Chanced upon this interesting video. Thought, provoking, yes. Inspiring, no. But the statistics are some that need no reassuring from our generation. The change is already underway, and will be the definition of what the next generation will look like. Interconnected, collaborative, interdependent, but still fiercely individualistic.

Micheal Wesch & Kansas State University.

(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

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What’s common between the QWERTY Keyboard, Orkut & Windows?

They all zark the theory of natural selection right up its own behind. They are examples of mediocre innovations prevailing and becoming market leaders in the face of better, kickass competition.

It is public knowledge that the QWERTY keyboard is one of the worst designs that one could make for the English Alphabet (The QWERTY layout was designed so that successive keystrokes would alternate between sides of the keyboard so as to avoid jams on the typewriters. Or so says Wikipedia). Even as I am typing this, my fingers are being unnecessarily pressurized and my tendons worn out one keystroke at a time, when there are more scientific, more efficient ways of placing the keys on the board. The most frequently used ‘e’ and ‘a’ and all other letters are not optimized to reduce chances of the eventual carpal tunnel. But still none of us use the better, healthier DVORAK keyset.

Friendster, Hi5 and Facebook. Many more features, easier interfaces, many more user created applications, much more technologically advanced than Orkut. They don’t even screw up often, no ‘bad server, no doughnut’ cow-crap. But still, every teenager and every gen-x leftover worth his cool avatar is flocking has already spent uncountable hours on his Orkut scraps, writing testimonials and checking out profiles of strangers.

And don’t even get me started about Windows. Known in the 90s for its Blue Screen of Death, I must say it has come a long way with NT and XP as an operating system, but yet, it’s nowhere even close to Open source competitors. Redhat, Fedora, Ubuntu, and hajjar other options. No security holes ever, no virus attacks, no SP2 updates, no exposed vulnerabilities, no trojans, no worms, (or atleast, lesser trojans and worms) and best of all, many of them don’t cost a frickin’ penny. But yet, I look at the market share of Windows, and I want to wake Darwin from his grave, whack him on his head, and ask him if he had any clue as to what he was talking about.

The common thread that runs across these examples is: Adoptability. Sometimes it is caused by the lack of options or the first mover advantage (Qwerty). Sometimes it is because of ease of use and simplicity (Windows). Other times it is the peer group and portability (Orkut).

Whatever the reason is, if it makes users adopt an innovation, and stick to it, we have a winner! But how does one use this quirk of markets to one’s advantage? Combine all of them and make them your strategy.

Move first, make it usable, influence the peer group, leave it to the community. And watch any innovation spread like wildfire.

And, if you have an innovation that is actually one of the best in the market, combine these strategies and you can kick anyone’s butt. Including entrenched behemoths. (Firefox vs IE, Wordpress vs Blogspot).

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The Ambujam Mami Network. AKA The Gupta Aunty Network above the Vindhyas. AKA Four (not six, mind you) degrees of separation.

Different names, same purpose. A network that can put any alumni database to shame. You mafia fellas with your Omertas, you Opus Dei and your age old fraternities: here is something that is so secret, no one knows how it develops; something so deadly that your movements can be tracked/monitored/reported on a city level basis no matter which country you are in; something so effective that a single Tambram chap can find himself being introduced to someone he suddenly finds is going to be his future better half even before he can say “blitzkrieg”.

The AMN has been recognized as a potent force over many such startling revelations. For example, it almost single-handedly put the marriage-broker / tarakar / panditji community out of business (before the concept of kundali was marketed as being critical and ergo, the astrology mumbo-jumbo made quintessential). The connections are instant, the relationships forged at broadband speed and before you know it, jadagams are flying around.

To illustrate the gravity of the issue I present two sample conversations of the network building process. Compare, contrast and concur.

At an alumni meet, in some snazzy banquet hall, in some snazzy country:

“Hey, hello there. My name’s Harish. Batch of 2007. And I see… (reading name tag) you are… Rohan. Nice to meet ya, Rohan.”

“Hey, nice to meet you too. I’m from the batch of 1999. So how’s Lucknow nowadays?”

“Aah same old. Hostels 14 being built since ages now. But the second lib has come up pretty fast, just behind Manthan.”

“Hostel 14?!! Second Lib?! Manthan?! We had 4 rooms and a toilet. And a promise of a library. I have no clue what you talking about.”

“Umm.. err.. ok. So, how’s work?”

And if its a marketing maniac in an FMCG (for example, yours truly) and an i-Banker in the conversation, the situation above will soon lead to glazed eyes, uncoordinated nodding and expedited consumption of vodka shots.

But then, the AMN is not handicapped by year of passing, relatability or even industry. You just have to belong.

At Srinivasa Perumal temple, any country:

“Oh, namaskaram mami. So nice to meet you. So, enda ooru (which town do you hail from?)”

“Naangal Tanjavur. Neengal? (We are from Tanjore. How about you?)”

“Naangal Tiruvarur pakkatla XYZ kukgramam.” (translation doesn’t matter. The move is already made by now.)

“Ooohhh! How nice to meet our people. Do you know Lalita who lived in the second street next to the temple?”

“She’s my second cousin from my father’s side! How do you know her?”

“Her brother is my co-brother’s brother-in-law. You know, the one who’s called Ambi?”

“Oh, Srini daane! Of course we know them very well. So you have any children?”

“Yes, one son. He just graduated, and is working in Singapore.”

And within five minutes, the conversation has “arranged marriage” written all over it. Notice the subtle endearments, pre-existing relationships and stalker-level detailing of information. And mind you, ladies and gentlemen, I make this up not. I have seen this happen in every single marriage / sashtiaptapoorti / sadabishekam / anniversary function that I have attended. The AMN network goes by this tenet: Everyone knows everyone, or will know within 5 minutes of meeting each other.

While you are reeling under mind-twister relationships (father’s uncle’s second cousin’s daughter) the AMN is already mingling like long lost beer-buddies. And before you know it, there’s an eligible, homely sweet girl living in a street next to you, whom your mom has already met in a Tiruppugazh recital.

The AMN spans cities, nations, even generations. You are never too far, you are never too furtive. They will know, and they will hunt you down.

Beware. Run if you can. While I go visit tamilmatrimony.com and find out if someone’s already posted my profile there.

[I have to credit Pravin for the birth of the term AMN.]

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Hmmm… Let me see. Lived in Orchard (next to Hyatt and the Marriot), swam in a pool on the 7th floor of a hotel that cost more than 200$ per night, went to a huge night club, danced atop platforms like fuck cares, saw many good movies, saw many more horribly boring movies, met a really cool Singaporean, tried Singapore Sling (and loved it), totoficated at Hard Rock Cafe’s band, had a tequila sunset at Clark Quay, met up with Manan, Guptaji, Kavita, Ravi; joined music classes, learnt the raag Thodi (or atleast started to), composed a song, read 3 books, cooked dal-chawal for three (many times over), went to a dance performance, made many new friends, published website, learnt about hair wax, mousse, gel, spray, clay, conditioner, mask, serum, tonic, color, bleach, developer; learnt about cutting, perm, rebonding, straightening, coloring, bleaching, volume, texture; met a millionaire hairstylist, attended a hair show, met a few models, played the dj at a small party of people I knew; cropped my hair short, used (my best selling) crude clay to spike it up to office once, went in jeans and a polo to office on Mondays, went in full formals on Fridays, did Avani Avattam in a Singapore temple, made seven team mates (all of different nationalities) appreciate Indian food, launched a million-$ initiative, swam 40 laps (still my dear paunch doesn’t seem to be going anywhere), and of course, not to forget, even met a mysterious train girl :)

Not bad, I’d say…

Yishun (n.): A yawn so big, your jaws hurt. Usually accompanied by watery eyes and gaping people in neighbouring cubicles.

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Hmmm… got my feedreader running, subscribed to my usual reads, and one more of the wonders of simplicity in human creativity was waiting right there, in my feedlist, begging to be read, and subsequently, shared.

www.extrabed.in. Go visit. Right now.

The concept is alarmingly simple. Bloggers host bloggers who are traveling to their city, and in return get a place to stay when they are traveling. Save on crazy hotel rates, and the issue of security and hosting a stranger is negligible (most bloggers are compulsive chroniclers of their life anyways). A brilliant way to shack up with fellow bloggers and make new friends.

And yes, runs on a wiki, so basically everyone builds the site. The only area of growth pains is going to be the fact that even the net-savvy Indian blog community isn’t too adept with wiki-editing. So the Web 2.0 site that is supposed to look slick and simple, ends up looking like a Frontpage nightmare gone wrong. Some intervention from the hosting community needed there, methinks. Brilliant idea about sharing stories and pictures of bloggers who met through the site.

On the whole a nice simple concept with some renewed faith in user-developed content, and relationships too. Bravo!

(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

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Moulmein (n.): The brave act of finally spraying oneself with cold water on a groggy morning after endless minutes of staring into the shower spray. Usually starts with hands and feet and slowly moves up to more jumpy parts of the body.

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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