Top 10 Meeting Ice Breakers
Getting people comfortable in a group setting before a team meeting can be the best investment of ten to 15 minutes of time that you can make. Ice breakers get creative juices flowing, can increase the exchange of ideas, establish team identity, and create a sense of community. All of these items are important in forging top productive teams. But how do you get people to participate and not feel uncomfortable with an ice breaker?
For meetings in a business setting in which participants are professionals, ice breakers that require actions not normally associated with day-to-day behaviors in the office generally make people uncomfortable. Successful ice breakers for these type of groups generally consist of having attendees share memorable information with each other, create innovative ways to get people to introduce themselves to each other, or have group members collectively work on a problem where everyone has to contribute.
We’ve selected our top ten team meeting ice breakers that are sure to get your meeting participants relaxed and ready to focus on your agenda as well as to connect with others in the group.
1. Brainstorm!:Break the meeting into teams of four or five. Give each team a topic. Pick topics that are fun and simple like, “What would you take on a trip to the desert?” or “List things that are purple”. Give your teams two minutes, no more, and tell them “This is a contest and the team with the most items on their list wins.” Encourage the teams to write down as many things as they can and not to discuss anything, just list things as quickly as possible. At the end of two minutes, the team with the most items on their list wins! This helps people to share ideas without fearing what other people will think.
2. Same or Different:
Divide the meeting into teams of three or four and give each team a large sheet of paper and then give each person a different colored marker. Have each person draw a large oval such that each oval overlaps with the other ovals in the center of the piece of paper. Give the group or groups, a theme that pertains to your meeting objectives. Ask the participants to write down at least five or more entries in the non-overlapping and mutually overlapping areas of their ovals. Give them five minutes, no more than that, to talk about their similarities and differences and write them in their own ovals on the paper. If there is more than one group, compare results and identify common themes in both parts of the diagrams and what light these similarities and differences shed on the purpose of the meeting. This helps team members develop an understanding of shared objectives and in a non-confrontational way learn how their views differ from others in the group.
3. Fact or Fiction:
Have everyone write down three surprising things about themselves, two of which are true, and one of which is made up. Each person, in turn, reads their list and then the rest of the group votes on which “fact” they feel is the “false” one. If the group does not correctly pick a person’s made up “fact”, then that person wins. A group can have more than one winner. At the end, the whole group votes on which of the “winners” of the final round, had the most deceiving “fact”. This helps people get to know and remember their colleagues.
4. Free Association:
The object of this ice breaker is to have small groups generate as many words or phrases as they can that are related to a particular topic that focuses on the objective of your meeting. Give the group or groups a key word you want them to associate with and then give them two minutes to list, as quickly as possible, as many words or thoughts that pop into their heads. For example, if your company is trying to decide on whether to reduce travel and increase the use of teleconferencing, you might use the word “teleconferencing” and have people list as many words or phrases they can that they associate with the key word. For example they might say: “saves money”, “saves time”, “impersonal”, “need to see other people”, “get distracted”, “sound quality”…. This reveals what people are thinking, similarities in viewpoints, and possibly even problem areas or topics that need addressing or further discussion.
5. Nametags:
Prepare nametags for each person and put them in a box. As people walk into the room, each person picks a nametag (not their own). When everyone is present, participants are told to find the person whose nametag they drew and introduce and say a few interesting things about themselves. When everyone has their own nametag, each person in the group will introduce the person whose nametag they were initially given and mention something of interest about that person. This helps participants get to know and remember each other.
6. Desert Island:
Group people in teams of five or six and tell them they will be marooned on a desert island. Give them 30 seconds to list all the things they think they should take and each person has to contribute at least three items. At the end of 30 seconds, tell the teams they can only take three things. Have the person who suggested each item on the list tell why they suggested it and defend why their item should be one of the chosen three. This helps the team learn about how each of them thinks, get to know each other’s values, and how they solve problems.
7. Commonality Plus:
Group your meeting participants at tables. At each table ask the group to list ten ways that everyone in that group is similar. Let them know that they cannot list body parts or clothing and that what they select cannot have anything to do with work. One person at the table should be tasked to make their list. At the end of your time limit have the group share their list with all meeting members. This is a great opportunity for your meeting attendees to learn about each other’s hobbies, families, and common interests.
8. Line Up:
As people enter your meeting hand each one a piece of paper with a different number written on it. Ask the group to arrange themselves in numeric order without using their voices, hands, or showing their number. This helps the team to think of other ways to communicate with each other and to work together to achieve a common goal.
9. Meet and Greet Shoe Pile:
This works great in large groups and is a variation of the name tag ice breaker. Have everyone take off one of their shoes and throw it into a pile. Have each group member pick up a shoe and walk around the meeting room greeting other people as they try to match their selected shoe to the one another team member is wearing. This is a great way for new people to meet several members in a group.
10. First or Worst:
Have each member tell the group their first or worst job in turn. This easy to use ice breaker works great with teleconferences too and allows team members to spark conversation with each other and to have some fun commenting on the jobs that they have each done. Many of our top ten ice breakers can be used for on-site meetings and teleconferences alike. The nature of ice breakers is to get the group to talk, to share, and to get to know each other in a casual exchange. The best and most successful teams start with a little bit of fun; learning how to value what each member brings into the group. Ice breakers can help facilitate this exchange of information and comfort in doing so at the very start of the team forging process.
Disadvantages of a Website
There are many advantages to having your own website, but in some situations you may not want one, as there are some disadvantages of a website. Depending on what market your are in, or what your style of communication is, you may want to just set up a blog, or stick with other methods of generating an income.
What are the Disadvantages?
Websites take a long time to design. You need to figure out where you want your navigation bar, your list of products or other information, as well as your ads. On top of that you need to figure out a color scheme that will attract your visitors so that they will not be turned off by it, but instead keep coming back. This is rather time consuming, as you may think you got the perfect design, but others may not agree with you. If that happens you basically get to start all over again.
To help you with the designing process, you need to either learn HTML, CSS and other essential codes. Or, you can purchase a program known as DreamWeaver, and it will create the codes for you. However, this program can be costly, especially if you are already strapped for cash.
Other costs that are associated with your own website are hosting fees as well as a domain name. However, these fees are quite low and are well worth the price.
You may also need to work with other essential tools to help you create your webpages and then upload them to the internet. CoffeeCup has a very good HTML editor that you can use if you decide to learn the codes yourself. They also have a great FTP Client to help you upload your content to your website.
Now, when you have a blog, you can upload your content to your blog months in advance, but with a website you cannot do this. (Unless there is a program available that I am unaware of).
Another thing to consider about a website is that it requires that you manually link all of your pages together. A blogging software does this for you automatically. Additionally, you may also have to manually update your feeds to let others know about your new content.
Websites usually do not allow users to comment, and therefore if you are looking to interact with your users a blog may be more suitable than a website. However, if you have your own website, you can still have a blog to run along side of it on the same domain, where users can interact.
Construction Logos – Salient Features of Construction Logo Design
Logos tend to highlight the company name and the services it has to offer to it clients. Logos have the ability of being manipulated in a diverse number of ways, to include text, animation effects, symbols and even 3-D effects. Depending on how the company or respective business individuals want their logo to look like, logos can be designed as a mixture of the two, to augment the motivations of the company, and most importantly the brand name of its goods among the consumer and client community.
Companies tend to associate logos with their identity. Logos create an identity for the products sold in the market. Logo Design nowadays is very a very vital to promoting a business in the international market. A company logo should be designed keeping the goals of the company in perspective.
Company logos add a degree of authenticity to the business or company involved. Individuals place a great degree of trust and high quality value on a product or service they have just consumed, by simply glancing at a respective logo. The design of the company logo speaks out in volumes, especially if the logo is endorsed with a trademark.
A good trademark logo will aid the business in amplifying its online clients on the World Wide Web. Through the application of well-designed logos in company brochures and newsletters, they will be able to generate a lot of revenue from their consumers and clients.
Icons used in Construction Logo
Construction companies have a high tendency to associate their logo designs with the environmental surroundings and forest animals. These include trees and beavers.
Civil engineering companies which deal with the planning, implementation and maintenance of fixed structures such as roads surfacing procedures, traffic, flood control and tall steel structures, will tend to associate their logos with pictures or icons of heavy duty steel pipes or animated group of construction workers, with a number of constructions tools in the background.
A few of the more down-to-earth construction companies have a tendency to add a tinge of simplicity to their logos. Simple icons of cottages or houses with a chimney emitting smoke are considered as good constructional logo designs. It is more likely to find construction companies associating their construction logo designs with pictures of smashed and dilapidated buildings, under construction roads, bridges, canals and dams.
Use of Colors
The most common colors Construction companies use in their logo designs are blue, yellow, blood red, and light orange. Each of these colors tends to depict a professional and more skilled in their own unique sort of way. Red signifies danger, and construction professionals apply this color in their logo. Care must be taken not integrate too many colors in this type of logo, as they will destroy the idea and goal, the company is trying to share with its clients.
When clients and customers take a glimpse of the logos, the red color will at once warn them of the potential hazards connected with weak building structures and the undeveloped road structures. Due to the enchanting and motivational colors in the construction company logos, people will feel safe in seeking the professional help and advice of such construction professionals about issues relating to development and proper road construction in their area.
Keeping The Mother-Son Relationship Healthy
Throughout the history of Mankind mother-son relationships have been considered special. Many women say that having a son gives them a sense of completeness. One woman affirmed, “It is as if through him I have found the missing part of me.”
Patriarchal societies place greater value on sons. At times ‘male child-centeredness’ can become obsessive. In India, special rituals are held to invoke Divine intervention in granting a son. Sons are required to maintain lineage, to care for parents in their old age and ensure the salvation of souls after death. As such, boys receive preferential treatment, with best of food, health care, education and protection. This ‘son- preference’ has led to extensive female foeticide in several countries, resulting in a skewed sex ratio.
Researchers of Richmond University in Virginia found that women develop a set of ‘maternal neurons’ that operate like ‘bad mother’ or ‘good mother’ switches in the brain. These clusters of brain cells created during pregnancy and switched on after birth, are responsible for good or bad parenting. A certain number of neurons have to be switched on for ‘good mothering’ to take place.
A team at Yale University uses brain scans to study areas of the brain that drive good or bad mothering. Dr. James Swain says, “We have identified certain areas of the brain where there is a link between neuron activity and measure of ‘adequate’ or ‘inadequate’ parenting.”
So far no one has come up with a scientific explanation why a mother loves her son more than her daughter. Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in his book “The Selfish Gene” suggests that this maternal devotion is a selfish strategy to ensure her genes live on. She knows that after a certain age, she cannot reproduce. So she protects her male offspring as he will eventually spread her gene pool.
When a mother has this protective love for her son she becomes fiercely protective of his life, crippling his emotional growth and tying him to her apron strings as ‘Momma’s Boy.’ This tendency has been documented even from Biblical times in the story of Rebekah, who encouraged her favourite son Jacob to steal his brother’s blessing through impersonation. But she had to suffer heartbreak as he was separated from her for many years, to protect him from Esau’s fury.
The Greek mother Thetis dipped her son Achilles in the magical River Styx, to make him invulnerable. But of course she left him with an unprotected heel.
Just like mother-daughter relationships, close mother-son relationships are important in the early formative years. Infants begin to show distress when separated from their mothers. But every mother should bear in mind that this is only a temporary phase. Physical distancing should start early in the case of a boy because of the erotic potential of such a bond. Mollycoddling is harmful to the emotional health of both mother and son.
The Oedipus Complex is a well known phenomenon. It is based on the Greek myth in which Oedipus considers his father a rival for his mother’s love. So he kills him and marries his mother Jocasta.
The period between 18 months and three years is when a child becomes aware of his own sexual identity. He develops a concept of himself by exploration of his own body. Between three to five years, libidinal and ego development takes place. This can well be defined as the Oedipus phase, when a child has the desire to possess his mother, and even begins to see his father as an opponent. This is a passing phase, and a wise mother will gradually wean him away from such feelings until he begins to identify with his father.
Reasons for a mother’s abnormal feelings:
• When a mother has experienced abandonment from her father in her own childhood, she may be overprotective of her son, to compensate for those feelings of abandonment. She wants her son to remain in that oedipal phase for her own fulfillment. Sons cannot be surrogate husbands or fathers; neither are they playthings for her pleasure.
There are many great men who have suffered due to this over-protectiveness. Andrew Carnegie’s mother made him promise that he would not marry until she died. It must have been a frustrating experience. He eventually married one year after her death, at the age of 52.
Dwight Eisenhower also had an obsessive mother. Once when he was quarantined for Scarlet Fever, she used a ladder to climb up and see her son daily through a window.
However, a mother who suffers abandonment from her father in childhood could also experience difficulty in bonding and become abusive to her son.
• If a wife’s emotional needs are not fulfilled by her husband either because of his career, or his inconsiderate nature, or due to infidelity, she may turn to her male child. She may shower him with kisses or cuddles or verbal professions of love. This form of ‘emotional incest’ seeks to alienate the father from her son’s love. Actual incest is not ruled out.
• Single parents either unmarried or widowed, may also show overindulgence and overprotection of their male children, to compensate for the lack of a father.
Destructive Effects of such Dysfunctional Relationships:
On the Child:
1. Over-dependence on mother leads to stunting of emotional and mental growth. He is unable to face life’s challenges, has behavioural problems and is often considered a ‘sissy.’ The mother does not want her son to grow up and plans to keep their relationship exclusive.
2. Inability to maintain healthy relationships with others. This may even damage his sexuality and destroy his ability to have a happy partnership. He will avoid commitment. If he marries, it may end in divorce due to constant interference by his mother. He will not have the courage to stand up to her and protect his wife from constant bullying by his mother.
3. A manipulative seductive mother and a passive distant father can turn the boy into a homosexual.
4. Smother love can prove to be a dangerous emasculating attachment, rendering the son sexually dysfunctional.
On the Mother:
1. A woman who transfers her time and priority to her son will lose out on her husband. There will be a lack of intimacy and many sexual problems. Her husband will begin to look elsewhere for his fulfillment. He might become a workaholic or forge extramarital liaisons or indulge in drinking or gambling.
2. A mother whose life revolves around her son is lulled into a subconscious assurance that he will never leave her.
3. An incestuous relationship may develop. Inappropriate feelings for her son is a form of child abuse and can be demoralizing.
How to maintain a healthy mother-son relationship:
• Respect your son’s personhood. Treat him with deep respect and help him develop his personality.
• Raise your son to be a well balanced human being mentally physically and spiritually. ‘Smother love’ kills. So don’t hold on too tightly.
• Define healthy boundaries and know when to physically distance yourself.
• Parenting is a joint venture. Fathers must not be excluded from the relationship. They too should be allowed to bond with their sons. Parental responsibilities involve equipping them with strategies for living such as respect for elders, respect for the opposite sex, discipline, love and good example. The aim should be to foster maturity, independence and self reliance in adulthood.
• Do not neglect your husband. Take time off from mothering for ‘togetherness’ with him. Talk, care, and be intimate. Let your love for each other grow as you share responsibility for his rearing.
• Be a good and worthy role model. Let him learn from you how to respect and treat his wife when married.
• Always remember that the child is not your husband. So don’t force adult responsibilities on him.
• Change your focus. Use some time to care for the needs of your other children. Find new activities to keep your mind off your son.
• Pray and ask God to give you the wisdom to handle your emotions with responsibility and self respect.
As the feminist Naomi Lewinsky said, “We shouldn’t need our children. We shouldn’t merge with them except when they are infants. We shouldn’t let our messy feelings leak all over our children’s development. We should raise them to become separate individuals.”
Windows Vista Repair
Now that just about everyone knows how to use the XP Recovery Console Microsoft’s newest OS does not contain one. Not to worry we have a detailed article that will walk you through how to use these great new features in Vista.
The Purpose of this article is to teach you how to make vista repairs if you are having startup issues or you can’t seem to use the vista system restore option. There are two ways to use these options and they depend on if you have a Windows Vista install disk or if Vista was pre-installed on your OS you will have a ghost image on your hard drive.
If you have the windows vista repair disk: (This should be your backup copy of Vista if you made one)
PLEASE NOTE: This Vista install CD can be run from within Vista. Just insert the CD once Vista has loaded up and go to install, go > Install Now > Upgrade.
1. Boot up with the Vista install disc
2. You should see a screen that says “Windows is loading files”
3. After a few minutes you will get a language option. Select your language and hit next.
4. On the install screen select “Repair your computer”
5. Windows will find your copy of Vista on the machine
6. Select your copy of Vista and click next
7. You will now see the following options.
* Startup repair – This automatically fixes problems that are preventing Windows from starting
* System Restore – This will Restore Windows to an earlier point in time
* Windows Complete PC Restore – This will completely restore your entire PC – programs, system settings and files – from a back up that you have previously created (Available in Windows Vista Business, Enterprise and Ultimate editions only)
* Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool – This checks your computer’s memory hardware for errors
* Command Prompt
8. Assuming you are using this option because you were unable to boot to Windows Vista select the system Restore option and then select the date you would like to go back to. If your OS is fine you can always use the startup repair option.
Pre-Installed and OEM versions: (please check with your manufacturer fist. They may have replaced these tools with their own.
1. Turn your computer on and start pressing the F8 key. If you see the Windows Vista Logo you have gone too far and need to reboot and try again
2. You will get an advanced options screen. Select the “Repair your computer option” and hit enter.
3. Select your language and hit next.
4. Enter your user name and password and then next.
5. The recovery options should now appear.
6. In most cases just using the system restore to set your computer back will solve your issue. If this is not the case try the Startup repair option.
Top Transferable Skills Web Sites
To be successful in the workplace, employees have to possess transferable skills. Knowing about these skills will help teens and adults prepare to be successful in the workplace. Transferable skills are a product of our talents, traits and knowledge. These skills determine how you respond to new activities, work situations or jobs.
Transferable skills are non-job specific skills that you have acquired during any activity or life experiences. Student activities and experiences include campus and community activities, class projects, and assignments, hobbies, athletic activities, internships and summer part-time jobs.
Transferable skills skills fall into three (3) groups: Working with people, working with things, and working with data/information. These terms are defined below:
Working with people skills happen when people sell, train, advise, and negotiate.
Working with things skills occur when people repair, operate machinery, sketch, survey, or troubleshoot.
Working with data/information skills involve budgeting, researching, and analyzing.
The Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) is a model for transferable skills resources and web sites. In 1990, a commission of schools, government, unions, and corporations developed five SCAN competencies and three SCAN foundation skills. The five (5) Competencies are: Resources, information, interpersonal, systems, and technology.
The meanings of the competencies are:
Resources competencies describe the allocation of time, money, material resources, facility resources, and human resources.
Information competencies involve acquiring, evaluating, organizing, maintaining, interpreting, communicating and processing information.
Interpersonal competencies include team participation, teaching, customer services, leadership, negotiation, and cultural diversity.
Systems competencies work with understanding systems, performance monitoring, and systems designs.
Technology competencies involve the selection, application, maintenance, and troubleshooting of technology.
Besides competencies, there are three (3) Foundation Skills: Basic, thinking, and personal qualities. The terms are explained below.
Basic skills involve reading, writing, arithmetic, mathematics, listening, and speaking.
Thinking skills include creative thinking, decision making, problem solving, seeing things in the mind’s eye, knowing how to learn, and reasoning.
Personal qualities are responsibility, self esteem, sociability, self-management, and integrity/honesty.
Universities and professional organizations, such as California State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, Quintessential Careers, and the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) agree these transferable skills are important. These organizations have created transferable skills surveys, exercises, and web sites.
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) is a professional association connects more than 5,200 college career services professionals at nearly 2,000 college and universities nationwide, and more than 3,000 HR/staffing professionals focused on college relations and recruiting. NACE has compiled the twenty (20) top personal qualities/skills that employers requested the most:
Analytical skills
Communication Skills
Computer skills
Creativity
Detail-oriented
Entrepreneurial skills/risk-taker
Flexibility/adaptability
Friendly/outgoing personality
Honesty/integrity
Interpersonal skills (relates well to others)
Leadership and management skills
Motivation/initiative
Organizational and time management skills
Real Life Experiences
Self-confidence
Strong work ethic
Tactfulness
Teamwork skills (works well with others)
Technical Skills
Well-mannered/polite
Communication skills are the most popular skills listed on the web sites. Communication deals with speaking effectively, writing concisely, listening attentively, and other abilities that result in the expression, transmission and interpretation of knowledge and ideas. Communication skills help you communicate what you know. Examples of communication skills include:
Collaborating
Forecasting
Negotiating
Projecting
Publicized
Selling ideas, products or services
Speaking
Translating
Writing
Communication skills are involved in the other skills, such as organizational management, human relations, program administration, research & planning. Organization, management, leadership, and human relations skills are the ability to supervise, direct and guide individuals and groups in the completion of tasks and fulfillment of goals. Organization, management, leadership, and human relations skillsconsist of:
Making decisions
Assuming and delegating responsibility
Organizing people and tasks
Negotiating agreements
Management and administrative skills organize and coordinate people, projects and events. As a manager, you handle multiple tasks, set priorities, and adapt to changing conditions and work assignments. As leaders, you use skills to motivate individuals and groups to assess, perform, set goals, evaluate, and follow through situations effectively.
Managers and leaders use human relations skills. Human relations, interpersonal, or people skills develop rapport, negotiate, and help people overcome their differences.
In addition to human relations skills, managers and leaders need planning and reasoning skills. Program administration, research and planning skills are essential when you gather information, analyze data, present ideas, and generate solutions.
Analyzing, planning, and reasoning skills are used in the field of research. Research skills help you search for specific knowledge, determine future needs, investigate and record findings, find answers, and evaluate strategies.
Besides planning and reasoning skills, problem solving and creativity activities involve the ability to find solutions to problems using experiences, information, and available resources. Problem solving and goal setting involve assessing a situation, gathering information, identifying key issues, anticipating problems, and generating multiple solutions.
Transferable skills are also called Soft Skills. Simon Fraser University, a leader in management education, lists the ten (10) Soft Skills:
Adaptability
Communication
Dedication
Dependability
Energy
Flexibility
Hard-working
Honesty
Integrity
Leadership
There are surveys, activities, and exercises that help identify your transferable skills. An example of a transferable skills survey is the Transferable Skills Scale.
The Transferable Skills Scale is the only researched and validated assessment on the market focused on transferable skills. The Transferable Skills Scale is a short assessment that identifies an individual’s strongest transferable skills. The eight (8) Transferable Skills are:
Analytical
Numerical
Interpersonal
Organizational
Physical
Informational
Communicative
Creative skills
The benefits of the Transferable Skills Scale are -
Complete in 20-25 minutes
Is easy to use
Has color-coded design
Is Self-scoring and self-interpreting
Can be used as both a career exploration guide and a job search strategy tool
Includes suggested resources for career exploration as well as a worksheet for comparing possible careers
Includes job titles from the most recent O*NET database
Can be given to groups or individuals
The Transferable Skills Scale has 5 sections -
Mark Your Answers
Add Your Scores
Interpret Your Scores
Identify Occupations that Match Your Skills
Explore Occupations that Match Your Skills
Resources:
Binghamton University, State University of New York, Career Development Center, LSG 500, PO Box 6000, Binghamton, New York, 13902-6000, 607-777-2400
Career Center California State University, Chico Chico, CA 95929-0700, (530) 898-5253
Career Center, Student Affairs, Carnegie Mellon University 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Identify Transferable Skills Exercise. Career Development Services, A Division of Undergraduate Studies, Auburn University, 303 Mary Martin Hall, Auburn, Alabama 36849, (334) 844:4744
Identifying Transferable Skills in Career Planning. William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627:0107
Identify Your Transferable Skills. Career Center University of South Carolina H. WILLIAM CLOSE (BA) BLDG., 6th FL. Columbia, SC 29208 o Phone: (803) 777-7280
Job Outlook 2007, What employers want (and you need to have), National Association of Colleges and Employers, 62 Highland Avenue, Bethlehem, PA 18017-9085, 800/544-5272
Quintessential Careers, DeLand, FL 32720
Rochester Institute of Technology, Office of Cooperative Education and Career Services, 57 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623, 585.475.2301
Transferable Skills Checklist. Missouri State University, Career Center, Carrington 309, Glass 103, 901 S. National, Springfield, Missouri 65897, 877:836:JOBS
Transferable Skills Exercise. Wisconsin Job Center, 201 E. Washington Avenue, Madison WI 53702
Transferable Skills Guidebook. Simon Fraser University (SFU) BUSINESS, Career Management Centre, 2361, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, V5A 1S6
Transferable Skills Survey. Career Services, University of Minnesota Duluth, 22 Solon Campus Center, 1117 University Drive, Duluth, MN 55812:3000
University of Alabama Career Center, 330 Ferguson, 205:348:5848
USC Career Planning & Placement Center, 3601 Trousdale Parkway, Student Union 110, Los Angeles, CA 90089:4897, (213) 740:9111
Jamaican Currency Development in the 19th Century
For many centuries the island was ruled by the colonies and similar to how it reflects in the rich cultural heritage, the Jamaican currency also has a colorful past.
The British wanted to introduce a single currency structure in the early 19th century that would be used by all the colonies. These were called the anchor money and were minted in silver coins with the reverse reflecting an anchor design.
These were not well received by the colonial merchants as they prefer the pieces of eight which were more familiar to them. These anchor money quickly grew useless and was only used when handling transactions with the military.
The British made another effort in 1825 by issuing some copper and sliver coins. This too was rejected by the slaves who was newly freed and would utilize it at the Saturday markets. The theory for this rejection was that as converted Christians the copper should not be used for coin making and they should stick with the customary gold or silver ones.
In 1834, there was a shortage of the silver coins in the lower denominations, so the British got a chance to import penny ha’penny and three pence pieces in silver. There was now a new reasoning behind the importation of these coins and the penny ha’penny grew very popular with these Christians.
They started calling the coins “quattie”, “quarter real” and “quartile”, which then got the common name as the “Christians quatties”.
The British currency became the Jamaican money by law on the 31st of December 1840. The money that would now circulate extensively throughout the island was the copper coins, half penny, farthing, penny and penny ha’penny in the lower denominations.
There were also the three pence, silver coins, six pence, florin half crown, shilling and crown in the higher denominations. The coins from the Spanish were now out of circulation except for the Spanish doubloon that was in use until 1901.
In the year 1969, the currency in Jamaica switched to that of a decimal system which was now dollars and cents. It did not take long to replace all the previous pence, shillings and pounds with coins and notes in a variety of colors; with some similarity to the previous denominations from the British.
An education campaign was launched to the public and the transition to the new system of Jamaican currency was very smooth. The Minister of finance at the time Edward Seaga had a team of representatives doing research as to what should be depicted on these new currencies.
It was decided that the features would depict the ideals of the now independent nation and the striking characteristics of the island rich flora and fauna. This resulted in many of the currency that was in circulation then and now, having many interesting features representing the rich history of the country.
There are other denominations now which also depict images of National Heroes and past Prime Ministers.
The Jamaica dollars and notes always reflect the beauty and colorful history of this lovely little island. However, there is this ongoing problem with this Jamaican currency as it is always devaluing which create greater problems in the growth of the country’s economy.
WYSIWYG Web Design Software – Which One is Best?
There are a number of applications out there that allow you to design websites using WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editors. We’re going to look at the best web design software that falls into this category. We’ll also look at the benefits of using such software to help you decide whether or not it’s right for you.
The principle behind WYSIWYG editors is that whatever you see on the page is what you’ll get when your website is published. Basically it gives you an interface where you can build your website exactly how you want it to look when people visit it online.
The most popular web design software packages are Dreamweaver, FrontPage and XSitePro. Adobe Dreamweaver is the professional choice due to its massive range of features and ability to create dynamic websites. The downside being it’s difficult to pick up and use ‘out of the box’ and requires a lot of hours to learn just the basics, especially if you’re new to web design. It’s also expensive to buy.
Microsoft’s FrontPage has a lot of features but often adds needless code to the pages it creates. This can increase page loading times, especially for those who still access the internet using a dial-up connection. It’s not as user-friendly as Dreamweaver and pushes you in the direction of using Microsoft server technologies to build dynamic sites which won’t suit everyone’s needs. On the plus side, FrontPage costs less than Dreamweaver and is slightly easier to learn.
The third and final WYSIWYG web design software we’re going to look at is XSitePro from Intellimon Ltd. This is a relatively new application that has been developed with the novice or internet marketer in mind.
Because the majority of features within Dreamweaver and FrontPage won’t be used by most users, XSitePro has done away with them and left only the tools that novice-to-intermediate web designers need. It’s resulted in an easy-to-use application that can be picked up and used by just about anybody.
The downside to XSitePro is that it’s more difficult to create dynamic sites and has done away with the look and feel of traditional WYSIWYG website software. So if you’re used to working with Dreamweaver or FrontPage then you might find XSitePro hard to get used to.
When it comes to web design software, a WYSIWYG editor is really the only way to go. It makes production time far quicker, but you need to start with the right software.
If you’re a professional web designer and you want to create cutting-edge websites using the latest technologies then without a doubt you need to use Adobe Dreamweaver. It’s amazingly powerful and automates a lot of the common tasks associated with web design.
If you’re not after something quite as feature-packed as Dreamweaver and you’re a fan of Microsoft technologies and you’d like to use them on the web, then FrontPage might be for you. Just don’t go creating large pages as they could take an age to load!
If you’re new to web design or you’d like to get something that doesn’t have the learning time of Dreamweaver or FrontPage then XSitePro is for you. It’s quick to learn, easy to use and can produce truly beautiful sites very quickly. And like Dreamweaver, it automates a lot of the common tasks associated with web design.
Picking the right WYSIWYG web design software is essential to make sure you find web design fun and interesting and not a chore. You should choose based on your skill level and exactly what you want to achieve. That will give you the results you want and will make building websites something you can enjoy for years to come.
The Importance of E-Commerce Web Design and CSS
Today’s technology is strengthening at a tremendous speed; the internet has become a vital resource for the majority of the population and counting. More and more people are exponentially learning to use the internet on a daily basis. The internet is a BOOMING industry as you may know.
The majority of all users out there are on some type either a desktop or a laptop computer and this has usually been the case. So designing “to fit” was never really a large issue for web developers until recently more and more users are purchasing and services there internet capable handhelds, cell phones, tablets of all shapes and sizes. The most flexible type of layout that can fit across the majority of these platforms is what is called a liquid layout. It’s a mix of html, PHP/ASP or any flavor code but most importantly CSS. CSS, short for Cascading Style Sheets, a new feature being added to HTML that gives both Web design developers and users more control over how pages are displayed. With CSS, designers and users can create style sheets that define how different elements, such as headers and links, appear.
These Style Sheets can then be applied to any Web page. This is a dynamic way to centralize the looks or style of any web site. This can also be applied when using different screen size. With your flavor of code added with CSS you can have the server displays the page to auto-detect which type of browser and or machine the viewer is looking at your site on, therefore it can auto-fit to the best perspective and layout, thus actually delivering your site to all users out there no matter what screen size or ratio they are viewing your site on. This a huge factor when developing one’s site and almost always goes overlooked when choosing a developer or firm to create your companies web site.
Now, if you do not plan ahead in the development stages you can lose a large percentage of viewers coming to your site. It’s one thing getting your traffic there, and to have a snazzy or flashy web design but allowing 100% of the viewers to actually see your site is a point this is far too often overlooked.
Increased Demand For Web Application Development
Web applications are basically the business strategies that are implemented through web with the help of various user, business and data services. Due to this there has been increased in demand for web application development, especially by those who are engaged in B2B interaction. All the e commerce business activities are here carried out over the secure and private networks. Some of you won’t believe this but many big companies outsource their projects using web applications only. The make secure transactions with the help of web applications.
If you are one of those who are looking for a customized application solution, then a web development company can be of great help to you. Their team of technical experts aptly combines the rich internet applications with the needs of the customers and delivers a program that is right for them. Their host of services includes database porting, server porting, data migration, standalone legal applications to web migration applications, etc. These web applications once formulated are audited and tested. The testing includes review of codes, functionality of the applications, requirement verifications, HTML standard compliance test, performance test, and most important security and stability testing. All this helps in ensuring that business functionality and performance is improved with technical architecture. These various stages assure that application process development is completely coordinated to achieve the desired results.
Some of the other reasons that increased demand for web application development are:
* Effective management of complete online business. This includes rendering prompt customer services, supply chain management, inventory management, etc.
* With the help of web application development one can reach clients across the globe and provide them with personalized services.
* Advanced web application development helps to reduce the operating cost through automatic business generation.
* These days’ people are open for experimentation. The dynamic website made using web development application, help in delivering the out of box ideas more effectively.