Hyper-pseudo-network

Netizens are undoubtedly bitten by the social networking bug. I have always been wondering what makes anybody cling to facebook or twitter at 12 midnight on a weekend. As part of their jobs, techies spend almost 80% of their day in front of their monitors. With ubiquitous social networking sites, it is not hard for the IT folks to stay up-to-date on a friend's marriage or a close relative's promotion or a neighbour's admission into a grad school.

I was looking at a cartoon strip which makes fun of a faked tweet on an earth quake at some corner in the world, which creates panic more than the actual incident. I should agree that the world's become smaller and we are going more and more global. We are in an age when dates over yahoo messenger are turning into marriages and talks over VOIPs causing terrorist attacks!

Where does all this lead us to is the question I asked myself.

Some facts
1) We look at our IM as just another action item and ignore most of the times. Half the times I ping someone, I'm not sure I'll get a response.
2) Our responsiveness on our social network is limited to an exciting update -Perhaps a stolen mobile or a nauseating dinner - from some X, whom we have almost forgotten.
3) Warm greets like "Hi, how do you do?" or "Howz life?" start sounding very boring and of course, we ignore them.
4) Greetings on a birthday or a festival look perfectly artificial with a greetings.com or some other site you don't even know of and with sign up links more than the greeting message.
5) We prefer spending time over these pages more than talking over phone or paying a visit.


Techies do live in a different world full of online conferences, meeting minutes, new friend requests, milestones, newly released block-busters, cafeterias, VPNs, reimbursements and most important of all craving desperately to get to the real world on social network.

Ok, what now? Why am I up against it?
One main reason is the commitment we show to our contacts. It's easier to say lot of things from far, unseen than be there and offer our shoulder. Being a frequent visitor to the networking sites myself, I can confidently say I don't ping a quarter of contacts on my friend's list. Most of my responses are limited to a thumbs up mark, which says "I like it!".

Are we escapists? Am I?

What should others do?

I believe our well-being lies in a simple fact. Getting the fundamentals right! The reason I thought about this is we always have loads of expectations from everybody starting from the corporators not doing their job well, parents not giving us enough gifts, neighbours not keeping their compound clean, colleagues not helping others or friends not ready to give away some things for us. Have we ever stopped for a moment and asked ourselves what would we have done in their place? If we are critical to ourselves as we are towards others, we can be a lot more "Social" beings.

The mob dynamics...

The human lot as a whole tends to a normalized level of mediocrity. Democracy seems to ascertain this tendency in every possible way. In Indian context atleast, it appears as if everything's in place. After watching Leader, a telugu movie, which though fantasises a revival in the system clearly depicts the condition of the state and the country.

If one is to take a lead and be responsible for a group, one needs to be as intelligent as the most ignorant. The harder I think about reservations on the basis of sects or sex or about the Bt brinjal issue or about the Godhra riots' case or the Headley's, the more I get confused understanding the outcome. May be I can't just tell myself anymore that we have always been so why do we care a damn now.

A day or two ago, there was a news headline, which talks about a case revoked by an IPS officer on the babri demolition. What justification would the case provide to the lost lives and ruins of the monument?

Here we are talking about IT recovery, real estate boom and the share market trading. Can't we do anything at all about this. I'm sure we can and no wonder we won't!

I say we need to "Vote" first before doing anything for the country!

2010's here!

From Kuduremukha Trek

Hmm... What's new in 2010? Before everything else, the trek to Kuduremukha, which according to my Bangalorean room-mates, is one of the highest peaks in western ghats!

With a new Cybershot in hand, it was no less exciting than my first ever trips to Nainital, Mussourie, Kodaikanal or Manali. It really was an accomplishment for my room-mates to stop me from going home and have me trek the steep rocky slopes of the peak.

We were ready with food, water, camera, salt (for leeches) and umbrellas for the majestic trek, the longest ever for me. Leeches - as usual - were our companions. With the entry of a couple of snakes (Amar's nightmare) it made a great day in the national forest reserve. 10:30 AM to 6:30 PM, it is an excellent escapade from the office cubicles and city traffic! The water spray under the beautiful waterfalls atop Hanumanagundi, the following day was unforgettable. A night's journey and a day's trek followed by a night's sleep and the visit to the waterfalls made a perfect start for the new year. And you know what the resolution for this year is, don't you? Work hard and party harder? I stole it from somewhere but that's definitely not my resolution not for this year.

There are plans to execute and challenges to face this year. Though I don't have a resolution, I have a plan of action. So, will you say with me? "Just do it!"

More on what's in store at Goa follows! Signing off this time... with a snap and a video.

From Kuduremukha Trek

Saraswati Mandir

No student misses a darshan of Goddess Saraswati's Murthy (Idol) in our campus - Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani. The temple brings to our mind, the serenity and the silence. Students assemble now and then here for a Vishnu Sahasra Nama or an Aarti. This place like most other places on campus is frequently visited by Pigeons and Peacocks. The temple lawns was the meeting-point for most of our meets. It sometimes gets very nostalgic as I remember filling my eyes with tears, cursing myself for being bad, admiring someone for being so nice, interactions with juniors and laughing our times out.

Mischief

A boss wondered why one of his most valued employees had not called in
sick one day.


Having an urgent problem with one of the main computers, he dialed the
employee's home phone and was greeted with a child's whisper.


"Hello?"


"Is your daddy home?" he asked.


"Yes," whispered the small voice.


May I talk to him?"


The child whispered, "No."


Surprised and expecting to talk with an adult, the boss asked,
"Is your Mummy there?"


"Yes."


"May I talk to her?"


Again the small voice whispered, "No."


Hoping there was somebody with whom he could leave a message, the boss
asked,
"Is anybody else there?"


"Yes," whispered the child, "a policeman."


Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee's home, the boss
asked,
"May I speak to the policeman?"


"No, he's busy", whispered the child.


"Busy doing what?"


"Talking to Mummy and Daddy and the Fireman,"
came the whispered answer.


Growing more worried as he heard what sounded like a helicopter
through the earpiece on the phone, the boss asked,
"What is that noise?"


"A hello-copper" answered the whispering voice.


"What is going on there?" demanded the boss, now truly apprehensive.


Again, whispering, the child answered,
"The search team just landed the hello-copper. "


Alarmed, concerned and a little frustrated the boss asked,
"What are they searching for?"


Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle:
"ME"

To the rescue for rejected applications

This template would be of great use to reply the rejected applications.

Disclaimer: This template is just for those to read once and smile. Not for use. However, the blogger doesn't hold the resposibility for further happenings. :-D

Job rejected?

Next time your application for a job is rejected...


Dear [Interviewer' s Name ]:


Thank you for your letter of [Date of Interview ].


After careful consideration I regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your refusal to offer me employment with your firm. This year I have had been particularly fortunate in receiving an unusually large number of rejection letters. With such a varied and promising field of candidates it is impossible for me to accept all refusals.


Despite [ Firm's Name ]'s outstanding qualifications and previous experience in rejecting applicants, I find that your rejection does not meet with my needs at this time. Therefore, I will initiate employment with your firm immediately following graduation. I look forward to seeing you then.


Best of luck in rejecting future candidates.


Sincerely ,
[Your Name ]

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