Blogging

" Extremly amazing mode of communication"-This is what I said about blogging in my very first post 5 months back when i entered this virtual world.
In this 5 month journey I have definitely tried and witnessed an appropriate exploitation of this fascinating concept. This Thursday's Business Line also presents a case of the same but I cannot agree more with Frederick Noronha when he says about blogging in India that-

"In a country where we are great at simply mastering the technology -- rather than applying it efficiently to our own needs -- we're probably missing the point here too. Blogs have the capability to empower the citizen, simply because entry barriers are so low, and it's easy to express oneself on them.
While we can crow about how influential blogs have shown themselves to be, fact is that India is hardly a nation of bloggers. For a country of a thousand million, we have just a minuscule number of blogs.
Bloggers seem to be working in isolated islands, rather than building synergies with more traditional media. This probably results in bloggers 'talking to themselves'."

The complete post can be read here.

The table below clearly shows the standing of India with respect to the rest of the World in exploitation of this channel. Moreover, as for every 100 people in India who tried blogging, only 40 continued after a while. Hence the figures are even more worse than this.

Have the issues that require attention dried up in India? Or it is so that we have become completely averse to the everything happening around us?

I am damn sure that we can do far better than this; at least on this campus. Merely 10% of the 'highly enlightened and intellectual capital' of India on this campus contributing their bit, I feel is far below par.

Manish Saini

Sources -

1. Number of Blogs per country
2. Population

Indian railways: The Chaniging Face

Whether its lalu or Mamta Banerjee at the helm, Indian Railways has definitely geared itself up for this new millennium.

First the whole awful ordeal of ticket booking was turned into a pleasant 15 minute virtual experience called ‘i-tickets’. While I was still debating the implications of the success or failure of latest pilot project of the Indian railways – ‘e-tickets’, I find another surprise waiting in my mail box today.

“Dear and Valued Customer,

We are happy to inform you that we will shortly be launching a Loyalty Program - A Scheme for Frequent Travelers (SOFT), wherein members will earn loyalty points for buying AC Class (except 3AC) tickets & will be able to redeem these points for FREE railway tickets.”

All this along with some animations and a promise to reach back to me very soon. More on the above scheme can be read in detail over here.

Today, when the competitive environment in air travel is pushing the companies to offer out of the way discounts and schemes, Indian Railways an organization which is virtually enjoying monopoly, comes up with a loyalty scheme. Man!!! The way they are changing is just awesome.

To just know more about their activities I did a small research and here is what I found –

1. Railways is planning to use RFID to track is wagon fleet and parcels.

2. The Rail Tel Corporation, has started to build a nationwide broadband and multimedia network by playing optical fiber cable along 62,800 kilometers of railway track by utilizing railways' 'right of way.

3. Realizing their astounding aversion from the field of ergonomics, the Indian Railways have decided to redesign their bogies starting first at the high end customer level.

4. To improve security and enhance reliability in its railway network, the Indian Railways is deploying GSM-R network in place in two zones within this quarter of 2006.

5. Southern Railway has been operating its road vehicles using bio-diesel since 2004. Its general manager V Anand flagged off these vehicles from the Perambur Loco Shed in Chennai.

6. Flexible Ticketing: The Centre for Railway Information Systems has centralized the purchase and management of unreserved tickets with the use of simple and innovative technology.

Traveling through Indian railways is definitely undergoing an oceanic change. This small picture on the surface definitely gives a hint of lot more happening deep inside out there. And the good thing is its all happening for us to witness. We are definitely going to be a lot richer in bedtime stories for the coming generation J.

Manish Saini

The harmony of Worlds

You would find a column on Astrology virtually in every newspaper and every magazine on the newsstand (This is not a debate on astronomy and astrology). Majority of the people I meet would definitely ask me my sun sign. I believe that in India, astrology runs in our blood. Every thing we do has to fall in congruence with the “auspicious moment” as declared by astrology.
I have always been fascinated by the thought of knowing the future but had my doubts in believing astrology as a science till I found an analogy to explain the rationale.
First of all, let us understand the origin of astrology in the words of Carl Sagan –
A few thousand years ago, the idea developed that the motions of the planets determined the fates of Kings, dynasties, empires. Astrologers studied the motions of the planets and asked themselves what had happened the last time that, say, Venus was rising in the constellation of Goats; perhaps something similar would happen this time as well. Astrology developed into a strange combination of observations, mathematics and careful record-keeping.
Now, as I see, astrology developed into a forecasting technique which used Historical Data.
If I talk about the Technical Analysis of the shares, calculation of Value at Risk and RAROC, Time Series analysis, Regression……aren’t these themselves tools for forecasting based on similar technique i.e. using historical data.
The next argument would be that these analyses give you just an approximate idea. But so does astrology.
Astrologers have developed very sophisticated and comprehensive models like the Vedic Sidereal Model. As all forecasting techniques tell us that greater the amount of historical data taken better the accuracy, then astrology must be able to predict far more accurately; and so is it. But, had every one been able to master the science behind financial models, every one would have been Warren Buffet or George Soros. Thus the only condition for a near perfect future forecast is that the person handling the model has a thorough knowledge of the science he is dealing with.

“An argument for those who find ‘despising astrology’ as a fashion statement.”

Creativity at its Best

Just happened to come across an awesome practical application of the phrase “A problem can be solved in a million ways”.
On the famous AB Road of Indore is located an institute called IPS Academy. Just close to it there is a very narrow bridge over which two loaded trucks cannot pass simultaneously; hence is an accident prone zone. The only solution I visualized whenever I crossed it was widening of the bridge.
But, hats off to the Indore Municipality’s creativity; they came up with such a low cost solution that I have starting doubting my MBA.
They simply built up speed breakers on both the sides of the bridge (.

When Words Fill In The Blanks

Some times there are things and feelings which are beyond expression and when you happen to read something or hear what you have always tried to put into words….u just jump out of the chair saying…..exactly!!! These three dialogues from “Before Sunset” made me do it -

• Happiness is in doing and not in getting what you want.


• People come with big idealist visions of becoming the new leader that will create a better world. They enjoy the goal, but not the process!

But the reality of it is that the true work of improving things is in the little achievements of the day.
The people that do the real work, the people that are the most giving, hard working and capable of making this world better, usually don't have the ego and ambition to be a leader.
They don't see the interest in superficial rewards, they don't care if their name ever appears in the press, they actually enjoy the process of helping others, they're in the moment!

• Memory is a wonderful thing if you didn’t have to deal with the past!

Before Sunset happens to be one of the best movies I have ever seen but to enjoy it you will have to watch Before Sunrise first!
Enjoy
Manish