Facebook and pedigree

The Nielsen Company has published this report (via Plugged.in) on the usage patterns of online social networking trends in India. Excerpts:

The Nielsen Company recently conducted a survey in India using its online research panel “Your Voice” on the usage patterns of Social Networking websites and found keeping in touch with people they know to be the strongest reason for joining a social networking site for the vast majority of Indian respondents (82%). The Nielsen survey also found over half (58%) joined a social networking site to reconnect with old acquaintances they have lost touch with, and to make new friends (53%). Professional networking was a strong fourth for 43%.

And…

Security reasons were cited by 68 percent of the respondents for using alternate identities on sites. They prefer not to reveal their personal details. 35 percent chose to use an alternate identity “Just for fun”.

What (especially) didn’t work for me about this study…

The survey was conducted amongst 301 people across various age groups starting from 15 years onwards.

When one is drawing usage patterns in online social networking in India, would a sample size of 301 suffice? Sounds rather strange.

Anyways, here’s another interesting observation (about the competition in the social networking space in India) from a cover story about Facebook (registered users only) in India’s leading weekly magazine, Outlook:

Facebook, on the other hand, has a whiff of pedigree, privilege and exclusivity about it, since it was founded by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg and was originally restricted to students of Harvard and other Ivy League colleges; an impression strongly reinforced when a study last year concluded that Facebook users tended to be better-educated and wealthier than those on other networking sites. That Facebook comprises a well-heeled crowd that freely shares its consumer tastes means that even if its numbers don’t quite match Orkut’s, it’s by far the most sought-after hunting ground for market researchers and targeted advertising.

Experientially, I’d agree with this strong generalization (about “whiff of pedigree, privilege and exclusivity”). But, I wonder if the origins of Facebook really have much to do with the kind of people who populate the site? I can understand that being an influencer in the US, where it all started, but would that trend spread to far flung countries like India as well?

Gadget revenge time

And finally, someone’s realized people aren’t really enjoying their relationship with their gadgets (isn’t that what it is, a “relationship”?). Wired is running a ‘contest’ on documenting the worst thing you’ve done to your cellphone/TV/laptop or any other gadget.

These are the moments when you wish that your cellphone — an otherwise helpful gadget — had nerves and self-awareness so that you could cause it pain. Now is your chance to get even.

We want to see you take revenge on all the old electronic equipment that has bumped you into a higher health-risk bracket from increased blood pressure.

Here’s the entry that I’m voting for:

I had this crappy phone from LG that never got a good signal at my apartment. One day I was trying to send a text and it kept saying “Sending failure. Try again?” After getting that error message for the 100th time I got very angry. I thought about throwing the phone down on my porch but I knew it would smash into smithereens. So instead I yelled “You piece of sh*t!!” and I bit the phone. Yes, I BIT it. The LCD screen never worked again.

India, viewed through an American lens

Nothing new (reinforcing several stereotypes, in fact), but nevertheless, still interesting to look at your own country through a different lens. Not able to find a way to give a direct link to specific posts, so here goes a collection of several posts from Jojo’s blog:

PDAs : a big cultural difference

I’ve been waiting to get the right picture to make this post since I first observed it. However, stopping to take pictures of men as they pass me seems to garner some unwanted attention! So this pic will have to do.

In the US when we think of Public Displays of Affection some of us think of slobbering teenagers (or perhaps a certain female friend who shall go unnamed!) making out in public places (bars). It’s quite the opposite here. Couples, even married couples, never touch in public. I have yet to see as much as a hand-holding.

From Wikipedia:
In India, the Supreme Court of India – the seat of the highest authority of the law of the land – has described PDA to be in bad taste and an unacceptable act, which may be considered an act of public nuisance, and sometimes leading to conviction and/or fine from the involved parties.

On the other hand, where in the US some guy friends will actually sit with a seat in between them at a movie, men in India are very affectionate with their friends.
I was at first taken aback by the sight of two men walking holding hands, fingers actually intertwined as well as men with their arms around each other. Our connotations of these behaviors is quite different. In India, homosexuality is still quite taboo, and these are purely gestures of friendship.

Just another cultural difference observation from me to you!

Here’s a hilarious picture illustrating the dangers of bad punctuation (again, courtesy Jojo’s blog):

If you’re not satiated yet, here’s the whole story…

Transport Challenged People in Bangalore

Sudhir Gota writes a very interesting & thought provoking post, Behind Bangalore’s Growth, A New Species Is Born: Transport Challenged People on The City Fix. An excerpt:

Bangalore’s urban sprawl was aided by the economic boom, during which income levels of certain industries skyrocketed. The rising income combined with long travel times, poor public transportation facilities and the glamor and hype generated by the automobile industry powered the vehicular boom on the roads. The government’s efforts to make the city more car-friendly had a boomerang effect with a virtual multiplication of private automobiles on the road. In fact, the motorization index nearly doubled from 178 in 1996 to 361 in 2006. Presently, private automobiles – two wheelers, cars, taxis etc. – make up nearly 88% of the vehicles on Bangalore’s streets. Yet that accounts for just 39% of trips. Thus it can be concluded that Bangalore has high congestion not because it lacks roads– a claim that advocates of road construction routinely make – but because there are so many private vehicles moving so few people.

And, his concluding statement is spot-on…

It’s time to start planning for people and not vehicles. Accessibility and not mobility should be the primary concern of the planners and government.

Here’s a paper that Sudhir Gota & Prashant Mutalik have published on a related topic: Congestion to Demotorisation – A paradigm shift for Bangalore (PDF).

Times of India’s now started a new initiative (I’m guessing, encouraged by the success of the ‘Lead India’ initiative): ‘Unlock Bangalore – Let’s put the bang back in Bangalore‘.

Linked to Bill and the billion-dollar question

Here I am, checking out LinkedIn’s new & improved website and right on top of the homepage, there’s a huge, cannot-miss-blurb (ad?) calling your attention:

Bill Gates asks: How can we do more to encourage young people to pursue careers in science and technology?

Obviously, I click on it. I find myself checking out the beginning of a long list of responses (1674 answers). Bill’s LinkedIn profile page isn’t too far away either! Here’s what I loved about his profile page (apart from the fact that I’m a “3rd degree contact” to Bill):

Contact Settings
Bill Gates is not currently open to receiving Introductions or InMail

Anyways, amusing-stuff-to-trip-upon apart, I’m happy to see somebody like him is now just a proverbial click-away!

And, here was my answer to his question, for whatever it’s worth. (Since I do have a hammer in my hand, everything does look like a nail):

First, use ethnographic research to understand the core issue…about why young people aren’t pursuing careers in science and technology.

We need to understand what factors motivate them to turn away or to look at other careers and what factors influence today’s youth in their career choices.

The solution to the above question will be easier to find once these motivators & influencers have been identified & clearly articulated.

So, do I now get the billion dollars?

Reading between the lanes…

Found this awesome advertising campaign on TheCityFix. Ads (including the below pictures) originally posted here.

With traffic jams becoming a harsh reality (nightmare?) of urban life, it would be interesting to explore what services could be offered to (at the very least) minimize the poor user experience for the commuters who’re stuck in never-ending traffic jams?

I’ve personally experienced that listening to the Radio/Music or catching up with friends/colleagues on the phone (while you’re stuck in a jam) are couple of ways of minimizing the stress. What keeps you going?

Moving to sustainable urban transport (and why we’ve moved our office hours)

Sustainable urban transport and urban mobility initiatives have always interested me. Thanks to a good friend who works at EMBARQ, and people like Ashwin Mahesh (who’s got a wealth of knowledge & experience in this domain), I’ve had the opportunity to learn more about it over the last year or so. But, an interesting conversation with a friend led to an idea that I feel holds a lot of possibilities in the context of urban mobility.

A good friend took up a job recently at Idea Product Design (interesting company, by the way, do check them out) in Ahmedabad and happened to mention that the work hours are from 6.30am to 3pm or so! Obviously, my first reaction was absolute shock!

Thankfully, better sense prevailed. And before I knew it, I was actually sold on the idea. To the extent that we’ve now changed our office hours (on a “trial” period to start with). We now start our day at 7am and are done by 4pm! Getting done early in the day and still having several hours left in the day, was one of the key motivators for all of us to try this out. But it’s also the urban mobility angle that’s been of interest for me personally.

Though I’ve heard about similar initiatives by some corporates in Bangalore to beat traffic, for some reason, I wasn’t sold on the idea earlier. But I can now see HUGE value from being able to work during these early hours…not just to beat traffic, but being able to do so much more in a day, outside of work. I can’t wait to make this a habit, and to have some of the large corporates in the city to change timings as well. Imagine the number of the dreaded Qualis-cabs, corporate buses and private cars/bikes that would go off-the-road during the regular hours.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this one (especially those in Bangalore).

While on the topic, here’s couple of interesting reads:

• Car Free Day in Bandra (Mumbai city). Love the idea and the way they’ve “marketed” the concept using well-designed posters and social networking sites like Facebook. Nice.
  I’m now thinking of a similar initiative to have companies shift their work hours!
• The City Fix: Exploring Sustainable Solutions to The Problems of Urban Mobility
  An interesting blog by EMBARQ.

Buy online to avoid embarassment

Heard about this online startup based out of India (from Plugged.in), ShopImagine. Their claim to fame — “India’s largest luxury lingerie selection”.

Their About Us page says -

“Of all of the complaints that men and women have about buying lingerie, the embarrassment of having to go into a store and buy sexy undergarments that would otherwise be kept private is the number one complaint. At shopimagine.in you can buy babydolls, teddies, camisoles, corsets, bustiers, clubwear, sexy bras and panties in the comfort of your own home at any time of day or night.”

I can understand men having to deal with this embarrassment, but it is rather surprising that women (apparently) feel the same way.

Also, the models used seemed to be all non-Indians and I’m now really curious:

1. Was this intentional? Or was it more of convenience, as in, using the catalogs of the companies that these guys source from rather than having to organize an exclusive photo-shoot in India with local models?
2. Does it make a difference to the target audience (both men and women)? Does it influence their purchasing behaviour at all (either ways)?
3. And, is there an “aspirational” aspect to this at all (like the “Fair & Lovely” phenomena)?

Thoughts?

IxDA conference presentations

IxDA conference presentations are here now:
http://www.experientia.com/blog/videos-of-interaction-08-presentations-now-online/

There’s an interesting presentation by Sajid Sayed (an ex-colleague who now works at Philips Design in India) about a new interaction design model for personal infotainment devices. Take a look:
http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1414327521&channel=1274129191 

Google (India)’s Gita-talk

An interesting gadget now available on iGoogle…the Bhagavad Gita.