Open Source Software Essay

Free and Open Source Software has been around for quite some time. Free software has always been a controversy. This time someone is trying to take a stance against it. More than just someone but a major software company namely Microsoft. The whole issue is coming against software patents. Patents are there to protect the make, use, and selling of an invention but in this case would deal with software. Microsoft is not keen on the idea of software being readily available especially to businesses at little to no cost. In the business world this is unheard of. To let companies take control and create custom software with almost no cost is being attacked. Microsoft is quoted in a CNN Money article: â€Å"Microsoft takes on the free world† as saying, â€Å"We live in a world where we honor, and support the honoring of, intellectual property,† They were quoted as calling this a matter of principle. I can understand principle and I’m definitely not against making money. I believe that enough is enough. Free and Open Source Software is there to benefit the public. In suggesting that business owners need only buy licensed software or that business owners are only obligated to purchase said software is irrational. Putting aside costs, theoretically let’s say there is a software developer that is hired by a company to create custom software. This company favors Linux rather than Windows not to say that Windows isn’t a great operating system but to say that someone does not have the freedom to create is ridiculous. To limit this company because of some alleged patent laws is preposterous. Eben Moglen, longtime counsel to the Free Software Foundation and head of the Software Freedom Law Center, says that, â€Å"software is a mathematical algorithm and, as such, not patentable. † This statement is critical because of the seeming less attack on inventors and software developers. Software has always been improved and with the strict patent laws associated with Microsoft there is no inventing unless it’s specifically for Microsoft. There needs to be a line drawn and some slack given as to what is actually infringing on patents and what is hindering creativity and innovation. There are current lawsuits with Microsoft versus FOSS (Free and Open Source Software). This has been referred to as a cold war. One side saying they will sue if the other continues to produce and the other saying that if you sue we will be forced to sue back. FOSS has always been under attack since it began. Specifically attacked is Linux. In PCWorld: Microsoft Vs. Open Source: Now It’s Political, â€Å"Once you leave the shores of the U. S. the question would be not if but where is Linux being used† in government, said Matthew Szulik, chief executive officer of Linux software maker Red Hat. The industry is in agreement that government use of open-source software particularly is growing amongst popularity. As much as I would like this to mostly be about freedom of invention and creativity the bottom line is that at the end of the day it’s all about money. No one sees the need to be forced to buy ongoing licensing to use software that most believe the costs are becoming unreasonable. Of course the government is not about spending. (Right? ) As quoted in the article Microsoft Vs.  Open Source, â€Å"Price aside, government officials around the world are also looking for ways to increase use of local software and curb the export of IT funds to major U. S. companies. That is the case in a number of countries in the Asia-Pacific region. † Money makes the world go round. The whole fear that Microsoft has is that it will hurt the pockets of Microsoft. â€Å"Windows still powers roughly 9 out of 10 traditional desktops, with the rest going to Mac and Linux. Linux’s failure to capture desktop share is disappointing to many,† Zemlin admitted. But â€Å"the good news is the traditional PC desktop is becoming less important, and areas where Linux is very strong in terms of client computing are becoming more important. † as expressed in an article of Network Wold: Bashing Microsoft ‘like kicking a puppy,’ says Linux Foundation chief. We could argue that Microsoft is just some big heartless corporation that wants to make money. That is true they are and honestly if anyone expected them to respond in any way different was severely delusional. The act does need to be reformed to show exactly that which is crossing the line in creating software and tying the hands of developers. The debate surrounds the open source code that exists and who should have access to this code. From a business perspective giving out that information obviously would be detrimental to the success of the company. While Microsoft is currently the most dominant software in the business world I doubt that business would be ready to just make a leap to Open Source Software. In the technical world not everyone is a computer geek. Microsoft still has the support to help customers. The shift will take a while and to take down a giant such as Microsoft is not impossible but not something that will happen overnight. The large factor in this is the ignorance of other Operating Systems on a general knowledgebase. Companies and governments that choose to use this FOSS should have the choice. A need for a revision of patent rights and software development need attention.

Child adolence and development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Child adolence and development - Research Paper Example In my days as a child, I was carefree with no worries at all. I would wander like a deer upon the open fields. I enjoyed various natural beauties in the gardens together with my other friends. The days gone are gone forever. What I have are only memories that remain in my mind. The memories make me cry and laugh at times. Nevertheless, it is impossible to cut out them from life. For such reasons, childhood memories are said to be the sweetest in man’s life. I also got several memories of my childhood life. The memories present the sweetest time of my mind. My childhood memories are indeed sweet. No one can forget his/her childhood experiences whether painful or pleasant. I still remember my childhood life very well. I was born in the suburbs of Illinois where I spent my childhood. My father was employed by the government. Home was a simple house where we lived happily together with my parents, sisters and brothers. That is not all; there was another family member. That is my grandmother. She was humble and affectionate. I remember her trying to teach me recite some sayings and quotes. That was at an early age and my mind weak to capture them, speaking was still difficult task. She showed love to me most than other family members. The memories are bitter for I lost her a few years ago. Am lucky for my parents are still alive up to today. Both mum and dad have been by best teachers in language. They taught me how to pronounce simple words like â€Å"no†, â€Å"yes†, â€Å"come†, and â€Å"go†. There was a ground in front of our house. Paddy and other crops had grown in the ground. The beautiful golden color of the paddy field attracted me a lot. Every afternoon, I walked to the playground through the paddy field. The paddy plants always touched me. I got mixed up in the midst of the beauty of nature. I loudly named each flower as I went by playing. Though the names hardly meant anything, but at least I was better than

Point of View Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Point of View - Essay Example The weather is so bright and white like an ocean. A sparrow comes flying from nowhere and rests at the branch of the bottlebrush tree. As it sits, the delicate branch slightly sways in the air with the impact of the sparrow’s weight and a bottlebrush flower falls down into my lap, as if it is a gift of nature to make my experience more memorable. The sparrow inflates its body filling air in its feathers to make a shield against the cold air of the atmosphere. I have never felt as close to and drawn toward the beauty and innocence of Mother Nature as I feel in these moments. My line of sight takes a 60 degree shift in the vertical plane as it moves from the sparrow up on the tree’s branch to the two girls holding hand in hand jumping their way up to the school over the road in front of me. Their sight takes me back to the time when I was their age and used to go to school with Lisa, my best friend and neighbor. They giggle as they pass by. Their laughter breaks the quiet ness and calmness of the surroundings and adds more life and pleasure to it. Soon after that, I hear the sound of bells approaching from a nearby Church, forming a soothing melody. It has been half an hour and the bus has not arrived yet. The fog in the air increases. My vision is obstructed by heavy mist in the air. I am red in the nose and finger tips and white in the face with cold. I seem to be catching flu. The fragrance of the pink roses and the bottlebrush that I enjoyed 30 minutes ago seems to be receding. I blow my nose but can’t really feel the friction of the tissue paper against my nose because of numbness. I throw the tissue paper away. I need another tissue paper but I have no more. I start feeling hungry as I have not had my breakfast since I got ready for the school in a hurry. I take the biscuits out of their pack in my bag, but they have become soggy and have absorbed moisture from the atmosphere. I miss the crunchiness of a dry biscuit and the

Diseases and Genetic Disorders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Diseases and Genetic Disorders - Essay Example Unfortunately there are many different factors that can affect the functionality of the system; ranging from our family history, to the environment that we live in. That is why it is important to be aware of our surroundings, and environmental factors. It is also very imperative that we pay attention to what our body systems are telling us. For example if one begins to experience unexplainable pain, or notice a lump in an area that does not go away, then it becomes important to get a check up and to see what is causing the problem. Many look over the warning signs and they get to the point of experiencing so much pain, or to the point where they notice that something is not right, then it is too late, and there is nothing that can be done to reverse what has occurred within the particular system. Our Cardiovascular system is one of the systems that are very important to paying close attention to what we are feeling. Our cardiovascular system is also known as the circulatory system. Our heart is within the system, which is responsible for pumping the blood throughout our bodies. The heart is a muscle that is about the size of one's fist. If the heart is not functioning properly then there will be problems with the other systems within the body. There are multiple problems that can occur with the heart. Some can be genetic and present at birth while other conditions can occur as we live from day to day. Carotid Artery disease is one of the heart diseases that can occur. We have two arteries on either side of our neck, and they are called our carotid arteries. The function of these two arteries is to take blood that is rich in oxygen outside the heart and to bring blood to the frontal section of one's brain, which is responsible for such things as thought, speech, who we are, s enses and motor skills. When you place your hands on either side of your neck, the pulsation that you feel is from your carotid artery. Another function of these arteries is to create deposits which contain fat and cholesterol. The scientific term for these deposits is plaque. As time passes the plaque begins to collect on the arteries, and as a result the amount of blood that is able to pass through the arteries decreases and the amount of blood that is able to get to the brain also decreases, and can result in a stroke. A stoke can occur is the artery becomes too narrow for blood to pass through, if some of the plaque breaks off and enters into the blood stream and travels to the brain, or if a lump forms, also called a clot, and the clotted artery has already become narrow. It has been discovered that one with carotid artery disease can also become susceptible due to a family history. Other factors are how old you are, rather or not one smokes, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol problems. If ones notices and pays attention to the signs of carotid artery disease and seeks treatment in time then there are various steps that can be taken to keep carotid artery disease from having a bad end. Some of the treatments are changing one's lifestyle, such as completely stop smoking, and take control of diabetes and high blood pressure, by taking medications and watching one's diet. There are also various medications that can be taken, as well as treatments that can be done by the patient's doctor.

Finance report on Engro Corporation (Pakistan) Essay

Finance report on Engro Corporation (Pakistan) - Essay Example The overall per capita income is approximately $1250 with low literacy rates and high population growth rates. Pakistan is considered as a developing country due to different factors such as higher mortality rates, low literacy ratio, high population growth rates, higher levels of poverty, lack of health care facilities, poor education system etc. It is however, important to note that Pakistan’s economy has suffered a lot in recent times due to war on terror which has created significant law and order situation. (CIA The World Factbook 2011) Pakistan has its own Institute of Chartered Accountants which is also affiliated with the major international accountancy bodies. Over the period of time, accountancy as a profession has evolved in the country and Pakistan also exports its accountants to GCC countries especially due to overall quality and strength of its accountancy profession. Engro Corporation is a diversified company engaged in fertilizer, food as well as energy sector. The primary markets of the firm are Pakistan where it mostly sells its output however, it also plans to expand its food business in North America also. (Najeeb 2011). Major competitors of firm include Fauji Fertilizer Limited, Nestle Limited, and Unilever Pakistan etc. Company Industry Assets Market Cap Employees Engro Corp Conglomerate 132,105M 55748.035M2 32023 Pak Packages Food, Beverage 39,625.0M 8.800Bn4 300 Unilever 5Pakistan FMCG 13,554.00M 75.2Bn NA Fauji Fertilizer6 Fertilizer 74,016.94M 131.8Bn 100-500 PSO7 Oil Marketing 202,247.7M 40.90Bn 2000 Lotte Pak8 Chemical 22,896.00M 16.80Bn 2279 The above data about the companies are present on the official website of the Karachi Stock Exchange where all these firms are listed. 2(a) Engro Corp is required to publish its annual audited report in compliance of various domestic as well as international legislation requirements. It prepares following financial statements10: 1. Balance Sheet 2. Profit and Loss Account ( along with statement of comprehensive income) 3. Cash flow statement 4. Statement of changes in equity The first three notes to the accounts discuss following: Legal Status and Operations: In this note the firm has discussed its legal status and operations while at the same time giving a bifurcation of its balance sheet to outline different segments of its business. Note 2 provides the summary of the significant accounting policies adapted by the firm and discusses different policies such as basis of preparation of the accounts, application and interpretation of different accounting standards etc. Note 3 provides critical accounting estimates and judgments and provides a comprehensive understanding of firm’s policies regarding depreciation, impairments, income taxes, fair values of employees investments etc. Appendix Attached 2(b) The basis of preparation of the accounts are the historical cost c onvention however, firm has disclosed that it also records some financial assets and financial liabilities based on their fair value. It is also to be noted that the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the approved

Marketing Research MKT2210 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Research MKT2210 - Essay Example The fashion designers took that step to head off just the kind of formal restrictions called for the doctor's group. So now the real debate can begin. We've been following this story closely as it unfolded over the past six months because the issues are big-certainly for anyone involved in fashion, including photographers, but also perhaps for the wider creative community. It started when a Brazilian model died following a drastic diet; fashion organizations in Spain, England, and Italy began reacting to a public and political outcry against the trend toward super-skinny (or "size-zero") models. The guidelines released today by the Academy for Eating Disorders would prevent any girl younger than 16 from modeling. Models from 16 to 18 years old would have to have a body mass index (B.M.I.) of greater that 17.4; those older than 18 would have to have a body mass index of 18.5. For instance, a 5-foot-nine model over 18 could weight no less than 126 pounds. Many fashion designers say such a guideline would be too restrictive. The recommendations of the fashion designers are .far more vague. The group's call for better education of models and designers had nothing of the specifics of the B.M.I. scale. There are very good reasons for looking into this issue, and those reasons relate to health-the health of the models working in the fashion industry, and the health of the millions of young girls around the globe who view fashion models as role models. The industry needs to look very carefully at the issue and work with medical groups to come up with actions that don't simply mask the problem. This must be done so that other groups don't dictate the terms of the discussion. The broader issue here is one of creative freedom. I'm not in favor of medical groups telling fashion designers whom they may hire, or telling photographers how someone should look in a picture. And just wait until some ambitious politician latches onto this issue to score easy points with voters. Fashion, frivolous by nature, is an easy target. The industry also has a bad reputation when it comes to policing bad behavior. As the New York Times points out today, Kate Moss, caught using drugs, was dropped from several ad campaigns, only to be rehired a few months later. But there are plenty of inconsistencies on the other side as well. Television shows feature plenty of skinny actresses who are probably also role models to millions of impressionable girls. (Anyone seen Grey's Anatomy There's not much of it to speak of.) Should television producers also be required to adhere to medical guidelines when hiring actresses And what about all the overweight men (and chunky kids) featured on sitcoms and television ads They might also be bad role models for a nation that is suffering from an obesity epidemic. Does some medical group want to step up to the plate and issue guidelines stating that you can't be too old or fat to appear on television or in pictures -David Schonauer Article 2 "Negative" Sizing: The Size Zero Debate There is a "growing" trend happening in fashion right now and no it has nothing to do with hem lengths, lip color or fabric style. According to Women's Wear Daily the infamous size zero demographic is no longer limited to the silver screen or the catwalk; in fact these women walk among us every day. And their numbers are swelling (pun intended)! But how many of us know anyone with a waist smaller than 23 inches or a bust that is no larger than 31 inches

Key Sectors of Economic Growth in Kenya Essay Example for Free

Key Sectors of Economic Growth in Kenya Essay Economic growth is the increase in the amount of the goods and services produced by an economy over time. It is conventionally measured as the percent rate of increase in real gross domestic product i.e. real GDP. In Kenya the key main sectors to achieve economic growth are agriculture which is the mainstay economic growth drivers, energy sector, manufacturing and industry, service sector which is mainly tourism, financial services and banking and also the private sector. All of these sectors are in line with the Kenya Vision 2030, the economic pillar. The key sectors are as discussed below: 1. AGRICULTURE: Agriculture has been the key factor of economic growth of Kenyan economy. It continues to be the key factor that will drive the economic growth of Kenya as it contributes to about 24% of Growth Domestic Product. And for this reason the government should increase budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector up from the Kshs 53.5 billion allocated in National Budget 2012/201 so as to be in line with the Maputo Declaration which requires the budget allocation to agriculture to be atleast 10% of total Government budgets and The government should also subsidize the farm inputs such as fertilizers for the farmers, this will maximize production. Livestock farming also has to be considered. If the government increases funding to the agricultural sector, such occurrences as food shortages, seasonal inflation and unemployment would be curbed if not avoided. Agricultural sector which includes; †¢Livestock sector and dairy farming: The livestock sector provides employment opportunities while also increases income. Kenya exports from hides and skins for leather industry earned Kshs 4 billion. Also reforms need to be made on the Kenya Meat Commission. †¢Fisheries: Kenya earns around Kshs 4 billion from this sector. The sector also employs about 60000 people and also over half a million people depend on this sector for livelihood through trading and fish processing thus thee number of fish processing plants should be increased. 2. TOURISM SECTOR: The service sector of Kenya contributes 63% of Growth Domestic Product and it’s mainly tourism industry which is the country’s principal source of foreign exchange thus the government. The tourism industry along with the government has to take steps to address the security problem and to reverse negative publicity especially after the post-Election Violence of 2007 following disputed General Elections. Such steps among others should include establishing a tourist police and launching marketing campaigns in key tourist origin markets. Former minister of Tourism Najib Balala ran such campaigns in CNN. 3. ENERGY SECTOR: The energy sector an important sector to drive the smooth growth of the economy hence there is need for the Government to put up measures that would help the sector to grow thereby, contributing to the growth of the economy as the sector is depended on by manufacturing and industrial sector and also the agricultural sector. There exists limited power generation and transmission capacity in the country. This is caused by lack of adequate investment in power systems and infrastructure development. This combined with rapid economic growth, new customer connections and unreliable rainfall patterns have caused the current electricity shortage in Kenya. Though Kenya is not natural resource endowed, the natural resources the country can boast of for energy generation are small hydro, geothermal, coal, biogas, tidal waves, solar, wind and recently the oil exploration in Turkana. The government needs to invest heavily in the energy sector so that there is no over reliance on Hydro power. The government should implement a policy to attract private sector investments in the energy sector i.e. the Kenya Private Sector Power Generation Support Project. In doing so it will boost economic growth and in job creation. 4. INDUSTRY AND MANUFACTURING SECTOR: Kenya boast of being the industrialized country in East Africa, the manufacturing sector contributes to about 15% of Growth domestic Product, this percentage doesn’t as the manufacturing sector is hampered by high energy costs, shortages of hydro telemetric power, poor infrastructure and counterfeits products i.e. cheap imports. Industrial and manufacturing sector has become increasingly significant to Kenya economy due to increased urbanization. Most industrial plants are located in urbanized towns which has led to the reason Kenya has three cities i.e. Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu; they include food-processing industries such as grain milling, beer production, and sugarcane crushing. These plants contribute significantly to national income as well as generate employment. Also the oil refinery which processes imported crude petroleum into petroleum products, mainly for the domestic market. In addition, a substantial and expanding informal sector engages in small-scale manufacturing of household goods, motor-vehicle parts, and farm implements. 5. FINANCIAL SECTOR AND BANKING: Kenya is East and Central Africas hub for financial services. Most of the banking institution and other financial services firms are located in the urban centres as it is considered that urban people have higher income which is not the case, thus innovation and opening of banking sectors should be put in place in rural areas. Such innovations includes mobile banking which where now rural populations have daily access to financial services as most people now own mobile handsets. MPESA is the widely used mobile banking, it is estimated that MPESA has given access financial services to about 75% of the people. Government thus needs to encourage other mobile money transfers such as Tangaza, Yu cash, and Airtel money. In doing so it will create a competitive environment and thus many people will get access to the financial services. The Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) ranks fourth in Africa in terms of Market capitalization. Stock markets provide market liquidity that enables implementation of long term projects with long term payoffs thereby promoting a country’s economic growth. Moreover, efficient capital markets not only avail resources to investors, they also facilitate inflow of foreign financial resources into the domestic economy. Government needs to institute reforms in the financial sector as capital market development is an important component of financial sector development and supplements the role of the banking system in economic development. Capital markets assists in price discovery, liquidity provision, reduction in transactions costs, and risk transfer.