Venkat's Weblog

Changing face of Open source

Women are being encouraged by Open source to join them, through their project Fedora. For a start the women can work in the project called ‘Fedora Women’ as coders. Open source has been inviting women to join them and to make Open source a platform for women to show their skills and talents. It is time that organisations start realising the potential of women and to encourage them as a community as a whole. Well this has bought about a debate in the Open source community. As in all debates some support the Fedora women and some feel that supporting only women wouldn’t help and equal importance to both men or women should be given. All said and done I am sure the fairer sex is the happier lot and this encouragement would go a long way in bringing about great confidence in them.

NEWS AT ITS BEST!

All one can hear in today’s news is Israel pounding Lebanon with bombs, fire in Bahrain. What wouldn’t the online news and cable news channel give to get real image videos of such occurrences? Yes there are hundreds of real time videos being uploaded by sites such as Youtube, Grouper, and Guba. One such channel, which has preceded the other TV channels in making use of such user-friendly site, is CNN news. In what is called as Citizen journalism, which is being practiced through various blog sites and real time, video uploads are providing the news channels stiff competition, it is only by sensible tie ups that news channels can provide the news that people require. CNN exchange is coming up with news that would provide such news and video clips uploaded by the users friendly sites like that of Youtube. So gear up for watching some of the most real occurrences in CNN exchange. And stay tune to this web log for more such tips.

Production Vs. Productivity

It is the same as hard working Vs smart working. Have you people out there wondered if you are a hard worker or not. The mantra now is not to work hard but to work smart. This situation exists in all most all departments of industry. A smart worker and hard worker might provide similar productivity to the company but the difference is that a smart worker might be able to allocate all his priorities and hence complete the given task in a short span of time and yet get time to do all the other stuffs. Whereas a hard worker might put all his time and effort into everything and attain similar results. It is these kind of smart workers who are dominating our industry right now; the result has been more of work done at lesser time. The demand for smart workers (not directly, nobody puts out an ad for smart worker or hard worker!) has been on the increase, that the entrepreneurs are interested only in the end product and the place of work or the timings of work do not matter to them any more. When a worker is able to put in his best effort within a minimum span of time with the result of increased productivity, it results in great benefit for the company as a whole.

Mr. Joe Robinson, an advocate in Santa Monica, feels that Norwegians, Dutch and French have higher productivity ratio when compared to Americans, though the former group of nationals enjoy higher vacation period of about three to four weeks in a year, while their American counterparts have lesser vacation period and sometimes none. Now the basic fact is that Americans put in more time in work and work most of their lifetime but are not able to enjoy the other part of life, which is just chilling and enjoying oneself. He feels that the law for greater productivity might be in taking things less seriously and taking more time off. Now this article which was featured in the magazine ‘Smithsonian’ might reflect the fact that there is difference between workers who work hard and those who are able to manage their work such that they have enough of time for vacation, hence they put in their best at work at and at the same time enjoy life.

So now begin thinking if you are working smart or working hard and which would you prefer.

HIP HIP HOORAY TIME AT INXS!

No sooner had the festive airs surrounding INXS since its last award function had faded, than it is time for the award function ceremony for the May 2006. We at INXS simply love this, because it gives us great pride to see our group striving hard and outdoing each other in their efficiency and dedication.  As the basic protocol at INXS we strive for excellence and expect other to follow the same.

We also feel that those who strive to take us to greater heights must be aptly rewarded, and that is why we take this opportunity to reward our outstanding employees.

We take great pride and pleasure in announcing Udayasri as our “Most Valued Software Developer” May 2006.  Taking this opportunity we at INXS greatly appreciate Udayasri’s effort. Udayasri was one of the first employees to join the INXS family, and taking her task seriously has single handily and efficiently lead our ‘Palm Development Effort’.  Kudos and three cheers to Udayasri.

Another one of our most valued employee is Kiran, who has won “Most Valued Rapid Application Developer” Award for May 2006.

Though Kiran has undertaken her first active development role with INXS, she has proved herself by steering towards the right direction.  Achieving the milestones in time, she has created a niche for herself.  Good going people!

We also take this opportunity to applaud the entire team at INXS for their best efforts and endeavour to make INXS a rocking success! Let us cheer on this occasion. HIP HIP HOORAY!  to all the INXS members.

What’s up in Microsoft?

Hey long time we tailed on Microsoft. Let us see what happened after Mundie and Ozzie were named the successors of Bill Gates. According to an article on Cnet news.com, Mr. Taylor, who was the advisor to CEO Balmer, left Microsoft abruptly. Taylor was in charge of campaign against Linux. Also interestingly Taylor was the key man behind Microsoft’s new instant messaging system. Another news is that Microsoft would use the top cream of executives to pool in their ideas.

Talking about vertical system of working, Microsoft would further open its doors to workers by allowing them to take part in major decisions and give in their ideas on technical aspect.

Well looks like the company wants to make all its employees a part of the organisation, this might be a psychological approach making the workers believe that they are more than just salaried employees, it might make them feel as part of the organisation. But how many would welcome such a move, especially the top people at Microsoft who were the pillars of the organisation. Is that the reason that People like Taylor are leaving the company after putting in more than thirteen years of work?

Exit Bill Gates; Enter Ozzie and Craig

I know I am running this news on my weblog a wee bit late. But I thought why not renew it again, when people thought ‘that is the end of this news life’. If you guys are thinking about Bill gates quitting from day-to-day operation of Microsoft, then you are absolutely right! According to a recent interview held by Cnet News.com, both the successors of Bill Gates, Mr. Ray Ozzie and Mr. Craig Mundie seems to be extremely comfortable in the roles that would be undertaken by them with the exiting of Bill Gates from his day to day activities at Microsoft. Both were working as the Chief Technical Officers at Microsoft. In the interview, Ozzie has laid the stressed on ‘service’, and believes that this would reap more benefit to Microsoft. Ozzie is now designated as the Chief Architect, and as is apparent would be the man behind the Live Service push. Craig Mundie would be handling the research units. Mr. Mundie can be now counted as the external voice for Microsoft; we can expect to see much of Mundie in the coming years! Looks like the transition though gradual was anticipated within the Company. In my coming articles, we will analyse how this change within the Microsoft has changed its market position. Well as of now good luck Mr. Ozzie and Mr. Mundie.!

Wikipedia’s growing protection

‘Wikipedia’ an online website on information, is known to all. If you haven’t referred to Wikipedia even once while searching information, it is a surprise. Wikipedia has grown as the third largest web site offering information. As you guys know that Wikipedia’s main trait, is “any one can enter information” policy. Volunteer administrators can add their version of a particular news or term and upload it. This way Wikipedia has earned the distinction of being ‘run by many’, who are free to upload and edit information.

According to the online news site services, news.com and Newyork times, Wikipedia has introduced a clause wherein a particular information or news is protected or semi protected like the information on Islam, President Bush, and Singer Aguilera etc. This is protection must have been undertaken to avoid disputes on sensitive subjects. Well as against the general opinion, the Wikipedia is actually managed by 1000 core volunteers, who are responsible for up gradation and editing of majority of the articles. Though the site can be assessed and uploaded or edited by other volunteers too. According to Mr. Wales of Wikipedia, this semi protection and total protection on the information is done mainly to protect the quality of the site. I feel that this protection is actually important to prevent vandalism and any sort of defaming activity that could occur to such a site. I feel that when the websites themselves come up with self-protecting policy such as this, many a dispute can be avoided.

Blogger leaves Microsoft.

Being a blogger, I guess I cannot avoid putting up this news on my web log. Being one of the pioneers in corporate blogging, Robert Scoble has earned the reputation for playing the dual role of representing employees of Microsoft through its official blog site called channel 9, and on the personal front, his own blog site called the Scobleizer. Scobleizer has earned the reputation of being a blog site, which is a mix of scoble’s personal life and his view on other corporate matters. Well the erstwhile blogger is in news again, this time for leaving Microsoft, and joining PodTech.Net. He will take up the role of Vice President –Content in PodTech.Net. The news of Robert Scoble leaving Microsoft had come earlier than he had intended through one of the fellow bloggers. Robert Scoble has appreciated Microsoft on being an open company, quite contrary to what was projected of Microsoft. The other silver lining for Robert Scoble is that his remuneration would be above $100,000 with stock options.

This is one more example of how corporate blogging is growing in its reach. I feel Corporate bloggers like Robert Scoble has helped in exploring the various avenues in blogging and through which he had reached millions. Corporate blogging according to me acts as a catalyst between the company and the customers, between the company and the employees and between the company and the ‘news hungry’ public. www.reuters.com;www.news.com

FIFA- DEFENDING OF A DIFFERENT KIND

When the buzzword now is football, how can I be far off? I cannot be stated as a die-hard fan of soccer, but I would be on vigil, not only on the scores but also about the hackers, whom FIFA is expecting to strike. FIFA is bracing itself for defence of a different kind, defence from the notorious group of hackers. Avaya, the networking partner for FIFA is bracing itself from attack by hackers, for this, they have completely revamped all the security systems, which was adopted the previous time. Spokesperson from Avaya, has commented that all security measures have been increased to keep the attackers at bay. The major worry is the hundreds of personal information, which the attackers could have access to. Since the attackers were not successful the last two times, it is believed that the security would definitely be up to the mark and would not fail this time too. FIFA’s IT centre is based in Munich and would be constantly monitoring all the IT related activities.

Source: www.wired.com

Increase in demand for a different kind of sales personnel

According to the wall street journals, the demand for online ad sales people have increased with the increase in the number of online based advertisements launched by the likes of Google, Yahoo and eBay. With the recent partnership entered by Yahoo and eBay(seem my article dated 27.5.06), the market is looking forward for more demands for the online advertisement sales people. Though the advertisements are online, yet many feel that sales people add that personal touch and person-to-person response is always greater, this is one of the reasons why there has been an increase in the demand for online advertisement sales personnel. The demand is being compared to the dot com boom, experienced some time ago. But the class of online advertisement sales people is not new, they were present before, but due to lack of demand had chosen a different profession, well those who remained dedicated to their job have found their results with increased demand and increased remunerations for these personnel’s, yes they seemed to be paid very high price. The high remuneration is because of increasing demand but a very limited number of well-qualified personnel’s.

Well according to me, unlike the dot com bubble, the demand would not burst. This looks there would be a steady requirements of these personnel, and more and more people getting would be qualifying for the same. This seems to be a new market for the human resource agencies to harness. Source: www.wsj.com