Thursday, January 30, 2020
How the Digital World May Change Essay Example for Free
How the Digital World May Change Essay The rapidly changing societies with constantly improving technology and occurrence of social digital technologies dramatically changed the way people communicate and interact with each other making them either â€Å"digital natives†, â€Å"digital residents†, â€Å"digital immigrants†or â€Å"digital visitors†based on their generation or familiarization with technology. More and more people today perceive the world as the complicated and mature network of computerized and online applications that help to communicate, search for, exchange and share information, make business with international partners, play games on distance, and many other purposes. Though, the question is whether digital natives and digital residents are the same in their perception of the world, behavior and life habits in the future? Behavior of Digital Residents Since personally I was born before 1994, I am related to the category of digital residents, who were born before the occurrence of social digital technologies. Such people like me learnt the computer and Internet-related skills either in schools or universities and have an opportunity to compare life and perception of the world before and after the digital world. Despite I am not a digital native, my behavior as a digital resident is already influenced by numerous technologies I am using daily like cell phone, computer, DVD player, iPod, etc. With occurrence of cell phones, for example, people became more flexible and mobile in their behavior, actions, plans and ability to communicate with their family members, friends and colleagues. Moreover, many people combine conversations by cell phone with other activities like cleaning the house, working on the computer, shopping or driving a car (Palfrey and Gasser, 2008). Recently more and more people, including me, prefer to make their personal or business calls while driving to the office, shop or gym. It might be a good way to use time efficiently, though at the same time might cause problems and distract a person from driving and being careful on the road. In one of his first video chapters Robert Schrag (2010) addressed exactly this issue when young people got used to talk by phone and type text messages while driving. Though, the main difference in such behavior between digital natives and digital residents is that the last ones are more careful, reasonable and less dependent on the technologies than digital natives are (Palfrey and Gasser, 2008). It might sound crazy, but computers, cell phones and other technology-related products became a mandatory and integral daily part of their lives. While as a digital resident I am less dependent, or better to say, obsessed with technology, the changing world of education and business requires being constantly aware and familiar with the latest technologies, either to learn the updated and useful information for my personal and professional development or to keep pace with younger people whose knowledge of languages, computers and technology-related applications make them more competitive at the labor market. Conclusion As for the future behavior as a digital resident, it is rather hard to predict since more and more innovations enter our lives. For example, nowadays a debate exists concerning two main issues: human cloning and brain chips. Personally, I do not support either of these ideas since with their occurrence and legacy people will be controlled by those who created such innovations while the human being is independent self-thinker who is responsible for his/her own actions, has personal wishes and dreams and is unpredictable in his/her behavior. While digital world gives me more and more opportunity to learn the world and communicate with other people, at the same time it controls me more and more shaping my behavior in the way innovators and digital world creators want. I personally think that technology should be wisely and within certain limits without suppressing and eliminating the natural things and personal communication between people.
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Half My Type Regents notes :: essays research papers
The Five Themes of Geography Geography: The study of people, their environments, their resources and the interactions among them The Five Themes of Geography are: 1. Location 2. Place 3. Human Environment Interaction 4. Movement of People Goods and Ideas 5. Region 1. Location: Where something is located on the Earth’s Surface Relative – Location of Something in relation to something else (Ex: A house in relation to the street address) Absolute – An exact location of something on the earth’s surface using the lines of latitude and longitude. Longitude – The angular distance east or west of the prime meridian that stretches from the North Pole to the South Pole. Latitude – An Imaginary line joining points on the earth’s surface that are all equal distance north or south of the equator. It measures 0o on the equator and are parallel lines. 2. Place: Is and area defined by its physical and/or human characteristics. A) Physical Features – Things that would be in an area if humans never exited (Ex: Wildlife, Forest, Volcanoes, Mountains, Rivers, Oceans, Hills, Valleys, etc.) B) Human Features – Thins humans build, create, or influence. (Ex: Buildings, Crops, Cars, Roads, Cloths, Schools, Dams, Languages, Political Systems, Economic Systems, etc) 3. Human Environment Interaction: Two things can happen when humans interact with environment. A) People Change The Environment – Need to make easier lifestyle. (Ex: Roads, Buildings, Airports, Tunnels, Bridges, etc †¢Ã‚     Hidden Cost are Created – Damage to the environment. (Ex: Deforestation, Extinction, Overpopulation, Erosion, etc)      People Adapt to The New Environment – This includes Genetic Change      The Eskimo’s body adapts to Alaska harsh cold by growing an extra layer of fat, they use sleds for transportation, live in igloos that are created using ice, and wear heavy cloth.      African Tribesman use little to no clothing, no body fat due to the heat because body fat weighs you down, and they are fast and agile to get away from danger.      Chinese stir-fry cooking was developed because minimal fuel is needed. This was created to use the limited amount of fuel they had. 4. Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas      People      Migration – People move for different reasons, an example would be: Refugees (war), Economy, Climate, Food, Shelter, Religion, Persecution, Political Problems, and so on.      Immigration – People move into a country.      Emigration – People move out of a country.      Goods †¢Ã‚     Trade – Products that can be bought or sold. †¢Ã‚     Import – Goods brought into a country. †¢Ã‚     Export – Goods that leave a country. †¢Ã‚     Interdependence – Reliance on other nations to provide goods which can’t be produced in their own country.
Monday, January 13, 2020
Myth of Gilgamesh Analysis
Liliana Magdaleno Ken Hiltner, Miss Russ English 122 LE October 27, 2011 Word Count: ~1450 Hero or Villain? In all epics, we read about the endeavors of heroes who have to conquer an evil entity in order to ensure the peace of their constituencies. They exhibit great virtues such as courage, pride, intelligence, wit, patriotism, and love for the people of their land, among other things.Those are typically the qualities that come to mind when we think of a hero; however, when we think of the evil force that compliments the hero, we think of someone/something that causes harm onto the land, and thus brings fear to everyone when the name of that entity is spoken. In the case of The Myth of Gilgamesh, the distinction of hero or villain is distorted. There is significant evidence that suggests that not only is Gilgamesh a villain, but also he is an environmental hazard. In the Myth of Gilgamesh, we are introduced to the so-called â€Å"hero†and leader behind the great walled city of Uruk.Gilgamesh â€Å"had seen everything†¦had journeyed to the edge of the world†¦had carved his trials on stone tablets†¦restored the holy Eanna Temple and the massive wall of Uruk†¦Gilgamesh suffered all and accomplished all. †(2-3) This introduction leads us to believe that Gilgamesh does possess some of the qualities that would make him be considered a hero; his soldiers refer to him as â€Å"the fortress†and â€Å"protector of the people, raging flood that destroys all defenses. †(3) It is rather instinctual for the reader to feel an admiration towards the character. However, one must not be so quick to judge.Words are just words, but actions are far louder. What is true of the statements that are said by his soldiers is that Gilgamesh destroys all defenses, in the ecocritical perspective; he destroys the defenses of the Cedar Forest. As the story unfolds, we begin to see Gilgamesh more as a villain than a hero. For example, Gilgam esh â€Å"does whatever he wants, takes the son from his father and crushes him, takes the girl from her mother and uses her, the warrior’s daughter, the young man’s bride, he uses her, no one dares to oppose him. †(4) Gilgamesh abuses his role of the hero/ruler of Uruk so that he can rape women and command his soldiers.He is inconsiderate of the feelings of others and only does as he pleases without thinking of the well being of his people. Gilgamesh feels like he is above men, king of kings. The people of his land don’t respect him, they fear him; thus the people of Uruk beg the gods to bring a force strong enough to calm Gilgamesh. That is when we are introduced to Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s double. Enkidu is the exact opposite of Gilgamesh, he is what epitomizes the desired ideal of a hero: he protects the animals from poachers, protects women from the lust of Gilgamesh, and is sensible. He is strong, witty, and has a love of nature.Enkidu is everyth ing the people of Uruk wished Gilgamesh to be. If Enkidu is the person that suits the role of the hero, it is fair to say that Gilgamesh is not a hero at all. Gilgamesh is ambitious, and wants to be forever known by the people of his land. Thus, he wants to preserve the great walled city of Uruk and make it a relic for the great empire ruled by the greatest the Fertile Crescent had ever seen. This need for an unnecessary relic that will require heavy resource consumption (in this case lumber) is an anachronism for a similar phenomenon that occurs within industrialized countries, affluenza.Affluenza is the suggestion that material possessions will bring joy to the individual. This is detrimental to the environment because it causes resource overuse and is very unsustainable. The latter part of the myth begins to show environmental degradation due to Gilgamesh’s greed. The Cedar Forest is the unknown and savage realm beyond the walled city of Uruk that is protected by an evil f orce named Humbaba. From an ecocritical perspective, the wilderness beyond Uruk is just nature or the environment.It is human anthropocentricism that makes it hard to realize that the wilderness is not something to fear just because we don’t have complete control over it. Man above nature is the cause of the Cedar Forest’s demise. Our villain-disguised hero needs to venture into the wilderness in order to face himself with his enemy Humbaba; it is during this section of the myth that another character flaw is revealed: Gilgamesh is a coward for being afraid of the force that is Humbaba (nature manifested as the Cedar Forest). He convinces his double, Enkidu, to embark on the same journey and help him defeat the deity.Gilgamesh is quick to talk about how he wants to be remembered for his glory and ensure that every inhabitant of Uruk will remember the great ruler he was. Yet, he is such a coward that he cannot do this alone. He has nightmares about entering the forest a re a psychological indication that he is not as mighty as he thinks he is. These nightmares are also critical of the environment, Humbaba is portrayed as a ruthless monster that will â€Å"tear [Gilgamesh] from limb to limb,†and â€Å"crush [him]†leave him â€Å"bloody and mangled on the ground. (29) This perspective of the environment as ruthless and relentless is the driving force for Gilgamesh to want to destroy it, to rid himself of the fears of what nature bestows. Nature is not a scary nor evil as this classic literature suggests, in modern contemporary times and even in the pastoral times, nature is giving and beautiful, once the value of the environment is known, it becomes less frightening. Gilgamesh had a fear for the unknown and a thirst for power; in essence, destroying nature would be the only way to realize how important nature truly is.After the fall of Humbaba, Gilgamesh stripped the forest of its tall and luscious trees. Not only did Gilgamesh rape the women of his soldiers, but he raped the forest as well. This was the ultimate goal of our villain’s quest: Gilgamesh gained full access to the Cedar Forest in order to create the relic that he so desired. Gilgamesh needs to feel that he is in control of everything, including nature. On the night of the attack, the weapons Gilgamesh used to combat Humbaba were axes, instead of swords or other conventional weapons. This story is a great metaphor for deforestation.Gilgamesh is the modern day logger in thirsty for virgin lands to satiate his thirst for common pool resources. At the moment, Giligamesh only cares about the reputation and glory, not about how much damage he is causing to the land. This damage turned out to be one of the greatest environmental mishaps of all time. The Myth of Gilgamesh took place in ancient Mesopotomia. This area was previously referred as the Fertile Crescent. After this large-scale deforestation, there wasn’t really anything fertile abou t it. In A Forest Journey by John Perlin, we learn about the technologies created within the era of Gilgamesh.It is evident that as human ingenuity kept rising, environmental degradation followed. The people of the Third Dynasty at Ur, 2100 B. C. harnessed the power of lumber to create â€Å"axes, hammers, hoes, and sickles [to] facilitate work. †(37) Tragedy of the Commons, another anachronism, surfaced as the people of the land began the exploitation of the common pool resource of the Euphrates poplar. With the rising demand of wood, policy and trade became instituted and modern day problems such as selling resources at low prices, not including the environmental impact, in addition to transporting these resources long distances.The physical environment also changed with excessive silt and high salinity. Silt was a huge problem because the â€Å"Euphrates, Tirgis, and Karun rivers became full of silt and salt†(38); water levels declined which made it difficult for irrigation and transportation by ship. High salinity also damaged the agriculture industry as high amounts of salty minerals inhibited successful crop yields. Throughout history we have read about marvelous civilizations with great empires and feats, majestic lands with beautiful relics to preserve their culture forever. Learning about their rise is as amazing as learning about their fall.In the case of Mesopotamia, greedy leaders such as Gilgamesh who wish to preserve his era by means of environmental degradation not only make him an incompetent leader by virtue of not being humble and lack of desired qualities, but also one of the key reasons that this great civilization became a barren land. Works Cited Mitchell, Stephen. â€Å"Book One to Book 5. †Gilgamesh: a new English version. New York: Free Press, 2004. 1-32. Print. Perlin, John. A forest journey: the role of wood in the development of civilization. New York: W. W. Norton, 1989. Print.
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Gig Economy Definition and Pros and Cons
The term â€Å"gig economy†refers to a free market system in which traditional businesses hire independent contractors, freelancers, and short-term workers to perform individual tasks, assignments, or jobs. The term comes from the world of the performing arts in which musicians, comedians, etc. are paid for their individual appearances, called â€Å"gigs.† Key Takeaways: Gig Economies In the gig economy, businesses hire independent contractors to perform individual jobs, called â€Å"gigs.†Hired and assigned via internet and smartphone applications, gig employees work remotely.While contract gig workers enjoy great scheduling flexibility and extra income, they suffer from relatively low pay, lack of benefits, and increased stress. In 2018, about 57 million Americansâ€â€nearly 36% of the total U.S. workforceâ€â€were full or part-time gig workers. While such temporary arrangements offer tremendous advantages, like freedom and flexibility, workers in the rapidly-evolving gig economy are finding they face an increased risk of financial hardship from being totally responsible for their own income and benefits. Much like traditional jobs, gig economy jobs are greatâ€â€until they’re not. How the Gig Economy Works In the â€Å"gig economy†or â€Å"freelance economy,†gig workers earn all or part of their incomes from short-term contracts under which they are paid for individual tasks, assignments, or jobs. Typified by globally-recognized companies like Uber, and Lyftâ€â€which hire people to use their personal vehicles to provide taxi-like, on-demand ride servicesâ€â€gig economy companies use internet and smartphone-based applications to both hire and assign workers. Each individual gig or assignment usually accounts for only a part of gig worker’s total income. By combining several tasks for different companies, gig workers can realize cumulative earnings equal to those of conventional full-time jobs. For example, some gig workers drive their cars for both Uber and Lyft, along with renting out rooms in their homes through Airbnb. Other people simply use gig jobs to supplement their regular income. Another aspect of the gig economy involves so-called â€Å"digital earning platforms,†like eBay and Etsy, which allow people to earn money by selling their used items or personal creations, and online handyman services, like TaskRabbit. In many ways, the gig economy reflects and facilitates the desire of millennial generation workers for greater flexibility in balancing their work-life demands, often changing jobs several times during their lifetimes. No matter what motives drive gig workers, the popularity of the internet, with its capability for remote work, has caused the gig economy to thrive. How Big is the Gig Economy? SAN FRANCISCO, CA - A Lyft customer gets into a car on January 21, 2014 in San Francisco, California. As ridesharing services like Lyft, Uber and Sidecar become more popular, the San Francisco Cab Driver Association is reporting that nearly one third of San Franciscos licensed taxi drivers have stopped driving taxis and have started to drive for the ridesharing services. Justin Sullivan / Getty Images According to a Gallup Workplace report, 36% of all U.S. workers were gig workers during 2018. â€Å"Gallup estimates that 29% of all workers in the U.S. have an alternative work arrangement as their primary job. This includes a quarter of all full-time workers (24%) and half of all part-time workers (49%). Including multiple job holders, 36% have a gig work arrangement in some capacity,†states the report. Those percentages mean that about 57 million Americans had one or more gig jobs. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) estimates that combined digital economy grew by an average of 5.6% per year from 2006 to 2016 compared to 1.5% growth in the overall economy. Perhaps even more eye-opening, the BEA reported that the digital economy supports about 6 million jobs, or 4% of total US employment, â€Å"similar to industries like finance and insurance, wholesale trade, and transportation and warehousing.†And as big as the gig economy is now, the Pew Research Center predicts it will growth even faster as more people become familiar with using mobile devices to arrange for personal services and to buy and sell products. According to online technology magazine Digital Trends, at least 6.1 billion people (70% of the world’s population) will have a smartphone by the end of 2020, a drastic increase from, 2.6 billion smartphone users in 2014. Pros and Cons for Gig Workers For employers, the gig economy is mostly a win-win proposition. Businesses are able to quickly contract with experts for individual projects without the overhead costs like office space, training, and benefits. For freelancing gig workers, however, it can be a mixed bag of pros and cons. Advantages of Gig Work Flexibility: Unlike traditional employees, gig workers are free to choose what types of jobs they do and when and where they do them. The ability to work from home helps in balancing work and family schedules and demands. Independence: For people who like to be left alone while they complete an assignment, gig work is ideal. Not hindered by traditional office interruptions like staff meetings, progress reviews, and water cooler gossip sessions, gig economy workers are typically given almost unlimited independence to do their work when and how they think it should be done.Variety: The old office bug-a-boo of monotony is rare in gig work. A wide variety of tasks and clients every day keeps the work interesting, helping gig workers be more enthusiastic and creative in their work. Never a dull day in gig workâ€â€unless you want one. Disadvantages of Gig Work Modest Pay: While they can make as much as $15,000 a year, a study by online lender Earnest found that about 85% of gig workers make less than $500 a month from a single side-job. The solution, of course, is to take on multiple gigs.No Benefits: Very few gig jobs come with any sort of health or retirement benefits. While some long-term contracts may come with limited benefit packages, even this is rare.Taxes and Expenses: Since contract gig workers are not legally classified as â€Å"employees,†their employers do not withhold income tax or Social Security taxes from their paychecks. As a result, gig workers must make quarterly estimated tax payments to the IRS based on what they have earned. Most freelance and gig workers find the need to pay from 25% to 30% of each of their paychecks in order to avoid owing taxes at filing time. In addition, most gig workers are responsible for buying their own work-related equipment like cars, computers, and smartphones. While some of these expenses can be deducted from taxes, not all can be. Many gig workers find they must also factor in the cost of accountants or tax preparation services or software.Stress: All of the above, along with the need to constantly be looking for their next gig and dealing with changes in their current contract can make for increased stressâ€â€an undesirable tradeoff to the greater flexibility of gig work. The Gig Economy and Consumer Safety While the growth of the digital economy shows that consumers relish and demand the convenience, choice, and potential cost savings of gig services and sales, the gig economy also poses a threat to public safety. Due to the remote hiring processes involved, gig workers sometimes do skilled jobs with little or no training or prior experience. For example, passengers of online ridesharing services are often unaware of their driver’s skill level, driver’s license status, or criminal background. In addition, gig drivers are not subject to the same U.S. Department of Transportation consecutive driving hours limitations imposed on traditional commercial drivers. While some online ride services now lock out their drivers after certain number of hours behind the wheel, drivers often work for more than one service and simply switch back-and-forth, thus allowing them to drive for extended hours. In the realm of gig sales and rentals, the old adage of â€Å"buyer beware†rings particularly true. Products are often sold without warranties or guarantees of quality or authenticity, and rental properties may not be as desirable as they appear on the service’s website. Sources McFeely, Shane, and Pendell, Ryan. â€Å"What Workplace Leaders Can Learn From the Real Gig Economy.†Gallup Workplace (August 16, 2018).â€Å"Defining and Measuring the Digital Economy.†U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (March 15, 2018).Smith, Aaron. â€Å"Gig Work, Online Selling and Home Sharing.†Pew Research (November 2017).Bloom, Ester. Heres how much money Americans are making from the gig economy. CNBC (June 20, 2017).Boxall, Andy. â€Å"Number of smartphone users in the world is expected to reach a giant 6.1 billion by 2020.†Digital Trends (October 3, 2015).The pros and cons of the gig economy. Western Governors University (August 31, 2018).Medina, Andje M. and Peters, Craig M. How the Gig Economy Hurts Workers and Consumers. Entrepreneur Magazine (July 25, 2017).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)