tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3835319955467158962024-03-13T06:20:50.034+05:30Open CircuitFlibbertigibbety honest opinions for the booboisiesanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-81757131915849246422014-11-20T01:27:00.002+05:302014-11-20T01:40:27.402+05:30Prior Warning Can Sometimes Help<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-67111825085236636112010-02-03T10:52:00.006+05:302010-12-20T15:23:59.750+05:30The Great Firewall Of ChinaInteresting infographic from InformationIsBeautiful.net...<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://infobeautiful2.s3.amazonaws.com/what-does-china-censor-online.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 550px; height: 716px;" src="http://infobeautiful2.s3.amazonaws.com/what-does-china-censor-online.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-85218603283436131942009-12-13T23:07:00.000+05:302010-02-03T11:32:06.056+05:30Spectrum Development in PicturesRick Dickinson was an industrial designer at Sinclair Research and was involved with some of Sinclair's most popular early home computers including the ZX Spctrum. He has posted a wonderful collection of Sinclair Spectrum Development Photos over at Flickr. Heres a glimpse...<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.flickr.com/slideShow/index.gne?group_id=&user_id=9574086@N02&set_id=72157600607571866&text=Sinclair+Spectrum+Development" align="center" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" height="400" width="400"></iframe><br /><small>Created with <a href="http://www.admarket.se/" title="Admarket.se">Admarket's</a> <a href="http://flickrslidr.com/" title="flickrSLiDR">flickrSLiDR</a>.</small>sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-83837667821339888602009-11-16T23:44:00.003+05:302010-02-03T11:33:01.711+05:30The History & Future of ComputingThis is an excellent video about the history & future of computing and the information explosion...<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(100, 95, 94); white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:10px;" ><object height="265" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7395079&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7395079&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="385" width="600"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/7395079">Trillions</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/mayanmaya">MAYAnMAYA</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p></span></div>sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-32611574736299593222008-06-13T12:47:00.010+05:302014-11-21T05:13:12.200+05:30Everything is going to be OK. I'm an MBA<br />
No its not.<br />
I've thought about this long and hard. And I'm finally going to say this, even at the risk of displeasing some friends and colleagues. I've never read any references that directly led me to this fact, nor seen any research findings whatsoever that establish a corelation, and nor do I attribute this to a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">pre</span>-conceived notion arising out of professional jealousy. Yet it is more than a gut feeling, verified consistently throughout a period of the last 18 years. I'm going to say it, for the simple reason that it should be heard, discussed, criticized, thought about, and above all, ... out in the open.<br />
Here it goes...<br />
<br />
<em></em><br />
<blockquote>
<em>"An MBA graduate is undeniably an idiot"</em></blockquote>
<em><br /></em>
That's it. There, I said it first. Doesn't matter where you got you're degree from. Doesn't matter if its a one or two year course, part-time or full-time. Doesn't matter if you're employed with a top firm and minting money as a result. Doesn't matter what you specialized in. Doesn't matter if you traveled abroad to do it. Doesn't matter if you consider you're lifestyle a notch above the rest and a flying success. Now before you get really cross with what I've just said, I'd like to point out that there are exceptions to every rule and fact - in this case however, the exceptions are far and few. Therefore, if you have an MBA credential, and think you are one of the exceptions, then you're probably wrong.<br />
<br />
Then how do you determine whether you are not an idiot even though you have an MBA degree? If you were performing a role at your workplace, and realized that there were certain skills that you needed in order to effectively complete your assignment and those skills were something that was taught in B-schools, and this prompted you to upgrade your skills and seek new methodologies, then you are possibly an exception. If you did your MBA before it was fashionable to do so (I'm talking pre-90's here) then you're quite possibly an exception too. If you decided on an MBA credential for any other reason and in the past decade, then I'm afraid you're not.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to try and provide all the reasons in a single post. Neither am I going to be unfair and mention that because President George W. Bush also has an MBA from Harvard, my statement is a simple corollary. Its suffice to say that the separation of personal ethics from professional ethics is what lies at the crux of the matter. If a B-School <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">curriculum</span> justifies that separation whether by imbibing or implying it, then there are <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">definitely</span> going to be more <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Enrons</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Exxons</span> for the world to expose.<br />
<br />
If you disagree with this fact, its okay to let me know. If you agree with this I would really like you to drop me a comment - it would be relieving for me to know that there is hope.<br />
<br />
As an end-note, lets play spot the MBA...<br />
<br />
Person 1 says: The glass is half full<br />
Person 2 says: The glass is half empty<br />
Person 3 says: The glass is twice as large as it should be<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Update</span>: It has been widely rumored that the title of this blog post were the exact words uttered by Satyam's ex-chairmain minutes before he walked into his prison cell. Ramalinga Raju has an <span id="page_lblstory">MBA from Ohio University, and is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Another update:</span> Found an interesting paper the other day - <a href="http://www.aomonline.org/Publications/Articles/BSchools.asp">The End of Business Schools - Less Success Than Meets the Eye</a> by Jeffrey Pfeffer and Christina T. Fong. Worth a read. </span><em><em><br /></em></em>sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-29854399186216871362007-09-03T08:45:00.000+05:302007-09-07T22:18:56.978+05:30Software errors: A crash courseJust how much damage can a small software error do?<br /><br />The costliest software error till date was the explosion of the unmanned Ariane 5 rocket about 37 seconds after lift-off on the morning of June 4, 1996.<br /><br />This was its maiden flight, and the rocket was carrying 4 uninsured payloads worth about US$370 million. The mission critical Ariane 5 project itself took 10 years to develop at the cost of a whopping US$7 billion.<br /><br />Apparently, it was blind software reuse that caused the problem, and sticking to the old <span style="font-style: italic;">"if it ain't broke, don't fix it"</span> syndrome. An excerpt from a study on evolutionary design by the <a href="https://buildsecurityin.us-cert.gov/daisy/bsi/articles/best-practices/assembly/467.html">US Department of Homeland Security</a> explains it well.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"The Ariane 5’s flight control software reused design specifications and code from its highly successful predecessor, the Ariane 4 launch vehicle. In particular, one of the on-board modules, the Inertial Reference System, performed a data conversion of a 64-bit floating point value related to the horizontal velocity of the rocket and attempted to place the result into a 16-bit signed integer variable. This computation had never caused a problem with the Ariane 4, but the more aggressive flight path and much faster acceleration of the Ariane 5 produced a higher horizontal velocity and a corresponding data value that was too large for the 16-bit signed integer variable, causing an arithmetic overflow. A redundant backup process used the same software and failed in the same manner. The Inertial Reference System then generated some diagnostic output that was incorrectly interpreted as flight control data by other portions of the flight control system. Based on this faulty interpretation, the flight control system took actions that led to the self-destruction of the rocket."<br /><br /></span><span>Wired has a list of 'History's worst software bugs' <a href="http://www.wired.com/software/coolapps/news/2005/11/69355?currentPage=all">here</a>.<br /></span>sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-12701095781881282502007-08-14T22:45:00.004+05:302011-05-04T16:59:27.047+05:30Report of the investigation into the UK visa breachThe results of the two-month independent investigation into <a href="http://sanjibmitra.blogspot.com/2007/05/identity-leakage.html">security breaches</a> of the UK visa application process from India, Nigeria and Russia were published towards the end of July.<br /><br />The full report is available <a href="http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/IndependentInvestigation26July2007.pdf">here</a> (currently archived, see Update below). There were also articles by <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/11/uk_visa_site_investigation/">The Register</a> and <a href="http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,2137150,00.html">The Observer</a> in the UK media that covered the publication of this report. In India, there was no media coverage that I am aware of.<br /><br />The excellent and very comprehensive report speaks for itself, and I would recommend it as good holiday reading if you're a fan of non-fictional tragic comedies spanning multiple continents. Thats probably exactly what the UK Members of Parliament did, taking a copy of the report with them as they broke off for a 11 week summer recess shortly after it was presented in Parliament.<br /><br />In the limited time provided, I thought that the appointed Independent Investigator prepared quite a detailed and thorough report. The only striking omission I noticed was any plausible explanation as to why this breach wasn't reported by more applicants considering that this website had such fundamental flaws and left vulnerable for such a long duration of time. A little research into the Indian psyche, perhaps by way of interviews with applicants would have shown that no right thinking, progressive, frequent-flying, peace-loving Indian would ever want to bite the hand that stamps their visa.<br /><br />I even know individuals in India who would consider themselves famous if their personal details were exposed online! Such is the scale of ignorance towards identity abuse here.<br /><br /><strong>Update:</strong> The link for the full report isn't available on the FCO website any longer and claims to be moved to the 'National Archive' if you click it. I've still retained the above link though, to show that the National Archive seems to have misplaced its copy of the report too. Hmmm. However, it can still be found <a href="http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/resources/en/docs/2258700/4437398/imthemedreportVFSsecuritybreach">here</a>.sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-23150720634134174472007-08-13T20:02:00.002+05:302021-05-14T00:47:42.527+05:30Play abandoned<div>
<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Scene I</span>: A Willow tree on the top of an oval hillock. The world of vertebrate life continued quadrupedal, the seeming deviations therefrom being rather apparent than real. Suddenly a true biped appeared, a highly intellectual animal, an extraordinary deviation from the established course of organic development, instantly freeing up the anterior limbs for tasks other than locomotion.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ape-man</span>: This piece of wood seems to be shaped in a funny way, the top end thicker than the bottom. Ha Ha. Maybe I can round off the bottom of it a bit so its easier to grip with my non-walking limb.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">[starts to violently rub the bottom end of a piece of large fallen branch against a rough stone surface, while a tiny cricket like insect darts away from the remaining foliage. This singular act is known to have sparked off the invention of both the hand held club or baton, and the abrasive filing tool at the same time. By the time he finishes, a glint of moonlight shines upon his bipedal outline and his new carved club]</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Other-Ape-man</span>: What good will that dead branch do?<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">[Ape-man demonstrates]</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Other-Ape-man</span>: Ouch, that ****ing hurt!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">[Falls to ground clutching lower abdomen, as the stimuli of pain gradually arrives at the brain through newly evolved circuits. Eventually recovers, and gets up]</span><br />
<br />
Cool. Lets go bash someone else!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">[Before going off to bash others, Ape-man and Other-Ape-man practice the fine skill of swinging-the-club by devising a highly methodical and coherent set of basic rules:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">1. Other-Ape-man hurls fist-size stone at Ape-man from a short distance away</span>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">2. If the Ape-man is able to strike the stone with the wooden club, he is rewarded by gaining the permission to run over to Other-Ape-man and pound the club full-swing into the Other-Ape-man's lower abdomen, and then run back to his original position.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />3. If the Ape-man misses hitting the stone, the Other-Ape-man now runs over to the Ape-man with the club, snatches his club, grunts in disgust, and wallops him on the lower abdomen. A role reversal occurs at this point, and Other-Ape-man then awaits Ape-man to recover to the point of being able to hurl stones.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />4. If the Ape-man misses hitting the stone and the stone hits him instead, the Other-Ape-man again runs over to the Ape-man with the club, snatches his club, grunts in disgust, and wallops him on the lower abdomen. A role reversal occurs.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />5. Since counting to six hadn't been invented, they continue adhering to the above rules until one learns the subtle art of club-swinging and/or the other dies trying.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />6. Later on, spectator ape-men were allowed to fetch the stone and return it to the stone thrower, and often rewarded when they could catch it before the stone bounched.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Note: The art of stone throwing or fetching wasn't considered an art form until much later</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">[These early creatures gradually migrated to other grasslands as the dense forestation receded, and by the sheer might of their swinging-club, conquered other ape-men and instilled in them the love of club-swinging. Those who didn't succumb, eventually died out of a strange fracture to their pelvic bones, which fossil records from that period strangely don't show]</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Scene II</span>: The Oval, on a small wet island. Enter Stone-Thrower, Club-Swinger, Fetchers, Empire, crowds and commentators.<br />
<br />
The former colonies that successfully aped the game of ODI Cricket (Oh Dear Its Cricket) have been the masters of the game for some time now, particularly the formal penal colony of Australia. In the middle of the Oval grounds, a rectangular dirt patch has been marked out for performers. The final over is on, and 2 rounded, hard red objects left to throw. The designated Club-Swinger and his team needs seven runnaways to score a victory.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Stone-Thrower</span>: Uhh! <span style="font-style: italic;">[Hurtling red object, after an amusing little run till the Empire dressed in white]</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Club-Swinger</span>: Ahh! <span style="font-style: italic;">[Hitting red object high and towards the crowds lining the field boundary, and preparing to stand in a smart posture leaning on his Willow branch before the red object lands]</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">[Red object lands amongst crowd]</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Fetchers</span>:<span style="font-style: italic;"> [In unison]</span> ****.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">[Swarming crowds cheer, Empire throws up arms, Stone-Thrower grunts in disgust, uncontrollable pride gushes through Club-Swinger and hence raises his Willow branch in acknowledgment, commentators discuss trajectory of red object using sophisticated computing equipment, and feet pre-positioning tactics of Club-Swinger. The media will wallop the Stone-Thrower a little later. Everyone awaits the next and final rounded red object to be thrown. The media will also wallop the Club-Swinger if he misses to hit this]</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Scene III</span> : <span style="font-style: italic;">[Deleted due to utter waste of space]</span></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Scene </span>IV</span><span style="font-style: italic;">: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">[Deleted due to utter waste of time]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Addendum</span>: </span><strong style="font-weight: normal;">In 1912 a portion of a fossil elephant femur was reportedly <a href="http://140.232.1.5/~piltdown/map_report_finds/bone_imp.html">discovered</a> at East Sussex, England (Piltdown Man). At a Geological Society of London meeting shortly after, a scientist rose to state that "he could not imagine any use for an implement that looked like part of a <span style="font-style: italic;">cricket bat</span>." He further believed in the possibility "of the bone having been found and whittled in recent times." For over 40 years, scientists preferred to believe that the object was a genuine paleolithic tool, though no one could assign it a plausible function. Today, its known that the Piltdown Man was largely a hoax, one of the grandest in history in fact. More of this <a href="http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/piltdown.html">here</a>.</strong><br /><strong style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></strong>
<strong style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></strong></div>
sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-25200604649593403892007-07-20T20:21:00.000+05:302007-09-05T13:18:30.548+05:30Reverse cultural colonization<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJlewB513e0tkadip53AFj40Ae64YdVukG4Radahwd9Lguuak8aPuOeAWRDJKymjlz3DOcgn0zlhrMZQGs-tmLSnEnfyVYKuv3w1xvfAjfAXuuUqIe9sUNBOs2EMx_F-ig35RVjD9KRo/s1600-h/ram_sep06.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJlewB513e0tkadip53AFj40Ae64YdVukG4Radahwd9Lguuak8aPuOeAWRDJKymjlz3DOcgn0zlhrMZQGs-tmLSnEnfyVYKuv3w1xvfAjfAXuuUqIe9sUNBOs2EMx_F-ig35RVjD9KRo/s320/ram_sep06.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089299600794645906" border="0" /></a><br />The attainment of power, whether political, economic or otherwise, always appears to guarantee a global audience and make gradual cultural colonization seemingly effortless in its aftermath. History has numerous examples.<br /><br />Inspired by India's steadily booming and globally influential economy, acclaimed filmmaker <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shekhar_Kapur">Shekhar Kapur</a> thinks that the time is ripe for what he terms a <span style="font-style: italic;">"reverse cultural colonization"</span>. Last September, he along with author <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepak_Chopra">Deepak Chopra</a> and a <a href="http://www.virgincomics.com/">Virgin Comics</a> team of extremely talented artists based out of Bangalore joined hands with just this intent. This partnership led to the creation of a highly stylistic re-packaging of a 5000 year old Indian legend recast in a post-apocalyptic setting. A legend that has been the bedrock of India's cultural identity for centuries.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ramayan 3392 A.D. </span>is what its called. A cursory glance at some of the pages and artwork that have been <a href="http://www.virgincomics.com/ram_archive.html">released </a>on the internet, and I was pretty impressed. In my opinion, it might just be a timely, worthy and refreshing re-telling for a whole new generation, and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. Especially since the earlier hugely popular "original" <a href="http://www.ddindia.gov.in/">Doordarshan</a> TV version had assaulted my senses so seriously, that I was displaying suicidal tendencies in an effort to remain very dooor from this epidemic Ram-darshan.<br /><br />Commenting on a <span>similar </span><span style="font-style: italic;">India Authentic</span> series of comics that aims to depict the the entire pantheon of Hindu deities, Deepak Chopra remarked that... <span style="font-style: italic;"><blockquote>"The re-imagination of Indian mythologies and archetypes with a cross cultural flavor will ignite once again our collective yearning for achieving the impossible and embarking on a journey of mystery, magic, and adventure. It may well usher in an age that Homer never dreamed of."</blockquote></span> Ambitious words, even for a spiritual guru. Lord Ram (or Rama as he is also interchangeably referred to) and his projected career path reminds me a lot of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor">Thor</a>, the Nordic God of Thunder. Mighty Thor's little stint at Marvel comics, did him a world of good.<br /><br />Comics, have in general proved themselves to be an effective cultural delivery mechanism. I am inclined to believe Shekhar Kapur, in that the time is indeed ripe, and in fact, Ramayan 3392 A.D. seems to be doing quite well in the occident (Even accounting for the multitude of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NRI">NRI's</a> that can corrupt and disfigure any statistics gathered on the global reach of Indian influences). What might give this an added lift locally, is if our friendly neighborhood cultural police find something offensive within all this comic-ry, protest and then quietly step back after boosting its publicity.<br /><br />Is someone going to burn an effigy of the creators soon, or do I have to start it off by complaining about the particularly immoral hue of blue that they used on Ram's skin?<br /><br />No, ...wait. I hear they've allowed for a minor conflict to develop between Ram and Lakshman in their storyline, damaging our hitherto uncorrupted tradition of sibling bonding. And since my grandmother told me that that wasn't so in the original version, I rest my case.<span class="437011403-20072007"></span>sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-36474041864960059582007-06-26T21:41:00.000+05:302007-06-28T11:42:46.562+05:30Who buried my fossils?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF2YAP8mf0OXaHFSjWHkUyPVb8OUheuefN-AHLEYLUD62-yUpt7i1umLVAi99xVuw_tfRfhL8SEHe2GDOXQd3BHBawLNcwUliqJkjf1dkOMeHJtZyB0mR-kEx4IvnNigvtWaaIUcVSccM/s1600-h/Da+Vinci.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF2YAP8mf0OXaHFSjWHkUyPVb8OUheuefN-AHLEYLUD62-yUpt7i1umLVAi99xVuw_tfRfhL8SEHe2GDOXQd3BHBawLNcwUliqJkjf1dkOMeHJtZyB0mR-kEx4IvnNigvtWaaIUcVSccM/s320/Da+Vinci.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080775944189710626" border="0" /></a><br />In another amusing instance of showcasing its collective ignorance and dogmatic thinking, creationism seems to be making a comeback along the American Bible belt with the opening of a multi-million dollar <a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/05/24/arts/24crea.html">creation museum</a> in Kentucky recently. This, along with the gaining popularity of a <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2006/12/30/grand_canyon_booksto.html">book</a> claiming that the Grand Canyon was carved by the retreating waters of the biblical Noah's flood rather than by natural erosion, are once again extending the heated debate between creationists and evolutionists.<br /><br />Theres no telling how much more time it will take for mainstream consciousness to understand that whatever it is, the <span style="font-style: italic;">Theory of Intelligent Design</span> (ID) can not be a science because its not falsifiable. Falsifiability, is a critical feature of scientific hypothesis and can be simplistically thought of as an inherent disclaimer stating that a given hypothesis or theory is only true, <span style="font-style: italic;">until proven false</span>. An embodiment of rationality, it says: <span style="font-style: italic;">attack me with facts and I am ready to change in whatever way to accommodate those facts</span>. Just being called a 'theory', doesn't give it instant membership to the science club. The Falsifiability card has been played against ID hugging creationists for some time now, but they seem to be coming up with more mightier yet sillier propositions as their grip gradually loosens.<br /><br />Ironically, prominent voices of science from the past century have been guilty at times of decorating the frontiers of scientific advancement with some divine creationist references (i.e. Quantum Mechanics - God does not play dice, Cosmology - understanding the mind of God, etc), often viewed as aspirational and conformist by the creationists. The tables have now turned, and it seems like we've completely entered the age where the creationists boldly reference terms and methods of science in their interpretation of scripture.<br /><br />I wonder, if and when science survives this, what is the real price that we'll have to pay as we watch this lengthy battle unfold, apart from the occasional insane attempts to <a href="http://www.csicop.org/si/2006-06/leakey.html">bury back</a> the fossils?sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-40453402512027374152007-06-21T20:02:00.000+05:302007-09-05T08:35:02.681+05:30What's Left is yoursToday happens to be the 30<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> year anniversary of one of the worlds longest running, uninterrupted <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">socio</span>-economic experiments:<br /><br />How to run a self-contained communist administration within the framework of a democratic government, and evolve itself by a gradual selective assimilation of capitalist intent.<br /><br />Confrontations and constraints have been many, yet India's eastern state of West Bengal <a href="http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070016287">continues</a> this experiment by the most original methods that would probably make Comrade Lenin a touch uncomfortable. However, it can be argued that though communism is considered dead in theory, this particular Bengali flavour of it might give way to a reincarnated version that still adamantly clings on to its earlier name. Perhaps past <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">associations</span> pose a risk lurking here somewhere.<br /><br />So if you were red and a revolutionist at heart and suddenly found yourself eyeing that man with the briefcase, what can you start to call yourself? Would the name matter?sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-15726765220046408962007-06-14T21:24:00.000+05:302007-09-05T13:17:26.589+05:30Old lady of Indian skiesResponding to the recent Indian Airlines (IA) strike, the civil aviation ministry said in a statement that <span style="font-style: italic;">"The strike will cause distress to a large number of passengers, apart form being detrimental to the financial condition and image of the company''</span><br /><br />Oh, really? I hadn't thought of that.<br /><br />Upon hearing of this strike by IA (now renamed 'Indian'), one can't help but immediately visualize sari-clad distressed stewardesses with brightly painted lips comfortably seated in the airport halls with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">tiffin</span>-boxes by their side, and sharing tales of their grandchildren, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">occasionally</span> waving a little white banner of protest. In this case, it seems cabin baggage handlers and ground support staff didn't show up for work at all.<br /><br />In a way, the strike might benefit a greater number of people, and I fully support the protesters, despite the fact the Delhi High Court termed it illegal - Instead of dying the uncertain, slow, painful death that this airline seemed to be destined for, the protesters efforts will erode their already dwindling market share much more quicker, and ensure a natural, faster and final end to this winged misery. In effect, bringing relief to a lot of would-be passengers, spared from IA's renowned service-with-a-grunt and general inefficiency.<br /><br />This is also a much better way of going, than by being blamed for any major air-disaster as a direct result of having budgeted more on flawed PR strategies, than on critical airline safety measures. Lets hope recent incidents such as <a href="http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/04/10/stories/2007041004871000.htm">these</a>, aren't indicative of this trend.<br /><br />Too bad that they happen to be our national airlines though.<br /><br />Source: <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Strike_a_windfall_for_low-cost_carriers_/articleshow/2121229.cms">Strike a windfall for low-cost carriers</a>, Times of Indiasanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-40907546872721474542007-06-08T09:49:00.000+05:302007-06-08T22:54:15.889+05:30Search for the God particle<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXCJixYSG2GeGjsf_oY56RwVUGBR05FlvQC6CyZnTZa3cVNip1kCzG1IhjRi6QOycqcK1SwsRr-b5trQ-Az8hovU0wSkQ_tZjDHUBX6m6nkcFGSDqxOEKxK29sqDxx_eItB0Z4Z3B7v4/s1600-h/leon6_ps.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXCJixYSG2GeGjsf_oY56RwVUGBR05FlvQC6CyZnTZa3cVNip1kCzG1IhjRi6QOycqcK1SwsRr-b5trQ-Az8hovU0wSkQ_tZjDHUBX6m6nkcFGSDqxOEKxK29sqDxx_eItB0Z4Z3B7v4/s320/leon6_ps.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5073734898193223634" border="0" /></a><br />During a 2005 Q&A session with Nobel Laureate, Leon Lederman, Fermilab scientist Peter Skands points out that <span style="font-style: italic;">"if the Higgs boson exists, and if it is the way the Standard Model predicts it to be, then it must have a mass greater than 114 GeV"</span>. More recently there have been experimental indicators that the mass of the Higgs Boson could lie in the region 155-180 GeV (Giga electron Volt). But then this increased speculative mass is often rather unfairly seen as an attempt to garner funding for larger (higher energy) particle accelerators, capable of detecting higher mass particles.<br /><br />Repeated attempts have so far failed to find this much sought after and elusive particle. There is a general consensus among physicists that anyone associated with the possible finding of this particle is assured a Nobel Prize.<br /><br />Dubbed 'The God particle' and 'The Holy Grail of particle physics', the <a href="http://www.exploratorium.edu/origins/cern/ideas/higgs.html">Higgs boson</a> is a hypothesised particle which, if it exists, would give the mechanism by which particles acquire mass, thereby affirming the best theory that physicist's have today to explain the origin of mass. It is safe to say, that if it does not exist, it would shake the foundations of theoretical physics to an extent that new interactions, fields and laws that bind them may need to be conjured up. So in a way, its absence may be as valuable for us as its presence.<br /><br />There is a <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2167563/">rumour</a> going around right now, that the Higgs Boson may have been found by Tevatron physicists working on the D0 (pronounced D-Zero) experiment at Fermilab, Batavia near Chicago, USA.<br /><br />There have been optimistic articles about observed 'bumps' in the data before, so we'll have to wait and watch to see if the current evidence from the Tevatron D0 data holds up, amidst the clutter of data from competing labs.sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-55155539932821464262007-05-16T21:29:00.000+05:302007-09-05T13:19:30.205+05:30Oh, crumbs!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6X09zvss33_1rFMYJCGzw0_X8T9z3TKZxxAKE4lZI48OM3G_qfaXlxSiDKWc91TrHEW5u7yxSdvqRuIBeIsFq9BbTqXz4ZY4NGHJSNRt0xD36Pi2M8R-4g0HONCyvIy17Gc_LDAuo_X0/s1600-h/dm1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6X09zvss33_1rFMYJCGzw0_X8T9z3TKZxxAKE4lZI48OM3G_qfaXlxSiDKWc91TrHEW5u7yxSdvqRuIBeIsFq9BbTqXz4ZY4NGHJSNRt0xD36Pi2M8R-4g0HONCyvIy17Gc_LDAuo_X0/s320/dm1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065383806076266050" border="0" /></a><br />Recent events have brought back very fond memories of one the eighties famous characters, <a href="http://www.dangermouse.org/what.html">DangerMouse</a> and his faithful hamster sidekick Penfold (Codename: Jigsaw, as he is often known to "<span style="font-style: italic;">go to pieces</span>").<br /><br />I was quite amused to find out that the black eye-patch that he wore throughout this series, wasn't really needed - he didn't have a bad eye. As he himself pointed out - it is worn "<span style="font-style: italic;">because it's part of the suit</span>".<br /><br />Through its wonderfully humorous, exciting, surreal adventures and the continuing fight against the evil forces of this world, this little mouse never failed to save the day.<br /><br />One of my memorable quotes from this series can perhaps go to show how we can sometimes accurately analyse our surroundings to make a necessary point, and then proceed to completely miss the point, when Dudley Poyson, one of the characters from the series, shouts...<br /><br />"<span style="font-style: italic;">I'll call myself a cab right away! I'm a cab, I'm a cab!</span>"sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-86716175344567341682007-05-16T13:45:00.001+05:302008-04-16T12:08:23.485+05:30VFS plugs security holeThis is an update to my earlier posting on the <a href="http://sanjibmitra.blogspot.com/2007/05/identity-leakage.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">VFS</span> security breach</a> on the 10<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">th</span> of May.<br /><br />I am pleased to write that this security breach on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">VFS</span> UK India website has now been rectified, thanks to the timely action taken by Davey Winder, and the co-operation of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">VFS</span> India IT department. He has published an <a href="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry1466.html">article </a>on this yesterday which describes the sequence of events that led to the resolution of this serious issue.<br /><br />Having run out of avenues to turn to in an attempt to get someone to take notice, Davey Winder was my obvious last resort. I am quite thankful to Davey for approaching this in a very responsible and proactive way, and for his genuine concern and understanding about the implications this could possibly have.<br /><br />At the moment, I can only reveal that I am in touch with UK government officials to aid in their investigations so that such breaches are not repeated in the future.<br /><br /><span class="sub1"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Update </span>17 <span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">th</span> </span>May: <a href="http://www.gnn.gov.uk/content/detail.asp?NewsAreaID=2&ReleaseID=285359">Statement by Lord <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Triesman</span></a>, UK Secretary of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Announces an independent government investigation into this breach.</span><br /><p><span class="sub1"><strong>Update</strong> 14th August: Results of the investgation are out. More details on this <a href="http://sanjibmitra.blogspot.com/2007/08/report-of-investigation-into-uk-visa.html">post</a>.</p><br /><br /></span>sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-49751789232064081382007-05-13T19:46:00.000+05:302007-06-08T22:44:42.163+05:30Please stay DoctorIn conversation with an honest city doctor, recently transferred here from New Delhi:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Bangalore is only good for engineers. This is not the place for doctors at all. Where I came from (Delhi), there are serious illnesses like Dengue, Cholera, Tuberculosis and so many others. Here, there's only a little bit of Arthritis, that's all. Nothing really good to help us doctors - I suppose its all to do with the wonderfully comfortable weather here."<br /><br />[Note that sufficient liberty has been taken to alter the above quote by way of filling in missing articles and prepositions. Upon request, a raw version of this quote can be provided for purists]<br /></span><br />This statement finally explained to me why I've been subjected to gradually declining medical standards in Bangalore. In spite of the lure of big-spending, non-bill-verifying, couldn't-care-less-because-my-company-pays IT professionals in the city, <span style="font-style: italic;">we're losing all our doctors to the competition!</span><br /><br />The views expressed here do not necessarily mean that the medical fraternity and standards in Bangalore is in a deplorable state right now. Bangalore, and southern India in general are still prominent on the cure-map for the most of the country. So we're not there yet.<br /><br />But, the next time you feel healthy about yourself, remember to spare a thought because you could be unknowingly contributing to the city's doctor-drain.sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-34504869067229397722007-05-13T01:07:00.000+05:302014-11-21T05:25:39.951+05:301961 Volkswagen Beetle: Air cooled, not water<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTBAJ3yhxMUqWulb-vHUreow88fcvGdMdj82mIX_HIRkmxGQHZ1VYxGH-0-hdQuVJYyPYW0Pbc6rgYjj7UdNSMuhNxpFVgc80e129rpadntZxFl17OzbTVR_cPsIWC96c93j96lEI29Q/s1600-h/wv.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTBAJ3yhxMUqWulb-vHUreow88fcvGdMdj82mIX_HIRkmxGQHZ1VYxGH-0-hdQuVJYyPYW0Pbc6rgYjj7UdNSMuhNxpFVgc80e129rpadntZxFl17OzbTVR_cPsIWC96c93j96lEI29Q/s400/wv.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5063760814065177730" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">"In the past, a few VW owners have been amused to find a perplexed gas station attendant with a bucket of water and no place to put it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">But we've taken care of that in our '61 model. This year a windshield washer is standard equipment"</span><br />
<br />
Incidentally, its interesting to note that the design of this popular "peoples car" was inspired by none other than Adolf Hitler himself in 1932. His initial sketch can be found <a href="http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/HitlerKDF.htm" target="_blank">here</a>.sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-73443289529100218892007-05-12T13:58:00.000+05:302007-05-12T18:25:46.664+05:30Bangalore: All in a namePerhaps a lot of debate has already taken place over the string of new pre-colonial names that have been conferred to our cities. If I remember right, it all started off in 1995 with Bombay (Mumbai), then soon followed by Madras (Chennai), Calcutta (Kolkata), and now Bangalore (Bengaluru).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Dad, but what does the word Bangalore mean?"</span><br />"Well son, it all begins during the Ganga Dynasty in the 9th century when the city got its name as the City of Guards...<br />...and finally when the name was anglicized during the 18th and 19th centuries by the East India company and the British Raj."<br /><br />As we await the Central Governments approval on Bangalore's new name, I cannot help but wonder at what we might stand to lose from this march to assert local pronunciation over what we deem as foreign.<br /><br />Indian author and diplomat, Shashi Tharoor, remarked <span style="font-style: italic;">"Are we Indians so insecure in our independence that we still need to prove to ourselves that we are free?"</span><br /><br />I don't believe that this trend is entirely about our insecurity, but more of identity. And its true the we must assert our identity. Yet by attempting to erase our colonial past in this way, generations after us will be deprived of having lessons in our history crystallized so naturally within the name of our cities.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Dad, but what does the word Bengaluru mean?"</span><br />"Well son, it was during the Ganga Dynasty in the 9th century when this city got its name as the City of Guards."sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-47306796728059655412007-05-11T22:09:00.000+05:302007-05-14T08:45:29.890+05:30A cure for your ails<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbpqcDOq1ZbWIyPpIpyR2a_a2mWv-ONfh-BHUJec4jotF6hUisHEs3Hv9nCW6kyyyApLTwahKJTPTlPHkvk0bttwTgMJqkTcJiBw43x3_8tAhhM1QgfS_7uxCuv0lWmNb-2C91bcvupE/s1600-h/effigy-1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbpqcDOq1ZbWIyPpIpyR2a_a2mWv-ONfh-BHUJec4jotF6hUisHEs3Hv9nCW6kyyyApLTwahKJTPTlPHkvk0bttwTgMJqkTcJiBw43x3_8tAhhM1QgfS_7uxCuv0lWmNb-2C91bcvupE/s400/effigy-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064087729795880098" border="0" /></a><br />American philosopher and author, Eric Hoffer remarked <span style="font-style: italic;">"We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails"</span>sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-66773842160407660202007-05-10T20:12:00.000+05:302007-08-23T00:25:43.147+05:3025 Years of the ZX Spectrum<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv82XvqqIJCZiDSuEnVO675Pfu1omWww5x_yWSDVjQDB42CyCBHqee-MGrK8_w0-DJ7n12RKLOZAtn-qD5cllSX6sY9WTl7a04QX7ZUbMmc64URbXmtfCaELuQBGvsDAF7Sp2TJKDfvEw/s1600-h/spectrum_plus.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv82XvqqIJCZiDSuEnVO675Pfu1omWww5x_yWSDVjQDB42CyCBHqee-MGrK8_w0-DJ7n12RKLOZAtn-qD5cllSX6sY9WTl7a04QX7ZUbMmc64URbXmtfCaELuQBGvsDAF7Sp2TJKDfvEw/s320/spectrum_plus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5062949198390219842" border="0" /></a><br />Last month, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_Spectrum">Sinclair <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ZX</span> Spectrum</a> computer turned 25. The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Guardian</span> had a special <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2064064,00.html">tribute </a>to this classic little home computer that <span style="font-style: italic;">"made a generation of younger people - and some of their parents - computer literate, and for a while instilled a genuine affection between man and machine"</span>. The BBC also has an excellent article <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6572711.stm">here</a>.<br /><br />I managed to get my hands on a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Speccy</span> somewhere in January 1985, when my dad bought one for the family. This was the 48K Spectrum+, released in October 1984. The Spectrum+ introduced no changes to the basic Spectrum hardware but provided a "professional keyboard" replacing its much talked about yet violently disliked dead-flesh-feel rubber <a href="http://www.nvg.ntnu.no/sinclair/computers/zxspectrum/gallery/images/speckeys_jpg.jpg">keys</a>. In India, a company called Decibel marketed this under the name 'dB Spectrum+', and become reasonably popular in the sub-continent during the 1986-1989 period. Some of us, like me, had the original, smuggled into the country guised as a sleek typewriter. But you needn't explicitly declare to customs control that it was a typewriter. In those days, the customs officials at Indian airports would let you off on grounds of insanity if you tried to convince them that you had a computer tucked away in your hand baggage. Having said that, letting them make their own conclusions was always safer.<br /><br />It's somewhat sad that it all came to an end, and reluctantly, I had to switch my allegiance to an IBM compatible Personal Computer. But for me, being reminded about the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Speccy</span>, is always like getting drenched in a shower of nostalgia.<br /><br />After endless hours on games such as <a href="http://www.ciunga.it/jxspeccy/arc/3.html?g=MANIC">Manic Miner</a>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Skool</span> Daze, Daley <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Thompson's</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Decathlon</span>, Jet Set Willy, <a href="http://www.ciunga.it/jxspeccy/arc/3.html?g=CHUCKIE1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Chuckie</span> Egg</a> and a host of others, I eventually tried my hand at learning BASIC. From then on there was no looking back, and I found <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">myself</span> hooked on to Z80 (<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">that's</span> the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Zilog</span> CPU that the Spectrum uses) assembly language programming. Right about that time, I recall having independently come up with a 12-point list of medical excuses that I could use for missing school!<br /><br />It may be hard to believe for <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">today's</span> Intel Core Duo users, that the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Speccy</span> actually loaded its software from cassette tapes, and anyone who owned a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Speccy</span> together with a double-cassette recorder was almost always a prolific pirate! You could actually fit in a huge compilation of games and other software on a C90 tape, and loading a 40 Kilobyte game took a staggering 5 minutes during which you had to sit in front of your TV and <a href="http://www.rtapeloadingerror.com/">watch colourful lights</a> dancing to the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">rhythm</span> of the bytes.<br /><br />One thing that the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">ZX</span> Spectrum taught me, and something that I've advised a lot of my friends and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">acquaintances</span> over the years, is that its not always <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">necessary</span> to ensure that you have the fastest and the latest computing system. What matters is what meets your requirements, and in the end, <span style="font-style: italic;">any computer is only as good as its user</span>.<br /><br />During the time that I owned my Speccy, I'm glad that I was able to keep pushing its limits, thanks to the help of numerous books and magazines that it had spawned. Whether it was coercing pixels on the screen where you couldn't, or connecting and controlling home-brewed hardware that you really shouldn't.<br /><br />The enthusiasm and energy that this machine generated really does live on till this day. It taught countless individuals across the world that you needn't accept given limitations, and a little can go a long long way. I'm getting all misty eyed now.<br /><br />Happy Birthday <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Speccy</span>!sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383531995546715896.post-91584049356343562292007-05-10T10:44:00.000+05:302007-09-24T11:00:48.385+05:30Identity Leakage: Trust VFS to reveal all<div align="left" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The Visa Facilitation Services (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">VFS</span>) in India have over the years greatly simplified any need to escape the motherland. If you're privileged enough to possess appropriately valid and verified documents, be it travel for holiday, human trafficking, business, family reunion or work, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">VFS</span> in India will see to it that you needn't do the worrying nor have to stand in long queues overnight wondering whether you've filled in that visa form correctly. According to recent reports I've been hearing, those days are almost gone.<br /><br />On the <a href="http://www.vfs-uk.co.in/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">VFS</span> UK India website</a>, you can nowadays apply online for most United Kingdom (UK) visa categories, as part of their Business Express Program and track your application too. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">VFS</span> India are the British High Commission's commercial partner, and they operate application centres on behalf of the 4 visa departments in India.They have about 11 offices across Indian cities.<br /><br />Last year, while I was directed to this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">VFS</span> website due to an UK assignment, I stumbled upon a technical problem. After entering all my details on the online visa application form, I couldn't proceed further. All I had was this blank browser page on my computer monitor, and a 'Back' button that refused to do what it was designed to do.<br /><br />Having spent a good hour typing in my details, I decided to twiddle around with the URL in my browser to see if something could be salvaged. About two minutes of twiddling with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">VFS</span> Uniform Resource <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Locator</span> (URL) resulted in the following revelation: <strong><em>Anyone who has ever applied for a UK visa online, have their personal details exposed to everyone on the Internet.</em></strong> Personal details such as passport number, address, phone numbers, email, family details, work details, salary, clients, real-estate owned, countries you've visited, where you're going and when you're travelling...the list goes on. Essentially, the entire form, i.e. <em>everything the British High Commission needs to know about you to grant you a visa is available for anyone to misuse</em>. Security is thrown out the window.<br /><br />This was naturally quite shocking. I quickly verified that what I was seeing was true: that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">VFS</span> India could be responsible for large scale identity theft, for every online visa application that it receives. I sent an email to both <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">VFS</span> India and the British High Commission explaining this serious security issue. After about two months, I heard back from the British High Commission thanking me for the email bringing this to their notice, and promising to look into this matter. A year later nothing has happened. And this is in spite of the fact that identity theft in the UK is treated quite seriously and there is a <a href="http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts1998/19980029.htm">parliamentary act </a>that protects such information.<br /><br />Identity theft occurs when a criminal uses another person's personal information to take on that person's identity. Identity theft in any form has serious consequences, and our law-makers in India should take a tougher stance. From a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Wikipedia</span> entry on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_theft">Identity Theft</a>, <em>"The crimes include illegal immigration, terrorism and espionage, to mention a few. It may also be a means of blackmail if activities undertaken by the thief in the name of the victim would have serious consequences for the victim".</em><br /><br />Terms & Conditions on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">VFS</span> UK India website state that <em>"Under the Data Protection Act, we have a legal duty to protect any information we collect from you"</em>. And they go on to say <em>"<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">VFS</span> shall not disclose or allow access to any personal data provided by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office or acquired by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">VFS</span> during the execution of the contract, other than to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">VFS</span> personnel or those otherwise lawfully concerned with the execution of the contract".</em><br /><br />Doesn't look like that to me. Whoever <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">VFS</span> India uses to design their website has some serious answering to do, and heads will surely roll. I'm not sure whether this security hole is visible in the United States <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">VFS</span> site or any other country's visa processing that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">VFS</span> India handle.<br /><br />In any case, I don't think I want to pay <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">VFS</span> for their services and then be exposed to this gaping security hole.<br /><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;" align="left"> </div><div align="left" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Excuse me while I try to find the end of this queue.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Update</span>: Problem "sol-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">ved</span>", as they say here in Bangalore! Check this <a href="http://sanjibmitra.blogspot.com/2007/05/vfs-plugs-security-hole.html">post</a>. This posting was also the basis of a <a href="http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/business_money/online+visa+security+flaw/517157">Channel 4</a> television news report in the UK on the 17th of May, just a week after publishing on this blog.<br /><br /><br /></span></div>sanjibmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12270641944162957900noreply@blogger.com6