Impact of the Computer and Internet Essay Example for Free

Impact of the Computer and Internet Essay Computers first made there debut and have been around since in the 1940s and the Internet since in the 1970s. Computer were large single room unit that have changed into hand held devices and microchips. The Internet was a blog where people from all over the world could post questions and get answers and now the Internet has become a global search engine. In the future, computers and the Internet will not only continue to evolve; they will be every day aspect to living in this society. Computers will be the new tools for communication and also play a big part in our every day life. In the future, our days tasks will be checked using a personal robotic butler, the misplaced car keys will be located by entering the word keys into a cellphone and getting a call back saying bedroom. Our cars will be self driven and would be able to park themselves. After work, there may be ads on the shopping mall wall reconfigure to suit each person passing by, so when there is a sign for a concert, you buy a ticket by waving your cellphone over the billboard. This next wave of computers will be so small they hardly seem like computers at all. The screen of billboards will be able to broadcast different ad depending on the time of day or the person walking past. People will be able take a picture of the ad using their camera phones and use it as a coupon for the product being advertised. They may also be able to project imagies of family member which you talk to them on telephone call. In the future, the number one major issue will be privacy. We are currently leaving a digital footprints and it will only grow larger in the future. Tracking someone can be iillgal and has raised troubling privacy issues but in recents years people are giving up this information free. Websites like Twiter, Myspace and Facebook give people the ablity to post and check into area all around the world. People are also allowing strangors to know if they are on vaction and even some people are allowing their address and information to be put on these sites. The social inpact of allowing computer to expand will be huge. Police and government surveillance could go beyond wiretapping to body-tapping. Big business could track a persons spending and shopping habits. On the criminal front, the sensors could enable better stalking, kidnapping, and theft now that our every location is broadcast to the world. The only way were going to be able to have privacy in the future is to have it legislated. People want our data and will do anything to get it. We need to be able to protect ourselves and the only was to do it in the future is to not allow computer to tap into our lives. The internet brings as wide an audience together as possible. With the importance of accessibility getting the recognition it deserves lately. Rather than reading and clicking, the people will be able to tell a browser where they want to go with spoken commands. People now read newspapers watch television and listen to the radio via the Internet and soon all of our communications phones, TV, and the Web will be delivered over a high-speed broadband connection. People are also creating their own media including blog posts, music and videos and sharing them with huge audiences without needing permission from the gatekeepers. The Internet is changing the way most everyone experiences media. According to Free Press. com â€Å"It could become the central nervous system of a healthy democracy the greatest engine for free speech, civic engagement and economic growth ever known†. It may be our last, best hope to make an end-run around the traditional media gatekeepers. There is a similar threat to society because of the open Internet today, and the stakes couldnt be higher. High-speed Internet access is fast becoming a basic public necessity, just like water or electricity. To protect free-flowing Internet access for everyone, people need to get involved. It has gone from lifeless and robotic to something a lot more palatable in the last few years, and seems to continue to improve. Another issue could be keeping some users away because that the Internet can be a vast and scary place. Audio surfing could be perfect for the commuters, children learning to read, step-by-step tutorials as well as the casual multitasking user. In the future, web surfing could be available on any device. It seems the technology industry is eager to integrate the Internet into every device. People will start by adding touch-screens to fridges and other appliances might create new opportunities and challenges for interfacing. Touch screen technology is only scratching the surface on intuitive pproaches to interfacing. More widespread Internet delivery will mean reaching a wider audience. The major weakness to the increase of connected devices comes in the same flavor as the raging net neutrality issues being discussed today. If the Internet is tied into content devices like televisions, broadcasting companies might start pulling more of their annoying control-freak shenanigans in an attempt to capture a greater audience. This will be temporary; the battle of old-media vs. the Internet has only one ending for years, the Internet has been about serving the singular user. With the growing need and importance of online community, multiple-user experiences seem like the next logical step. The social impact of the internet will be negative at the rate the internet is going. As people use the internet more, they will be able to keeping up with people more, spending less time talking with their families, and feeling more lonely and depressed due to the lack of human interaction. These results can change interpersonal communication was their most important reason for using the Internet. Online platforms, for instance, have reduced the costs of communicating and minimized the impact of barriers like time and geography. In conclusion, computers and the Internet will not only continue to evolve; they will be every day aspect to living in this society. Computers will be the new tools for communication and also play a big part in our everyday life. The internet will bring us wider audiences and accessibility to people all over the world. Both will have negative and positive aspect in society but may bring the world as we know it closer.

The General Prologue - The Canterbury Tales Essay -- English Literatur

The General Prologue - The Canterbury Tales The General Prologue The most popular part of the Canterbury Tales is the General Prologue, which has long been admired for the lively, individualized portraits it offers. More recent criticism has reacted against this approach, claiming that the portraits are indicative of social types, part of a tradition of social satire, "estates satire", and insisting that they should not be read as individualized character portraits like those in a novel. Yet it is sure that Chaucer's capacity of human sympathy, like Shakespeare's, enabled him to go beyond the conventions of his time and create images of individualized human subjects that have been found not merely credible but endearing in every period from his own until now. It is the General Prologue that serves to establish firmly the framework for the entire story-collection: the pilgrimage that risks being turned into a tale-telling competition. The title "General Prologue" is a modern invention, although a few manuscripts call it prologus. There are very few major textual differences between the various manuscripts. The structure of the General Prologue is a simple one. After an elaborate introduction in lines 1 - 34, the narrator begins the series of portraits (lines 35 - 719). These are followed by a report of the Host's suggestion of a tale-telling contest and its acceptance (lines 720 - 821). On the following morning the pilgrims assemble and it is decided that the Knight shall tell the first tale (lines 822 - 858). Nothing indicates when Chaucer began to compose the General Prologue and there are no variations between manuscripts that might suggest that he revised it after making an initial version. It... ...ed if he does not put people in the order of their social rank, "My wit is short, ye may well understand." This persona continues to profess the utter naivety that we have already noted in his uncritical descriptions of the pilgrims. It is in this way, too, that we should approach the conclusion of the Prologue. Here the Host of the Tabard Inn (Harry Bailey, a historical figure) decides to go with them and ironically it is he, not Chaucer, who proposes the story-telling contest that gives the framework of the Tales. He will also be the ultimate judge of which is the best: "of best sentence and most solas." He is, after all, well prepared by his job to know about the tales people tell! One model for the literary competition would seem to be the meetings of people interested in poetry, known in French as puys, with which Chaucer would have been familiar.

Human Morality Essay

A common question throughout history has always been about human morality. Because of our higher thinking capacity, we are hardwired to adapt and refine our basic instincts to survive; therefore, it is obvious this question would be disputed throughout time. Are humans innately good, bad, or plainly neutral? The position that any one person takes may be derived from any number of ideas, be them philosophical thoughts or scientific inquiries. This essay asserts that morality is innate, and uses both scientific studies and ideas from philosophers to support this argument. Man is essentially good, and the different ways people are nurtured—from societal influences to parental influences—creates the large spectrum and variety of behavior that may not be deemed â€Å"good† or â€Å"moral.† The magazine Smithsonian published an article named â€Å"Born to Be Mild† in January of 2013 on morality in young children. This article wrote about a few different studies done on children by three different experimenters. In one of the studies titled â€Å"Spontaneous Altruism by Chimpanzees and Young Children,† Felix Warneken tested the morality of humans through young babies (because they have had little to no socialization) and also tested morality of chimpanzees, the closest relative to humans. In this study, 18-month-old toddlers were tested to see if they would help others in need by retrieving a dropped item that an adult struggled for. In almost all instances, the child returned the item. Warneken stated, â€Å"[Helping at that age] is not something that’s been trained, and [the children] come to help without prompting or without being rewarded† (Tucker 39). Not only did the toddlers help people in need, they also helped without social cues (such as the distress someone in need has). Many toddlers in the experiment Warneken created helped retrieve a can that had fallen off a table next to an adult and the adult failed to realize something was amiss. When Warneken tested the chimpanzees to see if they would return the same answers, he tested chimpanzees that were nursery-raised and semi-wild chimps. Both tests displayed the same results as the tests on the toddlers—chimpanzees were willing to help both humans and other chimps in need with no reward for themselves (Tucker 39-41). The fact that most of the toddlers and human relatives, the chimpanzees, helped others in need both with and without social cues strongly points to the idea that human morality is innate. A second study highlighted in the Smithsonian article was a reproduction of a previous study from the mid-2000s. The original study was an animated presentation shown to six to ten month old babies in one group and three month old babies in a second. The animated presentation consisted of a red circle attempted to climb a hill. In one instance, a triangle helped the circle climb, and in another, a square knocked the circle down. When the square and triangle were presented to the older group of babies, almost all babies chose the helping triangle over the hindering square. For the younger group, the researchers tracked the eye movement of the babies to either the triangle or square, because the babies could not physically grab the object. In the reproduction, done by another experimenter, the results were the same. Once again, evidence suggests that because babies seem so morally good, humans are innately good, and it is the nurture we receive as we are socialized into this culture th at may cause some people to seem morally corrupt (Tucker 38-39). It should be noted that because the reproduction provided the same results as the original study, an even stronger case was created for the idea of innate human morality. The messages that Machiavelli gives in â€Å"The Qualities of the Prince† may cause one to believe that humans are innately evil because through â€Å"The Qualities of the Prince,† Machiavelli details how to be cunning, take control, and maintain control as a ruler of a province. His teachings seem to create humans as greedy people, hungry for more. This is actually very incorrect. Machiavelli clearly states, â€Å"it is necessary for a prince†¦to learn how to not be good† (42). I emphasize that Machiavelli wrote a man must learn to not be good. One can assume from this that Machiavelli is saying man is at least in some degree, wholesome and moral. After all, humans were never meant to civilize and evolve. We are, in true form, animals that have an instinct to survive. Ruling and gaining power is a man-made idea. Opponents to the idea that humans are moral might suggest that if ruling is man-made, evil is already within us because we created the concept of ruling others; however, if man were truly evil, he would not take murder as a heavy offense, and would kill others in his way to get what he wants instead of just gaining control. The examples of rulers that Machiavelli writes help to reiterate this point. These men were not born thinking of war and control. They were raised and socialized to lead and gain power. Steinbeck and the messages he delivers in The Grapes of Wrath also point to the idea that human morality is innate. The author often writes of the distinct line of those with, and those without—in other words, the owners and the migrants or farmers. Steinbeck makes a point to write about how close-knit the migrants are in many instances. Steinbeck writes â€Å"‘I lost my land’ is changed†¦[to] ‘We lost our land.’,† ‘I have a little food’ plus ‘I have none’†¦.is ‘We have a little food’† (151); â€Å"the twenty families became one family† (193); and â€Å"when a baby dies a pile of silver coins grew at the door flap† (195). All of these quotes show the goodness in others, to do something for someone in need. This is all in contrast to the owners, which on multiple different pages Steinbeck writes how disconnected they are from the land, and â€Å"the quality of owning freezes you forever into ‘I’† (Steinbeck 152). These owners are so encompassed by the material culture around them, by the greed and the blanketed reality that they cannot see with a moral compass anymore. Of course they have one, for at one point they might have been like the farmers, caring for others and instituted into the â€Å"we† group. Proponents for human neutrality might argue that the owners were never at any point good, that they were neutral and socialized into the owning culture, unlike the farming culture. This is not the case, however, through a passage that Steinbeck wrote very early in The Grapes of Wrath, which said, â€Å"Some of the owner men were kind because they hated what they had to do, and some of them were angry because they hated to be cruel, and some of them were cold because they had long ago found that one could not be an owner unless one were cold† (31). This insinuates that in all types of owners, there is a moral compass. Even in the coldest owners, deep within them, they acknowledge the idea that the work they do is wrong. Because the owners know what is wrong, they know the opposite as well—what is right. If the owners were not innately good, their views on what is right or wrong would be skewed by their societal influences. While people will never give up the argument of human morality, it is a safe bet to argue that humans are innately good. We possess the ability to help spontaneously and without reward, as shown in the scientific studies, and we understand what is right and wrong. Our societal influences and the way we were raised affects if we will channel our morality or go against it, as shown by Machiavelli in â€Å"The Qualities of the Prince† and by Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath. Works Cited Machiavelli, Niccolo. â€Å"The Qualities of the Prince.† A World of Ideas. Ed. Lee Jacobus. 8th e. Boston: Bedford, 2010. Print. Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 1939. Print. Tucker, Abigail. â€Å"Born to Be Mild.† Smithsonian Jan. 2013: 35-41, 76-77. Print.

Theme Of Fate In The Kite Runner - 743 Words

Prophecy involves a situation in which one or more messages are allegedly communicated by a god. The messages usually involve something that inspires, interpretes, or revolve of a social world and events to eventually come. Prophecy is not limited to one culture. It is a common subject known to all ancient societies around the world, some more than others. This essay will revolve around how prophecy is the main theme in both texts. Starting off with The Kite Runner, there are more clues of fate than those in Oedipus Rex’s story. For example, the simple kites in the story represent fate and prophecy pointing out themes from the beginning. Amir and Hassan had always been best friends, like brothers. They played together they had†¦show more content†¦Due to Hansens loyalty he was always the character readers sympathized and knew would sacrifice himself a bit too much for his friend Amir. The reason the author did this was also like Sophocles again show that fate lies i n each character’s decision. They tell a story through wise words. They get their point across and still tell a wise story, teaching readers to understand about prophecy and fate. Although one story was from centuries ago and one is more present than past, they both share a story filled with a specific path for their characters. Fate decided the meaning of these stories and let these characters find out their true paths in life. These stories have a philosophical vibe to them, making them even more impactful to readers. Furthermore, these stories share the theme of fate and showed them well throughout the stories. Continuing on in, Oedipus Rex, prophecy is the central theme throughout the story. The story starts off with a plague. In order to end the plague, the protagonist must find who murdered the king. A prophet decided he had a son who was destined to kill him, then sleep with the kings wife. The kings wife was also the sons mother. To avoid the prophet the king had the ir child sent to be killed. The messenger that took the child took him to prevent the prophet from occurring. Later on in life, Oedipus They had their son to be killed, so a messenger took this child and took him far away to a king and queen, hoping to avoid thisShow MoreRelatedSimilarities Between Oedipus Rex And The Kite Runner1391 Words   |  6 PagesFate versus Destiny: Is divine justice righteous when fate or destiny is present? Oedipus Rex and The Kite Runner are both profound works of literature that share two immensely universal themes, those themes being fate/free will and divine justice. These two themes are quite prominent throughout both pieces of writing and serve to facilitate a very humanistic connection between the audience and the story. Although both of these stories consist of the two themes mentioned, they each express themRead MoreOedipus Rex And The Kite Runner1367 Words   |  6 PagesThe Kite Runner are both profound works of literature that share two immensely universal themes, those themes being fate and freewill and divine justice. These two themes are quite prominent throughout both pieces of writing and serve to facilitate a very human connection between the audience and the story. Although both of these stories consist of the two themes mentioned, they each express them in a unique fashion. Oedipus Rex focuses more so on the concept of fate whereas The Kite Runner emphasizesRead MoreLiterary Analysis : The Kite Runner And Oedipus Rex1292 Words   |  6 PagesThe Kite Runner Oedipus Rex: Literary Analysis Essay Although The Kite Runner and Oedipus Rex differ from the style in which they were written and by the authors who wrote them what they do share are common themes. 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It is through the mistakes of Amir and his family and friends that the novel develops. The most significant and central mistake in the novel is of Amir not standing up for Hassan whilst he is being raped. Although this mistake is the most significant and central one, I will also look into two others; Baba cheatingRead MoreThe Kite Runner Symbolism Analysis709 Words   |  3 Pages ‘The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini is a story that is set against a chain of horrific events, from the fall of Afghanistans monarchy to the Soviet military intervention and how youn g adults make it through. The author uses several symbols throughout the text such as kites, pomegranate trees, and the harelip to bring out the theme of loyalty and friendship. The most important symbol Khaled uses in the novel is the Eid sacrifice which represents Hassan. In Islam, a sheep is sacrificed to showRead MoreThe Kite Runner Essays : Guilt And Redemption870 Words   |  4 Pageslose sight of that, some reach it A theme that I feel is strongly laced between these pieces are guilt and shame. In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus and Jocasta were overwhelmed with guilt and shame for breaking the basic rules of moral truths. The disapproval against incest and killing others, especially their own blood relative. The pain is enough to make Jocasta commit suicide and make Oedipus blind himself so viciously. For the duration of the novel, The Kite Runner, Amir is plagued by guilt. He feels itRead MoreThe Kite Runner Book Review1200 Words   |  5 PagesThe Kite Runner Book Review Summary: The Kite Runner is about the story of Amir, a Sunni Muslim that recalls a series of traumatic childhood events that he claims has defined him to be who he is. The story starts with Amir as an adult in present-day United States and then flashes back to Amir’s childhood in Afghanistan. Amir lived in a nice home Kabul, Afghanistan, with Baba, his father and their two servants, Ali and his son, Hassan. Amir’s mother died while giving birth to him and Hassan’s motherRead MoreThe Theme Of Friendship In The Kite Runner1215 Words   |  5 PagesThe Kite Runner - The Final Essay- Friendship Vs Betrayal Friendship is a two way street and if the definition of friendship is not the same between the two people then it results in betrayal â€Å"But before you sacrifice yourself for him, think about this: Would he do the same for you?† (77). In The Kite Runner, a story written by Khaled Hosseini, which follows the two â€Å"friends† Amir and Hassan , who grew up together in Kabul, Afghanistan. Both had differed from each other, maybe even opposites, Amir