machiavelli :: essays research papers fc

Niccolo Machiavelli Statesman and Political Philosopher 1469 - 1527 No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution. —Machiavelli from The Art of War I was born on May 3, 1469 in Florence, Italy. I was a political philosopher and diplomat during the Renaissance, and I’m most famous for my political treatise, The Prince (1513), that has become a cornerstone of modern political philosophy. My life was very interesting. I lived a nondescript childhood in Florence, and mine main political experience in my youth was watching Savanarola from afar. Soon after Savanarola was executed, I entered the Florentine government as a secretary. My position quickly rose, however, and was soon engaging in diplomatic missions. I met many of the important politicians of the day, such as the Pope and the King of France, but none had more impact on me than a prince of the Papal States, Cesare Borgia. Borgia was a cunning, cruel man, very much like the one portrayed in The Prince. I did not truly like Borgia's policies, but I thought that with a ruler like Borgia the Florentines could unite Italy, which was my goal throughout life. Unfortunately for myself, I was dismissed from office when the Medici came to rule Florence and the Republic was overthrown. The lack of a job forced me to switch to writing about politics instead of being active. My diplomatic missions were my last official gove rnment positions. When I lost my office, desperately I wanted to return to politics. I tried to gain the favor of the Medici by writing a book of what I thought were the Medici's goals and dedicating it to them. And so The Prince was written for that purpose. Unfortunately, the Medici didn't agree with what the book said, so I was out of a job. But when the public saw the book, they were outraged. The people wondered how cruel a man could be to think evil thoughts like the ones in The Prince, and this would come back to haunt me when I was alive and dead. However, if the people wanted to know what my self really stood for, they should have read my "Discourses on Livy", which explains my full political philosophy. But not enough people had and have, and so the legacy of The Prince continues to define my person to the general public.

Destiny :: essays research papers

Destiny was a misunderstood girl. She was a depressed, lonely, and hopeless young woman. Her mom was strung out on drugs, and her father was nowhere to be found. She hated her life, and she hated everyone else, even the people who tried to help her out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Destiny stayed in one the most dangerous neighborhoods in Detroit. A couple days couldn’t past, without seeing or hearing about a fight or killing. She feared walking home from school everyday. She was seventeen years old, a senior in high school, who could only read at an eighth grade level. Since her mom was never really around, she would have to stay home from school to look after her baby sister.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Destiny, where’s mom, said Kisha.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I don’t know Kisha said Destiny.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Well I miss mom, she’s always gone.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I know, I know, don’t worry I’m here Kisha; I’ll always be here.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It had been a few days since Destiny had seen her mom. She was very frustrated. She couldn’t believe that her mom couldn’t even call her. She cried whenever her sister was not in the room.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Why is this happening to me?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I didn’t do anything to deserve this kind of life, cried Destiny.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was three o’clock in the morning when the phone rung. She answered the phone. It was her mom on the other end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Hey baby, I’m sorry about not calling you sooner.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Yeah, well where are you at mom Kisha keeps asking about you.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Well Destiny I was just calling to tell you that I’m not coming home.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"What?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I’m going to New York, I need to get away from here.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Mom, what about us?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Honey you have to take over now. I love you.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Her mom hung up, those were the last three words Destiny would ever hear her mom say. She tossed and turned the rest of the night. Kisha came into the room to wake up Destiny. She had overslept, which made her and Kisha miss school. Kisha could see the pain in Destiny’s eyes. She knew she had to tell why their mom wouldn’t be coming home and that she moving to New York. Destiny told Kisha the horrible news. They both wept and held each other until they both fell asleep.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A couple months had passed, Destiny struggled to make ends meet. She had to borrow food from her neighbors just so that they could eat every night. She knew that she would have to do something, or they would lose everything.

Big Fish Film Study Creative Assignment

Creative Writing Assignment 1. At the end of the film Will reconciles with his dying father. Write the eulogy that Will delivers at his father's funeral. Consider what Will would say about what kind of father Ed was, what kind of man he was, what lessons he taught, or the type of man Will strives to be. Losing a loved one is one of the most difficult things we can go through, so much more is it is a parent. No words can express what I am feeling right now and I’m sure that in time I will be able to accept the facts.My father was one of those creative and story telling types. His creative sorties were the truth in our house. I used to love listening to the invogorating sroties he would tell me every night before bed. He would tell me that everything he said he did was true and not to let anyone tell me otherwise. As I grew older, I slowly drifted apart from him, not caring about the nonsense he called his life. I soon learned that the most important thing that i had was my fami ly, weather we included him in it or not he would always be my dad.Though he may never have said it out loud but I believe he told these stories to be remembered. I am the person i am today because of eveything his legends taught me. As most of you may know my father always had something to say. I remember when we were little and my father was gone on business quite often, at that point in time is when we got totally separated that we could barely carry on a conversation as friends let alone family. About 3 months ago when my father got very ill and my wife and i came to stay with my parents we grew much closer again.He told me stories i had heard many times befoare and ones i had not yet heard. I discovered that the purpose of these legends is to be passed on throughout the generations, to be remembered adn to teach us a little something about life and ourselves. He showed strength until the end and still had some enlightening words for us. I promise that I will continue what my fa ther has started, and i will tell adventerous stories whenever i can. I know I’ll be filling huge shoes but I think I can do it.Let’s just remember everything that my father shared with us. And let’s be happy that he has finally in a better place. Critical Responses 1. â€Å"You are a big fish in a small pond, but this here is the ocean† –old Edward Bloom I believe that in this quote the fish represents Sandra, Ed’s wife. When Edward is in Spectre and he sees a naked woman where Jenny sees a fish. I also think that the fish is not real but a metaphor; it is whatever you want the most, and at the time Edward was looking for Sandra. 2. â€Å"And that was the lesson I learned that day†¦ he day my son was born. Sometimes the only way to catch an uncatchable woman, is to offer her a wedding ring. † –Edward Bloom In this text the fish represents Sandra as well because everyone says that the fish is uncatchable, which is true bec ause it isn’t real. Sandra was the uncatchable fish at one point because at first Edward didn’t know who she was and when he finally found her and she was engaged. When Edward offered Sandra a wedding ring that is where we see him actually catching the fish because she is now catchable.

Remember the Titans: an Analysis of Different Leadership Styles

Remember the Titans: an analysis of different leadership styles This paper shows the different leadership styles and how it can affect the team results. both the leaders try to motivate the team, one tries to motivate them extrinsically and the other one intrinsically. The paper says there is no right or wrong style of leadership, but a true leader motivates others to develop those leadership qualities in them and do better. This paper gives a description of the coaches and the team players who showed leadership qualities even in the most difficult situations because they knew that their team needs them. It also describes the contribution on these players in their victory. They forgot their difference and played as a team. There were no black and whites in the team. They played as a team and came out with flying colors. It signifies the qualities of a true leader, as right before the final match they lost their captain and the coach gave his players to play even in those difficult times. | * Remember the titans Herman Boone Leadership concerns with implementing a strategy. Boone believed that cooperative working of the team is very crucial to win. He also believed that it was important for the members of a team to know and understand each other. He had a clear vision, he wanted to have a strong team and win. For a successful team he had to ensure that all the team members work together and respect each other. To achieve his it was important for the team to work hard and be committed. His strategy of being a transactional lead and punishing the players when they were wrong or did not meet his standard, helped him control the team through power. His bureaucratic nature was a part of his strategy to manage people. He knew that the players had love towards the game and they all wanted to be in the team. His used their love towards the game as a motivator to make sure they cooperated. When he was announced the head coach, he approached Bill Yoast and offered him assistant coaches position. He was aware that Yoast was a good coach, more than that he knew that the white players were loyal to Yoast and would never join the team without him. The presence of Yoast as assistant coach would also help him deal with the with players and community. His leadership qualities come from who is as a person and who he is as a person comes from his experiences. Hatred had destroyed his family, he believed that if the team did not come together it will be destroyed as well. He identifies the most important factor without which there would be no team. A part of his leadership was to involve the people to do things which they won’t do in ordinary situation. Leadership involves resolving dispute between groups and settling conflicts. Boone used threat initial to get things moving. He was focused and worked towards achieving his goals. His steadiness, firmness and consistency helped members of the team to not stray away from their objective. Slowly it is seen that he is actually a transformational leaders using punishment as means to get the team members to cooperate and trust each other, which they would have in an ordinary situation. This is first seen when he pushes the team members bond by having them share rooms and later when he wants them to learn about each other. He also uses inspiration as a motivation strategy when he talks about his family and how because of hatred he had lost them. He also uses the self-concept model and pushes the players to be like their ideal self. His ability to think long term and plan strategies are qualities that a good leader has. Boone’s leadership effectiveness is seen at various stages, it has been demonstrated through team performance, the team won various games and became a strong team. The teams ability to deal during crises, when the team got back from the camp, due to external pressure (community) they were falling apart, however the teams came together as the could that their union as a team was worthwhile. He was honest and believed in the message. His honestly is displayed when he talking to Dr. Dave and is offered the position of head coach, he tells him that Yoast is a good coach and he didn’t want to take his place. His believe in message has been displayed through his strategies and his consistency in his actions to reach his goal. Bill Yoast Yoast was dedicated to football and had gained loyalty from his team and white community. He was respected and had demonstrated his effective leadership through several wins. He was also nominated for hall of fame for his exceptional leadership. He cared for the people in his team. When he had he opportunity to leave and take up a position for head coach he did not because he was worried about the players in his team. He considered them like his own kids and was concerned for them and did not want to abandon them. He takes the offer of the assistant coach to ensure that his team members are a part of the new team. His initial objective was to ensure that his boys are a part of the team and are well taken care off. He at first does not agree with the rigid behavior of Boone. Yoast thinks that Boone was crossing the fine line that is between tough and crazy. He influenced his team through inspirational appeals. He spoke to Julius about his friend that was killed and sympathized to him and connected with him by saying that he knows that friends don’t come easy. On the other hand he also used if then reward and threats to get what he wants. He did not tolerate disobedience and punished whenever needed. Boone did effect Yoast’s way of doing things. As time passed by and Yoast saw what Boone was uniting the team and Boone bought into the plan. He at one point undermined Boone’s decision and asked Pete play for the offence side. He later learnt that by doing this he was not helping but might be weakening Pete. Yoast learnt about leadership from watching Boone. Yoast then works towards achieving the same goals and vision set by Boone, which was to have a strong team and could only be achieved through unity among the team. He at the end of the final game unites the whole team by working with coach Boone. The offence and the defense team that worked independently with Yoast and Boone respectively were then treated as a whole team and coached by both the coaches. Gerry Bertier Gerry the captain of the football team Titans was very influential and had credibility and power to sway the decision of the white players. When Gerry sees the benefits of being united and working together, he starts to believe in the message and works towards it. When Gerry gets mad at Julius for his attitude, Julius tells him that attitudes reflects leadership. His first initiative to be an effective captain is witnessed when he gets mad at Ray for not blocking. When back from the camp Gerry still tries to interact with the blacks and keep his team united. He leaves his girlfriend to be with his new friends, this commitment towards his team helps build trust among them. Cutting off Ray from his team helps him ensure that the team stays united as even one wrong person in the team can weaken the team as a whole. Julius Cambell Julius had a very strong personality, he influenced the blacks through power. Initially Julius is in the team for his own benefits. Later when Gerry took the initiative to bond with him, Julius responded in a positively. Julius once saw the importance of a cooperative team he also started to believe in the vision which was created by Boone. Julius uses rational persuasion to influence Gerry to take up the role of an effective leader. He teaches Gerry about the blacks culture and the way they joke. In the locker room when the boys were joking, Gerry found it offending but Julius intervenes and helped Gerry understand that it’s a part of their culture. He along with Gerry tries to sought fights between blacks and white. He also along with Gerry motivates the entire team. Julius and Gerry’s friendship inspires other to bond and work together as a team. In the final game when Boone tells them that whether win or lose they are all winners, Julius motivates the entire team by reminding their objective, which was to be perfect and nothing less as a team. This clarity of vision helps the team to try harder to win. Lewis Lastik Lewis had a charismatic personality. He did not see any difference between the blacks and the whites. His attitude was what made him different from everyone. He was a blessed child in gods family, according to (Rave) Jerry. He was on no one’s side, he was with everybody. This different thinking made him likable, especially with the blacks. He stood out in the crowd and did not care about what others think. He was nice to everyone and did relate with the blacks through music. He used subtle ingratiation when he talked about people. When coach Bonne asked him to talk about his black friends he said that Jerry was called Rave because he prayed a lot, he also acknowledge Jerry as a brainy guy. These gestures made him a likeable person. He also along with Blue made a personnel appeal to his team mates to stay united and not let the external forces such as the community break them. When the black guys were joking about Gerry’s mom which is part of their culture, Lewis joins in which shows that he is aware of the think of culture blacks have and this also his him bond with his black team mates better. He attracted people who shared the same view because he had qualities of a charismatic leader. Ronnie Bass â€Å"Sunshine† One of the characteristic of a leader is to getting people involved in do something that they won’t do in an ordinary situation. Ronnie when first meets the members of his team calls one of the black team member bro, which resonated well among the blacks and helped Ronnie be the part of the team quickly. Ronnie takes the united vision of the team a step up, he takes his friends to a restaurant where blacks are not allowed. This was probably not a planned strategy but when he and his friends are not allowed to dine in the restaurant. His black friends are hurt because of this humiliation and upset. They blame him partially for putting them through this. Ronnie later jets his dad along with his black friends and threats the owner of the restaurant to charge with a number of civil law violations. He ensures that this time he has a backup when he went to the restaurant to dine with his friends in form of a threat. His initiation action is a characteristic of leader.

History of Database Essay

Storing data and files is an important aspect of business for various industries of the world. The storage of data in computers or database system is proven to be cost effective. Large or small database needs a system which will control the processes in the databases. Such applications are called database management systems (DBMS). From the time it was designed, the need for a good DBMS has increased because of the escalating number of data stored in the database. There are many available DBMS that private corporations use today. Indeed, database management systems have evolved due to the demand for the services that these systems provide. Database Management System A database management system is a collection of programs which enables the user or a network of users to mange files and data inside the database. The management includes storing, deleting, modifying, and extracting information from the database. It manages the request of the user and other programs installed in the computer or in the network. The DBMS ensures the integrity and reliability of the data. Some DBMS also provide security to the database (Tatum, 2003). There are many different forms of database management systems available in the market today because of the different private and public organizations or corporations which require different kinds of DBMS. However, there are four important elements that every DBMS have. These are the modeling language, data structures, data query language and mechanism that allows transactions (Tatum, 2003). The modeling language is the element that pertains to the approach used by the DBMS to communicate with the database. There are several approaches available today including hierarchical, relational, network and object-oriented (Christiansen, 2005). The hierarchical model makes use of pointers to navigate between stored data which is stored hierarchically in a downward tree. The structure is very inflexible in changing data and access requirements. The data is accessed by navigating from the root data to the data on the lower part of the hierarchy. In addition, the user should know the structure of the system before he or she can make an inquiry (Hsior, n. d. ). The network model is like the hierarchical model. It uses pointers to navigate through the data but it does not use a downward tree structure. It has limited flexibility in changing data and accessing requirements. Access to the data is accomplished by navigating through the structure and issuing specific statements to find specific data types in relation to the starting point of the structure (Hsior, n. d. ). In relational model, the data is stored in the two-dimensional tables. The data in the relational method is manipulated based on the relational theory of mathematics. The data types in this model are assigned with a symbolic primary key or foreign key construction. The referential integrity of the model is supported by the relational theory of mathematics. This model is very flexible to the data changes and access requirements. And the access to data types is based on relational algebra and relational calculus statements (Hsior, n. d. ). And lastly, the object-oriented model stores data as objects. This model is more direct than its predecessors since the design is very close to the real world model. The object-oriented model allows an easier way to maintain the database. The identification of objects is assigned by the system which protects the consistency of the data; while in the relational systems, it is assigned by the user. The database does not only store data but a whole application as well. Moreover, it can be executed inside the database. The concept of inheritance in this model makes code easily reusable. Furthermore, the object-oriented model is more practical and more economical (Hsior, n. d. ). The data structures are the elements that a DBMS manages inside the database. Different databases require different data structures which different DBMS manage. Data structures include individual records, files, fields and objects such as media files. DBMS need to define data structures to ensure the integrity of the data while it is being accessed. The data query language is the element which takes care of the security of the database. It monitors login data, assigns access rights and privileges, and defines the criteria for the add data function in the data base (Tatum, 2003). History The origin of database can be traced back to libraries, governments and other institutions that require storage of data. The DBMS was designed to ensure the integrity, security and accessibility of data. The design of the DBMS constantly evolves through time. It aims to create a design of which has better reliability and performance (Mann, 2003). In the 1800, Jose Marie Jacquard had created a machine, Jacquard Loom, which produced fabric from stored design from a punch card. The data of the design is stored in punch cards where holes represent the details in the design. In this way, the Jacquard Loom automatically designs the loom depending on the punch card in use (Tatum, 2003). Similar technology was used in the 1890 as Herman Hollerith created a mechanism that recorded information in a punch card which was coded numerically. The idea is that the data can punch in specific locations in the card, and then it can be counted and sorted automatically. This design was used by the US government to perform the census. Hollerith’s company solely produces the machine that records the data in the punch card and another machine that tabulates and sorts the cards. This company is renamed to IBM. The company prospered as it was able to produce machines that can record data for business and government institutions during 1910 towards 1960. The systems have records of every household and other data needed for the analysis of the society (Tatum, 2003). By 1955, many business and government institutions have floors dedicated for the storage of punched cards and floors for the machines. The machines work with punch-board which control accumulator registers that could reproduce punched cards or put data on paper. Some very large companies accumulate tons of data everyday that costs millions on storage. Thus, the need for a new technology has become very imminent (Tatum, 2003). In the 1960s, private organizations and corporations needed computers that have better storage capabilities and computers are proven to be cost effective against ordinary punch cards. In line with this, database administrators needed database management systems to cope with the increasing data storage capacity of computers and the increasing number of data being stored. The hierarchical and network model are the two main data models developed which were used in database management systems during the earlier years. They made use of pointers which was used to navigate through records. In these models, there were difficulties in adding another field in the higher level since it will require rewriting the scheme for access in the lower level data. In this system, the emphasis of the model was placed on the type of data to be processed and not the over all structure of the system. In addition, the user who will need access to the data should know the structure of the database before he can make a query for information (Vaughn, 2003). In the early 1970s, the Edgar F. Codd proposed a relational approach in manipulating data in the database. He published an article entitled ‘A relational model of data for large shared data banks’ which became the foundation in the development of the relational database. The article showed a theory of how to store data in a rectangular or in two-dimensional tables and then use the theory of mathematical sets to operate on it. The relational databases represent the first implementation of the real database management system. Since then, the relation model had been the most popular or standard approach for database management systems (Vaughn, 2003). In the mid-70s, the theory of Codd on relational databases was put into research projects by several competing camps. During this time, the term Relational Database Management System or the RDBMS was coined. During these times, there are two main prototypes based on the relational were developed. These are the System R developed by the IBM and Ingres developed by the University of California at Berkeley. These two prototypes led to different kinds of DBMS. The two lines of DBMS created by the two prototypes used different query languages. IBM’s System R uses the Structured Query Language (SQL) and the UCB’s Ingres uses QUEL short for query language. Also in mid-1970s, Peter P. Chen proposed the Entity-Relationship Model for the database design which gave a new insight in the conceptual models of a database management system. This model gives the designer of the database management system a way to concentrate more on the use of data instead of its logical structure like other method does (Vaughn, 2003). In the early 1980s, the commercialization of the Relational Database Management System began to intensify due to the increasing demand of databases in corporations around the world. The higher demand was caused by the emerging business in the United States and other countries around the world. Another reason is that organizations and corporations had increasing number of data needed to be stored. Businesses rely on computers for their data storage thus a better database management system is needed to manage large databases that these businesses have. At the same time, many companies made some products which give individual users to maintain a small database in their own computer (Vaughn, 2003). In the rest of the 1980s, SQL had become the standard query language for many databases which was caused by the emergence of the local area network. The Oracle Corporation made the first commercial relational database. Moreover, the network and hierarchical models faded to the background. However, there are still others that use the network and hierarchical models (Vaughn, 2003). It was during the early 1990s when the industry of databases had a shakeout and there are only a few companies that survived for offering better products. The most important development on the computer industry was on application builders and programming languages. During these times, the prototype of the object-oriented database management system was introduced. The object-oriented DBMS is conceptualized to handle big and complex data that relational database management systems had a hard time to handle (Vaughn, 2003). In the mid-1990s, the influx of internet use revived the need for database industry. This demand came from internet servers in order to manipulate the large amounts of data which must be made accessible to internet users. Better security and reliability is also needed to protect the client-users and the information itself from corruption and tamper. As such, only a good database management system can provide this. In addition, the database industry during these times has reached the desktop computers in the users’ own homes. This provides desktop computer users to manage their own small database or access the large databases on the internet (Vaughn, 2003). In the late 1990s, the industry prospered in terms of internet sales and database tools. The e-commerce industry boomed since business transactions have been done online. The Online Transaction Processing and the Online Analytical Processing emerged (Vaughn, 2003). However, in the early 21st century, there has been a decline in the internet industry. Nonetheless, the database industry is still growing because the demand for a larger database and better DBMS is steadily growing. There are other interactive applications that emerged during these times. Three companies have dominated the database industry including Microsoft, Oracle and IBM (Vaughn, 2003). Nowadays, huge systems require a good way to manage and analyze data. These databases’ storage capacity for the data now reaches the terrabyte level. Such databases are science databases which hold genome projects, national security, and space exploration data. Shopping online is also one of the common practices today. Millions of buyers participate on this application, thus requiring a larger database and good handling abilities. There are researches today that is said to surpass the capabilities of the SQL. This development will ensure another significant growth in the database industry (Vaughn, 2003). Future Trends Mobile database is now emerging in various ways. This technology will secure a more remote access to database. Additionally, more and more people will access a single database at a time. As such, proper management is needed to ensure the continuous service and to prevent a system crush (Vaughn, 2003). Object-oriented database management system is predicted to dominate the database market as well as other computer markets. The emergence of the use of this model threatens to wipe other database models (Vaughn, 2003). As time goes by, there are certain issues that have risen alongside the creation of larger databases. Ethical issue is one of them; the larger the database is, the harder that people can efficiently manage it. Consequently, it is easier for perpetrators to subtly penetrate a system without being known by the administrators. In addition, some databases use automatic analyzing application which is sometimes unethical to use (Vaughn, 2003). Evidently, the database evolved from simple punched cards to huge mainframes. The advances in database technology have propelled the growing need for large data storage and management tools to access and analyze it. The database management system evolved as billions of information are generated by large business and government institutions everyday. The demand still grows as the internet community is still continuously growing. The future of database industry is very clear – it will continue to prosper and advance as the world continuously develops. References Christiansen, S. (2005). Database Management System. Retrieved April 10, 2009, from http://searchsqlserver. techtarget. com/sDefinition/0,,sid87_gci213669,00. html Hsior, J. (n. d. ). Evolution of Database Systems. Retrieved April 12, 2009, from http://w3. ocit. edu. tw/ben/foxpro6/article/english/ch01/page04. htm Mann, M. (2006). History and Comparison of Relational Database Management Systems. TechnoCircle HVB Information Services. Retrieved April 11, 2009, from http://www. guug. de/lokal/muenchen/2007-05-14/rdbmsc. pdf Tatum, M. (2003). What is DBMS? Retrieved April 10, 2009, from http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-dbms. htm Vaughn, J. (2003). A short Database History. Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Retrieved April 12, 2009, from http://math. hws. edu/vaughn/cpsc/343/2003/history. html

Second Foundation 14. Anxiety

Poli placed the breakfast on the table, keeping one eye on the table news-recorder which quietly disgorged the bulletins of the day. It could be done easily enough without loss of efficiency, this one-eye-absent business. Since all items of food were sterilely packed in containers which served as discardable cooking units, her duties vis-a-vis breakfast consisted of nothing more than choosing the menu, placing the items on the table, and removing the residue thereafter. She clacked her tongue at what she saw and moaned softly in retrospect. â€Å"Oh, people are so wicked,† she said, and Darell merely hemmed in reply. Her voice took on the high-pitched rasp which she automatically assumed when about to bewail the evil of the world. â€Å"Now why do these terrible Kalganese† – she accented the second syIlable and gave it a long â€Å"a† – â€Å"do like that? You'd think they'd give a body peace. But no, it's just trouble, trouble, all the time. â€Å"Now look at that headline: ‘Mobs Riot Before Foundation Consulate.' Oh, would I like to give them a piece of my mind, if I could. That's the trouble with people; they just don't remember. They just don't remember, Dr. Darell – got no memory at all. Look at the last war after the Mule died – of course I was just a little girl then – and oh, the fuss and trouble. My own uncle was killed, him being just in his twenties and only two years married, with a baby girl. I remember him even yet – blond hair he had, and a dimple in his chin. I have a trimensional cube of him somewheres- â€Å"And now his baby girl has a son of her own in the navy and most like if anything happens- â€Å"And we had the bombardment patrols, and all the old men taking turns in the stratospheric defense – I could imagine what they would have been able to do if the Kalganese had come that far. My mother used to tell us children about the food rationing and the prices and taxes. A body could hardly make ends meet- â€Å"You'd think if they had sense people would just never want to start it again; just have nothing to do with it. And I suppose it's not people that do it, either; I suppose even Kalganese would rather sit at home with their families and not go fooling around in ships and getting killed. It's that awful man, Stettin. It's a wonder people like that are let live. He kills the old man – what's his name – Thallos, and now he's just spoiling to be boss of everything. â€Å"And why he wants to fight us, I don't know. He's bound to lose – like they always do. Maybe it's all in the Plan, but sometimes I'm sure it must be a wicked plan to have so much fighting and killing in it, though to be sure I haven't a word to say about Hari Seldon, who I'm sure knows much more about that than I do and perhaps I'm a fool to question him. And the other Foundation is as much to blame. They could stop Kalgan now and make everything fine. They'll do it anyway in the end, and you'd think they'd do it before there's any damage done.† Dr. Darell looked up. â€Å"Did you say something, Poli?† Poli's eyes opened wide, then narrowed angrily. â€Å"Nothing, doctor, nothing at all. I haven't got a word to say. A body could as soon choke to death as say a word in this house. It's jump here, and jump there, but just try to say a word-† and she went off simmering. Her leaving made as little impression on Darell as did her speaking. Kalgan! Nonsense! A merely physical enemy! Those had always been beaten! Yet he could not divorce himself of the current foolish crisis. Seven days earlier, the mayor had asked him to be Administrator of Research and Development. He had promised an answer today. Well- He stirred uneasily. Why, himself! Yet could he refuse? It would seem strange, and he dared not seem strange. After all, what did he care about Kalgan. To him there was only one enemy. Always had been. While his wife had lived, he was only too glad to shirk the task; to hide. Those long, quiet days on Trantor, with the ruins of the past about them! The silence of a wrecked world and the forgetfulness of it all! But she had died. Less than five years, all told, it had been; and after that he knew that he could live only by fighting that vague and fearful enemy that deprived him of the dignity of manhood by controlling his destiny; that made life a miserable struggle against a foreordained end; that made all the universe a hateful and deadly chess game. Call it sublimation; he, himself did can it that – but the fight gave meaning to his life. First to the University of Santanni, where he had joined Dr. Kleise. It had been five years well-spent. And yet Kleise was merely a gatherer of data. He could not succeed in the real task – and when Darell had felt that as certainty, he knew it was time to leave. Kleise may have worked in secret, yet he had to have men working for him and with him. He had subjects whose brains he probed. He had a University that backed him. All these were weaknesses. Kleise could not understand that; and he, Darell, could not explain that. They parted enemies. It was well; they had to. He had to leave in surrender – in case someone watched. Where Kleise worked with charts; Darell worked with mathematical concepts in the recesses of his mind. Kleise worked with many; Darell with none. Kleise in a University; Darell in the quiet of a suburban house. And he was almost there. A Second Foundationer is not human as far as his cerebrum is concerned. The cleverest physiologist, the most subtle neurochemist might detect nothing – yet the difference must be there. And since the difference was one of the mind, it was there that it must be detectable. Given a man like the Mule – and there was no doubt that the Second Foundationers had the Mule's powers, whether inborn or acquired – with the power of detecting and controlling human emotions, deduce from that the electronic circuit required, and deduce from that the last details of the encephalograph on which it could not help but be betrayed. And now Kleise had returned into his life, in the person of his ardent young pupil, Anthor. Folly! Folly! With his graphs and charts of people who had been tampered with. He had learned to detect that years ago, but of what use was it. He wanted the arm; not the tool. Yet he had to agree to join Anthor, since it was the quieter course. Just as now he would become Administrator of Research and Development. It was the quieter course! And so he remained a conspiracy within a conspiracy. The thought of Arcadia teased him for a moment, and he shuddered away from it. Left to himself, it would never have happened. Left to himself, no one would ever have been endangered but himself. Left to himself- He felt the anger rising-against the dead Kleise, the living Anthor, all the well-meaning fools- Well, she could take care of herself. She was a very mature little girl. She could take care of herself! It was a whisper in his mind- Yet could she? *** At the moment, that Dr. Darell told himself mournfully that she could, she was sitting in the coldly austere anteroom of the Executive Offices of the First Citizen of the Galaxy. For half an hour she had been sitting there, her eyes sliding slowly about the walls. There had been two armed guards at the door when she had entered with Homir Munn. They hadn't been there the other times. She was alone, now, yet she sensed the unfriendliness of the very furnishings of the room. And for the first time. Now, why should that be? Homir was with Lord Stettin. Well, was that wrong? It made her furious. In similar situations in the book-films and the videos, the hero foresaw the conclusion, was prepared for it when it came, and she – she just sat there. Anything could happen. Anything! And she just sat there. Well, back again. Think it back. Maybe something would come. For two weeks, Homir had nearly lived inside the Mule's palace. He had taken her once, with Stettin's permission. It was large and gloomily massive, shrinking from the touch of life to lie sleeping within its ringing memories, answering the footsteps with a hollow boom or a savage clatter. She hadn't liked it. Better the great, gay highways of the capital city; the theaters and spectacles of a world essentially poorer than the Foundation, yet spending more of its wealth on display. Homir would return in the evening, awed- â€Å"It's a dream-world for me,† he would whisper. â€Å"If I could only chip the palace down stone by stone, layer by layer of the aluminum sponge. If I could carry it back to Terminus- What a museum it would make.† He seemed to have lost that early reluctance. He was eager, instead; glowing. Arcadia knew that by the one sure sign; he practically never stuttered throughout that period. One time, he said, â€Å"There are abstracts of the records of General Pritcher-â€Å" â€Å"I know him. He was the Foundation renegade, who combed the Galaxy for the Second Foundation, wasn't he?† â€Å"Not exactly a renegade, Arkady. The Mule had Converted him.† â€Å"Oh, it's the same thing.† â€Å"Galaxy, that combing you speak of was a hopeless task. The original records of the Seldon Convention that established both Foundations five hundred years ago, make only one reference to the Second Foundation. They say if's located ‘at the other end of the Galaxy at Star's End.' That's all the Mule and Pritcher had to go on. They had no method of recognizing the Second Foundation even if they found it. What madness! â€Å"They have records† – he was speaking to himself, but Arcadia listened eagerly – â€Å"which must cover nearly a thousand worlds, yet the number of worlds available for study must have been closer to a million. And we are no better off-â€Å" Arcadia broke in anxiously, â€Å"Shhh-h† in a tight hiss. Homir froze, and slowly recovered. â€Å"Let's not talk,† he mumbled. And now Homir was with Lord Stettin and Arcadia waited outside alone and felt the blood squeezing out of her heart for no reason at all. That was more frightening than anything else. That there seemed no reason. On the other side of the door, Homir, too, was living in a sea of gelatin. He was fighting, with furious intensity, to keep from stuttering and, of course, could scarcely speak two consecutive words clearly as a result. Lord Stettin was in full uniform, six-feet-six, large-jawed, and hard-mouthed. His balled, arrogant fists kept a powerful time to his sentences. â€Å"Well, you have had two weeks, and you come to me with tales of nothing. Come, sir, tell me the worst. Is my Navy to be cut to ribbons? Am I to fight the ghosts of the Second Foundation as well as the men of the First?† â€Å"I†¦ I repeat, my lord, I am no p†¦ pre†¦ predictor. I†¦ I am at a complete†¦ loss.† â€Å"Or do you wish to go back to warn your countrymen? To deep Space with your play-acting. I want the truth or I'll have it out of you along with half your guts.† â€Å"I'm t†¦ telling only the truth, and I'll have you re†¦ remember, my l†¦ lord, that I am a citizen of the Foundation. Y†¦ you cannot touch me without harvesting m†¦ m†¦ more than you count on.† The Lord of Kalgan laughed uproariously. â€Å"A threat to frighten children. A horror with which to beat back an idiot. Come, Mr. Munn, I have been patient with you. I have listened to you for twenty minutes while you detailed wearisome nonsense to me which must have cost you sleepless nights to compose. It was wasted effort. I know you are here not merely to rake through the Mule's dead ashes and to warm over the cinders you find. ***You came here for more than you have admitted. Is that not true?† Homir Munn could no more have quenched the burning horror that grew in his eyes than, at that moment, he could have breathed. Lord Stettin saw that, and clapped the Foundation man upon his shoulder so that he and the chair he sat on reeled under the impact. â€Å"Good. Now let us be frank. You are investigating the Seldon Plan. You know that it no longer holds. You know, perhaps, that I am the inevitable winner now; I and my heirs. Well, man, what matters it who established the Second Empire, so long as it is established. History plays no favorites, eh? Are you afraid to tell me? You see that I know your mission.† Munn said thickly, â€Å"What is it y†¦ you w†¦ want?† â€Å"Your presence. I would not wish the Plan spoiled through overconfidence. You understand more of these things than I do; you can detect small flaws that I might miss. Come, you will be rewarded in the end; you will have your fair glut of the loot. What can you expect at the Foundation? To turn the tide of a perhaps inevitable defeat? To lengthen the war? Or is it merely a patriotic desire to die for your country?† â€Å"I†¦ I-† He finally spluttered into silence. Not a word would come. â€Å"You will stay,† said the Lord of Kalgan, confidently. â€Å"You have no choice. Wait† – an almost forgotten afterthought – â€Å"I have information to the effect that your niece is of the family of Bayta Darell.† Homir uttered a startled: â€Å"Yes.† He could not trust himself at this point to be capable of weaving anything but cold truth. â€Å"It is a family of note on the Foundation?† Homir nodded, â€Å"To whom they would certainly b†¦ brook no harm.† â€Å"Harm! Don't be a fool, man; I am meditating the reverse. How old is she?† â€Å"Fourteen.† â€Å"So! Well, not even the Second Foundation, or Hari Seldon, himself, could stop time from passing or girls from becoming women.† With that, he turned on his heel and strode to a draped door which he threw open violently. He thundered, â€Å"What in Space have you dragged your shivering carcass here for?† The Lady Callia blinked at him, and said in a small voice, â€Å"I didn't know anyone was with you.† â€Å"Well, there is. I'll speak to you later of this, but now I want to see your back, and quickly.† Her footsteps were a fading scurry in the corridor. Stettin returned, â€Å"She is a remnant of an interlude that has lasted too long. It will end soon. Fourteen, you say?† Homir stared at him with a brand-new horror! Arcadia started at the noiseless opening of a door – jumping at the jangling sliver of movement it made in the comer of her eye. The finger that crooked frantically at her met no response for long moments, and then, as if in response to the cautions enforced by the very sight of that white, trembling figure, she tiptoed her way across the floor. Their footsteps were a taut whisper in the corridor. It was the Lady Callia, of course, who held her hand so tightly that it hurt, and for some reason, she did not mind following her. Of the Lady Callia, at least, she was not afraid. Now, why was that? They were in a boudoir now, all pink fluff and spun sugar. Lady Callia stood with her back against the door. She said, â€Å"This was our private way to me†¦ to my room, you know, from his office. His, you know.† And she pointed with a thumb, as though even the thought of him were grinding her soul to death with fear. â€Å"It's so lucky†¦ it's so lucky-† Her pupils had blackened out the blue with their size. â€Å"Can you tell me-† began Arcadia timidly. And Callia was in frantic motion. â€Å"No, child, no. There is no time. Take off your clothes. Please. Please. I'll get you more, and they won't recognize you.† She was in the closet, throwing useless bits of flummery in reckless heaps upon the ground, looking madly for something a girl could wear without becoming a living invitation to dalliance. â€Å"Here, this will do. It will have to. Do you have money? Here, take it all – and this.† She was stripping her ears and fingers. â€Å"Just go home – go home to your Foundation.† â€Å"But Homir†¦ my uncle.† She protested vainly through the muffling folds of the sweet-smelling and luxurious spun-metal being forced over her head. â€Å"He won't leave. Poochie will hold him forever, but you mustn't stay. Oh, dear, don't you understand?† â€Å"No.† Arcadia forced a standstill, â€Å"I don't understand.† Lady Callia squeezed her hands tightly together. â€Å"You must go back to warn your people there will be war. Isn't that clear?† Absolute terror seemed paradoxically to have lent a lucidity to her thoughts and words that was entirely out of character. â€Å"Now come!† Out another way! Past officials who stared after them, but saw no reason to stop one whom only the Lord of Kalgan could stop with impunity. Guards clicked heels and presented arms when they went through doors. Arcadia breathed only on occasion through the years the trip seemed to take – yet from the first crooking of the white finger to the time she stood at the outer gate, with people and noise and traffic in the distance was only twenty-five minutes. She looked back, with a sudden frightened pity. â€Å"I†¦ I†¦ don't know why you're doing this, my lady, but thanks- What's going to happen to Uncle Homir?† â€Å"I don't know,† wailed the other. â€Å"Can't you leave? Go straight to the spaceport. Don't wait. He may be looking for you this very minute.† And still Arcadia lingered. She would be leaving Homir; and, belatedly, now that she felt the free air about her, she was suspicious. â€Å"But what do you care if he does?† Lady Callia bit her lower lip and muttered, â€Å"I can't explain to a little girl like you. It would be improper. Well, you'll be growing up and I†¦ I met Poochie when I was sixteen. I can't have you about, you know.† There was a half-ashamed hostility in her eyes. The implications froze Arcadia. She whispered: â€Å"What will he do to you when he finds out?† And she whimpered back: â€Å"I don't know,† and threw her arm to her head as she left at a half-run, back along the wide way to the mansion of the Lord of Kalgan. But for one eternal second, Arcadia still did not move, for in that last moment before Lady Callia left, Arcadia had seen something. Those frightened, frantic eyes had momentarily – flashingly – lit up with a cold amusement. A vast, inhuman amusement. It was much to see in such a quick flicker of a pair of eyes, but Arcadia had no doubt of what she saw. She was running now – running wildly – searching madly for an unoccupied public booth at which one could press a button for public conveyance. She was not running from Lord Stettin; not from him or from all the human hounds he could place at her heels – not from all his twenty-seven worlds rolled into a single gigantic phenomenon, hallooing at her shadow. She was running from a single, frail woman who had helped her escape. From a creature who had loaded her with money and jewels; who had risked her own life to save her. From an entity she knew, certainly and finally, to be a woman of the Second Foundation. An air-taxi came to a soft clicking halt in the cradle. The wind of its coming brushed against Arcadia's face and stirred at the hair beneath the softly-furred hood Callia had given her. â€Å"Where'll it be, lady?† She fought desperately to low-pitch her voice to make it not that of a child. â€Å"How many spaceports in the city?† â€Å"Two. Which one ya want?† â€Å"Which is closer?† He stared at her: â€Å"Kalgan Central, lady.† â€Å"The other one, please. I've got the money.† She had a twenty-Kalganid note in her hand. The denomination of the note made little difference to her, but the taxi-man grinned appreciatively. â€Å"Anything ya say, lady. Sky-line cabs take ya anywhere.† She cooled her cheek against the slightly musty upholstery. The lights of the city moved leisurely below her. What should she do? What should she do? It was in that moment that she knew she was a stupid, stupid little girl, away from her father, and frightened. Her eyes were full of tears, and deep down in her throat, there was a small, soundless cry that hurt her insides. She wasn't afraid that Lord Stettin would catch her. Lady Callia would see to that. Lady Callia! Old, fat, stupid, but she held on to her lord, somehow. Oh, it was clear enough, now. Everything was clear. That tea with Callia at which she had been so smart. Clever little Arcadia! Something inside Arcadia choked and hated itself. That tea had been maneuvered, and then Stettin had probably been maneuvered so that Homir was allowed to inspect the Palace after all. She, the foolish Callia, has wanted it so, and arranged to have smart little Arcadia supply a foolproof excuse, one which would arouse no suspicions in the minds of the victims, and yet involve a minimum of interference on her part. Then why was she free? Homir was a prisoner, of course- Unless- Unless she went back to the Foundation as a decoy – a decoy to lead others into the hands of†¦ of them. So she couldn't return to the Foundation- â€Å"Spaceport, lady.† The air-taxi had come to a halt. Strange! She hadn't even noticed. What a dream-world it was. â€Å"Thanks,† she pushed the bill at him without seeing anything and was stumbling out the door, then running across the springy pavement. Lights. Unconcerned men and women. Large gleaming bulletin boards, with the moving figures that followed every single spaceship that arrived and departed. Where was she going? She didn't care. She only knew that she wasn't going to the Foundation! Anywhere else at all would suit. Oh, thank Seldon, for that forgetful moment – that last split-second when Callia wearied of her act because she had to do only with a child and had let her amusement spring through. And then something else occurred to Arcadia, something that had been stirring and moving at the base of her brain ever since the flight began – something that forever killed the fourteen in her. And she knew that she must escape. That above all. Though they located every conspirator on the Foundation; though they caught her own father; she could not dared not, risk a warning. She could not risk her own life – not in the slightest – for the entire realm of Terminus. She was the most important person in the Galaxy. She was the only important person in the Galaxy. She knew that even as she stood before the ticket-machine and wondered where to go. Because in all the Galaxy, she and she alone, except for they, themselves, knew the location of the Second Foundation.

Are Governments Controlling The Internet Essay Example for Free

Are Governments Controlling The Internet Essay Prior to the 21st century society greatest inventions were the automobile, the telephone, the airplane as a means of communication and transportation. Now individuals are blessed with the Internet. It is commonly regarded that the Internet is a manifesto of technology that allows human beings to interact with one another using networking services. The Internet has broken down the barriers and means of traditional communication. In cyberspace, people can talk with each other regardless of location. It can be defined as a â€Å"unique medium† with no geographical location but available to anyone (p. 21). It is not only used for communication but information searching, listings of products and services, advertising of large/small businesses, and much more. In essence, the Internet can be regarded as a separate entity from our own physical world – a digital utopia. The question being raised is, with the large scale of the internet, how is it maintained or even controlled? Jack Goldsmith and Tim Wu’s book Who Controls the Internet? Illusions of a Borderless World gives a perfect example of how the Internet is being directly (and indirectly) controlled by territorial government. As each section of the book is uncovered, it is clearly pointed out that national governments through control of local and global intermediaries and coercion exercise dominate control over the digital empire. The book is subdivided into three large sections. In the first section Wu and Goldsmith marks the impression to the readers that the Internet is in fact a â€Å"libertarian state† where users can freely express themselves. The authors argue at the commencement of the Internet there are no actual â€Å"rulers† or â€Å"governors† of the Internet rather it was the upheaval of a Digital American Revolution, that’s built on â€Å"language and reason and our fail in each other† (p. 22). The authors later indicate that it was open because it was willing to â€Å"accept almost any kind of computer or network†. Thus it is a society that is ruled by the humanity that resides within the Internet. â€Å"Humanity united might do better than our lousy systems of government, throw away the constructs of the nation-state, and live in some different but better way† (p. 7). Section two establishes that users from different geographical regions want their information presented in their local language. As the author pointed that language is one of the most important aspects on the internet. It gives the example that people in Brazil, Korea and France do not want English versions of Microsoft products but rather want a version they can fully understand (p. 50). As the next section unravels we start to notice how digital humanity needs rulers and starts to get involved how national governments are governing the borders of the internet. It proves that government uses coercion and local intermediaries to restrict and even block content that is on the internet. An example would be Nazi merchandise and hate sites appearing on French networks and even an incident in China where a 15 year old girl Liu Di was punished by the Chinese government when she was making an argument comparing the Chinese government and a prostitute. It also points out how controlling Governments can be a beneficial factor in regulating illegal activities such as file sharing and copyrighting. The final section of the book shows how the government aims to make the borders of the Internet a haven that protects its citizens from harm. This section explores the aspect of globalization and competing countries in controlling the Internet. Europe, U. S. and China all wishes to have a centralized power over the Internet. If two out of three countries that are in favour of online gambling while the one third is not, how can a borderless digital society solve this problem? The sections encourages decentralized governments to work together to adapt to people’s needs and respond in a more positive manner (p. 53). For the struggle of ultimate control lies within national governments – and a problem of clashing government interests and priorities can be a serious concern for the future of the Internet (p. 171). Wu and Goldsmith both agreed that this is the â€Å"beginning of a technological version of the cold war, with each side pushing its own vision of the Internet’s future† (p. 184). In order for the book to draw readers closer into fully understanding the Internet the authors must not only make a compelling argument but the style and construction of the book is also important. This essay will discuss four areas in which the book was successful or non-successful into helping readers understand the importance of national governments and their role on the Internet. The notable points in creating a compelling argument lie within the thesis, the method(s) of research, the evidence that supports the thesis and the overall evaluation/recommendation. The first point that’s important in this book is the thesis. The thesis is the main point the authors are trying to make throughout the entire book. In the book Who Controls the Internet Wu and Goldsmith stated their thesis in the conclusion rather than the introduction. Instead they decided to allure readers by telling a short story in the introduction to foreshadow readers into the overall point of the book. In my opinion the thesis of the book can found on page 180 where it reads â€Å"Beneath of fog of modern technology, we have seen the effects of coercive governmental force on local persons, firms and equipment† (p. 180). Ironically, this is not the thesis that users anticipated on hearing when they decide to read the book. On the back cover of the book it reads â€Å"a book about the fate of one idea – that the Internet might liberate us forever from government, borders and even our physical selves†. (Wu and Goldsmith) Wu and Goldsmith prompted readers with a general idea then throughout the book used examples and heated evidence to prove that idea wrong. It gives readers the perception that the Internet is in fact a challenge to governmental rule rather than the idealistic entity of freedom and liberty. The thesis was not always stated at the end of the book rather the author hinted their thesis throughout chapters to reinforce their main point along the way. For instance in chapter 5, Wu and Goldsmith talk about how local intermediaries are present and how government uses coercion to control these intermediaries, thus â€Å"ruling the internet† (p. 65). The authors stated that it would be extremely easy for individuals to â€Å"overlook how often governments control behavior not individually, but collectively, through intermediaries† (p. 68). The authors use the example of HavenCo to reinforce their thesis. In the book HavenCo was described as â€Å"the first place on earth where people are free to conduct business without someone looking over their shoulder† (p. 65). Shortly after, HavenCo became the object of negativity where porn and other offensive content were being hosted. Due to their business model they would not seek out cooperative intermediaries. However falling into a downward spiral, HavenCo became desperate so they looked towards national governments for assistance. However the government would not oblige since it was hosting offensive content and demanded that HavenCo remove the material. Of course, without this aspect â€Å"HavenCo was nothing†. And now without the support of powerful government officials and intermediaries HavenCo is now a â€Å"jumbled pile of network equipment, rotting and obsolete† (p. p. 84-85). The authors presents the readers with a clear and indirect thesis in each chapter, and as each chapter passes they are vividly trying to reinforce their thesis by providing real life evidence that happens in the midst of the digital society. Other notable examples that are highlighted in the book that supports the thesis would be the Chinese government sometimes with help from Yahoo, seize political dissidents and put them in prison (p. 181). Next, the government that are threatening Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and search engines and credit card companies with fines so that they can filter out offensive net communications. And, it is clear that Jon Postel and the Internet’s founders give up control over their creation under implied threats of governmental force. And finally, under the aspect of file sharing (where it was debated it would be hardest to control) governments have executed hidden but important ways to fuel coercion on the economy of file-sharing and â€Å"tilts the playing field to favour law-abiding companies like Apple† (p. 181). The authors have a very climatic way to communicate their thesis to the reader, By presenting support evidence and a strong conclusion they are in fact proving to readers that the government does control the internet. The next section uncovers the methodology that the authors used to present their topic. In order to prove their thesis they need an abundant amount of information. Not only does this information provide historical insight in the topic but it grants validity in the matter. In the book the authors have presented much needed evidence that governments control the internet, as each chapter is unraveled the readers are engulfed with powerful side stories of the lives of specific individuals that resided in the digital age. The book uses a combination of statistical information and encoded facts, personal biographies and appealing stories. If we direct our attention to the sources at the end of the book we notice that the authors use a hefty number of secondary sources. The only notable errors that are present in their methodology were that the sources they used were a little out of date. Old sources will lead to skewed results and that might cause a misinterpretation of the research. The book was written and published in 2006 but the majority of sources they used were within the 1998-2001 timeframe. Although they did use several sources that were recent (2005) it still does not change the fact that the Internet and technology are always changing in real time. With this change it’s rather hard to keep up and readers can be misinformed of with irrelevant information rather than significant information. Although with these slight flaws in the book, the methods were applied correctly in the sense that it is very easy to understand. They have broken the entire book into three parts; each part builds up information for that peak ending (or thesis). The methods were appropriate in the sense that the authors had a balance of evidence to support their claim. For example, the information gathered was not all focused on the government’s point of view but rather an equal split between government, organizations and individuals. It would be naive to think that a proper thesis can be proved without the support of evidence. Methodically the authors predominately still influence the readers with horror stories and statistics of government coercion on digital societies to prove their thesis. For example, the chapter on China outlines President Bill Clinton’s visit to the foreign land. Clinton observed that users required national ID cards before logging on. Regulated cafes also featured cameras pointed directly at the computer screen and police officers would occasionally monitor users right behind their back (p. 97). In China the Internet is far from being a liberating force but rather it is the major attraction for government surveillance. As previously mentioned Liu Di was arrested on personally insulting the government over the Internet, shortly after Liu Di’s story was printed in the press as a warming to all other civilians using the Internet. Throughout the book we see many stories that mimic the true horrors of the Internet, presented in a non-fictitious way to leaves readers shunned into believing the overall message of the book. Other factual occurrences that are displayed in Wu and Goldsmith’s methodology are the Kazaa/Napster case where digital piracy was at its initial state. Napster, a company located in the United States was battling with court officials to stay alive. With no luck, a simple U. S. ourt order was easily enforced and that led â€Å"to a total system collapse† (p. 108). Another factor that stands out with the evidence was that it’s very diverse in the geographical sense. The authors not only present their ideas from the American standpoint but tackles on other regions of the world. In the introduction the authors commences a deep discussion on global borders of the internet, the evidence and support was from a simply disgruntled individual that didn’t like seeing Nazi merc handise on the French site of Yahoo (p. p. 1-10). By using this intrinsic method of communicating the thesis they are successful in the sense of drawing readers. This chapter rather than supporting the thesis, they argue against it saying that the Internet â€Å"cannot be regulated†. Using factual data, they are offering both sides of the story in a very objective manner. This helps readers understand the thesis a little better and perhaps even raise serious questions on a political, global and technological standpoint. Who Controls the Internet is a very accurate portrayal of the digital society. It tells readers the important message that originally the Internet was designed to liberate individuals and it was designed to escape government and borders, but without the government mingling in affairs the Internet as we know it today wouldn’t flourish. One of the few appealing factors of this book is that it speaks out in a very clear and engaging style. Within each chapter the author conveniently uses sub-headings to divide important topics and that each chapter features several compelling stories. The two authors, who are both lawyers does an excellent job of communicating the legal issues to the readers without heavy use of legal jargon. Despite the many praises the book gets, it still has some flaws. In my opinion the flaws are contained within the unnecessary pictures and images that are included. Many (if not all) of the pictures are unneeded. For instance on page 4 it shows a rather large photo of the Palais de Justice, where the Yahoo case was litigated and similarly on page 66 shows a picture of Sealand where HavenCo was initiated. Although visualizations are nice they have no purpose in proving the thesis. How can a picture of Jon Postel who is described as â€Å"a rambling, ragged look, living in sandals, and a large, unkempt beard† help readers understand the dominate government forces on the Internet. In another part of the book Wu and Goldsmith dedicated half a page to Steve Jobs and as a background; shows a skull and sword insignia and was labeled â€Å"Piracy†. In retrospect the authors should have gotten rid of filler photography and replaced it with diagrams, which brings up the next flaw, the limited use of diagrams within the book. A diagram can help readers understand the point the author is trying to prove in either a passage or chapter. Back to the Steve Jobs example, if the authors showed using a diagram how Apple and national governments were combating internet piracy it would strengthen their thesis in proving that government controls most sides of the Internet. Or even a timeline that showed how government intervened with such programs such as Napster, Kazaa and then taking on Apple. This book appeals to a large audience of graduate, undergraduate students and professors teaching either politics or information technology. The benefits include that readers of this book can raise important questions and use these questions as the foundation for political debates. The content is not the only contributing factor in a well rounded book, Wu and Goldsmith does an excellent job in constructing the book that’s easily presentable to the reader. Even an individual with very little prior knowledge of the Internet can understand the book. Each term is defined when it is firstly introduced. Next, at the end on page 187 the authors implemented a â€Å"frequency used abbreviations† section and the definition in case the reader is having a hard time following due to the technological jargon. In conclusion, there are four areas that were used to critically analyze the book. They are the thesis, the methodology, the evidence used to construct the book and the personal evaluation. This book presents many important topics that relate to past, presents and futures of the technological era. It is telling a story where digital democracies suffer at the ends of coercive governments. It is not just powerful nations have the power to reshape the Internet’s architecture, more specifically it is the United States, China and Europe using their dominate power to reestablish their own version of the Internet. Are Governments Controlling The Internet. (2016, Nov 16).