Like alcohol and tobacco drugs should be legalized in america Essay

Like alcohol and tobacco drugs should be legalized in america - Essay Example Drugs should be legalized and this is why. Legalizing drugs would first of all help save many lives. Sometime back alcohol was abhorred in the US to the extent of being banned. The reason given then was that it would be a source of nuisance to society. This did not last long and alcohol was re-legalized. It is worth noting that more good than harm has come from re-legalization of alcohol (Wesley, â€Å"Drug use should be legal in America†). This is because when the drugs are legal, the government will be able to establish regulatory measures as is the case with cigarettes and alcohol. The quantity produced and the selling price can be regulated like they do with alcohol. Drugs would be made following set standards hence manufacturers who make low quality and highly toxic drugs will be driven out of business. The revenue collected in form of taxes from the sale of drugs can be used to provide health services such as rehabilitation of drug addicts. The government will also be able to warn people of harm caused by drugs as it does with alcohol and cigarettes. Anti drug use campaigns can also be funded using the revenues collected. Laws against drug use are the cause of the increasing cases of drug related crimes. Many cities have sections known to be notorious for drug related violence and wars. Rival gangs are known to go to â€Å"war† over drug territories. Persons who also go out to seek drugs are prone to harm. Case in point is some young men who went to buy marijuana from a street gang. In the process of trying to gain the trust of the gang they mistakenly claimed to come from a rival gang. They were immediately stabbed to death as the gang â€Å"protected their territory† (Barnett & Palmer â€Å"Should drug use be legalized?†). If drugs were legal, the youth would have gone to a known legal dealer and bought what they needed. This would have saved their lives. It is the illegality of the drug that encourages the formation of such

Communication excellence using technology in the work place Essay

Communication excellence using technology in the work place - Essay Example For instance, through the communication technology, services such as video conferencing are essential in revolutionizing the workplace Hinchcliffe (2014). Video conferencing allows for activities such as distance online meetings in which the leadership makes plans over their worker and manages its activities. Another role of technology within the workplace is its utilization for the procedures of communication between the workers and customers of the business or organization, as well as, the leadership at the workplace. By using technology for communication, the workplace relations between the customers, workers and leadership receive a significant boost. Thus, technology plays a remarkably essential role in the process of the workplace establishing its relations with the customers. Moreover, with better communication technology in use between the workplace and the customer base, technology facilitates better customer care services in the organization Hinchcliffe (2014). Thus, technology has a role in establishing and improving the customer care service within the workplace for the advantage of the workplace, as well as, the workers dealing directly with clients. Another notable role of technology in the workplace is the aspect of mobility while at work. Technology entails several aspects, which are mobile and allow mobility Hinchcliffe (2014). Such technological services allowing mobility at workplace include the utilization of portable devices such as the smartphones, tablets and laptops among others. These devices allow workers to work even from the comfort of their homes, a factor that influences the mobility within the workplace. This mobility results in improved service delivery as the worker capitalizes on the aspect of time saving. Additionally, the use of technology within the workplace increases the pace of accomplishing tasks. Technology incorporates the aspect of speed a factor that most organizations consider while selecting the

Kevin Mitnick Ethical Issues And Computer Hacking History Philosophy Essay

Kevin Mitnick Ethical Issues And Computer Hacking History Philosophy Essay This report deals in identifying the ethical issues of Kevin Mitnick and his computer hacking history and weather the accusations and they way FBI prosecuted his case were correct or not .Each of the issue raised would further be discussed by using the three ethical theories of Consequence-Based, Duty-Based and Character-Based. Apart from that the general role of a computer professional will also be described later on in this report in terms of using their knowledge and expertise in terms of hacking. Hence this report will be divided into two parts the first part focusing on highlighting the ethical issues and his prosecution and second would deal with the computer professional part. A detail description of his history of hacking is mentioned in the case scenario which will be described later on in the report. Firstly a brief introduction of ethics and its three theories would be discussed which will make it easy to understand and to implement it on the Kevin Mitnick case. Ethics has been described in many ways by different people over the history including same great Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Aristotle, and so on. Greeks mostly defined ethics as the study of what was good for the infidel and the society. The easiest way to describe ethics would be differing and reflecting a human being character in terms of what is good or bad, right or wrong, fair and unfair, responsible or irresponsible. It will lead a human being moral character to be in good conduct. Ethics can also be referred as to what humans are suppose to do if they follow the prescribe standards of right and wrong, which normally would lead him in terms of rights, his benefit to society, his obligations etc. Also ethics and can be referred as studying of moral character of human being and developing it to an ethical standard.[1] Ethics begins when elements within a moral system conflict.[1]  ¿Ã‚ ½Ethics exists in many forms in branches, literatures, eras, traditions. All of them following the root hub of ethics but the form of ethics which is highlighted and followed in our case study for this report are what is called Cyberethics. Cyberethics To understand the meaning of cyberethics a person should be aware of the term Cybertechnology. All the devices used in modern era in the field of cyber space such as hand held devices, personal computers, mainframes, networks and mainly the Internet can be termed as a part of Cybertechnology.  ¿Ã‚ ½Cybertechnology in terms refers to a broad spectrum of technologies that ranges from stand alone computers to the clustered of networked computing, information and communication technologies ¿Ã‚ ½ [2] Different definitions of cyberethics exists mostly dealing with ethical issues with certain type of online activities for e.g. pornography, gambling etc. It can be referred as certain types of laws which are not monitored by the judicial or law governing bodies but from and individual himself which go beyond his moral values which would be something different from cyber law which has to governed and monitored by a governing body.  ¿Ã‚ ½Cyberethics can be defined as the field of applied ethics that examines moral, legal and social issues in the development and use of Cybertechnology ¿Ã‚ ½ [2] Ethical Theories Since this report has to follow certain type of ethical theories in order to identify the ethical issues a brief description of each one of them has been mentioned below. Consequence-Based As the name suggest consequence based theories produces the most desirable outcomes for it member morally. The providing of ultimate standards for consequence of actions against which the moral decisions were evaluated is highlighted in this theory. The goodness or right identified by consequence would be something regarded as Consequence-Based ethical theory which gives some outcome for someone. But whose outcome would be the question here that who should benefit from this outcome? This argument has mostly been provided by some big Utilitarian thinkers such as Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, and Henry Sedgwick etc. The argument provided by them normally follows the theory that an act of some individual or a whole social policy would be acceptable if it ¿Ã‚ ½s providing great benefits for a majority of individuals which would be affected with the given policy or from the provided act by the certain individual. ¿Ã‚ ½Jeremy Bentham states that  ¿Ã‚ ½ People are driven by their interests and their fears, but their interests take precedence over their fears, and their interests are carried out in accordance with how people view the consequences that might be involved with their interests. Happiness on this account is defined as the maximization of pleasure and the minimization of pain ¿Ã‚ ½. [3] This form of ethics mainly explains that whatever happen sand outcome or result is achieved should be in a favor of large number of population rather than that of a certain minority. They should provide happiness to everyone rather than just one person who would be satisfied when a certain kind of act is performed. Duty-Based Duty based Ethical theory is something which gives the concept of Deontology derived from the Greek word Deon which means Duty. The concept of Deontology is the approach in which goodness and right would be achieved by studying the act of an individual or social policy rather than the consequence which its leads too. Immanuel Kant was one of the Deontological thinkers who always criticized Utilitarian thinkers saying that morality must be defined as the duty of an individual to one another rather than consequence which are produced when a certain individual performs a certain type of action. He said happiness is not the concern in terms of morality. He said that it was the motives and goals of a human being which made him to choose right or wrong rather than the consequences. W.D Ross another deontological thinker argument is  ¿Ã‚ ½Utilitarianism seems to simplify unduly our relations to our fellows. It says, in effect, that the only morally significant relation in whom my neighbors stand to me is that of being possible beneficiaries of my action. They do stand in this relation to me, and this relation is morally significant. But they may also stand to me in the relation of promise to promisor, of creditor to debtor, of wife to husband, of fellow countryman to fellow countryman, and the like; and each of these relations is the foundation of aduty ¿Ã‚ ½[4] So in short a Duty-based approach leads us to a conclusion that morality of a human being would be carried out by the acts he perform which would justify if he ¿Ã‚ ½s right or wrong. His Duty toward honesty, Justice, violence etc is what will be regarded his moral duty rather than himself being happy if he tells a lie. Character-Based Character Based theory reject the first two theories which focus on consequence or an act, instead this theory focuses on an individual character and is also mostly known as Virtue Ethics. Its main concerns are with individual ¿Ã‚ ½s moral character and don ¿Ã‚ ½t rely on duties and consequences. It has a very old history which rages back to great Greek philosophers like Aristotle and Plato who argued that each person has to obtain a right virtue since each of us will have a certain virtue in him which will be his strength or excellences which will lead towards a good or bad moral character. Virtue ethics is somewhat which can be called as agent oriented rather the first two which are action oriented or rule oriented. The main question of what a virtue ethics would be follow in a certain type of situation in which he or she has to perform an action and weather the individual has to do it or not instead it would go the other way around seeking the information of what kind of person I should be?.  ¿Ã‚ ½It is only by means of this idea [of virtue] that any judgment as to moral worth or its opposite is possibleEverything good that is not based on a morally good disposition ¿Ã‚ ½is nothing but pretence and glittering misery ¿Ã‚ ½ [5] Background Our case study focuses on a person named Kevin Mitnick who was the first hacker in computer to reach the FBI most wanted listed. He was arrested on Feb 15 1995 by FBI in which he was accused of number of acts which included breaking into computer systems and networks all over the world and altering information which lead the company to invest into new security measures and also for the charge of violations of his terms and conditions on the period of probation for his previous computer crimes. He was caught by the help of a Japanese computer security expert Tsutomo Shimomura whose system is said was hacked by Kevin Mitnick in San Diego Supercomputer Center which made him furious in tracking and helping the FBI. His hacking started in his school days where he got fascinated with computers in a computer class. His passion of technology made him learn quickly and he soon managed to Hack LA public school districts computer. At age of 17 he Hacked into Pacific Bell and altered phone bills. Same year he gain access to information valued at $200,000 for a San Francisco Company. Caught and prosecuted earned him a probation of 6 months. During that period he again hacked into the judge and probation officers and judge phone disconnected and bills accredited. Interestingly the police caught the system has been accessed from outside but nothing showed up in their database. He also hacked into NORAD a missile monitoring company in states. Obviously this one could have had catastrophic effects .In 1988 he was accused of two crimes one of them was of accessing a MCI network for long distance call and second stealing a computer system which caused damaged of up to $4 million for a company. For this reason the judge decided to put him on jail without bail. During his bail attempts prosecutors presented evidence of him breaking into National Security Agency computers and also that a false story being printed that a bank lost $400 million in first quarter of that year. This happened just after 4 days when Mitnick was denied a job in that bank. Finally Mitnick pleaded guilty and was sentenced to jail for 18 months and 3 years of probation. In 1992 FBI suspected him of hacking into Pacific Bell of which evidence was found later on which made Mitnick flee from FBI. Evidence of altering driving license record to set up a false identity was retrieved. In this period the police came up to very close encounters of arresting him but Kevin always managed to move on. Finally being found and arrested in 1995 was charged with various new crimes and violation of his parole. He was Denied bail and it was ensured that there was no equipment of computers handed to him in jail so he could commit more crime. Phone calls were closely monitored and in 1997 Mitnick pleaded guilty and was sentenced to jail for 22 months for charges of accessing phone system in order to get free long distance calls and then a 3 years probation period in which he would stay away from anything  ¿Ã‚ ½Hi-tech ¿Ã‚ ½ Most of his crimes still remain unsolved and he was released in January 2000 and expiration of probation in 2003. [6][7][8] Ethical Issues The ethical issues for the given case study and their discussion from the above discussed theory are highlighted and discussed below. * Hacking into a number of companies and accessing their computer networks and gaining access to unauthorized files or data. Was it ethical to gain access of such files or data or merely breaking into a computer network? Applying the consequence based approached breaking into a computer network or gaining access to secure files only benefited Mitnick and no one else. According to utilitarianism the majority must gain happiness on the base of a consequence but in this case it Kevin himself who gained happiness and not the majority hence this act would be regarded as wrong for Kevin that it was not ethical for him to gain or break into a computer network The duty based approach and deontology theory would easily say it ¿Ã‚ ½s wrong. By his acts it can concluded that is not right to gain access to another computer networks. That is stated in the ten commandments of ethics as well which was defined in 1992.All Company would have secure files and data and would not be wanted to breached by an outsider. Hence it was completely wrong by Mitnick to do so. Character Based approach in Kevin ¿Ã‚ ½s case would want him to break into computer networks for his passion of technology and the sake of fun. His thirst for knowledge still exists and breaking into these computers made him gain more knowledge which was more fun for him. But morally this was wrong. By virtue ethics he should have chosen the right path rather then this wrong path. Hence it was still unethical for him to break into computers. * In his hacking history Kevin never gained any financial outcome but instead he did it for the sake of challenge or sometimes to extract revenge on people .So was it ethical to do so and to take such challenges or seek revenge from people? Consequence based theory would again say  ¿Ã‚ ½No ¿Ã‚ ½ in this case merely of the fact that extracting revenge from some people or winning a challenge to prove your ability would just be beneficial for Kevin himself which in this case would be a minor individual and will be happy himself only. The majority of people would not be happy from this outcome. Duty based approach would say seeking revenge or damaging or doing unauthorized things of which you ¿Ã‚ ½re not authorized to do would again lead to  ¿Ã‚ ½NO ¿Ã‚ ½. Mitnick was not supposed to do it since it not an act which an individual is suppose to do. Character-based or virtue ethics justifies to pick good habits of your moral character and leave the odd one behind to be a good human being and in this case doing good for yourself by causing harm to others isn ¿Ã‚ ½t something good for and individual characters and in this case Kevin Mitnick. * Hacking into his school district computer system and Pacific Bell for altering Phone Bills. Was it ethically right for him at age 17 to break into a computer of his school and in pacific bell to alter phone bills? Consequence approach would again say NO since he did it for himself again in this case .The Benefit of this hack was for his own good and not for anyone else. Especially the alteration of phone bills is going to create losses for the phone company which might turn up into large numbers as well. So it was completely wrong in doing so. Duty Based approach applied on this issue would again lead to the conclusion of  ¿Ã‚ ½No ¿Ã‚ ½ since there is no act or policy which would suggest Kevin to break into school system or into phone company to alter his phone bills. Based on the outcome of his acts he was totally wrong in do so again. Character Based approach would again lead to the fact that morally as an individual he knew it was wrong in doing so but again he preferred to adopt his bad habit in this case which was again wrong and lead to such an outcome hence it ¿Ã‚ ½s a  ¿Ã‚ ½No ¿Ã‚ ½ again. * Being on probation for his conviction Mitnick got his parole officers phone disconnected and altered the computer record of the judge of his case in a credit service computer .Was it ethical for Kevin to do such an act ? Applying Consequence based approach it ¿Ã‚ ½s again going to lead to the fact of  ¿Ã‚ ½No ¿Ã‚ ½ because the result of this act was something bad for his parole officer and the judge. It was an act done by Kevin for his own satisfaction that was the minority in this issue and being in probation he should have avoided such consequences which he didn ¿Ã‚ ½t. Duty Based again would not support Kevin in this issue. His act was defiantly wrong in this case because the judge could have had bad impacts and the parole officer must have been unhappy to and misguided due to Kevin acts. And being on probation one shouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t go against the law but Kevin did for his personal vendetta. Character based theory wouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t allow someone ¿Ã‚ ½s moral character to take revenge and hurt someone else which in this case again leads to  ¿Ã‚ ½No ¿Ã‚ ½. Hurting someone for the sake of revenge is what would be considered a bad habit or an act leading to something which would not be regarded as morally good and if u knows that the law is restricting you from something a good moral character wouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t want someone to go against the law to seek his own happiness. * Convicted Stealing software from a company in Santa Cruz, California and no conviction record was on FBI database. Was it Ethical to steal and alter records? Consequence based theory wouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t allow stealing or altering to be me permissible. Stealing is something which would not be allowed in any circumstances and even if we assume it does it wouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t be something beneficial for majority in this case the California Company and the alteration of record of FBI. This time as well it ¿Ã‚ ½s  ¿Ã‚ ½No ¿Ã‚ ½. Duty based will not support an act of stealing or altering which won ¿Ã‚ ½t be regarded something as good so this time even in comparisons of acts it ¿Ã‚ ½s a NO from this point. Character Based would say that stealing to be considered as one of the bad habit of a human being and alteration of record can be considered of something as manipulation of record and in this case of a bad deed which Kevin was convicted so it ¿Ã‚ ½s a  ¿Ã‚ ½No ¿Ã‚ ½ this time as well. * Breaking into North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) missile defense system. Was it ethical for him to break into a defense system of a country? The first approach of Consequence Based would hugely argue because gaining access to such delicate system could have catastrophic affects on millions of people. Harming or altering of those files would have been really dangerous. So it ¿Ã‚ ½s a  ¿Ã‚ ½No ¿Ã‚ ½ again. Second approach of duty based wouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t allow any such policy or rule for an individual to again access to such delicate system cause of the dangerous outcomes it can lead it into hence its  ¿Ã‚ ½No ¿Ã‚ ½ again. Third approach of Character based would not consider it to be a good habit of one moral character in doing so because it would harm so many people so it ¿Ã‚ ½s a  ¿Ã‚ ½No ¿Ã‚ ½ from this point of view as well. * Charge of two new crimes: Accessing MCI network for long distance calls and causing $ 4 million damage to Digital Equipment Corporation. Was it ethical to illegally access MCI and cause damage of worth $ 4 million to a company? Consequence would say  ¿Ã‚ ½No ¿Ã‚ ½ cause again the minority gets benefit from this case that is Kevin and not the majority Both of them MCI and Digital Cop lost lots of money because of this act performed by Kevin who were the majority in this issue . Duty Based wouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t support Kevin as well cause because of this both those companies had to face huge losses from the act that Kevin had performed. No such policy or act would be permissible for any individual in the world to do so. Hence  ¿Ã‚ ½No ¿Ã‚ ½ is the answer Character based would again regard this as  ¿Ã‚ ½No ¿Ã‚ ½ cause as stated above again and again alteration of records and damaging files and causing harm to others would be regarded as a good deed or good habit so it ¿Ã‚ ½s a  ¿Ã‚ ½No ¿Ã‚ ½ again. * Judge denied him bail and ordered him to be held in jail? Was he ethical in doing so? This period lasted for eight months in solitary consignment for Kevin. Consequence based might support this act of judge because Kevin was causing harm to large majority of people but putting him on solitary consignment for 8 months without bail and from the fact that it was not proven at that time that Kevin had committed those acts was a bit harsh on Kevin. So it ¿Ã‚ ½s a split decision I guess. Duty based would support the judge too cause he was causing harm to major companies and people but still the decision was too harsh for Kevin cause he deserved a trial at least .Everyone does. Character based would not support the judge since it was a fact the Kevin was notorious but he deserved a trial and even if the judge thought he didn ¿Ã‚ ½t, putting him in solitary consignment prison was totally wrong. A normal jail would have been alright to stop Kevin from his notorious activities but solitary consignment was something very wrong and very harsh. * Kevin fleeing from the authorities on a number of occasions for two years and using fake identities to hide himself from the authorities during his probation. Was it ethical for him to do so? Kevin did for his own good and during this period he caused damaged to majority with his notorious activities so consequence Based would support him on this issue. Duty based would also not support him since it ¿Ã‚ ½s not right to take misguide law by using fake identities and stay on a run for two years. Character based wouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t support him to since it ¿Ã‚ ½s not right for someone to take law in his own hands and using fake identities by damaging other people identities to keep yourself. It ¿Ã‚ ½s a definite  ¿Ã‚ ½No ¿Ã‚ ½ since it ¿Ã‚ ½s not a good deed * Was it ethically right for Shimomura to help FBI in catching Kevin? All the three theories of character duty and consequence based would support Shimomura in this issue its ethically right for anyone to help the law to catch someone who has been causing harm to the community. And it was morally right for every individual to help to catch Kevin. * After being caught Kevin was held in Federal prison from 1995 to 1997 without bail and without trial by the FBI. Was it ethically right to do so.? Consequence would again support the FBI since Kevin was harm to many firms companies and people but only if Kevin was charged after trial to stay in prison. Duty Base shouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t support this act of FBI since they were laws by now to convict Kevin but FBI didn ¿Ã‚ ½t even allow a fair trial to run which is not supported so YES| they were ethically wrong in doing so. Character Based wouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t support the FBI too since it ¿Ã‚ ½s not right for anyone to stay in prison for a period of 2 years without bail or trial. At least a trial should have been offered to Kevin and then if found guilty he should have faced what he deserved. Role of a professional A professional is someone who holds a degree in a particular field in terms of education and then uses his expertise in his relative field and makes sure that his professionalism follows the code of ethics which will include terms such as Behavior, sociality, confidentiality etc. When a professional is hired somewhere a contract and a bond is created between the two to follow certain acts and rules or policy within the organization and one of them is the security concern of misusing the data of an organization Organizations related to Information Technology or having the IT dept within them also maintain a policy between their engineers and themselves. In our particular case the role of a software engineer, hardware engineer or an application engineer they should follow those rules and policies but also IEEE CODE OF ETHICS which is the main source of ethics code for any IT professional which should be followed by any professional related to the field of information and technology and in our case being software, application and hardware engineers [9] Usage of knowledge for Hacking by a professional In regards to using their knowledge for hacking can be something quite disastrous. If we take each of them individually and start with the hardware engineer obviously he can use it the right way or the wrong way since hardware devices manually build are quite useful in hacking mainly portable devices something like which Kevin Mitnick used for hacking into McDonalds drive through system. But is it right for them to do so and the answer is obviously no cause it ¿Ã‚ ½s against the code of ethics which exists in many forms related to cyber technology Same goes to a software engineer and application engineer cause software and application level technical support is quite useful to build or modify codes of a program and make it useful for something negative which is obviously something which would not be appreciated in our society because it ¿Ã‚ ½s going to be harmful to many . . But can all this knowledge be used in a positive way? Can hacking be positive? The answer to this question is yes and is something what is called ethical hacker. Ethical Hacker vs. Hacker: Hacker being the one using his knowledge on the darker side tries to break into systems. While a Ethical hacker is someone who does what is called penetration testing and hacks into systems just to identify security flaws and then inform companies to secure those flaws and sometimes providing them with solutions to those flaws as well but he has normally doing it for a security firm who is licensed to do so and has the right or permission of doing so .An individual if doing it all alone by himself would be considered to have committed a crime..To stop or catch a hacker is what can be called ethical hacker as well. In our case study Tsutomu Shimomura is an ethical hacker who used his knowledge to catch a hacker Kevin Mitnick. Kevin Mitnick also nowadays is an ethical hacker who runs his security company and does penetration testing for various organizations but this time having his rights to do it in a legal way and gets paid off well for doing so. Conclusion Information technology has had good and bad impacts as any other technology in the world. In the world of Cybertechnology hacking is the negative side. Kevin Mitnick curiosity for technology lead him in Hacking but what started out as the sake of fun did turn up to be quite disrupting when converted into major form. However being a bit realistic the Decision of FBI holding him solitary confinement for 8 months without bail and trial would be something regarded as unfair for a guy of Kevin caliber since it ¿Ã‚ ½s quite clear that he was a genius. And if a genius is treated this way his bound to go on the run when FBI suspects him later to be committing that crime again even though if he ¿Ã‚ ½s not committed the crime he would be afraid of facing the same thing without bail and would want to run away from it. Psychologist has stated in the documentary movie  ¿Ã‚ ½Freedom Downtime  ¿Ã‚ ½Life of Kevin Mitnick ¿Ã‚ ½ that it was an event which will want each individual to run awa y and that ¿Ã‚ ½s what made him run. And then obviously his bad part took over him of which he evaded FBI for two years. Then again being caught Kevin did not get bail or a trial for 2 years since 1995 and 1997 was again wrong. If Kevin did something wrong he should have been punished after a fair trial which he wasn ¿Ã‚ ½t granted. Besides Lawyer stated in that movie that even murder ¿Ã‚ ½s get bail and trial why not Kevin? Kevin did deserve to be punished for his acts since they were totally unethical at the time but if FBI had use the law in a sincere way maybe Kevin wouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t end up that way and Kevin would have only been sentenced for the time period he deserved. An interesting part of American judiciary is that Kevin is the longest held person in history without trial or bail which can be figured out as to be totally unfair for him. After his sentence and probation of 3 years ending in 2003 Kevin has started a security consulting company and is now offering a role of ethical hacker and using penetration testing to check his clients security flaws and using the code of ethics quite well. His professional approach towards his clients and himself leads us to the fact that he has been using his knowledge now in a positive way to secure his reputation and prove to the entire world that he ¿Ã‚ ½s genius.

Conflict in Alls Well That Ends Well Essay -- Alls Well That Ends We

Conflict in All's Well That Ends Well  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the themes that emerges from Shakespeare's comedy All's Well That Ends Well is the conflict between old and new, age and youth, wisdom and folly, reason and passion. As one critic points out, a simple glance at the characters of the play reveals an almost equally balanced cast of old and young. "In performance it is apparent that the youth of the leading characters, Helena, Bertram, Diana and Parolles, is in each case precisely balanced by the greater age of their counterparts, the Countess, the King of France, the Widow of Florence and the old counselor Lafeu."1 Indeed, the dialectic between youth and age is established in the first act as the Countess sees a mirror of her former self in Helena's love sick countenance in scene three when she exclaims "Even so it was with me when I was young," and Bertram's worthiness to the ailing King of France in the previous scene appears to hang upon his youthful resemblance to his deceased father. As the King explains, "Such a man might be a copy to these younger times,/Which followed well would demonstrate them now/But goers-backward" [I.2. 49-51]. Like so many literary youths of his day, Shakespeare went backward for his source material for All's Well and based the play on Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron. Boccaccio's early sixteenth-century story revolves around Giletta of Narbona, the daughter of a wealthy and respected physician. Giletta, like Helena (the daughter of the deceased--and indigent--Gerard de Narbonne), falls in love with young count Beltramo, follows him to Paris where she remedies the King's incurable disease, and, because of her newly-acquired royal favor, is granted the right to demand a husband: Beltramo. Despite ... ...ng the confusing and difficult landscape of gender politics and postmodern deconstruction. And rather than accept Helena's all too confident statement that "All's well that ends well," we might more willingly embrace the King's more ambiguous statement," All yet seems well." 1 J.L. Styan, All's Well That Ends Well (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1984) 15. 2 W.W. Lawrence, Shakespeare's Problem Comedies, 1931 rpt (New York: Ungar, 1960). 3 Anne Barton, "Introduction," All's Well That Ends Well in The Riverside Shakespeare ed. G. Blakemore Evans (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1974) 501. 4 Ibid, 500. 5 David McCandless, "Helena's Bed-trick: Gender and Performance in All's Well That Ends Well" Shakespeare Quarterly 45 (1994): 455. 6 Richard A. Levin, "All's Well That Ends Well, and 'All Seems Well'," Shakespeare Studies (1980): 131. 7 McCandless, 450.   

Negotiation Strategies Essay

Throughout the world, most countries have chosen to allow employers to dismiss employees only for just cause. The employer must present evidence or an argument that supports the notion to dismiss the employee. This method ensures that an individual is fired for good cause and prevents misunderstanding between the employer and employee. In the United States, the basis for termination of employees differs greatly. Employment-at-will is a term that means that an employer can terminate an employee at any time for any reason or for no reason without occurring legal liability (Stone, 2007). In the same respect, an employee is free to leave a job at any time for any or no reason with no adverse legal consequences. The purpose of this paper is to present scenarios that question the legality and exceptions of the employment-at-will doctrine and to give opinions on how to handle the scenarios. Negotiation strategies come from understanding the negotiation process and knowing how others consider and view it. The person negotiating should watch out for tricks another may use to convince he/she that they are wrong. The best and most valued negotiation strategy is to first identify the â€Å"what’s wrong† problem and what the competition is requiring. For example, Tameka is a new employee at an accounting firm that is unable to learn and apply basic computer applications. The computer applications are mandatory to the job responsibilities outlined for Tameka. She makes remarks implying that she is not appreciated and is a good worker, regardless of her ability to complete the tasks. Skills, competence, and ability to perform a job are a necessity in the workplace. In an accounting firm, a simple mistake can be detrimental. It appears that Tameka exaggerated her abilities and was intentionally misleading upon being hired which exhibits a lack of veracity. This observation alone provides management with just cause to dismiss her. However, there are steps that can be taken to properly assess this situation. This is where the negotiation process kicks in. The first step would be to train the employee. The reading indicates that Tameka has been given months of training, and she is still incapable of completing tasks. I would be sure to document the training sessions that were offered to Tameka, and I would record her performance in each one. I would make Tameka sign off and clarify that she attended each training session to prevent verbal implications. After Tameka’s failed attempt at training, I would compose a formal document outlining my concerns about her performance. This document would serve as a warning for termination. I would give her two weeks to show improvement, even though she has already had the opportunity to do so. This document would reduce any risk or liability to the company. If two weeks have passed and Tameka has shown no improvement, she will be terminated. Tameka may try to combat by using the â€Å"implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing† exception to the employment-at-will doctrine. This exception usually involves a discharged employee who contends that the employer has indicated in various ways that the employee has job security and will be treated fairly (Smith, 1985). When Tameka indicated that she was a good worker who felt she was not appreciated, it set the grounds for accusations of good faith and fair dealing. Tameka would not be successful if she filed charges because she was not honest about her credentials. She led the employer to believe she was capable of completing tasks that she was treated fairly throughout the process by being given multiple chances to improve her performance. In scenario two, Tameka is frequently late to work and has major behavioral issues. As the supervisor, I tried to address the issues but Tameka retaliated that she is aware of the exceptions to the employment-at-will doctrine and wrongful discharge in violation of public policy. The first step to rectifying this situation is to review the employee code of conduct handbook. I would check to make sure the company’s late policy and zero tolerance for inappropriate behavior are duly noted. Then, I would give a copy to Tameka to read and sign clarifying that she has read and agrees to the rules. After she has signed the rules and regulations, I would have a talk with her to address the issues and warn her of the seriousness of the offense. If the behavior continues, I will compose a formal document to serve as a final warning to Tameka before termination occurs. If the behavior continues, she will be terminated. Her termination would be based on her unwillingness to follow company rules, not respecting and treating her co-workers fairly, and not meeting performance expectations. Tameka may try to retaliate by claiming wrongful discharge in violation of public policy, which is another exception to the employment-at-will doctrine. Cases, using the public policy exception, protects employees who are discharged for fulfilling a public obligation, protects workers who are fired for exercising statutory rights, employees who are dismissed for refusing to participate in illegal or unethical activity, and to protect individuals who are discharged for blowing the whistle on the activities of their employers or co-workers (Callahan, 1991). In Tameka’s case, wrongful discharge would not apply. She failed to adhere to company policies, and even after corrective coaching she still made no attempts at improvement. Tameka’s signature on the rules and regulations sheet, the one-on-one session, and time given for improvement would reduce any liability on my part. The documentation I have for the situation would stand. In scenario three, Tameka takes off from work without management consent to observe a religious holiday. Coincidentally, the day occurs during a busy period for the company. Prior to the holiday, management stated that no one could take off without consent. Tameka encourages her co-workers to organize and form a labor union for protection. In this scenario, it would be unlawful to dismiss Tameka. However, I would compose a formal document to Tameka expressing the importance of calling in and letting management know if she will not be able to make work. I would reassure her that the company does not discriminate against employees regardless of their religious affiliation. I would send out a correspondence to all employees restating what I told Tameka to be sure everyone has an understanding of our non-discriminatory policy, and our appreciation toward calling in to work to make sure all shifts will be covered. Tameka’s protection lies in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 specifically forbids discrimination on the basis of religion for employment purposes, except when the employer is a religious organization , or when religion is a bona fide occupational qualification (Adams, 2001). Tameka’s observance of the religious holiday is covered under this act. I could do nothing if Tameka and her co-workers wanted to form a labor union. The National Labors Relations Act (NLRA) protects the rights of employees to form or join a union, and prohibits employers from interfering, restraining, or coercing employees in the exercise of their rights to organize (Hollo, 2008). In the last scenario, Tameka’s direct supervisor continuously asks her out on dates. She was informed during orientation of the company policy that prevents employees from dating their supervisor. Despite this, Tameka and her supervisor enter into a consensual relationship. The reading refers to the relationship as â€Å"consensual† which means both parties agreed to the relationship. Tameka’s job was not threatened in any way if she did not choose to have the relationship with the supervisor. Equally, the supervisor was not coerced into the relationship in any way. I would interview both employees to get a detailed account of the relationship and have them both sign and date it. This would reduce any liability and risk on my part. Both parties knew it was wrong, but they still continued the relationship. If both parties agree to end the relationship, I would have them sign a document stating that the relationship will be ended or termination will apply. Tameka and the supervisor could argue under the exception of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. They may feel it is unfair that they have to end their relationship or that they were not knowledgeable. However, both parties had full knowledge of company policy. Supervisors generally have more job security. It is likely the supervisor could argue his termination would counteract the company’s implication of good faith in him. Regardless, all arguments made by Tameka and the supervisor would fail to prove a legit point. The company is showing enough good faith, just by allowing them the opportunity to rectify the situation. In conclusion, exceptions to the employment-at-will doctrine can be controversial. It is important to always document incidents and situations, in case it is needed for protection in a lawsuit. Both employees and employers have allegiance to each other, and when one or both parties violates that allegiance, termination is often the result. Prevention of termination and other work related issues is directly related to the employee and employers understanding of company rules and regulations. The strategic factor is based on identifying an organization’s key stakeholders. It is called the strategic factor because the strategies and measures developed via it are based on the factors relevant to an organization’s key stakeholder’s.

Apartheid in South Africa Essay

The Apartheid legislation was a system of governance that made a huge impact in South Africa in the 20th century. It was introduced by the national party after they were elected in the 1948 election. It was a form of segregation that discriminated against the races in South Africa. It was the law in South Africa for 46 years. The Apartheid sparked lots of internal resistance with violent riots and protests taking place by groups of people. Nelson Mandela was a leading force in the opposition on Apartheid and did everything in his powers to destroy it. His voice was heard all over the country when he was the leader of Anti Apartheid movements and when he was in jail. Apartheid Legislation had a detrimental impact on society in South Africa. It was pioneered in 1948 by the newly appointed national party of South Africa when they came to power. The struggle for the end of Apartheid was long lived as it lasted until 1994 when the National party lost the election. Apartheid was the segregation of the South African people into different race groups such coloured, white, Asian and Indian. Residential areas were segregated as well as Education, medi-care, beaches, and other public areas. Although the residential areas and other public facilities were separated, the quality of living for the blacks was substantially less than that of which the whites enjoyed. Sports in South Africa were also majorly affected as South Africa was banned from some international sports such as cricket. Women weren’t left out of the equation as they struggled to gain proper rights and freedoms as most of the men experienced. Black people or natives, over time, were deprived of their citizenships and forced to live in tribes with their own people away from the city. Numerous laws were made that affected the black people immensely and stripped them of their rights and freedoms. Apartheid struck society hugely at the time of its induction and changed the way life was lived. Many factors contributed to the severity of Apartheid, no more so than the new laws that were created shortly after its introduction. These laws were made to discriminate directly against the blacks of South Africa and create white supremacy. As a result of these laws many black people in the community struggled for basic rights and freedoms. The first powerful law to be created was the  Preservation of Separate Amenities Act 1953. This law separated all parts of society from blacks and whites. The separation wasn’t equal and as a result of this the black people got the inferior side of every facility. This was the separation of every aspect of society from beaches and parks to toilets and shops. The main aim was to exclude citizens from Premises, vehicles or services based on their race. The best facilities were reserved for the white people. Education was not spared as another law was made (Bantu Education Act 1951) that restricted black children from receiving the same education as the white children. The government at the time thought that the career opportunities for black kids were limited and they were best to learn skills that would help their families in their tribes. As of that day, the black children received a substantially lower level of education than the white children of South Africa. The government spent six times as much money on white education which only made up about 20% of the country at that time. Nelson Mandela valued Education so highly in his views and once said that â€Å"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. [1] Both of these laws helped to create a large gap in society between the black and white people, one being very much better off than the other. Apartheid in South Africa aimed to strip the black people of all their rights and freedoms. This was achieved by two controversial laws. The Abolition of passes act 1953 and the Bantu Homeland act 1952. The abolition of passes act forced black people to carry identifica tion with them at all times. A pass included a photograph, details of place of origin, employment record, tax payments, and encounters with the police. It was a criminal offence to not be carrying a pass when encountered by a police officer. Africans were frequently harassed for their passes and countless numbers were arrested for it. Local citizens burned them or didn’t carry them as a sign of protest. Mass protests by blacks by not carrying their passes lead to the murder of 69 in the ‘Sharpeville Massacre’. The Bantu Homeland act was the second law that took everything away from the blacks. Through this law, the white government declares that the lands reserved for black Africans are independent nations therefore, not being a part of South Africa. In this way, the government was able to strip millions of blacks of their South African citizenship and force them to become residents of their new homelands. Blacks were then considered foreigners in white-controlled South Africa, and needed passports to enter. Blacks only entered to perform jobs that assisted whites. The law was made to ensure that the White people of South Africa would inhabit most of the main areas of the country leaving the Blacks to live on the outskirts in shocking conditions. A quote by an influential student leader Steve Bantu Biko â€Å"The blacks are tired of standing at the touchlines to witness a game that they should be playing. They want to do things for themselves and all by themselves. â€Å"[2] suggests that the blacks were sick of having no place in society and want their own rights and freedoms which was the obvious feeling at the time. This law is a huge violation of human rights and really emphasised the affects of the new government regime at the time. The Anti Apartheid movements were influential movements that fought for the destruction of Apartheid legislation in South Africa. They were a worldwide movement that aimed to abolish South Africa’s government system of Racial Apartheid. The anti Apartheid movement came into action both within and outside South Africa. The ANC was the first movement to be created. A second organization Split from the ANC and called themselves the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). They used civil disobedience, strikes and protest marches to oppose the apartheid legislation. After the ‘Sharpeville Massacre’, when police opened fire and killed 69 protestors, the direction of the movement changed. The ANC decided to adopt armed resistance against the state. This sparked many protestors to speak out. Both Organisations were banned after this Massacre and it forced them to move into hiding and continue their operations in private. They created an armed military wing ‘Umkhonto we Sizwe’ lead by Nelson Mandela and planned attacks on the state. After their first attack, their leader Mandela was sent to jail for life along with a few other leaders. At the trail to his sentence Mandela he said â€Å"We are not anti-white, we are against white supremacy †¦ we have condemned racialism no matter by whom it is professed. [3]This quote shows that Mandela wasn’t racist and just wanted quality and proper human rights. Many bouts of protest broke out in South Africa after the massacre and trial, mostly by school students, and groups were made to speak out against the Apartheid legislation. The movement were starting to gain momentum and there voices were being heard further around the world. The Anti Apartheid movements were the cornerstone to the destruction of Apartheid legislation. The movements are the reason for the popularity loss of Apartheid and the rise of Nelson Mandela as a civil rights activist. The Arrests and killing of influential members of the movement only sparked up a bigger, more aggressive reaction and more people wanted to get involved in the cause. The black conscientious movement was made by black tertiary students in 1971 and represented black pride. This idea of black pride empowered many South Africans to believe that they are a strong people and can fight for their rights. Students in Soweto in 1979 rose up against Apartheid inspired by many around them. While in protest 29 were killed and many injured by police opening fire. This sparked more and more people to rise up against the state. Labour unions played a massive role in the struggle against apartheid. In 1979 as a result of the protesting, black trade unions were legalized which was a massive win. At the same time church groups also spoke out against the evils of Apartheid. All of these people were inspired by the actions of the Anti Apartheid movements that went before them. Thabo Mbeki a South African Politian summed up the views of many South Africans at the time by saying â€Å"South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black or white. [4] This view was felt across the country by the struggling black people. The ANC and PAC affected most of the population of South Africa in some way and help get rid of the Apartheid legislation. They were the cause for the changes that took place in society over the years. Nelson Mandela played arguably the biggest role in the destruction of the Apartheid legislation in South Africa. Working with the ANC he S poke out against Apartheid and the injustice to his people. Mandela worked hard as the leader of the ANC and planned many protests on the state to help push for the abolishment of Apartheid. He was one of the most influential speakers of his time and many oppressed people heard his voice loud and clear. Under apartheid Mandela served nearly 27 years in prison but he never gave up the fight. When Mandela was imprisoned at Robben Island he continued his work and teachings. In South Africa and around the world, Nelson Mandela’s anti-apartheid messages gained in popularity. This meant that his voice was heard by more and more people. Many tried to free him when he was in jail. Support for Mandela was so immense that he was able to be equitted of his charges and released in 1990. Before he was released the PM of South Africa at the time said â€Å"As soon as he renounces violence and undertakes not to start violence in South Africa, government will release him. â€Å"[5]The quotes suggest that the government did not want any further violence from his demonstrations in the near future otherwise he would be kept in jail and if he showed no signs of violence he would be let out. This shows trust between the two. He was able to become the leader of the ANC once again and was a leading force in South Africa. He was able to negotiate a multi-racial election in 1994 where his party won. He became prime minister and with this he abolished Apartheid legislation. In his Inaugural speech as prime minister he says â€Å"Today we are entering a new era for our country and our people. Today we celebrate not the victory of a party, but a victory for all the people of South Africa†[6]. This optimism really highlighted his attitude towards life and freedom and is why he was such a loved and influential leader. Without his voice throughout the country and the world, South Africa would have struggled to get out the Government legislation that was Apartheid Apartheid legislation in South Africa was immensely influential on society. It was one of the worst legislations to ever be put down by a government. The black community of South Africa was severely affected by this legislation with most of their rights and freedoms stripped off them. As a result of the laws and other factors, the majority of the native South Africans lived a lift without the freedom and rights that most enjoy today. Nelson Mandela with the help of the Anti Apartheid organisations pushed to stop the legislation in its tracks. He was eventually successful with his peruse of freedom and because of this he is one of the most influential men to have ever lived.