International Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

International Marketing - Essay Example In 2000, FedEx came about and a proper functional team was made, even of its subsidiaries. In 2004, FedEx also acquired Kinko’s Inc in order to expand itself in the general public. (Pride, et al., 2011) A few of the services FedEx offers are as follows: FedEx Ground FedEx Express FedEx SmartPost FedEx Freight FedEx Custom Critical FedEx Trade Networks FedEx Corporate Services FedEx Supply Chain Services FedEx Tech Connect FedEx Office All these services aren’t offered in all areas however the majority are. FedEx competitors include ARAMEX, BAX Global, DHL Express, United Parcel Service and many others. (Gilbert, 2012) FedEx China and globalization impact on the industry Over 400 cities in China are reached by FedEx in the present day. FedEx provides businesses and customers both a chance to explore their portfolio of services such as e-commerce, business services and transportation. They offer integrated applications for businesses as well with the help of operating com panies. They also have the mark of a good company with honest and admirable employees and it has been focused on safety, ethics and the professional standards that need to be met to cater to the community and its customers. A Chinese retailer was finding it difficult to provide the customers with a fitting room experience in case they shopped online. And since online is the next big thing in the world today, this had to be figured out. FedEx Courier was the answer to the problem of the fitting room. FedEx delivers the order and they wait at the door while the customer tries on the clothes in the comfort of his home and if they wish to return it back, they simply have to hand it back to the courier service. And this was an opportunity that FedEx honed into since China has a huge population, furthermore around 1 million of that population has more that 1 million dollars of wealth and in this way, they have attracted the elite by providing them the best customer service there is to off er. So one of the questions comes to mind as to why has FedEx expanded to China and does major business operations there? China has been growing at a rapid rate over the years, probably one of the fastest in the world. It expands at a rate of around 9% per years and 20% of the world lives there. (Birla, 2005) China also has a purchasing power parity that is second highest in the world after US, which only makes more sense that FedEx expanded into China after it tapped into the US market. Globalization has reduced barriers and lead to a more interconnected world and so people demand goods and services from the influences of the outside world, more so than they did before. Their demands and their needs have changed over the years. China also hosts a US Embassy in Beijing and has four consulates over the country which helps businesses out by recommended trade professionals. US have also marked 14 cities in China which are the American Trading Centers. They import from USS and form 54% of the total imports which are growing at a rapid rate. Therefore US can also take advantage of this expansion. Globalization has helped to overcome barriers but has made protecting rights and tracking the developments in different markets a more difficult task. (Wetherbe, 1996) China also started creating economic zones and these encourage foreign direct investment and leads to flexible trading policies and incentives. China also offers

Blood and Treasure by Kris James Mitchener and Joseph Mason Article

Blood and Treasure by Kris James Mitchener and Joseph Mason - Article Example History demonstrates, after all, that the post-Great Depression government and Federal Reserve were wholly unsuccessful, and mostly unable, to time their exit strategy appropriately. The metaphor of blood and treasurer in Mitchener and Mason is an appropriate one in that it connects economics with society. The connection between the government and the economy has always been a controversial one, but at moments of crisis, it becomes apparent that the government feels responsible for aiding the economy by adopting economic policies. During the Great Depression, this took the form of minimizing inflation and lowering interest rates, which is very similar to the monetary policy in reaction to the current financial crisis. Both of these strategies intend to achieve an optimal point between too much and too little, where too little makes it appear that the government is ineffective at solving economic problems (i.e. lost treasure) and where too much leads to unemployment and losses in output (i.e. lost blood). In this article, the authors attempt to provide an account of not only providing emergency assistance for an economy from the perspective of policymakers but al so providing a framework for transitioning away from the policies that could harm long-term recovery. Ultimately, this account is useful, but it is not useful in building predictions. In their introduction, Mitchener and Mason introduce a concept more frequently heard in foreign policy than in economic studies: that of â€Å"exit strategy†. In this context, the term is meant to refer to the shift back to economic conditions like steady-state growth, which encompasses stability in inflation and government intervention in the economy.

Doping Behaviors and Prevention in Amateur Sport

Doping Behaviors and Prevention in Amateur Sport Abstract Based on previous research, the purpose of this paper is to give an overview on doping behaviors in amateur sport, actual prevention actions, and to propose a new perspective in doping prevention. Doping is not limited to elite athletes and is increasingly important among amateur athletes. To reduce doping in sport, it seems important to influence young athletes in primary prevention. To date, traditional doping prevention campaigns are ineffective. In recent years, a new model of prevention campaigns based on fear, coming from the Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian countries, has been used notably in France (e.g., prevention campaigns for road safety, tobacco, alcohol, cancer). This â€Å"fear model† has scientific support and has shown a relatively small but still solid effect on attitudes, intentions and behaviors. The fight against doping would benefit from trying the â€Å"fear model† in prevention campaigns. Keywords: doping behaviors, doping prevention, fear appeals Based on previous research, the purpose of this paper is to give an overview of doping behaviors in amateur sport as well as actual prevention actions, and to propose a new perspective on doping prevention. Widespread Doping Behaviors among Amateur Athletes Doping is not limited to elite athletes but is widespread in society and is increasingly important among amateur athletes (Calfee Fadale, 2006; Laure, 1997; Lentillon-Kaestner Carstairs, 2010; Lentillon-Kaestner Ohl, 2011; Sagoe, Molde, Andreassen, 2014; Yesalis, Barsukiewicz, Kopstein, Bahrke, 1997). It is difficult to assess the extent of doping in amateur sport, nevertheless it exists. In his review on 44 studies, Laure (1997) estimated the prevalence of doping in children and adolescents participating in sport at 3 to 5% and in adults participating in amateur sports at 5 to 15%. In France, 6.7% of 8-18 year-olds approved doping in sport (Laure, 2000). Lentillon-Kaestner and Carstairs (2010) showed that young amateur cyclists (Under-23 category) were tempted by doping. The meta-analysis of Sagoe, Molde and Andreassen (2014) on 187 studies showed a global lifetime prevalence rate of anabolic-androgenic steroid use of 3.3 %. Doping varies according to various demographic parameters. It increases with age and can start before the age of 15 years (Laure, 1997; Sagoe et al., 2014). Doping is more widespread among boys than girls (Dunn Thomas, 2012; Laure, 2000); however, the gender gap is decreasing from 10 years old (Yesalis et al., 1997). Doping is more widespread among competitors, and it increases with the level of competition (Laure, 2000). Inefficiency of Current Doping Prevention Programs For several years, the fight against doping has mainly focused on the improvement of detection measures (drug tests), leaving aside measures of doping prevention (Backhouse, 2012; Ntoumanis, Ng, Barkoukis, Backhouse, 2014). To date, tested measures of doping prevention are rare, and doping prevention programs lack solid scientific background (Backhouse, 2012; Johnson, 2012; Ntoumanis et al., 2014). Traditional doping prevention campaigns are often ineffective. They describe substances’ side effects, try to persuade users of the ineffectiveness of performance enhancing substances or promote sports ethics (Barkoukis, 2014; Schaps, Bartolo, Moskowitz, al., 1981). The recent meta-analysis of Ntoumakis, Ng, Barkoukis and Backhouse (2014) showed that implemented anti-doping interventions lead to small changes in individuals’ attitudes towards and intention to engage in doping and had no effect on actual doping behaviors. It seems important to build innovative prevention int erventions that are based on solid scientific theory (Backhouse, 2012 ;Johnson, 2012). The Fear Model in Prevention Campaigns In recent years, a new model of prevention campaign based on fear and coming from the Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian countries has been used notably in France (e.g., prevention campaigns for road safety, smoking, alcohol, cancer). Fear is conceptualized as a negative emotional reaction to a perceived threat. The purpose of the fear model is to show the consequences of an undesirable event (illness, accident, etc.) or to give more or less directly a glimpse of the following unhappiness aiming to bring an attitude change. The fear motivates actions to reduce negative emotion (Gallopel, 2006). In contrast to current measures of doping prevention, prevention strategies based on fear have scientific support (Moscato et al., 2001; Tay Watson, 2002; Witte Allen, 2000). Psychologists and researchers in marketing have tried to understand why a prevention campaign based on phobic emotion resulted sometimes in success (action) and sometimes in failure (defensive reactions). Various theories hav e been developed. The latest and most advanced theory about fear from a theoretical and empirical point of view (Witte Allen, 2000) is the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) of Witte (1992) (Witte, 1992). In this model, individuals first assess the threat contained in the message. Perceived threat is a cognitive construct with two dimensions: perceived severity of the threat and one’s perceived susceptibility to the threat (Popova, 2011). In accordance with other meta-analyses, the meta-analysis of Witte and Allen (2000) suggested that the higher the fear level, the higher the persuasive impact of the message. If the threat is perceived as irrelevant or insignificant, the person is no longer motivated to process the message and simply ignores the fear. In contrast, when a threat is described as significant and relevant, people are frightened. The more people believe themselves vulnerable to a serious threat, the more they are motivated to start the second evaluation of t he recommendations’ effectiveness. The fear motivates the change in attitudes, intentions and behaviors, especially fear accompanied with highly effective messages. Perceived effectiveness comprises two dimensions: perceived response effectiveness (beliefs of how effective a response is in averting a threat) and perceived self-effectiveness (beliefs about one’s ability to carry out the recommended response) (Popova, 2011). Effective messages generating a strong fear encourage behavior change (i.e., danger control), while less effective messages generating a strong fear lead to defensive reactions (i.e., fear control) (Popova, 2011). According to Witte (1992), fear in health campaigns is far more useful to promote prevention behavior than to modify an existing behavior. Witte and Allen (2000) concluded, from their meta-analysis on 98 studies on prevention campaigns based on fear (e.g., sexuality, alcohol, road safety, tobacco), that fear would have a relatively small bu t constant effect on attitudes, intentions and behaviors. They also offered a series of recommendations for the implementation of prevention measures (Witte Allen, 2000). In addition, psychology studies on persuasion showed that a simple message was more persuasive in video than in written or audio forms (Girandola, 2003). The theory of self-affirmation (Steele, 1988) appears as a way to increase the effectiveness of prevention campaigns through a re-evaluation of the self-image, which reduces the defensive reactions and increases the acceptance of preventive message’s recommendations. The manipulation of self-affirmation may be achieved in different ways (e.g., values to rank in importance order, to write an essay on their most important value, to describe a very important thing in their lives) (Barkoukis, 2014). Research has shown that to secure the self through self-affirmation manipulation reduced defensive reactions to threatening health information (Sherman, Nelson, Steele, 2000) and positively influenced healthier behaviors (Harris, 2011). Through the self-affirmation process, prevention campaigns do not threaten the self-image of the person, but only the behavior is threatened (Sherman et al., 2000; Steele, 1988). New Perspectives in Doping Prevention Adolescence is a high-risk period for the development of doping behaviors. Performance enhancing drugs have adverse effects on health (Calfee Fadale, 2006; Maravelias, 2005), but young athletes are tempted by doping and are not afraid on the impact on their health (Lentillon-Kaestner, Hagger, Hardcastle, 2012). Young athletes are priority target as their doping attitudes are in formation and primary prevention seems to be a good solution to avoid the appearance of doping behaviors. To date, there do not exist any doping prevention videos based on fear induction. The fight against doping would benefit from trying fear in prevention campaigns for two main reasons. Firstly, although in recent years doping tests have progressed, preventive measures remain lacunar and should be improved. Secondly, doping prevention lacks standardized, effective and easy tools to use in the sport and academic domains. A doping prevention video could be used during sport events and competitions. Doping prevention is also a topic addressed in some school and university courses, particularly among young students following additional sport modules, or in sport universities. Teachers, often not specialists in doping, need help to address this difficult issue. The creation of a video based on fear could be a good preventive tool in the fight against doping in sport.

Essay examples --

The tenet of international relations study is the question of why wars occur. Political theorists have tackled this question with heated debate throughout history and in the post-World War II era the theories of democratic peace and realism have come to the forefront of international relations study. These two theories offer contrasting explanations for the reasons nations fight one another, and also seek to predict the likelihood of future conflict. The democratic peace theory, which concludes that democratic regimes do not go to war with one another as a result of their democratic nature, has attained the status of a law of international relations in some circles (Owen 1994, Doyle 1983). Utilizing an absence of conflict between democratic nations as the basis for the theory, Spiro identifies that proponents of Democratic Peace assert two aspects of the theory (Spiro, 1994). One is an institutional or structural belief, whereby such factors as public opinion, or checks and balances amongst the government constrain the likelihood of war. The other, is an ideological belief, whereby the liberal values of such regimes strive for peaceful interactions and constrain conflict. Democratic Peace Theory would therefore discredit the realist perspectives for interstate conflict which focus upon a sovereign state’s strategic interest within an anarchic world sphere. The theory has achieved status of dogma in many circles, but nevert heless has its share of critics who subscribe to the realist theory such as David Spiro and Bruce Russett. Realists challenge the relevance of the statistics on which democratic peace is founded, advocating a renewal of interest in realist international relations theory. Realists argue that world politics is dri... ... infrequent to deliver an empirical foundation for his conclusion. Likewise, the limitations placed upon the categories of war and democracy ignore that liberal states have disregarded mutual respect for democratic institutions and norms and authorized the use of force against another likeminded state. Doyle is cognizant of the limitations of his Democratic Peace Theory, stressing that protection of liberalism’s heritage of democratization may in fact ensure the adverse consequence of stimulating illiberal practices (Doyle, 1983). The significance of a peace theory which concludes its own underlying principles may actually engender belligerent behavior is questionable. Doyle’s Democratic Peace Theory offers an interesting starting point in the study of the relationship between democratic nations and conflict; however, his suppositions should not to be valued as law.

Action Potential Essay

What opens first in response to a threshold stimulus? Voltage Gated (activation gates) Na+ channels open and Na+ diffuses in the cytoplasm What characterizes depolarization, 1st phase of action potential? Membrane changes from a negative value to a positive value What characterizes repolarization, 2nd phase of action potential? Once the membrane depolarizes to a peak value of 30+, it repolarizes to to its negative resting value of -70 What event triggers the generation of an action potential? The membrane potential must depolarize from the resting voltage of -70 mV to a threshold value of -55 mV. ( This is the minimum value required to open enough voltage-gated Na+ channels so that depolarization is irreversible.) What is the first change to occur in response to a threshold stimulus? Voltage-gated Na+ channels change shape, and their activation gates open Resting State All gated Na+ and K+ channels are closed Step 2 Depolarization; Na+ Channels Open During the depolarization phase of the action potential, open Na+ channels allow Na+ ions to diffuse into the cell. This inward movement of positive charge makes the membrane potential more positive (less negative). The depolarization phase is a positive feedback cycle where open Na+ channels cause depolarization, which in turn causes more voltage-gated Na+ channels to open. Step 3 Repolarization; Na+ channels are inactivating and K+ Channels Open Step 4 Hyperpolarization; Some K+ channels remain open and Na+ channels reset How many gates/states do voltage gated Na+ channels have? two gates and three states Closed Na+ at the resting state, no Na+ enters the cell through them Opened Na+ opened by depolariztion, allowing Na+ to enter the cell Inactivated channels automatically blocked by inactivation gates soon after they open How many gates/states do voltage gated K+ channels have? one gate, two states Closed K+ at the resting state, no K+ leaves Opened K+ at depolarization, after delay, allowing K+ to leave Why is an action potential self-generating? depolarizing currents established by the influx of Na+ flow down the axon and trigger an action potential at the next segment The Na+ diffusing into the axon during the first phase of the action potential creates a depolarizing current that brings the next segment, or node, of the axon to threshold. Why does regeneration of the action potential occur in one direction, rather than in two directions? The inactivation gates of voltage-gated Na+ channels close in the node, or segment, that has just fired an action potential At the peak of the depolarization phase of the action potential, the inactivation gates close. Thus, the voltage-gated Na+ channels become absolutely refractory to another depolarizing stimulus. What changes occur to voltage-gated Na+ and K+ channels at the peak of depolarization? Inactivation gates of voltage-gated Na+ channels close, while activation gates of voltage-gated K+ channels open Closing of voltage-gated channels is time dependent. Typically, the inactivation gates of voltage-gated Na+ channels close about a millisecond after the activation gates open. At the same time, the activation gates of voltage-gated K+ channels open. What marks the end of the depolarization phase? As voltage-gated Na+ channels begin to inactivate, the membrane potential stops becoming more positive This marks the end of the depolarization phase of the action potential. Then, as voltage-gated K+ channels open, K+ ions rush out of the neuron, following their electrochemical gradient. This exit of positively-charged ions causes the interior of the cell to become more negative, repolarizing the membrane. The repolarization phase of the action potential, where voltage becomes more negative after the +30mV peak, is caused primarily by __________. The opening of voltage-gated K+ channels allows K+ ions to exit the cell, repolarizing the membrane. In other words, the exit of K+ ions makes the membrane potential more negative. K+ also exits through leakage channels during this phase because leakage channels are always active. However, most of the membrane permeability to K+ during this phase is due to voltage-gated channels. Voltage-gated K+ channels make the action potential more brief than it would otherwise be if only leakage channels were available to repolarize the membrane. During an action potential, hyperpolarization beyond (more negative to) the resting membrane potential is primarily due to __________. The large number of voltage-gated K+ channels opening during the repolarization phase quickly makes the membrane potential more negative as positively-charged K+ ions leave the cell. K+ ions continue to leave through open channels as the membrane potential passes (becomes more negative than) the resting potential. This hyperpolarization phase of the action potential is therefore due to K+ ions diffusing through voltage-gated K+ channels. The membrane potential remains more negative than the resting potential until voltage-gated K+ channels close. This period of hyperpolarization is important in relieving voltage-gated Na+ channels from inactivation, readying them for another action potential. During the hyperpolarization phase of the action potential, when the membrane potential is more negative than the resting membrane potential, what happens to voltage-gated ion channels? Voltage-gated K+ channels are opened by depolarization. This means that as the membrane potential repolarizes and then hyperpolarizes, these K+ channels close. With the closing of voltage-gated K+ channels, the membrane potential returns to the resting membrane potential via leakage channel activity. Resetting voltage-gated Na+ channels to the closed (but not inactivated) state prepares them for the next action potential. During the hyperpolarization phase of the action potential, voltage eventually returns to the resting membrane potential. What processes are primarily responsible for this return to the resting membrane potential? Voltage-gated K+ channels close. K+ and Na+ diffuse through leakage channels.

Amazon Case Analysis

The case Analysis Outline Introduction- Brief summary of the firm, officers, industry and location Problem identification: major problems to be resolved-use the 4ps model Swot Analysis: strengths: weakness: opportunities: threats Alternatives: strategic choices-solutions to the problems identified Analysis of alternatives: cost/benefit analysis of the solutions. Recommendation: best/optimal solution based on the cost/benefit analysis 1. Introduction Amazon began in 1994 created by Jeffrey Bezos a computer science and electrical engineering graduate from Princeton University.Amazon was created to be an online bookstore that would be customer friendly, be easy to navigate, provide buying advice, and offer the broadcast possible selection of books at low prices and submit product reviews. Bezo operated from his garage in Seattle. Bezo launched his online venture in 1995 with 7 million in borrowed capital. Because Amazon was one of the first major Internet or dot com retailers, it receiv ed a huge amount of free national publicity, and the new venture quickly attracted more and more book buyers. Amazon has a 200,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center.Amazon employed a relatively small number of workers about 2500 worldwide. Amzon employees own over 10% of their company, a factor behind Amazon. com’s rapid growth. Amazon has pizza teams that are given considerable autonomy to develop their ideas and experiment without interference from managers. Those pizza teams come up with most of the innovation. 2. Problem identification Product- Amazon has a customer review section on its website so that a customer may display any problems that he or she has sustain with the Amazon product purchased. However maintaining the physical infrastructure to to obtain supplies of books from book publishers and then to stock, package and ship the books to customers were much higher than anticipated. Price- Amazon was at a competitive advantage with their low prices * Ma intaining the physical side of amazon’s value chain was the source of the greatest proportion of its operating cost, which were draining profitability even though Amazon was at a competitive advantage with their low prices. *Price competition was also heating up due to the other companies such as Barnes and Noble and Borders who were also selling books online. Place- Amazon place in the book selling market changed the industry forever since it was the first online book selling company. * People can purchase books from anywhere as long as they can use the internet. Promotion-Since Amazon was the first online book seller it received a lot of free publicity. * Amazon was able to capture customer’s attention and establish a first mover advantage. 3. SWOT Analysis Strengths- -First online Book selling website. -low pricing -purchase from anywhere -offers 1. 5 million books -product reviews * Weaknesses -operating costs * Oppurtunities -Global expansion -retailer -aquiring s mall companies -New software -Branching in new market segments * Threats -opposing companies -price wars Pressure on profit margins 4. Alternatives * Forging allies with other companies so that when customers wanted a purchase immediately they could pick it up from one of the alliance retailers such as office depot or circuit city. Continue being innovative with prices such as having buy one get one half off sales or reducing prices by certain percentages on particular days. 5. Analysis of Alternatives * Buy sharing profit with allies the high product stocking and distribution costs were avoided. * Profit sharing also turned the company from book seller to â€Å"leading internet product provider. 6. Recommendation Allow any small business that operate a website to become affiliated to amazon by putting a official Amazon hyperlink to Amazon’s website on its own website.

Free Essays on Union Sucession

The breakup of the Union was inevitable. The south was always going to secede; it was just a question of when. The southern and northern states varied on many issues. There were deep economic, social, and political differences between the north and the south. All of this was a different interpretation of the United States Constitution on both sides. In the end, all of these disagreements led to the Civil War. There were reasons other than slavery for the south’s secession. The south relied heavily on agriculture, as opposed to the north which was highly populated by factories. The south grew cotton, which was its main cash crop. Many southerners knew that heavy reliance on agriculture would hurt the south, but their warnings were not taken into serious consideration. Constitutionally the north favored a loose interpretation of the United States Constitution. They wanted to grant the federal government increased powers. The South wanted to reserve all undefined powers to the individual states. The south relied upon it for their economic well being. The north’s economy was not reliant on such labor. This issue overshadowed all others. Southerners compared slavery to the wage-slave system of the North. Southerners believed the slaves received better care than the northern factory workers did. Many southern preachers proclaimed that slavery was sanctioned in the Bible. Thomas Dew, a professor from William and Mary, said that all of the patriarchs of the bible were slaveholders. Abraham had more than three hundred. After the American Revolution slavery died in the North, just as it was becoming more popular in the South. By the time of 1804 seven of the northern most states had abolished slavery. During this time a surge of democratic reform swept the North and West. There were demands for political equality and economic and social advances. Northerners said that slavery revoked the human right of being a free person. When new te... Free Essays on Union Sucession Free Essays on Union Sucession The breakup of the Union was inevitable. The south was always going to secede; it was just a question of when. The southern and northern states varied on many issues. There were deep economic, social, and political differences between the north and the south. All of this was a different interpretation of the United States Constitution on both sides. In the end, all of these disagreements led to the Civil War. There were reasons other than slavery for the south’s secession. The south relied heavily on agriculture, as opposed to the north which was highly populated by factories. The south grew cotton, which was its main cash crop. Many southerners knew that heavy reliance on agriculture would hurt the south, but their warnings were not taken into serious consideration. Constitutionally the north favored a loose interpretation of the United States Constitution. They wanted to grant the federal government increased powers. The South wanted to reserve all undefined powers to the individual states. The south relied upon it for their economic well being. The north’s economy was not reliant on such labor. This issue overshadowed all others. Southerners compared slavery to the wage-slave system of the North. Southerners believed the slaves received better care than the northern factory workers did. Many southern preachers proclaimed that slavery was sanctioned in the Bible. Thomas Dew, a professor from William and Mary, said that all of the patriarchs of the bible were slaveholders. Abraham had more than three hundred. After the American Revolution slavery died in the North, just as it was becoming more popular in the South. By the time of 1804 seven of the northern most states had abolished slavery. During this time a surge of democratic reform swept the North and West. There were demands for political equality and economic and social advances. Northerners said that slavery revoked the human right of being a free person. When new te...

Freeze Drying and How it Works

Freeze Drying and How it Works The basic process of freeze drying food was known to the ancient Peruvian Incas of the Andes. Freeze-drying, or lyophilization, is the sublimation/removal of water content from frozen food. The dehydration occurs under a vacuum, with the plant/animal product solidly frozen during the process. Shrinkage is eliminated or minimized, and a near-perfect preservation results. Freeze-dried food lasts longer than other preserved food and is very light, which makes it perfect for space travel. The Incas stored their potatoes and other food crops on the mountain heights above Machu Picchu. The cold mountain temperatures froze the food and the water inside slowly vaporized under the low air pressure of the high altitudes. During World War II, the freeze-dried process was developed commercially when it was used to preserve blood plasma and penicillin. Freeze drying requires the use of a special machine called a freeze dryer, which has a large chamber for freezing and a vacuum pump for removing moisture. Over 400 different types of freeze-dried foods have been commercially produced since the 1960s. Two bad candidates for freeze drying are lettuce and watermelon because they have too high a water content and freeze dry poorly. Freeze-dried coffee is the best-known freeze-dried product. The Freeze-Dryer Special thanks goes to Thomas A. Jennings, PhD, author of  for his reply to the question, Who invented the first freeze-dryer?   Lyophilization - Introduction and Basic Principles, There is no real invention of a freeze-dryer. It appears to have evolved with time from a laboratory instrument that was referred to by Benedict and Manning (1905) as a chemical pump. Shackell took the basic design of Benedict and Manning and used an electrically driven vacuum pump instead of the displacement of the air with ethyl ether to produce the necessary vacuum. It was Shackell who first realized that the material had to be frozen before commencing the drying process - hence freeze-drying. The literature does not readily reveal the person who first called the equipment used to conduct this form of drying a freeze-dryer. For more information on freeze-drying or lyophilization, one is referred to my book Lyophilization -  Introduction and Basic Principles or to the INSIGHTs that appear on our website. Thomas A. Jennings - Phase Technologies, Inc. Dr. Jennings company has developed a number of instruments that are directly applicable to the lyophilization process, including their patented D2 and DTA thermal analysis instrument. Freeze-Dried Trivia Freeze-dried  coffee  was first produced in 1938, and lead to the development of powdered food products. Nestle company invented freeze-dried coffee, after being asked by Brazil to help find a solution to their coffee surpluses. Nestles own freeze-dried coffee product was called Nescafe, and was first introduced in Switzerland. Tasters Choice Coffee, another very famous freeze-dried manufactured product, derives from a patent issued to James Mercer. From 1966 to 1971, Mercer was chief development engineer for Hills Brothers Coffee Inc. in San Francisco. During this five-year period, he was responsible for developing a continuous freeze drying capability for Hills Brothers, for which he was granted 47 U.S. and foreign patents. How Freeze Drying Works According to  Oregon Freeze Dry, the purpose of freeze drying is to remove a solvent (usually water) from dissolved or dispersed solids. Freeze drying is the  method for preserving materials which are unstable in solution. In addition, freeze drying can be used to separate and recover volatile substances, and to purify materials. The fundamental process steps are: Freezing: The product is frozen. This provides a necessary condition for low-temperature drying.Vacuum: After freezing, the product is placed under vacuum. This enables the frozen solvent in the product to vaporize without passing through the liquid phase, a process known as sublimation.Heat: Heat is applied to the frozen product to accelerate sublimation.Condensation: Low-temperature condenser plates remove the vaporized solvent from the vacuum chamber by converting it back to a solid. This completes the separation process. Applications of Freeze-Dried Fruits in Confectionery Products In freeze drying, moisture sublimes directly from the solid state to vapor, thus producing a product with controllable moisture, no need for cooking or refrigeration, and natural flavor and color.

The Best Colleges With Low GPA Requirements

The Best Colleges With Low GPA Requirements SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Do you have a low GPA? Are you wondering what colleges you can get into despite your low GPA? Out of all the schools in the country, we've compiled a complete list of colleges with low GPA requirements and ranked the best ones. Even if you have a low GPA, that doesn't mean a great education is out of reach for you. Keep reading to figure out what your options are for higher education. The Big Picture: What You Can Do With a Low GPA If you are looking at your low GPA with worry, let us reassure you: you can absolutely get a great education no matter what college you end up going to. For example, did you know that the vast majorityof people profiled in Forbes Magazine’s list of â€Å"30 under 30† (basically a list of about 450 young entrepreneurs, artists, and inventors who are making a name for themselves in a bunch of different fields) went to their local or state college? And not only that, but most of them actually found their business partners there as well! // Yes, the old line is totally true: it’s up to you to make the most of where you are. How? Well, for one, you can research classes and professors by asking your advisors and friends or by looking at online reviews. No matter where they teach, most professors tend to love their subject- after all, they’ve devoted their whole life to studying it!- so seek them out during office hours. Trust me, they'll love to talk with you! Now, let us show you the many choices and possibilities open to you, even if you didn't put your best foot forward in high school. Read on to learn about the following: Colleges that have alternative applications, some of which do not even require a transcript University systems in which you can transfer from one campus to another Great state schools with less competitive admission requirements // What's a Low GPA for College? First, we should clarify what we mean by a low GPA. The definition of a low GPA depends heavily on your personal goals and target colleges, but a general rule of thumb is that any GPA below a 3.0 puts you in the lower range for most colleges in the country. It's true that a 3.0 is the average GPA in the country, but remember that many high school students also don't go to college. Thus, the ones who do go to college usually end up having higher GPAs. As you'll see below, the average GPA of lower-tier colleges is in the 2.9-3.3 range. GPA can also be complicated because of unweighted and weighted GPAs, and how colleges consider the difficulty of your coursework. Even if you have a low GPA, you can compensate for it if you took a difficult course load, as colleges will reward you for your academic ambition. // Here are a few guides you might want to check out as you read this article: What Is a Good GPA? What's a Bad GPA for College? What's the Average High School GPA? How Do I Apply to College With a Low GPA? Finally, keep in mind that even with a low GPA, you still have a great shot at getting into college if you do well on the SAT/ACT. If a low GPA doesn't represent your academic potential well, you can show colleges your true ability through tests that are standardized throughout the country. Maybe your GPA is hiding you behind a mask? Want to build the best possible college application, to compensate for a lower GPA? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Does Your GPA Not Show the Real You? // If you have a low GPA but know that you are capable of so much more, three colleges now give you a totally different way to apply! Goucher College: How about this for a revolutionary idea: you only submit a two-minute video about yourself. That's it. No transcript, no test scores- just you explaining why you deserve admission. Bennington College: Similar deal here in that there's no need to submit a transcript or test scores. Instead, you'll turn in a self-curated collection of your work that speaks to your creative and intellectual abilities. Bard College: Even though Bard still requires a transcript, you can opt to answer several college-level essay questions. Just think: an amazing performance would be a surefire way to prove you can do better than your GPA suggests! Just ... a ... little ... longer! Do You Need More Time to Prove Yourself? // If you just need a little more time to demonstrate what you can do, think about applying to a less competitive campus of a state university system. You can then transfer to a more rigorous campus in the same system. Below is our list of the least competitive campuses in larger and more competitive state university systems. In this chart, we've included the average GPA of admitted applicants as well as the current acceptance rate for each school. (Pro tip: click the school names to see your chances of getting in with our Admissions Calculator!) School Average GPA Admission Rate Indiana University Northwest 2.96 79% Louisiana State University Shreveport 3.29 81% Penn State Schuylkill 2.90 73% Rutgers Camden 3.30 58% SUNY Potsdam 3.29 74% Texas AM Kingsville 3.35 82% University of Arkansas at Little Rock 3.21 59% University of Colorado at Colorado Springs 3.37 91% University of Illinois at Chicago 3.25 77% University of Louisiana at Monroe 3.41 94% University of Maine at Presque Isle 3.04 77% University of Maryland Eastern Shore 2.80 57% University of Massachusetts Dartmouth 3.20 76% University of Michigan at Flint 3.29 74% University of Minnesota Crookston 3.21 78% University of Missouri Kansas City 3.36 63% University of Nebraska at Kearney 3.47 85% University of North Carolina at Pembroke 3.40 74% University of Pittsburgh at Bradford 3.22 58% University of South Carolina Beaufort 3.39 63% University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 3.48 79% University of Texas at Brownsville 3.09 87% University of Washington Tacoma 3.23 83% University of Wisconsin Milwaukee 3.10 73% A name-brand school = a little bling for your resume. // Do You Want a Name-Brand School? If you would still like to go to a high-profile school but don’t see yourself transferring, state colleges are your best bet. Check out these accessible state college systems with fairly low GPA requirements on all of their campuses: California State University Connecticut State University University of Hawaii Massachusetts State University University of Nevada The CUNY system in NYC The Oregon University system (not to be confused with the University of Oregon) University of Rhode Island // I'll just point my protractor at a random point on this globe and go to college there! List of Colleges With Low GPAs by State If you have an idea of where you want to end up geographically speaking, then you're in luck. Here is a comprehensive list of colleges sorted by state. For each state, the schools are listed alphabetically and are accompanied by their average GPAs for admitted applicants. Alabama Alabama State University 2.80 Auburn University at Montgomery 3.30 Faulkner University 3.26 Jacksonville State University 3.34 Oakwood University 2.99 Southeastern Bible College 3.34 Tuskegee University 3.10 University of North Alabama 3.40 Alaska University of Alaska Fairbanks 3.21 University of Alaska Southeast 2.94 Arizona Prescott College 3.17 Arkansas Arkansas Tech University 3.19 Henderson State University 3.21 Southern Arkansas University 3.26 University of Arkansas at Little Rock 3.21 University of Central Arkansas 3.36 University of the Ozarks 3.23 // California American Jewish University 3.11 California Baptist University 3.32 California College of the Arts 3.27 California State University Bakersfield 3.20 California State University Chico 3.27 California State University Dominguez Hills 3.13 California State University East Bay 3.10 California State University Fresno 3.07 California State University Los Angeles 3.21 California State University Monterey Bay 3.32 California State University Northridge 3.18 California State University Sacramento 3.27 California State University San Bernardino 3.21 California State University San Marcos 3.27 California State University Stanislaus 3.31 Fresno Pacific University 3.30 Holy Names University 3.16 Humboldt State University 3.26 La Sierra University 3.39 Menlo College 3.30 Notre Dame de Namur University 3.20 Otis College of Art and Design 3.17 Pacific Union College 3.23 San Francisco Art Institute 3.22 San Francisco State University 3.23 Sonoma State University 3.24 Vanguard University of Southern California 3.21 Woodbury University 3.34 Colorado Adams State College 3.11 Colorado Mesa University 3.10 Fort Lewis College 3.25 Metropolitan State University of Denver 2.90 University of Colorado Colorado Springs 3.37 University of Northern Colorado 3.23 Western State Colorado University 2.87 Connecticut Albertus Magnus College 2.60 Central Connecticut State University 3.00 Eastern Connecticut State University 3.08 Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts 3.22 Sacred Heart University 3.42 Southern Connecticut State University 2.90 University of Bridgeport 2.93 University of Saint Joseph 3.24 Western Connecticut State University 2.97 Delaware Catholic University of America 3.38 Delaware State University 3.11 Goldey-Beacom College 2.90 Wesley College 2.71 Florida Barry University 3.14 Beacon College 2.87 Bethune-Cookman University 2.96 Clearwater Christian College 3.32 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University 3.36 Johnson Wales University 3.06 Lynn University 3.07 Ringling College of Art and Design 3.27 Rollins College 3.33 Trinity College of Florida 3.17 University of Tampa 3.40 Webber International University 2.83 Georgia Albany State University 2.92 Armstrong Atlantic State University 3.24 Brewton-Parker College 3.04 Clark Atlanta University 3.00 Clayton State University 3.05 Columbus State University 3.12 Dalton State College 3.10 Georgia Gwinnett College 2.78 Georgia Southern University 3.29 Georgia Southwestern State University 3.26 Kennesaw State University 3.25 Life University 3.15 Morehouse College 3.11 Paine College 2.95 Point University 3.15 Reinhardt University 3.11 Savannah State University 2.77 Shorter University 3.35 Southern Polytechnic State University 3.28 Valdosta State University 3.20 University of West Georgia 3.15 Hawaii Chaminade University of Honolulu 3.41 University of Hawaii at Hilo 3.36 Idaho Idaho State University 3.23 Lewis-Clark State College 3.10 Illinois Augustana College 3.29 Blackburn College 3.28 Columbia College Chicago 3.26 Concordia University Chicago 2.98 Eastern Illinois University 3.08 Elmhurst College 3.38 Eureka College 3.20 Judson University 3.39 Kendall College 2.82 Lincoln Christian University 2.80 MacMurray College 3.00 Monmouth College 3.30 North Park University 3.14 Northeastern Illinois University 2.80 Northern Illinois University 3.15 Robert Morris University 3.48 Rockford University 3.18 Roosevelt University 3.16 Shimer College 2.99 Southern Illinois University Carbondale 3.09 University of Illinois at Chicago 3.25 Western Illinois University 3.20 // Indiana Calumet College of St. Joseph 2.63 Holy Cross College 3.20 Indiana Institute of Technology 2.93 Indiana State University 3.07 Indiana University East 3.17 Indiana University Kokomo 3.14 Indiana University Northwest 2.96 Indiana University- Purdue University Fort Wayne 3.20 Indiana University- Purdue University Indianapolis 3.39 Indiana University South Bend 3.09 Indiana University Southeast 3.12 Oakland City University 3.15 Purdue University Calumet 3.13 Purdue University North Central 3.04 St. Joseph's College 3.19 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College 3.23 University of Southern Indiana 3.27 Iowa Briar Cliff University 3.27 Emmaus Bible College 3.18 Graceland University 3.22 Grand View University 3.23 Iowa Wesleyan College 3.02 Maharishi University of Management 3.14 St. Ambrose University 3.26 University of Dubuque 2.95 Upper Iowa University 3.19 Waldorf College 3.00 Kansas Bethany College 2.85 Emporia State University 3.32 Fort Hays State University 3.37 Friends University 3.29 Pittsburg State University 3.30 Sterling College 3.10 Tabor College 3.33 University of St. Mary 3.31 Kentucky Campbellsville University 3.35 Eastern Kentucky University 3.29 Georgetown College 3.37 Kentucky Christian University 3.16 Kentucky Mountain Bible College 3.39 Kentucky State University 2.78 Kentucky Wesleyan College 3.30 Lindsey Wilson College 3.27 Midway College 3.19 Northern Kentucky University 3.34 Thomas More College 3.26 University of the Cumberlands 3.44 University of Pikeville 3.06 Western Kentucky University 3.27 // Louisiana Dillard University 2.78 Grambling State University 2.72 Louisiana College 3.17 Louisiana State University Shreveport 3.29 Nicholls State University 3.22 Northwestern State University of Louisiana 3.24 Southeastern Louisiana University 3.19 University of Louisiana at Lafayette 3.30 University of New Orleans 3.14 Maine Husson University 3.30 University of Maine 3.27 University of Maine at Farmington 2.97 University of Maine at Fort Kent 3.00 University of New England 3.30 University of Southern Maine 2.96 Maryland Frostburg State University 3.18 Goucher College 3.15 Morgan State University 3.00 Stevenson University 3.40 University of Baltimore 2.89 University of Maryland Eastern Shore 2.80 Massachusetts American International College 2.80 Anna Maria College 2.78 Assumption College 3.38 Bay Path College 3.21 Becker College 3.08 Bridgewater State University 3.14 Curry College 2.80 Eastern Nazarene College 3.00 Endicott College 3.27 Fitchburg State University 3.10 Framingham State University 3.08 Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology 3.40 Lasell College 2.96 Lesley University 3.31 Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts 3.10 Massachusetts Maritime Academy 3.14 Mount Ida College 2.60 Newbury College 2.45 Nichols College 2.80 Regis College 3.06 Salem State University 3.13 Wentworth Institute of Technology 3.10 Western New England University 3.38 Westfield State University 3.09 Wheelock College 2.88 Worcester State University 3.23 Michigan Central Michigan University 3.37 College for Creative Studies 3.19 Concordia University Ann Arbor 3.10 Eastern Michigan University 3.30 Kuyper College 3.26 Lake Superior State University 3.26 Madonna University 3.30 Marygrove College 2.67 Northern Michigan University 3.16 Northwood University 3.16 Siena Heights University 3.20 University of Michigan- Flint 3.29 Wayne State University 3.30 Western Michigan University 3.34 // Minnesota Bemidji State University 3.11 Bethany Lutheran College 3.39 Concordia University Saint Paul 3.13 Minneapolis College of Art and Design 3.25 North Central University 3.33 St. Cloud State University 3.12 University of Minnesota, Crookston 3.21 Winona State University 3.33 Mississippi Alcorn State University 2.98 Belhaven University 3.30 Delta State University 3.10 Jackson State University 3.03 Mississippi State University 3.32 Mississippi Valley State University 2.91 Rust College 2.34 University of Southern Mississippi 3.27 Missouri Avila University 3.34 Culver-Stockton College 3.12 Harris-Stowe State University 2.69 Kansas City Art Institute 3.30 Lincoln University 2.63 Lindenwood University 3.21 Missouri Southern State University 3.30 Missouri Western State University 3.32 St. Louis Christian College 3.00 Southeast Missouri State University 3.39 Stephens College 3.27 University of Central Missouri 3.35 University of Missouri- Kansas City 3.36 Montana Montana State University 3.36 Montana State University- Billings 3.14 Rocky Mountain College 3.35 University of Great Falls 3.28 University of Montana Western 3.07 Want to build the best possible college application with a low GPA? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Nebraska Wayne State College 3.20 Nevada Sierra Nevada College 3.08 University of Nevada, Las Vegas 3.28 New Hampshire Colby Sawyer College 3.21 New England College 2.59 Plymouth State University 2.96 Rivier University 3.19 Saint Anselm College 3.28 Southern New Hampshire University 3.06 New Jersey Bloomfield College 2.68 Fairleigh Dickinson University- College at Florham 3.07 Fairleigh Dickinson University- Metropolitan Campus 3.08 Felician College 3.05 Kean University 3.10 Montclair State University 3.20 Ramapo College of New Jersey 3.26 Rider University 3.28 Saint Peter's University 3.15 William Paterson University 3.08 New Mexico Eastern New Mexico University 3.19 New Mexico Highlands University 2.95 University of New Mexico 3.38 // New York Alfred University 3.03 Cazenovia College 3.20 College of Mount St. Vincent 3.12 Culinary Institute of America 3.16 CUNY College of Staten Island 3.06 CUNY Hunter College 3.20 CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice 2.84 Dominican College 2.96 Elmira College 3.28 Farmingdale State College 3.24 Hartwick College 3.16 Hilbert College 3.18 Hobart and William Smith Colleges 3.43 Iona College 2.96 Keuka College 3.10 Long Island University Brooklyn 2.98 Long Island University Post 3.11 Manhattanville College 3.10 Marist College 3.30 Mercy College 3.00 Molloy College 3.00 Mount St. Mary College 3.20 Nyack College 2.81 Pace University 3.26 School of Visual Arts 3.29 St. Bonaventure University 3.40 St. Joseph's College- Brooklyn Campus 3.20 SUNY College at Brockport 2.98 SUNY Buffalo State 3.15 SUNY College at Old Westbury 3.10 SUNY Plattsburgh 3.20 SUNY Potsdam 3.29 SUNY at Purchase (Purchase College) 3.10 Utica College 3.09 North Carolina Barton College 3.18 Belmont Abbey College 3.16 Brevard College 3.07 Chowan University 2.69 Fayetteville State University 3.20 Guilford College 3.19 Johnson C. Smith University 2.78 Lees-McRae College 3.29 Mars Hill University 3.24 Meredith College 3.35 Methodist University 3.28 Mid-Atlantic Christian University 2.91 Montreat College 3.07 North Carolina AT State University 2.48 North Carolina Central University 3.20 Saint Augustine's University 2.37 Shaw University 2.45 University of North Carolina at Pembroke 3.40 William Peace University 3.22 Winston-Salem State University 3.01 North Dakota Jamestown College 3.46 Mayville State University 2.99 Minot State University 3.36 Valley City State University 3.18 Ohio Ashland University 3.44 Bluffton University 3.16 Bowling Green State University 3.30 Central State University 2.50 Cincinnati Christian University 3.14 Cleveland State University 3.29 College of Mount St. Joseph 3.35 Columbus College of Art and Design 3.15 Defiance College 3.22 Heidelberg University 3.28 Kent State University at Kent 3.36 Lourdes University 3.17 Malone University 3.33 Muskingum University 3.26 Tiffin University 3.07 University of Akron 3.16 University of Mount Union 3.44 University of Rio Grande 3.06 University of Toledo 3.32 Urbana University 3.00 Wilmington College 3.20 Wright State University 3.26 Youngstown State University 3.13 Oklahoma Cameron University 3.14 East Central University 3.40 Northeastern State University 3.37 Northwestern Oklahoma State University 3.28 St. Gregory's University 3.29 Southeastern Oklahoma State University 3.31 University of Central Oklahoma 3.29 Oregon Eastern Oregon University 3.29 Southern Oregon University 3.31 Warner Pacific College 3.17 Western Oregon University 3.24 Pennsylvania Albright College 3.40 Alvernia University 3.34 Baptist Bible College and Seminary 3.31 Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania 3.27 Cabrini College 3.06 Cairn University 3.24 California University of Pennsylvania 3.10 Cedar Crest College 3.17 Chestnut Hill College 3.13 Cheyney University of Pennsylvania 2.37 Clarion University of Pennsylvania 3.21 Edinboro University of Pennsylvania 3.18 Gwynedd-Mercy College 3.22 Holy Family University 3.09 Immaculata University 3.26 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania 3.20 La Roche College 3.30 La Salle University 3.35 Lock Haven University 3.30 Mansfield University of Pennsylvania 3.33 Misericordia University 3.35 Morris College 2.50 Mount Aloysius College 3.20 Muhlenberg College 3.30 Neumann University 3.04 Penn State Abington 3.11 Penn State Altoona 3.05 Penn State Berks 3.06 Penn State Erie, The Behrend College 3.30 Penn State Harrisburg 3.14 Penn State Lehigh Valley 3.03 Penn State Schuylkill 2.90 Point Park University 3.22 Rosemont College 3.40 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania 3.20 Susquehanna University 3.46 Thiel College 3.10 University of Pittsburgh Bradford 3.22 Washington Jefferson College 3.39 Rhode Island Bryant University 3.42 Roger Williams University 3.34 Salve Regina University 3.29 University of Rhode Island 3.46 South Carolina Claflin University 3.28 Erskine College and Seminary 3.31 Limestone College 3.24 South Carolina State University 2.79 University of South Carolina Beaufort 3.39 Voorhees College 2.00 // South Dakota Dakota State University 3.10 Northern State University 3.25 South Dakota State University 3.37 Tennessee Austin Peay State University 3.20 Cumberland University 3.30 East Tennessee State University 3.40 Fisk University 3.10 Johnson University 3.06 LeMoyne-Owen College 2.50 Lane College 2.42 Memphis College of Art 3.14 Tennessee State University 2.82 Tennessee Wesleyan College 3.42 Trevecca Nazarene University 3.39 Tusculum College 3.13 University of Memphis 3.42 Watkins College of Art, Design and Film 3.00 Texas Arlington Baptist College 2.88 Concordia University Texas 3.30 East Texas Baptist University 3.38 Huston Tillotson University 2.79 Paul Quinn College 2.60 Prairie View AM University 3.03 Southwestern Adventist University 3.20 Sul Ross State University 3.17 Texas AM University- Kingsville 3.35 Texas Southern University 2.84 Texas Wesleyan University 3.40 Texas Woman's University 3.08 Wayland Baptist University 3.28 Utah Dixie State College 3.22 Neumont University 3.20 Weber State University 3.29 Vermont Castleton State College 3.00 Champlain College 3.20 Green Mountain College 3.04 Marlboro College 3.23 Norwich University 3.07 Southern Vermont College 2.50 Vermont Technical College 3.02 Virginia Averett University 3.17 Bluefield College 3.29 Ferrum College 2.88 Hampton University 3.22 Lynchburg College 3.41 Mary Baldwin College 3.43 Marymount University 3.24 Norfolk State University 2.90 Old Dominion University 3.28 Radford University 3.20 Virginia State University 2.90 Virginia Union University 2.71 Virginia Wesleyan College 3.28 Washington Central Washington University 3.14 Eastern Washington University 3.21 Evergreen State College 3.04 University of Washington Bothell 3.28 University of Washington Tacoma 3.23 Washington State University 3.31 West Virginia Alderson-Broaddus College 3.20 Bethany College 2.85 Concord University 3.31 Davis and Elkins College 2.90 Fairmont State University 3.29 Ohio Valley University 2.85 Shepherd University 3.31 West Liberty University 3.35 West Virginia State University 3.08 West Virginia University Institute of Technology 3.35 Wisconsin Cardinal Stritch University 3.22 Carroll University 3.30 Carthage College 3.24 Edgewood College 3.40 Lakeland College 3.00 Milwaukee Institute of Art Design 3.07 Mount Mary University 3.12 Northland College 3.40 Silver Lake College of the Holy Family 2.73 University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee 3.10 University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh 3.30 University of Wisconsin- Parkside 3.03 University of Wisconsin- Stout 3.30 University of Wisconsin- Superior 3.12 University of Wisconsin- Whitewater 3.29 // The Final Word: Colleges With Low GPA Requirements As you can see, a low GPA- usually one around 3.0 or lower- doesn't have to disqualify you from some great colleges. In fact, many schools with low GPA requirements are popular, well-known state universities. By contrast, if you're a fan of smaller colleges, there are plenty of those, too, you can consider. In addition, no matter where you are in the US, more than likely there's a school with low GPA requirements in or near the area you live (except Wyoming- sorry, guys!). Some states in the list above have far more schools than others; this is likely a result of population differences. Finally, remember that even if your GPA is lower than what your school expects, you can increase your chance of acceptance by getting a high SAT/ACT score and submitting a great application! What’s Next? What's a good GPA? A bad GPA?Here's a complete guide. // Want to see colleges that are even easier to get into? Take a look at our list of schools that admit almost everyone. You know your GPA, but do you know your target test scores? Figure out what your target SAT or target ACT score should be for the colleges you're interested in. Ready to learn more about the application process? Check out this handy infographic that lays it all out in detail.

Historical Facts from 1890's Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Historical Facts from 1890's - Research Paper Example The invention of this was seen in both male and female circles, where in its early days it was played by both males and females with a popular following in both. The game of basketball also featured in colleges after it spread from YMCA gyms in 1892 (â€Å"1890-1930 Antique Style†). After the invention of basketball, the game, and the basketball as the medium of play, the rules governing the game took shape in the 1890s, especially in 1897 when the free throw was established at 15 feet from the hoop. As a result, the 1890s saw the birth of a game that has come a long way to gain popular following in modern times. In addition to sports, the first game professional football game was held in 1895 in Latrobe Pennsylvania, where Latrobe YMCA emerged as the winners against Jeannette Athletic Club (â€Å"The 1890's - The Age of Immigration†). The result was 12-0, which was quite a thrashing by the Latrobe YMCA. The year 1895 saw the first United States Golf Open occur in Newpo rt, Rhode Island, where the event was organized by USGA in which a thirty six hole competition took place between ten professionals and one amateur. Historically, it was also the first Open golfing event to be won by a foreigner, who in this case was an Englishman. Women Suffrage In women issues, two groups or unions that were fighting for the equal rights of women merged. The two groups were American Women Suffrage Movement (AWSA) and NSWA and merged in the year 1890 to form National Woman Suffrage Movement (NAWSA) under the leadership of Elizabeth Stanton (â€Å"Women's Rights Movement†¦.†). This made the women rights movement gain popularity throughout the 1890s and into the 1900s; in 1893, Colorado became the first state to take on an amendment that approved women the right to vote while Utah and Idaho followed in adoption in 1896. In addition to Idaho and Utah ratifying the women’s voting rights in 1896, there was the formation of The National Association of Colored Women in the same year. It was formed by bringing together over 100 clubs with membership of black women and aimed at promoting equality for women, raise finances for projects benefitting women and children, and opposing segregation and racial violence. To ease women suffrage, the first safety bike was made available in the United States in 1894 to suit the needs of women. This was termed as a step towards independence as women broke the convention in riding bicycles and working outside the home, gaining physical mobility. The same 1890s, in general, saw the fashion sense for women change dramatically concerning sports. This was concerning the rethinking of the fashion sense and its practicality to the activities in which women engaged especially cycling. Cycling did not require billowing skirts and corsets, but rather rational dress forms. Political Politically, the 1890s saw plenty happen in relation to the United States, especially with the implementation of policies that affected the relations of nationals and foreign affairs. In the year 1890, congress established the Oklahoma Territory on the lands that the Indians claimed to be theirs, which broke a significant trust. This is concerning the pledge that congress had made not to invade native Indian land, but rather preserve it for them. In the year that followed, a significant landmark occurred, in which a new

Quantitative Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Quantitative Analysis - Assignment Example He also discovered that this relationship depended on the level of school, subgroup status, and the location of the school. He further conducted a repeat of this study using the White’s (1982) meta-analysis to assess whether the socioeconomic achievement relationship improved since the first publication of White’s (1982) meta-analysis. The findings of this analysis indicated a small decrease in the mean correlation. He further discussed the future implication of this research and future areas of research (Sirin, 2005). Literature review Literature review can be defined as an account of what other researchers have published on the topic under investigation (Keyton, 2011). It is a critical assessment of what other researchers have done in relation to the topic under investigation. It also discusses a topic in a given area of research (Keyton, 2011). At the beginning of this research, the research presented a background of what other researchers conducted in relation to me ta-analysis. Keyton (2011) mentions researchers such as Bornstein & Bradley, 2003; Brooks-Gunn & Duncan, 1997; Coleman, 1988; McLoyd, 1998, who stated that the socioeconomic factor is a common variable in education research. Information presented in the review indicated that since the inception of White (1982), most of education researches have focused the relation between socioeconomic factors and students achievement. Other factors revealed from the review are different types of socioeconomic factors and students’ academic achievement. The literature review was well conducted in that the researcher was in a position to present relevant information in relation to knowledge gap describing what he intended to do differently from what others conducted (Sirin, 2005). The literature review presented covered enough scope in this area of investigation because the researcher presented what was conducted before, and what he intended to do with his study. Methodology In the research m ethodology, the researcher conducted the following procedures; he applied a measure of socioeconomic status and students’ academic achievement and made a report on quantitative information in satisfactory statistical information for computation of relationships between socioeconomic status and student academic achievement. The sample selected in the research study included students from kindergarten grades through students from grade 12. The sample also included other students’ participants from the United States (Sirin, 2005). The researcher used several computer explores and manual research to obtain the best conceivable reports to represent the big number of current research studies on socioeconomic status and student academic achievement. The Education Resources Information Center, Sociological Abstracts, and PsycINFO were used in this study as computerized search engines (Sirin, 2005). Search terms like socioeconomic status, social economic class, social status, i ncome disadvantages, and the level of poverty were used to search the socioeconomic status of the students. The researcher used terms such as success achievement, and students’ performance to search for students’ academic achievement (Sirin, 2005). The two Boolean operators were developed to describe the relationship between academic achievements. All information from the database was searched from

Major Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Major Project - Research Paper Example Wisconsin in February 2011 fell under a dispute of collective bargaining and budget deficit. The governor of the state, Scott Walker introduced a bill regarding the budget shortage of $3.6 billion over the subsequent two fiscal years and said that it would be overcome if certain measures were followed. The governor in order to balance the budget deficit of the state proposed to confiscate collective bargaining from the public sector employees. The negotiation would only be restricted to their wages but it would only be increased up to consumer price index. The employees need to contribute more for pension and medical benefits but there would be no bargaining power. The employees in their working period had made a few contributions for pension benefits and now it is not possible to remove such benefits. The unions were of the opinion that the issue was a political attack to weaken the substantial support of the government workers from the public employee union. However, the government said that they were just conducting their duty for the welfare of the state otherwise the state would suffer from budget pitfall. If such proposal is approved, then it would affect the government workers, teachers, nurses and various other professionals. However, the government had decided to prepare the ultimate proposal related to the collective bargaining and would not accept the proposal of union members. The governor was of the opinion that stripping the public employees of the rights of collective bargaining and restraining the subjects of basic wages would provide the state a flexibility regarding the finances to be attained in sequence and also spare the tax payers from misery (Williams, 2011). These types of issues can be solved by logical obligation of cost on each side. Such issue can arise in any situation in the state but it would need to be solved by negotiating, taking into concern the welfare of both sides. The eligible public employees are also required for the gov ernment sector. Thus, the favorable decisions from the part of government are important for heartening the employees. This type of union is organized in order to improve the public service related to their improvement of wages, general welfare, working conditions and collaboration between employees and employers (Public Employee Union Local 1, n.d.). The collective bargaining right was given to the employees by law. The governor of a state suddenly could not remove such right of bargaining power from the employees. The paper covers the historical context of public employee union by citing examples. In this paper, the entire dispute of Wisconsin and their results has been discussed. Finally, the summary of the paper is discussed with critical analysis of both negative and positive basis. 2.0 History of Public Employee Unions Labor unions have been termed as "private combinations of workingmen" that endeavors to raise wages and boost the working conditions of the union members. The jo bs of Government constituted the ‘healthy’ part of structured labor where outside competition provides little or no discipline against union incompetence, privilege and price. In 1960, the union members were 900,000 which became 4 million by 1970, 6 million by 1976 and in the

Economic Development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Economic Development - Research Paper Example However not every policy makers and academicians have the same opinion regarding the contribution of the organization in the achievement of economic development. Thus this paper aims in studying the relation between the economic development and economic stability of a nation and the contribution of the IMF in achieving so. Meaning of economic development Economic development of a country means the process of increasing the per capita income as well as per capita output of a nation accompanied by the increase in the overall productivity and improvements in the techniques of production that will ultimately result in the increase in the well being of the overall society. There is considerable difference between economic growth and economic development of a nation though sometimes they are used synonymously. Growth of the economy of a country must precede as well as prompt the economic development of a particular nation. Therefore it can be said that economic growth accompanied by the st ructural transformation of a nation results in the economic development of the overall nation. Thus for the overall economic development of a nation, growth of the country’s economy is the necessary condition and the structural transformation forms the condition of sufficiency. ... These factors in simple words differentiate growth of an economy from the overall development of the same. Therefore for a proper definition of economic development it can be said that the structural, institutional and the qualitative changes that are needed in an society for expanding the capability and the potential of the same in the proper utilization of the scare economic resources of the country is reflected in the economic development of the country. The structural transformation if an economy imply the overall growth of the Gross Domestic Product of an economy contributed by the productive increase of the primary , the secondary and the tertiary sector of the economy and the relative contribution of each sector in the country’s total GDP. Moreover the degree of openness of an economy and the country’s dependence on foreign trade also encompasses the economic structure of the country. Therefore for development of an economy there is the requirement of a positive change in each of these variables with a long term impact on the economy that is fundamental. These changes in the structure of the economy is in need of changing, more specifically improving the poverty level of the country for the achievement of economic development. In case of economic development the increase in the economic well being of an individual as well as the society as a whole gets reflected in the changes in the living conditions of the society people with improved nutrition, improved health, improved housing facilities along with betterment in the education structure of the society that will impact on an overall upliftment of the society with flavors of metropolis.

Foreign Assignment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Foreign Assignment - Case Study Example This code of conduct ensures audit programs that assist in policy monitoring, review of employee treatment in terms of race, religion, opportunity and promotions. International companies should also ensure employees’ rights are protected, and compliance with the applied laws and regulations is upheld. Since employees are the most important resource in the company, they should have the right to; compensation, good working conditions, ethics and opportunities. An international company has the obligation of strictly prohibiting discrimination and employee harassment because of their color, gender, race, religion, and national origin, veteran’s status and sexual orientation The bank violated sexual orientation as a moral code. This by posing young women as client attraction; they had five young and beautiful women working as secretaries and receptionists. They are situated at the entrance of the bank and required to wear a customary uniform that are colorful and sexy. In accordance to the bank, they should be social to clients and pose well in order to attract more customers without having to have women to attract more customers. This abused their sexuality as they were contradictory to the image of the financing business and they were also demeaning to the young ladies who were wearing them. The bank’s decision to follow the norms of the host country is not correct or rather it is unfair since it violates the policies of international company laws. The host country discriminates against gender; the clients at the bank rarely go to Sara for assistance as they view her as a weak link at the business (Dunfee and Robertson, n.d). They do not understand how a woman can be in authority and rule over men, this makes Sara be viewed as assistance in order for business to run effectively. This affects the workers perception

1.Use an example of your choice to discuss how corporate restructuring Essay

1.Use an example of your choice to discuss how corporate restructuring transformed market, productive and financial performance - Essay Example However it should also be noted that the excessively managed organization of the company was another reason that can be attributed to this chronic stage which led to the complete restructuring process (Denis and Kruse, 2000; Baek, Kang and Park, 2004; Bae, Kang and Kim, 2002). Given the fact that Caterpillar Inc realized consistent profits over the course of its operation, the internal issues that escalated within the organization itself were overlooked and the company started lagging behind in terms of gathering information regarding he external environment. Following this, Caterpillar Inc became completely out of touch from the market realities. Thereafter when the international economy came under recession, the flawed structure of the company was not able to mitigate the challenges of the external environment and consequently became an attractive target for many of its competitors. The arguments mentioned above will be set forth throughout the essay according to the following stru cture: In the beginning the insinuation of the market maturity for the company (Caterpillar Inc) will be determined through the Product Life Cycle theoretical framework. Thereafter, Michael Porter’s five forces analysis will be done in order to assess the level of competition that the company faces which might provide the researcher with a valuable insight about the forces that compelled the company to go through a complete restructuring phase. Following that an in-depth analysis of the company’s original structure will be conducted in order to develop an understanding of the internal problems that weakened the company’s opportunities to prosper. The restructuring process of the company will thereafter be studied in order to understand the impact of the process on the company’s performance in terms of market, production, finance and efficiency. Finally a generalized conclusion will be provided

Foreign Assignment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Foreign Assignment - Case Study Example This code of conduct ensures audit programs that assist in policy monitoring, review of employee treatment in terms of race, religion, opportunity and promotions. International companies should also ensure employees’ rights are protected, and compliance with the applied laws and regulations is upheld. Since employees are the most important resource in the company, they should have the right to; compensation, good working conditions, ethics and opportunities. An international company has the obligation of strictly prohibiting discrimination and employee harassment because of their color, gender, race, religion, and national origin, veteran’s status and sexual orientation The bank violated sexual orientation as a moral code. This by posing young women as client attraction; they had five young and beautiful women working as secretaries and receptionists. They are situated at the entrance of the bank and required to wear a customary uniform that are colorful and sexy. In accordance to the bank, they should be social to clients and pose well in order to attract more customers without having to have women to attract more customers. This abused their sexuality as they were contradictory to the image of the financing business and they were also demeaning to the young ladies who were wearing them. The bank’s decision to follow the norms of the host country is not correct or rather it is unfair since it violates the policies of international company laws. The host country discriminates against gender; the clients at the bank rarely go to Sara for assistance as they view her as a weak link at the business (Dunfee and Robertson, n.d). They do not understand how a woman can be in authority and rule over men, this makes Sara be viewed as assistance in order for business to run effectively. This affects the workers perception

Disc Assessment Essay Example for Free

Disc Assessment Essay DISC Assessment Paper Organizational behavior studies have become more significant in today’s present years than hey were before in past years, this is due to companies realizing that in order to acclimatize to the constantly changing business cultures that have stemmed from a competitive and rapidly moving market, they must put more emphasis on the correlation between human behavior and the organization. Understanding this concept has led many several companies to put investment into behavior assessments and seminars and use them as a training tool to educate their employees and learn the reasons for each person’s behavior and attitudes and how to handle and approach these various types of behaviors and attitudes. In this paper we will be discussing the study of various behaviors via taking the DISC platinum Rule Behavioral Style Assessment to identify both me and my learning team member’s predominant behavior styles. We will then analyze our behavior styles, our strengths and weaknesses identified within our styles and whether or not we agree or disagree with the assessment. The DISC Assessment categorized both of our behavioral types as being the interactive style and our sub styles were lc. The Interactive Style also called I Style is friendly, enthusiastic, a â€Å"party animal† that love to be where all the action is. They thrive on the acknowledgment, admiration and compliments that follow being in the spot light. They are more relationship-oriented than they are task-oriented. An Interactive style’s strengths are charm, persuasiveness, warmth and enthusiasm. They are gifted in skills and communication between individuals as well as groups. They are optimists with a large amount of charisma. They are also dreamers and idea-people who excel in getting others excited about their vision. All of these qualities assist them in influencing people and building alliances. The interactive style’s weaknesses are pinpointed as poor follow-through, carelessness, exaggeration and disorganization. They have a habit of getting to involved in too many activities and lose interest quickly. Furthermore, they can at times be seen as being impetuous, manipulative, and excitable when displaying behavior that is inappropriate to a situation. When analyzing the results of the DISC Assessment and the summary of my behavior. We were able to comprehend why we function and act the way that we do while interacting with our co workers, family and people. We both started to think about our adolescent years until now and realized that everyone wanted to be our friends and we were also chosen to be the leader most of the time. I would sometimes avoid being the leader and Gina would always be the leader but we were also both content with just being apart of the activities and tasks needing to be accomplished but our ability to drive others and complete task with enthusiasm would always show because of this we were thereby always moved to the front of the crowd. We also noticed that this same thing applies when were in the workplace; we were both again selected to be a leader after just a short time of displaying our abilities to charm and motivate. Gina noticed that she is always the person to excite employees and get them to produce at a faster pace when completing departmental tasks and goals. Gina saw that her managers are always pleased with her people skills and that they often use her as an example to her peers when adjusting or presenting new changes to the department. I identified that I was good at innovation at work and creating new ideas. Gina and I both welcome and look forward to change because it keeps and sparks our interest. We both despise boredom. DISC offered us so much information about our interactive style’s typical business characteristics such as wanting to be included by others in significant events such as research and brainstorming, resisting control and desiring freedom. In our personal lives we both also realized how our behavior style applied because we both don’t like when someone doesn’t give us their undivided attention and when were not given an opportunity to express ourselves or opinions.

Downloading And Copyright Laws

Downloading And Copyright Laws Illegal downloading also known as file sharing enables people throughout the world to share information such as movies, music and documents. Music artists around the world were losing out on thousands if not millions of dollars worth of profit from CD sales. The biggest offender was the newly software called Napster developed in 1999. In the past decade governments have become more and more involved into combating this form of distribution. This essay looks into how appropriate governments alongside ISPs operate against combating this type of crime. Net neutrality is a major theme, that in my opinion forms a barrier. The constant updating of laws and overwriting of laws has caused an overwhelming amount of confusion, and with the development of ACTA it only causes more confusion. During my research, I have used and referred to internet on many occasions as I felt that this was the most updated form of information on this topic. Books and reports to gain an understanding surrounding technological aspects as well as sociological aspects into this ever-growing problem of copyrighted file sharing. Introduction to Illegal Downloading and Copyright Laws The illegal downloading of copyrighted material is probably one of the most common and easiest things we can do on a computer today. It doesnt take a computer expert to do so. All this was made easier by a program called Napster, which was released before the millennium, by Shawn Fanning, a college student. He had developed a way which would revolutionize the way data was sent across computers systems. It was just about two years ago, where the French government suggested and passed a law stating that the downloading and uploading of copyrighted material would be seen as a criminal offense and that action would be taken. Soon enough, after years of discussion the offenders would receive their warning letters this year. The French government claiming that over 100,000 letters were sent. However as many other journalists believe, this does seem a bit exaggerated and used a scare tactic. This investigation looks at whether it is justified for the French authorities to cut someones internet connection. The law was highly controversial as it affected internet privacy, and it was soon brought to my awareness that it didnt follow the philosophy of the World Wide Web. The idea behind the set up of the World Wide Web, was net neutrality. The ideas are simple. That governments or ISPs should not intervene with any of the content being distributed, and allow free communication between the computer systems. This being said, it doesnt appear to be the case, and governments have become more involved. The origins of copyright law date back to the 16th and 17th century, were different acts were made for printing and pressing. The Licensing Act of 1662 which protected printers against piracy. The breaching of this act, would lead to high fines and possible imprisonment. The first known law of copyright originated in Britain and was primarily there for the protection of literary works. The Fair Use Copyright has derived itself from the Statute of Anne. We move on again to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, which is an international agreement where governments around the world joined forces to protect intellectual property. The history and development of copyright laws is described in further detail in the History of Illegal Distribution of Copyright Material of this essay. The topic of net neutrality is one of great importance in todays society in the case of authorities becoming involved into the case of potential illegal downloading and uploading. Regulations vary in countries, however the essence of net neutrality should never have changed. To what extent are governments allowed to access our computers or intercept data packages destined for personal computers. The contrast between telephones will be interesting to mention, as telephones require court orders for data to be intercepted from a phone. Isnt this a paradox? ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) is the new hype surrounding intellectual property. ACTA is a highly secretive treaty between developed countries who are keen on creating even stricter intellectual property laws, and add them into free trade agreements. It is important to note what type of agreement this is. It is not a law, which means it doesnt have to pass parliament. This is an easy way for countries to overcome so many issues surrounding copyright laws. Due ACTAs secrecy, information available is limited and I have attempted to get as much as I can, as I feel that this agreement will bring a lot change to the role of governments in controlling their copyright laws as well as bringing up new ethical issues. With all of this combined, its evident that with recent developments in the world and the way it will affect how we use computer systems, I can follow up on an investigation of the question: To what extent are the responsibilities of governments and ISPs in harmony in the case of copyright laws? Availability of Copyrighted Material As mentioned in my introduction, over the past few years technology has advanced so rapidly, from tape recorders to CDs to portable digital media players. These transitions have brought in different factors along with it, such as different ways of formatting music files and videos, as well as being able to access them on multiple devices. Hence making copyrighted material more vulnerable as it became so easy to transfer. The general public started to see that music, videos and software were becoming free, as computer intellectuals started cracking and hacking this basic form of protection that was implemented on copyrighted material. Napster was set up in June of 1999, and was a massive hit among college students. Rumor has is that over 2 million downloads of Napster occurred in the first 6 months of its launch! Soon enough word reached the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) and various artists and the challenges of this new digital revolution would begin. This social a nd ethical battle still continues today, is it right to download copyrighted material freely? There are so many ways to find and record music, and laws that have been written arent updated enough to keep up with the general level of advancement in technology. The issue of laws not being updated at a faster rate is touched upon in History of Illegal Distribution of Copyright Material. Shawn Corey Carter also known as Jay-Z, one of worlds most successful artists said in an interview with the well respected Forbes Magazine that the record industry had made a mistake and should have embraced the technology and worked with it, rather then going against it. In the past couple of years, the music industry is attempting to embrace this new digital revolution. Since then results have proven that he was correct. In 2004 digital sales had increased by over 940%! In reply to this surge and the increase of downloading, big artists and bands have released free tracks. The arrival of iTunes by Apple would also give more people access to music and within 7 years iTunes sold over 10 billion songs! Steve Jobs described this development as This has been the birth of legal downloading, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said of iTunes when it first launched in 2003. Were going to fight illegal downloading by competing with it. Were not going to sue it. Were not going to ignore it. Were going to compete with it. This is an effective statement is a prime example of where most governments should be at today, however this is not the case. iTunes is a great example of how it can work, as well as other various examples such as Spotify as well as Beatport. In a survey I conducted among twenty individuals asking; If you knew how to download music and videos illegally, would you? 60% of people said Yes. Its been evident that downloading music is a very lucrative market, and this is shown by the as data from the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) suggests that the combined figures of sixteen countries over a three year period leads to 40 billion illegal downloads! The last few years have been referred to as the digital revolution, however I think we are entering a new age of digital amelioration. History of Illegal Distribution of Copyright Material The distribution of copyrighted material has been a problem since the 17th century and the free content across the World Wide Web has only been a problem for just over a decade. The introduction of Napster in 1999 would be the start of a new era. However the sharing of data had been going on long before Napster. This data was of a different kind, and of a different purpose, yet its philosophy is similar today in the case of To what extent are the responsibilities of governments and ISPs in harmony in the case of copyright laws?. The philosophy of net neutrality is based on freedom of speech, and people operating beyond the jurisdiction of any authority or any countrys authority. Soon after Napster was set up, different methods evolved, such as other P2P software sharing such as Limewire, Kazaa. Torrents have become popular in recent years. A new era was born, and digital media was widely available. During my research I decided to find out how long and how many clicks are needed to find a song using various methods. This table is listed below: Method As can be seen above through my research, the simplicity of dowloading music, is done in less the ten clicks! This also depends upon whether or not you use keyboard shortcuts. The origins of copyright law date back to the 16th and 17th century, where different acts were made for printing and pressing. The Licensing Act of 1662 stating An Act for preventing the frequent Abuses in printing seditious treasonable and unlicensed Bookes and Pamphlets and for regulating of Printing and Printing Presses. Even though these acts and laws existed, printers were given exclusive rights to be able to print a certain document. Religious establishments were keen on getting the bible printed, as it was a way of spreading ideas. The breaching of this act, would lead to high fines and possible imprisonment. The first known law of copyright originated in 1907 in Britain. This was known as the Statute of Anne, it stated An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by vesting the Copies of Printed Books in the Authors or purchasers of such Copies, during the Times therein mentioned. As we can quickly establish, the first instance of copyright law, came from a position of authority, Queen Anne of Britain. During my research it became very apparent that nearly all copyright laws were related to literature work. Over time the laws and statutes have adjusted themselves to certain situations. The Fair Use Copyright has derived itself from the Statute of Anne. It can be compared to freedom of speech. Fair use has never been given limits by its lawmakers. It allows people to make a fair use is any copying of copyrighted material done for a limited and transformative purpose such as to comment upon, criticize or parody a copyrighted work. This law doesnt allow copyright holders to over exaggerate the unlawful use of their work, as well as allowing the public to use the work fairly. The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, is a international agreement which was signed in 1886, and currently has 164 members. This was the first step where governments around the world joined forces to protect intellectual property. The law abolished the requirement to register foreign works and introduced an exclusive right to import or produce translations. It has come to my attention that the issue of controlling the distribution of ideas and copyrighted material has been a social and ethical issue not for the past decade, but in actual fact for approximately three centuries, yet still today governments lack behind and still havent found a solution. The evolution of the World Wide Web has only made this a harder task. Net Neutrality The definition of Net Neutrality is unclear, as there are many different interpretations, fundamentally it means the access to the internet without restrictions. Tim Berners-Lee once said that Net Neutrality is a principle proposed for user access networks participating in the internet that advocates no restrictions by Internet Service Providers and governments on content, sites, platforms, the kinds of equipment that may be attached, and the modes of communication allowed Net neutrality is the reason the internet has become such an important and powerful way of bringing messages across, and has had such an influence on world affairs. A great example is the affect of Wikileaks, and how governments attempt to remove them. The educational value it just as important, as it enables old and young generations to share ideas and learn from each other. In the case of music, it can be argued that their definition for music is very different, and indeed the definition of music is still today a matter of discussion. Record labels obviously feel that it is a source of income. Some people feel that it is a way of expressing emotion. The sharing of music allows inspiration for others to follow, and I think it can be widely agreed on. If people did not have access to as much music as they do, the music industry wouldnt be as alive as it is today. It would appear that copyright laws established by government are actually inhibiting new artists, instead of blossoming t heir growth. ISPs and Governments appear to be receiving pressure from the creative arts industry internationally. This is slightly ironic as it is primarily the music industry that have such issues with the current state of their market. The International Chambers of Commerce states the significant volume of digital and fake products being distributed via the Internet, and the loss of economic development, harm to heath safety, reduced technology transfer, and innovation, the total magnitude of counterfeiting and piracy worldwide is well over US$ 600 billion. France has been the center of government and ISP regulation, as its said to be the number 1 country in illegally accessing movies and music. In 2005 the DADVSI was voted through by both houses of the French Parliament. DAVSI was a proposed law based on reforming the French copyright laws, which forbid the sharing of copyrighted material through P2P networks. This was probably one of the most understood laws implemented. The law has had its fair amount of modifications since its implementation, as well as new laws overwriting the DAVSI law as new technological and social issues kept arising. The example of this is the new controversial HADOPI law, which was implemented after a previous failed attempt in early 2009. After its first year of running, and still uncertainty on what these laws exactly are. The French President Sarkozy, has announced that the HADOPI agency has warned over 100,000. Although experts say that the real figure is approximately 30,000. The ways these warnings are received, touch upon the essence of net neutrality. International Press as well as computer experts have suggested French ISPs have been reluctant to identify and email customers, yet have been forced to do so under government pressure. Our discussion, is to determine the right idea for third parties such as ISPs to get involved for an issue that isnt theirs but that of the record labels. This makes legislation a lot harder, and it requires constant updating. The Chinese government is an example of how a government controls the internet, shutting down sites that could show information which could potential bring vast amounts of criticism from other countries. However the US has criticized this thoroughly, recently there have been government proposals for wire tapping the internet, to allow national security agencies to track and look at your personal computers data through the internet. In the western world, where people are often critical of Eastern policies, we are now moving to similar policies that we criticize to this day. ISPs shouldnt be allowed to packet sniff to investigate our activity. This brings in the whole issue of privacy. There are another few examples which can be shown as why net neutrality should be enforced further. In 2007 Federal Communications Commission advised the US government to vote for the implementation of a law for net neutrality as it is only a morale and not an actual law. -Telephone companies connect phone lines together to allow people to communicate easily, but dont tap them to listen to what is being said. Wire tapping requires judicial warrants, and is seen as a huge privacy matter to tap into someones phone. Where do we cross the line? I believe that is a question that nobody can agree upon, from a political as well as a illegal downloader perspective we would receive biased opinions. The willingness for concessions appears to be 0% from both parties. ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) ACTA is a plurilateral agreement between 10 countries and the European Union , which is attempting to set out authoritative measures on intellectual property rights. This idea was developed by America and Japan back in 2006 and the first conference was held in 2008, where soon countries New Zealand to Mexico would join. These talks have been held at a very low level, which has raised suspicions from computer experts, and leaked documents have only increased the fears of the effects that this treaty could have to the public. This agreement gives government authorities rights such as: -The right to search through personal computers, when under the suspicion that illegal copyrighted material might be contained inside. (Border Search Possibilities) -Track internet user behavior -The close cooperation between ISPs and copyright holders in removing infringing material. -Network filtering by ISPs (DPI)) These are an example of the problems that face this agreement, even though ACTA allows countries to set up their own punishment. Some of the suggestions put forward to combat the illegal distribution of copyrighted materials are not in line with privacy laws set out by certain governments, or certain international treaties. Which of course, leads to further complications. The Effects of Illegal downloading Internationally Illegal downloading has been on the agenda of international politics for the last couple of years, and it has become a growing problem for governments, and a global interest for youngsters in that same period. The spread of material through the Internet has grown drastically since the introduction of the World Wide Web. According to the University of Minasotta around 675 petabyes per a day of data crosses between computer systems a day, and an approximated 21 exabytes a month. Its estimated that the internets total data is about 500 billion gigabytes of data back in 2009 . Thanks to all the advancement in technology, and new security concerns, the saving of data has been essential. Multimedia has become a big part of daily life, and it is estimated that on average U.S. children spend almost 8 hours a day using media, such as TV and computer. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry(IFPI) it is estimated that over 95% of all music downloads are illegal (2009). However over the last decade, the music industry has had to adapt to the new demands of the consumer. The digital era has also affected the music industry, and companies such Apple Inc. are selling music at an unbelievable rate from their online music store. The big four Universal Music Group (UMG), Electric Musical Industries (EMI), Warner Music Group (WMG) and Sony Music Entertainment, have developed 360 deals where they fund marketing and promotion for an artist. In return the artist will share his profits from concerts and sales with his record label. Big artists such as Robbie Williams and Jay-Z are attached to such contracts. The digital market, and revenues have increased dramatically in this area. (IFPI report). It shows that the music industry is capable of adapting to new circumstances. Yet feels that is it missing revenues. Although this assertion is correct, the nature of the problem has grown to an extent where it is impossible to reverse, and only minimize damage. I believe a distinction must be made between the music industry and artists, some artists choose to post their work for free as that is their way of marketing it. It changes the discussion point which links in with my research question. To what extent has the distribution of copyright affected the music industry. A wide conception is made when thinking of the music industry as a group of multinationals, however I believe that this is a misconception that shows another complexity on the issue of copyright law. The music industry also consists of the small artists that havent achieved fame. Kate Nash provided her music for free on myspace, and eventually her popularity increased and gaining herself a deal. Overall the effects of illegal downloading has caused some change, instead of actually combating the issue. Conclusion I have attempted to show the consequences of illegal downloading, and future problems caused by it. Copyright law, has evolved thoroughly throughout the past century. Yet the development of technology and the introduction of digital media have only increased this evolution to a rate where it is impossible to overcome the impact. This is reflected in the limited range of sources, as the Internet has proved most updated. When Napster started the idea wasnt embraced but attacked upon, which I believe was a very fundamental error as they could have used this type of technology to their advantage. The music industry has seen a new way of spreading their product and this has shown as from 2004 to 2009 there was a 940% increase in digital sales! Ironically in the same source its stated that in P2P sharing (largest piracy method) 76% actually spend money on music, yet still claim that the net effect is still negative. The development of Copyleft and Creative commons is in my opinion the future. The music industry is like any industry, they have their cycles. It is unfortunate that file sharing was easily dismissed between computer systems. As for ISPs becoming involved, it really relies on governments and in a recent report by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) ¸ they stated The music industry and other creative sectors around the world are seeking to engage ISPs in curbing digital piracy on their networks. In most countries, this requires help from governments in establishing a consistent and effective response from the entire ISP communityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..IFPI first called for ISPs to cooperate in a graduated response system in 2005. Five years later, voluntary means have largely failed to progress. This failed progress is evident from the reluctant ISPs to forward information, as they feel that they are betraying the privacy of their clients. A majority of governments around the world have set themselves a major task, reforming the way digital media is distributed. The development of ACTA has only made the combination of copyright law, intellectual property law and international treaties a immensely and unimaginably complex process. The laws and treaties to overwrite and conflict each other, and complicate the process of reform further. Reviewing the laws and treaties in different countries, just makes me think what on earth are governments attempting to do. Governments are attempting to work in harmony with copyright laws, yet ISPs are becoming increasingly resilient to co-operating with governments but have no choice as laws have been designed which require information about customers to be shared. Another question that arises is to what extent will these measures go, in the Net Neutrality part of this essay. If the government succeeds in forcing ISPs or enabling co-operation between the two. How far will this go with other means of communication? Privacy will be a major social issue. The defending of net neutrality will be difficult as it is a principle and nothing more. Yet it still maintains a status of etiquette among society which is now slowly being broken. The ability of hackers is a force to be reckoned with, they always appear to be one step ahead. Governments and ISPs will always be behind no matter what situation they find themselves in. This is a big social and ethical issue plaguing the World Wide Web. Steve Jobs set an example that many governments must follow, and its too late too combat, so the only way is too compete. The question here is, what will it take to compete? Many lawyers, computer science experts, music businesses and governments have spent years attempting to solve this issue, but to what extent it will ever be gone for good, will be hard. As a concluding statement, I