Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Stacked Modifiers in Grammar
In English grammar, stacking refers to the piling up of modifiers before a noun. Also calledà stacked modifiers, jammed modifiers, long adjectival phrase, and brick sentence. Because clarity may be sacrificed for conciseness (as in the first example below), stacked modifiers are often considered a stylistic fault, especially in technical writing. But when used deliberately to create the effect of being overwhelmed (as in the second example), stacking can be an effective technique. Examples and Observations Ineffective:The board also gave third reading to a Foothills Boulevard Landfill gas emission reduction credits transfer contract authorization bylaw.(from the Prince George Citizen [British Columbia], quoted by The New Yorker, June 27, 2011)Effective:If youre unfamiliar with the joy of Mà ©nià ¨res (and I hope you are), imagine a floor-warping, ceiling-spinning, brain-churning, think-youre-gonna-die-and-afraid-you-might-not hangover and multiply that times the aftermath of a power outage at the all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. Thats Mà ©nià ¨res.(Kristin Chenoweth, A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages. Touchstone, 2009) Varieties of Stacked Phrases Stacked phrases range all the way from supposedly simple combinations like the then district attorney to complex combinations like the Halloween-night multiple-gunshot killing of a 30-year-old woman. The then district attorney is presumably a person who was district attorney at that time, and the murder must have occurred on Halloween night when someone shot a 30-year-old woman several times. Newswriters who adopt this technique sacrifice clarity and may not save time. . . . Concise prepositional phrases and subordinate clauses are usually more neutral.(R.K. Ravindran, Handbook of Radio, TV and Broadcast Journalism. Anmol, 2007) Using Short Words to Break up Word Strings Nouns can legitimately modify other nouns but long strings of modifiers (nouns, or nouns and adjectives) are often difficult to understand. Non-specialists may find phrases such as: a steroid-induced GABA channel burst duration prolongation completely impenetrable. Insert verbs or prepositions between groups of three (or at most four) nouns, or nouns plus adjectives, as in: a steroid-induced prolongation of the burst duration of GABA-activated channels. In sentences with too many abstract nouns, of and the may be redundant . . . but in word strings, you may need to insert these short words to make your writing clearer and more precise.(Maeve OConnor, Writing Successfully in Science. E FN Spon, 1991) Unstacking for Clarity Stacked modifiers are strings of modifiers preceding nouns that make writing unclear and difficult to read. Your staffing-level authorization reassessment plan should result in a major improvement. The noun plan is preceded by three long modifiers, a string that forces the reader to slow down to interpret its meaning. Stacked modifiers are often the result of an overuse of buzzwords or jargon. See how breaking up the stacked modifiers makes the example easier to read: Your plan for reassessing the staffing-level authorizations should result in a major improvement. (Gerald J. Alred, Charles T. Brusaw, and Walter E. Oliu, Handbook of Technical Writing. Bedford/St. Martins, 2006) Warning Be careful of stacked modifiers (adjectives and adverbs). . . . Be especially careful of cases in which the first descriptor could modify either the second descriptor or the noun. For example, what exactly is a buried cable engineer? (And how does one breathe?)(Edmond H. Weiss, 100 Writing Remedies. Greenwood, 1990)
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Baseball Is A Difficult Sport For Play All Around
Jonah Burks Miss Roth English 1-2 21 March 2017 Baseball Success Baseball is a difficult sport to play all around. Not that all sports are easy but baseball has itââ¬â¢s own unique difficulties. For one the process to get to the major leagues is a long difficult road. A lot of different things can affect your success. There are a few factors that cause a player to make it far in this career. The three different factors that cause baseball players make it to the MLB include, hard work and determination, physical strength and natural skill as well as, making it to and playing well in the minor leagues The first reason baseball players make it to the MLB is hard work and determination. Hard work tops everything else. If a player is not thatâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦When athletes play baseball their body needs to be in top physical condition. According to the article on bleacher report.com, ââ¬Å"Last offseason, Bryce Harper would wake up at 4:50 a.m. four times a week and would be lifting weights by 5:30 a.m., according to James Wagner of The Washington Post. The left fielder s workouts would run between 90 minutes and two hours, and there was no time to rest in between setsâ⬠(Buscheck n.p.) This article shows just how much strength matters. If Bryce Harper, a major league player thinks that he should be working out and getting stronger, then someone who has not made it to the highest level yet should be working just as hard or harder to become stronger. Players also need to be fast if they want to play in the major leagues. Speed is extremely important when it comes to running the bases or going for a ball in the field. The average times for players in the major leagues, according to this article, for the sixty yard run are: ââ¬Å"6.89 seconds for outfielders, 6.97 seconds for infield, and 7.09 seconds for catchers. Pitchers were not tested.â⬠(Coleman 1). So if a player wanted to make it far, their goal according to their position should be faster than these numbers, because these numbers are averages, and a player should always want to be above average. Even though the pitchers were not tested for their speed, as a pitcher players should try and be at least faster than their catcher. So when players go to work out they shouldShow MoreRelatedDifferences Between Football And Sports1200 Words à |à 5 PagesFootball is a sport that is highly regarded all around the globe. The sport has immense popularity where the UEFA Champions League final attracts an estimated of 350 million viewers each year]. Football has had great success globally whe re there is an estimated of 250 million Football players worldwide]. Despite the sportââ¬â¢s tremendous influence and popularity, various countries have found it difficult to integrate Football as a regularly played sport, and two notable countries are the United StatesRead MoreSimilarities And Differences Between Baseball And Softball784 Words à |à 4 PagesBaseball and softball are both competitive sports that have been around for many years. Baseball was invented in 1839 and softball followed in 1887. While both sports are similar, the differences over ride the battle. People see the difference between softball and baseball when both sports comes down to mechanics and visual things, but what they do not see is the difference in the players emotions. In these sports, both runners can steal bases and are allowed to run on the dropped third strikeRead MoreBaseball : The Origin Of Baseball Essay1336 Words à |à 6 PagesThe Origin Of Baseball With upwards of ten million people participating in the sport of baseball in the United States alone, it is apparent that baseball is one of the worldââ¬â¢s most popular sports. Throughout the years, the sport of baseball has evolved from a humble game played on empty sandlots to ââ¬Å"Americaââ¬â¢s national pastime.â⬠The game has come a long way, but how did this game come to be? Everything has its humble beginnings, and baseball is no different. Games that resemble baseball have been aroundRead MoreBiography of George Herman Essay examples966 Words à |à 4 Pageswhen one thinks of Baseball, the first name that pops up is Babe Ruth. His accomplishments in the sport of baseball revamped how the world viewed baseball. Babeââ¬â¢s greatest strength greatest in baseball was his slugging power, which intimidated pitchers because if given the chance, he was gonna hit that ball out of the park. His slugging power and pitching made him unique and a star attraction for b aseball fans around the world. This new found excitement for Americaââ¬â¢s sport was very importantRead MoreHow Jackie Robinson Changed Baseball. Jackie Robinson Story1611 Words à |à 7 PagesHow Jackie Robinson changed baseball Jackie Robinson story is single handedly one of the most inspirational stories about battling segregation laws, and racism. He not only was one of the best baseball players of his time, but he had to play baseball while being the most hated man in the league because of his skin color. Jackie was the first black man to play baseball in a white league for the Brooklyn Dodgers, in 1946 (source 1), he took a very big leap of faith getting himself into that leagueRead MoreBaseball Is The Hardest Sport Essay1470 Words à |à 6 PagesBaseball is the Hardest Sport All sports in some ways are difficult. No two sports are exactly the same with the same struggles. Playing baseball is the most difficult due to the physical and mental challenges that are performed by the athletes. Baseball is not a sport that any athlete can just pick up and play. Professional baseball players have a season with 162 games before post season. Baseball players arent the biggest, the strongest, or the fastest. A baseball player can be any size andRead MoreEssay on Children and Sports: A Beginning to Something Great?1348 Words à |à 6 PagesTodayââ¬â¢s children participate in all kinds of activities. A sport is the biggest and the best way for children to gain the skills necessary to succeed in life as responsible citizens and adults. Skills are taught that are needed to be healthy and happy, but do these positive skills outweigh the negative effects children could suffer? Children and Sports: A Beginning to Something Great? In todayââ¬â¢s world some parents push their children to extreme measures in sports, and some parents have absolutelyRead MoreWhy Do You Want For A Diamond Darling And What Past Experiences Qualify You1119 Words à |à 5 Pagesthe baseball team and growing as friends, I knew it was somewhere I wanted to be. I grew up in a small town that was very baseball oriented. Everyone in Farmington lived and breathed baseball, as did my family. I played softball for 5 years and both of my brothers dedicated their time to the sport. The best way to show how dedicated the town was, my youngest brother Coby was actually playing on three different teams when we was nine years old. Besides a town that loves to play the sport, FarmingtonRead MoreJackie Robinson s Influence On Baseball And America1392 Words à |à 6 PagesRobinsonââ¬â¢s Influence in Baseball and America Baseball has been known as Americaââ¬â¢s great sport since the 1920ââ¬â¢s. Many people love to watch the games and create their own fantasy teams because they look up to the wide, diverse players on each team. Every team consists of males of different races and this helps bring culture into the great game. Having such a big diversity in one sport makes it easier for more people to enjoy because there is something in it for every person. However, baseball has not alwaysRead MoreBaseball Is A Sport Of Baseball888 Words à |à 4 Pagesââ¬Å"There are only two seasons, winter and baseballâ⬠(Veeck). For most people, baseball is a way of life, not just a sport they play or watch. The history of baseball goes all the way back to the 1800s, and is a sport played in many countries around the world. Baseball is one of Americaââ¬â¢s most popular sports, and it would not be called Americaââ¬â¢s Pastime if it wasnââ¬â¢t. The rules of baseball might be simple to grasp, but the game in itself is very difficult. Baseball has history that cannot be forgotten
Monday, December 9, 2019
Procurement Outsourcing Strategies Management â⬠Free Samples
Question: Discuss About The Procurement Outsourcing Strategies Management? Answer: Introducation Based on the facts coming up from the analysis of functionality of Wonderful Widgets, the best procurement strategy that would be aligned with the needs of the company is Minimising Total Landing Cost. The component is a functional product, and it is evident that profit impact and supply risk are low. The company can, therefore, be assisted in bringing about a reduction in the overall operational costs. Wonderful widgets can be best served if outsourcing is done and this strategy is used. The company has the ability to produce the component in an internal process. However, this might add to the operational costs as a result of variable and fixed costs related to production. Since the company does not consider a competitive advantage, the value placed on the component and clockspeed, the idea of outsourcing through this methods would be justified. According to Gollenia, the recent years have witnessed markets becoming highly global in nature. Increased competition among the companies has been a driving force behind companies coming up with efficient and cost-effective supply chain strategies and production methods. Using the procurement strategies, companies can solve a number of tactical, strategic and operational issues. For finding the lowest total landed cost, Wonderful Widgets needs to consider strategies for thining the supply chain as an array of discrete functions. The goal would be to reduce the cost of that as a whole. The approach would be out-of-the-box. Implementation Once the strategic approach is conceived for lowring the total landed cost; the next step would be to model it. This can be done with the help of spreadsheets, which are cumbersome. Modelling software is usually expensive, and the learning curve is steep. Therefore outsourcing the model development would be a good idea. An expert in supply chain design and operations would be useful. It would be advantageous not to model a pre-conceived solution and then wait for the results. Comparing outsourcing sources between different countries, or parts of the same country is imperative. This would test and quantify the trade-offs between a shorter chain that is less inventory but having higher unit costs, and a longer chain that is more inventory but having lesser unit costs. The models quality would depend on the quality and quantity of the data. Models can also be time-dependent; so this factor needs to be considered. With a proper model at disposal, and a focus on total landed cost reductio n, the supply chain would surely witness a significant change. The challenging aspect of the scenario completed is the shortage of time needed for bringing about the required change. It had been decided upon that the change in outsourcing practice had to be brought about within the quarter of the year as evaluation would be done on a quarterly basis. Strategic alliances have a significant impact on procurement outsourcing strategies. There are a number of advantages gained by the company considering outsourcing in relation to the economy. The first advantage is economies of scale (EOS). Orders allow suppliers, with whom strategic alliance has been made, to take advantages of EOS and consequently reduce manufacturing costs. Reduced capital investment and focus on core competencies are the other positive impact. Lastly, increased flexibility is a feature of alliances that can be formed with different companies as desirable (Erasmus et al.). References Erasmus, Barney, Johan Wilhelm Strydom, and Sharon Rudansky-Kloppers.Introduction to business management. Oxford University Press Southern Africa, 2016. Gollenia, Lars Alexander.Business transformation management methodology. Routledge, 2016.
Sunday, December 1, 2019
Motivation and Teamwork in an Organisation Ritz free essay sample
Introduction Motivation is a factor that enables an individual to pursue towards achieving his goals or aims. Motivation is required for every individual to be driven towards acquiring his needs. In organizations the motivational factor plays a very important role in driving people towards fulfilling the assigned task and developing oneself to gain more knowledge and enhance skills. Motivation is a necessity of an employ and the requirement of the employee, it is more or less a give and take relation between manager and his sub-ordinates, for example, the manager assigns an employ to fulfill an important task this way he is delegating higher responsibility to the employ. In order to complete that task the employ goes out of his way to achieve the temporary goal during this course of effect he gains several other skills. In the given example simultaneously two things are occurring, the development of the employ and motivation of the employ, which is attained by the satisfaction that the employ was considered worthy enough to fulfill such an important task, thus driving him to work harder and achieve skills which will eventually develop him as an individual. We will write a custom essay sample on Motivation and Teamwork in an Organisation Ritz or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Team work is the effort that two or more individuals put in to an action to achieve a common goal. In organizations people come from various walks of life, they work together in order to fulfill their personal goals but these personal goals can only be achieved if the organization is doing well. In order to accomplish the goals of the company these individuals of the organizations need to work together and come up with efficient ways to accomplish the completion of their work. Itââ¬â¢s a general fact that every team needs to be guided by a leader; in this scenario a leader should have several traits and abilities. One of the important ability of a leader should be to motivate his team members and keep them energized at all times. 2. 1 Ritz Calrton Ritz Carlton is one amongst the oldest five star hotel chains around the globe. They are situated all over the globe. Their services have been recognized at almost all occasions that could possibly relate to the hospitality industry. It is standing tall by receiving the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The Carlton company Maintains its firm ground by following their age old footprints. Since Carlton existed for a very long time, through the years they have learnt a lot and the basic necessities for running a hospitality setting has been put together to form their gold standards. Their gold standards fall into several steps which are as follows: The credo, motto, three steps of service, service value and The Employee promise. The Gold standards are the base line for their every day workouts that they conduct throughout the world. The Carlton Understands clearly that their service that is provided by them to the customers is their core competency, well aware of the fact that the company employees are the people who can deliver the best and the worst hence they convey their values clearly straight from top to bottom of the hierarchy. The credo The main aim of the Carlton is to create an ambiance for the guests where they feel cared about and are paid attention to. The Carlton promises to serve their customers with the most comfortable stay with them and unquestionable services along with lavish and never forgetting experience. The concentration over the preferences of the customers has been so much that the guests will desire to be at Carlton at every possible occasion that they receive. This shows Carltonââ¬â¢s immense contribution towards providing the best services to their guests and also making stringent efforts to retain them as well. The Motto The motto of the company explains the main mission of the company. The Ritz Motto says ââ¬Å"we are ladies and gentlemen serving Ladies and gentle menâ⬠this clearly shows that the company pays absolute respect and is very humble to their guests. Not alone the guests but it clearly shows how it equally values its employs. This equality and respect that is given to the employs makes the employ work with a free mind and motivates them to work together as a team to provide the stated atmosphere for its guests. Three steps of service These are the steps that the people at Carlton consider first and foremost. The steps include greeting and bidding farewell to their guests with full respect and making sure that they have a good stay with Carlton. Service Values The Service values explain a lot about how the employs at Carlton conduct themselves and present themselves to stand firmly considering themselves as Carlton. Among the long list of Values that the company follows some of them are: Building strong relations with their visitors and making sure they are retained for as long as itââ¬â¢s possible. Providing best services for the customers, which are cherished by the visitors not as service but as memories. Every individual in the company is aware of his responsibility, and knows what commitments he needs to fulfill in order to achieve the key success factors. The workers at Ritz are given every chance to develop and grow their skills and talent. The Ritz staff and management are proud of what they dress like and present themselves with dignity. One of the most important Values that Carlton carries is as quoted ââ¬Å"I create a work environment of teamwork and lateral service so that the needs of our guests and each other are met. The intense hard work and dedication of the employs towards their guest can be achieved only if they are willing to do so, this willingness will only generate if they are motivated enough and their work environment helps them in flourishing while doing so. The Employee Promise The employee promise states how important their staff is to them. There are various things that Ritz considers important to do for their employs in order to satisfy them and keep them m otivated towards their work. First and foremost they treat their employs with complete respect, this was observed in their motto as well. Secondly, principles such as trust, integrity and commitment are applied. The Ritz believes in feeding their employs with knowledge and opportunity to learn so that their talent can increase and help them prosper individually as well as help the organization to prosper using the talent. Social Responsibility Ritz Carlton not only exists as a company but its presence is also felt in its social environment. It does take good care of its guests and employs but pays attention to its social environment also. The company is guided by principles such as Engage, Contribute and Inspire. It considers the well fare of its community by motivating its employs to give back to the community. This shows us that the employs are satisfied with the kind of attention and care they get from the company only then the employs would come together towards carrying out such campaigns out of their work schedule. 2. 2 Hilton Hilton saves the third place on the world hotel group ranking (MKG Group, 2010). Hilton Group believes in welcoming its guests and making their stay with them an exceptional experience. They aim to serve their guests, team members, and owners alike. The treatment that they give to the three main sectors of their company is remarkable. They contain 10 brands and 3750 hotels operating under them. The company has half a million staff members around the globe, still communicating and transferring their thoughts and vision to everyone setting a common mind set. The president and CEO Mr. Nassetta of Hilton emphasizes that he and his team collectively bring 120 years of experience to the brand. This and several other instances prove that he places his team along with him crediting all equally for the success of the brand. He claims to have a good communication system with all his employs even overseas. He believes in staying in close touch with his employs and appreciating efforts makes the employs reflect the kind of expected humble behavior in the companiesââ¬â¢ services. Vision The Vision of Hilton is ââ¬Å"to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitalityâ⬠. The vision of the company enlightens their concern over the hospitality. They emphasize more on the service content of their organization. Hilton being at the top has proved throughout the year that they can adapt to the changing needs of the customer preferences. Mision The companyââ¬â¢s mission focuses on being the most respected and dignified hospitality service. The desire to be the first choice of all customers has driven them to the success that they have achieved today. Team members and owners have been treated alike and given equal importance for them to dwell. The preference that team members get makes them feel important and helps them to motivate themselves in order to prosper. Values The Hilton has their set of values just like Ritz does. They have derived their values out of their name where every alphabet in their name stands for a value that they are concerned about. The values show how they categorize their priority. Hospitality Hilton immensely takes care of their guests needs and tries to predict them rather than wait for them to request for a necessity to be fulfilled. Keeping a track of their customer needs and meeting with their requirements help Hilton to satisfy their self esteem and creating visitors stay into an experience. Integrity The company believes in doing everything right and conducting themselves with the right approach towards taking the correct decision. Leadership The company contains a mindset that it considers itself as a leader in the hospitality industry and also works towards leading in the community. They maintain their leader attitude to keep the team working along with it towards its goals and motives. Teamwork The company drives themselves to work as a team and achieving all their goals as a team. Ownership The company feeds its team with a sense of responsibility by giving every individual the ownership of their actions and deeds. Now The company values the urgency and need of their guests with full discipline. Ritz Carlton and employee interaction Ritz Carlton believes that every individual in its organization has a lot to give to the company so it takes care of its employs to satisfy their needs and keep them motivated. They indulge in securing their rights and seek respectful returns from the employs in the form of dedication. The Ritz has been elected as the most prominent employer in Asia several times (Arthur Yeung). As reported by Mark DeCocinis, their efforts have been varying along the time once they received a positive reaction they maintained their consistency leading them to keep a steady pace in receiving positive feedback from their guests. The people in the organization serving the company are the most important priority of the management. They tend to keep their promise to their employees and making sure that their actions are keeping uo with those promises on a daily basis. The company keeps in mind that trusting the employs can help them develop as an individual. Company tries to provide the employs with a happy working environment and maintains this every day. From the initial selection process of the company the employs are fed with the companies work culture enabling them to understand the philosophy of the company. The previously mentioned values of Ritz Carlton are explained to the new employs by different levels of the company from HR to MD. The company emphasizes on motivating their employs, one of the main steps that they conduct are the thirty day training program, the employs are assisted by a certified trainer. The company believes in developing their staff and helping them grow helps them to maintain the motivating factor throughout the tenure of an employ with Ritz Carlton.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Self-Published is not a Dirty Word
Self-Published is not a Dirty Word Self-Published is not a Dirty Word Self-Published is not a Dirty Word By Maeve Maddox In the old days, publishing companies that catered to writers who were willing to pay to have their books printed were called Vanity Presses. Family historians aside, writers who paid to publish were assumed to have failed in selling their work to a real publisher because it wasnt good enough, but they were determined to see their words in print anyway; hence the word vanity. This perception has changed along with the publishing industry. Diversity suffered when the little houses were gobbled up by the big ones. Todays conglomerates are unwilling to buy a book unless they feel it will generate a huge readership. As a result, many books that would appeal to a significant number of readers are rejected because the house doesnt think theyll appeal to a large enough audience. William P. Youngs book is a case in point. Youngs novel The Shack has been on the NY Times best seller list since June. He wrote the book as a Christmas gift for his family. They passed it around and friends urged him to publish it. One of the friends, Brad Cummings, says that Christian publishers turned it down because it was too edgy, and secular publishers turned it down because it was too Jesus-y. The book didnt fit publishers guidelines, but it has certainly hit the spot with readers. Sales of The Shack have passed the million mark and show no sign of abating. Books that sell a million copies, no matter who publishes them, are rare. According to one estimate, a major publisher considers a book a success if it sells 20,000 copies, whereas a smaller publisher might be happy with sales of 7,500 copies. Writers who make the decision to self-publish need to know what theyre getting into. Theyll have to be managers and marketers as well as writers. Theyll have to watch out for publishing scams that prey on the inexperienced. Self-publishing isnt for everyone, but it is valid way to get your book into circulation. At the least, an energetic marketer can expect to cover expenses and earn a modest profit. And theres always the possibility that the book may grab the attention of a larger public. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Definitely use "the" or "a"List of 50 Great Word Games for Kids and AdultsRite, Write, Right, Wright
Saturday, November 23, 2019
How to write brand names - Emphasis
How to write brand names How to write brand names Brand identity is important to business, and having a brand name with impact is a big part of that. But when the name breaks the standard rules of English in its efforts to achieve that, it can present writers with a challenge. In many cases, the company itself will take a pragmatic approach. For example, Twitter spells its name with a lower-case t in its logo, but upper case in text. We do the same at Emphasis. But what do you do if the company consistently describes itself in non-standard English? Take insurance companies MORE THN and LV=, retail consultancy him! or the supermarket ASDA, for example. If youââ¬â¢re writing about ASDA and you need to refer to ASDA several times in a paragraph, the block capitals in the word ASDA can soon appear to shout at the reader and drown out the rest of the text on the page (like they do here). So should you prioritise the brandââ¬â¢s preferences or the readability of your documents? You need a house style If you donââ¬â¢t already have a house style and youââ¬â¢re starting from scratch, there are two broad approaches you can take. 1. Write the brand name exactly as the company does. You may wish to do this if the company is a client or partner, or if they have expressed a strong preference for the format of their name and you donââ¬â¢t want to upset them. Also, as rules go, itââ¬â¢s certainly the simplest to follow. 2. Bring the brand name in line with standard English. If your priority is literacy and ease of reading, or if you found yourself wincing at the third paragraph of this article, you may wish to take this approach. Itââ¬â¢s OK to make small changes to the format of the brand name, so long as it is still clearly recognisable. If you decide to go with the second option, the rest of this article will take you through the areas youââ¬â¢ll need to consider. This may also be helpful if you already have a house style but it doesnââ¬â¢t tell you how to deal with the brand names mentioned above. In each case, weââ¬â¢ve made a recommendation, but it is only that ââ¬â you may decide differently. Punctuation marks Some brand names, such as Yahoo! Which? and him! include a punctuation mark, which can be problematic ââ¬â and not only because Word automatically capitalises the following word, thinking that you must be starting a new sentence. For a start, exclamation marks are generally frowned upon in formal writing, even when used correctly. So ending a sentence with ââ¬Ëaccording to Yahoo!.ââ¬â¢ looks doubly strange when combined with the extra punctuation. And an exclamation mark in the middle of a sentence, such as ââ¬ËYahoo! has filed applications for two patentsââ¬â¢, can feel disruptive. Many publications (the Guardian, the Sunday Times, the BBC) choose to omit the exclamation mark and simply write Yahoo. Others (the Times, the Telegraph) choose to retain it. Verdict: Yahoo ââ¬â itââ¬â¢s still instantly recognisable. Even more difficult is him!, with its lower-cased h, which can leave writers wrangling with sentences such as: ââ¬ËThe price-marked pack has been a source of confusion within the industry, according to him!.ââ¬â¢ (Who is à ââ¬Ëhimââ¬â¢?, asks the reader.) For clarity, itââ¬â¢s necessary to add ââ¬Ëretail consultancyââ¬â¢ before ââ¬Ëhim!ââ¬â¢, but even then youââ¬â¢re still left with the awkward punctuation. him! told us that their brand name should always be written with the exclamation mark, and ââ¬Ëalways be lower case even at the start of a sentenceââ¬â¢ (like this sentence, for example, which we wrote in agony). However, they admitted that many publications refused to follow these guidelines. Verdict: Him ââ¬â him! is too confusing. The consumer magazine Which? throws up similar questions. In fact, it sometimes throws up extra questions where you donââ¬â¢t want them. ââ¬ËThis research was compiled by Which?ââ¬â¢, or ââ¬ËWhich one performed best in the Which? test lab?ââ¬â¢, for example. Which? told us: à ââ¬ËOur policy is to always include the question mark. We havenââ¬â¢t produced any guidance for the press, instead relying on our own presentational material to set the example. à We would encourage anyone whoââ¬â¢s tempted to end a sentence with the word Which? to rewrite their sentence. Strange though the question mark may be, lopping it off also causes problems. à ââ¬ËThis research was compiled by à Whichââ¬â¢ and ââ¬ËWhich one performed best in the à Which test lab?ââ¬â¢ could be confusing, especially if your style is to write the names of publications without using italics. Verdict: Which? ââ¬â the question mark is vital to understanding the brand name. Non-alphabet characters There are certain non-alphabetical characters that donââ¬â¢t trouble the reader at all. For example, Marks Spencer looks more natural than Marks and Spencer, as we are so used to seeing it in the high street and on TV. Even for a non-British readership, the ampersand is so widely used that itââ¬â¢s unlikely to jar. The same canââ¬â¢t be said, however, for MORE THN or LV=, which are unsettling to the eye, not to mention a pain to type. A à MORE THN spokeswoman told us: à ââ¬ËMORE THN à should always be presented in this way and not re-formatted to More Thanââ¬â¢, à but we think thatââ¬â¢s asking quite a lot. The Guardianââ¬â¢s style guide takes a zero-tolerance approach to à MORE THN, reading simply à ââ¬ËMore Than ââ¬â not MORE THN, which is how the insurance arm of Royal Sun Alliance styles itselfââ¬â¢. When it comes to LV=, however, most publications retain the à ââ¬Ëequalsââ¬â¢ à sign, because the company name is pronounced à ââ¬Ë à LV equalsââ¬â¢ à (whereas the in à MORE THN is, thankfully, silent). Verdict: Marks Spencer, More Than, LV=. Stop SHOUTING There is a generally accepted rule for writing acronyms (a set of initials pronounced as a word) and initialisms (a set of initials pronounced as letters). Acronyms are written with the first letter capitalised, for example Unicef and Nasa, while initialisms are capitalised all the way through, for example IBM and BBC. However, some companies would have us write their names all in capital letters, even if they donââ¬â¢t actually stand for anything. For example, ASDA (a portmanteau of Asquith and Dairies), ASUS, GIGABYTE and UNISON, all of which are pronounced as words, not letters. Of course, they like this format because it makes them stand out. But unless youââ¬â¢re writing something with the aim of actively promoting that brand, thereââ¬â¢s no reason why the brand name should stand out more than the other words in the document, which are equally important. Verdict: Asda, Asus, Gigabyte and Unison. As a general rule, if you can pronounce it as a word, only capitalise the first letter. If you pronounce every letter, capitalise them all. And then thereââ¬â¢s Apple, with their fondness for putting a lower-case i in front of everything. However, iPad, iPod and iMac are now so widely recognised that to replace them with Ipad, Ipod and Imac would be pointlessly awkward. Verdict: iPad, iPod, iMac ââ¬â but try to avoid putting them at the start of a sentence. When nouns become verbs In 2006, Google tried to stop media organisations using their name as a verb. A spokesman said at the time: ââ¬ËWe think its important to make the distinction between using the word Google to describe using Google to search the internet, and using the word Google to describe searching the internet. It has some serious trademark issues.ââ¬â¢ However, like Hoover before them, Google have largely failed in their mission to prevent their name from being genericised. The use of ââ¬Ëto googleââ¬â¢ as a verb with a lower-cased g has caught on and even entered both the Oxford and Collins dictionaries. Verdict: Google for the noun, google as a verb. But if you use a search engine other than Google, consider using ââ¬Ësearch the internetââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëdo an internet searchââ¬â¢. Twitter are currently engaged in a smaller battle, over the word ââ¬Ëtweetââ¬â¢, for which they acquired the trademark in October 2011. Though they have never objected to a lower-case t being used for the verb ââ¬Ëto tweetââ¬â¢, they do object to the noun being lower cased. Their guidelines state: ââ¬ËPlease remember to capitalize the T in Twitter and Tweet!ââ¬â¢ However, no one except Twitter itself actually does, and this certainly feels like a fight that has already been lost. Verdict: Twitter, but tweet for both the verb and the noun. Trademarks Lastly, make sure you only use a trademarked brand name when youââ¬â¢re referring to something made by that brand. Do you mean Tetra Pak, or just generic cartons? Is it really a Portakabin, or is it a ââ¬Ëportable cabin-style buildingââ¬â¢ (see this apology)? And if you do decide to tweak the style to make it more readable, make sure you retain the initial capital letter to signal that youre referring to a brand rather than a generic noun (except, of course, in the case of a certain brand of products beginning with i). The Guardianââ¬â¢s style guide sums it up nicely. ââ¬ËTake care: use a generic alternative unless there is a very good reason not to, eg ballpoint pen, not biro (unless it really is a Biro, in which case it takes a cap B); say photocopy rather than Xerox, etc; you will save our lawyers, and those of Portakabin and various other companies, a lot of time and trouble.ââ¬â¢ Why not test your trademark awareness by taking our trademarks quiz? There are 12 questions, and in each case you need to decide whether the word is currently trademarked, was once trademarked or has never been trademarked. In conclusion If itââ¬â¢s an easy life youââ¬â¢re after, and you can stomach block capitals and strange punctuation marks, the simplest rule is to go with what the brand itself does. But youââ¬â¢ll still need to decide whether to follow their logo or how they present their name in official documents, such as company reports, because these arenââ¬â¢t always the same (see Twitter, for example). Or, if youre feeling bold, why not make a stand for legibility and carve out a house style of your own? Do you want to inform, inspire and persuade with your business documents? Our 64-page guide to professional writing, The Write Stuff, will help. Get your free copy here.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) - Research Paper Example Requirements consist of the applicant of court orders to ban advertising systems and payment services from carrying out business with the offending websites and search engines links to sites, and court orders demanding suppliers on the Internet to disallow accessing sites. The bill would expand the criminal law to consist of the unauthorized transmission of copyrighted material, setting a maximum penalty of 5 years imprisonment2. The bill has grave implications for the current structure of the Internet in every sense as it allows the Justice Department and the owners of intellectual property, obtain court orders against those sites or services that allow or facilitate the infringement of alleged copyright, including: Block by ISPs to the website or service in question, including hosting, and even DNS level (although this has been a discussion). Facilitate collection companies on the internet (like PayPal) to freeze funds and restrict the use of the service. Block the sites that provi de advertising services. For example, Google Adsense cannot offer web service complained if this law was to be approved. It should remove links to the web or service reported. The bill declares a criminal offense to unauthorized radio broadcast or other distribution of copyrighted content with the punishing of the guilty with the maximum penalty of imprisonment for a term of 5 years. ... Under the bill, any member of a network on the Internet ââ¬â from service providers, search engines and even the advertisers ââ¬â in fact, require treatment for any owner to stop providing services to the resource, accused of piracy, and to stop any interaction with them (for example, close the channel, pay for content, suspend the ad contract, to limit the effect of the payment system, delete the site from Google to remove links to the site, completely block a site to visit, to prohibit the payment systems (such as PayPal, Visa, etc.) to make payments in favor of services and so on); otherwise, any of the direct and indirect accused of counterparties site will be regarded as his partner. Under the eyes of this new law, merely to get on your wall a picture, document or video that has a copyright will be considered a crime. This bill was welcomed by the entertainment industry in the United States and members of both parties. The funny thing is that this kind of activity is man y times promoted by the entertainment industry itself since they are the same fans who virally promote their favorite artists through social networks. Supporters of the bill argue that it is necessary to maintain profit organizations, employment and intellectual property protection in their respective industries (movies, music, software, etc.), especially states that it will help deal effectively with services outside the U.S. outside their jurisdiction. According to them it provides a protection to the market for intellectual property, employment and income, and need to strengthen enforcement of copyright laws, especially against foreign Web sites. Alleging defects in existing laws do not include foreign sites owned and functioned, and cited examples of "active promotion of the websites
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)