RSS in plain English – Commoncraft video

If you were still wondering what can RSS do?

How to subscribe

I see a surge in traffic on this blog off late. Thank you all! God Bless!

Now, the deal is I would like to keep this blog as is. Not buying a domain and transferring it. Neither am I planning to do an email subscription to the blog.

…. …

The coolest way to keep in touch with a blogger is to have an RSS feed (Really Simple Syndication feed). For this purpose you need to have something called an RSS reader. I use Google Reader. This works in a very similar way like your Gmail and all you need is a Gmail id to subscribe to this blog.

If you have read till here, get yourself an account on Google Reader and click on a button which says “Add subscription” and type in www.kiranspillai.wordpress.com.

Every time I post a new one, it appears on your Google Reader as a “feed”. If you like me, please do it!

How to connect your society and the social media

I have been tripping major on social experiments.

Ever since late 2007 when I moved into online advertising, people all around are going major gaga over ’social media’. The Facebook way of doing your thing, the iphone way of seeing your thing and the Twitter way of saying your thing. A big huge bunch of keywords and people revolving around it.

Somehow, this strikes an idea that social media is a mirror of the society around you. 300+ friends on facebook is a sign that 300 people trusts you and you are somehow or the other responsible for these 300 people with the little things you say and you do. Just like everyone else, one may find himself / herself (i know) in sticky situations once in a while. This is the time when you could use some help from your friends and then come clean.

1. Try creating a sticky situation – could be one that existed before and you have not really come out 100% clean. There are chances that you might find yourself back in the situation if not checked / controlled.

2. Make use of your friends in an offline way – I tried SMS. Its good, its easy and no use of vocal chords.

3. Come online and push it – Use Facebook messages, email, Twitter, personal blog (I use this one) etc. to clean yourself out.

I see results in terms of numbers on the internet. I also see results in the form of an easy, quiet, non-sticky mind.

Definite winner!

Alternative productivity

I have been tripping recently on productivity, efficiency, improvements and such things. Got some friends who are heavily into it.

Zen Habits is a rather non technical approach to this issue. Its a recommended read.

Productivity is not just work related. Plus it is not used only get things done fast. Productivity dates back several centuries when we had just figured out spears and fire.

Human bodies have been designed to throw things around – spears, sticks, stones etc. Hence, the most “productive” human being is one who can throw things better than others. Re-Start with soft squeeze balls and throw it around – do remember wrist action, aim, trajectory, bouncing off a wall, catching the ball and such. Do try making your other hand (left hand in my case) as good as your good hand (right hand for me).

You might end up more productive at the end of this exercise – increased alertness, entertainment, eye to hand co-ordination and focus are by products

Spending time offline – case study

Spoiler: This is a very ‘Me Me ME’ post (the capital ‘E’ on the third me is intended).

I have spent one complete month without access to internet. Looks like I would be “unaccessed” for a bit more.

However, I do realise a sense of zen around me. Got out of home and reached Bombay a month ago. No job, no scenes still. But sure I am seeing things in a light.

1. Today I happened to release a genie from a bottle (literally – the bottle cap was jumping up and down for two days and never understood why. I opened the bottle and then the cap never jumped only). This is a plastic bottle kept for water and when the incident happened there was no water in the bottle! Aladdin Power!

2. Too much of web comics consumption during my highly online days has given me a huge sense of art. Making it a point to sketch or paint shit that appears in my head. People say I suck at it though. That makes it extra cool!

3. Gave an interview at a company – a real company with a receptionist, designer coffee cup, red and black seats, LCD TV, glass boards, permanent markers etc.. They even asked me about my ‘family background’ on a questionnaire before the interview. Very “ambitious”. I thought I cracked the interview – very punk rock ‘give it to the man’ types. As expected, they never called only!

4. I am right now designing something very interesting – it is quite interesting and I am still figuring out a lot of angles to this really cool thing. Will let people know once the deal strikes high. Would be cool if it clicks and would be much cooler if it doesn’t. Nothing dies really – things evolve!

5. I went to two shopping malls and spent time this time I was in Bombay. The crowd is thinning out and I like the look and feel. Remember Happy days with Fonzie? It feels really cool to be in an empty mall.

6. People who suck at painting – take that pencil and sketch things. You would soon learn to make neat cuts and transfer home delivered food without spilling! Art that suck has such possibilities.

7. Exercise and moving your body is very important. Keep things far away and fetch them often. Try this with water bottles (which may have genies), ciggie packets, keys, headphones, plates, spoons, ketchup etc..

8. Listen to people when they have something to say. They may not speak later!

Metallica and Client Relations

Client requirements go from reasonable to unreasonable with confidence in vendor capabilities and come down crashing soon. I have seen this phenomenon during my manufacturing sales and online advertising servicing days. It sure calls for clients to have a check on themselves too – just like how the marketing gurus propose for small, medium and huge businesses.

1. Have a clear idea of what you need.
2. Have a better idea of what you may want and stick to your needs.
3. Complete the needs.
4. Think about wants – depending on circumstances (of which again have a “good” idea – “clear” not necessary )
5. Go to step 1

Social networking misuse

I have mixed emotions when I see such messages. In fact I have nothing against these two chicks. Chick 1 is actually a really super intelligent junior of mine. She knew more engineering than me in her junior year than when I was graduating too. However, it would be really nice if such information is done through Facebook messaging.

In order to avoid such nuances, you could afford to type in full messages. Even Twitter gives you 140 characters!

Your laptop – Dos and Don’ts

Stumbled upon this link on Joy of Tech.

Pretty cool retro stuff! Check this out!

Being eccentric

Being eccentric