As I was reading to a good number Usability Engg. articles over the web, I just happened to drop by the Usability Partners' website, Where I also followed a link to download a video file, which in one way or the other shows the worst user experience of the user with the software (which is product and not work).

Hope You would also like it.

[Junky forwarded messages (to your e-mail Inbox) and freaky Instant Messages (through your favorite Messengers).]

I have never been an exception to all these messages. Be it forwarded messages, which can also be called as JUNK e-mails and the instant messages, which people keep pushing, along their buddy list in their messengers. As a victim to such messages, I simply ignored several instant messages that popped into my offline message list through Yahoo! Messenger. And less graceful enough with the e-mails too, that I marked several of them as SPAM – A feature which helps us to keep such messages quite far away from reaching us.

Now, after a long time… I get this Instant message from this very good friend of mine:

Very-good-friend (2:06:15 PM): Pass this words "OM SAI RAM" to 15 people and u will have a good luckwithin 15 days if u ignore u will have bad luck 4-15 years

Which made me reflect in a very uncouth but an Intel way. I turned to my aggressive-brainy acumen and forwarded the same message most of my *respectable* friends. I was in a complicated situation, which means that, the least appreciation would be a ONE TIGHT SLAP and the most generous reply would be SORRY ALEX, BUT TRYING IT AGAIN?.

A list of some the replies, I got in reply from my friends:

KRIBS

benvsben (12:28:35 AM): Kribs...

kribs.rm (12:29:01 AM): Tell me alex

benvsben (12:29:11 AM): how did You FEEL about a weird message, that should have come offline (OM SAI RAM)

kribs.rm (12:29:26 AM): I don't believe in those forwards

kribs.rm (12:29:38 AM): its better if you avaoid sending them to people..

kribs.rm (12:29:41 AM): some may not like them

MARK

magicpigeon (6:40:39 PM): Hi Benz, how are you. thanks for your offline messages, and i request to you a great thing you please don't send me any of this kind of unbeliveable news to me. I hate to read these kind of messages. Cause as am a Christian I believe in God that every milli seconds has been blessed by him. If I ignore your message am not going to be hurted and if I pass this message to 15 people I am not going to get any luck. ....

magicpigeon (6:40:45 PM): Loving Mark

Mahadevan (Mahesh)

mahadev_pondy (1:37:02 PM): OM SAI RAM Repeated to u

mahadev_pondy (1:37:16 PM): come on u forward it to 50 guys

GUNA

teegeeyes (9:26:45 AM): Pass this words "OM SAI RAM" to 15 people and u will have a good luckwithin 15 days if u ignore u will have bad luck 4-15 years

teegeeyes (12:53:37 PM): hi,da

Udaya Senthil

udaya4_sco (8:20:51 AM): hey ben, is it you(unbelivable-the message).

udaya4_sco (8:21:00 AM): Pass this words "OM SAI RAM" to 15 people and u will have a good luckwithin 15 days if u ignore u will have bad luck 4-15 years

Guess What? I just happened to miss this ONE TIGHT SLAP. I believe there is a GOD, hope this blog reaches HIM to.

This is the apt title in the Business World magazine, where Mahesh Murthy takes the lead to be the columnist. Yes, the title is *apt* because, sometimes or most of the times, when you might strongly ascent to your inner eye, this B-guy pops out in his column and over throws you to the back seat, where… in his mystical explanation, you start to weary out to the core.

When it comes to personal inflicts, I have nodded ‘yes’ to anything and almost everything, but one (which one? – I’ll let you know towards the end of this). This person made it one good reason to fetch the magazine every Monday though, I try to have at least the issue that takes Mahesh in it. – Not all issues have one  ‘on the contrary’ column.

The sub-titled columns, which I have read and feel content about the information, are listed down:
[Ordered in the reverse-chorological pattern of the earliest to the current/latest issues.]

*The Death of Career – About ‘careers’ and ‘jobs’. [March 15th, 2004]
*Sorry, Wrong numbers –The Indian math power. [April 12th, 2004]
*Value chained up – Brands, product reach and cost blunders. [May 3rd, 2004]
*Dying to study, or studying to die? – Children, Parents and the conflicting issues when it matters to studies and self-realisation. [July 19th, 2004]

The contrary part of Mahesh and I is the first one. Gee… I never thought I had the nerve to make a rock-solid decision on a ‘Career’ or a ‘job’. However, this one issue made me realise that he was concentrating the Young Shopaholics in mind, WHO find it the best to get a job and fill in their pockets and have their WANTS satisfied (which is statistically proved right). Well, do not ask me why I should not feel comfortable with the point - I would want to call it a filthy living of a profession.

The impact of this article was mind blowing – I felt like peeing in my pants (oooh!). Why… I talked to Kribs all about my ambitions and goals on March 4th, (almost a fortnight before this article hit the newsstands) and emphasised the point of a CAREER than to a job – That little conversation was more than enough to fuel a dumb rocket. However, thanks to Kribs, I still live by my inner eye and his ardent motivations.

On the other hand, I would also want to thank Mahesh, as it was after reading this article, I took a strong doze of SHAPE-UP-YOUR-CAREER pills.

About MM > Mahesh Murthy advises, guides, and occasionally invests in businesses. He can be reached at mahesh@passionfund.com (Well this is how the magazine guys address him – feel bad, when I could tell you nothing more than this.)

Shopaholics is not a term to be found in any standard dictionary – It refers to the addiction to shopping.

Well, this is a typical Kribs’ ‘Saturday Cricket’ (not the unusual kind). All of my friends (4 + a few chottus) started of our series county matches on Sunday morning. Thank ye for cricket, my *Spirit* wouldn’t have seen the sunshine. I rushed to the Airport (grounds) – it is a vast area for two Govt. colleges + The NCC unit + The Airport + The Helipad + Basketball court + Lawn tennis (err… it is a hard, cement bed), and that is not it. Most of these mentioned, serve as the best cricket pitches, and a softball practice ground too.

We hardly played two matches (for me, it was only one – yeah… match fixing *!@#&*!@), it was good to see a few extraordinary things too which kindled my childhood venture-out on a softball game.

So long ago, when I was studying my 8^th standard, I went for a Junior – Nationals Softball game to Orissa, just after landing there I came to know that, I was the only kid to be in the state team – my teammates were all in their 12^th standard phew!. I had tough time playing the game to their standards, and our opponent teammates were even older than these guys. One pitcher (that is how the bowler <> ball thrower is called) was a dad of 2 kids. The moment I heard that, I was totally pissed off (not literally though), the slugger kept on swaying as my arms started to tremble. Guess what, I just left 3 strikes and walked out – eeeyahhh!

Yes, this is weird but true and happening, a politician Nanda T. Saravanan, along with is followers (THONDARS = accused party members) are leaving to Chennai, to form alliance with the DMK.

The build up – 300 vehicles loaded with *creepy* men, juice packets, water packets, food parcels, *case potty* (that’s how they call the HOT STUFF), it is supposed to start off on Sunday morning, forming 2 petit bus stands, one at the helipad and another at the Gouber Avenue – the beach.

The biggest blunder is that, did anyone in Chennai, find that it was not like a normal SUNDAY out there? Well curse em as you like. :)

The cost is the biggest scam in the town. Just imagine the fuel cost, the freight charges, and all of those extra accessories, which are meant for each member traveling along.

All I wanted to do was, raise my middle finger… and say… well, nothing.

On this day, blessed with the graces of my sweet mom (on her B’day), I just kept things doing fine. Did a little bit of homework, and unintentionally, went along with my friend Udaya Senthil (a would be blogger) for the ‘Sutherland Global Services’ Interview, at Hotel Annamalai. As I happened to get him stuffed up with the possible needy things for to clear the interview, I myself learned the best ‘communication’ part of the interview.

I also had my resume formatted, in a way to help my friend’s resume too (so, it was almost, we both had the same resume with slight modifications). There was one part of BenVsBen, murmuring… why not give a try with the interview, at least that would be my first interview. Though getting through was not the key motive, I would have an idea, how it would be, to feel of an interview. And… I gave my skills a try (Thanks to About.com and Kribs).

1^st stage > my friend and I cleared it.

2^nd stage > communication skill test; I had to drop my friend there.

3^rd stage > Technical interview; cleared

4^th stage > HR interview; cleared, but f****d up - CTC.

Whatever it may be, nothing is going daunt me from my career orientation – a Web Designer/Developer, Usability Professional, and yes, a good Technical Communicator too.

X Fingers Crossed X, and waiting for the best.

It is not any circuit racing, though it is gathering of a few bunk heads (yeah… including Ben, it is Den, Sen, and Ken). F2 is the number of the seating arrangement at a profound ice cream parlour in Pondicherry – The Richy Rich. It is our favourite hangout, and *the* best for the kids, yup… no compromise.

It was a long time, since we all met together (well, not for Sen, Ken and I). Den is always busy at IBM (ooops!… it is Baxter Global). And our favourite is a Choco-Chip dip (baby). And when we all sparkle, there is always an individual taste.

Ben – honey and fig (hard ice)

Sen – Kaju / choco-chip dip

Ken – plain / choco-vannila

Den - <yet to find out> ???

That was our entire test round, say… the qualifying rounds for to move to the highest rank – F1 (the first seat in the row, yeas…)

Here’s something kids don’t want talk about:

Den = Mahesh @ Mahadevan

Ken = Babu @ Samikannu

Sen = Udaya Senthil

Of course, Ben is always here.

I joined a GYM in here on a weight reduction program. Well… at least this got to work the right way. My best friend Babu, very well knows the instructor. Prem, has given a list of exercises, I would need to do, to keep fit and reduce my weight, tone my tummy muscles (yeah… those guts, I would want to show off).

Hmmm… he also scribed in a piece of paper, most of my dishes, saying I need to avoid them for good; you heard it, *most* of them.

I missed that paper… err… I’ll get that updated soon, when I find it. (hehe)