B sure 2 send rite msg or ull b sorry

By TOM HAYTON

THE BUSINESS OF ENGLISH

CONSIDER this exchange:

A: Will u b in klcc area around 2:30pm 2day?

B: Might be, whos askin?

A: Oh like that la. Delete my number huh?

B: Haha no ? I was just being silly. Obviously I know its YOU! Watcha up2?

A: Hmph ... Dont think I cant recognise a cover line when i c one! ;P Am good thanx. Goin 2b in your hood l8er4 an event, wanna meet up?

B: Seriously! I was tryin2convey a mafia-esque suspicious tone in my SMS n then was gna charge u $50 for extra info on myself! Bit busy but sure ...

A: Dont worry abt it ...

B: Ill do my best2make an appearance!

A: =p

This is a slightly edited version of a real SMS conversation I had with a good friend of mine earlier this week.

Obviously, we were joking around with each other, but the exchange illustrates some key points about communicating by SMS.

We often use SMS when we’re too busy doing something else to make a call. As in the example above, this can mean we don’t fully think through how the message will be interpreted.

SMS stands for ‘‘Short message service’’ and, as a result, we cut out a lot of the elaboration that adds detail and deeper shades of meaning.

In the example, I meant to come across like some shady character from a gangster movie who didn’t want to give up information without a bribe. The joke bombed because of the other possible interpretation, which was that I’d lost my friend’s number! I then had to backpedal over the next few messages, so it all became much more complicated than it needed to be.

Of course, in this situation, the consequences were not so dire because we are friends and we have an understanding that goes beyond what we might (mis)type in a text message.

But transfer that to a business context and you can see how things might turn sour:

A: Hi Bob are u comin2day?

B: I cant make it im afraid.

A: U were supposed to text me!

B: I did text you.

A: I came home especially because I thought u were coming.

B: Dont give me a guilt trip. I didnt ask u2do that.

A: Im not. Im just saying I was waiting4u.

(? etc)

The lack of full contextualisation, the short sentences, plus the lack of detail and care in phrasing, means that A and B quickly descend into a world of misunderstanding. Perhaps A didn’t mean to make B feel guilty, but the message can easily be read that way.

The ‘time lag’ between sender and reply can mean that, rather than being fast and efficient, SMS can make things drag:

A: So r we on4 2nite?

[3 hour delay]

B: Sorry jus saw ur msg. Oredi made plans! Sorry!

Predictive text can also cause problems:

A: Ru@home? I wanna drop by and pick up sm stuff.

B: With my new partner. I wont be good until l8er.

A: WHAT?!

On a phone with predictive text, ‘‘home’’ and ‘‘good’’ both involve typing 4-6-6-3.

Of course SMS is great fun for chatting with friends. I’m an SMS addict. When it comes to business communication, though, it’s only really suitable in the following scenarios:

* When you are absolutely certain the other person can’t answer the phone

* For transferring simple information such as times, dates and phone numbers

* When the consequences of misreading or mistyping are not serious

* When you are sure that the other person understands your short forms

* When it doesn’t matter too much if the message doesn’t get immediate personal confirmation from the receiver.

If it really matters, the messages you send should always be followed up with a call. If not, there’s a lot of room for misunderstanding.

SMS has its name for good reason: keep it short and sweet. If you can’t, then it’s better not to use it.

Tom Hayton is a Business Trainer with the Professional Development Unit (PDU), at the British Council Malaysia. The PDU offers a wide range of learning opportunities from management and communication skills training to developing English skills. Visit its website at www.britishcouncil.org.my or e-mail thomas.hayton@britishcouncil.org.my

Source : thestar.com.my

Waterproof Mobiles

Things To Keep In Mind While Buying A Cell Phone

by: Sherry Khan

Buying a Cell Phone: An Overview

In the last decade the cell phone industry has grown thousand fold all around the world. A cell phone is somewhat necessary for an individual to keep up with the busy life of the current era. A few years back, a cell phone was not considered a necessity; it was just a luxury that was being enjoyed by only a small number of individuals. But nowadays, life without a cell phone seems impossible. People all around the world are addicted to the use of a cell phone. This is mainly because the cell phone is no longer just a cell phone; it has evolved into many things like a personal digital assistant (pda), music player, a global positioning system (gps) and a lot more. Everyday different manufacturers around the world are introducing the models with the new features. This is what needs to be taken into consideration when you go for buying a cell phone. You need to be sure about the features you want that suit your lifestyle well.

The Money Matter

Nowadays there is so much choice for an individual to buy a cell phone. Every company is producing the models with state of the art technology and features everyday. Price is the main thing that makes a difference in these different models. An expensive phone is likely to have more features, reliability and a better technology than a cheap one. Everyone wants a best phone in the market for him but high price of the cell phones comes in the way therefore price is a big thing that needs to be kept in mind while buying a cellular phone. But expensive and sophisticated phones are not everyone's choice; there are people who just want a simple cell phone which is not much expensive but does its job well only as a cell phone. Also the extra features provided in the expensive phones are not everyone's need.

Therefore the price is a main thing to keep in mind whenever you to buy a cell phone. Do not buy a cell phone just because it is expensive; buy the one that suits your needs.

Choices in Different Vendors and their Models

Lucky for the customers that nowadays there are a huge number of cell phone manufacturers who have a vast number of models for customers to choose from. Every vendor holds certain advantages that the other lacks in. This creates a great competition, which is very healthy for the cell phone industry. Also this competition results in the reduction of the price, which is beneficial for the end user.

Some people have liking for a certain brand but they still have a lot of choice in the models offered by the same brand. Every other day a new model is launched by a company, this is a strategy of companies to keep a customer stick to their brand and attract more.

Research is Always Better

It is always better to research about the phone you are going to buy before you set out to actually buy it. There are number of ways to know about that phone, the best one is internet. You can read the product reviews on the internet for that phone and know if there are any issues with it. You can also know the people's view about the certain features offered by that particular device on internet. Also try to read the review by some critic about that phone; it will further clarify its view in your mind.

Hence it is to be said that in order to get the desired satisfaction, the above things should be kept in mind before buying a cell phone.

Choosing Colour For Your Website

Colour schemes are the hardest to pick when building your website.

Why?

If your favourite colour is mauve, this may not translate into a website that is eye-appealing to potential customers. Also, you text and content may be hidden behind that colour.

Your customer might leave right away after seeing a grotesque colour scheme, so having the right colours can change the appearance and initial reaction to your website.

However, since there are infinite colour schemes, which ones will best suit you?

When designing a website, not only are you designing functionality and accessibility, you are also designing readability or eye appeal. This is different from websites that use flash to entice the visitor. Flash sites also have the disadvantage of not having the search engines being able to view a website that is entirely made of flash.

The colours should be ones that suit you, however suit the customer more. Reds, blues and orange/salmon and black on white have dramatic impact on how you perceive. For example, red has been used to demonstrate a call to action (for example, ‘buy’ can be placed within a red context because you wish the customer to ‘buy’ your product. You can place headlines in red; however, if you place the wrong headline in red, you won’t have buying customers. Red is a very powerful message marker. Use with caution.

Blue is used to have a calm experience. For example, some yoga and meditation websites will use blue to calm and red to entice their visitors to ‘buy’ their meditation services.

Some other sites have used orange/salmon to great effect. These colours can also entice visitors to find out more about your products and services as well as a combination of black and white text and background.

Traditional black on white background is still very useful. This is the basic colour scheme that we are all used to seeing and will also convey your message. What you can do is incorporate some of the other colours and see how they best suit your website and you business goals.

Colour enhances the images we see. When this is applied to website design it’s important to have your customer in mind. Determine which colour scheme works best for your website and continue to test. Once you’ve found a colour scheme that works, leave it. This will ensure your website business success.

How To Make The Best Buy Of Perfume

The importance of perfume has been realized a very long time ago. Its birth can be dated back to the early Egyptians era when it was being used for religious ceremonies and love making preparations. Nowadays, perfumes have virtually become a bare essential in our society and they are being used in all walks of life. The use of perfumes adds zing to the occasions as they are considered to be one of the most luxurious and sensuous accessories in the modern society.

When it comes to the use of perfume as an essential part of body accessories, they are numerous brands available in the market that one can choose from. However, the choice of a particular brand largely depends on the social stratum of a person. These days, the use of designers` fragrance is a rage in the market and everyone wants to use a specific brand of fragrance which is not only well-known but also stands out in terms of smell.

Some facts about perfumes:

Generally, the fragrance of perfumes last longer for people who have an oily skin. This is because their oily skin has more natural moisture content that holds the fragrance. On the other hand, dry skin has less natural moisture content and, hence it fails to hold the fragrance for a longer period of time.

Admired perfumes for men range from citrus, spicy, woodsy, leathery and while they are designed in a controlled environment, the same for the women are designed for primal senses with the combination of subtleness and refinement. Perfumes for women can be found in different wonderful themes such as floral like roses, jasmine, fruity like citrus or orange blossoms, oriental like mix of spices, amber and so on.

Perfumes are worn by both men and women to display their individual personality. However, what smells wonderful on your friend might not suit your body temperament. Hence, while buying a designer perfume, bear the following dos and don`ts in mind:

How to try:

When you want to try new fragrance for its chemical reaction, try it on your body and not on an object, say on the perfume bottle cap or a piece of cardboard. If you experience any irritation on your skin, take it for granted that the chemical components of the fragrance are not suitable for your skin tone and texture and its use could be harmful for you.

No two-timing, please:

Buyers are often found to be trying different perfume fragrances at the same time. Do not use three or four fragrances at a time as it affects your sensory reflections leading to confusion relating to the choice of a particular fragrance. So, the chances are you will fail to pick that perfect perfume which would be suitable for your skin tone.

Say NO to fake & cheap:

Do not go for fake and cheap designer perfume fragrances merely for the sake of saving a few pennies. What seems like a saving could cost you dearly in the long-run. Fake and cheap fragrances can be extremely detrimental to your skin tone and texture as they are not made up of quality and standard components of fragrance. The best way to choose the perfect perfume is sniff coffee beans to clear and refresh your smelling power.

Samples:

Always try to use sample perfume bottles if it is possible for you to get one. They are extremely ideal for you to understand the ultimate effect on your body. Incase you find them suitable or otherwise, you are in a situation to make a choice accordingly.

Designer perfume outlet:

The best way and place to buy a perfume is to drop at a designer perfume outlet where you can pick your favorite designer perfumes. It helps you to take the right decision as you have a wide-range of choices to pick from. Besides, perfumes purchased from a designer perfume outlet tend to live up to your expectation. They could cost you a bit more, but you can feel the difference as you impress people with the unique smell. This is when you feel that your spending is worth it.

The Main Key to a Profitable Internet Business

An Internet business can be very rewarding if you know how to make money online.

It's not difficult to make money online, you don't have to be a genius to do it. All you need is to know what to do and how to do it.

It's like any other occupation, would it be like a welder, a doctor or any profession. You need to learn a skill, it will be no difference because you work from home at the Internet. You simply must gain the necessary skill to be able to perform your job right.

A lot of people simply join an opportunity and then sit back and wait for the money. Let's face it, even though you don't have to be a rocket scientist to make it with your Internet business, you still have too work it.

Just as a regular business must be exposed to presumptive customers to be able to prosper, your online business will be dependent on what's called web site traffic. That is the main key to a successful Internet business: To be able to drive lots of targeted traffic to your web site. If you can't get visitors to your site, it will just sit in the cyber space for use of nobody.

And you want your traffic to be targeted, people who are interested in what you have to offer and therefor more likely to perform your MWA(most wanted action). Such as purchase your product/service, click an ad or an affiliate link.

That's all there is to it. Your job is simply to learn how to promote your businesses online. In other words, learning how to drive targeted traffic to your web site.

There are numerous of free and paid ways to promote your business online. For ex. pay per click, ezine ads, article writing, forums, classifieds, press releases, SEO (search engine optimization)...and on it goes.

If you make it your first goal to master the art of promoting your web site and drive targeted traffic to your web pages...You'll soon be able to make money online!