Monday, October 8th, 2007
How would it be like being invisible ? For the last few days, on and off, I am experiencing how it would feel like being invisible. No, I didn’t find a cloak of invisibility from an old bedtime story.
It was much more simple. All I needed was a razor, some shaving form and 2 mins of a bored Saturday evening. I took off my french beard.
Somehow, even though I didn’t want it to be, my french beard had become a trademark symbol of mine. ” Hari who? that frenchie guy ?” was a normal dialogue.
So on last Saturday, when I was terribly bored, didn’t know what to do, at the spur of the moment, I decided give myself a new look. 2 minutes-Off went the beard. The stranger in the mirror looked at me with curious eyes.
Next day at office, colleagues “what happened ?” I had already forgotten about all this beard thing and took a moment to understand their reaction.
“oh, I was just bored.” I said.
“Bored ? does it sound like a sensible reason for you to shave ?”
“You know actually, that french beard suited you.”
“You look young !”
These were some of the reactions I got. Personally I hated the look of a good mannered, innocent person, which I am not. Also I was afraid if I looked like one of those effeminate heros of bollywood.
At lunch time, the friendly canteenvalla said bluntly “lunch time is over, sir !” Hmmmm.. he was a nice guy, used to save a few chapathies and some curry even if i went for lunch at odd hours.
This saturday,i had been to filmcamp, while waiting for the show to begin, many of the known faces passed by, with out even seeing me. It was as good as being invisible, you see them walking around, talking but they don’t see you.
Gosh ! I am invisible !
But couldn’t play this act for long, some one caught me soon. I tried to hide the guilty feeling of a small kid caught trying to hide beneath a bed, with a sheepish smile.
Though it lasted only for a little time, I felt like a magician. But, the beard will grow back in a while, or people will get used to my new face.
What do I do to become invisible again ?
Sunday, September 30th, 2007
a photo from my recent trip to Mahe from Bangalore
Tuesday, September 25th, 2007
Question
Prepare the poster of your school youth festival using Gimp. Using logo, Insert the title ‘SCHOOL YOUTH FESTIVAL’. Insert name of school, place and date in suitable size and colors on different layers. Provide back ground color and make the poster attractive.
This is one of the questions from the 10th standard practical exams from a school in Kerala.
Here is how you get your score.
Scoring Key
- For providing back ground color – 1 Score
- For inserting title using logo – 1 Score
- For using layers – 1 Score
- For entering name of school, place and date in different size and color – 2 Score
- For total attraction – 1 Score
Yes, You read it right, they are using Gimp. On a customized version of Ubuntu called Called IT@School GNU Linux Version 3.0 !!
See the question papers for Gimp,Spredsheet and word processor.
The syllabus and the question papers are either biased towards free software or at the minimum platform/ application neutral. No mention of M$ anywhere. Thats cool !!
From Hindu
In the largest such simultaneous deployment of ‘free-and-open’ software in India, over 15 lakh Kerala schoolchildren on Friday start taking their quarterly practical tests in Information Technology on personal computers using a special Linux version.
The IT@School project of the State Education Department has developed an operating system based on the Linux version Ubuntu. Called IT@School GNU Linux Version 3.0, it was distributed to 2,832 high schools — over a thousand of them government schools, the rest aided and unaided ones.
Between September 7 and 22, children of Classes 8, 9 and 10 will use some 30,000 PCs to do their quarterly practical examinations in IT.
read the original article IT practical tests on ‘open’ platform on The Hindu.
From NewIndPress
The Director of Public Instruction (DPI) has issued orders making free software compulsory. It says Linux Operating System should be used for IT education in eighth, ninth and tenth standards.
Till last year, schools had the freedom to conduct the examinations either in free software or in Microsoft platform.
As part of it, various programmes were arranged to observe International Software Freedom Day on Saturday.
A small introductory lecture will be delivered in the school assemblies across the state on Monday, followed by a pledge. An outline of the introductory lecture and the pledge have been circulated to the schools.
A digital painting competition for students of eighth standard will be conducted on the day using TUX paint, XPaint and GIMP software.
The topic of the painting competition will be ‘my school and surrounding.’
A presentation competition using Open Office Impress will be conducted for students of ninth and tenth standard in the topic ‘IT and its benefits to the common man.’
read the original article Free software made mandatory: IT practicals of SSLC Exam on NewIndPress.
Here is a detailed write up on The Story of Free Software in Kerala by V. Sasi Kumar
Definitely a step forward.
This is one thing that i can add to the list of things that i like about Kerala. Some of the recent additions to that list were the plastic ban and night shopping
Saturday, September 8th, 2007
picture from TOI
Wednesday, August 15th, 2007
Here are a few photo galleries
Barcamp Bangalore 4 Gallery
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Sunday, August 12th, 2007
Of all the months in an year, i like February most. i dont know why. May be because its the shortest month. I like it, I think Feb is kind of cute and baby-like.
Other than February, I like August. August has Nehru Trophy Boat Race It is the biggest water festival of Alappuzha. where black snake boats compete for the prized trophy signed by Jawaharlal Nehru. August has a fresh charm of a new year- the skies are clear after the rains, the trees and plants more green, some of them with flowers.
Until a few years back, December, was a little gloomy, dark and sad month for me. Except for the cake and wine at Christmas, and the non stop parties on December 31st.
Not any more. In the last few years, It has become the most *happening* month.
For Its the month that hosts FOSS.IN.
This year, if you would pardon the cliché, its bigger and better.
Lots of new stuff, new ideas, and more fun and excitement !
From December 4 to 8. at IISC
Apart from lurking around, i made some banners and buttons for your websites and blogs. Go, Get them, and put them up !
Saturday, July 7th, 2007
Once upon a time, there was a dad, mom and naughty kid.
They used to light a candle every time they pray. The kid was so amused by the light and colors of the flame of the candle he always wanted to play with it. His mother told him that it will burn his hands. The kid never listened. The mother had to hold his hands when she closed her eyes to pray.
Once when his mother was away, the kid came to the payer table with his dad. As always he tried to catch the flame. His dad silently took the candle from the stand and opened the kids palm and dropped a drop of molten wax into his hands.
Next day, the mother wondered why the kid suddenly lost his interest in the candle flame. Dad just smiled.
Its not just saying, but getting things done in the way you want is effective communication.
Wait, dont sue me for being cruel to a kid. I believe the heat of molten wax is much better than, the heat of the flame. Its like a kid falling down while trying to walk.
Saturday, July 7th, 2007
While driving through Bangalore, many times i have crossed this road in Indiranagar, with some 20-25 boards of all shapes and sizes with the same message “no honking” – in less than 75-100 mts distance, clearly overdoing it.
On your right, is a school and straight ahead is 100 feet road Indiranagar.
Obviously the school authorities, knowing the honk-thrice-a-minute Bangalorean, have put them up with good intensions, so that the students can learn in a less noisy environment.
From the angle of the school authorities they have done what best they can. But every time I pass through the road, I watch, at least one vehicle honks. Even I had to honk once.
Why do they do that? First of all why would someone honk?
Does someone honk just like that? No.
So what are the possible reasons of honking?
Are those taken care?
Let’s examine the particular road again.
Every time you drive by the road, there are people running across the road to enter the school gate. You, as a reflex action, honk.
There are auto rickshaws and cars stopped on the left side suddenly coming to life and taking to the main road. You have to honk.
The road is narrow; thanks to the parking of school buses, and cars almost stop in the middle of the road to let students disembark. You have to honk.
Also remember, you have seen this umpteen number of “no horn” boards, and the horns, most effective weapon the mankind invented after AK47, are live in your memory.
Its a classic example of using the conventional wisdom, instead of applying a little thought according to the scenario.
Below would be the conversation in the board meeting.
“There is excessive honking in the lane next to our school”
“Erect a no honking board”.
Simple. But this repeats every week.
“There is excessive honking in the lane next to our school, even now.”
“Erect another no honking board”.
Now, they have 25 boards on either side of the road.
And even now, no use. Doesn’t serve the purpose.
What could have been done better? Address the base problem, first.
1) Put a board long before the area, saying school zone.
2) Clear the road, no parking on either side.
3) Put a board saying, go slow main road ahead.
(Or even have a few humps before entering the school zone/main road)
4) Another board saying follow your lane, and do not over take.
5) Maybe for the sake of it have a board, saying please wait your turn, avoid honking.
When all of this falls into place, you control the driver of the car. First you warn him this is a school zone. You avoid all the possible reasons for him to honk. Give him a nice road to drive smoothly. You tell him that there is a main road ahead, so for your own safety, go slow. To enter the main road, do not overtake, but wait for your turn.
You need not even tell him not to honk. He will not. He doesn’t need to.
When you present it this way, you sound more concerned of the driver, which somehow makes him happy, and obeys with out much resistance. It’s far better than showing him 25 no honking signs.
Its not just saying, but getting things done in the way you want is effective communication.
Saturday, July 7th, 2007
Last day here.
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish !
Tuesday, May 29th, 2007
Have you ever wondered how the sites would be without the ads?
Yea, i know some sites run on the money generated from ads. No problem. That is when the site is their main business. But what about the sites which are complimentary to their main business? That is they make the money through some other means, and use the sites to promote their main business? In that case their site itself becomes an ad for their main business!
I am taking about sites of news channels be it TV or newspaper. Their channel/newspaper is their main business- they sell ad slots and earn money to run their business. They also have websites to promote their channels and also as part of their “inclusive journalism”
What’s the prime purpose of the news channels? as they say “to treat news as sacred” “to give the viewer a voice and never talk down”
How about having
a little sensibility in the ad policy of the site?
I agree there are a few of the websites, which are better than the rest. I am talking about the others.
I dont mind watching an ad when I am reading Hollywood gossip stories- but not when I am trying to find the details of the terrorist bomb explosion in Mumbai. I don’t want to be interrupted by ads which make me click on the close button.
But sadly, if you see the present channel websites- most of them are a mess. Even in their home pages they have a lot of insensible ads. The users have to struggle through the ads to find what they are looking for. Forget the user centered design- they don’t even have an idea what it is. How many times have you found yourself staring at some nonsense ad, when you wanted to read some important news?
If you are a news channel, and is considering allocating adspace in your site, just keep in mind these simple rules. These are just the must haves.
1. do not allocate more than 10% of screen real estate for ads in the homepage. in the subsequent pages maybe the ads can be up to 15-20%.
2. Clearly demarcate the ads and you in house promos from the news.
3. No animation in ads, please.
4. Never never cover the data with ads.
If these websites were your news papers, they would be full of large holes with barely enough content material to hold these gaps together.
See for yourself – Here is a study of a few news channel websites and the ad content in them.
Comparison of websites and their ad content
Lets start with BBC, needless to say, the best of the lot. No ads at all
BBC
Times of India’s web site is much better than their newpaper, very less ads.
Times of India
See the hindu site.
The hindu
NDTV
Indian Express
Aajtak, with a lot of “blackspace”
Aajtak
And finally the worst of the lot
CNN IBN
A long way to go, guys !
UPDATE :
CNN IBN changed their website. See here. Little better now, is this what they call CNN IBN Impact ? 
