Essay writing music: January 2020

Monday, January 27, 2020

Safe Use Of Online Shopping

Safe Use Of Online Shopping When you use the internet, it doesnt matter where you are in person. You can view the same web pages and shop on the same online store without having to physically enter the store. This provides huge advantages for online shopping over conventional shopping. No traffic hassles, no parking problems, no fighting the crowds of people visiting in the shopping center! Before the World Wide Web, people used to shop around looking for the best gift for the best price. Now, the story is a different. You can do everything youre your own home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can browse and select products; purchase and gift wrap; and even organize delivery of the goods online, anytime and anywhere in the world. But, just like any other good thingÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.there are risks that come with online shopping. You can easily become a victim of phishing, identity theft and fraud. So you must take precautions to ensure that you and your family are always safe when youre shopping online. As noted many times in this book, the most common examples of online fraud are phishing scams, auction fraud, credit card fraud and online shopping fraud. In chapter 4 we have looked a number of examples of how these scams work. If you are unfamiliar with these scams please review them before continuing. Defense in Depth is the Best Security Strategy As I have said many times, everyone has to take responsibility to protect them from online fraud. You are a wise person because you are educating yourself about internet fraud by learning and adopting simple proven internet safety practices. In chapters 16 17, we looked at protecting your home computer network using a Defense in Depth security strategy. Here, we looked at seven different layers of security. If youre not sure about this strategy then you should re-read this chapter. This is the best security strategy you can use when youre shopping online. This chapter builds on the principle taught in these chapters. Fighting Against Spam If you intend to surf the Internet, then the best thing you can do is to install an internet security suite. Many internet security suites like Nortons Internet Security have spam phishing filters as a standard features or at worst an optional downloads. The spam filters use in-built rules to detect and filter spam phishing e-mail into separate files. Spam filters also blacklist the offending mail preventing it from reaching you. If your spam filter is working well, you will never see the spam unless you locate the file in the security directory and view it. However, even if you have the best anti-spam software in the world, spam can still evade your spam filter and end up in your inbox. You also need to know how to detect spam and deal with it correctly. Here are some of the important features that you should look for when choosing the ideal spam filtering subscriptionÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.accuracy and false-positive rating. Accuracy ratings refer to the percentage of legitimate e-mails that successfully reaches the users inbox after being filtered. The accuracy of several spam filtering subscriptions are continually being tested by passing thousands of e-mails through the spam filter. Today, a spam accuracy rating of 80% is very poor. You should expect a minimum rating of 95% and some anti-spam subscriptions have accuracy ratings as high as 98% to 99%. The False-Positive rating is the percentage of legitimate e-mails that have been wrongly identified as spam. This rating should be less than 1%. Different computer publications such as PCWorld and PCMagazine offer reports on the accuracy and false-positive ratings of spam filtering subscriptions. The cost of spam-filtering subscriptions has to be measured against the services it providesÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.ultimately you get what you pay for! A subscription may be expensive but it may be worth paying for its quality features, speed and control. Sometimes choosing a lower cost provider means paying more in lost time and poor output performance. A good spam filter should fit your specific needs. It should be flexible in its configuration so that it meets your needs. It should also provide automatic updates. There are some simple rules that you should follow: When you detect spam in the email box, never respond to the spammer. Avoid opening your spam messages at allÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.just delete it. Whenever a pop-up window appears from someone you dont knowÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦just delete it! They are mostly scams. Do not close your mail box or blog without signing off completely. Use usernames and passwords that are hard to guess. You should review Chapter 17 for rules about creating and using strong passwords. How does shopping online increase the risk of identity theft? Using shopping carts in unsecured websites dramatically increases the risk of you becoming a victim of identity theft. I learnt that lesson the hard way! In chapter 1, I told you my story as to how I twice became an identity theft. The first time was 1995 by people with whom I shared a residence. At the time, this was the most common method of identity theft. In 2001, I became a victim of identity theft victim a second time. Online shopping sites were in their infancy and internet security technology was not as advanced as it is today. Unfortunately, I made a credit card payment for a product sold on an unsecured website. My personal data was stolen and my credit card was charged with a number of fraudulent purchases. Fortunately, I discovered the fraud early and the bank was able to stop it and limit the damage. Be warned! There are still unsecure online shopping sites operating today. Please do not use them! In chapters 3 4 our story, our poor fall guy Victor, uses the internet for online shopping. He has no sense of security and suffers immensely. If you are not sure about what can happen to you when you are on the internet, then you would do well to reread these chapters. Learn how to read a websites privacy policy One of the most important steps to protecting your privacy is to be able to know how to read a websites privacy policy. Australian privacy laws dont enforce the use of privacy policies or the information that should be included in the policy or how it should be presented. Further there is no industry body which regulates online privacy policies. Therefore you should know what to look for when reading the privacy policy of the website you are visiting. You should expect that a privacy policy be made available to you in writing if you are asked to provide personal information. In the bricks and mortar world, financial institutions, health facilities or other businesses that collect your private information, can be asked to show you their privacy policy before you give them that information. If the company does not you with a privacy policy, then you should consider doing business elsewhere. Websites should show of respect to their customers and tell them how their information will be used. In the online world, you will find privacy policies posted on their websites. The privacy policy tells you the steps they will take to protect your identity or to inform you of how they will treat the information you provide to them. Simply having a privacy policy does not guarantee you any level of protection, at all. However, to understand what information is protected and what is shared you must read the websites privacy policy. Each website has its own criteria for its privacy policy. Some websites give full protection including encryption of passwords. Further, they will not provide your information to any third party. Other websites will tell you that your information will be shared with any affiliated companies or business they feel you would be interested in hearing from. Therefore, you must read the policy to be aware of the steps being taken to protect you. Here are some of the items to look for on a privacy policy: What Information is Collected and Why? When a business is requesting personal information from you, it is reasonable to ask what information will be collected and why it is needed. If they request information that isnt relevant the website should clearly state why they need it. If there is no explanation for the request try to avoid giving the additional information or ask them why they need it. Asking for your income or the name of your spouse is the kind of information you might question providing without reasonable cause. How is the Information Collected? While filling out paper forms are straight forward in the bricks and mortar world, providing information is very different in the online world. You need to find out from websites how the information is being collected. Information can be collected in web forms or by electronically behind the scenes programs called cookies that are automatically installed on the visitors computer. Cookies track information about the web pages users click on, how long they spend there and the web address. This information can be tracked with or without your consent. Usually it is done to facilitate the companys marketing research or to assist you by using your information from previous visits. You should be able to find out what information is automatically stored by reading the privacy policy. What is the Information used for? If the online business asks for your personal or financial information you have a right to know what it will be used for. You must know if it is only used to complete the transaction? Or will they view a purchase as permission from you to market to you again in the future? Or will they sell your private information to other businesses? This information should be available in the websites privacy policy and information on how you can opt-out if you wish. Who Will Have Access to Your Information? Will the private information you have provided be sold or rented to other people or businesses? Will the website share your name, email address or purchasing habits with other affiliated businesses? These policies should be clearly outlined in the privacy policy. If they do sell or rent the names on their list, then you may wish to limit the information you provide to themÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦or deal with them. Watch out for terms like partners, affiliates or sponsors, since you will have no idea who will be receiving your private information. How Secure is Your Information? What steps has the website taken to protect your personal information? Any transaction where you enter and submit personal information should have SSL (Secure Socket Layers). SSL will encrypt the information so that it cant be read by others during transmission. We will discuss website security in detail later in this chapter. Can You Correct Your Personal Information? You should be able to review and/or correct information that will be collected about you. The steps should be clearly stated in the privacy policy and should be convenient and inexpensive. Can You Opt-Out? Wherever your information may be shared you have the right to opt-out. In some cases you can click an opt-in or opt-out box when entering your information. Make sure that these small boxes havent already checked as default, since legally you are implying that you are accepting the offer even if you havent personally checked the box. The privacy policy should also give you directions on how you can opt-out if you werent given the option when you entered your information. While this list is not exhaustive these are the main features you should look for in a websites privacy policy. The other information that should always be listed in the websites privacy page is a contact name, address and telephone number. You should always be able to speak to a real person regarding the websites privacy policy. How do you detect online shopping scams? Scammers love online shopping because it is very easy for them to target victims. Shoppers have to distinguish between an honest trader and a scammer. This is not as easy as you may think! Scammers are professional sales people who use proven social engineering techniques to trick you into doing something you wouldnt normally do. For example, scammers may pretend to sell you a product online at very cheap prices; but they are actually looking for your credit card or bank account details. They may take your money and send you a faulty or worthless product or even send you nothing at all. The important thing is that when they make a sale, they have captured what they wantÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..your sensitive data like name, address, credit card number, bank accounts etc. They have tricked you into giving them your sensitive details in exchange for a worthless product! Buyer Protection Schemes Many online businesses put a lot of effort into protecting their customers from scammers. Some websites provide buyer protection schemes that will cover you if you are the victim of fraud. Credit card companies Visa and MasterCard; payment processing companies PayPal ClickBank; and banks around the world have buyer protection schemes. If you buy something through eBay or PayPal and it never arrives, or if it arrives significantly different than originally described by the seller, then youre eligible for a full refund. Check out PayPals Buyer Protection policy, and learn how to open a dispute. If you ever see a transaction in your PayPal account that you didnt authorize, you should report it immediately to PayPal. They will begin an investigation and help you get your money back. You can learn more about this process here. You should also be aware of sellers on online auction sites. They may offer to make a deal to you outside of the terms of eBay website. This is usually a good sign of a scam. You will also lose any fraud protection that eBay may provide. You must stay one step ahead of the scammers. The SCAMwatch website provides detailed advice about online shopping auction scams, internet scams and many other scams that target you. You can learn how scams work, how to protect yourself, and report a scam via SCAMwatch. Basic Tips for protecting yourself when shopping online Here are some important safety tips for online shopping: Use your credit card instead of a debit card: Credit cards offer better protection against identity theft than debit cards. For instance, when you use a credit card, your liability for any fraudulent charges is maximum $50, on the condition that you report the fraud within 30 to 60 days and you werent party to the fraud. On the other hand, when someone gains access to your debit card, and they clean your savings account, you may not be able to recover any of money at all. Use disposable credit cards: A recommended way to use a credit card is to get a disposable credit card. This works like any gift card from a bricks and mortar shop. You load it with a specified amount of money and the card is good until that amount is consumed. Then the card becomes worthless. This will protect you from identity theft. If a disposable credit card is stolen, the criminals will only gain access to the unused amount on the card. They cannot reload the card with additional funds. Check the website security. Before making any payments online through shopping cart sites, you should check the sites security. There are different levels of security available. You can check the URL web address. This is the box in the web browser where you type the websites online address e.g. www.anystore.com. A secure website will start the URL web address with HTTPS:// instead of the usual HTTP: //. Also, you should see a small lock icon in the screen which indicates that the site is a secure. This security level means that the online stores database and data transmissions for your transaction that made over the internet have been fully secured. The transaction is locked and receiver must use the correct key to open the transactionÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.just like a key to a house! Data transmissions that should be secured include: Notification emails; Online downloads; and Payment transfers between the site and other sites. A single online transaction will access the databases of a bank, a payment processing company, a credit card company and a secure online storage company etc. Dont shop online from public computers. If you want to shop online, then do so from the comfort of your own home. This ensures that you use your own secured computer which is free from internet nasties like viruses and worms, malware and spyware botnets. Shopping online at an internet cafÃƒ © can be very dangerous because the computer and the wireless network may not be secure. Hackers can easily steal your private data from internet cafÃƒ ©s. Read and understand the websites terms conditions and privacy statements. Before buying online, make sure that you understand exactly what is involved in the purchase. The terms and conditions of your purchase should be outlined by the seller on the website. They may be located on a separate web page to the advertisement. The terms and conditions should be clear to you and outline any extra warranties or guarantees, security policies, privacy and returns. Make sure that you understand all the disclaimers of responsibility before you accept the terms and conditions. Credit Card Security codes. If you use a credit card with a magnetic stripe, then online stores will require the CVV or card verification number when you make a purchase. You will find the CVV code on the back of your credit card in the signature bar. The last 3 digits of the code are required to be entered into the website online payment page. This number is designed to prevent fraudulent purchases from someone who does not have your card but may have stolen your personal details like name; card number and expiration date. Advanced security measures. Another security feature credit card companies are using is to create a second level of security by adding an additional password. An example of this is Verified by Visa or Mastercard Secure Code. These are optional security features provided by selected websites or payment processing systems. If you activate the code and shop on sites that carry the Verified by Visa or Mastercard Secure Code logos, the check out process will require the entry and validation of additional secret password or PIN that you previously have set up. The purchase cannot be authorized without successful validation of this second password or PIN. Automatic teller machines (ATM) and point of sale terminals also have this option to enter a PIN number for magnetic stripe cards. Modern Micro-chip PIN technologies also provide a pass-over option where you dont have to swipe your card through an electronic readerÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦you just pass your card by the electronic sensor and it reads all the cards details. You then enter a PIN into the machine for verification. These technologies are designed to prevent skimming attacks by hackersÃ‚ [1]Ã‚ . Phishing Emails Dont Get Reeled In. Be aware of email scams designed to gain access to your credit card information. Phishing scams have been discussed at length in chapters 3, 4, 16 17 in this book. Use a secure web browser when surfing online. How you pick the best web browser to use? There are many choices in how you can experience the world-wide-web. Some popular internet browsers include Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, Chrome, and Safari to name a few. You should choose a popular browser is always safe but it also needs to have extra security features. By this I mean that it has additional security add-ons available. Internet Explorer has been active since the beginning of the internet. This web browser is preloaded on every computer that uses the Microsoft operating system. Unfortunately, history has proven that Microsofts Internet Explorer isnt the safest web browser available on the market. A competitor called Mozilla Firefox is quickly dominating the field. As of July 2010, Firefox has become the second most widely used Internet browser. Google Chrome, Opera and Safari are also fast becoming major players in the market. Read this review of web browsers from PCWorld. What makes Firefox special? This web browser features pop-up blocking, tab-browsing, easy to use privacy controls and an integrated Google search bar. In addition, Firefox provides you with over 1 billion add-ons and has about 120 million users. Many of its add-ons offer additional protection for a safer online buying experience. For example, the add-on Web of Trust shows a traffic-light rating based on four factors: trustworthiness, vendor reliability, privacy and child safety of a web page. McAfee SiteAdvisor is a similar add-on and Adblock Plus stops banner ads and pop-ups. Pop-ups can also carry computer viruses which can infect your system. You can also download a program called NoScript which forces web-programming like JavaScript, Java to only run from the trusted domains you have chosen. These are just a few samples of many add-on protections Mozilla Firefox offers their users for safe online shopping. They can be downloaded free from Firefoxs home page along with Mozilla Firefox. Check out the security features of Firefox here. What about other web browsers like Opera, Chrome Safari? You may think that the latest Internet browsers: Opera, Chrome, Safari, etc. are best to web browsers to use. However, theyre mostly brand new and still in the beta stages of testing. This means that not all the bugs and glitches on them have been all figured out. On the other hand Mozilla Firefox is already a proven web browser. Today, its considered a full operating web browser. In the near future, Opera, Chrome or other web browsers may overtake Firefox. Firefox is also continually updating its browser. However, for the moment, Firefox is the safest online shopping and security due to its many layers of security add-ons and customization. Before you do any online purchasing, you need to be sure your computer is secure with anti-virus software. This has been discussed thoroughly is chapters 16 17 of this book. By following these tips using Mozilla Firefox with adequate anti-virus protection will give you the confidence you need to have a safe online shopping experience. Online auction scams and how to avoid them Buying and browsing items online is a real treat and online auctions like eBay can deliver some real bargains! However, as usual there are many scams to trap you. Here are some really good tips for avoiding eBay scams and having a really great online shopping experience. Take note of the shipping prices. These can have a great effect on the total cost of the item. Some sellers will absorb the shipping costs, while others require you to pay the cost. If you have two vendors selling the same items with similar prices, then check out the best shipping offer. Check the online auction seller feedback scores: The most important precaution you should make is to check the online auction sellers feedback score. This score is vital because it is the reflection of the sellers credibility. This score tells you whether a seller can be trusted or not. If the online seller has feedback score greater than 95%, then it is most likely that the seller is reliable. You should also see the detailed feedback about the seller. Check the most recent buyers comments because they are a great hint as to how your prospective seller is like to do business with. Follow up on any negative comments and ask the complainant what the real problem is. If there are a number of negative comments about postage times, shipping, and delays, then the seller is not reliable. Keep On Browsing: Just like in real life shopping at bricks and mortar stores, there are online vendors that sell overpriced items. Prices vary from seller to sellerÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.some offering a good deal, other not so good! It is important that you browse through a number of sellers that offer the same item to get the best price. Browsing through a sellers page is absolutely free so explore your choices. This is the best thing you can do make sure that you dont get ripped off. Pay for online auction purchases through PayPal: If you want to use a secure online payment system, then PayPal would be the service to have. PayPal and the eBay auction site merged in 2002 to form the largest online auction site in the world. The PayPal payment systems are the most reliable and secure payment processing you can get. There are no extra charges to pay and payment conversion is automatic. PayPal has an excellent after sales service, particularly in resolving disputes and returns. If the seller hasnt contacted you and your item hasnt arrived, then you can go to your eBay account and fill in a complaint form. This is transferred directly to PayPal and they organize your refund. PayPal have a very quick and efficient dispute resolution system. It should only be used if your seller hasnt contacted you within a month. Ask Questions: It would be best if you ask your prospective seller questions regarding the product. This way you will not encounter any misunderstandings and will have an understanding. Questions about price, quality, quantity and shipping are important. What Are They Selling? You should always be suspicious and check out thorough what the person has been selling over time. For example, if you see that they has been selling cheap magazine clippings in the past year and now are selling Gulfstream jets, there is obviously a reason to be suspicious. How to Avoid Internet Scams on Adult Websites Adult sites are very popular but criminals use these websites for identity theft purposes? There are two ways by which identity fraud can happen on adult websites. The most common method is the scammer enticing the unsuspecting user to download a file from the website containing a virus, malware or spyware, which in turn harms your computer. You can protect yourself from this fraud by installing a good anti-virus or anti-malware program (see chapter 16 17) You can also be an identity theft victim of when you unknowingly download a keylogger or dialer program or pop-up advertisement. This allows criminals to hijack your computer and steal vital information. For example, if you shop online regularly, they can use your credit card details to make online purchases. Before you become a member of the site, make sure that the site is a legitimate site. You can check this out by reading the User Agreement and Privacy Policy carefully. They are usually long documents and will take some time to review them. You must do this check these documents thoroughly, if you want to keep safe on the internet. You can also check the ownership of a website using the free search tool on the website Whois MyDomain. This website contributes to user confidence in the Internet by promoting legitimate uses of the websites including digital inclusion and e-commerce. The site helps users to identify the persons or entities responsible for web content and online services. If other family members use the computer, limit their access to see white-listed websites. This prevents others from accidentally downloading something into the computer. If your children are alone, you need to blacklist or block adult sites so they cant visit adult sites. Most internet users wont know if the adult website is fraudulent or not. Therefore it is advisable to install a website monitoring system. This program is designed to keep a log all the programs that are installed and visited. Website Monitoring programs can also be setup to automatically enforce a no downloading policy and no unsupervised surfing policy. For example, if your teenage child visits a blacklisted pornographic website, a message will appear informing the web surfer that the site cannot be visited. This ensures that your child will not be victimized when they are online. If you use Adult websites, you should always review your credit card bill or phone bill for any charges which you knew were never made. The earlier that you report these calls, the earlier the credit card or the telephone company will be able to adjust your account. Adult internet sites are not the only websites that are used by fraudsters. Charities, auction sites and commercial websites are also being used as a front by criminal gangs. If you think the site you are visiting is not legitimate, leave the site and report it to the police. Dating and Romance scams This scam takes advantage of your romantic side by befriending you. You may be a single person looking for love and are very vulnerable to attack. The scammers are professionals who can pretend to be whatever you think they are. In the online world you are anonymous, so you can pretend to be some-one else. For example, a male scammer could pretend to be a gorgeous female who is really interested in you. Female scammers can also pretend to be some-one elseÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and so on! The scammers know the right emotional buttons you have and form an online relationship with you. When they have your complete confidence, they often start asking you for money. Normally this type of scam happens on dating sites and online social networks like MySpace or FaceBook. Online scammers are NOT interested in having a relationship with you no matter how attractive you may be. They have only one interest and that is to take advantage of you and defraud you! Never trust anybody you meet on the web unless you know and trust them in real life. In the real world, you need to spend quite some time with a person before you get to know them well enough to enter into a relationship with them. Here is an example of a dating and romantic scam that I received in my e-mail Good day, dear! I am looking for a strong, kind, caring man. In my life I have almost everything except love. Everything I want is to be loved by a man like you. You seemed to me very interesting and different from others. And I think you are the man I was looking for such a long time. You can be sure, I will make you the happiest man in the world! I will make true all your fantasies. And I can be for you not only a perfect lover, but the best friend and good wife. We will spend all our free time together. I need you here. I need you like my lungs need air. I do not find strange that my second half is so far away, my destiny and life has been all over the world, but now that I found you, I really need you near me as soon as possible. Please write me. I will be waiting for your letter http://finebeautifulwomen.net/6184/ See you later Uli M I immediately deleted the e-mail as spam. I am happily marriedÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Online Gambling Scams There are many risks involved in online gambling. The game i

Safe Use Of Online Shopping

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Why Do People Smoke? :: essays research papers

Do you smoke? This is one of the most popular questions today. It seems that with all of the health risks, cancers and breathing problems that it is hard to understand why one would smoke. There is no universal answer to this question. People smoke because of the way cigarettes are advertised and where they are shown. People also smoke because they believe smoking will make them act, look, relax, feel different or to fit in. There are many reasons why people start to smoke, but is it worth it to start? Cigarette smoking causes a variety of life-threatening diseases, including lung cancer, emphysema, and heart disease. An estimated 430,000 deaths each year are directly caused by cigarette smoking. Smoking is responsible for changes in all parts of the body, including the digestive system. This fact can have serious consequences because it is the digestive system that converts foods into the nutrients the body needs to live. Smoking has been shown to have harmful effects on all parts of the digestive system, contributing to such common disorders as heartburn and peptic ulcers. It also increases the risk of Crohn's disease and possibly gallstones. Smoking seems to affect the liver, too, by changing the way it handles drugs and alcohol. In fact, there seems to be enough evidence to stop smoking solely on the basis of digestive distress. Smoking one cigarette immediately raises a person's blood pressure and heart rate and decreases the blood flow to body extremities such as the fingers and toes. Brain and the nervous system activity is stimulated for a short time and then reduced. A smoker may also experience dizziness, nausea, watery eyes and acid in the stomach. Appetite, taste and smell are weakened. Smokers typically experience shortness of breath, persistent coughs, reduced fitness, yellow stains on fingers and teeth and decreased sense of taste and smell. Smokers have more colds and flu than non-smokers and find it harder to recover from minor illnesses. Smoking can cause impotence in men, while women who smoke are less fertile than non-smokers.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Discovering Las VegasÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ Vibrance and OrlandoÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Magic

Life can be so dreary if you just wallow in work all the time. For all you know, you might be burnt out and this has caused you to be irritable and looking stressed because of the drudgeries of daily routine. Being burned out is more than just a feeling; it is a condition. Being burned out implies that one is totally exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and that rest, recuperation, or vacation can be a key to ease you out of it. Actually, we need not to go far to have a vacation. Las Vegas and Orlando are two of the most visited cities to have a vacation. Thus, we will try to evaluate the ups and downs of having a vacation in Las Vegas and Orlando by browsing through articles that feature these cities. Anyone might have known Las Vegas because it is constantly represented in movies as a site for gambling and shotgun weddings. In addition to what Las Vegas is known for, it is also city renowned for its desert resort getaways. When a visitor wants get into the cityÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s hub, Ã¢â‚¬Å"The StripÃ¢â‚¬ is the answer. Ã¢â‚¬Å"The StripÃ¢â‚¬ is lined with dazzling luxury hotels, casinos, and nightclubs that offer not just gambling, but also exotic entertainment. In fact, when anyone visits Ã¢â‚¬Å"The StripÃ¢â‚¬ , it would summon memories of movie scenes as it stretches along part of Las Vegas Boulevard South, where buildings are known for its dazzling neon signs, psychedelic electronic billboards and spectacular interiors (EncyclopÃƒ ¦dia Britannica Online, 2007). Sanchez (1999) shared that there are two parts to the state and Las Vegas. ThereÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s the Old West, with its morals and values: you shoot a burglar. If he falls inside your home, youÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re okay; if he falls on your lawn, youÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re in trouble. The other part is the casinos. Las Vegas is totally about money. The streets are truly paved with gold. They [the usual Ã¢â‚¬Å"theyÃ¢â‚¬ , the people who run things] only want people to know about the Strip. Off the Strip, thereÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s nothing to do. They want people to drop ten thousand dollars and come back later trying to win it back. Casino profits go up and up. They showed us the records at school. There's never a dip. But itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s a camouflage. Without casinos, Las Vegas will be like Austin, Texas. WeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d be lame, but a town, a community. WeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d be a little town in the desert. But the Las Vegas mentality is Ã¢â‚¬Å"WeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re the whole stateÃ¢â‚¬ . Clark County became our state, and we let the casinos take care of us (Sanchez, 1999, p. 92). But thereÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s more to casinos and weddings in Las Vegas, according to Rosenthal and Renaud (October 2005) in Shape magazine, one can visit an oasis in the luxurious Green Valley Ranch Resort, Casino ; Spa. They suggested that the stay there is Ã¢â‚¬Å"all about understated eleganceÃ¢â‚¬ . The resort is a Ã¢â‚¬Å"full-fledged Las Vegas-style casino hotel without the over-the-top theme-park decor, itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s an easy 10-minute cab or shuttle ride to action on The StripÃ¢â‚¬ . However, Rosenthal and Renaud (October 2005) assured travelers that they will be tempted to Ã¢â‚¬Å"stay put and enjoy the array of restaurants, gaming action and luxury treatments and activities at the spa and fitness centerÃ¢â‚¬ . For health buffs, Rosenthal and Renaud (October 2005) warned that although self-control can be challenging amidst the flashing neon signs that are tempting you toward Ã¢â‚¬Å"all-you-can-eat buffets and free drinksÃ¢â‚¬ , both authors suggested that they could visit the Little Buddha at the Palms Casino Resort, located at 4321 W. Flamingo Road. According to Rosenthal and Renaud (October 2005), Ã¢â‚¬Å"the restaurant is done up in sexy shades of redÃ¢â‚¬ , and Ã¢â‚¬Å"the dÃƒ ©cor is opulent, with massive Buddha statues and velvet stools lining the restaurantÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s glowing barÃ¢â‚¬ . On weekends, visitors can Ã¢â‚¬Å"feast upon light yet flavorful sushi and other pan-Asian treats while a DJ spins world musicÃ¢â‚¬ . Another place that Rosenthal and Renaud (October 2005) recommended is the Red Rock Canyon. Situated accessibly in a 25-minute drive west of the neon glares of Ã¢â‚¬Å"The StripÃ¢â‚¬ , they described Red Rock Canyon as a Ã¢â‚¬Å"Mojave Desert conservation area where petrified dunes, arches and cliffs come in a stunning palette of colorsÃ¢â‚¬ . According to Rosenthal and Renaud (October 2005), Ã¢â‚¬Å"there are more than 30 miles of hiking trailsÃ¢â‚¬ and they recommended to trek the Ã¢â‚¬Å"moderate six-mile White Rock loop past trickling springs and rock formationsÃ¢â‚¬ . They also advised that to watch out for some desert tortoises, wild burros and red-tailed hawks that could be encountered in the trail. Of course, visitors are advised to bring ample amount of water when visitors decide to choose this kind of adventure. On the other hand, the mention of Orlando invites us to think of one word: Disney. Anyone might not be surprised that the Disney complex alone covers 47 square miles (122 square km). Several large resorts are not the only exciting attractions that Disney offers, any visitor would marvel at Ã¢â‚¬Å"the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, and Animal KingdomÃ¢â‚¬ . Also in the greater Orlando area are Ã¢â‚¬Å"Universal Orlando (with the Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks), Sea World of Florida (a marine-animal park), and Wet Ã¢â‚¬Ëœn Wild (a large water park)Ã¢â‚¬ . In addition, Lack Haven Park contains art, science, and history museums. Gatorland, just to the south, is home to alligators and crocodiles (EncyclopÃƒ ¦dia Britannica Online, 2007). In HagamanÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s article (1998) about Orlando in the PSA Journal, she suggested that aside from Disney, any visitor can also experience the glamor of Hollywood while staying at the doorstep near Universal Studios, Florida, where they could stand at awe with the likes of Jaws, King Kong, Woody and Winny Woodpecker and other characters Ã¢â‚¬Å"just waiting to give you a thrill and photo opportunitiesÃ¢â‚¬ . Hagaman (1998) also recommended having fun beneath Ã¢â‚¬Å"swaying palm trees in the heart of AmericaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s vacation fantasy landÃ¢â‚¬ because Ã¢â‚¬Å"visitors always enjoy OrlandoÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s splendid weather and natural beautyÃ¢â‚¬ . Hagaman (1998) cited that the opening of Cypress Gardens in 1936 marked the beginning of a new era in Central Florida, where any visitor can marvel at the new Birdwalk Aviary, composed of five new animal habitats. The list goes on as Hagaman (1998) cited other places of interest like the Butterfly Conservatory, European acrobatic acts, floral festivals, and a new fast-paced and thrilling water ski showÃ¢â‚¬ . The Cypress Gardens is situated 22 miles south of I-4 be tween Orlando and Tampa. Hagaman (1998) also prided that Orlando has treats for history lovers. She assured visitors will bask in a Ã¢â‚¬Å"magical evening in a medieval castle at King HenryÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s FeastÃ¢â‚¬ . King HenryÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Feast features a banquet and show that compose of Ã¢â‚¬Å"a bountiful four-course dinner while special royal entertainment and amazing death-defying feats are performed right before your eyes. Tankards of beer, wine and soft drinks are included with dinnerÃ¢â‚¬ . Hagaman (1998) informed that King HenryÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Feast is in Orlando.Ã‚ Another recommended attraction by Hagaman (1998) is located near Kissimmee, where visitors would have the feel of traveling back to the days of yore at Medieval Times. Hagaman (1998) revealed that this is Central FloridaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s number one 1 dinner attraction located on Highway 92 near Disney. Visitors will definitely have fun feasting on a Ã¢â‚¬Å"regal banquet inside the 11th-century European style castle and cheer for knights on horseback jousting and sword fightingÃ¢â‚¬ . Hagaman (1998) also included in her list of attractions the Pointe Orlando, which is Ã¢â‚¬Å"a 450,000 square foot Lifestyle Entertainment Center located across from the Convention Center, featuring FAO Schwartz, multi-screen cinema, and a 3-D IMAX theaterÃ¢â‚¬ . In this entertainment center, nightclubs, outstanding restaurants, and the finest collection of 60 unique retailers will surely make visitors busy while in Orlando. Moreover, visitors should also delight the Oriental magic of Splendid China. Hagaman (1998) described it as Ã¢â‚¬Å"a 76-acre attraction featuring 5,000 years of authentic Chinese cultureÃ¢â‚¬ . In here, Hagaman (1998) described that visitors will see a replica of ChinaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s historical sites and landmarks, like the Forbidden City, Great Wall, Leshan Budda and many others. Hagaman (1998)Ã‚ also mentioned Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Mysterious Kingdom of the OrientÃ¢â‚¬ , which is Ã¢â‚¬Å"a pulsating and visually majestic presentation of 70 talented acrobats, dancers and actorsÃ¢â‚¬ . Lastly, Hagaman (1998) invited visitors to discover Chinatown for its Ã¢â‚¬Å"excellent dining and unique shoppingÃ¢â‚¬ . Both locations have their unique features, the casinos and desert resorts in Las Vegas and the theme parks in Orlando. WhatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s best is that both cities offer different features and landmarks for different interests. Las Vegas discovered that shopping, dining, and entertainment could attract non-gamblers and also serve as secondary activities for all but the most dedicated gamblers. The Forum shopping mall at Caesars in Las Vegas provides continuous entertainment and a great variety of restaurants, making the retail sales areas some of the most costly and desirable to rent in North America. Today, the top attraction in Las Vegas is shopping, not gambling. However, I feel that there are more things to do in Orlando than in Las Vegas. I believe that tourist markets should be dynamic and a marketing information system should come in important. Destinations need to closely monitor the relative popularity of their various attractions by determining the number and type of tourists attracted to each and I think Orlando is more publicized in this arena. References Hagaman, C. L. (1998, February). Orlando: Never Outgrow the Magic. PSA Journal, 64, 16-18. Las Vegas. (2007). In EncyclopÃƒ ¦dia Britannica.Ã‚ Retrieved February 14, 2007, from EncyclopÃƒ ¦dia Britannica Online: http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article-9047243. Orlando. (2007). In EncyclopÃƒ ¦dia Britannica.Ã‚ Retrieved February 14, 2007, from EncyclopÃƒ ¦dia Britannica Online: http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article-9057392. Rosenthal, J. and Renaud, L. (2005, October). Sin-City Shapeovers. Shape, 25(2): 38. Sanchez, M. (1999). Growing Up in Las Vegas. In The Real Las Vegas: Life beyond the Strip, Littlejohn, D. (Ed.) (pp. 75-96). Oxford: Oxford University Press.