Election Day

Today is the election Day in Mumbai. In the constituency where my name is registered, there is not a single candidate who is clean,honest. I am in a dilemma whether to vote or note to vote. If I vote, I will end up casting vote to somebody who is corrupt and inefficient and if I don't,I am not exercising my rights as a responsible citizen. I don't know what to do.

Unethical Business Practice of Microsoft

Microsoft Corp through its destructive marketing policy has been able to successfully wipe out competition from some of it's serious contenders. For example, Netscape navigator, a very good search engine and widely used in the last decade, was unfortunately not a freeware.

Microsoft as a counter move released Internet explorer and started giving it free along with Windows operating system. This strategy killed the market for Netscape although Netscape was a better search engine than Internet explorer.

Hotmail, of our own Sabeer Bhatia, was gaining popularity as freeware email and was posing a serious challenge to Microsoft. To overcome this, Microsoft purchased the rights of Hotmail. Sabeer Bhatia settled with millions of dollars from Microsoft and surrendered the rights of Hotmail to Microsoft.

Macintosh had an operating system, which was very user friendly, but due to non-aggressive marketing policy of the company, the product was somehow not popular. Microsoft seized this opportunity, developed it's own brand of operating system WIN-95 based entirely on Macintosh operating system and successfully marketed it across the globe.

Lotus 123 developed by Lotus Corp was extremely popular as electronic spreadsheet. Microsoft developed MS-Excel in a new avatar and killed Lotus 123 in the process. Microsoft has systematically killed all competitors over a period of time and is currently ruling the international market.

Finding itself unchallenged in the market, Microsoft is dictating the price of it's products. Since there is virtually no competition, individuals and companies have no other option but to pay very high price as licensing cost for using Microsoft products.

High cost of licensing is encouraging piracy in a country like India, China where the income level of the people in general is not high. Linux, of late has emerged as a serious contender of Microsoft. It is a freeware open source software and extremely versatile. Total cost of ownership of Linux OS and star office suite of products is much lower than Microsoft.

Besides the cost, Linux is far superior to Windows-OS in terms of speed and ease of use and requires less hardware resources. The transition from Microsoft to Linux will reduce operating cost and give more value proposition. The savings arising out of switching over from windows to Linux will far outweigh the cost of migration and any potential downtime

Unfortunately, we are still sticking to Microsoft products, not willing to take any risk to migrate to Linux. Our biggest fear is our lack of familiarity of Linux as an operating system. Migrating to linux is not a cakewalk either.

Some introspection is required as to how the linux is going to impact the existing hardwares (including all peripherals and components), networking protocols, application software, people etc.

Besides the compatibility issue, we have to address the training needs of different layers of IT people in the organization. For those with Unix background, the training required is bare minimum as Linux being an offshoot of Unix, it uses many of the same commands found in most of the offerings from the major Unix vendors.

Similarly for those with Windows background, training required is more as the Windows environment is very different from Linux. Server administrators in general will need more training than database administrators. Developers do not need as much training.

As far as end users are concerned, migration will have no impact whatsoever and therefore end users don't require any training. Cost of migration from windows to linux will mainly include cost of hardware upgrades, cost of software upgrades and cost of training.

The cost of migration should be weighed against the savings resulting out of use of linux over a period of time and ROI should be worked out to justify the investment.

Microsoft is releasing new versions of Windows–OS and MS-office suite of products almost every year and charging existing users exorbitant as upgradation cost. New releases of Microsoft products are resource hungry. There was a time when we thought 16MB RAM is good enough memory to store Win-OS but after release of win- 98 and now Win- 2003, our perception has changed.

Today, we find that even 32MB RAM is insufficient to run windows 2003. With every new release of Windows operating system and MS-Office suite of products, we are forced to upgrade our hardwares again and again resulting in more and more investment. Is there any nexus between Microsoft,IBM or Compaq as all stand to gain in this game?

In a monopolistic situation like this, exploitation of the customer is bound to happen which is amply demonstrated by Microsoft.

Fear of failure

There is one school of thought which says “Forget the past. Concentrate on your present which is going to shape up your future”. I slightly differ from this viewpoint. I will correct this statement by saying” Learn from your past, Correct your present which is going to determine your future. You can learn from not only your own mistakes but mistakes made by others and not repeat those mistakes in the present which may impact your future. History is replete with stories of what people have done in the past and what went wrong and what was the repercussion of those mistakes. Everybody is interested in knowing the success story. There is nothing wrong in it. But knowing the story of failures is equally important. Let me tell you that behind every successful man, there are many who have failed. Do we know who they are and why they failed. If we succeed in the very first attempt, we don’t learn anything. We learn only when we face obstacles, Hindrances, failures. There is no shame in admitting failures. There is not a single person who has not made any mistake in life. What is important here is that rather than being in comfort zone, we should try to do something different and if we fail, we should try and understand why we failed, what went wrong, analyse the failure, correct the mistakes and try once again rather than losing focus,interest and abandon it altogether for fear of failure. Many of the great scientific discoveries have been made in the past after repeated unsuccessful attempts. One should have perseverance, patience, self belief. There is a dangerous trend emerging among youth now a days. Trying to get instant success. They don’t want to put up hard work. They have no patience. If you sow the seed now, wait for the harvest. You can’t become famous, rich,successful overnight. There is no magic formula. If you want fame, success in any field say for example sports, music, dance etc, you will have to put up lots of hard work for many many years. Abhinav Bindra is a classic case . Nobody knew him before he got Gold medal for India in Olympics. He was a non entity to all of us. He practiced shooting at home for 10 hrs per day for years despite the fact that, he did not get any financial or logistic support from sports ministry. Success did not come to him overnight. He put up lot of hard work and did not lose focus despite hindrances, obstacles, setbacks in his journey towards Olympics Gold Medal. This was possible because he had set for himself a tangible goal and he was able to sustain his motivation level for so long despite all odds. If we get everything without any struggle, there is no fun, no excitement, no challenge in life. A pregnant woman has to wait for 9 months and then go through labour pain before delivering the baby. There is no shortcut to it. This is the law of nature.

Can we see our past

Can we see the past. Yes, we can. When we look at the star which is say 5000 light years away from earth, we are in fact seeing the light that left the star 5000 years ago and not the current light of the star because the light has taken 5000 years to reach us. The star may have been dead by now and may no longer exist in the constellation. We are in fact looking at the past. Assuming, we are travelling in space faster than light and we are carrying an extremely powerful telecope through which we can see the objects on earth while in space, we will be able to see events taking place on earth in reverse gear with the result we will start looking at events which took place in the past. As we move away from earth more and more into space, the deeper we go into the past. But whether we can move faster than light, the science does not have any definite answer till date.

Try to read body language

When you meet a person of same sex or opposite sex for business alliance or matrimonial alliance, you need to understand the person you are meeting thoroughly so as to avoid disappointments or frustrations at a later date. Generally, during such meetings, the person you meet tries to project himself as the best person available. His true self does not get revealed. That is when reading the body language comes to your rescue. Rather than what he says, the body language tells you what he has in mind. The tone, the eye contact, body posture, Gesture, facial expression etc say something to you. If the body language is not in synch with what the person speaks, the person is hiding facts. You are not conscious of your body language while you are talking. It comes naturally to you as a reflex action. It is easy to manipulate what you say, but it is very difficult to manipulate your body language which is the true reflection of your intentions. Let us see how to read body language.

1> Hands-- When you meet and shake hands with the other person, just notice how he is holding your hands.If it is too tight and gripping, it means he is of dominating nature. If the other person holds your fingers instead of full hand, it means he lacks self confidence. If the person is holding your hand for a longer period than is necessary, he or she is physically attracted to you. If the hand is cold and loose, it means that the person lacks commitment and self determination
2> Eye Contact--- If the person to whom you are talking does not look straight into your eyes and constantly glances sideways, it means he is not interested in your conversation. If the person flickers or blinks his eyes too frequently while talking, it means he is nervous. If he makes short eye contacts in between, it means either he is shy natured or he is lying.
3> Posture--- Posture tells a great deal about the person. If he is sitting upright with shoulders slightly leaning backwards, it means he is interested in conversion. If the person is sitting cross legged during conversation, it means he is defensive and over protective.
4> Facial Expression—Face is the mirror of the internal feelings of a person. If the face is glowing, it means he is free from anxieties. If the face is grim, it means he is tired, worried or sick
5> Movement of Hand—While the person is speaking, look at his hands. If his hands are outstretched, it means he is accommodative and confident. If he holds his hands tightly to his chest, it means he lacks self confidence The pace at which he speaks also gives an indication of his personality. If he speaks too fast or speaks in high pitched tone, he lacks maturity.

If you are interviewing a person for a job,it is very important for you to know whether the person you are interviewing is genuine or not. Look at the body language after you ask him a particular question. He will be lying if

1>He changes position of his arms or legs before answering
2>His voice pitch suddenly changes
3>He starts speaking faster
4>He fumbles or clears his throat
5>He starts using fillers such as “Um”, “Uh”, "I mean" etc
6>He reacts with hostility or indignation

The art of reading body language can be cultivated which will prove to be of immense benefits to you.

What are your views.

superstition

Superstition in Indian society has become deep rooted. The list of superstitious belief is endless. Superstition emanates from blind faith. It has no logical or rational base. A black cat crossing our path while we are going out is considered an inauspicious sign and can bring bad luck. Similarly, sneezing is also considered unfavourable. If we see deadbody going in the opposite direction, it is considered a good sign but if it is going in the same direction, it is considered a bad sign. A pregnant woman should not go out during eclipse else it will have bad effect on foetus growing in the womb. The list is endless. The superstition is so deeply ingrained in our belief system that it is difficult to root out completely. Even the educated Indians fall victim to superstition. Astrology, Numerology,Palmistry and Tarot reading etc encourage superstition. The so called experts in these areas are minting money fooling around people all over India. They can be seen in almost all our T.V Channels in the morning session giving expert advice to the public. Belief in Astrology is reinforced if astrological prediction comes true by any chance. I know nothing about Palmistry. I once pretended to read the hands of my ex colleague and predicted that he is going to leave his job within 6 months. My prediction somehow turned out to be true. He, indeed left the job within 6 months. It was just pure coincidence. Now, he is so much convinced about my ability to predict accurately that he keeps calling me on phone to seek my advice on many important issues. People, who are emotionally weak fall prey to superstition. I have seen many sick ( both mentally and physically) people going to Tantriks, Religious gurus and do most absurd thing under the guidance of these Thugs to ward off evil spirit from the body. According to the recent news report, a father raped his own daughter under the guidance of Tantrik to bring back prosperity in family. Superstition is prevalent not only in India but in advanced countries as well. Number 13 is considered unlucky by most of Westerners. When Apollo 13 moon mission failed, many believed it was due to unlucky number 13. 13th floor is kept empty in many high rise buildings due to the stigma attached to number 13. Vaastu Shastra is gaining popularity now a days which does not have any scientific base. Superstition is a social evil. Superstition is most prevalent among people who are uneducated. The government should never allow programs on television which encourage superstition. Those spreading superstition for their own personal gain should be punished.

Space exploration

Us has recently launched a satellite in space to explore whether life exists in universe. This satellite will go beyond our solar system and will explore whether earth like planet exists elsewhere. Space exploration is a very expensive affair. Billions of dollare have been earmarked for this project. I don't understand what purpose it is going to serve. Is it going to help the mankind in any way. Even if it is proven that earthlike planets exist elswhere and oxygen and water in liquid form exists in such planets which is essential to support life, is it possible to make any physical contact considering the fact that even the nearest star from planet earth is 1 light year away. Light year is the measure of distance in terms of time taken by light to reach earth. Considering the speed of light which is roughly 2,99,792 Km per second, the distance of nearest star in space is trillions and trillions of km. It is impossible for any human being to travel such a great distance in his lifetime. There are billions of stars in a gallaxy and like wise there are billions of galaxies in the universe. The number of planets circling stars are unimaginable. Even if one in trillion planets circling stars is earthlike which is quite possible, there will be thousands of life sipporting planets in the universe. It looks ridiculous to spend so much money and time in space exploration for existence of life other than earth . There is so much poverty and hunger on this planet earth that money spent on such wasteful projects can be termed as against humanity.

Bridegroom

Bridegrooms are now a days sold for a price. Higher the qualification, more the price. There is a price tag for doctors, engineers,MBAs,CA's etc. Everything is saleable now a days. If cricketers are saleable, government officials are saleable, ministers are saleable, why can't bridegrooms be saleable.I was on the lookout for a suitable bridegroom for my daughter. One day, as I was browsing through the matrimonial coloumn of The Times of India while sipping morning tea at home, I came across a very interesting advertisement with caption "Bridegrooms are sold here." I noted down the address of the shop written below and decided to visit the shop on my way back from office. After finishing my work in office, as I was returning home in the evening, I visited the shop which happened to be on the way. I had unusual experience that day. As I reached the shop, I could see there was a big rush in the shop. Young ladies and gentlemen were busy selecting the choicest bridegroom and bargaining with the salesmen for the best deal. I was watching the whole scene from a distant corner. As the crowd receded after sometime, I approached the salesman . I asked him softly. "Do you have a suitable bride for my daughter". The saleman looked at me from head to foot as if trying to assess my worth. He then said. "Sir, what is your budget". I kept quiet, Without waiting for an answer, he picked up the photograph of the best piece available and said. Sir, this guy is a chartered accountant, works in a multinational, has been abroad several times, is flent in English, draws fat salary, very cunning and manipulative, highly Ambitious, believes in success at all costs. Price tag is 30 lacs. This is the only good piece available to day. All others are sold out. I remained silent. The salesman thought probably it was too expensive for me. He then picked up another piece and said. Never mind. I will show you another one. Look at this one sir, this one will fit your budget. This guy is a stage actor, he is flambuoyant, very stylish, smart, capable of fooling anybody, can mimic any bollywood actor on stage. Price is only 15 Lacs. I will give you a dicount of 5%. I was still unmoved. This time, salesman was little puzzled. But he did not lose heart. He was convinced, my budget was bare minimum. As is the practice, good salesmen do not let customers go empty handed, he finally came up with a piece and said. Sir, You simply can't reject this piece. It is dirt cheap and costs virtually nothing. This guy is very simple, Honest,straight forward, never tells lies, does not smoke, does not drink, keeps himself miles away from clubs, casinos etc, sticks to his principles, is very spiritual and is a class teacher in a school and earns a modest salary. It is a rejected piece,sir. I can give you at throughaway price. With tears in my eyes, I said, thank you for showing me this one. He may be dirt cheap in your eyes, but to me, he is invaluable. This guy is the only one suitable for my daughter.