Misconceptions spread by textbooks. This site lists the facts, contrary to what most textbooks say about them. Facts: The ocean is blue because water is a blue substance. Not because it reflects the blue sky. The sky is blue because air is blue. Clouds actually remain aloft because they are warm inside.
Change management can be analytic, as opposed to touchy-feely. Our client’s operating margin was falling. The bosses wanted to offshore their back office. Others weren’t convinced. To manage this change, we needed three questions answered: Who’s not convinced? Why aren’t they convinced? What’ll convince them? Who’s not convinced? We plotted the level of support and importance of key people on the stakeholder support matrix. This split people into 4 groups (below). Then we showed it around to people and had them move people around on the matrix. ...
The banana proves God’s existence. I think they’re serious.
Why I don’t use a registry cleaner
Jakob Nielsen’s old write-up on how users read on the web. Actually, this is how people read anything. I write my e-mails, PowerPoint presentations, and Word reports this way.
The Long Tail of information sharing. Even on Wikipedia, fewer than 2% have contributed over 100 articles. Over 85% have contributed fewer than 5 articles. A Wiki inside an organisation is unlikely to reach critical mass, left to itself. Comments Arun 28 Apr 2006 6:10 am: But I imagine, many in the 85% probably contributed stuff that the prolific guys never thought of. For instance, I know one guy who put up something on Ananth Pai (Tinkle, Amar Chitra Katha), and i doubt he probably ever added anything else. But you are right about wiki in an organization. Do you know an organization where a wiki has been used effectively? S Anand 28 Apr 2006 10:22 pm: No, not offhand. We were planning to recommend it at one of our clients’, but I’m not going to do that any more. sathish 30 Apr 2006 2:39 am: if the organization strength is large - runs into many thousands or lakhs - I think the required critical mass might be acheived.. for smaller companies and small teams too, it might make sense - since, every one is liable to participate - especially product documentation - it would be easier make/correct and change. Arun 30 Apr 2006 6:02 am: Ah, ok. S Anand 30 Apr 2006 8:45 am: A colleague just reported that his current client is successfully using a Wiki. So may it’s not impossible after all… Madhu 2 May 2006 12:24 pm: wiki is all about scale i think. The sergery brin special lecture at UCB is a case in point. You can access this at google videos
Sketchup (from Google) is now available for free download. It’s a 3D modelling tool.
Why are you afraid of process? … we bristle when we’re asked for our weekly goals sheets, or when the boss wants us to use a database or when the insurance company requires docs to follow data-driven guidelines. We pass up the tenth novel by a successful author… because the process has become too transparent. And yet, in many cases, process is underrated. Process is your ace in the hole when your intuition stops working. ...
What Drives Bloggers? I think what most bloggers are doing is thinking out loud. It’s a little misleading to talk of “putting things into words,” because that implies the ideas come first. In fact, expressing thoughts creates them. And especially expressing thoughts to other people, even people you don’t know. So I think the reason many people like blogging is that they like the thinking it causes.
The Great Google Float. Interesting article on how Google makes money by holding Adsense payments until it hits $100.
How to get Yahoo Mail Beta. Since I’m in the UK, I have it already. It’s excellent. I now actually check my Yahoo mail thrice a week, and feel happy while doing it.
Top 10 Windows XP tips of all time. Comments Ashwin 3 Sep 2006 10:43 pm: hey….nice set of links u have here…btw…the xp link is down i think…and i’m gonna try the torrents thing… the calvin search is awesome except for the fact that u can’t read the stip immediately….but its real good….thanks… S Anand 4 Sep 2006 6:59 am: Thanks, Ashwin! I’ve fixed the Windows XP tips link.
Pirates still exist. According to the International Maritime Organisation, 266 committed or attempted acts of piracy were reported last year. Although this was a lower figure than in 2004, in part because many small-time pirates died in that December’s tsunami, risk experts say that a more brazen, violent and organised strain has emerged. Pirates are said to have injured or assaulted 152 crew in 2005; they abducted 652, of whom 11 are still missing. They hijacked 16 ships; a tug and a barge are unaccounted for. ...
How to tie a bandage without it falling off. It’s in Japanese, but the video is pretty clear.
Create Google calendar events via SMS. Just SMS 48368 (in the US) with a message like “dinner tomorrow 7pm”. 48368? GVENT?
The virtues of a second screen. So now, while I am editing this article on my main screen, the screen beside it shows the outline or earlier draft I am working from – and, sometimes, Web sites or other documents I keep referring to. When I edit photos, the second screen lets me compare the copy I am working on with the original, or shows tool palettes and thumbnails of other images, and I can blow up panoramic shots for closer viewing (though with a bar down the middle, like the central pillar of an old car’s windshield). ...
These are quotes from books. How many titles can you guess? (Case insensitive. Ignore punctuation. So "Hitchhiker's" is "Hitchhikers" without the apostrophe. Don't forget the leading "A" and "The". Harry Potter books begin with "Harry Potter and the...".) Anything over 10 / 25 is impressive. Comments Dhar 21 Apr 2006 4:28 pm: Anand Man… LOTR is one book in three parts and not a trilogy. So LOTR is the correct answer to a couple of questions instead of ROTK etc. Dhar 21 Apr 2006 4:35 pm: Hmmm, a particular quote occurs in more than one Ludlum novels. In fact, I suspect that particular one is there in all the three. Dhar 21 Apr 2006 4:40 pm: Finally got 17 / 25. But I suspect that is because we have been reading similar stuff lately. S Anand 21 Apr 2006 5:05 pm: Agreed: LOTR is a single book. Loved it so much I had to put in a quote from each part! Chitra 22 Apr 2006 3:14 am: Nice one :)! JLT 22 Apr 2006 8:03 pm: And just like that, bumped into your blog . walked through 10/25 mark without realising. u could raise the bar. suhas 23 Apr 2006 9:46 pm: hey, how do i find out the answers to the ones i have not been able to figure out? S Anand 24 Apr 2006 6:45 am: You can e-mail me. root dot node at gmail dot com. S Anand 10 May 2006 5:29 pm: Test comment. Mayur 6 Jun 2006 7:20 pm: Hey nice quiz this, i usually dont quiz but i guess i found someting im decent at 12/25 Natasha 19 Nov 2006 6:36 am: yay i got 12/25 by myself and with help got 14!!! i congradulate you on a great quiz! Hemant 7 Feb 2007 10:24 pm: Actually, LOTR is not 1 book. JRR Tokein actually wrote it as three different books. We now read it as one. I read this in the first few pages of the first book. simplecoffee 21 Apr 2006 12:00 pm: Um, well, ‘Cain is for Charlie and Delta is for Cain’ is only used in The Bourne Identity. Supremacy has ‘Cain is for Carlos and Delta is for Cain’, while Ultimatum hasn’t got it.
Angry or negative people can be bad for your brain.
The Economist takes a good look at retailing in India.
Determine a sex by name. If you don’t know if a name is male or female, just search for the name on Google images. (e.g. “Priti”) Comments Umasuthan 18 Apr 2006 5:36 pm: That is not always true. Try ‘Kiran’ S Anand 18 Apr 2006 10:17 pm: You’re right. The article does warn of unisex names!