Would anyone sit on a chair that has a needle in the seating? Well, it feels like sitting on such a chair, while using some of the software apps. My friend used to ask me, why I look pissed off even while just sitting with the PC under the AC… Well you know what, reason is the softwares that I work on piss me off often. I heard Microsoft’s motto in making softwares is “Common things simple, Complex things possible…”… Well I would say this is no way near the truth -In theory, theory and practice are one and same - but in practice they are not isn’t it!
SK writes these annoying softwares are ”specimens of terror in digital form”. Well reading this made me shout “Yeah!”. He had listed 10 of those but I think few others are worth the mention. For example, what about MS Office… This one is the most irritating one.
After installing Office, try installing something else. Out pops the MSI installer. It won’t leave you easily. Each time you try to open a document the MSI installer will ask for the Office CD. There are quite a few like this in Office. Open Excel, work with a few sheets and then close one of the worksheets… It would give you a warning “Do you save the changes?” - I would think this asks about the current worksheet and say “No” but I am made a fool - it closes all the worksheets without warning.
And there is this infamous Windows updates. I am playing a game so vigorously… I am about to win… Suddenly all my graphics screens close and I am told that I should restart the system… What the heck? I say “No” and immediately in a few seconds it again pops and asks me to restart. Oh my God! I have no other way than to succumb to its autocratic ambitions.
Rather than enumerating my irritations, let me give this link. I came across a good collection of such annoying software behaviors and errors list here with funny and apt comments…
I used to think there needs to be some standard universally especially on usability interfaces… There are some standards but alas… there is no standard for these standards… what to do?
This must be the ‘famousest’ one The English when they were reigning over India employed natives for communication - These natives are often called as “Dwibhashis” - or twin-linguists - people who speak English and one or more native languages. These native people are learned ones and are supposed to speak a good standard English.
Besides these, there were other servants who accompanied the English who though don’t really know the English language but try hard to impress their masters by speaking the English language. Butlers or cooks often fondly called as ‘Baboo’s by the English during their reign over India, are famous for not only their culinary skills but also for their conversational dexterity, and so there was a dialect called butler english in India.
Here are some interesting ones:
” All of you keep quiet. Master sir is rotating outside… “
” My uncle just passed away. You didn’t see him? “
” Can you repeat again?”
” Open the windows. Let the climate come in.”
” Please close the fan!”
” That is what I appave toldu, Our sir will thideerly enter our room-nu”
Well, the list goes on amusingly…! You might want to read this to have a serious insight into this butler English. Now I suspect there isn’t much butler English in India but the English spoken in India is still the more interesting and has its own style :).
Who said the English they speak in Brittania is the pure and standard one… United States has already changed the color of it ain’t it?! Considering the English speaking population in the world, the puritans of the British isle are only a minority. Within the UK itself, there are different dialects and accents and the language they employ in BBC is no longer the same.
Though there are efforts to create a language anew for the whole world to communicate, the effectiveness of such efforts are meager and doubtful. Predominantly English as a language still rules! I would say, English as a language is not just popular only because of the British but the credit should also go to Americans as well.
I came across this movie The Holiday (2006). Its a wonderful fantasized romantic comedy about two girls switching their homes as a vacation. Both of them are disappointed with their love interest and how they recover and find a new life is the story that unfolds beautifully. This video shows the one side of the story (with Kate speaking cute british accent ).
Gumption!
How many times we have realized someone is taking advantage of us? How many times we have hesitated and gone back ourselves not to go beyond certain point … It doesn’t mean that we are cowardly shying away… Its only that we don’t want to break the ice on the face… Well, nice guys finish last indeed…
The English when they were reigning over India employed natives for communication - These natives are often called as “Dwibhashis” - or twin-linguists - people who speak English and one or more native languages. These native people are learned ones and are supposed to speak a good standard English.
