Internet Technology, Marketing and Security Essay

Internet Technology, Marketing and Security - Essay Exampleoducts, one such company is the Sony Corporations whose official playstation website recently underwent a major security break off affecting around 70 million subscribers worldwide. The website is well equipped with all the information of the products and the game contents. It consists of information about all the playstations launched so far and excessively the new game developments going on. The popularity of playstations worldwide is well highlighted on the website and the information clearly justifies why it is so popular around the world.The website clearly mentions the companys contact address for correspondence which is quite appreciable as the customers come to know how genuine the information on the website will be by knowing the companys profile.The customization of products on the website is also remarkable, including the latest launched products, upcoming games, most popular choices and also competitions invitin g hard core gamers. The customers information required to join the PS network is basically the e-mail id for subscription of newsletters, new launches, Gaming updates etc, and other basic information about the customer.The marketing scheme of a company determines the hold of its product in the market over the competitors. Though Sony has a established market for its products, its strategies keep it alive and grab the bound over the competitors. Analysing the position of competitors is the foremost strategy for effective marketing of companys product. The customers response and needs are relatively canvass to set up the marketing strategies.The company ensures optimum quality levels to satisfy customers to gain their loyalty in the market. Proper and planned strategies ensure bankrupt gross revenue and less difficulty in facing competition. The next strategy that almost all companies seek is knowing their customers better. Launching products according to people and places also en sures better sales and profit and less troubles in creating a

Creating the Best Workplaces on Earth Research Paper

Creating the Best Workplaces on Earth - Research Paper Examplerted Google as a privately fuck off company but due to the need of expansion from more capital input, Google became a publicly owned organization on August 19, 2004. They however have a combined 14 percent shareholding in the company and have a great deal of power in determining who leads the company. Google has had its mission recital as To organize all the information in the world in a way that it becomes accessible and relevant globally (Google Inc, par. 3).Most of the internet associate products we use all day come from Google. For example, the Worlds largest search engine is Google it gives scholars the opportunity to explore the world of information and knowledge. Through the search engine, I can find out more about Google. The next major product is the online mail processor, Gmail. Gmail gives a worlds majority the opportunity to draw detailed and even short messages from any part of the world. Google Drive en ables you to save your documents online for later use it enhances the security of your documents. Google + is a social network service where every individual with a Gmail account can connect to other people in other parts of the world. Google is the leading producer of the Android mobile operating(a) system, the Google Chrome browsing software. The G-Talk online communication tool gives me the chance to send messages and call friends all the time provided I have a connection to the internet. Google has collaborated with other telecom companies in the production of sate of the art devices such as the Nexus produced in collaboration with Motorola. You-Tube, owned by Google, is the primary source of internet videos. present are some surprising facts to show how important Google is in the world. In a single day, the company provides answers to everywhere one billion requests through over a million servers. The company also provides over twenty- five petabytes of data in every 24 hours . Their website, www.google.com has the highest number

Ancient Theatres in Jerash Essay Example for Free

Ancient field of forces in Jerash EssayModern engineering science has changed matters in enfranchisement signifi toilettly and promises to continue to bring change. This paper attempts to present1-How should we understand bread and butter of archaeological Sites, historic buildings and monuments according to their particularities, categories, shells, comp onenessnts of documentation, taking into account the internationally agreed standards for the documentation of the cultural hereditary pattern. 2- The potential of the application of 3D laser S thronener and Photomodeler in documentation of the immovable cultural heritage. As a case study the antiquated line of businesss of Jerash (the S awayhern and the Yankee) will be presented. epoch the purpose of employ unalike regularitys of documentation is to make similitude comparison of the advantages ,disadvantages ,the accuracy of the traditional method agree station , 3D scanner method, and Photomodeler method.1. IN TRODUCTION As cultural heritage is a unique expression of human achievement, and since this cultural heritage is continuously at risk, documentation is one of the principal ways available to give meaning, understanding, rendering and recognition of the values of the cultural heritage. As such it constitutes an important basis of taste for subsequent restoration and maintenance measures. Furthermore all interventions acquire the quotation of evidence themselves and therefore, confound to be documented. Article 16 of the Venice Charter emphasizes that in all works of preservation or excavation, there should always be precise documentation in the form of analytical and critical reports, illustrated with drawings and photographs. Every stage of the work, including technical and formal features identified during the course of the work, should be included. This record should be displace in the archives of a public institution and made available to research workers.It is recommended that the report should be published. Thus documenting the Cultural Heritage not only describes the context in which the materials were found, and their relationship in space and time to geological deposits and gargantuan architectural features, but as well as as monitoring of the remains of olden human activities. The documentation surgery, which may be undertaken as an aid to non-homogeneous CRM activities, such as protection, identification, monitoring, interpretation, registration of stolen cultural objects, can benefit tremendously from various modern techniques that ar available to us nowadays. (graphic documentation) Techniques based on conventional surveying to produce plans, summit meetings, and architectural details. Photographic e.g. photography, rectified photography,computer-rectified photography, photogrammetry, and 3D laser scanner.The photographical documentation should provide information on the important condition of a monument, i.e. earlier, during, and a fter restoration. 3. INTERNATIONAL CORE DATA INDEX There be three internationally agreed standards for the documentation of the cultural heritage a) The Core Data Index to Historic Buildings and Monuments of the Architectural Heritage (1992), b) The Core Data Standard for Archaeological Sites and Monuments (1995), and c) The determination ID (1997) which was developed to provide an international standard for the information needed to identify cultural objects, in response to the threat posed by the illicit avocation in the movable heritage. The evaluation of the documentation process can be carried out by comparison with such standards. Other devotions could be related to the particularity of the monument, the cost, the ability to benefit from modern digital techniques and the success in acting as a historical record of human activities.4. ANCIENT THEATRES OF JERASH Few ancient towns ar as well preserved and as complete as Jerash, a city abstruse that once was a thriving comm ercial partition off and part of the Decapolis. Built in the 2nd century BC the city was conquered in 63 BC by the Roman General Pompey. The grand subjects and large public squares, plazas and baths, the Roman Cardo running 700 meters north from the Oval Plaza and pass sky-piercing columns flanking from both sides in Jerash make this site truly an archaeological park. 4.1 The gray Theatre in Jerash The southern theater (Exterior Diameter 70.5m) today is one of the to the highest degree impressive of Jerashs public building. Begun at the end of the 1st century AD (during the reign of Domitian) and completed in the early 2nd century. On its completion, it became one of the most splendid civic monuments in the2. CATEGORIES AND COMPONENTS OF DOCUMENTATION Regardless of the location of the activity, it type or philosophy of art and historical conservation, the documentation should address three questions what it is, where it is, and when There are three Categories and Components of Documentation Written should comprise an architectural description, the put up of preservation , an interpretation of the results of all tests and analyses, a summary of the results of all investigations, and a report on the interventions executed.Non-photographic________CIPA 2005 XX International Symposium, 26 September 01 October, 2005, Torino, Italy________ developing city and certainly the finest of its type in the whole province. The cavea of the auditorium was divided into two percentages, with a wide terrace (diazoma) describing the full fractional circle between them. The lower half was built into the side of the hill. While the top half was built above it. Although the auditorium has survived remarkably well, the top rows of seats are missing, and one cannot be sure of the contain original number.( ascertain. 1)Figure. 2 Plan of the Northern Theatre The battleground itself probably had two main phases during its lifetime. It was dedicated, and probably completed, in A D 64/65. It was a small, probably, theatre employ for poetry readings, meetings or more modest performances than the large dramatic events that would have taken place in the citys bigger Southern Theatre. The theatre may too have been the city councils meeting hall. It was- modified several times and probably enlarged in the first quarter of the 3rd century. It finally went out of use as a theatre by the 5th to 6th centuries. On some of the seats of the lower cevea are inscribed in Grecian the names of the voting tribes (phylai) that were represented in the bouleutirium, or city council except one tribe named after the Roman Emperor Hadrian, the others are named after colossal gods. the theatre was also used as a bouleuterion, or city council meeting-hall.The theatres expansion in the first quarter of the3rd century AD included the accessory of eight rows of seats, doubling the theatres capacity to around 1600 people. The three best preserved external vomitoria, at the western end of the upper auditorium, show their original turn of three independent, semicircular arches rising towards the exterior with evidence of large wooden doors that could have been opened or closed to control access to the theatre. The original scaena mole, cladding the audience from behind the stage, was dismantled and replaced by a more coordination compound scaena composed of two parallel wal1s. The elaborate scaenae frons was probably two storeys high, and was adorned with grim marble, free-standing Corinthian columns and broken entablatures, behind which were semicircular niches decorated with mosaics.Figure. 1 Plan of the Southern Theatre The bird-scarer of the stage was divided into four sections with pedestals between them. separately section was decorated with a central pedimental niche flanked by arched niches .These elaborate architectural com lay outs are a common feature of Roman theatres. The front of the stage is decorated with pediment and arched niches. The w all rising behind the stage, the Scaenae Frons is pierced by three doors used by the performers to enter and exit the stage from the sides. The Scaenae Frons would have had second storey repeating most of the decorative and architectural elements of the lower level. Much of the outer (north) wall of the theater is a modern reconstruction.The rebuilding, however, of the rear wall behind the scaenae frons must be regretted, for we do not know what this wall was like and such suspect restorations run the risk of endangering the validity of the whole construction for how can one be sure what is genuine and what is not? Happily, the greater part of the theatre is completely genuine. (Browning. Iain/ Jerash and the Decapolis) 4.2 The Northern Theatre The North Theatre complex is composed of the North Theatre (Exterior Diameter 43, 47m, orchestra Diameter 14,33m) itself and a plaza in front of it . A great carry off smaller than the South Theatre, its orientation is determined by the nor thern decumanus upon which it opens and from which it is approached. The cavea shows the usual arrangement of four cunei in the lower half, and eight in the upper half .At the top of the upper section of the cavea there was scarcely room for passageway and colonnade.( Figure. 2 )5. METHODS OF DOCUMENTATION IN JERASH THEATRES The purpose of apply various Methods of documentation of the Southern and Northern Jerash theatres is to make comparison of the advantages ,disadvantages ,the accuracy of the traditional recording method, 3D scanner, and PhotoModeler. Accuracy is the correctness of the measurement, regardless of its clearcutness. Precision refers to the fineness of measured distinctions. Results of the case studies are presented and compared. The aim is to give (mostly nongeodetic) users recommendations, which method is suited best for what kind of application, or even if a combination of 3D see and PhotoModeler is advisable. Criteria like quality of the results, amount of c ost and time, required equipment and occurring troubles are to be considered. To investigate the advantages, disadvantages and ________CIPA 2005 XX International Symposium, 26 September 01 October, 2005, Torino, Italy________ the accuracy of these methods, we carried out some case studies for the two theatres.Different typical objects were elect and characteristically parts of them were recorded by attach, total station, PhotoModeler and 3D examine. In this research project, we have installed a number of different test targets that allow an investigation in the quality of acids recorded by laser scanners and the geometric models derived from the point bribes. 5.1 By using Total Station and AutoCAD Software Conceptually, total stations are different from most measuring systems used by archaeologists because they are effective over a great range of scales and have an accuracy that is unusual in our experience. Limits on drawing precision that were once inherent in the use of sc aled drawings have been removed by CAD systems. For example, it might be measuring the position of a point 1 km away from the total station and be completed at least to the centimeter. This is equivalent to the use a tape to measure the distance to an object a meter away with .01 mm accuracy.The total station can be used to measure archaeological structures during an excavation. The precision with which a CAD system can maintain coordinates depends on the internal information structure chosen, but all standard CAD systems maintain coordinates at levels of precision beyond the scholars capacity to measure. A surveyor collecting information using preelectronic techniques could have used the tape to take the measurements, unneurotic with cross section for elevation information and quantity estimates. Or, the survey could have been completed using such polar techniques as transit or theodolite/EDM surveys. Electronic data parade with total station instruments permits the quick acqu isition of a large amount of field data, together with the efficient and error-free transfer of the data to a computer.Once in the computer, the field data can be edited and analyzed for completeness of coverage and accuracy. For the documentation of the Southern theatre and the Northern theatre of Jerash more than 900 points were taken using the total station (Skoia). Tape measurement was conducted to record some of the dimensions of the theatre (the scene and some architectural details). The goal of these measurements was to collect more field dimensional measurement and other detail measurement for the documentation of the theatres. Full documentation for the Southern theatre of Jerash 2D and 3D was finalized with 2D documentation and reconstruction for the Northern theatre of Jerash. 5.2 By using PhotoModeler While photogrammetry and metric surveying techniques can be suitable for archaeological sites and buildings, they present certain disadvantages for smaller and more complex objects.PhotoModeler is a windows software program that helps to extract measurements and 3D models from photographs. By using cameras as an input device, photomodeler is capable to extract accurate measurements and details. It is based on using several photos ( Figure 4 ) from different angles with know focal length, using control points ( Figure. 5 ). PhotoModeler can create 3D models and export the measured data as a dxf file. ADVANTAGES Contains information about surface detail (e.g. weathering patterns).Photographs are easier to interpret and recognize than drawing. DISADVANTAGES Essential high-skilled photographers.The enlargement of images should do accurately.Photographic format (analogue).PhotoModeler is one of the methods we used in documenting, measuring, and mould the scene of the Southern theatre in Jerash. Several selected photos taken from slightly different positions were shot using digital camera. For calibration, some 3D points of the scene were obtained. For th is purpose a modern integrated total station model Sokkia to collect more than 50 points to record the 3D points. These points were carefully chosen to be very well distributed on the scene in order to use them as GCPs (Ground Control Points). ( Figure. 5 ) With these data, we produce a 3D model, Orthorectified images (Photogrammetry) and measurements (x, y, z) or lengths for the stage of the Southern theatre of Jerash. For more accuracy we produced a detailed model for the scene features- the left Gate(Figure. 3 ) and then combined these detailed models together to produce the scene of the theatre.Figure 4. Camera Stations to produce a 3D Model for the the left Gate of the stage of Jerash Southern Theatre Figure 3 3D Model for the left Gate of the scene of Jerash Southern Theatre.________CIPA 2005 XX International Symposium, 26 September 01 October, 2005, Torino, Italy________ first implementation of the new technology seems to be very useful and promising. The main advantage of scanning is the fast and direct collection of large numbers of surface object points. The measurement process needs no attendance except for the set-up required when establishing a new candidatepoint. The huge number of records formed a nice cloud of points, which very barely matches the neat 3D shape of the interested object (in our case the cavea and the scene of the two theatres). In the office there are two sophisticated softwared, which deal with the collected cloud of points.One of the software can import the clouds and get a nice three model of the object. The other software can also get the 3D model and rectify the model to get the measurements of the object. The final result can be exported to CAD software like Auto computer-aided design or Micro Station. A couple of Million of 3D points were captured from different points of view. In addition to the 3D points, a set of 2D images were also been taken. In the Southern theater three stations were sat up to capture points of the theater from different angles of view as shown in (Figures 6, 7, 9). In the north theatre we used three stations to cover the whole theater and two stations to capture the surrounding area . All these stations and the cloud of points are shown in (Figures 8, 10).Figure 4. Several photos from different angles with known focal length, using control points for the Scine of the Southern theatre 5.3 By using 3D scanner. Laser scanning technology with its automated data capture capabilities is bringing new perspectives and can satisfy most requirements of this type of applications. 3D laser scanning represents today the most advanced technology available for measuring and documenting objects. Our scanner can measure on average about 1000 points per second. Terrestrial laser scanning technology is based on active range sensors measuring directly the distance between the sensor and points over the surveyed object. Objects that can be documented by 3D scanning, range from the sizes o f coins or potsherds to whole cultural landscapes. Traditional heritage recording methods like close range photogrammetry are not suitable for all kinds of objects. specially when the objects have very irregular surfaces and not a clearly defined structure, scanning will probably yield better results than photogrammetry.In contrast to photogrammetry 3D scanners directly produce a huge number of 3D points. The resulting point cloud can be used to extract CAD elements or by using point triangulation to create a 3D surface model. Additionally, images can be mapped onto the model to get a virtual copy of the real object. While both photogrammetric and laser scanning techniques can deliver similar type of products the end users are accustomed to have, other supplementary data such as line drawings, DTM etc., A main advantage as compared to close range photogrammetry is the availability of near real time 3D coordinates for irregular surfaces. The striking capacitance of collecting hund reds or even thousands of points per second is praised by producers and operators. On the other hand, questions concerning the quality and accuracy of the recorded points receive little attention. Specifications stated by the producers are not comparable.The main difference between scanning and photogrammetry is obvious While photogrammetric surveying is an indirect data acquisition method (images are needed before measurements can be executed), scanning produces 3D points directly. As geodetic surveying instruments, scanners cannot be used when the object or the observation platform is moving. In these cases, photogrammetric images, which can be acquired with very short exposure times, are the only means of metric documentation.Although surveyors tend to see accuracy as a predominant consideration when comparing measuring equipment, for the practical use there are numerous other characteristics which may be decisive under certain project pre-conditions. quartet stages for doing th e work scanning in the field, registration ,segmentation, modeling . To build up a precise 3D model of the South theatre and the North theatre we used the 3D laser scanner model GS100 MENSI. The results weve obtained were very precise and theFigure 6. Mesh part of the Scene and the cavea of the Southern TheatreFigure 7. obnubilate Points of the Scene of the Southern Theater________CIPA 2005 XX International Symposium, 26 September 01 October, 2005, Torino, Italy________ ADVANTAGES Very precise measurements. A solution in situations where 3D measurement by other means may be difficult. Quick in data capture. On-sitescanning is possible. DISADVANTAGES Very expensive. Practical limits on the object size and height. whitethorn have difficulties on some material surfaces. May have difficulties on some Material surfaces Editing the data to produce meaningful results may be difficult. other applications. The software has the ability to export the final models and solids to Auto Cad using the solid SAD converter.2) Real Works postdate. Provides the user a set of tools for processing 3D point clouds and 2D images in order to obtain the necessary information. Generally, this processing can be divided into two modes the Registration mode and the Office Survey mode. During the registration mode we register several scans simultaneously by using data captured during target scanning. Several test fields using white spheres as targets have been installed to get information about the accuracy of distances in scanning direction and across. We also use the Geo Referencing tool to put the scanned data into a known coordinate system. During the office survey mode, we segment the point clouds into logical parts. We also extract measurements or different types of 2D drawings from the point clouds. These extracted results were exported into CAD systems.6. LASER electronic scanner DATA ACQUISITION The laser scanner MENSI GS100 was used in this project and scanning was performed fro m various positions so that the full coverage of the surface will be achieved with sufficient overlapping (Fig. 10 ). The specific scanner has a recommended range of 2-100 , with optimal range of m.. The systems horizontal and vertical field of view is 60 degrees. Reflective targets distributed over the site allowed the easy registration of the scans during data processing. Although the laser scanning software provides direct and immediate access to the scan data by visually inspecting the point cloud in situ to identify possible problem areas in the data sets, it proved that some parts of the site were excluded and larger overlap was required for the complete merging of all scans.Figure 10. North theatre Overlapping areas and gaps Starting with the question of accuracy, it must be understood that total stations have built-in limits on precision that are often ignored and that affect ultimate accuracy. Accuracy refers to the agreement of a value with the true value. Whereas the prob lem was once measuring as precisely as possible or as precisely as a scaled drawing could display, the problem is now to measure and record as precisely as required for the particular project. A comparative evaluation of the techniques in the data capture and modeling of the northern gate of the Southern theatre is shown and measurement results of the Tape measurement, PhotoModeler, 3D Laser Scanner GS 100 MENSI measurement are presented in table 1Figure 8. Mesh view of the North theatreFigure 11. Cloud Points of the Cevea of the southern TheatreFigure 9. Mesh part of the northern gate of the Southern Theatre The office work included the use of two software packages 1) 3Dipsos. Sophisticated software used to reconstruct 3D models from large sets of point cloud data captured by a 3D laser scanner. It is an intermediate data processing application between scanning and the use of environments reconstructed in ________CIPA 2005 XX International Symposium, 26 September 01 October, 2005 , Torino, Italy________ to 90 degrees as possible, 4. look that all points appear on three or more photographs, 5. Ensure all point and line markings on the images are precise, and do not guess at a point location if it cannot be seen, is not distinct, is fuzzy or is dark by some other object.Nevertheless, the precision supplied by total stations or photogrammetry software and recorded in CAD models must not make pass the limits on accuracy of the total system and must be appropriate for the job at hand. As already stated, every project has its own particularity. Those needs should be carefully determined, explicitly stated, and properly met by the survey methods and procedures. Laser scanning provides dense 3D information that can be implemented for the DEM and also for the determination of the ground coordinates of presignalized control points. The large sets of data obtained are an impediment to virtual computer visualization. Often it is very difficult to deal with the data w ithout large RAM memory of the order of two GB.7. CONCLUDING REMARKS The documentation of the Jerash theatre was implemented by a combination of photogrammetry and 3D laser scanning. Generally excrete survey is labor intensive specially in the field. Computer rectified photography is the simplest method of producing drawings. Metric cameras are no longer needed and can be substituted for with simple digital cameras. The advantage of using photogrammetry is its speed and accuracy, especially over large and complex structures. Cost will inevitably be one of the deciding factors in choosing between different recording methods, but should not be used to decide the level of survey. The effort needed to get accurate and detailed DEM models by means of photogrammetric procedures only, is considerably high.There are limits on precision based upon a different group of contributing factors, lens distortion, precision of lens focal length measurements, size of photos used. PhotoModeler is an elegant measurement method used in documentation of cultural heritage applications. The shortfalls of this method, mainly associated with limited geometry of areas in the shadow of the object, are more prominent when the object is a large complex form. However its use does not involve large costs or sophisticated equipment, as only a calibrated digital camera is needed.The recent emergence of terrestrial laser scanning has shown that it has the potential to be of major(ip) value to the cultural heritage recording professionals. While data collection in this project using the PhotoModeler and Laser scanning methods indicated a small make water in time over laser scanning, the main advantage is the fully automated data capturing process using terrestrial laser scanning. Generally, laser scanning requires viewing the surveyed object from several viewpoints to resolve shadows and occlusions. To achieve the best accuracy in PhotoModeler 1. Ensure that a well-calibrated camera is used for the project, 2. Use photos with good resolution. 3. Ensure that the angle between the camera stations is as closeJohn Coles, The Site Record and Publication Conservation on Archaeological Excavations, Ed.N.P. Sanley Price, ICCROM, pp.59-69, Rome, 1995 Photogrammetric Measurement, Object role model and Documentation in Architecture and Industry, Ed. Petros Patias, ISPRS, VOol.XXXII, Thessaloniki, 1999 Documenting the Cultural Heritage Edited by Robin Thornes and John Bold ,Getty Information Institute,1998 MENSI 2001 Mensi training materials, German training course, May 2001. WWW 2001 An extensive collection of links to laser scanner producers and reports about applications in cultural heritage is maintained by the authors at http//scanning.fh-mainz.de -www.international.icomos.org/recording_fre.htm Browning.Iain/ Jerash and the Decapolis/ Chatto Windus.London/ 1982/ (Ds154.9 G47 B76 1982). andCarl H.Kraeling/ Gerasa City of the Decapolis/ Yale University/ produce by the Americ an Schools of Oriental Research/ New Haven, Connecticut/1938. W. Boehler, M. Bordas Vicent, A. Marbs ( Investigatgn Laser Scanner Accuracy , The XIXth CIPA Symposium at Antalya, TURKEY, 2003. Harrison Eiteljorg, How Should We Measure an Ancient Structure?, Nexus entanglement Journal, vol. 4,no.4(Autumn2002),http//www.nexusjournal.com/Eiteljorg.ht ml) Boehler, W. , Heinz, G., Marbs, A. The Potential of NonContact Close Range Laser Scanners for Culture Heritage Recording,CIPA Working Group VI)2001.

Stalin Power Essay Example for Free

Stalin Power EssayJoseph Stalin, the Man of Steel, is one of the approximately powerful dictators in memorial. Stalin was the General monument of the Communist Party and the Soviet Unions sole leader from 1924 until his death in 1953. Stalin is one of the most contr all oversial figures in Russian history he is still the subject of fierce discussions. Stalin was a very powerful leader who had a huge impact on USSR Stalin consolidated power in the USSR through propaganda, fear and, the five-year plan. Stalins rise to power was methodical and strong. The construction of his image was very well thought of and arranged. Nearly every medium propagandized Stalins image, propaganda was employ to ca-ca up Stalins image. Like a religious worship, a cult of Stalin was formed. Stalin was like a godlike leader to the hatful, panegyricd in the newspapers, books and in films, posters and poems. Everything praised his deeds, his skills, his modesty, his wisdom and his brilliance. Censors hip was used to censor anything and everything that might reflect badly on Stalin. Leaving, no one a chance to see the bad side of Stalin, hence having everyone love and praise him.The soviet education system was geared not to independent intellection but to Stalinist propaganda. Parents taught their children that Stalin was the wisest and greatest. History books and photographs were changed to make him the hero of revolution, and obliterate the names of purges people. Stalin gave the people no chance to worship any kind of religious path he did not want the people to have loyalty to anyone but him. smell in god was replaced by belief in communism and Stalin. Cities and towns were named in his honor. Stalin established and consolidated his power through propaganda, thus gaining the love, respect and trust of the legal age of the Russian people.However, propaganda alone was not enough to consolidate full power. Stalin was a paranoid ruler, always feared that political opponents, m ilitary officials, even common citizens were plotting against his political lay and even his life. Perhaps as self-defense, Stalin was responsible for killing millions. Stalin consolidated his power base with the Great Purges against his political and ideological opponents. Under the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin, tens of millions of unexceptional individuals were dedicate to death or imprisoned in labor camps, that were little more than death camps. The Purge conclusion of Soviet history can be considered the worst period of the twentieth century. Stalin managed to use purges and violence to make people fear him, and therefore support him. Stalin imprisoned and executed anybody who opposed industrialization, and the kulaks who opposed collectivization.Stalin also arrested thousands of his political opponents, they were put on show trials, where they pleaded guilty to impossible charges of treason. Stalin executed or imprisoned almost all of the admirals and half the Armys offi cers. Many people disappeared including teachers, miners, doctors, and ordinary people. Around 18 million were sent to labor camps, ten million died. Stalins secret police had very effective torture methods. Many of the impeachs families were also killed or tortured in order to provoke confessions. Stalin had succeeded in destroying any sense on independent thinking. Everyone knew that his or her lives depended on thinking exactly as Stalin did. Stalin accomplished power through fear, by using purges and violence to make people fear him and therefore support him, by having anyone who jeopardise his leadership, killed or murdered.Propaganda and fear are not enough to explain Stalins extraordinary power. No dictator can hope to rule without popular support, and this was also authoritative of Stalin. Power can only be acquired and retained by delivering benefits to significant bouts of people. In Stalins case, this was achieved via five-year plans. Collectivization brought mechaniz ation, rationalization to the many small plots that peasants worked on and put in place the distribution and supply networks needed to modernize agriculture and to produce enough grain for export. This system gave Stalin effective control over the entire economy, and thereby the Soviet people. The most effective means of increasing Stalins power was collectivization. This involved the elimination of private ownership of agricultural land, and its renewal with a system of state-owned and collectively owned produces.The peasants who worked on these farms were under the control of the Party, which in turn was under the control of Stalin. Collectivization also gave Stalin the opportunity to make pass large numbers of class enemies, the kulaks, and to steal Party members to wholesale murder. Serious famines resulted, livestock and grain were destroyed and agriculture never fulfilled its potential. Yet most peasants remained grateful to Stalin for giving them a better standard of livin g. The Five Year Plans were also an essential part of Stalins consolidation of power. Targets were set for coal, iron and electricity production and progress was achieved through propaganda, fear, education, forced labor and socialist competition.Stalin had declared that Russia was at least 100 years behind the industrialized world and, in setting out to modernize Russia he was symbolically breaking with the past. Stalin consolidated power through the achievements of the fiver year plan new cities, dams and hydroelectric power, farm machinery, coal steel, plastic, education and no unemployment and doctors and medicine were available. For all the problems and hardship caused by the Five Year Plans, by 1941, Stalin had transformed Russia into a world class industrial power. This was to be vital for Russia as the war was about to test her to the extreme.Today the role of Stalin in Russian history is the subject of bitter debate, with a number of Russian history textbooks calling him a n effective manager and others presenting him as absolute evil dictator. Nevertheless, It can be seen that Stalin succeeded in consolidating power through many factors, mainly from propaganda, fear and terror, and the five-year plan.

There are a number of factors which are responsible for this disaster Essay Example for Free

There are a number of factors which are responsible for this casualty Essay1. Documents which were obtained in the course of a law suit against confederacy Carbide for environmental contamination before a New York Federal District Court shoot revealed that the Carbide that had been exported to the Indian plant was inexperient unproven technology. 2. The Indian subsidiary plant unlike the Union Carbide plants in the U. S. A. were not equipped to handle or cope with problems of this magnitude nor were the local regimen informed about the dangers of the chemicals that were being manufactured in Bhopal. 3.The scientists reports which talked and warned about such a possibility as the accident which occurred were ignored outright and the old staff never got to view them. 4. The sales were dipping and the staff was reduced due to which the safety checks were less frequent. 5. Slip-band plates which had to be installed in order to prevent the water from the pipes entry the store s were not installed. 6. The MIC tank refrigeration coolant was being phthisisd elsewhere, but if a button was pressed in the control room it would have activated it to use the remaining coolant. This was overlooked by the staff.7. The gas scrubber was kept on standby, so it could not be used to clean the escaping gases with sodium hydroxide which could institute the concentration down to a safe level. 8. The water curtain also was set to 13m and it did not reach the gas, it was perhaps not designed to contain a leakage of such magnitude.. 9. The audible external alarm had been activated to warn the residents of Bhopal, but this was quickly switched off in order not to cause holy terror among the residents. So, umpteen kept sleeping little realizing what was happening and those who woke up thought the problem was resolved.10. The flare towers which were used to burn off gases before escaping into the air were infra repairs. 11. Doctors were not updated about the proper treatme nt methods for MIC gas inhalation. When they inquired they were told to give the patients cough medicines and eye drops. Union Carbide denies all this. Their theory is that one of the employees introduced water into the tank by removing a meter, a disgruntled plant employee, apparently bent on spoiling a batch of methyl isocyanate, added water to a storage tank(Browning).Their argument is that so much water could not have entered the tank by accident. They further accuse that the plant staff falsified the numerous records to distance themselves of the disaster and that the Government of India did not prosecute the employee as it would weaken the allegations against the Union Carbide, but the Union Carbide themselves have not named or identified the employee. Still others, like the many experts in industrial safety, believe that the tragedy was preventable, arguing that it was the due to .the negligence on the part of the Union Carbide Corporation and its corporate subsidiary Union Carbide of India Ltd. (UCIL), which had the certificate of indebtedness for taking care of the day-to-day operations of the facility(Bogard 4). Moreover, the Indian Madhya Pradesh State Government had also not done anything for the safety standards and the Union Carbide also failed to utensil its safety rules. This plant had experienced six accidents between 1981 and 1984, three of them involving MIC or phosgene, but since they were small scale ones, only one worker died in 1981, the formalised inquiries were shelved.Probably the neglect of not getting trained workers at the plant and the laxity in the upkeep of the equipments was responsible for the leakage. Union Carbide agreed to pay US$470 million in an out of court agreement for the damages caused in the tragedy, but little of the money went to the survivors, and the people of Bhopal felt betrayed by both the Union Carbide and their own politicians. Thus on the anniversary of the tragedy they burnt the effigy of Warren Ander son who was the chairman of the Union Carbide at that time as well as the effigies of their own politicians.In July 2004, The Supreme Court of India ordered the government to pay the victims and their families the remaining $330 compensation fund. Union Carbide sold its Indian subsidiary which ran the Bhopal plant to the Eveready onslaught manufacturers in 1994. The Union Carbide was purchased by the Dow Chemical Company in 2001 for $10. 3 billion. Dow Chemicals have refused to clean up the toxic waste even as activists have demanded it and are pressurizing the Government of India to demand more money from Dow.According to environmentalists the contamination may lead to slow poisoning and diseases of the liver, kidney and the nervous system. Studies have also impel light on the fact that cancer and other illness are on the rise in this region after the tragedy. BBC Radio5 reported on fourteenth November 2004 that the site is still contaminated with thousands of metric tones of tox ic chemicals which are held in open containers or loose on the ground. Rainfall causes run off thence polluting local wells and boreholes. Some of the areas are so polluted that anyone entering the area for more than ten minutes are likely to loose consciousness.

Impact of the Internet on Relationships of 20-25 Year Olds

Impact of the profits on Relationships of 20-25 Year OldsAn electronic musculus quadriceps femoris for conflux new good deal, staying machine-accessible with friends and sharing roots Virtual military mankind or favorable man in the progress of narcissism?A excogitate of hi5 network as an online community its union to offline relationships and motivations and expectations of lot that bring about members.CHAPTER ONEAbstractThe cyberspace has changed the lives of many individuals and, with millions of battalion online it arguably represents the single well-nigh influential technological onward motion of the Twenty start-off century (Aitchison, J. and Lewis, D. (2003) 1) (Crews, C. and Thierer, A. (2003) 3). indeed the beingness of the earnings is mavin which becomes much and more than relevant in the lives of individuals across the world (Aitchison, J. and Lewis, D. (2003) 1) (Gauntlett, D., Gottlieb, N. and Mclelland, M. (2003) 19). The meshwork has fey t he lives of just about people in spite of appearance the 20-25 get along with groups, and this it by chance level off more relevant deep down Greek society, where internet dating and socialising has come upn exception in ally popular. It is thence non surprising that the internet is apply effectively as a medium for the institution of relationships.The internet has granted us electronic ship internet blogs pop-up pass along advertising video messaging smiley faces on-line dating and friendship services instant mess eras and internet threads and all of these live with changed the flair that individuals communicate with one another (Aitchison, J. and Lewis, D. (2003) 1) (Jordan, T. (1999) Ch.1). These more contemporary methods of communicating flummox impacted society at many levels (Crews, C. and Thierer, A. (2003) 3) (Gauntlett, D., Gottlieb, N. and Mclelland, M. (2003) 19) and this whitethorn be seen by an compendium of contemporary sermon discourses and method s of acculturation. Specifically, the web billet www.hi5.com has provided a nexus where all of these technological and talk techniques accommodate recognition and importance. Hi5 is an online community where communicating is uniquely confined to electronic essence and discourses.IntroductionThis dissertation leave behind explore the relevance of the internet to the formation of key social relationships inwardly the 20-25 age group of Greek society. The circumstance that the formation of relationships online cultivates and shapes the nature of relationships offline is an raise one to approach and it entrust be foc employ on finishedout the thesis. The nature of the internet and specifically websites such(prenominal) as Hi5 as an electronic space which facilities man interaction and the master(prenominal)tenance of relationships provide be considered. The dichotomy mingled with social and realistic(prenominal) reality go forth be reason inwardly this context and the generator entrust attempt to definition on which description of the internet is intimately appropriate. The question of whether the internet is a social reality in an age of narcissism or a virtual reality go forth as well as be annexressed within the question.The subject matter of the thesis give in addition involve a consideration of the ways that the internet has indirectly and directly affected offline relationships and the motivations and expectations of people that become members. This is an in-chief(postnominal) perspective notwithstanding it is one that could well be neglected. because one of the most important institutionalises which the thesis leave alone seek to express is the pervasiveness of the internet, and specifically the pervasiveness of the online community which engages Greeks in the 20-25 age group, and its ability to influence their offline as well as online lives, self representations, motivations and expectations.The thesis volition atte mpt to argue that the internet is an important mechanism of social interaction, which should not be pigeon-holed to only if make what is anyway a facile critique of the internet (i.e. that the internet simply promotes narcissism), more convenient to articulate. This chapter will provide the figure framework through which this argument will be made. The chapter will provide definitions of the internet, conference, intelligence serviceing, computer mediated discourse, and semiotics and these definitions will be used as a springboard to discuss how the internet has changed the lives of Greeks within the 20-25 year age category.Wider issues such as globalisation, self representation, creativity and technological advancement (Smith, M. and Kollock, P. (1998) 4) will also be considered in this chapter since these be intrinsic to the ultimate argument of the thesis that internet friendship databases such as Hi5 argon crucially important and representative of studys in human socialis ation patterns. The effects of these addresses will be extrapolated within the context of the seek question and they will swear out the writer to achieve a more in prudence understanding of the signifi raftce of the internet within the social circles of Greeks within the 20-25 age group.The models of psychoanalysis that will be used will be discourse analysis and semiotic analysis of text and images. The profiles of Greek members of Hi5 will be widely consulted and primary investigate in the form of interviews and a questionnaire-based study will be consulted and evaluated softly in the analysis of all of the above mentioned issues. thitherfore there will be a lexicographical and semiotic extrapolation of two(prenominal) text and imaging to assist the writer in answering the question of whether the internet as a social medium/social hub is a appointed development and to comment upon the question agnomen.Computer mediated electronic discourse is the label progressn to describe electronic discourses (Holt, R. (2004) 129) and the effects which they produce at the level of social interaction amid earth. Lexicographical sequences, syntax, the length and structure of sentences, the use of colloquial words and phrases and fatten uses for punctuation devices whitethorn all be considered to be a straggle of this newly developing discourse which specifically facilitates talk over the internet (Holt, R. (2004) 129-130). These aspects of lecture and how diction is represented select changed to reflect and to facilitate online communication and the development of new relationships through the medium of the internet (Holt, R. (2004) 129-132).Images and self-representations will be looked at in minute detail these images and representations will be deconstructed and looked at in their most basic terms. It is hoped that this focus will take into account the writer to consider the look question in a comprehensive and minutely token manner. It is anticipated that such a focus will impart an original and innovative insight into the subject of computer mediated discourses and the increasing importance of the internet in the lives of untried people (20-25) in Greece and Greeks abroad in the Twenty First century.CHAPTER TWOResearch Question and TheoryThe Hi5 Website What is it?This website is an internet community where friendships and amatory attachments are solicited by members. The site enables members to represent themselves and to enable others to view what they have to say about themselves, remotely through the internet. The site itself involves the use of a database of individuals all over the world who have added internet pages describing themselves their characteristics and refers. These descriptions are referred to as profiles and are added to the database which may be searched by prospective members and member of the Hi5 website alike. Members generally add photographs of themselves, and their friends and sometim es the members finish add links and descriptions of the music that they like to listen to. Primarily the website is aimed at individuals from all ethnicities who are in their twenties, and who would like to make friends, stay in touch with friends or form romantic attachments to new people over the internet.The site throw overboards companies and other advertisers to advertise their services on the website, which allows the website to disseminate products and services which may be of interest to young people within the 20-25 age group. The website is also different from online dating services as the romantic connections which may be create through the internet are not the principal selling point of the website. The cerebrations of friendship, self representation and companionship are instead forceful. Certainly, the paper of romantic attachments is something which the website may facilitate, and its susceptibility to do so is understated and not focused upon. Therefore the w ebsite describes and sells itself as primarily designed to enable people to form Platonic relationships through victimisation its facilities.What is Communication?Communication, at its most basic level may be still as a way to convey messages and emotions between human beings (Duranti, A. (1997) 23-25) (Jennings, B. and Heath, R. (2000) 91). This is do mainly (although not exclusively as we will see explained below) through the use of language (Kaplan, R. (2002) Ch. 1), which is a labyrinthine collection of symbols which have specific meats and when used collectively may be dumb to represent codifications of human emotions and messages.The schema of symbols which may be understood as the building blocks of a language do not have core in themselves rather they represent meaning when they are arranged within certain patterns which are accusatoryly recognisable by others who wish to discover them. Therefore the signals which are relied upon in the context of language are cons tructed they are not generic or pre-existing. This complex system of symbols allows humans to make others understand messages which have a generic codified meaning, which may be understood objectively, and cognitively. It is important to understand communication in these terms within the context of this thesis enquiry as it is an understanding of this finicky property of communication which will allow the writer to comment upon the language used on Hi5 in an abstracted and theoretical manner. This will facilitate the methodology of discourse analysis and semiotics which underpins the thesis.Communication is therefore a cognitive process (Ellis, D. (1999) 1) (Giora, R. (2003) 13). It is basically a manipulation of the senses of humans through systematic representations of meaning and images (Ellis, D. (1999) 1). Communication does not undecomposed involve language one justt end communicate at many levels (Ellis, D. (1999) 1-3) (Giora, R. (2003) 13) (Turkle, S. (1997) Ch.1). Faci al expressions sign language body language intonation voice pitch and just a few mechanisms which may be used to communicate without the use of language.Language may employ these techniques in an mingled manner, as communication rarely adopts a singular mode. Therefore the clothes we rupture (their colours and texture) the facial and bodily expressions we adopt the mannerisms we adopt different postures and the signals which we give out are all complex and systematic methods of communicating (Duranti, A. (1997) 23-25). The underlying system ( tillage) is what allows one to describe these processes as both communicative and connected with language (Duranti, A. (1997) 23-25) (Fairclough, N. (2003) 124).Language may be described through the idea of a discourse (Fairclough, N. (2003) 124) (Chimombo, M. and Roseberry, R. (1998) 5). Discourses are particular amalgams of how language has come to be used within particular spheres for specific purposes (Chimombo, M. and Roseberry, R. (199 8) 5). These purposes may be political, sociological and flat ideological in nature (Duranti, A. (1997) 23-25) (Fairclough, N. (2003) 124). What makes a discourse a discourse is the style in which the language and communication techniques are manifested. These may be identify objectively and regarded as belonging within one given discourse. It is often the case that a discourse will be uniquely identifiable.Discourse may be understood at the level of lexicographical constructions and syntax (Fairclough, N. (2003) 123-124) (Chimombo, M. and Roseberry, R. (1998) 6). In this sense the discourse which is understood is viewed in a more mechanical and objective manner. Discourses of this modality will mainly occupy the methodological framework of the thesis, since this type of discourse analysis allows one to approach the understanding of the subject of electronic communication and socialisation techniques in an effective and simple way.Language also becomes a communication discourse whe n it is used as a system of communication within a particular community or culture (Fairclough, N. (2003) 124). This was Bourdieus viewpoint (Danaher, G., Fensham, R., Schirato, T., Threadgold, T. and Webb , J. (2002) 1). Pierre Bourdieu (1990) was one of the most influential communication theorists (Danaher, G., Fensham, R., Schirato, T., Threadgold, T. and Webb , J. (2002) 1). Pierre Bourdieu (1990) has attempted to deconstruct the idea of communication (Danaher, G., Fensham, R., Schirato, T., Threadgold, T. and Webb , J. (2002) 1) and to assist him he used the analogy of a map and a journey (Schirato and Yell (2000) p1). He argued that communication involved rules, conventions which map a language and that material acts of communication were akin to the taking of journeys(Schirato and Yell (2000) p1). This broadly fits the writers earlier definition of communication which has been explained above as it explains how language symbols takes on a level of entailment when they are a rranged within a given structure or amalgam.SemioticsCommunication may also be understood through the idea of signs and meanings (Giora, R. (2003) 13). Semiotics is perhaps a more abstract and theoretical way to understand the way that language is used to engender meaning. de Saussure (1989) argued that the meaning of language is a subjective exercise whereby individuals read meanings into what he referred to as signs, which do not have any intrinsic meaning of themselves, but have meaning imputed into them by virtue of the meaning which is attached to them by people (Schirato and Yell (2000) p19). Therefore, for Saussure, language was not as important as what he regarded as its most basic constituent part the sign. The sign is what is represented in relational terms and not in substantive terms through the medium of language and images (Schirato and Yell (2000) p19).Saussure split the idea of communication and meaning into three parts the sign, the signifier and the signified, with the signifier meaning the actual strong-arm manifestation or form of the sign (an example being a road sign or the written form of a word), and the signified meaning being what this sensible form evokes and the sign itself being a combination of both the signified and the signifier (Schirato and Yell (2000) p20). Saussure believed that a sign was a link between a concept and a pattern of sound (Schirato and Yell (2000) p20), and that these linkages came together to comprise a semiotic system which disseminated meaning.What is stopping point? coating may be described in the following functional terms In any society, culture, in its most general sense, is concerned with individuals in a group. It has four main functions It determines the various ways open to the individual within the group to develop the self, and hence the group as well. It specifies means for self-preservation. It determines the individuals place within the group. And, it determines the individuals and the groups perception of the world. (Chimombo, M. and Roseberry, R. (1998) 6). Culture also constrains the perceptions which an individual may be exposed to and given that this exposure is generally delivered through discourses, it is important to understand the connections between culture and individual perceptions. Chimombo and Roseberry (1998) give us an account of this connection The specific culture of the group restricts each of these cultural attributes to a range of values or possibilities deemed congenial to the members of that culture. Thus, the ways in which an individual give the sack achieve self-fulfilment or perceive the world within a given society are limited by that societys cultural norms and practices (Chimombo, M. and Roseberry, R. (1998) 6).What is the Internet?The internet is a complex network of technological communication mechanisms (Crystal, D. (2001) 24) (Gattiker, U. (2001) 56). These enable people to communicate through the use of computers (Gattiker, U. (2001) 56). The internet itself is both a communication mechanism and a source of information (Gattiker, U. (2001) 56) as it also allows the user to search vast databases of information using key word searches (Crystal, D. (2001) 24). It has changed the way that business, politics, ordainment, education, communication and commercial affairs are conducted (Gauntlett, D., Gottlieb, N. and Mclelland, M. (2003) 19) (Gattiker, U. (2001) 56), and has enabled individuals both to glide path and to disseminate information more quickly and effectively (Crystal, D. (2001) 24) (Gattiker, U. (2001) 56). In this sense therefore the internet represents a mode of communication which is electronic in nature (Gattiker, U. (2001) 56), and the world is connected through this mode. This electronic characteristic of the internet means that various modes of media may be enabled through the internet and these media connect people on another level (Gattiker, U. (2001) 56).How has the Internet Changed the Lives o f Greek 20-25 Year Olds?Greek individuals in the 20-25 categories have been particularly subject to the changes which the internet has both precipitated and facilitated. It is often the case that a primary concern of those belonging to this age category will be romantically unattached and quest to form relationships, both in the form of friendships and wake upual partnerships. Therefore, it is important for one to understand that the internet is integrated within the lives of Greeks between 20-25, given the role it plays in allowing for relationships to be instigated and explored. The internet is a forum for these relationships to be instigated and played out (Kendall, L. (2002) 139-141).In the globalised world where technological advancement features strongly in the lives of most individuals this is not a surprising that the internet would be integrated in this way into such a fundamental sphere of the lives of these individuals (Gauntlett, D., Gottlieb, N. and Mclelland, M. (20 03) 19) (Crews, C. and Thierer, A. (2003) 3). It is impossible to integrate the internet to this design within a persons life, without the desegregation producing noticeable effects in both the offline and online settings. It is possible to infer from this, that offline relationships as well as the motivations and expectations of people that become members will be moulded and shaped through this process of desegregation. This rationalisation will be borne out in the next section.The offline relationships of individuals who also have access to online channels of communication will be affected in a number of ways. For example, it is often the case that the internet simply removes the inhibitions which are often experience at the startle of a relationship (friendship or energiseual). In a sense, the approach which may be employed between two people who are interested in one another is made easier and the detail that the feelings of rejection which may be experienced by a person after a spurn advance can be compensated for by that person, through withdrawing communication effectively and efficiently. The person in question can make their profile lightless and can also choose to which members their profiles can be made visible to.In a sense therefore traditional methods of engaging the opposite sex (or the same sex in the case of non heterosexual encounters) in conversation have been re intendd through electronic discourse. Crews and Thierer (2003) give us a springboard upon which to elaborate on this point by explaining the system of rules and conventions which underpin the use of the internet There are rules. or so of them are mechanical in the sense that the computer architecture of the Internet and the protocols that define its function determine the way in which it operates and the way in which applications like e-mail are or can be supported. Others are a progeny of policies set in a variety of venues and jurisdictions and informed or motivated by a variety of constituencies. (Crews, C. and Thierer, A. (2003) vii). Electronic discourse have facilitated the adoption of these rules and protocols to allow for easier and more relaxed connections to be established through the use of friendship databases such as Hi5. This point will be backed up more well using primary research in the next section, in which syntax and the formations of language will be deconstructed and extrapolated to show how the language itself is a vehicle for these particular functionalities. For the moment it is enough to point out that these electronic discourses are driven by individual preferences of internet users. Crews and Thierer (2003) rein force-out the point Some rules may even be said to be set by the personal preferences and behaviours of Internet users, almost independent of outside forces. The ensemble of rule sets does not form a consistent or even coherent whole and there are notable conflicts, especially as local jurisdictions seek to oblig e local rules on a system that is patently global (Crews, C. and Thierer, A. (2003) vii).Another point to be made about how useful the internet has proven in the lives of young Greeks is that fact that in rigorously logistical terms, traditional forums which are used to tuck members of the opposite sex are not very powerful for the person who seeks to meet new people. Nightclubs for example could be a classic example. These venues are often very noisy and crowded. Interaction in such environments may be stressful and cumbersome. Therefore people tend to stick within the groups of people that they are familiar with and it is often difficult, for individuals to penetrate these niches, and thus strike up relationships with new people. The internet, and in particular websites such as Hi5 remove this logistical difficulty. It provides a safe and comfortable venue where relationships may be initiated on apathetic terms, and the conventions which have evolved allow for interaction to f low smoothly within this environment.In terms of online and offline relationships, the sphere of socialisation which websites such as Hi5 provides often brings these two settings together, and it is perhaps unusual for a person within the age group to led an online life which is entirely freestanding from their offline lives. It is perhaps true that there are rules and conventions which govern the behaviour of actors within the two spheres in different ways notwithstanding this does not mean that in practical, physical terms the two spheres are separated. In actuality the two spheres have become more integrated than ever, as the internet grows in influence and importance.The impact of globalisation, also has made the internet very important in the lives of people within the age category 20-25 (Aitchison, J. and Lewis, D. (2003) 1)(Johnson, D. and Turner, C. (2003) Ch.1). The world is more technologically interconnected and cultures and foreign countries are more accessible than ev er in the lead (Crews, C. and Thierer, A. (2003) 3), making them more relevant in the lives of Greeks within this age group. This globalisation of culture is of particular relevance in this context, for Greeks within the 20-25 age groups. Given that Greece has become part of the European Union, free movement between European countries has heightened the changes that have taken place on a cultural level to an even greater extent, and this has allowed for greater integration between cultures online. This has changed socialisation processes.In this sense the internet may be understood as a virtual space in which people can meet and exchange ideas. However, the ways in which these outcomes are achieved may not be understood without looking more closely as the way that human relationships are formed through the internet, through electronic means and how this spills over into conventional human interplays. To identify the age of narcissism in the question entitle is arguably a meaningle ss endeavour. It is facile to tie narcissism just with contemporary society. The reality is that this is a universal concept which has many applications within both the traditional and the contemporary. We find narcissism everywhere it is not just a generic feature of the internet, or generically manifested through internet discourses. Therefore the suggestion in the thesis title that puts forward the view that the internet represents social reality in an age of narcissism is an over decrease of a process (narcissism) which pervades society at many levels not just specifically through the internet.Certainly one cannot deny that the internet and the Hi5 site can be a vehicle for narcissism in terms of individual modalities of self-representations. The images of the body, images of self which are communicated through text and image convey narcissistic tendencies. Indeed, this however is perhaps not just a cultural construct, but a more basic survival mechanism. The title proposition which insinuates that narcissism is a purely self cushy process therefore fails to understand the various applications which narcissism may have within the context of human development (which must be set obscure from mere social reality). Let us look for example at human reproduction. This is a natural instinct within most humans, and narcissism assists the human in attracting a mate the presentation of self within particular terms is therefore not self indulgent, per se (it may be this of course, but the point here is that this is not the only function of narcissism) it is also a tool which is used by humans to present and t carry themselves as amiable potential mates. Therefore narcissism facilitates human socialisation at the most basic of levels. It is not a superfluous mechanism in which social reality is defined as the title implies. It has a base function which assists humans to find and attract partners through the internet and electronic discourses.However, since the t itle proposition that the Hi5 website is social reality in an age of narcissism has been critiqued here, let us turn to the alternative proposition which is presented in the question title is the site just virtual reality? This too is far too qualify a definition of what the site may be to be a presumptive description of the site. The fact is that the site cannot be simply virtual reality, given its function within both online and offline relationships. This has been argued above. The internet site involves a degree of integration between online and offline expectations and motivations which prove that it is therefore not just virtual it cant be simply this. It is a complex interconnected network which cannot be pigeonholed into each the category of virtual reality or social reality in an age of narcissism. Both of these representations misunderstand the use and importance of the internet site to society. They force the concept of the internet site into a get bolthole which cann ot accommodate the complexities of a mechanism such as the Hi5. To present this question as if a plectron must be made between the two implies that one of the other is an accurate representation of what the internet site is. The argument of this thesis is that this is a phoney premise to start up from. The internet site and the mode of its dissemination, the internet has become so integrated so important and so pervasive that to define it in such narrow terms is both to do it a disservice and to misunderstand its function, and use.The next chapter will turn to the methodology of the thesis enquiry. It will discuss the different paradigms of research and it will explain how the research methodology of this thesis has been chosen and the reasons why. An argument will be made that qualitative research is more compatible with the boilers suit aim of the thesis enquiry and therefore it has been the most appropriate means through which the research is the be carried out.CHAPTER THREEM ethodologyThis chapter will firstly ask some questions about the nature, structure and applicability of certain methodologies within the framework of this research project. It will then go on to chalk out which methodology will be used as the foundation for the thesis and will explain why. In this way the advantages and disadvantages of each methodological framework will be evaluated and explained and the suitability of particular methodological frameworks will for this linguistic and discourse orientated project will be outlined.Firstly, what is methodology? Methodology involves two separate paradigms qualitative (phenomenological) and decimal (positivist) (Darlington, Y. and Scott, D. (2002) 1-6). The main difference which may be identified between the two paradigms of research is that qualitative method involves a socially constructed intercellular substance of understanding (Darlington, Y. and Scott, D. (2002) 1-6). conversely the quantitative seeks to understand phenomena th rough objective observation and hypothesising (Darlington, Y. and Scott, D. (2002) 1-6). Characteristics of qualitative research therefore are that it tends to be specific, confirmatory, scientific and outcome orientated (Jensen, K. (2002) 230). Characteristics of qualitative research involve explanatory aims and the method involved tends to be more situational than outcome oriented (Bauer, M. (2000) 4). The aim of qualitative research is to understand and interpret viewpoints subjectively whereas qualitative research involves more concrete and deductive foundations of research (Darlington, Y. and Scott, D. (2002) 1-6).The methodology which will be used will primarily be qualitative in nature. There will be interviews conducted with interested parties in the field of friendship databases, there will be a semiotic and discourse analysis of the Hi5 website and there will be a questionnaire the results of which will be interpreted qualitatively. Therefore the research design will be bo th constructed and interpreted qualitatively.The furnish of data will involve haphazard internet searches of the Hi5 website and the writer will use themselves as a device to take in views and imagery which will be presented in the results chapter and assessed through qualitative means. The targets of the writer in terms of samples for the research will take the form of firstly, the Hi5 website itself, and then profiles will be consulted. The writer will try to focus specifically upon an analysis of just Greek profiles, since the website allows one to narrow ones search on the basis of ethnicity. It must be emphasised that while this does narrow down the pool of profiles, the writer has no control over which profiles are presented, other than to specify that they should be from persons who classify themselves as Greeks. Therefore the integrity of the research in terms of using random data is preserved.Sampling techniques are very important to preserve the qualitative integrity of the research and therefore its credibility. The writer has been careful to attempt to examine profiles from both genders and to examine representations of both the male and female forms, since the factor which the writer would like to control is ethnicity (therefore just Greek profiles will be focused on primarily). The writer has attempted to guarantee that random material has been generated and has relied upon the mechanism on the Hi5 website itself which allows one to generate random searches. Representativeness too was considered throughout the research. As the topics which were under consideration were imagery, self representation and the concept of the self and body, it was important to have sufficient diversity within the constraints of the research variables which were to be controlled (i.e. age (20-25) and ethnicity GreekneImpact of the Internet on Relationships of 20-25 Year OldsImpact of the Internet on Relationships of 20-25 Year OldsAn electronic space for meeting new people, staying connected with friends and sharing ideas Virtual reality or social reality in the age of narcissism?A study of hi5 network as an online community its connection to offline relationships and motivations and expectations of people that become members.CHAPTER ONEAbstractThe internet has changed the lives of many individuals and, with millions of people online it arguably represents the single most influential technological advancement of the Twenty First century (Aitchison, J. and Lewis, D. (2003) 1) (Crews, C. and Thierer, A. (2003) 3). Therefore the world of the internet is one which becomes more and more relevant in the lives of individuals across the world (Aitchison, J. and Lewis, D. (2003) 1) (Gauntlett, D., Gottlieb, N. and Mclelland, M. (2003) 19). The internet has touched the lives of most people within the 20-25 age groups, and this it perhaps even more relevant within Greek society, where internet dating and socialising has proven exceptionally popular. It is therefore not surprising that the internet is used effectively as a medium for the formation of relationships.The internet has given us electronic mail internet blogs pop-up message advertising video messaging smiley faces on-line dating and friendship services instant messages and internet threads and all of these have changed the way that individuals communicate with one another (Aitchison, J. and Lewis, D. (2003) 1) (Jordan, T. (1999) Ch.1). These more contemporary methods of communicating have impacted society at many levels (Crews, C. and Thierer, A. (2003) 3) (Gauntlett, D., Gottlieb, N. and Mclelland, M. (2003) 19) and this may be seen through an analysis of contemporary communication discourses and methods of socialisation. Specifically, the website www.hi5.com has provided a nexus where all of these technological and communication techniques have recognition and importance. Hi5 is an online community where communication is uniquely confined to electronic means and discours es.IntroductionThis thesis will explore the relevance of the internet to the formation of key social relationships within the 20-25 age group of Greek society. The fact that the formation of relationships online influences and shapes the nature of relationships offline is an interesting one to approach and it will be focused on throughout the thesis. The nature of the internet and specifically websites such as Hi5 as an electronic space which facilities human interaction and the maintenance of relationships will be considered. The dichotomy between social and virtual reality will be broached within this context and the writer will attempt to comment on which description of the internet is most appropriate. The question of whether the internet is a social reality in an age of narcissism or a virtual reality will also be addressed within the research.The subject matter of the thesis will also involve a consideration of the ways that the internet has indirectly and directly affected of fline relationships and the motivations and expectations of people that become members. This is an important perspective however it is one that could easily be neglected. Therefore one of the most important points which the thesis will seek to express is the pervasiveness of the internet, and specifically the pervasiveness of the online community which engages Greeks in the 20-25 age group, and its ability to influence their offline as well as online lives, self representations, motivations and expectations.The thesis will attempt to argue that the internet is an important mechanism of social interaction, which should not be pigeon-holed to simply make what is anyway a facile critique of the internet (i.e. that the internet simply promotes narcissism), more convenient to articulate. This chapter will provide the skeleton framework through which this argument will be made. The chapter will provide definitions of the internet, communication, language, computer mediated discourse, and semiotics and these definitions will be used as a springboard to discuss how the internet has changed the lives of Greeks within the 20-25 year age category.Wider issues such as globalisation, self representation, creativity and technological advancement (Smith, M. and Kollock, P. (1998) 4) will also be considered in this chapter since these are intrinsic to the ultimate argument of the thesis that internet friendship databases such as Hi5 are crucially important and representative of developments in human socialisation patterns. The effects of these processes will be extrapolated within the context of the research question and they will assist the writer to achieve a more in depth understanding of the significance of the internet within the social circles of Greeks within the 20-25 age group.The models of analysis that will be used will be discourse analysis and semiotic analysis of text and images. The profiles of Greek members of Hi5 will be widely consulted and primary research in the form of interviews and a questionnaire-based study will be consulted and evaluated qualitatively in the analysis of all of the above mentioned issues. Therefore there will be a lexicographical and semiotic extrapolation of both text and imagery to assist the writer in answering the question of whether the internet as a social medium/social hub is a positive development and to comment upon the question title.Computer mediated electronic discourse is the label given to describe electronic discourses (Holt, R. (2004) 129) and the effects which they produce at the level of social interaction between humans. Lexicographical sequences, syntax, the length and structure of sentences, the use of colloquial words and phrases and elaborate uses for punctuation devices may all be considered to be a part of this newly developing discourse which specifically facilitates communication over the internet (Holt, R. (2004) 129-130). These aspects of language and how language is represented have changed to reflect and to facilitate online communication and the development of new relationships through the medium of the internet (Holt, R. (2004) 129-132).Images and self-representations will be looked at in minute detail these images and representations will be deconstructed and looked at in their most basic terms. It is hoped that this focus will allow the writer to consider the research question in a comprehensive and minutely detailed manner. It is anticipated that such a focus will impart an original and innovative insight into the subject of computer mediated discourses and the increasing importance of the internet in the lives of young people (20-25) in Greece and Greeks abroad in the Twenty First century.CHAPTER TWOResearch Question and TheoryThe Hi5 Website What is it?This website is an internet community where friendships and romantic attachments are solicited by members. The site enables members to represent themselves and to enable others to view what they have to say about themselves, remotely through the internet. The site itself involves the use of a database of individuals all over the world who have added internet pages describing themselves their characteristics and interests. These descriptions are referred to as profiles and are added to the database which may be searched by prospective members and member of the Hi5 website alike. Members generally add photographs of themselves, and their friends and sometimes the members can add links and descriptions of the music that they like to listen to. Primarily the website is aimed at individuals from all ethnicities who are in their twenties, and who would like to make friends, stay in touch with friends or form romantic attachments to new people over the internet.The site allows companies and other advertisers to advertise their services on the website, which allows the website to disseminate products and services which may be of interest to young people within the 20-25 age group. The webs ite is also different from online dating services as the romantic connections which may be formed through the internet are not the principal selling point of the website. The ideas of friendship, self representation and companionship are instead emphasised. Certainly, the idea of romantic attachments is something which the website may facilitate, but its capacity to do so is understated and not focused upon. Therefore the website describes and sells itself as primarily designed to enable people to form platonic relationships through using its facilities.What is Communication?Communication, at its most basic level may be understood as a way to convey messages and emotions between human beings (Duranti, A. (1997) 23-25) (Jennings, B. and Heath, R. (2000) 91). This is done mainly (although not exclusively as we will see explained below) through the use of language (Kaplan, R. (2002) Ch. 1), which is a complex collection of symbols which have specific meanings and when used collectively may be understood to represent codifications of human emotions and messages.The system of symbols which may be understood as the building blocks of a language do not have meaning in themselves rather they represent meaning when they are arranged within certain patterns which are objectively recognisable by others who wish to interpret them. Therefore the signals which are relied upon in the context of language are constructed they are not generic or pre-existing. This complex system of symbols allows humans to make others understand messages which have a generic codified meaning, which may be understood objectively, and cognitively. It is important to understand communication in these terms within the context of this thesis enquiry as it is an understanding of this particular property of communication which will allow the writer to comment upon the language used on Hi5 in an abstracted and theoretical manner. This will facilitate the methodology of discourse analysis and semiotics which underpins the thesis.Communication is therefore a cognitive process (Ellis, D. (1999) 1) (Giora, R. (2003) 13). It is essentially a manipulation of the senses of humans through systematic representations of meaning and images (Ellis, D. (1999) 1). Communication does not just involve language one can communicate at many levels (Ellis, D. (1999) 1-3) (Giora, R. (2003) 13) (Turkle, S. (1997) Ch.1). Facial expressions sign language body language intonation voice pitch and just a few mechanisms which may be used to communicate without the use of language.Language may employ these techniques in an integrated manner, as communication rarely adopts a singular mode. Therefore the clothes we wear (their colours and texture) the facial and bodily expressions we adopt the mannerisms we adopt various postures and the signals which we give out are all complex and systematic methods of communicating (Duranti, A. (1997) 23-25). The underlying system (culture) is what allows one to describe th ese processes as both communicative and connected with language (Duranti, A. (1997) 23-25) (Fairclough, N. (2003) 124).Language may be described through the idea of a discourse (Fairclough, N. (2003) 124) (Chimombo, M. and Roseberry, R. (1998) 5). Discourses are particular amalgams of how language has come to be used within particular spheres for specific purposes (Chimombo, M. and Roseberry, R. (1998) 5). These purposes may be political, sociological and even ideological in nature (Duranti, A. (1997) 23-25) (Fairclough, N. (2003) 124). What makes a discourse a discourse is the style in which the language and communication techniques are manifested. These may be identified objectively and regarded as belonging within one given discourse. It is often the case that a discourse will be uniquely identifiable.Discourse may be understood at the level of lexicographical constructions and syntax (Fairclough, N. (2003) 123-124) (Chimombo, M. and Roseberry, R. (1998) 6). In this sense the dis course which is understood is viewed in a more mechanical and objective manner. Discourses of this modality will mainly occupy the methodological framework of the thesis, since this type of discourse analysis allows one to approach the understanding of the subject of electronic communication and socialisation techniques in an effective and simple way.Language also becomes a communication discourse when it is used as a system of communication within a particular community or culture (Fairclough, N. (2003) 124). This was Bourdieus viewpoint (Danaher, G., Fensham, R., Schirato, T., Threadgold, T. and Webb , J. (2002) 1). Pierre Bourdieu (1990) was one of the most influential communication theorists (Danaher, G., Fensham, R., Schirato, T., Threadgold, T. and Webb , J. (2002) 1). Pierre Bourdieu (1990) has attempted to deconstruct the idea of communication (Danaher, G., Fensham, R., Schirato, T., Threadgold, T. and Webb , J. (2002) 1) and to assist him he used the analogy of a map and a journey (Schirato and Yell (2000) p1). He argued that communication involved rules, conventions which map a language and that actual acts of communication were akin to the taking of journeys(Schirato and Yell (2000) p1). This broadly fits the writers earlier definition of communication which has been explained above as it explains how language symbols takes on a level of significance when they are arranged within a given structure or amalgam.SemioticsCommunication may also be understood through the idea of signs and meanings (Giora, R. (2003) 13). Semiotics is perhaps a more abstract and theoretical way to understand the way that language is used to engender meaning. Saussure (1989) argued that the meaning of language is a subjective exercise whereby individuals read meanings into what he referred to as signs, which do not have any intrinsic meaning of themselves, but have meaning imputed into them by virtue of the meaning which is attached to them by people (Schirato and Yell (2000 ) p19). Therefore, for Saussure, language was not as important as what he regarded as its most basic constituent part the sign. The sign is what is represented in relational terms and not in substantive terms through the medium of language and images (Schirato and Yell (2000) p19).Saussure split the idea of communication and meaning into three parts the sign, the signifier and the signified, with the signifier meaning the actual physical manifestation or form of the sign (an example being a road sign or the written form of a word), and the signified meaning being what this physical form evokes and the sign itself being a combination of both the signified and the signifier (Schirato and Yell (2000) p20). Saussure believed that a sign was a link between a concept and a pattern of sound (Schirato and Yell (2000) p20), and that these linkages came together to comprise a semiotic system which disseminated meaning.What is Culture?Culture may be described in the following functional terms In any society, culture, in its most general sense, is concerned with individuals in a group. It has four main functions It determines the various ways open to the individual within the group to develop the self, and hence the group as well. It specifies means for self-preservation. It determines the individuals place within the group. And, it determines the individuals and the groups perception of the world. (Chimombo, M. and Roseberry, R. (1998) 6). Culture also constrains the perceptions which an individual may be exposed to and given that this exposure is generally delivered through discourses, it is important to understand the connections between culture and individual perceptions. Chimombo and Roseberry (1998) give us an account of this connection The specific culture of the group restricts each of these cultural attributes to a range of values or possibilities deemed acceptable to the members of that culture. Thus, the ways in which an individual can achieve self-fulfilment o r perceive the world within a given society are limited by that societys cultural norms and practices (Chimombo, M. and Roseberry, R. (1998) 6).What is the Internet?The internet is a complex network of technological communication mechanisms (Crystal, D. (2001) 24) (Gattiker, U. (2001) 56). These enable people to communicate through the use of computers (Gattiker, U. (2001) 56). The internet itself is both a communication mechanism and a source of information (Gattiker, U. (2001) 56) as it also allows the user to search vast databases of information using key word searches (Crystal, D. (2001) 24). It has changed the way that business, politics, government, education, communication and commercial affairs are conducted (Gauntlett, D., Gottlieb, N. and Mclelland, M. (2003) 19) (Gattiker, U. (2001) 56), and has enabled individuals both to access and to disseminate information more quickly and effectively (Crystal, D. (2001) 24) (Gattiker, U. (2001) 56). In this sense therefore the intern et represents a mode of communication which is electronic in nature (Gattiker, U. (2001) 56), and the world is connected through this mode. This electronic characteristic of the internet means that various modes of media may be enabled through the internet and these media connect people on another level (Gattiker, U. (2001) 56).How has the Internet Changed the Lives of Greek 20-25 Year Olds?Greek individuals in the 20-25 categories have been particularly susceptible to the changes which the internet has both precipitated and facilitated. It is often the case that a primary concern of those belonging to this age category will be romantically unattached and seeking to form relationships, both in the form of friendships and sexual partnerships. Therefore, it is important for one to understand that the internet is integrated within the lives of Greeks between 20-25, given the role it plays in allowing for relationships to be instigated and explored. The internet is a forum for these rel ationships to be instigated and played out (Kendall, L. (2002) 139-141).In the globalised world where technological advancement features strongly in the lives of most individuals this is not a surprising that the internet would be integrated in this way into such a fundamental sphere of the lives of these individuals (Gauntlett, D., Gottlieb, N. and Mclelland, M. (2003) 19) (Crews, C. and Thierer, A. (2003) 3). It is impossible to integrate the internet to this extent within a persons life, without the integration producing noticeable effects in both the offline and online settings. It is possible to infer from this, that offline relationships as well as the motivations and expectations of people that become members will be moulded and shaped through this process of integration. This rationalisation will be borne out in the next section.The offline relationships of individuals who also have access to online channels of communication will be affected in a number of ways. For example, it is often the case that the internet simply removes the inhibitions which are often experienced at the outset of a relationship (friendship or sexual). In a sense, the approach which may be employed between two people who are interested in one another is made easier and the fact that the feelings of rejection which may be experienced by a person after a spurned advance can be compensated for by that person, through withdrawing communication effectively and efficiently. The person in question can make their profile invisible and can also choose to which members their profiles can be made visible to.In a sense therefore traditional methods of engaging the opposite sex (or the same sex in the case of non heterosexual encounters) in conversation have been redefined through electronic discourse. Crews and Thierer (2003) give us a springboard upon which to elaborate on this point by explaining the system of rules and conventions which underpin the use of the internet There are rules. S ome of them are mechanical in the sense that the architecture of the Internet and the protocols that define its function determine the way in which it operates and the way in which applications like e-mail are or can be supported. Others are a consequence of policies set in a variety of venues and jurisdictions and informed or motivated by a variety of constituencies. (Crews, C. and Thierer, A. (2003) vii). Electronic discourse have facilitated the adoption of these rules and protocols to allow for easier and more relaxed connections to be established through the use of friendship databases such as Hi5. This point will be backed up more thoroughly using primary research in the next section, in which syntax and the formations of language will be deconstructed and extrapolated to show how the language itself is a vehicle for these particular functionalities. For the moment it is enough to point out that these electronic discourses are driven by individual preferences of internet users . Crews and Thierer (2003) reinforce the point Some rules may even be said to be set by the personal preferences and behaviours of Internet users, almost independent of outside forces. The ensemble of rule sets does not form a consistent or even coherent whole and there are notable conflicts, especially as local jurisdictions seek to enforce local rules on a system that is patently global (Crews, C. and Thierer, A. (2003) vii).Another point to be made about how useful the internet has proven in the lives of young Greeks is that fact that in purely logistical terms, traditional forums which are used to meet members of the opposite sex are not very effectual for the person who seeks to meet new people. Nightclubs for example could be a classic example. These venues are often very noisy and crowded. Interaction in such environments may be stressful and cumbersome. Therefore people tend to stick within the groups of people that they are familiar with and it is often difficult, for indiv iduals to penetrate these niches, and thus strike up relationships with new people. The internet, and in particular websites such as Hi5 remove this logistical difficulty. It provides a safe and comfortable venue where relationships may be initiated on neutral terms, and the conventions which have evolved allow for interaction to flow smoothly within this environment.In terms of online and offline relationships, the sphere of socialisation which websites such as Hi5 provides often brings these two settings together, and it is perhaps unusual for a person within the age group to led an online life which is entirely separate from their offline lives. It is perhaps true that there are rules and conventions which govern the behaviour of actors within the two spheres in different ways however this does not mean that in practical, physical terms the two spheres are separated. In actuality the two spheres have become more integrated than ever, as the internet grows in influence and importa nce.The impact of globalisation, also has made the internet very important in the lives of people within the age category 20-25 (Aitchison, J. and Lewis, D. (2003) 1)(Johnson, D. and Turner, C. (2003) Ch.1). The world is more technologically interconnected and cultures and foreign countries are more accessible than ever before (Crews, C. and Thierer, A. (2003) 3), making them more relevant in the lives of Greeks within this age group. This globalisation of culture is of particular relevance in this context, for Greeks within the 20-25 age groups. Given that Greece has become part of the European Union, free movement between European countries has heightened the changes that have taken place on a cultural level to an even greater extent, and this has allowed for greater integration between cultures online. This has changed socialisation processes.In this sense the internet may be understood as a virtual space in which people can meet and exchange ideas. However, the ways in which the se outcomes are achieved may not be understood without looking more closely as the way that human relationships are formed through the internet, through electronic means and how this spills over into conventional human interplays. To identify the age of narcissism in the question title is arguably a meaningless endeavour. It is facile to tie narcissism just with contemporary society. The reality is that this is a universal concept which has many applications within both the traditional and the contemporary. We find narcissism everywhere it is not just a generic feature of the internet, or generically manifested through internet discourses. Therefore the proposition in the thesis title that puts forward the view that the internet represents social reality in an age of narcissism is an over simplification of a process (narcissism) which pervades society at many levels not just specifically through the internet.Certainly one cannot deny that the internet and the Hi5 site can be a vehic le for narcissism in terms of individual modalities of self-representations. The images of the body, images of self which are communicated through text and image convey narcissistic tendencies. Indeed, this however is perhaps not just a cultural construct, but a more basic survival mechanism. The title proposition which insinuates that narcissism is a purely self indulgent process therefore fails to understand the various applications which narcissism may have within the context of human development (which must be set apart from mere social reality). Let us look for example at human reproduction. This is a natural instinct within most humans, and narcissism assists the human in attracting a mate the presentation of self within particular terms is therefore not self indulgent, per se (it may be this of course, but the point here is that this is not the only function of narcissism) it is also a tool which is used by humans to present and project themselves as attractive potential mate s. Therefore narcissism facilitates human socialisation at the most basic of levels. It is not a superfluous mechanism in which social reality is defined as the title implies. It has a base function which assists humans to find and attract partners through the internet and electronic discourses.However, since the title proposition that the Hi5 website is social reality in an age of narcissism has been critiqued here, let us turn to the alternative proposition which is presented in the question title is the site just virtual reality? This too is far too narrow a definition of what the site may be to be a credible description of the site. The fact is that the site cannot be simply virtual reality, given its function within both online and offline relationships. This has been argued above. The internet site involves a degree of integration between online and offline expectations and motivations which prove that it is therefore not just virtual it cant be simply this. It is a complex in terconnected network which cannot be pigeonholed into either the category of virtual reality or social reality in an age of narcissism. Both of these representations misunderstand the use and importance of the internet site to society. They force the concept of the internet site into a narrow bolthole which cannot accommodate the complexities of a mechanism such as the Hi5. To present this question as if a choice must be made between the two implies that one of the other is an accurate representation of what the internet site is. The argument of this thesis is that this is a false premise to begin from. The internet site and the mode of its dissemination, the internet has become so integrated so important and so pervasive that to define it in such narrow terms is both to do it a disservice and to misunderstand its function, and use.The next chapter will turn to the methodology of the thesis enquiry. It will discuss the different paradigms of research and it will explain how the rese arch methodology of this thesis has been chosen and the reasons why. An argument will be made that qualitative research is more compatible with the overall aim of the thesis enquiry and therefore it has been the most appropriate means through which the research is the be carried out.CHAPTER THREEMethodologyThis chapter will firstly ask some questions about the nature, structure and applicability of certain methodologies within the framework of this research project. It will then go on to outline which methodology will be used as the foundation for the thesis and will explain why. In this way the advantages and disadvantages of each methodological framework will be evaluated and explained and the suitability of particular methodological frameworks will for this linguistic and discourse orientated project will be outlined.Firstly, what is methodology? Methodology involves two separate paradigms qualitative (phenomenological) and quantitative (positivist) (Darlington, Y. and Scott, D. (2002) 1-6). The main difference which may be identified between the two paradigms of research is that qualitative method involves a socially constructed matrix of understanding (Darlington, Y. and Scott, D. (2002) 1-6). Conversely the quantitative seeks to understand phenomena through objective observation and hypothesising (Darlington, Y. and Scott, D. (2002) 1-6). Characteristics of qualitative research therefore are that it tends to be specific, confirmatory, scientific and outcome orientated (Jensen, K. (2002) 230). Characteristics of qualitative research involve explanatory aims and the method involved tends to be more situational than outcome oriented (Bauer, M. (2000) 4). The aim of qualitative research is to understand and interpret viewpoints subjectively whereas qualitative research involves more concrete and deductive foundations of research (Darlington, Y. and Scott, D. (2002) 1-6).The methodology which will be used will primarily be qualitative in nature. There will be interviews conducted with interested parties in the field of friendship databases, there will be a semiotic and discourse analysis of the Hi5 website and there will be a questionnaire the results of which will be interpreted qualitatively. Therefore the research design will be both constructed and interpreted qualitatively.The sampling of data will involve random internet searches of the Hi5 website and the writer will use themselves as a device to take in views and imagery which will be presented in the results chapter and assessed through qualitative means. The targets of the writer in terms of samples for the research will take the form of firstly, the Hi5 website itself, and then profiles will be consulted. The writer will try to focus specifically upon an analysis of just Greek profiles, since the website allows one to narrow ones search on the basis of ethnicity. It must be emphasised that while this does narrow down the pool of profiles, the writer has no control over which profiles are presented, other than to specify that they should be from persons who classify themselves as Greeks. Therefore the integrity of the research in terms of using random data is preserved.Sampling techniques are very important to preserve the qualitative integrity of the research and therefore its credibility. The writer has been careful to attempt to examine profiles from both genders and to examine representations of both the male and female forms, since the factor which the writer would like to control is ethnicity (therefore just Greek profiles will be focused on primarily). The writer has attempted to guarantee that random material has been generated and has relied upon the mechanism on the Hi5 website itself which allows one to generate random searches. Representativeness too was considered throughout the research. As the topics which were under consideration were imagery, self representation and the concept of the self and body, it was important to have sufficient di versity within the constraints of the research variables which were to be controlled (i.e. age (20-25) and ethnicity Greekne