Privatization Essay -- Government Businesses Papers

Privatization Privatizing services is a more attractive option for most local governments and is widely practiced around the state. There are certain government services in which it is impractical to create a free competitive market. For others, it is almost impossible to predict the potential success or failure of privatization. These unclear predictions make privatization a very complicated issue for local governments. The combination of rapidly rising service costs and slowly increasing revenues has led officials in some cities and counties to use non-traditional income services to fund government options. Throughout the mid 1980's state and local governments continue to be in trouble because of the rapid increase in the demand for services they provide along with an increasing resistance on the part of their citizens to raising taxes in order to provide those services. Privitization is an outsourcing of functions to private companies that the financial burdern of providing these services shifts from the taxpayers at large to the individual consumers. Doing away with government services at the local level is almost impossible. Elected officials are often resistant to vote to cut services. The elected officials are usually familiar with the people who might be negatively impacted by such an action. Citizens usually do not want to do away with local government services because they view services such as water/sewer, fire , police and recreation as being life sustaining. Citizens feel that services can't be provided adequately by state or federal governments, and would like to keep services at the local level. A factor to keep in mind when looking at the potentials and downfalls of privatization is the private... ...ion/BURZASH.htm. Privatization on the Roll, says RPPI http://www.reason.org/apr98central.html The Opportunities and Challenges of Privatization http://www.doe.gov/privatization/report/chapt-3.htm The Opportunities and Challenges of Privatization http://www.doe.gov/privatization/report/chapt-4.htm The Legal and Political Enviornment of Privatization http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/pgem/ch1c.html ASCH, Peter, and Sececa, Rosalind S. Government and the Marketplace 2nd Edition. The Dryden Press, a division of Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1989 Weicher, John Private Innovations In Public Transit. Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute for Public policy Research, 1988 Krikorian, Greg and Riccardi, Nicholas Board Votes to Test Privatizing Child Support System. Los Angeles Times, November 11, 1988.

How Technology Advancement has influenced Computer Ethics Essay

The 21st century has been dubbed †the digital age† because of the monumental achievements witnessed in the Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) fields, which have impacted every aspect of human life. The internet has become one of the most lucrative Information Technology (IT) tool which has made communication and exchange of information faster and efficient. Consequently, it has transformed how people consume information. In spite of its benefits, the internet has led to a severe decline in ethics among internet users (Salman, Saad & Ali, 2013). The widespread use of internet has led to increased and sophisticated crimes, terrorism and wars (May, 2004). This essay will be based on a case involving hackers who hold Personal Computers (PC) hostage. It will outline the potential computer ethics issues associated with holding computers hostage. It will also highlight methods that computer users could use to prevent this type of attack. Moreover, it will highlight governmental legislations that could be enacted against this type of attack. Ethics is defined as the principles governing both right and wrong among free humans (free moral agents), whose actions are influenced by their freedom of choice (Soskolne, n.d). Advancement of technology presents both positive and negative impacts to a society. Technological advancements have led to a rapid decline in social and ethical issues regarding to security and privacy of personal information (Shieh & Tanthuwanit, 2004). One of the major forms of social ethic violation includes hackers holding personal computers hostage, and hence infringing on both privacy and security of targeted computer users. This in turn compromises information security concerned with the protection of information confidentiality, availability  and integrity (Gordon & Loeb, 2002) According to Perlroth (2014), cyber criminals have devised a new mechanism of freezing computers through malwares, and then demanding a steep ransom pay before unlocking them. Perlroth (2014) adds that computer owners throughout the world have fallen victims of this malicious attack, which denies them access to their personal computers and files stored on them. The hackers instead serve them with a â€Å"pop up† message demanding some ransom payment before their computers could be unlocked. Hackers holding computers hostage infringe on personal privacy, and gain access to sensitive information regarding online bank accounts, security passwords and other highly private information (Perlroth, 2014). Security systems and other general-purpose computers are also vulnerable to this kind of attack because, if these hackers can break into users’ accounts even from [GoDaddy] domains to create malicious subdomains through which they send mails to target clients (Perlroth, 2014), then every computer system is vulnerable to such attacks. This means that not only is the privacy of the computer users compromised, but also the security of their data and the general security of their computer systems (The Canadian Press, 2014). In order to prevent hackers from holding computers hostage, computers users should double check their domain names, user accounts or web addresses before responding to any email clicks. In line to this, Perlroth (2014) observes that: Hackers were breaking into GoDaddy users’ accounts with stolen passwords and setting up what is known as a subdomain †¦ hackers would set up the Web address†¦ then send emails to customers †¦ because it appeared to come from a trusted source – was more likely to lure clicks. Likewise also, users should either contact an IT professional to help them remove the ransomware incase infected, or they can wipe their computers clean through formatting them and reinstalling new Operating system as well (Perlroth, 2014). In addition, professional network security personnel should be consulted in order to ensure that passwords, firewalls, authentications and proxy servers among other security utilities are properly set and enhanced to fortify system security (French, 2012) Although the hunting, catching and eventual convicting of these hackers has not yet achieved substantial success (Perlroth, 2014), the government should enact privacy laws that pronounce higher penalty for perpetrators of personal privacy and security infringement so that their benefit is less in value when compared to pending punishment. Some of the active laws that have been enacted to curb this tragedy include the Computer Fraud and Abuse Acts which cover the use of malicious codes including worms, viruses, and other malicious programs intended to alter or damage data in a user’s computer (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1030). Another legislation that could counter this attack is the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act (NIIPA) which criminalizes the transmission of a command, program, or code with malicious intentions [like holding a compute hostage] (Colombell, 2002). In conclusion, when hackers hold computers hostage, they infringe on the personal privacy and security of personal information. During the period when the computers are held hostage, computer users not only risk having their sensitive information accessed and sometimes damaged, but they are also financially exploited in order to have their computers unlocked. Some of the feasible strategies of avoiding this attack include exercising a lot of care regarding the types of sites visited and clicked, and avoiding sending payments to hackers whenever a computer is hacked. Instead seek immediate assistance from a professional who will help you to manually get rid of the ransomware without paying the hackers off. References Colombell, M., R. (2002). The Legislative Response to the Evolution of Computer Viruses. 8 RICH. J.L. & TECH. 18. Retrieved from < http://jolt.richmond.edu/v8i3/article18.html> French, A., M. (2012). A Case Study on E-Banking Security – When Security Becomes Too Sophisticated for the User to Access Their Information. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, 17(2). Gordon, L., & Loeb, M. (2002). The Economics of Information Security Investment. ACM Transactions on Information and System Security, 5 (4), 438–457. May, M. (2004). Federal Computer Crime Laws. SANS Institute. Retrieved from < http://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/legal/federal-computer-crime-laws-1446? Show=federal-computer-crime-laws-1446&cat=legal > Perlroth, N. (2014, April 22). Hackers holding your PC to ransom. Deccan Herald. Retrieved from < http://www.deccanherald.com/content/297460/hackers-holding-your-pc-ransom.html.> Salman, A., Saad, S., & Ali, M., N. (2013). Dealing with Ethical Issues among Internet Users: Do We Need Legal Enforcement? Asian Social Science, 9(8): 3-8. Shieh, M., & Tanthuwanit, K. (2004). Privacy and Security: Internet Hacking and Surveillance. Retrieved from < http://www.ethicapublishing.com/CH16.pdf> Title 18 U.S.C Section 1030, internet, http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/1030.html Soskolne, C., L. (n.d). Workplace Health and Safety Information: Ethical Issues. Retrieved from < http://ilocis.org/documents/chpt19e.htm> The Canadian Press (2014, April 14). Computer hacking expert says more bad news to come from Heartbleed. Edmonton Journal. Retrieved from

Equality and Diversity Essay

I am writing a reflective account on how my personal beliefs and experience’s influenced my professional interaction with various groups and individuals. For example my first job in the care industry was working at a nursing home for residents with all forms of Alzheimer’s. I had never done this type of work before, so my first day for me was both a new experience and environment. I had never dealt with people who have a communication barrier, where they could not express their emotions. see more:champion equality diversity and inclusion Before having worked in the care home, and not having any knowledge on Alzheimer’s, I would have categorised them all in the same box, i. . all being the same as opposed to possibly having different stages and levels of Alzheimer’s. I also found it hard to grasp and understand how you could forget the basic aspects of what we do in everyday life i. e. eating, drinking and remembering your own name. I therefor found it hard to communicate and engage with them, as I did not understand their condition. Prior to working with Alzheimer’s patients I had never come across somebody who, not only had Alzheimer’s, but in addition was hard of hearing and/or partially sighted. I found this difficult at first because I didn’t know how to interact with them. I overcame this by learning to understand each one of their characteristics, by the way they spoke, mannerisms, their body language and by getting to know them as an individual. I learnt how I could interact with them on a one to one level and ascertain their needs and requirements. Alzheimer’s patients need a certain level of care, therefore I undertook training that was offered by my place of employment. This included a person first and dementia second course which explained how the resident should always come before the dementia and how their best interests should always be taken into account as a first priority. In addition I undertook a course on palliative care. This taught me how to care for somebody who was in their finally stages of dementia ,in terms of assisting them, improving their quality of life and by providing increased comfort by promoting their dignity towards the end of their life. I also took a course in movement and handling where I learnt how to manoeuvre my residents in a safe manner by either using sliding sheets or hoisting equipment, these techniques helped me to assist them with as little discomfort as possible. Some of our residents are unable o communicate with us and are unable to express feelings of discomfort or pain, so this course was beneficial to me because it provided a safe way for me to move my residents with ease. If i was to continue exclusively in this line of nursing, I could do NVQ courses in health and social care with my place or of work, and attend courses they provide for me. If I wanted to further my career I could potentially go onto university and train to be a mental health nurse. This will enable me to be more aware of how this disease can start and what’s involved in the long term. Following Gibbs framework on reflection (1998) stage 5; I conclude from this experience that I have gained more patience with others by understanding their different needs. I have learnt how to communicate on different levels, with residents, family members, colleagues and senior professionals i. e. doctors and nurses which I struggled with initially. I have become more compassionate as a result of dealing with the end of life process, so my personal beliefs or thought process will not influence my professional interaction with dementia patience because I have gained a better understanding of their condition.

Tic tac toe Essay Example

Tic tac toe Essay Example Tic tac toe Paper Tic tac toe Paper Tln01nga goal weak methods: depth-first search (DFS), breadth-first search (BFS), constraint satisfaction (CSP) strong methods: use heuristics, A* search s goal nodes Tic Tac Toe Playing Strategies Two players human computer. The objective is to write a computer program in such a way that computer wins most of the time. Three approaches are presented to play this game which increase in Complexity Use of generalization Clarity of their knowledge Extensibility of their approach These approaches will move towards being representations of what we will call A1 techniques. Tic Tac Toe Board- (or Noughts and crosses, Xs and Os) It is two players, X and O, game who take turns marking the spaces in a 33 grid. The player who succeeds in placing three respective marks in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row wins the game. 2 4 5 6 8 9 7 positions Zero-Sum Games Focus primarily on adversarial games Two-player, zero-sum games As Player 1 gains strength Player 2 loses strength and vice versa The sum of the two strengths is always O. Search Applied to Adversarial Games Initial state Current board position (description of current game state) Operators Legal moves a player can make Terminal nodes Leaf nodes in the tree Indicate the game is over Utility function Payoff function Value of the outcome of a game Example: tic tac toe, utility is -1, O, or 1 Game Trees Tic tac toe Two players, MAX and MIN Moves (ana levels) alternate Detween two players Minimax Algorithm Search the tree to the end Assign utility values to terminal nodes Find the best move for MAX (on MAXS turn), assuming: MAX will make the move that maximizes MAXS utility MIN will make the move that minimizes MAXs utility Here, MAX should make the leftmost move Minimax applet Minimax Properties Complete if tree is finite Optimal if play against opponent with same strategy (utility function) Time complexity is O(bm) Space complexity is O(bm) (depth-first exploration) If we have 100 seconds to make a move Can explore 104 nodes/seco nd Can consider 106 nodes / move Standard approach is Apply a cutoff test (depth limit, quiescence) Evaluate nodes at cutoff (evaluation function estimates desirability of position) Alpha-Beta Pruning Typically can only look 3-4 ply in allowable chess time Alpha-beta pruning simplifies search space without eliminating optimality By applying common sense If one route allows queen to be captured and a better move is available Then dont search further down bad path If one route would be bad for opponent, ignore that route also Max 71 No need to look here! Maintain [alpha, beta] window at each node during depth-first search alpha bound, change at max levels beta = upper bound, change at min levels = lower Alpha Beta Properties Pruning does not affect final result Good move ordering improves effectiveness of pruning With perfect ordering, time complexity is Goals To reduce the space complexity Game can be played one or two players Builds High-Level Game Contain Levels

Free Essays on Cockpit Design

Stanley N. Roscoe wrote â€Å"Ergavionics: Designing the Job of Flying an Airplane,† which is a study of the ergonomic principles that govern the design and operation of an airplane cockpit. Ergavionic principles deal with control location and operation, display integration and pictorial realism, and control/display direction-of-motion relationships (Roscoe, 2002). The goal of Ergavionics is to decrease the role human error plays in aircraft crashes; human error is the leading cause of all aircraft accidents. Fuel mismanagement is a large factor in human error, aircraft crashes. Beech aircraft are problematic because there are two tanks in the aircraft, so the fuel indicator always reads full, if the fuel tanks are not switched then the aircraft engine can be starved of fuel. â€Å"The National Transportation Safety Board has found â€Å"fuel mismanagement† to be the probable cause of a highly disproportionate number of CFIT accidents involving fuel starvation in Beech airplanes† (Roscoe, 2002). In fact, this university experienced an accident of this sort in the spring of 2004, when an aviation student crashed landed as a result of fuel starvation. Roscoe believes there should be a new, safer, design. This design finally came after litigation became so costly that management finally decided to introduce a safer design in their new planes (Roscoe, 2002). There is a controversy regarded whether or not the â€Å"little plane† or the artificial horizon should move on an attitude indicator. In response to the controversy, regarding the attitude indicator, Roscoe proposes a solution. A flight path predictor can be added to the conventional moving horizontal display by allowing the airplane symbol to move in immediate response to control inputs and in the same, expected direction. When tested the flight path predictor resulted in immediate improvement in landing approaches (Roscoe, 2002). Other improvements, which technology is currently ... Free Essays on Cockpit Design Free Essays on Cockpit Design Stanley N. Roscoe wrote â€Å"Ergavionics: Designing the Job of Flying an Airplane,† which is a study of the ergonomic principles that govern the design and operation of an airplane cockpit. Ergavionic principles deal with control location and operation, display integration and pictorial realism, and control/display direction-of-motion relationships (Roscoe, 2002). The goal of Ergavionics is to decrease the role human error plays in aircraft crashes; human error is the leading cause of all aircraft accidents. Fuel mismanagement is a large factor in human error, aircraft crashes. Beech aircraft are problematic because there are two tanks in the aircraft, so the fuel indicator always reads full, if the fuel tanks are not switched then the aircraft engine can be starved of fuel. â€Å"The National Transportation Safety Board has found â€Å"fuel mismanagement† to be the probable cause of a highly disproportionate number of CFIT accidents involving fuel starvation in Beech airplanes† (Roscoe, 2002). In fact, this university experienced an accident of this sort in the spring of 2004, when an aviation student crashed landed as a result of fuel starvation. Roscoe believes there should be a new, safer, design. This design finally came after litigation became so costly that management finally decided to introduce a safer design in their new planes (Roscoe, 2002). There is a controversy regarded whether or not the â€Å"little plane† or the artificial horizon should move on an attitude indicator. In response to the controversy, regarding the attitude indicator, Roscoe proposes a solution. A flight path predictor can be added to the conventional moving horizontal display by allowing the airplane symbol to move in immediate response to control inputs and in the same, expected direction. When tested the flight path predictor resulted in immediate improvement in landing approaches (Roscoe, 2002). Other improvements, which technology is currently ...

Observations on What Is Language

Observations on What Is Language Language- more specifically human language- refers to the grammar and other rules and norms that allow humans to make utterances and sounds in a way that others can understand, notes linguist  John McWhorter, an associate professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University. Or as Guy Deutscher said in his seminal work, The Unfolding of Language:  An Evolutionary Tour of Mankinds Greatest Invention, language is what makes us human. Discovering what is language, then, requires a brief look at its origins, its evolution through the centuries, and its central role in human existence and evolution. Greatest Invention If language is mankinds greatest invention, it is supremely ironic that it was actually never invented. Indeed, both Deutscher  and McWhorter, two of the worlds most renowned linguists, say the origin of language remains as much as mystery today as it was in biblical times. No one, says Deutscher, has come up with a better explanation than the tale of the  Tower of Babel,  one of the saddest and most significant stories in the Bible. In the biblical fable, God- seeing that people of the earth had become skilled in construction and had decided to build an  idolatrous tower, indeed an entire city, in ancient  Mesopotamia  that stretched to the heavens- infused the human race with a myriad of tongues so that they could no longer communicate, and could no longer build a massive edifice that would replace the almighty. If the tale is apocryphal, its meaning is not, as Deutscher notes: Language often seems so skilfully drafted that one can hardly imagine it as anything other than the perfected handiwork of a master craftsman. How else could this instrument make so much out of three dozen measly morsels of sound? In themselves, these configurations of the mouth- But, if you run these sounds through the cogs and wheels of the language machine, says Deutscher, arrange them in some special way and define how they are be ordered by rules of  grammar, you suddenly have language, something that an entire group of people can understand and use to communicate- and indeed to function and a viable society. Chomskyan Linguistics If languages mysterious origin sheds little light on its meaning, it can be helpful to turn to Western societys most renowned- and even controversial- linguist: Noam Chomsky. Chomsky is so famous that an entire subfield of linguistics (the study of language) has been named after him. Chomskyian linguistics is a  broad term for the principles of  language  and the methods of language study introduced and/or popularized by Chomsky  in such groundbreaking works as Syntactic Structures  (1957) and Aspects of the Theory of Syntax (1965). But, perhaps Chomskys most relevant work for a discussion on language is his 1976 paper, On the Nature of Language. In it, Chomsky directly addressed the meaning of language in a way that foreshadowed the later assertions of  Deutscher  and McWhorter. The nature of language is considered as a function of knowledge attained...[T]he language faculty may be regarded as a fixed function, characteristic of the species, one component of the human mind, a function which maps experience into grammar. In other words, language is all at once a tool and the mechanism that determines how we relate to the world, to each other, and, even to ourselves. Language, as noted, is what makes us human. Expressions of Humanity Famed American poet and existentialist, Walt Whitman, said that language is the sum total of all that humans experience as a species: Language is not an abstract construction of the learned, or of dictionary makers, but is something arising out of the work, needs, ties, joys, affections, tastes, of long generations of humanity, and has its bases broad and low, close to the ground. Language, then, is the sum of all human experience since the beginning of humankind. Without language, humans would be unable to express their feelings, thoughts, emotions, desires, and beliefs. Without language, there could be no society and possibly no religion. Even if Gods wrath at the building of the Tower of Babel led to a plethora of tongues throughout the world, the fact is that they are still tongues, languages that can be deciphered, studied, translated, written, and communicated. Computer Language As computers communicate with humans- and with each other- the meaning of language may soon change. Computers talk through the use of  programming language. Like human language, computer language is a system of grammar, syntax, and other rules that allow humans to communicate with their PCs, tablets, and smartphones, but also allows computers to communicate with other computers. As  artificial intelligence  continues to advance to a point where computers can communicate with each other without the intervention of humans, the very definition of language may need to evolve also. Language will still always be what makes us human, but it may also become the tool that allows machines to communicate, express needs and wants, issue directives, create, and produce through their own tongue. Language, would then, become something that was initially produced by humans but then evolves to a new system of communication- one that has little or no connection to human beings.

The Death Penalty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Death Penalty - Research Paper Example Summary of the major issues, concepts and distinctionsThe death penalty is not a new phenomenon in the society, and it has been in existence over the last decades. Even today, many nations still practice death penalty including the US, who believes to be the human rights advocates. This was witnessed when it hanged the Iranian president, Saddam Hussein. There are still lingering and unanswered question regarding the death penalty. Many people believe that the continuous existence of death penalty in the 21st century compromises the role of the justice system. For instance, the justice system was established with the desire for rehabilitation but not retribution (Norman, 1995). Therefore, it is unconvincing to kill a convict because the justice system has made a judgment. To many people, the death penalty is immoral and unethical. Life is un-alienated right that everyone should enjoy. Hence, human rights activists believe that taking ones right more so natural right is immoral and une thical.The justice system of any nation has a role of rehabilitating the offenders so that they don't repeat the same crime. Because of this, the convicts are given another new chance to re-evaluate themselves and start a new life. Imposing death penalty on criminals is an indication of failed justice system as it is an unethical practice. As much as a person who commits capital offenses deserves capital punishment, the death penalty is harsh and compromises the role of humanity as well as natural rights (Norman, 1995).