Spirited Soul

Offline branding Vs Online branding : What makes marketing successful?

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:29:00 +0000

This is what I have written for Markathon November Issue, under Eye-to-Eye Column.

Branding can be defined as an exercise to communicate to your target audience what your brand is all about; and to make them chose your brand over the competition. This communication has generally been through traditional channels like television, radio, print and billboards. No doubt these methods do help in creating brand awareness; we simply can’t under estimate the influence of internet in today’s world. As a result, online branding comes as a powerful tool for a successful marketing experience.
One of the key benefits of online branding is that it’s completely measurable, unlike offline branding. Using state-of-the-art techniques and software programs, we can virtually track everything, right from visitor’s demographics, their click-through ratios, their conversion ratios to the search phrases used by them. This in turn helps in measuring efficiency of the program by measuring conversions, which further augments in effective and focused branding exercises.
Moreover given the spread of internet, everyone has an online presence. Remember that in the digital world, you are not the only keeper of your brand. There are people who write about it and who may impact it in a big way. Hence online branding becomes even more important to mitigate any negative emotions which might have crept in the target audience.
As the reach of internet spreads, consumers become more interactive. Now we don’t wait for the information to flow to us; we are going out and searching for it in the digital space. Unlike offline branding, online branding serves this target segment with focused branding programs based on specific searches and keywords.
At the end of the day, given the advent of internet in our lives and yearn for information, online branding is a handy and cost effective method to run focused yet successful marketing campaigns.

Game Theory and Tifin Box !!!

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:41:00 +0000

Game theory deals with strategies which different firms or individuals take, which in turn are dependent on the strategies followed by their competitors. Game theory doesn't explain the ways on how to win a game or how to build your strategies.Rather it explains a situation where everyone takes an action to maximize their benefits,but at the end everyone performs at a sub optimal level where they fail to get the best results.The best result would have been achieved had they co-operated and synergized their efforts. But mutual suspicion and competition makes them do otherwise. This action of individuals/firms is called their dominant strategy. Moreover the firms now have no incentive to change their strategies, and they reach an equilibrium called the Nash Equilibrium(remember "A Beautiful Mind"?)
Now comes a practical application of Game Theory,an event in my class which unfolds daily. Some people in class get lunchbox from home,and needless to say, we all gorge on the food. Every one takes his/her turn to take their fair bites in the lunch. Now comes this person. let's call this person X. X would come from behind shouting "mujhey do mujhey do". Pushing others aside, this person won't care to take a fair share,rather this person would just snatch away the lunchbox to take the biggest share. Others observed this thing for a day or two, but now the Game theory comes into picture. No sooner do others see this person coming for a grab,everyone pounce at the tifin. And the result,most of us don't get any food. A person or two get a very big share while some part gets spilled. So overall it's a lose lose strategy for the group. And everyday we have the same picture.Due to mutual mistrust and competition , we all play a dominant strategy which leads to a sub optimal result. Hence a loss for most of us.
This is how Game Theory works in my class.

Happy Happy

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:26:00 +0000

Finally I got a big reason to smile.I got placed at Day zero of our summers placement process. The process was total fun, but too much stress full for most of us. The sheer thought that the CV is not shortlisted in a company makes you repent for an opportunity lost.
But as some one rightly said "There is no reward as sweet as which is hard earned". So here I am with a summer internship in hand.
Time to make merry. Next target : Learning Guitar !!!!

High Frequency Words

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:40:00 +0000

I have been thinking of writing this post since a long time. It's about certain high frequency words which most of us,though unknowingly use very often while speaking in public. And guess from where have I made this list.It's from my peers and seniors at college. Not only that, the list has a significant contribution from the people from industry who, quite often, are on the campus for some guest lecture or some talk.
I must say some of these words are really irritating and sound like stones thrown at you when the other person uses them again and again. Just another day I was attending a guest lecture and the lady spoke the words " you know" 35 times in her 10 minutes speech, which translates to one "you know" in every 24 seconds. Imagine how annoying it gets.
So what are some of those " high frequency" words which I have noticed so often? Here we go :
1) You Know
2) Like
3) As in
4) I mean
5) Ki

I am sure you come across such people very frequently . So what's the word that annoys you the most? I am sure there would be many !!

Chao

Diluge of everything

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:28:00 +0000

I must say I am absolutely doing nothing these days, and still my time goes as if I am busy like Hell. God knows where the time flies by.Most of the time is eaten by the extra classes which are being scheduled, courtesy the swine flu break. And the remaining time is spent in certain useless activities ( read making reports and assignments). And what's new in life....Well nothing !! OK so what's new coming up?? Lots n lots !! Trim exams starting from 21st Sept ,and immediately after that summers.And haven't even started with the basic newspaper reading,I just pray I get into some good company. Studies fro Trim exams are not that high on priority.Currently looking forward to the summer placements. More than that I am looking forward to the plans I am making once I get placed( Touchwood).
Enough for the day... Time to get back to the CSR report.
Chao

A true Lazybone...... or just my perception??

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:38:00 +0000

It has almost been one month since I have posted on my blog. Life is real busy over here.Not that I am flooded with studies or something like that, but the student activities on campus make life real hard. But they are pure fun, all activities teaching something new and increasing your social circle.
And what else happened in college in last month?? .... Did I say WHAT ELSE?? Better question would have been WHAT NOT???????
We had our mid terms, immediately succeeded by the swine flu break( phew ) .... Then a flurry of extra classes, assignments, projects, activities of diff cells on campus....and the latest buzz is FAHRENHEIT ...an inter division cultural fest. And guess who's div is leading till date...Yes it's your trulys' div E.
And after Fahrenheit 2 cells have their major events scheduled in line. Then we would have our trim exams ......and then the big daddy of all THE SUMMERS......
But it's quite far away.... Currently busy with a number of assignments worth 100 marks.....And time to exit....( now it's not procrastination :-D) Will definitely write more sometime later....:-)
Have so much to write. I wish I could manage my time better .

Freshers 1.1

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:05:00 +0000

After the official freshers at Santokba Hall, our seniors our throwing the unofficial freshers party tonight at The Lalit Intercontinental. It's gonna be a DJ night. Let's set stage on fire.....BURRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH !!!!!

Food @ NMIMS

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:47:00 +0000

Well this has been a long overdue from my side.It's about the culinary experiences in and around NMIMS campus. The initial few days had been real tough,with only idlis,dosas,wadas and the watery substance which people here call daal. So let me give my views on some of the eating joints :-

1) Vrindavan,the NM cafeteria : Good for breakfasts and fast food,Lunch is not that good.

2) Mithibhai Canteen: More options,enough seating space.Food tastes far better than Vrindavan.

3) Food stalls outside NM: You can get anything ranging from wada pao,idli,dosa,sandwich to frankies. All junk, so definitely tastes good.Hygiene might be a factor,but then who cares.

4) RK : This one is a restaurant opposite Shopper's Stop, Andheri( Near Fire station). Has a proper seating arrangement. Go to the non AC space,it will save some bucks. Paneer and daal makhani are good. Average cost: 300-350 for 4 persons.

5) Papylone : It's in IRLA, near ALFA. Good for lunch and dinner. Too much crowded.As costly as RK.

6) Mc Donalds : Vile Parle Station n Andheri Station.No need to mention the prices and tastes(the phenomenon we call Mc Donalds Effect:-D )

7) Naturals Ice cream: I have never been there,but heard a lot of praise of the Natural Ice creams. This shop is located near girls hostel( double advantage you see).
Edits: Finally I tasted the Naturals' ice cream...Sasti yet tasty....A worth for your money i must say.

Kindly add more in case I have missed any.

My 2 cents after a month !!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:45:00 +0000

It has been more than a month at NMIMS.When I have joined the college, I was quite skeptical about my choice.The reasons were due to pure tangible things( read the building and the infra) rather than the brand/fee/intellectual capital. One month into the college and I strongly feel that I have made a correct choice. Even though the college scores very poor on the infra front, but it's no way keeping it behind in any way. I would say infra is just enough to sustain ourselves.We dont have a huge campus to flaunt about,but we definitely have a good brand to boast for. We might not have on campus hostels, but we have very strong industry linkages.And speaking in a holistic manner, I would say there are no dearth of learning(and fun) opportunities at NMIMS. Life is real fast here,with just the right amount of pressure on us so as to stretch ourselves to the limits.The plethora of events keep the campus buzzing till the night.
Overall I would say " I AM LOVING IT......"

My posts from PG

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:17:00 +0000

Life has been real busy since a month.Here are some posts of mine which i have posted at www.pagalguy.com
03rd July 2009
Well two weeks into NM and still no post about the experiences?? Let me make the ball roll.
The first two weeks had been quite easy.The major stress was given to acclimitize us to the case study method of study.Three cases from the areas of marketing,finance and HR were taken and analyzed.However I would term this "analysis" term as baal ki khaal utaarna.Ek point pakdo and kheechtey raho...I guess that's the MBA GASS people talk about()..Anyways,my "analysis and viewpoints" later.
Apart from the case study method,we were taught about the various functions of excel,how useful a tool it can be to a manager in his/her analysis.
But the high point of the two week schedule was getting addicted to the quad,the wada pao and the cafeteria food.And how to spend endless hours in the quad,enjoying rain,doing nothing .... And i have started liking this quad.
And yes,we the first year students, have planned a lonavla trip this saturday....so the fun has already started...Apart from this I guess there were no high points in the two week schedule.
Am i missing something?? Help me out and add the points please!!!!

Dated 18-07-09
Our first official interaction with the seniors will be in the form of Parampara,the cultural fest.Nishant has already written about the fest,let me add some more.
The onset of preparations for Parampara has given another dimension to life at NMIMS. It has suddenly created a new hustle and bustle at campus. Today was Saturday,an official holiday for us first yearites and still everyone was in college,contributing their bit to make the event successful.
And more than just being a cultural fest, it has given us another taste of MBA life.We have 2 finance ,1 CSR and 1 OB assignment to be submitted next week.Add to it the 3 marketing cases to be discussed on Monday and Tuesday and 1 Communication report for wednesday.And to top it all,I am participating in dance and playing a small role in a skit. So now it all boils down to time management. And i guess that the very essence of MBA life.

Will come back with more haps on Parampara..... time to catch some sleep!

dated 23r July 2009
An important lesson I learnt today.... Finish the assignments ASAP.Wait for the eleventh hour and you are bound to be doomed.( Learning is always the easy part,it's the implementation which is killing me )
It was a hectic day today...9 to 2 lectures,then cells' presentations till 5, thereafter busy with the Parampara preparations.And by the time we were free,it was 9:30. Had dinner at RK and eventually reached home by 10:30.

But the real thing was yet to come. Had taken charge in my group to prepare the IDL assignment which is supposed to be submitted today(it's already past 12) in the very first lecture.So here I am ,still contemplating with the words which I should(or should not) put in my presentation.the clock has struck 3 A.M,and I am still fiddling with this GASSSSSSSS....And yes,one more assignment on WBC needs to be submitted in the second lecture( )

So my dear clock(and my dear dear sleep) has taken a backseat as I see myself sink deeper and deeper into this "numbero ka chakra vyuh". I dont see myself getting out any sooner.
I think enough for today,the OPPORTUNITY COST of posting at PG at this crucial hours is coming out to be 10 marks of IDL.
Will post tomorrow abt my expereince at the presentation.

24th july 2009
So today I was supposed to present my analysis in the IDL class.....but had an anti climax soon enough.....My turn was postponed till the next lecture...Instead we had a surprise quiz....and I am very much sure of flunking in this one....Was completely an overhead transmission....copied bits and pieces(courtesy my neighbors, courtesy their neighbors) and somehow managed to fill the two sides of the sheet. I hope the marking for the test is based on the pattern followed by our Engg Colleges,the length and breadth matters more than the depth of the topic.
And Parampara preparations are in full swing.The masti levels in my group are at an all time high.But the best part, I would say, is the interactions we are having with students across all the five sections. HALLA BOL !!!!
That's it for now!!!
Chao

Mumbai Monsoon

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:18:00 +0000

Ohh my god...Finally I witnessed the Mumbai Monsoon. it didn't rain,it poured! And it poured heavily,as if there's no end to it. And guess what,everything was choked.There was water logging in front of my college,the water even entered our canteen and it had to be temporarily shut down.There was absolute chaos on the road,and people had to literally wade through the knee deep water.And worse even was the fact that it was still raining cats and dogs,and forecasting for the day was of a high tide.So matters could have been worse.
Now even if I add the 24 years of rain I had seen in my life ,it would still fall short of the rainfall Mumbai had today. The cars were submerged in water,and few poor souls had to literally push their broken down vehicle to safety.
But then it was my first time experience with Mumbai rains.Shoes in one hand,bagpack in another and I was trying to find my way through those muddy waters.Simply superb for me,a headache for the localites(..lol).

Have a look at the pics I clicked.No need for me to say anything more...

Lovely Add

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:13:00 +0000

Now it's more of a social message or a documentary than an add,yet quite emotional and attaching.
Do take the learning from it.

Top 5 reasons to chose IT

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:14:00 +0000

Based upon the intrinsic research I had carried out and the interviews I had conducted,I am hereby revealing the TOP 5 reasons why majority of the workforce(or for that matter our beloved engineers) prefer to join IT.Without delaying further,here we go.
Reason Number 1: They want ample time,without any disturbance, to prepare for CAT/GMAT/GRE/CA/CS/FRM/CFA/XYZ/ABC/%$#/(*&/***
.
Reason Number 2: Four years of engineering life was spent doing nothing. Now they want to devote their life to TT/Pool/Fooseball/Flash Games etc.

Reason Number 3: They want a sea change in their eating habits.They prefer to test the extremes of their taste buds by trying "different"(read superb on one day and ultra pathetic on the very next ) cuisines.

Reason Number 4:They want to test their physical endurance.The vagaries of weather(courtesy the air conditioning) and the grit to sit for 9 hours without doing anything, makes them strong and contended.

Reason Number 5:The pride of wearing the access tag of XYZ company in a crowd is a matter of prestige.(The fact that this crowd is made of the other IT people working in the same company, is purely redundant in our case)
Having known the secrets behind this grooming sector,I am sure I have added enough knowledge in your arsenal.However ,I do admit the weaknesses of a human being,so in case I have left anything out please feel free to include the same.

P.S : The information given above is neither fictional nor anyone's creation.Resemblance to any person is definitely intentional and not at all co-incidental.

Back to classroom

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:56:00 +0000

Finally the classes at NMIMS started after the two week orientation program.Now the seniors have been saying that NM is among the coolest colleges among the top 15 MBA schools in India and that the academic rigor is no where comparable to the top notches.However,at the same time the administration has been equally stressing on the fact to forget the past and get ready for the drill.
And we had a taste of this "drill" on the very first day when we were asked to read 2 chapters and a case study of finance,2 chapters and 2 cases of marketing and some light reading of Micro-Economics.Now it's not that everyone is reading the books and making an effort to come prepared to the class.There are few who still prefer to enjoy the MUmbai weather,the cool breeze and the chai and the vada pao.And according to them they don't miss anything substantial in the class.
So at the end of the day, I would say that the take regarding academic rigor is purely how you respond/react.The curriculum followed is quite good,in fact most of the cases and pedagogy has directly been influenced by IIMA.But finally,it's your own call whether you move with the new system or the old system.For there is no one who will hold your hand and guide you what to study,when to study and how to study.So for the time being, I am moving with the new system.Still too early to comment on anything,but to summarize it all,I would say I am learning something.And that is what matters in the end.

Bongs

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:57:00 +0000

This is something which i read on Ankur Sir's blog.Now that when I am in a B school and have lots of Bengali friends,I am,more than often, trying to analyze my friends on the lines of this blog.
Quoting the words for your reference.Do give a feedback in case you find out any truth in the statements/comments below.

This is hilarious. Someone with a fantastic ringside view of Bongs has written this! I don't know the author but if someone points it out, I would be glad to cite the person!

===
There are two kinds of Bengalis that I know. Probashi or Expatriate Bangalees, a fairly large and diverse group about which I can't write as I am one of them. And Bengalees who are from Kolkata. This group is incorrectly known as Bongs, as they are merely a subset. However, this is the only group which matters. Gokhale told of them, long years back, 'What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow.' To which Rene Descartes responded, 'I think (today), therefore I am (Bengali).' Like all other Nobel Prize Winners, Oscar Awardees and most successful Indian cricket captains, Rene Descartes was also a Bong (this fact is not known outside of Kolkata).

Physical Description: The Bong has a large head, glasses, glistening hair and dark skin. Older Bongs develop an ample stomach to balance their large heads. This happens by the age of 25. They smell of Keo Karpin. The average life expectancy is 65 years. What is even more impressive is what they do in those years. Outside Kolkata, regardless of weather, sex or age, Bongs can be seen in Monkey Caps. This is a must-have accessory as well as a sign to recognize other Bongs. (please see second update for more). The Bongling can often be recognised in either over-sized or under-sized school uniforms. The Bong mother's second biggest fear (See diet for the biggest one) is that the 'porer bochor o lomba hoye gele abar notun skirt kinte hobe!!' or 'Next year, if you grow taller, we'll again have to buy a new skirt!!' Thus, the school uniform is selected to last at least three years. Thus the uniform sits as conspicuously on the Bongling as the plumage of a macaw.

Early Years: While most Bongs are born with innate talents in singing, dancing, painting, film-making, cooking or embroidery, their creative talents are honed even before they can start speaking. Frequent meets are organised between infants and their successful ancestors and other relatives. MA degrees (preferably from Cambridge , at least from Presidency or Jadobpoor) are displayed over the cots. The infant is exposed to the best of Bengali thought - Marx, Bentham, Kalidas, Tolstoy, Chekov. This increases the sizes of their heads and the height of their ambitions. Similar examples, though rare, can be found in European tradition as well, like in the case of Mozart. In India , however, Bongs have the sole preserve on such activity during infancy. Soon, when they grow up a little, their characters are honed in the best of schools. Here, I am not referring to the South Points, La Marts, Don Boscos and all. They are important in the nurture a Bong child goes through. What is even more important are the schools the Bong child passes through before school and after school. Many a Bong child wakes up at five o'clock in the morning to attend swimming classes. After one hour of swimming, he attends tennis coaching before rushing off to one of the South Points, LaMarts etc. mentioned above. School finishes by two or so, from where he scoots along to Singing/ Instrumental Music/ Dance Classes, then tuition (for at least three of all five subjects). He rounds off the day with coaching on either Debating or Quiz. Many a Bong mother will carry the child along through this day, feeling equally energised. This behaviour is again not restricted to Bongs. It also seen within kangaroos in Australia who rush along from one clump to another bush.

Growing up: Soon the Bong attains adolescence, doesn't find friends of his age (since everyone is competing for the Nobel Prize or the Indian captaincy) and finds intimacy in conversation in his/her parents and poems of T.S.Eliot and Pablo Neruda. When school ends, they move on to the good colleges- Presidency, Xavier's or IIT Kharagpur. The best of them, though, move straight to Joo (Jadobpoor). However, in recent years, Dilli (Stephen's obviously) is becoming the preferred destination for some escapists. In colleges, they decorate their rooms with books or portraits of Robi Guru (Tagore). On the opposite wall, men would have posters of Che/Maradona and women would have Enrique Iglesias, thus expressing solidarity with Latin American culture. All of them share equal interest in the Bong-Rock (Bhumi, Chondrobindu, Cactus, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple).

Later Years: Bongs mature early. Critics have said that they grow old early, but that is nothing but old hat. Years of toil and Eliot would obviously bestow wisdom. The reason they look older is because the sole purpose of a Bong's life is to win the Nobel Prize or the Oscars (and in recent years, captain the Indian team). With great responsibility comes great age. Add to it the chlorine in the swimming pools and you know why Bongs grey prematurely. As far as their mission in life is concerned, they have been very successful at it. Every Indian Nobel Prize winner has been Bong (the others who weren't don't matter). So have the Oscar Awardees. And most successful Cricket Captains. And Bipasha Basu. Once Bongs have kids though, their mission on life changes. The only raision de'etre for them is making sure that their progeny achieves the heights that they could (or couldn't). Hence, they are mostly found outside of schools, colleges and tuition classes.

Diet: Diet is as important as Robindro Shongeet. There's nothing that a Bong can't eat. However, they prefer protein over other food groups. The largest source of protein for them is fish, then meat, and then mishti (sweets) made from milk. More than fish itself, it is the knowledge of fish which is coveted and enjoyed. Carbohydrates are tolerated if they are fried in oil or if it is accompaniment to fish. Luchis (somewhat like a Puri), Telebhajas (pakoras) and Phuchkas (Paani Puri) are the favoured source of carbohydrates. The young Bengali though invariably always has Farex, Lactogen and Waterbury 's Compound. As far as they most important meal of the day is concerned, please do note that what dieticians have been saying in the last few years, Bongs have known for centuries. Breakphast/tiphphin is an occasion where the entire family comes together, to watch the office-going Bong male and school-bound Bonglings eat. The Bong woman's biggest fear is that 'Shokale bhaat dal mach bhaaja na kheye beriye gailo' or 'In the morning, He went out without eating rice, dal and fish fry.' To round off the calories, Dal is often accompanied by aaloo bhaate, aaloo bhaja, potol bhaaja and various other heartily fried stuff. Not for the faint-hearted.

Mating and procreation: A few Bong end up being in relationships, which lead to love marriage. This is sometimes shown in movies and song. However, most do not have any such social malignancy and end up marrying the woman of their mother's dreams or men of their father's choosing. This results in mixing the right genes for the next cycle of Bongs.Love marriage, by its very nature, is random. It sometimes results is tragedy, like marrying into another country (like India ). Hence, it is avoided, wherever possible.

Social Life: Adda, robindro shongeet and cha. Repeat. Do note that the young Bong doesn't have a social life (at least not till he wins the Nobel or gets a Government job). And phootball. the Bongs have had an illustrious history of achievement in football. Every para (neighbourhood) has stories of when they won the World Cup at the expense of the next one. The last time it happened in my parent's para was in 1986, when Argentina won in Mexico . Diego Maradona, who looks Bhodrolok enough, give or take a few lines of coke, scored famously using his hand, a skill which he learnt in Kolkata. Over the last few years, Brazil has been gladdening the hearts of many Zicos who were born in Kolkata around 1982-86. The only team which is not Bong is Germany as they play with more efficiency and no creativity, which thus is not amenable to adda. Do not ask of a Bong doing anything on the phootball field as then the Bong will keep you occupied about Jakarta ,1962. 'Chuni Goswami je Ball tule dilo PK ke. Match-er aagei bolechilo, 'Ekta Ball debo. Daam kore maarish. Gol hobe'.' Chuni Goswami put a football up for PK (Banerjee). He told him before the match itself, 'I will give you one ball. Hit it with a bang. Goal will happen.' Obviously, it is also the crowning moment of Indian phootball.

Habitat: While you may find a Bong in other places (like occasionally in offices), the best time to observe a Bong is in his natural habitat - the best of colleges, the best of schools, the best of coffee houses. It is here that he will tell you about Balzac while she will recite poetry with gay abandon. To mix in with the Bong, apply Keo Karpin to your hair and carry a jhola. Hopefully, they won't notice your small head. Do not worry about not knowing the language as the Bong likes being heard.

Famous Bongs :Many famous Bongs have been referred to in this extract. Hence, this section is used to debunk that big myth about Bongs. People believe that Bong men can't be hunky. If so, then what about Abhishek Bachchan (via mother), Saif Ali Khan (via mother), John Abraham (via girlfriend), Hritik Roshan (via grandmother).

Bongs in Literature, Film, Art: Everywhere you care to look.

Closing Word: Being Bong at the end of the day is a state of mind. Or, a case of being discovered by them. Best of luck.

ISP

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:20:00 +0000

Finally got the internet connection at home. A package of 75GB per month,with an assured 1 mbps speed during the day and 2 mbps during the night,all at a monthly rental of 1250 Rs.
A decent deal I guess.I just hope the promises are delivered.

Life at Mumbai

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 13:58:00 +0000

I had been disconnected from the world since one entire week. No internet,no newspaper...and to top it all lots of assignments.Now finally when i got to have internet accss,i dont have an access to my laptop where I have written so much about my experiences in past few days.
So just summarizing..I am already missing Noida and Chandgarh,the heat and the food...and definitely my family and friends.And contrary to your imagination,I am not liking Mumbai at all. Pathetic weather,ultra inflated prices,poor infrastructure and hell lot of humidity.And I am laready down with viral...Not a positive start to my 2 years ahead.But I just wish I am able to capitalize on the opportunities the city provides.After all,the city is ,in fact,termed as the "city of dreams".

Chao for now..still to work on the pending assignment.

Hurray

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:18:00 +0000

Finally I am doing what i am best at.....doing nothing,just lazing around,waiting for the sun to set and then to rise....And i am loving all this....i love to be wela....YIPEEE

Chapter Ends

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:14:00 +0000

Tomorrow will be my last day at workplace.It has almost been 2 years,and the place is just like a second home to me. I never knew I was so much attached to the place and the happenings around,till my departure day came. And now I am sure I am going to miss it a lot.But more than the place ,I am going to miss the wonderful people and cherishable experiences I had with them. Be it the luncheons,or the TT games,or the daily tea parties,or the weekly client call....I am going to miss all of them.
My teammates,and JH people ....thanks a tonne for being so wonderful and helpful towards me.At the end of the day I feel lucky to start my career with such good and helpful people around.And I am happy that I am leaving the company on a very positive note,for my own personal and career development rather than any personal grudges.
So here starts an end to another chapter in my life.Thanks everyone for being a part of it.Hope our association will continue further.
Love
Spirited_soul

THINGS ONLY A MOM CAN TEACH

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Thu, 28 May 2009 05:55:00 +0000

This one was posted on the e-discussion board of my Company.Quite humourous,yet true

My Mother taught me about ANTICIPATION:
"Just wait until your father gets home."

My Mother taught me about RECEIVING:.
"You are going to get it when we get home!"

My Mother taught me to MEET A CHALLENGE:
"What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to
you... Don't talk back to me!"

My Mother taught me LOGIC:
"Because I said so, that's why."

My Mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE:
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are
going to freeze that way."

My Mother taught me to THINK AHEAD:
"If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll
never get a good job."

My Mother taught me ESP:
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when
you're cold?"

My Mother taught me HUMOR:
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't
come running to me."

My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT:
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll
never grow up."

My Mother taught me about GENETICS:
"You're just like your father."

My Mother taught me about my ROOTS:
"Do you think you were born in a barn?"

My Mother taught me about WISDOM OF AGE:
"When you get to be my age, you will understand."

My Mother taught me about JUSTICE:
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn
out just like you. Then you'll see what it's like."

My mother taught me RELIGION:
"You better pray that will come out of the
carpet."

My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL:
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to
knock you into the middle of
next week!"

My mother taught me IRONY:
"Keep crying and I'll *give* you something to cry
about."

My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS:
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper!"

My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM:
"Will you *look* at the dirt on the back of your
neck!"

My mother taught me about STAMINA:
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is
finished."

My mother taught me about WEATHER:
"It looks as if a tornado swept through your
room."

My mother taught me how to solve PHYSICS PROBLEMS: "If
I yelled because I saw a meteor coming toward you, would you listen
then?"

My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY:
"If I've told you once, I've told you a
million times: Don't Exaggerate!! !"

My mother taught me THE CIRCLE OF LIFE:
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you
out."

My mother taught me about BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION:
"Stop acting like your father!"

My mother taught me about ENVY:
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this
world who don't have wonderful parents like you do!"

Mainframe Vs Super Computer:Is hollywood doing justice to the terms??

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Mon, 25 May 2009 07:08:00 +0000

It has been 1 year 22 months and 17 days since I have joined this company.Now this Biggie IT giant(here after referred to as "The Company") is a power house of mainframe computers.Talk about mainframe applications and The Company comes right on the top along with IBM.Infact, The Company helped with the development of COBOL and was a strategic partnor of IBM and NASA in development of this technology.But why I am telling you all this stuff,the simple reason being the hollywood movies which have hyped the word mainframe so much that it seems to be like some rocket science.Be it Matrix(remember the zeon mainframe),The independence day,I Robot or any Sci-Fi movie,the killer and the saviour is the mainframe computer.
So what exactly is this mainframe machine.And do Hollywood movies do justice do this reverred machine by quoting and requoting this wonderfull thing.I guess no.
Now what I think is that there is a high misconception among our Hollywood directors about the term mainframe and a super computer.So let's see what exactly these mammoths do.
To start with,both mainframe and a super computer have enormous processing power.But how this processing power is utilized creates the difference between the two.Mainframe has a powerfull throughput,Supercomputer has superb number crunching power.Here's an example to illustrate more:-
Consider an insurance company running it's applications on a mainframe.A customer comes in and pays his premium due for the month.Now in the database at the backend,a simple addition/subtraction needs to be done to the account balance.But before the database is altered,atleast 'n' number of checks are there.Some of these are :- is the policy number/contract number/client number correct?Is the policy status active?What plans have been selected for this particular product? How the money needs to be allocated to different sub-accounts under the plan?Has any sub account being closed/altered lately? What are the tax-liabilities?How much commission needs to be paid to the agents from this premium?Which all levels of agents would get paid? Verification of their accounts? Agents in active/inactive status? Any penalities on account of payee?Any late fee? Any change of info done by client? Is that change possible?
These are just a very small number of checks which have been built into the system.And from where does computer reads all this data to verify things?It's the database at the backend which is read.
So you can see that even though only an addition/subtraction needs to be done but the verification process followed is quite tedious yet enormous.And here comes the significance of mainframe.With its huge throughput, a mainframe can read all these data within a blink of an eye.And result, saving of time.And as the parable goes: TIME IS MONEY.
Now let's come to the super computer.it's a number crunching machine.Its USP is its speed and accuracy of complex/lengthy calculations.Consider the case of weather forecasting.The inputs given to the super computer are the speed of wind at different time frames,humidity levels,crowd cover etc etc etc.And the super computer uses these few inputs,uses some complex statistical model invloving hefty calculations and gives you the weather forecast for the day.So it uses far less inputs,crunches that input through different angles and gives you a simplified result.As simple as anything
So what's the crux of this posting?All the movies you see have a plot where a machine goes evil or can take a life saving decission.Simply put,the machine does something complex and not something tedious.And as per my understanding,the Hollywood directors want to quote "a super computer" but they end up saying "a mainframe".And being a mainframe professional,I thinks its simply not correct.
What do you say??

Tom Hanks,The Great!!

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Sun, 24 May 2009 15:57:00 +0000

When you have loads of idle time to kill by,the best part is to do what you love to do most.And keeping up with the same spirit,I have been actively involved in watching movies since 7-8 days.Coming back from office around 6 pm and then spending almost my entire time in front of the screen,watching and re-watching the classics.And call it just a matter of chance or a matter of choice,I happened to watch some classics of Tom Hanks.Some I had already watched years back,but still seemed so lively when re-watched,others were my first time watch.
Now I have always been a fan of Tom Hanks.The sheer genius of his acting,his portrayal of human emotions is amazing.Be it Forrest Gump where he lives with a "I don't care" attitude or be it The Terminal where what he speaks is incomprehensible yet too much expressive,the artist has grown from strength to strength over his career.And to top it all,every movie of his has something new,some new touch of his persona,or say his acting dominion.
And last week cemented my devotion for this great actor.

So without getting delayed,let me count some of his classics which are a must watch.
1) Forrest Gump - Needless to say,this is the best of the lot.
2) The Terminal
3) Cast Away
4) You have got mail
5) Catch me if you can
6) The Da Vinci Code
7) Saving Private Ryan

and the list is still growing.What's your favorite Tom Hanks movie???

testing

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Sun, 24 May 2009 08:20:00 +0000

Technorati Profile

Marketing Vs Selling :Congress Vs BJP

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Wed, 20 May 2009 12:54:00 +0000

Ask a layman and he won't be able to distinguish between the functions of marketing and selling. In fact, there's a very fine line of distinction between the two.As per Kotler,a dividing line does exist ,and it's just on which side of line you stand so as to determine whether it's marketing or selling.Marketing is always done from user perspective i.e. advantages and disadvantages to the user are kept in mind.On the other hand,selling is always done from the perspective of the seller i.e. through selling, the company wants to convert its products/services as soon as possible into cash/tangible benefits.For example consider the case of Maggi advertisement showing a pack of instant noodles.Stress is laid on 2 minutes of cooking time and fullfillement of a part of your daily nutritional requirements.This advertisement is purely from user perspective,wherein a user is kept at the centre and benefits accrued from Maggi are revolved around the user. That's marketing.Another example would be different variants that Maggi
continously comes up with.These are not just "a strike of thought" but days/months of market study wherein the marketors study/analyse/survey the user trends so as to make their product more competetive.

Now consider the same Maggi in Food Bazar/Reliance/Spencers etc. You enter the store and right away you see Maggi placed in the third shelf from bottom,perfectly matching with the customer's eye-contact level. That'a strategy to catch user attention.Shelves are bought from the retail store to stock and display Maggi in order to cash in the "advantage of first sight".This excercise is purely from
sellers perspective wherein Nestle wants to sell more products so as to increase its top line.Add to it the the distribution network,the benefits given to wholesalers on meeting targets etc etc. They all add up to selling.

Having said that,a perfect example of Marketing Vs Selling were the recent Lok Sabha elections.The two major contesting parties, viz the Congress and the BJP, were totally in contrast in terms of their strategies.
Here's my insight on the same:-
Right from the very begining,Congress marketed its achievments while BJP concentrated selling its "strong leader".Congress campaign was totally focussed on hope and aspirations,BJP was stressing on grievances due to the incumbent government.Congress,throughout the way,kept the "aam aadmi" at the centre and revolved its various policies around the "aam aadmi".The NREGA,the scientific achievements,tackling of terrorism,opportunities for youth,growth aspirations etc all laid emphasis on the growth of the country as a whole.Hence Congress stressed to vote for your and your countrie's growth and progress.
On the other hand,the BJP was too keen to come to power and they followed a strategy of "selling" their leader.Never ever they marketed their election manifesto or the aspiration they had for the country. They were foccussed on the undercomings of the incumbent and were selling their Prime Ministerial candidate. Their strong leader would set the supposedly wrong things right,but would their leader do anything good for the masses.Be it terrorism,the economic impact,the internal strifes in country,the Ram temple issue,everything would be corrected.Everyone knows we have gone wrong and things need to be set in order,so the question is how,and not who.Here the BJP faltered.

Now Kotler says that in an idle scenario only marketing is sufficient to build inroads and tap revenues.But since nothing is idle,selling comes in as a support function of marketing.And this was what BJP failed to realize and substituted marketing for selling.
And results:a big loss and shattered hopes.Seems they should get some management lessons.

5 High Frequency words

noreply@blogger.com (Spirited_soul) — Fri, 15 May 2009 20:05:00 +0000

Here in the thick of night, I am contemplating on my two years of stay with an IT company.And the first thing I notice in my personality is my change of vocabulary.How some trivial terms have so silently crept into my day to day speach that now I am using them even where some simple, lighter word could have been used.
So here's a list of the frequent five:-
1) Research
Origin : IT professional sitting idle and suddenly daunted with work
Scope : IT professional least bothered to take this work enforced upon him,and would need idle fun hours so as to carry his so-called "Reserach"
General Usage: "Definitely I can drop you there(groans).......grrrrr....let me do a RESEARCH on the route map."

2) Delete
Origin: IT professional does some poor quality work
Scope : Get this god damned thing out of my site
General Usage : "Hey lady...you look like a witch with this eyeliner on you.DELETE it"

3) Probability
Origin: IT professional is clueless
Scope : Confuse others by throwing some arbit numbers
General Usage: "....I am not saying I won't help you with this matter.All I am saying is that my PROBABILITY of helping you at the given time is 20 percent"

4) Impact
Origin : IT professional codes something wrong,and now the application has stopped working
Scope : Puts blame on the faulty system/faulty design/faulty person etc etc etc.Time to use word number one.... I will "RESEARCH" on the related "IMPACTs"
General Usage: " ..... I myself have cleaned the table. Don't know how some dust remain uncleaned!! I am sure there's an IMPACT of this open window.Who the hell left it open???......Errrr it was me only!!! "

5) Requirements
Origin : IT professional,as usual,is too lazy to apply his mind and wants "cooked up food."
Scope : If things don't work out,place the blame on the "REQUIREMENTS" which have been "RESEARCHED"(see how useful is this word) on by someone else.....so a "playing safe" strategy.
General Usage: ".......Don't blame my cooking.Your REQUIREMENTS for low spices and little oil with this type of cuisine were totally incorrect.Go to HELL if you don't like it"

So now you see the importance of IT in my day to day life. It helps me protect my innate abilities and strengths. :-)