Mktg Plans Essay Example for Free

Mktg Plans Essay The type of decision-making a consumer uses for a product does not necessarily remain constant as the needs and wants of consumers are constantly changing and newer innovations are constantly being churned out to fulfill our changing needs. Nowadays what would usually involve a routine response behavior is not as simple because of the enormous variety a consumer has to choose from. There are many things that a consumer can evaluate in terms of purchasing a product; packaging, price, reputation, and whether or not there is a sale on the item can all be factors that a consumer evaluates. It might be even that the product is currently very trendy at the moment that would motivate the buyer to purchase it, which would be a case of limited decision-making. There are also many sociodemographic factors that affect the type of decision-making a consumer uses for a product. For instance, if you receive a big bonus and have more income going into your household, you may choose to use limited or extensive decision making in picking out a product with better brand recognition and of better quality. Another reasons that affect the type of decision-making a consumer uses for a product does not necessarily remain constant is for different occasions the product is being used for. For example, if someone were to attend a fancy party whose host you are trying to impress, you would use extensive decision making in order to pick out a wine that tells the host that they have class and a fine taste in wine. An example of how the type of decision-making I use has not remained constant is for my use of high-end fashion items, such as shoes from Ferragamo. If I wanted a pair of shoes from the main website I would search all over the web for the same shoes at a discounted rate for me to get the best deal on them. However, if I see shoes that I like and are on sale on the main Ferragamo site, I would buy them right away with no hesitation. Buying a high-end product at a discounted rate would lower my buyer’s remorse. A new service that is targeted at the college student market are house-cleaning services. The house-cleaning services often come in packages for a full clean up service for a minimum of 2 hours for around $65-$80. This service can be extremely profitable within the college student target market as a general conception of the college demographic is that they are fans of instant gratification. They are the ones who would rather not spend the time buying cleaning products at a store to clean their whole house, when it would only take 65 dollars (split between 2-4 roommates) for their house to be spotless in 2 hours. Although this service is offered, I don’t think they have capitalized on the college student market enough. I often hear these services through word-of-mouth or by an occasional Groupon deal. There are several different forums house-cleaning services can be offered to the college demographic in a more effective way: enhanced web presence, and cross-selling once a clie nt has been established are some of them. The main factors a house-cleaning service needs to consider when targeting a college target market are price and long-term commitments. A college student often has a limited budget on what they can spend so the cost of labor of a cleaning service has to be reasonable in order to outweigh the prospects of buying their own cleaning products at a much more affordable rate. Students are constantly on the lookout for deals and discounts and are constantly on the Internet, so Groupon, Living Social, Facebook, and Craigslist are great ways to advertise the service. The Internet is also a great source for students to research the ratings of the company offering the service because credibility of the company offering the service is highly important for a house-cleaning service since they are entering your home and have access to all your personal belongings; this is a way you can eliminate your competitors – by being the most credible and collecting the most amount of favorable reviews online. Long-term commitment is important because this is a service that needs to be used frequently in order to churn out the most amount of profit. A student must find value in having their house cleaned frequently by being pleased with the outcome of the service the first time. In order to yield customer returns and customer satisfaction, the house-cleaning service company can offer deals such as â€Å"For every 1 time you use us, you get 35% off your next house-cleaning,† or â€Å"Buy a package deal of 4 house-cleaning services for the price of 3.† They can even offer additional services such as laundry services that include cleaning, folding, and ironing. Timing is another factor a house-cleaning service can capitalize on since college students are those who want instant gratification. You can offer a service that is available 24 hours and have the job done in an hour and a half. Lastly, a house-cleaning service could take advantage of the social issues trending. Currently, while flu season is in full throttle, many students are getting sick. A house-cleaning service could advertise their flyers at a student health center or somewhere that students get flu shots with advertisements that stress on the need for a clean and germ-free house so that students can avoid getting sick. A company can create an atmosphere on its website by reflecting the same amount of value and prestige they have in there store directly onto their website. There are several factors a company needs to evaluate such as the usability of the website (whether or not it is easy to navigate, whether or not the functions work, and whether or not all the products are available), the websites atmosphere (sounds, presentation, layout ect.) The atmosphere of the website should communicate to the customer that it is a viable and reliable means of purchasing their products by making it look professional. The website atmosphere can encompass music and designs that compliment the prestige of the actual store. For example, the online store for Louis Vuitton evokes a very prestigious feel where many of the functions of the website are there for aesthetic purposes. The photographs used on the website are taken by professional photographers and the typeface is very elegant and classy. Although there is a lot of information on the website, it is very organized and flows very well in a direction that pushes a consumer to dig deeper into their site, finding more products to look at. The website is also organized in categories of their products which makes it easier to navigate around, such as shoes, dresses, and my favorite category, sale. Furthermore, there is a function on the website that allows a customer to zoom in on the product, allowing able to hone in on every inch of the product, assuring the products quality. A customer can browse the product from every angle and determine whether or not each specification of the product is suitable for them. Lastly, when a customer has decided to purchase a product, the website suggests more products for the consumer to buy that have a similar style to the one they have purchased and guarantees returns and a full refund if they are unhappy with their purchase. The process is also simple and fast, which eliminates the possibility of a consumer backing out of their purchase. It is obvious to the consumer that Louis Vuitton is a top-tier brand through its intricately and carefully designed website. The price is all extremely high, but it emphasizes its strong global presence in the most luxurious retail markets and gives you an impression that the brand is worth the money. If I were to start a pet grooming service in a town where there are two established pet groomers, I would price lower in order to gain recognition and penetrate the market. I would set my penetration price to a low price and sell my services in bundles in order to expose the services I offer as well as show that the quality of my services can match up to the existing competition. Once I have captured an interested audience, I can begin to maximize on customer loyalty strategies to keep them coming. I would constantly monitor my competition in order to learn about new services they offer as well as their prices in order to stay competitive. Since I am offering lower costs, it would be essential for me to estimate and calculate my demand and cost in order to not lose money in this endeavor. I would attempt to lower my overhead costs in running my grooming service at locations I do not have to rent, such as my house in order to yield a profit quicker. I would position my company to be a smaller, less established company who can do the job just as well as the other grooming services. I would start off by using my friends and family to bring in their pets for me to display my services on my front lawn in order to attract attention to potential customers so that their perceived quality of my services are that it is legitimate and that I take good care of their pets. Other reasons for why I would price my product low is because a pet grooming service is not a necessity, which means that in a down economy, a pet grooming service wouldn’t be anybody’s priority. Therefore a low price point can convince them that the value in having a well groomed pet is worth the money. Lastly, I would differentiate my services from my competitors in order to lower the associated price elasticity. I believe this value trade-off will drive the market to the lower-priced alternative.

Nature of Linguistic Sign by Ferdinand de Saussure Essay Example for Free

Nature of Linguistic Sign by Ferdinand de Saussure Essay 1. Sign, Signified Signifier Some people regard language, when reduced to its elements as a naming-process onlya list of words, each corresponding to the thing that it names. For example: operationan assumption that is anything but true. But this rather naive approach can bring us near the truth by showing us that the linguistic unit is a double entity, one formed by the associating of two terms. We This conception is open to criticism at several points. It assumes that ready-made ideas exist before words; it does not tell us whether a name is vocal or psychological in nature (arbor, for instance, can be considered from either viewpoint); finally, it lets us assume that the linking of a name and a thing is a very simple have seen in considering the speaking-circuit that both terms involved in the linguistic sign are psychological and are united in the brain by an associative bond. This point must be emphasized. The linguistic sign unites, not a thing and a name, but a concept and a sound-image. The latter is not the material sound, a purely thing, but the psychological imprint of the sound, the impression that it makes on our senses. The sound-image is sensory, and if I happen to call it â€Å"material,† it is only in that sense, and by way of opposing it to the other term of the association, the concept, which is generally more abstract. The psychological character of our sound-images becomes apparent when we observe our own speech. Without moving our lips or tongue, we can talk to ourselves or recite mentally a selection of verse. Because we regard the words of our language as sound-images, we must avoid speaking of the â€Å"phonemes† that make up the words. This term, which suggests vocal activity, is applicable to the spoken word only, to the realization of the inner image in discourse. We can avoid that misunderstanding by speaking of the sounds and syllables of a word provided we remember that the names refer to the sound-image. The linguistic sign is then a two-sided psychological entity that can be represented by the drawing: The two elements are intimately united, and each recalls the other. Whether we try to find the meaning of the Latin word arbor or the word that Latin uses to designate the concept â€Å"tree,† it is clear that only the associations sanctioned by that languageappear to us to conform to reality, and we disregard whatever others might be imagined. Our definition of the linguistic sign poses an important question of terminology. I call the combination of a concept and a sound-image a sign, but in current usage the term generally designates only a sound-image, a word, for example (arbor, etc.). One tends to forget that arbor is called a sign only because it carries the concept â€Å"tree,† with the result that the idea of the sensory part implies the idea of the whole. Ambiguity would disappear if the three notions involved here were designated by three names, each suggesting and opposing the others. I propose to retain the word sign [signe] to designate the whole and to replace concept and sound-image respectively by signified [signifià ©] and signifier [signifiant]; the last two terms have the advantage of indicating the opposition that separates them from each other and from the whole of which they are parts. As regards sign, if I am satisfied with it, this is simply because I do not know of any word to replace it, the ordinary language suggesting no other. The linguistic sign, as defined, has two primordial characteristics. In enunciating them I am also positing the basic principles of any study of this type. 2. Principle I: the Arbitrary Nature of the Sign The bond between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary. Since I mean by sign the whole that results from the associating of the signifier with the signified, I can simply say: the linguistic sign is arbitrary. The idea of â€Å"sister† is not linked by any inner relationship to the succession of sounds s-ïÆ'Ëœ-r which serves as its signifier in French; that it could be represented equally by just any other sequence is proved by differences among languages and by the very existence of different languages: the signifiedâ€Å"ox† has as its signifier b-ïÆ'Ëœ-f on one side of the border and o-k-s (Ochs) on the other. No one disputes the principle of the arbitrary nature of the sign, but it is often easier to discover a truth than to assign to it its proper place. Principle I dominates all the linguistics of language; its consequences are numberless. It is true that not all of them are equally obvious at first glance; only after many detours does one discover them, and with them the primordial importance of the principle. One remark in passing: when semiology becomes organized as a science, the question will arise whether or not it properly includes modes of expression based on completely natural signs, such as pantomime. Supposing that the new science welcomes them, its main concern will still be the whole group of systems grounded on the arbitrariness of the sign. In fact, every means of expression used in society is based in principle on collective behavior orwhat amounts to the same thingon convention. Polite formulas, for instance, though often imbued with a certain natural expressiveness (as in the case of a Chinese who greets his emperor by bowing down to the ground nine times), are nonetheless fixed by rule; it is this rule and not the intrinsic value of the gestures that obliges one to use them. Signs that are wholly arbitrary realize better than the others the ideal of the semiological process; that is why language, the most complex and universal of all systems of expression, is also the most characteristic; in this sense linguistics can become the master-pattern for all branches of semiology although language is only one particular semiological system. The word symbol has been used to designate the linguistic sign, or more specifically, what is here called the signifier. Principle I in particular weighs against the use of this term. One characteristic of the symbol is that it is never wholly arbitrary; it is not empty, for there is the rudiment of a natural bond between the signifier and the signified. The symbol of justice, a pair of scales, could not be replaced by just any other symbol, such as a chariot. The word arbitrary also calls for comment. The term should not imply that the choice of the signifier is left entirely to the speaker (we shall see below that the individual does not have the power to change a sign in any way once it has become established in the linguistic community); I mean that it is unmotivated, i.e. arbitrary in that it actually has no natural connection with the signified. 3. Principle II: the Linear Nature of the Signifier The signifier, being auditory, is unfolded solely in time from which it gets the following characteristics: (a) it represents a span, and (b) the span is measurable in a single dimension; it is a line. While Principle II is obvious, apparently linguists have always neglected to state it, doubtless because they found it too simple; nevertheless, it is fundamental, and its consequences are incalculable. Its importance equals that of Principle I; the whole mechanism of language depends upon it. In contrast to visual signifiers (nautical signals, etc.) which can offer simultaneous groupings in several dimensions, auditory signifiers have at their command only the dimension of time. Their elements are presented in succession; they form a chain. This feature becomes readily apparent when they are represented in writing and the spatial line of graphic marks is substituted for succession in time. Sometimes the linear nature of the signifier is not obvious. When I accent a syllable, for instance, it seems that I am concentrating more than one significant element on the same point. But this is an illusion; the syllable and its accent constitute only one phonational act. There is no duality within the act but only different oppositions to what precedes and what follows.

Preparation of Recrystallization of Aspirin

Preparation of Recrystallization of Aspirin 1. Synopsis This experiment serves 2 objectives the production of Aspirin from esterification of salicylic acid with excess acetic anhydride and obtaining it in a purer state by recrystallisation, hence determines the melting point of the acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) that was synthesised and purified. To achieve this, salicylic acid is reacted with excess acetic anhydride in the presence of the sulphuric acid as the catalyst, which produces precipitate ASA and aqueous acetic acid. I applied suction filtration to collect the ASA as the residue having acetic acid as the filtrate. Pure aspirin is a white crystalline solid. The aspirin initially produced by synthesis may be light tan, indicating the presence of impurities. The ASA synthesis earlier is purified by recrystallization. In recrystallization, the impure solid is dissolved in a hot solvent (aqueous ethanol) and the resulting solution is allowed to cool slowly. As the solution cools, crystals of the product will form and soluble impurities will remain in solution. From this experiment, the percentage yield of ASA is around 49%, using capillary test the melting point of ASA falls in the rage of 137.9-140.5 0 C. The appearance of ASA is an odourless, white, needle-shaped and shiny solid. In conclusion, experiment is a success. Despite product had a low percent yield and was found to be impure due to its low melting point. 2. Introduction Aspirin is the trade name for the molecule acetylsalicylic acid. The earliest known use of this molecule has been traced back to the fifth century B.C. The Greek physician Hippocrates described an extract of willow tree bark, a bitter powder that could be used to reduce fevers. In 1829, Salicin was isolated from willow bark and used as a pain reliever. Unfortunately Salicin was not very popular since it was found to be very acidic and a stomach irritant. In 1897 Felix Hoffman, a German chemist, was working for the Bayer chemical company. Hoffman wanted to formulate for a less acidic pain reliever as his father could consume for his arthritis. His studies led to the synthesis of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) or aspirin. Bayer patented the name and commenced to market the product in 1899. It was a huge success and sales grew rapidly. In fact, the company set up by Friedrich Bayer Company is generally considered to have been the first pharmaceutical company, and the production of aspirin has indisputably laid the base of the modern pharmaceutical industry. Only until the 1970s that scientists starts to comprehend the concept on how aspirin function as a pain reliever. Today 80 billion aspirin tablets are taken every year over the al the countries to reduce fevers, relieve pain, and even help prevent heart attacks. Bayer In commercial aspirin products, a small amount of ASA (300 to 400 mg) is bound together with a starch binder and sometimes caffeine and buffers to make an aspirin tablet. The basic conditions in the small intestine break down the ASA to yield salicylic acid, which is absorbed into the bloodstream. The addition of a buffer reduces the irritation caused by the carboxylic acid group of the aspirin molecule. 3. Theory Esters are organic compounds with the general formula RCOOR, where R and R can be an alkyl group or an aromatic group. Alkyl group is an alkane that is short of one hydrogen since it needs one bond to be branched from the parent chain. Aromatic compounds are a class of molecules containing benzene, a six-membered carbon rings with delocalized pi electrons. This type of group is found in salicyclic acid and ASA. Esters are readily synthesized by the reaction between a carboxylic acid, RCOOH, and an alcohol, ROH, as shown in the following reaction. The reaction above is also known as esterification. It is a condensation reaction, whereby two molecules combine to form one single molecule, while removing a small molecule (e.g. H2O) in the process. The reaction to I have used synthesis ASA is very similar to the one above. Salicylic acid a phenol consisting of a phenyl bonded to the hydroxyl (-OH) which is very much alike to alcohol and acetic Anhydride is a dehydrated carboxylic acid (acetic acid). In the below reaction we use concentrated sulphuric acid as the catalyst. After the warm bath to complete the reaction, we added cold water to quench the reaction (hydrolysis of acetic anhydride) to prevent further reaction to take place. The cold water must be added quickly as to allow fast crystal formations due to the drastic drop in temperature. Stir and rub the walls can create uneven surfaces hence inducing crystallization. ). As such, in this experiment, 2.4 grams of salicylic acid should yield 3.13 grams of Aspirin, it is stated that acetic anhydride is in excess. This is proven by the following calculation: Mol of salicylic acid in this experiment: 2.4(2d.p)/138 = 0.0174 (3 s.f.) Mol of salicylic acid : Mol of Aspirin 1 : 1 Therefore, Mol of Aspirin: 0.0174/1 x 1 = 0.0174 (3 s.f.) Expected mass of Aspirin: 0.017391 x 180 = 3.130 (3 dec.) The solid ASA formed contains impurities and should be recrystallised to achieve a purer state. Recrystallization is possible because most solids are more soluble in hot solvents than in cold solvents. The solubility of ASA increases as temperature increases. This means that if aspirin is dissolved in ethanol to produce a saturated solution and that solution is cooled, the aspirin will crystallize during the cooling. Ethanol has been chosen as the solvent because the polar nature of the hydroxyl group causes ethanol to dissolve many ionic compounds, moreover the ethanol molecule also has a non-polar end, and it will also dissolve non-polar substances. While cooling, crystallization takes place. In crystallization, there is a slow, selective formation of the crystal framework resulting in a pure compound. Instead in precipitation, due to the rapid formation it will trap impurities in the solids crystal framework. For this reason, we should include crystallization to get a purer solid substance. The alternate way of synthesising the aspirin can be produced by replacing the acetylating agent from acetic anhydride to an even more acidic acid known as acetyl chloride CH3COCl. This can increase the percentage yield of ASA, since acetyl chloride is more acidic. The reaction of acetyl chloride with salicylic acid is showed below. However, the by-product is hydrochloric acid (HCl) instead of acetic acid. However, Acetic anhydride is preferred because it is less hazardous to use and less expensive than acetyl chloride. In industry, the acetic acid produced in this reaction can be recovered and converted back into acetic anhydride by the process known as dehydration: We may also create or Salicylic acid from Kolbes reaction whereby we start with a phenol: 4. Procedure Approximately 2.4 grams of salicylic acid is weighed and placed in a dry, 100ml conical flask. 6ml of acetic anhydride is added into the same conical flask, along with 3-4 drops of concentrated H2SO4 as catalyst. The conical flask is then heated at 80-100 degree C in a water bath for 10 to 15 minutes to hasten the reaction. 1ml of distilled H2O is added into the conical flask immediately after it is removed from water bath. 40ml of cold distilled H2O is then added to the conical flask. A stirring rod is used to gently rub the side of the conical flask. This is to scratch off crystals which have formed. Suction filtration is then carried out to remove the crystals from the solution. The crystals are removed from the filter paper. To ensure accuracy, cold distilled H2O is used to wash away remaining crystals from the filter paper. The crystals are then dissolved in 5ml of ethanol. 30ml of hot, distilled H2O is added into the solution, and slowly cooled. Crystallisation of Aspirin will take place as the solution is cooled to room temperature. Suction filtration is done to remove the Aspirin from the solution. The residue is then placed on a watch glass along with the filter paper. Aspirin is then dried by placing it in the oven for 20 minutes, along with the watch glass and filter paper. It will then be transferred to the desiccators for 15 minutes to further dry it. The crystals remained on the filter paper would be pure, dry, Aspirin. The following measurements are taken: Actual weight of salicylic acid is weighed at (1). Weight of filter paper and watch glass is taken. Weight of Aspirin, along with watch glass and filter paper, is taken after (15). After obtaining Aspirin, the melting point of Aspirin is then determined using the capillary method. 5. Results and Calculation Mass Mass of salicylic acid (a) = 2.39 g Mass of filter paper watch glass (b) = 33.11 g Mass of dried, recrystallised aspirin, filter paper watch glass (c) = 34.64 g Mass of dried, recrystallised aspirin (d) = (c) (b) = 34.64-33.11 = 1.53 g Percent yield Number of moles of salicylic acid used (e) = 0.0173 mol (Molecular weight of salicylic acid = 138) Expected number of moles of aspirin (f) = 0.0173 mol Expected mass of aspirin (g) = 3.12 g (Molecular weight = 180) Melting point Temperature range 137.9-140.5Â °C Appearance Needle shaped, white, and shiny. 6. Discussion My percentage yield ASA is relatively low since it is only 49%. This may occur due to several factors: While transferring the salicylic acid, some of the solid may stay at the side of the conical flask and even your spactula, and resulting in lesser salicylic acid participating in the process of esterification compared to what have been weighed earlier. Thus, this will result in lower yield of the crystal ASA. It will be advisable to wash the walls with distilled water to ensure more salicylic acid will participate in the reaction. When dissolving the initial amount of salicylic acid in the solution of acetic anhydride and concentrated sulphuric acid, it did not completely dissolve into the solution, even when it was heated. This could have a slight impact on the results of the overall yield of aspirin because it was possible that not all of the salicylic acid was synthesized. To determine if this affected the synthesis of aspirin at all, the experiment should have been ran a second time to see if the same thing occurred. The iron (III) chloride test also could have been ran to determine if any of the aspirin degraded to salicylic acid or never converted from salicylic acid. During the suction filtration we should rinse the solid ASA formed in the conical flask and the glass rod during the synthesis before pouring into the BÃ ¼chner funnel repeatedly. After the final suction filtration, another error causes the percentage yield to drop. This is due to the crystals not being fully collected on the filter paper, but rather, remains on the side of the Buchner funnel. This loss can be minimized by the crystals from the side of the BÃ ¼chner funnel to the filter paper moving using a metal spatula before collecting the filter paper and placing it on the watch glass. During recrystallization, one common error of adding too much solvent (ethanol) will result in less percentage yield while cooling. We should refrain from moving or shifting the solution while it is cooling as it will interrupt the crystal formation since the particles are generally held by weak dispersion forces, dipole-dipole forces, and hydrogen bond. We should also allow slow crystal formation as fast crystal formation will cause the trap of impurities and giving higher percentage yield. With the presence of impurities the melting point will decrease and vary in a larger range. 7. Conclusion In conclusion, the experiment is a success since I have managed to synthesis and recrystallise the ASA although we have relatively low percentage yield of 49% that may arise due to several factors as stated in the discussion. I was able to analysis the melting point of the recrystallised aspirin and it is generally low in temperature which implies the presence of impurities.

Discussing Valentine and I Wouldnt Thank You for a Valentine Essay

Discussing Valentine and I Wouldn't Thank You for a Valentine For this poetry assignment I will be discussing the poems â€Å"Valentine† by Carol Ann Duffy and â€Å" I Wouldn’t Thank You for a Valentine† by Liz Lochhead. The poets have similar views about relationships but express these views in contrasting ways. In order to analyse their contrasting styles it would be beneficial to look at their backgrounds. Carol Ann Duffy was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1955 but was brought up in Stafford, England. She worked as a free-lance writer in East London, and then she moved to Manchester where she currently teaches creative writing at the Metropolitan University. Collections include â€Å"Standing Female Nude† and â€Å"Selling Manhattan†. Liz Lochhead was also born in Scotland in 1947. She is a well-known Scottish poet, dramatist and performance artist. She began as a lecturer in fine art, but became a full time writer in the 70’s. Collections include â€Å"Memo for spring† and â€Å"The Grimm Sisters†. Both these poets’ backgrounds and upbringings are represented as Liz Lochhead uses Scottish dialectal words and phrases while Carol Duffy does not. Lochhead uses words such as â€Å"auld† and â€Å"canny†. This is not reflected in Carol Ann Duffy’s poem. This is possibly because she was brought up in England so had forgotten the Scottish dialect. The structure of â€Å"Valentine† by Carol Ann Duffy is not that of a regular poem. It is written in free verse and there is no obvious rhyme scheme or rhythm. The lines and stanzas are all completely different and there seems to be no pattern. This gives the poem a more personal touch and possibly shows that the poem was heartfelt and these thoughts were written down as the poet thought them. The lines... ...ould possibly offend a female reader is she is disapproving these ideas- when another lady may love it. For example if a man bought his girlfriend a diamond ring and proposed , Liz Lochhead is rejecting this idea â€Å"If you sent me a solitaire and promises solemn†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦you’d entirely fail to charm me , in fact I’d detest it†. This may put some people off this poem if they find these things sentimental. I find that I relate with Carol Ann Duffy’s â€Å"Valentine† better than â€Å" I wouldn’t thank you for a Valentine† because it has deeper meaning and seems to be more serious and has really came from the heart. Liz Lochhead’s poem still shows true feeling but she doesn’t present it as well as Carol Ann Duffy. Some people may look at â€Å"Valentine† and laugh because the poet is comparing love to an onion but when you read the comparisons they are very true and meaningful.

Internet Crime :: Cybercrime Essays

An intentional breach to digital security often involves a deliberate act that is against the law.1 Cybercrime refers to online or Internet-based illegal acts such as distributing malicious software or committing identity theft. Perpetrators of cybercrime typically fall into one of these categories: hacker, cracker, script kiddie, corporate spy, unethical employee, cyberextortionist, and cyberterrorist. The term hacker refers to someone who accesses a computer or network illegally. Some hackers claim the intent of their security breaches is to improve security. A cracker also is someone who accesses a computer or network illegally but has the intent of destroying data, stealing information, or other malicious action. Both hackers and crackers have advanced computer and network skills. A script kiddie has the same intent as a cracker but does not have the technical skills and knowledge. Script kiddies often use prewritten hacking and cracking programs. Corporate spies and unethical employees are other types of cybercrime perpetrators. Some corporate spies have excellent computer and networking skills and are hired to break into a specific computer and steal its proprietary data and information, or to help identify security risks in their own organization. Unethical employees may break into their employers’ computers for a variety of reasons. They may want to exploit a security weakness, receive financial gains from selling confidential information, or even to seek revenge (Gonzalez). A cyberextortionist is someone who demands payment to stop an attack on an organization’s technology infrastructure. For example, these criminals threaten to expose confidential information, exploit a security flaw, or launch an attack that will compromise the organization’s network. A cyberterrorist is someone who uses the Internet or network to destroy or damage computers for political reasons. Cyberwarfare is an attack whose goal ranges from disabling a government’s computer network to crippling a country. Cyberterrorism and cyberwarfare usually require a team of highly skilled individuals, millions of dollars, and several years of planning (Zheng and Rutherford).

Philosophical Anthropology Essays -- Philosophy Essays

Philosophical Anthropology ABSTRACT: Philosophers cannot avoid addressing the question of whether philosophical anthropology (that is, specifically philosophical inquiry about human nature and human phenomenon) is possible. Any answer must be articulated in the context of the nature and function of philosophy. In other words, philosophical anthropology must be defined as an account of the nature of the subject of philosophical thinking. I argue that if philosophical thinkers admit that they are beings in nature, culture, and history, then the possibility of a uniquely philosophical theory of human nature and human phenomenon should be discarded. Rather, philosophy's catalytic and integrative role in human cognition should be stressed. Anthropological interests on the part of philosophers can be explained on different levels. Since thinking in general is reflective, philosophical thinkers must naturally be interested in understanding the nature of humans, which they themselves are, including the nature of their own thinking. But non-philosophical theorists can also be reflective enough to seek an understanding of human nature and the nature of their characteristic thinking. On a deeper level, with their realization that cognitive functions including philosophical thinking are characteristically human, philosophers may come to reflect upon how such functions are conditioned by human conditions. But such conditions can be addressed by empirical sciences as well, sometimes with greater methodological care or seriousness than can be found among some philosophers, as in cognitive psychology or cultural anthropology. If, in the course of the development of philosophy as a discipline, human experience becomes the primary thematic ... ...y is partly explainable by different influences from outside philosophy. The juxtaposition and comparison of, for instance, the views of Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Hume, Kant, Marx and Nietzsche on human nature should make us despair of finding a philosophical essence of anthropological views. The distinct contribution that philosophy as a discipline can make to the understanding of humans is not so much special content or even a method as its ethos of valuing critical thinking and integration of human knowledge. Philosophical anthropology, as a special area of a unique discipline, should be held suspect. There only is a dimension to each inquiry where many, if not all, of the questions philosophers raise are significant. The mission of philosophy is to make all human inquiries, including the anthropological, maximally reflective in the given cultural situation.

Peel’s Policies Toward Irealnd Essay

Peel’s policies towards Ireland seem to swing backwards and forwards over the period 1829-46; he supported Catholic emancipation in 1829, yet his policy of coercion seems distinctly repressive, and this was then followed by conciliation, which could be considered reforming. Peel had to tread a thin line between firmness and assertion of authority without alienating any potential Catholic support. However, on balance we can consider that his policies were more reforming than repressive. Peel’s support of Catholic emancipation in 1829 shows the reforming side of his policy. He supported it against a huge amount of scepticism from his own party and did it in the belief that it was for the good of the union – he thought it was a greater risk to refuse to satisfy their demands than to grant them. However, the restriction that Catholic emancipation placed on the franchise meant that it carried with reform an element of repression. Peel’s Tamworth Manifesto of 1834 showed moderate support for reform, but did not commit the Tory party to anything and certainly didn’t advocate anything on the scale of Catholic emancipation. Peel’s early reformist attitude had all but disappeared by the 1841 election, where his party emphasised their traditional position as the defenders of the established Church. During his second ministry, Peel’s policy of Coercion was clearly quite repressive. Faced with a problem in Ireland that he considered a greater threat to British Authority than Chartism had ever posed, he made an announcement in parliament that he would ‘crush any attempt to break the union with armed force.’ This aggressive statement was the start of Peel’s more repressive policy in Ireland. The Irish Arms act of 1843, which gave the Authorities in Ireland greater powers and banned Catholics from owning guns, was very stringent and can therefore be considered repressive, but it can be seen that it was a necessary move in order to prevent more violence in Ireland. Peel’s decision t ban the meeting at Clontarf can also be seen as repressive. O’Connell had organised many large scale demonstrations before which had not been seen to pose a significant threat, but the British government interpreted it as an incitement to illegality. Over half a million people were expected to turn up and the government knew about it well in advance; however by banning it just the day before it was due to take place, Peel dealt a heavy blow to O’Connell. Thousands of Irish people were already on their way to the demonstration and O’Connell had to tell them all to turn back. On top of this, despite not having done anything illegal, O’Connell was then arrested for sedition, tried and found guilty by an all protestant jury. This is perhaps the most openly repressive thing that Peel did in the period. This incident proved to be the turning point in O’Connell’ political career; despite later being released from prison he never regained his full authority and subsequently his repeal movement began to fall apart. This was a clear victory for Peel’s defence of the union, and gave him great support within the Conservative Party. However, Peel was convinced that a population that was more than 80% Catholic could not be coerced indefinitely and in early 1844 asserted that whilst the union itself was still the overriding objective, ‘Equality of treatment for Protestant and Catholic Citizens was necessary’ so that the Irish middle classes could be persuaded of the benefits of it. Peel’s plan of conciliation sought to improve relations and win this crucial support within Ireland. The first step that showed Peel taking a more reforming line was to remove the staunch protestant defender de Gray as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He was replaced by Lord Heytesbury, who was happy to follow Peel’s policy of giving Catholics equal opportunities in government. This showed not just willingness for change, but also would eventually lead to more Catholics in the civil service and magistracy; thereby lessening the chance that disaffected Irishmen would turn to the Nationalist cause instead. This willingness for change was shown again in the setting up of the Devon Commission. Setting it up in the first place was an act of great courage – the opinion of the time was that it was a landlord’s right to do as he wished without interference – and therefore shows a real attempt at reform by Peel, although it never came to fruition. Peel further tried to win over the Irish Catholics with the charitable bequests bill of 1844. It plainly displayed the goodwill of Peel’s administration to the Catholic Church. Peel saw the support of the Irish Catholic Church as something incredibly important; it had an essentially conservative nature and there was no ideological reason why its support should be blocked, as it wasn’t linked to the nationalists or revolutionaries, and therefore Peel thought it important for them to be ‘on-side’. This religious aspect was further tackled in the Maynooth Bill. He was convinced that in its current state, Maynooth was attracting the wrong sort, and by giving money for its improvement and increasing its annual grants, he was not only showing a positive attitude to the Catholic Church, but also ensuring that the new priests were not likely to support the revolutionaries or nationalists. Peel’s Irish Colleges Bill continued this programme of reform by setting up un-sectarian colleges, with the aim of ensuring that there would be more educated Catholics who would be eligible for the newly available jobs in the Civil service. However, this was in the face of requests for Catholic colleges from the priests, something that Peel flatly refused to consider. With the coming of the potato famine in 1845, Peel found even greater problems in Ireland, which lead to further reform. Peel’s worry about the dependency on the potato was justified, and many people in Ireland were starving. Peel made the decision to try and repeal the Corn Laws. He faced huge opposition from his own party at the suggestion, yet the Bill was passed with Whig support. This is the most reforming one of Peel’s policies towards Ireland; however, there is the suggestion that his hand was forced politically. Overall, the evidence suggests that although there were some repressive elements to Peel’s Irish policy, namely the period of Coercion, the majority of his policy can be considered as more reforming, as he acted to try and change and improve the conditions in Ireland and the relationships between Britain and Ireland. This is shown by Peel’s reasoning that in order to preserve the Union (which was to him the most important matter), the Irish would have to be treated fairly and be shown the benefits of it.