Soc 3116 Notes

* June 7 * * ***We had our midterm this day; took a few notes but, don’t have it (not really important). You should have it somewhere if so, send it to me! June 14st, 2012 â€Å"The World According to Google† film notes * Google Algorithm is the most piece of valuable intellectual property in the world. * They were accused of favouring search results in favour of their sponsors * By digitizing, we will have to selectively pick what to keep. There is just too much. Long term unanticipated consequences will be the loss of libraries and archives that will be expensive in the future and have limited access. Google claimed that they weren't going to charge for digitized books, but in the future it isn't guaranteed. * Focused on the emergence of Google at a time that certainly appeared to advancing, and not willing to share that technology and not participate in the alliance to digitize books in a manner that would be public versus proprietary. * The distinction between the n atural results in Google search versus the sponsored result. In the video, it was talked about as something new that Google was doing and still does increasingly. The description of what Google was going is that the sponsored links were not entirely based on how much the company was paying to have their link there at the top * The example used in the video is the furnisher maker working independently to advertise what Google was making competing with IKEA, but rank order of independent furniture could appear above IKEA if more people were entering that link. * In 2011, there were allegations that the Google algorithm was biased and that results were not coming up based on popularity. Google denied these allegations. Google was making a claim that they were neutral, without affecting the content of the information. * It ought to raise some questions on our end, that media plays a significant role in what and how issues are represented. * Public and private spheres is highlighted in t he video. Hamermas and the role of the media in that context. The question arises about what the nature of the information is that Google has and provides with respect to it being reflective of the public or private enterprise. * Google makes the money from advertising, just like traditional media. Google makes audiences.Google books would be free because they would attract the audience to books and they would be exposed to advertising. The fact that Google provides this information for free to users of Google in no way means that Google will always provide it for free. * Private companies can be very benevolent when they’re making money. When companies are making money, they can do all sorts of things. But that changes when companies for whatever reason stop being very popular. It starts to be a concern. * Issue that arises is whether material digitized by Google will always be in the public sphere. * Another issue is a little more significant.It relates to Google’s i ntent to organize all the information in the world. The projected timeline to get this done is 200 years. * We all choose Google and get the information from Google despite the fact that we can go get them from somewhere else. * If we all choose to use Google and we all end up getting the same result because it’s the same one we all click on the most, we will all be getting the same information and whatever we ask, we will think there is a consensus on this point, simply because we’ve all opted to do the same thing and come to the same conclusion and not realize that we’ve done. The appearance of a consensus emerges because we’ve chosen to use Google and clicked on the second or third result. * We are trying to understand the consequences of ICTs in our society. Mobile Media * ICTs stands for: Information and Communication Technology * Technology is an: Applied Art * The Internet represents the emergence of the modern ICT. * ICTs have a premodern definiti on. The first ICT is the printing press. * The emergence of the modern ICT: * Communication * Printing press (1440) * Telegraph (1800s) * Telephone (parallel to telegraph), electronic exchange switch, mobile phone. Information * Printing press (1440) * Radio (1900s) * TV (1950s) **All 3 are considered traditional media. * It represents an ICT in that it combined the 2 functions of information and communication in a primitive form. * Then we find the emergence of the electronic ICT in the telegraph in the early 1800s. It’s in this context that the telegraph represents an innovation as it relates to communication, and enabling for the first time what we refer to as generally real time (instantaneous) relatively two way communication. The evolution of these technologies evolve further in an informational context with the advent of radio, commercial radio, the information here being one way communication, but wireless one way communication. Following that fairly within a few deca des is television. Same time, parallel in this context, focused on the communication aspect is the emergence of the telephone and the electronic exchange switch. * The intersection between both (communication and information) represents the modernized ICT that is embodied largely by the INTERNET.It is those not entirely distinct functions that emerge from information in ICT and communication in ICT, the convergence of everything that is happening in those 2 spheres as those technologies evolved. Communication is taking place in real time, which is a characteristic that emerges with the telegraph. The characteristic that space (geography) no longer matters. It is in real time and relatively instantaneous. * We also see in the Internet what emerges in mass media, it is infinitely scalable. Radio being the form that you can broadcast the signal to as many people as you want, the only condition is that there is a receiver at the end.The Internet is the same. We see one of the greatest i nnovations that we didn’t have here which is that anything that happens here has the potential to be two way instead of one way communication. As is consistent with all ICTs is that communication is ALWAYS mediated. The introduction of the electronic exchange switch is that the intermediary is no longer human. The mediator is technological, no longer human. * The other dimension that comes up is mobility. And mobility is what’s new in this context and the question of the extent to which this relates to the internet is an open question but certainly in this point is time they are inked. * Mobility is an emerging focus that has some consequences. It is the innovation that builds upon that intersection whereby users of this technology can interact, communicate, in a two way dialogue, in real time, and on the move (not stationary, tied in a landline or computer). * Fluent Smith says that arising from the fact that technologies are mobile, they are the technologies that you must use most often, not because they are the best technology for this application but because it is the technology you have at hand. Example is phones with cameras on them.It’s not that mobile phone takes good pictures that makes it a good camera, it is the fact that you have your phone with you that makes it a very popular camera. * Cameras in our phone are getting better but they are not the best. â€Å"the best camera you have is the camera you have with you. † Technologies used because they are with us. * The other example relates to watches. Instead of using a watch, you use your phone. * The issue of mobility brings on some other technological consequences or conditions or parameters that relate to the wireless spectrum that this technology relies upon.The spectrum that enables us to be mobile and to communicate in a wireless manner. * When we communicate in a wireless manner, we rely on various frequencies and this has emerged in an extremely lucrative market. There isn’t an unlimited spectrum. * This emerging market relates to the mobility of the new element that started with the cellphone. * Started with modern ICT, which started with the Internet. * One of the issues is how much spectrum does the BB and iPhone use? The BB is superior since it has a far narrow spectrum, which means it is more efficient. The electromagnetic spectrum is a shared and finite resource. You cannot just keep going further on the radio whether you are listening to whatever, you cannot keep going to 110 111, because that spectrum is for something else. * With respect to mobility, we also get a number of other innovations that arise in the context of mobility and technologies that support mobility. We think of it as our ability to communicate information in relation to ourselves, but there is also the ability of the technologies we use to communicate amongst one another and track certain information.One of those contexts relates to the radio frequency ide ntification chips sensitive to particular signals and able to communicate to their location. One of those chips might be fixed to products that are being shipped by train so that the owner of the product can see and track where that product is. * Machine to machine communication arises in the context of intellectual property and it comes up like this. We talk about the Internet as being this great innovation that relates to our ability to access information that was previously inaccessible and we see the great potential this has.We also see a problem arising because of ownership of information. This issue arises from all sorts of intellectual property (example: downloading music). * What happens now is that if previously you went to a concert and they told you not to bring a camera and suddenly everyone has camera and all sorts of devices and you take pictures with your phone. There is an inherent conflict because the producers want to reserve the rights of the concert. * Increasing ly, this ability to communicate will have an effect of what we do and do not do with our technology. The effort to regulate and penalize people who infringe copyrights is becoming more difficult. * The ability of technology on being on site in the concert to tell your camera phone that this behaviour is prohibited, but for $5. 99 you can. It is that ability to interface with the technology while mobile and control the freedom inherent in the technology that often we associate with proprietary rights. * That is one dimension that is right around the corner. Another one relates to police who are concerned with people taking pictures of them shooting people in the head or kicking someone.They have a kind of chip where if you take a picture with your phone, it will say that this action is prohibited. * The use of the technology was part of the communication that citizens could take advantage of in Egypt and seek international support to avoid civil war and even worse. The ability to wha t is thought of as liberating technology to be constrained and limited just because it is thought of as being liberated. * June 21th- * The focus of Smith relates to social networks and network in new media as opposed to old media. * Social networking is not supposed to be just social.There are also other forms of networking that are not really commonly referred to. They are not just social in orientation. * We want to consider the capacity of networking that the Internet presents. What are the impacts in the longer term? The references to this historic emergence of the telegraph is intentional and instructive; The changes were dramatic as a result of the telegraph. * In the context of the telephone – suddenly anyone could call anyone else. It was a change of the social convention. Prior to the invention of the switch, there was always a human intermediary.That intermediary had the capacity to control or regulate who got to talk to whom. There were protocols, staff that you h ad to get thru if you wanted to talk to someone. * The implications of the telephone were significant. The age of the Internet is also significant. Our ability to talk to others is no longer on the premise that there are some people that I can and can’t talk to. We are being contacted by all sorts of people. It is a very profound flipside to a regulated context. Ex. The spam that we get that we often filter out.Our challenge of the age of Internet is trying to regulate and manage this huge amount of communication that is now going everywhere and that is difficult and sometimes threatening. * Social stratification – different classes of people interact with one another. Some have more privilege and powers over others. In the context of the Internet, those distinctions are no longer relevant. * We spend energy, money, and resources to try to manage those efforts to receive or prevent information. * When we talk about social networks, they are very different from the age of the telegraph.One of the distinctions is this distinction between a social network and a social group. * A social group – it is more exclusive and you know all the members of the group * Social network – it grows very rapidly; you don’t really know everybody. These people may be people who are mutual friends. * In some cases, we see networks as friends (on Facebook). We can be certain that they don’t really know the majority of these ‘friends. ’ * Behind the idea of social networking is social capital – some people have richer social networks than others.They sometimes represent nodes in a network. This is by affiliation with these people as they interact with these nodes; this becomes more relevant in the context of modern social networking. * Someone like Bin Laden was able to exert such great influence over the world in part by relying upon new and old social networking as a basis of communicating a message. Bin Laden was able to disseminate messages widely that would build support, the ability to capture global attention using these technologies, and used a horizontal and decentralized network.Bin Laden represents a node – lots of social capital. This example highlights the significance of networks as something defining in our generation. * The Internet was seen as the antidote for some of the problems that was created. It was the solution. The potential of the Internet is great. Factors that enabled ICTs (how the Internet changes the game) BOOK 1. Peer to peer 2. There is a wide range of global sources – no longer limited to watching the news on CBC, or reading the NY times. We now have access to a lot of information from around the world 3.Lack of regulation a decision that was made that the policy of the Internet would be without intervening. Lack of regulation of CONTENT (carriage and content) how we get information vs. the information we receive 4. Unconstrained by geography 5. Challenge official position – who gets to have a say 6. Filtered The reality is that there is tremendous potential that we need to take advantage of. What is it that is different in the current context vs. 20 years ago. Facebook Follies Video Notes * Main task of Facebook – create audiences FB does not actually make anything. They provide a platform for us to give stuff to them. ‘user generated content’ – web 2. 0 enabled non-techy type people to actually put stuff on the Internet. * Smith talked about social production and the rise of models of info and cultural production – it becomes relevant to start thinking what these platforms relate to. They relate to information (likes/dislikes, clear picture of our networks, etc. ) * FB operates in a manner that when we upload info on our FB account, that they own the pictures that you put on their website.We generate the content, but the economic benefits flow to someone else. * Traditional media were conce ived as being displaced by the Internet – we have also seen that some of the potential that is embedded in the same major corporations – they have accelerated the flow of traditional media content across a variety of delivery channels. * We have seen that traditional media find their place within this new environment and reestablish the role that they had previously in the context of the internet.The question is has the emergence of the Internet translated a new awareness to its users. Are we smarter than before? June 28th, 2012 Digital Nation Film Notes * Multitasking is effecting grades * Brain cannot do two things at the same time- classic psychology states this * Study: slower when you are switching then doing one task at a time * Multitasking destroys are creativity * Spend 50 hours a week with digital media- more then a full work week * Their needs to be more research on the effects of the internet; why lack of research?Technology becomes obsolete * Korean gaming craze; Some people have died from this craze * There is an internet addiction – Korea treats it has psychiatric condition * Korean kids taught to go online the same time as they read- learn how to use a computer responsibility * Korea has a top down approach * Education requires different things then they did before – building things, communicating and problem solving * Instant gratification education- you cannot pursue one linear thought; Teachers cannot assign a novel * 6% of students are prepared literally Basic skills are worse today * Big ideas are not carried through- small bursts of ideas are carried through; Paragraphs do not connect with one another * Learning stays the same; we just need new ways of teaching * Distraction is not a new issue- so it is not the internet * Distraction is a problem we have coped with and as culture learned how to adapt to it- better to explore then not embrace * Second life write the rules of communication * Alienation is being s olved by more technology says second life company;Believes technology bring us back together; We are alone out on the internet together * We can still meet people in the comforts of our house- replaces meetings with virtual meeting * Immersive environment is more human and engaging then actual meeting * Virtual reality feels real; Real and virtual becoming blurred- feeling sick or full from fake eating; If it looks real brain tells us its real * Exposure to virtual reality carried to face to face real interaction * Swimming whales experiment- believe that they swam with whales if they see themselves in virtual reality but in reality didn’t * Virtual reality therapy Games used a recruitment tactic July 5th, 2012 (week 10) Knowledge Economy * Refers to a period that we are in right now. It is a period of time where a number of things have come together; buying and selling of knowledge * We have a large amount of information at our disposal (speed + volume). * We are an economy based on ‘knowledge’. It’s not really about knowledge but more about information. * The information/knowledge is more global because it comes from different sources around the world. All of these are factors that have been enabled as a result of the computer, coupled with the evolution of that technology. * The knowledge society is defined by the commodification of information. * A commodity is something that has value in the market place. * What typifies the knowledge society is the regulation of information. * It is the fact that when something becomes a commodity, it becomes proprietary. This means that someone owns it and this means that others do not own it. This is the antithesis of free-flowing information. * The nature of information has changed in this era.Information as a Commodity is 1) Inconsumable – Not consumed by its use. 2) Untransferable – You can sell the information and still have the information. 3) Indivisible – Informati on must be transferred as a whole entity to have meaning. Ex. You can sell half a barrel of oil and it would be fine. 4) Accumulative – The addition of more information is more than the sum of its parts. As you add layers to information, you add value to that information. (Information needs to be relevant and accurate. ) * These four factors are unique to information as a commodity.You couple it with facets such as speed and volume, and by extension the accessibility of information around the world has created some problems when the information is proprietary. When I own the information, I need to safeguard this information. Legal Protection in Place to Safeguard Intellectual Property Copyright The exclusive right to make copies, license, and otherwise exploit a literary, musical, or artistic work, whether printed, audio, video, etc. Patent The exclusive right granted by a government to an inventor to manufacture, use, or sell an invention for a certain number of years.Tradem ark Any name, symbol, figure, letter, word, or mark  adopted and used by a manufacturer or merchant in order to designate his or her goods and to distinguish them from those manufactured or sold by others. A trademark is a proprietary term that is usually registered with the Patent and Trademark Office to assure its exclusive use by its owner. License Agreements The right to use software in certain contexts for certain purposes. It’s not an absolute right. The ownership of that software still resides with the creator such as Microsoft, IBM, etc. Chaos Wisdom Continuum Amout of ProcessingPotential Utility * What is the difference between information and knowledge? You can sell information unlike knowledge. * Knowledge = information + experience * Wisdom = Knowledge OVER Time * Internet is on the lower half of the continuum (information, data, and chaos). * We cannot find knowledge and wisdom on the Internet. * We are reliant on the Internet because we believe that is all tha t is out there. * We need to look beyond to find knowledge and wisdom. Internet should be the starting point towards knowledge and wisdom. * There is the fear of loosing all of this information.Example: sailing practices in Europe. * Knowledge implies understanding. However, it is not automatic. It’s perhaps the greatest paradox of our time that we have access to unprecedented levels of information, but at the same time, we’re potentially more uninformed than ever. * Question of whether we’re smarter now than a similar group of people in another time. Are we smarter or dumber than before? In last week’s ‘Digital Nation’ video, Mark Bauerlein, author of ‘The Dumbest Generation’ states his opinion. How do we measure smart? Studies show that tests are easier now. There is a theory that our brains are plastic and malleable. We can change/train our brains to be a certain way. Our brains do change and develop based on what we’re exposed to. That could mean that certain skills are better developed based on what they’re exposed to. * Artificial intelligence, like Watson, lacks the understanding of context like geographic based questions * This framework consists of 4 elements that we can ask that could be useful or more meaningful in determining the capacities that we have now versus the capacity we had during other times.It could be helpful in determining our intelligence. Framework (around smartness) Elements 1) Capacity to communicate with others in a manner that is rich in meaning and comprehensive. More difficult to measure, but it speaks to unique human capacities. 2) Ability for self-reflection. It’s the ability to think about oneself based on the stock of knowledge and experience that one has accumulated. It’s the idea that we are always growing during our lifetime. Every day we learn a little bit more about ourselves and the world around us, and making use of that. 3) The abilit y for abstraction.It’s the ability to use different words and meanings in different contexts. 4) The ability to link different ideas or information and to draw meaningful conclusions based on these associations. This is actually analysis. Analysis is about being able to see connections and linkages. In the basic sense scheduling requires an understanding of analysis. I can’t be in two places at once. * We are less engaged than we used to be. * The problem really is the value that we give to the Internet and that kind of knowledge. * It’s about being able to regurgitate information. Misplaced metaphor is that the idea of the knowledge society is not characterized by the free flow of information but by the proprietary of information. * As smart and as quick as an individual can be, none of that in and of itself translates well into this kind of framework, and certainly not in the context of a computer like Watson. July 12 * Fluent Smith defines or identifies three distinct facets of the knowledge economy as having come together and to some degree independently. * The 3 factors that came together are: 1. Prevalence of ICTs, so quite literally the technology. 2.Globalization which refers in many respects to economic context of our world based largely on ability to communicate globally, 3. Value of information in terms of safeguarding the value of intellectual property. The value of information as a commodity. Information has value in this context. * Those 3 trends: ICTs, globalization, and value of info have emerged independently throughout the years to redefine the context that we’re in. * It’s the absence of learning however that highlights the challenge set out to potential of Internet. * Our emphasis is on amusement and convenience.Those are 2 concepts that really inform what we are doing with the Internet. * Driver of the Internet has become commerce. * With commerce as the driver we are much concerned about the governance o f states. * Commerce has begun to define the world as an image that suits the design of free capital. * Page 171: table that talks about old and new paradigm **** Review; It is useful to think of companies like RIM and Apple when looking at the 2 sides of the table. * In the text, there is an extent of focus on ecommerce: GO THROUGH ON YOUR OWN; It is worth looking at impact that digitization has on distribution of media that is ocused on in this article * Fluent Smith argues is that digitization of content has eliminated many of traditional bottlenecks in media. * The traditional bottlenecks (narrow opening) access to info was slowed down at that point; distribution such as newspapers that control access and thereby created these bottlenecks. * What fluent smith argued is the fact that we can access this info online without those bottlenecks (controllers of information, gatekeepers) they argue that popularity is no longer a prerequisite for profit * Teachers experience is different : Certainly, that is true to some extent. Personally I find that in as much as we have access to a diversity of media so we can follow and watch and track countless sources and streams of information, the fact is that we are in many respects all drawing on a very narrow cross section, that we are still very much tuned into things that are popular, that go viral, songs that are hits, movies that are blockbusters. One might suspect that we are becoming more diverse, not engaged in mass culture where we share same views. I don’t see that! Any thoughts on that?How much do you feel in terms of your experience, that you are a part of a larger group vs a much more diversified group of individuals? Take a classroom like this. Do you have a sense of mass culture? * Classroom today vs. 50 years ago is so much more diverse. * Fluent smith is suggesting that need for popularity no longer exists, and that has to do with commerce. You don’t need to have mass appeal anymore to genera te profit. And it is there that he asked that question. * In 2008, google had a trillion distinct urls in its embassies. That suggests that there’s a whole lot of information. Half a trillion urls contain important meaningful, thoughtful, relatively accurate information. * Then the question becomes how we distinguish quality content from garbage content. The idea that we actually don’t have the tools to distinguish the two. * One of the things fluent smith highlights is the work of clay churky, commentator on technology and what he calls the cognitive surplus. * It speaks to what we do with our spare time and what would happen if we used it productively, the potential there. * This idea that time that we spent is not passive. A dedicated period of active focus, out of the box, off the mainstream thinking. One of the things that comes up with respect to this challenge and access and info overload is what fluent smith refers to as identifying 3 basic problems: * Misinfor mation * Information that is wrong. Therefore we draw conclusions from that not knowing they are incorrect. * Disinformation * Information that objectively speaking is not wrong but is there intentionally to mislead you. * Excess of information * The way that he sees it is the Internet is equivalent to our access to a trillion recipes. All sorts of recipes. We have access to info but losing ability to apply info.We have lots of recipes but don’t know how to cook. The thinking is being taken out of applying info and acquiring knowledge and we are invited much more now to access info that someone has accessed for us. The challenge is we can sell info in a knowledge economy but we are at a loss at applying info in a way that is equivalent to knowledge. Like creativity, knowledge is not easily bought or sold. * Chapter 9 focuses more on regulation of internet, focus on potential that internet embodies and risk that this potential is put at as a regulatory apparatus and is emergin g to safeguard the value of the info that is on the internet. A lot of questions and issues around info online are dealt with legal apparatus * A lot of ruling described are finding regulation in context of traditional commodities as opposed to intellectual property that exists online. * We see the extent of exiting property regimes to traditional goods and services being applied in an online environment and it is interesting to observe that because it is the internet that originally foreshadowed that regulation information was to be legalized entirely. Suggested that it was revolution that will entirely change the sharing of information because of regulation. Article (don’t know which one†¦. sorry) assigned where it highlights different contexts where what kind of info is being regulated in different countries. Not so much HOW, but WHAT. * The issue of regulation, term raised is â€Å"forbearance†, which is the approach that most governments have taken with respe ct to the regulation of the Internet. * Forbearanceabsence of regulation. Even though it is about not doing anything, it is still in itself a policy option. Forbearance applies to content of Internet as opposed to the carriage of information. * Content refers to the WHAT information.Carriage refers to the HOW and WHOM. * It is in the context of content that forbearance is a policy option. * Regulation of media in Canada is CRTC Canadian Radio and Television + Communications Commission. It is the regulator of media and telecommunications in Canada. * Important distinction that exists in regulation of media vs. new media or social media. And that is with respect to traditional media, the CRTC regulated both carriage and content as opposed to regulating only carriage. * What aspects of traditional media must have been regulated? Canadian content. * What does that mean?It refers to the need for programming to originate in Canada. * Obligation to play a certain proportion of Canadian mus ic (maybe 30%), then the radio station will play a lot of Canadian songs between midnight and 6 am that you wouldn’t otherwise hear. Has also been an issue in the production of magazines. * The reason is if those regulations didn’t exist, it is argued that there would be no Canadian television shows, music, magazines. Canadian programming sometimes receives subsidies from gvt in order to support it. It is hard to compete in the marketplace dominated by Hollywood movies. Another thing that CRTC regulates is decency AND French/English/Other * Standards of decency change and we have seen that over our life course that we could watch in tv has changed, crtc seeks to reflect change in culture in terms of what is considered appropriate language and nudity, and what is considered inappropriate. Term used is ACCEPTABILITY OF PROGRAMMING. * Availability of service: bell Canada in exchange for its monopoly had to provide internet access everywhere reasonably in Canada. It was no t simply allowed to provide service in some places.If the policy option with respect to access is one of forbearance is what we would have seen because it is only profitable to apply in urban centers. * Regulation of CRTC relates to something specific, the regulation of advertising. It is important to say when looking at all regulations that this trend has been toward deregulation certainly over the past 30 years * Deregulation of traditional media: bodies in Canada were taken out of various aspects of the regulation of media, not entirely, but a trend towards deregulation. Interesting to watch in context of advertising. Subliminal advertising: the idea that advertisers where trying to use messages that you weren’t actually aware that you are receiving but would act on your subconscious: flashing a hotdog on a screen while watching football makes you want a hotdog. * Interesting trend in advertising like in Canada that is regulated is pharmaceutical drugs basically. Ads for V iagra. Cant provide name of drug and tell us what it does. Either NAME or what it does. Viagra has been quite creative in developing ads that tell us what the drug is and not what it does. We have learned to infer. Alcohol and tobacco are also regulated. Alcohol restricted in where it can appear. Tobacco has disappeared from television. * All that regulation and trend in deregulation has found itself as a nonissue in the internet. * Access to the internet is regulated, content is not regulated. * Important to know that although content is not regulated, general laws still applies (example: pornography for children). * We are talking about regulation of content by CRTC. * Hate crime is also criminal offense against criminal code. Cannot express things like that online and still get away with it. Ultimately, media regulation and its challenges relate to this idea of the public interest. Regulation for what? Regulation in the public interest. * Why might the regulation of pharmaceutica l drugs in Canada have those rules against Viagra? What’s the problem in saying what Viagra does? What’s the issue? * We have medicare in Canada. There are contexts in which access to prescription drugs is provided to ensured subsidized program, advertising can be to an effect. People will ask not for a drug that addresses erectile dysfunction, but for Viagra, which costs more.We don’t want to subsidize the most expensive drugs, which are the ones advertised. * There is a conflict between public interest and commercial interest. It is in the interest of manufacturers to make as much money as they can. There is always a tension between regulation and commercial interest which is in the interest of the owners of a particular product. The conflict has played itself out in the last decades in the favour that support deregulation and forbearance. * Even though commercial media is representative of private institutions, there was a public interest attached to their fu nction in society.That is what we learned from traditional media in society (public watchdog) * The presumption has been that the Internet would function in the public interest without having to regulate content or repute some kind of intentions of outcomes. Has to do with information highway. Letting what happens on the internet happen with no interference is going to be in the public’s interest, and that is in fact true. Things that help to enhance companies and interests when we least expect it. * It is the fact that states and gvt that are not regulating media that leads us to info we have now.Leads to disinformation and misinformation, and google wants to organize the info for us for their own profit. Acting in their shareholder interest NOT public interest. * We need to see our interaction in that environment on facebook and elsewhere. We need to be informed as consumers and citizens, what we are provided with, why, and at what cost whether obvious or not obvious. * One of the costs relates to surveillance. Pops up a couple of times with fluent smith. Surveillance that is explicit as well as implicit relating to use of sites online and wifi used in coffee shops for example, and our phones where our movement is tracked.July 19 * Remote controlled machine is a creative industry- other side of creativity- is the kind of the creativity that perhaps some of us don’t want to see * Just because we have ingenuity to create something doesn’t mean we ought to create it Remote Control War Film Notes * http://www. cbc. ca/documentaries/doczone/2011/remotecontrolwar/ ( read this article to be more informed) * Possible to kill someone in real time through remote control system * Drone has become the weapon of choice and has increased 300% * Unmanned revolution * Robots have been used to save lives Next development is a multitasking robot (called bear) * You don’t confront the harm that you are causing when you are using drones- moral issues * Insurgents put themselves in populated areas- collateral damage * Robots are a closer to a washing machine * Robots are not autonomous they remote controlled * Wish to have fully autonomous robot with face recognition and night vision * Autonomy is the end goal * Humans can only make a number finite decisions * Humans are the weak link – cannot make decisions in lightning speed * Having the people in the loop is bad Brains operate in a fixed rate * We have one thing over robots- we have reasoning and judgment * Swarm- cannot be under human control; they organize themselves; the negotiate among themselves; focus on a single task * Big enough swarm; humans cannot focus on this; just way too many of them * Drone created under the Bush administration and became more success * No declared war in Afghanistan; drone are a way to go beyond the rules of war * No idea of the rules or decisions that constitute the use of drones * The use of drones; there is a lack of transparency In the CSI’s part; and believed to mostly illegal Fluent smith * Introduced access to the Internet; is it a human right? * There are ppl who lead a traditional life- do not use the internet * At some point all people are going to need to use the internet * It invites us to think Last chapter * Teacher highlights that in 2010 the internet usage surpassed the time spent watching television; Teacher surprised to see that not happen earlier * Is â€Å"Google making us stupid† Intellectual technologies- extend our mental abilities * Argument: we are becoming pancake people â€Å"breadth but not depth† * Reading has now become like riding jet ski- skimming the surface * Fluent: we are not applying the same kind of rigor then we did in the context of traditional media. Don’t have this in the Internet.Role of journalism is being supplanted by other media- blogging, citizen news * Fluent: emphasizes mobility; as a unique and new facet * Hive mind; depicted in the rob ots; no one controlling mind; do their own thing; one of the features of jeopardy with respect with Watson; we see what Watson is thinking; process the comp goes through when the question is asked and answered; â€Å"I’m 77% that it is this answer† * Fluent: we are always on† now as technology users; capacity to be in constant communication; there is a potential in their that becomes a kin to a hive; displaces the need to think for our selves * Grey elephant in Denmark; we think we are thinking our own thoughts but we are thinking the same as everyone else * Focus on the authors â€Å"internet of thing† the meaning of the Internet is no longer defined by the technologies that we physically see.Now what technology enables * Central feature and that feature is a screen â€Å"archeologist†. The screen is the physical manifestation of that interface of technology * Screen is a light * We are like moths – we are drawn to lights and difficult to pu ll are selves away from- fascination and reliance of screens

Objectifying Women

Objectifying Women Women in the Media Although we may not realize it, but media is a very powerful source of influence. Influence that can affect people in many ways that may be positive and beneficial for corporations, but not so much for the general public. Media uses a variety of means such as advertisements, movies and music videos to convince its consumers and potential consumers in buying their products, or following their lifestyles. Majority of these means are dominated with portraying different views of women.Whether it is a detergent ad, a sports themed movie or a popular pop song, each and every source of media is focused on objectifying women. While watching your favorite television show, you may not pay attention to the advertisement in between, nor do you pay attention to the fact that most of them have women in it, nor the way that they are portrayed as. Since it is seen as a common thing, our minds are accustomed to this idea. Most women in today’s media are vi ewed as  sex objects, and most advertisements use this as a way to sell a product.Magazines, television, and the Internet display this quite well by constantly portraying pencil thin models with impossibly long legs, perfect complexions, enhanced breasts, and incredibly thick locks (DeYoung & Crane). These women are then illustrated in sexually provocative poses for the purpose of selling something as ordinary as shoes. This may seem to be a harmless way of promoting a product but these  sexually provocative advertisements  have had a grave effect on our society. Media completely changes the way we see women and how we describe beauty.It has started to sell beauty; it creates an unattainable ideal woman, compelling other women to attempt to transform themselves into model look-alikes. A beautiful women does not have to be tall, skinny or should have long hair, but these images have created a category which define beauty, hence we have started to believe that as being the real definition. After all, it’s been scientifically proven that extended exposure to media changes our brains and the way we think, with average media exposure for hildren shown to be around 10 hours per day there is a lot of brain changing going on (DeYoung & Crane). So we can only imagine the affect of all this on little girls, teens as well as older women. Many of which lack self-esteem and empowerment. They are struggling everyday to find ways to look and feel more confident and beautiful. To tackle this, Dove launched a marketing campaign in 2004, called â€Å" the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty†. It included all sorts of media sources such as advertisements, video, workshops, sleepover events and much more.The campaign featured women of diverse shapes and sizes. The central objective behind it was to celebrate differences in physical traits that represented all kinds of women: to inspire them so they can be confident and comfortable with themselves (Arruda, 2011). Fir stly, the idea that Dove has is impeccable, the implementation and its source are not. Unilever owns Dove, which also owns Axe (male grooming products) amongst many other brands. Axe is a well-known brand, especially for its sexual commercials in which they objectify women and perpetuate unrealistic images of beauty.They habitually feature young, longhaired, thin, and large breasted models that are usually throwing themselves at the male-models. If Dove truly believed in liberating women to broaden the conventional definition of beauty, it would end its affiliation with such companies. Even though, that might be difficult as Unilever is a parent company, the least Dove can do is to address criticism it faces. The central point of this campaign is to liberate women and celebrate different types of beauty.On the contrary, this campaign has been criticized to only show women that naturally have a small frame and all images that they show are manipulated. Not just faintly edited to remo ve pimples, but bodies are altered to fit the beauty norm. A ‘heavy’ woman may be included but she has got to be the right kind of heavy, her image will be altered to remove freckles, lumps and bumps (Dye). In other words, â€Å" Campaign for Real Beauty† presents unreal bodies, which people can never attain.Additionally, it has been said that to appear socially responsible and to gain more market share resulting in an increment in profits was the core reason of this campaign. Due to this, Dove brand itself is deceptive, as it is not fully committed to its core proposition of the campaign. We need to understand the power that media has on our societies. Objectification and degrading women has led to many consequences that include fatalities such as anorexia and bulimia. Many young girl and teens are self conscious about their appearance and weight.Some have gone as far as going on a diet from as little as 13 years of age (The causes and the experience of eating d isorders). To terminate this atrocity, the government needs to step in. We know that there are many campaigns against cigarettes and alcohol, if the government is able to spend money on such issues, we are certain they can take part in this. The government must control where/how diet pills and such products are sold. A teenager of 15 years must not be able to walk into Wal-Mart and pick up slimfast, on her way back home from school.An awareness campaign to attack this must begin immediately; it could include seminars to help with self-esteem, spread educational handouts. Media can become an instrument of change and help awaken minds. Videos can be put on the Internet about empowering women, advertisements can show real life stories to inspire young women rather than dishearten. To conclude, we need to understand the great damage that media is causing on our society as a whole. It portrays women not as an equal but as an object to boost profits. This makes an irrational criterion abo ut beauty in our minds, which corrupts the real definition.Women make up half the population on this planet, and if they lack self-esteem and confidence we are not on a suitable path to success. The government must take action as it distresses not just our generation but our future as well. Bibliography Arruda, C. (2011, March 05). Doves Revolution- Rhetorical Analysis #2. Retrieved May 31, 2012, from Rhetoric and Popular Culture: http://rhetoricandpopculture. com/2011/03/05/doves-evolution-rhetorical-analysis-2/ Dye, L. A Critique of Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty. Canadian Journal of Media Studies , 5 (1). DeYoung, S. & Crane, F. G. (n. d. ). Females' attitudes toward the portrayal of women in advertising: a Canadian study. Retrieved June 1, 2012, from Warc: http://www. warc. com/fulltext/ijoa/5225. htm Portrayal of Women in the Popular Media. (n. d. ). Retrieved June 1, 2012, from World Savvy: http://worldsavvy. org/monitor/index. php? option=com_content;view=article;id=6 02;Itemid=1049 The causes and the experience of eating disorders. (n. d. ). Retrieved June 1, 2012, from Feminist Resources for Women and Girls: http://womensstudies. homestead. com/edwords. html

Pro-Slavery Argument

Pro-slavery The main issue in America politics during the years of the late 1840's to the late 1870's was slavery. Southerners wanted to keep the tradition of slave labor alive, and were Justifying slavery in any way possible; issue of slavery was a continuing debate in the 1800's. James Henry Hammond, John C. Calhoun, and William Joseph Harper were some of the men most famous for propagating the pro-slavery argument. Slavery was the economic foundation in the southern states during the 1800's.The efenders of slavery in the south had several arguments that they used to rationalize slavery. One argument was that ending slavery would destroy the economy in the south. Another pro-slavery argument was that slavery was a natural state of mankind since it has existed throughout history. The southern states to this day are the agricultural surplus for all of the United States crop production. For centuries, slaves were the most efficient and cheapest way to produce and harvest crops.The eco nomic and political advantages of slaves are what ultimately allowed southern itizens to survive. During the late 1830s through early 1860s, the pro-slavery argument was at its strongest (â€Å"The Proslavery Argument†). After the Civil War, freed slaves often returned back to plantations in search of money, because they did not have the resources to continue. If slavery was not abolished they would remain as property of the owner and would not have starved or been forced to work in low paying Jobs.Even though they did not have the best living and working conditions, they at least were given enough to survive. While I agree slavery is an ill moral, the concept of slavery is an economic plus. Furthermore in 1837, John C. Calhoun gave a speech promoting the â€Å"positive good† outcomes of slavery while also declaring slavery was â€Å"instead of an evil, a good – a positive good† (â€Å"The Pro-slavery Argument†). Today, top nations exploit third wo rld countries resources and economic stability due to the fact they are unable function without exporting.Countries such as China, Taiwan, Thailand, and most countries in Africa, exploit children and women to roduce factory goods for little or no money. With that process occurring, China is expanding and will possibly become one of the next top super nations. Chinas explorations of its citizens allowed the countries expansions, which will ultimately develop the country Just like the United States. While Africa's resources, such as precious metals, are being metaphorically robbed by other nations. Countries will buy their resources for almost nothing, while they are being produced by low paying workers.Although the top nations have abolished slavery, they still manipulate the countries that use slavery. This process allows countries to outsource their money in return of large profits. â€Å"Southern pro-slavery theorists asserted that slavery eliminated this problem by elevating all free people to the status of â€Å"citizen†, and removing the landless poor (the â€Å"mudsill†) from the political process entirely by means of enslavement† (â€Å"The Pro-slavery Argument†). Works Cited â€Å"The Pro-slavery Argument Boundless. Boundless. O

Who We Are As People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Who We Are As People - Essay Example Who we are as people is a broad field of analysis of human life and all that is attributed towards it. The bible explains the origin of human life in the book of genesis. Charles Darwin is a scientist who wrote about the origin of man. In his manuscript, man evolved from a single cell. The replication of these cells led to the development of the first species of man. Religious societies have their own way of interpretation creation. However, the method is based on strong belief as it cannot be physically proved. The book of genesis contains the whole story of creation. The religious view of creation believes that human beings were created by a supreme being. Religion concept Religious and scientific aspects of life agree on one common understanding of human traits. They both believe that human beings are supreme creatures. According to the bible, God created heaven and earth and placed inside all the life components that exist. He created man on the last day and rested. Man is consid ered to be a special creature as he was given the breath of life by God Himself. God also appreciated his last creation as he made. This portrays that the last creature was special. Man was made in the image of his creator which was different case with the rest of God’s creation. According to science, man has the most complicated brain. Human beings are the most intelligent creatures. ‘In the text Metamorphoses’ God created heaven and made it a home the stars, He created the sea and made it a home for the fish and finally the earth which he made it to be a home for the wild animal. However, He was not impressed as none of the creatures had higher thought to rule over His creation. Finally, He made man whom he gave the ability to rule over His creation. They have the ability to reason thus differentiate between logic and illogical situations. Man was given the ability to raise his head high and face the sky while the wild animal and flying creatures all bow and fa ce down as a sign of respect for humankind. Technology concept Technology is another aspect that makes human beings special creatures. They have the ability to discover. Human beings are flexible to the inevitable change. They have the ability to manipulate change in order to match their needs. Human beings have a life span and are able to work with nature to ensure their life span is within the life expectancy radar. Self identity Self identity is one of the most important aspects in human life. This is ability to have a sense of belonging. Human beings ought to belong in a certain group or groups. Living things have the ability to correlate but human beings have a special ability to connect as well as correlate with each other (Chapeyama, 24). The idea of connection and correlation provide human beings with the advantage to advance in technology. Self identity is associated with behaviour and intension. Human beings have the power to chose and make decision. Self identity promotes self confident thus the ability to rule or make self decisions. Moral differences Human beings have moral differences which makes have admiration and develop interest in a variety of things. In the context ‘Metamorphoses’ the creation period is referred to as the golden age since there was no law, coercion, no fear nor punishment and no use of threatening or insulting words. This is an indicator that humankind have morally evolved and transformed to evil and unethical ways of life. The earth was smooth without a mark of plough. Currently, the situation has change and human beings are forced to work in order to obtain food. This notion is explained in the book of Genesis, ‘In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you

Systems and operations management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Systems and operations management - Assignment Example The company employs more than 52,000 employees based in four countries at sixteen different sites. The four countries in which the 16 sites are set up are Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Spain. The final assembly of the aircraft is done in Toulouse (France). Also, the company has its subsidiaries in the United States, Japan, China and India. The company has built the world first commercially viable fly-by-wire airliner, the Airbus A320, and also the largest airliner, the A380. The Airbus A380 is a four engine double deck airplane is a double-deck, and is the largest airplane in the world. It took its first flight on 27 April 2005 from Toulouse, and the first commercial flight was operated on 25 October 2007 from Singapore to Sydney in alliance with the Singapore Airlines Corporation. The airplane design offers cabin size of 50% more than the Boeing 747 which is the second largest airplane in the world and provides for a seating space of 850 people as compared to only 525 in t he Boeing 727. Airbus 380 is available in both the passenger and freight models and is the first airplane to use the GTL-based fuel technology. This paper, divided into four section, will make a detailed study about the operations management of Airbus 380, use of Information technology, and soft system methodology to enhance the business and management operations of Airbus. SECTION 1 This section will study the role of operations management, the reasons behind its initiation at the company, and its effect on the business objectives. This section provides the detailed analysis of operations management at Airbus, and how it has been implemented with the help of various OM techniques to increase efficiency. The previous operations at Airbus were not in line with the new requirements of Airbus A380. The new system required higher efficiencies, with precision, and reliability of speedy data and decision making. The old manufacturing facilities were not able to support the requirements of a new and more complex engineering product. It was important that the management makes significant changes in the operational process and data handling system to improve efficiencies. Also the supply chain of the company was in dire need of modifications and up gradations to carry out all the requirements for the manufacture of airbus A380. The engineers were not able to identify the cause of frequent disruptions that usually occurred in the system, which resulted in fault decision making at most of the times. In order to cure the system of these problems, it was evident that operational management would be employed in the form of various techniques that would assist in managing the overall business in a more profitable manner. The company management decided to implement two operations management techniques in its manufacturing floors – Enterprise resource planning and SCOR. Airbus introduced a new oracle based ERP system which also consisted of integrated accounting and cos ting along with the regular purchase and inventory management, production planning, and logistics management systems. The implementation of the ERP made it mandatory that the system is centralized in nature required and the production chain assumes a â€Å"Pull type† formation instead of the existing â€Å"Push type† configuration, ( Chekland, 1981). With these two reforms in place, it became easier to share the data easily within the various manufacturing centers of Airbus and

Webquest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Webquest - Essay Example Other components that can enhance but are not essential to the WebQuest, according to Dodge, are making the WebQuest either single discipline-focused or multiple-disciplines-focused; incorporating elements to motivate participants; and the incorporation of group activities (Dodge). Question 2: Looking at actual WebQuests, it is clear that the outline provided by Dodge has been useful in defining the parameters of such exercises, and from their widespread adoption it can be said to that the format of the WebQuest had been instrumental in its efficacy as a teaching and learning protocol/strategy/program/plan. There is a high level of uniformity in the adoption of the critical elements in many of the WebQuests that I encountered for this exercise, with the exception of a few that also incorporated Teacher Advice and Credits sections on top of the key elements of the Introduction, Tasks, Process, Evaluation, and Conclusion. The Teacher Advice section seems to be helpful in theory, as far as providing additional, but important notes that Teachers can refer to when making use of the WebQuest, to enhance learning outcomes )(Dodge; Rogers; Creech; Smith-Rios). a. The WebQuest focuses on the use of the Web to find out differing versions of Cinderella in different parts of the world, designed to develop critical and analytical skills among students as they navigate through the process and prescribed references/steps. The WebQuest states that this is appropriate for a Language Arts class in Sixth Grade (Rogers) b. The students were made to go through several sources to help them develop an understanding of how to research and compare varying versions of the Cinderella story. The directions are clear and well-laid out, and further substantiated by the requirements in the Evaluation Crtieria (Rogers) c. The color scheme invokes

Writing a policy about Human Resources Security Assignment

Writing a policy about Human Resources Security - Assignment Example Cloud computing is today becoming business modernization’s fresh standards (Alali & Chia-Lun, 2012). The goal of the policy on external computing services is to secure human resources information. The policy also seeks to provide many enticing opportunities in the technology industry with several technology solutions being offered at very low costs. The policy on external cloud computing services will also make the foundation of pivotal improvements in the human resource information technology effectiveness. Given external cloud computing services are significant for human resource security (CHOI, 2013). The policy on external services is significant to the organization in terms of securing human resources information. It will assist in backing up confidential information from hackers and other unauthorized users. Retrieving information will also be easy as a result of implementing this policy. The objective of this policy is gain from external cloud computing services in terms of flexibility, efficiency, flexibility, and reduction in cost currently (Cross, 2012). As models of businesses change to be at par with the advancement in technology as well as the associated market shifts, organizations strive to build their strategies of cloud computing out of flexible components requiring interoperability among vendors (Cross, 2012). Another objective of the policy on external cloud computing services is to open opportunities by making technology and applications more accessible and minimizes the risk of having a significant data breach. Cloud computing is vital in safeguarding information. Many institutions have contributed to the marketing and development of platforms based on external cloud computing services policy. Some of the organizations already using external cloud computing services include Verizon, Oracle, Apple, VMWare, IBM, Google, Sony, Amazon, NetSuite, and Microsoft. Many other organizations are establishing all forms of

History os Asian Art Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

History os Asian Art - Research Paper Example During this period, the ding had been secularized hence its other purpose included cooking and serving foods and wine apart from the other ritual functions. Dings were mainly used in the households of rulers particularly the royal families. They were symbols of status within the Chinese society and were also presented as gifts to foreign rulers. In the event of death of the members of the monarchy, they would be buried with the vessels which were meant to be used in the other world in serving the spirits (A universal guide for China studies, n.p). The bronze lidded vessel (ding) is circular in shape. It has two handles with each handle placed on either side of the vessel. Its three legs are attached separately at the base of the vessel. On the other hand, the lid is placed at the top (opening) of the vessel. There are statues of animals neatly curved on the lid-that is, a lioness and a tiger. On its surface, it is decorated with drawings of dragons and it is interlaced patterns of spirals (AMICA

Six sigma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Six sigma - Essay Example Today, Six Sigma is widely used in numerous organizations throughout the world specifically in business areas such as Business, Telecommunication, Aviation, Pharmaceutical, and so on. The term Six Sigma originated from manufacturing terms related to the statistical modeling of the manufacturing process. A Sigma rating describes the quality of a manufacturing process. This rating is based on the percentage of defect-free products generated. More importantly, a Six Sigma process is expected to yield 99.99966% of products without any defects, which means there is only an average of 3.4 defects for every million items created. Motorola aims to achieve these high quality outputs in all of its manufacturing processes through the implementation of Six Sigma (Pande & Holpp, 2002). The following sections shall discuss Six Sigma in greater detail, along with how Six Sigma is applied in the aviation industry. Six Sigma History In 1986, Motorola USA was criticized by its senior executive Art Sun dry due to the company’s poor performance and bad output quality (Schroeder & Harry, 2006). This pushed the company to understand the correlation of improving the product quality and decreasing production costs. The belief at the time was that increasing the product quality entails higher production expenses. ... In 2006, Motorola reported to have saved over $17 billion since it implemented Six Sigma in its manufacturing and business processes. Terminology Six Sigma is a term that originated from a the statistical model of process capability studies. The model referred to the ability of the manufacturing processes to generate outputs at high volumes within the set standards. All the Six Sigma projects are expected to produce only 3.4 defects for every million opportunities, which means a Six Sigma process has a rate of producing 99.99966% of defect-free products. A Six Sigma defect is defined as any error outside the customer specifications. Moreover, a Six Sigma opportunity is the total number of chances for a defect to occur. A Six Sigma calculator is used to compute for the process sigma (Pyzdek & Keller, 2009). Influences and Characteristics Six Sigma is mainly influenced by six decades of quality improvement methodologies, which include Zero Defects, Quality Control and Total Quality Man agement. The Six Sigma doctrine states that: manufacturing and business processes have variables that can be measured, analyzed, improved, and controlled; continuous effort to attain stable process results are essential to a successful business; and quality improvement may be sustained through the commitment of the whole organization, specifically the higher management. Furthermore, Six Sigma has its new and unique characteristics including: strong emphasis on passionate management leadership and support; every Six Sigma project entails a clear focus on attaining measurable and quantifiable financial results; special workforce infrastructure of â€Å"Champions,† â€Å"Master Black Belts,† â€Å"Black Belts,† â€Å"Green Belts†, and so on; and decisions are made based on factual and

BBC The Next Five Years Essay Example for Free

BBC The Next Five Years Essay Introduction The purpose of this study is to investigate the information strategy of the BBC. Having reviewed the various modes of enquiry, we have decided that the unbounded mode is the most appropriate in this instance. Using this, we have investigated the BBCs’[1] IS strategy, examining the external factors that may have an affect upon its planning and design. In addition we have reviewed other issues pertinent to the BBC to determine the possible negative of these might have on the strategy. Finally we have looked at the next five years to evaluate the relevance that significant advances over that period might have on the BBC IS strategy. Enquiry system   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In compiling this report we need first to decide what method we are going to plan our research upon. There are five basic enquiry modes ranging from the simple to the complex and innovative. Enquiry Modes 1) Inductive-Consensual   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the words suggest this mode of enquiry relies upon one reaching a single conclusion by using a restricted range of interpretations, for example from previous researches into the subject matter. The result is influenced by the general consent of these opinions. For example if one asked the question â€Å"Is public service broadcasting superior to commercial,† and this was only put to BBC employees, the consensus is likely to answer affirmatively. 2) Analytic-deductive   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This mode approaches the problem or enquiry from a different aspect. In this case the problem is broken down into its component parts. Each one of these parts is then analysed and tested for logic. Once this process is complete a formula is used to build the results from the analysis of those parts into a single solution that addresses the problem. 3) Dialectic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the more complex of the enquiry modes, the dialectic mode is based upon conflict or different viewpoints. It does not question the data, simply the views that are expressed about it, working on the basis that by discussion of the variance a logical conclusion will be reached. A relevant argument for this mode would be the discussion about whether the BBC should be allowed to sell advertising space in the same way that the commercial media does. 4) Multiple reality   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Multiple reality recognizes that people will approach problems from a predetermined viewpoint, based upon their own experience and training. For example an Accountant will look at the commissioning of a new revolutionary BBC sit-com from a different angle of the program planner. This process therefore relies upon the problem being addressed from a number of viewpoints, which will essentially come up with a range of conclusions. 5) Unbounded systems thinking   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This modes works on the basis that, in any given situation, all modes of enquiry are automatically brought to bear, and therefore cannot be separated. Thus, when addressing a problem every viewpoint and conclusion needs to be taken into account. Similarities and differences   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All of the modes described above have similarities. All five rely upon the fact that there is a situation to be addressed in the first place. Additionally the point of the exploration, review and analysis of this problem, for all of the modes is to a) gain knowledge and b) reach a conclusion based on that knowledge, or a solution to the hypothesis or problem posed. Modes 1 and 2 above are similar to the extent that they both have a singular approach to the subject matter, relying upon one viewpoint (or consensus) being the input and the result.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With modes 3 and 4 the similarities are that both look for a range of viewpoints from which to approach a subject and neither attempt or profess to reach a singular conclusion, preferring instead to provide multiple conclusions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mode 5, in theory, displays the most similarity to all of the others. This is simply because it works on the premises that, in the real world, none of the enquiry systems and modes described can operate independently.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Equally there are some major differentials between these systems. The key difference is in their approach to a given situation. Mode one differs from the others in that it relies upon a consensus of opinion from a limited range of sources and seeks a single conclusion. Mode two differs from three to five for the same reason, but it also differs from one in the it analyses the component parts of the problem, rather than relying solely on interpretation. Mode three and four differ from each other in that they treat the conclusion in a different manner, three allowing differing conclusions to be presented, and four, seeking argument between different conclusions. Mode fives similarity is also its difference to the others, namely that it does not limit itself to a particular enquiry mode, instead using all formats. Strengths and weaknesses   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inherent in all enquiry modes are strengths and weaknesses, which need to be recognised. Inductive-Consensual. The strengths of this mode rest in the fact that it is focused in one direction, making it simple to use and relatively quick to apply to a given problem. Its weaknesses lie in the limitation of approach and its reliance upon consensus of opinion. There is no attempt to check the validity of core data. Using the BBC example used in the mode description, there is no guarantee that the consensus of agreement is based on a genuine or, because they are employees of the BBC, biased and inaccurate opinion. Analytic-deductive. In this instance the strength comes from the fact that the component parts have been analysed before arriving at a conclusion. It bases that conclusion on logic. Its weakness comes from the fact that, like mode 1, it relies heavily upon a single source of operator to address the problem or situation. Both modes 1 and two have a strength that is also a weakness. This relates to the fact that both seek to arrive at a single conclusion. This is strength when given a task that asks for a definitive solution and the receiver does not want to input into this, but a weakness when asked for an opinion or range of solution.   Dialectic. The major strength in this mode is that it does allow for differing viewpoints to address a situation, thus relating itself more closely with a real world scenario. Similarly, the fact that it does result in a range of conclusions, and allow these to compete against each other to reach a conclusion is good when seeking a final unified approach. It means that all the options have an opportunity to be considered and discussed. The argumentative aspect can be strength insofar as such an approach can often lead to a tempering of divergent views. Weakness may Multiple reality. Like Dialectic, the multiple approaches have the strength of numerous viewpoints. In this case though, it presents all of the options. This allows the receiver to consider the options from their own particular viewpoint, before they make the final decision. Unbounded systems. The strength of this system is in its unlimited approach to a subject. Using this method ensures that it covers all possible aspects, resulting in a wide range of probable solutions. Its weakness rests in the fact that it is cumbersome and, if used as a tool for a conclusive result, could not facilitate this. In addition it would be a time consuming project. For the purpose of this study we will be using the multiple reality mode. Information Systems strategy – External environment Socio-political   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The BBC is a public service broadcasting organisation. Because of this there are more socio-political factors that impact upon the corporation and its operations than with most other businesses.   From a social point of view one has to look at both society as a whole as well as individual groups. Such groups can consist of ethnic, class and disabled minorities. All of these groups expect to receive equality of service from the corporation. This means that the corporation needs to ensure that it represents each group within all of its programme output. For example, it needs to ensure that within the public face of its broadcasting such minorities are adequately represented, be that in a factual or fictional environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the political front the BBC also has to deal with a number of factions. In line with other businesses it has to pay heed to governments and judicial legislation, although the difference that exists with the BBC is that has a closer link in that it is a public corporation. Similarly, like other media, regulatory bodies overview its product and output. However, in addition to these, the BBC has two additional political factors to deal with. These are the Royal Charter, which has recently been reviewed (2006) and the BBC Trust.    Technological   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Trust is one of the key issues, which dictates the rate at which new technology is taken up. Often the speed at which technology develops is the one thing that makes trust difficult to achieve. No sooner has a user familiarised themselves with one system than this is rendered obsolete by a new one. Davis (2002) in his paper written for the Joint Information Services Committee posed the question that many users were asking. â€Å"How sure can one be that the outcome of an interaction is what it purports to be?† As it operates within the business medium, the BBC has greater access to technology than other organisations. It is an integral part of their broadcasting environment. This includes such areas as Broadband, digital and interactive technology. Internally it uses similar modern technology to other media businesses, in terms of computers, network systems in addition to the TV and radio broadcasting technology. The latter includes such things as cameras, film equipment and outside broadcast vehicles. However, as Paul Cheesbrough, BBC head of technology for production and technology direction, admitted in his interview with Miya Knights (2004), their internal systems do need updating in a number of areas, where he says, â€Å"Internally, our processes for producing and authoring content have been the same for many years and are still very physical. Its a very distributed set-up with lots of physically-based processes in between.† The internal technology of an organisation is important (Glasson 1996) Economic – Geographical   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The BBC, unlike the commercial broadcasting media, does not receive money from other businesses in terms of advertising revenue, nor much in the way of sponsorship. It is funded in the main by a system of revenue from the television and radio licence, together with the annual financial support that it receives from the British government. Despite the wish, within some factions of the corporation to change this situation, so far this has been rejected. The only other of funding available to the BBC is the commercial sales it makes of its programmes to other broadcasting media throughout the world, including joint ventures, and sales of its products through other medium, such as books and publications, CDs and DVDs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From a geographical point of view, the BBC is predominately a British based broadcaster, although it does have a world service for radio, originally set up with the intention of providing a link for armed forces overseas. Historically it has concentrated upon this limited geographical area through which to develop and market its products. However, it does produce programmes relating to and based upon many areas of the world. Nowadays it is also making use of the Internet through which to extend its audience. To add to its home-based productions, the BBC also buys programmes from other media throughout the world. Impact on IS strategy planning and design â€Å"The social, legal, political, ethical, and ecological issues facing business have never been more complex or more difficult to comprehend,† wrote Stephen Wartick (1997). This statement is particularly applicable to the BBC.   The factors mentioned previously form an intrinsic element of its Information Services at the planning and design stage. From a social point of view the BBC is required to cater for all sectors of society. The means that part of its strategy has to be geared towards minority groups. In addition it has historically been seen as a provider of learning, necessitating part of its information system strategy to be used in that direction. Political issues also impact upon its planning and design because, as a result of the need to divert resources to other areas set within its charter, this means that there are fewer resources available to pursue avenues that it might otherwise wish to develop. There have been instances in the past where the political forces have tried to introduce a modicum of pressure onto the corporation and, knowing this is a possibility, must impact on the corporation strategy. The area where the BBC does appear to both holding its own, and in some respects, making significant advances, is in technology. Whilst internally there are areas that need addressing, from an external and production standpoint the organisation is keeping up to date. Here it has encompassed the changes that have occurred since the Information era began in the 1970’s, using modern technology to maintain its reputation as possibly the best broadcaster in the industry. The planning and designing stages are very important. As Paul Cheeseburgh (2004) observed â€Å"The term digital islands means a lot in our industry, but theres no point in moving from analogue to digital processes if those islands are disconnected.† Nevetherless they have made some of their processes more cost competitive as a result of technology, with the use of digital technology being an example of this. Economics probably has the greatest impact on the businesses IS strategies and their planning. Because its funding is subjected to restrictions than other broadcasters, this means that some of the innovative ideas that the BBC might wish to develop may not be possible due to financial restrictions. Similarly, it has a finite budget from which to take advantage of technology advances in the way that it would like to. Geographical issues have an impact on the IS strategy. Being a media corporation means that they have to plan for communication access sometimes to even the remotest parts of the world, and have a variety of climates to contend with. In the equatorial countries for instance, the corporation has had to make use of refrigerated broadcast vehicles. Impacts on IS strategy Risk Categorization Scales   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As has been widely publicised, Information systems and Technology attract risks and these manifest themselves in a number of ways. In all areas of life and business, there is the risk of sabotage (Stewart 2000) Technology for instance, suffers from hacking, virus and other dangers instigated from outside sources. Then there are the mechanical and accidental risks.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Knowing that these events are likely to happen even in the best protected of systems, it is vitally important that this eventuality is recognised and addressed at an early stage. Kim Andersen (2005) in his book on the subject, shows â€Å"how getting things right† helps the information system. This is particularly relevant in a broadcasting organisation such as the BBC. At all stages of the development of an IS and IT strategy plan a consequence analysis should be carried out, this is relevant at each subsequent change as well. Within this process one needs to identify where the possibility of risks lies, what type of risks could attach themselves to the area in question and what the effect of those risks might be. Figure 1 (see appendices) gives an example of a consequence matrix. Effect/probability/Action Grid   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Having analysed the areas of risks and the types of risks that could occur, one then has to categorise and evaluate the risk. This means that one needs to first work out what the effects of that risk will be. Will it be in favour of the organisations and its IS and IT, or will it be fatal. Or will it be somewhere between the two. The next step it to ascertain the probability factor. What is the likelihood of the risk occurring, negligible or certainly? Armed with this information one can then work out what action to take in terms of prevention, assuming that the risk is not to the businesses advantage. Figure 2 (see appendices) shows a simple grid detail the possible results of this analysis. Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability (CIA)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Following on from the previous analysis, the organisation needs to work out what impact this potential risk will have on the business. This can be categorised in three ways. Firstly there is confidentiality and privacy. The BBC IS and IT systems contain a lot of sensitive data, both from an internal and external point of view, such as staff and financial details. It could be embarrassing and costly if this information were to be obtained illegally, in addition to the fact that it could see the organization facing legal action for breach of confidentiality. This area will impact on the information system, (Mwangama 2006)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second impact of risk could be to the integrity of accuracy of the data. If information is tampered with or altered in any way this would have serious consequences for the business.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The third area of impact is when the data or system is corrupted of deleted. In this case the system or database would be unable to operate and, in an extreme case the contents and data non-recoverable. Potential Negative Impacts 1) Technical   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From a technical viewpoint the negative impact of the consequences of risk will attach to the strategy planning and design. For example the BBC would need to ensure that, by the introduction of new and more versatile systems and upgrades, this does not increase the risks. If this appears likely then the direction of the strategy will need to be reappraised. Similarly, if by installing new software the system becomes less secure in terms of the data access, the necessity and cost benefit of new software should be evaluated. This may result in technology and information system upgrades being delayed until such time as the security of the hardware can be guaranteed to be as risk proof as possible. 2) Non-Technical   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The organisation also needs to look at the negative issues that the consequence of risk may raise in relation to human and business processing issues. Employees and others involved with the Corporation have a right to expect personal information to be maintained in a confidential and secure manner. The shoulders of the organisation that has the information, to keep it secure. In addition to this is the damage of such a risk to the business processes. It is not only losing of the programmes, which would prove costly enough, it is also the potential of lost data, which in some areas could be irreplaceable. Ethical Issues   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Added to all of the above are the ethical issues surrounding risk. The BBC, like all organisations that keep sensitive and personal data, is subject to both the data protection ACT and their own professional code of conduct and ethics. These include a duty to not harm those for whom you are responsible for and to respect their right to privacy, which includes ensuring that any personal information that they give to you are kept safe. Thus it cannot be passed to a third party, either by the organisation itself or by the intervention of an outside party. Even if that third party is committing an illegal act it does not absolve the corporation from liability. In the modern legal environment, if such an event occurs, the possibility of legal action being taken the organisation is very likely. The code of conduct for the BBC also states that it sees part of its duty being to respect and honour human rights. This extends to ensuring that the technology that is installed within its systems offers the same rights.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition to the rights of the individual whose rights have been violated there is the impact that such a breech will have on the corporations’ own reputation. According to a newspaper report written by Owen Gibson (2005) the BBC recently revised their code of ethics to take account of some of these issues. The Next Five Years   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strategic planning for the future of information systems is important. (Ward Peppard 2002) A business needs a â€Å"clear vision of where it is trying to go.† (Andersen 2004) and to produce the correct strategy the BBC needs to know what events will impact on the strategy. External changes In terms of the future, the next five years are likely to produce changes of significance in terms of IS and IT in a number of areas, in hard and software (Mark Haggerty 2006).   The advances in wireless technology are one area where these advances are proving to be particularly rapid. This development will allow both television and computers to become really possible, with consumers able to carry the receivers in pockets. They will then be in a position of being able to view at any time and in any place. Wireless technology development will also have an impact on broadcasting in that it will allow ease of access for people involved in news reporting, such as with the BBC. Using these systems, particularly in their news department, the corporation will be able to achieve instant news reporting from almost anywhere in the world. In addition the reports will be able to be accessed and reported on air in real time, in other words as it happens. Continued development in satellite technology will also improve the ability of the BBC to achieve its strategy of moving closer towards a more â€Å"on-demand† consumer environment. Video conferencing is set to be one of the main growth areas in technology over the next five years. (Laura Hailstone 2006). This technology is already being used and implemented by a growing number of businesses. In addition to the business use, this technology is set to move into the private sector, allow for projects such as games shows to be conducted with participants not having to move from their home. With increasing computer technology being incorporated within television sets, the opportunities are available for television presenters to be able to interact directly with the consumer. There will be continued developments in the field of interactive media. The continuing improvements in this area will eliminate the need for there to be two or three machines in a household in order to give the consumer flexibility and choice. Within the next five years the facility of recording direct from the TV should improve substantially, allowing additional onset recording facilities, improving upon what systems such as sky offer already. Interaction will also affect the BBC’s learning facilities leading to closer interaction between teacher and learner, (G. Conole et al 2000). B. Davies (2002) also showed how modern and future information system developments are impacting on users in the education arena. An area of significant relevance to the BBC is the continued development of compact storage systems, such as the MP3. From an internal point of view this will mean less space utilised for storage of produced material, therefore reducing the corporations costs in the area of storage. With the increase in globalisation, business systems will also witness significant innovation over the next five years. Such programmes as the multi-national, multi-lingual supply chain software could be implemented within the BBC, providing it with more accuracy and accessibility in terms of its global operations, allow it to work more closely with the stakeholders who supply the corporation and ensure that the quality of the product is maintained. Internal changes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The BBC will see changes in a number of areas of IS and IT. It is expected that within the next five years media broadcasters will need to keep updating their technology and systems to meet the increasing demands from the public in the way in which programmes are presented. Digital development is something that the BBC sees as having a significant effect over their programming abilities over the next five years. From the point of view of the production side of their programmes, a test run on one programme has shown that it produces a significant cost reduction. More developments of this nature are planned. Development of the digital technology for the end user is also seen as a means of being able to extend the ability of the viewer to have more control over the way in which they organise their personal viewing or listening schedules. The corporation is planning to use this to restructure the way in which it produces programmes and extend the range of interaction with the consumer. Further developments on the World Wide Web are also being looked at. This will provide the BBC with the ability to make its services available in a number of new ways, including providing a service where programs can be downloaded and watched for a limited period, thereby avoiding the possibility of this being stored and affecting others possible sales of the programmes. As part of this development they are working with all of the major software organisations in the development of products, which will open new opportunities in terms of programming. The BBC sees, what its Director-General Mark Thompson (2005) â€Å"On Demand† television as the way forward in technology. In addition to this the BBC are also developing ways in which their programmes can be transmitted for screening on a range of portable devices. From an in house perspective the BBC sees that IT developments over the next five years will enable it to integrate all of its in house operations, linking together internal systems that previously have been disconnected. Internally there will also be changes in terms of office systems and other related technology usages. Microsoft’s chief technology officer, in his interview with Chris Nuttall (1999) stated that â€Å"every five years there is a revolution in the computer industry.† Therefore it is necessary that organisations like the BBC have a strategy prepared for it. Evidence Research shows that all of the changes outlined are evidenced. Tafazolli, Rahim (2006) comments â€Å"that the days of the totally wireless technology are close and that soon consumers will be able to access the media wherever they are.† Future Tech (2006), have noted that one organisation is already well advanced on a system of voice recognition for the purpose of media viewing, amongst other applications. The article also reveals that MIT are developing the computer glasses, which will make operation of computers and televisions much less tiresome, allowing the consumer to operate TV and Computer without using hands. The article also reveals that hardware companies are working to make the computer less visible. This means that, instead of the current box on the desk, they may be incorporated in the TV or portable devices, which can be, located and operated from anywhere. The BBC launched â€Å"Creative Future Project†. Part of the remit for this project is to continue to monitor the advances in new technology with a view to using the technology as part of its development strategy for the future. The project, and the BBC’s IT department are working with a number of the largest software houses, such as Microsoft and Apple, to development programmes and systems which can assist in the development of broadcasting. Energy consideration is already an area that the BBC is aware of. In the future the role of Information systems and technology will take on more significance in terms of its contribution to energy conservation, (J R. Franchi 2004) Bibliography Andersen, Kim Viborg. (2004) The Past and Future of Information Systems. Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd Carpenter, Leona, Shaw, Simon and Prescott, Andrew (eds) (1988) Towards the Digital Library, The British Library, London Conole, G., Jacobs, G., Squires, D (ed) (2000), The Changing Face of Learning Technology. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1-3. Davies, B. (2002), How new technologies are impacting on users, Joint Information Systems Committee.   Retrieved 17 July 2006 from: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=pub_inform2 Franchi, John. R. Franchi (2004) Energy, Technology and Directions for the Future. Elsevier Academic Press. Future Tech. (2006) Future Computing. Retrieved 12 July 2006 from http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~jwb24/newtech/integrate.html Gibson, Owen. (2005) New Ethics Code for BBC. The Guardian Glasson, Bernard, C, Vogel, Doug, Bots, Pieter and Nunamaker, Jay (1996) Information Systems and Technology in the International Office of the Future. Chapman Hall. UK Haggerty, Mark. (2005) GMS Software development. The next five years. Clientside News Hallstone, Laura (2006). VC market set to grow over the next five years. Retrived 16 July 2006 from www.vcunet.com Knights, Miya (2004) Interview with Paul Cheeseburgh: BBC sees new technology horizons. Retrieved 18 July 2006 from http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/analysis/2132111/bbc-sees-technology-horizon Mwangama, Ena. (2006) Information in the Next Five Years. Retrieved 18 July 2006 from http://www.comptechlib.com/326.html Nuttall, Chris. (1999). Windows to lose its crown within five years. Retrieved 10 July 2006 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/253592.stm/ Press Release (2006) Response to the white paper. Retrieved 16 July 2006 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/03_march/14/white.shtml Review of the BBC’s Royal Charter. (July 2006). Retrieved 17 July 2006 from http://www.bbccharterreview.org.uk/pdf_documents/BBCRoyal%20Charter_july06.pdf Stewart, R.A. (2000). Dam Risk Management (Invited Paper). Proceedings of the International Conference on Geotechnical and Geological Engineering (GeoEng2000). Melbourne, pp. 721-748. Tafazolli, Rahim (2006) Technologies for the Wireless Future. Wireless World Research Forum. UK Thompson, Mark (Director General) (2005) Creative Future Project. Retrieved 16 July 2006 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/thefuture/text/creative_future.html Ward, John and Peppard, Joe. (2002) Strategic Planning for Information Systems. John Wiley Sons Wartick, Stephen L. (1997) International Business and Society. Blackwell Publishers [1] British Broadcasting Corporation

Towards Self Reliance In Defence Research Economics Essay

Towards Self Reliance In Defence Research Economics Essay The idea of self-reliance is important even today. However, self-reliance does not imply pursuing a policy of autarky. It does not mean cutting ourselves away from the world. Self-reliance in the modern world implies the ability to pursue ones interests with self-confidence and faith in ones own capabilities. We do not have to pursue self-reliance by doing everything ourselves. We can, indeed, pursue greater self-reliance by creating inter-relationships of inter-dependence that enhance our bargaining power. Greater interaction with the world can in fact enhance a nations self-reliance by creating a web of mutually beneficial inter-relationships.  [1]   Dr Manmohan Singh Buy Indian and Make Indian is going to be the major component of our procurement policy. That will help us to have a strong defence industrial base in India.  [2]   -A.K. Antony, Defence Minister Introduction 1. The blossoming Indian economy is fast pacing into the 21st century with the potential of being an economic superpower. Spurred by economic reforms and the impact of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation, India, is truly on the verge of carving its own niche in the world. 2. An economic superpower must also be a military super power, in terms of Military capability and strength. There should also be a dependable and reliable indigenous defence industrial base. A country which is self reliant and independent in its military requirements, and thus, also has access to technologically advanced capability can truly be termed as military superpower. The establishment of a well developed defence industrial base is of primary importance to any emerging super power. Focus should be on capability development followed by numeral growth, not the other way round. A clear understanding and identification of the requirements and needs of the armed forces and ensuring that the requirements are met within the stipulated time, in a cost effective manner, should be the primary goal of any defence industrial base and the determinant of its success. Indias Defence Industrial Base. A Historical perspective 3. Pre Independence. The pre-independence defence-industrial infrastructure in India consisted of 18 Ordnance Factories (OFs)  [3]  , generally catering to repair and overhaul as well as to supplement weapons and equipment produced in Britain. During this period India was never allowed to develop core competencies in industrial production. 4. Post Independence. Since independence the Indian leadership aimed at attaining self-sufficiency in entire domain of defence production and to achieve this Indias industrial policies  [4]  emphasized core industries (including defence sector) to be taken care of by the central government and others by the states. As a result eight Defence Public Sector Units (DPSUs) under exclusive control of the government were devoted to production of different military systems and components. Defence Science Organisation (DSO) was established at that time to take up challenges of undertaking RD activities. DRDO was formed in 1958 from the amalgamation of the then already functioning developmental establishments with the DSO. DRDO then comprised of 10 establishments or laboratories which has now grown into a network of over 50 laboratories throughout India  [5]  . 5. Post 1962 war License production, direct purchase and acquisitions remained the predominant form of supply for the Indian defence forces. This resulted in a gap of nearly three decades in Indias effort toward indigenous production which was especially evident in the fields of design and development, which constitutes the upper spectrum of self reliance. A fighter aircraft between Marut and the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), a basic trainer aircraft between HT-2 and HPT- 32, an intermediate trainer between Kiran and an yet-to-be fully developed Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) are some of the examples that typify both the technology and production gaps  [6]  . 6. Trends in 1980s and 1990s. This was the period when Cold War came to an end and Global defence expenditure rose to an all time high in 1987 and then fell sharply during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Also, there was a rise in low intensity conflicts lawlessness, crimes and terrorism was spreading manifold. This was also the time countries were opening up their economies and the globalization era commenced. This period was the starting point of major defence acquisitions from abroad coupled with major initiatives in indigenous defence production, including RD activities. The license production of Jaguars and MiG- 27M was undertaken by HAL  [7]  . Also indigenous development of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and Main Battle Tank(MBT) Arjun were speeded up by DRDO. Production of missiles developed under Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), through Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) commenced. Hence, during this period India had been a ble to initiate a number of projects for indigenous development. However, fructification of these projects was accompanied by inordinate delays and technological gaps. 7. The mainstay of armed forces was met through substantial arms acquisition from abroad primarily due to slow progress in our indigenous design and development activities as also the inability to keep pace with the global state-of-art technologies in the defence industry. With the change in environment after nuclear explosions by India and Pakistan and the Kargil conflict, the country had to give a re-look to its defence strategy including its objective of achieving self-reliance in defence industry. 8. Defence Industry in 21st Century Soon after the liberalization of the economy, the defence industry started realizing the importance of civil military interaction in the industrial sector to attain near self-reliance. Coupled with changes at institutional and organizational levels as recommended by the Group of Ministers Committee Report on Reforming the National Security System, is the most important policy shift in the defence-industrial sector allowing 100% private sector participation and 26% by Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)  [8]  . Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) has been instrumental in influencing such a marked change in policy. While these far-reaching institutional and policy-oriented changes have been underway for quite some time, the demand for private participation has assumed significance in recent years. Trends in Global Defence Industry 9. The global defence industry has undergone profound changes in recent years. The massive military build up by many countries during the Cold War era fuelled greater demand for military weapons and systems. However, immediate post Cold War period witnessed the reverse trend in demand for military weapons and systems resulting in reduction in budgetary allocation in the defence sector. This resulted in many smaller companies either to merge with big ones or to shift their priorities towards civilian production, thus leaving the defence sector. Mergers and acquisitions during this period resulted in creation of a few giant companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, British Aerospace, Northrop Grumman, EADS and others. The military expenditure again witnessed upward trend since 1999 and this is likely to continue in future  [9]  . As procurement budgets have started to swell again and are likely to stay that way, new opportunities are expected for the defence industry. In the changing conflict scenario, there has been an upward trend in the LIC, insurgency, terrorism, OOAC etc as a result of which the global defence industry after a period of significant downsizing and rationalization has entered into a phase of renewed attention. Indias Defence Industry. 10. Post Cold War era, the changing trends in the global defence industry had affected Indian defence industry in many ways. The era of economic liberalization since 1991 has resulted in indigenous build-up of technological base in the IT, communication, electronics, automobile sectors etc. Since, all acquisitions in the past and till upto mid 90s were either outright purchase or linked with license production, what best the DPSUs or the OFs could gain was expertise in production which was entirely dependent on the assemblies and Semi knock Down Kits (SKD) or sub assemblies imported from the Original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The real technology transfer aimed at enhancing the indigenous development was missing in all the deals covered under License Production and Transfer of Technology (TOT). However, the most far reaching change that has impacted the Indias defence industrial sector is the opening up of this sector for private participation. The objectives are manifold viz., re duction of defence imports from current levels of 70 percent, increase in defence exports, enhance the indigenous RD skill level and infrastructure to produce technologically advanced state of the art equipment within the time frames specified. Coupled with the economic liberalization and opening up of the defence sector to private companies was linked the problem of licensing and requirement of foreign direct investment in the defence sector. In January 2001, the GOI initiated a series of major initiatives that included Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) up to about 26 percent and full private participation in certain sectors in the defence industry. Shift from Self Sufficiency to Self-Reliance 11. Since independence the Indias industrial policies outlined in Industry Policy Resolution of 1948 and 1951 was aimed at achieving self sufficiency in defence production. Towards this the government invested heavily in scientific and technological institutions both educational-such as the IITs, and research and development institutes such as the CSIR, ICAR, DAE, DoS, ICMR, DRDO so as to develop a strong technological base. However, the countrys defence was neglected, as was evident in 1962 war. With a weak Defence-Industrial Base (DIB), the policies to maximize production in order to attain self-sufficiency in the defence sector although were considered farsighted, did not match expectations, thus leading to shift of focus from self-sufficiency model to self reliance model post 1962 war. 12. Self-reliance in its true sense does not preclude accessing external sources for technology and systems, or external help in any stage of the production cycle. Hence, self-reliance as far as India was concerned, meant apart from Indias own production base for support a degree of dependence on reliable foreign sources for access to technologies, supply of components and complete systems was desirable. These were materialized by meeting urgent and immediate demands through imports form abroad while simultaneously striving for indigenous capabilities in defence production. Although Indias main focus on imports was from western countries like UK, France, Sweden these countries were reluctant in supplying defence equipment to India post 1962 war with China. Indias quest for self reliance got a major boost when Russia (erstwhile USSR) agreed to Licence production by India for various defence equipment acquired by India form Russia. These Licence production of aircraft, battle tank, a rms and ammunition were undertaken by various DPSUs as well as OFs. However, the only thing that lost its focus in the bargain was the transfer of technology aimed at enhancing indigenous production and RD activities. The outcome of this is obvious, as witnessed in the LCA program, MBT Arjun, aero engine Kaveri to name a few. In spite of having produced aircraft, tanks and aero engines under license production the organizations involved in the production could hardly assimilate and nurture the technology needed to supplement our own indigenous efforts. Probably the focus of these organizations was more towards production rather than indigenization. Defence Industrial Policy 13. The defence industrial policy was aimed at establishing a strong and self sufficient defence industrial base (DIB). The objective was to have thrust in indigenous production and exploring possibilities of exports to other developing nations that may look forward to supplies from India. 14. In spite of being more focused to numeral growth or production than on the capability development (RD), India has made rapid strides in defence technology in recent past and reached a stage of some level of self-reliance. The existing potential of the country in defence production, in the form of resource capability, know-how and technical expertise, could not be exploited to its full due to lack of clear cut defence policy. However, since liberalization of the economy in 1991 there has been increased civil military interaction. The changes in the defence production policy indicates the intention to involve the private sector in defence RD and production through licensing and indirect opening of the defence industrial sector to foreign companies through FDI and the offset arrangement. Our defence industrial policy  [10]  since independence broadly consists of the following:- Maximization of indigenous production. Licence production of those equipments which are available and can be obtained from abroad. Direct procurement of those equipments not covered above, but considered essential for ensuring the security. Indigeneous Production 15. To promote indigenous production 8 DPSUs and 40 OFs were established. Also DRDO comprising of a network of 50 labs was formed to undertake RD in the field of defence weapons, systems and equipment. Ordnance factories. At the end of the WW2 Indias defence industrial capacity amounted to 18 ordnance factories, a clothing establishment, and an aircraft production plant; and the new government subsequently inherited this capability. Post independence this continued till 1958 after which the ordnance factories were steadily expanded. The war against China in 1962 prompted a further expansion in Indias ordnance capability and today the country has 39 ordnance factories. They were built to meet the growing needs of Indias armed forces over the past 60 years.The Indian Ordnance Factories Organisation (OFO) is currently the largest departmentally run industrial undertaking in the country. The 39 OFs are government units producing armaments under five categories  [11]  : Ammunition and explosives Weapons Vehicles and equipment Armoured vehicles and Ordnance equipment (other military supplies, including general stores). Defence Public Sector Undertakings. The eight defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) are public-sector corporations managed by the Indian government. The defence PSUs produces a range of defence equipment. They also provide overhaul and maintenance facilities. They are: Bharat Dynamics Ltd. BDL  was established in the year 1970 to be a manufacturing base for guided weapon systems  [12]  .  Ã‚   Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. BEML is one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of earthmoving, construction and mining equipment in Asia  [13]  .   Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) was established in 1954 to meet the specialised electronic needs of the Indian defence services  [14]  . Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. HAL is a major player in the global aviation arena. It has built up comprehensive skills in design, manufacture and overhaul of fighters, trainers, helicopters, transport aircraft, engines, avionics and system equipment  [15]  .   Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. (GRSE) is one of  Indias leading  shipyards that builds and repairs a wide range of vessels from  warships  for the  Indian Navy  to  merchant shipping  vessels  [16]  . Goa Shipyard Ltd. GSL is a shipyard that is one of the most sophisticated ship builders in the Country. For over four decades, GSL has designed, built and commissioned a wide range of sophisticated vessels for varied applications in the defence and commercial sectors with special expertise in building modern patrol vessels of Steel and Aluminium hull structure  [17]  . Mazagon Dock Ltd. Mazagon Dock Limited is the Indias premier shipyard constructing warships as well as offshore platforms. It undertakes ship building, ship repairs and fabrication of offshore structures with facilities situated at Mumbai and Nhava  [18]  . Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd. MIDHANI caters to domestic and international customers with modern metallurgical facilities and high degree of technical competence for manufacturing its diverse product mix of superalloys, titanium alloys, special purpose steels, electrical resistance softmagnetic alloys, molybedenum and other alloys meeting the stringent requirements of the strategic sectors like defence, aerospace, power and general engineering etc  [19]  .   Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO). India also has a defence research and development (RD) capability. Called DRDO. DRDO draws on the work of 51 laboratories/establishments across the country, and (in theory at least) has close links with the eight PSUs. It also co-operates with 70 academic research institutions, 50 national science and technology centres, and some companies in the private sector. License Production 16. Post independence Indias quest for self-reliance got a major boost through license production arrangement with USSR. This immensely benefited defence industry as it improved many notable weapon systems from this experience. Indias self-reliance model in defence production was thought to have given a life lease by the Soviets. The normal assumption is that production under license would enable the country not only to acquire the capability to produce a particular equipment or product but also help it gain the technical know-how for subsequent upgradation and further technological innovations. For the last fifty-odd years, India has been producing a number of defence equipment under license. Good examples in this regard are the Vijayanta tank and the MIG series of fighter aircraft  [20]  . But this does not seem to have helped in the development of the Arjun Main Battle Tank and the Light Combat Aircraft. Moreover, India has not even been able to upgrade  certain fighter airc raft held and operated for a long time by its armed forces. Direct procurement 17. To meet the immediate requirement of the armed forces, outright purchase of the systems/ equipment is resorted to. This may be from abroad or for indigenous companies. The objective of the defence policy aims at maximizing indigenous production; what could not be produced indigenously should be produced under license arrangement; and those that could not be obtained through these two routes should be acquired by direct purchase. Emerging Defence Production Policies in 21st Centruy Transparency in Defence Procurement 18. Since independence and almost till late 90s only a select few companies got the Request for Proposals (RFPs) with secrecy being maintained in the procurement process. With the introduction of Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) the government has strengthened its commitment to transparency in the procurement process and to removing the veil of secrecy surrounding it. The case in point is the procurement of MMRCA. The deals of recent times are open deals with no more veil of secrecy in the RFP. The details of the RFP are made available to all industry representatives by placing the tenders on the net, except in the most sensitive cases, which may be minuscule in number. Ensuring transparency in the procurement process has also resulted in widening the vendor base. Defence Procurement Procedure 19. Defence Procurement Procedure 2008 is presently being followed. This was issued after DP-2006 was revised along with the Fast Track Procedure 2001 and the Procedure for Indigenous Warship Building. In addition, most importantly, a procedure for the development of systems based on indigenous research and design, categorized as MAKE, has now been formulated. This bridges a critical gap that existed hitherto, and would provide the requisite framework for increased participation of Indian industry in the defence sector.  Some of the important features of Defence Procurement Procedure includes: Reducing the timeframe for acquisitions. Enhanced transparency by placing the generic requirements of the Services on MOD website and generating vendor registration through Internet. Increased transparency in the conduct of field trials. Integrity Pact made compulsory for all contracts above Rs. 100 crores. An Offset obligation of 30% for all contracts above Rs. 300 crores. However, there have been indications of companies trying to dilute this clause. FDI in Defence Production 20. To boost up the indigenous production in the defence sector, the government in 2001 had opened up the defence sector by permitting 100 percent private participation in defence production and also 26 percent Foreign Direct Investment of the host companys equity. However, the only glitch in the whole process was the requirement of obtaining a license from the defence ministry by the private firms to produce military hardware. However, there is a need to increase FDI limit from the current 26 per cent which would facilitate access to desired niche technology and processes. De licensing of Defence Production 21. DPP-2008 did away with the license requirement for industries for manufacturing military hardware, thereby creating a level playing field with the defence public sector undertakings. Considered to be a revolutionary DPP, the de licensing will enable the private industries to skillfully employ the available expertise to take up production of military hardware. This will definitely boost up the efforts of indigenization in defence technology. Raksha Udyog Ratnas 22. Effective participation by the Industry, both public and private, at various points of interaction and subsequent long-term association in product development and productionisation, can be only done through those firms of proven excellence and which are capable of contributing, depending on their technical, managerial and financial strength. These firms called as Raksha Udyog Ratnas (RUR) would be the key drivers towards raising indigenous defence technological base and world-class manufacturing capabilities in India. R D in Military Aviation Sector 23. Aviation is one of the most significant technological influences of our time and empowers the nation with strength. It is a major tool for economic development and has a significant role in National security and  international  relations. 24. Various military, DPSUs and private companies have been associated in the R D activities, software and systems development and systems integration on civil, fighter aircraft and helicopters. These are Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE), Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Aircraft Upgrade Research and Development Centre (AURDC), HAL, Mission Computing System Research and Development Centre (MCSRDC) HAL, and Software Development Institute (SDI). DARE played a pivotal role in evolving the avionics architecture of Mig 27 upgrade, developed the Core Avionics Computer (CAC), mission computer software for CAC, display suite software of SU 30 MKI and the hardware and operating system of Radar Computer of SU 30 MKI. SDI based at Bangalore has been actively involved in the indigenous upgrades of SU 30 MKI as well as development of various mission planning systems and weapon algorithms employed in Mig 27 upgrade. AURDC has been involved in the Bison upgrade, Mig 27 upgrade and various indigenous upgrades of SU 30 MKI aircraft. MCSRDC has played a vital role in the software development and integration of avionics systems in the Jaguar (Darin II) aircraft. It is also involved in the upgrade of Jaguar to Darin III standards. Joint Ventures 25. India has an inherent edge over several other nations because of higher skills and lower costs of production. This makes India an ideal contender for joint ventures. HAL has entered into joint ventures with many overseas aviation system companies to undertake design and development of new systems in India. Some of these are the BaeHAL, HAL Edgewood, HELBIT etc. Many other software and hardware giants involved in the aviation hardware and software development especially in the embedded and real time system domain have also established their facilities in Bangalore. Some of these are GE Intelligent Systems, Honeywell, etc. 26. Given their rapid growth over the last decade, it is perhaps no surprise that Indian software companies such as HCL, Infosys, Infotech, Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro have been active in the aerospace industry for several years. Increasingly, they are benefiting from the engineering services outsourcing programmes. This will help India evolve from IT and low-end business process outsourcing work to high-end design services. Overseas companies view the Indian companies as long-term partners and not as mere suppliers/vendors. Private Participation 27. EADSs helicopter subsidiary Eurocopter has had one of the longest partnerships with Indian industry. Since 1962, it has worked with HAL in India to manufacture more than 600 Alouette 3 and Lama (known as Cheetah and Chetak locally) helicopters. HAL also produces airframes for the Ecureuil/Fennec family of rotorcraft. The European firm also plans to set up pilot training facilities in India for the civil and military segments and plans to invest à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬7-8 billion ($9.5-11 billion) over the next 10 years. Tata has entered into JV with AgustaWestland to assemble the AW119 in India. 28. Honeywell Aerospace, which provides integrated avionics, engines, systems and service products for the aerospace industry, is one example. The US company has a design and development centre in India that it hopes to expand in the coming years. Airbus has set up the Airbus Engineering Centre India in Bangalore where local engineers help develop capabilities in modelling and simulation, covering areas such as flight management systems and aerodynamics, to help in the design and production of aircraft such as the A380 and the A350. It is also working with Indian IT firms such as CADES, HCL, Infosys, Quest and Satyam to offer support across various aircraft programmes. Conclusion 29. Indias defence-industrial strategy is directed primarily toward achieving self-reliance. Presently, there is a clear imbalance in requirements by the armed forces. While roughly 70 percent of requirements are met through arms imports, the domestic sources supply the rest. The current strategy is geared to reverse this trend with the primary aim of supplying three-fourth of the requirements through domestic sources. Indias decision to allow private participation in the defence-industrial sector is seen as a dual aim, namely to achieve much-needed capital and production enhancement and, secondly, to open up to the external market through their presence. There is also an effort to adopt suitable strategies to make select sectors like aerospace and electronics globally competitive. DPSUs like HAL and BEL are now much in demand and are trying to become viable global giants. 30. The overall strategy is to make the defence-industrial sector act as a locomotive for economic development. In this regard, an emphasis on dual-use technologies and production is contemplated which could benefit both the defence and civilian sector. The current strategy also looks into various options toward minimising the state investments in the defence sector while encouraging private and foreign portfolio investment in existing Indian defence companies. If recent changes in various policies related to the defence industry are supposed to have any meaning, then, despite all problems, there is something to be optimistic about in the Indian defence industry.