New German spelling Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

New German spelling - Case Study Example Trotzdem wurde die Reform sehr kritisiert, und man stellt die Frage: Ist die neue deutsche Rechtschreibung eine L'sung f'r die deutschen Sprachler, oder ist sie ein Problem f'r alle Leute und Texte, die die klassische Rechtschreibung verwendet haben' Das amtliche Regelwerk von 1902 regelte die deutsche Rechschreibung bis die Einf'hrung der Neuregelung. Am 1.8.1998 tritt das neue amtliche Regelwerk in Kraft. W'hrend einer 'bergangszeit durfte man nach den alten Regeln schreiben. Die lange Dauer der 'bergangszeit hat positive und negative Aspekte gehabt. Die Absicht dieser 'bergangszeit war die Reform nicht dramatisch zu machen. Dies erm'glichte die Erneuerung von Sprachlehrb'cher, W'rterb'cher und andere Ver'ffentlichungen. Au'erdem konnten die Sprachler an die neue Orthographie sich gew'hnen. Diese Situation gibt jedoch den Leute die Hoffnung, dass die alte Rechtschreibung noch mal wiedersetzen wird, und dies erlaubte die gleichzeitige Pr'senz von verschiedenen Rechtschreibungen. Die amtliche Regelung des Ministeriums der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft enth'lt einen Regelteil und ein W'rterverzeichnis mit etwa 12.000 W'rtern. Der Regelteil hat die neuen Regeln 'ber die Laut-Buchstaben-Zuordnungen, die Getrennt- und Zusammenschreibung, die Schreibung mit Bindestrich, die Gro'- und Kleinschreibung, die Zeichensetzung und die Worttrennung am Zeilenende (Ministerium der DG 1998). Die neue Regelung verfolgte das Ziel, die Schreibung der Wortst'mme konstant in allen W'rtern einer Wortfamilie zu machen, und die Ausnahmen zu einschr'nken (Heller 2002). Das macht die Kenntnis der Regeln einfacher f'r Sprachler. Jetzt erlaubt die Schreibung von Fremdw'rtern zwei Formen: die originale Form und die eingedeutschte Form (zum Beispiel: Geographie / Geografie, Photograph, Fotograf). Deswegen ist es m'glich, drei gleichen Konsonantenbuchstaben in Komposita zusammenzutreffen. Zum Beispiel: Ballettt'nzer (aus Ballet und T'nzer), Schifffahrt (aus Schiff und Fahrt). Trotzdem erlaubt die neue Rechtschreibung den Gebrauch eines Bindestriches in einigen F'llen (z.B. Schiff-Fahrt, Kafee-Ersatz). Wichtige Ver'nderungen gibt es auch 'ber die Benutzung des Buchstabes '. "Der Buchstabe ' steht nur noch nach langem Vokal oder Doppelvokal, nach einem kurzen Vokal wird er durch Doppel-s ersetzt (z.B. "Fu'", "hei'en", aber: "Fluss")" (Duden 1997: 610). Man schrieb die Konjuktion dass mit ' seit der Mitte des 16. Jahrhunderts, aber in neuer Rechschreibung wird mit ss geschrieben. In der Schweiz und Liechtenstein verwendet man dass vor der Reform. Die neue Rechtschreibung k'nnte eine L'sung f'r die Ausnahme und die dialektalen Varianten sein. Trotzdem erkl'ren die neuen Regeln 'ber die ss-'-Schreibung nicht alle Zweifeln der Sprachler. Die Reform der Rechtschreibung macht, im engeren Sinne, Deutsch schwieriger zu lernen. Diese Schwierigkeit gilt f'r Muttersprachler und Fremdsprachler, weil die Regel, die sie gelernt haben, ver'nderten. Die Leute, die deutsche W'rterb'cher vor 1996 benutzen, w'rden nicht ihre Zweifel erkl'ren. Au'erdem kann man viele B'cher mit den alten Rechtschreibung finden. Die neue deutsche Rechtschreibung hat einen Einfluss an der Sprachlehre im Ausland. Die Sprachschulen und Universit'ten k'nnten nicht die neuen B'cher, W'rterb'cher und Lehrmaterial bezahlen. Diese Reform k'nnte positiver f'r neue

The issues surrounding Abortion Essay Example for Free

The issues surrounding Abortion Essay Explain how a follower of natural law might approach the issues surrounding Abortion. Natural Law, as outlined and enforced by Thomas Aquinas, says that every living thing has a purpose, and that every solution to a dilemma and every action can be solved by reasoning, which will gain you ultimate happiness. This Is linked with Aristotles idea that everyone has a specific purpose, and the Primary Precepts can help you to achieve your purpose. This is key knowledge to help with the understanding of Natural Law followers views about abortion. Human reasoning in any dilemma or problematic situation should be applied to the Primary Precepts of Natural Law. The two main precepts that are concerned in Natural Law with abortion are The Preservation of Life and Reproduction. Generally, conforming to Natural Law, the right action to take would be one that conforms to all the precepts, however with abortion it is not quite as simple. The first Precept to consider when thinking about abortion from a Natural Law followers state of mind would be Reproduction. The precept of Reproduction states that it is always right to encourage reproduction, and most nearly always wrong to prevent reproduction. Applying this to abortion would result in a follower of Natural Law believing that abortion is wrong. This is because the act of aborting a foetus, or baby, is preventing the act of reproduction, and therefore going against one of Aquinas Primary Precepts; Preservation of Life. Natural Law does not consider the people involved or most of the consequences, but more on the act of abortion itself. Reproduction as known is a Primary Precept of Natural Law, and because the act of abortion stops procreation then it is frowned upon by Natural Law followers. The act of abortion can also disturb the precept of Preservation of Life. This precept states that it is always right to help save or maintain a life, and always wrong to try and intentionally. However this is only if one believes that life begins at conception. Abortion involves taking the life of a foetus that you believe to be a human life, which in turn act against the precept of the Preservation of Life, as you not preserving life, but taking one away. However, there are a few exceptions. Aquinas Doctrine of Double effect applies these exceptions. Aquinas saw the precepts as absolutely true for every single being, and that using our reasoning can bring us to the right solution in every situation. However there are times when in order to conform to one precept, we must decide to act against another. For example; there is a pregnant woman, however for medical reasons carrying on with the pregnancy would end in her death. She has two choices, one; have the baby and end her own life or two; have an abortion and save her own life. The first solution would go against the precept of the Preservation of Life, where the second would go against both the Preservation of Life and Reproduction. In this case it is okay for a person to come to a suitable solution through reasoning, as whatever happens there will be bad consequences. However, this is only acceptable if the bad consequence is but an unwanted side effect of the action with good intent. All in all, abortion acts against two of the Primary Precepts of Natural Law, which clearly makes it a bad action. Even though there are a few exceptions, these are only in the worst of situations, and on the whole, abortion is entirely wrong according to Natural Law. A foetus is not a person Discuss. There are many different opinions and arguments as to when a Foetus becomes a person, and these all play different but key roles into solving many huge arguments. To hope to solve this argument is absurd, however the different viewpoints can be stated and analysed to find the strongest. One way in which to argue whether or not a Foetus is a person is to apply it to the criteria of Personhood. These criteria are suggested by Mary Anne Warren, and are Sentience, Emotionality, Reason, Ability to Communicate, Self-awareness and Moral agency. Conforming to these criteria would mean the a Foetus cannot be classed as a person, as it does not fit into any of these criteria. However, later on in the development of a Foetus it begins to fit into some of the criteria, such as Sentience. Could this mean that a foetus slowly becomes a person? Mary Anne Warren suggests that a Foetus is a potential person, but says that it does not have a right to life, which really does not solve any arguments as to whether or not a Foetus is a person. It is also argued that a potential life, as proposed by Mary Anne Warren, does not have any rights or privileges. This would also mean that a Foetus does not have access to human rights, and the right to life. So that begs the question, if something does not have access to human rights, is it a person?

The Impact Of ECommerce On Tesco Plc Information Technology Essay

The Impact Of ECommerce On Tesco Plc Information Technology Essay In 1919, Jack Cohen founded Tesco as he began to sell surplus groceries from a stall in the East End of London. On his first day, his profit was  £1 with total sales of  £4. In 1924, Jack sold his first own-brand product which was Tesco Tea and this was before the company was called Tesco. The name comes from the initials of TE Stockwell, who was a partner in the firm of tea suppliers, and CO from Jacks surname. In 1929 Jack Cohen opens his first Tesco store in Burnt Oak, Edgware, North London. 1932 and Tesco Stores Limited became a private limited company. Two years later in 1934, Jack Cohen bought a plot of land at Angel Road, Edmonton, North London to build a new headquarters and warehouse. It was the first modern food warehouse in the country and introduced new ideas for central stock control. Furthermore, in 1947, Tesco Stores (Holdings) Ltd floats on the Stock Exchange with a share price of 25p, and in 1956, the first Tesco self-service supermarket opens in a converted cine ma in Maldon. The list below shows further expansion by Tesco PLC within the subsequent years; Annual sales exceed  £2 billion Computerised checkouts introduced into the first Tesco stores 1983 Tesco Stores (Holdings) Ltd becomes Tesco PLC 1995 Would I Buy It initiative is launched to ensure that products are always of the highest quality for customers Tesco becomes the market-leading food retailer Tesco Clubcard is launched 1996 Tesco launches 24 hour trading 1999 Tesco enters South Korea Tesco launches a new on-line bookstore and on-line banking Tesco publishes supermarket price comparisons on the internet 2000 Tesco.com is launched 2004 Tesco enters China Tesco launches own-brand Fair-trade range Tesco Broadband is launched Tesco.com becomes first major British supermarket to enter music download market 2005 Tesco exits the Taiwanese market in an asset swap deal with Carrefour involving stores and operations in the Czech Republic Tesco Homeplus launches Tesco announces annual profits of  £2 billion 2006 Tesco Direct launches 2009 Tesco launches  www.tesco.com/clothing Clubcard re-launched in the UK with  £150 million investment offering customers the opportunity to double up their vouchers 2010 Tesco opens the worlds first zero-carbon supermarket in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire Tesco opens its first Lifespace mall in Qingdao, China. More information on the history and progress of the company throughout the years can be seen on the companys corporate website. Here are some common Tesco logos that can be seen around; http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQaFF1G-B2Pd3iXLWuhEoxiXI2BfXEPatERE12y9CX7VSkScZ http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS9vEIPDWGJMiMAThPnTWaTjp_LHes8YvMuQ5z_T6EhEzgSlyix http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqpNKamt2FQnmOZthlHgFaRLyzlO_oRZDKWZ72QS6agwBy811Jhttp://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTGdVEEIbImv3nFiGQSkonLltz7w77rmlXaaTEEPeMovbxd5iBM http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTMe4aTQ6V4FOR4f6ULiORWC8nlEBcjLYJ-wu4ATwiFA8VpNt61 HOW TESCO USED TO DO BUSINESS. In Tescos early days, as seen from the original operations, grocery products were sold from market stalls until the first Tesco store was opened in North London in 1929. Then in 1934, the owner bought a plot of land to build a new headquarters and a warehouse and introduced new ideas for central stock control. In 1956 Tesco opened a self service supermarket in a converted cinema in Maldon which meant that people could go in and pick their own items of interest from the shelves and make their way to checkout points or tills for payment. Initially, Tescos marketing operations would have involved the use of TVs, Radio, newspapers, mail shots and billboards. Then in 1982, computerised checkouts were introduced into the first Tesco stores and the companys annual sales exceeded  £2 billion. Here we can see the integration of computerised operations including the centralised stock control to get a picture of the early stages of e-commerce making its way into the business operations. HOW E-COMMERCE HAS TRANSFORMED TESCOS METHOD OF WORKING. With the integration of computerised systems in operations both at stock control levels, database and checkout levels, Tesco launched the Tesco clubcard which allowed customers to earn points from every purchase they made. This involved a brief registration of the customers name, phone number and address details and the issuance of a personal card but this also meant that the company now had a database of loyal customers and every time these cards were used by a customer, Tesco could tell what had been purchased in order to calculate the points but in the process, the company could make predictions about certain goods and items and they could also send in offers and coupons to customers based on what they thought each individual customer would be interested in, either based on a previous purchase or based on a new product. This greatly allowed customers who had the clubcard to relate to Tesco on an almost personal shopping experience, but the underlying factor here was in the use of this particular e-commerce application amongst others. Then the company launched of the 24 hour trading in 1996, which at that stage had a lot to do with the application of computerised and electronic methods of operation, in ways that could maximise the efficiency of the companys operations from the warehouses to the tills. This involved electronic methods of stock control to assist with constant replenishment when necessary, time management, use of barcodes, Television and radio commercials, coupons and printed flyers promoting the organic range, etc. All this time, Tesco was also busy expanding their International branches to as far as Asia and in 1999, the company launched a new on-line bookstore and on-line banking and also published supermarket price comparisons on the internet. Here again we can see that the companys use of e-commerce is expanding at such a rate that competitors would have had to have their seatbelts well tight in order to catch up with this giant retailer. In the year 2000, Tesco launched Tesco.com which basically began the whole Tesco/internet revolution of shopping online with Tesco for almost every household product that the customers needed. With an online platform to advertise and sell products, Tesco.com had made a way for the company to deliver its grocery goods and some other services to customers in the comfort of their own homes and without the need to go to the stores. This was the closest to maximum convenience both for the customers who could now shop anytime and have their goods delivered at conveniently agreed times, and also for the company who could now reach a wider range of people both socially and geographically while at the same time reducing traffic in the stores. Customers could pick from all sorts of products including the free from products designed for customers with special dietary needs and there was just a wide range of flexibility for the customer regarding the whole shopping experience. Nowadays, the comp any can be accessed instantaneously via the World Wide Web on computers, laptops and even the mobile phone. Internally, the use of email, fax, databases, computer programmes, intranet and internet has enabled Tesco to maximise its operational capabilities as information can be accessed, processed and sent around important divisions within a short period of time. I.e. functions of purchasing, supply, accounts, management, marketing, sales, etc. Below are some Advantages and disadvantages of E-commerce to TESCO. THE ADVANTAGES OF E-COMMERCE. Elderly and disabled customers can shop within the comfort of their homes and all customers have access to a wider range of providers to choose from thereby enabling customer empowerment. Heightened customer service as customers are enabled to find detailed information online, and intelligent agents can also answer standard e-mail questions in seconds. Also, reviews posted by other customers about the products purchased on a website can help with decision making for the customer. The use of phone and e-mail has also improved communications between the company and the customer as queries and enquiries are usually made directly via these mediums. Customers also have a wider product range to choose from as they can view the contents of an entire store without physically walking around it, plus round the clock operations online which makes shopping accessible to customers on 24/7 basis. Reduces Time and money spent as travel time and cost, to and from the store, is eliminated, and with online vendors selling different product ranges at different prices, customers can find a product that best suits their financial and qualitative demands. In some cases, companies will often offer the same products for less if it is purchased online. E-commerce benefits for the company. Globalisation in terms of product promotion and sales to reach a wider range of consumers. More efficient inventory management and stock control to maximise product availability. Just in Time (JIT) warehousing to eliminate Location and availability restrictions thus saving costs for both the company and the customer. Corporate image to establish identity and trust which is necessary for direct sales and to affirm the brand image. The use of computerised databases, fax, email, computer-aided designs, intranet and the internet as a whole has also equipped Tesco with some necessary tools for maximising operations and communications. From sourcing and dealing with suppliers of products via email, phone and fax, through to marketing towards in-store and online sales and promotions via Television, radio, electronic billboards, internet sites , and finally for customer support via phone, email, etc, e-commerce has completely transformed how Tesco works today. THE DISADVANTAGES OF E-COMMERCE. Security and privacy of personal information as a lot of people are still quite sceptical about using their personal bank details for shopping online. Programmes like viruses could cause a website to shut down and could also affect customers computers as a result of using the website. Product quality and delivery of items could be different from what the customer might be expecting. Internet speed and bandwidth in certain areas may make it difficult for customers to use the website hassle free. Staffing. The more e-commerce improves, the less human labour that is required to carry out certain tasks and this can cause a lot of human positions to become downsized or rendered totally obsolete which is not favourable to the workers. This has also led to the addition of new skill sets (to cope with new operations) which could mean new staff, new job roles and titles, and in some cases also involves retraining current staff in order to keep up with technological changes and all these have had its financial costs to the company coupled with the financial costs of implementing the hardware needed for particular e-commerce- related upgrades. There have also been some social costs as a result of e-commerce as there are now new job roles and titles which people have to adapt to via a cultural change. Also, since most items can be sold online to a much wider audience while cutting the costs of traditional retailing methods, a company does not have to spend so much on an expensive High Street presence and this in turn means that the traditional social gathering of shoppers is gradually fading away. RISKS INCURRED IN INTRODUCING E-COMMERCE TO THE ORGANISATION Social Risks. In addition to the potential loss of revenue that declines in employee productivity can create due to certain applications of e-commerce, an inappropriate use of the companys resources can also put a strain on business infrastructure and therefore result in performance and availability issues, causing users who are participating in work-related activities to experience a slow down. Information risk is another social risk that is impacted by employee use of company resources for personal reasons. Protecting information assets from destruction, loss and corruption is an important preventative measure. As employees use the internet for activities such as shopping, social networking and web surfing, the threats to the company information assets are greatly increased. If employees are using these devices to access personal e-mail accounts or shop online, or are using their work e-mail accounts in relation to shopping, phishing becomes more likely. Phishing can result in many damaging scenarios for enterprises such as loss of customer data, loss of enterprise intellectual property and damage to enterprise data. Social risks on the part of the customers can involve trust for a company in using their services online, putting out their personal information for transactions on-line, and even a change from the old tradition of shopping to a completely new system of doing things. Unregulated on-line buying could become a significant social problem as e-commerce spreads. The compulsive buying tendencies of certain consumers coupled with their affinity for the Internet is cause for special concern. Beyond inefficiency in markets, there will be social costs from reduced productivity, personal bankruptcies, disrupted families and ruined lives. Chasing the problem with credit and psychiatric counselling will be expensive both in terms of tax dollars and human lives. By way of prevention, existing fair trade practices prohibiting deceptive promotions and pricing should be extended to e-commerce. Fortunately, many people recover from addictions on their own and many more can learn the self-control required to avoid them, with a little help. Software developed within the Internet community could help on-line consumers maintain self-regulation. It could extend bundling by automatically totalling purchases across sites and sessions and provide a running on-screen meter of expenditures and time spent shopping, to promote self-observation. Automatic filtering of sites, types of products, or product stimuli (e.g., jpg files with product images) that foster excessive purchases would reduce exposure to shopping stimuli. To bolster the judgmental sub-function, shoppers could be prompted to make a shopping list before entering e-commerce sites and receive on-screen warnings when they surpassed referential norms or family budgets. Self-reactions could be prompted by forcing shoppers to re-allocate budgets, relate unplanned purchases to initial shopping objectives or respond to remonstrative e-mails from significant others before completing a purchase. Financial Risks. All companies face financial risk, even if they only operate via the Internet. E-Commerce companies may face a harder time securing external financing because they may not have a lot of physical assets to use as collateral or indicate their long-term viability as a company. Banks and other lenders may require a higher level of personal capital involvement by owners and officers before lending money to the company. Generating a positive daily cash flow may also be difficult because of the fees involved with website protection, hosting, electronic shopping carts and credit card companies. These fees are required by vendors of E-Commerce companies and cannot be avoided. To mitigate these risks, E-Commerce companies must employ accountants or use a public accounting firm to ensure that no internal waste of cash is going on and all expenses are relevant to the operation of the company. Since there are regulations surrounding data protection, consumer protection, distance selling regulations, etc, the company faces a huge financial risk if any of these security measures are breached, and such measures could potentially cause the business to go bankrupt. In general, the security systems needed in place to ensure safety of customer information as well as physical infrastructure of setting up an entire e-commerce system, failure of the hardware and/or software, attack via virus or computer hacker, fire and flooding all poses serious financial risks to the company if the revenue does not meet up with the expenditure used to secure these factors. THE IMPACT OF E-COMMERCE ON ITS CONSUMERS. E-commerce has completely changed the way people look at making purchases and spending their money. It has certainly had some positive as well as negative impacts on the consumers. The Tesco system has been active in making sure that the consumers experience the positives while almost making the negatives non-existent. This system of commerce has affected consumers in the way that many people can now do most or all of their shopping on-line and within the comfort of their homes or anywhere with a computer and internet connection. This can especially come handy for people with very busy lifestyles, the aged or disabled people. This has translated as a kind of empowerment as people can make purchases round the clock and even have their goods delivered at suitable times as well. Also, customer service with e-commerce has enabled consumers to have access to a wide range of specific and detailed information about their goods and purchases online. Intelligent agents can answer standard e-mail queries in record time and the use of help desk software allows human expert services to be expedited with minimal stress. Consumers can now also make use of a service that allows them to fully customise their products and services in contrast to buying in a store where products are usually merely standard. E-commerce has also allowed people who would otherwise not be interested in the physical side of technology to have somewhat basic ideas of the systems they need to operate in order to make use of the e-commerce systems which in turn is a kind of education in terms of having that new knowledge of how things work. In the case of the Tesco club card, consumers have been greatly impacted as they feel a personal connection with their retailer of choice that seems to give something back in the way of points and also make relevant offers based on previous purchases or potentially relevant products. All in all, from the stores using electronic check-outs, centralised stock control, etc to the website where consumers just place their orders and wait for delivery to their doorsteps, e-commerce has had a generally positive impact on its consumers. HOW TESCO MET THE CHALLENGE OF NEW TECHNOLOGY. IT systems have played a key role in helping Tesco deliver strong profits. The Tesco website, in which it has invested heavily in during recent years, saw profits leap by 21 per cent to  £48 million, on the back of an almost equal percentage sales rise. Online grocery orders have lifted by 10 per cent to  £7.5 million. The company has always been ahead in embracing and implementing new technology with an open-minded and optimistic approach despite the social and financial challenges. Advanced in-store queuing systems had improved shopping for 26 million of its customers by reducing checkout lines, Tesco said. The supermarket chain is using heat-sensing technology to monitor lines at tills. It also said improved scanners, better self service tills, and checkout cameras were helping it reduce queues. Self-service checkouts now account for a fifth of all of Tesco transactions. The supermarket took steps in 2008 to ready its technology for the Christmas sales peak, implementing ExpeT une performance management software from Macro 4 to manage its mainframe servers. Tesco has invested heavily in IT over the years, and this has played a strong role in improving sales, the supply chain, and efficiency across the company. The company has an in-house designed supply chain application, running on IBM system p servers based on UNIX. The companys five-year old warehouse in Croydon, which serves south-east London customers only and was also the companys first dedicated online hub, became profitable in 2008. The warehouse handles orders with a value of over  £1 million per week. Sales in non-food business Tesco Direct increased to  £180 million from a virtual standing start. The business, which is part of Tescos general merchandise division and has 11,000 items for sale online, had start-up costs and initial operating losses totalling around  £25m this year. Tesco said it is aiming to absorb these losses. Launched in 2006, Tesco Direct experienced IT problems that re portedly delayed its opening. The supermarket giant has 3,000 staff working at its offshore site in India, providing IT and administrative support around the world, including the recently launched US operation Fresh n Easy. The Indian site provides software development, as well as accounting and payroll services. Tesco also has a long running application development deal with Steria-owned outsourcer Xansa, targeted at ensuring its systems are up to date and in line with business needs. In store, Tesco continued to benefit from thermal imaging technology at checkouts, which speeds up queues and helps the store manage the flow of people and direct them to other tills. The company has a one in front policy, meaning that if more than one customer is in front of anyone at a checkout; it aims to open another till if one is available. Outsourcing and partnerships are other ways in which Tesco has been able to meet new technological challenges. In the case of their energy consumption, Tesco has outsourced the monitoring and regulation of this function to the HSE group to achieve the targeted reduced energy and carbon emissions by monitoring the plant and systems installed to ensure that they run and operate at their optimum. Their scope of services include: Energy monitoring, Plant performance, Management information, System improvement, Minor works and Maintenance. Their key objectives were To monitor the performance of new technologies, To provide feedback on plant and system performance, Management information is provided in a usable format and on a timely basis, Incremental improvements that will contribute to ongoing savings are identified and implemented, To be able to share findings from system performance, technologies and innovations. We have learned from our experience that there is often a frustrating gap between being able to identify the technology that is needed whether on low-energy lighting or lower-emissions refrigeration and being able to purchase and apply that technology commercially. We will work with our suppliers to reduce and hopefully eliminate this gap. Sir Terry Leahy (former CE0 of Tesco Plc). With the pace of consumer technology rapidly developing, Tesco now stocks an increased range of electrical products in-store and online. Responding to consumer demand, the retailer introduced Tesco Tech Support in 2008, making friendly faces available to expertly answer consumer technology queries, guiding them to choose the right product. Continuing to grow, the service now has more than 1000 expert advisors across the UK at 200 Tesco Extra stores and a dedicated UK call centre. The new http:///www.tescotechsupport.com website was created by an in-house team at FuturePlus. The site supplements dedicated online editorial content with all-new how-to tech videos fronted by Tesco Tech Support employees. THE SECURITY ISSUES IT ENCOUNTERED. TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES. Some of the technological security issues the company encountered include the following which could have had disastrous effects on the organisation; User authentication: A user name and password combination, where the password can vary in length and include numbers and characters. Remember to include a system that prompts employees to change their passwords at regular intervals. Viruses: A computer virus is a bug that affects your computer in many ways, it can come from almost any source like disks but mostly from the internet or emails, it can copy itself and manipulate a computers files. It can alter or even destroy company computers and also the computers of users who log on to such services. By installing anti-virus protection, the company can protect against viruses from affecting the computer. Firewalls and performance: Effectively, installing a firewall can slow down the computer depending on what it does, and where it came from. Firewalls are programs that monitor traffic, which is the incoming and outgoing data communication that takes place when the user is online. The software needs to be configured to permit or deny communication with websites, as chosen by the user. In general, once configured, there is no real impact on the performance of websites, but it can take time to set up the relevant permissions between the site and the users computer. SSL (secure sockets layer) and HTTPS: A popular implementation of public-key encryption is the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). Originally developed by Netscape, SSL is an Internet security protocol used by Internet browsers and Web servers to transmit sensitive information. SSL has become part of an overall security protocol known as Transport Layer Security (TLS). Https is not a separate protocol, but refers to the combination of a normal HTTP interaction over an encrypted Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) connection. This ensures reasonable protection from eavesdroppers and man-in-the-middle attacks. RSA Certificates: A digital signature is basically a way to ensure that an electronic document (e-mail, spreadsheet, text file, etc.) is authentic. Authentic means that the user knows who created the document and you know that it has not been altered in any way since that person created it. Digital signatures rely on certain types of encryption to ensure authentication. Encryption is the process of taking all the data that one computer is sending to another and encoding it into a form that only the other computer will be able to decode. Authentication is the process of verifying that information is coming from a trusted source. These two processes work hand in hand for digital signatures. FINANCIAL ISSUES. Prevention of Hacking and Identity Theft: Identity theft is when a hacker gets through to a users computer via a virus and acquires their personal credit card details, and then uses the details for their own personal use. Hackers get in to the computer system through ports, when the ports are open the hacker can get in, this may be with viruses or other means, users can stop hackers by installing a firewall onto the computer which blocks off the ports so hackers cant get through. Payment systems: using payment cards online has always given cause for concern as the information contained in them is quite delicate. The introduction of services like PayPal have ensure that consumers have a reasonable amount of confidence in using online service that require some sort of payment for products or services. PHYSICAL ISSUES Physical issues include factors like access to both company and customer information by employees through mediums that make it all too easy to tamper with, destroy, or steal such sensitive information. HOW THE COMPANY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF NEW DISTRIBUTION AND SALES CHANNELS. With the integration of computerised systems of data processing and communications, the company had expanded their capabilities in the area of sales and distribution. Products could be sold through channels like the Television, on radio, on billboards, via email, via the internet and affiliate websites, flyers, coupons and even by text on mobile phones. Tesco used all their available resources and avenues to make sure their products were available to a large consumer base both locally and internationally. The application of call centres which made use of numerous phone and computer systems meant that the process from marketing to sales could be run by a unit of dedicated employees. Tescos distribution network in the UK was among the best in the world. The company emphasized the importance of putting resources to the maximum use. Tesco stores in the UK received two deliveries a day one a fill up delivery and the other, a top up delivery. To keep the things simple for customers as well as for employees, Tesco adopted several new systems such as electronic shelf edge labelling all across the store, through which prices could be changed from a single central point; self scanning tills; self service pre-packaged products, coffee shop on mezzanine floor and also merchandising of fresh produce. Things like next day delivery and named day delivery have also been effective in maximising the use of these new sales channels. For existing customers, email marketing and direct mail marketing to provide special offers and promotions to customers is important. According to Humby (2003), e-retailer Tesco.com use what he describes as a commitment-based segmentation or loyalty l adder which is based on time of purchase, frequency of purchase and value which is used to identify 6 lifecycle categories which are then further divided to target communications: Logged-on Cautionary Developing Established Dedicated Logged-off (the aim here is to win back) Tesco then use automated event-triggered messaging can be created to encourage continued purchase. For example, Tesco.com has a touch strategy which includes a sequence of follow-up communications triggered after different events in the customer lifecycle. In the example given below, communications after event 1 are intended to achieve the objective of converting a web site visitor to action; communications after event 2 are intended to move the customer from a first time purchaser to a regular purchaser and for event 3 to reactivate lapsed purchasers. THE IMPACT OF E-COMMERCE ON THE BUSINESS. Selling through websites is the fastest growing method of trading worldwide. There are two main forms of e-commerce: Business to business (B2B) trading where companies trade and exchange information using the World Wide Web. Business to consumer (B2C) trading where companies deal directly with customers through web pages, and ordering is carried out online. Trading online enables businesses to reach much wider audiences while cutting the costs of traditional retailing methods. For example, an e-tailer does not have to spend so much on an expensive High Street presence. Although the outlay on developing a good website is substantial the potential benefits can be enormous. There have been impacts on direct marketing where promotion of products and services have been enhanced through direct, information rich, detailed and interactive contact with consumers. The cost of delivering relevant information and digitized products to customers over the internet is results in substantial savings to the company when compared with traditional methods of delivery. The process of delivery, cycle times, administrative work and time spent on other fu

Mercantilism Essay -- Economics

Mercantilism Mercantilism is the economic theory that a nation's prosperity depends on its supply of gold and silver; that the total volume of trade is unchangeable. This theory suggests that the government should play an active role in the economy by encouraging exports and discouraging imports, especially through the use of tariffs. Spain and England used the mercantile system to benefit the mother countries. The mercantile system had special regulations, which usually extracted some sort of reaction from the colonies. If necessary, the policies would be changed to better suit the mother country. The favorable balance of trade was upheld through certain regulations. No foreign trade was allowed for the colony unless it passed through the mother country first and it moved on mother country ships. Furthermore, no foreign settlers were allowed in the colony. No colonial industry was allowed. The colony had to remain dependent on the mother country for industrial necessities, it was not allowed to become competition for foreign markets, and migrations restrictions limited availability of skilled artisans. Regulatory taxation was another mercantile regulation. Protective â€Å"tariffs† were used on foreign imports to the colony, and revenue was raised for the mother country. No colonial self-government was allowed, either. The mother country avoided challenges to its economic authority, and the colonies couldn’t enact pro colonial/anti-mother country laws. The Spanish used three mercantilist devices to protect their commercial monopoly in the New World. They prohibited foreign ships from entering Spanish colonial ports, and no foreigner could send goods to the colonies or take gold bullion out of Spain in pay... ...land, vigorous attempts to prevent smuggling in the American colonies after 1765 led to arbitrary seizures of ships and aroused hostility. The legislation had an unfavorable effect on the Channel Islands, Scotland (before the Act of Union of 1707), and especially Ireland, by excluding them from a preferential position within the system. Shaken by the American Revolution, the system, along with mercantilism, fell into decline. The acts were finally repealed in 1849. Mercantilism was widely used in many different superpowers in the 18th century. Depending on what superpower used it, the colonies under the superpowers were restricted from doing certain things, and had to follow certain mercantile regulations. The mercantile systems most likely ended up with the colonies undergoing revolutions (America and England) which resulted in the end of mercantilism. Mercantilism Essay -- Economics Mercantilism Mercantilism is the economic theory that a nation's prosperity depends on its supply of gold and silver; that the total volume of trade is unchangeable. This theory suggests that the government should play an active role in the economy by encouraging exports and discouraging imports, especially through the use of tariffs. Spain and England used the mercantile system to benefit the mother countries. The mercantile system had special regulations, which usually extracted some sort of reaction from the colonies. If necessary, the policies would be changed to better suit the mother country. The favorable balance of trade was upheld through certain regulations. No foreign trade was allowed for the colony unless it passed through the mother country first and it moved on mother country ships. Furthermore, no foreign settlers were allowed in the colony. No colonial industry was allowed. The colony had to remain dependent on the mother country for industrial necessities, it was not allowed to become competition for foreign markets, and migrations restrictions limited availability of skilled artisans. Regulatory taxation was another mercantile regulation. Protective â€Å"tariffs† were used on foreign imports to the colony, and revenue was raised for the mother country. No colonial self-government was allowed, either. The mother country avoided challenges to its economic authority, and the colonies couldn’t enact pro colonial/anti-mother country laws. The Spanish used three mercantilist devices to protect their commercial monopoly in the New World. They prohibited foreign ships from entering Spanish colonial ports, and no foreigner could send goods to the colonies or take gold bullion out of Spain in pay... ...land, vigorous attempts to prevent smuggling in the American colonies after 1765 led to arbitrary seizures of ships and aroused hostility. The legislation had an unfavorable effect on the Channel Islands, Scotland (before the Act of Union of 1707), and especially Ireland, by excluding them from a preferential position within the system. Shaken by the American Revolution, the system, along with mercantilism, fell into decline. The acts were finally repealed in 1849. Mercantilism was widely used in many different superpowers in the 18th century. Depending on what superpower used it, the colonies under the superpowers were restricted from doing certain things, and had to follow certain mercantile regulations. The mercantile systems most likely ended up with the colonies undergoing revolutions (America and England) which resulted in the end of mercantilism.

Influences of Visual Media Paper Essay

There are many forms of visual entertainment readily accessible to us; it has become the primary source of entertainment. Visual entertainment only has not helped shape American culture but also its values. Visual entertainment comes in many forms; whether it is reading a newspaper, magazines, or just watching television. Visual media has many numerous advantages as well as some disadvantages. Advisements are used to target individuals that find their product appealing. This compels viewers to buy the latest technology gadget or to wear the latest fashion clothes. Media has also changed the way we communicate and this has improved our culture in many ways. For example, in the recent years it has been possible to connect on real time with someone across the world through a computer. Now we are able to connect with people through a simple device like the IPhone 4S. The IPhone 4S lets a person talk through face time and allows them to see each other. Visual media has also made a huge impact on young children and teenagers. With all the new artists coming out changing the music and media culture the younger generation is looking up to them more each day. The younger generations view these artists as role models and want to be exactly like them. The music industry has changed media forever. Artists have introduced us to many different cultures and their music as well. Artist like Lady gaga have paved the road for young adults not to be afraid to speak up or reach high for their dreams. Beyoncà © has also paved the road for woman all over the world to feel empowered by their femininity and stand strong. Centuries ago women could not freely express themselves the way they do now. In addition, this has helped shaped a new lifestyle for many of us. The media provides full coverage of the lavish life styles of the many celebrities we have in this generation. People have lost the value of simple things in life and try grasp for the lavish life. In Addition, visual media also informs us of the news around the world. The news teaches us about the different cultures and that has impacted our culture tremendously. Visual media  continues to change every day; there is always something new and updated coming out. Visual entertainment has had many positive and negative social influences. One way that visual media influenced our culture in a negative way is by blind imitation. The media portrays an image for the viewers on how a rich and glamorous life is the way to live. Several people are so blinded by this that they try their best to live lavishing lives without having means to. For example, Heidi Montag is a celebrity who became popular after completing her first real life show called Laguna Hills. She became caught up in glamorous life that she eventually wanted more fame. She then decided she wanted to look like Barbie and had 10 plastic surgeries in just one day! Fox news wrote an article about Heidi Montag and what appeared to be her addiction to plastic surgery. In an Internet video, Fox News (2010) states that â€Å"When reality TV show star Heidi Montag announced last week that she had undergone 10 plastic surgeries, all in one day, the news was met with some (naturally) raised eyebrows. But she’s not alone in her obsession to look perfect by enduring multiple cosmetic enhancements, a phenomenon that has the makings of an addiction, or at least a binge behavior, experts say.† The media often sends messages to their viewers that skinny, resembling a celebrity, and living a luxurious lifestyle is the way to live. The media also promotes unhealthy lifestyles such changing you’re eating habits to become thinner. Another negative social influence caused by social media is media addiction. Several people become addicted to visual media. Many people are now glued to their television, reading celebrity gossip, or just surfing for hours. This influences especially teenagers who might come across information that they are not able to understand in that age. Visual media also overwhelms its viewers with information that might now possibly be truthful. Not too many people spend the necessary time to find out if that information is authentic. This is how many of us become influence by visual media. We believe everything that is shown on television or put on the Internet. However, visual media does have its positive social influences. Mass media can help you reach many people across the world. We are now able to face time chat online with a family member in New York while  you are in California. Visual media keeps us informed of global news as well as local news. Visual media has also made it possible for some individuals to work from home. For example, people that work from home are now able to have conference face time calls online. Visual media has also made it possible for people like me to go to school online and obtain a degree. In conclusion, visual media reflects and influences social behavior and attitudes. People become influenced by what the media’s message is and it influences their behavior and attitudes. Visual media sometimes influence violence as well as kindness. We see on television many tragic stories that broadcast uncensored for the viewers to see. However, the media also broadcasts the help people volunteer when there is a tragedy. The media influences people behaviors and attitudes by portraying different images. For example, if you are watching a love story on television you will automatically think that people do act like that in real life. Whether it is Twilight or True blood the media gathers people watching these series and that influences people’s behaviors at that moment. Visual media has helped us understand the various cultures as well as religions around the world. This helps us understand and respect others, we are all not the same, but we are equal. Reference Fox News (2010). Heidi Montag’s Plastic Surgery: Obsession or Addiction? [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583626,00.html

Gun Control and its Controversies essays

Gun Control and its Controversies essays Gun Control and its Controversies The arguments on gun control have been a very controversial and ongoing debate between many well respected individuals. Doctors, Lawyers, Media, Criminologists, and many others have all been debating on whether or not the government should pass stricter laws on gun control. Government, individuals, among others have supported independent studies to prove their point on the issues of gun control. Numerous laws have been passed in regard to these studies on gun control over the years. In the essay, Just Take Away Their Guns, James Q .Wilson stated that guns should be taken away from the criminals and not the law abiding citizens. In Wilsons essay, he includes a household survey by Gary Kleck, which estimates that there are more people who defend themselves with a gun than people arrested to violent crimes and burglaries. Wilson then supports the Second Amendment which allows people the right to bear arms. Therefore, he thinks taking guns away from individuals would not be the most effective way to reduce illegal guns from being used. He states all individuals with handguns should have a permit and the law officers should take away all others. Wilson then states that a person that gives reasonable suspicion should be able to be frisked or have a gun detector used on them. In Wilsons opinion letting the proper authorities fulfill their duties, allowing individuals to have handguns for self-defense, and controlling the criminals use of the handguns is the only way to control guns. Another essay entitled, Concealed Carry Prevents Violent Crimes by Sarah Thompson states that gun control should definitely not be taken from the law abiding citizens, instead steps should be taken to keep guns away from criminals. She agrees that the Second Amendment saying the individual has the right to have guns. The studies included in her essa...

Geomechanics Lab Report Essay Example

Geomechanics Lab Report Essay Example Geomechanics Lab Report Paper Geomechanics Lab Report Paper Aim The main intention of this investigation was to determine the various stages of the Attributer Limits. These included the liquid limit test (AL), plastic limit test (PL), plastic index test (Pl) and linear shrinkage (LS) of a soil sample provided by the administration. This was then followed by a sieve analysis to determine the particle size distribution of another soil sample so that a suitable classification in both situations could be made in accordance with the Australian Standards ASSAYS 1993. Procedure (Sample preparation) On commencement of the experiment, each group was provided with two arts of grammas of soil retrieved from the field and then oven dried by the experiment supervisor. One part of the soil sample was coarse grain gravel for the particle size distribution chart and sieve analysis, whilst the remaining 500 grams of soil was of fine grained fraction. * Preparation of Coarse Grained Fraction During this procedure the mass of grammas of soil was recorded and soaked in water for duration of 24 hours. This was then followed by placing the soil sample into a 0. Mm mesh sieve and the entire fine particle was washed away using running tap water and a small spray bottle until the water had started running Lear. The sieved sample was then transferred in a tray which was again put into the oven at 1 00 degrees for 24 hours. * Preparation of Fine Grained Fraction The remainder of the 500 grams of the sample was then sieved through a 0. 425 mm mesh sieve and the contents collected. This procedure was done until approximately 150 to grammas of material was successfully passing sieve. : Procedure (Sieve Analysis) This procedure involved the sieve analysis of the coarse fraction. This involved weighing the mass of the oven dried coarse grained fraction so that we are able to determine the particle size distribution. For this experiment the mass of coarse fraction used was 312. 10 grams. This was then followed by arranging the sieves from top to bottom in order from larger gaped mesh in the sieve to the smaller one (i. E. 37. Mm to 0. Mm) and then pouring the sample in the top sieve whilst shaking it for approximately 10 minutes. This provided mechanical energy to the soil allowing for it to pass all the sieve layers. The next procedure involved recording the soil mass that had accumulated on each sieve and the bottom pan. Furthermore the percentage of original mass retained and cumulative passing % vs Article size plot has been constructed as shown in Appendix A. As shown in the plot it can be noted that the results obtained were not accurate enough for the effective size values of D_II and D 30 to be calculated. Yet the effective size D 60 was able to be found and was shown to be 1. Mm as shown in the particle size vs.. Percentage passing table in appendix A. Due to the fact that all effective size values have not been able to be attained from the graph, the uniformity coefficient C_u and the coefficient of curvature were not able to be calculated. Yet if they could be then they would be calculated using these equations: u=DIODE where CUE=Coefficient of Curvature C=Coefficient of Curvature All values record ed have been further discussed in the results section of this report. Procedure (Attributer Limits determination) * Liquid Limit (AL) The liquid limit test west performed on the fine Sandy soil over the course of two sessions to determine the water content (percentage) at the point when the soil started to behave with liquid qualities. This test procedure involved gradually adding water to a round well created in two thirds of the soil sample on a glass plate. Then using two spatulas the sample was mixed until a smooth paste was formed. This was then followed by placing a small amount of the sample into the liquid limit device and leveling it horizontally using the spatula to create a smooth surface. Using the grooving tool the sample in the cup was divided in half. To determine the number of blows the handle of the mechanism was rotated at a speed of two blows per second and the number of blows recorded until the soil closed the groove to a length of 1 CM. It was expected that the number of blows be as close to 25+ or 3 as possible. The group was successful in our fourth attempt where 28 blows were recorded. Once the sample was successful it was removed room the liquid limit cup and placed within a tin and the mass weighed. This was determined to calculate the moisture content percentage. The mixture in the liquid limit range was placed in a 0. 25 meter length mould with a internal diameter of 0. 025 meters and left on top of the oven so that the linear shrinkage could be determined. All values obtained are discussed in the results. * Plastic Limit (PL) To determine the plastic limit (as a percentage), after which the soil could no longer be deformed; water was added to the remaining one third of the dry soil on a separate glass plate and molded by hand. Small amounts of the soil were rolled on the flat glass plate until they formed into a diameter of 3 mm and then started to break apart. According to SASHAYS it was proved that the soil had reached its plastic limit. This soil was then placed in a tin and similarly to the liquid limit all mass values of the tin and sample were recorded. These were left to dry in the oven. All results obtained the following day have been discussed in the results section. Linear Shrinkage (%) As instructed, results for the linear shrinkage were collected after duration of 24 hours from the laboratory and the linear shrinkage (in percentage) was lactated using the formula: where Ls=Recorded Shrinkage L=Lillian Length of Sample In addition to the linear shrinkage, all dry mass results were also collected from the previous day and recorded as shown in the results section of this report. * Plastic Index Conduction of the plastic limit and linear shrinkage test led to the calculation of the moisture content in percentage and this further allowed us to calculate the plastic index using the formula.