A Research on Communication Technologies and Their Applications Essay

A Research on Communication Technologies and Their Applications - Essay Example This usage may include meetings, trainings and other organizational activities. Cliftons (2012) rightly argue that videoconferencing â€Å"overcomes the problems inherent in communications between regional business centres as well as enabling [the management] to keep in touch with key people whilst away from their office.† It is a matter of in-depth research to determine the exact nature of this technology, explaining the principle behind its operation and conferencing process. An excellent resource for videoconferencing as is the case for almost all things, people, places, and so forth is, of course, Wikipedia. This website has detailed information on this technology. However, it is widely recognized that the site is unreliable and is not often recommended by academic institutions as a resource. Nonetheless, the website proved an effective starting ground that informed this researcher’s efforts at investigating videoconferencing technology. The information provided in the website offered insights as to what specific aspects of the technology should be examined and documented. The preliminary research enabled the identification of at least two types of videoconferencing platforms. There is the case of the software designed as standalone application used to communicate with others over the Internet using computers, camera and other tools. For example, there is Windows Live, Yahoo Messenger and Skype. These are popular examples of softwares developed for videoconferencing. Users can download these applications for free or for a fee and they can use it to communicate with others through the web. Using Internet connections, videoconferencing software is installed in the personal computer and it could allow users to make video and/or audio calls with others who have installed the same application in their computers. Skype is capable of accommodating up to ten participants in an audio-video conference. The conference takes place real-time. Some of these tools can accommodate two or more participants, hence, successfully achieving the nature of the conferencing concept. The second type of videoconferencing tool includes those designed to work on Internet browsers. These are systems called web applications and are built by web developers and embedded in web sites. Internet users can login to these browser-based video conferencing platforms. These are also called video chat rooms over the Internet. For example, www.videoconference.com is a straightforward website that lets visitors create video chat rooms easily and immediately. A user can create a video conferencing room and can inform those he or she wants to talk to and directs them to the web address where the video conferencing is to take place. During the 1990s, videoconferencing was an expensive affair and that organizations and individuals were averse to spending huge amount on the technology (Webopedia 2012). Today, however, they are sold cheaply and most of them are offered for free. This fact, in addition to its capabilities outlined above, makes videoconferencing a popular and beneficial tool both for personal and business use. Of course, as with the case of other Internet technological applications, it is dependent on the Internet bandwidth, which may be slow in other countries. This could prove problematic in using the technology to communicate with people from such areas. Geostationary Satellites According to the website, www.reformation.org,

Consensual Relationship Agreements Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Consensual Relationship Agreements - Case Study Example Some people believe that workplace romantic relationships should be allowed and that employers should never try to inhibit them. Others, on the other hand, believe that these relationships should be inhibited and that the employees should not be allowed to express their feelings and emotions at work because this interferes with proper workplace ethics (Cohen, 2009). Consensual relationship agreement is a process that has been suggested for managing workplace relationships. A consensual relationship agreement is like a relationship contract where two individuals sign an agreement that explicitly reveals their personal and romantic relationships. As they sign the agreement, they agree to be in the relationship willingly and that their relationship will not affect their professionalism in the workplace. Advantages Consensual relationship agreements are extremely useful both to employees and the organization. Having employees sign this kind of agreement will be useful in making sure that any personal relationships in the workplace are well managed (Hellriegel, 2007). Employees will be sure that if the relationship takes a different course that it was meant, they will not be victimized by their partners by being sued for sexual harassment. A consensual relationship agreement will also help the employees to be sober about their professionalism and be able to separate their personal and professional life. Moreover, signing a consensual relationship agreement will be a better way of aiding the employees in having a relationship that they are not ashamed of and that has a better foundation. Consensual relationship agreements are no more of privacy intrusion than a marriage contract, especially considering that there is nothing for employees to be shameful about if their relationship is open and not based on negative foundations such as immorality or cheating other existing spouses. Employees can also benefit from the consensual relationship agreement because it will pro tect them from getting into relationships with people who are not serious about the relationship. All these factors indicate that the workplace will be improved and that the negative effects that come from personal relationships in the workplace will not be a problem. Argument Against Consensual relationship agreements also have negative impacts. For one reason, the use of consensual relationship agreements assumes that the relationships have a starting point. It is not easy to determine when and where a romantic relationship starts so that the parties involved can decide to sign the contract. While the whole idea of consensual relationship agreements is good because it is meant to make the workplace a better place and avoid confusions in the workplace, its implementation can only remain to be elusive. Studies show that employees resent being micromanaged even from a professional point of view, let alone from a personal point of view. Telling employees that they have to sign a contr act or an agreement in order for them to have a personal relationship is not as practical as it is theoretical. The spirit of consensual relationship agreements may be good, but how to implement is the problem. The other issue with consensual relationship agreements is that it fails to consider that relationships are volatile and always shifting. For instance, two people in a