4 Simple Brainstorming Techniques To Help Write Killer Content

4 Simple Brainstorming Techniques To Help Write Killer Content Brainstorming is supposed to be about harnessing the power of thinking outside the box to solve that  impossible problem.  Its the magic that helps you find amazing, unique ideas. Its not magic,  of course, but when youre desperate- possibly with writers block- magic sounds good. Brainstorming techniques are what you turn to  when youre stuck and dont know what to do next. They can be  great tools because anyone- group or single person- can use them. 4 Simple #Brainstorming Techniques That Will Help You Write Killer #Content via @JulieNeidlinger4 Reasons You Should  Brainstorm If You Want To  Become A Better Writer But why go through the hassle of  using brainstorming techniques at all? There are generally four reasons that people turn to brainstorming: You need ideas. You have a problem to solve. You are looking to improve creative thinking. You want your team to work together better. The first two reasons get the lions share of the attention, but the last two, which lean toward extra-curricular exercises, are just as important. If you want to be ready during go-time for the first two, youd better take a few practice swings at it using the last two. Whether its just you or youre a part of a team, make brainstorming and creative challenges a regular habit. Brainstorming as a group. First, a caveat. Its no secret that Im wary of group brainstorming. That particular method of getting ideas has become a  standard solution for teams trying to solve problems. While it can sometimes create more problems than it solves by encouraging social loafing and rewarding some personalities over others, there are times when your team has to get together and come up with ideas. Brainstorming techniques  are also good for helping teams learn to work together. Brainstorming on your own. Brainstorming isnt reserved for groups of people, though thats how most of us think of it. There are times when youre on your own and need to generate ideas and solve problems all the same. As an artist and writer with deadlines, Im most familiar with brainstorming on my own.  In fact, I did a little solo brainstorming recently, for this very topic. While trying to come up with an idea for my own  blog post, I realized that it might be helpful to readers if I told them how I came up with ideas and got  past creative blocks in my own work- 14 ideas in all. As I looked through those 14 brainstorming techniques, I began to see three basic approaches to brainstorming that I thought would be useful to you. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour. - Mary Kay Ash 4 Brainstorming Techniques That Will Help You Write Creative Content Brainstorming techniques can take a few basic approaches. Once you understand how they work, you can mix and match them for the best results. 1. Use associative brainstorming techniques to get unstuck. Association is a powerful way to get past typical thinking, and to get out of a rut. We generally come up with ideas that are obvious at first, and associative brainstorming is a good way to artificially force yourself past that point instead of hours of work. Its a kind of shortcut that taps into the subconscious, the associations you already know but dont allow yourself to think. Associative brainstorming works best for copy writers, creativity exercises, or when youre stuck in a creative project and dont know what content to create next. This  can also be fun during your regular team building exercises. Word storm. A word storm is where you write down the words that come to mind when you see another word. You might start with a word or two based on your project, and begin writing down any word that comes to mind. These words are then grouped together according to how they are related to each other. Youll quickly create words that are associated or related, according to categories. There is a Word Storm website that can help you get started with word storm techniques. Word association. Word associations are the same as a word storm, except that you dont group according to how the words are related to each other. It works better as a technique to get creativity flowing when you dont want to bother with over-thinking how words are related. Start with a word or two, and write down the first words that come to mind. Dont over-think the process; you should be surprised at the words that pop into your head, particularly as you get warmed up. The goal is to find those hidden words that people associate with a topic that you dont immediately think of. Mind mapping. Using a mind map is a way to visually organize data and information.  Mind mapping has proven popular, particularly if you are better able to understand data visually instead of as lists or outlines. Organized around a central idea, a mind map works like the branch of a tree. Ideas and then sub ideas that are associated with the main idea branch off from the central idea. Word banks. Word banks are collections of words based on the kind of word you need based on a specific topic or theme. This kind of brainstorming technique works well for copywriters who want to find a variety of words that suit a specific project without repeating themselves. You can also use it to build a bank of words to keep on hand when writing your headlines. This is an example of power words we pulled together in a word bank to help you write more emotional headlines. Using a word storm might be one way to start a collection of words for your word bank, though the two techniques are not the same. Visual association. While visual associations aren't a typical tool for content marketers, they can be useful  both in planning beforehand as well as after visual content has been created. Using visual association after a project is completed would make sure that what you've created doesn't raise negative associations in your audience. It is best done by people who weren't on the team so that their associations are honest and not tainted by being too familiar with the project. Visual association is much like word association. Think of a Rorschach test, in which you jot down whatever words or thoughts come to mind when you see an image. The control for this method is what images you will use. I actually have a book where I collect images from magazines and other sources. You might do the same, or use a different image source. Need #brainstorming inspiration? Try word storms, word associations, mind mapping, or word banks.2. Use measurable brainstorming to choose the best solution. In some situations, you need to make decisions that are based on more than random associations. This is where problem solving brainstorming steps in, when you need something concrete. Pros and cons. You probably already use an on-the-fly method of pros and cons to make decisions in life. Writing down pros and cons in a structured manner with a few rules can make this a powerful tool. Write down what you are trying to choose between. Then, list the pros and cons to tally up a total. The option with the most pros is the route to go. You have to be careful to not cheat, though, and purposefully stack the list the way you want it to go. Let's look at an example of cheating. Say that Jim, Todd, and Erica make up Team B.  Cheating would look like this: Con: Team A will be upset. Pro: Jim will be happy. Pro: Todd will be happy. Pro: Erica will be happy. Three pros, one con, the pros have it! Pros and cons help you cut through the gray area where you either aren't sure what to do, or don't want to admit what you know you should do. When done right, the numbers are convincing. Pros and cons (weighted). There are times when some pros and cons outweigh others. In this case, you would need to weight the list because each item is not equally important. To do this, you'd need to start by listing your top goals, the things most important to you. Instead of each list item being counted as one, the more important items in your list of goals would have a higher weight. Pros and cons seem simple, but we have a tendency to cheat. Often, there is a decision we want to be the right one and we try to validate it by loading the pros and cons either way. When pros and cons just don't work, try weighted measurable #brainstorming.3. Take a new view to gain an entirely new perspective. While associative brainstorming helps you find entirely new paths, and measurable brainstorming gives you confidence to make decisions, finding a new view works when you're on the right track but just not able to nail it down. It's that feeling of being so close, but not quite there. Ask, "What if..." By simply asking, "What if?", you can turn everything on its head. Many fiction writers advocate asking yourself "what if" not only when you're stuck, but even when the writing is going well. Wondering what might happen if something changed, and using your brainstorming prowess to run with it, is a good way to get a different view on the project or problem. Think prepositionally. My 7th grade English teacher did me a great service when she helped us understand prepositional phrases by visualizing a box. Prepositional phrases generally tell where something was, and so she said that any time you saw a phrase in a sentence that could be used in relation to a box, you probably were dealing with a prepositional phrase. For example: in the box, under the box, over the box, beside the box, and so on. When it comes to brainstorming, it's not about writing prepositional phrases, but it's about imagining the problem or project you are working on to be like that box. What if you took a swing at it from the other side? From under it? From ahead of it? Now you start challenging yourself to think of something from a different perspective, from a different time (past or present) and all sorts of directions. Ask questions. Oddly, most of us, particularly when working in teams, have the answers we're looking for (or close to it). We feel stuck, though, because we aren't able to sift through all the questions and the rest of the creative noise and pare down to that answer we wanted. By whittling away at what you know and removing the extraneous from the table, you can push aside the curtain and finally see the answer. This is where questions come into play. Write down the questions you have about the project or problem. Then, for each of these questions, start listing the answers quickly. As you begin to answer the initial questions, other questions will come to mind that are associated with the answers you're jotting down. Write down these sub-questions and do the same procedure. In a way, it's like creating an outline that is based on questions.

Health care Essays

Health care Essays Health care Essay Health care Essay Health care Name: Course: Institution: Health Care Describe the process of medical membership, granting of privileges and process of medical staff quality monitoring in an HCO The process of validating a professional’s eligibility for medical staff membership and/or privileges to be granted based on academic preparation, licensing, training, certifications and performance is called credentialing (White 187). This process is also used to ensure medical staff quality monitoring in an HCO. The HCO can validate the caregiver’s competence and proficiency through credentialing. The competence is validated by examining the knowledge and skill obtained through formal education and experience, which is regulated by, licensure and certification bodies while the proficiency is validated by examining the evidence that the clinician’s education and experience are current (White 101). The role of medical staff, management and governance in the credentialing process The role of the medical staff is to meet all the credentialing and re-credentialing criteria. This entails obtaining valid credentials that include licenses and certificates issued by the government. This is usually after a certain level of education, training or experience is attained. In addition, the medical staff has an obligation to provide treatment by practicing good medicine within their training, experience and the capabilities. The role of the management is to verify the validity of all the certificates and licenses issued by the medical staff. This verification process focuses on the medical school, internship and residency completion, board certification, work history and criminal history. The role of governance in credentialing is to set and monitor both the credentialing criteria and process. After the process, the governance grants the professional privileges to the medical staff, which allows them to participate in the physician organization. Describe the differences, duties and key points of management versus governance in an HCO. The difference between the management and the governance of an HCO is that the governance deals with strategic duties of the HCO while the management deals with operational duties of the HCO. That is the governance is responsible for policymaking, decision making and providing oversight for the HCO while the management is responsible for the operational leadership in organizational activities such as financing of the HCO (White 107). The duties of governance include mission and strategic planning, monitoring and assessment of the HCO’s progress, making strategic decisions, executive management, offering financial oversight and providing strategic protection of the HCO from risks. An example of governance performing a task in an HCO, is when the governing board establishes a senior management compensation program that reviews compensation and bonuses for all managers On the other hand, the duties of management include providing fact base for all goal setting and decision-making activities of the governance, financial management of the HCO, human resource management, marketing and internal consultation (White 108). The key points in governance are that governance is responsible for the strategic activities of the HCO. These strategic activities include policymaking, decision making and providing oversight. The key points in management are that the management is responsible for the operational activities of the HCO. These activities include operational management and goal achievement activities. Discuss the expectations and cultural issues with today’s recently graduated physicians and how an HCO can recruit/retain them. Studies have suggested that recently graduated physicians may have different expectations from the preexisting ones that may influence their decision to leave or remain in a community (White 194). Some of the factors that may influence their decision include the collaborative nature of the practice, the organizational culture of the institution and the political environment. The HCO can retain them by using incentives, theories of interpersonal relations like the Peplau’s theory and the application of other organizational behavior theories (White 195). These methods can help the employees understand and appreciate the existing organizational culture. Discuss how an HCO monitors and improves quality. The governance board and the senior management are responsible for monitoring of the quality of health care (White 115). For instance, excellent HCOs that operate under the evidence-based management systems have the ability to retain an accountability hierarchy that aids in monitoring of performance. Improving of the quality of health care is accomplished by research conducted by the ethics committee. This ethics committee is complimented by an institutional review board, which monitors and approves research protocols for involving patients or associates. It is through this research and continuous assessment that health care is improved (White 169). Discuss various external and internal factors affecting HCOs today and explain how the organization can successfully deal with them. One internal factor facing Health care organizations is bad organizational culture. This includes interpersonal relationships, training material, philosophical statements and organizational policies. Bad organizational culture often affects an organization’s productivity by weakening the internal communication links. This can be solved by establishing a good organizational culture that enables the employees to identify with the goals and missions of the organization. Another internal factor is unethical management practices that affect the operational activities of the HCO. These unethical activities include mismanagement of funds, which affect the operating costs of the organization. The HCO can deal with the unethical management practices by formulating an ethics committee whose primary goal is identifying and dealing with unethical management practices (White 65). In addition, technological change is also a factor affecting the HCOs. The increased revolution of technology and its integration into the processes of HCO is a new phenomenon that requires the readjustment of the attitude of the HCO. However, this can be managed by properly preparing the employees for the technological change after critical assessment of the change by the management. An example of an external factor is the presence of strict legislative requirements. The presence of new legislations presents with it drastic changes in patient information disclosure, documentation and record keeping systems. The HCOs can successfully deal with the new legislations by revising their policies and organizational structures to satisfy the provisions by law. Another example of an external factor affecting HCO’s is the increasing diversity among population in the community served which is further supplemented by staff shortages. There has been an increase in the demand for medical care from the community with very little personnel to satisfy the supply. However, this issue can be dealt with by practicing better recruitment and retention practices that ensure there are adequate and qualified personnel. What makes up the well-managed community hospital? A well-managed community hospital is a hospital that has the ability to recruit and satisfy the needs of the medical practitioners while at the same time meet the needs of their local patients at manageable costs. This implies that the hospital is capable of providing financial resources, human resources such as nurse and physicians and any other resources that are necessary to meet the needs of the locals in the community. The factors that characterize such a hospital include a well-defined organizational culture that promotes shared values, empowers associates, supports service excellence and encourages success (White 39). Another factor is a strong cultural, operational and strategic foundation, which enable high performance (White 14). This is usually supplemented by a well-defined operational leadership system that is accountable and sustains improvement in the operational structure (White 69). It should have foundations on clinical performance that ensure accurate diagnosis, excellent care, good implementation of protocols, individualization of patient care, good planning and treatment, improved community health and improved clinical performance (White 141). This should be supported by clinical support services that are responsible for providing excellent health care (White 250). Finally, it should have a human resource management system that is aimed at workforce planning, work force development, workforce maintenance, workforce empowerment and workforce compensation (White 346). If you were planning an initial discussion about goal setting and capital budgeting for newly appointed first line supervisors, what would be the topics you would include? I would include topics like feasibility assessment, resource allocation, capital sources, financial management, risk management and decision-making. Work cited White, Kenneth R, and John R. Griffith. The Well-Managed Healthcare Organization. Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press, 2010. Print.

An Evaluation of Wireless Intrusion Prevention and Protecting Insecure Research Paper

An Evaluation of Wireless Intrusion Prevention and Protecting Insecure Channels - Research Paper Example Now the latest mobile and computing devices such as iPhones also provide considerable support for accessing Internet through wireless computing. Without a doubt, wireless computing offers a large number of benefits and opportunities for both business and individual users but at the same time they also facilitate hackers and attackers to complete their illegal tasks. This paper presents a detailed analysis of some of the important aspects associated with wireless networks. This paper discusses how wireless networks work, what benefits do they offer. This paper also discusses various types and protocols for wireless networks. This paper will also discuss a number of security threats associated with these networks. This paper also discusses various strategies to deal with these security threats. ... This paper also discusses various types and protocols for wireless networks. This paper will also discuss a number of security threats associated with these networks. This paper also discusses various strategies to deal with these security threats. Introduction Wireless networking has emerged as a very useful technology and the majority of organizations have started moving their network infrastructures to wireless networking environments. The basic reason of this transformation is the opportunities and advantages offered by wireless technology at the minimum cost and with maximum convenience. In fact, wireless networks allow organizations to build their communication infrastructures without using wires. In order to enable communications, these networks use radio waves instead of wires. As a result, these networks can be established in areas where wires cannot be used. Without a doubt, wireless technology offers a large number of advantages over traditional networking technologies tha t’s why their usage is continuously increasing with the passage of time, but they also bring serious security issues that affect the quality of communication. Additionally, wireless networks can face a variety of challenges and in some cases people using these networks lose their personal data which can be used to carry out illegal tasks (Neumerkel & Grob, 2006; Klasnja, et al., 2009). The basic purpose of this paper is to present a detailed analysis of wireless technology and issues associated with them. The structure of this paper is as follows: The discussion of the topic starts with a detailed introduction of wireless technology. After that a detailed discussion on wireless security issues has been provided. This

Critical thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Critical thinking - Essay Example Its workforce of over 17, 000 men and women voted Iceland Frozen Foods the third most successful company compared with all other companies in motivating them to do their best. Four years before the turnaround, morale was ‘at rock bottom after 40% of staff at the Deeside head office were made redundant’ (The Sunday Times, 2009). It is quite reasonable to assume in retrospect that top management at the time was incapable of motivating the workforce to achieve profitability and ensure the survival of the firm. It is quite likely that ‘scientific management’ or Taylorism as it is also called, may have been, the paradigm under which the top managers of Iceland Frozen Foods worked, in running the day to day affairs of the company. Or, they may not even have given much thought to motivating the workforce, but merely continued on traditional lines, hiring and firing believing that labour was a disposable item. Taylorism is explained as the ‘decoupling of the labour process from the skills of the workforce’, and has been defined as ‘management strategies that are based upon the separation of conception from execution’ Pruijt, 2000). The knowledge and skills of how best to run the enterprise are confined to the heads of the few top mangers. The rest of the workforce merely follows orders to the letter. They have no discretion as to how they do their day to day jobs. They have to follow strictly laid out procedures. This may work well in some industries, say on a car assembly line, but in enterprises with close customer contact, this approach is unlikely to be optimal. Nevertheless, Prujit also acknowledges that McDonalds and call centres (customer service operations) use such strategies and can claim success by ensuring ‘predictability and controllability’ (op. cit.). After Taylorism , Herzberg’s two-factor motivational theory became influential in alerting management to the value of tapping into the need for

What Is Effective Business Communication Commerce Essay

What Is Effective Business Communication Commerce Essay It is hard to imagine a world without communication. From humans to ants, communication is vital for functioning. Hence its importance in business cannot be undermined. According to Murphy et al it is the life blood of any business (Murphy et al, 2009). Without communication it is very difficult to get your point across or to make a difference. To some the skills of communication come naturally while to others it needs a lot of practice and learning. Luckily effective communication techniques can be mastered if one puts his mind to it. Communication has many realms to it. Though ancient communication gave more importance to written and oral, now days, along with that, non-verbal communication has also gained precedence. With the advent of new technologies frequently, the means to communicate is constantly evolving. This makes it essential to keep up with the pace of change. In todays volatile and highly dynamic work atmosphere to have good communication skill is important to survive and climb the ladder of success. It is essential to understand business communication and its practices thoroughly before venturing on to actual practice. Stages of Communication Effective communication can be divided into a few distinctive stages. These stages are not absolute and can change from one situation to another. Every communication starts with an idea that forms inside the sender. The sender then converts this into a communicable message. This can be either oral or written. This is encoding. The sender then picks a communication channel to deliver the message. The channel used depends on various factors like what is the location of the receiver, is there a requirement for a permanent record or is it casual, what is the size of the audience, how soon should the message reach the receiver, how complex is the message etc (Krizan et al, 2008). The receiver at the other end received the communication. This process can be referred to as decoding. Here listening skills and comprehension plays a very important role. If the communication is unclear it is the duty of the receiver to ask the necessary questions and clarify it. If a response is expected from the receiver by way of a reply or action, the receiver has to carry that out. The sender can explicitly ask for a response if necessary. The response is as important as the initial communication. The message send by the sender and the response of the receiver depends not only on the words and medium used but also on the non-verbal aspects of the process. Verbal Vs Non-Verbal Communication Business communication can be broadly divided in to two verbal and non-verbal. Both forms are highly important to make the communication effective. The way these two are handled could make or break relationships. Non-verbal communication generally refers to eye contact, facial expressions and elements, posture, gestures and tone of voice (Stuart et al, 2007). It can also be stretched to include etiquette. Though many times difficult to understand, non-verbal communication is considered to be of great importance in communication and most times it is given more credence than verbal communication. If the person is saying one thing and his expression and body language another, it is most likely that people will go with the non-verbal aspect of the conversation. This is a very common fact and need to be considered and understood while communicating. Again with non-verbal communication, culture plays an important role. What is considered a gesture of goodwill or an acceptable habit in one country may be considered offensive in another. For example chewing gum in public is considered to be rude by the Dutch while it is a common practice of the Americans. Similarly when Westerners consider staying silent during a meeting as rude and a sign of being ignorant, the Japanese consider it a sign of success and respect (Guffey et al, 2010). Indian and Middle Eastern cultures consider the left hand as unclean where as in Europe and USA this is not the case. The list of cultural differences in non-verbal communication is quite long. It is quite impossible to learn them all. What a successful businessman usually does is to read up and understand these differences before a meeting or a trip to a country outside his own. The importance given to non-verbal communication does not make verbal communication any less important. In a highly technologically savvy world a lot of the communication takes place just verbally through letters, faxes, emails and chats. Hence having a good vocabulary and the good sense to use it properly is very essential. Similarly, cultural differences creep in for verbal communication as well. For example, the Americans generally tend to keep their business letters short and to the point and do not favor the use of poetic language, where as the French use a certain extend of poetic language even in their formal letters (Chaney and Martin, 2007). These differences exist from country to country not only in the style of communication but also in formats of letters, emails and other forms of written communication. A clear understanding of these differences will make it easier to infer the written communication more clearly and accurately. In case of oral communication it is highly a ppreciated by people from other cultures if the person is able to at least greet in their local language. While dealing with other cultures it always helps to speak in short and clear phrases and check back with the person with regard to the level of understanding. But any sort of communications effectiveness also depends on the medium used. Communication Medium Just like words and gestures, the medium used for communication plays an important role in the whole process of making it effective. Before selecting a medium for communication it is essential to figure out the importance of the communication and the extent of its reach. A message that has to go to the whole organization cannot be communicated by a face to face discussion. It needs to be done either by means of a group email or memo or though public address. It is also essential to have a mental picture of the reaction of the receiver from the communication. Some things that are sensitive in nature may need to be communicated by a one on one meeting and not through an email. To communicate to the masses, companies generally rely on advertisements. The medium used can be the new papers, television and radio, door to door, billboards or even flyers. This has to be done after a lot of planning and study or else there is very chance the advertisement will not appeal to the public. It is essential to make sure that it does not contain any material that may be offensive to one class of people or which may be considered immoral in one country. The person carrying the message is also of key importance in mass communication. For example, Madonnas hit number Like a Prayer was used by Pepsi in its commercials which aired during family oriented programs. But when the real video, which was highly graphic came out, Pepsi was threatened with boycott and hence had to yank the commercial (Forbes, 2007). Communication Gone South When there is a discussion about effective communication it is also important to get an inkling about things that has not gone so well due to wrongful communication in the business world. When Nardelli took over as CEO of Home Depot, there was almost immediate demoralization of the employees and which in turn led to consumer dissatisfaction and complaints. This was all caused by his communication style which was commanding and which was not acceptable to the new breed of people. He also managed to infuriate the shareholders with his arrogance (Bloomberg Businessweek, 2007). This is a classic example of poor communication skills causing negativity in the business. An American ad company took down a large billboard which was found offensive by African-Americans due to the message in it (Bloomberg Buisinessweek, 2011). These are just two examples of the effect of bad communication. There are many more that have led to people losing jobs, companies losing market share, employee unrest an d even companies going out of business. It can thus be said that effective communication is the essence of every businesss success. There is a great need to have the skills to communicate successfully and if such a skill is not inherent, it is essential to acquire it. This can be done by having a clear understanding of the steps involved, the medium used and learning to used words and expressions in a very controlled and thoughtful manner. Conquering the business world is much easier with effective communication. Resources Chaney Lillian H and Martin Jeanette S. (2007), Intercultural Business Communication, Pearson Prentice Hall. Guffey Mary Ellen, Rogin Patricia and Rhodes Kathleen (2010), Business Communication Process and Product, Nelson Educations Ltd. Krizan A. C., Merrier Patricia, Logan Joyce P. and Williams Karen Schneiter (2008), Business Communication, Thomson South-Western. Murphy Herta A, Hildebrandt Herbert W and Thomas Jane P (2009), Effective Business Communication Seventh Edition, Tata Mcgraw-Hill. Nussbaum Bruce (2007), Lesson from Home Depots Bob Nardelli Why Command and Control is so Bad, Bloomberg Businessweek, 4th January 2007, Available at http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/NussbaumOnDesign/archives/2007/01/lessons_from_home_depots_bob_nardelliwhy_command_and_control_is_so_bad.html Salazar Christian (2011), Ad Company Pulls NYC Anti-abortion Billboard, Bloomberg Buisnessweek, 25th February 2011, Available at http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9LJK5T01.htm Stuart Bonnye E, Sarow Marilyn S. and Stuart Lawrence (2007), Integrated Business Communication in a Global Market Place, John Wiley Sons Ltd. Trout Jack (2007), Celibrity Endoresements Gone Bad, Forbes, 13th September 2007, Available at http://www.forbes.com/2007/09/12/jack-trout-marketing-celebs-oped-cx_jt_0913trout_slide_19.html

Blocking & Filtering Essay -- essays research papers

"Any content-based regulation of the Internet, no matter how benign the purpose, could burn the global village to roast the pig." U.S. Supreme Court majority decision, Reno v. ACLU (June 26, 1997) Blocking and filtering software for the Internet is one of the most hotly debated topics regarding free speech and the Internet. Many have criticized blocking software for being both under and over inclusive, and others have argued that blocking software should not be used at all in public institutions such as libraries and schools. On the other side, supporters of blocking software claim that is a legitimate method to regulate access to "inappropriate" material on the Internet, especially access for minors. But, before we begin to look at these debates directly, we have to examine how the different types of blocking software available work. Nearly all blocking software contains several features that enable the user to customize it for their particular preferences. Users can set the particular levels and/or categories they want the software to screen. So, for example, a user could instruct his browser to block all nudity and sex acts, but still allow sex education and intolerance, while another users could do the opposite. Another common feature is the ability to unblock particular web sites when they are blocked. So, if a user was attempting to access the CNN web site, and it was blocked because it contained, for example, the Starr report, the user could unblock it. A final common feature of most blocking software is that it can be turned on and off for particular users on a particular machine, so that parents can turn the software on when their children are using the computer, but allow themselves unlimited access. Blocking software works in several major ways: blocking by word, blocking particular sites, blocking all sites except those on a "white list," and blocking by preset ratings. Most of the first blocking software worked by blocking words; the software would scan web sites for certain, unacceptable words such as "breast" or "sex." This type of software was often ridiculed, because it is ridiculously over broad, for example blocking sites on breast cancer or news sites about the President. In addition, this type of blocking has the disadvantage of not being able to scan pictures for unacceptable m... ...ts computers. Representative Bob Franks of New Jersey introduced a similar bill in the House, dubbed the "Safe Schools Internet Act of 1999". In addition, the constitutionality of library filters has been, and continues to be, litigated in several cases. All cases decided to this point have declared mandatory filters on all library computers to be unconstitutional. Many argue that the PICS system is the best way to provide for parental empowerment in order to manage their children's internet use. These people point out that, at least for now, the PICS system is voluntary and that third parties can rate sites. The rating systems used in conjunction with PICS establish a uniform standard that parents can rely on, instead of the opinions of software companies' list makers. The purpose behind Internet filters is to provide parents, educators and other with an effective tool to protect minors from harmful material through their computers. At first blush they appear to be a simple technological fix to the problem of indecency on the Internet. However, this simple solution has touched off a firestorm of controversy, which show no signs of cooling off in the near future.

Balance Sheet and Income Statement Commentary Essay

On JB Hunt’s balance sheet for 2011 lists current assets of $513,542,000 and current liabilities of $438,515,000, yielding a current ratio of 1.17, which indicates the company, has $1.17 of current assets for every $1 of current liabilities. The previous year 2010, the current ratio was 0.91. This shows a 29% increase in the current ratio over the previous year. An organization with a current ratio of 2 or higher is usually viewed by lenders to be a safe risk for short-term credit. Based on the 29% increase in current ratio, JB Hunt is in a better position to obtain short-term financial than it was in 2010. However, it is still below the benchmark of 2 that lenders feel to be a safe risk. Under the economic circumstances of the past five years, lenders may take into consideration other factors such as comparing JB Hunt’s current ratio to that of other competing trucking companies. JB Hunt’s quick ratio for 2011 is 0.95 and for 2010 was 0.70. A quick ratio or â₠¬Å"acid-test† measures cash, securities, and accounts receivables of a company in comparison to its current liabilities. The quick ratio is especially important to companies that have a history of challenges with converting inventory into cash quickly. This difficulty could interfere with the company’s ability to pay its short-term debt. A quick ratio between 0.50 and 1.0 is typically perceived as satisfactory, but with a shadow of potential cash-flow problems. JB Hunt’s quick ratio improved by 36% over the previous year, which indicates the company, has improved its ability to meet its short-term obligations. JB Hunt’s debt to stockholders equity ratio for 2011 is 299% and 242% for 2010. This ratio evaluates the extent to which the company relies on borrowed money for its operations. A ratio over 100% indicates a business has too much debt and not enough equity to pay off the debt if they suddenly needed to do that. With a debt to equity ratio of 299%, JB Hunt has a significantly high level of debt when compared to its equity. Investors and lenders would most likely view the company to be too risky to either invest in or to lend money to. JB Hunt’s basic earnings per share ratio for 2011 is 1.07 and 0.79 for 2010. This ratio indicates the amount of profit the business earned for each share of outstanding common stock. The earnings per share ratio reveal earnings that potentially stimulate the growth of a company and provide funds, which can be distributed as a dividend to stockholders. JB Hunt’s basic earnings per share increased by 35% over the previous year, which indicates the company has money to reinvest to ignite further growth. JB Hunt’s return on sales ratio for 2011 is 94% and 92% for 2010. This ratio indicates if the company is keeping pace with or exceeding its competitors in producing income from sales and services. JB Hunt increased its sales ratio by 2% over last year. A 94% sales ratio is an extremely high number compared with the other three companies analyzed for this assignment. To determine how competitive this ratio is with the ratios of other trucking companies would require additional research and analysis of more companies, which is outside the scope of this assignment. JB Hunt’s return on equity ratio for 2011 is 45% and 35% for 2010. This ratio assesses risk by indicating how much a company earned for each dollar invested by shareholders. JB Hunt’s equity ratio of 45% is a profitable ratio especially since investors consider a ratio over 15% to be a reasonable return. In addition this ratio is an increase of 29% over the previous year. UFP Technologies (Plastics manufacturing) The 2011 balance sheet for UFP Technologies lists current assets of $58,040,394,000 and current liabilities of $9,465,304,000, yielding a current ratio of 6.13, which indicates the company, has $6.13 of current assets for every $1 of current liabilities. The previous year 2010, the current ratio was 47.62. This shows a significant increase in the current ratio over the previous year, which is due to assets acquired in 2010 due to an acquisition. An organization with a current ratio of 2 or higher is usually viewed by lenders to be a safe risk for short-term credit. Based on a current ratio that is more than 3 times what is considered to be a safe risk, UFP Technologies seems like it will have no trouble obtaining short-term credit should the need arise. UFP Technologies’ quick ratio for 2011 is 4.80 and for 2010 was 36.12. This company has an outstanding quick ratio that is 4 times what is typically perceived as satisfactory. Based on this ration UFP Technologies should have no problem with cash flow or with paying its short-term debt. UFP Technologies’ debt to stockholders equity ratio for 2011 is 29% and 38% for 2010. This ratio indicates that the company has a low percentage of debt compared to its equity and does not rely on borrowed money to run its operations. Investors and lenders would most likely view the company to be a safe investment or a safe company to lend money to on a short-term basis. UFP Technologies’ basic earnings per share ratio for 2011 is 0.77 and 0.72 for 2010. The company’s basic earnings per share increased by 7% over the previous year, which indicates the company has some money to reinvest for further growth. UFP Technologies’ return on sales ratio for 2011 and 2010 is 12%. There was no change in this ratio from the previous year. This ratio indicates the company may not be keeping pace with its competitors in producing income from sales and services. UFP Technologies’ return on equity ratio for 2011 is 17% and 18% for 2010. This ratio assesses risk by indicating how much a company earned for each dollar invested by shareholders. UFP Technologies’ equity ratio of 17% is a profitable ratio especially since investors consider a ratio over 15% to be a reasonable return. However, the ratio decreased by 5.5% over last which may be upsetting to shareholders who are looking for an increase in this ratio year after year and not a decrease. United Natural Foods, Inc. (Specialty food stores) United Natural Foods’ balance sheet for 2011 lists current assets of $8,444,492,000 and current liabilities of $463,421,000, yielding a current ratio of 18.22, which indicates the company, has $18.22 of current assets for every $1 of current liabilities. The previous year 2010, the current ratio was 1.37. This shows a 1,229% increase in the current ratio over the previous year. An organization with a current ratio of 2 or higher is usually viewed by lenders to be a safe risk for short-term credit. With a current ratio of 18.22 United Natural Foods would definitely be view favorably by lenders if the need arose to seek short-term credit. United Natural Foods’ quick ratio for 2011 is 0.59 and for 2010 was 0.44. The quick ratio is especially important to companies that have a history of challenges with converting inventory into cash quickly. A quick ratio between 0.50 and 1.0 is typically perceived as satisfactory, but with a shadow of potential cash-flow problems. Althoug h a quick ration of 0.59 is an improvement over last year, this number is still low and indicates United Natural Foods may experience financial difficulty, which could interfere with the company’s ability to pay its short-term debt. United Natural Foods’ debt to stockholders equity ratio for 2011 is 61% and 98% for 2010. This ratio evaluates the extent to which the company relies on borrowed money for its operations. A ratio over 100% indicates a business has too much debt and not enough equity to pay off the debt if they suddenly needed to do that. With a debt to equity ratio of 61%, which is a decrease of 37% over the previous year, United Natural Foods has significantly decreased its dependency on borrowed money to fund its operations. This makes the company more appealing to either investors or lenders since the reduction in this ratio indicates the company is less of a risk than it was a year ago. United Natural Foods’ basic earnings per share ratio for 2011 is 0.80 and 0.79 for 2010. This ratio indicates the amount of profit the business earned for each share of outstanding common stock. The company’s basic earnings per share increased by 1.2% over the previous year, which indicates th e company is moving in the right direction toward increasing the earnings per share so that it can reinvest in the company and grow the company in the future. This percentage is actually a good indicator of grow considering the state of the economy over the past 5 years. United Natural Foods’ return on sales ratio for 2011 and 2010 is 3%. This ratio indicates the company is maintaining the status quo and produced the same amount of income from sales and services this year that it did last year. This could be due to the volatile economic conditions preventing new customers from shopping at United Natural Foods because they need to find way to cut costs. United Natural Foods’ return on equity ratio for 2011 is 9% and 11% for 2010. This ratio assesses risk by indicating how much a company earned for each dollar invested by shareholders. United Natural Food’s equity ratio for 2011 decreased by of 2%, which is a disappointing number for shareholders. Investors consider a ratio over 15% to be a reasonable return. Wells Fargo (Mortgage Company) Wells Fargo’s balance sheet for 2011 lists current assets of $1,313,867 million dollars and current liabilities of $920,070 million dollars, yielding a current ratio of 1.43, which indicates the company, has $1.43 of current assets for every $1 of current liabilities. The previous year 2010, the current ratio was 1.48. This shows a 3.4% decrease in the current ratio over the previous year. An organization with a current ratio of 2 or higher is usually viewed by lenders to be a safe risk for short-term credit. Based on the current ratio, Wells Fargo is a risky company for any lender. Under the economic circumstances of the past five years, lenders may take into consideration other factors such as comparing Wells Fargo’s current ratio to that of other competing companies. Wells Fargo’s quick ratio for 2011 is 0.07 was 0.11. A quick ratio or â€Å"acid-test† measures cash, securities, and accounts receivables of a company in comparison to its current liabilit ies. A quick ratio between 0.50 and 1.0 is typically perceived as satisfactory, but with a shadow of potential cash-flow problems. Wells Fargo’s quick ratio is 0.43 points below the minimum level of satisfactory. This company is severely at risk of not being able to convert inventory into cash quickly and may end up defaulting on its short-term debt. This is a risky company for investors and lenders. Wells Fargo’s debt to stockholders equity ratio for 2011 is 827% and 884% for 2010. This ratio evaluates the extent to which the company relies on borrowed money for its operations. A ratio over 100% indicates a business has too much debt and not enough equity to pay off the debt if they suddenly needed to do that. With a debt to equity ratio of 827%, Wells Fargo has an astronomical level of debt when compared to its equity. Investors and lenders obviously view this company as a business to avoid. Wells Fargo’s basic earnings per share ratio for 2011 is 1.50 and 1.18 for 2010. This ratio indicates the amount of profit the business earned for each share of outstanding common stock. The earnings per share ratio reveal earnings that could potentially stimulate the growth of a company and provide funds, which can be distributed as a dividend to stockholders. Wells Fargo’s basic earnings per share increased by 27% over the previous year, which indicates the company may have some money to reinvest back into the company for growth. Wells Fargo’s return on sales ratio for 2011 is 48% and 36% for 2010. This ratio indicates if the company is keeping pace with or exceeding its competitors in producing income from sales and services. Wells Fargo increased its sales ratio by 12% over last year. A 48% return on sales ratio is a high number. This ration indicates that the company is making strides to be competitive again. Wells Fargo’s return on equity ratio for 2011 is 11% and 10% for 2010. This ratio assesses risk by indicating how much a company earned for each dollar invested by shareholders. Investors consider a ratio over 15% to be a reasonable return. A ratio of 11% is disappointing to investors. However, it is a slight improvement over the previous year. So the company may be working on pulling itself back up and learning how to become profitable and attractive to lenders and investors once again. References Raibom, C.A. (2010). Core Concepts of Accounting (2nd ed.). : John Wiley & Sons Inc.. Annual Reports, http://www.sec.gov, date retrieved 06/28/2012