On CIOs and Social Media Ban

A lot of companies (read CIOs) ban the use of Social Media sites as a part of their Internet policy.

Few factors such as fear of negative reputation, employee productivity, wastage of time etc. forces such moves. Check out this study on social media behaviour in companies for deeper insight.

Good to know that almost 10% of the companies are open to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube usages inside firms. High time companies redefine their “cultures” of Freedom and Respect!

Work starts off at Weltan Butterfly

Happened to do the first official thing on sunday. Mad excited about moving on from the “talk” phase to the “do” phase. Weltan Butterfly kicks the cocoon!

So what is it that exactly happened?

The idea was to try stuff on Youtube, but Facebook is one place which is too wide and too misunderstood. So, I sat down with Dale Bhagwagar (well known Bollywood PR) and decided to run him through things you can possibly try on Facebook. I was on for a ride!

The usual stuff was to be expected. Hurried through info page, hurried through Photos section and hugely forgotten video section – A Bollywood PR has loads and loads of rich media content, waiting to be consumed.

We started with his info page and a few hours, dry fruits, lots of tea and one car-servicing-guy-who-got-mildly-ragged later, I was sitting in front of the most well made Info page that I have ever seen. Do check http://www.facebook.com/dalebhagwagar for details.

Why should you be interested in seeing this profile?

1. This man is a genius when it comes to positioning and media manipulations
2. This man has a wide range of interests (personally and professionally). This one profile is an unlocking point to a large number of Facebook Fan pages and the like
3. This man is interested in connecting to like minded people (read people from media, movies and such)

Also happened to upload 150+ photos into his Facebook album – with celebrities, with students, with people in general etc. Wonderful place for surfing around. So, go ahead and add him. Lots coming in from that Facebook profile.

What happens in the social media scene

Something cool I did when I got some time.

I know there are spelling errors – came to know of it later. I was a little too enthu I guess!

forgive and forget

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!

“Multi – role” guy

I was having a conversation with an old school Fauji and suddenly this idea popped into my brain.

Any person in the online medium calls himself a word – marketeer, developer, designer, search engine optimizer etc. based on how they spend their time at their agencies / startups. And a lot of pro startup blogs and people keep throwing this idea of sporting different “hats” – the idea is to be a master of few and a jack of lot of trades. So, it would be better to call a true blue startup dude in a “multi-role” way.

You could be a 50% marketeer, 20% developer and a 30% designer – all in one. Meaning at a particular point in time, you are best at marketing (SEM, SEO, Biz Dev, Client Servicing etc.), not so good at design and yet attempt at making some and pull up your sleeves and open up the code and fuck around with the syntax – could range from changing your Div padding to hierarchy in C++.

it is DIY 2009

2009 is a major DIY year. Division of labour is getting old fashioned. I will be blogging and cooking both. I will make good stuff. I will .. I will… I will bloody hell change the scene.

How? DIY!

2009 is not a material year

2009 might just become a materialistically simpler year in a long long time. I am feeling it. Feeling it

I have a dream

weakness: “I am the perfectionist who can’t get sleep if things are slightly out of order”

strength: “I always think outside the box”

hobby: “I read all those boring business magazines”

dream: “To be the CEO of an MNC”

Result: Welcome to this big MNC as a Management Trainee.

The above lines pretty much defines “education” in a lot of places. Lets see what the economic slowdown do!

P.S. Hugh McLeod has gone on an absolute killing spree. He put some 20 odd cartoons on Gaping Void yesterday.

IT outsourcing and going abroad – options

IT outsourcing from the developed nations are seeing alternatives now. This would mean “shit happens” for us pretty soon. So says Gartner.

Gartner releases a set of top 30 preferred locations for IT outsourcing and well decides to call it ‘Top 30′.

Strong interest in nearshore locations was a key factor; language skills, cultural compatibility, time zone and travel time were important considerations.

The list

Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico and Panama

Asia/Pacific: Australia, China, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam

Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA): the Czech Republic, Egypt, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Morocco, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain and Ukraine

My take

1. IT has been a strong point for a lot of people in India.
2. A lot of Indians have a huge hard on for working outside the country.
3. Indians have huge tolerance and adaptability.

The above list could be used as a very “entry level” portal for taking the next phoren destination. Could think of entrepreneurship trips too this way. BPO junta – listen up!!!