text:
Wikiversity:Community Review/User:Wikademia

User:Wikademia
This review is now closed with the result being that the indef blocks of User:Wikademia and alternate accounts remains in place. --mikeu talk 14:13, 12 September 2009 (UTC)

What's been happening?
's edits seem to have become increasingly unexplained and disruptive. This has lead to the account being blocked. This might hopefully give some chance to sit back and consider what's going on and what could/should be done about it. -- Jtneill - Talk - c 00:15, 11 July 2009 (UTC)

''note: the block of User:Wikademia prevents editing this page. Responses to questions at this review and any statements he would like to make should be copied from his talk page to here.'' --mikeu talk 12:37, 11 July 2009 (UTC)

Statement by SB_Johnny {{font|color=green|talk}}
The communication problem has been an issue for a long time. The last time he was firmly confronted about it he actually had sysop tools and protected a page to cut off further discussion. The question I have is whether the block should be extended or maintained until he does start communicating when people have questions about his activities here.

The vast majority of his edits are comprised of minor alterations such as adding templates or bits of code such as NOTOC, or the mass creation of more or less empty pages. From what little communication I have had with him over the years, I get the impression that he equates the growth of the wiki by the number of pages it has, and the health of the wiki with the number of edits per day. With that in mind, I'm fairly sure that he sees his activities as being constructive in that sense. The larger question we may have to take on here is whether we agree with that definition of health and growth, and if not whether there should be any sort of limit on this sort of activity.--SB_Johnny talk 11:26, 11 July 2009 (UTC)

 * By the way, his block has been adjusted a few times due to activity after the block occurred. The autoblock has been re-triggered numerous times since the original block. --SB_Johnny talk 11:30, 11 July 2009 (UTC)

Communication
I agree with SB Johnny that communication is key to the recent issues. The Remi and Emesee edits were almost all very helpful - he was a very valuable and productive contributor in that period. The more recent edits as Wikidemia etc. have been debatable in their usefulness. That in itself is not necessarily an issue, but attempts at discussion with Wikidemia seem to have largely floundered. What could be done differently? Let's be positive here. I'd suggest we discuss towards consensus around some simple ideas e.g., What do other think? -- Jtneill - Talk - c 12:22, 11 July 2009 (UTC)
 * Discuss potentially controversial ideas for Wikiversity before implementing them (e.g., find out first - Do we want NOTOC on lots of pages? Do we want x template on lots of pages? Do we want lots of largely blank pages with generic titles?
 * Provide reasonable response to reasonable attempts at discussion
 * Sign posts

 * Overall, I very much concur with what you have said. (I'm not sure I would agree with the statement "very helpful" about edits from Remi and Emesee. There are many of the same issues with activity from his other accounts ) There is no requirement that participants at wv "scoialize" however, this is a collaborative project which requires discussion when there are concerns or differences of opinion about editing. Even simple actions like not signing posts and using multiple accounts often makes following the revision history and changes difficult. These features of the mediawiki software and convention of editing wikimedia project are important to maintain, and develop wikiversity. --mikeu talk 12:33, 11 July 2009 (UTC)

(Possible) community-requested behaviour changes

 * 1) Discuss potentially controversial ideas for Wikiversity before implementing them (e.g., find out first - Do we want NOTOC on lots of pages? Do we want x template on lots of pages? Do we want lots of largely blank pages with generic titles?)
 * 2) Provide reasonable response to reasonable attempts at discussion
 * 3) Sign posts with user name, date and time ( ~ )
 * 4) Do not blank content from user talk pages
 * 5) Edit from a single account (unless there is a compelling reason for using multiple accounts)
 * 6) Provide meaningful edit summaries

Update
User talk:Wikademia was protected for one hour after an attempt by me to communicate and explain the reasons for the block which resulted in a large number of nonsense edits to the page by wikademia. See the revision history of the talk page. It is impossible to try to summarize the edits. Talk page editing is to be used by a blocked user to request unblock and discuss the issues that resulted in the blocking.

Also, User:Eme is now blocked for 3 months for abuse of multiple accounts by using an alternate account to evade the block on wikademia.

Due to the large number of accounts that have been used in the past I have requested a checkuser at Steward_requests/Checkuser

The block of User:Wikademia has been extended to 3 months due to the block evasion.

--mikeu talk 21:44, 12 July 2009 (UTC)

Update 2
Per results of the CU request at Steward requests/Checkuser (perm link) I have indef blocked the following for abuse of multiple accounts:

 * - 02:43, 6 July 2009
 * - 01:57, 4 May 2009
 * - 14:23, 14 May 2009
 * - 20:59, 28 April 2009
 * - 12:42, 30 May 2009
 * - 12:23, 1 February 2009
 * - 17:22, 23 March 2009

(date is account creation)

--mikeu talk 00:20, 13 July 2009 (UTC)

The following accounts are also now indef blocked, talk page editing is disabled.

--mikeu talk 10:33, 13 July 2009 (UTC)

New discussion
''note: if anyone would like to review the deleted materials (some of the links below are now broken) please make a request to custodians. The deleted page seems to be primarily intended to draw attention to the "big wiki art" and should probably remain deleted to discourage further attempts at disruption.'' --mikeu talk 13:11, 13 July 2009 (UTC)

The activity of Wikademia has led to a number of questions about his edits and the reasoning behind them. See here for some of the recent questions that members of the community have been asking. Very few of these questions have received a response. After the actions that led to the 1 week block a number of custodians tried to communicate with him. He was also offered the chance to post responses to this review on the talk page so that they could be copied here. Here are the diffs, but please note that you will need to repeatedly click (between 10-15 times per diff) on the "Newer edit" button to read the full response due to his editing.

 * SB_Johnny question
 * Darklama suggestion
 * Mu301 attempt to discuss block

From there the talk devolved into "big wiki art" followed by repeated reformatting of the page. Perhaps he sees his editing of the talk page as some kind of performance art... I really doubt that further attempts to discuss the issues brought up in this review will be productive. --mikeu talk 02:14, 13 July 2009 (UTC)

Wikademia has mentioned "big wiki art" on his talk page. (The phrase "big wiki" has been used by him to refer to Wikipedia) The Wikipedia Art controversy was an art intervention project which "explicitly invites performative utterances in order to change the work itself" that two artists conducted on Wikipedia by creating an article page. See this page on Wikademia's private website: wikademia.org/Wikipedia_Art which I think might be a deleted article from Wikipedia. At Wikipedia Review (login required) emesee states that his reply to SB_Johnny's question is: "I like to think of it as "BIG WIKI ART""  It would seem that he considers his many talk page edits (and his interaction with custodians at wikiversity) to be some sort of performance art. The discussion thread at Wikipedia Review also includes a running commentary of his actions at wikiversity, presumbably the "audience" of this performance. There are just too many red flags here to maintain a plausible assumption of good faith. We have spent much time and effort to accomodate and engage in a dialogue with someone who clearly sees disruption of Wikiversity as a game. The rest of his known accounts will be indef blocked, until such time that the community decides that there is a compelling reason for allowing editing from one of his accounts. The talk pages of all of these blocked accounts is protected from editing by him to prevent further abuse. --mikeu talk 10:02, 13 July 2009 (UTC)

User talk:Wikademia has been deleted to prevent this stunt from attracting more attention than it deserves. --mikeu talk 10:53, 13 July 2009 (UTC)

 * I'm afraid I have to agree that a block was the only option left here. The fundamental problem has been this individual's inability to communicate with other editors, something which is essential on a project like this. His edits have got more and more obtuse and his failure to respond to queries about his contributions makes it no longer possible to allow him to continue to edit. His username is a major part of the problem. It is obvious that this individual has contributed using a large number of different accounts and so it is unclear why he needed to create yet another account under the name Wikademia, that of his own wiki. He's seemed to have described it as a fork of Wikiversity. One has to presume that if he is motivated enough to create a fork, he has become disillusioned by this project. In these circumstances, it is hard to understand why he continues to contribute here and it is inevitable that the community will wonder if it is simply to promote his project whilst causing disruption to this project. This is a conclusion a number of other projects have also come to independently. As mikeu notes, the apparent reference to the Wikipedia Art project only adds the suspicion about his motives. Adambro 12:56, 13 July 2009 (UTC)

 * Likewise, it's difficult for me to see any alternative here to blocking. There has been considerable patience exercised by others with numerous attempts at communication which have been largely ignored and blanked, then followed by escalation rather than improvement in the editing patterns that have been clearly identified as problematic. -- Jtneill - Talk - c 14:00, 13 July 2009 (UTC)

I recently noticed a couple of things that I would like to bring to the attention of the community. In this discussion thread from April 2009 the user Wikademia asks how to promote his wikademia site and learns that "content is king." He then goes on to say: "The content that I've added has been from other wikis. What I have added, I have attempted to do so in a meanginful way, and selectively. Much of it I have reformatted fairly substantially to try gear it's presentation a bit different." This seems to run counter to his strategy of creating otherwise empty pages with just a at wikiversity. The thing that really strikes me about that thread, though, is the level of communication. He engages people there in a discussion of how to improve google ranking and develop his site, which is sadly lacking in his wikiversity contributions. He seems to have a habit of not communicating with the communities he is linkspamming, and yet encourages people from outside those communities to defend his activity. We really need to take a closer look at pages that he has bulk created. We should also take a look at how search engines rank sites, to determine if these pages without content are detrimental to people finding our content when searching. From what I have been reading recently I am starting to suspect that a large quantity of pages without content on a server could lower the ranking of our entire site. There are also related issues of navigation and possible user frustration that need to be discussed. --mikeu talk 14:59, 17 July 2009 (UTC)
 * This is very interesting to me. The Jade Knight (d'viser) 20:17, 25 August 2009 (UTC)

Update 3
I have temporarily unblocked User:Wikademia's talk page since the user is seeking clarification about the block and inquiring about conditions that could lead to unblocking. -- Jtneill - Talk - c 03:31, 2 August 2009 (UTC)
 * Your efforts here are helpful but it seems to have rapidly become obvious that despite your attempts to discuss the various issues with Wikademia, his inability or unwillingness to do so properly make it impossible for us to consider unblocking him. His behaviour doesn't really demonstrate a strong desire to rejoin the Wikiversity community and work constructively to improve the project. I think the time has come to reinstate the "cannot edit own talk page" block setting. Adambro 20:59, 6 August 2009 (UTC)
 * Thanks Adambro. Similar sentiments here - any other comments? -- Jtneill - Talk - c 22:06, 6 August 2009 (UTC)
 * I don't see any pressing need to lock his talk page. What's the harm? --SB_Johnny talk 22:18, 6 August 2009 (UTC)
 * A blocked user should only be using their talk page to discuss the block. Wikademia's user talk page keeps popping up in recent changes and on mine and presumably others watchlist's due to yet more bizarre edits from him. It is disruptive that we're having to continue to monitor these edits in case he wishes to properly discuss the block only to find it is yet more random nonsense. As I've said, his inability or unwillingness to properly discuss the various issues but continued bizarre edits to his talk page don't demonstrate either a strong desire to return to Wikiversity or much possibility that it might be appropriate to allow him to do so. I therefore have reinstated the "cannot edit own talk page" block setting since it is clear that despite the efforts of a number of different users, it is impossible to establish a proper dialogue about the issues which led to the block that might allow it to be removed. Adambro 21:01, 7 August 2009 (UTC)

Update 4
'Nother sock:. CU is probably a good idea, but I gotta run. --SB_Johnny talk 01:04, 10 August 2009 (UTC)
 * I've just added that one to steward requests. --mikeu talk 11:19, 11 August 2009 (UTC)
 * The results are here. --mikeu talk 12:54, 18 August 2009 (UTC)

Query
When is a Mascot a sockpuppet?

When the original creator, or someone else, takes over the account in order to cause trouble?

Recently JTNeil had another attack that looked very much like Wikademia's signature that came from Jack (russel) the mascot. I note that REMI was quite involved in the formation of this mascot and that as part of the vandalism, Jack has removed all the pictures on the original Jack user page. I think that this draws some interesting attention to the nature of the Mascot contest, and causes me at least to wonder how many other mascots are vulnerable to attacks from the original creator of the User File, and how many of them were created by or usurped by REMI who we now know is the same user as Wikademia.--Graeme E. Smith 00:09, 18 August 2009 (UTC)

 * Sockpuppets aren't really a problem as long as they're either identifiable to the "owner" or at least not used abusively to vote-stack or evade blocks.
 * doesn't fit Emesee's pattern, at least so far. If you're concerned about one of his edits, probably better to just bring it up with him directly on his talk page. --SB_Johnny talk 00:22, 18 August 2009 (UTC)

 * ZOmg, nooo. Jack

 * I've blocked now. It is either Eme or someone pretending to be so disruptive either way. Adambro 08:34, 18 August 2009 (UTC)

 * We should probably have a look at the ranges again to see if we can shut off the tap. --SB_Johnny talk 09:43, 18 August 2009 (UTC)

More possible user names

 * - Extremely likely
 * - Extremely likely
 * - Extremely likely


text:
User:Sunflowergurl

 Hey everyone, I just started Wikiversity. I need to expand my mind '''. I am a 22 year old female, and trying to write a book.  --Sunflowergurl 02:18, 11 July 2009'''

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

title: User:Sunflowergurl


text:
User:Stmrlbs

Wikiversity registered users

title: User:Stmrlbs


text:
User talk:Stmrlbs

test--Stmrlbs 02:58, 11 July 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:Stmrlbs


text:
User talk:Sunflowergurl

 Hello Sunflowergurl, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
 * Visit a (kind of) random project.
 * Browse Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, non-formal education.
 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
 * Give feedback about your initial observations
 * Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the colloquium.
 * Chat with other Wikiversitans on #wikiversity-en.

And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! --mikeu talk 04:29, 11 July 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:Sunflowergurl


text:
User:Curie.genius

I'm here to learn more so i can do well in my engineering!!

title: User:Curie.genius


text:
User talk:Curie.genius

 Hello Curie.genius, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
 * Visit a (kind of) random project.
 * Browse Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, non-formal education.
 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
 * Give feedback about your initial observations
 * Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the colloquium.
 * Chat with other Wikiversitans on #wikiversity-en.

And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! --mikeu talk 13:28, 11 July 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:Curie.genius


text:
User:Nikolaos~enwikiversity

My name is Nicolas Dorrmann and I am from Germany. I live in Berlin and I am 15 years old.

I speak two languages fluently (German and English) and in the past I have learned a bit of Mandarin Chinese, and I am now in my third year of French and my second year of Spanish. I am also currently learning Latin and Japanese at home. My favorite pastime is working at the computer, and I have developed an extensive knowledge of UNIX and Linux operating systems. My favorite school subjects are physics, math, and biology. I listen to music a lot, especially alternative rock by Green Day and The Offspring. I like literature and reading, literature from the German period of the "Klassik" like Goethe and Schiller, early 20th century British and American literature (e.g. Ulysses by James Joyce), and late 20th century/early 21st century literature.

title: User:Nikolaos~enwikiversity


text:
User:Nefelissima

A humorous look at Raphael's art
 * The sublime of the pretty

The many faces of abuse women suffered throughout history as seen by famous artists
 * Woman is the nigger of the world

A look at how the artists portrayed themselves. For each artist there is one painting and one self-portrait
 * Look me in the eyes

Innuendo in Art History
 * Perhaps

title: User:Nefelissima


text:
User talk:Nefelissima

 Hello Nefelissima, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
 * Visit a (kind of) random project.
 * Browse Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, non-formal education.
 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
 * Give feedback about your initial observations
 * Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the colloquium.
 * Chat with other Wikiversitans on #wikiversity-en.

And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! --mikeu talk 19:33, 11 July 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:Nefelissima


text:
User:Mu301Bot

This bot account belongs to User:Mu301 and uses pywikibot, the Python Wikibot Framework. See Manual:Pywikibot for instructions on how to obtain and install the source code. This bot is also used for the experimenting with learning resources such as the SkyCam project that incorporate real-time data. See real-time wiki data for details.

Updates
Automated editing by this bot is currently turned off. It might be used for semi-automated editing on occasion.

Automated tasks

 * Real-time data update see: /nelm
 * /nelm/data (hourly)
 * /nelm/image (hourly)
 * File:Mu301test.jpg (daily)

 * Category watcher:
 * /Requests for unblock (half hourly) see: User_talk:Mu301Bot/Requests_for_unblock
 * /Candidates for deletion (daily) transcludes the following:
 * /60-day proposed deletions
 * /Candidates_for_speedy_deletion
 * /Contested_candidates_for_deletion
 * /Empty pages
 * /Pending deletions
 * /Possible copyright violations
 * /Proposed deletions
 * /Requests for own page deletion

 * Clean the Sandbox (weekly)

Semi-automatic tasks

 * Bulk tag groups of pages with templates
 * Add or change categories for groups of pages
 * Search for and tag blanked/empty pages.

Inactive tasks

 * Welcome new users.
 * Special:DoubleRedirects
 * Category:Astronomy

title: User:Mu301Bot


text: Template:Blocked user

title: Template:Blocked user


text:
Template talk:Blocked user

Adapting to Wikiversity
I imported this from Wikipedia, but think it would some more adaption for use at Wikiversity. Might be easier in the meantime to use a more simple note? -- Jtneill - Talk - c 02:18, 12 July 2009 (UTC)
 * Nope, I'm not sure. --Katarighe 00:24, 2 December 2011 (UTC)

title: Template talk:Blocked user


text:
User:Dyrwk

Someone you probably don't shouldn't really care anything about.

But if you are curious, and think you want to know more, I must first ask, "Do you really wanna know?"

title: User:Dyrwk


text:
Introduction to psychology/Psy102/Assessment/Essay

Psychology 102 Essay Writing Guide
Psychology 102 Essay Writing Guide

In theory, everything you need to know (including the marking criteria) about writing the Psychology 102 essay can be found in this guide! In practice, of course, that may or may not be true. So, if you can't find what you want, post to the Essay discussion forum. Also see the essay section on Moodle.

Download: APA style template and cover sheet

Ready to submit? Use the essay drop-box

Overview

 * 1) Weighting: 45% of your final mark for this unit.
 * 2) Topic: Address one of the listed topics.
 * 3) Style: APA style

Word count

 * 1) Maximum: 1,500 words plus 10% (i.e., 1,650 words). There is no minimum word count, but it is unlikely that short essays will succeed in answering the question(s).
 * 2) The word count is for the body of the essay - i.e., it does not include the Cover Sheet, Title Page, Abstract or the list of References. To work out your word count, highlight everything from the end of the Abstract to the start of the References (thus, yes, in-text citations are part of the word count).
 * 3) A penalty of 10% (of the total possible essay mark) per 200 words over the maximum limit may be applied.

Submission

 * 1) Drop-box: Submit a single file electronically via the unit's Moodle website . If you do not know how to submit your essay electronically, please seek help from Moodle support or Library services.
 * 2) Due date: 5pm Monday 21 September 2009 (Week 10) - Extensions will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.
 * 3) Include the unit’s official assignment coversheet as page 1-2; this includes a declaration of originality. Download the APA style essay template with cover sheet
 * 4) Acceptable file formats: .rtf, .doc, or .docx format
 * 5) Only submit an electronic copy - do NOT submit a hard copy.
 * 6) Late submission penalty: Late submissions (without an approved extension) will incur a 5% penalty per day (7 days/week), i.e., after 20 days no marks are available.
 * 7) File name: Name the file Firstname Surname Topic.doc (or .docx or .rtf) e.g., Kevin Rudd Dreaming.doc

Marking and feedback

 * 1) You will receive feedback via Moodle.
 * 2) Feedback and marking of essays submitted on time will be returned via Moodle approximately 4-5 weeks after submission.
 * 3) Essays submitted after the due date, regardless of whether an extension was granted, will be returned at a later date than those submitted on time. This may mean that students submitting a late essay will not have their essay results before the final examination.

Marking criteria (100%)
Your essay will be marked according to the following weightings and marking criteria:

Abstract & title (10%)

 * 1) A unique, descriptive title which accurately indicates the content of your essay - should appear on the Title Page
 * 2) Abstract effectively summarises the essay
 * 3) 150 words maximum

Argument (20%)

 * 1) Answers all parts of the question
 * 2) Clearly states argument and main points
 * 3) Logical argument, with progression of ideas
 * 4) Draws essay together in a sound and concise conclusion

Theory (20%)

 * 1) Argument of essay is supported by theory
 * 2) Relevant psychological theories are summarised in appropriate detail
 * 3) Critically evaluated cited theories

Research (20%)

 * 1) Argument of essay is supported by research
 * 2) Relevant psychological research is summarised in appropriate detail
 * 3) Critically evaluated cited research

Referencing (10%)

 * 1) References are cited in appropriate places using APA style
 * 2) Reference list is presented in APA style
 * 3) Appropriate reference material is used (see tips below)
 * 4) For further information, see the recommended text (Smyth, 2004) or the 5th edition of the APA Publication Manual (available in the library)

Presentation (20%)

 * 1) Overall impression
 * 2) * Neatness
 * 3) * Layout
 * 4) * Minimal use of quotes
 * 5) * Written in third person (not I/me/my/us/we/our/you/your)
 * 6) Spelling, punctuation, and grammar
 * 7) Paragraph construction and quality of written expression
 * 8) Followed APA style

Extensions

 * 1) Extensions will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. Extensions will not be granted on the grounds of:
 * 2) Academic or employment workload.
 * 3) Computing problems (e.g., hard drive failure). It is strongly recommended that you keep multiple backups of your essay drafts and material.
 * 4) Requests will require appropriate documentary evidence e.g.,
 * 5) Medical: A medical certificate signed by a registered medical, dental, or health practitioner, with:
 * 6) The registered provider number
 * 7) Provider’s contact details
 * 8) Duration of the student’s incapacity to study, and
 * 9) Date(s) of consultation; or
 * 10) Compassionate: A bereavement notice, letter from employer, statutory declaration, or copy of accident report
 * 11) Extension requests can be submitted in either of two forms:
 * 12) Via email message to the unit convener. The email must include:
 * 13) Student Name and ID and Unit name
 * 14) Student contact details: Email and phone
 * 15) Reason for requested extension
 * 16) Length of requested extension
 * 17) Attached documentary evidence (e.g., scanned medical certificate)
 * 18) Via a hard copy "Request for Extension" form
 * 19) Obtain this form from the Centre for Applied Psychology administrative assistant (Room 3B25).
 * 20) Fill out the form, attach documentary evidence and place it in the unit convener’s mailbox.
 * 21) You will receive an email reply to indicate whether or not your request is approved.
 * 22) Lecturers may grant an extension beyond the end of the semester only until the first day of the examination period. The Head of Centre must approve all extensions beyond this date. Such extensions will be granted only in very exceptional circumstances.

FAQ
See also: Essay discussion forum

Can I focus on an example?
Use some examples - but be selective - the examples should be chosen so as to illustrate the essay's main points.

If done well, this can be an interesting and effective way of addressing the essay question. However, be warned - do not overly indulge in examples to the detriment of addressing the broader aspects of the essay. The #1 mistake in undergraduate essays is not addressing the question - and overly focusing on examples is one way the essay question is sometimes avoided. If the question doesn't ask you to focus specifically on one example, then a more general answer is probably expected (with some illustrative examples along the way).

1,500 words isn't enough
Be (carefully) selective - aim to focus only on the key points and main features of the related research and theory literature. Writing a 1,500 word essay is, in many ways, harder than writing a 3,000 word essay. Choosing what to focus on (and what not to focus on) is really important.

Whose my audience?
Imagine the target audience is 1st year psychology students - e.g., aim your essay as a new section in an introductory psychology textbook. What would you want to read? I would like a concise overview of the issue/topic, an explanation of the main theory and research in the area and the conclusions that can be drawn, with referencing along the way to the key primary sources and perhaps some examples where they help to explain key points.

I can't access some articles
If you identify possible references that you can't access through the university library, send the details to the convener who will arrange to get the article or chapter added to e-Reserve.

How to get help proofreading
The unit convener and tutors are not available for proofreading draft essays. You may be able to discuss and get general advice from the convener and tutors about your approach to the essay and/or you may wish to ask more specific questions. If you would like to get your essay proofread, then several possible options exist, including but not limited to:
 * 1) The Health Learning Resource Centre
 * 2) The Academic Skills Program
 * 3) A fellow student / study buddy


text:
Introduction to psychology/Psy102/Assessment/Exam

===Exam===
 * 1) Weighting: The final exam for is worth 45% of your final mark for this unit.
 * 2) The final exam will take place Wed 18 Nov 2-4pm (Gym)
 * 3) The exam will assess knowledge of the lectures, tutorials, and associated reading content from the entire unit.
 * 4) No materials (books, notes and calculators) will be allowed - however, a general English language or foreign dictionary is permitted (Unannotated Non-Electronic Dictionary (English/Foreign)), plus please bring your student ID card, several pencils, an eraser, and a sharpener.
 * 5) The exam will consist of 100 multiple-choice questions (in 2 hours).
 * 6) Practice exam questions are available at the end of each chapter in the Gerrig et al. (2008) textbook, MyPsychLab and the six fortnightly quizzes.
 * 7) Requests for deferment should be directed to the examinations office.
 * 8) Further details about the exam were provided during the final lecture and on Moodle


text:
Introduction to psychology/Psy102/Assessment/Quizzes

===Quizzes===
 * 1) Weighting: The quizzes are worth 10% of your final mark. Your best five quiz scores will each count for 2% (i.e., your worst quiz score is dropped). Non-completed quizzes will get 0.
 * 2) Schedule: There will be 6 x 10 minute fortnightly online Moodle quizzes (available in Weeks 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 11-12, 13-14, and 15-16).
 * 3) Quiz content: Each quiz will:
 * 4) Assess knowledge of content covered in the preceding fortnight's lectures, tutorials, and readings.
 * 5) Consist of approx. 10 questions randomly selected from a larger test bank.
 * 6) Have a 10 minute time limit.
 * 7) Be available for a fortnight (Sunday midnight to Sunday midnight).
 * 8) Allow one attempt per student.
 * 9) Practice quizzes: See MyPsychLab.
 * 10) Extensions None available.

 * Online fortnightly quiz schedule

Quiz 1

 * Lecture 1: Introduction and overview
 * Lecture 2: Intercultural and indigenous psychology
 * Reading: Article
 * Tutorial 1: Consciousness and learning


text:
Introduction to psychology/Psy102/Assessment/Bonus marks

Psychology 102 - Bonus Marks
Students may earn up to an extra 5% towards their final mark via research participation and by completing their Moodle profile.

Research participation

 * 1) Research participation: 1% per study or hour (for long studies). Staff members, honours and postgraduate research students often require participants for their psychology research projects. In return for participation in approved research projects this semester, you will receive up to 5% towards your total mark for this subject. Note: There is no guarantee how many studies will be available or how long each study will be available for - this is at the discretion of the researchers conducting the studies. Most studies will run early in semester. Evidence of participation must be submitted by the end of semester (Friday October 30 5pm, Week 15).
 * 2) A list of research studies. Availability of new studies will be announced via Moodle. Studies may also be advertised on the Psychology noticeboard, outside room 3B25 (the Psychology administration office) and/or during lectures.
 * 3) To get credit for online studies, submit your student ID details online at the end of the survey. Your ID details will then be given to the Unit Convener who will upload the research participation marks into the Moodle gradebook for you to check. This should be done in the week after semester ends - an announcement will be sent out when these marks become available.
 * 4) To get credit for offline studies, at the end of the research session, the researcher will provide the student with a Research Project Participation (RPP) slip which must be signed by the researcher. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all details are correctly recorded on the RPP slip. Students are required to collate the RPP slips they acquire throughout the semester. Please DO NOT submit individual RPP slips. Submit all your offline research participation slips together with a signed Assignment Cover sheet to the Centre for Applied Psychology Assignment Box (3B25) by the end of semester (5pm Friday October 30, 2009, Week 15). You may also use any Semester 1, 2009 RPP slips which weren’t used for credit in Psychology 101. Students are strongly advised to keep a copy of RPP slips for their own records.

Moodle profile
Moodle profile: 1%. Provide a complete Moodle profile by the end of the end of Week 7 (5pm Friday September 4, 2009). The unit convener will systematically grade all profiles after the due date (there is no need to "submit" your profile). A complete Moodle profile (examples: James Neill, Samantha Jarvis, Amelia Thomsett) will be considered to consist of all of the following:
 * 1) A profile picture (preferably of yourself)
 * 2) A minimum 200 word profile of yourself
 * 3) A minimum of 10 interests (in the separate interests box, separated by commas; this allows you to connect with others who list similar interests)

The main point of the exercise is to encourage/facilitate you relatively early on in your university student career to carve out a little bit of social identity for yourself and to set yourself up to network electronically with other students and staff.

For more info, see edit your profile (docs.moodle.org)

Return to Moodle @ UC

Examples of bonus marks

 * 1) Case 1: 0% bonus marks: Jemima didn't participate in any research studies and didn't add a Moodle profile.
 * 2) Case 2: 3% bonus marks: Jeff participated in a three hour long research study (3%) and did not add a complete Moodle profile (0%).
 * 3) Case 3: 5% bonus marks: Jenny participated in four research studies (4%) and added a complete, meaningful Moodle profile (1%).


text:
Introduction to psychology/Psy102/Tutorials

==Tutorials==

Overview

 * 1) Timetable: There will be 6 x 2 hour fornightly tutorials.
 * 2) Goal: The tutorial program aims to provide some practical experiences, expansion, and reinforcement of key topics covered in lectures and readings, although not necessarily in the same order.
 * 3) Attendance: Tutorial attendance is strongly recommended, but is not compulsory.
 * 4) Preparation/Reading: Students do not generally need to prepare or read ahead for tutorials (unless specifically instructed to do so). However, it would be advantageous to at least familiarise yourself with, and ideally read, the corresponding textbook chapter(s) beforehand and/or afterward.
 * 5) Correspondence between lectures and tutorials: Tutorial topics do not necessarily coincide with the timing of the corresponding lecture in part due to the availability of guest lecturers.
 * 6) Assessment: Assessment of content covered during the tutorials will be in the following fortnight's online quiz and the exam. There is no in-class assessment during tutorials.


text:
Introduction to psychology/Psy102/Assessment

Assessment

 * 1) An overall mark of 50% or higher is required to Pass the unit.
 * 2) All assessments are optional.
 * 3) Non-completed assessments will be awarded 0.

 * Summary of assessment items


text:
Introduction to psychology/Psy102/Overview

==Overview== Psy102 is a first-year undergraduate introductory psychology unit which was taught by James Neill, University of Canberra, July-Nov., 2009, with some materials free and open to all.

Websites

 * Moodle
 * Wikiversity
 * ucspace
 * MyPsychLab - Register

Unit description
This unit provides an overview of the following introductory topics in psychology:
 * 1) motivation,
 * 2) sensation and perception,
 * 3) variations in consciousness,
 * 4) intelligence,
 * 5) cognitive processes,
 * 6) therapies,
 * 7) learning,
 * 8) social processes,
 * 9) intercultural and
 * 10) indigenous psychology.

This unit is the second part of an Introduction to psychology sequence (see Psy101).

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit it is expected that students will be familiar with some of the major topics in psychology and be able to demonstrate knowledge of theory and research related to these topics. It is also expected that students will be able to communicate about behaviour and mental processes in a format acceptable for psychological writing.

Workload
The nominal expected workload is 150 hours (including in-class time, out-of-class study time, and assessment tasks).

Assessment
Assessment consists of:
 * 1) Essay (45%)
 * 2) Final exam (45%)
 * 3) Fortnightly quizzes (10%)
 * 4) Bonus marks (5%).

Yes, that could add up to 105% if you get the bonus marks!


text:
User:HowDoIUseUnifiedLogin?

If you get in trouble for telling the truth, make sure you are improving the quality.

title: User:HowDoIUseUnifiedLogin?


text:
User talk:HowDoIUseUnifiedLogin?

 Hello HowDoIUseUnifiedLogin?, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
 * Visit a (kind of) random project.
 * Browse Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, non-formal education.
 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
 * Give feedback about your initial observations
 * Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the colloquium.
 * Chat with other Wikiversitans on #wikiversity-en.

And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! --mikeu talk 12:59, 12 July 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:HowDoIUseUnifiedLogin?


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User talk:Kilom691

 Hello Kilom691, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
 * Visit a (kind of) random project.
 * Browse Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, non-formal education.
 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
 * Give feedback about your initial observations
 * Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the colloquium.
 * Chat with other Wikiversitans on #wikiversity-en.

And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! --mikeu talk 15:54, 12 July 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:Kilom691


text:
User talk:Davidw017

 Hello Davidw017, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
 * Visit a (kind of) random project.
 * Browse Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, non-formal education.
 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
 * Give feedback about your initial observations
 * Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the colloquium.
 * Chat with other Wikiversitans on #wikiversity-en.

And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! --mikeu talk 16:58, 12 July 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:Davidw017


text:
User:Stevenarntson/group spaces/2009summeranalytical/group 1

Group members
sign in here with ":" (a colon and three tildes).

 * Borakim
 * JessicaRussell
 * Jasontraversie
 * Sandychao
 * Chad Hall

Overview

 * 1.summary

Overpopulation is a global issue. Every country, no matter how big or small, has their problems with packing too many people into too small of a space. It's like a family of six living in a house that was only built for a family of three or four. There are too many people living in too small of a house. Case in point...I live with my parents, sister, and her twin 15-month old girls. We live in a small house that was built in the early 20th century and when we first moved in, the house was just right for us. When my sister had her girls, that changed drastically. In the past year plus, our house has become more and more claustrophobic. We have so many toys in our small living room, that at times it's like walking through an obstacle course. Sometimes, it feels like I never get any peace and quiet. Anyway, imagine what it must feel like for people who live in cities like Calcutta, Beijing, or any of the enormously overcrowded cities throughout the world. Our report will explore five of the most heavily populated areas in the world and discuss the problems each region faces and what solutions they've discovered that truly work.

 * 2.reflective assessment

 * 1.successes

 * 2.failures

 * 3.future strategies

History
Global situation. Back to the past, there actually was a long period of time in which the earth's population had no growth. Until 1000 B.C.E; the world’s population was approximately 300 million only. Death rates were high and life expectancy was low because of poor nutrition and diseases. Until 1750, the world’s population started to grow very slowly and at which time global population was about 800 million. Plagues, famines, unsanitary living conditions, and general poverty at that time would be the big problems that caused high death rates. After 1750, the whole population grew substantially; by 1950 it had rapidly reached around 2.5 billion. Growth from 1950 to 1985 was even more dramatic so the human population was 5 billion in 1985. The world population had doubled in thirty-five years.

Starting in the middle of the eighteenth century, the death rate began to decease in the West. The decline in deaths occurred not only because the medical conditions had been improved but also the improvements in food availability, housing, water cleanliness, personal hygiene, and public sanitation. Later in the twentieth century, medical advances mainly controlled some diseases and mortality decline.

Western mortality decline was kind of slow; while Europe’s population kept increasing. The “surplus” European was able to move to other new areas like The United States, Canada, and Australia that were very sparsely populated by Aboriginal peoples because of the contagious diseases which brought by others from Europe. As the result, the world rapid population growth between 1950 and 1985, by 2000 global population was 6 billion and is projected to be 9 billion in 2050.

Africa
Africa may be one of the biggest continents on the planet but it only contains 11% of the world population at 841.4 million people as of 2008. Africa's birth rate is 38 to a l,000 people and its death rate is 14 to l,000 people. Every time those 38 people are born about half of them are dieing. And in 2006 the panel on growth on Africa says by 2050 that Africa's population will reach 1.7 billion people. I don't think we should be pointing fingers at Africa, there are other place in the world that need to more concern about their population.

In May 2008 They started the African Child Policy Forum. It's an organization for children's rights and welfare. The terms include 'infant mortality enrolled in school, a nutrition status and other social and economic indicators.'[] But not all countries in Africa have adopted this policy form yet. This policy also wanted the children to be able to express themselves. I think once this goes into place young boys and girls can be educated instead of girls becoming pregnant and boys going into crime.

The history of South Africa's population and immigration. From the late 1700 to the 1900’s the immigrants that came over were the British, Dutch, German, and French. The people who came over in the 17th, 18th and 19th century came to South Africa for crops, settling, and slave trade. But they say that South Africa’s population count was never accurate in the 1900’s and who knows before that as well. Today the immigrants that come over to Africa come from all over the world. As of 2007 in South Africa the races that are Africans make up 79.6% of the population with 38 million people. The white population is 7.9% with about 4.3 million people; The colored people make up 8.9% of the population with 4.2 million people. People of South African and India/Asian descent comprise 2.5% with 1.2 million people in South Africa. This makes 47 million people just alone in South Africa.

South Africa already has a death rate per year of the millions. By 2010 pbs says that 4 to 6 million of their people will die from HIV/Aids. This is a huge issue for South Africa because that is about 17% of South Africans that will die and half of their work force will be dead.'

As of 2008 for Egypt's total population is a 76.8 million people. In 2006 Egypt population was 76.2 million people and most of the population lives along the Nile river. The growth rate 2006 was 2%. In the next fifty years they expect Egypt population to grow to 138 million. In Egypt about 14.3 million females have already given birth by the age of 20, and 1/3 of those females have HIV. 'The number of women of childbearing age will continue to increase before it gets smaller.'

Nigeria is one of the biggest countries in Africa, in 1990 Nigeria's population was about 119 million with a growth rate of about 3.3%. Nigeria has the lowest and poorest income region in Africa, the people that live in this area are farmers who are also poorly educated. And now in 2008 their population is up to 151.5 million people. In 2008 the amount of people that was recorded for 2008 was 129.94 million.

The Problem
There are so many more problems than over population in Africa from not being educated, to children still working in factories that are extremely dangerous, to no birth control, gangs, crime, drugs, and war.

One of the biggest problems in Africa would have to be their HIV and Aids problem. The population of Africa is 841.4 million people in 2008, and each year 10 million people die from HIV and aids alone. Many of these people who have HIV and aids are 14 to 38 years old.

The young boys and girls of Africa either go in to crime related activities or end up prostitutes. They end up dying from HIV/aids or being killed. Half of the young girls in Africa have had at least one to two children by the time they reach the age of 20 years of age. These young girls are being used and abused by older men that are in there 20's all the way to the age of 40. And since the countries in Africa that are in poverty don't have the resources for birth control, these girls are getting HIV/Aids and other sexual diseases. Each year about 10 million people die from HIV/Aids and malaria each year. There is also a high percentage of girls who get pregnant die while giving birth since it's so hard on their bodies.

The places in Africa with a high population count are poverty-stricken counties. These countries have the higher population count because the families are having more children so that they don't have to hire people outside of their family to keep up with their farms when it comes to harvesting their crop.

The Solution
Africa will need to know things that will help with keeping their population at 11% of the world's population by learning about birth control. To have more education for the people of Africa from young children to adults. 'Africa also needs a green revolution, honest governments, better government policies and female education.

Let the younger girls of Africa be young girls and be able to grow up. The times have changed. We aren't in times were young girls are being married and having kids as soon as they start puberty. Girls that are the age of 14 all the way up to their 40's are having kids and that is what is increasing their country's population. At the same time disease is also getting to Africa's people. So I'm not sure if helping them is the answer. After all we are saying that the human race is overpopulating the world. And if we wanted to help them there are organizations out there that will help them with HIV/Aids such as the USAID, Oprah and many others.

China
China is such a big part on the planet with just over 1.3 billion people. As the world's population is approximately 6.7 billion, China represents a full 20% of the world's population so one in every five people on the planet is a resident of China. I was a resident of Hong Kong, China. Hong Kong is just a tiny point on the planet, our roads are narrow, our houses are small and crowed, our buildings are built very tall, and they are full of people walking on the street. Since Hong Kong is a part of China, people in China started to move over to Hong Kong for a better educational environment. I lived in Hong Kong and I can strongly feel how crowed and busy it is in this tiny city, so I truly think the one-child policy is quite successful at this point. If not for the policy, I couldn't even imagine how the planet would be able to function under the gigantic number of people.

The Problem
In 1950, the Chinese government attempted to prevent China from being overpopulated. The attempt at controlling the population did not succeed as no one followed the policy. In mid-1970, the Chinese government had a policy for all families in China, stating that each family or each couple could not have more than two children in urban areas and three to four in the rural areas.

The population rose incredibly in 1979, Deng Xiaoping of China established the one-child policy and the policy was able to control China's population growth. The one-child policy applied to all Chinese citizens living in rural and urban areas. As of 1986, the policy formally allowed two children per couple and three in special circumstances. Ethnic groups with small populations are not being confined with the one-child policy.

The Solution
Under the one-child policy, the Chinese government rewarded those who appreciated the policy. For instance, a family that was given a "one-child certificate" issued by the government was entitled to some cash bonuses, longer maternity leave, better child care, and preferential housing assignments. As a whole, the rural population constitutes 60 percent of the population in China. Success or failure of controlling the problem of over-population depends highly on the rural population. On a lighter note the urban population tends to follow the one-child policy even without state intervention because of economic and time constrains.

Although the one child policy is very successful in controlling overpopulation in comparison to the 1960s and 1970s, the one-child policy degrades females in general. Within Chinese traditions, older generations favor males more than females. They see females as less able and the older generations are afraid that the females would eventually marry and move out of the family.

The Problem
As of July 2009, the estimated population in India has reached 1,166,079,217, ranking second highest in the world, behind China (CIA World Factbook). There are many factors of the growth of India's population, of which the most problematic are birth to death ratio, cultural expectancies, and education. Birth to death ratios in India as of 2009 are at 22 births per 1,000 people to 6 deaths per 1,000 people (CIA World Factbook). In order for a country to reach a zero growth rate, which in India's case would be the best possible way to combat this issue, the birth rates must match the death rates. But with a birth rate that is 3 times larger than the death rate, there is no escaping overpopulation. Along with that, the median age of Indian citizens is 25 for males, and 26 for females, with the average being 25, these are regarded culturally as the prime years to get married and start a family. Which brings us to our next topic, cultural expectancies.

Cultural expectancies are somewhat a sore subject for me. This one touches me personally and I will be voicing my own experiences here, many of which I have noticed are similar to those of my Indian friends. As a child of non-Westernized parents, I have noticed that in the past couple of years, ever since I have entered my mid 20's, there has been more pressure on me to find a husband and start a family. Very much like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, your mother starts nagging you about how she was married and has you when she was your age, aunts and uncles ask "Why don't you date that boy down the street? His parents are nice, he has money." This does not help our global situation at all! The pressure from families and culture can lead to couples who get together at an early age and thus have a larger window of prime birthing years which can lead to a high birth rate. Along with this is the view that male infants are more desirable than female infants. My best friend's family tried for years to have a male child, and only after 4 girls, did they succeed. In just that family alone, they tripled their numbers just to have a mutated fe"male" child. It is seen as a failure to the patriarchs of the Indian family to produce only female children. It is culturally viewed that female children cannot take care of their elderly parents as well as a male child could. It is also a source of pride to be able to produce a male child. People of the poorer communities see children as a source of income, much like the early Americans did. The more children you produce, the more workers you have to work your field. And because many of these children do not get the education they need to make conscious decisions about family planning and contraceptives they continue down a path that their parents and their grandparents went down, continuing to have many children to keep the family farm running.

The big topic here is sex, in India it is seen as one of the "four main goals of life." But failure to teach sexual education to the youth is what will lead this already grossly overpopulated country to its limit.

Solution
World Population Day 2009, the Health and Welfare Minister of India came out with a solution to India's growing population. "Bring electricity to every Indian village so that people would watch television until late at night and therefore be too tired to make babies." Sounds funny? It could be a solution. I believe the only way we can control India's population issue is to teach family planning, offer low priced contraceptives, or try a more extreme solution. Offer a cash reward to citizens who volunteer to become sterilized. It sounds horrible, but it would be strictly volunteer based and would be rewarded monetarily. Or offer a tax incentive to couples who refrain from having children. Image a tax break for not having a screaming child to take care of.

The problem
Unlike many other nations throughout the rest of the work, the problem in Europe isn't over-popoulation, but rather a declining population. Many couples in Western Europe are either declining to have children, or are unable to. In 1995, the members countries of the European Union exceeded the US population by 105 million. It is predicted that by 2050, the EU's population may end up by being lower than the United States by 20 Million. Case in point: In 2001, the population of Germany was recorded at 82 million. It is expected to decline from this figure to 65 million by 2050. This many not seem like much of a problem as overpopulation, but when you start talking about the economics of the problem, it becomes as serious as overpopulation.

This problem is more often felt in former Eastern Bloc countries like Poland and Germany, and in Italy where the population is decreasing, rather than increasing. This is mainly due in large part to the fact most of the populations in these countries are getting older and there aren't many couples who are having families.

In fact the average population increase in Europe is only .385%, according to a July 2009 estimate. While this doesn't seem like much, many of the smallest countries in Europe are seeing the greatest increase. For example, Luxembourg (surrounded by Germany, France, and Belgium) has the greatest increase in population at 1.172%. With a population of 491,775 (according to the same estimate) that's an increase of almost 58,000 people

The Solution
The only solution I can see to Europe's problem of population underpopulation is for some of the more populated countries to coax some of their immigrants to move back to their home countries, and for those countries to try and develop ways to improve their economies so they can better support their citizens.

The United States
The U.S. is the only major industrialized country still growing, and we show no signs of stopping. The census shows we grew by 13 percent between 1990 & 2000, and by 83 percent in the last 50 years! You can see evidence of the problem all around you. Vanishing open spaces, water, energy shortages, soil erosion, air pollution, overcrowded schools, urban sprawl, and traffic congestion. At 292 million Americans, we're already well over our carrying capacity, and Census projections say we could grow to over 400 million by 2050. That's another 100 million people to feed, clothe, educate, and house. NPG (Negative Population Growth) has surveyed scientists for over 30 years and asked "What's the optimum population size before you start exceeding an area's carrying capacity and harming the environment"? The scientific consensus is that 150-200 million is the ideal population size for the U.S. That's about the size of the U.S. 50 years ago. People need more land,other than just the land they're standing on. They need land for raising food, producing their oil and water, recreation, entertainment, shopping, transportation, and waste handling. Overpopulation isn't about how many people you can jam into a given area; it's about what the optimum population size is before you start destroying resources and quality of life. The U.S. is growing at about one percent per year. Although an increase of one percent may sound small, such a rate is monumental. When talking about a population the size of the United States. A one percent increase means 2.9 million new people in a year, and 29 million in a decade! Here are some statistics on over population in the United States and how they affect the rest of the world. Because Americans eat a diet heavy in beef and other animal products, U.S. per capita grain consumption is four times higher than that of developing countries. Americans constitute five percent of the world's population, but consume 25 percent of the world's energy. On average, one American consumes as much energy as 2 Japanese, 6 Mexicans, 13 Chinese, 31 Indians, 128 Bangladeshis, 307 Tanzanians, or 370 Ethiopians. The United States is also responsible for 22 percent of the world's industrial carbon dioxide emissions, the leading cause of global warming.

The Problem
The U.S. is the world's fast-growing industrialized country. We've grown 13 percent in the last ten years - and 83 percent since 1950! More people means more pollution, more sprawl, less green space, and even more demands on the earth's already overburdened resources. You can see evidence of the problem all around you-traffic congestion, overcrowded schools, urban sprawl, vanishing open spaces, water and energy shortages, and air pollution. The United States is overpopulated because it is depleting it's soil and water resources and contributing mightily to the destruction of global environmental systems. The United States poses the most serious threat of all. It has an enormous population, the third largest on Earth, more than a quarter of a billion people. Americans are also superconsumers, and use inefficient technologies to feed their appetites. Each person, on average, uses 11 kW of energy, that is twice as much as the average Japanese person, more than three times as much as the average Spaniard, and over 100 times as much as the average person living in Bangladesh. Clearly, achieving an average family size of 1.5 in the United States would benefit the world much more than a similar success in Bangladesh. In order for these other environmental issues to be resolved, the United States must initially handle the problem of overpopulation.

The Solution
A large part of the responsibility for solving the human dilemma rests on the wealthy countries, and especially on the United States. We are the archetype of a gigantic, overpopulated, overconsuming nation, one that many ill informed decision makers in poorer nations would like to emulate. Unless we demonstrate by example that we understand the horrible mistakes made on our way to overdevelopment, and that we intend on reversing them.

The first step, is for the United States to adopt a population policy designed to halt population growth and begin a gradual population decline. Such steps can be taken that would eventually reach optimum population size, since that optimum is far below 250 million. With a little leadership from say, the president who kept pointing out that patriotic Americans stopped at two children maximum. We could probably achieve "NPG" in the Untied Stats within a couple of decades.

Immigration has the greatest amount of influence on the rising population. If the current immigration policy is not changed, the population of our country will double within the lifetime of the average American child, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Americans would also have to recognize that for every immigrant that arrives in the United States who is not balanced by an emigrant, a birth must be forgone. We can never have a immigration policy until we have a population policy in place. What the mix of births and immigrants should be is a difficult question which may be solved by a public debate. The immigration issue is extremely complex and ethically difficult, but it must be faced. Equally daunting, after a decision on levels of immigration is made, is monitoring the flow and enforcing the quotas. Badly needed now is a wide ranging discussion first of population policy and then of immigration within the context of that policy.

Aside from decreasing immigration levels, the United States must also lower the birth rate. The need for a greater use of contraceptives is imperative for this decrease in child birth. Many large families are unable to support their children due to the rising American economy. So in order to achieve a stabilized population in the United States, new policies formed to reduce immigration and child birth must work cohesively.

Global Solutions
What has one region done that might benefit other regions?

India
"CIA World Factbook." Central Intelligence Agency. 21 Aug 2009. 24 Aug 2009 .

Europe
"Why we must go forth and multiply: PAUSE FOR THOUGHT: A society short of children is heading for trouble and Europe's declining populations require urgent attention, says Michael Prowse":[London edition] Prowse, Michael. Financial Times. London (UK):Jan 13, 2001. p. 22

"CIA World Factbook" Central Intelligence Agency. 21 Aug 2009. 24 Aug 2009 .

Africa
"The Baby Bonanza" JABI, SOMALIA, August 27th, 2009

Panel on Population Growth and Human Welfare in Africa, 2006- 09

The African Child Policy Forum. October 21 2008

 &

"People Statistics > African countries by population density > population (most recent) by country" Nation Master, 2005

"Population Growth in Egypt, A Continuing Policy Challenge", Mona Khalifa, Julie DaVanzo, and David M. Adamson, 2000

"Timeline: The Atlantic Slave Trade", Mystic Seaport, 1997

South Africa's population, Septmeber 2007

"AIDS Slows South Africa’s Population Growth", Friday, July 31, 2009 - Sunday, August 02, 2009

"population", Copyright 1998, ThinkQuest team 16645

"Population Growth Rate", U.S. Library of Congress

"south Africa", PBS


text:
User:Stevenarntson/group spaces/2009summeranalytical/group 2

Group members
sign in here with ":Stevenarntson" (a colon and three tildes).
 * John burbridge
 * Stevenaguilar
 * Dc.sheets
 * Karolinaberglof

Overview

 * 1.summary

 * 2.reflective assessment

On an individual level we all did a great job in completeing our own sections of the paper. We discussed the topic of international trade in an unbiased manner, and mentioned both the positives and negatives of current international trade issues. We feel that we could have had better communication outside of class. We didn't utilize the group discussion boards to the full extent possible, and as a result, our ability to get tasks done as a group diminished. Scheduling group meetings outside of class would have been very beneficial for us. In future group projects, organizing group meetings will increase group communication as a whole, make the project more cohesive, and make it easier to complete the project.

I agree, I think overall we did a good job of posting material to the discussion page, I think we started out knowing a little bit about how and where we were going to end up, but I also know that we did not let that effect what our conclusion was. As for failures, I would have to say that week to week contact and conversation was pretty minimal in class; however we did keep in touch via e-mail and wiki. As for future strategies, i think that if we set aside an hour or two to work as a group in person, we could have accomplished this task much more effectively.

Dc.sheets

History
“Do you guys take American Express?” The woman at the counter looked nervous. “Oh, sure,” I replied, “We take everything. Except pelts. We no longer accept pelts.” She laughed. “I’ve got a muskrat in my purse…” she offered jokingly. The very idea of common trade is funny now, but it really wasn’t that long ago that the trade of raw goods was a much more frequent transaction. The principle is simple: I have something you want, you have something I want, and we trade. I raise chickens, you raise pigs, I trade you eggs for some bacon, and now we both have breakfast. Except that now, I still have chickens, but no longer have a pig. It’s a great deal for me, but now you haven nothing left to barter with. Except that cow. “How about that cow?” I say, “I’ll give you 10 dozen eggs and this leg of prosciutto for that cow.” The leg of prosciutto looks vaguely familiar, but you agree. You need the eggs. A week later, I approach you again. “Have I got a deal for you. Eight gallons of milk, six dozen eggs, and a pound of beef jerky, and all I want in return is permission to fish in your lake.” You reluctantly agree. You need the milk. Very quickly, this simple exchange becomes a sticky situation. This parable is not as farfetched as it might sound. In fact, it’s a lot like international trade. Spices, furs, food, livestock, and raw materials have been traded worldwide for thousands of years. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, basic rules of mercantile economics were established. It was more favorable for a country to export manufactured goods and import raw goods, and ideally, any items exported would exceed the value of the raw goods imported. This kind of balance is impossible to achieve for every country—the system invariably benefits the stronger, more established countries, a trend that continues today. The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Not only are these trades often unfair, they are not always sustainable. Just like in the bacon and eggs story, the weaker party gives away valuable resources in exchange for what they need in the moment. For example, using farmland to chip away at a national debt, and not directly benefiting the people. Fair trade principles include fair labor conditions, fair market pricing, democratic organizations, community development, and environmental sustainability.

Modern Trade History
The world suffered through two devastating wars in the beginning of the twentieth century. Industrial advancements enabled WWI to leave a broad wake of unprecedented destruction. Human fought machines, brutality and slaughter ran rampant through crumbling cities, garnering a death toll unmatched by any previous conflict. Some even called it "The War that Would End All Wars," but how wrong they were. After WWI, Germany was cast as the world's black sheep, further isolating an already shattered country already left in shatters. Germany was charged with funding the restoration of WWII's “winning parties." When the Great Depression struck and inflation ballooned, the German population was hit harder than the rest of Europe. Adolf Hitler rose to power by promising the Germans that he could return the nation to prosperity, to lead it out of the depression, to create jobs for the unemployed, and to provide for his people. Hitler was very successful in creating jobs and inspiring hope in a despairing nation. He proposed and commenced construction of the now-famous Autobahn, but that was before he decided to invade Poland and Austria.  The gruesome war that followed, the detonation of the first atomic bomb, the Holocaust, and the wreckage of European cities and land are all well-documented. These tragic events were the context of the Bretton Woods conference, where 730 delegates from all 44 Allied nations gathered. In this meeting, held from 1 July to 22 July 1944, agreements were signed to establish the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). GATT is what later turned into World Trade Organization (WTO). Also established was the Bretton Woods system of monetary management. “The Bretton Woods system was the first example of a fully negotiated monetary order intended to govern monetary relations among independent nation-states.” Those institutions were born to provide loans to the war-torn Europe and also to find common meeting grounds, so a war of this magnitude could never again be possible.

Fair Trade
Fair trade's strategic intent is to work with marginalized producers and workers in order to help them move towards economic self-sufficiency and stability. It also aims to allow them to become greater stakeholders in their own organizations, as well as play a wider role in international trade.

Free Trade
Trade between countries which takes place completely free of restrictions. Such trade allows specialization in member states of free trade areas, and lowers costs because, together with competition, the markets are increased. Within a free trade area there are no barriers, such as tariffs and quotas. However, there is not necessarily a common trade policy governing countries outside the free trade area.

WTO
I have made a few changes to the printout I handed you guys earlier so I hope you read through this. Still hand me your thoughts on my paper though, it should be useful for further correction. Dc.sheets

The World Trade Organization is the leading entity for world trade and economics. The organization is made up of first world and even some second world nations who meet several times each year to discuss and debate then finally make into trade agreement law policies they believe are beneficial to the organization’s members. The WTO does a lot of good around the world, and according to their organization's website the WTO provides services and economic aid to countries who are in need. Some of these catastrophes include relief to Kenya, Somalia, South East Asia after the 2004 tsunami that devastated that area of the world. In other words, the WTO is made up of members who do not just talk about economic plans, they also put their plans into action.

Upon hearing this, one might assume that the World Trade Organization is a pretty good group, after all they are meeting with one another, debating an issue from all sides and then finally coming to a consensus on the matters at hand; which is a lot more than we can expect out of the United States Congress. After all they are members of the same group trying to figure out what is best for the majority of its members as well as what is best for world economics. However, the more one looks into the membership rules and application process, listed on their website, as well as who is and who is not benefitting from the policies listed on opposing organizations websites such as the Global Exchange, the more the WTO looks similar to a major corporation exploiting poor nations who will do the labor for less, just on an international level.

Corporations like NIKE have been accused of and discovered using WTO supported trade policies to exploit third world workforces to build their products. , While some maintain that the work provided to these nations help both NIKE’s economy, as well as the economy of the nation(s) providing the workers, others maintain that the wages are nowhere near enough to sustain good living conditions for those workers and ultimately result in record profits for those corporations at the cost of record poverty. , The question with the WTO is where do we draw the line between profit and responsibility, another question might be; have we already crossed that line?

As an example of how WTO economic policies are attractive to business and strong economies, if a corporation like NIKE were to open a factory in the United States and employ 500 workers to manufacture a product, at a cost of ten dollars per hour, for eight hours per day. The corporation would end up paying forty-thousand dollars per day in worker salaries. Compared that to the resulting profit if they had taken advantage of WTO economic policies and decided to open a factory in a nation like China, where they may hire as many as two-thousand workers each for twenty-five cents per hour, eight hours per day. At the end of the day, the corporation would have spent four thousand dollars on worker salaries, one-tenth the cost for four times the number of workers compared to the United States. This example highlights reasons why WTO trade and economic policies are attractive to capitalist nations, enabling both nations and companies to diminish their costs while boosting profits.

The WTO also has been accused of sifting out poorer nations from its policy meetings and keeping them as far away as possible from the organization by employing membership dues, legal status and economic status requirements upon membership applicants. Of the 193 recognized nations in the world, 153 of them are members of the WTO leaving 40 nonmember nations. There are currently 42 nations considered to be third world nations, this number includes the six nations where data was unavailable. At the very best two-third world nations are members of the World Trade Organization; leaving all real power over the world economy to developed and developing nations i.e. the wealthiest nations. This does not necessarily mean that the policies put out and promoted by the WTO would automatically use and abuse third world nations; however, the nations that abide by these policies and use them in their economic trade deals are not as scrupulous as they should be.

The WTO does have a purpose and an important use; however its power must be regulated like anything else. Trade is not always going to be truly fair and we should not expect that it ever will be; but the point we want to make is that while one group may always come out on top in a trade deal, we should not support or allow an organization who essentially bans poor nations and then exploits them economically to operate in our name and for our benefit.

Positive Effects
The pros to being a member of and/or dealing with the World Trade Organization are that you and your nation, city, company, etc. have access to what it needs to influence global trade and economics.

Basically, it means that you can vote for the policies that will benefit your pocketbook, and vote against policies that would be detrimental to your pocketbook.

If you are a member you can establish trading alliances with other nations and groups, giving each other deals, you also know in advance of possible changes in economic policies and can adjust your business model and strategy to better deal with those changes.

You also probably get a really cool mug or customized pen.

Negative Effects
The cons to using the WTO to orchestrate trade policies are that only one group is deciding the policies, even for non-members.

All power to object to and ultimately change economic policies are given to the WTO members, who would not be the ones objecting to them in the first place.

The WTO focuses the attention of big fish in the world economic structure away from what is good for all parties involved to what is good for our party, and how can we make the most amount of money with the least amount of risk.

Dc.sheets

European Union
European Union (EU) is an economic and political partnership among 27 democratic European countries, consisting of nearly a half billion citizens. With their rich diversity, EU countries are united in their commitment to peace, democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights.

European Economic Community (EEC) was formed in 1957 by six countries: Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. European Economic Community’s objective was wider market coverage on goods and services among these countries and others that might later join. This was made possible by lifting customs barriers inside the community and creating consistent customs tariffs on goods from non-EEC countries. Over the years new countries have joined the community and the actual European Union was created in 1993 when member countries accepted new a treaty, adding intergovernmental cooperation to the existing European Economic Community.

The membership to European Union cannot be bought. To become a European Union member, the country must demonstrate that they are fully committed to becoming a member, including citizens' commitment to fulfilling political, legal and technical standards and norms of the European Union. First, the candidate country needs to submit an application to the Council, which evaluates the country’s ability to comply with the EU laws. The next step is stabilization, when the candidate country begins its transition to the EU market economy. This is achieved through stabilization and association agreements, including trade concession, financial and reconstruction assistance among others. The candidate country’s progress is annually evaluated, and when the required requirements are fulfilled, the candidate is granted membership in the European Union. Each member country pays a certain amount of their GDP to the European Union, which varies by country, but is usually less than one percent.

Positive Effects
The single market is one of the European Union’s largest achievements. It provides opportunities for people, goods, services, and money to move around the Union freely without immigration constraints, custom duties or tariffs (known as the Schengen agreement). When national markets are opened by removing trade barriers, it creates more competition between companies, providing lower prices, better quality and wider selection to the consumer. Free movement inside the EU relies on secure and strong control of external borders.

In 1999, European Union wanted to create an even more cohesive economic system and market environment, by introducing a single currency, the Euro, for financial transactions (non-cash). The most important advantage of the single currency was the added security and stability of markets and an overall stronger economy. Three years later twelve countries accepted Euro notes and coins as their national currency.

The European Union is currently the world’s largest trading power and to preserve that power the EU negotiates as one with its trading partners and in the WTO. European Union countries account for only 7 percent of the world’s population and no individual country is strong enough to compete in world trade alone, but the European single market provides support to companies when they want to do business globally. EU is protecting their local markets very effectively. One of its recent actions was against Microsoft, which has a near worldwide monopoly on personal computer operating systems. The European antitrust case is focused on Microsoft’s Windows 7 which has Internet Explorer as its default internet browser, claiming consumers should have access to other browsers as options. If Microsoft and EU settle this dispute, then smaller local (EU) companies will have an opportunity to compete against the giants.

The potential for expansion of the European Union has also helped to establish closer trading links with its immediate neighbors. The first priority is the European Union candidate countries, which can have a special ‘Europe agreement’ establishing a free trade area between EU and itself even before its membership has been granted. This amendment would allow for a greater proportion of exportation to EU countries. Removing custom duties would also boost the country’s economic recovery, which will help it to sooner fulfill member requirements.

European Union is also a major financial and technical supporter of third world countries. In 2001, EU launched the ‘Everything but Arms’ initiative to 49 least developed countries, which opened up markets to unlimited quantities of all products, except weapons, without charging any duties. European Union is also trying to encourage poor countries not only to sell their products to EU countries, but to also increase trade with each other, advising that free trade agreements between neighboring countries can create larger and more effective markets, attracting both local and foreign investors.

Negative Effects
When trade barriers between the EU countries were opened, competition of larger market companies heightened in small market economies, causing many small businesses to lose market share because they could not compete with the economies of scale and availability of cheaper labor abroad. A good example of this is the German retail chain, Lidl, which has spread around the EU and offers around 20 percent lower prices than EU averages. Their inexpensive brands are already harming the business of local food producers, and expanding product offerings to overlap with local leading brands will be devastating. Now, many smaller businesses are either going under or being acquired by larger, multinational companies. As a result, a lot of products that were unique culturally or geographically have begun to disappear because they did not meet the margin standards of the larger companies. Product offerings have started to look the same all around the European Union, decreasing the cultural variety. At the same time, the higher prices and living standards associated with the larger, wealthier countries have an influence on market prices across the EU; this was especially evident after single currency was introduced.

There is also an imbalance among countries; usually the larger and stronger economies rule over the smaller and weaker ones. In the current economic recession, there have also been negative impact inside the European Union. When the trading power of the leading countries wanes, the whole EU’s economy weakens; it will have the most devastating effects on smaller market countries where larger companies have acquired local companies and hired cheap labor. The EU was intended to have the opposite impact – small market countries were supposed to be protected by the whole.

EU’s regulations and laws are designed for use in a large number of countries, meaning compromises will be made on the well-being of individual countries to serve countries of greater influence. These compromises are especially present in agriculture and technology productions. Often the larger and the older members have the most power, enabling them to brush off regulations and pursue projects that have been rejected by other members, for example, France’s current plans for new nuclear reactors.

Colonial and Native trading
The arrival of European colonies on the North American continent necessitated trade with Native Americans. The settlers introduced many European commodities and ideals to the Natives.

One example was the competitive fur trade market. In Europe at this time, there was a great demand for animal fur to make fashionable clothes and apparel. This market was especially responsible for the colonial expansion over the continent and the interaction between the Settlers and Natives.

Land was required in order to hunt for the animals, this need inspired further exploration of the continent. Due to the high demand, it was not unlikely to see a settler enlisting the help of a native to help catch game. In exchange, the Settlers would trade such things as guns, alcohol, tools, and decorative fabrics. Native Americans also traded with furs, beadwork, and food.

Unfortunately, the fur trade lead to the exploitation of the Native Americans and their land. The peaceful trading eventually turned into a fight over land. This severely depleted the tribes' food supply, and resulting in the European colonies controlling all the land on the North American continent. Trading with native tribes decreased as the tribes were forced to live on reservations that were separated by considerable distance, and the European colonial settlements increased across the continent, establishing greater trade amongst themselves.

NAFTA
The United States, Canada, and Mexico currently have very open trading policies. A series of negotiations had to be made in order to establish these policies. U.S President Ronald Reagan proposed that goods be transported more freely among the North American countries. He met with Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and on January 1, 1989, after a series of meetings the Canadian and American free trade agreement took effect.

President George H. W. Bush, Reagan's successor, began conferring with Mexico in an effort to open the trade barriers between the U.S. and Mexico. Before an official agreement had been reached, the Canadian government requested involvement, leading to the development of North American Free Trade Agreement. It was signed into action on January 1, 1994. With the advent of the NAFTA, it was the desire of the governing leaders to dissolve many of the trading and investing barriers between all three countries. Most barriers were expected to be gone within 15 years. On January 1, 2008, the last of the remaining barriers was lifted, and the NAFTA was put into full effect. Agricultural, textile, livestock, investments, and many other goods are now free of trade taxes.

Positive Effects
The United States Department of Agriculture claims NAFTA “…has contributed to significant increases in agricultural trade and investment between the United States, Canada and Mexico…”

In 1994 when the Mexican peso severely lost its value, The US and Canada were able to loan $6 billion dollars to Mexico. As a payable return, Mexico promised to send their money earned from oil exports into a Federal Reserve bank account. Money transactions such as this one are easily done and can be put into action cheaply. With the advent of NAFTA, investments between banks and companies are now un-taxed.

From its signing to the present day, trade across all three countries' borders has tripled. Not only that, but business transactions, and manufacturing production has increased between the countries. NAFTA allows for goods to be dispersed more readily and easily across the North American land mass. As such, citizens of these countries get to experience higher standards of living. Lowering the taxes on traded goods allows for companies to sell their products at lower prices.

These benefits can be especially noticeable for companies in the United States. Before NAFTA began, Mexico's tariffs on United States exports were over 100% higher than the United States' tariffs on Mexican exports. Since the foundation of NAFTA, the Mexican trade taxes have been dramatically reduced. From 1994 to 1998, Mexican tariffs were reduced by 50% and 11 years later, these tariffs have all but been eliminated. American business involved with trade between Mexico now sigh with relief.

Negative Effects
The governing bodies responsible for creating NAFTA have filled up to 900 pages of trading and goods guidelines. They have made it possible for themselves to pick and choose which goods will be taxed or and which will not. In a truly free trading system, no guidelines or restrictions would be placed on the trading barriers, making the NAFTA's claim of being a free trading system a misleading one.

When it comes to goods and services, cultural dilution is inevitable. Corporations have the money to produce goods on a large scale, and when international trading is done, large amounts of goods need to be moved. Many times these goods were manufactured in a large scale production facility, for example, pre-packaged foods, kitchen appliances, electronics, plastic toys and other "cookie cutter" items. Products like these are commonly purchased and widely dispersed. Their prices are cheap, and as the common standards of living rise, these products become increasingly in demand. As a result, local businesses are having a harder time staying afloat. They must have a specific, sought-after service that the community is willing to use. if they don't, customers often choose the less expensive product. Gradually, everyone becomes dependent on a select few companies.

Mexican farmers are unable to provide enough food for their people because the United States can sell produce at a lower price in Mexico. Naturally, the people of Mexico will buy the cheaper food. This is very apparent with corn farmers. In the United States corn is subsidized. This means that the United States government pays its corn farmers to grow corn. The reason they need federal money, is that corn farmers often do not make enough money to produce the next season's crop. The influx of corn in the United States drives the price down radically. Because the Mexican government is unable to match these extremely low prices, due to the lifted tariffs, the Mexican corn farmers cannot compete, and are left out of work.

The displacement of millions of Mexican workers, has led to the influx of Mexican immigrants coming to the United States to find work. Many workers in the United States are fearful of losing their jobs, because there is now cheaper labor that United States companies can, and have been hiring. Mexican immigrants often receive an unfriendly welcome, when in reality, it is NAFTA that needs to be held responsible for the immigration.

Solutions
In order to find and put into action a solution, it is best to become educated on the matter. If more people understand how our trading system works, the organizations behind the policies, and their motives, it is more likely that people will want to pursue a conscious effort towards change.

Knowledge of this kind enables the consumer to be awakened to the power they truly hold. As humans, especially those living in the richer countries, we do live in a consumer world. We have the ability to support certain companies and neglect others. If money stops going to companies that are abusing their trading privileges, perhaps it is the consumers' responsibility to stop supporting them.

One way to reduce the destructive nature of our current trading policies is to become less dependent on them. This requires a personal drive to support local farmers, markets, and businesses. Be conscious of how far food and goods have traveled to make it into your hands. When spending becomes localized, communities become more sustainable and economically stronger.

This course of action may require some personal sacrifice. Driving is not always necessary. After all, gasoline is imported from across the world. There is always the risk of oil spill, jeopardizing wildlife and our earth, wasting resources and money. So if circumstances allow, ride a bike or walk. Utilizing public transit is also a great way to localize one's impact. If driving is necessary, perhaps one could car pool. Also, be aware of spending habits. Saving money and shopping less is beneficial in many ways. These small sparks of change can ignite a larger movement, strengthening our economy and our world.