tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34344192024-03-12T20:28:40.268-07:00Mixed BagIn the realm of ideas, everything depends upon enthusiasm - GoetheNikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.comBlogger327125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1164861749678580582006-11-29T20:25:00.000-08:002006-11-30T21:48:59.023-08:00I like to move it, move itThe <a href="http://www.mixedbag.in">blog</a>, I mean.<br /><br />Pliss to updates your links and RSS feeds if you're linking/using RSS readers<br /><br />- I'm now at <a href="http://www.mixedbag.in">www.mixedbag.in</a> and, yes, on <a href="http://www.dreamhost.com">Dreamhost</a>.<br />- The RSS Feed is at <a href="http://www.mixedbag.in/feed/">http://www.mixedbag.in/feed/</a>, for now.<br /><br />May install all those Feedburner, Digg etc things, though I think they mess up the design.<br /><br />The design of the new blog will evolve, but, as always, will be minimalist. This is the fifth host (after buildpage, brinkster, blogger, wordpress) and once it's finished - will be the sixth original design, not taking into account the two I'd done for Motif.<br /><br />The shift to wordpress was attempted earlier, but <a href="http://nikhil.wordpress.com">http://nikhil.wordpress.com</a> just didn't have the designing flexibility I want. This blogspot blog will remain because I don't want the URL to be hijacked (like what happened with Rahul at http://rhymebawd.blogspot.com).<br /><br />Would like to thank <a href="http://www.wohho.com">Viv</a> for helping out after the <a href="http://mixedbag.blogspot.com/2006/10/not-really-dreamhost.html">payment confusion</a>, pencilled faxes and what not...I'm expecting lots of Wordpress tips and tricks from you guys - either in the comments of this post, or (preferably) <a href="http://www.mixedbag.in/2006/11/29/to-do/">here</a>.<br /><br />Also - what kind of content would you like to read...not that I'm out of things to write about. :DNikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1164649498681249062006-11-27T09:23:00.000-08:002006-11-27T09:45:01.140-08:00"Ducks are female" says Aishwarya<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/829/72/1600/535282/24505920.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/829/72/320/650075/24505920.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Aishwarya has completed two years of blogging at <a href="http://bluelullaby.blogspot.com">Kaleidoglide</a>, where she blogs about random feminist stuff. Mixedbag.in caught up with Aishwarya and spoke to her about stardom, exposing and ducks:<br /><div align="right"><b>In pic- Aishwarya, woman of mystery. Behind park bench: mystery.</b></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikhil:</span> So, how does it feel to have completed two years of blogging?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">bluelullaby:</span> amazing. I never thought I could do it! I thought it would be so hard to expose my inner thoughts and fillings<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikhil:</span> And do you feel sufficiently exposed after two years of doing this?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">bluelullaby:</span> yes, I an now very comfortable with exposing myself.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikhil:</span> How have people reacted to it?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">bluelullaby:</span> the response from my juniors in college has been fantastic!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikhil:</span> Have you been emulated? Is a full college planning to expose themselves online?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">bluelullaby:</span> only a few people. The rest prefer to watch<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikhil:</span> And those who do not know you personally...those who know you only via your blog - how have they reacted?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">bluelullaby:</span> their response has been very encouraging. sometimes people are abusive, but I realise that's only jealousy<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikhil:</span> Do you think their reaction is representative of society in general - that people aren't quite ready for this sort of a thing?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">bluelullaby:</span> possibly. we live in a very conservative society, but if you think about it indian culture gives an important place to women!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikhil:</span> Metaphorically speaking, why did you paint that duck pink?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">bluelullaby:</span> *giggles *<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikhil:</span> No really. The world needs to know...<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">bluelullaby:</span> a girl has to have SOME secrets!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikhil:</span> You're just ducking the issue. We've already tried our level best to find out... but the duck just wont quack.<br />bluelullaby: ...well.Pink is such a feminist colour, no?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikhil:</span> I wouldn't know..but go on.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">bluelullaby:</span> and ducks are female<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikhil:</span> But not all ducks are female<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">bluelullaby:</span> yes they are. You see, male duck are called drakes<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikhil:</span> rumour has it that the duck promised to make you a muwi star, and hasn't delivered yet<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">bluelullaby:</span> *gasp * who told you?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikhil:</span> we have our sources.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">bluelullaby:</span> All lies, I tell you! The tabloids will say anything. Just because I am willing to expose myself they want to ruin me<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikhil:</span> Also, have you recently received any emails telling you that you've won the Euro Clubs Promo Org prize?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">bluelullaby:</span> none, why?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikhil:</span> Because I just did. Just checking...anyway, back to you. How does it feel to have completed three years of blogging?<br />bluelullaby: two, but<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikhil:</span> Oh yes. And we've already covered this question, haven't we. That's about it, then. Thanks for talking to MixedBag.<br /><br />Aishwarya also mentioned that she has curly hair. Next, we shall try to get <a href="http://jaiarjun.blogspot.com">Jai Arjun Singh</a> to talk about Aishwarya's fillings because, as she puts it "everything must be about MEEEE!"Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1164434905837394092006-11-24T21:17:00.000-08:002006-11-24T23:15:40.276-08:00Jazz Utsav 2006 (Woohoo!)Well, I'd been wondering about the Jazz Utsav... had a wonderful time last year, and even if I did rant about some of the performances (<a href="http://mixedbag.blogspot.com/2005/11/all-jazzd-up-jazz-utsav-05-day-one.html">here</a>, <a href="http://mixedbag.blogspot.com/2005/11/more-jazz-jazz-utsav-05-day-two.html">here</a> and <a href="http://mixedbag.blogspot.com/2005/11/orjazzmic-indeed-jazz-utsav-05-day.html">here</a>)- I remember it fondly; it was, by far, the best experience of live music I had last year...and I went for some 34 gigs in all. No such luck this year, even though the number of live events has increased.<br /><br />Over the past week or so, I've been pestering both gupta_anuj (:P) and Prakash Thadani of Silkworks for details of the Jazz Utsav. While this years line-up doesn't seem as kickass as last years was, and the tickets/passes for Delhi are much more expensive (no students tickets at Rs.50?) - it still should be a memorable experience...but, as they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Though I wish I was in Bombay - <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilpahwa/305452934/">the venue</a> looks awesome, unlike stuffy Sai Audi in Delhi. I've only heard Jazz in a closed environment, and the acoustics at Kamani last year were awful. The consolidated details of the Jazz Utsav 2006 are as follows:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Delhi</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Venue:</span> Sai International Centre, Lodhi Road.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Time:</span> 6 pm to 10 pm<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Schedule:</span><br />1st Dec: <a href="http://rsjonline.com/Bandlands/Band.asp">HFT</a> (Delhi), <a href="http://www.kirstihukequartet.com/">Kirsti Huke Quartet</a>(Norway), <a href="http://www.martindahanukar.com/">Martin Dhanukar</a> (Swiss)<br />2nd Dec: <a href="http://www.wolfganghaffner.com/">Wolfgang Haffner</a> (Germany), <a href="http://www.mariasadowska.com/">Maria Sadowska</a> (Poland)<br />3rd Dec: <a href="http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Pierre_Favre.html">Pierre Favre</a> (Switzerland), Sidewinders (India), Amit Heri Group (Bangalore, Mumbai)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tickets:</span> Rs. 500 and Rs.300, available at The Music Shop – Khan Market; Steakhouse – Jorbagh; Turquoise Cottage – Adchini; Haze Blues & Jazz Bar – Vasant Vihar; RSJ Office – Shahpurjat (Ph: 26497945). Available tomorrow, and at least Khan market can be expected to be sold out by the afternoon.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tips:</span><br />- Get your tickets ASAP. People tend to hoard them...last year, Shivangi and Sam of RSJ had kept several passes for me (and some of you).<br />- Only 4 passes per person allowed, so I can't pick 'em up for you like last year. Anyone care to join me?<br />- Parking space around Sai Auditorium is at a premium, unlike Kamani Auditorium last year<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mumbai</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Venue:</span> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilpahwa/305452934/">Amphitheatre at Landsend</a>, Bandra<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Time:</span> 6:30pm to 10pm<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Schedule:</span><br />1st Dec: Gary Lawyer (Mumbai), Emanon (India)<br />2nd Dec: Sidewinder (Denmark/Australia/India), <a href="http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Pierre_Favre.html">Pierre Favre</a> (Switzerland), Kirsti Hukke (Norway)<br />3rd Dec: <a href="http://www.martindahanukar.com/">Martin Dhanukar's Blood System</a> (Switzerland), <a href="http://www.mariasadowska.com/">Maria Sadowska</a> (Poland), <a href="http://www.wolfganghaffner.com">Wolfgang Haffner</a> (Germany)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tickets:</span> Thadani House, 329/A. Worli Village, Worli Sea Face End. Next To Naval Coast Guard Headquarters, Mumbai- 400 025. ph: 24373385, 24379841, 24229986 and Time: 12 noon to 4pm. Available from 27th November Till 30th November, 2006.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">p.s.:</span><br />- Also, in case you're wondering why the name Wolfgang Haffner sounds familiar (I did) - it's because 'Hafner' is a symphony by Wolfgang Mozart.<br />- If this sounds like a plug...it is. I'm not being paid for this, or getting free passes (should I?)...but I like to, as they say, evangelize live music. :)<br />- A ppt I received about the event refers to Gary Lawyer as the Frank Sinatra of India. *grin*<br />- Pls don't tell too many people until Monday...I should have my tickets with me by then.Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1164299260329860612006-11-23T08:26:00.000-08:002006-11-23T08:27:40.353-08:00Bangalore Divides Them<a href="http://static.flickr.com/104/304271222_33e0402ebf_o.jpg">link</a>Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1164106237008362102006-11-21T02:42:00.000-08:002006-11-21T03:07:42.403-08:00Hu is the President of China- Who is the President of China?<br />- Yeah.<br />- Who?<br />- Yes. Hu.<br />- Thats what I asked. Who is the President of China?<br />- Yeah. Hu.<br />- I don't know. Thats why I asked...Who?<br />- Exactly, it's Hu.<br />- Who?<br /><br />...and so on. <br />(With apologies to Monty Python and President Hu of China)<br /><br />Also possible: Watt is the unit is PowerNikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1163333976849991102006-11-12T00:51:00.000-08:002006-11-14T22:13:27.596-08:00On User Generated Content<object height="250" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yis7DTXe03M"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yis7DTXe03M" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="250" width="300"></embed></object><br /><br />Laughter, like yawning, is infectious. I'm not sure of when this was rolled out, but I recently noticed a potent YouTube feature that allows users to post video responses to videos at YouTube. At present, there are 783,938 views and 27 video responses to the above video (some reponses in the sidebar <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yis7DTXe03M&eurl=">here</a>). Once this becomes popular, I suppose YouTube will start listing posts with max responses as well. I've written, in the past, about <a href="http://mixedbag.blogspot.com/2006/07/so-will-you-try-this-at-home.html">the Coke & Mentos viral</a>, which I came across on <a href="http://arunkatiyar.blogspot.com/2006/06/have-blast.html">Arun Katiyar's blog</a>. At MIPCOM this year, it <a href="http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/mipcom-cashing-in-on-those-15-terabytes-of-ugc-fame/">was said</a> that the viral got an estimated $10 mil worth of free advertising for Mentos. Also see <a href="http://www.paidcontent.org/youtube-pins-profitability-on-creative-advertising">this</a>.<br /><br />Different people define Web 2.0 in their own way, but I tend to think of it as the participatory business model. The aforementioned feature takes participation to a whole new level and it will be interesting to see how it develops. The Coke & Mentos viral and its success is a sure sign of things to come because it forces its way through the clutter like nothing else. How many advertising agencies could have thought this up?<br /><br />I think User Generated Content (UGC) is going to give large movie studios sleepless nights (if it isn't already), much like what Wikipedia, Dictionary.com and <a href="http://www.wordweb.info">wordweb</a> must have done to publishers. UGC is going to beat the crap out of 'created for new media' initiatives by studios; two in India that I am aware of are by <a href="http://www.contentsutra.com/entry/abp-buys-stake-in-kaleidoscope-entertainment-for-content/">Kaleidoscope Entertainment</a> and, more recently, by <a href="http://www.contentsutra.com/entry/rajshricom-is-a-multiplex-with-unlimited-seats-rajjat-a-barjatya-md-rajshri">Rajshri Media</a>. I've seen a preview of <span style="font-style: italic;">Seedhe Siddhu Se</span> by Kaleidoscope, and I found it boring and amateurish. Rajshri's mobile content plans are still in the works, though. While I agree with <a href="http://www.contentsutra.com/entry/tiecon-2006-mobisodes-chhatisgarhi-and-phat-chicks/">the assessment that all media will exist simultaneously</a>, I do believe that digital content will take over the world simply because of lower distribution costs and instant gratification. When advertising is going to be spread across all available channels, it will be spread thin and therefore the weaker players will struggle and probably be bought over.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Update:</span> Hungama Mobile and Dev Benegal's 24x7 Making Movies held a contest last month. They gave 35 selected contestants a video camera, and 24 hours to shoot a movie. That content is intended to be sold online and made available for download on the mobile. Benegal acts as the filter for UGC, and Hungama the distributor. Interesting way of monetizing UGC...<br /><br />UGC isn't constrained by budgets and issues of scripts, and there's a greater creative pool in case of UGC; isn't Reality TV bigger than anything else on TV right now? And what about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Bus">Bus Uncle</a> (the angry old man?):<br /><br /><object height="250" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EsYRQkmVifg"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EsYRQkmVifg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="250" width="300"></embed></object><br /><div align="center">(Note: abusive language)</div><br /><br /><blockquote>"The famous quotes of Bus Uncle are now frequently used, mimicked, and parodied in Hong Kong, particularly by teenagers. The catchphrases also appear on Internet forums, posters, and radio programmes. Various "remixes" and parodies have been created, including versions tuned to Cantonese pop songs, "reenactments" of the incident with video game characters, composite pictures, and movie posters." - [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Bus">Wikipedia</a>]</blockquote><br /><br />Aggregators of quality UGC will probably do better than hosts of such content themselves. You might actually find studios scouting for quality UGC and buying rights to show on TV. Cause that's one medium that has sold out (mostly) and people accept that and still watch it. Who's game for creating a marketplace for such content?<br /><br />Credibility of the medium is a big issue, though - the reality being reflected in this content is what catches peoples attention. If someone makes an ass of himself because it's in a script, people might not buy it anymore. But if an ass (not what you're thinking) is on screen, it's a lot more amusing. But if tries to fool all the people, it won't last long and the condemnation is swift and vicious. That will keep people honest, I think, but the A-listers will have to be careful about their slants. Some useful links:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.womma.org/blogger/">WOMMA Ethical Blogger Contact Guidelines</a>, via <a href="http://indeverbum.blogspot.com/2006/11/womma-ethical-blogger-contact.html">Verbum</a>. More importantly, read about the <a href="http://indeverbum.blogspot.com/2006/11/transparent-is-promise.html">Edelman-Walmart controversy</a> (I've not been able to track it)<br /><br />For mobile content in India, the floodgates opened with the infamous MMS that was passed around from phone to phone via Bluetooth - I'm sure it created a huge market for mobile phones with cameras, and people began exchanging photos and videos. The mobile is more potent because one can post immediately, but there are issues of access availability and cost. A convergent device and a device independent network with mobile access will solve that problem eventually. The real problem, and I'm sure there are lots of people trying to figure this out - is how long can this last? Why? Because:<br /><br />- The system is (mostly) unmoderated and completely unpredictable<br />- Any marketing gimmick that tries to hoodwink the masses will eventually be spotted by a merciless audience<br />- Push wont be as effective, but can survive if it is obvious as a push initiative.<br />- A pull, if not a viral but a search-dependent pull, will be painstakingly slow (but often worth it)<br />- Defining context that sells for contextual advertising for video content is going to be difficult<br /><br />Anyhoo, more on UGC when I think of something else.<br /><br />A disclaimer: I've linked to posts at paidContent and ContentSutra, which are owned by Content Next Media; I write for Content Next Media.Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1163321292209710372006-11-11T23:00:00.000-08:002006-11-12T21:00:10.733-08:00From gloom to glorySomeone in the almost-immediate family passed away recently, in another city, and we've had a quite a few elderly visitors over the past few days. The week has ended today, and with that will probably end the period of mourning for most. As someone who hardly knew the deceased, I have been watching over the proceedings at home- disconnected and unemotional.<br />It reminds me of an email discussion I had with <a href="http://mungojerrie.blogspot.com/">Mungo Jerrie</a> on growing old, almost five years ago...the question of burning out versus fading away, and how we don't want to ever grow old, infirm and dependent. Never thought much about death anyway. There's a certain sense of...a mix of fatalism and <span style="font-style: italic;">carpe diem!</span> about how many people I come across go about things; <span style="font-style: italic;">Carpe Diem!</span> both in the sense living in the present and taking risks and not worrying about the future. Makes me feel a little older than some of the others (Yes A, you may continue to call me ancient), but I am aware that there will be days of both financial (what, with the kind of inflation this country has) and physical dependency; the former, one can and tries to prepare for, and the latter one ignores. What many don't prepare for, since it is seems out of our control, is the latter: the two are linked, what with the progressively rising cost of healthcare in this country, which will increase with further corporatization.<br />I usually choose pubs over discotheques, primarily because of the kind of music played in the latter, but I was at a discotheque last night largely on the insistence of some friends from college. Also needed a break from the gloom that had pervaded the week. I was felicitated at my convocation ceremony (well over a year late, but...whatever) yesterday for academic excellence, so it was a celebratory outing of sorts. Gave an extempore speech, during which I was bloody nervous (but I'm told it wasn't obvious). Very formal occasion, and no one laughed at the allusive jokes so I cut it down to two and a half minutes. People did thank me later for being the only one who didn't bore them with a long speech. 'Twas nice to meet old friends, including teachers. One said: "Your hair hasn't grown for three and a half years!" I was tempted to say 'yours too', but one didn't want to be impolite to bald teachers. Another (not bald) teacher thought I've got a bankers haircut (there are variants of close crops?). One thought that my biggest achievement wasn't a 4.0 GPA, but actually managing "that lot". Ours was a particularly difficult class to manage for most teachers, but I still maintain that had it been half as boring as other classes, we wouldn't have had the freedom to innovate, or the experience of handling strange questions in presentations. Photos later.<br />Some thoughts on the afterparty - it's crazy how late things begin: 11:30pm seems to be the norm in Delhi. The cover charges are insane - Rs.1000 and above- and sometimes even money can't get you in... but if you know the right people (or, in my case - know the people who know the people who know the right people), you can. The music sucks, and the DJing seems random, but people are usually too drunk to notice. Fights invariably take place (as told to me by someone who knows), and two did last night. I heard that someone smashed a Merc in the parking. Also, there's serious money in this pub business...some of these pubs spend crores on interiors and paying off the people who need to be paid off- and recover their money in a few months. One heard that Rs. 20L of profits on Saturdays is par for course, because of the margins in liquor. And of course - business is discussed after the music stops. Frankly, though I did have a nice, somewhat inebriated time, the gig at Haze would have been more to my liking. Nothing beats the right music, live music and a discerning audience...but that's just me. Most people prefer to drive from discotheque to discotheque at 3am.<br /><br />P.s.: Would like to thank Smits and Anita for helping out with the speech. I had it all printed out, and eventually decided to do it extempore.Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1162955953819503222006-11-07T19:02:00.000-08:002006-11-07T19:19:13.843-08:00On Shrimant and the Indian state recognizing royal titlesI was rather shocked to see this mentioned on the front page of the Times of India, frankly, though I am no constitutional expert, I do believe that the following <span style="font-weight: bold;">goes against the spirit of the constitution, wherein all citizens must be equal in the eyes of the state</span>:<br /><br /><blockquote>More than 55 years after royal titles were abolished under the Constitution , the BJP government in MP has said that one of its ministers will be officially addressed as 'Shrimant' — a title of the Scindia royal family.<br /><br />On October 19, the MP government approved tourism minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia's demand. It slipped out an official gazette notification that 'Srimati' Yashodhara Raje Scindia, sister of Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje, henceforth be addressed as 'Shrimant' Yashodhara Raje Scindia.<br /><br />"In the list of cabinet ministers, honourable minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia's name will be replaced as Shrimant Yashodhara Raje Scindia as per the notification of 19.10.06," the order said.</blockquote><br />While the state (and the people) often do not go by the constitution, I see a major difference between someone being addressed as 'His/Her Royal Highness' because of his/her lineage (for example, in the case of Madhavrao Scindia, Jyotiraditya Scindia or the Wodeyars from Mysore) informally, and the state officially recognizing these people as royalty (which doesn't exist in India post independence).<br /><br />If Yashodhara Raje Scindia is officially and legally (by filing an application in the court) changing her name to 'Shrimant Yashodhara Raje Scindia', then it is another matter altogether.<br /><br />No! to royal titles, I say.Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1161754974950444582006-10-24T22:30:00.000-07:002006-10-24T22:42:55.023-07:00Weird Interview In The Hindu Business LineMajor WTF stuff in <a href="http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/10/25/stories/2006102500511400.htm">this</a> interview in The Hindu Business Line:<br /><blockquote>Sources say that Suguna has sold more than 53 crore birds since 2000, which is enough to circle the earth four times, at the rate of one bird per foot! The company's Managing Director, B. Soundararajan, whose heart is in chicken, is far from chicken-hearted when taking on a dozen questions from Business Line.</blockquote>And some questions:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">After hatching, when a chicken emerges from the eggshell, does it say `<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello_world">hello world</a>'*?</span><br />Somewhere around 100 plus chicken take birth in the same berth, I mean, a single tray. They do greet one another, in their own way.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Your view on `<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_Soup_For_The_Soul">chicken soup for the soul</a>'*.</span><br />Whether soup goes into the soul or not, it does go into the system for rejuvenation.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why did the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_did_the_chicken_cross_the_road">chicken cross the road</a>*?</span><br />Otherwise you would not have known about the chicken! It would still be in the backyard of a rural house. Now, it has crossed the road to climb into the corporate house.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Should chicken be used in fight scenes for movie villains to fall amidst?</span><br />Wish they didn't bother the chicken.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lastly, which came first, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_or_egg">egg or the chicken</a>*?</span><br />I leave it for the person who can answer, to whom we shall offer several million... May be, eggs/chicks!</blockquote>The rest of it isn't weird, but this interview really shouldn't be in the '<a href="http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/10/25/07hdline.htm">Agri Biz & Commodies Section</a>'. A section on humour would be more apt. I wonder what Suguna Poultry Farms' MD B. Soundararajan must have been thinking while answering these questions.<br /><br />* - Wikipedia links added by me.Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1161711422936391452006-10-24T10:25:00.000-07:002006-10-24T10:37:02.966-07:00Foot in mouth during cricket showsThree instances of foot-in-mouth from Charu Sharma:<br /><br />1. Last week, during one of the cricket asides, there was Mandira Bedi trying to look like a pretty young thing, and Charu Sharma, her co-host spoiled it for her by mentioning that she has three kids<br /><br />2. The very next match (I think) he said something on the lines of "Mandira, it's great to have you back on the show. I know they didn't bring you in for the last few series but its great to have you back." <br /><br />3. A few minutes ago: "...like seeing Pollock do the Ms. World." He meant act like her, but the eerie silence that followed indicated that everyone else thought he meant something else.<br /><br />There must have been more, but I haven't watched much TV of late.Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1161577719757446152006-10-22T20:37:00.000-07:002006-10-22T21:37:45.140-07:00So, advertising on Railway Tickets, eh?This is a presentation that I'd done in college last year (around 20/05/2005, according to my email):<br /><center><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="https://s3.amazonaws.com:443/slideshare/ssplayer.swf?id=6688&doc=gillette-sensor-travel-6688-25178" width="425" height="348"><param name="movie" value="https://s3.amazonaws.com:443/slideshare/ssplayer.swf?id=6688&doc=gillette-sensor-travel-6688-25178" /></object><br /><br />see slide 16 (of 19)</center><br /><br />We were supposed to prepare marketing plans for shaving systems, and I conducted an email survey (some of you may remember the questionnaire) on issues with disposable razors. No offence, but the presentations by the girls and my sikh friend Mahapavit were hilarious since they've never used a razor. :D<br /><br />Anyway, there were no budget constraints for the marketing plan, so I thought - since we're repositioning the disposable razor as a travel razor, why not advertise on railway tickets and have counters on platforms for impulse purchasing (razors are essentially impulse purchase products)Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1161325229748844282006-10-19T23:07:00.000-07:002006-10-19T23:20:29.773-07:00The Famous Levi's Slim Commercial and Happy Dent's "Muskarale"Notice how the story is built up, right till the end - which is where the plug for the jeans comes in - the Levi's logo is thicker/bigger than the jeans itself. Very subtle...love the music. This won a golden lion.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/c0ugCjWr8nc"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/c0ugCjWr8nc" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Contrast this with the Happy Dent commercial, which is definitely among my all time favourites. I'd mailed it over to <a href="http://www.adrants.com">Ad Rants</a>, my favourite ad blog, which you should check out too.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nlfU-cCdhfs"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nlfU-cCdhfs" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1161257545177829432006-10-19T04:28:00.000-07:002006-10-19T04:32:25.210-07:00Only in India?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/829/72/1600/Image%28073%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/829/72/400/Image%28073%29.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1160884509148565912006-10-14T20:32:00.000-07:002006-10-14T23:17:54.366-07:00Pepsi's New CampaignHave to admit that as much as I had disliked Pepsi's Oye Bubbly campaign, was quite impressed with the way they executed it- the song, the airtime, the on ground activities.<br /><br />This time I think even less of the 'Hu Ha India, Aaya India' campaign (or is it the orgasmic 'Ooh Aah India, Aaya India'?). The post conceptualization activities, however, have been similar to that of Oye Bubbly.<br /><br />Got a concept, get Shah Rukh Khan and other celebrities (this time, even the sidelined Saurav Ganguly) to plug it on TV.<br />Appeal to people at an emotional level, and then follow it up with a song (as heard on Radio) and finally on ground activities: "<a href="http://jaiarjun.blogspot.com">one Indian blogger</a>" was <s>on a</s> waiting for a Pepsi Blue Train to Jaipur for the India-England match and at 6.22am, messaged that he had spent 2 hours on the platform waiting for Shah Rukh Khan. So, either he loves the Indian cricket team, or he loves Shah Rukh Khan. :P Update: Neither? He bailed out! Very disappointing!<br /><br />Don't you think that if they spend enough money and conduct enough activities and offer goodies in India, with lots of people looking out for freebies or even just a sight of a celeb, such activities will always be successful? What's Pepsi looking for, apart from 'Top of Mind' and positive recall?Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1160843294143387952006-10-14T08:05:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:28:15.533-07:00Not really a DreamhostSo, Dreamhost really seemed like a dream host, with their packages and the massive first year discount. <a href="http://www.simulacra.in">Ankit</a> is using Dreamhost, and has had no problems. My cousin <a href="http://www.indianradar.com">Vivek</a> also recommended it; he's using it for a few of his portals.<br /><br />So, I signed up for a Dreamhost and paid.<br /><br />Next thing I know - Dreamhost informs me that I need to fill out a form, make a pencilled impression of the credit card and fax it to them for a confirmation. Now, I don't know anyone here who uses a fax machine, or even has a fax machine with a phone that has international calling facility. Plus, why the hell should I pay for an international call when I'm already paying for the account?<br /><br />Also, <span style="font-weight: bold;">there was no mention of the faxing requirement during the sign-up stage</span>, so Dreamhost are ensuring that you make a payment, cause the faxing requirement could put some people off. This way, you're more inclined to fax cause you've already paid. I had other means of payment, so would have chosen other means if only they had mentioned it.<br /><br />What really irritates me is the fact that <span style="font-weight: bold;">DreamHost actually charged the card for the payment and THEN asked for a verification.</span> It's common sense that the card should be charged after the card has been verified.<br /><br />I don't have that kind of time to look around for a ISD fax machine, so I asked dreamhost for an alternative solution. They offered me none.<br /><br />Finally, fed up, I had to ask them to close my account, and cancel the payment. They've "issued a refund", which means that the payment had already been processed before verification.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">One good thing: They cancelled the account on request immediately, and there were no processing charges.</span>Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1160393335376976012006-10-09T04:05:00.000-07:002006-10-09T04:28:56.030-07:00Some Indian Rock Music Available For DownloadThe new stuff:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Menwhopause </span>have uploaded an album for download at The Pirates Bay, <a href="http://thepiratebay.org/tor/3536227">here</a>. This is similar to what TAAQ did, and I kinda hope it catches on and more bands upload their music. I'm skeptical about most Indian rock music, but if I like it - I always buy the CD.<br />You shouldn't have a problem downloading the Menwhopause album cause I'll be seeding it. Will comment on it after I hear the music.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Indus Creed/Rock Machine:</span><br />Sid Achrekar of long defunct band Colourblind has uploaded music by Indus Creed/Rock Machine for download, <a href="http://www.massdeletion.com/rm.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Indian Rock Music available for download (some posts, some links):<br />- <a href="http://mixedbag.blogspot.com/2006/07/taaq-this-way.html">TAAQ</a><br />- <a href="http://mixedbag.blogspot.com/2006/04/were-emotional-ducks-all-of-us.html">Them Clones</a><br />- <a href="http://www.massdeletion.com/music.html">Colourblind</a><br />- <a href="http://mp3.rsjonline.com">MP3's at RSJ Online</a><br />- <a href="http://www.split-magazine.com/downloads">MP3's at Split Magazine</a><br /><br />Also, just noticed that the <a href="http://www.motherjaneindia.com/">Motherjane site</a> has switched to Flash, and have removed the demo singles. Bah. The <a href="http://www.skinnyalley.com/">Skinny Alley site has</a> turned bright yellow and is being redesigned. Zero's <a href="http://www.whatmezero.in/">new site</a> is also in Flash. Why this fascination with Flash?Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1160376698214488502006-10-08T23:10:00.000-07:002006-10-08T23:52:37.320-07:00Who thinks up these things anyway?From the Delhi Book Fair (had gone on three days, once with <a href="http://jaiarjun.blogspot.com">Jai</a> and <a href="http://bluelullaby.blogspot.com">Aishwarya</a>)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilpahwa/264660547/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/105/264660547_dfc8ba24fb_m.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Umm...not what immediately comes to mind.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilpahwa/264660515/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/94/264660515_bb9b6728a0_m.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I'm not sure if I clicked this one for the title related to chocolate sex or a name like Marsha Mellow</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilpahwa/264660483/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/120/264660483_474103beaa_m.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Go figure</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilpahwa/264660444/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/80/264660444_8e46301a2c_m.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The photo isn't clear: it's called "The autobiography of an ex-coloured man." Black or white?</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilpahwa/264660401/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/114/264660401_b8e2b662a1_m.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">No comments, really.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilpahwa/264660378/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/99/264660378_1f36d10d05_m.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Finding a girl in America" :S</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilpahwa/264660344/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/113/264660344_b45c5d8a10_m.jpg" border="0" /><br /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilpahwa/264660324/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/114/264660324_1e03867982_m.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilpahwa/264660286/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/119/264660286_8b334494c6_m.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Aishwarya: what was his next book called?<br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilpahwa/264660264/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/114/264660264_2121f554c8_m.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A directory of Alcoholics Anonymous members? :P<br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilpahwa/264659281/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/85/264659281_10cfdfe3bd_m.jpg" border="0" /><br /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">uhh</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilpahwa/264659264/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/87/264659264_4ecba9e2c5_m.jpg" border="0" /><br /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">"My Darling My Hamburger?" Anyone heard of My Beloved, My Vada Pav?</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilpahwa/264659232/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/83/264659232_61d6bf2db3_m.jpg" border="0" /><br /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">:S</span><br /><br />And from Darya Ganj (a couple of weeks before that)<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilpahwa/264659176/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/114/264659176_09bfbe2f8a_m.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Judgement Day?<br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilpahwa/264659202/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/107/264659202_7b8229b7df_m.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Since you asked for it :)</span>Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1160192978776656092006-10-06T20:35:00.000-07:002006-10-08T10:18:06.510-07:00Chasing Angelina JolieNo, I'm not.<br /><br />An FTII based team of filmmakers is making a documentary on how to get within three feet of Jolie and speak to her for three minutes. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are in Pune, staying, it seems, at Le Meridien. The paparazzi of the world are on a stake-out in Pune.<br /><br />So, how is this FTII team different from the reporters and the paparazzi? Well, they're going to try to reach her by <span style="font-weight: bold;">ethical means</span>, and document the entire process.<br /><br />I'm going to be blogging for them, so if you have any questions - let me know.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Update:</span> I've set up a blog for this, since, erm, it's not really a Mixed Bag kind of thing. It could be, but its not. Whatever. See <a href="https://chasingangelinajolie.wordpress.com/">http://chasingangelinajolie.wordpress.com</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/angelina+jolie" rel="tag">Angelina Jolie</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/brad+pitt" rel="tag">Brad Pitt</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FTII" rel="tag">FTII</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/documentary" rel="tag">documentary</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/pune" rel="tag">pune</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/India" rel="tag">India</a></span>Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1160056748783267742006-10-05T06:34:00.000-07:002006-10-05T06:59:09.300-07:00More Blog Pimping<a href="http://www.codelust.blogspot.com">Shyam</a> <a href="http://codelust.blogspot.com/">writes about</a> a comment pimping Jhanki.com. I deleted the comment pimping ilaaka.com and onyomo.com here at MixedBag. Blogger didn't stop it, but at <a href="http://www.contentsutra.com">ContentSutra</a>, the Akismet spam plugin caught the post and put it where it belongs - in the Spam section, alongwith comments advertising weight loss phentermine, valium and other strange things.<br /><br />The details of the comment:<br /><blockquote>Name: rajeev | E-mail: allpropellers@gmail.com | URI: http://www.ilaaka.com | IP: 61.17.76.30 | Date: October 5, 2006<br /><br />Hi,<br /><br />Nice blog!<br /><br />Why don’t you consider writing about some of the new “India 2.0” sites that are creating a little buzz as well?<br /><br />Eg: www.ilaaka.com<br /><br />www.onyomo.com<br /><br />Thanks!<br /><br />Rajeev</blockquote>A Google search reveals that your friend Rajeev has been <a href="http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGGL,GGGL:2006-10,GGGL:en&q=%22Why+don%E2%80%99t+you+consider+writing+about+some+of+the+new+%E2%80%9CIndia+2.0%E2%80%9D+sites+that+are+creating+a+little+buzz+as+well%22">quite active</a>. He's also got a blog <a href="http://allpropellers.blogspot.com/">here</a>.<br /><br />I've given ilaaka.com some <a href="http://www.ilaaka.com/feedback">feedback</a>. If you've been spammed, you should too.<br /><br />There's also a possibility that since this means of promotion is counter-productive, this "Rajeev"could be ilaaka or onyomo's competitor. Unlikely, but possible.Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1159934402245243432006-10-03T20:44:00.000-07:002006-10-03T21:20:41.500-07:00Why it's better to pick stocks based on your own assessment...[<a href="http://www.blonnet.com/2006/09/27/stories/2006092702571500.htm">link</a>]<br /><br />So, it seems that Mathew Easow has been fined just Rs.20lakh for advising people to buy stocks which he himself sold. Big Brother SEBI was watching, or was tipped off.<br /><br />We all take recommendations when buying shares, yes? Not everyone has perfect knowledge of each and every company, which is where taking a broad range of opinions is a good idea. Analyst reports, and suggestions based on research and reason are the best, but some of these reports run into 10-15 pages for a single company and again you go back to your broker.<br /><br />Most brokers will also recommend stocks (which is why people stick to a brokerage firm, rather than trading online themselves), but often brokers too can be under pressure to meet targets and could give incorrect advise. My advice?<br /><br />- Don't day trade unless you're at the terminal throughout the day or your brother is a broker managing your money.<br />- If you can't track specific stocks, go for mutual funds<br />- Corroborate all advise with news. A Google/Google News search throws up enough information.<br />- Subscribe to analyst reports if you're getting stock specific<br />- Play the percentages game on tip-offs...don't look at making money in absolute terms. Rather put in 10k to make 10%, than Rs.50k to make Rs.5000. Same percentage, but the latter is riskier since you can also lose more.<br /><br />Anyone (if whitelight still reads this blog) tried Moneycontrol's Power Your Trade or Power India Bulls?Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1159844256616502502006-10-02T19:35:00.000-07:002006-10-02T19:57:42.506-07:00Musings on TV & NewspapersIf I wanted to watch exclusive coverage of the navratras/Durga Puja/Dussehra, I would have watched NDTV 24x7 or CNN-IBN. To avoid that useless coverage I switched to CNBC-TV18 for business news - if not from India (national holiday and all that), then the global markets. And I found similar coverage during India Business Hour.<br /><br />That stupid show 'News of the loose' also irritates me...wastes my time. If I want comic relief, I'll switch to Star Plus/SET/Star World.<br /><br />About time someone at CNBC-TV18 realised that by showing what other channels are showing, you don't really stop people from switching. Instead, you're robbing the audience of the one thing they do switch to your channel for - uninterrupted, quality business news. Stick to your core competence, and not dumb down like CNN-IBN has done over the past five months.<br /><br />My cable wallah doesn't show BBC, CNN, NBC. That's a case for DTH or IPTV.<br /><br />Did you get a newspaper to read in the morning today? No? That's a case for reading news on the net.<br /><br />Enough bhaashan, I'm off.Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1159620373251650572006-09-30T04:53:00.000-07:002006-09-30T06:53:40.490-07:00At Home with Zero (Sept 16 2006)"Sharp! Sharp! Sharp!" was what Isheeta's reminder for the "At Home with Zero" gig at the Garden of 5 senses said. So Adi and I rushed, and the gig started late. Now Zero's a band that's famous for not just their music. There's also Warren's guitaring that was perhaps amongst the few things noteworthy, apart from the Freak Kitchen performance at GIR earlier this year. The other thing is that they really have a lot of fun on stage, something that also spills over to the other band drummer Sid is in - Helga's Fun Castle.<br /><br />While walking to the gig, we overheard one chap suggest that the gig could be washed out. The other patted his pocket and said "<span style="font-style: italic;">Toh kya hua? Idhar seh bhi pi lenge, aur udhar se bhi.</span>" (We'll drink from here (booze flask in pocket), and there (sky))<br /><br />The At-Home series has historically attracted a sane crowd, and that's not necessarily a good thing. People tend to sit their asses down on the grass, and allow the band to play. A polite round of clapping follows after every song. Not. The. Kind. Of. Thing. Zero. Were. Expecting. From. Delhi.<br /><br />Hence, repeated requests asking for people to get up, stand up, and come closer to the stage followed. Most were fun, and they cracked a <span style="font-style: italic;">lot</span> of jokes. Quite a bit of mimicry, and strange accents. If you've heard "Thank You Come Again" by Helga's Fun Castle, you know what I mean. Great fun, almost as much fun as the music.<br /><br />The gig was fun. No Warren, I suppose he's left the band. The new guy was good at times, slightly off tune on other occasions. Zero ended strongly, but three songs before that had all been botched up and were off tune. One was new. My grouse - they're only carrying copies of Procrastrination, which I already have. No Hook.<br /><br />Some photos, courtesy <a href="http://zonefive.blogspot.com">Adi</a>:<br /><center><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://static.flickr.com/86/256297026_6d95246c19.jpg?v=0"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/86/256297026_6d95246c19.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://static.flickr.com/83/256293984_59d660795b.jpg?v=0"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/83/256293984_59d660795b.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://static.flickr.com/99/256297055_b804f7b288.jpg?v=0"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/99/256297055_b804f7b288.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://static.flickr.com/91/256293957_adbf8f4fcb.jpg?v=0"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/91/256293957_adbf8f4fcb.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></center><br /><br />Adi clicked more photos. The slideshow- <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilpahwa/sets/72157594305694696/show/">here</a>.<br /><br /><br />Another band that I've wanted to hear, <a href="http://taaq.in/">TAAQ</a>, (songs from their album Plan B available <a href="http://mixedbag.blogspot.com/2006/07/taaq-this-way.html">here</a>) played at IIT Delhi Blitzkrieg. Couldn't go because it's for students only. It seems that the Stephens gig <a href="http://taaq.in/2006/09/28/sorry-the-stephens-gig-is-off/">has been cancelled</a>, but I wouldn't have been able to go there anyway, even if it is next door. Would probably have sat in my garden, sipped tea and heard TAAQ.<br /><br />Really hate this - I'm willing to pay for the gig, and they keep it free and students-only.Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1159614916724144542006-09-30T02:06:00.000-07:002006-09-30T04:18:11.273-07:00Phishing sites on Geocities? What's Yahoo! doing about them?I should think that attempts at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing">phishing</a> violate <a href="http://www.yahoo.com">Yahoo!</a>'s <a href="http://docs.yahoo.com/info/guidelines/spam.html">Spam Policy</a>, and Yahoo! obviously doesn't seem to be doing enough to check on how their service is being used.<br /><br />Five to six emails everyday that get by <a href="http://www.gmail.com">Gmail</a>'s spam filters carry a message similar to the following:<br /><blockquote>In accordance with our terms please visit here to verify your information on our secure, private site to ensure our records are accurate.<br />http://mx.geocities.com/Grace32_e820/</blockquote>That is a phishing message, attempting to fool me into giving away my details. <a href="http://mx.geocities.yahoo.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">mx.geocities.com</span></a> is a Yahoo! owned <a href="http://geocities.yahoo.com/">Geocities</a> site for Mexico. Anyone can register a page, and this one redirects to a home loan/mortgage website. Other addresses in other similar mails:<br /><blockquote>http://hk.geocities.com/Kitty12_g402/<br />http://es.geocities.com/Bacon40_p776/<br />http://sg.geocities.com/Fiona70_c70/</blockquote>The senders email address is always different, and from different domains. GMail's spam system isn't able to stop these, so my only recourse is to set a filter. All mails with the word "geocities.com" will now go directly to Trash.<br /><br />Unfortunately, some messages from Yahoo! Groups also carry a mention of geocities, so that goes into trash too. I've already got enough to read/scan and write every day, and I can't deal with spam coming directly to my main mailbox. GMail, otherwise is most efficient.<br /><br />Also, seems like this isn't new:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.admartinator.de%2F2006%2F09%2F19%2Fgeocities-spam%2F&langpair=de%7Cen&amp;hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools">Admartinator gets mails for diet pills from sites hosted on Geocities</a></li><li>Spamcop.net has <a href="http://forum.spamcop.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=4718">this discussion</a>. One message: "SpamCop's Parser says "<!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red;"><!--/coloro-->geo-abuse[at]yahoo-inc.com does not wish to receive user-copied reports.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->". I think this makes this <a href="http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/geo/abuse/abuse-04.html">Yahoo! message on spam at Geocities</a> redundant.<br /></li></ul><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/yahoo" rel="tag">yahoo</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/spam" rel="tag">spam</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/phishing" rel="tag">phishing</a> | <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/geocities" rel="tag">geocities</a></span>Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1159025271431948882006-09-23T07:34:00.000-07:002006-09-27T23:24:13.143-07:00On how Orkut became a rage in IndiaNote: <span style="font-style: italic;">This is my last blog post here for the next six days. There's already lots that I want to/have to/been asked to blog, so kindly bare...erm...bear with me.</span><br /><br />Around three months ago, I got an email from Orkut; someone I hadn't heard from for almost a year had sent a private message. I responded, and added a "switch to mail" line at the end of the email. I got another private message in response.<br /><br />That has been my problem with Orkut - I have to log in to read messages, but at the same time, the wait is enticing, in a strange way. As the suspense builds, one feels almost compelled to respond - even if it is to just subject others to the same kind of suspense. That's silly, I know, and my messages almost always are silly: that now <a href="http://mixedbag.blogspot.com/2006/09/funny-pic-meme.html">famous evil grin</a> is plastered across my face whenever I send a message via Orkut.<br /><br />Ajit Balakrishnan, CEO and founder of <a href="www.rediff.com">Rediff</a>, at the <a href="http://www.tie-isbconnect.com/">TiE-ISB Connect</a> summit which is being covered by <a href="http://rajatgupta.wordpress.com/">Rajat Gupta</a> for <a href="http://www.contentsutra.com/">ContentSutra</a>, <a href="http://www.contentsutra.com/tie-isb-connect-2006-internet-technologies">said that</a> he really has <span style="font-weight: bold;">no clue about what works for sites featuring user generated content, and what doesn't.</span> There are several sites with user generated content (I prefer to use the term 'participative business model' for Web 2.0) which don't get the traffic or business. One can blame the lack of marketing for the same, but that isn't always the case. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Different tipping points for different successes. </span><br /><br />So, what worked for Orkut in India?<br /><br />I think it was the <span style="font-weight: bold;">integration with Google Accounts</span>, which served as a reminder that - <span style="font-style: italic;">Hey! You'd registered here. </span><br /><br />Lots of people I know tend to sign up with social/business networking websites, and then forget about them. I signed up at Orkut, Everyone's Connected and Hi5 (and maybe others) when was invited, only to see what they were all about.<br /><br />With the reminder, and aided by the GMail sign in, <span style="font-weight: bold;">lots of people might have gone for a second look, all around the same time. </span>They must have messaged old pals, and all of a sudden, the number of conversations taking place would have shot up. The word of mouth followed, and Orkut usage in India increased.<br /><br />The Google Account integration took place around a year ago, and one began hearing about Orkut becoming popular around eight months ago.<br /><br />One thing to note about the Orkut reminder mail is that unlike Ryze or Everyone's Connected, one doesn't get frequent reminders from Orkut. So, a once in a year system message from Orkut gets noticed while a weekly message from Ryze gets deleted. People noticed that mail, read it, and visited Orkut to give it a second shot.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Agree/disagree?</span> Let me know.Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3434419.post-1158745401029761352006-09-20T02:27:00.000-07:002006-09-23T09:06:15.333-07:00Dog<center><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/829/72/1600/zulu1.jpg"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/829/72/320/zulu1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Don't call him Zulu<br />(<span style="font-style: italic;">Photo by <a href="http://zonefive.blogspot.com/">Adi</a></span>)<br /></center><br /><br />P.s.: Good gig by Zero at the garden of 5 senses. Will post about it once I get work done, and there's no eye fatigue and related blurring.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I have four passes for a kickass gig on the 30th to give away.</span> They're free and were being distributed free at the Zero gig. So I'm saving you the trouble of picking them up at other gigs. Also, Helga's Fun Castle are playing at DV8 this Friday (22nd), and they're a fun band. RHCP kind of music. Details of september gigs @ <a href="http://doingdelhi.blogspot.com/2006/09/rsj-gigs-in-september.html">DoingDelhi</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Update:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.motifmag.net/images/space/dog_nikhil.jpg">Dog Contemplates Life</a><br /><a href="http://img230.exs.cx/img230/2162/letsleepingdogs4pr.jpg">Let Sleeping Dogs Lie</a>Nikhil Pahwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693281110830585801noreply@blogger.com1