PHILOSOPHY essays

PHILOSOPHY essays I've always been a philosopher at heart, overanalyzing situations, people, and nature; questioning values and our existence. Having long discussions that often lead into arguments on various aspects of life inspires me, as I take in other people's perceptions on life and develop my own. Over the past couple of years my views have drastically changed, and as I matured I sorted I had an epiphany one night last year, while having a telephone conversation with my friend Andre. He was a little older than me and a lot wiser. Him and I spoke for hours as we discussed life's many unanswered questions. That night we argued on the topic of destiny and whether it exists. I am one of those stubborn, independent people that chose to scoff at destiny for I wanted to believe that I had complete control over my actions. But as the night progressed and as our conversation deepened I began to see things Andre argued that we do not have complete free will, but only a limited amount. The rest is up to destiny to decide, which we have no control over. The idea seemed bizarre and outrageous, especially with my mentality at the time. I was a strong believer of free will and the idea of some supernatural force that predetermines our actions sounded crazy. He then gave me an example.Andre said that destiny exists because if we were to travel back and relive a moment, we would have acted upon it the same exact way. I wondered why as he continued.We wouldn't change our actions for that was the way we felt at that specific time and place, after all environment affects our actions. The pieces of the puzzle began to fit together, as words of wisdom entered my brain. Andre said that the small amount of free will that we have over our actions play a significant role as well. He said that we do have a choice to make a stand in life and "live it", or pursue a future. "We have the choice ...

Do Colleges Use Weighted or Unweighted GPA

Do Colleges Use Weighted or Unweighted GPA SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips High schools may record students' GPAs as weighted or unweighted. But which type of GPA is taken more seriously in the college admissions process? In this article, I’ll provide an overview of the differences between weighted and unweighted GPAs and tell you which type is more important. What’s the Difference Between Weighted and Unweighted GPA? First off, you should know what constitutes weighted and unweighted GPA in high school. Traditional GPAs are unweighted, which means they'remeasured on a scale from 0 to 4.0.A 4.0 is an A average, a 3.0 is a B average, a 2.0 is a C average, a 1.0 is a D average, and anything below that represents a failing grade. Unweighted GPAs do not take the levels of your classes into account.An A in an AP or honors class will translate into a 4.0 GPA, and so will an A in a low-level class. Basically, an unweighted GPA won’t change based on the types of classes you’re taking; it represents your grades in isolation. Weighted GPAs are a bit more complicated.Many high schools now record weighted GPAs instead of standard unweighted GPAs.Weighted GPAs are measured on a scale that goes up higher than 4.0 to account for more difficult classes.For many schools, this means a 0-5.0 scale,but some scales go up higher (like to 6.0). In the lowest-level classes, grades will still stand for the same numbers as they would on an unweighted GPA scale (i.e., an A is a 4.0, a B is a 3.0, etc.).However, in honors or AP classes, an A will translate into a 5.0 GPA, a B will be a 4.0, and so on. If your school has mid-level classes, an A might translate into a 4.5 GPA. Keep in mind that these are general estimates.If your school records weighted GPAs, check its specific policies.Weighted GPAs are used in an effort to present a more accurate picture of academic abilities based on the rigor of a student's coursework. Your A+ in Intro to Yoga will only get you so far. Do some mindful breathing to help yourself accept this. Which GPA Do Colleges Care About? Of course, every college is different, but in general colleges care more about your record of coursework thanyour GPA out of context.For this reason, I can’t say that colleges necessarily care â€Å"more† about unweighted or weighted GPA.Between the two, weighted GPA provides more useful information, but they will still look closely at your transcript instead of just taking your GPA at face value. Your GPA is an overview of how you did in high school, but every admissions department will dig deeper (unless your GPA is exceptionally low- think below 2.0) before making a blanket judgment based solely on that number,whether it's weighted or unweighted. This is because the GPA scales of different high schools can't be compared directly. Some schools might count honors and AP classes as "high level" for weighted GPAs, and some might only count APs. Some AP classes are also easier than others. It wouldn't be fair for colleges to give a student who earned an A in a notoriously difficult class like AP Physics the same credit as a student who earned an A in AP Psychology, even if they have the same weighted GPA. Colleges want to see that you have pushed yourself to take on academic challenges and managed to grow over time.If your academic record demonstrates increasing difficulty of coursework, this will look impressive to colleges, even if your GPA isn’t stellar.If you have a 4.0 but remained in all the least challenging classes in high school, colleges will be less impressed since you didn’t push yourself further academically. even though you were clearly capable of doing so. If you’re getting all As in low-level classes, don’t stay complacent just because you have a good GPA.It’s absolutely worth it to move up a level and challenge yourself, even if it leads to a slight drop in your GPA. Colleges look at the whole picture, and they will make note of the fact that you forced yourself to leave your comfort zone and grow intellectually. This plant is a metaphor for your brain over the course of high school. What Do College Admissions Departments Say About GPA? Just to make sure we're on the right track, let's check the official policies of a range of schools. Here are some quotes about GPA taken from the admissions websites for Harvard, Ithaca College, Stanford, Claremont McKenna College, and the University of Texas at Austin. Harvard Admissions Department According to the admissions website, here are two key questions Harvard admissions officers ask themselves when reviewing potential applicants: â€Å"Have you reached your maximum academic and personal potential?† â€Å"Have you been stretching yourself?† Obviously, to get into Harvard, you'll need a great GPA.However, notice thatthey don’t say, â€Å"Your unweighted GPA must be at least 3.8,† or make any sort of concrete statement about numbers.What they want to see is that you’ve been constantly striving for more advanced learning opportunities and have also been pushing yourself to your limits academically. Students who've grown a lot in high school and who were motivated to take difficult classes are probably students who will continue to do the same in college.This demonstrates my point in the previous section that colleges really want to see students who have taken challenging coursework and proved themselves to be dedicated to fulfilling their academic potential. Harvard College Ithaca College Admissions Department Here’s what Ithaca's admissions department has to say about its admissions process: â€Å"An Ithaca College education requires that every student be actively engaged in their academic experiences. ...We are most focused on the rigor of your curriculum and the level of success you’ve demonstrated in your academic work.† Again, the admissions department is looking for students who were engaged in their high school coursework and are interested in learning more.Though grades are important, the level of your coursework and your demonstrated academic growth will also go a long way toward impressing admissions officers. Ithaca College Want to build the best possible college application with your GPA? 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. Stanford Admissions Department According toStanford, what itvalues most in its applicants is as follows: "The primary criterion for admission to Stanford is academic excellence. We look for your preparation and potential to succeed. We expect you to challenge yourself throughout high school and to do very well. ... There is no minimum GPA or test score; nor is there any specific number of AP or honors courses you must have on your transcript in order to be admitted to Stanford." As we saw with Harvard, academic excellence is a given- you obviously need to have strong grades in order to have a solid chance at getting into Stanford. That said, Stanford is clear that "there is no minimum GPA."Once again, the important idea here is that you're proving you have the potential to succeed and challenge yourself- not that you're necessarily getting As in every single class you take. Stanford University Claremont McKenna College Admissions Department Here’s what Claremont McKenna says about its admissions process: "Competitive candidates for admission pursue the most demanding course work possible, receive strong grades, and are highly regarded by their teachers and counselors. The minimum requirements are: English: Four years. Mathematics: Three years, preferably four. Candidates should recognize that mathematical skill is as important for professionals in government and economics as it is in engineering and the physical sciences. Foreign Language: At least three years. History: At least one year. Science: At least two years required, three strongly preferred." This brings up a good point: many schools might not have GPA requirements, but they do require applicants to take certain classes in high school. Once again, this emphasizes coursework over straight GPA in the admissions process.â€Å"Strong grades† are expected, but a desire for students who have pursued â€Å"the most demanding course work† is far more important. Claremont McKenna College University of Texas at Austin Admissions Department Finally, UT Austin says the following on its admissions website: "To be competitive for admission, freshman applicants must complete or be on track to complete certain high school coursework: Language Arts:Four credits Mathematics:Four credits Science:Four credits Social Studies:Four credits Foreign Language:Two credits Fine Arts:One credit Physical Education:One credit Electives:Six credits" Like Claremont McKenna College, UT Austin requires specific coursework in high school. In fact, the school doesn't say much at all about GPA on its website, indicating that GPA alone is not a particularly important part of admissions- rather,the courses you take are important. UT Austin (Stephen M. Scott/Flickr) Conclusion: Colleges and Weighted vs. Unweighted GPA Ultimately, you shouldn’t worry too much about whether colleges will look at your weighted or unweighted GPA.The value of your GPA, whether weighted or unweighted, isn’t the final word on whether you've demonstrated your academic potential in high school. Instead, focus on your coursework. Have you been consistently challenging yourself and living up to your abilities? Are you making the most of the academic opportunities your school offers? If you can answer yes to these two questions, you’re on your way to success in college admissions! What's Next? Worried about how your GPA will impact your chances of getting into college? Check out this list of the best colleges with less competitive GPA requirements. Not sure whether your GPA is considered high or low? Read my article on what constitutes a good and bad GPA for college admissions. For a complete overview of how GPA is calculated and what it means for you, take a look at this article. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 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:

Individual Design report -Technology Integration Coursework

Individual Design report -Technology Integration - Coursework Example The artefact itself will be the size of an average human torso, which will be placed on a square platform and will be encased in a glass box of about six feet height and three feet width on all sides. Glass panels on all sides will be electric blue in colour and embedded with LED lightning streaks panelled on the sides and back, which can play different patterns of lightning on predetermined intervals or through sensor detection as people pass by and on-off switch will be controlled both through pre-programmed computer system within the platform of the artefact. The front side will be plain glass with no embellishments to afford a clear view. The female form will be rendered in very light cream colour to allow better transparency. The artefact will be facing the sidewalk or road so that it receives maximum view. The female has a cigarette packet in her left hand and a lighted cigarette between the fingers of her right hand. Every time she brings the cigarette to her mouth and takes a drag, the tip will glow and her lungs will be displayed. As she takes out the cigarette from her mouth and brings the hand down, her lungs will darken and the light will fade out. An audio will play, â€Å"Puffing out Your Lungs?† and simultaneously the lightning streaks will illuminate, playing different patterns on all sides and, at the same time, the words of the audio will appear on the front panel. Once the entire series of action is completed, it will repeat only when a passerby approaches within the radius of five metres, or again at a predetermined interval as per the computer programme. When placed on busy roadsides and other areas in future, the artefact will cater for appropriate changes depending on the locations where these will be placed and will also introduce sensors and other appropriate systems for vehicles passing by. During the intervals between the actions, the system will play some mild music. Evaluation: The main objective of this project is to attract the attention of the public to the health hazards of behaviours such as smoking. The glasswork of the design and the lighting effects are intended for attracting and engaging the public who are the audience for this campaign. LED embedding in glass panels is a rather recently developed technology that has immense potential in attracting attention. The technology involves the use of a â€Å"sustainable active glass system,† which can diffuse an array of vibrant colour lights emanating from LEDs and can be operated through electronic programming (LED in Glass 2011:2). The following diagram will illustrate the system: (LED in Glass 2011) This system allows the emission of light from several multicoloured LED strips through glass edges and the light gets â€Å"refracted out of the front and back† (2). The same technology will be used for the burning tip of the cigarette, which will be triggered on the movement of the arm. This technology offers immense possibility of alig ning a wide range of design, colour and light features into glass and can be highly appealing to the audience, especially during night times. The lightning streaks will be in deep orange colour that will enable visibility from distance and also catch the immediate attraction of public. The system will operate through electronic programming of a suitable type that is user friendly and cost effective. In addition, technologies such as cloud computing will be used for enabling easy access and operational efficiency of the

Prepare a research proposal for a research project in the area of Dissertation

Prepare a research proposal for a research project in the area of management (including accounting, finance and management scien - Dissertation Example Job Descriptions are lists of the general tasks, or functions, and responsibilities of a position. Job Analysis is necessary for all the functions of Human Resources and better performance in these areas lead to Organizational Development, so we can say that Job Analysis directly, indirectly or eventually leads to Organizational Development. Organization Development (OD) is defined as the process of improving organization. The process is carefully planned and implemented to benefit the organization, its employees and its stakeholders. The current study is at Nestle. This study is conducted to show the significance of Job Analysis for organization development. The reason behind choosing this topic is that I have interest in this topic. This was the most significant criteria for me. Doing the thesis needs a lot of time and the quality of life will be enhanced if these hours are utilized pleasingly. Moreover, the quality of research, writing, and arguments will be much better if I feel genuine passion for my work. This research would be beneficial both for University (name your college/university) and Nestle as it would improve the relations. These professional relationships can help Nestle to hire best talent from (name of your college/university) as their talented human resources. LITERATURE REVIEW: Job Analysis is the systematic process of determining the skills, duties and knowledge required for performing the jobs in an organization (Mondey & Noe, 2006). Traditionally it is an essential and pervasive human resource technique and the starting point for other human resource activities. In today’s rapidly changing work environment, organizations extensively rely on Job Analysis practices in order to enhance Organizational Development. New jobs are being created and old jobs are being redesigned and eliminated. Organizations that want to develop tailor jobs according to changing needs and thus Job Analysis is reviewed. In 1991, Ronald, Lawrence, & Goldberg discussed Job Analysis as the systematic procedure of collecting and analyzing information about jobs. Job Analysis consists of two elements: a Job Description and Job Specification. A Job Description is a written description of the activities that have to be performed. Generally, a Job Description also contains information about tools and equipment used in the job and about the working conditions. So job descriptions specify the job content and the job context. The Job Specification indicates which specific skills, competences, knowledge, capabilities and other physical and personal attributes one must have to perform the job successfully. An acronym that is used to describe which types of attributes are referred to in job analysis is KSAO: Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Others characteristics (Ronald, Lawrence, & Goldberg, 1991). Job Analysis has been one of the most useful tools for gathering information and developing content valid and legally defensible selection procedures for a wide variety of jobs (Harvey, 1991). When job analysis is used for building the human potential and it is analyzed and reviewed according to the changing requirements of the organization it finally leads to organizational development. DeSimone & Werner (2006) defines organizational

Deciduous and Temperate Evergreen Forest Essay Example for Free

Deciduous and Temperate Evergreen Forest Essay Tropical evergreen forest Tropical forests are characterized by the greatest diversity of species. They occur near the equator, within the area bounded by latitudes 23. 5 degrees N and 23. 5 degrees S. One of the major characteristics of tropical forests is their distinct seasonality: winter is absent, and only two seasons are present (rainy and dry). An  evergreen forest  is a  forest  consisting entirely or mainly of  evergreen  trees that retain green foliage all year round. Such forests reign the tropics primarily as  broadleaf  evergreens, and in  temperate  and  boreal  latitudes  primarily asconiferous  evergreens Tropical deciduous forest Deciduous  means falling off at maturity or tending to fall off, and is typically used in reference to  trees  or  shrubs  that lose theirleaves  seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as  petals  after flowering or  fruit  when ripe. In a more general sense, deciduous means the dropping of a part that is no longer needed, or falling away after its purpose is finished. In plants it is the result of natural processes. Deciduous has a similar meaning when referring to animal parts, such as deciduous  antlers  in  deer,[1]  ordeciduous teeth, also known as baby teeth, in some mammals (including human children). Temperate deciduous forests Temperate deciduous forests  or  temperate broad-leaf forests  are dominated by trees that lose their leaves each year. They are found in areas where warm moist summers alternate with mild winters. Mediterranean vegetation Mediterranean vegetation,  any scrubby, dense vegetation composed of broad-leaved evergreen shrubs, bushes, and small trees usually less than 2. 5 m (about 8 feet) tall and growing in regions lying between 30 ° and 40 ° north and south latitudes. These regions have a climate similar to that of the Mediterranean area, which is characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Around the Mediterranean Sea this vegetation is called macchie, maquis, or garigue; it is known as chaparral in southwestern North America, as Cape flora in southern Africa, and as mallee in southwestern Australia.

Gothic Arches Versus Romanesque Arches Essay -- Architecture

Thesis, Argument Outline, and Evidence In the late 12th century the Romanesque period of style morphed into the Gothic period of style. The Romanesque period was characterized by the following: thick walls, barrel/round arches, supporting groin vaults, and thick buttresses (Calkins 1998, 110). The Gothic period was characterized by the following: thin walls, pointed arches, stained glass, and flying buttresses (Icher 1998, 20-30). During the early medieval years, the use of thick walls in building a church or cathedral was not only to create a stable monumental building but to help protect the building during wars or battles. Building thick stone walls also helped protect the building from â€Å"incendiarism† which tended to happen frequently when older wooden churches were under attack (Fitchen 1981, 42-6). The seemingly smooth transition between the two periods can easily be seen with the change of using barrel arches to using pointed arches in cathedral architecture. By transitioning from barrel arches to point ed arches, cathedral builders were able to create greater support for cathedral roofs while conserving stone, reducing the sizes of buttresses and walls, and they also created a new meaning to what churches symbolized. The main argument, for the thesis above, is how with the use of pointed arches contributed to the downsizing use of stone in other sections of cathedral construction. The use of barrel arches in the past cathedral construction restricted the height limitations of the cathedral due to the height and width ratio of the barrel archway. But pointed archways increased the spectrum of height and width variations because of the design of the pointed arch itself. The flexibility of the pointed arch can be attributed... ... what cathedrals symbolize. With supporting evidence from the discipline of geometry and examples from cathedrals, such as Saint Denis and the Beauvis Cathedral; the use and development of the pointed arch has forever transformed the architectural landscape of medieval Europe. Works Cited Anderson, William. The Rise of the Gothic. New Hampshire: Salem House Publishers, 1985. Calkins, Robert G. Medieval Architecture in Western Europe: from A.D. 300 to 1500. New York: Oxford University Press, USA, 1998. Fitchen, John. The Construction of Gothic Cathedrals: a Study of Medieval Vault Erection. Phoenix ed. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 1981. Hiscock, Nigel. The Wise Master Builder: Platonic Geometry in Plans of Medieval Abbeys and Cathedrals. Chicago: Ashgate Pub Ltd, 2000. Icher, Franà §ois. Building the Great Cathedrals. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1998.

Education in Egypt Essay

Education is an important factor to a new and improved Egypt. But unfortunately the education we have here in Egypt leads to high literacy rate. This was proven through out the research. Also that high literacy rate is due to the deterioration of the educational system and governmental schools. The research was based on a questionnaire made and distributed among students and parents randomly. The questionnaire was divided in to 5 questions. First knowing their career either students or parents, second was either preferring public or private schools, for third question the number of students in the class now and what do they prefer the most, forth was ways for improving, and last question is either the literacy rate is effected from the way of education we have and why. The Research had 62 samples, they were all either students or parents, they were random samples, and all students where school students. The results obtained from the questionnaire showed 61% were students and 37% were parents. As for the second question there was a huge gap, there was 95% who choose private and only 5% choose public and reasons were defined. For the third question there was completely different results, concerning question (3 a) there was 27.42% answered 15 to 20 students, 38.71% claimed being in classes of 25 to 30 students, 29% answered 35 to 40 students and only 4.84% answered 40+. However question (3 b) had most of the samples answering similarly, having only 2 answers 71.3% wanted 15 to 20 students in class and 28.7% accepted 25 to 30 students as for the rest 0%. For the forth question the participants had different opinions in answering it as it is an open-ended question. Last question had 77.4% answered yes, 14.5% for No and 8.1% had neutral as their answer, for the rest of the question was also open-ended. Concerning question two why they choose either public or private, for people who choose private schools was because they have better education, teachers are well qualified, more taking care of students, the schools are neater hygienic wise, having the same social standard colleagues, the private schools having better working environments, also for not just concerning on academic levels but also behaviors and manners. However for the few others who answered public was because it is cheaper, near the house and because the parent work there so it is easier. Going back to the literature review, yes searches did get out that most people or parents send their children private schools as for all the reason stated by the participants. Regarding the forth question there was so many suggestions, some of them are that changing the curriculum, teachers having higher salaries so they have motivation on working better, changing the way of teaching, making public and private schools going on the same curriculum, reduce the number of students in classes so that students and teachers could concentrate, non academic courses so that students loves the school and know its important, having a better working environment for students in classes, adding some critical thinking so students do not get out of school having the technique of memorizing only, improving the hygienic state of the classrooms and WC. Referring to what (Moussa) said in the literature review was same as some of the participants’ results about having overcrowded classes and the concentration in class. Also as the educational institute claimed about paying more attention to the curriculum and to continuously work on improving it was also one of the participants answers which shows that there is similarities between what the searches said and the questionnaires answers. Although based on (Helmy) â€Å"the country’s curriculum and assessment systems emphasize the memorization of facts, which works against innovative thinking and knowledge creation† is common to one of the answers about the critical thinking and not memorizing Finally question five people who answered with a yes was because they think government should provide in public school the same curriculum and importance of the subjects so students would want to go, also they do not give a concentration for those people who are in areas which there are no schools so they do not even care for learning, so these are some of the reasons that leads to high literacy rate however who had a no answer was because they think that it is because people does not want to learn not because we have a bad education but because they think working will get them money faster than studying first then working, and neutral did though education some times is a main problem for literacy because it is not as good as it should be but sometimes it is not the barrier because if a person wants to learn they will find their way to learn. In conclusion hypothesis was supported, as for most of the participants had the same answers as where out in the literature review as showing education is responsible in increasing or decreasing high literacy rate, also the quality of education in Egypt should be changed as for it is found out by margin that most of the people think the same about education in Egypt. Education is a very important aspect in everyone’s lives. It’s the education that makes us knowledgeable, respectable, civilized people so we have to take a very good care of it.

Globalisation of GAP Essay

An investigation into how Gap inc. has expanded into global markets and to what extent has this been successful? Gap was founded in 1969 by Donald Fisher and Doris Fisher. The name came from the growing differences between children and adults, called â€Å"the generation gap. The Fishers had been frustrated with the lack of decent customer service and fashionable styles at other retailers. One of the original mottos of the company was â€Å"Levi’s for Guys and Gals.† Around 1982, Gap began focusing on its own private label clothing and by 1991-1992, the company had stopped carrying Levi’s. As of April 2, 2005, Gap Inc. had approximately 150,000 employees and operated 3,005 stores worldwide. Donald Fisher retired as Chairman of the Board in 2004 and was replaced by his son, Robert Fisher. The Fisher family collectively owns about 25% of the company. Since its founding in 1969, Gap has provided its customers with clothing and accessories that enhance their personal style. What began as one brand has grown to include Gap, examples of Gap brands are GapKids, babyGap, GapBody and GapMaternity. By providing great style, value and service, Gap has become one of the world’s most recognized brands with more than 1,450 stores in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan and France. Today, Gap Inc. is one of the world’s largest specialty retailers, with more than 3,100 stores and 2006 revenues of $15.9 billion. Gap operate five of the most recognized clothing brands in the world including Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Forth & Towne and Piperlime. The culture and ethics of Gap can be seen from the missions statement provided by Gap. Guided by a shared Purpose, we’re able to work together more effectively and contribute to Gap Inc.’s success in a more meaningful way. Inspired by the same Values, we reflect the character, spirit and beliefs of Gap in everything we do. Driven to exceed with the right Behaviors, we work purposefully as individuals, as teams, as a company, to be the best we can be and achieve our vision for growth. Our Purpose Every day, Gap Inc. honors the original reason for founding this company: We’re passionate that you be you. We make it easy for you to express your personal style throughout your life. Our Values To achieve our purpose, we create an environment that encourages our teams to act with integrity and live by the highest standard of ethics. We listen, we respect each other’s time, we value the contributions each of us makes. In a spirit of open-mindedness and trust, we are open to a diversity of ideas, approaches and points of view-across teams and across divisions. We believe in quality and delivering the best result possible, reflecting the realities of price, time and what customers truly value. We find ways to put into balance things that seem to be at odds-work and life, commerce and social responsibility, rapid response and a planful approach. One of the main aims for a business is to grow, once a business has achieved this in it’s own market expanding into foreign markets can be very expensive but profitable. Businesses which operate in more than one country are multi nationals examples of multi nationals are Coca Cola, Sony, Mcdonalds and Gap inc. these businesses have successfully expanded into foreign markets and are now a global brand which is enviable to any business. There are various reasons why companies want to expand into foreign markets. Firstly the world consists of over 6 billion people this is a huge customer base for companies to try to exploit. More potential customers could result in increased sales and revenue because of the larger target market. This could therefore increase profit and even further growth for the business. As a business grows economies of scale can be an essential tool for businesses to take advantage of. Economies of scale allow businesses to buy in bulk and so pay less for each unit, lowering costs for the business. On a global scale the economies of scale the business could benefit would be far greater than that if they just operate in their own domestic market. Also if a business operates in more than one domestic market the risk is spread over several markets. Therefore if one market is not doing well for the business other foreign markets could make up for this. Spreading the risk would be very beneficial as the business would not be reliant on one market. Finally, investing in emerging markets businesses would gain the opportunity to sell to people who’s income are growing strongest and fastest, creating a brand and customer loyalty which would benefit the company greatly when the country further develops. There are however drawbacks and disadvantages to entering into foreign markets. Firstly language can be a major problem in foreign markets. If the business is not familiar with the language of the new market it can cause problems in communicating with employee’s directors and employees. This could then lead to problems in making decisions and implementing any changes. Also setting up in a new market can have very high start up costs. This could include a variety of things ranging from buying land to building factories for production. These high capital costs could inhibit the company from expanding as they may be reluctant to borrow finance. Advertising in the new market can be very expensive, as the company tries to create a brand and gain a competitive advantage TV commercials or adverts in newspapers or the radio could cost the company millions as the advertising campaign may need to be a long term investment. In new markets research and development can also be very expensive as learning about the new market and customers is essential to do well in the market. The company must invest heavily in the research and development as it would be crucial to supply the market with what they need, not just relying on what has been provided in their own domestic market. The government in the new country can also pose a problem. Different laws tax and interest rates can cause a problem for the company. The business could have to pay higher amounts of tax or change some regulations in the company to comply with laws in the country. Decision making can be very difficult. If the head quarters of the business was in America and they had just expanded into China implementing decisions and making decisions would be made so much harder. Overall operating in another market can cost the company millions in a variety of areas. When making the decision the company must take into consideration the opportunity costs of the expansion and not neglect the domestic market. Entering into new markets involves a great deal of risk there are many problems associated with selling in an unknown markets. Businesses attempt to overcome some of these problems in a number of ways, Firstly the company could decide to use joint ventures. This involves the business working together with another company in the country they wish to expand into. Both businesses will expect to gain from the venture. The partnership includes the original company who then teams up with a local company in the foreign market who has the knowledge of the market and already has established distribution links etc. An example of joint ventures could be Coca Cola who have entered joint ventures with bottling companies. They trade brand power for local knowledge of the distribution system. Joint ventures can be very good for companies, they can gain local knowledge without having to spend millions of pounds on research and development. Also initial capital costs would be reduced because you wouldn’t have to build factories or buy land because of your partner company. There is a greater chance of success in the foreign market and the risk is reduced for the company. From the research I have done I have not found any evidence of Gap entering into joint ventures, this could be due to the following negatives of the concept, firstly having to work with another business could be problematic. You may not be familiar with new company and so trust would have to be built between the two businesses in order for the partnership to be effective. The cultures of the two businesses could also be different causing difficulties in situations such as ethics. Decisions would also have to be made together; coming to a collective decision could be difficult. Finally any profits would have to be shared between the two companies, whereas if the original business had set up alone it would receive 100% of the profits. Obviously Gap would have taken into consideration the positives and the negatives about joint ventures but found that the disadvantages were outweighing the advantages. The second idea the business could use would be franchising. For many businesses this is the best way into international markets. Franchises are legal agreements by which local businesses are allowed to set up using the name, logo and trading method of a well known company. They gain all the benefits of a strongly branded product in return they pay a lump sum, percentage of the annual turnover and provide local knowledge. Examples of franchising would be Mcdonalds who have allowed some of their stores to be franchised. I have found evidence relating to various franchised Gap stores around the world. Gap has entered the franchise industry in order to develop its growth in Asia. Gap has signed a franchise agreement with Singaporean group FJ Benjamin Holdings which will see stores opened in Singapore and Malaysia under the Gap and Banana Republic brands. Under the agreements, F J Benjamin will hold exclusive rights to operate Gap and Banana Republic branded clothing and accessories stores in Singapore and will hold exclusive rights to distribute Gap and Banana Republic products in Malaysia. This franchise agreement between Gap and F J Benjamin demonstrates the company’s first step toward expanding the Gap and Banana Republic brands via international franchises. F J Benjamin plans to open about 30 stores in Singapore and Malaysia by 2010, opening the first Gap store in 2006 and the first Banana Republic store in 2007. â€Å"We are bringing Gap and Banana Republic to more customers throughout the world,† Quote from Andrew Rolfe president of Gap inc international. Gap Inc. will gain F J Benjamin’s retail expertise but will provide access to Gap and Banana Republic’s world-renowned clothing and accessories. F J Benjamin will purchase merchandise from Gap Inc. or suppliers designated by Gap Inc. and must keep to Gap Inc.’s quality standards to protect the reputation of the Gap and Banana Republic brands. This year Gap has also brought more franchise partners on board in United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, and plans to have 90 Gap and Banana Republic stores in Southeast Asia and the Middle East by 2010. The second franchising deal that Gap inc have signed is with the Al Tayer group-a leading business in the Middle East. Al Tayer will introduce Gap and Banana Republic brands into five key markets in the Middle East. The Group plans to open about 25 Gap and about 10 Banana Republic stores by 2010. The first Gap stores will open in the later part of 2006 and the Banana Republic stores are scheduled to open in 2007. Under its agreement with Gap Inc, Al Tayer Group will hold exclusive rights to operate Gap and Banana Republic branded clothing and accessories stores in United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and exclusive rights for Gap in Oman. Gap Inc. will again provide access to Gap and Banana Republic’s world-renowned clothing and accessories in return Al Tayer Group’s expertise in building retail outlets in the Middle East. Gap have entered two franchising deals already, if these were to succeed I would not predict against them entering them in the future. The advantages to gap for using franchise deals are as follows; any risk for the business is taken away as someone else will be running the business. The company will be provided with a lump sum and a percentage share of the annual turnover. This lump sum can be invested into other areas of the business such as advertising or research and development. The percentage of the annual turnover could also be retained profit. The business grows quickly and easily a global brand can be created effectively as long as people are willing to buy franchises in your business. Although there are various advantages the company could benefit from there are also disadvantages which could harm the business, actions by the franchised stores could harm the reputation of the company, because they have no control in the market they give full responsibility to the franchisee that could let you down. Also only some of profits are given to the company they have to share with the franchisee. This annual turnover they do receive would probably be significantly lower than the stores gross profit annually. The final growth strategy which could be used by Gap would be licensing, A license allows a business to make, produce and market a product or use the production method, which is protected by copyright or patent. This means that an innovative company can expand into international markets without actually having to invest in locally based production facilities. An example of licensing would be Heineken lager which is brewed under license by Whitbread’s in the United Kingdom. From research I have found that as well as franchising Gap have also entered licensing agreements. In 2006 Gap announced a licensing agreement between themselves and Safilo group. Safilo group are the leader in high-end and luxury eyewear. The agreement includes Banana Republic-branded prescription frames and sunglasses. The agreement includes the design, development, production and distribution of a collection to be launched by the end of 2007 in the United States and Canada. Terms of the agreement include a five-year commitment. The agreement represents the first time Banana Republic will sell its products outside its own distribution channels. â€Å"Their ability to transform eyewear concepts into luxury products is a great complement to our own expertise in extending the Banana Republic brand.† Quote from Marka Hansen president of banana republic, highlighting that both the companies entering into the licensing agreement will benefit from the others expertise in that relevant field. Banana Republic are not familiar with the design or production of sunglasses and so have taken the opportunity to find a leader in the sunglasses market to do this for them. Safilo will benefit from the well know brand identity of Gap inc and therefore the agreement should benefit both companies dramatically. These are not the only benefits that both companies could gain; capital costs of setting up in a foreign market are reduced because the licensee will have to produce the product. Also no local knowledge will be needed because the business will not have to sell in the area. This can save millions in research and development for the company. Finally the risk of setting up in a foreign market is reduced and the business grows quickly and easily, a global brand is created. Having these benefits would be great for both the companies involved in the licensing agreement, but as with all the strategies there are downsides to entering these agreements, somebody else will be running your business you have to trust others will the reputation and brand of your company. If the licensee does something to harm your reputation it could reduce sales. Finally the profits from the new market go directly to the licensee. The business only receives a lump sum for selling the license. This could prove disastrous if the market does very well and profits are alot higher than expected. Assessing which strategy will be best in order to be profitable and best for the business can be very difficult. Making the correct decision on which strategy to use when entering a foreign market could be the difference between success and profits in that market or complete failure. Gap inc. is a global brand, and owns stores around the world, as the table shows below. The company has entered into these markets using different strategies, and so therefore some have been successful and others have not. I will know analyze the strategies used by the company in order to create a global brand and then evaluate whether this has been successful. Country Total number of stores United Kingdom 240 Canada 236 France 54 Japan 153 Germany 20 Source, http://biz.yahoo.com/e/070402 Gap has entered various markets using company owned stores and deciding not to use any of the strategies above. This strategy was used in several European market such as Germany the UK and France. These markets however have not proved as profitable as had hoped, this lead to Gap exiting the German market. Gap has operated in the UK since 1987 and in France since 1993. Overall, Gap’s total revenue in the year ended in January, 2006, was $16.02 billion, down 1.5%. Last year, Gap’s sales in Britain and France combined fell 6.1%, to $825 million. Together, those two countries account for about 7% of Gap’s total revenue. Source- Gap inc Annual report 2006 Source – http://finance.google.com/finance?q=GPS The above diagram shows the share price for Gap inc. since 1987. The graph shows that the share price was relatively low until 1997 when there was a dramatic increase ranging until 1999. We can see that in 1987 when the Gap invested in stores in the UK the share price was $2.87. Even after entering such a mass market and increased possible customers which should inevitably lead to increased sales and therefore profit, in the following years the share price did not reflect this. After four years in the UK market the share price had only increased minimally to $3.37. A larger increase in the share price would have been expected if the sales had gone as predicted. The same can be said about the share price when the company expanded into the French market in 1993, the share price was $4.38 after three years in the market the share price had only increased minimally again to only $6.37. These figures show that there has been an increase in the share price of Gap after the introduction into new markets, but not the kind of increase that was expected. Because Gap was introduced into the new markets by company owned outlets, the start up costs would have been very high and so therefore the company would have expected to have high sales to try and regain some of these costs. The inevitable ending to the Gap stores in these markets would be similar to that of Gap stores in Germany were after years of poor sales the company withdrew from that market Gap was forced into selling shops in Germany to one of their main competitors, Swedish company H&M. The lack of profits and growth in the European markets is highlighted in the quote below. â€Å"Gap International store sales were negatively impacted by weak product acceptance in Europe. Our total store sales increase was due to the 130 new store openings, a majority of which occurred during the second half of the year.† Source – Quote from Gap’s annual report of 2006 This quote highlights the problems faced in the European markets. Gap may have used their experiences and lack of success in the European market to improve their chances in other emerging markets such as Asia. This may have played a part in swaying the decision to choose licensing and franchising as a source of international growth rather than try to go it alone as they did in Europe. Gap’s problems in this market could be down to a number of reasons, for example poor research and development not understanding what the consumer needs or poor pricing strategies. The two franchising agreements between Gap and F J Benjamin Holdings and Al Tayer group are relatively new. The franchises are not trading and so the extent to which this has been successful can not be evaluated. A leading competitor and one of Gaps main rivals in the clothing industry is Spanish company Zara a well branded company known all around the world, has successfully franchised it’s company and is now reaping the rewards. For example a franchised Zara in Helsinki was opened in April 2002 and sales got off to a flying start and were better than predicted. Spanish group Inditex owners of Zara have reported a rise in profits of 14.6 percent, thanks to â€Å"outstanding† sales at its Zara chain. Sales for the three months ended 31 July rose net income at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½144.7 million, up from à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½123.6 million last year. These figures from Zara show the type of sales and net income Gap must achieve for there franchise to be a success. Gap can look at Zara’s success at franchising and take on board how they have achieved there success. Sources, http://www.stockmann.fi/portal/english/news_releases/?year=2002&id=880709 http://www.fashionunited.co.uk/news/inditex.htm Again as with the franchising agreements the licensing agreements Gap have entered are relatively new and in the start up phase with the Safilo group. The products are set to be launched towards the end of 2007 and so figures on how successful they have been obviously cannot be researched. Evaluation. Gap inc. have or are soon going to be using various growth strategies in order to try and increase sales and profits around the world. From my research I have found that the first main strategy used by Gap was to open company owned stores in Europe. I found that this was a partly bad decision. I found that Gap found entering into the European market very difficult finding it hard to please the customer and increase sales. As I said earlier Gap’s intention’s when opening stores in both France and the UK were positive however the share price does not suggest this. Both these markets can be potentially lucrative however in the following years the share price did not reflect this-it only increased minimally. Gap found both of these markets hard to enter, but there hardest task was the German market. Here poor product acceptance and poor sales lead to Gap closing operations in Germany and selling their stores to clothing rival H&M. This highlighted the problem for Gap in the European market and if sales continue the way they are at the moment drastic changes need to be put in place or operations in the UK and French market may also have to be closed down. Entering into foreign markets using company owned shops as Gap did, has positives and negatives, setting up can costs millions of pounds in start up costs buying land or having to buy retail shops in city centers can be very expensive. Research and development is also a major factor, because the company can not rely on treating every market as there own domestic market every country will have different tastes and fashions and will have a different view on how much they are willing to pay. Finding this out is crucial for the business to succeed. Even though there are negatives there are some positives all profits made in the new market go directly to the company it doesn’t have to be shared, and also the company’s risk is more spread out so that the company does not have to rely on only one market others can make up for one market doing poorly. From my research I can evaluate that the decision to go into the European market using company owned shops was a bad idea. All of the markets entered are struggling and Gap has already had to exit one of them. Using company owned shops has its advantages but I think that Gap has not benefited from these; this could be for a number of reasons. Even though two of the markets entered are still operating I would predict that if sales do not increase then Gap would be forced into exiting these also. I believe that the franchising agreements set up with both groups in the Middle East is a positive move for Gap. I think the area knowledge that the groups will bring will help Gap succeed in this market were it failed in the European market. Using the Zara case study I found that there previous franchises have been extremely successful and increased profits massively for the parent company Inditex. Gap needs to seriously consider how and why Zara’s franchise agreements have worked and why they have been successful and then implement this into there own agreements. Gap and the franchisee groups could benefit from the agreements massively for a number of reasons, any risk for the business is taken away as someone else will be running the business. A lump sum is received for the franchise and more importantly high capital costs will not be needed because someone else would have to invest the money. This makes this a positive because there are less opportunity costs as less money would have to invested into selling abroad. This money could be used to strengthen the foothold in the company’s domestic market as they cannot afford to neglect this whilst trying to expand. However there are also negatives of this strategy which Gap would have to consider mainly that Gap would not have any control over the franchised stores, the owner could tarnish the reputation of the company on a global scale through one action which would drastically affect the company. Gap would have to ensure the franchisee was the right person for the culture and ethics in the company and a partnership built on trust must be formed. Overall I think that franchising would be an excellent way of growing for Gap. I believe looking at the success of Zara using this strategy that Gap will succeed in the Middle East with the franchised agreements. Gap must be careful however that the Al Tayer Group and F J Benjamin are the right groups to push the Gap brand globally.

Free Essays on War Is War

War is War Although Ernest Hemingway’s â€Å"Solider’s Home† (1925), Wilfred Owen’s â€Å"Dulce et Decorun Est† (1920), Randall Jarrell’s â€Å"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner† (1945), and Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s â€Å"The Charge of the Light Brigade† (1855) were written approximately one hundred years apart, represent different literary genres, and portray various circumstances, these writings depict realities about the trials and tribulations of war. Through conflict, imagery, symbolism, and theme, each author uses similar devices of sense and sound to present a strong case of the brutality of war. Despite different opinions about the sacrifice of death, different wars resulting from various political agendas and the different background of the writers, war is in and of itself the entity linking these literary works. In each of the selections, the conflict of reality and illusion is apparent. This internal struggle serves to express the harsh conditions of war with their physical and mental impact on the lives of soldiers during and after battle. In â€Å"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner†, Jarrell portrays the gunner as having a dreamy state of the mind (line 4). While reading the poem it is difficult at times to determine what is really taking place and what the gunner is feeling. â€Å"Everything in war [†¦] is reversed: up is down, one ascends to die, life is merely a dream of earth, awakening or realization is a nightmare, for truth is horrible, [†¦] But more importantly man becomes part of the paradox (Dawson 31.4)†. Similarly, in Owen’s â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est†, soldiers of World War I â€Å"drunk with fatigue (2.3) â€Å"marched asleep (2.1).† Readers can Earle 2 imagine the deteriorating mental and physical condition of the men â€Å"Lying in the bottom of the trenches trying desperately to hold on to their sanity and courage (Sharpe),† â€Å"many had lost all feeling of reality (Sharpe).† Thi... Free Essays on War Is War Free Essays on War Is War War is War Although Ernest Hemingway’s â€Å"Solider’s Home† (1925), Wilfred Owen’s â€Å"Dulce et Decorun Est† (1920), Randall Jarrell’s â€Å"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner† (1945), and Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s â€Å"The Charge of the Light Brigade† (1855) were written approximately one hundred years apart, represent different literary genres, and portray various circumstances, these writings depict realities about the trials and tribulations of war. Through conflict, imagery, symbolism, and theme, each author uses similar devices of sense and sound to present a strong case of the brutality of war. Despite different opinions about the sacrifice of death, different wars resulting from various political agendas and the different background of the writers, war is in and of itself the entity linking these literary works. In each of the selections, the conflict of reality and illusion is apparent. This internal struggle serves to express the harsh conditions of war with their physical and mental impact on the lives of soldiers during and after battle. In â€Å"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner†, Jarrell portrays the gunner as having a dreamy state of the mind (line 4). While reading the poem it is difficult at times to determine what is really taking place and what the gunner is feeling. â€Å"Everything in war [†¦] is reversed: up is down, one ascends to die, life is merely a dream of earth, awakening or realization is a nightmare, for truth is horrible, [†¦] But more importantly man becomes part of the paradox (Dawson 31.4)†. Similarly, in Owen’s â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est†, soldiers of World War I â€Å"drunk with fatigue (2.3) â€Å"marched asleep (2.1).† Readers can Earle 2 imagine the deteriorating mental and physical condition of the men â€Å"Lying in the bottom of the trenches trying desperately to hold on to their sanity and courage (Sharpe),† â€Å"many had lost all feeling of reality (Sharpe).† Thi...

Definition and Examples of Vagueness in Language

Definition and Examples of Vagueness in Language In speech or writing, vagueness is the imprecise or unclear use of language. Contrast this term with clarity and specificity. As an adjective, the word becomes vague. Although vagueness often occurs unintentionally, it may also be employed as a deliberate rhetorical strategy to avoid dealing with an issue or responding directly to a question. Macagno and Walton note that vagueness can also be introduced for the purpose of allowing the speaker to redefine the concept he wishes to use (Emotive Language in Argumentation, 2014). In  Vagueness as a Political Strategy (2013),  Giuseppina Scotto di Carlo observes that vagueness is a pervasive phenomenon in natural language, as it seems to be expressed through nearly all linguistic categories. In short, as philosopher Ludwig  Wittgenstein said, Vagueness is an  essential feature of the language.   Etymology From the Latin, wandering Examples and Observations Use details. Dont be vague. -Adrienne Dowhan et al., Essays That Will Get You into College, 3rd ed. Barrons, 2009 Vague Words and Phrases Vagueness arises from the use of terms that are inherently vague. The cabinet minister who says, My officials are monitoring this situation very closely, and I can promise that we shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the situation is resolved in a way that is fair to all the parties involved. should be challenged on grounds of vagueness. Despite the appearance of having promised to do something specific, the minster has not really promised to do anything at all. What are appropriate measures? They could be anything or nothing. What does fair to all the parties mean? We have no clear idea. Such phrases are inherently vague and can mean almost anything. People who use them should be challenged to say more precisely what they mean. -Willam Hughes and Jonathan Lavery, Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, 5th ed. Broadview Press, 2008 Vagueness Versus Specificity Vague or abstract words can create wrong or confusing meanings in your receivers mind. They state a general idea but leave the precise meaning to the receivers interpretation...The following examples show vague or abstract words and ways to make them specific and precise: many - 1,000 or 500 to 1,000early - 5 a.m.hot - 100 degrees Fahrenheitmost - 89.9 percentothers - business administration studentspoor student - has a 1.6 grade point average (4.0 A)very rich - a millionairesoon - 7 p.m., Tuesdayfurniture - an oak desk Notice in the preceding examples how adding a few words makes the meaning precise. Varieties of Vagueness One characteristic of vagueness...is that it is related to the degree of formality, or rather informality, of the situation; the less formal the situation the more vagueness there will be... Vagueness in Oratory [T]he need in oratory of the specific example, either in place of or immediately following the general statement, cannot be too strongly urged. Generalizations alone have no persuasive value. And yet this truth is constantly overlooked by public speakers. How often do we hear the common criticism of the typically weak, impressionless address: Platitudes and glittering generalities. In one of George Ades Forty Modern Fables a man has certain stock phrases which he uniformly uses in all discussions pertaining to art, literature, and music; and the moral is, For parlor use, the vague generality is a life-saver. But for the public speaker, generalizations are useless for either imparting or impressing his thought; a single concrete example has far more convincing and persuasive force. Vagueness in Survey Questions Vague words are very common on surveys. A word is vague when it is not obvious to a respondent what referents (e.g., instances, cases, examples) fall under the umbrella of the words intended meaning...For example, consider the question, How many members of your household work? This question has several vague words, most of which would be missed by the vast majority of respondents. It could be argued that members, household, and work are all vague words. Who counts as being a member of the household?...What falls under the category of household?... What counts as someone working?...Vagueness is ubiquitous in most survey questions. Ambiguity Versus Vagueness The difference between ambiguity and vagueness is a matter of whether two or more meanings associated with a given phonological form are distinct (ambiguous), or united as non-distinguished subcases of a single, more general meaning (vague). A standard example of ambiguity is bank financial institution vs. bank land at rivers edge, where the meanings are intuitively quite separate; in aunt fathers sister vs. aunt mothers sister, however, the meanings are intuitively united into one, parents sister. Thus ambiguity corresponds to separation, and vagueness to unity, of different meanings. Vagueness in Sentences and Words The primary application of vague is to sentences, not to words. But the vagueness of a sentence does not imply that vagueness of every constituent word. One vague word is enough. It may be essentially doubtful whether this is a red shape because it is essentially doubtful whether this is red, although beyond doubt that it is a shape. The vagueness of This is a red shape does not imply the vagueness of This is a shape. Sources A. C. Krizan, Patricia Merrier, Joyce Logan, and Karen Williams,  Business Communication, 8th ed. South-Western, Cengage Learning, 2011(Anna-Brita Stenstrà ¶m, Gisle Andersen, and Ingrid Kristine Hasund,  Trends in Teenage Talk: Corpus Compilation, Analysis, and Findings. John Benjamins, 2002)Edwin Du Bois Shurter,  The Rhetoric of Oratory. Macmillan, 1911Arthur C. Graesser, Question Interpretation.  Polling America: An Encyclopedia of Public Opinion, ed. by Samuel J. Best and Benjamin Radcliff. Greenwood Press, 2005David Tuggy, Ambiguity, Polysemy, and Vagueness.  Cognitive Linguistics: Basic Readings, ed. by Dirk Geeraerts. Mouton de Gruyter, 2006Timothy Williamson,  Vagueness. Routledge, 1994

E tourism (The global hunter website evaluation) Research Paper

E tourism (The global hunter website evaluation) - Research Paper Example The web page of Senegal-Tourism could be categorized as an example of ICT since it is a technology heavily employed for a certain purpose (i.e., commercial in nature). It must be noted, however, that Carlsson’s concept of ICT is strikingly broad. For one thing, Senegal-Tourism as website or software technology is far from being a â€Å"general-purpose technology.† Conversely, Paquette’s idea of ICT is more attuned to the Senegal-Tourism web page mainly because of its prominent relation or connection to such website in terms of strategy, medium, and communication resource. In the long run, ICTs vitally require a kind of evaluation commonly called heuristic evaluation method. The concept of heuristic evaluation was originally designed by Jakob Nielsen (Reeves & Hedberg, 2003). Mack and Nielsen (1994 as cited in Nielson, 1993) generally defined heuristic evaluation as a method of rigorously inspecting a â€Å"user interface design for usability.† Similar to c onventional methodology, heuristic evaluation roughly consists of a well-defined set of principles. This set of principles widely varies from the particular type of heuristic evaluation method being used or employed. In general, heuristic evaluation has ten basic heuristics, which are applicable to any type of software technology; three of the heuristic evaluation methods, to give few examples, are pluralistic walkthroughs, cognitive walkthroughs, and formal design analysis. The methodology called cognitive walkthroughs was mentioned by Nielsen, which he described as one of the two â€Å"[o]ther usability inspection methods.† Conyer extensively defined cognitive walkthroughs as a method utilized in order to â€Å"evaluate the ease of learning to use a product, particularly by exploration† (as cited in Reeves & Hedberg, 2003). On the other hand, Nielsen’s heuristic evaluation is essentially a kind of pluralistic walkthroughs. Based from several studies conducted, he concluded that a minimum of three evaluators are needed in order for the heuristic evaluation to be â€Å"reasonable† (Neilson, 1993). By and large, using heuristic evaluation method in evaluating certain interface’s usability is advantageous because it is less time-consuming and more cost saving (Reeves & Hedberg, 2003). In evaluating a particular interface or software product, several key concepts or terminologies considerably require definition of terms. In computer-science jargon, web content could be defined as the textual representation contained in a specific website. Fiore and Tang (2006) implicitly categorized web content, or simply content, as words or group of words -- essentially a paragraph construction -- primarily intended to be placed into one’s â€Å"online store.† Content is fundamentally the text seen or viewed on the Site. Text here is, normally, in a form of written text containing, like the human language, codes or signs that hav e meaning. Moreover, web content imperatively requires weekly, if not daily, update and upgrade -- what Fiore and Tang called â€Å"