tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137125952024-03-14T03:10:19.246+05:30Making SenseSharing insights ...Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.comBlogger147125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-9666896005272775942009-08-14T23:24:00.001+05:302009-08-14T23:24:09.013+05:30Seth Godin’s challenge: bandwidth and latency<p>Seth Godin’s has a thought-provoking post that looks at the different types of media based on the bandwidth it can support and the immediacy of the exchange. </p> <blockquote> <h5>The bandwidth-sync correlation that's worth thinking about</h5> <p><a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b31569e2011571af92c1970b-popup"><img alt="Correlation.001" src="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b31569e2011571af92c1970b-500wi" width="240" height="181" /></a> <br />Check this out. Every once in a while a cool graph pops into my head.</p> </blockquote> <p>Source: <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/08/the-bandwidth-sync-correlation-thats-worth-thinking-about.html">Seth's Blog: The bandwidth-sync correlation that's worth thinking about</a></p> <p>Human civilisation started at the top right hand corner on this graph: one-on-one coaching, which is both immediate and high bandwidth.</p> <p>Since then other forms of communication have been invented. They have been limited on one or both dimensions, although that has often been an advantage. Talented and creative individuals have created profitable enterprises in any quadrant and with any medium. </p> <p>Hugh MacLeod of <a title="http://www.gapingvoid.com/" href="http://www.gapingvoid.com/">http://www.gapingvoid.com/</a> has discovered how to effectively use even the scrap heap, as Seth calls the bottom left corner.</p> <p>Seth goes on to challenge:</p> <blockquote> <p>If you had seen this chart three years ago, you obviously would have invented Twitter. Now that you see it today, what will you create?</p> </blockquote> <p>Well, it does appear that successful businesses have generally exploited the top-left to bottom-right axis, the one that has been highlighted on the graph. Whereas, individuals are more successful on the axis perpendicular to it.</p> <p>To answer Seth’s challenge, I think there’s opportunity for people on the axis that is less crowded. For instance, as bandwidth increases and latency drops, there could be money in offering piano lessons over the internet.</p> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-34990722048422721322008-10-06T10:20:00.001+05:302008-10-06T10:20:26.584+05:30Do you observe rules this strictly?<p>Look carefully at the picture below.</p> <p>Four pedestrians are waiting for the red light to change, even though the road they wish to cross has been blocked permanently due to security reasons, and the police are guarding it!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/sunilbajpai/SOmZAQVQ_OI/AAAAAAAAAjU/MyC2AVaRDSs/s1600-h/DSC00496%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC00496" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="315" alt="DSC00496" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/sunilbajpai/SOmZCeJYASI/AAAAAAAAAjY/lXu3pl6D4yk/DSC00496_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="414" border="0" /></a></p> <blockquote> <p>Picture taken near Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on September 26, 2008. </p> </blockquote> <p>In the few minutes that I watched, lots of Berliners acted likewise!</p> <p> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:b714c5dc-c128-4c6a-817f-68b1c9948079" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Berlin" rel="tag">Berlin</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Germany" rel="tag">Germany</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/traffic+rules" rel="tag">traffic rules</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-86163978870403834222008-06-20T14:07:00.001+05:302008-06-20T14:07:24.591+05:30It’s size that changes the experience<p>We know that in the government, possibly because of the size, the right hand often doesn’t know what the left hand is doing.</p> <p>Are are the rest of us better? </p> <p>Do large, profitable and professionally-run organisations offer a smoother experience than the silos of a bureaucracy.  </p> <p>Here’s my experience of the Airtel web site that makes me wonder.</p> <p> </p> <h3>Retrieving an MMS from the web</h3> <p>It started with the following message from AirTel:</p> <blockquote> <p>There is an MMS message for you. at <a href="http://www.airtel.in/mms/">http://www.airtel.in/mms/</a> Your Passcode is: c6s8**</p> </blockquote> <p>Okay, I knew these were pictures sent by a friend, so I followed the url.</p> <p>Oops:</p> <blockquote> <p>The requested URL /mms/ was not found on this server.</p> <p></p> <p></p> <hr />IBM_HTTP_Server Server at www.airtel.in Port 80 <p></p> <p> </p> <p></p> </blockquote> <h3>Activating MMS on the phone </h3> <p>Maybe the url had changed. We know it happens.  So I look around and find this: </p> <blockquote> <p><strong>Getting Started</strong> <br />You'll need a compatible mobile phone to send and receive picture messages. To Activate MMS, send "MMS ACTIVE" to 121. Requires MMS enabled handsets. If your friends don't have a picture messaging phone, you can still send them a picture message. They'll receive a text message asking them to go to a web address where they'll be able to enjoy your message online.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://airtel.in/wps/wcm/connect/Airtel.in/airtel.in/home/foryou/mobile/postpaid/services/mail%2C+messaging+and+more/pg_fy_mb_postp_services_mmm#mms">:: Airtel :: Postpaid Mobile - Mail & Messaging Services.</a></p> <p> </p> <p>All right, I send the SMS to 121 requesting activation of MMS, but get this response:</p> <blockquote> <p>Welcome to My Airtel. Make a selection <br />1-For Billing <br />2-For Payments <br />3-For Bill Plan <br />4-For Do Not Disturb <br />5-For Help</p> </blockquote> <p>Great!</p> <p> </p> <h3>Trying something else</h3> <p> </p> <p>So I give up on MMS, but continue to look around and discover something different but useful:</p> <blockquote> <p><strong>Access via PC</strong> </p> </blockquote> <blockquote> <p><strong>Access Airtel Msgr via your PC or Laptop:</strong>Instant chat with friends with any mobile number in India. Airtel Messenger on your PC offers many reasons for you to get hooked on. Foremost, it lets you send messages to any Airtel mobile number in India , for free. GET CRACKING, MAN! </p> <p><strong>Download NOW! </strong> <br /><a href="http://airtel.in/wps/wcm/connect/d7af07804910218aa0c4fa06b0343da9/mysites.zip?MOD=AJPERES">Click here to download AirTel Msgr. </a></p> <p><img height="200" alt="msgr1" src="http://airtel.in/wps/wcm/connect/cac5f00049102159a078fa06b0343da9/msgr1.jpg?MOD=AJPERES" width="170" border="0" /></p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://airtel.in/wps/wcm/connect/Airtel.in/airtel.in/home/foryou/mobile/postpaid/services/mail%2C+messaging+and+more/pg_fy_mb_postp_services_mmm#mms">:: Airtel :: Postpaid Mobile - Mail & Messaging Services.</a></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p> </p> <p>OH, but “download AirTel Msgr” link brought in a completely useless zipped folder called mysites! :-(</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:fce555c2-f636-4c62-8649-ce2a7e5733e0" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/government" rel="tag">government</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/organisation+size" rel="tag">organisation size</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/AirTel" rel="tag">AirTel</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/website" rel="tag">website</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/service" rel="tag">service</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-41372168653042330722008-06-18T17:33:00.001+05:302008-06-18T17:33:16.339+05:30A “must have” feature from Gmail Labs<p>You known that <a href="http://labnol.blogspot.com/2007/09/find-any-email-in-gmail-with-simple.html" target="_blank">Gmail has powerful search</a> built into it. </p> <p>But after you’ve crafted that perfect query, do you throw it away? Not any more!</p> <p>You can use an experimental feature in the new Gmail Labs to save the query for as long as you want. It is called “Quick Links” and is <em>extremely</em> easy to use.</p> <p><strong><u>How to enable Quick Links</u></strong></p> <ul> <li>Click on settings from within your Gmail account. </li> <li>Select the last tab on the setting page, called “Labs”. It’s been placed there a few weeks ago. </li> </ul> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/sunilbajpai/SFj5bab-EvI/AAAAAAAAARE/e_KOpKlFIsY/s1600-h/tmp56%5B13%5D.png"><img title="tmp56" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="124" alt="tmp56" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/sunilbajpai/SFj5cx-yaLI/AAAAAAAAARI/RgTJYs5AGbE/tmp56_thumb%5B14%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="420" border="0" /></a></p> <ul> <li>Enable Quick Links from a list of dozen or so feature that are currently available.  </li> </ul> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/sunilbajpai/SFj5d5fXQAI/AAAAAAAAARM/sMZ2F9h7xwM/s1600-h/tmp57%5B15%5D.png"><img title="tmp57" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="107" alt="tmp57" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/sunilbajpai/SFj5e041RlI/AAAAAAAAARQ/SvtzLLI2fHE/tmp57_thumb%5B15%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="428" border="0" /></a></p> <p>Voilà! A <strong>Quick Links</strong> panel is now added to the left column in your Gmail account. It’s below the panel called <strong>Labels</strong>.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/sunilbajpai/SFj5fzF3UcI/AAAAAAAAARU/8gcq9BAjICE/s1600-h/tmp59%5B3%5D.png"><img title="tmp59" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="158" alt="tmp59" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/sunilbajpai/SFj5g1byT-I/AAAAAAAAARY/RFr05msHeHI/tmp59_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="151" border="0" /></a></p> <p>In this panel, you can place a shortcut to whatever view, search results or individual message you are viewing. </p> <p> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:fc16a72b-6e6d-4559-843d-fdcd27315f54" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Productivity" rel="tag">Productivity</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Gmail" rel="tag">Gmail</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/tips+%26+tricks" rel="tag">tips & tricks</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-35457567112537633352008-06-16T17:55:00.001+05:302008-06-16T17:55:39.914+05:30Lesson for software engineers from a filmmaker<p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/sunilbajpai/SFZbvAaANmI/AAAAAAAAAP4/oYsmhbrTSqc/s1600-h/newsk%5B7%5D.jpg"><img title="newsk" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 5px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="189" alt="newsk" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/sunilbajpai/SFZbwluPmyI/AAAAAAAAAP8/wxWzbR3WnX4/newsk_thumb%5B7%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="252" border="0" /></a></p> <p>Picture from: <a title="http://www.shekharkapur.com/blog/welcome.htm" href="http://www.shekharkapur.com/blog/welcome.htm">Shekhar Kapur's Website</a></p> <p> </p> <p>What could a filmmaker say to CEO’s attending <a title="IBM's Catalyst 2008 in Mumbai" href="http://www-07.ibm.com/in/events/catalyst2008/index.html" target="_blank">a software conference</a>?</p> <p>Probably very little, unless you are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shekhar_Kapur" target="_blank">Shekhar Kapur</a> and unafraid of opening up your thoughts to scrutiny by strangers. </p> <p> </p> <h4><font face="Perpetua" size="4"><strong>Giving up Control</strong></font></h4> <p>Mr Kapur started by asking how a symphony is created? Does it happen by exercising control or by giving it up?</p> <p>He didn’t provide an answer but rather hinted at it by asking more questions and describing his own experiences. </p> <p>For instance, he recalled <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodysurfing" target="_blank">body surfing</a>—something he did in his younger days. And he cited the experience of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filmmaking">filmmaking</a>, for which he is acclaimed now.</p> <p>He says he prefers to work from loose scripts because the rigid ones leave little room for creativity. How do you create anything, when all you do is follow instructions?</p> <p>His method is to be obsessed with the subject, and to do all the hard work and research in the preparatory phase. And then to panic! </p> <p>This serves to disrupt the stranglehold of earlier preparation and frees him to live in the moment and make his decisions on the fly. It’s not unlike being <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)" target="_blank">in the zone</a>, which is what breathes life into <a href="http://www.elizabeththegoldenage.com/site/index.html" target="_blank">his work</a>.</p> <p>Just like with body surfing, his other example. You need to learn how to control your body in water. But you really surf only when you give up control.  It happens in the moment when you allow your body to follow the wave, rather than controlling anything. That’s when you cease to exist because you’ve become one with the wave.</p> <p>It is, perhaps, also how symphonies are created. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beethoven%27s_Fifth" target="_blank">Beethoven’s fifth</a> (my example), has a very precise structure in terms of group theory. But no mathematician has created a comparable work following the discipline of mathematics. And Beethoven, who created the masterpiece, is no mathematician and wasn’t following a mathematical procedure.  </p> <blockquote>We all know that Beethoven never really studied advanced mathematics. Yet he incorporates a surprising amount of math in his music, at very high levels. The beginning of his Fifth Symphony is a prime case, but examples such as this are legion. He "used" group theory type concepts to compose this famous symphony. In fact, he used what crystallographers call the Space Group of symmetry transformations! This Group governs many advanced technologies, such as quantum mechanics, nuclear physics, and crystallography that are the foundations of today's technological revolution. At this level of abstraction, <i>a crystal of diamond and Beethoven's 5th symphony are one and the same!</i></blockquote> <p>Source: <a href="http://members.aol.com/chang8828/grouptheory.htm">Chapt. One, IV.4, Mozart, Beethoven</a></p> <p>Yes, the mathematics is there. But it was formed into the symphony when Beethoven let his imagination discover its structure, unfettered by any control. If there was discipline, it was went into training the musician and composer that Beethoven was, not in the actual act of creation of the symphony.</p> <p>Okay, so what is the lesson for the software engineer? </p> <p>Here, it is (and I hope Mr Kapur agrees):</p> <blockquote> <p>Great software doesn’t come from following the detailed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Requirements_Specification" target="_blank">SRS</a> that you or someone created. It is more likely to emerge when you do an obsessive amount of preparatory work, but respond to the requirements as you see them when the action begins.</p> <p> </p> </blockquote> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:68ad8bff-2af1-425c-b39c-1f001c79843d" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Shekhar+Kapur" rel="tag">Shekhar Kapur</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Catalyst2008" rel="tag">Catalyst2008</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/software+development" rel="tag">software development</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/SOA" rel="tag">SOA</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/filmmaking" rel="tag">filmmaking</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-54511401324813471332008-06-16T15:07:00.001+05:302008-06-16T15:17:42.860+05:30Download Firefox now to participate in a Guinness Record<p>Help create a Guinness Record by downloading Firefox 3 browser on the day of its launch! </p> <p>In the bargain you get:</p> <ol> <li>The safest access to Internet, and</li> <li>A large number of free, easily set-up tools you’d love. (Only if you care for them, of course!)</li> </ol> <p>Here’s a convenient link to get you started:</p> <p><a href="http://www.spreadfirefox.com/node&id=232223&t=264"><img title="Download Day" alt="Download Day" src="http://www.spreadfirefox.com/files/images/affiliates_banners/dday_badge_fox.png" border="0" /></a></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:fd28e6fb-acb0-44a3-9acb-b1d407dc24c7" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Firefox+3" rel="tag">Firefox 3</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-23159012482685974812008-06-02T22:45:00.001+05:302008-06-02T22:45:06.938+05:30Organise your life without lifting a finger!<p>There are two kinds of people: those who can--and do--maintain an organiser, and others who can't because of a genetic disability. I've been a long-suffering specimen of the second type. </p> <p>No leather-bound volume with name embossed in gold could ever persuade me to fill more than three pages of appointments or other details. The Lotus organiser, MS Outlook or Google Calendar didn't help either. </p> <p>Reason? The organisers help <em>organise</em> things, which is an extra step to <em>doing</em> things. </p> <p>I couldn't make an appointment and remember to it look up in a leather binder. And while the electronic versions offer an alarm, one still has to key in the appointment.</p> <p>But as you can guess, I've overcome my incapacity. Consider this:</p> <blockquote> <p>My secretary schedules a meeting, after checking with your office, and it magically appears on my phone. Without GPRS and on my basic Nokia N72. </p> </blockquote> <p>How?</p> <p>She creates the appointment in her <em>own</em> Google Calendar and invites me to the meeting. You could do that too, if you knew my email address. </p> <p>The rest happens automatically, if you set up things as I explain below.</p> <p>You need <a href="http://www.google.com/calendar/" target="_blank">Google Calendar</a> (free with Gmail or an independent Google Account) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Outlook" target="_blank">MS Outlook</a> to make it work.</p> <p>Download and install the following software:</p> <ol> <li><a title="http://dl.google.com/googlecalendarsync/GoogleCalendarSync_Installer.exe" href="http://dl.google.com/googlecalendarsync/GoogleCalendarSync_Installer.exe" target="_blank">Google Sync</a> </li> <li><a href="http://europe.nokia.com/A4144903" target="_blank">Nokia PC Suite</a> </li> </ol> <p>Both are easy to set up. Just follow the instructions.</p> <p>Fill in your Gmail address and password and Set Google Sync for a two-way sync as shown:</p> <p> </p> <p><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="530" alt="tmp43" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/sunilbajpai/SEQqjRZ5XLI/AAAAAAAAAPg/TOOYqgGWvAI/tmp43_thumb5.png?imgmax=800" width="498" border="0" /></p> <p> </p> <p>Now Google Sync runs silently in the <a href="http://www.theeldergeek.com/HT0_002.htm" target="_blank">notification area</a> to keep MS Outlook and Google Calendar synchronized. </p> <p>And the PC Suite keeps Outlook synchronized with the N72, with just a double click on the rightmost icon shown below (also found in the notification area):</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/sunilbajpai/SEQqkqRfc_I/AAAAAAAAAPo/u9UnrV8h_TM/s1600-h/tmp49%5B5%5D.png"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="31" alt="tmp49" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/sunilbajpai/SEQqlh0WKcI/AAAAAAAAAPw/1oAzZJ0O5HU/tmp49_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="59" border="0" /></a></p> <p>The other two icons in the screen capture above are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth" target="_blank">Bluetooth</a> and Nokia PC Suite, identifying from right to left. </p> <p>If you don't have Bluetooth on your desktop or laptop, you can connect the N72 with a cable that came in the box. </p> <p>About Nokia PC Suite in general, from their web site:</p> <blockquote>Nokia PC Suite is a free PC software product that allows you to connect your Nokia device to a PC and access mobile content as if the device and the PC were one.</blockquote> <p><a href="http://europe.nokia.com/A4144903">Nokia Europe - Nokia PC Suite - Support</a> </p> <p> </p> <p>What could be your reason for not being organised now?</p> <p> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:894915a5-5f1b-4ccc-8abc-b528b1093023" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/scheduler" rel="tag">scheduler</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/productivity" rel="tag">productivity</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/tips%20&%20tricks" rel="tag">tips & tricks</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/lifehack" rel="tag">lifehack</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Nokia" rel="tag">Nokia</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/N72" rel="tag">N72</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Google%20Calendar" rel="tag">Google Calendar</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Nokia%20PC%20Suite" rel="tag">Nokia PC Suite</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-89498855221883097212008-05-22T17:21:00.001+05:302008-05-22T17:21:56.758+05:30Are you a winner in the Blogosphere?<p>Before a story becomes news, it must be distinguished from other stories in the feedstock.  </p> <p><a href="http://digg.com/" target="_blank">Digg</a> or <a href="http://reddit.com/" target="_blank">Reddit</a> do this separation of news from noise with machines worked by user communities; <a href="http://news.google.com/">Google News</a> or <a href="http://www.techmeme.com">TechMeme</a>, with algorithms. </p> <p>"A" list bloggers, like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Scoble" target="_blank">Scoble</a>, do much the same by hand. Like sifting through gravel for diamonds, it is hard work, but could be profitable. </p> <blockquote> <p>I like the noise. Why? Because I can see patterns before anyone else. I saw the Chinese earthquake happening 45 minutes before Google News reported it. Why? Because I was watching the noise, not the news.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://scobleizer.com/2008/05/18/why-google-news-has-no-noise/">Scobleizer — Tech geek blogger » Blog Archive Why Google News has no noise «</a> </p> <p>However, what is news for Scoble is noise for many others. That's why all his stories don't hit the Digg front page. And, perhaps, the Digg front page itself is noise for most net users.</p> <p>In this ecosystem where bloggers pick each other's stories, book mark them or share them, everyone is a linked as both a producer and a consumer.</p> <p>Who are the winners in this ecosystem? </p> <p>Don't know. For now, I'm thinking whether the question itself makes sense.</p> <p> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:b6772adc-8072-4f79-93a3-0828524688d0" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Noise" rel="tag">Noise</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/news" rel="tag">news</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/ecosystem" rel="tag">ecosystem</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/algorithm" rel="tag">algorithm</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-23738575337693611382008-05-18T15:31:00.001+05:302008-05-18T15:31:12.302+05:30Why does your conversation with mom end this way?<p></p> <p>In last 9 months it's been watched more than half a million times! Most of the over 2000 comments are like:</p> <blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ParfaitTic">ParfaitTic</a> (5 days ago)</p> <p>OMG! your observations about life are so ... so.. REAL :D ! LOVE ALL YOUR VIDEOS</p> </blockquote> <p>Why do moms (and sometimes dad) behave like this? </p> <p></p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:545336f8-ac3c-4896-a0d3-6ec76473fdd7" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XmecyCCdknk&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XmecyCCdknk&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></div></div> <p></p> <p> </p> <p>Mom doesn't want you to eat Tuna against your wishes. This conversation isn't about fish, nutrition, mercury poisoning or anything.</p> <p>It's a little drama fuelled by loneliness and guilt. </p> <p>There are attempts to end the conversation: Mom, I don't like fish! (Please, can we stop talking ... er about fish and such other stuff?)</p> <p>And attempts to keep it going: Fish doesn't have as much mercury anymore. (Yes, you don't like fish for some reason. But I want to talk to you, and fish is about the only thing I can think of at the moment. Besides, I can't discuss your career or your children or your love life, without feeling so much like an outsider.)</p> <p>Sometimes an emotional scene over fish is better than emotionless silence between individuals.</p> <p> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:6a66bd54-b9be-480b-bb60-f6ef7777c6d1" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Life" rel="tag">Life</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/drama" rel="tag">drama</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/conversations" rel="tag">conversations</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/love" rel="tag">love</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Levni" rel="tag">Levni</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Yilmaz" rel="tag">Yilmaz</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/AgentXPQ" rel="tag">AgentXPQ</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-22995873818905175092008-05-14T11:26:00.001+05:302008-05-14T11:26:20.804+05:30The most productive 5 minutes of the day<p>On most days it's only five minutes, right after I wake up:</p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="399" border="0"><tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="47">00:30 </td> <td valign="top" width="349">Stretch. Straighten the spine, persuade muscles to wake up. Ah, that feels heavenly!</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="47">00:45 </td> <td valign="top" width="349">Flop back. </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="47">00:45 <br /></td> <td valign="top" width="349">Feel Happy. Recall the last day. Or contemplate life in general.</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="47">01:15 </td> <td valign="top" width="349">Focus. Now what was it that I'd decided to do? For the day or with my life?</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="47">00:30 </td> <td valign="top" width="349">Open eyes. Keep them open. Look around. Feel the morning.</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="47">00:45 </td> <td valign="top" width="349">Nudge my wife to see, if she responds.</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="47">00:20</td> <td valign="top" width="349">Now what it that I had to do, again?</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="47">00:10</td> <td valign="top" width="349">Sit up. Reach for the glasses. Switch off the alarm.</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p> </p> <p>All right, let's get on with it!</p> <p> </p> <p>Here's the trigger for my post:</p> <p></p> <blockquote> <p>The latest competition on Fuelmyblog is being sponsored by <a href="http://www.tsheets.com/">Tsheets.com.</a> There are two prizes and two ways of winning either an 80Gb iPod Classic or an 8Gb Nano -Your Choice!</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://blog.fuelmyblog.com/2008/04/win-one-of-2-ipods-in-this-great-new.html" target="_blank">Fuelmyblog: Win one of 2 iPods</a> </p> <p>Go ahead and write about your 5 minutes. I shall be happy if you win.</p> <p> </p> <p></p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:0c42eeeb-07e9-4f9a-b4fa-8df2fde50adb" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/fuelmyblog" rel="tag">fuelmyblog</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/tsheets.com" rel="tag">tsheets.com</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/contest" rel="tag">contest</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/productivity" rel="tag">productivity</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-86892419008712151992008-04-24T10:59:00.001+05:302008-04-24T10:59:12.160+05:30How to be creative or anything you want to be<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/people/Hugh_MacLeod/508305963">Hugh MacLeod</a> wrote a blog post called "<a title="How To Be Creative" href="http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/000932.html">How To Be Creative</a>" that's been downloaded more than a million times!</p> <p>Read it, or if you are pressed for time, he provides a summary: </p> <blockquote> <p>If I had to condense the entire work into a single line, it would read something like, "Work Hard. Keep at it. Live simply and quietly. Remain humble. Stay positive. Be nice. Be polite."</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/004478.html">gapingvoid: "cartoons drawn on the back of business cards"</a> </p> <p><img src="http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/zzzmnjki17.jpg" /></p> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-24108126027328051682008-01-21T10:50:00.001+05:302008-06-07T23:38:25.158+05:30The One reason to trust Google<p>Tad Chef gives 12 reasons to distrust Google. </p> <blockquote> <p>Do you use Google? Do you think they are nice and friendly? Do you assume that what is good for Google is good for humanity as a whole? I don’t. Here is why: The top 12 reasons to distrust Google.</p> <ol> <li>Google supports and implements censorship measures in nondemocratic countries like China </li> <li>Google search is almost a monopoly in some countries, it already is one in others (in Germany more than 90% market share) </li> <li>...</li> </ol> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://collective-thoughts.com/2008/01/19/top-12-reasons-to-distrust-google/">Top 12 Reasons to Distrust Google | Collective Thoughts</a> </p> <p>I get to read his post because, based on my reading list, Google <em>recommends</em> his feed! That's the <em>one</em> reason why I like Google. They know best how to make the technology work for you<em>.</em></p> <p>Tad's reasons are worth thinking about. And you should heed his advice if you are the sort who believes the newspapers, or the UN Secretary General, or the Pope. </p> <p>But for those who have a healthy distrust of everything, Google is the least untrustworthy of all authoritative sources. </p> <p>And a whole lot more useful too!</p> <p> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:4a12fa54-d4fb-4369-b5ef-c5060ac74336" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Google%20Reader" rel="tag">Google Reader</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Google" rel="tag">Google</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/trust" rel="tag">trust</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/authoritative" rel="tag">authoritative</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/information" rel="tag">information</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-45101318718040764472007-12-28T14:54:00.001+05:302007-12-28T14:54:01.897+05:30The Best of Times<p>It was built with the idea that good time would last forever.</p> <p><img style="margin: 0px 15px 5px 0px" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/46/Styx_-_Paradise_Theater.jpg" align="left" />But like the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Theatre" target="_blank">Paradise Theatre</a>, New Delhi's Chanakya Cinema was closed down this week.</p> <p>It was in the 70's that I saw my first movie at Chanakya: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151392/" target="_blank">Lost in the Desert</a>--the story of a small boy surviving in the desert after a plane crash. It's not a movie often remembered today, but I can still recall the vivid grains of sand projected on the finest screens of its time in New Delhi. </p> <p>Chanakya was an experience unlike any other. In its early days, the movies were mostly Hollywood, though a few years late; and the crowd, expatriates and the rich that lived around the area. The quietness of the surroundings, the bold architectural style of the theatre building and when you entered inside, the plush carpet--everything in Chanakya had character. For India passing through difficult times, it was a piece of the future that we hoped to create. </p> <p>As a schoolboy I heard of the technical challenges in designing the "structure and the acoustics" (yes, the very words of the storyteller), with assistance from the nearby IIT.  Don't know how much of that story was true, but it made us want to grow up and do big things.</p> <p>India has since arrived. And so have the new generation of malls and multiplexes around Delhi, one of them being planned for the hallowed ground where Chanakya stands today.</p> <p>The city of Delhi has been rebuilt at least 6 times in last 2000 years. So one structure being razed to make way for another, is perhaps par for this course. </p> <p>Nevertheless, the memory of Chanakya shall remain in the hearts of men and women of Delhi, who can associate events in their lives with movie posters that adorned its walls at the same time.</p> <p> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:b6b7fa8d-d30e-4f8c-963b-87dbd053e98c" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Chanakya%20Cinema" rel="tag">Chanakya Cinema</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Delhi" rel="tag">Delhi</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/New%20Delhi" rel="tag">New Delhi</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Paradise%20Theatre" rel="tag">Paradise Theatre</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-87377647498114813042007-12-19T20:32:00.001+05:302007-12-19T20:41:28.132+05:30Beware of who automatically sees your shared feed in Google Reader!<p>Google has added your friends shared items right inside the <a href="http://www.google.com/reader/" target="_blank">Google Reader</a>. See the link highlighted below:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/sunilbajpai/R2kyYlLrnmI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/H57Ihlq0Row/Google%20Reader%5B3%5D"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="258" alt="Google Reader" src="http://lh3.google.com/sunilbajpai/R2kyZlLrnnI/AAAAAAAAAOY/YSCf5WggzVw/Google%20Reader_thumb%5B1%5D" width="464" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>It is a great way to share the feed with chat friends on Google Talk, EXCEPT:</p> <p>It appears that your blocked contacts would also see your shared feed when they begin to use Google Reader. While the shared feed is public, you <strong>may not want it to appear automatically in blocked contacts' accounts</strong>. </p> <p>If so, you have to delete their contact information from your address book!</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.google.com/reader/shared/user/06329022152074415549/state/com.google/broadcast" target="_blank">My shared items from Google Reader</a></p> <p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:4412450e-e0b8-442c-8654-f0f42d562773" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Google%20Reader" rel="tag">Google Reader</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/shared%20feed" rel="tag">shared feed</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/blocked" rel="tag">blocked</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/contact" rel="tag">contact</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/friends" rel="tag">friends</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/chat" rel="tag">chat</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Gtalk" rel="tag">Gtalk</a></div></p> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-54592535456992343822007-12-19T16:44:00.001+05:302007-12-19T17:04:57.521+05:30Tried EVERY SEO trick and failed? Read Jonathan Morrow<p>There is a technique to making your reader follow the words effortlessly. </p> <p>If they read, they also comment, subscribe or link. After that what you've learnt in SEO school may prove useful. </p> <p>Getting them to <em>read</em> is the key. And it works like this:</p> <p>Google would always find you and send a few visitors. But visitors don't automatically become readers. You've to entice them to read. If they read, they feel a little compulsion to act. For instance, some of them might give you a link. </p> <p><strong>But it's not for us to worry about links</strong> and how they convert to <strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PageRank" target="_blank">PageRank</a></strong>. <strong>It's for Google to</strong> worry about their technology and to <strong>send visitors to pages that people read</strong>. We can trust them to keep tweaking their methods and find content that people like to read.</p> <p>Read Jonathan Morrow for content, and you'd learn something useful. But study his method to entice you to read on, and you've cracked the code!</p> <p>Try Jon's latest post on <a href="http://www.copyblogger.com/" target="_blank">Copyblogger</a>. You may want to think how you'd treat this subject before reading the piece. </p> <blockquote> <p>Your writer's muse is like a puppy. It needs care and discipline and if you treat it well it will be your best friend for many years to come. <br /> <br /><a href="http://www.copyblogger.com/dog-obediance-school/">read more</a> | <a href="http://digg.com/arts_culture/3_Writing_Lessons_I_Learned_in_Dog_Obedience_School_2" target="_blank">digg Jon's story</a></p> <p> </p> </blockquote> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:495f2c26-546f-40a5-bd28-3765deb84b8a" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/visitor" rel="tag">visitor</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/links" rel="tag">links</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/comments" rel="tag">comments</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Google" rel="tag">Google</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PageRank" rel="tag">PageRank</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/SEO" rel="tag">SEO</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-67289379153034717392007-12-17T16:26:00.001+05:302008-06-07T23:38:25.158+05:30Nature's way: Does he snore for you?<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="400" border="0"><tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="203"><a href="http://lh5.google.com/sunilbajpai/R2ZV01LrnkI/AAAAAAAAAOA/1ZXbJ49LhEM/981269875_32a6377cf6_b%5B3%5D"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="244" alt="981269875_32a6377cf6_b" src="http://lh3.google.com/sunilbajpai/R2ZV2VLrnlI/AAAAAAAAAOI/G82zT2jlAE0/981269875_32a6377cf6_b_thumb%5B1%5D" width="164" align="left" border="0" /></a></td> <td valign="bottom" width="193">Source: <br /> <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ninjapoodles/" target="_blank">ninjapoodles</a>, who relates an interesting <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ninjapoodles/981269875/" target="_blank">story about the picture</a>. <br /> <br />She also blogs at <a href="http://www.ninjapoodles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ninja Poodle</a>.</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p> </p> <p>Does it constitute an <em>explanation</em> that snoring is caused by the vibration of soft tissue at the back of the throat?</p> <p>That's like saying that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coqui" target="_blank">coqui frog</a> produces ear-splitting calls because of the vibrations from a sac near its mouth. Of course, but why? </p> <p>Click here to learn about <a title="Frog communications by Peter M. Narins" href="http://www.acoustics.org/press/swa9501.html" target="_blank">frog communication</a>. For a theory about snoring read on.</p> <p>Such a theory must explain: </p> <ol> <li>Why does it affect men far more than women? </li> <li>Why does it seem to switch on in middle age? </li> </ol> <p>It must also explain why evolution hasn't worked to eliminate it when: </p> <ol> <li>Women don't consider snoring attractive and </li> <li>It could cause a serious disorder called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_apnea">sleep apnea</a> in the snorer. </li> </ol> <p>Could it be that snoring offers (or once offered) a <em>survival advantage</em>?  </p> <p>Quite likely, when you consider:</p> <ul> <li>It isn't a health problem, unless it becomes excessive and occurs in conjunction with other conditions, such as obesity. Well , what is not a health problem in its more severe or excessive form? </li> <li>The snorer can sleep undisturbed. Actually, so can his companion in bed, unless there is some other underlying reason for her disturbed sleep. </li> </ul> <p>But what could be its <em></em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survival_value" target="_blank">survival advantage</a>? Perhaps, the fact that snoring loudly can <em>scare away animals</em> that may attack a sleeping family. </p> <p>Plus, an adult male would be the best choice for tackling an animal that comes snooping:</p> <ul> <li>He would be strong, and skilled, enough to take on a wild animal that may be reasonably repulsed </li> <li>The one to sacrifice, should this become necessary. He would have already passed on his genes to the next generation. </li> </ul> <p>Oh, btw, animals also snore. It would make sense for them to snore too, isn't it?</p> <p> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:d143b1e1-7e3c-4a47-8c16-4894120f368c" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/snore" rel="tag">snore</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/snoring" rel="tag">snoring</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/survival%20advantage" rel="tag">survival advantage</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/survival%20value" rel="tag">survival value</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/evolution" rel="tag">evolution</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-83938179790608629352007-12-13T18:16:00.001+05:302007-12-13T18:16:33.479+05:30When all information might reside on your iPod?<p>To the prediction that all content in the world would easily fit inside an iPod by 2020, Amit Agarwal asks a relevant question:</p> <blockquote> <p>Interesting but if these Google-iPod predictions happen to come true, <strong>we would definitely need something like a Google Mini Search Appliance for our Apple iPods</strong>. </p> </blockquote> <p>Source: <a href="http://www.labnol.org/gadgets/ipod/google-store-all-information-in-ipod/1930/">Google: All Content In This World Will Soon Be in Your iPod | Digital Inspiration Technology Guide</a> </p> <p>But wait a second. Are we taking of all content of the year 2020? Can we even estimate how much content that might be?</p> <p>Yes, cost of storage has dropped dramatically, but many other technologies have seen similar improvements that could cause a content explosion. Network speed, for instance.</p> <p>Or take cameras and video recorders in cell phones. What might be the impact of streaming high-definition video produced continually by every cell phone? And the impact of inexpensive bandwidth to store all of it online? </p> <p>Yes, much of the content so produced may be pointless, but would that deter us?</p> <p>We may actually never need much storage on an iPod, no matter how many functions we can think of fitting into it today. The memory required may be no more than what's needed to operate a cache for the ever connected iPod of 2020.</p> <p> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:5081acf2-cde1-4f1b-a318-b0db2257e9da" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/iPod" rel="tag">iPod</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/storage" rel="tag">storage</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/prediction" rel="tag">prediction</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/future" rel="tag">future</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/technology" rel="tag">technology</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/advancement" rel="tag">advancement</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/content" rel="tag">content</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-68366036681810961922007-12-05T11:01:00.001+05:302007-12-05T11:01:47.864+05:30Capturing essence in a few strokes<p>With a few pen strokes, Hugh of <a href="http://www.gapingvoid.com/" target="_blank">gapingvoid</a> captures Barcelona's church, <em>Sagrada Família</em>.</p> <p><a title="Sagrada Familia by Hugh" href="http://www.gapingvoid.com/0711crazycathedral.jpg" target="_blank"><img height="236" src="http://www.gapingvoid.com/0711crazycathedral.jpg" width="392" /></a></p> <p>Source: <a title="http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/004359.html" href="http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/004359.html">http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/004359.html</a></p> <p> </p> <p>The church appears to reach out to heavens in much sadness, if not anger.</p> <p>The pictures I took of the church (coincidentally at the same time as Hugh was there) don't capture the feeling as accurately as his sketch. </p> <p>I played with one picture in Photoshop, but the results, even when interesting, weren't art.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/sunilbajpai/R1Y3u071POI/AAAAAAAAALk/AeQnFqT8QYs/DSC00169%5B6%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="496" alt="DSC00169" src="http://lh6.google.com/sunilbajpai/R1Y3wk71PPI/AAAAAAAAALs/wyZw_1bFEkU/DSC00169_thumb%5B4%5D" width="382" border="0" /></a> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:7e9810e8-cca4-4347-892c-89fdc49524db" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Sagrada%20Familia" rel="tag">Sagrada Familia</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/art" rel="tag">art</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/gapingvoid" rel="tag">gapingvoid</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/church" rel="tag">church</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/sadness" rel="tag">sadness</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/picture" rel="tag">picture</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/photoshop" rel="tag">photoshop</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-61633583745838357162007-11-29T12:50:00.001+05:302007-11-29T12:50:15.929+05:30Getting acquainted with Seville<a href="http://lh6.google.com/sunilbajpai/R05n4IerMXI/AAAAAAAAAKU/ybDdiknEDmk/DSC000482"></a></a> <p>Haven't made a new post for a long time because I'd been travelling and was occupied with work.</p> <p>One interesting place I got to see was Sevilla in Spain.</p> <p>The city has a river running through it, called <a title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalquivir" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalquivir" target="_blank">Guadalquivir</a>. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.google.com/sunilbajpai/R05n4IerMXI/AAAAAAAAAKU/ybDdiknEDmk/DSC000482"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="184" alt="DSC00048" src="http://lh3.google.com/sunilbajpai/R05n7YerMYI/AAAAAAAAAKY/rv4RvWn2xOA/DSC00048_thumb2" width="244" align="left" border="0" /></a></p> <p>Here's a night time picture from one of its bridges (Puente del la Barqueta?) that connects the main city to island <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triana_%28Seville%29" target="_blank">Triana</a>. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.google.com/sunilbajpai/R05n84erMZI/AAAAAAAAAKg/y4WmcD2__X4/DSC000922"><font color="#333333">There's</font></a> a lot of life in this area, and not just in the evenings. </p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.google.com/sunilbajpai/R05n_oerMaI/AAAAAAAAAKo/CG17jJnNdjU/DSC00045%5B3%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="184" alt="DSC00045" src="http://lh6.google.com/sunilbajpai/R05oBIerMbI/AAAAAAAAAKw/kchpzq5Ufto/DSC00045_thumb%5B1%5D" width="244" align="left" border="0" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>Painters doing their thing at the foot of the bridge next morning.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Sevilla (some claim the much smaller Triana) is the birthplace of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamenco">Flamenco</a> music and dance that are such an important part of Spanish culture.<a href="http://lh5.google.com/sunilbajpai/R05n84erMZI/AAAAAAAAAKg/y4WmcD2__X4/DSC000922"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="184" alt="DSC00092" src="http://lh4.google.com/sunilbajpai/R05oDoerMcI/AAAAAAAAAK4/k8oWPvZwcJo/DSC00092_thumb2" width="244" align="right" border="0" /></a></p> <p>Here's a dancer at one of the shows I got to see.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.google.com/sunilbajpai/R05n84erMZI/AAAAAAAAAKg/y4WmcD2__X4/DSC000922"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.google.com/sunilbajpai/R05n84erMZI/AAAAAAAAAKg/y4WmcD2__X4/DSC000922"></a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>The landmark that city identifies with most closely is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giralda" target="_blank">Giralda</a>, the bell tower of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Seville">Cathedral of Seville</a>. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.google.com/sunilbajpai/R05oF4erMdI/AAAAAAAAALA/FFECBHVUaos/DSC001474"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="244" alt="DSC00147" src="http://lh3.google.com/sunilbajpai/R05oHYerMeI/AAAAAAAAALM/PwhIRHX9AV4/DSC00147_thumb2" width="184" align="left" border="0" /></a>It's painted on ceramic plates that tourists to the city are supposed buy.</p> <p>The cathedral is awesome.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>And so is the castle nearby, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alc%C3%A1zar_of_Seville" target="_blank">Alcázar of Seville</a>. </p> <p>It is a strange structure, because several castles seem to occupy the same place and are fused into each other, much like objects in a Picasso painting.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/sunilbajpai/R05oKYerMfI/AAAAAAAAALU/RtwsVJMZHKY/DSC00150%5B3%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="184" alt="DSC00150" src="http://lh3.google.com/sunilbajpai/R05oLYerMgI/AAAAAAAAALc/jy0mjx9sIKw/DSC00150_thumb%5B1%5D" width="244" align="left" border="0" /></a>The rich stonework on its walls is unbelievable, even as you look at it.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:2c7d0580-4716-4a5c-a3ae-33c8b1fb6a1d" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Sevilla" rel="tag">Sevilla</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Seville" rel="tag">Seville</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Alcazar" rel="tag">Alcazar</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Giralda" rel="tag">Giralda</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Flamenco" rel="tag">Flamenco</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-40096802761555783902007-10-17T23:11:00.001+05:302007-10-17T23:35:27.279+05:30Google.com designed for SEO in Google!<p>Wonderful way to learn:</p> <ol> <li>What the SEO guys mostly do, </li> <li>How their strategy works, and </li> <li>When it may be completely unnecessary! </li> </ol> <p>In a painless, <a href="http://www.meangene.com/google/design_for_google.html">humorous demo</a>. </p> <p> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:d18dd9a9-bfaa-48b4-9a91-ce153691d6b9" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/SEO" rel="tag">SEO</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/pagerank" rel="tag">pagerank</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Google" rel="tag">Google</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Digg" rel="tag">Digg</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-75102854180995350552007-10-10T17:48:00.001+05:302007-10-10T17:49:11.540+05:30If you change nothing, expect more of the same!<p>In yet another incident, a Blueline bus <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Delhi/Blueline_kills_motorcyclist_in_Noida/rssarticleshow/2441836.cms" target="_blank">crushes a motorcyclist</a> to death in Noida. </p> <p>The High Court calls the death of seven person in <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2436746.cms" target="_blank">an earlier</a> incident as <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Delhi/HC_terms_accident_by_Blueline_bus_as_shocking/rssarticleshow/2438538.cms" target="_blank">shocking</a>. The police have <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Delhi/Delhi_Police_impounds_100_Blueline_buses/articleshow/2443728.cms" target="_blank">impounded 100 buses</a> and a former Union Minister <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/BJP_leader_held_for_driving_Blueline_bus_in_Delhi/rssarticleshow/2445270.cms" target="_blank">drives a Blueline bus</a> to the Chief Ministers home!</p> <p>Everyone is clearly agitated and surprised that nothing seems to work.</p> <p>Now consider this:</p> <blockquote> <p>A large number of Blueline buses ply whole day in Delhi, they take small risks all the time (because it pays), and the chance of a mishap is small (in any individual incident of risky behaviour). But on an average we have an accident every two days.</p> </blockquote> <p>The situation may be modelled using the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisson_distribution" target="_blank">Poisson Distribution</a>. Without going into the mathematics of it, we can expect:</p> <ol> <li>A few accident-free days.  <br /> <br />It won't be the result of the so-called crackdown, but rather due to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisson_Distribution#Poisson_noise_and_characterizing_small_occurrences" target="_blank">Poisson Noise</a>. <br /></li> <li>A spate of accidents.  <br /> <br />For the same reason as above, not because things may go completely out of hand. (Mathematically, the situation seems to be stable for last three years!)</li> </ol> <p>The accidents would reduce when the distribution characteristic change: either reduce the number of these buses or adjust the incentives that cause the behaviour. </p> <p>But that seems to be <a href="http://sunilbajpai.blogspot.com/2007/10/why-do-blueline-buses-continue-to-kill.html" target="_blank">difficult to do</a>.</p> <p> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:68623367-9734-4c88-bdfd-dc069a82c57d" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Poisson%20distribution" rel="tag">Poisson distribution</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/accidents" rel="tag">accidents</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Blueline" rel="tag">Blueline</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/incentive" rel="tag">incentive</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-34160277541720943062007-10-09T12:29:00.001+05:302007-10-09T12:29:12.970+05:30Chema Vilchez in New Delhi<p><a href="http://lh5.google.com/sunilbajpai/RwsmtioHoGI/AAAAAAAAADk/7QlXFFtQ1cQ/290920070412.jpg" target="_blank"><img id="id" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="173" alt="The Lotus Temple, September 29, 2007" src="http://lh6.google.com/sunilbajpai/RwsmvyoHoHI/AAAAAAAAADs/4nKJTnj2xwo/29092007041_thumb2.jpg" width="252" align="left" border="0" /></a></p> <p>Sometimes images get stuck in the mind.</p> <p>Most of last week, I revisited the shimmering <a title="The Lotus Temple in New Delhi" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bah%C3%A1%27%C3%AD_House_of_Worship&oldid=158398014#Delhi.2C_India" target="_blank">Lotus Temple</a> that was visible from the auditorium where we had gathered for a concert hosted by the Spanish Embassy.</p> <p>Perhaps, it was the magic that <a href="http://www.chemavilchez.com" target="_blank" rel="tag">Chema Vilchez</a> created in the next hour that fixed the whole experience in my mind.</p> <p> </p> <p><img id="id" src="http://www.chemavilchez.com/img/chemaraimundo2.jpg" /> </p> <p>Source: <a href="http://www.chemavilchez.com">http://www.chemavilchez.com</a> </p> <p> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:e8a784f0-3f7f-47d0-8474-f62a7319ba23" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Chem%20Vichez" rel="tag">Chem Vichez</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Lotus%20Temple" rel="tag">Lotus Temple</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/guitar" rel="tag">guitar</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/concert" rel="tag">concert</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-11157057030388182142007-10-08T16:04:00.001+05:302007-10-08T16:04:01.149+05:30Why do Blueline buses continue to kill?<p>In July the <em>Times of India</em> reported that Delhi State's Transport Minister, Haroon Yusuf, would pray at Ajmer for respite from deaths caused by Blueline buses.</p> <p>Either the visit didn't happen or the Spirit at the Dargah wasn't mollified because deaths from Blueline buses have continued.</p> <blockquote>Seven people, including five women, were killed in Badarpur area on Sunday morning when an overspeeding Blueline bus rammed into people crossing a road, triggering protests by angry onlookers who indulged in stone pelting and tried to set the bus afire.</blockquote> <p><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2436746.cms">Blueline bus kills seven in Delhi-Delhi-Cities-The Times of India</a> </p> <p>Not only the prayers, nothing else seems to work either:</p> <ol> <li>Speed governors. (Easily tampered with. Or, maybe with some difficulty.)</li> <li>A crackdown on the buses. (Whatever <em>that</em> means.)</li> <li>Action against errant drivers. (Not much it seems, because it hasn't made a difference to their behaviour.)</li> </ol> <p>"Technology is the only way out of this mess," <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Delhi/Killer_Blueline_got_all-clear_on_77/articleshow/2438050.cms" target="_blank">according to Mr Yusuf</a>. And <a href="http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14539374&vsv=SHGTslot4" target="_blank">some technology solutions</a> are being thought up. </p> <p>But my question is: Who or what created the mess in the first place? It should be obvious that the answer is <em>incorrectly aligned incentives!</em></p> <p>It pays to speed. And the returns aren't offset by penalties, whether you are caught speeding or arrested after the accident.</p> <p>What would fix the problem then? Adjusting the incentives, of course. But that seems to be difficult to do for some reason.</p> <p> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:28e7f588-a1b5-4577-89af-1e16d8d0fdd5" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/incentive" rel="tag">incentive</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/penalty" rel="tag">penalty</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/behaviour" rel="tag">behaviour</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/solution" rel="tag">solution</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Blueline" rel="tag">Blueline</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-8677728910155255302007-09-26T11:42:00.001+05:302007-09-26T11:42:19.447+05:30Where is my home?<p>Delhi is beginning to get colder. This morning there was also a light drizzle. </p> <p>Why does such weather make one happy?</p> <p>Tens of millions of years ago where human ancestors were born in Africa or Eurasia, the climate may have been just like this.</p> <p>Since then not only humans but weather too probably drifted away from what was paradise. </p> <p>However, occasionally, we can still experience it. </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/sunilbajpai/Rvn4NioHoEI/AAAAAAAAADU/wsfe-8ZUkQE/260920070372.jpg" target="_blank"><img id="id" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="319" alt="Lovely morning!" src="http://lh5.google.com/sunilbajpai/Rvn4QCoHoFI/AAAAAAAAADc/0Mmc-_bixAY/26092007037_thumb1.jpg" width="419" border="0" /></a></p> <p>Have a great day!</p> <p> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:783af412-0f6f-4a01-9986-8dbfcc96bf6b" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/weather" rel="tag">weather</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/happiness" rel="tag">happiness</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/paradise" rel="tag">paradise</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712595.post-51472512437340360742007-09-17T15:28:00.001+05:302007-09-17T18:04:11.296+05:30Milan's first Twittergram<div style="float: right; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px"><a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scobleizer/1391031346/"><img style="border-right: #000000 2px solid; border-top: #000000 2px solid; border-left: #000000 2px solid; border-bottom: #000000 2px solid" alt="" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1073/1391031346_5d557108a4_m.jpg" /></a> <br /><span style="margin-top: 0px; font-size: 0.9em"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scobleizer/1391031346/">Milan's first Twittergram</a> <br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/scobleizer/">Robert Scoble</a>. </span></div> <p>Robert Scoble recorded a <a title="Send small MP3 files via twitter!" href="http://www.twittergram.com/" target="_blank">Twittergram</a> to announce the birth of his son.</p> <blockquote> <p>Something about the first cry that just gets your attention. It’s different than any cry that’s come since.</p> </blockquote> <p>Source: <a href="http://scobleizer.com/2007/09/16/two-days-of-milan-his-first-twittergram-story-blogtalk-radio/">Two days of Milan — his first Twittergram story — BlogTalk Radio « Scobleizer</a> </p> <p>I know what Robert is saying. </p> <p>Nearly 15 years ago, when I heard my own son cry for the first time, I was startled. It was a voice that I recognized instantly--and unmistakably. It was my grandmother's!</p> <p>When he cried again, I tried to hear carefully. The resemblance was much less obvious. </p> <p>It was gone in a few hours.</p> <p> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:e6a14e5b-fe75-4b27-9404-9dd26353c554" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/birth" rel="tag">birth</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/cry" rel="tag">cry</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/atavism" rel="tag">atavism</a></div> Sunil Bajpaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04415704915268691419noreply@blogger.com0