Boston, Massachusetts, faced a road congestion problem; namely, an elevated 6-lane freeway, called the citys Central Artery (I-93), ran through the city center and caused persistent traffic congestion. In addition, the given road was beginning to fall. The problem was unavoidable since initially, in 1959, it was projected to pass 75,000 vehicles a day. In the early 90s, this number increased to 200,000, making the freeway one of the most congested in the USA.
As a result, the traffic flowed at a low speed for over 10 hours a day, which led to a deteriorated environmental situation additionally. Furthermore, accidents on the crumbling elevated freeway were four times more often than the national average for city and federal highways. The Big Dig was projected to replace the 6-lane elevated motorway with an 8/10-lane underground freeway that runs directly below the existing one and becomes 14-lane at its northern ends.
The Ted Williams
To connect the Ted Williams tunnel to interstate 90, engineers were required to build a 10-lane highway beneath Bostons Fort Point channel. That meant crossing over a subway and passing the citys largest factory and its commuter rail lines. Furthermore, the location had the weakest soil in the entire highway alignment to the greatest depth. If engineers could not discover a solution to harden the water-saturated soil, the whole construction would be impossible. The solution was borrowed from Japanese engineers who developed efficient and economic reclamation of weak lands utilizing a technique called soil mixing. The method implied mixing existing soil in place with cement. Therefore, engineers decided to strengthen 750 thousand cubic yards of land; enormous blades penetrated 30 feet deep into the channels and mixed earth with cement. It needed to wait for three years before the soil would harden.
Critical Problems
While constructing the last missing link of the highway to connect the tunnel beneath the channel to interstate 90, the engineers encountered two critical problems, namely, the daily train moves and the soft soil beneath the tracks. Concerning the latter problem, the soft soil made the tunnel building impossible. Moreover, there was another challenge how to strengthen the soil without disrupting New Englands train service.
The solution was found by the contractor who offered to freeze the soil. Pipes were inserted around the tracks and filled with saltwater chilled to minus 30 degrees. After several months, with a constant circulation of coolant, the ground became solid enough to support construction. The plan implied building sections and then pressing them beneath the tracks using an innovative technique known as tunnel Jackie.
Jackie
Jackie was applied to push the sections beneath the tracks of the tunnel, which have pipes with the cooled liquid. To resist the friction and keep the ground beneath the train tracks, engineers decided to pull steel cables in the opposite direction of the jacking. Coal mining machines ground a passage beneath the tracks, while tractors quickly scooped up the frozen dirt and rushed it to the end of a pit where giant cranes hauled it out. Once the machines had dug at the cavity, Jack, with the pushing capacity of 10,000 pounds per square inch, forced the 35,000-tonne box forward at a very slow rate, about 3 feet per day. It took three years to squeeze three tunnel sections beneath the tracks.
The development of in-app purchases in various apps and social platforms has become more evident at the beginning of the previous decade. The most popular digital markets, Google Play Market and Apple Market develop an explicit set of terms and services for customers convenience. However, once the online tools and games became available for minors, or kids aged under thirteen, there was a major shift in the digital policies. In the case of the Lee family, the situation can be discussed through the prism of two aspects.
Speaking of the first aspect, the refund for in-app purchases made by kids has become a widespread procedure since 2014. The court case Amazon.com, Inc. v. Federal Trade Commission (2014) has proved that children tend to make virtual in-app purchases without considering the consequences of such an act. Once Amazon.com, Inc. won the aforementioned case, all the digital markets provided the policy, according to which, parents were allowed to get a full refund during ninety days since the purchase. As a consequence of this court case, FTC urged Apple, Inc. to refund more than thirty-two million dollars of childrens in-app purchases (Federal Trade Commission, 2014). To avoid possible misunderstandings, app markets started to notify credit card holders about any financial transactions via e-mail. Hence, this clarification makes Friendspots refund refusal well-founded in terms of the law. If the purchase was made more than ninety days ago, the user is not implied to return the money.
However, the case can be reasoned from a considerably difficult point of view. Speaking of the evidence provided, Jenny Lee is a twelve-year-old child. According to the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act, issued in 1997, children aged thirteen and under are not allowed to register on online sources without parental guidance and permission ( S.2326 105th Congress (1997-1998): Childrens online privacy protection act of 1998, 2020). Hence, Jennys mother should have agreed to the terms and conditions introduced by the app. In such a way, even without checking the electronic mail, Suzy would have known that the app developers might withdraw money from her credit card. However, Friendspot app does not require any parental permission in terms of registration add, thus, violated the federal act on childrens privacy protection.
Taking these aspects into consideration, one may come to the conclusion that justice should support the Lee family for a number of reasons. First of all, the app owners should submit the fact that the cardholder was notified about the financial transactions during the whole period, as it was not mentioned in the general case information. Second, and the most important aspect, is the fact of federal law violation performed by the app developers. Once Suzy is able to prove that Friendspot allows minors to create in-app accounts without parental permission, the case will obtain national scopes. In such a way, the Congress is able to release a court case concerning Friendspots neglecting COPPA. Then, the chances of app owners winning the case are almost impossible, and the company will be likely to be closed and fined. Consequently, Friendspot owners would be obliged to refund all the in-app purchases ever made by minor customers. In conclusion, it might be noted that the best defensive line, in this case, would be to prove the apps crime against the state.
References
Amazon.com, Inc. v. Federal Trade Commission, C14-1038-JCC (W.D. Wash. 2014)
Federal Trade Commission. (2014). Apple Inc. will provide full consumer refunds of at least $32.5 million to settle FTC complaint it charged for kids in-app purchases without parental consent. Web.
One thing that unites the speeches is the desire to build an integrated community of inventions that benefit the whole world. Next-generation social media tools have opened up opportunities for millions of people to participate in collaborative product creation, whether its entertainment portals, free encyclopedias, or emergency maps. However, the ability to cooperate with individuals to create something useful to society is an important task.
Speakers Ideas
The essence of Clay Shirkys speech is in three main principles: free time, collaboration, civic value. His motivating tone can be seen from his words: Weve got a choice before us. Weve got these trillion hours a year (Shirky, 2010). He does not use humorous or sarcastic methods to inspire the audience; he directly says that people should be able to use their free time correctly for societys good.
Unlike Shirky, who uses specific facts and opinions about the applications, Mitch Resnick utilizes personal stories to interest the audience. The interactive Mothers Day card and the story of a 13-year-old boy convey the idea of the importance of technology for an individuals development. Mitras speech is the most emotionally rich and expressive since he makes use of stories in the form of dialogues and humor rather than personal ones (Mitra, 2013). His statement aims to create the future of learning by supporting children from all over the world.
Problems and Rebuttal
Mitras inspirational speech provides one solution for improving educational performance in the technologically advanced world. However, there is a flaw in his speech: he does not concretize ways of reaching school in the clouds. It is clear that the use of technology is critical in this school, but his speech is full of irony and humor does not explain how children from all over the world will have access to it.
Resnicks speech was the most coherent because it had a minor bias. Starting with a small story about postcards, Resnick turns to the need for programming, not only for the younger, but also for the elderly, and comes to the idea of creativity and ways of expressing oneself (Resnick, 2012). Although Shirkys speech was mostly based on facts from all, there is a bit of inconsistency. At first, he presents LOLcats as the throwaway stuff , then says that he likes it (Shirky, 2010). Community value is as significant as civic since any community is focused on creating value for the organization and its members. A common interest leads to a value that can be realized; therefore, the foundation for civic value is in the communal one.
Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
The countrys economic development is closely linked to the level of national education. A noticeable trend is the development of online learning; precisely, current production called massively open online courses (MOOCs). MOOCs are interactive training courses aimed at participating in large-scale interactive educational sessions through free access to the Internet. E-courses include text lecture notes, video lectures with subtitles, homework assignments, quizzes, and final exams. The authors of the courses are professors from leading universities in the world. MOOCs allow students to discover new areas of expertise, prepare for exams, take refresher courses, improve their qualifications, or satisfy their curiosity. These courses provide an opportunity not only to listen to lectures for self-education but also to pass exams on them and receive a certificate that can be delivered to an employer for career growth. MOOCs offer interactive opportunities for users that allow them to create a community of students and teachers.
MOOCs main advantage is that it is rightfully considered free and open (Weinhardt & Sitzmann, 2019). Firstly, in many countries, the education cost is high, and it can be challenging to pay for people from the middle class. Secondly, if students have money, it is complicated to enter an elite university because of the high competition and requirements. One of the main advantages can also be considered the fact that MOOCs are an excellent platform for scholarly inter-ethnic communication. However, part of the materials that previously only students of elite universities had access to today is available to absolutely anyone. The principle of freedom of knowledge was proclaimed a long time ago, but now it began to acquire real features.
Moreover, MOOCs are considered adequate for learners as they are ordinarily advertised free of charge, and colleges and instructive companies support advancement costs. Therefore, there is no budgetary speculation on the portion of a student who signs up for a MOOC, which increments the students return on venture (Weinhardt & Sitzmann, 2019). The process of monetizing MOOCs for educational companies is unclear; however, the investment financial return should be beneficial for individuals.
MOOCs have turned out to be a kind of vanguard of the liberalization of modern education. Many courses use gamification, which makes them attractive to students and expands the understanding of traditional teaching tools. The undoubted advantage of MOOCs is the variety of course topics. A designer, a biologist, a physicist, and an architect can find useful and interesting materials on them. Besides, MOOCs are also not constrained by the conventions of traditional education. Students can study when it is convenient by dosing training or going through the weekly material at a time.
One of the drawbacks of MOOCs is the language barrier. Even though English has long been recognized as the language of international science and education, the concept of mass will be limited concerning courses, until most of them are accompanied by at least subtitles in the most common languages. Despite this fact, MOOCs are an excellent opportunity for distance education, which is foolish to miss for people striving for self-development.
References
Mitra, S. (2013). Build a school in the cloud. [Video]. TED. Web.
Resnick, M. (2012). Lets teach kids to code. [Video]. TED. Web.
Shirky, C. (2010). How cognitive surplus will change the world. [Video]. TED. Web.
In this article, the author explains the concept behind spear phishing, which is the method through which hackers access peoples passwords and other private information. Martin starts by making a simple yet profound statement When it comes to cyber-attacks, the most common method of gaining access to your passwords and information may surprise you- it is just by asking for it [4].
While hackers can use a myriad of sophisticated techniques to access a persons information, tricking users into sharing their information in an easy and straightforward way of achieving the same objective. According to Martin, spear phishing is an e-mail communication or some other type of electronic communications scam that targets individuals, organizations or businesses through content that looks like it is coming from a legitimate source [4]. Through this technique, cybercriminals social engineer e-mails to appear like legitimate sources.
Social engineering is an insidious art that hackers use to manipulate people by using domains and content that look like trusted sources. In this case, a hacker will send a malicious link or document leading to a fake login site and the moment users enter their credentials, such details are stolen and used for other criminal activities. Martin notes that this phishing technique, in some cases, is so accurate to the originals that even the most careful users have fallen victim [4]. The author gives a recent example of spear phishing by two Russian hackers, APT28 and Sandworm Team, aimed at European governments.
These groups have also targeted other organizations and media outlets in Russia, Germany, and France. According to Martin, targets in European governments are normally sent malicious e-mails containing links that appear to direct to government websites [4]. Additionally, the sender of such e-mails appears legitimate and once the targeted users click on the links, they are prompted to change their passwords and enter other personal information, which is then stolen.
Importance of this Issue
It is important to understand the issue of spear-phishing because its impacts on individuals and corporations are enormous. According to Gendre, the cost of a breach that occurs through spear-phishing is stunning as it goes beyond monetary loss [1]. Once one employee becomes a victim of this trick, the entire corporation is at risk. The affected companies suffer reputational damage once the public learns about such phishing attacks. A reputable brand could be perceived as untrustworthy for customers, shareholders, and even employees [1]. This aspect could lead to huge financial losses because negative brand effects from a phishing attack can potentially affect a companys market capitalization leading to huge losses.
Intellectual property loss is another possible effect of spear-phishing on companies through stolen trade secrets, formulas, customer lists, and costly research. Gender posits, For firms like technology, defense, or pharmaceutical a single design or drug patent could easily represent millions, or billions, in sunk research costs [1]. Such losses are unprecedented and they can lead to the closure of a business. Additionally, other direct costs are associated with spear phishing, such as fines levied by regulatory bodies when such incidences occur.
This issue is also important due to its pervasive and widespread nature. Many people are likely to become victims of spear phishing because the tricks are difficult to detect. According to cyber security professionals, Kelley and Kathuria, even the most security-savvy users may be exposed to honed spear-phishing techniques [2]. Such phishing tricks are highly targeted and personal to be easily detected. In a study to assess the susceptibility of Internet users to spear-phishing campaigns, Lin et al. found out that out of 100 participants, 43 percent fell victim to simulated spear-phishing e-mails [3]. Swinhoe notes that the effectiveness of spear-phishing comes down to a combination of both technical and psychological reasons [5]. Such high levels of susceptibility to these scams are worrying, hence the importance of understanding this issue.
I found this article interesting and informative at the same time because the author uses simple and straightforward language to explain the concept of spear phishing. Martin discusses this pervasive cybercrime threat in a way that can be understood even by people not trained in Internet security [4]. Additionally, the author gives relatable examples of how this technique is being used in contemporary times.
The example of how Russian groups are using spear-phishing to infiltrate European governments and media outlets is relatable and it underscores the pervasive nature of this technique. The issue of phishing arose in the course material under the topic of Information Attacks and Defenses. Specifically, the sub-topic of Social Engineering Problem explains the underlying principles of spear phishing. According to the course material, social engineering involves tricking an individual into giving personal credentials, which are then used to compromise a systems security.
The information provided in the main article, course materials, and other references used in this paper indicates the pervasive nature of spear phishing. In the course material, different examples of phishing by e-mail are given, such as the one involving a fraudulent e-mail allegedly sent by Chase Banks customer service to an account owner seeking identity verification. Gender gives a similar example but uses FedEx company [1].
Additionally, Swinhoe gives a similar example involving a CEO of a certain company being asked to make fraudulent payments to hackers [5]. Lin et al. [3] and Kelley and Kathuria [2] give steps that could be used to identify and prevent spear-phishing campaigns, which is also part of the course materials.
From the knowledge gained from this task, I think that the problem of spear phishing is likely to continue affecting millions of Internet users and causing huge losses to companies. The outcome of elections in different countries around the world could be subject to spear-phishing campaigns. Given the psychological aspect associated with this technique, it may be difficult to educate and create public awareness for Internet users to avoid being scammed. In the future, I believe spear phishing is going to make Internet usage a dangerous affair, especially when communicating sensitive information. However, I also believe that spear-phishing techniques are not foolproof and with careful and deliberate efforts to ensure safe Internet usage, the involved stakeholders could come up with ways of addressing this problem.
Conclusion
I have learned that spear phishing is a pervasive cybercrime technique that hackers use to steal personal information, especially user names and passwords, from unsuspecting Internet users. The interesting thing about this trick is that Internet users willingly, albeit unknowingly, divulge their personal information to cybercriminals. It is clear that the implications of spear phishing are enormous and far-reaching for the affected individuals, companies, and governments. Nevertheless, despite the widespread susceptibility of Internet users to spear-phishing scams, stakeholders could create ways of mitigating this problem for safe Internet usage.
Works Cited
Gendre, Adrien. The Corporate Impact of Phishing. Vade Secure. 2015. Web.
Lin, Tian, et al. Susceptibility to Spear-Phishing E-mails: Effects of Internet User Demographics and E-mail Content. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI), vol. 26, no. 32, 2019, pp. 1-28.
Data science is a discipline that entails the study of information. It cuts across many areas by helping experts in various fields to study and work collectively as well as making sense of data (Newman et al. 2016). Productivities from different works can spawn data in diverse formats. Processing, evaluation and reporting of data outputs are important steps for all economic sectors. In businesses, data science makes it possible to understand everyday problems and business performance on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis. It also helps businesses to predict their performance and make the necessary adjustments.
Data science is important for businesses because it facilitates the collection and analysis of data on business procedures, schemes and general performance. Consequently, businesses can use the outputs of data science to enhance their products, services, or operations. An additional advantage of data science in business is facilitating predictive modeling to enable the timely development of apposite strategies. A business data science (BDS) model is necessary to realize all these benefits.
According to Newman et al. (2016), five key attributes make up data science. These qualities are summarized as the 5 Vs of velocity, volume, variety, value and veracity. Volume denotes the size and amount of data concerned, whereas velocity is the speed at which the data is created and stored for businesses. Veracity refers to the degree of accuracy and precision in the analysis and interpretation of results, which is critical to decision-making and business development. In contrast, variety refers to the different types of data generated and various formats that they can be presented. Value alludes to the additional worth created by BDS models to produce positive outputs for multiple organizations.
Challenge
There are no established ways of implementing BDS because current literature does not have a definite standard or best practice approach. Even though many organizations are interested in data science, they lack the knowledge of how to manage and handle data science. Newman et al. (2016) developed a business data science model in a format that can be adopted by businesses. The model provides an organized standard for the advancement of business projects and services.
The authors focus on pertinent modeling and simulation methods to facilitate the smooth transition to BDS. Modeling and simulation are critical steps that must be done to guarantee that a BDS model can work efficiently with existing business activities, models, processes and functions. Additionally, the empirical design of BDS models should merge seamlessly with areas such as business intelligence and research.
Insights from extensive reviews of the literature were used to develop a conceptual model for BDS. Important aspects that were clarified included modeling and simulation techniques, system dynamics, design features, software issues, experimental design for specific businesses, analytics, privacy and security issues, as well as the contribution of the model to data science. However, several questions remained unanswered, including how business intelligence can combine with BDS to create significant positive impacts in the analysis of large data volumes and transforming outputs into visualization and interactive explorations. Another issue that arose was how business analytics can convey outputs effectively to people without technical know-how.
Solution
Wazurkar, Bhadoria and Bajpai (2017) proposed a way of dealing with large volumes of data using Predictive Analysis (PA) as a theoretical decision-making process for data to maximize the success of handling large datasets. This idea was put to test by Roskams and Haynes (2019) in a bid to comprehend the environmental performance of the workplace. Predictive analysis was used to forecast subjective environmental comfort by combining real-time environmental data with independent assessments. Environmental sensors designed to quantify basic indoor environmental quality parameters were fitted into an open-plan office.
The specific environmental strictures that were measured included temperature, carbon dioxide concentrations, humidity, lighting and sound pressure. In addition, spatial measures such as workspace integration and workspace density were taken for each workspace using building modeling techniques. A total of 15 workers were sampled repeatedly over 11 days. The subjects were asked to give 78 brief ratings of their environmental comfort (Roskams and Haynes, 2019). Various models were used to investigate the extent to which the independent environmental data forecasted subjective environmental comfort.
Definition of the Technology
Business intelligence (BI) refers to methods or practices that use varying technologies to develop applications that evaluate existing business data to guide decision-making based on the forecasts made by the data. BI includes data processing and analytical machinery as well as numerous business-focused practices that apply to different sectors such as healthcare, e-governance, security, market intelligence and e-commerce. The success of BI depends on the quality of data and the efficiency of the data management protocols. The analytical methods used in these systems are based on data mining techniques and statistical computations. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of various scenarios that are possible in business analytics, which is the core of BI.
Figure 1: A schematic representation of possible scenarios in data analytics (Wazurkar, Bhadoria and Bajpai, 2017).
The three pillars of business analytics are descriptive, predictive and prescriptive. The predictive analysis depends on predictive models to establish patterns in data and use them to forecast events. These models make use of various algorithms that may work simultaneously or consecutively. To obtain optimal outcomes from predictive analysis, businesses need to follow six key steps as outlined in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Steps involved in predictive analysis (Wazurkar, Bhadoria and Bajpai, 2017).
Results
The outcomes of the predictive analysis showed that elevated carbon dioxide concentrations were linked with more negative scores of air quality. In contrast, higher workspace integration correlated with higher degrees of distractions, whereas higher workspace density was connected to reduced social interactions (Roskams and Haynes, 2019). Overall, the authors determined that data from sensors helped monitor air quality and ensure occupant satisfaction. Therefore, the predictive analysis could be used to ensure functional workplaces.
Summary of the Research Area
Business models are shifting from cost reduction measures to value-added services as ways of ensuring client satisfaction. The optimization of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is one way that managers can use to guarantee the comfort of the workplace environment for maximum productivity. Organizations such as the WELL Building Standard have guidelines for IEQ maintenance, which require the physical measurement of parameters to ensure that they fall within predetermined comfort limits (Nag, 2019). However, such an approach has shortcomings such as high costs and a limited ability to monitor specific locations for prolonged periods.
The inception of wireless technology has made it possible to obtain uninterrupted measurements of key environmental parameters in precise locations at definite times. Data from multiple sensors can be superimposed onto a three-dimensional replica of the workplace and envisaged in real-time, thereby permitting the prompt detection and redress of substandard environmental conditions.
Evaluation
The main finding of the study was that wireless sensors were valuable sources of environmental data that could be exploited by predictive analysis to maintain optimum workplace conditions. This was the first experimental study to look into the association between physical environment data from wireless sensors and independent assessments of environmental comfort. The outcomes are useful proof-of-concept of the viability of integrating building and human analytics.
Previous studies have looked into predictive analysis in the management of parking lots (Maheshwari and Sivakumar, 2018), management of pathology facilities in hospitals (Lessard et al., 2016) and safe operation of gas assets (Engelbrecht and Abbaspour, 2017) among other applications. These studies confirmed the usefulness of predictive analysis in planning endeavors. However, none has integrated building and human analytics in predictive analysis. The major missing component of the study was how the collected data on environmental comfort can be used to improve the workplace environment.
The reviewed study had several shortcomings. The three IEQ elements of lighting, temperature and humidity were mostly within the recommended comfort limits for the entire duration of the study (Roskams and Haynes, 2019). This phenomenon could be a drawback because there was inadequate data to evaluate whether non-adherence to comfort boundaries leads to decreased levels of environmental comfort. Furthermore, all workplaces in the study area were similar in terms of floor plan designs and sizes, which reduced variations in workspace integration scores. Few observations were used in the statistical analysis, which could have interfered with the statistical power to detect significant effects.
Future studies could use larger sample sizes and investigate diverse types of workplaces to ensure more rigorous testing of hypotheses concerning the impact of various attributes of the workplace environment. Studies that involve the manipulation of environmental conditions could also be considered to determine the reliability of the predictive analysis in forecasting environmental comfort.
Reference List
Engelbrecht, H. and Abbaspour, N. (2017), Demonstrating good practice in the safe operation of gas assets with predictive analytics, The APPEA Journal, 57(2), pp. 437-439.
Lessard, L. et al. (2016), Predictive analytics to support real-time management in pathology facilities, AMIA Annual Symposium Proceedings, 2016, pp. 772-778.
Maheshwari, K.A. and Sivakumar, P.B. (2018), Use of predictive analytics towards better management of parking lot using image processing, in Hemanth, D. and Smys, S. (eds), Computational vision and bio-inspired computing, Springer, New York, NY, pp. 774-787.
Roskams, M. and Haynes, B. (2019), Predictive analytics in facilities management: a pilot study for exploring environmental comfort using wireless sensors, Journal of Facilities Management, 17(4), pp. 356-370.
Wazurkar, P., Bhadoria, R.S. and Bajpai, D. (2017), Predictive analytics in data science for business intelligence solutions, 7th International Conference on Communication Systems and Network Technologies (CSNT) conference proceedings, Maharashtra, India, pp. 367-370).
Reddits r/gaming was selected as the object for this blog analysis. Most of the content is made up of various memes; there is also a discussion of video games, related news, and sharing of experience. Video game discussions include posts on the topic of the plot, characters, game mechanics, walkthroughs, co-playing, finding references, lore, and eSports events. The initial webpage also consists of a greeting, a description of the blog, an administration note, community rules, a list of moderators, and several ad units.
Since Reddit does not require personal data for registration, the audience consists of both anonymous users and those who are voluntarily non-anonymous. The r/gamings color scheme is the contrast between black, gray, white, and red colors. Important information and links are marked in red to attract attention, while the data is present on a white background. Empty unallocated space is represented by shades of gray for less distraction from the content. Drawing attention to essential aspects of the blog was done efficiently, but the creators of the blog were not able to use the page space to full because a blank space occupies half of the screen.
Audience Analysis
As the observation shows, the dominant age group of r/gaming is young people, presumably from 18 to 30 years old. More than half of this blog is the male audience, the second place is female, and only a small part of non-binary people are present. The participants of the r/gaming are mainly residents of English-speaking countries, namely the USA, Canada, Great Britain, and Australia. The most frequent marital statuses are single and in a relationship.
Also, most of the audience claims to be hetero, then bisexuals and non-binary. The average income of the audience is fifteen thousand dollars. Regarding the family point, more than half of the users do not have children and are not going to have them. Bachelors degree is the most frequent educational level case.
The three predominant ethnic groups are Whites, Asians, and Hispanics. About half of users identify themselves as atheists or agnostics. The most common type of employment is a full-time job in the healthcare industry. The interests of the audience are chaotic; users want to see entertainment material often associated with a video game info field. There are several self-established gurus who create educational content that the rest of the public discussion.
Visual Aid Proposal
To create a personal blog, I would use the visual aid method of infographics.
Infographic is a simplified version of a combination of several visual aid techniques, namely texts, graphs, and pictures.
The main advantage in the design of information through infographics is that text and graphic information are visualized, often simultaneously in several ways, which ensures its clarity and credibility.
Simplified and visually pleasantly designed information contributes to the fastest and easiest process of understanding.
Also, visually pleasing images, which make up the necessary part of the infographics, improve user focus and attract more attention, especially of young audiences.
As various studies show, infographics are currently the most sought-after and financially successful methods to provide and attract information on sites.
It is also equally suitable for large monitors and screens of smartphones.
Authentic hyperlinks can also be placed in infographics, which is especially important regarding the question of the users most interested in information sources.
Computer games have firmly entered the life of modern man, taking the place of honorary leader among the many ways to organize recreation for people of all ages. Virtual reality attracts by its limitless possibilities, and every year the computer entertainment industry brings gamers more and more new games that cannot be abandoned. This increasing popularity of the multigenre computer world is reflected in the concerns of the world community about the potential harm to gamers.
This research paper focuses on the contrasting analysis of the social benefits that video games can bring to a persons life. The focus of the research is on a multiplayer online game in the genre of royal battle called Player Unknowns Battlegrounds (PUBG). Despite the scenes of bloodshed and the original idea of murder and survival at all costs, PUBG has a positive social meaning.
It would be a mistake to think that PUBG has created a revolution in the world of computer games. The game mechanics do not differ in originality: the multiplayer game starts with the fact that all players are thrown out from the plane to an island. Immediately after landing the first phase of the game, which could be described as a collection strategy, begins. The gamer has to have time to find enough right resources, which allows the character to survive as long as possible. With time the playing field narrows, and the stage of survival begins. Players have to kill others to ensure their victory: the winner is the one who will stay alive last.
Naturally, PUBG cannot be called a peaceful and quiet game. Here, in front of hundreds of gamers, are murders. A classic and rather superficial argument, which is often operated by the negative publicity, is the perception of murders. Undoubtedly, adult gamers are well aware that this is just a game, but a childs mind perceives the world differently. Since childhood, the child learns to play: first, rattles and then takes a virtual gun and shoots their first victim. The child understands that such actions remain unpunished, resulting in a virtual picture of the world in reality.
However, it is worth noting that such a view is far from the present. Studies conducted by Pan et al. demonstrate a minimal correlation between video games and the manifestation of rigidity (1). When a gamer picks up a virtual weapon, it does not equal the real act of violence.
The game designer Jane McGonigal spoke out beautifully in her public speech about the benefits of video games for the future. She is convinced that the computer world of video games allows gamers to experience emotions and impressions that are difficult to get from the real world ( Gaming Can Make a Better World ). This position can be supported by an argument about the fantastic world players in space travel, the Middle Ages with dragons, or the atmosphere of a post-apocalyptic planet. Such universes allow the player to get a range of sensations that can then be transferred to reality.
Video games are an excellent way to stabilize emotional stress. It is known that a large group of gamers around the world are adults who spend time playing computer games after work (Pallavicini et al. 2). Constant stress or pressure can be relieved by immersion in the virtual world. Although an employee will commit bloodthirsty murders in this world, it is unlikely that these scenarios will be feasible in reality.
Due to its peculiarity, the world of PUBG develops a useful skill in gamers to optimize tasks. In order to win, a gamer needs not so much to kill other players as to think through strategies and search and design resources. This causes players to solve several parallel tasks simultaneously, which has a positive effect on the brain activity properties, such as attention, concentration, and performance (Boyle et al. 190). Moreover, contrary to its basic idea of survival by killing, PUBG satisfies a range of social needs that the gamer faces. First, the statute of multiplayer allows PUBG to unite people and create useful connections.
Players can get acquainted with the game and then establish communication in the real world. Secondly, in the given game, there is an element of gathering wherefrom the simplest elements the gamer can create more challenging designs. This allows meeting the creative desires of the gamer and tracing the evolution of their thoughts. McGonigal hopes that in the future, the phenomenon of gamers will be reviewed because it considers gamers who like computer worlds a useful resource for social change ( Gaming Can Make a Better World ). It is essential to understand that todays games no longer have just an entertainment function, introducing elements of the educational process. This means that games create a category of people who are trained in a specific skill that can be useful to society.
In conclusion, it is worth repeating that the condemnation of computer games due to elements of violence and bloodthirstiness is quite superficial. Despite the tools used in the PUBG strategy game, the presence of a gun or knife is unlikely to force the gamer to engage in acts of violence in the real world. Moreover, the games plot can have a positive effect on a person. With the help of PUBG, the gamer learns multitasking, solves problems by searching optimal ways, and splashes the accumulated emotions and feelings. It should be separately noted that the virtual world of PUBG helps the player to experience those emotions that are difficult to find in the real world. In connection with all the above, it should be noted that computer games have a positive effect on the social sphere.
Works Cited
Boyle, Elizabeth A., et al. An Update to the Systematic Literature Review of Empirical Evidence of the Impacts and Outcomes of Computer Games and Serious Games. Computers & Education, vol. 94, no. 1, 2016, pp. 178-192.
Pallavicini, Federica, et al. Video Games for Well-Being: A Systematic Review on the Application of Computer Games for Cognitive and Emotional Training in the Adult Population. Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 9, no. 1, 2018, pp. 2127-2143.
Pan, Wei, et al. Spontaneous Brain Activity Did Not Show the Effect of Violent Video Games on Aggression: A Resting-State fMRI Study. Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 8, no. 1, 2018, pp. 2219-2228.
Now more than ever, communicating online to discuss favorite topics is an important source of relief for people. If you want to engage in an online debate about something you enjoy doing, for example, playing video games, this blog will tell you how to create a Reddit thread and make it popular. This post will guide you through some steps you can take to design an engaging Reddit threat where you will be able to write about your favorite games.
Reddits r/gaming is a space where users can share their experience with games, which mainly consists of posts about different games, gaming news, activities, and of course, memes. Since r/gaming is relatively popular, it is best to choose a narrower topic, for example, based on your favorite genre of video games or game developers. This will help make a distinction between r/games and your thread and attract a specific audience, which should help shape meaningful discussions. So, the first step is choosing a topic for the subreddit.
The first thing that people see when entering a subreddit is the title and a picture above it. These are the only two elements that can be customized and arranged in a way that is attractive to users. In the case of r/gaming, the creators have done a reasonably good job utilizing the space they had, with an interesting background photo. All the colors are chosen to match red, black, grey, and white. Hence, the next step is thinking about the color scheme and pictures you can use.
It is evident that when thinking about a threat, one must think about the audiences characteristics to create subreddits that will be interesting and engaging. In the case of r/gaming, the majority of people appear to be young, about 18 to 30 years old. The preponderance of individuals writing in r/games are male, with a smaller portion of female users and only some non-binary people. Regarding other characteristics that may be helpful when trying to understand who may be interested in your Reddit, we should discuss demographics and work specifics. It appears that the majority at r/gaming is White, with a lower number of Asian and Hispanic people. The bulk of them work in healthcare with a median income of fifteen thousand per year, and they live in English speaking countries.
So, your next step can be writing down some topics relating to these demographic specifics to encourage people to share information about themselves. For example, you can start a discussion titled Best Games to Play After Work (for healthcare employees) or What is the Most Popular Game in Australia? Next, you can think of topics that are especially interesting for you so that you can express your opinion. Thus, at this stage, you need to create several threads for different discussions.
In his Beginners Guide to Reddit, Franko explains some of the Reddiquette rules, which is an etiquette applying to posts on Reddit. The main rule is to avoid self-promotion because if you join Reddit with the idea that you will only post links to stories that benefit you in some way & you will quickly be flagged as a spammer (Franko). Another rule is to avoid posting too many links at once since it can be confusing for others. Keep in mind these rules to ensure that the discussion is pleasurable for all participants.
Picture 2. Illustration in Reddit threads (from r/gaming).
Last but not least, lets face the truth, memes are a large portion of what Reddit users post and what other Reddit users like to consume as content. While many threads focus on advice, discussion about characters, and gaming experience in general, many individuals love to watch memes. Picture 2 is an example of content that can engage them a comparison of the same game designed twenty-two years apart, a staggering difference in the quality of the image, and the overall look of the character. If you highly dislike memes, you can opt for infographics and post some interesting data or information about gaming. Make sure that the content is diversified with different types of images, texts, videos, and links.
Now you know a little bit more about Reddits r/gaming and how you can create your engaging threat. Do not hesitate, register a Reddit account if you do not have one yet and create the best threat the site has ever seen (and do not forget to post memes!). To summarize, Reddit is a great place for talking to strangers about topics you like, and in this particular case, we discussed gaming threats.
It is free and easy to use, and you can choose to post either anonymously or by inserting your personal details. The r/gaming threat is a popular place for discussing news and experiences people had with different games, which we used to define the audience interested in gaming-related topics and main characteristics of a thread. The majority of people at r/gaming are white men working in the healthcare industry. The threat uses a combination of simple colors black and white, with images and red-colored text for highlights some information.
What the Paper Adds to the Subject Area as Compared to Past Literature
Multiple studies have analyzed wind resources distribution and its significance in characterising the stability of interconnected power networks. The article focuses on an area with limited literature. It examines large disturbance stability issues: rotor angle and voltage stability in power networks. The study is specifically based on geographically distributed wind resources in the context of dispatch situations based on profiles of historical and geographical wind generation. The authors focus adds to the existing literature about the characterisation of these networks interconnected with distributed wind generation.
For example, the study findings indicate that network regions with increased penetration rates for wind and conventional generation consist of detrimental stability concerns based on their old-fashioned features. Other studies illustrate that the dominance of either conventional or wind generation can advance or progress the transit and voltage stability of the network. The study proposes the use of equipped enhanced FRT strategies in farms to intervene DC-link transients as well as ease activation of the crowbar and advance stability. Hence, the study adds to the subject area as compared to other published research journals.
Current Research Gaps Based on this Study
Currently, there are many areas pertaining to the characterisation of large disturbances rotor angle and voltage stability that are integrated with power networks within wind generators. This study focuses on a specific area to address research gaps regarding wind generation. For example, multiple studies have examined interconnections between networks and how they create local as well as centralized stability concerns founded on their proximity or regional capacity of conventional or traditional generators. However, few have scrutinized the large disturbance stability issues relating to voltage and rotor angel stability and how they influence power networks based on the distribution of resources geographically.
The study notes that stability surveys based on variable-speed wind generation systems (DFIGs) are limited in regards to simplified network structures and issues relating to fault concerns, which underscores a potential area of study for future researchers. Hence, there are many areas in which upcoming researchers can concentrate on including investigating steadiness regarding stability issues based on the regional capacity of conventional generators.
The focus of Future Studies
This area of study is widely researched and documented; however, multiple areas can still be explored in the future. The research study outlines key areas relating to the subject that many studies, including this one, have failed to examine. For example, future surveys should focus on equipping DFIG wind farms with advanced FRT techniques to mitigate DV link transients; as a result, they would improve crowbar activation and advance firmness. Current DFIGs consist of all necessary conventional FRT methods, but their efficiency can be improved by the incorporation of modern technologies.
The penetration levels of these conventional FRT techniques can essentially improve the capacity of certain network regions resulting instability concerns in the event of network failures in the future. This underscores the significance of control strategy as it influences stability; however, steadiness features within these systems can remain unaffected regardless of the region or the control technique of the wind generator. Therefore, future studies can focus on many areas, as mentioned above to improve the functionality of wind generator and their functions.
In the course of human history, many statements have appeared that scientists have never proved, but they remain convincing. On the other hand, some allegations have an evidence base, but people do not believe them since the source is not sufficiently reliable. Nevertheless, these statements exist in modern society, and they are transmitted from one person to another, from generation to generation.
Nowadays, the development of the Internet and technology mainly contributes to the spread. Scientists established a definition for the presented phenomenon at the end of the twentieth century, and they claimed such information a meme. As Blackmore marks in her article, memes are units of cultural transmission (170). Most likely, every person in their life comes across memes more than once, and people accept some of them and do not believe in others.
I also happened to encounter memes in life, but the most memorable incident happened to me in my childhood. After the third grade, I went to my grandparents on vacation in the village, and I planned to have fun with my friends and spend time in the fresh air in the countryside. Unfortunately, my plans were destroyed because none of my friends came to the village that year, so I was left entirely alone. At first, I continued to walk alone because I did not like spending time locked up in the house. However, later I could not do this either, as the weather turned bad and it rained for a month. It was at this time that I realized that I enjoyed computer games, so I spent hours at the computer.
My grandmother always scolded me for spending time behind the screen and for the fact that I continuously sat and did not move. That was the first time when she said that all the diseases came from the computer. A few days later, my head started to hurt, and I caught a cold, so my grandmother repeated her meme one more time. For a while, I believed that I got sick due to the computer, and I was afraid of even getting closer to the machine.
Surprisingly, a little later, my grandmother and several people from the village got sick as well, so it turned out that it was an ordinary flu. Since then, I have become aware of this type of information and, if possible, I seek confirmation of controversial assumptions. It is interesting to note that the situation only convinced my grandmother that she was right because she believed that if I had not spent so much time on the computer; my immunity would have been able to cope with the virus.
Not only my grandmother and it knew the presented meme turns out that many older adults disseminate this information, even if they do not have evidence. I believe that older people are spreading this meme because they are overprotective about their children and grandchildren and consider computers dangerous because they do not understand them. However, not only older people find this statement convincing, as there is plenty of evidence about the prevalence of this information on the Internet.
For example, information about the physical and psychological adverse effects of computers is available on the official websites of schools. The site provides students with information about the harm to eyesight and other physiological systems, as well as information about emitted radiation. One of these schools is the Dante Academy in Canada, Toronto. The website says that people who have used the computers for an extensive period may complain about headaches, and pains in their wrists, arms and necks ( Negative Effects of Computer and Computer Use, 2019). However, the site does not only convey the meme to its readers; it offers advice as well.
Apparently, the school administration understands the impossibility of abandoning a computer in the modern world and takes responsibility for informing schoolchildren about the possible consequences. Since this meme is associated with tips, people can call it educational information. Moreover, even though the site does not offer evidential base, it contains practical advice, so the meme becomes more convincing.
Many parenting sites also include allegations of the dangers of computers for children. In the modern world, children use technology and electronic media from a very young age; of course, most parents are interested in the possible impact on their children. Although the development of the Internet has led to globalization and the development of communications, network technologies can also cause addiction and other troubles. For example, lack of physical activity while using a computer can be dangerous for the healthy development of the child. Moreover, increased time at the computer can cause cognitive problems, such as defocusing and memory impairment.
The social interaction is affected as well, as Wright claims in his article, that children who spend more time on the computer than with others their age may fail to develop appropriate social skills (5). If parents found information about the meme that they heard on such a site, the data may encourage them to further research or even take measures to limit the technique.
Although many memes are unproven transmission of information, the meme described above partly contains the truth. The computer is not the cause of all diseases, but it can cause specific physical and psychological problems in a person who uses the technology excessively. Anxiety is a common mental issue, which is arising from the overuse of the computer. Anxiety is an individual psychological feature, manifested in a persons tendency to experience intense fear frequently, as well as have a low threshold for its occurrence. Scientists conducted several studies to confirm the reality of the appearance of stress from the computer.
The study took place among schoolchildren and students, including students studying informatics. It turned out that those students who spend less time at the network have a higher level of self-efficacy and a lower level of anxiety (Cazan et al. 264). Unfortunately, those students who had a computer education showed the lowest self-efficacy results and the highest level of anxiety among the group, which proves the mediated effect of computer anxiety.
Continuous work at the computer negatively affects many functions of our body, such as nervous activity, endocrine, immune and reproductive systems; it affects ones vision and musculoskeletal system as well. Aside from physical and mental problems, computers can affect cognitive functions of the brain, such as memory and concentration. One of the consequences of such violations can be a decrease in the average score for students.
Several studies have been conducted among people who are passionate about computer games and among ordinary schoolchildren. Garcia et al. received data from research which stated that only twelve of the ninety-nine players had a high GPA in Grade ten did not compare positively with the fact that twenty-one of the fifty-five non-players had a high GPA (3). Nevertheless, computer games can be useful, since they participate in the adaptation of children in real life, and increase their imagination and reaction speed. Computer games are a very complex phenomenon, and it is impossible to say unequivocally that they severely affect the performance of schoolchildren.
However, people can use this study as the evidence base for the meme, because the computer partly harms ones health and mind. The given meme is quite common among all segments of the population, and the elderly, parents, and even teenagers use it. Most likely, the represented statement has become so widespread due to the presence of evidence base, since words that are not supported by any research cause much less confidence.
Since there is strong evidence for the proposed statement, many people use it as a meme, even if they do not offer to read the evidence. The older generation often spreads this meme in the form of gossip, because they do not fully understand the dramatically accelerated integration of technology into everyday life. This misunderstanding causes fear and a desire to protect people they love, and often grandparents explain many negative things that happen to children with this meme.
Seniors are precisely the segment of society in which this meme has received the most extensive distribution; many other categories of citizens also hear it from them. Despite some flimsy gossip about this meme, it is partially correct. Firstly, due to work behind a computer monitor, a persons vision suffers. Often during prolonged use of the computer, the eye muscles strain, and the person blinks much less frequently. Therefore, the cornea does not moisturize properly, and painful sensations appear in the eyes. It becomes painful to blink, move the eyes, and there is a burning sensation, or the clarity of vision worsens. Almost all people who spend several hours at a computer without a break are familiar with this phenomenon.
Secondly, sitting for a long time leads to a cramped posture. A person should look at a screen from a certain distance and, at the same time, keep their hands on the keyboard. The given situation forces their body to take a specific position and not change it until the end of the work. Due to the constrained posture, tension occurs in the neck, and muscles of the head, arms and shoulders, and it causes problems with the spine. Thirdly, spending time at the computer can cause mental pressure and psychological stress. Work behind the equipment requires no less focus than driving a car. Exciting games require tremendous stress, which practically does not happen in ordinary conditions. This area is very little studied since modern multimedia technology has appeared only recently.
In conclusion, it can be noted that the influence of memes on our lives is quite strong. These statements push scientists to conduct new studies and research to confirm or refute the investigated assumption. Moreover, memes can significantly affect human behaviour, especially if they have evidence. Children are influenced by such statements from the very beginning of their life and pass them from generation to generation, sometimes not even being interested in the authenticity of the meme. Nevertheless, a meme is a multicultural feature that has a strong influence on the development of society.
Works Cited
Blackmore, Susan. Imitation and the Definition of a Meme. A Memetics Compendium, 2008, pp. 170-182
Cazan, Ana-Maria, Cocorad, Elena, & Maican, Ioan Maican. Computer Anxiety and Attitudes Towards the Computer and the Internet with Romanian High-School and University Students. Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 55, 2016, pp. 258267.
Garcia, Kurt, Jarabe, Nelson, & Paragas, Jessie. Negative Effects of Online Games on Academic Performance. Southeast Asian Journal of Science and Technology, vol. 3, no. 1, 2018, pp. 2672-2984.
Negative Effects of Computer and Computer Use. Dante Academy, 2019. Web.
Wright, James. Negative Effects of Computers on Children. It Still Works, 2019. Web.
