Self Exile

Dream: Roam All Around Pakistan

Sohail — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:46:29 +0000

I am having this dream for quite some time now: to wander all around pakistan once before getting married…

And I hope to turn this dream into reality any time now. These days I am planning for it. Getting things done, finishing client projects, and buying necessary stuff. It will be quite an experience. I have got a special domain ready to post pictures, videos, and text about the places where I will stay/pass through out this tour.

I gave not decided by what mean I will be traveling. What about a motorcycle?

I dont think any of my friends will be ready to go with me. So most probably I will be alone. Lets see. I will keep you updated!

Wordpress Plugin: Hide Wordpress Version from Hackers

Sohail — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:35:03 +0000

The first thing hackers see before trying to apply any cracking attempts on your wordpress-based websites is the version of wordpress you are having. Experts say you should hide that version number from your output html to make it difficult for crackers to get into your site.

Prior to wordpress 2.5, this was written in header.php theme file. So you could simply delete that line:

” />

But from wordpress 2.5 onward, this is generated automatically by wordpress core engine and inserted in part of your site’s HTML. I have written a little plugin “hide-wp-generator” that hides meta-generator tag altogether and thus helps you keeping your site secure.

Download the Plugin Here

Twitter Nonsense

Sohail — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 11:37:17 +0000

Twitter Nonsense is new addition to my portfolio. Its a beautiful and nice use of wordpress to present daily-comic strips. I was responsible for implementing the design into the wordpress theme with some necessary customization to wordpress itself. The client for this project is Anton Gigov, one of the best clients I’ve been working with.

The difficult part was to show comments and commet-form on home page. It is possible with a hack: by commenting out line # 643 in wp-includes/comment-template.php:

642. if ( ! (is_single() || is_page() || $withcomments) )
643. return;

But modifying wordpress core files is never a good option if you can achieve the results with a plugin or custom coding within theme. What I did for Twitter Nonsense was to write the following code segment at the top of header.php that redirects the user to latest-post when he visits the site:

$url = “http://” . $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] . $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'];

if($url == ‘http://www.pink-sheep.com/twitter-nonsense/’)
{
global $wpdb;
$last_post_id = $wpdb->get_var( “SELECT ID FROM $wpdb->posts WHERE post_type = ‘post’ AND post_password = ” AND post_status = ‘publish’ ORDER BY post_date DESC LIMIT 1″);
wp_redirect( get_permalink( $last_post_id ) );
exit;
}

My First Day at Hospital

Sohail — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:40:12 +0000

Finally, they had me!

For the first time in my life, I was in a hospital. It was quite an experience for a person like me who has never been there, believes in human adaptability & natural healing and is quite lazy too

The hospital was all fine and not at all like what I had imagined and read in newspapers. But I didn’t quite like it. I didn’t like the need to get checked. I hated it.

I was having lowgrade fever every other month. And some people said it might be something serious. So I was there to get tested for anything other than fever. I don’t even understand the names and effects of those disease! They have taken half a syringe of my blood. Will be applying some chemistry over them to tell me what chemicals (they call it medicine) I need to take.

I was thinking if it turns out to be serious, then… I don’t want to die

I want knowledge! Not faith, not assumptions, but knowledge.

Sohail — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:51:33 +0000

Antonius:
I want knowledge! Not faith, not assumptions, but knowledge. I want God to stretch out His hand, uncover His face and speak to me.
Death:
But He remains silent.
Antonius:
I call out to Him in the darkness. But it’s as if no one was there.
Death:
Perhaps there isn’t anyone.
Antonius:
Then life is a preposterous horror. No man can live faced with Death, knowing everything’s nothingness.
Death:
Most people think neither of death nor nothingness.
Antonius:
But one day you stand at the edge of life and face darkness.
Death:
That day.
Antonius:
I understand what you mean.

This is a dialog from The Seventh Seal, one of the best movies I have ever watched. I can quote so many lines that are just close to my heart. I highly recommend you to watch this. What wikipedia has to say about this movie is:

The Seventh Seal (Swedish: Det sjunde inseglet) is an existential 1957 Swedish film directed by Ingmar Bergman about the journey of a medieval knight across a plague-ridden landscape, and a monumental game of chess between himself and the personification of Death, who has come to take his life. The film has long been regarded a masterpiece of cinema.

And here are some more lines from the movie:

“I met Death today. We are playing chess.”

“Love is the blackest of all plagues… if one could die of it, there would be some pleasure in love, but you don’t die of it. “

“I want to confess as best I can, but my heart is void. The void is a mirror. I see my face and feel loathing and horror. My indifference to men has shut me out. I live now in a world of ghosts, a prisoner in my dreams. “

“Have you met the devil? I want to meet him too. I want to ask him about God. He must know. He, if anyone. “

Morning In Islamabad

Sohail — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 23:26:51 +0000

The Birth of Ideas Hut

Sohail — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:24:12 +0000

Once upon a time, I had a 5 word faecbook status “make developers network of pakistan”. I would have changed that status and ahead the next day. But Fariha saw it and started bugging me We discussed and groomed the idea with each wall-post. Better put, it was she who groomed the idea, I was simple replying to what she was throwing at me . And I felt what we are discussing is important and should be shared with the world. And more people should participate in the process. So I setup a rough version of Ideas Hut and sent her the link.

That started yet another brainstorming session over IM. We made a road map for Ideas Hut, how it can benefit everyone, what features it should have to be really useful and all that. I was impressed by her planning abilities and vision. The first idea we have at Ideas Hut (IT-Professionals-Network) is in fact a result of her brainstorming. To be faithful, she has bigger part in start and growth of Ideas Hut than I. And that makes her our CEO.

Ideas Hut is very dear to us. We have big dreams about its future. its not really launched and is still in beta. Many things from our first board meeting’s minutes still need to be addressed. Stay with us, you will see something very interesting from the two mad Pakistanis. May be you see us on Wired’s cover some day for the startup we launch taking an idea from Ideas Hut

Zong GPRS Plays Youtube Videos Very Well

Sohail — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:48:44 +0000

I’ve always been a heavy data-user on my mobile service. But since I got unlimited data plan (a day ago), I’m not hesitant in opening heavy sites, allowing images & javascript and all. I am on Zong network. The procedure to get the unlimited GPRS can be made more simple. Their call center representative told me to get a balance of 460+ and then call him back. I did and then he filed my request in some queue telling me that my unlimited gprs will be activated within 24 hours (”if you maintain your balance to 460+”). So thats how I got unlimited data plan.

Now my youtube experience with Zong GPRS: Last night when power was out and I was laying in bed. I thought to visit that youtube mobile portal. And clicked on one of the featured videos from home page and then “Watch Video” and WOW, it streamed very smooth without a single second pause. I never thought a gprs connection can do this for me. Thanks Zong. I’ll be waiting for when you offer EDGE (and 3G). I guess, I will abandon my exile then

UPDATE: Now its easy to subscribe to this package. Just dial 905 from your phone and select the package. In addition to this monthly package, you can also subscribe to the hourly package that will cost you Rs 15 / hour. And the billing will be for the minutes you have used not for the whole hour.

Testing wordpress mobile client

Sohail — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:04:57 +0000

Hello all, i’m writing this post via a wordpress client for symbian os. Hope it works or i’ll write my own.

update: so it worked! The client is Scribe. Its written in python. I had to install python for symbian before installing this client. Its quite slow, may be because its not native symbian code.

As my mobile sees me

Sohail — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 22:23:37 +0000

I just took this pic using my cell. And with just one click on my mobile it was on flickr. And with some more clicks i’m blogging it.

Will You Share a Business Idea?

Sohail — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 01:28:28 +0000

Two mad Pakistanis have created a service where you can roll out startup ideas. Everyone will discuss them. They will get improved. And someone will implement them. Sounds interesting or stupid :S

Lets see why would someone want to share business ideas after all: Because we are already doing it anyway! Do you remember last time you tried to find an online service but could not find it? Did you read the other day a fellow blogger asking for localized services for Pakistan? Do you want to see an idea implemented but you know you are too busy to do that? These are the situations when you do want to share ideas.

And that’s why we created Ideas Hut. Now, we have a place where we can roll-out & discuss ideas we care about and want to see alive. The mantra is simple: we share and discuss an idea and we get the service. Isn’t it great? Go check for yourself: http://ideashut.com

Oh, by the way, the mad Pakistanis are Fariha and Me.

Am I back to blogging?

Sohail — Thu, 29 May 2008 07:44:38 +0000

I am writing this post via desktop blogging client BlogDesk. A friend of mine ReallyVirtual recommended it. I think I will be back to regular blogging now [when was I into regular blogging anyway :)]. Lets hope for the best. Stay tuned.

More Work, Sure?? — Freelance Freedom

Sohail — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:43:57 +0000

Concert Next Week, I’m There — Freelance Freedom

Sohail — Sat, 10 May 2008 01:40:34 +0000

Intel-AIOU Joint Offer: Classmate PC for Rs. 17,000

Sohail — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:43:06 +0000

I have a major update regarding AIOU providing laptops to its students. Last time when I reported it was not that big. But now Open University seems serious in bulk-buying Intel Classmate PCs for students. Although they have 5 laptops to choose from, more concentration is being given to new upcoming models of Intel classmate PC.

The three UMPCs (Ultra Mobile PCs) are

1. Asus Eee PC (Rs. 18,400) - 7 inch screen, 512 MB, 900 MHz, 4GB SSD
2. Intel Classmate PC (Rs. 17,000) - 7 inch screen, 512 MB, 900 MHz, 2GB SSD
3. Intel Classmate PC (Rs. 20,000) - 9 inch screen, 512 MB, 900 MHz, 20GB HDD

All three UMPCs have Ethernet port, Wireless LAN, Built-in speaker and microphone, 2 USB ports. Intel Classmates also have built-in web cam.

On left, you see ASUS Eee PC, Center 9-inch Classmate PC, and right is 7-inch Classmate PC.

If you are a student of AIOU, you can get these computers without any markup and on easy installments by filling the form on intel-aiou joint website, pcforall.net

Pakistani Government Blocks YouTube!

Sohail — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:26:53 +0000

UPDATE: Youtube.com is accessible now. It was banned due to trailer of an upcoming documentary “De Koranfilm” by Nederland’s MP (Member Parliament) Geert Wilders. The trailer is removed from youtube. The url of the trailer is still banned.

I’ve just got an email from my ISP telling me that authorities have ordered them to block access to YouTube.com! When will “the authorities” understand blocking a thing isn’t a solution of anything. Here is the text of email:

Dear Valued Customer:

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (www.pta.gov.pk) has directed all ISPs of the country to block access to www.youtube.com web site for containing blasphemous web content/movies.

The site would remain blocked till further orders from PTA. Meanwhile, Internet users can write to youtube.com to remove the objectionable web content/movies because this removal would enable the authorities to order un-blocking of this web site.

We’re sorry for any inconvenience.

Best Regards

Manager
Technical Assistance Center
Micronet Broadband Pvt. Ltd.
Islamabad

Science Vs. Faith

Sohail — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:13:11 +0000

Reference: http://www.freethoughtpedia.com/wiki/Gallery_of_Scientific_Images

Open University Giving Eee PC and Classmate PC

Sohail — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 08:40:03 +0000

Pakistan’s Allama Iqbal Open University is giving Asus’ Eee PC and Intel’s Classmate PC to its faculty/students in a very reasonable price. (click the photo to enlarge)

I am just back from their display exhibition. Eee PC [900 Mhz, 512MB, 4GB] is for Rs. 20,400 ($334) and Classmate PC [900MHz, 512MB, 40GB] is for Rs. 22,000 ($360). The final price is expected to be lower than this when they are actually given to students. An installment period of 2, 3 and 5 years is also promised. Open University is also letting the students choose HP Compaq 6720s or Acer Aspire along with the two tablet-PC’s. View details here.

Switching to Linux! What, Why, Which One?

Sohail — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 23:29:34 +0000

A few days ago I decided to switch to Linux. At that time it was just because of I was free and wanted to do something and to learn something new. I’ve been a satisfied XP user for all the years I have used computer. And I pretty much like it. But still trying something new doesn’t hurt anyone. So lets try it.

What is Linux? Search this and you will find a lot of stuff with complex technical terms that will make you re-think your decision to try it. But fortunately I have a BS degree in computers. So it was not that hard to digest all that (I must admit it was somewhat hard). For a typical user “Linux System” should mean an operating system just like Windows or Mac that helps you use your computer (yes really). For a programmer its the kernel: the main part of the operating system. And the best thing about it is its open-source. And by virtue of that anyone can build an operating system using that kernel. That is the reason there are so many “flavors” or “distributions” of Linux out there.

So many people take the kernel, add a terminal to it (the command interface to interact with kernel), a graphics environment (GUI), add utility programs (Network Manager, Control Panel etc), add some daily-use software (media players, cd burner, office suit, games) and ship the whole thing as a distribution. We have got plenty of them. In fact quite a lot of them. A Linux Distribution is actually “the system” that is ready to be used by end users. Most popular being Ubuntu. And thats the distro I am using.

Now why should one use Linux: its open source. And because of that it puts “you” in control. It doesn’t hide things from you. Its very flexible. A Linux System you use is build so transparent that “you” know which thing does what and what alternatives you have for that. You know that the graphical environment is not necessary and you can remove that from your system, you can try another GUI from many available. You can use terminal of your choice. You can modify your system to do virtually anything you want it to do. AND A BIG THING: your system doesn’t hide things from you. It doesn’t consider you dumb and tells you whats happening and lets you control whats happening!

New Vision for selfexile.com

Sohail — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:26:13 +0000

As now you all know I am sad, emotionally down, and not doing freelancing these days. So what am I doing then?

Most of all I am thinking of my country. Things are not hopeful and so am I. Read a column last day in a local newspaper titled: “lamentation of a dying civilization”. The column resembles our times to those described in masterpiece of Urdu fiction Bahao of Mustansar Hussain Tarar (this is one my my top favorit books). So you can imagine how much affect I have taken of that!

And I am thinking of extending this website. To make it a hub of different sections each presenting an aspect of my land (and my passion). You will see in a week or two or three… I am not sure…….

When You don’t Feel Like Freelancing - 2

Sohail — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 06:59:38 +0000

There is another very important thing you can do in free days and I forgot to mention it in my last post When You don’t Feel Like Freelancing.

That thing is: Extend your knowledge. Learn new technologies!.

And I selected to learn and switch to a better operating system. And thats, of course, Linux I had tried it as an amusement during studies but could not switch to it that time (We had Red Hat 6 & 7.2 at that time; must be 1999 or 2000). Will be writing a series of posts about my experience with Linux. I hope they will help you decide. Stay Tuned.

When You don’t Feel Like Freelancing

Sohail — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 06:55:44 +0000

Sometimes in your freelancing career, you feel like not working (as I am facing this these days). But “just being free” will make you sad. So you have to find some way to use your energies.

And the best thing is to do some work for yourself! You can start a blog on the very technology you are in. Or do something that will ensure a stream of passive income. FreelanceSwitch has A (great) Guide to Making Passive Income.

And thats what I’m doing these days: putting some time into my project Folk Punjab. I just changed its design to a more attractive one. Will be changing the theme of this blog in a few days.

Feeling Blue

Sohail — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:37:13 +0000

The title says it all. I am emotionally down these days. Neither taking any work nor checking my emails regularly. It started when we had a short Internet breakage. And still its going on. And, of course, I am not happy about it.

The New Heritage Museum of Pakistan

Sohail — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:25:08 +0000

Yesterday I was passing by shakarparian and thought to visit Lok Visra. (”Lok Virsa” is an organization for preservation and presentation of pakistani culture with its headquarter near Shararparian woods, Islamabad. Its director is Uxi Mufti a great folk lover and son of the renowned fiction writer Mumtaz Mufti.)

Lok Virsa had a museum in shakarparian that had a collection of “all things cultural” from all over pakistan. Many have already visited it. It was good. But Just like any other museum.

But what I saw yesterday was just “WOW!!” They have improved everything. From the main gate to the administration offices. Its “only culture” now. And the best thing I saw was the “new heritage museum”. Its not a mere collection of cultural goods now. THEY HAVE RECREATED CULTURE OF EVERY PART OF PAKISTAN. yes, recreated. The museum is not a rectangular room now. Its a safari into different parts of pakistan. you see a white travel line where you walk and you are shown how vilages/people/things are at different cultural division. You see people{artificial} wearing cultural dresses. You see bazars. you see Traditional Love Stories of pakistan recreated. You see the dresses. you see the doors/ how the front of homes look. In fact, you are having a virtual tour of pakistan. And an important thing is cultural-relations with other countries over the past. How and what came into pakistan from Middle East. you “see” that with your eyes. everything re-created again. While you roam around in the museum, the construction/format of walls change as per the region you are in.

SO, ALL OF YOU, DO VISIT LOK VISRA NEW HERITAGE MUSEUM. IT IS WORTH VISITING. AND BESIDE MUSEUM THEY HAVE MANY MANY THINGS IN THEIR TERRITORY. UXI MUFTI WILL MAKE YOU RE-THINK!

Startup Insiders Islamabad : It was great!

Sohail — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:54:46 +0000

Yesterday I was at Startup Insiders, Islamabad. Its is an initiative by P@SHA and Green & White providing a platform for new startup/wana-be new startups to meet with mentors and people who can help and guide them.

And it was really great to attend it. There were CEOs and other lead people who are successful at startups. And they were thee to guide us: the new startups guys. And even there were investors, as Osama told me, who were willing to fund you if you can convince them your idea/product is worth it. I was really delighted to see/attend all that. Something is happening in my country. So all of you who want to start a startup do attend Startup Insiders sessions. (they will be held every month at Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. You can get notified at Green & White)

Hey Green & White and P@SHA! thanks for providing us this nice opportunity to meet industry people.

For those of you who want to know what Startup Insiders sessions are, here is an excellent introduction by Osama:

Think of them as Coffee Sessions in your city.

A lot of bright, energetic and passionate entrepreneurs have great ideas but want to figure out how to take their brilliant idea and convert it into a business - how do they think about product strategy, packaging, distribution, marketing, hiring a multi-disciplinary team?

We think one of the best ways of mentoring people on these ideas is by meeting very informally and very frequently with mentors and people who can truly help them.

We dont want to do this as a big grand activity - we want to take this down to grassroots and meet wherever a group of 15-20 people can get together, relax and think and talk startups - Coffee Sessions, if you will.

Here are a few images from the session: