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....
Friday, April 21, 2006
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/)
--------------------------------
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/)
E-Mail Providers Look to New Spam-Fighting Techniques
E-mail providers are bolstering their defenses against the onslaught of spam and phishing attacks through the adoption of new e-mail-authentication technologies, according to information offered this week at a gathering of companies that focused on promoting safety and user trust in the e-mail ecosystem.
A report issued at the E-Mail Authentication Summit by the E-Mail Sender and Provider Coalition (ESPC) indicates that AOL, Microsoft, and Yahoo -- companies that collectively handle more than half of the commercial e-mail in the U.S. -- now are enforcing at least one of the current e-mail-authentication standards.
Those standards are based either on Internet Protocol (IP) technologies or cryptographic techniques, with the primary examples being Sender ID and DomainKeys.
Enterprise Adoption
Sender ID, backed primarily by Microsoft, verifies the domain name from which e-mail is sent by checking the IP address of the server that sent the message against a list of legitimate IP addresses for that domain. Yahoo is the primary backer of DomainKeys, a technology that attaches a digital ID to e-mail so that recipients can verify the source of an e-mail message.
The ESPC also noted that authentication is moving beyond the ISP level to the corporate mail server. In fact, late last year, ESPC reported that 70 percent of Fortune 100 companies have begun to authenticate their e-mail.
"Legitimate e-mail marketers have been quick to respond by adopting authentication over the last year to ensure their mail makes it to inboxes of leading ISPs," said Trevor Hughes, executive director of the ESPC, in a statement.
According to Microsoft, there has been a threefold increase in Sender ID adoption among Fortune 500 companies, from 7 percent in July 2005 to 21 percent in March 2006. And there are now some 3.3 million .com and .net domains worldwide sending Sender ID-compliant e-mail -- to the tune of two billion e-mail messages each day.
Onus on Domain Owners
There is progress being made on e-mail authentication, said Forrester Research analyst Paul Stamp, who noted the problem is that while most e-mail systems can support a multitude of measures to ascertain who is sending a message, it is still difficult to tie the credentials of a sender to the owner of a particular Internet domain.
"The domain owners must implement a process to check the identity of people applying for a particular domain," Stamp said. "This is a serious global problem because anyone can set up a domain to launch a phishing attack."
Stamp said that both the Sender ID and DomainKeys are effective against mass spam campaigns, but he also indicated that it is unlikely that a single standard will emerge as the preferred solution.
A report issued at the E-Mail Authentication Summit by the E-Mail Sender and Provider Coalition (ESPC) indicates that AOL, Microsoft, and Yahoo -- companies that collectively handle more than half of the commercial e-mail in the U.S. -- now are enforcing at least one of the current e-mail-authentication standards.
Those standards are based either on Internet Protocol (IP) technologies or cryptographic techniques, with the primary examples being Sender ID and DomainKeys.
Enterprise Adoption
Sender ID, backed primarily by Microsoft, verifies the domain name from which e-mail is sent by checking the IP address of the server that sent the message against a list of legitimate IP addresses for that domain. Yahoo is the primary backer of DomainKeys, a technology that attaches a digital ID to e-mail so that recipients can verify the source of an e-mail message.
The ESPC also noted that authentication is moving beyond the ISP level to the corporate mail server. In fact, late last year, ESPC reported that 70 percent of Fortune 100 companies have begun to authenticate their e-mail.
"Legitimate e-mail marketers have been quick to respond by adopting authentication over the last year to ensure their mail makes it to inboxes of leading ISPs," said Trevor Hughes, executive director of the ESPC, in a statement.
According to Microsoft, there has been a threefold increase in Sender ID adoption among Fortune 500 companies, from 7 percent in July 2005 to 21 percent in March 2006. And there are now some 3.3 million .com and .net domains worldwide sending Sender ID-compliant e-mail -- to the tune of two billion e-mail messages each day.
Onus on Domain Owners
There is progress being made on e-mail authentication, said Forrester Research analyst Paul Stamp, who noted the problem is that while most e-mail systems can support a multitude of measures to ascertain who is sending a message, it is still difficult to tie the credentials of a sender to the owner of a particular Internet domain.
"The domain owners must implement a process to check the identity of people applying for a particular domain," Stamp said. "This is a serious global problem because anyone can set up a domain to launch a phishing attack."
Stamp said that both the Sender ID and DomainKeys are effective against mass spam campaigns, but he also indicated that it is unlikely that a single standard will emerge as the preferred solution.
This is very true… Kindly read it.
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old University of Notre Dame lecturer. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups."
"Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change."
"Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."
Have a lovely day and enjoy life to its fullest.
Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups."
"Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change."
"Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."
Have a lovely day and enjoy life to its fullest.
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