Continuing with Social Networking Sites and other utility applications

Bill Gates is a very rich man today... and do you want to know why? The answer is one word: versions - Dave Barry

This week was the continuation of being ‘at it’. It was relentless pursuit with satisfaction and hope that whatever one can imagine; the same can materialize with computer application.

What started as zeal of using this electronic machine to communicate, has evolved as a tool to every aspect of my life. Commenced somewhere around 1996, with some initial inertia, it took off with the advent of Internet. Many would recapitulate me promoting use of Computers and Internet among medical professionals for professional productivity at scientific meets and conferences.

If one recapitulates, Rajiv Gandhi was the first high profile non-professional who popularised use and spread of computers in India to various spheres of life. Incidentally, I met the then Chairman, Electronic Commission of India, Mr. P. S. Deodhar at Mt.Abu. While interacting with him, I asked, ‘How do you rate Rajiv Gandhi? Whether he visualized the rough print of the revolution we see today? He said, ‘Rajiv Gandhi had the fancy of gizmos. He had the normal curiosity of knowing about each one of them. I don’t think he had a clear plan for telecommunication and electronics’. Slowly, Rajiv Gandhi, Prof. Deodhar and Sam Pitroda while working in tandem started dreaming of the common man using these electronic devices.

Ideas just start backed sometimes by unexplainable intuition. Initially, ideas start developing; things start becoming clearer and a team sharing the common vision start falling into place. Thereafter, one starts visualizing instead of dreaming. One pursues, circumstances aid and propel to reach a recognisable destination. That’s an acknowledgeable pedestal.

Social networking Sites

Whether there is anything more to Social networking sites than just catching up with friends and reconnecting with long lost schoolmates? That’s what I intend to explore.

Let me share some discoveries of the last fortnight. It has been a pleasant surprise to connect to our students especially Post Graduate students. Having connected to one of a batch, one is able to get connected to the rest in the network.

Secondly, is you are interested in following your professional idol, spiritual guru or a potential mentor, Twitter is the place to be. It is believed that one can glimpse at what ideas are journeying through them. Immediately, the question arises, ‘How do we get their twitter id’. If you type their name in Twitter or Google search, one can probably get to their id. They are here at the networking site to share and connect and not to mask themselves.

Picking the right network group: Some guidelines
· Check for activity levels – when was the most recent post made?
· How many members are there in the community?
· Quality Check – Are there only questions and no answer.

Used well these networks might open opportunities for freelancers.

Moxilla Firefox
Even though my email id is on the Google portal, I never explored the various applications available with them. I am extremely happy using Moxilla Firefox browser with Google task bar attached to it. It is very fast and pleasant to operate. Google Earth, Google Images and Picasa photo album are worth trying. Google Spy Doctor and Google computer taskbar search interfered with system functioning; therefore, they were uninstalled.

Fine tuning the system
Having adopted some fine-tuning tasks, I have been able to feel a perceptible difference during the functioning of my system. Actually, my system was functioning slowly with some applications getting corrupted. Out of the blue, I recapitulated some inputs given by my computer maintainer.

Going to the programs from start icon > Accessories > system tools > click clean disc. After having done >click Scandisk. Lastly, click System defragmenter. These tools are also available on right clicking on the drive and going to properties.


There one sees the tools tab. I am not trying to give you the help menu (F1) but an overview.

Getting information off the Internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant - Mitchell Kapor

Let’s quit.

So long,

Sharad