Sunday, May 28, 2006

My new digital camera

Finally, after days of research, I got a new digital camera last weekend. It's a Sony Cybershot DSC-W5 (check out the specs and a review).
Sony Cybershot DSC-W5
Hope to put up "My Experiments with Digital Photography" on Flickr soon. Stay tuned!!!

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Technology tantrums

Here is an interesting piece of debate, or rather, exchange of thoughts, that took place between me and my friend over mail today. Although there was no formal topic of discussion, it all started over a chain mail on the 11th birthday of Java, leading to the following conversation:

Him:

How long do you think one can keep performing acrobatic stunts with technology to feed one's ego and still remain happy about it?
Yesterday it was C, C++, Linux. Now it is Java, embedded Linux. Tomorrow it could be AI and then something else.
When do you think you can be content?
When will this stop?

Don't you think business, society is where the technology should reside?
Don't you thing technology should grow with the world's needs?
Don't you think it shouldn't happen the other way round?
Don't you think it happens both ways?
Ain't it a vicious circle?

Will this stop?
Can you answer me?

Me:

I don't know exactly what you are trying to say...
Are you pointing out that technology is so overwhelming that we cannot digest everything?
Are you trying to say that technology is controlling us rather than we controlling it?
Are you saying that you are not able to keep pace with technology?

I feel one's obsession with technology has got to do with having fun rather than satisfying one's ego. It is up to each individual to decide whether he or she wants to embrace a technology or trash it for good... Dissent in the society is good; it leads to evolution, in Darwin's sense, survival of the fittest... The same holds good in the case of technology. This should never stop, if society is to progress...

It is society that evolves technology, not the other way round... Society evolves due to differences... If you are not content with something and don't like how it works, you change it. For the better...

I feel tempted to mention what Linus writes in his autobiography "Just for Fun": everything goes through a cycle of being purely for survival, then it becomes something of a social thing, and then it becomes just entertainment. I like his way of thinking. If you get your hands on his book, just read the preface "The Meaning of Life" and the end note "The Meaning of Life II".

Believe me, it's worth it...

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

An Orkut life...

For the uninitiated, Orkut is an online social networking site that enables you to connect with existing friends, make new ones, stay in touch and find like-minded people who share your interests. It is owned by Google, and boasts of 16,000,000+ members worldwide.

When one of my friends sent me an Orkut friend request (or an invite, in typical "Googlese") a few months back, I was quite skeptical. Nevertheless, I decide to take the plunge and see for myself what the fuss was all about.

I must admit I wasn't disappointed.

For people who are new to social networking, it is quite overwhelming at first. Some technophobics even prefer to socialize the traditional way (evening get-togethers, for example) rather than take to Orkutting, as it is called.

Looking around me, Orkut (not to mention others like Hi5 and Friendster) does seem to have taken today's generation by storm. E-mails and chatting are boring; scrapping is a lot fancier. Online social communities are more appealing than traditional groups. Testimonials is another "admired" feature; people even go to the extent of bribing to earn testimonials... If you want to know what this jargon is all about, join Orkut and find out!

Of course, not without controversies...

Most socialists agree that Orkut's use as a social tool is indeed complex. Leaving aside the social aspects, there have been cases of bogus profiles on Orkut. People create multiple profiles, sometimes running into hundreds, just for the heck of it. This leads to sort of an identity crisis. And then there is the perennial problem of flooding and spamming (read more). Another thing which is of concern is the rise of hate communities (read more), launching scathing personal attacks against individuals as well as their target groups. This has led to a large number of users terminating their Orkut accounts in protest.

If you take a walk in our office library's browsing section, more often than not you find the youngster crowd busy Orkutting. Nevertheless, the growing popularity and strength of Orkut can be gauged by the fact that it is now restricted in my office :-(

I could say Orkut has achieved something of a cult status... A world of its own, isn't it? :-)

Monday, May 22, 2006

The "girlfriend" concept

It's time to put down something which has been going on in my mind for many days... Something more social... Ummm... Something about a concept known as girlfriend. (In case you're not familiar with the term, read what Wikipedia has to say about it!) I am going to talk from the perspective of a non-committed bachelor (non-committed spinsters could replace the term girlfriend with boyfriend; read its "treatment" by Wikipedia).

Before you proceed further, here's a disclaimer: These are purely my own thoughts, and I am not trying to preach or force my thinking on you. I'm not making any personal remarks against anyone (so if you disapprove, please don't take this as a personal offense or insult). Any humor is intentional.

As far as my Bollywood knowledge goes, we have been accustomed to know the basic needs of survival as "roti, kapda aur makaan" (translated from Hindi, this means food, clothing and shelter), but now it seems to have become "roti, kapda, makaan aur girlfriend"... Okay, that was a bad joke, simply put here 'cause I couldn't find anything more humorous ;-)

What may be the motivations for having a girlfriend? I don't have a perfect answer for that (never had a girlfriend, you see; "experienced" people may give a better answer). But I would, nevertheless, like to explore some possibilities.

The first thing that comes to my mind is the emotional needs of loving and being loved. This is generally for noble beings (like me) with self-proclaimed "love-is-a-way-of-life" philosophy . Some people may recollect a modest version: "Love is not the heart of life, it is a part of life". (Because love is such an involved topic, we'll discuss about it some other time.)

For some folks, a girlfriend is someone whom you can confide in, someone who can be your constant companion, in the sad and glad times. This is a milder form of the above need (I could say that, I believe). This stresses more on the friendship part of it than the romantic part... Anyways, I believe there is a thin line between love and friendship, and it is purely up to the individual to decide as to how he or she views it (in other words, romantic love as opposed to Platonic love or friendship).

Then there is always that physical need... I always find that I generally don't have to elaborate on that. People are intelligent and smart enough to know what I'm trying to say. Hope you get this one ;-)

Those, I believe, are some of the valid reasons for having a girlfriend. Before I begin what I'd like to say next, I would like to point out the observations ("The Meaning of Life") made by Linus Torvalds in his autobiography Just for Fun (a review coming soon!). The motivating factors for anything (related to human needs), he argues, are survival, social order and entertainment, in that order (not necessarily). The reason I mention it here should become clear as you read on. Just spend some time to think on this, and then proceed...

In recent times, however, having a girlfriend has become something of a "fashion", or more appropriately, dikhaawa (show-off, translated from Hindi). When you are seen around with a girlfriend, you instantly become a hit in your friend circle. You become more social, your "social status" goes up. A person without a girlfriend tends to be viewed as something of a recluse (or sanyasi, in common language). Having a girlfriend, then, becomes a prestige issue for some, particularly, people who are finicky about their social status...

On the lighter side, though, commonly associated with the "girlfriend" concept is forwarded jokes (a term every IT professional identifies himself or herself with; click here to know the story about why we forward jokes!). I remember reading (and forwarding) several such jokes:
  • Differences between north-Indian and south-Indian girlfriends
  • Characteristics of a Maharashtrian girlfriend
  • Girlfriend naslyaache faayade (translated from Marathi, this means benefits of not having a girlfriend)

Believe me, I have nothing against the people who live the "love-can-conquer-all" philosophy. I disapprove (and sometimes, resent) people who wish (or want) to have girlfriends "just for timepass", as they call it (I have had discussions with them on this, mind you!).

And of course, people may argue that my frustration (of being single, or rather, non-committed) is driving me to write all this, but I assure you, this is not the case :-)

"Solitude is my choice, not an obligation..."

Sunday, May 21, 2006

My parents as my role models

I have recently started reading Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India by Dr A P J Abdul Kalam. It is the third book by him, after Wings of Fire: An Autobiography and India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium. It is a highly motivating and inspirational book for anyone wanting to gain a deeper perspective into how we can all work towards a better, more prosperous and developed India.

One of the themes in the book that struck me was the importance of parents and elementary school teachers as role models for a growing-up child. Kalam's vivid descriptions took me down the memory lane into my own childhood. Many of you will remember the message about Mahatma Gandhi that used to be aired on Doordarshan: "The greatness of this man was his simplicity... Let us try and discover the Gandhi in ourselves". In a sense, I saw my father as the one I wanted to be like; I have always admired his simplicity and his ability to look at things unbiased, without taking sides in any way. From him, I have learnt how you can be open to new ideas, cultures and thoughts, without forgetting your roots. Here, I am reminded of a quote by Gandhiji: "You must open the windows of your mind, but you must not be swept off your feet by the breeze".

Coming to my mother, she is one of the most wonderful and the most important persons in my life (sure, as any "Mamma's boy" will say!). One of the most important qualities which I have imbibed from her is discipline. Discipline has brought an order in my life, one that makes my management tasks at my workplace much easier. Another valuable lesson I have learnt from her is adherence to ethics and moral values. This has helped me a lot in taking a clear stand in many difficult situations. In fact, these are the things I value the most, much more than any material possessions (not in that hardcore philosophical sense!).

Okay, I think I've talked enough... Time to move on :-)

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Of Bangalore rains and traffic chaos

Yesterday evening turned out to be a one to remember... One of our teammates, who is leaving for Chennai, gave us a treat in Ponnusamy, a Chettinaad-style restaurant in the heart of Koramangala... That, after we were totally drenched by the heavy rains that poured in, while we were on our way to the restaurant. We happily tucked in mutton pepper fry, chicken masala, fish fingers, egg fried rice and Hyderabadi biryani, nevertheless :-)

One thing I always wonder is why no one (including us!) in Bangalore bothers to carry umbrellas, even though they know it may rain heavily (complete with thunder and lightning) in the evening (it is convectional rainfall, I am told)... Almost always accompanying the rains is the traffic chaos that ensue, leading to hours of frustration for the techie crowd (I can safely generalize, I hope) heading home. This is on the roads... Add to it the muddy pavements, where it becomes a tight-rope walk challenge even for the most adventurous....

In a city where you have traffic coming towards you from all sides, I wonder if Lord Brahma (with his four heads!) himself will safely make his way home (if he doesn't take the aerial route, that is). Forget the traffic stuff on roads, even we pedestrians are not spared! Two-wheelers (almost always) take to the pavement as if it is meant for them to try their rallying skills... If you try to complain, they glare back at you as if you have committed a sin.

Anyways, I'm not complaining... These days, I'm working on another article which I hope to bring out next week or so. Till then, au revoir!

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Something about addictions...

I think every moral human being has to have an addiction in his (or her, now that everyone's talking) life, otherwise the purpose of you being on earth just isn't justified... Being a silent contributor to the current IT boom, you can bet one of my addictions will have something to do with it ("it" as in Information Technology, pun intended). I am not called a "hardcore Linux geek" for nothing :-)

Don't ask, what is "Linux"? Think of a cute, chubby penguin... And find it out for yourself here.

The other addiction is something far removed from IT (no pun here!): music. Someone has made an observation that all Linux geeks are rock fans, but I haven't named by blog "RadicalEthos" just because I couldn't find anything more obnoxious... I go "gaga" over Kishore Kumar, who I feel is one of the most talented singers Bollywood has ever produced (no doubts about that!). So if you meet any Linux nerd out on the streets humming away to a Kishore Kumar melody, don't forget: "Howdy, fella?"

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.