ethics

Ethics is defined as being a set of principles of right conduct, and as a Rolfer the therapeutic relationship necessitates this structure as much as it is defined by it. Les Kertay, Advanced Rolfer®, defines ethics as the principles of a therapeutic relationship and in this brief review I will discuss insight into how and why problems arise in the therapeutic relationship spoken to at the 2002 Rolf Institute Annual Meeting, and give general principles/guidelines into begging the question “What is Rolfing?

The basic assumption with Rolfing is that complaints stem from a failure of the therapeutic relationship or ethics. “What to do about what is”, is the Rolfers ontological resource that should be used when engaging a past, current, or future client. It appears to be as much a philosophy as it is a psychology, a complete lifestyle, which in and of itself begs the question “What is Rolfing?” All health care relations are therapeutic relations and the phenomena known, as Transference/Counter transference that exists between a Rolfer and his clients is palpable, in all meetings. The nature of the work will magnetize expectations of fix-it sessions and or desires to process emotions through the sessions, this is where it can start to get sticky. The Rolfer is always responsible for the framework of the relationship that always includes Transference/Counter transference so the boundaries and framework should begin with an Informed Consent form. This will always serve as a resource when dealing with unrecognized/unexpressed expectations of a client, a misunderstanding. NEVER HAVE SEX WITH A CLIENT. Do not make exceptions; if you do you have just changed the context of the relationship! Do not do anything with a client that you cannot discuss openly and comfortably. Remember that clients may be seeking boundaries by testing them.

Problem clients can include those involved with workman’s compensation or car accidents, which means an attorney is involved or soon will be so keep no secrets and give no guarantees. It is always best to be yourself in dealing with clients because you never know when you could be ordered to testify under oath or end the relationship. Make rules, don’t break them. Never say, Rolfing can “do” anything, especially about pain, do not create expectations. It is also wise to separate the intake interview and the first session to give both parties time to gauge the potential or lack thereof. Some clients will jump around from every Rolfer in town so as to navigate control of the therapeutic relations. Don’t get caught in the Victim Triangle.
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“What is Rolfing?” Rolfing is an inquiry to the optimal functioning of the human being, so learn to tolerate ambiguity. It is a science, an art, a philosophy and psychology. It is action and non-action. It requires the practitioner to immerse him or herself in it completely, to merge with it. Honor the process by being completely unattached to expectations. Rolfing is the optimal functioning of the therapeutic relationship; so don’t offer what the client doesn’t want. Don’t get caught in the trap of “trying” to legitimize Rolfing as if it needed recognition. Rolfing does not need recognition, it facilitates resource and points to a potential of higher order that does, and this is the manifestation of health in the context of the therapeutic relationship. Rolfing is always changing and adapting to the way of the human being. Rolfing, applied appropriately, is ethics at it’s best.
In 2002 Les Kertay spoke at the annual meeting about ethics and therapeutic relationships and it was my intent to communicate the content within the context of Rolfing as he did. Ethics are the principles of the therapeutic relationship and Rolfing is our gift as somatic therapist to engage life fully.

Is any Ethics really followed when it comes to Computer-viruses?

When I sit back and think of what is the internet truly based on today, I can come up with four categories; Information, Merchandise, Services and Problems. People aren't usually very keen on the last category, but I assure you there are lots of it. Watch Out!

I am talking about Computer Viruses, Spam, Spyware, Dialers, Hijackers and other threats that will make trouble for you.

Maybe you are one of the lucky ones that never had a computer problem.(If so, you could propably stop reading this article if you want, and return to whatever you were doing online).

Anyway, for those who are still reading, I assume that most of you who are using the internet regularly have had one or more "troublemakers" sneaking through their cables and into their computers. I call it "troublemakers", because trouble's all they want. Right? If you think about ethics when it comes to creation of online threats, whether it's a joke, a dangerous virus, or even a spam email, they have an either profitable, educational, innocent or destructive agenda. Some just want to gather general info to learn.

Some are destructive, and some wants to find your private data.(such as bank account info etc.) By saying this I just want you to be aware of that some threats you can easily deal with, but others you just don't want at all.

Personally I do think there are ethics that are followed when creating online threats. But these ethics are only followed by the ethical people. There are all kinds of people on this planet, and most people are ok, but there will always be people with cruel intentions and burning desires of making the most trouble for other people. They exist on the internet as well.

Think of people that are abusing animals for instance. I can't in my wildest imagination understand what emotions that drives them to torture an animal, and that even gives them joy of it. How could I sit at home with my computer and create a virus that will for example destroy maindrives on all computers infected? What Joy will I feel when I know that hundreds, maybe thousands of people looses money, work and time beacuse of my evil creation? I would simply hate myself for that. Infact I would most likely never go as far as to begin to create a Virus. I think I have enough to do by keeping them away from me and others. What I mean to say is that you must be aware of that whether you're nice or not, there are threats out there that you should treat with fear and caution.

Not that I mean to scare you up. I just want to point out three essential things you absolutely should have installed on your computer to be properly secured. A Firewall protection(WinXp comes with a great one included) An Antivirus Solution, and an Anti Spyware software. Read more about these three main categories online on the website described at he bottom of this article.

There is one thing new I feel I need to share with you. There are certain programs that infiltrates your computer, and brings up several Failure warnings. These could be like : "Infected with Spyware. Click Here to Fix Now" - And often signed by "Protection Center" or similar. If you click one of the warnings that constantly pop up, you will be taken to a website to purchase the "needed" software to get rid of these "problems".

What I am about to tell you now is Very Important. Do NOT buy this software. Why? You Ask..Well, this so-called software claims to get rid of all kinds of bugs. But the fact is that THE ONLY THING it does in most cases is to remove itself. This software is made to nfiltrate your computer and show a lot of warnings about your computer's bad health. You see, they give you the disease, and secondly make you buy their remedy. Don't buy, because their software is the problem in the first place.

These things evolve very quickly, so you need to be Watch-out. Do I have a free Solution? Yes, as a matter of fact I do. But I don't like to turn to this solution, but sometimes I have to. Restore your Operating System. Format system-drive(s) and re-install Windows or the OS you use. This have in all my cases worked well. The warnings vanished. First time I was infected with this kind of spyware I remember that I was asked to download and install a Video Codek
of some kind. After that something called "Protection Center" told me to buy a specific software to get rid of this problem, and others...This sounded weird.

Windows doesn't have such functions that will notify me that I am infected, and recommend a particular brand for me. (If it could, it would propably recommend Microsofts own software, don't you think?) So I tried to remove it but it was stuck. But it's worth doing a scan with all anti software you posess because maybe you are lucky. If not, it must be the hard way. Do everything that's worth a shot, but please don't go and buy their damned software. It isn't worth a penny.

A good way to spot that you are infected with such a software is when you suddenly see a lot of warnings about the security. You see, normal spyware doesn't make a sound. You won't see it if you don't mean to. Try to run a spyware killer that you trust.(Remember that you should have some kind of Anti Spyware software installed.)

If it doesn't fix the problem, try your Anti-Virus software, and run a complete search and destroy. If nothing works, ask a friend with more computerskills than you to help you.

There is No simple solution but to pay the $29, or whatever it costs, and purchase their remedy to get rid of the warnings. Well, you're stuck with software that won't find anything else than the bug that was injected into your computer earlier. You are still unprotected against other threats, unless you have the three applications mentioned above in place.

So to the hard method. Make sure you have a working operatingsystem with working key. Then format your harddrive(s) and install the OS.

When you are all done now, I encourage you to secure your computer from the threats out there.

When I sit back and think of what is the internet truly based on today, I can come up with four categories; Information, Merchandise, Services and Problems. People are usually not very keen on the last category, but I assure you there are lots of it, and you will have problems if you don't watch out.

I am talking about Computer-Viruses, Spam, Spyware, Dialers, Hijackers and other threats that will make trouble for you. Maybe you are one of the few lucky ones that never get a computer that's running slow. Then you probably won't need any online computer repair. If so, you could probably stop reading this article if you want, and return to whatever you were doing online.

Anyway, I assume that most of you who are using the internet regularly have had one or more "troublemakers" sneaking through your cables and into your computer. I prefer to call it "troublemakers" because trouble's all they want, Right?

If you think about ethics when it comes to creation of online threats, whether it's a joke, a dangerous virus, or even a spam-email, they have an either profitable, educational, innocent or destructive agenda. Some just want to gather general info to learn. Some are more or less destructive, and some are out there to try to steal your private data. (such as bank account info etc.) By saying this I just want you to be aware of that some threats you can easily deal with, but others you simply just don't want at all.

Personally I do think there are ethics that are beeing followed when creating online threats. But these ethics are only followed by certain people.

There are all kinds of people on this planet, and most people are ok, but there will always be people with cruel intentions and burning desires of making the most trouble for others. They exist on the internet as well as in the real world.

Think of people that are abusing animals for instance. I can't in my wildest imagination understand what emotions that drives them to torture an animal, and even gives them joy of it. How could I sit at home with my computer and create a virus that will for example destroy maindrives on all computers infected? What joy will I feel when I know that hundreds, maybe thousands of people looses money, work and time beacuse of my evil works?

I would simply hate myself for that. I would most likely never go as far as to begin to create a Virus. I think I have enough to do by keeping people away from these troublemakers in the first place.

Remember that there are threats out there that you should treat with fear and caution. Not that I mean to scare you, just let you place it in your "Memory Warehouse" for safety. You should also know that there are three essential things you absolutely need to have installed on your computer to be properly secured:

* A Firewall protection. WinXp comes with a great one included. * An Antivirus Solution, and * Anti Spyware software.

There is one thing I really urge to share with you right now. These days a new generation of bugs are flooding the internet. They infiltrates your computer and brings up several Failure warnings. These could be like: "Infected with Spyware! Click Here to Fix Now" - And often signed by "Protection Center" or similar.

If you click one of the warnings that constantly pop up, you will be taken to a website to purchase the "needed" software to get rid of these "problems".

What I am about to tell you now is Very Important. Do NOT BUY this software! Why? You Ask.. Well, this so-called software claims to get rid of all kinds of bugs. But the fact is that THE ONLY THING it does in most cases is to remove itself. This software is made to infiltrate your computer and show a lot of warnings about your computer's bad health, and then throw you off and make you think you need to purchase their remedy for this.

You see, they give you the disease, and secondly they make you buy their remedy. Don't buy, because their software is the problem in the first place. These things evolve very quickly, so you need to be aware of this.

A Free solution to this? Yes, as a matter of fact I do have one. But I don't like to turn to this solution, but sometimes I have to. Restore your Operating System. Format system-drive(s) and re-install Windows or the OS you use. This have in all my cases worked well.

First time I was infected with this kind of bugs I remember that I was asked to download and install a Video Codek of some kind. After that something called "Protection Center" told me to buy a specific software to get rid of this problem, and others... I thought this sounded weird. Because Windows don't have such functions that will notify me that I am infected, and then recommend a particular brand for me. (If it could, it would propably recommend Microsofts own software, don't you think?) So I tried to remove it. But it was stuck.

It's worth doing a scan with all anti-bug software you posess because maybe you are lucky. If not, it must be the hard way. Do everything that's worth a shot, but please don't go and buy their damned software. It isn't worth a penny.

A good way to spot that you are infected with such a software is when you suddenly see a lot of warnings about the security. You see, spyware normally doesn't make a sound, or any notice at all. You won't see it if you don't mean to. Try to run a spyware killer that you trust. (Remember that you should have some kind of Anti Spyware software installed.) If it doesn't fix the problem, try your Anti-Virus software, and run a complete search and destroy. If nothing works, ask a friend with more computerskills than you to help you.

There is No simple solution but to pay the $29, or whatever it costs, and purchase their remedy to get rid of the warnings. Well, you're stuck with software that won't find anything else than the bug that was injected into your computer earlier. You are still unprotected against other threats, unless you have the three applications mentioned above in place. So it looks like it is the hard way again.

To re-install make sure you have an operating system with a working key available. Then format your harddrive(s) and install the OS. When you are all done now, I encourage you to secure your computer from the threats out there.

Are MLM/Network Marketing Businesses A
Honest Way to Earn Income?

The MLM/Network Marketing Business

MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) is based on the concept of distributing the process of selling onto independent businesspersons. Honest MLMs give everyone (and anyone) the opportunity to start and grow their own business. Consider that the MLM concept can be applied to selling every good and/or service, and that every person is a potential future representative. One can say that everything has the potential to become a MLM opportunity.

Think about where you work. Isn't it true that the boss (or company) is raking in the big bucks out of the money YOU are making for the company? Maybe you aren’t in sales. You still contribute something of value to the company. If you didn’t, they wouldn’t pay you! Your paycheck is a reflection of that value. Whether you work in sales, for a nonprofit, or in the service industry, somebody somewhere is making money and you are contributing to that effort. If they weren’t making money, the company would collapse.

There are many good examples of traditional businesses that function very much like a MLM. Examples include the Insurance business, the Yellow pages guys, your local Auto Dealers, etc. Look at a sales force. The salesman makes a commission of 12%. That’s all he makes unless he makes his quota or sale goals and then he may get a bonus. The sales managers for these companies may have 10 salespeople to train, keep track of, and motivate. As reward for this extra work, he makes 3% of everything that each salesman makes plus commissions and bonuses for his own effort. He may make an additional bonus for all of his salesmen making their sale goals. And the owner of the company makes money on everyone!

Gee, that would mean Honest MLM is everywhere we just do not see it like a MLM company.



An Honest MLM versus a Pyramid Scheme?

Pyramid schemes are illegal scams involve a large number of people at the bottom of the pyramid, all of them paying money to a few people at the top. Each new participant pays for the chance to advance to the top and profit from cash paid by others who join down the line. You receive no products or services for your participation. Pyramids resemble a legal honest MLM in structure, but there is an important difference. Pyramid schemes seek to make money from you, while multi-level marketing seeks to make money with you by offering top quality products and/or services. Pyramid schemes are much like chain letters; they require mathematical gymnastics that cannot possibly work. Pyramids always collapse in the end, and only a very few (usually the con artists themselves) make any money on them at all.

Many people associate the MLM technique with pyramidal schemes. An MLM does not work this way. You must do work to earn money—it is as simple as that. The main objective of an MLM is to enlarge the area of distribution for different goods by involving as many people as possible, either as customers or as possible representatives. Each company representative earns their money through honest work. They may receive commissions for selling and may also receive a bonus for offering the business opportunity to others.

Anyone who works a conventional job is in a pyramid scheme. Every company, army, and government in the world is built on the pyramid concept. However, with multilevel marketing, you aren't held back by the people above you like you are in a conventional job.

With an MLM, you can build your business as large and as profitable as you want and you do not need to be at the top. In fact, with many MLMs, you can surpass the earnings of the person that introduced you to the business.




How Can You Tell if an MLM is a Good and Honest Company?

MLM opportunities are all around us, but only a few of them are turned into profitable businesses. Be sure to make the most out of every honest MLM opportunity.

The Direct Selling Education Foundation suggests that, before you sign up with a company, you ask yourself these three questions:

1) How much am I required to pay to become a distributor? An honest MLM company will generally charge a small start- up fee. Pyramid schemes make most of their money from signing up new distributors, so their start-up charges are often very high. These start-up fees may be called many things and you may be told they are required or are recommended purchases for training, computer services and product inventory.

2) Will the company buy back unsold inventory? Honest companies will usually buy back any products that you fail to sell. Bogus companies will stick you with the inventory.

3) Are the company's products sold to customers? Pyramid schemes gain nothing by actually selling a product and often don't sell anything at all. They focus only on gaining new investors. Be wary if you must start by buying a large amount of product. Also, take a good look at the product itself. Multi-level marketing depends on quality products that are well-priced; pyramid schemes do not.

As with any other investment, before you commit ask questions about the company, its leadership, its ethics and its earnings. Take your time and investigate any information you're given. Talk to other people who have joined and research the company. Don't act hastily!



Ethics of the MLM

Many people question the ethics of MLM. They claim that the people on the top get all the benefit from the people working below them, while the people below don't get much if anything at all. Nothing could be further from the truth! The main income for an honest MLM comes from selling goods or services. With an honest MLM, you can easily make more than the person that brought you into the company if you put the effort into it. He gets a little bit from your sales, but you get the lion's share. Work equals money!

An honest MLM also focuses both on sales and on recruiting people (increasing the distribution system) to earn you more money. When a MLM representative contacts a person, he views that person as a potential customer and as a potential future representative. A representative will give you the opportunity to purchase his merchandise (which you were going to buy anyway) and to become a representative yourself, giving you the chance to earn money, grow your own business, become part of the company and share in the profits!

The recruited person benefits since he is now part of the company and is also the owner of his own business. Some benefits of joining the honest MLM can include products at a reduced cost and the opportunity to build their own business by selling and recruiting themselves. However, recruiting alone is not enough. You must recruit, motivate, train and supply the persons you recruited to get your share of their sales profit.

I Don’t Know How to Sell or Recruit!

If you do not know how, don’t panic! There are many honest MLM guides online. All the tips, tricks and the knowledge you need to start and grow a MLM company are available. The good news is that a lot of these are free.

Expand your business over the Internet. It is easier and cheaper. People are much more comfortable buying things from perfect strangers over the Internet, rather than buying them from total stranger at their doorstep. Save time and avoid stress by doing all your managerial tasks from your computer. Recruiting can also be performed online. As can selling.



The Future of Multi-Level Marketing

The home-based business boom, also know as MLM or Network Marketing, isn’t really booming at all. Now it’s true that in the last decade the number of MLM companies popping up all over the United States have grown by over 500%. Yet, the number of distributors has only grown by 15%! So, yes there is a “MLM Boom”, but it’s the number of companies that have boomed, not the number of distributors.

What does that mean? It means that there are too many companies competing for the same distributor base, plain and simple. Ever seen a small town “boom” really quickly only to go “bust” in a few years? You know the type I’m talking about. You drive through the town and see closed businesses and shopping malls all through the town and you ask yourself “what happened here?” Now, I’m not saying that the MLM industry is ever going to “bust”.

Quite the contrary, the MLM industry will continue to grow with or without you—it’s that strong of a business model. But, it’s not 1977 anymore where Amway, Shaklee and Herbalife are not the only games in town. Instead, there are literally thousands of “good” MLM programs to choose from. To grow a profitable MLM company needs work and dedication, but once you have it rolling, you will enjoy the benefits. Grab a MLM opportunity and make your first step towards your honest MLM Empire.


The Legal Aspects of Honest MLM

The Inevitable Question
OK, you have either been recruited for a network marketing opportunity or you are the one doing the recruiting. Inevitably, this question will come up: Is this a pyramid scheme or a legitimate business opportunity?
This Tuna's for Selling
Although this is a complex legal area, a simple story draws a clear line in the sand. Party No. 1 sells Party No. 2 a case of cans of tuna fish for $10. Party No. 2 sells the same case to No. 3 for $20 and so on until No. 9 sells the case to No. 10 for $500. No. 10 opens the case and opens one of the cans, which turns out to be rancid. He goes back to No. 9 who refers him to No. 8 and so on until No. 10 goes to No. 1 to complain.
"I have major problem," he says.
"So, what's your problem?" says No. 1.
"Well," says No. 10, "the tuna is rancid, it's inedible."
"So, what's your problem," No. 1 says again
And there lies the difference. Distributors in a network marketing program that are merely buying product to buy into the deal as opposed to an intention of really making a market for it, are really working a pyramid scheme, not a legitimate direct selling business. Remember, when you offer this opportunity to your next-door neighbor or your best friend, it's your credibility that's going to be on the line for years to come.

What to Look for - A Checklist
So, what do you look for with respect to legitimacy vs. pyramid? Here's a good checklist to consider.
1. Product and Price
Does the company offer a high quality product for which there is a strong demand in the real world marketplace? Is the product fairly priced and priced competitively with similar products? Can the product be demonstrated, and does it stand out when you show it to friends? Is the product proprietary to the company, and available only through its distributors? (Have you ever noticed that you can't buy Avon products in stores or Shaklee vitamins at pharmacies?) Is it backed up with a customer satisfaction guarantee?
Is post-sales service or customer assistance available? Do the people who participate in the program buy the product enthusiastically based on its own merits, even if they don't participate in the compensation program?

2. Second, No Investment Requirement
Can you participate in the company's program without having to make any investment other than purchasing a sales kit or demonstration materials sold at company cost?

3. Third, Look at Purchase and Inventory Requirements
Can you become a distributor or sales representative without having to fulfill a minimum up-front purchase or inventory requirement? (When you are pitched to put thousands of dollars of inventory at the very beginning, run fast in the opposite direction.) Does the company's compensation plan discourage inventory loading? Garages and backrooms filled with product serve no useful purpose to anyone.

4. Fourth, Look at the Sales Commissions Sources
Are sales commissions paid only on actual products or services sold through distributors in the network to the end-user or ultimate consumer? (This means that products don't end up in basements and closets. They are used, because they have genuine value.) Does the compensation plan avoid paying commissions or bonuses for the mere act of sponsoring or recruiting? (If it pays headhunting fees, it is illegal.)

5. Fifth, Check the Buy-Back Policy
Will the company buy back inventory and sales kit materials from distributors who cancel their participation in the program, as long as these items are in resalable condition? (This policy is required in states that have adopted multilevel distribution statutes.)


6. Sixth and Very Important, Look for Retail Sales
Is there an emphasis on actual retail sales to end-consumers? Can the company demonstrate efforts to market products to the ultimate consumer? Do the company's distributors have ongoing retailing requirements to qualify for commissions? What is a "retail sale?" The industry and many MLM statutes include both sales to nonparticipants and purchases in reasonable amounts for personal use by distributors. Some regulatory groups, including the FTC, have historically rejected personal use as a legitimate retail sale. Stay tuned as this debate continues. The legislative trend is definitely supportive of the industry position.

7. Seventh, Expect an Active and not Passive Role for Distributors
Are distributors in the company required to actively participate in the development and management of their networks? (Many of the MLM statutes require that distributors perform bona fide, supervisory, distributing, selling, or soliciting functions in moving product to the ultimate consumer.)

8. Eighth, Watch Out for Earnings Misrepresentations
Do the company's literature and training materials scrupulously avoid claims of income potential that is promises of specific income levels other than demonstrations of verifiable income levels within its program? (The Federal Trade Commission, attorneys general, and postal inspectors all have their eyes on the matter of earnings representations. The acceptable approach emerging is that there should be no earnings representations unless they are based on a verifiable track record of the average earnings of distributors. For instance, a company should have statistics to show the percentage of active distributors and the average earnings of active distributors.)

9. Finally, Look for Good Training
Does the company offer its independent distributors solid training opportunities in sales and recruitment? Are different levels of training offered to match the increasing levels of experience and responsibilities of distributors?
Authored by Dr. Robin Rushlo
Copyrighted May 2006
Rights owned by Soaring Eagle Companies LLC
No Net Needed
Blindguy55
May not be sold in any form or for any gain
Of any kind

In Justice Gomery s final report, he observed that only a handful of government officials failed to live up to (ethical) standards in the Sponsorship program . Most of us in business or government have faced situations where our personal principles have come under attack yet, unlike that handful, we successfully resisted temptation. Further, some of us may have faced personal risk standing up for our convictions, taking responsibility, and holding ourselves accountable for our actions.

But is there a point where we might start to bend or even break as they did?

A 2005 global study of over 1100 managers and executives, commissioned by the American Management Association, (with which Canadian Management Centre is affiliated), identified the top three factors most likely to cause business people to compromise ethical standards. All three impact most of us from time to time, so it would be an unusual person who would not have experienced temptation. The factors, in order, are:

1. Pressure to meet unrealistic business objectives/deadlines
2. Desire to further one s career
3. Desire to protect one s livelihood

So here is a theory. Model the dynamics that put pressure on people s ethics and you have an early warning of possible problems.

Dynamic A is Pressure. Sometimes the pressure to compromise comes at a person externally on vectors such as:

Urgent timing, I don t care what the policy book says, I need your decision now.
Entrenched opposition that can be avoided, HR won t find out till it is too late
Superiors or colleagues, If you don t do this, we ll all pay a price
Critical impact, National unity is at stake here
Competitor s tactics, Competition gives them money under the table. We have no choice.

Any single one of these, let alone a combination, can isolate a person on ethical grounds.

Dynamic B is Personal Benefit. Even scrupulous people generally look at choices through a lens of self-interest that includes:

Financial gain
Financial risk
Reputation
Career and stature
Power and influence

The greater the personal upside or downside associated with a decision, the more internal pressure will build to compromise on honesty and ethics.

When you buy a house from a vendor with hundreds of thousands of dollars and their personal life plan at stake, who is represented by a commissioned salesperson, you know it is wise to get a home inspection done. Buying a used car? Take it to a mechanic you trust first. Interviewing a job applicant who is currently out-of-work? Check references.

These are commonplace, small town, daily examples of a recognized need for safeguards against unethical behavior by ordinary people when pressure and self-interest intersect. We understand the need to watch out at that level. But when we learn that a handful of the participants in multi-million dollar transactions in the colossally critical and legacy-charged national unity debate behaved badly, we have the right to be dismayed but not surprised.

Millions of dollars spent on the Gomery Inquiry has yielded recommendations the country is glad to see. In the clear absence of a sense of personal accountability, the only solution is a body of constraints. But there is a danger now that associated bureaucracy will inflict cumbersome and stultifying rules and procedures on transactions in the matrix s green low risk boxes. These transactions have neither materiality nor external pressure nor sufficient personal benefit to the buyer or seller to pose much of a risk.

The Internet has quickly become a standard for navigating, advertising and selling information and executing various affairs on the Internet and Intranets. There was the growth in the amount of host computers from 1969 to 1996. The real, extraordinary growth took place in the 1990s. The general value of the Internet advertisement is greatly valued, for instance, hundreds of billions of dollars in 2002. Nevertheless it remains vague if figures show real online trade or just sales, which contain sending an email message or two. That is why, the Internet phenomenon is very significant and has already modified the way designers communicate, buy, advertise and do business. It should be stressed that this Internet revolution has changed and will continue to change the way designers sell their products.

The Internet as a new uninvestigated field opens new possibilities to market products and invents the way designers are advertising their projects. The Internet gives opportunities in several of the four well-known marketing P’s (Price, Promotion, Product, Place). The Internet is a new "unpredictable" way of distribution designer projects. It is also an impressive marketing communication and promotional tool of a designer. It is finally a useful marketing research tool as it helps a designer to find customers in a short time.

Another item concerning the Internet distribution is the kind of products that are sold well in this way. Really, according to this distribution channel it makes particular products 9for example, design projects) more significant than others to be sold via the Internet. The Internet is a good means for giving information concerning designer products and services, products that the customer will probably buy due to a good advertisement on this channel.

The Internet is a very attractive marketing tool with the possibility to customize design pages, as well as new promotional systems, giving designers the possibility of communication and promotion effectively by adapting to consumers’ likings. Interactive traits of the Internet permit asking customers their likings, and then the designer can adapt product offers and promotions to these likings. It provides the effective recruit of new customers. Advancement can be targeted towards a customer’s particular interests and hobbies very easily. Besides, “web currency” assists effective advancements.

It is obvious from the above mentioned that Internet advertisement is a supplement to traditional one. A Web site does not replace the traditional advertisement, but improves the marketing program just in place. Summarizing, the Internet advertisement is an additional chance for designers, and surely it changes the rules of the game, but does not danger traditional advertisement. The Internet advertisement is closely connected with the Internet culture, with the code of ethics for a designer.

Dear reader - this article was developed to explain in pray fully simple, basic words and with a universal understanding of why one COE does not fit all, why there are varied COE's, and the important question as to why different approaches are taken in administration. And why we have supported APEX since its inception in 1999.

Approaches: Please see the second section on the Gnostic and the Knights administration. Both require background reading and there is no substitute for gathering accurate and factual information. As we read the varied backgrounds, explore the historical significance, seek meaning for certain words, we begin to form the basis for our own beliefs, rather than blindly following or taking an oath without meaning.

Which ever approach is taken, an individual revisits a COE on a daily basis to instill the personal meaning and tempers understanding by application of honesty, respect, responsibility, fairness and compassion. This is not a one time trip. It is a continuous journey the whole of our lives on this earth.

One Does Not Fit All: Doctors, lawyers, web developers, forums and all others have a very different set of objectives and as a result, have very different COE's, but again and again...all contain honesty, respect, responsibility, fairness and compassion. To me at least the highest COE among we mere mortals on earth is that of a mother, who also holds her warm arms around all, with she who is called "moral courage."

Conclusion: Ethics is an application which includes sound logic based upon more than casual inspection and must be a matter taken seriously today as in yester year. The survival our humankind depends upon order, not chaos, love not hate, compassion not ridicule and a quest to be stronger than a locomotive, run faster than a speeding bullet and being able to leap tall buildings with a single bound.

Code of Ethics Background

Ethics is best understood by taking the individual's time for instruction, understanding and application.

Professional Associations are among those who adopt a "code of ethics" for their memberships. Each administers compliance with the code according to the specific needs and wants of the organization. But all include the core elements of honesty, respect, responsibility, fairness and compassion. Many also include the provision of "moral courage" which has an ancient origin.

The ancient origin of ethics has not been altered in any significant form from its beginning and continues today because the philosophy, is a study; not mere words in which one does not seek understanding, truth and knowledge.

Origins of Ethics

Influenced by Daoism, Zhou Dunyi (1017-1073) commented on the Yi Jing (Book of Changes) and explained the cosmic diagram of the great ultimate in a new way according to Confucian philosophy that emphasizes ethics. Superior people cultivate moral qualities and enjoy good fortune, while the inferior violate them and suffer. Following The Center of Harmony (Zhong Yong), Zhou Dunyi believed the foundation of a sage comes from cheng, which means sincerity, honesty, integrity, and authenticity. From this integrity he derived the five traditional Confucian virtues of humanity, justice, propriety, wisdom, and faithfulness. Humanity is loving; justice is doing what is right; propriety is putting things in order; wisdom is penetrating; and faithfulness is abiding by one's commitments. Zhou Dunyi explained that in human nature are strength and weakness, good and evil, and the mean (center).

Confucius also concluded that music was central to this ordered universe in that the harmony was essential for its preservation and expansion. Reading became central to the application, but carried a divine responsibility, for having read one now has the duty to expand knowledge by administering to the needs and wants of those who could not read. Understanding and a one-ness became crucial to accomplishment of the end.

Administration of Ethics

An avenue of administration involves that of self or a Gnostic belief" where the individual seeks to rise to the level of angels so that each may" come that mystical level which brings the individual into direct" contact with the Divine. This administration includes three" attributes: incorruptibility, aspiration and surrender."

Without reciting the entire Code of Chivalry, which is a second administration of a code of ethics, we will mention a few. To call one's self a Knight and be afforded all of the rights and privileges an oath was sworn to uphold and included the following:

* always champion right against wrong and good against evil.

* be polite and attentive.

* always keep your word

* show courage in the face of the enemy

* never be cruel in battle and show mercy and compassion to the enemy.

Knights as a group administered their code of ethics. Those in violation where immediately stripped of knighthood. There was no tribunal summoned nor a vote of the membership. Three knights in good standing held the authority.

Historical footnote to the Knights administration: Augustinus the philosopher eluded to "three knights in good standing and their authority" but included the concept of "redemption" which allowed reinstatement. However after three "falls from grace" was given a permanent ban upon being a knight. Hence an origin of "three strikes and you are out."

* Core moral values include honesty, respect, responsibility, fairness and compassion and have come to be a kind of litmus test for ethical behavior. Added to that list is a word "courage" which is now commonly accepted but absent from formal presentations but abundant in classroom discussions and formal gatherings of those involved specifically in the area of ethics.

* Courage comes in several forms: moral versus physical courage, where moral is not about facing physical challenges that harm the body, but facing mental challenges that could harm one's reputation, emotional well-being, self-esteem or other. The first step in regaining high moral ground is to recognize moral courage which is like the string which ties a strand of pearls together and includes honesty, respect, responsibility, fairness, and compassion. A second step is recognizing what "moral courage" is not: which is the exact opposite or in other words the easy wrong, rather than the hard right. Step three would be to engage in acts of moral courage, because with every experience lived, we can engage in the next without as much fear. The danger lies in refusing to face the fear, by not daring to come to grips with it.

Conclusion

Codes of conduct, pledges of morality and other ethical charters have been with us from the beginning of time, yet there are humans who adopt lives by these codes knowing full well that others may not. That my good friends is the genesis of the APEX code of conduct which applies to our growing community. Least we lose ourselves and our morality, please do not use the excuse that "others are not following" to do anything other ourselves than to lift each person up who honestly and compassionately tries to "live the code." And who may be found wanting, will witness the "moral courage" of a friend to bring each back into fellowship.

What do we mean by ethics?
The word ethics comes from a Greek source meaning custom or habit. Ethical philosophy involves the study of right and wrong. Sometimes people use the word morality instead of ethics. Both morality and ethics are about finding out how we ought to live. Ethics is a major branch of philosophy. (The other branches being: epistemology or knowledge, metaphysics or the essential nature of things and logic or reason.

Approaches to Ethics
There are four possible ways of approaching ethics.

Descriptive ethics: involves the description of how things are or the customs of a society.
Normative ethics: is about making moral decisions or deciding what is right and what is wrong. There are two main ways of doing this, namely by intentions or moral rules relating to duty (deontological ethics) or by outcome (teleological).
Meta-ethics; this approach analyses the nature of ethics. It includes both realism and antirealism. Realism is the view that moral values can be discovered, possibly by using intuition. Antirealism is the view that morality is determined by people’s thoughts and feelings
Applied ethics: this is how ethical values may be used in specific circumstances. So for example, the study of abortion would involve an individual applying moral theory to the situation of abortion. In order to do this they may draw on both normative values those of meta-ethics.


Normative Ethics In More Detail
Teleological Theory
Teleological theory is also known as consequentialism and involves outcomes. One example of teleological theory is utilitarianism. According to this theory one should do what creates the most happiness for the greatest number of people. However utilitarians are divided about what happiness is. Some claim that happiness is simply pleasure but others claim it is about minimising pain. Two major exponents of utilitarianism are Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill.

Jeremy Bentham produced the felicific calculus, or hedonic calculus. For Bentham one could calculate the actual amount of pleasure over pain using a sort of mathematical method. The calculus involves taking into account factors such as: intensity, duration and certainty of pleasure.

John Stuart Mill divided pleasure into higher and lower order, claiming cultural, spiritual and intellectual pleasures to be higher order in nature.

Some utilitarians claim that lawmakers ought to apply the happiness principle to formulate general rules for society. These utilitarians are called rule utilitarians. On the other hand, act utilitarians claim that one should apply the happiness principle to each act and so determine the morality of each individual situation.



Not surprisingly there are several criticisms of utilitarianism. One of the main criticisms is the conflict between the greatest number and the greatest happiness. For instance, what if I can create a lot of happiness for one person or a little happiness for lots of people? What should I do? Another problem is to do with how we define happiness because if it is merely pleasure then this is purely hedonistic and somehow this seems wrong. For instance, it may be pleasurable to spend my whole day playing computer games instead of doing my philosophy homework but this does not make playing games the right thing to do.



Deontological Theory
Deontological theory, on the other hand, maintains that we should act out of good intentions, namely duty.

Kant’s theory is perhaps the best known deontological theory. Kant argued that we should do duty for duty’s sake (categorical imperative). This applies regardless of outcome or emotions and that is why it is categorical. (Whereas the hypothetical imperative states: ‘Do X to achieve Y’.)

For Kant our actions must pass the universability test, which means one should ask what would happen if everyone acted in that way. This does not make Kant’s theory consequentialist because he was not concerned with consequences but rather whether any irrationality or contradiction would be produced should everyone act in a certain way.

Kant also said that we should act as though everyone were a member of the kingdom of ends, meaning that we should treat everyone as if they have their own ends or purposes. This contrasts with a very modern and capitalist view that we treat others for our own ends. One of the most positive aspects of Kant’s philosophy is his theme of respect for others, which has been the basis of human rights legislation.

One criticism of Kant’s theory is that he does not explain why we should do duty for duty’s sake.




Meta-ethics in More Depth
Meta means ‘after or beyond’ so this branch of ethics usually goes above or beyond that of normative theory. Examples of meta-ethical theory include: relativism, intuitionism, emotivism and prescriptivism.

Meta-ethical questions include:

What do we mean by good or bad?
How do we make moral judgements?
Are some things always good or bad?
One key issue is to do with whether moral judgements can be objective (realism) or subjective (antirealism). In other words, whether moral judgements are based on the emotions and perceptions of individuals (antirealism) or whether they can be known in some objective way. Another way of stating this is by questioning whether some things are always good independently of any will or view.

Antirealism
Antirealism holds that there is no objective good but that something may be deemed good by individuals. To give an example, if I believe as relativists do, that morality is judged from the perspective of time, place or situation then I am an antirealist. For relativists what is deemed right at one time may not be right at another because there are no objective standards. Thus divorce was once viewed as wrong in Britain but today many people do not judge it as immoral. For relativists this shift in values illustrates the view that nothing is always right or wrong.
Another form of antirealism is the view that ethical statements are neither true nor false. Both emotivism and prescriptivism hold this position. Emotivism holds that morality is about an emotional response so that I may be kind to a kitten because I have an feelings of sympathy towards it. Whereas prescriptivism holds that moral statements imply a prescription or rather imply an action. Therefore the statement ‘it is wrong to commit adultery’ implies ‘you should not commit adultery’.

Realism
On the other hand, I may believe that there are objective moral standards or things which are always right or wrong independent of any arbitrary opinion. For instance, I may believe that marriage is for life and judge as unimportant the fact that attitudes have changed to marriage. According to this view divorce may still be wrong even if the consensus of opinion changes so that just because the majority think something is right, it does not follow that it is so.

Intutionism is one example of realism. Intuitionists argue that we know how to respond in a given situation because we have an intuitive understanding of goodness. We have this understanding because goodness is objective.

It is important to realise that realism is not the same as absolutism. Absolutism is a form of antirealism. Absolutism holds that some things are absolutely wrong in all situations but that they are absolutely wrong as the result of some will such as God’s or that of the monarch. For instance, in divine command theory something is deemed wrong because God says it is wrong. However this makes morality subject to God’s will. If something is subject to a will (even God’s) then it is not objective. Objective standards hold that some things are always right or wrong independent of any arbitrary will.



Conclusions
In conclusion, there are four approaches to ethics, namely: descriptive, normative, meta-ethics and applied ethics. The last of these four has not been discussed at any length in this paper. However it is important to realise that applied ethics involves the application of normative and meta-ethical theory particular situations such as: abortions, genetics, environment, animal rights etc. Normative theory is about moral judgements and includes both deontological and teleological theories. Meta-ethics is about analysing the nature of ethics and includes both realist and antirealist views.


BIBLIOGRAPHY
Benn, P., Ethics, Routledge, 1998

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy at: ethics.htm target=_blank onclick=javascript:urchinTracker('/outgoing/article_exit_link');>http://www.iep.utm.edu/e/ethics.htm

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