Variety and Sincerity Something to Sing About the Ashland University Spring Choral Concert

On March 21st, the Ashland Area Chorus, the Ashland Chamber Choir, the Ashland Women’s Choir, and the University Choir presented a spring concert in the Miller Chapel, titled â€Å"Something to Sing About†. Rowland Blackeley and Stephanie Sikora were the directors of this interesting program. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Variety and Sincerity: Something to Sing About: the Ashland University Spring Choral Concert specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It was a pleasure to have the names of all the chorus members, as well as the accompanists and soloists, listed in the program. The choruses, garbed in various combinations of black and white, threw their hearts into a great variety of music for an appreciative audience of roughly 300 family and friends. The program included examples of all sorts of vocal music, ranging from ancient to modern, religious to popular, reflective to joyful. The sound of the A shland Area Chorus reflects the age range and varied backgrounds of its members and has a rich and complex timbre. They started the evening off with a Baroque invitation to the dance in Come Ye Sons Of Art. Henry Purcell wrote both this and the final piece sung by the Area Chorus (Thus Nature Rejoicing), for the birthday of Queen Mary. The rhythm is so lively that Come Ye Sons Of Art really does seem like a dance tune. It seems to declare the full command of polyphony that had been developing in Western music over the previous century. A bit of fugue seemed to be included, but the music definitely showed counterpoint, since the voices moved separately, but harmoniously, each voice following a slightly different melody, or the same melody at a slightly different point in time. Purcell’s music is so swift and so complex that it is not easy to tease out what he is doing on first hearing. In light of this, modern listeners are very fortunate to have the opportunity to listen to a piece repeatedly. It is interesting to wonder how many people ever heard this lovely music in Purcell’s lifetime, or how many times they might have ever heard it. Probably only the crowd that attended the Queen’s birthday festivities, and probably only once, are the likely answers. It is clear that the words of these pieces were significant to the composer; Purcell really â€Å"sells† the lyrics with emphasis and repetition. Given how fast the tempo is, however, it is a bit difficult to hear every word clearly. Getting the syllables out and staying on key AND keeping up with the speed of the music is, naturally, a challenge for the singer, and the clarity of the words is the element that seems to be sacrificed first. Given this, it would have been helpful to have the words in the program. Also, it would have been interesting to know more about the Queen Mary for whom this exquisite and complex music was written.Advertising Looking for essay on art and des ign? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The only really familiar piece of music in this portion of the program was the Ave Maria by Igor Stravinsky. This is a staple of vocal music, but it never becomes boring. The relatively straightforward melody is easily remembered and the range of notes it covers places it within reach of many amateur singers. It seems to fit into the textural category of a melody with harmonic support. Stephen Chatman’s setting of a Rossetti poem (Song and Music) was gentle and complex. The piece showed a smooth texture of close harmonies. It would have been lovely to read the words, since the composer was obviously trying to express the words musically. Johannes Brahms’ melancholy piece titled In Stiller Nacht shows the strong melodic line that he has been known for. The melody is deceptively simple and the harmonies are very close. The texture of the ensemble voices is smooth as a lover’s touch, or a mother’s lullaby. Brahms appeared three times on the program. Anchoring the popular end of the spectrum, the Chamber Singers presented the Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes. These are a delight in their variety. It is marvelous how many ways the waltz format has been transformed and re-thought in the course of this one song cycle. The words are by turns tender, troubled, entreating, philosophical, and angry. It was very helpful to have this and all translations of the lyrics that were included in the program. The waltz entitled Nicht Wandle Mein LIcht has a cajoling and cozening rhythm, exactly in line with the plea of the lover to his beloved that she (presumably) not wander. The listener might wonder whether this feared wandering is a physical peregrination, out into the dangerous night airs (the mid-19th century was still the era when tuberculosis tragically carried off many young people), or an emotional excursion, to meet or find some other competing object of affe ction. O die Frauen is deliciously caressing in rhythm and melody and expresses the rueful and bewildered attitude of the male singers towards the mysteries of the female race. Nein, es ist nicht auszukommen mit den Leuten is a headlong rush of outrage and frustration. Ein kleiner, hà ¼bscher Vogel sounds like a little bird’s hopping and flight from bush to bush. This is programmatic music without question. Women’s choruses have a very different sound from either male choruses or mixed choruses. The timbre of female voices is higher. The white-clad Women’s Chorus, with Holly Allan as accompanist, sang a very contemporary piece by Elizabeth Atkinson, based on a poem by Mother Teresa. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Variety and Sincerity: Something to Sing About: the Ashland University Spring Choral Concert specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The words were not in the program, but they are ver y moving. This piece, titled Fruits of a Selfless Heart, recites the fruits of various aspects of a religious life: prayer, faith, love, service, peace, all with a meditative and contemplative serenity. It sounds as though it would make good music to accompany yoga or communion. The piece from Andrea Chenier was close in harmony, and silky smooth in texture, and moderate in tempo. The more modern piece by Rollo Dillworth, No Rocks A-Crying, was decidedly upbeat and inspiringly vigorous. It was not clear what the song was about (again, the issue of words in the program appears) but it made you want to believe whatever it was. The rhythm encouraged movement and it was one of the pieces that someone might have left humming, since it had a fairly clear melody. Another very current offering was the Eric Whitacre piece based on poetry by Frederico Lorca, called With a Lily in your Hand. The effect that he achieved is very difficult to articulate. It would have been helpful to have these w ords in the program, since the music is clearly expressing something very specific in the lyrics. There was a section of the song that was practically like a drum beat, but the effect was achieved entirely with voices. The voices struck notes repeatedly with vigorous attack and quick decay, and it made a remarkable impact. It would have been helpful to have the words to Walk Together, Children printed in the program. This contemporary gospel song by Moses Hogan was programmatic in the sense of having a driving rhythm, and rather quick-march tempo. One got the impression of children being shepherded on a trail – perhaps fleeing slavery, or sin. There is no replacement for live music – thank goodness. The singers believe in the music they are singing. The director believes in the music he or she has chosen. The singers tell the story or share a message embedded in the words of the music, using their whole bodies. The difference in experience between live and recorded mu sic is particularly pointed when the concert is choral, because of this whole body involvement. This was a well selected and uplifting afternoon of music, and indeed, something to sing about. This essay on Variety and Sincerity: Something to Sing About: the Ashland University Spring Choral Concert was written and submitted by user Salvad0r to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Definition, History, and Impact of Redlining

The Definition, History, and Impact of Redlining Redlining, a process by which banks and other institutions refuse to offer mortgages or offer worse rates to customers in certain neighborhoods based on their racial and ethnic composition, is one of the clearest examples of institutionalized racism in the history of the United States. Although the practice was formally outlawed in 1968 with the passage of the Fair Housing Act, it continues in various forms to this day. History of Housing Discrimination Fifty years after the abolition of slavery, local governments continued to legally enforce housing segregation through exclusionary zoning laws, city ordinances which prohibited the sale of property to Black people. In 1917, when the Supreme Court ruled these zoning laws unconstitutional, homeowners swiftly replaced them with racially restrictive covenants, agreements between property owners which banned the sale of homes in a neighborhood to certain racial groups. By the time the Supreme Court found racially restrictive covenants themselves unconstitutional in 1947, the practice was so widespread that these agreements were difficult to invalidate and almost impossible to reverse. According to a magazine article, 80% of neighborhoods in Chicago and Los Angeles carried racially restrictive covenants by 1940. The Federal Government Begins Redlining The federal government was not involved in housing until 1934 when the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) was created as part of the New Deal. The FHA sought to restore the housing market after the Great Depression by incentivizing homeownership and introducing the mortgage lending system we still use today. Instead of creating policies to make housing more equitable, the FHA did the opposite. It took advantage of racially restrictive covenants and insisted that the properties they insured use them. Along with the Home Owner’s Loan Coalition (HOLC), a federally-funded program created to help homeowners refinance their mortgages, the FHA introduced redlining policies in over 200 American cities. Beginning in 1934, the HOLC included in the FHA Underwriting Handbook â€Å"residential security maps† used to help the government decide which neighborhoods would make secure investments and which should be off-limits for issuing mortgages. The maps were color-coded according to these guidelines: Green (â€Å"Best†): Green areas represented in-demand, up-and-coming neighborhoods where â€Å"professional men† lived. These neighborhoods were explicitly homogenous, lacking â€Å"a single foreigner or Negro.†Blue (â€Å"Still Desirable†): These neighborhoods had â€Å"reached their peak† but were thought to be stable due to their low risk of â€Å"infiltration† by non-white groups.Yellow (â€Å"Definitely Declining†): Most yellow areas bordered black neighborhoods. They were considered risky due to the â€Å"threat of infiltration of foreign-born, negro, or lower grade populations.†Red (â€Å"Hazardous†): Red areas were neighborhoods where â€Å"infiltration† had already occurred. These neighborhoods, almost all of them populated by Black residents, were described by the HOLC as having an â€Å"undesirable population† and were ineligible for FHA backing. These maps would help the government decide which properties were eligible for FHA backing. Green and blue neighborhoods, which usually had majority-white populations, were considered good investments. It was easy to get a loan in these areas. Yellow neighborhoods were considered â€Å"risky† and red areas (those with the highest percentage of Black residents) were ineligible for FHA backing. The End of Redlining The Fair Housing Act of 1968, which explicitly prohibited racial discrimination, put an end to legally-sanctioned redlining policies like those used by the FHA. However, like racially restrictive covenants, redlining policies were difficult to stamp out and have continued even in recent years. A 2008 paper, for example, found denial rates for loans to Black people in Mississippi to be disproportionate compared to any racial discrepancy in credit score history. In 2010, an investigation by the United States Justice Department found that the financial institution Wells Fargo had used similar policies to restrict loans to certain racial groups. The investigation began after a New York Times article exposed the company’s own racially-biased lending practices. The Times reported that loan officers had referred to their Black customers as â€Å"mud people† and to the subprime loans they pushed on them â€Å"ghetto loans.† Redlining policies are not limited to mortgage lending, however. Other industries also use race as a factor in their decision-making policies, usually in ways that ultimately hurt minorities. Some grocery stores, for example, have been shown to raise prices of certain products in stores located in primarily Black and Latino neighborhoods. Impact The impact of redlining goes beyond the individual families who were denied loans based on the racial composition of their neighborhoods. Many neighborhoods that were labeled â€Å"Yellow† or â€Å"Red† by the HOLC back in the 1930s are still underdeveloped and underserved compared to nearby â€Å"Green† and â€Å"Blue† neighborhoods with largely white populations. Blocks in these neighborhoods tend to be empty or lined with vacant buildings. They often lack basic services, like banking or healthcare, and have fewer job opportunities and transportation options. The government may have put an end to the redlining policies that it created in the 1930s, but as of 2018, it has yet to offer adequate resources to help neighborhoods recover from the damage that these policies inflicted. Sources Coates, Ta-Nehisi. â€Å"The Case for Reparations.†Ã‚  The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 17 Aug. 2017, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/.â€Å"1934: Federal Housing Administration Created.†Ã‚  Fair Housing Center of Greater Boston, www.bostonfairhousing.org/timeline/1934-FHA.htmlâ€Å"The Legacy of Redlining in Rust Belt Cities.†Ã‚  Belt Magazine, beltmag.com/the-legacy-of-redlining-in-rust-belt-cities/.Redlining (1937- ) | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed, www.blackpast.org/aah/redlining-1937.â€Å"Understanding Fair Housing,† U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Clearinghouse Publication 42, February 1973. Electronically accessed,  law.umaryland.edu/marshall/usccr/documents/cr11042.pdfLab, Digital Scholarship. â€Å"Mapping Inequality.†Ã‚  Digital Scholarship Lab, dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/.

Brother from another mother Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Brother from another mother - Essay Example It is like I now live in a dream. Before I met Keifer, I worked myself too hard to try and grasp any opportunity that was coming my way so as to succeed and have a good life just like anybody else. Being fresh from college with my ambitions down deep in my veins, I could never find that perfect opportunity that would help me change my life. I was broke and tired of living from hand to mouth. In my sleep, I used to dream of big things; having great wealth; a multi-billion dollar company and a mega yatch I used for my holidays. In my dreams I owned a piece of the world but in reality I was poorer than a church mouse. Keifer became a milestone for me the moment he stepped into my life and the life I had dreamt of owning a piece of the world, started to become a reality. First, he showed me a path that led me to my financial freedom that was basically my goal in life. He enabled me to achieve this by carefully selecting reading books and hundreds of magazines on financial matters and how to deal with the financial issues. This has not only ensured my financial freedom, but has also assisted me in running a business that he assisted me to start. Secondly, he ideally put me closer to God by ensuring that I have changed my thinking in terms of believing in God. He not only took me to church, but also introduced me to his pastor and I began attending the Church service every Sunday. This was unlike me; I never even used to get a hundred meters close to triangular shaped buildings with crosses on them. Lastly, Keifer helped me improve my relationships with other people and cultivate a good relationship with them. He struggled hard to make sure that I realized how terribly I could not control my anger and deal with stresses aspects in my life something that had major contributions to numerous failures in life. Truthfully, Keifer helped me restore a very important aspect in life, hope. Ever since he

Organisms & Diseases Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organisms & Diseases - Assignment Example This applies to both humans and animals. The first case of Ebola occurred in 1976. It happened through two simultaneous outbreaks, in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Nzara, Sudan. In DRC, it occurred in a village near Ebola River. This became the name of the disease. There are five known species of the Ebola virus: Reston, Sudan, Bundibugyo, Ivory Coast and Zaire (W.H.O 12). Ebola spreads among human population through close contact with secretions, blood, bodily fluids from infected animals and organs (W.H.O 12). Burial ceremonies that involve direct contact with the dead person play an important role in the spread of the disease. Infected semen can also transmit the disease for up to seven weeks after recovery. In Africa, infection spreads through handling of fruit bats, chimpanzees, monkeys and porcupines. The prevalence rate of Ebola is only monitored in a few countries: Uganda, Gabon, Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Last year there was 1 case in Uganda having led to one death. In 2008, there were 44% fatalities out of 32 reported cases in DRC and in 2007 there were 25% fatalities out of the 149 reported cases in Uganda (W.H.O 12). The population increase and poverty have significantly contributed to the spread of this disease. This spread frequently occurs through retrogressive traditions like contact with deceased persons, irresponsible sexual behavior and poor sanitation. Most of the human-animal’s transmissions reflect the human wildlife conflict arising from population surge and detrimental policies of settlement and population control (W.H.O (a) 12). Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoa of Leishmania genus. This is a parasitic protozoon. It happens when humans are bitten by phlebotomine sand flies. These flies breed in caves, forests, and brick houses. It is in these places that they infect human beings. The disease occurs

A Hardball Leadership Essay Example for Free

A Hardball Leadership Essay Politics is a battlefield for power. Throughout history, politics play an important role in shaping leaders and forming powerful states. Wars are even conducted to be able to get the advantage of politics. However nowadays, to get ahead into politics warfare is not necessary; it all depends on how an individual handles it. It is more than just the leadership skills, the charisma and the motivation to serve. It is the usage of the smartest strategies to get acquainted with the ‘who’ and to get the ‘what’. â€Å"The end justifies the means. Machiavelli famously imprinted these words in the world of politics. For Machiavelli, politics is more than just a career, it is an art that should be mastered and should be maintained. For Chris Matthews, politics is a game that should be learned by playing according to a set of rules. Both authors have goals in mind: to be on top of the power. Their works serve as guidelines on handling politics. Machiavelli and Matthews provide strategies on how to be an influential and effective political figure. These rules were patterned in the context of their current society. Though Machiavelli’s attack on The Prince is more aggressive than Matthews, this is mainly because of the political turmoil that has occurred during his time. Matthews on the other hand, wrote practical approaches that can be applied not just in government but as well as in business, job promotion or other aspects of life. This is to convey that politics is everywhere. Nonetheless, despite the differences between Matthews and Machiavelli, their works are cohesively direct to the path of power. To be the best player in the field of politics, one must maximize everything – including flaws and opponents – to his or her advantage. While Machiavelli focused more on state affairs, Matthews applied strategies not just to politics but to general ways of life. Like Machiavelli, Matthews related in his book on how to rise to power and maintaining it the moment it is achieved. The spread of influence and the utilization of wits will be able to bring someone to the top. Matthews enumerated his practical strategies that people within the Washington circle used. The ability to appear powerful is one of the tactics which Machiavelli has also cited. The embodiment of power is important to acquire power itself. From the famous saying of ‘what the mind conceive the body will achieve,’ people and competitors will believe a person portraying as a powerful individual. It creates a strong impression. To convince others that one has a power; it should reflect the outer attributes and incorporate the attitudes of a powerful entity. The Politician will have to utilize everything to be able to reach the top and at the top, his resources should be exhausted even more to maintain his or her stature. The Prince has the same aim. Machiavelli described most of his tactics with the likes of being a fox and to be a lion at the same time. On the other hand, Matthews associated it with a term of aggressive sports. In the field of sports, an athlete needs to play hard and it is necessary to lay out the strategies to be able to win the game. The aspects of deception and manipulation clearly reflect a Machiavellian theme situated in the White House. The politician works closely with the enemies rather than shunning them away. It gives the politician an opportunity to watch the actions of the enemy directly. Their capabilities can be used in favor of the politician’s gain. Both authors have stated the importance of alliances to strengthen influence and gain trust. Machiavelli stressed the importance of taking sides rather than going neutral. Win or lose, the Prince still has allies to aid him when crisis comes. Matthews mentioned having alliances to gain loyal supporters. He was able to portray in Washington, that people who actually do favors for the politician become great allies. The work of Chris Matthews is often compared with Machiavelli. Both of them preached the same aim of acquiring power, though their subjects are different. It can be viewed that Machiavelli’s The Prince is solely based on an individualistic approach since he focused on monarchies as a source of power. On the contrary, Matthews’ approach is more inter-personal. By the title of his book Hardball: How Politics Is Played Told By One Who Knows The Game, it gives the impression of sports which is composed of individuals and teams. To be on top means to be the captain of the game. Hardball can be a useful reference for people who want to get ahead with life. As mentioned earlier, Matthews’ approach is not as aggressive as Machiavelli. This can be applied in other aspects of life because as what Matthews mentioned in his introduction, â€Å"there are enduring human truths in the rules that politicians play by† (Matthews 17). Matthews depicts politics as an exciting and thrilling environment where the most amusing personalities are passionately involved. Machiavelli, on the other hand, gave a cruel and ruthless picture. Since politics is compared with sports, the major player from Matthews’ book is a prominent figure in world politics. The United States is one of the most influential countries, economic-wise and political wise. As a state, the U. S. is good at keeping their alliances. The long years of friendship with other countries (i. e. Great Britain) contributed to numerous gains which helped the US to be a super power in the international community. Behind its status is the most powerful political figure in the United States. For the upcoming 2008 US Presidential election, it is notable to mention a candidate that created a name for him as the first colored American to be nominated for presidency. Barack Obama can be a perfect example of a major player in Matthews’ political field. Being raised in a multi-racial background, this became an asset for him to reach different minorities in the country. This particular asset of Obama became one of his forefronts of his campaign which focused on thriving for change. Modern United States is a diverse country made up of various racial origins and Obama thought that his colored skin can be an advantage. Obama revealed in his memoir Dreams from my Father about his previous lifestyle of smoking and drinking. Relating this particular detail of his life, it can be seen as a target for his opponent to dwell on. However, this can also be viewed as a method derived from Matthews’ book. Before the other party can even use it against him, he does the broadcasting himself. Admitting one’s flaw can lessen the negative impact of it, and the rivals will have to search for a new attack to use against the politician. Citing this example, it is seen how Chris Matthews’ strategies are put to use. This kind of political play inside the White House reflects how the United States moves in the arena of world politics. Taking that into account, Chris Matthews gives the readers a clear picture of the inner workings of America’s political center. Washington is portrayed as the battlefield, wherein politics is the game, and the athletes are the politicians who play hardball.

Expansionist Tension :: American America History

Expansionist Tension From 1800 to 1850 territorial expansion tore the United States apart. Territorial expansion itself was not a debated issue. Spurred by the concept of Manifest Destiny, almost everyone believed that America should extend from sea to shining sea and maybe even farther. But it was the issue of the expansion of slavery into the new territories that pitted the North against the South and split our nation apart. The first real crisis over territorial expansion took place in 1819-1821 over the admission of the state of Missouri. The proposed state of Missouri was the first (beside Louisiana itself) to be carved out of the Louisiana Purchase. It lay out of the jurisdiction of the Northwest Ordinance, which prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territories, and had a long tradition of slavery. Therefore, in 1817 Missouri applied to the Union as a slave state. The extension of slavery so far north and the threat of further expansion of slavery into all new territories of the U.S. created havoc in Congress. In February 1819, Congressman James Tallmadge, from New York, proposed an amendment that would prohibit any new slaves to enter the state and provided that all slave children born after the date of admission would be set free at the age of twenty-five. Tallmadge's gradual emancipation proviso received almost unanimous opposition from Southern Congressmen. The amendment twice passed the North dom inated House of Representatives, only to be turned down by the balanced Senate. In December 1819, Maine applied for statehood as a free state. In the end a compromise was reached where Maine would enter the Union as a free state, Missouri would enter the Union as a slave state without restrictions, but in the remaining Louisiana territory slavery would be prohibited north of 36o30' (the Mason-Dixon Line). This is now known as the Missouri Compromise. The Missouri Compromise is commonly thought of the beginning of American Sectionalism, although signs were visible long before 1819. The Missouri controversy alerted the South to the need for political unity in order to maintain the "peculiar institution" of slavery and alerted the whole country to the political problems inherent to westward expansion. The next jolt to national unity was over the admission of Texas into the Union. Texas had petitioned for admission as early as 1836, and the ensuing arguments in Congress over upsetting the balance between free and slave states delayed its admission into the Union. Expansionist Tension :: American America History Expansionist Tension From 1800 to 1850 territorial expansion tore the United States apart. Territorial expansion itself was not a debated issue. Spurred by the concept of Manifest Destiny, almost everyone believed that America should extend from sea to shining sea and maybe even farther. But it was the issue of the expansion of slavery into the new territories that pitted the North against the South and split our nation apart. The first real crisis over territorial expansion took place in 1819-1821 over the admission of the state of Missouri. The proposed state of Missouri was the first (beside Louisiana itself) to be carved out of the Louisiana Purchase. It lay out of the jurisdiction of the Northwest Ordinance, which prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territories, and had a long tradition of slavery. Therefore, in 1817 Missouri applied to the Union as a slave state. The extension of slavery so far north and the threat of further expansion of slavery into all new territories of the U.S. created havoc in Congress. In February 1819, Congressman James Tallmadge, from New York, proposed an amendment that would prohibit any new slaves to enter the state and provided that all slave children born after the date of admission would be set free at the age of twenty-five. Tallmadge's gradual emancipation proviso received almost unanimous opposition from Southern Congressmen. The amendment twice passed the North dom inated House of Representatives, only to be turned down by the balanced Senate. In December 1819, Maine applied for statehood as a free state. In the end a compromise was reached where Maine would enter the Union as a free state, Missouri would enter the Union as a slave state without restrictions, but in the remaining Louisiana territory slavery would be prohibited north of 36o30' (the Mason-Dixon Line). This is now known as the Missouri Compromise. The Missouri Compromise is commonly thought of the beginning of American Sectionalism, although signs were visible long before 1819. The Missouri controversy alerted the South to the need for political unity in order to maintain the "peculiar institution" of slavery and alerted the whole country to the political problems inherent to westward expansion. The next jolt to national unity was over the admission of Texas into the Union. Texas had petitioned for admission as early as 1836, and the ensuing arguments in Congress over upsetting the balance between free and slave states delayed its admission into the Union.

Case: Patients like me Essay

Patients like me(PLM) is a social network which covers different diseases. Members get access to a large database of information about other people who has the same illness as them selves. They also have access to forums, which lets them communicate with other patients as well. This enables patients to get information about their disease and gain new insight, the possibility to ask for practical advice, which doctors do not know about. Other reasons for becoming a member can be to contribute to research about their disease, to help other people with the same medical problems, sharing experiences and having someone to relate to and who knows what they are going through. The site thus covers human needs for both information and emotional support when handeling complex problems in pressing situations. Does the platform work for any diseases? In the short term the platform is most useful on diseases that have a lot of daily practical aspects to it. This is because this is where other patients can best contributing with advice. In the longer term medical companies can use the information to research new drugs. 2. What are the reactions of physicians to sites like PLM? Do you agree with them? Reactions for physicians are mainly issues of misinformation and for what purpose the information is used. When it comes to misinformation this is related to people self reporting on their illness and people without a medical degree voicing their unqualified opinion about drugs, other peoples symptoms ect. The statements on these pages can have consequences that unqualified person did not intend. When it comes to misinformation I have agree with the physicians. There are limitations to the data posted by the unqualified members of sites like PLM. On the other hand I am also of the opinion that even though the information is self-reported, it can be a valuable lead and provide information that is good enough for a particular use. This large amount of self reported information could also be a way to gain new insights that were previously unknown. 3. Should PLM launch the General Platform? If yes, how does it ensure that it is as successful in engaging patients as its current platform? If no, how does PLM grow? From a business standpoint, PLM should launch the General Platform. This creates a business opportunity to start the first communities for a lot of different illnesses that does not yet have a social network. The first mover advantage is very significant in social media and should be taken advantage of. There are a number of factors that make up a digital social network with engaged users. One of them is functionality and ease of use. This is very important so that the user experience is as enjoyable as possible and thereby barriers to usage are as low. Secondly, the content that is on the site needs to be of use for the members using it. This means that there should be some sort of moderation on the site. This is important since bad/abusive/misinforming users tend to crowd out the good/contributing users. If abusive users are allowed to still be active on the site can make potential members shy away from the site. This will seriously damage the PLM brand and profitability in the long run. By being aware of this and having prepared systems to handle this kind of problem the risk of this happening is limited. 4. So far, PLM has generated revenues by providing market research to pharmaceutical companies. Should it expand its business model to insurance companies and research institutions? Does it have the potential of becoming the â€Å"Bloomberg of medical data’? PLM has opened a large amount of data about different patients that would otherwise not be avaliable to third party institutions. This makes it possible for them to become a †Bloomberg of medical data†. It is without doubt that this can be a large business opportunity for PLM and the firms in need of medical information. If insurance companies could get better insight into how the populations health is, they could write more precise policies which better descibes the risk that patients are exposed to. If the risk is overstated, this means more expensive insurrance. This can lead to a loss of marketshare for the insurrance company and higher prices for consumers. Research institutions can get access to data that they might not have been able to get or would have cost a lot of money to gather. This would be a win-win situation for both PLM, the research institutions, insurance companies and patients.