Free Essays: A Mapmaker’s Dream :: mapmaker

  16th Century Map of the World   In James Cowan’s â€Å"A Mapmaker’s Dream,† a 16th century roman monk vicariously travels the world without actually leaving the confines of his monastery.   The monk, named Fra Mauro, learns of the world through stories told by a variety of travelers.   With his newly acquired perception of the world, Fra sets out to chart the lands that were, at that time, still being discovered.   From these stories, Fra’s â€Å"perfect map,† or mappi mundi as he called it, would be constructed.   In this process, the boundaries of Fra’s world would be pushed to the limit.   Being celibate from exposure to the world around him, Fra spread word that he would be building a map of the new world.   Quick response from seasoned explorers from all corners of the world would soon become available to him as many travelers would readily unburden themselves of the new and strange things they saw.   These stories of the uncharted lands were told by a variety of people.   With vivid descriptions of the people visiting him, Fra helps to put an excellent image of his visitors into the reader’s head.   He describes one sailor as still having sea salt hanging in his beard, while describing a merchant as bone-weary and dusty from his merchant’s trail.   The stories he learns from these men also paint a great mental image as to what Fra is thinking and feeling.   From these rendezvous with travelers, the beginning of a geographical map is built, but unlike the conventional mapmakers of the time, Fra was not only interested in the shape of lands and waters, but also in the feeling these places created in the storyteller.   Other than mountains, canals, and valleys, Fra Mauro learns about the culture, peculiarities, and feelings of the locations that the travelers visited.   Though his sources are not of highest reliability, they are reflective of the perception of a typical 16th century person.   Two of his most interesting stories are the story of the essence of the mummy princess that he discusses with the scholar and the tale of the one-eyed, one-armed Cyclopedes that he learns from the Franciscan monk.   Fra also delves into the renaissance occurring between these same European countries and what is today the Americas.   This is how Fra Mauro’s perception of the world was built – through second hand stories told to him.

How Technology affects business Essay

1.0 Introduction Technology is an improvement over what was available in the past. People and organizations often seek technology because it eases tasks and facilitates production. With the appropriate technology, complex tasks are simplified. Man has used technology to achieve previously insurmountable tasks: walk on the moon; create test tube babies; treat life threatening diseases; predict weather; send information across the world in seconds, etc. Mark Behrsin and Bill Twibill emphasize the importance of technology in business when they write that, Visionaries such as retail giant Wal-Mart and shipment pioneer FedEx have used technology not only to solve logistical problems, but to seize new opportunities, open   new channels to market and create new business models they have forced their competitors to adopt. Wal-Mart looked to technology to improve supply chain management and steal a competitive edge. FedEx looked to the opportunities technology offered to manage the extent   of its growth without finding a way to automate business   processes. At the time its SuperTracker application cost   a massive $100 million to develop but the investment has   paid off many times over (4). The evolution of technology often accompanies the invention of machinery which is used to accomplish the required task. For instance, advances in information technology and communication have brought about mobile phones, which are a departure from the fixed lines in the past which are connected by wires. Charles F. MacCormack recalls that, In terms of people impact, technology has fundamentally changed the way we do business. Fifteen years ago, communications with our field organization was a matter of faxes at best, and more often mail couriers. An exchange of information could literally take weeks to complete†¦ Now we use email, voice and video conferencing to communicate in minutes (1). In recent years, there have been advances in various aspects of technology. However, it is important to state that while technology is often applauded for its many benefits, the phenomenon can also adversely affect businesses. This paper explores this double sided nature of technology as it affects businesses. 1.2 Thesis statement Technology is important to human beings across the world because of the many benefits which it presents. In many ways, technology has been used to solve problems facing people in various societies. This paper examines the effect of technology on businesses. If it is obvious that technology brings a world of good to the various businesses which people are involved in, what are the problems created by technology? In other words, this paper also explores the ways in which technology adversely affects businesses. 1.3 Benefits of technology in business Speed In the first place technology is beneficial to business because it speeds up the production process. Speed is necessary in business because, when there are more products in a short period of time, profit is maximized. In the printing of newspapers, high speed machines are required to ensure that mass production of the newspapers is attained in the short space of time within which the newspapers are needed. This applies to all other businesses where products need to be produced or assembled for sale. Machinery is important. In bakeries as well, technology is essential because human labor is avoided because of its inefficiency and much of the work is automated. In this case, the automation by machines also ensures that hygiene. The efficiency of machines cannot be overemphasized at this point. When compared to human labor, machines offer a higher level of efficiency. With the appropriate technology in a bakery, machines can produce more loaves of bread than human effort. Efficiency Apart from the production process, technology also ensures speed in another dimension. In service delivery, vending machines are important because they serve members of the public promptly and avoid the build up of queues. Take the ordinary coffee vending machine. It would take a longer time if people were served by a waitress. However, the coffee vending machine accepts cash and provides the service at the touch of a button. Vending machines are found in banks, under ground train stations, shopping malls, etc. Also, it is important to note that Automated Teller Machines (ATM) are an important technology that is very useful in the banking industry. These ATM have eased the stressed placed on banks by its teeming customers. With the use of ATM, bank customers can enjoy hassle free self service. They only need the attention of bank staff when they have a problem with the machine or if errors are generated by the machine. The technology of the ATM has enabled banks cope with the work lo ad and ensure that they are able to achieve more in a short period of time. In this way B. Ives and S. L. Jarvenpaa note that technology serves to expand business because with the appropriate technology they are able to take more orders and cope with more customers. Competition As businesses strive to beat their rivals and competitors, the technology used by these businesses is often a yardstick for determining leaders in the industry. Take the software industry for instance. Around the world, Microsoft is a leader in the industry because it has the technology that has made it stay there. Technology is also important in the health industry. Due to specialization, some hospitals and research centers are renowned for the diagnosis and treatment of some specific diseases. They are leaders in the industry because they have the technology to do so. J. Bakos and M. E. Treacy insist that technology is useful to businesses as they build their competitive strategy. Industry leaders and secrecy In business, the technology which enables one company stay in the lead and above other competitors is often a well kept secret. This company will never share that technology with others because it will loose its position as a leader in the industry. In medicine, the patents for the manufacture of certain drugs are owned by certain pharmaceutical companies and they are not will to give it out. Sound technology gives businesses an edge over competitors in the industry. Across borders Advances in information technology have ensured that businesses are no longer confined to particular countries but are given a chance to be heard across the world. In the light of this, businesses can extend their boundaries to other countries of the world. Furthermore, banks too have taken advantage of information technology by establishing a network of their branches around the world. This facilitates transfers within the bank and also with other banks in the world. Information technology also facilitates electronic commerce, where people can shop on the internet and have the goods sent to them in the post. This is a faceless transaction. In a study, Steve MacFeely and Caitriona Obrien find that the productivity of firms that have e-mail and a website is higher than those who do not. The foreign exchange market as well as the stock market also benefits from information technology. Today traders in various parts of the world can trade it stock and bonds from their computers in whate ver part of the world because they are connected to the Internet. 1.4 Dysfunctions of technology on business Redundant Technology poses a number of threats to businesses. As a dynamic concept, technology is always changing and improving. In various aspects of human endeavor, there is always a drive to find new methods. When this new technology is developed and put into use, it renders the previous technology redundant and this has far reaching implications on business enterprises which use the outdated technology. In the first place, these businesses face the challenge of catching up with the current technology. This involves a lot of cost. Secondly, the businesses using outmoded technology will loose customers because the newer technology will definitely be more efficient. In the long run the profit of the business will dwindle. The photography business is an example of this phenomenon. With the introduction of digital photography which ensure instant printing of photographs, old methods of photography have become very unpopular. Extra cost Technology places extra cost on businesses. With the introduction of technology, businesses which want to keep abreast with it need to spend money to train staff on the use of the new technology. Technology often requires special training. The other alternative is to employ professionals who are versed in the processes of the new technology. Employing these kinds of professionals also places a strain on the resources of the business. Businesses that want to stay afloat need to keep up with the trends in the industry and this is one of such- but it has severe cost implications. Unemployment Technology often causes drastic change and cause unemployment. With appropriate machines occasioned by technology, many employees are laid off work. This was a feature of the industrial revolution. However, the same situation applies here with the introduction of new technology. The entire idea of technology is to improve production using machines that minimize cost but in the end maximize profit. Also, there is the notion of novelty attached to technology. Thus the inefficiency associated with human labor is eliminated. Service delivery In some cases technology is not able to deliver the benefits which are expected. Managers in various organizations may have high expectation of technology. However, it is not able to delive in many cases. Mark Behrsin and Bill Twibill write that, It is understandable that businesses have come to distrust technology. There are almost constant reports detailing the   number of technology -related projects that have failed to   meet expectations. Recent research from KPMG suggests   that 56 percent of publicly-listed firms have had to write off   at least one technology project in the last five years as a   failure (4). 1.5 Conclusion Technology is essential in business but it presents some problems to businesses as well. When managers in various organizations understand these dynamics, they will succeed in their various endeavors.

Cyberstalking and Women Facts and Statistics

Cyberstalking is such a new phenomenon that the media and law enforcement have yet to broadly define and quantify it. The available resources are so few and limited that there is little information for victims or for professional victim service providers to utilize. What stats there are reveal millions of potential and projected future cases. The epidemic of identity theft indicates technology abuse is one of the fastest-growing areas of crime and those same techniques are easily applied to a specific, targeted victim. What We Know More than one million women and 370,000 men are stalked annually in the United States. An astonishing one in twelve women and one in forty-five men will be stalked in their lifetimes. The average duration of stalking is nearly two years and even longer if the stalking involves intimate partners.Within the past twelve months, 9.3 million Americans were victims of identity theft. Identity theft is often present in situations of domestic abuse and can become a form of economic abuse once the woman has left her partner. One and a half million of those reporting identity thefts in 2004 also reported that they suffered from domestic abuse and harassment from their exes. These latter stats could be more correctly re-categorized as cyberstalking incidents.National figures show victims of cyberstalking tend to be females during the college ages 18-29 but women are not the only targets. A survey of 765 students at Rutgers University and the University of Pennsylvania found 45% of stalkers to b e female and 56% to be male. National figures show most stalkers to be male by overwhelming margins (87%). Men represented over 40% of stalking victims in the Penn-Rutgers study.The Department of Justice statistical report of June 29, 2006, indicates that, on average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in this country every day. The FBI reports that domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 to 44, more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. Cyberstalking provides astonishingly easy and cheap tools for an abuser to locate women who have tried to move away or go into hiding. Cyberstalking and Domestic Violence Victims Domestic violence victims are one of the most vulnerable groups to traditional stalking, so it’s no surprise they are vulnerable to cyberstalking as well. It’s a myth that if women â€Å"just leave† they will be okay. Cyberstalking is a way to continue to maintain rigid control and instill fear into a domestic partner, even when she has already left the relationship. This can happen even to those who one would think would be more prepared. Marsha was an accountant, a working mom with kids, and after her husband, Jerry’s rages got more and more severe, she decided it was time for a divorce. She told him in the safety of the lawyer’s office, where terms for their separation were laid out. To say he was angry was an understatement, he vowed right then he’d â€Å"make her pay.† This threat had new meaning when she went a couple of days later to buy groceries. When all her credit cards were politely and embarrassingly declined, she went home to discover that Jerry had canceled them and her cell phone, and drained her bank accounts, literally leaving her with just fifty cents. She was forced to get a loan from her folks to make it to the next court date. We Are All Potential Victims of Cyberstalking The ease with which someone can perpetuate a cyberstalking crime has made potential victims of us all. Individuals have been cyberstalked for the most minor reasons by people theyve angered in the past. Victims were targeted because they dumped a guy after dating less than a month, fired an employee, were part of a business deal gone bad or parked in the wrong parking spot. We have all grown so complacent about our information and how it is stored and managed; we have no idea how easy it is to access essential personal data that would unlock the safeguards to our finances, our personal and economic safety, and our lives. The havoc a cyberstalker can wreak is painful, frustrating and long-lasting, and the technological tools and resources commonly used by cyberstalkers are all available online for affordable prices.

Leadership And Motivation Remember The Titans - 1301 Words

In everyday life, there are aspects of leadership and motivation that influences an individuals’ actions. Leadership is â€Å"a person or thing that holds a dominant or superior position within its field, and is able to exercise a high degree of control or influence over others.† (How, Web) Motivation is â€Å"the act or an instance of motivating, or providing with a reason to act in a certain way.† (Motivation, Web) Depending on the situation, the different levels of leadership and theories of motivation can aid an individual to complete a task. A leader must know the balance between motivation and the abuse of power. Along with the use of different forms of motivation to effectively simulate a desired result. The use of both leadership and†¦show more content†¦Through the bring together a group of people with many different talents to complete a goal, allows a leader to effective produce the demanded results. A leader who is looking to meet a predeterm ined objective is a competent manager. This form of leadership is one of the stepping stones to forming a professional and effective team. With this form of leadership, motivation is not exclusively for the benefit of the team members. Competent managers focus on the completion of a task. â€Å"I m a winner. I m going to win.† (Walt, Film) During the beginning of the film, Boone was struggling to focus on both the leadership of the team and the effectively complete a task. This could also be categorized as a transactional leader, â€Å"in which leaders promote compliance by followers through both rewards and punishments.† (What is transactional leadership, Web) To achieve optimum results as a leader, a leader must produce a clear and vigorous plan for to stimulate higher performances from a group. As well as incorporating humility and professional will to lead a team or an individual. One of the forms of leadership that achieves this level of compassion for an individu al’s progress and the advancement towards a goal can be characterized a transformational leadership. A transformational leader also, â€Å"creates valuable and positive change in the followers with the end goal of developing followers into leaders.† (TransformationalShow MoreRelated Leadership in Remember the Titans Essay642 Words   |  3 Pages Remember the Titans In the movie ‘Remember the Titans’, there are many management concepts covered throughout the movie and he is the agent in the movie. The players on the Titans are the targets of the influence. ‘Remember the Titans’ is the perfect movie for Exam 3. It covers many topics that were on the exam, and this class has given me a different way of looking at the movie. I have seen the movie many times, but I never looked at it from a management perspective. 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Discuss the Roles and Motivations for Separately Filtering...

Discuss the roles and motivations for separately filtering ingress and egress traffic in the enterprise network. Describe separate conditions for both ingress and egress traffic as they transit the network. Discuss: What roles do ingress and egress filtering play in protecting a network? How do protective isolations help to protect a network? Why do we need to separate and isolate the types of traffic? Ingress filtering is the filtering of any IP packets with untrusted source addresses before they have a chance to enter and affect your system or network. It can protect users from malicious attacks based on spoofing, where a hacker attempts to make a packet look like it originated from somewhere else. Internet service providers (ISPs)†¦show more content†¦Especially communication between servers has very predefined patterns of communications. By only allowing this traffic you are sure that no one wills accidently compromise the server by adding new software, and thus raise the security. . The main purpose of egress filtering is to ensure that unwanted or destructive traffic (such as malware, unauthorized e-mail messages, or requests to Web sites). To create an isolated network, you need to separate the various types of computers on the organization network according to the type of access you want the computers to have. The communication requirements are the following: Computers on the isolated network can initiate communications with all of the computers on the organization network, including those that are not located on the isolated network. Computers that are not on the isolated network can initiate communications only with other computers that are not on the isolated network. They cannot initiate communications with computers on the isolated network. REFERENCE http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff648651.aspx http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/egress-filtering

History of China Free Essays

(1) During the start, when the first settlers came to China, the Chinese have been an extraordinary civilization, from its philosophies to technologies. It has been ruled by Emperors who have tried to unite China. Those who were successful were usually blessed with a Dynasty which lasted for a while. We will write a custom essay sample on History of China or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Chinese have prospered and suffered. The ancient history of China reflects the beauty of Chinese ancient culture and morality. With more than 5000 years of history, China has a wonderful culture and splendid civilization. History of China) China’s history is told in traditional historical records that take us back to the three sovereigns and five emperors about 5,000 years ago, enhanced by archaeological records dating to the 16th century BC. China is known as one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations. From the oldest resident in China and the oldest dynasty, Xia dynasty, there have been millions of well-known people who made great contributions to the harmony, unity and growth of Chinese civilization. They contain emperors such as, Hanwudi (Emperor of Han dynasty) and Li Shimin (Emperor of Tang Dynasty), famous scholars such as Confucius (Great Educator/Guru in Spring and Autumn period), and great scientists like Zhu Chongzhi and Zhangheng. It is their great contributions and efforts that made China appealing and pleasant today. (History of China) Chine has a continuous civilization and the world’s oldest people, consisting of states and cultures dating back more than six millennia. China has the world’s longest continuously used written language system, and is the source of many major inventions, such as what the British scholar and biochemist Joseph Needham called the ‘’four great inventions of Ancient China’’, paper, the compass, gunpowder and printing. China’s cultural area of interest, historically, has spread across East Asia as a whole, with Chinese religion, customers and writing systems being taken to great extent by neighbours such as Japan, Korean and Vietnam. China Facts and History) China, with a population of more than one billion people, is a country full of marketing potential. Having so many potential consumers, it usually gives out a positive attitude on how any product could reach its target audience. Nonetheless with a country so rich in history and culture, there are many factors to be taken in account by marketers. Some of the most important and influential elements would be the monetary policy, curr ency system, market agreements and environmental factors of the country. Overview of China’s History) China’s business structure has been fluctuating from time to time. During 1976 to 1985 a ten year plan stressed improvement in economic management and a bigger role for private and collectively owned (as opposed to state-owned) enterprises. They still continued to attract western technology and investment and did a program of incentives to increase agricultural production. New policies were introduced in 1984 which called for further delegation of economic planning and for growing reliance on market forces to figure out the prices of consumer goods. Since the early 1990s the government of China continued to ease controls on the economy. While taking a look at China’s history from a business structure, it is essential to check their economics background and other factors such as National Output, Labour, Communications, Commerce, Government and more. During the 1990’s China’s business structure started improving. The annual gross domestic product (GDP) of china was about $544. 6 billion. Agricultural outputs (which also includes some small-scale industries in rural areas,forestry and fishing) started increasing and accounted for about 24 percent of domestic income and industrial output (which includes manufacturing,mining, electricity generation, building and construction) accounted for 42 percent. China’s labour force is one of the important facts in their business structure, their labour force in 1996 was estimated at nearly 584 million people. China has issues with unemployment and underemployment because of fast amount of population growth rate. About one-quarter of the populations was 15years of age or younger during the 1990s, therefore it was assured that a huge amount of young people will enter the labour force each year. (Overview of China’s History) About 60 percent of their labour force consists of agricultural workers. The circulation of commodities in China made a huge change in 1979, state-owned enterprises have been unbound to obtain few of their supplies and organize a part of their product on the market; extensive use of advertisement as a source of information has also been clear. Over the years the reorganization of commerce in urban centers, has brought about a rapid growth of collectively and individually owned businesses, such as restaurants, teahouses, inns, hairdressing establishments, photography studios, tailor shops, and all types of repair and maintenance services. (Overview of China’s Marketing History) It is very complex to identify exactly when theTextile industry started. Archaeological studies imply that the first textile, different from fur or skins sewn together was felt (non-woven) cloth created by compressing and condensing woollen fibers. It is believed that the locations where textile was first used are; Egypt, India, Turkey and China. Ever since ancient years, China was a strong player in the textile market. Textile production in China from the earliest evidence were cocoon of bombyx mori, the domesticated silkworm, which happened to be found in Xia, Shanxi, which was dated around 5000 and 3000 BC. Around just about 4000 BC the first textile fragments were found in Yuyao, Zhejiang. Scraps of silk were found in Huzhou Zheijiang, which happened to be back to 27000 BC. China’s Textile and Clothing Industry) Since 1949 textile and clothing has been one of China’s traditional industries and has remained as one of the important industries in modern China. This industry has experienced serious reforms and reached high growth for a long period of time. China has turned into the world’s largest exporter and producer of many products in this industry. Chinese firms concentrate on the low-end product marke ts. They are still very poor in management and marketing skills. Technologies in this industry are not yet advanced and profit margins are pretty low. (China’s role in the Global Textile Industry) Around 1979 China completely started its foreign trade, In 1979 China solved certain trade restrictions, paving the way for increases in the relatively small foreign investment and trade activity and by the early 1990s yearly exports totalled about $92 billion and imports about $104 billion. (Facts and History of China) China’s success has been primarily due to manufacturing as a low-cost producer. This is qualified because of a combination of cheap labour, good infrastructure, relatively high productivity, favourable government policy and possibly undervalued exchange rate. (History of China) 5000 years have passed and the Chinese nation and society are welcoming much development in the 21st century. With the collective energy of 1. 3 billion people, China will enter a new phase in the 21st century and create a miracle for it people and the world. (History of China) . How to cite History of China, Essay examples

Fra Angelico Essay Example For Students

Fra Angelico Essay Fra Angelico/Beato, was the name given to the Dominican friar and early renaissance artist, Fra Giovanni Guido di Piero for his extraordinary works and personal piety. He was born in Vicchio, Tuscany, and had begun his artistic career as an illuminator of missals and other religious related books in his late teens. In 1417, he was accepted as a member of the Compasniadisan Niccolo, a religious confraternity in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine, which was an implicit recognition of his Christian piety. Here he was prohibited from painting, and therefore resigned from the order and joined the community of San Dominico to become a Dominican friar in 1420, where his brother Fra Benedetto also joined and was ordained as a priest. It was in this place that Fra Angelico had begun his first works on altar pieces and frescoes such as The Annunciation, and had adopted the name Frate Giovanni de San Domeico da Fiesole (Fra Giovanni of the friars of San Dominico in Fiesole). He was one of the first friars who employed for working on convents other than his own. By the time he was the age of twenty-five, Fra Angelico was already a well known master painter. At the time Florence was the ideal area for Renaissance artwork. So Fra Angelico along with other Fiesole friars, moved to the convent of San Marco in Florence around 1436. In 1445 however, he went to Rome as a request by Pope Eugenius IV. Eventually Fra Angelico returns to his Fiesole, and passes away in March 1455. Unlike many other artists of those times, Fra Angelico used effective artistic techniques such as devout facial expressions, convincing usage of color, motion, deep spacing, usage of a linear perspective, all combined with the influence of the decorat ive Gothic style of Gentile da Fabriano, which made him one of the foremost painters of the Renaissance. It was also said that his work was inspired by the preaching of another Dominican known as Fra Manfredida Vercelli, and since all his work consisted of Christian relevance, his Christian spirituality is manifested in his art. One of Fra Angelicos more well known piece of work, is the painting of The Last Judgement, which was a piece for the back of a seat for the priest to use at the Mass. It was most probably commissioned by the Florentine church of Santa Maria degli Angeli. This piece of work shows the separation of the blessed and the dammed by the receding graves separating them, and being judged by they saints and Christ at the top of the horizon. Fra Angelico achieves his perspective of the last judgement convincingly by the clever usage of colors, facial expressions and actions used to differentiate the two sides. The blessed are surrounded by supernatural lights that form halos around their heads and shine upon them from paradise, which is in the very corner of the picture. This would suggest that paradise is much harder to reach compared to hell, which is portrayed to be closer to the viewer, implying hell would be much easier to go to. On the side of the dammed, much darker colors such as blacks and browns are used to create a negative feeling to emphasize the difference of hell and paradise, where paradise, soft yellows and bright colors are used to convey a more heavenly feel. Angry and horrific facial expressions and people deliberately hurting each other have been used to portray the dammed, whereas those who are blessed have peaceful and calm facial expressions, and most of them are all united together by the holding of hands or by embracing each other.