(c) 2008 Puja GoyalMagazine: Live ITMonth of Publication: February 2009New trends are taking on social networking websites. There was also an array of friendly websites like batchmate.com, orkut.com etc; which attempted to connect lost friends. Yet others let you connect to new ones. There are some emerging social networks on the internet which are revolutionizing trends in connecting, and

I reached New Delhi at around 10.30am on 31st July 08, and immediately took a taxi to Pragati Maidan. It turned out to be a big event with all sorts of people attending it. Although the event was organized on a massive scale only a few attended. By few I mean the general public was sparse and only the top notch, individuals involved in technological developments and others who would market these developments like school principals, marketers, other product manufacturers, competitors and those types of individuals attended. As such, the real individuals whose lives would be impacted with decisions made by the higher ups or so- called decision makers were negligent.

However, I was disappointed by many things which I shall mention as the letter proceeds. The positive aspect to the disappointment is that it gave me clarity about how decision makers think.

Anyhoo, I was on time for my session, and the mother of all technological failures at a technological event. My presentations which was on the PPT refused to work. It wasn't my fault really. They hadn't updated their software. I was glad that I had checked on it before the seminar started. I wasn't the only one. There were a couple of others who wanted to use their own laptops resulting in delays. However, my presentation was finally working when someone ran all over the place and got it fixed.

I was the first speaker, but due to the frenzy, they pooled me as the last one. We were told earlier that we had ten minutes each, but as the presentations proceeded, I was allowed only about 6 minutes. Why? The presenters before did not confirm to their time.

Unlike us the other presentations were not so subtle. They spoke about their company and what they had to offer to the public. As such, there was no such discussion on what needs to be done about digital learning and how it can actually help youngsters gain perception and at the same time help educators better their skills in imparting education.

In a gist, everyone lost the point!!

The guy who was proceeding through our session was an idiot. He didn't know who to cut short and who to allow going on. He didn't encourage audience participation and allowed for only two questions from the audience. I don't really remember the first question: but the second question was a very valid and important one, "how can digital learning help bridge the gap between rural and urban education?" No one could answer that and since everyone was against social – networking, they didn't think it could be answer to any technological developments.

I don't imply to sound peeved or resilient, but the session I was put in really didn't make any point.

It seemed to me that what was discussed was irrelevant and outdated. The first few speakers spoke of their products, like an e-scholarships portal they had to offer, a language learning tool developed by a company (I would still like to go to an institute and talk to real humans instead of virtual people, when it comes to learning a language, but that's besides the point) and few other educational instruments created by them. There was another science educational tool by this company (ah I forget), who say that you can conduct experiments and combine chemicals online to see their results instead of working on it manually. (What would be the point of it, I don't know) They also spoke of how progressed students have become. They like to cut and paste pictures and Google notes, and teachers can also partake in it to make class interesting by cutting and pasting pictures. The teachers can now use the cutting and pasting technology in class to make projects. One speaker then showed us 100 photos of Dubai, the developments taking place and how Dubai will look in the next 10 to 15 years. It was of course a PPT we had to sit through, and was combined with streaming music composed by Mozart.

The impression I got was that everyone was against social – networking; they didn't think it could be an answer to any technological development. The truth is that they completely abhor it; they don't realize that it is a result of technological development. The only picture they have of it is of teenagers, whiling away their parents' money whilst chatting with strangers on the internet, commenting and scrapping friends unnecessarily and watching porn. This point was reiterated not once but four times in the next session; the speakers had sat through my session and therefore didn't quite buy the idea I suppose.

The point of the discussion really should have been how to use technology effectively so that it can be beneficial to the masses in general.

Like I said, everyone lost the point really.

The second session was a mess really. It started off with this Koshy Lady who showed us an advertisement. The advt. showed a priest running a school, a kid comes for admissions and he is not able to enroll her due to lack of space, he feels sad and prays at the church. He is struck with the idea that he could educate more with the help of a mobile phone. So, he gives every village a mobile phone and the students come to class to listen to a teacher teaching on a mobile phone. Koshy went on to elaborate how useless technology is in connecting people; and how futile it is to be taught through a mobile phone.

The speakers of that session ended up taking potshots at each other; citing instances of how isolated technology can make you. They also defined "DIGITAL LEARNING" ten times in their own words, and slammed educational software manufacturers for taking the cake out of the educators hand by restricting their creativity. A few seemed to be completely against technology. Chatting is of no consequence, I guess… because they were pretty peeved by the idea, and kept mentioning Orkut and Chatting all the time.

In the end, everyone had bad feelings for each other. They seemed to hate each other, I think. What should have been a healthy discussion about what the next step in technological developments should be, turned into total heartburn.

In retrospect, we had an extremely valid point of discussion. Only that, they couldn't see beyond Orkut. It was another form of a generation gap. The speakers, participants, panelists and perceivers had entered the arena with fixed ideas and thoughts; they were not willing to embrace a possibility of using a tool (social networking) which was readily available to the youth. The movers and shakers of the technological world couldn't see beyond what they thought. In the end Internet meant chatting; nothing more and nothing less.

I'm not a biggie when it comes to technology. I don't create technology; but from what I see around me, I don't think anything new will be developed right now for the next how many ever years. The real challenge will not be in creating something new, but how effectively we use the one's we already have.

Speaking of which, I did meet a principal from Jharkhand. He has been granted some funding (by the government of India), to organize a proper educational structure for children; but unfortunately he is not being able to organize manpower. Why? The area is dangerous to live… what with shooting happening everyday. No one wants to teach over there. He was exploring possibilities in working with us to do something about it.

We finished our sessions etc, and left around 4.30 pm. I headed straight to the Airport after that….

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I though I should share this conversation with one of my friends, with you.. it would make some sense I guess. I have been stupid in the past and now they come to haunt me. People should realise that a no is a no apparently India men like to pursue even if its a no for some odd reason thiinking its a yes.

puja says: what happened was a few years back in 2002, apparently i was stupid so I was going through this website and decided that I liked it.. so I left a comment on the site. it required an email id so without thinking I left my email there too..after a few months.. this dude added me to his messenger.

puja says: i thought he was one of my friends so i did.. i introduced and asked who he was and he said i had left a comment on his website and that he wanted to make friends. i told him that it was only a comment and that it is not required that everyone who leaves a comment should be approached for friendship and that a comment does not mean i wanna make friends with everyone who visits the page. then he went on his own trip.. and started absing me saying i'm taking it personally and that im not a sport and that i am thinking of him as some evil thing.. and stuff like that he even started saying stuff like he was my friend and all.. i was like hell.. you are not my friend

Evenflow says: men and their ego

puja says: and he's like but he is cos he has been sending me forwards.. and stuff.. which he was, he was sending me stupid junk mail. and a part of the reason why i communicated with him was because i wanted him to stop sending them. i had blocked his emil id twice but i still got junk i dont know why

puja says: he called me a bitch and stuff for it.. he threatened to hack my account and all ... you know what happened after this? after this i actually started thinking maybe i am over reacting and stuff..

Evenflow says: and

puja says: and then after a while.. i got over it and shook myself up and thought.. i dont even know this guy i dont give a shit about him!!! why should i bother

Evenflow says: thats the problem with me too

puja says: but it was mentally draining then.. he was encroaching upon me.. the problem is we dont even realise this is happening..

Evenflow says: i also thot if i was over reacting

puja says: yeah.. we always end up thinking that maybe something is wrong with us.

Evenflow says: ya even if the guy means good, i dont want to know him . thats what matters right what we want not what that guy wants

puja says: i checked my msn now and guess what.. after all the nonsense and me telling him that i wil ltake him to the police and he should remove me from his lst.. he

hasn't removed me

Evenflow says: some psycho

puja says: yeah what matters is what we want.. but the problem is we do not get what we want

Evenflow says: i guess we have to be assertive, more assertive abt what we want

puja says: and i do not even wanna think about it.. but now i am extremely paranoid about it and dont even want to be a part of any orkut community anymore

Evenflow says: I am not , i deleted many at the same time i have given an email id which i dont use

puja says: i was assertvie shubha.. very assertive. i told him it was a mistake.. it was only a coment i do not want to contnue communications and he said.. why?

Evenflow says: so i know that even if i am spammed, i know. those why's are difficult to answer

puja says: this is the page on which is my comment http://pub26.bravenet.com/guestbook/2147624852/4, yeah these are the questions you cannot answer.. its a stupid question.. what do you mean why..? cant you take a no?

Evenflow says: men cant

puja says: http://www.stormloader.com/haresh/mypage.html is the stupid site.

Evenflow says: they think they rule over the world

puja says: i'm very scared shubha i hate the intenret.. you dunno .. i'm damn paranoid about this thing. and its funny that we have to make all our conversations through this

Evenflow says: which one is ur comment

puja says: i have deleted so many accounts so many times.. and remade them because i should not run away i should be confident.

puja says:
Name: Puja
Where are you from? Bangalore
What did u like the best about this site?? Its cool it Rocks
Do you love me?? I dont know you.....cant say
What do u hav to say buddy?????? Hey, I dunno who you are, I liked your website. I checked it out cos I got your mail, I dunno if it was default or not. I like making friends and hanging out in general. I wanted to make a website for a long time but didnt know how. And was wondering if you'd like to help me out make one for mine. (i have later retracted this statement when he communicated with me. I told him I was no longer interested but he persisted saying that I commented so I was obliged to talk to him and make friends)

Evenflow says: ok

puja says: i fucked it big time right?

Evenflow says: naah i guess its ok to appreciate someone abt their blog but at the same time its wrong for the person to think that he can rule over u bcos u left a comment

puja says: i know, thats what i thought.. its a stupid comment.. you leave because you appreciate something.. that does not give you the right to start a coomunication with them and harass them to talk to you. if a girl says no politely move on dude

Evenflow says: yup

puja says: the problem is we as girls are scared about even informing the police cos these guys take it the wrong way.. then i'm worried what if they do something drastic to take revnge.. we have more to loose

so what should I do now?

MORAL OF THE STORY DON'T EVER LEAVE YOUR EMAIL IDS ON SOMEONE'S WEBSITE LEST THEY HARASS YOU FOR EBING BEST FRIENDS. AND BETTER STILL DON'T EVER LET PEOPLE KNOW IF YOU LIKE WHATEVER IT IS.

The vision must be followed by the venture.
It is not enough to stare up the steps -
We must step up the stairs.

- Vance Havner

This is inspired by something I read a while ago... I hope it makes sense
to you as you guys drop in and ardently read my blog.

I know that at times, for whatever reason, things hold me back... and when
I think about it in my quite moments after a long while... analysing,
dissecting the reasons I stayed away from taking action. I realise it was
nothing. I can never basically pin point any genuine reason for holding back.
This time around though, I will work hard and attempt not to do so, unless
well.. someone is gonna die or the world war three is on the dice.. hehe.

There is also somethin I read a while ago that somehow makes sense too..
I do not know who the writer is tho, but I would like to mention it here.
"It not the things we did that we regret the most in the end, but the things
that we did not attempt that we wanted most to do, that we regret."

(what I read)
"Deep down inside, you know what is holding you back -- even if you don't
want to admit it. But the universe lets you know that it is time to face up to
it and get rid of it. You may get a glimpse of what will happen if you don't
move on, or you may be shown the possibilities of what can happen to your
life if you do. It can be difficult to accept when something is over, but if you
hold on too long, you won't be doing yourself any favors."

LOVE THIS..

Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except
what you're going to do now and do it.

- William Durant, founder of General Motors
(write more about this later, got loads of stories and philosophies to share)