When you say "Online Social Networking"(OSN), these are the two main sites which strikes to our mind immediately, Orkut and Facebook. The main advantage of these OSN is, it facilitates people to be in touch at anytime/anywhere/anyone whom they want to. I can always see people preferring one over the other. Only those who're almost an OSN Addict, prefer both. So, what makes people choose one over the other? By "choose" i mean about "how active" they are in those OSN site. Here are few points, which i think 'mostly' decides or influences the preference of one over the other:

> Geographic Location: Though Orkut is popular in 'almost' all part of the world, even now we can see people in India having a certain Orkut appearance, before even they move to or even decide to tryout 'global' Facebook profile.

> Privacy: Though we decide to open ourselves in this world-wide-web, most people still prefer to close the doors, on certain details. This even extends to how your information is shared among other users in those communities. In this context, I believe Orkut offers more privacy options (which also limits its ability to be a 'complete' OSN) than the 'Complete' and 'Open' OSN Facebook.

> Target Audience: This basically depends on how you decide to share information, to whom to share and when to share. Information can be anything from what you're are doing currently (like 'i'm goin for a coffee') to Job Seeking/Vacancy details (in this recession time, i believe this is the most critical/essential information which you want to share/get). Whom to share refers to the group or number of persons/friends to whom you want those above said information to be shared/reached. When to share here refers to how frequently you want the information to be spread to all those whom you choose to share. So, If you want the whole people in your Friends List to get the information, very frequently, with an option of them to comment on your information, you will certainly go for Facebook than Orkut.

> Other Applications: In this completely stressful daily schedules, most people also want some entertainment (basically to time-pass) along with the OSN. Playing short and interesting games is one of the major time-pass people expect (as most people into this OSN are youth). In this quarter, Facebook definitely wins with total majority against Orkut (of course, Orkut also has applications, but i dont think not that popular as in FB). Now, Quizz-o-Mania is also spreading in Facebook like bacteria. This also includes, how much integration is allowed with other web 2.0 applications (like twitter,etc) or other sites (like flickr, etc) and the amount of customization that can be made.

The above points are not listed according to any importance. Each individual gives priority to one over the other point, which mostly decides on which one he/she chooses (choose - most active). Other than these points, i think all the other functionality/options are fairly same in both Orkut and Facebook. And as mentioned earlier, few OSN Addicts, choose both. Whatever OSN you choose, be sure to keep in touch with the people who adds value/meaning/happiness to your life. Have fun.

(The above pic is one of my best ever favorite pic which i have ever taken)

bothai enbathu
oru paambu visham thaan...

saernthu kudicha
athu oru socialism thaan....

i don't really want a thermometer
for i can feel the freezing chill
right till my stomach

i don't really want a rain-gauge
for i can quench my thirst
with the dews in my mustache

i don't really want an anemometer
for my two tear drops
never reached my chin

What I really wanted is
for the first ever time
her hand to hold mine.....

-redthil.c

Its really interesting (most of the times), that over past some time, there are few words which i'm banned to use by my very good friends... few are banned just for them, and few banned totally to be used at all. Here is the list of few of those...


And the tough part is that, these are the words which i often use. So, its really interesting and challenging thing, to not to use, that too only for specific persons. But, i'm enjoyin it, and trying to keep this out of my usage vocabulary. hope i can do it for ever, caz i hope i can fulfill atleast this small wish of them.. :)

The latest buzz word which i hear often these days is "busy". its either "i'm busy" or "i thought you're busy".

First, when will you say that you're busy? or how can you identify whether we're busy or not? My answer for that is plain and simple, when you haven't spoken with your friend for 'long time' (and the time-period for that 'long time' varies based on person to person). The reason for me to use 'friend', than any other relationship, is just because, you've the total freedom with friends, its neither a 'duty', which is the case with parents and relatives, nor 'mandatory', which is the case with your other-half or lover. you have the entire control over, when to talk to your friends, and also whom to talk, in that big list of friends. And all these absolutely out of your own personal INTEREST.

Well, just for a moment (tho i was observing about this one, for over some time, say about two months exactly ;) ), lets think of "how busy i'm?". In 24 hours, just remove 8 hours for sleep (and the time spent with your other-half), then 8 hours of work (this should be re-considered, but still lets have this 8hrs include chatting and moving along with other friends at work place.. but these days, this also includes lot of time of talking to your other-half or lover). So, remaining is a solid 8 hours, in which remove 4 hours for food and travel (roaming around or the time spent just for going one place to other). Then, 2 hours for 'duty' or 'mandatory' calls. After all these, we have 2 long hours daily, which is completely within our control, on how to spend that time. It may be for playing, reading, watching tv, etc, etc. But still, considering 2 hours daily, which accumulates to 14 hours a week (considering weekends also has a similar schedule, wherein instead of work, you spend in some other way, just as engaged as you're in work, so that you're not able to talk to your friend). Just wondering, in these 14 hours, cant we call our friend atleast once?? atleast say hi, hru, etc, etc??? ya ya. agreed to the fact that, you have pretty looong list of friends. but, i'm sure that, not all people are in the same level. We'll definitely have priorities for one over the other. So, cant we call atleast to them?? i think, WE CAN.

Finally, let me try to decode on, what makes us really 'busy' that we dont get time to call friends? (i hope you have read the mandatory above para, and hope you understood that we're really not busy) My answer to this question would be, just simply, because of lack of 'interest'. "Lack of Interest"!!!!!!! if you're wondering what that has to do with this, let me explain it little briefly. if you say someone as friend, there is something (or some quality) in them, which made you to be a friend with them. And also, you may have become friend accidently (not only love comes accidently, friendship too), but having an interest in talking to them, have kept that Friendship alive. So, Once that Interest gets affected, and it gets degraded, or if you have totally lost that interest, then You'll never ever get free time to call your 'friend', and you'll always be a busy bee to your friend. But, how does that 'interest' gets degraded or lost? I'll attribute this degradation to Two main things:

First and Foremost one is, "EXPECTATION"s. This is one big thing, and is the major cause for this degradation. We expect our friend to behave/react in someway, and our expectations are not met. degradation does not start immediately. once the disappointments gets accumulated, it slowly eats away all our interest in talking to the Friend. Also, there is another scenario, wherein, we expect our Friend to call us, and in the same way, our Friend wants us to initiate the conversation (basically, the so-called EGO, hidden shadow in each one of us). Ultimately, this tug-off-war continues, for ever and ever and ever. And one more thing is that, we expect or rather, we think that other person is busy and your friend thinks you're busy. here too there's a deadlock. i don't think your friend will ever get disturbed by your Hi. so, never wait for the other person, just go ahead and say Hi. (for all of you, a BIG 'Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii')

Second one is, our Friend's "ACTION"s. This is when, the other person does something, when we have no expectations, but that action somehow makes us feel little bad/sad. The one common thing which we can find in most of the person is, Talk with Friend ONLY when we need a favor from him/her. And when you realize that, the person you think as a Friend, talks to you only when she/he needs something to be done by you, it really makes a huge crater in that "Interest". you wont feel like talking to that person, with the same interest which you had previously before realizing that fact. And also, when you realize that the other person talks to you, just for the sake of talking, which otherwise will make a not-so-good name for him/her, not with any interest in talking. Though these actions from the other person reduces your interest in talking to him/her, in both the cases, its you who have to decide the next course of actions. There is this one other kind, called "Indirect Action", wherein, we just conclude that the other person is not interested, indirectly. examples may be, like not picking calls, no replies for 'many' msgs, or prepared for not talking to you, etc, etc. all these indirectly means the same. tho this may be temporary, it still makes considerable impact in the interest factor.

Whatever the reasons are, the point i want to make here is, Its just that Interest, which keeps the conversation going on, which fuels and keeps Friendship alive. So, never let anything to affect that little interest. And once that interest is always there, You'll definitely feel that, "I'M NOT AT ALL BUSY"

If you have asked me, "Which is my fav shopping complex/mall in bangalore?", it would have been Forum or Garuda Mall, before this Oasis Mall opened (an year back i think). From then, the answer from me always is, Oasis Mall. Where is this? This is located near the Sony World Signal in Koramangala, right on the way which i travel daily to work. What all is there? Ground floor - its totally dedicated for Women, from beautful dresses to all new top brand Perfumes and specs, you get everything there for Women. First Floor - for kids and Men's wear. Second Floor - Furniture and other household items. All these three levels belong to LifeStyle. Also there is Max showroom in the ground floor, in the MLCP (Multi-Level Car Parking) Buiilding (behind the main building). Third Floor - Completely for SPAR (i dont have to tell what all you get in SPAR). Fourth Floor - Polynation : The food court which is open till 11:30pm and gaming zone for kids.

Last weekend, was a whole new relaxing weekend, almost like a weekend Getaway. Completely out of all the engagements/appointments/schedules/etc/etc (frankly, i'm not busy at all... will discuss about this topic later in-detail). Infact, the schedule for last weekend was very straight and simple, Just eat (u remember that i'm in DIET rite), watch tv and sleep. And this is not just for last weekend, everytime i go to madurai, this is/will be the schedule always. And my home compound walls are the boundaries for me. Once entered into it, will never dare to step out, till i start back to bangalore (good kid u kno). This is not because of the climate tho, this time climate was also kind-of good. The only thing which, bothers me sometimes, makes me happy otherwise, is, my mom will never come out of kitchen. She'll be cooking something or other, caz its like a huge break for her to prepare varieties (dont ever dare to ask my mom what vegetables i wont hav, she'll never stop the list)

This time, the main topic for the whole two days was, "Why am i not eating well!" (!!!!!!) Even after telling her thousand, million times that i will/have never compromised on food, she again comes back to the title saying, "You have lost lot of weight" (i too feel sad for that, but...). She was little ok, till my dad too, asked the same question (usually, he wont ask anything like this...). This one statement from my dad, added tons of fuel to the spark in my mom. So, finally left home on sunday evening with scoldings/threatening/blackmail that, if next time i come home like this (with weight loss), she'll come and stay permanently in bangalore. Atleast for that, i should continue my "DIET".

One amazing thing, which too was special in this trip was, in all those 8ight different buses i traveled in this trip, i mean "ALL the 8ight buses", i managed to get my favorite seat (leftmost seat in the last row, near the rear entrance steps), which is very very rare. With the windows open all time, the chill (very chill) air , breezes through the body, sooo pleasant.

raaman aandaalum,
raavanan aandaalum,
enakkoru kavalaiyilla.....

naanthaanda,
en manasukku raja...