Marketing process and planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing process and planning - Essay Example However, due to a variety of other games, Anki drive will be affected by the elasticity of demand. The prices are likely to go down since there are many competitors in the market. The product will only be limited to the Apple users in the UK. This might affect the market share of the product if there are only few people who use the Apple gadgets. In addition, considering the Apple products are expensive, they might limit the usage Anki Drive. Anki Drive would have had a bigger market share if it would have been launched in other smart phones apart from Apple phones. On the other hand, there will be a high competition from other games that can use all type of smart phones, which will be likely to beat Anki Drive in the market share. Anki Drive has a particular segment in the market. Being a car racing game, most youths will prefer the game because most of them love cars. However, the game can only be supported by Apple iOS devices. Therefore, only the iPhone and iPad users will have access to the game. Most youths in the current generation prefer to use these devices because of their unique features and the improved technology. This is the reason the company decided to chose these devices for Anki Drive. The UK and the US has a lot of youths who are gamers. Thus, the market was segmented mostly for these youths where it will provide a unique and entertaining way to play games. Youths will always show interest in new pattern of games, and that is why Anki Drive is in the market (KOTLER, 2013).   As said earlier, Anki Drive is mostly targeted to the youths and the users of Apple products. Thus, the company is going to use concentrated marketing strategy in marketing this video game. In a concentrated marketing strategy, a company targets only one major group of customers to deliver its products. Having explored the market trends for other games, youths were

Gender And Emotion Essay Example for Free

Gender And Emotion Essay Since time immemorial, emotions have always been a fundamental constituent of human beings. However, not all humans attach or detach the same emotions towards things; different people feel differently about varied things and that is why we are all termed as being unique. It is based on this difference in emotions that a lot of debates and researches have been going around in trying to establish whether the emotions we have affect the brain or conversely, whether the brain affects the emotions. Other researchers have-on the other hand- been looking at the subject of emotions differently by opinionating that it varies from one culture to another, one gender to another or even differing based on varied contexts. It is therefore important to circumspectly look at all the angles that have been propagated by different people if an inclusive and satisfactory answer is to be found for the above questions. Many of the studies that have been conducted by researchers highly suggest that the brain largely determines what we feel about different things. Researches by Norman (2003) support this argument by saying that human attributions for different things result from the brain which in effect dictates human behavior. He further says that humans have large brains than other animals and that is why they are able to act more maturely when expressing their emotions. Elder (1996) gives an example by saying that if we feel fear (which is an emotion), then it is based on the fact that we believe (a signal from the brain) something is threatening to us. According to her, Critical thinking precedes and emotional reaction. However, both of these are equally important and signals them should be treated with equal importance. Waxler (2004) also sentiments that â€Å"Our thoughts have profound effect on our emotions, and by learning how to think in our own best interest, we improve our emotional condition. † He proceeds and says that since it is easy to review our thoughts and even control them, then it becomes even easier for us to control our emotions and feel things that are appropriate for us. However, this capacity of the brain to control things has been subject to misuse by some people. Elder (1996) says that â€Å"As we mature, we learn multiple ways to manipulate others, to influence or control others to get what we want. We even learn how to deceive ourselves as to the egocentrism of our behavior. † this is sometimes even taken to the extent of faking feelings like, empathy, generosity, kindness when in real sense, we mean the exact opposite. So the next time you see someone acting â€Å"all good,† be careful because you may just and read between the lines; you may be happy when all that is being done for you is getting fed on lies. On the other hand, other researches purport that emotions affect how we think. An example is the finals of the 2008 FIFA world cup of where Zinedine Zidane, a renowned footballer of France, head-butted Matterazi (an Italian player) after the Italian allegedly made some abusive remarks to him. Speaking after the Interview, Zidane said that he was overwhelmed by emotions and all he could think of at that particular time was t o harm Matterazi. Matsumoto (n. d. ) furthers this argument by saying that â€Å"It is by controlling their emotions that athletes are capable of maintaining high levels of critical thinking and focus, regardless of what sport they are in. † He goes ahead and opinionates that whenever we are emotional, the capacity to think critically is reduced. As a result, athletes who are normally emotional have the tendency of easily losing focus. Tarleton (n. d. ) similarly support this idea by saying that â€Å"Emotions influence how we perceive and react to life, which in turn, determines how content and/or successful we are. The conceptualization or perception of something-according to them-results from feelings that are harbored in our emotions. So if we are able to control our emotions, then it becomes very easy for someone not to think-and consequently-act irrationally. Elder (1996) reports Goleman’s assertion that sometimes feelings come before thought. According to Goleman, â€Å"the emotional mind is far quicker that the rational mind, springing into action without pausing even a moment to consider what it is doing. † This is relatively dangerous as one may act in a way that is not appropriate and consequently end in problems. On the other hand, it may come in handy more so in situations where a person is in a dilemma and is lost for choice yet needs to act aptly. In addition, there is also a group of researchers who hang in the middle of this debatable subject by saying that both the brain and emotions mutually affect one another. In explaining this symbiotic relationship, Tarleton. edu (n. d) say that â€Å"Our thoughts influence how we feel. How we feel influences how we think. These connections are bi-directional and complex. † They go ahead and explicate this by saying that thinking about something good improves our mood while thinking negatively destroys it. Recent studies by some scholars have fundamentally brought an interestingly fresh dimension to this debate of the brain versus emotions. These scholars argue that gender orientation plays a vital role in how one thinks or feels. In spite of being given much emphasis in the recent times, the issue of gender influencing how a person thinks or feels is not a new concept. Even in the pre-modern times, men and women were expected to think and feel in a specific way based on the stereotypes of that time (Sungur and Tekkaya, 2005). Currently, men are debatably depicted in most areas as being strong and dominant while the women being second. Brescoll and Uhlmann (2007) in their work cite Heilman (2001) and Rudman (1998) articulate that women are should be kinder than men, and they induce negative responses from others when they fail to act according to the premeditated ways expected of them. They expound on this concept by writing that men are believed to be strong and should not show weakly emotions like crying just in the same way, women should not show anger. This has however not augured well with most women-especially the elitists and feminists- who see themselves as being able to â€Å"do better what men can do. † To them, both men and women are equal and none should be given a higher status than the other. When using the gender aspect in depicting intelligence or the capacity to think, the same argument used in emotions is used. Men are disputably depicted as having an upper hand than women. In their defense, they state the numerous organizations that are chaired by them and the many critical positions they hold in the annals of history. Of course this has faced much criticism from the women who consider themselves brighter. However, Pin-pointing who is above the other is not our main concern, what stands out to be counted is the fact that both men and women have made invaluable contributions in various aspects. In addition, their differences and unique qualities make them blend even better in their various roles and thus being to the overall good for both of them. References Tarleton. (n. d. ). Emotions and learning (Mini-mester). Retrieved May 3rd, 2010, from http://webcache. googleusercontent. com/custom? q=cache:m7MMnYFicw8J:www. tarleton. edu/~sanderson/Emotions%2520and%2520Learning(mini-mester). Matsumoto, S. (n. d). Do emotions affect critical thinking? Retrieved May 3rd, 2010, from Retrieved May 3rd, 2010, from http://www. humintell. com/2009/08/do-emotions-affect-critical-thinking/ Waxler, J. (2004) Self-talk: How thoughts affect feelings. Retrieved May 3rd, 2010, from http://www. mental-health-survival-guide. com/cognitive-therapy. htm Lmez. A. Y. Sungur, S. Tekkaya, C. (2005). Investigating students’ logical thinking abilities: the effects of gender and grade level.

The Power of Language in Shakespeares King Lear Essay -- King Lear es

The Power of Language in King Lear      Ã‚  Ã‚   It is often difficult to gain entry into a work of such complete and dazzling genius as King Lear--reading Shakespeare can sometimes feel like trying to get a good long look at the sun on a cloudless day. And yet there are moments when one comes across passages that, by the sheer force of their lyrical, poetic beauty, leap off the page and resonate so strongly within one's mind that they become a kind of distillation of the entire play. One can read this play again and again, and still be struck anew by Shakespeare's utter mastery over language; surely there is no other writer who had so full a sense of, and who used to such merciless ends, the power of words. In a genre that denies the novelist's luxury of narrative explication, language in its barest, purest form, becomes Shakespeare's precision instrument, and he wields it with a perpetually astonishing combination of force, subtlety and exactitude.    The introductory quoted lines, when brought out of their immediate textual surroundings, form for this reader the kind of distilled illumination suggested in the preceding paragraph. These are the words of the sightless and stumbling Gloucester, as he begs a passing stranger, (who, unbeknownst to him is the son he so belatedly recognizes as faithful), to help him to his own death; by the end of the play, this passage becomes a central paradigm.    Despite the afore-mentioned obstacle (an obstacle the surmounting of which yields so much pleasure and insight) to readerly intercourse with Shakespeare, one can often recognize and trace logical devices he employed in order the more effectively and precisely to communicate his message. The parallel plot of Gloucester and hi... .... Jane Adelman. Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1978. Bradley, A.C. "King Lear." 20Lh Century Interpretations of King Lear. Ed. Jane Adelman. New Jersev; Prentice-Hall, 1978. Colie, Rosalie. "The Energies of Endurance: Biblical Echoes in King Lear. Some Faces of King Lear. Ed. R. Colie & F.T. Flahiff. UniversitV of Toronto Press, 19q4. Hunter, Robert G. Shakespeare and the Mystery of God's Judgments. University of Georgia Press, 19W6. Jayne, Sears. "Charity in King Lear." Shakespeare Quarterly. Spring, 1964. pps. 27-7-288. Knights, L.C. "On the Fool". 20th Century Interpretations of King Lear. Ed. Jane Adelman. New Jersey; Prentice-Hall, 1978. Matthews, Richard. "Edmund's Redemption in King Lear". Shakespeare Quarterly. Winter, 19q5. pps. 25-29. Snyder, Susan. "King Lear and the Prodigal Son." Shakespeare Quarterly. Autumn 1966. pps. 361-369.    The Power of Language in Shakespeare's King Lear Essay -- King Lear es The Power of Language in King Lear      Ã‚  Ã‚   It is often difficult to gain entry into a work of such complete and dazzling genius as King Lear--reading Shakespeare can sometimes feel like trying to get a good long look at the sun on a cloudless day. And yet there are moments when one comes across passages that, by the sheer force of their lyrical, poetic beauty, leap off the page and resonate so strongly within one's mind that they become a kind of distillation of the entire play. One can read this play again and again, and still be struck anew by Shakespeare's utter mastery over language; surely there is no other writer who had so full a sense of, and who used to such merciless ends, the power of words. In a genre that denies the novelist's luxury of narrative explication, language in its barest, purest form, becomes Shakespeare's precision instrument, and he wields it with a perpetually astonishing combination of force, subtlety and exactitude.    The introductory quoted lines, when brought out of their immediate textual surroundings, form for this reader the kind of distilled illumination suggested in the preceding paragraph. These are the words of the sightless and stumbling Gloucester, as he begs a passing stranger, (who, unbeknownst to him is the son he so belatedly recognizes as faithful), to help him to his own death; by the end of the play, this passage becomes a central paradigm.    Despite the afore-mentioned obstacle (an obstacle the surmounting of which yields so much pleasure and insight) to readerly intercourse with Shakespeare, one can often recognize and trace logical devices he employed in order the more effectively and precisely to communicate his message. The parallel plot of Gloucester and hi... .... Jane Adelman. Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1978. Bradley, A.C. "King Lear." 20Lh Century Interpretations of King Lear. Ed. Jane Adelman. New Jersev; Prentice-Hall, 1978. Colie, Rosalie. "The Energies of Endurance: Biblical Echoes in King Lear. Some Faces of King Lear. Ed. R. Colie & F.T. Flahiff. UniversitV of Toronto Press, 19q4. Hunter, Robert G. Shakespeare and the Mystery of God's Judgments. University of Georgia Press, 19W6. Jayne, Sears. "Charity in King Lear." Shakespeare Quarterly. Spring, 1964. pps. 27-7-288. Knights, L.C. "On the Fool". 20th Century Interpretations of King Lear. Ed. Jane Adelman. New Jersey; Prentice-Hall, 1978. Matthews, Richard. "Edmund's Redemption in King Lear". Shakespeare Quarterly. Winter, 19q5. pps. 25-29. Snyder, Susan. "King Lear and the Prodigal Son." Shakespeare Quarterly. Autumn 1966. pps. 361-369.   

Ancient Athens-Democracy Essay

Our idea of democracy was derived from ancient Athens. Ancient Athens was very important in history because it was the first government to run as a democracy. Without their ideas, many other countries would not have a democracy. In Athens, women did not have a lot of freedom and spent most of their days in the house as a housewife. They were considered only one class above slaves and were practically an object that their husband owned. The role of women has improved a lot from Ancient Athens to modern American society. Women in Athens did not have many legal rights unlike the modern American society now where men and women are equal. They were not allowed to be taught to read or write nor were they allowed to get any type of education besides preparing to become a housewife. Women were not allowed to vote and were discouraged to leave the house for any reason. If they needed something from outside they got their slave to do it for them. As a child all women were raised this way and know no other way of living. Their own mothers were raised this way too and as a housewife, they taught their own daughters how to become one too. Now in modern America, women have just as equal rights as men like getting an education, having a job, voting, holding elective office and a lot more. With the women’s rights movement and the 19th amendment, women have gone far to earn their rights. Another reason how the role of women improved is because back then in an Athenian marriage, the husband was always the more dominant one and the wife just agreed to everything to what her husband said or at least pretended to agree. Even before the marriage, the women did not have any say in anything. Her father and groom arranged the marriage completely. During the wedding, they even had rituals to show that the woman was now the â€Å"preparer of food†. Nowadays it is not like this at all. They are equal in the relationship; no one is more dominant then the other. Also women do not just agree with her husband in their marriage, they get say. Although most women were housewives, there was one other thing that females can be besides a normal citizen which was to be a Hetaerae. Hetaera was basically just a prostitute but surprisingly unlike the modern world, they ere considered a slightly higher class then normal women citizens. They were given an education and were allowed into sacred places that normal women citizens were not allowed into. Even this type of role for women has improved in this world because now women don’t have to do that to get more respect. Women are already respected and actually, becoming a prostitute is looked down on and is considered a lower class. Without the ancient Athens’ idea of a democracy, we would have never had a democracy. The role of women has really changed and improved from ancient Athens to the modern American present day. Bibliography http://www.greeceindex.com/greece-attica/Athens_democracy.html

Understand How To Handle Information In Social Care Settings

Data Protection Act 1998 (amended in 2003) – The Data Protection Act 1998 (amended in 2003) is a UK law that was set up to protect people’s personal information and who the information was shared with. The act also enables people to make sure that their information is being handled correctly. The 1998 Act replaced and consolidated earlier legislation such as the Data Protection Act 1984 and the Access to Personal Files Act 1987. The Data Protection Act 1998 (amended in 2003) is a legal obligation to everyone who holds information about a person.Non-compliance with the Data Protection Act is a criminal offense. Examples of people who hold information who would have to comply with the Data Protection Act 1987 (amended in 2003) is you’re GP, NHS, Private Companies etc. If you’re GP was to disclose information about you to your mother or father without your consent this would be going against the Data Protection act which could lead to the GP being prosecuted for committing a criminal offense and being non-compliant.Freedom of information act 2000- This act was created to allow members of the public to access information held about them by different public bodies. For example if the NHS holds information about you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 you have a right to know what this information is and who it is available to. There are three ways to find out information under this act.You can request this information electronically by sending an email to them from their website or using the contact us section.You can write to the department with a request form or a letter requesting access to the information.You can fax the department to request the information.There may be a charge for the information and you can find details of costs by looking on the public bodies’ website, calling them or writing to them. The Health and social Care Act- also has guidelines and legislations on how to handle people information correctly.Ca re Quality Commission’s Guidance about â€Å"Essential Standards of Quality and Safety Outcome 21†- Provides you  with information on how to handle people information and comply with legislation and laws. The General Social Care Council can also give you information and guidelines on their website about handling people information You can also find out how to handle information by looking at your company policies and procedures manual, looking in your own code of conduct and requesting information from your line manager about how to do this effectively.Q 1. 2 Explain how legal requirements and codes of practice inform practice in handling information?A 1. 2 Legal requirements and codes of practice are guidelines, policies and procedures that everyone has to adhere to in their day to day activities when handling information.The guidelines protect you from committing criminal offenses where it is a legal requirement or from facing dismissal when it is a company’ s policy or procedure. Legal requirements give you guidance and support when storing and handling personal and confidential information about an individual, it will enable you to store information correctly and safely.Q 2.1 Explain how to maintain records that are up to date, complete, accurate and legible?A 2. 1 A good way of maintaining records is on a computer or in a file that can be kept confidential and kept up to date.Records should be updated each time the individual is seen, either at home or in a clinical setting. Records must always be factual and not an opinion, they must be accurate and legible for others to be able to read. When recording information you must date time and sign the documents in some cases the service user may need to sign them as well.There are many thing that you need to update in the records these include: Date and time of arrival or visit what happened what tasks were completed i. e. washed, dressed, fed, medication Outcome of visit and any requests from the service user. For example if you go and visit a service user and you have gave them breakfast and medication for the day you must state this in the records as the next visitor may give the client breakfast and medication again which could overdose the service user.Q 2. 2 Describe practices that ensure security when storing and accessing information?A 2. 2 There are many different ways to ensure security when storing and accessing information: Passwords on computers enable unauthorised people from accessing records as well as emails Keeping records locked away in a filing cabinet/cupboard with a key that only someone who is authorised to open it has the key. Not leaving notes lying around to be seen by anyone Make sure that handovers are done in a room where no one can hear Making sure conversations with service users are in private and not breeching confidentiality.Not discussing information with people on the telephone or if you do doing this in private so no one else can hear. Making sure files are returned to the filing cabinets when not in use.Q 2. 3 Describe features of manual and electronic information storage systems that help ensure security?A 2. 3 It is important to keep all clients information in a secure location (i. e. filing cabinet for paper based records etc. ) if any records are taken out of the secure location to be used in updating or retrieving information from they are to be kept away from unauthorised users.For example if you visit a service user in the morning but no longer need their records it should be put in the secure location out of reach of others who are not authorised to use this. Electronic records are to only be accessed by a password which will stop unauthorised people accessing the records. Electronic systems will also record who, when and what time the records have been accessed and what the person was doing when accessing the information. For example is Joe blogs record needed updating to say he was on a new medic ation.You would log into the computer and put a password into the files to allow you access the computer system would record who you are and what time you accessed the file and what you did with the file. (I. e. amended information, updated records etc. ) Always making sure there is a backup of document paper documents should be photocopied and stored in a filing cabinet that is labelled. Electronic records should be backed up either on a USB stick or a server to make sure records are not lost.Q 3. 1 Explain how to support others to understand the need for secure handling of information?A 3. 1 Ways to support others and making them understand the need for secure handling of information is by following policies and procedures yourself which shows good practice. Showing people policies legislation and procedures about handling information and monitoring the way they handle peoples information and offering them guidance and advice on how to handle peoples information in the most secure way meeting the legislation that is in place, advise them to read the data protection act and the companies code of conduct.We all have a duty to follow the procedures and legislation for handling information. If someone does not know how to do this you can show them how to do so, as well as showing them how to update information where required.Q 3. 2 Explain how to support others to understand and contribute to records?A 3. 2 You can support other by raising their awareness of the consequences of not updating records, making them legible and not following policies and procedures in compliance with data protection. Make sure that you colleagues know where to keep secure files and how to store them. (I. e. alphabetically. )

Lasers Essays - Laser Science, Gas Lasers, Laser, Photonics

Lasers Essays - Laser Science, Gas Lasers, Laser, Photonics Lasers The light from lasers differs from ordinary light in several important aspects. Ordinary light from a light bulb travels randomly in all directions (unless the bulb is equipped with an integral reflector that directs the light). The light is thus incoherent. Even when incoherent light is directed with a reflector, it still spreads rapidly. The light from a laser is temporary and spatially coherent. This means that all of the wave-fronts of light are lined up in time and space (see Diagrams). The waves of light go up and down in sync, and travel in the same direction. Coherent light spreads less than other types of light. For example the beam of a tightly focused flashlight would spread between 2 degrees and 5 degrees over a 3 meter (10 ft) throw distance. The sides of a laser beam are almost parallel but the light still spreads slightly. This spread is called divergence and is measured in milliradians (mrad). If a laser has a specified divergence of 5 mrad, then in the above example with a 3 meter throw (10 ft), a laser beam will spread only about 3/20 of a degree. This is a simplified explanation of the process of stimulated emission. If you are interested in more detailed information about this subject, you should consult a science or physics book. Let us take the HeNe laser as an example. If a glass tube were filled with a mixture of helium and neon gas; and an electrical current were applied to the electrodes, the gas would emit light energy. This glowing gas is referred to as a plasma. You are already familiar with this glowing gas in the form of the neon signs you see at your favourite restaurants. We now have a neon tube but not a laser so let's take a closer look at how the laser's light is produced. Under normal conditions the electrons in a gas atom orbit at a fixed distance and pattern around the nucleus; this is the ground state or most stable configuration of the atom. When an electrical charge travels through the gas in the tube (energy is pumped into the gas), it excites or stimulates the atoms. Some of the electrons absorb this energy by jumping up to the next stable orbit. This configuration is unstable. The electron wants to return to its regular orbit, the ground state. As the excited (stimulated) atoms in the gas relax back to the ground state, some of the energy that excited the electron(s) is emitted (released) in the form of random photons of light This is called spontaneous emission. This is how a neon sign (or other gas discharge light such as a mercury vapour lamp) produces light. The photons travel rapidly in all directions. They are visible along the length of the neon tube or radiate outward from the light source. The spontaneous emission is not enough to cause lasing action. Lasers are very different from neon tubes in that they amplify the glowing effect via stimulated emission. Stimulated emission can only occur when there is a "population inversion" in the energy state of the lasing medium (in this case gas). Laser tubes are designed in a long narrow configuration with a central bore. At either end of the bore there are mirrors. These mirrors must be held in precise alignment for the laser to work properly. In most HeNe lasers the mirrors are permanently attached or sealed onto the ends of the tube sometimes referred to as hard seal technology. In higher power lasers the mirrors are usually not mounted on the ends of the tube itself, but on an external resonator that forms part of the laser frame. This allows for changing the mirror optics or adding a littrow prism if a specific output wavelength (colour) is required. The mirrors must be perfectly aligned so that the emissions from the gas in the tube will be amplified. Some of the photons of light randomly emitted by the relaxing gas atoms will be travelling parallel to the bore (centre) of the laser tube. These photons will strike the mirror at the end of the tube and will be reflected back through

Asian Economic and Financial Crisis essays

Asian Economic and Financial Crisis essays The crisis began in Thailand in July 1997 and spread to Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, then to Hong Kong, Korea and Japan. Financial systems in Thailand, Korea and Japan all came under intense strain, but nowhere as destructively as in Indonesia, which by early 1998 had become the worst-affected victim. The 1997 Asian financial meltdown began in Thailand on July 2 after the collapse in late June of 16 finance companies alerted investors to the strains on the financial system. After surging ahead in the mid 90s Thai exports had shrunk in 1996. The government was shaky, economic growth was slowing, and there had already been two speculative attacks on the currency. By July 1997 money market traders believed the government could be forced to abandon its pledge to link the Thai baht to the US dollar. Malaysia was not as badly hit by the currency crisis as Thailand, Indonesia or South Korea. Mahathir's complaints helped bolster his political support at home but undermined his nation's credibility with the outside world. Hong Kong remained almost untouched by the Asian turmoil until a massive selloff of its sharemarket in the week of 20 October, a trauma that brought home to the world that the crisis would not be isolated to Southeast Asia. The dive in the market was driven by fears of a downturn in the Hong Kong economy and the prospect it would abandon the peg between the Hong Kong and US dollars. In the background was a deeper concern, that financial strife in Hong Kong could have profound effects on China. China had been the darling of Western investors for several years, and huge projects will be under threat if the Chinese economy strikes trouble. China is partially insulated from the turmoil because its own financial markets are rigidly controlled. But its banks are similarly overburdened with debt and its exports at risk from a worldwide slowdown in demand. ...

Obsidian Hydration - An Inexpensive, but Problematic Dating Technique

Obsidian Hydration - An Inexpensive, but Problematic Dating Technique Obsidian hydration dating (or OHD) is a scientific dating technique, which uses the understanding of the geochemical nature of the volcanic glass (a silicate) called obsidian  to provide both relative and absolute dates on artifacts. Obsidian outcrops all over the world, and was preferentially used by stone tool makers because it is very easy to work with, it is very sharp when broken, and it comes in a variety of vivid colors, black, orange, red, green and clear. Fast Facts: Obsidian Hydration Dating Obsidian Hydration Dating (OHD) is a scientific dating technique using the unique geochemical nature of volcanic glasses.  The method relies on the measured and predictable growth of a rind that forms on the glass when first exposed to the atmosphere.  Issues are that rind growth is dependent on three factors: ambient temperature, water vapor pressure, and the chemistry of the volcanic glass itself.  Recent improvements in measurement and analytical advances in water absorption promise to resolve some of the issues.   How and Why Obsidian Hydration Dating Works Obsidian contains water trapped in it during its formation. In its natural state, it has a thick rind  formed by the diffusion of the water into the atmosphere when it first cooled- the technical term is hydrated layer. When a fresh surface of obsidian is exposed to the atmosphere, as when it is broken to make a stone tool, more water is absorbed and the rind begins to grow again.  That new rind is visible and can be measured under high-power magnification (40–80x). Prehistoric rinds can vary from less than 1 micron ( µm) to more than 50  µm, depending on the length of time of exposure.  By measuring the thickness one can easily determine if a particular artifact is older than another (relative age). If the rate at which water diffuses into the glass for that particular chunk of obsidian is known (thats the tricky part), you can use OHD to determine the absolute age of objects. The relationship is disarmingly simple: Age DX2, where Age is in years, D is a constant and X is the hydration rind thickness in microns. Defining the Constant Obsidian, natural volcanic glass exhibiting rind, Montgomery Pass, Mineral County, Nevada. John Cancalosi / Oxford Scientific / Getty Images Its nearly a sure bet that everybody who ever made stone tools and knew about obsidian and where to find it, used it: as a glass, it breaks in predictable ways and creates supremely sharp edges. Making stone tools out of raw obsidian breaks the rind and starts the obsidian clock counting. The measurement of rind growth since the break can be done with a piece of equipment that probably already exists in most laboratories. It does sound perfect doesnt it? The problem is, the constant (that sneaky D up there) has to combine at least three other factors that are known to affect the rate of rind growth: temperature, water vapor pressure, and glass chemistry. The local temperature fluctuates daily, seasonally and over longer time scales in every region on the planet. Archaeologists recognize this and started creating an Effective Hydration Temperature (EHT) model to track and account for the effects of temperature on hydration, as a function of annual mean temperature, annual temperature range and diurnal temperature range. Sometimes scholars add in a depth correction factor to account for the temperature of buried artifacts, assuming the underground conditions are significantly different than surface ones–but the effects havent been researched too much as of yet. Water Vapor and Chemistry The effects of variation in water vapor pressure in the climate where an obsidian artifact has been found have not been studied as intensively as the effects of temperature. In general, water vapor varies with elevation, so you can typically assume that water vapor is constant within a site or region. But OHD is troublesome in regions like the Andes mountains of South America, where people brought their obsidian artifacts across enormous changes in altitudes, from the sea level coastal regions to the 4,000-meter (12,000-foot) high mountains and higher. Even more difficult to account for is differential glass chemistry in obsidians. Some obsidians hydrate faster than others, even within the exact same depositional environment. You can source obsidian (that is, identify the natural outcrop where a piece of obsidian was found), and so you can correct for that variation by measuring the rates in the source and using those to create source-specific hydration curves. But, since the amount of water within obsidian can vary even within obsidian nodules from a single source, that content can significantly affect age estimates. Water Structure Research Methodology to adjust the calibrations for the variability in climate is an emergent technology in the 21st century. New methods critically evaluate the depth profiles of hydrogen on the hydrated surfaces using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) or Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The internal structure of the water content in obsidian has been identified as a highly influential variable which controls the rate of water diffusion at ambient temperature. It has also been found that such structures, like water content, vary within the recognized quarry sources.  Ã‚   Coupled with a more precise measuring methodology, the technique has the potential to increase the reliability of OHD, and provide a window into the evaluation of local climatic conditions, in particular paleo-temperature regimes.   Obsidian History Obsidians measurable rate of rind growth has been recognized since the 1960s. In 1966, geologists Irving Friedman, Robert L. Smith and William D. Long published the first study, the results of experimental hydration of obsidian from the Valles Mountains of New Mexico. Since that time, significant advancement in the recognized impacts of water vapor, temperature and glass chemistry has been undertaken, identifying and accounting for much of the variation, creating higher resolution techniques to measure the rind and define the diffusion profile, and invent and improved new models for EFH and studies on the mechanism of diffusion. Despite its limitations, obsidian hydration dates are far less expensive than radiocarbon, and it is a standard dating practice in many regions of the world today. Sources Liritzis, Ioannis, and Nikolaos Laskaris. Fifty Years of Obsidian Hydration Dating in Archaeology. Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids 357.10 (2011): 2011–23. Print.Nakazawa, Yuichi. The Significance of Obsidian Hydration Dating in Assessing the Integrity of Holocene Midden, Hokkaido, Northern Japan. Quaternary International 397 (2016): 474–83. Print.Nakazawa, Yuichi, et al. A Systematic Comparison of Obsidian Hydration Measurements: The First Application of Micro-Image with Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry to the Prehistoric Obsidian. Quaternary International  (2018). Print.Rogers, Alexander K., and Daron Duke. Unreliability of the Induced Obsidian Hydration Method with Abbreviated Hot-Soak Protocols. Journal of Archaeological Science 52 (2014): 428–35. Print.Rogers, Alexander K., and Christopher M. Stevenson. Protocols for Laboratory Hydration of Obsidian, and Their Effect on Hydration Rate Accuracy: A Monte Carlo Simulation Study. Journal of Archaeological Scie nce: Reports 16 (2017): 117–26. Print. Stevenson, Christopher M., Alexander K. Rogers, and Michael D. Glascock. Variability in Obsidian Structural Water Content and Its Importance in the Hydration Dating of Cultural Artifacts. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 23 (2019): 231–42. Print.Tripcevich, Nicholas, Jelmer W. Eerkens, and Tim R. Carpenter. Obsidian Hydration at High Elevation: Archaic Quarrying at the Chivay Source, Southern Peru. Journal of Archaeological Science 39.5 (2012): 1360–67. Print.

The impact of violent video gaming on aggressive behavior of high Essay

The impact of violent video gaming on aggressive behavior of high school students - Essay Example   Earlier, researchers found that violent content as a variable had a greater contribution to aggression because they did not equate non-violent and violent games based on the speed of action, difficulty and their competitive nature at the same time. For example, the aggression of high school students tends to be more in those who play competitive and difficult games because they need to put more effort to win the game. Therefore, there is a need to determine the effect of the aforementioned characteristics of video games to aggression either separately or in combination (Adachi et al., 260).The research findings were similar to those reported by Morrow and Anderson found that competition affects aggression by altering the heart rate and that competition leads to aggression more than it causes cooperation on the subject studied. Moreover, since the purpose of a competitive video game is to outdo the opponent. The participants were found to develop negative thought and frustration i n an attempt to prevent the opponent from winning (Adachi et al, 260). The effect of competition on aggression is also seen in other games such as soccer and hockey that may lead to violence and fighting. Thus, the effect of competition on aggression is evident and more significant than that of violent content in video games.Olson & Cheryl studied the patterns of M- rated games among students and the effects on their behaviors. They found that 20% and 44% of girls and boys respectively were found to have played an M- rated game known as Grand Theft Auto recently. From the statistics, boys were more likely to play the game than girls (Olson & Cheryl 7783). The game could, therefore, be considered a risk indicator for girls. The majority of the students were found to have played an electronic game with boys spending more time in the games than girls.  

What were the main lessons from the Falklands for joint capability, Essay

What were the main lessons from the Falklands for joint capability, and were they successfully incorporated into defence policy during the 1980s - Essay Example Specifically, the superpowers – the Soviet Union and the United States – displayed keen interest and the war and subsequently used the lessons from this experience in order to realign their own military strategy, doctrine, logistics and weapons system. The Falkland War had, in the days after its end, would be fundamental in the reform of the whole spectrum of conventional war during the modern times. There are several schools that posit the importance of the conflict. For military reformers, the Falkland underscored the need for inexpensive and even less expensive ships. On the other hand, the traditionalists argue in favor of an increase funding for more supercarriers – high-technology ships that would strengthen the capability command and control. Out of all the differences in this debate, however, there lies the fact that discourse is already focused on the value of amphibious war capability to gain advantage in armed conflict. Alexander and Bartlett observed: Indeed, the Falklands War seemed to revalidate all components of naval warfare. Even before the Royal Marines stormed ashore near San Carlos, thoughtful observers had begun to reappraise the utility of naval armed suasion.2 This reference to contemporary analysis can be read from the newspaper column of George Will in the Washington Post in April 25, 1982. He expressed the following statement in regard to the then on-going war further south: This is the moment to explode the belief that the use of naval forces for political objectives – gunboat diplomacy is the preferred epithet – is an anachronism. And it is time for renewed appreciation of the role of naval forces in the US – Soviet balance.3 To further illustrate the British victory during the Falkland War, the British military situation prior to the conflict would be outlined. Then, a brief account of the conflict would be provided. After this, an investigation on the impact of the

Systems Analysis, Design and Development (Object Oriented using UML) Term Paper

Systems Analysis, Design and Development (Object Oriented using UML) - Term Paper Example Resources The resources that need to be made available to the analyst are a separate secluded environment with an up-to-date computing system that is connected to the rest of the computing devices of the organization. The computing system needs to be equipped with the latest and most comprehensive analytical software that would enable the provision of precise and timely analytical assessment as and when required. The time given to the analyst for conducting his assessment should be ample so that the process gets done in its due time thus guaranteeing its error freeness. 1 SUMMARY The current report is intended to be a feasibility report for the development of the online auction system for vehicle selling and purchase. The vehicles purchase/selling system will work on the basis of online auctions. Bidders of the vehicles will gradually increase the bid cost for a specific time period. The system will monitor the auction end time. At the end of auction period highest bidder will be the winner of the bid. Subsequent notifications to the respective seller and highest bidder will be generated by the system automatically. Since it would be online and less cumbersome than a real world vehicle auction scenario, the online auction management system will attract both purchasers and sellers to use it. The system would, in turn, get benefited from both the participants. The proposed system will not only provide an operational platform for such convenient buying, but would also maintain the bidder and seller profiles in order to produce future follow ups. The system will comprise of the following core modules a brief summary of which is provided as follows: Customer (Seller/Bidder) Profiling: This module maintains and manages the details of each purchaser (bidder) and... The paper tells that an online auction mechanism is intended which attracts sellers and buyers of vehicles. The system will be a reliable e-commerce system and will provide opportunity for online sales through auctions. Both the seller and the buyers will be the customers of the system. The system will maintain the personal information of both participants. After registering a vehicle by a seller the bidder will be able to bid on it until the bidding time expires. All bidders will have equal opportunity to increase the bid with equal rate, that is, 100 $ for car and 50 $ for motorcycle. After ending the bidding process, the bids will be evaluated and decision will be made accordingly. The bidder with highest bid among all the other bidders will win the vehicle auction; however, the biding price must be greater than the base price as provided by the seller. The successful bidder will be notified by the system automatically then he has to perform personal visit to the vehicle and payme nt will be made. In case of the failure of the auction i.e. the highest bid could not cross the minimum price of the vehicle or in case of no bid, the system will automatically notify the seller about the situation and the vehicle information will be removed in both cases. Such system will allow purchasers to have a fair market survey and will provide ample vehicle selection opportunities. Due to the effectiveness of system both the purchaser and seller would not be able to acquire undue benefits in any case. With the optimized vehicle price (as desired by the seller) the bidder will not have to pay exorbitantly.

Illegal Immigration Reform in the United States Essay

Illegal Immigration Reform in the United States - Essay Example Illegal immigration constitutes a direct economic and social threat for the United States. Illegal immigration increases population growth in the United States, compromises welfare and health care, leads to increased unemployment and wage depression, results in economic inefficiency and negative trends in labor market, and finally leads to increase in crime rates (Fairus.org, 7-8). Being either employed or incarcerated, illegal aliens present danger to US internal security. Illegal aliens must fraudulently obtain identity documents, taxpayer identification numbers, social security numbers, or engage in identity theft in order to obtain a job from employment entities. Hypothetically, in privately owned critical infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants or refineries, illegal alien terrorists working with false identities create a different threat level to the United States. This threat has the potential to harm large numbers of people should an attack materialize. Kathy Gambrell pr ovides an analysis of illegal aliens voting in U.S. elections, specifically focusing on California (Gambrell, 2003). Again, to receive a voter registration card, the illegal alien must obtain a fraudulent identification to register. If a foreign leader could persuade their citizens, located in the US illegally, to obtain voter registrations and vote for a particular candidate, the threat to the United States could be significant. There are several potential options available for the US legislative and executive powers to eliminate illegal immigration.

Human resource Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Human resource - Research Paper Example But to most modern organizations, the urge and need to ensure effectiveness and efficiency in human resource management remains a very crucial challenge. Because of this, even though there is the practice of human resource management, this is not done in a very well regulated and coordinated manner that meets the growth and developmental aspiration of the organizations (Pattanayak, 2009). Through various forms of research conducted, the researcher has come to realize that in modern day administration and management of organizations, one element that plays a very key role is the use of information systems. Generally, technology has come to have such an important place in organizational management that the elimination of information systems in the management of organizations means that organizations will be stagnated in their growth and development agenda, just as the absence of an effective and efficient human resource management would lead to. In this research paper therefore, the tw o phenomena of human resource management and information systems are combined into a term that is rapidly gaining grounds in organizational management, which human resource information system. ... ed for them to wholly go about their traditional human resource management roles such as benefit, payroll, and labor productivity management and also undertake various tasks with information technology becomes very challenging, expensive and time consuming. Pattanayak, (2009) however notes that there cannot be an easy way out with the two options, which are human resource management and information technology. To compliment the two independent roles therefore, human resource information system is introduced as a bridging gap that â€Å"seeks to merge the activities associated with human resource management (HRM) and information technology (IT) into one common database through the use of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software† (Business Dictionary, 2013). In a much generalized sense therefore, one may view human resource information system as the role of information technology in human resource management. From a more technical viewpoint however, human resource information system goes beyond the mere use of computers and the internet to make the roles of human resource management easier. Human resource information system actually is an independent phenomenon on its own that seeks not just to use information technology in human resource management but make the combined use of information technology and human resource management easier and accessible. For all organizations who would undertake very proactive research and development to identify the human resource information system needs that they are faced with, the advantage is that they would have an effective and efficient human resource management in place. This is because Stewart (2009) has observed that the merger between human resource management and information technology that is done bring about a less

Business process modiling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business process modiling - Essay Example SSP extends their services even to the public sectors in which they commonly deal with matters to do with invoicing among others within the Australian economy. Financial processing is usually very critical and the more reliable the customer perceives the company, the more the trust. It is, therefore, essential that firms handle their financial processes such as invoicing in a more accurate, efficient and reliable manner that can meet the satisfaction of the customers. This is the reason why SSP is restructuring its operations to meet these goals having received myriad complains from its customers. In order to attain this objective, process modelling is identifiably the most significant method that can be used. Technically, the method uses visual analysis and design to gain insight into the challenging process with the application of Business Process Model and Notation (language). This technique is vital in evaluating the status of the SSP and recommending what can be done to enhance the future. This report aims at comprehensively evaluating two processes that can help address the issues of the SSP. Initially, a choreography illustration is presented to demonstrate the relationship SSP has with its primary stakeholders such as the clients. The second diagram is a more sophisticated demonstration of the collaboration SSP has in its operation. It critically analysis how process run within the firm and how invoices (as at now) move in straight into the company. In a nutshell, the above mentioned process models are meant to determine how SSP invoicing system functions and contextu alize the relationships/interactions the organization has with the primary entities. Moreover, this report assesses governance of SSP through lenses of ‘governance structure and model conventions’. To gain a deep understanding of the nuances of the functional processes and value chain activities going on the company, a functional matrix is applied. It is virtually possible

Human resource Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Human resource - Research Paper Example But to most modern organizations, the urge and need to ensure effectiveness and efficiency in human resource management remains a very crucial challenge. Because of this, even though there is the practice of human resource management, this is not done in a very well regulated and coordinated manner that meets the growth and developmental aspiration of the organizations (Pattanayak, 2009). Through various forms of research conducted, the researcher has come to realize that in modern day administration and management of organizations, one element that plays a very key role is the use of information systems. Generally, technology has come to have such an important place in organizational management that the elimination of information systems in the management of organizations means that organizations will be stagnated in their growth and development agenda, just as the absence of an effective and efficient human resource management would lead to. In this research paper therefore, the tw o phenomena of human resource management and information systems are combined into a term that is rapidly gaining grounds in organizational management, which human resource information system. ... ed for them to wholly go about their traditional human resource management roles such as benefit, payroll, and labor productivity management and also undertake various tasks with information technology becomes very challenging, expensive and time consuming. Pattanayak, (2009) however notes that there cannot be an easy way out with the two options, which are human resource management and information technology. To compliment the two independent roles therefore, human resource information system is introduced as a bridging gap that â€Å"seeks to merge the activities associated with human resource management (HRM) and information technology (IT) into one common database through the use of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software† (Business Dictionary, 2013). In a much generalized sense therefore, one may view human resource information system as the role of information technology in human resource management. From a more technical viewpoint however, human resource information system goes beyond the mere use of computers and the internet to make the roles of human resource management easier. Human resource information system actually is an independent phenomenon on its own that seeks not just to use information technology in human resource management but make the combined use of information technology and human resource management easier and accessible. For all organizations who would undertake very proactive research and development to identify the human resource information system needs that they are faced with, the advantage is that they would have an effective and efficient human resource management in place. This is because Stewart (2009) has observed that the merger between human resource management and information technology that is done bring about a less

Short Answer 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Short Answer 2 - Essay Example Apart from sexual harassment, female workers usually do not get much appreciation from the managers even they show more dedication to their jobs as compared to men. For example, if in a meeting a female employee raises an issue, she doesn’t get attention from the manager but if the same issue is raised by a male employee, the issue is given importance and steps are taken to solve the issue. Such laws should be made which should protect the rights of women in any workplace. Such laws include right to get promotion, right of expressing the point of views, and protection against sexual harassment. Another way to promote equality is by eradicating the factor of discrimination from the job interviews. This can be done by hiring the candidates based on their skills and abilities instead of gender. â€Å"Although many laws have been passed to stop discrimination against women in the workplace there are still barriers to overcome in job interviews† (Craine). If I was a woman Staley worker, I would have shown an extraordinary and notable enthusiasm in order to stand against the opposing forces. I would have gotten involved in the union’s struggle in order to build consciousness all across the country regarding a need to show workers’ resistance and stand up to the employers’ concessions demands. One of the lessons which can be concluded from the experience of Staley workers is that workers should never give up the struggle or show nervousness in any kind of difficult situation. Staley workers had a good cause of building consciousness among the workers in order to show resistance to the demands of concessions but the strategy was not well planned which didn’t let them exactly achieve what they desired. Out of all the injustices and problems regarding women, sexual harassment is the most egregious one because it not only creates discomfiture for women but

Australian Standard 3.2.3 for Food Premises and Equipment Essay Example for Free

Australian Standard 3.2.3 for Food Premises and Equipment Essay In Australia, premises where restaurants, bars etc are to be established have to adhere some standards. These standards have been developed by the Australia New Zealand Food Authority [ANZFA] in collaboration and consultation with both the State and Territory health authorities, the other interested institutions, the food industry and general public. For establishing a restaurant cum bar, one has to follow the rules and regulations set out in the standard 3. 2. 3 Food Premises and Equipment. It is to be noted that new standards mirror international best practice on designing and establishing a restaurant cum bar. These standards have become mandatory with effect from February 2001 in Australia. The main objective of the standard 3. 2. 3 is mainly to make sure that the layout of the premises lessens the chances for food contamination. It is the duty of the food business to make sure that the food premises ,fittings ,fixtures , transport vehicles , equipment are designed in such a way that it is constructed to be cleaned and , wherever essential , sanitised. Further, food business must make sure that the premises are offered with the required services of waste disposal, water, ventilation, light, cleaning and personal hygiene facilities, storage space and free access to toilets. The design and construction of food premises should consist the following: ? It should be suitable for the activities for which the building or premise is employed. ? It should contain enough space for the activities to be carried out on the food premises and for the equipment, furniture and fittings employed for the food activities. ? The food premises should be kept clean and if essential , it should be sanitized; and ? It should try to avoid the following : ? Should avoid dust, dirty, smoke, fumes and other contaminants. ? Not to allow the entry of pests; and ? Not to act as breeding grounds for pests. It is to be noted that if a food business operate without licence or without an accredited food safety program, then it will be liable to fined for 1000 units wherein a penalty unit equal to Australian $ 75. The following assumptions have been made for this research essay. a) The toilet facilities comply with the relevant building and plumbing legislation and the position of the facilities is located as detailed in the plans. b) There is a common bulk waste and recyclables storage area in the on the ground floor of a multi-level shopping complex where the proposed restaurant cum bar is to be located. c) The proposed premise meets all town planning requirements and that an application is not required under the Integrated Planning Act 1997. Steps to be perused before making an application for the approval of design and plan; It should be noted that applicant should prior to undertake any commencement of work on his proposed food premises; he should first take approval from the Council’s health services. The application should include two copies of plan and design for the proposed restaurant cum bar. The plans must adhere to a scale of not less than 1:100 and must include the following:- o Particulars of the proposed layout of the restaurant cum bar exhibiting the position of all benches, equipment, appliances, fixtures and counters. o Details of specification which should list all material to be employed , finishes to floors , ceiling ,walls ,work benches ,cupboards and descriptions /details of all equipments to be employed including the model number and the manufacturer’s name wherever applicable. o Details regarding the types of food involved the specifications if work to be carried out in each area and the total number of proposed employees. o Particulars of capacity of the hot water service which includes the service rating. o Where mechanical ventilation is demanded , additional plans must be forwarded which include: †¢ A full dimensional drawing exhibiting front and end elevation. †¢ Details relating to the filter capacity, rated motor power and provision for make up air. 2. ASSESSING THE APPLICATION AND PLANS; ? It is to be noted that all construction techniques and methods are to be in compliance with the building code of Australia 2005/2006 VOL 1, and should adhere all Australian standards and council building guidelines. ? The walls should be of an approved smooth flat impervious material and finished in light coloured washable glass paint. ? Ceiling to be of an approved smooth non-absorbant imperious material and finished in light coloured glass paint. ? Floors, ceilings and walls should be free from any cracks or crevaces. ? All fittings fixed to the walls shall be sealed with an approved sealant. ? Bench tops should be 1. 2 mm s/s bonded to 18mm waterproof ply backing and painted underside with white glass enamel. ? All ducts ,pipes , electrical wirings and like fittings not concealed in walls shall be mounted on brackets with a minimum 25 millimetres clearance from walls and 150 millimetres clearance from the floor. ? If no approval for a mechanical ventilation system is given separately, then food premises should have only equipment not requiring a mechanical exhaust ventilation system which complies with AS1668. 2:1991, which is permitted within the food premises. ? The food premises should have adequate artificial or natural lighting, Light fittings shall be recessed or flush mounted and fitted with a cover or diffuser and constructed to prevent contamination of food with dust, dirt or other falling matter. ? The food premises should have coving with a minimum radius of 25 millimetres and continued up all fixtures, walls and plinths for not less than 70millimetres. The coving shall be an integral part of the floor surface. ? The food premises should have wheels or castors on all heavy equipment over 16 kilograms to permit easy movement for cleaning of the floor area ? Premises should have impervious barrier, at least 300mm in height in between the double bowl sink and hand washbasin provided within the front area. ? Food premises should be effectively offer pest proof. The following table will help to analyse the significant factors that have to be considered while assessing the application and plans in the case of a new restaurant cum bar.

Joseph Andrews Essay -- essays papers

Joseph Andrews In Fielding’s Joseph Andrews you see a variety of characters. They range from the shallow, vain and proud characters like Lady Booby and Mrs. Slipslop to the innocent, sincere, and virtuous like Joseph and Fanny. The presence of Lady Booby, and all of the people like her that are portrayed in the same selfish and dishonest way, bring out the importance of the clergy. Most of the clergy that we meet in the story don’t fit our vision of â€Å"holy people†. They didn’t fit Fielding’s vision either. Parson Adams is the only character that represents what Fielding considers to be the proper role for the clergy. He believes that the proper role for the clergy is that they should give moral guidance and they should be virtuous and charitable. There are many examples of charity made by Parson Adams because Fielding believes that charity is part of the proper role for the clergy. But I think that Adams will stand out more if I show how uncharitable the rest of the characters are. While at The Dragon Inn, Joseph meets Mr. and Mrs. Tow-wouse. Mr. Tow-wouse is the owner of the inn and for his brief presence in the book he is good-natured, unlike his wife who is greedy and very uncharitable. When her husband gets a shirt to clothe naked Joseph she states, â€Å"Common charity teaches us to provide for ourselves and our families; and I and mine won’t be ruined by your charity, I assure you† (93). Later on, Joseph meets Mr. Barnabas. He is a clergyman but a disgrace when compared to Adams. Adams’ office as a clergyman is important because â€Å"no other office could have given him so many opportunities of displaying his worthy inclinations† (95). Barnabas is sent to Joseph’s room in the inn to comfort him because he has been severe... ...ical and obsessed with worldly possessions. They are supposed to be leaders of faith but instead come off as two of the most appalling characters in the book. But in contrast to the rest of the clergymen, Parson Adams is extremely charitable and honest. He and Joseph always act on their beliefs and defend them by any force necessary. Fanny and Joseph are morally superior characters, but they are still characters. Adams emerges as an individual. He gave Joseph and Fanny moral guidance any time they needed it and he puts his principals of charity into practice. â€Å"Now, there is no Command more express, no Duty more frequently enjoined than Charity. Whoever therefore is void of Charity, I make no scruple of pronouncing that he is no Christian.† (185). In Fielding’s mind the role for the proper clergyman is to be honest, give moral guidance, and at all times be charitable.

Halloween: Family fun or Satan’s Playground? Essay -- Halloween Argume

Okay, I admit this time of year is a guilty pleasure of mine, with the changing of the seasons. The crisp cool days and evenings let you cook hearty healthy meals that fill the home with such sumptuous, delicious smells. It’s the time of year for hot apple cider, pumpkins and families that get together. Harvest time used to be a time when all the hard work of the year was being stored up for the long cold months of winter. We recently had the pleasure of hearing: â€Å"Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat.† Why do we say this? Where did this tradition come from? What is the reason for our dressing up, and the pumpkins that we carve? Who originally came up with this celebration and why? Let’s not forget the all-important slasher movies and TV specials. Although many people feel Halloween is not a holiday and should not be celebrated, I believe it is a holiday, because it is steeped in tradition, truly an American holiday, and a social revelry of merriment that everyone can enjoy. Murray Hope explains on Joelle's Sacred Grove Entrance website, that this ancient holiday celebration began with the Celts (people of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England) approximately in the 5th century BCE. After the occupation of the British Isle’s many of the Roman pagan ways were added to this celebration such as their Goddess of harvest, Pomona whose sacred fruit is the apple. It is believed that this is why we celebrate the festivities with apple cider, bobbing for apples and candy apples (Wolf). This all lasted until Christianity decided to convert all pagans, and incorporated many of their holidays into the churches calendar. Pope Gregory IV was the first to try combining pagan ways within the Church so he crea... ...ngest Holidays." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. 28 Sept. 2007. Web. October 8, 2010. Schaadt, Robert L. "Bats and Halloween - The Vindicator: News." The Vindicator: The Oldest Continuously Printing News Source in South Liberty County since 1887. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. "Should Christians Participate in Halloween? - ChristianAnswers.Net." Christian Answers ® Networkâ„ ¢ (ChristianAnswers.Net): Multilingual Answers, Reviews, Ministry Resources, and More! [Home]. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. Skal, David J. Death Makes a Holiday. New York: Bloomsbury, 2002. Print. "Unusual Pumpkin Facts." Pumpkin Patch - Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Pumpkins! Web. October 8, 2010. Wolf, Spring. "The Pagan's Path ~ Witchcraft & Shamanism - The History Of Samhain / Halloween." The Pagan's Path ~ Education Network. 13 Oct. 2009. Web. October 8, 2010.

Word of Mouth Marketing in the Time of the Internet

At the threshold of the onslaught and brutal display of power of the internet-based word of mouth, there are many important things to discuss standing from different perspectives. The most important of which is from the standpoint of an advertising/marketing strategist, which is constantly manipulating the mechanisms of social behavior (including the word of mouth phenomenon then and now) in the name of successful market control. Word of mouth (WOM) and marketing go hand in hand in the past, largely because of the impact of interpersonal relationship and communication in consumerism. Companies overwhelmingly believe in the ability of consumers to influence one another’s purchasing decisions (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 64). † Today, another player comes into the picture – the internet. If traditional marketing and advertising has managed to weave its way around traditional word of mouth communication enough to successfully manipulate it, the same cannot be said about how advertising and marketing entities are dealing with internet-based sources of word of mouth communication. The internet has shown that it is a powerful tool for word of mouth communication and the power grows vis-a-vis the growth of users, who are also the consumers. â€Å"The large number of users gives Internet WOM significant potential power for marketers. Anecdotal evidence of the power of the Internet WOM abounds (Schindler, Bickart, 2005, p. 35). † Despite the problems that go with the rise of internet-based word of mouth communication and marketing, there are still positive things to hope for. The opportunity here is for companies to find their brand ambassadors (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 64),† while for others, the task is to simply be able to work well with this new social trend empowered by new technology that many is enjoying at the moment. Nonetheless, this is a very important topic to discuss, break down and analyze. This paper will discuss how different internet-based sources of word of mouth marketing including web sites, blogs and other similar mediums affect th e decision-making process and the buying habits of modern day consumers. This paper will be discussing the special and important relationship of three factors – the internet, consumers and the word of mouth communication – because how these factors affect each other is an important aspect that shapes how consumerism takes place today. Since the day that humans were able to understand and execute the system of selling items or services for a profit, the consumer segment of the society has already been created; and today, everyone is a consumer. With the creation of the consumer section and the start of the flow of local economics via sustainability through the sale of items or services that other people are willing to pay for is the creation of word of mouth communication. What is word of mouth communication, or WOM? There are several yet similar explanations about word of mouth communication made by experts. Here is one: â€Å"Word-of-mouth communication† is used â€Å"to exchange post-purchase experience among the costumers (Takahashi, Sallach, Juliette, 2007, p. 09). † Providing that this explanation is correct, the very first word of mouth communication is the very first time the very first consumer who bought something from another person told another individual what he or she thinks of the recent item he/she purchased. This trend has not changed since. All over the world, part of the culture of consumers is to let other people know how they feel about the product they purchased. Usually, neighbors who have pleasant relationship with each other include in their casual conversations appraisal and assessment of the things or services that they recently bought or paid for. It could be about anything and everything – food, clothing, equipment, accessories, home appliances, medicine etc. Word of mouth communication happens everywhere: as neighbors and friends talk to each other during social gatherings or everytime they pass by each other in malls, grocery stores, at work or when they bump into each other in leisure locations like in beach, gym, arcade etc. Word of mouth communication is a product largely a personal face-to-face conversation, although sometimes telephone conversations, even mails also become sources of word of mouth communication. This happens when friends or relatives suggest or advise for or against a particular item or brand, or if they simply express how satisfied or dissatisfied they were in a particular brand or item even without the conscious effort to affect the personal belief of the listener in the item or brand in question. Word of mouth is everywhere, it was an everyday experience which, at one point, was believed to be strong enough that it can affect consumer attitude. At the onset of media advertising in radio, television and print, commercials took to mimicking word of mouth phenomenon to reflect real life and make it appear that in real life, people are really talking positively about the brand featured in the commercial so that the consumers are influenced towards imbibing the same mindset about the product. Word of mouth style in advertising in media is one of the important types of advertising approach because it was successful and effective. When people see individuals in a commercial enjoying a bottle of a popular soda and talking about it and recommending it to other people, they feel that the people in the commercial are directly talking to them; and for most part consumers who are exposed to television are influenced into trying the product because the commercial made them feel/think that the product was great and it was worth trying. At this point, there was already a genuine word of mouth communication happening between individuals, as well as artificial word of mouth communication, which happen when commercials try to influence and manipulate the thinking, mindset and attitude of the consumers through the help of commercials. Word of mouth, at this time, was still powerful but it was not an unstable power that cannot be controlled. For one, word of mouth communication moves around a particular network and does not extend any further that it cannot immediately create a nationwide attitude for or against a product or brand. Secondly, advertising agencies and marketing professionals managed to control consumer attitude and buying preference largely because of the ability of commercials and marketing efforts to convince people to patronize a particular brand. And then, there was the Internet. The internet was not created primarily to alter the previous status quo in the consumer world. The idea behind the internet is to provide an information highway for everyone to use. But the inherent characteristics of the internet made it an important aspect in how word of mouth, marketing and consumerism would change. The internet gave word of mouth communication renewed power by giving the consumers power communicate with each other and let other consumers know how individuals feel about particular products being sold to the people. The society was introduced to a new set of culture that included blogs and websites, emails and chats, forums and websites which all provided new platforms where information can be made available, information which included the personal thoughts of other consumers about products. It turns out that other consumers are very much interested in finding out what other people think, especially about products that other people are thinking of buying. Because of this, consumers knowingly or unknowingly focused more attention online, looking for the opinion of individuals about different products and letting real life experience and not padded advertisement act as the source of information about products. This information is used to assist the individual in the formation of the individual’s buying attitude and consumer behavior upon a particular product. Some of the examples include the browsing of Internet users in sites that feature blogs on consumer appraisal on products, found in websites like www. oxygen. com and its message board; www. leftgear. com and its style chat; and other websites like www. consumerreviews. com and www. epinions. com. The entry of the internet complicated the relationship of consumer world with world of mouth communication, and most of the problematic aspect of this social change targeted the companies which are finding different ways and means to be able to regain control of this new source of word of mouth communication. I. The Consumer and word of mouth The consumer and word of mouth has been together and closely related to each other for a long period of time. â€Å"Verbal consumer-to-consumer communication, often referred to as simply ‘word of mouth’ (WOM) has long been recognized as an important factor in consumer behavior (Schindler, Barbara, 2005, p. 35). † Word of mouth and consumers are symbiotic and intertwined, each other directly affecting the other. Without consumers, word of mouth communication, at worst will lose its essence and its ethos, especially if the information disseminated are merely results of company-led propaganda. Without word of mouth communication, consumers will have to rely on how much information they have for them to be able to make the best, educated decision when buying products or services and selecting which brand to pick from the shelf. â€Å"The word-of-mouth communication between the consumers is crucial (Takahashi, Sallach, Juliette, 2007, p. 109). † Getting the opinion of other people first before making a decision is one of the innate characteristics of many individuals, and their particular attitude in buying is no different. For some people, they want to know first how other people ahead of him or her in buying the product feels about the item, and then uses this information to assess whether or not he or she will pursue purchasing the product, opt for other brand of the same product or shelf the idea of purchasing one all in all. â€Å"Innovators first seek information from other people in the purchase of an innovation and such behavior is similar across various new product categories (Krishnamurthy, 2004, p. 73). † This particular attitude of consumers is the main vein that connects consumers to word of mouth communication. For most experts, they believe that there are many enough individuals who follow this pattern of behavior in buying that it is important for companies to know how word of mouth communication. The consumers react and interact with each other so that the companies can make adjustments that enable them to use the presence of word of mouth communication to their advantage. If marketers were to realize the intended results of their efforts, they would benefit from understanding the manner in which consumers process WOMC (De Carlo, Laczniak, Sridhar, 2003, p. 225). † This is crucial for consumers because information sharing and dissemination is accomplished through this. But there is more to that. This is also crucial for companies relying on positive word of mouth from consumers to improve how the public perceive the product they are selling, or simply, marketing. The best marketing that ever was, or ever will be is word of mouth. There is no dollar value you can assign to having someone else talk positively about you, your company, and your services (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 64). † This realization comes from the consideration that companies also has to rely on wor d of mouth communication because in several instances, the public/consumer is not interested or affected anymore by commercials and are instead more interested in word of mouth communication. Internet-Based Word of Mouth Seen by Consumers as a Fresh Alternative versus Product/Service Commercials There are many reasons why people find the internet-based word of mouth tools like blogs and forums more reliable, dependable and useful for information gathering. One of the possible reasons is that individuals are already tired, fed up or already calloused by the traditional commercials that they are not as affected anymore as in the past in being exposed to product commercials in television and print media. The feeling of being detached and impersonal by these commercials only improves its quality as something that is feigned and artificial, and because people wanted more, particularly something more personal and more genuine, word of mouth via the internet communication became the suitable answer to this consumer need. â€Å"Instead of fake artificial commercial messages, people can now get real-life comments from peers on anything they want (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 64). † II. Word of mouth and the Internet. Word of mouth was a social phenomenon even before the age of Internet. But in the entry of the internet in the social structure and global culture, word of mouth communication, no doubt, was influenced by this new technology. â€Å"The development of the Internet has led to the appearance of new forms of word-of-mouth communication (Schindler, Bickart, 2005, p. 35). † Today, the internet and word of mouth is connected with each other; online word of mouth communication is expected by experts to increase as long as the users of the internet continue to increase. As online word of mouth communication increases, so is the power and influence of online word of mouth to affect consumer behavior and buying attitude, making word of mouth dependent on its online breadth for its power and influence, and the internet's source of power dependent in part in how individuals like consumers utilize this medium and give it power by exercising the newfound consumer power (word of mouth communication) through the internet and its features. â€Å"The importance of online WOM increases as access to and usage of the Internet continues to grow (Schindler, Bickart, 2005, p. 35). † Understanding how word of mouth works is one thing. But making word of mouth result favorably towards a particular product or item is more complicated. And with this knowledge, companies ensure that their initial task is not to make the most out of the word of mouth phenomenon by manipulating it in the onset; but rather to ensure that any marketing strategies outside word of mouth considerations do not become a source of negative publicity which in turn would be a potential negative feedback that can be fed in the word of mouth network and would generate more negative publicity and blow the problem out of controllable proportion. The companies’ task is the fine tuning of the advertising strategy driving the demand using sugarcoated advertising claims but paying attention not to initiate negative word-of-mouth effects (Takahashi, Sallach, Juliette, 2007, p. 109). † In the age of internet-based word of mouth, this is a task which is not as difficult as controlling a publicity crisis that went public and became the subject of many blogs and forums that can devastate and destroy the reputation of a product; there is just no ethical way to stop the bloggers from publishing online what they think and feel and how they respond to negative publicity, regardless of the notion that â€Å"bad publicity is still publicity. There is just too many bloggers, blog sites, forums and chat rooms in the information highway that controlling what comes from it is impossible, but making sure bloggers cannot say anything bad about the product, compared to the earlier task, appears more doable, workable and possible. At least through that, companies can hope that they have something they can use to attempt to equalize the impact of internet-based word of mouth communication. In this line of thought, it is easy to see that one of the effects of the powerful internet-based word of mouth communication is forcing companies to either make something flawless and good all in all, or be good in covering up foul ups and problematic aspects that can be used as topics to start communication threads and negative word of mouth streams of conversation that can be devastating. Simply said, this situation can translate to better quality control, with companies trying to play it fair with the consumers as much as possible, lest someone notices how things do not add up and publish it in the internet and create an online buzz that can negatively affect the image of the product and the company. Traditional or through the internet, word of mouth among customers and the consumer is a very powerful aspect of the mechanism of marketing and consumerism. Being able to understand this aspect is critical especially for market strategists and for the company themselves, so that they can, in turn, prepare for the possible trend in the word of mouth phenomenon, how it will affect the product and how they would hand this situation in a manner that benefits them more than harms them. Clemmer, Sheehy (1994) explained what the Washington, D. C. based group TARP or Technical Assistance Research Program found out, particularly that â€Å"while only a small percent of your unhappy customers bother to tell you about their dissatisfaction, they are eager to tell lots of your potential customers about the problems they have had dealing with you (Clemmer, Sheehy, 1994, p. 15). † This is just one of the many proofs that customers talk to each other, share each other’s experiences, and more often than not, take to heart the input they receive from other people and use it to affect their future decision making when it comes to buying or p atronizing a product or item. Through word of mouth phenomenon, many things come into play and not just patronage of products – sometimes the success of the new things being offered to the public is also dependent on word of mouth, regardless of whether or not the outcome resulting from the word of mouth is good or bad publicity for the product. â€Å"Favorable WOM has been found to be positively related to new-product diffusion†¦ Even negative WOM is found to increase credibility (Krishnamurthy, 2004, p. 273). † Increased Role of Word of Mouth Today. As years go by and as the attitude of consumerism increases around the world, the power of consumer input through different channels including the use of word of mouth communication (WOMC) also increased in significance. Partly, this is one of the means by which both the consumers and the companies in need of genuine product, service and performance appraisal can have real, first hand information about how the public as consumers really feel about a product, service or item sold to them. Word of mouth has become one of the gauges, not just of product appraisal but of the performance as well, of the companies to be able to deliver to the public what the public genuinely needs, and not what the companies want the people to need. â€Å"In the past decade, word of mouth and its more formal manifestation found in many consumer and industry protection movements have been playing a much bigger part in broadcasting what kind of service/quality a company is consistently delivering as perceived by its customers (Clemmer, Sheehy, 1994, p. 5). † The increase in this trend is due largely to the growth and increase in customer participation. â€Å"The influence of blogs and podcasts is increasing due to fast expansion of the audience and contributors (Swoboda, Morschett, Rudolph, Schnedlitz, Schramm-Klein, 2008, p. 9). † Word of mouth has become an important point of concern for marketing. This is because at the entry of the internet and the weakening hold of traditional advertising and marketing effort to influence the public, the consumers found in the World Wide Web a new source of information, as well as a place where they have the chance to speak about their experience as consumers, in the process empowering consumers and making them not just mere recipients of the messages of the advertising and marketing strategies but also a source of information that can seriously compete and challenge traditional marketing and advertising when it comes to reaching and affecting the consciousness of the audience. Professionals know about this already, but they are careful not to openly admit how consumers of today rely on word of mouth in the internet blogs and forums. How they are very cautious not to make internet-based word of mouth push their carefully and delicately laid out advertising and marketing plans out of order by making sure that even the consumer has fully ignored the commercials, the word of mouth results still puts a particular product in a positive light. Nacht and Chaney (2006) quoted Paul Beelen who said that a positive comment is very important, more important compared to commercials or print ads especially if the comment was something that came from â€Å"someone you know and trust (Nacht and Chaney (2006, p. 64). † Beelen, as quoted by Nacht and Chaney, went on to explain by stressing that word of mouth became more potent now than it was before because of the fact that â€Å"millions of consumers are now also publishers (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 4)† and the traditional word of mouth that was once left in the party huddles now jumps off and lives on longer and extends towards a wider audience via â€Å"the World Wide Web, in the form of podcasts, wikis, forums, and most importantly: blogs (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 64). † Word of Mouth Marketing and the Power of the Internet Why is word of mouth very powerful? One of the reasons is that because it happens as part of a very simple and common human experience. It i s an important part of constant everyday interaction between individuals. Because the efficacy found in the word of mouth phenomena is the fact that there is a sense of commitment and the value of trust and credibility that people are willing to put on the line, making people trust the appraisal of the person who have already used a particular product. This power is a very important power that marketing strategists need to have if they want to be able to control and predict the outcome of buying attitudes and consumer preferences, the result more favorable to the product they intend to sell to the market. For example, the traditional word of mouth phenomenon happens between friends, between relatives or peers in the house, in the neighborhood, in the office or in locations where human verbal interaction is possible. A housewife may rant to a neighbor and fellow housewife how the recent upholstery stain remover did not work for her and how it messed the sofa more. Of course, housewife #2 do not have any way of finding out if this was true or if the worsening of the condition was caused by other factors (i. e. wrong use of the cleaner, etc), but there is a very large possibility that housewife #2 will shy away from the particular brand being discussed and select another brand (not unless the brand being talked about is something that housewife #2 has already used in the past and depended on for quality and performance). Nonetheless, this illustrates what is in play in the word of mouth phenomena. It becomes more credible because people believe that the appraisal/assessment of a product/service is based largely on true, first hand experience without any manipulative motive from the source of information besides the need to share the experience with another individual. The same effect marketing and PR professionals try to produce everytime they use common or ordinary looking individuals to comment on their products or everytime they use the everyday man random interview wherein the individual endorses a product based on his/her own true experience, which some individuals may not easily believe knowing that actors in paid ads are mere puppets and totally unreliable sources of information in a pseudo-word of mouth approach. This traditional word of mouth model is no different from how word of mouth communication and word of mouth marketing happens today in the online world or through the internet. â€Å"In recent years, the opportunity for consumers to generate WOMC (word of mouth communication), and the rate at which it is disseminated, has increased significantly due to penetration of the Internet (De Carlo, Laczniak, Sridhar, 2003, p. 225). Bloggers talk about items they recently bought or thinking of buying, and more often than not replies to the subject thread will generate different opinions about the product being talked about, and this series and streams of ideas racing back and forth between individuals involved in conversation through blogging affect the perception not just of the bloggers involved but also those who come across the blog site and gets to read it (i. . those who searched for the particular product in the search bar to get more information about the item, who will soon have dif ferent notions and particular mindset about the item which was unknown to the person prior to reading the blog and message threads that influenced the individuals thinking and perception about the product). Word of mouth marketing and communication placed in the plateau or realm of the internet is more influential and powerful as it is more dangerous because the spreading of word of mouth through the internet is easier and can target and reach more individuals compared to traditional word of mouth experiences. Because of this, marketing strategist are all the more concerned about the power of the internet-based word of mouth phenomenon. â€Å"Chat rooms and message boards, for example, allow individuals to share experiences with relative ease (De Carlo, Laczniak, Sridhar, 2003, p. 225). † For example, talking about a particular product or item in a chat room with 50 listed participants (something which is not impossible or difficult to achieve, especially with the growth of social networking via the internet that links more and more people together in a tightly knit web of online community that connects one to another in many different links) already puts the source of the information in a position wherein he/she can influence 49 different individuals, especially if the topic/item/product is about something that is of common interest to everyone in the chatroom (i. . the newest electronic entertainment gadget among young individuals or a particular product or item among hobbyist, like the newest GPRS gadget among outdoor enthusiast). Imagine the impact of influencing 49 individuals, something that is not easy to do traditionally since it is not easy to gather 50 individuals in one location on a particular time only to rant about product appraisal (not unless its the a nnual Tupperware Party, where the preferences of the individual on a particular common interest is already a given). Manipulating Internet-Based Word of Mouth Communication Because of the power of online word of mouth communication, there are several efforts to cheat word of mouth communication by planting individuals that will act as sources to create a stir in the internet and in the process allow people to talk about a particular product or item in the internet through blogs and forums and chat rooms, in the process creating word of mouth communication and marketing the product/item/service to the consumer. A perfect example is what happened in the internet during the effort to create popularity for a former pop star. â€Å"Students hired to post questions and comments on teen-oriented chat rooms and bulletin boards generated discussion and interest in pop singer Christina Aguilera (Schindler, Bickart, 2005, p. 35). † The power of word of mouth found in internet tools is very potent that companies are also trying to find ways on how to combat the presence of negative inputs directed at company products resulting from online word of mouth communication. Trademark owners may be able to suppress or excise negative word of mouth (Goldman, 2008, p. 404). † This can be also considered as manipulating online word of mouth, largely to protect the interest of companies who are in danger of bad publicity and bad public standing if word of mouth in the internet is not properly handled. Because of the power of online word of mouth and the collaboration of the word of mouth culture with the internet technology, several changes happened. One of which is the challenging the traditional market cycle power players. Experts believe that online and offline word of mouth communication functions differently. And because of that, control is something that companies are struggling with as word of mouth in the internet increases. â€Å"Offline, trademark owners have a fair amount of control over consumer perceptions of their brands. Online word of mouth undermines that control (Goldman, 2008, p. 04). † Challenging the Traditional â€Å"Expert-Review† Notion Another important characteristic of word of mouth communication in the internet that makes it very influential and significant in the consumer reception and patronage of a product in the shelf is because of what experts believe as the shift of credibility from the traditional â€Å"product experts† to the everyday, everyman blogger in the internet where word of mouth is mostly prevalent. Even if companies pay for the opinion of respected â€Å"product experts,† it hardly matters now because it seems like individuals who want information about a product read about what other individuals like themselves has to say about the product before creating their own mindset and perspective about the item. â€Å"Nowadays, customer reviews posted in different forums or virtual communities, web blogs and podcasts are much more powerful and believable than expert product reviews (Swoboda, Morschett, Rudolph, Schnedlitz, Schramm-Klein, 2008, p. 8). † This is good news for those who will be affected by word of mouth in a positive manner, especially those whose appraisal that was transferred via word of mouth through blog(s) commend the product and encourage other people to use it, because this phenomena evens out the impending failure in credibility of perceived product experts. This can also spell doom and worst case marketing crisis management for those which were appraised negatively in the blogosphere. Word of Mouth as a Source of Important Information One of the sources of power of word of mouth is because people rely on it, generally for information. In this age where there are many things being offered to them, each type of item available in different brands, customers wanted to have more information until they are satisfied that they know what they need to know after making the purchase. â€Å"A second source for consumers to learn about a new product is through word-of-mouth (Krishnamurthy, 2004, p. 273). † This was true during the pre-internet age, and still holds true now that Internet became part of the social culture and took an important part in how word of mouth is undertaken today. Word of mouth, particularly internet based word of mouth communication has been an important source of information that some believe that it has already overtaken the significance of the traditional mass media platforms when it comes to consumer preference on where to find the information that they want to know. Take for example, the case for the diffusion of new products in the market. Some experts believe that in this particular area, word of mouth is very important factor in how the sales and marketability of the new product will turn out after consumer reception to the product is gauged. Awareness of new products primarily came from personal communications, with mass media only consulted when more information was desired (Krishnamurthy, 2004, p. 273). † That people rely heavily on the input of other people rather than the impact of mass media advertising and marketing strategy only points to the idea that large sections of the items, services and other things for sale – particularly those which is in its initial launch level – depend the level of consumer saturation based on how the consumer and their preferences and buying habits will react to the input of word of mouth in their consciousness. Some studies have shown that innovators engage in more WOM communication than do imitators†¦ and are more dependent on WOM (Krishnamurthy, 2004, p. 273). † III. The Internet and the consumer One of the best things that happened to the world is the internet, as much as the internet is one of the best things that happened to consumers because of many different reasons. First, the internet improved purchasing, making the buying and selling of things faster and more convenient both for the vendor and the customer. Online purchasing is also now an option to consumers, thanks to the internet. Another important impact of the internet in the world of consumers is how the internet gave the consumers the power by providing consumers with a new platform for word of mouth communication. In the past, the consumers are left with very little options and chances for their opinion and thoughts to be heard by the companies that sell items, by their fellow consumers and by the rest of the world. With the entry of the internet, the consumer section is once again empowered because they have now, through the internet, what they did not have when the transfer of information was controlled largely by manufacturers and vendors. â€Å"Using the internet, consumers can now easily publish their opinions, providing their thoughts, feelings, and viewpoints on products and services to the public at large (Schindler, Bickart, 2005, p. 35). † A place to speak and influence other consumers through online word of mouth was made possible by the internet, and the consumers are now not merely the end-recipients of the products of capitalism and manufacturing. Consumers, with a more powerful type of word of mouth communication through the internet, can make people boycott brands and products and seriously affect the sales of different items simply by convincing individuals through blogs and forums and chats why such products should not be patronized. Consumers will never see fellow consumers as someone with an agenda, and because of this, they will take the input of fellow consumers and allow it to seriously influence them. Influencing Brand Perceptions Through the use of the internet, the consumer is not only provided with a new way to purchase goods and items, but also given the chance to influence other consumers towards brand perception. â€Å"The broad reach of online word of mouth gives consumers tremendous power to influence brand perceptions (Goldman, 2008, p. 404). † The Power of the Internet in Consumer World There are many proofs of the power of the internet in the consumer world. Some of the proofs include the fact that through the internet, consumers are connected with each other. â€Å"The Internet helps create new word of mouth content and disseminate word of mouth to new and previously unreachable audiences (Goldman, 2008, p. 404),† while another significant proof of the power of the internet in the consumer world is the entry of internet and how it impacted trademark law, â€Å"Online word of mouth poses the most important challenge to Internet trademark law (Goldman, 2008, p. 04). † These proofs of the power of the internet in the consumer world particularly through the internet-based word of mouth only highlights the limitations found in traditional and/or offline word of mouth communication. â€Å"Offline, consumer word of mouth plays a major role in the marketplace by disciplining some brands and rewarding others, but a person’s views typically reach only a limited number of people (Goldman, 2008, p. 404). † Proof of the Power of Internet-Based Word of Mouth The effects of word of mouth among customers and consumers have been studied extensively for years. Ever since market analyst identified the power of word of mouth in the market value and market success of products and other things for sale to the consumers, many entities like TARP have undertaken studies in order to understand more how word of mouth works and how it actually affects things. â€Å"TARP has studied the ripple effects of dissatisfied customers and word of mouth testimonials. The results will rock anyone concerned about sales and marketing (Clemmer, Sheehy, 1994, p. 15). But studies are not just the sole proof that can validate the claim that internet-based word of mouth is effective and is being seriously used today in aggressive marketing. Other proofs may include the cases in the past that pointed to the role and power of internet-based word of mouth and how it influenced the outcome of consumer/public patronage and support. Other proofs of the power of the internet -based word of mouth communication are identified by experts by naming instances wherein internet-based word of mouth communication was important in the marketing and in the ensuing success of the product/item/services for sale to the public. One of the industries that depend on positive public acceptance of what they sell for them to survive and sustain themselves is the entertainment industry, particularly movie making. In the past, many different movies saw what the Internet-based word of mouth can do for particular movies to make it big in the silver screen, including popular titles like the hit Blair Witch Project. â€Å"After the success of the use of Internet buzz in promoting the movie The Blair Witch Project, studios are increasingly relying on online WOM to develop interest in new films (Schindler, Bickart, 2005, p. 5). † The movie acted as a perfect case study that indicate the impact of internet-based word of mouth and how it can create a stir among consumers that can lead to consumption of the product (in this case, leading the people to watch the movie). Because of this, many other marketing strategists of other film outfits followed suit, including this particular formula in the overall marketing str ategy to guarantee the success of the movie based on patronage and public support. The same was the case in the more recent movies, like the global smash hit epic trilogy The Lord of the Rings which, according to Schindler and Bickart (2005), relied on the role and impact of the internet and how it can diffuse word of mouth information via its many different features. â€Å"New Line Cinemas encouraged the development of unofficial web sites about the movies, providing these sites with interviews with the film’s director in order to generate discussion and excitement about the movies (Schindler and Bickart, 2005, p35). Blogs – a Powerful Internet-Based Word of Mouth Communication Tool The creation of blogs and the blogosphere, and how the consumers were quick to embrace and utilize this new, internet-based form of interpersonal interaction is one of the main reasons why the internet has become a very potent source for word of mouth communication, word of mouth marketing and advertising, and word of mouth communication that can either seriously improve or damage a particular product or brand. While blogs are not exclusively focused on product and services analysis, it is easily noticeable how the traditional trend occurring between neighbors who chat and compare their thoughts on different products and services (in the process producing word of mouth communication) transformed into online neighborhood chat. Only this time, the people involved in the conversation of product and services comparison are bigger in numbers and not limited to geographical boundaries. An American youth can blog about his assessment of the latest mobile phone or media player, which can get different reactions from other individuals who may or may not be directly related or connected with the blogger from as far as Asian or European countries. They can converse via their entries and replies in the blog and talk as if they are next door neighbors even when offline they are mere strangers to each other and live thousands of miles away. It is for this particular power to â€Å"spread the word† that marketing strategies and companies make sure that they make sufficient consideration and leg room to accommodate the possible input of blogs and word of mouth communication in the internet in their overall market strategy and the overall performance of the product they are trying to sell. Generally, what every company can hope for is that the bloggers in the blogosphere have mostly good words to tell to each other when it comes to appraising the product/services that they are trying to sell to the public. â€Å"Not only will consumers talk to you via your blog, they also will talk to one another. Your readers can become your best brand-building evangelists, helping you to spread your message and your presence throughout their networks (Nacht, Chaney 2006, p. 64). † Being able to get an online ally and brand evangelist (directly or indirectly) is important because it does not only make one’s product or services look good, but it also helps in selling the product/service to the people. As what most experts believe, what people read in the online blogs focused on product and services assessment and appraisal greatly affect the individual in what he or she might want to buy in the very immediate future. â€Å"For consumers, blogs are like customer reviews on Yahoo! ocal or Amazon, which are helpful in making decisions about what to buy and whose services to use (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 65). † This is the needed push so that consumers can take it to the next level – to actually buy an item, and to start the foundation of a long lasting brand patronage and to trigger the start of new word of mouth by using the new consumer as the new source of information for other people whom the consumer can convince to either try the brand or opt for something else. Of course, marketing and advertising people have since made it their task to provide that necessary push to (1) make the consumer buy, (2) start the foundation of brand loyalty, and (3) make the consumer new sources of information that can influence other consumers and expand the network of word of mouth communication that delivers a very positive message favorable to the product/service being sold to the public. Today, experts believe that this task is something that advertisers and marketing professionals cannot achieve solely by themselves and their efforts. Internet-based tools like blogs provide the crucial word of mouth communication that heavily influences consumers. Blogs, one of the most popular and user-friendly internet-based tool for word of mouth communication, is proving that it is one of the forces to reckon with, flexing extensive power that dictates the movement in consumer attitude. â€Å"Blogs are word of mouth supercharged (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 64)! † Add to this trend the consideration that most people outside of the marketing and advertising business is fast catching up with what advertising and marketing is trying to do. They sense the artificial push given to consumer and in the process, making consumers less and less dependent on advertising and more and more difficult to be influenced by advertisements especially when it comes to consulting other people about product input to affect buying attitude and preference. With internet-based tools like blogs, consumers feel like they are genuinely talking to another person who would give them an honest, first hand, experience-based opinion without any motive or agenda to influence the consumer’s buying preference other than to provide information. It is something that most believe they do not actually get from advertisements and marketing campaigns geared at making brands look good and pleasing to the senses and covering up areas which maybe problematic or undesirable for the consumer in real life. In their book, Nacht and Chaney (2006) used as an example the result of a North Carolina survey, and wrote that â€Å"one third of all consumers would prefer to receive product information from friends and specialists rather than from advertising (Nacht and Chaney, 2006, p. 65). The idea of â€Å"friends† in this particular idea would likely include peers and contacts in the online/internet network of an individual. The exchange of information between â€Å"friends† to substitute the information gathering from advertising-based sources most likely happens online, including the use of blogs through writing blogs or reading other people's blogs about the product, in this case blogs act, according to PR strategist Steve Rubel, as a â€Å"24/7 focus group that's transparent and out in the open (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 64). Companies also understand the significance of blogs and have a particular role for blogs to play in how consumerism works, in the hope that blogs can assist them in making sure consumerism and its related socio-economic conditions interact together favorably for the company and its products and items it sells to the public. â€Å"Smart businesses will pay attention to blogs, using them as kind of informal network of consumer opinion. Blogs have become a word-of-mouth marketing channel that allows companies to keep a pulse on their marketplace (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 4). † The Internet Versus the Traditional Tri-Media So how does the internet and its features (i. e. websites, blogs etc) actually become another important source of word of mouth marketing and in the process have the capacity to influence the buying attitudes and preferences of the consumers? The internet, like the radio, print media and the television are all platforms used for the movement of information. The f irst three types of information platforms – the tri-media – nearly had the similar effect that the internet has. While the tri-media, no doubt, had immense effect on buying attitude and preferences and overall marketing, there is something that the internet has managed to give to the target consumers that the tri-media failed to provide them: interactivity. Because the websites and the blogs and the podcasts feature interactivity by allowing ordinary individuals to have a say on products or items for sale, people listen to what they have to say more. And because the internet is an accessible and available platform for discussion between and among customers (something that is not available for the other tri-media since the information direction here is one way – from the companies to the target audience), consumers who tried the product or service feels good that they have an avenue where they as ordinary consumers can appraise and assess a product, without the restrictions of companies and without the marketing scripts and paid appearances by individuals posing as ordinary consumers in the tri-media marketing which, as years went by, became passe and hardly credible a style for word of mouth marketing to convince the consumer/audience. Blogs and the websites has proven that it is a fresh new approach that meant empowering the consumers, allowing them not only to be informed but also to speak about the products and services they bought. The absence of pretentiousness and feigned positive approval in the world of blogging has made it a very influential tool because people speak based from their own appraisal of the product or services. And if the appraisal is good, then this type of word of mouth marketing can indeed help a product to gain more followers and patrons. Similarly, the bloggers who are not impressed by something they bought may speak about the product negatively. This is a serious threat to the market power and credibility of the product. Since the time of television, print and radio advertisements, marketing personnel are already conscious of the impact of having an â€Å"ordinary and common† individual talk about the product. This is why many brands have opted to pick someone that is not popular, someone that represents the common folk, to speak positively about the product as if what they are saying in the television, print or radio advertisement is a genuine personal appraisal and not a scripted one. Of course, to be able to get a space in television, radio or print media, one has to pay a hefty sum, and because of that, it is impossible an d impractical for the real common folk to talk to the masses via the avenues of mass communication about how he or she felt about a particular detergent brand or hamburger chain. The internet, through personal websites and blogs, is a very cheap way to make one’s own assessment of products through product reviews. In this particular sphere, the genuine essence of the idea of word of mouth is maximized because blogging meant that the entire worldwide communities hooked in the internet are talking to each other. This explains the idea that an important aspect of word of mouth marketing information transfer traffic is highly dependent on how the need to interact with peers and friends is facilitated and consumed by the consumers themselves. â€Å"Interaction with peers triggers new customer needs and alters buying attitude (Swoboda, Morschett, Rudolph, Schnedlitz, Schramm-Klein, 2008, p. 8). By blogging, people can influence other people not just about particular brand preferences. They can also influence other people about starting to want to buy something which an individual did not know or want in the past prior to the onset of the influence of the input of blogging or of a particular blog article. Through blogs they tell each other what products they find best and what products they find disappointing. They talk to each other, and the speed by which their messages are sent to each other is something that the traditional tri-media cannot match, making the bloggers and what they say to each other more powerful and more influential. Conclusion How the world is recognizing the true impact of the optimization of a potential of the internet as a powerful tool in marketing particularly through word of mouth marketing today just goes to show that, similar to the case of the traditional tri-media during its early years, new information platforms are always important avenues that affect the people and the different aspects of their lives, one of which is buying attitude and buying preferences. Add to the fact that compared to the era of the early years of the traditional tri-media, the world today at the apex of the influence of the internet on modern day life is also characterized vis-a-vis by the heightened sense of consumerism and capitalism that more and more people are investing in businesses that create new things to sell to the people because they can make people believe they need to buy these things. As products and brands compete for the limited budget of consumers, elbowing each other to be able to find a place in the grocery or shopping bag, what peers in the internet world has to say to each other about particular items and brands is an important word of mouth marketing hinged on electronic/digital medium of information dissemination that should be consistently studied so that they can have the knowledge on how they can use this tool for their own advantage, marketing-wise. This endeavor has, no doubt, started. But the study of this phenomena brings to light the prospect that the media and platforms of information and interactivity will always be an important tool to shape social attitudes, including consumer attitudes towards buying, brand preference and item selection. â€Å" The social effects of the social media are, by and large, a fascinating research area and a field most likely to shape future consumer or even human behavior (Swoboda et al, 2008, p. 9). May it be traditional word of mouth phenomena or online, internet-based word of mouth, what serves as a constant truth is that word of mouth remains an important and influential aspect of social interaction that affects market power of items for sale because word of mouth affects the buying attitude and consumer preferences. â€Å"It appears that electronically transferred or face-to-face WOMC has the potential to alter carefully planned marketing communication programs, depending on how consumers process such information (De Carlo, Laczniak, Sridhar, 2003, p. 225). † This leans towards the understanding that marketing strategies should always take into consideration word of mouth experiences and its impact and how word of mouth can be controlled to favor a particular product and act as a usef ul support mechanism in a marketing strategy.