Integrating Open Data reuse Business Models †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Integrating Open Data reuse Business Models. Answer: Introduction Zoopla is a British company co-owned by Daily Mail, General Trust and Countrywide, a real estate agent. Zoopla PLC was founded in 2007, and its website started being operational in January 2008 (Yoruk 2018). Alex Chesterman and Simon Kain established the company. The company offers work-flow tools to more than 40000 and letting agents across the United Kingdom. Since its initiation, the company has grown tremendously becoming the best property portal in 2011 and the Best Brand in 2013 (Yoruk 2018). The company target UK national adults who are settling down and looking for houses (Field 2014). In 2016, Zoopla was ranked the second among the best performing property search engines commanding about 38% of the market share. However, Zoopla faces a stiff competition from Rightmove who are top among all companies as well as On The Market which was launched in January 2015 (Fraser 2017). Zoopla has continued to create and grow brand awareness and constant customer engagement as well as investing heavily in advertising and marketing (Brown 2016, pp. 18). Subsequently, Zoopla brand awareness had increased among adults from 26% in 2010 to 80% in 2014 (Hilary 2015). To counter competition, Zoopla Company has also invested heavily in product differentiation to stand out, maintain uniqueness and help in staying ahead of the competitors. For instance, unlike other competitors such as On The Market only offering the listing of the property alone due to its limited search tools, Zoopla will help its customers to be aware of when the property was first listed and the history of how the price of the same property was reduced. The above aspects are critical for buyers to consider when considering the price offer for a particular property (CollinsonandMonaghan 2017). Zoopla Company has also proved to be among the best among the property search companies in the UK due to its strategy of cornering a fledging market commonly referred to as merger and acquisition to ensure that it gain a competitive edge. By 2016, Zoopla had purchased nearly all of its competitors totalling to 13 as well as several mergers (Yoruk 2018). The strategy has given Zoopla an added advantage of accumulation of more revenue and income which as results makes it one of the most performing properties and real estate Company in the UK. For instance, in 2016, Zoopla got ahead of its rivals by acquiring software company, Property Software Group for 75 million pounds thus giving it direct access to more than 8000 estate agents across the UK (Yoruk 2018). In 2015, it acquired Comparison Services from Uswitch. The process helped Zoopla Property Group to grow its revenue to 96.4 million pounds by March 2016 (Fletcher 2016). Zoopla has also derived its unmatched success from improving the customer experience by providing more services which are helpful to their clients. The company has focused entirely on its mission of continuous innovation aiming at enhancing the consumer experience. Zoopla has strived to transform its professional expertise by delivering more exceptional value at a lower cost to its consumer making them a leading player in the market (Verbeke 2013, pp. 30). Thus, Zoopla existence and success in the property market has been felt across the UK following its well-crafted branding. The position ensures that they offer the best customer experience brought by continued product differentiation, merger and acquisition as well as providing their clients with tools which give more exposure to help in making decisions. A business strategy is an action plan developed to achieve a specific goal (Johnson 2016, pp. 39). It is also the scope and direction of a business over a long time which gives an organisation a competitive advantage while using its resources within the changing business environment, and at the same time striving to meet the market needs and the needs of its various shareholders (Montgomery 2011, pp. 12). Zoopla has adopted strategies such as merger and acquisition, product differentiation as well as value creation which have helped it grow revenue by 130 % up to 96.4 million pounds in between 2015 and 2016 (Yoruk 2018). Zoopla Property Group is striving to obtain more information from the market to be able to adjust to the changing conditions and needs of the changing environment. Currently, UKs government has policies which are supporting technological advancements within its state. Being an online search engine, Zoopla has capitalised on the process to grow massively and tremendously. Zoopla has been able to maintain its position at the forefront through the launch of various mobile and other digital platforms to enable its customers to access their services quickly and easily. Through their continued innovation and acquisition of different software companies, Zoopla has grown to reach up to 54 million visitors on their sites per month in 2017 (Fletcher 2016). In 2017, the British economy was ranked the sixth largest economy in the world growing at 1.7%. The household consumption stood at 1.5% in the same year (Yoruk 2018). The British government is also striving to reduce the unemployment rate and also reduce the taxation rate to enable various investors ready to invest more in the housing sector (Field 2014). With this decreasing rate of unemployment in the UK, more adults are earning a good salary and have access to mortgages which increase the demand and need to own homes. Consequently, it means that more people in the UK are using Zoopla to search for various properties to buy thus increasing revenue (Pannell and Blood 2014, pp. 56). Economic growth is directly related to consumer spending levels in the UK. Many residents in the UK seeking to own a home are highly motivated by the quality of the property being offered as well as the pricing (Tallon 2013, pp. 6). Thus, when buying a property, the UK citizens have behaviour of looking at that area which provides a higher value at a much lower cost. In the UK, the government profoundly controls planning of housing; it encourages the house builders to offer a small costing housing accompanied with more affordable and lavish properties (Field 2014). Therefore it has helped Zoopla grow its customer number since it provides all the information on affordable and quality housing as encouraged by the government. Many socio-cultural factors in the UK influence the residents investment on property buying (Tallon 2013, pp. 7). Due to increase economic growths in Britain, houses are erected around educational centres, retail and leisure facilities with the aim of avoiding future social problems. The UK government has heavily invested in social amenities such as security, hospitals and schools (Tallon 2013, pp. 8). Hence, many estates and other properties are located in areas with such facilities which most home buyers in the UK deem important when considering where to buy home. Thus, with such amenities being found around most areas, the residents will have an urge to buy a house in any place across the country (Field 2014). It has forced many people to choose Zoopla as the avenue to search for various properties since Zoopla has stood out to offer such necessary information to its clients (Pannell and Blood 2014, pp. 56). Zoopla has been operating in a very competitive environment from companies such as Rightmove and On The Market (Fraser 2017). However, since it launched its services, Zoopla has grown and right now the services are at the maturity level of the service lifecycle. Characterized by massive merger and acquisition, Zoopla is ranked second after Rightmove Property Company. Throughout its growth stage, Zoopla had the opportunity to merge and buy other companies like Uswitch and Property Software Group which helped it continue to grow and maintain competition (Fletcher 2016). With the fact that 90% of the property enquiries are now digital, Zoopla has invested 50% of its marketing budget on digital marketing; social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and other percentage has been dedicated to other forms of advertising including print, Television and radio advertising (Proctor 2014, pp. 8). The marketing strategy has helped Zoopla grow its brand awareness every year with up to 76% of the adults being aware of Zoopla by 2014 (Yoruk 2018). According to Porters five forces of analysis, threats from new entrants and threats from substitute products like from Rightmove and On The Market are giving Zoopla a stiff competition which poses a significant threat to the organisation (Fraser 2017). Zoopla has been able to use this feature as its strength to edge out its competitors, which has worked very well. The element becomes relevant since most customers prefer the site which gives them enough information they need before investing in any property. However, the company faces stiff threats from On The Market Property Company who are striving to overtake Zoopla and become the second-ranked company in the UK. Since it was launched in January 2015, On The Market is Zoopla a stiff competition, and at times it lists more properties that Zoopla (Fraser 2017). Zoopla marketing strategy allows the company to be more diverse in the market. The policy marks a right approach in the development and execution of its plans to re-position itself in the market and be on the competitive edge of the property search segment (Stamova 2016, pp. 8). With the plan in play, the following section highlights Zoopla marketing mix. A more sustainable marketing mix gives the company an opportunity to improve its marketing strategy thus improving organisations level of sustainability (Johnson 2016, pp. 41). Product/Service: The service offered by Zoopla forms its essential part, and it defines the company, and which promotes the companys brand. However, place positioning strategy and new segmentation, Zoopla need to continue improving its services and launching more platforms for its clients to counter the competition from its competitors (Hilary 2015). Pricing: According to Zoopla CEO Alex Chesterman, Zoopla motive is to transform consumer experience by offering more services to its customers and also transform their professional expertise by providing more excellent value at a lower cost thus creating more marketing share and becoming ahead of competitors (Proctor 2014, pp. 9). Place: Since most of Zoopla services are accessed online, the company should ensure that it launches more platforms for the customers to be able to access more services. It has been made possible by the acquisition of more software platform like Property Software Group (Fletcher 2016). However, Zoopla has continued to invest more in acquiring other subsidiary property sites to ensure that it takes control of the online property search engines. Promotion: To keep up with the competition, Zoopla has used its brand awareness strategy throughout the UK to ensure it reaches a massive number of the UK adult population which is their target clients (Tallon 2013, pp. 9). It has continued to use both offline and online advertising avenues to boost its brand awareness. Until 2014, the company was able to increase its brand awareness up to 76% of the population (Hilary 2015). Zoopla improving and renewing marketing mix would allow it to have a better and stronger market position in the market and also develop the organisations theme from a developmental point of view (Whitehead et al. 2015, pp.12). An important part of any marketing tactic is connected to how well the company promotes itself in the market (Proctor 2014, pp. 10). A combination of a market mix with well-organised and viable promotions would improve Zoopla position in the market. Conclusion The company has positioned itself in the market as an intermediary between the home buyers and the real estate, and property sellers. Many companies have emerged, with the recent case being that of On The Market posing a significant threat to the company. Thus, Zoopla should come up with new services which are distinctive to remain unique and competitive in the market. As the online shopping rise due to advanced technology, more opportunities are based around optimising and expanding services to fit the growing digital marketing (Proctor 2014, pp. 10). Zoopla should use the data gathered from customer feedback to improve the listing. Additionally, the company should list the properties that are popular and most preferred by the property buyers. The buying behaviour of the home buyers in the UK is influenced by several factors which Zoopla should take into consideration when listing; which will bring a positive client reaction since whatever they want is explicitly contained in the we bsite and readily available. From the information gathered, Zoopla should ensure that it capitalises on strong brand awareness through adverting and that they narrow the market and be more specific and target the customer specifications. The tactic will maintain the number of clients who visit the website to search for properties and consequently increase traffic. Zoopla can also benefit from the investment in big promotions by seeking brand ambassadors who will ensure that brand awareness is heightened (Brown 2016, pp. 20). With the effects of Brexit in 2016 already creeping in, UKs economy might go down, and Zoopla should ensure that they factor in the effects when evaluating the strategies for any changes in the marketplace. By doing so, the company will ensure that it is ahead of the game and the changes will not affect its operations to a large extent. References Brown, S. (2016).Brands and branding. Sage, pp. 17-26. Collinson,P.andMonaghan, A. (Dec 2017). Desperate UK homeowners are cutting prices, says Zoopla. The Guardian.[Online]. Available from: https://www.the guardian.com/business/2017/dec/18/desperate-uk-homeowners-are-cutting-prices-warns-zoopla[accessed on 30 March 2018]. Field, M. (2014). CBC Housing and Homelessness Strategy 2014-19, pp.41-49. Fletcher, N. (Apr 2016). Zoopla jumps 2% after 75m software deal. The Guardian. [Online]. Available from:https://www.theguardian.com/business/marketforceslive/2016/apr/19/zoopla-jumps-2-after-75m-software-deal [accessed on 30 March 2018]. Fraser, I. (JULY 2017). Battle of the property portals continues as OnTheMarket wins competition case. The Telegraph. [Online]. Available from: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/07/05/battle-property-portals-continues-onthemarket-wins-competition/[accessed on 30 March 2018]. Hilary, O. (Jan 2015). Can Onthemarket.com beat Rightmove and Zoopla?. The Guardian. [Online]. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/jan/26/property-site-onthemarket-rightmove-zoopla-selling-houses [accessed on 30 March 2018]. Johnson, G. (2016).Exploring strategy: text and cases. Pearson Education; pp. 39-49. Montgomery, C.A. ed. (2011).Resource-based and evolutionary theories of the firm: towards a synthesis. Springer Science Business Media, pp. 12-17. Pannell, J. and Blood, I. (2014). Quality and choice for older peoples housing: what can a new Private Rented Sector offer?, pp. 56-65. Proctor, T. (2014).Strategic marketing: an introduction. Routledge, pp. 8-11. Stamova, T. (2016).Integrating open data reuse into the business models of German companies(Master's thesis, University of Twente), pp. 5-14 Tallon, A. (2013).Urban Regeneration in the UK. Routledge, pp. 6-9. Verbeke, A. (2013).International business strategy. Cambridge University Press, pp. 28-35. Whitehead, C.M., Sagor, E., Edge, A. and Walker, B. (2015). Understanding the local impact of new residential development: a pilot study, pp. 11-18. Yoruk, B. (JAN 2018).UK retailers slump but Zoopla kicks off high-yield issuance. Reuters. [Online]. Available from: https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-retailers-slump-but-zoopla-kicks-off/uk-retailers-slump-but-zoopla-kicks-off-high-yield-issuance-idUKL8N1P34V8[accessed on 30 March 2018]. Zoopla (January 2011) Zoopla welcomes Charlotte Harper as Marketing Director. [online]. Available from: https://www.zoopla.co.uk/press/releases/zoopla-welcomes-charlotte-harper-as-marketing-director/ [accessed on 30 March 2018].

Quaker Oats Company (Healthy Eating)

Executive Summary This is an analysis report of the Quaker Oats Company where its communication system both internal and external strategies are been covered. The analysis puts emphasis on how these communication strategies are carried out to bring forth effectiveness and efficiency in its performance. However, it has taken into account organizational literature available about this especially the one that relates to its communication procedures.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Quaker Oats Company (Healthy Eating) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nonetheless, the analysis establishes that communication strategies that are currently being employed by the company are responsible for its continued operational effectiveness. This is as a result of positive revolutions that have taken place since its inception and the continued effectiveness and efficiency experienced in its business operations. Consequently, interna l communication strategies that are being practiced by the company are built on the company’s organizational culture premise which relates to teamwork. As a result, flattened system of organizational structure was adopted by the management to facilitate smooth communication internally as opposed to tall organizational structure that promotes bureaucratic system of communication. On the other hand, in terms of external communication strategies, the company appreciates social relationship. Therefore, its external communication system is built based on this foundation where by it seeks to develop cordial relationship with its external stakeholders who include its customers. In relation to this, the company practice good public relationship where by it values corporate social responsibility to nurture and develop some good social relationship with its external stakeholders. Lastly, basing on the analysis carried out, the paper proposes some recommendations that the company can ad opt to further its communication effectiveness. For instance, sound communication in change management comes handy to avoid some uncertainties that come with change since it’s inevitable. Introduction Quaker Oats was founded in 1901 as an oats processing company based in Chicago in the United States. However, over the time the company has been revolutionizing and currently it makes instant oatmeal. Consequently, in 1966, instant oatmeal was introduced which became a regular flavor. Nonetheless, in 2001, the company was acquired by PepsiCo which currently controls its operations. In addition, the company has expanded its operations and currently, it has a range of products mainly made from oat. However, since its inception, the company has made major positive strides. For instance, it has expanded its product base which has resulted to expansion of its operations. As a result of this, its workforce has tremendously increased. In relation to this, effective business communicati on both internal and external has been the pillar that the company has banked on over the time to assure its effectiveness and efficiency in its business operations.Advertising Looking for report on business communication? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Main Message Communication is the most crucial function in management of any organization. Therefore, improved communication results to improved performance of the organization both internally and externally. However, for this to be accomplished there is need to develop better communication structures that are able to address both internal and external needs of the company. For instance, good internal communication structure helps to prevent issues that could lead to conflict in the organization. Internal Structure Quaker Oats as a company prioritize communication system in its operational structures. It values communication among its structure of management since its workforc e freely communicates to each other irrespective of their level in the organization. For this reason, the company has flattened its structure of management where traditional tall bureaucratic system of management was replaced to enable free flow of information from any level. According to Nagar (31), flat system of management has few levels which implies that both upward and downward communication are simplified and as a result, there is always less distortion and inaccuracy in the message relayed. Notably, Quaker Oats adopted flat structure in its management which helps it in its communication system since several benefits are accrued to it. For example, due to decentralization, there is a feeling of personal satisfaction among employees which positively contributes to its growth. Furthermore, this approach gives employees an opportunity to develop skills in decision making since one has to have good critical thinking and decision making qualities to effectively communicate in the organization. Since the company’s culture is that of building team mentality through teamwork atmosphere, flat system of management provides the best avenue to orchestrate this philosophy. This is so since any form of information in the company is shared freely among its employees. However, to effectively and efficiently accomplish internal communication aims and objectives, the following principles govern its communication structure: Building Connections The company uses this principle to encourage its workforce to build strong rapport amongst them. As a result, internal information is able to be relayed effectively due to good cordial relationship built. Furthermore, this principle is able to promote organizational culture of team work since connections built become pillars on which teamwork and communication is orchestrated. Moreover, according to Wright (119), connection building helps to cultivate some sense of belonging which facilitate human contact, friendships, accep tance, love, teams and social life that are the biggest panacea to effectiveness in internal communication.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Quaker Oats Company (Healthy Eating) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Performance Communication Quaker Oats recognizes communication to be a major asset in performance. Therefore, its communication principles and policies are based on performance. Communication department of the company usually conducts research to determine specific information needs and commits itself in availing the required information. This principle has helped the company by concentrating on issues of communication that are most beneficial to the organization. Principle of Connecting Unconnected Fraternity According to Wright (68), any organization consists of acute split between information poverty and information elitism. To this respect, the company employs the principle of connecting its employees who falls under the category of information poverty to reduce information sharing parity among its workforce. For instance, employees are empowered with skills that facilitate their access to information from the global superhighway (the internet) by being equipped with relevant computer skills. Nonetheless, this internal communication strategy has over the time proved to be efficient in creating good communication environment in the company. In doing so, it has helped to foster its culture, aims, mission, vision and objectives. However, in addition to internal communication system being effective, the company has a separate external communication strategy that fosters its business mission. External Communication External communication entails all efforts that the organization takes to ensure that it continues to exist on the market. The company’s market consists of several stakeholders who are the determinants to the organization’s operations. Therefore, it is impera tive for the company to have sound external communication strategies to guarantee its business survival. In respect to this, Quaker Oats adopted several strategies which include: Social Relationship Quaker Oats recognizes that for external communication to be effective there must be good social relationship with its stakeholders. This strategy is affirmed by Wright (276) who believes that establishing social relationship with stakeholders such as customers can bring a sense of belonging amongst them and therefore any kind of information that is relayed by the company can be received positively. This is so since they tend to build some loyalty to the company. However, in developing good social relationship, the company uses a variety of techniques which include customer education and good public relationship. Customer Education The company established external communication strategy inform of customer education. In this strategy, the company educates its customers on several matters that relate to their products. Since its core business products are food stuffs, the company designed communication system that relates to healthy diet to inform their customers on the best practices to balance their diet and how to live healthy. This forms part of its external communication system since it helps to build its social relationship.Advertising Looking for report on business communication? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Good Public Relations The company acknowledges the power of good public relationship which is noted by Kapoor, Justin and Biplab (271) to be one of the key elements in achieving external communication goals. To help build their social relationship, the company has a separate department that mainly takes care of its public relations where corporate social responsibility (CSR) is highly valued. Some of the CSR that the company is involved in include sponsoring several homes such as homes for the needy members of the society by donating food stuffs to them. Media Communication Quaker Oats uses several media channels to foster its external communication. With the advent of technology and revolution in information communication technology, the company has adopted the use of World Wide Web (WWW) where it has its company website for external communication. This website can be accessed globally irrespective of the geographical hindrance. In addition, the company also uses other communicatio n media such print media like newspapers, magazines and the electronic media such as the radio and the television to communicate externally. All these communication media facilitates good linkage with its stakeholders hence advancing its mission. Recommendations Quaker Oats has been successful in its business operations since its inception. The company has gone through several positive revolutions that have resulted to growth in its activities. This can be highly attributed to its sound communication strategies both internal and external. However, there are several recommendations that the company can implement to facilitate its communication further in its operations. These include: In addition of providing education program to its customers, the company must carry out evaluation exercise to determine its derived effects. Have proper communication strategies for change management within and without the organization to avoid adverse effects that are related to change since it is in evitable. Provide avenues in the organization where employees can provide their inputs in decision making process. This will promotes sense of belonging and security in the organization hence facilitating internal communication. Conclusion Good communication structures both within and without the organization are vital in meeting organizational goals, vision and mission. Quaker Oats has effective internal communication that is highly boosted by its flattened organizational structure. This structure promotes teamwork which is the core organization’s culture of the company. On the other hand, in terms of the external communication strategies, the company banks on its social relationship philosophy to advance its external communication. This has resulted to positive communication that has facilitated company’s operations. Work Cited Kapoor, Ramneek, Justin, Paul Biplab, Halder. 2011, Services Marketing, New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print. Nagar, Satyawati. Industr ial and Organizational Psychology. New Delhi: Kalpaz Publications, 2006. Print. Wright, Marc. Gower Handbook of Internal Communication. USA: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2009. Print. This report on Quaker Oats Company (Healthy Eating) was written and submitted by user Abdullah Harmon to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

A Selection of Quotes From The Picture of Dorian Gray

A Selection of Quotes From The Picture of Dorian Gray The Picture of Dorian Gray  is the only known novel by Oscar Wilde. It first appeared in Lippincotts Monthly Magazine in 1890 and was revised and published as a book the following year. Wilde, who was famous for his wit, used the controversial work to explore his ideas about art, beauty, morality, and love. The Purpose of Art Throughout the novel, Wilde explores the role of art by examining the relationship between a work of art and its viewer. The book opens with the artist Basil Hallward painting a large portrait of Dorian Gray. Over the course of the novel, the painting becomes a reminder that Gray will age and lose his beauty. This relationship between Gray and his portrait is a way of exploring the relationship between the outside world and the self. The reason I will not exhibit this picture is that I am afraid that I have shown in it the secret of my own soul. [Chapter 1] I knew that I had come face to face with someone whose mere personality was so fascinating that, if I allowed it to do so, it would absorb my whole nature, my whole soul, my very art itself.[Chapter 1] An artist should create beautiful things, but should put nothing of his own life into them.[Chapter 1] For there would be a real pleasure in watching it. He would be able to follow his mind into its secret places. This portrait would be to him the most magical of mirrors. As it had revealed to him his own body, so it would reveal to him his own soul. [Chapter 8] Beauty While exploring the role of art, Wilde also delves into a related theme: beauty. Dorian Gray, the novels protagonist, values youth and beauty above all else, which is part of what makes his self-portrait so important to him. The worship of beauty also shows up in other places throughout the book, such as during Grays discussions with Lord Henry. But beauty, real beauty, ends where an intellectual expression begins. Intellect is in itself a mode of exaggeration, and destroys the harmony of any face. [Chapter 1] The ugly and the stupid have the best of it in this world. They can sit at their ease and gape at the play. [Chapter 1] How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day of June... If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always  young,  and the picture that was to grow old! For that-for that-I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that! [Chapter 2] There were moments when he looked on evil simply as a mode through which he could  realise  his conception of the beautiful. [Chapter 11] The world is changed because you are made of ivory and gold. The curves of your lips rewrite history. [Chapter 20] Morality In his pursuit of pleasure, Dorian Gray indulges in all number of vices, giving Wilde the opportunity to reflect on questions of morality and sin. These were questions that Wilde, as an artist writing in the Victorian era, struggled with his whole life. A few years after the publication of Dorian Gray, Wilde was arrested for gross indecency (a legal euphemism for homosexual acts). The highly-publicized trial led to his conviction and two-year imprisonment. The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for what its monstrous laws have made monstrous and unlawful. [Chapter 2] I know what conscience is, to begin with. It is not what you told me it was. It is the  divinest  thing in us. Dont sneer at it, Harry,  any more-at  least not before me. I want to be good. I cant bear the idea of my soul being hideous. [Chapter 8] Innocent blood had been split. What could atone for that? Ah! for that there was no atonement; but though forgiveness was impossible, forgetfulness was possible still, and he was determined to forget, to stamp the thing out, to crush it as one would crush the adder that had stung one. [Chapter 16] What does it profit a man if he  gain  the whole world and  lose-how does the quotation run?-his own soul? [Chapter 19] There was purification in punishment. Not Forgive us our sins, but Smite us for our iniquities should be the prayer of a man to a most just God. [Chapter 20] Love The Picture of Dorian Gray is also a story of love and passion in all of their varieties. It includes some of Wildes most famous words on the subject. The book charts the fluctuation of Grays love for the actress Sibyl Vane, from its inception to its undoing, along with Grays destructive self-love, which gradually drives him to sin. Along the way, Wilde explores the distinctions between selfish love and nobler passion. His sudden mad love for Sibyl Vane was a psychological phenomenon of no small interest. There was no doubt that curiosity had much to do with it, curiosity and the desire for new experiences; yet it was not a simple but rather a very complex passion. [Chapter 4] Thin-lipped Wisdom spoke at her from the worn chair, hinted at prudence, quoted from that book of cowardice whose author apes the name of common sense. She did not listen. She was free in her prison of passion. Her prince, Prince Charming, was with her. She had called on Memory to remake him. She had sent her soul to search for him, and it had brought him back. His kiss burned again upon her mouth. Her eyelids were warm with his breath. [Chapter 5] You have killed my love. You used to stir my imagination. Now you dont even stir my curiosity. You simply produce no effect. I loved you because you were  marvellous, because you had genius and  intellect,  because you  realised  the dreams of great poets and gave shape and substance to the shadows of art. You have thrown it all away. You are shallow and stupid.[Chapter 7] His unreal and selfish love would yield to some higher influence, would be transformed into some nobler passion, and the portrait that Basil Hallward had painted of him would be a guide to him through life, would be to him what holiness is to some, and conscience to others, and the fear of God to us all. There were opiates for remorse, drugs that could lull the moral sense to sleep. But  here  was a visible symbol of the degradation of sin. Here was an ever-present sign of the ruin men brought upon their souls. [Chapter 8]

Theory and Practice Behind the Creeping Barrage of WW1

Theory and Practice Behind the Creeping Barrage of WW1 The creeping/rolling barrage is a slowly moving artillery attack acting as a defensive curtain for infantry following closely behind. The creeping barrage is indicative of the First World War, where it was used by all belligerents as a way to bypass the problems of trench warfare. It did not win the war (as once hoped)  but played an important role in the final advances.   Invention The creeping barrage was first used by Bulgarian artillery crews during the siege of Adrianople in March 1913, over a year before the war began. The wider world took little notice and the idea had to be re-invented again in 1915-16, as a response to both the static, trench-based, warfare into which the swift early movements of the First World War had stalled  and the inadequacies of existing artillery barrages. People were desperate for new methods, and the creeping barrage seemed to offer them. The Standard Barrage Throughout 1915, infantry attacks were preceded by as massive an artillery bombardment as possible, intended to pulverize both the enemy troops and their defenses. The barrage could go on for hours, even days, with the aim of destroying everything under them. Then, at an allotted time, this barrage would cease - usually switching to deeper secondary targets - and the infantry would climb out of their own defenses, rush across the contested land and, in theory, seize land which was now undefended, either because the enemy was dead or cowering in bunkers. The Standard Barrage Fails In practice, barrages frequently failed to obliterate either the enemys deepest defensive systems and attacks turned into a race between two infantry forces, the attackers trying to rush across No Mans Land before the enemy realized the barrage was over and returned (or sent replacements) to their forward defenses...and their machine guns. Barrages could kill, but they could neither occupy land nor hold the enemy away long enough for infantry to advance. Some tricks were played, such as stopping the bombardment, waiting for the enemy to man their defenses, and starting it again to catch them in the open, only sending their own troops later on. The sides also became practiced at being able to fire their own bombardment into No Mans Land when the enemy sent their troops forward into it. The Creeping Barrage In late 1915/early 1916, Commonwealth forces began developing a new form of barrage. Beginning close to their own lines, the creeping barrage moved slowly forward, throwing up dirt clouds to obscure the infantry who advanced close behind. The barrage would reach the enemy lines and suppress as normal (by driving men into bunkers or more distant areas) but the attacking infantry would be close enough to storm these lines (once the barrage had crept further forward) before the enemy reacted. That was, at least, the theory. The Somme Apart from Adrianople in 1913, the creeping barrage was first used at The Battle of the Somme in 1916, at the orders of Sir Henry Horne; its failure exhibits several of the tactics problems. The barrages targets and timings had to be arranged well beforehand and, once started, could not be easily changed. At the Somme, the infantry moved slower than expected and the gap between soldier and barrage was sufficient for German forces to man their positions once the bombardment had passed. Indeed, unless bombardment and infantry advanced in almost perfect synchronization there were problems: if the soldiers moved too fast they advanced into the shelling and were blown up; too slow and the enemy had time to recover. If the bombardment moved too slow, allied soldiers either advanced into it or had to stop and wait, in the middle of No Mans Land and possibly under enemy fire; if it moved too fast, the enemy again had time to react. Success and Failure Despite the dangers, the creeping barrage was a potential solution to the stalemate of trench warfare and it was adopted by all the belligerent nations. However, it generally failed when used over a relatively large area, such as the Somme, or was relied upon too heavily, such as the disastrous battle of the Marne in 1917. In contrast, the tactic proved much more successful in localized attacks where targets and movement could be better defined, such as the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Taking place the same month as the Marne, the Battle of Vimy Ridge saw Canadian forces attempting a smaller, but much more precisely organized creeping barrage which advanced 100 yards every 3 minutes, slower than commonly tried in the past. Opinions are mixed on whether the barrage, which became an integral part of WW1 warfare, was a general failure or a small, but necessary, part of the winning strategy. One thing is certain: it wasnt the decisive tactic generals had hoped for. No Place In Modern War Advances in radio technology – which meant soldiers could carry transmitting radios around with them and co-ordinate support – and developments in artillery - which meant barrages could be placed much more precisely - conspired to make the blind sweeping of the creeping barrage redundant in the modern era, replaced by pinpoint strikes called in as needed, not pre-arranged walls of mass destruction.

Educational Excellence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Educational Excellence - Essay Example The area of improvement encompasses mathematics. The data was compared between those who were born in 1983 and those born in 1997. When 20 students of the 4th grade born in 1983 were examined for proficiency in reading and writing, only 6 were found to be proficient while 20 students born in 1997, when examined for similar proficiency 7 students were found to be proficient in reading. The area showed less improvement (US Department of Education: A Nation Accountable). When 1983 born 4th class students were observed for proficiency in mathematics, only 4 were found to be proficient. Students born in 1997, when examined for proficiency in mathematics 8 out of 20 were found to be proficient in mathematics. Indicating that proficiency in mathematics increased two-fold. On close observation it is observed that 20 children born in 1983, entered school in 1988, of these 20, 14 graduates on time in 2001, of these 14, 10 started college but by 2007 only 5 could earn their degrees (US Department of Education: A Nation Accountable). California has shown very poor improvement when compared to other states of United States. According to 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), California stands seventh lowest in 8th grade mathematics when compared with other states of USA. When their competitive spirit was calculated, California was at the bottom quarter. The students of 8th grade when compared for their reading skills they were the third lowest and just above the Hawaii and Columbia. The Californian students were poor in science they stand second lowest and just above the Mississippi. Indicating the education excellence could not meet the perfection in California (States vs. Countries in Math). According to the NY Times, Massachusetts shows maximum of 51% of mathematics proficiency, as compared to California which has 24 percent of proficiency in mathematics when students from eighth-grade were compared between various states and different

Survey Paper of open-source software and it's use in enterprise and Essay

Survey Paper of open-source software and it's use in enterprise and government - Essay Example Open source software enables businesses and government institutions to access and offer certain services that otherwise would have cost lots money to install and use. This survey paper aims to conduct an in depth analysis of past research literatures on the use of open source servers by enterprises and government organizations. Further, the paper analyzes how these organizations use the open source servers to efficiently perform their activities. Objectively, this survey paper seeks to relate elementary analysis of open source servers in business and government institutions as studied by other researchers in the past. Finally, the paper puts into context all the exclusion as well as inclusion results of the analyzed literature reviews about open source usage in businesses.   As a result of the widely and broad technological improvement and innovations, businesses and government organizations all over the world are in the rash to cope with these changes. It should be noted that the basic aim of any business is to maximize profit while minimizing cost. However, a successful business should also consider long term growth plans through installing an effective business operations system. On the other hand, government institutions may also want to put into place effective service delivery systems to its citizens (Bitzer & Schroder, 2006). The later considerations bring about the importance of integrating computing system into these organizations. There are different types of computer systems and some of them are more sophisticated than others. In addition, some of them have strong variance in their functionalities while others are more or less related. While business and government institutions may afford to use premium computing systems, there has been a growing demand and usage of open source servers. This reality could be attributed to the fact that some of these computing systems are free or cost effective as

The Question of Reality (Metaphysics) Assignment

The Question of Reality (Metaphysics) - Assignment Example Indeed, many religions resort to the concept of faith in arguing that their particular version of reality is the accurate and true version. Through an examination of cosmogony and determinism, this essay explores my personal understanding of the nature of reality; namely, I believe that the origin of the universe cannot be explained through merely physical phenomenon and that we are ultimately living in a universe subject to determinism. This personal conception of the nature of reality suffers from many of the same problems that religion does, namely that it cannot unarguably be proven through the scientific method and rational discourse; nevertheless, through reason and understanding, I believe that this is the most accurate interpretation into the question of reality. With Edwin Hubble’s 1929 discovery of a red shift in the universe the theory that the universe was expanding emerged and slowly took hold in the scientific community. (Coles 2001) By the time of discovery of cosmic background radiation occurred in 1965 by Arno Penzias and Robert Woodrow Wilson at the Crawford Hill location of Bell Telephone Laboratories, the majority of scientific thought recognized that what humanity understands as the universe originally emanated from a big bang type explosion that has seen expanded, and continues to expand, into what we know as the universe today. For many individuals, this constitutes the ultimate nature of reality, but I believe that this doesn’t go far enough in explaining existence. While most scientific research acknowledges there was a big bang type explosion (Dodelson 2003), I believe that there must have been an impulse that originally started the universe. I lack the scientific background required to speak on a complex and s ophisticated level on the subject, yet I believe knowledge of the ultimate reality is not a question that can be articulated through contemporary linguistic or scientific devices.