Progressivism Jazz and American History Midterm free essay sample

Drawing support from the urban, college- educated middle class, Progressive reformers sought to eliminate corruption in government, regulate business practices, address health hazards, improve working notations, and give the public more direct control over government through direct primaries to nominate candidates for public office, direct election of Senators, the initiative, referendum, and recall, and womens suffrage In this paper plan to discuss how the 1 asss were a time when Americans attempted to repudiate progressivism and recapture the political, cultural and social values of the nineteenth century. To begin, in the sasss political values focused on immigration and prohibition. After World War 1 the u. S allowed fewer than 200, 000 immigrants to enter the country annually which was a huge change from a nation that admitted over 1 million Immigrants a year. This time period was called The First Red Scare, a time In which the Justice department arrested and departed alien anarchist and Communist suspected of trying to destroy American democracy and capitalism this lead to the congress passing the 1 921 Emergency Immigration Act. We will write a custom essay sample on Progressivism: Jazz and American History Midterm or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This Act set limits on how many European immigrant could enter the country a year and how many could come from each European nation. About three years later congress made these limits permanent in the 1924 Immigration Act. A law that allowed unrestricted immigration from Western Hemisphere, curtailed all Asian immigration, and used quotas to control how many Immigrants emigrated from Individual European nations. Meanwhile prohibition was In effect. In 1919 the Eighteenth Amendment had been ratified this was a constitutional amendment that banned the sale, manufacturing, transportation of intoxicating liquors.Along with this came the Violated Act. This was a law that established criminal penalty for transporting, manufacturing or possessing alcohol. These acts of prohibition gave birth to insidious crimes such as organized rimes and gave rise to a notorious Chicago gangster AH Capons. Thirteen years later these prohibition acts would be appealed by president Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Twenty-First Amendment. Even though politics seemed to have their hands full they also focuses on social and cultural issues of those days.Cultural and social values of the sasss were more so cars, music The Jazz Age and The Sex Revolution. In the early twentieth century cities were known to be dirty and smelly. Nearly 3 million ton of manure and 60,000 gallons of urine was left on the streets by horses. Cars came along and seem to change this. They offered cleanliness by providing asphalt roads for the ideal form life family by giving them a chance to go into the city, plowing was made easier and produce was shipped faster. Cars began to become a significant purchase for families in the 19th century. Another key cultural value was music. Some people like to refer to it as the Jazz Age because the widespread of appeal during the decade. In the sasss African American music and art culture was beginning to grow. Many African Americans expressed their culture through Jazz a type of music of black American origin characterized by improvisation, syncopation, ND usually a regular or forceful rhythm, emerging at the beginning of the 20th century. Also taking place was The Harlem Renaissance were black artist explored the African American culture through poetry and novels.Finally The sex revolution which was a cultural and social value. During the sasss young Americans challenged traditional beliefs of proper behavior this came to be known as modernist and anti modernist. Modernist were more so the younger Americans who believed in independence and associated themselves with the city life and had a view of every man for himself. At the same time you had anti modernist who believed in value of he community and the family life. Anti modernist associated themselves with country and or rural life which required them to be interdependent.

ESL Sample Essay Writing For ESL Students

ESL Sample Essay Writing For ESL StudentsIf you are learning English as a second language (ESL) in a school, university or college, you need to use ESL sample essay writing. There are lots of ESL teachers and classes out there, but there is no doubt that many teachers don't use these services for the students that learning English as a second language.That is because they are not aware of how to get started with their lessons in ESL. They usually use writing materials that have been written for native English speakers. So, it is important that the students get sample essays, especially those written in formal English.It is always best that students with English as a second language take the time to read a few samples of essays written in English. This can help them get a feel of what the essay should look like. Students can also use this practice time to practice what the essay says. This is called ghost writing and it can be very helpful for ESL students.A ghost writer is someone wh o does copy writing for other people. That means that there is a person who does all the work. The student who is learning English as a second language or as a native English speaker usually has a teacher who works with a ghost writer. He or she writes a particular sample essay, usually about three or four topics, and the student will do the rest of the research for it.Another great technique is to use websites that offer sample essays. When you read sample essays online, they usually include the grammar rules and syntax rules that you need to know. It will make the student's job easier when they start writing their own essay.When a student gets this down, they can then use this information to write their own essay. The students can always do some research on their own to help them out.After they have written their essay, the students then have to edit it so that it comes out well. They may use some ESL software or they can edit the text by hand. Once the students have done this, th ey can send the essay to their teacher or the teacher's student advisor.Sometimes, the teacher or the adviser will ask the students if they have any questions. This is a good way for the students to get feedback.

Biography of George S. Patton, Famed American General

Biography of George S. Patton, Famed American General George S. Patton (November 11, 1885–December 21, 1945) was an American Army general noted for winning battles in World Wars I and II. He first came to attention as a commander fighting Pancho Villa in Mexico and helped revolutionize the use of tanks in warfare. Despite his many successes, his aggressive, colorful personal style and his temper often caused issues with his superiors. Fast Facts: George S. Patton Known For: Famed but controversial American combat generalAlso Known As: Old Blood and GutsBorn: Nov. 11, 1885 in San Gabriel, CaliforniaParents: George Smith Patton Sr., Ruth WilsonDied: Dec. 21, 1945 in Heidelberg, GermanyEducation: West PointSpouse: Beatrice AyerChildren: Beatrice Smith, Ruth Ellen, George Patton IVNotable Quote: Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. Early Life Born on November 11, 1885 in San Gabriel, California, George Smith Patton, Jr. was the son of George S. Patton, Sr. and Ruth Patton. An avid student of military history, the young Patton was descended from American Revolution Brigadier General Hugh Mercer and several of his relatives fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. During his childhood, Patton met former Confederate raider and family friend John S. Mosby. The old veterans war stories helped fuel Pattons desire to become a soldier. Departing home, he enrolled at the Virginia Military Institute in 1903 before transferring to West Point the following year. Compelled to repeat his plebe year due to poor grades in mathematics, Patton reached the position of cadet adjutant before graduating in 1909. Assigned to the cavalry, Patton went on to compete in the modern pentathlon at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. Finishing fifth overall, he returned to the United States and was posted to Fort Riley, Kansas. While there, he developed a new cavalry saber and training techniques. Assigned to the 8th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Bliss, Texas, he took part in Brigadier General John J. Pershings Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa in 1916. World War I During the expedition, Patton led the U.S. Armys first armored attack when he assaulted an enemy position with three armored cars. In the fighting, key Villa henchman Julio Cardenas was killed- earning Patton some notoriety. With the U.S. entry into World War I in April 1917, Pershing had Patton promoted to captain and took the young officer to France. Desiring a combat command, Patton was posted to the new U.S. Tank Corps. Testing new tanks, he observed their use at the Battle of Cambrai late that year. Organizing the American tank school, he trained with Renault FT-17 tanks. Swiftly advancing through the ranks to colonel in the wartime army, Patton was given command of the 1st Provisional Tank Brigade (later the 304th Tank Brigade) in August 1918. Fighting as part of the 1st U.S. Army, he was wounded in the leg at the Battle of St. Mihiel that September. Recovering, he took part in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and Distinguished Service Medal, as well as a battlefield promotion to colonel. With the end of the war, he reverted to his peacetime rank of captain and was assigned to Washington, D.C. Interwar Years While in Washington, he encountered Captain Dwight D. Eisenhower. Becoming good friends, the two officers began developing new armored doctrines and devising improvements for tanks. Promoted to major in July 1920, Patton tirelessly worked as an advocate for the establishment of a permanent armored force. Moving through peacetime assignments, Patton led some of the troops that dispersed the Bonus Army in June 1932. Promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1934 and colonel four years later, Patton was placed in command of Fort Myer in Virginia. A New War With the formation of the 2nd Armored Division in 1940, Patton was selected to lead its 2nd Armored Brigade. Promoted to brigadier general in October, he was given command of the division with the rank of major general in April 1941. In the U.S. Armys build-up prior to World War II, Patton took the division to the Desert Training Center in California. Given command of the I Armored Corps, Patton relentlessly trained his men in the desert through the summer of 1942. In this role, Patton led the Western Task Force during Operation Torch, which saw his men capture Casablanca, Morocco in November of that year. A Unique Style of Leadership Seeking to inspire his men, Patton developed a flashy image and routinely wore a highly polished helmet, cavalry pants and boots, and a pair of ivory-handled pistols. Traveling in a vehicle featuring oversize rank insignias and sirens, his speeches were frequently laced with profanity and espoused the utmost confidence in his men. While his behavior was popular with his troops, Patton was prone to indiscreet remarks which often stressed Eisenhower, who had become his superior in Europe, and caused tension among the Allies. While tolerated during the war, Pattons vocal nature ultimately led to his relief. North Africa and Sicily In the wake of the U.S. II Corps defeat at Kasserine Pass in February 1943, Eisenhower appointed Patton to rebuild the unit at the suggestion of Major General Omar Bradley. Assuming command with the rank of lieutenant general and retaining Bradley as his deputy, Patton diligently worked to restore discipline and fighting spirit to the II Corps. Taking part in the offensive against the Germans in Tunisia, the II Corps performed well. Recognizing Pattons achievement, Eisenhower pulled him to aid in planning the invasion of Sicily in April 1943. Moving forward in July 1943, Operation Husky saw Pattons Seventh U.S. Army land on Sicily along with General Sir Bernard Montgomerys Eighth British Army. Tasked with covering Montgomerys left flank as the Allies moved on Messina, Patton grew impatient as the advance bogged down. Taking the initiative, he sent troops north and captured Palermo before turning east to Messina. While the Allied campaign was successfully concluded in August, Patton damaged his reputation when he slapped Private Charles H. Kuhl at a field hospital. Having no patience for battle fatigue, Patton struck Kuhl and called him a coward. Western Europe Though tempted to send Patton home in disgrace, Eisenhower, after consultations with Chief of Staff General George Marshall, retained the wayward commander after a reprimand and apology to Kuhl. Knowing that the Germans feared Patton, Eisenhower brought him to England and assigned him to lead the First U.S. Army Group (FUSAG). A dummy command, FUSAG was part of Operation Fortitude which was intended to make the Germans think that the Allied landings in France would occur at Calais. Though unhappy with losing his combat command, Patton was effective in his new role. In the wake of the D-Day landings, Patton was returned to the front as the commander of the U.S. Third Army on August 1, 1944. Serving under his former deputy Bradley, Pattons men played a key role in exploiting the breakout from the Normandy beachhead. Surging into Brittany and then across northern France, the Third Army bypassed Paris, liberating large chunks of territory. Pattons rapid advance came to a halt on August 31 outside of Metz due to supply shortages. As Montgomerys efforts in support of Operation Market-Garden took priority, Pattons advance slowed to a crawl, leading to a protracted battle for Metz. Battle of the Bulge With the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge on December 16, Patton began shifting his advance toward the threatened parts of the Allied line. As a result, in perhaps his greatest achievement of the conflict, he was able to quickly turn the Third Army north and relieve the besieged 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne. With the German offensive contained and defeated, Patton advanced east through the Saarland and crossed the Rhine at Oppenheim on March 22, 1945. Charging through Germany, Pattons forces reached Pilsen, Czechoslovakia by the wars end on May 7/8. Postwar With the end of the war, Patton enjoyed a brief trip home to Los Angeles where he and Lieutenant General Jimmy Doolittle were honored with a parade. Assigned to be the military governor of Bavaria, Patton was irritated not to receive a combat command in the Pacific. Openly critical of Allied occupation policy and believing that the Soviets should be forced back to their borders, Patton was relieved by Eisenhower in November 1945 and assigned to the Fifteenth Army, which was tasked with writing the history of the war. Patton died on December 21, 1945, from injuries sustained in a car accident 12 days earlier.

Nowadays, food has become easier to prepare. Has this changed or Essay

Nowadays, food has become easier to prepare. Has this changed or improved the way people live Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer - Essay Example Because of the need for greater efficiency without sacrificing quality in meal preparation, enterprising business has turned towards the processing and packaging of meals and food ingredients, and the development of kitchen appliances that speed up the cooking process. These products have come to be a permanent feature of modern living, which begs the question: do easy-to-prepare meals impact life positively or negatively? The position of this writer is that it does, and does so positively. Let us first describe what â€Å"easy-to-prepare meals† include – or rather, what they do not include. They do not include fast foods and junk foods, since these type of foods do not require any preparation at all on the part of the consumer, and often are not even considered nutrition. Empty calories are decidedly not under consideration when one speaks of easy-to-prepare meals, which essentially are meals that are nutritious and substantial as much as they are simple and quick. First and most apparent benefit that comes from quicker meal preparation is the savings in time and effort for the cook. Few families could afford the services of a permanent cook to prepare family meals, which means that usually it’s mom, dad, or an older sibling who does the cooking. Expectedly, family members have things to do and places to go, and it is not uncommon for both parents to hold jobs. The demographics gathered by government agencies show the unmistakable increasing trend in the number of women leaving home to work: "In 1950 about one in three women participated in the labor force. By 1998, nearly three of every five women of working age were in the labor force. Among women age 16 and over, the labor force participation rate was 33.9 percent in 1950, compared with 59.8 percent in 1998. "As more women are added to the labor

WilaSeldons Leadership at Tides Centre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

WilaSeldons Leadership at Tides Centre - Essay Example One of the critical aspects of organizational excellence involves effective leadership in an organization. This assumes critical significance considering the fact that leadership provides the long term vision to the organization and also helps formulate a roadmap to success (Yukl, 2007, p.445). In real life there is considerable number of examples of the manner in which effective leadership has been able to generate competitive edge. This includes the likes of individuals like Steve Jobs (founder of Apple), William and Sergy Page (Google), NR Narayana Murthy (Infosys) who have shown how an effective leadership can help bring about a growth momentum for any organization (Maak & Pless, 2006, p.5-8). The aspect of leadership has been a subject matter of great academic research in various areas. There have been many leadership theories including behavioral theories, contingency theories trait as well as power and influence theories that define and classify various kinds of leaders with t heir style of leadership in an organization (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009, p.348). The case analysis of Tides center reveals a democratic style of leadership of Wila Seldon at Tides center. A democratic leadership style involves a leader making decisions on the basis of consultations with other team members. These types of leaders seek inputs from various quarters of the organization before making a crucial decision. In other words a democratic leader takes into account the views and sentiments of the entire organization while undertaking a major decision in the organization. A democratic leader tries to ensure encourage the entire organization in the decision making process (Daft & Lane, 2007, p.44). The analysis of the leadership qualities of Wila Seldon reveals a significant correlation with the traits of the democratic leader mentioned above. In the case it was quite evident that in all her stints as a leader, where she always tried to involve the entire organization with regards to crucial decision making for the organization. The case study shows that while assuming charge at Tides center Wila Seldon instead of making decisions like an autocratic leader chose to take the employees views into account. The initiation of teams like M team, strategic management team also shows that the CEO tried to ensure that decision making and learning has a bottom up approach. This is quite contra from the perspective of an autocratic or a Laissez faire type of leaders who normally take up decisions without consulting others and do not take an active role in the decision making and leave it to the responsibility of others (Wood, 2011, p.255). Wila Seldon also displays democratic leadership straits even in cases like the introduction of the 360 degree appraisal system for measuring employee performance at the organization as well as to the decision of referring projects as customers. Unlike an autocratic leader who imposes his/her decisions on their subordinates, Wila Seldon acted as a true democratic leader when she even took views of the employees who were opposing the decision. The CEO did not act in a haste and imposed decisions but tried to indulge into a democratic decision making process. This has helped in employees getting greater responsibilities and also to the fact that employees started to think out of the box solutions. This type of leadership skill was extremely important for an organization like Tide that was in the midst of a severe crisis in business whose revamp required comprehensive and extra efforts apart from an inner drive to propel the organization towards growth. The democratic lead

Reviewing Films Depicting Supremacy of Artificial Intelligence Essay Example for Free

Reviewing Films Depicting Supremacy of Artificial Intelligence Essay There is without a shadow of a doubt that we are now living in a time when there is almost nothing we cannot accomplish. The outbreak of high technology all around the world is soaring, and day by day, improvements on what is already highly intelligent devices are being developed. From computers, to cellular phones, to MP3 players, everything has been made accesible to man. Because of this technology, man can bask in his creations and marvel at the genius that he has invented through the years. Half a decade ago, todays technology wouldnt have even been deemed as possible. Yesteryears most advanced technological developers probably wouldnt have even dreamed of the possibilities of what we now have today. But such is the development of the human mind: our intelligence is further developing and increasing, being able to establish new concepts and ideas to be used for our own benefits. Indeed, with this highly advanced technology, we are further establishing ourselves as the dominant species of the planet. For us, we are in charge of our own destinies, and no species of another kind can tell us otherwise. But one is lead to ponder about the marvels of our own creations. What if the articifial intelligence we created were able to evolve themselves? What if these computers suddenly became self-aware, and starts acknowledging its own existence? It is true that we are the one who controls the technology, but what if the technology were able to control itself? If it became self-aware, what if, all of a sudden, it starts to refuse to follow its human creators? And if not the computers themselves, what if one person controlling these technologies started using them for their own ulterior motives? With our main defenses relying on technological advances, what if these advances were suddenly used against us? Would the humans still be able to lay its claim as the rulers of the earth when a something else establishes themselves as more intelligent and dominant? Such is the fear that some of us have: the fear of having our own technology turned against us. We fear the idea that perhaps someday, these computers that we have in our homes would become intelligent enough to start recognizing its own existence. In the early nineties, technophobia became rampant among the adults, although this fear was largely based on the misconceptions on computers being too overly complicated. Still, for some people, the advancements in technology is reason for them to be cautious about our own inventions. Creating Technopobia in Movies Since early in the 1980s, there have been a string of movies depicting highly advanced technology being used woefully and without any regard towards others. These movies often show state-of-the-art gadgets or creations, which are used against the protagonists to further cause ruin and devastation. Oftentimes these gadgets are used for the wrong reasons, and with its infinite possibilities, it creates the fear that maybe what we have created may not be totally beneficial to us, and could possibly create more harm than help in the long run. Perhaps the most popular among the movies that came out during the eighties that depicted this theme was the 1984 movie Terminator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a human cyborg sent back in time. In the future, Skynet, a computer system fights a losing war against the humans who built it, and who it nearly exterminated. Just before being destroyed, Skynet sends a Terminator back in time to kill Sarah, the mother to be of John Connor, the Leader of the human resistance. The terminator can pass for human, is nearly indestructible, and has only one mission: killing Sarah Connor. One soldier is sent back to protect her from the killing machine. He must find Sarah before the Terminator can carry out its mission (MGM. com). This movie portrays Skynet as a super computer, one that is capable to making decisions for itself. The super computer becomes self-aware, and recognizes the human race as a threat to its existence. It therefore wages a war against all of mankind, which almost led to the anniliation of the entire planet. In 1998, the movie Enemy of the State provided a different insight on abusing highly advanced technology. Robert Dean, the main character of the story, is just a successful and gutsy labor lawyer when he runs into an old college friend who was a big hurry. Unknown to him, that friend secretly drops a disc and viewer containing footage of a political assassination overseen by the senior advisor to the National Security Agency. Unfortunately, that politician soon learns what Dean has in his possession and secretly uses the vast resources of the NSA to find, investigate and stop him before he goes public. Soon, Dean finds himself on the run, with his assests frozen, his loved ones watched and actively hunted by NSA agents using all the survellience technology they have available. Not knowing what is going, Dean must stay one step ahead while trying to figure out the cause of this mess (Yahoo! Movies). This movie dwells on the idea of government surveillance and the invasion of our personal privacy by the government. We see from the movie that these technological advances could be easily used against us, and just as it could make our lives easier, it could also make it extremely difficult. We also find that if technology were to be used the wrong way, then those in power could have a commanding control over our very lives. Another movie that depicted computers going against humans was the highly acclaimed The Matrix. Thomas A. Anderson is a man living two lives: by day he is an average computer programmer and by night a malevolent hacker known as Neo. Neo has always questioned his reality but the truth is far beyond his imagination. Neo finds himself targeted by the police when he is contacted by Morpheus, a legendary computer hacker branded a terrorist by the government. Morpheus awakens Neo to the real world, a ravaged wasteland where most of humanity have been captured by a race of machines which live off of their body heat and imprison their minds within an artificial reality known as the Matrix. As a rebel against the machines, Neo must return to the Matrix and confront the agents, super powerful computer programs devoted to snuffing out Neo and the entire human rebellion (Whatisthematrix. com). The movie is almost identical to the concept of the Terminator, in which there is a computer mind that becomes self-aware of its own existence. Knowing that it has the power of technology, it sees the human race as disposable, and decides to take over and control the entire world. When Neo met Morpheus, he was awakened to the fact that they were being used by the computer systems as mere batteries to continue sustaining their own power. And it was up to them to reawaken the rest of the world from this nightmare that is the Matrix. The Fear of Control What these three films had in common was theme of technology taking over the human lives. The films shared similar highly advanced technology that in one way was very helpful, but at the other end caused problems that were catastrophic. This is what we are afraid of; that maybe perhaps at some point, our own creations would backfire on us and cause a lot of harm towards society, and it would perhaps be unstoppable when it happens. Perhaps what motivates the persistence of these kinds of themes is the fact that we all know that this fantasy that they try to present could and might become possible in the future. Fifty or so years ago, our technology today wasnt even thought of as possible. A lot of things are being developed today that our predescessors couldnt have possibly dreamed of back in the day. Nowadays, the sky is the limit. The human race is making every dream come to life, developing newer and better technology every single day. So deep inside, we know that this threat of computers taking over is not a long shot. We see that perhaps someday, artificial intelligence would become this advanced as to be self-aware. And if this happens, whats gonna stop them from taking over the world and eliminating the human race? In terms of humans going against fellow humans using technology, we ourselves could be comparable to this technology. Donna Haraway mentions how we are like the cyborgs, which are both part machine and part organism. She further states: In short, we are cyborgs. The cyborg is our ontology; it gives us our politics. The cyborg is a condensed image of both imagination and material reality, the two joined centres structuring any possibility of historical transformation. In the traditions of â€Å"Western† science and politics—the tradition of racist, male- dominant capitalism; the tradition of progress; the tradition of the appropriation of nature as resource for the productions of culture; the tradition of reproduction of the self from the reflections of the other—the relation between organism and machine has been a border war (Harraway, 516). With the peer-to-perr capabilities of networked computer communication today, it is likely to have a major impact on both the film and music business. Depending on how this technology is used, it could have either a postive or negative effect on these industries. Everything could be made easier with technology, films and music could be produced with relative ease, and everything to be made more accesible. On the other hand, changing the sytems could mean doing things a lot different, which could cause a chain reaction among those who are involved. Business could be done more efficiently, but it could leave people out of jobs. Human work might be replaced by much more efficient computers doing their jobs, and that could have an effect on the economy of the country. Looking back, technology has certainly come along way since back in the old days, when all of this conveniences didnt exist. It is easy to picture people being intimidated by these advancements, due to its infinite potential. Depending on how it is used, it could be very good for all of us, or it could be catastrophic to all. Only time will tell whether these technological improvements would come back to haunt us in the long run. Works Cited Enemy of the State. Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved 3 June 2008 from http://movies. yahoo. com/shop? d=hvcf=infoid=1800021531 Haraway, Donna. â€Å"A Cyborg Manifesto. † The New Media Reader (1985). pp. 515-541. The Matrix Trilogy. Whatisthematrix. com. Retrieved 3 June 2008 from http://whatisthematrix. warnerbros. com/ The Terminator. MGM. com. Retrieved 3 June 2008 from http://www. mgm. com/title_title. php? title_star=TERMINAT

Julie Wolpers Internet Basics :: Julie Wolper

Internet Basics Julie Wolper's "Internet Basics" was originally offered by the Telecommunication Community Resource Center and represents a growing phenomena on the Web -- the free course. In fact, this is not so much a course as it is a self-directed tutorial, an outgrowth of the early guided learning modules that first appeared in PLATO and in early DOS and Macintosh programs. Wolper's work offers its users a brief guide to the Internet (along with an introduction written by Dan Duvall). It includes descriptions of such technologies as the Web, downloads, e-mail and newsgroups, a collection I found oddly conceived till I worked through the site: the technologies chosen all fit within her stated vision of the Internet: ". . . a network of linked computers allowing participants to share information on those computers." Given that understanding and conceptualization of the Internet (and it's one that is certainly defensible, if not one that is rapidly becoming the standard), her choices make perfect sense. And her information is very down to earth, succinct and accurate; her brief summation of the history of the Internet, for instance, is right on the button, and useful for helping new users begin to think about the issues involved in using and being part of the Web. Though the site is decidedly kinesthetic in its approach -- users are often enjoined to "try" this and links take them to places where the technology they've just installed can be used. But the instructions can often be mercilessly brief and I wonder if newcomers could hope to follow them without more step by step instruction: Set up a "downloads" area: The first step here is to create a new folder or directory on your hard drive entitled, simply, "downloads." This file can reside anywhere you like. I keep mine on the "desktop" where I can easily find the new things I get. Some people also find it helpful to put the "download" directory at the root level of their c: drive. How many new time users are guaranteed to know how to create a folder at all, let alone locate it on their desktop? Admitted, knowing how to create a folder is not strictly speaking part of the content of a course about using online technology, but it's certainly germane.