Google Scholar

Another google gem. This one is especially for researchers and piled higher and deeper fellows like me. Google has come up with a beta version of a scholarly database search and retrieval engine that makes searching those peer reviewed papers, dissertations, theses a lot more easier. It is called Google Scholar There is no advance search option and even the search results are not that great. But knowing Google, I think it is just a matter of time before all functions come into place.

MBA and Re-engineering

Most Banal Administration? Over 1000 institutes offering the famed PGDM certifications, the regulatory/accreditation bodies range from AIU, AICTE, NBA, NAAC [But, We talk of the single window system]. Hope majority donot turn into finishing schools.

Currently I am working on IBM products. DB2 Warehouse Manager, OLAP Kit and Visual Age for Java. Incidentally, IBM has withdrawn support for Visual Age and now is asking us to migrate to Web sphere. Is IBM Rational Rose and UML kit a genuine Reverse Engineering Tool? Talking about Re-engineering.

One question always props up, why do humans design systems with valueless processes. The otherday I was in desperate need of cash while travelling on a Sunday. I rushed to the ATM, and to my dismay I had just the bare minimum balance of Rs.5058.90. Now the ATM does not give me Rs.50 or even Rs. 10. All those talk of Customer Relationship management [CRM] came tumbling down. I could always go to the local bank branch and withdraw even the last rupee. The teller will oblige with a smile. Now, the moronic machine was [mocking!] flashing a Cadbury Chocolate advertisement. You neither get a rupee nor the chocolate. When will our banks realize that ATMs have to be designed for the customer and not the banker? I should be able to withdraw even a rupee if I have some money left. It is my right to do what I want with my money. If the bank feels that it is not a cost effective option then forget the customer. Is banking technology so averse to re-engineering its process. All it takes is value engineering. The Japanese did it with customisation of technology.

Get ready to pay more for software- The Economic Times

Get ready to pay more for software- The Economic Times

Software Taxation: Does Indian Software industry come under the product or a service sector. Commercial off the shelf software [COTS] products of TCS, Infosys, Iflex will be charged with sales tax. This will increase the cost of COTS. My question is will this move be succesful considering the fact that many products are customised into services by software companies. Software firms will use this loop hole. This will adversely affect the growth of an industry which is struggling for long to break into the global product league. The Supreme court judgement will not encourage software industry to become product centric. This ruling will add to the debate on Intellectual Property Taxation. Indian software industry will now move towards sunshine services sector. But they can run but not hide!

Is US becoming more Indian?

The US presidential elections throws up some interesting que into the fact that America is today moving towards a moralistic, conservative society. Bush's victory was largely because of the case of his religious conservativism. Today America[the majority of its population are middle aged and old] wants to be secure. The "secure moms" want their children to grow up in environments unlike in their teenage days. The middle aged and older Americans became increasingly insecure about its future generation. It is this generationthat voted for thwart the threats. The 80's Americanism was about gun culture, drug pushers in school, materialistic, the just donot care attitude right through the 1990's. This younger generation [Gen Y-1981-1995, 57million] never cared about what happened outside the US. Remember, In 1998 even President Bush never got his geography right [I doubt whether he still has]. The threat of terrorism at their doorstep shook the American from the comfort zone. America realised that White House is a very dangerous place from which to view the world. The younger generation preferred Kerry to Bush. Kerry advocated for a liberal society that recognised gay culture, and loose moral values. This did appeal to the imagination of the younger generation in US. The US went through the trials and tribulations of capitalistic free market economy. It cared less for conservatism and restrictions. Today, it wants to become conservative to preserve what is still left of America and put restrictions on any element that makes them insecure.

While America wants to be moralistic, India seems to be caught in the reverse mode. India is becoming more like the America of the 60's and 70's where the younger generation[25-40] age group dominate the social fabric. The carefree attitude, materialism, and making a fast buck is the trend seen in many India cities. India is emulating the 1970-80's American culture. Terrorism is not a big threat, everyday an India lives and dies a thousand times. The death defying life that he lives on the streets and workplace putting up with a highly terrorised system sums up the fact that war and terrorists are insignificant. The young feel that it is better to live one good life than struggling to fight the terrorised system. The famous cartoonist R. K. Laxman's Common Man" no more represents the Indian. He represents the average Indian Grandfather who is helpless. Indians want to build an America that makes them enjoy the quality of life. Ultimately it will come full circle. Fast forward to 2020, when the the social needs of an Indian are met and become a prosperous arrogant society. The present young generation would have aged seeing the degradation of the age old value system. They will remeber the good old days of Indian cultural values. It will then vote like America Votes 2004! The conservative-liberal-conservative cycle will continue.