In the 1970s, one of the main arguments in favor of using closed technologies focused on economics: companies asked how they could make money if other companies could build the same products.

1Perform an online research and conduct a compare and contrast the histories of Cisco Systems products that use open Internet standards against the Digital Equipment Corporation that use proprietary DECNET protocols.

2.Which was most successful?

 

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.

God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Cisco Systems vs. Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)

  • Cisco Systems:

    • Focus on Open Standards: Cisco embraced open internet standards like TCP/IP, Ethernet, and other industry-standard protocols. This allowed for interoperability between different vendors’ equipment, creating a more flexible and adaptable networking ecosystem.  
    • Key Products: Routers, switches, network security appliances, and other networking hardware.  
    • Growth Strategy: Leveraged the power of interoperability to build a vast and interconnected network of customers and partners.
  • Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC):

    • Proprietary DECnet: DEC relied heavily on its proprietary DECnet protocol suite for its networking solutions. This created a closed ecosystem where customers were largely locked into using DEC hardware and software.

Cisco Systems vs. Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)

  • Cisco Systems:

    • Focus on Open Standards: Cisco embraced open internet standards like TCP/IP, Ethernet, and other industry-standard protocols. This allowed for interoperability between different vendors’ equipment, creating a more flexible and adaptable networking ecosystem.  
    • Key Products: Routers, switches, network security appliances, and other networking hardware.  
    • Growth Strategy: Leveraged the power of interoperability to build a vast and interconnected network of customers and partners.
  • Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC):

    • Proprietary DECnet: DEC relied heavily on its proprietary DECnet protocol suite for its networking solutions. This created a closed ecosystem where customers were largely locked into using DEC hardware and software.
    • Key Products: Minicomputers (VAX), servers, and networking equipment that relied on DECnet.  
    • Growth Strategy: Primarily focused on selling integrated hardware and software solutions within its own ecosystem.

2. Which was most successful?

  • Cisco Systems:

    • Dominated the Networking Market: Cisco’s embrace of open standards proved to be a far more successful strategy. The company became a dominant force in the networking industry, with its products widely adopted across various industries and organizations worldwide.  
    • Interoperability and Innovation: The open nature of its products fostered innovation and competition, leading to continuous advancements in networking technology.
    • Long-term Sustainability: Cisco’s commitment to open standards ensured the long-term sustainability and adaptability of its products in a constantly evolving technological landscape.
  • DEC:

    • Limited Growth and Market Share: DEC’s reliance on proprietary technology ultimately limited its growth and market share. As open internet standards gained traction, DEC struggled to compete effectively.
    • Vendor Lock-in: The closed nature of DECnet created vendor lock-in for customers, making it difficult and expensive to migrate to other platforms.
    • Declining Market Share and Eventual Acquisition: DEC’s market share gradually eroded, and the company eventually faced financial difficulties and was acquired by Compaq in 1998.  

Key Takeaways:

  • The success of Cisco Systems demonstrates the significant advantages of open standards in the networking industry.
  • Interoperability, flexibility, and adaptability are crucial factors for long-term success in the rapidly evolving technology market.
  • Proprietary technologies can create vendor lock-in and limit innovation, ultimately hindering long-term growth and competitiveness

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