Its not IIT Mumbai .

This post is for those who cannot differentiate between brand names and city nomenclature.

I guess the Govt of India 50 years back while establishing one of the elite technical institutes, was unable to foresee the Raj Thackeray trend.(I guess there was no McKinsey at that time that could predict the Bombay to Mumbai campaign )
But then with absolutely no respect,(and yes I am being RUDE) IITBombay is a brand name and for the record its a single word.
Its not IIT Mumbai .

There is nothing like IIT Mumbai .
No body in the world knows IIT Mumbai.
People have known it as IIT Bombay.
Stop tagging photos on facebook as IIT Mumbai.
Stop referring it to as IIT Mumbai in thanking speeches,endnotes, debates,discussions.

The traveler from rajasthan

Lagoons was one concept i didn't really believe in, not that I was bad at geography, or i lacked scientific rationale, but the very fact that being in rajasthan imagining backwaters and coconut trees was too much to ask for.
Infact, if you belong to rajasthan and your traveling is restricted to gujrat and maharashtra(primarily bombay) looking out of the window while travelling in a bus would mean staring at bushes, almost dry rivers, naked mountains, or to be more precise desert and desert like structures.
Now for a person like me ,who has not really traveled much around, watching coconut trees and lagoons and backwaters in kerala can be quite a experience.This was perhaps the reason, in fact one of the reasons i was looking forward to Jagriti Yatra.
So just in case if also belong to the species deprived of traveling privileges, try registering for the yatra next time.
Believe u me,standing on the gate with a cup of tea and enjoying the western ghats and waving at arbit random people is something you dont want to miss !!

TIloniya it is !!

Traveling across the length and breadth of the country has to be a experience,but then doing the same thing with 400 odd people who are absolute strangers is more then fun.
Getting back to the motive of the post, the entire traveling things becomes more exciting when you stop near your home town which in this case was Jaipur.
Now north india is something that you dont really want to visit during winters but then since the Yatra was planned , so our opinions were as usual a waste.
But then winters have their own charm and personally i love that season.
Coming down to Tiloniya, this was one place almost everybody on the train was looking forward to. Infact i had my own reasons. Being a rajasthani, yes Tiloniya was one place , where i could speak in marwadi !! Yes I can speak in 3 languages. Hindi , English and Marwadi !!

The last time i was at tiloniya i guess I was in 5th standard so to be honest i really couldnt recall anything. Infact when the train came to a abrubt halt, right in the middle of nowhere and when it was announced on the PA that we had arrived at Tiloniya , even i was surprised.
But the moment i heard dhol and ladies singing and dancing, i knew this was the place.
With hands shivering and legs shaking, by the time i reached the platfrom the ladies had company. Infact the dhol wala bhaiya was not relly prepared for such a resposne.


For those on the yatra who had no clue about the typical Barat tradition , the welcome at tiloniya
was more then enough.The dance show went on for almost close to an hour and a km.
But then the best part was yet to come.

Spam beyond inbox!!

Although I have joined the facebook group- “I don’t read newspapers anymore” my MINT subscription still continues. The Wall Street Journal articles are my favorites.
The first tab that I open after checking my mail , is my feed reader followed by twitter and facebook.
When it comes to TV, which is a rare phenomenon, I prefer sticking to Discovery and TimesNow.

Whatever medium I may choose to update myself and the world, my immunity towards the Ads is one thing that has increased exponentially.
Not that I don’t see ads or I use Flash Ad Block, but the fact that the Purple Cow is nowhere to be seen. The last time when I actually clicked on an ad it was a friend’s birthday who still believes that Google Ads on his blog would fetch him dollars.

But then a couple of days back I decided to contribute to google’s earnings. I actually clicked on a couple of ads, noticed the ads on Mint, actually watched a movie on TV wtih a gazillion of breaks (this one was the worst of all). And then I concluded that

• I wish the TV had google ads, they can be actually more effective.
• The ad placement and targeting in the print media is nothing but pathetic.The internet still did fairly better since google new my search patterns so I was given highly targeted ads.
• Customizing ads on newspaper according to reader’s interest might actually result in a better ROI for the Adverstisers, which although is immeasurable for the moment.
• Last but not the least, if you compare the amount of spam we are literally exposed to, courtesy the offline print media, the gmail spam folder would take ages to catch up
  

The fact that while a advertiser
would invest in getting the prime spot hoarding, airtime during the matinee hours , grab the front page for advertising , I or for that matter intellectually mature people would simply ignore it very genuinely. I guess it’s time for CMO’s to read Purple Cow.

Relative Terms

Relativity is a term that often goes beyond Einstein.Not the fact that Einstein's concept of relativity was false, but then the people we relate to are often not so compatible with the older version.
The concept of relativity and absoluteness has often resulted in laying down the foundation of the best of controversies ,errors,confusions not to mention the frustration.

Good Will Hunting , is one of the best examples that covers all the emotions when it comes to comparison and setting standards, because for more then once what seemed trivial to Mr Will ,was rocket science for his Professor Gerald Lambeau.
And when Will Hunting sets a paper on fire ,which had the solution to a equation that his Prof was struggling with, for ages and believed that it could fetch him the NEXT NOBLE, a flood of emotions are expressed in the scene when Will tells him that

"You know what is this..this is fucking easy for me "
And this is where relativity comes in.
While the Prof felt inferior, frustrated,helpless Mr Will simply moved on for his standards were beyond the scope of his professor.

Infact the concept of absoluteness itself is relative as there are no permanent standards.

So the next time you start comparing things, start getting judgmental, have prejudices, do consider the fact that You Cannot Compare APPLES and ORANGES.

I am a TAG !!!!

Now then..
Tagging is something that i love doing.
Weird tags ..nice tags ..short tags.. long tags...strange tags..
So here we have an inspired and requested post from a Di /fellow blogger/cook of the year/wanderer

U can answer all of them if --

• We have met a couple of times or
• U have stayed at Room No 368 or
• We have spoken on phone more then once.

Not that i m looking around for opinions about my self but then m doing it on a speacial request made by a Cook.
So here we go..post your answers in the comments section or mail them to me if u have all the time in world.

1.Who are you?
2. Are we friends?
3. Something I have and YOU want?
4. Give me a nickname and explain why you picked it?
5. Describe me in one word.
6. What was your first impression of me?
7. Do you still think that way about me now?
8. What reminds you of me?
9. If you could give me anything what would it be?
10. How well do you know me?
11. How do you see me in the future?
12. Ever wanted to tell me something but couldn’t?
13. Are you going to post this in your blog and see what I say about you?

Train No-2955

A picture is worth more then 1000 words.

Now,if you are thinking that i have exxaaggeerated the entitre thing by putting up this foto.
Beleive u me ..nothing less then this could explain the situation on 2955- BCT-JP Superfast Express.
























For this diwali ,and new year i just had a couple of resolutions---
I M NOT GOING BACK TO JAIPUR FOR THE NEXT DIWALI.
n
the reason for saying so is nothing but the journey of the lifetime i had in 2955 .

A train where booking a Tatkal seat can fetch you Endurance Award.
A train whose passenegers are awarded Red n White Bravery award .
A train where meeting people who were so close to the Confirmed Seat.
A train where atleast 100 passengers would claim the Waiting List 1-Title.
A train where people are willing to stand in the the Loo (both English and Indian) .
A train where you get to know about the High's and Low's of a Gujati Family.
A train where you can meet Jignesh,mahesh,suresh,Ramesh Babu and Deenanath ji.
A train where you would need to wait atleast 10 hours before you can actually see the "loo"

A train that teaches you --DONOT USE INDIAN RAILWAYS DURING VACATIONS.
n if you are really desparate use nothing less then a 2nd AC.

Information Explosion...

These are the best of times,these are the worst of times.For today we live in a era where almost each one of has access to an unimaginable breadth and depth of information.
But then the era of Information Explosion has more and more air blown into the Bubble.

Thanx to the information explosion.
SPAMMING ,although being the last thing that a marketer would ever like to do , seems to be on a high .
Filtering content is another challenge that people are now getting used to.
And to add to that the hyped Talks ,workshops,Sessions,Lectures are getting monotonous

The podcasts have replaced the interviews.
Slideshare has replaced powerpoint presentaions.
Youtube has better talks or workshops .
Add to that blogs .
To be precise , now you can actually choose to stay out of a event ,since you know for sure, the Internet has better alternatives.

As far as my experience goes ,yes i was a die hard fan of GYAN.
I craved for it.
I used to read almost over 100 blogs a day on social media,SEM-SEO,Blogging,Internet Marketing......
I loved the sessions at Barcamps.
I enjoyed being a part of this ecosystem that was evolving like never before.


But then , i guess what looked like the driving force for joining such communities, turned against itself. And the obvious reason being perhaps the INFORMATION OVERLOAD on the internet
Add to this -the general story telling .

"THE MOST CLICHED STORY"

I was a common man. I had a idea--but had no idea how to implement that. Then we thought over it .
But then we had no money. Then we bootstrapped Then we hunted for VC's. After n iterations in the product plan,
and 2n meeting's we got funded. n now ,I am THE ENTREPRENEUR.

With all due respect to the ecosystem and the entrepreneurs .Nobody would or even can/ever raise a question over your credibility as a entrepreneur or the amount of efforts you have put in.
But then,
As the audience we get this story everytime..in Livemint, on Radio,Podcasts,Blogs n everywhere.
If you can present the entire journey as a casestudy , it might add more value to the story.
Telling the general story,i guess really wont attract ME.

So today i think twice before i enter a session on Startup's or VC's speaking, or rules of blogging,tips on Internet Marketing,or for that matter even technology.
And even if i enter it ,the repetition of topics, drives me out.

The freshness quotient ,i guess has been lost or atleast decreasing.
Everytime i see a mailer/poster about a session by XYZ , i think !!!

DO WE REALLY NEED TO GO AND LISTEN TO THEM ?
WHY CANT WE LISTEN TO THEM ON A PODCAST
OR SIMPLY READ ABOUT THE RULES OF .........
WHY DO WE NEED THE SAME THING OVER N OVER N OVER?
DONT U FEEL saturated ALREADY?

I guess i need a break,BADLY. SO I shall logoff from the Community for a while.

M off for a India Tour ...

Now then..I have a killer news.
Back when i had started blogging @roomno368, i had written about Jagriti Yatra
however the yatra was postoponed to December and I almost assumed that I would have no chances.

However last monday an hour before Statistical Thermodynamics quiz , i happened to check my mail , and ROOM NO 368 got this .

"Acceptance letter Tuesday, October 15, 2008

Dear Applicant,

Congratulations on being selected for the Tata Jagriti Yatra 2008! There were several excellent candidates that applied and you should be justifiably proud of your achievement.

Our Yatra will begin on 24th Dec. 2008 in Mumbai and end on 11th Jan 2009 also in Mumbai. The countdown has already begun!"

So its official out that I have been selected for Jagriti Yatra.
For those who are not really sure about what they are reading --

Tata Jagriti Yatra '08 (December 24th 2008 - January 11th, 2009) is an annual train journey that will take 350 of India's highly motivated youth (with some participation of international students) between the ages of 18-25 on a eighteen day national odyssey, introducing them to unsung heroes of India. The aim is to awaken the spirit of entrepreneurship - both social and economic - within India's youth by exposing them to individuals and institutions that are developing unique solutions to India's challenges. Through this national event we will inspire them to lead and develop institutions nationally and within their communities.

Looking forward to meet 400 intellectually mature people
looking forward to traveling India in a Train
Looking forward to a adventure with a group of like minded individuals

P.S ---- The regsitrations are open ..so if u r think u r still 20 ..n the theme suits ur Bio ,register here.

Cheers

The Tragedy that never happened.

This one comes straight from my heart.
I have been thinking to right this from past one month but then, realised a brand name(Room No 368) was at stake.But then decided to against it.
For a change u shall read something really serious

When the Pathology Lab in IIT Hospital, claimed to be a nothing but just a bacterial infection,i like any other student would have.
By Wednesday they decided that it was Salmonella and not just another bacteria, so under the rules they had to name it TYPHOID.
First thing that came to my mind after that was the concept of REMIDSEM ,because it was already 28th, and the doctors had declared strict bed rest for 2 weeks after one week .

But then my WHITE BLOOD CELLS started disappearing , and then the entire Typhoid treatment was postponed for 5 days.
And it was on the 4th day , when the IIT Pathology Lab was closed (thanks god!!) another blood sample which was sent to Hiranandani Hospital came out clean.
NO TYPHOID
The worst part was the fact that another second year student had made plans to skip midsems simply because he was told that he too had TYPHOID.
And then on the fifth day just before getting admitted in ICU ,one of the doctors confessed that the PATHOLOGY DEPT is too primitive to not to detect typhoid.

Take home message--Being part of a institute that

• has funds well over 100 Crores
• hosts festivals with budget exceeding a crore (not to mention the ECell has few lakhs to spare)
• gets funded every second year from its Alumni
• also has students who opt to fall sick to justify their casual leaves.

But then blood test is something that is recommended to most of the people and that too quite frequently.
N to get it wrong ,with such a huge margin of error sends the wrong signal.
We can practically get screwed up.
We need to realize that there is something that is between Gulmohar and Convocation Hall, and if not all, some people do have Medical problems and this continues ,all we would be doing is wasting the doctors out there.

Throughout my experience at IIT hospital, the entire staff was amazingly cooperative and sweet and caring, something that was missing in Hiranandani and Riddhi Vinayak Hospitals.
But then it really wont make sense if they don't get the blood reports right.

I dont need to write what all can a false report lead to .
We all can well imagine the consequences.


P.S>>>
IF NYBODY FROM THE AUTHORIES HAPPENS TO VISIT THIS BLOG PLEASE TAKE THIS AHEAD AND GET THE LABORATORY EQUIPPED WITH THE LESSER PRIMITIVE TECHNOLOGY.WE SERIOUSLY NEED HELP.