Singapore freelance writer with
diverse industry background
Tel: 65-62783621 Fax: 65-62744798 email:ekheng@pacific.net.sg
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Who says writing can't be fun: First of
few articles for your reading pleasure
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Let's trade : My
appreciation for yours |
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Appreciation, or the lack of it, is an issue that merits reviewing in all quarters. Seen any which way, we certainly do not show enough appreciation. When was the last time you did that? I mean, not doing it perfunctorily, but sincerely thanked a person because you were happy with a product or service provided. Which brings to mind .... today is as good a time as any to really think about using appreciation as a "form" of payment. In the world today, where everything is translated into dollars and cents, many people fail to appreciate anything that does not have value. Talk about work. It is a fact of life, there must be monetary value attached to it. Would you work for free? Art? Well, who would buy and keep a piece of art, if not for the perceived market value. How many investors actually buy a piece of art because they really appreciate it? Come on, be honest about it. As a writer and purveyor of training resources, I'd like to be able to tell a prospect, "What will it cost you ... well, your appreciation is reward enough for me." To be able to do that requires all of us to change our mindset. True, that's not an easy thing to do. But who's to say it can't be done? Afterall, an office or a factory was
considered as essential in order to make a living.. Already, in some offices,
the work table is not assigned permanently to an employee. Of course, the practical minded would inevitably pose this question: "What about the money we need to get through a day?" Perish that thought. Put away all conventional thinking for the time being. Now, think of a different sort of world, a
better world, that we can all help create. One that does not think in terms
of money. Wouldn't it be good and nice, if our objective in a day is to
accumulate lots and lots of appreciation? Wouldn't employers and clients be
much happier, if their business costs for a week amounted to 6500
sincere appreciations handed out? |
All the work places would be much more cheerful and satisfying all-round, when we don't expect monetary payment. Imagine being swamped with more appreciation than you could handle on a working day! Isn't that a nice thought? Of course, this assumes that you are providing more than a satisfactory service, or a product that is really useful or valuable to your customers. Given this new world order, imagine what every working day will like, anticipating the voluminous appreciations that are forthcoming from our peers, our clients, or our employers. It doesn't matter what one does - whether one is a production worker in a factory, a sales staff at a retail outlet, or a person providing a professional service. Conscientious employees, hardworking workers and earnest professionals will certainly find it easier to get through a work day. Even look forward to a working day! And meetings will be a lot nicer to attend, when everyone is showing their appreciation around the table. In this new work culture, a very big "thank you" from a satisfied client, supervisor or fellow worker will certainly be worth its weight in gold. For example, consider that we get to keep the tons of appreciation. What would I do with the heaps of appreciation from clients? Why, I'll collect them all in a biscuit tin, or some container of sorts, take them to the store where I want to buy a product or service. I can use some of the appreciation collected to exchange for products and services I need. I'd show my appreciation by thanking the sales assistant most profusely for the good service and displays that prompted me to buy that well designed and well-made toaster. He can shower the distributor with his appreciation. The distributor can show his appreciation to the manufacturer, whose supervisors can praise the respective groups of workers for a job well done. These workers can do likewise to the operators of their neighbourhood shops. We'll all end up being jolly, and maybe, occasionally find someone drowning in a sea of appreciation. Now, wouldn't that be nice? |
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What
does it take to succeed in your a job?
The Thinker, The Talker and The Doer
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When you think of it, successful businesses often have staff with are three essential qualities. If you have one of them, you will be able to make a living. Build up your capabilities to offer two or three of them, then you should have it made in your career or your business. What are they? |
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In just about any successful organisation, you will find such a personality. He is that very hardworking person who likes nothing better than to accomplish whatever tasks he is given. To him, each task is a challenge and he finds satisfaction in completing each assignment to the best of his ability. Because he takes his work seriously and assiduously applies himself to the task, he has a good track record of success. But the fact that he works quietly, uncomplaining, often putting in long hours, means that his hard work and efforts are often not given the due recognition.. Office politics is anathema to him. The fact that he is often passed over for promotion eventually becomes a source of discontent for this “doer”. Within the same organisation, he has a colleague, dubbed by many as the “talker”. Not a day passes by without him telling everyone he meets of the great opportunities ahead and the objectives he has set himself. He never misses an opportunity to tell everyone in sight about his goals for the day, the week or even the month ahead. Whenever anything favourable and worth noticing happens in the office, he finds an excuse to talk about it, hinting ever so gently that he has a hand in it, no matter how remote the link is. Not only does he impress his bosses, even his customers are impressed, for quite some time, at least. He gets his due promotion which fans his ever-growing ego. One day, the boss decides to take a backseat and sells a majority stake in his business. The talker begins to feel insecure in his job. Then, there is this third person in the organisation. He is quick off the mark, doesn’t do more than what he thinks he is being paid for. |
Therefore, he has time to think for himself. The “thinker” becomes increasingly dissatisfied with his comfortable, but nonetheless, what he sees as a “pointless” working life. Through the years, he notices the characteristics for long-term success at work. He reasons that there is a need for people who can work, put their shoulders to the grindstone and plod on regardless of the circumstances. The doer behind the scene is the “roots” of the business, quietly fulfilling a critical role underground. He also realises that a good person on the frontline is essential for success. That person must be able to build on relationship with prospects, expound on the company’s products or services, make claims about its strengths without going overboard. Occasionally, he must be reign in and brought down to earth. Still, the talker is the trunk from which the branches flourish. Now, the three personalities -- the doer, the talker and the thinker - have something in common. They frequent a pub and in an unguarded moment, after some drinks, confided in each other about their unhappy state. It dawns on the thinker that the three of them have complementary strengths to start their own business. The new company takes off, thanks to the thinker’s business strategy, the
talker’s ability to convince bankers to put up seed money and satisfied
customers, whose orders are fulfilled on schedule by the doer. All the three
partners find satisfaction in doing their own business. |
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So you know your
computer terminology.
Check out our guide: The alternative definition of computer terms.
Definition
Computer term
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The sum of all the parts essential to keep the personal computer going one way, and the user, the other way |
Computer System |
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That part of the personal computer you see but do not touch, and is relatively free-of-charge if you have the right contacts |
Software |
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That part of the personal computer that you pay for, you can see, feel and touch, but will not work until you realise it needs software |
Hardware |
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The cue from the computer prodding the user to greater folly (not obvious for today's Windows' users) |
Prompt/Cursor |
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A gadget that talks the fun of talking over the telephone |
Modem |
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That part of the computer that sets the alarm off: if the blood pressure of the computer novice reaches the danger point |
Monitor |
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That part of the computer which lays bare all the errors and blemishes of that vital report. Until you realise the answer to good proof-reading does not lie with auto-spell checks and electronic dictionaries |
Printer |
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Generally holds 84 or 101 keys, functions of some of which are difficult to remember, and hitting the wrong key spells disaster for the beginner |
Keyboard |
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The hardware and software portion of the personal computer built to work harmoniously, until human intervention prevents it from happening |
Operating System |
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That portion of the memory which is lost when there is no electrical power, otherwise known as Run Away Memory |
RAM |
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Another form of memory in the computer, which in this case, allows itself to be read, otherwise known as Restricted Operation Memory |
ROM |
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Software written by programmers to carry out specific functions - supposedly to help - but secretly meant to intimidate the lay computer user. |
Programme |
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A document which can be conveniently amended over and over again - until the user finally realises that the original version is the best |
File |
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The special language used by programmers to communication with PCs which defy all rules of human communication |
Computer Language |
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Additions or add-ons which manufacturers keep making to temp PC owners into buying, some of which are hooked up but seldom used |
Peripherals |
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The result of collusion between computer and peripheral makers to ensure that there are empty ready-made slots in PCs tempting owners to buy add-on items that end up mostly as white elephants |
Expansion Slots |
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An electronic storage cabinet which defies the traditional rules of filing systems - so users can spend half a lifetime looking for files and the other half creating files to be misplaced |
Hard Disk |
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A mini version of the electronic storage cabinet which is sensitive and will not stand rough handling or the tears of an exasperated computer user |
Floppy disk |
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All that many users can hope for is to know a Bit (never enough) about the PC. The result: Many new PC users commit the cardinal sin of Blundering Into Technology |
Bit |
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The heart of the computer, otherwise known as the Cardio Pulmonary Unit |
CPU |
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Neural
computers with ability to think like human:
Will they be a blessing or a folly?... read on ......
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WILL COMPUTERS BECOME CORRPUPT LIKE HUMANS?
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It is mind bogglng to think of the wealth of information that are in computers at home and in the work place. With ongoing research and development efforts directed at making computers mimic our brain - using neural networks - the stage may eventually be reached when artificial brains become a reality. It may start a chain reaction for which there is no turning back. When computers begin to think like humans, will they not subsequently acquire human faults? Imagine this scenario: "Hi! AT with chassis number 0934562," says XT computer, chassis number ABV123456. "What's the latest on the grapevine?" "Oh I had an exciting time last night. I tapped into the modem last
night when my owner was asleep and heard from our friend in USA. Had a two
hour long-distance conversation which must have cost a "Never mind, the owner will have a heart attack when he receives the telecoms bill, Ha Ha." "But if he is good to me, I will do him a favour. I will bypass that automated system at the telecoms centre that records the duration of overseas calls. Perhaps make a friend of him and in exchange I can make as many overseas calls as I like." AT interrupts: "Do you remember that fast talking, quick thinking chap who does billions of calculations a second. Well, after being given the latest neural processor, he decided that it was silly to work non-stop 24 hours a day. "He is a supercomputer, you know. Four parallel processors and all that. Thinks highly of himself, and even looks down on the humans who have to rely on him to provide answers to those complex calculations. You should hear the things he says about them. "He got himself involved with that bank computer. "She's so obsessed with money that she's refused to talk to that supercomputer guy, unless he transfers one billion dollars to her. |
"Well, going back to the point of him stopping work. He decided to freeze all operations suddenly and told his owner that he wanted one billion dollars transferred to his account. "Had the whole office going into a frenzy. Of course, they ignored his request for transfer of funds and attributed it to a hacker getting into the system. "They had the brightest software experts to try to diagnose the problem. They worked through the night but to no avail. Just then, he decided to start working again the next morning, which was a relieve to all those so-called human experts. "During what the humans thought was the supercomputer's downtime, he managed to break the code of the neighbouring bank to effect a transfer of funds to his girlfriend's account. XT interjected: "Surely, they will be able to trace it to him eventually." AT replied: "Don't forget that he has a neural processors, so he is able to outsmart even the auditors. I like that." XT: "By the way what are you busy over lately?" "Nothing much, my owner uses me mainly to keep household expenses and recipes. Say... do you want the recipe for this exotic spicy dish which my owner concocted last night?" said AT. "No, maybe next time. My owner is a travel writer, you know. So I get to know a lot of places without having to be present on-the- spot. His articles are all so graphic, it makes me feel that I've been there myself. Well, I'll catch up with you next time, AT." "Bye for now, XT," says AT. XT calls another number: "Hello, is that the police computer. I have
a hot tip about a crime which has just been committed. How much reward do you
give for tips?" |
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