Archive for November, 2011



That sad situation was the result when one thinks he had was right while the other one also believes he wasn’t at fault. Both of them tried to outsmart each other until one claims victory. They fought for their “rights” which ended in a tragedy!

Here’s an actual example of miscommunication in everyday life. My spouse would sometimes buy me signature clothing. My mom who found out the price later, would advise us to budget our expenditure by just buying what is affordable to us.

Then problem arises. My spouse thinks that her effort to give me the best was unappreciated. Mom, on the other hand, would think that my spouse is such a spender.

There’s a conflict with their beliefs. We are totally unique; not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. So no two people are exactly alike.

So exactly, how can people prevent this kind of conflict from occurring when the opinion of one person does not correspond with that of the other?

Interpersonal communication skill is the key to overcoming doubts and misunderstandings.

Instead of keeping the other people guessing, you should let them know what’s in your mind.

There was a story about a couple who were filing a divorce. After the lawyer have spoken to them both, he found out that the root cause of all their problems was due to miscommunication.

Here’s the couple’s problems.

The man filing the divorce said that he just hated the breakfast meal that his wife often prepared for him. On the other hand, the wife said she never liked cooking it because it’s very difficult to prepare. She’s only preparing the meal because she thought it was her husband’s favorite.

See? If only one of them took the initiative to speak out what’s in his or her mind, then that particular dilemma would be over. Now why would people prefer to keep their complaints and criticisms to themselves? What’s holding them back?

The reason is most, people, if not all, would like to be accepted and to be perceived as likeable in the eyes of others. They do not want to be rejected. So how can you get your message across without hurting their feelings?

The answer is to substitute negative statements with positive ones.

Instead of saying “You don’t understand,” say “Let me explain. “Instead of remarking “You’re wrong,” say “Let me clarify.” Instead of stating “You failed to say,” just mention “Perhaps this was not mentioned.”

Certain words can affect a person more negatively in comparison with other words that have the same meaning. Nothing could be more pleasing to the ear than hearing someone else say that you are right. In this case, be prepared to let other people know that you respect their opinions. You may add your comments at the end, but acknowledge them first.

For example, you may say:

You’re right, although … Great suggestion, however … I understand your situation, however … I agree with your opinion, however … I would feel the same way if I were you, although …

Always, reassure your counterparts that the decision made will benefit both parties. People need to feel that they have made the right choice. They want to feel important and respected.

Use interpersonal communication wisely for everyone’s advantage as it is a gift.

Linux functionality is often found, albeit in a different form in Windows. Inodes, the subject of this article, are an exception to this rule. Because of their practicality, Windows now includes an imitation of this functionality. But if you want to take full advantage of this somewhat complicated concept, you’ll have to go to Linux or Unix.

So what are inodes and why would anyone want to use them? Inodes are the internal description of a file. As we will see below, the specific inode contents for a given file are different in memory and on disk. But the key to the inode is that a single file may have different names. Why would anybody want to do that? One very important reason is that a user may access a shared file by an intuitive name. Accounting department users could give a certain file an accounting-style name, while users from the marketing department could access this same file by a name that makes sense to them. This functionality alone makes inodes worth while.

Furthermore, let’s say that by accident the “accounting” file was deleted. Accounting users could still access that file if they knew the “marketing” name. Remember, we are talking about one single file that has different names. People don’t have to know about these complications to be able to access the file. The extra processing is carried out behind the scenes.

Now let’s examine inodes more closely. The inode on disk contains the following information: file owner identifier, file type, file access permissions, file access information, number of links, list of data addresses, and file size. The file owner identifier specifies the file owner and the group owner as discussed in our article on permissions and groups. The file type indicates whether we are talking about a regular file, a directory, or something else. The file access permissions denote the permissions, also discussed in a previous article. A given file may have different permissions for different users, for example accounting users may have permission to read and modify the file while marketing users only have permission to read it.

File access information specifies when the file was last accessed, last modified, and when the associated inode was last modified. The number of links indicates the number of names that the file has. In our example, the file has two links. If either accounting or marketing delete the file (assuming that they have such permission) the number of links is reduced to 1. But the file is still there and the number of links could be increased.

The inode on disk provides a list of data addresses; the single file may be scattered across the disk. The final value is the size of the file in bytes.

The inode in memory contains all of the above information plus additional information, for example, whether the file is available for processing (someone else may be using it) and whether someone is waiting to process the file. Remember, several people may be using Unix or Linux simultaneously. If there were no file usage control two different people in accounting could pay a bill at the same time. Windows doesn’t have this problem; it’s not a multi-user system.

The ln command is used to create a link to a given file. For example, ln acct1 mark1 links the mark1 file to the acct1 file; it makes the name mark1 available for the acct1 file. It’s the same file, but with a new name. The ls ‘i command provides information about the file including the number of links (the number of names for the file.)

The next article in this series discusses the Linux kernel and processes.



Don’t underestimate the talent that you get when you select a professional answering service. Many of the leading answering service companies in the industry are very particular about the employees they hire. They obviously make it a point to hire only articulate individuals who can think on their feet and can handle multiple calls while staying poised. They also clearly realize the importance of answering calls promptly and in a professional manner at all times. Answering Service owners and managers know about the importance of the voice and its tone, and how an operator’s voice can truly make a welcoming and helpful difference when answering calls. Of course, being able and determined to help a caller is equally as important.

Industry leading answering service companies like 1-800 We Answer ( http://www.efls.com ) are very selective about who they hire. Before any hiring takes place, operators are thoroughly screened and their communication and listening skills are put to the test. After skilled operators are hired, they receive training in the company’s policies and answering service procedures. They’re closely supervised so that their performance is consistent. Training doesn’t stop once an operator’s evaluation period is over. Answering service operators receive continual training on new accounts, and learn customer service skills throughout their careers.

Answering service companies attract a steady stream of excellent employees. Many companies are realizing the advantages of outsourcing inbound telephone call answering to an answering service. The growth of outsourced business support areas and the virtual service industries has spurred a growing need for skilled customer service representatives across all fields. Answering service businesses constantly need fresh talent. While many customer service experts work in the answering service industry full-time, some of these employees are part-time workers, including people working second jobs. These employees, who work full-time in other areas, often have useful professional experience to offer an answering service company. That broad experience is evident when they answer calls and provide exceptional customer service.

An answering service can be an appealing place to work. For those individuals who love to talk, be helpful and who know they have strong communications skills, are well suited to work for an answering service. A clear speaking voice, known as a “great phone voice” is a plus for answering service employees. Answering service companies provide fair pay, and the hours are often very flexible since an answering service can provide call coverage at all hours, 24/7, 365 days a year. Employees can usually choose to work a specific shift that accommodates their lifestyle and schedule: early morning, afternoon, late night, and overnight.

Working for an answering service can be a path to higher levels of customer service experience. Answering service companies attract quality employees who are drawn to the latest technology in the telecommunications industry. By working at a professional answering service, customer service employees sharpen their technical skills since messages are relayed to clients in a variety of ways via phone and also through new technology: mobile e-mail, fax or directly to a client’s PDA. Some answering service employees update databases and they get to work on a variety of telecommunications software applications, some of which were created by their own IT departments.

Answering service companies partner with their clients to provide seamless call coverage. Keeping this concept in mind, the employees of an answering service become quite important. When a company’s receptionist goes home, it’s the answering service live operator who takes the reins. The operator becomes an extension of that company whose calls they are covering. A valuable answering service worker realizes their voice and presence is just as important as the company’s daytime receptionist’s.

Employees are the key ingredient that distinguishes one company from another. Answering Service companies also realize this, and hire only the best communicators: good listeners who are ready at all times to consistently help and service callers. Answering service companies actively recruit online just like the Fortune 1000 companies, and utilize key job search sites such as Monster.com, Careerbuilders.com and Craig’s List. The job front for answering service employees looks bright, since there is a growing demand for qualified and skilled employees. Unlike many other US industries, many answering service companies are expanding and hiring rapidly.