Creating a Viable Healthcare Policy

Creating a Viable Healthcare Policy Free Online Research Papers An effective health care system provides quality health care needs of a country’s population. Various countries have devised a variety of health-care systems that suit the target population that a country is aiming at. According to the World Health Organization, the goals of a health care system should be to promote good health, fair financial contributions and responsible policies (W.H.O, 2000). Even though financial constraints exist, a good health care system should meet the health care needs of a population because it promotes good health and improves people’s living standards. The issue of financing a health care system is the most difficult in ensuring that a population enjoys the benefits of an effective health care system. According to Shannon (2004), a government has a variety of choices to choose from in determining how to fund the system. Shannon points out that the government can directly fund the system from the taxes it collects, through insurance, donations or through voluntary contributions of the population. He also argues that whichever method a government chooses, it should be fair to the population (Shannon, 2004) The right to health care for the population has elicited heated debates. Some have argued from the perspective that health care is only a fundamental right if you one can afford it. Others have tried to link the formulation of health care policies being directly dependent on the available resources (Weisstub and Pinto’s, 2007). Many governments including the USA have been reluctant to formulate clear-cut health care policies, the reasoning being that a comprehensive health care policy for the entire population depends on the scarce resources of the country. By this, it means that some governments do not see health care as a matter of priority. Although some countries do not view a comprehensive health care policy for the population as vital, some have taken the initiative and made health care successful. One such country is France. According to a report carried out in 2000 by the World Health Organization, France emerged as one of the country that has the best health care system in the world. France has geared most of its efforts to providing effective health care policies for its population. Some of the stringent measures that the government of France has incorporated in its policies include insurance coverage to its entire population, high quality health care providers and giving patients freedom to choose the best alternatives for themselves (W.H.O, 2000). Although there may be financial constraints, countries should strive to give their population comprehensive health-care plans. Health care is a right to every human being and governments should strive to ensure that the population enjoys the benefits of an effective and fair health care system. The private sector should also be involved in helping the government and other stakeholders in realizing the goals of a comprehensive health care system for the entire population. The public also has a task in ensuring the success of a health care system. One of the ways the public can benefit is by getting involved with the government and various health care agencies to air their opinions about how the government can provide for them an effective health care system. References: Shannon, T.A. (2004). Health care policy: a reader. New York: Rowman Littlefield â€Å"The world health report 2000- Health systems: improving performance†. World Health Organization. Retrieved on September 14, 2010. From who.int/whr/2000/en/ Weisstub, D. N., Pintos, G. D. (2007).Autonomy and Human Rights in Health Care: An International Perspective. Dordrecht: Springer Research Papers on Creating a Viable Healthcare PolicyInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationPETSTEL analysis of IndiaTwilight of the UAWQuebec and Canada19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Genetic EngineeringDefinition of Export Quotas

How to Find the Best Credit Card for You

How to Find the Best Credit Card for You SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Trying to choose the right credit card can get overwhelming fast. There are tons of options, and every company claims to offer the best one. How can you sort through the jargon and find the best card for your personal finances? I believe that to choose the right card, you need to understand yourself as a consumer. How can you get started down the road of financial self-discovery? First, take my personal finance quiz below. Personal Finance Quiz: What’s Your Financial Style? You see a lot of conflicting advice out there for credit card seekers. Some people love credit cards, saying that they’re great for building credit and getting nice perks. Others fall on the opposite end of the spectrum, saying that cards are the devil and one should avoid them at all costs. So who’s right? As it turns out, both perspectives are right, depending on which card you choose. If you choose wisely, then you’ll successfully build your credit and potentially see nice rewards in the process. If you choose poorly, then you could find yourself in a pit of debt. The key to choosing is understanding what kind of consumer you are. To find out, take this short quiz. True or False: When I use credit cards, I spend more loosely than I would with cash. I have good self-control. I am often spontaneous. When I use coupons, I get enjoyment beyond the money saved. It’s very important to me that I’m getting the best deal possible down to the very cent. I am frugal. Once you’ve responded to each of the statements above, tally up one point for each of your answers that matches the key below: 1) True; 2) False; 3) True; 4) False; 5) False; 6) False For instance, if I marked every statement as "true," then I’d end up with 2 points (a point for question 1 and a point for question 3). Now, let’s take a look at what these points mean in terms of your financial profile. Assessing Your Financial Profile: What Does Your Score Mean? If you’re going to enter into a credit card contract, then you should do so from a place of self-awareness. I don’t mean the kind of self-awareness that comes from a week-long silent yoga retreat. Instead, I mean that you understand the way you use your money and what motivates you to save or spend. The quiz is all about getting to the root of your spending habits, as well as the psychological reasons behind your actions, like self-control in the face of temptations. Let’s see what each quiz result means, and how you can use your results to find the best credit card for you. Scores of 0 - 2: The Optimizers If you scored somewhere between 0 and 2 on this quiz, then you might be an optimizer (like me!). You enjoy getting every last mile out of things and shopping around for the best possible deals. You do your research, compare prices, seek out sales, and buy when the time is right. If you’re an optimizer, then I would suggest you take the time to analyze your spending habits. Take a look at your budget, and find your top three highest spend categories. You can leave out expenses that you wouldn’t put on a credit card, like rent. Relevant spending categories could include restaurants, entertainment, transportation, and clothes. Once you’ve figured out your biggest spend categories, you should look around for cards with matching rewards. If you spend a lot on travel, then you’d benefit from a travel rewards card. If you love to eat out, then you might prefer a restaurant rewards card. People who commute long distances back and forth to work everyday could get the most mileage from a gas rewards card. If you’re looking to carry more than one card, you could also sign up for a general rewards card that gives you something like 2% back on all of your purchases. I like to have a flat-rate card to fall back on, just in case. Another thing that might appeal to your maximizing mindset? A lot of rewards cards offer sign-up bonuses, giving you several hundred dollars toward travel or as cash back when you spend a minimum amount in the first months of opening an account. The potential downside is that some of these cards have annual fees after the first year. For some people, I’d say that the fee isn’t worth it; the rewards don’t add up enough to make up for the yearly fee. If you’re interested in a card with a fee, then you should break down your spending and see if you would get enough rewards in the long run. Even though rewards like travel points offer psychological benefits- it helps you set aside money specifically for traveling- it might be costing you more money in the long run. So now that you know what kind of cards to look for, what are some specific credit cards that appeal to optimizers? Best Credit Cards for Optimizers These are my suggestion for the best credit cards for optimizers who like to put in a little extra effort to get the best possible deals. Chase Sapphire Preferred This travel rewards card gives you 2X points on restaurants and travel and a point for each dollar that you spend on everything else. You’ll also earn 50,000 bonus points if you earn $4,000 in the first three months. You can redeem points as cash back or use them to book through the Chase search engine. If you use the Chase search tool, then your points will be worth 25% more. The downside of this card is that it charges a $95 annual fee after the first year. Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard This travel rewards card gives you 2X miles on all purchases, plus you get 5% of your miles back when you redeem them. You’re not restricted to any particular airlines or hotels. If you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days of opening an account, then you’ll earn 40,000 bonus miles. After the first year, this card charges an annual fee of $89. Citi Thank You Card This card is good for those who love to eat out. You’ll earn 2X points on every dollar you spend at restaurants. You’ll also get a bonus of 20,000 points if you spend $1,500 in the first three months of opening. This card is seriously restaurant-oriented; it even has a personal concierge service to help you make reservations. The Citi Thank You Card has no annual fee. Discover It Card The Discover It card gives 5% cash back on purchases made in certain categories, like restaurants, online shopping, and gas, that change quarterly. It also gives you 1% cash back on everything else. It has no annual fee. Citi Double Cash Card This card is a great back up for times when you don’t want to think about maximizing your rewards. It offers a flat-rate of 2% cash back on all your purchases. This card is also appealing because it has no annual fee. The only downside is that it doesn’t offer a rewards bonus for opening an account, and those hundreds of dollars in the first few month can be a welcome sign up gift. Now let’s consider the next category of spenders, those who scored in the middle of the road. Scores of 3 - 4: Middle of the Road Spenders If you scored between 3 and 4 on the quiz, then you might be a middle of the road spender. I’d say that the majority of people fall into this category. You have decent self-control, but you’re not obsessive about optimizing savings on all your purchases or maximizing rewards in a certain spending category. If this sounds like you, then I’d suggest getting a flat-rate card. You could get 1 to 2% back on all of your purchases across the board, and you don’t have to think about where you spend your money or what kind of rewards you’ll see. It’s consistent across all spending areas. Of course, getting this card assumes that you won’t change your spending habits because you have a credit card. You don’t want to end up carrying a balance month to month and getting into debt as a result of high interest rates. Just because you can technically charge a huge purchase to a credit card, doesn’t mean you should. If you can’t pay off a purchase within the month, then you should think hard about whether buying it on credit is the way to go. If you’re a middle of the road spender, what specific credit cards would work best for you? Best Credit Cards for Middle of the Road Spenders These are my suggestions for middle of the road spenders who don’t want to keep up with quarterly changes in rewards categories or worry about which card they use for each purchase. For the most part, these cards offer flat-rate rewards on any purchases. Citi Double Cash Card As you saw above, the Citi Double Cash Card is my top pick for a flat rate rewards card. It gives you 2% cash back on all purchases and has no annual fee. Again, the downside is that it doesn’t offer any bonuses for signing up. Capital One Venture Rewards This card gives you travel points at a flat rate of 2 miles on all purchases. If you spend $3,000 in the first three months, then you’ll get a bonus of 40,000 miles. After the first year, this card has an annual fee of $59. Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards This flat-rate card gives you 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make. It offers a $100 bonus after you spend $500 in the first three months. There’s no annual fee. BankAmericard Cash Rewards This card gives you 1% back on every purchase, plus 2% back at grocery stores and 3% on gas. You’ll get a bonus of $100 after you spend $500 in the first 90 days. There’s no annual fee. Finally, let’s consider the third type of spenders who scored highly on the personal finance quiz. Scores of 5 - 6: Spontaneous Spenders If you scored highly on this quiz, then you might find it challenging to control your spending. Maybe you love shopping, for instance, and find it difficult not to splurge every weekend at the mall. With a credit card, you might spend more than you normally would if you were just using cash. If this sounds like, or if you’re worried that a credit card would be too irresistible not to use beyond your means, then you might consider getting a card that puts caps on your spending. You should also compare interest rates and avoid the high ones. There are some credit cards that work like phone cards. You can load them up with a set number of points each month and thereby set a spending limit for yourself. Similarly, you could look into a secured credit card that doesn’t give you very much credit and requires a deposit before you sign on. You could also avoid credit cards altogether and just use your debit card, assuming that it doesn’t have overdrafts or fees. Keep in mind that a debit card takes money directly from your bank account, so it doesn’t help build up your credit. If you’re trying to gain more control over your spending habits and build credit, then you might start with a low-limit card (either secured or not secured). You could self-impose a 6-month probationary period where you look at your budget and figure out whether you’re spending more with a card that you would without one. As you gain control over your personal finances, you can eventually move onto a non-secured or rewards credit card. Below are my suggestions for the best credit cards for spontaneous spenders. Best Credit Cards for Spontaneous Spenders The suggested cards below help you set limits on your spending. There are two secured credit cards and two prepaid debit cards. Capital One Secured Mastercard This card asks you to make a deposit of $49, $99, or $200 and gives you a limit of up to $200 depending on your credit. You need to pay the full amount of your deposit within 80 days. It has no annual fee. Discover It Secured Card This is a rare secured card that also gives you rewards- 2% cash back on up to $1,000 of spending on restaurants and gas and 1% on other purchases. You need to make an initial deposit of $200 with a bank account. Each month, you’ll be automatically evaluated to see if you qualify for a regular, non-secured card. There’s no annual fee. Bluebird This fee-free card, available both to people with bank accounts and to those without, lets you load cash at WalMart stores and deposit through the Bluebird app. Withdrawals are free at MoneyPass ATMs, but they cost fees between $2.50 and $9.00 at other ATMs. This card works wherever merchants accept American Express and has no annual fee. American Express Serve You can order this prepaid card online for free, and no credit check is required. You load it with cash for free at locations like Rite Aid, Wal-Mart, and some 7-Elevens. There’s a $4.95 monthly fee (except in Texas, New York, and Vermont). At this point, you may have noticed that I haven’t talked very much about interest rates. A lot of people think that low and high interest rates are a top consideration when choosing credit cards. I actually take the opposite opinion in the majority of cases. Read on to find out why. What About Interest Rates? Why They Shouldn’t Matter You may have noticed that I didn’t spend much time talking about high and low interest rates in this guide. A lot of people tout interest rates as the first thing to look at when choosing a new credit card. I take the opposite stance, though, and suggest that interest rates should not matter. No credit card has a very appealing interest rate. All of them will add up to a great deal of money and make it very hard for you to get out of debt. In most cases, you should do everything you can to avoid carrying a balance on your card from month to month. If low interest rates feel like a strong priority to you, then you might consider reassessing your approach to personal finances. You should sit down with a money-tracking app, like Mint, or simply an Excel spreadsheet, and list out your spending activity. By reflecting on your finances, outlining a budget, and setting specific goals, you can start to control your spending better. In the meantime, try to use a card that will work with you to control your expenses. Finding the Best Credit Card for You There’s no single best credit card for everyone. Instead, you have to look for the best credit card for you. To find your best match, you should think about your approach to personal finances, how you spend your money, and how you practice self-control. If you tend to spend spontaneously, then you might benefit from having a card that doesn’t test your willpower. If you’re more strategic about your spending and want to maximize rewards, then you should choose a card that will grant you the most perks in the category most valuable to you. As you saw above, there are several cards with advantages for every kind of spender. Your job, then, is to figure out what kind of spender you are! Once you do that, you can sort through all the promotions and sign up for the credit card with the best benefits for you as an individual.

SWOT Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

SWOT Analysis - Assignment Example Locked into lower voltages due to interchangeable battery systems Opportunities: Can diversify into other product lines Can leverage position in Japanese and US markets to expand into various other markets across the world New technology manufacturing plants ensures low costs at manufacturing end thus allowing cost of end product to be low but without compromising on quality Can introduce higher voltages and consolidate position as innovator in the market Threats: Position in US market may be reversed due to dependence on currency exchange rates which may turn unfavourable Risks losing the opportunity to be proactive about higher voltages, by waiting for the rest of the players in the market Becomes reactive and may lose the current edge in the market if competitors come out with higher voltages first Imports from Far East may diversify into professional tools at a much lower cost for the same quality S&W - Minimising weaknesses and threats: The first step is to phase out the older technology at manufacturing plants and replace it with newer, more efficient technology. This will lead to reduction in costs - both manufacturing and labour. A solution to the high pricing issues will result from this move. The newer technology will be leaner, thus streamlining the company and making it quick to react to changes in he market. Innovation and diversification into other technologies will be required to maintain market leader status. Change in attitude towards distributors is needed to convince them that the company is not abusing its market leader position. S&W - Maximising strengths and opportunities: The multi national presence of the company can be leveraged to expand into new products in various markets. Cooperative advertising and cross... The multi national presence of the company can be leveraged to expand into new products in various markets. Cooperative advertising and cross promotion implies less spent on advertising. These savings can be sunk in R&D for innovation and developing new products. A step-by-step replacement of the old interchangeable battery systems is required so that Makatume is in a position to bring in newer higher voltages. A change in strategy is needed so as to avoid depending on the currency rate for a favourable market position. The company needs to be proactive and take a decision about higher voltage so as to avoid losing the edge they have in the market. Makatume must innovate and diversify into other products as soon as possible to avoid losing the share they have captured in the professional tools segment. An expansion in markets in other countries is also advisable to consolidate the market leader position. By introducing higher voltages, Makatume stands to become an innovative market leader. Assuming Makatume's point of view, having captured large shares in the Japanese and US markets, I would be proactive and launch the higher voltages. But I would do this in a phased manner so as not to lose the customers that Makatume already has. By doing so, Makatume would be perceived as an innovator which would add to the value of the brand.

Placement search Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Placement search - Essay Example The exercise confirmed my employability skills because the required skills, based on most job specifications, were consistent with my skills. Based on a personal objective for improved self-awareness and training into employability competence and self-assessments, I have reported skills in leadership, interpersonal competence, decision-making, and problem solving. These were major competencies in the identified job placements and are consistent with employability skills, according to Diambra (2011, p. 102) and means I possess employability skills. Despite the placement search initiative, I did not complete the search because of my plans for the next year. I plan complete a year experience after my graduation and this coincides with the duration for doing the placement job. The coincidence makes it impossible to complete both so Ii chose to undertake the experience. My job placement search was successful; I identified many opportunities and applied to two institutions. The search also helped me to confirm my employability skills based on personal competencies and observed job specification. I however abandoned my placement search because of my plans for a year experience following my

How Youtube And Facebook Earned Their Success Media Essay

How Youtube And Facebook Earned Their Success Media Essay The objective of this report is to investigate how and why Youtube, Facebook and Twitter earned their success. Students are exposed to the method of proper report writing and spruce team work among group members. This report examines the three social media (Youtube, Facebook and Twitter) as they are currently the most popular networking sites on the internet. Most of our resources originate from online articles (ie: BBC, Readers Digest, TIMES) and assemblage of brainstorming sessions. We also made an online survey to analyze the public opinions. Since it was founded in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees,[1] Youtube has grown and become the most popular video sharing website on the internet which serve as a consumer media website that allows its users from around the world to watch, upload and share videos on the net. After being bought by Google Inc. for $1.65 billion in November 2006[2], Youtube has since achieved 100 million videos views each day and more than 65,000 new videos uploads per day and is ranked as the third most popular website just behind Google and Facebook.[3] [4] Youtube uses Adobe Flash Video technology and format to display various user-generated video content which includes movie clips, TV clips, music videos, amateur content as well as materials from partnership program with media corporations such as CBS, the BBC and UMG. Youtube generates its revenue mainly from advertisements displayed on the search pages and in the videos themselves. [5] Youtubes great achievement is largely down to three criteria and the three main features it offers to users which are watch, upload and share. With limited choice available for users to post and search videos with such ease, Youtube immediately become the popular choice among internet users. Online video existed long before Youtube, however Youtube excels unlike its pre-successors because it offers the much wanted platform that makes uploading, watching and sharing videos effortlessly. Youtube has managed to overcome the problems of earlier generation video sharing sites such as limited bandwidth, insufficient materials and inability to share. Besides that, Youtube has gone further by providing some extra enhanced features such as video-tagging, rating, commenting and also embedding of videos. With its great traffic flow, Youtube is able to attract big clients to advertise on their products and services on Youtube site. It is reported that Youtubes revenue reached US$200 million in year 2008. [6] This is considered as a large amount since it does not charge any member fees and only focus on advertisement incomes. Facebook Facebook is a famous free social networking website that allows registered users to create their own profiles, upload photos and video, and send messages with friends, family and colleagues. The Facebook has modernized keeping in touch all over the world. Friends and family members can now connect with each other in a network and share personal stuff such as message, video, games and plan events together. Facebook isnt just for teens and young adults. It is a wonderful and practical way for people of all ages to keep in touch on a regular basis. According to survey the largest audience in Facebook is currently the adult over forties. In addition, Facebook is now available in more than 100 different languages [7] By using Facebooks innovative Translations application, all phrases and words in Facebook are translated into several major language on earth such as Chinese, Franà §ais, Malay, Italiano, and etc[8]. Geography and language is no longer a boundary. Mark Zuckerberg, 23, founded Facebook while he was studying psychology at Harvard University. Majoring in computer programming, Mr Zuckerberg developed a number of social-networking websites for fellow students before his sensation with Facebook. He later drops out from Harvard and pursues his dream of making the worlds largest internet social network website. Currently, the social networking site currently has over 400 million active users the site remains free to join, and makes a profit through advertising proceeds. Yahoo and Google are among companies which have expressed interest in a buy-out, with huge figures of around $2bn ( £975m) being discussed. Mr Zuckerberg has so far refused to sell[9]. Mark Zuckerberg inspirational success story is made into a Hollywood movie call The Social Network which will debut in October 2010. It will feature actors such as Jesse Eisenberg, Rashida Jones and Justin Timberlake. Twitter Twitter is built around one simple question what are you doing? [10] Since its creation in 2006, Twitter has gained notability and popularity worldwide because of its simplicity. It is sometimes described as SMS of the Internet since each tweets is limited to 140 character which is the standard length for handphone text. [11] When Twitter co-founders Stone, Jack Dorsey and Evan Williams began working on their new Web idea, Dorsey suggested a site that emulated the status feature of instant-messaging services, which lets people know whether youre online. Tweets are  displayed on the authors profile page and delivered to the authors subscribers who are known as  followers. Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access. Twitter is accessible through web and Smartphones. Public figures such as Dalai Lama, Barrack Obama, Ashton Kutcher and Kim Kardashian had sanctioned the popularity of this service. Twitters rapid growth made it the object of intense interest and a fair amount of ridicule, as it was derided as high-tech trivia or the latest in time-wasting devices. [12] As Twitter grows, it will increasingly become a place where companies build brands, do research, send information to customers, conduct e-commerce and create communities for their users. [13] A Malaysian company, Churp-churp, took a step forward by innovating Twitter advertising. [14] However, Twitter in Malaysia is not as popular as Youtube and Facebook and its demographic in Malaysia is focused on young urbanites. Methodology 18  respondents were surveyed from 26th March 2010 to 5th April 2010 via a statistic website, http://www.surveymonkey.com/. The statistics were analyzed. Graphs and charts were drawn. We interviewed few individuals on 1st April 2010 regarding their personal opinion and experience using these social networking sites. The outcome from both procedures is significant in helping us to understand how YouTube, Facebook and Twitter captivate millions of internet users. Furthermore, we researched articles from reliable source on the internet from TIME, BBC, New York Times and The Star. Discussions In general, our findings indicated that all three social media are preferred for their user-friendliness. Youtubes instant success lies mainly in the rich media it contains. Users can search for the videos they desire easily and instantly. Searching for a video in Youtube is never easier, once the keywords have been typed in, a list of videos related would appear. Also, related contents or videos posted by the same uploader would also appear in a list for ease of use when viewers are watching a video in Youtube. This is extremely helpful when one is watching a series of videos, because he does not need to search again for the subsequent episode, all he has to do is just look inside the list and click at the video he wants to play. Besides that, Youtube has also generated a list of favourite and most-viewed videos for users who have no idea on what to watch. One can slowly browse through this list and look for which video he is interested in. Most of the Youtube clips do not exceed 10 minutes; hence it makes a great choice for someone who has few minutes to kill. In order to view videos on Youtube, the Adobe Flash Player plug-in is required to be installed on the browser. As the Adobe Flash Player is one of the most common pieces of software installed on personal computers nowadays, viewing Youtube videos is by means not a problem for most of the users. Uploading is made easy by Youtube, even someone with minimal amount of computer knowledge can make and post videos on Youtube. All that is needed is just a video recording device such as cell phone, camcorder or even webcam. Best of all, Youtube even provides instructions on how to upload a video in its site and one would only need to follow those steps and his videos would be available for viewing. This process is almost hassle-free as it accepts videos in most container formats, including .AVI, .MKI, .MOV, .MP4, DivX, .FLV, and .OGG. As so, users do not have to go through video format converting to upload their videos because Youtube supports most of the video codecs such as MPEG, MPEG-4, and WMV. You tube made video improvements which allow viewers to view videos in high definition and widescreen modes, features that is proved crucial especially when ones priority is high quality and movie-like experience. YouTube originally offered videos at one quality level which is at resolution of 320240 pixels using H.263 Sorenson Spark codec, with mono MP3 audiobut that has now changed. Youtube videos are now available in a range of quality levels, with the higher quality levels offering better and improved picture definition. 720p HD support was added and also, the Youtube player was changed from 4:3 aspect ratio to widescreen 16:9 in November 2008. 1080p HD support followed in November 2009. These improvements allow viewers to view videos in high definition and widescreen modes, features that are proved crucial especially when ones priority is high quality and movie-like experience. With Youtube, anybody could be a director or star because anybody can shoot their own videos and post it up Youtube. Since its creation, Youtube has since helped discover unknown singers because of the wide exposure of its videos. Someone who is virtually unknown could become the next hit with the aid of Youtube. Stars like Whitney Raenan, Jess Loren, Melanie Ungar and Christina Peoples were mere ordinary people before they decided to post their singings onto Youtube, a move which propels them to stardom. In an indirect way, Youtube provided a platform and opportunities for these soon to be stars to showcase their talents and if the world recognises their talents, a professional contract would surely follow suit. Picture 1: From right to left Youtube sensations. Justin Bieber with his mentor Usher; Pop singer Marie Digby; Nickolodeon featured humorist Fred Figglehorn. The introduction of Youtube Mobile allows users to access Youtube videos using mobile phones, however not all videos are available on the mobile version of the site. And last but not least, Youtube is free to use, users can simply visit Youtube and start viewing its videos and an account is not necessary for viewing videos. In the U.S., Facebook has the second highest number of unique visitors per month, surpassing Yahoo for the first time in January 2010. It was reported that of all time spent online in January, 11.6% was on Facebook, compared to less than 5% on Yahoo and Google each. The main factor that contributors to Facebook success are the experience was designed for college students, by college students. Thus, Facebook designs are based on college students needs and desires. College kids find the common ground to share their homework and interest. Besides that, Facebook represents a more persuasive local advertising opportunity as Facebook can guarantee deep penetration. Moreover, there are several features Facebook incorporated that made the service sticky. Here is the important experience as its simplicity. Registration to be Facebook user can be done in a few simple steps. It uses very intuitive and simple interface, uses text links for feature navigation, and the site is largely unobtrusive. This means that users are quite easy to adopt for its intended audience. Due to its simplicity, it doesnt require more time to finish loading in browser. The efficiency and fast respond of Facebook enable users who rush in time to check important mails or message in Facebook. Furthermore, attractive games and quizzes become another success factor of Facebook. Facebook offers huge number of games and quizzes for users to play. They dont require any installation or time to download; just a simple click would allow users to play game with their friends instantly. It is easy to setup a Facebook profile. Fill in your email address, add in your details and within moments people that had crossed path with you are willing add you as their friends. There is a privacy option if you want to decide on who you decide to block from seeing (ie: your boss). Sharing is caring. With Facebook this proverbial has never been truer. Besides that you may poke, throw sheep, comment, scrabble and poker with your friends. There are various fan page or groups that acts like a forum to choose from. It can be a useful tool or a complete waste of time. Either way Facebook is having a dramatic impact on the World Wide Web. According to the young and geeky founder, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook is the answer for our need to stay in touch, discover lost friends and maintain acquaintance. This mogul extraordinaire had rejected a 1 billion offer from Yahoo and on October 24 2007 Microsoft announced that it had purchased a 1.6% share of Facebook for $240 million, giving Facebook a total implied value of around $15 billion Picture 2: Mark Zuckerberg is one of the worlds billionaire under 25. Then, Twitter changed the landscape of social networking once again by making the whole system more public. No longer would you have to wait for a pesky friend request; you could follow and message anyone you wanted through the new medium. Twitter not only exists just for friends to tell friends that theyre on their way to the office or out to dine. Its become a kind of hyper grapevine news resource a way of instant messaging your circle of friends about your interests. It is known as micro blogging. Celebrities also became a big part of this network. Most famously, Stephen Fry twittered whilst he was stuck in a lift, providing great enjoyment to his followers and really helping to kick off Twitter in the UK. Picture 3: Stephen Fry helped popularize Twitter in UK with his misfortune being stucked in the elevator. Famous people who twitters: Lance Armstrong  Ã‚  Followers:  550,543 Al Gore  Ã‚  Followers:  523,035 Shaquille ONeal  Ã‚  Followers:  591,534 Barack Obama  Ã‚  Followers:  761,288 President of United States Arnold Schwarzenegger  Ã‚  Followers:  40,278 Actor turner Governor Martha Stewart  Ã‚  Followers:  329,723 Twitter has become so popular and addictive, so fast, that keeping up with its fast-growing user base is a real issue. The secret of Twitters success is realizing that folks dont want to use the Web for private conversations but public ones. Nearly 90% of Twitter users make their updates public, so everyone can read. The service is even credited with breaking news about fires and other natural disasters. It even saves lives. Demi Moore once alerted the local police force regarding a tweet by one of her followers who resolute for a suicide. This incident is stopped. As Twitter users know you can only say it in 140 characters or less. Twitter combines use of the Web, IMs and text messaging which makes in desirable in Smartphones application. Results of statistical Analysis Figure 1: Bar chart for the age group of survey participants. The survey that we conducted focused on the age group of 19-24. However it is reported that the fastest growing segment of social networking sites are the adults above 40 years of age. Figure 2: Pie chart for the gender of survey participants in percentage. 56% of our survey participants are female. Figure 3: Bar chart for accounts information of survey participants. Most people are on Facebook compared to Twitter and YouTube. Figure 4: Stacked bar char on hours that survey participants spent on social networking sites on a daily basis. YouTube and Twitter users spend less time compared to Facebook in their daily life. Perhaps Facebook is the most addictive site. Figure 5: Bar chart on material that are searched for in YouTube in percentage. AutoVehicles, Entertainment and Music are the lead search in YouTube. Figure 6: Pie chart on percentage of survey participants who agree that YouTube eases copyright infringement. Most people agree that YouTube is subject to copyright infringement. Measures must be taken to fight this. Figure 7: Stacked bar chart on frequency of Facebook activity in percentage. Profile viewing and passing time is the most famous activity in Facebook. Our participants note that they rarely chat or play games. Figure 8: Stacked bar chart that shows the criteria that is considered when adding friends in percentage. People are most likely to add their acquaintance in social networking sites. Figure 9: Doughnut chart on future predictions for social networking sites. Social networking sites are predicted to grow in the years to come. The advantages/disadvantages of social networking sites Advantage: meet new friends more friends content are inappropriate keep in touch with friends Keep in touch with long lost friends get to know people Disadvantage: some content are inappropriate a bad things happen will spread very fast Limitless access to information, whatever it might be, good or bad Rumors and gossip spread faster. Lies occur more less privacy waste time Subject to abuse by sex offenders Conclusions The main conclusion that can be drawn is therefore that social networking sites will flourish in the years to come. Microsoft was the boom in the nineties, followed by the Google domination over the last decade and now we will see the Facebook climb. One or other forms of internet revolution will take place. With social-networks like Facebook and Twitter blooming to popularity recently, it is no surprise to find out that Youtube is among the ones to enjoy the benefits of their success. This is because Youtube allows users to share its videos on these sites and by so YouTube grows in line with them. With the sharing feature, users are able to share their videos with their friends in these social networks. They could also let their friends know what is on their minds at the moment by sharing the songs or movies they like. Social networking sites could also serve as a place to gain popularity and spread news. When one has a proper message to deliver to the world, he can just take a video of it and post it up Youtube and the message would soon spread. For example, the Free Hugs campaign which initially started out in Sydney by Juan Mann but with the help of Youtube, it has now grown and expanded to various places around the world such as Taiwan, Israel, Italy and more. With a mass audience, it is no wonder a simple message could spread so fast. This could be put to good use if one is in need of urgent assistant such as in health and medical purposes. The social network site is first and foremost a site for socializing and sharing the trivia of life as we live it. But it is becoming a valuable networking tool for linking people with the same interests together in a relaxed manner. In summary, there is a lot of fun to be had on Youtube, Facebook and Twitter, as long as you are not abusing it. Recommendations In the light of these conclusions, we recommend that social networking should be monitored from abuse. There are defamation cases against user who misuse the facilities of these sites around the world. Certain shout outs may stir unwanted reaction. Drawing example from our local court case, Mohamad Tasyrif Tajudin, 25, was charged in the Sessions Court here over a post he made on social media network Facebook in relation to arsonist attacks on churches. The offence comes under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 586) which can be charged under Section 233(3) of the same Act for making a threat with the intention of causing public unrest. Section 233 covers the improper use of network facilities or services. [15] In addition, advertising is an undeniable source of income for these sites but it could kill the joy of surfing. While there may be commercial value for using social networking sites to be in touch with others, the danger is that the net community could turn against a marketer viewed as being too crass by being relentlessly self-promoting. There are concerns on age limiting the users of these accounts. Parents should be more proactive in monitoring their children net activity. Although certain sites have put a ban against certain age limit, it is not a foolproof method since everybody cheats information on the internet. Inappropriate content may risk opening a window for pedophilia Students should control the time wasting unproductive addictive games. Some companies and schools had banned the access of these websites. Uploading content in these sites also creates business opportunities for budding companies or entrepreneurs as these serve as free advertising tool for the products or services offered. Also, by putting up a promoting video in Youtube, you actually place your brand in front of millions of viewers and potential customers. There are blogshops which regularly update and tag their dresses collection in Facebook. Socialization between the uploader and his viewers may improve the brand as the uploader could use the suggestions and feedbacks to help and. Youtube also provides the rating and comment features that lets viewers to rate videos and share their thoughts on that particular video. Instead of chatting with friends on a one-to-one basis, Facebook may equip with web conferencing feature which enables more than 2 users to chat together in the same time. Web conferencing is a method for people to communicate from their computers without any travel necessary. Facebook users could create conference room, invite their friends and communicate with all of their friends in a same time. Another feature Facebook can add in is the photo-edit feature. Every day, thousands or even millions of photos are uploaded with friends being tagged. To increase involvement of users, a photo editing application might prove to be useful. With the help of auto-size feature, users could upload any kind of photos regardless size and formats to Facebook. Users need not to install any photo-edit software in their computer in order to edit the photos with red-eye effect, blurring, and sensitive parts and so on. With the built in photo-edit application in Facebook, users may upload their perfect photos in an easy way. Appendices Appendix 1: Sample Survey Form 1. What is your age group? ___-below 19 ___-19-24 ___-above 24 2. What is your gender ___-M ___-F 3. Which of these social networking sites do you own? (you may choose more than one) ___-Facebook ___-Youtube ___-Twitter ___-None of the above (Why?) You may proceed to question 9. 4. How many hours do you spend on average everyday on (ignore the site that you dont own) 1-2 hours 2-3 hours 3-4 hours 4 hours >> Youtube Facebook Twitter 5. What materials do you search for on Youtube ? (May tick more than 1) ___-Comedy ___-Education ___-Entertainment ___-Film Animation ___-Gaming ___-Howto Style ___-Music ___-News Politics ___-Nonprofits Activism ___-People Blogs ___-Pets Animals ___-Science Technology ___-Sports ___-Travel Events ___-Shows ___-Movies ___-Contests ___-Events ___-Other (please specify) 6. Do you think Youtube makes it easier for violation of copyrights infringement? ___-Yes ___-No 7. How frequent do you access your Facebook to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always View profiles Update status Chat Pass time Play games Add friends 8. When accepting new friends in Facebook/Twitter, what criteria do you consider? Most Unlikely Unlikely Fair Likely Most Likely Gender Common Interest Common Games Acquaintance Common friends Looks 9. What is your prediction for these social networking sites ___-it will continue to grow in the future ___-it will be out of trend soon ___-others (please specify) 10. What are the advantage/disadvantage of social networking site?

Changing Role of Managerial Accounting in a Dynamic Business Environment Essay

Managerial accountants more and more are considered â€Å"business partners. † B. Managerial accountants often are part of cross-functional teams. C. An increasing number of organizations are segregating managerial accountants in separate managerial-accounting departments. D. In a number of companies, managerial accountants make significant business decisions and resolve operating problems. E. The role of managerial accountants has changed considerably over the past decade. The day-to-day work of management teams will typically comprise all of the following activities except: A. decision making. B. planning. C. cost minimizing. D. directing operational activities. E. controlling. Answer: C LO: 2 Type: RC 3. Which of the following functions is best described as choosing among available alternatives? Which of the following functions best describes this process? A. Decision making. B. Planning. C. Coordinating. D. Controlling. E. Organizing. Answer: D LO: 2 Type: N 7. Which of the following is not an objective of managerial accounting? A. Providing information for decision making and planning. B. Assisting in directing and controlling operations. C. Maximizing profits and minimizing costs. D. Measuring the performance of managers and subunits. E. Motivating managers toward the organization’s goals. Answer: C LO: 3 Type: RC 8. The role of managerial accounting information in assisting management is a(n): A. inancial-directing role. B. attention-directing role. C. planning and controlling role. D. organizational role. E. problem-solving role. Answer: B LO: 3 Type: RC 9. Employee empowerment involves encouraging and authorizing workers to take initiatives to: A. improve operations. B. reduce costs. C. improve product quality. D. improve customer service. E. all of the above. Answer: E LO: 3 Type: RC 10. The process of encouraging and authorizing workers to take appropriate initiatives to improve the overall firm is commonly known as: A. planning and control. B. employee empowerment.

Daeodon (Dinohyus) - Facts and Figures

Name: Daeodon; pronounced DIE-oh-don; also known as Dinohyus (Greek for terrible pig) Habitat: Plains of North America Historical Epoch: Miocene (23-5 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 12 feet long and one ton Diet: Omnivorous Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; quadrupedal posture; long, narrow head with bony warts    About Daeodon (Dinohyus) Chalk up another cool name thats been lost to the technicalities of science: the giant prehistoric porker formerly, and fittingly, known as Dinohyus (Greek for terrible pig) has now reverted back to an earlier moniker, the far less awesome Daeodon. Tipping the scales at a full ton, this Miocene pig was roughly the size and weight of a modern rhinoceros or hippopotamus, with a broad, flat, warthog-like face complete with warts (actually fleshy wattles supported by bone). As you might already have guessed, Daedon was closely related to the slightly earlier (and slightly smaller) Entelodon, also known as the Killer Pig, both of these genera  huge, opportunistic, omnivorous mammalian megafauna, the former native to North America and the latter to Eurasia. One odd feature of Daeodon was its nostrils, which were splayed out toward the sides of its head, rather than facing forwards as in modern pigs. One possible explanation for this arrangement is that Daeodon was a hyena-like scavenger rather than an active hunter, and needed to pick up scents from as wide a range as possible in order to home in on already-dead and rotting carcasses. Daeodon was also equipped with heavy, bone-crushing jaws, another classic scavenging adaptation similar to that of roughly contemporary bone-crushing canids, and its sheer one-ton bulk would have intimidated smaller predators from trying to protect their newly killed prey.