article 100

richest in the world Effective Writing tips
In our society, the study of language and literature is the domain of poets, novelists, and literary critics. Language is considered a decorative art, fit for entertainment and culture, but practically useless in comparison to the concrete sciences. Just look at the value of a college degree in English versus one in computer science or accounting.
But is this an accurate assessment of value?
Language is the primary conductor between your brain and the minds of your audience. Ineffective language weakens and distorts ideas.
If you want to be understood, if you want your ideas to spread, using effective language must be your top priority.In the modern world of business and politics this is hardly ever the case. In many instances, imprecise language is used intentionally to avoid taking a position and offending various demographics. No wonder it’s hard to make sense of anything!
This is hardly a recent problem, and as George Orwell wrote in his 1946 essay, Politics and the English Language, the condition is curable. By following Orwell’s 5 rules for effective writing, you’ll distinguish yourself from competitors and clearly communicate your ideas.
1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
This sounds easy, but in practice is incredibly difficult. Phrases such as toe the line, ride roughshod over, stand shoulder to shoulder with, play into the hands of, an axe to grind, Achilles’ heel, swan song, and hotbed come to mind quickly and feel comforting and melodic.
For this exact reason they must be avoided. Common phrases have become so comfortable that they create no emotional response. Take the time to invent fresh, powerful images.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
Long words don’t make you sound intelligent unless used skillfully. In the wrong situation they’ll have the opposite effect, making you sound pretentious and arrogant. They’re also less likely to be understood and more awkward to read.
When Hemingway was criticized by Faulkner for his limited word choice he replied:
Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words? He thinks I don’t know the ten-dollar words. I know them all right. But there are older and simpler and better words, and those are the ones I use.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree (Ezra Pound). Accordingly, any words that don’t contribute meaning to a passage dilute its power. Less is always better. Always.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
This one is frequently broken, probably because many people don’t know the difference between active and passive verbs. I didn’t myself until a few months ago. Here is an example that makes it easy to understand:
The man was bitten by the dog. (passive)The dog bit the man. (active).The active is better because it’s shorter and more forceful.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
This is tricky because much of the writing published on the internet is highly technical. If possible, remain accessible to the average reader. If your audience is highly specialized this is a judgment call. You don’t want to drag on with unnecessary explanation, but try to help people understand what you’re writing about. You want your ideas to spread right?
6. Break any of these rules sooner than saying anything outright barbarous.
This bonus rule is a catch all. Above all, be sure to use common sense.These rules are easy to memorize but difficult to apply. Although I’ve edited this piece a dozen times I’m sure it contains imperfections. But trust me, it’s much better now than it was initially. The key is effort. Good writing matters, probably more than you think.
I hope you find these rules helpful, and through their application we’re able to understand each other a little bit better. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to read Orwell’s original essay. It contains many helpful examples and is, of course, a pleasure to read.************************************
American investor Warren Buffett has been named by Forbes as the world's richest man with a wealth of $63bn (£31bn)***
Mexian telecoms tycoon Carlos Slim Helu took second spot. He's worth $60bn***
Bill Gates ($58bn) fell from the No 1 spot to third place***
Steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal was fourth
***
Fellow Indians Mukesh (right) and Anil (left) Ambani of Reliance Industries were fifith and sixth***
Russia's Oleg Deripaska appears in the top 10 for the first time thanks to mergers creating aluminium giant UC Rusal***
Mainland China's richest person is Yang Huiyan (right), just 26 years old***
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, 23, is the youngest billionaire on the list***
South African mining magnate Patrice Motsepe is one of three black Africans to appear on the list for the first time***
The Duke of Westminster (46th) is Britain's richest man. His property portfolio is worth $14bn

article 99

Bill Gates William Henry Gates III (b. October 28, 1955) is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist and chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen. During his career at Microsoft he has held the positions of CEO and chief software architect, and he remains the largest individual shareholder with more than 8% of the common stock.
Gates is one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution. Although he is widely admired, his business tactics have been criticized as anti-competitive and in some instances ruled as such in court. Since amassing his fortune, Gates has pursued a number of philanthropic endeavors, donating large amounts of money to various charitable organizations and scientific research programs through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, established in 2000.
The annual Forbes magazine's list of The World's Billionaires has ranked Gates as the richest person in the world from 1995 to 2007, with recent estimates putting his net worth over $56 billion USD. When family wealth is considered, his family ranks second behind the Walton family, heirs of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. In July 2007, Fortune Magazine reported that the increase in value of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim's holdings of stock caused him to surpass Bill Gates as the world's richest man. Forbes however, maintains that Slim is still second to Gates as of its last calculation of billionaire fortunes. Forbes does not plan to recalculate Slim's wealth until next year.

article 98

FHM's Top 20 Hottest Women Alive Megan FoxFHM's Top 20 Hottest Women Alive1. Megan Fox 2. Jessica Alba 3. Keeley Hazell 4. Elisha Cuthbert 5. Hayden Panettiere 6. Scarlett Johansson 7. Cheryl Cole 8. Hilary Duff 9. Angelina Jolie 10. Keira Knightley 11. Rihanna 12. Kate Beckinsale 13. Jessica Biel 14. Eva Longoria 15. Alessandra Ambrosio 16. Rachel Bilson 17. Beyonce Knowles 18. Gemma Atkinson19. Jennifer Love Hewitt 20. Christina Aguilera
How to be happy
daily mantras—keys to contentment—that will change your life.
Happiness, like baking, is something I’ve always been good at. And that puzzles me: I don’t live in a glass house by the sea. I’m not rich or beautiful. I’ve endured grief and battled depression. It’s true that I’ve been lucky in love—I have a great husband. But I came to him happy. Yet some people who seem to have all the raw materials for happiness—looks, money, success, and love—seem perpetually glum. So what is it that really makes us happy?
The answer is not good fortune. Psychologists have known for decades that even winning the lottery won’t make a person happier over the long haul. People simply adaptThink of what happened when you got your last raise: odds are, you felt great for the first few pay checks but soon adjusted to it, and now you may be back to feeling underpaid. Such observations have led researchers to conclude that each of us has a set point for happiness— a level of contentment that stays constant through changing circumstances, such as the loss of loved ones or winning big bucks.
If this all sounds a bit depressing, take heart. Recent breakthrough research shows we can make ourselves happier—and how to do it.
The science of happiness
Some of the most exciting research in psychology is in a field called positive psychology, a discipline that aims not just to relieve suffering but also to increase happiness. For the past few years, Martin E P Seligman, PhD, and his colleagues, have been working to unlock the secrets of living the good life. Seligman, founding director of the Positive Psychology Centre at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Authentic Happiness, has found that the key to happiness appears to lie in our internal qualities and character strengths, not in external events. What’s more, he says, we can use these qualities—work with them and enhance them—to make ourselves happier over the long run.
Habits that will make us happy
A couple of years ago, Seligman’s group described and classifi ed the 24 character strengths that make people thrive, including creativity, curiosity, bravery, and kindness. But all these traits aren’t equal when it comes to producing satisfaction.
Combing through questionnaire responses from more than 5000 study participants, the researchers found that happiness was most strongly associated with a core subset of the character-trait list that they labelled heart strengths: gratitude, hope, zest, and the ability to love and be loved.
Topping the charts was love, says Nansook Park, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Rhode Island and a study author. “Relationships with other people are what make us the happiest,” she says. (Learn what your character strengths are at authentichappiness. org)
Seligman’s team made a list of 100 ‘interventions’ that people through the ages have suggested as routes to contentment—culling ideas proposed by Buddha and self-improvement gurus alike—and set out to test them. It was, Seligman says, the most ambitious, controlled study of happiness ever done. The results of the team’s efforts were published in American Psychologist.
Habit 1 Focus on what’s right
As it turned out, all the exercises, including that of the control group, temporarily bumped up happiness levels. But some interventions proved to have a much bigger, more lasting effect than others. For example, the group that spent a few minutes each night writing about what had gone well that day felt happier for the full 6 months of the study.
“Most of us focus on our weaknesses and on what we don’t have,” says Carol Kauffman, PhD, a life coach and an assistant clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. “By listing good things, you’re training yourself to reverse your focus from what you did wrong to what you did right. You’re emphasising your strengths,” and that seems to change the way you feel. Kauffman uses the what-went-well-today intervention with her patients—and does it every night herself.
***Three roads to happiness
When positive psychologists talk about happiness, what they mean is a sense of deep contentment. There are 3 routes to achieving it, Martin E P Seligman, PhD, has found, and the most satisfi ed people pursue all three.
1. Pleasant life Full of pleasure, joy, and good times.
2. Engaged life In which you lose yourself to some passion or activity, experiencing what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, PhD, calls flow.
3. Meaningful life It may not have many high moments or blissful immersions, but it is packed with purpose “The notion of three pathways is important,” says psychologist Karen Reivich, PhD. “We all know people who aren’t smiley-faced, so we may say this person isn’t happy. But what Seligman is saying is, ‘Hey, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great life.’ These broader conceptions of happiness are more liberating.”
Seligman’s team made a list of 100 ‘interventions’ that people through the ages have suggested as routes to contentment—culling ideas proposed by Buddha and self-improvement gurus alike—and set out to test them. It was, Seligman says, the most ambitious, controlled study of happiness ever done. The results of the team’s efforts were published in American Psychologist.
Habit 1 Focus on what’s right
As it turned out, all the exercises, including that of the control group, temporarily bumped up happiness levels. But some interventions proved to have a much bigger, more lasting effect than others. For ***Habit 2 Feel grateful, say ‘thank you’
The ‘gratitude visit’, which focussed on building one of the four heart strengths, also produced a lift in happiness scores. In fact, “The exercise decreased depression and increased happiness more than any other intervention,” says Park.
“Gratitude is an affirmation of the goodness in one’s life and the recognition that the sources of this goodness lie at least partly outside the self,” says Robert A Emmons, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of California. “It’s a very social experience, and it’s restorative in times of stress.”
Seligman’s study did show, though, that a single gratitude visit went only so far: the happiness boost lasted a month and then dissipated. But some people took the initiative to pay gratitude visits to additional people—and their happiness scores stayed high even after 6 months.
“There’s no quick fix,” says Christopher Peterson, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan and Seligman’s frequent collaborator. “The only way to become grateful is to act like a grateful person over and over.”
Habit 3. “What’s in that box?”
Be curious
In the study, one other intervention proved effective—and this one suggests that it’s not essential to have those major heart strengths, so long as you play to one of your character strengths. The last group of participants identifi ed their top 5 strengths and then used one of them in a new way every day for a week.
A person who wanted to exercise her curiosity, for instance, might have read a book on an unfamiliar subject one day, researched her family tree on another, visited a museum on a third, and so on. That, too, lifted spirits for at least 6 months in those who continued the exercise.
For the study, the researchers enlisted more than 500 visitors to Seligman’s website. The adults completed online questionnaires to assess their level of happiness; then each volunteer was assigned to do 1 of 6 exercises for a week.
Some wrote and personally delivered a gratitude letter to an individual who had been particularly kind to them but whom they had never adequately thanked, for instance; others recorded 3 things that had gone well each day.
People in a control group wrote about their early memories every night for a week—an exercise that wasn’t expected to have much of an impact on their moods. Every few weeks for the next 6 months, the volunteers fi lled out questionnaires measuring their happiness and depressionPlay on your strengths, get happy
Using your character strengths helps compensate for weaknesses or vulnerabilities that otherwise can interfere with happiness, says Karen Reivich, PhD, a research associate at the University of Pennsylvania and coauthor of The Resilience Factor. She sees herself as a recovering pessimist: “part of my brain is always scanning the horizon for danger.” Instead of telling herself that her concerns are unwarranted, Reivich exercises a strength that comes naturally, drawing on her creativity to counter the dour, gloomy part of her personality. “I’ve created an ‘awe wall’ covered with poems, my children’s photos, a picture of a lavender farm. And every day I work on it a bit.”
“I may add a cartoon that made me laugh and a picture drawn by my young son,” she says. “It’s hard to be basking in all these reminders of wonder and simultaneously be filled with dread.” Reivich and other researchers say that strategies like these, used consistently over time, lead to long-lasting change.
Her pessimistic habits are starting to atrophy, says Reivich. “At fi rst the change happens at the surface, in a conscious change in behaviour; then it begins to take place more deeply, becoming almost effortless.
That’s because I’m repeating the exercise until it becomes a new habit. If I focus my attention on noticing good and thinking about the things I can control, I’m using my attention and energy to build optimism and happiness rather than to deepen worry and sadness.”
All of this begins to explain my own pleasure in life. I took Seligman’s questionnaire and answered how closely 245 statements described me. I fi nd the world a very interesting place: yes, I certainly do. I always keep my promises: yes—or I feel terrible.
According to my responses, one of my signature strengths is curiosity. That rings true. During even a quick trip to the store, within minutes I’m discussing how to grind wheat with the baker or what the fi shing’s like with the fi sh man.
My husband has learned to get a cup of coffee and wait me out. It’s the exchange that makes me happy, as well as learning something new.
So, by Seligman’s measure, my happiness is less and less surprising. After all, I make my living by asking people questions about themselves and their occupations. I’ve found a way to use my natural strengths in my work.
Even if your job isn’t a perfect match, the research on happiness suggests that you can still find ways to play to your strengths.
For example, if you know that one of them is gratitude, try starting a staff meeting about a troubled project in a new way: instead of discussing what went south, ask everyone to talk about one thing that is going well, and then thank each of them for their contribution. “That’s a very different way to start a meeting,” says Reivich. “And the team’s reaction will feed your own sense of happiness.”
Tone up your happiness muscles
Such conclusions are heartening.
If satisfaction can be learned and practised, if contentment is a muscle anyone can learn to flex, then there’s hope for all of us, even those with unfair burdens or dour dispositions. It doesn’t matter that none of us live fairy-tale lives. We can still live happily ever after.
Vishwanathan Anand is World No. 1 and world cham pion in chess. Many of us know that the Chennai star can move the chess pieces expertly. In an off-beat interview to this newspaper, Anand fields a variety of questions, many of them not related to the mind game. Earliest sporting memory: The first event I played when I was six. I remember losing my first three games and won the fourth game because my rival didn't turn up! Other sports he watches on TV: Football and tennis. Life without chess: Don't know. Would have tried to get good at it, perhaps. Memorable sporting moment: A game against Tkachiev when around 2,000 people at the Kremlin started applauding. It was a honour for a non-Russian. Worst sporting moment: Have long forgotten. Sporting heroes: (Mikhail) Tal and (Boby) Fischer. Favourite venue: Mainz. Event he would pay to see: Viswanathan Anand play rapid chess. I have been told that it is the fastest action. Most frequent question: ‘What is your favourite chess piece?' If they saw all my answers they would be confused. His choice for one change in chess: Fair rules for all. Do away with privileges for a select few. Sporting motto: Just play your chess. Favourite dinner guest, and why: U2. Apart from that, Bono has interesting views about the world. Best teacher: My mistakes. Most admired player: Tal. Favourite holiday spot: Tough to choose one. Current favourite is SA. Other interests in life: Astronomy, reading and music. Advice to youngsters: Take all the opportunities and challenges that come your way. You have to enjoy whatever you do. Pet name:Should I really answer this? OK, Simba. Biggest extravaganza: My telescopes. What he never leaves home without: My laptop. Craziest thing he has ever done: Once the car I was travelling in broke down a few minutes before my game. As we were in Moscow I had no idea what the driver was saying but he wouldn't allow us to open the door. The driver gesticulated that the car would be repaired.At some point it became comical as we were right in the middle of traffic. Concerned that I would be late for the game, I flung the door open and started running through the traffic. The poor driver gave me a chase and stopped me by the red light. Thankfully, I reached the venue in time and managed to win. Best trait: My intuition. And worst: I think too quickly. Well, that's what makes me a good chess player but at times gets me in trouble. One bad habit he wishes to get rid of: It always comes back. Sometimes I play too fast and can't control it. Worst nightmare: Preparing for the wrong opponent and I have already done it! First game at international level: I remember seeing all the Soviet players and think "Wow, those guys must know everything." What is the routine for evening games: Usually I wake up just in time to catch breakfast. Then, I do some work for a hour or two. Have lunch by about 2 pm and sleep for an hour. Get ready for the game and go over my notes. Sometimes, I like to listen to music just before a game. In the night, I analyse how I played that evening. Then I may go to the gym. Have a relaxed dinner and then quickly decide what I should play the next day. I really like to watch a movie or some comedy shows before I go to sleep. His best present, and why: Aruna got me a telescope for my birthday. I remember telling her how cool it would be to have such a nice one. I never realised that she already bought it. We met up in Berlin for my birthday and she had even managed to bake a cake and bring the telescope all the way from Madrid to surprise me. The funny thing was I arrived early and Aruna refused to let me in to keep the present as a surprise. Favourite author: I like reading a variety of books. I enjoyed the Dan Brown series. William Dalrymple is also very enjoyable. His Last Mughal was a very good read. Childhood ambitions: To trick my opponent at blitz. Each win meant one comic book and one ice cream. My parents would buy me Tintin and Obelix. Greatest influence on his life: I don't think anyone has influenced me greatly. I tend to learn from others but do my own thing. Bottomline: Someone who made playing chess look so easy.

article 97

FHM's Top 20 Hottest Women Alive Megan FoxFHM's Top 20 Hottest Women Alive1. Megan Fox 2. Jessica Alba 3. Keeley Hazell 4. Elisha Cuthbert 5. Hayden Panettiere 6. Scarlett Johansson 7. Cheryl Cole 8. Hilary Duff 9. Angelina Jolie 10. Keira Knightley 11. Rihanna 12. Kate Beckinsale 13. Jessica Biel 14. Eva Longoria 15. Alessandra Ambrosio 16. Rachel Bilson 17. Beyonce Knowles 18. Gemma Atkinson19. Jennifer Love Hewitt 20. Christina Aguilera
How to be happy
daily mantras—keys to contentment—that will change your life.
Happiness, like baking, is something I’ve always been good at. And that puzzles me: I don’t live in a glass house by the sea. I’m not rich or beautiful. I’ve endured grief and battled depression. It’s true that I’ve been lucky in love—I have a great husband. But I came to him happy. Yet some people who seem to have all the raw materials for happiness—looks, money, success, and love—seem perpetually glum. So what is it that really makes us happy?
The answer is not good fortune. Psychologists have known for decades that even winning the lottery won’t make a person happier over the long haul. People simply adaptThink of what happened when you got your last raise: odds are, you felt great for the first few pay checks but soon adjusted to it, and now you may be back to feeling underpaid. Such observations have led researchers to conclude that each of us has a set point for happiness— a level of contentment that stays constant through changing circumstances, such as the loss of loved ones or winning big bucks.
If this all sounds a bit depressing, take heart. Recent breakthrough research shows we can make ourselves happier—and how to do it.
The science of happiness
Some of the most exciting research in psychology is in a field called positive psychology, a discipline that aims not just to relieve suffering but also to increase happiness. For the past few years, Martin E P Seligman, PhD, and his colleagues, have been working to unlock the secrets of living the good life. Seligman, founding director of the Positive Psychology Centre at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Authentic Happiness, has found that the key to happiness appears to lie in our internal qualities and character strengths, not in external events. What’s more, he says, we can use these qualities—work with them and enhance them—to make ourselves happier over the long run.
Habits that will make us happy
A couple of years ago, Seligman’s group described and classifi ed the 24 character strengths that make people thrive, including creativity, curiosity, bravery, and kindness. But all these traits aren’t equal when it comes to producing satisfaction.
Combing through questionnaire responses from more than 5000 study participants, the researchers found that happiness was most strongly associated with a core subset of the character-trait list that they labelled heart strengths: gratitude, hope, zest, and the ability to love and be loved.
Topping the charts was love, says Nansook Park, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Rhode Island and a study author. “Relationships with other people are what make us the happiest,” she says. (Learn what your character strengths are at authentichappiness. org)
Seligman’s team made a list of 100 ‘interventions’ that people through the ages have suggested as routes to contentment—culling ideas proposed by Buddha and self-improvement gurus alike—and set out to test them. It was, Seligman says, the most ambitious, controlled study of happiness ever done. The results of the team’s efforts were published in American Psychologist.
Habit 1 Focus on what’s right
As it turned out, all the exercises, including that of the control group, temporarily bumped up happiness levels. But some interventions proved to have a much bigger, more lasting effect than others. For example, the group that spent a few minutes each night writing about what had gone well that day felt happier for the full 6 months of the study.
“Most of us focus on our weaknesses and on what we don’t have,” says Carol Kauffman, PhD, a life coach and an assistant clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. “By listing good things, you’re training yourself to reverse your focus from what you did wrong to what you did right. You’re emphasising your strengths,” and that seems to change the way you feel. Kauffman uses the what-went-well-today intervention with her patients—and does it every night herself.
***Three roads to happiness
When positive psychologists talk about happiness, what they mean is a sense of deep contentment. There are 3 routes to achieving it, Martin E P Seligman, PhD, has found, and the most satisfi ed people pursue all three.
1. Pleasant life Full of pleasure, joy, and good times.
2. Engaged life In which you lose yourself to some passion or activity, experiencing what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, PhD, calls flow.
3. Meaningful life It may not have many high moments or blissful immersions, but it is packed with purpose “The notion of three pathways is important,” says psychologist Karen Reivich, PhD. “We all know people who aren’t smiley-faced, so we may say this person isn’t happy. But what Seligman is saying is, ‘Hey, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great life.’ These broader conceptions of happiness are more liberating.”
Seligman’s team made a list of 100 ‘interventions’ that people through the ages have suggested as routes to contentment—culling ideas proposed by Buddha and self-improvement gurus alike—and set out to test them. It was, Seligman says, the most ambitious, controlled study of happiness ever done. The results of the team’s efforts were published in American Psychologist.
Habit 1 Focus on what’s right
As it turned out, all the exercises, including that of the control group, temporarily bumped up happiness levels. But some interventions proved to have a much bigger, more lasting effect than others. For ***Habit 2 Feel grateful, say ‘thank you’
The ‘gratitude visit’, which focussed on building one of the four heart strengths, also produced a lift in happiness scores. In fact, “The exercise decreased depression and increased happiness more than any other intervention,” says Park.
“Gratitude is an affirmation of the goodness in one’s life and the recognition that the sources of this goodness lie at least partly outside the self,” says Robert A Emmons, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of California. “It’s a very social experience, and it’s restorative in times of stress.”
Seligman’s study did show, though, that a single gratitude visit went only so far: the happiness boost lasted a month and then dissipated. But some people took the initiative to pay gratitude visits to additional people—and their happiness scores stayed high even after 6 months.
“There’s no quick fix,” says Christopher Peterson, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan and Seligman’s frequent collaborator. “The only way to become grateful is to act like a grateful person over and over.”
Habit 3. “What’s in that box?”
Be curious
In the study, one other intervention proved effective—and this one suggests that it’s not essential to have those major heart strengths, so long as you play to one of your character strengths. The last group of participants identifi ed their top 5 strengths and then used one of them in a new way every day for a week.
A person who wanted to exercise her curiosity, for instance, might have read a book on an unfamiliar subject one day, researched her family tree on another, visited a museum on a third, and so on. That, too, lifted spirits for at least 6 months in those who continued the exercise.
For the study, the researchers enlisted more than 500 visitors to Seligman’s website. The adults completed online questionnaires to assess their level of happiness; then each volunteer was assigned to do 1 of 6 exercises for a week.
Some wrote and personally delivered a gratitude letter to an individual who had been particularly kind to them but whom they had never adequately thanked, for instance; others recorded 3 things that had gone well each day.
People in a control group wrote about their early memories every night for a week—an exercise that wasn’t expected to have much of an impact on their moods. Every few weeks for the next 6 months, the volunteers fi lled out questionnaires measuring their happiness and depressionPlay on your strengths, get happy
Using your character strengths helps compensate for weaknesses or vulnerabilities that otherwise can interfere with happiness, says Karen Reivich, PhD, a research associate at the University of Pennsylvania and coauthor of The Resilience Factor. She sees herself as a recovering pessimist: “part of my brain is always scanning the horizon for danger.” Instead of telling herself that her concerns are unwarranted, Reivich exercises a strength that comes naturally, drawing on her creativity to counter the dour, gloomy part of her personality. “I’ve created an ‘awe wall’ covered with poems, my children’s photos, a picture of a lavender farm. And every day I work on it a bit.”
“I may add a cartoon that made me laugh and a picture drawn by my young son,” she says. “It’s hard to be basking in all these reminders of wonder and simultaneously be filled with dread.” Reivich and other researchers say that strategies like these, used consistently over time, lead to long-lasting change.
Her pessimistic habits are starting to atrophy, says Reivich. “At fi rst the change happens at the surface, in a conscious change in behaviour; then it begins to take place more deeply, becoming almost effortless.
That’s because I’m repeating the exercise until it becomes a new habit. If I focus my attention on noticing good and thinking about the things I can control, I’m using my attention and energy to build optimism and happiness rather than to deepen worry and sadness.”
All of this begins to explain my own pleasure in life. I took Seligman’s questionnaire and answered how closely 245 statements described me. I fi nd the world a very interesting place: yes, I certainly do. I always keep my promises: yes—or I feel terrible.
According to my responses, one of my signature strengths is curiosity. That rings true. During even a quick trip to the store, within minutes I’m discussing how to grind wheat with the baker or what the fi shing’s like with the fi sh man.
My husband has learned to get a cup of coffee and wait me out. It’s the exchange that makes me happy, as well as learning something new.
So, by Seligman’s measure, my happiness is less and less surprising. After all, I make my living by asking people questions about themselves and their occupations. I’ve found a way to use my natural strengths in my work.
Even if your job isn’t a perfect match, the research on happiness suggests that you can still find ways to play to your strengths.
For example, if you know that one of them is gratitude, try starting a staff meeting about a troubled project in a new way: instead of discussing what went south, ask everyone to talk about one thing that is going well, and then thank each of them for their contribution. “That’s a very different way to start a meeting,” says Reivich. “And the team’s reaction will feed your own sense of happiness.”
Tone up your happiness muscles
Such conclusions are heartening.
If satisfaction can be learned and practised, if contentment is a muscle anyone can learn to flex, then there’s hope for all of us, even those with unfair burdens or dour dispositions. It doesn’t matter that none of us live fairy-tale lives. We can still live happily ever after.
Vishwanathan Anand is World No. 1 and world cham pion in chess. Many of us know that the Chennai star can move the chess pieces expertly. In an off-beat interview to this newspaper, Anand fields a variety of questions, many of them not related to the mind game. Earliest sporting memory: The first event I played when I was six. I remember losing my first three games and won the fourth game because my rival didn't turn up! Other sports he watches on TV: Football and tennis. Life without chess: Don't know. Would have tried to get good at it, perhaps. Memorable sporting moment: A game against Tkachiev when around 2,000 people at the Kremlin started applauding. It was a honour for a non-Russian. Worst sporting moment: Have long forgotten. Sporting heroes: (Mikhail) Tal and (Boby) Fischer. Favourite venue: Mainz. Event he would pay to see: Viswanathan Anand play rapid chess. I have been told that it is the fastest action. Most frequent question: ‘What is your favourite chess piece?' If they saw all my answers they would be confused. His choice for one change in chess: Fair rules for all. Do away with privileges for a select few. Sporting motto: Just play your chess. Favourite dinner guest, and why: U2. Apart from that, Bono has interesting views about the world. Best teacher: My mistakes. Most admired player: Tal. Favourite holiday spot: Tough to choose one. Current favourite is SA. Other interests in life: Astronomy, reading and music. Advice to youngsters: Take all the opportunities and challenges that come your way. You have to enjoy whatever you do. Pet name:Should I really answer this? OK, Simba. Biggest extravaganza: My telescopes. What he never leaves home without: My laptop. Craziest thing he has ever done: Once the car I was travelling in broke down a few minutes before my game. As we were in Moscow I had no idea what the driver was saying but he wouldn't allow us to open the door. The driver gesticulated that the car would be repaired.At some point it became comical as we were right in the middle of traffic. Concerned that I would be late for the game, I flung the door open and started running through the traffic. The poor driver gave me a chase and stopped me by the red light. Thankfully, I reached the venue in time and managed to win. Best trait: My intuition. And worst: I think too quickly. Well, that's what makes me a good chess player but at times gets me in trouble. One bad habit he wishes to get rid of: It always comes back. Sometimes I play too fast and can't control it. Worst nightmare: Preparing for the wrong opponent and I have already done it! First game at international level: I remember seeing all the Soviet players and think "Wow, those guys must know everything." What is the routine for evening games: Usually I wake up just in time to catch breakfast. Then, I do some work for a hour or two. Have lunch by about 2 pm and sleep for an hour. Get ready for the game and go over my notes. Sometimes, I like to listen to music just before a game. In the night, I analyse how I played that evening. Then I may go to the gym. Have a relaxed dinner and then quickly decide what I should play the next day. I really like to watch a movie or some comedy shows before I go to sleep. His best present, and why: Aruna got me a telescope for my birthday. I remember telling her how cool it would be to have such a nice one. I never realised that she already bought it. We met up in Berlin for my birthday and she had even managed to bake a cake and bring the telescope all the way from Madrid to surprise me. The funny thing was I arrived early and Aruna refused to let me in to keep the present as a surprise. Favourite author: I like reading a variety of books. I enjoyed the Dan Brown series. William Dalrymple is also very enjoyable. His Last Mughal was a very good read. Childhood ambitions: To trick my opponent at blitz. Each win meant one comic book and one ice cream. My parents would buy me Tintin and Obelix. Greatest influence on his life: I don't think anyone has influenced me greatly. I tend to learn from others but do my own thing. Bottomline: Someone who made playing chess look so easy.

article 96

Mr and Mrs Dutt: Memories of Our Parents by Namrata Dutt Kumar and Priya Dutt
Sometimes the greatest love stories are between parents and children. No, no, please, it’s not what you think. This is the purest kind of love that sees two daughters giving up almost a whole year of college and school to sit at their mother’s bedside in cold, cold New York, first waiting for her to come out of coma, and then willing her to live. It’s the kind of devotion that sees a father selling his beloved home to pay for his son’s legal fees. It’s the kind of passion that sees an enormous star, at the height of her fame, with 46 films behind her, moving from a grand, fourbedroom apartment in Marine Drive, into a one-room flat to share it with a young man, with just two films to his credit, his mother, his sister, her children, a domestic and a dog. Mr and Mrs Dutt: Memories of Our Parents is a memoir both profound and poignant. It is a story of a family at once ordinary and amazing. A family that has to live with the shock of being branded terrorists after having worshipped at the feet of honesty all its life. A family that loses one battle with cancer only to see it repeated in the death of an adored daughter-in-law. Namrata Dutt Kumar and Priya Dutt have written an account most moving in its simplicity and raw in its pain. Whether it is at the burial, when they bathe their mother’s body with their father, rejecting the help of the women of the family, or the frisking they are submitted to while delivering meals to their brother in prison, the two daughters- familiar to 24x7 television viewers as the women who stand stoic in the background every time Sanjay Dutt goes to prison- emerge with steel in their spines and iron in their souls. Not Nargis’s daughters for nothing, they are mini earth mothers, keeping their father afloat as his dies, a brother out of de-addiction centres first and then jail, and a family together despite the many temptations of fame. It is a collective of remarkable lives which have often been chronicled- Nargis and Sunil Dutt were, after all, leading actors of their times, she an independent woman who once earned more than the Big Three of Bollywood, and he an eternal risk-taker, whether it was with a one-man film or a songless desert tale. But never has it been told so intimately. Sure there is a little glossing over-would you not do the same if an eerant Sanjay was your brother, and forever in a daze at critical junctures in your life? But there is an almost savage ability to endure laceration. There is Nargi’s tearful letter to her resentful son, sent off to boarding school at Wanawar at 10 (“You must study hard and become a big man so that you can look after us in our old age. Be a good boy don’t give any chance to your teacher to be angry with you any time.”). Here is Sanjay’s descent into drugs at college in Mumbai. There again is an anxious mother on her deathbed telling her elder daughter to take of Sanjay, almost prescient in its anticipation of further troubles (“See that he does not get mixed up with those silly boys again. He is too stupid in his head; he does not realize what he is doing and how it is going to harm him.”) And here again is the family, six days after Nargis’s death, going to the premiere of Sanjay’s first film, Rocky, because she would have wanted it that way. It is also, despite a constellation of stars, every family’s story. A story that will not leave a dry eye in the auditorium. A story of a family trying defiantly to grow up normal, away from the attention- there was one air conditioned room in the house, where the whole family would sleep on the floor, one television set, no phones in bedrooms and weekend picnics in a more innocent Mumbai’s Powai Lake and Madh Island. There was a time when they did not have enough money even to buy new school uniforms, and yet another, when their imprisoned brother’s rakhi gift was Rs 2 tea tokens collected over 16 months in jail. It is also a remarkable love story between two individuals who were wide apart and yet unlimately extremely down to earth. He, Balraj Dutt, was a refugee from Pakistan Punjab who slept at Simla Haircutting Saloon at night, in between studying at Jai Hind College, working once a week in Radio Ceylon and every day at the BEST bus depot as a checking clerk. She, Fatima Rashid, was Bollywood royalty, growing up in Chateau Marine, the woman in white for the leading filmmaker of his time (which, understandably, the girls have overlooked- she was, after all, not Mrs Dutt then), and a role model for a young nation’s working women. That they found in each other a soulmate has often been a source of wonder to people. Well, not anymore. Source: India Today

article 95

15 financial problems at a glance! 15 financial problems at a glance!
When it comes to psychology and financial behaviour, India does not have too much of research papers. Hence we are forced to turn to the US or UK for such research work.
US studies have summarised financial problems and have found the following to be the most common of financial problems:
~ Not planning: The single biggest problem for most people is that they just do not plan their finances. It just keeps coming and going. Even if they are not happy about the results of what they have done so far, they do not change the way things are done.
~ Overspending: Many people with not very high incomes have very high ambitions. This is likely to get them to grief. Most of this problem is because the salesmen in most shops do not tell you the price of a product, they only tell you the EMI -- so anything from a plasma TV to a luxury home on the outskirts of the city are made to look cheap! After all at Rs 2,899 a month does a plasma TV not look cheap?
~ Not talking finance at home: Children are kept away from the finance topics at the dining table. Finance is perhaps the second most taboo topic at home! So many children grow up without knowing how much of sacrifice their parents have gone through to educate them.
~ Parents spending on education and marriage: There are just too many kids out there who believe that they need to worry about savings, investment and life insurance only at the age of 32 plus. This means your father, father?in-law or a bank loan has funded your education and marriage. Kids should take on financial responsibility at a much younger age than what is happening currently.
~ Marriage between financially incompatible people: Most marriages under stress are actually under financial stress. Either the husband or the wife is from a rich background and the other partner cannot understand or cope with the spending pattern. It is necessary to match people financially before marriage.
~ Delaying saving for retirement: "I am only 27 years old why should I think of retirement" seems to be a very valid refrain for many 32 year olds! Every year that you delay in investing the greater the amount that you will have to save later in your life. Till the age of 32 it might be feasible for you to catch up, but after some time the amount that you need to save for retirement just flies away.
~ Very little life insurance: With all the risks of life styles, travel, etc. illness and premature death are common. We all have classmates who had heart attack at the age of 32 but still pretend that we do not need life or medical insurance. We buy car insurance because it is forced upon us, but we ignore life insurance! Imagine insuring a Rs 10 lakhs car, but not insuring (or under insuring) the person who is using the car -- and paying for it, that is, you!
~ Not prepared for medical emergencies: Normally big emergencies -- financially speaking -- are medical emergencies. Being unprepared for them -- by not having an emergency fund is quite common. Emergency fund has now come to mean the credit card -- which is good news for the bank, not for the borrower.
~ Lack of asset allocation: Risk is not a new concept. However, it is a difficult concept to understand. For example when the Sensex was 3k there was much less risk in the equity markets than there is today. However at 3k index people were afraid of the market. Now everybody and his aunt wants to be in the equity market -- and there are enough advisors who keep saying, "Equity returns are superior to debt returns." This is true with a rider -- in the long run. It is convenient for the relationship manager to forget the rider. So there could be a much larger allocation to equity at higher prices -- to make for the time missed out earlier.
~ Falling prey to financial pitches: The quality of pitches has improved! Aggressive young kids are recruited by brokerage houses, banks, mutual funds, life insurance companies, etc. and all these kids are selling mutual funds, life insurance, portfolio management schemes, structured products, et al. Selling to their kith and kin helps these kids keep their jobs, and there is happiness all around! These kids, themselves prey to financial pitches, have now made it an art when they are selling to their own natural 'circle of friends' and relatives.
~ Buying financial products from 'obligated persons': This is perhaps one of the worst things you can do in your financial life. A friend, relative, neighbor, colleague who has been doing something else suddenly becomes a financial guru because they have become an agent! They, in great enthusiasm, sell you a financial product and promptly in 2 years time give up this 'business' because it is too difficult. You are saddled with a dud product for life! What a pity. Charity begins at home, not financial planning.
~ Financial illiteracy: Most people do not wish to know or learn about financial products. They simply ask, "Where do I have to sign" -- so buying a mutual fund is easier than buying life insurance! Selecting products based on the ease and simplicity of buying is a shocking but true real life experience in the financial behaviour of the rational human being!
~ Ignoring small numbers for too long: What difference will it make if I save Rs 1,000 a month? Well over a long period it could make you a millionaire! So start early and invest wisely. It will make you rich. That is the power of compounding.
~ Urgent vs important: Most expenses, which look urgent, are perhaps not so important -- the shirt or shoe at a sale. That luxury item which was being offered at 30 per cent discount is such an example. These small leakages are all reducing the amount of money you will have for the bigger things like education or retirement.
~ Focusing too much on money: Money is no longer a commodity to buy things. It is a scorecard of one's life. That will cause stress, and yoga might help. However if you will seek a branded yoga teacher -- so that your friends think you have arrived, yoga it self could cause financial stress!
123 will de-nuke; this will nuke
S GURUMURTHY
IN the tumult over the farm loan waiver, a dangerous move in Finance Minister’s budget oration — that has the potential to nuke the Indian financial market — has gone totally unnoticed. It’s a month after the budget. Still there is not a word in the media about this dirty nuke. So ignorant those who count seem to be that the peril may be celebrated as a towering financial sector reform! The paradox is this: the subject drives away those who are not concerned with it; but the concerned are the ones who are getting the dirty bombs to target Indian economy!
Is it that serious? Yes, it is. Read on, but seriously. In para 97 of his speech the finance minister says, “I propose to take measures to develop the bond, currency and derivative markets that will include launching an exchangetraded currency and interest rate futures and developing a transparent derivative market with appropriate safeguards.” Shorn off all ornaments, the minister intends to allow trade in ‘currency and interest futures’ and ‘derivatives’.
For easier understanding here it is better to use one complex word — the ‘derivative’ —which includes futures, options, forwards and so on. Even one among the millions who listened to the minister would not know what are the new beasts, the derivatives, that would soon populate the Indian financial market, if the minister is not stopped. Why, even ‘experts’ have no great idea about derivatives. An expert global website on finance says that ‘politicians, senior executives, regulators, even portfolio managers have limited knowledge’ about derivatives. If this were so in the US, the birth place of derivatives, one can imagine the level of enlightenment here. A brief journey into the exotic world of derivatives is necessary at this stage. This will help drive home what the finance minister is proposing to get the country into.
Derivatives are the most dangerous instruments in global finance which is today more virtual than real. It is almost a drama in real life, a theatre. Derivatives are shadow financial instruments. As the story unfolds, the shadow has not only replaced the actual, but, has grown several times the actual. This is how the derivative works as compared to the actual. If one buys or sells stocks of Tata Motors, it is actual trade. But if one buys the option to buy or not to buy Tata Motors stocks, then it is a derivative trade. But the seller of the option to the buyer need not own the Tata Motors stocks and the buyer need not have full money. Is it anything other than wager? This transaction is linked to asset values. Derivatives need not be linked to asset values only. It may be linked to loans, like that a bank may turn into a single rated security its multiple loan transactions and sell the rated Asset Backed Security (ABS} in the market. This is a credit derivative. Likewise, betting whether stock prices or stock market indexes will go up or come down or whether interest rates will go up or come down or whether the rainfall will be normal or above or below are all integral to derivative trade.
To understand this new animal called derivative that has all, but, crippled the global economy, take the credit derivative. The sub-prime housing loan crisis in the US has shaken the world. For the benefit of those who entered the debate late here is some basic info. Sub-prime loan means loan given at less than prime interest rates. Normally creditworthy borrowers would get loans at less interest. In US, however, from around the year 2000, even those who would not deserve loans at more than normal rates, were given housing loans at sub-prime rates. Households were given loans without income check, without margin money for the loan. This led to huge home demands and that pushed up the value of the existing houses. Those whose home values went up were given loans on the appreciation. This was to make Americans to go the shopping malls and buy up cars, jewellery, and other luxuries. These loans were given by design, not by mistake, to revive the American economy that was falling into depression in 2000- 2001 as a result of the dot.com collapse and the terror attack on the US. The US Federal Reserve cut the lending rates to one per cent to facilitate sub-prime borrowing. The sub-prime loans by local banks were later bundled into large bonds of millions of dollars —some times even billions — as ABS, which is a credit derivative. Rated by rating agencies ABS were sold in global market. A more sophisticated form of ABS is known as Collateralised Debt Obligations (CDOs). Like ABS, CDOs are also credit derivatives. Thus the local loans of US were turned into global loans. Result? When sub-prime borrowers in US failed to pay up, the European, Middle Eastern and Asian banks which had bought the CDOs lost the money. So it became American loan mela at global cost! The European Central Bank had to lend something like $560 billions to banks in Europe to save them from insolvency. This is one example of derivatives and also what it can do.
The total of all derivative positions of banks as measured by the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) as of December 2007 is — believe it — $516 trillions or as converted into rupees 20,640 lakh crores! The derivative beasts have grown from $100 trillion in 2002 by five times in five years. This is the shadow or virtual economy, or the mirage. The actual economy is lilliputian as compared to the shadow. The shadow economy is worth more than ten times the actual global GDP ($50 trillion); some seven times the world’s actual real estate ($75 trillions); more than five times the world’s actual stock ($100 trillions). It is not the actual that controls the virtual economy. It is the other way round —the virtual, or the speculative economy controls, even overawes, the actual.
Worse, derivatives are off balance sheet businesses of banks. Result, the true liabilities of bank in which a depositor puts in his hard earned savings, or the true position of a corporate in which corporate in whose shares someone invests money, are not known at all.
Warren Buffet, the most celebrated US investor, said recently that derivatives are financial Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)! The man is no socialist. He is a free market capitalist. And identified as the richest man on this plant less than a month ago. He is a huge player in global finance that is dominated by derivatives and yet keeps away from derivatives. No one, including Chidambaram, can claim to know more about these derivative beasts better than Warren Buffet. Again, these beasts are not just financial WMDs. They are equally financial ICBMs which can hit from one continent at another just as the local subprime loans of US transformed into CDOs and nearly bankrupted many banks in far away continents.
Chidambaram welcomes these financial WMDs and ICBMs into Indian financial market with red carpet. The pink media will vouch this disastrous move as financial sector reform, liberalisation and globalisation! But the truth is: India is about to embrace the beast that Warren Buffet is terrified about. Yet, the whole nation is in the dark about this financial dirty bomb. QED: The 123 agreement will de-nuke India. The derivatives will nuke India’s economy. And that completes the square. Is a Karat or a Jaswant listening?
source: The New Indian Express****Mcj – internal exams: September 2007
citizen journalismDavid McClelland : n-ach (need for achievement)psychic mobility – Daniel Lernerempathydominant paradigmWalt Rostow: unilinier modelPrint media in India steady growthVillage level administrative officer- village secretaryinter personal communicationsustainable developmentmodular printingsub-headingselements of dominant paradigmWED stands for- Writing Editing DesignFestinger’s cognitive dissonance theorysub-culture of peasantry – Everett RogerLimited effects theoryMass Society theoryCultural imperialismPolitical Economy TheoryWeb offsetSurveillance ____function of mediareview of literaturesamplingReadability meansSFXReader friendliness means

article 94

E-LEARNING AND ITS PROSPECTS E-LEARNING AND ITS PROSPECTS Revolutions have always begun from the world of words and ideas. It comes as no surprise that education is breaking all predefined boundaries to weave its own attractive web in the Internet. The term “E-Learning” was coined in the late 1990s to describe the use of technology to deliver learning and training programs. E-Learning is a term that means something different to almost everyone who uses it. Some think only of web-based self-study while others realize E-Learning can encompass real-time learning and collaboration. E-learning is the unifying term to describe the fields of online learning, web-based learning, and technology-delivered instructions. E-Learning does not require physical classroom attendance. Via the Internet, the learning experience is delivered to the user personably and effectively. We are all familiar with classroom-based learning (c-Learning) which is face-to-face group learning led by an instructor or subject matter expert. In E-Learning environments learners interact with learning materials, their instructors and other learners from various locations and often at various times using network technologies. It has been said that there are two reasons why we learn; some leaning is essentially forced on us while the other is what we sit back and enjoy. E-Learning has brought back the joy in learning through its innovative, interactive content and delivery. DefinitionThe development of the E-learning revolution arose from a number of other ‘educational revolutions’. Four such revolutions are : l The invention of reading & writing.l The emergence of the profession of teacher/scholar.l The development of moveable type (print technology).l The development of electronic technology.E-Learning is the effective learning process created by combining digitally delivered content with (learning) support and services. It can be defined as;l The convergence of the Internet and learning, or Internet-enabled learning.l The use of network technologies to create fosters, deliver, and facilitate learning, anytime and anywhere.l The delivery of individualized, comprehensive, dynamic learning content in real time, aiding the development of communities of knowledge, linking learning learners and practitioners with experts.Research indicates that students generally appear to be at least as satisfied with their on-line classes as they are with traditional ones. Developments in internet and multimedia technologies are the basic enabler of e-learning, with content, technologies and services being identified as the three key sectors of the e-learning industry. Many higher education’s, for profit institutions, now offer on-line classes. By contrast, only about half of private, non-profit schools offer them. Online education is rapidly increasing, and online doctoral programs have even developed at leading research universities. Learners learn better through use of clear headings, limited distracters, visuals, screen-friendly fonts, appropriate white space, web safe colours, etc. Unlike the conventional distance education program that has no direct link between the teacher and the student, online education provides ample space for interaction. The learner takes centre stage to pace the learning process, while the instructor assumes the role of a coach, encouraging the learner to achieve the learning objectives. Online learning, which incorporates tools like video conferencing, audio streaming and chatting, is gaining opinion among the student community for its flexible structure which allows them to access lessons and take tests from anywhere in the world.E-learning can include indepen-dent, facilitated, or collaborative approaches to learning. Independent learning refers to each individual learner completing learning activities or modules on their own, in their own environment, on their own schedule. Facilitated learning is designed to be completed through interaction with instructors or coaches. There are several ways this can work, for example, a learner might complete a section of learning on-line then discuss key concepts via e-mail with the instructor or with classmates. Collaborative learning relates to working with other learners in an on-line environment. For example: an e-mail discussion with other learner’s on a particular topic or everyone posting to a bulletin board or course room.TechnologyE-Learning can make use of a wide range of technologies and media. These technologies can be categorized by delivery media or interaction tools. Delivery Medial Print (texts, study guides and workbooks are still very common in online learning courses.) l Audio (Streaming audio - Used to deliver the instructors comments over any network and audio tapes) l Video (streamed, video, cable TV)l Data (web pages, CBT computer files, online tests, interactive tools)Interactive toolsE-learning has been broadly divided into two categories; the Asynchronous (not existing at the same phase) method, which is devoid of any virtual class room interaction or time stipulations and the more popular, Synchronous method, in which the members exist in the same time phase in a cyber class room. The latter is preferred due to its convenience, liveliness derived from regular interaction and for the motivation factor. Flexibility, time to reflect, situated learning and cost effective learning are the advantages of asynchronous learning while motivation, good feed-back and pacing are the advantages of synchronous learning.Asynchronous :1. E-mail : Used for questions and discussions.2. Web Forums : also called discussions forums or bulletin boards. They are probably the most common form of interaction in online courses.3. Newsgroups : Public forums that use the Usenet system.4. BBS : a computer bulletin board that you dial like a web forum + email + file transfer.Synchronous : 1. Chat Rooms : can be either moderated by an instructor of un-moderated for class use.2. Shared Whiteboards : allow class members to write on the same digital white board.3. Application sharing : The same program and file can be shared for demonstration or collaboration.4. Teleconferencing : Could be used to deliver instructor audio, or for collaboration.5. Videoconferencing : Either from expensive, high quality, dedicated systems, or from less reliable desktop versions.6. MMOs & MUDs : Virtual worlds where users take on avatars and interact in various ways. Why E-learningE-learning lessons are generally designed to guide the students through information or to help students perform in specific tasks. Information based E-learning content communicates information to the student.There are lots of good reasons to consider an online E-learning program: l Online learning is more affordable than traditional classroom learning, with savings of 60% or more. l Online courses can be taken in multiple sittings and are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — to better acco-mmodate your busy schedule. l Online learning is as mobile as you are! Your learning can take place on the road, in the cafe, or any other place you have an internet-accessible computer. ProspectsAs per William Glasser;“We learn…….10% of what we read20% of what we hear30% of what we see50% of what we see and hear70% of what we discuss with others80% of what we experience personally95% of what we teach someone else”Prospects of E-learning can be summarized as follows;l Dynamism - Learners progress at the pace that suits them best, at the time that suits them best while getting the information that they need. l Real time - Learners have access to information that is correct and up to date through the web, information databases or university or company intranets. l Collaboration - Learners are able to meet in a virtual space with other members and practitioner experts to discuss issues, answer questions and even participate in simulations and management games without having to leave their office or home. l Speed of delivery - Learners benefit from learning when required, learners are able to access the right sort of training at the right time with the right people. l Convenience - Learners have access when they want it. l Consistency - Learners have access to the same materials. l Global reach - Learners regardless of where they are receive the same message and are able to engage other learners and practitioners globally. Future of E-learningThe world is shrinking rapidly. The Internet has brought the world together in ways that nobody would have expected. You can now attend a college half way around the world, with students from any country with Internet access. Knowledge is expanding at a tremendous rate. Just-In-Time learning that meets the needs of individuals as they occur, makes learning more meaningful and effective. It will be heartening to know that the Indian E-Learning industry is estimated to grow up to $182-billion by 2009. The Indian government has also taken significant steps towards dissemination of information through a number of e-Learning projects, not only for rural students but for the community at large.ConclusionE-Learning has created a new dimension in education, both within and beyond the curriculum and is still looking at further opportunities of becoming more useful via new emerging technologies. We are really on the threshold of new opportunities and this is just the beginning of a new horizon of education. The power of e-learning lies in its potential to provide the right information to the right people at the right time and place, and not only due to its “anyone, anyplace, anytime model”. Technology advance-ments will continue to reshape learning over the Internet with increasing use of streaming, TV-quality video and simulation-based e-learning. The same technology is bound to make major inroads in schools in the coming years. One of the clearest directions that e-learning has taken in the last few years is in the development, promulgation, and adoption of a range of technical specifications and standards for e-learning. The creation of technical specifi-cations and the development and adoption of technical standards are key activities ultimately underpinning the success of e-learning globally. World over, the online education market is booming, and surveys by leading market research firms indicate that online education will follow an upward moving graph and that more and more institutions, organizations and individuals will implement this mode of learning. As per the recent remarks of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, 11th five year plan will be dedicated to “National Education”, clearly indicates the future of e-learning in India in coming years.
********The perfect blendBlended learning offers us the best learning methods from the world of traditional learning and that of e-learning.
he styles of teaching and learning nowadays go far beyond traditional pedagogic efforts within the four walls of the classroom. During the past couple of weeks we had discussed the significant aspects of e-learning. It may be a standalone-style under certain circumstances. But it can be effectively combined with elements of traditional learning methods. Such a combination is called blended learning. In other words it integrates e-learning techniques, including online delivery of materials through web pages, discussion boards and e-mail, with traditional teaching methods, including lectures, in-person discussions, seminars or tutorials. Such multiple approaches are often employed in the training of professionals engaged in vocations such as management. Language teaching also gainfully employs this style to a large extent. Blended learning may even include m-learning (mobile learning) that takes place via wireless devices such as cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) or laptop computers. Sometimes the terms hybrid learning and mixed learning are used instead of blended learning. Though e-learning stands for electronic learning, it has, as we have seen, come to mean learning using the computer and Internet. The concept One may argue that blended learning is not a new concept. Teachers have been using multiple resources for teaching - textbooks, audio/videotapes and different kinds of projectors, laboratory experiments, workshop tasks, tests and examinations, apart from face-to-face classroom instruction. The only new element is perhaps e-learning. In the modern environment a proper blend may cover properly organised events such as face-to-face instruction from a teacher, online lessons, discussions either online or in a physical group of participants, seminars, or online communities. The demands of new technologies and the 24/7 global environment cannot be satisfied with the only source of classroom instruction, with its inherent limitations. Blended learning on the other hand is an evolving process for the development of human capital. It may be noted that the style is more employed in industrial or business environment for training rather than in conventional school-level teaching, although it can be applied in any situation. The concept of learning and development has become more important than training and development. Although there is a lot of talk about knowledge management, knowledge-bases strategy is often more about nurturing people with knowledge. For achieving success with blended learning, there has to be considerable enthusiasm and commitment - much more than in organising a classroom lecture. But once you have jumped into the water, you are in a process with great potential. The boundaries are global. The resources are boundless. A great merit of blended learning is that it can cater to individual preferences in learning style. We know that shirts tailored to suit individual measurements are far better than the `free size' shirts we may buy from a readymade shop. The case of learning is similar. In normal institutionalised learning environment there is no such option. Peter Honey and Alan Munford, experts in learning styles, have classified learners into four categories - Activist, Reflector, Theorist, and Pragmatist. Their attributes are briefly indicated below. Activists · Activists learn best when: · Involved in new experiences, problems and opportunities · Working with others in business games, team tasks, role-playing · Being thrown in the deep end with a difficult task · Chairing meetings, leading discussions Activists learn less when: · Listening to lectures or long explanations · Reading, writing or thinking on their own · Absorbing and understanding data · Following precise instruction to the letter Reflectors Reflectors learn best when: · Observing individuals or groups at work · They have the opportunity to review what has happened and think about what they have learned · Producing analyses and reports doing tasks without tight deadlines Reflectors learn less when: · Acting as leader or role -playing in front of others · Doing things with no time to prepare · Being thrown in at the deep end · Being rushed or worried by deadlines Theorists Theorists learn best when: · They are put in complex situations where they have to use their skills and knowledge · They are in structured situations with clear purpose · They are offered interesting ideas or concepts even though they are not immediately relevant · They have the chance to question and probe ideas behind things · Theorists learn less when: They have to participate in situations that emphasis emotion and feelings · The activity is unstructured or briefing is poor · They have to do things without knowing the principles or concepts involved · They feel they are out of tune with the other participants, for example with people of very different learning styles Pragmatists Pragmatists learn best when: · There is an obvious link between the topic and job · They have the chance to try out techniques with feedback, for example role-playing · They are shown techniques with obvious advantages, for example saving time · They are shown a model they can copy e.g. a film or a respected boss Pragmatists learn less when: · There is no obvious or immediate benefit that they can recognise · There is no practice or guidelines on how to do it · There is no apparent payback to the learning, for example shorter meetings · The event or learning is `all theory' Most of you have in you the elements of more than one learning category. You can think and find out your strongest style and your weakest style to identify how you learn best. The optimum strategy can be adopted in each individual case. Make the best Each one of you is a different person in the matter of learning preferences. The learning style that suits you best may be chosen by each one of you by ensuring effectiveness. What are the different steps that you should undergo to achieve this goal? The first requirement is accepting the possibility of styles that are different from what is currently being followed by you. Some of you may have an obsession that the style you have been following is the best. The need and quality of learning in a particular situation should determine the most suitable style. Blended learning providers have to offer learning solutions and delivery systems to meet diverse requirements. Tailoring to meet the customer needs would involve offering a wide range of options and necessary coaching support. In the world of changing patterns of educational effort, the best styles of learning have to be adopted by those who desire to maintain their competitive edge in various professional fields. The days when one could survive successfully for decades on the strength of educational assets and qualifications acquired in early life are over. Updating knowledge and skills in your preferred fields is indispensable for professional success. Blended learning is a blessing in achieving this objective.
Learning from the computer screen E-learning is bound to play an increasingly important role in the education scene in the coming years.
Often, the e-learning process involves four steps: material being presented, practised, assessed, and reviewed. The progressive steps are adapted from experiential education theory, which forms a strong foundation for effective learning. These can be explained as follows: New materials such as theory and practical skills are introduced. Participants practise the application of the newly presented materials. They assess their work. They reflect and review the lessons learned. This will influence the next progressive iteration of the learning cycle. Elements involved E- lectures: introduction of concepts and techniques. Discussion forum: enables online interaction. Posting of questions as well as responses. Expert guidance: clearing serious doubts or giving answers to questions. There can be an online `mentor' who will provide answers to your queries. This ensures personalised instruction wherever needed. Network treasury: a catalogue of websites that can be of special help in handling specific topics. Sometimes, referred to as `course documents.' Local learning tutor/facilitator, for face-to-face guidance, especially for developing practical skills. Group activities: group discussions, seminars, learning circles and partnership activities. This ensures interaction among peer groups, thereby easing the pains of isolation in the educational effort. Communication of this kind will add substantially to the efficiency of learning. Students who have lived in hostels do know how much and how well they learnt from healthy interaction among their hostel mates. There will be concerns regarding the efficacy of e-learning in comparison with conventional classroom face-to-face teaching. It has been established that well-planned and executed e-learning has been effective; further, it has proved to be a blessing to those who have no opportunity to engage themselves in the conventional mill of institutional rigours. The pace of learning can be determined by the learner to suit his taste and convenience. The framing of curricula and syllabi, and flexible schedules may have to be different from those of routine institutionalised academic programmes. E-learning is interactive and dynamic, though the setting is different from that in a college or school. The capabilities and talents of the best teachers are made to benefit thousands of students stationed in various locations. Periodic assessment and evaluation of students, and remedial steps are easily arranged. As in on-campus education, benchmarks can be kept in respect of curriculum construction, syllabus review and updating, institutional contribution, student assessment, teacher assessment and so on to ensure quality in the teaching-learning process. The tremendous advantage in e-learning has been brought out by an expert thus: "Internet-based work allows collaborators to communicate any time from anywhere to any place. People from different parts of a building, State, country, continent or the globe can exchange information, collaborate on shared documents and ideas, study together, or reflect on their own practices." It is estimated that several millions of students undergo e-learning at the global level, and that there is a 25 per cent growth in the number of e-learners. In India also, e-learning is an emerging trend. The Indian Space Research Organisation has taken the initiative for e-learning in institutions such as Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. There has been help from Carnegie Mellon University. Two deemed Universities, the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani and the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai, have taken initiatives in e-learning — the former in the field of technology and the latter in management. Organisations such as GurukulOnline Learning Solutions have done work in the field of e-learning. While evolving any e-learning format, four basic pedagogical perspectives have to be kept in mind for achieving effectiveness, from an educational standpoint: Cognitive perspective — cognitive processes involved in learning. Emotional perspective — emotional aspects of learning such as motivation, commitment and fun. Behavioural perspective — skills and behavioural outcomes of the learning process. Application to real life/on-the-job settings. Social perspective — social aspects which stimulate learning, interaction with others, peer support, and peer pressure. Online-only colleges Online-only colleges have emerged, though at a slow pace in the west. They mostly focus on areas such as management, accounts and law. There are claims of superiority of digital delivery beyond the podium. It is a moot point; conventional face-to-face learning has, of course, its own merits. The following quote is relevant. "A face-to-face human conversation, the sort for which dinner tables and traditional seminar and meeting rooms are designed, is a spatially coherent, corporeal and strictly synchronous event. The participants are all present in the same place, everybody hears the words as they are spoken, and replies usually come immediately. The telephone and talk radio have allowed them to be dispersed spatially, but have not altered this condition of synchrony." In spite of this superiority of conventional classroom instruction, e-learning is sure to play a significant role in the Indian education system in the years to come. The fact that the aspirants of higher education in the country are far greater than the seats available in the conventional institutions give force to the development in this sector. Those who live in remote areas, or are employed but interested in continuing education, will find the blessings of e-learning a great boon in their career advancement.
The blessings of e-learningThe wonderful world of E-learning has given education another dimension. Explore the different facets of e-learning.
Times are changing fast. We know of the Indian Gurukula style of education, wherein the disciples lived in the house of a great teacher or the Guru. The Guru and his wife treated them as the members of the family. The sishyas or disciples had lifelong personal indebtedness to the Guru. With the changing social modes, education became institutionalised. The relations between the teacher and the students once considered as sacred and unique perhaps degenerated for various reasons. They gained commercial overtones, even though there are exceptional instances of wholesome relationships between the teacher and the taught being maintained even after the latter finish their studies. The advent of technology combined with the educational needs of the people brought about significant changes in the delivery systems of teaching and learning. We had in some detail discussed certain aspects of distance learning in the earlier series. Let us now look at e-learning or electronic learning, which may sometimes be employed in distance education as well. Confusion in definitions You may not get a uniform answer if you ask different experts to define e-learning. Although concepts and approaches differ, there is a common philosophy among those who practise different styles of e-learning. It may be remembered that e-learning is not static; even the terms involved change at a fast pace. Some of the terms and concepts relating to e-learning are: Asynchronous Learning Computer based training (CBT) Computer-Assisted Instruction Computer-mediated communication Cyber learning Blended learning Distance Education Distance learning Distributed learning Internet Education Multi-modal Instruction. Online Education Online learning (OL) Open distance learning (ODL) Technology based learning Virtual Education Web based training (WBT) The implications of some of the important terms are indicated below. In distance education, the teacher and the student are separated by geographical distance. Various gifts of technology are used to bridge the gap. Online education allows the study of higher education courses through the electronic medium of the Internet, using personal computers or other devices of communication. Access to study materials, reference papers, journal articles, and contact with tutors / fellow students are through the use of personal computers and telecommunication devices. There will be great flexibility in the matter of duration of study as well as the location of the student. In other words, learning is asynchronous; it can be anywhere anytime. Computer-Based Training involves interaction with a computer, using courseware. Computer-Mediated Communication may encompass the use of chat rooms and video conferencing as well. In Computer-Assisted Instruction, the computer may give you drills as in the preparation of entrance tests in a competitive environment. Virtual Education invariably uses information and communication technologies (ICTs) to deliver educational programs. In asynchronous learning the students may combine self-study through the Internet with other modes such as chat or laboratory practice to suit personal preferences. Blended learning merges net-based learning with face-to-face instruction. We shall discuss blended learning in some detail separately. We may however accept the simple definition of e-learning as "the delivery of formal and informal learning and training activities, processes, and events through the use of electronic media like Internet, intranet, extranet, LAN / WAN, CD-ROM, audio / video tape, satellite broadcast, DVD, interactive or other TV, cell phones, personal organisers, etc." There may be local tutor support. The foregoing description emphasises that anyone attempting e-learning should necessarily develop skills in handling digital material. Computer proficiency and efficiency in Internet browsing are the prime requirements. Often people imagine that whatever is available on the net can be easily found through search engines. This is a misconception. The plight of a student who looks for specific information on a particular topic may be similar to that of a stranger pushed into a dense forest and asked to locate a particular tree. Once he is in the wrong path, he may wander endlessly without ever reaching his target. Let us illustrate the difficulty involved. A popular search engine offers 112 million sites for oxygen and 4460 million sites for management. The art of narrowing down the number of sites to suit our specific need calls for considerable knowledge and skill in browsing. E-learning permits among other things access to the richest sources of information and meaningful interaction on the content of the lessons among people at different centres. The convergence of the Internet and learning enables easy accessibility, and opportunity to people and organisations to keep up with the rapid changes in the world, and gain from the latest trends in technology. Online learning normally uses only Internet / intranet / LAN / WAN learning; it excludes the use of CD-ROM. E-Learning is a broader term compared to online learning.*******
Ten Web 2.0 Things You Can Do in Ten Minutes to Be a More Successful E-learning ProfessionalThe following list was inspired by eLearn Magazine Editor-in-Chief Lisa Neal's blog post "Ten Things You Can Do in Ten Minutes To Be a More Successful e-learning Professional." We'd like to offer the "Web 2.0 Edition" of Lisa's list:
Listen to a conference presentation. When you run across conference presentations while reading your RSS feeds (EDUCAUSE Connect is a prime source, as is OLDaily), save the conference site as a bookmark and revisit it to hear a presentation. Record a 10-minute presentation about something you are working on or learning about, either as audio (use Odeo) or video (use Ustream), and post it on your blog. Do a search on the title of your most recent post or on the title of the most recent thing you've read or thought about. Don't just use Google search, use Google Blog Search and Google Image Search, Amazon, del.icio.us, Technorati, Slideshare, or Youtube. Scan the results and if you find something interesting, save it in del.icio.us to read later. Write a blog post or article describing something you've learned recently. It can be something you've read or culled from a meeting, conference notes (which you just capture on the fly using a text editor), or a link you've posted to del.icio.us. The trick here is to keep your writing activity to less than 10 minutes—make a point quickly and then click "submit." Tidy your e-portfolio. For example, upload your slides to Slideshare and audio recordings to Odeo and embed the code in your presentation page. Or write a description and link to your latest publication. Or update your project list. Create a slide on Zoho. Just do one slide at a time; find an image using the Creative Commons licensed content on Flickr and a short bit of text from a source or yourself. Add this to your stick of prepared slides you use for your next talk or class. Find a blogger you currently read in your RSS reader and go to their website. Follow all the links to other blogs in their blogroll or feedroll, or which are referenced in their posts. Well, maybe not all the links, or it will take hours, not ten minutes. Write a comment on a blog post, article, or book written by an e-learning researcher or practitioner. Go to a website like Engadget, Metafilter, Digg, Mixx, Mashable, or Hotlinks and skip through the items. These sites produce much too much content to follow diligently, but are great for browsing and serendipitous discovery. If you find something interesting, write a short blog post about it or at least a comment. Catch up on one of your online games with a colleague—Scrabulous on Facebook or Backgammon on Yahoo. Or make a Lolcat. Or watch a Youtube video.

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31.10.2007
90 Indians arrested in UAE (Times of India)
Twenty one convicted over Madrid bombings, alleged mastermind acquitted (Hindustan Times)
Chemicals Flow Unchecked From China to Drug Market (nytimes)

India will lose much more if nuke deal fails: top nuke scientist (yahoo.com)
Mukesh becomes world's richest (yahoo.com
Xenitis launches sub-Rs.20,000 laptop (yahoo.com)
GDP Grew 3.9% in Third Quarter On Exports, Consumer Spending (wsj)
19.10.2007
Google Profit Back in Fast Lane (wsj)
Bomb Attack Kills Scores in Pakistan as Bhutto Returns (nytimes)
ITV faces £70m fine after viewers cheated out of millions on premium phone-ins (guardian)
Nike expected to pitch bid for Umbro as fears over sales grow (Times)
Wipro posts Rs 8.24 billion profit in Q2 (Hindustan Times)
India PM rejects resignation call (bbc)
18.10.2007
Media-Ownership Issue May Get Decided (wsj)
Bhutto Returns to Pakistan After 8 Years (nytimes)
In the end, the Indians played like Aussies and Aussies like the Indians (Indian Express)
Day of reckoning for BBC: thousands of jobs axed and Television Centre to be sold (guardian)
Meet Dalai Lama, George W Bush tells China (Times)

17.10.2007
Gore Says Nobel PrizeWon't Spur Presidential Bid (wsj)
Global Warming Starts to Divide G.O.P. Contenders (nytimes)
Thompson plans to cut 1,700 staff (guardian)
India suspends trading as markets plunge (Times)
7th ODI: India put Aussies on the mat (Hindustan Times)
16.10.2007
Jury Awards$99 MillionIn Wyeth Case (wsj)
Failing Schools Strain to Meet U.S. Standard (nytimes)
Indian blogger's website on Pak creates waves in cyberspace (Hindustan Times)
Indian Prime Minister calls off nuclear deal with the United States (Times)
Putin warns US against military action on Iran (guardian)
15.10.2007
Indians just love sex! (Hindustan Times)
Plan to Save Banks Depends On Cooperation of Investors (wsj)
Can Fox Win Its Frontal Assault Against CNBC? (nytimes)
Male infertility alert over hidden bacteria (Times)
Anil thanks Dev Anand for ‘discovering’ Tina (The Asian Age)

13.10.2007
Sanchez: Iraq war 'a nightmare with no end in sight' (cnn)
Energy Crunch Threatens South American Nations (nytimes)
What Gore's Nobel Prize Means for Political Climate (wsj)
Al Gore’s Nobel peace prize is a rebuke for the President, claim Democrats (Times)
Four Posco officials taken hostage (Times of India)

12.10.2007
Al Gore, U.N. Climate Change Panel Win 2007 Nobel Peace Prize (wsj)
Gore and U.N. Panel Win Peace Prize for Climate Work (nytimes)
Al Gore is joint winner of 2007 Nobel peace prize (Times)
Gore and UN share Nobel peace prize (guardian)
Nobel for Al Gore, IPCC (NDTV)
Gore shares Nobel Peace Prize with U.N. panel (cnn.com)
Gore and UN panel win Nobel prize (bbc)
Gore shares Nobel win with U.N. climate panel (reuters)
Al Gore and UN climate body win Nobel Peace Prize (AFP)
Gore, U.N. Body Win Nobel Peace Prize (AP)
Pachauri-led panel on climate change, Al Gore win Nobel Peace Prize (Hindu)
Gore Wins the Nobel. But Will He Run? (Time)
Gore, U.N. Body Win Nobel Peace Prize (Washingtonpost)
Gore, U.N. panel win Peace Prize (latimes)


11.10.2007
PepsiCo's Net Climbs 16% (wsj)
Google Founders Pick Up Another Big Plane (nytimes)
Pope told 'survival of world' at stake if Muslims and Christians do not make peace (Times)
Doris Lessing takes Nobel prize (guardian)
Aust trounce Ind by 9 wkts, take 3-1 lead (mid-day)

10.10.2007
Breaking a Primary Logjam (wsj)
An Israeli Strike on Syria Kindles Debate in the U.S. (nytimes)
Big B deserves more peace: Rekha (Times of India)
Mayawati gets reprieve in Taj corridor case (DNA)
Tendulkar all set to play 400th ODI (rediff)

9.10.2007
Zoellick Charts Inclusive Course At World Bank (wsj)
Britain to Halve Its Force in Iraq (nytimes)
BBC 'to shed 12% of workforce' (guardian)
Internet names for Asia launched (bbc)
UPA-Left meet fails to break impasse on N-deal (Hindustan Times)


8.10.2007
India stun Australia in 4th ODI, win by 8 runs (Hindustan Times)
India win cliffhanger (Times of India)
Bowlers keep India alive in series (cricinfo.com)
India defeats Australia by eight runs (Hindu)
Team India wins a cliff-hanger (The New Indian Express)


6.10.2007
U.S. Economy Down, Not Out (wsj)
Pakistan Lawmakers Voting for President (nytimes)
Activists defy generals in their fight to death for democracy (Times)
World's largest uncut diamond denounced as plastic fake (guardian)
BJP withdraws support to JD-S, seeks elections (Hindustan Times)


5.10.2007

Behind London's Boom, Billionaires From Abroad (wsj)

Musharraf-Bhutto Accord Sets Stage for Vote (nytimes)

Burma's junta chief offers terms to meet opposition leader (Times)

We'll play cricket and leave talking for Indians: Ponting (DNA)

We will withdraw support if Govt. proceeds with n-deal: Yechuri (Hindu)


4.10.2007


In just one day, realty tycoon KP Singh is $4.6 bn richer (DNA)


RepublicansGrow SkepticalOn Free Trade (wsj)


Monks Are Silenced, and for Now, Internet Is, Too (nytimes)


Trapped gold miners rescued in South Africa (Times)


Aishwarya Rai to act in Taj film (bbc)



3.10.2007
Microsoft Tunes Its ZunesTo Catch Up With iPods(wsj)
Clinton Steals Obama’s Fund-Raising Thunder (nytimes)
Thousands of protesters and monks missing in secret gulag of the generals (Times)
Sensex closes in on 18K as bull run continues (Times of India)
Ex-MP gets death in IAS officer lynching case (ibnlive.com)
1.10.2007
Microsoft, Adobe Widen Data Services (wsj)
Exoneration Using DNA Brings Change in Legal System (nytimes)
Anand is now undisputed World champion (Hindu)
Zimbabwe runs out of bread (guardian)

article 92

India crowned champions after thriller That winning feeling: Robin Uthappa is enjoying the sweet taste of victory, India v Pakistan, ICC World Twenty20 final, Johannesburg, September 24, 2007India celebrate victory at the end of the ICC World Twenty20 final, Johannesburg, September 24, 2007India celebrate victory at the end of the ICC World Twenty20 final, Johannesburg, September 24, 2007 India lift the ICC World Twenty20 trophy at the end of a thrilling final against Pakistan, India v Pakistan, ICC World Twenty20 final, Johannesburg, September 24, 2007 Mahendra Singh Dhoni gets his hands on the ICC World Twenty20 trophy, India v Pakistan, ICC World Twenty20 final, Johannesburg, September 24, 2007
'Champions' - officially. The entire Indian team contingent joins in, India v Pakistan, ICC World Twenty20 final, Johannesburg, September 24, 2007 The Indians begin their victory lap around the Wanderers, India v Pakistan, ICC World Twenty20 final, Johannesburg, September 24, 2007

article 91

Photography Composition Photography Composition
SimplicityRule of ThirdsLinesFramingAvoiding Mergers
Simplicity
Look for ways to give the center of interest in your pictures the most visual attentionSelect uncomplicated backgrounds See how we can improve this photo by looking for visual simplicity.We chose the cactus as the main subject. by moving in closer and using the plain sky as the backgroundWe're certainly close enough to our subject in both pictures, but the busy background on the left camouflages the seagull.Just change your point of view slightly and the seagull stands with visual prominence against the blue sky.Compose your photograph so that your reason for taking the picture is clearly seen.Arrange other parts of the picture area in such a way as to complement what you choose to be the center of interest.If picture not good enough, you are not close enough
Remember: we're talking about composition simplicity.How much of your subject should you include, and should it be framed horizontally as done here?Or perhaps you'd prefer to frame your subject in the vertical format, as indicated with these frame lines. The choice is yours.So, you can simplify your pictures and strengthen your center of interest by selecting uncluttered backgrounds, avoiding unrelated subjects, and moving in closeIf you want to make your center of interest even more dynamic, place it slightly off center in your frameGenerally, pictures with subjects directly in the center tend to be more static and less interesting than pictures with off-center subject placement.
Rule of Thirds
You can use the rule of thirds as a guide in the off-center placement of your subjects. Here's how it worksBefore you snap the picture, imagine your picture area divided into thirds both horizontally and vertically. The intersections of these imaginary lines suggest four options for placing the center of interest for good composition.
We picked the upper-right position for this subject so that we could see the full shadow and most of the tracks that lead to the seagull.The lighthouse seems well placed in the upper right just because the rest of the scene fits nicely into the format
Rule of ThirdsYou should always consider the path of moving subjects and, generally, leave space in front of them into which they can moveIf you don't, here's what can happen! This jogger looks like she's going to run right out of the picture.By placing the subject in the lower-left position, we've used the rule of thirds and given the jogger plenty of room to run within the picture.Here's another action shot where it's important to leave more space in front of a moving subject than behind it.You can also apply the rule of thirds guidelines to the placement of the horizon in your photos. Here the center position of the boat and horizon results in a static feeling.Let's move the horizon to the upper third and the sailboat to the left. Remember, these are the only guidelines. So if you don't like this subject placement, try another.We've moved the horizon line to the lower third. In general, place the horizon high or low in your scenics, but rarely in the middle
Lines
Imagine this view without the diagonal rays of sunlight and you'll probably agree: diagonal lines are dynamic!You can use diagonals as leading lines to provide a way into the picture. It's a simple and easy path for the eye to follow to the main subject.LinesYou can also use repetitive lines to draw viewers' attention to your center of interestHere's another S curve that forms a diagonal leading line. This picture is also improved with a well-placed center of interest,You can use other simple geometric shapes to help your picture composition. This triangle adds strong visual unity to this picture
Framing
What we mean is to frame the center of interest with objects in the foreground. This can give a picture the feeling of depth it needs to make it more than just another snapshotFramingWhether or not you use a frame for a picture will depend on each new subject. What you choose as a frame for the scene will, of course, vary as well.The horses and their riders add considerable foreground interest to this scene. The overhanging tree branches complete the frame and add depth to the subject.When you use people for scale and foreground, make sure they look into the picture area.
Avoiding Mergers
The merger of this tree with the boy's head is so obvious, you probably think no one could avoid seeing it before snapping the shutter the camera always sees mergers, so look for plain backgrounds before you pose your subjectWhen we cut people in half or trim their heads or feet, we've committed a border merger. This is often caused by poor alignment of the photographer's eye in the camera viewfinder.To avoid border mergers, line your eye up squarely behind the viewfinder and adjust the picture format to leave a little space around everyone.When we cut people in half or trim their heads or feet, we've committed a border merger. This is often caused by poor alignment of the photographer's eye in the camera viewfinder.To avoid border mergers, line your eye up squarely behind the viewfinder and adjust the picture format to leave a little space around everyone.Video composition
Television production involves both static composition and dynamic compositionStatic composition covers the content of fixed images, such as paintings or still photos.Dynamic composition goes a step further and takes into consideration the effect of time — moment-to-moment change. This change can be within a single shot (including camera or talent moves), or it can apply to the sequence of scenes created through editing.

Safe Area
Because of over scanning and other types of image loss between the camera and the home receiver, an area around the sides of the TV camera image is cut off before being seen. To compensate for this, directors must assume that about ten percent of the viewfinder picture may not be visible on home receivers.This area (framed by the red lines in the photo) is referred to by various names including safe area and essential area.Some directors confine all written material to an "even safer" area, the safe title area (the area inside the blue frame).