The Sound of Thunder

I travel a long distance to work... I am thinking a LOT of random thoughts on the way... 

Scene... Bangalore in the morning... riding my gorgeous bike to work... traffic lights... Bangalore has a pretty long wait time at some signals... 2-3 minutes... and since there is pretty much nothing to do at that time... the devil comes out to play...

I ride a 500cc Enfield Machismo to work.. and though this machine is muted compared to other (earlier) bikes from the same stable... it is pretty loud compared to a lot of the plastic stuff out there... Advantage One...

Standing in a traffic light... eveyone has their vehicles on idiling... and are driving/riding to work almost on auto-pilot... I doscovered one thing... the collective energy levels of the crowd at the signal is a function of the noise levels... the more the noise... the more the activity (energy)..

so... I tried a small activity... everyone is on Idle... and suddenly... out of nowhere... I raise my machine and let her roar a litte... almost immediately... bikes and cars rush into action... bikes budge forward to fill up spaces... cars inch ahead trying to get ahead... I just stand there watching... then they realise it was a false alarm and get back to they sedentary poses.... 

I tried this at various junctions and at all times of the day/night... it works EVERYTIME... Without fail...

What could this mean? why this collective behaviour? Why does this happen?

I have a few thoughts...

One... people dont really want to drive (or drive in bangalore) and are looking to disengage at every chance they can get... traffic signals create that oppurtunity... what does this mean? people are not alert at signals... and immeditely when they start off from signals... they are liable to not be completly aware...

Two... as a UX (User Experience)... traffic signals are tedious... they dont meet unsaid needs of the users... they are bad design... Traffic Signals were originally meant to be short stop solutions to clearing traffic... they were never intended to be an experince like this... We should look at redesigning the traffic signal experience... and immediately...

Three...vehicles were initially designed to move... they were designed to be be means of transport... they were designed to be in motion... then somewhere down the line.. they were also designed to look good standing...  but look at it this way... who designed them to be at traffic lights? NO ONE!... they are just NOT designed to be running (engine) and standing at a signal with riders/drivers on/in them...! I think automotive designers need to rethink this as a paradim in automotive design... any takers?

Lastly... entertainment systems need to be deigned to fill this gap... I think design has become feature oriented and not purpose oriented... rethink this peoples!!! design should ALWAYS be purpose oriented...

Cheers!!!

-A

WE ARE FRIENDS... WITHOUT FACES

I received this as a forward from a  (without face) friend and thought it was so true..

So to all ye reading my blog... this one is for you.

 
We sit and we type, and we stare at our screens,
We all have to wonder, what this possibly means.
 
With our mouse we roam, through the rooms in a maze,
Looking for something or someone, as we sit in a daze.
 
We chat with each other, we type all our woes,
Small groups we do form, and gang up on our foes.
 
We wait for somebody, to type out our name,
We want recognition, but it is always the same.
 
We give kisses and hugs, and sometimes flirt,
In IMs we chat deeply, and reveal why we hurt.
 
We do form friendships - but - why we don't know,
But some of these friendships, will flourish and grow.
 
Why is it on screen, we can be so bold,
Telling our secrets, that have never been told.
 
Why is it we share, the thoughts in our mind,
With those we can't see, as though we were blind.
 
The answer is simple, it is as clear as a bell.
We all have our problems, and need someone to tell.
 
We can't tell "real" people, but tell someone we must,
So we turn to the 'puter, and to those we can trust.
 
Even though it is crazy, the truth still remains,
They are Friends Without Faces, and odd little names

Update - Apparently this is a poem by Thomas Teague -thanks @punkpolkadots

Happy New Year...!!!

And so... we have begun a new year... wow... another one!? really!? :O

2008 was a weird year to say the least... one of the most 'happening' years so to speak... in retrospect of course...

While it was still on... it seemed to be particularly boring... but somehow... somewhere things were continiously happening... and in hindsight... I seem to have had a pretty interesting year...

Do you feel that too?

What does this tell us? many things... but one thing that screems itself loud and clear is to never underestimate Gaea... she has something or the other up hew sleev... and without your expecting... without your knowing... Boom! it is already done... :)

So... 2009... here you are you beautiful babe... come with me dhalin... we have loads to do...!!!

Happy new year folks... keep well... GodSpeed :)