After reading the above-mentioned post, I would like to clarify if it was suggested that a ‘confrontational approach’ should be adopted when we had different views or ideas on how things should be done.

This is because the choice of words such as ‘do not agree with’ and ‘when confronted with this issue’, kind of suggest that we should take a ‘confrontational approach’ when we are faced with an open conflict of opposing views and ideas. Furthermore, Rosa Parks was an African American civil rights activist who had resorted to the use of civil disobedience when she refused to obey the bus driver’s order that she give up her seat to make room for a white passenger.

I think that ‘confrontational approaches’ like civil disobedience or other civil right movements such as demonstration are not always the best way to address an issue as they does not guarantee success all the time, especially in societies with laws (Internal Security Act) that enable the government to arrest and detain any person without trial. For example, Hindu activists in Malaysia was arrested and detained late last year when they organized protest against the Malaysian government’s racist policies that resulted in Malaysian Indians being marginalized and sidelined from the country developments. Therefore, depending on the context and situation, different types of approach or method should be adopted to deal with problems in the society.

Hence, I might consider not using Rosa Parks as an example and change the tone of the comment to a more generic one which offers a less opinionated view.

Thanks for your thoughts on my comment.

You are right. I am deceiving myself if I claim there is “balance” in my current work-school-life. Simple pleasures of just lazing on the couch and watching TV (which i now recall having enjoyed in the past) have in fact become distant and fuzzy to me. I have no time for hanging out with friends for coffee. I have no time to catch a movie. I have no time for dinner with friends. I have no time for shopping. I have no time to read a leisurely novel. I have no time for a swim.

But fortunately, I manage to miss crossing the line of insanity (IMHO) and like you, my family is my pillar of strength and I will have time, no matter to eat dinner with them, talk to them, visit my grandma on Sundays.

You have set good priorities for yourself in life which I truly admire. I agree thaat to be happy should be the number one objective for a meaningful life.

My admiration for you stems from my inability to detach myself from the expectations that I set upon myself (i.e., maining a certain grade-point average). It is sad but I just cannot detach from the belief that these sacrifices I make in terms of sleep, social life, are a worthwhile investment that I just have to endure and stay focused on to reap the benefits in due time.

I know I can get more money working else where as a IT Security Professional but I don’t see myself working until the wee hours of the night just to chase money.

Plus by having flexibility in time, I can use it to pursuit other interest particular looking after my business and properties.

So with that I don’t think I can work in a environment where it doesn’t allow me that much free time. I’ve got other priorities.

Personally I feel that in an office situation, it is important to be clear and not use “short hand”. It is important to be clear on what you want to obtain. ie document and possibly how to retrieve it. Simple manners, etiquette and even friendliness would facilitate with the various tasks more efficiently

If you are working in an MNC, it is important to keep things formal because there may be cultural differences that may arise from informal emails. I believe that people do form impressions of someone from the way they write their email so it would certainly enhance one’s standing within the company if he manages to draft a proper email.

Thus, I feel that informal e-mails are acceptable as long as they sound polite and are clear with the necessary information. They also sort of portray a friendlier image between parties. However, if a sender is aware of how particular the receiver is about formality, the sender can choose to write a formal e-mail to avoid unnecessary displeasure. =)

With the advances in technology that enable text messaging and chatting over the internet, comes a creation of a whole new language - that of the digital world; one with abbreviations and acronyms to make communication all that “easier”. In other words, with this “chat” lingo that many are growing familiar with, messages are easily put across with lesser words and less intact sentences.

In the professional world however, I feel the use of such language deems the sender as unprofessional and informal. This ultimately portrays a lack of seriousness in the sender and this could be detrimental in aiming to achieve the purpose of the email, be it to request an audience with someone or to submit a report.

In the end, I believe that in a work environment an email should hold a professional air within it. This would hold a similar relation to choosing to submit a report in the form of a presentable printed-out stack of formal papers over submitting a report written in short-hand on a bunch of post-it notes.

As communication these days does not only conform to phone, letters and face to face talks, more ways are developed to get message across, faster and quicker. Mobile phones, text messages, emails, instant messaging, forums and blogs have become norms in our lives. More so, many do not realise that with the advancement in technology and especially in communication, we humans become increasingly dependent on these so call technologies and gadgets. Try to leave your mobile phone at home for 1 day. Insecure? Worried that someone may call you or text you? As we become dependent, expectations are high. We become less patient and expectations of instant replies also increase rapidly at the same time.

What I’m driving at is that through the advancement of technology, it aids us to communicate effectively but also effectively alters us as a human being.

This “exchange programs” can be view as a commercial driven effort. As more and more companies venture into other countries, they need professionals from the locals to understand their local market. Localisation is the key word to venturing into a another country or region. Cultures and tradition differences are terms that someone from other countries can’t truly understand. As such professionals and companies “moves” into a totally new environment creating an exchanging of talents, culture, traditions, habits that develops into a globalisation effect with professionalism taking a forefront.

Think about it, a MNC has to have staff that work through the night because it has branches across the globe that is working whilst those on this side of the globe are sleeping.

And in this fast-paced society, there are so many things to be done with so little time.

As I’m juggling work and school, I barely have time to do revision on my school work, even my friends have to book me a month in advance for a date.

I guess it all boils down to time management. Everyone has 24 hours a day and the amount of work done is dependable on how much effort and motivation one has.

I read through all your comments. I agree with Keanan that email should be written with proper grammar and spell-checked to show professionalism on our part. This is part of our what our job requirements would entail isn’t it?

Short-hand writing has its own pros and cons. I felt that the discussion here is drifted towards when is it correct or not correct, to use formal or informal languages under different contexts.

Short-hand writing does not merely came from our usual SMSes or emails. Journalists are actually trained to write short-hand language to facilitate them in quicker note-taking when they are attending a press conference or interviewing someone. These are actually codes that are not so easy to master.

Maybe we should have a clearer definition of what constitutes short-hand writing