A Better Education System

Right now our education system is a class/standard based education system. Means for for the given year a student has to study the given number of subjects and if he/she doesn't pass one of the subjects he/she has to repeat the year. Also the students are graded on the basis of the cumulative percentage of the marks they get.

In this big range of figures what is hidden is that a student might not be interested/weak/slow-learner for a given subject. This takes toll from other subjects which he is good at. Its better that he gives exams when he thinks he is ready. Rather giving it at fixed time of the year.

Another opposite of the above is that a given student is good/strong/fast-learner at a given subject and still he has to stick with rest of the class and wait for the final exams. 

Why not students have a choice to give the exams when they are ready. This might look like a havoc on the system. But if we consider that not all students will be giving the exams at the same time, for a given time it will be some fraction, (consider GRE, TOEFL etc.)

Consider another option students have to stick with the class/standard based system even if he is good enough to solve the problems of a given subject from higher classes/standard. Rather than having some subjects required to pass to move to the next class/standard its better if we have class/standard associated with each subject and a student has to clear the exams of that subject to be awarded certificate of learning that subject.

Consider the case of colleges asking for the students to have passed class 10+2 with some subjects. Presently students has to pass the whole 10+2. Why not simply the college asking for certificate of 10+2 for the required subjects.

Here is an infographic:

Subjects in pipeline

Zoho: Beyond Google Apps

For those of you using Google apps (with Gmail account or as a Google App user), Google may be the best in search but not in all spheres.

If you are the one who is constantly using the web apps for daily purposes and want something better than the basic feature set take a look at the website:


www.zoho.com

 It provides the complete suite. All the applications complementary to the Google docs, spreadsheets, forms and presentation are available. They are packed with a lot more features. And the good thing about it is you can login nto it using the Google account.

Give it a try and you won't be disappointed.

Zoho services

One More Step To Prevent Your Privacy

We generate large amount of data while we are connected to the Internet. It not only records with whom we talk, chat or share content but also about the habits we have. The data about us being put into the corporate use.

For those who are uninitiated, its worthwhile to note that your login account is not the only thing by which you are being tracked. The advertisement serving websites also put up cookies on your computer to identify you. To record your clicking habits and serve you the advertisements that recognize what are the things that you are more inclined to buy.

One option to get away from this to install AdBlock in Firefox (and similar addon or plugin in other browsers) to turn off the ads alltogether but this hurts the websites that give you the free content.


Google with the option to opt-out of the profiling of the user habits and serve the independent ads only (link). However, this has not been so much publicised and very small percentage of people have done so. Additionally a plugin is also available to install with your browser to make the opt out permanent.

The best option is to visit National Advertising Initiative and opt-out of the target advertising from all kinds of ads serving services.

Ads: Don't Block

Most of us hate advertisements. Be it in newspaper, television or the Internet. One of the most popular add-ons for Firefox is Adblock Plus, which regularly update the list of the advertisers and block them before they get loaded. The other popular browsers like IE, Opera and Chrome also provide the way to block ads in some or the other way. Of course, nothing can't be done about newspapers and TV.

We do not like ads because they take space, waste our time (and badwidth too) and for those with limited data plans the precious bytes. However we forget that advertisements has made it possible for the masses to get free access to the information for free or at very low cost. We get news, articles and the very important Google (all tools with search included) for free because they draw their money heavily from the ads.
Many people are self employed due to online ads.


I feel that ads are necessary. Ad-blockers are good, but in the end it may happen that we might have to pay for monthly search on Google (ugly huh!)


But the ads on the websites today have gone frenzy. There should be at least some minimum ethics so that it doesn't hit the end user heavily. These might be:

1. Ads placed so that they do not obstruct the content. Ads placed in between downgrade the original purpose of the visit to the site.

2. Ads should be clearly mentioned as ads, not the part of the article whereever they appear. Some companies pay for putting ads and links without the disclamer from the advertiser. It reduces the credibilty of the website, if your reader is cheated by the company (even if he isn't, because you are putting things you don't know about)

3. Text ads and images are fine, but the ads with heavy flash content and recently which automatically stream audio and/or video are very annoying. They consume too much bandwith.

Avatar: The Message

The recent blockbuster 'Avatar' is refusing to leave the news. It has aroused so many criticisms as well as bounty of praises. The movie has been praised for its animation as well as the bold story - a human being choosing to live the life of an alien. On the other hand many people condemned it for wrong teachings. Wikipedia's article is protected to avoid vandalism and flooding of so many ideas.

One may see that story is not a seminal. It combines the elements from history, literature, science and philosophy that we already know.

These all are interrelated as they touch the topic not of how humans relate to each other but also to how we relate to nature - living vs. non-living. Moreover, I feel that the movie matches a lot more, than just the concept of avatar, with the Hindu philosophy.

The dark blue colour of the Na'vi people might have been inspired by the similar complexion of the God Vishnu and his avatars Lord Shri Ram and Lord Krishna.

Na'vi people have almost similar emotions as human beings. For example politics in the clan, building the trust, love sacrifice and urge for self-preservation. The living styles are very equivalent to the iron age man. They hunt animals for food and wear primitive clothes. What sets them apart is their close communion with the nature, not only as ecosystem or symboysis but the very nature of life('soul') and the communication with it not in language but in thoughts. Even this very concept of soul exists in the religious texts of Hinduism and Jainism. Many stories of Hindu mythology tell about the saints and Gods roaming in others bodies.

The movie also touches upon the fact of blind exploitation of resources for the business profit, disregard for others be it aliens or even human beings. can't we say that the Earth is the for all living beings and humans have encroached upon it. At some point one may think that how man went away from the nature. And now our environment problems are the effects of our own activities.

Avatar pronouncedly also shows the traits of the racism. The technologically advanced race killing the other race. And those from the former who cannot stand the violence switch sides to help (reminds me a lot of the freedom struggles in Asia and Africa)

The Vatican has condemned the movie as Christianity condemns worship of nature [link].

Names of Chetan Bhagat's Novels

1. Five Point Someone



2. One Night @ The Call Center




3. The 3 Mistakes Of My Life



4. Two States


All the names contain a number. Why? Is it Chetan's own style, some hidden meaning or he likes numbers? And will he continue this pattern later. Lets see what he comes up with.

I wrote this just to let you notice this.