Thursday, September 25, 2008

BASIC ETIQUETTE | Have fun reading

Cultures – Various Countries

--> Bangladesh
  • The "thumbs up" gesture is considered obscene
  • No money as gifts (unlike in Japan)
--> Malaysia
  • Pointing index finger is impolite but use thumb to point
--> Japan
  • Visiting cards should be given and accepted with both hands
  • If using a toothpick, cover the mouth with the other hand.
--> Thailand
  • Touching someone's head, even accidentally, requires an apology
  • King has high regard. Money or stamp dropped accidentally is picked up and reverently brushed
--> Vietnam
  • It is common to be asked how much one earns
--> Czech Republic
  • It is impolite to talk about a salary during a conversation, even with your close friends.
  • If a man is traveling with a woman to a restaurant, he must enter first and leave last.
--> Hungary
  • Throwing food away is considered rude. If not hungry he should offer it to others
  • Flashing car's headlights means, contrary to many other European countries, "I let you go ahead"
Basic – etiquette
  • Say 'please' to request, 'thanks' after receiving and 'you're welcome' when thanked
  • No name calling. Even if it's for fun
  • Greet everyone whenever you meet
  • Open doors for others and let elders to go first. Don't let the door slam.
  • Respect differences - when people do things differently
  • Close the mouth and turn away from people to cough or sneeze
  • When offered lift in a car sit in front if empty
Dining etiquette
  • Don't stuff your mouth full of food
  • Chew with your mouth closed
  • Don't reach over someone's plate for something
  • Don't speak with food in your mouth
  • Do not pick anything out of your teeth
  • In buffet style, wait in the queue and don't fill the plate
Phone etiquette - Telephone
  • Always respond with a hello or your name
  • If a wrong number be polite in saying so
  • Hang up the phone after agreement
Mobile phone
  • Use vibrator mode when it is on you
  • Never pickup a call during a meeting
  • While speaking mind your surrounding
  • Avoid long calls while in office
Letter / IOM etiquette
  • Start a letter with a greeting (Wish you, Thank you)
  • Start an IOM directly with business
  • Try and use abbreviation to names in IOM
  • Always use short and direct sentences.
  • While explaining a problem use bullet points
  • End a formal social note as, "Sincerely"
  • "Faithfully" is for a man to a woman, or any uncommercial correspondence
  • "Affectionately", "Lovingly," are in intimacy
E-mail etiquette

Greetings are acceptable
  • Do not type in all caps
  • Do not leave the Subject: field blank
  • Do not use colored text and background colors
  • When it is necessary to send a group mail use bcc
  • Don't forward unimportant emails without their permission
  • If you receive a nasty email - do not respond immediately
  • Always minimize or "zip" large files before sending
  • Reply to the mails immediately
  • For actions to be taken use a separate folder
  • Do not reply to junk or just don't open
More to follow ...... SG.

Friday, September 12, 2008

WEB 2.0 @ Storm - Defination, Features , Technologies & Hindrances

Web2.0 Definations

Web 2.0 refers to a perceived second generation of web-based communities and hosted services — such as social-networking sites, wikis and folksonomies — which aim to facilitate collaboration and sharing between users.

Web 2.0 can be simply defined as "an idea in people's mind","web 2.0 is all about open-ness and collaboration", because the features of web2.0 made the user interface so easy that s/he can utilise it as s/he feels it to be. It’s the ability to more efficiently generate, self-publish, and find information, plus share expertise in a way that’s so much easier and cheaper than earlier knowledge management attempt

Web 2.0 Technologies : weblogs, social bookmarking, wikis, podcasts, RSS feeds (and other forms of many-to-many publishing), social software, web application programming interfaces (APIs), and online web services such as eBay and Gmail provide a significant enhancement over read-only websites.

Web2.0 websites / tools and their usage

1. http://web2.0validator.com - Tool to identify whether the website has Web2.0 Features or not.
2. http://www.allthingsweb2.com (Web2.0 Directory)
3. http://www.lightsphere.com/dev/web20.html (Helps to choose name for Web2.0 website)
4. http://www.modernlifeisrubbish.co.uk/article/web-2.0-colour-palette (Website which helps in choosing Color Palette for Web2.0 Website)
5. http://creatr.cc/creatr/ (Tool which helps in creating Web2.0 rich logo)
6. http://www.seopher.com/articles/web20_now_a_skill (website which refers to the features, which makes a website web2.0 rich
7. http://webdesigninfo.wordpress.com/2007/04/11/create-web20-logo-video-tutorial/ (Video Tutorial to create Web2.0 rich logo)
8. http://www.5min.com/Video/Best-Web20-toolbars%20U9ohZwSvSxQ%3D (Best Web 2.0 Tool bars which make website more Web2.0 feasible)
9. http://www.ikiw.org/category/web20/ (Archives for web2.0 Category)
10. http://www.web2logo.com/ (Existing Web2.0 Logos)

You know you’re Web 2.0 when...

-> You can easily comment on, or preferably, actually change the content that you find on a Web site.
-> You can label your information with tags and use them to find that information again.
-> Your Web page doesn't reload even once as you get a whole lotta work done.
-> You are actively aware of other users' recent activity on a site.
-> It's possible for you to easily share with others the information you're contributing on the Web site.
-> You can syndicate your information on a Web site elsewhere on the internet through a feed like RSS or Atom.
-> You can pick and choose the pieces of a Web site that you like and then add that functionality to your own site.
-> There are easy ways to find out what content is the most popular or interesting at the moment.
-> You heard about a new Web site because a friend enthusiastically recommended it to you out of the blue.
-> There happens to be mind boggling amount information and a lot of people on a site, yet it seems easy to find what you want and communicate with others.
-> Everything you ever added to a given Web site can be removed easily at your whim.
-> The Web site actively encourages you to share and reuse its information and its services with others. And it even provides a license to do so.

Web 2.0 and the Five Walls of Confusion

1. The Wall of Buzzwords: AJAX, The Long Tail, Mashups, Memes, SaaS, and many more buzzwords and acronyms put up an impenetrable wall for the uninitiated. Yes, Web 2.0 describes dozens of interlocking design patterns and some good business models for online software. But in our zeal, we forget how far out in the envelope we are. Simple terms like online software, software in the browser, and the two-way Web are so much more approachable. It's not too late, we can explain Web 2.0 in kinder, simpler terms. And we should.

2. The Wall of Hype: This seems to have calmed down a bit but it also might just be moving around. Web 2.0 hype does seem to have diminished in the face of some withering anti-hype and the hype cycle has moved more to Web 2.0-related developments like mashups and the latest round of Web 2.0 startups. Nevertheless, Web 2.0 promotion continues unabated in certain circles along with the anti-hype and if you're not following closely, you don't know what to believe: whether Web 2.0 is the next generation of the Web, or if it's snake oil; if it's the future of software, or just a marketing gimmick. I will give you my point of view one last time: Web 2.0 is real. And for that good reason, and some not-so-good ones, there is a lot of hype surrounding it.

3. The Wall of Complexity: If you look at the Wired post above it has a particularly complex diagram in it. I actually drew that in order to create a pretty comprehensive view of most of the moving parts in Web 2.0. There are a lot and it's hard to figure out where to start as a user, much less a software designer. The good news is that the good exemplars (Flickr and del.icio.us) and some of our approaches (like AJAX), actually make it pretty obvious what you're supposed to do. But it's still very hard and what's still not conveyed very well is the sense of balance and proportion required. In other words, you're not supposed to pile every single one of these Web 2.0 ingredients into the cake, bake it, and sell it to the nearest Web software giant. It doesn't work that way. There is a constant feedback loop with your users on the Web that guide you in a close collaboration to add/remove features and capabilities while dynamically shaping and reshaping the product into what it needs to be at any given time.

4. The Wall of Significance. Is Web 2.0 a major new revolution in the way software is created and used? Probably. But there's a lot of stuff to learn, especially about the softer aspects of online systems like collaboration and social software. A lot of software developers, architects, and designers, more comfortable with the precise, exact parts that comprise software, are often pretty unhappy about this. Unfortunately for them, these aspects are probably here to stay, but they aren't sure. The competition for users, attention, and market share means you have to increasingly dangle the most effective engagement mechanisms or people will go elsewhere. And because we're human, there are few more powerful draws that building a sense of ownership and community. But in these early days, it's hard to tell if there really is a fundamental shift in first-order software design, or just a passing wave of faddish affectation. Those of you who read this blog know where I stand, but it's hard for everyone to appreciate the significance of all this yet.

5. The Wall of Ignorance: I find that most people in the real world (as in not-the-blogosphere) have no real idea what a blog is yet, much less a wiki. If I sample my local IT shop, I'll get better answers but surprisingly not much better. The real danger is in constructing such an advanced world that it alienates those that encounter it. This is almost like the buzzword problem above but it's even more insular. Fortunately, the very best Web 2.0 software blows past such problems and just lets people do their thing and not worry about what it's called. I talked for a bit with Debbie Landa of Under the Radar at the TechCrunch BBQ over the weekend and she summed it up best (and I'm paraphrasing): "If I can't figure it out in a minute or two, I know it doesn't have it." The bottom line is that great software will appeal to everyone and require no special knowledge, but all too many online software apps require all of that knowledge and will forever be relegated to users who are in the very tip of the progress envelope. A pity indeed.

These walls are the biggest barriers to appreciating Web 2.0 and are holding it back from whatever fame and greatness it may be destined for. Not that it won't get there eventually. But it's a giant world out there, even on the Web these days, and any message takes a while to transmit.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Prediction of the coming Disasters - Believe it or not?


Mr. Juseleeno, born in 1960 (reportedly still alive in 2008), is a Brazilian who has made many predictions, and MOST have come to pass, including Princess Diana's death by car accident (which is instigated by someone near her and will probably unfortunately be written off as a car accident), 911 and the 2004 Indonesian tsunami. He sees the future in his dreams, and has an average of 3 to 9 such predictions per day. When he wakes up, he will write them down, and send warnings to those concerned.


If it concerns only a normal individual, he will write a letter to warn him/her. If it is a famous person (celebrity, politician etc.), or matters concerning the public, he will not only send it to the individual himself/herself, but also related agencies, government, and media. He urged the media to publicise these predictions, but the reply always went along the lines of rejection for fear of arousing public panic.

Future predictions:

--> 2008, July: There will be an earthquake in Japan, which will cause a tsunami of 30 plus meters high to occur as well.

--> 2008, 18th September: An earthquake with magnitude of approximately 9.1 will rock China, simultaneously causing a tsunami of more than 30 meters to occur, resulting in the deaths of more than 1 million people.

Although this huge earthquake will happen after the Olympics have ended, there will be a series of relatively smaller earthquakes occurring in
China before the huge earthquake. The China government, which is more concerned with the success of the Olympics, will most likely neglect to employ appropriate cautionary measures, thus the high casualty rate. If the China government does not publicise the occurrence of these minor earthquakes and evacuate people, the number of deaths will be as predicted.

--> 2008, 17th December: terrorist attack in America

--> 2010: The temperatures in some countries of Africa could be as high as 58 degrees Celsius, and there will be a serious shortage of water.

--> 2010, 15th June: The New York Stock Exchange market will fail, causing an international financial crisis.

--> 2011: The research on the treatment of some cancers will be completed, but a new life-threatening virus will appear. People who are infected will die after only approx. 4 hours of coming into contact with the virus.

--> 2013, 1st - 25th November: Research on treatment of cancers, except for brain tumors, will be completed. An earthquake, caused by volcanic eruptions, will happen on Bahamas Island of the Canary Islands. A gigantic tsunami of roughly 150 meters will result. America mainlands, Brazil etc. will be affected, with the tsunami pushing into the land as far as 15 to 20 kilometers. Before the occurrence of this gigantic tsunami, the sea/ocean water levels will sink by about 6 meters, and large flocks of birds will start to migrate.

--> 2014: A small planet that has been gradually closing in on Earth might eventually collide with Earth, and this collision, if come to pass, will affect the survival of humans as a whole.

--> 2015: By the mid of November, the average temperature of Earth could be as high as 59 degrees Celsius. Many people will die from the overheat, and international confusion and terror ensues.

--> 2016, April: A huge typhoon will invade China, causing massive damage.
The 43rd USA president, George Walker Bush, will enter the hospital, and faces a life or death situation.

--> 2026, July: A super earthquake will occur in San Francisco, and it will be named 'The Big One'. Huge damage to surrounding areas. Many volcanoes will re-activate, and the height of resulting tsunami will be more than 150 meters.

Mr. Juseleeno made known his predictions in hopes that people will take heed of his warnings, so that these disasters may be avoided. He hopes there will be a major change in the thinking of people's mindsets in the time period 2007 - 2008. One factor will be the environmental issue of global warming, which is more serious than what some meteorologists assume.

More Information :
1. http://readingshouts.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/future-predictions-form-mr-juseleeno-who-knows
2. http://bernz.multiply.com/journal/item/154