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Talk:Conservation Entrepreneurship/Assignments/Projeto Iauaretê/Value Proposition/Who are our customers?

COMMENTS

 (1) Two thoughts on this. First, higher income consumers might be more taxing on the staff if they are more snobby and demanding. It also means they might want luxury type accomodations. A more medium income clientle might be easier to work with. Then again, this is being rather stereotypical so maybe it wouldn't be an issue. Second, I think marketing to the age group you mentioned but also focusing on their kids might be effective. For example, we say what a great experience it is for kids, market it as an alternative type of vacation, and we might have rich parents who are willing to send their kids to do this. It means the staff will have to be trained a little differently to work with teenagers rather than adults, however. This idea is sort of based off a tv program I saw this summer about a program in Kruger National Park, South Africa where they sell opportunities to help in research, like darting rhino for study. Two kids and their parents were featured and the parents were saying they liked the idea of having a unique vacation and using the money to let their kids do something really neat. (Note that I'm not saying we'd let people dart jaguars, that was just the example used in the interview I saw). --Kifaro50 01:48, 28 February 2009 (UTC) (2) I don't see a reason why we cant aim for both income levels? I'm wondering if it would be possible to attempt to target both a medium and higher income consumer. I know a lot of jungle tours in the amazon offer numerous packages. For example, we offer 4 day, 5 day, 6 day etc. packages. The less you stay the less you pay. The full 9 day package is all inclusive where the tourist helps with research, has the best chance of seeing a jaguar, and also maybe gets a video/ picture of the jaguar they saw. The shorter trips can still show the consumer the research that is going on and involve them in the less active side of the project, just not to the same level that the 9 day package does. Lynch 16:51, 28 February 2009 (UTC) (3) That is a good point and I think some compromise where multiple options is offered is probably the best bet. The only thing is, that really relies on the jaguar research staff. They would have to be willing to take more of their time if we are going to offer a variety of options. From what Emiliano has said thus far I'm not sure if that level of committment is there. On that note, I think for this to really work we are going to need to hire at least one person, and probably multiple, to run the program. The researchers are there to do research and while they might be willing to show the tourists around, I'm not sure they have the time or the training to let them really engage with the tourists. A person who has the job of being a liason would be good to organize the program and to be the main line of interaction between the tourists and the researchers. Maybe I'm biased but in my experience, researchers dont always like interacting directly with tourists, they tend to get a little impatient. If we're going to cater to high income consumers, we will need to pamper them a bit. Thoughts? Also, we are going to have to delete most of this...or probably move it to the talk section...before we send the link out to our two guest lecturers on Monday. So we'd better make some decisions on these things. --Kifaro50 23:52, 28 February 2009 (UTC) (4)I suggest that we narrow our target customer. One lucrative target market segment is gay men, who apparently frequent Mamiraua Reserve already. Targeting this segment can enhance our product, to include offering a sense of community- a place gay men know they will be respected and feel free to express themselves. Most ecotourism destinations in Latin America are in places where many gay men may feel estranged from their alternative mindset, which I believe is barrier to their participation in many ecotourism ventures. I believe overtly including gay men in this trip is a match made in heaven. Historically, gay men (and other LGBTQ people) have been marginalized and relegated to finding hidden spots to convene, all over the world. This glancing over of the gay community can be likened to the marginalized view of many indigenous communities, and this fact can become one of the topics of discussion on the trip. Moreover, the stealth with which gay men have participated in tourism (and most economic activities) all over the world can be a selling point, likening gay men to the stealth of cats/jaguars. This makes the trip more symbolic and interesting, with implications extending beyond conservation of jaguars and indigenous areas, to include socio-cultural appreciation and conservation. This will make our product unlike any other, and I think will prove to be a model for the development of ecotourism products in the near future.

I've been reviewing the Earthwatch website recently for ideas and thought I'd share. Earthwatch runs a very similar eco-scientific tourism company, and they have been very successful. Link: EarthwatchLynch 13:52, 2 March 2009 (UTC)


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User talk:AdaptiveCampus

 Hello AdaptiveCampus, 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! --AFriedman 17:24, 1 March 2009 (UTC)

 Woof! My name is Jack(Russell). I am a dog and a Wikiversity mascot. I am pretty new around Wikiversity. Perhaps we can learn together! Tail wag...

Hi!
Very interesting Userpage. What kinds of software applications do you develop on Adaptive Campus? By the way, WV is not the only open courseware website--take a look at WikiEducator, which I'm also on. How are you finding the course you're taking over here? --AFriedman 17:24, 1 March 2009 (UTC)

Hello Dr. Friedman.
Adaptive Campus's software is all built around the concept of a personal learning environment. Adaptive Campus is developing our own set of applications where we see gaps in the market place while also looking at how we can integrate with existing software platforms. One part of the project is replacing and/or integrating with LMSs (Blackboard, Moodle, Sakai, etc.). The Adaptive Campus platform isn't launching until this summer, but when we do, anyone can sign up for a PLE account for free, and institutions will be able to host the LMS side of the PLE for free. With so many institutions vested in their LMSs though, we are also working on ways to integrate with their existing software package, through their APIs (if they have them). But the end goal is to create a PLE for the student, rather than constricting them to the course-centric LMS environment. But of course, LMSs are so limited in functionality these days, we are also developing applications that complement their functionality with other functionality that supports a personal learning environment concept. As an example, we are developing a research collection application, similar to Evernote, but that integrates with classroom activity and has more group and collaborative functionality. There will be a community based research collection version and we've been watching Wikipedia closely to see how their governance is working out for them. Right now, the plan is to make that component self-contained and probably non-profit, like Wikipedia. I can see some potential for collaboration at some point, and I am very curious to understand how the Wikiversity model might be complemented with what we are doing. Perhaps students (and faculty) could form ad-hoc groups through the PLE and add some more social elements to the courses? Perhaps the PLE could provide a mechanism for giving individuals recognition for the work they do in Wikiversity? Not sure, but there does seem to be some convergence of utility. AdaptiveCampus 17:05, 2 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Sounds really interesting! Please do keep me posted.  Myself, I've found that all the wikimedia projects have improved with time.  Wikipedia is by far the best developed and is quite well organized by now.  It's already the first source I consult when I want to learn about a new topic, and I think it's only going to get better.  Wikiversity and WikiEducator are less than 3 years old.  They are missing most of their content and organization but they are much better than they were even a year ago.  Wikipedia still needs work, but even a run-of-the-mill article has quite a lot of content.  With better connections to other Wikimedia projects, I think their content is going to improve at an increasing rate.  Here is a little about what I am doing.  I am trying to de-institutionalize academic type scholarship, by making research resources, training and mentorship in my field available to anyone with an Internet connection.  I just started to do this last year, and am already involved in some very interesting collaborations with people who lack access to more conventional facilities.  I would be very interested in working with others, both in similar fields and with similar goals in mind.  --AFriedman 15:35, 3 March 2009 (UTC)

Mentors
I've been trying to edit the Mentors program and created the Research Mentoring Program because I think WV needs more resources for people like you, please come give your feedback and help develop the materials! --AFriedman 18:33, 6 March 2009 (UTC)

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

title: User talk:AdaptiveCampus


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User:User 83,266/monobook.js

/*** sinanara ***/ $(function {	/*** Start editing here ***/	// When you want to end your break?	// no leading zeroes. (example: 7 - correct, 07 - incorrect)	var date = { year: 2012, month: 12, day: 12};	var time = { hours: 20, minutes: 22, seconds: 0 };	/*** Stop editing here ***/	var currentDate = new Date;	var enforcedBreakEnd = new Date( date.year,date.month-1,date.day,time.hours,time.minutes,time.seconds);	if (currentDate <= enforcedBreakEnd) {		alert("Enforced wikibreak until "+enforcedBreakEnd.toLocaleString + "\n(now is "+currentDate.toLocaleString+")\n\nBye!");		location = "http://"+location.host+"/w/index.php?title="			+ "Special:Userlogout&returnto=Main_Page";	} }); /*** ZOMG STOP. ***/

title: User:User 83,266/monobook.js


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User:Oniongas

Intro
My Name is Mubashir Yousuf. I am from Kashmir also know as heaven on earth.

title: User:Oniongas


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User:EveSansdieu

Professional diplomas for (automobile mechanic) and (diesel cars & trucks). Interests rage from; biology, chemistry,physics and the sun. For those wondering about my pseudonym, here's it's meaning;the words (Adam & Eve)are Hebrew words, when translated mean (Man & Life),when we read in the bible;the story of Adam and Eve, we should actually read(the story of man and his life). Sansdieu is french (like me) meaning (without god).So my pseudonym means ( Life Without God ).

title: User:EveSansdieu


text: User:Resident Mario

title: User:Resident Mario


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Artificial Consciousness/Neural Correlates/Neural Network Models/Instar Model

The Instar Model
To simplify the input model, so that we don't have to take into account dendritic complexity, Theorists started out by assuming that every input was equivalent to the next except for the information flowing down it. The simplest model of the input network would then, be something called an instar, where all connections were the same length, and of equivalent electrical characteristics, so that all that was important was the signal flowing down it.

Of course this is a theoretical absurdity, really only good for stylizing the nature of input. Such a mechanism, it turned out to be was a gatherer of signals, in essence a form of Multiplexor that took separate signals and produced a single complex aggregation of signals, as an output to the actual cell.

It was then thought that if we could translate dendritic connections into a mathematical formula, we would find equivalence between different individuals at the mathematical level. The neuron was seen as a simultaneous equation expressed by the dendrites, that fed a processing section in the Neuron and the output of the neuron would be the result of that processing. Problem was there was no mathematical equivalency to be found in the so called simultaneous equations.

Worse from the point of view of predicting the outputs of the cell, different signals took different times to travel through the dendrites and arrive at the cell, because the nature of the processes that they traveled down were inimical to electrical current. As a result, the original instar Model is only used today as an abstraction.


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Portal:Quechua/Vocabulary/Colors

Quechua Vocabulary 1: Colors
This is a homework assignment of the Quechua Vocabulary 1 course of the Quechua department. Try to memorize the vocabulary words below. Follow the external links for pronunciation help. Note: I the creator of this course am not a native language speaker--I apologize for any errors and invite you to correct them as soon as possible.

red = puka

yellow = q'ellu, k'ello, karwa, qallwash

blue = anqash, anqas

green = qumir, tsiqyay, chullqa

orange = paru

purple = kulli, qulli

gray = uqi

brown = allqa, alga

white = yurak, yuraq, yulaq

black = yana

Ver video: Los colores en Quechua Ancashino

title: Portal:Quechua/Vocabulary/Colors


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Portal:Quechua/Vocabulary Course 1

Quechua Vocabulary Course 1

 * U.E.C. course code: FL-QW-11

 * Course title: Quechua Vocabulary I

 * Course instructor: Trinity507

 * Suggested prerequisites: none

 * Course description: a fun way to memorize Quechua vocabulary for a beginning language learner.

This course is part of the Unconventional Education Center program
 * Note: the instructor of this course is not a native language speaker.

Participants

 * Please list your name here if you are participating in this course.

Graduates

 * Please list your name here if you have completed this course along with any comments or advice to future participants.

Lesson 1.1
In this brief lesson you will learn the colors in Quechua. See the external links on the vocabulary page to hear pronunciations.

Vocabulary 1.1: Colors

Lesson 1.1: Quiz

title: Portal:Quechua/Vocabulary Course 1


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Image restoration

Introduction

Image restoration uses software to undo the effects of age and damage upon digitized versions of historic visual media.

Common programs:
 * Photoshop (commercial)
 * GIMP (open source)

Example source media types: This course introduces essential skills and techniques to restore material for encyclopedic use.
 * Photographs
 * Lithographs
 * Woodcuts

Contents

 * Concept
 * Software
 * Image files
 * Image selection
 * A low resolution restoration
 * A high resolution restoration
 * Basic steps of a restoration
 * Uploading

title: Image restoration


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Image restoration/Concept

Concept
Image restoration undoes the effects of age upon an image.

title: Image restoration/Concept


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Image restoration/Software

Software
Most image restoration is done with two software packages.
 * Photoshop: a commercial software program
 * GIMP: a free open source program

Both GIMP and Photoshop are capable of yielding good results. The selection of a program depends upon the preference and budget of the user.

title: Image restoration/Software


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Advanced elasticity/Curvature

It helps to a know a bit about curvature when you start learning how to do buckling analysis. The following discussion goes through the derivation of some useful elementary results relating to curvature. You have already learned these in your introductory calculus course. However, you may have forgotten the details. So this is a refresher lesson.

Tangent vector to a curve
Let $$\mathbf{x}(t)$$ be a vector valued function (curve) of the parameter $$t$$. The unit tangent vector to the curve traced by the function $$\mathbf{x}$$ is given by

\mathbf{t}(t) = \cfrac{\mathbf{x}'}{\|\mathbf{x}'\|} \qquad \text{where} \qquad \mathbf{x}' := \cfrac{d\mathbf{x}}{dt} ~. $$ Note that the "velocity" of a point on the curve is in the direction of the tangent. Therefore, the unit tangent vector and the unit velocity vector have the same value

\mathbf{t}(t) = \cfrac{\mathbf{v}}{\|\mathbf{v}\|} ~. $$

A straight line has the equation

\mathbf{x}(t) = \mathbf{x}_0 + t~\mathbf{x}_1 ~. $$ Taking the derivative with respect to $$t$$ we see that the tangent vector is constant, i.e., it does not change direction. Alternatively, we may say that the condition $$\mathbf{t}' = 0$$ implies that the unit tangent vector does not change direction.

If the curve is not a straight line, then the quantity $$\mathbf{t}'$$ measures the tendency of the curve to change direction.

Normal vector to a curve
The unit normal to the curve is defined as

\mathbf{n} = \cfrac{\mathbf{t}'}{\|\mathbf{t}'\|} ~; \qquad \|\mathbf{t}'\| \ne 0 $$

Curvature vector of a curve
The curvature vector is defined as the rate of change of the unit tangent vector with respect to the arc length. If $$s$$ measures the arc length, then the curvature vector is given by $$d\mathbf{t}/ds$$. Now, the "velocity" is given by

\cfrac{ds}{dt} = \|\mathbf{v}(t)\| ~. $$ Then

\cfrac{d\mathbf{t}}{ds} = \cfrac{d\mathbf{t}}{dt}~\cfrac{dt}{ds} = \cfrac{1}{\|\mathbf{v}\|}~\cfrac{d\mathbf{t}}{dt} = \cfrac{1}{\|\mathbf{v}\|}~\mathbf{t}' =\cfrac{\|\mathbf{t}'\|}{\|\mathbf{v}\|}~\mathbf{n} ~. $$ Therefore the curvature vector has the same direction at the unit normal vector.

Curvature
The curvature ($$\kappa$$) of the curve is the length of the curvature vector. That means,

\kappa(t) := \cfrac{\|\mathbf{t}'\|}{\|\mathbf{v}\|} ~. $$

Radius of curvature
To get a feel for the radius of curvature, consider the equation of a circle

\mathbf{x}(t) = r~\cos t~\mathbf{e}_x + r~\sin t~\mathbf{e}_y $$ where $$r$$ is the radius of the circle and $$\mathbf{e}_x, \mathbf{e}_e$$ are the unit basis vectors in the $$x, y$$ directions. Then the "velocity" is given by

\mathbf{v}(t) = -r~\sin t~\mathbf{e}_x + r~\cos t~\mathbf{e}_y \qquad \implies \|\mathbf{v}\| = r $$ and the unit tangent vector is

\mathbf{t}(t) = -\sin t~\mathbf{e}_x + \cos t~\mathbf{e}_y ~. $$ Differentiating with respect to $$t$$,

\mathbf{t}'(t) = -\cos t~\mathbf{e}_x - \sin t~\mathbf{e}_y \qquad \implies \|\mathbf{t}'\| = 1 ~. $$ Therefore, the curvature of the circle is

\kappa = \cfrac{\|\mathbf{t}'\|}{\|\mathbf{v}\|} = \cfrac{1}{r} ~. $$ This shows that the radius of the circle is the reciprocal of the curvature of the circle. The radius of curvature of any curve is defined in an analogous manner as the reciprocal of the curvature of the curve at a point.

Curvature of plane curves
Let us now consider a curve in a plane $$x-y$$. Let $$\theta(t)$$ be the angle that the tangent vector to the curve makes with the positive $$x$$-axis. Then we can write

\mathbf{t}(t) = \cos\theta(t)~\mathbf{e}_x + \sin\theta(t)~\mathbf{e}_y $$ where $$\mathbf{e}_x, \mathbf{e}_e$$ are the unit basis vectors in the $$x, y$$ directions.

Taking the derivative we have

\mathbf{t}' = -\sin\theta~\theta'~\mathbf{e}_x + \cos\theta~\theta'~\mathbf{e}_y = \theta'~[-\sin\theta~\mathbf{e}_x + \cos\theta~\mathbf{e}_y] ~; \theta' := \cfrac{d\theta}{dt} ~. $$ Therefore

\|\mathbf{t}'\| = |\theta'| ~. $$ Using the chain rule

\theta' = \cfrac{d\theta}{ds}~\cfrac{ds}{dt} = \|\mathbf{v}\|~\cfrac{d\theta}{ds} ~. $$ The curvature can then be expressed as

\kappa(t) := \left|\cfrac{d\theta}{ds}\right| ~. $$

Useful relation for the curvature of plane curves
If the plane curve is parameterized as

\mathbf{x}(t) = x(t)~\mathbf{e}_x + y(t)~\mathbf{e}_y $$ the curvature of curve can also be expressed as

\kappa(t) = \left|\cfrac{x'~y - x~y'}{(x'^2 + y'^2)^{3/2}}\right| ~; x' := \cfrac{dx}{dt},~ x := \cfrac{d^2x}{dt^2}, ~y' := \cfrac{dy}{dt}, ~y := \cfrac{d^2y}{dt^2} ~. $$ If, in addition, $$ y = g(x) $$, we have

 Proof: The tangent vector to the curve is given by

\mathbf{t} = x'~\mathbf{e}_x + y'~\mathbf{e}_y = \cos\theta~\mathbf{e}_x + \sin\theta~\mathbf{e}_y ~. $$ Therefore

\tan\theta = \cfrac{y'}{x'} ~. $$ Differentiating both sides with respect to $$t$$,

(1)\qquad\sec^2\theta~\theta' = \cfrac{x'~y - y'~x}{x'^2} ~. $$ Now,

(2)\qquad \sec^2\theta = 1+\tan^2\theta = 1 + \left(\cfrac{y'}{x'}\right)^2 = \cfrac{x'^2+y'^2}{x'^2} ~. $$ Plugging (2) back into (1) we get

(3) \qquad \theta' = \cfrac{x'~y - y'~x}{x'^2+y'^2} ~. $$ The curvature is given by

(4) \qquad \kappa = \left|\frac{d\theta}{ds}\right| = \left|\theta'~\cfrac{dt}{ds}\right| ~. $$ Also

(5)\qquad \cfrac{dt}{ds} = \cfrac{1}{\|\mathbf{v}\|} = \cfrac{1}{\sqrt{x'^2 + y'^2}} $$ since

\mathbf{t} = x'~\mathbf{e}_x + y'~\mathbf{e}_y = \cfrac{v_x}{\|\mathbf{v}\|}~\mathbf{e}_x + \cfrac{v_y}{\|\mathbf{v}\|}~\mathbf{e}_y \implies \|\mathbf{v}\| = \sqrt{x'^2 + y'^2} ~. $$ Plugging (3) and (5) into (4) gives

\kappa = \left|\cfrac{x'~y - x~y'}{(x'^2 + y'^2)^{3/2}}\right| ~. $$ For the situation where $$ y = g(x)\,$$ we can parameterize the curve using $$ x = t, y = y(t)\,$$ to get $$ x' = 1, x'' = 0 \,$$. Then,

\kappa = \left|\cfrac{y''}{(1 + y'^2)^{3/2}}\right| \qquad \square $$

title: Advanced elasticity/Curvature


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Image restoration/Image selection

Priorities
When selecting an image for restoration it is important to begin with clear objectives and realistic expectations. Possible include:
 * Providing the best illustration possible for a particular subject, even if the source file is flawed or small.
 * Locating an image of superior base quality and potential in order to perform a detailed restortion, for possible featured picture consideration

If the main aim is to illustrate a particular subject, then it will probably be necessary to be flexible about image quality. If the main aim is to restore a high quality image, then flexibility about subject matter is often necessary.

title: Image restoration/Image selection


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Image restoration/Image files

File types
It is important to use a lossless file type for restoration work, such as TIFF or PNG.

Many images are available in JPEG format. This is a format to avoid when possible because it overwrites and degrades with successive saves. If JPEG is the only source format available, then convert to a lossless format imediately after opening and work in the lossless format.

Convert a format
To convert a format, select "save as" and choose a different extension type.

Resolution
The lower resolution an image is, the less time it will probably take to restore but the less can be done to restore it. Extremely low resolution files are probably not worth the attempt because they have very little data.

Low quality restorations may be attempted on images that have only a few hundred kilobytes' resolution.

High quality restoration work generally requires file sizes of 10MB and larger.

title: Image restoration/Image files


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Image restoration/Example: a low resolution restoration

Example: A low resolution restoration
Low resolution restortion corrects aging and distractive elements. The resulting image generally looks adequate in thumbnail for on-screen illustration. Fine details cannot be corrected, but the restoration work usually can be done quickly.


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Image restoration/Example: a high resolution restoration

Example: a high resolution restoration
High resolution restoration yields higher quality results that look better on the screen and can also be printed out as posters. Resolution is superior, and the image can be restored in greater detail. High resolution restoration often takes more work than low resolution restoration, but may go quickly if the damage is not extensive.


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Image restoration/Basic steps of a restoration

Basic steps of a restoration

 * 1) Look at the image.
 * Plan out roughly what you want to do. Note any challenges. Get some rough idea where you intend to crop to at the end (but don't crop yet.)
 * 1) 'Zap the dirt'.
 * Zoom in to at least 100% resolution and remove dirt and scratches from the image.
 * Don't worry too much about things outside of your planned crop.
 * In images with large amounts of damage, it's often helpful to correct the smaller problems before taking on the bigger problems.
 * Set software tools to about the same pixel size as the damage being corrected.
 * Use the healing brush at 100% hardness to correct large areas of solid color, such as sky.
 * Use the clone stamp at 40% hardness to correct damage near sharp changes of color and/or brightness, such as a section of sky close to a rooftop. NOTE: a soft-edged clonestamp at 100% hardness works better. GIMP has several.
 * Faces are the most difficult thing to work on, so go in at high resolution. It may be effective to save faces for last.
 * Double check to be sure all dirt and scratches are removed before proceeding.
 * 1) Adjust irregular brightness.
 * 'If brightness issues are minor, save this step for last; minor isses can often "go away" during other adjustments.
 * If one or more sections of the image are too bright or too dark due to aging and degradation, then correct them. Not all images have this problem.
 * Create feathered adjustment layers and alter the brightness in small increments. Change the selection areas as needed.
 * Preview the levels while working on brightness adjustments, in order to get a good view of which areas need work. But undo the levels previews before actually adjusting for irregular brightness.
 * When ready, merge the layers.
 * 1) Save at this point under a unique filename.
 * Be sure to save a version immediately before changing the levels (except to preview). Adjusting the levels is a point of no return, so this is an important stage to save in case more work becomes necessary later on.
 * It's a good idea to save works in progress several times under different filenames. Use a simple notation on the filename, such as Taj Mahal1.tif, Taj Mahal2.tif, Taj Mahal3.tif, etc. TIFF or PNG should be used - they are lossless formats. Repeatedly saving as a JPEG can destroy the quality of an image, particularly if saved at anything less than maximum quality.
 * 1) Adjust the levels.
 * This part takes some practice to get right. Remember you can always go back to the saved file.
 * If your software has auto settings, try both the manual and the auto settings and use whichever gives better results. Manual is usually better. Note that, especially in GIMP, adjustments to levels can cause saturation to increase; this is fine, you can fix that later.
 * Start by adjusting the Red, Green, and Blue levels, without touching the overall levels. In general, putting the white point at the point for each colour where the histogram says is the maximum, and adjusting the black point to either the blackest point on the histogram, or some fractional distance between the blackest point and zero (such as half-way) often works well. Exact details depend on the image. Apply the changes.
 * Now adjust the master levels. Or use the curves tool to adjust them with more ability to play with them.
 * It may, at times, be useful to do a slight crop before this point, to remove a misleading background that's throwing things off. However, be careful when doing this: You can easily crop out material you should have kept. See Step 10 for instructions. If necessary.
 * 1) Adjust color balance.
 * This step can often be skipped if scanning yourself with a well-calibrated scanner.
 * This can be done manually or automatically. Manually is generally better.
 * 1) Adjust saturation. The previous two steps will often have left the image a bit oversaturated.
 * 2) Compare image to the original (if possible). If necessary, make further changes or restart from Step 4.
 * 3) Save the image again. with a unique filename.
 * 4) Rotate and crop the image.
 * Many digital images are slightly tilted. Generally, rotate to a tenth of a degree using the horizon or other reliable indicator to determine what the horizontal or vertical orientation should be. In most programs, it's possible to add guides to the image - straight horizontal or vertical lines that hover "above" the image. These can help. Adjust zoom as needed to judge before committing to the rotation. WARNING: Particularly with artworks, the image may not always be perfectly rectangular. Try to find a good compromise.
 * Time to crop. Never crop out things inherent to the image from the main file for that image. Leave in captions that were printed at the same time as the image, for example, and, when restoring something printed on paper with borders, leave the borders in: Commons' rule against borders is for ones you add, not an insistence you crop an inherent part of an artwork. Cropping too tightly severely limits reuse.
 * Remember: Even if you want to crop tighter for a specific use on Wikipedia, you can always upload the full image, and then link between it and a more tightly cropped version.
 * 1) Final cleanup. Check the borders are good, use restoration to fix any small edge issues (for example, when restoring, say, a postcard printed to the edge, you might need to keep a little bit of damage to the edge within the crop to avoid cropping other parts of the image. You can use restoration to fix this damage. Also, you can get any dirt you left on the border now.


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Image restoration/Uploading

Wikimedia Foundation and file formats
Files up to 100MB in size can be uploaded to Wikimedia Foundation sites.

Currently, Wikimedia Foundation sites do not accept TIFF format for uploading. They do accept PNG format, but will only thumbnail PNG images of 12.5MB or smaller.

So for most purposes, restorations will be uploaded in JPEG format. JPEGs thumbnail properly up to the full 100MB upload limit if they do not use progressive compression.

Documentation
Always upload both 'before' and 'after' versions of the restoration, and link from each to the other. Include detailed notes about the types of edits performed.

title: Image restoration/Uploading


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Aircraft/Structures

General
Most of the aircraft operating today are made with lightweight but strong aluminum, with most newer aircraft being made of advanced composites. Note the Cirrus SR-22 and Boeing Dreamliner 787 as examples of the newest modern aircraft developed at this time.

It has only been very recently that mainstream automobiles are starting to switch to lighter materials like aluminum.

There are several categories of aircraft:

 * Fixed-wing Airplane
 * Rotorcraft
 * Glider
 * Lighter-than-air vehicles

The aircraft is made up of an airframe, specifically fuselage, booms, nacelles, cowlings, fairings, airfoil surfaces, and landing gear. There are also accessories and controls that go with these structures. A notable fact is that the rotors of a helicopter serve the same purpose as the wings of a plane, so are considered part of the helicopter's airframe, unlike the propeller of an airframe.

Fixed Wing
The fixed wing airplane is made up of five principal components:

 * Fuselage
 * Wings
 * Stabilizers
 * Flight Control Surfaces
 * Landing Gear

Rotorcraft
Helicopter airframes consist of
 * Fuselage
 * Main rotor and driving gearbox
 * Tail Rotor
 * Landing Gear or Skids

Structural Members
Structural member of the aircraft fuselage include And the main structural member of the wing is the wing spar.
 * Stringers
 * Longerons
 * Ribs
 * Bulkheads
 * Frames and Formers

Skin
The skin of the aircraft is contemporarily made of aluminum or composites, but in the past has been made of impregnated fabric or plywood, when an appreciable amount of the aircraft stress is carried strictly by the frame.

Major Stresses
There are five major stresses or loads on the aircraft are
 * Tension
 * Compression
 * Torsion
 * Shear
 * Bending

Tension
Is the stress that tends to pull something apart. i.e. tension on the length of the fuselage from the engine pulling the fuselage against the air resistance of drag.

Compression
Is the stress that resists a crushing force

Torsion
Is the stress that produces twisting. The rotary force of the engine tries to twist the engine in one direction, but this force is resisted by the supporting components it is connected to, most notably the engine mounts.

Shear
Is the stress that resists the force tending to cause one layer of a material to slide over an adjacent layer. Two plates riveted together in tension subject the rivets to a shearing force. Screws bolts and rivets are often subject to a shearing force.

Bending
Is a combination of compression and tension. When a rod is bent, the outside of the bend is stretched, and the inside of the rod is compressed.

Aircraft Structural Components
The major components of the Aircraft Structures can be broadly combined into:

 * The Fuselage
 * The Wings
 * The Empennage

Fuselage
The fuselage is the body of the Airplane that carries the Crew and the Payload, the payload being passengers, cargo, fuel and weapons. It is subjected to very high Bending Loads from its own and the Payload's Weight.

Older planes with stretched impregnated fabric or plywood skin were made with Truss type, a rigid framework of members made of beams, struts, and bars to resist deformation by applied loads.

Fuselage structures can be of monocoque construction, or of semi-monocoque construction

Monocoque
Full monocoque fuselages uses formers, frame assemblies and bulkheads to give shape to the fuselage. The skin of the aircraft carries most of the structural load of the aircraft.

Semi-monocoque fuselage
To make up for the shortcomings of monocoque fuselage design, semi-monocoque construction was developed. Like monocoque fuselages, it is made of frame assemblies, bulkheads and formers, but the skin is stiffened using longitudinal members called longerons that carry bending loads, and stringers that are also longitudinal members, used to give shape and provide attachment of the skin. Stringers and longerons together prevent tension and compression from bending the fuselage.

Pressurization
A further stress that the fuselage and the aircraft skin must absorb is pressurization of aircraft that fly at higher altitudes. Pressurization causes significant repeated stress from the cycling from unpressurized to pressurized and unpressurized again. A result is that aircraft that regularly fly at altitude, like commercial airlines, must be periodically be completely inspected so that any damage that does occur can be fixed before further damage occurs.

Wings
The Wings provide the Lift to an Aircraft. The Wings are subjected to High Stress due to Aerodynamic Forces as well as the Weight of the Engines and reaction loads from Landing Gears. The tailplane of the wing is the main contributor to Directional controls. Ailerons, Rudder and Elevators enable the maneuverability and provide stability, while in flight. The Wing Flaps provide the extra Lift during Take Off and Landing.

Empennage
The term "Empennage" refers to the tail section or tail assembly of the airplane/aircraft that consists of the Horizontal Stabilizers and the Elevators, Vertical Stabilizer and a Rudder that provides sufficient stability for the aircraft along the lateral and the vertical axis. The Rudder provides Directional Stability, whereas the Elevators provide Longitudinal Stability.

title: Aircraft/Structures


text:
User:Prahlad

My name is Prahlad. I'm living in South India at a place called Chennai. I've finished my Higher studies and currently doing Chartered Accountancy. I was very interested in Wikiversity. I thought i should create an account and do something for the good of the people. Wiki organization should be definitely appreciated for this work. I concentrate here mainly on the accounts and finance field.

title: User:Prahlad


text:
Reflections on Feuer

Avital Feuer: Who does this language belong to? (2008)
Feuer’s book presents an ethnographic qualitative study examining two conflicting camps in modern Hebrew language learning class at Canadian undergraduate level. The groups are defined (or “Othered”) by themselves and eachother as opposing sub-groups; “Canadians” and “Israelis”, even though there is notable diversity within both of the groups.

Feuer’s reasons for conducting the study are highly personal, which is highlighted by the introduction, which she calls “a search for place between languages”. Feuer describes feeling displaced within “her” social group since childhood and writes that she has been continually drifting between her two languages, two cultures, and two identities; Hebrew and English (p. 1). The study she presents is thus her personal narrative and analysis alongside other discourses concerning the Hebrew speech community. Feuer’s declares that her aim is to examine in-group community rifts, hierarchies and Othering as a result of language claim, ownership and identity formation. All this is done in a dialogic sociolinguistic perspective.

The three research questions are: 1. What unique framework of ethnic identity did students and teachers of Hebrew construct for themselves? 2. What was the place of Hebrew in participants’ ethnic identities? 3. How did participants’ ethnic identity frameworks affect classroom dynamics? (Feuer, 2008:3)

Chapter 2 with the title Multiple languages, multiple selves provides a theoretical outline of identity theories and sociolinguistics. Feuer makes connections to such classic scholars within sociolinguistics as Fishman (1972), Hymes (1977), Chomsky (1965) and Labov (1966), as well as Bourdieu (1994) In focus in Feuer’s study is the dialogical approach to second-language acquisition that emphasizes the importance of social interaction in language use (Johnson, 2004). This approach in turn is inspired and influenced by Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory (1981) and Bakhtin’s literary theory (1981). From discussing the dialogical perspective in the Hebrew class, Feuer moves on to present the current discourse on ethnic identity theories as well as discussions of Jewish identity. Connecting theories of language and identity, Feuer introduces the reader to concepts of ethnolinguistic identity, language ego, acculturation, integrativeness and code-switching, which all are relevant for her study (pp. 16-20).

Chapter 3 focuses on hybrid language and identity research. Here Feuer makes a division of the studies between “heritage” and “immigrant” language contexts, following a common treatment in the literature. With heritage languages one means that the language of the ethnic group or homeland is learned in diaspora by learners who were born in the diasporic country, in contrast to immigrant language that includes learners who immigrated to the current country of residence and use both languages, the native and the “new” language (p.21). Despite the many examples of heritage and immigrant language studies, Feuer concludes that there have been very few empirical studies concerning the relationship between (Jewish) ethnic identity formation and modern Hebrew language use and that the setting in which she has chosen to conduct her research is also unique in this sense. Moreover, the previous studies have often been quantitative in their character and have not examined, what Feuer calls the “complex value issues within sub-groups of the Jewish community, nor of their overlapping nature”, a feature that is very clearly seen in the present study. The studies have also not mentioned Hebrew proficiency as a form of identification (p. 27). After having built on her argument for the present study, Feuer moves on to describe her methodological approach in chapter 4.

As previously mentioned, the study at hand is one of very personal character. Deciding to study the ethnic and language group that she herself is a part of, Feuer makes a valuable investment that also includes some risks. Concluding that her view of the study was an insider’s and that she played an active part in the dialogic sociolinguistic relationships and interactions in the classroom, Feuer describes her approach as emic. An important notion here is the notion of reflexivity, critically analyzing oneself as part of the interaction. Chapter 4 continues with a description of qualitative methods, the setting (an advanced modern Hebrew class at one of Canada’s largest universities) and access (through a Hebrew professor Feuer already knew) (pp.31-33). When conducting the study, Feuer used different types of data collection, such as participant observation, group discussions and individual interviews. The class she followed included 15 undergraduate students between the ages of 19 and 26 and their professor, of which 10 and the professor participated in all parts of the study. The participants are presented in chapter 4 first in a table listing their names, backgrounds, stated ethnic identities and presentation topics (p. 37). Further on, Feuer makes an attempt to deepen this initial presentation with short descriptions of each of the participants, their backgrounds and incentives to learn Hebrew (pp. 51-54). Apart from these, Feuer also discusses transcription, the background in terms of the Hebrew class and community, its textbook and curriculum, as well as ethical issues and her own position in the study. She is notably thorough describing the details of conducting the study and discussing her own personal views and positioning in various different contexts, which is interesting, educating and rather unconventional.

Chapters 5 and 6 present some of the findings of the study, discussing convergence and divergence in the Hebrew class. An important notion Feuer makes is that the Hebrew classroom for the students participating in the study is as much an arena for socializing and enhancing their Jewish identities as it is for learning the language. This notion is connected to the fact that the classroom setting seemed to play an important role as a site of convergence among the students, who came from varying backgrounds. The excerpts presented here from the group and individual interviews are very explicit and show that the participants are very reflexive concerning their relationship with their languages and identities.

In chapter 5, Hebrew is being discussed from several converging points of view of Hebrew:
 * As in-group subgroup code (of Israeli emigrants and Jewish Canadians)
 * As an intrapersonal connector (self-expression, part of personal and family histories and a means of communicating with God)
 * As a connector to other groups (providing empathy and understanding of the Israeli community and minority language groups)
 * As an unifier of Jews (as the shared language of the Jewish people)

Through the themes identified above, Feuer concludes that the use of Hebrew filled several important functions in creating convergence for the participants of the study. Even though these findings were something that the participants would surely agree upon as unifying factors and as factors creating feeling of belonging, the class dynamics didn’t solely consist of constructive wholeness as there were different sub-groups easily found and defined both by the participants and the researcher. Feuer describes the element of distance as the “second half of the equation” addressing the research questions of the study (p. 75).

When it comes to divergence, three different themes could be identified:
 * Divergence from the worldwide non-Jewish population (due to historical reasons)
 * Divergence from national majority populations (no one of the participants identified themselves primarily as Canadian)
 * Hebrew and the Hebrew class as a cause of subgroup divisions (differentiating “Canadians” and “Israelis” in the class and further subgroupings)

Two important remarks, attached to convergence and divergence issues, are made concerning the nations of Israel and Canada. Due to the migration to Canada, Israel has mostly a symbolic value for the participants, even though the things it symbolizes vary a lot amongst the students, depending on their different experiences. Another interesting notion is that of Canada and its goal of creating a diverse society, emphasizing freedom and individual choice, which according to Bibby (1990) leads to isolation rather than integration (p. 85).

In chapter 7, Feuer summarizes her research questions together with her most important findings from the study. When it comes to the unique framework of ethnic identity that the participants constructed for themselves, Feuer concludes that the class projected strong social group identities of “Israelis” and “Canadians”, which were both self- and other-imposed and commonly agreed on (even if the groups in themselves were hardly homogeneous). Some of the more distinct features within the Israeli group were the modernist notion of equating language with nationality (and oral fluency as language proficiency), even though some of the Israelis doubted fully claiming their right to Israel and Hebrew due to their minority status as Russians. The Canadians, in turn, saw Jewishness in an ethnoreligious sense rather than nationally and expressed a more abstract connection to the state of Israel, seeing the nation as a symbol for Jewish ethnic and religious unity (p.102-103). A conclusion that Feuer makes concerning both of the groups is connected to Bibby’s notion above, stating that the Canadian multiculturalism and history makes the participants (and Feuer herself for that matter) struggle to find a sense of place. An inclination away from patriotism in Canada is suggested as another reason for the participants’ strong identification with Israel. Feuer discusses Cook’s description of Canada having a “quiet nationalism”, an idea that seems interesting to me to follow in my further studies, but in the Swedish context where I am due to conduct my PhD studies.

The second research question concerns the place of Hebrew in participants’ ethnic identities. Feuer’s conclusion is that language plays a key role in the participants’ identification processes. For the Israeli group, Hebrew is a membership card to true Israeli identity and a factor in determining membership. For the Canadians, Hebrew is just one element in a larger entity that becomes the Jewish identity (p. 105). Here the previously mentioned oral fluency (which the Israeli students possessed, even though their language often is described as “immature”) is highlighted as an obstacle for the Canadian students, preventing them to fully claim the language and the state of Israel as their own. From the oral fluency point of view, Hebrew thus became a social divider within the class and oral fluency a powerful sign of symbolic power, which is discussed under the heading of the third research question, classroom dynamics in relation to participants’ ethnic identity frameworks.

One of the most interesting notions on the classroom dynamics are the contradictory views that the professor and the other participants had concerning the different levels of fluency among the students. Aviva, the professor, saw the differences as a possibility for scaffolding, whereas none of the students, and certainly not the Canadians, saw the learning situation as ideal or the interactions with the orally more proficient Israeli students as potential raisers of their level of proficiency. Apart from scaffolding and Bourdieu’s (1994) symbolic power in form of oral fluency, also the concept of investment (Norton Pierce, 1995) when deciding to learn a language is discussed.

Feuer calls her most critical finding “the fluctuating ethnic minority group Jewish identification between a converging, united identity of solidarity within the group, and the divisive Othering, stereotyping and hierarchical exclusion” (p. 108). The reasons behind these variable senses of group and individual identities are then analyzed through two different applications, a broader view on the formation of subgroups within another minority groups and through historical contextual positioning, resulting to visual frameworks of some participants’ identities. Concerning sub-group differences and identifications, Feuer presents an interesting chain of Othering in relation to the Israelis of Russian descent. According to Feuer’s interpretation, two of the students, though “technically Jewish”, felt themselves “othered” as they hesitated to identify as Jews since the term for them carried a religious connotation which they did not share. This chain continued as they yet identified themselves as Israelis and further “othered” the Canadians in class (p. 119).

Feuer ends her description by considering the contributions to theory that her study has given, such as the emphasis on the dialogic model in analyzing the acquisition of identity through the negotiation of language, and suggesting practical implications to Hebrew classes in diaspora. One of the most important is the recognition of heterogeneity of the groups by all participants, students as well as educators and administrators, which hopefully will lead to new philosophies and pedagogies. Feuer concludes also that the theoretical and research implications of her study reach beyond the current setting to other ethnic minority groups and that further research regarding the internal diversity, oneness and community solidarity of minority groups as well as integration or assimilation with the majority community is needed. This final point I certainly agree on and hope to make a contribution in this aspect during the following years.

From my own point of view, it was interesting to attempt to try to find parallels concerning the context and setting of Feuer’s study and that of my study among the Sweden Finns. The differences in comparison to the Jewish/Hebrew-speaking community are many, but some similarities can also be found, as with any ethnic/linguistic minorities. A small example of an interesting fact to study can be found in what is described in chapter 4, where Feuer describes the background of the Hebrew community. I find the concept of “smatteracy” (Glinert 1993) fascinating: knowledge of a few words in a language becoming a symbolic marker of ethnic identity. The differences between the language of Sweden Finns and Hebrew of the Israelis in diaspora are evident; Finnish in Sweden or anywhere in the world other than Finland doesn’t have its own forum as clearly as Hebrew within religion, but it still could be interesting to find out in which terms Finnish in Sweden is a language in its own right or is there perhaps a “quasilectation” going on, turning Finnish in Sweden into a language used for cultural purposes rather than for open-ended communication. What is clear is that there is an ongoing struggle of keeping the language active in all domains of the Swedish society.

Some comments from Jenny R

As Annaliina acknowledges in her text Feuer has an emic and personal relation to her object of study. Annaliina writes that “Deciding to study the ethnic and language group that she herself is a part of, Feuer makes a valuable investment that also includes some risks” and I would like to comment on this issue. Reading Feuers book, I find it not only as a study on a language learning classroom, but also a journey of exploring her own identity which is in no way able to describe in a few words. The importance of reflexivity has been recognized in ethnographic works, but it is still disputed how this is to be communicated to the reader. If we admit that the ethnographer herself is the most important tool in her research, then we surely need to describe this “tool”. One way of dealing with this question is for the researcher to describe herself in terms of certain labels for example as a woman, Muslim, Finnish, German speaking, middle aged, divorced, single parent, nurse etc. However, if we believe that identities are fluid and dynamic in their character, the labels don’t tell us much about the researcher and how her understanding of herself and others understanding of her has been crucial to the study. Some years ago, I worked in and a Palestinian women center, which later became an object of study in my MA thesis. Although this was not an ethnographic study, the time I spent working in the organization before I later came back to make interviews and focus group meetings was crucial not only for getting access to the field, but for the information they could share with me and my understanding of it. When I first came to the office, I had been in Palestine for more or less two years and I didn’t see myself as unknowledgeable neither about the Palestinian society or the Palestinian – Israeli conflict. However, when my work in the organization started I was received by my co-workers as I had just arrived from the airport. At first this felt like a great disappointment to be, I didn’t see myself as an outsider, so why did they threat me like one! My strategy was to work hard and show my knowledge about both the issues we worked with but also through by involvement in other political activities. After weeks of working together, I finally felt that I was accepted as part of the team, but I was still an outsider, I was Swedish and my passport gave me a possibility of leaving when ever I wanted, a free pass through checkpoints, I didn’t speak Arabic fluently etc. When I came back to the organization for interviews and focus group meeting, of course I was still the Swedish girl, I was not one of them, but I was an outsider that had more insight in their everyday work and lives, which made them talk to me and share experiences that they thought that I could understand. I brought up this example to show, that in terms of reflexivity it is not the labels that are interesting, but the negotiations and dynamics of the identity of the researcher. I believe that it is this journey that every researcher makes in her field work, which should be communicated to the reader.

Therefore, in Feuers work it is not only interesting how she defined herself as belonging to the ethnic and language group that she studied, but what this belonging meant in relation to different persons in her field. The students that were defined as Russians, did they feel they belonged to the same group as Feuer and did she view them as legitimate members? If Feuer would have had Russian born parents would that have changed her relationships? Moreover, the fact that Feuer spoke Hebrew fluently, how did that affects the relationships with the non fluent speakers (Canadians)? Did they see Feuer as an extra teacher or just one of the Israelis? There are many questions to be asked in regard to the researcher as a tool in the field. Heath & Street defines four types of reflexivity; confessional, theoretical, interpersonal and deconstructive (2008:123) which can be useful in discussing this is further at the seminar.

title: Reflections on Feuer