Pressure, pressure and more pressure!!!

Oh my God, I cannot stress the fact enough of how I long for the 22nd of December and I finish my last exam! I was told before 4th year it was going to be very tough but I never thought it would be this bad.

Its Thursday 10th of December and I'm here writing a blog, the last of my assignments will be eventually completed!! But I thought I would be able to enjoy this fact but no... I've got my first exam this Saturday! Strategic Management, needless to say I'm dreading it!

But as my Grandad would say "Pressures for tyres!!" I hope that all will come together for me, I've tried my best at everything throughout the year so I'm counting down the days till i have a life again!!

Online Adult Industry

"Should it be banned or not is the question???"

Research has shown that visits to pornographic sites have doubled between 2001 and 2005 and some sights have as many as 50 million hits. Cybersex customers are likely to use the web for entertainment and are more likely to revisit sites they find enjoyable, their are 3 cybersex user categories 1) Recreational, 2) Sexually Compulsive, 3) At Risk.

Recreational users use sites a couple of hours per week, it does not threaten their interpersonal relationships and they will eventually experience boredom and stop. Sexually Compulsive involves people with sexual problems and they can become out of control and can worsen their initial problems. And the At Risk users use these sites as an effective and efficient way to deal with feelings of high stress, depression and anxiety that they tend to hold. There are various forms of pornographic means including magazines, books, movies, videos, Internet and e- mails.

I am very undecided on the concept of whether or not the online adult industry should be banned. Everyone is entitled to their freedom of thought and actions, so thereby people should have the freedom to go online to these sites or rent movie if they want to. So, I guess my answer there is no, they should not be banned. But I personally think from a female prospective, the whole concept of the pornographic sites is disgusting. Adults having sex in the most vile ways and been recorded for someone else to watch and they enjoy it??!!! eeewwwwww!!

Research has shown that users of pornographic sites has led to huge problems within relationships. It has lead to destroying marriages across the world, it leaves the impression that sex has no relationship to privacy, unrelated to love, commitment or marriage. The Internet pornographic sites increases the risk of divorce. And what kind of surprised me was the fact that if men shown pictures of Playboy models later said they had less martial love!

Well I don't know about you, I would get over the pictures of Playboy Models but if my husband ( God forbid the day!!) was a constant user pornographic sites...Well the wooden spoon would be out!!!!!!

Social Networking

How I think Social Networking has taken over!

There are over 400 social media and social networking sites online,these include the likes of Facebook, Bebo, Flixster, MySpace and Hi5. A social network focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and activities or are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Up until the past few years no one has asked about or used online social networks and today, some people cannot live without them! I for one, am not one of those! OK, fair enough I got a Facebook and Bebo account at my own leisure and I have a Twitter account because of my course work. But some people just go over board with their social networking accounts, spending hours on them everyday and having to go online everyday just because they "have to check their Facebook account", and I don't know what it is with others that go online every half hour to update their status; "I've just ate a take out with my boyfriend, now we are sitting down to watch the Xfactor" and after this " we enjoyed the Xfactor soooo much, we are now watching, The Hangover on DVD"...... Who cares!!! Many people nowadays can't live a day without checking their Facebook!

On the up side Facebook and the likes are very handy for anyone to keep in touch with friends and family. I know for sure that if it wasn't for Facebook or Bebo I wouldn't be able to keep in touch with a lot of my friends in other countries. Especially after spending an Erasmus year abroad with many friends in different countries it is great to keep in contact with them through Facebook. For businesses, I believe social networks are a great way to market their business. It is cheap and also when connected with the right people its a good way to conduct business, meeting new clients, updating existing customers and promoting new products/services.

Any type of Virtual Community holds three different rules; 1) you are dealing with real people, 2) makes it easy for people to contribute to the community 3) gives people something interesting to respond to.

So in conclusion, at the moment I feel social networking has taken over but for how long more?? Nobody knows... From the "boom of Bebo" to the "boom of Facebook". What social networking site is next or is there any at all??

Budget Travel Goes Bust.......WHAT???!!

Eleven days after Budget Travel cease trading and I'm still in shock! In my opinion and from my experience of holidays, Budget Travel were the most reliable and quality tour operator to travel with. Budget Travel was the No.1 tour operator in Ireland, offering 172 jobs and holding 17 retail shops. Word has it that the company tried everything to stay open but on the 25Th of November 2009 Budget Travel applied to the High Court and was placed into provisional liquidation. I think that this was a sad day for Ireland to see such a honest reliable Irish company go under.

Luckily arrangements were made to cater for the holiday makers who were abroad at the time and also for those who have planned to travel in the next few days or weeks. Budget Travel have 11.4 million cash lodged in order to aid their unfortunate customers.

I believe that this shows how much trouble many companies are in especially within Ireland. Because of the economic crisis people are much more price conscious and not using travel agents when they can organise their own cheaper holiday. Now that the biggest Travel Agent in Ireland is gone, who's next? I believe the other travel agents got to be in trouble too because budget travels closure has shown that the demand in the travel industry is decreasing and there has been a rapid and abrupt downfall in the tourism industry. Also I think the likes of bookshops and record shops are on the line with a huge increase of online sales.

The crisis at the moment is not the only thing on companies minds, there is the issue of the increasing use of E shopping and e business. This aspect leads to many peoples answer to everything and other peoples headache!

Unfortunately it has came to an end for Budget Travel but i hope the rest will stick it out!!

How "M" Commerce is changing the world!

From " buying and selling via the Internet through computers" to " buying and selling goods and services through wireless handheld devices such as a mobile phone" - oh how exciting the world is becoming!! Research has shown that by 2010 the average wireless user will spend 75 hours a year using the wireless Internet with 30.2 hours per year using a mobile phone. Mobile phones have become huge platforms for people delivering digital data, recording and downloading, Internet access and transmitting payments. There has been a great increase in the amount of mobile users comfortable with making banking and purchase transactions on the go with their mobiles.

Business people were use to carrying the likes of cameras, laptops, newspapers, their wallet and even a heavy briefcase, but now this can all be incorporated into one - their mobile phone! Personalising their own phone they can have anything they want at any time! Businesses have many values using this wireless technology including communication with their customers, suppliers and other work colleagues at any time, this will in turn increase worker productivity and output and also it cuts cost for companies.

Three different types of wireless technologies today include Infrared, Bluetooth and WiFi. The Infrared Data Association has over 300 million devices, its communication features include a distance to up to 2 meteres, it has bidirectional communication and this involves "beaming" with palm devices. Bluetooth is an IP based technology with low power requirements. Bluetooths major communication features include auto - discovery mode for ad hoc networks and it supports both voice and data communication. Bluetooth has a huge advantage over Infrared as no " line of sight" is required. WiFi, the new sexy technology standing for wireless fidelity operates on free, unlicensed radio frequency bands. The use of WiFi is huge especially in warehouse environments, hospitals and clinics, corporate campuses and also the use of hot spots.

I believe that WiFi is the answer, we can finally have the use of the Internet anywhere we want through our mobiles and laptops. although their are many obstacles which need to be worked on; the security, the availability of WiFi, the signal interference and how do you possible make money out of WiFi?!

I think M Commerce has made the world of technology so exciting from been able to now book a flight on my phone, buy any goods or services i want on my phone or checking my bank balance on my phone is so cool!! My mobile phone is no longer, its my mobile wallet!!

Is there a place for Religion in modern society?

After much thought and research I have came to the conclusion that yes, there is a place for religion in today's modern society and there always will be. Religion has always been there and is constantly been developed. A definition that i think best describes religion is "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs."
(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/religion)




Some may argue that religious people are following a blind faith that doesn't have any proof and they just relying on the fact that it has always been there and that's the way it is. I do agree with this statement to an extent but for me it is the underlying message the stories are trying to portray that is the most important aspect and not the detail. In my opinion, people should be allowed to believe what they want and no force should be put upon people and their beliefs.





Me been a Christian I believe that we are more of a casual religion unlike that likes of Buddhism and Islamic religions. I believe that the Muslims in particular are too much influenced by their belief and prepared to do anything for it. For me from a more casual perspective, from attending mass in my youth and still going on a regular basis has thought me how to behave myself in a way, how to have respect and also has made me believe that I have someone to turn to in difficult situations and always having someone in my presences. For example, I will never start an exam without saying a prayer, when something goes wrong I will say "Please God!" or even when something actually goes right for me I would say "Thank God!". Religion, I believe is a part of the everyday society for people, for example if a couple have a child they will have it baptised, a child at school is looking forward to there communion or confirmation and even partners will aim to marry in church where they can have the blessing of God. Also, I would like to believe that there is life after death, that once I am not on earth there is another place for me!





So in conclusion, putting aside the busy everyday lifes of people nowadays, everyone in some shape or form will always have a space for their religion.

NAMA

"Write a blog on NAMA, as a Business student you all should have an opinion on NAMA or at least know about it!" - Colin. When Colin said this in class I was actually thinking to myself I haven't a clue what NAMA even stands for!

So, after some research I found that NAMA standing for National Asset Management Agency is an agency set up by the government to help the Irish Banking Sector to manage the bad debts. After all that I have read I am still unsure of the idea of NAMA but there is something telling me it could be for the best. For this country to get back up on its feet it is vital that the banks get on with lending to people in the normal way they should be. It also makes sense that a new team of specialists in NAMA are managing the debts instead of the people in the banks that made these loans in the first place. There are also many different conspiracy theories of the government paying far too much to the banks for these bad loans or paying far to little. A downfall for this Agency is how long it could actually take to put in place and how NAMA will operate in practice..

I am sure that NAMA will not be put in place without much thought and controversy so I think I'm sure to hear of it all!

Rachel Adedeji and the XFactor

Rachel Adedeji became the 4Th contestant to be knocked out of this years XFactor and I don't know why!! Rachel was in the bottom two on last Sunday nights episode against LIoyd and lost. Rachel was by far the better singer and should be still in the competition. Some people argue that the XFactor is an entertainment show,yes it is for the general public but for the contestants it is a talent show and every contestant should be judged on their talent. After last weeks episode i feel the XFactor show has changed for the worst.... When reading this weeks Heat magazine all they seem to be writing about is the judges, how Danni gets her hair like that or how Cheryl sits down in her dresses and don't get me started on "Jedward", in my opinion the worst contestants to be ever on the XFactor, who cares what they have for breakfast!!! How Aston from JLS wants to start dating Stacey....bla bla bla... Now that Rachel has gone, in my opinion Danyl Johnson is by far the best singer left in the competition but wont succeed because he's not "cool" enough!!! Maybe I'll be proven wrong, I hope so!

SEM and SEO - Week 3 - 4!

Search Engine Marketing which includes Search Engine Optimisation sounds like fancy complicated stuff but really it is the answer to getting to the number 1 spot on google but its harder than you think! Today people are begging to get to that no.1 spot in order to achieve the greatest marketing means for there company. There has been a great increase in the spending rates of SEM with an annual growth rate of 65% between 2004 and 2005, with Google and Yahoo been the top two search engines used.



So how do search engines work? Search engines are particular sites on the web like Google or Yahoo that are designed to help people find information on other sites. All search engines perform 3 main tasks, these include; 1. They search the Internet for the user based on the words been provided. 2. Keep an index of the words they found and where they found them. 3. Allow users to look at this particular words found in the context provided.

Search Engine Optimisation is the ability to get your page up the rankings to be visible on the organic listings for relevant users. There are two types of listings on any search engine and these are the Paid-for Listings which appear on the right hand side and the Organic Listings which are the listings which appear to the left hand side. Both of which have pro's and con's.

Getting to that no.1 spot involves 3 basics:

1. Identifying target key phases: this poses the questions - What phrases would potential customers type in or what queries have actually been conducted?
2. including key phases in the page: on the title page, in a heading on the page, in a regular text on the page and in bold text on the page. Meta Data - use it to describe pages your way, not the search engines way.
3. Get links to the site: get links to many pages - not just to the homepage, get links from the reputable sites with similar themes to yours, link exchanges are good but one way links are better.

So my week 3 and 4 of E- Business class has been super exciting!! I think I can conquer some more!!

What I think of E-Business

E- business is defined as the use of computer networks to improve organisations performance through increasing market share, improving customer service and cost reduction within the organisations internally and externally. I believe e-business will be one of my most significant subjects this year as I hope to learn a lot about the benefits of e-business and so will help me in the working environment through using computer networks and electronic communication within a firm.

So far so good with my e-business class, my practical classes seem to be challenging and I'm glad to be learning a lot more using the computer and the Internet. Theory classes are quite technical but interesting as to how important e-business is in today's world. My theory classes are a little reminder of a subject I have taken before in second year so I hope to add on to what I already know. My lecturer explains everything very well and is very approachable if I need anything explained further.

So i guess time will tell with e-business, I look forward to the next 12 weeks of this semester and what e-business will bring.