Things fall apart by achebe

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In Things Fall Apart, power, strength, aggression, and force define manhood. The warriors, the workers, and the wrestlers are the most respected men in the village. The Ibo rituals and communal activities are manifestations of their definition of manhood. Wrestling tournaments in which the victor earns a title, wins a bride, or receives much respect draw the whole village, Ewefiki, Okonkwos second wife, fell in love with Okonkwo for his wrestling skills. The Ibo war dance, an aggressive combination of foot work and rolling shoulders, stimulates feelings of force, power, and passion in the tribesman. This feeling is so ingrained in Ibo culture, that when invoked, it unites the present, future, and past into a single dance.

The Ibo War Dance is the manifestation of manhood. No Ibo man can resist the rhythm. The drumbeat actually communicates with the tribesmen; it urges them to a feverish state. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo demonstrated the urge when he danced to the rhythm. "It filled him with fire as it had always done from his youth. He trembled with the desire to conquer and subdue. It was like the desire for woman." (4). The war dance is so powerful because, with the urgent pounds of the drums, it invokes courage, aggression, and force- three characteristics that define the Ibo sense of manhood and respect. Although it is titled the "war dance" this ritual begins as a commemoration of an individuals achievement. The dance leader, donning a headdress of animal and human heads that represent his strength and power, initiates the dance. Clothing and body decorations are the primary indicators of a mans success in the Ibo culture. Warriors then join in as the tempo of the drum quickens. The dancers, their shoulders rolling and their feet side stepping to an accelerating tempo, achieve a state of undulation called Ofufu. This is the peak of the dance when the crowd, as Achebe describes it, "Rose to a frenzy, the people surged forward." (47). The war dance transcends human boundaries and links tribesmen to their ancestors so that all dance together, or as Achebe describes "[the rhythm] was no longer a mere disembodied sound but the very heartbeat of the people." (50).

So many aspects of the Ibo way of life are linked to destruction and violent behavior. Physical displays of superiority (such as dancing and wrestling) are used to settle disputes, show dominance, attract women, and achieve respect in their culture. These demonstrations are greatly appreciated by the Ibo community, giving titled men, "great happiness" to watch (65). However, these shows of masculinity are not always for sport. Okonkwo, for example, killed a boy who was very close to his family in order to demonstrate his manliness to his peers. Afterwards, he thought, "How can a man who has killed five men in battle fall to pieces because he has added a boy to their number? Okonkwo, you have become a woman indeed." (65). This awry perspective of gender is, for better or worse, an intrinsic part of every person in the Ibo community.

Cheap University Papers on things fall apart by achebe

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Distant Intercessory Prayer

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Distant Intercessory Prayer 1

Running head INTERCESSORY PRAYER AND TASK PERFORMANCE

Distant Intercessory Prayer and Task Performance

Lynn M. Munson and Douglas Degelman Do my essay on Distant Intercessory Prayer CHEAP !

Vanguard University of Southern California

Distant Intercessory Prayer

Abstract

In an extension of research demonstrating causal effects of intercessory prayer for physical

healing in a medical setting, the present study experimentally examined the effects of

intercessory prayer for improved task performance in an employment setting. Trained

customer service representatives either did, or did not, receive (over a 14-day period) daily

intercessory prayer for the specific needs and challenges of their workplace. Speed of call

handling was evaluated for each customer service representative. The specific dependent

measures were number of calls per hour and number of seconds per call. No statistically

significant differences between prayer and non-prayer groups were found for either calls per

hour or seconds per call. Recommendations for research in this new area of study center on

methodological issues, including the selection of relevant dependent measures.

Distant Intercessory Prayer

Distant Intercessory Prayer and Task Performance

Reviews of research on religion and health have concluded that at least some types of

religious behaviors are related to higher levels of physical and mental health (Gartner, Larson, &

Allen, 11; Koenig, 10; Levin & Vanderpool, 11; Maton & Pargament, 187; Paloma &

Pendleton, 11; Payne, Bergin, Bielema, & Jenkins, 11). One of the "religious behaviors" that

has been shown to be related to health and well-being is prayer (Finney & Maloney, 185;

McCullough, 15; Paloma & Pendleton, 11).

The empirical studies examined in these reviews have almost all revealed a significant

relationship between an individuals religious belief system and measures of well-being (Aldridge,

11; Friedman & Benson, 17; Larson et al., 1; Matthews, 17). A more difficult question

to answer is whether the relationship between religion and health, or more specifically between

prayer and health, is causal. Most studies examining prayer and health are correlational, leaving

unanswered the question of whether prayer is causing the observed changes in health. To

illustrate, if individuals who pray for physical healing (or know that others are praying for them)

have more positive outcome measures, many would argue that the positive outcome is not the

direct effect of the prayer, but instead may be the result of positive cognitive expectations.

One study that has experimentally examined the causal effect of prayer on health measures

was conducted by Randolph Byrd (188). Byrd conducted what has proved to be a landmark

study experimentally examining the causal effect of intercessory prayer (prayer offered on behalf

of another) on recovery from cardiological illness. In this double-blind study, patients in a

coronary care unit either received or did not receive daily prayer (while hospitalized) from

Christian prayer intercessors. Patients receiving prayer had "less congestive heart failure, required

less diuretic and antibiotic therapy, had fewer episodes of pneumonia, had fewer cardiac arrests,

and were less frequently intubated and ventilated" (Byrd, 188, p. 8).

In another randomized, double-blind study on the effect of healing therapy utilizing

intercessory prayer on insulin dosage in type I diabetes mellitus patients, Wirth and Mitchell

(14) found that although there was a reduction in insulin dosage over a period of two weeks in

Distant Intercessory Prayer 4

the treatment condition compared to the control condition, the difference was not statistically

significant.

Although Byrds (188) study provides some evidence of a causal effect of prayer on

medical outcomes, there have been no comparable studies examining the potential causal effects

of prayer outside a medical setting. One important setting in which to study prayer is the

workplace, where prayer may address issues such as potential interpersonal conflict and the

pressures inherent in most workplaces (such as deadlines and performance evaluations). The

workplace clearly represents an untapped area for research into the possible causal effects of

intercessory prayer.

The specific purpose of the present study was to utilize the double-blind methodology of

Byrds (188) study on health outcomes to evaluate the "distance" effects (Dossey, 17; Schlitz,

17) of intercessory prayer (prayer without the individuals presence or awareness) on

occupational task performance. In a health care customer service call center, will individuals

receiving prayer evidence different levels of task performance (number of calls answered per hour

and number of seconds per call) compared to individuals who are not receiving prayer?

Method

Participants

Research participants were 10 trained customer service call center representatives ( men

and 4 women) all residing in southern California.

1

The mean age for the men was 4.0 years (SD

= 8.8), and the mean age for the women was 7. years (SD = 8.). Ethnicity of participants was

not evaluated. All study participants had at least six months and no more than two years

experience in this customer service call center environment. Primary responsibilities of the

customer service representatives were to respond to member questions concerning health care

coverage and to attempt to resolve member complaints. Participants worked in a controlled

environment at individual pod-like workstations, which were grouped in clusters of five. Each

used identical computer and phone answering equipment. Calls were distributed equally as

representatives were available.

Distant Intercessory Prayer 5

Two women (ages 6 and 55) served as prayer intercessors for the study. The intercessors

were self-identified Christians who were active participants in prayer ministries in a local United

Methodist church.

Apparatus

Data on answer speed and call handling time was attained utilizing the Northern Telecom

Meridian Max call reporting system. A daily prayer log sheet was used as a self report by prayer

intercessors.

Procedure

Participants were randomly assigned by gender- and age-matched pairs to prayer and nonprayer

groups. Participants had no knowledge that a study on intercessory prayer was being

conducted, but they were aware of ongoing monitoring of their phone interactions with

customers. Permission to use these data for the current study was obtained. Customer service

representatives in the prayer group were assigned to two prayer intercessors who had no prior

knowledge of the participants. Intercessors were provided with general information related to

potential work environment challenges and specific information (age, gender, and identification

number) about those for whom they were to pray. They were directed to offer daily specific

prayers for efficiency, alertness, and wisdom with members issues. Most prayers were -5

minutes in length. Intercessors recorded daily prayer "events" for each individual.

The study period spanned a 7-day pretest period (11//6 to 11//6) and a 14-day

experimental period (11/10/6 to 11//6). Daily measurements of number of calls answered per

hour and call handling time (number of seconds per call) were obtained.

Results

For each participant, the mean number of calls per hour and the mean number of seconds

per call for both the seven-day pretest period and the fourteen-day experimental period were

obtained. Table 1 presents, for both prayer and non-prayer groups, the means and standard

deviations of both measures (calls per hour and seconds per call) for both pretest period and

experimental period.

Distant Intercessory Prayer 6

Preliminary analyses of pretest calls per hour and seconds per call revealed no significant

differences between prayer and non-prayer groups for either calls per hour, F (1, 6) = 0.4, p =

.5, or seconds per call, F (1, 6) = 0., p = .4.

Multivariate tests of significance of calls per hour and seconds per call (and follow-up

univariate tests of significance of each) revealed no significant differences between prayer and

non-prayer groups in the change in either the mean number of calls per hour or the mean number

of seconds per call from pretest period to experimental period (all ps .10).

Discussion

The major finding of this study is that prayer for a two-week time period did not elicit a

statistically significant change in task performance as measured by time per call or number of calls

handled per hour among customer service representatives. While other studies found a correlation

between prayer and physical or mental wellness, this study, which appears to be the first study

dealing with the potential causal effects of prayer on occupational task performance, found no

effect of prayer on the two measures of occupational task performance (calls per hour and

seconds per call).

In considering the results of this exploratory study, several issues are clear. First, it must be

recognized that there are many, many measures potentially affected by intercessory prayer beyond

the physical characteristics of the phone conversations between the customer service

representatives and the customers. A comprehensive list of these measures is not possible, but

included would have to be supervisor evaluations, peer evaluations, customer evaluations,

measures of personal peace, confidence, patience, kindness, insight into customer issues, and

resolution of customer issues. As the study of intercessory prayer moves into a new area

(occupational task performance), it is extremely important for researchers to have an ongoing

record of the dependent measures which were, and were not, impacted by intercessory prayer.

The dependent measures employed in this study (calls per hour and seconds per call) were

selected primarily because they were measures that were already being collected by the employer.

These measures may have been relatively insensitive to the effects of prayer due to certain

Distant Intercessory Prayer 7

conditions of employment customer service representatives received "incentives" (both monetary

and status) for efficient handling of calls. Thus, customer service representatives may have been

performing at or near optimal levels, resulting in a ceiling effect.

Second, there is an acknowledged need to report findings of statistical nonsignificance,

especially as research moves into a new area. Schlitz (17) and Larson et al. (1) both noted

the deleterious effects of selective reporting of only statistically significant effects. When a study

employs careful controls (such as the present study which controlled the potential biasing effects

of participant knowledge of being recipients of prayer), findings of statistical nonsignificance are

of greater value than studies in which several rival hypotheses can be identified.

Third, if the effect size that is being examined is reliable yet relatively small, there may be

several factors that determine whether a statistically significant effect is observed in a specific

situation. Schlitz (17) observed that the need of participants seems to increase effect size. To

the extent that this is so, we would expect employees of whom there are high expectations, or

who are experiencing prolonged stressful situations, or who operate in a highly competitive

setting might be more likely to be affected by intercessory prayer. Although some of these

conditions presumably applied in the present study, the selection of dependent measures may have

obscured their impact. Future research in this area should carefully consider the level of

participant need.

Few fields of research are as open and inviting as the study of the effects of intercessory

prayer in the workplace! In addition to the many potentially important dependent measures

already mentioned, future research needs to address additional variables such as the nature and

length of the intercessory prayer, the length of time the intercessory prayer period lasts, the

personal characteristics of both the participants and the intercessors (including age, gender, and

ethnicity), and the occupational characteristics of those receiving prayer (including type of

position, length of employment, and ongoing levels of stress). As future research begins to map

out the complex ways in which intercessory prayer impacts those in the workplace, additional

issues such as the endurance of the effects of prayer over time will certainly arise.

Distant Intercessory Prayer 8

References

Aldridge, D. (11). Spirituality, healing and medicine. British Journal of General Practice, 41,

45-47.

Byrd, R. C. (188). Positive therapeutic effects of intercessory prayer in a coronary care unit

population. Southern Medical Journal, 81, 86-8.

Dossey, L. (17, March). Prayer as distant intentionality An idea whose time has come. Paper

presented at the meeting of Spirituality and Healing in Medicine-II, Los Angeles, CA.

Finney, J. R., & Malony, H. N. (185). Empirical studies of Christian prayer A review of the

literature. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 1, 104-115.

Friedman, R., & Benson, H. (17). Spirituality and medicine. Mind/Body Medicine, , 1-.

Gartner, J., Larson, D. B., & Allen, G. D. (11). Religious commitment and mental health A

review of the empirical literature. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 1, 6-5.

Koenig, H. G. (10). Research on religion and mental health in later life A review and

commentary. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, , -5.

Larson, D. B., Sherrill, K. A., Lyons, J. S., Craigie, F. C., Thielman, S. B., Greenwold, M. A., et

al. (1). Associations between dimensions of religious commitment and mental health

reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry and Archives of General Psychiatry 178-

18. American Journal of Psychiatry, 14, 557-55.

Levin, J. S., & Vanderpool, H. Y. (11). Religious factors in physical health and the prevention

of illness. Prevention in Human Services, (), 41-64.

Maton, K. I., & Pargament, K. I. (187). The roles of religion in prevention and promotion.

Prevention in Human Services, 5, 161-05.

Matthews, D. A. (17). Religion and spirituality in primary care. Mind/Body Medicine, , -1.

McCullough, M. E. (15) Prayer and health Conceptual issues, research review, and research

agenda. Journal of Psychology and Theology, , 15-.

Paloma, M. M., & Pendleton, B. F. (11). The effects of prayer and prayer experiences on

measures of general well-being. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 1, 71-8.

Distant Intercessory Prayer

Payne, I. R., Bergin, A. E., Bielema, K. A., & Jenkins, P. H. (11). Review of religion and

mental health Prevention and the enhancement of psychosocial functioning. Prevention in

Human Services, (), 11-40.

Schlitz, M. J. (17, March). Healing effects of intercessory prayer and distance intentionality.

Paper presented at the meeting of Spirituality and Healing in Medicine-II, Los Angeles, CA.

Wirth, D. P., & Mitchell, B. J. (14). Complementary healing therapy for patients with Type I

diabetes mellitus. Journal of Scientific Exploration, 8, 67-77.

Distant Intercessory Prayer 10

Table 1

Means and Standard Deviations of Mean Calls Per Hour and Mean Seconds Per Call for

Prayer and Non-Prayer Groups by Period

Period

Measure Pretest Experimental

Prayer

Calls Per Hour

M 7.88 7.6

SD 1.86 .0

Seconds Per Call

M 50.05 55.01

SD 71.7 6.86

Non-Prayer

Calls Per Hour

M 8. 7.8

SD .16 .10

Seconds Per Call

M 0. 5.6

SD 8. 81.5

Distant Intercessory Prayer 11

Author Note

Requests for reprints should be sent to Lynn M. Munson, 108 Trident Lane, Huntington

Beach, CA 646.

Distant Intercessory Prayer 1

Footnote

1The study began with 115 participants; data from 1 were dropped due to insufficient data

resulting from illnesses and unexpected days off.

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The Computer and The Internet

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Introduction

Since the dawn of time there have been great achievements that have helped mankind progress to the next level of a species. The first things you think of would of course be the wheel and fire. While these are very important in our history, now we must think of the things around us that would and will be useful in our future. Things like the automobile have grown to be very important and many rely on them for their everyday travel. But there are a couple other things that many people dont even think too much about yet they play a giant role in our everyday activities. These key items would be computers and the Internet. Although you dont realize it all of the time, they are the sole things that keep you going. What makes it so when you turn the key in the ignition of your car it starts? That would be a computer. What controls when the traffic lights change? That would also be a computer. When you go on your computer at work what do you use? You use the Internet. Everyone uses them; its just that you use them so much you dont think of it as often. Other items that play smaller roles are items such as satellite TV and cable TV.

The world has changed since these machines have come along. Its almost scary to stop and think how much we rely on them on our day-to-day routine. So you must realize that with this advanced technology there are pros and cons. Just sometimes the cons are hard to find.

Help with essay on The Computer and The Internet

Development of the Computer and Internet

The computer is an invention that has shaped and molded a generation of people from all over the world into one big community. The Internet has helped bridge giant gaps in communication and business alike. Both of these wonderful creations are now what the things you use everyday, use to keep them going. This fact can be seen as both a positive and a negative to how technology plays a part in everyones life. No matter how you choose to look at the computer and the Internet, they are both very important pieces of both our history and our future.

The first electronic digital computers were created to assume the position of giant calculators to figure out calculations needed in building weapons for World War II. A man named John P. Eckert built the first of these machines in 14. His machine was called the ENIAC or the Electrical Numerical Integrator And Calculator. ENIAC used 18,000 vacuum tubes, used about 1,800 square feet of floor space, and consumed around 180,000 watts of electrical power. This was a very hard to work with and not very user friendly but it worked with the programs it was built to work with.

Close to 0 years later the first actual use of an Internet type network was used. Originally in 16 the Internet was developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under a program titled the Resource Sharing Computer Networks. It was created so that military sites could maintain communication around the world in the event of a nuclear attack. Then when the cold war ended the Internet was kept around for basically the same reason, it was used as a long distance communications tool. Much like a phone would be before its time. The Internet stayed a pretty private thing until in 18 a man by the name of Tim Berners-Lee helped to create the World Wide Web. His idea took "hyper-text" and extended its abilities not only within documents but also from different computer sites. His creation was released as the first ever web server. In 1 there were over 1,000,000 hosts for the Internet. In the webs third year it had a growth rate of 41,64%.

That was just the beginning of what has come to be a new way of looking at things. Computers and the Internet now connect almost the entire world. And to think that this was how it all began.

Internet Classrooms

In recent years there has been a lot of controversy over whether or not to use the Internet as a classroom for learning. The debate is very fueled and both sides have their own good points.

As with everything in life there are pros and cons. Well start off with the pros. They are as follows; students get enjoyment from using computers to learn, without knowing the students will soon no longer consider a school subject so boring, most of all since sending messages play a very important part in working on the net students will learn valuable social skills. With that last point in mind, the Internet can be viewed as a tool for socialization.

Now we shall look over the cons on the subject. First of all there is fear from teachers of many things like job loss, new technology, and vulnerability. The next is the desire to hold onto traditional teaching methods where the teacher is the central emphasis for the class. The last main con to Internet learning is that the teacher can never really be sure as to whether or not the person taking the test or answering questions is really the person registered for the class. These are all very important points.

Along with pros and cons there are also advantages and disadvantages in the arguments over Internet learning. One of the first advantages that come to mind is the accessibility of the Internet. You dont need to be a whiz kid to search the net. Programs are getting more and more user friendly every day. That being said it wouldnt be very hard to learn to use the Internet as you would a schoolbook, and if you have trouble there are millions of people online who would be willing to help you. One of the teachers advantages would of course be the wide spectrum of authentic material available on the net. Also with such a wide range of information it helps for everyone to find something he or she likes. Students will also gain the important skill of separating the relevant material from the false information.

The disadvantages are there also, its not a one sided argument. There is very much a lack of organization on the net. There is no coherent structure. There is in fact so much information on the net that at some times it can become overwhelming. Finding some topics on the net can also be a task in itself. At the same time some topics will have you buried neck deep in information making it important and almost a necessity to be able to weed through and find the important information. Since it is easy to put up your own website now-a-days many people with very little information on subjects take up space and make clutter when trying to find certain needed info. The speed of the Internet can be a weighty factor in learning anything over the web. With the numbers of users rising every day the Internet is becoming more and more congested. This would make limited lesson times a problem due to the lag time for messages to be relayed. Downloading files and graphics to be used can become a tedious job and to try and squeeze it into a lesson would be a hard task. From a teachers standpoint the vast array of information on the Internet is a turnoff. Much of the info is not relevant, desirable, or even appropriate for students studies. There have been debates over controversial information found on the Internet such as racist propaganda and pornography, and the major argument was that you could find it in everyday life also if you just looked around. But you wouldnt find this info in a classroom or a university. Many teachers also say that yes, the Internet should be used for teaching purposes, but it should be integrated with the school curriculum and brought into the classroom. The last very big problem with the Internet is the ability for students to plagiarize. With modern software and the ease of cut and paste the temptation for students to copy entire works is very much there.

The argument over Internet learning will probably go on for another year or so. Both sides have very good points and will keep arguing them until they reach an agreement. There are many people who think we should move along with the times and start using the Internet to its full ability. But there are enough who want to stay traditional and keep kids in the real classroom to keep the computer generation from taking over. There are already colleges over the Internet, who knows whats next. Maybe the next generation will never have to leave their house to learn; maybe they will roll over turn on their laptop and be at school. If only it was that easy now.

Impact of the New Media on Chinas Press

The Internet can be anything you want it to be, there are basically no rules or boundaries to be found when dealing with the Internet. Some see the Internet as a means to make money, some see it as a way to connect, the people of China however see it as their only freedom of speech. They see it as a place to discuss politics and see how life is in other countries. In the last few years Chinas use and availability of the Internet has dramatically increased as it has in most other countries. This makes a new problem for Chinas govt. to watch over and try and control.

With the increasing popularity of Satellite and Cable TV a new media has risen up in Chinas communist territory. The official government controlled news stations are quickly becoming outnumbered by commercial and overseas news. The Internet is becoming where everyone goes to find anything.

For however long anyone can remember propaganda authorities controlled all Chinas "media". Their "media" consisted of a couple newspapers, some magazines, and a few broadcasting stations, all run by the government. Today in China it is very different that what it used to be. There are over ,000 newspapers, 00 TV stations, and over 0 million cable TV users. Along with those there are over 40, 000 websites. More than 6 million Chinese Internet users spend at least one hour a day on the net. Nearly 6% use the net for their news, about 4% of adult users and 40% of young users visit overseas websites. Overseas news outlets do not need to be approved by the Communist Partys propaganda departments.

In the past the government found it easy to manipulate what people watched by limiting them to only one news channel. Besides news the program was used to put across the political parties propaganda campaigns and political mobilizations. But now the program is losing viewers rapidly due to the other entertainment available. When there was only one single source of information the people had no way of knowing whether the stories were true. Until the new forms of media came to the people, the propaganda authorities effectively controlled the flow of information. Now with the Internet the public no longer relies on the official information to make their own decisions and opinions. Instead when something happens, they research it to see if it was real and what all the facts were.

Until recently the flow of radio broadcasts was stopped by jamming the waves. And it was illegal to own a TV antenna. Anyone who wanted a fax machine had to register it with the Telecommunications Department. Today you still have to register your fax machine but not your computer or Internet. The radio broadcasts are controlled by a frequency licensing system. But any one who wants can start their own webcast and listen to them on the net.

With the emergence of these new forms of media in China, it has brought a new life to the people. A clear life where they can see what is really going on and not have to rely on the propaganda machine that runs their country. They now have ways of getting their voices heard and not just in their community, or there country for that matter, they can get it heard all over the world. This just shows how much importance the Internet has and what capabilities it has.

Terrorists Use the Net Too

The same advantages that the Internet is so famed for bringing to the general public is also being used by those we fear the most. Yes thats right, terrorists use the net too. They use the Internet to encrypt their plans and even sometimes-full maps. The iDefense director of intelligence for special projects Ben Venzke stated "the internet and e-mail provide the perfect vehicles for these groups to communicate with each other, to spread their message, to raise money, and to launch cyber attacks." A recent report from U.S. officials shows that terrorists use of the net is widespread. Government and Private security firms are doing all they can to keep up with them, but as technology advances the struggle gets harder and harder. Both the government and private parties agree that the web is widely used by such terrorist groups as Hezbollah and Hamas. These organizations use the net for propaganda and to exchange information. Matthew Devost has said that the groups working on the net could not only attack the Internet economy but also power, transportation and other systems that rely on information on the web.

Terrorists are getting creative with how they use the web. Pretty much wherever you can send an e-mail with audio or graphics is fair territory for terrorists. Also something called Steganography, which is putting encrypted messages in electronic files, is becoming widely used. A government report showed that they have been hiding pictures and maps of targets in sports chat rooms, on pornographic bulletins, and on web sites. And even though government officials are aware of the Internet activity there is nothing they can do. First we live in a country with free speech and they are just practicing their right. The other reason officials cant do anything is that it is impossible to track where a website was started and who posted what, where and when.

So until we find ways to track Internet use the terrorists have the upper hand in this fight. Darn us and our right to free speech.

Internet Businesses

The newer trends on the web are Internet businesses. They are cheap to run, easy to maintain, and it doesnt take a genius to start one up. Businesses like Amazon.com and Cdnow.com dont have a single real storefront but they make more than a lot of the normal department stores. One of the reasons people go online instead of the stores is to get away from the crowds. There arent people pushing and shoving to get in line in your own home (hopefully). A lot of the online stores have better prices than those you would find at a real Mall Type store. Some of these online shops dont last very long at all, but the lucky ones are still staying strong.

Along with companies who only have virtual storefronts, many of the big companies have there own online shop. Many of these stores offer in-store pick up like Circuit City and Best Buy. Online you can also compare features of multiple products to figure out which one is better for you. The online stores are just a great convenience for those who either dont like to go out shopping or those who just cant.

Internet Shopping also gets crazy around holiday time, especially Christmas. Many stores offer big deals like free shipping and guaranteed delivery by Christmas morning.

The company execs are cashing in on the virtual world. They have jumped on the bandwagon with the youth of the nation and found a new way to market their much-needed products. I speak for everyone when I say thank you to the Big Wigs.

Conclusion

In the end you see what a great role new media has brought to the world. It has brought a voice to the people who could not speak. It has brought new ideas into the classrooms of the future. It has brought more money to the corporate money mercenaries. But it has also helped terrorists. You know you just cant win them all.

Thirty years from now I know that people will look back and see that things changed for the better, that our new forms of technology brought us all closer, and that nerds who thought computers would solve problems and not make them were right. Hopefully the Internet will merge all barriers and break down walls that are starting to decay.

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