Friday, September 6, 2019
Thinking About Rewards Essay Example for Free
Thinking About Rewards Essay From the article entitled Dump the Cash, Load On The Praise, why is salary alone not a motivator?            According to the article, while money has its merits and value, it is often not enough. Studies show that employees have always valued other things more than money. These other things include: verbal and non-verbal affirmations and praise of performance; the respect of colleagues and peers; feeling that one is making a contribution; having interesting work, and; getting involved in and being informed about whats happening within the company.            The article explains that recognition is vital in boosting an employees esteem, which would in turn improve his/her performance. Recognition makes the employee do something special because he/she knows that someone will notice and someone will care.            In contrast, relying on money alone will get the work done. But it is not necessary the employees best work. It was also found that in this situation, employees often do their least, and do not go above and beyond expectations.            In addition to money, the article suggests a compendium of motivators praise, recognition, promotion and growth opportunities, and challenging work. After reading Nelsons top ten ways to motivate todays employees list, identify five suggestions from that list that would be effective strategies to use to motivate you as an employee. Explain.            Be willing to take the time to meet with and listen to employeesas much as they need or want. This is most important to me at my current job, because above all, I need to learn about the job. Having regular discussions with my boss would not only help me in the learning process, it also gives me a chance to clarify some things, as well as, provide an indicator of my progress.            Provide specific feedback about performance of the person, the department and the organization. Basically, for reasons the same as above. Only this would also provide me with a glimpse of what values, attitudes and performance indicators are getting more weight. It also helps me learn more about the company, the people and the dynamics.            Strive to create a work environment that is open, trusting and fun. Encourage new ideas and initiative.  I like to work in an environment where I dont feel the need to conform to everyone elses expectations. And since I am new, I expect to contribute some systems that I have learned in the past. I want to be able to try out these systems without any fear of making mistakes, the same mistakes that we all can learn from. I would like to be able to express ideas and not be shot down without getting heard.            Involve employees in decisions, especially when those decisions affect them. I think its only fair to involve me in decisions about things that would affect me, both on a personal and professional level. That way, I can share my situation and opinions. It would also make me feel like my inputs are important, while giving me an opportunity to better understand the issue from the managements perspective.            Give people a chance to grow and learn new skills. Show them how you can help them meet their goals within the context of meeting the organizations goals. Create a partnership with each employee. Probably, the first thing that would make me leave is a sense of stagnation the feeling that I am no longer learning or the things Im doing is getting routine. From the Getting Happy with the Rewards King article, do you agree with Bob Nelson’s position that â€Å"while money is important to employees, thoughtful recognition motivates them to perform at higher levels?†Contrast Nelson’s perspective with that of Alfie Kohn in the For Best Results, Forget the Bonus article where he argues that rewards don’t work.             I agree with Nelson when he says that money is not everything, and that recognition motivates people to work at higher levels. I have seen this happen many times at work, with myself, or with my colleagues. Ive seen it happen in school.            It is also intuitive, and common sense. You cant get anything from beating a dead donkey. In the same manner that you cant get the best work out of a demoralized employee. Recognition builds the employees self-esteem, and shows him/her what is important in the organization. It helps him/her create positive relationships with colleagues and superiors.            Nelsons empirical ideas is backed by years of experience in human resources.            Kohn, on the other hand, drives home the point that the effect of rewards is, at most, temporary. Kohn argues that rewards are more like punishment. However, unlike Nelson, Kohns arguments are not rooted in research, or empirical observations. In fact, Kohns ideas run contrary to what Ive seen and learned thus far.            Sure, Kohn cites studies but fails to name them. I feel that the conclusions derived from these studies (if they do, in fact, exist) are either limited, or erroneous. Organizational behavior is a complex phenomenon that its difficult to weed out extraneous variables, even in most experimental settings. Kohn relates the findings found at an unnamed Midwestern company, where an incentive system was taken out. At first, Kohn says, the production went down as expected, but in the long term, production rose to a level at par or higher than before. Since the study was not actually named, we could only judge it from what Kohn wrote. Firstly, it seems simplistic that an experience or result at one company should apply to the general population. Secondly, Kohn failed to eliminate other causes, like the workers learning more about their processes or additional machinery acquired, and other things. For me, Kohns cited studies seem largely unscientific and and their applications are profoundly limited.            However, Kohn succeeds in explaining why recognition should work. Ironically, by comparing recognition and punishment, Kohn showed us that recognition as a catalyst for behavioral change has the same impact as punishment. We all report to work on time to avoid pay deduction, or a warning. We dont smoke in areas were not supposed to, because of the company policy, or the indignant stares we get. Like it or not, punishment works. By equating recognition with punishment, Kohn undermines his statement that recognition do not and will not work.            And since Kohn cites studies from social psychology, it would be interesting to know what Kohn thinks of conditioning theorists like Skinner who expoused the importance of positive reinforcement on behavior changes and learning.            In the end, all Kohn is arguing is the value of the reward involved, not the recognition system per se. For Kohn, a reward of higher value would make recognitions impact more felt. Intuit is cited as among the Fortunes Best Companies (#33 on the 2007 list, up from #78 in 2004) to work for because they have a corporate culture that is always focused on employee recognition. Go to the Intuit website and review their rewards program for employees http://web.intuit.com/about_intuit/careers/rewards/ . In light of our readings on rewards, what is your assessment of the Intuit rewards culture?             If I were to serve as a judge for Fortunes Best Companies to work for, Intuit would jump from #33 to at least the top 20. For one, Intuit has an enviable benefits package, including medical, vision and dental plans, a flexible spending account benefit, stock plans, assistance and referral programs.            While the Web site is largely silent on non-cash recognition, it can be inferred that the company cares for its employees. Its disability insurance that pays up to 70% of the employees basic salary promotes a sense of security for its labor force, in the event that something bad happens to them. The companys openness and assistance in their employees savings, as well as its assistance programs, also speaks about the companys concern. The company is also committed to help employees learn formally with a tuition assistance programs. Furthermore, the company even pays for their employees gym memberships and fitness classes.            More than that, the company says on its Web site that employees are recognized through cash and non-cash incentives.            Intuit is right up there on the list of best companies to work for because of all these. They are right on target and on track with recognizing their employees, making them a company to be emulated by others. How does your organization stack up with respect to creative and fun work environments with respect to reward systems?            I have just been recently hired as a contact representative by the Social Security Administration. Even though I am still in training, I find that my job is fulfilling based on what my colleagues tell me and what I see from them. First off, I have a supervisor who provides me regular feedback on my performance and how I am progressing, and even the things that I need to address or learn more. I work at an office that specifically values respect among its workers and to its callers. There is actually a written policy that says each employee must treat other employeesand customerswith respect, regardless of their race, gender, age, religion, etc. My colleagues are actually very friendly and helpful.            I also find that the very nature of my worktalking to a variety of people about their social security, their checks, and their benefitsis stimulating for me. There is always a new case with new circumstances every single day. I am grateful that my colleagues also find time to share their stories and their work. At various points of the day, we share tips on how to handle irate callers, or how to best process a complaint, or what to do in a particular instance.            Even if the SSA is a very structured organization, I find that we have leeways in handling calls. We actually can use our own methods in answering calls and getting the information to the callers. Its not that stiff. The quality of your work is based on how clearly youve communicated the information to the caller, and how you handled the caller.            Whats more, I work with people that puts a high value on camaraderie. Just yesterday, a colleague celebrated her birthday, and everybody chipped in to buy her a big chocolate cake, while our department boss gave her a bouquet of flowers.            I think Im going to like it there. In your experience, is employee recognition a scarce commodity in organizations? Why is that so?             No. I think I have been very lucky to be involved in organizations in the past that respected and valued diversity and initiative. In a way, I have been praised for my work. I have also been objectively reprimanded for lapses.            I am currently in an organization that strives to build relationships among its people. The same organization that is very clear with what it aims to achieve, and rewards the people who makes it happen.            Its not really just about commissions, or big fat incentives. Recognition comes in various forms. My personal criteria is that if it makes you feel warm all over, if it boosts your self-esteem, if it makes you want to repeat your behavior, then thats recognition. What is the most important lesson you took away from these readings and discussion?             My most important lesson is that while recognition has profound positive effects on the employeesand ultimately, the organizationit doesnt have to be expensive. Recognition could be as simple as a pat on the back, a good word, or singling out the employee/s who did good and thanking them. Recognition does not have to be elaborate, it just have to be apparent.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
The Minoans And Mycenaeans History Essay
The Minoans And Mycenaeans History Essay During the Bronze Age, the Mycenaeans and Minoans became two of the most powerful and culturally unique groups the world had ever seen. Because they resided so close to each other, they had an undeniable influence on each other and this resulted in the two groups sharing a lot of the same characteristics. Despite having a similar set of characteristics, both civilizations had several noticeable and distinct differences, most notably in the areas of architecture, arts, and languages. These differences can be understood best when examining the fact that Minoans were more trade and nature oriented, while the Mycenaeans focused more on war and strengthening their military. The Minoans and Mycenaean civilizations both resided in present-day Greece, while the Minoans based their civilization on the island of Crete, and the Mycenaeans on mainland Greece. The Minoans, who were known particularly for their extensive trade and dominance of the sea, existed from about 27th century B.C. to 14th century B.C. until the Mycenaeans defeated them and took over (Biers, 1980, 27). On the other hand, the Mycenaeans were more war and military oriented than the Minoans, as seen by their victory over the Minoans and their material culture, which will be looked at later. As far as language is concerned, Mycenaeans appeared to use a language called Linear B, which consisted of 87 different signs and several ideograms, or graphic symbols that represents an idea or concept. There has been a large amount of evidence found in the palaces of the Mycenaean civilization in the form of clay tablets. The Minoans used a system called Linear A, a mostly syllabic script that contains 75 signs and several ideograms; unfortunately, archaeologists still havent completely deciphered all of the symbols (Burkert, 1985, 20). We do know however, that Linear A tablets contained accounting transactions, which supports the idea that Minoans were more trade oriented (Biers, 1980, 26). Both civilizations were very complex and advanced with complex social hierarchies; this complexity is best seen by examining the archaeological remains of each civilizations architecture and different types of art pieces including paintings, sculptures, and pottery. Although the Minoan and Mycenaean styles of architecture were very similar, there were still several structural differences due to their trade and military backgrounds. Mycenaeans were especially talented at working with large blocks of stone (Biers, 1980, 67), a technique called megalithic architecture, which made it possible for Mycenaeans to construct enormous, heavily fortified walls that surrounded their palaces. This was in stark contrast to Minoan palaces as they probably felt that fortifications around palaces may have been superfluous due to their isolation location and strong navy. Minoans also used a post and lintel system, or in other words, verticals and horizontals (Biers, 1980, 29), as opposed to the Mycenaean megalithic structure. A distinct feature of the Mycenaean style of architecture is the relieving triangle above a lintel block, an architectural element best displayed on the Lion Gate at Mycenae (Preziosi and Hitchcock, 1999, 176). Both civilizations had palaces with intricate and detailed floor plans that covered a vast amount of land and had a central area upon which the rest of the palace would be built around. Typically, in Minoan palaces such as Knossos, the central area would be a large courtyard which was the focus of everyday life and served as the site for religious rituals and other ceremonial functions (Biers, 1980, 29). On the other hand, the central area of a Mycenaean palace was called a megaron. Typically, Mycenaean palaces such as Pylos, were highly decorated; this included the walls and the floor and even the hearth, which had spiral and flame patterns painted several times (Biers, 1980, 71). Another aspect of the Mycenaean culture that showed they had a military sense was their utilization of advanced hydraulic engineering. Not only did they have great fortification walls, but they had carefully maintained roads that served as an important network connector to their various major centers (Bier s, 1980, 74). While it is reasonable to conclude that both civilizations had impressive pieces of architectural work, the Mycenaeans tended to have a greater abundance of military architecture in its world. Based on an abundant amount of archaeological evidence, it is apparent that the Minoans were more interested in nature oriented art while Mycenaeans were more interested in warlike paintings. The Minoans loved to paint frescoes with bright, vibrant colors such as terra cotta red and used these colors to depict beautiful scenes of nature (Biers, 1980, 29). Minoan also liked to use a vivid red paint to paint the floor as a blanket of color and not just for frescoes (Hirsch, 1980, 453). There were also many enormous bull-vaulting scenes, present in Minoan palaces. In these paintings, the bulls were typically painted brown and white while the men were painted red and then women were painted white (Biers, 1980, 46). When examining Mycenaean art it is clear that they were strongly influenced by the Minoans because you can see several Minoan themes in their paintings and frescoes. An example of this is the procession fresco and the bull-vaulting scene (Biers, 1980, 80). Despite this obvious correlation, Mycenaean art usually had a lesser emphasis on nature, which was only used as a backdrop for scenes, and a greater emphasis on warlike scenes (Biers, 1980, 82). Both societies also made terra cotta figurines but Minoans features household goddesses with flaring skirts and raised hands (Biers, 1980, 55) while the Mycenaean figurines were larger in scale and were primarily categorized into three types: Phi, women with no arms, Psi, women whose arms made a crescent shape, and Tau (Biers, 1980, 89). While both cultures were masterful in painting sculptures and other forms of art, the Minoans concentrated more on being detailed and nature oriented while the Mycenaeans were more plain and focused more on warlike sculptures. Perhaps the archaeological find with the most abundant amount of evidence that backs up the idea that Minoans were more nature oriented than their counter part, the Mycenaeans, is pottery. Minoan pottery is considered to be far more decorative than that of the Mycenaeans and their pottery attained a very high standard in both fabric and decoration (Biers, 1980, 52). Since pottery was actually also used to determine chronology, Minoan pottery actually provided a foundation for dividing the different Minoan eras. Late Minoan IA style featured spirals with details added in white and floral motifs (Biers, 1980, 54), while Late Minoan IB style, the Marine style, featured several nature-like qualities such as the depictions of sea creatures, particularly octopus (Biers, 1980, 54). Unlike Minoan pottery, Mycenaean pottery was simple and dull in its decoration (Biers, 1980, 85). Mycenaean pottery was designed with a dull black-to-brown glaze while the Late Helladic IIIB pottery featured shap es such as a kylix, and the Late Helladic IIIC period featured simple linear patterns and warrior scenes (Biers, 1980, 85 and 86). The Mycenaeans and Minoans had very different tastes in pottery as the Mycenaeans went for a more simple, plain, and at times, warrior style, while the Minoans went for a more colorful, and nature like style. Like most material culture, the religion and burial practices of the Minoans and Mycenaeans shared many similarities and had many differences. Minoan religion featured several female goddesses, prompting Arthur Evans to claim that their religion was a Mother goddess-centered religion (Olsen, 1998, 382). Additionally, animals and the death and rebirth of vegetationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦serve as the basis of Minoan religion (Biers, 1980, 27). A big difference between Minoan and Mycenaean religious practices was that Mycenaean cult buildings were independent structures which avoided the Minoan practice of building multiple shrines within their settlement (Burkert, 1985, 89). Grave Circle A and Grave Circle B are two of the most significant shaft grave archaeological finds for pottery and metalwork that have ever taken place (Biers, 1980, 75). The typical burial method was internment in chamber tombs and, for the royal family, in tholos tombs (Biers, 1980, 76). It is quite evident that both civ ilizations did have particular burial practices and practiced religion, although in Mycenaean civilization burial practices took on a larger scale. There is no doubt that the similarities between the Minoans and Mycenaeans are extensive, mostly because of their close proximity that allowed the Minoans to influence the Mycenaeans so much. While they were very similar, they also had several fundamental differences, most notably the Minoans being more trade and nature oriented while the Mycenaeans were more warlike. These differences are best understood by analyzing the different archaeological, artistic, and language aspects because they tell a story about the development of two of the greatest ancient civilizations during the Bronze Age.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Background of steganography
Background of steganography Steganography has been derived from Greek word â€Å"Stego†which means â€Å"Covered†and â€Å"Graphia†which means â€Å"writing†. Steganography is an ancient technique of covert communication. The earliest form of Steganography has been reported by the Chinese. The secret message was written in very fine silk or paper, and then it was rolled into a ball and covered with wax. The messenger would either swallow the ball or hide it in his nether parts. Herodotus has mentioned in one of his seminal works of history, Histories during the 400B.C about the tradition of secret writing. In his writings he has mentioned about the conflicts between Greece and Persia. A king named Histiaeus encouraged the Aristagoras of Miletus to revolt against the Persian king. He used to tonsure the head of his most trusted servants and tattooed the scalps with secret message and waited for the hair to grow. The servant used to travel between the borders without carrying anythi ng contentious freely. At the reception end his head would be tonsured again and the message will be conveyed. Similarly during the World War II, the Germans invented the use of microdots. Image containing great details were scaled down to the size of microdots. The German usage of secret sharing is regarded as the recent evolution of Steganography. Another example of Steganography is during the Vietman War were the captured US armed force showed hand gestures during a photo sessions to convey some military secrets. The field of Steganography is limitless and any kind of cover media can be used for carrying secret messages. Cover medias can be text, images (grey, binary, color), audio, video etc. An example is illustrated as follows. Siva and Adam dined happily. The following message is not simply a plain text but it carries a secret message within it. By extracting every second letter from each word we derive a secret message as follows. â€Å"India†Other methods of non technical Steganography is using lime and other citrus liquids to write secret data. The message will be imperceptible to the eye. When it is shown over a flame the writings will become perceptible. Steganography is method of information hiding. Steganography can be considered as an art as well as science for secret communication. The best way to explain the purpose of using Steganography is the Prisoner Problem. Now let us consider two prisoners Alice and Bob, and Wendy to be the warden. Now if Alice and Bob want to devise a plan for escaping then they got to communicate with each other. If Wendy is a passive warden then he wont interfere in there communication but if he is an active warden then he will interfere and extract the secret message sent. Hence Alice and Bob got to communicate in such a way that Wendy is not able to decipher there plan. This can be done by the technique of Steganography. Steganography is been used in order to enable secret communication. It is also being used by terrorist for covert communication which is potential for endangering our national as well as world security. Despite the ill effect there are positive sides of Steganography. For example a photographer can store the aperture size, future references etc while taking a picture. Steganography has a wide application in medical imaging were the details of the patients are embedded within the medical image. Similarly Steganography can be used for different friendly applications. It is also used for copy right protection using it along with Watermarking. The use of Steganography also has an important role in strengthening national security. Steganography is defined as secret hiding. It can also be regarded as secret sharing since messages can be shared secretly without being hacked or corrupted. COMPARISON BETWEEN CRYPTOGRAPHY, STEGANOGRAPHY AND WATERMARKING The other forms of data hiding are cryptography and watermarking. Cryptography is a technique in which the secret message is encrypted and sent in an unintelligent format. The basic difference between Steganography and cryptography is that Cryptography scrambles the data whereas Steganography just hides the data. Cryptography scrambles the secret data in such a way that it appears to be gibberish to any unintended user. The secret data to be communicated is a mixture of permutation and substitution and hence any unintended user cant receive the message. Steganography is different from Cryptography. Steganography rather hides the data whereas Cryptography encrypts the data. Steganography provides much more security when compared to cryptography because there is no chance of any unintended user to know that a message is being sent whereas in Cryptography there will always be a suspicion that a message is being sent. Hence these are more prone to be hacked or suppressed. Watermarking is generally used for authentication and copyrights protection. Watermarking can be used for creating a image in order that it is recognizable. It can also be used to mark a digital file so that it is intended to be visible (visible watermarking) or visible to its creator (invisible marking). The main purpose of watermarking is to prevent the illegal copying or claim of ownership of digital media. CHARACTERISTICS OF STEGANOGRAPHY, CRYPTOGRAPHY AND WATERMARKING The common characteristic between Steganography, Cryptography and Watermarking is that they transmit the secret information in such a way that only the receiver is able to decrypt the data. These techniques had been prevalent during the ancient times have been transported to the digital world. It has become nearly impossible to extract or detect the secret messages. In digital domain Steganography and watermarking have a tie and it is majorly used in digital images. These have other uses as well. Both cannot exist by themselves and hence they require cover objects. Steganography requires a cover media to carry the secret information and watermarking requires a carrier object which it is intended to protect. These similarities create a link within them and hence some modifications can lead the transportation from one technique to another. Due the similarities present between these it is difficult to distinguish between the both but actually there is a remarkable difference between the m. Cryptography encrypts data in two methods secure or unbreakable (e.g. One-time pad) systems and breakable (e.g. RSA) systems. Through both the systems communication carried out is known to all. But it is time consuming and often fruitless to crack a code. The robustness of the code lies upon the difficulties faced while reversing the code in different permutations and combinations. Due to its robustness it is used for security purposes. For example Cryptography is used for online shopping, banking etc. The credit card number, expiration etc and other crucial informations are encrypted and sent so that an unintended user cant access the details. Steganography offers high carrier capacity keeping embedded message invisible and maintaining the fidelity of the cover media. The efficiency of the Steganographic method is that one shouldnt know that a media file has been altered in order for embedding. If the malicious user knows if there is some alteration the Steganographic method is defeated and less efficient. The embedded message is very fragile and hence if any modification is done to the stego image the whole secret message is corrupted. The effectiveness lies on the ability to fool an unintended user. The layers of communication can be more than one layer. A secret message can be embedded with a digital image which in turn can be embedded within another digital media or video clippings. Watermarking is required in order for authentication and copyright protection of digital files. The embedded watermarking is required in an object to make it impossible to remove completely. If the embedded watermarking is removed, then the marked object is either distorted or destroyed making it useless for anyone. This is the reason why watermarking is more robust when compared to the other image processing techniques, such as compression, cropping, rotation etc. hence even if a tiny bit of information is extracted by modification and tempering the rightful owner can still claim ownership. If the owners name is embedded in the digital image and the particular image then the original information is tampered and destroyed. Unlike Steganography, it is acceptable for everyone one to see the watermark embedded in it including the invisible ones. COMBINED EFFORTS OF STEGANOGRAPHY, CRYPTOGRAPHY AND WATERMARKING Cryptography is used as a paisano of the other two data hiding techniques. Data is encrypted in both the techniques in order to increase the randomness of the Steganography to avoid the statistics-based attacks and to protect the hidden data in watermarking. Commonly it is a practice to first encrypt the data and then use any one of the embedded techniques. The importance of watermarking can be stated as follows. Suppose Rs 100 bill is introduced in December 2009 then watermarking is required in order to prevent illegal copies. If the bill is shown in light a small image will appear within the large image. The watermarking is actually a part of the large paper and is visible on both sides. Hence it becomes difficult to produce a paper with such features. In addition to these features some tiny writings which are invisible to the human eyes are present in the paper. A banker having the necessary equipments (magnifying glass) can tell the difference between the original bill and the fake bill. Steganography makes its play here. The tiny printing done on the bill represents Steganography. It is implemented in order to achieve high security. The tiny printing done in the paper cannot be copied since any commercial printer is incapable to print such a fine and thin print leading to black spots. These are the reasons why Steganography is used for high security. Cryptography is actually implemented in the bill. A serial number is been printed in the bill which may contain information about the location and date of bill is printed or any other confidential information. The unique serial number for each bill can be used for tracking purposes. Using Steganography, Cryptography and Watermarking it becomes impossible to reproduce Rs100 bill. It must be kept in mind that all three are different and have different functionality. REQUIREMENTS OF STEGANOGRAPHYc Any digital media can be used as a cover media. The cover media can be a text, image (color, gray), audio or video etc. Cover media is required in order to hide and carry the information. Usually digital images are required in order to hide secret messages. The secret message is hidden within the digital image. After the message is embedded within the cover media An innocuous image consisting of scenery, people and other objects are the nominees for cover media. The availability of natural images is not a problem due to the affordable price of digital cameras nowadays. Natural images are the best candidates for cover image since they have higher resolution providing flexibility and other necessary need. Images are selected because the cover media is selected depending upon how the human visual system works. The gray image consists of pixels with intensity value from 0 to 255. The human eye cannot differentiate between a pixel intensity of 244 and 245. It will appear both the pixel intensities to be same. Also natural image s contains lots of noise and hence there is lots of pixel value intensity difference especially in the edges. This variation in the pixel intensity is known as randomness and can be exploited to embed the data without providing any suspicion to human eye. The human visual system wont be able to distinguish between the image before modulation and the image after modulation. The secret data is embedded within the cover image. The resulting image is called a stego-image. The stego-image will appear to be the same as the original image. The human eye cannot usually distinguish between the stego-image and the original image except there is a significant change between the images. In that case the Steganographic method employed is ineffective. Hence there are certain Stego-system criteria which we have to follow while doing a Stegagraphic implementation. They are stated as follows. The major criteria of Steganography that the cover media shouldnt be significantly altered or modified. The embedded data should be directly encoded in the cover and not in the header or wrapper. The embedded data should be immune to modifications of the cover. That is if the cover media under goes any change then data embedded within it should be unaltered. During transmission there are chances of noise to occur and hence distortion due to noise cannot be eliminated. Due to this issue error coding algorithms should be included where ever it is required. It is advisable to avoid the suspicious portions while embedding the message in the cover. This because after embedding in these regions they become open to suspicion. For example by embedding in smooth portions of the image, the resultant image becomes distorted and open to suspicion. Hence such portions are often avoided and portions where there is variation in the pixel intensity are preferred. The embedding efficiency must be improved. Efficiency of the embedding capacity depends upon the number of pixels in the image used for embedding purposes. The stego-image should be robust to steganalysis. Steganalysis is a method of identifying the difference between the original image and stego-image. Using steganalysis one can derive the information about the secret message. The stego-image should reassemble the original image and there should be any suspicion. The cover image should have high carrier capacity. That is the embedding capacity should be large. The amount of information present in the image should be resistant to distortion and should be comparable to the number of pixels present in the image. The three basic requirements of Steganography are robustness, capacity and imperceptibility. All these requirements should be satisfied for having an effective Steganographic method.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
The Kennedy Assination: A Conspiracy? Essay -- American Presidents, JF
What reasons did the HSCA have in 1979 for suggesting that President Kennedy was the victim of a conspiracy in 1963? In 1976, the House Select Committee on Assassinations began to reinvestigate the events at the assassination of JFK. A report was published by the committee in 1979 stating that there was a probable conspiracy surrounding Kennedy’s death, contradicting the Warren Commission’s theory. However, the HSCA could not prove that someone other than Oswald may have assassinated the president. What the HSCA could do however, was to prove that there were flaws in the evidence that the Warren Commission used to formulate their theory about Oswald being the lone assassin of JFK. A major part to the Warren Commission’s theory was the three bullet idea, in which the first bullet supposedly passed through Kennedy’s neck and then caused Governor Connally’s three wounds in the chest, wrist and thigh. The bullet that did this damage, often referred to as the â€Å"magic†bullet, was later found on Connally’s stretcher, with no trace of blood and almost fully in tact. Attempts that have been made to recreate this situation have proved that it was almost impossible that the bullet could have, firstly, changed direction so many times to make Kennedy and Connally’s wounds and, secondly, remained so undamaged after passing through blood, bone and human tissue. The Zapruder film of the assassination also shows that there were two seconds between Kennedy and Connally being hit, indicating that they were struck by two different bullets. Governor Connally backed this up by saying that he heard a gun shot and then had time to turn a round to see where the gun shot came from, before getting hit himself. Connally also said that he was almost cer... ...e, Lynden Johnson became president after JFK’s assassination, so his motive to murder JFK would have been his desire to rule America. It is also known that the Mafia saw Johnson as a much better â€Å"friend in the Whitehouse†than JFK, which meant that Johnson could have planned JFK’s assassination with the help of Mafia. However, this is just a hypothesis and cannot be proved, like the HSCA found out when they uncovered the amount of different conspiracies that there could have been surrounding Kennedy’s death. There were too many conspiracies that couldn’t be proved which meant that the HSCA could not pinpoint who exactly did murder JFK. To conclude, judging by the flaws in the Warren Commission’s theory and the amount of people that could have benefitted from Kennedy’s death, the HSCA had good reasons to suggest that JFK could have been the victim of a conspiracy.
Teaching Philosophy Statement :: Teaching Teachers Education Essays
Teaching Philosophy Statement I have always loved spending time with children. When I graduated from high school I knew that I would like to work with children in some way, but I didn’t think that I would want to become a teacher. The reasons for this were partly because of the pay and partly because I knew that the teaching profession had a lack of opportunity at the time. I decided that I would try social work, but it just didn’t seem like the field for me. After taking off from school for a few years, getting married, and having a baby, I realized that I didn’t just want a job; I wanted to make a difference in the world. I decided that since I loved children and wanted to make a difference in their lives, there would be no better way to do that then to be a teacher. I have decided that I would like to work with young children, 4 and 5 year olds, or special needs children. I have worked with autistic children in the past, and I believe that these children, and other children with special needs, and placed here on earth to make the rest of us humble and they are here for us to learn form them. I also believe that they deserve to have every opportunity possible to help them along in this world. I believe that all children have a right to an equal education. Just because a student is slower than another, has a harder time catching on, or a harder time paying attention doesn’t’ mean that they shouldn’t be treated equally and be given the same opportunities. I think that has to start when children are young. This allows the opportunity for any problems to be diagnosed earlier, and gives the child more of a chance to catch up with other students. And maybe eventually, the problem can be overcome. I also feel that K-4 programs should be state funded for all children and become a regular part of all elementary schools. I believe this because children who come form higher class families can afford to pay for pre-k and children from lower class families can send their children to head start.
Monday, September 2, 2019
Circuit City Stores Essay
Objectives: * achieve leading market share in each served market in order to benefit from ad and logistics synergies * resist take over attempt Current Business Strategy * In retail stores, they measure by per unit square foot to measure capacity( exhibit 3b) * They sell brand name product * Cut commissions * Customer survey to support customer satisfaction * Switched management teams. * Invested in the POS system * Store remodeling, ex. Expanding to Canada, with small stores Evaluate External analysis * Market: is massive, growing at 8 % a year forces: * Rivalry: – Cost circuit city more to get out of business – Number of the competitors; and revenue are big, these will intense the rivalry – Product mix: there is a lot of product differentiation, ability to differentiate, can focus on different target market. This makes the market rivalry less intense. – Customer services is declining, could lead to increasing? * Barrier to entry: – not hard to enter the market – not hard to open a specialty electronic store; no need to special skills, and no need for massive inventory Brand loyalty to the product not the store Substitute for electronic retail * Ebay, online ( not very competitive, not a strong force) * Customer * No brand loyalty, low switching cost * Purchase dispersed * Demand is not declining * Supplier * Specific supplier are required * Fast and efficient supply chain * Require good relationship with supplier is critical (ex DVD sales) * No shortage in supplier
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Factors affecting participation in certain sports Essay
Peer group Your peers are the people you mix with who have similar interests and backgrounds and are roughly your age. Your peer group has a big influence on the way you behave and the things that you do. This is not always expressed words. If you wear the â€Å"wrong†clothes or do the â€Å"wrong†things you can very quickly feel left out. If you peers approve of an activity, you will feel encouraged to do it. Sadly, peer-group pressure can also force people to give up sports even though they enjoy them. Family Your family can have a similar effect on you as your friends can. We pick up many of our habits and values from home. If your family enjoys sport and gives you the opportunities to participate, then it is likely that you will. Most young people depend upon parents and family for kit and help with travel to sports events. The opposite is again true. If your Family has a negative attitude to physical activity it is likely you will to. Gender There is a mistaken believe held by some people that sports is a man’s world. There certainly seem to be few barriers put up to prevent men from participating in physical activity. Far more men Participate in physical activity than women. Race People from minority ethic groups can be discriminated against when it comes to physical activity. Many people have the mistaken belief that they are physiologically different because they are a different colour, and this means they will be good at some activities and not others. For example some people believe that all black people are fast runners and they can not swim very well. This belief could be the reason why we see so many black runners and so very little black swimmers. Socio-Economic The activity you participate in may be determined to a large extent by what you can afford. Activities like sailing, golf and riding can be very expensive so many people from lower socio-economic groups are excluded from them. There are also many activities that cost very little. A kick around in the park with a group of friends, for example, and sport at school are mostly free. Unemployed people are in a difficult situation: plenty of time to fill but not much money. To encourage them, sports facilities often charge less, especially at quiet times of the day. Age Young people are encouraged to participate at school and have plenty of free time to take up sport. It also depends on the activity. To be a good gymnast you need to be young and flexible. Today, however, with computer technology not all youngsters want to spend their free time playing sports and not all sports are open to very young people. People tend to take part less in physical recreation as they get older as they often have more responsibilities and less free time to spend on sport. Stereotyping can mean that older people are discouraged from being physically active. Some older people stereotype themselves and believe that they are too old to take part in physically activity. However, there are many sports that you can enjoy into your old age. All you need is motivation to do it, the right facilities and no barriers to prevent you. Disability A disability may restrict your activities and other people’s prejudice can be a barrier to your participation. But disabled sport has received a much higher profile since the Paralympics games in Sydney, and the efforts of disabled athletes like Tanni Grey-Thompson have provided disabled people with excellent role models. Many sports have charged their rules to suit the needs of disabled people and have set up coaching and competitions for them. Facilities must now include ramps and lifts and special changing rooms so that disabled people can have full access. Access If there is a sports facility near where you live, and there is a good road system and public transport in place, then getting there is made easy. However, many people do not live within easy reach of sports facilities, and the public transport system is poor, so participation is made more difficult. Popularity, Promotion and Role models Participation in many sports varies. Because of media coverage during Wimbledon fortnight, tennis courts across the country are heavily used as seeing role models perform on TV encourages people to play the sport themselves. Not all sports attract media attention, however, and not all media coverage is positive. Some sports have increased in popularity by operating national schemes. Basketball, for example, is much more popular since the Basketball Outdoors Initiative of the 1990’s. Thousands of free facilities began to appear in parks and school playgrounds across the country encouraging more people to play. Environment and climate Participation in some activities also depends upon the environment and climate. It is very hard to become a top skier if you live in a very hot country and, if you want to practise mountaineering and you live in Holland, you have got to travel. So it is not hard to understand why countries like Switzerland and Canada produce very good skiers. Britain is traditionally good at sailing because it is an island and surrounded by water, Tradition and Culture Tradition and Culture also affect participation. For examples some cultures disapprove of women taking part in physical recreation in public or in mixed company. This is one reason why many sports centres operate â€Å"women only†sessions. Most sports (like rugby) have had a tradition of being male only. Women have had to work hard to be allowed to participate. Education Your education has a big effect on your attitude to sport physical recreation. If your school is keen on sport you will be encouraged to participate and if you enjoy it, you are likely to continue after you leave. The opposite is also true, however, for those who dislike PE. It is know that there is a drop in participation at the age of 16 when youngsters leave school. This is know as the post school gap and is perhaps caused by the desire to leave all school based activities behind you when you leave. Thankfully, many young people then see the benefits of physical activity and return to it later on in life. Politics The extent to which people take part in a physical activity also depends on their politicians. All governments get involved in sport for one reason or another. For example, facilities cost so much to build that the government usually has to pay at least something towards them. A government may promote sport for all in an attempt to cut the cost of the health service or cut crime. It may promote excellence in sport so as to bring a sense of pride to the country and raise its standing in the outside world. Sponsorship Sponsorship also has an effect on participation, as it is this that brings money into sport. Even local level, small businesses often sponsor teams and help them financially, allowing people to play. How ever sponsors can decide to pull out of the deal very easily and leaves the team needing to find another one or stop playing.
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