The Question Concerning Technology Essay

The Question Concerning Technology Essay The aim of this essay is to provide a critical analysis of the reading ‘The Question Concerning Technology’. The author argues that the most important concepts brought about by Heidegger in his critically acclaimed essay are bringing forth, gestell and challenging forth. With this background, the following sections analyses the possibilities buried in these bringing forth, and succeeds the analysis with an assessment of technology through the eyes of Heidegger. The paper is divided into several parts, with the first being a summary of the question concerning technology in simpler terms than those of the original author. The second section is a commentary that includes an understanding of the concept of bringing forth, whereas the third section is the discussion of the relevance of the Question Concerning Technology. Summary of ‘The Question Concerning Technology’ Whereas most papers written about technology normally orientate themselves towards practical issues that cloud the implementation of given technologies, Heidegger chooses to narrow his scope on the school of thought that drives technology. Heidegger (1977, p. 3) argues that humans form a certain level of friendship with technology the moment they understand this school of thought. Firstly, Heidegger dismisses the apparent attribute that technology has been accorded, which implies that it is just a means to an end, and brings to his reader an analogy of the craftsmanship. Here, his opinion is that in the ancient times, craftsmanship occurred in four distinct causes, namely, efficient, final, formal and material. From the face value, it is not unusual to consider the most important of the four causes as the efficient cause of craftsmanship. On the contrary, the craftsman understands that none of the four causes is more glorified over the other, and, as such, they are all considered equ ally during the process of meditation and artistry of uniting them together into one item. It is while at this point that Heidegger reiterates, ‘The four ways of being responsible bring something into appearance. They let it come forth into presencing’ (1977, p. 9). He further comes up with a most-befitting term for the process, which he names bringing-forth, which is not simply a descriptive genre under which the four causes are considered, but a cohesive progression, ‘a single leading-forth to which [each of the causes] is indebted’ (Lovitt, 1972, p. 46). He further notes that bringing-forth ‘comes to pass only insofar as something concealed comes into unconcealment’ (1977, p. 11). His meaning here is that, rather than the craftsman claiming that he/she has created the item of art, he/she has only just revealed that which was concealed – a point which Heidegger elaborates in ‘The Thing’ with the making of a jug. Putting his analogy into context, Heidegger argues that modern technology uses the technique of challenging forth to reveal that which is hidden. The difference between challenging forth and the prior concept is that it involves the artist invoking both a sense of order and rapacity. This is to say that, while humans were one important element of the process of production, they now assume the role of control in production during challenging forth. Another most important component of challenging forth is efficiency, which is exemplified by the by the earth being set upon to produce the most quantity of or using the least amount of effort. In essence, challenging forth alters the view with which one envisions the world because it enables one ‘to be capable of transforming a forest into packaging for cheeseburgers, man must see the forest not as a display of the miracle of life, but as raw material, pure and simple’ (Zimmerman, 1977, p. 79). In challenging forth, production process brings to light those items which otherwise would have remained standing reserve following their being reduced to disposability. Disposability here comes in two dimensions, the first of is a technical application, implying that they are arranged and ordered with ease, like logs that are made from the chaos of a forest, which are now weighed, counted, shipped and piled. The second implication is that they are disposable in the original sense of the word, like razors and diapers that are replaced without a pine of pain for they are of little value. It is not unusual for one to wonder what push humans into challenging forth, an act which in itself is not laudable for the most part. Heidegger, pondering on this line of thought, postulates that there exists a phenomenon that ‘sets upon man to order the real as standing-reserve’ (1977, p. 19). The term he uses to define this phenomenon is enframing (Ge-stell in German). ‘Ge-stell’ is a word that combines definitions from the -stellen family of German verbs, which include entrapped (nachstellen), commanded (bestellen), and ordered (bestellen) (Harries 1994, p. 229). According to Heidegger, the default state of humans is being trapped by Ge-stell; which is what he means when he notes that ‘as the one who is challenged forth in this way, man stands within the essential realm of [Ge-stell]. He can never take up a relationship to it only subsequently’ (1977, p. 24; Sallis, 1971, p. 162). For Heidegger (1997, p. 25), human beings have different ‘ordainings of destining’, the default of which is that of Ge-stell, though there is also a possibility that one might choose a different road. In his argument, Heidegger notes that a special role as been granted humans, known b the name ‘Shepherds of Being’ (Ballard, 1971, p. 60). However, within the Ge-stell trap, we have the option of revealing things by way of bringing forth, which is why Hedegger makes the comment, ‘Placed between these possibilities, man is endangered from out of destining’ (1977, p. 26). Humans then clutch the ‘saving power’, with which they realise that, being the ‘shepherds of being’, they can bring forth rather than challenge forth. This implies that, if humans understand the school of thought behind technology, they get he freedom of choosing their fate – ‘we are already sojourning in the open space of destining’ (He idegger, 1977, p. 26). Critical Commentary on ‘The Question Concerning Technology’ Bringing forth If one were to draw conclusions about Plato and Aristotle solely from Heidegger’s remarks in ‘The Question Concerning Technology’, one would think that craftsmanship was a central issue for both of these ancient thinkers. Furthermore, from the warm light in which Heidegger bathes the craftsman, one might also come to believe that Plato and Aristotle have a certain reverence for craftsmen and the process of craftsmanship. Plato and Aristotle’s attitudes toward craftsmanship, however, can (at best) be described as ambivalent. In the Politics, Aristotle remarks, ‘†¦ no man can practice excellence who is living the life of a mechanic or laborer’ (1995, 1278a20). Craftsmen and craftsmanship receive a more favorable treatment in Plato, but Plato still makes the following unfriendly remark: If an offspring of [the guardians] should be found to have a mixture of iron or bronze, they must not pity him in any way, but give him the rank appropriate to his nature and drive him out to join the craftsmen and farmers. (1997, 415bc) A more serious problem with the notion of bringing-forth concerns the idea of revealing/unconcealment. Recall Heidegger’s comment in ‘The Thing’: The jug is not a vessel because it was made; rather, the jug had to be made because it is this holding vessel. The making †¦ lets the jug come into its own. But that which in the jug’s nature is its own is never brought about by its making. (1971, p. 168). Clearly, there is some sort of Platonic pre-existence at work here- the jug, apparently, pre-exists as concealed and is revealed through the co-responsible action of the four causes. The Overall Impact of ‘The Question Concerning Technology’ In general, it remains noteworthy that most documentations on technology deal only with pieces of it. While they are valuable in that they underline the functionalities of technology and their possible future direction, they leave out a very significant dimension of technology, which then goes unnoticed. This is the way of thinking that lies behind the creation and use of technology, in which most commentators might have discovered exiting new pathways of their thinking, had they been able to wade through ‘The Question Concerning Technology’, and other works of Heidegger, some of which also relate to environmental ethics. Had there been some dignity intricate in all living things, then there would be need to give more respect to the world, and this is the case. If the world continues to undergo destruction in the hands of humans by their entrapment in challenging forth, there is need to make systematic steps of freeing people from their ideological prison. One way in which this can be achieved is altering some vital components of the education system. One big success factor for ‘The Question Concerning Technology’ is its shift away from individual components of technology towards the school of thought behind it. There, nevertheless, exists a danger in this success, which is that it may turn the focus on the school of thought that lies behind technology so much as to obscure the meaningful distinction in the world. In a remark that was originally a part of ‘The Question Concerning Technology’, but was later excised (Harries, 1994, p. 233), this danger manifests itself: Agriculture is now a motorized food industry- in essence the same as the anufacture of corpses in the gas chambers and extermination campus, the same as the blockading and starvation of nations, the same as the manufacture of hydrogen bombs. (Ferry Renaut, 1990, p. 71) (Schirmacher, 1983, p. 25) In the statement above, what Heidegger is pointing out is that concentration camps and modern agriculture are already implementing the process of challenging forth into standing reserve. Clearly, however, to say that modern agriculture and the death camps are ‘in essence the same’ obviates meaningful empirical distinctions and trivializes the significance of the extermination camps. Rorty notes, ‘Heidegger needed to see everything in our century other than its technologism as mere transitory appearance’ (1994, p. 36). Heidegger’s philosophy also fails on the account that it fails to acknowledge the benefits of technology. For instance, it would be worthy to note that lives of people are greatly improved by the presence of the hydroelectric dam across the Rhine and, as Rorty (1977, p. 302) notes, the multiplication of technology across the earth has in itself prevented large numbers of people from starving to death. Note worthily, however, despite his lack of acknowledgment for the significance of technology, Heidegger never urges humans to give it up. This leaves humans with the ultimate option of saying yes to the unavoidable use of technology, and at the same time saying no to technological confusion, and wastage would engulf and destroy our existence (1966, p. 54). This brings to mind the clichà © of having one’s cake and eating it too, which is what humans try to do when they try to conveniently say ‘yes’ to the modern technologies that make our lives so comfortable , while somehow apparently saying ‘no’ to them as well. The greatest difficulties with ‘The Question Concerning Technology’, however, are technical rather than ideological. Conclusion To conclude, it is worth noting that the ‘The Question Concerning Technology’ is a set of very important tools, namely, bringing-forth, challenging-forth to standing-reserve, and Ge-stell, all of which are very useful. As such, their proper use can unlock the keys to repairing the broken relationship that exist between the world and humans. In Republic Plato (1997) notes that ‘†¦ if it is appropriate for anyone to use falsehoods for the good of the city †¦ it is the rulers’ (398b). While others might suggest that harbingers of indoctrination (the Platonic view that serves to tell the noble, educational lie to the masses) are what precede the defence of Heidegger, having based his arguments on the grounds of usefulness. Perhaps, however, a time has come when philosophers need not apologize for advocating the noble lie; the elites have already told the people a plethora of lies, most of which are ignoble.

Analytic and Sequential Learning

Analytic and Sequential Learning An analytic person likes to learn things step-by-step, or sequentially. Sound familiar? If so, look over these characteristics to find out if these traits hit home, as well. Then you may want to capitalize on the study recommendations and improve your study skills. Are You a Sequential Learner? An analytic or sequential learner may be more likely to respond to a problem with logic first, instead of emotion.If youre a sequential learner, you may feel the need to understand each part of an algebra equation.You may be good with time management, and you probably get to school on time.You tend to remember names.Your notes may be divided and labeled. You categorize things a lot.You plan ahead. Problems You may get hung up on details when reading. You have to understand something before you move on.You might get frustrated easily with people who dont understand things as quickly as you do. Analytic Style Study Tips Do you become frustrated when people assert opinions as facts? People who are very analytic learners might. Analytic learners like facts and they like learning things in sequential steps. They are also fortunate because many of their preferred methods are used in traditional teaching. Teachers also enjoy giving tests that favor analytic learners, like true and false or multiple choice exams. Since your learning style is compatible with traditional teaching styles and you enjoy order, your biggest problem is getting frustrated. An analytic learner may benefit from the following: Ask for clear rules. You need clarity. Without rules, you might feel lost.Dont get frustrated by opinions. Some students may offer opinions in class, especially the holistic learners who want to make comparisons! It is just their way of understanding, so dont let it bother you.Dont worry about not finishing a task. You may not want to move on to a new task if something (like a lack of supplies) interferes with your work. Try not to get hung up. Sometimes its okay to move on and re-visit a project later.Dont worry if things dont seem logical. We dont make the rules sometimes. If you come across a rule that doesnt make sense, dont let it bother you to distraction.Group your information. Analytic learners are good at categorizing information. Go ahead and place your information into categories. It will help you recall the information when you need it.Sit in the front of the class, to avoid distractions. If youre annoyed by rowdy or talkative students in the back of the class, try to sit where you wont notice them. Dont worry about big concepts right away - give yourself time. If youre reading a book or chapter and you dont seem to be getting the message, give it time. You may need to know all the details first, and then put them together.Take things step-by-step, but dont get hung up. If youre doing a math problem with an equation, dont get hung up if you dont understand a certain step. Take a leap of faith!Ask for a specific goal. Analytic learners may feel the need to understand the specific goal before they can get into a project. Go ahead and ask for clear goals if you need them. You may want to check out the characteristics of a global learner.You can also discover the characteristics of students who learn best by seeing, hearing, or experiencing.

Analyze movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyze movie - Essay Example mummy has brought so many questions to light with regards not only to how worthy these claims are but also to the ancient way of life of the past ancestors. The discovery of a man having a copper ax at a time when such thing was not a thing of imagination also begs the question of how accurate the historical dating and recordings are. Many hypotheses were put to explain the discovery of a body in the mount Alps buried in the glacier, the nature of his death and the accuracy of the scientific technology (James). This amazing discovery is what prompted the scripting and finally production of the movie bearing the title â€Å"Iceman Murder Mystery’’. The movie bears all the processes that were involved from the discovery to the final autopsy procedures conducted on the mummified copse of Otzi. The movie however, according to how it was directed depicts or portrays a different theme all together. According to my understanding, the movie tries to portray the fact that human nature remains the same despite the level of advancement achieved in technology and thinking. For this reason, I tend to share a common understanding with Eduard Egarter Vigl on the connection he felt with the Mummy after looking at his face, position of the body and mortality in general. For this reason, was I to be the director of the movie, I would have named or titled it â€Å"Otzi the Stone Age modern man: A Reflection Of human Socio-cultural connectedness to the Past†. The movie in my observation was cast to reflect in the human nature that never changes despite the number of years that pass by. This is supported by almost all the theories that were put forward to explain the cause of death of the Mummy. The theory that now support this argument even further is the one that is seen to be favoured most about the death resulting from not, an animal, not another skirmishes, not any falling glacier but a person from the inside of where Otzi was coming from. This though not well explained in the

MPC FINANCE( HR MANAGEMENT) Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

MPC FINANCE( HR MANAGEMENT) - Case Study Example Some recommendations have been made for the better utilisation and management of human resource of the company which will help the company in achieving better results with regard to their human resource management. There are certain inefficiencies found in the human resource management of the company. Management is relying on the hierarchical structure for in an old progressive manner for deciding the compensation of company's employees. Work force is hired at the lowest level and they progress with the passage of time towards the upward positions. Due to this system employees do not tend to work harder for quick progress in the company and thus efficiency is compromised due to un-utilisation of full potential of some employees. The performance management system of company is top down with little chances of interaction between management and subordinates. At the work place where everyone is included in a team and the best of results are achieved through team work, this is not a very good scenario for optimum utilisation of company's resources. Last in first out redundancy policy is in use by company, which is obviously not a universal axiom and the employees should be evaluated with the system which best describes the value added by them in the company.Another defect in the company's HRM system is the dissatisfaction among the employees of regional offices due to general perception that headquarter employees are taken well care of as compared to the regional office employees and due to the fact that absenteeism and labour turnover in the regional offices is three times that in the headquarters offices. Moreover workforce was hired through word of mouth in order to contain costs. Female staff has occupied the lower positions in the company whereas male staff has occupied higher positions and lower staff members are being invested in and encouraged to come up and occupy higher positions as well. It has been observed that people hired from ethnical minorities are not settled in the company's environment because they feel unsecure, unaccepted and lesser career prospects. Turnover of staff appointed within the last year is very high. Other complains include management has invested heavily in the complex IT system and employees are very passive in doing work through that advanced technology. Conclusions There are changes to be made to the HRM system by the management for making it beneficial that would result in the employees' satisfaction. It has been concluded that company's employees are the most valuable assets of company and these are the employees who make up the whole company. For a company it is equally important for its employees to grow and remain satisfied and happy with their jobs. Therefore, the company should invest appropriately in its employees in order to make full use of their abilities. Company should promote and encourage a culture that ensures that all of the employees are satisfied with their peers, their working environment, their infrastructure and

Gender in The Importance of Being Earnest Essay Example for Free

Gender in The Importance of Being Earnest Essay Dramatic comedy originated in Ancient Greece in 5th century BC, centred around loose plot lines and exploiting certain situations through parody, farce and mockery. Comedy started developing in 4th Century BC where intricate plot lines were introduced, commonly based around love and romance and usually culminating in a satisfactory and happy resolution. This is much like the structure of ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ as the play revolves around the growing relationships of both Jack and Gwendolen and Algernon and Cecily. Oscar Wilde has reversed the roles of gender in this play, the females are those who take the lead and are seen as the most dominant characters throughout – a very bizarre layout in a time period where men were seen as the head of the family and the most assertive figure. Lady Bracknell is the most domineering character throughout the play, and this a result of the eloquent and rather unnatural language she uses. She takes on the role of her husband in Act 1 when Jack asks for Gwendolen’s hand in marriage- â€Å"I feel obliged to tell you that you are not down on my list of eligible young men† this was often the father’s role. Throughout the conversation it is quite apparent that Lady Bracknell holds all the power, and Wilde does this through all the questions she asks. Additionally, her questioning seems rather irrelevant and ridiculous at times, she asks â€Å"Do you smoke?† to which Jack admits he does and Lady Bracknell replies â€Å"I am glad to hear it. A man should always have an occupation of some kind†. Here the addictive habit that Jack has taken up is being compared to a profession and is creating humour due to the nature of the question and how much apparent importance it holds. It seems as though Wilde is using Lady Bracknell to â€Å"mock those in authority† [1] by presenting her as a character with no real agenda to her long and painful questioning – other than to talk. In Act 3, Lady Bracknell makes another appearance, which only highlights her towering force in the play. She has come to Jack’s house in the country to retrieve Gwendolen and take her home and makes it quite clear that her husband does not know where Gwendolen really is â€Å"Her unhappy father is, I am glad to say, under the impression that she is attending a more than lengthy lecture by the University Extension Scheme on the influence of a  permanent income on Thought. I do not propose to undeceive him.† This would have been seen as quite unusual at a time where wives wouldn’t have gone behind their husband’s backs, thus reinforcing Lady Bracknell’s authoritative demeanour and leaving the audience amused. Furthermore, Wilde’s portrayals of both Gwendolen and Cecily run parallel to one another. They mirror each other and are the assertive half of their relationships with Jack and Algernon. This is first shown between Jack and Gwendolen when Jack proposes. Jack announces his love for Gwendolen and she in turn, offers it back. Jack then says â€Å"..I mean we must get married at once. There is no time to be lost.† To which Gwendolen replies â€Å"†¦But you haven’t proposed to me yet. Nothing has been said at all about marriage.† Gwendolen is taking control of the situation and is expressing what she desires for Jack to then grant her, her wishes. This is the same scene where Jack lies about his name once again to Gwendolen. â€Å"Selfishness and servility are the moral alternatives presented† – Katherine Worth. Gwendolen admits she could never love anyone with the name ‘Jack’ for â€Å"there is very little music in the name Ja ck†. This, to the audience seems rather pompous and shallow and is why it is humorous. And after all that Gwendolen has said, Jack does indeed go along with this though, and continues to call himself Ernest. In the scene where Cecily and Algernon first meet, Algernon also lies about his true identity – he introduces himself as Jack’s brother, Ernest. Whilst Cecily and Algernon are talking in the garden, Jack arrives home. He confides in Miss Prism and Chasuble that his younger brother ‘Ernest’ died in Paris of a severe chill. At this moment in time, the audience are taking great pleasure at the fact that they know something the characters do not – that Jack’s so called brother is in the garden. Afterwards, Cecily confesses to Algernon that they have been engaged for the past three months, and Algernon submissively accepts this to be both true and normal. This is the first indication of who the most assertive figure is in their relationship. The fact that Cecily writes to herself, on the behalf of ‘Ernest’ is rather ridiculous, and once again Algernon goes through with this. She continues on to tell him when their engagement was broken off, she  says â€Å"It would hardly have been a really serious engagement if it hadn’t have been broken off at least once. But I forgave you before the week was out† she talks about how their engagement wouldn’t have been ‘serious’, although it had never even happened and this displays marriage to be not all that serious in itself. In reply to this, Algernon thanks her for forgiving him – for something he did not do, â€Å"What a perfect angel you are Cecily.† This only highlights that he is inferior to her. When Cecily and Gwendolen meet each other at Jacks house in the country, a lot of confusion is caused for they both think they are engaged to the same man. But before they stumble across this realisation, they become ‘friends’ instantly Gwendolen says â€Å"..Something tells me that we are going to be great friends† to which Cecily replies â€Å"How nice have you to like me so much after we have known each other such a comparatively short amount of time.† The girls then find out they are ‘in competition’ with one another and their ‘friendship’ turns sour. This is comical due to the fact that just a few seconds ago they were very friendly and lovely to one another. When both Jack and Algernon approach and the matter is cleared up that neither one of them is ‘Ernest’ and that they have been lying to the women, Cecily and Gwendolen’s relationship takes a u-turn, not back to friendship, but to sisterhood. This was foreshadowed in Act 1 where Algernon says â€Å"Women only call themselves sister when they have called each other a lot of other things first†. Cecily and Gwendolen storm off into the house and Algernon and Jack cowardly hold back, where Algy begins to scoff the muffins and they start to blame one another for what just happened and it takes them a while before they approach the women in the house. However when they do it also doesn’t take long for both women to forgive them, they contradict themselves frequently in the process: Gwendolen – â€Å" But we will not speak first† Cecily – â€Å"Certainly not† Gwendolen – â€Å"Mr Worthing, I have something very particular to ask you. Much depends on your reply.† The irony of the situation is what is so amusing, the women cannot stay silent and wait for the men to speak, once again they have to be in control of the situation. However, the play began in â€Å"turmoil but (ended) in harmony† [2] as both couples were happily reunited. All throughout the play, women like to think they are the leaders and the superior, and on the surface they do appear to be, with their high demands being answered and always leading the conversations in which ever way they wish but at the end of the day, they always forgive or accept only what a man can offer, even if they demanded more. Bibliography: [1] Barbara Bleiman, Anna Sarchet and Lucy Webster: â€Å"Studying comedy† (2012) [2] Susan Snyder: â€Å"The Cambridge companion to Shakespeare† (2001)

The Presentation of Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist Essay -- English Litera

Analyse the presentation of Bill Sikes in the novel Oliver Twist. You should refer to aspects such as the author’s viewpoint, language and the social and historical contest. I am going to write a detailed and accurate piece of writing in the form of an essay to answer the statement above. I will do this by using quotes from the book, my own theories on what the author is trying to portray Bill Sikes as and also my own knowledge of the Victorian era. I will be looking at specific areas, which I feel will help me write a more concluding and correct account of the story â€Å"Oliver Twist.† I will focus on areas such as Bill Sikes behaviour towards others, how characters around Sikes react when he is there and how backgrounds and phrases reflect the character of Sikes. The author of this novel, Charles Dickens has written throughout in 3rd person, I believe he has done this to show Sikes as the character he really is, a mean thoughtless and thuggish person in society, this makes the reader believe that he was actually there witnessing the life and times of Sikes. It is therefore written in an omniscient kind of way, as you feel as though Charles Dickens was watching over Sikes as if God like. I have interpreted to be quite a good way in writing the story because Sikes is anything but an angel, as he goes around stealing and bullying people into doing things for him, like his dirty work. This gives a contrasting effect on the story. It is written in 3rd person to create a judging description on the other characters. This has made characters such as Oliver and Nancy seem good people and then characters like Fagin, Dodger and Sikes seem bad ones. By adding such things as prostitution, thieving (pick-pocket... ... murderer. Dickens may have also written about Sikes ‘accidentally’ hanging himself because if the hundreds of people who had gathered and were know after him, caught up with him, then he would of got hung by them in the town anyway. Why the chase is on to catch Sikes, hundreds of people hear of what he has done and want to see him brutally killed because they believe that it would be justice. â€Å"Each little bridge (and there were three in sight) bent beneath the weight of the crown upon it. Still the current poured on to find some nook or hole from which to vent their shouts, and only for an instant see the wretch†. This shows how much Sikes was hated in his last few moments alive. I also believe that justice was done when Sikes died, he was a bully, a woman beater, a murderer, a kidnapper and both physically and verbally cruel to everyone he met.

Microsoft Windows operating system

Known by its codename â€Å"Longhorn†, Windows Vista finished development on November 8, 2006. However, development completion was not automatically followed by public release. Instead, the following three months saw the operating system released in stages to computer hardware and software manufacturers, business customers, and retail channels. Only at the end of January the following year was Windows Vista finally released worldwide for the use of the general public. This latest release of a Microsoft Windows operating system version took the longest time to happen among all previous releases. It took Microsoft more than five years to finish Windows Vista after it had previously introduced Windows XP. While these two circumstances of Vista’s release led most critics to question Microsoft’s capability of coming up with better versions of its Windows operating system series, a better understanding of the nature of digital products and the intrinsic complexities that need to be considered in the development of such technology would reveal that all the delays were necessary steps that Microsoft had t take to ensure the Windows Vista’s successful public launch. The Complexity of Digital Products Unlike physical products like cars or cans of beans, manufacturing digital products naturally takes a longer time to get finalized. Firstly, developmental factors to consider are exponentially more dynamic. A software manufacturing company has to consider the amount of material being released by the day over the internet regarding the performance of their old products as well as improvements made on the products of their competition. With the emergence of other operating systems like UNIX, Linux, and Macintosh’s Mac OS X Tiger which are increasingly becoming more popular among consumers, it becomes even more important for Windows developers to spend as long a time as it takes to gather as much enough data on what new features would be most innovative and least redundant so as to obtain a better market share. Secondly, unlike in the case of car manufacturing wherein new models that look different but run on the same engines can command significant buyer preferences, a new version of a software that only â€Å"looks† different but is otherwise the same as its predecessor would be severely rejected by consumers. There has to be a significant difference between the features of previous software and that of its successor in order for the new product to be at least marketable. After the release of Windows XP, Vista’s predecessor, little room for improvement was left to Windows where appearances were concerned. Therefore, Microsoft had to make drastic changes to XP’s successor if it hoped to be able to convince the public that Vista was worth buying. As a result, Windows Vista was released containing hundreds of new and reworked features. It contains a new concept of graphical user interface dubbed Windows Aero that is unlike any other that currently exists in the market. Its improved multimedia creation tools include a DVD maker that was completely redesigned from the preceding generally unpopular Windows Movie Maker. The Windows Explorer's task panel was removed in favor for a â€Å"Favorite links† panel that was determined to be a potentially more useful feature. Even the address bar was replaced with a new breadcrumb navigation system that makes it much easier to jump from one previously viewed page to another (Windows Vista). All these changes are extremely unlike those seem in the transitions from Windows 95 to Windows XP, and they would not have been possible had Microsoft not taken their time. Security ; Stability: O.S. Essentials In the advent of the world’s growing dependence on ecommerce, it becomes a prime imperative to secure one’s computer from hostile access. Much like how physical security providers test new systems, so do operating system manufacturers test theirs in order to ensure that as much freedom from possible corruption or intrusion is provided. Consumers will not trust a new O.S. product if there is any significant reason to worry that using it would put the sensitive financial and personal information they store in their computers at risk. This is why manufacturers typically undergo several stages of testing that was seen in the case of Windows Vista. This process generally consists of three stages: 1.) internal, 2.) operational, and 3.) external (Grover 78). Internal testing usually takes the longest to complete. It is also where the manufacturers locate most of the possible sources of instability such as program bugs, and script errors. However, testing an operating system’s security capabilities cannot be extensively done during the internal testing stage. This is because the manufacturers need to expose the software to the actual hostile environment of the World Wide Web. Thus, the operational stage sees manufacturers periodically releasing the operating system to semi-controlled entities such as distributors or selected test groups in order to try how the system would fare at the hands of relatively typical users when facing the different viruses, worms, and hacking programs at large in the internet. It is also in the operation stage where manufacturers release the operating system to software and hardware manufacturers in order to gauge the new system’s compatibility with new devices and programs that would also be released in the market. Finally, even after the release of the operating system, the external testing stage is where manufacturers set up means to gather as much feedback from consumers as possible in order to fix any problems that the first two stages might have overlooked. The chances of problems occurring at the third stage of testing should be highly unlikely but the stage is nonetheless implemented as a failsafe mechanism. Microsoft had followed all the necessary stages in new product development where operating systems are concerned. This explains also explains that long time it took for Vista to come out as well as the necessity of the delay of its release to the public. Work Cited: Grover, John J. Product Development: A Managerial Perspective. Simmons ; Sons: New York, 2004 Windows Vista. 2007. Microsoft Website. July 20, 2007 ;http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/default.mspx;

Masculinity portrayed in “The Great Gatsby” Essay

Masculinity is a well known stereotype that often defines men as being tough, strong, and having no emotions. In most cases, their work tends to identify their level of masculinity. In The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, The Great Gatsby by Scott F. Fitzgerald, and The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, the male characters create their identities through their abilities to provide for their families. In these three texts, the males portray their masculinity by their roles as head of the family and their work and wealth. As a tradition in many cultures, the males assume the position as head of the family. In most cases, their family responsibilities and obligations establish their masculinity. Pa was the head of the family now (Steinbeck 139). In The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, Pa became the leader of the family after Grandpa died. Pa took over Grandpas role in the family and was responsible for the whole family in result. Traditionally, the position of the family leader is passed down to the eldest male. Similar to Pa in The Grapes of Wrath, Tom in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, demonstrated his masculinity as the head of the household after his father had abandoned the family. I mean that as soon as Laura has got somebody to take care of her, married, a home of her own, independent — Why, then youll be free to go wherever you please, on land, on sea, whichever way the wind blows you! (Williams 35). Tom is obligated to support his family, especially his crippled sister Laura, until she finds a husband. Because Tom was the only male in his sister and mothers lives, he had to assume household responsibilities, as most men did for their families. Ultimately, Pa and Tom expose their masculinity by obtaining the duties of being in charge of their families. Customarily, a mans masculinity is defined through his wealth, occupation, or means of work. Throughout society, it is a stereotype that if a man makes a sufficient amount of money and has a job that easily supports himself and or his family, he is masculine. If he has a small, not so important, low earning job, then he is typically considered less masculine. In The Grapes of Wrath, Pa struggles to prove his masculinity. Well what the hell am I gonna do? Were out of money. One of my boys got a short job but that wont  feed us. (Steinbeck 374). Pa gets frustrated because hes helpless when it comes to work. He does not feel like he is supporting his family, therefore he feels like he is masculinity is diminishing. Different from Pa, Tom and Gatsby in The Great Gatsby are able to successfully display their masculinity by the amount of wealth that they have. Tom Buchanans arrogance and pride that he shows toward his wealth seems to prove his masculinity to his mistress Myrtle. They are both hung up on his money and Tom likes to flaunt it. Because Tom is wealthy, Myrtle sees him as the perfect gentleman. Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face (Fitzgerald 7). Tom is described as being clearly aware of his power and manliness. Like Tom, Jay Gatsby also has a large fortune. The fact that Mr. Gatsbys money is entirely earned from work, unlike Tom whose money is passed down through the family, also displays masculinity. His gorgeous home and lavish parties provided by his abundant wealth makes the community realize how much he earns, which otherwise depicts his masculinity. Masculinity is identified in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, The Great Gatsby by Scott F. Fitzgerald, and The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, through the male characters abilities to support their families, which also touches upon their jobs and wealth. In modern society, while masculinity still seems to be based on a mans ability to provide for his family, the type of job he has, or the money that he earns, it plays a crucial and distinctive role in the way that people view men. Overall, it classifies their level of manliness. Furthermore, men tend to strive to gain these qualities that illustrate masculinity, as it is portrayed in these three novels.

School English Essay

School English Essay School English Essay School English Essay: Choosing Custom Writing Service As a rule, students do not like writing school English essay, especially those, who were not born in English speaking country. This fact is simple to interpret, as while you are writing your school English essays, you have to care at least, about several things at one and the same time. The first one is the sense and content of your school English essay itself. As any other kind of essay, it should be interesting, creative, informative, and actual. The second is the grammar and lexis used in your school English essays. It is rather difficult to write in a language, which is not native for you. That is why school English essay is considered to be a rather complicated task. However, nowadays, you do not have to trouble yourself while trying to write school English essays. If you feel that school English essay is not your strong point, however, you are a hard working and caring about your grades student, do not fall into a risk and order your school English essay online. Before ordering your school English essay, choose only such a source which can be trusted. Of course, it is not simple to understand whether this or that custom writing site is a professional one until you try its service, but still there are several things you have to pay attention to. The first thing you can do while choosing the site where to buy your school English essay is to ask for the advise your group mates. Believe, the number of students who use different custom essay writing sites is just huge, that is why you are certain to find some necessary information. You can also search for such a site by yourself. While choosing one, do pay attention to the price of servicing. If it is going to be too cheap or even free of charge, you are running the risk to come across internet cheating. You see, to write a professional school English essay takes some particular times and some certain efforts. That is why if they are going to off er you school English essay for the miserable price, either they will provide you with the low quality essay full of mistakes and other pleasant surprises or they will sell you the essay which is already sold to the hundreds of people as well. Do not economize on your grade; it may influence your future. Better, use the service of custom writing sites which offer acceptable and moderate price for their servicing, as for example, our site.

5 top jobs in human resources guaranteed to pay big bucks

5 top jobs in human resources guaranteed to pay big bucks Jobs at the top in the HR department often require master’s degrees, years of experience, and more specialized knowledge – but they also come with higher salaries. If you’re in the human resources field (or are looking to enter it and climb the ranks), possess strong interpersonal skills, and want to set your sights higher, cultivating another area of expertise within the field may help. Here are 5 jobs to aspire to on your career journey.Human Resources ManagerOf course, one of the top jobs has to be the top spot in a human resources department. This requires years of experience and most often an MBA, as well as interpersonal skills and the talent and experience to be a manager. The human resources manager oversees the hiring process of new employees from recruitment to interviews to offers; they also are involved with strategic planning and connect upper management to employees. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the top-grossing industry for Hu man Resources Managers is Monetary Authorities and Banking Industries, with an annual mean salary of $182,800. The annual median salary for the position is $110,120.Compensation and Benefits ManagerAlso in a key managerial role, the compensation and benefits manager oversees your salary- and comes with its own nice salary too. Oftentimes this role is about reducing costs while ensuring employees receive appropriate benefits, so this type of manager evaluates new strategies like â€Å"pay-for-performance.† Hiring trends for this type of position look good, as organizations will always need this job type to assess benefits policies and design compensation packages. On the other hand, some duties of this role may increasingly be outsourced to human resources consulting firms. Even so, it is likely to remain a competitive job in the field. The annual median pay for this job is $119,120, according to BLS.hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});Executive RecruiterPeople in this position, also known as â€Å"head hunters,† are responsible for finding top talent and matching talent to organizational needs. The recruiter is the prime â€Å"people person† position in HR, and the executive recruiter fills the top positions for a company- like the CEO. This role requires the expertise to network and find the top talent for the very top of a company. It’s hard to pin down a median salary for this job- it often gets paid on retainer because it is so lucrative.Human Resources SpecialistAccording to the BLS, the annual median pay for this job is $60,350. However this figure can be deceptive because â€Å"human resources specialist† is such a broad category. Let’s look at two types of specialists that are likely to be paid higher and be in high demand.HR Analytics SpecialistBy developing and implementing HR analytics, these specialists perform statistical analysis of data and create and communicate reports, identifying trends to improve the overall hiring process. In this role, you help identify areas of strength and weakness to help keep a company competitive. This position generally requires a background in statistics, but the outlook for this job depends on the changing technology for this area of specialization. Anyone with a statistical background in HR should also keep up with changing tech trends, as data analytic tools may soon become the domain of machine learning and AI- but so long as we need a person to communicate the data, this role will likely still be a vital part of HR strategy.HR IT SpecialistThis position will be in high demand as HR departments adapt to changing technology. For those in human resources who are extremely tech-savvy and also have a background in IT, this can be a lucrative and in-demand role. Expertise in the latest software will be vital. Tech can already aid recruitment, candidate engagement, targeted marketing, and management of job campaigns- expe rts in this position will help HR departments stay competitive and make them vital to an organization.HR StrategistWhile the HR manager might be the big fish in a small pond, the HR strategist is in a much bigger pond. It’s tough to nail down a median salary for this position, as it varies from industry to industry, but it’s high up in the chain. This position is usually involved in very large organizations or government positions, where strategic planning for hiring requires a strategy team rather than an individual HR manager or top-level executive. The HR strategist is a problem-solver, a planner, and a communicator who coordinates people across departments and all levels of an organization, helping to design and implement long-term HR strategic plans.

Al Qaeda and the US Strategy for Combating Terrorism Assignment

Al Qaeda and the US Strategy for Combating Terrorism - Assignment Example Gallaher’s take on this issue of patriot movement is that of several stages, but he clarifies that it has no clear indication on the point in time when it occurred first. There are two major themes that stand out in this issue despite there being a misunderstanding between scholars and political analysts. The themes are; firstly, the origin of the movement is related directly to the current destruction of the welfare of the modern state particularly in the rural areas of America. The other is the political economy’s formation of the groups that mobilize themselves for movements. A series of movements have happened like in the 1790s, there were whiskey rebels, like in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Ohio. Patriot movement is said to have first emerged in the legacy of Roosevelt’s deal that occurred between the state and producers and the subsequent fallout. Informants have on several occasions cited the New Deal by Roosevelt as the beginning of the pro blems that currently exist in America. One of the cases that may have come from this deal is the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) Movements that were antigovernment continued to escalate. The magnitude of the patriot movement organizations increased a big deal and in accordance to Wright, the number of groups for the patriot movement rose from 224 in the year 1995 to a high number of 858 in 1996. However, after the year 1996, there was a steady decline from this number of 858 to as low as 194 groups in the early 2000s. Arresting of group leaders is highly seen to be the cause of the decline. (Wright, 2007 p202)   There are extremist pools that are still in existence which include remaining parts of racial supremacist communities, patriot movements, and other newer movements. They have proliferated antigovernment movements as well as theories of racial conspiracy. There are publications that exist like, â€Å"The Turner Diaries and the Myth of the Six Million† that still co ntinue to bring about anti-semantic extremism and racial extremism as well. (Buxton and Provenzo, 2010 p316) In the USA, there exists hate-mongering kind of groups of reform and extreme right seeking. There are quite a good number of Dissident Right Social types of movements such as patriot movements and religious groups like the Christian movement. The Extreme Right Dissident Right movements have been considered the same by scholars. Racism movements are grouped under Extreme Right movements. Patriotic movements and armed citizen  militias are included under the same kind of movements; Dissident Right movements for social purposes and thus patriotic movements could breed terrorism. (Berlet, 2011) In the USA the Nazi group is not a new thing since they were there in the 1920s. They were part of the NSGWP (National Socialist German Workers Party) of the US. It also merged with another Tentomia society so as to come up with German-American Bund. They (these groups) got to higher lev els of popularity in the 1930s which was rather considered controversial. They faded during the times of the Second World War. They were abandoned due to the forced dismantling of the same. As the 21st century set in, Neo-Nazi groups have cropped up together with white separatist, white supremacist, anti-semantic as well as fascist groups. These are said to be allies and share a lot in common to the Nazism ideologies.