"If google goes down, something else will come up"

Last night, a friend and me had a discussion on why google is better than any other search engine. And also why the Yahoo! and Microsft deal, if it came through, wouldn't do much for the. Note, Shash is a hard core google admirer and the following converstaion could be biased. If anybody has an alternative opinion kindly feel free to add on. I've also added a few links to stories regarding the deal which I personally think is a must read to understand the complexity of it. There again I thought I did write a lone blog on the deal, but thought this conversation sets a good ground for it.


IMJ: Have u read the story in New York Times on Google's (G) take on the bid?
Shash: Yes I read G's take on it.
IMJ: They are definitely thinking if that’s their response. No matter what any one says about the deal, G is definitely shuddering.
Shash: They're playing smooth. Thing is, they can't be challenged that easily
IMJ: Yea. Smooth on de surface chaos inside.
Shash: Too much permission capital with everyone. We all lap up google services and don't care one whit about MS or yahoo search engines.
IMJ: Well think of it this way Micro and Yahoo engineers together working to improve the search engine. It is definitely something to think about
Shash: Lol don't blame you, but that's not how it works. The google databanks account for about 60% of the world's big iron machines, the ones that are publicly connected, anyway.I doubt anyone can beat the raw power of google's systems anytime soon
IMJ: What do you mean by “The google databanks account for about 60% of the world's big iron machines the ones that are publicly connected, anyway.”?
Shash: Simple raw computing power. The google servers are not really single systems. Rather, they're these enormous complexes of networked machines that work together and split the loads between themselves. One could consider the databank to be one huge supercomputer if they do; it's the single largest entity on the internet. You've seen the "(0.13 seconds)" bit on each google search, right?
IMJ: Yes
Shash: Now imagine that each request goes through like maybe 5000 computers in that span of time. The thing is, google makes their own servers - they customize the OS and build their own machines from off-the-shelf components. At the scale they operate at, this is so bloody cheap that they can afford give away things for free even if 99.99% of us never click on the ads.
Shash: Also, they've got this huge amount of advertising capital. You don't yahoo for something - you google it and with blogger, they practically own the word blog and google earth, picasa. Nobody goes to hotmail or even yahoo mail anymore.
IMJ: Then isn’t it unfair for them to say that micro is going to manipulate and violate the idea of the INTERNET??
Shash: Some would say so and in a way, they're right. But remember it's the same site, whether you find it through msn live or google or through a friend giving you a URL. What they're saying is that Microsoft has this reputation for playing dirty. They bundle products with their OS and thus snuff out a great alternative with a "good enough" one. I don't think that'll happen to google though - they're saber-rattling at MS and yahoo
IMJ: G had filed a lawsuit against M when dey had made MSN default search wit their OS.
Shash: yup and a fat lot of good it did MS. Everyone just reconfigured their home pages to G. Including the OEMs who did it out of the box after people complained.
Shash: But even google's power pales in comparison to something else that's just building up
IMJ: Meaning?
Shash: It is the simple fact that wikis, blogs and the rest are user-generated. No more are we tied down by a few sources for everything. Interested in something vague and weird? Make a website or a blog about it. Even if you don't want the free stuff, you can do it for about $5 a month + 9.95 a year for a domain. So if google goes down, something else will come up.

Other links:
Yahoo! and the future of the Internet by David Drummond, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer
Monkey boy's three-legged race
Google and Microsoft Take Up Battle Stations
How Google Could Keep Yahoo From Microsoft
An Offer Yahoo Can’t Refuse

Dinner date with Jimmy Wales

Okay for those who don't know who Jimmy Wales is (there were quite a few of my friends who didn't!), he is the founder of Wikipedia. Yes, the very site you would go to if you wanted to know about a career option u are looking at like logistics or to look up what a heinie is.

MJ says that it is not the best site to look up when you want details and research. But its an undisputed fact that wiki is the most sought after.

And yes I was lucky enough to meet the man who founded it and made it possible for one and all to add on to the online encyclopedia.

Jimmy Wales is in the country to address a few universities on various issues regarding the internet. As he was in Chennai, two of my friends and me caught up with him at an informal get together at dinner. Thanks to Kribs else we would have missed out on the oppurtunity.
Seated at a table for 10, Jimbo sat at the head of the table. There were quite a few biggies from the IT industry along with two other reporters.

Krib's introdruction of us as the Crème a la crème journalism students was quite a boost. It was an overwhelming thought to meet Jimbo (his preferred nick) as we didn't know what we would talk about. But he put us at ease by drawing us into the conversation right away.

Discussing the motivations of why one would want to sign up with wikipedia to the problems of handling edits made by mischief-mongers. We covered most of the wiki ground.

Asked if wiki would soon go the video or audio way, he wasn't too keen on it. Citing reasons like difficulty editing such pieces on the basis of bias and information or even updating an audio/video piece. He said the technology for editing this hadn't been developed. He also said that to add on information it did be difficult.
He wasn't too keen on any content being linked to blogs as a source of information due to various reasons. Or adding a podcast. He said they were still in the nascent stage and wiki had a long way to go for all of that.
He also believed that it is easier for a person to read text while multitasking, than it would be to hear a podcast or watch a video.

When asked what his take on the new google software 'knol' which is alleged to resemble wiki. He said he didn't feel threatened in any way as it was not similar to wiki at all. Would it change the cartel of google search w.r.t wiki? He replied that wiki was a non-profit organisation and it really did not matter.

Discussing the Microsoft-Yahoo! deal, he played safe and said one couldn't really say if it would work or not at this point in time. He did agree that they were two different companies in terms of work culture and all, but one never knows what could happen. He also said that Google was number 1 as a search engine, but Yahoo mail still has many more users to their credit. gmail doesn't. But he also acknoledged that the gap was fast being bridged.

David Appasamy, Communications Manager of Sify, said "The two companies are so disparate, that its tough to merge the two." According to Appasamy, Yahoo! has been on a decline for the past two years and the bid by Microsoft seems to be an act of desperation from their side.

Well, there were many more things that were spoken about, but more of that when am done writing the story with my colleague Bratatee. Shall post the story, so all you people have nothing to worry about.

You will get the inside story along with pictures. :) Till then goodluck and goodnight.

Jimmy's blog

Discrimination against Indians in Mumbai

While Indians were raving and ranting about the discrimination against Bhajji in Down under by the natives, Mumbaikars had to face one too.

The almost riots like situation on Sunday, Feb. 3 - 2008, came as a rude shock to the residents of Mumbai. Especially those who are from North India. It is no longer an issue of being an Indian and a non-Indian. But this has been decentralised and come to the very core of being an Indian.

Raj Thackeray and his party (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) members have created chaos in Mumbai suburbs. Raj Thackeray made controversial comments against north-Indians and Amitabh Bachan is particular. He voiced out his belief that maharashtrians were being discriminated against when it came to jobs and other amenities. The northies seem to be all over Mumbai, making it their 'earning' home, but not accepting it full-heartedly.
This entire fiasco was more of a political propoganda and an attempt to woo the 'true mumbaikars'.

It is an expected thing that when the Big B is bad-mouthedc his extended family, Amar Singh - member of the Samajwadi Party (SP), has to come to his 'adopted' brother's rescue. And this is what happened. Amar Singh too indulged in a verbal spat with Thackeray, turning it into a violent clash between the two parties.

MNS attaked a theatre playing a Bhojpuri film and pelted Big B's house with liqour bottles in the wee hours of monday morning.

Thackeray should be told that what the mumbaikars really want is a state that has amenities to provide like water, efficient drainage systems during the rain, adequate housing amongst a few. Rather than indulging in verbal and violent games.

How does it matter if Big B is building a school in Up, if he is so concerned about the lack of education facilities in Mumbai - why doesn't he build one? But NO that is that the issue that he fought on. For him it was a case of people earning in Mumbai but spending in their home town. He claims they are not 'Mumbaikars' at heart.

What does he have to say about those 'Mumbaikars' who are maharashtrians, but not living in their home-town? They are not supporting the city in any way what so ever. They are spending in the cities/countries that they have adopted as home. Should they be called 'mumbaikars'?? Should they be allowed to come back to Mumbai if they wanted to??

On what basis is Thackeray discriminating against north-Indians? Should the other states too start treating the migrated-mumbaikars the way MNS has? Shall we all ask them to pack up their bags and return to their city?

If we start discriminating on people on the basis of inter-state, then where will India stand in the global community? We were dividing people on the basis of religion and caste. Are we now going to adopt the policy of discriminating against people on the basis of which state they come from?

The combination of caste + religion + inter-state is going to be a lethal one that could cause repercussions far and wide.

I love Laloo Prasad Yadav's response when Thackeray asked the obnoxious question, "Why are the Railways full of Biharis? Are Maharashtrians less able?"

"Localisation will not be tolerated in an era of globalisation!" Laloo retorted.

Yes, I completely agree with Laloo.

Team India go kick lots of Aussie A****

After Bhajji's hearing on Tuesday, all of us - Indians - heaved a sigh of relief and were jubliant. But OZ media played spoilsport like their team. It is hard to believe that the very same media who was backing Bhajji up after the Sydney test are the ones who say that Hansen's verdict is crap and its a "pressure n money" verdict coz of BCCI.

Thats just utter crap! Why cant they, both the Australian team and the Media face it that we got what we deserved? Is it too hard for them to face the fact that we are now giving back as good as we get? They just crying like babies.

Why are the Australians and even a few other former english players forgetting that Symonds the MONKEY!!) was the one to start the verbal assault?? Bhajji just retorted back like any other human being. But here lies the problem, the aussies are just stuck-up snobs who refuse to be beaten at their own game - be it Cricket or sledging! And that too coming from an Indian. No ways, they are not the ones to sit back and say "Bring it on"

There is evidence from the stump-mic that proves that Symonds (MONKEY) was the initiator of what turned the cricket field to a dirty sledging arena.

They should learn from their mistakes and I hope that Bhajji decides to sue Symonds for defamation. That ought to teach the Aussies a lesson even if this episode hasn't!

Music sharing - legal or illegal?

This is a talk that a few of my friends and me had as part of our first Audio podcasting assignment. Turned out to be quite an interesting discussion. Hope you all enjoy it too.




Click here to get your own player.

My first Podcast

We had this workshop on podcasting today. It was fun n frustrating. Fun coz it was creativity at its best aand we learnt a whole lotta cool stuff that I wldnt have known of or learnt, if not for this wkshop.

Frustrating coz de damn PC i sat on was jus jinxed to quote Unni and James. Firstly de damn Audacity player didnt wk, had to record on a friends laptop. Then got it transferred ONLY to realise the damn Audacity player was a different version than my friend's and hence couldnt do much with the recorded piece. So she converted it to MP3 format. After which I signed up with Podomatic to upload the podcast.. And i'm still waiting for it to be uploaded. Hence the time to post this blog. Once its done, I shall upload my FIRST EVER podcast here.

So wait and listen.

Farmer turns cab driver as crops fail in Cuddalore

Bhaktavatsalam, a vannair farmer from Sakkangudi has sufferred large crop losses due to the rains in 2007. His 12-year-old son, Balaji, studying in the Panchayat Union School looks on.


Cuddalore: 38-year-old R Bhaktavatsalam, a Vanniar, (a Most Backward Caste), owns six acres of land, that he owned from is father 20 years ago, in Saakangudi, a village in the Keerapalayam block, where he cultivates paddy. But for the last five years, he works as a cab driver with a local travel company to meet the increasing cost of living. He has three children – two sons and one daughter, all of whom are studying.
His farm land is at a one kilometer walk from his house, near the dalit colony of the village. He hires labourers to do the manual work, but he decides on what seeds to sow and what fertilizers are needed. He said, “I do all the administrative work and the physical work is left for the coolies.” Bhaktavatsalam, along with other farmers of this village, who cultivate mainly sugarcane and paddy, faced crop losses due to the heavy rains last December.

Has the government given you any compensation for the crops that were affected during the rains this year?
No, we haven’t got any compensation yet. Our Panchayat leader has told us that the inspection officers from the Central Government will be coming before Pongal. They will check our records and inspect our fields. Then,only if they see it necessary/ will we get any compensation. But the rains were in November-December, so by the time they come here, there will be nothing left of the havoc caused by the rains last year for them to see. So then how do we get our compensation?

What happened in the previous years after the floods? Did you get any compensation?
The last time I got compensation was in 2005. That year the rains were heavy and I lost out on most of my paddy. While I was paid only Rs 2000 for my loss. I incurred a loss of about Rs 45,000, inclusive of all the fertilizers and pesticides I bought. That year was the worst; I had to take a loan of Rs 10,000 the next year to buy seeds and fertilizers.

How did you cope with the living costs after your loss?
I earn Rs 3500 a month as a cab driver. I had to live with that. At least we had some food on the table; my neighbors suffered a fate far worse than me.

What’s the quantity of seeds you buy every year and where do you buy them?
Per acre I sow 45 kgs of rice seeds. Thirty kilograms of rice seeds cost me Rs 400. I buy it from a co-operative society. We have one in every village. I buy the PPT variety of rice as it is the tolerant variety. (PPT is a herbicide called Phosphinotricin. A variety of rice called Oryza Sativa. L, which is tolerant to the herbicide, has been produced.)



Have you bought seeds from the government? If so, have you been given any subsidies?
No, every time we go to the Keerapalayam Panchayat they say that there are no seeds. They say the same for fertilizers. So we always buy all that we need from the co-operative society. It is not that they give us any discount, but at least we get good seeds.



What is the germination of these seeds?
I get 75 per cent germination. But this year due to the floods caused by rains, my crops were affected. A bag contains 10-15 kgs of rice Usually I get 20 bags of rice, but this year I may get just 12 bags.





How many labourers you employ on your fields and what are the wages do you pay?
I have 15 people who work for me - 11 men and four women. The men are paid Rs 100 per day and the women are paid Rs 50.



Why such a large difference between the wages, don’t the women demand more?
(Laughs) The women do not do as much manual work as the women. They are physically weaker, so the work done is less, that’s why I pay them less. They don’t ask for more because this is how it has been all these years and this is how it will remain.