We're biased, you and I

We are an educated bunch. So obviously, its assumed that we do all the necessary research before purchasing any commodity that exceeds a certain value. Depending on the purchasing power, the amount of research is directly proportional to the value, actually. But in reality, do we base our choices on pure logic when it comes to buying technology?

As much as we'd like to believe we do, it isn't true. Our mind is a powerful machine, but it is a victim of innumerable biases that exist in our society. As much as we might try to avoid them, these exist in our sub-conscience and express themselves through our choices and decisions.

Let me explain this concept further to help you understand it better.

Most tech-folks, and all the other self proclaimed 'tech-gurus' are probably prone to getting questioned by their friends. "Is XYZ tablet good?" or "Is XYZ the best tablet for me?". I find myself at the receiving end of such questions (blame it on the B. Tech. in Computer Science that I'm pursuing), and more often than not, if I tell them that, say PQR tablet will suite their needs better and is far more economical, I'm greeted with a frown instead of gratitude. Yes, I used to be surprised too.

But this right here is a classic case of the Confirmation bias. It can be defined as a tendency of people to favor information that confirms their own beliefs of hypothesis. In much simpler words, your friends have already made up their mind. They're asking you only because they want you to agree.

Confirmation bias is actually a very wide psychological concept, commonly seen in detectives. If you watch enough Castle or Cops (television series), you'd probably notice cases where they narrow down their investigation to one suspect, and pursue the case, with the sole aim of finding enough evidence to incriminate him, and thereby subconsciously disregarding evidence pointing to the actual perpetrator. It's the same concept.

Let's move on to our next bias. This one is probably something we can blame on our parents, or maybe other elders in our life.
Why them? Because they're more psychologically opposed to change. We as humans are creatures of routine. We subconsciously let this affect our purchases as well. Familiar products are preferred over highly recommended ones. Yes, this is one of the factors involved in brand loyalty.
It's termed as the Status quo bias - a cognitive bias, or a preference for the current state of affairs.

Okay, show of hands (or likes, whichever applies), how many of you have used a Nokia under the belief that it has the best battery life, and/or is the most durable phone out there?

I come across people who purchased Nokia Lumia phones that are prone to lag, with these beliefs.

I've used two Nokia phones in my lifetime (of a little more than 18 years). The first, being the Nokia 5800, and the second, the Nokia N8 (2010). I bought the N8 after the 5800 got robbed one unfortunate evening, in public transit, and used it for more than two years. I'm probably not the best person to comment on it's durability or lack thereof, because I treat my phone like my girlfriend (which probably explains why I don't have one). But I'd be glad to shatter any hopes you might have with regard to it's battery life. 8 hours at the most, with minimal use.

Next up, the fan-boys (and girls). This is another cognitive anomaly. We observe people who rave and more often, rant in support of a product or a company, even when the facts point in the opposite direction (the terms Apple and BlackBerry come to mind). Research has shown that ownership of a product (and in turn it's associated ideology) adds emotional value to things - i.e. the endowment effect. Then there is the 'choice supportive bias', which makes your mind justify your irrational purchase so as to avoid cognitive dissonance (in this case, buyer's remorse).

In simple words, know anyone who bought the iPhone 5s for ₹70,000?

We all know it isn't worth it, but don't you dare tell them that. They will fight you tooth and nail (imagine: Dentist vs. Pedicurist), justifying themselves. That's classic choice supportive bias.

For those (most) of you are waiting for me to come to a conclusion, and stop all the psycho-babble, the point is this: no matter how much buying advice you receive, if you're not aware of these biases your sub-conscience has built up over an entire lifetime, you'll be prone to making the wrong choices. Knowing about them should help you mitigate their effects at least to a certain extent.

So the next time you fall head over heels for a product (refer: Forever Alone), analyse why that behavior is being triggered. Once you do, and realize, for example, that you want the iPhone 5s simply because it's a status symbol, then by all means, go ahead and buy it. Just don't try to justify your purchase as a purely logical one.

Among all the other sources I've used to write this, I'd like to thank Siddharth Parwatay of Digit Magazine for getting me thinking in this direction (Editorial, October 2013). And well, my dad, for subscribing to it. :)

A Message in a Bottle

Firstly, this post wasn't inspired by the 1999 American romantic drama film. I haven't even watched it, to be quite frank. But I'm certain that the concept is pretty much the same. For all those still oblivious of the term,

A message in a bottle is a form of communication whereby a message is sealed in a container (archetypically a glass bottle, but could be any medium, so long as it floats and remains waterproof) and released into the sea or ocean.

My thoughts about it, however are on a more modern-day platform.

You'd probably think that we're way past the age of messages in bottles especially all the technologically advanced ones among you. Today, we have so many different forms of electronic media that enable us to communicate with each other from practically anywhere. But even in the middle of this age of technological revolution, most of what we share shows likeness to a message in a bottle.

Look at your common social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. What do you do there?

You post your thoughts, hoping that someone will appreciate them, or give you their opinion. It's like a message in a bottle. You write your thoughts, and you set them free. Out in the open, you have no way of knowing if they will ever find it's way to who it's meant for, or anyone at all, for that matter. It is just floating there, in digital space. Although I'm pretty sure that more of your Facebook posts were replied to, than messages in bottles, you could probably credit that to the growth of our population.

What am I getting at here?

No, I'm not promoting the use of messages in bottles, although I think it would be pretty cool to have someone find a letter from you, sometime in the future. What I'm trying to point out here, is that although we have made so many major advancements in the fields of communication, not much seems to have changed. We're all pieces of the same old puzzle, except that now there are many more pieces, and hence, this puzzle moves much faster. However much we go ahead in terms of technology, there will always be some basic truths that prevail. You can accelerate the process further, maybe even aid it, but you can't bypass the basic need of someone finding interest. That basic element that runs human communication, or any other activity for that matter, interest. You cannot force someone to be interested in what you have to offer. A lot of friend-zoned guys know exactly what that means.

Take your thought, write it down, and set it free. Share it with the rest of the world. If you get responses, nurture and build it with the help of like minded people. If you don't, that doesn't make your thought any less important. When Computers were first being developed, scientists laughed at the idea of anyone using more than 25 MB of memory space in their entire lifetime. Yet, here we are today. Only two decades ago, if I were to tell you that you'd have a device the size of your palm, that would be able to process data at speeds higher than 1.5 GHz, you'd have probably laughed at me.

 "If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it."  

- Albert Einstein

The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas, and then throw the bad ones away. Your thoughts and ideas have the potential to change the world. But, ideas won't keep something must be done about them. Most revolutions we see around us began as small ideas that everyone else thought was outrageous, yet one person had the courage to see it through. These people are who we call, revolutionaries.

 "There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world, and that is an idea whose time has come."                           - Victor Hugo

Believe in your ideas. Believe in yourself. And finally, think big.

Industrial Visit to Volkswagen's Chakan Plant

Date: 8th August, 2013

Place: Volkswagen Plant, Chakan

It was a day we'd all been looking forward to since we first heard about it. An industrial visit is one of the few out-of-class experiences to look forward to, as an engineering student. It is a chance to see how things actually work, out there in the real world. An experience that cannot be matched by that of any classroom. It was probably all that excitement that brought all the people who can never wake up in time to make it for a 9 o'clock lecture, in college and ready to leave by 8 am. The bus that was there waiting for us looked like it hadn't been washed in years, but it did little to dampen our spirits. We weren't going to let anything cast a shadow on that long awaited day.

The ride was long and bumpy, but a fun trip all the same. It was a good chance for us to interact with our seniors, get to know them, and make note of the long list of tips they had to offer on how to improve our college life. We stopped at Lonavla at 11:30 AM for an early lunch. We were back on the road by 12:30, and we finally reached the Volkswagen plant by 1:45 PM.

As we caught our first glimpse of the plant, we were instantly taken aback by the sheer size of the establishment, covering over 575 acres. A workforce of over 3,500 people was engaged in building it during its peak construction stages. The plant was built in a record time of 17 months, with an investment commitment of INR 3,800 Crores (580 million Euros) by Volkswagen India Private Limited. It is the largest investment by a German company to date in the growing Indian market. The Pune plant is one of the most modern in the Volkswagen Group. It has a high level of vertical integration and a large share of local suppliers. The facility is the only production plant operated by a German automaker in India that covers the entire production process, from press shop through body shop and paint shop to final assembly. The facility uses futuristically designed state-of-the-art equipment. For example, the body shop uses the Diode Laser Brazing (DLB) technology, whereas the Roof & Side Framer laser technology is used for welding the roof to the body of the car. The facility is also one of the few environment-friendly manufacturing plants around the area. For instance, the exhaust of the paint shop is re-burnt and the resultant heat and energy is reused.

After being stripped of our cameras, we were lead into the seminar hall, where we were introduced to Mr. Chetanya, who was going to be presiding over our tour of the plant. Once we had our headsets on, to make sure we could all hear him inspite of all the noise in the body shop, we started our tour, beginning with the final review tunnels, where all the cars are reviewed one last time, before they are deemed worthy to be rolled out of the plant. Next up, we were in the body shop, where there were sparks flying all over the place, quite literally. Different process, here, are taken care of, either manually or using automated robots, depending on their requirements. At the end of it, all the fittings are checked using an infrared camera, to make sure that everything is precisely where it is supposed to be. We were amazed to see the arm of automated robots working with speed and precision. Mr Chetanya inserted, "At most of our plants in Germany, we have achieved almost 95% automation. Here in India, it is about 35-40%, since the labor costs are way lower." Next up, Volkswagen's patented copper wire welding chamber. A completely automated process that has taken roof welding to the next level. This process involves welding the roof of the car to the body, using thin copper wire. This copper wire melts into all the gaps, leaving no room for any water to seep through. Because of this process, Volkswagen has been able to rid their cars of the black strip that is seen on the roof of most other cars. Watching the robots at work, we observed what looked like a simple program, guiding them. The power of a few lines of code, enough to inspire at least one wide eyed computer engineering student.

The entire plant works like clockwork. Everything is timed down to the second. On the assembly line, each station is given a time slot of 115 seconds to complete the task assigned to them, after which the car moves forward to the next station. If at all any station fails to complete their job in the given time, the system automatically highlights that station in red, and sounds an alarm to alert the supervisor. If the problem is minor, it is fixed as soon as possible. If not, then that particular car is removed from the assembly line so that it doesn't affect the production level of the day. Volkswagen has developed ingenious tools and machines, to help make things easier for their employees. We went on to see the safety features installed in even the most low end Volkswagen cars. We observed padding at different impact points, in order to protect those inside the car. Coming to the end of the tour, they really made us want to buy one of their cars. For anyone contemplating on it, I'd definitely recommend it. After all, I've seen what's inside.

Before leaving, we were shown a short film about Volkswagen, and their reach in India, specifically their Pune plant, boasting of one of the most modern production lines and testing facilities in India. Under its massive roof, it rolls out premium cars, including Audi, Bentley, Ducati, etc. In order to do this, they maintain the highest levels of quality standards.

DBIT students and faculty at Volkswagen's Chakan plant

After the customary photo shoot, we finally got on our bus and started heading back. We'd traveled for more than 10 hours, for a tour that lasted a little more than 90 minutes. Was it worth it? Definitely. It is important for us, as young students to get out of our nutshell, and realize that there is a big wide world out there.

Technology doesn't need us. We need technology.

Technology will move on, with or without us. You can never really know enough, especially with computer based technology, for it is forever evolving. What we're learning today, is almost completely obsolete. It is up to us to stay up-to-date with the current day technologies.

Finally, I'd like to thank DBIT, and the ACM for giving us this opportunity. I look forward to many more eye opening industrial visits in the future.

I wrote this as a report to submit to the Computer Department for review.

The 'Confus' Mumbai Local

Before I really begin, here are a few things I think I should clarify.

No, 'confus' is not a word. I've been using it with a select group of people since 2010, so forgive me for getting habituated to using it.

What select group?
Well, my batch of IT students at St. Xavier's College, Fort.
Why?
Our IT professor was a man of many talents. English wasn't one of them. Neither was a sense of dressing. He would use words that he'd invented himself so frequently that we'd begin to doubt our own knowledge of vocabulary. Although, most of the words he used were derivations of actual English words. 'Confus', in this case being a derivative of the word 'confused'. And I'm pretty sure that's what he meant, too. Except that that's not what he used to say.

"Did I make you the confus?"

- things he would say.

Anyway, I seem to have drifted away, again, by the looks of it. So, I'll get back to the confusing nature of train travel in the city, and tell you about The Confus (what we used to call him) a little later.

Firstly, I am of the opinion that local trains are the best way to travel in Mumbai. Most other means of public, or even private transport for that matter have to face the wrath of this ever present evil that we affectionately call traffic. *sigh* 

The Bombay Suburban Railway has the highest passenger density of any urban railway system in the world.

That really isn't all that hard to believe, given our population. On an average day, this system carries 7.24 million passengers. If you're a regular traveller, I bet you've already started picturing all those people cramped into a local train, people hanging out of the train, holding on to it with all they've got.

If you aren't a train person, I'd love to take you to Dadar station on any weekday between 6 pm to 8 pm. Just watching the expression on your face as the drama unfolds would be more than entertaining.

Now coming to the Confusing part.

In any local train, there are six main categories of compartments, each having it's own set of advantages and disadvantages.

1. General

For anyone and everyone. More commonly known as 'Aaaam Aaadmi'. (That 'Aaaam' makes me crave for mangoes.)

2. Ladies Compartment

It's a little obvious, no?

3. Luggage Compartment

4. General First Class

5. Ladies First Class

6. Handicapped Compartment

Any seasoned traveller will agree with me when I say that the Ladies Compartments are among the most under-utilised compartments in any local. Even during peak hours, there is always place in the Ladies compartment, while people are packed like sardines inside the General compartment. And don't even get me started on those few trains that run, called Ladies' Specials. Like under utilised coaches weren't enough.
I'm not against having special compartments for women. Yes, train travel is a very touchy affair, especially during peak hours, so it's completely justified. But too much of anything is bad, especially when the same area can be utilised in a much more constructive manner to ease the density during peak hours. For any Economics students out there, I'd like to compare it to the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility. In plain words, it states that, "The more you have of a thing,  the less you want more of it."
While I'm talking about Economics, let me also point out that the Mumbai Suburban Railway system is one of the cheapest transport systems in the world.

Personally, I love travelling by local trains. I'd choose them over any other form of public transport any day. It feels like you're a part of something much bigger than yourself. A system, that works efficiently to make sure that you, and all those people sitting around you in that train reach their workplace on time. Yes, there are delays. Trains even leave before time. But given the passenger density and the crush load, that really isn't something I would crib about. I've been travelling on local trains for about 3 years now, beginning 2010, when I joined St. Xavier's College in Fort. And I've been travelling ever since. There is really never a dull moment. You either become a part of, or an audience to, the daily grind of countless commuters on a daily basis. 

Kurla Station, for example, offers me a king's reception every morning, on my way to college. A thousand people trying to jump into the train before it even stops, before letting anyone get out. The result is a hundred mid air collisions, followed by an unbelievably crowded Foot Over Bridge.
All in days's work, for the millions of people using this wonderful system for their daily commute.

Kurla Railway Station on an early morning.

Confessions of a bored engineering student

If you're going to ask me why I wrote this, I should tell you that I have an SPA board practical exam tomorrow.

If you know me well enough, I needn't say any more.
If not, well, I'm an engineering student.
Constant and recurring boredom is a known side effect of most educational courses, especially among teenagers.
Why? A common explanation is the "Too cool for School!" ideology.
I begin to think that there is more to it than that. As teenagers, our minds are on overdrive.
Well, of course! Which 50 year old wants to know about what's happening in the life of all his 1000+ Facebook friends? Leave alone Twitter, Instagram and all the other social interactive platforms.
We feel more inclined to fulfilling our social 'responsibilities', than focusing on 'what really matters'.

Social Responsibilities:

1. Acquire the latest intelligence about your close friends, enemies even. 

Some call this activity gossiping. There is much more to it, trust me. Sleuths could learn a lot from the intelligence gathering techniques of teenagers. Not to be sexist or anything, but especially teenage girls.  

2. Social Interaction.

         Most people I know will make it a point to check their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the countless other networking platforms way more religiously than anything else. This probably comes under the first header, but it deserves a mention of its own. Most teenagers spend an average of 2-3 hours hooked on to their smartphones looking for the latest updates in their online lives. That takes me to my next point.. 

3. The Smartphone.

The dawn of the smartphone has revolutionized the everyday life of us, teenagers. Most parents would claim that it’s one of the biggest distractions and quite honestly, they’re absolutely right.

When was the last time you went more than a day without checking your smartphone? The most I’ve gone without checking it is about 3 hours. My first semester exam, that.

Smartphones have given wings to the networking capabilities of teens (much like Red Bull gives wings to everything else). We don’t have to wait to get home and switch on our good old PC in order to get the latest updates. It’s all in the palm of our hands. The launch of IM applications like WhatsApp is leading to the death of our traditional SMS messaging. And why not? Technology is what leads us forward, right?

Moving on to the topic of Smartphone addiction, I’d say that we’re all addicted to our smartphones. And that is just putting it mildly. If you’d like to explore extremities, let me introduce you to a typical BlackBerry user. I am yet to meet one that lets their phone out of their hand, even. Their addiction is more BBM related than the phone itself. Because honestly, what’s in a BlackBerry apart from that? And maybe the lovely physical Qwerty keyboard?

I’m drifting off topic again. I do that a lot. I begin somewhere, and end up somewhere else. Yes, I’m a drifter. If only I lived in Tokyo!  

Okay, that was lame. Like most other jokes I make.

On that abrupt note, I'm going to end this little post.

Have a productive day ahead.
No, seriously. I'm sure you have something productive to do. Get up and go do it.