Smarter Metrics Measuring Engagement Beyond the Click

By:Colleen Ryan, Account Manager Let’s face it: we can no longer judge our content based on the number of page views alone. While page traffic plays a role in our understanding of which topics are getting attention, it tells us nothing about the impact of content or its quality. This is where engaged time comes in. It tells you if people are actually engaging with your content and not simply clicking on well written headlines only to leave the page after a few seconds. Basically, a low engaged time means that visitors don’t find your content interesting or relevant and will be less likely to return for more which, in the end, doesn’t provide you any value. Engaged Time or Time on Page? Unlike the time spent on a page, which measures how long users keep pages open, engaged time is more revealing. It measures how much time people are actively paying attention to your content. Measuring engaged time will help you determine whether your visitors are viewing the page in an active window, scrolling through the content, clicking on links or are simply leaving pages open in the background of a browser tab. Basically, it highlights the content your audience connects with best, which is essential in retaining your content strategy so that visitors keep coming back for more. The Benefits of Measuring Engaged Time One study has shown that visitors who read an article for at least three minutes returned to the website twice as often as those who read for one minute. Further studies revealed that higher engaged time resulted in better brand recall. So, if you improve engaged time metrics, you’ll have a better chance at boosting your brand recall, recognition and loyalty. How to Measure Engaged Time There are many ways to measure engaged time with Google Analytics. Scroll Depth, for example, allows you to set events to trigger when a user scrolls past a certain point on the page. Though you may have to install a simple plugin, any business with web pages to analyze can access this data. Adobe Analytics has a similar plugin. Some businesses insert thumbs up or thumbs down buttons at the end of content. When they’re clicked, it triggers an event in the Google Analytics dashboard. It’s basic, but it can help you understand how users view your content. There are numerous players in the space including web analytics company Chartbeat, which focuses on engagement time down to second-by-second site visitor activity. Marrying engagement time with heat-mapping, using a tool like CrazyEgg (Google offers In-Page Analytics for example), provide additional insights into highly trafficked areas on your pages and dead zones. What to do with the Data To make the most of engaged time data, you need to remember that every piece of content is different. For news articles, 60 seconds might be a decent engagement time. For longer-form content, you might want to aim for a few minutes. With landing pages, 15 seconds might be good enough, especially if you succeed in making visitors take further action. Also, never assume anything without diving into the data and reviewing in light of the visible content itself. In other words, you need to determine if dead zones are truly ‘dead’ or if there is simply nothing there for the user to interact with. And as with everything, test before making assumptions that are not data driven themselves. If an article’s average engaged time seems low, ask yourself the following: Is the content in step with the promise of the title? Can the format of the article be improved? Does the tone of the article resonate with your target audience? Is your content simply not reaching the right audience? Can you improve on the detail of the content? Will images, videos or statistics make the article more accessible and interesting? On the other hand, if the engaged time is high and is contributing to KPI growth, you could consider driving incremental traffic to that particular web page Ensuring your Content Helps You Reach Your Marketing Goals You can look at engaged time as a measure of audience appreciation for your content and it can help you identify the types of content you should be creating and promoting. According to Eloqua, only around 37 percent of marketers track how much time users spend on their content ‘beyond the click’. Clearly, there is a huge opportunity for publishers to take charge of their content strategy and deliver content that is more in line with what their audiences want to spend time reading.

Life as a Slave essays

Life as a Slave essays Chained helplessly to hundreds of strangers, I was doomed for a life of slavery. My people and me were shackled together and branded like a herd of cattle. The pain that I felt when the red, hot iron singed my bare skin was excruciating. But, the emotional pain that I experienced was even worse. I would never wish this on anyone, not even my worst enemy. The white men from the New World jerked me up out of my home, ripped me away from my family and friends and threw me into the dark, dirty dungeons of the ship. I searched hopelessly for any trace of my family, but my search was in vain. They were nowhere to be found. While sitting in the rickety, wretched gallows of the ship, I began to recall the tales that I had heard, while in Africa, of these white men and their cruelty. When I first heard these tales, they seemed non-fictional. However, now they had become a gruesome reality. After a few days had passed, my friends and I found ourselves in the fields near a small straw house. The day began like any other day, but ended in a dreadful and horrifying way. While running through the fields, I heard a rustling in the bushes. Reluctantly, I crept to the bushes to find the source of the noise. Without warning a group of white men sprung from behind the bushes and pounced on us. Hastily and uncaringly, they chained us together and led us to three enormous ships near the beach. Before I realized what was happening, I had been separated from the only people I had known. From that point on, anyone who glanced my way could recognize the fear in my eyes immediately and see that I would rather be dead. That leads me back to the gallows of this ship where I remain imprisoned, squeezed into the diminutive darkness with other prisoners like sardines. Rowing relentlessly, we are already fulfilling our fate of becoming a slave. Reaching our destination, one that could be far worse that what we had already experi ...

20 Ways to Laugh

20 Ways to Laugh 20 Ways to Laugh 20 Ways to Laugh By Mark Nichol Go ahead and try this (if you’re alone, that is): Explore all the varieties of laughter you can produce, and label each one. There’s an often-distinct word or phrase for each type. Here are twenty ways to laugh, and some related expressions. 1. (Be) in stitches: to laugh 2. Belly-laugh: to laugh in a deep, hearty manner, as if from the abdomen or in such a way that one’s abdomen moves from the exertion 3. Break up: to laugh as if helplessly 4. Cachinnate: to laugh loudly and/or obnoxiously 5. Cackle: to laugh harshly or sharply 6. Chortle: to chuckle or to otherwise laugh to express satisfaction or triumph 7. Chuckle: to laugh mildly and/or quietly 8. Crack up: see â€Å"break up† 9. Crow: to laugh derisively or gloatingly 10. Giggle: to laugh with short, repetitive sounds 11. Guffaw: to laugh boisterously and/or loudly 12. Hee-haw: a synonym for guffaw 13. Horselaugh: To laugh in a way suggestive of or in imitation of a horse’s neighing or whinnying 14. Jeer: to laugh disrespectfully or mockingly 15. Scoff: to laugh derisively or dismissively 16. Snicker: to partially suppress a laugh, as if to conceal one’s mirth 17. Snigger: an alteration of snicker, with the additional connotation of mischief 18. Split (one’s) sides: to laugh convulsively, as if continuing to do so will cause one’s body to rupture 19. Titter: to laugh in an affected manner, or nervously; also a synonym of snicker and snigger 20. Twitter: a synonym of giggle or titter, but also means to chatter or to tremble as if agitated One can howl, roar, scream, shriek, snort, or whoop with laughter. One can also be said to burst (or bust) out laughing, to convulse with laughter, to die laughing, and to be helpless with laughter, as well as to roll in the aisles (as if unable to keep from falling into the aisle while seated at a humorous performance). Other idioms include â€Å"laugh your head off† and â€Å"laugh yourself silly.† Can you think of any more words or idioms? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†Ã¢â‚¬Å"As Well As† Does Not Mean â€Å"And†5 Keys to Better Sentence Flow

Oedipus and his destiny Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Oedipus and his destiny - Essay Example Throughout the conclusion section of the tragedy, it is clear that if not cautious, perceptions on fate can determine what actions we partake into to direct us to our destiny. Oedipus seems to have lost his track of events that brought him happiness and laments that his inability to discern where good things are makes him miserable. Belief in fate as foretold by a prophet that he’d kill his father and commit incest with his mother appear to be grave concerns on his fate-dependent destiny. In several instances, Oedipus recedes into self blame where he almost rushes to label himself worthless following all the predicaments that he has faced â€Å"†¦now Ive exposed my guilt, horrendous guilt†¦, â€Å"(Sophocles, Oedipus the King, Line 1517). It becomes difficult for him to once again understand why all the anguish and agony have to fall on his path of existence. Despite the fact that has been through many difficult moments, Oedipus is particularly having trouble to come to terms with the death of his wife (who also happens to be his mother). From the beginning of the excerpt, it appears that something else was troubling the restless man wh en he enters into the scene. Apparently, his wife was also having some seriously tormenting moments of her life before she opts for the noose as a way to find relieve from her adversaries. The emphasis of her bitter gesticulations near her matrimonial bed must have a direct connection with the actions of Oedipus, who is also disturbed. It gets clearer that Oedipus must have contributed to the trouble of the dead woman when he admits that that it won’t happen again that she could continue facing the hard life that he subjected her to. In Sophocles, Oedipus the King (Line1406), Oedipus laments and discloses his part in the tragic death of his wife by saying â€Å"youll see no more the pain I suffered, all the pain I caused!† His destiny in the unfamiliar path of

Answers the question Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Answers the question - Coursework Example All but Kelvin follows him) (Minutes later) (Kelvin opens his car and as he ignites his car, a brown slender woman comes towards him and he stops the engine for a moment) LADY: Hello Kelvin? Do you mind giving me a ride to town? (Kelvin perplexed this beautiful woman knows his name but still happy that he may have got a woman to move around with since he loved having sex with many women) Kelvin. No! No! No! Not at all, I...I will be honoured to give such a pretty lady like u a ride (He opens his car door and goes ahead to hug the woman as he opens for her the passenger’s seat). Lady: My name is Risper from the school of medicine Kelvin: what a lovely name! Am Kelvin from faculty of arts and I live with my parents in Beverly Hills, My father is a branch director of one of the leading technology firms in Silicon valley and my mother is the medical superintendent in the district hospital. Lady: (impressed by what Kelvin had told her) I come from California and I stay in the colle ge’s halls of residence (she pauses a little and looks at Kelvin). Kelvin, can I trust you to keep a secret? Kelvin: (with a heavy American accent) Of course you can dear, am all ears. Lady: I am actually not a student at the college, I run away from home a year ago when I felt I could not handle the pressure from my parents. They always insisted that I should join college to study medicine despite my efforts to convince them I did not like that idea and I was more comfortable being an artist Kelvin: did they really have to do that? Look at what they have done, caused pain and suffering to such an innocent beautiful woman as you (He pulls the car by the roadside) tell me more Lady: I have been living with my cousin in her room for the past one year and she is the one who has been feeding me, I... i... (She starts crying and Kelvin moves closer to her and allows her to lean on his bosom) I have nowhere to go and I cannot go back home now. (Torn on what to do, Kelvin decides to take her to his friend’s house who was a devout Christian and who had been trying to bring Kelvin to church) The character cannot not be said to have strong moral and sexual standards as he loved having sex with different women especially those from college, he would lure them with money and promise of a flashy lifestyle for them to give in to his advances. He was driven by his desire to become a businessperson who was respected all over the country and it was the main reason he came to college, however, the reluctance of his parents to introduce him to the prominent people as he would have wanted always frustrated him. His extroverted nature and his intelligent mind always made him a leader among his peers and endeared him to many of his age mates Kelvin was born in Beverly Hills’ in California by James Studd and wife Sylvia Clinton and was brought up in the same neighbourhood. As a child, he was nicknamed ‘Bullfighter’ as he was a bully in school and he loved teasing other pupils who seemed weaker than he did. As he was growing up, he was adored and loved by his parents as he was the only son and the lastborn in the family, and although his parents loved him, he spent very little time with them and he seemed to be more amused by his play station than his family. Efforts by his parents to create a strong relationship with him bore no

Creationism. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Creationism. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Essay The significant role of schools in teaching the population of students is one way to make sure that the society will have a bright future. However, in the cases wherein inappropriate teaching methods are used, this dream may be compromised. A very clear example is the teaching of creationism. Creationism is a perspective that identifies a certain supreme being to be the main perpetrator of the existence of the universe, including humanity (Ruse, 2007). There is an identifiable group of people who primarily believes in this notion. And because of that sectarian acceptance, there was a time when schools became a subject of intention in propagating this idea. In a much greater sense, creationism should never be taught in schools primarily because of the compromising effects it will bring towards the molding of the students. The topic is very much centered towards the philosophy of a person and do not provide any significant learning attribute. This is in direct contrast to the mission of the school to provide only the type of learning methods based on exact, credible and scientifically formulated aspects of knowledge. Creationism tends to be of religious in nature. It always inhibits the natural flow of scientific process to learn the observable and logical way of nature. As a result, it is very possible that students may get confused about their own perception about the universe and everything about it. They may leave the pre-conditions of scientific knowledge in favor of an easier to understand notion of creationism. Moreover, there may be cases in which some students may feel deprived of their rights to believe what they want to according to their respective philosophies in life. Creationism is a biased form of belief which only bases its ideology to a personal intuition. References Ruse, M. 2007. Creationism. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved January 14, 2008 from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/creationism/.

Essay --

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.0 Introduction This chapter presents the problem statements, objective of the study, theoretical framework, significant of the study, and scope of the study. According to William J. Stanton, the definition if advertisement is consist of activities involved in presenting to an audience a non-personal, paid-for message about a product or organization. Advertising is used to communicate with the present and potential customers. Advertisement is a non personal communication because the communication involved in mass media. The advertisement provides information about the firm, product’s qualities, and place of availability of the product. The information should be complete and true. Advertisement is essential for both the sellers and buyers. In the modern age of production, the manager can push the sale of their product increase with great advertisement. Every firm has advertising that need to tough competition in the market and adapt the fast changes with the new technology to gain more custome rs. A good advertisement involves creativity and high imagination that matches the expectation of the customers. According to World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the meaning of health is a state of a complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Health advertisement was done to persuade people to more concern about health and buy product that give benefit on their health. 1.1 Problem statement Health advertisement gives impacts on customer purchasing behavior. The impact of the advertisements is more on television than the print media or radio. The problem is nowadays marketers neglect the important role of health advertisement on buying pattern of cus... ...n they watch the health advertisement. This helps the industry to make the advertisement more attractive and make the customer remember the advertisement. When the advertisement was successfully, the customer would like to buy and try the new product. Then the customer will aware of this product and the sale of the product will increase thus the profit of the company also will increase. Besides that, the customer or community also will alert about their health. The health advertisements evoke awareness of the important of healthy lifestyle. For example advertisement about stop smoking for avoids disease such as heart attract. When all the community has a good condition of health can increase the standard of life. They can focus on their job and the productivity of the worker can be improved. The company can reduce the cost to pay to the employee for the medical fee.

Rizal in Hong Kong

Rizal in Hong Kong 19 November 1891 In the evening Rizal arrived at Hong Kong. 26 November 1891 From Hong Kong Rizal sent to Manuel Camus in Singapore 20 copies of the Fili, 6of the Morga and 4 of the  Noli. He gave Camus 25 percent commission for thebooks sold. 1 December 1891 He asked permission from his parents to join  them in Manila in their sacrifices andat the same time, encouraged them to have a little  endurance. He said: † I havelearned of the exile of four townmates to  Jolo and of the return of my brother toManila.I  have also learned  that mother, Pangoy and  Trining, have beensummoned again by the civil government. I am burning with desire to embraceyou. Patience, a little patience! Courage! † 6 December 1891 Francisco Mercado, Paciano and his brother-in-law, Silvestre Ubaldo,  escapedfrom the Philippines to avoid persecution, and  arrived at Hong Kong to join him. 12 December 1891 In a letter sent to Maria, one of his sisters in the Philip pines, Rizal broached hisplan of establishing a  Filipino colony in North British Borneo. 17 December 1891On this day Governor General Despujol, offering his services and  cooperation forthe common good. He wanted to point to the latter the ills of country in order tohelp cure the wounds of mal-administration. 27 December 1891 An article was published in the La Epoca carrying false news about Rizal’s stay inthe Philippines and his influence among the natives. This article carries noauthor’s name and was believed to have been inspired  by a Dominican  friar. December 1891 Rizal was visited by an Augustinian friar in his house. The friar pulled his ears andwanted to attack him.But Rizal stopped the intruder by twisting  the latter’s hand. 25 January 1892 The duplicate of his diploma in Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery was issued bythe Ministry of Development in Madrid. 30 January 1892 In a letter, Juan Luna  favorably endorsed Rizal’s plan ofà ‚  establishing a Filipinocolony in North Borneo. He wished Rizal luck and success in this project. January 1892 Everyday, after his medical practices in his clinic, he continued writing his thirdnovel. It treated exclusively  about the Tagalog customs, usages,  virtuesanddefects.Meanwhile, his  brother Paciano translated the Noli into Tagalog. 1 February 1892 Rizal paid thirty-five pesos (P35. 00)  to D. Mallunko for the rent on the premisesof A-2 Rednaxela from January 1st to 31st. 6 February 1892 Rizal wrote a letter addressed  to â€Å"My beloved friend† and signed it with  the nameCabisa. 15 February 1892 The Hong Kong Telegraph published the letter  of Rizal  signed Philippines in  whichhe denounced the vandalistic actions of the friar  manager of the Dominicans indestroying the houses of those who refused to pay the  exorbitant rentalsdemanded of them in Calamba. 23 February 1892Rizal wrote a letter to Blumentritt  in which he informed the latte r of  his plan of  emigrating to Borneo where he could establish another Calamba free from theabuses of the friars and the civil guards. 2 March 1892 He visited Victoria  Gaol in Hong Kong. Dr. Lorenzo Pereira Marquez who  was thephysician of the state prison accompanied him. People met:  josemariabasa, balbinomauricioImpression:Hong Kong is a small but very clean  commercial city. Many Portuguese, Hindus,English, Chinese, and Jews live in it. There are also some Filipinos, the majority of  whom being those who had been exiled to the Mariana Islands in 1872.They arepoor, gentle, and  timid. Formerly they were  rich merchants, industrialists,  andfinanciers. Only one is a republican and progressive; very suspicious. They willnot return to Manila; they fear the   phantoms . One is very sick and will die soon. He was a rich financier, not very well educated, but  very rich, who married adissolute woman. It was his fault. Now he is poor, very poor. He left the co untry passing Hong Kong and was welcomed by  Filipino residents,among them, Jose Maria Basa, Balbino  Mauricio, and Manuel Yriarte, the son of  the mayor of Laguna.

Social Impacts and Threats of IT

Over the last 40-50 years the impact IT has had on our lives and our society is astonishing! There are many different impacts associated with this topic, a few of which are Social, Economical, Legal and Ethnical. We rely on IT systems to do the simple things we take for granted in our day-to-day lives such as: media, entertainment (gaming and television), advertising (products and services) etc. IT has developed more than ever over the past decade and although we may not notice how IT has changed, it is constantly altering everything we do in our everyday lives. Many people nowadays take the use of IT for granted. Social Impacts How we spend out extra time Currently in the U.K a staggering 97% of people in the U.K have a PC or a computer of some sort in their homes. However, in this day and age most people use a computer as part of everyday life, whether it is for work or socialising. Nowadays most young people in the U.K spend a large quantity of their time on the computer. It is thought that on average a normal teenager spends around 31 hours a week on the computer alone and a mind-blowing nine of these hours are on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace etc. Although for many of our Grandparents and even our Parents this was very different! Nowadays young people are constantly being nagged by Grandparents and Parents about spending too much time indoors and not enough outdoors. We are told that we spend far too much of our time inside (playing computer games or watching television) and that we do not spend nearly enough time outside getting the fresh air that our body needs. It is thought that this younger generation seems to have a lot more recreational time than the older, previous generations. It is obvious that people of the older generations did not have nearly as much free time on their hands as we do today. As nearly all of their time was taken up by working, chores and other tasks and duties. However, for us many of these chores have been made easier by various IT solutions throughout the years. Saving time and effort for us today and as a result leaving us much more free time. Effects on local communities Now as a result of internet development, there are 1000’s of new and diversified websites that are available to consumers, offering them a wider and larger selection of goods and services online. Consequently some traditional facilities, such as local clothing shops, continue to lose customers and are subsequently forced to close down as they are no longer needed within the society. Another prime reason for this reoccurring problem is that people are becoming increasingly laid-back and don’t want to have to take a trip into the shops when they can just order everything they need to their doorstep from the comfort of their own homes. As more local shops close down there is less work within this industry and the immediate area. This can have a very negative effect on the local community. Economic Impacts Employment structure and working practices IT has changed the foundation of how people work in many different occupations. Good examples of occupations that have been transformed by the Impact of IT include typists who typed letters on a typewriter and administrators who used to keep paper based records. Now as well as IT transforming the methods of work in many other occupations, new jobs have been created, giving people the chance to develop new skills within the Information Technology industry. In addition to this IT is now an essential part and key skill to many jobs today and is further required 90% of all employers! With Internet access extensively available throughout the world, many people can communicate and work away from their office and in the comfort of their own home as it may suit their lifestyle better. This is now a very popular option for several employees. Sustainability Computers are not all good. There are negative points and various problems related to the invention of the computer. Computers use a high amount of power and electricity and with so many in homes, businesses and even schools; this is becoming a foremost problem and a colossal contribution to energy consumption and other issues relating to this such as climate change! Additionally, people are overjoyed and excited when new and more modern versions of the computer are developed because it means there is a new and better way of doing things that make life that extra bit easier. However, behind the scenes this is not good, it is a huge problem. The question many people in our society today forget to ask ourselves is where does the old computer equipment that we no longer need or use go? As a result of not enough people caring where the disposal of unwanted electrical equipment (not only computers) goes this problem is handed over to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive 2007). Under the rules and regulations of this organisation, the manufactures of electrical equipment are obligated to provide consumers that purchase a new piece of electrical equipment a method of disposing of the apparatus that their purchase is replacing. Legal Impacts Ownership, copyright and plagiarism When using information or data that is not your own work it is important that you recognize that copyright of the creator. In the United Kingdom the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 gives the authors of written work, music and films rights to control the ways that their material may be used. However because music and films are so easy to download over the internet, many people break this law and use the internet to steal material in copyright. Some people even set up file sharing web services that allow users to share and view copyrighted material, mainly films and music. As well as copyright, plagiarism is an increasing problem and is commonly found within schools. Most school children today view plagiarism as â€Å"changing it into their own words† and don’t really recognise or grasp the concept that is it illegal! Plagiarism is commonly carried out in assignment work submitted by learners in schools, colleges, and even universities. You are allowed to quote other peoples work as long as you recognise the source of information, however you are not allowed (and it is illegal) to pass other peoples work off as your own. Ethnical Impacts Privacy of information Currently with so much personal and private information stored on computers, personal privacy has become a problem. Nowadays almost every small characteristic and proportion of your life is recorded on a computer, including who you call on your mobile phone, what you search for on search engines such as Google, your medical records and even you relatives. Social Networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter etc are becoming a major problem when relating to privacy. Millions and millions of people all over the world have an account of some sort on a social networking site, many people put up pictures of themselves and post blogs and wall posts of exactly where they will be and exactly what time they will be there. As a result of this, it could be dangerous as many of these sites are not secured properly. However personal information about living individuals is protected by the Data Protection Act (1998). The Data Protection Act is a law passed in 1998 that requires companies that store personal information about people on their computers, to register with the Data Protection Registrar which obligates them to keep to the eight Data Protection Principles. Unequal Access Although there are numerous different benefits of Internet access, what happens to the people who can’t get high speed access to the internet? Local and national implications In the United Kingdom many people who live in rural or countryside areas are not able to get broadband internet access because of the location in which they live in. Many telephone and cable companies refuse to lay down cables which allow people in the countryside to receive internet access because they believe that the cost of laying down the cables would be a lot higher than that of what the customer have to pay to receive the broadband connection. Another prime contribution to this problem is age, some elderly people may find it difficult to understand and interpret new technology. As many services such as banking and utilities (for example electricity and oil) become progressively more internet-based, many older people might find it hard to access these facilities. They could also be placed at an economic disadvantage as many goods and services are mostly cheaper online than that of their usual ways. For example many oil suppliers offer a discounted rate if people manage their accounts online. It is also good to remember that Internet access in not free and not everyone can afford to pay Internet charges therefore it is putting less economically stabled families at a disadvantage compared to more economically stabled families. Global implications Many people in today’s society that live in Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDC’S) may too find it difficult to receive internet access. Today many aspects of development such as economic and educational rely on the internet and computer skills. For some people who do not have access to this they are in danger of being left further behind. Sometimes people call the divide between the people who don’t have easy access to computer technologies and those who do the digital divide. Now as a result of unequal access a number projects have been set up, such as One Laptop per Child to help develop low-cost computing solutions. Abuse of IT The same as many other great things in life, all great things have a drawback and in IT this is no different especially with the internet. There are many different threats and exasperations that all IT users need to be conscious and aware of. Threats Cyber Bullying Around 10 percent of all adolescents’ are victims of internet bullying. This type of bullying can be a scary and worrying problem and in turn can be more serious than conventional bullying. There are many different ways that and methods that can be used, including social networking sites, SMS, e-mails and chartrooms. Many Cyber bullies encourage their friends to join in the bullying and therefore are all bullying the one person collectively as a group. Spam Spam is unwanted e-mail advertising. If you have an e-mail account you will generally receive e-mails that are advertisements most of which are annoying and have the potential to be dangers and harmful to your computer or PC. However e-mail users need to be cautious and aware when opening attachments in e-mails as they could contain viruses. Phishing Phishing is a method, used by criminals, to try and acquire information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy individual in an electronic communication service. A widely used method that almost all phishing criminals use is they send people an e-mail disguised as if it is coming from their bank. The e-mail usually tells them to then click a link within the e-mail which then directs them to a page that looks like the log-on screen to their online bank account. However, the web page is under complete control of the criminals’ and therefore allows them to determine the victim’s username, password and various other security details. After this the criminals then use this information to gain access to the victim’s bank account and go on to steal money out of it. Denial of service attacks A denial of service attack (DOS attack) or distributed denial of service attack (DDoS attack) is an attempt to make a computer resource unavailable to its intended users. Although the means to carry out, motives for, and targets of a DoS attack may vary, it generally consists of the determined efforts of a person, or multiple people to prevent an Internet site or service from working efficiently or at all, temporarily or indefinitely. Perpetrators of DoS attacks typically targets sites or services hosted on high-profile web servers such as banks and credit card payment gateways.

3 Examples of Bad Letters of Recommendation from Teachers

3 Examples of Bad Letters of Recommendation from Teachers SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips While you may have seen examples of really impressive recommendation letters, what about the really bad ones? What exactly do bad letters look like, and what makes them so subpar? Bad recommendation letters can be hard to put a finger on, because they aren't necessarily critical or disparaging about a student. Instead, they might leave a poor impression because they come off as unenthusiastic, unspecific, or simply too short. The examples below represent letters that would do very little to help a student's college application and, worst case scenario, could even hurt it. By knowing what weakens a letter or leaves a negative impression in the minds of admissions officers, you can make sure your letters don't contain any of these features.First up... The Unenthusiastic Recommendation Dear Admissions Committee, I'm writing to recommend Jamie to your undergraduate program. As a student in my th grade English class, he performed well above average. Jamie is a hard worker and is well liked by his peers and teachers. I've been impressed with him as a student. Jamie has a strength for discussing books, and he participated well in my class. In his group projects, Jamie listened to his peers and was respectful of their input. Along with his three classmates, he earned an A on a group presentation about the various types of conflict inHamlet. Jamie is a conscientious student and rarely missed an assignment. With his strong effort and respectful attitude, Jamie leads by example. Jamie took a variety of courses in high school and was especially interested in psychology and history. He balanced his time well, participating in both the Interact Club, and, in his sophomore and junior year, the track team. No one ever has a bad word to say about Jamie. He's an all around good kid. I'm confident that Jamie will be an asset to whatever college he attends next year. He's a good student, kind friend, and was a pleasure to have in class. He has my recommendation. Please feel free to contact me for any further information at unimpressedteacher@gmail.com. Sincerely, Luke WarmEnglish TeacherHumdrum High This letter has positive things to say about Jamie, so what exactly makes it so bad? The Break Down This letter isfine, but it barely goes above the minimum to recommend Jamie. While Mr. Warm says that Jamie is respectful, conscientious, and a hard worker, he sounds completely unenthusiastic about him. He neither reveals deeper insight into Jamie's character, nor uses excited language to highlight his points. Jamie's English teacher doesn't even qualify that he "highly" recommends him. His mediocre ranking of Jamie as "well above average" further suggests his lack of enthusiasm. Besides the generic language that leaves little impact in the mind of the reader, this letter also contains some questionable phrases. By saying that Jamie "leads by example," his English teacher may be indicating a lack of concrete leadership positions at the school, whether on purpose or not. Furthermore, by focusing on how others perceive Jamie, the teacher removes a lot of his own personal perspective from the letter. Admissions committees want letters from teachers who know a student well and can speak to his good qualities. A letter that seems distant and impersonal is less effective. Even the example the teacher uses, of Jamie getting an A, is less personal because it refers to a group project. It neither highlights Jamie's individual skills, nor provides a very interesting story. This letter provides little insight into Jamie's character or personal qualities. While the teacher says generally positive things, he doesn't sound too impressed with Jamie or like he took the time to write a strong letter. He doesn't have much specific to say about Jamie, so the recommendation letter does little to differentiate him from other applicants. Overall, this letter won't do much to help Jamie's application. Another example of a bad recommendation letter is one that just presents facts and figures. For all intents and purposes, this kind of letter could be written by just about anyone with a copy of the student's resume. This letter's almost all facts and figures. The Resume Repeat Dear Admissions Committee, It is my pleasure to recommend Tabitha, who excelled in my junior year AP Biology class. A hard worker with an interest in the natural world, Tabitha earned an A for the course and received a 5 on her AP Biology exam. Most impressive to me is that she did all this while balancing her responsibilities as Class Treasurer, hospital volunteer, and literacy coach. Tabitha goes above and beyond with her activities and somehow succeeds in all of them. As Class Treasurer, Tabitha organized fundraisers and raised over $2,000 for the junior year prom. She advertised events through the school and worked with students and faculty to organize attendance. Beyond this, she volunteers two days a week at the local hospital, where she spends time with patients and helps visitors navigate their way around. Tabitha doesn't just use her skills with people at the hospital; she also has worked with children for the past two years, helping them build their literacy skills. All this while juggling a full class schedule that included three AP classes. Tabitha excels in and out of the classroom. She won the Tisch Library Award in sophomore year for academic achievement, and her impressive performance in my class earned her the 2014 Biology award. She was one of the top scorers in her class on the PSAT, and she earned a 4 and two 5's on her AP exams so far. Tabitha is a top student whose grades, awards, and involvements speak for themselves. I highly recommend Tabitha for admission to your undergraduate program. She is an active student who will continue to contribute greats things to her college. Her achievement in school is all the more impressive considering her busy schedule and extracurricular and professional involvements. Please feel free to contact me with any questions at resumereader@gmail.com. Sincerely, Reita RationScience TeacherBelabor Boarding School At least Tabitha's letter sounds a little more enthusiastic than Jamie's. But it's still not especially strong. Let's look at exactly what makes it ineffective. The Break Down It sounds like Ms. Ration is impressed with Tabitha's accomplishments. Tabitha seems to be a highly achieving student with impressive grades and extracurricular involvements. However, admissions committees already know about all her grades, awards, and involvements from the rest of her application. This letter repeats a lot of information that the admissions committee already has on file. Plus, by trying to include everything that Tabitha does, it actually says very little. It's all breadth and no depth.A strong letter woulddive deeply into specific skills or qualities, rather than skimming over a lot of different points with a general overview. A recommendation letter should personalize a student and give deeper insight into her intellectual capacity and character. It should be from a teacher who can highlight something specific about a student. Her science teacher may know little about Tabitha's work as a literacy coach. She could speak much more insightfully about Tabitha's skill for scientific inquiry and interest in medicine. This letter also uses no anecdotes or examples to illustrate something meaningful about Tabitha, relying instead on facts and figures. Perhaps the most telling example of where the letter writer went astray is when she says that Tabitha's accomplishments"speak for themselves." In fact, recommendation letters are required because grades and statistics don't fully speak for themselves. Recommenders are supposed to speak about a student in a revealing, meaningful way. They should help distinguish the student from other applicants and talk about her passions and motivations (in other words,why she does what she does). Instead, this letter focuses on what Tabitha does. As a highly achieving student, Tabitha might be applying to a selective school along with lots of qualified applicants. They may share similar grades and accomplishments, so the recommendation letters are especially important for providing something beyond the resume. Unfortunately, this letter doesn't do that. It could be written by almost anyone with a record of Tabitha's school and community involvement. Finally, a recommendation letter that's too short immediately gives a bad impression to admissions officers. They can see right away that a teacher didn't spend much time on it. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. The Short Letter Dear Admissions Committee, It is my pleasure to recommend Ethan for admission to your college. I had Ethan in my th grade math class. He was a strong student, worked well with others, and impressed me with his consistent effort. In addition to taking a challenging course load during junior year, Ethan took part in the Amnesty International Club and contributed to the school newspaper. He wrote a compelling article about the current state of civil rights in America. Ethan has my strong recommendation for college. He's bright, motivated, and has strength of character. I'm sure he will do great things. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at cantbebothered@gmail.com. Sincerely, Shirley RushedMath TeacherAbrupt Academy Just by looking at it, you can see what makes this recommendation letter so weak. Besides its short length, what else makes it ineffective? Is that it? Is there more on the back...? The Break Down Like the other two examples, this letter doesn't say anything bad about Ethan. But overall, it's lacking. For one thing, it's way too short. A recommendation letter should be a full page in length. Second, the article mentions some of Ethan's strengths - his consistent effort, his newspaper writing, and his apparent interest in issues of human rights. But the short letter doesn't take time to delve into these qualities and paint a fuller picture of Ethan. The teacher mentions a compelling article about civil rights, but doesn't explain what it said or why Ethan was motivated to write it. There are a few points here that could tell the reader a lot more about Ethan if the recommender had described them more fully. As it is, the letter offers little information or insight. As part of Ethan's application, it would be quickly forgettable. Strong recommendation letters take time and thought to craft. Apart from what I already discusses, what other features weaken all three of these recommendation letter examples? What Else is Wrong with These Letters? Another thing that none of these letters do is customize to the college or program the student is applying to. Often, teachers provide one letter for students to upload to their Common Application and send off to all their colleges. While this is fine for the most part, it can strengthen an application if the letter is customized to the specific school, especially if it's a selective school. If a student is applying to an Ivy League school like Harvard, then she should strive to make every aspect of her application as strong as it can possibly be. This includes obtaining recommendation letters that are customized to Harvard and attest to her ability to succeed in such an academically rigorous environment. Again, the letters don't have to be customized, but it's a good idea for them to be if the school is especially competitive. It's more important that they are enthusiastic, use powerful language, and tell meaningful and memorable stories that reveal a student's unique qualities and help differentiate her from other applicants. None of the above letters accomplish this, unfortunately. Whether you're a teacher writing a letter or a student getting one for your college applications, what can you do to avoid having a letter like the ones above? This is a close call. Avoiding a bad recommendation letter doesn't have to be. What Can You Do to Avoid a Bad Letter of Recommendation? If you're writing recommendation letters for your students, make sure your letter isn't weakened by word choice that is lukewarm and could be made stronger unnecessary repetition of data from a student's resume a focus on academic ability without much mention of personal qualities statements not backed up with specific examples generic or cliche phrases. As you revise your letter, be on the lookout for words that could be made stronger or examples that could be made more specific. If you find yourself in need of more information or material, talk to the student about her interests and goals and what qualities she hopes you'll highlight in her letter. Students should share information with their recommenders, as well as let them know what would go into their ideal letter. If you're a student applying to a writing program, let your English teacher know that you'd love her to talk about your writing skills. If you're an aspiring future engineer, ask your physics teacher if she'll speak to your problem solving abilities. This helps your teacher make your letter more specific and effective. As letters take time and effort to do well, students should ask their teachers early - especially ones who get slammed with recommendation requests senior year (English teachers tend to get a ton of requests). Both students and teachers alike need to put serious time and thought into their recommendation letters to get strong ones. These references are a very important part of the college application. The best ones require planning, effort, and communication between students and their recommenders. What's Next? Now that you've read these examples of bad recommendation letters, check out these examples of strong reference letters (coming soon). For more on writing strong recommendation letters (that don't end up sounding unenthusiastic, repetitive, or uninformed), check out this in depth guide. Do counselor recommendation letters differ from teacher recs at all? Read about how school counselors can write strong recommendation letters for the students on their caseload. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

The Learning Years of Medieval Childhood

The Learning Years of Medieval Childhood The physical manifestations of biological puberty are difficult to ignore, and it is hard to believe that such obvious indications as the onset of menses in girls or the growth of facial hair in boys were not acknowledged as part of a transition into another phase of life. If nothing else, the bodily changes of adolescence made it clear that childhood would soon be over. Medival Adolescence and Adulthood It has been argued that adolescence was not recognized by medieval society as a stage of life separate from adulthood, but this is not at all a certainty. To be sure, teenagers were known to take on some of the work of full-fledged adults. But at the same time, such privileges as inheritance and land ownership were withheld in some cultures until the age of 21. This disparity between rights and responsibilities will be familiar to those who remember a time when the U.S. voting age was 21 and the military draft age was 18. If a child was to leave home before reaching full maturity, the teen years were the most likely time for him to do so. But this did not mean he was on his own. The move from the parents household was almost always into another household, where the adolescent would be under the supervision of an adult who fed and clothed the teenager and to whose discipline the teen was subject. Even as youths left their families behind and took on increasingly more difficult tasks, there was still a social structure to keep them protected and, to some extent, under control. The teen years were also the time to concentrate more intensely on learning in preparation for adulthood. Not all adolescents had schooling options, and serious scholarship could last a lifetime, but in some ways, education was the archetypal experience of adolescence. Schooling Formal education was unusual in the Middle Ages, although by the fifteenth century there were schooling options to prepare a child for his future. Some cities such as London had schools that children of both genders  attended during the day. Here they learned to read and write, a skill that became a prerequisite for acceptance as an apprentice in many Guilds. A small percentage of peasant children managed to attend school in order to learn how to read and write and understand basic math; this usually took place at a monastery. For this education, their parents had to pay the lord a fine and usually promise that the child would not take ecclesiastical orders.  When they grew up, these students would use what theyd learned to keep village or court records, or even to manage the lords estate. Noble girls, and on occasion boys,  were sometimes sent to live in nunneries in order to receive basic schooling. Nuns would teach them to read (and possibly to write) and make sure they knew their prayers. Girls were very likely taught spinning and needlework and other domestic skills to prepare them for marriage. Occasionally such students would become nuns themselves. If a child was to become a serious scholar, his path usually lay in the monastic life, an option that was rarely open to or sought by the average townsman or peasant. Only those boys with the most notable acumen were chosen from these ranks; they were then raised by the monks, where their lives could be peaceful and fulfilling or frustrating and restrictive, depending on the situation and their temperaments. Children at monasteries were most often younger sons of noble families, who were known to give their children to the church in the early Middle Ages. This practice was outlawed by the Church as early as the seventh century (at the Council of Toledo) but was still known to take place on occasion in the centuries that followed. Monasteries and cathedrals eventually began to maintain schools for students who were destined for secular life. For younger students, instruction began with the skills of reading and writing and moved on to the Trivium of the Seven Liberal Arts: grammar, rhetoric, and logic. As they grew older, they studied the Quadrivium: arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. Younger students were subject to the corporal discipline of their instructors, but by the time they entered University, such measures were rare. Advanced schooling was almost exclusively the province of males, but some females were able to acquire an admirable education nonetheless. The story of Heloise, who took private lessons from Peter Abelard, is a memorable exception; and the youth of both genders at the court of twelfth-century Poitou undoubtedly could read well enough to enjoy and debate the new literature of Courtly Love. However, in the later Middle Ages nunneries suffered a drop in literacy,  reducing available options for a quality learning experience. Higher education for females depended largely on individual circumstances. In the twelfth century, cathedral schools evolved into universities. Students and masters banded together into guilds to protect their rights and further their educational opportunities. Embarking on a course of study with a university was a step toward adulthood, but it was a path that began in adolescence. University One might argue that once a student reached university level he could be considered an adult; and, since this is one of the instances in which a young person might be living on his own, there is certainly logic behind the assertion. However, university students were notorious for making merry and making trouble. Both official university restrictions and unofficial social guidelines kept the students in a subordinate position, not only to their teachers but to senior students. In the eyes of society, it would appear that students were not yet completely considered adults. Its also important to remember that, although there were age specifications as well as experience requirements to become a teacher, no age qualifications governed a students entry into a university. It was a young mans ability as a scholar that determined if he was ready to pursue higher education. Therefore, we have no hard-and-fast age group to consider; students were  usually  still teenagers when they entered university, and legally not yet in full possession of their rights. A student beginning his studies was known as a  bajan,  and in many  cases,  he underwent a rite of passage called the jocund advent upon his arrival at university. The nature of this ordeal varied according to place and time, but it usually involved feasting and rituals similar to the hazing of modern fraternities. After a year at  school,  the  bajan  could be purged of his lowly status by expounding a passage and debating it with his fellow students. If he made his argument successfully, he would be washed clean and led through the town on an ass. Possibly due to their monastic origins, students were tonsured (the tops of their heads were shaved) and wore clothing similar to that of the monk: a  cope  and cassock or a closed-over long-sleeved tunic and overtunic. Their diet could be fairly erratic if they were on their own and with limited funds; they had to purchase what was inexpensive from the shops of the city. Early universities had no provisions for housing, and young men had to live with friends or relatives or otherwise fend for themselves. Before long colleges were set up to aid the less affluent students, the first being the College of the Eighteen in Paris.  In return for a small allowance and a bed at the Hospice of the Blessed Mary, students were asked to offer prayers and take turns carrying the cross and holy water before the bodies of deceased patients. Some residents proved to be insolent and even violent, disrupting the studies of serious students and breaking in when they stayed out after hours. Thus, the Hospice began to restrict its hospitality to students who behaved more pleasantly, and it required them to pass weekly examinations to prove their work was meeting expectations.  The residency  was limited to a year, with the possibility of a years renewal at the discretion of the foundationers. Institutions such as the College of the Eighteen evolved into endowed residences for students, among them Merton at Oxford and Peterhouse at Cambridge. In time, these colleges began to acquire manuscripts and scientific instruments for their students and offer regular salaries to teachers in a concerted effort to prepare candidates in their quests for a degree. By the end of the fifteenth century, few students lived outside colleges. Students attended lectures regularly. In the early days of universities, lectures were held in a hired hall, a church, or the masters home, but soon buildings were constructed for the express purpose of teaching. When not at lectures a student would read significant works, write about them, and expound on them to fellow scholars and teachers. All this was in preparation for the day when he would write a thesis and expound on it to the doctors of the university in return for a degree. The subjects studied included theology, law (both canon and common), and medicine. The University of Paris was foremost in theological studies, Bologna was renowned for its law school, and Salernos medical school was unsurpassed. In the 13th and 14th centuries  numerous universities  sprang up throughout Europe and England, and some students were not content to limit their studies to only one school. Earlier scholars such as  John of Salisbury  and  Gerbert of Aurillac  had traveled far and wide to glean their education; now students were following in their footsteps (sometimes literally). Many of these were serious in motive and driven by a thirst for knowledge. Others, known as  Goliards, were more lighthearted in nature- poets seeking adventure and love. All this may present a picture of students thronging the cities and highways of medieval Europe, but in  reality,  scholarly studies at such a level were unusual. By and large, if a teenager were to undergo any form of structured education, it was more likely to be as an apprentice. Apprenticeship With few exceptions, apprenticeship began in the teens and lasted from seven to ten years. Though it wasnt unheard of for sons to be apprenticed to their own fathers, it was fairly uncommon.  Sons of master craftsmen were by Guild law automatically accepted into the Guild; yet many still took the apprenticeship route, with someone other than their fathers, for the experience and training it offered. Apprentices in larger towns and cities were supplied from outlying villages in substantial numbers,  supplementing labor forces that dwindled from diseases such as the plague and other factors of city living. Apprenticeship also took place in village businesses, where a teenager might learn milling or felting cloth. Apprenticeship was not limited to males. While there were fewer girls than boys taken in as apprentices, girls were trained in a wide variety of trades. They were more likely to be trained by the masters wife, who often knew nearly as much about the trade as her husband (and sometimes more). Although such trades as that of seamstress were more common for females, girls were not limited to learning skills they could take into a marriage, and once they married many continued plying their trades. Youngsters rarely had any choice in which craft they would learn, or with what particular master they would work; the destiny of an apprentice was usually determined by the connections his family had. For example, a young man whose father had a haberdasher for a friend might be apprenticed to that haberdasher, or perhaps to another haberdasher in the same guild. The connection might be through a godparent or neighbor instead of a blood relative. Affluent families had more affluent connections, and a wealthy Londoners son was more likely than a country boy to find himself learning the goldsmith trade. Apprenticeships were formally arranged with contracts and sponsors. Guilds required that bonds of surety be posted to guarantee that apprentices fulfilled expectations; if they did not, the sponsor was liable for the fee. In addition, sponsors or the candidates themselves would sometimes pay the master a fee to take on the apprentice. This would help the master cover the expenses of caring for the apprentice over the next several years. The relationship between master and apprentice was as significant as that between parent and offspring. Apprentices lived in their masters house or shop; they usually ate with the masters family, often wore clothes provided by the master, and were subject to the masters discipline. Living in such close proximity, the apprentice could and often did form close emotional bonds with this foster family, and might even marry the bosss daughter. Whether or not they married into the family, apprentices were often remembered in their masters wills. There were also cases of abuse, which might end up in court; though apprentices were usually the victims, at times they took extreme advantage of their benefactors, stealing from them and even engaging in violent confrontations. Apprentices sometimes ran away, and the sponsor would have to pay the master the surety fee to make up for the time, money and effort that had gone into training the runaway. The apprentices were there to learn and the primary purpose the master had taken them into his home was to teach them; so learning all the skills associated with the craft was what occupied most of their time. Some masters might take advantage of the free labor, and assign menial tasks to the young worker and teach him the secrets of the craft only slowly, but this was not all that common. An affluent craftsmaster would have servants to perform the unskilled tasks he needed to be done in the shop; and, the sooner he taught his apprentice the skills of the trade, the sooner his apprentice could help him properly in the business. It was the last hidden mysteries of the trade that might take some time to acquire. Apprenticeship was an extension of the adolescent  years  and could take up almost a quarter of the average medieval lifespan. At the end of his training, the apprentice was ready to go out on his own as a journeyman. Yet he was still likely to remain with his master as an employee. Sources Hanawalt, Barbara,  Growing Up in Medieval London  (Oxford University Press, 1993).Hanawalt, Barbara,  The Ties that Bound: Peasant Families in Medieval England  (Oxford University Press, 1986).Power, Eileen,  Medieval Women  (Cambridge University Press, 1995).Rowling, Marjorie, Life in Medieval Times  (Berkley Publishing Group, 1979).

Entrepreneurial Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Entrepreneurial Finance - Essay Example ing the relevant external and internal elements which are involved in new business startups it answers the questions such as where the organization stands right now, which direction is it going in and how to get there. It acts as a resume for any proposed business and is usually created to explain the vision and entrepreneur has for his business. A business plan is read by investors, employees, bankers, venture capitalists, customers, suppliers and advisors. Every stakeholder has a different perspective and interest in the business and so the content and focus of a business plan depends upon who is going to read it. For a profit organization, a business plan typically focuses on the financial goals such as profits. It comprises of the industry dynamics, company’s vision and mission, the resources required to run the business, the amount of capital needed, the sources of capital, the production and marketing plan and the pro forma financial statements to determine the expected profitability of the company over time. In short, it is a complete document consisting of all the information related to a business. A business plan is valuable not only to an entrepreneur, but to potential investors or even the new personnel who want to familiarize themselves with the venture, its goals and objectives. Following are three major roles of a business plan: The financial assessment of a business is an important activity which must be carried out on a continuous basis. It is done to identify if the business is solvent, that is, if its assets exceeds its debt and thus making the business capable of paying to all its creditors on time. Secondly, it helps entrepreneurs of investors to estimate the equity value of the company at any given point in time. A business is considered a financial success if it meets the following criteria: The financial plan of a business is the section in the business plan which determines if the new business venture is viable or not, or if it would be