Why it happens only in India

When you think of India, you can imagine a herd of people, plethora of vehicles on roads etc. So effectively everything in abundance (you know what I mean).
Today I want to talk about the traffic on Indian roads, everyone knows it but I will just write it, your wish to go ahead or stop right here & move on. Choice is yours - its just like Ramgopal varma, he says I will make movies if you wanna see your wish or else don't come to theatre.
So when I was kid I never thought of these problems, in college you never care about traffic cuz you are so busy already with a lot other stuff (flirting/studying/romancing). When you start working, & you get your first bike, start driving, you crib about The scorching heat, when will it reduce, but good news is you are faster than a lot other people who are on 4 wheels. You will take only half of the time to reach a destination. But I have seen bad traffic even then but did not notice that much.
The real problem starts when you start driving a car, I came to know only then how bad the traffic is. Auto walahs, trucks, bus drivers - they all are the real devils on road. & slowly you start cribbing about bikers as well. Autos & buses are the true kings of roads, they will do as they wish; let others die :). Someone was so free to do some research on BP levels while you are driving, & he found out that the BP level drastically goes up from office to hom or vice versa when you are driving on india roads.
When will people learn the road manners in India? But what will happen if people start following the proper rules I mean going in same lane etc. I sometime think it would become unmanageable, the queue will be bigger ever. So let it go the way it is going, but driving will be so easier with proper traffic on road. Alas!! I will never see that on India roads (at least I have that confidence in my people - INDIANS).
On a serious note, We all must start thinking about it & probably contribute a little towards it rather cribbing about it. Lets make it a better place & drive sensibly.

Pop-up ADS

Pop-up ads are a form of online advertising on the World Wide Web intended to increase web traffic or capture email addresses. It works when certain web sites open a new web browser window to display advertisements. The pop-up window containing an advertisement is usually generated by JavaScript, but can be generated by other means as well.

A variation on the pop-up window is the pop-under advertisement. This opens a new browser window, behind the active window. Pop-unders interrupt the user less, but are not seen until the desired windows are closed, making it more difficult for the user to determine which Web site opened them.

Click here to see a picture of dozens of pop-up ads covering a computer desktop.

PopUp Ads: Background

For early advertising-supported web sites, banner ads were sufficient revenue generators, but in the wake of the dot com crash, prices paid for banner advertising clickthroughs decreased and many vendors began to investigate more effective advertising methods. Pop-up ads by their nature are difficult to ignore or overlook, and are claimed to be more effective than static banner ads. Pop-ups have a much higher click rate than web banner ads do (about every 14000th popup ad is clicked on).

Opera was the first major browser to incorporate popup-blocking tools; the Mozilla browser later improved on this by blocking only popups generated as the page loads. In the early 2000s, all major web browsers except Internet Explorer (then the most popular browser and still as of 2004) allowed the user to block unwanted pop-ups almost completely.

In 2004, Microsoft released Windows XP SP2, which added pop-up blocking to Internet Explorer. Many users, however, remain unaware of this ability, or else choose not to use it. Many others are not able to use it at all, as they do not use Windows XP SP2, but older versions of Windows. Some users install non-Microsoft ad-blocking software instead. Advertisers continually seek ways to circumvent such restrictions. Many of the latest pop-ups are created using Flash and have extensive animation and trickery, others use DHTML to appear in front of the browser screen.

Pornographic web sites are among the most common users of pop-up ads. Some particularly vicious types of pop-up ads (again, most often seen in connection with adult entertainment sites) appear to have either been programmed improperly or have been specifically designed to "hijack" a user's Internet session. These forms of pop-ups sometimes spawn multiple windows, and as each window is closed by the user it activates code that spawns another window -- sometimes indefinitely. This is sometimes referred to by users as a "Java trap", "spam cascade" or "Pop-up Hell" among other names. Usually the only way to stop this is to close the browser.

Another variation of pop-up, commonly called "mousetrapping", particularly fills an entire screen with an ad or Web page, in the process removing any menu bars or other on-screen icons by which the user can close the window. This problem mainly affects users of the Windows version of Internet Explorer. Often, access to other open windows and Web pages is denied and the only way for PC users to close these ad windows is via the control-alt-delete command, which can result in all active IE windows (including those not connected to the pop-up) closing. Another way to close the mousetrapping window could be to hold down the Alt button and press F4. This closes the active window. Another variant, a "static image ad", is a pop-up ad that stays in a fixed position of a window of an ad-supported program. This kind of ad does not distract the computer's concentration of a program window like a traditional popup ad does. One example of an ad-supported program that uses a static image ad is KaZaA.

Non-browser PopUp ads

Processes other than the Web browser can also display pop-up ads, or can direct the browser to display them. Many spyware programs do this, as well as some advertising-supported software, although the line between the two is sometimes thin.

A different sort of pop-up ad can be sent via the Messenger service in Microsoft's Windows operating system. These pop-ups appear as Windows dialog boxes with a textual message inside, usually directing the user to a Web site. Claims have been made that this type of pop-up has been used to commit extortion. Threats of legal action against the company D Squared Solutions has caused them to stop using this technique.

Using BOOTVIS

Bootvis is a tool for easily enabling capture and graphical display of boot and resume performance trace data in Windows XP. Bootvis by itself will not change a system's boot or resume performance. Bootvis is intended as an aid to allow designers and manufacturers to characterize their system's performance during Windows startup in order to identify areas for further investigation and opportunities for performance improvement.

Bootvis can be used to analyze Windows XP startup performance from all off or sleep states, including:

System cold boot (power on from the ACPI S5 state)
Resume from hibernate (the ACPI S4, or "suspend to disk" state)
Resume from standby ( the ACPI S3, or "suspend to RAM" state)

Difficulty: Easy

I will show you how to use Microsoft BootVis to speed up your systems bootup and shutdown times. First of all, download the latest version of Microsoft BootVis (v1.3.37.0) from here.

Now, install and run it. The opening screen is simple, and blank. To start...
STEP 1 - Ensure all of the tickboxes on the left are ticked
STEP 2 - Click on the Trace menu at the top, and choose Next Boot + Driver Delays
STEP 3 - Click OK then the Reboot Now button. When your computer restarts, do not click on anything until BootVis opens and closes (wait around 1 minute).
STEP 4 - When it has appeared and gone, re-open BootVis.
STEP 5 - Click on the Trace menu at the top again, and choose Optimise System.
STEP 6 - Click Reboot Now, and when your computer restarts, do not click on anything until BootVis opens and shows a small window explaining what it's doing. It has finished when the box closes.
All done! Your computer will now bootup (and hopefully shutdown!) quicker.

Ethics - bloggers

A Bloggers' Code of Ethics
Some bloggers recently have been debating what, if any, ethics the Weblog community should follow. Since not all bloggers are journalists and the Weblog form is more casual, they argue they shouldn't be expected to follow the same ethics codes journalists are. But responsible bloggers should recognize that they are publishing words publicly, and therefore have certain ethical obligations to their readers, the people they write about, and society in general.

CyberJournalist.net has created a model Bloggers' Code of Ethics, by modifying the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics for the Weblog world. These are just guidelines -- in the end it is up to individual bloggers to choose their own best practices. CyberJournalist.net follows this code and urges other Weblogs to adopt this one or similar practices.

Integrity is the cornerstone of credibility. Bloggers who adopt this code of principles and these standards of practice not only practice ethical publishing, but convey to their readers that they can be trusted.

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A BLOGGERS' CODE OF ETHICS

Be Honest and Fair
Bloggers should be honest and fair in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.
Bloggers should:
• Never plagiarize.
• Identify and link to sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources' reliability.
• Make certain that Weblog entries, quotations, headlines, photos and all other content do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context.
• Never distort the content of photos without disclosing what has been changed. Image enhancement is only acceptable for for technical clarity. Label montages and photo illustrations.
• Never publish information they know is inaccurate -- and if publishing questionable information, make it clear it's in doubt.
• Distinguish between advocacy, commentary and factual information. Even advocacy writing and commentary should not misrepresent fact or context.
• Distinguish factual information and commentary from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two.

Minimize Harm
Ethical bloggers treat sources and subjects as human beings deserving of respect.
Bloggers should:
• Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by Weblog content. Use special sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects.
• Be sensitive when seeking or using interviews or photographs of those affected by tragedy or grief.
• Recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort. Pursuit of information is not a license for arrogance.
• Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone's privacy.
• Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity.
Be cautious about identifying juvenile suspects, victims of sex crimes and criminal suspects before the formal filing of charges.

Be Accountable
Bloggers should:
• Admit mistakes and correct them promptly.
• Explain each Weblog's mission and invite dialogue with the public over its content and the bloggers' conduct.
• Disclose conflicts of interest, affiliations, activities and personal agendas.
• Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence content. When exceptions are made, disclose them fully to readers.
• Be wary of sources offering information for favors. When accepting such information, disclose the favors.
• Expose unethical practices of other bloggers.
• Abide by the same high standards to which they hold others.


What do you think? Is there anything you think should be added, changed or removed? Post your comments below.

All time favourite english movies

Here is my list of favourite movies, tell me about yours. I would love to watch them.

The Shawshank Redemption(1994) Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Robert GuntonDirector: Frank Darabont
Pulp Fiction (1994) Starring: John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Bruce WillisDirector: Quentin Tarantino
The Lord Of The Rings - (2003) Starring: Elijah Wood, Miranda Otto, Ian McKellenDirector: Peter Jackson

Leon (1994) Starring: Gary Oldman, Jean Reno, Natalie PortmanDirector: Luc Besson
The Usual Suspects (1995) Starring: Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio Del ToroDirector: Bryan Singer
Schindler's List (1993) Starring: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline GoodallDirector: Steven Spielberg
The Godfather (1972) Starring: Marlon Brando, Richard Conte, James CaanDirector: Francis Ford Coppola
Star Wars Trilogy Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie FisherDirector: George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Richard Marquand
The Matrix (1998) Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne MossDirector: The Wachowski Brothers
Hotel Rwanda (2004) Starring: Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Nick NolteDirector: Terry George
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975) Starring: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, William RedfieldDirector: Milos Forman
Goodfellas (1990) Starring: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe PesciDirector: Martin Scorsese
Seven (1995) Starring: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth PaltrowDirector: David Fincher
The Green Mile (1999) Starring: Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, James CromwellDirector: Frank Darabont
Casino Royale (2006) Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Jeffrey WrightDirector: Martin Campbell
Gladiator (2000) Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Oliver ReedDirector: Ridley Scott
Fight Club (1999) Starring: Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham-Carter, Meat LoafDirector: David Fincher