Monthly Archives: February 2009

Screen Sucking

Posted on February 28, 2009 by Krishna

I first came across the phrase “screen sucking” in Edward Hallowell’s “Crazy Busy”, an otherwise forgettable book. It is an apt term for how we spend hours online surfing without any end instead of getting on with our work. Not … Continue reading →

Posted in productivity, self-improvement | 2 Comments

The Disappointment of Internet Explorer 8.0

Posted on February 27, 2009 by Krishna

Microsoft’s neglect of Internet Explorer over the years has finally caught up to them. IE 8, while a significant improvement over IE 7, lags behind Google Chrome and now the latest Apple Safari browser. Here are some of the significant … Continue reading →

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Finally, Raymond Chen Gives the Answer

Posted on February 27, 2009 by Krishna

Two years ago, I posted about Raymond Chen’s posts, which Yuvi Panda had analyzed to find that 77% of them were posted at 7 am. Louis Gray also took up the issue, wondering if 7 am was the best time … Continue reading →

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Public Key Cryptography

Posted on February 26, 2009 by Krishna

I recently drew up a picture to help someone understand what public key cryptography is about. In most situations, there are commercial and open-source products that do it for you. And it is not the only solution for secure communication … Continue reading →

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Slumdog Millionaire and the Real India

Posted on February 22, 2009 by Krishna

It is Oscar time once again. This year’s favorite for the Best Picture of the Year is “Slumdog Millionaire”. Not that it necessarily means anything, but the best prediction expert in baseball and politics, Nate Silver, gives it a 99% … Continue reading →

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Graphics Design for Web Projects

Posted on February 21, 2009 by Krishna

Most of software development favors left brained thinking. Programming, in particular, is all about logic and being objective. For the most part, it is a learnable skill, even if the time requirements for being an expert can vary from the … Continue reading →

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“Can” Doesn’t Mean “Should”

Posted on February 19, 2009 by Krishna

During his efforts to cement his pariah status in conservative circles during the last election, Andrew Sullivan took a break to write a thoughtful article on blogging (emphasis mine): This form of instant and global self-publishing, made possible by technology … Continue reading →

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Print in Editable Screens is Dangerous

Posted on February 18, 2009 by Krishna

It may be convenient to have a “Print” button on a screen where a record is displayed, but if the screen also allows the user to edit the record, then you may have a problem. If the user edits the … Continue reading →

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Recursive Professions

Posted on February 18, 2009 by Krishna

The most fascinating professions, in my opinion, are the ones where you make money by preaching what you practice, and where the preaching is the practice. If that is confusing, here are some examples: Blogging about blogging: Every blogger does … Continue reading →

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The “Do It When You Can” Technique

Posted on February 16, 2009 by Krishna

Self-help techniques often ask you to come up with a schedule that works for you. Go to the gym “x” times a week. Set apart 1 hour daily for some self-improvement activity. Only spend so many hours on this and … Continue reading →

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