5 Key Components of Great Feature Stories

5 Key Components of Great Feature Stories Hard-news stories are typically an assemblage of facts. Some are better-written than others, but they all exist to fulfill a simple purpose- to convey information. Feature stories convey facts as well, but they also tell the stories of peoples lives. To do that, they must incorporate facets of writing often not found in news stories, ones often associated with fiction writing. A Great Lede A feature lede can set a scene, describe a place or tell a story. Whatever approach is used, the lede must grab the readers attention and pull them into the story. Heres a lede from a New York Times story about former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and his meetings with a prostitute in a posh Washington hotel: It was after 9 on the night before Valentine’s Day when she finally arrived, a young brunette named Kristen. She was 5-foot-5, 105 pounds. Pretty and petite.This was at the Mayflower, one of Washington’s choicer hotels. Her client for the evening, a return customer, had booked Room 871. The money he had promised to pay would cover all expenses: the room, the minibar, room service should they order it, the train ticket that had brought her from New York and, naturally, her time.A 47-page affidavit from an F.B.I. agent investigating a prostitution ring described the man at the hotel as â€Å"Client 9† and included considerable detail about him, the prostitute and his payment methods. But a law enforcement official and another person briefed on the case have identified Client 9 as Eliot Spitzer, the governor of New York. Note how the details- the 5-foot-5 brunette, the room number, the minibar- build a sense of anticipation about the rest of the story. Youre compelled to read more. Description The description sets the scene for the story and brings the people and places in it to life. A good description prompts a reader to create mental images in their mind. Any time you accomplish that, youre engaging the reader in your story. Read this description from a St. Petersburg Times story by Lane DeGregory about a neglected little girl, found in a roach-infested room: She lay on a torn, moldy mattress on the floor. She was curled on her side, long legs tucked into her emaciated chest. Her ribs and collarbone jutted out; one skinny arm was slung over her face; her black hair was matted, crawling with lice. Insect bites, rashes, and sores pocked her skin. Though she looked old enough to be in school, she was naked- except for a swollen diaper. Note the specifics: matted hair, skin pocked with sores, the moldy mattress. The description is both heartbreaking and repulsive, but necessary to convey the horrific conditions the girl endured. Quotes While good quotes are vital for news stories, they are imperative for features. Ideally, a feature story should include only the most colorful and interesting quotes. Everything else should be paraphrased. Look at this example from a New York Times story about the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City in April 1995. In the story, reporter Rick Bragg describes the rubble and the reactions of the firefighters and rescue crews responding to the scene: People could not stop looking at it, particularly the second floor, where a child care center had been.A whole floor, said Randy Woods, a firefighter with Engine No. 7. A whole floor of innocents. Grown-ups, you know, they deserve a lot of the stuff they get. But why the children? What did the children ever do to anybody. Anecdotes Anecdotes are nothing more than very short stories. But in features, they can be incredibly effective in illustrating key points or in bringing people and incidents to life, and theyre often used to construct feature ledes. Heres a good example of an anecdote from a Los Angeles Times story about the skyrocketing cost of fighting wildfires: On the morning of July 4, 2007, ranch hands were fixing a water pipe on private land in a narrow canyon off the road to Zaca Lake, about 15 miles north of Solvang.The temperature was headed toward 100 degrees. Rainfall the previous winter had been among the lowest on record in Southern California. Sparks from a metal grinder jumped into some dry grass. Soon flames were rushing through the brush toward Zaca Ridge.By the next day, nearly 1,000 firefighters were trying to box the fire into a small area. But late that afternoon, the Zaca made a run, moving east into Los Padres National Forest. By July 7, Forest Service officials realized they were facing a potential monster. Note how the writers, Bettina Boxall and Julie Cart, quickly and effectively summarize the genesis of a fire that plays a central role in their story. Background Information Background information sounds like something youd find in a news story, but its equally important in features. All the well-written description and colorful quotes in the world wont suffice if you dont have solid information to back up the point your feature is trying to make. Heres a good example of solid backgrounding from the same Los Angeles Times story about wildfires mentioned above: Wildfire costs are busting the Forest Service budget. A decade ago, the agency spent $307 million on fire suppression. Last year, it spent $1.37 billion.Fire is chewing through so much Forest Service money that Congress is considering a separate federal account to cover the cost of catastrophic blazes.In California, state wildfire spending has shot up 150% in the last decade, to more than $1 billion a year. Note how the writers marshal their facts to clearly and unequivocally make their point: The cost of fighting wildfires is rising dramatically.

Pinterest for authors a step-by-step guide

Pinterest for authors a step-by-step guide Pinterest for authors: a step-by-step guide Pinterest is the social media site that has every wannabe chef and bride-to-be totally hooked. It allows users to â€Å"pin their interests† to create virtual scrapbooks filled with hundreds of inspirational images: recipes, vacation destinations, home decor, wedding details, etc. With about 70 million users, the idea behind the platform is to enhance the ingenuity in everyday life through organized interests. To the uninitiated, it might seem like users end up spending hours getting sucked into the different categories and even creating boards for â€Å"what they’ll do when they stop pinning†. But what use is Pinterest for authors?Pinterest gives your eyes a vacation from day-to-day tasks. So why exactly has the rapid growth pressured the publishing world- especially self-publishing authors- to join? Well, with the rise in the platform's popularity, Pinterest is increasingly becoming a place authors turn to not only for genuine inspiration, but to sell books, to o. Here's a good video by Kim Chance on how to build an author platform on Pinterest: But how do you encourage the pinners to become book buyers? Don’t worry, Reedsy has got you covered with a cool infographic, and more advice below!Group boards: The thing with group boards is that you need to be invited and each has different rules to joining the club. Whether it’s shooting the creator an email or simply commenting ‘add me’ on one of their pins, once you’re accepted into the virtual club it instantly maximizes the number of impressions, repins, and clicks you receive because your content will be reaching a much larger audience than just your followers. Go and join one!Pinning on-the-goDon’t have time to sit at a computer and pin all day long? No one does and that’s why there are apps for that. You can use the Pinterest app for your smartphone or line pins on the Buffer application to post automatically. Buffer makes it super easy to share any page you've read or written by queuing it for posting at a later time.The bigg est challenge: hosting a contestHosting a Pinterest contest is like hosting your first party: you want people to show up. But on the whole, Pinterest users are fairly quiet creatures. They’re utilizing the platform to express their interests through images and pinned websites, not necessarily to ‘talk’ with other pinners. Pinterest is great for sharing what inspires you, but it’s even better when you can win things... Once you’ve managed to build a loyal and engaged following through your original content, it’s time to have some fun with your fellow pinners and start a contest! irst and foremost, follow the rules. The Pinterest guidelines are better for both contest hosts and entrants because there’s a ‘no spam’ policy.When it comes to actually creating a contest, it’s important to know your audience and make it feasible to enter. Remember to value quality over quantity and identify what exactly you’re giving away.The easiest contest is the ‘pin it to win it’ contest. You could ask participants to pin their favorite place to read or just a place that gives them inspiration with the use of a clever hashtag on each pin. As the author, you can search the hashtag and pin your favorite images to one of your boards and eventually pin the winners. The prize is up to you!Follow Reedsy on Pinterest and Twitter!Do you use Pinterest as an author? Have you had any success from it? What tips would you add to the ones above? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

Total Quality Management TQM' Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Total Quality Management TQM' - Term Paper Example The one common aspect was the urge to improve the â€Å"quality† of life. The desire to improve the quality of life was the major driving factor in all the advancements that were achieved through the journey from Stone Age to advanced civilization. The desire to make life easier urged humanity to find ways and processes that can improve the standards and quality of their life. As humanity started making strides in improving the quality of life, the concept of improving the quality standards started making influx in other fields as well especially in the business world. The introduction of the quality management in the business process changed the entire face of the business world as it helped them in improving their products and services day after day. Microsoft’s example is one of the best examples of improving quality. A business, which started its operations from a garage eventually, became the leader of the operating software industry. The major reason for its succe ss was the constant improvement in the operating software, which was used worldwide on personal and official level. They anticipated the demands of the market and thus were able to introduce improved and quality products and services to their users. ... What is Total Quality Management? The Total Quality Management includes three concepts. Firstly, â€Å"total† which emphasis that all the employees in the organisation know how to achieve the set standards of the company. Secondly, â€Å"quality† means the best possible level a product or outcome can achieve. Lastly, the management points out the commitment that is required from the employees to produce the desired results (Naagarazan, 2005). Total Quality Management is involved in the strategic planning process and involves the ideas that can produce the products and services, which exceed the expectation of the target customers. It promotes the concept of constant improvement, which is pivotal for the success of any organisation. Total Quality Management is an art that requires the involvement of every resource an organisation may have. Google is considered one of the best examples of Total Quality Management. Google when started its operations in 1998, the industry w as occupied with the giants like MSN and Yahoo. However, in very short span of time, three years to be precise, Google became the market leader of the search engine industry and to date enjoys almost 70 percent of the search engine market share followed by Bing, which stands at 9 percent. The major reason for the success of Google in this short span of time was the constant improvement in the procedures of search results. The results shown by Google are now considered to be the most accurate one with elimination of spam to a large extent, this is why Google became a giant and started to expand in the other industries as well (Garg and Mishra, n.d). Importance of Total Quality Management The dynamic nature of all the industries in the

A regression analysis study on the relationship between oil price Dissertation

A regression analysis study on the relationship between oil price volatility and UK oil and gas companies' returns - Dissertation Example The findings of the regression analysis also support the evidence of oil prices volatility having no impact upon the returns generated by the oil and gas sector of UK. Strong but negative relationship between oil and gas sector returns and various other factors such as benchmark equity index i.e. FTSE100, exchange rate movements and short term interest rates are found in the study consistent with some previous other research findings as well. VARIABLE CHOICE Under previous studies of El-Sharif (2005) and Sardosky (2001), there are few variables taken into consideration to check the returns generated by oil and gas sector companies of UK. In study of El-Sharif (2005), this impact is studied through using four variables which are returns generated from oil prices volatility, returns generated by UK equity index, returns generated by foreign exchange rate movements, and lastly returns generated from short-term interest rate. Under the current study, one additional variable has been adde d in the overall model of the study i.e. returns generated from Natural Gas Prices Volatility. ... This variable is considered in this study as the chief variable influencing the oil and gas sector companies returns. Returns generated from Gas Prices Volatility Gas prices, is the second factor which has the influences upon the returns of the oil and gas sector companies returns besides oil prices volatility. Returns generated by Equity Index of UK This variable is taken into consideration to study the overall influence of the equity market of UK upon oil and gas sector. Returns generated by Foreign Exchange Rate Movement Since UK is one of the largest oil producers in the European Union, therefore, it also exports oil and allied products to other nations as well. With such exports, the oil and gas sector of UK is highly impacted by the foreign currency movements as a result this factor is also studied under this research. Returns generated by Short-term Interest Rate Short-term interest rate is included in the model because it provides the alternative investment horizon to the inv estors. It is assumed that variability in the short-term interest rates can direct the decisions of investors. 3.6 Research Methodology (Edited) This research follows the literature that uses the international APT model. Previous studies facilitated their empirical analysis to relate impacts of global factors on stock returns (see Jorion, 1990; Khoo, 1994; Faff and Chan, 1998; Faff and Brailsford, 1999; Sadorsky, 2001; Sadorsky and Henriques, 2001). The two-factor version of the model used in most prior related studies is derived from the multi-factor model shown below: Ri,t = ? i ?+ ?kFk,t +? ?i,t (1) where Ri,t is the stock market’s excess return

Adversity Essay Example for Free

Adversity Essay I woke up at 11 am feeling refreshed. I hadn’t slept in since my family had started on our road trip to Canada. We were finally in Calgary and were leaving for home the next day-A good 22-hour drive. I got up quickly from my bed and jumped over my laptop charger. A disorienting head rush suddenly came upon me and I felt dizzy. I saw the stairs briefly and then it seemed like I was tumbling. When I could finally think again, I realized that my parents were in panic and I was surrounded by blood. Turned out, I fell right into some glass and as I would later find out, it had cut an important tendon in my shin. I was rushed to the ER and got surgery to fix my tendon. I asked the doctor to take some pictures of my leg right before I was sedated. After the surgery, a huge temporary cast was put on my leg and I was given crutches with which I could hobble around. Now came the 22-hours in a car with my injured leg. Luckily they weren’t as bad as I had thought they would be. Finally I was home. My friends visited me and were aghast at the size of my cast and the pictures of my leg! They thought I was just joking and wasn’t really injured. I had to spend 6 weeks in my cast. Six grueling weeks during which all I did was watch movies and tv shows on my laptop. My whole summer passed me by and I couldn’t do anything. My friends play basketball in the heat, thoroughly enjoying themselves while I watched them wistfully. Time went by slowly but finally I got my cast off only to find out that my tendon was too weak to walk on so I had to endure two weeks in a black boot. It was still summer and because my boot absorbed sunlight, my foot often smelled and had heat sores on it. I almost preferred my cast to this hell. Eventually my boot came off too. I could finally walk! I was sent to six weeks of physiotherapy where I found out that I probably wouldn’t be running or jumping for another 6 months almost. Well, at least I didn’t have to run miles for PE. I have only three more months now and I am optimistic. Since I can’t run, I started working on my biceps and now I can show them off. Soon I will be running as fast as the wind and touching the sky with my perfect two legs. That day cannot come fast enough.

Education In Check :: essays research papers

Education In-Check   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In John Holts essay, “Freedom for Children'; he discusses how children should have their own right to decide how much, when, and what to learn. Holt states that by taking children’s right to learn, we are taking a fundamental right away from them. He also states that, to adults, the right to decide what does and does not interest us is taken for granted and that we are unknowingly taking this right away from children. Holt also states that by sending children to school six hours a day, 180 days a year, for about 10 years we are limiting them. Holt concludes that children are no longer learning, but rather are taught what adults think they should know. I personally disagree with Holts on this matter. If children had the right to control their education, what would stop them from even going or learning things that could be damaging to society? I feel the have plenty of rights as it is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Children today have many rights already in the field of education. In elementary school, no one forces them to stop learning. They can always choose to further their education, by reading perhaps. In high school, there are a variety of classes a student can choose from. All these classes can be selected to fit an individual student. Classes ranging from art and drama all the way up to advanced placement physics are at the disposal of those who want to learn. No one forces children to take these classes. Students take these classes of their own free will. Once in college, a student has the right to choose whatever major they feel fit to be in. If they don’t like that major, they can always change it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What would happen if students were allowed to come and go as they please? All too often, students would never go to class. They would abuse their right and spend their days having fun. I have personally seen friends leave school because they don’t want to be there. If they didn’t have to be there they would not have come in the first place. There are certain things that students should know. Basic math and English skills are required jus to get by in today’s society. If these basic skills are never learned, we risk having an underdeveloped society full of uneducated people. Our world would literally crumble because we run the chance of people not knowing anything. Education In Check :: essays research papers Education In-Check   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In John Holts essay, “Freedom for Children'; he discusses how children should have their own right to decide how much, when, and what to learn. Holt states that by taking children’s right to learn, we are taking a fundamental right away from them. He also states that, to adults, the right to decide what does and does not interest us is taken for granted and that we are unknowingly taking this right away from children. Holt also states that by sending children to school six hours a day, 180 days a year, for about 10 years we are limiting them. Holt concludes that children are no longer learning, but rather are taught what adults think they should know. I personally disagree with Holts on this matter. If children had the right to control their education, what would stop them from even going or learning things that could be damaging to society? I feel the have plenty of rights as it is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Children today have many rights already in the field of education. In elementary school, no one forces them to stop learning. They can always choose to further their education, by reading perhaps. In high school, there are a variety of classes a student can choose from. All these classes can be selected to fit an individual student. Classes ranging from art and drama all the way up to advanced placement physics are at the disposal of those who want to learn. No one forces children to take these classes. Students take these classes of their own free will. Once in college, a student has the right to choose whatever major they feel fit to be in. If they don’t like that major, they can always change it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What would happen if students were allowed to come and go as they please? All too often, students would never go to class. They would abuse their right and spend their days having fun. I have personally seen friends leave school because they don’t want to be there. If they didn’t have to be there they would not have come in the first place. There are certain things that students should know. Basic math and English skills are required jus to get by in today’s society. If these basic skills are never learned, we risk having an underdeveloped society full of uneducated people. Our world would literally crumble because we run the chance of people not knowing anything.

Treadway Tire Company Case Study

Introduction: Treadway Tire Company, a major supplier of tires in North America, is experiencing high turnover rates of foremen in their manufacturing plant in Lima, Ohio. Moral issues and dissatisfactions of line-foremen segment are infecting the entire plant. Background: Lima plant employ 970 hourly employees and 150 salaried employees . It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with four rotating shifts. Lately the plant is faced with variety of challenges due to the rising cost of raw materials. Problem: High turnover and low productivity were due to stressful work environment, lack of training, morale and hiring problems.Foremen had too many responsibilities yet lack of authority and respect. Lack of communication within the plant. Opportunities: Lama Plant has a great opportunity to enhance work environment and upgrade workers skills to increase productivity. Recommendations: Eliminate dissatisfaction by: – Reducing work hours, and offering a periodic training progr am to upgrade personal skills and knowledge required. – Guide foremen and hourly workers through different work process, so as to understand what their responsibilities are and were that fit in the companies’ overall picture. Develop better communication system between foremen, hourly workers and, managers. Then, managers should motivate foremen by showing them some respect and appreciation, allowing them more authority, and involving them in decisions regarding their subordinates. Conclusion: Considering the recommendations above Lima plant will recognize a significant decrease in foremen turnover as well as increase in morale and it could become Treadway’s number one plant for productivity and its lowest cost producer in North America.

Like Riding a Bike

The saying â€Å"it is just like riding a bike† is very commonly used to describe a skill that virtually everyone masters and usually at an early age.   It also means that once the skill is mastered it is never forgotten.   For me, however, this skill was not easy and I still would not consider it mastered.   The difficulties I had in learning how to ride a bicycle not only haunted much of my childhood, but carried over into learning how to drive a car.   The challenging experience began when I was five years old. My mom bought me a new bicycle with the intention of teaching me how to ride it, I learned to ride at age ten and at sixteen was reminded of the difficulties when it was time for me to get my driver’s license.   My struggle was not due to a lack of coordination or ability, because I have been very active in varying sports beginning with football at the age of four.   I excelled at baseball, lacrosse, basketball, roller hockey, and football, but feared the bicycle. I loved the brand new bicycle Mom bought for me and was anxious to learn to ride.   When I actually got on the bike however, I did not feel like I was in control.   As a person who needs to feel in control of situations, I was not comfortable.   Mom said I would gain control as I became better and learned to balance.   I tried to learn and she tried to teach for years.   These attempts usually ended in a screaming match between us and never seemed to get me any closer to mastering the art of bike riding.   I was embarrassed to be the only person my age who did not know how to ride a bicycle, but the fear of injury and lack of control always won out over the embarrassment. By the age of ten, Mom had given up trying to teach me, because we were both tired of it.   I had outgrown the bicycle Mom had bought me without ever riding it.   Through the many battles over it and failed trials, though, it looked like it had been through a war.   I had three younger siblings by this time and all of them had learned to ride bicycles with no more than the usual struggles of learning.   When my four-year-old brother, Dominic, mastered the skill, I knew it was time I overcame my fear and learned.   Somehow, I took strength and courage from my little brother and managed to keep a bicycle in the upright position long enough to say I could ride a bike.   I continue to struggle with the balance and would not say the skill is something I ever mastered, but at least I got over feeling like a failure. When it came time for me to learn to drive a car, the fear of not being in control returned.   I put off getting my permit in attempt to make excuses for not getting my license.   Everyone else my age seemed very excited to have the opportunity to drive, but I found ways to avoid it. I used the same courage I had gained with the bicycle to tackle my fear of driving and met the challenge.   I did not want to be the only teenager around that could not drive a car. At age sixteen I did get my license and have become a good driver.   It did not require balance as the bicycle did and control was easier to gain. Although the fear of not being in control has played a part throughout my life to this point, I have not let it take over my life.   With courage and determination, I have overcome the difficult challenges in my life and plan to take on any new challenges that come along with the same determination.   When people are faced with challenging situations, they have two choices. They can either give up and accept defeat or they can face their fears and the challenge and triumphantly overcome them.   Now when I hear the phrase â€Å"it’s like riding a bike† I know the task might not be easy, but it can be accomplished and once it is learned it will never be forgotten.   It is very easy for young children to be permanently affected by childhood experiences and although I laugh about it now, it did play a role in my learning to drive a car.

Time Warner Merger Essays

AOL/Time Warner Merger Essays AOL/Time Warner Merger Essay AOL/Time Warner Merger Essay The merger of AOL and Time Warner was announced in January 2000 against the backdrop of a seeming technology revolution but prior to the bursting of the stock market bubble. Prior to Mid-March 2000, some of the bluest of blue chip companies feared marginalization by an upstart dot.com army. Today, however, every decision made in that era has been subject to the punitive scrutiny of hindsight. The AOL-Time Warner merger made a great deal of sense in the context of emerging competitive realities at the time and may prove to be a compelling combination as the Company moves forward and competes head-on with the likes of Microsoft. Both companies addressed perceived threats from externalities and bargaining problems. Nonetheless, it is clear that AOL gleaned the greatest lasting advantage from its choice of corporate strategies. The Time Warner Imperative At the time of the merger, Time Warner was the largest media firm in the world, having assembled an unparalleled portfolio of related assets, spanning both content and distribution. This was driven largely by two fundamental factors; first, the economics of the media industry dictate extracting multiple sources of rents from any given production, and second, media industry consolidation throughout the 1990s which saw large media firms largely internalize their distribution. However, with the rise of the Internet revolution, Time Warner was feeling pressure on a number of fronts: * A stagnating stock price as markets rewarded nimble, net-centric businesses, no matter how unproven; * Fragmentation of its audience, particularly to Internet media outlets, which it feared would sap it of the scale that provided leverage with advertisers; * Failure in a number of its own Internet ventures, feeding the fear that old economy companies truly were ill-equipped to succeed in the emerging e-conomy; * Rising costs of talent fueled by the exodus of executives seeking Internet riches. Against this backdrop, Time Warners agreement to link up with AOL seemed like a solid defensive move, guarding against the potential obsolescence of its resources by giving itself a stake in the Internet Revolution. It also held out tremendous offensive potential by giving the Company a new avenue to leverage its portfolio of competencies, namely the effective creation and distribution of content across multiple distribution channels; in this case AOLs 33 million subscribers. In the words of one analyst, Time Warner managed to acquire the Internet brand it had yet to build, thus enabling it to successfully overcome a major externality that was threatening its continued success. The AOL Imperative Throughout its history, AOL had leveraged joint ventures and partnerships as a means to grow and thrive. But competitive pressures were growing, and AOL, through its acquisition of Netscape and Compuserve, had begun to come more directly into competition with Microsoft, without the proprietary resources to win a fair fight. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, despite AOLs dominant position as the number one Internet service provider, it only provided dial-up service, the growth of which was coming to a halt. Future subscriber growth required being able to provide broadband access, which provided much greater speed of connection and data transfer, enabling significantly richer functionality and significantly more profitable subscribers. AOL had succeeded on the basis of providing easy access to the Internet and simple, convenient, features such as email and instant messaging, that won early loyalty. However, the Internet was moving beyond its early beginnings, broadband was the key to the Internets future and AOL didnt possess sufficient unique content to compete as a dial-up provider. AOL also feared that it would be vulnerable to hold-up, or frozen out altogether, by those companies that had broadband capabilities. The merger with Time Warner allowed AOL to address its potential bargaining problems in two ways. First, it acquired a wealth of unique content that should give it significantly greater leverage vis-à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½-vis firms like Microsoft that was extracting a heavy toll for access to the desktop. Second, by acquiring the number two cable provider, it instantly guaranteed itself a future in broadband and immediate access to millions of potential subscribers, mitigating the hold-up problem. Cross-Pollination Hailed as one of the two world powers of interconnectivity, a major rationale behind the merger was to win control over the home network which Gerald Levin described as the final battlefield. The vision was to create a seamless platform that would give AOL TW scale and scope beyond any other media company in the world and allow it to promote [their] products and brands across all of its media properties. This would require the successful transfer of skills between the two companies. The companies would have to effectively share their combined knowledge of cross-selling, Time Warners skill in media creation, their respective distribution competencies (AOL online and Time Warner in broader media outlets), and finally lever AOLs success in establishing meaningful joint venture relations. Enter Microsoft From the first time that AOL had to negotiate with Microsoft for access to the desktop, it was inevitable that the two would eventually come to compete. What was probably much more difficult to envision was the breadth of different businesses in which Microsoft would become a competitor. Microsoft has an entrenched presence on what, until recently, was the only vehicle for accessing the Internet; the computer. But recognizing, as AOL does, the convergence of technologies in media and communication and the likely zero sum game for the home network, Microsofts key corporate strategy has been its ability to achieve coordination by creating or venturing with firms that provide complementary products or services. Despite being late to the Internet game, Microsoft has effectively leveraged its ubiquity in computing and its vast financial resources to build or invest in businesses that go head to head with AOL in almost every facet of its operations. Microsoft has established links with complementary companies that will enable it to remain the de facto operating standard even when computing and Internet functionality leave the desktop and migrate to such vehicles as the television or the phone. It has also increased its content and functionality in areas such as messaging, gaming, transaction facilitation, online music and video, ensuring that there is no substantial area of interest in which consumers can not find a Microsoft or Microsoft-enabled solution. The result of these activities is that Microsoft and AOL will continue to go toe-to-toe for control of the digital consumer until a winner emerges. AOL/Time Warner: Who won? Determining who won and who lost in the AOL-Time Warner merger is complicated by the choice of criteria used to determine victory. If a more formidable and sustainable competitor was created, did both Companies win? But ask any Time Warner shareholder who won and youll get an unambiguous answer; AOL. By most standards, its acquisition was a coup. Its true that the merger makes great strategic sense for the businesses in which both companies compete. But the fact that AOL acquired Time Warner with vastly inflated stock means that AOL shareholders partook in one of the great robberies of the Internet bubble. While the value of most Internet companies plummeted over the past three years, AOL shareholders had managed to acquire some of the most valuable old economy assets. Time Warner, on the other hand, has seen the value of its consideration decline substantially, at a time when its stable mix of businesses should have held up much better. Had Time Warner acquired AOL for 20-30% of AOLs market value in January 2000, it might have been viewed as one of the shrewdest mergers in recent memory. The circumstances of the two companies coming together, however, will leave a cloud over the Company until it begins to realize its great potential that was envisioned at the outset.

Early Decision Deadlines for Every College With ED

Early Decision Deadlines for Every College With ED SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're applying early decision, then you've already accomplished something pretty rare in the college application process- you know exactly where you want to go to college! This guide goes overyourtimeline for applying early decision and provides a comprehensive list of deadlines for all early decision schools. Read on to learn everything you will need to know about applying early decision to your dream school. What You Need to Know About Early Decision Early decision is a unique option when it comes to applying to college because it's binding. That's why you should only apply this way if you're 100% sure you want to go to the schooland will be able to enroll regardless of the financial aid offer you receive. If you apply early decision, you'll sign a statement of binding agreement to enroll. Since this is a big commitment, most colleges with early decision also require your parents and school counselor to sign this form, which can usually be found online throughtheCommon Applicationor aschool's individual application form. Early decision might or might not actually have an early deadline. The traditional deadlines are in November,usually the 1st or the 15th, and you're typically notified of the admissions decision in December. Some schools now also offer Early Decision II. Early Decision II is still binding, but the deadline is pushed forward, usually to sometime in January.This option is for applicants who are decided on a specific college but could benefit from a few more months to prepare their applications. Applicants who apply ED II will get their admissions decision earlier than usual, typically in February. Regardless of whether you apply Early Decision I or II, all early decision applicants have to accept their offers and send in their deposits quickly after notification, rather than waiting until the national response date of May 1. If you're applying Early Decision I, your challenge is to prepare the strongest application you can by the November deadline. Let's look at a possible timeline for gathering your application materials. Timeline for Applying Early Decision If you're applying early decision, it's probably safe to say that you're excited about attending your school of choice. To make this happen, though, you want to submit the strongest application you can. For the SAT/ACT, you'll want to start prepping months in advance,even a year or more. If your early decision deadline is in November, your last opportunity to take the ACT or SAT will be in September or October,respectively. At this point, you probably won't be able to view your scores before deciding whether to send them off to colleges. To put less pressure on yourself, you could test earlier and have your scores all set by the end of your junior year. You might alsoask your junior-year teachers for recommendations at the end of junior year, when your work will be fresh in their minds. At the absolute latest, you want to ask your counselor and teachers for recommendations a month before your deadline. In most cases, you should ask by October 1. You also want to give your high school at least threeweeks' to a month's notice for sending off your transcript and any other official documents that need to be sent to colleges. You might have to fill out a form and pay a small fee. Finally, you should work on your personal essayand any other supplemental application essays over the summer before senior year. Writing the personal essay is a process, and you want to give yourself time to brainstorm, draft, get feedback, and revise. You can spend September and October filling out your college applications, writing about your extracurricular activities, and proofreading what you've written for any errors or typos. As long as you start planning and preparing your application months in advance, you should be good to go for your early decision deadline. To recap, here's what your schedule might look like if you're applying Early Decision I: Step 1: Take the SAT or ACT early so you have enough available test dates to retake it, if desired. You might take the test first in the spring of sophomore year, again in the fall of junior year, and a third time in the spring of junior year. If you move this schedule forward, just remember that the fall of senior year will be your last opportunity to take the test. Step 2: Ask for teacher recommendations at the end of junior year, or ask for teacher and counselor recommendationsby October 1 at the latest. Step 3: Make your request for your high school transcript to be sent by October 1. Depending on your school, you might have to fill out a form and pay a small fee. Step 4: Work on your personal essay and any other essays over the summer and fall. Step 5: Fill out your application in September and October,making sure to edit for clarity and proofread for errors. If you're applying Early Decision II, you'll have more available test dates to take the SAT/ACT. You might also send your mid-year senior grades on your transcript. Waiting for this later deadline, if available, can be a good option if you're not totally satisfied with your academic record and test scores and feel you could present a stronger candidacy in January. Now that you have a sense of the early decision application process, let's look at the deadlines of some popular schools. Some offer Early Decision II, while others don't have that second deadline (these ones say "N/A"). Early Decision Deadlines of Popular Schools School Deadline for ED I Deadline for ED II American University November 15 January 15 Boston University November 1 January 2 Bowdoin College November 15 January 1 Brandeis University November 1 January 1 Brown University November 1 N/A Colby College November 15 January 1 Columbia University November 1 N/A Cornell University November 1 N/A Dartmouth College November 1 N/A Duke University November 1 N/A Emory University November 1 January 1 Johns Hopkins University November 1 N/A New York University November 1 January 1 Northwestern University November 1 N/A Pomona College November 1 January 1 Smith College November 15 January 1 Tufts University November 1 January 1 University of Pennsylvania November 1 N/A Vanderbilt University November 1 January 1 Wesleyan University November 15 January 1 It tends to be smaller schools that offer Early Decision II, perhaps so they can have greater control over their enrollment numbers.The next chart is acomprehensive list of all the schools with early decision and their respective deadlines. Early Decision Deadlines of All Schools The following schools are listed in alphabetical order, so you can either scroll through the chart or use ctrl + F to jump straight to your school of interest. School State Early Decision Deadline Early Decision II Deadline Early Decision Notification Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences NY November 1 N/A December 15 Alfred University NY December 1 N/A December 15 Allegheny College PA November 15 February 1 Not reported American University DC November 15 January 15 December 31, February 15 Amherst College MA November 1 N/A December 15 Babson College MA November 1 January 2 December 15, February 15 Barnard College NY November 1 N/A December 15 Bates College ME November 15 January 1 December 20, February 15 Beloit College WI November 1 N/A December 1 Bennington College VT November 15 January 15 December 14, February 8 Bentley University MA November 15 N/A December 31 Boston University MA November 1 January 2 December 15, February 15 Bowdoin College ME November 15 January 1 December 15, February 15 Brandeis University MA November 1 January 1 December 15, February 1 Brown University RI November 1 N/A December 15 Bryant University RI November 1 January 15 December 1, February 15 Bryn Mawr College PA November 15 January 1 Not reported Bucknell University PA November 15 January 15 December 15, February 15 Carleton College MN November 15 January 15 December 15, February 15 Carnegie Mellon University PA November 1 N/A December 15 Case Western Reserve University OH November 1 January 15 December 17, February 1 Centre College KY November 15 N/A January 1 Champlain College VT November 15 N/A Not reported Christopher Newport University VA November 15 N/A December 15 Claremont McKenna College CA November 1 January 5 December 15, February 15 Clarkson University NY December 1 N/A January 1 Colby College ME November 15 January 1 December 15, February 15 Colgate University NY November 15 January 15 December 15, Rolling College of New Rochelle NY November 1 N/A December 15 College of the Atlantic ME December 1 January 15 December 15, January 30 College of the Holy Cross MA December 15 N/A Rolling College of William and Mary VA November 1 January 1 Early December, early February College of Wooster OH November 1 January 15 November 15, February 1 Colorado College CO November 10 January 15 December 13, February 15 Columbia University NY November 1 N/A December 15 Connecticut College CT November 15 January 1 December 15, February 15 Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art NY November 1 (architecture), December 3 (engineering) N/A Not reported Cornell University NY November 1 N/A December 15 Cox College (Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program) MO June 1 N/A Not reported Dartmouth College NH November 1 N/A December 15 Davidson College NC November 15 January 2 December 15, February 1 Denison University OH November 15 January 15 December 15, February 15 DePauw University IN November 15 January 15 December 1, February 1 Dickinson College PA November 15 January 15 December 15, February 15 Drew University NJ November 15 January 15 December 15, February 15 Duke University NC November 1 N/A December 15 Duquesne University PA November 1 N/A Not reported Earlham College IN November 1 N/A December 15 Elon University NC November 1 N/A December 1 Emory University GA November 1 January 1 December 15, February 15 Fairfield University CT November 15 January 15 December 15, February 15 Five Towns College NY January 4 N/A Not reported Flagler College FL November 1 N/A December 15 Florida Southern College FL November 1 N/A December 15 Franklin Marshall College PA November 15 January 15 December 15, February 15 Furman University SC November 1 N/A November 15 George Washington University DC November 1 January 5 December 31, February 28 Gettysburg College PA November 15 January 15 December 15, February 15 Goucher College MD November 15 N/A December 15 Grinnell College IA November 15 January 1 December 15, Early February Grove City College PA November 1 December 1 December 15, January 15 Hamilton College NY November 15 January 1 December 15, February 15 Hamline University MN November 1 N/A Not reported Hampden-Sydney College VA November 15 N/A Early December Hampshire College MA November 15 January 1 December 15, February 1 Hartwick College NY November 1 N/A Not reported Harvey Mudd College CA November 15 January 5 December 15, February 15 Haverford College PA November 15 January 1 December 15, February 15 High Point University NC November 1 February 1 November 28, Rolling Hillsdale College MI November 1 N/A Early December Hobart and William Smith Colleges NY November 15 January 15 December 15, February 15 Hollins University VA November 1 N/A Not reported Ithaca College NY November 1 N/A December 15 Johns Hopkins University MD November 1 N/A December 15 Juniata College PA November 15 N/A December 15 Kalamazoo College MI November 1 February 1 December 1, March 1 Kenyon College OH November 15 January 15 December 15, February 7 Lafayette College PA November 15 January 15 December 15, February 15 Lake Forest College IL November 1 January 15 Beginning December 15 Lawrence University WI October 31 N/A December 1 Lehigh University PA November 1 January 1 December 15, February 15 Lewis Clark College OR November 1 N/A December 15 Lynchburg College VA November 15 N/A December 15 Macalester College MN November 15 January 1 December 15, February 1 Manhattan College NY November 15 N/A January 1 Marist College NY November 15 February 1 December 15, February 15 Marlboro College VT November 15 N/A December 1 Maryland Institute College of Art MD November 1 N/A December 1 Meredith College NC October 30 N/A November 15 Merrimack College MA November 15 N/A December 31 Miami University OH November 1 N/A December 1 Middlebury College VT November 1 January 1 December 15, February 15 Moody Bible Institute IL December 1 N/A January 15 Mount Holyoke College MA November 15 January 1 January 1, February 1 Muhlenberg College PA November 15 February 1 December 15, February 15-28 Nazareth College NY November 15 January 10 December 15,January 25 New York University NY November 1 January 1 December 15, February 15 Northeastern University MA November 1 N/A December 15 Northwestern University IL November 1 N/A December 15 Oberlin College OH November 15 January 2 December 15, February 1 Occidental College CA November 15 January 1 December 15,Early February Ohio Wesleyan University OH November 15 January 15 November 30, January 30 Pitzer College CA November 15 January 1 December 18, February 15 Pomona College CA November 1 January 1 December 15, February 15 Providence College RI November 15 January 15 January 1, February 15 Quinnipiac University CT November 1 N/A December 15 Ramapo College of New Jersey NJ November 1 N/A December 5 Reed College OR November 15 December 20 December 15, February 1 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NY November 1 December 15 December 15, January 15 Rhode Island School of Design RI November 1 N/A December8-14 Rhodes College TN November 1 January 1 Rolling (within two weeks of submission) Rice University TX November 1 N/A December 15 Roanoke College VA November 15 N/A December 15 Rochester Institute of Technology NY November 1 January 1 December 15, January 15 Rollins College FL November 1 January 5 December 14, February 1 Sacred Heart University CT December 1 N/A December 15 Saint Mary's College IN November 15 N/A December 15 Salisbury University MD November 15 N/A December 15 Santa Clara University CA November 1 January 7 December 31, February 15 Sarah Lawrence College NY November 1 January 2 December 31, Early February Scripps College CA November 15 January 4 December 15, February 15 Sewanee: University of the South TN November 15 January 15 December 15, February 15 Siena College NY December 1 N/A Not reported Skidmore College NY November 15 January 15 December 15, February 15 Smith College MA November 15 January 1 December 15, January 31 Southern Methodist University TX November 1 January 15 December 15, March 1 Spelman College GA November 1 N/A December 15 Springfield College MA December 1 January 15 Not reported St. John Fisher College NY December 1 N/A Rolling St. Lawrence University NY November 1 February 1 Rolling St. Mary's College of Maryland MD November 1 N/A December 1 St. Olaf College MN November 15 January 8 December15, February 1 State University of New York College at Geneseo NY November 15 N/A December 15 State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry NY December 1 N/A Rolling State University of New York Maritime College NY November 1 N/A Not reported Sterling College VT November 15 N/A December 1 Stevens Institute of Technology NJ November 15 January 15 December 15, February 15 Stonehill College MA December 1 N/A December 31 Susquehanna University PA November 15 N/A December 1 Swarthmore College PA November 15 January 1 December 15, February 15 Syracuse University NY November 15 January 1 Beginning December 15, Beginning January 15 Texas Christian University TX November 1 N/A January 1 The College of New Jersey NJ November 1 January 1 December 1, February 1 The Jewish Theological Seminary (List College) NY November 15 January 15 December 15, February 15 Trinity College CT November 15 January 1 December 15, February 15 Trinity University TX November 1 January 1 December 1, February 1 Tufts University MA November 1 January 1 December 15, February 15 Union College NY November 15 January 15 December 15, February 15 University of Miami FL November 1 January 1 December 31, February 15-28 University of Pennsylvania PA November 1 N/A December 15 University of Puget Sound WA November 15 N/A December 15 University of Richmond VA November 1 January 15 December 15, February 15 University of Rochester NY November 1 N/A December 15 University of San Francisco CA November 1 N/A Beginning December 15 Ursinus College PA December 1 February 1 December 15, February 15 Vanderbilt University TN November 1 January 1 December 15, February 15 Vassar College NY November 15 January 1 Not reported Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University VA November 1 N/A December 15 Wabash College IN November 1 N/A December 5 Wake Forest University NC November 15 January 1 Rolling, February 15 Warren Wilson College NC November 1 N/A Not reported Washington Jefferson College PA January 4 N/A January 15 Washington and Lee University VA November 1 January 1 "Within a few weeks" Washington College MD November 15 N/A December 15 Washington University in St. Louis MO November 1 January 2 December 15, February 15 Webb Institute NY October 15 N/A December 15 Wellesley College MA November 1 January 1 December 15, February 15 Wells College NY December 15 N/A Not reported Wesleyan College GA November 15 N/A Not reported Wesleyan University CT November 15 January 1 December 15, February 15 Wheaton College IL November 20 January 15 December 3, February 1 Whitman College WA November 15 January 1 December 15, January 31 Willamette University OR November 15 N/A December 30 Williams College MA November 15 N/A December 15 Wittenberg University OH November 1 N/A December 1 Wofford College SC November 1 N/A December 1 Early decision can be a great option as it communicates to your school of choice how enthusiastic and committed you are to attending. If your school offers Early Decision II and you feel you could benefit from a few more months to work on your application, it makes sense to wait for this later deadline. Either way, you'll find out earlier than regular notification if you got into your first-choice school! What's Next? Want to apply early but aren't sure about signing a binding agreement? This guide has the comprehensive list of all the colleges that offer early action. Not sure applying early to college is right for you? Then take a look at thethe most common college application deadlines to get an idea of what your application timeline could look like. As you fill out your college applications, you want to think about how to present your high school resume in the best possible light.Read our expert guide for tips on how to write about your extracurricular activities on your college application. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Egoism and relativism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Egoism and relativism - Assignment Example as certainty associated with it because it promotes that individuals should take actions that provide the highest degree of happiness to oneself and the individual should try to avoid actions and decisions that result in unhappiness. The element of certainty exists because an individual can easily be sure about the elements and the outcomes that will make him or her happy and unhappy and thus can easily make decisions. For example: as an individual I may lie to another individual if I perceive that in a given situation lying will result in higher benefits to me as compared to costs. The main weakness associated with egoism is that it ignores the fact that other individuals within a society may end up being impacted negatively if an individual only makes decisions based on his/her self-interest. This means that egoism disregards the idea that those actions are ethical that result in benefiting the overall society and not just a few individuals within the society. For example: a stock exchange agent may lie to its clients that investing in a certain share will benefit them when actually it may result in losses. This means that the agent is hurting others by lying and only benefiting himself in terms of commission he earns from selling certain stocks. The theory of relativism states that actions as well as decisions that may be ethical for a particular society are not necessarily ethical for another society or group (Birsch 18). Relativists are of the position that no actions and decisions are universally ethical or unethical and vary in compliance from one society to another. One of the major strengths of relativism is that it promotes tolerance between different groups and well as different members of these groups (Birsch 28). The theory holds that one cannot simply reject the values of another society or culture if those values are conflicting with values of people from their own society. This in turns helps in ensuring that members from different societies