Posts By Anant
Twitter and its role
I’ve started to use Twitter increasingly and find it to be a great tool. I joined Twitter when it was quite young, a couple of months after it launched but never used it much (my tweetstats graph) but have started using it more often in the past couple of months.
The main point of Twitter is the conversations it fosters as well as meeting new people. The advantages of Twitter over other forms of communication? Short 140 character messages and the ability to follow someone’s “tweets” without them having to follow you, which in my opinion is a good system.
But it is also flawed. As I stated, Twitter is the new medium for quick conversation outside of email, IM etc. Now the web-interface of Twitter is designed such that if someone posts a tweet to you, it comes in your replies tab but not in your message timeline. For those who have many followers, friends on Twitter, they will get a lot of @replies so can easily miss this.
And this has been a frustration. Many times I have tweeted someone but received no reply. No I guess it because they missed my tweet (and assume that they are not ignoring me ;) ) . I think is fundamentally due to the design of twitter. There should be a way for the recipient to know that someone tried to contact him/her. Not necessarily in their normal timeline but somehow, distinguish that someone who is not on their friends list said something to them. In this manner, twhirl/snitter etc are much better because they show all @replies to the twitterer.
Anyway, I have also come to decide that I will only start following me those who follow me. (with a few exceptions of course 
) If I follow someone and it is not reciprocated in a few days (a week or two maybe) I will un-follow. I think it is just a matter of courtesy if s/he feels that we can, at some point share a good conversation.
My twitter profile is here. Add me if you want to follow me there :)
Book Review: Crecent Garden
Crescent Garden is written by Christopher Love and is the first book published by Evermore Books. As the tag line says, “A novel of New Orleans, the book is set entirely in New Orleans. Love creates a very tightly written book with the story taking place over 3 days just before Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
The story has is focussed on supernatural “powers” gained by the main characters of the book, Malcolm Stance and Ridley Trumball as a result of an accident during their childhood. Malcolm finds out that Ridley is about to be murdered and sets out on a mission to save Ridley from a gruesome death. In trying this, he must first locate Ridley who he thinks resides or at least works in the French Quarter of New Orleans. During Malcolm’s search, he comes across a variety of characters, experiences New Orleans as the city prepares for the big Mardi Gras weekend.
And during all this, Malcolm must try and forget his ex-girlfriend who cheated on him but now wants to get back with him, bringing back a lot of pain and angst within him.
The story is very well written and the city is described beautifully. But what I liked most was the development of the characters, the pain Malcolm feels whenever he talks to his ex-girlfriend, when he longs for her but knows he does not want her back in her life. The dislike for Ridley when he spurns Malcolm’s help because he fears the power they both share.
The best part is in the end, the climax of the book. It pretty much blew me away. Now I’ve read a good number of thrillers, mystery novels and am fairly good in predicting either the “perpetrator”, the next move of the lead character or the ending of the story but in this, I was taken by a surprise. And really nice twist in the end.
On the whole, the book is a pretty good read and Evermore Books have chosen a very good launch for both the writer and their publishing house.
MMORPG rivalry spills to the real life
This IS reality and not an MMORPG. Keep the rivalry to the game please.
MacBook Air Comparison
Well the MacBook Air has been released by Apple. I think it is a beautiful machine but the specifications of the system sucks. And it’s freaking expensive. I know I wont be getting it anytime ;)
However, I came across an awesome pic which does a feature comparison of the MacBook Air to one of the most popular computers in the history of computing. No surprises that the Air comes out on top. I will let you decide for yourself though ;)
It’s a Long Way to the Top
Why is it that a single win can elevate the India cricket team to new heights?
A loss in the next match and the same media will slam the team into the ground and then some more. While I agree that the win by the Indian cricket team was truly magnificent and the whole team performed as a unit and very admirably, labeling a single as redemption and a comeback is carrying it too far.
This match alone, as linked above has been called the greatest test win by India. Other reports claim that the “invincibility” of the Australian team has been shattered (not that I believed there was such a concept).
India’s ascendancy to the 2nd place in the world test rankings will further increase their arrogance, one that will be shattered both by the next loss and the overwhelming criticism that will be directed towards them due to the loss.
All this hype takes place every time India prepares for a tournament, or happens to complete an increasingly rare victory. While it is not bad to celebrate a win, it should also be tempered with humility and cautioned with not becoming complacent.
Slightly away from the topic, I found this article very well balanced and while not vitriolic, also points out the errors committed by the Australians in the infamous 2nd test in this series.
Happy New Year
Here’s wishing everyone a happy and wonderful new year ahead.
Another year gone by, another year ahead. Lots of things to do, lots to achieve and continue Living Life :)
Breaking News: Benazir Bhutto Assasinated
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated between 7:30 Pm and 8:00 PM (Edit) ~6:15 PM (Thanks Priya) (Pakistan Standard Time) today. This is really bad news for Pakistan where she was one of the possible Prime Minister candidates. It is also bad news for India for it might unleash various reactions, both from her supporters here and from radical elements.
Benazir Bhutto was shot at and also attacked by a suicide bomber.
Thus speaketh