- It can reassure people allowing them to feel confident knowing there is a camera watching there every move.
Disadvantages
- They are very ugly to look at.
- They make people feel uncomfortable being watched.
- Some people may feel it is an invasion of their privacy.
- It creates a target for vandals to destroy.
- The gangs are being driven away by the security camera but they now hang around else were intimidating people in another area of Mynydd Isa so this is not a long term prevention.
Evaluation
Security camera now a days are a necessity of life as they add insurance to business and homeowners allowing them to feel safe in their own homes and community. For this reason I feel security camera do a very good job but I do feel there are many bad points about the cameras which I would like to see changed.
In Great Britain today there is 1 one camera for every 40 people. This is a shocking statistic and made me feel there was far too many security cameras in the country. It felt like an invasion on my own personal space knowing I was being watched all of the time.
Another thing I would like to see changed is the shape of the camera as the shape now is very distinctive. I would change the shape so they were less intrusive. However, I also understand that the shape used is meant to be distinctive because it is used as a deterrent.
In conclusion the people of Mynydd Isa need security cameras to be able to go into the shops without feeling afraid.
I feel that security cameras are a necessary part of today’s society and if anything they will increase in numbers over the next few years.
ATM/CASH MACHINES
The second technology used within a community is the cash machine. Without this, people in the community of Mold would not be able to withdraw their money without having to enter the bank with their restricted opening hours. You withdraw money from your ATM using your debit card, knowing your money is safely stored in the bank but within easy access. Therefore, if you are unlucky enough to have your purse or wallet stolen, there will only be a small amount of cash lost. You simply then cancel your cards to prevent any use in shops etc.
These machines are normally situated in a local shop, such as the one located inside my local spar in Mynydd Isa. This has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are they are situated in an area frequented by most of the community, people who do not have access to cars can withdraw money at their convenience and enables you to budget. The advantage to the shop is obvious, in that if you withdraw money in the shop, you are likely to spend some of it in the same shop. The people of Mynydd Isa are also likely to spend some of their money in the Newsagents, chip shop, hairdressers and the two public houses.
However, the disadvantages are sometimes more subtle. There could be a charge to use the machine and if the machine is used 2-3 times per week, the charge could mount up. To combat this, I have noticed that some of my community withdraw cash when purchasing items in the spar, thus avoiding the withdrawal charge. Another disadvantage to my community is that because it is situated inside the shop, access is within opening hours of the shop only. Therefore, if you are on the way home from an evening out and you wish to withdraw money to visit the chip shop for instance, you would be unable to do so. The final worry is the possibility of the ‘scam’ whereby a machine is fixed on to the ATM enabling the criminal to access your numbers etc.
Today ATMs aren’t solely used for withdrawing money. They can be used for a whole range of other things such as making a deposit. This means that you can actually ‘give’ the machine the money as opposed to withdrawing money. It is certainly safer than keeping your money at home. Another use would be, of course, to simply check your balance to enable you to budget effectively.
ATMs can also be used anywhere in the world. This means when you are on holiday abroad you can still withdraw money. However, be prepared to pay a charge for this service.
ATMs in Mynydd Isa are needed because there are no localised banks in the area. So without them people could not get money out without travelling to the local banks in Mold.
Advantages
- You don’t need to go to a bank to get money out.
- They are very easy to use.
- You can get your money out when it suits you.
- They can also be used to make deposits
Disadvantages
- You have to pay a service fee when using the ATMs
- The ATMs can only be used in shop hours.
- There is only a certain amount of money within the machines.
- They are not very private as the one in Spar is placed next to the door and any in front of a window.
Evaluation
The ATM in Mynydd Isa meets every requirement of the people of the town. This is because it is local to them.
However there are many hidden disadvantages to using the ATMs which are not made clear. This is very misleading as someone who did not know about the service charge may be using the ATM 3-4 times a week and the fee taken would soon amount to a lot of money leaving them sort changed.
However the advantages of having the ATM are also very clear to see. As they can supply the community with the money they what without even leaving Mynydd Isa. Also the ATM is placed in a position in the town were it will get frequent use from people using the shops and public houses.
Without the ATM machine many people in Mynydd Isa particularly older people who may struggle to get down to Mold would suffer a great deal and would find it very difficult to live.
Speed Cameras
The third technology I am going to examine is the introduction of speed cameras in my local area. The speed camera is thought by many to potentially save thousands of lives a year simply by being placed in heavily congested areas such as schools and town centres. It is thought that by reducing speed in areas where pedestrians will be crossing roads or children playing near by.
Speed Camera are needed in Mynydd Isa to allow the people of the town to be able to cross the roads without being scared of being hit by a speeding car. The way this has been achieved in Mynydd Isa is by putting a speed camera on the main road through the town. As this helps prevent motorists speeding because when they see the signs and camera they slow down.
There are 4000 speed cameras placed strategically around Great Britain to catch people who are travelling beyond the speed limit. There are 13 speed cameras in the Flintshire area including one in Mynydd Isa.
The speed cameras work by firstly measuring the speed of the car going past. It does this using a number of ways, one of these ways is the two strips method. This consists of two strips bedded in the road at a set distance away from each other and as you go over the first strip you will be timed and it will stop once you go over the other strip. It will then divide the distance divided by the time and give the speed at which the car is travelling at. If it is exceeding the limit in that particular area, then it will take a photo of the back of the car. By doing this, it is taking a photograph of the car’s number plate which will then enable the police to identify who the car belongs to and where they live. Once the authorities know where you live, they will simply either send you a letter giving you the option of paying a fine or face prosecution. The fine will be £60.00 but will also give you a punishment of 3 points on your driving licence. If you then collect 12 points within a 3 year period, you could face a ban from driving for a period of time. If you are caught travelling at an excessive speed such as 100mph, you could face an instant lifetime ban and a criminal record.
I believe that the two speed cameras in Mynydd Isa do encourage people to keep within the speed limit. Whether this is because of people’s fear of a fine and a 3 point addition on to their license or because they wish to become more responsible drivers is debatable. Nevertheless, it makes it a safer road because of them.
Many people are starting to believe that speed cameras are being used as a way for the local police authority to make money. They believe that cameras are placed where they are not necessarily required or do not give you enough warning to slow down. However, I do believe speed cameras are a necessity in today’s society as whenever someone sees the speed camera sign or camera itself, they automatically slow down and even if they save only one life a year, then they have achieved their objective.
Advantages
- Makes motorist slow down when they are going through Mynydd Isa.
- Prevents car accidents in the town.
- They catch speeding offender going through the town. Making them reluctant to do it again.
- They allow pedestrians to feel more secure crossing the road.
Disadvantages
- Once cars have passed the speed camera they invariably speed up.
- They are incredibly ugly.
- When drivers see the camera they sometimes slam on their breaks trying to avoid being caught.
- Drivers also when they see the camera tend to take their eyes off the road and concentrate on their speed. This too is very dangerous.
Evaluation
Without the speed camera in Mynydd Isa people would be terrified to cross the main road which divides Mynydd Isa.
I feel the speed camera does fit most of the needs of the people in Mynydd Isa. However there are some major problems that need to be seen to.
One such problem is the fact that when a car see the camera or camera signs they slow down but once they have passed the camera they immediately speed back up, which is completely defeating the object of having as speed camera. To combat this problem I would either place more speed cameras on the road this would stop people from speeding but would cost quite a lot of money. Another way of solving the problem would be to simply place speed bumps or sleeping police men along the road. If the drivers still broke the law by speeding they won’t only be facing a fine but by speeding over the humps it can also cause serious damage to the cars suspension.
Another way I would improve speed cameras would be to take down the signs warning motorists of a speed camera and replace them with signs telling them of the speed limit in the area by doing this motorists would know the speed limit of the area and I would also camouflage the speed camera into the background so it is not obviously seen. By doing this the speed camera would catch a lot more speeding motorists. This would be stopping the dangerous motorists who speed all the time but slow down when they see a camera.
Another way of combating speeding in Mynydd Isa is to have more speed cameras as there is only one in the whole village. However the one that we do have has been strategically placed one a very dangerous road. The road is very straight and goes down hill into Mold which some people think is the perfect place to speed. However also on that road is a popular children’s playing park. So for parents to feel safe taking their children there the council placed the speed camera outside the park.
Community Internet access
The final technology I have chosen to write about is internet use within my community. The internet now a days is popular than ever before and this is mostly due to the switch to broadband. Meaning people could use the internet for longer for a cheaper amount of money. It also meant your computer wouldn’t take so much time opening one web page.
The internet is used for so many different reason here’s just a few:
- For research, you can research almost anything on the internet with just a click of a button.
- For shopping, Internet shopping is becoming ever more popular with big shopping brands like Tesco offering to deliver food to your door after placing an online shopping list.
- For dating, the internet can be used to find an old friend from school or made even a new friend you might want to spend the rest of your life with.
- For gaming, the internet can also be used to simply play games on just one of its free online sites.
- Job seeking, the internet can help you to search online for jobs. It can also allow you to work from home.
The internet is very popular but there are still people living within my community who do have access at home to the internet. So for these people to shop they can’t simply go on the internet and order what they want and wait for it to be delivered they have to brave the weather and go to Mold to buy the shopping.
So to help these people without access to the internet living within Mynydd Isa, the council gave the library four computers with broadband internet access. This now meant that everyone living within my community could enjoy the benefit of having internet access.
Allow this has benefits for everyone living in my community, it helps the older people the most. As they are the ones least likely to own a computer. So they can now order there shopping online and have it delivered right to there front door at a click of a button. This benefits them because it means they don’t have to go to Mold to get their shopping. They can also find an old war buddy or school friends online by using one of the many online reunion websites.
Children from my community which go to my school also have access to the internet during school, at lunch time and after school in the computer rooms and library. This means pupils who don’t have computers can still do their homework and still do research on the computer.
Advantages
- Access to the internet for people in my community.
- A way for older people to do their shopping without having to go to Mold.
- A way for people without internet access to do research and homework.
- A way of keeping in touch with friends .
Disadvantages
- A limited supply of computer and time spent on them.
- Less likely to get a go on the computers because there are such high demand for them within my community.
- Many people don’t know how to use the internet.
- You have to go to the library or school to use the computers as this is where they are situated.
- You can not use the computers past half past four as this is when the library closes.
Evaluation
The internet access in Mynydd Isa is very popular and has been a welcome addition to my community because people now have the opportunity to use the internet, which is something some of the people in my community have never had access to.
Without the internet access many people within Mynydd Isa would struggle as they use the internet on a weekly basis and would no longer have access to online shopping websites or friend finding websites and because computer are so expensive may not be able to afford one for themselves.
The internet access I feel does fit the needs of most people in Mynydd Isa as they always have access to the internet. However, this does not mean to say I would not change a few things about the internet access.
I would firstly make the library stay open a little longer as it is Impractical for it to shut at half four as many people who work in the day time would not be able to use the computers because the library would be closed. Another way I would change the internet access in Mynydd Isa would be to have more computers available to the community because there is a big demand for them but only a few computers available to use.