Illegal downloading; an article review

I read 2 articles concerning the illegal downloading of software and music, particularly by students (see links below). Both articles found that though most students nowadays (2005 survey) believe that most if not all people illegally download music and software, but the amount of students who think it’s actually OK to copy software and music has decreased, which might indicate that students are starting to realise the ethical issues and implications associated with illegal downloading more than they did previously (2000-2001 survey). Also, the surveys showed that current students are more computer literate than their previous counterparts - with not one person in either of the studies admitting to no previous experience with computers. This shows that students have a better understanding of how the technology works, and perhaps a better knowledge of how to illegally download software and music. The fact that students now see piracy as inappropriate behaviour may be because it is not only unethical now, but illegal - an easier concept to grasp (ethics are guidelines, laws are rules). It was also found that students are increasingly using their computers for recreation, most likely due to the popularity of MP3 players, or Apple ipod’s. A minority of students where found to buy music from online providers such as itunes, but it was also found that a lot of illegally downloading music was for sampling before purchase - the students were only listening to the downloads to decide whether or not an album was worth purchasing. The students, when asked about software, said that the believed that most people will copy rather than buy it, particularly the students themselves - in one article just over 50% admitted to copying software. They also found it more acceptable to download software if it was for educational purposes. The belief of students, that most people illegally download, could come from their own willingness to do it and belief that if they do it then why shouldn’t others. It was also found that, when studying peer-to-peer file sharing, album sales were not affected whatsoever, as they increased from 1999 to 2005. Also, most students would only like perhaps one or two songs from an album, which means that sites like itunes are becoming more popular with single song downloads. It was also found that since (in the U.S anyway) sales of singles has almost ceased, with incites students to share even more since they don’t want to be spending more money on an album when they only want a few songs from it. All in all the studies show that students nowadays understand better the ethics surrounding illegal downloading, and also understand how to use computers better. However, this has not stopped illegal downloading, only lessened it. I myself believe that piracy is wrong, but it doesn’t stop me from doing it - students have little money to live on, so I assume that they’re attitudes would be similar to mine - why pay for it when I can get it for free? Even with the music and software industries working to try and stop illegal downloading, I doubt they will unless they start giving away their goods for free - I strongly believe that it’s a money issue with students, and with other people too.

Article 1

Article 2

Buying a laptop

When buying a laptop or computer suitable for the applied psychology course, there are many factors which have to be taken into account. Firstly, you have to buy one which works otherwise it would be pointless. One that works quite efficiently would be even better - preferably one which has a recent OS such as XP or Vista (though 7 was just released, which is vista but without the bugs). Alternatively you could buy an Apple Mac with it’s self-named OS, but I personally prefer windows OS as they are more user-friendly (Mac is more for industrial use due to it’s many hotkeys and incompatibility with many recreational programs). The next thing to consider would be to consider the specifications of the computer, such as RAM, Hard Drive space, graphics card, processor and other such specs. A RAM of 1GB would suffice, but any higher would be better considering that it‘s important for running programs simultaneously or very powerful or large programs, such as Photoshop, which we use in our course. Hard drive space should be AT LEAST maybe 15-20GB, but preferably a lot higher e.g. 100GB.With graphics cards there are so many that you’d be best to ask your computer retailer about the latest models. The latest processors that I know of are Intel Centrino 2’s, but something earlier would be alright, like a Pentium 4 processor. Another thing to consider would be appropriate internet protection, because most if not all computer’s will be connected to the internet at some point. There are many free online downloads for anti-virus software, and I’ve found that AVG and Avast are quite adequate, and also mean that you’re not spending lots of money on software that you can’t afford (being a student). Another major thing to consider is make and price. The make of computer will tell you how efficient it will be before you buy it from it’s reputation - I’ve found Acer’s to be quite reliable, as are Sony’s and Dell’s, though Dell computers cannot be upgraded. Price wise, there are many cheap computers available now due to the recession and also because of the competition between companies - the cheapest I’ve seen so far is an Acer laptop for €299. If buying a laptop, I would suggest buying a wireless mouse to make it easier to use - I myself find that the finger pads on laptops are quite awkward to use and after prolonged use can cause friction burn to your fingertips. Mice nowadays are cheaper than they were, but wireless one’s normally start from about €15 upwards. There’s also the price of batteries, so if you’re really stuck for money either buy a desktop computer with a mouse, or buy a wired mouse for your laptop, which is even cheaper but can get in the way when trying to move the mouse around. Finally, if buying a desktop computer make sure you have the space in your dorm or wherever you’re staying for it - if not, and you don’t want to be carrying a heavy laptop around, buy a smaller model such as an EEPC, which are notebook sized and very light, but low on battery power and memory. Whatever you decide, at least make sure that it works, isn’t expensive and has a guarantee in case it breaks.

Astrology Wheel

I've taken the liberty of uploading a picture of an astrology wheel for your convenience =]

Free Accurate Birth Chart

http://www.alabe.com/freechart/

This link brings you to a website that provides a free basic birth chart that is fairly accurate in comparison to others that I have used. In this birth chart it will describe your personality by means of your birth date & time. Try it out!!! =]

The Huber Method of Astrological Psychology

Astrology in Psychology?

Right, astrology is often disregarded and slated because of it's slightly arcane nature, but can it be useful in psychology to do basic analysis on people's traits and reactions? I myself have been interested in astrology since I was small because it was a simple way of trying to understand people. I've even done just basic research at home by looking around sites and even ordering full birth charts and comparing them - they were all conclusively similar in what they said. I also used what I learned about astrology on my friends by sourcing different websites and comparing what each birth chart said and also what my friends actually thought - and they were all intrigued by how accurate they seemed. I think that yes, astrology isn't a full-proof system that's ALWAYS accurate, but can it not be used to try understand the basic behaviours of people? For example, if you look at what people's behaviour is like under starsigns then you know that people of the sign Leo have a strong sense of pride and thus know that they won't admit to mistakes - you could take that into account in say, a work environment, and find a way to help them in their situation. Of course, as I said, it's not 100% accurate, but I myself think it's a useful way to at least try to understand a person's basic personality traits and adhere to them in order to help.