Website for Kudler Fine Foods Essay Example

Website for Kudler Fine Foods Essay Kudler Fine Foods (KFF) mission is to provide customers the best produce, wines, and associated needs in an unparalleled customer setting. Kudler brings its customers the finest products from around the world. Kudler Fine Foods wants to improve the functionality of their current website to be more competitive and to offer their unique products to customers everywhere. History The founder of Kudler Fine Foods is Kathy Kudler; she brings knowledge from a previous career as a vice president of marketing. As Kathy relieved her stress by gourmet cooking, she found it hard to find all ingredients in one place. Kathy recognizing a need for an upscale gourmet store in La Jolla, CA, she sought financing with a business plan in hand, and opened her first business June 18, 1998. To Kathy’s surprise, the store was profitable within the first nine months. In 2000, Del Mar became the location for the second store and a third store in Encinitas was in operation in 2003. Kudler Fine Foods is now ready to offer these great products to customers around the world with a new e-commerce website. We will write a custom essay sample on Website for Kudler Fine Foods specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Website for Kudler Fine Foods specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Website for Kudler Fine Foods specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Sales and Marketing Kudler Fine Foods is experiencing growth in the gourmet market, the time has come to grow in the service area, improve upon the effectiveness of its business and increase loyalty and profitability by increasing the purchasing power of its consumers. If the opportunity is favorable, Kudler Fine Foods will launch stores in Florida and Connecticut. Kudler Fine Foods focus has been on the development of services to the customer and adding a frequent shopper program to help increase profits. Now the business will incorporate the frequent shopping program and sales into the new web design that will take Kudler Fine Foods to the next level of business opportunities. Point of Sale The current Point of Sale (POS) module is NCR RealPOS 30; it gathers customer files and details of items purchased. The POS system permits growth with ecommerce; it can capture the same information online as well as in-store purchases. The new website will interface with the current POS system. Gathering customer information brings on the responsibility to guard personal information. Modern businesses deal with an elaborate system of laws and regulations. Business owners cannot survive without basic knowledge of these laws and regulations. KFF’s business has superior ethics that inspiring to do what is best for the customer, not just try to make a profit. Frequent Shopper Program Kudler Fine Food’s tracks the purchase behavior of the customer at the individual level. KFF provides incentives from joint ventures with companies with a program based on points accumulated from purchases. Kudler customers are not focusing on price; they want quality and variety of gourmet foods. The web is a great place to offer such merchandise to customers by using pictures and videos to offer how- to on using gourmet foods. The firm’s relational attitude often comes to life by the articulation of frontline employees whose characteristics and behaviors’ can apply considerable impact on the results of interactions with the customers according to Arbore, Guenzi, and Ordanini (2007). The same is true with service level for a website; the site must also meet all the needs of the customer. Focus Group The focus group for the development of an e-commerce website will be Kathy Kudler, the Director of store operations, sales staff, accounting clerk, computer support specialist, purchasing manager and IT staff. According to Woodward (2008), a website can expand a company’s geographical reach and its ability to provide customer service at a low cost. Current System The current system is a Norvell 4. 11 server with four POS windows PC’s at each location with a 56k modem connected to the Internet and each store has a standalone UPS modem. La Jolla and Del Mar each have a PC with PII NT server with built-in modem and cd-rom reader and a PC with PC 64 mg ram with windows and office 97 using server, a bubble jet printer and a stand along cd burner. Purpose Kudler Fine Foods is a unique type of store with a unique clientele. There are very few specialty stores in the United States so the use of a website will open a new business to web users to obtain gourmet foods delivered right to their doorstep. In staying with their specialty branding, Kindler’s executives and the sales and marketing department are enthusiastic about the se of the e-commerce website. Detail Design Kudler will need to implement an up-to-date server. We recommend that a server be purchased and the current one scrapped. The server will also need to run a more up-to-date version of the Windows operating system. I recommend Windows server either 2003 or 2008. I chose the Windows server edition because of the company’s already existing famili arity with the Windows server operating system. I also believe that learning the Linux operating system might slow down business operations and this is why in this situation a newer version of Windows would be a more reliable choice. Windows Server 2008 R2 builds on the successes and strengths of its Windows Server predecessors while delivering valuable new functionality and powerful improvements to the base operating system. New Web tools, virtualization technologies, security enhancements, and management utilities help save time, reduce costs, and provide a solid foundation for the information technology (IT) infrastructure (Microsoft. com, 2009). After the purchase of a server, and the launch of the website, we can keep the Kudler Fine Food checkout lanes open around the clock. The website will be written in hypertext mark-up language (HTML). Html is the standard programming language that information for the web is created in. The site will include JavaScript and Ajax with Meta tags to help search engines keep Kudler Fine Foods at the top of search results. We recommend that we change the current Internet access from a 56k dial up modem to modern like a high-speed xdsl or cable internet access. In addition, other options available, but I think cable or xdsl Internet access will give Kudler more than enough Internet bandwidth. This will enable the Kudler website to handle the traffic to their site in a faster manner. The modem upgrade will also enable the company server to send e-mail without worrying about the bottlenecking or choke points that occur due to the limited amount of bandwidth that is available to a dial up network. This will also be an improvement for those employees who need to access the network remotely. After signing up at the website, the customer will have agreed that his or her actions will be tracked while on the website via the user agreement or the terms of service. This will help Kudler tailor its business around the user. This will be more effective because Kudler can suggest the items that the customer is most interested in, and offer deals on those specific products. I believe that this will result in more customers who are pleased with their experience at the Kudler website and more sales for Kudler. This service will also enable customers to create online shopping list, and enable them to pay from home and pick up in store or have the items shipped. Test Process summary After all code is tested, a testing environment will be set up for users to test all web pages on different browsers. Testing for the website will be done using IT staff and in house employees. The functionality must appear seamless while the system must integrate with all aspects of the current POS system with enterprise wide software, online shopping and the Content Delivery Network (CDN). According to O’ Kennon (2010), using (CDN) as a server hosted by a third party, the content will be geographically closer to the users that request the content of the Website from Kudler Fine Foods. This will provide high-quality service quickly to keep the users attention. Software To start the testing, using the website interface and database software, the first step is the testing of the enterprise wide analytics software by integrating the current Access database; this will help expedite the testing and integrating tasks. The current Access database contains all vital records to the company. The enterprise wide software must be able to show the important fields within the database for each department. Testing of this software will be conducted offline to ensure the proper interfacing to the purchasing system works. Sales employees communicate with the customers; they would have firsthand knowledge of what the customer likes. If all looks good offline, then once the server is up and running transition to the website interface will begin. Hardware During the software coding, hardware testing will be used to validate the proper transition. A new server will be purchased and tested within the Kudler system as an addition. Once the server seems viable transferring information from the old servers to the new one will begin. As the software becomes available all testing between hardware will be with the new server. This will ensure that no additional testing will be needed on unused hardware. Testing will include data transfer and communication between location and external Internet connectivity. Support and Maintenance Summary Because Kudler Fine Foods is a smaller company, an offsite support company or outsourcing would make better business sense. The company does not have to employ a service person to maintain the website as well as any hardware for the system. This will be a cost savings for the company; in the event that hardware has problems, they can inform the support company. A super user at each location will help other employees and customers if they have issue that come up with the website. References Arbore, A. Guenzi, P. and Ordanini, A. (October 12, 2007). Loyalty building, relational trade-offs and key service employees: the case of radio DJs. Emerald Journal retrieved April 23, 2010 from the University of Phoenix Microsoft. com. (2009). Microsoft Windows Server Edition 2008R2 Product Information. Retrieved April 23, 2010 from http://www. microsoft. com/windowsserver2008/en/us/product-information. aspx O’Kennon, C. (2010). Content Delivery Networks. Retrieved May 7, 2010 from http://www. apollolibrary. com/Library/err/ElectronicReserveReadings. aspx. Woodward, K. (2008). Evaluating Web Site Goals and Needs. Retrieved May 7, 2010 from http://www. apollolibrary. com/Library/err/ElectronicReserveReadings. aspx.

International Eco friendly business Example

International Eco friendly business Example International Eco friendly business – Essay Example International Eco friendly business: How Moonglow can manage to maintain its â€Å"eco-friendly† operations internationally? How Moonglow can manage to maintain its â€Å"eco-friendly† operations internationally? Environmental protection is a subject of concern everywhere in the world. People all over the world realised that it is difficult for the environment to survive longer periods if we continue our environment destruction activities in the present rate. â€Å"Entrepreneurs, already at the forefront of the environmental revolution with the products they sell, also are proving to be leaders of a less visible but equally powerful trend: the transformation of their companies into lean, green operations†(Barette, 2009). Sustainable development is a slogan implemented in business strategies by many of the organizations. Moonglow is one such organization, which is ready to invest a substantial portion of its profits for the rebuilding process of environment. Moonglow is currently trying to expand its eco-friendly business to Europe and other parts of the world. It may not be easy for Moonglow to manage their eco-friendly business internationally. â€Å"Green energy is renewable and sustainable. It is renewable because it is not depleted easily and is naturally replenished. Green Energy is sustainable because no matter how recklessly we use these resources the future generation is not likely to suffer because of that!† (Green energy, n.d.). Wave power, tidal power, wind power, and solar power are some of the green energy sources available in this world. Energy crisis is a major problem everywhere in the world. Majority of the available energy sources such as hydroelectric power, nuclear power, thermoelectric power etc are causing harm to the environment in one way or another. Moonglow should think about the utilization of green energy sources for its energy needs in overseas countries. Solar power utilization seems to be feasible option for the energy needs of Moonglow for its operations in overseas countries since solar power is abundant everywhere in the world. So, Moonglow should invest more for the exploitation of t he solar energy as a first step for its international operations. Packaging of dairy products without plastic materials seems to be a daunting task for Moonglow. No material can provide the same convenience offered by the plastic containers as far as packaging of dairy products is concerned. It is going to be a difficult task for Moonglow to find out eco-friendly packaging materials in overseas countries. It is better for Moonglow to concentrate on bio-plastic materials for the packaging of its dairy products in overseas countries. Bio-plastic is environment friendly compared to normal plastic since it a material not originated from petroleum. Moonglo should follow the 3R’s (reduce, reuse and recycle) of environment protection principles strictly in its international operations. To conclude, Moonglow should practice sustainable business strategies in overseas countries for the successful selling of its dairy products internationally. They should utilize green energy sources available in overseas countries for their energy needs. Moreover, they should use environmental friendly packing materials for the packing of dairy products. The three R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle) of environmental protection activities should be implemented strictly in overseas countries. References Barette, A. (2009). Creating Eco-Friendly Operations. Business Week. August 07, 2009. Green energy (n.d.). Retrieved from greenenergy.in/

A Short History of Microsoft

A Short History of Microsoft Microsoft Corp. is an American technology company headquartered in Redmond, Washington, that supports the invention, manufacturing, and licensing of goods and services related to computing. It was registered in New Mexico in 1976 after being formed the year before by two childhood friends. Two Computer Geeks Before Paul Allen and Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft, they were avid computer geeks in an age when access to computers was hard to come by. Allen and Gates skipped high school classes to live and breathe in their schools computer room. Eventually, they hacked the schools computer and were caught, but instead of being expelled, they was offered unlimited computer time in exchange for helping to improve the school computers performance. Gates and Allen ran their own small company, called Traf-O-Data, while in high school and sold a computer to the city of Seattle for counting city traffic. Chesnot / Getty Images Bill Gates, Harvard Dropout In 1973, Gates left Seattle to attend Harvard University as a pre-law student. However, Gates first love never left him  as he spent most of his time in Harvards computer center, where he kept improving his programming skills. Soon Allen moved to Boston as well, working as a programmer and pressuring Gates to quit Harvard so they could work full time together on their projects. Gates was uncertain of what to do, but fate stepped in. The Birth of Microsoft In January 1975, Allen read an article in Popular Electronics magazine about the Altair 8800 microcomputer and showed it to Gates. Gates called MITS, makers of the Altair, and offered his and Allens services to write a version of the new BASIC programming language for the Altair. After eight weeks, Allen and Gates demonstrated their program to MITS, which agreed to distribute and market the product under the name of Altair BASIC. The Altair deal inspired Gates and Allen to form their own software company. Microsoft was started on April 4, 1975, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the home of MITS, with Gates as the first CEO. Where the Name Microsoft Came From On July 29, 1975, Gates used the name Micro-Soft, which had been suggested by Allen, in a letter to Allen referring to their partnership. The name, a portmanteau of microcomputer and software, was registered with the New Mexico secretary of state on Nov. 26, 1976. In August 1977, the company opened its first international office in Japan, called ASCII Microsoft. In 1979, the company moved to Bellevue, Washington, and two years later incorporated there under the name Microsoft Inc. Gates was president of the company and chairman of the board and Allen was executive vice president. History of Microsoft Products MicrosoftOperating Systems An operating system is a fundamental software that allows a computer to operate. As a newly formed company, Microsofts first operating system product to be publicly released was a version of Unix called Xenix, released in 1980. Xenix was later used as the basis for Microsofts first word processor, called Multi-Tool Word, a predecessor to Microsoft Word. Microsofts first wildly successful operating system was MS-DOS or Microsoft Disk Operating System, which Microsoft wrote for IBM in 1981 based on computer programmer Tim Patersons QDOS. In the deal of the century, Gates licensed MS-DOS to IBM but retained rights to the software. Gates made a fortune for Microsoft, which had become a major soft vendor. Microsoft Mouse Microsofts mouse was released on May 2, 1983. Windows Also in 1983, Microsofts crowning achievement was released. The  Microsoft Windows operating system had a novel graphical user interface and a multitasking environment for IBM computers. In 1986, the company went public, and Gates became a billionaire at 31. Microsoft Office 1989 marked the release of Microsoft Office, a software package that, as the name describes, is a collection of programs for use in an office. It includes a word processor, spreadsheet, mail program, business presentation software, and more. Internet Explorer In August 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95, which included technologies for connecting to the Internet, such as built-in support for dial-up networking, TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), and the web browser Internet Explorer 1.0. Xbox In 2001, Microsoft introduced its first gaming unit, the Xbox system. Xbox faced stiff competition from Sonys PlayStation, and eventually Microsoft discontinued the original Xbox in favor of later versions. In 2005, Microsoft released the Xbox 360 gaming console, which was a success. Microsoft Surface In 2012, Microsoft made its first foray into the computing hardware market with the announcement of Surface tablets that ran Windows RT and Windows 8 Pro. Sources: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/microsoft-founded https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/the-history-of-the-xbox/ https://www.geekwire.com/2017/bill-gates-paul-allen-business-microsoft-engineer-partner/

Analysis of Existentialist Philosophy by Sartre Literature review

Analysis of Existentialist Philosophy by Sartre - Literature review Example This is the responsibility of authenticity, realizing one's being and acting in good faith (Brown, 1948). These three propositions are reflected in Frank O'Connor's "Guests of the Nation" and Albert Camus' "The Guest." O'Connor and Camus highlight the absurdity of the universe and show how the failure to make choices which reflect authentic being, leads to existentialist suffering. The titles of both short stories express the theme of absurdity. In O'Connor's story, the two Englishmen are war hostages, the prisoners of the Irish soldiers, Donovan, Noble and Bonaparte and certainly not "guests of the nation." In Albert Camus' "The Guest," the reader questions the identity of the guest. Is it Daru, the European who has no other home than Algeria; Balducci, the military police officer who personifies French authority and colonial power; or is it the Arab, for whom Algeria is the home of his ancestors and his homeland. By making readers question the nature of the guest, host, enemy, friend relationship, both O'Connor and Camus draw attention to the absurdity of allowing politics, rather than our nature, to dictate our relationship with others. The absurdity of trying to impose political meaning on relationships is highlighted in "Guests of the Nation." Belcher and Hawkins, officially war hostages, were, however, treated as guests and as friends, a fact which makes their execution all the more absurd horrendous. As Bonaparte says, "after the first day or two we gave up all pretense of keeping a close eye on them." (Reference) They did not need to keep a close eye on Belcher and Hawkins because they had become part of the surroundings and had integrated into the community. They were not, on the human and interpersonal level, enemies. The absurdity of war had made them enemies and when they were able to leave the war behind them, even if temporarily, they became friends. This makes their execution all the more absurd because, at the end of the day, there is no reason for executing these two men. It is not the senselessness of the act which incites the existential suffering in the Irish soldiers because existentialist philosophy is premised upon an acknowledgment of the inherent absurdity of life. Instead, suffering is an outcome of the fact that their participation in the execution was not something which agreed with them. At some deep, internal level, the soldiers objected to the executions but carried them out, thereby failing to act authentically. The futility of existence and the absurdist nature of the universe are further reflected in the theme of senseless deaths. Camus's "The Guest" is set in Algeria but of the three main characters, only the Arab is Algerian.  

Google tools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Google tools - Essay Example Thus, users have the opportunity to assess and address the causes of slow page loading. The download speed is estimated on a scale of 100 points. Webpage â€Å"Page Speed Online† was tested with a view to assess its own speed loading; it got an overall Page Speed Score of 96 (out of 100). The result obtained can be regarded as excellent. Recommendations on improvement of the site load speed are divided into three points: high-priority, medium priority and low priority. Thus, users have the opportunity to optimize their sites accordingly. Google Page Speed is capable to analyze the mobile versions of various websites and provide the recommendations on their optimization. One can use Google Page Speed absolutely free. Key words: Google search, Google Labs, Google instruments, Page Speed testing. GOOGLE INSTRUMENTS Google is considered to be the most powerful search engine. Shortest time of indexing, a huge number of data centers, unique algorithms for information processing and other achievements of the company create conditions under which the search of necessary data is becoming more and more perfect. But Google is not only a search engine - it is also a mail server, and promotional projects (Adsense and Adwords), and free blogging service, as well as tools that allow interested users to obtain various information for any purpose. Benefits of Google services and tools are centralized data repository and thought-out interface availability. Nowadays a lot of people complain of the low quality of websites page loading. Now it is easy to check up the speed of any loading page you are interested in. Google released a tool that measures the speed of any web page downloading. The given tool, which is available in Google Labs, analyzes download speed of any specified website, besides it makes recommendations on how to improve it. And though there are a lot of similar instruments in the network (reviews of instruments measuring the speed of site downloading), a t ool suggested by Google arouses a special interest of users. This experimental tool for assessing site speed is called Google Page Speed (URL ). It should be noted that the given instrument is easy to use. Just enter your website address, and Google will return a page with a speed rating of the site loading; suggestions on how to improve loading speed will be also helpful. The download speed is estimated by a 100-point scale. It is curious to know that the very page â€Å"Page Speed Online† got an overall Page Speed Score of 96 (out of 100), so, needless to say, that the result is more than just good. Recommendations on improvement of the site load speed (or the reasons for its slow-loading) are divided into three points: high-priority, medium priority and low priority. Thus, we have clear guidelines how to start optimizing the site for its faster loading. Here are some examples of how Google GOOGLE INSTRUMENTS assesses the reasons for a site slowing down: High priority: enab le caching. Medium priority: combine images into CSS sprites to minimize JavaScript, optimize the styles and minimize diversion. Low priority: hide redirects; zoom the image out; minify the CSS; minify HTML. (URL ). The assessment tool Google Page Speed has an advantage over other tools because of its capability to analyze the mobile versions of various

Preventive Priorities Survey 2014 Essay Example for Free

Preventive Priorities Survey 2014 Essay In this article the author has written about a survey conducted by The Center for Preventive Action which is Preventive Priorities Survey (PPS) that assess the current and all the possible conflicts which can occur in the coming years of US and how they can influence U.S. interests . The purpose of PPS is to help the U.S. policymaking community primarily to prevent conflicts and all the incentives that can erupt a conflict . In the conflict preventive survey there are many possible sources of instability and conflict around the world that the United States should try to avoid. Predicting which conflicts are more likely to occur and can pose a greater threat to U.S. interests than others helps to decide where to focus attention and resources. PPS is a qualitative evaluation that uses the informed judgement of the experts to check all the possible threats and risks that can destroy US interests by erupting a conflict. To help the experts with their estimations and cope up with the situation , the survey offered general guidelines to check the relative probability and impact of potential contingencies which a US could face. These contingencies were categorized in different levels as high , moderate and low based on their chance of occurring and their intensity of impact on US interests. The PPS did not include the potential economic or financial crises or any natural calamity or environmental problems , PPS is primarily concerned with the discrete geopolitical contingencies .Also the PPS represents the expert’s opinion at the time the survey was conducted. Risk assessments can change rapidly and oftenly. The results, therefore, could be quite different after several months. There is a certain methodology to carry out this survey which the center for preventive actions performs in different stages of which first stage is soliciting the PPS contingencies in which CPA used a variety of social media platforms as well as its blog on CFR.org to seek suggestions for contingencies to include in the 2014 survey. With the help of the Council on Foreign Relations’, CPA extracted hundreds of suggestions into thirty contingencies considering both ,possibility to occur over the next twelve months and potentially harmful to U.S. interests. The nest stage was polling of experts in which the survey was sent to more than 1200 government officials ,foreign policy experts and academics to evaluate the likelihood and poteintial impact of each contingency on US inetrest  according to the definite criteria. Ultimately the most popular suggestions were included in the survey. Then comes the final stage that is categorizing the contingencies in which the survey results were uniformly scored and contingencies were sorted into one of three preventive priority tiers in accordance to their placement in the risk assessmemnt matrix. There are three tiers in assessing the contingencies in PPS . In Tier 1 Contingencies judged high preventive priorities for U.S. policymakers because in tier 1 those contingencies were included which had a severe impact on US interests and their chance to occur was moderate like the Syrian civil war ,a highly disruptive cyberattack on U.S. critical infrastructure ,threat of military strikes against Iran , a mass casualty terrorist attack on the U.S. homeland ,a severe North Korean crisis caused by a military provocation, internal political instability, or threatening nuclear weapons/ ICBM-related activities. Then comes the contingencies which had moderate impact but high likelihood such as growing violence and instability in Afghanistan resulting from the drawdown of coalition forces and/or contested national elections ,increasing internal violence and political instability in Pakistan ,strengthening of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula resulting from continued political instability in Yemen and/or backlash from U.S. counterterrorism operations , civil war in Iraq ,growing political instability and civil violence in Jordan triggered by spillover from the Syrian civil war. In Tier 2 Contingencies judged mid-level preventive priorities for U.S. policymakers as those contingencies are includedin tier 2 which had moderate effects and moderate chance to occur such as deterioration of the political situation in Egypt, increased sectarian violence and political instability in Lebanon ,continuing conflict in Somalia, political instability and growing militancy in Libya ,drug-related violence in Mexico, a severe Indo-Pakistani military confrontation due to Kashmir. Also there were contingencies which had high impact and low likelihood which are an armed confrontation in the East China Sea between China and Japan ,an armed confrontation in the South China Sea between China and Southeast Asian plaintiff to disputed mari- time areas. It also includes contingencies with low effect on US and high likelihood of occurrence like increasing sectarian violence and political instability in Nigeria ,violence and risk of mass killing in the Central African Republic . In Tier 3 Contingencies judged low preventive priorities for U.S.  policymakers as it included those contingencies which had moderate effect on US interests and their chance of occurrence was low such as a Sino-Indian clash .it also included contingencies with low impact and moderate likelihood which were destabilization of Mali, growing popular unrest and political instability in Sudan , military conflict between Sudan and South Sudan due to border resource disputes ,conflict in the Kurdish- dominated regions of Turkey and the Middle East , growing violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo , internal violence in Bangladesh surrounding the general elections. Tier 3 also included contingencies with low impact and low likelihood such as political crisis in Venezuela leading to civil violence and potential regional instability , an outbreak of military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan . So this survey played a vital role to find out and take preventive measures for all t he current and upcoming conflicts which could have any adverse effect on US interests. This survey helped the experts to assess the contingencies and suggest those to CPA which could adversely influence US so the policymakers then worked according to the intensity of the contingencies suggested . PPS is very helpful for the center of preventive action to check the impact and likelihood of the contingencies which could occur and they carried out all their activities according to the strength of the contingencies which they measured on the risk assessing matrix and placed them in different tiers and took precautionary measures to protect the US interests and security.

Parental Attitudes Towards Chi :: essays research papers fc

A person’s gender, age, place of birth, accent, manners, etc., are the matters people take into account when describing or evaluating an individual. Birth order appears to be one of these matters as well. Birth order, as used in this paper, indicates a child’s place in the family. Birth order has an advantage of being easier to check than other characteristics. This type of study makes it possible to ask a person about their siblings without offending or taking too much of their time. Some individuals tend to determine the birth order of others simply by observing their behavior. Parents have a tendency of stereotyping their children according to their birth order. Thus, birth order brings up variations in the way the parents treat their children. Differences in parental attitudes and behaviors, in turn, greatly influence a child’s personality. Parental attitudes and behaviors refer to the way parents treat their children with regard to a child’s birth ord er. Although birth order and parental attitudes and behaviors tend to influence a child’s personality, a child’s place in the family does not explain everything about that child. Whether a child happens to be a firstborn, a lastborn, or somewhere in between, parents need to become aware of stereotyping by looking beyond it, and attempting to treat each child equally and uniquely. In today’s society parents pay different amounts of attention and attend differently to children of opposing birth order. Parents have distinct expectations for each of their offspring’s. A study done by Spitze and Logan showed that parental attitudes towards their children may be affected by their number, gender, and birth order. These factors also 2 influence the closeness the child feels towards his parents. Furthermore, the study shows that as the number of siblings increases in the family the oldest and youngest children tend to be closer to their parents than the middle children (Spitze and Logan 871). Parents also tend to have higher expectations for their oldest children than for children of any other birth order. New parents do not have much experience when they have their first child and therefore tend to be extremely strict with them. They want to be the "perfect" parents, setting and example for their firstborn so that he, in turn, would set a good example for later-borns. Not only do parents set high expectations on their oldest children, but they also look for children to satisfy all of their expectations.