Capital Budgeting Process Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Capital Budgeting Process - Assignment Example The foremost reason for going public is to raise additional capital by issuing shares to the general investing public. This means other funding sources such as internally generated profits or financing through bank loans had been considered and set aside in favor of an IPO. Owners of private companies will now have to contend with the fact that they will lose some control by the issuance of new shares but they have other compensation in return for doing it such as new funds for expansion (new products and new markets), increased liquidity for the current shareholders by creating an active market for the stock to trade and change hands, the stock itself can become a valuable currency to fund new acquisitions (some mergers are made using company stock instead of cash payment), increase employee motivation through stock options to compensate good performance and in general enhance a companys reputation via a well-executed IPO process from start to end. Preparations are made long before the actual IPO itself and it involves three main participants: the issuing firm, the underwriter and the public. The initial public offering can become a difficult and contentious issue if not handled properly because of the conflicting claims and interests of the three main parties mentioned. An important factor that determines if an IPO is successful is correct timing. As they say, timing is everything, from setting an ideal price range that maximizes the funds that will be generated to the market's reception of the offering. If a decision had been made to go through with the IPO, there are two considerations to be made regarding correct timing: firstly is the stage of the firm's development.

Attachment theory Essay Example for Free

Attachment theory Essay Attachment is an important factor in a childs life. It makes them feel safe and secure.  The infants tendency to seek the closeness to particular people and to feel more secure in their presence. (Erikson 1976)  I think that when Erikson made this statement, what he was actually saying was that an attachment is when a child is more comfortable in a setting if they are with the people they are closest to and the people that they like to be with and seek attention of these people more than others. Attachment is like a piece of invisible string that binds individuals in a way that allows a healthy development (psychology for AS level).  This statement in my opinion states that an attachment which forms a bond between the people involved is important for good development for the child.  What happens if there isnt a bond or an attachment in the childs life? I am going to look into three different psychologists theories on attachment and see what their opinions on the subject are. The first psychologist I am looking into is Bowlby. Bowlby had very strong opinions on attachment and the long term affects a lack of a bond or attachment can have on a childs life. Bowlby believed that a child should form one and only one strong attachment which should be with the mother of the child. This is known as monotrophy. The father in Bowlbys eyes was there for the making of the baby only and would show no input or importance in the childs upbringing. Bowlby came to the conclusion that children who failed to form this bond with their mother in the first three years of the childs life would have problems in later life bonding with people and trusting people. He also described a child with a lack of bonding to be an affectionless psychopath, which he described to be someone who shows lack of guilt when done something wrong has difficulties showing emotion to things around them or someone with behaviour problems. Another affect of not having an attachment in this critical period as it was also known in Bowlbys eyes was development retardation which meant the child may grow up with learning difficulties or slower intellectual skills. The next psychologist I am going to discuss is Mary Ainsworth. Ainsworth investigated bonding and broke it down into different sections. She broke it down it to three different types of attachment. These were secure attachments, anxious avoidant attachments and anxious resistant attachments.  Secure attachments were described as the strongest of the three. This is where the children know they are loved and cared for and they feel secure with the person they have bonded to. When they are left without their attachment figure for the first time they will show lots of distress and upset. However after time they will get used to being left and they will not be as distressed as time gos on. Anxious avoidant attachment is not as strong as the secure attachment and the bond it weaker. These children seem more independent and can manage small tasks on their own. This may be due to a change in the attachment figures attitude or behaviour towards the child which may be caused by death or separation from a partner. This can also be caused by separation from child and attachment figure due to illness or separation at birth. This attachment is usually weaker because of the lack of full trust from either party.  Anxious resistant attachment is similar to anxious avoidant attachment but the child often is more clingy and seeks more attention to people as well as the attachment figure but when people tries to comfort them they will often not accept the comfort. The last psychologists I am going to look at are Shaffer and Emerson. Shaffer and Emersons theory is the one Ainsworth used to conclude her investigations. They looked more at children with multiple attachments which contradicts Bowlbys theory which said only one strong attachment can be made. They broke their findings down in to four sections. These sections are Asocial stage which is children of 0-2, the indiscriminate stage, children of 2-7 months, specific stage which is children of 7 months plus and then finally multiple attachment. Asocial stage is described to be where the children aged 0-2 months will respond to human faces but will not show any main distress towards whom it is they are with. This means that if you placed a 0-2 month baby in a day care setting then they will not really kick much of a fuss when their mother leaves them they will usually be happy and content as long as they are getting some attention. On my placement while I was working in the 0-2 room the youngest child there at the time was only 6 weeks old she would come to nursery with no hassle every day after her nap she would sometimes cry a little bit until she got some attention. She was happy when her mum came to get her but she didnt cry for her when she wasnt there. Where as one of the oldest children who was nearly 18 months used to cry for her mum nearly all day, she only seemed happy when she was eating. The indiscriminate stage is for children from 2 month up until 7 month. These children are more aware of what is happening and they know who they prefer to spend time with usually in most cases it is the main care giver, but they will still be ok and not too worried around strangers and unknown faces.  The specific stage is where one strong attachment is clear and the child becomes very weary and anxious around unknown people. This is usually why when a child over 7 months is brought into a child care setting, they take a while to settle and cry for their carer. Multiple attachments are where the child is close to or has an attachment with more than one person. This is often when they spend a lot of time with these people as well as their care givers. These people can include grand parents, extended family, neighbours and realistically people who they spend a lot of time with and they feel safe around.  As some of the theorists mentioned above said they would be distress when a child was left or was separated from their attachment figure its is important that children get used to a setting before being brought and left alone. In some child care setting they hold visits for the children where they can come with their attachment figure and see the setting and play with the other children to see what it is like and to get to know the care workers faces first. In my placement they do this over a period of 6 visits(longer if child is very unsettled) to avoid too much stress and upset for the new children coming to nursery each time a visit takes place the attachment figure will stay a little bit less than the time before leaving the child with the other children and care givers. This way they feel that the child gets used to not having their mother there all the time and also gets to know the other people in the setting and environment.  Another way the children help settle in the nurseries or child care setting is they are allowed to bring with them a transitional object with them to comfort them when they get upset. One child in my placement had a pink cushion which she has all the time when she is upset. When she settles down she often puts it down a leaves it on the floor, at this point the care worker picks it up discreetly and puts it in her box. They do this because they feel if she is playing nice and contently then she sees the cushion she will pick it up and carry it round again where as if it is out of the way the child will hopefully play for a longer amount of time. The child gets it back if she asks for it or if she becomes distressed on upset in anyway. In my placement to avoid too much stress and upset for the new children coming to nursery, they have an induction period. This is where the child will come in to the nursery with their parent to have a look around, meet the staff and the other children in the setting. The child gets to play with the toys and will start to get used to the setting so when its time for their parent to leave then it wont be so distressing. When a child is in the setting some of the parents come and visit the child during lunch time or if they get a break at work. This was good for some children as it reassured the children that their parents were coming back for them and they hadnt just left them forever. For some children however this was not beneficial and the situation was more distressing for them having to say bye to their carer all over again.

Comparison of Hinduism and Judaism

Comparison of Hinduism and Judaism It is of great importance when comparing religions to take a careful consideration on fundamental beliefs and rituals each religion engages in. this gives and aids in understanding each religion quite clearly. A comparison enables analysis of disparity among different aspects of a religion as it relates to another religion. In this paper, a comparison of Hinduism and Judaism will be analyzed where a comparison of the beliefs of life after death and prayer/worship will be looked at. Judaism is a monotheistic religion and one of the first religions. The faith sorely believes in the reality of one God, who made a covenant, agreement between Him and the Jews. They were promised to be given provision so long as they obeyed the rules and did not deviate from the rules. The rules were originally written in two stone tablets and are known as The Ten Commandments, this rules and regulations are supposed to govern the interactions between man and man, and man with God. Jews do not try to convert other members of other religions as they regard themselves as specially and purposely chosen by God. Unlike the Judaism, it is extremely difficult to categorize Hinduism as either polytheistic or monotheistic because of the fundamental faith in the Universal spirit. Hindus believe in several gods and goddesses; but they are all reflections and dimensions of one Supreme Being Brahman or the Universal Spirit. Hinduism holds true that all in the universe is cyclic. The world has be en created, sustained, and destroyed many times. The god presents himself in three forms: Brahma, who created the world, Vishnu, who sustains and Shiva, who destroys the universe and begins the cycle again. Hindu people generally worship Vishnu and Shiva. Vishnu is said to have a kindly nature and is thought to try to protect the wellbeing of humanity. The god descends from heavens to earth in a physical form on every occasion a cataclysm faces the cosmos or if humankind needs consolation and guidance (Linda, 189). On the other hand Vishnu is exceptionally drawn in with humanity, Shiva is detached from people. He is from time to time reflected meditating alone. He has immense supremacy and is further than the parameters of good and evil. He saves man by removing mans sins. Judaism as well as Hinduism has faith that God is omnipresent and omnipotent; He is the creator, the protector and the destroyer. The Sustenance of the humanity on the earth simply relies heavily on the will of Go d and nothing ever moves without His doing. Prayer/worship is intertwined in the Hinduism and Judaism lifestyle. Prayer is the way of communication and worship (devotion) with God. Prayer is seen as an essential and innate act of relating with the gods. Judaism and Hinduism prayers are usually said in the morning, afternoon and evening. Prayers are basically used to call upon gods or diverse supernatural powers, for the interests of the people as individuals and as a community. Hindus use prayer books. Perhaps the most powerful Hindu prayer books are the Vedic hymns. During the utterance and recitation of the prayers the sounds and content of the prayer must be observed and a great stress is laid on the mode and process in which they are recited. Its believed that when a prayer is not properly chanted or the syllables arent pronounced correctly it could bring harm and may not lead to the intended purpose. Provided the Vedic mantras are chanted in the appropriate way and in accordance to a specific rhythm its believed they cont ain alluring mystical command to summon supernatural beings. The prayers praise the virtues and potencies of various gods and goddesses in order to seek favors from them. During public ceremonies the mantras are chanted loudly whereas there are some mantras, principally the private mantras which are meant to be kept undisclosed. The rules of Hinduism also stipulate that mantras should not be disclosed to those that are religiously lame and therefore unqualified. Deep devotional songs and dances accompany the prayers. In the spiritual realm of a Hindu worshipper a prayer has a greater implication. Incessant recitation of gods name is believed to lead to cleansing of the mind and internal transformation. It is seen as the most effective way of developing a close association with God and realizes the inner self. Puja is a daily ritual done in a sacred corner in a worship room of the home it keeps the Hindus aware of their family gods and mindful of their duties as individuals. Puja inv olves three steps: The first is seeing the family deity (darshana). A small statue or picture of the god is placed in the sacred spot. The second step is the worship of the god, or puja. The worshiper offers the god flowers, fruits, and cooked food (bhog). The third step is retrieving the blessed food (prasada) and consuming it (Van, 11). Prayer in the Judaism consists: Shacharit in the morning, Minchah and Maariv, in late afternoon and evening. On the Sabbath, there is an additional service, Mussaf, added on to the morning. One prayer is essential to each devotion service, morning and night, weekday, Shabbat, and holiday: the Amidah the Standing Prayer, which is also known as the Shmoneh Esrai, the Eighteen blessings, or the Silent Devotion, its a key prayer in many services, and it is the declaration of faith, Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God! The Lord is One! (Van, 21). Its generally accepted that prayers should be recited privately and in solitude but sometimes Judaism encourages prayer in the company of others and for this basis Jews often try to come together to pray in public. Prayer is just like a second part of a person life, a daily diet. In that way, one comes to be peaceful speaking terms with God, who, in turn, becomes accessible, almost a dialogue partner. It is the peak experience of the prayer servi ce, emphasized by taking three steps backward to withdraw symbolically from your surroundings and three steps forward to symbolically enter the presence of Almighty God. It is recited silently, standing, and occasionally bowing (Linda, 190). Unlike the Hinduism where prayers are directed to gods, supernatural spirits and goddesses Judaism prayers are directed to God alone. Worship in both religions involves a strong observance of rules and guidelines in dressing, diet and general lifestyle as a way of maintaining external purity. The outer purity is perceived to be important in inculcating purity. Afterlife entails those beliefs held about life after an individual has died (Fisher, 156). Judaism and Hinduism believe in life after death. Jews have the suggestion of Heaven as their afterlife, they hold that if they have done right in the life they lived on Earth, and then they shall spend eternity in Heaven with their God. The Hindus accept as true that you are reincarnated until you reach the Brahma. Hindus believe in Karma which is the belief that if you do good things, then good things shall happen to you and vice versa (Selwyn, 19). When you die your final death in Hinduism, you reach the Brahma where the excruciating sequence of regeneration is finally ruined. Hinduism assumes the eternal reality of a universal spirit that guides all life on earth. A piece of the spirit called the atman is trapped inside humans and other living creatures. The most important desire of the atman is to be reunited with the universal spirit, and every aspect of an individuals life is governed b y it. When someone dies, their atman may be reunited, but most usually is reborn in a new body. A persons caste membership is a clear indication of how close he or she is to the desired reunion. While many differences are found among the doctrine and beliefs of life after death between these two religions some similarities also do exist, like how they have certain rules that their followers must obey to make it to heaven for the Judaism and Niverna for the Hinduism (Selwyn, 26). Each of the religions has guild lines and regulations that tell you what you should do to be a good person and appease their God or gods. They teach people how to live a correct life, and how to be kind to others while they are living on the Earth. Both religions believe in a final quiescent position for the spirit and both faiths hold high moral demeanor for their members such as benevolence to the underprivileged and altruistic sense of duty. Both religions also have sacred texts that are fundamental to their religions and provide instructions pertaining to relationship between people and God, and amongst people themselves. Also instructions pertaining to lifestyle, worship and performance of ritua ls are found in the sacred books. The religions have sacred locations where pilgrimages are undertaken by the faithful. Work cited Van Voorst, Robert. Anthology of World Scriptures. 7th Ed. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage, 2010: 11-25. Fisher, Mary Pat. Living Religions. New York: Prentice Hall, 2007: 151-159. Linda Woodhead, Paul Heelas. Religion in Modern Times: An Interpretive Anthology. New York: Willey Blackwell, 2007: 188-191. Selwyn Gurney. The Worlds Great Religions: An Anthology of Sacred Texts. Phoenix: Dover Publishers, 2009: 10-31.

The Struggle in My Name is Asher Lev and Naked Lunch :: Asher Lev Naked Lunch Essays

The Struggle in My Name is Asher Lev and Naked Lunch Though most of the experiences and actions revealed in William S. Burroughs' Naked Lunch directly contradict philosophies believed by the Jewish faith, there is a definite connection between My Name is Asher Lev and Naked Lunch. This connection lies is the narrators' artistic roles in society. Both Lev and Burroughs stray from the surrealistic aspect of their mediums: art and writing, respectively, and portray life as they see that it really is. There is no embellishing on either of their parts nor is there any glorification to the events happening around them. William S. Burroughs wrote Naked Lunch as a conclusion to his fifteen-year addiction to opiates, mainly heroin and morphine. In his "tell all" story of himself as a junkie, he never tries to lie about any of the events that took place during this time and he never augments anything in order to make for a better story. Burroughs clearly depicted the distraught and dillusional life that he once led including his experiences with almost every drug possible and his encounters with sexual relations and situations that went against the status quo of the time (as it still does now). Burroughs' role as in artist in society, however, was that he was one of the people that clearly showed why the life of a drug addict was not as glorifying and "cool" as people falsely make it out to be. The phases of drug addiction are able to be clearly seen throughout the novel since Naked Lunch was a book written before, during, and after his drug rehabilitation. Just as Burroughs reveals the drug underground as it really is, Asher Lev is an artist of reality. His talent for art was recognized early in his life, but it was some years later that his view of the world became more apparent. He was neither a pessimist nor was his an optimist, but his drawing capture a little of both realms. He drew what he felt: what he saw as reality in his mind. More often in the book, however, do we see Asher's pessimistic views on the world come out because of the events that are going on in his life. "I don't like the world, Mama. It's not pretty. I won't draw it pretty." (52) Just like Burroughs, Asher does not think about what would be acceptable to those who view his works, or the beliefs of his religion, or if what he is drawing may be considered wrong; he just draws what he truly feels at the time.

Tamil Media Industry

POST_ GRADUATION PROGRAMME IN PLANNING AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP_ {draw:frame} Submitted by .G. Raja Saravanan (09)-F1 Vasanth. G (39)-F1 .G. Alfa Bhandari (03)-F2 Ramya Santhanagopalan (30)-F2 BATCH – PGP/SS/2008 -2010 UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN Yours truly, (*Prof. K. *Sashi Rao) Chennai ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We also take privilege in honoring our institution IIPM for allowing us to carry out our project in our area of interest. We thank Raj Network, Sun Network, Star Vijay and Jaya Network for giving us this opportunity. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all those who helped us in getting the useful inputs which has gone a long way to increase our knowledge. We would be failing in our duty if we do not thank our parents and friends without whose well wishes, this project might not have become a success. Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION ABOUT STUDY The Study deal with three key areas of focus: (1) An analysis of how the mass media informally educate their audiences through their descriptions and presentations of significant information. 2) The results of a series of interviews with a theoretical sample of people that explores how they describe themselves and how they perceive the quality of information being provided and also they were asked to respond about their perception on different channels. Thus, resulting in analysis of how effective they are in terms of attracting and satisfying to the need of their viewers. 3) Strategies Adopted & Challenges faced by Channels for successfu l establishment. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: To study the consumers attitude towards the Raj Network To analyze the customer preference towards Raj Network. To study about how to help Raj Network to increase its Revenue. To study about how further strategies and investment could be followed to improve the Raj Network. SCOPE OF THE STUDY: This study is confined to Chennai. Further study can be made in other cities also. This study may help the company to find out about the attitude of the Raj Network. The findings of this study may help the company to implement proper strategies that would attract more viewers (audiences). COMPANY PROFILE It is being telecasted in 135 countries RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research methodology underlines the various steps involved by the researcher in systematically solving the problem with the objective of determining various facts. The major purpose of analytical research is to analyze the state affaires as it exists at present. Analytical research includes survey and in-depth analysis of variables. The research plan calls for gathering primary and secondary data. The Sampling Method adopted for the present study is Simple Random Sampling METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION Primary Data Secondary Data SECONDARY DATA DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION Table 1 The number of *hours a respondent watching television in a day {draw:frame} _From the above table it can be inferred that nearly half (46%) of the respondents watch television for 3 to 5 hours a day and the least population of about 8% spend time for watching television more than 5 hours a day. _ Table-2 The time slot preferred by respondents to watch television {draw:frame} _It can be inferred from the abo ve table that, 7 P. M to 10 P. M is the peak hours for watching television and with very less respondents being interested to watch television early morning and late night after 10 P. M which covers only 5%. _ Table-3 The respondents preference towards various programmes telecasted on Television {draw:frame} Table -4 The number of respondents watching various Tamil Channels {draw:frame} Table -5 The rating of various Tamil channels according to the preference of respondents Table-6 The perception of respondents to add more variety of programmes to the Raj NETWORK {draw:frame} Table-7 The attitude of respondents towards of watching Raj NETWORK {draw:frame} From the above table it can be inferred that _the only 15% of the respondents watch RAJ NETWORK daily and most of the viewers, covering about 26% are not very specific in watching RAJ NETWORK. Table-8 The respondents watching various Raj Network Channels {draw:frame} _The above table shows that only 33% out of 24 respondents watch RAJ NETWORK whereas RAJ VISTA viewers are almost negligible covering just 4% of the total viewership_. Table-9 The viewers feedback on the various parameters of Raj Network {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:f rame} {draw:frame} FINDINGS The survey revealed that Sun Network and Vijay TV is the main competitor of the Raj Network in Chennai. Most of the viewers prefer to watch the Mega Serials and Reality shows. People are also interested in Vijay TV’s innovative programs People watch Raj TV only when they surf the channels. Regarding Raj Network’s Performance, viewers gave different opinions. Regarding the quality factors of Raj Network (News Channel) most of the viewers had opinion that the news readers and reporters don’t have excellent personality and excellent interpersonal skills. SUGGESTIONS Raj TV can improve their technology standard. They can do some innovative programs to gain the new viewers and lost viewers. Promote information contribution from the people like sharing amateur video footage on public interest. Add more discussions on local issues regarding the welfare of the society. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY The scope of the study restricted to only few areas. Subscribers may not give an accurate data. Busy nature of the respondents. Sample size limited to 150 Respondent’s bias towards certain entertainment channels. Lack of response from customers & resistance was yet another factor that damped the spirit of the researchers. CONCLUSION It is clear that Sun Network and Star Vijay are the leaders in the Tamil Channels. Raj Network has to introduce more innovative programmes. Raj Network has to improve the picture and sound clarity to become as competitive as other Tamil Channels. Raj Network should target the Tamil audience as a whole, knowing their preferences. BIBILIOGRAPHY WEBSITES www. sunnetwork. org www. rajtvnet. in www. jayanetwork. in www. vijay. indya. com www. tamindia. com www. indiantelevision. com APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE *Do you have a NETWORK*? Yes b) No Yes b) No *For how many hours in a day, do you watch NETWORK*.? *When do you watch NETWORK*. generally? Which Tamil channels do you watch? Others _ Which programmers you watch most and regularly? Amongst the following channels which program you like the most? Kindly rank the Tamil channels according to your preference. Others (please specify) What do you like or dislike about the following channels? * How often you watch Raj NETWORK*.? Which Raj network channels you watch? Kindly rank Raj Network channels according to your preference. Raj Vista [ ] *How would you rate Raj NETWORK* on the following parameters? Kindly tick the appropriate box *Do you think Raj NETWORK* needs to add more Variety to its existing set of Programmes? Your suggestions about Raj NETWORK Name (Optional): Mother Tongue: Age Group (Tick the appropriate one) Competitors Profiles MAJOR BRANDS IN THE CHENNAI TELEVISION MARKET: Sun Network Jaya Network Raj Network Star Vijay Mr Kalanithi Maran, Chairman and Managing Director of the Sun TV Network Limited. SunTV Network's programming is a mixed bag. All the channels have a wholesome blend of †¢ Films †¢ Film-Based Shows †¢ Superhit serials †¢ NEWS Capsules †¢ Talk shows †¢ Children's hours †¢ Women Show. {draw:frame} Sun Network is being telecasted in Asia South Africa Australia Europe USA Canada It is being telecasted in more than 150 countries JAYA NETWORK J. Jayalalithya,*( Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu )* MD, Chairman and Managing Director of the *Jaya *Network Limited. {draw:frame} The Network runs a number of popular serials presented by some of the best names in South Indian films today. These in combination with a number of popular chat shows and game shows give the network an edge with the viewers. Tamil Channels: Jaya TV, Jaya Max, Jaya news & Jaya Plus Jaya Network is being telecasted in Australia New Zealand STAR VIJAY It is a popular Indian entertainment channel broadcasting in Tamil. The channel is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. It is best known for serving its viewers with a mix of content, not limited to mega serials/daily soaps like other Tamil channels. The main reason of success of STAR Vijay is its share of reality shows. Reality shows were first introduced to the audiences by STAR Vijay Star Vijay is being telecasted in Sri Lanka US Canada Secondary Data of Raj TV Raj Television defers expansion plans The Rs150-200 crore investment for launch of 12 regional channels has been put on hold for 12-18 months Vidhya Sivaramakrishnan Chennai: Media and broadcast company Raj Television Network Ltd has delayed plans to launch 12 regional channels and buy a Tamil newspaper by another 12-18 months, as the company waits for the economy to revive to raise funds, two top executives said. The Chennai-based broadcaster, which raised Rs52. 81 crore in an initial public offering in February 2007, had proposed investing Rs150-200 crore for the launches, with part of the funds coming from private equity firms. These plans are now deferred because of the current market conditions, M. Raajhendran, managing director of Raj Television, said in a recent meeting. Raj TV is already struggling with thin audience ratings in a crowded regional television market. According to TAM Media Research Pvt. Ltd, a viewership rating firm, mmands a 96% share, while Raj Digital Plus has the remaining viewership, TAM data shows. Raj TV currently runs four television channels in Tamil and one each in Kannada and Telugu, primarily in the music, news and general entertainment categories. Of the proposed channels, for which the company already has licences, three would be in Malayalam and two each in Kannada and Telugu. It is yet to decide on the other five channels. Within a span of one-and-a-half years, the global markets will also be good and we will raise funds,† Raajhendran said. â€Å"We are going slow. † Prakash Dharmarajan, Chennai president of advertising firm Ogilvy and Mathpwer, said Raj TV cannot depend solely on new channels to improve its business. â€Å"It (Raj TV’s success in other states) would entirely depend on their progra mming content. Is it easy? It is not. At the end of the day, people watch programmes, not channels,† he said. On the company’s print plans, promoter and whole-time director M. Ravindran said that though the company is in talks with a few people, a deal is not likely immediately. â€Å"We want to buy out some established print player, but it will take some time,† he said, without elaborating. Raj TV has since released two of the four movies it has produced so far, investing Rs23 crore. They made profits of 10-15% on an average, Ravindran said, but declined details. The studio and office complex, too, needs another year to be ready, he added. Raj Television’s revenue in fiscal 2008-09 increased to Rs62. 41 crore from Rs58. 69 crore in the previous year, but fell way short of its targeted 40-50% revenue growth. Net profit for the year ended 31 March fell to Rs3. 72 crore, from Rs13. 46 crore earlier. MUMBAI: The Sun Network has hit back at Raj TV's claims of having cornered the number two position in Tamil Nadu. MUMBAI: Raj TV seems to be in no mood to give up its claim as the second most popular channel in Tamil Nadu. A few months ago, the channel had cited TAM data to indicate that it was the number two channel after Sun TV. The credit to this, Raj gave to its Friday night blockbuster movies. However, the claim had sparked off a scramble for the slot. Eight months down the line, the big fight continues. Pointing to a survey initiated by The Hindu and conducted by TNS Mode (the fourth largest market information group in the world), Raj TV has again asserted its number two position in Chennai. This, of course, means that Raj is the most preferred channel after the undisputed leader Sun TV and its sibling KTV. The TNS poll was conducted in Chennai among 230 men and women. According to the survey, while a major chunk (77 per cent) respondents claimed to be loyal viewers of Sun TV and 5 per cent watched KTV, Raj was the hot favourite among four per cent television viewers. Of the rest, viewership for Vijay TV and Sumangali Cable Vision (which also belongs to the Sun TV stable) was two per cent each. The other channels – including Jaya TV – put together figures for only 10 per cent viewership, Raj claims. The survey indicated that 26 per cent respondents watched television for one to two hours. Only 13 per cent people said they watched the channel for more than four hours. Raj TV backed its claim to popularity with another significant aspect that the TNS survey revealed. According to the survey, Raj TV is the only channel besides Sun, whose daily serial ranks among the top five most popular shows in Chennai. The survey shows that Raj's Geethanjali is the fourth most popular serial in the metro. The number one serial Metti Oli, number two Annamalai, number three Kungumam and number five Appa are all aired on Sun. IREDATO Card Hello, I bought a Card through my relative as per advice of RAJ TV Sales personal in the month of June 09. The same card was personally hand carried to Australia. Upon arrival, i called up raj tv as per their advice that the card needs to be activated and that they require the decoder box number As per the advice again, i forwarded the box number. RAJ TV again came up with an email as below Dear Siva, Please send us your Receiving Box Number starting with 045 or 027 ( 11 digit number ) to activate the cards. Thanks, S. Swaminathan. Mob:092445 03555. I was then told that the card supplied was un-suitable and should be used only with RAJ TV supplied decoder box. How in the world can RAJ TV supply a card withouth any prior purchase details of a customer of a RJA TV Supplied Decoder BOX After insistant follow up by my self, I am still to get the correct card. Very Disappointed with RAJ TV and its Sales Person

Chinas Roots by Orient Lee †Book Review

Chinas Roots by Orient Lee – Book Review Free Online Research Papers China’s Roots by Orient Lee Book Review As one of the oldest and largest civilizations in the world, China has seen both its political state and culture morph in countless ways through periods of war, peace, prosperity, and destitution. To summarize its thousands of years of history in a mere few hundred pages is, undeniably, a formidable task, but Orient Lee attempts it in his work China’s Roots. As the title suggests, the book describes how China and the Chinese people came to be what they are today through a chronological retelling of Chinas development from prehistoric to contemporary times. It is not, however, a comprehensive description of Chinese history, but nor does it profess to be. Rather, Lee, a Chinese scholar with many historical works under his belt, presents a broad framework of the nations transition through various periods of history. Above this frame, he selectively adds more detailed descriptions of the most notable events, persons, and cultural aspects, offering insight into things that have come to define China and the Chinese people. In the same vein, Lee also supplements his history with separate chapters on the evolution of science, art, and literature in China. Presented in both Chinese and English trans lation, the book is moreover accessible to both Chinese and foreign readers. However, while China’s Roots is a commendable introduction to China’s history and culture, it is nevertheless marred by several faults, including uneven focus, unreliable information, and the author’s clear bias towards certain subjects. China’s Roots summarizes Chinese history and cultural development in twelve chapters. The first chapter introduces China’s geography and describes the nation’s land mass, provinces, cities, mountains, lakes, deserts, plains, prairies, plateaus, forests, islands, and rivers, showing that most do not shy in comparison to those of the powerful nation in the world, the United States. He also highlights the nation’s most notable natural wonders, including the Great Central Plain, Himalaya Mountains, Yellow River, and Yangtze River, whose length is comparable to that of the Nile and Amazon. On the whole, Lee’s descriptions emphasize the beauty, usefulness, and grandeur of the Chinese landscape. The second chapter concerns China during prehistoric times, citing various archaeological remains from Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic times. The author traces the development of humans in various regions through these ancient times, describing the tool s, houses, pottery, and other artifacts of each era. In the next seven chapters, Lee relates China’s historical past from the Xia Dynasty to modern China, with focus on the political aspects of the country’s development. He begins by blending the myths of China’s origin with historical fact to create an account of proto-history. A brief description of the Xia Dynasty is given, though it is made clear that the information is based on ancient texts as opposed to archaeological evidence. The Shang Dynasty is also only described briefly, with passing remarks about its 28 kings and achievements in agriculture, military, and the like. Next Lee describes how the Zhou Dynasty was established as well as the four main vassal states during Middle Zhou. He also describes each of the Five Hegemons individually and gives a brief account of the seven Warring States, the growth of feudalism, and how Qin came to power. The account of Qins and its achievements in road-building, measuring, writing and such, is brief like its re ign. Following this Lee traces the establishment of Han and its first five emperors, but then quickly speeds through the rest of the emperors and attainments in the lengthy eras of Former and Latter Han, with special attention given to certain emperors such as Wu Ti and Ming Ti. When drawing attention to the Three Kingdoms period, the author briefly describes the three states and their rulers, and then reflects on why no kingdom was able to unify China. This is followed by a detailed portrayal of the struggles between the eight princes of Jin, and a description of the minority tribes of the period as well as the Northern and Southern Dynasties stage. There were also significant developments in philosophy, science, literature, and religion at this time. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, society and economy flourished, although this epoch was also plagued by problems such as the Fanchen Warlords and rebellions. The Five Dynasties period only lasted shortly, and the Northern Son g Dynasty that followed suffered from a poor military and administrative system. Despite Wang AnShis reforms, rebellion rose. Numerous battles between Jhin and Sung took place during the Southern Song, and the economy of the period suffered great deficit. The Mongol-ruled Yuan Dynasty treated the Han Chinese as ninth-class citizens. After years of misrule, rebels eventually established Ming, though the first ruler was deemed insane and ruled poorly. Another rebellion eventually brought about the Manchu Qing Dynasty, which had the misfortune to fall to the status of a sub-colony after fighting two Opium Wars as well as several other foreign wars. Next Lee describes the establishment of the Republic of China, which fought an 80 year war against Japan as well as a civil war that eventually put China under the rule of a communist government. After noting Deng XiaoPings reforms that opened China, the author ends his historical account by asserting his hope for one China. The latter third of the text focuses on various cultural achievements in science and technology, art, and literature. As for technological developments, Lee chronologically details the evolution of technology in different areas, including irrigation, transportation, and chemistry. He also includes a subsection on the sciences that the Chinese purportedly excelled at, including math, astronomy, metallurgy, and medicine. The chapter on the development of arts is separated into subsections of architecture, sculpture, and painting. In each section, Lee describes the development of the art throughout the ages and names specific artists and their accomplishments. Finally, in the last chapter, the author chronologically tracks the growth of Chinese literature and lists several notable authors and works. In critiquing China’s Roots, it is firstly of note to mention that the book has a fairly unique format, which is at times helpful for the reader but sometimes detrimental. The work imparts the aforementioned information in both Chinese and English using Wade-Giles romanization. From the limited amount of Chinese I can read, the English version appears to be a direct translation of the original, with minor discrepancies. For example, when speaking of the math of China, the English version merely mentions that a mathematician solved problems with the â€Å"Method of Finite Difference† (p.201) while the Chinese version actually details the equations and mathematics associated with the method. Similarly, a picture of an oracle describing novas appears only in the Chinese version. Clearly, such discrepancies, which appear throughout the book, indicate that each version is intended for a specific audience. Foreigners are expected know the Method of Finite Difference wit hout further elaboration, and only Chinese readers are expected to recognize characters on the oracle bone. Although this entails that certain details will be missed by those who only read one version, it also implies that the author knows his audience and is likely catered his writing accordingly. Indeed, even the title, presented as â€Å"Our Roots† in Chinese but â€Å"China’s Roots† in English, likewise suggests a specific audience for each version. This review is based off of the English version. When comparing the organization of Chinas Roots with two other similar works on Chinese civilization, An Introduction to Chinese Civilization by John. T. Meskill and China: Tradition and Transformation by John Fairbank and Edwin Reischauer, one sees evident uniqueness in Lee’s approach. Lee chooses to first present geography and chronological history, and then delve more intensively into specific aspects of culture, including science, art, and literature. Although he still enriches his earlier chapters with some cultural information, such as when he describes the flourishing of Tang metropolises, he does not interweave it entirely with history as Fairbank does. In doing so, he succeeds in drawing greater attention to culture as well offering a more coherent narrative of its development. Furthermore, the sections in the chapters of Roots are laid out with appropriate headings, subheadings, and bolded proper names that make specific content easy to access. However, unlike the two aforementioned works, it lacks an index. So while a reader can easily find information regarding certain time periods, he will have difficulty locating more specific names and subjects embedded within the text. The book also suffers from peculiar, counterintuitive organization in some areas, such as when it covers the effect of Qins rule on the six other Warring States before describing the wars that led Qin to accomplish its takeover. It might also be of note that there are several printing errors in the book, including typographic errors, truncated paragraphs, and even repeated pages. It is, then, not unreasonable to assume that certain names and dates could contain errors as well. Altogether, such details mar an otherwise well-organized book. In general, China’s Roots provides well-written and comprehensive overviews of its subjects. Compared to the works of Fairbank and Meskill, Roots is shorter in length but covers the same events, names, locations, and other facts important to Chinese history and culture. It does so in a more succinct manner, often offering only the most important details, so that readers can learn a great deal about Chinas origin without having to read hundreds and hundred of pages of text. Indeed, in merely 250 pages, Lee has laudably created a comprehensive, compact, and largely well-written piece of work that has summarized a massive history for almost anyone to enjoy. Like the other authors, Lee also, in a professional manner, tries to prove most of his assertions or opinions with fact. When he claims that Tangwas the greatest [dynasty] in Chinese history (p.102), he immediately appends a list of facts about Tangs political, criminal, military, and philosophical bearings, which support his assertion as evidence. Similarly, when he claims that the Tang dynasty flourished, he proves it with numbers and statistics. Moreover, in addition to capturing the essence of the longer and more well-known books, Lees book also delves into subjects that are not usually touched upon by other writers. For example, while Lee uses a similar organization of chapters as Meskill, the latter fails to include a section on science as Lee does. In all fairness, few people would associate China with scientific innovation, but Lees unique inclusion of the subject serves to shatter misconceptions by highlighting Chinas lead in many areas of technological achievement. Also, while Meskill and Fairbank are reluctant to include unproven information that is not supported by evidence, Lee freely includes stories and myths in spite of dubious accuracy. This leads him to include sections on the myths of origin about Yao, Shun and Yu, as well as information on Xia that is only supported by writ ings from thousands of years after the fact. In contrast, the other two works only mention the Xia Dynasty briefly in one paragraph or even just a sentence. Lees inclusion of such information expands the readers understanding of China and where the Chinese people believe their roots lie. Lee also writes about China in a unique style that often adds to the entertainment value of the book. While Fairbank and Meskills works read like bulky textbooks that would only incite interest in a small specific group of readers, Lee reaches out to a larger audience. Most likely in effort to conjure up more interest in his subject, he uses style and includes content that a larger audience will enjoy. In some ways, Lees descriptions read almost like flowing narratives as he explains cause and effect and the rise and fall of each dynasty. Often times, he even includes anecdotes that make otherwise trivial or dull subjects amusing. For instance, he highlights greed, deceit, and betrayal of the ruling class in a needlessly detailed but unarguably interesting account (p.81-3) of the power struggle between eight Jin princes. At other times, he points out interesting facts that other history writers are likely omit, such as the financial enigma of Sung, whose yearly expenditures con sistently exceeded revenues (p.137). Indeed, Lee attempts to inject his own interest in China into his readers. On the other hand, the authors efforts to lay emphasis on topics that are more appealing prove to have adverse effects as well. For one, Lees compulsion to share topics that he finds interesting results in uneven focus throughout many parts of the book. In one such instance, Lee devotes dozens of pages to the lengthy wars between Jhin and Song and even specifically describes the terms of many peace treaties and battle strategies. Such details offer little insight into Chinese history as a whole, and even Fairbank and Meskill only make passing references to them. The needlessly detailed description must then have arisen from the authors interest in the subject, which ultimately imposes tedious information upon the reader. Furthermore, at other times, the author fails to include information on a subject if he finds it uninteresting. This is the case with the Five Dynasties Stage, to which he only devotes three pages because, to him, None of the Five Short Dynasties in the metropol itan region had an edifying or interesting history. Theirs was a series of wars, murders, and usurpations (p.119). Clearly, this uneven coverage of different subjects leaves the reader with information that is overabundant in some areas and insufficient in others. In the same vein, Lees desire to please his core reader demographic is detrimental to foreigners who wish to extract accurate information from the text. It can be inferred from the Chinese title of the book, Our Roots, and the Taiwanese phonetics on the cover, that the core readership will be Taiwanese. With this in mind, Lee has created a work that often seems to glorify the Taiwanese and their ancestors specifically. For instance, when describing Chinas geography, Lee presents his opinion that Taiwan isthe most beautiful [island] as fact (p.6). He also occasionally glosses over information that makes China appear weak in the face of other nations. When speaking of the Opium War and foreign dominations that follow, he only includes a few pages (p.154-6) on the subject, whereas Fairbank and Meskill both provide long sections on the details of the war, the resulting agreements, as well as other wars that followed. It is unfortunate that Roots fails to provide information on a s hameful but nevertheless important part of Chinese history that helps to explain Chinas inferiority complex during the many decades that followed. Similarly, the book names modern scientists, artists, and writers in Taiwan but not the Peoples Republic of China. This, too, denies readers information that they will need to study and understand todays China as a whole. In addition to the aforementioned instances in which the author inserts his own bias and opinions in an unapparent manner, Lee also frequently asserts his views explicitly. There are many cases in which he utilizes the words I think, I believe, or I propose, such as when he asserts that I think the human elementhad also played a role in historic happenings of every epoch (80). While it is helpful to provide an experts opinion, including them also makes the work appear less objective. When opinions are inserted into a work of history, one begins to question the reliability of the rest of the information, which are then likely to be influenced by bias. Neither Meskill nor Fairbank address themselves in the first person in their works. Although Lee supports assertions with evidence for the most part, there are also times when he makes statements without sufficient proof. Often, these statements make Roots appear even less professional and less reliable. For example, he frequentl y describes characters without proof, such as when he repeatedly asserts that certain rulers are stupid, ugly, (p.81), or crazy (p.149). Moreover, although it is most likely due to inaccurate translation, the use of these adjectives, which are generally colloquial, reduce Lees credibility as a qualified historian. Overall, Chinas Roots is a well-written but nevertheless flawed piece of nonfiction on Chinas past. Despite having listed many faults with the book, I would recommend it to anyone interested in Chinese history. While the writing may not be entirely objective, it does provide an abundance of valuable information on China and its origins. Furthermore, it conveys that information in a succinct and interesting manner, rendering what could otherwise be dull material into a more entertaining and understandable form. Personally, I found the stories of wars and power struggles to be fascinating. It is important for every Chinese person to learn about his or her origins, and this book represents a great source from which to draw that knowledge. On the whole, it provides the most important details of Chinese history and culture without being too detailed or too rough about its subject matter. However, readers must also take Lees words with a grain of salt, especially when he writes subj ectively. When the author asserts that that Tang is the greatest dynasty, for example, readers should question the statement and decide for themselves the qualities that constitute true greatness. BIBLIOGRAPHY Lee, Orient. Chinas Roots. 2nd Edition. Monterey Park: Evergreen Publishing, 2002. Meskill, John T. An Introduction to Chinese Civilization. Lexington: DC Health and Co, 1973. Fairbank, John K. and Edwin O. Reischauer. China: Tradition and Transformation: Revised Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1989. Research Papers on China’s Roots by Orient Lee - Book ReviewDefinition of Export QuotasMind TravelCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaPETSTEL analysis of IndiaTwilight of the UAWWhere Wild and West MeetQuebec and Canada

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Only a girl... In many books we are allowed to watch a child grow and mature in many different ways. In the story â€Å"Boys and Girls† by Alice Munro we watch as a young girl begins to mature into a young woman. We also get to experience life through her eyes and see how her perspective of things changes, many times to the dismay of the narrator. It seems as though things seem to change against her own will as she grows. Through the extensive description of setting, along with the use of the narrator’s point of view, we get a good idea of what life is like on her family’s fox farm in the 1950’s. The story opens with the narrator speaking about the life of her father, a fox farmer who sells the coats of foxes to trading companies and such. This leads to a rather interesting childhood for the oldest child of two. The narrator talks about how the smell of the fox furs in her basement feels like a sort of reassuring scent. This is something that makes her feel at home and secure, or as she likes to use as an example:†...like the smell of oranges and pine needles.† (365). The setting of a story is defined simply as â€Å"a time or place† (Beaty and Hunter 149). â€Å"Boys and Girls† includes just a few settings, mainly on the farmland, which was very likely based on her actual homeland. Munro spent her life on a farm in Ontario near Lake Huron, many of her stories are based upon her life experiences as a farm child, which would lead to the conclusion that this farm story is set in Ontario (A83-84). The narrator first tells us what makes her room so scary as a child. As a young girl, her brother and her had a fear of their dark bedroom. We get a taste of that fear in her description. When we read about the setting it almost brings us back to our childhood fears of not just the dark in particular, but what was in it. Imaginations run wild about who is hiding behind the old hardened linoleum, or what could pop out ... Free Essays on Only A Girl... Free Essays on Only A Girl... Only a girl... In many books we are allowed to watch a child grow and mature in many different ways. In the story â€Å"Boys and Girls† by Alice Munro we watch as a young girl begins to mature into a young woman. We also get to experience life through her eyes and see how her perspective of things changes, many times to the dismay of the narrator. It seems as though things seem to change against her own will as she grows. Through the extensive description of setting, along with the use of the narrator’s point of view, we get a good idea of what life is like on her family’s fox farm in the 1950’s. The story opens with the narrator speaking about the life of her father, a fox farmer who sells the coats of foxes to trading companies and such. This leads to a rather interesting childhood for the oldest child of two. The narrator talks about how the smell of the fox furs in her basement feels like a sort of reassuring scent. This is something that makes her feel at home and secure, or as she likes to use as an example:†...like the smell of oranges and pine needles.† (365). The setting of a story is defined simply as â€Å"a time or place† (Beaty and Hunter 149). â€Å"Boys and Girls† includes just a few settings, mainly on the farmland, which was very likely based on her actual homeland. Munro spent her life on a farm in Ontario near Lake Huron, many of her stories are based upon her life experiences as a farm child, which would lead to the conclusion that this farm story is set in Ontario (A83-84). The narrator first tells us what makes her room so scary as a child. As a young girl, her brother and her had a fear of their dark bedroom. We get a taste of that fear in her description. When we read about the setting it almost brings us back to our childhood fears of not just the dark in particular, but what was in it. Imaginations run wild about who is hiding behind the old hardened linoleum, or what could pop out ...

Experiement to test for anions and cations Essay Example

Experiement to test for anions and cations Essay Example Experiement to test for anions and cations Paper Experiement to test for anions and cations Paper The aim of the experiment is to test an unknown substance with a variety of experimental methods, by doing this the identity of the substance will be known. The two types of different testing methods will be anions and cations. Cations are positively charged ions; this is because the atom looses an electron during a reaction, therefore having fewer electrons than protons. Anions are negatively charged ions, as the atom gains an electron during a reaction, therefore having more electrons than protons. An ion is an atom or molecule that either has gained or lost either one or more electrons, resulting in a positive or negative charge. The concept of atoms loosing or gaining electrons is known as ionic bonding. Meaning that when an atom of a single element offers electrons to atoms of another element a bond is formed. By observing any chemical changes in the experiment (for example, colour change, precipitate formation or expelling of gas), it should be easy to identify the unknown substance. A chemical change is when a new substance is produced for example the burning of magnesium metal in oxygen to produce magnesium oxide. It is an irreversible reaction, meaning that it is impossible to reverse the reaction back to how it originally was. Hypothesis It is to be expected that it will be possible to identify each unknown cation and anion by various testing methods. Safety assessment Goggles Should be worn to prevent any spillages coming into contact with the eyes Lab coat Should be worn to prevent any spillages on clothes. Glass ware Correct procedures to be followed for cleaning up, if any breakages occur. Liquids Acids being used in experiment, ALL are corrosive and SOME give off pungent fumes. Correct procedures must be followed if any spillages occur. 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Human Resource Reflecting Paper - on The Cane Mutiny Article - Essay Example verage age of German population was on a steady rise, and what effect it would have on the personnel of a midsize pharmaceutical firm like Medignostics. Frank’s other proposal which was to open day care centers for the children of young employees were also met with skepticism from Erwin. Frank wanted to emphasize the need of day care centers to facilitate young parents since the options of changing schools of children would make them join rival firms. Erwin saw this proposal as increased cost that would be detrimental to the company (Geissler, 2005). I feel that Frank should have consolidated his proposal with sufficient data and facts. In order to convince the executive management about personnel matters it is necessary for HR manager to present his argument in a manner that is comprehendible for the top team. If Frank wanted his HR strategy to be considered, then he should have given a clear picture of the negative consequences if a business enterprise ignores the demographic issue. He should have clearly stated how the growing average age of population would affect hiring of personnel, their costs, performance and innovation. A problem appeared among the older employees who are near retirement age when Part-Time Statute for the Elderly was implemented which paved the way for easy retirement of older workers so that there would be job vacancy for the younger aspirants. This program was subsequently scrapped since proved to be costly to the company and this directly affected older personnel. For instance, Matthias Hausmann who was 58 years old had worked for the company for over 20 years. He regularly made himself absent in office which resulted in his unavailability during decisions to be made or when clients needed him. This was proving to be a loss to the company as clients were moving their business elsewhere thus hurting productivity. Also, the salary structure indicated that older employees receive more than the younger group, and this must be

Development during Middle Age Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Development during Middle Age - Essay Example As middle age is considered as the age of wisdom, emotional stability and social acceptance of an individual, the theories possess ample importance on human psychology and physiology. Here, an attempt is to assess the validity of foretold theories by analyzing the findings related to an interview with two middle-aged individuals. As it is not fair to disclose the identity of interviewees who co-operated with the interview, imaginary names and professions are used. The first person is George Thomas, my friend, a doctor and the second person is John Mackenzie, my relative, a professor of English Language & Literature. Louise Simmers makes clear that middle age shows emotional change and it may be either a period of satisfaction or crisis (Simmers, 2003, p. 197). Related to the theories of Erikson, Vaillant, Levinson, and Peck, which deals with the socio-emotional, physical, and cognitive development of middle-aged people, a questionnaire (see appendix-1) was prepared including fifteen questions that can be answered as yes /no. Then I informed them that they do have the right to refuse to answer any question posed to them. This helped the respondents to have a clear idea about the aim of the interview. The following part deals with the data manipulation and findings derived from the foretold interview. According to Erikson, there exist a conflict between generativity and stagnation among the middle-aged individuals. Neil J. Smelser & Erik H. Erikson concludes that: â€Å"Speaking of middle age, Erikson describes even generativity in terms of ego.† (Smelser & Erikson, 1980, p. 161)Erikson deals with problems of middle-aged people and describes generativity by relating it to the ego. The response to the first question proves that both the respondents are generative in their career but feel stagnant in their family life. Bernice Levin Neugarten reflects that middle-aged people possess different perceptions, related to their male/female role in the family (Neugarten, 1968, p. 4).

2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

2 - Assignment Example His failure was rooted on conflict avoidance instead of coming up with strategies and solutions to counter them as they arose. The main sources of conflict in the school were security guards and locking of doors to fight violence and external interference. The presence of security guards was considered to give a negative image of the school to the public (Pg 3). Moreover, it would break the community trust the school was striving so hard to establish. The locking of the doors would interfere with the autonomy of the houses and free market policy would affect the quality of education. Flexible staffing was to enable students to choose courses from other departments. However, according to some department heads argued that the move would destroy the house system. Weis had created a culture of individualism whereby staff could only criticize each other in private. On the other hand, King was striving to create a collective culture whereby staff and students could share a platform and raise their issues

Development during Middle Age Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Development during Middle Age - Essay Example As middle age is considered as the age of wisdom, emotional stability and social acceptance of an individual, the theories possess ample importance on human psychology and physiology. Here, an attempt is to assess the validity of foretold theories by analyzing the findings related to an interview with two middle-aged individuals. As it is not fair to disclose the identity of interviewees who co-operated with the interview, imaginary names and professions are used. The first person is George Thomas, my friend, a doctor and the second person is John Mackenzie, my relative, a professor of English Language & Literature. Louise Simmers makes clear that middle age shows emotional change and it may be either a period of satisfaction or crisis (Simmers, 2003, p. 197). Related to the theories of Erikson, Vaillant, Levinson, and Peck, which deals with the socio-emotional, physical, and cognitive development of middle-aged people, a questionnaire (see appendix-1) was prepared including fifteen questions that can be answered as yes /no. Then I informed them that they do have the right to refuse to answer any question posed to them. This helped the respondents to have a clear idea about the aim of the interview. The following part deals with the data manipulation and findings derived from the foretold interview. According to Erikson, there exist a conflict between generativity and stagnation among the middle-aged individuals. Neil J. Smelser & Erik H. Erikson concludes that: â€Å"Speaking of middle age, Erikson describes even generativity in terms of ego.† (Smelser & Erikson, 1980, p. 161)Erikson deals with problems of middle-aged people and describes generativity by relating it to the ego. The response to the first question proves that both the respondents are generative in their career but feel stagnant in their family life. Bernice Levin Neugarten reflects that middle-aged people possess different perceptions, related to their male/female role in the family (Neugarten, 1968, p. 4).

Building High Performance Team In A Minute Essay Example for Free

Building High Performance Team In A Minute Essay When working with a group or a company, the most expected mantra recited is â€Å"be a team player† in order contribute for the organization’s accomplishment of all its goals and objectives. To quote, â€Å"Someone may be great at his or her job, maybe even the best there ever was. But what counts at work is the organization’s success, not personal success. After all, if your organization fails, it does not matter how great you were; you are just as unemployed as everyone else† (Johnson, Kantner Kikora, 1990). This is why Kenneth Blanchard decided to jack up his One Minute Manager book series by coming up with something that will focus on teamwork, which is The One Minute Manager Builds High Performing Teams (1990, revised 2000). With Eunice Parisi-Carew, Blanchard tackles in this book the in-depth dynamics of team structure and the most rewarding interactions of each team members. Blanchard hopes that, by reading the book, participants of these work groups will gain a clearer understanding of how their teams may function at optimal levels. As a prominent author, speaker and business consultant, Kenneth Blanchard is often described as one of the most insightful, powerful and compassionate gurus in the business world. Blanchard is chairman of Blanchard Training and Development Inc., a management consulting and training company which he founded in 1979. He co-authored four books in the One Minute Manager series that collectively sold more than nine million copies and have been translated into more than 20 languages. Also, he has regularly appeared on popular television news and business programs in the US and has been featured in leading magazines such as Time and US News. This is why if somebody has enough expertise on how teams can be made effective, Blanchard has definitely the authority to discuss how teams work to become high performing and achieve excellence for the organization. Noted for his leadership approach that promotes self-esteem and self worth through a clear and structured approach to making people accountable for their behavior, Blanchard emphasized that â€Å"people who feel good about themselves produce good results — and appeal is based on applying techniques that take only one minute to apply†. What’s most relevant in e One Minute Manager Builds High Performing Teams (2000) is that the authors presented seven characteristics of the perform model that identified the desired behaviors of an effective team:  · Purpose. Team members are clear about what the teams work is and why it is important.  · Empowerment. Members are confident about the teams ability to overcome obstacles and to realize its vision.  · Relationship and communication. The team is committed to open communication, and members feel that they can state their opinions, thoughts and feelings without fear.  · Flexibility. Members are flexible and perform different tasks and maintenance functions as needed.  · Optimal productivity. High-performing teams produce significant results, due to a commitment to high standards and quality results.  · Recognition and appreciation. Individual and team accomplishments are frequently recognized by the team leader as well as team members by celebrating milestones, accomplishments and events.  · Morale. Members are enthusiastic about the teams work, and each person feels pride in being a team member (p. 9-16). At 106 pages, this book is not a heavy read and filled with fictionalized dialogue to establish concrete examples. Also, this book interestingly explains the developmental stages a team goes through on their quest in becoming â€Å"high-performing† and â€Å"self-directed.† Emphasizing on the group dynamics, the authors easily described how an effective leader or â€Å"educator† can help steer the team that will empower individual members to contribute their creative ideas and talents to attain the common goal: accomplishing the team’s mission. In the work environment, teams materialize to focus on tasks or solve problems that are beyond the capacity of one individual. With this type of set-up that allow creative and innovative juices to flow through the constant sharing of information,   people could appropriate division of labor among the members of the team can lead to more effective, more efficient and less stressful workplace. Their high levels of performance with regards to quantity, quality, and timeliness of work results can contribute to their sense of satisfaction, addressing a psychological and motivational need. With incessant exposure to each other, team members and their superiors could ascertain whether they have a team that can continue working together with synergy or their togetherness poses a detrimental effect on their output and interrelationships. Thus, with the help of this book, managers, leaders and even parents can make most of their teams to have a wider perspective of the processes and a detailed coverage of the activities that occur and address what needs to be improved in their respective organizations.

Accessibility and usability: Web technologies

Accessibility and usability: Web technologies Abstract: The relationship between accessibility and usability can be a contentious issue especially with the advent of new web technologies. Does accessibility have an adverse effect on usability and vice versa and is this in anyway affected by new web technologies? With the advent of new web technologies it is thought by some that the two supposedly bipolar methodologies of web design and evaluation contradict one another even more. In order to determine if this is in fact true this paper will look at the effect of new web technologies on accessibility and usability and the current practices in each of these areas. This paper considers various views on this topic, compares definitions and methodologies and concludes that even when using new web technologies, embracing both sets of practices and recognizing their points of similarity, it is still possible, with considered and judicious use of new web technologies to make a web design that is both usable and accessible. 1. Introduction Some accessibility practitioners believe that by applying new web technologies to a web design, that because of the added level of complexity, they create another barrier to disabled people (Everett 2006). Some usability practitioners believe that by enforcing accessibility practices that the interactivity will in some way suffer (Koch 2002). In terms of new web technologies is this still the case. Is there any merit in these beliefs? Can common ground be found to achieve the some kind of balance? There appears to be a lack of clarity of what constitutes a usable web site and misunderstanding of what constitutes a truly accessible website. The aim of this paper is to discuss the relationship between usability and accessibility by firstly looking at the differences between them and where they overlap. We will then need to understand current thinking on the relationship between accessibility and usability and how it is affected by current web technologies. Will Web Standards and new web technologies have an effect on accessibility and usability? With the advent of Web standards (Featherstone et al. The Web Standards Project 1998) and updated web accessibility guidelines (Henry et al. W3C 2008) it has become easier for developers to create sites that are more usable and accessible. This paper will also investigate technologies such as AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML)(Garrett 2005), and whether this will have any further effect on the relationship between accessibility and usability 2. Definitions and methodologies 2.1 New web technologies (Web 2.0) The concept of Web2.0 began with a conference brainstorming session. Members noted that far from being unviable after 2001, when many online businesses collapsed, the web was more important than ever, with exciting new applications and sites appearing regularly (OReilly 2002). Web 2.0 websites are characterized by their rich and interactive content. This is in stark contrast to the static HTML. By using scripting technologies such as JavaScript an AJAX (Garrett 2005) it is now possible to create web-based applications that resemble desktop applications with the advantage of being able to access them from almost anywhere. Through the use of scripting libraries it is now possible to add interactive desktop-like interface items to web pages and provide the ability to allow users to make changes to current content. Core characteristics of Web 2.0 web sites are (OReilly 2002): Web Services, not packaged software (Web applications) User control over data sources that become more comprehensive the more people use them (Wikis) Users trusted as co-developers (Wikis, blogs) Harnessing collective intelligence Software available to almost any device (Mobile Apps) Lightweight user interfaces and development models With all of these new technologies and coding techniques, what effect do they have on the relationship between accessibility and usability? Web 2.0 has the potential to enhance usability due to the added ability to create a more rich and interactive environment for the website user. However with all of these new technologies, can they be interpreted by assistive technologies used by disabled users? Have disabled users been considered? Will methodologies such as design and evaluation need to change? 2.2 Accessibility The web gives people with disabilities the ability to do things that they would be unable to do via any other avenue. The web offers them freedom and independence. However, all of these possibilities are removed if a web site is not created in an accessible way. Essentially accessibility can be defined as access for everyone no matter what disability they suffer from (Berners-Lee, via Henry W3C 2009). Other have a more flexible approach such as Clark (2002) where he suggests that allowances of for disabled users should be made to make a website accessible. Another term used in connection with Accessibility is Universal Design, which incorporates elements of usability with the goal of making websites or any product as usable as possible by as many people as possible without requiring adapted or specialized design. (Mace 2008) The guidelines by which most accessibility practitioners develop and evaluate websites is Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 which are updated standards developed by The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These are written to accommodate new technologies and provide better and more comprehensive help for developers and designers when trying to make websites accessible. These standards consist of 12 guidelines that are organized under 4 principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. For each guideline, there are testable success criteria, which are at three levels of priority: A, AA, and AAA with all A guidelines having the highest priority (Caldwell et al. W3C 2008). The four principles of the WCAG 2.0 guidelines can be explained as follows (Caldwell et al. W3C 2008): Perceivable Web content should be made available to any or all of the senses sight, hearing, and/or touch Operable Interface objects such as forms, controls, and navigation must be operable independent of the input method Understandable The sites content, information and interface must be understandable to the target audience Robust Sites can be used reliably by a wide variety of user agents such as web browsers, mobile devices and assistive technologies The W3C also lists various methods for evaluating websites for accessibility to determine their compliance with WCAG (Abou-Zahra et al. W3C WAI 2008). Various methods including preliminary reviews, manual and automated evaluation tools, are used to determine compliance. When developing websites whether with new technologies or not it is recommended that Web Standards coding practices should be used to attain conformance with WCAG 2.0. Web standards are technologies and practices established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), along with other groups and standards bodies for creating and interpreting web-based content. By making use of these technologies it is possible to create web content that benefit a greater number of users and at the same time making this content usable in the long-term regardless of technology changes (Featherstone et al. WASP 2006). The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has developed an Accessible Rich Internet Applications Suite (ARIA) in order to make rich internet content more accessible for people with disabilities (Henry et al. W3C 2009). This suite is currently not fully supported in all user agents (browsers) and AJAX libraries (Henry et al. W3C 2009). Will updated accessibility practices be able to enhance or be incorporated into usability practices? 2.3 Usability The generally accepted definition for usability in ISO 9241 states: the extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use Usability is defined by five quality components (Nielsen 2003): Learnability: Ease with which a basic task can be completed at the first attempt. Efficiency: The speed with which a task is performed Memorability: The ease with which an interface will be remembered. Errors: The number and severity of errors Satisfaction: The level of enjoyment or pleasure when using an interface An extension of usability is the term User-Centered Design (UCD) (Preece et al. 2006), where users are involved throughout the lifecycle of website developments by using structured methodologies in order to determine and meet all the needs of the target user (Usability.gov 2009). Some of the techniques used include (Usability.gov 2009): Usability testing Representative users are observed while attempting to complete set tasks. Notes on the observations of user behavior and comments are made. Card sorting Participants arrange and even label cards representing site content into logical groups and categories to inform the information architecture of a site design. Individual interviews Individual participants are interviewed typically for 30 minutes to an hour either in person, by telephone, or by any means available which allows conversation. These interviews can be formal or informal and do not involve observation. Contextual interview or field studies Contextual interviews are similar to user testing because the users are observed, however they are not given a set of task but are rather observed in there natural environment. Observers also take notes. Surveys These are used to obtain data from large groups of people in a relatively short time and are normally used to gather user requirements. They can also be used for summative usability evaluation. Focus groups These are usually a discussion among eight to twelve current users or potential users or stakeholders of your site conducted by an experienced moderator. Focus groups typically lasts approximately two hours and covers a range of topics that are decided on beforehand. Task analysis Is used to determine the typical tasks that users perform to achieve a particular goal. Work patterns are studied and broken down to provide a list of tasks and the order in which they are performed. Prototypes Are representations of your website/application shown to users in order to inform the design and determine any major defects before proceeding with further development. These can range from paper drawings (low-fidelity) to near complete products (high-fidelity). Expert evaluations Experts are asked to evaluate sites for usability employing various methods such as heuristic evaluation where sites are evaluated against a set of usability principles. Other methods such as Cognitive walkthroughs and pluralistic evaluation are used (Preece et al. 2006). Will usability practices need to include accessibility practices in order to include people with disabilities or will doing this minimize usability of web products? 3. Relationship 3.1 Would disabled users also benefit if usability practitioners considered accessibility guidelines as part of the efficiency and satisfaction of a site? By analyzing the definitions for accessibility and usability to understand their relationship to one another we can see that accessibility focuses on the making allowances to improve the experience for a particular group of users whereas usability focuses on the effectiveness, satisfaction and efficiency in achieving a specified goal of a particular user when using a website. We can see here that the goals are similar albeit with a slight difference in focus. Disabled users can be considered a group of users with varying needs however; in many cases they are not considered when websites are being built (Disability Rights Commission 2004). If a site is not accessible to a user it will obviously not be an enjoyable or effective experience (Clark 2002). With usability the target audience is determined by means of usability techniques such as questionnaires, surveys and focus groups (Preece et al. 2006). However in many cases accessibility practitioners do not attempt to determine the level of use by a particular disability group for a specified website (Chandrashekar et al. 2006). Some work has been done in this area, however the uptake has not been as expected (Sloan 2006). In addition when websites are developed the focus of the accessibility effort is placed on the needs of blind users without bearing in mind the needs of other user groups such as those with colour-blindness or low vision. This is mainly due to a lack of awareness of what disability groups exist, besides blind users, and the varying difficulties encountered by these people. The WCAG 2.0 guidelines attempt to cover these areas but without being able to see these users encounter problems there is little impact and therefore less motivation to cater for these users. From this we can deduce that disabled users should be included as a potential target group and this should be determined by incorporating usability techniques into web accessibility practices. 3.2 Should both sets of guidelines and principles be adopted by both sets of practitioners or should a single Universal set of guidelines be used? If we compare the most commonly used guidelines of both parties we can see that there are similarities. Usability practitioners commonly make use of Nielsens usability heuristics to perform expert evaluations (Nielsen 1994): Visibility of system status Information should be given to the user via appropriate and reasonably timed feedback Match between system and the real world Language and terms that are familiar to the target audience should be used. Information should be presented naturally and logically. User control and freedom If a user makes a mistake they must be able to exit the function easily or undo the action without being confronted by confusing and unnecessary screens or dialogs. Consistency and standards The system should be consistent in terms of words to indicate actions, navigation and the system should use conventions that the user is accustomed to. Error prevention Always attempt to prevent the error in the design instead of providing good error messages Recognition rather than recall System elements, actions and objects should always be visible or easy to retrieve in order to alleviate the need for recall of previous actions or instructions. Flexibility and efficiency of use The system should be flexible enough to accommodate experienced and inexperienced users. The system should be configurable to allow access to frequently used actions. Aesthetic and minimalist design Only important and relevant information should be displayed in dialogues. Irrelevant or unnecessary information will detract or diminish the visibility of important information. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors Messages and suggested solutions to problems should be written in language that is plain, precise and constructive. Help and documentation If necessary, documentation should be focused, concise, concrete and easy to locate Now let us expand on the four principles of the WCAG 2.0 accessibility guidelines mentioned in section 2.1(WCAG 2008) and point out any similarities between these and Nielsens heuristics. Perceivable Web content should be made available to any or all of the senses sight, hearing, and/or touch. Usability guidelines for Visibility of System Status, Recognition rather than recall (Nielsen 1994) will fail for the disabled user if the items in the site are not perceivable. Operable Interface objects such as forms, controls, and navigation must be operable independent of the input method User control and freedom and Flexibility and efficiency of use (Nielsen 1994) guidelines are not satisfied if they are not operable. If a site is very complex or unattractive it can be difficult to operate therefore it should make use of Aesthetic and minimalist design (Nielsen 1994). A site cannot be operated if it does not apply Consistency and standards (Nielsen 1994). Understandable The sites content, information and interface must be understandable to the target audience User control and freedom, Consistency and standards, Error prevention (Nielsen 1994) cannot occur if the content is not understandable. Help and documentation (Nielsen 1994) is necessary to improve understanding. It also not possible to Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors (Nielsen 1994) if the site cannot be understood. Robust Sites can be used reliably by a wide variety of user agents such as web browsers, mobile devices and assistive technologies. In many cases minimalist design (Nielsen 1994) of a website will allow for web standards-based coding techniques to be employed which will allow it to be used on a variety of devices. Also be easier to follow platform conventions in terms of Consistency and standards (Nielsen 1994). As we can see there is an overlap between the two sets of principles. This overlap in principles could be the reason that Thatcher et al. (2003) where he suggests that accessibility issues are a type of usability problem hence accessibility is a subset of usability. Conversely Universal usability as conceptualized by Shneiderman (2003) where usability problems are thought of as a subset of accessibility problems, which expands the scope of usability to include disabled users in usability evaluations. However it is suggested the relationship between accessibility and usability isnt simply a case of applying a universal approach but that issues also be grouped into categories (Petrie et al. 2007). These being: Problems that only disabled users experience are referred to as pure accessibility problems Problems that only able-bodied users experience are referred to as pure usability problems Problems that both groups of users experience are referred to as universal usability problems The use of a universal set of guidelines is a good starting point however they will need to be refined to include the various accessibility and usability problems encountered by disabled and able-bodied users. 3.3 Should accessibility professionals employ usability practices? Usability practitioners employ numerous methods to determine the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction of a project whereas accessibility practitioners will use various techniques and methods to achieve compliance with a set of guidelines. User testing is used by both sets of practitioners, more so by usability practitioners (Chandrashekar et al. 2006). However the difference being that usability practitioners will use this method early on and throughout the design process (Preece et al. 2006 p412). Accessibility practitioners will employ this method at the end of the project. Both groups make use of design guidelines (section 3.2). However guidelines are possibly not the most effective way of evaluating accessibility or usability as they are to be used as guidance but cannot by their nature guarantee the desired results. There are similarities between the accessibility and usability principles with accessibility guidelines being more technical in nature (Kelly et al. 2007), as they require websites to present a particular level of coding. However there are a number of non-technical accessibility guidelines. It is often thought that by making use of accessibility guidelines or universal design techniques that a site will be accessible by all. However this is not necessarily the case (Petrie 2007). Usability guidelines can also present problems (Spool 2002). As with the use of any guidelines they can conflict with one another, they can be misinterpreted and misapplied and they do not guarantee results. In practice accessibility experts will evaluate web sites against guidelines as opposed to user testing. However this has also been found to not be the most effective way of making a website accessible as shown by Disability Rights Commission (DRC) investigation, into website accessibility for disabled people. The study found that designers could not be expected to understand and repair the problems that disabled users experience when visiting a website. To overcome this problem the report suggests that disabled users should be directly involved in the development process (Disability Rights Commission 2004). Guidelines are important from a technical standpoint however it is also important to recognize that the guidelines cannot accommodate all users all of the time. The areas where the guidelines are not practical or important need to be clearly identified and alternate methods need to be identified in order to achieve accessibility (Kelly et al. 2007). Since the publication of the WCAG 2.0 in 2008, however, there are a variety of success criteria and methods suggested that could be used to achieve accessibility (Henry 2008). This being the case guidelines for measuring accessibility is still used predominantly because of the difference in cost between an expert evaluation and user testing and the availability of participants. It is often difficult to get a broad spectrum of users with varying disabilities and therefore accessibility practitioners inevitably end up repeatedly utilizing the same participants for disabled user testing. The reason cost is an issue is due to the fact that accessibility is not built into the project from the beginning and that many do not view it as being of great importance as the number of disabled users is thought to be proportionately very low in comparison with non-disabled users. However there is a strong business case for including disabled users. Christopherson (2007) states: The combined spending power of the 10 million people with a disability in the UK amounts to  £80 billion. There are 6 million people in the UK with dyslexia, with severe cases numbering around 4 million. Many users do not class themselves as disabled even though they may often suffer from disabilities that arent physically manifested such as age related issues, colour-blindness or cognitive difficulties. Some websites do not cater for older devices. By not including disabled users fully may exclude many users from a website which could mean a significant loss in revenue. In many cases accessibility testing is normally regarded as something that can be quickly done at the end of a project in order to comply with the legal obligations of a project. This approach to web accessibility is very shortsighted and potentially costly. If accessibility problems are encountered at the end of a project they can be very difficult to rectify after the fact. As is now recognized in the usability field, it is more efficient and cost effective to include usability evaluation from the beginning and throughout a project. This should also the case for accessibility evaluation as promoted by Henry (2007) in his book Just Ask: Integrating Accessibility Throughout Design. The main chapters deal with: The importance of building accessibility at the beginning and throughout the project Including disabled users and not relying only on standards and guidelines Tips on how to deal with disabled users It is better to involve disabled users throughout the lifespan of a project rather than relying on guidelines alone. By involving disabled users practitioners may be able to determine accessibility issues and usability issues which may have been otherwise missed in usability testing (Petrie 2007 pp 405). Accessibility professionals should not adopt usability principles if they are only going to rely on guidelines. However the usability practice of including actual users in evaluation and design from the start and throughout a project should be adopted. 3.4 What effect do new technologies have on usability? As stated earlier (section 2.1) new web technologies can enhance usability. Is this statement true? Does the ability to add more interactivity to a website improve the usability? According to Nielsen (2007) Web 2.0 technologies add more complexity to a website where it is sometimes not necessary and divert design resources. In his report he found amongst other things that: Internet applications were too complex Community content has too few users on the Internet Features merged from different websites (Mashups) can cause branding confusion Application type websites will benefit most from the use Web 2.0 technologies. Most other websites have very few repeated actions thus not requiring the use of this technology. Therefore as Nielsen (2007) states that efficiency is not as important as simplicity and that modest use of Web 2.0 technologies can be of benefit, however the benefits of advanced features have little effect in improving the users experience. If used modestly new technologies can be beneficial for certain types of user experience such as web applications. 3.5 What effect does new technologies have on accessibility? In a study by Hailpern et al. (2009) it was found that Web 2.0 applications force blind users to adapt to an inaccessible use model, although the evolution of technologies such as WAI-ARIA (section 2.3) and AJAX (section 2.3) may change this in the future. Some believe that Web 2.0 will make it more difficult to create accessible websites. Christopherson via Everett (2006) states that if accessibility is not kept in mind there is a greater chance that Web 2.0 will cause problems for disabled users. Basically Web 2.0 adds a further level of complexity, both in terms of accessibility and usability and this will need to be considered throughout the design process if these technologies are going to be used. 4. Conclusion To make sites that are usable and accessible we will need to change our thinking of usability. Is your site still usable if sighted people can fully and conveniently use it but it is a frustrating exercise for a blind person? (Clark 2003) In understanding the concept of an accessible site we have to understand what an accessible site is. A disabled persons experience of a website does not have to be identical to that of an able-bodied person. If accessibility features are simple and well written they should be unnoticed (Clark 2002). Clark (2002) reiterates, Equality is a misnomer. Equivalency is the goal. As can be seen from the above discussion there is an overlap between the definitions and methodologies employed by accessibility and usability practitioners and that there is scope for accessibility guidelines to be employed by usability practitioners and vice versa. However this is not simply a case of making a universal set of guidelines, as firstly accessibility and usability issues cannot be universally grouped and that there are distinct groups of accessibility issues. Secondly the use solely of guidelines is fraught with controversy and do not necessarily guarantee that a site will be accessible or usable. Involving users both disabled and able-bodied throughout the project lifecycle is the most effective approach in achieving the most usable and accessible product. Involving disabled users is also makes good business sense. Web 2.0 technologies do have an effect on the relationship between accessibility and usability. For them to not have a negative effect they need to be used with discretion always bearing in mind that they add a level of complexity for both able-bodied and disabled users. Therefore we can conclude that that by embracing the techniques and methodologies and recognizing points of similarity between usability and accessibility practices, and with modest and careful, considered use of new web technologies a web design can be made both usable and accessible. References Abou-Zahra, S (ed) (2008) Evaluating Web Sites for Accessibility: Overview. Worldwide Web Consortium, Web Accessibility Initiative. Available at: http://www.w3.org/WAI/eval/Overview.html. Accessed 7 December 2009. Caldwell, B, Cooper, M, Reid, LG Vanderheiden, G (2008) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. Available at: http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211/. Accessed 7 December 2009. Christopherson, R (2007) Making the business case for accessibility. AbilityNet. 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