Modular Arithmetic Essays - Algebra, Computer Arithmetic

Modular Arithmetic Modular arithmetic can be used to compute exactly, at low cost, a set of simple computations. These include most geometric predicates, that need to be checked exactly, and especially, the sign of determinants and more general polynomial expressions. Modular arithmetic resides on the Chinese Remainder Theorem, which states that, when computing an integer expression, you only have to compute it modulo several relatively prime integers called the modulis. The true integer value can then be deduced, but also only its sign, in a simple and efficient maner. The main drawback with modular arithmetic is its static nature, because we need to have a bound on the result to be sure that we preserve ourselves from overflows (that can't be detected easily while computing). The smaller this known bound is, the less computations we have to do. We have developped a set of efficient tools to deal with these problems, and we propose a filtered approach, that is, an approximate computation using floating point arithmetic, followed, in the bad case, by a modular computation of the expression of which we know a bound, thanks to the floating point computation we have just done. Theoretical work has been done in common with , , Victor Pan and. See the bibliography for details. At the moment, only the tools to compute without filters are available. The aim is now to build a compiler, that produces exact geometric predicates with the following scheme: filter + modular computation. This approach is not compulsory optimal in all cases, but it has the advantage of simpleness in most geometric tests, because it's general enough. Concerning the implementation, the Modular Package contains routines to compute sign of determinants and polynomial expressions, using modular arithmetic. It is already usable, to compute signs of determinants, in any dimension, with integer entries of less than 53 bits. In the near future, we plan to add a floating point filter before the modular computation.

Different Methods of Counseling and Psychotherapy Essays

Different Methods of Counseling and Psychotherapy Essays Different Methods of Counseling and Psychotherapy Paper Different Methods of Counseling and Psychotherapy Paper In counseling and psychotherapy there are more than 400 distinct models with methods of practice ranging from one to one counseling, group therapy, couples or family therapy, online therapy and over the telephone counseling. Depending on which school of thought the therapist is following, each therapy engages the client from a different angle. Each school has its own rationale and specific techniques but there are common components which are shared across all approaches Research has shown that there Is little evidence for the superiority of one school over another Assay and Lambert, 1999). It is the similarities rather than the differences that account for the observation that all psychotherapeutic approaches are effective (in general). These similarities can be combined into four factors that are common to all forms of psychotherapy. These four factors Include: technique (1 5%), psychotherapeutic change (40%), therapeutic relationship (30%) and hope or expectancy (15%). Hammond (2010) further strengthened the argument that psychotherapy is an effective intervention nut that no one theory has been proven to be more effective over all of the others. The four main schools that Influence anthropometry counseling and psychotherapy practice are the psychodrama school, the humanistic-existential school, the cognitive behavior school and the post modern school. Within each school come a variety of theories with its own factors which make them all unique. This paper will briefly present an account of the four main schools mentioned above whilst taking Into consideration the effect of post modernism and demonstrating the effects of an enhanced eclectic and integrated approach to psychotherapy in our society today The Psychodrama school Psychodrama therapy is a general name for therapeutic approaches which try to et the patient to bring to the surface their real feelings, so that they can experience them and understand them. This approach aims to help clients gain insight into the dynamic conflicts and tensions manifesting as symptoms of mental distress or physical symptoms in their lives Psychodrama psychotherapy incorporates revealing conflicts of the unconscious and creating understanding and insight In the client to allow him/her to gain coping skills to deal with difficulties presently and in the future. It Is the study and theory of psychological forces underlying human behavior developed the concept of the unconscious. This Is the part of the mind where desires and memories are stored, unrecognized and are only hinted at through dreams or slips of tongue. Classical psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud (1856 1939) Is regarded as the father of psychoanalysis and developed the unconscious within his approach which he classified Into three regions I. E. The d, the ego and the superego. Freud we have three levels of OFF techniques including free association and transference. A lot of his work surrounded identifying and analyzing resistances and defenses (feelings held in the unconscious are too painful to face and defenses protect us from these painful feelings). Interpretation of information was another technique which Freud used and he spent a lot of time interpreting dreams and fantasies of which he thought were the pathway to the unconscious. An integral piece of psychodrama therapy is the transference which occurs between the client and the therapist. Because psychodrama therapists focus relies on interpreting the unconscious, therapists use transference to reveal unresolved conflicts that clients have with figures from their childhood. Transference refers to redirection of a clients feelings from a significant person to a therapist. Transference is often manifested as an erotic attraction towards a therapist, but can be seen in many other forms such as rage, hatred, mistrust, prettification, extreme dependence, or even placing the therapist in a god-like or guru status. When Freud initially encountered transference in his therapy with clients, he felt it was an obstacle to treatment success. But what he learned was that the analysis of the transference was actually the work that needed to be done The Humanistic Existential school The Humanistic school is based around developing human potential through an individuals own abilities and qualities. It involves the therapist emphasizing these abilities to enhance the experience of personal and feelings. The aim is to harmonize both thinking and actions to become unique individuals. Carl Rogers (1902 1987) is the originator of person centered therapy and introduced a non-directive approach to therapy. There are two main therapeutic principles that underlie the person centered approach. The first principle is that the therapist emphasizes the relationship with the client as this is an integral part to the therapeutic Journey. It is based around respect, equality and authenticity. The client is regarded as the expert on his or her win life and the therapist is there to facilitate the client to identify, airframe thinking and come up with their own solutions to their own personal challenges. The second principle is concerned with working with the clients in the here and now to learn about old patterns, to make new changes. Carl Rogers posits that the relationship that the therapist has with the client, in person centered therapy is central to the success of the therapy. The relationship is sufficient for client change if Rogers core conditions are used. These include: empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard. Person centered therapy is a relationship therapy and these core conditions are ingredients for the formulation of an effective therapeutic relationship. Other factors were mentioned over the years to be essential ingredients for the therapeutic relationship including: presence, boundaries, sensitivity and consistency but the three core conditions have remained integral to the person centered approach to practice (McLeod, 2011). Gestalt therapy is another humiliatingly oriented approach to therapy. Like person centered therapy, it rejects psychoanalytic ideas and emphasizes humanistic values such as individual Gestalt therapy was Frizz Peers (1893-1970). The therapy highlights the importance of increasing clients awareness. Rather than aiming towards insight and interpretation it focuses toward understands ones own emotions through a Journey of discovery. It looks at the wholeness of the person and relies on the here and now experience. Gestalt therapy practice includes awareness techniques (For example, two-chair work) and experiments and this is one particular area which divides gestalt therapy from person centered therapy. Gestalt therapists believe in inviting the client to experiment through in session techniques of behavior and awareness. On the other hand, person centered therapy views this experimentation as directive and shifts focus away from the client. It is successful but the number of therapists that use it as their primary orientation is very small. The Cognitive behavior school The cognitive behavior school evolved out of behavioral psychology and is based around three key themes. These include: 1. A problem solving, change-focused approach to working with clients 2. A respect for scientific values and 3. Close attention to the cognitive processes through which people monitor and intro their behavior (McLeod, 2011) Its intervention involves the assessment of clients and subsequently the intervention to help change specific patterns of their thinking and behavior that is sustaining their problems. The integral premise of cognitive behavior therapy is to change the way that clients think about things. Beck (1976) pinpointed the selfs of these include: 1. Personalization 2. Dichotomous thinking 3. Personalization Similarly, Albert Ellis (1962) showed parallel thinking within the cognitive behavioral school of thought and highlighted peoples irrational beliefs in a cornerstone approach called Rational emotive behavior therapy (REST). These irrational beliefs include crooked thinking around events in ones life which is surrounded by should and would. This involves overstraining as discussed above or rushing to judgment. Catastrophic a tuition in a negative way leads to anxiety and depression, if anything goes anyway off the beaten track. Westbrook et al (2007) defined the key principles that underpin cognitive behavioral therapy. 1. It is a collaborative project between client and counselor 2. The work is problem focused and structured 3. Therapy is time limited and brief 4. Practice is informed by research The main areas of focus in cognitive behavioral therapy are establishing and maintaining a positive working alliance, assessment of the problem behaviors and cognitions, formulation off plan, intervention and finally relapse prevention. So the effectiveness of CAB in psychotherapy whilst the evidence for other approaches are not as well researched. Stiles et al (2008) conducted a comparison of the outcomes of CAB, person centered therapy (PACT) and Psychodramas Therapy (PDP) within the UK National Health Service. CAB, PACT and PDP are all distinct approaches with regard to their individual interventions and their assumptions. Data was collected from 5613 patients (adults) who received CAB, PACT or PDP and completed the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-outcome Measure at the beginning and end of their treatment. Findings in the study are testament to the Dodo Effect highlighted over 70 years ago. Results demonstrated that PACT and PDP had comparable effectiveness to CAB. This is a significant finding because CAB is a widely researched intervention in that there has been a lot of research testing the efficacy and effectiveness of CAB for a wide range of disorders. On the other hand, PACT and PDP have not being studied to the same degree so this is a very positive result to represent the effectiveness of such interventions. Presenting problems in this study included anxiety, depression, bereavement/loss, trauma/abuse, addictions and more. In effect results demonstrated that the three treatments assessed (theoretically different) had equivalently positive outcomes suggesting that there is no one intervention producing more positive outcome than another (Stiles et al, 2008). Scientific positivism is the idea that if a therapeutic theory is true then it can be used with clients irrespective of when, where and with whom the therapy occurs. Freud, Skinner and Rogers all attempted to develop a universal theory, a viewpoint which suggests that one size fits all. The view that each of their individual theories wholly explained human nature. The contemporary view of counseling and psychotherapy emphasizes the individuality of clients, therapists and people and postulates that the blanket approach that had been highlighted in the past does not work. Post modernism has seen people beginning to question thing with the emphasis being that the world is a much smaller place today with innovations in technology and communication and the influx of mass media. Therapies are now being designed to fit people rather than proposing a universal theory as a blanket effect over society. Post modernism believes that a therapist for example imposes a framework on an individual, the individual will only be seen through a certain lens and the therapist will confine the clients problems to what the lens sees. The only way of looking at people is by getting them to disclose what their lived experience is like I. E. We all hold basic things together in common. The way we interpret them is unique, the experiences we have are unique and we all develop our own world view. Post modernism acknowledges that it is the clients own lived experience that is most important and the therapist needs to work with that. It is an anti-behaviorism approach. Cognitive behavior theory aims to airframe thoughts to enable the client to manage his/her life whilst post modernism rejects this. It posits that the persons subjective experience is the most important piece. Social constructivist narrative counseling has been evolved through the work of Michael White and David Postpone and they have developed this approach which is completely different from mainstream therapies. Narrative therapy emphasizes the importance of languages and stories in the field of counseling and psychotherapy. It is the way that people translate their thoughts, feelings and emotions so that people an understand them. One of the distinctive features of narrative therapy is the procedure of exterminating the problem. (McLeod, 2011). This refers to the idea that many clients consider the problem to be a part of themselves and of who they are as an individual. The problem then becomes apart of who they are in total. They become self blaming. Exterminating the problem involves separating themselves and their relationship from the problem and releasing that the problem is the problem. In narrative therapy the person experiencing psychological distress tells a therapist stories about their past, present and possible future. The therapist listens, observes and responds. The therapist makes sense of these stories using professional experience, their underpinning theoretical knowledge and own life experiences. During this process the therapist focuses on certain aspects of the narrative more than others. So the therapist encourages the person to elaborate and reflect on certain stories more than others. Narrative therapists perceive that clients seek therapy when the main stories they tell about themselves lack meaning, do not reflect their actual experience, or cannot be shared with people close to them. Linking problems with the self-identity or inner self is rejected by narrative approaches. People develop this way of thinking about their life events and situations because of the pressure to conform to the norms of society. When therapists combine the person with the problem they aim to change the person, perceiving them as flawed or damaged. This means that the therapist is colluding and acting on the part of society rather than collaborating with the client. The aim is to find a new definition of the problem that stops the person from always describing themselves in ways that others view them (experience far). For example a shift from Im depressed to sometimes depression tends to take over. The therapist is actively curious about the effects of the problem on the persons life and talks as if the problem and the person were two different things. One of the main proponents of this type of approach is that the therapist is there to facilitate the client in re writing their story and to encourage to reform this story in their community. Although narrative therapy is a dialogue and conversationalist style, it also incorporates letters and certificates to give the client a permanent documentation to heir story. In narrative therapy the use of humor and imagery is included to rephrase particular words and situations in which the client has had difficulty with. The therapist is continually creating and demonstrating the difference between the person and the problem. It is important to note that narrative therapy is not solely an individual-centered approach but works between the person and the community. (McLeod, 2011). Solution focused therapy which is most commonly associated with the work of Steve De Sharer (De Sharer et al (2007). Rather than being of a theoretical orientation, SOFT s a highly disciplined and pragmatic approach and places emphasizes on a number of tenets which forms the basis for this approach. If it isnt broken, dont fix it If it works, do more of it If its not working, do something different Small steps can lead to big changes The solution is not necessarily directly related to the problem The language for solution development is different from that needed to describe a problem No problems happen all the time; there are always exceptions that can be utilized The future is both created and negotiable The idea behind the SOFT approach is that talking about the problem makes the robber worse, the problem becomes central in the individuals life and through his/ her relationships and this takes the attention away from creating solutions. The role of the therapist is to invite the client to talk around solutions although there must be acceptance (not encouragement) around the fact that they client may want to talk about the problem. Strategies followed by SOFT include focusing on change. It is believed that change is inevitable. Problem free conversation is also utilized to get an idea of the clients positive aspects and competencies. SOFT therapists believe that no matter how big and bad a problem is hat is does not affect ones life all the time and to therefore search for the positives top construct the solutions. As highlighted above in the list of tenets, there slogans are often used with clients to communicate the basic principles around this approach to therapy. The miracle question is an important facet in the solution focused process whereby in the first session the client is asked to imagine a time in the future that the problem has disappeared. This allows the client to come up with the small manageable goals of tackling the problem themselves whilst respecting the enormity of the problem itself. Homework tasks are also incorporated in this form of therapy to keep the client focused on the solution. Unlike the traditional psychotherapy approach of problem focus, SOFT emphasizes the resilience of the client and concentrates on the solution to the problem whilst linking previous positive solution solving to their thinking pathway and through intervention, the client is encouraged to incorporate past positive experience (De Sharer et al, 2007). Traditionally therapists operated from within their own therapeutic orientation but theories, and the inadequacies and potential values of others. A dissatisfaction with single school approaches along with an openness and a commitment to learning from multiple schools of many therapists do not stick to one school of thought or theoretical approach but work in an eclectic or integrative way. Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in particular cases. Integration draws from different counseling and therapy approaches with an tempt to blend together the concepts and interventions into a logical and harmonize whole. Norris Glorified (2005) highlighted eight interacting, mutually reinforcing factors that have fostered the development of integration over the past twenty years including; proliferation of therapies, inadequacy of single theories and treatments, external socioeconomic contingencies, ascendancy of short term, problem focused treatments, opportunity to observe various treatments particularly for difficult disorders, recognition that therapeutic commonalities heavily intricate to outcome, identification of specific therapy effects and evidence based treatments and development of a professional network for integration. An important factor to take into account in the emergence of integration is the increasing awareness that no one theory can account for all clients and all situations strengthening the argument above stating that with the zeitgeist and societal changes, a one fits all approach which the likes of Freud, Skinner and Rogers put forward is not enough to cover the wide range of unique individuals, behaviors and situations we find in our society today. An eclectic or integrative approach has been popularized in the last number of years with studies demonstrating that between 29% and 66% of respondents use this type of approach to theoretical therapy rather than following one school of thought alone or one theory (Hickman et al, 2009). Through the use of qualitative methodology (questionnaires), Hickman et al (2009) studied the theoretical orientation of twenty four psychotherapists. Results suggested that respondents engaged in an eclectic and integrated approach although it appeared that one theory played a prominent role over the others in the harpists approach to therapy which they relied heavily on whilst engaged in an eclectic manner. Yalta (1995) argued that the personality and characteristics of the therapist are significant predictors of therapeutic success. Rogers three core conditions are significant common factors for the therapist. These include the therapist empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard. Other common factors include support, caring, acceptance and respect. These all form the basis for development and maintenance of the relationship. Line (2005) also highlights factors such as warmth and attention, and understanding s important elements in this environment. It is emphasized that the therapists common factors include a teaming of: personality characteristics and facilitative qualities (honesty, caring, genuineness, unconditional positive regard, acceptance and openness), professional competence and integration; and the provision on a non-threatening, trusting, safe and secure atmosphere) and the therapists confidence in own abilities of the client and in the efficacy of therapy itself (Line, 2005). Corey (2009) developed his own integrative approach to counseling. He defines an integrative approach as being rooted in a hurry with techniques systematically borrowed from other approaches and tailored to a clients unique needs (Corey, 2009). He highlights important aspects of creating and developing an integrative approach including considering the therapists own personality, what concepts and techniques work most effectively with a range of clients, determining what technique are specifically suitable for what problems and particular clients. Corey (2009) posits that an integrative approach is needed in the counseling arena to effectively counsel the wide range of personalities and individuals whom are in our society today, with many unique challenges and robbers.

Constructivism and Instructivism in Teaching and Learning Essay

Constructivism and Instructivism in Teaching and Learning - Essay Example This essay describes and analyzes the effects of the â€Å"No Child Left Behind Act of 2001† that was established in the United States and meant â€Å"to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessment†. As the No Child Left Behind Act’s main aim was to improve the quality of education in the United States, educators and teachers have been forced to ask uncomfortable but important questions as to how such improvement can be attained in their professional field. The researcer mentiones that countless debates have since taken place in the academic world to pinpoint where the problems lie in the hope of identifying the right and the best solutions. These debates have been heated and not without controversy, which is what makes them interesting. Of the wide range of debated topics, this essa y focuses on one of the most basic battle lines – Constructivism versus Instructivism. The researcher then compares these two basic theories of how people learn and analyzes which of these two really works and is more effective. To conclude, the researcher gives his own recommendations on the topic and sums up that every teacher must learn how to account for one of the greatest missions anyone can receive, that of shaping other human minds and launching them on their way to learning, discovery, and survival in a complex world.

A Reality of Cairos Past and Future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

A Reality of Cairos Past and Future - Essay Example Cairo's efforts to mange its population is mirrored by a continental program in Africa that aims to decentralize commerce and industries by 2015 (Raychaudhuri 6). In 2005, the Egypt Human Development Report (EHDR) 2005 was published and tackled the problems that overcrowding has brought to the city: it cites that the disparity in resources, prospects and representation is a direct deterrent to national goal of development for Egypt (United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] "Choosing our future: Towards a New Social Contract", 5-6) Crowding in urban areas is a problem that all major cities are facing. Even developed countries also have to deal with issues of disproportion of population and industries. Efforts to balance these trends have come in either redevelopment of stagnating areas or through relocation efforts. The successes of these projects have been intermittent and have done little to stem rapid growth of urban populations. The stories of remote locations becoming ghost towns as residents move to the city is not fiction, it is a reality that aggravates economic and social problems of less developed regions. From the perspective of computer programs that include crowds and other social behaviors associated with it, crowding is seen as something that is important in all growing cities and economies. In many cases, urban overcrowding can either be a 24-hour phenomenon to a city or only an effect of people coming to work in the cities where the human congestion eases as people return to their homes at the end of the day. According to Loscos and his associates, crowding creates a resource base that is essential for development but at the same time, one has to be very careful in encouraging population development because population grow in geometrically and once it finds its momentum, little can be done to control it excluding extraordinary measures without sacrificing growth. Hebding and Glick point out that crowding is though a strongly social behavior, factors that fuel it more powerfully are economic and political factors. People gravitate towards areas that give him best access to resources. A direct economic effect of these movement is on labor markets and even greater impact is made on developing economies were labor maybe more easier than al other economic resources (Bertola 3027-3028). Politics also tend to follow these developments. The greater the development, the greater is the need for administration. Wars have been fought to control cities independently of the countries they are situated in. Cairo historically was a key city in controlling the Nile and gaining access to the rest of Egypt. There is cyclical effect to these developments: population, commercial and industrial density develops economic and political centers while at the same time, the establishments of these centers attract further population multiplication. Population and the availability of labor, political and economic institutions are all key factors that are essential to development (Bergsten). The magnitude of these cities, whether newly developed or ancient ones like Cairo, can be measure by the extent of their population, economy and political significance. Therefore, overcrowding to a certain extent is an indication of a city's

Research Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Research Proposal - Essay Example In the event masculinity is threatened with the men’s conveyed feelings of shame, hostility and guilty: hence men tend to overcompensate to defend masculinity. This paper will talk about masculinity in men; what role masculinity plays in dealing with grief, violence and morality in the society. It is important to understand why men treasure masculinity so much. This paper will review four journals in a bid to understand masculinity in men and how the society takes it. Masculinity can be portrayed in a number of ways, the first dealing with grief, the second – with morality, the third - with violence and last but not least one - acting or role playing. Lee (2002) states that culture and its gadgets all work hand in hand to sustain and set out various rules that men are expected to perform. Ideas of masculinity are socially constructed set of rules that oversee male manners or behavior so that male emotions are not authorized to approve male sex roles. This masculinity that men apply has been sanctioned by the culture and males are required to perform them. Men have been accustomed to thinking that some activities are masculine or not thus objectionable. According to Lee (2002), â€Å"men could have emotions as long as they were they are socially useful.† (p.4) An example of masculinity in the nineteenth century is the public man – a money maker, who desired to or focused on achieving success and had to give his all even his sexuality. Lee (2002) suggested that â€Å"draining one’s bodily fluid via masturbation or self-abuse threatened masculinity.† (p.4) Manhood was understood from these beliefs and, th e author goes on to say that man was or is to direct his sexual passion to his marriage, art and work. 2. Alilunas, P. (2009). Male masculinity as the celebration of failure: The frat pack, women and the trauma of victimization in the â€Å"dude flick†.Retrieved: 3 Nov. 2012. From:

Technical Support And Information Sources Computer Science Essay

Technical Support And Information Sources Computer Science Essay Technical support is a team which is responsible to support for individuals and organisations in a variety of ways. They also describe and explain to the customers all information about technology of their products or their services that they provide. Technical support team has people who have a good knowledge about electronic systems, computer systems which included software and hardware. They are able to troubleshoot related problems. In general, technical support provides technical support to organisation, customers and end-users. Source of information can be used for a variety of hardware and software related faults? The information can be gathered from a number of sources such as direct questioning, consulting a fault log or using diagnostic and monitoring tools. Finding out information: Direct questioning If the organisation, customers or end-users has any problems with the product or service, they will contact to get some helps from technical support. They will contact by phone or face to face and the technical support specialists need to find out as much as possible what the problem is. Then they can make decision how they can resolve the problem. But before accepting the calls from customers or users, they may need to check that the customer or user is entitled to their support services. They may require the customer or user to give correct username and password, account number or some personal details. They also can ask the customer some question for clarification, or further questions to ensure that they have a good understanding of the problem. In general, direct questioning is an important technique which is used in information gathering because it is flexible. Fault logs Fault log is a record of events that occurred and it may include the information about how the fault was fixed. Most business organisations have the computer rooms that can be used by many different users, so they need to have a written fault log that is regularly checked by technical staffs. The technical staffs will identify and remedy any faults that have been reported by users. A log should be maintained for each computer system. When the computer system is broken down, the technical staff will need the information from the fault logs such as when the equipment was obtained, when the software was installed or what setting have been used. Fault log will record what happen with computer system and how it was fixed. A fault log may be kept manually or it may be create automatically by software. Diagnostics and Monitoring tools Another way that helps the technical staffs to define a particular problem is using diagnostic and monitoring tools. The technician can ask the system directly by using diagnostic and monitoring tools such as the POST (Power on Self-Test). When the computer system is turned on, the POST will check the hardware to make sure everything is working correctly before the OS is loaded and run. There are three types that the problems can be occurred. They are following: If there are problems before the screen is functioning, a sequence of beeps is used to indicate the nature of the faults. If the problem is occurred after the screen is functioning, an error code will be showed on the screen. This error code will show which device is not working properly. If the problem is occurred while computer is running, the user or technical staffs can use Event Viewer. The Event Viewer is monitoring tool that is included with OS window. It can be used to manage and view these events. It also can be used to track security events and identify possible software, hardware and system problems. The event viewer interface will contain a series of event logs that can be viewed by either a user or a technician. This particular log contains a series of entries that consist of information, warnings and errors. Checking the problems: Some informations sources are more reliable than others. So when processing the information, the user or technical staff needs to make sure that the information is valid. Cross-reference checks with user When the technical staffs are talking with the users or customers about the problems, they can call up data on their computer system which is including the current information and configurations of the users computer. The technical staff also can check that other users are experiencing the same problems on a particular system. Confirmation from a number of users that a particular fault exists or that the fault is of a particular nature will give the technician confidence in how to approach a formal diagnosis and remedy. But the information may be out of date because the users or customers may have upgraded the equipment or installed a more modern OS. So the technical staffs should confirm the information with the user during the initial conversation. When the users and customers may not be able to answer the questions, the technical staff should help and direct them to how they can find out the answers. Problem reproduction After asking the customers or users some simple direct questions to indentify who they are and what the problems are, the technical staff need to find out exactly what the problem is and how to fix it. The users or the customers may jump to conclusions and suggest things that are wrong with the computer rather than just giving the technical staff facts. So the best way for a technician to identify and diagnose a fault is to see the problem. If the fault is intermittent, it may prove difficult to reproduce the fault in the workshop. In this case, the users or customers need to takes screenshots of any error messages and prints these to be used as reference material as and when the system is being repaired. The problem reproduction is a useful strategy. Asking the users or customers to talk through what went wrong can reveal important information that the user may not told the technical staffs. One more important fact is the date when the problem was first noticed. If any new hardware or software was installed immediately before the fault appeared, this might be to blame. To fix this problem, the technical staffs can take the users back to a time when the computer was working. This way will help the users to think through the events that led up to the problems and exactly as it happened. This may reveal vital clues but it is still important to keep an open mind and to consider alternative sources of the problem. Manufacturers website Manufacturers websites are a valuable source of information. If an application fails to work, the user or customer can search the manufactures website for the latest information about known bugs in the system. The information is accessed through an open forum which is clearly going to be significantly less reliable than a manufacturers own website. Individuals providing technical advice of any kind must make sure that they are doing so supported by accurate and valid information. Further sources of such information are discussed in the following section. Source of information: Product specifications and manuals Most products are sold with a product specification and a technical manual. Product specification is written by the manufacture of the product. It contains all the information and details of products technical. A manual also is written by the manufacturer but it is used to explain how to make the best use of a hardware or software. Some manufacturers store product specifications and manuals in CD or DVD as PDF file. The CD or DVD will have all information about the main features of the product, or a video on troubleshooting. Colleagues with specialist expertise This is the best source of information because the users or technical staffs can get the technical information from people around them such as colleagues and friends. Those people can offer their experience in solving problems, but they must to find right people to ask. If they ask to wrong people so it means that they get wrong information and these information can not be used. The advantage of this source of information is the users can ask further questions if they are unsure that they fully understand a process, an answer or an explanation. Knowledge bases Using a knowledge base may involve searching for information which is relevant to the problem that the users want to try solving. The technical support can draw on a knowledge base to help them decide on a course of action. There is a range of knowledge bases that are available on the internet, but the technician support or the users must be very careful about relying on information that may not be valid or correct. Fault records showing previously found solutions A fault log is most useful when it lists not only the problems that were encountered but also the way in which they were solved. A fault log that includes the name of the technical support that solved a particular fault will allow the users contact them if they have encountered a similar fault and need specialist help. The historical information of previous faults and remedies will be essential for the technician support that will effectively be able to learn from other peoples experiences. Internet source (e.g.: FAQs and technical forums) The internet is the very useful source of information which helps the user or technician to resolve technical problems. There are two main informations sources on the internet which are FAQs and technical forum. FAQs stand for Frequently Asked Questions which can solve the most common problems for users with minimal effort for the help desk staff. The manufacturers websites usually contain FAQs about their products or services. This is where they use to list the information. This is also a place that the problems will be resolved and the questions of users about the product or service will be answered. The technical forum is a place where the users and technician can talk and discuss about the product or service. Technical forums can be a useful route to finding answers to both simple and complex problems. What hardware and software related questions could you be asked by users requiring technical support and how would you handle each of these questions? Question 1: My computer may be hacked by virus and my anti-virus software is not working? How can I fix it? As a technician, I tried to turn on their computer and I can see their computer being attacked by a virus. I have checked the current anti-virus software that they use. Their computer is currently using Norton anti virus software and this software is expired. So the customers should renew the software if they want to use it to protect their computers. Question 2: What can I do if the virus still in the computer system even that anti-virus software is working? In this case, I will tell the customers that they should format the hard drive and install new OS software. But before formatting, they should back up all important data and information to external storage devices. Question 3: My computer would boot up but then after 5-10 mins, it would shut itself down. What is this problem? Firstly, I will ask some question to the customers get more information about what happen with their computers and then I give them my opinion. I think that the computer may be attacked by virus because this problem is a symptom of virus attack or the hardware of computer may be faulty. If the problem occurs by virus, I will use the newest version of anti virus software to find and delete the virus. If the problem occurs by hardware faulty, I open the computer system and check the hardware of computer. I think that problem is electrical faults which can lie within a hardware component, in the cabling that connects these components or in the connectors between the cabling and the components. The hardware that I will check are: motherboard, PSU, CPU, RAM, etc†¦

Womens Ice Hockey :: Sports Essays

Womens Ice Hockey The fight for women's ice hockey players to earn respect and acceptance has been hard fought over the past one hundred years. Women have constantly been told that they can not play with men and that there sport is a second rate version of the men's game. The road of women's ice hockey has had many ups and downs but has perservered to the present day and is stronger than it has ever been. The future of women's ice hockey is bright thanks to diligence and hard work of those who kept it all going. Ironically women began playing the sport side by side with men over 100 years ago right at the sports inception. One of the oldest action pictures featuring ice hockey shows men playing with women. Part of the reason that women enjoyed early participation with men is because of the way that the public viewed the game. At the start, hockey was seen as a recreational activity. Women have been routinely barred from participating in serious and competitive sport, but if the game is viewed as merel y recreational then women are more accepted. In the 1890's this is what happened to the sport of ice hockey. Suddenly the game was more than recreation and organization entered, rules were drawn and leagues were formed. With the new structure came segregation of the sexes. As the sport progressed for the men, the women were left behind. In spite of all this, the first all female organized game was played in Barrie, Ontario in 1892. Women's ice hockey slowly limped on up until the 1920's. In the 1920's womens ice hockey began to pick up again. Amateur, college and junior level teams were formed and the women's sport became much more organized. In 1924 the Ladies Ontario Hockey Association was formed and would for years be the benchmark of women's ice hockey. Bonnie Rosenfield, a tremendous Canadien athlete who won Olympic medals in Track and Field would be the sports first true superstar. Bonnie grew up in a hockey family and became a very skilled player at a young age. She became irritated with the lack of opportunity for women and took up track were she excelled on an international level. She returned to hockey though with the formation of the LOHA. She became the leagues first star and became a role model for young women who also wanted to play the game.