Discuss the advantages of learning Standard American English as it Essay - 1

Discuss the advantages of learning Standard American English as it relates to your previous experiences - Essay Example One merit I can personally attribute to knowledge of the English language is that it enables one to faster access to the news. Global news networks such as NBC and CNN use standard American English as their main language. Hence with just tuning in to these networks I was able to obtain access to worldwide news without having to use a translated version of the network. Using a translated version can be associated with problems since most entities focus on the English part rather than the translated version. In the entertainment industry, Hollywood productions account for most of the viewed material in the world. Hence since these productions mainly incorporate American English as the default language then it naturally is spread more in the world. Thus a person who is literate in American English will be able to enjoy the films. The music industry is also dominated by the English language. Thus being fluent in English will subject one to greater enjoyment of the music. Most global magazines are written in English. For example ‘SLAM’ is a sports magazine that focuses on basketball. It is written in American English. Hence for a basketball fan who wants to keep in up to date with the happenings of the basketball community, being conversant with the English language will result in the person being able to do just that. Personally, having a couple of friends who are fans of the sport and are conversant with standard American English, this fact becomes evident to me. Many websites in the internet primarily use English as their default language. Hence with knowledge of the same one can be able to navigate effectively and make maximum use of them. These sites will in essence be more difficult to use for a person who doesn’t understand standard American English. Owing to the fact that English Is widely used in the world it is advantageous to know it when travelling. This is because it will provide you with a platform to communicate with the residents of the

Safe Use Of Online Shopping

Safe Use Of Online Shopping When you use the internet, it doesnt matter where you are in person. You can view the same web pages and shop on the same online store without having to physically enter the store. This provides huge advantages for online shopping over conventional shopping. No traffic hassles, no parking problems, no fighting the crowds of people visiting in the shopping center! Before the World Wide Web, people used to shop around looking for the best gift for the best price. Now, the story is a different. You can do everything youre your own home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can browse and select products; purchase and gift wrap; and even organize delivery of the goods online, anytime and anywhere in the world. But, just like any other good thingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.there are risks that come with online shopping. You can easily become a victim of phishing, identity theft and fraud. So you must take precautions to ensure that you and your family are always safe when youre shopping online. As noted many times in this book, the most common examples of online fraud are phishing scams, auction fraud, credit card fraud and online shopping fraud. In chapter 4 we have looked a number of examples of how these scams work. If you are unfamiliar with these scams please review them before continuing. Defense in Depth is the Best Security Strategy As I have said many times, everyone has to take responsibility to protect them from online fraud. You are a wise person because you are educating yourself about internet fraud by learning and adopting simple proven internet safety practices. In chapters 16 17, we looked at protecting your home computer network using a Defense in Depth security strategy. Here, we looked at seven different layers of security. If youre not sure about this strategy then you should re-read this chapter. This is the best security strategy you can use when youre shopping online. This chapter builds on the principle taught in these chapters. Fighting Against Spam If you intend to surf the Internet, then the best thing you can do is to install an internet security suite. Many internet security suites like Nortons Internet Security have spam phishing filters as a standard features or at worst an optional downloads. The spam filters use in-built rules to detect and filter spam phishing e-mail into separate files. Spam filters also blacklist the offending mail preventing it from reaching you. If your spam filter is working well, you will never see the spam unless you locate the file in the security directory and view it. However, even if you have the best anti-spam software in the world, spam can still evade your spam filter and end up in your inbox. You also need to know how to detect spam and deal with it correctly. Here are some of the important features that you should look for when choosing the ideal spam filtering subscriptionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.accuracy and false-positive rating. Accuracy ratings refer to the percentage of legitimate e-mails that successfully reaches the users inbox after being filtered. The accuracy of several spam filtering subscriptions are continually being tested by passing thousands of e-mails through the spam filter. Today, a spam accuracy rating of 80% is very poor. You should expect a minimum rating of 95% and some anti-spam subscriptions have accuracy ratings as high as 98% to 99%. The False-Positive rating is the percentage of legitimate e-mails that have been wrongly identified as spam. This rating should be less than 1%. Different computer publications such as PCWorld and PCMagazine offer reports on the accuracy and false-positive ratings of spam filtering subscriptions. The cost of spam-filtering subscriptions has to be measured against the services it providesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.ultimately you get what you pay for! A subscription may be expensive but it may be worth paying for its quality features, speed and control. Sometimes choosing a lower cost provider means paying more in lost time and poor output performance. A good spam filter should fit your specific needs. It should be flexible in its configuration so that it meets your needs. It should also provide automatic updates. There are some simple rules that you should follow: When you detect spam in the email box, never respond to the spammer. Avoid opening your spam messages at allà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.just delete it. Whenever a pop-up window appears from someone you dont knowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦just delete it! They are mostly scams. Do not close your mail box or blog without signing off completely. Use usernames and passwords that are hard to guess. You should review Chapter 17 for rules about creating and using strong passwords. How does shopping online increase the risk of identity theft? Using shopping carts in unsecured websites dramatically increases the risk of you becoming a victim of identity theft. I learnt that lesson the hard way! In chapter 1, I told you my story as to how I twice became an identity theft. The first time was 1995 by people with whom I shared a residence. At the time, this was the most common method of identity theft. In 2001, I became a victim of identity theft victim a second time. Online shopping sites were in their infancy and internet security technology was not as advanced as it is today. Unfortunately, I made a credit card payment for a product sold on an unsecured website. My personal data was stolen and my credit card was charged with a number of fraudulent purchases. Fortunately, I discovered the fraud early and the bank was able to stop it and limit the damage. Be warned! There are still unsecure online shopping sites operating today. Please do not use them! In chapters 3 4 our story, our poor fall guy Victor, uses the internet for online shopping. He has no sense of security and suffers immensely. If you are not sure about what can happen to you when you are on the internet, then you would do well to reread these chapters. Learn how to read a websites privacy policy One of the most important steps to protecting your privacy is to be able to know how to read a websites privacy policy. Australian privacy laws dont enforce the use of privacy policies or the information that should be included in the policy or how it should be presented. Further there is no industry body which regulates online privacy policies. Therefore you should know what to look for when reading the privacy policy of the website you are visiting. You should expect that a privacy policy be made available to you in writing if you are asked to provide personal information. In the bricks and mortar world, financial institutions, health facilities or other businesses that collect your private information, can be asked to show you their privacy policy before you give them that information. If the company does not you with a privacy policy, then you should consider doing business elsewhere. Websites should show of respect to their customers and tell them how their information will be used. In the online world, you will find privacy policies posted on their websites. The privacy policy tells you the steps they will take to protect your identity or to inform you of how they will treat the information you provide to them. Simply having a privacy policy does not guarantee you any level of protection, at all. However, to understand what information is protected and what is shared you must read the websites privacy policy. Each website has its own criteria for its privacy policy. Some websites give full protection including encryption of passwords. Further, they will not provide your information to any third party. Other websites will tell you that your information will be shared with any affiliated companies or business they feel you would be interested in hearing from. Therefore, you must read the policy to be aware of the steps being taken to protect you. Here are some of the items to look for on a privacy policy: What Information is Collected and Why? When a business is requesting personal information from you, it is reasonable to ask what information will be collected and why it is needed. If they request information that isnt relevant the website should clearly state why they need it. If there is no explanation for the request try to avoid giving the additional information or ask them why they need it. Asking for your income or the name of your spouse is the kind of information you might question providing without reasonable cause. How is the Information Collected? While filling out paper forms are straight forward in the bricks and mortar world, providing information is very different in the online world. You need to find out from websites how the information is being collected. Information can be collected in web forms or by electronically behind the scenes programs called cookies that are automatically installed on the visitors computer. Cookies track information about the web pages users click on, how long they spend there and the web address. This information can be tracked with or without your consent. Usually it is done to facilitate the companys marketing research or to assist you by using your information from previous visits. You should be able to find out what information is automatically stored by reading the privacy policy. What is the Information used for? If the online business asks for your personal or financial information you have a right to know what it will be used for. You must know if it is only used to complete the transaction? Or will they view a purchase as permission from you to market to you again in the future? Or will they sell your private information to other businesses? This information should be available in the websites privacy policy and information on how you can opt-out if you wish. Who Will Have Access to Your Information? Will the private information you have provided be sold or rented to other people or businesses? Will the website share your name, email address or purchasing habits with other affiliated businesses? These policies should be clearly outlined in the privacy policy. If they do sell or rent the names on their list, then you may wish to limit the information you provide to themà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦or deal with them. Watch out for terms like partners, affiliates or sponsors, since you will have no idea who will be receiving your private information. How Secure is Your Information? What steps has the website taken to protect your personal information? Any transaction where you enter and submit personal information should have SSL (Secure Socket Layers). SSL will encrypt the information so that it cant be read by others during transmission. We will discuss website security in detail later in this chapter. Can You Correct Your Personal Information? You should be able to review and/or correct information that will be collected about you. The steps should be clearly stated in the privacy policy and should be convenient and inexpensive. Can You Opt-Out? Wherever your information may be shared you have the right to opt-out. In some cases you can click an opt-in or opt-out box when entering your information. Make sure that these small boxes havent already checked as default, since legally you are implying that you are accepting the offer even if you havent personally checked the box. The privacy policy should also give you directions on how you can opt-out if you werent given the option when you entered your information. While this list is not exhaustive these are the main features you should look for in a websites privacy policy. The other information that should always be listed in the websites privacy page is a contact name, address and telephone number. You should always be able to speak to a real person regarding the websites privacy policy. How do you detect online shopping scams? Scammers love online shopping because it is very easy for them to target victims. Shoppers have to distinguish between an honest trader and a scammer. This is not as easy as you may think! Scammers are professional sales people who use proven social engineering techniques to trick you into doing something you wouldnt normally do. For example, scammers may pretend to sell you a product online at very cheap prices; but they are actually looking for your credit card or bank account details. They may take your money and send you a faulty or worthless product or even send you nothing at all. The important thing is that when they make a sale, they have captured what they wantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..your sensitive data like name, address, credit card number, bank accounts etc. They have tricked you into giving them your sensitive details in exchange for a worthless product! Buyer Protection Schemes Many online businesses put a lot of effort into protecting their customers from scammers. Some websites provide buyer protection schemes that will cover you if you are the victim of fraud. Credit card companies Visa and MasterCard; payment processing companies PayPal ClickBank; and banks around the world have buyer protection schemes. If you buy something through eBay or PayPal and it never arrives, or if it arrives significantly different than originally described by the seller, then youre eligible for a full refund. Check out PayPals Buyer Protection policy, and learn how to open a dispute. If you ever see a transaction in your PayPal account that you didnt authorize, you should report it immediately to PayPal. They will begin an investigation and help you get your money back. You can learn more about this process here. You should also be aware of sellers on online auction sites. They may offer to make a deal to you outside of the terms of eBay website. This is usually a good sign of a scam. You will also lose any fraud protection that eBay may provide. You must stay one step ahead of the scammers. The SCAMwatch website provides detailed advice about online shopping auction scams, internet scams and many other scams that target you. You can learn how scams work, how to protect yourself, and report a scam via SCAMwatch. Basic Tips for protecting yourself when shopping online Here are some important safety tips for online shopping: Use your credit card instead of a debit card: Credit cards offer better protection against identity theft than debit cards. For instance, when you use a credit card, your liability for any fraudulent charges is maximum $50, on the condition that you report the fraud within 30 to 60 days and you werent party to the fraud. On the other hand, when someone gains access to your debit card, and they clean your savings account, you may not be able to recover any of money at all. Use disposable credit cards: A recommended way to use a credit card is to get a disposable credit card. This works like any gift card from a bricks and mortar shop. You load it with a specified amount of money and the card is good until that amount is consumed. Then the card becomes worthless. This will protect you from identity theft. If a disposable credit card is stolen, the criminals will only gain access to the unused amount on the card. They cannot reload the card with additional funds. Check the website security. Before making any payments online through shopping cart sites, you should check the sites security. There are different levels of security available. You can check the URL web address. This is the box in the web browser where you type the websites online address e.g. www.anystore.com. A secure website will start the URL web address with HTTPS:// instead of the usual HTTP: //. Also, you should see a small lock icon in the screen which indicates that the site is a secure. This security level means that the online stores database and data transmissions for your transaction that made over the internet have been fully secured. The transaction is locked and receiver must use the correct key to open the transactionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.just like a key to a house! Data transmissions that should be secured include: Notification emails; Online downloads; and Payment transfers between the site and other sites. A single online transaction will access the databases of a bank, a payment processing company, a credit card company and a secure online storage company etc. Dont shop online from public computers. If you want to shop online, then do so from the comfort of your own home. This ensures that you use your own secured computer which is free from internet nasties like viruses and worms, malware and spyware botnets. Shopping online at an internet cafà © can be very dangerous because the computer and the wireless network may not be secure. Hackers can easily steal your private data from internet cafà ©s. Read and understand the websites terms conditions and privacy statements. Before buying online, make sure that you understand exactly what is involved in the purchase. The terms and conditions of your purchase should be outlined by the seller on the website. They may be located on a separate web page to the advertisement. The terms and conditions should be clear to you and outline any extra warranties or guarantees, security policies, privacy and returns. Make sure that you understand all the disclaimers of responsibility before you accept the terms and conditions. Credit Card Security codes. If you use a credit card with a magnetic stripe, then online stores will require the CVV or card verification number when you make a purchase. You will find the CVV code on the back of your credit card in the signature bar. The last 3 digits of the code are required to be entered into the website online payment page. This number is designed to prevent fraudulent purchases from someone who does not have your card but may have stolen your personal details like name; card number and expiration date. Advanced security measures. Another security feature credit card companies are using is to create a second level of security by adding an additional password. An example of this is Verified by Visa or Mastercard Secure Code. These are optional security features provided by selected websites or payment processing systems. If you activate the code and shop on sites that carry the Verified by Visa or Mastercard Secure Code logos, the check out process will require the entry and validation of additional secret password or PIN that you previously have set up. The purchase cannot be authorized without successful validation of this second password or PIN. Automatic teller machines (ATM) and point of sale terminals also have this option to enter a PIN number for magnetic stripe cards. Modern Micro-chip PIN technologies also provide a pass-over option where you dont have to swipe your card through an electronic readerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦you just pass your card by the electronic sensor and it reads all the cards details. You then enter a PIN into the machine for verification. These technologies are designed to prevent skimming attacks by hackers  [1]  . Phishing Emails Dont Get Reeled In. Be aware of email scams designed to gain access to your credit card information. Phishing scams have been discussed at length in chapters 3, 4, 16 17 in this book. Use a secure web browser when surfing online. How you pick the best web browser to use? There are many choices in how you can experience the world-wide-web. Some popular internet browsers include Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, Chrome, and Safari to name a few. You should choose a popular browser is always safe but it also needs to have extra security features. By this I mean that it has additional security add-ons available. Internet Explorer has been active since the beginning of the internet. This web browser is preloaded on every computer that uses the Microsoft operating system. Unfortunately, history has proven that Microsofts Internet Explorer isnt the safest web browser available on the market. A competitor called Mozilla Firefox is quickly dominating the field. As of July 2010, Firefox has become the second most widely used Internet browser. Google Chrome, Opera and Safari are also fast becoming major players in the market. Read this review of web browsers from PCWorld. What makes Firefox special? This web browser features pop-up blocking, tab-browsing, easy to use privacy controls and an integrated Google search bar. In addition, Firefox provides you with over 1 billion add-ons and has about 120 million users. Many of its add-ons offer additional protection for a safer online buying experience. For example, the add-on Web of Trust shows a traffic-light rating based on four factors: trustworthiness, vendor reliability, privacy and child safety of a web page. McAfee SiteAdvisor is a similar add-on and Adblock Plus stops banner ads and pop-ups. Pop-ups can also carry computer viruses which can infect your system. You can also download a program called NoScript which forces web-programming like JavaScript, Java to only run from the trusted domains you have chosen. These are just a few samples of many add-on protections Mozilla Firefox offers their users for safe online shopping. They can be downloaded free from Firefoxs home page along with Mozilla Firefox. Check out the security features of Firefox here. What about other web browsers like Opera, Chrome Safari? You may think that the latest Internet browsers: Opera, Chrome, Safari, etc. are best to web browsers to use. However, theyre mostly brand new and still in the beta stages of testing. This means that not all the bugs and glitches on them have been all figured out. On the other hand Mozilla Firefox is already a proven web browser. Today, its considered a full operating web browser. In the near future, Opera, Chrome or other web browsers may overtake Firefox. Firefox is also continually updating its browser. However, for the moment, Firefox is the safest online shopping and security due to its many layers of security add-ons and customization. Before you do any online purchasing, you need to be sure your computer is secure with anti-virus software. This has been discussed thoroughly is chapters 16 17 of this book. By following these tips using Mozilla Firefox with adequate anti-virus protection will give you the confidence you need to have a safe online shopping experience. Online auction scams and how to avoid them Buying and browsing items online is a real treat and online auctions like eBay can deliver some real bargains! However, as usual there are many scams to trap you. Here are some really good tips for avoiding eBay scams and having a really great online shopping experience. Take note of the shipping prices. These can have a great effect on the total cost of the item. Some sellers will absorb the shipping costs, while others require you to pay the cost. If you have two vendors selling the same items with similar prices, then check out the best shipping offer. Check the online auction seller feedback scores: The most important precaution you should make is to check the online auction sellers feedback score. This score is vital because it is the reflection of the sellers credibility. This score tells you whether a seller can be trusted or not. If the online seller has feedback score greater than 95%, then it is most likely that the seller is reliable. You should also see the detailed feedback about the seller. Check the most recent buyers comments because they are a great hint as to how your prospective seller is like to do business with. Follow up on any negative comments and ask the complainant what the real problem is. If there are a number of negative comments about postage times, shipping, and delays, then the seller is not reliable. Keep On Browsing: Just like in real life shopping at bricks and mortar stores, there are online vendors that sell overpriced items. Prices vary from seller to sellerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.some offering a good deal, other not so good! It is important that you browse through a number of sellers that offer the same item to get the best price. Browsing through a sellers page is absolutely free so explore your choices. This is the best thing you can do make sure that you dont get ripped off. Pay for online auction purchases through PayPal: If you want to use a secure online payment system, then PayPal would be the service to have. PayPal and the eBay auction site merged in 2002 to form the largest online auction site in the world. The PayPal payment systems are the most reliable and secure payment processing you can get. There are no extra charges to pay and payment conversion is automatic. PayPal has an excellent after sales service, particularly in resolving disputes and returns. If the seller hasnt contacted you and your item hasnt arrived, then you can go to your eBay account and fill in a complaint form. This is transferred directly to PayPal and they organize your refund. PayPal have a very quick and efficient dispute resolution system. It should only be used if your seller hasnt contacted you within a month. Ask Questions: It would be best if you ask your prospective seller questions regarding the product. This way you will not encounter any misunderstandings and will have an understanding. Questions about price, quality, quantity and shipping are important. What Are They Selling? You should always be suspicious and check out thorough what the person has been selling over time. For example, if you see that they has been selling cheap magazine clippings in the past year and now are selling Gulfstream jets, there is obviously a reason to be suspicious. How to Avoid Internet Scams on Adult Websites Adult sites are very popular but criminals use these websites for identity theft purposes? There are two ways by which identity fraud can happen on adult websites. The most common method is the scammer enticing the unsuspecting user to download a file from the website containing a virus, malware or spyware, which in turn harms your computer. You can protect yourself from this fraud by installing a good anti-virus or anti-malware program (see chapter 16 17) You can also be an identity theft victim of when you unknowingly download a keylogger or dialer program or pop-up advertisement. This allows criminals to hijack your computer and steal vital information. For example, if you shop online regularly, they can use your credit card details to make online purchases. Before you become a member of the site, make sure that the site is a legitimate site. You can check this out by reading the User Agreement and Privacy Policy carefully. They are usually long documents and will take some time to review them. You must do this check these documents thoroughly, if you want to keep safe on the internet. You can also check the ownership of a website using the free search tool on the website Whois MyDomain. This website contributes to user confidence in the Internet by promoting legitimate uses of the websites including digital inclusion and e-commerce. The site helps users to identify the persons or entities responsible for web content and online services. If other family members use the computer, limit their access to see white-listed websites. This prevents others from accidentally downloading something into the computer. If your children are alone, you need to blacklist or block adult sites so they cant visit adult sites. Most internet users wont know if the adult website is fraudulent or not. Therefore it is advisable to install a website monitoring system. This program is designed to keep a log all the programs that are installed and visited. Website Monitoring programs can also be setup to automatically enforce a no downloading policy and no unsupervised surfing policy. For example, if your teenage child visits a blacklisted pornographic website, a message will appear informing the web surfer that the site cannot be visited. This ensures that your child will not be victimized when they are online. If you use Adult websites, you should always review your credit card bill or phone bill for any charges which you knew were never made. The earlier that you report these calls, the earlier the credit card or the telephone company will be able to adjust your account. Adult internet sites are not the only websites that are used by fraudsters. Charities, auction sites and commercial websites are also being used as a front by criminal gangs. If you think the site you are visiting is not legitimate, leave the site and report it to the police. Dating and Romance scams This scam takes advantage of your romantic side by befriending you. You may be a single person looking for love and are very vulnerable to attack. The scammers are professionals who can pretend to be whatever you think they are. In the online world you are anonymous, so you can pretend to be some-one else. For example, a male scammer could pretend to be a gorgeous female who is really interested in you. Female scammers can also pretend to be some-one elseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and so on! The scammers know the right emotional buttons you have and form an online relationship with you. When they have your complete confidence, they often start asking you for money. Normally this type of scam happens on dating sites and online social networks like MySpace or FaceBook. Online scammers are NOT interested in having a relationship with you no matter how attractive you may be. They have only one interest and that is to take advantage of you and defraud you! Never trust anybody you meet on the web unless you know and trust them in real life. In the real world, you need to spend quite some time with a person before you get to know them well enough to enter into a relationship with them. Here is an example of a dating and romantic scam that I received in my e-mail Good day, dear! I am looking for a strong, kind, caring man. In my life I have almost everything except love. Everything I want is to be loved by a man like you. You seemed to me very interesting and different from others. And I think you are the man I was looking for such a long time. You can be sure, I will make you the happiest man in the world! I will make true all your fantasies. And I can be for you not only a perfect lover, but the best friend and good wife. We will spend all our free time together. I need you here. I need you like my lungs need air. I do not find strange that my second half is so far away, my destiny and life has been all over the world, but now that I found you, I really need you near me as soon as possible. Please write me. I will be waiting for your letter http://finebeautifulwomen.net/6184/ See you later Uli M I immediately deleted the e-mail as spam. I am happily marriedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Online Gambling Scams There are many risks involved in online gambling. The game i

Arthur Miller and his Distorted Historical Accuracies :: American America History

Arthur Miller and his Distorted Historical Accuracies In 1953, Arthur Miller wrote his famous play The Crucible, in response to a fear of Communism that had developed in the United States during that decade. The "Red Scare", as it was later called by historians was led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, whose paranoia of a communist takeover spread through the nation like a wildfire. Men and women alike fell victim to McCarthy's pointed finger and as a result of this hysteria, were mostly deported from the country, their careers and lives ruined. Some argue today that McCarthy's plan had been to use the fear of the American people to throw his enemies out of office and gain power himself. Whatever McCarthy's motives may have been, Arthur Miller realized the senator's ludicracy when he attempted to accuse the President himself to be Communist. Miller and the rest of the American people drew the line and McCarthy was seen a fraud. By the time the rest of the public had came to this realization, Miller's play was written. The Crucible is a play in which Arthur Miller parallels events of the Salem witch trials of 1692 to the problems that were plaguing his own society. The statement that most readers today bring out of the play is that history has a way of repeating itself. Miller's play was an extreme hit upon release and won a Tony award. The play is so popular today that many teachers in secondary schools use it to base their lesson around when teaching their students about 1692 Salem and there are multimedia activities based on Salem through The Crucible's view. Miller is often asked to speak at events where similar "witch hunts" occur, acting as a sort of expert on the subject of Puritan Salem and acts of hysteria. The question is, why is Arthur Miller revered by so many as "the man to ask" regarding the Salem Witch trials when his play had many inaccuracies, some very obvious? Miller's play is not a historical account of the events in 1692 Salem, but rather a work of fiction. It is important to realize that what Miller wrote is not fact by revealing where his play is historically flawed. Some of the more important discrepancies are discussed below: By examining Miller's main plot relationship between characters Abigail Williams and John Proctor, we uncover many discrepancies, mainly that there was no relationship at all.

Cultural Differences Affecting Meaning and Understanding Essay

How do cultural differences affect meaning and understanding? In today’s business environment, the mechanics of global business seem to be working on a surface level. We can make quick money transactions by phone or by computer. Consumers can purchase products from all different countries in one transaction. Although trade barriers are still a major topic, they are slowly decreasing. As we sick below the surface, we will see that Global business is still in major jeopardy because of a newly emerging challenge: Cultural differences. Culture is the pattern of beliefs or expectations that inevitably shape the behaviours of individuals and teams within organisations. It is concerned with the basic assumptions, values, attitudes, food and feeding habits, dress and appearance, relationships, a sense of self and space and norms shaped by members of an organisation or country. These elements of culture are usually taken for granted and guide others perceptions, thoughts and actions. For example, the Culture at McDonald’s fast food chain emphasises efficiency, speed and consistency. It orients employees to company goals and charters and suggests the necessary behaviours for success. Many educated, business people may say â€Å"But we are getting closer and closer to each other, we don’t have any cultural problems’. Yes, it is possible to transcend cultural differences; however statements like this can be misleading to many people. (Funakawa, p18) Geert Hofstede, a successful cross-cultural management researcher, observes five different dimensions within a culture: Power/Distancing – This refers to the degree of inequality that exists and is accepted among people with and without power. High Power distancing cultures conclude that society accepts an unequal distribution of power and people understand â€Å"their place† in the system. Low Power Distancing means that power is shared and well dispersed. It also means that society members view themselves as equals. Application: According to Hofstede’s model, in a high Power distancing country like Malaysia, you would probably send reports only to top management and have closed door meetings where only a select few, powerful leaders were in attendance. Individualism – This refers to the strength of the ties people have to others within the community. A high Individualism society indicates a loose connection with people. In countries with a high Individualism society there is a lack of interpersonal connection and little sharing of responsibility, beyond family and perhaps a few close friends. A society with a low Individualism would have strong group cohesion, and there would be a large amount of loyalty and respect for members of the group. The group itself is also larger and people take more responsibility for each other’s well being. Masculinity – This refers to how much a society sticks with, and values, traditional male and female roles. High Masculinity societies are found in countries where men are expected to be tough, to be the provider, to be assertive and to be strong. If women work outside the home, they have separate professions from men. Low Masculinity societies do not reverse the gender roles. In a low Masculinity society, the roles are simply blurred. You see women and men working together equally across many professions. Men are allowed to be sensitive and women can work hard for professional success. Uncertainty/Avoidance Index – This relates to the degree of anxiety society members feel when in uncertain or unknown situations. High Uncertainty societies try to avoid ambiguous situations whenever possible. They are governed by rules and order and they seek a collective â€Å"truth†. Low Uncertainty societies indicate the society enjoys novel events and values differences. There are very few rules and people are encouraged to discover their own truth. Geert also observes that when people write about national cultures in modern society becoming more and more similar, the evidence cited is usually taken from the level of practices; people dress the same, use the same fashionable words in context, buy the same products and brands, they participate in global sports etc. These manifestations of culture are sometimes mistaken for all there is: the deeper, underlying values is often overlooked. (Funakawa p33) The value for cross cultural communication cannot be overemphasised. It is what enables any mission statement, vision or strategy, and affects meaning and understanding on every level.

Bussiness

Part one Excuative Summary Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,000 properties in 100 countries and approximately 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, W, Le Meridien, Aloft, and Element. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc. one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. Starwood hotels and resorts offer an array of innovative services to meet the needs of guest, and business traveler. Including high speed internet throughout all of their hotels, two-line telephones in the guest rooms, and fax and print services at stations threw out their hotels. In 2011 the company posted revenues of $5,624,000,000. In 2 006, it had sales of nearly $6 billion and profits of $1 billion. Starwood Hotels and Resorts has six core value that they follow; Trust, Respect, Callaboration, Innovation, Accountability, and Execution.With these values Starwood Hotels and Resorts uses these core values and its mission statement to serve as a blueprint for what they will accomplish. Starwood Hotels and Resorts mission statement is as follows; â€Å"Create the most successful branded, global, lifestyle Hospitality Company by ensuring that trust and respect, for our associates and guests, are at the forefront of everything we do. We are committed to re-imagining our business with creativity and innovation, resulting in exciting, fun workplace. †(http://www. starwoodhotels. com/corporate/careers/believe/values. tml) Starwood Hotels and Resorts mission statement focuses on creating a great hospitality company for their employees and their guest. CEO Fritz Van Passchen and CFO Vasant M. Prabhu of Starwood Hotels and Resort makes it there goal to do so. Fritz Van Paasschen, has been Chief Executive Officer and President of the Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. since September 2007. Previously he served as and CEO of Molson Coors Brewing Company’s largest division from March 2005 until September 2007. Vasant M. Prabhu Reports to Frits Van Paasschen as vice chairman and financial officer or Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Vasant is responsible for the accounting, tax, strategic planning, corporate development and risk management function of the corporation. Vasant has 20 years of experience and previously served as an executive vice president and chief financial officer for Safeway Inc. It is not nothing new for companies in the hospitality industry to give back to the community. Starwood hotel and Resorts is the world’s leading hospitality company with over 1128 properties in 100 countries represented by nine innovative brands and over 145,000 associates.With such breadt h and verity it makes the Starwood hotels and resorts willing and ready to promote change around the world and they are committed to doing so. When it comes to social responsibility Starwood Hotels and Resorts   has other hotels beat in 2012 one of the Starwood store brands   the Sheraton Metechi palace Hotel received an award for the â€Å"World’s Leading CSR Programme†Ã‚     and that’s not the only time they were nominated for such rewards according to  http://www. worldtravelawards. om/profile-2434-starwood-hotels-resorts. Some CSR programs Starwood Hotels and Resorts are associated with; Starwood hotels and resorts has been charitable partner with UNICEF since 1995 and the program now operates in more than 210 of its hotels throughout world and has raised $13 million for UNICEF. Some 2012 CSR projects include Starwood’s employees fundraising campaign, the road to awareness, $320,000 was raised from the schools for Africa project and list goes on and on.Part Two Technological Opportunities Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. is the most global High-end hotel company in the world. Their strength lies in nine distinct lifestyle brands, an award-winning loyalty program and there more than 171,000 associates at their owned and manages properties. Starwood hotel and resort tries focusing on blending and mining there associates. They makes it a priority to maintain an associate and customer base as diverse as the world population. Our culture of diversity and inclusion has also been recognized by DiversityInc as one of the â€Å"Top 50 Companies for Diversity† and by the Human Rights Campaign as one of the â€Å"Best Places to Work for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality†. Starwood hotels and resorts offer an array of innovative services to meet the needs of guest, and business traveler. Including high speed internet throughout all of their hotels, two-line telephones in the guest rooms, and fax a nd print services at stations threw out their hotels. Part Three Marketing OpportunitiesStarwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Plans to strengthening its position as the leading hotel operator across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region with an existing portfolio of 82 hotels, representing nearly 22,000 guest rooms, the majority of which are operated under Starwood’s world-renowned Sheraton and Le Meridien brands. The company plans to increase its MEA portfolio by more than 60% with nearly 50 new hotels set to open over the next five years, adding more than 14,000 guest rooms to the region while creating thousands of local employment opportunities.With over 20 hotels expected to open by the end of 2015, Starwood is on track to reach a milestone 100 hotels across MEA. Further underscoring the importance of the region as one of Starwood’s fastest growing hotel and travel markets, earlier this month the company relocated its global headquarters from Stamford, Connec ticut to Dubai for a month-long immersion. â€Å"Starwood continues to see demand for growth of all of our brands across the Middle East and Africa despite economic and political uncertainty in some parts of this incredibly diverse region,† said Frits van Paasschen, President and CEO, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Rapid economic growth, rising personal incomes, a growing middle class and ever greater global connectivity are driving new travel patterns and demand for travel, and this region is at the center of these trends and a key focus of our growth strategy. † According to http://www. starwoodhotels. com/corporate/about/index. html Part Four Recruitment Presentation At Starwood Hotels and Resorts Inc. they make it a mission to create opportunities for undergraduates and graduates across every area of their business.Through internships, externships, and management training programs they will teach you leadership and team’s skill. So position yourself for a rewardi ng career in hospility industry take it from me I only work at one of their location and actually started as an intern and now I am a supervisor. Making there recruitment overview to be right on target when they say â€Å"We advance. No matter where we go, we always move forward. We open new hotels and resorts and create more personal, global experiences for our guests.You can be a part of it all with our programs at our properties and corporate locations throughout the world in places such as China, the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa and the Middle East and South Asia. We inspire. We immerse you with people, places and practices that make up our thriving portfolio. You will experience firsthand the thrills of working with some of the most sought-after hospitality brands and leaders in the world. † Part Five Future Opportunities From the company's luxury General Managers Summit in Dubai, Starwood Hotels ; Resorts Worldwide, Inc. NYSE: HOT) today announced its luxury fo otprint has nearly doubled worldwide in five years to meet growing global demand. Starwood is lengthening its lead in luxury hospitality with more than 160 hotels in 39 countries as part of The Luxury Collection, St. Regis and W brands, offering guests and residents personalized service and exceptional experiences around the world. Looking ahead, Starwood will add 50 luxury hotels in 12 new countries over the next five years. The General Managers Summit coincides with Starwood's month-long relocation of its global headquarters to Dubai. Modern luxury has not replaced tradition; they sit at the same table, but in slightly different clothes† â€Å"We are on the cusp of a new golden age of luxury travel as technology and globalization drive new trade routes, capital flows and wealth creation,† said Frits van Paasschen, Starwood's President and CEO. â€Å"Dubai is at the epicenter of this change and we are delighted to welcome our general managers from around the world to cultivate a deeper understanding of a new and growing luxury landscape. † According to www. starwoodhotels. com Starwood's inaugural luxury General Managers Summit