The Hobbit: Character Review

Thorin Oakenshield is a significant character in Tolkien's The Hobbit and has a minor presence in The Lord of the Rings.Thorin is the leader of the Company of Dwarves who aimed to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from Smaug the dragon. He was the son of Thráin II and the grandson of King Thrór.

This dwarf is described as being very haughty, stern, and officious. He has a talent for singing and can play the harp. He wears a gold chain and has a very long beard. He refers to his homes in the Blue Mountains as "poor lodgings in exile." Even though he is quite old (even for a Dwarf) by the time of The Hobbit, he is very capable and a cunning warrior, if not a particularly inspiring or clever leader.

Tolkien borrowed the name from the Old Norse poem Völuspá, part of the Poetic Edda. The name "Thorin" (Þorinn) appears in stanza 12, where it is used for a dwarf, and the name "Oakenshield" (Eikinskjaldi) in stanza 13. The names also appear in Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda.

From books, to web site, to web designing…

A Website is often likened to a book. It has a title with catchy texts on it, a table of contents from where a surfer can have an overview of the stuff it offers, graphics which stimulate the viewers' senses, and pages linked up together in an ordered and logical fashion.

There are still so many reasons to point out as to why does a website is like a book apart from the fact that it turns into a new form of expression where people can get valuable information from. But what is more startling is that, over the age, it replaces means and practices people usually do. For an instance, it replaces hard copy journals and diaries with blog sites, or it prompted companies to advertise online or else they will be lagging behind against their competitors. It makes easy for people and companies to be visible to the global community without ever having to exhaust a lot of die-hard efforts to actualize whatever they want.

All of these are under the effects of the rise of information technology in our era. Books no longer hold so much value as it had in the Renaissance period for an instance. It is often viewed as a conventional way of learning, while the internet with its billions of spawning websites all throughout the globe dramatically becomes the practical reference for information.

Consequently, being a new form of reference, web sites must be kept updated at all times. Aside from the contents, it is also an utmost concern to keep its aesthetics presentable and attractive. It is a way to make the site dynamic and the company advertising on it competitive!

This is where web designing comes in. From the texts to the graphics a site contains, there should be a scheme which able the web site to present itself in the most desirable way for a surfer to browse. Over the years, there had been so many plug-ins and systems developed in order to improve the quality of web designs. For an instance, with”flash”, animation is no longer a problem, and with other developments, users do not need plug-ins to view the contents of a site.

Animations, articles, links, images- name it, web sites surely have something to offer. All of these are because of the fact that web designing is increasingly advanced. This is more than the usual. More than a book can provide considering the applications one can place in a site. The bottom line is, no matter where will this technology takes us, it’s better to be reminded to make the most use of what humanity have- to drive all things to a better and quality life.

an often-neglected Truth...

When one speaks about graphics design, it does not only mean the images and styles a designer crafted on any particular medium. There is something more to it which is often neglected by most, if not all, graphic designers who are still novices in the field.

The images produced by graphic designing, whether in prints or in the web, serve as a vehicle in transferring an idea from one point to another. In the case of professional graphic designers, they try to convey what a client wants to drive home to a prospective audience. They make use of images and texts which represents the personality of a company and the products or the services it offers. Hence, it is a form of passing information that can be subject to varying interpretations depending on how a designer uses images and themes in representing something, and the kind of perception the audience have towards the design.

On the part of the designer, the images and lay-outs used in web designing can be arranged with the client’s idea as to what kind of impression they want to convey to the public. Simply put, they are responsible for what kind of image will be developed and the consequent effects it has to the people who view it. This implies that they are socially responsible for the design and the images they create. How might the public would take it is something that must be given consideration. Hence, graphic designing must not only be viewed as simply a tool to popularize a company’s web site, products, and services, with the specific aim to increase profit, but more importantly, it should also be seen as a tool to represent the prevailing values and norms in a society. Hence, graphic designing should be carried out with ease and responsibility. No one wants to view obscene and foul images, right? So help me remind designers out there to be socially responsible with their crafts or else expect the attenuation of our moral order. I bet being socially responsible comes with professionalism, so I think we have same ideals. Hence, I guess it won't be a problem for everyone to adopt such attitude :) And I'm sure designers knew this. I'm just here reminding so that it won't fade out of the picture.

The Wonders of BPO

In a time where information technology facilitates the flow of business transactions, it is an added value for companies to have business process outsourcing firms to assist them. BPO service providers can further the performance of a company by providing them highly-skilled employees who are competent in the field they are needed. May it be in legal services, call centers, web design and support, software development, among others.

What is more to this industry is that it provides employment opportunities to developing countries. The Philippines is a case in point. Recently, the country’s outsourcing industry gained ground and provided employment to thousands of individuals. The industry significantly contributes to generate service revenues as foreign investments are continually driven towards the business.

The wonders brought by the advancements in information technology do not end there. Aside from providing employment, BPO providers also train individuals to be competent workers who are proficient in coping with the expectations of clients. Hence, human dignity and self-esteem are uplifted, making them motivated to work and be self-sufficient.

There are still a lot of things to point out regarding the wonders brought by information technology and the businesses that flourish along with it. But to end this, it is worthwhile to point out that despite the idea that these all exist in order to enhance the performance of various companies and increase their profit, still, at the end of the day, the prime measure is whether those changes contribute to a better quality of living for humans or not, regardless of which country one is from, developed or developing, so long as it benefits everyone, then, it is sensible to keep the BPO industry growing and successful.

A Question of Significance...

How important seo really is? Is it just a means to an end, or is it an end in itself?

Most people today don't have enough understanding as to the character and fundamentals of search engine optimization. If a link builder is being asked as to what kind of work he or she is into, answering "I'm a member of a search engine optimization team" would probably raise more inquiries rather than answering what is being asked. "What does it do?" would follow and there you are, explaining all the basics about the virtual world and trying to locate the position of search engine optimization to an average mediocre individual. Can you see some difficulties? It's not basically the same like when you answer "I'm an architect, or I'm in the legal profession" where people can understand intuitively your position and role in this complicating and highly-modernizing society.

Surely link building, SEO, outsourcing and all other professions and businesses in information technology are still young fields that flourish just in the past few decades and polished in recent years. The people in general go on with their lives without noticing the flourish of IT industry. Of course they are familiar with the internet, youtube, call centers, etc. but they lack a thorough understanding of this emerging industry.

So what must be done with this? It is not necessary to have conscious efforts in explaining the public that the IT industry is like this or that, but what is more important is to make it more relevant to the everyday life of the people. That would mean to let the industry present itself to the world just like how SEO helps businesses to prosper. By serving their purpose, the IT industry and all its subfields can eventually inform how important they are in this world where the transfer of information and the conduct of transactions become revolutionized.

At the end of the day, what is still be measured is not how much traffic a website can get or how high is the ranking of a web page, but how does the sales increased after companies seek professional help in optimizing their web sites. It's like saying, the role of SEO and the IT industry in general is more of an accessory if viewed from a conventional way of thinking. However, form a post modern perspective, the industry is crucial for companies and organizations who wants to survive in a competition which is always elevated to another level.

A Couple of Things About Customer Care Representatives…

Being a customer care representatives is a flourishing profession, especially in a time when information technology is at its peak. It is a profession born out of the necessity to connect consumers and firms regarding inquiries and clarifications of the product or the service given. With its birth rises the need for the blogging public to understand the fundamentals of this profession and how it actually shapes and reshapes the business industry and employment opportunities in general. So, how does this profession go? What are the recent issues that the IT industry is confronted with regarding customer care representatives? These, among others, are briefly discussed in this entry.

With sophisticated technological artifacts, consumers can easily inquire or track down the service or product availed by simply interacting with customer care representatives. Usually, this is done after the product or service is given. Along with the trends in technological advancement, it is just in recent decades that persons are placed in a position where they entertain the varied concerns of a growing number of consumers. As mobile and handy communication devices proliferate in a speed that has never happened before, it is easier for consumers to reach the companies, especially when they have inquiries about the product they purchased or some vague terms contained in a service.

On the company` s part, this is an easier way of developing one’s business and maintaining good relations with clients. By placing the right persons on the job, this can be a powerful tool for resolving issues between the company and the consumer. Hence, the people hired for this position become crucial to the success or the failure of a company because they’re the ones who interact with client demands and inquiries.

When a customer care representative fails to address the concerns of a complaining customer, it can strongly affect the impression of the latter towards the company. Therefore, it is the utmost concern of customer care representatives to deliver their service in a way that will reassure the client, if not resolve the concerns might surface.

As the profession booms, along with the growing numbers of service providers, critics also voices out issues and concerns that confronts customer care representatives. They say that work itself is an exemplification of how humans are dehumanized and turned into working machines. It is not a joke to face the computer throughout one’s working shift. Employees might end up having impaired vision and hearing after months of work, and the task? It is very monotonous!

But as for now, there are ways in curbing these concerns. It is primarily a matter of humanizing the work through humane company policies, and the rest? It depends on how customer care representatives handle their job. Outsourcing companies opens so many employment opportunities in the world like customer care service. But we must also be mindful of the things that might be detrimental to the well-being of some people who might be at the disadvantaged as this work progresses. It is only a matter of improving the areas in customer care whenever necessary.

Web Designing and SEO............in conflict?

Yes, you read it right. Web designing and Search Engine Optimization can be in conflict with each other along some significant lines.

At times, web developers pay more attention to the design of a website than to how people can actually find the site via search engine. They put so many aesthetics on the homepage, making it lavish and attractive for the people who views it. They just rely on advertising to increase their traffic. Surely this can be a good strategy because the cost of putting people to do search engine optimization can be minimized.

But for SEOptimizers, the way to increase the traffic and probably sales is by way of optimizing the performance of a site in search engine results through keywords, link-building, blog postings, among others. There is no need to exaggerate the design and style of the site, yet, the quality of traffic can still be sustained.

However, in this superficial world, it is inevitable for a web developer to take for granted the form of the web site. Whichever is more attractive and pleasing to the eyes, then that will be viewed more often than those with less in looks!

On the other hand, how can one visit a site if it is not performing well in the search engine results. I do not think that advertisement, whatever the mode is, is enough to insure the traffic of the site. SEO serves a purpose on why in the first place it comes into the surface of the IT industry, and so, it should also be given consideration. Furthermore, if the site is over-embedded with designs and graphics, it also poses a problem in downloading the site. Downloading often becomes lenghty and it makes the surfers irritated.

Well, after all, it is unnecessary to devise an experiment as to which is really more important in increasing a site's traffic- Web designing or SEO? Anyway, to resolve this issue, it is unnecessary to strictly pick one, rather, it would be more viable to optimize both because they are not mutually-exclusive in the first place.