Operating a Franchise Management Essay

Operating a Franchise Management Essay Operating a Franchise Management Essay Operating a Franchise Management Essay Franchising refers to a business relationship in which the owner of a business (a franchisor) provides an independent business or an individual (franchisee) with a licensed privilege to operate under its trademarks and name. In this arrangement, the franchisor may provide the franchisee with a varied assistance, depending on the type of a contract the two entities have signed. Some of the assistance extended to the franchisee by the franchisor include organizational training, marketing strategies and resources, and an access to the franchisor’s business concepts. Franchising is attractive to small businesses because it offers an opportunity to start a business easily. Its attractiveness results from the support afforded by the franchisor. Moreover, since the franchisor is experienced in the business, the franchisee gets a chance to use tested concepts and receives a constant guidance. The franchisor, on the other hand, benefits because franchising provides a cheap way of expan ding business since a little investment is required. Therefore, the agreement is a win-win strategy for both parties. Since the development of this concept, many businesses have adopted it because it helps businesses penetrate markets at a faster rate than when using their own subsidiaries. The franchisee, especially in the international market, is a local business. As such, the franchisee knows and understands the market better than the franchisor. Culture is an aspect that has had a great impact on international organizations when entering foreign markets. The failure to understand culture may prevent an organization from successfully penetrating a foreign market. The presence of a franchise that is conversant with the local culture helps in identifying and serving the local needs efficiently. Types of Franchises There are two main types of franchises, which include product distribution franchise and business format franchise. Product distribution franchise provides the franchisee with the rights and license to distribute its products in designated regions. The distributor uses the company’s logos and trademark, which identifies the franchise as an authorized dealer of the manufacturer. In this type of franchise, the franchisor does not provide the franchise with the entire system to help in running the business. This type of franchise is found in soft drinks, gasoline and automobile industries. To operate a product distribution franchise, the owner of the franchise must pay a specified fee or purchase a certain amount of products from the franchisor. The business format franchise is the most popular form of franchising and involves full rights to the franchisor’s business processes. The franchisor provides the franchisee with a full access to its business format, a quality control process, methods of operations, a marketing strategy, a license for its trade name, a two-way communication system and services, as well as some products to be sold. In addition, the franchisor can help the franchisee set up the facility within which the franchise will operate. This is the fastest growing type of franchise across industries. Franchising Arrangements Single-Unit Franchise Business owners have different arrangements under which they can operate franchise businesses. The most common arrangement is known as a single-unit franchise where the franchisor permits the franchisee to operate one franchise unit (Awe, 2006). Once a single-unit franchise has become operational, the franchisee can buy additional single-units. This is known as a multiple or single-unit relationship. Multiple-Unit Franchise The second arrangement is known as a multiple-unit franchise. It is divided into two sub-units. The first sub-unit is called an area development. In the area development relationship, the franchisee can open more than one unit in a specified area. The franchisor provides the franchisee with exclusive rights to develop the chosen territory. The second sub-unit is known as a master franchise. In this relationship, the franchisor grants the franchisee more rights than the area development franchisee. In master franchise arrangement, the owner of franchises can have multiple units and has the right to sell them to other people within the franchise territory. This arrangement transfers most of duties, tasks, responsibilities and benefits formerly enjoyed by the franchisor to the operator of master franchise. Representative Franchise In addition to these two main arrangements, there may arise another hybrid relationship known as an area representative franchise. The area representative purchases a territorial franchise to service and sells it as unit franchises. The contract signed by the representative is not with the unit franchisees, but with the franchisor. This representative receives a portion of the fees paid by the unit franchisee to the franchisor. The fee received by the representative is as a result of servicing the unit franchises in the territory. How to Evaluate a Franchise Starting a franchise involves some risks because the investor wishing to operate it must invest and pay fees to the franchisor. Moreover, since the franchise agreement allows the operation for a specified period, the franchisee must be cautious when choosing the franchisor with whom to enter into an agreement. The franchisee must make sure that, by the time the franchise is terminated, the business has earned some profits and returned on investment. There are two essential qualities that determine a successful franchise, i.e. trust and understanding between the franchisee and the franchisor. Therefore, the franchisee must assess the opportunities available and the trustworthiness of all the franchisors. The second aspect that the business person wishing to start a franchise must assess is a financial position and track record of the franchisor. Financial records are crucial because they indicate the profitability of the franchisor, which may provide a possible prediction parameter for the franchisee’s profitability. The investor wishing to operate a franchise must analyze the market within which this franchise will operate (Bisio Kohler, 2011). Market evaluation is critical because the franchisee will be able to determine whether the prospective market has some potential customers that will be willing to purchase products at the expected prices. Moreover, this assessment can enable the investor to analyze the trend of the population purchasing the products to ensure that the market is expanding and not shrinking. Comparing disclosure statements from various franchisors helps an investor to relate the fees, benefits, restrictions and risks associated with every potential franchisor. Therefore, such an evaluation guides the investor to make an informed decision on the right franchisor to work with based on the details contained in disclosure statements. The prospective franchisee must assess the potential franchisor on the type of activities involved in the business. The business activities may require special skills that the franchisee may not have. The franchise must match the skills and capabilities of the franchisee so that the management will be excellent and profitable. Another assessment criteria to use is whether the franchisor has been market tested. During an initial business setup, the franchisor must have tested the business model through pilot tests in the market. Such a study must have been guided by professionals. On the other hand, the market testing could be based on the number of years the franchisor has been operational and successful. Market testing is crucial because a tested franchisor is likely to survive in the market for a longer time than a new one. The franchisee must also assess how existing franchisees are operating and their level of satisfaction with the franchisor. The franchise system may look viable on paper, but frustrating in practice. To have the practical information on what it takes to operate a franchise with the franchisor, evaluating existing franchisees is essential. The business model of the potential franchisor is crucial to the prospective franchisee because it can determine whether the business is based on a fashionable foundation or a permanent base. Every investor would wish to have the security assurance that the business in which to invest will be in existence for a long time. A franchisee must, therefore, assess the permanence of a franchisor before investing. It is essential for a prospective franchisee to understand the amount of capital required to start a franchise with different franchisors. Different organizations have different capital requirements for their franchises. The franchisee, therefore, should evaluate potential franchisors and choose depending on the amount of the capital available. In addition to evaluating the minimum capital requirements, the capital required in a worse case scenario should be assessed. Different franchisors provide support services to franchises, but there is no uniformity in this provision. The type of relationship between the franchisor and franchisee may determine the level of support available for the franchisee. The support services extended to the franchise can either increase or decrease its chances of survival. The more the support services provided the higher the chances of surviving and becoming profitable. Advantages of Operating a Franchise to a Franchisee Professional Guidance In a franchise relationship, the franchisor is experienced in the field of management and operating businesses. On the other hand, the franchisee may not have managed a business before, which means that there is the lack of expertise on the side of the franchisee. Depending on the level of assistance provided by the franchisor to the franchises, the franchisee can get some technical and managerial assistance from the franchisor. This assistance can be provided before the franchise is launched and during its operations. The advantage in operating a franchise is that the franchisor provides training and offers the progressive assistance in the course of the franchise’s operations. The technical help that the franchisor can provide the franchise with includes a business layout, design, equipment, purchasing and location. Efficiency The efficiency of operating a franchise is high compared to a start up business because the franchisor has leant through the own experience where problems were arising during a business start up. The franchisee is, therefore, provided with the information that will help the franchise evade common mistakes that lead to high start-up capital requirements (Hetten, 2011). As s result of having a prior knowledge on the processes to avoid and those to focus on, the franchise that is being efficient expands easily. Opportunity To Learn The presence of experienced franchisors in a franchise relationship enables investors to operate a business without any prior knowledge and experience. This advantage is crucial to people who decide to change their careers. They can own a franchise without any experience in the field of business. Some of the organizations sell that franchise with the operations to people with no prior knowledge. Such people are trained from scratch and are able to adapt to the system’s culture at a faster rate than a person who has worked in an organization with a different culture. Therefore, the franchise allows the franchisee to learn how to operate a business practically. Recognized Standards Franchisors require standardization in many aspects of their operations to be adopted by franchises. These aspects have been tested either through experience or a research and have proven to work for the franchisor. One such aspect is quality control. The quality of products can differentiate a business from another and initiate customer loyalty. The application of these uniform standards in all the franchisor’s operations differentiates brand names and create preferences among customers. Although franchisees have the limited independence, the compliance requirement helps them to apply proven methods and practices, which lead to increased revenues and profitability. Potential for Growth The learning and experience gained by operating one franchise can help the franchisee to operate other franchises elsewhere. An opportunity to operate the franchise in another location may arise. Franchisees with experience and knowledge can expand their operations to new locations where they would increase their profits and a scope of operations. Distinctive Trade Identification A franchise has an advantage over other start-up businesses because its association with a recognized franchisor improves its goodwill in the market. The franchise, therefore, enjoys the success in market penetration by being associated with a known brand. Since building a brand name is costly and dependent on time, franchises become famous within a limited time and using fewer resources than other start-up businesses. Advertisement Programs Advertisement is crucial for the success of any organization, irrespectively of the products being sold or the industry in which the business belongs to. An advertisement consumes large portions of marketing budgets and reduces profits and returns on investments. The franchise is exempted partly from the advertisement costs because when the franchisor advertises on a massive scale, the franchise benefits for being associated with the brand name. Disadvantages of Operating a Franchise to a Franchisee Cost of Franchise Although the franchises are assisted during the start-up and the progress of business by the franchisor, the help comes with the price. Once the business becomes operational, the franchisor starts charging loyalty fees in the form of sales revenue percentages. This cost is invisible during the start-up, but becomes evident once the business starts making profits. Since the charges are continually charged, they become a burden to the franchise because the business has to ensure sales up to a certain limit to guarantee that the business can pay the fees. Risk of Misunderstanding or Fraud Not all franchisors are genuine in their business. Some of them promise many things to franchises, but rarely fulfill them. Franchisees may not see the need to involve an attorney in the transactions, but it is crucial because the contract may contain faults that only people involved into the legal profession can understand. Therefore, franchises represent opportunities and risks in an equal measure to franchisees. Over-Dependence The help that franchises receive from franchisors may limit the involvement of franchisees in managing the business. The franchisor may not understand the unique needs of the customers in local regions. This means that methods and means used by the system may not apply to some localities. At such times, the franchisee should decide on how to serve the needs of such customers without relying on the franchisor. The control exercised by the franchisor on the franchise may make the franchisee over-dependent on the franchisor to the point of not being able to adapt to unique methods that would fit localities. Restricted Creativity and Freedom Franchisors place numerous restrictions on the way their franchises conduct their businesses. They have to follow procedures and standard ways of doing things. Any creative franchisee cannot conduct a business differently without offending the franchisor. Moreover, franchises are geographically restricted because they may enter another franchise territory. The restriction can be destructive such that even when the franchisee notices that some products are not suited to the market. They have no remedy because the franchisor has the final word to say. Negative Effects from Other Franchises’ Poor Performance When other franchises licensed by the same franchisor perform poorly in terms of quality or customer service, the effects can be felt even by those franchises that perform well. Since the franchises have the same brand name, customers aggrieved by one franchise are likely to view other franchises with contempt. This may lead to poor sales in high performing franchises. Therefore, franchising may be detrimental to franchises when the franchisor allows low standards in some of its business units. Termination or Transfer Problems A franchise is a contract between two parties and has a time frame within which it can be terminated. Either party may decide to end the contract even when the other party does not wish to end the relationship. This is a disadvantage, especially to the franchisee who has devoted time and energy to build the business. Another aspect that is problematic in this relationship is the transfer of ownership. During the contract signing, the franchisee may not have considered that the business may need to be transferred to another person such as a family member. For this reason, a clause detailing the procedure of such a transfer may not have been included in the contract. It, therefore, becomes difficult to transfer the ownership to another person. Advantages of Operating a Franchise to a Franchisor The franchising relationship is like a double-edged sword because it benefits and receives disadvantages both the franchisee and the franchisor. From the franchisor’s point of view, the following advantages result from the relationship: Rapid Expansion with Little Capital Investment In conventional business models, expansion requires a heavy capital investment. However, this is different when franchising is concerned. The franchisee comes up with the capital to invest. It is given the assistance in establishing the franchise using the money by the franchisor. This means the franchisor can reach new markets at a faster rate without investing capital. The relationship is, therefore, beneficial to the franchisor because the inputs are few, but the outcomes are numerous. Highly Motivated Franchisees In terms of performance, franchising is likely to outperform other modes of investment because the franchisee has a personal interest in the business and is more motivated than a company’s employee. As such, the business of the franchisor can perform better than organizations that rely on the employees’ motivation. The performance of the franchise is high because of the motivation from franchisees. The Expansion Is Controlled Within a corporate chain, rapid expansion sometimes occurs and out-paces the central management of an organization. When this happens, the management may lose control of critical processes and its ability to control all the organizational aspects. In a franchise relationship, the expansion is controlled because franchises are territorial and limit the extent to which the franchise can operate. The franchisor is, therefore, able to control the expansion of the business and has a tight control over its operations. Ability to Purchase in Bulk Purchasing goods in bulk is cheaper than buying fewer items. The presence of many franchises allows the franchisor to purchase supplies and products at great discounts. These discounts increase the franchisor’s profitability and reduce franchisee’s costs. Multiple Revenue Sources Having different sources of revenue is the strength to any business because it diversifies risks. The various sources of income for franchisors include the fee that is paid upon signing a contract, revenue from sales of various products and a portion of franchise’s revenue. The arrangement differentiates the franchising relationship from other corporations and diversifies its sources of revenue. Disadvantages of Operating a Franchise to a Franchisor Franchisee Dispute Conflicts are common between franchisees and franchisors regarding the payment of loyalty fees, hours of operation and expansion. Initially, the franchisee does not envisage such conflicts because the mind is usually focused on a positive side of the business. This changes when the reality of business dawns; and the franchisor starts demanding fees and other compliance issues. These disputes can disrupt business and harm trust, which is essential to the success of the franchise business. Loss of Control Although the franchisor controls several aspects of the franchise business, there is an individual aspect of the franchisee that must be respected. When the franchisor needs to implement changes, consultations between the parties involved must take place. The consultations do not always result into an agreement, and the franchisee may not agree with the franchisor. This makes it difficult for the franchisor to implement changes. The result of this loss of control is that the franchisor may be unable to respond to changing tastes and preferences in the market. In such a case, the franchisor turns to the company owned units. Any testing on a new product is done through these units. The results from the tests are crucial during the negotiations because they act as the evidence of success that can be achieved by the proposed changes. Profit Sharing Once the franchisee recovers the initial investment, subsequent earnings may represent 30-50% return on investments. Such high levels of return on investment are the indication of money that would have otherwise been earned by the franchisor using the company’s owned units. The franchisor would receive all the earnings taken by the franchisee through the company’s owned units. Therefore, franchisee’s earnings are foregone revenues for the franchisor. Legal Issues of Franchising The legal issues affecting franchising involve two documents. These include the Disclosure Document and Franchise Agreement. The state and federal laws in the United States govern the relationship between the franchisor and the franchise. To perform this role, the government requires the franchisor to supply the franchisee with the information that outlines the nature of the two parties’ relationship. The legal aspect of the franchising relationship is contained in two documents known as the Disclosure Document and the Franchise Agreement. The Disclosure Document The Disclosure Document provides the franchisee with information about the franchise system, the franchisor and agreement to be signed. The franchisee should be provided with the document before the contract is signed so that there is enough time to scrutinize the issues therein and make informed choices. The law prohibits a franchisor from selling a franchise before presenting the disclosure document to the prospective franchisee. In the United States, 14 states require franchisors to register their disclosure document with the state to notify that they will offer franchises. This document is important to the prospective franchisee because the vital information that can affect the performance of the franchise is contained in it. Some of the vital information that can help a prospective franchisee to make a wise decision is management’s experience in franchise management. The franchisor’s experience in managing the business can determine whether the franchise will have a prolonged future or not. A franchisor with the limited experience may not offer a profitable and reliable franchise. Another vital piece of information contained in the disclosure document is the litigation history and bankruptcy records. The number of litigation cases in the document can inform the prospective franchisee on the type of legal problems the franchise is likely to face. The franchisor with a long history of legal cases is less attractive to franchisees. On the other hand, bankruptcy records can provide the essential information about the ability of the firm to remain profitable in future. The franchisor with several bankruptcy records indicates inefficiency in managing the business. The information regarding territorial rights informs the prospective franchisee on how large the operation territory is. Sometimes, the franchisor may have many franchises competing for the operational territory. The disclosure document provides the franchisee with details of the geographical size within which the franchise is allowed to operate. The existence of numerous franchises sanctioned by the same franchisor within a small territory can limit the prospects of a new franchise. Such information is crucial because the franchisee prefers a large territory to serve because it provides a large market share. The disclosure information outlines the responsibilities of both the franchisor and the franchisee. This information may be unclear to the franchisee when the document is not provided prior to the contract signing. Consequently, the relationship between the two parties may be strained in the future regarding their duties towards each other. The responsibilities such is the level of support available to the franchisee is crucial when the decision to operate a franchise has been made. The franchisee is likely to choose the franchisor who provides the best support among other considerations. The Franchise Agreement Compared to the disclosure document, a franchise agreement is more specific in defining the relationship between the franchisor and the franchisee (Selden, 2011). The agreement specifies how the system works and the extent to which the franchisee can use trademarks and products. This is essential because the franchisee can understand the extent to which the franchise will benefit from the use of trademarks and licenses. In the franchise agreement, the rights and obligations of both parties are clearly defined and the standard procedures of operation outlined. The importance of this legal document is that the written procedures and standards illustrate the amount of control the franchisor exercises over the franchisee. When every activity of the franchise is strictly guided by operational procedures and standards, the franchisee has a little freedom and creativity curtailed. On the other hand, when the procedures only apply to some activities, the franchisor has limited control over the franchise. This is beneficial to the franchisee because the personal innovation can be incorporated into the business and improve its performance. The franchise agreement contains the information that indicates when the franchise relationship will be terminated. The franchisee benefits from knowing when the franchise will be terminated because forecasts can be done to determine whether the business will have earned returns on its investment and profits. When the forecasts predict that the business will have earned substantial profits, then the franchisee can enter into an agreement with the franchisor. However, when the business is likely not to make any profits by the time of termination, the franchisee may opt not to operate the franchise with the franchisor. The crucial information about the amount of money the franchisee should pay the franchisor is contained in the franchise agreement. The money to be paid out can affect the business performance; and it is, therefore, important to compare such payments across a number of franchisors. The cheaper the payments are, the more profitable the franchise is likely to be. This is because the money paid out to the franchisor either comes from the franchise profits or revenues. Having this information before signing the contract helps the franchisee get the best deal based on facts and figures. The franchise agreement details the terms and the rights to transfer the franchise. At the initial stages of the franchise formation, the franchisee may not have thought about the transfer of the business to another person, such as a next of kin or selling it. However, the procedures required must be known before signing the contract because the agreement may omit such information or write in favor of the franchisor. Even when the franchise duration is long, the franchisee may wish to transfer ownership. The agreement details the procedures. The franchisee should engage a legal counsel when examining the agreement to ensure favorable terms regarding the franchise transfer that should be included in the contract before signing it. Finally, the franchise agreement contains some information on how the franchisor conducts training of franchises; how the franchisor offers assistance and marketing strategies to the franchise. Training offers the franchise a good chance of survival than other forms of start-up businesses. The training methods that the franchisor uses are tested through experience and, therefore, provide the franchisee with the practical knowledge and skills that other start-up businesses lack. Some franchisors create advertisement programs that cover their franchises. The franchise agreement should detail the advertisement strategies used by the franchisor and the role of the franchise in the process. This knowledge helps the franchise plan the marketing budget. Between the two types of franchises, the business format franchise is capital intensive and provides more opportunities than the product distribution franchise. The choice between the two ones may be determined by the amount of capital and skills the prospective franchisee has. The franchise arrangement adopted by the investor depends on the investor’s skills in management and capital availability. Investors with advanced skills and large capital reserves have the ability to operate multi-franchise units or an area representative franchise. From the analysis of the merits and demerits of franchise business to both the franchisee and franchisor, the advantages seem to outweigh disadvantages. This is why there is an increasing number of franchises being operated throughout the world. The choice of the franchisor, which is informed by the evaluation before signing the contract, can reduce the demerits and maximize the merits. Therefore, the prospective franchisee should carefully evaluate the franchisors using the identified criteria to choose the one that will meet the needs of the franchisee and profitably.

Professional development opportunities Assignment

Professional development opportunities - Assignment Example The website listed above focuses on the ethics and responsibilities that aviation professionals have in their daily work.   It is mainly geared towards those teaching aviation, however, the information contained on the site is helpful for anyone in the field. This site focuses on all aspects of aviation work, not just pilots, so it is relevant to all who work in the aviation industry.   The SAFE organization, Society of Aviation and Flight Educators, offers a variety of useful information on their site.   You can read current aviation news, learn about professional development opportunities, purchase liability insurance, read the organization’s meeting minutes, learn their code of ethics and even learn about mentoring opportunities.   The website also gives information on available scholarships for many different areas of education.   On the website, you can also sign up to have their email newsletter sent to you.   Their newsletter will keep you up to date on curr ent initiatives within the aviation industry and will keep you posted on how you can get involved if you so choose.   I believe this site, is a high quality resource for many different areas, but the main focus is on professionalism, ethical behavior and professional development.   This is an active group, so this website is continually updated, making it a good resource to return to as opposed to just reading one time.     This organization does encourage you to become a member of SAFE.  

Communism in North Korea Compared with Russia Essay

Communism in North Korea Compared with Russia - Essay Example It seems that for many practical purposes, the evolution of the socialist state in Russia made the Russian Socialist or Communist State assume the characteristics of a capitalist or free market or competitive market state. It is highly that capitalism the competitive market system was restored in Russia. III. The Communism of North Korea North Korea describes her communism as founded on the so-called â€Å"immortal Juche Idea† developed by Kim Il Sung. Kim Il Sung started developing the Juche idea during the North Korean struggle against Japanese invasion in World War II (â€Å"Constitution of the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea of 1998,† 3rd paragraph, Preface). The Juche Idea is the ideological foundation of North Korean communism and socialist ideals. North Korean communists consider that it is their task to remodel Korean society along the ideals of the Juche Idea founded by Kim Il Sung (Korean Friendship Association 1). In the view of North Korean comm unists, â€Å"only when one is firmly armed with the Juche Idea and advances under its banner, would it be possible to emerge victorious in revolution and construction, surmounting all difficulties and trials† (Korean Friendship Association 2). From the perspective or propaganda of North Korean communism among themselves, the Juche Idea is the conviction that the North Korean people has â€Å"acquired through the history of revolutionary struggle spanning over half a century† (Korean Friendship Association 2). Like other communist parties and movements, the Juche Idea adheres to Marxism-Leninism (Korean Friendship Association 2). In particular, the Juche Idea adheres to a typical communist notion that â€Å"Lenin developed Marxism and... Based on this research, socialism is a first stage of communism. In socialism, the rule is to each according to his work while in communism or the rule is â€Å"to each according to his needs, from each according to his ability.† Through the years, however, socialist regimes were confronted with various challenges to modify policies. The main differences between North Korean and Russian Communism are as follows. First, North Korean Communism has explicitly considered itself independent from the Marxist-Leninist ideology through the Juche idea while it is not clear whether Russian Communism has continued to adopt the Marxist-Leninist concepts of a state, socialist society, and communist ideology. Second, the North Korean economy appears to be closer to the traditional notion of a socialist state compared to Russia. Third, private enterprise and private property appears to be more restricted in North Korea compared to Russia. Fourth, North Korean communist ideology uses the Juch e rather than Marxism-Leninism. North Korean Juche is basically socialist/communist ideology but with this twist: North Korean communist ideology has more rhetoric on humanism, independence, and humanity as the center of the Juche ideology. Fourth, North Korean communism or socialism appears to be more restrictive against private property while it does not seem to be case for Russian communism or socialist. Finally or fifth, unlike other communists, North Korean communism focuses on a claim to socialism that is more humanity centered. Unfortunately, however, it is currently the socialist or communist country with the greatest nuclear ambitions.

Visiting foreign country Essay Example for Free

Visiting foreign country Essay The chief object of ports is, of course, bodily exercise. â€Å"A sound mind in a sound body† is a well-known saying. The heath of the body is essential for success in life. An unhealthy man is always sad, gloomy ad therefore loses confidence in him. To keep healthy, one must take an active interst in sports. Thus sports serve an essential purpose in life because they ensure good health and build a fine physique. If one is bodily fit, one feels capable of hard endeavor and life without endeavor is useless. The great advantage of sports is that they combine exercise with trill, excitement and sensations. In order that we should readily take exercise it should be made interesting and, as everybody knows, practically all kinds of games devised by man possess a certain degree of interest. The Value of Sports such as Hockey, football, cricket, tennis, badminton, rowing and swimming all these and others not only give exercise to the libs but also provide a good deal of excitement and entertainment. Besides, the competitive element in sports is source of thrills for the mind. Not only the players, but the spectators also feel engrossed in a game because of its suspense and unexpected turns. It is for these reasons that sports form a very important part in education. A bookworm who takes no interest in sport is physically weak and all his mental excellence can’t make up for his physical deficiency. The Value of Sports benefits not only the body but also the mind. Almost every game requires a certain degree of skill to play. Skill is a mental quality. Physical vigor alone is not enough in games like golf, cricket and tennis. Sports develop and encourage the spirit of healthy competition. The, competitive instinct is natural in man and demands outlets. Sports have wide scope for the competitive instinct. Matches and tournaments and contests are held to put to test the skill, toughness, stamina and endurance of values of participants. Medals and awards are an incentive to players to achieve excellence and a high standard of performance in their respective fields. The healthy spirit of rivalry and competition constantly leads to improvement in the performance and previous records are constantly excelled or surpassed. There are several other considerations which entail sports to an important place in life. It is usually by taking part in sports that we cultivate what is called the spirit of showmanship. This spirit of sportsmanship is an excellent quality in a man and consists of fair play, sense of discipline, capacity for team work and cooperation and confidence in oneself that enabled one to accept a defeat cheerfully. A sportsman playing on the field is not expected outplays foul. He must cooperate and finally, if his team suffers a defeat he must not lose self-confidence but must shake hands with his adversaries cheerfully. When a sportsman has acquired these qualities on the playground, he will naturally exhibit them in the wider sphere of life. If he has truly imbibed the lessons taught to him by sports, he will be very honest and fair in his dealings with other people. He will never see his enemies below belt. He will always obey his superiors. He will never feel heartbroken on account of the disappointments. If he shows these qualities in his general conduct, he has learnt how live truly. His life is successful and he will be admired everywhere. Sports are an excellent means of spending one’s leisure. All work and no play make jack adult boy. Sports are much interesting pastime. Most of the games are quite inexpensive too. The Value of Games in Education The Value of Games in Education : Education aims at full development of the human personality. The human personality has several sides and it is the purpose of education to develop all these sides so that the individuals may attain his full stature. Man has a body, a mind and a spirit. Accordingly education aims at the physical development, intellectual development and the spiritual and more development of man. It is a very narrow view of education to think that educations merely gives knowledge to a human being and thus fits him for the purpose of earning his livelihood but educations does much more than this. The Value of Games in Education cannot ignore the physical side of man. Man has been blessed with a beautiful body. Poets, painters and sculptors have gone into raptures over the human body and have tried to depict it in their arts in many ways. Games are a means of keeping the body healthy and fit. Physical fitness and freedom from all kinds of ailments are the desire and ambition of very human being. Indeed, good health is the first condition of happiness in life. Those who play games greatly maintain good health. Games are an excellent means of bodily exercise. Apart from building the body, games are an excellent recreation or pastime. Education teaches man the need and value of recreational activities. Education does not approve of the scholar who keeps pouring over books all time. Recreations are necessary. And games are among the most interesting recreations in the world. The essence of a recreation is that it should refresh the body and maintain and provide a means of escape from one’s professional or scholarly pursuits. When one paying golf or billiards or badminton or table tennis, one becomes forgetful of everything else and gets absorbed in the games. Thus games are very useful as a diversion for the mind. They are a diversion not only for the players, but also for the spectators, because of the greet interest they create. The Value of Games in Education are just a diversion for the mind. They even provide a kind of training for the mind. Most games today are a matter of high skill and right judgment. Hockey, football, cricket and other games are not just a matter of physical exertion and exercise. The player must acquire the art of playing a game. Every game, therefore, contributes to the development of the mind and the judgment of a player. The Value of Games in Education offer that Good players show a lot of mental alertness and ingenuity in the course of their play. Fair play is noble moral quality when practiced in political dealings. The quality is best inculcated in human beings through games. The habit of fair play makes a man love honesty, integrity and justice which are great moral qualities. Games also teach the lesson of accepting a defeat on the playfield with a smiling face. A defeated player shakes hands with his victorious opponent and eve offers him congratulations. Defeat does not dishearten or depress a true sportsman. On the contrary, it provides an incentive for a greater effort. This lesson also is bound to prove useful to a man in the wider sphere of life. Life has its misfortunes, woes, failures. But a man with tough character is not daunted by these. Games make a man tough and thus enable him to withstand the sling and arrows of fortune. Games teach retain other lesson as well. They teach team-spirit or the spirit of mutual cooperation. They teach the value of unity or united effort. They teach the necessity of always obeying the orders of the captain or the leader. All these are valuable lessons which prepare man to live correctly and nobly. Education aims at building up character and character includes all the qualities mentioned above. Thus the value of games in forming and molding character is very great. Education aims too at developing qualities of leadership in human beings. The qualities of leadership are developed most effectively and fruitfully thought games. The Vacation I Had The Vacation I Had : Summer vacations are probably the happiest period in a student’s life. This lasts for about 60 days every year. Summer vacations generally commences form second week of May every year. The purpose of the summer vacations is multifold. First are relaxations. A student is fatigued at the end of the annual examinations. He needs rest to recoup health and viability. The second purpose is to tide over the unbearable heat of the summer months. The third purpose is to provide a change to a student to make up his deficiency in any particular subject. It also gives an opportunity to students to visit new places. Travelling is an experience and has great educative value. I planned my program in such a manner as to obtain maximum benefits. I took permission of my fatter to visit Calcutta and Darjeeling along with my friend Chandra. Both of us got the berth reserved in the Coromandel Express weeks ahead. Having visited all places in Calcutta we got into a bus for Darjeeling. We hired a cottage for our stay there. The climate was very bracing. We felt as if we were in heaven. We relaxed there fully. I was weak in English, so I had taken a learner book with me. I used to study grammar in my leisure time. I also learnt horse riding and the game of polo there. We used to have plenty of fruit after meals. Every nice thing has its end. So was the case of our short trip to Darjeeling. Time rolled on and the day approached when we had to leave that snow Valley of dreams. There was a great rush of passengers at Calcutta. We contacted the station master who helped us in securing berths in the train. We reached Chennai after 30 hours of journey. The short trip to Darjeeling during the summer vacations was a happy experience for us and its memory is still green in our minds. Visit to Taj Mahal Visit to Taj Mahal : There are many beautiful and worth seeing historical places in India. But the Taj Mahal of Agra is the most beautiful of all. It is a dream in marble. My friend and I visited that in the last summer vacations. The vision cast a spell over me. It stood in unique majesty. What a fine lay out indeed! This is what one could say on the spot. It looked white on all sides. The green tufts of glass and the green shoots of hot Cyprus trees adorned its majestic beauty. Nature’s beauty made the ground of the building look all the more beautiful. We went down the staircase. We found the graves of the king and the queen under the dome in a dark chamber. Multicolored pieces of glass and couplets form the Quran decorated the side walls. The four minarets stood as watch men at each of the main building. A full moonlight followed the next day. We visited the Taj again that night. Its beauty smiled in the silvery light of the moon. It was a memorable scene. My joy knew no bounds when I saw its reflections in the river Jamuna. Clear picture of marble could be seen. I closed my eyes and opened them again to find it was a reality. Nay! It was to a dream. As god is there to bestow nature’s beauty, man’s hand is there to create wonderful pieces of art and architecture. How could man be so perfect in working out the minute details of art? I am full of wonder even now. And I can still see the beauty of the Taj with my mind’s eye, if at all I desire so. Wheat a great beauty man could create! The Taj Mahal was built about three hundred and fifty years ago by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, in memory of his beloved queen, Mumtaj. A Visit to A Zoo A Visit to A Zoo : Our school broke up for the winter vacations. One day I went to Vandalur zoo with my friends. The entry was by tickets. We went up several steps to purchase the tickets. Then we entered the zoo. We walked up and down. A deep canal ran parallel to the footpath. Beyond the canal there were small trees. The cages of the birds were hanging down the branches of the trees. Their multi-coloured feathers gleamed into sunlight. Next we saw a small water pond with many kinds of birds swimming in it. It was interesting to see new birds in an enclosure. They twittered, chirped and whistled. They presented nature’s voice. It was pleasing indeed to hear them. We saw many birds there sparrows, nightingales and owls of different colours set in the closed cage. The owls sat with closed eyes lost in thoughts. We bade a silent farewell to those philosophers among birds and walked on. We visited the tigers, lions and bears shut in cages. We saw some hippos and also a rhino. We heared the loud roar of a lion. One tiger was in a fit of anger. The tiger was strong and handsome. I was reminded of Blake’s lines. â€Å"What immortal hand or eye dare frame the fearful symmetry? † Then we enjoyed a boat cruise. I enjoyed it most. We also saw many other fauna like crocodiles, snakes, frogs, fish ad a hundred other creatures. They all felt at home in the zoo. Last of all we saw different kinds of monkeys. We passed many happy hours in the zoo. It was a pleasing experience for all of us. I am Proud of My Country. English Grammar Index I am Proud of My Country. : India, my country is often described as a land of varieties. It is one of the most ancient countries of the world. It has a rich and varied heritage, the like of which no other country could boast of. I am really proud of it because it is the land of saints and seers. It is the country which has given us the great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. It is a great country blessed with the Himalayas and the sacred rivers like Ganga, Brahmaputra, Kaveri, Sindu etc. My land is so vast that it cannot have uniformity in anything. The people of India are from a variety of racial types, Aborigines, Aryans, Greeks, Sakas, Kushans, Huns, Mongolians, Arabs, Turks, Afghans etc. Naturally there is a wide diversity in languages spoken, physical features, religious practices. Indians considerably differ in their social habits, diets, dress and ornaments. Though the society is divided into different castes and communities, there is a general feelings of oneness among our countrymen. All are first and foremost Indians. India is a museum of cults and customs, creeds and cultures, faiths and tongues, racial types and social systems. Our country presents geographical diversity. We come across extremes of temperatures, fertile lands as well as deserts and varied climates. But there is an underlying unity among the people. There is a basic unity of ideas, philosophy, conventions and outlook on life. Festivals like Raksha Bandan, Dasara, Holy, Deepavali etc. are celebrated throughout the country. It is holy country which has given the world the Buddha, Sankara, Ramanuja, Ramakrishna, Viveka and a host of others. I love my country more than my own life. I LOVE MY INDIA. I LOVE MY INDIA. : I love my India not because it is my mother-country. The people around me are lovely. The tradition is something unique. My mother-tongue is the most beautiful language on the earth. The natural beauty spread all over India is really enchanting. The religious touch that we could find among Indians is heart-touching. Besides all these factors, there are many other aspects of India which have attracted my attention to keep me loving it. I want to state only two aspects here because of shortage of time. 1. UNITY in DIVERSITY We speak different languages. Every 25 kilometer entertains different culture. All the major religions are followed here. Communal clashes are the nature of the day. Political parties are diverse at national as well as the regional level. In spite of all these differences, we feel ONE when it becomes the matter of Indianism. The warmth and hospitality of the Indian people get deepened in spite of this diversity. The economic renaissance is amazing in the recent past. The economic progress of the people has maintained the unity of the people. Indian philosophy of life which is also called is called Sanatan Dharma is prime factor to sustain this unity in diversity. 2. CREATIVITY of THE PEOPLE To quote Sri Aurobindo, For more than three thousand years, India has been creating abundantly and incessantly, lavishly with an inexhaustible many sidedness, republics, kingdoms, empires, philosophies, cosmogonies, sciences, creeds, arts, poems and all kinds of monuments, palaces, temples, public works, communities, societies, religious orders, laws, codes and rituals, physical sciences, psychic sciences, systems of Yoga, systems of politics, administration, arts spiritual, arts worldly, trades, industries, fine crafts the list is endless. This is the honest word to vouch for the creativity of My India. Of course there are many and many factors of India which have attracted different people in different times. For all these things, I love My INDIA. Democracy versus Dictatorship Democracy versus Dictatorship : In theory, democracy is the best form of government. It is the government of the people as distinguished from the government of an individual or of a class of people. It makes all the citizens interested in their country by giving them a voice in legislation. It gives them a feeling of importance and a sense of responsibility. It thus gives a meaning to their personality. Another merit of democracy is that it is less liable to revolution than other forms of government. Since people themselves elect the members of government the need of a revolution does not arise. In additions to this, a democratic government usually guarantees freedom of thought and speech. This twofold freedom is a very great advantage as it enables the individual to grow freely. Democracy thus offers the most favorable atmosphere for the development of the human personality. Democracy literally means the rule of the people. It has been defined as government of the people, by the people for the people. Modern democracy rests on the principle of representation. The people elect their representatives by vote. These representatives attend the legislature and act on behalf other citizens. If the citizens are not satisfied with their representatives, they may not re-elect them in the next elections. But democracy has its danger. The greatest of which is that it may be the rule of ignorance. â€Å"Nine peoel out of every ten†, says Carlyle, â€Å"are fools† and citizens who are not sufficiently intelligent or educated are likely to commit errors of judgment in the casting of votes. The best men may this fail to get elected. Elections are usually matters of propaganda. However, the voters in countries like Britain and America have not proved so lacking in judgment as many of the opponents of democracy would have us believe, though it is true that our own country the people, being illiterate, rarely give evidence of sound or independent judgment. Another critic of democracy is that it is wanting in efficiency. For prompt and effective actions, unity of action is essential. â€Å"One bad general†, said Napoleon â€Å"is better than two good ones†. In a multitude of minds, much unprofitable discussion takes place, whereas unity of control is needed for a vigorous national life. According to Newman, for example, the British government cannot cope with the emergencies created by war as effectively as a dictator can. This criticism, however, is not very convincing because in times of war the British prime minter usually wields the powers of a dictator. During world wars, for examples, Sir Winston Churchill faced few real difficulties as a result of the system of democracy in England. A sounder criticism of democracy in times of war would be to say that secrecy in military affairs becomes difficult, if not impossible, and that the oppositions usably lowers the morale of people by its loud condemnations of the actions of the Cabinet. It was thought that the two world wars had made the world safe for democracy, but this forecast proved to be wrong. While democracy worked quite well in France and the English speaking countries, most other countries swung towards dictatorship. So successful and powerful did their dictatorships become, that the days of democracy seemed to be almost over. Unfortunately, theemthods of scitatorhsip are, and have to be, ruthless. Dictatorship employed force and violence OT maintain itself. It resorts to physical compulsion, person, concentrations camps censored, intimidation purges and execution. Both n Russia and Germany countless execution was ordered for the sanity of dsicitsorhsip. A dictatorship cannot brook slightest oppositions. Dictatorship is certainly not without its merits. As carryall poitnsour, society is anorgnaism. And not a machine. Now mechanical sytemliek the ballot-box can, therefore, prove satisfactory. The safer course is OT gives all power to a dictator. The dictator must, of course, be once who has exception amity to organize, direct and admitter. Parliamtary rule usably means gomer by clues ofpoliticans whose purviews dictator on the other hand, can concentrate all his emerges towards theupliftment and improvement of his country.

The Great C.S. Lewis :: biographies bio biography

C.S. Lewis, the great author, wrote all kinds of reading material: poetry, novels, and even children's fiction. He even wrote at a young age. He would draw his own pictures. People during his time loved his books, and today people still love to read his books. This author was also intelligent, joyful, and charitable. C.S. Lewis was a very intelligent man. He proved this in many ways during his lifetime. The way he lived is a very good example. When Lewis became a Christian, as J.I. Packer and Jerry Root write in their article, "Mind in Motion," His habits of mind also continued unchanged. He was already thinking how he thought a Christian should. He also shows his intelligence during his teen tears at Oxford, when he excelled as a student. He was also intelligent as a tutor. Kenneth Tynan, Lewis’s former pupil, tells in Bruce L. Edwards’s magazine article “Literary Time Travel,” “The great thing about him as a teacher of literature was that he could take you into the medieval mind and the mind of a classical writer. He could make you understand that classicism and medievalism were really vivid and alive-that it was not the business to be ‘relevant’ to us, but our business to be ‘relevant’ to it. It was not a matter of dead books covered in dust on our shelves. He could make you see the world through the eyes of a medieval poet as no other teacher could do. You felt that you had been inside Chaucer’s mind after talking to him.” It is instances like these that show just how intelligent C.S. Lewis really was. C.S. Lewis was a very joyful man, and his joyfulness shone through in all he did. He would assign nicknames to his family members and friends, like Robert E. Havard “the useless Quack” or as he called his walking companion A.C. Harwood, “the Lord of the Walks.” Another glimpse of his joyful spirit is when he finished his first day at Oxford and wrote to his dad, “The place has surpassed my wildest dreams. I never saw anything so beautiful.” Finally, we see his joy when he wrote to one of his friends right after his marriage, “It’s funny having at 59 the sort of happiness most men have at their twenties… ‘Thou hast kept the good wine till now.’” C.S. Lewis was a very joyful man from whom people could learn a lot.

Cyber Terrorism and Information Warfare

As the use of computer technology becomes wide, people have tended to use them both for beneficial and destructive purposes. As the use of computer technology becomes more, they continue to be used for more complex and inter-reliant threats to humanity. The use of computer technology for destructive purposes takes place in the form of cyber crime, cyber terrorism and information warfare. The focus of this paper is on cyber crime and information warfare. The two have a number of similarities as well as differences.They are both applications of computer and information technology that are in use in the society in the information era. Information has been relied upon in different sectors in different countries and around the world. This has made information a very powerful tool for the economy of many countries. Information has also become a target for criminal activities like terrorism and a target to wage war (Lewis, 2002). This paper discusses the similarities and differences between cyber terrorism and information warfare. The paper begins with the description of the two concepts. Cyber terrorismCyber terrorism is the use of computing resources to engage in terrorist activities. It can also be defined as the calculated use of computers or computing networks aimed at harming, or to further social, economical, political or ideological, or such goals. People have tended to use the secrecy afforded by cyberspace to wage terrorism activities towards communities or an entire country. This has tended to cause threat and panic to people without physical presence of the attacker. The terrorists using cyberspace target computers and information to cause harm and damage to the targeted group or nation.There have been claims by some factions of scholars that cyber terrorism does not exist and that what is referred to by the use of this term is information warfare. They feel that it is not possible to use computer technology to wage serious harm or damage in a population d ue to the availability of protective technology. However, it is a fact is that cyber terrorism is a concept that is applicable in the current world of technology (Brenner, 2006). Information warfare Information warfare on the other hand is defined as the use of computer technology to wage war.It can also be defined as the use and management of information and technology in order to gain a competitive advantage over one’s adversaries. Information can be manipulated in various ways to ensure that one country gains an edge over its opponents. Information has become a very crucial tool for use in different aspects of human life. Information has come to be used as a powerful weapon in times of clashes or conflicts. This warfare is closely associated with psychological warfare. The attacking country targets the information sector of the country that it is up against (Lewis, 2002).Similarities Both cyber terrorism and cyber warfare make use of information technology and/ or networks to carry out their objectives. Regardless of their difference in objectives, information is a critical tool for both cyber terrorism and information warfare. Information warfare can be carried out in different ways: jamming or hijacking of TV and radio transmissions; disabling logistic networks; disabling or spoofing communication networks of the enemies; and sabotaging stock exchange dealings (Lewis, 2002). These are all means of use of information in warfare.Cyber terrorism can also take various forms like attacks against networks of the target group or country; threats against a community or country that are made electronically; hacking into systems; defacing networks; and denying service to the target group. It is clear that both are destructive applications of computer and information technology. The users of both cyber terrorism and information warfare use and go after the information sector of the target group or country with the aim of causing havoc (Brenner, 2006).Both cyb er terrorism and information warfare are destructive, but have not been developed to the level of destruction like the other weapons, such as the bomb. The kind of damage caused by cyber terrorism and information warfare is not large-scale, although the technologies are still being developed. It would not be possible to carry out such a destructive act like the one that happened in the United States, commonly known as the September 11 attacks (Che, Deng, Chao & Huang, 2009).Despite the fact that there are some remote examples of cyber terrorism and information warfare in the world today, they are not as pronounced as those that use the conventional weapons like bombs. All the examples and instances that are provided on the use of information for warfare and terrorism cannot compare with the use of methods like bombing, air planes and other convectional methods. However, the possible destruction that is likely to happen due to the development in technology cannot be ignored. The two concepts, cyber terrorism and information warfare are based on computer and information technology.It is a known fact that technology is developing at a very speedy rate. As a result, the technology applied in both cyber terrorism and information is not the same way it was when the two concepts were developed. It is also a fact that they are likely to be more complicated and destructive. While most countries there are development of cyber warfare capabilities, there are individual factions and groups that are developing cyber terrorism capabilities (Che, Deng, Chao and Huang, 2009). Both cyber terrorism and information warfare are destructive processes that can cause terror and damage in a place or country where they are applied.Despite the fact that cyber terrorism is not likely to cause the kind of destruction like what took place during the September 11 attacks, they are likely to cause a security scare to the public. For example, it is possible for hackers to wage terrorism atta cks by hacking into hospital systems (Brenner, 2006). Another way that this can be carried out is by launching sequenced, coordinated attacks shutting down Automatic Teller Machine systems and other financial systems in selected towns or cities.When this is carried out in a large-scale, it can be realized that this is not a random act, but an organized terrorist attack. This can lead to panic about the security and economic damage to a country. Same case with information warfare; despite the fact that unlike cyber terrorism information warfare is not aimed at harming civilians and properties, it leads to both direct and indirect effects to countries they are aimed at and their citizens. Just like cyber terrorism, information warfare causes panic on the public as well as other economic effects on the country (Collin, 1996).For example, where transmissions are hijacked to pass on hate information or other destructive information, it is possible for people to be very scared for their s ecurity. Attacking economic sectors using information technology during war or as a weapon endangers the economic status of a country. In fact, paralyzing the information sector of a country leads to massive economic costs to that country. This means that these two applications of computer and information technology are very destructive and costly to the affected country (Lewis, 2002).Both cyber terrorism and information warfare are complex problems that need to be addressed very first in national security policies. They are becoming more sophisticated and require sophisticated means to counter. They are both attacks that can paralyze the infrastructure of a country completely. The use of information for terrorism and warfare is based on the premise that information has become a very crucial resource in development and has been relied upon by countries and organizations in their daily operations (Collin, 1996).The attackers have come to realize that the best part to hit and raise ha voc is the information technology sector. The information technology sector has become the most vulnerable point that can be hit to feel the greatest effect. Studies have found out that susceptibility of information networks and the critical infrastructure have put national security in dire risk. This can be supported by the fast growth in technology and its spreading to the economic sector of many countries. This is usually the target of cyber terrorism and information warfare.The users of these two applications of computer technology targets where a country will feel the most effect when hit. This is no better than the information sector of their target (Brenner, 2006). It is easy to spot real-world terrorism just as it is to spot real-world warfare. When dealing with real-world acts, terrorism or warfare is easier to identify, thus making it easier to counter. Where a real-life attack is carried out it is possible to know that the government is either dealing with terrorism or wa rfare. Simply put, it is easy to identify terrorism or warfare in the real-world.This is not the case with cyber terrorism or cyber warfare. Where these takes place, it is not possible to immediately identify what one is dealing with. There are no people who are physically available to carry out the acts. When a real-world terrorist attack is carried out, there will be a suicide bomber who hijacks a plane or bombs a building. In real-world warfare, there are military personnel with characteristic attire and characteristic badge. This way, it will be possible to tell that it was a terrorist attack or war against a particular group or country.This is not the case with cyber terrorism and information warfare (Lewis, 2002). The activities are carried in secrecy and most of the times unless someone claims to be involved, it might be difficult to identify the perpetrators. In case of information warfare, it might be hard to identify the country involved in the attacks. It is then possible that a country could be a target of cyber terrorism or information warfare and not even be aware of it. The two applications are complex and cannot be easily identified and dealt with (Che, Deng, Chao & Huang, 2009). DifferencesThe primary focus of information warfare is not to inflict injuries or death to civilians and property. Information warfare is not aimed at demoralizing or intimidating civilians. Cyber terrorism is aimed at the achievement of a particular objective. This is done mostly through intimidation and any other means as long as the message is communicated. Injuring people, causing death, and damaging property is one of the ways used to communicate the message. They achieve their objectives by destroying as much life and property as possible. Cyber terrorists do not mind the lives that will be lost or the damage that will be caused in the process.For instant, the terrorist attacks in Romania. This happened at an Antarctic research center where terrorists accessed th e computer resources that controlled life support systems. In the process, the lives of 58 scientists were put in danger (Kalathil & Boas, 2003). However, the perpetrators were stopped before a serious harm was caused. Terrorism generally is a destructive act that is carried out for selfish purposes, while information warfare is an act that is aimed at protecting a country from destruction by its enemies (Lewis, 2002).Information warfare is legal and mostly designed by the ministry of defense as a weapon of defense to a nation in time of war. As already mentioned, it is the use of technology to gain competitive advantage over the opponents. This means that it is not an illegal means of attack, like cyber terrorism. Most of the time, information warfare is carried out by the conventional military force. There are for example some nations that have trained or are training people who are referred to as hacker warriors. These hacker warriors are used in time of war to wage attacks again st enemy nation-states.Cyber terrorism on the other hand is dangerous and unlawful attacks towards a target group to further some selfish objectives. Cyber terrorism is carried out by people who are part of a faction that is united by an obligation to a particular political philosophy. The distinguishing factor from cyber terrorism is that war is a struggle between countries or nations states (Che, Deng, Chao & Huang, 2009). Information warfare is meant to be a collateral event. This means that the information attacks are aimed at protecting one’s country and its citizen.During war, the aim of the fighters is to protect one’s country and its people from adversaries. This means that the objective of information warfare is very different from that of cyber terrorism. In most cases, cyber terrorism is not a collateral event. It is used for selfish objectives of the attacking groups. It is also important to note that most of the times cyber terrorism is not initiated by la wful combatants. This means that the perpetrators do not operate legally as is the case during war (Brenner, 2006).Cyber terrorism is aimed at causing damage and harm to a target group for a particular objective of the attacking groups. Some of the objectives of cyber terrorism include ideological, political, religious, and in some cases economical. Unlike in cyber terrorism, war is restricted to attacks between groups (armies) who act on behalf of their countries in the war. The use of technology in this case is aimed at the army or armies of the enemy nations. In warfare, the use of information is rational and justifiable, unlike the use of terrorism attacks where the acts are irrational and cannot be justified (Lewis, 2002).Cyber terrorism is basically one-sided. This means that in most cases cyber terrorism cannot be reciprocated. In most cases, its anonymity characteristic makes it hard to find out the perpetrator(s). Cyber terrorism is aimed at a specific population to further the objectives of the attacker. On the other hand, information warfare is aimed at attacking adversaries. This means that unlike cyber terrorism, it is aimed at triumphing against one’s enemies. It is used against opponents during war and is just limited to that purpose (Che, Deng, Chao & Huang, 2009).Conclusion This aim of this paper was to make a comparison and contraction of the two concepts that apply information computer technology, cyber terrorism and information warfare. The two concepts differ in definition because while cyber terrorism is the use of computing resources to engage in terrorist activities, information warfare is defined as the use of computer technology to wage war. These concepts have a lot in common, from being based on computer technology, to the kind of effects they are likely to cause to a country and its people.They are both destructive effects of information and computer technology. They are however different from their motive, to the kinds of p eople who carry out the attacks. While cyber terrorism is an unlawful act aimed at causing intimidation in achievement of different objectives, information warfare is a lawful activity carried out by military personnel aimed at coming out victorious over opponents. These two activities have led to a security scare around the world due to the effects that they lead to. They are concepts that are supposed to be address in national security policies as a matter of urgency.Despite the fact that they have not become so open in the society today, with a few remote cases being reported, with the development in technology and over reliance on technology in different sectors, it is possible that they will increase. There is need to develop more sophisticated technologies to counter this. References: Brenner, S. (2006). C3: Cyber crime, cyber terrorism and cyber warfare. Retrieved on May 11, 2010 from http://cyb3rcrim3. blogspot. com/2006/06/c3-cybercrime-cyberterrorism and. html Che, H. , De ng, D. , Chao, H. & Huang, Y. (2009).â€Å"Next Generation of Terrorism: Ubiquitous Cyber Terrorism with the Accumulation of all Intangible Fears,† Journal of Universal Computer Science, vol. 15, no. 12. Collin, B. (1996). The future of cyber terrorism. Paper presented at the 11th Annual International Symposium on Criminal Justice Issues, University of Illinois at Chicago. Kalathil, S. & Boas, T. (2003). Open networks, closed regimes. Washington DC: Brookings. Lewis, J. (2002). Assessing the Risks of Cyber Terrorism, Cyber War and Other Cyber Threats, Washington DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Symbolic Elements in Desiree’s Baby by Chopin and Sweat by...

I choose symbolism for the stories Desiree’s Baby and Sweat. For Desirees’ Baby , I choose the stone pillar, Armand’s bonfire, the yellow nurse, and L’ Abri. The stone pillar symbolizes Desiree’s unknown past and future; Armand’s bonfire symbolizes Armand’s act of erasing everything of Desiree and their baby; the yellow nurse symbolizes the color of the mixed baby; and finally L’Abri, symbolizes the secrecy of the plantation and of Armand’s past. The symbols I choose for Sweat are white clothes, the snake, the whip and slavery. Desiree’s Baby starts out with Desiree and the baby not being seen by Madame Valmonde. They were gone for four weeks. They come back and Desiree goes to sleep with the baby in her arms. Madame takes a†¦show more content†¦Another symbol I saw in Desiree’s Baby was the yellow nurse woman who is of a different race, making note to the reader that on the plantation, back in tha t day, that not all were white there. The yellow nurse is a symbol of Desiree’s baby not being white and of being a mixed color, which is what the plot of the story was about. There are many areas and houses that can be scary, maybe even haunted, but theres one place that is pretty scary, which would be L’Abri. Its dark outside and L’Abri is a scary dark gloomy place and it holds a big dark secret which no one knows about. This is another symbol, in Desiree’s Baby. A big dark secret, being of which, is a symbol that no one knows, not even Armand of himself being of a mixed race. In the story, when the baby cries Armand says that he can hear the baby’s cries from La Blanches, which brings up the question, why is Armand over at the La Blanches? Does that mean that he might be fooling around with his slaves? If Armand is fooling around with his slaves, i think that might send the slaves a mixed signal as to where Armand stands with his slaves. To be c ool and playful with them in the dark just to be treated badly when people are around. If you treat them good when noone is around, then just treat the slaves right like youd want if you were a slave in that time period. The short story â€Å"Sweat† starts out with Delia washing white