Keep It Simple Stupid Research Articles

Valuing Losses of Pension Benefits

Valuing Losses of Pension Benefits

Data Entry Form Designing Tools and Software Usability in DHIS2.

The advent of configurable software has shifted the implementation of software solutions from total reliance on software developers to towards increased participation of end-users. End-users are now able to create software solutions without the need for writing code but through configuration and customisation. Despite the increasing use of configurable software challenges on designing the software platform architecture, process of testing and usability exists in configurable software. The research aimed at evaluating how available interface elements influence usability in DHIS2. Empirical data was collected by studying the design of custom data collection forms for routine health data collection with two groups of users. 80% and 90% were recorded as completion rates of the designed task and overall efficiency of 86.23% and 89.94% was achieved between the two groups. Lack of relevant editing features, increased distance between related objects, lack of conformity to Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS) and minimalistic design principle were found to be the major challenges affecting the usability.

Application of ‘KISS’ Principle on Marketing Mix Strategy (Firmax3 Product through Network Marketing in Indonesia): Case Study

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KISS: A bit too simple

KISS (‘Keep it Simple Stupid’) is an efficient pseudo-random number generator originally specified by G. Marsaglia and A. Zaman in 1993. G. Marsaglia in 1998 posted a C version to various USENET newsgroups, including sci.crypt. Marsaglia himself has never claimed cryptographic security for the KISS generator, but others have made the intellectual leap and claimed that it is of cryptographic quality. In this paper we show a number of reasons why the generator does not meet some of the KISS authors’ claims, why it is not suitable for use as a stream cipher, and that it is not cryptographically secure. Our best attack requires about 70 words of generated output and a few hours of computation to recover the initial state. In early 2011, G. Marsaglia posted a new version of KISS, which falls to a simple divide-and-conquer attack.

Library resource discovery.

Library resource discovery.

The Virgin Way: Everything I Know about Leadership

The Virgin Way: Everything I Know about Leadership Sir Richard Branson Penguin Group (USA) LLC (2014) 352 Pages, Hardcover, $29.95Have you ever envisioned working for a company where the sky is literally the limit, and your boss is standing next to you encouraging you to jump head first into the unknown? Do you thrive on unconventional approaches to business, people management, and organizational leadership? Do you dare to dream big? If you answered yes to any, or all, of these questions, then this book may be the motivation that you need to take the next step. Screw it, let's do it! is the approach that the ingenious Sir Richard Branson takes in his brilliantly entertaining handbook for leadership and management The Virgin Way: Everything I Know about Leadership. Author of more than a dozen books on business and entrepreneurship, Sir Richard Branson has no qualms about openly discussing some of his most legendary successes, epic failures, and all of the vitally important lessons that he learned along the way.Branson began to build his commercial empire at the age of sixteen after dropping out of school to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams. More than four decades later, his reign extends over more than one hundred entities that comprise the Virgin Group. The Virgin Way: Everything I Know about Leadership provides the reader with an inside look at Branson's unconventional approach to leadership which can be summed up into four major categories that have impacted the way that he has triumphantly conducted business. Part One, entitled LISTEN, begins with and introduction to Branson's early history as an entrepreneur and discusses how his upbringing encouraged him to pursue his dreams and never question his instincts. He then transitions to topics of great importance such as the art of active listening, customer service and satisfaction, the finely honed craft of K-I-S-S (keep it simple stupid) - why less is often more, and ends the section with a candid discussion on why the majority of all corporate mission statements are anything but inspirational on virtually all levels. This section is a phenomenal icebreaker for this book, and really gets the reader prepped for the underlying issues that Mr. Branson raises throughout the remainder of the book. Section Two (LEARN), Section Three (LAUGH), and Section Four (LEAD) all follow suit using Branson's real life anecdotes to further explore topics that are essential to leadership in the 21st century. He delves into meaningful issues in such areas as hiring the right employees, creating a strong corporate culture, collaboration, and decisionmaking.The Virgin Way: Everything I Know about Leadership is a very straightforward and lighthearted management and leadership guide that is overflowing with valuable narratives and real life experiences from the well-known Sir Richard Branson. Branson's charismatic personality and zest for life added a personal touch to this book that few business periodical authors are able to capture, and his smooth conversational writing style kept me, as the reader, on my toes and always wondering what he would come up with next. …

Computer-based data acquisition and visualization systems in field geology: Results from 12 years of experimentation and future potential

Paper-based geologic mapping is now archaic, and it is essential that geologists transition out of paper-based fi eld work and embrace new fi eld geographic information system (GIS) technology. Based on ~12 yr of experience with using handheld computers and a variety of fi eld GIS software, we have developed a working model for using fi eld GIS systems. Currently this system uses software products from ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.) (ArcGIS and ArcPad), but the data model could be applied to any GIS system. This fi eld data model is aimed at simultaneously increasing the effi ciency of fi work while adding the attributing capability of GIS to develop fi eld data products that are more data rich than any paper map could ever achieve. We emphasize three basic rules in the development of this data structure. (1) A fi eld GIS map should emphasize line and point objects, avoiding polygons, objects that can easily be constructed outside of the fi eld environment. (2) Keep it simple stupid (KISS) is a critical rule for setting up data structures to avoid fi eld GIS systems that are less effi cient than paper. (3) Data structures need to develop a compromise between display and data entry, with display always trumping data entry because geologic insight is the primary goal. This paper contains two sample blank databases that illustrate these approaches for two applications: (1) generic bedrock geologic mapping, and (2) metamorphic geology mapping multiple generations of fabrics. Key features in our approach are to use display as a fi rst-order attribute, sorting point objects into four basic types (station, orientation, sample, photo) and lines into the four basic contact types (depositional contact, unconformity, intrusive contact, fault), plus other specialized data layers where needed. Individual GIS objects are further attributed, but attributing is limited to critical information with all objects carrying a special “note” fi eld for input of nonstandard information. We suggest that when fi eld GIS systems become the norm, fi eld geology should enjoy a revolution both in the attitude of the fi eld geologist toward his or her data and the ability to address problems using the fi eld information. However, fi eld geologists will need to adjust to the changing technology, and many longestablished fi eld paradigms should be reevaluated. One example is the rule that all linework on geologic maps needs to be perfected in the fi eld setting. Our experience suggests that with modern high-resolution imagery (aerial photography and topographic shaded reliefs) and digital elevation models, fi eld work should evolve into an iterative process where map linework is roughed out in the fi eld, refi ned during evening fi eld sessions, then potentially revisited if problems arise. This procedure is particularly effi cient when three-dimensional visualization is added to the system, a feature that will soon become the norm rather than the exception. We note that using these systems is particularly important for future developments in metamorphic geology, sedimentary geology, and astrogeology, but other applications are clearly also possible. For geoscience instructors who teach fi eld geology classes, we note that it is critical that these systems be incorporated into all geoscience fi eld programs, but research is needed on the best teaching approaches in the use of the technology.

Occam’s Razor and Human Society

Keep it simple. Occam’s razor is an eloquent principle attributed to William of Ockham (England) in the 14th century. In explaining a phenomenon, William of Ockham suggested that one should use the minimal number of assumptions required, thus eliminating assumptions that have not been shown to have significance to an explanation. This principle has been expressed in Latin as “lex parsimoniae” or the “law of parsimony” (succinctness). Thus, Occam’s razor asserts that assumptions should not be multiplied beyond need. The simplest solution that covers all the facts is often the best and most accurate. It is the best guide for life and for future research efforts. There are many equally effective ways of expressing Occam’s razor. If one is challenged with competing explanations, theories or solutions, and they are equal in all other respects, selecting the explanation that contains the minimal number of assumptions is the best approach. This remains true unless it is shown that greater complexity is required. This age old principle has been enunciated as the keep it simple, stupid (KISS) approach. It applies to our complex world: to human societies, our environment and our biosphere. What is the connection between Occam’s razor and our present day common biospheric problems? A simple solution, perhaps the simplest solution, to resource consumption, pollution and global climate change (which really represents the totality of all anthropogenic pollution of our water, air, soil and biosphere) is education and universal free birth control. This is the one solution that can reduce our human population below its current estimate of 6.6 billion. It is even more critical when it is recalled that our population is increasing at a rate of about 75 million people annually. Conservation, the development of alternative sources of energy, increased food production and putting the brakes on global warming can be best achieved with this one simple solution—a decreased human population. Conservation measures will then have a chance to be part of a successful solution for the most sever problems that face humanity. An increasing human population MEANS increasing hunger, increasing pollution, and continually decreasing non-renewable resource bases, including our energy reserves. An increasing number of countries with minimal to no infrastructure will find it increasingly difficult to provide for their people as populations increase. Even in those countries with the more advanced social structures, infrastructure will Water Air Soil Pollut (2010) 205 (Suppl 1):S69–S70 DOI 10.1007/s11270-008-9736-6

FAMILY PRACTICE MANAGEMENT: The KISS Principle in Family Practice: Keep It Simple and Systematic.

A clear, deliberate, consistent approach will beat the alternative every time. Family physicians make many important contributions to patient care with their pragmatic approach and their individualised attention to the needs of each patient they see. Their tendency to follow the classic admonition of KISS (Keep it simple, stupid) is an important counter to the tendency of subspecialists and academic researchers to recommend unnecessarily complicated and expensive approaches to patient care. However, these positive characteristics of family physicians can also get them into trouble. (Reprinted with permission from the 2003 July/August issue of Family Practice Management, FPM 2003;10:63-66 Copyright © American Academy of Family Physicians. All rights reserved.) Permission from the AAFP was granted to publish this article in the hardcopy only. Kindly refer to www.aafp.org or subscribe to the hardcopy of South African Family Practice.

PPDM: The Business Driven Standard For the Petroleum Industry

Introduction Petroleum companies are not in the business of data management or system development, yet they continue to spend enormous sums of money in the eternal challenge of achieving competitive advantage this way. Competitive advantage, however, is realized through better decisions and measured by company performance. What significant decisions have companies made in the past six months (or have not made); which ones were good or bad; and what information could have precluded the results? How much are decisions being impacted today by a lack of timely quality data and what is that data? Is it a significant challenge to manage one's own data without thinking about competitive and predictive information? Perhaps the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle is often forgotten in managing fundamental, technical data. Companies should be spending their time and money on the data they don't have. The management of data that companies do own would not be an issue if appropriate standards and diligence were applied. Standards play an important role in assuring consistent data quality for use in analytical and decision making processes. Integrating technical data is extremely time consuming when practiced on a project by project basis. This is even more challenging when data has to be copied between many disparate applications. Data for projects is used, then "lost" after first being meticulously analyzed and "cleansed" by technical professionals. There are numerous instances in the industry of seismic data being purchased several times over by companies who are not aware of their asset. There is a movement to solve this problem through implementation of a large software/data vendor single integrated solution. This solution is pursued by large corporations to solve standardization problems, but ignore the fact that there are "best of breed" products employed by smaller organizations that realize opportunities where undiscovered potential exists. How can one employ the best tools when and where needed? How can one manage such an environment? The competitive nature of our business, and the seemingly endless advances in technology, provide a sobering perspective on the importance of flexibility and responsiveness in a changing environment. We must think of the ideal solution being: any data; any application; instantaneously available; and intuitive and then define what it will take to get there. Standards are key and must be addressed across all elements of: interface, communication, access, and data. All applications will work seamlessly if each of these elements are addressed. The information technology business is undeniably the weakest in setting standards for data. An industry data standard to support petroleum industry professionals does exist. The Public Petroleum Data Model (PPDM) is a cost effective, proven standard solution and has significant implementation throughout the world. PPDM is not difficult to implement or maintain and has many compliant software products available through vendor members that cover all aspects of the petroleum business. PPDM compliant software allows integration of all aspects of the petroleum business including land; geophysics; geology; reserves; facilities; production; stratigraphy; inventory and records management (seismic data/well cores/interpretations/...); contracts; business associates and more.