The Three Paradigms In Society Essay - 828 Words

â€Å"The Three Paradigms in Society† Functionalist paradigm, conflict paradigm, and symbolic interaction paradigm are the three major paradigms that function in today’s society. Functionalist, and conflict paradigms are macro-sociological paradigms. Symbolic interaction is a micro-sociological paradigm. Functionalist paradigm focuses on the integration of society, while social conflict focuses on the issue of division among society. Symbolic interaction works on communication and social change as a consequence. The three paradigms are completely different from each other in a social point of view. The macro-sociological paradigms view America as an inequality state. The social conflict paradigm fits today’s society. The†¦show more content†¦Social conflict also focuses on macro-sociology. Symbolic interaction paradigm says society functions well through interactions. Communication is spreaded through symbols created by society. Social interaction is important, because it causes social change. Many variables such as behavior events are explained through social contact with others. The people are the ones who determine what is reality, and what is not reality. Life works in a dramatization point of view. Symbolic interaction paradigm focuses on the small issues that affect communities in society, therefore making it a micro-level orientation. Functionalist paradigm sees society as a well integrated, self-regulating system that meets people’s needs. While Social conflict views society having many groups that are self reliant, with their own goals and needs. Symbolic interaction explains society is shaped, and constructed through interaction, and communication with others. America has always suffered social inequality. This is where macro-sociological paradigms come in to the nation. Functionalist paradigm thinks the cause of inequality is caused by social dysfunctions. This happens when society has undesirable consequences for the operation of society. Functionalist paradigm tends to focus on social stability and unification. As a result this cause more inequality in society. It ignores social class status, racial issues, ethicalShow MoreRelatedThe Three Paradigms in Society840 Words   |  4 PagesThe Three Paradigms in Society Functionalist paradigm, conflict paradigm, and symbolic interaction paradigm are the three major paradigms that function in todays society. Functionalist, and conflict paradigms are macro-sociological paradigms. Symbolic interaction is a micro-sociological paradigm. Functionalist paradigm focuses on the integration of society, while social conflict focuses on the issue of division among society. Symbolic interaction works on communication and social change asRead MoreEconomic Issues Faced By Consumers And Producers1226 Words   |  5 Pagesopportunity cost. The two fundamental paradigms in economics are known as the exchange and production paradigm. The exchange paradigm, which is used to understand neoclassical economics, is one which identifies itself with studying individuals as well as the allocation of resources (addresses scarcity). The production paradigm, is used to explain classical economics, focuses on classes in society and how they are able to increase growth in the economy. The exchange paradigm is a â€Å"cornerstone in neoclassicalRead MoreWithin The World Of Sociology There Are Sociological Paradigms1196 Words   |  5 PagesWithin the world of sociology there are sociological paradigms that can be applied to human’s perception of the world. The three major sociological paradigms are functional, conflict and symbolic interactionism each playing key different roles when dealing with social issues. These paradigms exist in order to have a basic understanding of how society functions, the role of sociology, and how different things affect social life. Social paradigms have the ability to impact social issues if they areRead MoreCritical Analysis Paper On Nursing1442 Words   |  6 Pagesdefinition of three nursing metaparadigm concepts including the person, nursing, and environment, and helped reinforce my original definition of health. Original Concept Definition PERSON Originally, I defined a person as a combination of physical, psychological, emotional, social and spiritual aspects. I stated that imbalance of any of these factors can result in a disturbance in person’s wellbeing. My definition of the person falls into totality paradigm. This is so because totality paradigm statesRead MoreThe Theory, Symbolic Interactionism, And Conflict Theory1040 Words   |  5 Pages Faith Williams Dr. Whitman Sociology Abstract This review connects three theoretical frameworks. The first theoretical framework is the symbolic interactionism. This focuses mainly on how the individual interacts with others, and how others influence the individual behaviors that impact society in a micro or macro way. The second theoretical framework is the conflict theory, it examines the rift between the rich and the poor and how it affects the quality of education, healthRead MoreThe Structure Of Scientific Revolutions By Thomas Kuhn1654 Words   |  7 PagesRevolutions† Thomas Kuhn argues that normal science inevitably runs into a crisis. Why is it necessarily the case? Is there a way to avoid scientific crises? In Thomas Kuhn’s paradigm cycle, normal science inevitably leads to an anomaly, which eventually leads into a crisis. If the current existing theory in the paradigm fails to solve the puzzles of normal science, it will eventually call for a new theory to take its place. Kuhn further expresses that, although, normal science holds the objectiveRead MoreTheoretical Frameworks Of Sociology And Sociological Perspective Essay918 Words   |  4 Pagesdo not? These are all some of the questions students need an answer to, which led them to enrol to this course. â€Å"Sociology is the scientific study of individuals in groups, organizations, cultures and societies; and of the interrelationships of individuals, group, organizations, cultures and societies.† (Kennedy, 2011, p. 1). What makes someone a sociologist? It isn’t what they study that makes them a sociologist, but how they think about it and how they study it. In this essay, I will be discussingRead MoreThe Levia than By Thomas Hobbes849 Words   |  4 Pagescreates a buffer between that of the public and private spheres. It has been used to facilitate the interactions between those who wish to subscribe to a civil society where it is a necessity for one’s rights to be protected and respected. Around the world, normative liberal thought—or liberalism if you will—serves as the primary political paradigm under which most governments and their citizens alike ascribe. In many ways, Liberalism has become a nearly permanent feature of our political lives. Due toRead MorePublic Goods, Private Goods : The American Struggle Over Educational Goal Essay906 Words   |  4 Pageshow the three main purposes, which interact and interfere sometimes, have shaped the American education goals, throughout out its practices and policies, democratic equality, social efficiency and Social mobility. On the same track, Nickols and Cuenca (2014) found in their work â€Å"Two Roadmaps, One Dest ination: The Economic Progress Paradigm in Teacher Education Accountability in Georgia and Missouri† That teacher preparation programs influence by what they called â€Å"the economic progress paradigm† (p.Read More America And The War On Drugs Essay1216 Words   |  5 Pagesenvironment. Sociologists have three main paradigms that they can coincide with people to learn they function under certain circumstances. The paradigms used are the Structural-Functional, Social-Conflict and Symbolic-Interaction. Here is a brief description to help make the sociologist perspective more understandable. The Structural-Functional paradigm has multiple interrelated parts; morally desirable functional consequences and conflict is often destructive. How is society integrated? What consequences

The Life of Emperor Nero Essay - 1744 Words

Emperor Nero, infamously known as one of the most malevolent, oppressive, and tyrannical leader throughout history, was the last ruler of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty. He was born outside Rome in Antium and his mother married his great uncle, Emperor Claudius, in order for her son to be the next Emperor of Rome. It wasn’t apparent that her son was to become one of the most feared and cruel leaders in Roman history from 54 CE to 68 CE. By examining his achievements and failures as an emperor, his influences and changes over the entire economic, political and social spectrum are revealed. At this stage in the Roman Empire things were extremely dangerous and many power struggles within the royal family were arising. With the demise of the†¦show more content†¦He had all the attributes of an ideal leader, and the Roman Empire experienced an epoch of strength, efficient administration and economic stability. His policies were beneficial for the working class and poor and when the senate tried to pass a law regarding patrons having the right to repeal freedom of a freedman, he quickly denied the request. Other economic reforms included the tax cuts of approximately three percent, because there were complaints of over taxation of the poor. â€Å"The more oppressive sources of revenue he either abolished or moderated† (Suetonius, 263) He also reduced the price of food by dropping tariffs on imported products such as grain. This allowed economics to flourish throughout the Roman Empire and he created a much more fair system that actually was used to aid the p opulace. It gave the people security and Rome thrived with it new institutional structures, stability, and its governmental reforms that efficiently worked. The positive influence Nero had on Rome gave him popular support from the masses. As Emperor Nero continued to rule new speculation formed that his mother was planning to overthrow him with his brother Britannicus who was the actual son of Emperor Claudius. This is because as his motherShow MoreRelatedThe Life and Times of Nero Essay1582 Words   |  7 PagesThe Life and Times of Nero Carlo Maria Franzero was born December 21, 1892 in Turin, Italy. He was educated at the University of Turin. Upon the commencement of the Second World War, Franzero fled Fascist ruled Italy for England. He worked in England as a journalist for the London Daily Telegraph during World War II and later he served as a correspondent for Il Tempo, a Roman newspaper. His expertise is Ancient Roman and Italian History. Other notable works by Franzero are The Life andRead MoreJulia Agrippin An Impeccable Pedigree1444 Words   |  6 Pages had an impeccable pedigree, along with great ambition that helped her dominate the political world of her time. She was born into a Julio-Claudian family background that shaped and influenced the woman Agrippina the Younger became. Throughout her life her actions and ambitions were heavily critiqued as they went against the social norms and expected role of women of her time. Motivation: Agrippina the Younger found inspiration and motivation from her powerful, yet somewhat dysfunctional familyRead MoreSummary : Claudius Drusus Germanicus 1716 Words   |  7 PagesLizzy Davis Shuler September 29, 2015 Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus AD 15 - AD 68 Nero was born on December 15, 37 ADto Cnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina and was named Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus. His father came from a well known patrician family (with a relative who had been consul in 192 BC) and his mother was the youngest daughter of Germanicus. He was taught from a young age by the Seneca and studied the typical Greek, philosophy and rhetoric of that age (Morgan 13). Clearly bornRead MoreConnections Between U.S. Presidents and Roman Emperors1112 Words   |  5 Pagesconnections though between leaders and their lives, positions, and their form of a kingdom? My goal is to find these connections between the United States’ current and former presidents, Barrack Obama and George W. Bush and two Roman emperors, Augustus and his great-grandson, Nero. After a 20-year period of transition from the republic and the assassination of Julius Caesar, Augustus returned to Rome forming an alliance with Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus known as the Second Triumvirate which led to theRead MoreJames Romm s Dying Every Day : Seneca At The Court Of Nero1381 Words   |  6 PagesJames Romm’s Dying Every Day: Seneca at the Court of Nero follows the life of the philosopher Seneca, tutor to one of Rome’s most famous emperors. Seneca was a philosopher with a strict moral code, yet he worked for and with Nero on many of his heinous acts, either out of fear, desire for political favor and power, or both. As Romm explains, Seneca is a complex character, and the sources we have to draw upon are not always in agreement. The puzzle for historians is to piece together Seneca’s ownRead MoreThe Roman Empire and Nero Essay944 Words   |  4 PagesThe Roman Empire and Nero It is the beginning of the first century A.D. Seneca, chief Roman tragic writer and philosopher in the time, who just came back from exile is summoned to the Roman emperors castle by the old emperor Claudius wife Julia Agrippina. He is assigned to tutor her son, Nero. Nero is a spoiled little twenty-year old fat freak hungry for gladiator-ism. He hates his step- father, Claudius for he always treats him as a good for nothing child, which he is. Where-from heRead MoreAgrippina Strengths And Weaknesses996 Words   |  4 Pagesdespised by many, including eventually her son - the Emperor Nero, who had her killed in the year 59 CE. Despite holding no official political status, and being limited by her gender, Agrippina reached unprecedented heights and helped stabilise the Claudius Regime, demonstrating her strength as a favourable force. Contrarily, her determination led to as unwillingness to perceive her perspective which was greatly harmful to her life and her legacy. The life of Agrippina the Younger, highlights very clearlyRead MoreThe Bad Emperors of Rome Essay1677 Words   |  7 PagesCaring, respectable, valued and honoured are all traits desirable of an emperor. Augustus encompassed all of these and went as far as restoring the Republic an government from its once fallen state, but this was all forgotten when Tiberius became emperor. Tiberius was corrupt by power and Rome began to live in an era of destruction. As well, the subsequent emperors, Caligula and Nero followed in the same path, portraying violence and negatively impacting the city of Rome. Their reign caused themRead MoreNero as the Antichrist Essay1040 Words   |  5 PagesNero as the Antichrist Nero was a mixture of megalomania, evil, and cruelty according to Roman historians as well as Jews and Christians. His sin of matricide and his claims of deity were major elements in his infamous reputation. Though modern Historians have tried to whitewash Nero and say that certain groups in Rome and other parts of the empire supported him, his name has become a synonym for tyrant and, for many, Antichrist. Nero was born in AD 37 on December 15 to Agrippina and GnaeusRead MoreThe Twelve Caesars As A Biography About Twelve Roman Empire1535 Words   |  7 Pages Suetonius wrote The Twelve Caesars as a biography about twelve Roman Caesars. This essay will compare and contrast two of them, Divus Julius and Nero. Even though the two men both became Emperors who ruled Rome, they could not have been more different. Both had certain authority and public powers during each of their reigns. Their lives were also scattered with times of virtue and scandal. This was a different time from today. Human behavior and morals played a significant role in those ruling over

Why has it been difficult to obtain peace in Northern Ireland Free Essays

string(136) " Unionists and Unionists will do likewise, it is very difficult for the people involved to forget the past and forgive their opponents\." There is a large variety of social, political and religious reasons why it has been hard to obtain peace in Northern Ireland; there have also been many events that occurred in Northern Ireland that seriously hindered peace progress talks. These are four events that seriously effect peace in Northern Ireland right up to the current day, the Civil Rights Movement, Bloody Sunday, Hunger Strikes and Peace Movements. All these events will be described in my piece of work, I will identify why they happened and who was involved. We will write a custom essay sample on Why has it been difficult to obtain peace in Northern Ireland? or any similar topic only for you Order Now I will also explain how a power sharing agreement took so long to be put into place because of the impact these events had on the prejudice between Catholic Nationalists and Protestant Unionists. The Civil Rights Movement was a series of Nationalist Catholic marches held between 1967 and 1972 in Northern Ireland, these marches were organised to protest against the discrimination Catholics faced at that time. This discrimination came in many forms for example Catholics found it harder to get houses and some families were on the waiting list for years while single Protestants were placed in homes before them. They also found it hard to get their children good education, or even get themselves a job because many employers would only take on Protestants. It even effected voting as not every Catholic was aloud to take part in the election campaign. So the Nationalist Catholics organised many marches demanding equal rights and to stop prejudice against them. Though these marches were organised with peaceful intent they often turned into mass riots and conflict between Catholic and Protestant civilians. Sometimes it was suspected terrorists had infiltrated peaceful marches and caused violence that often escalated into riots and these caused innocent people to get seriously injured. One of the most famous riots was the Battle of Bogside; this riot took place in Derry and lasted from 12-14 August 1969. The riot saw over five hundred women and children evacuated out of the area and caused over 1000 casualties. It was clear the Irish police and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) alone could not deal with mass violence on this scale so to try and stop the riots the British Government sent paratroopers in to try and obtain peace. The paratrooper’s main objective was to try and destroy the IRA which was quickly reforming. But many Irish people saw the paratroopers as occupational forces and because of this they where largely hated by Catholics. This led to a lot of tension in and around the country and even led to a slight collapse in the Northern Irish government as they only half met the demands of the people involved with the Civil Rights Movement. This caused uproar as Nationalist Catholics still felt discriminated against so they continued to act out violently in public protests, this lead to one of the most tragic days in the history of Northern Ireland, Bloody Sunday. Bloody Sunday was the 30th of January 1972, it began as a march Londonderry organised by the Civil Rights Movement to protest against internment. Internment began in 1971, this was a law passed by the British Government allowing suspected terrorist in Northern Ireland to be arrested and imprisoned without charge. Catholic Nationalist was strongly against internment as most of the people arrested where Catholic, when there where almost equal amounts of terrorist on both sides. Some of the Catholics that were imprisoned became subject to torture like lack of sleep, this lead to national outrage. Pre-organised marches at this point by British Government 15,000 Catholics still congregated in the middle of the city on the 30th of January 1972 and began a protest march. But later that day violence began as Catholics began to throw rocks and other objects at British paratroopers who responded by opening fire on a crowd of unarmed civilians and killed thirteen of them, some of which were shot in the back. This did not help the peace process at all; the nation was again outraged, the little trust between Nationalist and paratroopers had now been totally destroyed and the deaths of those thirteen civilians were considered murders, the people that died were considered martyrs to the Nationalist cause. This strengthened the IRA’s cause and they began to get funding and weaponry from other countries, such as the USA, they seemed to many to have proven their point that they needed to attack the Unionists and paratroopers and not just defend the Nationalist. It also affected power sharing talks between Nationalists and Unionists, Nationalist Catholics across the country saw the paratroopers as murders, and what added insult to injury was the fact that the paratroopers were not disciplined in any way for they had done, so hatred between Catholics and paratroopers and Catholics And Protestants (who by many were blamed for the deaths on Bloody Sunday) severely escalated. Catholics began to say there was no way they would ever share power with murderers, how could they ever trust the Government and Protestants to not make the same mistakes, how could they be sure there would not be a second event as catastrophic as Bloody Sunday, this meant any peace agreement between Nationalists and Unionists would be delayed. If one was put into place just after the Civil Rights Movement it would have lead to a national outrage as the hatred and violence between Nationalists and Protestants that many did not see peace as an option and many would refuse to stop the violence. The Civil Rights Movement and all its marches, including Bloody Sunday still have a big impact on peace today. Even though in 2007 a power sharing agreement was reached there is still a lot of prejudice and anger between the Nationalist and Unionist. Nationalists look back at events such as Bloody Sunday or the Battle of Bogside with hatred towards Unionists and Unionists will do likewise, it is very difficult for the people involved to forget the past and forgive their opponents. You read "Why has it been difficult to obtain peace in Northern Ireland?" in category "Papers" People still do not trust the British Government after the paratroopers murdered those thirteen men and this has made it difficult for the British Government to make any major decisions influencing Northern Ireland as they would widely be discredited and not accepted. Another factor that has made it difficult to obtain peace in Northern Ireland is the Hunger Strikes of 1980-1981. Members of the IRA that had been imprisoned were treated like everyday criminals, but they wanted to be recognised as prisoners of war. Prisoners of war were treated differently than normal prisoners, they got to wear there own clothes, aloud to organise their own activities in the prison, they would have freedom of association, they would serve less time for their crimes then a normal prisoner and they would not have to participate in prison work. The members of the IRA that were inside the prison believed they should be know as prisoners of war and get their privileges for a variety of reasons, for one they were jailed from a court without a jury, they felt the situation in Ireland was a war whether the Government would admit it or not and also members of the IRA that had been in the jail before them had these privileges but they were taken away as time progressed. But the British Government refused to grant them these privileges and did not allow them to be known as prisoners of war, this caused uproar with the IRA members that were imprisoned and other splinter groups. A while before the hunger strikes were put into place members of the IRA in the jail went on a thing known as the ‘Dirty Protest’ this is were prisoners would cover the walls of there cell with their own excrement, though it caused extra work for the prison workers and made the jail generally filthy it did not have a large effect on the outside world. It did not bring much attention to the prisoner’s situation and it was clear a larger demonstration would have to come to place to have a big enough impact to affect the outside world, the prisoners felt hunger strikes were the best way to achieve their goal. The leader of the very first hunger strikes was called Brendan Hughes, but he was not seen as a good leader at the time and made a vital mistake by calling the strike of when he thought the British Government would give in to their demands but they did not. So weeks after the first attempt at a hunger strike Bobby Sands took over as the leader and developed a plan were a new person would go on strike every week, this was so there would be roughly a death a week if the British Government did not give up to their demands, a death a week would have the ultimate shock factor on the public. Even when the hunger strikes began and Bobby Sands, who opted to be the first strikers, was about to die Margaret Thatcher refused to intervene, she did not want to admit to the situation in Northern Ireland as being a war and that meant not allowing the prisoners on strike to be know as prisoners of war, she also did consider there crimes any different as the crimes of the over prisoners, she famously declared ‘crime is crime is crime; it is not political. This sparked outrage across Northern Ireland as there was huge support for what Bobby Sands and the other hunger strikers were doing, such support that Bobby Sands was elected as an MP while he was starving in jail. When Booby Sands was announced dead May 5, 1981, he was aged 27 and was on strike 66 days, he was known as a martyr for the Nationalist cause and for the IRA. The national outcry that occurred after his death resulted in more people joining the IRA and a big increase in their activity. The British Government and Unionist were once again considered murderers by the majority of Nationalist people. Over 100,000 people attended Bobby Sands funeral, which was over one fifth the Catholics population in Northern Ireland at the time. The media coverage of Bobby Sands death sparked a wave of support and sympathy around the world for him, the other hunger strikers, and what the IRA were trying to achieve. There were huge protests on the street and violence around the country in support of what the strikers were doing. The Unionist and British response to the hunger strike was reactionary, they tried their best to stop the hunger strikes by trying to half meet the prisoners demands but they did not solve the root of the problem, the peoples pride and passion and their believe that they were correct. Eventually ten prisoners died as a result of the hunger strikes and the British Government proposed that prisoners from the IRA and other terrorist organisations were given many advantages that prisoners of war were given but they still had to participate in prison work and were not presented with the term prisoners of war. After the hunger strikes Margaret Thatcher boasted that that they had not cave in to the demands of the hunger strikers and it was a victory for the British Government. But the political effect of the hunger strikes was huge, the British government and what they stood for were resented hugely again by the Nationalist in Northern Ireland, people saw them as murders and lyres and with the events of Bloody Sunday still on peoples mind the British and Unionist were hated more then ever by Catholics. This effected peace in the long run as well power sharing was not accepted for so long because of events such as this and the passion behind them. Nationalist do not want to share power with the murders of one of there heroes Bobby Sands, and do not want to share power with people that they considered caused through there unfair democracy such violence and disorder in Northern Ireland for so many years, that caused so many lives to be lost. There have been many peace talks based around Northern Ireland over the years, most were to do with power sharing but many broke down because of events like the Civil Rights Movement and hunger strikes. The first major peace talk was the 1973-1974 power sharing executive; this was agreed between the major political parties and William Whitelaw the Northern Ireland secretary. The power sharing executive, known as the Sunningdale Agreement, suggested that a new power sharing assembly was elected to govern Northern Ireland and that a power sharing executive represented the main political parties and guaranteed to share power between the Republic and Northern Ireland. Although this agreement was well received by most parties, the DUP opposed the agreement and refused to join. A general strike was organised in May 1974 by the Unionist Ulster workers council brought Northern Ireland to a halt. This caused the power sharing executive to resign and as a result of this direct rule from Westminster returned, the Sunningdale Agreement had failed. The next attempted peace agreement was the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement; this was between Margaret Thatcher and the Irish Taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald. They agreed to an intergovernmental conference that would be held regularly, they would keep cross border co-operation on political legal and security matters, the British Government accepted the possibility of a united Ireland in the future, but only if the majority of Northern Ireland consented and the Republic of Ireland accepted the existence of partition and the principle of consent. Nationalist across Northern Ireland were divided in their reactions, the SDLP saw it as a big chance for progress but Sinn Fein saw it as enforced partition and did not approve. Unionist resented this agreement and would not coincided with what it was saying, big strikes and demonstrations followed the release of the Anglo-Irish Agreement and the violence of the people and paramilitaries was worse then ever, the agreement had little effect and therefore failed. One of the most major peace talks was the 1998 Good Friday Agreement; also know as the Belfast Agreement. It was signed in Belfast in April 1998 by the British and Irish governments and was approved by most Northern Ireland parties, the only major party to disapprove of the agreement was the DUP. It was though approved by most of the voters of Northern and the Republic of Ireland. The final Agreement was posted to every household in Northern Ireland and put to a vote in May it included plans for a Northern Ireland assembly with a power sharing executive and new cross border structures involving the Republic of Ireland. There were also controversial plans on paramilitary’s giving up their weapons and the early release of paramilitary prisoners. A vote was also held in the Irish Republic, the result was staggering with 71% of people in Northern Ireland and 94% in the Republic voted that the agreement should be accepted. Throughout the first three years of the agreement, Unionists said the Government and major Nationalist parties were failing to live back up the rule for decommissioning of arms, as many paramilitaries such as the IRA were simply not handing over their guns. Moreover, Sinn Fein said the British Government did not demilitarise quickly enough, they stated they could not force anyone to give up arms and that the agreement only stated that the parties should use all their power to make paramilitary’s give up their guns, they had discovered a bit of a loophole and arguments quickly started. Eventually after much debating a power sharing agreement has been signed recently in 2007 that the Republic and Northern Ireland are both happy to consent to, it took so long to come to a power sharing agreement that all parties are happy with because of all the complications along the way, a lot of these from the ‘battles’ Unionists and Nationalist have fort with one another down the years, this caused a lot of hate and prejudice between Catholics and Protestants which lead to events such as Bloody Sunday and the hunger strikes that represented what the Irish people stood for at the time and there pure passion for what they believed in. All these events left such an aftermath that people would not consent to any peace agreements or power sharing until the situation had cooled down, we can only hope that the 2007 agreement brings peace to a troubled Northern Ireland and the civilians that live there. But will the peace last, and will all the political parties and paramilitaries be able to keep peace and settle down, we can only wait and see what the future holds for Northern Ireland. How to cite Why has it been difficult to obtain peace in Northern Ireland?, Papers

Kate Chopins Literary Works free essay sample

An analysis of the books, The Storm and The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin. This paper discusses two literary works by Kate Chopin The Storm and The Story of an Hour. The paper explains how Chopin has vented her sexuality through the main characters in these two books, Calixta and Louise. The paper shows how she made her personal views on sexuality public, while at that time no woman could do so; how she steered forward if not directly then indirectly with the help of Calixta and Louise. Kate Chopins The Stormand The Story of an Hour constitute honored literature as her view points depict thinking far ahead of time. As she constructs in depth the story she reveals to the world different aspects that culminated in the society then, and how the sexes reacted to it. Abstaining from unrealistic approach, she limited herself to the developing field of human emotions and the trial they may stand or result as a consequence of one. We will write a custom essay sample on Kate Chopins Literary Works or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

Words Essay Example For Students

Words Essay WORDSthe ones we continuouslymisuse and confuseLuke BobekFinal PaperSemantics04/25/00Why write a paper on some obscure and complicated subject that you wont remember what you wrote two days after you turn the paper in? All that time on the computer and in the library finding information on something you are interested in only because of a grade. Then say you put in fifteen hours in on a paper and you get a C, you feel like you wasted your time. Well, Ive decided to write this paper on something that really caught my attention, something I that really interested me. While I was researching my previous topic for this paper, Language in Advertising and the Psychology Behind It, I came across a web site dedicated to commonly confused words. After reading a few I felt really stupid because I didnt know the difference between a number of the sets of words. I then went on a hunt for other sites that featured commonly confused words, and I found a ton. I decided to ditch the old topic and wr ite the paper on commonly confused words. It subject relates to the course and intrigues me. Ive compiled a list of the most commonly confused words which starts on the next page. We will write a custom essay on Words specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now 1) Affect / EffectAffect is a verb meaning ? to influence or change.?Effect is usually a noun meaning ? result.? (3)2) Accuracy / PrecisionAccuracy is the agreement between the true value and the result obtained by the measurement. Precision is the agreement among repeated measurements of the same quantity. (1)3) Alright / All rightAlright is not a word. All right is two words. (1)4) Allusion / IllusionAllusion is a noun that means an indirect response. Illusion is a noun that means a misconception. (4)5) Amusement Park / Theme ParkAn amusement park is where people go to have fun with food, rides, and shows. A theme park is an amusement park with a theme, a subject that everything in the park has in common. (4)6) Alternate / AlternativeAlternate is to occur in successive turns; first one, then the other. Alternative means substitute or second choice. (1)7) Assure / Insure / EnsureAssure means to convince or to guarantee. Ensure means to make certain or make sure. Insure means to guard against loss. * Assure and ensure are often used interchangeably, yet they have to different meanings. You assure someone that something has been done. You ensure that something has been done. (1)8) Besides / BesideBesides is an adverb that mean also. Beside is a preposition that means next to. (2)9) Bimonthly / SemimonthlyBimonthly is an adjective that means every two months. Semimonthly means twice a month. (2)10) Cement / ConcreteCement is the powder in the bag that is used to make concrete. (1)Concrete is the substance made from cement, water, sand and gravel. 11) Cite / SiteCite is a verb that means to quote as an authority or example. Site is a noun meaning location. (2)12) Cologne / PerfumeCologne is a scented liquid made from alcohol and fragrant oils. Perfume is a quickly evaporating scented oil either obtained from flowers or manmade. (1)13) Complement / ComplimentComplement is a noun or verb that means something that completes or makes up a whole. Compliment is a noun or verb that means an expression of praise or admiration. (3)14) Connote / DenoteConnote is a verb that means to imply or suggest. Denote is a verb that means to indicate or refer to specifically. (4)15) Continual / ContinuousContinual means to be repeated regularly and frequently. (3)Continuous means to be extended or prolonged without interruption. 16) Dinner / SupperA dinner is always the main meal of the day, whether it is eaten at noon or in the evening. .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd , .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd .postImageUrl , .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd , .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd:hover , .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd:visited , .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd:active { border:0!important; } .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd:active , .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uce9853548ed31870d1d68d892d5b99fd:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: George Meade EssayA supper is eaten only in the evening whether it is a large or small meal. (4)17) Discreet / DiscreteDiscreet means prudent, circumspect, or modest. Discrete means separately or individually distinct. (4)18) Disinterested / UninterestedDisinterested means unbiased or impartial. Uninterested means not interested or indifferent. (3)19) Dough / BatterDough is a thick mixture of flour, liquid, and other ingredients that is usually rolled or shaped into bread and other baked goods. Batter is a thinner mixture than dough and is made of flour and liquid. (4)20) Envy / JealousyEnvy is the desire to have something that another person has and the feelings of resentment or unhappiness at the persons having it. Jealousy is like envy but includes suspicion and competition. (2)21) Elicit / IllicitElicit is a verb meaning to bring out or evoke. Illicit is an adjective meaning unlawful. (3)22) Eminent / ImminentEminent means outstanding or distinguished. Imminent means expressed directly or clearly defined. (3)23) Explicit / ImplicitExplicit means expressed directly or clearly defined. Implicit means implied, unstated. (3)24) Farther / FurtherFarther is an adjective and adverb that means to or at a more distant point. Further means to or at a greater extent or degree, also in addition or moreover. (1)25) Figuratively / LiterallyFiguratively means metaphorically or symbolically. Literally means word for word or according to the exact meaning of words. (4)26) Flack / FlakFlack is a pejorative word for someone engaged in public relations. Flak is anti-aircraft fire. (1)27) Flair / Flare A flare is a bright light. Flair has come to mean a talent, aptitude or knack. (1)28) Imply / InferImply means to suggest or state indirectly. Infer means to draw a conclusion. (3)29) Information / KnowledgeInformation is a known fact about something or someone. Knowledge means having information and understanding it through experience. (4)30) Loath / LoatheLoath is reluctant. Loathe means to despise. (1)31) Melody / TuneA melody is a group of notes in a certain order that results in a sweet agreeable sound. A tune is an easily remembered melody. (4)32) Peak / PiqueA peak is the highest point of something. Pique is resentment or arousal or provocation. (2)33) Part / PortionA part is something that has been divided, when all parts are put together , they equal a whole. A portion is a share or part used or given in a specific way. (4)34) Passport / VisaA passport is a document, usually a booklet, that states a persons official identity and citizenship and allows that person to visit another country. A visa is stamped on a passport. It shows that the passport has been examined by officials of a country and permits enter into that country. (4)35) Soap / DetergentSoap is a cleansing agent that comes from natural fats and oils. Detergent is a cleansing agent that is usually made from synthetic, or manmade products. (4)When we talk about the hidden meanings that words can have an they emotions they bring out, I think we have to stop and ask ourselves if we really know what the word was intended to mean. We have to re-educate ourselves of the basics before we can dig ant deeper. After doing the research and pulling all of this together I realized how ignorant I was to some words, everyday words that everyone should know. The basics are complicated, is it worth it do dig deeper and deeper searching for some crazy connection between things and words and life? I dont know. All I know is communication seems pretty easy until you learn more and more, then you feel like an idiot for not knowing then what you know now and wonder if other people knew then what you know now. Sources1* Definitions have numbers at the end of each definition to acknowledge the proper source. The numbers are 1,2,3, and 4- as above. Bibliography) www.pnl.gov/ag/usage/confuse.html2) www.copydesk.org/editorsink/c.htm3) www.academics.smcvt.edu/writingctr/commonly.htm4) www.kids.infoplease.lycos.com

October sky essays

October sky essays October sky is 108 minutes long. The main character in this movie is Homer Hickam and his parents John and Elsie. His friends Quentin, Roy Lee, and ODell and his teacher miss Riley also serve a major roll in this movie as for they are his moral and support that keep him with his goals. The movie takes place in a small mining town in West Virginia. Four boys design and build a rocket that they enter into the county science fair. They then will a spot in the national science fair and Homer is appointed by the group to represent them in Indianapolis. They win first place and all four of them receive scholarships and later graduate from college. Homer decides he does not want to work in the coal mine like everyone else. He wants to go to college and get out of this mining town. His opportunity arrives when a teaches informs them that they could win a scholarship by winning the national science fair. Homer and his friends work hard so that they will be good competition at the fair. Him and his three friends work hard so they are able to reach their goals. Homer had the highest standards. He wanted to get out of that mining town so bad he actually defies his dad by building another rocket. He had to make many tough decisions, but he had a passion for what he wanted. He was only able to get what he wanted because his standards were so much higher than anyone elses in the town. The four of the boys are faced with a conflict when they are accused of starting a forest fire. In stead of becoming angry and making the situation worse, they find a solution. Homer, using the book Miss Riley gave to him, finds a calculus equation that shows that their rocket could only have traveled at the farthest a mile and a half. The fire was started over three miles away and it was later discovered that it was caused by a flare. They are the able to start building their rockets again. From this video I have learne...

Social Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Social Media - Essay Example Social media in businessBusiness executives use social media in advertising, networking, and marketing via blogs. Company and products adverts on social sites to target customers who frequently use the social sites. Customers communicate with the company via these social sites in a less formal way. Users can get good business deals and ideas from their friends who are on the social networks as they interact.Many political blogs responding to mainstream news released via radios or TVs are now available in the social media. They are also using the social media to campaign for elections at the grassroots or national level. The uprising and ousting of political leaders in the northern-Africa Islamic countries were made possible by social site.Social media used in educationSocial media subscriptions can provide homework assignments, assigning reading materials thus enhancing e-learning and up-to-date information. Social media has enabled students to carry out projects beyond individual ca pabilities together.Social media in entertainmentiPhones and blackberries equally contain music and games for entertainment. Some social sites such as MySpace are entertainment oriented. TVs are also playing different genres of music for entertainment.Social media for charitable activitiesDonations to the Haiti earthquake via the social media were overwhelming. Social media is also used in delivering source news. Social media has specifically provided news to millions of people.

Experimentation, Research and Consent for Ethics in Healthcare class Essay - 1

Experimentation, Research and Consent for Ethics in Healthcare class - Essay Example The next question which was raised to importance was when there was no such statement and there existed conflicting interest between the guardians of the patient then whose say would hold importance, that of the spouse or the parents? Along with these two questions, when the media got active a third conflict arose, regarding the rights of the disabled, whether their condition could be misconstrued to be an accent against pro life treatment? The hype was addressed by the then President of the US by passing a bipartisan Bill via which he had invalidated the ruling of the state judge by passing the matter to the federal courts. The reason why this was done was because it was felt by the Senate and the House of Representatives who had passed the Bill that the matter involved Terri’s Constitutional rights.1 The biggest conflict which came into being was also regarding the case being a right to die case or the disability rights case! But life cannot be charted into black and white words, and that’s what public opinion forced the courts to consider-ethical questions. Every person has the right to choose against medical treatment, against any sort of bodily intrusion. Then there is the right to life and personal liberty in contrast to the state’s right of preserving health and its duty to not allow people to commit suicide. This is called the duty of the state to maintain the sanctity of life. To add to this debate, many argued that the basic provision of food and water should not be removed as it is not covered within the ambit of medical treatment and as such law regarding the medical perspective could not guide removal of pipes which ensured regular basic nutrition. The third issue that was raised was whether a doctor is capable to decide on the issue about a miraculous breakthrough in a patient’s condition, especially when the same is steady if not improving. On removal of medicines which reduce

Assess why government intervention to ensure equlity of opportunity Thesis

Assess why government intervention to ensure equlity of opportunity was historically necessary to correct tremendous injustices - Thesis Example The policy of slavery could only be cured by the policy of civil rights to rectify the injustice of what it is to live in a country without having the rights of citizenship. Where social structures fail, it is the responsibility of the government to lead the people out of the darkness of immoral and unethical behavior. According to Spalding (2007) â€Å"John Adams opposed slavery his entire life as a "foul contagion in the human character" and "an evil of colossal magnitude." James Madison called it "the most oppressive dominion ever exercised by man over man†. Many of those in the beginnings of the country who helped to shape its ideology did not agree with the idea of oppressing people. The idea of breaking from European structures of law that denied some while allowing corruption to flourish and enhance the lives of the elite was a defining element of creating the New World. The idea that slavery was a part of this New World was incongruous to the ideas upon which the nation was being built. This is not an opinion that is universal and there are those that believe that the practice of slavery in the United States was merely a continuation of economic policies that had existed since ancient times. There is some truth to this assertion, but the opinion asserted by D’Souza takes the argument too far. D’Souza (1995) suggests that the idea that grew within the United States was subversive and expresses an undeserved disgust with the concept of slavery suggests that slavery should still be an accepted idea. What should be recognized is that a heinous practice that had been a part of many cultures across the world was finally identified for its inhumanity as the ideologies of the United States began to influence it and other cultures to change the perception of slavery. Whether we turn to the declarations of the past, or to the professions of the present, the conduct of the nation seems equally hideous and revolting. America is false to the

Concepts of Censorship

Concepts of Censorship Censorship There are different types of freedoms or forms of liberations that everyone needs to be able to feel comfortable and accommodated in our society. The intellectual freedom is the right of each individual to access information that is; both receiving and in pursuit exclusive of any restriction or containment. Free expression of ideas at all angles can be termed as intellectual liberty. Most of our democratic communities are supposed to present this liberty for, it is the foundation of social equality and this must comprise the right to posses, obtain and distribute thoughts. Censorship is the control of informatory materials that are seen to be of great threat, dangerous or might bring fierce public debate to a society, a nation or even international. The main information materials censored are films, books, videos and art works which are detached or reserved from free public access. Restraint of materials can also be based on definite audiences depending on age limitations or other distinctiveness. There are certain organizations or individuals that might advocate for the society or children in particular that might be at risk of certain immoralities. Many democracies however have put in place clear regulations stating that; every one has a freedom to read, write, view and express. The library personnel must forever be enthusiastic to edit supplies, for their focal concern is to protect the public from unethical resources. When another person shares out his arguments it is very vital to be considered but not forgetting the other side’s opinion must not be taken for granted and be secluded. The word censorship comes from the Latin word censor, which was an occupation of two Romans whose task was to oversee civic behavior and ethics, consequently monitoring the way inhabitant acted.The act of censorship differs from one material to another. There are many things that we come across, in our every day lives; these could be in books, televisions, radios, the internet and many more. Censorship is believed to be with human since time immemorial and cannot be extricated .Censorship can be traced back from the ancient communities like ancient Rome, Greece and China, where it is believed that around the year 300AD,this was passed as a valid law for checking ethical conducts and opinions of the inhabitants. One of the most remembered historical saga on censorship was in the ancient Greece when Socrates was forced to take poison in the year 399BC for admitting of his involving the young in dishonesty and untraditional divinity.This antique view of suppression, as a compassionate civic check in the most excellent concern of the public, is still in use by many nations in the world and it has along eternal impact on the Soviet Union, for the leaders used censorship for the greatest durable time ever recorded in the 20th century. Censorship as containment has diverse complications, with some censorships targeting matters seen to be filthy or indecent; unorthodox or sacrilegious; treasonable or profane. In consequence, the main aim generally for this art in our societies is to restrain and conceal beneath the disguise of defending the main fundamental public amenities that is; the State, families and churches. For full grasp of censorship, and the desire to censor, it is indispensable to shred away the astonish appellation importance that is emotionally involved to the remark at first declaration. One must be familiar with that suppression and the philosophy behind it goes back to prehistoric period, and that each culture has had mores, norms and rules by which dialogue, clothing, spiritual execution, and sexual appearance were synchronized. As we go back to Ancient Rome, where autonomy of idiom was reticent for those in power and that resulted in writers of subversive articles ruthlessly dealt with, especially Nero the emperor, is in records after setting ablaze books and even expelling many authors. Clear evidence shows that the art of repression has great hereditary from the first democratic state of Greece. Plato was the initial philosopher to devise a validation for academic, spiritual, and creative expurgation that projected any that; unconventional ideas concerning God henceforth taken as criminal acts and that proper trial is recognized to contain profanation. Tales being narrated to children by their mothers could be censored. In our modern world, there are different types of censorships carried out simultaneously, and these are moral, Political, religious, military and corporate censorships (Hellin et al 1986). Religious Censorship The religion censorship actually suppresses the free views that might go against the teachings of the church. It is habitually performed on the foundation of blasphemy, and one known example is that of the author of satanic verses, who was condemned to die by the late Iranian head, Ayatollah .Religious censorship is one of the most responsive parts in both ancient and current censorships and involves some of the most influential denominations enforcing limitations on the lesser ones shunning the progress of the other when feel endangered. It is believed that expression of thoughts candidly was posing a great menace to some Christian and church rulers, following the era of Protestantism and the innovation of printing press, this catapulted both the Catholic Church and the protestant to wage a great war on each other and prompted the Roman church to stiffen censorship on many books that were seen to be ideologically unsafe. In the year1559, Pope Paul IV outlawed some books, which were later carried forward by many of other succeeding popes until later dates. Up this time, there are some books and teachings, which are censored before being allowed to a particular church or denomination. Moral censorship The moral censorship is entirely for family and society interest. There are materials that must be censored before being released to public for children’s’ safety .Prohibition of pornographic and violent film materials are some of the best examples that forces moral censorship to take stage. The US, is complimentary and independent civilization, where freedom of expression is tolerated but some issues concerning censorship especially the Internet freedom has degenerated to a heated debate. Entrance category of substance, made by a governing ability or its legislative body. In conventional documentation surroundings of a library it is very likely to monitor instructional and library media resources foregoing to use by subjecting all such supplies to a sensible assortment criterion, but concerning the Internet it is proving to be tough. Indeed, it is significant to supply affluent materials to scholars and to formulate that in sequence presented is not opposing or else distasteful in scenery. For these grounds,  teachers are accountable to widen the skills essential to examine and appraise assets found on the Internet. It has been established that many children in recent days are accessing the internet, making friends, chatting about social issues meeting adults and their fellow kids. The Internet connection clasp vast information that covers from education to sex related articles that are very awkward for kids to access. Many parents have argued if there could be law that guard children from the Intrenet.The issue of kids accessing the Internet are some of the gains that censorships can deliver. Even though it is unkind to deny our kids their rights but at times when need be, restrictions must be carried out. Indeed this matter must be addressed tactfully, for the Internet can act as an educational library and is helpful to our kids. Political Censorship The suppression, of information that are channeled by a state to a particular news bulletins conduit after trying to cover something ,deforming to give another meaning or fabrication of ideas to conceal the plain truth from the public ,is regarded as censorship of politics. This could be also restraining some views that are contrary to the ruling government. Obviously, the government of the day has every machinery at its disposal to dismantle any civil disobedience. It has the military, the police the secret agents that must make sure compliancy to any directives. This is where political censorship can come in, to repress the opposition. Many governments can even hire reporters to scuttle some grave propaganda among its people to deter the public from the truth of the matter. In the Soviet Union, there was no autonomous journalism that was allowed, until president Gorbachev ascended to power. The communist government only was to release information or its affiliate organization. There was only one newspaper that monopolized the media space.Howerver overseas newspapers that were ultimately allowed supported the regime. Television and radio stations were always under the control of the communists. Foreign broadcasters who were never supportive to the government in any nature found there stations disabled at times. These acts of suppression faded away after the fall of the communists. China still has ideologies of communism and is said to be employing Internet observers of around 30,000 personnel just to monitor the electronic coverage. During the reign of Mussolini, press freedom almost came to an extinct. There was great persistence put in place to fully check the media. The authorities frequently raided journalists and even closing down some of their premises. The Jews were never allowed to publish any paper even journalism was a nightmare to them. South Africa also suffered massively under the apartheid regime whereby a law was introduced to veto any individuals that were against the government, once you were confirmed banned there was no way any newspaper could carry your story or views.Saddam of Iraq also directed the censorship of all press materials. Another Arabic country that is regarded as mainly tyrannical concerning the freedom of expression is Syria. The human rights organizations have been seen in the front line to criticize the government on opinio nated detentions and arrests. The foremost obstruction is the inability to afford the Internet services and the ultimate suppression from the government censorship bodies. In accumulation to maintaining rigid control of service providers, state imposes economic and technological constraints to the users of the Internet (Vaughn et al 1980) Military censorship This can never be overlooked and its history dates back from the first and second world wars. The military intelligence was vital and crucial for any army to succeed in a battle. There were some secrets and strategies of war that were to be practical in keeping ahead of the opponent, and were applied especially when spying on the next move. The Indian troops of the year 1914 were some of the victims of the forces scrutiny in famous western front. There was consistent scrutiny of mails by a band of censors that was instructed to compile seven-day information that commented on the contents of the letters. Several individual letters were collected and then translated. They were containing enclosed names of the sender rank and religion .Many of the soldiers were not educated, and that meant in residing to others for writing of the letters. They were enlisted from the countryside where e education was inadequate. For that reason, they had a frantic time of identifying the corporation clerks who were to write the outgoing and to read the incoming mails. They later found out that the authority was censoring their mails and this prompted some of the soldiers who were educated to change writing tactics. The censors who were intelligent managed to decipher most of the mails written in oblique idiom revealing of their horrors. The US Military censorship was uncommon in the early democracy due to the archaic lines of communications in the forces operation areas. Information received from the facade was never valued for more than a week. When the media fraternity became more complex in later centuries, there was need for scrutiny from the military measures. Telegraphic lines were federalized during the civil war era and this was due antagonism correspondents, that the authority wanted to suppress. The civic demand for current updates piloted the tough contest for the reporters and this saw proficiency in professionalism .Indeed many uncensored news reported were mostly fake, but tolerance was deployed for the authority new, some traces of intelligence could be seen to influence civil opinion. The American war with the Spanish had several efforts of censorship thwarted after a vast logistical failure to conceal violence inflicted by the American troops. The American government also commanded the exchanges from transatlantic that included correspond by mail and the line cable. The information from the entire media fraternity, were subjected to strict cencorship.When the World WarII started, the US government in 1941, had a censor office that scrutinized all the out going and the in coming mails, that most of them had pictures of wounded soldiers and were never wanted to be seen publicly and it was seen these were matters of national interest. Many reporters had to concur and with strict regulations ended up performing individual censorship to avoid victimization. The Vietnam conflict experienced comparatively cordial bond flanked by the forces and the journalists. Incomplete in their aptitude to confine in sequence lacking an affirmation of war, the administration had to pass to the press practically unfettered admission to the combat zone. When the Americans invaded the gulf region, it was certainly, fair giving little restrictions Corporate Censorships The application of negative ideologies to corporate sector has greatly impacted on some victims of corporate suppression to being edged out and rejected to vend merchandise, denial to publicize or airtime defiance has been experienced in the recent years especially in America. Many articles have been denied circulation by corporate bodies in view of tarnishing the media fraternity fearing loses or impeachment. Sports and film bodies have also suffered silently at the mercy of the corporate censorships. Broadminded favoritism in the media is frequent idea to be the result of moderate doctrine and ideas influencing the reporting or variety of news stories. Conformist critics of the media argue that bias exists inside a broad assortment of media channels together with set of connections reports. A survey carried out by an independent body found out that, reporters at state media outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and the broadcast networks, mostly are Democratic voters whose attitudes were well left to the universal community on a selection of topics, counting on social issues such as abortion, positive action, and gay rights. The interviewers recognized their way of expressing some of the debatable matters involving security of nuclear supremacy, school busing to encourage ethnic combination, and the1970s power calamity .their conclusion was that the writers reporting of divisive issues were their own opinions. Obtainable tilt as a mostly insensible procedure of concurring persons analytical on their collective assumptions onto their interpretations of actuality. In assurance, this doomed that information houses engaged principally one party would fabricate equally slanted perception headed for the prejudiced bearing (Sweeney et al 2001).Significantly and disconcerting swing may be mounting concerning the way legislators standardize the media many countries of the world particularly African governments are out to mug the media especially those radio stations broadcasting in ethnic languages, who are always threatened to closure for their oppressors believe they are perpetuating cultural hatred. In one intellect, the dispute for censorship equality is prevailing. Main concern is the menace of incompetent and unprofessional censorship still lurks with the increasing junction of media providers and modern technologies. Expectations are high that established broadcasters will strengthen their fight for the appropriate delivery quality of services to their customers even though, anxiety that is more dictatorial is still being asserted to these classified operators. Nevertheless, certain protections from the law are needed while chances are high that current situations shall be put to rest. General public attitude to recent days can be quantified as saying that in many countries across every diverse sections of expansion, it has never been that easy for immediate custodians of children that is; parents to keep an extra close eye on their kids. It is believed that most frequently censored materials are books, for the majority of them are have many offensive mechanism mainly politics, gender or sexuality cultural background, religious values, or sac rilegious articles or rebellious and might not be appropriate for the children, hence need to be censored. The educational facilities especially libraries are the most vital treasures in any society that value education. They are therefore charged with the full responsibility to both public more so to the children who at no time are required to access any material that might generate a negative attitude, towards their development and later service to the community at large. Censorship as many say could be the restriction of ideas and expressions, but to look at the issue summarily, there specific questions that must be addressed and put back to their order of sequence. It is clear that no parent will allow any kid to pop in the library and come out with a book containing of violent scenes, sexuality, or with a book that actually endorses witch craft or ethnicity. Each an everyone has a great task of ensuring that this general assignment provided by nature be accomplished in the best method applicable. Many hurdles are encountered because strong opposition is met during the removal of unwanted materials that are regarded as risky. Nevertheless, the real victims here are the public. American Library Bill, First Amendment is violated when the removal of books is carried out and actually brings controversial dispute, for people see it as a violation of the act. The subject of restriction of books in schools is sensitively charged, but having known the consequences is always necessary to avoid confrontational issues. When one considers reading any luminous manuscript, shows that we think autonomy of idiom is precious, we must be able to distinguish and crusade about its most composite and vital limits. The culture of censorship must go on but it must be done both morally and professionally. For the librarians they must be prepared for any resistance from various stakeholders because, they might be victimized for avoiding to purchase other uncensored books hence, be seen, as an economic sabotage. It is a collective responsibility for the parents to also confer with the librarians to advice on any materials that are best for our children. For the exposure of uncensored materials might be harmful to the society; and our kids in particular are the most targeted .Definitely it is important for the libraries to have censored books and educational materials, because the benefits out weigh the disadvantages. References Dinton, Robarte k (1991), Middle East war: Westport, Connecticut. Hellion, Danielle C (1985) world wars: the Media and Vietnam. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986. Knightly, Philip J (1975) the First Casualty: From the Crimea to Vietnam: The War Correspondent, New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Vaughn, Stephen E (1980) Holding Fast the Inner Lines: Democracy Committee on Public Information. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, Sweeney, Michael S. (2000) victory secrets: Censorship and the American Press and Radio in World War II. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.

Educational Goals and Philosophy :: Education Teaching Careers Essays

Educational Goals and Philosophy In this day in age, opposing views and philosophies are emerging in the public school systems quicker that we can really develop a thorough understand and sound, sturdy opinion of them. As an educator, I believe it is important to be supportive and open-minded for the students. My concern is not only for the students’ education, but also their personal well being and emotions. Every student is raised differently, with beliefs and morals that may oppose the beliefs of their fellow students and teachers, as well as other members of their community. These students should not feel segregated or suffer from the harsh words and acts of others that may disagree with their views. My job is to secure the feelings of each student and to help them realize that this is one of life’s lessons and that they should face the world with an open mind and warm heart. These ideas represent my own personal beliefs. After reviewing the several different philosophies discussed in my education class, I have come to realize that I do not believe in one particular philosophy. I agree with several aspects of each of the different philosophies that are prominent in our nation’s schools. My classroom is going to be a positive learning environment and a comfortable, welcoming setting for all of my students. To be a great teacher, I need to be able to understand where my students are coming from when they express their concerns or show signs of confusion, pain, or any other behaviors that do not correspond with their personality. I want to know my students on an individual basis where I can have a loving, caring, understanding and open relationship with them and still gain their respect for me as an educator. The teachers that remain in my memory the most where the ones that thoroughly taught their lessons and strived to help each individual student understand the material and work to their fullest potential. These teachers were also the ones who expressed the most care and love for their students. They worked to develop a strong bond with each individual student so that they may feel secure and comfortable in their classroom, knowing that if they ever needed any help or support, their teacher was always the one they could turn to for guidance.

The Art of War

Sun-Tzu Wu is the reputed author of the Chinese classic Ping-fa (The Art of War), written approximately 475-221 B. C. Penned at a time when China was divided into six or seven states that often resorted to war with each other in their struggles for supremacy, it is a systematic guide to strategy and tactics for rulers and commanders. In doing business on the Internet during this time of rampant computer viruses and hacker attacks it may be wise for us to follow some of his tactical principles in order to insure the safety of ourselves and our future clients. Know your enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated. When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are sure to be defeated in every battle. In a chilling article entitled Big Brother is Watching Bob Sullivan of MSNBC recounts a tale during a recent visit to London: Only moments after stepping into the Webshack Internet cafe in London†s Soho neighborhood, â€Å"Mark† asked me what I thought of George W. Bush and Al Gore. â€Å"I wouldn†t want Bush running things,† he said. â€Å"Because he can†t run his Web site.† Then he showed me a variety of ways to hack Bush†s Web sites. That was just the beginning of a far-reaching chat during which the group nearly convinced me Big Brother is in fact here in London. â€Å"I don†t know if he can run the free world,† Mark said. â€Å"He can†t keep the Texas banking system computers secure. So-called â€Å"2600† clubs are a kind of hacker â€Å"boy scout† organization – there are local 2600 chapters all around the globe. It is in this environment, and this mindset, that London†s hackers do their work. They do not analyze computer systems and learn how to break them out of spite, or some childish need to destroy: Mark and friends see themselves as merely accumulating knowledge that could be used in self-defense if necessary. They are the citizen†s militia, the Freedom Fighters of the Information Age, trying to stay one step ahead of technology that could one day be turned against them. Jon-K Adams in his treatise entitled Hacker Ideology (aka Hacking Freedom) states that hackers have been called both techno-revolutionaries and heroes of the computer revolution. Hacking â€Å"has become a cultural icon about decentralized power.† But for all that, hackers are reluctant rebels. They prefer to fight with code than with words. And they would rather appear on the net than at a news conference. Status in the hacker world cannot be granted by the general public: it takes a hacker to know and appreciate a hacker. That's part of the hacker's revolutionary reluctance; the other part is the news media's slant toward sensationalism, such as, â€Å"A cyberspace dragnet snared fugitive hacker.† The public tends to think of hacking as synonymous with computer crime, with breaking into computers and stealing and destroying valuable data. As a result of this tabloid mentality, the hacker attempts to fade into the digital world, where he-and it is almost always he-has a place if not a! In his self-conception, the hacker is not a criminal, but rather a â€Å"person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and how to stretch their capabilities.† Which means that he is not necessarily a computer geek. The hacker defines himself in terms that extend beyond the computer, as an â€Å"expert or enthusiast of any kind. One might be an astronomy hacker† (Jargon File). So in the broadest sense of his self-conception, the hacker hacks knowledge; he wants to know how things work, and the computer-the prototypical programmable system-simply offers more complexity and possibility, and thus more fascination, than most other things. >From this perspective, hacking appears to be a harmless if nerdish enthusiasm. But at the same time, this seemingly innocent enthusiasm is animated by an ideology that leads to a conflict with civil authority. The hacker is motivated by the belief that the search for knowledge is an end in itself and should be unrestricted. But invariably, when a hacker explores programmable systems, he encounters barriers that bureaucracies impose in the name of security. For the hacker, these security measures become arbitrary limits placed on his exploration, or in cases that often lead to confrontation, they become the focus of further explorations: for the hacker, security measures simply represent a more challenging programmable system. As a result, when a hacker explores such systems, he hacks knowledge, but ideologically he hacks the freedom to access knowledge. Political hackers are another group considering themselves modern freedom fighters. â€Å"Hacktivists† have officially moved from nerdish extremists to become the political protest visionaries of the digital age, a meeting at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London was told on Thursday. Paul Mobbs, an experienced Internet activist and anti-capitalist protestor, will tell attendees that the techniques used by politically minded computer hackers — from jamming corporate networks and sending email viruses to defacing Web sites — has moved into the realm of political campaigning. Mobbs says that the term â€Å"Hacktivism† has been adopted by so many different groups, from peaceful Net campaigners to Internet hate groups, that it is essentially meaningless, but claims that Internet protest is here to stay. â€Å"It has a place, whether people like it or not,† says Mobbs. Steve Mizrach in his 1997 dissertation entitled Is there a Hacker Ethic for 90s Hackers? delves into this subject in great detail. He describes the divergent groups of hackers and explains their modus operandi: I define the computer underground as members of the following six groups. Sometimes I refer to the CU as â€Å"90s hackers† or â€Å"new hackers,† as opposed to old hackers, who are hackers (old sense of the term) from the 60s who subscribed to the original Hacker Ethic.  § Hackers (Crackers, system intruders) – These are people who attempt to penetrate security systems on remote computers. This is the new sense of the term, whereas the old sense of the term simply referred to a person who was capable of creating hacks, or elegant, unusual, and unexpected uses of technology. Typical magazines (both print and online) read by hackers include 2600 and Iron Feather Journal.  § Phreaks (Phone Phreakers, Blue Boxers) – These are people who attempt to use technology to explore and/or control the telephone system. Originally, this involved the use of â€Å"blue boxes† or tone generators, but as the phone company began using digital instead of electro-mechanical switches, the phreaks became more like hackers. Typical magazines read by Phreaks include Phrack, Line Noize, and New Fone Express.  § Virus writers (also, creators of Trojans, worms, logic bombs) – These are people who write code which attempts to a) reproduce itself on other systems without authorization and b) often has a side effect, whether that be to display a message, play a prank, or trash a hard drive. Agents and spiders are essentially ‘benevolent' virii, raising the question of how underground this activity really is. Typical magazines read by Virus writers include 40HEX.  § Pirates – Piracy is sort of a non-technical matter. Originally, it involved breaking copy protection on software, and this activity was called â€Å"cracking.† Nowadays, few software vendors use copy protection, but there are still various minor measures used to prevent the unauthorized duplication of software. Pirates devote themselves to thwarting these things and sharing commercial software freely with their friends. They usually read Pirate Newsletter and Pirate magazine.  § Cypherpunks (cryptoanarchists) – Cypherpunks freely distribute the tools and methods for making use of strong encryption, which is basically unbreakable except by massive supercomputers. Because the NSA and FBI cannot break strong encryption (which is the basis of the PGP or Pretty Good Privacy), programs that employ it are classified as munitions, and distribution of algorithms that make use of it is a felony. Some cryptoanarchists advocate strong encryption as a tool to completely evade the State, by preventing any access whatsoever to financial or personal information. They typically read the Cypherpunks mailing list.  § Anarchists – are committed to distributing illegal (or at least morally suspect) information, including but not limited to data on bombmaking, lockpicking, pornography, drug manufacturing, pirate radio, and cable and satellite TV piracy. In this parlance of the computer underground, anarchists are less likely to advocate the overthrow of government than the simple refusal to obey restrictions on distributing information. They tend to read Cult of the Dead Cow (CDC) and Activist Times Incorporated (ATI).  § Cyberpunk – usually some combination of the above, plus interest in technological self-modification, science fiction of the Neuromancer genre, and interest in hardware hacking and â€Å"street tech.† A youth subculture in its own right, with some overlaps with the â€Å"modern primitive† and â€Å"raver† subcultures. So should we fear these geeky little mischief-makers? The New York Post revealed recently that a busboy allegedly managed to steal millions of dollars from the world†s richest people by stealing their identities and tricking credit agencies and brokerage firms. In his article describing this event Bob Sullivan says, â€Å"Abraham Abdallah, I think, did us all a favor, for he has exposed as a sham the security at the world†s most important financial institutions.† The same two free e-mail addresses were used to request financial transfers for six different wealthy Merrill Lynch clients, according to the Post story. Merrill Lynch didn†t notice? Why would Merrill accept any transfer requests, indeed take any financial communication seriously at all, from a free, obviously unverified anonymous e-mail account? I†m alarmed by the checks and balances that must be in place at big New York brokerage firms. Rather than being a story about a genius who almost got away, this is simply one more story of easy identity theft amid a tidal wave of similar crimes. The Federal Trade Commission has received 40,000 complaints of identity theft since it started keeping track two years ago, but the agency is certain that represents only a fraction of real victims. This is a serious problem, long ignored by the industry. If fact, just last year the credit industry beat back a congressional bill known as The Identity Theft Protection Act, claiming it would be too expensive for them. â€Å"Clearly there has to be more leveling of the playing field. We have to hold banks and credit unions accountable.† Last month the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was again warning electronic-commerce Web sites to patch their Windows-based systems to protect their data against hackers. The FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) has coordinated investigations over the past several months into organized hacker activities targeting e-commerce sites. More than 40 victims in 20 states have been identified in the ongoing investigations, which have included law enforcement agencies outside the United States and private sector officials. The investigations have uncovered several organized hacker groups from Russia, the Ukraine, and elsewhere in Eastern Europe that have penetrated U.S. e-commerce and online banking computer systems by exploiting vulnerabilities in the Windows NT operating system, the statement said. Microsoft has released patches for these vulnerabilities, which can be downloaded from Microsoft's Web site for free. Once the hackers gain access, they download proprietary information, customer databases, and credit card information, according to the FBI. The hackers subsequently contact the company and attempt to extort money by offering to patch the system and by offering to protect the company's systems from exploitation by other hackers. The hackers tell the victim that without their services they cannot guarantee that other hackers will not access their networks and post stolen credit card information and details about the site's security vulnerability on the Internet. If the company does not pay or hire the group for its security services, the threats escalate, the FBI said. Investigators also believe that in some instances the credit card information is being sold to organized crime groups. Defend yourself when you cannot defeat the enemy, and attack the enemy when you can. Scott Culp in a detailed list of security precautions on Microsoft†s Web page suggests that there are ten immutable laws of security. Law #1: If a bad guy can persuade you to run his program on your computer, it's not your computer anymore. It's an unfortunate fact of computer science: when a computer program runs, it will do what it's programmed to do, even if it's programmed to be harmful. When you choose to run a program, you are making a decision to turn over control of your computer to it. That's why it's important to never run, or even download, a program from an untrusted source – and by â€Å"source†, I mean the person who wrote it, not the person who gave it to you. Law #2: If a bad guy can alter the operating system on your computer, it's not your computer anymore. In the end, an operating system is just a series of ones and zeroes that, when interpreted by the processor, cause the machine to do certain things. Change the ones and zeroes, and it will do something different. To understand why, consider that operating system files are among the most trusted ones on the computer, and they generally run with system-level privileges. That is, they can do absolutely anything. Among other things, they're trusted to manage user accounts, handle password changes, and enforce the rules governing who can do what on the computer. If a bad guy can change them, the now-untrustworthy files will do his bidding, and there's no limit to what he can do. He can steal passwords, make himself an administrator on the machine, or add entirely new functions to the operating system. To prevent this type of attack, make sure that the system files (and the registry! , for that matter) are well protected. Law #3: If a bad guy has unrestricted physical access to your computer, it's not your computer anymore. He could mount the ultimate low-tech denial of service attack, and smash your computer with a sledgehammer.  § He could unplug the computer, haul it out of your building, and hold it for ransom.  § He could boot the computer from a floppy disk, and reformat your hard drive. But wait, you say, I've configured the BIOS on my computer to prompt for a password when I turn the power on. No problem – if he can open the case and get his hands on the system hardware, he could just replace the BIOS chips. (Actually, there are even easier ways).  § He could remove the hard drive from your computer, install it into his computer, and read it.  § He could make a duplicate of your hard drive and take it back his lair. Once there, he'd have all the time in the world to conduct brute-force attacks, such as trying every possible logon password. Programs are available to automate this and, given enough time, it's almost certain that he would succeed. Once that happens, Laws #1 and #2 above apply  § He could replace your keyboard with one that contains a radio transmitter. He could then monitor everything you type, including your password. Always make sure that a computer is physically protected in a way that's consistent with its value – and remember that the value of a machine includes not only the value of the hardware itself, but the value of the data on it, and the value of the access to your network that a bad guy could gain. At a minimum, business-critical machines like domain controllers, database servers, and print/file servers should always be in a locked room that only people charged with administration and maintenance can access. But you may want to consider protecting other machines as well, and potentially using additional protective measures. If you travel with a laptop, it's absolutely critical that you protect it. The same features that make laptops great to travel with – small size, light weight, and so forth – also make them easy to steal. There are a variety of locks and alarms available for laptops, and some models let you remove the hard drive and carry it with you. You also can use features like the Encrypting File System in Windows 2000 to mitigate the damage if someone succeeded in stealing the computer. But the only way you can know with 100% certainty that your data is safe and the hardware hasn't been tampered with is to keep the laptop on your person at all times while traveling. Law #4: If you allow a bad guy to upload programs to your web site, it's not your web site any more. This is basically Law #1 in reverse. In that scenario, the bad guy tricks his victim into downloading a harmful program onto his machine and running it. In this one, the bad guy uploads a harmful program to a machine and runs it himself. Although this scenario is a danger anytime you allow strangers to connect to your machine, web sites are involved in the overwhelming majority of these cases. Many people who operate web sites are too hospitable for their own good, and allow visitors to upload programs to the site and run them. As we've seen above, unpleasant things can happen if a bad guy's program can run on your machine. If you run a web site, you need to limit what visitors can do. You should only allow a program on your site if you wrote it yourself, or if you trust the developer who wrote it. But that may not be enough. If your web site is one of several hosted on a shared server, you need to be extra careful. If a bad guy can compromise one of the other sites on the server, it's possible he could extend his control to the server itself, in which case he could control all of the sites on it – including yours. If you're on a shared server, it's important to find out what the server administrator's policies are. Law #5: Weak passwords trump strong security. The purpose of having a logon process is to establish who you are. Once the operating system knows who you are, it can grant or deny requests for system resources appropriately. If a bad guy learns your password, he can log on as you. In fact, as far as the operating system is concerned, he is you. Whatever you can do on the system, he can do as well, because he's you. Maybe he wants to read sensitive information you've stored on your computer, like your email. Maybe you have more privileges on the network than he does, and being you will let him do things he normally couldn't. Or maybe he just wants to do something malicious and blame it on you. In any case, it's worth protecting your credentials. Always use a password – it's amazing how many accounts have blank passwords. And choose a complex one. Don't use your dog's name, your anniversary date, or the name of the local football team. And don't use the word â€Å"password†! Pick a password that has a mix of upper- and lower-case letters, number, punctuation marks, and so forth. Make it as long as possible. And change it often. Once you've picked a strong password, handle it appropriately. Don't write it down. If you absolutely must write it down, at the very least keep it in a safe or a locked drawer – the first thing a bad guy who's hunting for passwords will do is check for a yellow sticky note on the side of your screen, or in the top desk drawer. Don't tell anyone what your password is. Remember what Ben Franklin said: two people can keep a secret, but only if one of them is dead. Finally, consider using something stronger than passwords to identify yourself to the system. Windows 2000, for instance, supports the use of smart cards, which significantly strengthens the identity checking the system can perform. You may also want to consider biometric products like fingerprint and retina scanners. Law #6: A machine is only as secure as the administrator is trustworthy. Every computer must have an administrator: someone who can install software, configure the operating system, add and manage user accounts, establish security policies, and handle all the other management tasks associated with keeping a computer up and running. By definition, these tasks require that he have control over the machine. This puts the administrator in a position of unequalled power. An untrustworthy administrator can negate every other security measure you've taken. He can change the permissions on the machine, modify the system security policies, install malicious software, add bogus users, or do any of a million other things. He can subvert virtually any protective measure in the operating system, because he controls it. Worst of all, he can cover his tracks. If you have an untrustworthy administrator, you have absolutely no security. When hiring a system administrator, recognize the position of trust that administrators occupy, and only hire people who warrant that trust. Call his references, and ask them about his previous work record, especially with regard to any security incidents at previous employers. If appropriate for your organization, you may also consider taking a step that banks and other security-conscious companies do, and require that your administrators pass a complete background check at hiring time, and at periodic intervals afterward. Whatever criteria you select, apply them across the board. Don't give anyone administrative privileges on your network unless they've been vetted – and this includes temporary employees and contractors, too. Next, take steps to help keep honest people honest. Use sign-in/sign-out sheets to track who's been in the server room. (You do have a server room with a locked door, right? If not, re-read Law #3). Implement a â€Å"two person† rule when installing or upgrading software. Diversify management tasks as much as possible, as a way of minimizing how much power any one administrator has. Also, don't use the Administrator account – instead, give each administrator a separate account with administrative privileges, so you can tell who's doing what. Finally, consider taking steps to make it more difficult for a rogue administrator to cover his tracks. For instance, store audit data on write-only media, or house System A's audit data on System B, and make sure that the two systems have different administrators. The more accountable your administrators are, the less likely you are to have problems. Law #7: Encrypted data is only as secure as the decryption key. Suppose you installed the biggest, strongest, most secure lock in the world on your front door, but you put the key under the front door mat. It wouldn't really matter how strong the lock is, would it? The critical factor would be the poor way the key was protected, because if a burglar could find it, he'd have everything he needed to open the lock. Encrypted data works the same way – no matter how strong the cryptoalgorithm is, the data is only as safe as the key that can decrypt it. Many operating systems and cryptographic software products give you an option to store cryptographic keys on the computer. The advantage is convenience – you don't have to handle the key – but it comes at the cost of security. The keys are usually obfuscated (that is, hidden), and some of the obfuscation methods are quite good. But in the end, no matter how well-hidden the key is, if it's on the machine it can be found. It has to be – after all, the software can find it, so a sufficiently-motivated bad guy could find it, too. Whenever possible, use offline storage for keys. If the key is a word or phrase, memorize it. If not, export it to a floppy disk, make a backup copy, and store the copies in separate, secure locations. Law #8: An out of date virus scanner is only marginally better than no virus scanner at all. Virus scanners work by comparing the data on your computer against a collection of virus â€Å"signatures†. Each signature is characteristic of a particular virus, and when the scanner finds data in a file, email, or elsewhere that matches the signature, it concludes that it's found a virus. However, a virus scanner can only scan for the viruses it knows about. It's vital that you keep your virus scanner's signature file up to date, as new viruses are created every day. The problem actually goes a bit deeper than this, though. Typically, a new virus will do the greatest amount of damage during the early stages of its life, precisely because few people will be able to detect it. Once word gets around that a new virus is on the loose and people update their virus signatures, the spread of the virus falls off drastically. The key is to get ahead of the curve, and have updated signature files on your machine before the virus hits. Virtually every maker of anti-virus software provides a way to get free updated signature files from their web site. In fact, many have â€Å"push† services, in which they'll send notification every time a new signature file is released. Use these services. Also, keep the virus scanner itself – that is, the scanning software – updated as well. Virus writers periodically develop new techniques that require that the scanners change how they do their work. Law #9: Absolute anonymity isn't practical, in real life or on the web. All human interaction involves exchanging data of some kind. If someone weaves enough of that data together, they can identify you. Think about all the information that a person can glean in just a short conversation with you. In one glance, they can gauge your height, weight, and approximate age. Your accent will probably tell them what country you're from, and may even tell them what region of the country. If you talk about anything other than the weather, you'll probably tell them something about your family, your interests, where you live, and what you do for a living. It doesn't take long for someone to collect enough information to figure out who you are. If you crave absolute anonymity, your best bet is to live in a cave and shun all human contact. The same thing is true of the Internet. If you visit a web site, the owner can, if he's sufficiently motivated, find out who you are. After all, the ones and zeroes that make up the web session have be able to find their way to the right place, and that place is your computer. There are a lot of measures you can take to disguise the bits, and the more of them you use, the more thoroughly the bits will be disguised. For instance, you could use network address translation to mask your actual IP address, subscribe to an anonymizing service that launders the bits by relaying them from one end of the ether to the other, use a different ISP account for different purposes, surf certain sites only from public kiosks, and so on. All of these make it more difficult to determine who you are, but none of them make it impossible. Do you know for certain who operates the anonymizing service? Maybe it's the same person who owns the web site you just visited! Or what about that innocuous web ! site you visited yesterday, that offered to mail you a free $10 off coupon? Maybe the owner is willing to share information with other web site owners. If so, the second web site owner may be able to correlate the information from the two sites and determine who you are. Does this mean that privacy on the web is a lost cause? Not at all. What it means is that the best way to protect your privacy on the Internet is the same as the way you protect your privacy in normal life – through your behavior. Read the privacy statements on the web sites you visit, and only do business with ones whose practices you agree with. If you're worried about cookies, disable them. Most importantly, avoid indiscriminate web surfing – recognize that just as most cities have a bad side of town that's best avoided, the Internet does too. But if it's complete and total anonymity you want, better start looking for that cave. The Art of War Sun-Tzu Wu is the reputed author of the Chinese classic Ping-fa (The Art of War), written approximately 475-221 B. C. Penned at a time when China was divided into six or seven states that often resorted to war with each other in their struggles for supremacy, it is a systematic guide to strategy and tactics for rulers and commanders. In doing business on the Internet during this time of rampant computer viruses and hacker attacks it may be wise for us to follow some of his tactical principles in order to insure the safety of ourselves and our future clients. Know your enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated. When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are sure to be defeated in every battle. In a chilling article entitled Big Brother is Watching Bob Sullivan of MSNBC recounts a tale during a recent visit to London: Only moments after stepping into the Webshack Internet cafe in London†s Soho neighborhood, â€Å"Mark† asked me what I thought of George W. Bush and Al Gore. â€Å"I wouldn†t want Bush running things,† he said. â€Å"Because he can†t run his Web site.† Then he showed me a variety of ways to hack Bush†s Web sites. That was just the beginning of a far-reaching chat during which the group nearly convinced me Big Brother is in fact here in London. â€Å"I don†t know if he can run the free world,† Mark said. â€Å"He can†t keep the Texas banking system computers secure. So-called â€Å"2600† clubs are a kind of hacker â€Å"boy scout† organization – there are local 2600 chapters all around the globe. It is in this environment, and this mindset, that London†s hackers do their work. They do not analyze computer systems and learn how to break them out of spite, or some childish need to destroy: Mark and friends see themselves as merely accumulating knowledge that could be used in self-defense if necessary. They are the citizen†s militia, the Freedom Fighters of the Information Age, trying to stay one step ahead of technology that could one day be turned against them. Jon-K Adams in his treatise entitled Hacker Ideology (aka Hacking Freedom) states that hackers have been called both techno-revolutionaries and heroes of the computer revolution. Hacking â€Å"has become a cultural icon about decentralized power.† But for all that, hackers are reluctant rebels. They prefer to fight with code than with words. And they would rather appear on the net than at a news conference. Status in the hacker world cannot be granted by the general public: it takes a hacker to know and appreciate a hacker. That's part of the hacker's revolutionary reluctance; the other part is the news media's slant toward sensationalism, such as, â€Å"A cyberspace dragnet snared fugitive hacker.† The public tends to think of hacking as synonymous with computer crime, with breaking into computers and stealing and destroying valuable data. As a result of this tabloid mentality, the hacker attempts to fade into the digital world, where he-and it is almost always he-has a place if not a! In his self-conception, the hacker is not a criminal, but rather a â€Å"person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and how to stretch their capabilities.† Which means that he is not necessarily a computer geek. The hacker defines himself in terms that extend beyond the computer, as an â€Å"expert or enthusiast of any kind. One might be an astronomy hacker† (Jargon File). So in the broadest sense of his self-conception, the hacker hacks knowledge; he wants to know how things work, and the computer-the prototypical programmable system-simply offers more complexity and possibility, and thus more fascination, than most other things. >From this perspective, hacking appears to be a harmless if nerdish enthusiasm. But at the same time, this seemingly innocent enthusiasm is animated by an ideology that leads to a conflict with civil authority. The hacker is motivated by the belief that the search for knowledge is an end in itself and should be unrestricted. But invariably, when a hacker explores programmable systems, he encounters barriers that bureaucracies impose in the name of security. For the hacker, these security measures become arbitrary limits placed on his exploration, or in cases that often lead to confrontation, they become the focus of further explorations: for the hacker, security measures simply represent a more challenging programmable system. As a result, when a hacker explores such systems, he hacks knowledge, but ideologically he hacks the freedom to access knowledge. Political hackers are another group considering themselves modern freedom fighters. â€Å"Hacktivists† have officially moved from nerdish extremists to become the political protest visionaries of the digital age, a meeting at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London was told on Thursday. Paul Mobbs, an experienced Internet activist and anti-capitalist protestor, will tell attendees that the techniques used by politically minded computer hackers — from jamming corporate networks and sending email viruses to defacing Web sites — has moved into the realm of political campaigning. Mobbs says that the term â€Å"Hacktivism† has been adopted by so many different groups, from peaceful Net campaigners to Internet hate groups, that it is essentially meaningless, but claims that Internet protest is here to stay. â€Å"It has a place, whether people like it or not,† says Mobbs. Steve Mizrach in his 1997 dissertation entitled Is there a Hacker Ethic for 90s Hackers? delves into this subject in great detail. He describes the divergent groups of hackers and explains their modus operandi: I define the computer underground as members of the following six groups. Sometimes I refer to the CU as â€Å"90s hackers† or â€Å"new hackers,† as opposed to old hackers, who are hackers (old sense of the term) from the 60s who subscribed to the original Hacker Ethic.  § Hackers (Crackers, system intruders) – These are people who attempt to penetrate security systems on remote computers. This is the new sense of the term, whereas the old sense of the term simply referred to a person who was capable of creating hacks, or elegant, unusual, and unexpected uses of technology. Typical magazines (both print and online) read by hackers include 2600 and Iron Feather Journal.  § Phreaks (Phone Phreakers, Blue Boxers) – These are people who attempt to use technology to explore and/or control the telephone system. Originally, this involved the use of â€Å"blue boxes† or tone generators, but as the phone company began using digital instead of electro-mechanical switches, the phreaks became more like hackers. Typical magazines read by Phreaks include Phrack, Line Noize, and New Fone Express.  § Virus writers (also, creators of Trojans, worms, logic bombs) – These are people who write code which attempts to a) reproduce itself on other systems without authorization and b) often has a side effect, whether that be to display a message, play a prank, or trash a hard drive. Agents and spiders are essentially ‘benevolent' virii, raising the question of how underground this activity really is. Typical magazines read by Virus writers include 40HEX.  § Pirates – Piracy is sort of a non-technical matter. Originally, it involved breaking copy protection on software, and this activity was called â€Å"cracking.† Nowadays, few software vendors use copy protection, but there are still various minor measures used to prevent the unauthorized duplication of software. Pirates devote themselves to thwarting these things and sharing commercial software freely with their friends. They usually read Pirate Newsletter and Pirate magazine.  § Cypherpunks (cryptoanarchists) – Cypherpunks freely distribute the tools and methods for making use of strong encryption, which is basically unbreakable except by massive supercomputers. Because the NSA and FBI cannot break strong encryption (which is the basis of the PGP or Pretty Good Privacy), programs that employ it are classified as munitions, and distribution of algorithms that make use of it is a felony. Some cryptoanarchists advocate strong encryption as a tool to completely evade the State, by preventing any access whatsoever to financial or personal information. They typically read the Cypherpunks mailing list.  § Anarchists – are committed to distributing illegal (or at least morally suspect) information, including but not limited to data on bombmaking, lockpicking, pornography, drug manufacturing, pirate radio, and cable and satellite TV piracy. In this parlance of the computer underground, anarchists are less likely to advocate the overthrow of government than the simple refusal to obey restrictions on distributing information. They tend to read Cult of the Dead Cow (CDC) and Activist Times Incorporated (ATI).  § Cyberpunk – usually some combination of the above, plus interest in technological self-modification, science fiction of the Neuromancer genre, and interest in hardware hacking and â€Å"street tech.† A youth subculture in its own right, with some overlaps with the â€Å"modern primitive† and â€Å"raver† subcultures. So should we fear these geeky little mischief-makers? The New York Post revealed recently that a busboy allegedly managed to steal millions of dollars from the world†s richest people by stealing their identities and tricking credit agencies and brokerage firms. In his article describing this event Bob Sullivan says, â€Å"Abraham Abdallah, I think, did us all a favor, for he has exposed as a sham the security at the world†s most important financial institutions.† The same two free e-mail addresses were used to request financial transfers for six different wealthy Merrill Lynch clients, according to the Post story. Merrill Lynch didn†t notice? Why would Merrill accept any transfer requests, indeed take any financial communication seriously at all, from a free, obviously unverified anonymous e-mail account? I†m alarmed by the checks and balances that must be in place at big New York brokerage firms. Rather than being a story about a genius who almost got away, this is simply one more story of easy identity theft amid a tidal wave of similar crimes. The Federal Trade Commission has received 40,000 complaints of identity theft since it started keeping track two years ago, but the agency is certain that represents only a fraction of real victims. This is a serious problem, long ignored by the industry. If fact, just last year the credit industry beat back a congressional bill known as The Identity Theft Protection Act, claiming it would be too expensive for them. â€Å"Clearly there has to be more leveling of the playing field. We have to hold banks and credit unions accountable.† Last month the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was again warning electronic-commerce Web sites to patch their Windows-based systems to protect their data against hackers. The FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) has coordinated investigations over the past several months into organized hacker activities targeting e-commerce sites. More than 40 victims in 20 states have been identified in the ongoing investigations, which have included law enforcement agencies outside the United States and private sector officials. The investigations have uncovered several organized hacker groups from Russia, the Ukraine, and elsewhere in Eastern Europe that have penetrated U.S. e-commerce and online banking computer systems by exploiting vulnerabilities in the Windows NT operating system, the statement said. Microsoft has released patches for these vulnerabilities, which can be downloaded from Microsoft's Web site for free. Once the hackers gain access, they download proprietary information, customer databases, and credit card information, according to the FBI. The hackers subsequently contact the company and attempt to extort money by offering to patch the system and by offering to protect the company's systems from exploitation by other hackers. The hackers tell the victim that without their services they cannot guarantee that other hackers will not access their networks and post stolen credit card information and details about the site's security vulnerability on the Internet. If the company does not pay or hire the group for its security services, the threats escalate, the FBI said. Investigators also believe that in some instances the credit card information is being sold to organized crime groups. Defend yourself when you cannot defeat the enemy, and attack the enemy when you can. Scott Culp in a detailed list of security precautions on Microsoft†s Web page suggests that there are ten immutable laws of security. Law #1: If a bad guy can persuade you to run his program on your computer, it's not your computer anymore. It's an unfortunate fact of computer science: when a computer program runs, it will do what it's programmed to do, even if it's programmed to be harmful. When you choose to run a program, you are making a decision to turn over control of your computer to it. That's why it's important to never run, or even download, a program from an untrusted source – and by â€Å"source†, I mean the person who wrote it, not the person who gave it to you. Law #2: If a bad guy can alter the operating system on your computer, it's not your computer anymore. In the end, an operating system is just a series of ones and zeroes that, when interpreted by the processor, cause the machine to do certain things. Change the ones and zeroes, and it will do something different. To understand why, consider that operating system files are among the most trusted ones on the computer, and they generally run with system-level privileges. That is, they can do absolutely anything. Among other things, they're trusted to manage user accounts, handle password changes, and enforce the rules governing who can do what on the computer. If a bad guy can change them, the now-untrustworthy files will do his bidding, and there's no limit to what he can do. He can steal passwords, make himself an administrator on the machine, or add entirely new functions to the operating system. To prevent this type of attack, make sure that the system files (and the registry! , for that matter) are well protected. Law #3: If a bad guy has unrestricted physical access to your computer, it's not your computer anymore. He could mount the ultimate low-tech denial of service attack, and smash your computer with a sledgehammer.  § He could unplug the computer, haul it out of your building, and hold it for ransom.  § He could boot the computer from a floppy disk, and reformat your hard drive. But wait, you say, I've configured the BIOS on my computer to prompt for a password when I turn the power on. No problem – if he can open the case and get his hands on the system hardware, he could just replace the BIOS chips. (Actually, there are even easier ways).  § He could remove the hard drive from your computer, install it into his computer, and read it.  § He could make a duplicate of your hard drive and take it back his lair. Once there, he'd have all the time in the world to conduct brute-force attacks, such as trying every possible logon password. Programs are available to automate this and, given enough time, it's almost certain that he would succeed. Once that happens, Laws #1 and #2 above apply  § He could replace your keyboard with one that contains a radio transmitter. He could then monitor everything you type, including your password. Always make sure that a computer is physically protected in a way that's consistent with its value – and remember that the value of a machine includes not only the value of the hardware itself, but the value of the data on it, and the value of the access to your network that a bad guy could gain. At a minimum, business-critical machines like domain controllers, database servers, and print/file servers should always be in a locked room that only people charged with administration and maintenance can access. But you may want to consider protecting other machines as well, and potentially using additional protective measures. If you travel with a laptop, it's absolutely critical that you protect it. The same features that make laptops great to travel with – small size, light weight, and so forth – also make them easy to steal. There are a variety of locks and alarms available for laptops, and some models let you remove the hard drive and carry it with you. You also can use features like the Encrypting File System in Windows 2000 to mitigate the damage if someone succeeded in stealing the computer. But the only way you can know with 100% certainty that your data is safe and the hardware hasn't been tampered with is to keep the laptop on your person at all times while traveling. Law #4: If you allow a bad guy to upload programs to your web site, it's not your web site any more. This is basically Law #1 in reverse. In that scenario, the bad guy tricks his victim into downloading a harmful program onto his machine and running it. In this one, the bad guy uploads a harmful program to a machine and runs it himself. Although this scenario is a danger anytime you allow strangers to connect to your machine, web sites are involved in the overwhelming majority of these cases. Many people who operate web sites are too hospitable for their own good, and allow visitors to upload programs to the site and run them. As we've seen above, unpleasant things can happen if a bad guy's program can run on your machine. If you run a web site, you need to limit what visitors can do. You should only allow a program on your site if you wrote it yourself, or if you trust the developer who wrote it. But that may not be enough. If your web site is one of several hosted on a shared server, you need to be extra careful. If a bad guy can compromise one of the other sites on the server, it's possible he could extend his control to the server itself, in which case he could control all of the sites on it – including yours. If you're on a shared server, it's important to find out what the server administrator's policies are. Law #5: Weak passwords trump strong security. The purpose of having a logon process is to establish who you are. Once the operating system knows who you are, it can grant or deny requests for system resources appropriately. If a bad guy learns your password, he can log on as you. In fact, as far as the operating system is concerned, he is you. Whatever you can do on the system, he can do as well, because he's you. Maybe he wants to read sensitive information you've stored on your computer, like your email. Maybe you have more privileges on the network than he does, and being you will let him do things he normally couldn't. Or maybe he just wants to do something malicious and blame it on you. In any case, it's worth protecting your credentials. Always use a password – it's amazing how many accounts have blank passwords. And choose a complex one. Don't use your dog's name, your anniversary date, or the name of the local football team. And don't use the word â€Å"password†! Pick a password that has a mix of upper- and lower-case letters, number, punctuation marks, and so forth. Make it as long as possible. And change it often. Once you've picked a strong password, handle it appropriately. Don't write it down. If you absolutely must write it down, at the very least keep it in a safe or a locked drawer – the first thing a bad guy who's hunting for passwords will do is check for a yellow sticky note on the side of your screen, or in the top desk drawer. Don't tell anyone what your password is. Remember what Ben Franklin said: two people can keep a secret, but only if one of them is dead. Finally, consider using something stronger than passwords to identify yourself to the system. Windows 2000, for instance, supports the use of smart cards, which significantly strengthens the identity checking the system can perform. You may also want to consider biometric products like fingerprint and retina scanners. Law #6: A machine is only as secure as the administrator is trustworthy. Every computer must have an administrator: someone who can install software, configure the operating system, add and manage user accounts, establish security policies, and handle all the other management tasks associated with keeping a computer up and running. By definition, these tasks require that he have control over the machine. This puts the administrator in a position of unequalled power. An untrustworthy administrator can negate every other security measure you've taken. He can change the permissions on the machine, modify the system security policies, install malicious software, add bogus users, or do any of a million other things. He can subvert virtually any protective measure in the operating system, because he controls it. Worst of all, he can cover his tracks. If you have an untrustworthy administrator, you have absolutely no security. When hiring a system administrator, recognize the position of trust that administrators occupy, and only hire people who warrant that trust. Call his references, and ask them about his previous work record, especially with regard to any security incidents at previous employers. If appropriate for your organization, you may also consider taking a step that banks and other security-conscious companies do, and require that your administrators pass a complete background check at hiring time, and at periodic intervals afterward. Whatever criteria you select, apply them across the board. Don't give anyone administrative privileges on your network unless they've been vetted – and this includes temporary employees and contractors, too. Next, take steps to help keep honest people honest. Use sign-in/sign-out sheets to track who's been in the server room. (You do have a server room with a locked door, right? If not, re-read Law #3). Implement a â€Å"two person† rule when installing or upgrading software. Diversify management tasks as much as possible, as a way of minimizing how much power any one administrator has. Also, don't use the Administrator account – instead, give each administrator a separate account with administrative privileges, so you can tell who's doing what. Finally, consider taking steps to make it more difficult for a rogue administrator to cover his tracks. For instance, store audit data on write-only media, or house System A's audit data on System B, and make sure that the two systems have different administrators. The more accountable your administrators are, the less likely you are to have problems. Law #7: Encrypted data is only as secure as the decryption key. Suppose you installed the biggest, strongest, most secure lock in the world on your front door, but you put the key under the front door mat. It wouldn't really matter how strong the lock is, would it? The critical factor would be the poor way the key was protected, because if a burglar could find it, he'd have everything he needed to open the lock. Encrypted data works the same way – no matter how strong the cryptoalgorithm is, the data is only as safe as the key that can decrypt it. Many operating systems and cryptographic software products give you an option to store cryptographic keys on the computer. The advantage is convenience – you don't have to handle the key – but it comes at the cost of security. The keys are usually obfuscated (that is, hidden), and some of the obfuscation methods are quite good. But in the end, no matter how well-hidden the key is, if it's on the machine it can be found. It has to be – after all, the software can find it, so a sufficiently-motivated bad guy could find it, too. Whenever possible, use offline storage for keys. If the key is a word or phrase, memorize it. If not, export it to a floppy disk, make a backup copy, and store the copies in separate, secure locations. Law #8: An out of date virus scanner is only marginally better than no virus scanner at all. Virus scanners work by comparing the data on your computer against a collection of virus â€Å"signatures†. Each signature is characteristic of a particular virus, and when the scanner finds data in a file, email, or elsewhere that matches the signature, it concludes that it's found a virus. However, a virus scanner can only scan for the viruses it knows about. It's vital that you keep your virus scanner's signature file up to date, as new viruses are created every day. The problem actually goes a bit deeper than this, though. Typically, a new virus will do the greatest amount of damage during the early stages of its life, precisely because few people will be able to detect it. Once word gets around that a new virus is on the loose and people update their virus signatures, the spread of the virus falls off drastically. The key is to get ahead of the curve, and have updated signature files on your machine before the virus hits. Virtually every maker of anti-virus software provides a way to get free updated signature files from their web site. In fact, many have â€Å"push† services, in which they'll send notification every time a new signature file is released. Use these services. Also, keep the virus scanner itself – that is, the scanning software – updated as well. Virus writers periodically develop new techniques that require that the scanners change how they do their work. Law #9: Absolute anonymity isn't practical, in real life or on the web. All human interaction involves exchanging data of some kind. If someone weaves enough of that data together, they can identify you. Think about all the information that a person can glean in just a short conversation with you. In one glance, they can gauge your height, weight, and approximate age. Your accent will probably tell them what country you're from, and may even tell them what region of the country. If you talk about anything other than the weather, you'll probably tell them something about your family, your interests, where you live, and what you do for a living. It doesn't take long for someone to collect enough information to figure out who you are. If you crave absolute anonymity, your best bet is to live in a cave and shun all human contact. The same thing is true of the Internet. If you visit a web site, the owner can, if he's sufficiently motivated, find out who you are. After all, the ones and zeroes that make up the web session have be able to find their way to the right place, and that place is your computer. There are a lot of measures you can take to disguise the bits, and the more of them you use, the more thoroughly the bits will be disguised. For instance, you could use network address translation to mask your actual IP address, subscribe to an anonymizing service that launders the bits by relaying them from one end of the ether to the other, use a different ISP account for different purposes, surf certain sites only from public kiosks, and so on. All of these make it more difficult to determine who you are, but none of them make it impossible. Do you know for certain who operates the anonymizing service? Maybe it's the same person who owns the web site you just visited! Or what about that innocuous web ! site you visited yesterday, that offered to mail you a free $10 off coupon? Maybe the owner is willing to share information with other web site owners. If so, the second web site owner may be able to correlate the information from the two sites and determine who you are. Does this mean that privacy on the web is a lost cause? Not at all. What it means is that the best way to protect your privacy on the Internet is the same as the way you protect your privacy in normal life – through your behavior. Read the privacy statements on the web sites you visit, and only do business with ones whose practices you agree with. If you're worried about cookies, disable them. Most importantly, avoid indiscriminate web surfing – recognize that just as most cities have a bad side of town that's best avoided, the Internet does too. But if it's complete and total anonymity you want, better start looking for that cave.