kinshuk sunilit aint no, dessert if therez no caek

Still Alive.
Got loads of good news. Loads of wannabe good news. And loads of hectic schedule.

Will update sometime soon.
Looking forward to meeting you at OSScamp Chandigarh and other community events.

This post was originally published on Digimantra.com

Have you ever had one of those moments when you desperately need an answer but don’t know who to ask? Or that all those you could think of asking have no clue, but you do need an answer? Well, Aardvark is meant for you? Aardvark provides you with a platform to have realtime conversations with friends around topics that you have questions about. This can be way much more efficient and helpful than searching the net. Aardvark uses the latent knowledge people have, which cannot be caputred on a web page. All of this, without downloads. Just email Aardvark or send it an IM, and help is on its way.

This post was originally published on Digimantra.com

This Post was originally published in the Linux For You Magazine’s March 2009 Edition. Also available online.

Delhi’s first unconference on Mozilla technologies was a grand event with about a 100 campers who came together to share some Mozilla love on February 10. It was an event that attracted technologists and students, with Mozilla’s Seth Bindernagel and Arun Ranganathan around to discuss the future of the Web…

This Post was originally published in the Linux For You Magazine’s March 2009 Edition. Also available online.

It feels really strange to realize that in those few minutes when I was at CCD, just after having felt the bombs; I was there, between two bombed sites, joking, trying to preserve my calm, while people were injured, while they were crying, trying to find their loved ones, while they were witnessing violence, gore, and death. It is a tragedy of unknown proportions…
A tragic end to a day full of twists and turns. Sadness and sorrow fills me as I write this. As I began my day, I had never thought how it will end. I had no clue at all.

September 13th, 2008. New Delhi
8.0 AM
It started with me rushing to my Ahok Vihar office for the monthly strategic review meetings. Had to work on the Marketing Divisions strategic intent and planning and put it across the board. Had just updated Open Coffee Club Delhi in the morning that I shall be attending the OCC Delhi Meet at Café Coffee Day, Outer Circle, CP later in the evening.

At around 12:40, between the series of meetings, got a mail at the OSScamp Community mailing list about the offline Drupal Meet up at Srijan Campus, Nehru Place. God! I was going to miss it as my schedule was already overflowing. I didn’t want to miss it anyway. But that’s what short notices do. No offence.

3.20 PM
Started my presentation. Discussed the various aspects of our brand building exercises, problems we are facing and possible solutions and the ones the marketing team would recommend. A fierce discussion on a new brand identity that needs created. A lot of discussion I wouldn’t want to bore you with. Finally, I was free by 4.15PM.

4.20 PM
I left a note for my boss that I am leaving for the OCC Delhi Meet at CP; an unusual first for me. At the time it felt the right thing to do even when I have never really cared about updating my boss with my every movement. It’s like we have an understanding at OSSCube that if we are doing quality work in stipulated time, it proves that I am a good judge of how to utilize my time and we don’t question each other. My boss doesn’t question me and I don’t question my team. That’s the way it goes. So it puzzled me: why I wanted to leave that note. Obviously, now I can speak a lot about my intuitions and premonitions and other such myths. But that wasn’t it, exactly. Not very easy to understand what it was.

4.35 PM
Trying to get an auto for CP has always been a tough job for me at Ashok Vihar. Finally I got one and I called Satpal to update him about my being late. The problem with unconferences is that people generally don’t take the deadlines very seriously. Or let’s put it correctly, diplomatically: we all are busy people with overflowing schedules; unconferences are just flexible enough to accept such situations. Needless to say, moron me was not the only late guy. But that’s what the game is all about – people coming.

5.11 PM
Some problem at Ramakrishna Ashram. The road was closed. Had to take a detour through Gole Market for CP. A thick jam there due to all the vehicles detouring.

5.20 PM
Finally reached CP. Café Coffee Day, Outer Circle. A few hundred meters from Central Park and Gopal Das Building.

(more…)

Scanned Excerpt, Click Image for Full View

An ‘Industry News’ item from Linux For You, August 2008 detailing the OSScamp Bengaluru Mobile 2008 unconference organised in the city of Bangalore on July 19th 2008. I was part of the organising team for the same. And yes, this article also marks my debut in to the Media. Evil People Do Boast! You Didn’t Knew?

Some Images From the Camp: