Wikipedia Versus Traditional Encyclopedias.

The debate whether Traditional Encyclopedias like Britannica and the recent Encarta are more professional than the "Giant Killer" Wikipedia has been going on for sometime. Wikipedia occupies a place in the minds of the public very similar to Google. That of a revolutionary product which is going to change mankind's views of the world. Here's Wiki's take on itself . I've been following the Wikipedia growth for the past year including various news articles that appear all over the place and I have a few observations.

While it’s extremely impressive to say that Wikipedia is by the people and not by a couple of experts, that's not the point. What experts of a particular field have been replaced by are arm chair experts whose level of knowledge is from low grade sources like newspapers at worst and from Credible Encyclopedias at best. Thus while Wikipedia is a great source of information, the kind of credibility that is needed to really understand a subject is best left in the hands of experts.

So I'll continue to use Wikipedia because I can't afford any of the other encyclopedias but I've learnt that the majority of the content is "Cut, Copy and Paste" from various sources or in other words, experts. But the biggest edge Wikipedia has is on subjects like the following on Indian Street Cricket! And say a good movie like The Shawshank Redemption.

There are talks of Wiki starting a search engine to oppose the Goggle dominance. Talk about the Clash of Titans!

Extempore!!!

I've just returned from attending the Christ College fest 'In Bloom 2007' and man what a day it was...we enter Potpourri 25 mins late..that's 5 mins before it ends...and we still miss qualification by 1 point because we misinterpreted a single question. Dam!

With 3 hours to go for our Core Competence of Dumb charades...Nakul, Pradeep and me practiced DC on the wonderfully large Christ ground. And yes there is nothing like acting and playing DC...you have to think on your feet, guess wildly and have a vast knowledge base, basically you have to be Jack of all trades and master of some.

An hour before DC I had my extempore and when I went to participate I got the topic "If I must Die let It be Death By Chocolate" and I decided to walk out as I had no clue how to start...I had only 3 minutes before I had to speak...then suddenly my DC mind went into overdrive I could see images of all forms of ways of dying and famous deaths and so on. I decided to give it my best shot.

All other ways to die are too painful or boring, lets die eating Cadbury's contaminated chocolates.My theme was simple... ... I made death look as funny as I could...

I don't remember much of what I such but I surprise myself with my ability to come up with so much impromptu stuff on the spot.There are few feeling better than leaving a stage with either an ovation or the audience in laughter. I got both today.

Now its off to Saarang '07 to participate in their public speaking competitions...watch this space...I might have some good news...

Even This Shall Pass Away

I'll confess...
I love to read...anything almost..stories, fables, tales, opinions, blogs, poems etc... But a poem which tells a tale with a thought provoking context in such a simple manner! The following poem made my day...

Even This Shall Pass Away

Once in Persia reigned a king,
Who upon his signet ring
Graved a maxim true and wise,
Which, if held before his eyes,
Gave him counsel at a glance
Fit for every change and chance.
Solemn words, and these are they,
" Even this shall pass away."

Trains of camels through the sand
Brought him gems from Samarcand;
Fleets of galleys through the seas
Brought him pearls to match with these;
But he counted not his gain
Treasures of the mine or main;
" What is wealth?" the king would say;
"Even this shall pass away."

'Mid the revels of his court,
At the zenith of his sport,
When the palms of all his guests
Burned with clapping at his jests,
He, amid his figs and wine,
Cried, "O loving friends of mine;
Pleasures come, but not to stay,
'Even this shall pass away."

Lady, fairest ever seen,
Was the bride he crowned his queen.
Pillowed on his marriage bed,
Softly to his soul he said:
"Though no bridegroom ever pressed
Fairer bosom to his breast,
Mortal flesh must come to clay
Even this shall pass away."

Fighting on a furious field,
Once a javelin pierced his shield;
Soldiers, with a loud lament,
Bore him bleeding to his tent.
Groaning from his tortured side,
" Pain is hard to bear," he cried;
" But with patience, day by day,
Even this shall pass away."

Towering in the public square,
Twenty cubits in the air,
Rose his statue, carved in stone.
Then the king, disguised, unknown,
Stood before his sculptured name,
Musing meekly: "What is fame?
Fame is but a slow decay,
Even this shall pass away."

Struck with palsy, sore and old,
Waiting at the Gates of Gold,
Said he with his dying breath,
" Life is done, but what is Death?"
Then, in answer to the king,
Fell a sunbeam on his ring,
Showing by a heavenly ray,
" Even this shall pass away."

- Theodore Tilton

Phase Shift 06 DC

• Well we believe its one of the largest DC events ever conducted...
• 93 teams registered out of which around 73 turned up...
• The DC software developed by my senior Suresh ensured that the results were permanently on display and no manipulation could occur.
• The event started at 11 and the qualification lasted till 2:45!
• The number of teams were really overwhelming...
• The finals were from 3 till about 5.
• My teammates and I took turns on conducting the event.
• One team of Doctors from KIMS took part and they went on to win the event!
• One team from PESIT bunked their placements and won the second place.
• One standard team from my college came third.
• Most teams were relieved that we didn't have time inverse in the finals.

And I've really forgotten how to post a blog hence the bullets.