Hello There, Mr. Tree! Are You On Facebook?

As of this date, we're in a world which wouldn't do without the internet... Okay, so let me give it straight. Without Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and more. These websites, or rather 'social networking sites' as they crave being called, has hit us hard; and for a while, it's hard to decide if it's worth it.

If you're a Facebook addict and you have that compelling urge to kill me, I'm talking about you. If you're not, it's all a matter of time. Well, it wouldn't take many Einsteins to figure that I belong to the former, but wait, when and why did it all begin?

Seems familiar? Okay, before you go worrying over your sanity (perhaps the way I did), this is what Facebook used to look like on 12th of February 2004. Seems different, given the first time I remember logging in was in the late 2006s. Indeed, things were a world different. I remember that 'Network' page, along with a multitude of 'application boxes' and a 'Mini-feed'. Well, that was when I was your age. Provided you're thirteen.

Like I need to tell, but the changes don't let my eyeballs roll. Mini feed to News and Live Feed, all worthless boxes kicked aside in one cobwebbed tab, dedicated tab for personal information, media enabled wall, localized filters, and heaps more. One of my favorite things is how flexible the 'tabs' are. You can have any number of 'em (I presume), with 6 on active display.

Of the more annoying things, wall post appear on your feed. Wall posts by someone on someone else's wall, which is. So yiphee, more ways to poke noses in. And Facebook mobile seems to be the epicenter: it's officially impossible to tell between wall posts (again, by someone on someone else's wall) and status updates. Sigh.

As per a report by Reuters, Facebook may 'lock in' its internet dominance. In juicy words, it has the caliber to beat any or every other networking site(s) on the internet, hands down.

"I think Facebook is the most valuable Internet commodity in existence, more so than Google, because they are positioning themselves to be our online identity via Facebook connect,” says Alyssa Ravasio, an UCLA student studying the internet's impact on modern society.

Well, I wont always be the one to compare Facebook's utility to that of Wikipedia or Google, but not many hesitate taking this bold leap ahead. Statistics show there are 350 million users world wide, 100 million from the United States alone. As in Dubai, Facebook demonstrates a holistic prominence; but in India, it still has a long way to beat Orkut (which kicks on a straight 38.5% of Orkut's 100 million visitors).

There are indeed more reasons for Facebook's enhanced popularity world wide, apart from keeping up with friends. On the first note, it might sound more like Picasa (photos; with perhaps unlimited storage), Twitter (status updates and wall), Youtube (videos) and Blogger (notes): all in one. Combined, it'll certainly be worth a consideration. However, each have their own utilities and functions. For instance there's not much one can do with the Facebook photos, whilst Picasa provides a whole dedicated application (with loads of eye candy) for photography amateurs, who feel Photoshop is a bit too complicated. And it's hardly as open to developers as twitter is. Youtube is, again far more dedicated than Facebook Videos is, and so is Blogger. So, what exactly keeps people motivated? Integrated applications. Farmville (by Zynga, on facebook) boasts 74.5 million active users, which is more than 20% of the Facebook fort. (I'm certainly glad to be a part of the 80%). Mafia Wars kicks high aswell, with 25.9 million users on Facebook. Then there hundreds of other applications. This sure reminds me of the iPhone's story.

At first, I was tricked to believe that there's nothing new, in particular, with twitter. I mean, status updates? Okay, but then what? Don't we already have it on Facebook? Well ofcourse, it had been immature: twitter certainly is a lot more flexible than Facebook is with status updates. It's more like a colossal 'shoutbox' or as they call, a 'microblogging' utility; and a great way to keep up with things up and around. Warning, if you're a privacy freak, twitter is not for you. Whatever may it be, twitter is growing. And it's growing fast: a jaw dropping 1382% every month, compared to 228% of Facebook. [wiki] At this rate, twitter sure is catching up.

So what's the whole point? Well, Facebook sure is versatile, but not as efficient. On the side note, wat-da-heq!

No wait, SRK Crater?!

This would indeed be more of a reason for Bollywood fanatics to brag around, singing "Shah Rukh Khan is on moon!" and "Shah Rukh Khan has brought the moon to Bollywood!" and "My Name is Chand!" and so on. Well, the first time I had an idea of what just happened, it was me cursing myself for supporting the IAU.

Yes, it is real. Arago B was titled Shahrukh Khan by the ILGS and approved by IAU, the 'real' authority for nomenclature on celestial domains. It was apparently to mark SRK's 44th birthday. Ironically, no one seems to remember Werner Heisenberg's, needless to say one of the most influential 20th century physicist's 108th birthday. Oh, and that gets me thinking about all of SRK's contribution to any given natural science, forget lunar exploration. Pardon me if I don't recall any.

The International Astronomy Union, better known as IAU. As of me, I had been supportive all along. International Year of Astronomy 2009, Cloudy Nights Forum Packs, and many more; they were worth the praise. Oh, but then came the deserving Shahrukh Khan crater, with SRK fans equally in par. Hey, next time try hiring actors for scientists, okay? Oh, try renaming your organization: I-love-actors-for-craters-llywood. Trust me, you'd have a lot more days to live with your 'fans'. And don't forget to forget everything you called astronomy, except for maybe craters. I hope you'd have enough craters up there, one for every damned celebrity with absolutely nothing to do with astronomy. And we'll always love astronomy, so you won't need to give a shit about us. Hell with you. Hell with ILGS.

You know, I've lost everything I had for you. Kudos to I-love-actors-for-craters-llywood.

The All New 6th Sense: It's Here, and It's Big

Ever thought the iPhone was cool? Or Nexus One had the juice? Perhaps, the N97 would make your day? Hold your pajamas, for this thing will get your jaws wide dropped.

No, you're not hallucinating. This thing is here. Quite literally, in a sense.

Youtube on your favorite newspaper. Not quite often, eh?

Favorite shots, aye? Well, what if I tell you it's real? Pranav Mistry, the nerd (in a good sense) behind all this. All what? A grand and beautiful rendezvous of a smart phone, a camera, and a projector: so much for your sixth sense. As of now, it won't cost more than $350, as an official Youtube release claims.

So, you we were talking about Nexus One, aye?

And dare not watching this!

This is Nasim, Ciao.

KHDA: First Day, First Show. Let the Drama Begin.

Prologue

KHDA, alias the Knowledge and Human Development Authority. Kill yourself if you didn't know this, but this time the Indian High School is right under the hood. Enough said:

Chapter 1: Let the Drama Begin

First day, first show, and the first surprise. A squad of teachers stood right outside the comforts of the colossal auditorium, which wasn't really unusual. The real party began with that steam of 'inspiration' on every one of their faces: which for some reason, seemed exceptionally amusing.

The Assembly

It happened in the auditorium; and to put it straight, this concept was fairly fresh: the garage once used to be the routine venue. Well, our entry was pretty much as ordinary, but it was all just about to kick up. We began with the school prayer (Dear God, so good, tara dum dum tada da da) and the pledge, as usual. But then came the News. And for the first time in the history of digital projectors, we had it visual: the screen lit up bright with a flush of the vibrant colors of a couple of lame PowerPoint presentations. For reasons unmistakably obvious, it filled our faces with the sigh of pity: not to mention when the supervisor begged of our cooperation (oh and I almost forgot, 100% discipline). We dismissed as usual, but with a sudden knack of discipline. It would look more like a line of KG kids; and thank Sagan's soul we weren't asked to "put finger on your lips".

Let the Real Drama Begin

The sight of brand new LCD monitors (possibly on rent) mounted in the corridors filled our senses with plain, blatant humor. Nevertheless, we found ourselves in a class way different from whatever it used to be a couple of weeks back. The parabolas, hyperbolas, "Save Our Earth"(s), Malwares, Viruses, Trojans, worms, and not to mention, the class timetables and the whole of eternity: shoved right into a panel of brand new notice/chart boards. We wondered if they're all on rent as well.

So, let the real drama begin. First act: physics. At first sight, we wondered if our folk was genetically modified or something alike. He, for the first time in perpetuity, seemed 'interactive': which was rather unexpected, atleast in this reality. He actually cared pinning every darn article into the white-board, and bothered explaining with examples. Whoa!

Next act: chemistry. For the first time, I could actually comprehend whatever he said (I demand celebration!). Otherwise, he seemed pretty natural, atleast for the first whole period, but oh guddie! He got us all a real 'assignment', or as he calls it. Trust me, the probability of this happening won't fit in your calculator (unless you have a Canon F-778dx, which is; no really, I'm fixated).

Well, mathematics wasn't much of an act; Partly because I like Jay Sean (or Jayashankar, our math folk), partly because he does it good all the time. He did seem to overdo things a little, but what the hell. Computer Science wasn't as high as well: M.V did explain just like she always did, except for going a little haywire with the 'groups'. English? At times, I feel real down for the poor guy. He is probably yet to adapt to the niche, but only if had a chance. In another way, it was noise pollution, just as usual. No wait. So, we're supposed to get our "English notebooks", and get an article shat about any drivel we like. How 'enthralling'.

1 Down, 4 to Go

So the day, and this chapter concludes with us walking past crafted glass windows and an array of flower pots, placed right outside of the main gate (How green!).

Nasim. [1050 hrs, Jan 11 '10]

Principles and Implications of Authoritarianic Effect

If the word seems new to you, or if you find it extraordinarily difficult to digest, please don't bother worrying about your sanity. Keeping the cake away from plagiarism, I think of Authoritarianic effect more like the dynamic patterns and schemes of change in any given system in the presence of some 'authority', or something higher as in some selected hierarchy, which would otherwise be subtle. Please note that the authoritarianic effect is more to do with the philosophical musings of a 16 year old kid on psychology. Ideas presented might sound pretty immature, and are subject to future refinements/redefinitions.

The authoritarianic effect (a-effect / a-theory for short) is controlled by an assortment of triggers and parameters. The magnitude of dynamic changes introduced may differ substantially from system to system, depending upon two critical parameters: first of which being the degree of (absolute) asymmetry. The magnitude of corresponding changes varies directly with the degree of initial asymmetry. The next, but equally crucial parameter appears to be the initial (relative) position of a system(s) on a scale (which further dictates the scheme of proportionality).

As of today, the 9th of January 2010, the best specimen for observation would be my very school; the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA for short) is expected to commence a general, but rated inspection. The a-effect must depend on the two parameters mentioned afore: First, the absolute degree of asymmetry. As many would agree, the school (as a whole) isn't very coordinated with the standards (and policies) promised, which would certainly translate higher degrees of asymmetry. Second, the relative position. It's relative position (in the domain of established educational facilities) tips higher than what conventions must permit. The latter would, in this case, imply a more dynamic degree of changes incorporated, and the former would, as expected, add more to it. Put in another way, the a-theory projects explicitly altered codes and conduction mechanisms.

Corresponding observations are anticipated to place a-theory under direct and convincing scrutiny. Observations and inferences shall be recorded and published in the very same post. Please view the same, time and again to track further progress/development.

[2330 Hrs, 9th Jan 2010]

Nasim

On Astrology, Barnum & Forer Effect: How 'Real' Could Astrology Get?

One of the concepts which has annoyed me for a while: Astrology. Horoscopes are nothing new; Google shoves 25 million entries just for the word, and the number is far more perilous with Yahoo! (a whopping 367 million, to be concise). At first sight, this might make astrology appealing and realistic, but hang on; there's a lot more to it.

Carl Sagan, one of the most renowned cosmologists and scientists, speaks of Astrology. Logical pursuits (such as the instance of two twins having dissimilar fate, contrary to astrological principles) tell a story of their own: which often gets way more nasty for astrology freaks.
But wait. I'm pretty much sure everything I saw on that Horoscope TV show that day went perfectly right. So why am I reading all the drivel this kid wrote on his blog? Well, it's called the Barnum and Forer Effects. I know a lot about you:

You have a need for other people to like and admire you, and yet you tend to be critical of yourself. While you have some personality weaknesses you are generally able to compensate for them. You have considerable unused capacity that you have not turned to your advantage. At times you have serious doubts whether you have made the right decision or done the right thing.

Well, don't you have the urge to call me psychic? Let me give it straight: almost every one else does. This turns up to be a live and kicking example of the Barnum Effect. These come in News columns every single day, and most of us are like, OMG. So how do these work? Let me explain. They seem to trick our senses by convincing us that it's all personalized, and works only for you. We try to read it with a deal of faith at the back of our head: and even if the predictions wouldn't really show up, we tend to make sure it does. For an instance, consider someone writing a test. He gets his hand on the daily horoscope column, and it turns out that 'Success awaits him' that particular day. He aces the test, and by the end of the day, we have another devout horoscope fanatic. What really happens? Well, the horoscope pumps deal of confidence, which turns to make it a pretty day. Well, the real problem is... Horoscopes aren't always that optimistic. Had it been something which boiled to 'Misery awaits you', it would have been cats and dogs for the report card. Drivel? See for yourself, the Derren Brown style. (The link will direct you to a Youtube video, logged by 777Skeptic.)
This was, infact, done first by Psychologist (and not psychic, please) Bertram Forer in the year 1948. The Forer effect accounts for the tendency of people to perceive sets of statements highly accurate and customized, even if they apply to numerous other people with their inimitable personalities and experiences.
Forer gave this personality test to several of his students, and had the analysis rated from 0 to 5, 5 being the most accurate. 4.26 on the average, believe me. Over the years, this was done over and over again, with the accuracy hovering over 4.2 (or 84%) till date.
So the next time you see anything astrological, you know what to do.
This is Nasim, over and out.

My Cute Li'l Baby Sister's Cute Little Rant on Senseless Reality Shows

Well I'm back with a really common topic: Reality Shows

Lets start with a famous and adored reality show among Indians called "Raaz Pichle Janam Ka" or "Mystery Of The Previous Life", where a "god fearing" person is brought to the show and supposedly the mysteries of his/her previous life are discovered...almost like living your previous life (and surprisingly all the celebrities have very eventful deaths)

This show captivates the very "unsuspecting" audiences' attention as it brings out the very mysteries of their favourite celebrities (called senseless entertainment) and people (mostly mums) forget that they have a family to look after or they need to submit a very important project to their boss the very next day and oh my! You should listen to their excuses...(My son spilled juice all over the project and I didn't have time to rewrite it again...eventhough their son was at tutions) Typical!

Many children who become a devoted follower of not only senseless reality shows but also get influenced that God's miracles are everything! So later they won't do anything and will "leave it all to God" (which finally leads to the supreme creation of IDIOTS and social rejects) Then they finally blame hardworkers and Atheists for gaining everything by fraud! Again TYPICAL!

All in all...my point is...that by seeing celebrities eat lizards or bathe in elephant dung (I'm A Celebrity! Get Me Out Of Here) or seeing "the mysteries of a celebrity's past life", we won't gain anything except senseless ideas and extremely long electricity bills! But ofcourse...our celebrity friends will win 500,000$ or even 100$ from our pockets!

So I say Switch Off Your Tellies And Switch Back To Reality!

Signing off...

Sam