Month: May 2008

Indian SEO

Prasad AjinkyaLeave a comment

We are in the process of releasing a website targeting SME’s. The portal is aimed at collecting orders from enterprises for customized corporate merchandise. You select the product, you upload your design, you put in your logo, we will deliver the product to you.

As part of our online marketing plan, we decided to go hire on search engine optimizer. This entire process of hiring an SEO was certainly an eye-opener. To understand this, you have to be an Indian … the way an Indian thinks is slightly different. The exact term I am referring to is jugaad … this very characteristic of an Indian to get things done … by hook or by crook.

So, how do you increase the page ranking of your website the jugaad way? Simple, you become a link-whore, or a forum spammer, or someone who keeps on flooding the open directories of the web.

What happened to the fine art of online PR? Is it alive or do I have to hire on these? Somehow it does not feel right. What will happen later on when the Semantic web revolution begins?

As I edit this piece after 5 years, it’s good to know that I was right (hah!! high-five former self!). There was a spam comment lying on this very post which I have deleted, and we are very much in the midst of semantic and structured SEO.

Online PR these days has become a paid service very akin (and oft confused) to/with SEO.

Hardy Heron

Prasad Ajinkya2 Comments

I have decided to make the leap from Gutsy Gibbon (Ubuntu 7.10) to Hardy Heron (8.04). First impressions are great, deciding to upgrade the operating system online … so the download of the entire online update took a mammoth 12 hours to complete. The unpacking of 1.4 GB of upgrades should take me another hour or so.

Finally it’s done! Some of the issues that came up are –

  1. The grub entry has been reset – so my Windows is lost again. No big deal, I had written about it earlier on my blog, made the changes and we are good to go.
  2. Ubuntu has become sluggish during booting, but once it starts, then we can roll along
  3. My earlier stint had left some confusion with kdm and gdm … that is still there

All in all, the upgrade was nice. The OS is hardy, gnome is updated and so is kde.

Whew!! and a big Yaay!!

Prince Caspian: The Chronicles of Narnia

Prasad Ajinkya2 Comments

Those who have not read the book, please read the book first and then see the movie. Often we see some beautiful gem of a movie which are based on books, wherein the rendition and the picturisation done is so perfect, that you have imagined the entire scene as it is when reading the book. This movie does not make that cut.

I was expecting a lot after watching Chronicles of Narnia, so … the movie turned out to be a slight disappointment. Maybe, the plot itself was too long to unfurl within 2 hours.

The IMAX screen helped, leaves your head reeling. A decent watch … the story has our four Pevensies back in the world of Narnia and in the middle of a family feud where the evil uncle wants to kill the heir and usurp the throne. Prince Caspian is needless to say the aforementioned heir. Go watch the movie and roar with Aslan (voice over by Liam Neeson). It’s a very decent 7.9.

Pimp my Laptop!!

Prasad Ajinkya4 Comments

First it was Dell, and now Asus!!

Its great to see the era of designer hardware in India. Where users get to sport their identity by the very laptop decoration they use. Gone are the days where executives would sit tinkering on their ugly, grey/black boxes looking so busy and mighty. Nowadays, you see young bachhas in faded jeans and t-shirts carrying lappies of all shapes and sizes, but very few of them would be actually working while waiting at the flight terminal.

Soon, we will see more customer centric models where the customer can completely customize the look of his/her laptop. I can hardly wait for that day!!

Server and Vastu: Technology and Spirituality

Prasad Ajinkya5 Comments

Throughout my life, I have been a Mulder and sometimes a Scully (for those who have not seen X-Files, a believer and sometimes a skeptic), but mostly a believer. But whenever there would be a rite performed which seemed a bit on the inane side, I would question the entire objective behind the same.

Some days back, we procured a server for our hosting needs. After a decently elongated procurement cycle, we realized that we would also need a separate server room for the same. Thus, a server room was built and the server was appropriately installed in there. Then, most of the management suggested that we do a vastu study on this. Fair enough, a vastu feasibility study was conducted, and it was decided that the server be shifted to the corner of the room. The power supply could not be put in the corner, and the table had to be shuffled across in that small space. Finally, my server room was vastu compliant. A post-installation pooja was done for the server, the coconut was broken, arati done and sweets distributed.

Funny no? That we have reached such a decent level of technology, albeit we stick to our religious practises and beliefs, to ensure that the gods are appeased.

Who would the god of hosting and server space be? Suggestions welcome.

Server-goda–swahaa!!

Corporate Pujari!

Prasad Ajinkya8 Comments

At eYantra Ind Ltd, we have a very nice culture of weekly pooja. Every Friday evening, the employees assemble in front of the office’s devghar and the pooja begins. This rite is performed by our Accounts manager (I do not think its just a coincidence!), Mr. Koteswara Rao. Personally speaking, I like this weekly rite being a god fearing person myself.

Today, while I was talking to one colleague on this, he informed me that many Indian corporates are into this, a lot of SMEs, and some big ones like Satyam as well. He then went on to inform me that his friend does this for a living!! He goes to Satyam every week, and they have set up this employee pooja fund, which is given to the pujari as dakshina! And a pretty decent amount at that. So true, how many of us do take the time to do a small pooja every day? Its not surprising then that many of us dont even know how to proceed when its needed. My daily ritual consists of a simple incense stick and a small prayer, but for formal occassions, I would definitely want one Corporate Pujari for myself!!

Interesting business no? In fact a friend of a friend has launched a business of his own just on this theme. Its known as Sacred Moments, wherein he supplies to individuals and businesses with kits for occassions like these. Looks like some people are into Corporate Karma after all.

The Caddy

Prasad Ajinkya5 Comments

Decided to watch one of the oldies today. Managed to find this on the torrents, and downloaded it. Classic Jerry Lewis stuff with a dash of Dean Martin thrown in.

The story is about a fisherman and the prodigal son of a professional golfer who team up to be a golfer and caddy team. They end up ultimately as a winning combination but in a totally different field altogether. The entire story is just that. Simple and full of antics and funny scenes. The slapstick Jerry is so back in this … Dean Martin has the girls swooning with Amore.
Connoisseurs should love this one. Seemed unfair when I saw that this movie got only a 6.0.