SIX WAY TO BE A BETTER LISTENER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SIX WAY TO BE A BETTER LISTENER - Essay Example Regardless, I trust I ought to follow this point to be a superior audience. Then again, I trust I follow the second point all the more precisely as I don't pose exorbitant inquiries and remain on the theme being talked about instead of bounce from discussion to discussion. So also, I accept that I have constructive non-verbal communication while speaking with individuals with great eye to eye connection and reflected stances. Since non-verbal communication is purportedly the significant part of correspondence, I feel this is one thing which makes me a decent communicator and a decent audience. In any case, there are times when my psyche meanders in a discussion which implies that the third point referenced in the article requires some extra work on my part. Frequently I experience issues in remaining concentrated on what the other individual is stating and enjoy conflicting with the fourth point referenced in the article as I unconsciously intellectually judge individuals during a discussion. I need to turn out to be better at understanding different people’s perspective and to know what they are used to in a given discussion. Simultaneously, I realize that individuals have alternate points of view about similar subjects and I comprehend that individuals may accept even the most questionable themes. This comprehension permits me to comprehend people’s emotions about the theme and perceive when an individual is vexed or furious about something from the manner in which they communicate in and their non-verbal communication. Subsequently I am ready to go past simply the words which are being utilized and take care of business with respect to what the individual I am conversing with truly feels about a given subject. Essentially, I am acceptable at consoling individuals that I have comprehended what they have said and comprehended what they mean when they are attempting to disclose to me something. This aligns me with the 6th purpose of being a decent audience which proposes that an individual ought to pass on to the speaker that the message given by him/her has been comprehended and acknowledged.

Grandparent rights essays

Grandparent rights papers The California Supreme Court decided for grandparents appearance rights in an ongoing case including a multi year old young lady Emily, whose mother, Butler, and Father, Charles Harris, isolated before she was conceived and the custodial mother confined the grandparent appearance rights. The court decided that grandparents might be permitted visits with grandkid over a custodial guardians complaint gave there is a positive evidence that such appearances will render no damage to the kid. Is this a proper judgment Should grandparents appearance be conceded Certainly, Yes. This decision will positively affect the life of both, grandkid and grandparent. Despite the fact that the custodial guardians have the principal right and obligation of bringing up their kid, grandparents rights must be allowed as grandparents assume a helpful job in the life of their grandkid and have produced a bond with their grandkid. Grandparents are the first to step forward without guardians. At the point when guardians are occupied grandparents are essential parental figures or sitters. Because of the development of high schooler pregnancy, maltreatment among guardians, separation, and youngster misuse and disregard, an expanding number of kids are living with their grandparents. As indicated by the U.S. Evaluation Bureau, in 1970, 2.2 million or 3.2 percent of American kids under 18 lived with their grandparents. By 1997, this number had ascended to 3.9 million or 5.5 percent. This figure shows a 76 percent expansion over the multi year period(Lugaila anticipated) and demonstrates that grandparents are accommodating about their grandchildrens government assistance. Along these lines, in conditions where guardians separation, kick the bucket, or become detained, grandparents just can't be disconnected from their grandkids. Grandparents appearance rights dont target displacing the parental rights. Custodial guardians have key and protected freedom in bringing up their kids, and laws or oversee... <!

Note To Self

Note To Self Most of my conversations back home seem to begin with this question: How was your first year at MIT? After a billion failed attempts (most unsuccessful one: It was great!), I finally converged on this: I laugh, then smile, then say: I learned a lot. I remember how I felt when I first arrived here: like I had no limit to what I could take on. That if I just tried hard enough, I could perform the most superhuman balancing acts. False. I found my limits pushed them, broke them, flailed about, and realized that learning where ones limits are can be a very good thing. I bombed a couple of tests, watched a beautiful sunrise on nights when I would have preferred to sleep, and had a mini emotional breakdown in my orgo TAs office. I dont regret it. I needed to find those limits, I think: all the advice in the world couldnt persuade stubborn me to take on less, and if it had, I would always wonder whether I could have done more. A note to my future self, though: there will be reason to regret all this, if you fail to learn and change accordingly. So here I am, the freshman you, preserving five of those lessons in a blog post that the world can read (and maybe learn from, too). Enjoy, and wince when you remember how it felt for these to be hammered home. 5. If you dont succeed, the problem is not necessarily that you need to work harder. Organic Chemistry class nearly drove me to madness this semester: I kept telling myself that I needed to work harder, work harder, work harder â€" after all, nothing before this had ever suggested that I couldn’t get the results I wanted if I just put enough time into something. After a couple of exams, I was horrified to find that time was not the issue â€" I had no more time to give, and yet: I still wasn’t succeeding. Something was wrong. Had I simply hit the limit of my intelligence? Was this as good as it could get for me? Short answer: No. Long answer: No. Saying Im not smart enough is easy. The challenge is to admit that the way you study doesn’t work, or is inefficient. Maybe you spend a lot of time doing problems you know how to do, instead of focusing on the ones you know you can’t do, because it makes you feel better (I know I’m guilty of this). Maybe there are sections of the textbook you don’t understand, that you skim over and forget to ask your TA about. Maybe you keep one eye on the answer key while doing practice tests. Yes, a poor performance can sometimes be ascribed to not studying for long enough, but at some point “I just need to study harder!” no longer makes sense: you need to re-evaluate how you spend your time, or you wont do any better. Trust me. I have the test scores to prove it. 4. Get off campus at least once a week. Its all too easy for MIT to become a bubble: your entire college existence can revolve around a few buildings, and maybe a grassy area or two. Personally, this makes me feel claustrophobic, and a little sad. MIT is near BOSTON! People travel thousands of miles to visit what is literally across the river. There are museums, concert halls, famous historical monuments and landmarks and parks. Harvard Square is beautiful at night. You can afford to spend a couple of hours here and there doing something cultural and interesting that takes your mind off p-sets and your body out of its exhausting routine. At the very least, take a walk. Get to know the community you live in â€" because, surprise surprise, there’s one beyond that which youre immediately involved with. 3. Its okay to be part of a group without leading it. Sometimes its better to do less, better, than to do more, worse. I suffer from a (chronic) condition known as “need-to-lead”. Symptoms include: -Compulsively taking up an executive or management position every time you join a club or an organization -Feeling the need to personally take care of every task that needs to be done -Spreading yourself so thin that you can no longer contribute in a significant way to any group youre involved with -Struggling to keep up academically -Calendars that are more colorful than a Crayola crayon pack -Becoming a rare sighting around the dorm Causes include: -Wanting to give as much time and energy as possible to groups and causes that you care about -Control freak tendencies â€" liking to play a role in deciding how things progress, and are run -Habit. The idea of being part of something as a regular, non-executive-board member is weird. Treatment, and cure: -Redefining leadership. Being a leader doesn’t mean having a fancy title or being on the [clubname][emailprotected] mailing list. It means speaking up when you think the group is wandering astray from its mission, and can be as simple as setting an example by consistent and energetic participation. -Realizing that other people are just as competent as you. The club is not going to fall apart just because you aren’t the president. It could be the opposite â€" if you stretch yourself too thin, the club might fall apart because you are the president, even if you mean well. Let someone with the time focus their energy on the position, and do what you can to lead from behind. -Learning to say ‘no’. Recognize when you’re hosed for the week, and don’t volunteer to run that event. Don’t. -Bearing in mind that not officially being responsible for something doesn’t mean that you can’t help out, or give your input. 2. Sleep is underrated, and pulling all-nighters is overrated. I think that this speaks for itself. Also: that AWESOME idea you had between 2am and 6am? Probably a bad one. Hold off on executing it until the next day. 1. The most important one. Whatever the situation â€" you studied harder for a test than you ever have in your life, maybe, and performed horribly anyway, and suddenly you really miss all your friends and family at home and don’t know what you’re doing at this school and it’s been too long since your last break and you have four problem sets due tomorrow and haven’t started any of them because you spent so much time studying for that test and didn’t even do well on the test anyway so you don’t know why you even bothered â€" smile. Dont forget to smile. There. To all the MIT readers out there if you have anything to add, feel free to post it below, and Ill create a little addendum :) Freshman Anna out. See you as a sophomore!* *Edit, 3 June: it has been pointed out to me that due to the Law of Conservation of Freshmen, Ill still be a freshman the next time you all hear from me. My bad.

How Childhood Is Shaped Effects The Way We Look At The World

Childhood is a crucial point in all of our lives. The way that our childhood is shaped effects the way we look at the world and how we develop. Children have an innocence to them and can be susceptible to certain things. They are impressionable and do not necessarily have the skills to overcome issues alone. Experiencing trauma as a child can change your outlook of the world and the people in it. Parenting style is one thing that can be effected greatly by trauma endured in childhood. If a person was subject to some form of abuse as a child and have children of their own, their past experiences can be a foundation to how they raise their children. Child abuse is when a parent or caregiver, whether causes injury, death, or serious harm to a child. There are many forms of child maltreatment which include physical abuse, sexual abuse and emotional abuse. Physical abuse is non-accidental physical injury upon a child. Sexual abuse occurs when an adult involves a child in sexual acts. Anot her form of sexual abuse could be an older or more powerful child uses another child for sexual gratification. Emotional abuse occurs when a parent or caregiver causes emotional harm to a child s mental or social development. According to the World Health Organization, 25% of all adults report having been physically abused as children. One in 5 women and 1 in 13 men report having been sexually abused as a child. Child maltreatment is an enormous global problem with serious impacts on victims’Show MoreRelatedThe Is Not The Right Word Essay1650 Words   |  7 PagesHow many people will I kill in my lifetime? I am not some deranged serial killer with deadly intentions, but I am a person that is aware that my actions could have ramifications that I cannot possibly fathom. Perhaps â€Å"kill† is not the right word. How many deaths will I be responsible for by the time I leave this earth? Much better. As Susan Griffin asserts in â€Å"Our Secret†, the lives of everyo ne on this planet are much more intertwined that most like to believe. As are the lives of those who haveRead MoreDevelopment Of A Child s Social And Emotional Development1377 Words   |  6 Pagesand emotional development, within this essay I am going to look at some of the theses developmental theories and how they have impacted modern day society in understanding the development of a child’s social and emotional development. Development is the pattern of change that begins at conception and continues through the lifespan (Santrock, 2008, p.5) Emotional development is the development of a child’s expression, understanding, and how they regulate their emotions from birth through late adolescenceRead MoreThe Effects Of Child Abuse On The Brain1653 Words   |  7 Pagesfamily wants to have. The cycle of abuse is studied by many, and researcher Coates (2010) explains the trauma of childhood abuse. The trauma that comes with being physically or sexually abused as a child has an immense impact on the children’s behavior, social skills, their thinking, and even physical function (392). Studies conducted by Coates suggest that child abuse effect the brain in ways that no one would even imagine. Child abuse specifically alters the limbic system, which contains the amygdalaRead MoreEssay on Social Construction of Child and Childhood1406 Words   |  6 PagesSocial construction of child and childhood To start with an overview of social constructionism in very general terms leads to build understandings of child and childhood in a social world more explicitly. Notion of social construction is defined in diverse disciplines and instead of generating a description there are a number of thoughts. â€Å"It is sometimes called a movement, at other times a position, a theory, a theoretical orientation, an approach; psychologists remain unsure of its status (StamRead MoreEMA 23 5 14 Essay1323 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿How does society shape people’s lives? The aim of this essay is to explore how society shapes people’s lives. The meaning of the word â€Å"shaping† in this context means to â€Å"influence or affect† (The Open University, 2013, YO32 p 29). This essay will focus on Childhood: Body image and stress related eating disorders, from Block 4, Unit 3 and Psychology: Social influence, happiness and natural and synthetic happiness from Unit 5. Society has shaped us to embrace a rather different body image to thatRead MorePersonality Theory Is A Complex Process That Can Be Influenced By Many Factors1746 Words   |  7 PagesThere are a few factors by which psychologist seem to measure how people adjust and adapt their personality. These factors are nature versus nurture, the unconscious, view of self, development, motivation, and maturation. Each one of these factors has their own distinguishable elements that when factored with personality can have different effects on personality development. These factors will be discussed in different context as how they relate to and affect personality. Foundations of PersonalityRead MoreOur Surroundings : The Guidelines Of Our Lives Essay1265 Words   |  6 PagesPark Our Surroundings: The Guidelines of our Lives In The Other Wes Moore written by Wes Moore, the author discusses his life and compares it to another character that has the same name as him. The men who share the same name have lived and endured many different experiences. Factors such as parenting, child development, and even social class, have unique effects on both the author and the prisoner Wes Moores’ lives that may have shaped their future life. The author has also described the burden ofRead More The Chrysalids: Perception is Molded by Environment Essay925 Words   |  4 PagesHowever, the question remains whether the environment changes our perception. This essay will delve into how perceptions are impacted by a North American lifestyle, and a lifestyle within the fictional world of The Chrysalids. Although a person has the ability to forge his or her own destiny, the environment plays a large part in shaping our perceptions everyday. Many throughout the world consider North America to offer the greatest quality of life. A myriad of nationalities and cultures haveRead MoreChildhood Trauma And The Personality Disorders Essay1682 Words   |  7 Pagesfind the connections between the severity of childhood trauma and the personality disorders that can come from it. The purpose of this paper is to find the connections between the severity of childhood trauma and the personality disorders that can come from it. Findings indicate that if children are exposed to long-term trauma during their developmental stages, they are at a higher risk of a personality disorder; these results can be seen through childhood and brain development of those undergoing severRead MoreRacism : The World Major Issues Today1013 Words   |  5 Pagesof the world major issues today. Some individuals may say racism come from ignorance the condition of being uneducated, unaware or uniformed. A lot of attitude is shaped when individuals are you ng, they believe that it is natural to spend time with people that have the same interest and background culture like theirs. They judge people from different racial background, by the way look, act, and the by clothes they wear, also individuals are targeted by the music they listen to, and how smart they

Illuminati Paper Persuasive - 1717 Words

Manar khateeb Mr. Carli Persuasive (Final Draft) Com 102 6:30 March 20, 2011 The Illuminati The illuminati are a secret society that infiltrated government to rule the world. It all started in Bavaria on May 1st 1776 by group of European higher ups lead by Adam Weishaupt. Adams philosophy was that the Illuminati should one day rule the world with a one world government, or a new world order. Adam Weishaupt said, â€Å"The great strength of our order lies in its concealment, let it never appear in any place in its own name, but by another name, and another activity. None is fitter than freemasonry. the public is accustomed to it, expects little from it, and therefore will take little notice of it.†(Dr. Adam Weishaupt) with this being said†¦show more content†¦Some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States of America, characterizing my family and me as internationalists, and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political structure, one world, if you will, if thatà ¢â‚¬â„¢s the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it.†(David Rockefeller pg405) Clearly, David Rockefeller is fully aware of his position, his fellow illuminati members and him share the same agenda, and are part of a secret group aiming for a one world government, a one world order, the new world order. People, who recognize Satanism, have recognized the similarities between Satanism, and freemasonry. These people make sacrifices to themselves, and to whomever it is they worship. A male sacrifice of perfect innocents and high intelligence is usually the most fitting/suitable victim. These people, the so called elite of the world, gather once a year in a place called the bohemian groove, this is a secluded area in the woods of Monte Rio, California. There is undeniable evidence that satanic rituals go on during these meetings. One of the biggest rituals is called the cremation of care. This is when the young innocent male is burned in the belly of a fifty foot+ stone owl idle. To them, this ritual is to get rid of care towards others, and to killShow MoreRelatedNew World Order in Conspiracy Theory13987 Words   |  56 Pagesthe  far left  into joining a revolutionary  Third Position  movement capable of  subverting  the established political powers.[3][9] Contents  [hide] * 1  History of the term * 2  Conspiracy theories * 2.1  End Time * 2.2  Freemasonry * 2.3  Illuminati * 2.4  Protocols of the Elders of Zion * 2.5  Round Table * 2.6  Open Conspiracy * 2.7  New Age * 2.8  Fourth Reich * 2.9  Alien Invasion * 2.10  Brave New World * 3  Postulated implementations * 3.1  Gradualism

What are the greatest challenges facing planet Earth in the 21st Century Free Essays

Throughout the 21st century it is easy to see that more and more challenges confront the Planet. It would be difficult to say which is the most important or serious as each concerns a different part of the world. It is clear that the planet is changing and it is happening at alarming rate. We will write a custom essay sample on What are the greatest challenges facing planet Earth in the 21st Century? or any similar topic only for you Order Now People around the world are suffering from Poverty and malnutrition while others fear about the demand for natural resources and how much time we have before they run out. Population growth is a huge matter in countries such as China and India where as in Australia depletion of the ozone layer is a big worry. However, we have been aware of the most of these problems for a while and for me the biggest challenge to face the earth yet is climate change. A big cause of climate change is global warming from greenhouse gases and carbon emissions. Human impact is causing more greenhouse gases to be produced by burning fossil fuels and deforestation and this is causing them to get trapped in the Earths atmosphere making the temperature rise. It is now a fact that the world is getting hotter and Earth is the hottest it has been in at least 400 years, and possibly even the last 2,000 years. Studies show that the global surface temperature has increased by approximately 0.3-0.6à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C over the last century. This may seem like a small difference but it has big consequences. These temperatures will continue to increase and by the end of the 21st century average global temperatures may increase by 1.4-5.8à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C. Besides resulting in more hot days, many scientists believe an increase in temperatures may lead to changes in precipitation and weather patterns. Ocean waters will become warmer and this may result in more intense and frequent tropical storms and hurricanes. The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years and will continue to increase with global warming this will not only cause catastrophe for human population but also to the unchangeable fragile environment. Sea levels are also expected to increase by 0.09 – 0.88 m in the next century, mainly from melting glaciers and rising seawaters. You can read also Waves Most of the world’s population lives on or near the coasts. Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating coastal areas worldwide. If the polar ice cap were to melt then sea levels world wide would increase by 20ft, Shanghai home to 40 million people would be underwater, the Bay of Bengal, Calcutta, India home to 60 million people would be completely gone. Think of the impact of a few hundred refugees and then imagine 100 million the planet will be destroyed if something is not done. Global warming may also affect wildlife and species that cannot survive in warmer environments and these may become extinct. At least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming, moving closer to the poles. Coral Reefs are suffering from coral bleaching the process caused by loss of algae that colour and nourish them. Also, human health is also at stake, as global warming may result in the spreading of certain diseases such as malaria, the flooding of major cities, a greater risk of heat stroke for individuals, and poor air quality. India’s worst heat wave in 50 years killed more than 2,500 people in May 1998. Britain in 2006 suffered from major heat waves throughout the summer, 1 year later floods have swept all over the country. All challenges that face the planet interlink with each other and relate to one another. Rapid population growth is not only a challenge to other humans but also to the environment. As the population increases there is more demand for food and this is also a problem with global warming. There will be more droughts making it hard to grow crops and importing from other countries will start to become more expensive. Some policies have been introduced in the past to try and control the population such as Chinas one child policy. However, such policies have not been accepted by other nations as they seem to breech human rights. Other nations such as Singapore now suffering from an ageing population are trying to increase their population which is not helping the population crisis. Cities are growing larger and larger the natural land around them is being turned into homes and office buildings. Cities are becoming more and more overcrowded and job opportunities are harder to find with a rising number of the population becoming unemployed. The Economic trend from 1975 to 2003 showed that from 1979 to 1989 the average Unemployment rate was 4.7%; 1990 to 2000 the average unemployment rate was 5.1% reaching 5.5% between the period 2000 and 2007 therefore the rate of unemployment is increasing gradually, this will continue increase will the population growing and will cause many problems. With urbanisation occurring it is using more and more lumber and other natural resources for the buildings. The environment is being scarred and this is also increasing global warming. Deforestation is not the only problem but as the population increasing the demand for energy is rising. Natural Resources are quickly disappearing. All over the world we are digging up to try and find Coal, oil and gas and we are using our resources at alarming rates. The burning of fossil fuels in factories to make products and power, and the fuels used by trucks, automobiles and jet planes have caused acid rain and a great increase in carbon dioxide and pollution in the atmosphere. However, with natural resources running out there could be a positive outcome. Scientist are trying hard to develop new ways to use clean energy sources which come renewable energy sources that are better for the environment such a solar and hydroelectric. About 25,000 people die every day of hunger or hunger-related causes, according to the United Nations. This is one person every three and a half seconds or a 2004 Asian Tsunami occurring almost every week. Yet there is plenty of food in the world for everyone. The problem is that hungry people are trapped in severe poverty. Part of poverty is caused by lack of social services. Education and heath services are nearly non existent in poverty stricken nations which causes much of the problem. This leads to diseases such as Phenomena, Malaria or Tuberculosis, 2 of these diseases are highly contagious and with help could be put under control but instead have millions of people die each year. Poverty however, it is not the individuals fault. They are not lazy or have made poor decisions but instead there country is most likely been exploited by MEDCs or TNCs or they have a corrupt government. Transnational corporations are globalizing mainly in poorer countries as it is better for them. The laws on the environment and labor are less stringent meaning they are able to bypass certain rules, however this leads to labor exploitation. Countries that suffer from poverty is also because they have a lack of natural resources they have nothing to offer companies to locate to there country. The don’t have oil like the America or farmland like Australia. The physical environment could be very much a desert like Mali or Sudan; it could be land locked like Laos which means that it is hard for things such as trading to take place. In Australia one of their biggest concerns is the depeletion of the ozone layer. It is caused by a build up of man-made chemicals in the atmosphere. One of the main chemicals is generally known as CFC or chloroflurocarbon. We use CFC’s as refrigerants, aerosol spray propellants, as solvents in electronic chemistry, and in the expansion of polystyrene foam. This CFC’s drift into the atmosphere and release chlorine. Through these reactions the ozone is broken down. This affects both the humans and the eco systems. Even minor problems of ozone depletion can have major effects. Every time even a small amount of the ozone layer is lost, more ultraviolet light from the sun can reach the Earth. This leads to damage of the cornea and other aspects of the eye and is a big cause of skin cancer. It also, inhibits growth of certain plants such as rye and wheat and stresses marine ecosystems as high levels of UV kill plankton. In Conclusion, it has been shown that the Planet does not face just one issue but has a number that concern the planet. Global Warming is the challenge that associate with other concerns like ozone depletion and rapid population growth but poverty is a matter that we have been facing to decades now. People are now becoming more and more aware of the issues facing the planet are trying to do something about however a lot more will need to happen if we want to reverse the damage we have done. How to cite What are the greatest challenges facing planet Earth in the 21st Century?, Papers

Security On Internet Essays - Misconduct, Spamming, Crime, Economy

Security On Internet Internet has become an essential tool for daily tasks. The options people have nowadays are limitless: banking, shopping, booking reservations, chatting, and so on. However, several drawbacks have arisen that are of concern to all of the internet users. Unfortunately, incidents of auction fraud, the sale of illegal items, and criminal trespassing are booming in the e-commerce market. The nature of the Internet and the ease of gaining anonymity on it, has made crime easy and catching criminals much more difficult. Many cases of fraud have occurred: people who collect payments from buyers and never ship the goods to them. "Earlier in the summer, for example, former eBay seller Robert Guest pleaded guilty to mail fraud. Prosecutors had accused Guest of collecting approximately $37,000 from bidders for items he never shipped." 1 Cases like these are a real drawback for e-commerce. The lack of tangibility has been a major obstacle in doing transactions online and these cases only serve to destroy the little confidence that consumers have gained so far. Many people are hesitant to shop online, for example, and when they hear of fraud cases it only serves to confirm their initial fears. That is why organizations such as The Better Business Bureau (BBB) and The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are educating consumers to protect themselves. These agencies know that thousands of consumers are taking advantage of the opportunity to shop from the comfort of their homes via personal computers. A person can buy anything and avoid crowded malls, long lines and busy parking lots. Furthermore, the Internet is always open: 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. In order to actually benefit from online shopping, certain things must be taken into consideration. The BBB's Web site contains a section that offers tips on "What You Need to Know About Cybershopping." 2 The tips are the following: ? When dealing with a new merchant, ask for its physical location in order to check its reliability with consumer agencies (i.e. The BBB). ? Determine the company's refund and return policy before you place an order. ? Never give out your Internet password. When creating a password avoid using established numbers, such as your house number, birth date, telephone number or Social Security number. If you are asked to create a new account, never use the same password you use for other accounts. ? Be cautious if you are asked to provide personal information (i.e. Social Security number or bank account information). ? Look at the "address" of the site, the URL ensures that you are dealing with the right company. It is good to print out a copy of your order and confirmation number for your records. ? Know your rights. The same laws that protect you when you shop by phone or mail apply when you shop online. Under the law, a company must ship your order within the time stated in its ads. If no time is promised, the company should ship your order within 30 days after receiving it, or give you an "option notice." ? If you decide to pay by credit card or charge card, your transaction will be protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act. "Under this law, consumers have the right to dispute charges under certain circumstances and temporarily withhold payment while the creditor is investigating them. In the case of unauthorized use of a consumer's credit card or charge card, consumers are generally held liable only for the first $50 in charges." 3 If you are not comfortable entering your credit card or charge account number online, call it in to the company's 800 number or fax it. The FTC also contains a section which offers consumers tips on online safety. In addition to the ones made by the BBB, The FTC also suggests that: ? Use a secure browser. This is the software that you use to navigate the Internet. Your browser should comply with industry security standards, such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Secure Electronic Transaction (SET). These standards scramble the purchase information you send over the Internet, ensuring the security of your transactions. Most computers come with a browser already installed or you can download one over the Internet for free. ? Before signing up for any service or buying any product, evaluate how the company is securing your financial and personal information. Many companies explain their security procedures on their Web site. Other companies give you options on their Web site as to whether and how your personal information is used. Trespassing