When we started this blog we had started it with a bang. It had become one of the most popular blogs on WordPress.com and had been featured on WordPress Top Blogs a number of times.

I been meaning to move Scribez to its own domain for a really long time finally not the blog has moved to its own domain name. When we started the blog initially we had brainstormed a lot to come up with a name that was easy to remember and available to register. I have been a busy running my own blog at www.clazh.com

For now I am trying to take one step at a time. here is the list of thing we’ll be doing In another one to two months time.

1. We’ll be moving to our own Web hosting on Media Temple.
2. The Blog will be sport a custom kick ass design.
3. I now looking for new authors to join us since most of the old ones are inactive.
4. I am trying to come up with a plan to compensate the authors. (Free T-shirts, allow them to put ads on their blogs)

So watch out.

I am tonight, a man on a mission. I will be putting aside my modesty when I write this blog. Those thinking that I am blowing my own pipe will actually realize that they feel the same way deep inside. For tonight, I am angry-as-hell at a pathetic group of people hell bent on ruining a good vibe – The Pretenders (and to a lesser extent, The Wanna-be).

What ripped my facade of tolerance and fueled my rage today was a statement by a man of stunted intellectual abilities claiming that he has been an Iron Maiden fan since he was in the 6th grade. His favourite Maiden album being Brave New World which he claims to have bought in 7th grade. That would be in 1997-98. The album of course came out in 2000. As a Maiden fan and a serious music buff, I was shocked at this blasphemy. It is understandable that such a statement would be uttered to raise one’s position in a social circle. It is also inevitable that such statements will now be flying around since Maiden will be performing in Bangalore. We got into an argument when I revealed the true time of release of the said album. As expected, he lost his temper and I lost mine. My rage stemmed from the fact that every song that the bastard had in his computer came from my collection. His social networking site profile shows the name of every artist who’s song he has burned and taken from me. And he thinks he can argue with me on music?

This incident only serves as a starting point to my rant. There are people who claim to be big fans of serious films. Any attempt
at discussing any of the “admired” films reveal the shallow depths of their
understanding of the film and the searing heights of their illusions of
grandeur. The same goes for games. Idiots who claim that Half Life is boring because the graphics are dated. The same goes for books. Idiots who claim that they are fans of The Da Vinci Code and go around talking about Magdalene and The Priory like they’ve researched about it for years.

The main point that I am trying to discuss here is that these fermented remnants of bovine excreta don’t have a point of view of their own but keep peddling articles and reviews from other sources as if it’s their own ideas. I must point out that there are those who use the same said sources to enhance their understanding rather than define it. I see no harm in this form of growth. Everyone does that, you shape your ideas based on others’. But to claim that these ideas are your own is indecent and below human dignity. There are many who mock me for my tastes but secretly they
wish they had it. One develops a sense of identity by first assuming
others’ and then growing into their own (ofcourse there are the
counter-culturists, but again, they grow into their own identities as well).

When a wanna-be tries to up the ante on you, you get pissed. Not just because the credibility of his argument is suspect, or the fact that he will not accept his fault when all is revealed, but also because it is demeaning to your ego when a person of clearly inferior intellect tries to undermine yours. The target of a pretender’s verbal diarrhea is always the intellectual. By proving that he is superior to the intellectual, the pretender basks in the false sense of his superiority.

I was a pretender once. There isn’t anyone anywhere who hasn’t claimed to have done this or done that while he never has. But slowly, I grew older and a bit wiser. The lies and deceits that one creates around one-self to exude a false aura of superiority slowly begins to appear pointless and you realize your real worth and standing in the world, which mostly amounts to nothing. This is a humbling experience. Your ego hurts a bit. But finally you become comfortable with who you are, your beliefs, your tastes and your history.

powered by performancing firefox

Continuing to the Part ][ of the series started by Apple Gazette of the 5 Predictions for Apple in 2007, here are the list of the 5 Predictions for Linux in 2007! Before we look ahead, a small flashback over 2006. This was The year that changed Linux, with Oracle becoming a Linux distributor, Microsoft and Novell partnering to make Linux and Windows more compatible, rift between the Linux core developers and FSF and a lot more happening.

What is really interesting is the fact that the Linux community itself is forking considering that even old-schoolers and pioneers joining hands with proprietary licenses, with reference to ESR joining the Freespire board. It was in ESR's book itself and as part of the Halloween document 1 discussion that ESR noticed and acknowledged the strongest point of the Linux community being a central control over "no-forking" as forking decreases the amount of glory received as part of the contribution to the community. However, like any human, I love drama and this is exactly why watching the Linux community is going to be really interesting over 2007. Here are a list of things that I am going to be on the lookout for. In no particular order

1. Rise of the Linux "Big Business" Corporates
These include all the Big Business boys who promote Open Source Software and are earning bucks out of the Open Source Business Model. All of them are eyeing to make some $$$, now that Linux has proved itself to be a mission critical trustworthy player. That includes Debian, Novell, Red Hat, and joining the latest into the race signing a deal with Sun, is Canonical [the parent of Ubuntu]

2. Rise/Race of the Desktop Linux
Linux has certainly evolved from a command line “toy” for the green-glowing screen CRTs to a slick desktop, with a lot more interesting eye-candy than Vista or OSX. [Well at least to the eyes of the slightly more than average computer user]. thanks to Compiz, Beryl! Furthermore these effects are to a large extent community support based and independent of the hardware – whether it be a PC or a Mac. Ubuntu Linux is _the_ most popular free Linux that’s being used, in both the PCs and the Macs. What are the other communities going to do? And how is this going to affect the rise of the desktop Linux?

3. What are the FSF policies going to be in GPLv3.0
FSF is against DRM. Vista and OS X.5 [Leopard] have built in support for DRM based working environments. Who’s going to win in this war[???]? Is there going to be scuffle between the big vendors supporting DRM and the FSF community?

4. Any chance of Googubuntu?
There was a rumor that Google was working on a desktop OS that is googlicized [I call this term ]. Will it be coming true as part of 2007 list of surprises by Google? Will they finally decide to have a “consumer-first” based OS? We’ll have to wait and see

5. How many forks are going to happen as a result of people against GPLv3.0?
Firefox vs IceWeasel, Linux core developers against FSF. Who goes where? Or is there going to be peace and harmony and solid work, which has been the success of Linux rising as a desktop OS today!

All this and more to be looked forward to!! Coming soon to a world near you – 2007!!

This marks an end to our list of predictions of the Windows and Linux community. Wishing you all and happy and fun and prosperous 2007.

Got more, disagree, or just wanna tip us off with more information? Pop in a comment here…

Originally posted by gurupanguji @ Bracketed Bull…

Linux – and free software in general – have been traditionally plagued with one constant concern by the non-users [by that I mean the Windows and the Mac bandwagon] that there are far too many choices. Which Linux flavor to choose? You have Red Hat, Suse, Debian, Gentoo, Fedora, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Edubuntu, Unnamedubuntu, and what not. Windows has XP and Mac has OSX. I personally believed [as highlighted here] that it was perfect with the ideology of FSF. Concept of freedom [as in free speech] brings about a related concept of choice. There are many people believing in many ideologies, methods and concepts there. The same is obviously extended to the software developers as well. [They are human for uninitiated] So, you have very many software that are generated.

Saying you have just way too many choices is like saying you have too many choices when you go to buy a pair of running shoes. Or saying you have far too many options when you go to buy a mobile connection. Why should software be any different? You’d expect the user to be aware of the options, and choose or make a mistake just like _any_ consumer market!!

Anyway, Microsoft, with its release of multiple options for Windows Vista may have either finally accepted this or have joined the bandwagon.

Microsoft offers 4 separate versions of Windows Vista – Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Premium, Vista Business and Vista Ultimate! Hmm, maybe it’s the year for options after all !

Does more choice generally mean that it’s better or is it confusing? What do you think? Post your thoughts in the comments section!!

Originally posted by gurupanguji @ Bracketed Bull…

This is an article that stemmed in my head when I was thinking about starting my own web 2.0 based business. Considering the various factors that go into any such business, one of the chief concerns that pop into this is the web-design itself. The typical way this would work is I approach a Web-designer and buy a design / pay him to develop a design for me. And then I buy the design from him. The web-designer, if he’s smart enough would charge for

1.  Time for designing
2. The design itself
3. Implementing / Customizing the design for a webpage.

Now, thinking as a smart web-designer, if you think that the Web-site is going to be a hit and will involve evolution of the site itself, you’d swarm the entity [person/firm] who’s enrolled you to create the design into a maintenance contract.  This would ensure you that you are paid enough money for enhancing the current design. This could also be offered by you as a designer for a certain amount of money.

Thinking as an smarter web-designer, with a little bit of know-how on the Web2.0 upcoming boom, with enough money slowly being pumped in, you can advertise yourself as a Web2.0 Web-designer [basically pastel shades, with Aqua like alpha, AJAX based interfaces yada yada yada] and what you can actually do, is if you feel that the web-site is going to a tremendous hit, you should try and rope in a “percentage cut model”. IOW, depending on the traffic, you can ask for a cut of the profit that the website is making. More like an investment. Now, depending on your experience you’ll know how to rope in your customers and offer which model ! However, this is just a suggestion that I thought many web-designers may not have thought about.

As a web-designer, what do you think about this particular business model? Is it good/bad/so-so? Lemme know in your comments.

Posted by gurupanguji.