Thursday, July 25, 2019

Tabula Rosa Systems Blof Of 7/2819 - Unified Paragraphs




 
Richard Nordquist is a freelance writer and former professor of English and Rhetoric who wrote college-level Grammar and Composition textbooks.
Updated July 07, 2019 

An important quality of an effective paragraph is unity. A unified paragraph sticks to one topic from start to finish, with every sentence contributing to the central purpose and main idea of that paragraph.

But a strong paragraph is more than just a collection of loose sentences. Those sentences need to be clearly connected so that readers can follow along, recognizing how one detail leads to the next. A paragraph with clearly connected sentences is said to be cohesive.

Repetition of Key Words 

Repeating keywords in a paragraph is an important technique for achieving cohesion. Of course, careless or excessive repetition is boring—and a source of clutter. But used skillfully and selectively, as in the paragraph below, this technique can hold sentences together and focus the reader's attention on a central idea.

We Americans are a charitable and humane people: we have institutions devoted to every good cause from rescuing homeless cats to preventing World War III. But what have we done to promote the art of thinking? Certainly we make no room for thought in our daily lives. Suppose a man were to say to his friends, "I'm not going to PTA tonight (or choir practice or the baseball game) because I need some time to myself, some time to think"? Such a man would be shunned by his neighbors; his family would be ashamed of him. What if a teenager were to say, "I'm not going to the dance tonight because I need some time to think"? His parents would immediately start looking in the Yellow Pages for a psychiatrist. We are all too much like Julius Caesar: we fear and distrust people who think too much. We believe that almost anything is more important than thinking.
(Carolyn Kane, from "Thinking: A Neglected Art." Newsweek, December 14, 1981)
Notice that the author uses various forms of the same word—think, thinking, thought—to link the different examples and reinforce the main idea of the paragraph. (For the benefit of budding rhetoricians, this device is called polyptoton.)
Repetition of Key Words and Sentence Structures
A similar way to achieve cohesion in our writing is to repeat a particular sentence structure along with a keyword or phrase. Although we usually try to vary the length and shape of our sentences, now and then we may choose to repeat a construction to emphasize connections between related ideas.
Here's a short example of structural repetition from the play Getting Married by George Bernard Shaw:
There are couples who dislike one another furiously for several hours at a time; there are couples who dislike one another permanently; and there are couples who never dislike one another; but these last are people who are incapable of disliking anybody.
Notice how Shaw's reliance on semicolons (rather than periods) reinforces the sense of unity and cohesion in this passage.

Extended Repetition 

On rare occasions, emphatic repetitions may extend beyond just two or three main clauses. Not long ago, the Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk provided an example of extended repetition (specifically, the device called anaphora) in his Nobel Prize Lecture, "My Father's Suitcase":

The question we writers are asked most often, the favorite question, is: Why do you write? I write because I have an innate need to write. I write because I can’t do normal work as other people do. I write because I want to read books like the ones I write. I write because I am angry at everyone. I write because I love sitting in a room all day writing. I write because I can partake of real life only by changing it. I write because I want others, the whole world, to know what sort of life we lived, and continue to live, in Istanbul, in Turkey. I write because I love the smell of paper, pen, and ink. I write because I believe in literature, in the art of the novel, more than I believe in anything else. I write because it is a habit, a passion. I write because I am afraid of being forgotten. I write because I like the glory and interest that writing brings. I write to be alone. Perhaps I write because I hope to understand why I am so very, very angry at everyone. I write because I like to be read. I write because once I have begun a novel, an essay, a page I want to finish it. I write because everyone expects me to write. I write because I have a childish belief in the immortality of libraries, and in the way my books sit on the shelf. I write because it is exciting to turn all life’s beauties and riches into words. I write not to tell a story but to compose a story. I write because I wish to escape from the foreboding that there is a place I must go butas in a dreamcan’t quite get to. I write because I have never managed to be happy. I write to be happy.
 
(The Nobel Lecture, 7 December 2006. Translated from the Turkish, by Maureen Freely. The Nobel Foundation 2006)
Two well-known examples of extended repetition appear in our Essay Sampler: Judy Brady's essay "Why I Want a Wife" (included in part three of the Essay Sampler) and the most famous portion of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech.

Final Reminder: Needless repetition that only clutters our writing should be avoided. But the careful repetition of keywords and phrases can be an effective strategy for fashioning cohesive paragraphs





Buy the books at

 www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki
====================================================















Catfishing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Catfishing is a type of deceptive activity where a person creates a sock puppet social networking presence, or fake identity on a social network account, usually targeting a specific victim for deception.
Catfishing is often employed for romance scams on dating websites. Catfishing may be used for financial gain, to compromise a victim in some way, or simply as a form of trolling or wish fulfillment.
Catfishing media has been produced, often centering around victims who wish to identify their catfisher

We can be contacted at:

sales@tabularosa.net  or 609 818 1802.
 ===============================================================
In addition to this blog, Netiquette IQ has a website with great assets which are being added to on a regular basis. I have authored the premiere book on Netiquette, “Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email". My new book, “You’re Hired! Super Charge Your Email Skills in 60 Minutes. . . And Get That Job!” has just been published and will be followed by a trilogy of books on Netiquette for young people. You can view my profile, reviews of the book and content excerpts at:

 www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki

Anyone who would like to review the book and have it posted on my blog or website, please contact me paul@netiquetteiq.com.

In addition to this blog, I maintain a radio show on BlogtalkRadio  and an online newsletter via paper.li.I have established Netiquette discussion groups with Linkedin and  Yahoo I am also a member of the International Business Etiquette and Protocol Group and Minding Manners among others. I regularly consult for the Gerson Lehrman Group, a worldwide network of subject matter experts and I have been contributing to the blogs Everything Email and emailmonday . My work has appeared in numerous publications and I have presented to groups such as The Breakfast Club of NJ and  PSG of Mercer County, NJ.


Additionally, I am the president of Tabula Rosa Systems, a “best of breed” reseller of products for communications, email, network management software, security products and professional services.  Also, I am the president of Netiquette IQ. We are currently developing an email IQ rating system, Netiquette IQ, which promotes the fundamentals outlined in my book.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Tabula Rosa Systems Blog, 7/23/19 Jibe, Jive, and Gibe Meanings


 
Richard Nordquist is a freelance writer and former professor of English and Rhetoric who wrote college-level Grammar and Composition textbooks.
Updated April 14, 2019 

Jibe, jive, and gibe are similar-sounding words, but their meanings are quite different. Jibe is the older version, probably from Dutch or Old English, usually meaning to agree with. Jive probably was coined by jazz musicians in the 1920s and means a wide variety of things, often prominently "untrustworthy" but also a style of dancing. The origin of gibe is unclear, but the word means to jeer or taunt.
How to Use 'Jive'
Jive has enormous versatility in American speech. As a noun, it means a dance performed to swing or jazz music, but it also can mean insincere, pretentious talk, or words meant to flatter or deceive. As an adjective, jive means "worthless," "phony," or "contrived."
When used in the phrase "jive turkey," jive is an intensifier/modifier that increases the generally insulting cast of the word "turkey"—a dud, loser, or inept person—to "a lying dud, loser, or inept person." When jive is otherwise used to modify, however, as in "jive language," it refers to the inventive, highly stylized language of jazz music and musicians.
Jive first appears in written form in the 1920s, but that doesn't mean it wasn't in use much earlier. The Online Etymology Dictionary suggests that it might have an African origin, coming from a West African Wolof word "jev" or "jeu" that means to talk about someone absent in a disparaging manner. It might also be that jive came directly from jibe and is a subtle, funny twist on the original meaning.
How to Use 'Jibe'
Jibe has fewer meanings. As a verb, it usually means to agree. It's often paired with with, to say, for example, that conclusions or budget figures jibe (agree) or don't jibe (disagree). It also is a variant spelling of gibe.
Jibe probably derives from the Old English or Dutch word gyb, which relates to another modern use of the term: In sailing, jibe means to move back and forth and adjust to changing conditions of water and wind.
How to Use 'Gibe'
To gibe, which is pronounced exactly the same as jibe, is to taunt or jeer. It also can be used as a noun to mean a taunt. Its origin is unsure, but it possibly derived from an Old French word meaning to handle roughly.
Examples
Here are examples of how to use jibe, jive, and gibe to mean to agree, a dance, a taunt, or other things:
  • Our notions of the proper form of dancing at the prom don't jibe, since you like country swing two-step and I like to jive. In this example, jibe means to agree, while jive means dancing to swing or jazz.
  • That politician speaks nothing but jive these days, always making sure that his opinions jibe with what the particular crowd wants to hear. Here jive means worthless or phony and jibe means to agree.
  • She loved hanging out with jazz musicians because she had learned to understand their jive terms about their business. Here jive means the language of jazz musicians.
  • Bill was becoming excited about his sailing lessons because he was finally learning how to jibe. In this example jibe refers to a sailing maneuver for changing the course of the boat.
  • Sam was getting tired of his colleague's constant insults and jibes. Jibes here means taunts or jeers.
How to Remember the Difference
Gibe has a very specific meaning: an insult. Here are some memory tricks to help you decide whether your choice between jibe and jive jibes with that of the experts:
  • If you're looking for a noun, jive is probably your only option. Jibe is almost always a verb, meaning to agree with.
  • Both words can be used as verbs, which can be confusing. It might help to remember that jive, which usually refers to something lively, rhymes with hive, a term that conjures up scenes of great activity drawn from the stereotypical image of a busy beehive—which certainly describes jive dancing and, maybe, jive talking.





Buy the books at

 www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki
====================================================















Catfishing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Catfishing is a type of deceptive activity where a person creates a sock puppet social networking presence, or fake identity on a social network account, usually targeting a specific victim for deception.
Catfishing is often employed for romance scams on dating websites. Catfishing may be used for financial gain, to compromise a victim in some way, or simply as a form of trolling or wish fulfillment.
Catfishing media has been produced, often centering around victims who wish to identify their catfisher

We can be contacted at:

sales@tabularosa.net  or 609 818 1802.
 ===============================================================
In addition to this blog, Netiquette IQ has a website with great assets which are being added to on a regular basis. I have authored the premiere book on Netiquette, “Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email". My new book, “You’re Hired! Super Charge Your Email Skills in 60 Minutes. . . And Get That Job!” has just been published and will be followed by a trilogy of books on Netiquette for young people. You can view my profile, reviews of the book and content excerpts at:

 www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki

Anyone who would like to review the book and have it posted on my blog or website, please contact me paul@netiquetteiq.com.

In addition to this blog, I maintain a radio show on BlogtalkRadio  and an online newsletter via paper.li.I have established Netiquette discussion groups with Linkedin and  Yahoo I am also a member of the International Business Etiquette and Protocol Group and Minding Manners among others. I regularly consult for the Gerson Lehrman Group, a worldwide network of subject matter experts and I have been contributing to the blogs Everything Email and emailmonday . My work has appeared in numerous publications and I have presented to groups such as The Breakfast Club of NJ and  PSG of Mercer County, NJ.


Additionally, I am the president of Tabula Rosa Systems, a “best of breed” reseller of products for communications, email, network management software, security products and professional services.  Also, I am the president of Netiquette IQ. We are currently developing an email IQ rating system, Netiquette IQ, which promotes the fundamentals outlined in my book.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Tabula Rosa Systems Security Alert 7/22/2019



07/22/2019 06:30 AM EDT




Buy the books at

 www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki
====================================================















Catfishing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Catfishing is a type of deceptive activity where a person creates a sock puppet social networking presence, or fake identity on a social network account, usually targeting a specific victim for deception.
Catfishing is often employed for romance scams on dating websites. Catfishing may be used for financial gain, to compromise a victim in some way, or simply as a form of trolling or wish fulfillment.
Catfishing media has been produced, often centering around victims who wish to identify their catfisher

We can be contacted at:

sales@tabularosa.net  or 609 818 1802.
 ===============================================================
In addition to this blog, Netiquette IQ has a website with great assets which are being added to on a regular basis. I have authored the premiere book on Netiquette, “Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email". My new book, “You’re Hired! Super Charge Your Email Skills in 60 Minutes. . . And Get That Job!” has just been published and will be followed by a trilogy of books on Netiquette for young people. You can view my profile, reviews of the book and content excerpts at:

 www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki

Anyone who would like to review the book and have it posted on my blog or website, please contact me paul@netiquetteiq.com.

In addition to this blog, I maintain a radio show on BlogtalkRadio  and an online newsletter via paper.li.I have established Netiquette discussion groups with Linkedin and  Yahoo I am also a member of the International Business Etiquette and Protocol Group and Minding Manners among others. I regularly consult for the Gerson Lehrman Group, a worldwide network of subject matter experts and I have been contributing to the blogs Everything Email and emailmonday . My work has appeared in numerous publications and I have presented to groups such as The Breakfast Club of NJ and  PSG of Mercer County, NJ.


Additionally, I am the president of Tabula Rosa Systems, a “best of breed” reseller of products for communications, email, network management software, security products and professional services.  Also, I am the president of Netiquette IQ. We are currently developing an email IQ rating system, Netiquette IQ, which promotes the fundamentals outlined in my book.





Updated March 07, 2019
Praise has a therapeutic effect on the receiver. It helps to restore a person's self-esteem. It gives hope. Praise is not flattery. There is a distinct difference between the two.
Learn to Differentiate Between Praise and Flattery
There is a popular Aesop's tale about the foolish crow and the wily fox. A hungry crow finds a piece of cheese and sits on a branch of a tree to enjoy his meal. A fox who was equally hungry sees the crow with the piece of cheese. Since he badly wants the food, he decides to trick the crow with flattering words. He lavishes praise on the crow by calling him a beautiful bird. He says that he would like to hear the crow's sweet voice, and asks the crow to sing. The foolish crow believes that the praise is genuine, and opens his mouth to sing. Only to realize that he had been fooled by the wily fox when the cheese was hungrily devoured by the fox.
What Is the Difference Between Praise and Flattery?
The difference lies in the intent of the words. You can praise someone for their actions, or the lack of it, while flattery can be vague, undefined, and even false. Here are some ways to spot the difference between praise and flattery.
Praise Is Specific to a Task or an Action. Flattery Is Adulation Without a Cause.
Praise is an actionable device to encourage a positive outcome. For instance, a teacher could praise her student by saying, "John, your handwriting has improved since last week. Good job!" Now, such words of praise can help John to improve his handwriting further. He knows what his teacher likes, and he can work on his handwriting to produce better results. However, if the teacher says, "John, you're good in class. I think you're the best!" these words are unspecific, vague, and offer no direction for improvement to the receiver. John will, of course, feel good about the kind words from his teacher, but he wouldn't know how to be better in his class.
Praise Intends to Encourage, Flattery, Intends to Deceive.
Flattery is buttering up. With flattering words, someone hopes to get their job done without any concern for the person who receives the flattery. Flattery is based on an ulterior motive, that only benefits the flatterer. On the other hand, praise benefits the receiver, by encouraging the receiver to see the positive side of life. Praise helps others to recognize their talents, raise their self-esteem, restore hope, and give direction. Praise helps both the giver and the receiver. 
Those Who Praise Are Immensely Self-Confident, Those Who Flatter Don't Have Confidence.
Since flattery is manipulative, flatterers are usually spineless, weak, and of poor character. They feed on other's ego and hope to get scraps of goodies from egocentric megalomaniacs. Those who flatter don't have leadership qualities. They lack the personality to inspire and instill confidence.
On the other hand, praise givers are usually self-confident and assume leadership positions. They are able to infuse positive energy in their team, and they know how to channel the energy of each member of the team through praise and encouragement. By giving praise, they can not just help others grow, but they also enjoy self-growth. Praise and appreciation go hand in hand. And so does flattery and adulation.
Praise Fosters Trust, Flattery Fosters Mistrust.
Would you trust a person who tells you how wonderful you are, how kind you are, or how great you are? Or would you trust a person who tells you that you are a good co-worker, but you need to improve your social skills?
It is tough to spot flattery if the flatterer is cunning enough to veil his words to sound like appreciation. A devious person could make flattery look like genuine praise. In the words of Walter Raleigh: 
"But it is hard to know them from friends, they are so obsequious and full of protestations; for a wolf resembles a dog, so doth a flatterer a friend."
You have to be careful when you receive compliments that amount to nothing. Flattery according to the Bible, "is a form of hatred." Flattery can be used to manipulate, cheat, deceive, and hurt others.
Beware of Flattery Because Flatterers Can Hurt You
Words that are sweetened with honeyed words can fool the gullible. Don't let others sway you by their sweet words that mean nothing. If you meet someone who praises you without reason or charms you with honeyed words of appreciation, it is time to cock your ears and listen beyond the words. Ask yourself: 
'Is he or she trying to woo me? What are his/her intentions?' 
'Are these words true or false?'
'Can there be an ulterior motive behind these flattering words?'
Accept Praise With a Pinch of Salt
Let praise or flattery not go into your head. While it is good to hear praise, accept it with a pinch of salt. Perhaps, the person who praised you is usually generous. Or perhaps, the person praising you wants something out of you. Flattery can be exhausting, even if they are generous. It is like eating too much sweet and feeling sick after a while. Praise, on the other hand, is measured, specific, and direct.
Know Who Your Real Friends and Well Wishers Are
Sometimes, those who criticize you more often than praise you have the best interest in their heart. They may be stingy when it comes to praise, but their words of appreciation are more genuine than compliments you gather from a stranger. Learn to spot your true friends, from those who are friends in good times. Shower praises and compliments wherever necessary, but not because you want to gain a fat favor. Be genuine and specific while praising someone, if you want to be accepted as a well-wisher. If someone flatters you, and you are unable to tell whether it is flattery or praise, double check with a true friend, who can help you see the difference. A good friend will puncture your inflated ego, and bring you back to ground reality if the need arises.
Here are 15 quotes that talk about praise and flattery. Follow the advice given in these 15 inspirational quotes on praise and flattery, and you will be able to tell the difference between praise and flattery every time.




  • Between flattery and admiration there often flows a river of contempt. — Minna Antrim
  • None are more taken in by flattery than the proud, who wish to be the first and are not. — Baruch Spinoza
  • Just praise is only a debt, but flattery is a present. — Samuel Johnson
  • Sweet words are like honey, a little may refresh, but too much gluts the stomach. — Anne Bradstreet
  • He that flatters you more than you desire either has deceived you or wishes to deceive. — Italian Proverb
  • The sweetest of all sounds is praise. — Xenophon
  • It is one thing to praise discipline, and another to submit to it. — Miguel de Cervantes
  • It is wonderful to have someone praise you, to be desired. — Marilyn Monroe
  • You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one. — John Wooden
  • In the best, the friendliest and simplest relations flattery or praise is necessary, just as grease is necessary to keep wheels turning. — Leo Tolstoy
  • Praise, like sunlight, helps all things to grow. — Croft M. Pentz
  • If you're sincere, praise is effective. If you're insincere, it's manipulative. — Zig Ziglar
  • The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism. — Norman Vincent Peale
  • There is no investment you can make which will pay you so well as the effort to scatter sunshine and good cheer through your establishment. — Orison Swett Marden
  • We increase whatever we praise. The whole creation responds to praise and is glad. — Charles Fillmore