Scope of technology Essay Example for Free

Scope of technology Essay In this essay, I will comment on Morton Winston’s definitions of technology, then apply the six aspects in every technology to an artifact selected from Friedman’s essay â€Å"The World is Flat†. The six aspects include first the skills, techniques, human activity forms, or socio-technical practice; second, resources, tools, and materials; third, technological products or artifacts; fourth, end, intention or functions; fifth, background knowledge; and lastly, social context in which the technology is designed, developed, used, and disposed of, and the artifact that I will apply is Nike. In Children of Invention Revisited by Winston, he describes technology in three different ways in reference to the artifact I selected. First, Winston clearly defines technology as â€Å"the organization of knowledge, people, and things to accomplish specific practical goal†; second, he states that â€Å"technology consists of not only useful artifacts and the tools and processes to produce them but also the entire organization of people and materials that permits the acquisition of the knowledge and skills needed to design, manufacture, distribute, use, repair, and eventually dispose of these artifacts†; lastly, Winston’s definition of technological systems states â€Å" the complex of techniques, knowledge, and resources that are employed by human beings in the creation of material and social artifacts that typically serve certain functions perceived as useful or desirable in relation to human interests in various social contexts†. Nike employs many human activity forms. To begin with, Nike uses many different skills to yield the best productivity. One skill they have is all Nike shoes are generally considered to be attractive and durable. They are innovative, introducing a number of new features designed to increase comfort and enhance an athletes performance. They use different techniques to make this happen. They import from China, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore and the United Kingdom being the top mentioned countries for Nike exportation. Also, Nike has worked to improve labor conditions in their footwear, apparel and equipment supply chains for more than 15 years. Key issues in which they have engaged include the health and safety of the workers who make their products, excessive overtime, the ability of workers to freely associate, and child labor and forced labor. In addition, Nike has created a â€Å"sustainable supply chain†, one that includes sustainability on equal footing with cost, on-time delivery and quality . As one of the pillars of their sustainable business strategy, they have developed a vision of what success looks like. The vision and steps they are taking are making them achieve this strategy of going forward and continuing to one of the leading companies in activewear. Nike employs human activity forms in almost every part of the company; starting with using ships to import, trucks and truck drivers to transport all their products to stores. Lastly, Nike uses socio-technical practices when it comes to designing their stores, deciding on their logo, and designing the layout of the store. There is just so much to speculate at because every aspect of their company relies on human-activity forms. Nike would not be able to be as powerful of a company if they did not make use of every resource, tool and material available to them. They use computers at stores, which is their most common and powerful resource used. They use computer software everywhere, from cash registers, to security cameras, to tracking their products, and to controlling production. One tool Nike uses in surplus is machinery, such as to produce their products, along with forklifts to boats. Material Nike uses range, for they manufacture and sell many different products from socks, shirts, shoes,hats, to bags. In addition, Nike sells and uses multiple technological products. They sell iPod cases, headphones, and watches. Nevertheless, Nike is stocked with technological products and artifacts for sell. As a matter of fact, Nike uses a lot of technological products themselves, from cell phones to electricity. Nike in fact is an artifact of technology. Nike is used to employ many people, to making people comfortable when being active. Nike is a large corporation that functions as a worldwide store. It provides consumers with a place to purchase to best quality and most known activewear. Nike functions as an employer to some, to make other go day by day in comfort, and a shopping option to many. Now, for Nike Inc. to have become the corporation that it is today, they need to have had an enormous background knowledge to be this successful and efficient. There are two kinds of background knowledge; knowledge-that and knowledge-how. To begin with knowledge-how, Nike had to know how to buy and find the right location to manufacture products and still make a profit. They also had to know how to expand and manage inventory accurately and precisely. Not only that, but also how to pick the locations for the stores. All this requires a lot of knowledge and ideas. For Nike to continue its everyday massive production and efficiency, knowledge- that is, is significant. Nike needed knowledge with the store layout, design, the technology that would be used, locations, and many more things. For Nike to operate efficiently, a lot of knowledge into technology and artifacts of technology was needed. Nike as a whole, is a social artifact for it is a corporation. Within this artifact, lie many divisions of labor. From managing, cashier, shoe designer, logo designer, each position requires different invisible technologies to fulfill the role. Ultimately, all these specific roles come together to create a social organization that run an artifact of technology.

Internet Censorship Isnt Necessary Essays -- Argumentative Persuasive

Internet Censorship Isn't Necessary    "Fear of chaos cannot justify unwarranted censorship of free speech" (Quittner). This quotation came from a speech made by Vice President Al Gore, who was addressing the graduating class of 1996 from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This quotation expresses his viewpoint on this subject of censorship. Censorship has always been an issue in the world. What exactly is censorship? A censor is one who is authorized to examine books, films, or other materials and to remove or suppress what is considered morally, politically, or otherwise objectionable. Censorship is the act of removing this questionable material. Understandably, it is illegal to yell fire in a crowded room or use children for pornographic purposes, but the power of censors has exceeded logical boundaries. Works of art, such as Huckleberry Finn and Miss Saigon , have felt the full strength of censorship. The main problem regarding censorship is not knowing who has the right to determine what is valuable art and what is smut. Quite often members of religious groups take it upon themselves to determine the value of something. Those people who endorse censorship feel that they are protecting society from, among other things, violence, sex and the differences in sexual preference. At the same time, however, they are giving the power to restrict expression to a select few. Advocates of censorship feel that they have the right to ban works of art that express what they feel are erroneous ideas. What may seem erroneous to these advocates, may sculpt another's view on life and may reflect how they feel. Who has the right to determine who is right and who is wrong? The censors who feel that this right is theirs, also ... ...sh Language. Third Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1996. pp. 310. Chapman, Gary. "Regulations on Internet Pornography Will Be Ineffective." Censorship: Opposing Viewpoints. Bender, David. Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1997 Cranmer. "Child Safety on the Internet." [On-line]. Available: http://www.voicenet.com/~cranmer/censorship.html. November 10, 1997. Gutner, Toddi and Wildstrom, Steve. "Cybersmut: How To Lock Out The Kids." Business Week. February 12, 1996. pp.98-99. Levy, Steven. "An Indecent Proposal." Newsweek. May 27, 1996. pp. 80. Lindsay, John. "Policing the Internet." [On-line]. Available: http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/pin/1997-08/0002.html. November 10, 1997. Meyer, Michael. "A Bad Dream Comes True in Cyberspace." Newsweek. January 8, 1996. pp. 65. Quittner, Joshua. "Free Speech For The Net." Time. June 24, 1996. pp. 56-57. Internet Censorship Isn't Necessary Essays -- Argumentative Persuasive Internet Censorship Isn't Necessary    "Fear of chaos cannot justify unwarranted censorship of free speech" (Quittner). This quotation came from a speech made by Vice President Al Gore, who was addressing the graduating class of 1996 from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This quotation expresses his viewpoint on this subject of censorship. Censorship has always been an issue in the world. What exactly is censorship? A censor is one who is authorized to examine books, films, or other materials and to remove or suppress what is considered morally, politically, or otherwise objectionable. Censorship is the act of removing this questionable material. Understandably, it is illegal to yell fire in a crowded room or use children for pornographic purposes, but the power of censors has exceeded logical boundaries. Works of art, such as Huckleberry Finn and Miss Saigon , have felt the full strength of censorship. The main problem regarding censorship is not knowing who has the right to determine what is valuable art and what is smut. Quite often members of religious groups take it upon themselves to determine the value of something. Those people who endorse censorship feel that they are protecting society from, among other things, violence, sex and the differences in sexual preference. At the same time, however, they are giving the power to restrict expression to a select few. Advocates of censorship feel that they have the right to ban works of art that express what they feel are erroneous ideas. What may seem erroneous to these advocates, may sculpt another's view on life and may reflect how they feel. Who has the right to determine who is right and who is wrong? The censors who feel that this right is theirs, also ... ...sh Language. Third Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1996. pp. 310. Chapman, Gary. "Regulations on Internet Pornography Will Be Ineffective." Censorship: Opposing Viewpoints. Bender, David. Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1997 Cranmer. "Child Safety on the Internet." [On-line]. Available: http://www.voicenet.com/~cranmer/censorship.html. November 10, 1997. Gutner, Toddi and Wildstrom, Steve. "Cybersmut: How To Lock Out The Kids." Business Week. February 12, 1996. pp.98-99. Levy, Steven. "An Indecent Proposal." Newsweek. May 27, 1996. pp. 80. Lindsay, John. "Policing the Internet." [On-line]. Available: http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/pin/1997-08/0002.html. November 10, 1997. Meyer, Michael. "A Bad Dream Comes True in Cyberspace." Newsweek. January 8, 1996. pp. 65. Quittner, Joshua. "Free Speech For The Net." Time. June 24, 1996. pp. 56-57.

Mozart’s “Clarinet Quintet” and Mahler’s Symphony no.1 in D major “Titan” Essay

The Music of the classical and Romantic era is a period of time where it shows the development and different styles of music. This can be shown through the manipulation of musical elements, (dynamics, pitch, tempo, rhythm, texture, meter, tonality, structure, melody, harmony, instrument) while contrasting them, but it can also be shown through the composers of the music, the size of the orchestra, musical directions, emotional content, and non-musical developments through that period of time. After the Renaissance and the Baroque era, the Classical era soon followed at around the 1720-1820’s. During these times in Europe, there were many non musical developments, ideas of the enlightenment, political issues, scientific discoveries and the reexamination of established ideas, including the existence of God. Many of these ideas and has got huge impact on the heavy Monumental baroque style and later developed with a more intimate rococo style, with its light colors, curved lines, and graceful ornaments, which greatly resembles the classical period. Shortly after the Classical period, the Romantic era appeared during the 1820-1900’s. At these times, non-musical developments such as cultural movements strongly expressed emotion, imagination, and individuality. People such as Romantic painters and writer often emphasized the freedom of expression; they often saw political revolution as a reflection of their own struggles for artistic freedom. This had made a huge i mpact on Romantic music, because the emotional subjectivity turned into a basic quality of Romanticism. Comparing the musical elements of Classical era and Romantic era, we would notice the many differences, and hence we can identify and recognize the music of both periods. The first musical element that I will discuss is rhythm. As we can see, the rhythm of the Classical era tends to be less complex and quite repetitive. Classical style usually includes unexpected pauses, syncopations, and frequent changes from long notes to shorter notes, and the change from one pattern of note lengths to another may be either sudden or gradual. As we can see in the Finale of Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, we can see that during each of those variations, the rhythms are not very complex and quite repetitive, for example, the first 3 – 8 bars of the introduction in Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet show a somewhat consistent rhythm  consisted 4 of crotchets each bar, the 2nd variation show a consistent rhythm of 4 sets of triplets between the 2nd violin and viola, the 3rd variation shows a consistent rhythm of 4 sets of semi-quavers in each bar, with the clarinet normally. Through what I have described just now, one could see that the pattern of note lengths have gradually changed to shorter and shorter, in this case, from 4 crotchets to 4 triplets to 4 semi-quavers. Also, in variations like Mozart’s clarinet quintet, triplets and syncopations can be found frequently. In contrast, romantic music tends to not emphasize that much on simple and consistent rhythms. There are often changes in the number of beats in a measure, cross-rhythms, syncopations, etc. For example in Mahler’s Symphony no.1 in D major â€Å"Titan†, consistent notes goes against syncopations, there are accompaniments with skips and staccatos etc. (p.116) Both Classical and Romantic eras have written musical directions, unlike Renaissance and Baroque which does not have any. Moreover, I have noticed that the musical directions of both pieces have extreme differences. As we see in Mahler’s symphony no.1 in D major â€Å"titan† 3rd movement, there are many written musical directions: dynamic, emotional, tempo directions. For example, in the first 20 bars, there are already 7 written musical directions, whereas in Mozart’s clarinet quintet, there are extremely small amounts of written musical directions, only 2 written musical directions in the first 20 bars. This significantly shows that there are differences in the use of written musical directions in the Classical and Romantic era. Classical and Romantic music has differences in melodies and structures too. In classical music, the structures emphasize more the grace of proportion and balance, moderation and control; polished and elegance in character with expressiveness and formal structure held in perfect balance. Furthermore, the forms do not vary as much as the Romantic era, they had forms like sonatas, symphonies etc. The melodic phrases are usually balanced and symmetrical made up of two phrases of the same length. For an example, in Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, the music is very symmetrical and well balanced, in a variation form. However, in Romantic music, they rather emphasize on the emotional content than trying to sound balanced and symmetrical, and expanded their use of forms and created new forms, like impromptu, ballade,  etude, nocturnes etc,. Moreover, the melodies normally have either really long or short phrases, increased in range, but also increased in chromaticism. For example in Mahler’s symphony no.1 in D major â€Å"Titan†, we can see that except it is in a ABA form, the whole movement was not as symmetrical and well balanced as the Mozart, although it is in a variation form, the melodic phrases have increased in range, are either really long, for example in the first 18 bars, or really short, where the melody can be hardly seen in bar 134-137. Classical and Romantic era are very different in the use of harmonies too. In Classical music, harmonies were formed from the chords. If the chords in a music composition are all major chords, then the harmonies would create emotions that express bright, happy and positive feelings, in contrast, if the chords are all minor chords, then the harmony would express the emotion which is sad and depressed, negative feelings. However, in Romantic music, harmonies are more complex due to the development of the complex chords. For example, a diminished chord that is usually found in Romantic music would create a harmony that is rarely found in Classical music. In general, the use of harmonies is very different in both Classical and Romantic music. Another difference I have noticed between Classical and Romantic music is the range of dynamics used. In the Classical era, the dynamic range normally used was between pp – ff. This range was expanded in the Romantic period, ranging from pppp – ffff. This difference can be evidently proven in Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, where the range was kept within the range of p – f, a small range of pitch in each part of instruments. However, in Mahler’s symphony no. 1 in D major â€Å"titan†, the range of dynamics increased to pppp – f, with a big range of dynamics in each of the instrumental parts. In general, the range of pitch of Classical and Romantic era varies when the classical as small range of dynamics, whilst the Romantic as a larger range of dynamics. The range of pitch of the Classical and Romantic era is used very differently too. In the classical era, the range pitch is not as big as the Romanic era, as he range of pitch in the Romantic era was expanded, as the composers seek  for more extreme high and low sounds. For example in Finale of Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet as a Classical song, the range of pitch of the whole song was only D2 – C6 with little range of pitch in every instrumental part, but the range of pitch in Mahler’s symphony no. 1 in D major, as a Romantic song, is B1- D6, with a very broad range in every instrumental part. In general, the range of pitch of Classical and Romantic era varies when the classical as small range of pitch, whilst the Romantic as a larger range of pitch. The tempo of classical era and Romantic Era is used very differently too. In the Classical era, the tempo only changed when there are written musical directions to change the mood, but tempo of Romantic music changed the mood constantly with not only the written musical directions, which is often underlined by Accelerando, Ritardando, and subtle variations of pace: but there are many more fluctuations in tempo than there are in Classical music, which they also intensify their emotions by using effect of Rubato. As we can see in Mozart’s clarinet quintet, there are only 3 written musical directions: â€Å"Allegretto con Variationi†, which means a little lively, moderately fast, with variation, â€Å"Adagio† which means at ease: slow, and allegro, which means cheerful or brisk; but commonly interpreted as fast, lively, and there are no written musical directions which guide the tempo within the scores. However, in Mahler’s symphony no. 1 in D major, there are not only main musical directions to guide the tempo, like â€Å"Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen†, which means dignified but not too slow, but there are small ones in between the scores which appears constantly, like Zurluckhaltend which means holding back tempo, creating Rubato effect and Poco. Rit etc. These two pieces, Mozart’s clarinet quintet as a Classical music, Mahler’s titan as a Romantic music, clearly shows that there are significant differences in the tempo of the Classical and Romantic era, Classical with a less frequent change of tempo, Romantic with a frequent change of tempo. The texture of Classical and Romantic music can be contrasted. Classical music is basically homophonic; for example in Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, we can see that the texture is basically homophonic, with a few that is  polyphonic, and the pieces shifted smoothly from one texture to another, like in the changes from variation 1 to variation 3, there is a gradual change from thin texture to thicker texture. In contrast, even though romantic music can be homophonic and polyphonic and most of the time between the two, the texture turns thicker, it has lots of changes in texture, more drastic and frequent, and they use a lot more instruments to exaggerate this thick and emotional content. As we can see in Mahler’s symphony no.1 â€Å"Titan†, the texture is pretty thick in general, due to the size of the orchestra which creates density, and during the bars of 134-137, the whole orchestra is used, which creates the intense and climax moment. In general, although both Classical and Romantic music are mainly homophonic, the thickness of the texture is contrasted significantly. Chromaticism was also used differently in the Classical and Romantic era. In the classical era, melodic chromaticism was used frequently (especially by Mozart) to balance the harmonic plainness. In its simplest form of chromatic scales, it occurs a lot in unaccented passing notes. Melodic chromaticism does not usually affect the harmony; it is mainly used for color-modification of diatonic notes, to add tone color by composers. However, Romantic music generally uses chromaticism to form the music’s harmonies and create chords. This helps the composer to expand the emotional contents and express a few different emotions of the musical piece. In general, chromaticism was used very differently in the Classical and Romantic era. Cadenza chords of Classical and Romantic music is similar, but you can say that cadenza chords of Romantic music are built on top of the cadenza chords structures of Classical music. In Classical music, they generally have a cadenza chord structure of I – V – I. In Mozart’s clarinet quintet, the cadenza chords can easily be recognized as chords I – V – I, as we can see in the first 16 bars. In Mahler’s symphony no.1 in D major â€Å"titan† however, the cadenza consist of only chord I from bar 158 to the end, 11 bars all written in chord I. This type of chord structure is seldom found in Classical music, because Classical music usually ends a piece of music in an authentic cadence, plagal cadence, or deceptive cadence. In Romantic music,  these cadences are still used, but composers like to end their music in their own unique way, just like Mahler’s symphony no. 1 in D major. Another difference that I have noticed between Classical and Romantic music is the size of their orchestra. In a Classical orchestra, there are normally only 20-60 players, which involve strings: 1st & 2nd violins, violas, cellos, double basses. Woodwinds: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons. Brass: 2 French horns, 2 trumpets. Percussion: 2 timpani. However, towards this end of the Romantic era, the orchestra might have included around 100 musicians. The constant expansion of the orchestra reflected composes changing needs as well as the growing size of concert halls and opera houses, due to technological advances. The brass, woodwind and percussion sections of the orchestra took on a more active role, calling for trombones, tubas, and more horns and trumpets. The woodwind took on new tone colors such as contrabassoon, bass clarinet, English horn and piccolo. Orchestral sounds became more brilliant and sensuously appealing through increase uses of cymbals the triangle and the harp. One of the most evident differences between Classical and Romantic music is how composers express their emotion and creating emotional intensity. Composers from the Classical Period tend to focus more on the structure of music, creating music that is structural and compact in form, and captures our attention by the beauty and structure of the music, which usually just expresses one emotion. However, composers from the Romantic Period focused more on depicting their emotions in their music, emphasizing on expression rather then structure, expressing several different emotions. When we compare Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet to Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D major â€Å"Titan†, Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet tends to be more focused on perfecting the harmony between the different melodies and also the structure and forms, while Mahler’s Titan emphasized much more on the emotional content. In short, Classical music tends emphasize on the beauty of balanced structures, expressing one emotion, while Romantic music tends to express more emotional contents, expressing several different emotions. In general, the music of Classical and Romantic era are very different in  many ways, in all aspects of the elements, dynamics, pitch, tempo, rhythm, texture, meter, tonality, structure, melody, harmony, instrument, and especially how they express their emotional contents. However, the Classical and Romantic eras are both historical developments of western music, which significantly contributes to the music that we listen to today. References Classical music. (2007, April 11). Retrieved April 15, 2007, from wikipedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_musicClassical period (music). (2007, April 13). Retrieved April 14, 2007, from wikipedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_music_eraLogan, J., & Swann, J. (n.d.). Classical Music and Romantic Music – Part 1. Retrieved April 7, 2007, from http://trumpet.sdsu.edu/m345/Romantic_Music1.htmlRomantic music. (2007, April 12). Retrieved April 13, 2007, from wikipedia Web site: http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romantic_musicSchmidt-Jones, C. (2006, January 3). The Music of the Romantic Era. Retrieved April 7, 2007, from connexions Web site: http://cnx.org/content/m11606/latest/Sexton, T. (2007, January 17). The Classical and romantic Eras in Music History. Retrieved April 4, 2007, from associatedcontent Web site: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/119869/the_classical_and_romantic_eras_in.html

“Stalin Won Because Trotsky Lacked a Power Base” How Far...

â€Å"Stalin won because Trotsky lacked a power base†: How far does this statement explain why Stalin, rather than Trotsky, succeeded Lenin as leader of the Soviet State? A power base is the source of a person’s organisation power or influence. The statement â€Å"Stalin won because Trotsky lacked a power base† does not explain the actual reasons as to why Trotsky did not succeed Lenin as the leader of the Soviet state. Trotsky had the most powerful power base in Russia at the time which was that he had control of the Red Army. Stalin on the other hand had control of the politburo which was still powerful but when it came down as to who was more powerful it was no doubt the power base of Trotsky. After Lenin’s death in 1924, there were 5 main†¦show more content†¦Trotsky’s inactiveness resulted in people thinking Stalin was better than him. Normal people who did not have any interest in the party or were loyal began joining the Bolshevik Party after Lenins death. This was known as Lenins Enrolment. Russians who weren’t even true Communists joined the Party in order to receive privileges. Trotsky openly called these people ‘radishes’. As they were red on the outside, meaning they appeared to support Communism, but were white on the inside, meaning they were really the ones who opposed the Reds; and only joined to have an increased standard of living. Trotsky was a well educated upper class member of Russian society and came off as rude and snobby, he made things worse for himself after declaring people as ‘radishes’ losing even more of the little support he had left after failing to attend Lenins funeral. This again is a very important factor in Stalin becoming Soviet leader. Trotsky had many qualities but was hugely contradicted by his arrogance and insults towards others. One of the biggest insults was that he called the members of the party â€Å"Radishes†. What Trotsky meant by this was that on the outside the members said they were really part of the Bolsheviks party because they wanted a communist state, however on the inside they were members for the privileges that you got for being part ofShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesE SSAYS ON TWENTIETH-C ENTURY H ISTORY In the series Critical Perspectives on the Past, edited by Susan Porter Benson, Stephen Brier, and Roy Rosenzweig Also in this series: Paula Hamilton and Linda Shopes, eds., Oral History and Public Memories Tiffany Ruby Patterson, Zora Neale Hurston and a History of Southern Life Lisa M. Fine, The Story of Reo Joe: Work, Kin, and Community in Autotown, U.S.A. Van Gosse and Richard Moser, eds., The World the Sixties Made: Politics and Culture