Serpent Gods in Aztec Mythology Essay Example for Free

Serpent Gods in Aztec Mythology Essay Aztecs had a pantheon of Serpent Gods to which they attributed the creation and workings of the natural world. One of their principle gods, Quetzalcoatl, translated as feathered serpent, had many manifestations, each holding an important role part of the Aztec myths of creation and the workings of the natural world. As Braden points out the main of the many roles designated to Quetzalcoatl is that he along with his brother Huitzilopochtli took the task of creation of humanity besides the creation of life, including gods, environments and all living substances (1930, p. 120). He accomplished this task by splashing his blood on the bones and ashes of previous human beings that had existed in a previous age. Out of this auto-sacrifice of blood sprang a male and then a female child, the forbearers of all modern people. Brundage goes on to say that thus Quetzalcoatl is not only a god to be worshiped out of reverence for his powers over nature but as a father figure as well. The Aztecs saw him as a god who was benevolent and the reason for their existence (1979, p.106). Another manifestation of Quetzalcoatl is that of the wind. The Aztec name for a tornado or thunderstorm wind was ehecacoatl or roughly translated wind snake . The wind that blows before the storm is traditionally associated with complex deity. The wind is a powerful force of nature and it is easy to see how a society could attribute the characteristics of a snake to the wind. The wind swirls and moves with effortless grace, just as a snake glides along the ground. Brundage goes on to say that this shows the ease with which the Aztec mind accepted the reptilian nature of the wind (1979, p.106-107). However the most common account presents Quetzalcoatl in human form and as a holy priest who comes down from his heavenly abode to give the Aztec people a new religion. Brundage points out that he tries to make the Aztecs rituals more of a personal spiritual event. Before his arrival the legend says that the Aztecs sacrificed hundreds of humans to the various gods. In the form of the high priest Quetzalcoatl’s goal is to make Aztec ritual more simplistic and auto-sacrificial. He stresses auto-sacrifice and the sacrifice of snakes, butterflies, birds, etc. (1979, p.116). He is more concerned with the sanctity of human life. It is his opinion that if human blood is to be sacrificed it should be give directly by the person making the sacrifice. This legend ties in nicely with the creator myth. In his role as creator of the human race he sacrificed his own blood, now he is telling the people that by sacrificing their own blood it is a more precious offering that killing another person. He is seen as a divinity that is concerned for the lives of his people. Outline: 1) The main of the many roles designated to Quetzalcoatl, the principle serpent god in Aztec mythology. (Braden, 1930, p.120) A- Quetzalcoatl along with his brother Huitzilopochtli took the task of creation of humanity. 2) Another manifestation of Quetzalcoatl, which is the wind symbol connected to the characteristics of snake in nature. (Brundage, 1979, p.106- 107) A- How a society could attribute the characteristics of a snake to the wind. 3) Most common account that presents Quetzalcoatl in human form and as a holy priest. (Brundage, 1979, p.116) A- He tries to make the Aztecs rituals more of a personal spiritual event. B- He is more concerned with the sanctity of human life. References: Braden, Charles S. Religious Aspects of the Conquest of Mexico. Duke University Press. Duhram, NC: 1930. Brundage, Burr Cartwright. The Fifth Sun. University of Texas Press. Austin TX: 1979.

The Current Firewall Technology Computer Science Essay

The Current Firewall Technology Computer Science Essay Currently firewall technology as a specialized engineering solution rather than a scientifically based solution. Currently firewall is classified in to three category packet filtering, proxy server, and stateful firewall. This paper is main focus on the various type of firewall available and their pros and cons. Originally computer network was design for data communication to share the resources. The sharing of resources was bounded between universities. Eventually businesses, corporations, government agencies were begun to use internet. So network become vital part of their institution. Computer networking, however, is not without risks as Howard illustrates in his analysis of over 4000 security incidents on the Internet between 1989 and 1995 [1]. A neutral approach to network protection draws from several other fields, such as physical security, personnel security, operations security, communication security, and social mechanisms. [2] According to definition firewall is a set of mechanisms that can enforce a network domain security policy on communication traffic entering or leaving a network policy domain [3]. In simple word firewall is guard point which gives control point of entry or exit from computer or network. It is a first line of defence and it is also a contact point of the netw ork. It is very important to choose and design firewall to guard inside network from outside attack. Case Study Figure 1: ABC.Ltd network [6] Above figure shows our case study network . Consider a case where company ABC.Ltd want to implement a firewall for their campus design. Company whole network is divided in to three parts, inside network, Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and outside network. Inside network has ip address 10.1.1.0/24. DMZ is further divided in to two sub section; one is protected DMZ which has ip address 192.168.11.0/24 and dirty DMZ which is dump host whose ip address is 192.168.1.0/24. Dump host is a computer which got nothing important in it. These dump hosts are act as a honey pot which is use to lure attacker so that network security designer know different type of attack and help them to design security policy. DMZ is a zone where company put their services like web services, FTP services etc. Company has remote office which uses secure VPN to connect to the main campus network. There are different type of firewall technology which are packet filtering, proxy server and stateful firewall, Network Address Translation (NAT),Software firewall. Each firewall has their advantages and disadvantages. Rest portion of this paper is describe pro and cons of different firewall. Packet Filtering This is one of the simple types of firewall. This firewall is work on OSI layer 3 and 4.It filter packet by looking at IP address, TCP/UDP port number. It compare the incoming packet against pre define rule configure in to the router. After comparing router make decision to allow or deny the packet [4]. An access list is used to create rule to make decision. Figure shows the working of the packet filtering firewall. Figure 2: Packet Filtering in Router [4] Pros The simplest of the firewall technologies to configure. Only required access list to configure the firewall. Packet filtering capabilities are easily available in many hardware and software routing products, both commercially and they are freely available over the Internet. It is less processor intensive. Adding a filtering rule to a router produces little or no additional performance overhead. It is use for all type of application because it operates at the OSI layer 3 (Network) and layer 4 (Transport) layer. Only one router is required to protect entire network. Cons The packet filter has no intelligent to identify the authenticity of source. A well trained intruder can spoof inside IP address and can fool the firewall as the packet is from inside network. Since filtering rule is configuring manually it add administrative workload. Adding complex rule to the firewall decrease the router performance. In some cases, the filtering is incompatible with certain caching Strategies commonly used for performance enhancement. Some policies cannot readily be enforced by normal packet filtering routers. Example The following example shows how to build basic packet filtering firewall Consider a scenario of company whose inside network is lying in IP address range 10.1.1.0/24. Ethernet 0/1 is inside interface and Ethernet 0/0 is outside interface. To protect against IP spoofing attack following access list policy is configure Access list 100 deny ip 10.1.1.0 0.0.0.255 any log Access list 100 deny ip 127.0.0.0 0.255.255.255 any log Access list 100 deny ip 172.16.0.0 0.15.255.255 any log Access list 100 deny ip 192.168.0.0 0.0.255.255 any log Access list 100 deny ip 224.0.0.0 15.255.255.255 any log Access list 100 deny ip host 255.255.255.255 any log Access list 100 permit ip any 10.1.1.0 0.0.0.255 Interface Ethernet 0/0 Ip access-group 100 in An access list is basic tool to configure for packet filtering. Generally all routers support this tool. Above example is configured and tested on Cisco router. There are free download is available on internet few examples are Tuneup 1.0, Truxtis, Visnetic. Packet filtering firewall is simple in configuring and freely available on internet it is good solution for small business where not much complex firewall implementation is required. In our case study implementation of packet filtering is not a wise solution. A simple reason is it is very cumbersome. Example shows that just to stop ip spoofing we need to configure eight commands. Sometime it is difficult to troubleshoot and manage for network administrator. Application Layer Firewall Application Layer Firewall is also known as a proxy server. According to dictionary meaning of proxy is A person authorized to act for another; an agent or substitute. Same definition is valid for proxy server in network security. Proxy server is a software package install on device and act behalf of protected network which allows or denies access across network [5, 7]. Figure 3: Proxy Server [4] Above figure shows the working of proxy server. Proxy server works at layer 7 of Open System Interconnection (OSI) system model [4]. It intercepts and established the connection behalf of internal host to the outside network. As shown in figure when inside network is trying to connect outside network, application layer firewall which is install on router is intercept the secession and check the request is valid or not. If it is not valid request it discard the packet and if it is a valid request it repackage the request and send it to outside network as the packet is send by itself. When outside network response the request proxy server repackaged the response and sends it back to the original inside network. In some case proxy server block all connection from outside network and allowed only inside network to go outside. The only traffic is allowed from outside is the response from outside network to inside network. In some case both inbound and outbound traffic is allowed but under strict observation [4, 5, 7]. Example A good example, and the one we probably see the most, is a web proxy. When configured to use a proxy, your web browser contacts the proxy server for each web access instead of going directly to the target server on the internet. The proxy server then turns around and makes the real request of the web server. The proxy server gets the response, and then passes it back to you. Another example is proxy server is Tibia proxy which is game proxy server. Tibia is a popular multiplayer online computer game hosted on Internet servers. To play Tibia requires establishing a network connection to TCP port 7171 on the server. Depending on your network setup and your Internet Service Provider (ISP), your direct connection to the Tibia server and ability to play the game may be blocked by a network firewall or proxy server. Setting up a Tibia proxy avoids this common connection problem. A Tibia proxy is a special Internet server (separate from the game server) that does not require a port 7171 connection. Instead, the Tibia proxy server will accept requests on alternative network ports (such as port 80) that will typically not be restricted by firewalls / proxies. The Tibia proxy, in turn, makes its own direct connection to the game server (on port 7171) and translates messages between the Tibia server and your client in real time to allow game play [8]. Pros Act as an intermediary between outside network and protected network. It prevent direction connection between source and destination It is application aware firewall so that it can analyzes application inside the payload Support user level authentication It able to log the traffic and can do user level authentication Cons It is processor intensive so it is slower than packet filtering Need to configure internal client about proxy server Sometime it does not support all type of application. For example Sling Player 2.0 does not supported by proxy server. It is single point failure. Proxy server is install on device so if that device gets compromised then whole security compromised. Stateful Packet Filtering Figure 4: Stateful Firewall [4] In the mid-1990s, packet filters and proxy servers were the two technologies used to build firewall systems. As the number of applications that needed to pass through firewalls increased, proxy server vendors could not keep up with the development of new proxy servers. On the other hand, packet filtering also could not support the dynamic nature of the many modern applications. Thus, a new technology was born [4, 11]. Stateful packet filtering is a combination of packet filtering and application level gateway firewall [11]. It contains advantages of both. It is also refer as a application aware firewall. Stateful firewall not only examines IP header information but also up to application layer information for better inspection. The working of stateful firewall is as follow. When host from inside network send a packet to outside network it check authorization of the network and if it is authorized then it allow the packet outside the network and maintain state table. State table is a table which keep track of the active network connection which is TCP secession or UDP communication passing across it. This is also called as saving of state. When destination network respond to the initial request it compare the response with the information saved in state table to allow or denied the packet [11]. Example Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances in short Cisco ASA [9], Cisco PIX firewall, Check Point [10] are example of stateful firewall. Pros It work at network level and transport level but also at application layer It is not a processor intensive as proxy server Temporarily open the outside port so it reduces the possibility of attack that work against static packet filtering. Because of the state table it is faster than application layer gateway Support almost all the services. Cons It allows direct connection to inside host once the request to enter the network is granted. An attacker may exploit the vulnerability of that host and poison the network. It required skill knowledge of different type of traffic and attacks Network Address Translation This is one of the simplest methods to protect inside network. Network Address Translation (NAT) is quite similar to the packet filtering. When it configure on router it translate internal private network to outside public network. It maintain translation table so when reply come from outside to inside it send back to correct host. There are three type of NAT static NAT, dynamic NAT, port address translation (PAT) [12]. Pros It is very simple to configure It hide private network behind one public IP address Unlikely proxy server it does not requires any configuration on inside host. Cons It is difficult to troubleshoot end-to-end NAT cause problem when Virtual Private Network (VPN) is configured Like packet filter firewall it work at network and transport level of OSI model so it translate packet based on ip address Personal Firewall The personal firewall is an application which is install on computer to protect personal computer from different virus and different kind of attack [13]. It allow or deny request from computer based on configure policies. Many personal firewall like does intrusion detection. An example of this type firewall is Host Base Intrusion Prevention (HIPS) which block the communication if it finds any suspicious activity [14]. Pros Prompt user for outgoing connection Allow user to control which application is permitted to connect interne od LAN Dose auditing for all user of the computer Tell user that application is attempting to connect internet and gives information about destination server with which application want to connect It dose virus scanning automatically every day and remove them Cons It is an application running on host so it gives some load on CPU If system get affected by malware or spyware, it can modify the firewall cause security issue Recommendation By looking at different type of firewall and comparing their advantages and drawback we can conclude that stateful firewall is good solution for our scenario. The product like Cisco ASA or Check Point is ideal to guard against different type of attack. They also does intrusion detection and prevention and can virtualized these firewall which save cost of buying extra firewall.

The Real California Cheese Campaign Marketing Essay

The Real California Cheese Campaign Marketing Essay The Real California Cheese Campaign is a great example of a prosperous, positive promotional campaign. This campaign originated because of a study conducted by the Stanford Research Institute to improve the waning dairy industry in California. The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) is a state agency responsible for promoting California dairy products (Belch 297). The CMAB took the information from the study to develop and implement a highly effective integrated marketing communications plan. In order to have a profitable advertising campaign, there must be an integrated marketing communications plan in place. Our textbook defines integrated marketing communication as, a strategic business process used to plan, develop, execute and evaluate coordinated, measureable, persuasive brand communications programs over time with consumers, customers, prospects, employees, associates and other targeted relevant external and internal audiences. The goal is to generate both short-term financial returns and build long-term brand and shareholder value (Belch 12). The Happy Cows campaign did this for the cheese industry in California. First, there was the planning stage when the CMAB appointed the Stanford Research Institute to conduct a survey. Then the plan was developed and the CMAB decided to put the Real California Cheese seal on all their products for brand identity (Greenwald 1). The integrated marketing communication plan was implemented in 1985. This is when they started promo ting Real California Cheese with advertising on television and the radio, in newspapers and magazines, and outdoors. In 1995, the CMAB decided to have an emotional approach to their advertising campaign. During the years 1995 to 2000, the slogan for California cheese was Its the Cheese. In the year 2000, under the direction of a new advertising agency, Deutsch LA, the slogan Great Cheese comes from Happy Cows. Happy Cows come from California was introduced (Greenwald 2). In the text video, we watched some of these commercials and they are very funny and entertaining. This campaign portrayed a positive image for California cheese that customers will remember. Our textbook mentions this concept by stating, Marketers generally try to create agreeable messages that lead to positive feelings toward the product or service. Humorous messages often put consumers in a good mood and evoke positive feelings that may become associated with the brand being advertised (Belch 178). Our textbook al so points out that, Humorous ads are often the best known and best remembered of all advertising messages (Belch 199). One of the reasons this campaign is so successful is because people of all ages can understand and receive the message they are trying to portray to the customer. Lastly, the process was evaluated to get feedback from customers. During the evaluation process, people were asked if they recognized who the advertiser was in cheese advertisements and where the cheese they buy comes from (Greenwald 16). The integrated marketing communication plan for Real California Cheese is measureable because of the results of these surveys. It is also persuasive because their profits and consumption percentages have rose significantly because of this advertising campaign (Greenwald 7). Another reason this integrated marketing communication plan succeeded so well is that they used so many customer-orientated advertising sales promotional (Belch 23) tools in stores; for example: sampli ng, demonstrations, coupons, flyers, and banners (Greenwald 4). This success has definitely generated both short-term financial returns and build long-term brand and shareholder value (Belch 12) for this company. It initially increased sales, and continues to do so, as proven by the statistics on page 7 (Greenwald). The Real California Cheese seal played an important role in the success of the entire campaign. This universal indicator shows that the milk used to make the cheese is from California cows (Greenwald 1). Our textbook states that Positioning has been defined as the art and science of fitting the product or service to one or more segments of the broad market in such a way as to set it meaningfully apart from competition (Belch 56). The Real California Cheese seal is what differentiates this cheese from other cheeses in the market and is used as the primary symbol of their company. This seal is on every package of cheese made in California, as well as on restaurant menus that use the California cheese, and coupons for California cheese. This is an integral part of their integrated marketing communication plan. The Real California Cheese seal gives it brand identity (Greenwald 1). Our textbook describes brand identity as, a combination of many factors, including the name, logo, symbols, design, packaging, and performance of a product or service as well as the image or type of associations that comes to mind when consumers think about a brand (Belch 56). It made a big difference to the program because buyers of the cheese as well as products made with California cheese are easily recognized (Greenwald 1). The advertising agency was assigned to target women ages 25 to 54. They are the main buyer of cheese, have fairly higher earnings than average, and are most likely to be married with a family. They had a yearly budget of $33 million to spend for developing the campaign (Greenwald 3). The Happy Cows personality that was created can be described as fun and entertaining. They use humor and positive imagery in their advertising campaign. Our textbook points out that, One study found that people who enjoy a commercial are twice as likely as those who are neutral toward it to be convinced that the brand is the best (Belch 167). The pros of the campaign are that they were able to reach out to so many people in different ways. They used many different advertising outlets to reach a wide audience. They use mass marketing to advertise their product on radio and national television, as well as on outside billboards, and transportation shelters. In 2004 and 2005, they used mass marketing during the Super Bowl. They marketed Real California Cheese in stores by giving out coupons and samples. This was all part of their identity-building ad campaign (Greenwald 3). They advertise in retail outlets, in the food service industry, and at various trade shows as well (Greenwald 3-5). They actively advertised their campaign, making sure it was positive, and included the Real California Cheese seal. The con of this advertising approach is that it costs a lot of money to maintain. No advertising approach can be continued indefinitely. As we saw in the text video, they have added different animals in their commercials, such as bulls and sheep, which give the commercials more variety. Since internet advertising is constantly growing, they will need to expand their advertising presence on the internet. They already have their own website, but they should expand to advertising on other websites, such as Google or Facebook, which is very popular these days. There are three main consumer promotion tools used by the CMAB, cross-promotions in-store that utilize instant redeemable coupons, in-store product sampling, and self-liquidating premium offers (Greenwald 5). These tactics allow customers to save money, not only on the cheese, but also with products that go with cheese. It allows potential customers to try before they buy the products. They can also have souvenirs of the Happy Cow campaign with merchandise bought from the website. This way is used to reinforce the advertising by keeping the merchandise fresh in the consumers mind with the primary objective of repeat customers (Greenwald 5). Public relations is used as part of the integrated marketing communications program by having articles in premium food magazines tout their many awards for their advertising as well as recipes that use Real California Cheese. Along with their advertising awards, they have won international cheese competitions that are covered by the press. Stories about how the cheese is made are also part of their public relations program. They use different types of magazines and newspapers depending on the angle of interest of the target audience. Not only magazines centered on food are used, but also travel magazines or travel sections of the newspaper are used to reach different audiences (Greenwald 6). The Real California Cheese website homepage exhibits the certification seal for Real California Cheese. This is one way that the seal reinforces the integrated marketing communications program. Other things on the website are: videos of television ads, Happy Cow merchandise and cheese for sale, coupons, maps, recipes, articles, game section for kids, professional section for chefs and restaurant operators (Greenwald 6). All of these things support the other parts of the integrated marketing communications program by putting their name and logo out there so it stays prominent in the customers mind (Greenwald 5). The CMAB used customer surveys to evaluate their IMC program (Greenwald 16). They have won many awards for their creative Happy Cows campaign, so this is another way it has been evaluated. The companys statistics give a numerical indication of the success of the campaign. The cheese production has significantly increased since the start of the campaign because of the increasing demand for Real California Cheese, even internationally (Greenwald 7). Customer satisfaction is a very big part of the success of any campaign. Therefore, they should continue with the coupons and sampling of the product and focus on that. Customer trends are ever changing and no one really knows what the next trend will be. I came up with a few ideas, and then looked at the Real California Cheese website, and most of them were already on there. The Real California Cheese website is full of useful information and different activities (www.realcaliforniacheese.com). One idea that I am pretty sure they have not done yet is having a Happy Cow jingle about Real California Cheese. The cows could hum the jingle while they are grazing contently in the pasture. Janice and Diane could sing the jingle on radio commercials. This jingle could be made into a ring-tone for cell phones. This would reinforce their message by keeping it prominent in the customers mind (Greenwald 5). Another idea I thought of is to have a Happy Cow costume that an employee could wear at events, such as trade shows. This Happy Cow character could be at a restaurant when they first introduce Real California Cheese on the menu, like a grand opening ceremon y. The Happy Cow character would definitely carry the Real California Cheese seal. The California Milk Advisory Board really got it right when they came up with this integrated marketing communications plan. They went through all the stages of a successful integrated marketing communications plan: plan, develop, execute, and evaluate (Belch 12). It has all the elements of success. It is appropriate for all ages, humorous, creative, positive, and non-offensive. The website contains a wealth of information about Real California Cheese, including recipes, coupons, sustainability, and nutritional information. There are also fun activities, videos, pictures, and contests (www.realcaliforniacheese.com).

Macbeths Ambition As Displayed In Act 1, Scene 7 Essay -- essays resea

In Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act I, scene 7, Macbeth hesitates because of both pragmatic and moral causes; although, his moral scruples seem to overpower the pragmatic arguments. Macbeth is torn between these two issues, and his unique way of deciphering his problems is exhibited in this scene. Macbeth feels that if he were to assassinate the king, Duncan, that he better do it soon. The first line of Act I, scene 7 begins with, â€Å"If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well; It were done quickly.† So, basically, Macbeth feels that if the crime was committed when it needed to be, and if it were done quickly, then he would be safe. This argument is a moral concern toward Macbeth, this is the first thought that comes to his mind, because it is exhibited in the fist line of his soliloquy. Macbeth is hesitant to murder Duncan, because he feels that he would be eternally punished in hell for committing such a heinous crime. Macbeth expresses these feelings in lines 7-10, â€Å"But here upon this bank and shoal of time; We’d jump the life to come.† The â€Å"life to come†, is the afterlife, which would be an eternity of suffering for Macbeth, because of his assassination of Duncan. Thus, making this argument a moral concern, and one of Macbeth’s overpowering arguments in his soliloquy. Macbeth feels that if he were to succeed the throne from Duncan, the common people would feel a sense of mistrust toward Macbeth. Macbeth expresses these thoughts in lines 7-10, â€Å"Lines 7-10: â€Å"We still have j...

Honesty: Characters of Othello :: English Literature Essays

Honesty: Characters of Othello Honesty can be a way of life for many people. For some it can define all that they really are and for others it can define how they view all of their peers, friends, and family. But whichever way you cut it, honesty can affect you greatly and every solitary day. This idea was one of the most specific and open parts of the plot of William Shakespeare's Othello. In the play Shakespeare gives us brilliant insight as to what can happen as a result of believing and trusting in the honesty and words of others. Though they might seem sincere, he seems to say, everyone has their own agenda. The three characters: Iago, Desdemona, and Othello himself all seemed to view honesty and moral values in their own personal ways; some were deserving of trust, some not. "O, that's an honest fellow" seems to sum up the trust bestowed upon Iago in this novel, until the bitter, biter end that is. Such great thing were said of his honesty in this play, things like: "You advise me well. goodnight honest Iago" and "I know thou'rt full of love and honesty". Irony had been one of Shakespeare's dramatic affects, and this play lacked in absolutely no way. Iago as a person was "evil", conniving, and "wicked"; lacking the basic morals that most people of our time, and Shakespeare's, have always prided themselves in having. He himself was very untrusting, going to such lengths as suspecting his wife Emilia as being unfaithful. But where did all this dishonesty and trickery lead him? To an end that leaves the audience asking, "why?" When Othello, after murdering his ever faithful wife Desdemona, demands Iago give his reasons Iago declares he will take his reasons with him to the grave, and though we might all feel we have an idea as to his motives only one person has ever really known. Shakespeare himself, and he as well took the secret to the grave. Possibly the only honest explanation we'll ever have derives from the most infamous of all of Iago's lines: "When devils will the blackest sins put on, they do suggest at first with heavenly shows". Though the line still leaves an observer empty, without content as to his motives, it suggests that he had motives that were justified in his own eyes. To Iago, his perceptions were all that mattered really, and honesty was a thing to be twisted to his own desires.

The Industrial Revolution for the Disabled :: Essays Papers

The Industrial Revolution for the Disabled In this new age of Internet and the World Wide Web, everything is accessible. If you needed up to date news, research, or entertainment; just go online. Everyday people take this choice for granted, maybe by ignorance or by stupidity, but a small, ever-growing population don't have these choices. The disabled have overcome many pregitouses and were once regarded as mentally and physically retarded. But recently, a number of organizations have recognized the need for the disabled to achieve ultimate web accessibility. Of course, ultimate won't be achieved for a long time, but some accessiblility is better than none. The Americans with Disabilities Act has already come up with accessibility requirements that the Federal Government has adopted. (Applicability of... 2000) Aol has changed it's format due to a law suit by the National Federation for the blind. (Applicability of... 2000) Not only are public sectors changing their websites, but many private sectors are as well (Applicability of... 2000) "To ensure individuals with disabilities have full and equal enjoyment of the facilities they provide when the provision of such access is measureable. (Applicability of... 2000) Assistive Technology "Assistive Technology is any device, piece of equipment, of software that is used to help a person with a disability or impairment, reach full functional capacity. Some examples of high-tech assistive technology include voice recognition systems, voice synthesis, large print display, braille embossing, and alternative computer input devices." (University of Iowa) Some statistics on the widespread concern of developers for accessible websites include:"50 million people in the U.S. have some kind of functional limitation. 15% of those cannot use a computer without some form of assistive technology and about 8% of those who use the Web have disabilities." (McKeefy 1998) As research shows the internet is bringing a world of information to users with disabilities, but adversely, it is difficult for vision impaired people to access a multimedia-rich site. (McKeefy 1998) New equipment for the sight-impaired are now available, but one might think it is only available to people with money. According to Greg Meise, President of Lenexa (a Kansas based reseller), "'Declining technology prices now have made these products available to a wider audience. Affordability has changed the market.'" (McKeefy 1998) The prices of these special technologies have dropped and impaired users have an option of mixed technologies. (McKeefy 1998) Awareness The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) has set up requirements for the internet to make web sites accessible for people with disabilities.

Some strategies that will enable children Essay

All children and young people need strategies to make certain that they can protect themselves and make appropriate decisions about safety. Although it is important that children and young people learn to protect themselves taking their own risks are equally important as long as significant harm will not take place. Children in particular need to learn about strangers as some people are not always going to be kind to them but also the significant message must be that not everyone they come into contact with is going to be someone that will present any harm. Children and young people need to have good self-esteem and confidence and a good self-image (so it is important to promote this from a young age) so they know they are important, should be respected by all and know that there are trusted adults there to help them and keep them safe. Some strategies that will enable children to protect themselves are: Adults to reinforce about dangers that are posed by some adults which helps to minimise risk. Reinforcement of correct behaviour with higher risk activities (e.g. Road Safety, Green Cross Code, Cycling Proficiency) With older children drug, alcohol and sex education and the effects they have on young people. It is important that an adult gives these strategies at the appropriate developmental stage (e.g. younger children may use different words for parts of their bodies) Reinforce the rights and wrongs for example: Hugs and kisses – tell a child that it is fine to have hugs and kisses, particularly from close family but these should never be kept as a secret. Body – Explain that a person’s body is their possession and does not belong to any other person. If anybody touches or tries to touch your body in a way that you do not want them to or that is frightening to you then you must say NO and inform somebody about what has taken place immediately. Stranger danger – Explain to a child that they must not talk to a stranger or go off with a stranger under any circumstances even if the stranger knows their name, says they know their parent etc. If a stranger, bully or someone they know tries to hurt them, they must leave and get help whether that is towards a crowd or a shop. To be heard – If a child is in a situation where they are being harmed they must shout out as this is acceptable when someone is hurting you or they are scared, in danger. Truth – Always tell a trusting adult if and what has happened to you. Secrets – Do not keep any secrets about any person that is bullying, kissing or touching you. If anybody tells you to keep their actions a secret then tell an adult that you trust immediately. Bribes – Do not take any gifts from anybody without your parent/carers permission. If a gift is from someone close to your family usually it will be ok however some people will use gifts you bribe you to keep something a secret. Code – You could have a code word with you parent/carer which only you and they know so that if somebody else picks you up they are told the code so that you know they are the correct person to pick you up. Sex – for older children, explain about ‘the birds and the bees’ when it is appropriate to have sexual relations and who with etc. Drink and drugs – Explain the effects that drink and drug use can have on the health and development, how they can damage your health, well- being and can possibly put you in vulnerable situations.