Woman of the Year

Are we citizens of a failed nation?

Credits : Outlook India Cover for January 14, 2013

Goa Trip 2012

Goa Travel Tweets

Attribution Required !

As a serious writer for the past few months, I've been dealing with a very common issue.

How do I use content - articles or images off the internet with proper attribution ?

In fact its a given, that its safe to use content under an open license for mixing with your content.

I still remember an instance when I used an image url from philip greenspun's site without proper attribution and resulted in a weird image loading up after several days. This was a program driven content filter that possibly checked for certain details before sending a standard un-called image.

Ever since that incident, I ensure proper attribution for images are included without offending anyone. I typically include a "References or Credits" section at the bottom of the article to attribute the original content properly.

You may not be the best writer or photographer and may want to re-use some available community content under an open license like Creative Commons. But what does it mean when it says attribution-required !

Make sure you understand what attribution-required content sites imply.

Reference :
Attribution Required - StackOverflow
Quoting, Referencing, Citing & Not Copyright Violating
Howto Formally Cite a blog

Addicted !

I've been telling Jenny recently that I've become addicted to blogging. I keep processing a lot of events with the perspective of a blogger. Some times it bugs Jenny !!

What can I share with others ?

• Famous captions, funny one-liners, Understated pics.

• Anything meaningful and informative that can help others.

• Stuff I can write-up in order to be used later.

• Maybe thoughts that my family & friends can appreciate. 

The only explanation that I have at this moment is that writing is addictive or blogging is ?

I'm hardly bothered by the audience that reads the content. It just helps me write better if I know its getting published on the web.

The one motivation that I have is the simple post from 2007 on Howto apply for an International Drivers Permit in Pune.

The article was written in a fit to help other drivers and since one did not exist with complete information on how to get it done yourself.

The helplessness I felt at the hands of the Driving school folks can only be emphasized by writing a good article.

Here's to assert the need for everyday bloggers who can help pass-on valuable know-how !! 

Fascinated by Wordpress

After creating a bunch of blogs on blogger.com , creating a new entry on the wordpress.com blog site. The reason for this, is an itch that I’ve suddenly felt. 

Whenever I looked at a well designed site with a great concept, I end up looking at the bottom footer to know if there is any reference to the type of blog platform used.

Invariably every cool site seems to be using WordPress. Blogger seems to be used by the less technical and purely content driven folks.

Tried the following domains : alphacs, alphacons, alphateam. The platform is so popular that all the blog names are taken. Feels good that this blog name exists.

Movie in the background : The Count of Monte Cristo.

Password Protected Post on wordpress (password : test)

Weblog Client

Search Terms : Weblog client 








Experience with various Weblog clients to increase productivity. After careful deliberation moved the article under Techie Hacks !

Categorization of content is better when its published under separate pseudonyms. Need to be more careful in future to avoid content disruption.

Google Doodle Copyright © google.com 

Techie Hacks !

Software Architecture

Serial Blogger

Copyright © The Backlight

Previously titled : Multi-Blog Tips



















Well written / visualized article on maintaining multiple blogs effectively. I for one, think there are multiple advantages to keeping your topics on separate blogs.

Have been slowly becoming more productive writing my thoughts on a variety of topics on blogs instead of paper and its environment friendly too !

Creating a blog to manage topic-wise content happened on a whim since it felt better organized.

Why writers need multiple blogs ?

It almost feels like I'm writing a book of thoughts pertaining to a set of hobbies or interests that could fluctuate over time. Slowly, I'm observing a small pattern emerge from the whole process of containing the writing into their own identities.

For now the urls are all sub-urls within my own domain, but I've checked the availability of individual domains (on impulse again) just to see if it fits into the broader plan.

I'm treading a very thin line of creating content and formulating a long-term plan/goal together. Don't want to end up changing the footer every day instead of adding proper content.

I've created this snippet with the sole prerogative of initiating & collecting data on forging multiple signature blogs without indulging in the headaches involved.

Finally !

Managed to recover the password to this LJ account. 

As part of the plan to merge all the content here -
1. Exported LJ Content using Livejournal2blogger tool into an xml 
2. Imported the xml content here using the Settings/Import Blog tool.

It seems nostalgic to not only get hold of some content written in the past but also being able to use the LJ interface after ~ 7.5 years.

History

Here is a timeline of various blog accounts created over time :

Defunct (blogspot, livejournal, wordpress):

• December 30 2004 : anthonyraj.blogspot.com 
• February 19, 2005 : anthony_raj.livejournal.com
• February 6, 2006 : anthonyraj.wordpress.com 
• Februray 22, 2006 : paradoxsoft.wordpress.com 
• July 15, 2007 : anthony-raj.blogspot.com

Active (blogspot.com) :

• June 17, 2007 : myloudthinking
• July 10, 2007 : campingthoughts
• October 31, 2010 : dreamtalkies
• November 29, 2012 : renewedthoughts, psychofoodie, criminalthought
• December 3, 2012 : schoolingthoughts 
• December 4, 2012 : alphacsthoughts
• December 6, 2012 : startuptalks, techiehacks

There's been a lot random blogging over a period of 8 years.

Have managed to consolidate most of the content @ a single location.

I'm still not sure if there are any more blogs still floating on some server.

Hello Hunny Bunny

TV Advertisement 


Dedicated to our loved ones ...

HunnyBunnyIdea Fan Page

Bapi

Pandit Ravi Shankar (1920 - 2012)

I've not really heard all his compositions , but have been listening to a few at last.fm.
The only ones that I've been most familiar with -"Saare Jahan Se Acha" & sound track from Gandhi(film).

Anoushka Shankar, who released a book about her father, Bapi: Love of My Life, in 2002 opens up about his style of mentoring in an interview below.

Its interesting to know about a person from those who truly love you.

Trivia :

"When  Mahatma Gandhi’s died , Ravi Shankar, then in All India Radio  had to play mournful music on the national radio broadcaster. Drawing from the name Gandhi, he took the three sargam notes that approximate it—“Ga” (third), “Ni” (seventh) and “Dha” (sixth)—and developed a new melodic theme. He called this new raga Mohankauns, since it was similar to raga Malkauns. He later used the same raga as a refrain in his score for Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi.  "

(Updated on 31st Dec, 2012)
Quote seen on Outlook India blog - Pandit Ravi Shankar (1920-2012):

"The man whom George Harrison called "the Godfather of World Music" and about whom Yehudi Menuhin said that "his genius and his humanity can only be compared to that of Mozart's," is dead."

The post has numerous quotes & youtube videos on the maestro.

Driving Etiquettes

We are often taught about eating etiquettes or a certain acceptable behavior in society.
Being the father to a 15 month old toddler keeps me on high alert about my own example.

Have I consistently displayed the behavior that I would like my children to imitate.
Well, when it comes to driving, I see unacceptable or unavoidable behavior everyday.

When I drive my family out for any event and the moment someone cuts me it gives me the heebie jeebies (for lack of a better word for it). Its always a mad rush to get from point A to point B. It actually drowns  the pleasure out of driving !

If  many of these reckless motorists were actually kids, we could sit them down and explain that driving without any courtesy, rules or respect is down right rude behavior !

By and large, I've been thinking about how to mend my own ways which has been influenced over the years by driving among fellow citizens who have to meekly go with the flow or get over taken.

Quick take aways from Driving India Blog that could help cure rash drivers (me2)-
1. Most Indians are not familiar with the concept of defensive driving taught in the west.
2. Show courtesy to your fellow drivers - Ghandhigiri
3. Lane discipline
4. Awareness of blindspots

References :
Driving in India by Sriniram  (Thanks for the starting point !)
Driving India Blog - Driver education covering all aspects of defensive driving.
Driving in India article by fabbiGabby

Image courtesy neontommy which attributes Flickr / Creative Commons License (license type omitted).

Creative Commons Images

  by  Kristina B 

Looking at how to embed creative commons images to the blog without discrediting the original creator. Found this valuable article - Guide: How to Use Creative Commons Images from Flickr that discusses a good solution to link images which considers the 3 rules of creative commons license.

Quick Steps
1. Search for the Images from Flickr's Creative Commons section.
2. Copy the url and paste it within ImageCodr to get the final HTML embed code compatible with CC license.
3. Add the HTML embed that validates the CC license terms.

New features

I've recently been upgrading my blog & website after a haitus of 5 years and the results are quite promising.

Here are the list of activity updates :
1. Redirected the active blog to a registered domain after some poking around.
2. Added facebook commenting to the main url commenting.
3. Created separate blogs for topics and mapped them to sub-domains.
4. Updated the theme from blogger's default templates.
5. Designed the information architecture for the site layout.
6. Looking at blogging tools (using this for now - blog this & screenshot plugin)
7. Researching image licenses to use for free images from flickr etc.

Late Night Activity

Have been in a habit of working late into the night for quite some time.
Eventually this has led to also watching television on mute or scanning mode in parallel.

Recently while trying to analyze this habit or rather trying to kick the habit I realized
that the whole process could lead to depression. Not sure how much one can rely on a study
that has been experimented on hamsters

Ref : Depression Linked with Late Night TV, Computer Use

Job Change Stages

Working for Company #1 - Searching for another job
Working for Company #1 - Interviewing with Company #2
Working for Company #1 - Offered a job with Company #2
Working for Company #1 - Accepted offer from Company #2
Resigned from Company #1 - Accepted offer from Company #2
Notice Period @ Company #1 - Accepted offer from Company #2
Negotiating @ Company #1 - Accepted offer from Company #2

branch #1
Retract Resignation @ Company # 1 - Accepted offer from Company #2
Retract Resignation @ Company # 1 - Deferred offer from Company #2
Working for Company #1 - Deferred job search

branch #2
Completed Notice Period @ Company #1 - Joined Company #2
Working for Company #2 - Deferred job search