Monday, January 22, 2007

More random thoughts

Ever since 2007 began, I've found that I'm unable to focus on anything properly. I don't know why. I thought that a probable reason is multiple responsibilities at work, and the pressure of having to deliver on all of them simultaneously;but that has been the case for the past three years at least, and isn't new. Well, it may be some untoward pressure at home, but that too isn't new. :) And that is reflecting on my writing. My posts are turning into collections of random thoughts, as opposed to being a (hopefully) clear argument on a topic.
Anyways, my first random thought is GUI design again. Now, Blogger, Gmail, and other services prompt you to save your work if you try exit the page. But how does that prompt read? "Are you sure you want to navigate away from this page?" And the options are "OK" and "Cancel". Now, consider a real life situation - A shop-keeper asks: "Would you like to pay by credit card?" Do you say: "Cancel"? Your mom asks: "Would you like some coffee?" Think what her reaction will be if you say "Cancel"! Why can't they simply use: "Yes" or "No"? "Are you sure you want to navigate away from this page?". "Yes". Are you sure you want to kick those UI designers where it hurts? Yes. And do you want to change the topic? A definite YES.

Next, is the Nanny State. Funny how both software and government tend to babysit everyone, treating their customers and citizens as three-year-olds. Consider, for example, the entire Shilpa Shetty incident. A second-rate person in a third-rate show called her something. And by God, India is insulted! The government even goes to the extent of issuing tongue-in-cheek ads in British newspapers, inviting Jade-whatever to come to India!? Why? Is Shilpa Shetty a three-year-old who didn't know the 'anything goes' rule of reality shows? Is she a defenceless rape victim who cannot afford a lawyer? Wait - there were rape victims in Noida - what did this government do about them? How did they help relieve the pain and suffering those parents endured due to State incompetence?

Banning TV shows. Issuing tirades against foreign citizens. Reneging on contracts. All contributions of the Manmoron government. Go, moron, go!

4 comments:

Stier said...

Hey Gops,

Same here. Even I am not able to focus on one single thing. Actually haven't written worthwhile from such a long time

Anonymous said...

I fully agree with you on the shilpa shetty incident. Aren't we insulted enough by having these so called netas? I can't understand why they made such a big fuss about it. When the BSF jawans were butchered by Bangladeshi Rangers how come the government or India in general never felt the pinch?

Gops said...

Stier,

Yeah, somehow 2007 has started in a very disorderly fashion...

Sandy,

Me agrees with your agreement :) The silence the govt had when the soldiers were murdered - that too only because they didn't want to embarass the BD govt - was horrible.

Balbir said...

I guess the racist event is more to do with the attitude of the person towards another person. Shilpa should have defended herself, for god's sake she did not even know that it was a racial slur!

What is racism then? Racism is based on racial discrimination, which is what the person on the show did. I think we should stand up against racism, but on a show thats meant to be a show-down, the lines go blur.

That said, the government had to act before racism became a precedent in the UK (remember there are too many Indians out there).

Coming to "Yes", "No" and "Cancel", I think most people react too quick to "Yes" and "No" almost instinctively. That's why you'll find EULA's using
"I agree/accept" and "I do not agree/decline"

"Cancel" is used to say, please cancel this operation, which is quite fair.