Freedom of Expression and Social Norms in the Second Life Essay - 1

Freedom of Expression and Social Norms in the Second Life - Essay Example Although the virtual world has been in existence for quite some time, its significance had not been clear until I read the book by Boellstroff. I realized that the virtual world means more than just communication to its residents. Freedom of communication and expression is the primary force behind the existence of the virtual world. Communication in the real world is usually subject to communication barriers due to differences in cultural, ethnic, social, and personal communication skills. However, this is not the case in virtual worlds such as second life. In the virtual world, a person or resident has the ability to choose an identity unlike in the real world. This makes it possible for people to communicate freely in the virtual world irrespective of their social norms in the real world. By being able to choose a race, color, gender, profession, social class, and other factors, many barriers are eliminated, at least to some extent. Absolute freedom in the virtual world is limited due to factors such as language barrier, internet connectivity, among others. The capability to choose one’s identity in the virtual world is also significant in the enhancement of anonymity in the virtual world. From the book, I learned that lack of identity in the virtual world is of great importance in the enhancement of communication. In the virtual world, people have the choice to remain anonymous. This makes it possible to express themselves freely unlike in the real world. I was surprised to learn that in the virtual world it is possible to maintain a friendship with your best real friend anonymously. Most importantly, it is possible to interact freely with your enemies and other people who are out of reach in the real world. The author of the book emphasizes this point by stating that people can hide their identity to the extent of their genders (Boelstroff, 2008: 61).

Compare 3 different conceptual approaches to global supply chains Essay

Compare 3 different conceptual approaches to global supply chains examining their differences and similarities - Essay Example Effective supply chain management is made possible by the use of effective communication, information, trust and cooperation. Global commodity chain (GCC) approach consists of â€Å"set of interorganisational networks clustered around one commodity or product, linking households, enterprises and states to one another within the world economy† (Gereffi & Korzeniewicz, 1994). The global production network (GPN) approach involves the existence of circuits that function in an interconnected way to conduct operation and transactions for the production of specific services and products for distribution and consumption (Dicken, 2011). As opposed to the concept of ‘chains’ which follow a vertical mono-linear structure, the GPNs are ‘networks’ that spread in multiple directions i.e. vertical, horizontal, diagonal etc. Christopher (2011) asserts that it should be kept in mind that supply chain is different from ‘vertical integration’. As far as the complexity is concerned, the structures of GPNs are far more complex and inter-woven when compared to chains. This extreme complexity is driven by the patterns of demands that exist worldwide. Global supply chain management is more inclined towards addressing the issue of supply to the end users of products. As a result of this, the competition between different firms can be seen at grass root level. This is due to the fact that every firm is striving to achieve the aim of reducing costs in a competitive market to maximize profits. The GPNs on the other hands are more concerned with the issues of supply that are faced by producers of the products. At this end, the problems are more related to the matters regarding acquisition of raw materials on lowest possible prices from suppliers around the world. The areas of focus related to GPNs include territoriality, domestic actors like