gaurav_techie

“There is only one definition of success — to be able to spend your life in your own way.” To what extent do you agree or disagree with this definition of success? Support your position by using reasons and examples from your reading, your own experience, or your observation of others. There is only one definition of success – to be to spend your life in your own way. Before I can take a stand for or against this statement, I would like to examine the statement from various points of view. Firstly, let us examine how society defines success. Society feels that your wealth, your home, the cars you drive and who you work for are all key indicators to how successful you are. The more you have the more “successful” you are. However, in our craze for these “successful elements” we as a society have forgotten to look beyond these external indications. No doubt, wealth is a significant element of one’s bodily sustenance, but it is not the be all and end all of life. The “soft” skills that an individual imbibes throughout his journey of life are as important to success as are the material elements. History has shown us numerous examples of people who have been materially successful but have failed miserably in other aspects of their lives. For Example, consider Bill Clinton, the former President of the United States. For all practical purposes, given the power he wielded, he was the monarch of the world. He had no shortage of wealth, cars or any other factor that society may use as a measure of success. He was to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. However, his emotions let him down. Secondly, let us now see how individuals would like to define success. To some people, success means achieving peace of mind, to others, success means being a great personality. What we need to understand is that there is a lot more to life other than material possessions. Given the fast pace of life that people lead, people seldom have time to indulge in their hobbies much less learn a new skill. Since a major portion of society falls in this segment of this behavior, it is but natural for them to think of success in material terms. After all, they are working 5 days a week to achieve it. For Example, a friend I knew set up a Non Government Organization and made it his mission to spread computer literacy among the poor. To him, success meant making the difference in the lives of the people that needed a good education the most. If every individual on the face of this earth would follow tenets of success laid down by society then we would be bereft of diversity. The world would be populated by emotional drones working day in and day out to ensure material prosperity. I feel that there is more than one definition of success. When one is on his deathbed, one looks back at how he/she has spent his/her life. Success would then mean being satisfied with the roads traveled during this journey of life. One who is satisfied with the life he has lead is more of a successful individual than one who has reached his deathbed with an unfinished agenda.

Hi Vadi, First off thanx for your reply. Atleast now I know which areas need some polishing up.

hi Marcin, Thanx for the much needed encouragement :). I was kinda wondering why ppl didn't feel like commenting on my essays. Your comments are like a breath of fresh air. Thanx, Gaurav

Hi All, The 12th essay in the arguments list is as below. Could anyone comment on how one should go about arguing for or against this topic. If one were to go against the topic, I find only 1 loop hole. we are not told whether the 200 customers arrived over 4 days or each day. Also, if these guys managed to attract only 200 customers after launching a ad compaign in a newspaper ( ?? we're not told what the nature of the publication is ), then either the "dailty Gazette" does not have much of an audience, or the grocery store sucks :)....any inputs ppl ? Thanx, Gaurav. “Advertising the reduced price of selected grocery items in the Daily Gazette will help you increase your sales. Consider the results of a study conducted last month. Thirty sale items from a store in downtown Marston were advertised in the Gazette for four days. Each time one or more of the 30 items was purchased, clerks asked whether the shopper had read the ad. Two-thirds of the 200 shoppers asked answered in the affirmative. Furthermore, more than half the customers who answered in the affirmative spent over $100 at the store.”

“All groups and organizations should function as teams in which everyone makes decisions and shares responsibilities and duties. Giving one person central authority and responsibility for a project or task is not an effective way to get work done.” To what extent do you agree or disagree with the opinion expressed above? Support your views with reasons and/or specific examples drawn from your own work or school experiences, your observations, or your reading. The statement tells us that in groups and organizations, everyone should be allowed to take decisions and share responsibilities and duties. The statement goes further by saying that giving one-person authority and responsibility for a project is not an effective way to get work done. Before I take a stance for or against the statement, I would like to examine the pros and cons of the situation. Firstly, let us view the situation from a team’s perspective. A group of people working together to accomplish a common task defines a team. Among the individuals that make up the team, there is a single individual who takes on the task of leading the team, usually known as a team lead or a manager. He/She is as such responsible for showing the entire team direction, and ensuring that everyone works together to achieve the target. That way the team can concentrate on working towards their goal while the team lead works on laying out the path ahead. He lays out a plan for them to follow so that they can achieve their goal in a timely manner while adhering to the financial constraints. He would also take care of the “soft” aspects of the team. What I mean by this is that the lead would manage relationships between team members, be their interface with the external world and communicate any problems or difficulties that they maybe facing to the higher authorities. This individual would be seen as the decision-making authority and his decisions are final and binding on everyone. As a result of this structured approach, there is inherent order in the team. Individuals need only concentrate on the task allotted to them. Secondly, let us examine a situation wherein a responsible authority is absent. Team members would now have to collectively work together to reach their goal. Besides working on their tasks they would also have to work on arranging for resources that they may need. Task delegation becomes difficult, as there is no authority to dictate who does what and in what capacity. This leads to confusion. Each member begins to take ownership of the project. Individuals begin assigning tasks to themselves and attempt to do so with others. Finally, an individual emerges to who the entire team looks up to. He is the “impromptu” leader. He begins delegating tasks and takes on the role of being a coordinator. The situation has boiled down to that of installing a responsible individual at the time of team inception. What I have talked about thus far is an optimistic situation. In most cases, where this “impromptu” leader is unable to emerge, the team is further lead into confusion and chaos. Work does not get done on time. Disagreements ensue as individuals refuse to accept roles that other people have thrust on them or have taken on themselves. This causes the team to disintegrate. In an effort to streamline delegation of tasks and responsibilities, a team lead could do well by splitting the task at hand into “responsible areas” and ask his team members to volunteer for a task that they wish to do. As a result, the members of the team take on ownership of the task and ensure that they execute the task to the best of their abilities. As a sum total of this contribution, the entire project is successful. In conclusion, I would disagree with the statement. Based on what I have said above, I strongly opine that a team should have a lead and its members should be given freedom of thought. Absence of a lead causes chaos and absence of freedom of thought leads to de motivation.

Statement: Corporations and other businesses should try to eliminate the many ranks and salary grades that classify employees according to their experience and expertise. A ‘flat’ organizational structure is more likely to encourage collegiality and cooperation among employees. The statement claims that eliminating ranks and salary grades that classify employees will lead to a flat organization and hence better cooperation and collegiality among employees. Before adopting a stance for or against the statement, I would like to examine the various perspectives. Firstly, any organization would have employees that bring varying number of years of experience with them to their workplace. This helps the organization to form teams by placing the most experienced at the top and the lesser experienced below. It is also known that as one goes up the corporate ladder, the burden of responsibilities also increases. Hence by placing an experienced employee further up the hierarchy, it is assumed that they would be better equipped to handle responsibilities and the pressures that come with it. However, the hierarchy brings in its own set of woes. In organizations where the hierarchy is very complex, there is ample scope for communication gaps between the community at the lower levels and the community that is higher up in the hierarchy (the management). This lack of communication and understanding leads one to believe that the other is trying to exploit him to maximize the organization’s profits. However, an organization cannot survive without a logical structure, an absence of which would lead to total anarchy. It seems logical to place people who bring years of experience to their job higher up in the hierarchy so that they may guide the organization down a realistic path to remain profitable. Secondly, people’s successes in life are viewed through their monetary status in society. Generally speaking, this would be a result of a monetarily well-compensated job. This in turn would ensue as a result of being able to distinguish between employees in terms of their competencies and their relevant years of exposure to the industry, commonly known as years of experience. The industry wishes to make this distinction in terms of good monetary satisfaction as well as a responsible position in the corporate ladder. Hence, as long as a society views the successes of its peoples from a monetary perspective, eliminating salary grades would not be possible. If we were to eliminate salary grades, then what would help one in distinguishing between individuals on the corporate playing field? Given the fact that a currency is the foundations of survival, how would an employee be rewarded for his performance at work using any other means not linked to monetary gains? Thirdly, the absence of a complex hierarchy would help improve communication between employees. However, the lesser experienced grow in their fields by seeking knowledge from the more experienced. In order to learn, one must humble oneself and accept that there is another individual who is more knowledgeable, and this brings about an implicit hierarchy. Hence, avoiding a hierarchy is impossible. Absence of one would lead to anarchy. An organization cannot survive without a leader to show its peoples the way. A leader defines a direction and a purpose for the entire organization to follow. Lastly, a hierarchy can be made “Flat” by allowing easy access to and lifting communication restrictions between people in various stages of the corporate ladder. Better communications would result in more collegiality. However, the presence of a hierarchy is inevitable. In conclusion, I would like to say that organizational hierarchies as well as salary grades are inevitable if we are to be in a position to distinguish between employees in terms of their quality of their deliverables as well as their intellect and capability.

“In a recent citywide poll, fifteen percent more residents said that they watch television programs about the visual arts than was the case in a poll conducted five years ago. During these past five years, the number of people visiting our city’s art museums has increased by a similar percentage. Since the corporate funding that supports public television, where most of the visual arts programs appear, is now being threatened with severe cuts, we can expect that attendance at our city’s art museums will also start to decrease. Thus some of the city’s funds for supporting the arts should be reallocated to public television.” The statement assumes that there is a high degree of correlation between corporate funding for visual arts and the increased interest of people in visual arts. As a result, the statement assumes that cut in corporate funding will cause a fall in the number of people visiting museums. The assumption the statement makes is faulty. Firstly, the statement says that the past 5 years have seen an increase of 15 percent in the number of people visiting the city’s art museums. However, we are not told about the scenario before corporate funding came into the picture. Generally speaking, events that receive maximum attention from the general public receive corporate backing. For Example, games like golf, cricket and baseball are known to have corporate funding. This is because these games are popular among people. Hence corporate funding facilitates a company in increasing its awareness among the general public. Based on this logic, we could assume that the visual arts received corporate funding because it was popular among the people. On the other hand, we are not told about the circumstances around which corporate funding was provided to the visual arts. So, we could also assume that it was corporate funding that gave visual arts the interest it now enjoys. Having spurred an interest in people over the past 5 years, there is no evidence to prove that since corporate funding is now drying up, that people would stop visiting the museums. This would only happen if the museums were forced to shut shop because of a lack of funding and their incapacity to pay for the costs involved in their maintenance. However, there is no evidence in the given statement to prove or disprove this line of thinking. Secondly, a reduction in corporate funding does not imply a corresponding decrease in attendance at visual art museums. There are a number of reasons that could cause corporate funding to dry up. For example, a bad economic climate could cause the corporate world to cut down on spending, which could result in reduced funding to visual arts. Following this line of thinking, one cannot say that people have lost their interest in the visual arts because funding has dried up. In conclusion, the statement does not offer any proof for or against a situation wherein people will stop visiting museums due to the lack or corporate funding. Even if the given statement was to lead us to believe that there was a high correlation between corporate funding and the people’s interest in visual arts, we cannot conclude that the absence of corporate funding would cause them to lose their interest in visual arts. Hence we do not have enough information to conclude whether diverting public funds to the visual arts would continue to spur peoples’ interest in the visual arts even in the absence of corporate funding.

Hi All, As always your comments are greatly appreciated.. Thanx. The following appeared as part of a newspaper editorial. “Two years ago Nova High School began to use interactive computer instruction in three academic subjects. The school dropout rate declined immediately, and last year’s graduates have reported some impressive achievements in college. In future budgets the school board should use a greater portion of the available funds to buy more computers, and all schools in the district should adopt interactive computer instruction throughout the curriculum.” Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc. The statement claims that post using interactive computer instruction in three academic subjects, the school drop out rate declined immediately and that the previous year’s graduates have reported impressive achievements in college. Let us examine the statement from various perspectives. Firstly, interactive computer instruction is a revolutionary method of imparting knowledge. Using the computer to impart education could involve the use of multimedia, simulation models etc. This on its own can enhance one’s understanding of the subject being learned due to the mode of presentation. However, there are some subjects to which interactive computer instruction cannot do justice to. For Example, learning Art requires constant interaction with a human interface. Learning how to mix colors, understand texture of canvas etc cannot be learned through interactive computing. In the case of Nova High school we are not given any information about the subjects being taught using interactive computing. We are not told about how dependant the school is on interactive computer instruction to impart knowledge to their students. Does the software conduct tests? Can it manage without a human interface to clarify what its content means? Secondly, what subjects does the software aim to teach? What standards of Quality does the software adhere to? We are told that the college reported impressive achievements. What do these achievements imply in terms of a performance improvement by average students? The statement tells us that the drop out rate declined immediately, but did the performance of those would be dropouts improve? Further, we have statistics only for the past two years. Unless we have statistics for a few more years we cannot be sure of the long-term implications of computer instruction on important aspects of the curriculum. Hence we cannot infer whether there would be a high correlation between computer instruction and a fall in rates of dropouts and consequently a performance improvement. In conclusion, the statement would have done well to give us more information in the lines of questioning mentioned in the above 2 paragraphs. Given the facts, we can say that the results of introducing computer instruction are at best encouraging. Hence, Nova school should introduce computer instruction in phases, carefully monitoring the results as the introduction takes place. As yet we are not able to predict the results of introducing computer instruction over a long period of time. However, the short-term results are encouraging.

Hi All, As always I would truly appreciate your comments on my essay. I felt that this particluar essay has a lot of loop holes. I did identify some but was unable to identify a few others. Any inputs would be truly appreciated. Thanx, Gaurav. The following appeared as part of a campaign to sell advertising time on a local radio station to local businesses. “The Cumquat Cafe began advertising on our local radio station this year and was delighted to see its business increase by 10 percent over last year’s totals. Their success shows you how you can use radio advertising to make your business more profitable.” The statement makes a mention about Cumquat Café that saw its business grow by 10 percent over its previous year due to advertising on the local radio station. The radio station now cites the example of Cumquat Café’s success and claims that advertising with them would make an organization’s business more profitable. Let us examine the claims made from various perspectives. Firstly, we are told that Cumquat café has seen a 10 percent growth in its business over its previous year. We are also told that Cumquat advertised with the local radio station. However, we are not presented with sufficient evidence that can link these two events. For Example, did Cumquat advertise with the radio station only or did it use other avenues for advertising such as the local newspaper, a web site etc? What percentage of Cumquat’s profits had a correlation with advertising on the local radio station? What percentage of the local station’s audience are potential customers of Cumquat? The statement does not give us enough evidence to confidently answer any of these questions. Without sufficient evidence Cumquat’s success may seem to be a coincidence. Secondly, from the radio station’s perspective, they do not give us sufficient information for us to conclude how significant a role they played in the success of Cumquat. Given the fact that the radio station is trying to make itself more visible, the onus is on them to show the corporate world what they can do for them in terms of advertising. For Example, how big is their audience? What segments of the population does the station address? Does the station have a multi city presence or are they predominant in their home city? All these questions need answering if we are to understand the impact of advertising on the local station. Thirdly, Cumquat being a café can advertise using any. This is especially so due to the nature of products that a café offers. However, we cannot confidently say that any industry that advertises on the local radio station would see a rise in profits purely because we do not know enough about the radio station itself. To answer this question, we would need answers to the questions we have asked in the second point above. In conclusion, we are unable to see if there is a correlation between Cumquat’s recent success and the effect of advertising on the local radio station. The line of reasoning presented to us in the statement seems at best, faulty. The statement could have presented information in terms of statistics both from the station’s perspective as well as Cumquat’s perspective.

“In the first four years that Montoya has served as mayor of the city of San Perdito, the population has decreased and the unemployment rate has increased. Two businesses have closed for each new business that has opened. Under Varro, who served as mayor for four years before Montoya, the unemployment rate decreased and the population increased. Clearly, the residents of San Perdito would be best served if they voted Montoya out of office and reelected Varro.” The statement is trying to link Montoya’s term in office to the decrease in population and increase in the unemployment figures in the city. The statement also claims that businesses have suffered under Montoya’s term in office. However, the statement indicates that during San Perdito’s term the unemployment rates actually decreased and the population increased. Let us view the statement from various perspectives and see if the given data is sufficient to substantiate the claims mentioned. Firstly, we are not told of the socioeconomic conditions during Perdito’s or Varro’s term in office. Was there a general recession during Perdio’s term in office? Did he have sufficient funds to develop the city? Which industry contributed to the increase in employment rates? Was the rise in unemployment rates due to federal policies? Were these policies in force before Perdito’s rule? If so, was he in a position to amend those policies? In Varro’s case, were the economic conditions better? Or did he usher in a new industry into his city that lead to an increase in employment rates? Did he identify any policies that may have been causing the economy harm and hence make amends to them? What role did he play as a mayor in improving employment rates? These are questions to which we have no answer. Hence we are unable to gauge the situation during either of their terms. We therefore cannot say that there is a high correlation between their performance during their respective terms and their respective fallouts on the economy. Secondly, we are not given any information about the conditions under which the population decreased. Did the population decrease because of an epidemic or did it decrease because a sizeable chunk of the population left the city? If not, under what environmental or social conditions did this decrease in population take place? During Varro’s tenure as Mayor, what changes in conditions took place that resulted in an increase in population? What differentiated his tenure from that of his predecessor? The statement does not give us any information for us to gain answers to the above questions. Thirdly, four years is clearly a long time over which there can be drastic changes in the socio economic climate of a city. A period of 4 years can see a quick recession followed by an economic recovery as well. From the statement we are given to understand that a period of 8 years have passed since the completion of their tenures. Going purely on the basis of the statement we are tempted to infer that re-electing Varro would be of consequence since we have evidence of their performances during their tenures. However, we have no information about the current socioeconomic status of the city or the situation in the past . We are therefore unable to draw a comparison and arrive at answers about their probable performances. Hence we are unable to comment on whether reelecting Varro would be of any consequence. Fourthly, we are told about the rise and fall of the economy and the population during the tenures of the mayors. However, we are not given any statistics. For Example, if the rise in unemployment was a mere 0.1% during Montoya’s tenure that can hardly be termed as drastic. We are not presented with statistics with respect to mortality rates either. The statement would have done better by providing us with statistics. In conclusion, the statement does not give us information to conclude for or against either of the mayors. If the statement had provided us with further evidence that would help us arrive at answers or deductions to the questions asked in the paragraphs above, we would be able to take a more confident stance.

9. The following appeared in the opinion column of a financial magazine. “On average, middle-aged consumers devote 39 percent of their retail expenditure to department store products and services, while for younger consumers the average is only 25 percent. Since the number of middle-aged people will increase dramatically within the next decade, department stores can expect retail sales to increase significantly during that period. Furthermore, to take advantage of the trend, these stores should begin to replace some of those products intended to attract the younger consumer with products intended to attract the middle-aged consumer.” The statement claims that middle-aged consumers devote 39% of their retail expenditure to department store products and services while younger consumers devote only 25% of their retail expenditure on an average. Hence the statement is trying to conclude that it would be more beneficial to the department store to shift its focus to middle aged people. Let us review the conclusion of the statement from various perspectives. Firstly, at any given moment of time, there is always a percentage of the population that falls in the middle-aged segment. However, there is also a significant percentage of the population that falls into the younger segment of the population. If department stores were to lay more stress on products aimed toward middle-aged people, they would probably end up losing their younger generation customers. If a majority of the department stores were to adopt this stand then the younger generation would be left with very little choice with where to shop from. This may result in a price difference between the same products being sold at the department store versus the product being sold at any other venue. Over a period in time department stores may become solely dependant on the middle-aged segment to keep their businesses viable. Secondly, if department stores were to primarily service middle-aged people, where would the younger and the elderly go in order to purchase their necessities? We would then begin to have separate department stores catering to the needs of the various age segments. If this concept becomes a viable business model then the consumer stands to gain, as now each segment could walk into their respective department stores and expect to get everything they wanted under one roof. Companies would begin orienting themselves towards servicing these segments. From their perspective, it would lead to an increase in costs by means of acquiring real estate, hiring and advertisement costs. However, if we were to compare the products that are commonly used across all the age segments, we would find a huge intersection in the various products that are used for example toothpaste, soaps, detergents etc. Hence we are lead to question the viability of such a business model as one that caters to various age segments exclusively. The garment industry has adopted this concept successfully. However, whether this concept would do the department stores good in the long run, is as yet unknown. It is clear however, that the industry that would stand to gain the most from such an arrangement would be the advertising industry. Advertisements would now have to be tailor made for each segment. In conclusion, the statement could have done better by modifying its line of reasoning. The statement could have suggested that to cater across age segments that department stores set up special areas that cater to the respective age segments under one roof. That way, the department could still capitalize on the 39% expenditure of the middle-aged segment by providing them with variety while safeguarding the interests of the other age groups as well. At the end of the day, the department store still makes it profits and customers are satisfied. The statement currently does not provide us with sufficient information to conclude in its favor decisively.

“People who use the artificial sweetener aspartame are better off consuming sugar, since aspartame can actually contribute to weight gain rather than weight loss. For example, high levels of aspartame have been shown to trigger a craving for food by depleting the brain of a chemical that registers satiety, or the sense of being full. Furthermore, studies suggest that sugars, if consumed after at least 45 minutes of continuous exercise, actually enhance the body’s ability to burn fat. Consequently, those who drink aspartame-sweetened juices after exercise will also lose this calorie-burning benefit. Thus it appears that people consuming aspartame rather than sugar are unlikely to achieve their dietary goals.” The statement claims that use of aspartame is harmful to health. We are told that aspartame contributes to weight gain by means of depleting the brain of the chemical that registers satiety. The statement also claims that aspartame sweetened juices consumed after exercise prevents one from losing weight as opposed to consuming sugars under the same conditions. Let us view the given information from different perspectives. Firstly, the statement suggests that the information presented to us via the examples has been excerpted from a study. We assume this due to the usage of the words “have been shown to”. However, we have not been presented with details of the study, the sample population considered, their eating habits, their ages, and their health profiles etc. From the face value of the information presented here we are tempted to conclude that aspartame is bad for health. However, due to lack of information on the study under the headings mentioned above we cannot logically arrive at a conclusion. Secondly, when aspartame is consumed, it is broken down into methanol. Methanol can be converted into formic acid that could cause neurotic dysfunctions. However, there are certain beverages such as beer that produce 60mg to 100mg of methanol. These beverages have not been known to lead to neurotic dysfunction when compared to an equal quantity of aspartame-sweetened beverage. The statement has not explained this anomaly. Thirdly, the statement also makes a mention of people suffering due to high levels of aspartame consumption. In all probability, an excess of any substance will lead to abuse of the physiological system of the body. The definition of “high levels” is unclear. Therefore to categorize aspartame as a harmful substance when the levels of intake are abusive may be unfair. In conclusion, due to a lack of concrete and statistical information, we are unable to arrive at a stance where we can support or refute the conclusion of the statement. The statement must provide us with further information regarding the study and how the results have been arrived at.

Hi All, Could you please comment on my essay. Erin could you please comment as well. When we write an analysis of an Argument essay, we are looking at various viewpoints right? We are also encouraged by ETS to examine any flaws in the reasoning of the given statement and are also encouraged to mention what would make the statement stronger etc. how can we do this without bringing in an "I" into the picture....bringing an "I" into the story implies a personal stance.....any ideas ppl? Thanx, Gaurav “Corporations should look to the city of Helios when seeking new business opportunities or a new location. Even in the recent recession, Helios’s unemployment rate was lower than the regional average. It is the industrial center of the region, and historically it has provided more than its share of the region’s manufacturing jobs. In addition, Helios is attempting to expand its economic base by attracting companies that focus on research and development of innovative technologies.” On the basis of the information we are given Helios seems to be an attractive destination for new a new business opportunity. However, let us view the situation from various perspectives. Firstly, the statement provides us with ample proof that Helios is an attractive destination for a new business venture. We are told about its low unemployment rate even during the recession. We are also led to believe that the jobs are primarily in the manufacturing sector. Given these facts, we are not told about Helios’ infrastructure. We can safely assume that Helios being a manufacturing hub would have its basic transport and communication infrastructure strongly in place. We are also oblivious of any efforts that Helios is making in terms of setting up new infrastructure, improving on existing infrastructure, setting up of real estate such as technology parks etc to attract these companies. Hence we are in a situation where we are not able to match Helios as a destination with companies that are focusing on innovative technologies in the non-manufacturing sector.It is possible for a certain profile of companies to focus on innovative technologies in the manufacturing sector. Such a company would probably be better off at Helios due to the manufacturing infrastructure in place and the availability of skilled labor. Jobs would be created and the general economy at Helios would benefit. Secondly, we are not give any information about Helios as a location. Would new companies benefit in any way by setting themselves up here? Would they have a cost benefit due to Helios’ location from the nearest major city? How expensive/inexpensive is it to setup a facility at Helios compared to any other city? Our basic question is how does Helios benefit new companies looking at establishing a presence in the locality? The statement does not give us any information that would lead us to arrive at possible answers to these questions. In conclusion, though Helios would be better suited to companies related to the manufacturing sector, we are unable to comment on how non – manufacturing sector companies would fare by investing on a facility here. If the statement were to give us more insight on the location of Helios, costs involved in setting up a facility, availability of a technically skilled workforce etc., we would be in a better position to comment.

Hi All, Could you please read my essay and provide comments on a) Style b) Language and Grammar c) Logical sequencing of thoughts and ideas d) Whether the conclusion has a strong foundation from the material presented in the initial paragraphs or not. Erin, I would truly appreciate any comments that you would have. Thanx, Gaurav "In some countries, television and radio programs are carefully censored for offensive language and behavior. In other countries, there is little or no censorship. In your view, to what extent should government or any other group be able to censor television or radio programs? Explain, giving relevant reasons and/or examples to support your position." The statement states that countries have adopted varying degrees of censorship. Before I am in a position to agree or disagree with the statement, I would like to examine the situation from various points of view. Let us first understand what censorship means. Censorship refers to editing material ( visual or aural ) in order to prevent dissemination of certain information to an audience. For example, movies meant for children are edited to prevent them from seeing offensive scenes involving either profanity or pornography. Having understood what censorship means, let us attempt to understand its need. Consider a case where your child channel surfs and finds a channel with content meant for an adult audience. Would you want your child to watch this? What impressions would it create in his/her mind? Would it educate him or misinform him? Its questions like these that we have to answer. The decisions we make today shape our tomorrow. If we allow our children unrestricted viewer ship of media while they are still at an impressionable age, unable to distinguish right from wrong, they maybe heading for an emotionally turbulent future. Consider another case where a child watches his favorite actor jump off a cliff in an attempt to catch a soft drink bottle. If he is at an impressionable age, chances are that he will mimic his favorite star. Similarly, if children are exposed to offensive literature, they may actually begin to think that the behavior that literature depicts is legitimate. Let us now understand how different cultures have attempted to solve this problem. Some countries in the Middle East have cracked down on offensive behavior and have adopted a “no tolerance” stance. Their regulatory mechanism is primarily driven by their religious beliefs. Brothels and pornography are non – existent in these countries. In contrast, the Netherlands is known to give its citizens freedom of making their own decisions. The electronics industry has also pitched in with their range of solutions to help people exercise their points of view. Channel locking is a standard feature on most televisions. Cable companies are allowing people to pay for the content they choose to view. Hence, theoretically speaking, one could altogether avoid content he/she wishes to avoid. I feel that censorship is important. However, adopting an extreme stance does not help either. Banning offensive content on mass media does not imply that the public would change their thinking. On the contrary, for an individual who desires access to banned material, there are various illegal means to obtain what he is looking for. The bottom line is that an adult is capable of independent thought and it is for him to distinguish between right and wrong. Hence censoring material to extremes is a stance I do not favor. If one would like to avoid certain categories of material then one should consciously do so and use technological aids and advances to help him in this regard. However, studies have shown that showing excessive violence on mass media leads children to “imprint” on what they are watching. Given the fact that when children are in an impressionable age that they are unable to distinguish right from wrong, censorship should be taken to extremes in these cases to safeguard the future of our children. An adult should be allowed to make his independent decision on what he would like to expose himself to.

Hi Erin, w.r.t the 2nd question, is there any other reason you would pick c over b besides the fact that b is verbose compared to c? Thanks, Gaurav