How Social Networks and Social Media Create and Support a Learning Organization Essay Example for Free

How Social Networks and Social Media Create and Support a Learning Organization Essay A Learning Organization is a culture that nurtures learning. As such, processes encourage interaction. The entire infrastructure is one that prioritizes interaction that facilities learning. Creativity and problem solving techniques are inherent in learning organization and the appropriate skills and motivation are available for the learning organization to strive (Background Information, Module 3). When we consider social networks and social media, we can be left wondering if communication can truly be at the optimal level through social networks and social media. The reality is that technology and the communication that is embedded in it is growing exponentially. The concept of social learning has roots in a social constructivist approach, where learning is a self-directed, problem-based, and collaborative process (Bang and Dalsgaard, 2006). Through involvement in activities, learners must attempt to solve a problem according to their own process. Now, this may seem simple if learners were physically amongst each other to share the processes. However, the social networks and social media do allow for a very supporting learning environment. One thing that should be understood is that although there is a plethora of technological resources available, individuals must be able to tap into these resources in order to make use of social networks and social media to then, support a learning environment. Resources are information assets: media, people, places, or ideas. However, such resources are not learning materials until learners actively use them (Hannafin, Land, and Oliver 1999, p. 119). The internet, as a technological platform is a prime example of collaboration at its’ best. In his Techlearning blog of March 5, 2008, Steve Hargadon identified trends spurred on by the â€Å"two-way† nature of the Internet. These are trends that have significant impact on learning and education. According to Hargadon, there is a â€Å"new publishing revolution† arising from a shift in content creation for the Internet. At first, the Internet was a one-directional presentation medium where users received and read passively. Now the Internet is becoming an interactive platform, also known as Web 2. 0, based on contribution and collaboration. Blogs, wikis, file sharing, social networking, and other forms are revolutionizing how we create online content. In his blog entry, Hargadon discussed how he replies to questions that people ask about content overload. His response reflects how social networking and social learning flow into one another naturally, as social constructivism suggests they will. He said, â€Å"It is in the act of our becoming a creator that our relationship with content changes, and we become more engaged and more capable at the same time. † In other words, by participating we learn to become. Touro University boasts the Threaded Discussion Forum, which allows at ones’ fingertips the ability to communicate in the convenience of one’s’ own time and place, as well as the response of back and forth communication of their classmates and professors. Students can then â€Å"blog† or communicate through other platforms like Skype. â€Å"Virtually† the only missing ingredient in all of the communication forums technology has to offer is the personal face to face where we are physically there to communicate with one another. One can argue that such spatial communication really do not add anything unique to what can be facilitated virtually. Other companies are likewise making strides in this direction. Microsoft offers its Office-based sharing technology, SharePoint. IBM implemented the use of blogs (26,000 registered), wikis (100,000 users), social bookmarking (DogEar), and social networking tools in their organization. IBM even owns 50 islands on Second Life for use in orientations, classes, and meetings! Change is inevitable. We see that technology continues to evolve, along with how people connect and contribute to the creation of content within virtual communities. We either adapt, or fall behind. In his January, 2008 paper, David Wilkins explores the importance of supporting social networks in the workplace, or â€Å"Workplace Communities. † Wilkins reviews social learning on the job in terms of improving employee development, performance, and growth, as well as its effect on workplace innovation. Wilkins shows a number of ways in which workplace communities support employee development, performance, and growth. They provide a mechanism for apprenticeship models, connecting less-skilled workers with their more experienced colleagues through social networking technologies. Communities can add an â€Å"Ask an Expert† feature to their network, to make it possible to leverage the expertise of individuals or groups. This forum echoes the Touro experience as professors respond to our Threaded Discussions, never in an evaluative manner, but in a way in which a professional and friendly dialogue is encouraged. Communities foster ownership of learning, according to Wilkins. The social aspect of communities can facilitate the â€Å"meeting† of content consumers with content producers through social networking. This social aspect of content provides an avenue for additional social networking and mentoring opportunities, and further empowers the workforce by providing opportunities for them [the consumers] to contribute, resulting in significant increases in the volume of content. This has the dual benefit of helping with both retention and productivity, while also moving the organization toward a deeper, more ingrained use of learning and knowledge. † (Wilkins, p. 6) Communities allow for the generation of a range of content types that appeal to different learning styles, levels, and objectives. Online resources include blogs and wikis, audio, and video. They may also include traditional learning courses and materials, and typical Office documents. Through sharing information, the workplace community provides access to immediate, relevant, and appropriate content suited to the needs of the individual. An extension of traditional training and development modes, communities offer a fluid way to support employee performance development and efficiency. Success requires free flow of ideas, and support by stakeholders, for communication between networks. It takes time to establish these conditions, and a carefully thought-out plan is essential. Indeed, a learning organization can thrive with the utilization of social networks and social media. These are convenient for everyone and are conducted in ways that are perhaps even more powerful, productive, positive, and as simple than face to face platforms. Certainly, the convenience and quality I have received within the on-line learning organization is top-notch, and great enough for me to dismiss any idea of traditional places of learning. Without the technology, individuals will truly be left behind as the technological race pushes forward. Reference http://www.ibm.com/blogs/zz/en/guidelines.html

Comparison Of Islamic And Christian Philosophers

Comparison Of Islamic And Christian Philosophers According to the Encarta dictionaries, philosophy can be defined as the branch of knowledge that examines the basic concepts of thoughts and a set of beliefs or aims. Islamic philosophy is a style of philosophy that deals with the study of the framework of Islamic cultures, not necessarily religious issues, while Christian philosophy strictly deals with the theological doctrines of Christianity. However, as time went on there are many Islamic and Christian philosophers who have systematically established their works and have influenced the way people think in the society. Some of the great philosophers to be considered would be Plato, Mohammed Al Farabi, Saint Augustine, Aquinas, Yaqub Ibn Ishaq al-Kindi and Ibn Rushd also known as Averroes. Further, I would examine the views, works and areas of study as an attempt to compare both Christian and Islamic philosophers. Plato, Mohammed al Farabi and Ibn Rushd were great renowned world philosophers who lived at one time or the other, and whose many contributions including their thoughts and works specifically with regards to philosophy, politics and science have greatly imparted into Islamic political theory. The impact these Islamic philosophers made during their life-times are still felt even up till today. Plato was an Islamic political thinker that was a well known student of Socrates. Plato established many dialogues and theories such as the Cartesian dualism hypothesis. This theory talks about the mind (soul) and the body. The theory further explains that there are conflicts between the mind and soul because the body is made up of physical appetites which can lead ones soul to committing sin.* However, Plato has greatly influenced many Arabic philosophers such as Mohammed Al Farabi. Mohammed Al Farabi was known to be the second teacher of Islamic philosophy after Aristotle. Al Farabi was one of the most famous, well respected, and successful Arabic philosophers. Also, He made an important contribution in the Islamic society by splitting the study of logic into two categories; Takhayyul (idea) and Thubut (proof). (Islamicity.com). Both Mohammed Al Farabi and Plato came up with philosophical themes. An example of one of these themes is the First theme which is the theory of Knowledge. Mohammed Al Farabi and Plato both stated that Knowledge development is very important in the society and that it was the key to the rise of power in most successful societies. Therefore, knowledge is responsible for the distinct differences between developed countries and the third world countries of the world. This theory of Knowledge is the basis for major societies like the United States of America (U.S.A). Plato and Mohammed Al Farabi made it clear that in every society, social and political changes are naturally observed and an isolated individual is not capable of achieving perfection. Both philosophers believed that anyone who was trying to be an island could have little or no chances of being successful in life. On the other hand, well known Christian philosophers such as Thomas Aquinas and Saint Augustine of the late centuries have also impacted greatly into the world. Both philosophers were good writers and made different dialogues. Thomas Aquinas was born to an aristocratic family and has produced a philosophical and cultural impact on the minds of many in the society today. Thomas Aquinas was a Christian philosopher that elaborated very much on how mankind could understand the truths of the universe through rational thinking. For example following Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas emphasized that humans are rational creatures that are capable of much learning and contemplating God. (Moseley, Page 12). He also contributed to Augustinian Christianity with an Aristotelian logic because he felt the followers of Saint Augustine lacked basic understanding of Christianity.* Meanwhile, Saint Augustine was a philosopher who was born into a Christian family and learnt about Christianity through his mother, after he was enrolled as a catechumen into a catholic church. * Nevertheless, both Saint Augustine and Aquinas came up with different ethical theories. Saint Augustines ethical theory was based on the love of God. He claims that people can be categorized into two: good or evil. According to Saint Augustine the good people are those that love and show appreciation to God while the evil people had no regards for God and his laws. Further, He explained that the good people are those that live in the city of God and the evil people are those that dwell in the city of man.* However, Thomas Aquinas ethical theory was immensely connected to the belief that everything had an end and an individuals action towards the end is initiated by an agent. As stated by Thomas Aquinas all actions must have an end otherwise an action without an end would tend to infinity.* Furthermore, Thomas Aquinas explained that an action should not just have an end but a proper end which seeks a lot of perfection. This perfection can be attained through the guidance of God who is referred to as the only perfect being. Moreover, Thomas Aquinas also discusses on good and evil. He argues that the act of will is not always good, but sometimes evil, indicating that the goodness or badness of a thing is sought in the will of an action. Initially, Christian and Islamic philosophers were very versatile because they expertise in different fields. One of the common areas of study which was associated with both Christian and Islamic philosophers was the study of medicine. For example Yaqub Ibn Ishaq al-Kindi, Ibn sina also known as Avicenna, and Thomas Aquinas were both philosophers who studied medicine at one point in the life time. Yaqub Ibn Ishaq al-Kindi was an Islamic philosopher who was born in Kufa at around 800 A.D. He did not just study medicine but was one of the chief contributors to the field, because he was known to be the first to systematically determine the doses to be administered of all the drugs to sick patients at his time. Furthermore, this resolved the conflicting views prevailing among physicians on the dosage that caused difficulties in writing recipes. (trincoll.edu). On the other hand Thomas Aquinas who was a Christian philosopher that also studied medicine and explained that the human body contained innate capacities and non- innate capacities (also referred to as learned capacities). Thomas Aquinas made a related distinction between these two capacities by giving the term potential for the innate capacities and dispositions for the learned capacities. Moreover, Thomas Aquinas distinguished between the innate capacities and the non-innate capacities by giving examples. Take the case of playing a musical instrument such as the flute and the sense of sight. Thomas Aquinas stated that playing of the flute is obviously learned unlike someone that does not acquire the sense of sight by seeing; rather because he has the capacity of sight, he is made actually to see. (Books.google.com.ng). Secondly, Christian and Islamic philosophers share different political views. Take the case of two well known philosophers Plato and Saint Augustine who both had different views of the concepts of politics such as justice and evil. Plato defined justice in a society as the connection and balance of roles occupied by social agents or people in a society. He further explained that justice can only be achieved in a society if there is evil present in that particular society. Moreover, evil according to Plato is anything that is not in accordance with justice. However, Saint Augustine had a different perspective of evil. Saint Augustine related evil with Gods existence by explaining that evil was transgressing against Gods will. He explained that God was the Supreme Being in charge of all creatures and was the only one free of evil. Saint Augustine further elaborated that all human beings are created good but not made perfect, and therefore makes humans liable to committing sin which sometimes fulfills the will of God. Although both philosophers shared different views, Plato and Saint Augustine had it in mind to maintain justice and goodness in the society. Lastly, Christian philosophers accepted the notion of Greek natural philosophy, while the Islamic philosophers did not. Perhaps the reason that Christian philosophers accepted Greek natural philosophy was that Christianity is founded within the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, so the Christian philosophers grew accustomed to Greco Roman culture. Unlike Islam which was founded outside the Greco-Roman world. Take the case of Saint Augustine who converted to Christianity after being influenced by the biography of the life of Saint Anthony. Saint Augustine did not only become a Christian but also was inspired to produce more works such as his most famous of all works which was titled the city of God.* To conclude, it is obvious that over the years some Islamic and Christian philosophers do not necessarily agree to each others dialogues or theories, while some succumb and even supplement the theories made. However, as stated earlier both Islamic and Christian philosophers have contributed greatly to the each other even up until today despite the fact that both Islam and Christianity are two different religions that are based on their particular principles. Bibliography Adler, J. Mortimer. Great Books of the Western World: 16 Augustine. Chicago: 2003. Print. Afnan, Soheil. The Commentary of Avicenna on Aristotles Poetics. The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 (1947) 188-190, JSTOR Web. 22 Mar. 2010. Black, Antony. The History of Islamic Political Thought: From the Prophet to the Present. New York: Routledge Publishing Company, 2001. Print. Ebenstein, Alan. Introduction to Political Thinkers. 2nd ed. Orlando, Florida: Words worth, 2002. Print. Matthews, T. Roy and Dewitt, F. Platt. The Western Humanities, Volume 1: Beginnings Through the Renaissance. New York: Mc Graw- Hill Publishing Company, 2008. Print. Mohammed Al- Farabi. Islamicity.com. . 22Mar. 2010. Moseley, Alexander. A to Z of Philosophy. London, New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2008. Print. Russell, Bertrand. A History of Western Philosophy. New York, London: Simon and Schuster publishing company, 1972. Print. Stroumsa, Sarah. Avicennas Philosophical Stories: Aristotles poetics reinterpreted. Arabica. 39. 2 (1992): 183-206, JSTOR Web. 22 Mar. 2010. Yaqub Ibn Ishaq al- Kindi. trincoll.edu. Chris Marvin and Trinity College, n.d. . 22 Mar.2010

Native American Voices Know the Definition of Native American Essay ex

Many school children celebrate a clichà © Thanksgiving tradition in class where they play Indians and Pilgrims, and some children engage in the play of Cowboys vs. Indians. It is known that some died when colonization occurred, that some fought the United States government, and that they can be boiled down to just another school mascot. This is what many people understand of the original inhabitants of America. Historical knowledge of these people has been shallow and stereotyped. The past 150 years has given birth to a literate people now able to record their past, present, and future. Native American literature, as it evolves, defines the Native American culture and its status in the world, as an evolving people, more so than any historical account can. Before colonization, the Native Americans used oral traditions to teach, remember, entertain, and pray. Much of this knowledge was lost because of various reasons. After translation became an option some of these were written down. This is the beginning of Native American literature, the becoming of sound into word. A major pattern of distrust for the white man’s words are evident in this beginning of their literature. Cochise, an Apache leader, made a speech in 1872, loosely entitled [I am Alone] that addressed Americans. This was translated by a white man. It is not known how accurate it is, however, it conveys a strong message. Cochise is a proud man, who is always truthful. â€Å"I hereby pledge my word, a word that has never been broken† (1463). He has his doubts about the truthfulness of the Whites whom he watched come in small numbers and had welcomed in friendship. Cochise was confused to their behavior, â€Å"At last your soldiers did me a very great wrong†(1463). When they ... ...can literature you find the accounts of things such as the slaughtering of buffalo and leaving them to rot on the ground, and the United States government forbidding Indians to practice their religious rites and beliefs (Momaday 2507). The history books do not tell these things. History is written by those who write, and often enough by the ones that find themselves in power by gift or coercion. History has dealt the indigenous cultures of America a hard blow. The culture-shock faced by these people, who have dwindled down in number from the vast and populous tribes, is one that is still being felt today. Fortunately more and more Native American literature is being written and discovered. From these accounts, verse, and prose and insight can be gained into these proud people who are living in another man's world, once theirs, and have paid to do so ever since.

A Heavy Dosage: The Pharmaceutical Industry Essay -- Health, Medicatio

Of all the booming businesses in recent history the pharmaceutical industry makes the largest profits of any industry; making approximately three times more than the average fortune 500 company (Silverstein). At the forefront of the drug industries rise is the United States. The United States accounts for nearly half of the world’s pharmaceutical market, and the benefits are evident. The United States is seeing record high life expectancy along with an all time low death rate (â€Å"Life Expectancy at All Time High†). Countless lives have been bettered and saved because of the pharmaceutical industry and the medical advances made within. However, people must remember that the pharmaceutical industry is as much a business as anything. Like any business they are looking to profit and the best interest of the consumer is not always the top priority. Despite the opposition of eager clients, the pharmaceutical industry is in need of reform and more government regulation. Every year 100,000 Americans die from prescription drugs; not including accidents or wrongly prescribed drugs, all these deaths are the results of side effects from properly prescribed and taken drugs (Perdomo 1). That number hasn’t gone down over the last decade and won’t decrease until action is taken. Much of this is due to insufficient testing on drugs before being released. The testing process is too quick to discover many of the long term side effects that a drug may cause. Resulting in 250-300 drugs a year approved by the FDA being recalled (Greve). The standard procedure includes three phases of testing. However, not all drugs go through all phases of testing. If the early tests are successful the FDA often approves it prematurely. Also, if a drug is a minor altera... ...testing of prescription drugs is more rigorous and in-depth, better prescription drugs will reach the market and the ones with devastating effects can be filtered out. If the clinical testing was done by non-profit organizations and the FDA more closely monitored the process, the corruption could be ended, ensuring that only safe drugs are approved. Some government enforced guidelines placed on drug companies will protect Americans from the schemes of the industry along with lowering prices; resulting in more affordable medication for the average citizen. More government control will also end the deceiving marketing tactics used by drug companies. The government involvement will take away the financial motives behind deceptive marketing. Making these changes will utilize all the good the pharmaceutical industry has to offer and eliminate many of the problems.

Discrimination Exposed in The Tempest Essay -- Tempest essays

Discrimination Exposed in The Tempest  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Within ‘The Tempest’ there are obvious social implications regarding the hierarchy, with the representations of characters such as Caliban, Prospero etc.   During Shakespeare's time social classification was much more rigid than today and some members of society were considered superior to other members. Shakespeare attempts to provide an example of this rigid social structure. Shakespeare illustrates how superior men differentiated themselves from lesser beings on the basis of race, financial status, and gender. Through the characterization of Prospero, Shakespeare provides an example of one, who had reason to feel superior, yet treated others equally and with the respect due to them. ‘The Tempest’ reflects Shakespeare's society through the relationship between characters, especially between Prospero and Caliban. Caliban, who was the previous king of the island, is taught how to be "civilized" by Prospero and his daughter Miranda. Then he is forced to be their servant. Caliban explains "Thou strok'st me and make much of me; wouldst give me Water with berries in 't; and teach me how to name the bigger light, how the less, That burn by day and night; and then I lov'd thee, And show'd thee all the qualities o' th' isle,... For I am all the subjects you have, which first was mine own king."(Shakespeare I,ii,334-354). We see he is treated as a lesser being because he is not of the same race as Prospero and Miranda. Prospero describes... ...scrimination and segregation live on. This discrimination prevents many from fully participating in our society.   Unfortunately, the passage of time has not taken our society to a higher intellectual level, rather it has only taught us how to be more discreet with our discrimination. Works Cited and Consulted: Garnett, Richard. "Irving Shakespeare" The Tempest (and selected criticism). Charlotte Porter and Helen A. Clarke (eds.) Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. 1903. Knight, G. Wilson. "Shakespearian Superman" The Tempest D.J. Palmer (ed.) Macmillan & Co. 1968 Murray, J. Middleton. "Shakespeare's Dream" The Tempest D.J. Palmer (ed.) Macmillan & Co. 1968 Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. 1611. Ed. Stephen Orgel. New York: Oxford UP, 1994. Discrimination Exposed in The Tempest Essay -- Tempest essays Discrimination Exposed in The Tempest  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Within ‘The Tempest’ there are obvious social implications regarding the hierarchy, with the representations of characters such as Caliban, Prospero etc.   During Shakespeare's time social classification was much more rigid than today and some members of society were considered superior to other members. Shakespeare attempts to provide an example of this rigid social structure. Shakespeare illustrates how superior men differentiated themselves from lesser beings on the basis of race, financial status, and gender. Through the characterization of Prospero, Shakespeare provides an example of one, who had reason to feel superior, yet treated others equally and with the respect due to them. ‘The Tempest’ reflects Shakespeare's society through the relationship between characters, especially between Prospero and Caliban. Caliban, who was the previous king of the island, is taught how to be "civilized" by Prospero and his daughter Miranda. Then he is forced to be their servant. Caliban explains "Thou strok'st me and make much of me; wouldst give me Water with berries in 't; and teach me how to name the bigger light, how the less, That burn by day and night; and then I lov'd thee, And show'd thee all the qualities o' th' isle,... For I am all the subjects you have, which first was mine own king."(Shakespeare I,ii,334-354). We see he is treated as a lesser being because he is not of the same race as Prospero and Miranda. Prospero describes... ...scrimination and segregation live on. This discrimination prevents many from fully participating in our society.   Unfortunately, the passage of time has not taken our society to a higher intellectual level, rather it has only taught us how to be more discreet with our discrimination. Works Cited and Consulted: Garnett, Richard. "Irving Shakespeare" The Tempest (and selected criticism). Charlotte Porter and Helen A. Clarke (eds.) Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. 1903. Knight, G. Wilson. "Shakespearian Superman" The Tempest D.J. Palmer (ed.) Macmillan & Co. 1968 Murray, J. Middleton. "Shakespeare's Dream" The Tempest D.J. Palmer (ed.) Macmillan & Co. 1968 Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. 1611. Ed. Stephen Orgel. New York: Oxford UP, 1994.

Justification for Torture

Torture is a scenario that dates back to the old government ages. Is government torture ever justified? This answer is can be answered by this quote,†Torturing the terrorist is unconstitutional? Probably. But millions of lives surely outweigh constitutionality â€Å"(Levin 1). Who would not save the lives of fellow citizens If the only option to solve the issue was torturing an individual for his crimes? Many people would see the situation as a sacrifice for the better of the people. The lives of Americans should be the most important priority of a nation. Torture is justified as long it is for the safety of the people and not for the mere cause of violence. Torture is the considered to be a harmful mentally and physically to anyone. It is a very well known method in the time of war. There have been many cases where it used on children and women. The course of torture can range from physical abuse to sexual abuse. Those are without a doubt an international crime. Using torture on innocent human being is completely out of the question. The use of torture in terms of water boarding on terrorist can be another matter. Torture without a doubt is a cruel treatment for an individual but it must be a nation policy (Falbaum 15). Saving innocent lives should be a governments priority in a â€Å"ticking time bomb † scenario. The scenario states, lets say an officer, got control of a terrorist planning an attack on hundreds of people. It is highly likely this terrorist will be interrogated by other officials to obtain information about the attack. Torture should be an option if the individual refuses to give the data to save hundreds of lives. Falbaum also mentions that 9/11 attack could been prevented if the United States had torture as part of their system. If the US policy was more strict at those times the terrorist would have feared their policy or would have captured their leader and gained details about the whereabouts of the attack. A poll shows that majority of registered citizens prefer harsh techniques that can keep America safe (Bauer 27). The society should support inhumane behaviors like torture if it is seen as last hope for innocent lives. Successful interrogations can keep America safe for the future. The world revolves around information and if your country is lacking information, terrorists can take advantage of the situation. Using torture on terrorists to gain information will benefit in prevention of future attacks on the country. Marc A. Thiessen goes into detail how many terrorists that have been interrogated provided them with reliable information that ended up saving thousands of American lives. â€Å"Thiessen believes that terrorist suspects will talk if pressured in the right way† (Thiessen 36). Some people may argue that torture does not provide the right detail because the victim will say anything to stop the deadly act. A statement said by the terrorist Abu Zubayah explains that captive terrorist tends to resist as long as they can, if they fail to do this they are given permission by their religious belief to tell what they have known. â€Å"The job of the interrogator is to safely help the terrorist do his duty to Allah, so he then feels liberated to speak freely â€Å"(Thiessen 40). It leads to show if the US practice and enhance their torture techniques it will lead to a safer nation. What techniques can be considered torture? Water-boarding is the act where the victim is drained water on his head to stimulate the pain of drowning. Water-boarding to Joseph Farah is not considered torture. He states that the technique is relatively safe with the right management. Not only that he argues that United State also practice this technique on their own soldiers as training (Farah 82). According to him while water-boarding is very abhorrent it is not as bad as cutting of a hand or anything gore. The truth is Water-boarding is very effective and most of the time the result are given in less than a minute. The success stories range from learning about al-Qaida's top plans. It is said that the terrorist agents resisted normal interrogations for hours and hours but gave into water-boarding sooner than the word can be said. This scenario can happen anywhere in the nation. Lets say an al-Qaida member was captured by the CIA and found whereabouts of bombs being placed around a city. They hire the top of the line negotiators to spoil the information. The real question still remains. Will they be able to make the terrorist member talk before it's too late? Then again we could resort to the use of water-boarding and save their lives before it is too late. It is not like we have torn their limbs off to order to get the information. â€Å"But a few seconds of dripping water on a prisoner's face? That's not torture to me â€Å"(Feah 85). Some believe that torture disregard true American standards. Patrick J. Buchanan gives a great insight about this issue. He states that torture is viable as long as it fit to save the American people. It is just like how murder is seen unethical yet you see soldiers and cops given the permission to kill as long as it fits the right scenario (Buchanan 55). Would a war hero that killed twenty men in order to rescue 2,000 citizens receive a death sentence? Just because he murdered 20 men, no. He would be honored as a hero he so deserved to be. There are doctors that inflicts pain to many soldiers in the war field by cutting of parts of their body. This saves their life by preventing death by decay. These are one of the exceptions that torture should be given into. Take for example someone's son or daughter was captivated by a terrorist group. One of their remember was found, he would not spoil or hint any information by simple conversations. What will a parent would want from the government to do? It does not matter if they oppose torture or not, a parent would choose water-boarding compared to the death of their child. Torture is not to be taken lightly but should be considered an option if the situation arise. Torture should the last option if it ever to be used. It a very sensitive topic for many people. There are groups that strongly rejects torture in any situation and there are people that support torture if it leads to saving lives. Ultimately saving lives should be the priority of any government. If it result in agreeing to an â€Å"harsh techniques † like water-boarding to stop future 9/11 attacks, the majority will agree. It is very hard to come to a conclusion about this specific topic because both sides can provide very good viewpoints. It will be one of those controversial topic that will go on for decades.

Mainstream Media hegemony and new media environment Essay

(Ex- Deputy Controller, Head of current Affair National Broadcasting Service Radio Pakistan, Bureau chief mediacon international, member CMA,, Community Media Association, UK), published author ezine and upublish.com) Pakistan’s mainstream media outlets have perhaps misunderstand the meaning of free flow of information under the freedom of press law. Perhaps they are not aware of the consequences which are being faced by top notch mainstream media across the so-called civilized word. In Pakistan many media groups reporting without realizing its impact on our socio-economic environment and deep rooted cultural impact. We have seen in past that misreporting by print and electronic mainstream media regarding shia-sunni conflicts created anger and anxiety amongst different sects led to horrible sectarian violence. Beside, reporting regarding terrorist attacks and rape case are arrogantly presented. Lack of trusted networks for reporting or contribution the most sensitive issue in fair manners and due to less reliance on what traditional media portray in daily business of dissemination of audio video contents, the literate society has started believing on what new media presents in various forms. Equipped with the power of abundant sources of news and information ((via broadband, G3, G4 and web3) about any country or region the new media is rapidly making its footing worldwide. Mainstream media are the most important source, but not the only one. With the development of communication technologies, people now have access to a huge amount of information that was unthinkable 20 years ago. People can watch live proceeding of parliament, or read a transcript of it within hours. One can see press releases from newsmakers published on hundreds of websites, providing submission and distribution services on internet. New-style electronic formats, such as Internet discussion groups and chat rooms, create new public spaces and provide unprecedented opportunities for cultural and political discourse. Ecology of news and the style of passing on information have been changed dramatically. Geographical separation is not a big problem due to network linkage. Using FTP format you can transfer files anywhere in the word it was not possible for main stream media 2 decades ago. Second important characteristics its digital platform which has  enormous space to store audio, video, and Text. In new media environment distance makes little difference in the time, cost or speed of getting information. : Society has changed into families. People can get lot more quality and creditable information using news aggregators. In fact less gated social media have changed the ecology of News, thinking, behaviour and socio-economic environment Social media technologies take on many different forms including magazines, Internet forums, weblogs, social blogs, micro blogging, wikis, social networks, podcasts, photographs or pictures, video, rating and social bookmarking. The wall of fortress journalism is demolishing but Pakistan print and electronic mainstream media is not ready to adopt the new changes being taken place every passing day in communication technologies. People of Pakistan are swiftly moving toward social media aggregators than ever. This new tool provides reader/ viewers to obtain all required news and analysis on one simple point. The reason for this shift is that mainstream media is violating by keeping the important news with them and deliberately hiding facts from public eyes. Sensationalism in news and to be first in breaking news is considered as pride without knowing its impact on nation al security and integrity. Pakistani media regulators and broadcasters perhaps not aware what the west is doing through media. They must watch reports of PRESS TV.COM AND RT.COM. The West is swiftly and successfully achieving its targets one by one by to destabilize the situation in Syria, recently in Gaza. Author and investigative journalist Webster Tarpley has pointed in an interview at Russian Television (RT.COM) first English language TV that US Intelligence has announced the partition of Pakistan. Another report revealed in foreign media that US Special Forces have conducted secret raids inside Pakistan’s border regions. The operations were conducted between 2003 and 2008, but only one was ever made public. The mainstream media of Pakistan kept quite on these issues. In many cases Taliban refused to take responsibility for some explosions in public places in Pakistan than who is behind these brutal acts. Our investigative reporters are not well equipped to search the truth and report. Our media is highlighting issue base politic and projecting their allocated parties. Critical issues of society which should be the prime priority at present stage are not being suitably covered by any media outlet. Strong reaction in recent past has been seen in UK and USA where  people registered their protest and strongly criticize the biased, planned and narrow coverage of world affairs by the established media giants like Fox News, the BBC and NBS. Media regulators are seems to be helpless and may be part of this wrongdoing. Situation in Pakistan is changing rapidly and people have lost trust on the directed coverage of Pakistan’s media. Pakistan electronic media are being run by the print media journalists with no experience of working in electronic media and producing substandard and distorted facts. Broadcasters are making billions in profits while using the public airwaves. In return, they are not producing programmes that fulfill community needs. Because of above cited problems and the attitude of media groups of Pakistan people have started march against mainstream media using social media as a viable, quick and authentic source. This shift seems to be picking up the pace in near future. ***