Portfolio Two

Criterion A.
I have based my research on a research paper produced by Rutgers University. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119122632.htm
Researches into the effects of violent media like video games have been going on for over 10 years. Recently released study shows that media violence does indeed have a negative impact on children. Research indicates that media violence has not just increased in quantity; it has also become more graphic, sexual, and sadistic. A recent research carried out in September 2000 by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) showed that 80 percent of “R” rated games, 70 percent of restricted video games, and 100 percent of music with “explicit content” warning labels were being marketed to children under 17. This means that by the time the normal average child is 18, they would have witnessed they will have witnessed 200,000 acts of violence and 16,000 murders. Media violence especially has a damaging effect on children below the age of eight because they cannot tell the difference between fantasy ad realities. For example, the highly criticized video game: Grand Theft Auto 3(GTA 3) was totally dominated by violence. It was banned in Australia for its highly graphic violence and sexual content. In the United States, the game grossed on average $300 million by the end of 2002. (M.E.F.).
This constant increase and appreciation for violence in all aspects of media posses a huge threat on the future of this generation.



























Criterion B.
Entertainment in the form of video games has been used as a form of leisure for almost 2 decades. As advances in media technology were made during the late 90s, graphic violence in video games became more and more prominent. Games like Grand Theft Auto and Mortal Kombat became increasingly popular. Their highly Graphic content and Gore made them the core of video gaming today. This sudden interest in video games by children and adolescents started “the age of gaming”. All video games consist of
· User control interface
· CPU
· RAM
· Software kernel
· Storage medium for games
· Video output
· Audio output
· Power supply
The user control interface allows the player to communicate with the game through controllers. The R.A.M (Random Access Memory) provides a temporary storage for the game. The software kernel is the games operating system that allows programmes to be written on it. The storage medium is simply a CD or cartridge where the games are stored on. The video out put and audio input are the medium through which we can see and hear the game on our TV.

The above diagram shows the stimulation of aggression in a Childs brain after playing a video game that contains a lot of violence. Their violence stimuli become quite high. The above information suggests that children who play highly violent games can become violent and aggressive themselves.




Criterion C.
Ubisoft, Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are popular game makers. They make game
Consoles and also CDs. This makes them a particular target for people who want to buy
Shares. For example a company like Microsoft has over $32 billion worth of shares. Most
Of this money originated from their world-wide best consoles X-box and X-box 360. Violence in games can also make children more and more hostile. They won’t be very social and will tend to get into fights more and more pertaining to the fact that they play it on their consoles almost every time and it has become registered in their brains. Psychological effects of violence can also occur especially in young children whose brains are still developing. They will not be able to differentiate between reality and fantasy. They learn by observing and imitating. It might get stuck in their brains that it’s okay to kill or hurt someone. The overall impact of violence on children is enormous. If violence in video games keeps coming at a constant rate, a generation of aggressive people will be born and in recent years crime rates will climb higher than ever. A 2001 review of the 70 top-selling video games found 89% contained some kind of violence. Almost half of all games (49%) contained serious violence, while 40% contained comic violence (Rutgers University, 2008). In 41% of the games, violence was necessary for the protagonists to achieve their goals. In 17% of the games, violence was the primary focus of the game itself. (Rutgers University, 2008) A more recent survey of families with school-age children found that 74% of families with school-age children own video game equipment and school-age children play video games an average of 53 minutes per day. Parents are less likely to supervise their children's use of video games than they are to supervise their use of television. (Walsh 2008) While most parents (88%) report regularly supervising their children's use of television, only about 48% report regularly supervising their children's use of video games. (Walsh 2008)



















Criterion D.
The only feasible solution to curb the problem of violence in gaming goes to the parents. The parents are the solution. They always have access to the child and can keep an eye on what the child does periodically. If this can be done, video game violence and its influence on children can be reduced drastically.


Criterion E.
Rutgers University. "Media Violence Cited As 'Critical Risk Factor' For Aggression."ScienceDaily 20 November 2008. 28 February 2009 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119122632.htm
Rutgers University. "Media Violence Cited As 'Critical Risk Factor' For Aggression."ScienceDaily 20 November 2008. 28 February 2009
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119122632.htm
Safe Youth. 26 Aug. 2008. Safe Youth. 28 Feb. 2009 http://www.safeyouth.org/scripts/faq/mediaviolstats.asp
Surette, Ray. "MEDIA, VIOLENCE, YOUTH, AND SOCIETY." WORLDANDI. 26 Feb. 2009 http://www.worldandi.com/public/1994/july/mt2.cfm
University of Michigan. "Violent Media Numb Viewers To The Pain Of Others." ScienceDaily20 February 2009. 28 February 2009 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090219202831.htm
Walsh, David. National Institute on Media and Family. National Institute on Media and Family. 28 Feb. 2009 http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_vlent.shtml

Portfolio One

GPS Tracking Device ..

CRITERION A: PRESENTATION OF THE ISSUE
GPS devises have been very controversial lately. There have been claims that bosses of some companies have been stalking their staff with GPS devises. As a result, some of the employees have claimed that their privacy has been invaded, and this has affected not only their work life but also their social life. This invasion of privacy has even lead to the suicide of a Telstra linesman last year.
The article provides facts about this state or the arch technology, and how it is of good and bad use for companies. Also the affects on the employee knows that they are monitored. Some bosses use this device without informing his employee’s this really shows him who is doing his work and who isn’t. This is a bad way to monitor employees because it means that the boss is not honest with his/her employee’s. Employee’s should be informed before monitored, but not in a way that will make them uncomfortable and under pressure while working.

CRITERION B: THE IT BACKROUND OF THE ISSUE
Global Positioning System (GPS) is comprised of 24 U.S. government owned satellites that circle 12,000 miles above the earth, twice a day in precise orbits, so that several are always in view from any position. The system is designed to provide worldwide positioning services with an accuracy ranging from 10 to 15 meters. Instant location information enables users to ascertain exactly where their vehicles or assets are at anytime, anywhere in the world. Due to minor timing errors and satellite orbit errors, however, more precise accuracies are unattainable with standard GPS. Atmospheric conditions can also affect GPS signals and their arrival time on Earth.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a U.S. space-based radio navigation system that provides reliable positioning, navigation, and timing services to civilian users on a continuous worldwide basis -- freely available to all. For anyone with a GPS receiver, the system will provide location and time. GPS provides accurate location and time GPS provides accurate location and time information for an unlimited number of people in all weather, day and night, anywhere in the world.
The GPS is made up of three parts: satellites orbiting the Earth; control and monitoring stations on Earth; and the GPS receivers owned by users. GPS satellites broadcast signals from space that are picked up and identified by GPS receivers. Each GPS receiver then provides three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitdue) plus the time.

CRITERION C: THE IMPACT OF THE ISSUE
Last month, 26-year-old Rebecca Griego was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend, Jonathan Rowan, as she sat in her administrative office at the University of Washington. Rowan had previously threatened to harm Griego, her sister, and their dogs, and she had gotten a restraining order. She'd also passed out pictures of him to her co-workers so they could serve Rowan the order if he showed up at the campus. And she'd moved to a new apartment and started working from home for two weeks before her death. None of this, of course, helped her.
What might have? In fact, Washington had a good tool in place: a state law that allows judges to impose electronic monitoring as a condition of a restraining order. When judges so order, the police can keep tabs on abusers with a technology best known to people who are bad with directions: the global positioning system.
Just as GPS can find a lost driver, it can also alert cops and targets whenever a domestic-violence offender enters a restricted zone, like the area surrounding a woman's home or office. Police put an electronic bracelet on the batterer that sends a signal to computer servers at headquarters if he goes anywhere he shouldn't. Then, if he violates a restraining order, they can call the woman to let her know that he is on his uninvited way. The idea is to buy women crucial time, even if it's only minutes, so they can get away. The notification loop also kicks in if the offender tries to remove or deactivate the bracelet.
This is a perfect example explaining the advantages of GPS monitoring device system. How ever I mentioned previously how dangerous the GPS tracking systems can be, as they caused to the death of a linesman in Telstra. The source below explains the death of Mr.Dousset.
TELSTRA is facing another legal claim involving an employee suicide.
The family of Telstra linesman Leon Dousset believe pressures at work contributed to his decision to take his own life in March.
The tragedy followed the suicide in January of call-centre worker Sally Sandic, who was stressed by the telco's demands, her parents claimed.
Mr Dousset, 52, a father of five, was on leave because of stress and depression when he killed himself at his Somerville property.

CRITERION D: SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS ARISING FROM THE ISSUE
Solutions to problems like this are very difficult to state, because each employee has a different issue with this gps monitoring system. Some don’t mind being monitored after work hours and some do. The bosses have to balance between their employees so every employee is happy and fully understands that he is monitored.

CRITERION E: SELECTION AND USE OF SOURCES
-"Business Story." www.news.com. 15 Nov. 2008 0,23636,21923432-462,00.html >.

-Richards, Micheal. "gps system." GoPass. 15 Nov. 2008 ?gclid=CLT74uXMuJYCFQ1TEAodllTRLA>.