text:
Ukrainian Dancing/Polissia

Polissia borders Volyn, and the dances share many of the energetic qualities of the Volyn region.

Sections

 * 1) /Basic and Common Steps/
 * This section identifies steps that form the foundation of this regional style of dance, and which may be performed by both men and women (boys and girls).
 * 1) /Steps for Men and Boys/
 * This section identifies steps that are only performed by men and boys.
 * 1) /Steps for Women and Girls/
 * This section identifies steps that are only performed by women and girls.
 * 1) /Steps for Couples or Groups/
 * This section identifies steps that require two or more dancers.
 * 1) /Sample Choreography/
 * This section provides sample choreography which may be used by dance groups wishing to perform a dance that is characteristic of this region.

title: Ukrainian Dancing/Polissia


text:
Ukrainian Dancing/Lemkivshchyna

Sections

 * 1) /Basic and Common Steps/
 * This section identifies steps that form the foundation of this regional style of dance, and which may be performed by both men and women (boys and girls).
 * 1) /Steps for Men and Boys/
 * This section identifies steps that are only performed by men and boys.
 * 1) /Steps for Women and Girls/
 * This section identifies steps that are only performed by women and girls.
 * 1) /Steps for Couples or Groups/
 * This section identifies steps that require two or more dancers.
 * 1) /Sample Choreography/
 * This section provides sample choreography which may be used by dance groups wishing to perform a dance that is characteristic of this region.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Ukrainian Dancing/Lemkivshchyna


text:
Ukrainian Dancing/Boikivshchyna

Sections

 * 1) /Basic and Common Steps/
 * This section identifies steps that form the foundation of this regional style of dance, and which may be performed by both men and women (boys and girls).
 * 1) /Steps for Men and Boys/
 * This section identifies steps that are only performed by men and boys.
 * 1) /Steps for Women and Girls/
 * This section identifies steps that are only performed by women and girls.
 * 1) /Steps for Couples or Groups/
 * This section identifies steps that require two or more dancers.
 * 1) /Sample Choreography/
 * This section provides sample choreography which may be used by dance groups wishing to perform a dance that is characteristic of this region.

title: Ukrainian Dancing/Boikivshchyna


text:
Talk:C++ Programming/TOC2

I have changed the TOC2. Please everyone contribute to fix the links. I am new to wiki and not very good in wiki editing.

Jayaram Ganapathy

discuss changes to the table of contents here

TOC 1 seems to have the most activity. Perhaps, this should and all other TOC's should be merged with it. However, since so much work has been done on TOC1, perhaps all others should just be deleted. Does anyone know if Wikibooks/Wikipedia has policies are forking modules? --Remi 12:00, 7 April 2007 (UTC)

 * TOC1 makes really sense to me 170.148.10.46

 * I'm not opposing in having 2 or more TOCs (this is a virtual environment) unless there is duplication of content several structures could exist in parallel, that is why I supported the creation of TOC2, we can even have several navigational schemes (that would take lots of work) all this would indeed improve the usability of the content, the problem that exist today is only on selecting what should be the main TOC (at least that is how I see it), I'm not asking for TOC2 to be deleted if the users continue to update it (sadly that seems not to be happening). --Panic 18:43, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

Hellow friends, I have a suggestion. To improve TOC2 take the Introduction from TOC1. Include all the chapters except the comparison with C# JAVA etc without subheadings visible in the TOC2 page. Then merge the first two chapters Introduction and compilers you have now to that material. Change the Langage Essentials to C++ Language essentials

Regards,

Jayaram Ganapathy

Print Version of TOC2
I have Commented out the print version of TOC2 from the Editor's TOC, the actual print version has several divergences from what is on TOC2 some pages are on it others aren't and TOC2 has some pages that are on TOC1 missing, if someone should like to work on it add the option for printing on TOC2 and then revive the same option on editor's TOC. Txs. --Panic 19:11, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

C++ Programming/TOC2 deletion
A VFD on the TOC2 page was initiated (27 July 2008) and then closed (30 July 2008) by Mike.lifeguard, if Wikibookians wish to express concerns about the speedy action they can use this page, You may restate your points (or post part of the your discussion there). --Panic (talk) 00:00, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

title: Talk:C++ Programming/TOC2


text: Talk:Managing Groups and Teams/Creating and Maintaining Team Cohesion


text:
Talk:Haskell/Advanced monads

Signature of lookup
The signature of function lookup is given as: lookup :: a       -- a key -> [(a, b)] -- the lookup table to use -> Maybe b -- the result of the lookup

I don't want to be picky here, but perhaps it could be pointed out that 'a' actually has to be an equality type. Furthermore, a simple implementation of lookup could serve a better understanding of that particular example. --Xian 15:43, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

List monad example
I think there is something wrong with this example: getNextConfigs :: Board -> [Board] getNextConfigs = ... -- details not important tick :: [Board] -> [Board] tick bds = concatMap getNextConfigs bd find3rdConfig :: Board -> [Board] find3rdConfig bd = tick $ tick $ tick bd First, tick has an argument "bds" but uses "bd". Second, find3rdConfig calls tick with a Board, but tick needs an argument of type [Board]. Or am I missing something here? --Stw 21:21, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Possible answer
I would guess that that the example should be corrected as follows:

tick :: [Board] -> [Board] tick bds = concatMap getNextConfigs bds find3rdConfig :: Board -> [Board] find3rdConfig bd = tick $ tick $ tick [bd]

Thanks for pointing this out -- Kowey 07:20, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Problem with list monad example do-notation implementation of find3rdConfig?
Something doesn't feel right with the do-notation implementation of find3rdConfig. It seems like after each call to getNextConfigs, some kind of flattening (e.g. using concatMap) is necessary.

That is exactly what the list monad does: instance Monad [] where return a = [a] xs >>= f = concat (map f xs) -- Felix C. Stegerman 21:46, 15 June 2007 (UTC)

State Monad
This page implies both that the State monad has "side effects" (which I suppose it does, but not in the traditional sense) and that IO is a special case of State (which, of course, it is not. IO can't even be expressed properly in Haskell, because it has actual, classical side-effects)

title: Talk:Haskell/Advanced monads


text:
Managing Groups and Teams/New Leaders

What are the basic roles that a new team leader needs to know?
Four of the key roles that a new manager must master are that of planning, organizing, directing and controlling. Especially when the new supervisor is being promoted from team member to team leader, the new supervisor will be forced to learn these roles in order to be successful in his new role.

Planning
First, it is essential that the new manager become proficient in planning for his team. Failure to effectively plan can create problems that require a great deal more time and effort to correct than would have been required to develop a good plan.

To plan effectively, the new manager must address the following questions:

 * 1) What is the task?
 * 2) Who will perform the task?
 * 3) How should the task be performed?
 * 4) When must the task be completed?

In considering the above questions, the new manager must take the time to identify and evaluate all of the possible alternatives before making a decision. Involving team members in this part of the planning process can yield a greater variety of possible solutions and factors that need to be considered.

Once the manager has developed the plan by answering the above questions, it is critical that the manager effectively communicate the plan with the team members. No matter how well thought out and perfect the plan, it must be understood by the team.

Organizing
In order to accomplish the goals and objectives set forth in the planning stages, the new manager must learn to effectively establish the structure of the team and the people that are part of the team.

In organizing the structure of the GROUP, the manager must determine how to best align the resources at his disposal to reach the team’s goals. The manager must make good decisions in creating formal job descriptions and accountabilities for his team members and develop processes that can be improved upon. By giving team members enough structure to help them understand their roles and accountabilities, team members are clear on what is expected of them and understand how to be successful at their jobs.

Secondly, the new team leader must organize the people within his team. Some of the important steps in organizing the people on the team include:

 * 1) Understanding the factors that make a team member successful in his job
 * 2) Interviewing to find the right candidate to join the team
 * 3) Establishing and providing effective training for new team members
 * 4) Ongoing training and development of team members

By providing sufficient structure to team members, selecting the right members for the team and training team members, the new manager can effectively organize the team and increase the probability of success.

Directing
The most difficult and complicated role that a new supervisor must learn is that of directing. Once the manager has planned for his team, set forth structure within the team, and selected and trained team members, he must then develop the skill necessary to direct his team in the work. The main skills that must be mastered are leading, communicating, and motivating.

Although leading is a difficult skill to teach, there are several skills that a manager can develop to become a better leader. Some of the key skills that can be developed are:

 * 1) Empathy and the ability to listen and understand others point of view
 * 2) Understand own strengths and weaknesses and how they affect the team
 * 3) Show team members a willingness to work
 * 4) Show and spread excitement within team
 * 5) Show willingness to take on responsibility

Another key skill that a new manager must develop to become proficient at directing his team is communication. Effective communication is centered on the receiver of the communication receiving the same message as was intended by the sender. A new manager must take initiative ensure that the communication within the team is achieving the necessary results.

Controlling
The final role that a new team leader must learn to perform is controlling the team. Once the roles of planning, organizing and directing have been fulfilled, the manager must be able to control the work to be completed by the team. The steps that are involved in establishing control over a team are:

 * 1) Establish a means to measure performance
 * 2) Measure results against established metrics
 * 3) Make corrections to performance to meet established performance goals

By following the above steps, the new manager can gain a means of understanding the team’s strengths and opportunities for improvement, as well as identify best practices within the team that can be shared with the other team members. Along with following these steps, it may become necessary to discipline employees who are unable or unwilling to change their behavior in order to meet established requirements.

By learning the roles of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling, a new manager can acquire the skill necessary to quickly become effective at his new and important role.

What are some of the key roles a manager needs to take on to be effective?
Must have authoritive manners but still remain open and slightly passive to gain ideas, opinions to help in decision making

What Are the Best Options for Arranging a Team and Assigning Team Role?
A primary reason for forming and working in teams is that the combined skills and expertise of the full group can be more effective than the contributions of individual members. The team needs to act in tight coordination with each member performing his or her task correctly and at the right time. When it works, it is easy to forget the team leader’s role in making it happen.

Team leaders have many challenges to overcome before the team can fulfill its purpose. Before a team can start work toward reaching its objective, the team leader must identify shared goals and outcomes and align a group of individuals them, identify the resources that the team needs and make arrangement to provide these resources, make assignments that help improve the skills of each individual while still benefiting the team, help the team run smoothly, and ensure that the team accomplishes the task at hand.

It is like the old adage that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. You have to get the right mix of people. To do this you have to understand what each person brings to the group and match those people to the right roles. Once this is accomplished, the leader’s job is to help the assigned individuals function together as a team. It is important not to have too many or too few member. To be effective, there needs to be a balance between the number of member and the number of role and responsibilities assigned by the team leader. Too many members can result in a team that is hard to manage, too few members and there may not be enough resources to complete the task.

Before building a team you must define the capabilities your team will need to be effective. The team leader must be clear on the objectives that need to be met. Start by identifying the type of work the needs to be performed. Define the team’s objectives. Then look at those goals and desired outcomes and list the skills, certifications, expertise, and talents that will be needed to accomplish those goals. Some of these may be very specific while others are of a more abstract nature.

The following five-step analysis, as outlined in the book “Building Effective Teams”, Duke Corporate Education, can be very beneficial when trying to identify the resources available and the roles where individuals may be most effective.

 * 1) Define your team’s current responsibilities. Make note of what skill sets are utilized to make the team work now.
 * 2) Define the tasks that the team will be responsible for a year from now. Make note of the skill sets that will be needed.
 * 3) Take an inventory of the team members and the skills that they have. Make note of any dormant skills that team members have the potential to enhance and bring to the group.
 * 4) Compare the tasks in step one and step two with the skills that your team has. Are there any gaps? Do you have back-up for each person? Where can cross functional roles help provide redundancy?
 * 5) Consider readjusting the team. Are there areas that need development? How quickly do they need to be developed? What capabilities should you look for in seeking new members?

When assigning roles you must also look at how the members work together. Personal challenges can have a definite affect on how the team works and how quickly tasks are completed. Make a list of the norms that you want for your team. If you want everyone to finish work at 4:30 the night before a meeting, don’t look to someone who is a last minute type of person. If you want a casual working relationship where ideas are shared easily, don’t look to a person who always wants sole credit for work done. Look for and find people who can fit into your list of norms.

Members of the team need a clear understanding of what is being asked of them. They need to know that if they are unclear they have someone to go to. They need support and direction at every step. It is the leader’s job to find out the goals of each team member. If a team member feels that their personal goals are being met they work harder for the team. There is no “I” in team but there is a “Me.” Team members want to continue to grow and will grow with the team if they feel like their goals are being recognized.

The following is a checklist, again derived from “Building Effective Teams”, to help identify the roles each member may be capable of performing.

 * Make sure you start with a clear understanding of the work to be done.
 * Complete a gap analysis as previously described to identify individual talents and how best to employ them.
 * Learn your team members’ aspirations as well as their current skill sets and align their roles to support these objectives whenever possible.
 * Understand your organizations strategic direction and structure the team so it has the flexibility to make any changes necessary to stay aligned with corporate objectives.
 * Determine your overarching priorities. Make sure the objectives of the individuals are not allowed to interfere with the objectives of the team. Individual roles may have to be adjusted over time to help keep the team priorities at the forefront.
 * Scope the work to match the capabilities of the team members you have to draw from as much as possible. This often involves negotiation to shape the roles to the members and the members to the roles.

Keep in mind that there are a number of roles that can be formally assigned within teams in the interest of helping workflow proceed as effectively and efficiently as possible. It is the team leader’s responsibility to perform an inventory of the resources they have to draw from and align those resources with identified team roles. While there may be some roles that are fundamental to most teams, each objective is different and therefore each team is unique. It is the process of identifying which roles are necessary in a given situation and which individuals are best suited to perform those roles that determines the effectiveness of a team leader.

What Relationship Aspects Can Be Defined in Advance to Assure Success?
When given an opportunity to grow within the company, there are challenges that come with the excitement of moving up the corporate ladder. These challenges are centered in the relationship “baggage” that one can bring with them into their new position. So what aspects of this baggage can be defined early so as to avoid any problems and assure the type of success that brought you into this new position? John C. Maxwell, in his book, The 360 degree Leader, suggests that the aspects fall into two categories. First, there are leadership principles that one must develop while still part of the body of the team before the promotion. These are 1) avoid office politics, 2) let the best idea win and 3) don’t pretend your perfect. (Maxwell, 2005, Thomas Nelson) Second are a group of principles that need to be developed after the upward move is made. These are 1) develop team members as people, 2) place people in their strength zones and 3) model the behavior you desire. (Maxwell, 2005, Thomas Nelson) Maxwell feels that the development of leadership from inside of a team can be a very difficult challenge. Mostly the relationship baggage the new leader brings is the months or years of established interaction with co-workers. This baggage can be minimized with some concerted effort when interacting as a team member. First, Maxwell defines playing politics as “changing who you appear to be or what you normally do to gain an advantage with whoever currently has power.” (Maxwell, 2005, Thomas Nelson)  Many organizations drive people to feel that they must play these politics to get ahead. The suggestion made by Maxwell is that once a person participates in these politics, their reputation among their peers is one of trying to get ahead without merit. As this person moves into leadership roles, based on performance or not, that reputation among his peers will follow him and his leadership will be largely ineffective. Second, in competitive corporate environments many middle managers are fighting to have their ideas heard and recognized. Many will do so at the expense of the larger company or at the expense of others around them. As a team member, before promotion, a reputation of fairness and open mindedness needs to be developed so that once the promotion does come that reputation will be useful. This is done by listening to all ideas, don’t take rejection personally, don’t let personality overshadow purpose and finally, protect creative people and the ideas they generate. (Maxwell, 2005, Thomas Nelson) Finally, while working within a team, one should never put on the air of superiority, even in success. The way to combat this is to be real when dealing with oneself. Be quick to admit faults, ask for advice and worry less about what others think. People who are real draw others to them and are easily trusted. Once the transition has been made to the leadership role, the relationship baggage is still there and still needs to be dealt with. The person in this role is no longer seen as a team member but an ex-team member. With that said, there are still the relationships that one has brought with them. These relationships can continue to develop on a personal level. First, each team member must feel that the leader is interested and willing to help them continually develop. The leader must understand that each team member is different and needs to be dealt with differently. Additionally, by establishing organizational goals that help each person develop outside of the work environment they will feel that the leader is helping them move toward personal progression. (Maxwell, 2005, Thomas Nelson) Second, many leaders fail in finding the “sweet spot” of each team member is essential as a team leader. Many people feel under utilized when they are performing tasks that do not challenge them. By spending the time to understand strengths and then allowing team members to maximize those strengths, new leaders can develop successful teams. Finally, good leaders will always lead by example. Leaders that move up through the corporate ladder by performing at high levels, achieving goals and being real can then expect the same behavior from the teams they now lead. This principle may be the most important. (Maxwell, 2005, Thomas Nelson)

title: Managing Groups and Teams/New Leaders


text:
Managing Groups and Teams/Motivation

What Is Motivation?
In the most general of terms, motivation is the psychological feature that arouses an individual to action toward a desired goal. Motivation can also be the reason for an individual's action or that which gives purpose and direction to behavior. In other words, motivation is an incentive that generates goal-directed behaviors.

Motivational Theory
Motivation comes in many forms and what motivates one individual is not necessarily the same for their team members. Therefore, it is important to understand how motivation differs among individuals and how these differences affect the overall drive and determination of a team toward a goal. To better understand the complexities of motivation researchers over the years have developed a number of theories to try to explain why people behave in the ways that they do and to try to predict what people actually will do, based on these theories. These theories, called motivational theories are often split into two categories –content theories and process theories.

Content theories are centered on finding what makes people tick or appeals to them. These theories suggest that people have certain needs and/or desires which have been internalized as they mature to adulthood. These theories look at what it is about certain people that make them want the things that they do and what things in their environment will make them do or not do certain things. Two popular content theories are Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory and Hertzberg's Two Factor Theory.

Process theories focus on how and by what goals people are motivated. Process theories of motivation look at what people are thinking about when they decide whether or not to put effort into a particular activity. There are of a number of this type of approach to motivation theory one of which is Adam’s Equity Theory.

Industrial psychologists have used these ideas on motivational theory to develop management theories based on what we have learned motivates individuals. Nearly all motivational theory, regardless of the approach outlines significant differences in how individuals are motivated on their own and how they are motivated when being part of a team. Team motivation tends to be much more difficult. There are more possibilities to motivate a team, yet at the same time there are more motivational factors to fulfill for a team in order to gain motivation.

Team Motivation
Motivational factors differ since the goals of the individual and the team are often not on the same level. The individual will always fight to fulfill their higher level needs. These needs are often not consistent with the needs of the team and of the individual. The motivation of the individual is essential for successful motivation of the team. Team members must be able to fulfill their higher level needs to be motivated and team members must be committed to the team. Along with good leadership that enables team members to fulfill their goals all of these qualities will motivate a team. These motivation factors that drive a team can be divided into four categories– task, structure, goals, and members. By realizing other factors besides intrinsic rewards that will motivate individuals, the team will also be motivated. The sharing of knowledge, support, solidarity and communication are all highly effective in motivating a team. All in all, a team that exists within a collaborative, structured and communicative environment will be highly motivated.

Overall, there are consequences when teams lack motivation. By examining the consequences in the areas of task, structure, goals, and members, we are able to recognize how motivation is lost and proactively address any issues in the future.

Lack of Motivation in Teams
Teams that lack motivation will rarely reach their full potential or perform to the best of their ability. In most cases, it is not the entire team that lacks motivation, but individuals on the team that lack motivation.

Motivation and Team Dynamics
Almost all teams have members who are changing or transitioning in and out of the team; and requirements and tasks within the team are constantly modified and becoming more focused on the goal. In fact, teams that never change can become stagnant; this leads to decreased motivation within the team. Therefore, monitoring the motivating factors within the team is vital to team success and increased motivation for the future. The keys to successfully managing these motivating factors in an environment of constant team dynamics require understanding the team members, understanding the team goals, and providing consistent leadership throughout the project or life of the team.

Understand Team Members
When the team is first formed, the team leader needs to pay careful attention to the type of person that is selected in the team. Selecting two individuals, who may be similar in many aspects yet are motivated by two contradictory methods, may make it impossible to motivate one while not offending the other. Then trying to determine the individual that is less likely to be either unmotivated or un-offended by the motivation techniques employed may cause additional problems, such as perceived favoritism or dislike towards certain team members.

Even if the initial team members are perfectly chosen, taking all motivation requirements into account, new members will probably be added later to either provide additional support or to take the place of a departing team member. Understanding the current team members' motivation requirements and those of potential team members may be even more important at this time because the current team is already progressing and the motivation techniques required to motivate new team members may be detrimental to the current team members’ efforts and goals.

Understanding the team members' motivation needs both at inception of the team and also throughout the ever-changing environment of the team will result in proper motivation techniques and greater success for the team.

Understand Team Goals
Team goals can be short-term task-specific goals, long-term organizational goals or any combination thereof. In addition, these goals may be constantly updated or changed, especially short-term task-specific goals, as the business environment changes or as tasks and goals are accomplished.

Different types of goals may require different types of motivation. For example, a team might be motivated to work hard on a project for an extra couple of weeks if they are rewarded with a three or four-day weekend once it is completed; or maybe if the company has no work-related accidents for the year everyone receives an extra percentage bonus during the holiday season.

An understanding of the team goals, in all varieties, is neither more nor less important as understanding the team members who are trying to accomplish these goals. These two factors are interdependent in determining the motivation tactics that should be employed to maximize success within the team.

Provide Consistent Leadership
Because there is so much change with team members and associated team goals, providing consistent leadership is essential to motivating team members. If possible, keeping the same individual in charge will keep the team members focused on their goal rather than on determining what a new leader expects of them. Team members may be motivated to make their new boss happy rather than being motivated to achieve the team goals.

Additionally, with constantly changing leadership, many team members may assume the team they belong to is undesirable to leaders. Team members may think leaders are "jumping ship" because they know they will not succeed; and in turn, managing a poorly achieving team puts a black mark on own leadership abilities.

No matter how hard individual team leaders try to stay with a team, change is inevitable for team leaders as well. To mitigate the problems mentioned above, two strategies can be employed:

 * 1) Maintain consistent expectations from the former to the new team leader
 * 2) Utilize the current motivational techniques that work.

Both of these strategies require as much communication as possible between the former and the new leader. In addition, communication to the team members throughout the transition process provides motivation to the team because they will understand what is expected of them, and they will feel like they are part of the process. This communication between the leaders and to the team members is the responsibility of the team leaders, but team members should try to make sure they are available and receptive to this communication.

An appreciation for the subtleties that exist in human behavior and team dynamics will better enable the understanding of team motivation. Understanding team members, understanding team goals, and providing consistent leadership should help provide the motivation required to achieve success.

Motivating Team Members
Many top managers assume that the key to motivation is the proper use of the available motivational "tools." This is making an enormous assumption that some magical tool actually exists that will motivate an individual. This is one of the common myths regarding motivation. According to Authenticity Consulting LLC advisor Carter McNamara, tools are not what motivate individuals. Motivation is a process, not the end result of a task. Specifically regarding the question posed to our team, motivation is not catered to an individual because of their experience or position. It is catered to an individual because they ARE an individual. This goes for the long-tenured employee as well as the newest member of the team.

Motivational Myths
McNamara discusses three motivational myths that can help us better understand the process of motivation. The first myth is that one person can motivate another. This is simply not true. An employee has to motivate themselves. As a manager you have to establish an environment that will cultivate and bring forth the personal motivational factors of each individual. This can be accomplished through establishing team goals based on the goals of the individuals. If an individual is motivated towards a goal and the goal has no relation to the team goal, they will not continue to motivate themselves because their results will have no real team value. This is why it is important that managers fully and frequently discuss the organizational goals with their employees.

The second myth is that money and fear are good motivators. According to McNamara, money can only help people from being less motivated. It does not typically increase motivation in an individual. Fear, like money, is only useful in the short term. The same repeated criticism or threat from a manager can negatively impact the motivation of the employee.

"I know what motivates me, so I know what motivates my employees," is the third myth. Everyone is different. Motivational factors can vary to every extreme. However, what can be uniform for everyone is the goal they are trying to reach. Managers need to identify and understand what motivates each employee to reach the common organizational goal. This can be done by asking, observing and listening to your employees. They will give tremendous insight into their motivational factors through their daily, menial conversations. Often what motivates an individual is what they show the most enthusiasm for. This needs to be followed up with sincere one-on-one meetings to discuss accomplishments and to modify goals based on evolving motivational factors.

Steps to Employee Motivation
Finally, McNamara recommends some steps that managers can take to better support their employees in motivating themselves. First, managers need to write down what they think motivates each of their employees and ask the employee to do the same. They then compare results with the employee and discuss the differences and misconceptions. Next, the results are used to establish a reward system based on self-stated motivational factors. Finally, managers need to reward and acknowledge positive behaviors. Employees need to know when an organizational goal has been met as a result of their actions. They need to clearly understand their specific action or actions that led to the goal being met. Once this is done it is a time to celebrate. Celebration among the team of a job well done is the first step in accomplishing the next organizational goal.

title: Managing Groups and Teams/Motivation


text:
User:Jokes Free4Me/ToDo

 * Add general overview to (amongst others): Godric's Hollow, Hogwarts, and James Potter.

title: User:Jokes Free4Me/ToDo


text:
Geometry/Chapter 10

Section 10.1 - Introduction to "Polygons"
Walking around a city, you can see polygons in buildings, windows, and traffic signs. In general a polygon is a closed plane figure with at least three sides. Those sides intersect only at their endpoints and no adjacent sides are collinear. Examples of polygons include triangles, trapezoids, and hexagons.

Section 10.2 - Definition of "polygon"
A polygon is a two-dimensional, closed plane figure that has at least three sides, all of which are straight. Polygon lines cannot intersect other lines of a polygon. All polygons have the same number of angles equal to the number of sides and vice versa.

Section 10.3 - Regular polygons
A regular polygon is a polygon that is equiangular, equilateral, and the vertices of which are all equidistant from a common center. Simply put, a polygon is considered to be regular if all of its sides have equal length, all of its angles have equal measure, and there exists an imaginary point that is equally distant from each of its corners.

Despite the fact that the uniform side length of any regular polygon has an infinite amount of possible values, the uniform angle measure can be defined by the following formula:

$$\theta=(n-2)\cdot180^\circ$$

where $$\theta$$ is the angle measure and $$n$$ is the number of sides the polygon has. This will give the sum of the interior angles of a polygon. It is important to note that this formula is not specific to regular polygons. This formula will give the sum of the interior angles for any polygon.

If a polygon is regular, then the measure of each individual angle is given by: $$\theta=\frac{n-2}{n}\cdot180^\circ$$

An example of the use of these two formulas would be finding the measure of each interior angle of a regular pentagon. To find the sum of the interior angles we would use the formula:

$$\theta=(5-2)\cdot180^\circ$$

Because a pentagon has five sides. This yields an answer of 540 degrees. Dividing this answer by 5 -- because that is the number of sides -- gives an answer of 108 degrees. In an equilateral pentagon, each interior angle has a measure of 108 degrees.

Exercises

 * 1) Are all isosceles triangles also equilateral?
 * 2) Is there such thing as a right triangle that is also isosceles?
 * 3) What is the sum of the interior angles in an octagon?
 * 4) What is the measure of an interior angle in a regular hexagon?
 * 5) Draw an equilateral quadrilateral that is also equiangular. Can there be an equilateral quadrilateral that is not equiangular?
 * 6) How many lines of symmetry are there in a regular $$n$$-gon?

title: Geometry/Chapter 10


text:
User talk:Mantis~enwikibooks

Hello! and welcome to wikibooks!

I see you've been doing alot of work on the Reverse Engineering book. I wanted to personally thank you for the help: That book needs a lot of work. The book does need alot more content, but it also needs grammar and spelling help that our other authors don't always catch. If you need anything, don't hesistate to let me know. --Whiteknight (talk) (projects) 00:20, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Your account will be renamed
Hello,

The developer team at Wikimedia is making some changes to how accounts work, as part of our on-going efforts to provide new and better tools for our users like cross-wiki notifications. These changes will mean you have the same account name everywhere. This will let us give you new features that will help you edit and discuss better, and allow more flexible user permissions for tools. One of the side-effects of this is that user accounts will now have to be unique across all 900 Wikimedia wikis. See the announcement for more information.

Unfortunately, your account clashes with another account also called Mantis. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name Mantis~enwikibooks that only you will have. If you like it, you don't have to do anything. If you do not like it, you can pick out a different name.

Your account will still work as before, and you will be credited for all your edits made so far, but you will have to use the new account name when you log in.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Yours, Keegan Peterzell Community Liaison, Wikimedia Foundation 23:24, 17 March 2015 (UTC)

Renamed
 This account has been renamed as part of single-user login finalisation. If you own this account you can |log in using your previous username and password for more information. If you do not like this account's new name, you can choose your own using this form after logging in: . -- Keegan (WMF) (talk) 05:14, 19 April 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:Mantis~enwikibooks


text:
Jeep Liberty/Accessories/Onboard Air

ARB Compressors
The ARB CKSA12 was designed solely to operate ARB Air Lockers. It has an integrated air tank and two solenoid ports on the manifold.

Factory A/C Compressor
The factory A/C compressor in the Jeep Liberty is a centrifugal compressor and therefore its use as an onboard air compressor would be impractical. Centrifugal compressors are meant for high volumes at low pressure, whereas the preferred reciprocatimg compressor is meant for low volumes at high pressures. When used in conjunction with an air tank a reciprocating compressor can supply air at high volumes and high pressure, which is better suited for powering air tools.

CO2 Systems
CO2 systems can be used to fill tires and control lockers, just like air compressors. However, when used with lockers, they must be properly regulated and release no liquid. While CO2 systems, such as the Power Tank, are portable, fast, and have a high duty cycle, they don't provide the unlimited pressure of air compressor systems.

Tank

 * Kilby
 * Oasis
 * Viair
 * Warn

title: Jeep Liberty/Accessories/Onboard Air


text:
College Survival Guide/Creating a Planner

Whenever starting a new semester, it's always a good idea to have your events planned out. If you have every detail of your day planned out, you'll become less susceptible to the planning fallacy.(1)

Supplies needed:

 * 1) Watch (Wristwatch or clock)
 * 2) Writing instrument.
 * 3) Paper or other surface for writing on.
 * 4) Grasp of division. Ex: [(140/7) = 20]
 * 5) Computer
 * 6) A spreadsheet program: Openoffice.org, Microsoft Excel, Google account, etc..

Creating a Class Schedule

 * 1) Obtain your class schedule.
 * 2) Create a spreadsheet document.
 * 3) Wikibook not complete.....

Preparing to avoid the planning fallacy
The planning fallacy occurs when you think you know how long something will take. However, a more mathematical approach to planning out your day would be better than an assumption. Typically the best way to figure out how long it will take to read 20 pages of a textbook is to time one's self. If a person were to stay keep the environment around her or him consistent, maintain the same speed of reading and comprehension, and keep on task, then he or she would have variables to help determine how long it took to read 20 pages. This may not be the best statistical way to prepare, but it is better than nothing or assuming.

Ex:

You sit in a quiet library with a pair of AoSafety headphones on. You keep your eyes on the book and maintain a steady rate of reading. In two hours you have read 20 pages of your textbook. If you were to continue going through your textbook—proceeding to a different text after the 20 pages and returning back to the preceding text—and reading 20 more pages, then you can view how long it took you to read 20 pages again.

Analyzed version:

 * 1) Read 20 pages of a book. (Book 1)
 * 2) Log the amount of time it took to read 20 pages.
 * 3) Read 20 pages of a different book. (Book 2)
 * 4) Log the amount of time it took to read 20 pages.
 * 5) Read 20 pages of a different book. (Book 3)
 * 6) Log the amount of time it took to read 20 pages.
 * 7) Read 20 pages of a different book. (Book 4)
 * 8) Log the amount of time it took to read 20 pages.
 * 9) Read 20 pages of a different book. (Book 5)

 * If you have fewer than five books, go back to book 1.
 * If you have greater than five books, alternate the time accordingly to whatever heuristic thought you have.

Ex:
 * 1) Read 15 pages of a different book. (Book 5)
 * 2) Log the amount of time it took to read 15 pages.
 * 3) Read 15 pages of a different book. (Book 6)

Continue reading and logging time for a week (7 days).

By the end of a week, you should have the amount of time it took you to read 20 pages of each book per day.

Example: Book 1 (Su: 2 hours; M: 1 hour 30 mins; T: 2 hours 15 minutes; ...) Add up the amount of time from each day for book 1; divide by 7. Do the same for every other book.
 * This is typically how long it takes you to read 20 pages of book 1.
 * This is typically how long it takes you to read 20 pages of that book.

There may be problems with the first few days in which you become acquainted with a textbook. These problems should be totaled into the equation.

After doing this for a week, you have a better understanding of how long it takes you to read a certain book. It is advised that you switch between books.


text:
Announcing

Announcing: Communicating on Broadcast Media is an open-content textbook on the profession of announcing. It is a free online book anyone can read, write, or edit.

Broadly defined, announcing is the professional practice of vocally communicating messages to an audience through broadcast media. Those who practice this profession are called announcers, although most announcers prefer to use a more descriptive title to describe what they do. Some announcers work in radio as "disk jockeys," radio journalists or program hosts. Some announcers work in television as newscasters, sportscasters or "booth announcers." Some announcers are voice actors who specialize in doing commercial "voice overs," narrating documentaries or providing voices for animated films. Still other announcers communicate using public address systems, such as those found at sports stadiums, racing tracks and "disco" nightclubs. Although there are many different kinds of announcers, a common thread through all of these occupations is the central importance of using one's voice to effectively communicate a message.

Unit 1: Announcing Basics

 * /About this book/
 * /Introduction/
 * /A Brief History of Announcing/
 * /Reading Copy/

Unit 2: Developing Your Voice

 * /Five Steps to Building a Better Voice/
 * /Voice Exercises/
 * /Standard Pronunciation/
 * /Articulation/

Unit 3: Broadcast Journalism

 * /Defining News/
 * /Writing Broadcast News/
 * /On Being a Broadcast Journalist/

Appendices

 * /Wanted Modules/
 * /Contributors/

title: Announcing


text: Category:Book:Thai

title: Category:Book:Thai


text:
Announcing/Introduction

On Air. Two simple words. Just five letters. But to the thousands of people who work in the broadcast media, those two simple words can mean a lot, not the least of which is "it's show time!"

'''On Air. ''' The words flash in red lights outside of the broadcast studio, indicating to the outside world that something special is happening inside, so please don't interrupt. Inside the studio, behind a microphone and sometimes in front of a camera, professionals communicate messages to an unseen audience. They may even appear to the casual observer to be talking to themselves, yet with all the animation and expression one might expect when speaking to a good friend.

'''On Air. ''' Two words that are seen every day by announcers, people engaged in the professional practice of vocally communicating messages to an audience through the broadcast media. Many people want to become announcers. Some realize their dreams. And a few make it to "the top" of the profession, achieving fame and possibly fortune.

What about you? Do you want to be on air? Do you have what it takes? I believe that if you truly want something badly enough, and you are determined to work hard, you're more likely to achieve your goals. But it helps to know more about what you are aiming for.

That's what this book is all about: an introduction to the field of announcing. It won't tell you everything you might want to know about the field, but it will give you a start. It might even be the start of something great, your own successful journey to be among those On Air.

What is announcing?
Before we can clearly discuss any concept, we need to define it. That sounds easier than it actually is. Defining any concept involves some risk that someone might disagree with your definition. Define a term too narrowly, and you're likely to miss something important. Cast your net too widely, and you're likely to include things that probably should be considered something else.

So it is with the terms "announcer" and "announcing." What is the first thing you think of when you hear the term "announcer?" A disc jockey on the radio? Perhaps a television news anchor? Maybe a sportscaster calling the play-by-play of an athletic competition? Or someone providing the "voiceover" for a commercial message?

I would include all of these—and more—in my definition of announcing. But whether everyone I would call an announcer would call themselves an announcer is another matter. Indeed, most people who work in the profession of announcing, at least in the broad sense I use here, would prefer to be know as something other than an announcer.

So for what it's worth, here's my definition of announcing: Announcing is the professional practice of vocally communicating messages to an audience through broadcast media. And by extension, an announcer is someone engaged in this profession, for love or for money (and hopefully both).

Let's expand upon the seven components of this definition:
 * 1) ...professional... Announcing is not just a "job" that anyone can do. Announcing is a profession: an occupation that demands specialized skills and unique talents. Indeed, it's not uncommon to hear people in the industry refer to announcers as "talent." For that's what the announcer has that others are willing to pay for: talent. That doesn't mean announcers make a lot of money (although a few make quite a bit). But it does mean that announcers are able to do something others are willing to pay for. And as in other professions, announcing has its own associations and unions dedicated to protecting and enhancing the profession, like AFTRA, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Some announcing specialties have professional ethical codes that seek to establish professional standards, such as the Radio and Television News Directors Code of Ethics. So while announcing can be fun, it's not something people usually do just for the fun of it. Announcing is a career choice that most announcers take quite seriously.
 * 2) ...practice... Because skillful announcing requires talent, announcing is a practice as well as a profession. Announcers are continually practicing their craft, trying to make the most of their talents. Although some announcers may be blessed with a naturally pleasant voice or an attractive appearance, most announcers find they must work hard to develop and maintain their "on-air presence." A nice smile and "good pipes" won't get you very far if you don't know how to use them. So announcers practice; they practice how they sound on a microphone, how they appear on a camera, and how they interpret and deliver messages. Announcing is a very competitive field; only a few make it to the top of their profession. Those that do, know that becoming a successful announcer takes practice, and typically, a lot of it.
 * 3) ...vocally... The voice is perhaps the announcer's most valuable asset. It is the primary "tool" announcers use to convey messages to an audience. While announcers don't necessary have to have a "beautiful" voice, announcers must be able to effectively use their voices, sometimes for long stretches at a time. The voice is important for performing on both radio and television: whether an announcer is behind a microphone or in front of a camera, it is the voice that carries most of the "content" of a message. That doesn't mean that announcers don't need to know how to communicate in other ways; some announcing jobs require writing as well as speaking skills, some give considerable attention to physical appearance, and some require specialized knowledge in a particular area, like popular music, current events, or sports. But all announcers use their voices, and vocal quality is often what distinguishes the most successful announcers.
 * 4) ...communicating... Fundamentally, an announcer's job is to communicate. Announcers just doesn't read words out loud; they use their skills and talents to effectively communicate the meaning of those words. If the message an announcer is trying to convey isn't successfully communicated, the announcer has failed to do what he or she is being paid to do. Announcers should thus possess a solid understanding of the process of communication in order to organize, synthesize and present information in a compelling manner. Many announcers have advanced training in public speaking, rhetoric and communication studies.  But regardless of their academic credentials, successful announcers demonstrate they know how to effectively communicate.  Because communication is the fundamental purpose of what they do.
 * 5) ...messages... The meaningful content of what announcers seek to communicate is embedded in the messages they communicate. Sometimes announcers are directly involved in the writing of scripts, commonly called "copy" in industry lingo. Sometimes announcers are asked to "ad lib" a message for a specific purpose.  And sometimes announcers are asked to quickly create messages that capture the essence of a news story or a sporting event.  But regardless of whether they are involved in creating the messages they convey, announcers must be able to interpret, understand and communicate the meaning of those messages. Announcers "breathe life" into these messages, using their talent to convert simple words into an engaging message.
 * 6) ...audience... Ultimately, the success of an announcer is dependent on the audience. You can't communicate a message if no one listens to it. And announcers typically don't have captive audiences; they rely, at least in part, on the power of personality to attract listeners and gain and maintain their attention. Put another way, announcers try to be people other people want to listen to (and perhaps look at). Announcers are often assessed by how well the audience responds to them, which is typically measured in audience ratings. It may seem unfair, but many announcers live or die by the ratings. They must use their talents to attract and "connect" with the target audience...and keep them coming back for more.
 * 7) ...broadcast media. [[Image:Microphone_électrostatique.jpg|thumb|220px|right|One of the announcer's primary tools is the microphone.]]Most people equate the term "broadcasting" with "over the air" radio and television. Certainly the term "broadcast media" includes radio and TV. But in a more general sense, broadcast media can include any technology that extends the power of the human voice to "cast broadly," that is, to "cast" (convey) messages to a "broad" audience. That could include technologies for sending audio and video signals over cable systems, via satellite, or over the internet. It could include technologies used to record and playback prerecorded messages.  I would even include public address systems, such as that used by announcers at sports stadiums, race tracks and night clubs. Of course, using the term "broadcast media" in such a general fashion does stretch its meaning a bit, but does so in a way the more completely captures the variety of technologies used by announcers.

Should this definition include television actors, since they also are professionals communicating messages to an audience through the broadcast media? Probably not. In general, actors focus on communicating fictional narrative messages while announcers focus on communicating non-fictional expository messages. But that's a rather "fuzzy line" that doesn't always clearly distinguish acting from announcing. Suffice it to say that there is a lot of overlap between these two professions. Many announcers would also consider themselves to be actors, and many hold membership in an actors union, like the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). But probably fewer actors would consider themselves to be announcers.

Announcing specializations
While people who practice this profession can be called announcers, most prefer to use a more descriptive title to describe what they do. As a result, not everyone in the announcing profession likes to be called an announcer. There are some good reasons for this. One reason is that the term "announcer" is often associated with radio and television, and not everyone in the announcing profession works in radio and television (although most probably do at some point in their careers). Another reason is that the term "announcer" has come to be associated with the reading of scripts, and not everyone in the announcing profession reads scripts. Another reason is that the term "announcer" sounds rather dated and "old-fashioned." But perhaps the biggest reason is that some people hold a somewhat negative stereotype of announcers. For some, the term "announcer" implies a person who is in love with the sound of their own voice, is probably a bit pompous, and uses an overly polished and somewhat artificial tone of voice. Even though the vast majority of those who work in the announcing profession don't fit this unfair stereotype, there is just enough of a subtle stigma attached to the word "announcer" that most professionals prefer to use a more specific term.

And there are plenty of more specific terms to go around. Here are a few:
 * Disc Jockey Many announcers prefer to use the term disc jockey, especially if they primarily announce recorded music on radio. The term reflects the adroit handling of phonographic discs that once was a required part of the job.
 * Radio Personality Some disc jockeys specialize in providing entertaining and often humorous banter between selections. Sometimes called "radio personalities," these announcers often talk more than they play music.
 * Radio Journalist Those who work in radio news often must wear multiple hats, serving as field reporter, news writer, audio producer and studio anchor.
 * Television Newscaster Television journalists tend to have narrower job descriptions than do their counterparts in radio news. The title "newscaster" is typically reserved for those who routinely appear on a news program. The primary newscasters on a program are typically called "anchors."
 * Voice Artist These announcers often specialize in providing character voices, such as the voices for characters in animated films. However, many people use the term "voice artist" in a more general sense to apply to anyone who uses their voice in an "artistic" manner.
 * Voiceover Talent Many announcers work at providing the voices you hear on commercials, station promos and public service announcements. The term comes from the fact that only the announcers' voices appear "over" the video. If an announcer appears on camera, the term "on-camera talent" or "spokesperson" might be used.
 * Sportscaster An announcer who specializes in sports broadcasting is often called a sportscaster, although there are a number of more specialized titles as well. An announcer who "calls the action" of a sporting event is typically called a "play-by-play announcer," while an announcer who provides commentary between plays is called a "color commentator."
 * Club DJ This is a general term for an announcer who primarily works at a nightclub, dance hall or disco. Because most radio announcers no longer play discs, the terms "Disc Jockey" and "DJ" are increasingly used to refer to announcers who primarily "spin music" in a public setting.
 * Public Address Announcer Most public sports venues, including baseball parks, football fields and racetracks, hire announcers to make announcements during an event. Sometimes these announcements are also broadcast (such as the racing call of the "track announcer").
 * Program Host Many programs, like game shows, talk shows and some "reality TV" programs, use announcers as hosts or to supplement the hosts. Most game shows, for example, include both on-camera hosts and off-camera announcers.
 * Narrator Some announcers specialize in providing narrations for documentary films and educational videos. Some specialize in reading literary texts as audiobooks. Here's one area of announcing that clearly bridges that "fuzzy line" between announcers and actors noted above.

How many people work as announcers?
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook provides a lot of useful information regarding the size of the Announcing profession, at least in the USA. In the 2008-2009 edition of the Handbook, the BLS estimated the number of Americans working in the "Announcers" category at about 71,000 people. However, the BLS defines announcing more narrowly than I do here, identifying "news analysts, reporters and correspondents" as a separate category. Many of the individuals in this second category, at least those employed in the broadcast media, would be included in the profession of announcing as I define it here. There may also be some people counted by the BLS in the categories of "Actors, Producers and Directors", "Writers and Editors," and "Broadcast and Sound Engineering Technicians and Radio Operators" whose work includes some announcing duties.

So while the BLS counts 71,000 Americans in the Announcer category, I think a more complete count can be achieved by including the 16,000 people the BLS identifies as working in broadcast news and sportscasting. This would mean that about 87,000 Americans are employed in the broader definition of the announcing field that I'm arguing for here.

Since the population of the United States is about 300 million, that means that about 1 out of every 3,300 people in the USA are announcers. To be fair, however, one should compare the number of announcers to the actual number of people employed in the US (excluding children, retired people and those who are unemployed). As of August 2008, the BLS estimates the US labor force at 155 million, which means that about 1 out of every 1700 jobs are in in the announcing profession.

This suggests that announcing is a very competitive field, and indeed it is. In general, more people want to work in this field than there are jobs in this field. It's not uncommon for people in the business to feel that there are a thousand people waiting to have their job if they leave. That may be an exaggeration, but not a gross one. This is one reason why entry-level announcing jobs tend to not pay well (more on this in a moment). But keep in mind that those who have polished their skills and demonstrate considerable talent will find it much easier to find work than those who don't seriously devote themselves to excellence in announcing. Perseverance and practice can go a long way.

How much do announcers make?
Some announcers make very good money, because they have talents that are in great demand, and people are willing to pay handsomely for them. The very few announcers who have reached the top of their profession, such as network news anchors, can earn millions. When Katie Couric accepted the job of anchor of the CBS Evening News, she reportedly agreed to a salary of $15 million a year. Perhaps even more amazing was that Couric may have turned down NBC's offer of $20 million per year to continue hosting The Today Show in favor of the prestige of being the first sole female anchor on a major network evening newscast. Of course, it should be pointed out that the CBS Evening News is a half-hour program, while The Today Show is four hours long. So on an hourly basis...well, let's just say Katie is doing quite well for herself.

Unfortunately, most announcers don't make nearly that kind of money. It is not uncommon for entry-level radio announcers to make minimum wage or just slightly more, especially in smaller towns and for those employed on a part-time basis. While most announcers earn more than minimum wage, many people are surprised to discover that the average salary is not that much higher.

Again, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) offers us some insight. In 2007, the BLS reports that the average hourly wage for announcers was $18.44, and the average annual salary was $38,360. Those working in broadcast news made a bit more, with $25.69 as the average hourly wage and $51,350 as the average annual salary. It's interesting that in both categories, the median wages and salaries were considerably lower than the averages. For announcers, the median figures were $12.38/hour and $25,740/year, and for broadcast journalists the medians were $17.79/hour and $37,010/year. The median is the "middle point" in the pay range; in other words, half make more than the median and half make less. The disparity between the averages and the medians suggests that there are a few people who make well above the average (like Katie Couric), and these top-earners consequently "stretch" the industry average well above the middle point of the pay scale. In statistic-speak, announcing salaries reflect a skewed distribution.

Such salary figures may seem discouraging. But keep in mind that most announcers earning salaries at the lower end of this range are probably either just starting their careers or working part time (or both). Also, there tends to be considerable employee turnover in announcing jobs at the lower end of the pay range. It is fairly common for announcers to move from one job to another many times in the early stages of their careers, as they "work they way up to the top." Within a few years of working in the profession, young announcers find that they either "have what it takes" to reach the top, or they don't. There are many people who work as announcers in their 20s, only to move on to more lucrative careers in their 30s. For those who stay in the profession, most find they are eventually able to make at least a modestly comfortable salary.

What kind of training do announcers need?
Some people who work in the announcing profession do not have any formal training in the art of effective communication. A college degree, or for that matter, a high school diploma, is not a requirement for many announcing jobs. It is quite possible that a person who has a good voice, an engaging style and a persuasive personality can succeed in the announcing profession regardless of academic credentials.

Nevertheless, most announcers have completed at least some post-secondary work. A college education can greatly increase one's chances of success in the profession, and provides a foundation for a wider range of career opportunities. This is especially true of those who work in news; nearly all broadcast journalism positions require a bachelor's degree. Serious journalists often pursue a master's degree in journalism or communication.

College-level announcing courses are typically offered by departments of communication, broadcasting, or journalism. Such courses can be found under various titles, like "Broadcast Announcing," "Communicating on TV & Radio," and "Performing for the Mass Media." Sometimes announcing skills are taught as a part of a broader course, like "Introduction to Broadcasting," or "Radio Station Operation."

Sometimes courses in announcing are combined with other courses in a curriculum designed specifically for those pursuing a career in broadcasting. An aspiring announcer should consider coursework in audio and video production, journalism, broadcast management, voice and articulation, acting, script writing and mass communication. Depending on one's particular interests, courses in music, sports officiating, marketing, film, advertising and public relations can also be helpful.

Many announcers get their first real "job" at college radio or television stations. College stations, especially radio stations, are typically operated by students and advised by a faculty member, graduate student or staff person. The role of the advisor varies greatly from station to station, but most stations fall into one of two categories: faculty-supervised stations that are funded by an academic unit and operated as part of a broadcasting curriculum, and student-managed stations that are funded by student government and operated as a student activity organization. Both kinds of stations can provide valuable opportunities for learning practical broadcast skills.

What is the future of the announcing profession?
It is likely that there will continue to be a need for announcers. As long as there are messages that people want to be communicated, there will be those willing to pay for those who can communicate those messages effectively.

Having said this, it is also likely that technological, cultural and economic forces will change the nature of the announcing profession in the coming years. Radio is changing as people gravitate to iPods and satellite audio delivery services. Television is changing as people increasingly download videos from the internet. News is changing as the traditional gatekeeping function of the "mainstream media" is being challenged by the "blogosphere" and alternative media.

Yet while change may be inevitable, the fundamental skills that talented announcers possess will always be in demand. Formats may change, news values may change, media may change. But people who can use their voices to convey meaningful messages effectively, persuasively and passionately will rarely be out of a job. At least not for very long.

The bottom line: not everyone who seeks to be successful in this profession will be successful. But if you polish your communication skills, sharpen your vocal talents, continually seek to learn more about as much as you can, possess a strong and abiding work ethic, and are willing to be flexible, you can and should go far in this field.

title: Announcing/Introduction


text:
User talk:Pthompsen

Welcome!
Hello and welcome to Wikibooks!

Here are some tips to help you get started:
 * You can sign your name on Talk and vote pages using four tildes, like this: ~~~~.
 * Remember to conduct any editing experiments in the sandbox.
 * Check out our help page if you need additional help.
 * Eventually, you might want to read the Manual of Style and Policies and Guidelines.
 * Take a look at Naming policy
 * See list of templates which can save your time
 * Remember to maintain a Neutral point of view.
 * Explore, be bold in editing pages, and have fun!

You will find more resources in Community Portal. If you want to ask a question, visit the Study help desk, the Staff lounge, IRC channel or ask me personally on my talk page.

Good luck! I look forward to reading your Announcing book once it's finished. :) --hagindaz 02:54, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Really appreciate the work you have put into this - thank you! I was going to edit the page to create a new heading called "Comments" - to encourage others to edit the book without making 'formal' contribution - but lacked the courage! Posted a comment here instead ...George Berrie (discuss • contribs) 19:18, 1 April 2014 (UTC)

Hello,

as I see, your are testing at Template:Preview. This no problem. But please use the preview button. Otherwisem you make it difficult for the admins and supporters to keep track of the (important) changes. The preview button is on the right of the 'Save page' button. If xou just want to test around a bit, please use the Sandbox.

Have fun in wikibooks :)

--Aschoeke 02:40, 23 August 2006 (UTC)

 * No need to apologise. It is just a hint :)

Great job!
Announcing/Introduction is a great module. Thanks for contributing your work on this module. Tannersf 12:22, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Wikimedia Pennsylvania
Hello there!

I'm writing to inform you that we are now forming the first local Wikimedia Chapter in the United States: Wikimedia Pennsylvania. Our goals are to perform outreach and fundraising activities on behalf of the various Wikimedia projects. If you're interested in being a part of the chapter, or just want to know more, you can: Thanks and I hope you sign up!  Cbrown1023  talk  16:28, 12 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Contact us on IRC at #wikimedia-pa
 * Join our mailing list
 * Visit our blog at http://wmfpa.blogspot.com
 * Sign our list of interested participants

title: User talk:Pthompsen


text:
Phylogenetics

This book serves as a manual and reference for inferring phylogenies. It includes relevant algorithms to encourage programming and tutorials for existing programs. It is intended for students and practicing scientists.

Contents
/Noted contributors/

Chapters

 * 1) /Introduction/
 * 2) /Alignment Preparation/
 * 3) /Trees, heuristics, and more/
 * 4) /Parsimony Reconstruction/
 * 5) /Distance Method Reconstruction/
 * 6) /Likelihood Reconstruction/
 * 7) /Bayesian Reconstruction/

Appendices

 * 1) /Math Primer/
 * 2) /Programs/

Note to Editors
Any editors are welcome, but try to use the development page before doing so.

title: Phylogenetics


text:
Announcing/Reading Copy

Breathing Life into Copy
One of the most important skills announcers learn is how to read copy. The term "copy" refers to the script of an announcement: the words the announcer is expected to say. Sometimes announcers write their own copy, but more often than not an announcer reads copy written by others. Announcers do more than simply read words printed on a piece of paper or displayed on a teleprompter screen. They must be able to "breathe life" into those words.

Think back to your earliest memories of reading words out loud. For many people, it was in elementary school. Your teacher may have asked you to read a paragraph out loud from a book. Perhaps you had to read a nursery rhyme or a portion of a story. You probably had to read out loud in front of your classmates, some of whom may have been better readers than you were. How did that make you feel? What was your reaction to hearing others read out loud?

For many people, reading words out loud in a classroom setting is not their most pleasant childhood memory. It's not as bad as having to give a speech in front of your peers, perhaps, but it probably was not as fun as other things you did in school. Especially if you were not very good at it. And most people weren't.

When you hand a sheet of paper to someone and ask them to read it out loud, it typically sounds a bit boring. Rather dull. Lifeless. That's because when most people read out loud, it sounds like they're reading out loud. As an announcer, you don't want to sound like that.

An announcer doesn't read words out loud. An announcer communicates.

When you read out loud, your mind is thinking about the words on the page. When you communicate, your mind is thinking about the meaning of those words. When you read out loud, your eyes focus on print. When you communicate, your eyes focus on the audience. When you read out loud, your goal is to read the words correctly. When you communicate, your goal is to get your message across. And perhaps most importantly, when you read out loud, you sound like you are reading out loud. When you communicate, you sound like you are communicating.

Three steps to communication
In order to move from simply reading words out loud to communicating a message, it helps to understand the process of communication. Now while much has been written about that process, I'm going to simplify things greatly for purposes of this discussion. Focus for a moment on the following three essential steps to communication.

First, you think about what you are going to communicate. This is the "thinking stage," where you use your brain to analyze and synthesize the key ideas you wish to convey. Sometimes this is referred to as intrapersonal communication, since it is a form of communication (or "pre-communicative activity") that occurs inside of you, inside of your head. It's important that you try to understand what it is you are going to say before you actually say it. That means that you do more than just keep in mind the meaning of each word that you say. It means that you think about the meaning behind the message you are going to communicate.

Second, you "capture" that thought into language in order to create a purposeful, meaningful message. This is the "encoding stage," where you use your linguistic abilities to put your thoughts into words. You try to find the right words, and put them in the right order, so that they make sense. The goal is to form a message that has both meaning and purpose, one that you can communicate effectively, and others can understand easily.

Third, you deliver that message to the audience. This is the "speaking stage," where you project the words into sounds intended for others to hear. You use your voice to add impact and vitality to the words of your message, and you aim your voice to the listener. You aren't just talking out loud, but rather, you are directing your thoughts, your words, and your voice to your intended audience.

Most of the time, when an announcer is reading copy, the first two steps have already been done. The ideas in the copy were someone else's ideas. The words in the copy were someone else's words. But it is your voice—your speech—that is trying to convey those ideas and breathe life into those words.

That's the key challenge of announcing: to take copy that someone else has written and make it sound like the ideas you are conveying are your ideas, that the words you are using are your words. And that's not easy to do, in part because the only step in this process where you have full control is in the final step, where you speak the words out loud.

In order to meet this challenge, let me share with you what I have found to be three essential qualities for breathing life into copy. Each of these qualities reflect one of the three steps to communication mentioned above. While an announcer's involvement in the communication process may seem limited to the "speaking stage," a talented announcer will sound like he or she was involved in the thinking and encoding stages as well. How? By clearly visualizing the message, expressing it with enthusiasm, and delivering it with a popular aim.

Visualization
The first quality is visualization. An announcer must be able to visualize, to "see" the message clearly. Like the "thinking stage" in communication, visualization occurs inside of you, inside your mind. To visualize effectively, an announcer needs to have a good imagination, and the ability to keep their mind focused. That's not as easy as you might think.

Here's a little experiment I'd like you try. Below is some broadcast copy for a thirty second radio commercial. What I want you to do is first read it—out loud—all the way through once. Then scroll down the page right after you read it, and avoid looking back at the copy. I've put some space above and below the copy to help keep you honest.

When you're ready, scroll down the page, read the copy out loud, and then scroll down some more to continue the experiment.

Remember: just read it through out loud once!

'''On a cold, winter day, there’s nothing quite as delicious as a bowl of Campbell’s Tomato Soup ... The wonderful aroma ... the delightful taste ...Mmmm ... Campbell’s Tomato soup really satisfies a winter hunger. And Campbell’s is good for you: a hearty lunch of Campbell’s soup, a sandwich and a glass of milk provides a wholesome balanced meal. So the next time you’re looking for something good to warm up a winter day, remember — Campbell’s Tomato Soup is good food!'''

Scroll down please! No looking back (at least not yet).

OK, now try to put the message you just read out loud in your own words. Write down what you think you just said. Now scroll back up and compare what you wrote with the copy you read. What ideas did you recall? What ideas did you omit? What ideas, if any, did you express that wasn't in the copy?

Perhaps you recalled the name of the product. Perhaps you recalled a slogan or catchy phrase. Perhaps you recalled a word or two that "stuck out" while you were reading the copy. But none of those things represent the meaning of the message. They are just words, and if all you remember are words, you have yet to "see" the message behind the words. Remember, as an announcer, you want to focus on meaning, not words.

Now let's read the copy again. This time, let's begin by reading just the first phrase:

On a cold, winter day...

Stop and think for a moment what that phrase means. Now try to picture that meaning. That is, try to vividly imagine a cold, winter day. Get it clearly fixed in your mind. Close your eyes and "look" at that picture for a moment.

Did you close your eyes? C'mon now. Do it with me. Close your eyes. Practice "seeing" with just your mind.

Now try to answer these questions:

 * How cold is it?
 * Is it snowing?
 * Is it icy?
 * Is it sleeting?
 * Is it windy?
 * Is it sunny or cloudy?
 * Are you outside in the cold, or inside a warm house?
 * What are you wearing?
 * What color clothes are you wearing?
 * What state are you in?
 * What month is it?
 * What time of day is it?
 * Are you with someone else, or by yourself?
 * Is it the present, are you in some other time?
 * If it isn't the present, what year is it?
 * How do you feel?
 * Do you like cold, winter days? Why or why not?

I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. Were you able to sustain in your mind a clear and detailed picture of "a cold, winter day?" Were you able to not only describe it, but see it with your "mind's eye?" Was what you saw in your mind a fuzzy, general image or a clearly detailed image?

Practice doing this with the other phrases in the copy. Read a phrase, then stop and imagine it in your mind before moving on. Probe your "mental picture" for details. Try to get as specific as you can. Visualize.

Enthusiasm
The second essential quality is enthusiasm. Announcers do more that just talk out loud. They communicate messages with genuine enthusiasm. They may not always get to choose the words they are saying, but they make it sound like those words are their own, that they are a natural expression of a real desire to share something special with the audience.

The word "enthusiasm" has an interesting background. For most of human history, the word had a religious connotation. An "enthusiast" was a person inspired by God (or Gods, as in the case of Greek Mythology). The word itself is of Greek origin, formed by combining the root words en (in) and theos (God). In essence, if you had enthusiasm, God was in you.

Of course, today the word has lost much of its religious significance. We typically use the word "enthusiasm" to describe an intense interest or enjoyment. Perhaps it might be used to describe a zest for life, or a zeal for a worthy cause. But while the word may not be used in the same way as it used to be, it still has, at its core, a touch of the Divine.

Whether you believe in God or not, consider for a moment what it would be like to have God inside of you. At the very least, you would probably say it would make you feel different, a bit out of the ordinary. Some might say it would make them feel inspired. Perhaps even ecstatic. A few might even say that it would make them feel like they had achieved their "highest destiny," a state of supreme fulfillment.

Now I'm not suggesting that announcers should try to read copy as if they were divinely inspired to deliver a message from on high. But I am suggesting that effective announcers convey with their voices a remarkable aura of passion and conviction. They are able to captivate an audience with their words, almost as if they had some kind of mystical inner power of persuasion. They are able to communicate a message in such a compelling and irresistible manner that people can't help but listen.

Let me ask you a few question about your personal experiences with communication...

 * Have you ever been able to talk so deeply and intimately with someone else that it seemed like you had known them all your life (even if you had just met them)?
 * Have you ever met someone that seemed to understand you better than you understood yourself?
 * Have you ever felt someone was able to "break down" your defensive psychological "walls" and speak to the "real you"?
 * Have you ever had the sense that someone knew what you were going to say before you said it, almost as if they could read your mind?
 * Have you ever had the feeling that you could communicate with someone without using words...just by a look, a knowing glance, a wink and a nod?
 * Have you ever known someone who was a "born communicator," seemingly able to connect with anyone, at any time, at any level?

If you answered yes to any of the above, perhaps you can appreciate what I'm about to say next. Communication doesn't just occur at the level of words, and it doesn't just occur at the level of our minds. The most powerful communication occurs at the level of our innermost beings, our souls if you will. The most effective communicators speak from the heart...directly to your heart.

When I say that the essential quality of breathing life into copy is enthusiasm, what I'm trying to say is that you need to breathe some of your own life into the copy. You need to enthuse your copy, to inject a piece of your innermost self into your reading.

How do you do that? Well, it's not a skill that is easily taught. Everyone is different, and what works for me might not work for you. But I believe everyone can learn this skill.

In fact, I believe you already have this talent inside of you, but you might not choose to use it very often. Maybe you feel that it's risky to talk "from your heart." And indeed it can be risky. People might see the real person inside of you. But it can also be risky to not put your heart and soul into what you say. People tend to resist listening to someone that doesn't sound like "the real thing." If your announcing lacks genuine enthusiasm, most people will simply tune out. And if they tune out—no matter how good you think you may sound—you've failed to communicate.

Perhaps the first thing one must do to be genuinely enthusiastic is to be genuine. Be honest with yourself. Take a good, long, hard look in the mirror. Don't focus on your flaws; we all have imperfections. Nobody is perfect. You aren't perfect. But inside of you is something good. Something potentially great. Something that, if you just "let it out" and polish it a bit, can shine brightly. So let it. Look deep into those eyes in the mirror, gazing through the clouds of artificiality to get inside to your natural beauty. Lock onto it, and with as much determination as you can muster, decide today to never keep it hidden again.

If that sounds like a pep talk, well, it is. But if you are ever to achieve a knack for injecting natural enthusiasm into your copy, that's the kind of pep talk you need. And you need to be able to give that pep talk to yourself every time you get behind a microphone or in front of a camera. Whatever words, thoughts, ideas, images, or sayings that work for you—do what it takes to help yourself reach the point where you just naturally believe in yourself. All the time.

When I was a young man attending broadcasting school, one of my instructors said something to me that I will never forget. It's something I would like to share with you now. It's not exactly a pep talk, but for me, it was what I needed to hear. In a sense, it was my "announcing epiphany," the "ah hah!" moment when I finally saw the "light" of how to read with natural enthusiasm.

I was woodshedding—reading a piece of copy out loud, over and over and over again, trying to get it just right. But each time, my instructor said, no, do it again. So I would try to read it a slightly different way. Then another way. They still another way. "No, not there yet," he would say.

Finally, after trying what seemed like a hundred different approaches, I said to him, "I've tried it every possible way I've can!"

He replied, "Precisely. And THAT'S the problem.  You're TRYING.  I can hear that in your read...I can hear that you are TRYING.  I don't want to hear someone trying to talk to me.  I want to hear someone who IS talking to me.  So DON'T TRY.  JUST DO."

At first I thought he was crazy. But I decided to gave it a try. Or should I say, I decided to stop trying.

So I just looked at him, then looked at the copy, and just read it, without trying to do anything special. And I nailed it. We both knew instantly that It was much better than any read I had done previously.

He just smiled and said, "See, that wasn't so hard. You had it in you all the time.  But all that TRYING was getting in way.  All I could hear was the effort, not the real you communicating to me.  So remember: DON'T TRY. JUST DO."

Audience Focus
When most people read out loud the words on a piece of paper, they typically don't think too much about who may be listening. They focus on the words, not the message. They focus on the reading of those words, not the hearing of them.

But the words in a piece of copy are much more than just the words an announcer reads. They are the fundamental tools for communicating a message effectively to as broad an audience as possible. When a skillful announcer communicates a message, the focus is very much on those who are listening, and how they hear that message. Announcers strive for an audience focus.

Now perhaps you were born with perfect 20/20 vision, and you can see the world around you in sharp focus. I'm not so lucky; I've had to wear glasses most of my life. I'm very nearsighted. That means when I'm not wearing glasses, anything that isn't within a few inches from my eyes is blurry. If I want to see something in focus, I either have to bring them right up to my face, or I have to put on my glasses.

There are some announcers who have perfect 20/20 "audience vision" as well. They can clearly focus on the unseen audience that is hearing their message. They just naturally sound like they are connecting with the audience, speaking as if they can see the people they are speaking to. Maybe some announcers are "born" with such perfect audience focus.

But I think most announcers must work hard to bring their audience in focus. A clear focus on an unseen audience doesn't come easy for most people. Sure, beginning announcers may be able to imagine the audience, but not with a very sharp focus. Like the world I see without my glasses, the audience may seem rather blurry. So while it may be relatively easy for you as a beginning broadcast performer to imagine that someone is in the audience, listening and perhaps watching you as you deliver your message, it will take time—and a lot of practice—to develop the ability to develop a clear, sharp focus on the audience.

There are a number of strategies

title: Announcing/Reading Copy


text:
Announcing/Voice Improvement

One of the most valuable assets of an announcer is a pleasant voice.

Breathing
Your voice is a wind instrument: It’s made from the air you breathe. A polished voice is supported by a firm foundation of air, resting on a flexible membrane below your lungs called the diaphragm. The diaphragm is like a "shelf" of muscles and tendons near the bottom of your rib cage that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity.

Your lungs are shaped like triangles, with a narrow point at the top and a wide base at the bottom. Because the lungs are narrower at the top and wider at the bottom, your lungs hold most of the air you breathe near the bottom. At least that is the case if you fill your lungs by breathing from the diaphragm. But over time, people develop poor breathing habits. Rather than fill their lungs to capacity by breathing from the diaphragm, they use only a portion of the lung's capacity. They become "shallow breathers," using only a small portion of their lungs' capacity.

Breathing from the diaphragm helps you maximize your lungs' capacity. It can fill up your lungs fully and quickly. For good breathing, think about how a person breathes when they are sleeping. If you watch a person sleep, you will notice that their belly expands, rather than their chest. This is because of the action of the diaphragm.

It can also help reduce the sound of your breathing, which is an important consideration when you are using a microphone.

Diaphragmatic breathing can also help relax you. Taking a deep, deliberate breath from the diaphragm is an excellent way to reduce "mic fright" or "stage fright."

But perhaps most importantly, breathing from the diaphragm can help you achieve a dramatic improvement in the quality of your voice. It is the foundation upon which rests all of the other "building blocks to a polished voice" discussed below.

Posture
Keep your upper body straight. Think about a string pulling up the top of your head as if you were a marionette. If your upper body is not straight, it will restrict your breathing and the action of your diaphragm.

You do not want to cave in you chest as that restricts that area. Think about pushing your shoulders back. On the other hand, do not be straight and stiff as a board. You should be relaxed. Find a happy medium that works.

title: Announcing/Voice Improvement


text: Announcing/Standard Pronunciation

title: Announcing/Standard Pronunciation


text:
Phylogenetics/Noted contributors

Blackrim - original author

title: Phylogenetics/Noted contributors