Onhs Documentation

CHAPTER 1 1. The Problem and Its Background 2. 1 Introduction Enrollment serves as a vital part in the life of every student upon entering schools or universities, either public or in private. It gives students the impression on how the whole institute manages and manipulates the entire body. Moreover, enrollment serves as the first experience of all students by which he/she takes part either individually or with company of a parent or some relatives.Enrollment is considered as the first step or procedure that must be done by old students within a particular institution before the semester per school year totally starts, but for those freshmen, or first year students (new students), they are obliged to usually take an admission test, to know and assess them the right course to engage to, followed by a scheduled interview in order to give them brief instructions and information about certain issues with regards to the school’s policies, institutional programs as well as persona l information, health, economic status, so on and so forth.Good enrollment is always an asset in a school, pertaining to fast payment, assessment procedures, and easy transactions with a high rate of accuracy. Therefore, good enrollment within the schools, if present, can be described as civilize, organize, accurate and professional. Enrollment has always been a difficult task, but it is more so today than ever before, where administrators uses the traditional way of filing records on a cabinet.Schools, like any other organization used to manage all sorts of data and information to ensure attainment of its goals and objectives. The emerging needs in most schools for accurate and relevant data and reliable information strengthen the Student Information System. As the population of the students goes up, it is becoming more complex. Data should be stored in safer places, and can be retrieved easily and fast when someone needs it.Administrator’s task has becoming more complex, th ere have been efforts to improve the effectiveness of problem solving and central to this are quantitative techniques and electronic devices such as computers. This study aims to come up with an enrollment system and grades management with short message service system for a high school which also includes information pertinent data such as name, year, section, etc. This system is design for the use of the staff to enable them to produce information required by different people.It will make the work of faculty and staff faster, easier and more comprehensive. The system will also store the data of the students. For the future researchers, this study could be used for their reference in having an enrollment system and grades management with SMS System if the future researchers would like to formulate a system such as this. 2. 2 The Background of the Study Orani National High School (ONHS) is located at Kawayan, Orani, Bataan, it was established through the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Reso lution No. 41. ONHS campus started to operate three years before its House Bill No. 1425 was approved as Republic Act No. 8419 on November 27, 1997. ONHS is composed of (1864) one thousand eight hundred sixty four students. Five hundred forty (540) are first year, four hundred sixty three (463) are second year, four hundred thirty two (432) are third year and four hundred twenty nine (429) are seniors or graduating. The school has sixty six (66) teaching and non-teaching staff.Fifty three (53) teaching personnel are regular permanent and are nationally funded. Five are contractual, funded by the Provincial School Board of Bataan and the Local School Board of Orani. The non-teaching personnel is composed of three (3) Department Heads, one (1) Disbursing Officer who are regular and permanent and five (5) contractual support personnel funded by the Provincial School Board of Bataan and Local School Board of Orani.All teachers passed the Professional Board Examination for Teachers (PBET ) and Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) with Master of Arts in progress and are teaching their own major or field of specialization. The faculty, staff, students and parents of this school are caring people, who share one vision and one mission and who continuously strive to make ONHS a caring school system in Orani where every learner is Maka-Diyos, Maka-kalikasan, Maka-tao and Maka-Bansa; and make every student understand, do and enjoy what they have learned by being role models.Their enrollment is being done manually by the registrar and when the enrollment start the registrar will have a hard time to enroll the student in their current enrollment system, they found that using a manual process is hard to handle such as collection of records like storing, finding, sorting and securing of records particularly if this stored only in one room and in a limited space. It will be a big hassle for the registrar and the student when or if ever their going to get data or information .In this new system it will be easy for them to enroll and to get data or information from the registrar and also enable the registrar to easily produce information required by the different people in the school. 2. 3 Statement of the Problem 2. 4. 1 General Problem How to design, develop and implement an Enrollment and Grades Management with Short Message Service System for Orani National High School that would help the enrollment and grading process? 2. 4. 2 Specific Problems * Difficult data manipulation * The present way of enrollment and grading system is time consuming * There is no data retrieval of lost file There is no standard format when printing of grades * Difficult parental updates of the students * Security 2. 4 Objective of the Study 2. 5. 3 General Objective To be able to design, develop and implement an Enrollment and Grades Management with Short Message Service System for Orani National High School. 2. 5. 4 Specific Objective * To develop an information system tha t has the ability to manipulate data accurately. * To develop an information system that will lessen the workload, time, human resource and provides accurate  information  needed in an information system. * To develop a system that has the ability to protect the files. The proposed system will be having a standard printing format for the data. * To develop an information system that has parental updates. * For security purpose. 2. 5 Significance of the Study Due to the increasing students of Orani National High School, this study helped the school regarding their enrollment transactions. The proposed system aimed to benefit the school in their enrollment facilities such as maintaining the files, assessment of fees and especially the enrollment itself. The proposed system aimed to benefit the following: The School The main beneficiary of the study is Orani National High School.ONHS would be adapting the new innovation of technology through C# programming language that will make t heir work with optimum performance. The developed system will compensate the flaws and problems that the school is encountering. Registrar With regards to the registrar’s office the proposed system will help the school in maintaining the data of the students and the school will not use the manual data gathering. ONHS will just need to check the database for the records needed. Students The students will benefit by means of not having a hard time in falling in line and waiting for their turn to register. ProponentsThe proponents would also be a beneficiary of the study since the proponents would value the importance of enhancing their skills and work performance while grasping knowledge throughout the study. Future Researchers For the future researchers, this study could be used for their reference in having an enrollment system if the future researchers would like to formulate a system such as this. 2. 6 Scope and Limitation The system will have the following features: * File Management * Students Master List * Grades Management * Generation of Reports * Student’s records report * Student’s grades report * Enrollment Process SMS function * Security However, the system will have the following limitations: * Enrollment Reservation * The SMS function is only available only during class hours between 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. * The SMS function cannot be used if the prepaid kit doesn’t have enough loads to send information. 2. 7 Conceptual Framework ONHS Enrollment and Grades Management with Short Message Service System Of Orani National High School ONHS Enrollment and Grades Management with Short Message Service System Of Orani National High School ONHS System Students Information Students Grades Announcements through SMS ONHS SystemStudents Information Students Grades Announcements through SMS Students Information Users Information Students Grades Announcements through SMS Students Information Users Information Students Grades Announcements through SMS Output Output Input Input Process Process Figure 1. 1 Conceptual Frame Work 2. 8 Definition of Terms System- Any organized assembly of resources and procedures united and regulated by interaction or interdependence to accomplish a set of specific functions. Software-  a collection of computer programs and related data that provide instructions on telling the computer what to do and how to do it.Database- a system intended to organize, store and retrieve large amount of data easily. Program- (also a software program) is a set of instructions written to perform a specified task for a computer. Installation- (or setup) of a program (includes drivers, plugins, etc. ) is the act of putting the program onto a computer system so that it can be executed. Xampp- is a free and open source cross-platform web server solution stack package, consisting mainly of the Apache HTTP Server, MySQL database, and interpreters for scripts written in the PHP and Perl programming languages.My sql- MySQL is a relation database management system (RDBMS) which has more than 6 million installations. MySQL stands for â€Å"My Structured Query Language†. The program runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases. Significance-This is the importance of the study which is a quality of suggestiveness and expressiveness. CHAPTER 2 2. 0Review of Related Literature and Studies This section presents the writing of different facts and principles conducted by the proponents during the research, which have relevant to the study.It involves quotation of the author of the books and reference materials that may serve as the basis for sorting out and solving some problems that may be encountered in the development of the proposed study. 2. 1 Foreign Literature This portion presents a review of several literatures that would be beneficial to the study summarized from previous writings, showing detailed facts asserted by few people and pioneer in the field of com puter industry. On this element of study some reviews of the proponents and author’s passage in order to help the proponents to find ways in contact with the problem that have been encountered.Success of SMS The proposed system has an SMS function. An SMS is intended only for short messaging. It is limited but very convenient to use. Even if it’s limitation, The SMS industry or Telecommunication industry is one of the most successful business ventures in the world. This was proved in the book of Brian Retford and Jordan Schwartz entitled â€Å"How to Build an SMS Service†. â€Å"SMS, or Short Message Service, is rapidly emerging as a multibillion dollar a year industry. A leading research firm reports that consumer spending on mobile services represents a $140 billion opportunity worldwide, with person-to-person SMS making up half f that. Portio Research reported that there were 946 billion SMSs sent in 2006. Clearly, the medium has hit the mainstream. To suppo rt the first statement, there is also an article regarding about the success of the SMS which is entitled â€Å"Future of SMS† by Ronald J. de Lange, Executive Vice President, Global Product Solutions, Tekelec. â€Å"SMS has been the most successful non-voice service for mobile operators in the history of telecommunications and, as such, has been a key revenue generator.Every year stories of the demise of this 160-character service are thick in the air, and every year SMS usage continues to grow as more uses are found for this once ignored service. The key to the success of SMS has been its simplicity, reach, price and reliability. All other messaging based applications launched since SMS have struggled to meet the lofty expectations set by the service and pale in comparison to its success. Industry-related reports point to a future in which SMS volumes and revenue will continue to grow on a global basis for at least the next three years. So what is going to drive this level of growth?In short, several trends will drive the continued expansion of the service. † The researcher believed that the existence of SMS is a big help in terms of convenient way of communication. Importance of Computers in the Business Today, our generation is considered as a computer age. There is no place in the world without Computers. Computers, Internet, Facebook are now considered part of our lives. Even in the school, Computers give us a lot of benefits especially in the business. Computers can provide a business a fast, reliable, systematized and organized way of giving services.This was proved in the research article of Alexis Writing entitled â€Å"What Are the Advantages of Computers in Business†. â€Å"Computers have tremendously improved the way businesses operate in their respective industries. Technology has advanced so remarkably that those who are not using computers in their business are at a major disadvantage against their competitors. In particul ar, there are several important advantages that computers can provide to small businesses. Organization Computers allow the application of different types of software that can help businesses keep track of their files, documents, schedules and deadlines.Computers also allow businesses to organize all of their information in a very accessible manner. The ability to store large amounts of data on a computer is convenient and inexpensive, and saves space. A computer's ability to allow a company to organize its files efficiently leads to better time management and productivity. Self-Sufficiency Computers have made staff and companies more self-sufficient by allowing them to do tasks that previously had to be outsourced. For example, a company can now use office software to create their own training material.Desktop publishing software can be used to create marketing materials. Online tax and accounting programs allow companies to prepare their own taxes. This allows the dominant operati ons of a company to remain in-house and empowers the company to become more independent and less susceptible to errors committed by outside parties. Cost-Effective Emerging technology makes new tools and services more affordable and allows companies to save on their staff payroll and office equipment. Because computers allow work to be done faster and more efficiently, it is possible for a company to hire fewer staff.In addition, with networked and relatively inexpensive computers, companies can store data more easily, saving on the cost of outside file storage, and can avoid having to purchase as many copiers, fax machines, typewriters, and other such items that were used before computers became popular. Correspondingly, potentially profitable businesses can be started with a smaller overhead cost. Email capabilities decrease postage costs; software applications reduce the need for large accounting departments, while videoconferencing reduces the need for travel.All resources saved will trickle down to the consumers, who are then provided with much more affordable products and service. Speed Computers help speed up other business operations. The collecting of consumer feedback, ordering of raw materials, and inspection of products is made quicker through the use of computers, allowing companies to operate much faster and to produce better quality results. Sales Computers can help generate higher sales and profits for businesses via a company website. Many businesses now operate online and around the clock to allow customers from around the world to shop for their products and services. 2. 2 Foreign Studies Short Message Service || SMS SMS can be used for a variety of uses in conjunction with mobile prepay including notification of low balance and balance inquiry, short codes used in conjunction with prepaid roaming, and even SMS itself can be provided on a prepaid basis by the mobile network operator. When used in conjunction with the SIM Toolkit, SMS can be used as the vehicle for a variety of secure transaction-oriented services such as mobile banking; news alerts, product alerts, updated sports information, job alerts, and SMS aided utility services and so on.According to the study AN SMS AND WEB-BASED TRAFFIC CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN BANGLADESH by Sangeet Saha, August 2006, â€Å"The Traffic Police can use this SMS to know the case information, vehicle information and driver information. When the traffic police want to know this information then they will just send an SMS to a particular number. Then they will receive an SMS which contains all the information that they want to know. Thus this will help the traffic police in many ways. They can easily gather information through an SMS. Their SMS system will work when the police send an SMS using this format than this SMS will go to the central database and run the query. After getting the result, server will return an SMS to the police about the information. If no result found that it will also return an SMS of no result. In this the SMS for traffic, the police will send only the car license number. And the result will contain it’s case number, offender’s name, date of offence, date of presence to the station and the papers name that are captured.In the published thesis of Yu Loon Ng, SHORT MESSAGE SERVICE (SMS) SECURITY SOLUTION FOR MOBILE DEVICES, December 2006, â€Å"This thesis focuses on the security of Short Message Service (SMS) and the Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) network, and the use of encryption to protect SMS messages. A detailed study of the GSM network, the SMS protocol and various encryption schemes was conducted to understand the properties of different encryption schemes and their applicability to SMS messages. An experiment was conducted to measure the actual performance of various encryption schemes on a modern smart phone.An analysis of the encryption scheme properties and the performance measurement was then conducted to select a suitable scheme for SMS encryption. The selected scheme was implemented in the form of a Secure SMS Chat application to validate the viability of the selected encryption scheme. Potential applications of secure SMS in military settings are also discussed. † Their thesis focuses on the use of encryption to secure SMS messages. The encryption requirements of voice traffic and other data traffic will not be discussed.The characteristics of different encryption schemes and their performance on a modern mobile device are presented. The properties of SMS were assessed with respect to their impact on encryption selection. Based on the measurement results, a suitable encryption scheme for SMS is selected, and deployed. A typical application is used to validate the selection. 2. 3 Local Studies Enrollment System The proponents primarily choose the topic regarding about enrollment is because this will give a lot of benefits to many, most especially to the students , teachers and of course the school.The other reason is because it has abundant resources that can help the proponents on developing the project. To improve the existing enrollment system our proposed system will be using the most efficient, fast and reliable machine that is widely used around the world which is computers. In the unpublished thesis of Computer Based Enrollment Information System for St. Mary's College of Meycauayan by Joseph Bernard Reyes, May 2002 it is mentioned that â€Å"One cannot deny the fact that the computer has become a tool that is shaping almost every facet of life.It is used by the government, military, big businesses, in homes and of course in schools. This is especially true in highly industrialized countries like United States, Japan and England. Moreover, the expanding application of computers in education and in business organization has prompted leaders and managers to find ways on how to use the computer to make their operations more efficient. They are be used to enhance performance and efficiency and this makes them very valuable tools for most learning institution in the Philippines†. The existing enrollment system of the school ONHS is using manual filing system.Nowadays almost all Universities, Colleges and Private Schools are using Computerized Enrollment System, that’s why the respondents agreed that it is time for the school to change and upgrade their enrollment system. Enrollment is considered as the first step or procedure that must be done by the students within a particular institute. It gives students the impression on how the whole institute manages and manipulates the entire body. Moreover, enrollment serves as the first experience of all students by which he/she takes part either individually or with company of a parent or some relatives.According to the study of Computer Based Enrollment Information System for St. Mary's College of Meycauayon, â€Å"Enrollment is the start of the relationshi p between the school and the students. Enrollment is one of the most important functions in any learning institution because it is the actual start of the interaction between the school and the students. † Moreover our proposed system aims to improve the Enrollment system of the school. The proponents want to help not only the students, teachers, the school but of course the development of the technology in our country.Short Message Service The proposed system offers not only Enrollment and Grading System but also an SMS or Short Message Service capability as well. The reason why the proponents came up on adding an SMS feature on the system is because aside from the internet, SMS is the best way to communicate with other people. According to the study â€Å"Tri Sensor Microcontroller Based Intelligent Monitoring System w/ SMS Transmission and Reception† by De Vera, Joy S. , Malixi, Jaime Jr. , Palisoc Aira, Purugganan, Leah S. , and Sarinas, Angolito Salvodor, Aug 20 20 03. SMS is a globally accepted wireless service that enables the alphanumeric messages between mobile subscribers and external system. It is characterized by out-of-bound packet delivery and low bandwidth message transfer, which results in a highly efficient means for transmitting short bursts of data. † The proponents will use the SMS to communicate with the parents or guardians of the students. The system’s SMS function will be the formal way of the school to communicate with the parents. According again to the study, â€Å"Communication is one important factor in life. It is the process of passing information of what is happening.Today, one medium we are currently incorporating is SMS / Text Messaging. In SMS messaging, information is sent effectively and fast. † The proponents therefor conclude that an SMS function on a system will be a big help on improving the current system of the School. Short Message Service, means of Communication Cellular Phones have b een a world-wide craze today. It plays an important role in everyone’s life. It helps us communicate and to be in touch with our love ones. One reason why all of us consider cellular phone a necessity is because of its SMS or short message service.In the Philippines there are many Telecommunications Company are offering a lot of affordable texting/SMS offers. According to the Study Microcontroller based SMS Micro E-load Vending machine by Cu, Joshua C. and Uy, Jeckson T. , August, 2006. â€Å"Cellular  communication can help us locate and be in touch with another person in a remote location. Since the Philippines being a developing country 33% of our population is under poverty (Senate Economic Planning Office, 2005). Wireless Telecommunications Company offered prepaid loading option that is highly suitable in the Philippine setting.Subscribers purchase consumable credits for  their account in present denominations. † In the statement above, it only shows how the S MS is widely used in our country. SMS or texting is considered not only for fun, it is considered today as a necessity. CHAPTER 3 3. 0 Methodology 3. 1Research Design Tools 4. 1. 1 Data Gathering Techniques Used Every  data  to  be  gathered  has  a  proof  from  the  respondents. Proponents interact on different participants which works are related to the design proposal, to gather relevant data from them. Directress was the overall head of enrollment system of Orani National High School.She deals with student’s evaluation and also has a list of copy of students enrolled. By  interview  and  observations,  proponents  will  know  current processes regarding enrollment activities. On the other hand, registrar department manages master list of the students  (new,  transferee,  old). The  department  was  also  assign  in sectioning of the students. By the use of this information, proponents will gather data about sectioning. In addition to that, selected parents and students will be an important participant since they are the main beneficiary of the design proposal.With the aid of surveys and sets of questionnaires about enrollment procedures, proponents will know problems regarding existing Enrollment System. Sources of Information a. Interviews which were conducted on the person involved in the Enrollment system to have a better understanding on how the current system works. b. Communication letters which were used by the proponents for request for permission to implement the study with the approval of the school. c. Other Sources of information are school documents provided by the school which contains information.Instruments Used  in the Survey, Sample Questionnaires, Interview  Questions, Communication Letters The following personnel are vital to how the system operates in which the proponents have selected to ask questions about how the current system works. a. School Registrar * Provided an ove rview of the system * Questions are imposed by asking general to specific questions b. Teacher aiding enrollment every year * Explained about further details of their system * Questions are raised from specific questions going to a more general one 4. 1. 2 Consolidated Findings, Analysis of Information Gathered, Summary  of  Information a.Summary of Information Information gathered through school documents is insufficient for the handbook only gives the history of the  school however in the interview the proponents found out that the student files are not secured from unauthorized personnel, data loss and inconsistency for the  it is  manual and only placed on a cabinet. 4. 1 Research Design The  proponents  adopt  descriptive  study,  and  used  quantitative approach in attaining relevant ideas that will involve in design proposal. In this  scheme,  proponents  ask  information  in  detailed  questions  regarding what they observed in actual to the school.They also adopt quantitative approach of  study which observed particularly in numbers. This will  give way to use the method where in data are manipulated by means of  getting only  sample that can represent a  whole. A  good  instance  is  an enrollment system wherein student’s population is much involved. By getting some portion in the population of students in every year level, they can achieve data by means of average answers. 4. 2 Instrument used in Study a. Interview Sheets Provide set of questions done by interviewer to be answer by selected respondents.Different  kinds  of  questions  are  indicated  seeing  as  that proponents interviewed several kinds of personnel involve in the system. The following  are  directress,  registrar  and  teachers  since they are much involved in enrollment activities of ONHS. b. Gantt Chart Gantt chart is a graphical representation of the duration of task against the  progr ession  of  time. It  is  a  useful  tool  for planning  and  scheduling projects. Proponents used Gantt chart in order to them to monitor allotted time for the project. 4. 3 System Development Paradigm Employed Verification Verification Testing ; quality assurance Testing ; quality assuranceMaintenance Maintenance Verify Verify Planning Planning Conceptualization Conceptualization Design Design Development Development Implementation Implementation Initiate Project Initiate Project Design Review Design Review Design Approval Design Approval System development System development Product Process Iteration Figure 3. 2 Waterfall model The proponents preferred to use the waterfall model, because the waterfall model is a sequential software development process, in which progress is seen as flowing steadily downwards through each phases. Progress flows from the top to the bottom, like a waterfall.This model represents the software development life cycle using processes, i nput and output. Each process transforms an input to produce a new product as output. Then the new product becomes the input of the next process. 4. 4 SYSTEM MODELS 3. 5. 1Data Flow Diagram of the Existing System Figure 3. 3 Existing Enrollment System Diagram Figure 3. 4 Existing Grades Management Diagram 3. 5. 2Data Flow Diagram of the Proposed System Figure 3. 5 Enrollment and Grades Management System with SMS Diagram BdayYear BdayYear BdayDay BdayDay BdayMonth BdayMonth 3. 5. 2Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) of the Proposed System LastnameLastname Firstname Firstname School Year School Year ID ID Sections Sections Has Has Third Year Third Year Second Year Second Year Fourth Year Fourth Year First Year First Year Year Level Year Level Enrollment Enrollment Enrols Enrols Student Student ID ID Middlename Middlename Guardian Guardian Contact Number Contact Number Section Section ID ID Year Year Date Enrolled Date Enrolled 3. 6 Programming Languages/ Database Used The proposed syste m used C# for the object-oriented programming method. The database used is MySQL due to its flexibility and open-source nature.Visual C# C# (pronounced â€Å"C sharp†) is a programming language that is designed for building a variety of applications that run on the . NET Framework. C# is simple, powerful, type-safe, and object-oriented. The many innovations in C# enable rapid application development while retaining the expressiveness and elegance of C-style languages. Visual C# is an implementation of the C# language  by Microsoft. Visual Studio supports Visual C#  with a full-featured code editor, compiler, project templates, designers, code wizards, a powerful and easy-to-use debugger, and other tools.The . NET Framework class library provides access to many operating system services and other useful, well-designed classes that speed up the development cycle significantly. MySQL The most popular Open Source SQL database management system, is developed, distributed, and supported by Oracle Corporation. XAMPP A  free and open source  cross-platform  web server  solution stack  package, consisting mainly of the  Apache HTTP Server,  MySQL  database, and  interpreters  for scripts written in the  PHP  and  Perl  programming languages. 3. 7 Feasibility StudyA feasibility study is made to ensure that the project to be implemented has benefits rather than costs or if the project will earn more benefits than before. 3. 8. 1 Economic Feasibility- Cost-Benefit Analysis Development Cost The major cost of the project’s development went to the transportation to the school and the documentation (all the print puts and final book bind) of the project. Transportation-500++ Documentation-1000++ Project Cost Because the proponent agreed to create and maintain the project for free the only cost there will be is prepaid kit for the SMS functions. Prepaid Kit-1200Intangible Benefits * The schools would require less supplies needed in their existing enrollment and grades management (bond papers, pens, folders, envelops, etc. ) because they can use the proposed system without using such papers and pens * Because it is a computerized system, the school will be easier to come across in the enrolment and grading process. * The parents or guardians of students, of the school can be updated because of the SMS that will send a grades of student and important announcement of the school. CHAPTER IV 4. 0Implementation and Evaluation 4. 1Implementation 4. 2EvaluationName: | Date:| School / Organization| Enrollment and Grades Management with Short Message Service Systemof Orani National High SchoolCheck the box which best matches your opinions:1-strongly disagree -5-strongly agree| Questions:| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 1. Is our system proposal user-friendly? | | | | | | 2. Is our system proposal can completely replace your existing system? | | | | | | 3. Is our system proposal can resolve some of the issues regarding your enrollment and grades management system? | | | | | | 4. Do you agree with the added SMS feature in the system proposal? | | | | | | 5.Is the system proposal reduces your working time? | | | | | | Please provide any other comments in the text below: Signature over Printed Name CHAPTER V 5. 0Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation 5. 1Summary Orani National High School is a public school in Orani, Bataan. Based on the investigations conducted, the school uses the traditional manual enrollment system. Data and information were kept on a filing cabinet, which finds difficulty and time consuming in retrieving the documents when needed. Grades were also kept by the present teacher of the students, which has no assurance of safe keeping.It also takes a long time to process grades, lists of students, and correction of entries. During the first day of school, the student finds it hard to locate their names in a list posted on the doors of the classroom. Because of this, we are proposing the Enrollment a nd Grades Management with SMS System. This software has the ability to keep student’s records in a single database. This system can be the solution to some of the problems encountered by the school as defined previously. It is recommended to the school to provide a computer where we can install the system.And also, a committee which can be headed by some teacher must be organized to operate the system. This software can be acquired in a very minimal cost. Free seminars and trainings will be given to the person who will operate the system, and manuals will be provided. Some of the benefits that can be acquired in this system were: * easy correction of entries * effective and efficient production of data * grades can be kept in a database for future use * upon enrollment, students can immediately know their designated sections * will lessen the workloads of the teachers and staff * effective enrollment processingThis proposed system is guaranteed to use, and will not be useless . Alternative solutions should be considered to make their enrollment system improved and progressive. 5. 2Conclusion Based on the observations that the team conducted during the interview, we found out that on the manual system that the school is presently using, information and records were not kept accordingly that causes lost of important papers and documents. The student’s Form-137 was kept by the present teacher of the student as well as birth certificate or baptismal certificate, which has no assurance of safety keeping.Another problem identified is when the entries of names in the student’s lists are not updated, where some are complaining when records are incorrect if someone needs the documents. One respondent said that lists of classes were not produced immediately upon the start of the school year, that’s why it takes 2 to 3 days to know what the student’s section. By gathering sufficient information through research, and interview the propone nts were able to develop a system that would help Orani National High School for the enrollment process. The system also eased ONHS from the risks and errors that are involved with their existing system.The development of an enrollment system requires an understanding and an analysis of the existing system of the problems, requirements, and specifications that the school laid out. It also required ample amount of preparation that involves conducting interviews, obtaining necessary information through research, and coming up with a resolution for the requirements of the school. 5. 3Recommendation Because of the problems encountered by  Orani National High  School, we recommend to the administration to have an Enrollment system that is useful in many ways, and that is the computerized enrollment system.An Enrollment and Grades Management with Short Message Service System that has the ability to store students information, to compute grades fast and easy and that can easily be retr ieved and printed when needed. This enrollment system also can be able to make corrections of entry easily and fast. Through this, we can be sure that all the information will be kept in a single database so that we can minimize some problems like loss of records.It is recommended to the  Orani National High  School that the detailed specification and implementation of the system would ensue as long as the administration approved the Enrollment and Grades Management with Short Message Service System. * Provide a computerized enrollment system that has the ability to track records, make corrections and that can generate data fast and effective. *   Provide a system that can secure all the information and record of the students. *   Provide software that will lessen the workloads of the teachers and the administration. * To have a system that can give the students a successful enrollment system.

Works of Paul Cezanne

Paul Cezanne was born in 1839 in the southern French town of Aix-en-Provence. He was the son of a wealthy banker. He became interested in art at an early age, which did not please his father. Cezanne was educated at the College Bourbon at Aix, where he befriended Emile Zola. Both Cezanne and Zola decided they would like to devote themselves to art. Zola settled down to a literary career in Paris, but Cezanne, after a short period as a law student, decided to go with his father†s wishes that he should carry on the management of the family bank. He failed in this however, and was allowed to settle in Paris and attend the Atelier Suisse, where he was expected to prepare for the examinations of the Ecole des Beaux – Arts, which coincidentally, he never passed. He became known as one of the most extreme revolutionary painters. He became acquainted with the group of painters who encircled Manet and were later known as the Impressionists. During this period, he was most influenced by Delacroix and by the baroque painters that Delacroix studied, by Rubens and Tintoretto. The â€Å"color† theories of Delacroix combined with the â€Å"law of simultaneous contrast† formulated by the chemist Michel Chevreul, by the end of the 1860†³s were beginning to be taken up by the young artists that Cezanne was familiar with. Cezanne†s ambition was to create grandiose compositions of a purely imaginative description, expressive of his own moods, using either violently dramatic themes as he did in â€Å"Les Assassins† or â€Å"L†Autopsie†, or lyrical motifs, such as â€Å"Le Judgement de Paris,† or â€Å"Dejeuner sur l†herbe. Cezanne also painted a series of portraits in which dramatic and psychological effects were undertoned. In all these early works, the color is reduced to a few simple notes in which black, white, earth reds, and yellows predominate. He showed at this stage nothing of the curiosity about natural effects of color which distinguished the Impressionist group. During the years 1872-1873, a great change came over Cezanne. He spent the summers of these years at Auvers-sur-Oise in the company of Camille Pissarro, one of the foremost Impressionistic painters. Pissarro was older than Cezanne and had already discovered his personal style and perfected a methodical and precise technique adapted to it. For the first time Cezanne learned to look on nature with a curiosity and learned the process of recording the results that were obtained. And above all, the whole world of atmosphere color was revealed to him. Certain pictures painted by Cezanne in these years resemble very nearly Pissarro†s work, but they show Cezanne†s reater power over organizing form. For these years, Cezanne may be In the last decade of the 19th century belong some of Cezanne†s most celebrated works. These include the portrait of Geffroy, which could be unequaled in modern art for the completeness of its realization and the complexity and assurance of harmonies, several pictures of men seated at a cafe table and playing cards, and a series of landscapes dominated by the mass of Mont Sainte-Victoire. At the very end of his life, there seems to have been a reappearance of the romantic tendencies of his youth. His paintings became more richer, more intense, and vivid in color. In the 1880s and 1890s, his name had become almost unknown in the larger art circles of Paris. However, his fame began to gradually circulate among artists, and in 1904 an exhibition of his works in the Autumn salon revealed to the public this unknown genius. Most of his fame came posthumously, as Cezanne died at Aix in 1906.

21st Century Trends in Human Health

21st Century Trends in Human Health Human Health in the 21st Century: Global Trends, Developments and Challenges Ntsebo Immaculate Molapo Introduction The twentieth century saw the introduction of many antimicrobials and antibiotics which have been efficient in reducing the mortality rate from 797 deaths per 100000 people in 1900 to 36 per 100000 in 1980 (Arsmtrong, et al., 1999). Although there is a decline in the twentieth century, there are some sharp spikes in mortality in 1918 which was due to the influenza epidemic. Industrial progress during the second half of twentieth century, with the inherent socio-economic changes, has possibly been the driver to improve hygiene and health in Western countries, notably decreasing poverty-related morbidity and mortality. The health population as a sustainable condition requires protection continuing to ensure (Lastovica & Skirrow, 2000): Environmental clean air, clean water, adequate food, tolerable temperatures, stable climate, and high levels of biodiversity. But econ omic development also presents excessive backfire secondary to massive industrialization that generates a global deterioration of environmental conditions, with negative impact on human health (Nachamkin, Szymanski & Blaser, 2008). The results numerous scientific studies suggest that human activities, mainly the massive use of fuels fossils, have modified the natural composition of air. Air pollution from greenhouse gases produces a surface heating land beyond the natural variability of the climate system, conditioning the so called climate change (Graham et al 1987). Food and Water borne Diseases The bacteria â€Å"Campylobacter† is the second cause of most frequently reported food borne illness. A comprehensive approach to food safety from farm to table is needed to reduce Campylobacteriosis (Graham et al 1987). Farmers, industry, and food inspectors, food vendors, workers in food service and consumers are each critical link in the chain of food safety. This document answer s common questions about Campylobacter, describes how the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is attending the problem of contamination of meat and poultry products with Campylobacter and offers guidelines for food handling to prevent bacteria like Campylobacter cause disease (Marshall et al 1985). Salmonella is also a bacterium which is widespread in the intestines of birds, reptiles and mammals (Marshall et al 1985). It can spread to humans through a variety of different foods of animal origin. The disease causing â€Å"Salmonellosis† include fever, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. In people with impaired immune systems underlying health or weakened, it can invade the bloodstream and cause infections that endanger life (Friedman, 2000). E. coli O157: H7 is bacterial pathogen that has a reservoir in cattle and other similar animals. The human disease occurs after consumption of food or water that has been contaminate d with microscopic amounts of cow faeces, causing, often a severe and bloody diarrhoea and cramps painful abdominal, without much fever. In 3% to 5% of cases, you may receive a complication called haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) several weeks after the initial symptoms. This severe complication includes temporary anaemia, heavy bleeding and kidney failure (Friedman, 2000). Campylobacter: Sources of disease and risk factors Sources and incidence of disease differ, sometimes greatly, between developed and developing countries. Transmission from person to person is considered rare in developed countries. By contrast, in developing countries human carriers may have a greater role in the transmission of infection function. In general, it is thought that chickens, poultry and other foods are the most likely sources of infection in developed countries. Number of cases notified beings Human per 100 000 inhabitants caused by Campylobacter jejuni / coli. The data presented are the data avail able to the drafting group until June 2006 (Blaser et al 2008).

The Popularity of Financial Ratios in Multivariate Modeling Essay

The Popularity of Financial Ratios in Multivariate Modeling - Essay Example In six years’ time, it has a higher positive cash flow level of  £105 as compared to the Beta of  £83.   The ARR for Alpha is higher than that for Beta at 29.4% while that of Beta is at 1.6%. This is an indication of the viability of the project to perform as expected when acquired. As such the business assets for Alpha are increasing at a higher rate than for the Beta. The rate of ARR for Alpha is an indication of the expected rates of return on the value of the assets for is higher (Robb & Robinson, 2012). The NPV of Alpha is also higher than that of Beta. It indicates that project Alpha will increase the shareholder’s equity more than project Beta. For all these reasons, it is advisable that NENE should choose project Alpha.   Internal Rate of Return is the method that gives the investors an easy way of estimating the quantity or rate of return that an investment is expected to offer. This is usually the discount rate in which the Net Present Value of the expected cash flows is equal to zero. The method can be calculated through a trial and error method, where the discount rate will be varied until we find where the NPV = 0 (Balmer, 2001). Through a general rule, the IRR with an NPV which is greater than zero is usually preferred. This method also advises that all the IRRs with values higher than the opportunity cost of capital of the project should always be accepted.   While using this method, one is able to estimate the return on the initial invested amount. The method is also easy to use as its calculations are not very complex. The method also provides a clear and easy way of comparing the projects to come up with the most preferred.   

Business memorandum Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business memorandum - Assignment Example 99). Therefore, Case 1 tries to evaluate the results of lowering credit sales from 75% of total sales to 60% with 20% of next months projected cost of goods sold being inventory at the end of each preceding month. Moreover cash payments during the same month are put at a modest 20% of total purchases. Consequently, these changes amount to various adjustments; the cash receipts budget records a positive inflation to $2,769,808 from $2,734,060. Moreover, summary cash budget also records a significant rise to $738,578 from $51,908. Case 2 evaluates the effect of a rise in credit sales collected during the month of sale from 10% to 15%, and also the effect of raising a month’s payment purchases from 40% to 50% within the month of purchase. This then results in an increase of the cash receipts budget from $2,734,060 till $2,769,808 while showing a drop in the cash budget to $46,102 from $51,908. The final case, Case 3, tries to simulate the possible result of a drop in requirements of equipment purchases from $250,000 down to $100,000. This alteration affects only the summary cash budget which inflates to the $205,658 mark. The first thing that the management should think of is ways of decreasing cost so as to maximize on profits and overall revenue. This can be attained through plummeting credit sales and also minimizing expenditure on the purchase of equipment. By doing this, the overall operating costs will reducing meaning that there will be more capital to be invested back into the business consequently leading to increased growth (Blais 2011, p.

Scope, potential and benefits of urban farming and its importance to Research Paper

Scope, potential and benefits of urban farming and its importance to local communities in US - Research Paper Example The food production has been declining; earth has been becoming a hotter place without adequate green cover; the quality of food available for people in general has been decreasing; and as more leisure got created, more and more human beings have been detached from physical labour resulting in lack of exercise and the emergence of new kinds of life style related diseases. These are only a few of the many problems faced by humans as they got distanced from nature and agriculture. The detachment from nature has thus kickstarted a process of decline in quality of life caused by its impact on food security, employment, carbon fixation, oxygen availability, mental happiness, relaxation, physical exercise, peace of mind received from nature, aesthetic appeal, fresh food, food traceability, pollution control, waste utilization, waste water utilization, waste-to-energy conversion, space availability and optimal utilization of available space. Pearson has categorised the benefits of urban far ming into three, namely, â€Å"social, economic, and environmental goods and services† (3). ... It can be said, the north and south represent two growth stages in human civilization but it is more important to note that in Southern cities, urban agriculture â€Å"plays a significant role in providing a measure of food security and income for a rapidly increasing urban population† (2). It has to be remembered that urban farming is not a newly introduced concept to cities but has been existing in all cities as vestiges of rural life until the development bandwagon erased it completely at least from the mega-cities. In this context, this paper envisages finding out the scope, potential and benefits of urban farming for the world in general and the US in particular. This investigation is carried out keeping in mind, urban agriculture is not a monolithic concept but include: Residual, often peri-urban broadacre farmland, small ‘community gardens’, personally managed allotments, home gardens, portions of parks that were previously planted entirely with amenity spe cies, fruit trees along roadside reserves, greenhouses, green roofs and green walls (Pearson, 3). In the backdrop of the huge â€Å"knowledge gap† that exists regarding the potential, methods and benefits of urban farming, this study envisages preparing a knowledge database on different aspects of the same (Pearson, Pearson, and Pearson, 9). Review of Literature The early ideas on urban farming as we know it was initiated during the era of New Deal, when â€Å"homesteads were organized as examples of how the country could benefit from a proliferation of semirural neighborhoods, where part-time farming on inexpensive but desirable land would encourage uplifting social functions and help establish a

Mental Effects Of Vietnam War On Soldiers Research Paper

Mental Effects Of Vietnam War On Soldiers - Research Paper Example Following the end of the war the Americans lost 58000 lives and almost 350,000 were seriously injured. After the end of the war when the Americans returned home majority of them did not either want to talk about the war or they were so much frightened by the devastations of the war that they remained stunned and silent. The only war which the United States lost was this. An essence of moral degeneration also played very strong in the minds of the Americans. The dangerous guerilla warfare was adopted by the Vietnamese and the U.S. succumbed under their tactics of warfare ending up being confused and losing their lives or being tremendously injured. Continuous war fought by them and barrage of continuous gun firing and ‘shell shock’ jeopardized the mental state of the U.S. soldiers as they were traumatized. They were seriously affected by mental disorders like depression, hallucinations suicidal tendencies, conflict in marriage relations etc. Mental shock among the soldier s also came from the pessimistic behavior of the country. They were treated as second class citizens and were cursed and sometimes recognized as ‘baby killers’. Discriminations were faced by them in unemployment scenario also. They were devoid of grants and pensions and proper healthcare. So the paper focuses on the description of the mental disorders faced by the Vietnam veterans like shell shock, combat exposure and mental disorders occurring from spraying herbicides like Agent Orange, effects on family satisfaction and functioning, treatment of the soldiers from the country and in the VA hospitals (Sitikoff). Research focus The research question addressed in this paper is what are the effects of Vietnam War on the mental state of the soldiers and what are its implications? The topic has been selected in order to examine the factors which led to the psychological disorders among the Vietnam War veterans. The justification behind the selection of this topic is to analy ze the kinds of mental constraints faced by these soldiers and also the reason why these brave heroes succumbed to mental disorders despite being a part of this prolonged warfare. Literature review The states of mental disorders prevalent among the soldiers are invasive memories, major depression, night mares and loss of concentration (Cromie). A reevaluated study of National Vietnam Veterans Readjustments Study (NVVRS) states that war related PTSD which was developed among the men during their lifetime was 18.7%. A study by the Centers for Disease Control found that Vietnam veterans suffering from psychological problems were approximately twice as compared to the military veterans of the other countries like Vietnam and Australia (Aneli and Hendrix, 87). Research Methods A study about the different types of mental challenges faced by the soldiers has been described in this paper. Firstly a backdrop of the war and an account of overall psychological torment and deprivations of the V ietnam War veterans is provided and then in a synchronized manner the paper concentrates on seeking answer to the research question. For analyzing the different aspects of the mental disorders faced by the Vietnam Veterans qualitative analysis have been adopted from secondary sources like journals and authentic books. The focus of the study is on issues like ‘Shell Shock’ (Wood), mental problems suffered from spraying toxic herbicides like Agent Orange for clearing the forests (Singer and Hodge). A major focus has been entailed on the comparative analysis between the Vietnamese soldiers and the American soldiers who fought the Vietnam War in order to

Why did the bank of England adopt a policy of inflation targeting in Essay

Why did the bank of England adopt a policy of inflation targeting in 1992 and how has the pursuit of inflation targeting been linked to attempts to make monetar - Essay Example Any government has the power to regulate the economy of the country and not only does it regulate the economy, it has a vital role to ensure that the economic condition remains stable. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that all the aspects of economy maintain a stable level so that the country can grow and expand. Government regulates many things in an economy including inflation, exports and imports, prices of many vital commodities, and many important economic aspects. Government of England has entrusted the job of determining the monetary policy, in the hands of Bank of England. Bank of England looks into many other big issues. One of the most important issues is that of ensuring monetary stability in the economy, which can be achieved through a combination of stable prices of goods and services across the economy coupled with a low inflation level and level of confidence of the investors in the currency of the country. The Bank comes out with the monetary policy in order to ensure a certain key objectives like, delivering price stability with a low inflation level coupled with an objective to support the Government’s economic objectives of growth and employment. Price stability is taken care of, by the Government’s usual inflation target of 2%. There is a need to contemplate the crucial and critical role played by price stability in achieving the aforesaid economic stability, and in providing just the right conditions for a sustain able and longer living growth in output and employment. Chancellor of the Exchequer announces the Government’s inflation target every year in the annual Budget statement. Though The 1998 Bank of England Act enables it to set interest rates independently, however, The Bank does hold accountability to the parliament and the wider public, which can not be refrained from. The legislation provides the government the power to instruct the bank on the interest rates issues for a limited period

Thomas Hobbes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Thomas Hobbes - Essay Example Only societies and governments stop this from being a constant state. This is a sort of fiction, since Hobbes points out that this has never actually happened in history. However, it helps to explain why people in countries often suffer from mistrust, violence and criminality. This ‘state of nature’ is central to Hobbes’ view of the world. This reason this is not a reality is because it is blocked by fear and reason. Reason is how man knows how to escape from the state of nature and this is how the natural laws are created which allow man to live in peace. Hobbes then develops his ideas on the ‘laws of nature’. This works against the destructive nature of the ‘state of nature’ and helps man to maintain peace and stability. These laws are instinctive to man and are obtainable though natural reason and philosophy. The first law is the law of peace and divides into the seeking of peace and the right to defend ourselves from violence in order to maintain peace. The second law is connected to peace and states that we give up certain rights, such as murder, in order to avoid continuous warfare. People mutually give up their rights and this becomes a contract, which is the foundation for moral obligations. The third law, therefore, requires us not just to make such contracts, but to respect and keep them. These first three laws are the essential way in which continuous war can be avoided. Hobbes then outlines a number of other associated laws which contribute to maintaining peace. All these laws can be summarised as avoiding actions which an individual would not want performed against themselves. God ultimately rules over these laws. Hobbes then explores how the contracts work. There are two different types of person who can be involved in a contract – natural and artificial. Hobbes defines a natural person as one who uses their own words. An artificial person, rather, is one who uses the words of

Feasibility Analysis Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Feasibility Analysis - Research Paper Example This paper includes critical and impartial look of the Good Addict venture through feasibility analysis study. Product/ Service Feasibility Analysis Product/ service feasibility analysis involves an assessment of the general appeal of the product or service that is proposed. It is necessary to ensure that a product offered actually satisfies the customer’s wants and that it serves as what the customers want. Product/ service desirability as well as product/ service demand. Green Addict services make a lot of sense and are very reasonable. Currently there have been a number of diseases and disorders that can be attributed to the food people eat. Most would want to maintain a healthy body and this does not come easily (â€Å"Report Linker† Web). Many restaurants do not pay attention to the need for organic food thus limiting options for retailers of choosing green organic food while relaxing in an environmentally friendly place. A number of people would definitely desire to enjoy life longevity and minimize their medical expenses. Green Addict offers exactly what the customers want. Their product and services are unique and appealing to a large number of people who are health conscious. It is apparent that the consumers will get excited when they are served organic food in a cool and environment friendly restaurant (Nusra Web). Green Addict takes advantage of an environmental trend of global warming and the publicity of environmental issues. Most people are aware of the dangers of genetically modified food and the carbon production. It is apparent that even small children are aware of the going green concern because of media publicity (â€Å"University of Minnesota† Web). Green Addict idea of using recycled materials is vital in the eye of the public who are already trying in their own level to reduce carbon emission. Green Addict therefore feels the environmental gap that is currently experienced in the market place. The introduction of serv ices by Green Addict is timely because it comes at a time when almost everyone around the world is worried about global warming. Green Addict will be offering services that many consumers would want to buy because of the consciousness of saving environment and staying healthy. Everyone asked about the importance of organic food will definitely give a positive response. Offering organic meals and a completely healthy environmentally friendly experience will therefore lead to a competitive edge in the market thus increasing the chances of the business idea to be successful. Customers that are health and environmental conservation conscious will even be willing to pay higher because of their understanding of the quality of services offered (Nusra Web). The product design and services offered at Green Addict may have a challenge of obtaining raw material as well as other organic supplies because they are very limited and extremely expensive. Offering organic foodstuffs is very costly an d the customers may not be willing to pay the higher cost of services. It is also likely that Green Addict may incorporate a few ingredients, which are not organic such as cheaper cooking oil that may contain food additive and chemicals that may turn away the consumers. Maintaining a purely green and organic product may therefore not easy to maintain unless the customers targeted are willing and able to pay for the higher costs associated with the product and services. Industry/ Target Market Feasibility Analysis It

Erving Goffman The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life Essay Example for Free

Erving Goffman The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life Essay Erving Goffman has completed a wonderful presentation of human behaviour and face-to-face interactions, of a first meeting between two people, who may or may not have an audience. The use of a theatrical performance to explain the interaction was indeed an ingenious idea that kept me intrigued until the very end. This book was written in 1959 but its referencing to human behaviour is still very much relevant to today’s life style. Human behaviour patterns have been written about by many individuals over the years, why we do the things we do or how long we have been undertaking these behaviours. Is there any relevance to the patterns in our behaviour? It would seem there definitely appears to be. As a society, to influence how another person perceives who we are. We give appearances and refinements of someone we want people to see, yet not particularly who we truly are. Goffman describes this as a performance, a play that we put on to give a good first impression. This play could become a nightmare, if we do not keep it under control. It can be difficult to play the part of someone you are not, for the reason that it can rebound on you. It is better to persist with who you are, and not reveal all of yourself in the beginning, like a good story. To present who we are, we should start at the foundation, begin with presenting an opening act. This act should be near to true life, the person you would like to be known as. Currently a person of importance gives the impression that they know what they are doing, example your doctor. If they were a person who, on first meeting gave the impression that they were unsure, confused and unconfident, would you go back to them? No, perhaps not. Even when they are having a bad day your doctor will always appear to be in control, so that we feel more at ease. When we first meet new people we try to acquire information about them, it is then how the person delivers this information, that we base our assumptions. People give information verbally and non-verbally by expressions, movements, gestures and other presumably unintentional communications, like a slight smile. Our brain takes all this information into consideration then makes a personal judgment based on the material it collects. There is so much information for us to collect and make our decision on, that we sometimes need a second meeting to be able to make a correct judgement on a particular person we have meet. Goffman concludes that his own assumptions are made upon a face-to-face interaction and the result of an encounter, the performance that is given to each particular participant and their performance as a basic point of reference. In conclusion, Goffmans writings clearly represent how we present ourselves in everyday life today, and possibly well into the future. References Erving, Goffman (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, New York, Anchor Books, pp. 1-16.

Explain what is meant by globalisation Essay Example for Free

Explain what is meant by globalisation Essay Globalisation involves the increased interdependence/reliance of countries. It is the increasing integration of the world economy into a single international market due to the dynamics of trade in goods and services and flows of capital and technology.  Globalisation implies that goods are being manufactured abroad and that there is more prominent international trade. This is shown through the rise in exports and imports. For example, UK exports as a percentage of gross domestic product have more than doubled in the post-war period.   Globalisation welcomes new technology and means that countries are less inward looking. In general, globalisation increases as time goes on and develops along with changing objectives and advances in technology. It is not a new phenomenon.  Especially during the last 25 years, more and more areas of the world economy have been brought into the competitive market.  Globalisation, on the whole offers huge scope to improve the efficient allocation of resources and derive the benefits of international trade. It is fuelled by trade, movement of factors of production, the increasing number of Multi-National Corporations and the new technology. There are four main factors that have contributed to globalisation in recent years.  Firstly, there is the freer movement of goods and services between countries. This is known as free trade and theoretically each country should concentrate in the production of those products in which is has absolute advantages, the greatest comparative advantages or the least comparative disadvantages.  Free trade is promoted internationally and regionally by a number of trading blocs and organisations like so called world wide clubs and regional clubs. The most important and relevant one is probably the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The WTO has pushed along globalisation because it discusses trade issues, establishes agreed rules and takes appropriate measures when these rules have been broken. It has 130+ members and membership is conditional on the grounds that countries must follow trade policies of a broadly free trading nature. The other main trading bloc is the EU. It has helped globalisation because it enjoys a single currency that further unites and integrates the current 15 members. The EU allows the liberty of inter-member movement with goods, services and labour alike.  Free trade has lead to globalisation in recent years because countries can enjoy exports and imports of great quality and lower prices. Globalisation is also about improving current economic situations, and if consumers are satisfied then they tend of spend more, hence generating a larger amount of money in the economy which in turn inspires even more globalisation. Another factor which has led to the process of increased globalisation is the freer movement of the factors of production, i.e.: land, labour, capital, enterprise. If we first consider the physical capital like tools, infrastructure and raw materials; in the past it was more convenient for a country to just make use of its own resources. It was either extremely expensive or not allowed for these to move about. But since deregulation, freer movement of factors of production exists.  Deregulation is basically when the government removes rules and in effect removes barriers to entry, for example perhaps abolishing a tariff on certain imports. In terms of money capital, in the past there was the issue of exchange control, whereby there was a maximum on the amount of a currency you could carry about. This too has been deregulated, and this along with the decrease in bureaucracy and removal of red tape has enabled foreign investment to occur, spurring on globalisation. This freer movement of factors of production, which includes capital and labour mobility has led to globalisation as different countries resources has become open to the world market. The United Arab Emirates, for example, exports a large amount of aluminium and generates a massive sum of money from this. However, to do this is has to obtain bauxite (the raw material) and this is possible because of the freer movement of factors of production. The 3rd factor is the freer movement of firms; more specifically globalisation has been led by the growth of Multi-national Corporations (MNCs). They are such an integral part of globalisation that the sales of MNCs such as General Motors and Ford exceed the entire gross domestic product of many countries. A Multi-national corporation is a company that has significant production operations in at least two countries, e.g. Starbucks or Sony. These large firms exist because of economies of scale, marketing, and lots of political power.  MNCs help globalisation because without them there would be far less trade and innovation. MNCs have increased the amount of world output significantly and this has improved living standards throughout. MNCs create new jobs in other countries, giving rise to opportunity for the country they are operating in, and generating money for their own country. Multi-national corporations and globalisation is inevitably leading to a shifting in production from the First World to the Third World, where labour is cheaper. This is an example of globalisation as countries become more interdependent on each other.  Finally, the last main factor that has contributed to globalisation is the prominence of advancing technology. This includes communication, the Internet, computers, etc. Technology is tied in with the other factors that have led to globalisation. The dramatic improvement in communications during the second half of the twentieth century has especially helped globalisation and MNCs. Falling airfares, the Internet, the fax machine, digitalisation and computers especially have meant that the movement of people and the transmission of information and ideas is easier and more cost-effective than ever before. Technology has reaped massive economies of scale and efficiency benefits for firms today, particularly as we live in an era where many things are computerised. Technology has made it more convenient to manage large firms and permit the movement of factors of production and free trade. The significant reductions in constraints on the international movement of goods and capital emphasise the attitudes of people today evolving towards a more liberal outlook, and this in itself mirrors globalisation.

The Battle of Dunkirk

The Battle of Dunkirk Rami Redha The Battle of Dunkirk lasted from around May 25 to June 3, 1940. After the Phony War, the Battle of France began on 10 May, 1940. German armour burst through the Ardennes region and advanced rapidly driving north in the so-called sickle cut. To the east the Germans invaded and subdued the Netherlands and advanced rapidly through Belgium. The combined British, French and Belgian forces were split around Armentià ¨res. The German forces then swept north to capture Calais, holding a large body of Allied soldiers trapped against the coast on the Franco-Belgian border. It became clear to the British that the battle was lost and the question was now how many Allied soldiers could be removed to the relative safety of England before their resistance was crushed. From May 22 preparations for the evacuation began, codenamed Operation Dynamo, commanded from Dover by Vice-Admiral Bertram Ramsay. He called for as many naval vessels as possible as well as every ship capable of carrying 1,000 men within reach. It initially was intended to recover around 45,000 men of the British Expeditionary Force over two days, this was soon stretched to 120,000 men over five days. On May 27 a request was placed to civilians to provide all shallow draught vessels of 30 to 100 feet for the operation, that night was the first rescue attempt. A large number of craft including fishing boats and recreational vessels, together with Merchant Marine and Royal Navy vessels, were gathered and sent to Dunkirk and the surrounding beaches to recover Allied troops. Due to heavy German fire only 8,000 soldiers were recovered. Another ten destroyers were recalled for May 28 and attempted rescue operations in the early morning but were unable to closely approach the beaches although several thousand were rescued. It was decided that smaller vessels would be more useful. The Allied held area was reduced to a 30 sq km by May 28. Operations over the rest of May 28 were more successful, with a further 16,000 men recovered but German air operations increased and many vessels were sunk or badly damaged, including nine destroyers. On May 29, the German armour stopped its advance on Dunkirk leaving the operation to the slower infantry, and the Luftwaffe (Hermann Gà ¶ring, then in great favour with Adolf Hitler, had promised air power alone could win the battle) but due to problems only 14,000 men were evacuated that day. On the evening of May 30 another major group of smaller vessels was dispatched and returned with around 30,000 men. By May 31 the Allied forces were compressed into a 5 km deep strip from La Panne, through Bray-Dunes to Dunkirk, but on that day over 68,000 troops were evacuated with another 10,000 or so overnight. On June 1 another 65,000 were rescued and the operations continued until June 4, evacuating a total of 338,226 troops aboard around 700 different vessels. Source 8 was an artists of the Dunkirk evacuation by Charles cundall, an official war artist. In the painting you can clearly see the smoke from the bombed out harbour there is enough evidence in source 8 to support the interpretation: â€Å"Dunkirk was a great deliverance and a great Defeat†. Source 8 shows how it was deliverance and how it was a Defeat. The source is a painting by Charles Condell he shows lots of ships and people getting to these ships but also show a lot of explosions and mayhem. The deliverance in this painting would be the fact that so many troops are boarding the ships and getting home alive. The disaster in this painting is the fact there are so many dead on the beaches and there are ships on fire. This source cannot however be completely reliable because the painter could not have been on the beach painting this picture so he was either far away or this painting is an image he had remembered from the day. He was also an official war artist so this pa inting could have been used by the government as propaganda to show the British people that despite the bombing and strafing of the beaches the British people never gave up in saving the B.E.F. Source 19 is an account by an RAF pilot of what he saw when he reached the beaches. He mentioned the air attacks on the beaches and said things like

Reflections on Nagarjuna’s The Refutation of Criticism (Vigrahavyavartani) :: Nagarjuna Essays

Reflections on Nagarjuna’s The Refutation of Criticism (Vigrahavyavartani) ABSTRACT: In verse nine of the Vigrahavyavartani, Nagarjuna gives a defense of his skepticism by insisting that he makes no proposition (pratijna) concerning the nature of reality. B. K. Matilal has argued that this position is not an untenable one for a skeptic to hold, using as an explanatory model Searle’s distinction between a propositional and an illocutionary negation. The argument runs that Nagarjuna does not refute rival philosophical positions by simply refuting whatever positive claims those positions might make, but rather he refuses the very act of making an assertion. From this kind of illocutionary negation, however, a certain paradoxicality arises: for in the negating the act of assertion, the skeptic is barred from asserting his or her own position, for under this condition, if he or she asserts that position, it is falsified! I want to argue that there are certain senses in which it seems that Nagarjuna’s resorting to the illocution we find in the Vigra havyavartani may not have been necessary for the maintenance of his skeptical position, for he has recourse to prasanga counter-arguments which can always offset the metaphysical and epistemological claims of the Hindu and Buddhist philosophers whom he confronts. There are also places in the Karika itself, where certain pramanas seem to be employed, that give one the impression that this kind of skepticism and the pramanas are only inimical to one another insofar as the latter may lead to the metaphysical, essentialist extremes criticized by the Buddhists. Nagarjuna’s illocution in this light seems an attempt to radicalize his difference from a developing Nyaya extensionalist theory of the pramanas, a theory in which the Buddhists and the Naiyayikas are closer than anywhere else. In verse nine of his Vigrahavyavartani, Nagarjuna thematizes an objection to his skeptical "middle" position in the following way. If all things were devoid of an intrinsic nature, there would, nevertheless, be an absence of intrinsic nature (yadi sarvadharmanam svabhava na bhavet tatrani nihsvabhava bhavet). But then, even this name "absence of intrinsic nature" would not be possible (tatra nihsvabhava ity evam namani na bhavet). Why? Because there is no name whatever without an object (nama hinirvastukam kimcid api nasti). Thus since the name exists (namasadbhavat), there is an intrinsic nature of the things; and since they have an intrinsic nature, all things are non-void (asunya). (1) In the famous twenty-ninth verse, Nagarjuna, addressing the objection, writes:

Prescription Discrimination :: Birth Control Drugs Medicine Essays

Prescription Discrimination Imagine this, you an eighteen year girl old who has decided to become sexually active with your long term boyfriend. This raises a lot of issues for you. While you are interested in beginning oral contraception you are not comfortable talking to your parents about sex. Even if you could talk to them, the chances they would pay for your birth control are slim to none. You do work but $30 a month for the pill on top of the cost of condoms takes up a large portion of your pay check. Do you decide to wait to be sexually active or do you take your chances? Consider a different scenario, you a married woman in your late thirties, with two children, who receives financial support from the state. Every month poses a new struggle when trying to pay the bills. On top of food, utilities, gas and the high cost of raising two children you do not have room for the cost of birth control. Although you love your children, you simply cannot afford to have another under any circumstances. Do you refrain from having sex with your husband or do you takes your chances? According to the Planned Parenthood web site, â€Å"approximately 70,000 unintended pregnancies occur in Massachusetts each year,† this makes it apparent that more women are choosing to take their chances over abstinence. For decades women have fought for equal rights in this country and countries all over the world. They have fought a tough fight and have come a long way. This makes a blatant message of sexual discrimination all the more outrageous in this day and age. The message is unequal health insurance coverage for women and even in the year 2003 it continues to be a serious issue. Woman nationwide are faced with a choice to either pay high prices for oral contraceptives or take a risk and go without them. On the contrary men are totally supported when looking for coverage of the newly popularized Viagra pill. Viagra is a new creation, which helps older men achieve and maintain an erection. Most insurance plans cover the cost of this drug. While men are covered on a drug that’s sole purpose is to enhance sexual pleasure, woman are unable to find coverage of a drug that necessary to not only avoid pregnancy but relieve menstrual cramping, clear up skin break outs, and regulate menstrual cycles.

The Effect of Technology on My Life :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Effect of Technology on My Life I roll around on my bed, tossing and turning. The blare from my alarm clock deafens my right ear, and I quickly throw an arm over to it and slam on the snooze button. It is 6 o'clock in the morning, and already technology has affected my life. I fall to my feet and walk towards the showers. Another form of technology is about to take over my life. Well, at least for the next ten to 20 minutes. The alarm clock, running water, these are only two of the millions of examples of technology I will encounter today. I place technology into two, well, three basic categories: Informative, which helps us obtain and use information, Communicative, which includes language, signs, and the like, and that help us communicate with each other, and Useful, such as electricity and running water. These are the things that make our lives easier and help us get through the day to day. Also, there are those things that we are taught. I believe that learning, such as being racist, is a technology. Okay, so I have four categories, all right? Education and Learning is the fourth. I believe this because you are not born a racist, you're your environment and those you are around teach you to be that way. Also, it ties in to other forms of technology. Like, when you're a baby, you can't speak, so you have no way to communicate how you fell. But as you grow older, you learn language t hat you hear being spoken around you. You slowly pick up on the words and phrases used to express desires and thoughts. This is learning and teaching as technology. This "story" is about how my life is affected by technology, and so I got to thinking: What better way to explain this than to take you (the reader) on a journey through a typical day in my life? Here we go. I've already woken up, and taken my shower, and now I trudge back to my room to get ready for my classes. I turn on my lamp (technology), without which I couldn't put on my make-up.

Customer Satisfaction in E-Commerce

In Proceedings of the 17th IEE UK Teletraffic Symposium, Dublin, Ireland, May 16-18, 2001 QUANTIFYING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH E-COMMERCE WEBSITES Hubert Graja and Jennifer McManis1 Abstract E-commerce is an increasingly significant part of the global economy. Users of E-commerce Web sites often have high expectations for the quality of service, and if those expectations are not met, the next site is only a click away. A number of performance problems have been observed for E-commerce Web sites, and much work has gone into characterising the performance of Web servers and Internet applications.However, the customers of E-commerce Web sites are less well studied. In this work, we discuss a way of assessing satisfaction for different customer types with a Web site according to various different parameters. Individual measures may be scaled for simple comparison, and combined to give an overall satisfaction rating. This methodology is applied to three Irish E-Commerce Web sites. 1) In troduction The World Wide Web is one of the most important Internet services, and has been largely responsible for the phenomenal growth of the Internet in recent years.An increasingly popular and important Web-based activity is ECommerce, in which various types of financial transactions are carried out or facilitated using the Web. It is widely expected that E-Commerce activity will continue to grow and that it will be a significant component of the global economy in the near future. A number of performance problems in E-Commerce systems have been observed, mainly due to heavier-thananticipated loads and the consequent inability to satisfy customer requirements. This has resulted in a lot of work attempting to characterise the performance of Web servers and Internet applications e. . [1]? [4]. However the customers of these E-Commerce systems are less well studied. Some surveys show considerable dissatisfaction with current E-Commerce and Web servers; for example, it has been repor ted that as many as 60% of users typically cannot find the information they are looking for in a Web site, even though the information is present [5]. In an area such as ECommerce, customers demand a high quality of the service they receive, since it is easy to move away to another site if they perceive the current one to be unsatisfactory. An important issue in designing E-Commerce systems is to characterise the ustomer's requirements for satisfactory service. Parameters which affect a customer's satisfaction with an E-Commerce system include the response time, number of clicks needed to find what they want, amount of information they are required to give, and predictability of the service received. This leads to the idea of customer classification, where customers in the same class would value parameters in a similar fashion. Customer classification may be performed either based on how they judge their satisfaction with an E-Commerce system, or on some other way (e. . large/medium /small budget; type/speed of Internet connection the customer has to the server; frequent/previous/new customer). Here we briefly present a methodology for measuring the satisfaction of customer classes. This methodology is applied to a test case consisting of three Irish E-Commerce Web sites in the telecommunications sector. We are able to demonstrate different levels of customer satisfaction among the Web sites, and also different levels of satisfaction with various parameters for each individual Web site. 2) MethodologyIn our methodology, we identify customer classes reflecting groups of customers with different behavioural characteristics, and Web site parameters relating to features of the Web site which will potentially affect customer satisfaction. We then seek to measure customer satisfaction with the various parameters in a consistent and quantifiable way. This methodology is summarised below; a more detailed discussion of the methodology may be found in [6]. 2. 1) Customer Classification Customers may be classified in various ways, such as their behaviour or according to how they measure satisfaction with a Web site.However this classification is made, a representation of the customer class must then be made. This representation has two components: first, customer behaviour; and second, customer satisfaction measures 1 Performance Engineering Laboratory http://www. eeng. dcu. ie/~pel School of Electronic Engineering, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland [email  protected] dcu. ie, [email  protected] dcu. ie for various Web site parameters. We define customer behaviour in terms of the interaction with the Web site. A trace behaviour is defined as the series of clicks and other information that the customer exchanges with the site.Typically, behaviour for a customer class is defined as one or more traces. For a customer class, a weighting may be associated with the traces indicating how likely it is for the customer to perform that particular trace behaviour. That is, some behaviour may be exhibited more frequently by a user in a class, and this behaviour should be given higher weighting. 2. 2) Customer Satisfaction Measures The factors which might affect customer satisfaction with a Web site are contained in a parameter list.It is important that for each parameter in the list satisfaction should be quantifiable. Some quantification measures are easily defined. For instance, if the parameter is the number of clicks, the quantification may be defined as an integer value. Other parameters may have more subjective quantifications. For instance, how does one quantify the â€Å"quality† of information available at a Web site? In order to compare the satisfaction measured for different parameters, the quantifications must be mapped to a fixed scale. For instance, all measures could be mapped to a scale of 0 to 10.This mapping is what allows us to represent customer valuation of the same parameters. For instance, some cu stomers will tolerate delay better than others. This may lead to one customer mapping a download time of 5 seconds to 10 and another mapping a download time of 5 seconds to 0. Studies such as [7] indicate that this mapping can be complex and context dependent. 2. 3) Analysis of Customer Satisfaction for a Web Site Using the above, for each trace it is possible to associate a satisfaction value with every parameter.The trace weightings may then be used to arrive at a weighted average of the satisfaction values associated with the parameters. This gives a measure of how satisfied a given class of customers is with a given parameter. Finally a weighting of parameters can be defined, allowing for an overall satisfaction measure of a class for the Web site. By varying this weighting, we can study how different parameters affect customer satisfaction. 3) Test Results The most difficult part of this exercise is in relating customer trace behaviour to the satisfaction vector. How parameter satisfaction is measured nd how it is mapped onto a fixed scale must be addressed on a case-by-case basis, although experience using the methodology may lead to the definition of some standard cases. Also, since multiple executions of the same trace may lead to different values, some statistical analysis may be required. We have applied our methodology to three Irish E-Commerce Web sites in the telecommunications sector (designated here as Web sites A, B, and C). 3. 1) Customer Classification Customers for the three Web sites we examined have been divided into two distinct classes: Private and Business.Traces are associated with searching for specific information that the customers might be interested in. Six customer tasks are identified in Table 1 and for each Web site a trace is devised to perform the task. For the sake of convenience, we call all traces associated with a given task by the same name, even though the trace is obviously specific to the Web site. Data services is sp lit into T4a and T4b because Web site B provided different pages depending on whether the customer was private or business.Trace T1 T2 T3 T4a T4b T5 T6 Task Where to buy a phone Coverage Tariffs WAP Data Services Data Services for Business Roaming List Business Tariffs Table 1: Tasks The Private and Business customer classes are defined as a collection of the above tasks, and an associated weighting is given which is indicative of the relative likelihood of customers of a given class seeking to perform that task. Trace weightings for the Private and Business classes are given in Table 2. The interpretation is that for a group of Private users roughly half might want to know where to buy a phone, 30% might want to know about tariffs, 10% ight want to know about coverage and 10% might want to know about WAP services. The Business users exhibit different behaviour with 30% wanting to know about coverage, 30% being interested in the roaming list, 20% being interested in data services an d 20% being interested in business tariffs. Customer Class Private Trace T1 T2 T3 T4a T2 T4a, T4b T5 T6 Trace Weighting 0. 5 0. 1 0. 3 0. 1 0. 3 0. 2 0. 3 0. 2 Business Table 2: Trace weightings for different customer classes 3. 2) Satisfaction Measures Three parameters were identified: Complexity, Time, and Quality.Complexity was measured as the number of clicks to reach the destination. Time was measures as total download time in seconds. Quality was a subjective measure of the quality of the information contained in the site (could the information be found, and how easy was it to find? ). Quality was measured using a small-scale user survey where the users were asked to examine the end page for each task and rate their satisfaction with the information they found there on a scale of 0-100%. A scale of 0-10 (with 0 being worst and 10 best) was chosen for a uniform comparison of satisfaction values.The measured satisfaction values were mapped onto the 0-10 scale as follows: Complex ity: Time: Quality: 10(20-(n-1)/10), where n is the number of clicks 10(10-t/60), where t is the trace download time in seconds x/10, where x is the average value of user satisfaction with the quality of the page For Quality a straightforward linear mapping was applied. More complex mappings were employed for Complexity and Time, and are shown in Figure 1. Examining the Time mapping we see that 60 seconds is regarded as an unacceptable download time, and even 30 seconds leads to a fairly poor rating.Similarly, for Complexity, 10 clicks is regarded as unacceptable, and even 5 clicks is fairly poor. Note that we have chosen one among many possible mappings. It is up to the tester to decide how to choose a mapping that best reflects customer preferences. Also note that, in this case, all customers use the same mappings, and thus are seen to perceive the parameters in a similar fashion. It is an easy extension to attach different scale mappings to different customer classes or to differ ent traces. Figure 1: mapping time and complexity measures to a 0-10 scale 3. ) Satisfaction Measurement for Web Sites Once the satisfaction measures are determined, it remains to test the Web sites and compare results. Data was gathered using the Web Performance Trainer 2. 1 tool [8] to execute each of the traces on the Web site in question. This was necessary solely to take time data, and was carried out on a weekday. The other two satisfaction values can be determined by an examination of the Web sites. Tables 3, 4, and 5 summarise the satisfaction measures for the three Web sites respectively. Web Site A Customer Class Trace Complexity rawSatisfaction Measures Time raw 37. 6 34. 0 34. 7 28. 6 34. 7 46. 9 28. 6 38. 7 scaled 2. 4 2. 7 2. 6 3. 3 2. 6 2. 6 1. 7 3. 3 2. 3 2. 4 Quality raw 80 72 67 68 61 69 66 64 scaled 8. 0 7. 2 6. 7 6. 8 7. 5 6. 1 6. 9 6. 6 6. 4 6. 5 scaled 4. 1 3. 0 4. 1 4. 1 3. 8 4. 1 3. 0 4. 1 4. 1 3. 8 Private Business T1 T3 T2 T4a weighted avg. T2 T5 T4a T6 wei ghted avg. 4 5 4 4 4 5 4 4 Table 3: Customer Satisfaction for Web Site A Web Site B Customer Class Trace Complexity raw scaled 4. 1 7. 4 5. 5 5. 5 5. 4 5. 5 4. 1 4. 1 7. 4 5. 2 Satisfaction Measures Time raw 16. 7 11. 2 17. 1 13. 9 17. 1 14. 39. 7 12. 3 scaled 5. 3 6. 5 5. 2 5. 9 5. 7 5. 2 5. 7 2. 2 6. 2 4. 9 Quality scaled 8. 6 7. 6 7. 6 7. 4 8. 1 7. 3 7. 5 6. 4 7. 6 7. 2 raw 86 76 76 74 73 75 64 76 Private Business T1 T3 T2 T4a weighted avg. T2 T5 T4b T6 weighted avg. 4 2 3 3 3 4 4 2 Table 4: Customer Satisfaction for Web Site B Web Site C Customer Class Trace Satisfaction Measures Complexity Time raw scaled 4. 1 5. 5 7. 4 5. 5 5. 0 7. 4 7. 4 5. 5 7. 4 7. 0 raw 14. 0 13. 0 11. 1 12. 4 11. 1 10. 2 12. 4 10. 9 scaled 5. 8 6. 1 6. 5 6. 2 6. 0 6. 5 6. 8 6. 2 6. 6 6. 5 Quality scaled 8. 1 6. 8 6. 8 5. 8 7. 4 6. 1 5. 3 6. 5. 3 5. 7 raw 81 68 68 58 61 53 60 53 Private Business T1 T3 T2 T4a weighted avg. T2 T5 T4a T6 weighted avg. 4 3 2 3 2 2 3 2 Table 5: Customer Satisfaction for Web Sit e C The overall satisfaction measures are summarised in Table 6. Some interesting conclusions can be drawn from these measures. Firstly, for all Web sites and all parameters, there was a variation in satisfaction levels between the customer classes. Thus, not all users find the Web sites equally good. This is most noticeable for the Quality parameter: Private users rated Quality higher than Business users in all cases.If Business customers are considered valuable, this gap is not desirable. There is also a large difference in satisfaction ratings for the Time parameter of Web site B, again favouring Private customers over Business customers. Secondly, for all users and all measures, there are a range of values across the Web sites. For instance, the Time satisfaction for Business users varies from 6. 5 for Web site C down to 2. 4 for Web site A. This indicates that Web site C might have an edge in attracting Business customers. Finally, for a given user class and Web site, different satisfaction levels are observed.For example, Private users of Web site A have a Time satisfaction value of 2. 6 and a Quality satisfaction value of 7. 5. The exact interpretation of this is difficult, since the different parameter satisfaction values are dependent on the mapping of the raw data, which of necessity, differs for each parameter. However, it does perhaps indicate a favouring of form over efficiency. Customer Class Satisfaction Customer Web Site Class Web site A Private Web site B Web site C Web site A Business Web site B Web site C Satisfaction Measures Complexity Time Quality 3. 8 5. 4 5. 0 3. 8 5. 2 7. 0 2. 6 5. 7 6. 2. 4 4. 9 6. 5 7. 5 8. 1 7. 4 6. 5 7. 2 5. 7 Table 6: Customer Class Satisfaction for Web sites A, B, and C Finally, an overall assessment of customer satisfaction may be found by weighting the various parameters. Table 7 displays the overall satisfaction results under several different weighting schemes: Weighting 1 gives all parameters equal weighting ; Weighting 2 gives Time and Complexity equal weighting and Quality zero weighting; Weighting 3 considers Time only (zero weighting for Quality and Complexity). These weightings reflect possible values the tester places on the various parameters.We can see that for all the weightings, Business users have a clear order of preference, ranking Web site C highest, then Web site B, and finally Web site A. The order of preference for Private users varies according to the weighting used, although Web site A is worst under all three weightings. Customer Class Satisfaction Customer Web Site Class Web site A Private Web site B Web site C Web site A Business Web site B Web site C Satisfaction Measures Weighting 1 Weighting 2 Weighting 3 4. 6 6. 4 6. 1 4. 2 5. 8 6. 4 3. 2 5. 6 5. 5 3. 1 5. 1 6. 8 2. 6 5. 7 6. 0 2. 4 4. 9 6. 5 Table 7: Customer satisfaction with a Web site ) Conclusions Modelling customer satisfaction with Web and E-commerce sites is not as well studied as Web server modelling, but determining whether and how the customers of these sites are satisfied with their interactions is becoming increasingly important as the Web matures. We have proposed a methodology for estimating how satisfied defined classes of customers are with a Web site. Our approach recognises that customer satisfaction is a complex issue and includes factors which are not easily measured. We have applied our methodology to the study of three Irish E-Commerce Web sites.These sites were chosen for representative purposes only and the results do not necessarily generalise to other Web sites. Choices for the tester include not only what customer categories and what Web site parameters to examine, but also how to interpret the measured data such as download time. The flexibility of the methodology means that it will be necessary for the tester to carefully consider all of their options. The next step is to investigate whether ‘generic’ categories of users can be defined, and/or wh ether they care about ‘generic’ Web site parameters (e. . it seems download time will always be a factor in user satisfaction). Given a specific Web site, we will explore methods for mapping these generic user types and satisfaction parameters into the site's content. If an analysis of the resulting satisfaction measures shows that there is a disparity in the satisfaction of different user types, we will study how the Web site designer or administrator should take this into account, and whether their reaction can be determined dynamically while the user is interacting with the site.References 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Nakamura et al, `ENMA: the WWW Server Performance Measurement System via Packet Monitoring', INET99. Cottrell et al, `Tutorial on Internet Monitoring and PingER at SLAC' available from http://www. slac. stanford. edu/comp/net/wan-mon/tutorial. html Kalidindi and Zekauskas, `Surveyor: An Infrastructure for Internet Performance Measurements', INET99. Hava and Murphy, `Performance Measurement of World Wide Web Servers' Proc. f 16th UK Teletraffic Symposium, May 2000. http://www. ecai. ie/usability_online. htm Graja and McManis, ‘Modelling User Interactions with E-Commerce Services’, to be presented at ICN01, Colmar, France, July 2001. Bouch, Kuchinsky, and Bhatti, ‘Quality is in the Eye of the Beholder: Meeting Users’ Requirements for Internet Quality of Service’, HP technical report HPL-2000-4, http://www. hpl. hp. com/techreports/2000/HPL-2000-4. html Web Performance Incorporated, http://www. Webperfcenter. com