Should USA got in war with Iraq Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Should USA got in war with Iraq - Research Paper Example The war is undeniably illegal as defined by the United Nations (UN) and International Court of Justice (ICJ), the two most paramount legal bodies in the world. Iraq had no link to terrorism, no weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and no legal rationale to attack. Despite this, Bush decided to invade the Republic of Iraq for causes deemed objectionable to the majority of other countries so he frequently relied on and utilized false information to rationalize it. He lied. This discussion will examine how the truth was a casualty early and often during the lead up to the war and outlines some of the consequences brought about by these far-reaching and deadly deceptions. Bush voiced his disagreement to the concept of ‘nation building’ during the 2000 presidential election debates but as president waged an undeclared war against a sovereign country that had neither attacked first nor threatened to. Immediately following and as a reactionary reply to the terrorist attacks on Se ptember 11, 2001, Bush stated the county’s intention to begin a ‘War on Terrorism’ which he portrayed as a protracted battle against those that would use terrorist actions in addition to the countries that enabled them. The eventual culmination of the selective legal reasoning and rhetoric concerning the ‘War on Terror’ was Bush’s order of the military to invade both Afghanistan and Iraq, an illegal action on many fronts. Bush had constantly claimed that these actions were legal. First, he argued, due to language existing within the UN Security Council Resolution 1441 regarding Iraq and secondly, the invasions were an act of self-defense which is permitted by international law. Conversely, according to Richard Perle, advisor to U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and official of the U.S. Defense Policy Board, â€Å"international law ... would have required us to leave Saddam Hussein alone.† (Burkeman & Borger, 2003). However, this op tion would have been â€Å"morally unacceptable† according to the Bush administration. Bush chose to solicit then followed the advice of biased, self serving legal opinion from a low-level Justice Dept. employee despite strong disagreement by higher level personnel within the Dept. in addition to and the U.S. State Department which cautioned against ignoring international law and U.N. laws in addition to covenants of the Geneva Convention. The Bush administration was determined in its careless use of military force and disregard for laws established to by the world’s community of nations. The initial foreign incursion of the U.S. military along with the ‘coalition of the willing’ in its ‘War on Terror’ was Afghanistan, more specifically the Taliban terrorist faction based in that country. The U.S. claimed to possess ‘clear and compelling evidence,’ that the State of Afghanistan was giving refuge to terrorists, as did Iraq. However , if this assertion were true, why then didn’t the Bush administration divulge this information to the UN Security Council so as to obtain legal grounds to invade? The United Nations Charter, Article 51, Chapter Seven stipulates â€Å"nothing shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self defense if an armed attack occurs against a member of the United Nations†

Journal #3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Journal #3 - Essay Example The key objective of the Fraternity is Brotherhood and Sisterhood, a value that has been continually achieved all through the year, with Fraternity members living together and tackling most of their problems be it academic or even personal issues. Another value that Indiana University Fraternity has continually emphasized over the years is leadership development. This has been achieved through self-governance, where the Greek System provides a platform for students to govern themselves. These structures offer the members of the fraternities with a platform for leadership, assisting them to become better leaders in the future. In addition to this value, another key value that the IU Greek system has always emphasized is the Civic Engagement. This has been also achieved through a variety of ways ranging from the Little 500 event, IU Sing and Intramurals. The Indiana University Fraternity and Sorority values have been followed adequately within the university and the Indiana University has achieved a majority if not all its values. The platforms provided by the university improve the Greek system, from the usual setting where it is purely used to create teamwork for extra curriculum activities, to a point where it improves the academic and career lives of all its

Traffic Congestion Problems In Colombo City

Traffic Congestion Problems In Colombo City It is a much known fact nowadays that the traffic congestion in Colombo has increased to a level that most of the personnel operating in Colombo city limits get disturbed in their day to day activities. Further it has come to the light that the traffic accidents in Colombo city area also have been increased during the recent past to a considerable amount mainly due to this congestion. Out of the overall number of traffic accidents reported within the country the most numbers are reported from Colombo city limits. Number of lives lost due to these accidents cannot be considered in light whilst minor scale accidents reported stands at large. Unreported numbers of minor scale accidents are not known but would be as double as the number of reported. Difficulties faced by the motorists, pedestrians, traffic police officials and generally the public in Colombo area due to this traffic congestion are very high. The day to day life of the general public such as attending their office duties, attending children to schools, attending other domestic affairs are getting disturbed heavily due to the unforeseen delays they are compelled to experience at roads caused by traffic congestion blocking the smooth vehicle movements in Colombo city. This is generally wastage of innumerous number of man-hours of working people, loosing billions of rupees of income to the Gross National Product. It is a known fact that the highest number of vehicles, comparative to the other cities in Sri Lanka, operating in Colombo city. Reason for the same is Colombo is the main city in Sri Lanka to where large number of people travel daily to do their jobs, send most number of children to the large number of leading schools located within the city. Further the Colombo harbour is situated within the Colombo city limits resulting a large number of vehicle movements for transportation of goods. Most number of star class tourists hotels located in a single city is Colombo resulting large number of vehicle movements in between Bandaranayke International Airport, Katunayaka and Colombo. Generally the main commecial city of Sri Lanka is Colombo and as a result of that almost all the personnel living at wherever the country are compelled to come to Colombo for some reason which increase the vehicle congestion in Colombo city limits. 4. When a large number of vehicles are operating within a limited area in Colombo city, it is obvious that the number of traffic accidents could be at a higher rate comparative to the number of accidents happened in other cities in Sri Lanka. But in this context what is important to be researched is the reasons for those large number of accidents. The amount of vehicle operating in Colombo city would not be a good reason for any of the citizen of this country to be met with a traffic accident and to get injured or to be killed. This being the situation time has come to analyze the causes contributing to the increase of traffic congestion in Colombo city and to come up with viable solutions to address this problem which will in turn be beneficial to the future prospects of Colombo city, as well as the country as a whole. CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY AIM 5. The aim of this research paper is to analyze the major causes which contributing to the traffic congestion in Colombo city limits and to come up with feasible measures to create a smooth traffic movement in Colombo city limits as an example for the rest of the cities in the country. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 6. Increase of traffic congestion within the Colombo city limits at a drastic rate within a very short period of time has not only resulted the general public operating in the Colombo city to experience unforeseen difficulties at roads but also to be ended up at sometime with fatalities or losses of lives. The continuance in the increase of rate of traffic congestion in Colombo city would become a major burden for the motorists, pedestrians, traffic police officials and all the communities operating in Colombo city and also will bring negative impacts to the development of Colombo as well as the country unless addressed systematically. This research is to identify the major causes which have contributed for the increase of traffic congestion in Colombo city and to recommend feasible measures to reduce the same. THE RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS 7. Unlawful driving habits of the motorists who do not adhere to the traffic regulations is hypnotized as the main cause for the increase of motor traffic congestion in Colombo. SCOPE OF THE STUDY 8. The scope of the study is to confined to the motorists, pedestrians and traffic police officials operating in Colombo city limits to identify their views and attitudes towards the increased rate of traffic accidents in Colombo. The paper also concentrates much on the statistical records of traffic accidents happened in Colombo during the past decade. METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION 9. The collection of data and information for this research will be highly based on the views and the perceptions of the motorists, pedestrians, officials of traffic police department and those who have met with road traffic accidents which will be derived through systematical interviews. A questionnaire will be distributed among 50 personnel composed with 25 drivers including heavy vehicle, light vehicle and three wheeler drivers, 10 pedestrians, 10 personnel met with traffic accidents and 5 traffic police officers. Further this research analysis will be highly based on past statistics available on all traffic accidents in Colombo. THE STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS 10. The thesis is structured as follows: Chapter 1 Introduction. Chapter 2 Methodology. Chapter 3 Increase of vehicle population in Sri Lanka. Chapter 4 Reasons contributing to the traffic congestion in Colombo. Chapter 5 Observations made by the Researcher. Chapter 6 Analysis of data. Chapter 7 Recommendations. Chapter 8 Conclusion. CHAPTER 3 INCRESE OF VEHICLE POPULATION IN SRI LANKA 11. It is a known fact that the vehicle population of Sri Lanka was very minimal before 1980s and wonder whether a word called traffic congestion was heard at that time. However with the influx of the concepts of open economy to the country, the vehicle population was increased but at a moderate rate during 80s and 90s. So that the road network in the country, though not developed much, was sufficient to accommodate the transportation in the country without traffic congestion. But within the last decade the vehicle population of the country was expanded at a drastic rate and almost doubled within a period of eight years. The following statistics at Table 3.1  [1]  gives a clear picture of the vehicle population of the country and the composition of the same. 12. Table 3.2  [2]  shows the rate of increasing of vehicles in the country with the new registrations per year. From year 2002 onwards the new registrations per year exceeds 200,000. In this context what we have to identify is whether the road network has been expanded comparatively to accommodate this number of vehicles. 13. When it comes to Colombo city, it has been revealed that approximately 400,000 vehicles move in and out of Colombo daily basis, which is approximately 15% of the total vehicle population of the country. Though the road network of the main city of the country has been extensively expanded as well, the traffic congestion due to different contributing factors could not have been avoided. It has been come to light that following are the main contributing factors for the traffic congestion in Colombo city and its suburbs. High volume of vehicle movements within the city. Not having a proper traffic plan in the city. Closure of certain roads for security reasons. Bad driving habits of drivers violating traffic rules. Improper parking habits of drivers interrupting smooth vehicle movements due to non availability sufficient parking facilities. Poor traffic controlling duties of traffic police officials. Use of old vehicles not road worthy. Increase of vehicle accidents due to high volume of vehicle movements blocking the smooth vehicle movements. CHAPTER 4 REASONS CONTRIBUTING TO THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN COLOMBO 14. Colombo City is the most populated city in Sri Lanka and the living standards of the people living in Colombo is comparatively high resulting a considerable number of people out of those living in Colombo are in possession of a kind of personal vehicles. Further a huge number of people moves in and out of the Colombo city daily basis making the number of vehicles moving in and out on daily basis is very high. As per the statistics available at Traffic Branch of the Police Department, approximately 400,000 vehicles of different categories move in Colombo city daily. 15. Due to this large number of vehicles moving in and out of the Colombo city the average number of accidents reported within the Colombo city is 200 out of which 6 are fatal. It is important to have an idea of the general perception towards the contributing factors for the traffic congestion in Colombo city. GENERAL PUBLIC PERCEPTION 16. Based on the outcome of the ideas obtained from a cross section of drivers and non-drivers operating in Colombo city through a distribution of a questionnaire attached as Annex A, the following factors were revealed out of which some are identified as the contributing factors for the traffic congestion in Colombo city. Chart 4.1 Possession of valid driving license 17. It was revealed through a distribution of questionnaires among 50 personnel driving different types of vehicles in Colombo city area only 80% are with valid driving license whilst others drive different categories of vehicles without driving or riding license as elaborated in Chart 4.1. Chart 4.2 Knowledge on Traffic Rules 18. Percentage of the personnel who are driving vehicles and having an average knowledge on traffic rules and regulations is 60% whilst both the categories of those with very good knowledge and poor stands at 20% each as displayed in Chart 4.2. Chart 4.3 Adherence of Traffic Rules 19. Adherence to traffic rules plays a major role in the context of traffic congestion of any where on the road so do at the Colombo city area and the composition of the same with regard to Colombo city area is as per above Chart 4.3. As per the statistical data received in this regard only 5% of the personnel drive vehicles in Colombo city adhering 100% to the traffic rules and regulations. 70% adhere traffic rules but sometimes violating. 20% adhere traffic rules only when they feel it is required to do so whilst 5% adhere only when traffic police are expected or to be seen on the road. Chart 4.4 Ratio of Drivers met with Accidents whilst driving in Colombo The Chart 4.4 shows how rare we can find a person driving a kind of vehicle but not have met with an accident whist driving in Colombo. 80% of the drivers have met with some kind of traffic accident whilst driving in Colombo. It is important to identify the main reasons behind those accidents and Chart 4.5 elaborates the same. 30% have met with accidents due to the fact that they have not adhering to the traffic rules, at the time of meeting the accident whilst 50% have met with the accidents as a result of the violation of traffic rules by the another party. 15% have met with accident due to the congestion of traffic in Colombo, whilst only 5% due to some other reasons. Chart 4.5 Reasons for the Accidents in Colombo City 21. It is a known fact that use of mobile phones by the drivers whilst driving is one of the major reasons contributing for the traffic accidents so do for the traffic congestion in Colombo city. The research reveals as highlighted at Chart 4.6 that 80% personnel uses mobile phones whilst driving. It was also revealed that 10 % dont uses mobile phones whilst driving and the balance 10% uses mobile phones however after parking the vehicle by side of the road. Chart 4.6 Usage of Mobile Phones Whilst Driving 22. Parking vehicles at unauthorized places by side of the roads increase the traffic congestion in Colombo city very much. Reason for that type of illegal parking varies from person to person and the Chart 4.7 shows the percentage of drivers doing illegal parking whilst Chart 4.8 shows the reason for them to do so. Chart 4.7 Trend of Illegal Vehicle Parking Chart 4.8 Trend of Illegal Vehicle Parking 23. Driving vehicles in accordance to the stipulated speed limits is also a fact required to be adhered to in order to minimize the disturbance to the other vehicles and the commuters as well. The research reveals that, almost all the drivers are operating in Colombo violate the speed limits even in sometimes. Chart 4.9 Adhere to speed limits 24. The general perception of those who are driving a kind of vehicle in Colombo city, towards the reasons for the traffic congestion in Colombo city is emphasized in The Chart 4.10 Though the traffic congestion in Colombo city is a result of combination of different factors, the most contributing factor was identified as the unlawful driving habits of the drivers which stands at 60%. The next main factor which stands at 20% is the huge number of vehicles entering in to Colombo city. Chart 4.10 Reasons for traffic congestion TRAFFIC POLICE OFFICIALS PERCEPTION 25. Traffic Police officials performing traffic duties are one of the main resource personnel from whom an unbiased opinion towards the traffic congestion in Colombo city, could be obtained. A specifically designed questionnaire as at Annex B was distributed among 25 traffic police officials and the outcome of the same is as follows. 26. The very first question was to find whether they see or experience a traffic congestion in Colombo city for which the answer was 100% positive and all the police officials accept the excessive traffic congestion in Colombo. 27. The traffic police officials being the most competent personnel with their observations and experience to list out the factors contributing the traffic congestion in Colombo city were tasked to list out those factors according to the precedence and the outcome is as enumerated at Chart 5.11 Majority of them are in the view of that the bad driving habits of the drivers violating the traffic rules and regulations, come first cause for the present day traffic congestion in Colombo city . Chart 5.11 Reasons for Traffic Congestion as per the precedence 28. The order of precedence explained above at Paragraph 27 was further substantiated based on the factual details of the traffic police officials as shown below at Chart 5.12 The number of personnel getting caught to police net daily for violating traffic rules in Colombo city stands above all the other offenders. Those who are driving vehicles over speeding, though taken as a separate attribute, is again an unlawful driving habit violating the traffic rules. So that the percentage of those who are driving with unlawful driving habits and getting caught to police is 60%. Chart 5.12 Reasons for Traffic Congestion as per the precedence 29. Views of the traffic police officials were expected to find out the most viable solution to the traffic congestion in Colombo city. Though different opinions were found as shown at Chart 5.13, the most viable solutions for which 55% agreed to address this problem was to take stern disciplinary action against those offenders who violate the traffic rules and regulations. Chart 5.13 Reasons for Traffic Congestion as per the precedence CHAPTER 5 OBSERVATIONS MADE BY THE RESEARCHER 30. Further to the facts gathered through the distribution of questionnaires among general public, those who are driving vehicles in Colombo city areas, and the traffic police officials performing duties in Colombo area, the following facts were revealed through visual observations and sporadic interviews of the people hanging around in Colombo area. These were included with bus drivers, three wheel drivers, police officers, pedestrians; personnel using public transport etc. and the following observations were made. a. It was observed that the maximum number of vehicles move in Colombo city area during the following rush hours. 0730 hrs to 0900 hrs During this period the maximum numbers of vehicles moves in Colombo city creating a traffic congestion and the reason is the influx of people to Colombo for employments, businesses,and to attend schools etc 1330 hrs to 1430 hrs This is the time period during when schools are getting closed and a large number of vehicles move in the Colombo city for school services. Due to the fact that a considerable number of leading schools are located in Colombo city itself, the number of light vehicles operating for school services is extremely high resulting the traffic congestion. 1630 hrs to 1830 hrs Soon after the office hours the outward vehicle movements from the Colombo city are very high similar to the morning session creating a traffic congestion. b. The competition of the bus drivers makes havocs in the smooth flow of vehicle movements in Colombo city. Though the buses as well as the other heavy vehicles are to drive in the leftmost lane it is being practiced only for stopping the busses at bus halts to board or alight the passengers. Almost all the bus drivers make their fullest effort to disturb the other buses to make a big catch of passengers which in turn disturb all the vehicles on the roads creating traffic congestions. However not a single bus driver is ready to accept that they are experimenting unlawful driving habits violating the traffic rules. c. Habitual violation of traffic rules by the three wheel drivers are one of the main contributing factors for the traffic congestion in Colombo city. The number of three wheelers in Colombo city is extremely high. Easy maneuverability of three wheelers is being used by most of the drivers to get an extra advantage of reaching their destinations as quickly as possible however violating all the kinds of traffic rules. They do not bother about the difficulties faced by the other motorists and drivers due to their unethical driving patterns ultimately creating unnecessary traffic congestions. d. Parking vehicles by sides of the roads blocking the other free vehicle movement is also a contributing factor for the traffic congestion in Colombo city. Sometimes may be due to the non availability of parking facilities, drivers are used to park the vehicles by side of the roads disturbing the other vehicles. e. Role of the pedestrians too contributes much for the traffic congestion in Colombo city. The extremely poor road discipline of the pedestrians creates unnecessary disturbance to the smooth movement of vehicles. Even at the places where overhead or underground pedestrian crossings are there, most of the pedestrians do not and reluctant to use those facilities but used to cross the road at the shortest way which ends up not only with traffic congestions but also accidents with fatalities. f. Less attention of most of the motorists towards the disturbances for the other vehicles due to the way they are driving also contributes for the traffic congestion in Colombo city. The classic example in this context is the use of mobile phones whilst driving creating unnecessary disturbance for the other vehicles whilst not being aware of it. CHAPTER 6 ANALYSIS OF DATA 31. When the data collected through the systematical interviews, visual observations and distribution of questionnaires were analyzed, it was proven that the following contributory factors have resulted that the traffic congestion in Colombo city and suburbs. High volume of vehicle movements within the city. Not having a proper traffic plan in the city. Closure of certain roads for security reasons. Bad driving habits of drivers violating traffic rules. Improper parking habits of drivers interrupting smooth vehicle movements due to non availability of sufficient parking facilities. Poor traffic controlling duties of traffic police officials. Use of old vehicles not road worthy. Increase of vehicle accidents due to high volume of vehicle movements blocking the smooth vehicle movements. Bad road discipline of pedestrians. 32. The high volume of vehicles of approximately 400,000 are operating in Colombo city daily is undoubtedly is one of the main reasons for the traffic congestion in Colombo city. Number of accidents, as mach as 200 per day consolidates this fact further. But the number of vehicles alone wouldnt have created this much of traffic congestion in Colombo city unless the other contributing factors have popped up as a result of the high volume of the vehicles. All the endeavors have been taken to reduce the effects caused by the other factors such as reducing the violation of traffic rules, unauthorized parking etc. Since those factors play a major role than the volume of the vehicles. 33. As enumerated and hypothesized throughout the research, the unlawful driving habits of majority of the drivers operating in Colombo city are analyzed as the main contributing factor for the traffic congestion in Colombo city. When the number of vehicles are high and certain motorists are in a hurry tend to violate traffic rules and regulations and to reach their destinations as soon as possible ultimately creating traffic jams and blocks at the roads. The competition and the habitually unlawful driving practices of the bus drivers and three wheel drivers contributes this aspect at large. This research hypothesis is further consolidated by the statistical details obtained through the distribution of questionnaire with a percentage of 60% of general public and traffic police officials in the view that the unlawful driving habits of the driver causes traffic congestion in Colombo. 34. Though there are rules and regulations to bring the offenders at the roads before the courts and to be tried, it is not being practice to a satisfactory level. Though the traffic police officials reiterated that the traffic congestion in Colombo city is mainly due to the unlawful driving habits of the drivers, the actions they have taken to address this problem is not visible. The avenues available for the offenders to get themselves free from the traffic violations even after getting caught to traffic police officials are at a large but undisclosed by both parties. CHAPTER 7 RECOMMENDATION 35. Based on the factual details obtained through systematical means and the research analysis, it is evident that the fact of unlawful driving habits of the drivers is to be addressed timely to reduce the traffic congestion in Colombo city and its suburbs at first whilst addressing the rest of the contributing factors gradually. The following actions are recommended to be initiated in this connection. a. Traffic laws, rules and regulations are to be revised and to be incorporated with stern disciplinary action against the violation of traffic rules. b. The traffic police officials as the law enforcing authority should be trained and handled in a more discipline way than as at present to be firm when performing their duties. Internal monitoring systems within the traffic police department are to be established and stern disciplinary action to be taken against those corrupted police officials not carrying out their duties properly. c. A value to be added to the driving license from the time of issuing and it is to be ensured that only the competent and disciplined applicants are issued with driving license. In case of any kind of intentional violation of traffic rule the relevant diving license holder is to be kept under supervision for a standard period of time preferably one year and if found again for intentional violation the driving license is to be terminated. So that, no body will take the risk of getting their driving license terminated. d. Parking facilities in the Colombo district to be expanded and then those who are parking vehicles at unauthorized places to be dealt accordingly. e. Specific rules and regulations for the maintenance of discipline of bus drivers and three wheel drivers are to be brought in to force. f. CCTV monitoring systems to be installed within the Colombo city to trace the drivers violating traffic rules and the police officials not carrying out their duties properly. g. Island wide educational programs to be conducted to bring a behavioral change of the people driving any kind of vehicle in Sri Lanka to be disciplined at the roads and to respect the others. h. Quality of the public transport services are to be increased to motivate the people to use public transport than their private vehicles when coming in to Colombo city which will reduce the influx of light vehicles that contributes much for the traffic congestion in the city. i. Informing motorist about road accidents, traffic congestion and road conditions by traffic radio station which will help motorists to avoid traffic congestion. Helicopters can be use to moniter traffic.  [3]   CHAPTER 8 CONCLUSION 36. It is a known fact that the difficulties faced by the general public, the traffic police officials and the wastage of national resources due to the traffic congestion in Colombo city is utmost and unaccountable. So this is a national issue required to be addressed within the least possible delay without being waiting till the problem get aggravated. As hypothesized the main fact behind the traffic congestion in Colombo city and also in suburbs is the unlawful driving habits of the vehicle users whilst few other factors contribute to increase the problem. As identified and analyzed during the research it is important to address the main factor which is unlawful driving habits of the drivers as the initial step whilst addressing the others thereafter. 37. The outcome of this endeavor to reduce the traffic congestion in Colombo city limits and its suburbs will be an example to address the similar type of traffic congestions in other main cities in Sri Lanka as well. These types of problems cannot be addressed without the support of the general public as well as the officials who are tasked to perform duties in that respect. However with the enforcement of new law and systematical programs to make the driving community more disciplined the traffic congestion of the Colombo would be gradually reduced which will be beneficial for all the people living in this country since this is a problem pertaining to the main business and industrial city of Sri Lanka.

A Student Looks at Websites for 3D Graphics Cards :: Sell Websites Buy Web Sites

A Student Looks at Websites for 3D Graphics Cards There are many players in the game of computer graphics cards for personal computers. ATI and NVIDIA are two major competitors in this field along with many others. They have many differences that set them apart and also many issues that they have in common. One such issue is each company’s website. ATI’s and NVIDIA’s respective websites both target the same audience. With this being the case, they try their best to differentiate themselves from each other using a different yet somehow very similar layout for their websites. The audience that both companies are trying to get at is the biggest issue that these two giants have in common. They both target what has become the biggest market share in PC graphics, the computer gamer. The computer gamer can be anybody that plays any number of games on their PC. In order to run these games, they need a graphics card capable of supporting them. ATI and NVIDIA both know that this group of PC users are very dedicated to their hobby and put a lot of time and money into their graphics cards. ATI and NVIDIA also know that this same group of PC gamers is also very adept at using the internet. It is with no surprise then that both of their websites target PC gamers first and everyone else second. ATI and NVIDIA both have their best gaming graphics card right in front of the viewer when they enter their respective websites. This is no coincidence. With both companies targeting the PC gamer first and foremost, the center of attention is going to be given to the latest gaming graphics card. That starting point is about the only thing these two have in common when it comes to presenting their best card. They each try to take a different approach to the PC gamer audience and it is very interesting to compare the two. ATI presents their new card using a very flashy and slick interactive presentation. It allows the user to get involved with the website and can be very impressive and entertaining. Unfortunately it is also very annoying. Once the novelty of the presentation has worn off it can actually be quite distracting. The most noticeable distraction comes when looking at the technical specifications of the card.

Heuristic Evaluation

Usability Techniques Heuristic Evaluation – A System Checklist| By Deniese Pierotti, Xerox Corporation Heuristic Evaluation – A System Checklist 1. Visibility of System Status The system should always keep user informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time. #| Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| 1. 1| Does every display begin with a title or header that describes screen contents? | O O O|   | 1. 2| Is there a consistent icon design scheme and stylistic treatment across the system? | O O O|   | 1. 3| Is a single, selected icon clearly visible when surrounded by unselected icons? O O O|   | 1. 4| Do menu instructions, prompts, and error messages appear in the same place(s) on each menu? | O O O|   | 1. 5| In multipage data entry screens, is each page labeled to show its relation to others? | O O O|   | 1. 6| If overtype and insert mode are both available, is there a visible indication of which one the user is in? | O O O|   | 1. 7| If pop-up windows are used to display error messages, do they allow the user to see the field in error? | O O O|   | 1. 8| Is there some form of system feedback for every operator action? | O O O|   | 1. | After the user completes an action (or group of actions), does the feedback indicate that the next group of actions can be started? | O O O|   | 1. 10| Is there visual feedback in menus or dialog boxes about which choices are selectable? | O O O|   | 1. 11| Is there visual feedback in menus or dialog boxes about which choice the cursor is on now? | O O O|   | 1. 12| If multiple options can be selected in a menu or dialog box, is there visual feedback about which options are already selected? | O O O|   | 1. 13| Is there visual feedback when objects are selected or moved? | O O O|   | 1. 4| Is the current status of an icon clearly indicated? | O O O|   | #| Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| 1. 15| Is there feedback when function keys are pressed ? | O O O|   | 1. 16| If there are observable delays (greater than fifteen seconds) in the system’s response time, is the user kept informed of the system's progress? | O O O|   | 1. 17| Are response times appropriate to the task? | O O O|   | 1. 18| Typing, cursor motion, mouse selection: 50-1 50 milliseconds| O O O|   | 1. 19| Simple, frequent tasks: less than 1 second| O O O|   | 1. 20| Common tasks: 2-4 seconds| O O O|   | 1. 1| Complex tasks: 8-12 seconds| O O O|   | 1. 22| Are response times appropriate to the user's cognitive processing? | O O O|   | 1. 23| Continuity of thinking is required and information must be remembered throughout several responses: less than two seconds. | O O O|   | 1. 24| High levels of concentration aren't necessary and remembering information is not required: two to fifteen seconds. | O O O|   | 1. 25| Is the menu-naming terminology consistent with the user's task domain? | O O O|   | 1. 26| Does the system provide  v isibility:  that is, by looking, can the user tell the state of the system and the alternatives for action? O O O|   | 1. 27| Do GUI menus make obvious which item has been selected? | O O O|   | 1. 28| Do GUI menus make obvious whether deselection is possible? | O O O|   | 1. 29| If users must navigate between multiple screens, does the system use context labels, menu maps, and place markers as navigational aids? | O O O|   | 2. Match Between System and the Real World The system should speak the user’s language, with words, phrases and concepts familiar to the user, rather than system-oriented terms. Follow real-world conventions, making information appear in a natural and logical order. | Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| 2. 1| Are icons concrete and familiar? | O O O|   | 2. 2| Are menu choices ordered in the most logical way, given the user, the item names, and the task variables? | O O O|   | 2. 3| If there is a natural sequence to menu choices, has it been used? | O O O|   | 2. 4| Do related and interdependent fields appear on the same screen? | O O O|   | 2. 5| If shape is used as a visual cue, does it match cultural conventions? | O O O|   | 2. 6| Do the selected colors correspond to common expectations about color codes? | O O O|   | 2. | When prompts imply a necessary action, are the words in the message consistent with that action? | O O O|   | 2. 8| Do keystroke references in prompts match actual key names? | O O O|   | 2. 9| On data entry screens, are tasks described in terminology familiar to users? | O O O|   | 2. 10| Are field-level prompts provided for data entry screens? |   |   | 2. 11| For question and answer interfaces, are questions stated in clear, simple language? | O O O|   | 2. 12| Do menu choices fit logically into categories that have readily understood meanings? | O O O|   | 2. 13| Are menu titles parallel grammatically? | O O O|   | 2. 4| Does the command language employ user jargo n and avoid computer jargon? | O O O|   | 2. 15| Are command names specific rather than general? | O O O|   | 2. 16| Does the command language allow both full names and abbreviations? | O O O|   | 2. 17| Are input data codes meaningful? | O O O|   | 2. 18| Have uncommon letter sequences been avoided whenever possible? | O O O|   | 2. 19| Does the system automatically enter leading or trailing spaces to align decimal points? | O O O|   | 2. 20| Does the system automatically enter a dollar sign and decimal for monetary entries? | O O O|   | #| Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| . 21| Does the system automatically enter commas in numeric values greater than 9999? | O O O|   | 2. 22| Do GUI menus offer activation: that is, make obvious how to say  Ã¢â‚¬Å"now do it†? | O O O|   | 2. 23| Has the system been designed so that keys with similar names do not perform opposite (and potentially dangerous) actions? | O O O|   | 2. 24| Are function keys labeled cle arly and distinctively, even if this means breaking consistency rules? | O O O|   | 3. User Control and Freedom Users should be free to select and sequence tasks (when appropriate), rather than having the system do this for them.Users often choose system functions by mistake and will need a clearly marked â€Å"emergency exit† to leave the unwanted state without having to go through an extended dialogue. Users should make their own decisions (with clear information) regarding the costs of exiting current work. The system should support undo and redo. #| Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| 3. 1| If setting up windows is a low-frequency task, is it particularly easy to remember? | O O O|   | 3. 2| In systems that use overlapping windows, is it easy for users to rearrange windows on the screen? | O O O|   | 3. | In systems that use overlapping windows, is it easy for users to switch between windows? | O O O|   | 3. 4| When a user's task is complete, does the system w ait for a signal from the user before processing? | O O O|   | 3. 5| Can users type-ahead in a system with many nested menus? | O O O|   | 3. 6| Are users prompted to confirm commands that have drastic, destructive consequences? | O O O|   | 3. 7| Is there an â€Å"undo† function at the level of a single action, a data entry, and a complete group of actions? | O O O|   | 3. 8| Can users cancel out of operations in progress? | O O O|   | 3. | Are character edits allowed in commands? | O O O|   | 3. 10| Can users reduce data entry time by copying and modifying existing data? | O O O|   | 3. 11| Are character edits allowed in data entry fields? | O O O|   | 3. 12| If menu lists are long (more than seven items), can users select an item either by moving the cursor or by typing a mnemonic code? | O O O|   | 3. 13| If the system uses a pointing device, do users have the option of either clicking on menu items or using a keyboard shortcut? | O O O|   | 3. 14| Are menus broad (many items on a menu) rather than deep (many menu levels)? | O O O|   | 3. 5| If the system has multiple menu levels, is there a mechanism that allows users to go back to previous menus? | O O O|   | #| Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| 3. 16| If users can go back to a previous menu, can they change their earlier menu choice? | O O O|   | 3. 17| Can users move forward and backward between fields or dialog box options? | O O O|   | 3. 18| If the system has multipage data entry screens, can users move backward and forward among all the pages in the set? | O O O|   | 3. 19| If the system uses a question and answer interface, can users go back to previous questions or skip forward to later questions? O O O|   | 3. 20| Do function keys that can cause serious consequences have an undo feature? | O O O|   | 3. 21| Can users easily reverse their actions? | O O O|   | 3. 22| If the system allows users to reverse their actions, is there a retracing mechanis m to allow for multiple undos? | O O O|   | 3. 23| Can users set their own system, session, file, and screen defaults? | O O O|   | 4. Consistency and Standards Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform conventions. #| Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| 4. | Have industry or company formatting standards been followed consistently in all screens within a system? | O O O|   | 4. 2| Has a heavy use of all uppercase letters on a screen been avoided? | O O O|   | 4. 3| Do abbreviations not include punctuation? | O O O|   | 4. 4| Are integers right-justified and real numbers decimal-aligned? | O O O|   | 4. 5| Are icons labeled? | O O O|   | 4. 6| Are there no more than twelve to twenty icon types? | O O O|   | 4. 7| Are there salient visual cues to identify the active window? | O O O|   | 4. 8| Does each window have a title? | O O O|   | 4. | Are vertical and horizontal scrolling possible in each window? | O O O|   | 4. 10| Does the menu structure match the task structure? | O O O|   | 4. 11| Have industry or company standards been established for menu design, and are they applied consistently on all menu screens in the system? | O O O|   | 4. 12| Are menu choice lists presented vertically? | O O O|   | 4. 13| If â€Å"exit† is a menu choice, does it always appear at the bottom of the list? | O O O|   | 4. 14| Are menu titles either centered or left-justified? | O O O|   | 4. 15| Are menu items left-justified, with the item number or mnemonic preceding the name? O O O|   | 4. 16| Do embedded field-level prompts appear to the right of the field label? | O O O|   | 4. 17| Do on-line instructions appear in a consistent location across screens? | O O O|   | 4. 18| Are field labels and fields distinguished typographically? | O O O|   | 4. 19| Are field labels consistent from one data entry screen to another? | O O O|   | 4. 20| Are fields and labels left-justified for alpha lists and right-justified for numeric lists? | O O O|   | #| Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| 4. 21| Do field labels appear to the left of single fields and above list fields? | O O O|   | 4. 2| Are attention-getting techniques used with care? | O O O|   | 4. 23| Intensity: two levels only| O O O|   | 4. 24| Size: up to four sizes| O O O|   | 4. 25| Font: up to three| O O O|   | 4. 26| Blink: two to four hertz| O O O|   | 4. 27| Color: up to four (additional colors for occasional use only)| O O O|   | 4. 28| Sound: soft tones for regular positive feedback, harsh for rare critical conditions| O O O|   | 4. 29| Are attention-getting techniques used only for exceptional conditions or for time-dependent information? | O O O|   | 4. 30| Are there no more than four to seven colors, and are they far apart along the visible spectrum? O O O|   | 4. 31| Is a legend provided if color codes are numerous or not obvious in meaning? | O O O|   | 4. 32| Have pairings of high-chroma, spectrally extreme colors been avoided? | O O O|   | 4. 33| Are saturated blues avoided for text or other small, thin line symbols? | O O O|   | 4. 34| Is the most important information placed at the beginning of the prompt? | O O O|   | 4. 35| Are user actions named consistently across all prompts in the system? | O O O|   | 4. 36| Are system objects named consistently across all prompts in the system? | O O O|   | 4. 7| Do field-level prompts provide more information than a restatement of the field name? | O O O|   | 4. 38| For question and answer interfaces, are the valid inputs for a question listed? | O O O|   | 4. 39| Are menu choice names consistent, both within each menu and across the system, in grammatical style and terminology? | O O O|   | 4. 40| Does the structure of menu choice names match their corresponding menu titles? | O O O|   | 4. 41| Are commands used the same way, and do they mean the same thing , in all parts of the system? | O O O|   | 4. 42| Does the command language have a consistent, natural, and mnemonic syntax? | O O O|   | 4. 3| Do abbreviations follow a simple primary rule and, if necessary, a simple secondary rule for abbreviations that otherwise would be duplicates? | O O O|   | #| Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| 4. 44| Is the secondary rule used only when necessary? | O O O|   | 4. 45| Are abbreviated words all the same length? | O O O|   | 4. 46| Is the structure of a data entry value consistent from screen to screen? | O O O|   | 4. 47| Is the method for moving the cursor to the next or previous field consistent throughout the system? | O O O|   | 4. 48| If the system has multipage data entry screens, do all pages have the same title? O O O|   | 4. 49| If the system has multipage data entry screens, does each page have a sequential page number? | O O O|   | 4. 50| Does the system follow industry or company standards for function key a ssignments? | O O O|   | 4. 51| Are high-value, high-chroma colors used to attract attention? | O O O|   | 5. Help Users Recognize, Diagnose, and Recover From Errors Error messages should be expressed in plain language (NO CODES). #| Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| 5. 1| Is sound used to signal an error? | O O O|   | 5. 2| Are prompts stated constructively, without overt or implied criticism of the user? O O O|   | 5. 3| Do prompts imply that the user is in control? | O O O|   | 5. 4| Are prompts brief and unambiguous. | O O O|   | 5. 5| Are error messages worded so that the system, not the user, takes the blame? | O O O|   | 5. 6| If humorous error messages are used, are they appropriate and inoffensive to the user population? | O O O|   | 5. 7| Are error messages grammatically correct? | O O O|   | 5. 8| Do error messages avoid the use of exclamation points? | O O O|   | 5. 9| Do error messages avoid the use of violent or hostile words? | O O O|   | 5 . 10| Do error messages avoid an anthropomorphic tone? | O O O|   | 5. 1| Do all error messages in the system use consistent grammatical style, form, terminology, and abbreviations? | O O O|   | 5. 12| Do messages place users in control of the system? | O O O|   | 5. 13| Does the command language use normal action-object syntax? | O O O|   | 5. 14| Does the command language avoid arbitrary, non-English use of punctuation, except for symbols that users already know? | O O O|   | 5. 15| If an error is detected in a data entry field, does the system place the cursor in that field or highlight the error? | O O O|   | 5. 16| Do error messages inform the user of the error's severity? O O O|   | 5. 17| Do error messages suggest the cause of the problem? | O O O|   | 5. 18| Do error messages provide appropriate semantic information? | O O O|   | 5. 19| Do error messages provide appropriate syntactic information? | O O O|   | 5. 20| Do error messages indicate what action the user needs to take to correct the error? | O O O|   | 5. 21| If the system supports both novice and expert users, are multiple levels of error-message detail available? | O O O|   | 6. Error Prevention Even better than good error messages is a careful design which prevents a problem from occurring in the first place. | Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| 6. 1| If the database includes groups of data, can users enter more than one group on a single screen? | O O O|   | 6. 2| Have dots or underscores been used to indicate field length? | O O O|   | 6. 3| Is the menu choice name on a higher-level menu used as the menu title of the lower-level menu? | O O O|   | 6. 4| Are menu choices logical, distinctive, and mutually exclusive? | O O O|   | 6. 5| Are data inputs case-blind whenever possible? | O O O|   | 6. 6| If the system displays multiple windows, is navigation between windows simple and visible? | O O O|   | 6. | Are the function keys that can cause the mos t serious consequences in hard-to-reach positions? | O O O|   | 6. 8| Are the function keys that can cause the most serious consequences located far away from low-consequence and high-use keys? | O O O|   | 6. 9| Has the use of qualifier keys been minimized? | O O O|   | 6. 10| If the system uses qualifier keys, are they used consistently throughout the system? | O O O|   | 6. 11| Does the system prevent users from making errors whenever possible? | O O O|   | 6. 12| Does the system warn users if they are about to make a potentially serious error? O O O|   | 6. 13| Does the system intelligently interpret variations in user commands? | O O O|   | 6. 14| Do data entry screens and dialog boxes indicate the number of character spaces available in a field? | O O O|   | 6. 15| Do fields in data entry screens and dialog boxes contain default values when appropriate? | O O O|   | 7. Recognition Rather Than Recall Make objects, actions, and options visible. The user should not have to remember information from one part of the dialogue to another. Instructions for use of the system should be visible or easily retrievable whenever appropriate. | Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| 7. 1| For question and answer interfaces, are visual cues and white space used to distinguish questions, prompts, instructions, and user input? | O O O|   | 7. 2| Does the data display start in the upper-left corner of the screen? | O O O|   | 7. 3| Are multiword field labels placed horizontally (not stacked vertically)? | O O O|   | 7. 4| Are all data a user needs on display at each step in a transaction sequence? | O O O|   | 7. 5| Are prompts, cues, and messages placed where the eye is likely to be looking on the screen? | O O O|   | 7. | Have prompts been formatted using white space, justification, and visual cues for easy scanning? | O O O|   | 7. 7| Do text areas have â€Å"breathing space† around them? | O O O|   | 7. 8| Is there an obvious visu al distinction made between â€Å"choose one† menu and â€Å"choose many† menus? | O O O|   | 7. 9| Have spatial relationships between soft function keys (on-screen cues) and keyboard function keys been preserved? | O O O|   | 7. 10| Does the system gray out or delete labels of currently inactive soft function keys? | O O O|   | 7. 11| Is white space used to create symmetry and lead the eye in the appropriate direction? O O O|   | 7. 12| Have items been grouped into logical zones, and have headings been used to distinguish between zones? | O O O|   | 7. 13| Are zones no more than twelve to fourteen characters wide and six to seven lines high? | O O O|   | 7. 14| Have zones been separated by spaces, lines, color, letters, bold titles, rules lines, or shaded areas? | O O O|   | 7. 15| Are field labels close to fields, but separated by at least one space? | O O O|   | 7. 16| Are long columnar fields broken up into groups of five, separated by a blank line? | O O O|   | 7. 17| Are optional data entry fields clearly marked? O O O|   | 7. 18| Are symbols used to break long input strings into â€Å"chunks†? | O O O|   | 7. 19| Is reverse video or color highlighting used to get the user's attention? | O O O|   | 7. 20| Is reverse video used to indicate that an item has been selected? | O O O|   | 7. 21| Are size, boldface, underlining, color, shading, or typography used to show relative quantity or importance of different screen items? | O O O|   | 7. 22| Are borders used to identify meaningful groups? | O O O|   | 7. 23| Has the same color been used to group related elements? | O O O|   | 7. 24| Is color coding consistent throughout the system? O O O|   | 7. 25| Is color used in conjunction with some other redundant cue? | O O O|   | 7. 26| Is there good color and brightness contrast between image and background colors? | O O O|   | 7. 27| Have light, bright, saturated colors been used to emphasize data and h ave darker, duller, and desaturated colors been used to de-emphasize data? | O O O|   | 7. 28| Is the first word of each menu choice the most important? | O O O|   | 7. 29| Does the system provide  mapping:  that is, are the relationships between controls and actions apparent to the user? | O O O|   | 7. 30| Are input data codes distinctive? | O O O|   | . 31| Have frequently confused data pairs been eliminated whenever possible? | O O O|   | 7. 32| Have large strings of numbers or letters been broken into chunks? | O O O|   | 7. 33| Are inactive menu items grayed out or omitted? | O O O|   | 7. 34| Are there menu selection defaults? | O O O|   | 7. 35| If the system has many menu levels or complex menu levels, do users have access to an on-line spatial menu map? | O O O|   | 7. 36| Do GUI menus offer affordance: that is, make obvious where selection is possible? | O O O|   | 7. 37| Are there salient visual cues to identify the active window? | O O O|   | 7 . 8| Are function keys arranged in logical groups? | O O O|   | 7. 39| Do data entry screens and dialog boxes indicate when fields are optional? | O O O|   | 7. 40| On data entry screens and dialog boxes, are dependent fields displayed only when necessary? | O O O|   | 8. Fexibility and Minimalist Design Accelerators-unseen by the novice user-may often speed up the interaction for the expert user such that the system can cater to both inexperienced and experienced users. Allow users to tailor frequent actions. Provide alternative means of access and operation for users who differ from the â€Å"average† user (e. . , physical or cognitive ability, culture, language, etc. ) #| Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| 8. 1| If the system supports both novice and expert users, are multiple levels of error message detail available? | O O O|   | 8. 2| Does the system allow novices to use a keyword grammar and experts to use a positional grammar? | O O O|   | 8. 3| Can user s define their own synonyms for commands? | O O O|   | 8. 4| Does the system allow novice users to enter the simplest, most common form of each command, and allow expert users to add parameters? | O O O|   | 8. | Do expert users have the option of entering multiple commands in a single string? | O O O|   | 8. 6| Does the system provide function keys for high-frequency commands? | O O O|   | 8. 7| For data entry screens with many fields or in which source documents may be incomplete, can users save a partially filled screen? | O O O|   | 8. 8| Does the system automatically enter leading zeros? | O O O|   | 8. 9| If menu lists are short (seven items or fewer), can users select an item by moving the cursor? | O O O|   | 8. 10| If the system uses a type-ahead strategy, do the menu items have mnemonic codes? | O O O|   | 8. 1| If the system uses a pointing device, do users have the option of either clicking on fields or using a keyboard shortcut? | O O O|   | 8. 12| Doe s the system offer â€Å"find next† and â€Å"find previous† shortcuts for database searches? | O O O|   | 8. 13| On data entry screens, do users have the option of either clicking directly on a field or using a keyboard shortcut? | O O O|   | 8. 14| On menus, do users have the option of either clicking directly on a menu item or using a keyboard shortcut? | O O O|   | 8. 15| In dialog boxes, do users have the option of either clicking directly on a dialog box option or using a keyboard shortcut? O O O|   | 8. 16| Can expert users bypass nested dialog boxes with either type-ahead, user-defined macros, or keyboard shortcuts? | O O O|   | 9. Aesthetic and Minimalist Design Dialogues should not contain information which is irrelevant or rarely needed. Every extra unit of information in a dialogue competes with the relevant units of information and diminishes their relative visibility. #| Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| 9. 1| Is only (and all) information essential to decision making displayed on the screen? | O O O|   | 9. 2| Are all icons in a set visually and conceptually distinct? O O O|   | 9. 3| Have large objects, bold lines, and simple areas been used to distinguish icons? | O O O|   | 9. 4| Does each icon stand out from its background? | O O O|   | 9. 5| If the system uses a standard GUI interface where menu sequence has already been specified, do menus adhere to the specification whenever possible? | O O O|   | 9. 6| Are meaningful groups of items separated by white space? | O O O|   | 9. 7| Does each data entry screen have a short, simple, clear, distinctive title? | O O O|   | 9. 8| Are field labels brief, familiar, and descriptive? O O O|   | 9. 9| Are prompts expressed in the affirmative, and do they use the active voice? | O O O|   | 9. 10| Is each lower-level menu choice associated with only one higher level menu? | O O O|   | 9. 11| Are menu titles brief, yet long enough to communicate? | O O O|   | 9. 12| Are there pop-up or pull-down menus within data entry fields that have many, but well-defined, entry options? | O O O|   | 10. Help and Documentation Even though it is better if the system can be used without documentation, it may be necessary to provide help and documentation.Any such information should be easy to search, focused on the user’s task, list concrete steps to be carried out, and not be too large. #| Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| 10. 1| If users are working from hard copy, are the parts of the hard copy that go on-line marked? | O O O|   | 10. 2| Are on-line instructions visually distinct? | O O O|   | 10. 3| Do the instructions follow the sequence of user actions? | O O O|   | 10. 4| If menu choices are ambiguous, does the system provide additional explanatory information when an item is selected? | O O O|   | 10. | Are data entry screens and dialog boxes supported by navigation and completion instructions? | O O O|   | 10. 6| If menu items are ambiguous, does the system provide additional explanatory information when an item is selected? | O O O|   | 10. 7| Are there memory aids for commands, either through on-line quick reference or prompting? | O O O|   | 10. 8| Is the help function visible; for example, a key labeled HELP or a special menu? | O O O|   | 10. 9| Is the help system interface (navigation, presentation, and conversation) consistent with the navigation, presentation, and conversation interfaces of the application it supports? O O O|   | 10. 10| Navigation: Is information easy to find? | O O O|   | 10. 11| Presentation: Is the visual layout well designed? | O O O|   | 10. 12| Conversation: Is the information accurate, complete, and understandable? | O O O|   | #| Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| 10. 13| Is the information relevant? | O O O|   | 10. 14| Goal-oriented (What can I do with this program? )| O O O|   | 10. 15| Descriptive (What is this thing for? )| O O O|   | 10. 16| Procedural (How do I do this task? )| O O O|   | 10. 17| Interpretive (Why did that happen? )| O O O|   | 10. 8| Navigational (Where am I? )| O O O|   | 10. 19| Is there context-sensitive help? | O O O|   | 10. 20| Can the user change the level of detail available? | O O O|   | 10. 21| Can users easily switch between help and their work? | O O O|   | 10. 22| Is it easy to access and return from the help system? | O O O|   | 10. 23| Can users resume work where they left off after accessing help? | O O O|   | 11. Skills The system should support, extend, supplement, or enhance the user’s skills, background knowledge, and expertise —-not replace them. #| Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| 1. 1| Can users choose between iconic and text display of information? | O O O|   | 11. 2| Are window operations easy to learn and use? | O O O|   | 11. 3| If users are experts, usage is frequent, or the system has a slow response time, are there f ewer screens (more information per screen)? | O O O|   | 11. 4| If users are novices, usage is infrequent, or the system has a fast response time, are there more screens (less information per screen)? | O O O|   | 11. 5| Does the system automatically color-code items, with little or no user effort? | O O O|   | 11. | If the system supports both novice and expert users, are multiple levels of detail available. | O O O|   | 11. 7| Are users the initiators of actions rather than the responders? | O O O|   | 11. 8| Does the system perform data translations for users? | O O O|   | 11. 9| Do field values avoid mixing alpha and numeric characters whenever possible? | O O O|   | 11. 10| If the system has deep (multilevel) menus, do users have the option of typing ahead? | O O O|   | 11. 12| When the user enters a screen or dialog box, is the cursor already positioned in the field users are most likely to need? O O O|   | 11. 13| Can users move forward and backward within a field? | O O O|   | 11. 14| Is the method for moving the cursor to the next or previous field both simple and visible? | O O O|   | 11. 15| Has auto-tabbing been avoided except when fields have fixed lengths or users are experienced? | O O O|   | 11. 16| Do the selected input device(s) match user capabilities? | O O O|   | 11. 17| Are cursor keys arranged in either an inverted T (best for experts) or a cross configuration (best for novices)? | O O O|   | 11. 18| Are important keys (for example,  ENTER  ,  TAB) larger than other keys? O O O|   | 11. 19| Are there enough function keys to support functionality, but not so many that scanning and finding are difficult? | O O O|   | 11. 20| Are function keys reserved for generic, high-frequency, important functions? | O O O|   | 11. 21| Are function key assignments consistent across screens, subsystems, and related products? | O O O|   | 11. 22| Does the system correctly anticipate and prompt for the user's probab le next activity? | O O O|   | 12. Pleasurable and Respectful Interaction with the User The user’s interactions with the system should enhance the quality of her or his work-life.The user should be treated with respect. The design should be aesthetically pleasing- with artistic as well as functional value. #| Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| 12. 1| Is each individual icon a harmonious member of a family of icons? | O O O|   | 12. 2| Has excessive detail in icon design been avoided? | O O O|   | 12. 3| Has color been used with discretion? | O O O|   | 12. 4| Has the amount of required window housekeeping been kept to a minimum? | O O O|   | 12. 5| If users are working from hard copy, does the screen layout match the paper form? | O O O|   | 12. | Has color been used specifically to draw attention, communicate organization, indicate status changes, and establish relationships? | O O O|   | 12. 7| Can users turn off automatic color coding if necessary? | O O O|   | 12. 8| Are typing requirements minimal for question and answer interfaces? | O O O|   | 12. 9| Do the selected input device(s) match environmental constraints? | O O O|   | 12. 13| If the system uses multiple input devices, has hand and eye movement between input devices been minimized? | O O O|   | 12. 14| If the system supports graphical tasks, has an alternative pointing device been provided? O O O|   | 12. 15| Is the numeric keypad located to the right of the alpha key area? | O O O|   | 12. 16| Are the most frequently used function keys in the most accessible positions? | O O O|   | 12. 17| Does the system complete unambiguous partial input on a data entry field? | O O O|   | 13. Privacy The system should help the user to protect personal or private information- belonging to the user or the his/her clients. #| Review Checklist| Yes No N/A| Comments| 13. 1| Are protected areas completely inaccessible? | O O O|   | 13. 2| Can protected or confidential ar eas be accessed with certain passwords. O O O|   | 13. 3| Is this feature effective and successful. | O O O|   | System Title:__________________________ Release #: __________________________ Evaluator: __________________________   Date: __________________________ Primary Source Making Computers-People Literate.  © Copyright 1993. By Elaine Weiss ISBN: 0-471-01877-5 Secondary Source Usability Inspection Methods.  © Copyright 1994. By Jakob Nielsen and Robert Mack ISBN: 1-55542-622-0 SCREEN SHOTS Homepage Navigations via Categories Shipping and Returns Policies Frequently Asked Questions Navigations via Hyperlinked Images External Links Result Filtering

Cost Information for decision making Essay

Two common costing systems used in business are traditionally cost accounting system (job costing, process costing and operating costing) and activity-based costing system (ABC). There are some similarities and differences between these systems. Regarding the similarities, both accumulate product costs throughout the production process and assign those costs to individual units of production. Additionally, product cost under two costing systems consists of direct materials, direct labor and manufacturing overhead. In terms of differences, they are different in the way how the overhead costs are allocated. For conventional costing, it assigns manufacturing overhead based on a single volume based cost driver such as direct labour hours. In contrast, ABC approaches cost from the perspective that products do not cause costs. It requires activities which are the causes of all costs incurred so it allocates manufacturing overhead according to the activities needed to produce the products. Therefore, it highlights the existence of non value added activity which is not existed under traditional method. ABC also differs from conventional costing in the use of several cost pools when allocating the overhead costs. For instance, traditional costing uses only one cost pool to distribute the overhead whereas there are many cost pools involved under ABC. Furthermore, ABC employs both volume-based and non-volume-based cost drivers while conventional costing utilizes only volume-based cost drivers. Another difference is that conventional approach complies with the GAAP so it can be used to satisfy conventional financial reporting requirements. On the other hand, accounting standard board does not accept ABC to prepare financial statements so it can be useful for internal management decision. Under conventional system, there are similarities between job costing, process costing and operating costing. Firstly, they accumulate product costs throughout the production process and assign those costs to products. Secondly, these costing systems calculate the product costs which comprise direct material, direct labour and manufacturing overhead. Lastly, the cost flows for three systems is from raw material to work in process to finished goods and then to costs of goods sold. These first two systems can be distinguished by the following differences. First, job costing system is used by the company which produces unique products or products based on customer orders. Conversely, process costing is for the firms which produce one or a few homogenous products and often have continuous mass production. Second, each individual product costs are traced easily under job costing while process costing makes no attempt to track individual product costs. Thirdly, under job costing, the transfer from one job to another does not take place whereas the production from one process is transferred to next one till the product is full completed under process costing. Next, process costing accumulates product costs in each production department throughout the period while job order costing accumulates product costs to specific units. Operating costing for company which has a mix production system that produces in large quantities but then is customized the finished product. Therefore, operating costing is a combination of process costing and job costing. However, it differs from job and process costing which includes more than two types of cost pools in overhead allocation process. The cost pools are designed to match the separate processes that may be allocated to batches of products. Comment about the quality of your work: According to the assessment criteria, my answer for the question should be marked 7. This is for the following reasons. Firstly, the answer is well-organized into five paragraphs which consist of differences between conventional costing and ABC costing. For instance, the first and second paragraphs demonstrate the similarities and differences between conventional costing and ABC. Apart from this, the answer also points out the similarities and differences between job costing, process costing and operating costing.