Vijay Krishna's Notes http://vijaykrishna.posterous.com Most of my notes as a student of computer software and everything around it. posterous.com Fri, 25 Mar 2011 05:54:36 -0700 Startup http://vijaykrishna.posterous.com/startup http://vijaykrishna.posterous.com/startup There is this whole new revolution taking place with a sudden escalation in the use and making of software tools and products and the internet. There is so much one can seem to do and achieve nowadays. Almost every other person seems to be getting the next big idea and launching it to make decent wads of green. Well, many, like i did in the first statement of this post, are claiming this to be a direct effect of the explosion internet and software. But then again, there are other factors. For starters, the lack of good jobs. Let us face it. The IT Boom may have gotten in a lot of jobs around the world, but the fact remains that these are nothing jobs. They do not have nay perks, no security, zero retirement plans, and the ability to support only a single person. And let us face another fact. The number of intelligent people in this world are increasing, else this wave of entrepreneurship would not have been this sustainable. The number of smart people in this planet have outweighed the number of good and well paying jobs. Look at it this way, before Google and Facebook came to the big stage, all an IT professional could talk about was working for MS, IBM or Yahoo one day. And then came along Google, followed by FB, and they became the next big firms to work for. Every time there is a new firm which comes on to the big stage, the aspirations of the job seeking crowd becomes more and more tangible. And this is possible only if regular graduates and engineers look at starting something new of their own. Why i spoke of Google is because it is the 2nd reason for this startup craze. You see, before Google, all the other firms were formed ( i.e. were startups) back in the 80's. It was almost like  everyone forgot the meaning of the word entrepreneur. They could not look beyond working for existing establishment. The Google and Facebook stories have changed exactly that. They are the modern day startups, who have gone on to challenge and dominate global competition in their areas of expertise. Funny story is that before they came into being, they already had people working on similar products and software, which was being commercially used. Be it search or social networking. Yahoo search and Orkut came before Google search and Facebook. Yet, they triumphed over them. And mind you, both Yahoo Search and Orkut were good and popular products in their time. This very fact, that the new kids on the block could show the way out to the old ones, and that too so quickly has showed people that if your idea is worth it, then there is really very little stopping you. Self employment is a concept that is gaining popularity as days pass by. Now people have gone beyond the idea of making it to the big screen. They are contended with being simple one to two man teams making some kind of profit from some kind of business. The idea of being a independent consultant or a free lancer is also setting well with the new young guns today. The whole scenario looks so promising that even kids, from both schools and colleges are doing well with the whole process of making money. What ever be your qualification, if you have an idea you can sell, then this is a fantastic time to invest some time and startup. Its time to make hay while the sun shines folks, and this hay sells!

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Tue, 08 Mar 2011 22:16:45 -0800 Character in Technology http://vijaykrishna.posterous.com/character-in-technology http://vijaykrishna.posterous.com/character-in-technology No sorry, this is not the Data Type "char" that i am going to talk about. Rather, this is related to the ethical and moral strength we must hold out in the world of technology. Talking about something like this can take a lot of time, due to the sheer range of contexts it touches. However, I am going to talk about one particular context that i came across time and again in this technological industry. I found, that for all the professionalism and maturity that people talk about, or rather boast about, there is no sense of responsibility or accountability for the work done and product delivered. And then i wonder, as to what has changed since the good old days of learning and ideating  in school. And that precise fact, is a bit of a let down after all the talk of being professionals. Like every other walk of life character is something that should be upheld no matter what. However, what i found in the industry was something different. A lot of work is decided as per the client's wishes and whims (to say the least). There is no real brain storming taking place at building genuinely better products which change lives. It is all about getting done with the deliverables and ensuring that the check enters the correct account. Post delivery services are next to nil, let me not even go to standards. And the immediate concern is to get the next guy in the loop, to whom we can sell our so-called earth shattering plan. I do not care how evolved or sophisticated the technology has become. The the sad fact of the matter is that the way in which technology is being built does not exactly  inspire you. And if this were true for a very long time now, then it is definitely disappointing. I wrote once before that technology and business are too intertwined with each other. To speak of one, you have to touch upon the other, and in some cases dwell deep into it. I guess, due to this dependency, we have lost track of the true purpose of technology. Most of the industry has become more of a money making machine rather than a powerhouse of innovation and advancements. I, at times wonder if we have become too myopic. But then my mind supports such a tact. Simply because when it comes to making a living, it is important to be myopic to start with. I only hope that this is more of a transit, where we are learning and are prepared to move forward and be more mature. For the contemporary has ensured a stagnation in the era of invention. How big a price are we about to pay in this loss of the most fundamental ethic in the world of technology, the ethic of new thinking? As a coder and developer, i sometimes believe in letting out my work, making the source truly open. For then there is no fear of profit or loss. But there is a constant attempt at possessing the best idea for the day, which leads to assured growth and assured profits. That is the absolute. For, i am an individual, and take from me what you can, but i daresay, you cannot take away my thought process. And that is the one true source of my sustenance and ethics.

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Mon, 07 Feb 2011 18:23:41 -0800 Science, Technology and Business http://vijaykrishna.posterous.com/science-technology-and-business http://vijaykrishna.posterous.com/science-technology-and-business We have been witnessing the emergence of a new technology in the mobile and smart phone industry. Its called Android. There are new reviews, comparisons, sales figures, statistics about the new age mobile OS. Its brilliant really. The manifestation of some of the smartest work on the planet, everyday in a new form. What makes it more interesting is the competition between Android, iOS and Win7. Its amazing! It is actually more interesting than the technology itself. (Or should i say science?) The business being affected, the transition in the way people work. It drives your interests to some crazy levels. In a simple word, its awesome \m/ !! However, amidst this whole race of being the best, i am reminded of the differences between a science and a technology. You wonder why? Simply because half the people on whom this technology has an impact are more concerned with its business aspect. Neither do they understand the technology behind it, nor do they  understand the science behind the technology. Everything is business oriented. The technology we know is because of the businesses we do. The science we know is because of the technology we need, for those businesses. And there in lies the difference. Many think that science is more theoretical, while technology is its practical version. But, let me ask such people this: are you implying, that the process of evaporation, not a practical phenomena? Or for that matter, a nuclear reaction in Uranium? Do you consider the planetary motions just textbook gibberish and not actual happenings? Let us look at it the other way. Is the technology behind Space Trips for Tourists a practical venture. We do have the means to do it. But, is it practical at this stage? Is is not wise to look at other places for tourism? This fundamental difference in Science and Technology is the same as that between, Existence and Purpose/Need. While science exists, it is the technology that gives it a purpose.  A purpose that is drawn from a need of surviving, which has taken nothing but the shape of business in the most of todays world. Look at it this way. Information Technology was not even a branch of engineering 30 years back. Why was that? Because 30 years back computers were not used in businesses. Makes sense? No? Then you are not a businessman.

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