Monday, September 25, 2006
PDA at workplace
It’s not Personal Digital Assistant I am talking about – it’s Public Display of Affection at the workplace …
I am not against PDA per se, but at office – in open spaces or canteens, where senior management also walks around along with the customers, I think PDA is a bit inappropriate and embarrassing for the visitors too. I agree that today the avg age in the software industry has gone to college age – in fact the initial few months or at least the training period is considered an extension of college, but that’s no reason not to maintain discipline. Worse, folks, who have been there in the organization for long, are now joining the band – re-living their youth!!!
I think – office space needs a bit more of “formal” environment and culture – need to maintain a sense of dignity, and should not be treated as just another public place …
I rest my case.
I am not against PDA per se, but at office – in open spaces or canteens, where senior management also walks around along with the customers, I think PDA is a bit inappropriate and embarrassing for the visitors too. I agree that today the avg age in the software industry has gone to college age – in fact the initial few months or at least the training period is considered an extension of college, but that’s no reason not to maintain discipline. Worse, folks, who have been there in the organization for long, are now joining the band – re-living their youth!!!
I think – office space needs a bit more of “formal” environment and culture – need to maintain a sense of dignity, and should not be treated as just another public place …
I rest my case.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Late, as usual …
Well this post was supposed to go on Sept 5th … the teacher’s day… and I am late, as usual. I still remember my school days when we (students) used to take up roles of teachers that day and occupy princi’s office, teachers room,… take classes and throw a party to our teachers…
Teachers, at least when I was in school, had a different aura of themselves. Not all were good and thus respected too … but there was a difference… as time flew, the quality of the faculty at every level of education, especially towards higher classes, has been deteriorating... teachers have been complaining about the quality of students enrolling has been degrading … students claim that the teachers are not qualified / knowledgeable enough to take the class…
I think, it’s a cyclic issue and resulting in nothing but overall degradation – both in quality of student (and then resulting in citizens) and thus the society at large. If we look deeper in to the profiles of the teachers in schools today, we’ll find most of them are there not because they want to teach and share knowledge, but either to have income without too much of effort or they could find any other job … (I won’t say better!) …
I think there is extreme lack of incentive to teach – esp. in schools and colleges… as I have seen many of them taking tuitions and extra classes for many of their students after the school hours to get some extra cash … in fact a lot of them run a scheme where in they make mandatory to have extra classes / tuitions if the student wants to pass / get some extra marks … and in this competitive environment where in even 95% is less, students are left with no choice but to please their masters …
Also, a lot of them are really incapable of teaching… they are there because they couldn’t be anywhere… and the frustration is obvious … resulting in poor academic grooming of students … there was a time when teachers’ had all the answers… looks like the days are over now… another set of teachers are house wives … who want to kill their day time when their hubbies are out on roads … also to get some extra income. Well that’s not bad, but at least there should be intention of teaching …
Moving to the higher education level … the scene is more than pathetic … apart from IIT’s and few of the NITs (earlier RECs) there are hardly any college with a good strength of faculty … a lot of them are their own students who don’t get placed start their post graduation and then doctorate to become faculty … but if you see their up bringing in the education scenario – it’s again way behind … as these folks (most of them) … actually do a lot of copy paste stuff rather than the actual research … to be assessed by some faculties who came through the same route … understandably their knowledge would also be limited … and similar case is their in the management section … I am not aware of the other sect of the education umbrella and therefore I am not going to comment on them …
We have been hearing quite often that students are not respecting teachers … I say those who say this are wrong… absolutely wrong … actually they don’t deserve that respect in the first place… you don’t ask respect … you gain respected … students do respect if they respect students and their feelings and their goals of life … if they create a learning environment rather than imposing literature (education can never be imposed) … emphasize on thought process rather than book …
One of the key reasons that we have dearth of good teachers/ faculty is the remuneration thus generated is too feeble to clear up the living expenses … I think if teaching is seen as a profession with high quality and then high income – it’ll gain more attention. If we compare from the schools and univs across the ocean, the faculty out there gets much higher packages than that in India. Pay high for a quality (entry condition and penalties clauses will work wonders) – I am sure many will come forward …
Teachers, at least when I was in school, had a different aura of themselves. Not all were good and thus respected too … but there was a difference… as time flew, the quality of the faculty at every level of education, especially towards higher classes, has been deteriorating... teachers have been complaining about the quality of students enrolling has been degrading … students claim that the teachers are not qualified / knowledgeable enough to take the class…
I think, it’s a cyclic issue and resulting in nothing but overall degradation – both in quality of student (and then resulting in citizens) and thus the society at large. If we look deeper in to the profiles of the teachers in schools today, we’ll find most of them are there not because they want to teach and share knowledge, but either to have income without too much of effort or they could find any other job … (I won’t say better!) …
I think there is extreme lack of incentive to teach – esp. in schools and colleges… as I have seen many of them taking tuitions and extra classes for many of their students after the school hours to get some extra cash … in fact a lot of them run a scheme where in they make mandatory to have extra classes / tuitions if the student wants to pass / get some extra marks … and in this competitive environment where in even 95% is less, students are left with no choice but to please their masters …
Also, a lot of them are really incapable of teaching… they are there because they couldn’t be anywhere… and the frustration is obvious … resulting in poor academic grooming of students … there was a time when teachers’ had all the answers… looks like the days are over now… another set of teachers are house wives … who want to kill their day time when their hubbies are out on roads … also to get some extra income. Well that’s not bad, but at least there should be intention of teaching …
Moving to the higher education level … the scene is more than pathetic … apart from IIT’s and few of the NITs (earlier RECs) there are hardly any college with a good strength of faculty … a lot of them are their own students who don’t get placed start their post graduation and then doctorate to become faculty … but if you see their up bringing in the education scenario – it’s again way behind … as these folks (most of them) … actually do a lot of copy paste stuff rather than the actual research … to be assessed by some faculties who came through the same route … understandably their knowledge would also be limited … and similar case is their in the management section … I am not aware of the other sect of the education umbrella and therefore I am not going to comment on them …
We have been hearing quite often that students are not respecting teachers … I say those who say this are wrong… absolutely wrong … actually they don’t deserve that respect in the first place… you don’t ask respect … you gain respected … students do respect if they respect students and their feelings and their goals of life … if they create a learning environment rather than imposing literature (education can never be imposed) … emphasize on thought process rather than book …
One of the key reasons that we have dearth of good teachers/ faculty is the remuneration thus generated is too feeble to clear up the living expenses … I think if teaching is seen as a profession with high quality and then high income – it’ll gain more attention. If we compare from the schools and univs across the ocean, the faculty out there gets much higher packages than that in India. Pay high for a quality (entry condition and penalties clauses will work wonders) – I am sure many will come forward …
Monday, September 04, 2006
A quick visit to another world …
My first On-site trip is full of experience …
Highlights…
I got myself upgraded to Business Class on British Airways… trust me … its different!
However, as usual, with a lost mind… I forgot to take the receipt of my first dinner (that was nearly GBP 25)… arhhh…
OK… to begin …
I was supposed to travel blr-lhr direct … however, unavailability of tickets forced me to travel through Delhi, and all the travel itinerary got pre-pone to early evening from late night… a hush-hush from office and I was off to Delhi… Thanks to Alu, who came at airport on my request and stayed with me till wee early morning when I went in for check-in. Check in was smooth… I was the first on the counter and he asked me if I was feeling lucky … (apart from usual questions) … and I said I think so … he asked me I would like to upgrade to B-class (from earlier – world class plus – a level above economy)… I said why not!!! … He gave me a B-Class window seat! (I was definitely feeling lucky). Further moving to immigration, though guy looked at my photo many times (my photo in Visa and Passport don’t exactly match… they just manage)… but then he really didn’t ask anything… after that the wait period was awful… there was relatively nothing you could do… with eyes drooping and head spinning… it was really difficult to stay up!
Finally when I boarded the plane, it was different from what I have seen B-Class sections earlier … one gets his own space … in isolation … and seats in pair arranged in diagonally facing with a dividing curtain … and I was seated with reverse direction … (it was not so good feeling) … and then my neighbor managed to spill my juice on my seat! Ouch!
The rest of the flight was peaceful … breakfast was superb … I haven’t seen a “thick” spanish omelet … it was really delicious… there were few movies running in their entertainment section (including a few new ones) … but my headache didn’t let me do justice to them…
While the flight was moving over our neighbor - afgans, the sight was unexpected … it was different… huge ranges of hills and mountains with literally no vegetation… a few lines of greenery could be seen on the river marks (it could be river itself, but I was more than sure it was human habitat than just the river) … vast lands with no growth in vicinity … even then it was having a beauty of its own.
I reached my destination in time (actually a little before) … and immigration was smooth. Then we (my boss and other team members came by another flight) … started our further journey by car to our final destination … it was a long ride…
Few things which amazed me of this place was the adherence to the signs and traffic sense… the highway was such that you can’t take a U-turn in the middle of the road… there were places where in some work was going on … the speed limits were on… and all the vehicles actually followed those limits… within the town/city … it was more prominent … whatever speed you are coming, for a pedestrian you have to give way… even if the road is empty, you don’t jump signals… you give way to the vehicles over the circles … you follow lanes … in a three lane-road, you are only in the lane where you need to go and don’t jump lanes in between, even if the side lanes are empty and you are in a BIG queue …
Another thing that amazed me was the adherence to the work-life balance (or so to speak), most of shops close by 6pm (even if the sunset was closer to 8pm) … even the coffee shops close … the only things that are open are food joints (not all) … and pubs.
I have now traveled in Mercedes Benz (car and van), BMW, Porsche, and London Taxi … yay!!!
My return was a direct flight in economy class and let me tell you there is a good difference between b-class and economy class…
It was a good trip overall … and now back to Hosur Road in Bangalore … grrr….
Highlights…
I got myself upgraded to Business Class on British Airways… trust me … its different!
However, as usual, with a lost mind… I forgot to take the receipt of my first dinner (that was nearly GBP 25)… arhhh…
OK… to begin …
I was supposed to travel blr-lhr direct … however, unavailability of tickets forced me to travel through Delhi, and all the travel itinerary got pre-pone to early evening from late night… a hush-hush from office and I was off to Delhi… Thanks to Alu, who came at airport on my request and stayed with me till wee early morning when I went in for check-in. Check in was smooth… I was the first on the counter and he asked me if I was feeling lucky … (apart from usual questions) … and I said I think so … he asked me I would like to upgrade to B-class (from earlier – world class plus – a level above economy)… I said why not!!! … He gave me a B-Class window seat! (I was definitely feeling lucky). Further moving to immigration, though guy looked at my photo many times (my photo in Visa and Passport don’t exactly match… they just manage)… but then he really didn’t ask anything… after that the wait period was awful… there was relatively nothing you could do… with eyes drooping and head spinning… it was really difficult to stay up!
Finally when I boarded the plane, it was different from what I have seen B-Class sections earlier … one gets his own space … in isolation … and seats in pair arranged in diagonally facing with a dividing curtain … and I was seated with reverse direction … (it was not so good feeling) … and then my neighbor managed to spill my juice on my seat! Ouch!
The rest of the flight was peaceful … breakfast was superb … I haven’t seen a “thick” spanish omelet … it was really delicious… there were few movies running in their entertainment section (including a few new ones) … but my headache didn’t let me do justice to them…
While the flight was moving over our neighbor - afgans, the sight was unexpected … it was different… huge ranges of hills and mountains with literally no vegetation… a few lines of greenery could be seen on the river marks (it could be river itself, but I was more than sure it was human habitat than just the river) … vast lands with no growth in vicinity … even then it was having a beauty of its own.
I reached my destination in time (actually a little before) … and immigration was smooth. Then we (my boss and other team members came by another flight) … started our further journey by car to our final destination … it was a long ride…
Few things which amazed me of this place was the adherence to the signs and traffic sense… the highway was such that you can’t take a U-turn in the middle of the road… there were places where in some work was going on … the speed limits were on… and all the vehicles actually followed those limits… within the town/city … it was more prominent … whatever speed you are coming, for a pedestrian you have to give way… even if the road is empty, you don’t jump signals… you give way to the vehicles over the circles … you follow lanes … in a three lane-road, you are only in the lane where you need to go and don’t jump lanes in between, even if the side lanes are empty and you are in a BIG queue …
Another thing that amazed me was the adherence to the work-life balance (or so to speak), most of shops close by 6pm (even if the sunset was closer to 8pm) … even the coffee shops close … the only things that are open are food joints (not all) … and pubs.
I have now traveled in Mercedes Benz (car and van), BMW, Porsche, and London Taxi … yay!!!
My return was a direct flight in economy class and let me tell you there is a good difference between b-class and economy class…
It was a good trip overall … and now back to Hosur Road in Bangalore … grrr….
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