I like Etymology as Science. Words of any language evolve and take shapes and forms of their own which might mean a lot different than the source.
One word which is interesting to me is ‘Pen’.
The word ‘pen’ is derived from Middle English pen, penne (like Pasta) which meant “enclosure for animals”, or basically a Cage or the more obvious ‘penitentiary’ or Prison. Ink Pen would’ve been a cage for Ink. From that, we moved on to Ball Pen, stylus, and so on.
While Pen originally meant to enclose or shut off things, it changed into something which resembles freedom and lets us imagine things.
We already have MNP or mobile number portability in India. That is, the ability to keep the same phone number but freely moving across different Service Providers. That helps us to choose the best plan for ourselves and keeps the Service Provider companies’ exorbitant price hikes in-check. We also have multiple Cloud Services providers, Data Storage providers, Banks, and so forth where we can change our service providers to choose what suits us.
Dr. Aral suggested this strange-sounding but still worth paying attention to idea: Why can’t Social Media companies act like Social Service Provider? Each of their users (i.e. us) should be free to change the service and move over to another while taking all of their data and friend lists with them.
For example, say I have 800 friends on Facebook (I had 1000+ but one day I cleaned it up) and say I am not on Twitter (I am but I just tweet about the weather). But I am done with Facebook’s privacy rules and constantly showing up of ads on my Timeline. So, if I want to move on to somewhere else, I have to lose all my data then and there. I would lose all my private messages, photos, comments, and so on. Instead, I should have the ability to either download everything that Facebook has recorded with my account (which is after all a unique ID). Or, I should be able to port it all to another social media website, say Twitter. Of course, each one has its own functionalities but in general, they all have Text, Photos, Replies, and private messages as their primary functionality. Moreover, I should also be able to connect to (via APIs) any user (or block them everywhere) from any other social media website.
This idea would help regulate not only the companies who just flaunt the monopoly and power they have over people’s lives, but it would also increase accountability on part of the user. Basically, all these companies are just service providers and they should behave in such a manner. Really interesting if this happens!
One downside from user’s perspective is that this would need a user to lose their anonymity to an extent if they show up with their real name on Facebook but you want to say whatever comes to their mind on Twitter as anonymous. But we need to choose what we find more precious, our data or our freedom of expression.
You can listen to the full podcast here where he talks further about other things which make Social Media what a behemoth it is:
Let’s give it a try. By not bursting firecrackers this time? I know it is a cliche but have we really given it a go, completely ever? Obviously, I cannot force or coerce anyone. I am just thinking out loud.
What if, the next morning of Diwali, roads look a bit cleaner, devoid of white and red leftovers of the crackers, half-burnt sparkle sticks, crushed flower pots, and rockets gone haywire?
What if, the air feels a bit lighter than the usual next day? Easier to breathe for non-asthmatic people too.
What if, instead of spending 2 hours outside the home, you reconnect with family and friends, just by having a conversation?
What if, money spent on Firecrackers can be put to some other use?
We have known Diwali to be full of loud noises throughout the evening and late into the night. What if it is just silent in decibels? But all the shiny and fancy clothes, houses, markets, and shops staying intact.
What if it works out and we end up liking it this way?
There might not be anything in the name but there might be everything in the Title.
Bhujia or Namkeen, the delightful savory made in Bikaner, is world-famous without a doubt (at least for me). Near the old place of my grandparents, there is one particular shop from which we still get our quarterly supplies in kilograms of Bhujia every time someone gets a chance to visit. The shop is called Hariram Namkeen Bhandaar but someone nicknamed it ‘Kauda ki Dukaan’, or the Shop owned by ‘Kauda‘. Now, Kauda was just a slang which actually means nothing. But it was meant to depict the somewhat large eyes of the then shopkeeper, as a joke.
I was about to write today’s blog but then I got reminded about the happenings of 8 PM, November 8, 2016. As we all know, Demonetization changed our lives forever. Earlier, we use to pay with notes, coins, Netbanking, Cards, and mobile wallets as tender. Now we pay with notes, coins, net banking, cards, mobile wallets and… Oh, actually nothing changed really. I might have been dreaming about utopia. Nevertheless, I also got reminded about 2 of my previous posts about the DeMo by Modi.
Ricky Gervais is known for comedies. In most of them, he is known to be blunt, totally devoid of social conventions, goofy, and oblivious to others’ feelings. In Netflix’s After Life, he plays the same character. But there’s a huge difference. He is still intolerable, but because he is coping with a loss.
It might come across as being weak. However, if one is willing to accept that the positions they held, at a given point of time, were based on their knowledge at that given point of time, it is fine and rather brave. We all evolve and change our opinions.
For a long time, I used to think Fasting on Karwachauth is a trick pulled on womenfolk. And men who fasted along with their wives were sissies. One thing is that with time, the word sissies has been completely erased from my dictionary. Second, if one wants to fast, they totally can. I am no-body to impose my thoughts on someone else’s faith unless it is hurtful.
Moreover, one thing I myself need to try is a full day fast. I have never tried it yet although I think I can. This intermittent fasting will take ages to come into effect.
