What is VAT?
Actually, it is a multi-point sales tax and is collected on value addition only at each stage. The concept is akin to excise duty paid by the manufacturer who, in turn, claims a credit on input taxes paid. Excise duty is on manufacture, while VAT is on sale and both work in the same manner, according to the white paper on VAT released by finance minister Chidambaram. The document was drawn up after all states, barring UP, were prepared to implement VAT from April.
What’s on offer?
A full set-off for input-tax credit as well as tax on previous purchases will be provided under VAT. All other taxes such as the turnover tax, surcharge on sales tax, additional surcharge, and special additional tax will be subsumed in VAT. The exception is octroi. VAT will replace the sales tax regime in states with a two-tier tax regime of 4% and 12.5%. The lower rate of 4% will be levied on key products such as medicines and drugs, agricultural and industrial goods. The 12.5% rate will be applied to the rest of the goods sold in India. Products, including petrol, diesel, aviation turbine fuel, liquor and lottery tickets, will be exempted from VAT.
Who gains?
State and Central governments gain in terms of revenue. VAT has in-built incentives for tax compliance — only by collecting taxes and remitting them to the government can a seller claim the offset that is due to him on his purchases. Everyone has an incentive to buy only from registered dealers — purchases from others will not provide the benefit of credit for the taxes paid at the time of purchase. This transparency and in-built incentive for compliance would increase revenues. Industry and trade gain from transparency and reduced need to interact with the tax personnel. For those who have been complying with taxes, VAT would be a boon that reduces the cost of the product to the consumer and boosts competitiveness. VAT would be major blow for tax evaders, both manufacturers who evade excise duty payments and traders who evade sales-tax.
What’ll be the tax burden?
The overall tax burden will be rationalized as it’ll be shared by all dealers, and prices, in general, will fall. Moreover, VAT will replace the existing system of inspection by a system of built-in self-assessment by traders and manufacturers. The tax structure will become simple and more transparent and tax compliance will improve significantly. It will also be simpler and offer easy computation and easy compliance. VAT will prevent cascading effect through input rebate and help avoid distortions in trade and economy by ensuring uniform tax rates.
Who pays?
All dealers registered under VAT and all dealers with an annual turnover of more than Rs 5 lakh will have to register. Dealers with turnovers less than Rs 5 lakh may register voluntarily.
How to pay?
VAT will be paid along with monthly returns. Credit will be given within the same month for entire VAT paid within the state on purchase of inputs and goods. Credit thus accumulated over any month will be utilized to deduct from the tax collected by the dealer during that month. If the tax credit exceeds the tax collected during a month on sale within the date, the excess credit will be carried forward to the next month.
Which goods will be taxable under VAT?
All goods except those specifically exempt. In fact, over 550 items will be covered under the new tax regime, of which 46 natural and unprocessed local products would be exempt from VAT. About 270 items, including drugs and medicines, all agricultural and industrial inputs, capital goods and declared goods would attract 4% VAT. But, following opposition from some states, it was decided that states would have option to either levy 4% or totally exempt food grains from VAT but it would be reviewed after one year. Three items — sugar, textile, tobacco — under additional excise duties will not be under VAT regime for one year but existing arrangement would continue.
What will happen to the Sales Tax Act?
It will continue for the pending assessments, appeals and recoveries and for certain commodities as the government may decide.
What will happen to the Central Sales Tax?
In an ideal VAT regime, there is no room for CST. To begin with, the government is contemplating certain amendments in the CST.
What will be the status of the industries enjoying sales tax exemption and deferment?
The matter is under consideration of the government. Industrial incentives in the form of exemption and deferment of sales tax may have to be continued under VAT as they are commitments made by the government. The units may get certain options.
What else will it cover?
The GOI is contemplating to empower states to collect VAT on considerable number of services as well as on goods on which AED (additional excise duty) is levied.
How has trade taken VAT?
Traders have complained that the increase in tax would lead to price hikes and a drop in demand. Analysts, however, are optimistic about the plan, saying the new system would help increase national revenues by getting more people to pay tax.
What’s the biggest advantage?
The biggest benefit of VAT is that it could unite India into a large common market. This will translate to better business policy. Companies can start optimising purely on logistics of their operations, and not on based on tax-minimization. Lorries need not wait at check-points for days; they can zoom down the highways to their destinations. Reduced transit times and lower inventory levels will boost corporate earnings.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Friday, July 07, 2006
A few years back, I learned a great lesson - how to blow up a sale when taking a positional bargain stance. For a minute, imagine this scenario: a PMOffice* director of a computer retail chain having a meeting with me, a software tools and services seller.
(*Whether it's new product development, software development, managing IT or the project office, PMOffice Enterprise is the preferred software application. Trying to bridge the gap between the front and back office, IBM is implementing PMOffice Enterprise in organisations seeking to improve their core business areas and strategically align people, projects and priorities.)
Dialogue exchange
Director: I hate to have this discussion with you. I am not in favor of outsourcing work overseas. I have run my organisation for 20 years from out of this office. I do not think tinkering my model will work.
Me: We have provided you market studies done by industry leading analyst firms Gartner and Forrester which show facts on how companies gain extraordinarily if they focus on core functional competence and outsource non core activities. We have also given you reference-able customer success data which clearly portrays how outsourcing can actually help organization like yours optimise operation. Could you please provide me some fact based reason why you think outsourcing will not work?
In my last rediff article How to negotiate with the Americans, I have promoted the virtue of providing fact based pitch and using true reference customers to the point of beating the horse to death. If you look at my response to the PMOffice director in the above mentioned example, I provided fact (Gartner, Forrester) and reference based (customer success stories) information. In reciprocity, I was asking for fact based information on anti-outsourcing from him.
As per classic cross cultural negotiation model, I should have been able to convince the director on my position (pro outsourcing) or he would have convinced me on his position (anti outsourcing). Neither of the two happened, midway through our discussion, he cut our meeting short and said that he will get back to us. In sales world, that is a kiss of death. We went nowhere.
Positional bargain
Positional bargain is the most commonly practiced bargaining method worldwide. We haggle over everything from apple prices in a market to prices for real estate property. As a buyer, we tend to offer low prices hoping for a good bargain; as a seller we tend to overprice our product thinking it's value is worth more than what it really is.
Positional bargaining works for most occasions, especially if the other party with whom you are engaged in a positional bargain has not emotionally committed himself to his position. But what happens in a scenario, when the person you are dealing with is really passionate about his position.
Either he will vigorously fight to defend his position or he will feel belittled if you logically corner him. Your ego may feel great, but you probably will not win a lifelong customer.
There are many schools of thoughts discussing different methods and techniques that discuss how to stay away from positional bargain. All these methods are true and tested in the field of negotiation. However, when you add the cultural and distance mix to the scenario, where the American buyer is sitting somewhere in Middle America and the seller is trying to promote her agenda from India possibly over the phone, it gets a tad bit more difficult.
America is going through a cultural jujitsu today. You see more and more conservative closed economy promoters like Lou Dobbs popping up everyday. The immigration debate over providing legality to Hispanic illegal workers has clearly made American views towards foreigners more bipartisan than ever.
Besides, for most outsourced accounts, the initial decision to outsource was made by C level execs from finance offices who decide to cut costs. The decision to choose the outsourced vendor then falls many a times to IT execs - execs that may not want outsourcing but are strong armed into it.
I believe that in order to successfully negotiate across cultures today with Americans, it is extremely important to be very sensitive to the people part of the equation first before working out a mutually beneficial solution.
Below is my take on how one can handle cross cultural negotiations with Americans, keeping today's political climate in mind.
Methods to negotiate cross culturally with Americans
1. Acknowledge the customer concern
2. Do not endorse the customer concern
3. Put a spotlight on the present situation
4. Focus on Customer issues - Discovery
5. Focus on Customer issues - Resolution
6. Focus on the Customer (the Person) Gain
7. Seek genuine help in championing your effort
Acknowledge the customer concern - By acknowledging the customer concern especially in today's sensitive America, you are not starting off on the wrong foot. This also makes the person across the table feel valuable.
Do not endorse the customer concern - There is a big difference between acknowledginbg and endorsing. If you endorse the opposing position, you are basically de-meriting your point even before you start your argument. It is not ok to say you agree with the opposing position if you do not do so, but it is okay to tactfully say no.
Put a spotlight in the present situation - Both you and your American business associate may not really want to be there. Address it by being real, saying that you were dealt a hand in the card game, so let us try to work it out to the best of our ability. I have seen that by getting real, I tend to get more concessions in North America than other parts of the world.
Focus On Customer Issues (discovery and resolution) - This is the main reason why your customer is having the conversation with you. Your pitch should focus mainly on understanding customer issues and figuring out a way to alleviating their pain.
Focus on customer (the person) gain - By personal gain, I do not mean a bribe! Americans are ambitious, individualistic people by nature. Especially in the business world, when you are dealing with head honchos, they tend to be more self focused than others.
Find a tactful way to know what they are measured against personally in the organisation chain then try to craft your solution that makes him match up to his measures of success. I have seen from my experience, that everybody likes this part of the sales conversation.
Seek genuine help in championing your effort - By this time, you should have a good grip on the customer issues and solution structure. Ask for help. Honestly, if you can get your customer to co-create their solution, there is nothing better than that. You may know the solution and technology as a consultant better than anyone, but your customer knows their business.
Unlike taxes and death, there are no guarantees in life. However, in true Vegas style, my odds of winning the computer retail director's heart for outsourcing probably would have improved, had I tried the following lines of communication. Going back to the dialogue exchange example I provided in the beginning of this article, it was obvious that the PMOffice director was anti outsourcing. He also felt very strongly about his model of running business in house.
Modified dialogue exchange
Director: I hate to have this discussion with you. I am not in favor of outsourcing work overseas. I have run my organization for 20 years from out of this office. I do not think tinkering my model will work.
Me:
Acknowledge the customer concern
Mr. Director, I hear your concern and hesitation regarding outsourcing of the work.
Do not endorse customer concern
I do not have the experience you have in this company, so I may not completely understand your position.
Put spotlight on the situation
We are both here to work this out regardless of how we arrived here.
Focus on customer issues - discovery
What would you say are your biggest PM Office challenges?
Director: Well, we have some challenges around time management. Our SR's overrun budget because managers put people to work that have not gone through approval.
Me:
Focus on customer issues - resolution
Ok, I think we can definitely work an approach to address that.
Focus on Customer (The Person) Gain
BTW, what benchmarks are you measured against? Will the outsourcing have an effect on it?
Director: Of course I am affected, if you do not meet delivery dates, all hell will break loose. It all falls back on me.
Focus on Customer (The Person) Gain
So if we can create a solution, where all work has to be funneled by PMOfiice, will that help in achieving your objectives.
Director: You betchya, it will.
Me:
Seek Genuine Help for mutual benefit
How do you suggest we go about implementing this where we can guarantee mutual success?
Above was a very oversimplified way to explain the non positional bargaining where the focus was moved from changing Mr Director's anti outsourcing stance to core issues within his organisation. Of course there are many steps that go within discovering true customer issues and partnering in crafting out a solution.
(*Whether it's new product development, software development, managing IT or the project office, PMOffice Enterprise is the preferred software application. Trying to bridge the gap between the front and back office, IBM is implementing PMOffice Enterprise in organisations seeking to improve their core business areas and strategically align people, projects and priorities.)
Dialogue exchange
Director: I hate to have this discussion with you. I am not in favor of outsourcing work overseas. I have run my organisation for 20 years from out of this office. I do not think tinkering my model will work.
Me: We have provided you market studies done by industry leading analyst firms Gartner and Forrester which show facts on how companies gain extraordinarily if they focus on core functional competence and outsource non core activities. We have also given you reference-able customer success data which clearly portrays how outsourcing can actually help organization like yours optimise operation. Could you please provide me some fact based reason why you think outsourcing will not work?
In my last rediff article How to negotiate with the Americans, I have promoted the virtue of providing fact based pitch and using true reference customers to the point of beating the horse to death. If you look at my response to the PMOffice director in the above mentioned example, I provided fact (Gartner, Forrester) and reference based (customer success stories) information. In reciprocity, I was asking for fact based information on anti-outsourcing from him.
As per classic cross cultural negotiation model, I should have been able to convince the director on my position (pro outsourcing) or he would have convinced me on his position (anti outsourcing). Neither of the two happened, midway through our discussion, he cut our meeting short and said that he will get back to us. In sales world, that is a kiss of death. We went nowhere.
Positional bargain
Positional bargain is the most commonly practiced bargaining method worldwide. We haggle over everything from apple prices in a market to prices for real estate property. As a buyer, we tend to offer low prices hoping for a good bargain; as a seller we tend to overprice our product thinking it's value is worth more than what it really is.
Positional bargaining works for most occasions, especially if the other party with whom you are engaged in a positional bargain has not emotionally committed himself to his position. But what happens in a scenario, when the person you are dealing with is really passionate about his position.
Either he will vigorously fight to defend his position or he will feel belittled if you logically corner him. Your ego may feel great, but you probably will not win a lifelong customer.
There are many schools of thoughts discussing different methods and techniques that discuss how to stay away from positional bargain. All these methods are true and tested in the field of negotiation. However, when you add the cultural and distance mix to the scenario, where the American buyer is sitting somewhere in Middle America and the seller is trying to promote her agenda from India possibly over the phone, it gets a tad bit more difficult.
America is going through a cultural jujitsu today. You see more and more conservative closed economy promoters like Lou Dobbs popping up everyday. The immigration debate over providing legality to Hispanic illegal workers has clearly made American views towards foreigners more bipartisan than ever.
Besides, for most outsourced accounts, the initial decision to outsource was made by C level execs from finance offices who decide to cut costs. The decision to choose the outsourced vendor then falls many a times to IT execs - execs that may not want outsourcing but are strong armed into it.
I believe that in order to successfully negotiate across cultures today with Americans, it is extremely important to be very sensitive to the people part of the equation first before working out a mutually beneficial solution.
Below is my take on how one can handle cross cultural negotiations with Americans, keeping today's political climate in mind.
Methods to negotiate cross culturally with Americans
1. Acknowledge the customer concern
2. Do not endorse the customer concern
3. Put a spotlight on the present situation
4. Focus on Customer issues - Discovery
5. Focus on Customer issues - Resolution
6. Focus on the Customer (the Person) Gain
7. Seek genuine help in championing your effort
Acknowledge the customer concern - By acknowledging the customer concern especially in today's sensitive America, you are not starting off on the wrong foot. This also makes the person across the table feel valuable.
Do not endorse the customer concern - There is a big difference between acknowledginbg and endorsing. If you endorse the opposing position, you are basically de-meriting your point even before you start your argument. It is not ok to say you agree with the opposing position if you do not do so, but it is okay to tactfully say no.
Put a spotlight in the present situation - Both you and your American business associate may not really want to be there. Address it by being real, saying that you were dealt a hand in the card game, so let us try to work it out to the best of our ability. I have seen that by getting real, I tend to get more concessions in North America than other parts of the world.
Focus On Customer Issues (discovery and resolution) - This is the main reason why your customer is having the conversation with you. Your pitch should focus mainly on understanding customer issues and figuring out a way to alleviating their pain.
Focus on customer (the person) gain - By personal gain, I do not mean a bribe! Americans are ambitious, individualistic people by nature. Especially in the business world, when you are dealing with head honchos, they tend to be more self focused than others.
Find a tactful way to know what they are measured against personally in the organisation chain then try to craft your solution that makes him match up to his measures of success. I have seen from my experience, that everybody likes this part of the sales conversation.
Seek genuine help in championing your effort - By this time, you should have a good grip on the customer issues and solution structure. Ask for help. Honestly, if you can get your customer to co-create their solution, there is nothing better than that. You may know the solution and technology as a consultant better than anyone, but your customer knows their business.
Unlike taxes and death, there are no guarantees in life. However, in true Vegas style, my odds of winning the computer retail director's heart for outsourcing probably would have improved, had I tried the following lines of communication. Going back to the dialogue exchange example I provided in the beginning of this article, it was obvious that the PMOffice director was anti outsourcing. He also felt very strongly about his model of running business in house.
Modified dialogue exchange
Director: I hate to have this discussion with you. I am not in favor of outsourcing work overseas. I have run my organization for 20 years from out of this office. I do not think tinkering my model will work.
Me:
Acknowledge the customer concern
Mr. Director, I hear your concern and hesitation regarding outsourcing of the work.
Do not endorse customer concern
I do not have the experience you have in this company, so I may not completely understand your position.
Put spotlight on the situation
We are both here to work this out regardless of how we arrived here.
Focus on customer issues - discovery
What would you say are your biggest PM Office challenges?
Director: Well, we have some challenges around time management. Our SR's overrun budget because managers put people to work that have not gone through approval.
Me:
Focus on customer issues - resolution
Ok, I think we can definitely work an approach to address that.
Focus on Customer (The Person) Gain
BTW, what benchmarks are you measured against? Will the outsourcing have an effect on it?
Director: Of course I am affected, if you do not meet delivery dates, all hell will break loose. It all falls back on me.
Focus on Customer (The Person) Gain
So if we can create a solution, where all work has to be funneled by PMOfiice, will that help in achieving your objectives.
Director: You betchya, it will.
Me:
Seek Genuine Help for mutual benefit
How do you suggest we go about implementing this where we can guarantee mutual success?
Above was a very oversimplified way to explain the non positional bargaining where the focus was moved from changing Mr Director's anti outsourcing stance to core issues within his organisation. Of course there are many steps that go within discovering true customer issues and partnering in crafting out a solution.
6 great tips to do business with Americans
A few years back, I learned a great lesson - how to blow up a sale when taking a positional bargain stance. For a minute, imagine this scenario: a PMOffice* director of a computer retail chain having a meeting with me, a software tools and services seller.
(*Whether it's new product development, software development, managing IT or the project office, PMOffice Enterprise is the preferred software application. Trying to bridge the gap between the front and back office, IBM is implementing PMOffice Enterprise in organisations seeking to improve their core business areas and strategically align people, projects and priorities.)
Dialogue exchange
Director: I hate to have this discussion with you. I am not in favor of outsourcing work overseas. I have run my organisation for 20 years from out of this office. I do not think tinkering my model will work.
Me: We have provided you market studies done by industry leading analyst firms Gartner and Forrester which show facts on how companies gain extraordinarily if they focus on core functional competence and outsource non core activities. We have also given you reference-able customer success data which clearly portrays how outsourcing can actually help organization like yours optimise operation. Could you please provide me some fact based reason why you think outsourcing will not work?
In my last rediff article How to negotiate with the Americans, I have promoted the virtue of providing fact based pitch and using true reference customers to the point of beating the horse to death. If you look at my response to the PMOffice director in the above mentioned example, I provided fact (Gartner, Forrester) and reference based (customer success stories) information. In reciprocity, I was asking for fact based information on anti-outsourcing from him.
As per classic cross cultural negotiation model, I should have been able to convince the director on my position (pro outsourcing) or he would have convinced me on his position (anti outsourcing). Neither of the two happened, midway through our discussion, he cut our meeting short and said that he will get back to us. In sales world, that is a kiss of death. We went nowhere.
Positional bargain
Positional bargain is the most commonly practiced bargaining method worldwide. We haggle over everything from apple prices in a market to prices for real estate property. As a buyer, we tend to offer low prices hoping for a good bargain; as a seller we tend to overprice our product thinking it's value is worth more than what it really is.
Positional bargaining works for most occasions, especially if the other party with whom you are engaged in a positional bargain has not emotionally committed himself to his position. But what happens in a scenario, when the person you are dealing with is really passionate about his position.
Either he will vigorously fight to defend his position or he will feel belittled if you logically corner him. Your ego may feel great, but you probably will not win a lifelong customer.
There are many schools of thoughts discussing different methods and techniques that discuss how to stay away from positional bargain. All these methods are true and tested in the field of negotiation. However, when you add the cultural and distance mix to the scenario, where the American buyer is sitting somewhere in Middle America and the seller is trying to promote her agenda from India possibly over the phone, it gets a tad bit more difficult.
America is going through a cultural jujitsu today. You see more and more conservative closed economy promoters like Lou Dobbs popping up everyday. The immigration debate over providing legality to Hispanic illegal workers has clearly made American views towards foreigners more bipartisan than ever.
Besides, for most outsourced accounts, the initial decision to outsource was made by C level execs from finance offices who decide to cut costs. The decision to choose the outsourced vendor then falls many a times to IT execs - execs that may not want outsourcing but are strong armed into it.
I believe that in order to successfully negotiate across cultures today with Americans, it is extremely important to be very sensitive to the people part of the equation first before working out a mutually beneficial solution.
Below is my take on how one can handle cross cultural negotiations with Americans, keeping today's political climate in mind.
Acknowledge the customer concern - By acknowledging the customer concern especially in today's sensitive America, you are not starting off on the wrong foot. This also makes the person across the table feel valuable.
Do not endorse the customer concern - There is a big difference between acknowledginbg and endorsing. If you endorse the opposing position, you are basically de-meriting your point even before you start your argument. It is not ok to say you agree with the opposing position if you do not do so, but it is okay to tactfully say no.
Put a spotlight in the present situation - Both you and your American business associate may not really want to be there. Address it by being real, saying that you were dealt a hand in the card game, so let us try to work it out to the best of our ability. I have seen that by getting real, I tend to get more concessions in North America than other parts of the world.
Focus On Customer Issues (discovery and resolution) - This is the main reason why your customer is having the conversation with you. Your pitch should focus mainly on understanding customer issues and figuring out a way to alleviating their pain.
Focus on customer (the person) gain - By personal gain, I do not mean a bribe! Americans are ambitious, individualistic people by nature. Especially in the business world, when you are dealing with head honchos, they tend to be more self focused than others.
Find a tactful way to know what they are measured against personally in the organisation chain then try to craft your solution that makes him match up to his measures of success. I have seen from my experience, that everybody likes this part of the sales conversation.
Seek genuine help in championing your effort - By this time, you should have a good grip on the customer issues and solution structure. Ask for help. Honestly, if you can get your customer to co-create their solution, there is nothing better than that. You may know the solution and technology as a consultant better than anyone, but your customer knows their business.
Unlike taxes and death, there are no guarantees in life. However, in true Vegas style, my odds of winning the computer retail director's heart for outsourcing probably would have improved, had I tried the following lines of communication. Going back to the dialogue exchange example I provided in the beginning of this article, it was obvious that the PMOffice director was anti outsourcing. He also felt very strongly about his model of running business in house.
Modified dialogue exchange
Director: I hate to have this discussion with you. I am not in favor of outsourcing work overseas. I have run my organization for 20 years from out of this office. I do not think tinkering my model will work.
Me:
Me:
Director: Well, we have some challenges around time management. Our SR's overrun budget because managers put people to work that have not gone through approval.
Me:
Director: Of course I am affected, if you do not meet delivery dates, all hell will break loose. It all falls back on me.
Director: You betchya, it will.
Me:
Above was a very oversimplified way to explain the non positional bargaining where the focus was moved from changing Mr Director's anti outsourcing stance to core issues within his organisation. Of course there are many steps that go within discovering true customer issues and partnering in crafting out a solution.
(*Whether it's new product development, software development, managing IT or the project office, PMOffice Enterprise is the preferred software application. Trying to bridge the gap between the front and back office, IBM is implementing PMOffice Enterprise in organisations seeking to improve their core business areas and strategically align people, projects and priorities.)
Dialogue exchange
Director: I hate to have this discussion with you. I am not in favor of outsourcing work overseas. I have run my organisation for 20 years from out of this office. I do not think tinkering my model will work.
Me: We have provided you market studies done by industry leading analyst firms Gartner and Forrester which show facts on how companies gain extraordinarily if they focus on core functional competence and outsource non core activities. We have also given you reference-able customer success data which clearly portrays how outsourcing can actually help organization like yours optimise operation. Could you please provide me some fact based reason why you think outsourcing will not work?
In my last rediff article How to negotiate with the Americans, I have promoted the virtue of providing fact based pitch and using true reference customers to the point of beating the horse to death. If you look at my response to the PMOffice director in the above mentioned example, I provided fact (Gartner, Forrester) and reference based (customer success stories) information. In reciprocity, I was asking for fact based information on anti-outsourcing from him.
As per classic cross cultural negotiation model, I should have been able to convince the director on my position (pro outsourcing) or he would have convinced me on his position (anti outsourcing). Neither of the two happened, midway through our discussion, he cut our meeting short and said that he will get back to us. In sales world, that is a kiss of death. We went nowhere.
Positional bargain
Positional bargain is the most commonly practiced bargaining method worldwide. We haggle over everything from apple prices in a market to prices for real estate property. As a buyer, we tend to offer low prices hoping for a good bargain; as a seller we tend to overprice our product thinking it's value is worth more than what it really is.
Positional bargaining works for most occasions, especially if the other party with whom you are engaged in a positional bargain has not emotionally committed himself to his position. But what happens in a scenario, when the person you are dealing with is really passionate about his position.
Either he will vigorously fight to defend his position or he will feel belittled if you logically corner him. Your ego may feel great, but you probably will not win a lifelong customer.
There are many schools of thoughts discussing different methods and techniques that discuss how to stay away from positional bargain. All these methods are true and tested in the field of negotiation. However, when you add the cultural and distance mix to the scenario, where the American buyer is sitting somewhere in Middle America and the seller is trying to promote her agenda from India possibly over the phone, it gets a tad bit more difficult.
America is going through a cultural jujitsu today. You see more and more conservative closed economy promoters like Lou Dobbs popping up everyday. The immigration debate over providing legality to Hispanic illegal workers has clearly made American views towards foreigners more bipartisan than ever.
Besides, for most outsourced accounts, the initial decision to outsource was made by C level execs from finance offices who decide to cut costs. The decision to choose the outsourced vendor then falls many a times to IT execs - execs that may not want outsourcing but are strong armed into it.
I believe that in order to successfully negotiate across cultures today with Americans, it is extremely important to be very sensitive to the people part of the equation first before working out a mutually beneficial solution.
Below is my take on how one can handle cross cultural negotiations with Americans, keeping today's political climate in mind.
Acknowledge the customer concern - By acknowledging the customer concern especially in today's sensitive America, you are not starting off on the wrong foot. This also makes the person across the table feel valuable.
Do not endorse the customer concern - There is a big difference between acknowledginbg and endorsing. If you endorse the opposing position, you are basically de-meriting your point even before you start your argument. It is not ok to say you agree with the opposing position if you do not do so, but it is okay to tactfully say no.
Put a spotlight in the present situation - Both you and your American business associate may not really want to be there. Address it by being real, saying that you were dealt a hand in the card game, so let us try to work it out to the best of our ability. I have seen that by getting real, I tend to get more concessions in North America than other parts of the world.
Focus On Customer Issues (discovery and resolution) - This is the main reason why your customer is having the conversation with you. Your pitch should focus mainly on understanding customer issues and figuring out a way to alleviating their pain.
Focus on customer (the person) gain - By personal gain, I do not mean a bribe! Americans are ambitious, individualistic people by nature. Especially in the business world, when you are dealing with head honchos, they tend to be more self focused than others.
Find a tactful way to know what they are measured against personally in the organisation chain then try to craft your solution that makes him match up to his measures of success. I have seen from my experience, that everybody likes this part of the sales conversation.
Seek genuine help in championing your effort - By this time, you should have a good grip on the customer issues and solution structure. Ask for help. Honestly, if you can get your customer to co-create their solution, there is nothing better than that. You may know the solution and technology as a consultant better than anyone, but your customer knows their business.
Unlike taxes and death, there are no guarantees in life. However, in true Vegas style, my odds of winning the computer retail director's heart for outsourcing probably would have improved, had I tried the following lines of communication. Going back to the dialogue exchange example I provided in the beginning of this article, it was obvious that the PMOffice director was anti outsourcing. He also felt very strongly about his model of running business in house.
Modified dialogue exchange
Director: I hate to have this discussion with you. I am not in favor of outsourcing work overseas. I have run my organization for 20 years from out of this office. I do not think tinkering my model will work.
Me:
Me:
Director: Well, we have some challenges around time management. Our SR's overrun budget because managers put people to work that have not gone through approval.
Me:
Director: Of course I am affected, if you do not meet delivery dates, all hell will break loose. It all falls back on me.
Director: You betchya, it will.
Me:
Above was a very oversimplified way to explain the non positional bargaining where the focus was moved from changing Mr Director's anti outsourcing stance to core issues within his organisation. Of course there are many steps that go within discovering true customer issues and partnering in crafting out a solution.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
***************************************************
"A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and
Honest people are screwed first."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC 75
BC)
***************************************************
"Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350
BC-275 BC)
***************************************************
"The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody. !
It will destroy you."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275
BC)
***************************************************
"There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no
friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350
BC-275 BC)
***************************************************
"Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions -
Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful.
Only when
you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go
ahead."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275
BC)
***************************************************
"As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275
BC)
***************************************************
"The world's biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275
BC)
***************************************************
"Once you start a working on something, don't be afraid of failure
and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275
BC)
***************************************************
"The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind.
But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275
BC)
***************************************************
"Whores don't live in company of poor men, citizens never support a
weak company and birds don't build nests on a tree that doesn't bear
fruits."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275
BC)
***************************************************
"God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god. The soul is
your temple."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275
BC)
***************************************************
"A man is great by deeds, not by birth."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275
BC)
***************************************************
"Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status.
Such friendships will never give you any happiness."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275
BC)
***************************************************
"Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next
five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a
friend. Your grown up children are your best friends."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275
BC)
***************************************************
"Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a
blind person."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275
BC)
***************************************************
"Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected
everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275
BC)
***************************************************
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Did you know that visitor or tourist visas to the US are perhaps the most popular visas among non-immigrant visa categories? In India, the largest number of visas are issued in this category every year.
A visitor visa or a tourist visa is known as a B-2 visa.
When this visa is issued, your passport is stamped with a B-1 B-2 approval. It confuses many people as the B-1 is a business visa given to businessmen and visitors going to attend conferences or exhibitions in their fields of specialisation.
However, though the stamp is the same, the objective of your visit is established during your visa interview itself. Do not get confused by the stamp.
To obtain a visitor's visa to the US, you must establish two things -- that the visitor classification is appropriate in your case and that you are eligible for the visa under the provisions of the US law.
The responsibility for determining the proper visa classification and eligibility of each applicant rests with the consular officer -- the visa officer at the US consulate who interviews candidates for visas initially -- and the US immigration inspector. The immigration inspector is the first officer you meet when you land at any US airport ie the port of entry.
What exactly is a visitor visa?
All B-2 visa applicants seeking admission to the US are presumed to be intending immigrants. This means that even though you are going to visit, it is assumed you just might actually want to settle down in the US and not return to India.
To qualify for a B-1 or B-2 visa, you must prove you have a residence of your own (not rented) in India that you have no intention of abandoning; that you wish to enter the US for a specifically limited period; that your purpose in doing so is to engage in legitimate activities of business or pleasure.
You cannot be classified as a visitor if you desire to remain in the US indefinitely or plan to seek employment during the course of your stay.
According to Section 214 (b) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act: 'Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the immigration officer, at the time of application for admission, that he is entitled to a non-immigrant status under section 101 (a) (15).' All visitors to the United States, who have not applied to migrate to that country, are known as aliens.
Even if you satisfy the documentary and evidentiary requirements -- this means you provide the required evidence/ proof of supporting papers/ legal documents to show you will return to India -- the consular officer can refuse a visa if he or she is not convinced of your non-immigrant intent. He/ she has to believe you will return India when your visa expires; he/ she has to believe you will not use your tourist visa to scout for a job in the US.
This means that, even if you do prepare your case well, it will not insure you will actually get a visa. The reason: one consul's non-immigrant intent is another consul's intending immigrant (he/ she suspects the applicant is a possible immigrant and will not return home after arriving in the US on a non-immigrant visa).
Successful reversals of 214 (b) findings are infrequent. Once the visa is denied, it is difficult to get the decision changed in your favour at a second or subsequent attempt.
Many ask whether they can sign a bond with the US consulate; this means they give an undertaking that they will deposit a certain amount of money with the consulate and, if they do not return within a fixed period, they will forfeit this amount. Such a system DOES NOT EXIST with the US consulate. You cannot offer any bond for this purpose yourself until asked.
In other words, an element of subjectivity cannot be ruled out (to some extent, the 'luck' factor does play a part in helping you secure a visa).
Moreover, in a consulate like Mumbai, where over 500 persons apply for visas daily, every applicant sometimes has just 60-90 seconds to present himself/ herself well and represent his/ her case convincingly.
'US visa cap has not been increased'
Are you eligibile?
The US law lists specific classes of persons who are not eligible to receive visas and are inadmissible to the USA.
These classes include:
~ Persons afflicted with contagious diseases (such as tuberculosis) or who have suffered serious mental illness.
~ Persons with criminal records involving offences of certain kinds, narcotic addicts and traffickers.
~ Persons who have sought to obtain a visa by means of misrepresentation or fraud.
~ Persons who are or have been members of certain organisations, including communist organisations, terrorist groups and those affiliated therewith.
A person who is found ineligible on these grounds can still get a waiver by filing a relevant appeal with the US immigration authorities. If granted, one can become eligible for a visa.
How to apply for a non-immigrant US Visa
You must apply for a visa at the US embassy or US consulate in India. You can also apply online.
Step 1: All non-immigrant visa applicants, except 'officials travelling on government business' and 'officials of international organisations travelling for official purposes', must pay the application fee and VFS Service Charge at a designated branch of HDFC bank before applying for a visa.
Step 2: Return to the VFS site and click on Apply for a non-immigrant visa link once the fees are paid. You will need to use the barcode number from your HDFC bank fee receipt in order to schedule an appointment.
Step 3: Report to the US embassy or consulate where your appointment for a visa interview is scheduled.
You will need to bring the printed appointment letter, visa application forms, one recent photograph, the original HDFC bank fee receipt with its two barcode stickers, and a Demand Draft for the Issuance Fee to the interview.
Counter service
You can seek information at any US Visa Application Centre in 12 cities across India. You have the option of submitting visa applications across-the-counter at these centres after paying the application fee and VFS' Service Charge at a designated branch of HDFC Bank.
US Consulates in India
Each visa section has a jurisdiction as noted below:
New Delhi: States of Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Bhutan.
Address
US Embassy
New Delhi Shantipath
Chanakyapuri
New Delhi -- 110 021
Phone: (011) 24198000
e-mail : nivnd@ state.gov
Web site: http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/
***
Chennai: States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and the Union Territories of Lakshadweep islands and Pondicherry.
Address
American Consulate General
Chennai No. 220 Anna Salai
Chennai -- 600 006.
Phone: (044) 28112060
e-mail: chennainiv@ state.gov
Web site: http://chennai.usconsulate.gov
***
Mumbai: States of Maharashtra, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Union Territories of Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
Address
American Consulate General
Mumbai Lincoln House
78 Bhulabhai Desai Road
Mumbai -- 400 026
Phone: (022) 23633611/2/3/4/5/6/7/8
e-mail: mumbainiv@ state.gov
Web site: http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov
***
Kolkata: States of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Orissa, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam and the Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Address
American Consulate General
Calcutta 5/1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani
Calcutta -- 700 071
Phone: (033) 22823611/2/3/4/5
e-mail: consular_calcutta@ state.gov
Web site: http://calcutta.usconsulate.gov
A visitor visa or a tourist visa is known as a B-2 visa.
When this visa is issued, your passport is stamped with a B-1 B-2 approval. It confuses many people as the B-1 is a business visa given to businessmen and visitors going to attend conferences or exhibitions in their fields of specialisation.
However, though the stamp is the same, the objective of your visit is established during your visa interview itself. Do not get confused by the stamp.
To obtain a visitor's visa to the US, you must establish two things -- that the visitor classification is appropriate in your case and that you are eligible for the visa under the provisions of the US law.
The responsibility for determining the proper visa classification and eligibility of each applicant rests with the consular officer -- the visa officer at the US consulate who interviews candidates for visas initially -- and the US immigration inspector. The immigration inspector is the first officer you meet when you land at any US airport ie the port of entry.
What exactly is a visitor visa?
All B-2 visa applicants seeking admission to the US are presumed to be intending immigrants. This means that even though you are going to visit, it is assumed you just might actually want to settle down in the US and not return to India.
To qualify for a B-1 or B-2 visa, you must prove you have a residence of your own (not rented) in India that you have no intention of abandoning; that you wish to enter the US for a specifically limited period; that your purpose in doing so is to engage in legitimate activities of business or pleasure.
You cannot be classified as a visitor if you desire to remain in the US indefinitely or plan to seek employment during the course of your stay.
According to Section 214 (b) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act: 'Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the immigration officer, at the time of application for admission, that he is entitled to a non-immigrant status under section 101 (a) (15).' All visitors to the United States, who have not applied to migrate to that country, are known as aliens.
Even if you satisfy the documentary and evidentiary requirements -- this means you provide the required evidence/ proof of supporting papers/ legal documents to show you will return to India -- the consular officer can refuse a visa if he or she is not convinced of your non-immigrant intent. He/ she has to believe you will return India when your visa expires; he/ she has to believe you will not use your tourist visa to scout for a job in the US.
This means that, even if you do prepare your case well, it will not insure you will actually get a visa. The reason: one consul's non-immigrant intent is another consul's intending immigrant (he/ she suspects the applicant is a possible immigrant and will not return home after arriving in the US on a non-immigrant visa).
Successful reversals of 214 (b) findings are infrequent. Once the visa is denied, it is difficult to get the decision changed in your favour at a second or subsequent attempt.
Many ask whether they can sign a bond with the US consulate; this means they give an undertaking that they will deposit a certain amount of money with the consulate and, if they do not return within a fixed period, they will forfeit this amount. Such a system DOES NOT EXIST with the US consulate. You cannot offer any bond for this purpose yourself until asked.
In other words, an element of subjectivity cannot be ruled out (to some extent, the 'luck' factor does play a part in helping you secure a visa).
Moreover, in a consulate like Mumbai, where over 500 persons apply for visas daily, every applicant sometimes has just 60-90 seconds to present himself/ herself well and represent his/ her case convincingly.
'US visa cap has not been increased'
Are you eligibile?
The US law lists specific classes of persons who are not eligible to receive visas and are inadmissible to the USA.
These classes include:
~ Persons afflicted with contagious diseases (such as tuberculosis) or who have suffered serious mental illness.
~ Persons with criminal records involving offences of certain kinds, narcotic addicts and traffickers.
~ Persons who have sought to obtain a visa by means of misrepresentation or fraud.
~ Persons who are or have been members of certain organisations, including communist organisations, terrorist groups and those affiliated therewith.
A person who is found ineligible on these grounds can still get a waiver by filing a relevant appeal with the US immigration authorities. If granted, one can become eligible for a visa.
How to apply for a non-immigrant US Visa
You must apply for a visa at the US embassy or US consulate in India. You can also apply online.
Step 1: All non-immigrant visa applicants, except 'officials travelling on government business' and 'officials of international organisations travelling for official purposes', must pay the application fee and VFS Service Charge at a designated branch of HDFC bank before applying for a visa.
Step 2: Return to the VFS site and click on Apply for a non-immigrant visa link once the fees are paid. You will need to use the barcode number from your HDFC bank fee receipt in order to schedule an appointment.
Step 3: Report to the US embassy or consulate where your appointment for a visa interview is scheduled.
You will need to bring the printed appointment letter, visa application forms, one recent photograph, the original HDFC bank fee receipt with its two barcode stickers, and a Demand Draft for the Issuance Fee to the interview.
Counter service
You can seek information at any US Visa Application Centre in 12 cities across India. You have the option of submitting visa applications across-the-counter at these centres after paying the application fee and VFS' Service Charge at a designated branch of HDFC Bank.
US Consulates in India
Each visa section has a jurisdiction as noted below:
New Delhi: States of Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Bhutan.
Address
US Embassy
New Delhi Shantipath
Chanakyapuri
New Delhi -- 110 021
Phone: (011) 24198000
e-mail : nivnd@ state.gov
Web site: http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/
***
Chennai: States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and the Union Territories of Lakshadweep islands and Pondicherry.
Address
American Consulate General
Chennai No. 220 Anna Salai
Chennai -- 600 006.
Phone: (044) 28112060
e-mail: chennainiv@ state.gov
Web site: http://chennai.usconsulate.gov
***
Mumbai: States of Maharashtra, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Union Territories of Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
Address
American Consulate General
Mumbai Lincoln House
78 Bhulabhai Desai Road
Mumbai -- 400 026
Phone: (022) 23633611/2/3/4/5/6/7/8
e-mail: mumbainiv@ state.gov
Web site: http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov
***
Kolkata: States of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Orissa, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam and the Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Address
American Consulate General
Calcutta 5/1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani
Calcutta -- 700 071
Phone: (033) 22823611/2/3/4/5
e-mail: consular_calcutta@ state.gov
Web site: http://calcutta.usconsulate.gov
Friday, April 21, 2006
Beautiful article on Desis away from our motherland...
Most of us left the Indian shores to come here.
We have bid our farewells with teary eyes to our mothers.
We hugged our fathers and left without turning back.
We silently took leave from that girl next door peeping from behind the curtain.
We all came here, some long time back and some recently.
We all were alone in the beginning.
We missed our mothers cooking.
We missed the idli chaats on the road side.
We missed those days when we gathered with friends at a tea stall and ordered tea with samosas.
We missed that girl, whom we used to see daily in the bus, who may have smiled at us, who may even have talked to us in that angelic voice, if only we had the courage to talk.
Most of us grew out of it over here. We all made new friends.
We all clung to each other. We watched countless movies.
We even learnt to cook and throw pot luck parties where we always played Antakshari.
We confess that we even smiled at those beautiful girls across the street.
We all took trips to India; some annually, some less frequently.
We all tracked the "sale" events at Sears and KMart.
We all went to Indian Grocery Stores, and bought Rice and Rotis.
Most of us got married. We, went back home, searching for the love of a good woman-some found it in the old acquaintances from across the bus-stands, some found it in their parent's choice. Some of us took a gamble and married the one looking closest to Aishwarya Rai.
Now what do we do? We all work in software, We go to the local temple to socialise, we attend movie screenings, and argue countless times that Honda Accord is better than Toyota Camry or vice versa. At times, late night before falling asleep we switch on the stereo and listen to that old Hindi melody which makes us remember the land that was ours. We recall the green grass, the muddy roads, the wet monsoons, the pretty girls that we never talked to.
We hear the words speaking to us from across the oceans:
A Mother who gave sour medicine to her son, because she wanted him to recover soon, who let her son move miles apart though the thought was tearing her apart, she let him go as she wanted him to be happy and successful, who hides her agony in telling others that her son is
abroad.
A Father who understands his son's ambitions and the limitation and frustration he has to overcome of in India, who would not let his voice reveal that says I'll miss you son !, I love you but am unable to express the feeling.
A brother who would miss the brotherhood, though it had often been fights and not talking terms, who can deny the fact that a brother is still a brother, a friend, Who expected you to understand him as his, and when you didn't it upset but moving miles in distances has overlooked all minute failures.
A sister who would not have her adoring one to escort her to help her out of troublesome situations, who knows she has to send 'Rakhi' by post,who wishes he would turn up for her wedding, if not atleast to fondle her baby that longs for a MAMA's (Uncle's) love & affection.
A friend, who is left with mundane tasks, unable to exchange the chirpy jokes & comments, discuss various thoughts from family, friends, politics, & economics, who visits your home because he still remembers you not only on a day but everyday. Who would jump with joy on receiving a mail, who tries to keep himself free for all the days when his friend is coming back on a holiday.
The girl next door, who didn't know if she had to rejoice or not when she overheard that the boy next door is moving away, who silently takes it that he has a career and would wish for his best from afar, bids goodbye with a tear in her eye.
The girl at the bus-stop, who smiled at you and suddenly finds you no longer there, who changes her route only to avoid the void which seems to be there at the same bus-stop she had been once smiling.
The girl you are married to, unable to understand why she is being sent to a far off land, waiting for her man to send VISA papers, bearing the nagging question of neighbours and relatives asking when are you leaving India.
The girl you got engaged to, and is waiting for you to come back and tie the wedding knot, a social and emotional security, who anxiously waits for his telephone calls and greeting cards to reassure her that you will be back as her man.
The girl who never confessed her love for you, the girl you knew cared for you, missing & waiting for a word from you. If only you would come back and say that to her, who hums the song along with the radio, but the voice chokes and aches as she hears this song...
Ramayya vastavayya,Ramayya vastavayya,
Maine dil tujko diya, Maine dil tujko diya,
uss desh mai,tere pardesh mai ,
sone chandi ke badle mai bikthe hai dil,
iss gavoon mai dard ke chavon mai ,
pyar ke naam par hi dhadak the hai dil...
tu na aaye tho kya, bhool jaye tho kya,
pyar karke bhulana na aaya hame,
vahi se door se, tu bhi ye kehde kabhi,
maine dil tuj ko diya ......
Whatever our roles, it is only to say that we still love and care for you, wherever you are, you are still dear to us. We don't know what you have to go through, we only know we have love & wishes to give for you. You might have learnt or the circumstances might have taught you to handle emotions and that time and work are more important than feelings and their expressions but we are still in India and are still the same, waiting and wishing for those who moved away from India,
INDIA - a land of love, emotion & sentiments....
We have bid our farewells with teary eyes to our mothers.
We hugged our fathers and left without turning back.
We silently took leave from that girl next door peeping from behind the curtain.
We all came here, some long time back and some recently.
We all were alone in the beginning.
We missed our mothers cooking.
We missed the idli chaats on the road side.
We missed those days when we gathered with friends at a tea stall and ordered tea with samosas.
We missed that girl, whom we used to see daily in the bus, who may have smiled at us, who may even have talked to us in that angelic voice, if only we had the courage to talk.
Most of us grew out of it over here. We all made new friends.
We all clung to each other. We watched countless movies.
We even learnt to cook and throw pot luck parties where we always played Antakshari.
We confess that we even smiled at those beautiful girls across the street.
We all took trips to India; some annually, some less frequently.
We all tracked the "sale" events at Sears and KMart.
We all went to Indian Grocery Stores, and bought Rice and Rotis.
Most of us got married. We, went back home, searching for the love of a good woman-some found it in the old acquaintances from across the bus-stands, some found it in their parent's choice. Some of us took a gamble and married the one looking closest to Aishwarya Rai.
Now what do we do? We all work in software, We go to the local temple to socialise, we attend movie screenings, and argue countless times that Honda Accord is better than Toyota Camry or vice versa. At times, late night before falling asleep we switch on the stereo and listen to that old Hindi melody which makes us remember the land that was ours. We recall the green grass, the muddy roads, the wet monsoons, the pretty girls that we never talked to.
We hear the words speaking to us from across the oceans:
A Mother who gave sour medicine to her son, because she wanted him to recover soon, who let her son move miles apart though the thought was tearing her apart, she let him go as she wanted him to be happy and successful, who hides her agony in telling others that her son is
abroad.
A Father who understands his son's ambitions and the limitation and frustration he has to overcome of in India, who would not let his voice reveal that says I'll miss you son !, I love you but am unable to express the feeling.
A brother who would miss the brotherhood, though it had often been fights and not talking terms, who can deny the fact that a brother is still a brother, a friend, Who expected you to understand him as his, and when you didn't it upset but moving miles in distances has overlooked all minute failures.
A sister who would not have her adoring one to escort her to help her out of troublesome situations, who knows she has to send 'Rakhi' by post,who wishes he would turn up for her wedding, if not atleast to fondle her baby that longs for a MAMA's (Uncle's) love & affection.
A friend, who is left with mundane tasks, unable to exchange the chirpy jokes & comments, discuss various thoughts from family, friends, politics, & economics, who visits your home because he still remembers you not only on a day but everyday. Who would jump with joy on receiving a mail, who tries to keep himself free for all the days when his friend is coming back on a holiday.
The girl next door, who didn't know if she had to rejoice or not when she overheard that the boy next door is moving away, who silently takes it that he has a career and would wish for his best from afar, bids goodbye with a tear in her eye.
The girl at the bus-stop, who smiled at you and suddenly finds you no longer there, who changes her route only to avoid the void which seems to be there at the same bus-stop she had been once smiling.
The girl you are married to, unable to understand why she is being sent to a far off land, waiting for her man to send VISA papers, bearing the nagging question of neighbours and relatives asking when are you leaving India.
The girl you got engaged to, and is waiting for you to come back and tie the wedding knot, a social and emotional security, who anxiously waits for his telephone calls and greeting cards to reassure her that you will be back as her man.
The girl who never confessed her love for you, the girl you knew cared for you, missing & waiting for a word from you. If only you would come back and say that to her, who hums the song along with the radio, but the voice chokes and aches as she hears this song...
Ramayya vastavayya,Ramayya vastavayya,
Maine dil tujko diya, Maine dil tujko diya,
uss desh mai,tere pardesh mai ,
sone chandi ke badle mai bikthe hai dil,
iss gavoon mai dard ke chavon mai ,
pyar ke naam par hi dhadak the hai dil...
tu na aaye tho kya, bhool jaye tho kya,
pyar karke bhulana na aaya hame,
vahi se door se, tu bhi ye kehde kabhi,
maine dil tuj ko diya ......
Whatever our roles, it is only to say that we still love and care for you, wherever you are, you are still dear to us. We don't know what you have to go through, we only know we have love & wishes to give for you. You might have learnt or the circumstances might have taught you to handle emotions and that time and work are more important than feelings and their expressions but we are still in India and are still the same, waiting and wishing for those who moved away from India,
INDIA - a land of love, emotion & sentiments....
Cyberlaws in India
Q.1. What is the introductory background for Cyberlaws ?
Since the beginning of civilization, man has always been motivated by the need to make progress and better the existing technologies. This has led to tremendous development and progress which has been a launching pad for further development. Of all the significant advances made by mankind from the beginning till date, probably the important of them is the development of Internet. To put in a common man's language, Internet is a global network of computers, all of them speaking the same language. In 1969, America's Department of Defense commissioned the construction of a Super network called ARPANET. The Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET), basically intended as a military network of 40 computers connected by a web of links & lines. This network slowly grew and the Internet was born. By 1981, over 200 computers were connected from all around the world. Now the figure runs into millions.
The real power of today's Internet is that it is available to anyone with a computer and a telephone line. Internet places at an individual's hands the immense and invaluable power of information and communication.
Internet usage has significantly increased over the past few years. The number of data packets which flowed through the Internet have increased dramatically. According to International Data Corporation ("IDC"), approximately 163 million individuals or entities will use the Internet by the end of this year as opposed to 16.1 million in 1995. If left to its own measure, it is highly unlikely that such a trend can reverse itself. Given this present state of the Internet, the necessity of Cyberlaws becomes all the more important .
Q.2. Why is there a need for Cyberlaw ?
When Internet was developed, the founding fathers of Internet hardly had any inclination that Internet could transform itself into an all pervading revolution which could be misused for criminal activities and which required regulation. Today, there are many disturbing things happening in cyberspace. Due to the anonymous nature of the Internet, it is possible to engage into a variety of criminal activities with impunity and people with intelligence, have been grossly misusing this aspect of the Internet to perpetuate criminal activities in cyberspace. Hence the need for Cyberlaws.
Q.3. What is Cyberlaw ?
Internet is believed to be full of anarchy and a system of law and regulation therein seems contradictory. However, cyberspace is being governed by a system of law and regulation called Cyberlaw. There is no one exhaustive definition of the term "Cyberlaw". Simply speaking, Cyberlaw is a generic term which refers to all the legal and regulatory aspects of Internet and the World Wide Web. Anything concerned with or related to or emanating from any legal aspects or issues concerning any activity of netizens and others, in Cyberspace comes within the ambit of Cyberlaw. The growth of Electronic Commerce has propelled the need for vibrant and effective regulatory mechanisms which would further strengthen the legal infrastructure, so crucial to the success of Electronic Commerce. All these regulatory mechanisms and legal infrastructures come within the domain of Cyberlaw.
Q.4. What is the importance of Cyberlaw ?
Cyberlaw is important because it touches almost all aspects of transactions and activities on and concerning the Internet, the World Wide Web and Cyberspace. Initially it may seem that Cyberlaws is a very technical field and that it does not have any bearing to most activities in Cyberspace. But the actual truth is that nothing could be further than the truth. Whether we realize it or not, every action and every reaction in Cyberspace has some legal and Cyber legal perspectives.
Q.5. Does Cyberlaw concern me ?
Yes, Cyberlaw does concern me. As the nature of Internet is changing and this new medium is being seen as the ultimate medium ever evolved in human history, every activity of yours in Cyberspace can and will have a Cyberlegal perspective. From the time you register your Domain Name, to the time you set up your web site, to the time you promote your website, to the time you conduct electronic commerce transactions on the said site, at every point of time, there are various Cyberlaw issues involved. You may not be bothered about these issues today because you may feel that they are very distant from you and that they do not have an impact on your Cyber activities. But sooner or later, you will have to tighten your belts and take note of Cyberlaw for your own benefit.
For example, you may knowingly or unknowingly book a Domain Name, say www.xyx.com which may be the trade mark of any other company, person or legal entity in any part of the world, say B. Domain Names are given to you on first come first served basis. But you may be involved by the other party being B in a Cyber legal dispute which may allege that you are deliberately involved in the practice of Cyber squatting (the practice of knowingly registering the trade mark of any legal entity, company or person with the intention of holding on to it and thereafter selling the same to the said legal entity, company or person at a handsome premium). You may also be involved in Cyber litigation as the concerned party, B, may approach the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) for adjudicating the matter and WIPO by a summary procedure may direct you to relinquish and release the said Domain Name to B, the concerned party. Needless to say, it shall be incumbent on the concerned party, B, to produce all documentary and other evidence to substantiate its claim to the concerned Domain Name. This is just one of the many examples that show the importance of Cyberlaw for you .
Q.6. What is the general awareness about Cyberlaw today ?
Today, the awareness about Cyberlaw is beginning to grow. Many technical experts in the beginning felt that legal regulation of Internet is not necessary. But with the rapid growth of technologies and Internet, it is crystal clear that no activity on Internet can remain free from the influence of Cyberlaw. Publishing a Web page is an excellent way for any commercial business or entity to vastly increase its exposure to millions of persons, organisations and governments world-wide. It is that feature of the Internet which is causing much controversy in the legal community.
Q.7. Is Cyberlaw constantly evolving ?
Yes, Cyberlaw is constantly being evolved. As new and new opportunities and challenges are surfacing, Cyberlaw, being a constantly evolving process, is suitably modifying itself to fit the call of the time. As the Internet grows, numerous legal issues arise. These issues vary from Domain Names, to Intellectual Property Rights to Electronic Commerce to Privacy to Encryption to Electronic Contracts to Cybercrime to Online Banking to Spamming and so on. The list is very long.
Q.8. What is the stage of development of Cyberlaw today ?
Cyberlaw today, on a global scale, is at an early stage of development. Just as different civilizations and societies in history have taken time to develop and refine their legal systems, in the case of Internet too, it will take some time for Cyberlaws to be fully developed and refined. Different countries in different parts of the world are adopting their own strategies to this new field .
DOMAIN NAMES
Q.9. What is an IP address ?
The Internet is a network of computers. Each computer on the said network has its own distinct entity and presence. That is the reason why every computer is given a distinct Electronic Address called the Internet Protocol address or in short IP address. This IP address is given by numerical values like 202.54.15.75. The IP address is just like any telephone number which identifies a particular computer on the Internet.
Q.10. What is a Domain Name ?
Since it is not possible to remember each and every numerical value of an IP address, the system of domain names evolved. Internet domain names, in a common man's language, are used as an easy-to-remember alias which point to a specific IP address. The dominant purpose of the domain name is simply to provide an easy method for remembering another's electronic address. It's a unique name used to identify, among other things, a specific Web site. Thus a typical domain name would be http://www.indiainfoline.com.
Q.11. What are the components of a Domain Name ?
Any domain name consist of two components, namely the top level domain name(TLD) and a second level domain name. Thus in the said example, http://www.indiainfoline.com, ".com" would be the top level domain name while "indiainfoline" would be second level domain name.
Q.12. What are the categories of Top Level Domain Names (TLDs)?
As on date, there are two categories of top level domain names. In the first category comes the domain names .com, .net, .org, .edu. When the system of registering domain names began, the norms were that the .com name is to be given to commercial organizations, while others such as .org, .net, .gov and .edu are to be assigned to non-commercial organizations, network providers, government agencies and educational institutions respectively. However, as time has passed, due to the enhanced volumes of domain name registrations, the said norms have been abandoned and today anyone can, without any restriction of any kind whatsoever, can register any domain name.
The second category of top level domain names is the country code TLDs denoted by a two letter country code. For instance, the top level domain name for India is .in. The responsibility for assigning the same is given in each country to a specified country domain name registrar. In India, the TLD.in is registered by NCST at Bombay.
Q.13. Who registers Domain Names ?
The domain names were initially registered by Network Solutions only, who had the sole monopoly to register the said TLDs. This monopoly of Network Solutions continued for many years and only in 1999, the Internet Corporation Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) allowed other accredited registrars to register domain names. Today there are more than 100 registrars with whom one can register a TLD.
Q.14. What is the unique feature of Domain Names ?
The unique feature of domain names is that the said domain names are given on "first come, first served" basis. This feature of domain names gives rise to numerous legal issues and disputes. Thus the important thing in domain names registration is speed. To take an example, the domain name www.microsoft.org was available and was registered by Amit Mehrotra much before Microsoft Corporation could think of it. This led to numerous ticklish legal issues. Microsoft Corporation, despite having the trademark Microsoft, could not get the domain name www.microsoft.org because of the "first come, first served" criteria of domain name registration.
Q.15. How are Domain Names different from Trade Marks ?
To put it simply, Domain names are indeed different from trademarks. While it is possible that the same trademark may be registered by different persons in different categories and different lines of businesses, it may be possible to only register one domain name corresponding to such trademark. This aspect of domain names has led to numerous legal problems.
Q.16. What is Cybersquatting ?
Another legal issue surrounding domain names is that of Cybersquatting.Cybersquatting is the practice by means of which a person or legal entity books up the trade mark, business name or service mark of another as his own domain name for the purpose of holding on to it and thereafter selling the same domain name to the other person for valuable premium and consideration. Cybersquatters book up domain names of important brands in the hope of earning quick millions .
Q.17. What are the recent trends relating to tackling Cybersquatters ?
The Internet history has shown that while some corporate players have been willing to and have indeed coughed up money to get back their legitmate domain names, the recent trend is more towards taking the cybersquatters by the horns and fighting them out by legal processes. Courts throughout the world, including in India, have been proactive and have been granting injunctions to stop cybersquatters from operating their web sites.
Q.18. What is the latest most effective remedy against Cybersquatting ?
The latest breath of fresh air in the fight against Cybersquatting has been the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy which has been duly approved by ICANN. Under the said Domain Names Dispute Resolution Policy, a summary procedure is adopted to adjudicate the complaint of any complainant relating to any domain name on payment of processing fees. This policy has been in operation since the end of last year.
Q.19. Under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, have the Indian companies had any success ?
Under the said policy, Indian companies are also beginning to get back their legitimate domain names. The domain name www.theeconomictimes.com and www.timesofindia.com have been won back under the said policy. Two recent success for Indian Companies under the said policy include winning back the domain names www.tata.org and www.philipsindia.com by TATA and Philips India respectively.
CYBERCRIME
Q.20. What is Cybercrime ?
When Internet was developed, the founding fathers of Internet hardly had any inclination that Internet could also be misused for criminal activities. Today, there are many disturbing things happening in cyberspace. Cybercrime refers to all the activities done with criminal intent in cyberspace. These could be either the criminal activities in the conventional sense or could be activities, newly evolved with the growth of the new medium. Because of the anonymous nature of the Internet, it is possible to engage into a variety of criminal activities with impunity and people with intelligence, have been grossly misusing this aspect of the Internet to perpetuate criminal activities in cyberspace. The field of Cybercrime is just emerging and new forms of criminal activities in cyberspace are coming to the forefront with the passing of each new day.
Q.21. Do we have any one exhaustive definition of Cybercrime ?
There can be no one exhaustive definition about Cybercrime. However, any activities which basically offend human sensibilities, can also be included in its ambit. Child Pornography on the Internet constitutes one serious Cybercrime. Similarly, online pedophiles, using internet to induce minor children into sex, are as much Cybercriminals as any others.
Q.22. What are the various categories of Cybercrimes ?
Cybercrimes can be basically divided into 3 major categories being Cybercrimes against persons, property and Government.
Q.23. Tell us more information about Cybercrimes against persons ?
Cybercrimes committed against persons include various crimes like transmission of child-pornography, harassment of any one with the use of a computer such as e-mail, and cyber-stalking.
The trafficking, distribution, posting, and dissemination of obscene material including pornography, indecent exposure, and child pornography, constitutes one of the most important Cybercrimes known today. The potential harm of such a crime to humanity can hardly be overstated. This is one Cybercrime which threatens to undermine the growth of the younger generation as also leave irreparable scars and injury on the younger generation, if not controlled.
Q.24. Is Cyber harassment also a Cybercrime ?
Cyber harassment is a distinct Cybercrime. Various kinds of harassment can and does occur in cyberspace, or through the use of cyberspace. Harassment can be sexual, racial, religious, or other. Persons perpetuating such harassment are also guilty of cybercrimes. Cyber harassment as a crime also brings us to another related area of violation of privacy of netizens. Violation of privacy of online citizens is a Cybercrime of a grave nature. No one likes any other person invading the precious and extremely touchy area of his or her own privacy which the medium of Internet grants to the netizen.
Q.25. What are Cybercrimes against property ?
The second category of Cybercrimes is that of Cybercrimes against all forms of property. These crimes include unauthorized computer trespassing through cyberspace, computer vandalism, transmission of harmful programs, and unauthorized possession of computerized information.
Q.26 . Is hacking a Cybercrime ?
Hacking and cracking are amongst the gravest Cybercrimes known till date. It is a dreadful feeling to know that a stranger has broken into your computer systems without your knowledge and consent and has tampered with precious confidential data and information. Coupled with this , the actuality is that no computer system in the world is hacking proof. It is unanimously agreed that any and every system in the world can be hacked. The recent denial of service attacks seen over the popular commercial sites like E-bay, Yahoo, Amazon and others are a new category of Cybercrimes which are slowly emerging as being extremely dangerous. Using one's own programming abilities as also various programmes with malicious intent to gain unauthorized access to a computer or network are very serious crimes. Similarly, the creation and dissemination of harmful computer programs or virii which do irreparable damage to computer systems is another kind of Cybercrime. Software piracy is also another distinct kind of Cybercrime which is perpetuated by many people online who distribute illegal and unauthorised pirated copies of software.
Q.27. What is Cybercrime against Government ?
The third category of Cybercrimes relate to Cybercrimes against Government. Cyber Terrorism is one distinct kind of crime in this category. The growth of Internet has shown that the medium of Cyberspace is being used by individuals and groups to threaten the international governments as also to terrorise the citizens of a country. This crime manifests itself into terrorism when an individual "cracks" into a government or military maintained website.
Q.28. Is there any comprehensive law on Cybercrime today ?
Since Cybercrime is a newly specialised field, growing in Cyberlaws, a lot of development has to take place in terms of putting into place the relevant legal mechanism for controlling and preventing Cybercrime. As of now, there is absolutely no comprehensive law on Cybercrime any where in the world. This is reason that the investigating agencies like FBI are finding the Cyberspace to be an extremely difficult terrain. These various Cybercrimes fall into that grey area of Internet law which is neither fully nor partially covered by the existing laws and that too in some countries.
Q.29. Is there any recent case which demonstrates the importance of having Cyberlaw on Cybercrime within the national jurisdictions of countries ?
The most recent case of the virus "I love you" demonstrates the need for having cyberlaws concerning Cybercrimes in different national jurisdictions. At the time of the web publication of this feature, Reuters has reported that "The Philippines has yet to arrest the suspected creator of the 'Love Bug' computer virus because it lacks laws that deal with computer crime, a senior police officer said". The fact of the matter is that there are no laws relating to Cybercrime in the Philippines. The National Bureau of Investigation is finding it difficult to legally arrest the suspect behind the 'Love Bug' computer virus. As such, the need for countries to legislate Cyberlaws relating to Cybercrime arises on an urgent priority basis.
Q.30. What is the approach adopted by US Courts regarding Cybercrimes ?
The courts in United States of America have already begun taking cognizance of various kinds of fraud and Cybercrimes being perpetuated in Cyberspace. For the victims of various Cybercrimes, there is no one healing remedy. They can either file for civil damages or wait for the culprits to be nabbed and then to be tried under provisions, existing or envisaged which are not comprehensive at all. However, a lot of work has to be done in this field. Just as human mind is ingenious enough to devise new ways for perpetuating crime, similarly, human ingenuity needs to be channelised into developing effective legal and regulatory mechanisms to control and prevent Cybercrimes.
Q.31. Why do we need to fight Cybercrime ?
We all must remember that Cyberspace is a common heritage of ours which we have inherited in our life times from the benefits of ever growing technologies. This Cyberspace is the lifeline of the entire universe and given its irreversible position today, it is the duty of every netizen to contribute toward making the said cyberspace free of any trouble or cybercrime. To rephrase the famous words of Rabindra Nath Tagore in today's context, "Where the Cyberspace is without fear or crime and the head is held high, where knowledge is free, where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection, ….. into that cyber heaven of freedom, O my father, let our humanity awake."
Since the beginning of civilization, man has always been motivated by the need to make progress and better the existing technologies. This has led to tremendous development and progress which has been a launching pad for further development. Of all the significant advances made by mankind from the beginning till date, probably the important of them is the development of Internet. To put in a common man's language, Internet is a global network of computers, all of them speaking the same language. In 1969, America's Department of Defense commissioned the construction of a Super network called ARPANET. The Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET), basically intended as a military network of 40 computers connected by a web of links & lines. This network slowly grew and the Internet was born. By 1981, over 200 computers were connected from all around the world. Now the figure runs into millions.
The real power of today's Internet is that it is available to anyone with a computer and a telephone line. Internet places at an individual's hands the immense and invaluable power of information and communication.
Internet usage has significantly increased over the past few years. The number of data packets which flowed through the Internet have increased dramatically. According to International Data Corporation ("IDC"), approximately 163 million individuals or entities will use the Internet by the end of this year as opposed to 16.1 million in 1995. If left to its own measure, it is highly unlikely that such a trend can reverse itself. Given this present state of the Internet, the necessity of Cyberlaws becomes all the more important .
Q.2. Why is there a need for Cyberlaw ?
When Internet was developed, the founding fathers of Internet hardly had any inclination that Internet could transform itself into an all pervading revolution which could be misused for criminal activities and which required regulation. Today, there are many disturbing things happening in cyberspace. Due to the anonymous nature of the Internet, it is possible to engage into a variety of criminal activities with impunity and people with intelligence, have been grossly misusing this aspect of the Internet to perpetuate criminal activities in cyberspace. Hence the need for Cyberlaws.
Q.3. What is Cyberlaw ?
Internet is believed to be full of anarchy and a system of law and regulation therein seems contradictory. However, cyberspace is being governed by a system of law and regulation called Cyberlaw. There is no one exhaustive definition of the term "Cyberlaw". Simply speaking, Cyberlaw is a generic term which refers to all the legal and regulatory aspects of Internet and the World Wide Web. Anything concerned with or related to or emanating from any legal aspects or issues concerning any activity of netizens and others, in Cyberspace comes within the ambit of Cyberlaw. The growth of Electronic Commerce has propelled the need for vibrant and effective regulatory mechanisms which would further strengthen the legal infrastructure, so crucial to the success of Electronic Commerce. All these regulatory mechanisms and legal infrastructures come within the domain of Cyberlaw.
Q.4. What is the importance of Cyberlaw ?
Cyberlaw is important because it touches almost all aspects of transactions and activities on and concerning the Internet, the World Wide Web and Cyberspace. Initially it may seem that Cyberlaws is a very technical field and that it does not have any bearing to most activities in Cyberspace. But the actual truth is that nothing could be further than the truth. Whether we realize it or not, every action and every reaction in Cyberspace has some legal and Cyber legal perspectives.
Q.5. Does Cyberlaw concern me ?
Yes, Cyberlaw does concern me. As the nature of Internet is changing and this new medium is being seen as the ultimate medium ever evolved in human history, every activity of yours in Cyberspace can and will have a Cyberlegal perspective. From the time you register your Domain Name, to the time you set up your web site, to the time you promote your website, to the time you conduct electronic commerce transactions on the said site, at every point of time, there are various Cyberlaw issues involved. You may not be bothered about these issues today because you may feel that they are very distant from you and that they do not have an impact on your Cyber activities. But sooner or later, you will have to tighten your belts and take note of Cyberlaw for your own benefit.
For example, you may knowingly or unknowingly book a Domain Name, say www.xyx.com which may be the trade mark of any other company, person or legal entity in any part of the world, say B. Domain Names are given to you on first come first served basis. But you may be involved by the other party being B in a Cyber legal dispute which may allege that you are deliberately involved in the practice of Cyber squatting (the practice of knowingly registering the trade mark of any legal entity, company or person with the intention of holding on to it and thereafter selling the same to the said legal entity, company or person at a handsome premium). You may also be involved in Cyber litigation as the concerned party, B, may approach the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) for adjudicating the matter and WIPO by a summary procedure may direct you to relinquish and release the said Domain Name to B, the concerned party. Needless to say, it shall be incumbent on the concerned party, B, to produce all documentary and other evidence to substantiate its claim to the concerned Domain Name. This is just one of the many examples that show the importance of Cyberlaw for you .
Q.6. What is the general awareness about Cyberlaw today ?
Today, the awareness about Cyberlaw is beginning to grow. Many technical experts in the beginning felt that legal regulation of Internet is not necessary. But with the rapid growth of technologies and Internet, it is crystal clear that no activity on Internet can remain free from the influence of Cyberlaw. Publishing a Web page is an excellent way for any commercial business or entity to vastly increase its exposure to millions of persons, organisations and governments world-wide. It is that feature of the Internet which is causing much controversy in the legal community.
Q.7. Is Cyberlaw constantly evolving ?
Yes, Cyberlaw is constantly being evolved. As new and new opportunities and challenges are surfacing, Cyberlaw, being a constantly evolving process, is suitably modifying itself to fit the call of the time. As the Internet grows, numerous legal issues arise. These issues vary from Domain Names, to Intellectual Property Rights to Electronic Commerce to Privacy to Encryption to Electronic Contracts to Cybercrime to Online Banking to Spamming and so on. The list is very long.
Q.8. What is the stage of development of Cyberlaw today ?
Cyberlaw today, on a global scale, is at an early stage of development. Just as different civilizations and societies in history have taken time to develop and refine their legal systems, in the case of Internet too, it will take some time for Cyberlaws to be fully developed and refined. Different countries in different parts of the world are adopting their own strategies to this new field .
DOMAIN NAMES
Q.9. What is an IP address ?
The Internet is a network of computers. Each computer on the said network has its own distinct entity and presence. That is the reason why every computer is given a distinct Electronic Address called the Internet Protocol address or in short IP address. This IP address is given by numerical values like 202.54.15.75. The IP address is just like any telephone number which identifies a particular computer on the Internet.
Q.10. What is a Domain Name ?
Since it is not possible to remember each and every numerical value of an IP address, the system of domain names evolved. Internet domain names, in a common man's language, are used as an easy-to-remember alias which point to a specific IP address. The dominant purpose of the domain name is simply to provide an easy method for remembering another's electronic address. It's a unique name used to identify, among other things, a specific Web site. Thus a typical domain name would be http://www.indiainfoline.com.
Q.11. What are the components of a Domain Name ?
Any domain name consist of two components, namely the top level domain name(TLD) and a second level domain name. Thus in the said example, http://www.indiainfoline.com, ".com" would be the top level domain name while "indiainfoline" would be second level domain name.
Q.12. What are the categories of Top Level Domain Names (TLDs)?
As on date, there are two categories of top level domain names. In the first category comes the domain names .com, .net, .org, .edu. When the system of registering domain names began, the norms were that the .com name is to be given to commercial organizations, while others such as .org, .net, .gov and .edu are to be assigned to non-commercial organizations, network providers, government agencies and educational institutions respectively. However, as time has passed, due to the enhanced volumes of domain name registrations, the said norms have been abandoned and today anyone can, without any restriction of any kind whatsoever, can register any domain name.
The second category of top level domain names is the country code TLDs denoted by a two letter country code. For instance, the top level domain name for India is .in. The responsibility for assigning the same is given in each country to a specified country domain name registrar. In India, the TLD.in is registered by NCST at Bombay.
Q.13. Who registers Domain Names ?
The domain names were initially registered by Network Solutions only, who had the sole monopoly to register the said TLDs. This monopoly of Network Solutions continued for many years and only in 1999, the Internet Corporation Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) allowed other accredited registrars to register domain names. Today there are more than 100 registrars with whom one can register a TLD.
Q.14. What is the unique feature of Domain Names ?
The unique feature of domain names is that the said domain names are given on "first come, first served" basis. This feature of domain names gives rise to numerous legal issues and disputes. Thus the important thing in domain names registration is speed. To take an example, the domain name www.microsoft.org was available and was registered by Amit Mehrotra much before Microsoft Corporation could think of it. This led to numerous ticklish legal issues. Microsoft Corporation, despite having the trademark Microsoft, could not get the domain name www.microsoft.org because of the "first come, first served" criteria of domain name registration.
Q.15. How are Domain Names different from Trade Marks ?
To put it simply, Domain names are indeed different from trademarks. While it is possible that the same trademark may be registered by different persons in different categories and different lines of businesses, it may be possible to only register one domain name corresponding to such trademark. This aspect of domain names has led to numerous legal problems.
Q.16. What is Cybersquatting ?
Another legal issue surrounding domain names is that of Cybersquatting.Cybersquatting is the practice by means of which a person or legal entity books up the trade mark, business name or service mark of another as his own domain name for the purpose of holding on to it and thereafter selling the same domain name to the other person for valuable premium and consideration. Cybersquatters book up domain names of important brands in the hope of earning quick millions .
Q.17. What are the recent trends relating to tackling Cybersquatters ?
The Internet history has shown that while some corporate players have been willing to and have indeed coughed up money to get back their legitmate domain names, the recent trend is more towards taking the cybersquatters by the horns and fighting them out by legal processes. Courts throughout the world, including in India, have been proactive and have been granting injunctions to stop cybersquatters from operating their web sites.
Q.18. What is the latest most effective remedy against Cybersquatting ?
The latest breath of fresh air in the fight against Cybersquatting has been the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy which has been duly approved by ICANN. Under the said Domain Names Dispute Resolution Policy, a summary procedure is adopted to adjudicate the complaint of any complainant relating to any domain name on payment of processing fees. This policy has been in operation since the end of last year.
Q.19. Under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, have the Indian companies had any success ?
Under the said policy, Indian companies are also beginning to get back their legitimate domain names. The domain name www.theeconomictimes.com and www.timesofindia.com have been won back under the said policy. Two recent success for Indian Companies under the said policy include winning back the domain names www.tata.org and www.philipsindia.com by TATA and Philips India respectively.
CYBERCRIME
Q.20. What is Cybercrime ?
When Internet was developed, the founding fathers of Internet hardly had any inclination that Internet could also be misused for criminal activities. Today, there are many disturbing things happening in cyberspace. Cybercrime refers to all the activities done with criminal intent in cyberspace. These could be either the criminal activities in the conventional sense or could be activities, newly evolved with the growth of the new medium. Because of the anonymous nature of the Internet, it is possible to engage into a variety of criminal activities with impunity and people with intelligence, have been grossly misusing this aspect of the Internet to perpetuate criminal activities in cyberspace. The field of Cybercrime is just emerging and new forms of criminal activities in cyberspace are coming to the forefront with the passing of each new day.
Q.21. Do we have any one exhaustive definition of Cybercrime ?
There can be no one exhaustive definition about Cybercrime. However, any activities which basically offend human sensibilities, can also be included in its ambit. Child Pornography on the Internet constitutes one serious Cybercrime. Similarly, online pedophiles, using internet to induce minor children into sex, are as much Cybercriminals as any others.
Q.22. What are the various categories of Cybercrimes ?
Cybercrimes can be basically divided into 3 major categories being Cybercrimes against persons, property and Government.
Q.23. Tell us more information about Cybercrimes against persons ?
Cybercrimes committed against persons include various crimes like transmission of child-pornography, harassment of any one with the use of a computer such as e-mail, and cyber-stalking.
The trafficking, distribution, posting, and dissemination of obscene material including pornography, indecent exposure, and child pornography, constitutes one of the most important Cybercrimes known today. The potential harm of such a crime to humanity can hardly be overstated. This is one Cybercrime which threatens to undermine the growth of the younger generation as also leave irreparable scars and injury on the younger generation, if not controlled.
Q.24. Is Cyber harassment also a Cybercrime ?
Cyber harassment is a distinct Cybercrime. Various kinds of harassment can and does occur in cyberspace, or through the use of cyberspace. Harassment can be sexual, racial, religious, or other. Persons perpetuating such harassment are also guilty of cybercrimes. Cyber harassment as a crime also brings us to another related area of violation of privacy of netizens. Violation of privacy of online citizens is a Cybercrime of a grave nature. No one likes any other person invading the precious and extremely touchy area of his or her own privacy which the medium of Internet grants to the netizen.
Q.25. What are Cybercrimes against property ?
The second category of Cybercrimes is that of Cybercrimes against all forms of property. These crimes include unauthorized computer trespassing through cyberspace, computer vandalism, transmission of harmful programs, and unauthorized possession of computerized information.
Q.26 . Is hacking a Cybercrime ?
Hacking and cracking are amongst the gravest Cybercrimes known till date. It is a dreadful feeling to know that a stranger has broken into your computer systems without your knowledge and consent and has tampered with precious confidential data and information. Coupled with this , the actuality is that no computer system in the world is hacking proof. It is unanimously agreed that any and every system in the world can be hacked. The recent denial of service attacks seen over the popular commercial sites like E-bay, Yahoo, Amazon and others are a new category of Cybercrimes which are slowly emerging as being extremely dangerous. Using one's own programming abilities as also various programmes with malicious intent to gain unauthorized access to a computer or network are very serious crimes. Similarly, the creation and dissemination of harmful computer programs or virii which do irreparable damage to computer systems is another kind of Cybercrime. Software piracy is also another distinct kind of Cybercrime which is perpetuated by many people online who distribute illegal and unauthorised pirated copies of software.
Q.27. What is Cybercrime against Government ?
The third category of Cybercrimes relate to Cybercrimes against Government. Cyber Terrorism is one distinct kind of crime in this category. The growth of Internet has shown that the medium of Cyberspace is being used by individuals and groups to threaten the international governments as also to terrorise the citizens of a country. This crime manifests itself into terrorism when an individual "cracks" into a government or military maintained website.
Q.28. Is there any comprehensive law on Cybercrime today ?
Since Cybercrime is a newly specialised field, growing in Cyberlaws, a lot of development has to take place in terms of putting into place the relevant legal mechanism for controlling and preventing Cybercrime. As of now, there is absolutely no comprehensive law on Cybercrime any where in the world. This is reason that the investigating agencies like FBI are finding the Cyberspace to be an extremely difficult terrain. These various Cybercrimes fall into that grey area of Internet law which is neither fully nor partially covered by the existing laws and that too in some countries.
Q.29. Is there any recent case which demonstrates the importance of having Cyberlaw on Cybercrime within the national jurisdictions of countries ?
The most recent case of the virus "I love you" demonstrates the need for having cyberlaws concerning Cybercrimes in different national jurisdictions. At the time of the web publication of this feature, Reuters has reported that "The Philippines has yet to arrest the suspected creator of the 'Love Bug' computer virus because it lacks laws that deal with computer crime, a senior police officer said". The fact of the matter is that there are no laws relating to Cybercrime in the Philippines. The National Bureau of Investigation is finding it difficult to legally arrest the suspect behind the 'Love Bug' computer virus. As such, the need for countries to legislate Cyberlaws relating to Cybercrime arises on an urgent priority basis.
Q.30. What is the approach adopted by US Courts regarding Cybercrimes ?
The courts in United States of America have already begun taking cognizance of various kinds of fraud and Cybercrimes being perpetuated in Cyberspace. For the victims of various Cybercrimes, there is no one healing remedy. They can either file for civil damages or wait for the culprits to be nabbed and then to be tried under provisions, existing or envisaged which are not comprehensive at all. However, a lot of work has to be done in this field. Just as human mind is ingenious enough to devise new ways for perpetuating crime, similarly, human ingenuity needs to be channelised into developing effective legal and regulatory mechanisms to control and prevent Cybercrimes.
Q.31. Why do we need to fight Cybercrime ?
We all must remember that Cyberspace is a common heritage of ours which we have inherited in our life times from the benefits of ever growing technologies. This Cyberspace is the lifeline of the entire universe and given its irreversible position today, it is the duty of every netizen to contribute toward making the said cyberspace free of any trouble or cybercrime. To rephrase the famous words of Rabindra Nath Tagore in today's context, "Where the Cyberspace is without fear or crime and the head is held high, where knowledge is free, where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection, ….. into that cyber heaven of freedom, O my father, let our humanity awake."
Phobia Dictionary
Phobia Dictionary
--------------------------------
A
* Ablutophobia - Fear of washing or bathing.
* Acarophobia - Fear of itching or of insects whose bites cause itching.
* Acerophobia - Fear of sourness.
* Achluophobia, Lygophobia, Nyctophobia, Scotophobia - Fear of darkness.
* Acousticophobia - Fear of noise.
* Acrophobia, Altophobia - Fear of heights.
* Aerophobia - Fear of drafts, air swallowing or airborne noxious substances.
* Aeroacrophobia - Fear of open high places.
* Aeronausiphobia - Fear of vomiting secondary to airsickness.
* Agateophobia, Dementophobia, Maniaphobia - Fear of insanity.
* Agliophobia, Algophobia, Odynophobia, Odynephobia - Fear of pain.
* Agoraphobia - Fear of the outdoors, crowds or uncontrolled social conditions.
* Agraphobia, Contreltophobia - Fear of sexual abuse.
* Agrizoophobia - Fear of wild animals.
* Agyrophobia, Dromophobia - Fear of streets or crossing the street.
* Aibohphobia - Fear of palindromes (not necessarily an actual word; aiboh is not of course Greek or Latin for Palindrome, but is simply intended to make the word itself palindromic)
* Aichmophobia, Belonephobia, Enetophobia - Fear of needles or pointed objects.
* Ailurophobia, Elurophobia, Felinophobia, Galeophobia, Gatophobia - Fear of cats.
* Albuminurophobia - Fear of kidney disease.
* Alektorophobia - Fear of chickens.
* Alliumphobia - the abnormal fear of garlic that may extend to a variety of plants characterized by their pungent odor including onions, leeks, chives, and shallots. Allium is the onion [[genu
* Allodoxaphobia - Fear of opinions.
* Amathophobia, Koniophobia - Fear of dust.
* Amaxophobia - Fear of riding in a car.
* Ambulophobia, Stasibasiphobia, Stasiphobia - Fear of walking or standing.
* Anemophobia - Fear of air.
* Amerophobia, Columbophobia - Fear of the United States, American culture, etc.
* Amnesiphobia - Fear of amnesia.
* Amychophobia - Fear of scratches or being scratched.
* Anablephobia - Fear of looking up.
* Ancraophobia, Anemophobia - Fear of wind.
* Androphobia, Arrhenphobia, Hominophobia - Fear of men.
* Anginophobia - Fear of angina, choking or narrowness.
* Anglophobia - Fear of England, English culture, etc.
* Angrophobia - Fear of anger or of becoming angry.
* Ankylophobia - Fear of immobility of a joint.
* Anthrophobia, Anthophobia - Fear of flowers.
* Anthropophobia - Fear of people or society.
* Antidaeophobia - Fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck is watching you (fictional, from Gary Larson cartoon).
* Antlophobia - Fear of floods.
* Anuptaphobia - Fear of staying single.
* Apeirophobia - Fear of infinity.
* Aphenphosmphobia, Chiraptophobia, Haphephobia, Haptephobia - Fear of being touched.
* Apiphobia, Melissaphobia, Melissophobia - Fear of bees.
* Apotemnophobia - Fear of persons with amputations.
* Arachibutyrophobia - Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.
* Arachnophobia - Fear of spiders.
* Arithmophobia - Fear of numbers.
* Arsonphobia, Pyrophobia - Fear of fire.
* Asthenophobia - Fear of fainting or weakness.
* Astraphobia, Astrapophobia, Brontophobia, Keraunophobia - Fear of thunder and lightning. It is especially common in young children.
* Astrophobia - Fear of stars and celestial space.
* Asymmetriphobia - Fear of asymmetry.
* Ataxiophobia - Fear of ataxia.
* Ataxophobia - Fear of disorder or untidiness.
* Atelophobia - Fear of imperfection.
* Atephobia - Fear of ruin or ruins.
* Athazagoraphobia - Fear of being forgotten, ignored or forgetting.
* Atomosophobia - Fear of atomic explosions.
* Atychiphobia, Kakorrhaphiophobia - Fear of failure.
* Aulophobia - Fear of flutes.
* Aurophobia - Fear of gold.
* Auroraphobia - Fear of the Northern Lights or for Chileans, Argentinians, Falkland Islanders or Antarctic explorers, fear of the Southern Lights.
* Australophobia, Novahollandiaphobia - Fear of Australia, Australians, Australian culture etc.
* Autodysomophobia - Fear that one has a vile odour.
* Automatonophobia - Fear of any inanimate object that represents a sentient being, eg. statues, dummies, robots, etc.
* Automysophobia - Fear of being dirty.
* Autophobia, Eremophobia, Ermitophibia, Isolophobia, Monophobia - Fear of being alone or fear of oneself.
* Aviophobia, Aviatophobia, Pteromerhanophobia - Fear of flying.
B
* Bacillophobia, Microbiophobia - Fear of microbes.
* Bacteriophobia - Fear of bacteria.
* Ballistophobia - Fear of missiles or bullets.
* Barleyphobia - Fear of barley.
* Bananaphobia - Fear of bananas.
* Bolshephobia - Fear of Bolsheviks.
* Barophobia - Fear of loss of gravity.
* Basophobia, Basiphobia - Fear of walking or falling.
* Bathmophobia - Fear of stairs or steep slopes.
* Bathophobia - Fear of depth.
* Batophobia - Fear of heights or of being close to high buildings.
* Batrachophobia - Fear of amphibians.
* Bibliophobia - Fear of books.
* Bitchophobia - Fear of Chris Briscoe (FICTIONAL)
* Blennophobia, Myxophobia - Fear of slime.
* Bogyphobia - Fear of bogies or the bogeyman.
* Botanophobia - Fear of plants.
* Briophobia- Fear of the human foot.
* Bromidrosiphobia, Bromidrophobia - Fear of body odours.
* Brontophobia, Tonitrophobia - Fear of thunder.
* Bufonophobia - Fear of toads.
C
* Cacophobia - Fear of ugliness.
* Cainophobia, Cainotophobia, Cenophobia, Centophobia, Kainolophobia, Kainophobia, Neophobia - Fear of newness, novelty.
* Caligynephobia, Venustraphobia - Fear of beautiful women.
* Cancerophobia, Carcinophobia - Fear of cancer.
* Carbophobia - Fear of carbohydrates (e.g. Atkins diet).
* Cardiophobia - Fear of heart disease.
* Carnophobia - Fear of meat.
* Catagelophobia, Katagelophobia - Fear of being ridiculed.
* Catapedaphobia - Fear of jumping from high and low places.
* Cathisophobia, Kathisophobia, Thaasophobia - Fear of sitting.
* Catoptrophobia - Fear of mirrors.
* Cenophobia - Fear of empty rooms.
* Chaetophobia, Trichopathophobia, Trichophobia, Hypertrichophobia - Fear of hair.
* Cheimaphobia, Cheimatophobia, Psychrophobia - Fear of cold.
* Chemophobia - Fear of chemicals or working with chemicals.
* Cherophobia - Fear of gaiety.
* Chinophobia - Fear of Chinese people, customs, etc.
* Chionophobia - Fear of snow.
* Chirophobia - Fear of hands.
* Chlorophobia - Fear of the colour green.
* Cholerophobia - Fear of anger or the fear of cholera.
* Chorophobia - Fear of dancing.
* Christophobia - Fear of Christianity
* Chrometophobia, Chrematophobia - Fear of money.
* Chromophobia, Chromatophobia - Fear of colours.
* Chronomentrophobia - Fear of clocks.
* Chronophobia - Fear of time.
* Chrysophobia - Fear or the color orange.
* Cibophobia, Sitophobia, Sitiophobia - Fear of food.
* Cleithrophobia, Cleisiophobia - Fear of being locked in an enclosed place.
* Cleptophobia, Kleptophobia - Fear of stealing.
* Clithrophobia, Cleithrophobia - Fear of being enclosed.
* Cnidophobia - Fear of stings.
* Coimetrophobia - Fear of cemeteries.
* Coitophobia, Genophobia - Fear of coitus.
* Cometophobia - Fear of comets.
* Coprastasophobia - Fear of constipation.
* Coprophobia, Scatophobia - Fear of feces.
* Coulrophobia - Fear of clowns.
* Counterphobia - The preference by a phobic person for fearful situations.
* Cremnophobia - Fear of precipices.
* Cryophobia - Fear of extreme cold, ice or frost.
* Crystallophobia - Fear of crystals or glass.
* Cyanophobia - Fear of the colour blue.
* Cyberphobia, Logizomechanophobia - Fear of computers or working on a computer.
* Cyclophobia - Fear of bicycles.
* Cymophobia, Kymophobia - Fear of waves or wave-like motions.
* Cynophobia - Fear of dogs or rabies.
* Cypridophobia, Cypriphobia, Cyprianophobia, Cyprinophobia - Fear of prostitutes or venereal disease.
* Claustrophobia - Fear of confined spaces.
* Climacophobia - Fear of stairs or of climbing or falling down stairs.
* Clinophobia - Fear of going to bed.
D
* Decidophobia - Fear of making decisions.
* Defecaloesiophobia - Fear of painful bowel movements.
* Deipnophobia - Fear of dining or dinner conversations.
* Demonophobia, Daemonophobia - Fear of demons.
* Demophobia, Enochlophobia, Ochlophobia - Fear of crowds.
* Dendrophobia - Fear of trees.
* Dentophobia - Fear of dentists.
* Dermatophobia - Fear of skin lesions.
* Dermatosiophobia, Dermatophobia, Dermatopathophobia - Fear of skin disease.
* Dextrophobia - Fear of objects at the right side of the body.
* Diabetophobia - Fear of diabetes.
* Didaskaleinophobia, Scolionophobia - Fear of going to school.
* Dikephobia - Fear of justice.
* Dinophobia - Fear of dizziness or whirlpools.
* Diplophobia - Fear of double vision.
* Dipsophobia - Fear of drinking.
* Dishabiliophobia - Fear of undressing in front of someone.
* Domatophobia, Eicophobia, Oikophobia - Fear of houses or being in a house.
* Doraphobia - Fear of fur or the skins of animals.
* Doxophobia - Fear of expressing opinions or receiving praise.
* Dutchphobia - Fear of the Dutch.
* Dysmorphophobia - Fear of deformity.
* Dystychiphobia - Fear of accidents.
E
* Ecclesiophobia - Fear of church.
* Ecophobia - Fear of home.
* Editophobia - Fear of being edited or deleted (this entry suffers!).
* Eisoptrophobia - Fear of mirrors or of seeing oneself in a mirror.
* Electrophobia - Fear of electricity.
* Eleutherophobia - Fear of freedom.
* Emetophobia - Fear of vomiting.
* Enetophobia - Fear of pins.
* Enosiophobia, Enissophobia - Fear of having committed an unpardonable sin or of criticism.
* Entomophobia, Insectophobia - Fear of insects.
* Eosophobia - Fear of dawn or daylight.
* Ephebiphobia - Fear of teenagers.
* Epistaxiophobia - Fear of nosebleeds.
* Epistemophobia, Gnosiophobia - Fear of knowledge.
* Epistolophobia - Fear of writing letters
* Equinophobia, Hippophobia - Fear of horses.
* Ereuthrophobia, Erythrophobia, Erytophobia - Fear of blushing, red lights, or the colour red.
* Ergasiophobia - Fear of work or functioning, or a surgeon's fear of operating.
* Ergophobia - Fear of work.
* Ermitophobia - Fear of being alone, loneliness.
* Erotophobia - Fear of sexual love or sexual questions.
* Erythrophobia - Fear of blushing or the color red.
* Euphobia - Fear of hearing good news.
* Eurotophobia - Fear of female genitalia.
* Europhobia - Fear of Europe, Europeans, or alternatively, the European Union.
F
* ----aphobia, ---- of the word ----
* Fearaphobia, Fearophobia - fear of developing fears
* Febriphobia, Fibriphobia, Fibriophobia, Pyrexiophobia - Fear of fever.
* Ferrumphobia - Fear of Iron and objects made of iron.
* Francophobia, Gallophobia, Galiophobia - Fear of France, French culture, etc.
* Frigophobia - Fear of very cold objects.
G
* Gamophobia - Fear of marriage.
* Gatophobia - Fear of cats.
* Geliophobia - Fear of laughter.
* Geniophobia - Fear of chins.
* Genuphobia - Fear of knees.
* Gephyrophobia, Gephydrophobia, Gephyrdrophobia, Gephysrophobia - Fear of crossing bridges.
* Germanophobia, Teutophobia - Fear of Germany, German culture, etc.
* Gerascophobia - Fear of growing old.
* Gerontophobia - Fear of old people or of growing old.
* Geumaphobia, Geumophobia - Fear of taste.
* Glossophobia - Fear of speaking in public or of trying to speak.
* Globophobia - Fear of balloons
* Graphophobia - Fear of writing or handwriting.
* Gymnophobia, Nudophobia - Fear of nudity.
* Gynephobia, Gynophobia - Fear of women.
H
* Hadephobia, Stygiophobia, Stigiophobia - Fear of hell.
* Haemophobia - Fear of blood and bleeding.
* Hagiophobia - Fear of saints or holy things.
* Hamartophobia, Peccatophobia - Fear of sinning.
* Haptophobia - Fear of being touched.
* Harpaxophobia - Fear of being robbed.
* Hedonophobia - Fear of feeling pleasure.
* Hegelophobia - Fear of Hegel.
* Heliophobia - Fear of the sun.
* Hellenologophobia - Fear of Greek terms or complex scientific terminology.
* Helminthophobia - Fear of being infested with worms.
* Hemophobia, Hemaphobia, Hematophobia - Fear of blood or bleeding.
* Heresyphobia, Hereiophobia - Fear of challenges to official doctrine or of radical deviation.
* Herpetophobia - Fear of reptiles.
* Heterophobia, Sexophobia - Fear of the opposite sex.
* Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia - Fear of the number 666.
* Hierophobia - Fear of priests or sacred things.
* Hippophobia - Fear of horses.
* Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, Sesquipedalophobia - Fear of long words.
* Hobophobia - Fear of bums or beggars.
* Hodophobia - Fear of road travel.
* Hormephobia - Fear of shock.
* Homichlophobia, Nebulaphobia - Fear of fog.
* Homilophobia - Fear of sermons.
* Homophobia - Fear of sameness, monotony, homosexuality or of becoming homosexual.
* Hoplophobia - Fear of firearms.
* Hydrargyophobia - Fear of mercurial medicines.
* Hydrophobia - Fear of water, a symptom of rabies.
* Hydrophobophobia, Kynophobia - Fear of rabies.
* Hyelophobia, Hyalophobia, Nelophobia - Fear of glass.
* Hygrophobia - Fear of liquids, dampness, or moisture.
* Hylephobia - Fear of materialism or the fear of epilepsy.
* Hylophobia - Fear of forests.
* Hypegiaphobia - Fear of responsibility.
* Hypengyophobia - Fear of responsibility.
* Hypnophobia - Fear of sleep or of being hypnotized.
* Hypsiphobia - Fear of height.
I
* Iatrophobia - Fear of going to the doctor or of doctors.
* Ichthyophobia - Fear of fish.
* Iconophobia - Fear of images or icons.
* Ideophobia - Fear of ideas.
* Illyngophobia - Fear of vertigo.
* Insulaphobia - Fear of being isolated, or alternatively, fear of islands
* Islamophobia - Fear of Islam.
* Islandophobia - Fear of Iceland, Icelandic culture, etc.
* Isopterophobia - Fear of termites or other insects that eat wood.
* Ithyphallophobia - Fear of seeing, thinking about or having an erect penis.
J
* Japanophobia, Nipponophobia - Fear of the Japanese.
* Judeophobia - Fear of Jews.
K
* Katikomindicaphobia - Fear of the RNI (Resident Non-Indian).
* Kenophobia - Fear of voids or empty spaces.
* Keraunophobia - Fear of lightning.
* Kinetophobia, Kinesophobia - Fear of movement or motion.
* Klismaphobia - Fear of Enemas.
* Kneemaphobia - Fear of the knee bending backwards.
* Koinoniphobia - Fear of rooms.
* Kolpophobia - Fear of genitals, particularly female.
* Kopophobia - Fear of fatigue.
* Kosmikophobia - Fear of cosmic phenomena.
* Kyphophobia - Fear of stooping.
L
* Lachanophobia - Fear of vegetables.
* Laliophobia, Lalophobia - Fear of speaking.
* Leprophobia, Lepraphobia - Fear of leprosy.
* Leukophobia - Fear of the colour white.
* Levophobia - Fear of things to the left side of the body.
* Librophobia - Fear of having to balance.
* Ligyrophobia - Fear of loud noises.
* Lilapsophobia - Fear of tornadoes and hurricanes.
* Limnophobia - Fear of lakes.
* Linonophobia - Fear of string.
* Liticaphobia - Fear of lawsuits.
* Lockiophobia, Maieusiophobia, Parturiphobia - Fear of childbirth.
* Logophobia - Fear of words.
* Luiphobia, Syphilophobia - Fear of syphilis.
* Lutraphobia - Fear of otters.
* Lyssophobia - Fear of rabies or of becoming insane.
M
* Macroxenoglossophobia - Fear of long, strange words.
* Macrophobia - Fear of long waits.
* Mageirocophobia - Fear of cooking.
* Malaxophobia, Sarmassophobia - Fear of love play.
* Maniaphobia - Fear of going insane.
* Mastigophobia, Poinephobia - Fear of punishment.
* Mechanophobia - Fear of machines.
* Medomalacuphobia - Fear of losing an erection.
* Medorthophobia - Fear of an erect penis.
* Megalophobia - Fear of large objects.
* Melanophobia - Fear of the colour black.
* Melophobia - Fear or hatred of music.
* Meningitophobia - Fear of a masterbation disease.
* Menophobia - Fear of menstruation.
* Merinthophobia - Fear of being bound or tied up.
* Metallophobia - Fear of metal.
* Metathesiophobia - Fear of changes.
* Meteorophobia - Fear of meteors.
* Methyphobia, Potophobia - Fear of alcohol.
* Metrophobia - Fear or hatred of poetry.
* Mikatikoindicaphobia - Fear of the NRIs (Non-Resident Indians).
* Microphobia, Mycrophobia - Fear of small objects.
* Misophobia, Molysmophobia, Molysomophobia, Mysophobia, Verminophobia - Fear of being contaminated with dirt or germs.
* Mnemophobia - Fear of memories.
* Monophobia - Fear of being alone, or of feeling alone.
* Monopathophobia - Fear of a specific disease.
* Motorphobia - Fear of automobiles.
* Mottephobia - Fear of moths.
* Musicophobia - Fear of music.
* Musophobia, Murophobia, Suriphobia - Fear of mice and/or rats.
* Mycophobia - Fear or aversion to mushrooms.
* Myrmecophobia - Fear of ants.
* Mysophobia - Fear of dirt.
* Mythophobia - Fear of myths, stories or false statements.
N
* Necrophobia - Fear of death or dead things.
* Neopharmaphobia - Fear of new drugs.
* Neophobia - Fear of the new.
* Nephophobia - Fear of clouds.
* Nihilophobia - Fear of (absolutely) nothing.
* Noctiphobia - Fear of the night.
* Nomatophobia - Fear of names.
* Nosocomephobia - Fear of hospitals.
* Nosophobia, Nosemaphobia - Fear of becoming ill.
* Nostophobia - Fear of returning home.
* Novercaphobia - Fear of one's stepmother.
* Nucleomituphobia - Fear of nuclear weapons.
* Numerophobia - Fear of numbers.
* Nyctohylophobia - Fear of dark, wooded areas.
* Nyctophobia - Fear of the dark, of night or of nightfall.
* Nhsdirectophobia - fear and loathing of slow computer terminal death
O
* Obesophobia, Pocrescophobia - Fear of gaining weight.
* Ochophobia - Fear of vehicles.
* Octophobia - Fear of the figure 8.
* Odontophobia - Fear of teeth or dental surgery.
* Oenophobia - Fear of wine.
* Olfactophobia, Osmophobia, Osphresiophobia - Fear of smells.
* Ombrophobia, Pluviophobia - Fear of rain or of being rained on.
* Ommetaphobia, Ommatophobia - Fear of eyes.
* Oneirophobia - Fear of dreams.
* Oneirogmophobia - Fear of wet dreams.
* Onomatophobia - Fear of hearing certain words or names.
* Ophidiophobia - Fear of snakes.
* Ophthalmophobia - Fear of being stared at.
* Opiophobia - A medical doctor's fear of prescribing pain medications for patients.
* Optophobia - Fear of opening one's eyes.
* Ornithophobia - Fear of birds.
* Orthophobia - Fear of property.
* Ostraconophobia - Fear of shellfish.
* Ouranophobia, Uranophobia - Fear of heaven.
P
* Pagophobia - Fear of ice or frost.
* Panthophobia - Fear of suffering and disease.
* Panophobia, Pantophobia - Fear of everything.
* Papaphobia - Fear of the Pope.
* Papyrophobia - Fear of paper.
* Paralipophobia - Fear of neglecting duty or responsibility.
* Paraphobia - Fear of sexual perversion.
* Parasitophobia - Fear of parasites.
* Paraskavedekatriaphobia - Fear of Friday the 13th.
* Parthenophobia - Fear of virgins or young girls.
* Pathophobia - Fear of disease.
* Patroiophobia - Fear of heredity.
* Pediculophobia, Phthiriophobia - Fear of lice.
* Pediophobia - Fear of dolls.
* Pediphobia, Pedophobia - Fear of children.
* Peladophobia - Fear of bald people.
* Pellagrophobia - Fear of pellagra.
* Peniaphobia - Fear of poverty.
* Pentheraphobia - Fear of one's mother-in-law.
* Phagophobia - Fear of swallowing, eating or of being eaten.
* Phalacrophobia - Fear of becoming bald.
* Phallophobia - Fear of a penis, esp. erect.
* Pharmacophobia - Fear of taking medicine.
* Phasmophobia, Spectrophobia - Fear of ghosts.
* Phengophobia - Fear of daylight or sunshine.
* Philemaphobia, Philematophobia - Fear of kissing.
* Philophobia - Fear of falling in love or being in love.
* Philosophobia - Fear of philosophy.
* Phobophobia - Fear of phobias.
* Photoaugliaphobia - Fear of glaring lights.
* Photophobia - Fear of light (also refers to aversion to light due to an inflamed/painful eye or excessively dilated pupils)
* Phonophobia - Fear of noises, voices, one's own voice or of telephones.
* Phronemophobia - Fear of thinking.
* Phthisiophobia, Tuberculophobia - Fear of tuberculosis.
* Placophobia - Fear of tombstones.
* Plutophobia - Fear of wealth.
* Pneumatiphobia - Fear of spirits.
* Pnigophobia, Pnigerophobia - Fear of choking or being smothered.
* Pnumonomicroscopicsilicovolcanocoviosophobia - Fear of a lung desease caused by coal dust
* Pogonophobia, Pognophobia - Fear of beards.
* Poliosophobia - Fear of contracting poliomyelitis.
* Politicophobia - Fear or abnormal dislike of politicians.
* Polyphobia - Having many phobias.
* Ponophobia - Fear of overworking or of pain.
* Porphyrophobia - Fear of the colour purple.
* Potamophobia - Fear of rivers or running water.
* Pharmacophobia - Fear of drugs.
* Proctophobia, Rectophobia - Fear of the rectum or of rectal diseases.
* Prosophobia - Fear of progress.
* Psellismophobia - Fear of stuttering.
* Psychophobia - Fear of the mind.
* Pteronophobia - Fear of being tickled by feathers.
* Pupaphobia - Fear of puppets.
* Pyrophobia - Fear of fire.
Q
* Quadraphobia - Fear of quartets or of being drawn and quartered
* Quadrataphobia - Fear of quadratic equations
R
* Radiophobia - Fear of radiation or X-rays.
* Ranidaphobia - Fear of frogs.
* Retterophobia - Fear of wrongly chosen letters.
* Rhabdophobia - Fear of being severely punished or beaten with a rod, or of being severely criticized. Also fear of magic.
* Rhinophobia - Fear of noses.
* Rhodophobia - Fear of the colour red.
* Rhypophobia - Fear of defecation.
* Rhytiphobia - Fear of getting wrinkles.
* Rupophobia - Fear of dirt.
* Russophobia - Hatred of Russians.
S
* Samhainophobia - Fear of Halloween.
* Satanophobia, Orcusophobia - Fear of Satan.
* Scabiophobia - Fear of scabies.
* Scelerophibia - Fear of bad men, burglars.
* Sciophobia, Sciaphobia - Fear of shadows.
* Scoleciphobia, Vermiphobia - Fear of worms.
* Scopophobia, Scoptophobia - Fear of being seen or stared at.
* Scotomaphobia - Fear of blindness in visual field.
* Scriptophobia - Fear of writing in public.
* Sedatephobia - Fear of silence.
* Selachophobia - Fear of sharks.
* Selaphobia - Fear of light flashes.
* Selenophobia - Fear of the moon.
* Seplophobia - Fear of decaying matter.
* Sesquipedalophobia - Fear of long words.
* Siderodromophobia - Fear of trains, railroads or train travel.
* Siderophobia - Fear of stars.
* Sinistrophobia - Fear of things to the left of oneself.
* Sinophobia - Fear of the Chinese, Chinese culture, etc.
* Soceraphobia - Fear of parents-in-law.
* Social Phobia - Fear of being evaluated negatively in social situations.
* Sociophobia - Fear of society or people in general.
* Somniphobia - Fear of sleep.
* Sophophobia - Fear of learning.
* Soteriophobia - Fear of dependence on others.
* Spacephobia - Fear of outer space.
* Spectrophobia - Fear of mirrors.
* Spermatophobia or Spermophobia - Fear of sperm.
* Spheksophobia - Fear of wasps.
* Staurophobia - Fear of crosses or crucifixes.
* Stenophobia - Fear of narrow things or places.
* Suriphobia - Fear of mice.
* Symbolophobia - Fear of symbolism.
* Symmetrophobia - Fear of symmetry.
* Syngenesophobia - Fear of relatives.
* Syphiliphobia - Fear of syphilis.
T
* Tachophobia - Fear of speed.
* Taeniophobia, Teniophobia - Fear of tapeworms.
* Taphephobia, Taphophobia - Fear of being buried alive or of cemeteries.
* Tapinophobia - Fear of being contagious.
* Taurophobia - Fear of bulls.
* Technophobia - Fear of technology.
* Teleophobia - Fear of definite plans or of religious ceremony.
* Telephonophobia - Fear of telephones.
* Teratophobia - Fear of bearing a deformed child, of monsters or of deformed people.
* Teratrophobia - Fear of monsters.
* Testophobia - Fear of taking tests.
* Tetanophobia - Fear of tetanus, lockjaw.
* Textophobia - Fear of certain fabrics.
* Thalassophobia - Fear of the sea.
* Thanatophobia, Thantophobia - Fear of death or dying.
* Theatrophobia - Fear of theatres.
* Theologicophobia - Fear of theology.
* Theophobia - Fear of gods or religion.
* Thermophobia - Fear of heat.
* Tocophobia - Fear of pregnancy or childbirth.
* Tomophobia - Fear of surgical operations.
* Tonsurephobia - Fear of haircuts.
* Topophobia - Fear of certain places or situations, such as stage fright.
* Toxiphobia, Toxophobia, Toxicophobia - Fear of poison or of being accidentally poisoned.
* Traumatophobia - Fear of injury.
* Tremophobia - Fear of trembling.
* Trichinophobia - Fear of trichinosis.
* Triskaidekaphobia - Fear of the number 13. Having a superstition.
* Tropophobia - Fear of moving or making changes.
* Trypanophobia - Fear of injections.
* Tyrannophobia - Fear of tyrants.
U
* Uranophobia - Fear of the heavens.
* Urophobia - Fear of urine or urinating.
V
* Vaccinophobia - Fear of vaccination.
* Venustraphobia - Fear of beautiful women.
* Verbophobia - Fear of words.
* Vestiphobia - Fear of clothing.
* Virginitiphobia - Fear of rape.
* Vitricophobia - Fear of one's stepfather.
W
* Walloonphobia - Fear of the Walloon people or their languages.
* Wiccaphobia - Fear of witches and witchcraft.
X
* Xanthophobia - Fear of the colour yellow or the word yellow.
* Xenoglossophobia - Fear of foreign languages.
* Xenophobia - Fear of strangers or foreigners.
* Xerophobia - Fear of dryness.
* Xylophobia - Fear of wooden objects or fear of forests.
* Xyrophobia - Fear of razors.
Y
* Ymophobia - Fear of contrariety.
Phobia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The term phobia, which comes from the Ancient Greek word for fear (f?ß??, fobos), denotes a number of psychological and physiological conditions that can range from serious disabilities to common fears to minor quirks.
Phobias are the most common form of anxiety disorder. An American study by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that between 5.1 and 21.5 percent of Americans suffer from phobias. Broken down by age and gender, the study found that phobias were the most common mental illness among women in all age groups and the second most common illness among men older than 25.
Understanding and classifying phobias
Most psychologists and psychiatrists divide phobias into three categories:
Social phobias - fears to do with other people and social relationships such as performance anxiety, fears of eating in public etc.
Specific phobias - fear of a single specific panic trigger, like dogs, flying, running water and so on.
Agoraphobia - a generalised fear of leaving your home or your small familiar 'safe' area, and of the inevitable panic attacks that will follow. Agoraphobia is the only phobia regularly treated as a medical condition.
Many specific phobias, such as fears of dogs, heights, spider bites, and so forth, are extensions of fears that everyone has. People with these phobias treat them by avoiding the thing they fear.
Many specific phobias can be traced back to a specific triggering event, usually a traumatic experience at an early age. Social phobias and agoraphobia have more complex causes that are not entirely known at this time. It is believed that heredity, genetics and brain-chemistry combine with life-experiences to play a major role in the development of anxiety disorders and phobias.
Phobias vary in severity among individuals, with some phobics simply disliking or avoiding the subject of their fear and suffering mild anxiety. Others suffer fully-fledged panic attacks with all the associated disabling symptoms.
It is possible for a sufferer to become phobic about virtually anything. The name of a phobia generally contains a Greek word for what the patient fears plus the suffix -phobia. Creating these terms is something of a word game. Few of these terms are found in medical literature.
Common phobias include:
Arachnophobia - Fear of spiders.
Anthrophobia - Fear of people or society
Aerophobia - Fear of drafts, air swallowing or airborne noxious substances.
Agoraphobia - Fear of the outdoors, crowds or uncontrolled social conditions.
Claustrophobia - Fear of confined spaces.
Acrophobia - Fear of heights.
Cancerophobia - Fear of cancer.
Astraphobia - Fear of thunder and lightning.
Necrophobia - Fear of death or dead things.
Cardiophobia - Fear of heart disease.
Dental phobia - Fear of dentists, dental surgery, or teeth.
Pornophobia - Fear of pornographic material
Treatment
Some therapists use virtual reality to desensitize patients to the feared thing. Other forms of therapy that may be of benefit to phobics are graduated exposure therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Anti-anxiety medication can also be of assistance in some cases. Most phobics understand that they are suffering from an irrational fear, but are powerless to override their initial panic reaction.
Graduated Exposure and CBT both work towards the goal of desensitising the sufferer, and changing the thought patterns that are contributing to their panic. Gradual desensitisation treatment and CBT are often extremely successful, provided the phobic is willing to endure some discomfort and to make a continuous effort over a long period of time. Practitioners of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) claim to have a procedure that can be used to alleviate most specific phobias in a single therapeutic session, though this has not yet been verified scientifically.
Non-clinical uses of the term
In some cases, a fear or hatred is not considered a phobia in the clinical sense because it is believed to be only a symptom of other psychological problems, or the result of ignorance, or of political or social beliefs. These are phobias in a more general, popular sense of the word:
Afrophobia, fear or dislike of Africans or African culture or people of African ancestry
Islamophobia, fear or dislike of Muslims or Islamic culture
Homophobia, fear or dislike of homosexual people
Xenophobia, fear or dislike of strangers or the unknown, often used to describe nationalistic political beliefs and movements
Furthermore, the term hydrophobia, or fear of water, is usually not a psychological condition at all, but another term for the disease rabies, referring to a common symptom. Likewise photophobia, is a physical complaint, aversion to light due to an inflamed or painful eye or excessively dilated pupils).
The opposite of the suffix -phobia is a -philia or -philie (meaning "love of").
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)It uses material from the Wikipedia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/)
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A
* Ablutophobia - Fear of washing or bathing.
* Acarophobia - Fear of itching or of insects whose bites cause itching.
* Acerophobia - Fear of sourness.
* Achluophobia, Lygophobia, Nyctophobia, Scotophobia - Fear of darkness.
* Acousticophobia - Fear of noise.
* Acrophobia, Altophobia - Fear of heights.
* Aerophobia - Fear of drafts, air swallowing or airborne noxious substances.
* Aeroacrophobia - Fear of open high places.
* Aeronausiphobia - Fear of vomiting secondary to airsickness.
* Agateophobia, Dementophobia, Maniaphobia - Fear of insanity.
* Agliophobia, Algophobia, Odynophobia, Odynephobia - Fear of pain.
* Agoraphobia - Fear of the outdoors, crowds or uncontrolled social conditions.
* Agraphobia, Contreltophobia - Fear of sexual abuse.
* Agrizoophobia - Fear of wild animals.
* Agyrophobia, Dromophobia - Fear of streets or crossing the street.
* Aibohphobia - Fear of palindromes (not necessarily an actual word; aiboh is not of course Greek or Latin for Palindrome, but is simply intended to make the word itself palindromic)
* Aichmophobia, Belonephobia, Enetophobia - Fear of needles or pointed objects.
* Ailurophobia, Elurophobia, Felinophobia, Galeophobia, Gatophobia - Fear of cats.
* Albuminurophobia - Fear of kidney disease.
* Alektorophobia - Fear of chickens.
* Alliumphobia - the abnormal fear of garlic that may extend to a variety of plants characterized by their pungent odor including onions, leeks, chives, and shallots. Allium is the onion [[genu
* Allodoxaphobia - Fear of opinions.
* Amathophobia, Koniophobia - Fear of dust.
* Amaxophobia - Fear of riding in a car.
* Ambulophobia, Stasibasiphobia, Stasiphobia - Fear of walking or standing.
* Anemophobia - Fear of air.
* Amerophobia, Columbophobia - Fear of the United States, American culture, etc.
* Amnesiphobia - Fear of amnesia.
* Amychophobia - Fear of scratches or being scratched.
* Anablephobia - Fear of looking up.
* Ancraophobia, Anemophobia - Fear of wind.
* Androphobia, Arrhenphobia, Hominophobia - Fear of men.
* Anginophobia - Fear of angina, choking or narrowness.
* Anglophobia - Fear of England, English culture, etc.
* Angrophobia - Fear of anger or of becoming angry.
* Ankylophobia - Fear of immobility of a joint.
* Anthrophobia, Anthophobia - Fear of flowers.
* Anthropophobia - Fear of people or society.
* Antidaeophobia - Fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck is watching you (fictional, from Gary Larson cartoon).
* Antlophobia - Fear of floods.
* Anuptaphobia - Fear of staying single.
* Apeirophobia - Fear of infinity.
* Aphenphosmphobia, Chiraptophobia, Haphephobia, Haptephobia - Fear of being touched.
* Apiphobia, Melissaphobia, Melissophobia - Fear of bees.
* Apotemnophobia - Fear of persons with amputations.
* Arachibutyrophobia - Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.
* Arachnophobia - Fear of spiders.
* Arithmophobia - Fear of numbers.
* Arsonphobia, Pyrophobia - Fear of fire.
* Asthenophobia - Fear of fainting or weakness.
* Astraphobia, Astrapophobia, Brontophobia, Keraunophobia - Fear of thunder and lightning. It is especially common in young children.
* Astrophobia - Fear of stars and celestial space.
* Asymmetriphobia - Fear of asymmetry.
* Ataxiophobia - Fear of ataxia.
* Ataxophobia - Fear of disorder or untidiness.
* Atelophobia - Fear of imperfection.
* Atephobia - Fear of ruin or ruins.
* Athazagoraphobia - Fear of being forgotten, ignored or forgetting.
* Atomosophobia - Fear of atomic explosions.
* Atychiphobia, Kakorrhaphiophobia - Fear of failure.
* Aulophobia - Fear of flutes.
* Aurophobia - Fear of gold.
* Auroraphobia - Fear of the Northern Lights or for Chileans, Argentinians, Falkland Islanders or Antarctic explorers, fear of the Southern Lights.
* Australophobia, Novahollandiaphobia - Fear of Australia, Australians, Australian culture etc.
* Autodysomophobia - Fear that one has a vile odour.
* Automatonophobia - Fear of any inanimate object that represents a sentient being, eg. statues, dummies, robots, etc.
* Automysophobia - Fear of being dirty.
* Autophobia, Eremophobia, Ermitophibia, Isolophobia, Monophobia - Fear of being alone or fear of oneself.
* Aviophobia, Aviatophobia, Pteromerhanophobia - Fear of flying.
B
* Bacillophobia, Microbiophobia - Fear of microbes.
* Bacteriophobia - Fear of bacteria.
* Ballistophobia - Fear of missiles or bullets.
* Barleyphobia - Fear of barley.
* Bananaphobia - Fear of bananas.
* Bolshephobia - Fear of Bolsheviks.
* Barophobia - Fear of loss of gravity.
* Basophobia, Basiphobia - Fear of walking or falling.
* Bathmophobia - Fear of stairs or steep slopes.
* Bathophobia - Fear of depth.
* Batophobia - Fear of heights or of being close to high buildings.
* Batrachophobia - Fear of amphibians.
* Bibliophobia - Fear of books.
* Bitchophobia - Fear of Chris Briscoe (FICTIONAL)
* Blennophobia, Myxophobia - Fear of slime.
* Bogyphobia - Fear of bogies or the bogeyman.
* Botanophobia - Fear of plants.
* Briophobia- Fear of the human foot.
* Bromidrosiphobia, Bromidrophobia - Fear of body odours.
* Brontophobia, Tonitrophobia - Fear of thunder.
* Bufonophobia - Fear of toads.
C
* Cacophobia - Fear of ugliness.
* Cainophobia, Cainotophobia, Cenophobia, Centophobia, Kainolophobia, Kainophobia, Neophobia - Fear of newness, novelty.
* Caligynephobia, Venustraphobia - Fear of beautiful women.
* Cancerophobia, Carcinophobia - Fear of cancer.
* Carbophobia - Fear of carbohydrates (e.g. Atkins diet).
* Cardiophobia - Fear of heart disease.
* Carnophobia - Fear of meat.
* Catagelophobia, Katagelophobia - Fear of being ridiculed.
* Catapedaphobia - Fear of jumping from high and low places.
* Cathisophobia, Kathisophobia, Thaasophobia - Fear of sitting.
* Catoptrophobia - Fear of mirrors.
* Cenophobia - Fear of empty rooms.
* Chaetophobia, Trichopathophobia, Trichophobia, Hypertrichophobia - Fear of hair.
* Cheimaphobia, Cheimatophobia, Psychrophobia - Fear of cold.
* Chemophobia - Fear of chemicals or working with chemicals.
* Cherophobia - Fear of gaiety.
* Chinophobia - Fear of Chinese people, customs, etc.
* Chionophobia - Fear of snow.
* Chirophobia - Fear of hands.
* Chlorophobia - Fear of the colour green.
* Cholerophobia - Fear of anger or the fear of cholera.
* Chorophobia - Fear of dancing.
* Christophobia - Fear of Christianity
* Chrometophobia, Chrematophobia - Fear of money.
* Chromophobia, Chromatophobia - Fear of colours.
* Chronomentrophobia - Fear of clocks.
* Chronophobia - Fear of time.
* Chrysophobia - Fear or the color orange.
* Cibophobia, Sitophobia, Sitiophobia - Fear of food.
* Cleithrophobia, Cleisiophobia - Fear of being locked in an enclosed place.
* Cleptophobia, Kleptophobia - Fear of stealing.
* Clithrophobia, Cleithrophobia - Fear of being enclosed.
* Cnidophobia - Fear of stings.
* Coimetrophobia - Fear of cemeteries.
* Coitophobia, Genophobia - Fear of coitus.
* Cometophobia - Fear of comets.
* Coprastasophobia - Fear of constipation.
* Coprophobia, Scatophobia - Fear of feces.
* Coulrophobia - Fear of clowns.
* Counterphobia - The preference by a phobic person for fearful situations.
* Cremnophobia - Fear of precipices.
* Cryophobia - Fear of extreme cold, ice or frost.
* Crystallophobia - Fear of crystals or glass.
* Cyanophobia - Fear of the colour blue.
* Cyberphobia, Logizomechanophobia - Fear of computers or working on a computer.
* Cyclophobia - Fear of bicycles.
* Cymophobia, Kymophobia - Fear of waves or wave-like motions.
* Cynophobia - Fear of dogs or rabies.
* Cypridophobia, Cypriphobia, Cyprianophobia, Cyprinophobia - Fear of prostitutes or venereal disease.
* Claustrophobia - Fear of confined spaces.
* Climacophobia - Fear of stairs or of climbing or falling down stairs.
* Clinophobia - Fear of going to bed.
D
* Decidophobia - Fear of making decisions.
* Defecaloesiophobia - Fear of painful bowel movements.
* Deipnophobia - Fear of dining or dinner conversations.
* Demonophobia, Daemonophobia - Fear of demons.
* Demophobia, Enochlophobia, Ochlophobia - Fear of crowds.
* Dendrophobia - Fear of trees.
* Dentophobia - Fear of dentists.
* Dermatophobia - Fear of skin lesions.
* Dermatosiophobia, Dermatophobia, Dermatopathophobia - Fear of skin disease.
* Dextrophobia - Fear of objects at the right side of the body.
* Diabetophobia - Fear of diabetes.
* Didaskaleinophobia, Scolionophobia - Fear of going to school.
* Dikephobia - Fear of justice.
* Dinophobia - Fear of dizziness or whirlpools.
* Diplophobia - Fear of double vision.
* Dipsophobia - Fear of drinking.
* Dishabiliophobia - Fear of undressing in front of someone.
* Domatophobia, Eicophobia, Oikophobia - Fear of houses or being in a house.
* Doraphobia - Fear of fur or the skins of animals.
* Doxophobia - Fear of expressing opinions or receiving praise.
* Dutchphobia - Fear of the Dutch.
* Dysmorphophobia - Fear of deformity.
* Dystychiphobia - Fear of accidents.
E
* Ecclesiophobia - Fear of church.
* Ecophobia - Fear of home.
* Editophobia - Fear of being edited or deleted (this entry suffers!).
* Eisoptrophobia - Fear of mirrors or of seeing oneself in a mirror.
* Electrophobia - Fear of electricity.
* Eleutherophobia - Fear of freedom.
* Emetophobia - Fear of vomiting.
* Enetophobia - Fear of pins.
* Enosiophobia, Enissophobia - Fear of having committed an unpardonable sin or of criticism.
* Entomophobia, Insectophobia - Fear of insects.
* Eosophobia - Fear of dawn or daylight.
* Ephebiphobia - Fear of teenagers.
* Epistaxiophobia - Fear of nosebleeds.
* Epistemophobia, Gnosiophobia - Fear of knowledge.
* Epistolophobia - Fear of writing letters
* Equinophobia, Hippophobia - Fear of horses.
* Ereuthrophobia, Erythrophobia, Erytophobia - Fear of blushing, red lights, or the colour red.
* Ergasiophobia - Fear of work or functioning, or a surgeon's fear of operating.
* Ergophobia - Fear of work.
* Ermitophobia - Fear of being alone, loneliness.
* Erotophobia - Fear of sexual love or sexual questions.
* Erythrophobia - Fear of blushing or the color red.
* Euphobia - Fear of hearing good news.
* Eurotophobia - Fear of female genitalia.
* Europhobia - Fear of Europe, Europeans, or alternatively, the European Union.
F
* ----aphobia, ---- of the word ----
* Fearaphobia, Fearophobia - fear of developing fears
* Febriphobia, Fibriphobia, Fibriophobia, Pyrexiophobia - Fear of fever.
* Ferrumphobia - Fear of Iron and objects made of iron.
* Francophobia, Gallophobia, Galiophobia - Fear of France, French culture, etc.
* Frigophobia - Fear of very cold objects.
G
* Gamophobia - Fear of marriage.
* Gatophobia - Fear of cats.
* Geliophobia - Fear of laughter.
* Geniophobia - Fear of chins.
* Genuphobia - Fear of knees.
* Gephyrophobia, Gephydrophobia, Gephyrdrophobia, Gephysrophobia - Fear of crossing bridges.
* Germanophobia, Teutophobia - Fear of Germany, German culture, etc.
* Gerascophobia - Fear of growing old.
* Gerontophobia - Fear of old people or of growing old.
* Geumaphobia, Geumophobia - Fear of taste.
* Glossophobia - Fear of speaking in public or of trying to speak.
* Globophobia - Fear of balloons
* Graphophobia - Fear of writing or handwriting.
* Gymnophobia, Nudophobia - Fear of nudity.
* Gynephobia, Gynophobia - Fear of women.
H
* Hadephobia, Stygiophobia, Stigiophobia - Fear of hell.
* Haemophobia - Fear of blood and bleeding.
* Hagiophobia - Fear of saints or holy things.
* Hamartophobia, Peccatophobia - Fear of sinning.
* Haptophobia - Fear of being touched.
* Harpaxophobia - Fear of being robbed.
* Hedonophobia - Fear of feeling pleasure.
* Hegelophobia - Fear of Hegel.
* Heliophobia - Fear of the sun.
* Hellenologophobia - Fear of Greek terms or complex scientific terminology.
* Helminthophobia - Fear of being infested with worms.
* Hemophobia, Hemaphobia, Hematophobia - Fear of blood or bleeding.
* Heresyphobia, Hereiophobia - Fear of challenges to official doctrine or of radical deviation.
* Herpetophobia - Fear of reptiles.
* Heterophobia, Sexophobia - Fear of the opposite sex.
* Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia - Fear of the number 666.
* Hierophobia - Fear of priests or sacred things.
* Hippophobia - Fear of horses.
* Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, Sesquipedalophobia - Fear of long words.
* Hobophobia - Fear of bums or beggars.
* Hodophobia - Fear of road travel.
* Hormephobia - Fear of shock.
* Homichlophobia, Nebulaphobia - Fear of fog.
* Homilophobia - Fear of sermons.
* Homophobia - Fear of sameness, monotony, homosexuality or of becoming homosexual.
* Hoplophobia - Fear of firearms.
* Hydrargyophobia - Fear of mercurial medicines.
* Hydrophobia - Fear of water, a symptom of rabies.
* Hydrophobophobia, Kynophobia - Fear of rabies.
* Hyelophobia, Hyalophobia, Nelophobia - Fear of glass.
* Hygrophobia - Fear of liquids, dampness, or moisture.
* Hylephobia - Fear of materialism or the fear of epilepsy.
* Hylophobia - Fear of forests.
* Hypegiaphobia - Fear of responsibility.
* Hypengyophobia - Fear of responsibility.
* Hypnophobia - Fear of sleep or of being hypnotized.
* Hypsiphobia - Fear of height.
I
* Iatrophobia - Fear of going to the doctor or of doctors.
* Ichthyophobia - Fear of fish.
* Iconophobia - Fear of images or icons.
* Ideophobia - Fear of ideas.
* Illyngophobia - Fear of vertigo.
* Insulaphobia - Fear of being isolated, or alternatively, fear of islands
* Islamophobia - Fear of Islam.
* Islandophobia - Fear of Iceland, Icelandic culture, etc.
* Isopterophobia - Fear of termites or other insects that eat wood.
* Ithyphallophobia - Fear of seeing, thinking about or having an erect penis.
J
* Japanophobia, Nipponophobia - Fear of the Japanese.
* Judeophobia - Fear of Jews.
K
* Katikomindicaphobia - Fear of the RNI (Resident Non-Indian).
* Kenophobia - Fear of voids or empty spaces.
* Keraunophobia - Fear of lightning.
* Kinetophobia, Kinesophobia - Fear of movement or motion.
* Klismaphobia - Fear of Enemas.
* Kneemaphobia - Fear of the knee bending backwards.
* Koinoniphobia - Fear of rooms.
* Kolpophobia - Fear of genitals, particularly female.
* Kopophobia - Fear of fatigue.
* Kosmikophobia - Fear of cosmic phenomena.
* Kyphophobia - Fear of stooping.
L
* Lachanophobia - Fear of vegetables.
* Laliophobia, Lalophobia - Fear of speaking.
* Leprophobia, Lepraphobia - Fear of leprosy.
* Leukophobia - Fear of the colour white.
* Levophobia - Fear of things to the left side of the body.
* Librophobia - Fear of having to balance.
* Ligyrophobia - Fear of loud noises.
* Lilapsophobia - Fear of tornadoes and hurricanes.
* Limnophobia - Fear of lakes.
* Linonophobia - Fear of string.
* Liticaphobia - Fear of lawsuits.
* Lockiophobia, Maieusiophobia, Parturiphobia - Fear of childbirth.
* Logophobia - Fear of words.
* Luiphobia, Syphilophobia - Fear of syphilis.
* Lutraphobia - Fear of otters.
* Lyssophobia - Fear of rabies or of becoming insane.
M
* Macroxenoglossophobia - Fear of long, strange words.
* Macrophobia - Fear of long waits.
* Mageirocophobia - Fear of cooking.
* Malaxophobia, Sarmassophobia - Fear of love play.
* Maniaphobia - Fear of going insane.
* Mastigophobia, Poinephobia - Fear of punishment.
* Mechanophobia - Fear of machines.
* Medomalacuphobia - Fear of losing an erection.
* Medorthophobia - Fear of an erect penis.
* Megalophobia - Fear of large objects.
* Melanophobia - Fear of the colour black.
* Melophobia - Fear or hatred of music.
* Meningitophobia - Fear of a masterbation disease.
* Menophobia - Fear of menstruation.
* Merinthophobia - Fear of being bound or tied up.
* Metallophobia - Fear of metal.
* Metathesiophobia - Fear of changes.
* Meteorophobia - Fear of meteors.
* Methyphobia, Potophobia - Fear of alcohol.
* Metrophobia - Fear or hatred of poetry.
* Mikatikoindicaphobia - Fear of the NRIs (Non-Resident Indians).
* Microphobia, Mycrophobia - Fear of small objects.
* Misophobia, Molysmophobia, Molysomophobia, Mysophobia, Verminophobia - Fear of being contaminated with dirt or germs.
* Mnemophobia - Fear of memories.
* Monophobia - Fear of being alone, or of feeling alone.
* Monopathophobia - Fear of a specific disease.
* Motorphobia - Fear of automobiles.
* Mottephobia - Fear of moths.
* Musicophobia - Fear of music.
* Musophobia, Murophobia, Suriphobia - Fear of mice and/or rats.
* Mycophobia - Fear or aversion to mushrooms.
* Myrmecophobia - Fear of ants.
* Mysophobia - Fear of dirt.
* Mythophobia - Fear of myths, stories or false statements.
N
* Necrophobia - Fear of death or dead things.
* Neopharmaphobia - Fear of new drugs.
* Neophobia - Fear of the new.
* Nephophobia - Fear of clouds.
* Nihilophobia - Fear of (absolutely) nothing.
* Noctiphobia - Fear of the night.
* Nomatophobia - Fear of names.
* Nosocomephobia - Fear of hospitals.
* Nosophobia, Nosemaphobia - Fear of becoming ill.
* Nostophobia - Fear of returning home.
* Novercaphobia - Fear of one's stepmother.
* Nucleomituphobia - Fear of nuclear weapons.
* Numerophobia - Fear of numbers.
* Nyctohylophobia - Fear of dark, wooded areas.
* Nyctophobia - Fear of the dark, of night or of nightfall.
* Nhsdirectophobia - fear and loathing of slow computer terminal death
O
* Obesophobia, Pocrescophobia - Fear of gaining weight.
* Ochophobia - Fear of vehicles.
* Octophobia - Fear of the figure 8.
* Odontophobia - Fear of teeth or dental surgery.
* Oenophobia - Fear of wine.
* Olfactophobia, Osmophobia, Osphresiophobia - Fear of smells.
* Ombrophobia, Pluviophobia - Fear of rain or of being rained on.
* Ommetaphobia, Ommatophobia - Fear of eyes.
* Oneirophobia - Fear of dreams.
* Oneirogmophobia - Fear of wet dreams.
* Onomatophobia - Fear of hearing certain words or names.
* Ophidiophobia - Fear of snakes.
* Ophthalmophobia - Fear of being stared at.
* Opiophobia - A medical doctor's fear of prescribing pain medications for patients.
* Optophobia - Fear of opening one's eyes.
* Ornithophobia - Fear of birds.
* Orthophobia - Fear of property.
* Ostraconophobia - Fear of shellfish.
* Ouranophobia, Uranophobia - Fear of heaven.
P
* Pagophobia - Fear of ice or frost.
* Panthophobia - Fear of suffering and disease.
* Panophobia, Pantophobia - Fear of everything.
* Papaphobia - Fear of the Pope.
* Papyrophobia - Fear of paper.
* Paralipophobia - Fear of neglecting duty or responsibility.
* Paraphobia - Fear of sexual perversion.
* Parasitophobia - Fear of parasites.
* Paraskavedekatriaphobia - Fear of Friday the 13th.
* Parthenophobia - Fear of virgins or young girls.
* Pathophobia - Fear of disease.
* Patroiophobia - Fear of heredity.
* Pediculophobia, Phthiriophobia - Fear of lice.
* Pediophobia - Fear of dolls.
* Pediphobia, Pedophobia - Fear of children.
* Peladophobia - Fear of bald people.
* Pellagrophobia - Fear of pellagra.
* Peniaphobia - Fear of poverty.
* Pentheraphobia - Fear of one's mother-in-law.
* Phagophobia - Fear of swallowing, eating or of being eaten.
* Phalacrophobia - Fear of becoming bald.
* Phallophobia - Fear of a penis, esp. erect.
* Pharmacophobia - Fear of taking medicine.
* Phasmophobia, Spectrophobia - Fear of ghosts.
* Phengophobia - Fear of daylight or sunshine.
* Philemaphobia, Philematophobia - Fear of kissing.
* Philophobia - Fear of falling in love or being in love.
* Philosophobia - Fear of philosophy.
* Phobophobia - Fear of phobias.
* Photoaugliaphobia - Fear of glaring lights.
* Photophobia - Fear of light (also refers to aversion to light due to an inflamed/painful eye or excessively dilated pupils)
* Phonophobia - Fear of noises, voices, one's own voice or of telephones.
* Phronemophobia - Fear of thinking.
* Phthisiophobia, Tuberculophobia - Fear of tuberculosis.
* Placophobia - Fear of tombstones.
* Plutophobia - Fear of wealth.
* Pneumatiphobia - Fear of spirits.
* Pnigophobia, Pnigerophobia - Fear of choking or being smothered.
* Pnumonomicroscopicsilicovolcanocoviosophobia - Fear of a lung desease caused by coal dust
* Pogonophobia, Pognophobia - Fear of beards.
* Poliosophobia - Fear of contracting poliomyelitis.
* Politicophobia - Fear or abnormal dislike of politicians.
* Polyphobia - Having many phobias.
* Ponophobia - Fear of overworking or of pain.
* Porphyrophobia - Fear of the colour purple.
* Potamophobia - Fear of rivers or running water.
* Pharmacophobia - Fear of drugs.
* Proctophobia, Rectophobia - Fear of the rectum or of rectal diseases.
* Prosophobia - Fear of progress.
* Psellismophobia - Fear of stuttering.
* Psychophobia - Fear of the mind.
* Pteronophobia - Fear of being tickled by feathers.
* Pupaphobia - Fear of puppets.
* Pyrophobia - Fear of fire.
Q
* Quadraphobia - Fear of quartets or of being drawn and quartered
* Quadrataphobia - Fear of quadratic equations
R
* Radiophobia - Fear of radiation or X-rays.
* Ranidaphobia - Fear of frogs.
* Retterophobia - Fear of wrongly chosen letters.
* Rhabdophobia - Fear of being severely punished or beaten with a rod, or of being severely criticized. Also fear of magic.
* Rhinophobia - Fear of noses.
* Rhodophobia - Fear of the colour red.
* Rhypophobia - Fear of defecation.
* Rhytiphobia - Fear of getting wrinkles.
* Rupophobia - Fear of dirt.
* Russophobia - Hatred of Russians.
S
* Samhainophobia - Fear of Halloween.
* Satanophobia, Orcusophobia - Fear of Satan.
* Scabiophobia - Fear of scabies.
* Scelerophibia - Fear of bad men, burglars.
* Sciophobia, Sciaphobia - Fear of shadows.
* Scoleciphobia, Vermiphobia - Fear of worms.
* Scopophobia, Scoptophobia - Fear of being seen or stared at.
* Scotomaphobia - Fear of blindness in visual field.
* Scriptophobia - Fear of writing in public.
* Sedatephobia - Fear of silence.
* Selachophobia - Fear of sharks.
* Selaphobia - Fear of light flashes.
* Selenophobia - Fear of the moon.
* Seplophobia - Fear of decaying matter.
* Sesquipedalophobia - Fear of long words.
* Siderodromophobia - Fear of trains, railroads or train travel.
* Siderophobia - Fear of stars.
* Sinistrophobia - Fear of things to the left of oneself.
* Sinophobia - Fear of the Chinese, Chinese culture, etc.
* Soceraphobia - Fear of parents-in-law.
* Social Phobia - Fear of being evaluated negatively in social situations.
* Sociophobia - Fear of society or people in general.
* Somniphobia - Fear of sleep.
* Sophophobia - Fear of learning.
* Soteriophobia - Fear of dependence on others.
* Spacephobia - Fear of outer space.
* Spectrophobia - Fear of mirrors.
* Spermatophobia or Spermophobia - Fear of sperm.
* Spheksophobia - Fear of wasps.
* Staurophobia - Fear of crosses or crucifixes.
* Stenophobia - Fear of narrow things or places.
* Suriphobia - Fear of mice.
* Symbolophobia - Fear of symbolism.
* Symmetrophobia - Fear of symmetry.
* Syngenesophobia - Fear of relatives.
* Syphiliphobia - Fear of syphilis.
T
* Tachophobia - Fear of speed.
* Taeniophobia, Teniophobia - Fear of tapeworms.
* Taphephobia, Taphophobia - Fear of being buried alive or of cemeteries.
* Tapinophobia - Fear of being contagious.
* Taurophobia - Fear of bulls.
* Technophobia - Fear of technology.
* Teleophobia - Fear of definite plans or of religious ceremony.
* Telephonophobia - Fear of telephones.
* Teratophobia - Fear of bearing a deformed child, of monsters or of deformed people.
* Teratrophobia - Fear of monsters.
* Testophobia - Fear of taking tests.
* Tetanophobia - Fear of tetanus, lockjaw.
* Textophobia - Fear of certain fabrics.
* Thalassophobia - Fear of the sea.
* Thanatophobia, Thantophobia - Fear of death or dying.
* Theatrophobia - Fear of theatres.
* Theologicophobia - Fear of theology.
* Theophobia - Fear of gods or religion.
* Thermophobia - Fear of heat.
* Tocophobia - Fear of pregnancy or childbirth.
* Tomophobia - Fear of surgical operations.
* Tonsurephobia - Fear of haircuts.
* Topophobia - Fear of certain places or situations, such as stage fright.
* Toxiphobia, Toxophobia, Toxicophobia - Fear of poison or of being accidentally poisoned.
* Traumatophobia - Fear of injury.
* Tremophobia - Fear of trembling.
* Trichinophobia - Fear of trichinosis.
* Triskaidekaphobia - Fear of the number 13. Having a superstition.
* Tropophobia - Fear of moving or making changes.
* Trypanophobia - Fear of injections.
* Tyrannophobia - Fear of tyrants.
U
* Uranophobia - Fear of the heavens.
* Urophobia - Fear of urine or urinating.
V
* Vaccinophobia - Fear of vaccination.
* Venustraphobia - Fear of beautiful women.
* Verbophobia - Fear of words.
* Vestiphobia - Fear of clothing.
* Virginitiphobia - Fear of rape.
* Vitricophobia - Fear of one's stepfather.
W
* Walloonphobia - Fear of the Walloon people or their languages.
* Wiccaphobia - Fear of witches and witchcraft.
X
* Xanthophobia - Fear of the colour yellow or the word yellow.
* Xenoglossophobia - Fear of foreign languages.
* Xenophobia - Fear of strangers or foreigners.
* Xerophobia - Fear of dryness.
* Xylophobia - Fear of wooden objects or fear of forests.
* Xyrophobia - Fear of razors.
Y
* Ymophobia - Fear of contrariety.
Phobia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The term phobia, which comes from the Ancient Greek word for fear (f?ß??, fobos), denotes a number of psychological and physiological conditions that can range from serious disabilities to common fears to minor quirks.
Phobias are the most common form of anxiety disorder. An American study by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that between 5.1 and 21.5 percent of Americans suffer from phobias. Broken down by age and gender, the study found that phobias were the most common mental illness among women in all age groups and the second most common illness among men older than 25.
Understanding and classifying phobias
Most psychologists and psychiatrists divide phobias into three categories:
Social phobias - fears to do with other people and social relationships such as performance anxiety, fears of eating in public etc.
Specific phobias - fear of a single specific panic trigger, like dogs, flying, running water and so on.
Agoraphobia - a generalised fear of leaving your home or your small familiar 'safe' area, and of the inevitable panic attacks that will follow. Agoraphobia is the only phobia regularly treated as a medical condition.
Many specific phobias, such as fears of dogs, heights, spider bites, and so forth, are extensions of fears that everyone has. People with these phobias treat them by avoiding the thing they fear.
Many specific phobias can be traced back to a specific triggering event, usually a traumatic experience at an early age. Social phobias and agoraphobia have more complex causes that are not entirely known at this time. It is believed that heredity, genetics and brain-chemistry combine with life-experiences to play a major role in the development of anxiety disorders and phobias.
Phobias vary in severity among individuals, with some phobics simply disliking or avoiding the subject of their fear and suffering mild anxiety. Others suffer fully-fledged panic attacks with all the associated disabling symptoms.
It is possible for a sufferer to become phobic about virtually anything. The name of a phobia generally contains a Greek word for what the patient fears plus the suffix -phobia. Creating these terms is something of a word game. Few of these terms are found in medical literature.
Common phobias include:
Arachnophobia - Fear of spiders.
Anthrophobia - Fear of people or society
Aerophobia - Fear of drafts, air swallowing or airborne noxious substances.
Agoraphobia - Fear of the outdoors, crowds or uncontrolled social conditions.
Claustrophobia - Fear of confined spaces.
Acrophobia - Fear of heights.
Cancerophobia - Fear of cancer.
Astraphobia - Fear of thunder and lightning.
Necrophobia - Fear of death or dead things.
Cardiophobia - Fear of heart disease.
Dental phobia - Fear of dentists, dental surgery, or teeth.
Pornophobia - Fear of pornographic material
Treatment
Some therapists use virtual reality to desensitize patients to the feared thing. Other forms of therapy that may be of benefit to phobics are graduated exposure therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Anti-anxiety medication can also be of assistance in some cases. Most phobics understand that they are suffering from an irrational fear, but are powerless to override their initial panic reaction.
Graduated Exposure and CBT both work towards the goal of desensitising the sufferer, and changing the thought patterns that are contributing to their panic. Gradual desensitisation treatment and CBT are often extremely successful, provided the phobic is willing to endure some discomfort and to make a continuous effort over a long period of time. Practitioners of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) claim to have a procedure that can be used to alleviate most specific phobias in a single therapeutic session, though this has not yet been verified scientifically.
Non-clinical uses of the term
In some cases, a fear or hatred is not considered a phobia in the clinical sense because it is believed to be only a symptom of other psychological problems, or the result of ignorance, or of political or social beliefs. These are phobias in a more general, popular sense of the word:
Afrophobia, fear or dislike of Africans or African culture or people of African ancestry
Islamophobia, fear or dislike of Muslims or Islamic culture
Homophobia, fear or dislike of homosexual people
Xenophobia, fear or dislike of strangers or the unknown, often used to describe nationalistic political beliefs and movements
Furthermore, the term hydrophobia, or fear of water, is usually not a psychological condition at all, but another term for the disease rabies, referring to a common symptom. Likewise photophobia, is a physical complaint, aversion to light due to an inflamed or painful eye or excessively dilated pupils).
The opposite of the suffix -phobia is a -philia or -philie (meaning "love of").
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)It uses material from the Wikipedia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/)
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