Many folks, me included, have commented that videoconferencing is a technology that's been about to become an overnight success - for the last thirty years. It's puzzled many of us that it's been so slow to "come of age."
But we might just - finally - be at a point where the quality and cost are making videoconferencing more acceptable, and more widespread. There's an interesting story in today's San Francisco Chronicle about the fact that Marriott is about to cut a deal with Hewlett-Packard to install HP's Halo system in hotel locations around the world ("HP to deploy 'telepresence' gear at Marriotts"). Ryan Kim is the author.
This may be one of those events we look back on someday as a pivotal turning point in the history of videoconferencing. Is it a tipping point?
I've had the good fortune to participate in one Halo videoconference, and I can tell you it's not like anything else I've ever experienced. The Halo studios (all of them are identical) have three large HD screens facing a table where you sit. The screens produce life-size full color images. Just as importantly there is no delay, and the sound is just as good as if the other folks were sitting across the table from you.
I understand that HP has about 50 Halo studios around the world, and that those studios are in use 12-14 hours a day. I don't know if HP is tracking usage versus travel costs, but the HP folks I've talked to are convinced the Halo is saving the company millions of dollars - even at $300,000 per installation and $20,000 a month in operating costs.
Actually, there are plenty of good reasons for the long, lazy growth curve that has characterized videoconferencing up to now. It's traditionally been slow, less-than-broadcast quality, and high-priced at the same time. On top of that, you had to go somewhere special to use it, and there weren't that many other sites you could connect to. Sure, there's inexpensive desktop versions available, and some online VOIP and instant message services like Skype and Yahoo Instant Messenger offer it for free.
Of course, you do have to go to a Halo studio, but the experience is so good that it's worth it. I don't know how many Halo meetings are one-on-ones, but I suspect not too many. Halo is for group meetings; each studio seats about four to six people, and can be linked to as many as three other sites simultaneously.
But if the choice is between a simple phone (or VOIP) call and a 2x2 jerky, fuzzy image of the person you're speaking to, it's no wonder that the world hasn't embraced videoconferencing. And when you are communicating with people you know well, audio seems more than sufficient - at least most of the time.
I mean, Charlie Grantham and I both have webcams, and we talk by phone several times a day when we're not together (he's based in Arizona; I'm in northern California). We know what each other looks like, and we just haven't felt the need to turn on the web cams. Those 2x2 screens don't add a lot of the kinds of information (facial expression, body language, etc.) that "being there" includes.
I will say, however, that recently we participated in a long (4 hours) meeting using a web-based collaborative platform that included video. We were the only two remote participants; there were about ten people in a meeting room in Michigan. We actually had a video feed, and I have to admit that it actually did make a difference.
While we couldn't see everyone, and we certainly couldn't see their facial expressions, it did help to be able to see where people were sitting, and to see the facilitator writing on the white board or flip chart. Of course, we couldn't read what he was writing, but it helped to know that's what he was doing. In short, having that crude video image of the group helped keep my attention. If I had been purely on audio for four hours, I can guarantee I would have been checking my email, looking out the window, and doing a whole lot of daydreaming. Just being able to see through that very small "window" into that Michigan conference room actually made a huge difference in my sense of being part of the group.
Now, if and when Halo (and it's competitors, most notably Cisco Systems' Telepresence system) become a whole more ubiquitous and even less expensive, I think videoconferencing really will come of age. And given the combination of the rising cost of fuel, growing concerns about greenhouse gasses, and increasing pressure to use time productively, I do think we're finally going to see an explosion in the use of videoconferencing.
One final note: the end of the Chronicle article mentions that HP is about to launch a "Halo light" system called Halo Collaboration Center that will be designed for two to four people. It will retail for about $120,000. That's still a bit steep for a small business, or a home, but it does mean that before long there will be many more local Centers where you can rent time for a reasonable hourly rate. The economics of demand and supply virtually guarantee it.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Reset the Assumption Button - Please!
Buford, Maynard and Cooter are back from their little hiatus. This month they draw on their down-home wisdom and irreverent outlook on life to explainify the decline of the "American Empire." They take a look at five basic assumptions about societal functioning that together shed some light on the sometimes inexplicable events we see in our work and our lives every day. And of course, they also offer up a humble opinion about some changes in thinking about the future of work they - and we - would like to see. Enjoy!
Push the reset button - please!
The boyz be back. Too much time out in the woods gets ya to thinkin'. Maynard allows that things just seem to be toooo crazy these days. Ya jest know there was probably somebody named William of Bradforshire-on-Thames or some such back in Merry Ol' England around 1760 who had the same rev-o-lation that Buford has just now come to.
Good ol' Bill from Bradfordshire undoubtedly could see the British Navy being defeated, a little colony way over across the deep blue sea rebelling and kickin' some Red Coat butt from behind rocks and trees, and the German economy making the birthplace of the Industrial revolution irrelevant.
So back in the here and now, we've got ol' Buford cogitating on the parallels between those events and (hmmm, let's see) Afghanistan/Iraq, an assortment of banana republics, and - oh yes - China. Buford's kinda worried that the good ol' US of A is on a steep downhill slide into the hog slop pit. This ol' dog can't hunt anymore. We just ain't the big 600-pound gorilla on this planet we used to be. It feels like the US brand in the planetary marketplace is turning into a sub-prime collaterized debt obligation. Wake up America!
So, what we wanna know is, where did the train go off the track? Well, it turns out that ol' Cooter the data dog's been out sniffin' again. Now we freely admit we've been singin' this tune before, but not quite as bluntly as you're gettin' it here this time.
Remember our ol' buddies Bill Strauss and Neil (the Hook) Howe? Well, if the brain ain't quite working up to speed go check 'em out at http://www.fourthturning.com/.
Here's the bottom line: Big Things is happenin'. Tomorrow ain't going to be the same as today, let alone yesterday. Buford harkens back to his granddaddy Billy Ray tellin' him 'bout the crash of '29. And the real old stories from right after the war (the real one with Johnny Reb and the blue coats). Yep, seems like that kinda of Big Damn Change is here again. (We'll be back to the "What do you do?" in a few; give us a chance to spout a bit here, we're on a roll).
But first, back at the ranch, Buford, Maynard (as in sub-prime intellect), and Cooter have started in ponderin' and philos-o-phyzin'. Ya know, maybe some real basic stuff is just wrong. Maybe what we been thinkin' is the rules just ain't the rules anymore. Now that would make a passel of difference. Kind of like the boys down at the feed and grain playin' checkers but it's really a chess game.
Whoa boy, that's goin' to smart. Assumptions. Hmmn?? Ya know what happens when you "assume" somethin' without thinking about it? You make an **s out of "u" and me. Joke folks, gotta chuckle sometimes no matter what.
So Cooter runs across Cousin Dan out there in Preskit. He hears Dan runnin' off on how the big ego train of 'Merica is messed up. 9-11; Katrina; I-we gotta have the oil-Raq. It's all comin' together. Check out the Prescott College web site to see what we're talkin' about.
So, In Our Humble Opinion (you was wonderin' if we'd ever get to it, weren't you?), we need to push the re-set button on our assumption machine. Same-o, same-o, back to the island empire; the rules changed and they didn't see it coming.
There's five of 'em that really matter (Maynard counted 'em up). Here it is and why it ain't so.
The up-until-now view: what's good for business is good for everybody. Like ol' granddaddy used to say, '"You can just suck the juice outta the lemon for so long 'till it dries up." Gotta put something back, fool. Bull hooey! Gordon Gecko, get outta here. Can you say sub-prime? Who made the buckos on that little rip-off? Oh mi-god! You mean capitalism may just not work?. What we've been thinking for the last 200 years or so just doesn't cut it any more. Huh? Feudalism was a great system - once. (Just hang on to your shorts there, Harry; we will get to the "Okay, so what?").
You'll love this one. Giving people all the facts can change their behavior. Now that's real good. If that worked how come people still smoke cigarettes, drive Hummers, eat junk food, and take drugs? We could go on and on, but hopefully you get our drift. Our whole education system is built on that basic assumption. And we've talked enough over the years about how screwed up our edgy-cayshun system is. Is anyone listening? You could probably wind up the ol' time machine and go back to Athens or somewhere back when they thought logic ruled all human behavior. No way Jose!
Time is money. Might have been true in an industrial era, but that's not where we are any more. Let's see, they should have paid Michelangelo by the hour? Right, if there was an artists' union. Creativity and innovation know not the bounds of time (say that again, with feeling: "Creativity and innovation know not the bounds of time" - that's our most elegant sentence in this whole darn rant). This assumption sort of ties back to our first one. Putting your value into minutes and hours ass-u-mes certainty. Is that what will solve problems? Erik Fromm said it best: "The quest for certainty blocks the quest for meaning."
Sustainability is a zero sum game. Not true. Just go and ask General Electric. Investing in environmental issues, goin' Green, and all that may tarnish the bottom line this quarter, but it builds future markets and improves efficiency. Even the boyz know that spreading a little manure around the corn field makes things better. Frankly (don't call me Shirley) we are at another crossroads. What did Yogi say? "When you come to a fork in the road, take it!" We're bettin' on taking the fork towards bringin' business, earth, and humanity together. Cooter found a good read on this stuff: Google Capitalism at the Crossroads by Stuart Hart and check it out yourself.
Now the biggy! What if we are not in control? What if Buford and Maynard aren't at the top of the e-vo-lutionary chain? (Okay, okay, that may not be the best example.) It takes a lot of conceit to think that we poor humans are as good as it gets (and it's actually a frightening thought). Tell you what, one of these days (hopefully soon, real soon) somethin' is going drop out of the sky and show us that there are other sentient things out there; and that, dear hearts, will shift a whole bunch of thinkin'. It's a good bet the Mayans thought they were "it" until those funny lookin' Spaniards hit the shores. Then what? Where are they today? Ponder that.
This is some heavy thinkin'. In Our Humble Opinion (second one!) hittin' that ol' Ass-ump-tion Re-set Button will give you a different view of the world and perhaps help change how Maynard and Buford get through the day. Ol' Cooter is probably already there.
Going back to those outmoded ways of thinking one more time, we might even see a world where:
Businesses would put more back into their communities and environment than they took out. Damn, being responsible. What a concept. Anyone (like our ancient ancestors) living off the land could tell you that this approach is the only way to keep going for the long haul (for you fancy pants, that's called being sustainable). Let's respect that wisdom.
How to learn: whoa, try experience. It ain't all about facts and logic. We've been tryin' that and look where we are. Living life is way more than reading a book. Want to help people do the right thing? Give them the experience - show them the way - don't just tell them what to do. Learning in the gut takes living.
Its how you spend your time, not how much you spend. It's not how long you talk to someone, it's what you talk about. The trouble is we don't know how to measure that. As they say, there's just no accounting for it. Notice how those words (spend, measure, accounting) get in the way of realizing value? We are going to have to invent a new language before this way of thinking changes.
Substitute need for equity and effort? Okay, this one smells like a whole new way of organizing (getting our stuff together). It might even mean respecting government, accepting the majority's decisions, sharing resources, and doing things for the common good that we can't do individually. That's a pretty radical view. But it's happened before, hasn't it? Just ask King George. Today we call it "global sustainability."
One of us had a professor who once pontificated, "You must show humility in the face of the data." The other heard all too often, "The data are always friendly." Perhaps the trouble is that we don't have all the data yet. But a dollar to a doughnut, we're not the only ones. Take that ego and shove it. Those whom the Gods would destroy, they first make mad. Or maybe it should be (in John F. Kennedy's words), "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable."
We know those are fighting words, but that's Our Humble Opinion, and we're sticking to it.
Now we're not saying we have all the answers. But we do have some darn good - and important - questions. We think it was Einstein who suggested that you can't solve problems with the same kind of assumptions that caused the problems in the first place. And that, dear hearts, is just where we are today. It's time to hit the re-set button on the Assumption Machine.
Actually we think it's already re-set. The new rule book is out but most folks are still playing with the old one. The boyz will have more to say about this new world we're all living in today in the coming months. Buford, Maynard, and Cooter are waiting patiently for your thoughts.
Push the reset button - please!
The boyz be back. Too much time out in the woods gets ya to thinkin'. Maynard allows that things just seem to be toooo crazy these days. Ya jest know there was probably somebody named William of Bradforshire-on-Thames or some such back in Merry Ol' England around 1760 who had the same rev-o-lation that Buford has just now come to.
Good ol' Bill from Bradfordshire undoubtedly could see the British Navy being defeated, a little colony way over across the deep blue sea rebelling and kickin' some Red Coat butt from behind rocks and trees, and the German economy making the birthplace of the Industrial revolution irrelevant.
So back in the here and now, we've got ol' Buford cogitating on the parallels between those events and (hmmm, let's see) Afghanistan/Iraq, an assortment of banana republics, and - oh yes - China. Buford's kinda worried that the good ol' US of A is on a steep downhill slide into the hog slop pit. This ol' dog can't hunt anymore. We just ain't the big 600-pound gorilla on this planet we used to be. It feels like the US brand in the planetary marketplace is turning into a sub-prime collaterized debt obligation. Wake up America!
So, what we wanna know is, where did the train go off the track? Well, it turns out that ol' Cooter the data dog's been out sniffin' again. Now we freely admit we've been singin' this tune before, but not quite as bluntly as you're gettin' it here this time.
Remember our ol' buddies Bill Strauss and Neil (the Hook) Howe? Well, if the brain ain't quite working up to speed go check 'em out at http://www.fourthturning.com/.
Here's the bottom line: Big Things is happenin'. Tomorrow ain't going to be the same as today, let alone yesterday. Buford harkens back to his granddaddy Billy Ray tellin' him 'bout the crash of '29. And the real old stories from right after the war (the real one with Johnny Reb and the blue coats). Yep, seems like that kinda of Big Damn Change is here again. (We'll be back to the "What do you do?" in a few; give us a chance to spout a bit here, we're on a roll).
But first, back at the ranch, Buford, Maynard (as in sub-prime intellect), and Cooter have started in ponderin' and philos-o-phyzin'. Ya know, maybe some real basic stuff is just wrong. Maybe what we been thinkin' is the rules just ain't the rules anymore. Now that would make a passel of difference. Kind of like the boys down at the feed and grain playin' checkers but it's really a chess game.
Whoa boy, that's goin' to smart. Assumptions. Hmmn?? Ya know what happens when you "assume" somethin' without thinking about it? You make an **s out of "u" and me. Joke folks, gotta chuckle sometimes no matter what.
So Cooter runs across Cousin Dan out there in Preskit. He hears Dan runnin' off on how the big ego train of 'Merica is messed up. 9-11; Katrina; I-we gotta have the oil-Raq. It's all comin' together. Check out the Prescott College web site to see what we're talkin' about.
So, In Our Humble Opinion (you was wonderin' if we'd ever get to it, weren't you?), we need to push the re-set button on our assumption machine. Same-o, same-o, back to the island empire; the rules changed and they didn't see it coming.
There's five of 'em that really matter (Maynard counted 'em up). Here it is and why it ain't so.
The up-until-now view: what's good for business is good for everybody. Like ol' granddaddy used to say, '"You can just suck the juice outta the lemon for so long 'till it dries up." Gotta put something back, fool. Bull hooey! Gordon Gecko, get outta here. Can you say sub-prime? Who made the buckos on that little rip-off? Oh mi-god! You mean capitalism may just not work?. What we've been thinking for the last 200 years or so just doesn't cut it any more. Huh? Feudalism was a great system - once. (Just hang on to your shorts there, Harry; we will get to the "Okay, so what?").
You'll love this one. Giving people all the facts can change their behavior. Now that's real good. If that worked how come people still smoke cigarettes, drive Hummers, eat junk food, and take drugs? We could go on and on, but hopefully you get our drift. Our whole education system is built on that basic assumption. And we've talked enough over the years about how screwed up our edgy-cayshun system is. Is anyone listening? You could probably wind up the ol' time machine and go back to Athens or somewhere back when they thought logic ruled all human behavior. No way Jose!
Time is money. Might have been true in an industrial era, but that's not where we are any more. Let's see, they should have paid Michelangelo by the hour? Right, if there was an artists' union. Creativity and innovation know not the bounds of time (say that again, with feeling: "Creativity and innovation know not the bounds of time" - that's our most elegant sentence in this whole darn rant). This assumption sort of ties back to our first one. Putting your value into minutes and hours ass-u-mes certainty. Is that what will solve problems? Erik Fromm said it best: "The quest for certainty blocks the quest for meaning."
Sustainability is a zero sum game. Not true. Just go and ask General Electric. Investing in environmental issues, goin' Green, and all that may tarnish the bottom line this quarter, but it builds future markets and improves efficiency. Even the boyz know that spreading a little manure around the corn field makes things better. Frankly (don't call me Shirley) we are at another crossroads. What did Yogi say? "When you come to a fork in the road, take it!" We're bettin' on taking the fork towards bringin' business, earth, and humanity together. Cooter found a good read on this stuff: Google Capitalism at the Crossroads by Stuart Hart and check it out yourself.
Now the biggy! What if we are not in control? What if Buford and Maynard aren't at the top of the e-vo-lutionary chain? (Okay, okay, that may not be the best example.) It takes a lot of conceit to think that we poor humans are as good as it gets (and it's actually a frightening thought). Tell you what, one of these days (hopefully soon, real soon) somethin' is going drop out of the sky and show us that there are other sentient things out there; and that, dear hearts, will shift a whole bunch of thinkin'. It's a good bet the Mayans thought they were "it" until those funny lookin' Spaniards hit the shores. Then what? Where are they today? Ponder that.
This is some heavy thinkin'. In Our Humble Opinion (second one!) hittin' that ol' Ass-ump-tion Re-set Button will give you a different view of the world and perhaps help change how Maynard and Buford get through the day. Ol' Cooter is probably already there.
Going back to those outmoded ways of thinking one more time, we might even see a world where:
Businesses would put more back into their communities and environment than they took out. Damn, being responsible. What a concept. Anyone (like our ancient ancestors) living off the land could tell you that this approach is the only way to keep going for the long haul (for you fancy pants, that's called being sustainable). Let's respect that wisdom.
How to learn: whoa, try experience. It ain't all about facts and logic. We've been tryin' that and look where we are. Living life is way more than reading a book. Want to help people do the right thing? Give them the experience - show them the way - don't just tell them what to do. Learning in the gut takes living.
Its how you spend your time, not how much you spend. It's not how long you talk to someone, it's what you talk about. The trouble is we don't know how to measure that. As they say, there's just no accounting for it. Notice how those words (spend, measure, accounting) get in the way of realizing value? We are going to have to invent a new language before this way of thinking changes.
Substitute need for equity and effort? Okay, this one smells like a whole new way of organizing (getting our stuff together). It might even mean respecting government, accepting the majority's decisions, sharing resources, and doing things for the common good that we can't do individually. That's a pretty radical view. But it's happened before, hasn't it? Just ask King George. Today we call it "global sustainability."
One of us had a professor who once pontificated, "You must show humility in the face of the data." The other heard all too often, "The data are always friendly." Perhaps the trouble is that we don't have all the data yet. But a dollar to a doughnut, we're not the only ones. Take that ego and shove it. Those whom the Gods would destroy, they first make mad. Or maybe it should be (in John F. Kennedy's words), "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable."
We know those are fighting words, but that's Our Humble Opinion, and we're sticking to it.
Now we're not saying we have all the answers. But we do have some darn good - and important - questions. We think it was Einstein who suggested that you can't solve problems with the same kind of assumptions that caused the problems in the first place. And that, dear hearts, is just where we are today. It's time to hit the re-set button on the Assumption Machine.
Actually we think it's already re-set. The new rule book is out but most folks are still playing with the old one. The boyz will have more to say about this new world we're all living in today in the coming months. Buford, Maynard, and Cooter are waiting patiently for your thoughts.
What's More Important Than An Interview?
The other day I applied for an HR Generalist job with a very well known online portal. When I say very well known, I mean to the tune of having 17 million + unique visitors per month this year.
So, here's how things went:
An assistant to a non-HR big-wig called me for a phone screen. It was the best kind of phone screen: short but thorough. The assistant said she would "walk" my resume and her notes over to the hiring manager so I could be contacted by her to set up an interview.
Great! Sounds good.
Later that day, someone from the Recruiting Department (halfway across the country) called me to schedule an interview with the hiring manager. Ok, whatevs. Sounds fine to me.
The interview was scheduled for the next day. Good! I hate waiting a week or week and a half for an interview. Let's get it over with as soon as we can.
I arrive for the interview. The assistant that originally phone screened me came out to say hello and offer me water, coffee, tea, Jack Daniels. You know, the usual.
Then the hiring manager came out to greet me. We went to her office where the first thing she told me was, unfortunately, someone had rescheduled a meeting in the middle of our interview time slot, so our time would be cut short.
Wait. What?
She apologized, but didn't seem mortified. I attempted to be gracious about it. Inside my head I was thinking,
What is more important than an interview? Have I ever allowed anything short of a medical emergency infringe upon an interview with a candidate? No...I don't think I have. Well, maybe there was some sort of emergency and they are handling damage control at the meeting...
Thus, the interview began.
We chit-chatted about the company. I told her I had read x, y and z about the organization and blah blah blah. We walked through my resume, which went well besides the fact I was 98% sure she hadn't even read it before I walked through the door.
She then asked me what I felt my three best skills were. I listed them and gave one to two sentences of "supporting evidence" for each. Two of the skills I listed were essential functions of the position I was applying for, and the third was "gravy".
Well, not literally gravy. But you know what I mean.
She then went on to tell me x, y and z about the organization. I thought this was a little weird as I had just told her I had read about those exact things, and she didn't give me any new information or insight in her description. However, she did go on for a solid five minutes, at least.
Then, this is the best part, she said, "Well, do you have any questions?"
I think I jumped a little in my seat. She had asked me one question (well, besides the "let's walk through your resume, ok?" part). We were just getting started, yo!
So I said, "Yes. What is HR's main role in the organization?"
She then went on another five minute rant. I learned how many people work in HR and where they are located; who she reports to; who reports to her and that their turnover is usually comprised of employees that have been with the company one year or less.
What I did not learn was what HR's main role in the organization was.
Then, she squinted at her computer screen and said, "Oh, I have to go to that meeting now". She walked me to the lobby and shook my hand.
------
A few days later, I received a "thanks but no thanks" email from the Recruiter that set up the interview.
Just for kicks, I called the hiring manager and left her a message requesting feedback on my resume and interview so I can, you know, better tailor my search.
I have $5 that says I never hear from her again.
So, here's how things went:
An assistant to a non-HR big-wig called me for a phone screen. It was the best kind of phone screen: short but thorough. The assistant said she would "walk" my resume and her notes over to the hiring manager so I could be contacted by her to set up an interview.
Great! Sounds good.
Later that day, someone from the Recruiting Department (halfway across the country) called me to schedule an interview with the hiring manager. Ok, whatevs. Sounds fine to me.
The interview was scheduled for the next day. Good! I hate waiting a week or week and a half for an interview. Let's get it over with as soon as we can.
I arrive for the interview. The assistant that originally phone screened me came out to say hello and offer me water, coffee, tea, Jack Daniels. You know, the usual.
Then the hiring manager came out to greet me. We went to her office where the first thing she told me was, unfortunately, someone had rescheduled a meeting in the middle of our interview time slot, so our time would be cut short.
Wait. What?
She apologized, but didn't seem mortified. I attempted to be gracious about it. Inside my head I was thinking,
What is more important than an interview? Have I ever allowed anything short of a medical emergency infringe upon an interview with a candidate? No...I don't think I have. Well, maybe there was some sort of emergency and they are handling damage control at the meeting...
Thus, the interview began.
We chit-chatted about the company. I told her I had read x, y and z about the organization and blah blah blah. We walked through my resume, which went well besides the fact I was 98% sure she hadn't even read it before I walked through the door.
She then asked me what I felt my three best skills were. I listed them and gave one to two sentences of "supporting evidence" for each. Two of the skills I listed were essential functions of the position I was applying for, and the third was "gravy".
Well, not literally gravy. But you know what I mean.
She then went on to tell me x, y and z about the organization. I thought this was a little weird as I had just told her I had read about those exact things, and she didn't give me any new information or insight in her description. However, she did go on for a solid five minutes, at least.
Then, this is the best part, she said, "Well, do you have any questions?"
I think I jumped a little in my seat. She had asked me one question (well, besides the "let's walk through your resume, ok?" part). We were just getting started, yo!
So I said, "Yes. What is HR's main role in the organization?"
She then went on another five minute rant. I learned how many people work in HR and where they are located; who she reports to; who reports to her and that their turnover is usually comprised of employees that have been with the company one year or less.
What I did not learn was what HR's main role in the organization was.
Then, she squinted at her computer screen and said, "Oh, I have to go to that meeting now". She walked me to the lobby and shook my hand.
------
A few days later, I received a "thanks but no thanks" email from the Recruiter that set up the interview.
Just for kicks, I called the hiring manager and left her a message requesting feedback on my resume and interview so I can, you know, better tailor my search.
I have $5 that says I never hear from her again.
Protecting (or Retrieving) Your Laptop
One of the real downsides of this "Age of Mobility" is the risk of losing your laptop - or, more likely, having it stolen from a coffee shop or even an office. It's especially a problem as these devices get smaller and smaller, and we become more and more dependent on them
Well, today's San Francisco Chronicle included a short note about a new, free software package that you can install on your laptop to help you find it when it's gone missing ("One Way to Keep Track of your Lost Laptop").
I guess it works sort of like LoJack for cars - it reports the laptop's Internet Protocol address and other locational information. And if your laptop is a Mac the software (called Adeona, after the Greek goddess who protected travelers and children and ensured their safe return) will even take a picture of the person using it. Makes that little built-in webcam really useful!
Anyway, I just downloaded the software and installed it on my MacBook. It's a small package, doesn't take up much room on the hard disk and seems like a great idea. Of course, it's one of those things I hope I never have to use.
I believe there are also plans to develop similar kinds of security products for smaller mobile devices like cell phones and pda's too.
Seems like an essential component of the future of work to me.
Well, today's San Francisco Chronicle included a short note about a new, free software package that you can install on your laptop to help you find it when it's gone missing ("One Way to Keep Track of your Lost Laptop").
I guess it works sort of like LoJack for cars - it reports the laptop's Internet Protocol address and other locational information. And if your laptop is a Mac the software (called Adeona, after the Greek goddess who protected travelers and children and ensured their safe return) will even take a picture of the person using it. Makes that little built-in webcam really useful!
Anyway, I just downloaded the software and installed it on my MacBook. It's a small package, doesn't take up much room on the hard disk and seems like a great idea. Of course, it's one of those things I hope I never have to use.
I believe there are also plans to develop similar kinds of security products for smaller mobile devices like cell phones and pda's too.
Seems like an essential component of the future of work to me.
More dads want to stay home
When I write about work-family issues, I deliberately try to avoid assigning them only to women. That's because I know too many men among my peers who struggle with the same things: spending more time with their kids; arranging flexible work options; doing quality work while raising kids who don't set fire to the guidance couselor's car.
It's one reason why I coerced my colleague Lev Grossman into cowriting a magazine article with me last year about this new generation of dads. It's also the reason I'm not surprised by the results of this new survey from CareerBuilder.com that finds 37% of dads with jobs say they'd gladly stay home if the spouse could support the family on her own. Other findings:
• 37% of working dads said they are willing to take a pay cut to spend more time with their children.
• 42% would take a pay cut of 10% or more.
Office time cuts into family time:
• 22% of working dads said their jobs have had a negative impact on their relationships with their children, with time management playing a role in the disruption of precious family time;
• 46% of working dads said they have missed a significant event in their child's life in the last year due to work;
• 26% said they have missed more than three.
It's harder than ever to leave the office at the office:
• 25% of working dads stated that they work more than 50 hours a week;
• 24% said they bring work home at least once, if not more, a week.
How much time are dads spending with the tots?
• 47% of working dads said they spend fewer than three hours a day with their children during the work week;
• 22% said they spend less than two hours;
• 6% are only able to spend an hour.
Are you a working dad who wants to stay home, or are you married to one?
It's one reason why I coerced my colleague Lev Grossman into cowriting a magazine article with me last year about this new generation of dads. It's also the reason I'm not surprised by the results of this new survey from CareerBuilder.com that finds 37% of dads with jobs say they'd gladly stay home if the spouse could support the family on her own. Other findings:
• 37% of working dads said they are willing to take a pay cut to spend more time with their children.
• 42% would take a pay cut of 10% or more.
Office time cuts into family time:
• 22% of working dads said their jobs have had a negative impact on their relationships with their children, with time management playing a role in the disruption of precious family time;
• 46% of working dads said they have missed a significant event in their child's life in the last year due to work;
• 26% said they have missed more than three.
It's harder than ever to leave the office at the office:
• 25% of working dads stated that they work more than 50 hours a week;
• 24% said they bring work home at least once, if not more, a week.
How much time are dads spending with the tots?
• 47% of working dads said they spend fewer than three hours a day with their children during the work week;
• 22% said they spend less than two hours;
• 6% are only able to spend an hour.
Are you a working dad who wants to stay home, or are you married to one?
Away from shinning India
Is good economy all about Number crunching in the form of some indicators though their pertinence in the context of India’s complex, multi layered and grossly un (under) reported economy is questionable. On top of that, We have fancied to fashion our National Polices with some grand statements like Green Revolution, Garibi Hatoo or current talks of “ Inclusive Growth”. Where are the touchstones for these big promises and faltering performances of our Leaders, leave alone any specific time line for their execution. They say that good economics can be bad politics so we always have our Finance Minister playing the role of “Mr Right” with his all seemingly “Politically correct to populace” and “Equivocal to Industries” statements. Enigma runs deeper as every crisis crosses over its tipping point and becomes chicken egg problem-like the recent announcement of government coming up with more humane rehabilitation policy along with the liberalized regime for Industrial growth. Catastrophically, our Share Indexes run from bull to bear every trading session with the modulation of optimism quotients of the speeches of our PM and FM. Some experts say that we have been entwined with the global economy like never before with the ushering in of LPG. ( though another LPG is in severe short supply this winter with Government more focused on Nuclear energy for our requirements). “Inflation is a cause of concern for us.” This is the latest fad of our FM in every forum and RBI has become a worried lot of economy “Overheating”. We are yet to see any concrete corrective measures. May be because, this is such a issue where they are not able to see any kind of “Saffronisation” of economy by fascist element at this crucial juncture of elections in UP post Sachhar Committee - their bastion to proof their secular credentials. Last year, we have seen wheat buffer stocks plummeting as wheat was disappeared from the markets and this year Sugarcane will see its price crushing down heavily because of global over production. Where is our Agriculture Minister- Is he learning Demand- Supply Equations at Shastri Bhavan? He is busy in bidding for his candidature for ICC chairmanship, challenging at least the Western hegemony in control of Cricket administration, what if we shamelessly perform in playgrounds. May be, even the suicide spree of farmers of his own state is not enough for any serious reflections for their plights from their avowed Leader. Our Prime Minister is on Jaunt to promote his Government’s “ Look East Policy” and Foreign Minister was last seen crossing our Western border to invite the “Mr. President” across the line of fire. In between, India is bleeding in million small hemorrhages to its farmers, labors, small traders and unemployed youths. Just thing about it.
maturity and hope in a poor girl
This is all about the story of a young poor-girl whom we all met on a weekend in Yamunanagar during shopping.
There, we encountered an innocent poor girl named 'Renu' who was begging there with her young brother and pet dog. She came to us expecting some sort of monitory help; we treated her in a rude-manner and gave her two rupee coin. When she further asked for help, we asked her to shut up and go back but that girl threw back that coin and replied 'you shut up'. Then we gave her five-rupee coin. She accepted and took her younger brother and dog to feed them, we were totally amazed seeing her self-pride and humanity.
We found her interesting and made her sit with us, and then our behaviour was quite normal towards her. On enquiring her we came to know about her family and routine. She had lost her father in an accident and her mother earns her living by collecting garbage.
She then started entertaining us by making couples, we asked her to come join us for shopping but then she replied that she can't came as she doesn't have enough money for shopping and moreover nobody's going to allow her inside complexes because of her dirty clothes.
We felt pity on her and offered her fifty-rupee note but she didn't accept. She said that she's willing to study but no option for her in this district.
By seeing her intelligence and confidence level we were all impressed and think of helping her out in some other way, as it is the time to learn not to do a job of beggar for her.
It's not only the responsibility of government but of every citizen of this country to help this helpless child.
Even without schooling throughout her life she has got such an intelligence level and all the required calibre to study. If given a chance to get education she wouldn't waste it and will surely payback to the society.
Please take a step forward and help her out and contribute towards her development.
There, we encountered an innocent poor girl named 'Renu' who was begging there with her young brother and pet dog. She came to us expecting some sort of monitory help; we treated her in a rude-manner and gave her two rupee coin. When she further asked for help, we asked her to shut up and go back but that girl threw back that coin and replied 'you shut up'. Then we gave her five-rupee coin. She accepted and took her younger brother and dog to feed them, we were totally amazed seeing her self-pride and humanity.
We found her interesting and made her sit with us, and then our behaviour was quite normal towards her. On enquiring her we came to know about her family and routine. She had lost her father in an accident and her mother earns her living by collecting garbage.
She then started entertaining us by making couples, we asked her to come join us for shopping but then she replied that she can't came as she doesn't have enough money for shopping and moreover nobody's going to allow her inside complexes because of her dirty clothes.
We felt pity on her and offered her fifty-rupee note but she didn't accept. She said that she's willing to study but no option for her in this district.
By seeing her intelligence and confidence level we were all impressed and think of helping her out in some other way, as it is the time to learn not to do a job of beggar for her.
It's not only the responsibility of government but of every citizen of this country to help this helpless child.
Even without schooling throughout her life she has got such an intelligence level and all the required calibre to study. If given a chance to get education she wouldn't waste it and will surely payback to the society.
Please take a step forward and help her out and contribute towards her development.
Wanted: Indian Golf League
After 40 days of hold-your-breath last-ball ends and never-seen-before dancing cheerleaders, a colleague, having just finished a report on a local ATP Challenger, announced with finality: "Oh, I know, let's start an Indian Tennis League."
There are no TRP ratings in newspapers, but I have a feeling I wouldn't have been particularly inspired if somebody had told me our -- the non-cricket-sports-journalist fraternity's -- figures during the IPL.
But, existential crisis notwithstanding, the IPL was a model bound to succeed. After all, cricket is a sport that has had India in its grip for too many years now. There is too much going for it in the format. And for tantalising seasoning, some of the most eyeball-inducing celebrities are involved.
Anyhow, the month before last saw some big-name golfers in India, all hitting the ball a mile and mixing it up with delicate touches across the park. It was a big party for those of us involved, and many of us wrote cheerful analysis on how golf in India might have arrived.
We had an Indian winner at the Ernie Els-starring European Tour's Indian Masters in SSP Chowrasia, a beautiful story on success after battling deprivation. There was another Asian Tour biggie, then the little more superstar-rich Johnnie Walker Classic. A month of partying over, we went our own ways, the golfers theirs.
Fortunately, Indian golf's success story didn't end there. Just the next week, Arjun Atwal, our first explorer of the big bad off-shore greens, having struggled more for a little more than this past year, stuck out a sudden-death play-off over two bite-your-nails holes to win big: the Malaysian Open, a European Tour event. At the moment, though, he's slugging it out at the Nationwide Tour in the US. A second-place finish and four other top-25 positions later, he's steadily rising up the Order of Merit chart. He's placed 13th at the moment, a little less than halfway through the season; the top 25 get automatic entry into the PGA Tour, the biggest deal in the golfing world.
Jeev Milkha Singh, meanwhile, was involved in another play-off himself, though missing out on the title at Indonesia. He then had another second-place finish at the big-name Ballantine's Championship. 17th on the European Tour at the moment, it's a season where a lot of things are going right.
Jyoti Randhawa, suitably glamourous -- his wife is Bollywood actress Chitrangada Singh, and his other passion is his bike -- turned around an indifferent season to end fifth at the PGA Championship just this past week.
The Asian Tour order of merit list has four names in the top-ten, three in top five. All in all, a pretty good endorsement for any sport.
There is no dearth of 'how cricket might be killing off other sports' theories that are regularly passed off as excuses by administrators, and the scoffing replies of "but you need to know how to market".
So what is the answer to making the 'lesser' sports perk up? Will a sexed-up version of a tennis league, a badminton league, a golf league work?
There are no TRP ratings in newspapers, but I have a feeling I wouldn't have been particularly inspired if somebody had told me our -- the non-cricket-sports-journalist fraternity's -- figures during the IPL.
But, existential crisis notwithstanding, the IPL was a model bound to succeed. After all, cricket is a sport that has had India in its grip for too many years now. There is too much going for it in the format. And for tantalising seasoning, some of the most eyeball-inducing celebrities are involved.
Anyhow, the month before last saw some big-name golfers in India, all hitting the ball a mile and mixing it up with delicate touches across the park. It was a big party for those of us involved, and many of us wrote cheerful analysis on how golf in India might have arrived.
We had an Indian winner at the Ernie Els-starring European Tour's Indian Masters in SSP Chowrasia, a beautiful story on success after battling deprivation. There was another Asian Tour biggie, then the little more superstar-rich Johnnie Walker Classic. A month of partying over, we went our own ways, the golfers theirs.
Fortunately, Indian golf's success story didn't end there. Just the next week, Arjun Atwal, our first explorer of the big bad off-shore greens, having struggled more for a little more than this past year, stuck out a sudden-death play-off over two bite-your-nails holes to win big: the Malaysian Open, a European Tour event. At the moment, though, he's slugging it out at the Nationwide Tour in the US. A second-place finish and four other top-25 positions later, he's steadily rising up the Order of Merit chart. He's placed 13th at the moment, a little less than halfway through the season; the top 25 get automatic entry into the PGA Tour, the biggest deal in the golfing world.
Jeev Milkha Singh, meanwhile, was involved in another play-off himself, though missing out on the title at Indonesia. He then had another second-place finish at the big-name Ballantine's Championship. 17th on the European Tour at the moment, it's a season where a lot of things are going right.
Jyoti Randhawa, suitably glamourous -- his wife is Bollywood actress Chitrangada Singh, and his other passion is his bike -- turned around an indifferent season to end fifth at the PGA Championship just this past week.
The Asian Tour order of merit list has four names in the top-ten, three in top five. All in all, a pretty good endorsement for any sport.
There is no dearth of 'how cricket might be killing off other sports' theories that are regularly passed off as excuses by administrators, and the scoffing replies of "but you need to know how to market".
So what is the answer to making the 'lesser' sports perk up? Will a sexed-up version of a tennis league, a badminton league, a golf league work?
Cyber Security
Mobile telephony and the Internet are considered as the most important discoveries of the 20th century. These have transformed the many aspects of modern life. At present, there are over 3 billion mobile connections and one billion internet connections world wide and the number of users are still growing on. With over 113 million websites globally, people from all walk of life are now eager to improve their quality of life further.
No doubt, the internet has come up to the expectations of improving the quality of life of the people but still full potential of Internet has not yet been realized. Main reason is the lack of trust of its users in the internet. It has been observed that almost two third of the internet users have refrained from certain activities on line on account of security concerns. Greatest fear among the users were the theft of personal information like identity theft, credit card fraud, computer viruses and spy ware etc. and therefore, entrusting of confidence among the users of internet is one of the key enablers for its future growth and uses.
The growth of internet has inherently opened new vistas of opportunities for the criminal who exploits the online vulnerabilities to commit cyber crimes and inflict serious damage to the critical infrastructures of the nations. Viruses, Identity theft, Denial of Service attacks, Spy ware and Phising etc. have become the dangers of cyberspace. These are the main hurdle for the future growth of internet and its use. It is said, that the span and other exploitations are accounting for the majority (90%) e-mail traffic over internet thereby, clogging internet channels for the genuine users.
Security is the key to the users trust in e-business, e-governance and other on-line applications. The cyber-security covers the range of threat of the internet users broadly in the three areas of concerns- namely threat to individual users by inflicting with virus and identity theft, secondly threat to business, government and other organizations through exploitation of the vulnerability in their data and thirdly threat to the critical public infrastructures like Telecommunication Network, Financial systems, emergency systems, Power Grid Systems etc.
The internet has become an inseparable part of our society and culture. It is difficult to imagine the life without it. Therefore, the telecommunication and information technology network which are the prime infrastructure for building the information society needs to be build up with proper robustness to ensure the reliability of services against the attack from the cyber criminals. Span has now taken the form of severe risks to the internet security – sometimes, it gives a lot of annoyance and sometimes it becomes a serious cyber security threat. It has been observed that nine out of ten emails are considered spam. Its Volume as well its proportion are also increasing with the growth of Internet. As per the observations made by United States Federal Trade Commission, genuine e-mails out of the average seventy numbers of e-mails, received by the employee everyday, are only around 9, rests are the spam. Spam in its various forms only drains the resources. The direct cost is in the form of incorporating spam filter software and hiring of engineers to deal with the problems. It reduces the productivity of the employees and thereby increases business costs. Most of the users uses at least 5 to 10 minutes a day dealing with the spam. Of course about 2% of the users uses more than half an hour a day dealing with the spam. The spammers are developing new techniques in response to any-spam software. They are always one step ahead. New variants like spim (Spam through instant messaging) and spit (spam associated with internet telephony) has also become now common in the network. Cyber security with evolving technology is becoming more and more complex. It has really become one of the important challenges to all concerned to tackle the threats to cyber security. Further, internets with its gradual shift to social networking is now moving from the Centre of network towards the edges- less centralized control with more user centric activity and a greater user generated content. Laws alone cannot make the telecom network more secure. Computer related crimes can better be prohibited when the makers of the computers, equipments and technologists build more secure and robust systems and the users, service providers etc. operates in more responsible manner. Therefore, it becomes the responsibility of each user to become aware of threat as well as opportunities of Internet.
Government and the Internet Service Provider must help the users to educate them and also to provide them necessary information on how best to protect themselves by developing the culture of cyber securities.
Therefore, a coordinated multi-layered approach is needed to protect the telecommunications and information network. In order to inculcate trust in he ICT network, there is need to rely on multiple line of defenses like national and international strategies, public and private efforts besides bilateral and multilateral cooperation. National agencies and other stake holders are now shaping policies from different prospective namely addressing cyber security as a technical and operational network issues; economic issues, legislation and enforcement issues like cyber crime and the fourth the national security issues as the possible threat of critical information infrastructures protections (CIIP).
Threat to cyber security is constantly evolving with the evolution of newer and newer technologies and therefore, policy relating to cyber security have to be flexible and adoptive. Unless effective steps are taken by all the stake holders including service providers, government and the users, cyber crime eco systems would flourish to inflict maximum damage to the public which are now becoming more and more dependent on information technology in the upcoming digital world. The possible negative impacts of the vicious triangle of spyware, virus and spasm are to be understood and the remedial actions are to be taken for the protection of the information society. It will be difficult to fathom the consequences of cyber war which anti social element may try to inflict on the nations. With more and more dependence on computers and its network, perhaps, cyber war can bring about more harm to a nation than any other form of war. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that its citizens are protected by inculcating a culture of cyber security. The government has a vital role in coordination and implementation on national cyber security strategy to protect its critical information infrastructures. In depth understanding of various aspects of information & communication network/technology can only equip one to take necessary measures for effective cyber security and therefore, the involvement of experts of this field has become equally important for the design of national security strategy.
No doubt, the internet has come up to the expectations of improving the quality of life of the people but still full potential of Internet has not yet been realized. Main reason is the lack of trust of its users in the internet. It has been observed that almost two third of the internet users have refrained from certain activities on line on account of security concerns. Greatest fear among the users were the theft of personal information like identity theft, credit card fraud, computer viruses and spy ware etc. and therefore, entrusting of confidence among the users of internet is one of the key enablers for its future growth and uses.
The growth of internet has inherently opened new vistas of opportunities for the criminal who exploits the online vulnerabilities to commit cyber crimes and inflict serious damage to the critical infrastructures of the nations. Viruses, Identity theft, Denial of Service attacks, Spy ware and Phising etc. have become the dangers of cyberspace. These are the main hurdle for the future growth of internet and its use. It is said, that the span and other exploitations are accounting for the majority (90%) e-mail traffic over internet thereby, clogging internet channels for the genuine users.
Security is the key to the users trust in e-business, e-governance and other on-line applications. The cyber-security covers the range of threat of the internet users broadly in the three areas of concerns- namely threat to individual users by inflicting with virus and identity theft, secondly threat to business, government and other organizations through exploitation of the vulnerability in their data and thirdly threat to the critical public infrastructures like Telecommunication Network, Financial systems, emergency systems, Power Grid Systems etc.
The internet has become an inseparable part of our society and culture. It is difficult to imagine the life without it. Therefore, the telecommunication and information technology network which are the prime infrastructure for building the information society needs to be build up with proper robustness to ensure the reliability of services against the attack from the cyber criminals. Span has now taken the form of severe risks to the internet security – sometimes, it gives a lot of annoyance and sometimes it becomes a serious cyber security threat. It has been observed that nine out of ten emails are considered spam. Its Volume as well its proportion are also increasing with the growth of Internet. As per the observations made by United States Federal Trade Commission, genuine e-mails out of the average seventy numbers of e-mails, received by the employee everyday, are only around 9, rests are the spam. Spam in its various forms only drains the resources. The direct cost is in the form of incorporating spam filter software and hiring of engineers to deal with the problems. It reduces the productivity of the employees and thereby increases business costs. Most of the users uses at least 5 to 10 minutes a day dealing with the spam. Of course about 2% of the users uses more than half an hour a day dealing with the spam. The spammers are developing new techniques in response to any-spam software. They are always one step ahead. New variants like spim (Spam through instant messaging) and spit (spam associated with internet telephony) has also become now common in the network. Cyber security with evolving technology is becoming more and more complex. It has really become one of the important challenges to all concerned to tackle the threats to cyber security. Further, internets with its gradual shift to social networking is now moving from the Centre of network towards the edges- less centralized control with more user centric activity and a greater user generated content. Laws alone cannot make the telecom network more secure. Computer related crimes can better be prohibited when the makers of the computers, equipments and technologists build more secure and robust systems and the users, service providers etc. operates in more responsible manner. Therefore, it becomes the responsibility of each user to become aware of threat as well as opportunities of Internet.
Government and the Internet Service Provider must help the users to educate them and also to provide them necessary information on how best to protect themselves by developing the culture of cyber securities.
Therefore, a coordinated multi-layered approach is needed to protect the telecommunications and information network. In order to inculcate trust in he ICT network, there is need to rely on multiple line of defenses like national and international strategies, public and private efforts besides bilateral and multilateral cooperation. National agencies and other stake holders are now shaping policies from different prospective namely addressing cyber security as a technical and operational network issues; economic issues, legislation and enforcement issues like cyber crime and the fourth the national security issues as the possible threat of critical information infrastructures protections (CIIP).
Threat to cyber security is constantly evolving with the evolution of newer and newer technologies and therefore, policy relating to cyber security have to be flexible and adoptive. Unless effective steps are taken by all the stake holders including service providers, government and the users, cyber crime eco systems would flourish to inflict maximum damage to the public which are now becoming more and more dependent on information technology in the upcoming digital world. The possible negative impacts of the vicious triangle of spyware, virus and spasm are to be understood and the remedial actions are to be taken for the protection of the information society. It will be difficult to fathom the consequences of cyber war which anti social element may try to inflict on the nations. With more and more dependence on computers and its network, perhaps, cyber war can bring about more harm to a nation than any other form of war. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that its citizens are protected by inculcating a culture of cyber security. The government has a vital role in coordination and implementation on national cyber security strategy to protect its critical information infrastructures. In depth understanding of various aspects of information & communication network/technology can only equip one to take necessary measures for effective cyber security and therefore, the involvement of experts of this field has become equally important for the design of national security strategy.
Support Indian Hockey
It has been the big news that the Indian Hockey team has failed to qualify to the Olympic Games this time. It is said that this is the first time that the Indian Hockey team has failed to qualify to the Olympic Games. Predictably there have been fingers pointing in various directions as to who is responsible for the failures. There have been some people who have taken responsibility for the debacle and quit and there are some who have decided to stay on and so on.
The defeat has seen even more significance especially due to the fact that the players in the Indian Cricket arena have been earning huge sums of money and fame. I believe that the Indian Cricketers deserve the money and adulations that they have received and have been receiving. It may be worthwhile in trying to draw a comparison between the Indian Cricket team after their debacle in the World cup and the current state of Indian hockey team. Although there have been harsh reactions to the failures of the Indian hockey team, the Indian Cricket team had to suffer even the public wrath after their debacle in the world cup.
There was physical damage been done to the properties of some of the cricketers and there were security issues as well to some cricketers. Having gone through all these things, the Indian Cricket team did extremely well to come back into reckoning. I should say that it has been a combined effort of the players and the support staff (including the administrators). Indian Hockey team can learn from the Indian Cricket team to be more determined to get back to winning ways. It is agreed that the Olympic Games would have been an excellent platform to perform but there is no point brooding over the debacle but gather the wits and start concentrating on the game.
The players and the support staff (including administration) should take collective responsibility and strive for better results henceforth. It is during these times that the Indian Hockey team needs more support to enable them to get back to winning ways.
The defeat has seen even more significance especially due to the fact that the players in the Indian Cricket arena have been earning huge sums of money and fame. I believe that the Indian Cricketers deserve the money and adulations that they have received and have been receiving. It may be worthwhile in trying to draw a comparison between the Indian Cricket team after their debacle in the World cup and the current state of Indian hockey team. Although there have been harsh reactions to the failures of the Indian hockey team, the Indian Cricket team had to suffer even the public wrath after their debacle in the world cup.
There was physical damage been done to the properties of some of the cricketers and there were security issues as well to some cricketers. Having gone through all these things, the Indian Cricket team did extremely well to come back into reckoning. I should say that it has been a combined effort of the players and the support staff (including the administrators). Indian Hockey team can learn from the Indian Cricket team to be more determined to get back to winning ways. It is agreed that the Olympic Games would have been an excellent platform to perform but there is no point brooding over the debacle but gather the wits and start concentrating on the game.
The players and the support staff (including administration) should take collective responsibility and strive for better results henceforth. It is during these times that the Indian Hockey team needs more support to enable them to get back to winning ways.
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