 work culture will necessitate non-stop support facilities, with consequent outsourcing, contract and health and safety considerations needing to be taken into account. Public Private Partnership (PPP) and private Finance Initiative (PFI) deals and economic pressures will push facilities professionals towards more benchmarking, more cost-benefit analysis and more performance measurement. The tightening of building regulations and particularly the introduction of Part L [the manifestation of the European Unions Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD)] is having enormous ramifications for energy efficiency and the built environment. Buildings account for an estimated 40 per cent of all world resource consumption and over 40 per cent of all waste, including greenhouse gas emissions. EPBD is designed to increase the energy efficiency of all buildings by more than 20 per cent. A key point is whether anyone will want to rent or own an F-rated building instead of an A or B one. All these developments should give facilities managers a fresh impetus to making their voices heard by senior management in the times ahead. Facilities for businesses in the future will have to be more flexible and more streamlined than ever before. Managers will need to exploit growing communication opportunities and facilitate an ever-widening range of support services. Facilities managers need to become more professional and business oriented. They must develop a performance profile that is committed to the needs of their organization. Facilities managers need a variety of skills, as all organizations are different, but all should aim to gain the attention of the board and not just be visible when something goes wrong. It is one of the most challenging professions to conquer. The key point to be made, touching on an earlier comment, is that facilities managers are indeed the stewards of the built environment. (Frank Booty) Recommendations The present economic climate dictates that once this recession period is over, the FMD would more than likely take a lot longer to recover, already having to survive throughout this time by implementing both tactical and strategic methods and now having to deal with budget cuts all in the same time is quite a lot for any FMD. So before any FMD budget reductions should take place, there are a number of options open for us to consider before any final decision is made on the budget, some of which are: Why dont we look at saving instead of cutting, for instance upon completion of all the capital renewal projects which are presently on stream, a major reduction would be seen throughout all off the institutions electrical bills, but for this to happen all ongoing projects needs to be completed in as timely a manner a feasible possible. Given that most of our noncore service labour is outsourced, we should consider coming up with some sort of partnership agreement, with if not all most of our service provides so as to generate new and innovative ways of reducing our over head expenditure. So taking into consideration all of the pertinent point discussed trimming of the FMD at this time would be unwise, given that heavy fines would be imposed upon any organization / institution not conforming to the new legislations for CO2 emission reduction. Given the current economic climate we are presently facing, and having to deal with all the challenges that comes accompany an economic slowdown, and at the same time, maintaining our vision as being the premier financial choice to both our employees and prospected clients should be of concern. For this reason the following should be noted: Addressing the trends presented here-through consideration, education and preparation-will arm facility management professionals with the necessary tools required to face the challenges ahead. In stable conditions managers can plan with greater certainty and are able to identify significant and longer term issues for which they can easily prepare. However, in a prevailing climate of uncertainty and change, and with the need to respond quickly to unforeseen circumstances, managers need to develop approaches that enable them to foresee future challenges, envisage the impact on the organisations and communities in which they work and develop the strategies and competencies needed to retain an advantage. This is an opportunity for the FMD to utilize whatever little resources they currently have at their disposal, to provide their staff and customers with as wide a service range as possible so as to fulfill all their present needs.

Impact of Censorship

Impact of Censorship   Sydney Lau   What would put our freedoms in danger? The First Amendment states Congress Shall make no Law Respecting an Establishment of Religion, or prohibiting the Free Exercise Thereof, or Assemble, and to Petition the Government for a Redress of Grievances. Censorship is the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc, that are considered obscene, poetically unacceptable or a threat to security. I disagree with censorship because it will stop companies from innovating products and services that individuals would have to pay for. Also it will take our human rights away and passing the bill SOPA will take freedom of the internet away. Piracy helps companies innovate products and services that individuals would have to pay for. Software is too expensive for young, hardworking students. The next generation will have a huge impact on the economic contribution, so its important the young individuals learn the software, but how can the individual learn the software if one cannot afford it. A young graphic designer working for a local designer agency said, Software is just too expensive, Students and young professionals such as Sarah pirate software they need in order to build up their professional skills and knowledge. Having experience with certain types of software is key to landing jobs in Singapores increasingly competitive job atmosphere. (Online Piracy Is Not Harmful) A company behind some of the most pirated software programs in the world finally caught on to the piracy problem and did something ingenious. Adobe introduced monthly subscriptions at reasonable prices for students, individuals, and businesses. Now theres less of a need to pay $1,000+ on software that you subscribe to for less than $100 a month. (Online Piracy Is Not Harmful) if companies had prices for their products at a fair price then there would be no reason for customers to pirate products; Netflix is a good example of this.   Netflix: With 40 million global subscribers and growing, Netflix has succeeded despite piracy because it gives consumers what they want, TV shows movies anytime, anywhere. For one low monthly price. At least to consumers outside of Singapore anyway. (Online Piracy Is Not Harmful) Censorship will take our human rights away. There have been incidents where companies tried to make profits from Authoritarian governments by selling software and hardware. Weve seen cases where companies, products, and services were used as tools of oppression. A few years ago, the headlines were about companies turning over sensitive information about political dissidents. A company was shutting down the social networking accounts of activists in the midst of a political debate. Todays news stories are about companies selling the hardware and software of repression to authoritarian governments. When companies sell surveillance equipment to the security agency of Syria or Iran or, in past times, [Libyan dictator Muammar] Qadhafi, there can be no doubt it will be used to violate rights. (Clinton) There have been many cases where citizens in different countries that have censorship were put into detention center for expressing their opinion. In Syria, a blogger named Anas Maarawi was arrested on July 1st after demanding that President Asad to Leave. He still remains in detention. (Clinton). On top of that, censorship would leave doors open for governments to over power. Government could upend the current internet governance framework in a quest to increase their own control. Some governments use internet governance issues as a cover for publishing an agenda that would justify restating human rights apply online. (Clinton) Furthermore, passing the Bill SOPA would take our internet freedom away. SOPA will not contribute much success to stopping online fraud, but instead take away the core features of the internet. Bill is designed to address the problem of online content fraud and counterfeiting, is fundamentally flawed because it targets search engines, Internet service providers, ad and payment networks-all of which are crucial to Internet functioning (Scola).   Not only would the bill likely do little to address the problem of online content fraud and counterfeiting, but it takes aim at the core features of the Internet that have contributed a great deal to the American economy. (The Stop Online Piracy Act Threatens Internet Freedom and Does Not Protect Property Rights) Private companies would abuse power with the bill SOPA in place. that the bill gives the government and private companies unprecedented powers to remove websites on the flimsiest of grounds. The Electronic Frontier Foundation called the bill a dangerous wish list. The nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology in Washington said SOPA would cause broad collateral damage to freedom of expression and privacy. (Ingram) Hollywood and the big record labels would oppose this. These companies claim that theyre taking huge losses, and believes the Bill SOPA should be passed, but a recent study conducted by Bart Cammaerts showed that was false. Hollywood achieved record-breaking global box office revenues of $35 billion USD [US dollars] in 2012, a 6% increase over 2011. Music: Declining sales of recorded music were offset by increasing revenue from live performances and growing digital revenues, including streaming services. In 2012, some 34% of revenue globally. In addition, worldwide sales of recorded music increased in 2012 for the first time since 1999. Therefore, censorship will stop companies from innovating products and services that individuals would have to pay for, also will take our human rights away and passing the bill SOPA will take freedom of the internet away.   Piracy helps young, working, students develop new skills in the world to contribute to the economy. On top of that its also important to protect our human rights listed in the first Amendment, and lastly, placing the Bill SOPA would only take away our internet freedom by removing uniform resource locator removing (URL). By placing censorship law, those laws would take our rights away that are granted to us, lets fight to keep those!