Why Trenches Were Used in World War I

Why Trenches Were Used in World War I During trench warfare, opposing armies conduct battle, at a  relatively close range, from a series of ditches dug into the ground. Trench warfare becomes necessary when two armies face a stalemate, with neither side able to advance and overtake the other. Although trench warfare has been employed since ancient times, it was used on an unprecedented scale on the Western Front during World War I. Why Trench Warfare in WWI? In the early weeks of the First World War (late in the summer of 1914), both German and French commanders anticipated a war that would involve a large amount of troop movement, as each side sought to gain or defend territory. The Germans initially swept through parts of Belgium and northeastern France, gaining territory along the way. During the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914, the Germans were pushed back by Allied forces. They subsequently dug in to avoid losing any more ground. Unable to break through this line of defense, the Allies also began to dig protective trenches. By October 1914, neither army could advance its position, mainly because war was being waged in a very different way than it had been during the 19th century. Forward-moving strategies such as head-on infantry attacks were no longer effective or feasible against modern weaponry such as machine guns and heavy artillery. This inability to move forward created the stalemate. What began as a temporary strategy evolved into one of the main features of the war at the Western Front for the next four years. Construction and Design of Trenches Early trenches were little more than foxholes or ditches, intended to provide a measure of protection during short battles. As the stalemate continued, however, it became obvious that a more elaborate system was needed. The first major trench lines were completed in November 1914. By the end of that year, they stretched 475 miles, starting at the North Sea, running through Belgium and northern France, and ending in the Swiss frontier. Although the specific construction of a trench was determined by the local terrain, most were built according to the same basic design. The front wall of the trench, known as the parapet, was about 10 feet high. Lined with sandbags from top to bottom, the parapet also featured 2 to 3 feet of sandbags stacked above ground level. These provided protection, but also obscured a soldiers view. A ledge, known as the fire-step, was built into the lower part of the ditch and allowed a soldier to step up and see over the top (usually through a peephole between sandbags) when he was ready to fire his weapon. Periscopes and mirrors were also used to see above the sandbags. The rear wall of the trench, known as the parados, was lined with sandbags as well, protecting against a rear assault. Because constant shelling and frequent rainfall could cause the trench walls to collapse, the walls were reinforced with sandbags, logs, and branches. Trench Lines Trenches were dug in a zigzag pattern so that if an enemy entered the trench, he could not fire straight down the line. A typical trench system included a line of three or four trenches: the front line (also called the outpost or the fire line), the support trench, and the reserve trench, all built parallel to one another and anywhere from 100 to 400 yards apart. The main trench lines were connected by communicating trenches, allowing for the movement of messages, supplies, and soldiers and were lined with barbed wire. The space between the enemy lines was known as No Mans Land. The space varied but averaged about 250 yards. Some trenches contained dugouts below the level of the trench floor, often as deep as 20 or 30 feet. Most of these underground rooms were little more than crude cellars, but some, especially those farther back from the front, offered more conveniences, such as beds, furniture,  and stoves. The German dugouts were generally more sophisticated; one such dugout captured in the Somme Valley in 1916 was found to have toilets, electricity, ventilation, and even wallpaper. Daily Routine in the Trenches Routines varied among the different regions, nationalities, and individual platoons, but the groups shared many similarities. Soldiers were regularly rotated through a basic sequence: fighting in the front line, followed by a period in the reserve or support line, then later, a brief rest period. (Those in reserve might be called upon to help the front line if needed.) Once the cycle was completed, it would begin anew. Among the men in the front line, sentry duty was assigned in rotations of two to three hours. Each morning and evening, just before dawn and dusk, the troops participated in a stand-to, during which men (on both sides) climbed up on the fire-step with rifle and bayonet at the ready. The stand-to served as preparation for a possible attack from the enemy at a time of day- dawn or dusk- when most of these attacks were likeliest to occur. Following the stand-to, officers conducted an inspection of the men and their equipment. Breakfast was then served, at which time both sides (almost universally along the front) adopted a brief truce. Most offensive maneuvers (aside from artillery shelling and sniping) were carried out in the dark when soldiers were able to climb out of the trenches clandestinely to conduct surveillance and carry out raids. The relative quiet of the daylight hours allowed men to discharge their assigned duties during the day. Maintaining the trenches required constant work: repair of shell-damaged walls, removal of standing water, the creation of new latrines, and the movement of supplies, among other vital jobs. Those spared from performing daily maintenance duties included specialists, such as stretcher-bearers, snipers, and machine-gunners. During brief rest periods, soldiers were free to nap, read, or write letters home, before being assigned to another task. Misery in the Mud Life in the trenches was nightmarish, aside from the usual rigors of combat. Forces of nature posed as great a threat as the opposing army. Heavy rainfall flooded trenches and created impassable, muddy conditions. The mud not only made it difficult to get from one place to another; it also had other, more dire consequences. Many times, soldiers became trapped in the thick, deep mud; unable to extricate themselves, they often drowned. The pervading precipitation created other difficulties. Trench walls collapsed, rifles jammed, and soldiers fell victim to the much-dreaded trench foot. Similar to frostbite, trench foot developed as a result of men being forced to stand in water for several hours, even days, without a chance to remove wet boots and socks. In extreme cases, gangrene would develop and a soldiers toes, or even his entire foot, would have to be amputated. Unfortunately, heavy rains were not sufficient to wash away the filth and foul odor of human waste and decaying corpses. Not only did these unsanitary conditions contribute to the spread of disease, they also attracted an enemy despised by both sides- the lowly rat. Multitudes of rats shared the trenches with soldiers and, even more horrifying, they fed upon the remains of the dead. Soldiers shot them out of disgust and frustration, but the rats continued to multiply and thrived for the duration of the war. Other vermin that plagued the troops included head and body lice, mites and scabies, and massive swarms of flies. As terrible as the sights and smells were for the men to endure, the deafening noises that surrounded them during heavy shelling were terrifying. Amid a heavy barrage, dozens of shells per minute might land in the trench, causing ear-splitting (and deadly) explosions. Few men could remain calm under such circumstances; many suffered emotional breakdowns. Night Patrols and Raids Patrols and raids took place at night, under cover of darkness. For patrols, small groups of men crawled out of the trenches and inched their way into No Mans Land. Moving forward on elbows and knees toward the German trenches and cutting their way through the dense barbed wire on their way. Once the men reached the other side, their goal was to get close enough to gather information by eavesdropping or to detect activity in advance of an attack. Raiding parties were much larger than patrols, encompassing about 30 soldiers. They, too, made their way to the German trenches, but their role was more confrontational. Members of the raiding parties armed themselves with rifles, knives, and hand grenades. Smaller teams took on portions of the enemy trench, tossing in grenades, and killing any survivors with a rifle or bayonet. They also examined the bodies of dead German soldiers, searching for documents and evidence of name and rank. Snipers, in addition to firing from the trenches, also operated from No Mans Land. They crept out at dawn, heavily camouflaged, to find cover before daylight. Adopting a trick from the Germans, British snipers hid inside O.P. trees (observation posts). These dummy trees, constructed by army engineers, protected the snipers, allowing them to fire at unsuspecting enemy soldiers. Despite these strategies, the nature of trench warfare made it almost impossible for either army to overtake the other. Attacking infantry was slowed down by the barbed wire and bombed-out terrain of No Mans Land, making the element of surprise unlikely. Later in the war, the Allies did succeed in breaking through German lines using the newly-invented tank. Poison Gas Attacks In April 1915, the Germans unleashed an especially sinister new weapon at Ypres in northwestern Belgium: poison gas. Hundreds of French soldiers, overcome by deadly chlorine gas, fell to the ground, choking, convulsing, and gasping for air. Victims died a slow, horrible death as their lungs filled with fluid. The Allies began producing gas masks to protect their men from the deadly vapor, while at the same time adding poison gas to their arsenal of weapons. By 1917, the box respirator became standard issue, but that did not keep either side from the continued use of chlorine gas and the equally-deadly mustard gas. The latter caused an even more prolonged death, taking up to five weeks to kill its victims. Yet poison gas, as devastating as its effects were, did not prove to be a decisive factor in the war because of its unpredictable nature (it relied upon wind conditions) and the development of effective gas masks. Shell Shock Given the overwhelming conditions imposed by trench warfare, it is not surprising that hundreds of thousands of men fell victim to shell shock. Early in the war, the term referred to what was believed to be the result of an actual physical injury to the nervous system, brought about by exposure to constant shelling. Symptoms ranged from physical abnormalities (tics and tremors, impaired vision and hearing, and paralysis) to emotional manifestations (panic, anxiety, insomnia, and a near-catatonic state.) When shell shock was later determined to be a psychological response to emotional trauma, men received little sympathy and were often accused of cowardice. Some shell-shocked soldiers who had fled their posts were even labeled deserters and were summarily shot by a firing squad. By the end of the war, however, as cases of shell shock soared and came to include officers as well as enlisted men, the British military built several military hospitals devoted to caring for these men. The Legacy of Trench Warfare Due in part to the Allies use of tanks in the last year of the war, the stalemate was finally broken. By the time the armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, an estimated 8.5 million men (on all fronts) had lost their lives in the so-called war to end all wars. Yet many survivors who returned home would never be the same, whether their wounds were physical or emotional. By the end of World War I, trench warfare had become the very symbol of futility; thus, it has been a tactic intentionally avoided by modern-day military strategists in favor of movement, surveillance, and airpower.

Art History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 13

Art History - Essay Example Van Gogh has preference of painting outdoors coupled with the fascination of the night sky as part of the favourite subjects. One outstanding element of the painting ‘Starry Night over the Rhone’ is gas lighting that reflect off the elements of water through several strolls nearby. All this is neatly done in the painting’s foreground. The work is a revelation of the sky’s marvellous colours coupled with the scene’s reflections as well as the striking contrast of the artificial stars and the gas natural beauty lights. Street lanterns across the edge of the Rhone in the watershed provide sufficient lighting enabling Van Gogh fully to paint from observation direct. Van Gogh manipulated such reality into certain levels as a way of creating an impressive firmament. Through this view, the Arles town lay in the southwest while the Great Bear constellation painted within the sky is in the north. The media used by the artist include oil on canvas as well as the technique of weeping and broad brush strokes. In various letters to Wilhelmina, his sister, Gogh observed that this was aimed at painting starry sky. The display appears to be that the night is still richly coloured as compared to the day. It has hues from the intense greens, violets, and blues. If one pays attention to the painting, it is easy to see that a number of stars are lemon-yellow while others are blue or pink and green brilliance. Without expatiating on the theme, it becomes clearer that the little white dots put on blue-black are not sufficient in painting starry skies. Some hold the belief that there are hidden images that depict the Gate to Heaven while two coffins in its front seem relevant to his religious foundations. Van Gogh engaged the expressive and symbolic colour values to express emotions within the scope of reproduction for visual light, atmosphere, or appearances. Van Gogh also went on to paint the night sky immensely hanging on

Cango Third Analysis Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cango Third Analysis Report - Essay Example Performance appraisals are often done by the company in regards to motivating the employees to engage, align and act in proper synchronization with regards to the company’s goals and objectives (Grubb, 2007, p. 2). The subjective measure of performance takes into account, the various influencing factors that can affect an employee’s performance. But at the same time, since they are dependent on human judgments rather than judged from the objective point of view, there is a tendency of errors. The reason for the errors can be mostly attributed to the human’s ability of judging an employee’s capability and performance (Jones, Steffy & Bray, 1991, p. 307). It can be clearly seen from the transcripts that Clark has confessed to the fact that he is having a serious problem of evaluating his subordinates on the basis of their performance while following the company’s normal scale of subjective performance evaluation. It is quite evident that while evaluating his team members, Clark is making errors related to the factors of leniency. As per the transcripts, Clark prefers to recommend employees with a higher rating on their subjective type performance appraisal rather than giving them a lower rating. This clearly highlights his erroneous evaluation of performance reports, due to his lenient nature of evaluation, while providing the subordinates and team members with a benefit of doubt. Clark’s habit of providing handling performance appraisals on the basis of benefit of doubt also highlights his ability of judging his team members abilities, while using the subjective scale of performance. Clark’s Way Out There can be a number of ways in which Clark can handle this problem while still following the company’s subjective performance appraisal system. Training In an attempt to handle this problem, Clark can opt for help from fellow managers who are working at Cango. Taking this approach of seeking help will lead to an informal form of training from his colleagues, thereby making him more efficient in the handling of the performance evaluation system of the company. Better judgment Another way to tackle his existing problem is through the fact of going for a one on one interview and feedback session for his team members with regards to the targets and assignments they have achieved. This will enable him to make an informed and well justified choice, thereby removing his option of benefit of doubt, while evaluating his team members. 2. Clark’s Suggestion and Its Implication It can be commonly said that the performance management system is done with the sole aim of motivating the employees. It involves the process of defining performance of the employees with regards to the competency required to perform the specified tasks. Performance analysis is also related to the process of determining and understanding the various factors that effectively contributes to the performance of the employees as well as managing them for the purpose of developing their skills and competencies thereby converting them to highly valued resources for the company. (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=qCZTEPI52pkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=performance+management+system&source=bl&ots=YB_a0Dlos7&sig=HEKfKSExUpmHdDu2Yvut9Rv17hk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=u5tyUKLbEOPEmAW6-YDgBQ&ved=0CEUQ6wEwAg#v=onepage&q=performance%20management%20system&f=false, p. 53) Performance management system can be either subjective or objective based in nature. Objective based performance manag

Planet Venus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Planet Venus - Essay Example Venus is the closest planet to earth both in distance and radius and this proximity has meant that we know more about it than any other planet. As shown below a lost has been discovered regarding the planets formation, composition, and visibility. Picture of Venus Venus was formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago together with the rest of the solar system when our sun was formed in a cloud nebula referred to as the solar nebula (Cain). The cloud nebula must have been destabilized by a strong external force such as a nearby supernova as it began to deteriorate and with its crumbling down many stars were formed including our sun which due to its gravity attracted residue from the nebula that rotated in the form of hot rocks. The rocks would join together to form the planets of our solar system and one of them was Venus. It is believed that Venus must have collided with another huge object that affected its rotation as it the only planet to rotate in a clockwise manner. Proof of this is also seen in the fact that Venus has the longest day in the solar system the equivalent of 243 which is longer than the time it takes to revolve around the sun. In spite of this collision, Venus would still remain the biggest region within its location and it is believed it might have even absorbed the object that collided with it. While Venus is similar to earth in size being 95 % the size of our planet and given their close proximity it is likely that they formed during the same time. Venus does however have some stark differences that have made it be nicknamed earth’s evil twin by scientists. Comparative photo of Venus and Earth by NASA The lower atmosphere of Venus is filled with Carbon Dioxide and nitrogen while the upper atmosphere has a strong presence of sulphur dioxide which makes the temperatures of Venus extremely high due to a Greenhouse effect. With recordings of over 460? Centigrade the temperature on Venus are the hottest recorded on any planet even surpass ing Mercury which is the closest to the sun and the sulfur fumes make the environment acidic as it rains sulfuric acid in the upper atmosphere. These factors make Venus a lifeless planet as the places are highly inhospitable for terrestrial life as we know. The surface of Venus unlike other planets does not have craters due to meteorites and two theories have arisen to explain this: either the gases are so thick that any object that enters the atmosphere will burn up due to the air pressure with the exception of the largest of meteorites, or the planets volcanoes have been erupting frequently and so cover any asteroid collisions that have occurred (Redd). The planet does not have any water on the surface due to the high temperatures but it does have two huge continents that have mainly volcanic plains. Venus also lacks a magnetic field like that of the earth and it is thought that the main cause of this is that the core has cooled down significantly thus lacks many ionized particles . Several projects have been initiated to send probes to Venus so as to explore the planet a significant number of which were done by the USSR during the cold war era where it was competing with USA in the space race. The first successful landing was done in 1970 by the Venera -7 space probes however, several fly by missions had been done before it. The Venera successfully transmitted date from the planet’s surface regarding its composition and in 1975 the Venera – 9 sent the first images from the planet. From then other probes have been sent as well as fly by missions conducted with the European Union sending its own orbiters to study the planet (Anatoly). Photo of surface of Venus from Nasa 2005 Venus is a highly inhospitab

Enlightenment virtue Essay Example for Free

Enlightenment virtue Essay The advances in robotics have also been staggering. Todays robots, in addition to doing the menial tasks once performed by unskilled laborers, are considered vital contributing participants in such diverse environments as hospitals, factories, universities, offices, and banking institutions. The level of artificial intelligence attained is not quite at human levels, but is approaching those levels at an unprecedented pace. Machines already are in charge of making complicated decisions for the government and military; its only a matter of time before these types of robots are also helping direct the economy and aspects of private life. Despite fears that robotic technology would displace their human counterpart workers and cause massive unemployment, that has not yet been the case, with the employment rate actually increasing, albeit in areas that require highly skilled personnel. The mass-production of household robotic technology has made it possible for many consumers to purchase machines that take care of domestic tasks like preparing food and cleaning, allowing parents to have more leisure time, or to spend time with their children. In fact, the amount of newly available leisure time has been a dominant factor in the recent recreational activity and entertainment industry boom. (Last Name) 4 There is still a large measure of economic disparity between society in the post-industrial West verses the industrializing countries of Africa, Asia, and South America. While the AIDS virus was pronounced curable by doctors at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine two years ago, there are still people who are dying of the disease in the world simply because the medicine needed to cure people is being given to wealthy countries very disproportionately. Biotechnology has impacted both of our lives in a very significant way. The Human Genome Project, made it possible to unravel hereditary genetic disorders like Alzheimers and Huntingtons disease which have devastated families like ours for centuries. Despite your acquisition of Huntingtons at birth, scientists were able to identify the damaged genes in your DNA and correct them accordingly. Similarly, other diseases once thought incurable (e. g. AIDS, cancer) have been remedied by biotechnology and reputable scientists are seriously proposing that practical immortality could be possible. Progress in biotechnology has also come to help economically disadvantaged countries cultivate previously barren regions with genetically enhanced crops that thrive despite hostile conditions. War among nations still exists. Ian Buruma said that â€Å"Koran itself was the source violent abuse†. (p. 5) I agree with this statement. While it is undoubtedly true that Muslims like Bouyeri with their fundamentalist, misogynistic and murderous interpretation of religious text surely represent a threat to the Enlightenment virtues of freedom and reason, do public personas like Theo Van Gogh indeed represent a personification of those same Enlightenment virtues. This persistent refrain that echoes through the book forces the reader to question the illiberal and often intolerant practices of the Dutch Muslims amid whom Bouyeri was reared as well as the Dutch (Last Name) 5 who have managed to delude themselves into believing that hatred is somehow an Enlightenment virtue. Our global impact is finally receiving the scientific attention it deserves. The outcome will largely determine the future course of evolution. Human-modified ecosystems are shaped by our activities and their side effects. They share a common set of traits including simplified food webs, landscape homogenization, and high nutrient and energy inputs. Ecosystem simplification is the ecological hallmark of humanity and the reason for our evolutionary success. However, the side effects of our profligacy and poor resource practices are now so pervasive as to threaten our future no less than that of biological diversity itself. This looks at human impact on ecosystems and the consequences for evolution. It concludes that future evolution will be shaped by our awareness of the global threats, our willingness to take action, and our ability to do so. Our ability is presently hampered by several factors, including the poor state of ecosystem and planetary knowledge, ignorance of human impact, lack of guidelines for sustainability, and a paucity of good policies, practices, and incentives for adopting those guidelines in daily life. Conservation philosophy, science, and practice must be framed against the reality of human-dominated ecosystems, rather than the separation of humanity and nature underlying the modern conservation movement. The steps scientists can take to imbed science in conservation and conservation in the societal process affecting the future of ecosystems and human well-being are discussed. Assessing the implications for our own future is no simpler than it is for ecosystems. The future can be gauged from several points of view from human carrying capacity, capacity for a given standard of living, or for the diversity of future options, for example. Should (Last Name) 6 our horizon be measured in ecological or evolutionary time in decades and centuries, or in millennia and millions of years? One could well argue that our very success evolutionarily is proof of our ability to modify ecosystems to our advantage and that we can take care of the environment in due course, when we can afford it. The challenge for ecology and environmental studies is to gauge the outcome of human action on ecosystem processes and on our own future. If there is no link between biodiversity and human well-being, then the future may be bleak for diversity but not necessarily for humanity. If that is the case, the fate of diversity will depend on human compassion, esthetics, and emotions rather than on human welfare. How do I see myself fit into it? Because of my knowledge and faith in God, I am well fit to the future. Future means reality and reality is not independently given but is contingent upon our decisions. (George Soros p. 4) Future is just like today that if we neglect and forget will just become nonsense past. â€Å"To see the earth as it truly is, small and blue and beautiful in that eternal silence where it floats, is to see ourselves as riders on the earth together†¦, written by Archibald Macleish. (Al Gore p. 12) The earth is truly a masterpiece so let’s protect our endangered environment. (Last Name) Bibliography Buruma, Ian. Murder in Amsterdam: The Death of Theo Van Gogh and the Limits of Tolerance. New York: Penguin Press, 2006 Gore, Al. An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It . Rodale, 2006 Soros, George. The Age of Fallibility: Consequences of the War on Terror. Public Affairs, 2006.

Digital Technology And Manipulation Media Essay

Digital Technology And Manipulation Media Essay The first device invented that could digitise or make analog photographs available in a digital format was a scanner made by Russell Kirsh in 1957 (Terras, 2008). The scanner functioned by looking at the variations in tone within photographs and assigning a digital value to represent a tone band. Instead of creating a new photograph this scanner copied an existing photograph and recorded it digitally. Because photographs can be scanned to a digital format, the initial analog negative can now be manipulated digitally and the truth value held by analog photographs can now be challenged. During the 1960s digital imaging technologies was still only used by large institutions such as NASA and the American government. It was not until the 1980s that the media began to use digital imaging technologies. Digital technology could be employed to enhance the clearness of television broadcasts and speed up the time in which photojournalists were able to send pictures to the media. In 1982, National Geographic published a photograph of the pyramids at Giza on the front cover of the magazine, see Figure 6. The photograph has been manipulated to fit a horizontal photograph of the pyramids onto the portrait cover of the magazine to make the front cover more captivating (Terras, 2008). It is important to note that this instance of manipulation was one of the first by a recognised organisation. National Geographics editor, Fred Ritchen who decided to compress the pyramids felt he had achieved a new point of view by the retroactive repositioning of the photographer a few feet to one side (White, 1999). Ritchens defence to accusations of manipulating the photograph was that if the photographer had moved and taken the photograph at a different time of the day then the photograph would be the same. However the fact remains that this photograph was not the one that was made. The fact that the photograph was manipulated was not broadcast. It was admitted to have been mani pulated when other journalists questioned the photograph. Howard Chapnick (1982) argued that the words Credibility and Responsibility allow photographers to call photography a profession due to ethical considerations rather than a business (p.40). Chapnick goes on to argue that not maintaining these ethics will damage journalistic impact and photography as a language. Lastly, he maintains the threat to credibility is permanent if people begin to disbelieve the news photograph (p.41). In 1985 digital cameras became widely used by professional photographers. Companies also marketed digital imaging camera to the public for domestic use. During this time the processing capabilities of computers was also advancing and provided a way for individuals to load image manipulation software and manipulate photographs. In 1991 the American government and the media used digital photography as a technology for the first time in a war environment. Not only was digital photography used to photograph the war but was used in weapon systems by America (Floridi, 1999). A much more recent current use of digital imaging technology is live electronic manipulation. Manipulating a live feed allows the editing of satellite image feeds. On the fly image editing may be used in sports programming to show lines on pitches or by governments to hide classified buildings from satellite imagery that is available to the public such as Google Maps. News television channels and can also employ technology to sow text feeds beneath news anchors. Delta Tre supply FIFA with sports data services and on screen graphics (Bevir, 2012). In 2012, the union of European Football Associations placed recorded footage of a fan crying at the opening of the game and played it after one of the teams had won the game to make for more compelling television. Amato (2000) argues that as this technology becomes more widespread and available the credibility of video media will be damaged permanently. In some ways this is similar to National Geographics manipulated Pyramid in that both rep resentations existed but were manipulated to give heightened sensation. The abilities that digital imaging technology have provided have been used by Walt Disney Imagineering Studio to take existing photographs and film of aged or dead celebrities made in the past to be used in new programmes or films (Amato, 2000). This use of technology to manipulate media evidences how analog photographs and films are susceptible to these processes and also asks the question of what is the final product? Is it simply a manipulated piece of video footage or a new creation entirely? Mitchell (1992 p.192) argues that it is a new creation entirely. Mitchell (1992 p.192) also argues that photography in recent times has entered a phase which he terms pseudophotography meaning that digital photography is not photography. Though the two methods are comparable, they possess different manipulation potentials which are examined in the next section. Manipulation Since Digital photography Savedoff (1997, p.19) argues that technologies alter rather than simply add to the resources of art. This means that photography as an art form has been altered by added manipulation potential. This new digital imaging practice should possess ethical consideration for the manipulation of photographs. However, this has not happened due to the inability to differentiate between the digital or analog photograph when printed creating difficulty for imposing a different standard for each method. Photographys relationship with reality as previously outlined is apparent in a digital photograph that has been printed, however the relationship created by the light reaction will not be present in a digital photograph. In an analog photograph created through a chemical process there is room for argument that the relationship with light remains intact. Although this trace looks to be evident in a photograph created by digital means, the trace is not a chemical reaction but a digital representatio n of reality. Additionally, digital photography is limitless in the number of alterations or manipulations that can be applied. These manipulations leave little or no evidence of themselves. Modern digital camera allow the photographer to review the image made and thus allows them such benefits of changing the composition until they are satisfied with the result. Images are manipulated by using computers and image editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, along with scanners to digitise analog images. Therefore, photographs made before digital photography are vulnerable to manipulation just like the aforementioned case of Disney outlined earlier (Bouse, 2002). The presence of digital imaging technology has changed photography and its relationship with veracity permanently. This lends evidence to Bouses argument that old photographs may be more widely trusted and that digital photography makes readers of images aware not only of current manipulations but of those in the past also. The reader of a photograph, although aware that the photograph was made before the invention of digital technologies is aware that the photograph might have been manipulated and nonetheless chan ges the way the reader interprets all photographs, manipulated or not (Savedoff, 1997). This means that digital technology has decreased the veracity of photography due to readers now questions all photographs. Lastly, it is very difficult for the average reader to distinguish between manipulated and non-manipulated photographs. Michelle Henning (2007) argues that digital imaging technologies have enabled limited new ways of manipulating a photograph. Henning continues that digital technologies have only made the manipulation of photographs more available. Henning also argues that the public was previously unaware of image manipulation techniques before the invention of digital imaging technology. Digital manipulation has made the public more aware of photo manipulation and maybe even increased how often images are manipulated. Digital vs Analog Photography has been changing since its birth in the 1800s and many of the changes have been driven by technology but were always based on chemical reactions to light. In the 1820s Joseph Niepce found a method to permanently fix a photograph using lavender oil and bitumen. Niepce swiftly developed this method further into heliographs made by using silver nitrate. Eduard Daguerre was also looking for a way to photographically record subjects and contacted Niepce to work with each other. After Niepce died, Daguerre found that mercury could fix images much more permanently and created the Daguerreotype which Daguerre believed at the time serves to draw nature and gives nature the power to reproduce herself (Hirsh 2000). Since photographys invention the idea of a device that could create unmediated representations of reality was widely believed yet now we begin to see photography may not deserve the verisimilitude it has been ascribed. At the same time Henry Fox Talbot worked on a photog raphic method using paper print. Like the creation of photography and the creation of digital photography these changes and advances were driven simultaneously by several individuals at once. The daguerreotype became the most popular and was widely used to make very simple portraits. Later though, interest was given to the Calotype created by Talbot. The Calotype was less reliable but allowed for prints to be reproduced much more easily and allowed greater detail with the print at least initially. During the mid-1800s negatives were made from glass and coated with albumen paper. These proved much more reproducible and gave more detailed and sharper results than earlier methods. With regard to digital methods, has digital photography made reproducing images easier due to the fact that digital images when stored on a computer can be duplicated instantly and without cost? Being able to reproduce a photograph has always been desirable and this is shown by the demand for the Calotype. Be aring in mind that digital imaging technology has helped progress the abilities of cameras, it has done this in a way that has divided the two types of photography causing great debates among them. Mark Amerika, digital artist and writer, in an interview talks about the differences between digital and analog photography. Amerika claims that images and how they are read is influenced by the way they are captured, meaning that as technology changes so does out interpretation of photographs (Jacobs 2006). Because photography is much more easily manipulated with digital photography the objectivity of the photograph is lost and it is futile to pursue objectivity (Jacobs 2006). It would seem true that manipulation is more common since the advent of digital photography, which could argue that the making of an image is only a small portion of the final product like in the aforementioned case of Rejalnder. Both Mitchell and Savedoff claim that digital photography and the manipulation of it cannot be compared to analog photography because it is a new medium (Savedoff, 1997). Both continue to argue that because with digital photographs the image is created with a digital sensor digital capture is a separate process to analog capture. Digital photographs receive their authority because they are almost identical to analog photographs and this authority is passed to the digital photograph. However, if this passing of authority is stopped, digital photography may be criticised for its lack of authority. News reporting currently accomplished by digital photography may no longer be an acceptable medium for those purposes. Oddly, as already outlined, if digital photographs obtains its authority from its similarity to analog photographs, analog photographs may lose its authority because of this relationship. It is important to note that photo manipulation was possible before digital technologies; it took place much less and needed much more time, effort and dexterity (Savedoff, 1997). Savedoff and Mitchell contend that the increase in frequency of digital manipulations is enough to show the conceptualisation of digital photography as a new medium. When an analog photograph was manipulated evidence of this procedure could be found on the negative and would more than likely mean the negative would be permanently modified. Yet with digital photography this does not apply (Savedoff, 1997). The digital file makes it very difficult to ascertain whether the file has been manipulated and also difficult to determine which file is the original, if one exists. Because analog manipulations needed expertise and dexterity it means that they were the exception to the norm as they were costly to accomplish. The refined abilities of digital technology that allow image manipulation to be completed with ease have made manipulated photographs become the ordinary. Savedoff (1997) claims that the power of the reportage photograph has lessened. Savedoff (1997) also contends that before digital photography there were well known standards regarding what was and what was not acceptable manipulation of an image. However, with digital technologies these standards have become irrelevant. This new trend of manipulation gives much less regard to what it means to manipulate an image. Amerika (XXX) furthers Savedoffs claims and he believes that instead of digital photography being a new entity it simply does not exist (Jacobs). Amerika argues that digital photography is just the processing of information and to print a digital image is no different to printing a text document from a computer. Amerika believes digital photography is not about photography but about binary code or manipulation ones and zeroes (Jacobs). However, if this school of thought is accepted then surely analog photographs are about chemistry and the reaction of light to a light sensitive medium. A third argument exists which opposes both Amerika and Savedoff. Michelle Henning (2007) makes the case that digital photography has changed or remediated the landscape of photography. Keeping in mind that digital photography is used somewhat differently to analog photography, but to greater extent is experienced and interpreted in similar ways. The design of digital cameras imitate analog cameras and feature the same vocabulary such as ASA/ISO standards which relate to film speed and are not necessary for digital cameras (Amerika/Jacobs). Maybe these imitations create a bridge between the two technologies that allows the inherent veracity of analog photography to be inherited by digital cameras (Henning, 2007). Henning (2007) asks why digital cameras try to imitate analog cameras when the potential of digital imaging is greater than analog capabilities. It is important to state that although many companies manufacture cameras it is the larger companies such as Canon and Nikon and So ny that market digital cameras aggressively. Hennings idea that digital photography has remediated analog forms of photo making is not because of the abilities afforded by digital photography but because of the way it has been aggressively marketed by the companies that manufacture them (2007). Henning (2007, p.59) summarises in saying that digital imaging is not less photographic than chemical analog is and that it is a different process but ends up as the same result. The final analysis of the differences between digital photography and analog photography outlined by Mitchell (1992) is to see digital and analog photography as similar to painting. Rather than painting no longer being used as many feared it would with the birth of photography, its purpose simply changed. A change similar to this may also be experienced by analog photography, finding its niche somewhere between analog photography and painting. Digital photography however possesses the realism of analog photography but is more easily manipulated, putting it next to the two art forms (Mitchell, 1992).

Technologies Impact on the Legal Profession Essay -- Law Lawyer Techno

Technologies Impact on the Legal Profession Law is a profession that has been important to the culture of our world since its beginning. Societies across the globe are each governed by a unique fabric of ethics and laws. Therefore, each culture has its own system formed to enforce those designated codes and standards. As early as 1792 B.C., the Babylonians had a written code of law. Known as the Hammurabi, this set of articles was designed to set up an orderly society. [1]Our government is formed by the Constitution laid out by our fore fathers in the early eighteenth century. This document lays out the form of our three branched government system, consisting of the legislative, executive, and judiciary braches. The judiciary branch is shaped as a system of courts to judge citizens that have broken the rules that are set by the legislative branch. In the majority of these courtroom scenarios, lawyers are used to argue for both the defense and the prosecution. The law professional, because of this, is one profession that has re mained interminable throughout history. Although law has always been with us, it does adapt to the present culture, and its effectiveness is based on the technologies of the day and the ability to best utilized them and grow with them. The men that formed the government of the United States realized that they had to form a system that would not only provide fairness and legal equality for its citizens, but also be able to adjust to the changing culture to endure that it remains fair for all generations. They understood that as society evolved over time, there would need to be new laws created to govern new crimes. In the years that our country was founded, modern technologies did not exist. Therefor... ...m a computer. These forms of research are important for business cases and can even be useful in the identity theft crimes that have become so widespread. There will of course have to be standards set regarding what information is allowable in the courtroom, and how far a lawyer may go to get the research. Technology however has opened many windows of possibility that at one time were not available. The legal profession may have been a profession practiced and embossed on our culture by our forefathers, but with today’s use of technology, it has evolved in many ways. It now utilizes forms of scientific research and the latest forms of researching tools, to help keep a society in order and to give peace to every citizen. A lawyer’s job is an important one, and the technological progressions in our culture have done much to advance its strength and effectiveness.