Saturday, August 22, 2020

My Metamorphosis to a Reasonably Confident Adult :: Personal Narrative Writing

My Metamorphosis to a Reasonably Confident Adult In grade school, I can recollect being offended and mortified in light of the fact that I showed qualities a portion of my companions thought were female. I was educated that I strolled, talked, and by and large acted like a young lady. I review sentiments of outrage and disdain blended in with disgrace and reluctance. I asked why I was being singled out. Presently I understood that each kid who gave some hint of womanliness was singled out, not simply me. At that point, obviously, I thought I was the one and only one. I attempted to conjecture regarding why I was being offended. Perhaps this pink shirt is excessively energetic, I thought. Perhaps my hair is excessively long. Possibly there is simply some kind of problem with me. As I entered middle school, I started to deliberately dispense with any practices, idiosyncrasies, and so forth that might be seen as female. All things considered, fitting in with my misogynist, homophobic companions was my fundamental goal. I wore manly dress (dull hues, business shirts, workboots), got a short hair style, and brought down my voice around three octaves when I talked. Exercise center class was my most exceedingly terrible fear. As Cooper Thompson says, Serious activites . . . too effortlessly become an exercise in the requirement for sturdiness, safety, and strength. This was 100% valid in my middle school. The most rough children governed the rec center class, and they got the most acknowledgment from the educator. On the off chance that one of them made a savage tackle in a football match-up, for example, he would be extolled by the educator, who called such children men. obviously, I felt like not exactly a man, since I was unable to play sports for my life. This loathsome truth was uncovered each time exercise center class met, and I was humiliated. Disappointed with my clumsiness, I went through hours rehearsing without anyone else: shooting bushels, hitting balls, anything to increase some physical coordination. By and large, I giggle about how much exertion I put into dazzling my companions in rec center class! In the end, P.E. didn't embar rass me so much, yet dread of disparagement kept me from ever going for a group. In secondary school, I made a couple of old buddies individuals who like me for the manner in which I was and couldn't have cared less in the event that I was bumbling at specific things. Notwithstanding, sentiments of frailty despite everything waited. I was unnerved that young ladies wouldn't care for me on the off chance that I didn't act like a genuine man (whatever that is).

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Using Badoo for Business Purposes

Using Badoo for Business Purposes For those unfamiliar with Badoo, Badoo is a social network site headquartered in London (with offices in Moscow, Cyprus, Malta, Miami, and Prague, among other cities), and founded in 2006. Badoo counts a user base of over 200 million (as of January 2014) and, while is available in 180 countries, it is most popular in Italy, France, Spain, and Latin America. Badoo allows users to search for user profiles in close proximity, and is used predominantly for dating purposes. It operates on a freemium model, monetizing its users’ desires to increase their visibility with other users on the site.Among other premium features Badoo offers its users is Rise Up, which moves your profile to the top of the search results for any user nearby looking, and Spotlight, which moves your photo to the top of the search results page. By choosing Encounters, you will see profiles of those who match your criteria in nearby cities and areas. And by paying for a Super Powers package, you can see who wants to meet you, increase your ability to search Badoo’s user base, customize your profile, and highlight the visibility of your private message. In 2011, Badoo’s hook-up functionality accounted for approximately 80% of the site’s usage, according to its CEO Bart Swanson, numbers which likely do not vary much today. © Shutterstock.com | Denys PrykhodovOk, you might be thinking. This sounds great for my personal life, but how exactly can my business use Badoo? In this article, we will cover 1) the history of Badoo, 2) the purpose of Badoo,   3) the benefits of Badoo, 4) setting up a Badoo account, 5) using Badoo for business, 6) Badoo key terms, 7) best practices for using Badoo, and 8) a case study of a business using Badoo.HISTORY OF BADOOTo understand how Badoo can be used by your brand or business, it is important to understand its history, purpose, and business model. Badoo was founded by Russian tech entrepreneur Andrey Andreev, after his earlier successes with Spylog, Begun, and Mamba, respectively. The last of these businesses, Mamba, a dating service launched in 2004, was where Andreev first explored the possibility of offering subscribers enhanced visibility for a fee. The site was profitable in its second month, driven by this business model. After Mamba was sold in 2007, Andreev focu sed his full attention on Badoo, obtaining $30 million in venture capital in 2008.Andreev initially launched Badoo in Spain in late 2006, as a then-unprofitable photo-sharing website. Retooling it as a site for meeting new people in 2008 after a year of rising growth and low revenue, Andreev’s fledgling site grew dramatically. By 2009, the site had nearly 50 million users, 10 million of whom were paying premium prices to increase their visibility on the site. Most of these users were in Europe initially. However, Badoo has been launched in a number of other countries since, including the U.S. on March 23, 2012, with marketing campaigns launched in New York, Miami, Houston, and Los Angeles, among other cities.Badoo has endured some controversy for its aggressive marketing practices, namely spam-like email marketing sent to users. Badoo uses what is known as “opt-out marketing”, meaning it continually emails users and the contacts they share with Badoo until they specifically op t-out of email notifications. It also has received some notoriety from users who have used the site and app for criminal purposes, and usage by underage individuals (though the firm continually monitors to ensure this does not happen). Nevertheless, it remains immensely popular around the world.Robert Scoble Interviews Ben Ling, COO of Badoo at LeWeb London 2012 PURPOSE OF BADOOThe purpose of Badoo, says its founder Andreev in a 2012 interview with TechCrunch, is “about making it ‘as easy as possible to bring people together, so they can chat, make friends, date, and have fun.’” In another interview in 2012, he has described Badoo as a “nightclub on your phone.” While Badoo is heavily used for dating and/or hooking up, its real value lies in what is known, in industry parlance, as “social discovery.” Social discovery is: “the act of a website presenting content that is predicted to be desirable or relevant to a person based on that person’s social preferences.” In Badoo’s case, it is paired with IP-based geolocation, the basis of location marketing, to satisfy a user’s desire for real-time in-person social interaction. In a 2011 interview with Wired, Badoo CEO Bart Swanson said of Badoo’s unique model:“The opportunity for people discovery [through Badoo] is a horrendously large market its a confluence of social, proximity, mobile, and its extremely local. The basic mechanism of what Andrey has developed is genius just like Google with its AdWords, its people paying for self-promotion. And it works. BENEFITS OF BADOOBusinesses and brands using Badoo enjoy many benefits. However, you should closely examine your brand to determine whether it can be safely aligned with Badoo’s brand and reputation.Badoo targets a young, wired, demographic from around the world; firms using it as part of their marketing mix will be able to target this demographic. This is also helpful for brands looking to project a young, hip image. And because th e site is designed to encourage continuously meeting new people, Badoo users are very active and engaged. Badoo’s users are twice as engaged on mobile phones as on the Web.Because Badoo can be used to find people in proximity to its users, it can be and has been used for networking purposes other than dating. Further, site usage is often dictated by the cultural norms of its users’ countries. “In many countries the service is used for friendship rather than flirting. People bring their own social conventions with them,  Mr. Andreev says.” This offers marketers the chance to drive offline traffic to specific locations. While firms like Foursquare have a dominant position in location-based marketing for businesses, marketers looking to hold social, branded events can use Badoo to increase attendance.A further benefit of Badoo has less to do with Badoo itself, but with its business model of location-based social discovery, of which Badoo is a global pioneer. Many industries, es pecially entertainment, hospitality, and media, can greatly improve their digital marketing efforts by integrating this into their plans. Combining social discovery with a freemium monetization model (i.e. monetizing extra features and/or extra visibility) can be extremely lucrative as evidenced by Badoo’s $200 million in annual revenue.For example, hotels whose online websites and mobile apps offer virtual concierge services (e.g. users recommendations and discounts to hotel guests), could also allow them to meet other Guests or local residents, potentially heightening their experience. The hotel could offer free location recommendations and charge for social recommendations or vice versa. As you can see, Badoo itself provides businesses a valuable case study in location-based social discovery.SETTING UP A BADOO ACCOUNTSetting up a Badoo account as an individual is simple. Simply visit www.badoo.com and fill out the required fields: Email Address, First Name, Birthday, Zip Code, Gender and Looking For. Then click Sign Up and open your email account to confirm and complete your registration. © BadooYou can also sign up by allowing Badoo to access your Facebook account. To take full advantage of Badoo’s social discovery features, however, it is critical to download the Badoo mobile app also, which is available on Android, iOS, Blackberry and Windows smartphones. The exact steps vary depending platform, but, fundamentally, to download it, take your mobile phone, visit your respective app store, and click install. If you have already signed up, sign in. If you have not you will follow a similar process to the steps above on your mobile device.Businesses can join Badoo’s White Label program, which allows them to create a branded design for your business for free. Brands can use the site to sell advertising and Badoo’s premium features to their customers who use Badoo. To do so, visit this. USING BADOO FOR BUSINESSBeyond the White Label program, a presence on Badoo offers brands a number of opportunities, including word-of-mouth advertising opportunities, affiliate mar keting, and targeted marketing in countries with heavy Badoo usage.Targeting marketingBrands looking to target 18-to-35 year olds in Latin America and Europe are well-served by Badoo. A branded presence there can reach a socially connected and active crowd, especially if your firm has offices and events in those geographic areas. Further, Badoo collects considerable geo-demographic information on its users, allowing you to refine your marketing efforts, when you access premium features like SuperPowers.Increasing visibilityBadoo’s business model is all about increasing visibility. The firm offers brands and businesses an affiliate marketing program and a corporate Badoo site through the White Label which can help you get in front of your target audiences online. Further, smart marketers, who figure out ways to join in the conversation rather than just advertise (for example through branded and/or nonbranded company-hosted meetups or events), have an opportunity to engage existing and potential customers directly.AdvertisingBadoo’s advertising opportunities are all through its aforementioned White Label program, wherein you sell Badoo ads and packages on your branded Badoo social media portal. You can place ads on this portal for your firm, as well as other marketing content. Though Badoo itself is ad-free, firms whose staff members create profiles on the site can drive users to perform specific tasks through direct outreach to contacts (word of mouth advertising) on Badoo. Product placement is a possibility, as Badoo is heavily photo-oriented. Depending on your brand, product(s), budget, and marketing goals, it may be worth it to ask popular Badoo users to feature your products in their photos. Further, Badoo’s CMO has discussed plans for both ads and games on the site in the future.Affiliate marketingFor small businesses, Badoo’s affiliate program is easy to implement and affords marketers and webmasters a variety of creative Badoo-branded content to feature on their websites and/or corporate blogs, up to 75% commission, and a high conversion rate. While this may not be a good fit for your corporate site, it may work for a minimally branded microsite you set up or a White Label site you request of Badoo and promote to your customers.BADOO KEY TERMSKey to using Badoo is understanding its user features, as they greatly enhance the Badoo experience:Icebreaker â€" a Badoo feature that provides conversation prompts to users to facilitate chats.Interests â€" a section that allows users to fill out their own interests (unlike many dating sites with pre-formatted interest sections).Encounters â€" Badoo’s geolocation feature, which allows you to see which Badoo users are in close proximity.Super Powers â€" a premium Badoo package that allows you to see enhanced information, including who likes you, who wants to meet you, and more.Rise Up â€" premium Badoo feature that displays your photo at the top of a search page.Spotlight â€" premiu m Badoo feature the displays your profile at the top of the page and increases your visibility in search results.BEST PRACTICES FOR USING BADOOBefore you get involved with Badoo as a marketer and/or entrepreneur, here are a few key best practices for using the site:Have a standout photo on your profile. Post high-quality photos that have the potential to cut through the clutter, as Badoo is awash in photos.Avoid synching your contacts who do not use Badoo with the site immediately, as Badoo’s opt-out marketing approach is a turn-off for some users (and users will see that you invited them to the site). Instead, first target your customers and target consumers who are already using the site. Then come up with ways to invite and incentivize Badoo usage among your existing customers who are not using the site.Make sure you have a written social media plan that is clear and read by any staff members who use Badoo to promote your firm.Badoo is used for social purposes. Don’t market y our brand. Involve the human aspects of it in the Badoo conversation.Keep in mind the differing social conventions by location. Some more conservative countries Badoo users use the site to find new friends, while some more liberal countries are more prone to use it to hook up. Keep your messaging appropriate to these social norms.Badoo is Best practices for location-based social discovery:Have a well-designed mobile app/mobile experience. A single encounter with a clunky interface may be all that it takes to permanently turn a customer off of your app…and a potential customer off of your brand.Avoid sending people marketing messages and offers for which they have not signed up. This is seen as intrusive and can alienate customers and targeted consumers.Use the freemium model. The notion of missing out on an experience, especially a social one, is a very compelling proposition for many people, as evidenced by Badoo’s financial success. That $200 million dollars is people paying f or premium features to get more socially engaged.Protect the privacy of your users by instituting measures to protect them from spam and offers from third-parties.Don’t always sell in your marketing messaging. Instead, think of this as another part of your story.Develop apps in accordance with industry standards, guidelines for which are available at the Mobile Marketing Association’s website.Pair meeting new people with finding new locations for a rich social discovery experience.CASE STUDYBadoo’s launch in New York City is a great case study itself of how brands, particularly fashion brands and celebrities, can use Badoo to enhance their profile. Badoo launched in New York with “The Badoo Project” in early 2012. This launch, featuring press engagements by celebrity spokesman comedian Nick Cannon, gave 1,000 New Yorkers the opportunity to have their photos taken by celebrity fashion photographers, with a small number of them to be featured on a series of print advertiseme nts featured around New York City. The buzz surrounding this project led the slots to fill up quickly and created favorable media impressions from participants, such as this one and this one. Fashion was on display, as some media outlets even took note of the clothes Nick Cannon, a non-participant in the photoshoot itself, wore to the photoshoot.A fashion firm, inspired by the Badoo Project, might hold a photoshoot with participants, wearing branded apparel, vying for slots in an advertising campaign with creative appearing on Badoo among other outlets. Similar campaigns could be conducted using product placement.

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Helpful Discussion Questions for The Necklace

​The Necklace is a favorite French short story by  Guy de Maupassant. A tragic piece about vanity, materiality, and pride, its definitely a humbling story that will get rid of any little girl or boys princess complex. Although short, Maupassant packs many themes, symbols, and even a surprise ending into The Necklace. Here are some discussion questions helpful for teachers or anyone looking to talk about the story.   Lets start from the very beginning with the title. By titling his work, The Necklace, Maupassant is immediately notifying readers to pay special attention to this object. What does the necklace symbolize? What theme does the necklace convey?  What other themes exist in the story?   Turning towards the setting, this story takes place in Paris.  Why did Maupassant decide to set this story in Paris? What was the social context of life in Paris at the time, and does it relate to The Necklace? Although Mathilde is at the center of the story, lets consider the other characters as well: Monsier Loisel and Madame Forestier. How do they advance Maupassants ideas? What role do they play in this story? Speaking of characters, do you find the characters likable, or detestable? Does your opinion of the characters change throughout the story? Finally, lets talk about the end. Maupassant is known for springing twist-endings on his readers. Did you think the ending to The Necklace was unexpected? If so, why?   Lets take this discussion beyond just analyzing the story; did you like The Necklace? Would you recommend it to your friends?

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Essay on Marijuana Addiction in Adolescents - 630 Words

Marijuana Addiction in Adolescents Marijuana is one of the most commonly used drugs in the Nation and the world. In an article by Gray (2007) he states that â€Å"42% of high school seniors have tried marijuana, 18% have used it in the past 30 days, and 5% use it daily. Among adolescents aged 12 to 17, 3.6% met criteria for cannabis use disorder (abuse or dependence) and 2% met criteria for cannabis dependence†. Gray (2007) also explains how easily adolescents say it is to obtain marijuana these days. The article also states that there is evidence to prove that marijuana use may lead to â€Å"hard† drug use, academic failure, and more. With those who use marijuana chronically it may lead to impairing of the immune†¦show more content†¦Since the DSM-IV has been released, significant evidence has been found that withdrawal from marijuana can be supported. Gray (2007) explains that symptoms of marijuana withdrawal may include the following â€Å"emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms th at include anger and aggression, anxiety, decreased appetite and weight loss, irritability, restlessness, and sleep difficulty. Less frequent but sometimes present are depressed mood, stomach pain and physical discomfort, shakiness, and sweating†. Withdrawal for marijuana and most substances usually occurs within twenty-four hours of termination. The symptoms of withdrawal may last from days to weeks. Gray (2007) states that recently adolescents have been the focus of marijuana withdrawal and there have been studies done to observe how adolescents act in a treatment center and on their own. Throughout the process of cessation of marijuana, cravings do occur, just like with many other substances. Gray (2007) says that â€Å"cravings and urges are considered to reflect the fundamental motivational processes that maintain continued drug use†. A paradigm was created to test cravings for marijuana on adolescents who have recently stopped using. In this paradigm a rese archer presents cues associated with marijuana, for example: drug paraphernalia, the sight of someone smoking, the smell of the marijuana, etc. This has shown to increase cravings for the substance, also, a higher heart rate hasShow MoreRelatedMarijuana Is A Safe And Non Addictive Drug1094 Words   |  5 Pagesis Marijuana, which is made from a Cannabis plant (Merrill 308). Many people have come to the conclusion that Marijuana is a safe and non-addictive drug because of the legalization of Marijuana in the United States. Unbeknown to the public, the carcinogenic compounds are actually greater in Marijuana than in cigarettes (Cohen, qtd. in Margolis 9). Subsequently, studies show that Marijuana ultimately impacts every primary system in the body (Margolis 12). 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Key Functions of Education from a Functionalist Perspective Free Essays

What are the key functions of education from a Functionalist Perspective? Ever since the education system was invented, there have been a lot of ideas and criticisms of how it should work. The most famous sociological groups, functionalists and Marxists, were part of this and still are today. They both think that their views are best for society. We will write a custom essay sample on Key Functions of Education from a Functionalist Perspective or any similar topic only for you Order Now Talcott Parsons believes that the education system has three main functions. Firstly it socializes young people into key cultural values such as equality of opportunity, competition and religious morality. Education is said by functionalists (especially Durkheim) to emphasize moral responsibilities in society that people should have towards each other. If these norms were not passed down through generations then there would be a tendency for individualism (where people believe that they are more important than social groups). Citizenship and religious education were introduced as compulsory subjects in schools to see that young people did things with thought for the society. The second function is to do with the skills that education teaches children, from literacy and numeracy to more job-specific skills. Occupational jobs are becoming more specialized and this in turn will lead to more years in education. The final function of education, according to functionalists is the allocating of roles of young people in society. Examinations and qualifications are said to allocate people for their most suited job. The equality of opportunity took place and so higher talented people are given the most functionally important jobs for the society. Parsons was criticized as he failed to consider that the values transmitted by the educational system may be those of a ruling minority rather than society as a whole. Like parsons, functionalists Davis and Moore saw education as a means of selecting or shifting people for different levels of the jobs market and ensuring that the most talented and qualified individuals are allocated to the most important jobs with high rewards. Society is therefore meritocracy in which people are rewarded for intelligence, ability and effort. They where criticized because the relationship between academic credentials and occupational reward is not close. Income is only weakly linked to educational attainment. There is doubt about the proposition that the educational system grades people in terms of ability. It has been argued that intelligence is so difficult to pin down that school achievement can never equal ‘intelligence’. While Marxists do share many ideas of functionalists e. g. the fact that education prepares us for out acceptance of the values of society they also see how the education system is alienating children. Functionalists, on the other hand, seem unable to see this and believe that the education system can only do well to children by teaching them norms and values. Functionalists where criticized because as Marxists say, education system is not meritocratic as there are the influence of class, ethnicity and gender. How to cite Key Functions of Education from a Functionalist Perspective, Papers

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Macbeth And Lies Essays - Characters In Macbeth,

Macbeth And Lies Shakespeare's Macbeth is saturated with thought-provoking situations and enigmas. Many of these enigmas are contradictions or overlapping puzzles. Equivocations, or things said alongside their opposites, occur often in the play. The presence of the supernatural also enhances the eluding effect. Finally, statements made by characters analyzing their own situations often illustrate the idea of illusion versus actuality. This theme of truth and reality opposing fallacy and fantasy is a prominent idea in Macbeth. Throughout the play, especially in the first act, duality and contradiction is commonly mentioned. Initially, this is seen as the witches speak in the opening scene. "Fair is foul," they say, "and foul is fair" (I, 1, 12). The Weird sisters also speak in this manner when they address Banquo. They tell him he will be "Lesser than Macbeth and greater" (I, 3, 68). Although this seems perplexing, one later finds that what they say is true; though Banquo does not become a king he is a better man than Macbeth. In the fourth act, many things "double." The witches wish upon Macbeth double the pain, and he wants to be double sure about himself. Another example of equivocation is the imaginary liar the drunken porter allows into the gates of hell. This further proves that this eluding form of speech is wicked and deserves punishment. By saying two separate things together as truth, one is unsure about the validity of the statement. Another confusing aspect of Macbeth is the reality of the impossible and supernatural. The witches, whether real or illusion, had an enormous effect on the lives of the characters. They make Macbeth believe he has control over his fate, and by doing so they have changed his fate. The apparitions they bring about also have great impact on Macbeth's plans and state of mind. These images contradict one another, making him be more concerned with which statement is true, than the apparitions' own legitimacy. One, an armed head, cries, "Beware Macduff!/ Beware the Thane of Fife!" (IV, 1, 81-82). The next ghost, a bloody child, tells Macbeth, "Laugh to scorn/The power of man, for none of woman born/ shall harm Macbeth" (IV, 1, 90-93). One would be skeptical of these prophecies, because one says to beware Macduff and another says not to fear anyone. Macbeth, however, continues to put his trust in them, and this leads to his downfall. The dramatic climax occurs when Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo sitting at his dinner table. He is the only one who can see the ghost, and the dinner guests think their host is going crazy. Certainly, the existence of this ghost, visible only to one man, is questionable. Through all their trials, the main characters agree that appearance is often a poor indication of reality. This is seen from the point of view of both the liars and the deceived. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth say that they should hide their ambitions from Duncan and the other guests. "False face must hide what the false heart doth know," says Macbeth at the close of Act 1 (I, 7, 95). Lady Macbeth encourages herself and her husband to pretend to be peaceful but be offensive and wicked. There is also a lot of mention of clothes, which cover and loosely hide what is truly underneath. Malcolm, who is cautious of cover-ups and lies, eloquently says to Macduff, "Though all things foul would wear the brows of grace/ Yet grace must still look so" (IV, 3, 29-30). This means that everything, even evil things, can appear harmless and pure. Nothing should be judged only by its visible attributes. The dual nature of people and situations, confusing the issue of fact and fantasy, is a major theme illustrated in Macbeth. This is seen first through the equivocations of the Weird sisters and others. Also, the supernatural beings and occurrences reinforce the idea. Lastly, characters' notice of the triviality of appearance further demonstrates the theme. Because Macbeth was too trusting in that which could not be trusted, he was bound to fall tragically.