When Google selectively launched its most secretive social networking project Google+ (Google Plus) on Tuesday (June 28) to a select list of users for field testing, a group of technology cynics hardly inhibited from writing off the Google's innovation success, at a stage when the God even can't decide the fate of a newborn. And they argued that the new adventure of Google to take over the social media domain, especially to outshine Facebook, could be another silent whimper that once it experienced with Buzz and Wave. Wrong. Forthrightly unacceptable. At least, there is a degree of rationality to every cynicism, not a smoky ideological wall that imprudently swirls into the cynics mind at the slightest provocation of status quo.
Well, the world is changing faster than expected and so is the innovation. Facebook maybe the standard lead of the league in social network market, but that doesn't necessarily imply that its market monopoly will be eternal. Or no new player can emerge out of demand. Let's understand that the current market leaders in social media such as Facebook and Twitter are designed on a tack-on fashion, rather than highly loosely-coupled pieces integrated together, which would enable faster mutually inclusive experience, an attribute that's unambiguously desired for social networking to mix-n-match various social groups; nonetheless, Google+ has judiciously charted out an exclusive architectural marvel to outpace the competitors. And that's not just below the skin, it's quite evident from the out-of-the-box designing skills as well – the Circles+ is an attempt to address this issue that allows users to drag-and-drop friends in to different social circles.
What's even more exciting is Google+ Sparks, which enables its users to share content, both textual and multimedia, amongst different interest groups. Since Google is sitting on the global information basket, it's quite logical for Google to identify social interest-centric content even with extreme precision. Add to that the photos and group video chat. It's just beyond the periphery of standard sharing – any user can simultaneously manage and edit multimedia.
Moreover, Google+ treads a little further on the mobile apps integration. With Android, you can automatically upload the photographs and videos to your system, which can be shared to select groups next time you log on to your computer. The assortment of advance features that Google+ promises to offer, well, if not eat out the popularity of Facebook immediately, but certainly will outshine it one day, and that's not quite far off from now.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Indians Outshine Americans in Math and Logic
There has always been a tug of war between various opinion leaders or image magicians who shape international image building of Indian IT professionals in the USA; nonetheless, GILD, the professional social networking platform that combines social gaming with career advancement, has recently released results of a first ever major international study comparing American and Indian software developers at least in key programming and language communication skills, based on over 1 million tests taken by nearly 500,000 developers.
And the good news, of course on record now, is that Indians outshine US developers in math and logic, two of the core skills desired by US technology companies such as Oracle, Salesforce.com, and eBay. However, Americans clearly lead the world in web programming skills, valued by companies such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter. Well, given the analysis, it clearly indicates that Indians have less chance of exploring the opportunities in new-age technology companies.
According to the study, Indian developers outscore US developers on analytical skills like math and logic by 11%; on the contrary US developers outperform Indian counterparts on mainstream programming languages including C (8%), JAVA (9%), SQL (9%), and in web programming languages 53% higher scores on advanced PHP and 27% higher on advanced HTML. Moreover, US developers are 33% better skilled than Indian counterparts at English communication skills, which is fundamentally a valid case, as English is not the first language of Indians.
Well, the skill rivalry among Indian and American developers though marks some glaring askance in web programming skills, the exciting proposition that drives back home some brownie points lies in the fundamental skills such as Math and Logic, which often differentiate one between a good programmer and great programmer.
Moreover, US tech companies which outsource their software development projects to Indian tech companies will now be in a better position to deliberate upon the type of developments before signing their contracts, and it's equally an opportunity for Indian developers to take up the challenge and outshine their US counterparts at least in the next such international survey conducted by GILD.
And the good news, of course on record now, is that Indians outshine US developers in math and logic, two of the core skills desired by US technology companies such as Oracle, Salesforce.com, and eBay. However, Americans clearly lead the world in web programming skills, valued by companies such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter. Well, given the analysis, it clearly indicates that Indians have less chance of exploring the opportunities in new-age technology companies.
According to the study, Indian developers outscore US developers on analytical skills like math and logic by 11%; on the contrary US developers outperform Indian counterparts on mainstream programming languages including C (8%), JAVA (9%), SQL (9%), and in web programming languages 53% higher scores on advanced PHP and 27% higher on advanced HTML. Moreover, US developers are 33% better skilled than Indian counterparts at English communication skills, which is fundamentally a valid case, as English is not the first language of Indians.
Well, the skill rivalry among Indian and American developers though marks some glaring askance in web programming skills, the exciting proposition that drives back home some brownie points lies in the fundamental skills such as Math and Logic, which often differentiate one between a good programmer and great programmer.
Moreover, US tech companies which outsource their software development projects to Indian tech companies will now be in a better position to deliberate upon the type of developments before signing their contracts, and it's equally an opportunity for Indian developers to take up the challenge and outshine their US counterparts at least in the next such international survey conducted by GILD.
Monday, June 27, 2011
They need solace
Their hallucination laden eyes surreptitiously aspire for certain degree of surrealistic survival, yet the soul inside them rests as sangfroid as pristine glittering dewdrops settled on semi-awakened leaves of grass on a winter morning. They are shackled with myriad of social restrictions, yet they are unbridled from the bustles of life. Look closely into their drowned eyes and you would fail to understand the epicenter of their pangs. They never resurrect from the abysmal depth of intoxication that haunts them every now and then on a sinusoidal trajectory, sometimes high and sometimes low. The reference here doesn't necessarily borrow a cue from a typical Hindi movie sequence, rather it reflects the stark narratives of profound sufferings of millions of drug addicts those unfortunately allured into this world of delusion by the agents of death – drug mafias, traffickers, subdued western hippie culture, and inefficacious state administration – at every turning point of human civilization.
What's more enigmatic and perplexing is the social response to these people. Yet in the midst of cavernous psychic ensnarement, their singular plea for resuscitation bounces back from the deaf ears of many insensate people like us who in all probability though believe to tread on the human spirit of connection, but here deliberately choose to turn a blind eye to the state of dastardly victimization. What's more disturbing is when the iron fists of state machinery multiply their bereavement through various tactics of harassment. Their sorrows never subside.
What's essentially required here is a human touch to the terrible psychological wounds that these victims carry along their tormented journey for which everyone of us is a passive culprit for not embracing their problems that initially stem from depreciated emotional support of family members. We as family members ignore some serious symptoms of emotional imbalance that these drug addicts exhibit before their initiation into this dark journey. We are so engrossed in our self-centered passion for individual excellence that a minor human aberration of a near and dear one is even looked down upon. When the delicate problem snowballs into an enormously dangerous proliferation, we feel the heat and by then a minor behavioral issue of an individual gets transformed into a larger social predicament. Can we be little vigilant and considerate as a fellow human being to such slender issues that grapple the entire humanity? They just need little but genuine consolation.
What's more enigmatic and perplexing is the social response to these people. Yet in the midst of cavernous psychic ensnarement, their singular plea for resuscitation bounces back from the deaf ears of many insensate people like us who in all probability though believe to tread on the human spirit of connection, but here deliberately choose to turn a blind eye to the state of dastardly victimization. What's more disturbing is when the iron fists of state machinery multiply their bereavement through various tactics of harassment. Their sorrows never subside.
What's essentially required here is a human touch to the terrible psychological wounds that these victims carry along their tormented journey for which everyone of us is a passive culprit for not embracing their problems that initially stem from depreciated emotional support of family members. We as family members ignore some serious symptoms of emotional imbalance that these drug addicts exhibit before their initiation into this dark journey. We are so engrossed in our self-centered passion for individual excellence that a minor human aberration of a near and dear one is even looked down upon. When the delicate problem snowballs into an enormously dangerous proliferation, we feel the heat and by then a minor behavioral issue of an individual gets transformed into a larger social predicament. Can we be little vigilant and considerate as a fellow human being to such slender issues that grapple the entire humanity? They just need little but genuine consolation.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Customer service with empathy
Why do many customers feel cheated during their post-sell engagements with customer service departments? Why do many leading brands fail to achieve their projected loyalty even though they carry some great market competitive features? In the ambit of customer service, the one aspect that makes or breaks the long-term loyalty of customers largely depends upon how the service reps engage with customers to provide them unique personal solutions. A customer buys a product with great expectations that if in future the product requires necessary service he or she should avail it with unconditional support, although a rider or two can be well managed.
What makes a customer extremely unsatisfied is the gross uncaring attitude of the customer service department, which in all probability facilitates a resolution process in a more mechanical manner. Though the resolution technically addresses the issues of the customer, the human psychological bonding with the product receives a letdown. Here the company fails to leverage the long-term loyalty factor that most satisfied customers believe could be a pivot to the repeat business of the company.
What really prevents companies alike to strike a concordance with customers is the overuse of statistical parameters by managers to showcase the senior management that our maths are right; we are well ahead of our competitors. But that's not an absolute corollary. A management preview of a quality report has really nothing to do with the quality that customers desire. Each customer has a specific reason to be satisfied for the same technical issue. Here what differentiates great customer service from better customer service is the empathy of service reps. No one denies the fact that certain statistical parameters cannot be overlooked, but simultaneously, we must not forget the broader service angle.
An empathetic rep has great persuasive skills. While addressing the issues of the customer, an intelligent rep can garner a slew of critical information which in turn can be used to enhance the satisfaction level of other customers as well. This opens up an arena for innovative service delivery. Companies need to bring in this culture in their customer service departments. However, many service providers rarely open up to a shift in the cultural paradigm. And that becomes a dangerous proposition for long term strategy.
Why only few customer service providers have achieved the laurels of exemplary customer service is an indication of specifics they not only follow but they transform them into an organizational culture that transcends from batch to batch uninterruptedly.
What makes a customer extremely unsatisfied is the gross uncaring attitude of the customer service department, which in all probability facilitates a resolution process in a more mechanical manner. Though the resolution technically addresses the issues of the customer, the human psychological bonding with the product receives a letdown. Here the company fails to leverage the long-term loyalty factor that most satisfied customers believe could be a pivot to the repeat business of the company.
What really prevents companies alike to strike a concordance with customers is the overuse of statistical parameters by managers to showcase the senior management that our maths are right; we are well ahead of our competitors. But that's not an absolute corollary. A management preview of a quality report has really nothing to do with the quality that customers desire. Each customer has a specific reason to be satisfied for the same technical issue. Here what differentiates great customer service from better customer service is the empathy of service reps. No one denies the fact that certain statistical parameters cannot be overlooked, but simultaneously, we must not forget the broader service angle.
An empathetic rep has great persuasive skills. While addressing the issues of the customer, an intelligent rep can garner a slew of critical information which in turn can be used to enhance the satisfaction level of other customers as well. This opens up an arena for innovative service delivery. Companies need to bring in this culture in their customer service departments. However, many service providers rarely open up to a shift in the cultural paradigm. And that becomes a dangerous proposition for long term strategy.
Why only few customer service providers have achieved the laurels of exemplary customer service is an indication of specifics they not only follow but they transform them into an organizational culture that transcends from batch to batch uninterruptedly.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Do we really need a Lokpal Bill?
Why India is so frenzied about drafting a draconian Lokpal Bill that some self-proclaimed protector of this nation claim this could become a panacea for all corruptions taking place in this country? Why are we so obsessed with a theory that has never practiced anywhere in other parts of the world to wipe out corruption in any form? Okay, let's stick to this proposition that we would have the toughest Lokpal Bill passed in the Parliament and soon it could be implemented. So, what's the guarantee that the people who would be in the panel of Lokpal are incorruptible? Who can in this country ascertain that the law can't be transmuted into a dangerous Frankenstein? What if the corrupt people in this country resort to newer jugglery to flounder with the legal loopholes in the law itself? There are many unanswered questions though in the ambit of architecting the severest anti-corruption law, the lawmakers may end up in a trap from where living in democracy could be synonymous to living in a fascist country. But the problem here is much deeper and complex. What we vociferously argue that corruption is systemic is even a flawed premise in a country like India where corruption is a manifestation of chronic symptoms of a genetically mutated disease that transcends generation to generation through our blood over many centuries. In a country where peons to prime ministers and from daylabourers to CEOs, everyone has his or her moment of temptation to relish the forbidden fruit of corruption, a mere law could be as farcical as spelling out an abracadabra to beguile the gullible.
Any strong law can't act as a deterrent to a lawbreaker. For a one-time or habitual lawbreaker, law of the land has any sense if he or she is insensible and doesn't possess fundamental human virtues. And specifically Indians are fundamentally devoid of virtues because of a series of anthropological reasons. Maybe, it sounds bizarre to a billion-plus hypocrites, but the truth is that we all are corrupt. As one leading television anchor puts it in a different way: “We all are naked in this bath.” That's why corruption is so rampant in India. Corruption has metamorphosed into a symbiotic attribute of Indians. Our high-flying aspirations, shortcut to fame, and quick-tricks to riches have made us insulate to the simple virtues of life. For us greed is the index of our prosperity and calibration for success. Anytime a person attempts to flirt with corruption thinks that it's like a one-night stand and can be managed within a commitment to fidelity towards spouse and then starts the danger of unbridled fission reaction. Can we transform ourselves in this war of inhibition? Can we, at least for once, refrain from this law of temptation? If we don't, no law, however draconian, in this world can prevent anybody from breaking the law of the land.
Any strong law can't act as a deterrent to a lawbreaker. For a one-time or habitual lawbreaker, law of the land has any sense if he or she is insensible and doesn't possess fundamental human virtues. And specifically Indians are fundamentally devoid of virtues because of a series of anthropological reasons. Maybe, it sounds bizarre to a billion-plus hypocrites, but the truth is that we all are corrupt. As one leading television anchor puts it in a different way: “We all are naked in this bath.” That's why corruption is so rampant in India. Corruption has metamorphosed into a symbiotic attribute of Indians. Our high-flying aspirations, shortcut to fame, and quick-tricks to riches have made us insulate to the simple virtues of life. For us greed is the index of our prosperity and calibration for success. Anytime a person attempts to flirt with corruption thinks that it's like a one-night stand and can be managed within a commitment to fidelity towards spouse and then starts the danger of unbridled fission reaction. Can we transform ourselves in this war of inhibition? Can we, at least for once, refrain from this law of temptation? If we don't, no law, however draconian, in this world can prevent anybody from breaking the law of the land.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Building India at the cost of Bharat
The conflict is poignant, the exploitation is downright. India has started rampaging Bharat in a more unrelenting manner ever than before. From Niyamgiri to Dhinkia and from Jaitapur to Bhatta-Paursal, the war of land acquisition has finally turned ugliest. Farmers and landholders brutalized, state went berserk on agitators, many fled away from their ancestral homes, and many were killed in the tug of war between India and Bharat. How long will this desperate war continue? And for what reason? Why is that every time the people of Bharat are stripped off their marginalized property to help build a modern India? Why is that they turn victims in every episode of development that they never relish its fruits? Why is that the modern India becomes so callous in exploiting the resources of Bharat? Perhaps, nobody has a rational answer to all these queries, but the fact remains that every time India makes a visible progress, the farmers, the tribal people, and the poor people living in JJ colonies become the inevitable sacrificial lambs. Because these people are helpless, gullible, and maybe have no access to power.
Let's look at how Posco with support from the state administration of Orissa tries to destroy the livelihood of thousands of betel farmers by offering them a miniscule compensation. Calculate this: a normal betel farmer earns somewhere between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 20,000 a month from an acre of land whereas the onetime compensation for the land hovers around Rs. 250,000. Is this justified? Now the moot question is if the same farmer who can earn the compensation amount within a year or two from a perennial crop, why would he settle for such a lower amount? Moreover, given spiraling inflation, the same farmer can achieve even higher returns from the crop in future. Isn't this a clear exploitation of gullible farmers? Is there any future dividend even Posco will skyrocket its profit margin once production gets started? No. Everybody from state administration to company board will forget the fact that the plant which is built on thousand acres of land was once an economical, social, and emotional storehouse of thousands of farmers. And if this huge economic progress has been possible couldn't have been materialized without the utter sacrifice of these farmers or local people. No one does care how a piece of Bharat metamorphoses into an enlightened India in such a short span and some elites of that modern India will take credit for what they never had sacrificed even few moments of their life.
How long this exploitation will continue? When will the growing hiatus between Bharat and India be put on a reverse gear? Here we are forgetting a glaring fact that so long as we continue exploiting Bharat, we are pushing India to a stage of unsustainable development where progress would be there, but without sustained prosperity.
Let's look at how Posco with support from the state administration of Orissa tries to destroy the livelihood of thousands of betel farmers by offering them a miniscule compensation. Calculate this: a normal betel farmer earns somewhere between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 20,000 a month from an acre of land whereas the onetime compensation for the land hovers around Rs. 250,000. Is this justified? Now the moot question is if the same farmer who can earn the compensation amount within a year or two from a perennial crop, why would he settle for such a lower amount? Moreover, given spiraling inflation, the same farmer can achieve even higher returns from the crop in future. Isn't this a clear exploitation of gullible farmers? Is there any future dividend even Posco will skyrocket its profit margin once production gets started? No. Everybody from state administration to company board will forget the fact that the plant which is built on thousand acres of land was once an economical, social, and emotional storehouse of thousands of farmers. And if this huge economic progress has been possible couldn't have been materialized without the utter sacrifice of these farmers or local people. No one does care how a piece of Bharat metamorphoses into an enlightened India in such a short span and some elites of that modern India will take credit for what they never had sacrificed even few moments of their life.
How long this exploitation will continue? When will the growing hiatus between Bharat and India be put on a reverse gear? Here we are forgetting a glaring fact that so long as we continue exploiting Bharat, we are pushing India to a stage of unsustainable development where progress would be there, but without sustained prosperity.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Where is the country heading for?
India as nation is losing its glory on many fronts, be it governance, economy, or social dynamics. The recent high-drama eviction of Ramdev from Ramlila ground is an indication of how the government has reduced to a helpless bunch of irresponsible leaders who don't understand the statecraft, forget about running this country. What's more disturbing is the way political leaders are hobnobbing with gurus, babas, and other popular figures in this country has created vacuum in the integrity and sophistication of politics. Politics that was once reserved for the most elite class of society has become a vocation of anybody and everybody irrespective of their social strata and perhaps that's the primary reason as to why both politics and politicians have not only lost their grip on the governance of this nation but also lost their shine over the years.
Now if the recent government at the centre is helplessly firefighting the burning issues such as corruption, black money, anarchy, and brewing social revolutions like the Annas and Ramdevs are resorting to, it's because the political leaders in the past had paved the way of vote bank politics as a major tool to win elections term after term, forgetting the fact that the future generation would face the repercussions of their mistakes. Why UPA II is the most vulnerable government at the centre today is not because of any drawback in Dr. Manmohan Singh, rather it's the consequence of cumulative blunders committed by heads of Congress party over last many decades.
Corruption and black money are not recent phenomena. They have been smuggled into politics and governance since independence because heads of political parties presumed that running a national political party and winning subsequent elections need huge amount of funding thus opening avenues for corrupt practices. Then vested interest sections like business houses, religious groups, and other minority groups started lobbying in politics that founded the emergence of corruption at high places and then cascaded down to lower echelons in the government departments eventually engulfing the entire system what we now connote this as systemic corruption.
We can't entirely blame the current UPA II for the anarchy that has crept into the governance of nation. What has happened today is a consequence of continuous degradation of political ideologies. There was a time when Nehru and Shashtri maintained an extremely sophisticated aura around the highest position of this country, their successors diluted that exclusiveness through their personal alliances with some elements of society, maybe for winning popularity or other personal reasons, and that practices have organically inherited to party leaders.
Let me cite some examples to substantiate my hypothesis. In the recent past, our Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh flew down to Puttaparti for tendering last tribute to Saibaba, and by doing this he has grossly violated the protocol of his position. Similarly, last week our Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee rushed to airport to welcome Ramdev. What's prompting these ministers to commit mistakes after mistakes? Is it their naivety or adaption of party ideologies? Whatever be the reason, they are making glaring blunders and creating bad precedents for the future generation.
Finally, politics has lost its elitism, and that's the prime reason for anarchy in a parliamentary democracy. Democracy doesn't promote the theory that popularity is the necessary attribute of leaders, rather it's their value system, calibre, intellectual level, vision, honesty, commitment, and empathy for people, which in turn portrait them as great leaders.
India doesn't need popular politics. To win elections, political parties are fielding popular figures such as actors, sports persons, religious leaders, criminals, and the likes without considering their leadership attributes. This mix of mindless inclusiveness has degraded politics. What we really need are great leaders with commitment for nation building. Now national politics need a complete overhaul in terms of party ideologies and leadership qualities. Anybody listening?
Now if the recent government at the centre is helplessly firefighting the burning issues such as corruption, black money, anarchy, and brewing social revolutions like the Annas and Ramdevs are resorting to, it's because the political leaders in the past had paved the way of vote bank politics as a major tool to win elections term after term, forgetting the fact that the future generation would face the repercussions of their mistakes. Why UPA II is the most vulnerable government at the centre today is not because of any drawback in Dr. Manmohan Singh, rather it's the consequence of cumulative blunders committed by heads of Congress party over last many decades.
Corruption and black money are not recent phenomena. They have been smuggled into politics and governance since independence because heads of political parties presumed that running a national political party and winning subsequent elections need huge amount of funding thus opening avenues for corrupt practices. Then vested interest sections like business houses, religious groups, and other minority groups started lobbying in politics that founded the emergence of corruption at high places and then cascaded down to lower echelons in the government departments eventually engulfing the entire system what we now connote this as systemic corruption.
We can't entirely blame the current UPA II for the anarchy that has crept into the governance of nation. What has happened today is a consequence of continuous degradation of political ideologies. There was a time when Nehru and Shashtri maintained an extremely sophisticated aura around the highest position of this country, their successors diluted that exclusiveness through their personal alliances with some elements of society, maybe for winning popularity or other personal reasons, and that practices have organically inherited to party leaders.
Let me cite some examples to substantiate my hypothesis. In the recent past, our Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh flew down to Puttaparti for tendering last tribute to Saibaba, and by doing this he has grossly violated the protocol of his position. Similarly, last week our Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee rushed to airport to welcome Ramdev. What's prompting these ministers to commit mistakes after mistakes? Is it their naivety or adaption of party ideologies? Whatever be the reason, they are making glaring blunders and creating bad precedents for the future generation.
Finally, politics has lost its elitism, and that's the prime reason for anarchy in a parliamentary democracy. Democracy doesn't promote the theory that popularity is the necessary attribute of leaders, rather it's their value system, calibre, intellectual level, vision, honesty, commitment, and empathy for people, which in turn portrait them as great leaders.
India doesn't need popular politics. To win elections, political parties are fielding popular figures such as actors, sports persons, religious leaders, criminals, and the likes without considering their leadership attributes. This mix of mindless inclusiveness has degraded politics. What we really need are great leaders with commitment for nation building. Now national politics need a complete overhaul in terms of party ideologies and leadership qualities. Anybody listening?
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
An Open Letter to Prime Minister – Part II
Dear Mr Prime Minister,
India is the largest democracy of the world, it's not a monarchy or autocracy where the excess of government can be tolerated by its citizens without blinking an eyelid. What happened on June 4 midnight at Ramlila ground, New Delhi not only reflects the extreme brutality of police forces and atrocities on innocent women, children and old people, but at the same time it exposed the collective base mentality of a government (read a bunch of diehard sycophants of a political dynasty) towards the universal democratic principles that once upheld by the forefathers of our Constitution. It's not only shocking that over five thousand police forces swarmed into action at the midnight to evict a yoga guru who just two days before the incident received a red carpet welcome by the cabinet ministers of this country, but it's equally deplorable that this kind of miscalculated action by your government landed you in a situation where you again committed a glaring blunder by admitting to the fact that “the excess of police action was though unfortunate but unavoidable as there was no alternative” and subsequently lost your credibility as the prime minister of this country.
What your government has done in this incident not only reflects the naivety of statecraft, but also it corroborates to the fact that the collective knowledge of your cabinet on the fundamental rights of citizens empowered by our Constitution is null and void. This is a dangerous proposition for a parliamentary democracy. No amount of argumentation however powerful can justify the brutality of police forces on innocent, unarmed, sleeping women and children that these critical mass can be dangerous to the law and order situation of the capital city of India by immaturely drawing a parallel between Babri masjid incident and an unfounded similar dangerous situation that maybe lurking in the hindsight of your government. No, Mr Prime Minister, this argument doesn't hold any water in the current scenario. What your government has done here to the democratic fabric of this country is irreparable. No amount of apology even from all ranks and files of your cabinet including you can't repair the humongous loss that it has done to the families of victims in this police atrocities.
Mr Prime Minister, there are scores of alternatives to handle the worst dangerous situation even with grace and within the ambit of democratic principles. The Ramlila ground incident is a murder of democracy, which you can't understand it, forget about acknowledging the blunder because you are not an elected representative of people of this country, rather a representative of a dynasty for political convenience. Perhaps, that's the prime reason as to why political compulsions have always overshadowed your intellect and conviction during national crisis whether it's all-pervasive political corruption or crushing of democracy in the recent event. It's still live in public memory when you justified systemic corruption as “coalition dharma” and “political mandate” can even wash away the democratic sins like “horse-trading in the Parliament.” No parliamentarian can claim such immature, unconstitutional statement.
Mr Prime Minister, it won't be quite surprising to notice another emergency during your tenure given the uprising of civil society against systemic corruption and black money issues that have entangled your government in deep soup, and subsequently you will give the same lame excuse that “though this is unfortunate but unavoidable as we don't have an alternative” a cliché that you have got by your heart to fire it whenever condemnations on your actions from public or political parties loom large.
Sir, we are living in 21st century, not in an era of colonial rule where all actions, however dangerous or anti-human or antagonistic, of a ruler stand legitimate. People of India are not subjects of British Raj. We are living in a vibrant democracy where every citizen has fundamental rights to lead his or life with human dignity and grace. Any excess by the government is extremely deplorable and condemnable. As head of the government, you must first oblige to the democratic principles and the Constitution of India, and then probably you can discharge your duty as a prime minister. If you fail to uphold the democratic principles, people of this country will not hesitate to consider you a man of no reason.
Yours sincerely,
An honest citizen
India is the largest democracy of the world, it's not a monarchy or autocracy where the excess of government can be tolerated by its citizens without blinking an eyelid. What happened on June 4 midnight at Ramlila ground, New Delhi not only reflects the extreme brutality of police forces and atrocities on innocent women, children and old people, but at the same time it exposed the collective base mentality of a government (read a bunch of diehard sycophants of a political dynasty) towards the universal democratic principles that once upheld by the forefathers of our Constitution. It's not only shocking that over five thousand police forces swarmed into action at the midnight to evict a yoga guru who just two days before the incident received a red carpet welcome by the cabinet ministers of this country, but it's equally deplorable that this kind of miscalculated action by your government landed you in a situation where you again committed a glaring blunder by admitting to the fact that “the excess of police action was though unfortunate but unavoidable as there was no alternative” and subsequently lost your credibility as the prime minister of this country.
What your government has done in this incident not only reflects the naivety of statecraft, but also it corroborates to the fact that the collective knowledge of your cabinet on the fundamental rights of citizens empowered by our Constitution is null and void. This is a dangerous proposition for a parliamentary democracy. No amount of argumentation however powerful can justify the brutality of police forces on innocent, unarmed, sleeping women and children that these critical mass can be dangerous to the law and order situation of the capital city of India by immaturely drawing a parallel between Babri masjid incident and an unfounded similar dangerous situation that maybe lurking in the hindsight of your government. No, Mr Prime Minister, this argument doesn't hold any water in the current scenario. What your government has done here to the democratic fabric of this country is irreparable. No amount of apology even from all ranks and files of your cabinet including you can't repair the humongous loss that it has done to the families of victims in this police atrocities.
Mr Prime Minister, there are scores of alternatives to handle the worst dangerous situation even with grace and within the ambit of democratic principles. The Ramlila ground incident is a murder of democracy, which you can't understand it, forget about acknowledging the blunder because you are not an elected representative of people of this country, rather a representative of a dynasty for political convenience. Perhaps, that's the prime reason as to why political compulsions have always overshadowed your intellect and conviction during national crisis whether it's all-pervasive political corruption or crushing of democracy in the recent event. It's still live in public memory when you justified systemic corruption as “coalition dharma” and “political mandate” can even wash away the democratic sins like “horse-trading in the Parliament.” No parliamentarian can claim such immature, unconstitutional statement.
Mr Prime Minister, it won't be quite surprising to notice another emergency during your tenure given the uprising of civil society against systemic corruption and black money issues that have entangled your government in deep soup, and subsequently you will give the same lame excuse that “though this is unfortunate but unavoidable as we don't have an alternative” a cliché that you have got by your heart to fire it whenever condemnations on your actions from public or political parties loom large.
Sir, we are living in 21st century, not in an era of colonial rule where all actions, however dangerous or anti-human or antagonistic, of a ruler stand legitimate. People of India are not subjects of British Raj. We are living in a vibrant democracy where every citizen has fundamental rights to lead his or life with human dignity and grace. Any excess by the government is extremely deplorable and condemnable. As head of the government, you must first oblige to the democratic principles and the Constitution of India, and then probably you can discharge your duty as a prime minister. If you fail to uphold the democratic principles, people of this country will not hesitate to consider you a man of no reason.
Yours sincerely,
An honest citizen
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Midnight murder of democracy
History has been repeated, rather in a more dastardly manner. What could be condemned as the worst incident in a democracy is on the contrary not only a blot on democracy, but also the worst form of inhumanity executed by a government. What's happening in this country? When people of this country come out in unison to protest peacefully against corruption and black money, the government doesn't hesitate to use barbaric police force to fire teargas at innocent people to destroy the movement. What happened at Ramlila ground, New Delhi, on the midnight of June 4 is a clear indication of the darkest episode of democracy. Five thousand police force cracked down on Ramlila ground and evicted Ramdev in brutal manner and the worst part is that the policemen assaulted women and children while they were taking rest in midnight. Is it a democracy or a nation ruled by rouges?
When the government is acting like nincompoops to fight against hardened terrorists despite all hard evidence, the same government is behaving like a medieval, brutal force against its own citizens to perish peaceful movements against corruption and black money. Can we call it a democracy where the basic tenets of democracy have miserably failed by its dispensers? What it clearly indicates that the government in power is a bunch of corrupt politicians who have stashed hordes of black money in foreign country and perhaps that's the primary reason what compels them to wipe out any kind of serious movement against corruption and black money.
The fear psychosis of the government is finally noticed by the public as how they are helplessly behaving in the most undemocratic manner to mar a peaceful protest, which is a fundamental right of every citizen in a democratic country. And the sad part is that a cabinet minister justifies the brutal action of police force on the innocent protesters and idiosyncratically reasons it as a lesson for all and sundry. What a duductive logic? This government after committing such unethical act against humanity and fundamental rights of citizens in a democratic nation doesn't have moral right to rule this country.
When the government is acting like nincompoops to fight against hardened terrorists despite all hard evidence, the same government is behaving like a medieval, brutal force against its own citizens to perish peaceful movements against corruption and black money. Can we call it a democracy where the basic tenets of democracy have miserably failed by its dispensers? What it clearly indicates that the government in power is a bunch of corrupt politicians who have stashed hordes of black money in foreign country and perhaps that's the primary reason what compels them to wipe out any kind of serious movement against corruption and black money.
The fear psychosis of the government is finally noticed by the public as how they are helplessly behaving in the most undemocratic manner to mar a peaceful protest, which is a fundamental right of every citizen in a democratic country. And the sad part is that a cabinet minister justifies the brutal action of police force on the innocent protesters and idiosyncratically reasons it as a lesson for all and sundry. What a duductive logic? This government after committing such unethical act against humanity and fundamental rights of citizens in a democratic nation doesn't have moral right to rule this country.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Social Media Trends
Every netizen has his or her bit of experience with social media. Some two years back when people were increasingly emphasizing on real-time search and information distribution, the marketing agencies and brand builders pitched in to optimize the benefits of social space and then started a much calibrated social media monitoring which proved that social media is not just a fad, rather it's a social technology revolution to understand the marketplace and consumers in an effective way. Time has changed. The same cynics who argued that social media is all fun and and no business have now taken a u-turn and are diehard proponents of social media integration with every business.
Well, social media dynamics are as nimble as social changes in a consumer world. Finally, the physical and virtual world of people have converged. The people who are more active in social space have turned to social media technologies to manifold the results. It's not too far from today when every democratic debate could emerge from aggressive social media discussions. With every new trend in social media, the community influence on businesses will be paramount. And the winners are certainly the ones who stay relevant to the social media trends. Well, let's have a look at some of those trends.
1. Privacy is a word of the past
With younger generations taking on to a non-hypocritical stand on personal choices, social media will enable this trend in a much bigger way. Increasingly people will accept personal exposes on social media. Beyond sharing likes, dislikes, wishes, opinions, and personal information, people will be tempted to share their most secret episode of their life. What it eventually would produce complex personal information that would help businesses personalize their products and services. For example, a survey on the length of a condom, which of course has a direct relationship with manhood, is still considered hush-hush in our society; however through social media the personal revelations would pour in, which in turn would help condom manufacturing companies to innovate better and more effective products.
2. Information portability
It will be a thing of past to view just Facebook trends on Facebook. What's more interesting would be to experience a composite trends across all social media. An OpenID would act as a passport to import all relevant information from various social media spaces and throw up to the expectations of viewers.
3. Real-time search
Gone are the days when we depended heavily on webcrawller logic to get stale search results indexed few days before. Today, Google's social search capability provides real-time information. With advance algorithms, Google can enable users to avail relevant yet timely information to enhance search experience.
4. Content aggregation
Content is king and still this statement is relevant today. Will upsurging social networks and exponentially increasing online profiles, the amount of online content is being generated at huge speed. Like content syndicates, the content aggregation will see a paradigm shift. And the most important fact is that how the content will be aggregated and how will it be presented to the end users will make or break the business.
5. Virtual reality
With platforms marrying each other at a breakneck speed, the end users will experience a more powerful applicability of social networking sites. Thanks to innovative technologies like 3-G, GPS mapping, mobile integration, all these will bring in an altogether new dimension not only to social relations but also to business relationships in long run. And the sad part is that your privacy is gone and you are exposed to million scrutiny.
6. Market influencer
TRP and ABC reports are a thing of the past. When advertising agencies claimed the number of eye balls directly influence the spend pattern of consumers, the social media has gone further to prove that viewership per se has really anything to do with sales, it's now the niche segmentation of viewership that really makes a significant differentiator. In fact, if we go by the market influential tactics, the feasibility of a sale only happens when the right customer receives the information. Advertising through TV or newspapers maybe as relevant today as was in past, but what really matters is that how the consumers internalize the facts propagated through advertising. The social media in turn has bring in breakthrough techniques to influence consumers in a larger way. The peer reviews, Google analytics, social trends, and various monitoring mechanisms have developed a sense of trust in consumers' mind.
7. Consumers' verdict
What's relevant today is how your peers perceive it. That has been a trend written on rock. Consumers now before buying any product take a deliberate preview of the product and its user ratings. If a product doesn't ferry well in user ratings, it's perceived that either the product is not worth purchasing or it's a sub-standard product. Imagine the verdict of consumers which will drive the business of tomorrow.
8. Social media as a service
So. what's next after SaaS, PaaS, and CaaS? Certainly, it's SmaaS or social media as a service that will define how SMEs which can't afford to full-range SM services of their own bank upon this new trend. Beyond fad, SmaaS will bring in new opportunity for businesses to expand their reach and brand positioning. And the SmaaS providers will see a complete new business opportunity along the evolution of social media technologies.
9. Crystal gazing
Everyone likes a bit of predictable future. What's relevant today might be hugely irrelevant tomorrow. Be it social trends, spending patterns, consumer behaviors, or marketing shenanigans, the future of social media largely depends on every aspect of consumer acceptance to change. Behind this lies innovative technologies to understand the implications of consumer reactions and bring about necessary logical changes in the usability of social technologies. That said, the gamut of social media will notice an array of visible changes on consumer usability and technology facilitation. Thus, the future will evolve from how consumers look at social media today and what they expect from the providers.
10. A marriage of social convenience
Social media and digital media will soon converge to open a newer platform for consumers. Digital divide will be dissolved sooner than latter. The elite technologies that specific sections of our society normally use will be available to all and sundry. Because social media will help reduce the class structure and evolve a paradigm shift in digital experiences that once was exclusive to top echelons of society. Thanks to the evolution of social media technologies that have brought people from all ranks and files to the same platform on a reasonably similar involvement.
Well, social media dynamics are as nimble as social changes in a consumer world. Finally, the physical and virtual world of people have converged. The people who are more active in social space have turned to social media technologies to manifold the results. It's not too far from today when every democratic debate could emerge from aggressive social media discussions. With every new trend in social media, the community influence on businesses will be paramount. And the winners are certainly the ones who stay relevant to the social media trends. Well, let's have a look at some of those trends.
1. Privacy is a word of the past
With younger generations taking on to a non-hypocritical stand on personal choices, social media will enable this trend in a much bigger way. Increasingly people will accept personal exposes on social media. Beyond sharing likes, dislikes, wishes, opinions, and personal information, people will be tempted to share their most secret episode of their life. What it eventually would produce complex personal information that would help businesses personalize their products and services. For example, a survey on the length of a condom, which of course has a direct relationship with manhood, is still considered hush-hush in our society; however through social media the personal revelations would pour in, which in turn would help condom manufacturing companies to innovate better and more effective products.
2. Information portability
It will be a thing of past to view just Facebook trends on Facebook. What's more interesting would be to experience a composite trends across all social media. An OpenID would act as a passport to import all relevant information from various social media spaces and throw up to the expectations of viewers.
3. Real-time search
Gone are the days when we depended heavily on webcrawller logic to get stale search results indexed few days before. Today, Google's social search capability provides real-time information. With advance algorithms, Google can enable users to avail relevant yet timely information to enhance search experience.
4. Content aggregation
Content is king and still this statement is relevant today. Will upsurging social networks and exponentially increasing online profiles, the amount of online content is being generated at huge speed. Like content syndicates, the content aggregation will see a paradigm shift. And the most important fact is that how the content will be aggregated and how will it be presented to the end users will make or break the business.
5. Virtual reality
With platforms marrying each other at a breakneck speed, the end users will experience a more powerful applicability of social networking sites. Thanks to innovative technologies like 3-G, GPS mapping, mobile integration, all these will bring in an altogether new dimension not only to social relations but also to business relationships in long run. And the sad part is that your privacy is gone and you are exposed to million scrutiny.
6. Market influencer
TRP and ABC reports are a thing of the past. When advertising agencies claimed the number of eye balls directly influence the spend pattern of consumers, the social media has gone further to prove that viewership per se has really anything to do with sales, it's now the niche segmentation of viewership that really makes a significant differentiator. In fact, if we go by the market influential tactics, the feasibility of a sale only happens when the right customer receives the information. Advertising through TV or newspapers maybe as relevant today as was in past, but what really matters is that how the consumers internalize the facts propagated through advertising. The social media in turn has bring in breakthrough techniques to influence consumers in a larger way. The peer reviews, Google analytics, social trends, and various monitoring mechanisms have developed a sense of trust in consumers' mind.
7. Consumers' verdict
What's relevant today is how your peers perceive it. That has been a trend written on rock. Consumers now before buying any product take a deliberate preview of the product and its user ratings. If a product doesn't ferry well in user ratings, it's perceived that either the product is not worth purchasing or it's a sub-standard product. Imagine the verdict of consumers which will drive the business of tomorrow.
8. Social media as a service
So. what's next after SaaS, PaaS, and CaaS? Certainly, it's SmaaS or social media as a service that will define how SMEs which can't afford to full-range SM services of their own bank upon this new trend. Beyond fad, SmaaS will bring in new opportunity for businesses to expand their reach and brand positioning. And the SmaaS providers will see a complete new business opportunity along the evolution of social media technologies.
9. Crystal gazing
Everyone likes a bit of predictable future. What's relevant today might be hugely irrelevant tomorrow. Be it social trends, spending patterns, consumer behaviors, or marketing shenanigans, the future of social media largely depends on every aspect of consumer acceptance to change. Behind this lies innovative technologies to understand the implications of consumer reactions and bring about necessary logical changes in the usability of social technologies. That said, the gamut of social media will notice an array of visible changes on consumer usability and technology facilitation. Thus, the future will evolve from how consumers look at social media today and what they expect from the providers.
10. A marriage of social convenience
Social media and digital media will soon converge to open a newer platform for consumers. Digital divide will be dissolved sooner than latter. The elite technologies that specific sections of our society normally use will be available to all and sundry. Because social media will help reduce the class structure and evolve a paradigm shift in digital experiences that once was exclusive to top echelons of society. Thanks to the evolution of social media technologies that have brought people from all ranks and files to the same platform on a reasonably similar involvement.
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