Website Launch Checklist 25+ Things to Check Before Launching Your Site

Are you preparing to launch your WordPress website? To help make it a success, we created this handy website launch checklist to ensure a smooth launch when you make your site public.Well cover everything from proofreading to testing performance. And while some of these tips might seem a little basic, thats kind of the point! We want to help you make sure that you didnt accidentally overlook some small, but important, aspect of your website.To do that, take a few minutes and run your website through this list Content should be easy to read font size, short sentences, bullet points, lots of white spaceImages must be optimized, properly labeled and have alt textAudio and video files need to work properly2. Make sure you have a contact pageNot only does a contact page allow visitors to get in touch with you, it adds credibility and improves the trust quotient of your website. Find out how to add one to your website in this post.3. Test your sites usabilityCheck that all functional aspe cts of the website work as intended. Usability is important for conversions as well as for overall SEO. Most importantly, you need to look at each element on your website just as a visitor would.Ensure that images are optimized for speedIn particular, test all call-to-action forms and contact formsOn a multi-user site, check the login procedure, roles, and credentialsCheck out overall experience through the eyes of a user consuming content on the websiteIn case youve put autoresponders in place, make sure they respond as you intendedIf your website is going to accept payments, do a test run of each step in the purchase/payment process, including the success page redirect. This includes downloads, sign-ups, shopping cart functions, payment processing, email notifications, buttons, and links4. Make sure your navigation worksAt no point should visitors be unsure of which button to click next on your website. Besides, your on-site search should work smoothly and accurately. Try moving t hrough the different locations on your website as a casual visitor would.Read this post for more tips on how to create a great navigation structure.5. Check for mobile-friendlinessTesting for compatibility with mobile devices is now an essential part of any website launch checklist, given Google’s focus on mobile-first indexing. Consequently, your website must be mobile-friendly, and just as functional and pleasing on mobiles as it is on desktops.In other words, text should be easy to read on mobile devices, content should be the same on both versions of your website, navigation is easy, buttons have proper spacing, etc.Fortunately, you can use Googles own tool, Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test  to test these aspects.6. Review browser compatibilityIts not enough to view the website from your browser alone. Additionally, you need to see how it appears in different versions of major browsers. At the bare minimum, youll need to test it on Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.Again, youll find free tools like  Browsershots  for this purpose. It uses a number of computers at different locations to open your website in various browsers. It then captures screenshots of your web pages in different browsers and uploads them to a central dedicated server for your review.7. Run compatibility testingSometimes, it can happen that plugins dont play nice with each other. Therefore, its advisable to run a compatibility test using plugins like PHP Compatibility Checker. This avoids glitches on account of plugin, theme, or WordPress update conflicts. PHP Compatibility Checker Author(s): WP EngineCurrent Version: 1.5.0Last Updated: July 30, 2019php-compatibility-checker.1.5.0.zip 66%Ratings 904,470Downloads WP 3.5+Requires 8. Get ready for 404sSure, 404 errors are not likely on a new website. Nevertheless, a visitor may mistype or somehow land on a â€Å"Page Not Found† error message. Just so you dont lose this visitor, and to improve user experience, crea te a custom 404 page. 404page your smart custom 404 error page Author(s): Peter RaschendorferCurrent Version: 11.0.4Last Updated: October 6, 2019404page.11.0.4.zip 98%Ratings 875,900Downloads WP 4.0+Requires Not only that, you can set up email alerts to track 404 errors from the moment your site goes live, and fix them early.9. Make sure URLs are correctOften, when a site is moved from the staging area to production, its necessary to change all the URLs. Make sure to double-check that all the URLs are correct on the live version of your site before you move any further through the website launch checklist.10. Make sure you have clear calls-to-actionThis is one check you cannot afford to ignore ensuring the site has clearly defined call to action elements. Call to actions help funnel your visitors to the most important locations. Or, they can help you build an email list, if thats your goal.11. Install and configure an SEO pluginInstall the  Yoast SEO plugin  or any oth er SEO plugin to optimize for SEO. Make sure every page has a unique title, a meta description, and is optimized for keyword usage. Learn more about basic WordPress SEO here.12. Configure your permalinksUsing permalinks that describe the content of each page makes them easy to remember, more usable, and more SEO-friendly. Find out more about how to configure permalinks in this post.13. Check your XML sitemaps/HTML sitemapMost SEO plugins usually build a sitemap for you automatically, but you should double check that it:Really does exist.Is working properly and includes all the content it should.14. Check your robots.txt FileA robots.txt file also helps search engines to crawl your website more efficiently. You can learn more about this in Googles guide on the subject, and we have an article on how to optimize your WordPress sites robots.txt file.15. Test for AMP compatibilityIn case you’re using Google’s AMP project to speed up your site for mobile visitors, hop on a m obile device or an AMP tester tool and make sure that everything is working properly.16. Test social media integrationTry out your social icons to see if they are working as they should. Do they link to the right pages? Do you have the right buttons installed? Does the share functionality work right, if youre using it?17. Check your sites accessibilityAccessibility is all about making sure your site is usable for  everyone, even those with disabilities. Learn more about WordPress accessibility.18. Put a backup solution in placeRight before launching your website, take care to install a suitable backup solution and test it before you hit the launch button. It can save you a load of heartache and sleepless nights if something happens to your site after launch.19. Secure your websiteSimilarly, you really should take security seriously from the very beginning. In particular, the Admin area  should be made as secure as possible to prevent entry of malicious bots and hackers.20. Confi rm your SSLDo you know that your website runs the risk of being labeled as Not Secure if it does not have an SSL certificate? Our earlier post can help you with adding an SSL certificate to your site. Also, you can use free online checkers to find out if theres anything missing with your certificate.21. Keep out spamBecause of WordPress popularity, ensuring you have an  anti-spam solution  is a necessity when going through any website launch checklist. It makes comment management easier and your website safer.23. Update the timezoneAll scheduled activities and plugins rely on the time maintained by your WordPress. Therefore, its important to set up the timezone properly on your WordPress site. You can do this by going to  Settings General and looking for the  Timezone drop-down.24. Take care of the boring legal stuffTruly, this is the most boring part of our website launch checklist. However, its necessary if you dont want to get into legal issues later.Take care that requi red licenses are in place for images, fonts, plugins, etc.Consider including a Terms of Service to explain your services in detail.  Auto Terms of Service and Privacy Policy can help you get started with thisIn case your website is an ecommerce store or deals with money in any way, you should add a comprehensive Terms and Conditions sectionIf youre collecting data, its comforting to users if your Privacy Policy reassures them that their personal details are in good hands. Compliance with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is necessary, too.A cookie warning is a legal requirement in many jurisdictions, so take care to include oneCheck out the legal requirements in different geographies for age verification, consent requirements, credit card processing and more.25. Delete any unwanted pluginsFinally, you should check your dashboard for plugins that are no longer needed and delete them to keep a lean and efficient WordPress site. While building your site, you mightve insta lled plugins that you ended up not using. Get rid of all those in preparation for launch day!Wrapping upThis website launch checklist is quite comprehensive, but by no means exhaustive. Whys that?Because once you finish out this website launch checklist and make your site live, there are also plenty of  things to do right after you launch your website!Have any other tips? Let us know about them in the comments section! 25+ things to check before you launch your #WordPress #website!

Free Essays on Italian Futurism

-in-freedom† led to new forms in visual communication with type, graphics and collage being used in conjunction to create picture poems later known as concrete poetry. The new approach to typography in design was embraced by the early literary works of Dadaism and stimulated the New typography movement. The Movement After Cubism a new movement called Futurism emerged in Italy. The movement exploded onto the European cultural scene on 20 February 1909 when Filippo Marinetti the founder and only member at this time aggressively announced the ‘Manifesto of Futurism’ and it was published on the front page of the French newspaper Le Figaro. The manifesto not only celebrated the enthusiasm of the recently industrialized streets of Milan strongly went against conventional art ethics of the past "We will destroy the museums, libraries, academies of every kind...... Free Essays on Italian Futurism Free Essays on Italian Futurism Futurism is a movement that has been inspirational to me and has provided motivation to many other graphic designers and movements. â€Å"Shock, in addition to opening people’s eyes, was part of the Futurist programme† Being such a versatile group the works of the Futurists can be seen in numerous art genres. The paintings and typographical revelations are most impressive to me not only were they revolutionary at the time but I think that contemporary eyes are able to see deeper intentions and respect the impact that it had on art. The type of paintings that came out of this movement are visually stimulating to look at I admire the way that the Futurists were able to control the dimensions of a static picture. Borrowing from styles such as Cubism the Futurists manipulated brush strokes and formal elements such as line, balance and colour to portray images that had complex mechanical aesthetics and energetic infusions of bright colour combinations. They also were the founders of typographical innovations that were avant-garde at the time. The art of Marinetti’s â€Å"words-in-freedom† led to new forms in visual communication with type, graphics and collage being used in conjunction to create picture poems later known as concrete poetry. The new approach to typography in design was embraced by the early literary works of Dadaism and stimulated the New typography movement. The Movement After Cubism a new movement called Futurism emerged in Italy. The movement exploded onto the European cultural scene on 20 February 1909 when Filippo Marinetti the founder and only member at this time aggressively announced the ‘Manifesto of Futurism’ and it was published on the front page of the French newspaper Le Figaro. The manifesto not only celebrated the enthusiasm of the recently industrialized streets of Milan strongly went against conventional art ethics of the past "We will destroy the museums, libraries, academies of every kind......

Art Of Portraiture

Art Of Portraiture Essay The three works that I chose that are art of portraiture are Head of a King, Mask of an Lyoba, and Mother Goddess. The first two portraits are West African Art from two different tribes, Ife, who created the Head of a King and Benin, whom created the Mask of an Lyoba. The Mother Goddess is an Aztec piece. These groups of people are from different cultures, time periods, and share different religious beliefs. The similarity of the groups is the symbolic meaning the portraitures brought to its people. The first work is the Head of a King. This Ife creation altered the perception that scholars had of the tribe. It was known that the Ife tribes did not do portraits because of the spirits that could harm the subjects. The sculptures that were discovered all seemed to resemble rulers, so the conclusion was that the institution of kingship and the need to revere royal ancestors were strong enough to overcome concerns. Also the figures were naturalistic. The proportions of the few knownful figures are characteristically African.. The heads may have been taken from life models, but seem more like idealized images. An example is of the proportions of the head of the sculpture. These proportions probably reflect a belief in the heads importance as the abode of the spirit, and the focus of the individual identity. Life is the sacred city of the Yoruba people, were naturalistic sculpture began. The Benin tribe arose after the Ife, and was greatly influenced by their art. Their portraits were also naturalistic, but as they grew more knowledgeable in art, they drew away from the naturalistic works of the Ife people into stylized works of their own. The Mask of an Lyoba is a beautiful ornamental mask of royalty. This works shows that the people no longer use the naturalistic approach, but a bold, more idealized, representation of its people. The art of Benin is a royal art, only the oba could commission the works. This work was commissioned in ivory, but most of the works were commissioned in brass. The Benin transition from naturalistic to stylize is better explained in the brass heads. It ranges from small, thinly cast, and naturalistic to large, thickly cast, and highly stylized. The conclusion of scholars is that in their Early Period, their heads were small and naturalistic from the Ife influence. Heads then grew increasingly stylized during the Middle Period. Then in the Late Period, the heads were very large and heavy, with angular stylized features and an elaborate beaded crown. In Mexico there was also portraitures. Specifically in the Aztec Empire were the Mother Goddess was created. This was a strong and powerful empire that was divided in classes. The religion was based on a complex pantheon that combined the Aztec deities with more ancient ones that had long been worshiped in Central Mexico. According to the Aztec belief, the gods created the current universe at the ancient city of Teothhuacan. Which is similar to the Ife belief that Gods came down and created the people. The culture and purpose of the people is then to worship and honor their gods forever. This was done by sacrifice and in their art. We are aware of the religion and the beliefs of the Aztec people because of their art. The gods were represented in statues and paintings that were narratives to teach their people and show respect to the gods. The Mother Goddess was a broad shouldered figure with clawed hands and feet has a skirt of twisted snakes. A pair of serpents, symbols of gushing blood, rise from her neck to form her head. Their eyes are her eyes; their fangs, her tusks. The writhing serpents of her skirt also form her body. Around her stump of a neck hangs a necklace of sacrificial offerings- hands, heart, and a dangling skull. READ: Art and humanities test 1 EssayDespite the surface intricacy, the sculptures simple, bold, and blocky forms create a single visual whole. This dramatic impact was also heightened by the color. This portraiture is very symbolic. Unlike the previous two works it is not of the rulers or the people at the time, it is of a god. But much like the first two works it is also idealized. This is what their mother god that guides them should look like. The Ife people created works that were spiritual and revealing their groups identity. The Benin people, once understanding art created stylized works that also expressed their identity, far more than anything naturalistic did. All three works represents the people and what is important to them. For the Aztec people it was their gods, and representing them in a dramatic and powerful way to teach their people. While the Ife people believed that the gods created them in likeness to themselves, so the portraits were also of their people in the ideal form that the gods wanted. The Benin culture were fascinated by art, and wanted to show respect to their rulers by their representation of them.

Early American History from 1790 to 1877 Term Paper

Early American History from 1790 to 1877 - Term Paper Example Just 14 years after the founding of our nation in 1790, many changes were already in the works, and America had already been one year under its first President, George Washington, who served as a general against the British in the Revolutionary War. During the second of his eight years in office, the Bill of Rights was drafted (in 1791), adding 10 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution ? which outlined the freedoms enjoyed by citizens, including the freedom of speech, the freedom of religion, and the right to bear arms (Nussbaum 2006). Also during this term, the rivaling Federalist and Republican political parties were formed – the former pressing for a strong central government and banking system with good ties to England, with the latter wanting an economy based in agriculture with weakening ties to Great Britain (Ibid.). After the turn of the century, America continued to want to expand its borders, and made the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, paying France $15 million for 800,000 square miles of land from Louisiana to Montana, doubling the nation’s size (Klose and Jones 1994, 130). ... This was followed by the Missouri Compromise of 1820, where the existing southern slave states agreed with the northern free states that Missouri would become a slave state if Maine became a free state (Nussbaum 2006). Just three years later, a treaty devised by President James Monroe, known as the Monroe Doctrine, was reached between the U.S. and European nations, where both sides agreed not to interfere with each other’s (including Spain’s) colonizing interests, guaranteeing safety to all (Klose and Jones 1994, 154). However, all conflict was not avoided, as Mexico’s General Santa Anna Stormed the Alamo in Texas and defeated American Colonel William Travis in a two-week battle in 1836, but the long battle gave the U.S. time to eventually defeat Santa Anna’s army in another showdown to make Texas independent and later become the 28th state (Nussbaum 2006). As populations swelled in the eastern U.S., European Americans sought to displace the occupying Indi ans in Georgia, and 7,000 troops forced 15,000 Cherokees to Oklahoma under grueling conditions in 1838 – an exodus known as the Trail of Tears, where 4,000 Native Americans perished (Ibid.). America was growing, and there was not much that could get in the way. This expansionist frenzy would stop no time soon. A concept known as Manifest Destiny soon became the term used to spread the belief that it was America’s fate to occupy and claim land across the continent, from coast to coast, and many routes ? including the Oregon, California, Mormon, and Santa Fe Trails ? were traveled during this time to inhabit the far west (Baker 2006, 7). This expansion was not uncontested, however, as the Mexican-American War ending in 1848 resulted in a costly victory – in money and casualties – for the U.S., which

Critical Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Critical Review - Essay Example We subdequently test this frame work by collecting data and using the collected data. Inductive Approach - In Inductive approach first we try to explore the data, then develop theories from them that we subsequently use to relate to literature. The basic purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze the reasons of the success and failures of Joint Venture underatings. I have reviewed various literatures, reference of which is given at appropriate places, of a few joint venture organisations and tried to analyze the reasons of their success or failure whatever the case may be. I have selected a few well known organisation for my study. For reviewing I have studied the a few articles published in various journals, the information provided by the companies in their web site, printed company literatures. 'Japanese joint ventures with western multinationals: Synthesizing the economic and cultural explanations of failure' published in Asia Pacific Journal of Management Volume 6, No.2 / April 1989, (pages 225 -242). In the article the writers discuss the reasons for failure observed in joint ventures between Japanese and Western Multinational Enterprises. They summerize that the existence of cultural differences as the main reason for failure in joint bventures betwewn Japanese and Western MNCs. A review of the types of survey methodologies available, their uses, pros and cons. Survey

The Thoeries of Local Government in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

The Thoeries of Local Government in Nigeria Essay Rural development of the grassroots has been the concern of every responsible and responsive political system. This is because development and participation have continued to elude people of the grassroots. Development remains insignificant if it does not positively affect the lives of those in the periphery of decision making arrangement. The Nigerian state therefore created local government as the third tier of government whose objective is to ensure effective, measurable and efficient service delivery to the people. Local government is faced with various difficulties. The major concern of this paper is to dwell on these difficulties and illuminates the factors that are responsible for them. In achieving this, the paper relies on descriptive approach and unstructured interview. It concludes that problems of local government are multifarious in nature and the solutions for them should be adequate and practical in order to evolve viable and development-oriented third tier of government. Key words: grassroots, political system, autonomy, third tier, participation, development, uniformity, unity, culture, diversity, interference, national integration, performance, consciousness, concept, commitment, democracy, inefficiency, corruption, decentralisation. Introduction The expediency for the creation of local government anywhere in the world stems from the need to facilitate development at the grassroots. The importance of local government is a function of its ability to generate sense of belongingness, safety and satisfaction among its populace. All forms of government, regimes or political systems have so far ensured the attainment of this goal. Such strategy for ensuring national administrative development and political efficacy is found in the concept and practice of local government. Whatever is the mode of government, local government has been essentially regarded as the path to, and guarantor of, national integration, administration and development. In Nigeria’s socio-political context, with multiplicity of culture, diversity of languages and differentiated needs and means, the importance of such an organisation in fostering the needed national consciousness, unity and relative uniformity as well as preservation of peculiar diversities cannot be over-emphasised. Central to the creation of local government, however, is its ability to facilitate an avenue through which government and the people intermix, relate and more quickly than any other means resolve or dissolve issues that may have heated the system. Local government has been perceived as a panacea for the diverse problems of the diverse people with diverse culture. As important as this tier of government has been, there seems to be some impediments that have been infringing on its performance and functions in recent times. These impediments range from political but undue interference of the higher levels of government i. e. federal and state governments, bribery and corruption to embezzlement and gross inadequacy of well-trained and qualified personnel to mention a few. The Concept of Local Government The concept of local government involves a philosophical commitment to democratic participation in the governing process at the grassroots level. This implies legal and administrative decentralisation of authority, power and personnel by a higher level of government to a community with a will of its own, performing specific functions as within the wider national framework. A local government is a government at the grassroots level of administration â€Å"meant for meeting peculiar grassroots need of the people (Agagu, 1997:18). It is defined as â€Å"government by the popularly elected bodies charged with administrative and executive duties in matters concerning the inhabitants of a particular district or place (Appadorai, 1975:287). Looking at the existence, performance and relevance of local government, Laski (1982:411) opines that: we cannot realise the full benefit of democratic government unless we begin by the admission that all problems are not central problems, and that the result of problems not central in their incidence requires decision at the place, and by the person, where and whom the incidence is most deeply felt Local government can also be defined as that tier of government closest to the people, â€Å"which is vested with certain powers to exercise control over the affairs of people in its domain† (Lawal,2000:60). A local government is expected to play the role of promoting the democratic ideals of a society and co-ordinating development programme at the local level. It is also expected to serve as the basis of socio-economic development in the locality. Observations have shown that local government in Nigeria has not performed to expectation. Keen observers have since adduced various propositions for explaining the reasons why the system has recorded abysmal level of inefficiency and ineffectiveness vis-a-vis justification for its establishment. But before reading into the problems of local government, we shall first attempt to illuminate the historical background of local government in order to have adequate grasp of its future and achieve deeper understanding of salient issues raised in this paper. Brief Historical Background of Local government System in Nigeria Regardless of nomenclature, local government is a creation of British colonial rule in Nigeria. It has overtime experienced change in name, structure and composition. Between 1930s and 1940s, for instance, local government was known as chief-in-council and chief-and-council, where traditional rulers were given pride of place in the scheme of things. In the 1950s, election was introduced according to the British model in the western and eastern parts of the country with some measure of autonomy in personnel, financial and general administration (Nwabueze, 1982:20-21). It was on this premise that the rising tide of progress, growth and development experienced in the local governments in these areas was based. The pace of this development was more noticeable in the south than in the north. During this period, heterogeneity was the hallmark of local government as there was no uniformity in the system and the level of development was also remarkably different. The introduction of 1976 reforms by military administration of General Obasanjo brought about uniformity in the administrative structure of the system. The reforms introduced a multi-purpose single-tier local government system (Ajayi, 2000:70) The reforms also introduced population criterion under which a local government could be created. Consequently, a population of within 150,000 to 800,000 was considered feasible for a local government. This was done to avoid the creation of non-viable local council and for easy accessibility. There was provision for elective positions having the chairmen as executive head of local government with supervisory councillors constituting the cabinet. This was complemented by the bureaucrats and professionals, such as Doctors, Engineers, etc. , who were charged with the responsibility of implementing policies (1976 Guidelines). In 1991, a major landmark reform was introduced as the system had legislative arm. In addition, the Babangida administration increased the number of local government from 301 in 1976 to 453 in 1989 and 589 in 1991. the Abacha regime also increased the number to 774 local councils that we have today and the administrative structure also underwent some changes (Ajayi, 2000:71). In summary, it can be said that no public institution in Nigeria has been so subjected to frequent reforms than local government. Nearly every successive administration introduces one administrative change or the other. Apart from the celebrated 1976 reforms, state government officials have also introduced various manipulations. For instance, in Ekiti state, the tenure of elected local government officials was reduced to two years. While some retained it to reflect three years. In the southwest, except for Lagos, a caretaker committee was introduced in 2003 immediately after the general elections. In similar vein, in June 2007, some state governments dissolved their local councils and appointed caretaker committee to steer the affairs of the council prior the conduct of elections. It is germane to note here that these changes were not without resultant effects. Some of these changes met with social strife. For instance in 1997, the relocation of some local government headquarters was marked with large scale destruction of lives and property in Ondo, Osun, Delta, Rivers and Cross-River States (Omotosho, 1998:94-105). Specifically in Ondo State, the relocation of the then newly created Akoko South East local government headquarters from Oba Akoko to Isua Akoko was met with destruction of lives and property. In 1998, Abubakar administration introduced sole administrator system at the grassroots level before elections were conducted in December 1998 for the posts of chairmen and councillors. Also the dissolution of local councils in Ekiti State by the new administration of Governor Segun Oni in June 2007 generated furore between the local council’s chairmen and the governor. In essence, it has become almost fashionable in Nigeria for incumbent administration to introduce one change or the other in the institution. So far, local government system in Nigeria has not been stable and this leaves its future to remain bleak, uncertain and insecure. Problems of Local Governments in Nigeria Despite the justification for the establishment of local government and its inevitable importance to the people at the grassroots level, this tier of government seems not to have justified the reasons for which it was established. The questions that summarily come to one’s mind are: why has local government not lived up to its expectations? What are the causes of these seemingly conspicuous weaknesses? What are the challenges of the local government? And how can these weaknesses be corrected and the challenges met? The problems of local government are multifarious in nature and it is the concern of this paper to explain them in details. These problems include: Finance Despite the increase in the total amount of funds available to local government in Nigeria since early 1990s, its economic and financial profile is still very poor, relative to the development programme it is expected to carry out. This situation is not unconnected to the mismanagement and embezzlement of these funds by the local councils. Inadequacy of Skilled Workers Save for some few local councils in Lagos states and, perhaps, some southern states, local government generally has experienced and is still experiencing dearth of skilled, technical and professional staff like qualified engineers (of all types), medical doctors, accountants, statisticians, economists, lawyers, town planners, to mention a few. The facilitating factors for this include: Low image of local government in the mind of professionals who feel and think that there is no job satisfaction sufficient to keep them at that low level of public service.   Hopeless nature of the job attributable to, and arising from, low or no incentives for junior workers, no chances for creativity and innovation as well as perpetual delay in payment of salary.   Recently and more importantly, threat and fear of retrenchment of junior workers has derailed their psychological balance and affected their efficiency and output. This is fashionable in Ondo and Ekiti states where series of staff audit were being carried out just for the purpose of downsizing to reduce wage bill as a result of the demand for and payment of fifteen percent increase in salary. Manner of recruitment is questionable as it is based on subjectivity and consideration of sentiment. Employment was based on favouritism, nepotism, ethnic and political consideration and other primordial factors that replaced and displaced competence, qualification, experience and performance. Problems of Participation and Involvement For the past decades, more euphemistic phrases have since been employed to justify people’s participation at the grassroots. They include: â€Å"Development from Below†, â€Å"Bottom-up Approach to Development†, â€Å"Popular Participation†, Bringing Government Closer to the People† and other catchphrase to argue for people’s involvement the affairs that directly affect them (Lawal, 2000:66). From all indications and convictions, research and physical observations have shown that there has been more hue and cry than action. Local government prepares estimates for its revenue and expenditure without proper recourse to, and due consultation with, the people for whom the exercise is being carried out to know their needs, their problems and potentials. A number of factors are responsible for non-involvement of people in their own affairs. These include:   Loss of interests in the project that will not benefit the chairmen and their cohorts.   The age-long belief by the officials that people are ignorant, illiterate and unenlightened.   Lack of political will by the leadership to run an open administration due again to selfish interest. Poverty of socio-political philosophy for change. Misplaced Priority Hard-earned and limited resources accrued to and raised by local government are always mismanaged. Priorities are misplaced; projects are done not according to or as demanded by the people but regrettably in tune with the selfish end and aggrandisement of the political leadership in collaboration with the senior bureaucrats at the local government level of administration. Coupled with this is the greatest bane of development in the Nigerian public service in general and local government in particular which corruption is. Reports of probe panels at the three tiers of government have revealed the culpability of civil servants. Corruption in low and high places, corruption has been rampant among the senior civil bureaucrats to whom the public funds meant for developmental purposes are entrusted. Generally, wide-scale embezzlement by officials of the grassroots has made the needed development of the grassroots a tall dream and has rendered them financially incapable to discharge their constitutionally assigned responsibilities. General Indiscipline Indiscipline is rampantly perceived and well pronounced among the workers in third tier of government. The senior officers who travel to their families away from their offices on Friday return very late the following Monday or may decide to stay back till Tuesday; and the junior members of staff who directly or indirectly observe this more often than not are in the habit of playing truant with their jobs. Little or no commitment to duty has become a rule rather than an exception. Offices have been turned to marketplaces where officers hawk their goods freely. The rules that guide moral conduct and professional ethics seem to have, at worse, become cobweb that is so weak to tame the monstrous activities of the workers. Indiscriminate lustful desires are noticeable among the workers. The official’s relationship between super ordinates and subordinates has been stained. Strict instructions handed down from top echelon to the bottom are either not followed or treated with levity as a result of the immoral relationship between the boss and subordinates. Official duties are seen as an extension of private leisure. Laissez-faire attitude to work has arrested the efficiency of local government and has drastically affected its performance. Undue Interference The degree of external influence and intrusion in local government affairs by the higher levels of government is worrisome and needs re-evaluation. Situation where the state governor unconstitutionally dissolves the entire elected council’s officers without proper investigations on spurious allegations is not good for the future of local government administration in the country. Such external interference indeed subverts democratic process and undermines constitutional authority at the grassroots level. The crux of the matter is the ‘almighty’ power and misuse of it enjoyed by the state governments over local governments. Practically, and in true sense, local government in Nigeria lacks autonomous financial power. Local government is now considered as an extension of state’s ministry. The inherent nature of this problem has caused subservience, a situation where local government waits for the next directives from state government before the former could think of, let alone embarking on developmental projects. This has made local government an object of control and directives. The major challenge that local government faces is the political control the respective state governor has on the local government chairmen. This is as a result of the fact that state governor sponsors election of most, if not all, of the chairmen. They are handpicked by the state governor rather than being elected. It is a clear case of who pays the piper dictates the tune. This again creates a problem of diversion of local government funds for personal use of state governor. In Ondo state, for instance, there is this unholy alliance between state government and local councils in the state, where the state government constitutes Joint Action Committee, tagged ‘JAC’. Federal allocations to local government are first deposited into a particular ad hoc account before calling for the committee meeting. This in a way paves the way for the state government to plan for the local government and release the money in instalments. The motive behind this is to divert the money to another thing entirely which does not have impact on the lives of the rural dwellers but that will be beneficial to the state governor. Another thing is the interest that the money will generate in the bank. The implication of this is that few of the local government chairmen who have genuine intentions and are ready to perform are being discouraged. This again assigns more power and control to the state governor. The overall effect of this is the negative impact it has on the people of the grassroots as they are getting more and more alienated from developments. Also illustrative and instructive is the arrest and prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of the former Enugu State Governor, Chimaroke Nnamani, on the allegation of diverting local governments’ funds in the state. This shows the level of influence and control that state governors have over local governments in their respective states. This undue interference has incapacitated local government from effective functioning on the one hand, and alienated grassroots people from enjoying social services delivery expected of local government on the other.

A Comparison of Honor in Beowulf and Parzival :: comparison compare contrast essays

Honor in Beowulf and Parzival  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout literary history authors have created and restored figures from all times that seem to represent what is honorable and chivalrous. The two literary legends compared in this paper are Beowulf and Parzival. These two figures in their own way find within them what is virtuous. At first impression it seems as though Beowulf is the warrior who contains the honor within himself, but as the two characters are compared in depth, it becomes obvious that Parzival's journey through manhood brings him to a much more noble and honorable place. Beowulf and Parzival's journey's began on the same path, each fatherless, they strove to search out what they saw as adventure. They jumped to whet their desires for the unknown and the chance to be a hero. A young Beowulf, we learn, challenges a peer to a match of strength. Unferth tells this tale of "when for pride the pair of [them] proved the seas and for a trite boast entrusted [their] lives to the deep waters, undissuadable by effort of friend or foe whatsoever from that swimming on the sea,"(Beowulf,65). Beowulf's stubborn pride lead him even at a young age to challenge what may have seemed beyond his reach for glory. Later on, Beowulf hearing the horrific tales of the monster Grendel that had been reeking havoc at Heorot, abruptly left his homeland to prove his gallantry. "The wiser sought to dissuade him from voyaging hardly or not at all," but the strong-headed Beowulf refused to listen to reason. Unlike Beowulf, Parzival was actually hidden from all opportunities of adventure by his mother. She fled to a place where she believed she could escape all traces of knighthood, which she believed to be evil. She was not successful though, and as soon as Parzival laid his eyes on the god-like knight, he made up his mind to leave his mother and all that he knew to seek adventure. The absence of her son drove her to an early grave. This action is one that Parzival was later deemed "unhonorable" for and one he deeply regretted. These boys both started out young and refused to listen to the reason of their elders. Against the wishes of the people who were wiser and more experienced, they let their pride and ambition overtake them. This did not show to be a promising beginning for either of them.

Public Display of the Ten Commandments Essay

People often find memorization exhausting and more like tiresome. All those numerous words and lines to remember tend to tire and bore most of them. Moreover, most of the time, they tend to memorize just for the heck of it and not for the benefit of understanding and knowledge. The Ten Commandments are some of the most popular lines that Christians should memorize and know by heart. These lines have long served as Christians’ guiding passages and words towards the path to righteousness and morality. However, considering the generation today—when more and more people detest the idea of memorizing and reading very thick pages—will the Ten Commandments still possess their utmost effect? Will they be able to serve their purpose of guiding the people towards goodness when not all Christians nowadays are able to memorize them? In what ways can the Christian Church assure that people are still living up to the message presented by the Ten Commandments? These are just some of the uncertainties on the effectiveness of the Holy Bible in reminding people about the Ten Commandments. Is Reading Enough? Today, as the developments in the information technologies continue to rise, the usual activities like conversing, sending messages, and even reading can be done through the use of a computer and an internet connection. Considering this reality, doubts on whether people nowadays are still grasping the idea of the Ten Commandments by reading the Bible may arise. However, this can be possible if there are numerous electronic copies of the Holy Bible available for people to access anywhere, and such copies have plenty of attractive visual designs, as humans are inherently visual beings (Pahlavan 270). Human’s visual system is supported by other sensory organs which empower and strengthen its sensitivity to stimuli. Putting these facts in simpler terms, a person is said to have a natural tendency to prefer things which are more attractive to the sense of sight above other senses. Hence, it may be understandable why people tend to read more colorful and visually attractive materials compared to the intimidating and profound words of the Holy Bible. Knowing this, it can be inferred that putting a Bible beside a person who has the access to the internet and all its wonders would assure that that person would read it and understand what it says. Furthermore, people can no longer expect most children to prioritize the memorization of the Ten Commandments when they have all those tough and demanding homework and projects to do. Thus, is the Christian Church still assured that people read The Bible and the Ten Commandments everyday? If not, then how can the Ten Commandments be further promoted? Appealing to Human’s Visual Preference At present, the huge banners, billboards, posters, and different visual advertisements are typical scenery along roads, malls, and literally almost everywhere. Various creative, artistic, and innovative ways are now used just to disseminate information better. Nowadays, these methods are typically through very visual advertisements. The message of the Holy Bible, specifically the Ten Commandments, is considered as the most important and relevant teaching of the Christian faith. Compared to the public service announcements of the government, malls’ sales promotion, introduction of a new brand of soda, and all the other popular topics of ads today, it seems that the promotion of the Ten Commandments and all the other relevant messages of the Holy Bible has become a little unmerited. It is ironic that these messages are what appears to be the most significant and relevant messages for the people, yet why are there more ads for sodas, clothing lines, celebrities, and TV shows as compared to these important reminders? Also, if the Ten Commandments appear to be the greatest instructions and guidelines the people must comply with, why are there simpler and shorter road signs and traffic rules displayed compared to these profound yet very important words to follow and live by? This seems to be the greatest irony in today’s advertisements and visual display practices. The significance of the Ten Commandments has been an eternal and undying idea among Christians. People exactly know that the Ten Commandments are the written key for salvation and freedom for sin, yet these commandments are still left unadvertised and unannounced compared to how the big ad agencies promote different products which do not actually level to the significance of the Ten Commandments in people’s everyday lives. Looking at this truth, it may seem disturbing and appalling how people value information that modern advertisements promote while they leave the message of the Ten Commandments unnoticed or disregarded. It also seems depressing, considering how the attitude of people towards these commandments has changed over the generations. This change in attitude and interest might have been caused by the technological advancements that the intelligent and creative minds of people themselves have created. Thus, it may appear necessary for the advocates of the Holy Bible and the Ten Commandments to go and ride with the growing technology in order to assure that people are not forgetting the Ten Commandments. With this effort, it can also be assured that people will always be reminded about these commandments and what they really mean. The display of the Ten Commandments can be most typically seen in churches. People seldom see these messages displayed in billboards or in freedom walls and posters. However, knowing the importance of these commandments in the lives of people, will it be improper to publicly display this message, or is it more appropriate to leave these messages in the pages of the Bible, hence leaving the choice to people whether they will choose to read it or not. Considering the abovementioned claims about human beings as visual creatures, and about the growth of very powerful advertising techniques, it may indeed be necessary for the Ten Commandments to appeal to the human sense of sight in order to keep up with the powerful advertisements people see nowadays. There could be several ways on how this special message can be promoted in order not to violate other beliefs and culture. What matters most is to send the message and assure that Christians will always remember its significance wherever they go. A variety of learning theories attest that remembering does not usually happen in the blink of an eye. In reality, it actually takes most people a certain period of time to remember something and fully understand its meaning. Memorizing and remembering the Ten Commandment are not an easy task as well. It is not also everyday that a teacher asks their students to memorize the Ten Commandments. Thus, people are not really sure as to whether the Ten Commandments are still remembered and observed nowadays. With this, it only goes to show that proper endorsement, exposure, and promotion are what these commandments really need. If public displays make a brand of soda very popular worldwide, how much more help it could do if a list of simple messages would be displayed to remind the people about moral stability and righteousness of the world? If powerful advertisements can make a politician and a celebrity known globally, how much more can it remind people about God who should be the most influential and the most popular idol above anyone else? This is not a major impossibility; people are just being hesitant to make it happen. The Bottom Line The Ten Commandments, in reality, may not be the most popular set of phrases and commands there are for people to remember. Yet, these commandments must be the most popular and the most significant set of messages that people should remember to live by everyday. While most people nowadays tend to overlook and disregard the Ten Commandments, people can never deny or refute the fact that the commandments are the simplest and the most fundamental set of laws that Christians must follow each day of their lives in order to preserve their moral stability and their positive and open connection to the Lord. The Ten Commandments are even considered as the fence which, when broken, may let a sheep out in an open field without any direction and sense of security (Frederick 1). It does not actually take a Bible genius to understand and fully grasp the message of the Ten Commandments; what someone needs is a person who is ready and willing to embrace what the Ten Commandments say in order to understand it fully. Perhaps, having these commandments displayed publicly may not violate God’s will, for it might even give Him great help in disseminating the good news. If people are able to remember the many traffic rules there are on the roads. It may not be that hard to remember these simple commandments. If people are able to internalize popular phrases and quotes from politicians, it may not be that impossible as well for them to grasp what God is trying to teach people through the Ten Commandments. People are not always reminded everyday about the importance of the Ten Commandments and how these commandments should be lived out as well. Thus, displaying these special messages for public view may appear not just as a reminder but as an eternal and unchanging message as well of how the Lord wants His people to be always righteous and be on the right track. Works Cited Frederick, Allen. â€Å"Do the Ten Commandments Matter? †. Helium. com. 13 March 2009 . Pahlavan, Kourosh. â€Å"Designing an Anthropomorphic Head-Eye System. † Visual Attention and Cognition. Eds. C. Freska, H. S. Stiehl, and W. H. Zangemeister. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier Science, 1996. 269-292.

Personality Profile of Barrack Obama

Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States of America on the 20th January of the year 2009 (Rollason, 2010). It was undoubtedly a monumental moment as he was the first African American president in the history of America. President Obama, in many ways, has been relatively compared so frequently to prestigiously remembered figure; Martin Luther King Jr (Abramsky, 2009). Critics and supporters alike have labeled Obama as being the once-in-a-lifetime charismatic leader (Abramsky, 2009).While some extremist critics was convinced that he could be a Manchurian candidate in a covert mission to sabotage the American way of life (Abramsky, 2009), most are unable to deny that he exudes the characteristic of leader, profoundly shifting the American psyche and minds alike and shining a beacon of hope to a society that much needed to believe in the American’s dream. Obama displayed the intellects of his genetics’ makeup; his mother and father whom both studied in Ha waii University. He possesses the profiles of his father; ambitiousness, articulateness and also the self confidence in the way he project himself to the world.Wayne (2010) elaborated on the social consciousness which is evidently inherited from his mother, Ann Dunham, as Obama has occasionally demonstrate that he is a listener, consistently seeking common grounds, showed his willingness to compromise, his marked adaptability and flexibility to changes which contribute significantly thereby earning him a place to where he is right now; a stark difference to his father, Barrack Obama Sr. , who was always quoted to be a bossy and possessing an unrelenting personality. In all of the political settings, Obama is quick to master the rules of the game (Abramsky, 2009).He understood the importance of the creation of close-knit group within the high echelons. His comprising manner and cool temperament image often exceeded him; he is cautious to rein in his anger when opponents pressed him, capable of masking his emotions thereby gaining a chance to regroup himself and very much aware and in control of his body language (Wayne, 2010: Abramsky, 2009: Winter, 2011). His most distinct trait was his unmistaken calmness which quickly garnered him the â€Å"No Drama Obama† tittle (Winter, 2011).Winter (2011) later suggested that Obama could be high on the emotional stability. Greenstein (2009) and Renshon (2008) mentioned Obama’s openness to the view of others; getting counsel from former opponents and allies before reaching to a decision, affirming the evidence that he is high to openness to experience (McCrae & Costa, 2008; Wiggins, 1996). Openness to experience is one of the five major clusters of traits or the â€Å"big five† model which also consist of agreeableness, conscientiousness and emotional stability (Winter, 2011).Obama is also prudent in planning and when he set a course, he methodically and systematically follows through it (Abramsky, 200 9). His elaborate and time consuming process in decision-making point that Obama is rather high on conscientiousness (Wayne, 2010: Winter, 2011). The tricky part will be distinguishing the agreeableness and extraversion. Though one might agree, having his life exposed in the world certainly merit him to a certain degree of extraversion but on a contrary, Obama still exudes a certain level of enigma and mystery.Some observers cited him as being â€Å"cold† (Dowling & Warner, 2010). Interestingly, Wayne (2010) describes that as part of Obama’s â€Å"mystic† (p. 11). Overall, Abramsky (2009) stated that Obama’s presidency is no ordinary presidency. Due to the nature of his virtue, personality and historical legacy created by his campaign and his election, it has monolithically change the paradigms of how America view itself and the expectations of the future in its view of restructuring America in events of an economy collapse. Abramsky (2009) further stress ed that overwhelmingly, voters trusted Obama.Wayne (2010) however has a rather encompassing perspective. Wayne (2010) questioned readers whether Obama is a philosopher king; due to the fact that he is politically liberal, possess a distinctive cognitive style and eloquence in delivering speech; or is he simply a polarizing politician judging by the fact that he garners support specifically due to his complexity of his race and the prejudice that surround it. As Max Weber (2009) concluded in his book, â€Å"It takes both passion (polarizing politician) and perspective (philosopher-king)† (p. 28) to be able to ride the waves of a political settings. References: Abramsky, S. (2009): Inside Obama’s Brain, Penguin Group, United States of America: Penguin Books Ltd. Dowling, S. , & Warner, M. B. (2010, November 4). Obama comes across as cold, arrogant, and elitist. Spiegel Online. http://www. spiegel. de/international/world/the-world-from-berlin-obama-comes-a cross-as-cold-a rrogant-and-elitist-a-727235-druck. html [3 March 2013] Greenstein, F. I. (2009). The presidential difference: Leadership style from FDR to Barack Obama (3rd Ed. . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Renshon, S. A. (2008). Psychological reflections on Barack Obama and John McCain: Assessing the contours of a new presidential administration. Political Science Quarterly, 123(3), 391–433. Rollason, J. (2010): Barack Obama, Scholastic Ltd, London: Euston House. McCrae, R. R. , & Costa, P. T. , Jr. 2008. The five-factor theory of personality. In O. P. John, R. W. Robins, & L. A. Pervin (Eds. ), Handbook of personality theory and research (3rd Ed. , pp. 114–158).New York: Guilford. Wayne, S. J. 2010. The Impact of Personality on Performance: Barack Obama in Presidency. The American University, http://www. american. edu/spa/ccps/upload/AUS-Wayne-paper. pdf [3 Mar 2013]. Weber, M. (2009): Essays in sociology (pp. 77–128). New York: 2009. Wiggins, J. S. (Ed. ). (1 996). The five-factor model of personality: Theoretical perspectives. New York: Guilford. Winter, D. G. (2011): ‘Philosopher-King or Polarizing Politician? : A Personality Profile of Barack Obama’, Political Psychology, 32: 1059-81.

Stress2 essays

Stress2 essays Psychological stress is a result of many factors and should be dealt with very carefully. Stress can be defined as a set of interactions between the person and the environment that result in an unpleasant emotional state, such as anxiety, tension, guilt, or shame (swin pg 1). Another way of putting it, is that there are somethings that put certain demands on us. The effects of stress should not be limited to unpleasant emotional states. Many studies have concluded that the effects on our physical health from stress can be extremely detrimental. These adverse physical effects include heart disease and formations of cancer. There are also some societal issues that psychological stress can hamper. There are numerous elements that trigger the effects of psychological stress. Frustration is one of these elements that will trigger stress. Frustration is one of the most prevalent sources of stress in my life at this moment. A lot of different events will cause frustration. Frustration occurs from something blocking our attainment of certain goals or needs (Corey 207). All of the little things that frustrate us include waiting in lines or traffic, sense of failure or inadequacies, bad relationships, deaths, and loneliness. Self-defeating thoughts are a way in which we almost deliberately block attainment of our needs. If in our heads, we have this preconceived notion that we are incapable of obtaining something that we want or that others could not possibly love us, we create a self-fulfilling prophecy. I used the word "deliberately" in describing self-doubt because we have the ability to change these misinformed thoughts. Major life changes whether it be positive or negative can lead to very stressful situations. In our society, many people fall into a rut of everyday life and fear change to their daily routines. When any kind of change occurs it is very traumatic. There are many chang...

Crisis Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Crisis Management - Essay Example governments all over the world have initiated disaster management programs that are focused upon providing early warning signs about an imminent disaster and have also introduced action plans to educate members of the public and make them aware of measures they need to institute in order to be effectively prepared in the event of a natural disaster occurring. While there have been several disasters in the United States, one of the most memorable ones is the Katrina disaster, which resulted in losses of life and property that could have been easily prevented. Federalism is the system whereby certain portfolios are designated under State authority while others such as defense are under the Federal Government’s control. The Katrina disaster caused havoc in the state of Louisiana in particular and has come under sharp criticism because it was ineffectively managed. There was a lack of effective coordination between federal and State agencies in executing the Disaster Management Plan that was already in place. The FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) in the United States has been subject to sharp criticism on account of its bungling and mismanagement of the Katrina disaster which struck on August 29th, highlighted especially in the incident at the Convention Center in New Orleans where 25,000 people remained stranded for four days before they were rescued.(www.abc.go.com). The State of Louisiana has an exhaustive Hurricane Disaster Plan. [Tapscott, 2005] which called for citizens to be evacuated early, however, none of the guidelines were followed, neither did the FEMA respond quickly and effectively to the disaster [Editorial, 2005]. Losses of life and property have been reported on an unprecedented scale. Although Federal response to disasters had already been initiated in past years for flood and earthquake control, the efforts were still largely decentralized until 1979 when the FEMA came into being. The Katrina problems however, arose because of

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) - Essay Example According to studies, the price of RFID will approach $0.05-0.10 if purchased in bulk. When this trend continues, it would not be long before the market will lean towards the RFID due to cost-effectiveness, thus, possibly defeating the role of barcodes that are widely used for commercial purposes with about 5 billion worldwide occurrences daily. One of the organisations that are working to regularise RFID is the EPCGlobal Inc., which is a cooperative effort between UCC and EAN. These are the two parties responsible for the application of barcodes in the U.S. and Europe market (RSA Security, 2004b). Through the advantages brought about by the RFID, problems in the privacy of consumers are raised by certain groups. Concerns on the possibility of detecting the possessions of the consumers without their knowledge are the main objective of these groups. If access of being able to detect and read the RFID were given to the wrong hands, possibility such as robbery and other crimes is at hand. Also, the business groups perceive the possibility of RFID being a tool for company surveillance. As a possible answer to the security issues, RSA Security provides ways to validate RFID readers and to be able to make protected internal transactions (RSA Security, 2004a). The Radio-F... Upon activation from the reading device, the RFID tag sends a signal which can be translated as a distinct number that can identify the particular item. In this effect, the RFID tag does not require a power source because it can be considered as inert and works only when stimulated. There are already practical uses of this technology. One application is for proximity cards that are used more conveniently than metal keys. Other examples include payment devices such as Speedpass, E-Z Pass and FasTrak. Another advantage is for identification of lost pets wherein RFID tags implanted through surgical procedure can be scanned to be able to determine the owner even if other sorts of identification are lost (RSA Security, 2004b). Basic System Schematic Source: RF-ID.com Important technologies led to the development of the RFID. One invention that can be related to the evolution of this technology is the apparatus for the Soviet government with the main purpose of surveillance made by Lon Theremin in 1945. It works through a process similar to the RFID wherein activation was possible through the intercepted radio waves and audio information. According to references, technology applied in the RFID was present in the 1920s although it was also stated that such application was just discovered in the 1960s (AIM, n.d). Another technology that may have an influence in the RFID development was the IFF transponder in 1939 that belongs to the British and was used during the World War II. Using this technology, they were able to determine whether airplanes are enemies and which are allies. In the study of RFID, one of the earliest people who made interest on the technology is Harry Stockman in his work "Communication by Means of Reflected