Life from the perspective of a Software Engineer

Life from the perspective of a Software Engineer:

I have been in the field of Software for the past 7 years and though I still don’t know a squat I still call myself one. That is the beauty of this field. If you don’t believe me ask the web developers a.k.a Software engineers ;). Need more proof check out my website (…).

I have recently observed   that we YES WE (that Includes me!!) as a software engineer end up relating things to our work with things happening in our life (yes we do have a life!!!). 

We have accepted the fact that no matter how successful we are in life we will always be tested by people whose sole purpose is to find fault in your work. 

 

-We spend whole nights googling (yeah we don’t think or ponder over matters we Google) on why people like Farmville are preferred over World of Warcraft.

- We as software engineers understand the effort that has gone into building one and don’t mind paying for it but it’s always better if you get it for free.

As the saying goes "Software is like sex; free is always better"

-In our life we always meet people like Steve Jobs whom we admire but still end up preferring people like Bill Gates.

- For us HOPE is like a GUI, a Viagra which turns you on but as always and I mean always end up using the command prompt. (You should be getting the wrong idea)

- The only way we know how to deal with problems is to use ctrl+Alt+Del.

- For us life is an infinite loop which in which the break statements never gets executed.

- How much ever we try to be object oriented in our life we always end up referring to some pointers.

-We all have firefoxes and chrome’s in our life whom we love we always have to take care of the explorer’ too.

- We always have friends like windows whom you hate but still call them up because you are bored and all the Macs are busy.

Just added this picture because I found it funny no other reason whatsoever.

And as I always leave with a message

 

Reasons for which you should and should not go back to India

Being away from home has taught me a lot about India, may be a little too much than I would like to accept. To put it fair and square US is awesome, truly the best place there is to live. It gives you opportunities that no other country can bestow. Hence I write this article,


5 inappropriate reasons for moving back to India

First Reason
Subtle discrimination...yes nobody can deny  that it exists and everyone one of us staying in US has experienced its bitter taste, some more prominently than others. But there is discrimination in India too.Discrimination based on caste religion and YES color, or else there would not be so many fair and lovely or for the love of god fair and handsome ads on television and  neither would Shahrukh and Rajnikanth two of the biggest stars in India would have felt the need to  dye their skins white.

Second Reason
No need to do your daily chores as you can hire servants to do that because they are cheap to hire.If there is one thing I feel we need to grasp  from  our time in US is dignity of labour. What happens in India is plain old exploitation of the poor. If we are not able to realize that than we have not been able to gain anything from our stay here.

Third
Live closer to your family and friends and have a life more involved and social. Seriously are you not the same guy or gal who was frustrated with the plethora of social commitments that your were bombarded  with and you always thought, I need to do something more meaningful in life, which made your journey to US even more exciting. Trust me once the aura of returning back is gone all this would come back.

Fourth
You want your kids to have Indian values and more  rooted to Indian culture. Look at our own selves. We were not rooted  to anything Indian by a long shot and nor will be your kids. It were your parents who instilled the values in you and not the place.

Fifth
You are inspired by watching Swades or Chetan Bhagat. Swades was a film and Chetan Bhagat is an IIT cum IIM graduate , which sadly most of us majority are not. He would have been successful man anywhere he would have gone. Truly if you are not successful in US you would not be a success story in India. It just does not happen that way.

One thing I have realized is that, we always talk about going back to India. Everybody has something or someone in life which is not working out as planned and and they want to run away and sadly or gladly we have an option to run. We always want a chance to start anew and that is precisely why many of us came to US in the first place. To give ourselves a new beginning.

It is sort of obvious in hindsight that people who are happy would be happy everywhere whereas those who are not would find reasons to be unhappy anywhere they go. It is after lot of contemplation I say that if you are not happy in US then you will not be happy in India too.

At the end of the day, home is where you return to when your purpose to be somewhere else is achieved. If you need a reason to go back sadly but truly in a deep and profound sense it is not your home anymore.

India’s  ComiCon

For those of you who don’t know what ComicCon is its a place where Nerds meet other nerds who then drink and party together and  make  fun of other Nerds, and line up to take autographs of SUPERNERDS , well all in all its a Nerdy Festival for Nerds.

For those of you who still dint get it here’s a non Nerdy one ‘Comic-Con happens in San Diego every year. It is a comics and popular arts convention with special guests, themes and anniversaries, and programming’

So I was reading about comic con and well thought how cool it would be for India to have its own version of comicon. Well the most important thing in Comicon is to meet, get signed shit of your favorite super heroes which you can then sell on ebay (don't smirk if you are one of the guys who goes to ComicCon you definitely are jobless and would definitely end up doing this )
So here’s the list of Indian Superheroes who would make the cut and of those who wouldn't, if ever there was one.

Shaktiman: Ohh he would never make the cut. Its a total RIP OFF. I mean I am not against copying (Indians never are) but the whole concept of superman from the storyline to Villains even GOD DAMN roles of both the Damsel in Distress are also the same (Journalist).

Everything considered (All the pun in the world intended here)  atleast copy it well I mean just because you produce the show doesnt mean you have to be the SuperHero. I mean comeon a Pot Bellied super hero and trust me I would’nt mind if it was a BeerBelly but apparently he was against drinking.

Mr.India: He is a sure shot selection.

I mean comeon we all wanted that cheap lighting, huge, attached with weird coloured bulbs watch that would make us invisible. Ohh the things I thought I could do if I had that watch ( ohh yeah I know exactly what you are thinking). And after few years the watch got transformed into a cloak which was found by harry potter's grandfather. That definately counts for something. 

RA.One: If you think I need to justify his exclusion the you suck no I really mean it you suck.

Son Pari : Oh my mother of God.....if you are thinking y is this even here well I searched for Indian superhearoes n she pooped up....I knw..can u believe it....Goggle you better get your algorithms

right.....I am about to vomit (well that may also be because of some Piss Colored Drink and No I am not talking about Mountain Dew here)

Drona: Hhhahahaahahhaa......I just had to put it. When I searched for ‘Drona funny pics’ all the original Drona Pics pooped up. HHAHHHA n how much I agree with that ....well Guess Google’s  Algorithm are getting Better......I mean this guy wears a Dress, a necklace on his head, has a huge Belly(Welll probably a Beer Belly), looks like shit.....neither the Straight or the GAY community would accept that.

One of the super Heroes I really like (no Pun Intended) is CHACHA CHAUDHRI i mean seriously his MIND WORKS FASTER THAN A COMPUTER...... THAT IS SO COOOLL.....i have been studying computers for 6 years now...n yeah if you consider watching Videos  then well 14years probably.....i stilll dont know a squat n this old short guy along with Big Guy in underwear who eats all the day....has a brain that is faster than a computer. AWESOME POWER he definatel makes the list. 

welll now for the MOTHER FATHER BROTHER GRANDFATHER GRANDMOTHER GODFATHER of all SUPERHEROES India will ever see ever and I seriously mean Ever.

‘RAJNIKANTH’ This Guy is awe-inspiring, , breathtaking, daunting,, fearsome, formidable, grand, hairy*, imposing, impressive, intimidating, magnificent, majestic,overwhelming,  something else, striking, stunning, stupefying, wondrous, mind-blowing,MIND BOGGLING not because he has all this awe-inspiring, , breathtaking, daunting,, fearsome, formidable, grand, hairy*, imposing, impressive, intimidating, magnificent, majestic,overwhelming,  something else, striking, stunning, stupefying, wondrous, mind-blowing,MIND BOGGLING SUPER POWERS which he can easily carry off without even using the TAG of superhero. I mean RAJNI is the only normal HUMAN BEING who has all the awe-inspiring, , breathtaking, daunting,, fearsome, formidable, grand, hairy*, imposing, impressive, intimidating, magnificent, majestic,overwhelming,  something else, striking, stunning, stupefying, wondrous, mind-blowing,MIND BOGGLING powers in the world. HATS OFF TO THIS GUY and as a FINAL HONOUR TO HIM I think the FIRST COMIC CON SHOULD BE NAMED AFTER HIM

‘RAJNI_CON’

Death

Death. This one fearful word. One word that has always been a part of human History no matter which ever history you have read. Death is the only constant and definte thing that there is in the whole universe. There have been so many philosophers in human history trying to find out the meaning of life, why we are here what is our destiny. I am sure if you google it you will find thousands of definations of life but DEATH has only one meaning no intellectual interpretations no paying thousands of dollars to get front row seats of great men trying to understand its meaning. No matter your color, your religion, your country death is the same everywhere no bigotism, no debates.

 

Death is probably the one thing that every human in the world has to experience. It is the most truly brilliant natures way of making us understand the concept of eauality. No matter how rich or poor you are, how evil or good things you have done, Hitler died but so did Gandhiji. The concept of death is so powerful and so omnipresent that even Jesus Christ, or Lord Krishna coudnt evade death. Death is so beautiful a concept so fanatically communist it in a way, everybody is equal in deaths eyes.

Ever thought why don’t you see any other species worshiping a god or deity or anything. I have always wondered why there are no signs of any other species in the world who worship a god or nature or anything at all. After all they too are living beings they do have souls which do need salvation. Some will argue that human are intelligent species and that’s why this difference. Well judging from what fanatical ways of guiding that today's religious leaders are using I don’t think there is too much intelligence required. Then why we as a race are we obsessed with GOD. Some optimist  will say HOPE. But is it? 

Why is someone called a god. He/She has super powers, he is intelligent has foresight and the all the normal clichés. All these things even humans are capable of doing, like flying, killing using a gun shot etc etc. then why do we still worship GOD. Well the only and the only reason why we worship GOD is because god is immortal he cannot die. This is truly the only quality that differentiates us from god.  Even chrisianity one of the most dominant religions in the world who worships Jesus Christ but still don’t proclaim him as god but a son of god. Why because he died.

How to Setup GNS3

How to set up GNS3

GNS3 is one of the most awesome and brilliant opens source software developed till now. It is awesome for laboratory work and especially for those giving Cisco certification exams this is a boon as now they don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on cisco equipment.

GNS3 is an emulator and not simulator. It actually sends packets between the routers rather than just simulating and the most awesome thing is that you can capture this packets using a packet sniffing software like wireshark and study those packets in detail.

I am writing this blog because it took me more than 5 hours just to install and get it started working properly. It takes a little bit of time and patience before u can start using it full flegedly.

1. GNS3 is an open source and you can download the software easily by following the link given. The  ttp://www.gns3.net/. You  Should download the windows all in one as you will get dynamips and all  the other required software with i  One thing while downloading the software make sure that you download  the cisco image unpacker binary as highlighted in the picture. It will be useful afterwards when we install the cisco IOS.

2. Open the downloaded file and install GNS3 its pretty straightforward and does not require any help in doing so.

3.  After installing click on the icon of GNS3 that should be visible now that you have installed the software. ON starting a window pops up that has two steps select the first step where you can get your basic configurations for GNS3 setup done.

4. Once you selected step 1 a screen will show up giving you different options and settings. On the left side select dynamips and first of all change the folder settings from the temporary folder to a new folder where you will want to save your GNS3 projects. After doing that just press the test button at the bottom of the screen and see if its working properly or not. Your screen should somewhat look like this.

5. Once that is done you can go to the next step that is adding the Cisco IOS images . This is probably a difficult part and you can get an IOS from a Cisco switch using a falsh drive or yu can download it or buy it from the cisco site.

Download GNS 3 and Cisco 1700, 2600, 7200 IOS in one pack:
http://rapidshare.com/files/130264941/GNS3-0.5-win32-all-in-one.rar
Pass: sumptuousworld

After downloading the Cisco IOS use the Cisco image unpacker to unpack the IOS or use WinZip which works equally fine. Just add it to WinZip and extract the file. The size of the file increases to almost double. Do not use the IOS without unpacking t otherwise you the routers in the GNS3 will take ages to start.

6. Once you have unpacked the IOS go to the second step in the GNS3 and upload the unpacked files. The screenshot should look like this

7. Once you are done with this you are ready to use your GNS3 make sure to enable the Idle PC value once you start using the software. ENJOY!!!!

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

MKG probably one of the most spoken about and the most seen (on the greenbacks) of all time in our country’s rich history. Today there is a lot of skepticism about his ideals and principles and even debating his contributions in the freedom struggle. It is very sad and frustrating when people criticize him without understanding his ideas. There is a kind of notion in the minds of the youth today that we could have got freedom much earlier had we not followed Gandhiji. I would like to put forth my views on why we should think otherwise.

Non-Violence:  a concept so simple but yet so difficult to understand and follow. Gandhiji not only understood the spiritual upliftment and the self esteem that it builds but also its practical value.  In a physical battle there are many factors involved that can determine the outcome, apart from your determination and your love for your country. But using non violence the only thing needed is the determination to fight for your freedom and your rights. This is clearly evident from the fact that millions and millions of women who may not have physical strength but had the determination to fight for their country. Surprisingly even today military has reservations about enlisting women. It is phenomenal where in a country where women are so tied up in its customs and traditions that they should come out and fight with the men shoulder to shoulder for their right to freedom. No freedom struggle in the world can boast of such participation apart from ours. In a sense Gandhiji did more for women upliftment than any women’s bill or reservation can do.

‘Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err - Mahatma Gandhi’. He understood that the ultimate goal was not freedom from British rule but freedom in itself. A prime example is Russian revolution where after the revolution was successful czars were thrown out and tyranny was at an end but afterwards a civil war broke out. People who had fought all their lives knew nothing but to fight, had suddenly been handed over the job to administer the country. Gandhiji was well aware of this and knew that our country was not capable enough to work on its own and needed British help to administer. It would have been like giving a farmer run a mill to run which he wants to but has no idea how to.

The most important thing here to understand is that it was the values and his ideas that were great more than Gandhiji himself as a person. It was the not the charisma or leadership of Gandhiji that should be treasured but his ideas. If it was for his personal abilities then it would not have been possible for Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King Jr. to use the same ideology to successfully attain freedom. I would like to end by saying that Gandhiji was not a God, he was not perfect he may have made mistakes in his life but judge his ideals and not the man himself, it is the ideas that made him to what he was and not the other way round.