Hey...

Despite the wishes of some readers who read this blog, I was sadly not blown to bits by the blasts in bangalore or Ahmedabad. Instead I was up in the hills of Himachal, near Kasauli to be precise, enjoying a short break from work. I must admit, the NHAI has done a fantastic job on some stretches of NH-1, the new panipat over-pass is brilliant. Well, that could be because it is only two weeks old, but passing through panipat was a mess, and now one just breezes through.
Interesting weekend to be away from a television beaming in news, I was depending pretty much exclusively on the mobile news sites of various news organisations - HT, ToI, NDTV and CNN-IBN, as well as the agencies and I must admit they were all fairly good though you did end up reading the same PTI copy in quite a few places (much like the web then). But when I did manage to watch some news on Sunday night, I realised that no major news organisation, possibly with the sole exception of CNN-IBN has managed to 'integrate' its regular newsroom with its web/mobile newsroom, and CNN-IBN hasn't quite perfected it either.
While I appreciated the availibility of XHTML sites on my mobile, particularly since I was rather far from a computer as well (hence no posts) there is still quite a difference between the news I see on most online sites and the news you read or view online or on your mobile. I know that networks are a major limiting factor for mobiles today, but with the government desperate to raise cash (and now firmly in the saddle, though I'm not so sure about the telecom minister keeping his post), I assume 3G auctions will happen rather shortly and that we should see the first 3G network deployments by sometime next year. I also know that the telecom companies will all say that 3G will primarily be used to 'enhance' voice, but the massive amounts of bandwidth available of HSDPA networks will allow for hardcore data-streaming. I seriously doubt that networks would implement a data-intensive mobile-TV platform, but YouTube clips on the go, or maybe more salicious stuff might become more popular. It will also mean that larger numbers of Indians will start seriously consuming media on the small screen.
And that is a huge opportunity for media companies. In fact, Indian media companies are not blind to the net. Most of them have decent websites. But the lack of integrated newsrooms leads to all sorts of issues. On TimesGroup sites for example it sometimes is impossible to find a link to an article, even if it was the flyer for the day - either on ToI or ET. Now, ET wants to build an integrated TV and print newsroom with rahul Joshi firmly in charge. Somehow, according to several ET print veterans, he is powerless about the web.Which might be the case, but I still feel ET can do so much better online. I mean, it is a leading brand, and it is very frustrating that sometimes when I read a story on the paper and want to send a link to a friend, I can't find it, forcing me to check out the 'epaper', find the edition and relevant page and then email the story. Five minutes instead of 30 seconds. And it is the same case with ToI. Oh yes, and then there are the page layouts online, but that is something several other sites are guilty of as well.
I must admit that for a fairly simple site and despite the often bewildering results a site search shows up, HT's basic site is rather simple and fairly easy. OK, so you have to increase the font size, but then I'm quibbling over minute things. It isn't a paragon of simple design such as the Guardian Online or The Economist online, which allow you to get pretty much zip-zap-zoom to a story.
Now, the problem according to some people on the technology front is not the lack of technology or that of money, but the desire of journalists working the newsroom. Almost everybody wants to be on the 'big' news team, not the step-sisterly 'web' team. But other than some people to maybe format the stories and sometimes enter links, a sort of 'web desk' why should there be two separate teams? The future is coming fast guys, and I don't get why so many of you don't want to accept that reality. I've thought very often of killing K off, because he is increasingly becoming a liability rather than an asset, but K gives me some sort of a pulse of what is going on on the interweb, I've learnt a lot from K. I've made friends, and more than my fair share of enemies and to some of them, I'm not against any media group in particular and big deal if my political opinions piss you off, this is a democracy right? That said, I seriously hope that V.K Malhotra stands from the new Central Delhi constituency, because leanings aside, it is very difficult to vote for the man if he was to stand from my 'new' constituency.
About the BRT story, it is the headline I had an issue with. I live near the BRT and I commute, or rather used to commute down that stretch everyday, now I route myself around it. Human blood vessels also route themselves around a benign tumour. I do not disagree in principle with public transport, because I've used buses and had the BRT been made when I was in college, I would have been a big votary for A/C buses, but the implementation of certain public projects. On NH-1 near the border, there are public works projects delayed for years, but the government wanted to force a BRT down our throat. If planned properly, which included the banning of all commercial vehicles on that stretch - that road is particularly dangerous and narrow at night when trucks laden with bits of the Aravali's are racing down - including all three-wheeled commercial vehicles, a slight widening of roads, better planning basically it could have so much smoother. I don't see why anybody should wait for 10 minutes to take a right turn at Chirag Dilli flyover. It is hot, petrol is expensive, and tempers will fray. And by the way, the AC buses don't take right turns at the flyover. I'm no city planning expert, but I can see the BRT every day and if you think that is a success, man you're smoking much better shit than I am.
Anyway, going through the last few days papers it seems that political adverts are getting whackier and whackier. Seriously, those guys should hire copywriters!

Live Blogging

If you are to believe the handset manufacturers and the telecom operators, blogging from your mobile device and not the PC will soon be the norm. So here I am sitting on a Shatabdi Express on my way back from Punjab trying to do exactly that. i'm cheating in one sense because I am using a Nokia E90 with a full keyboard instead of trying to type out a blog post using T9, which knowing the lengths of my posts is not something I would want to do. But that said, this is fun! i'm not the first person to blog this way and I believe many more people will join this bandwagon.
What am I doing in Punjab? Well, a story is the short answer, a rather fascinating one in fact. Why haven't i been posting more often? Well, i guess the not so long answer is that I simply haven't had the time. When I do have time, it is in situations like this. But i do have access to devices which make m-blogging, or so goes the term a lot easier. Is this the future of this medium? Don't think so as yet, but when next generation networks come along people will want content for their mobile phones, and I believe a lot of that content will come from other mobile phones.
By the way, Google might soon be launching a SMS based search function from mobile devices in India. I guess this is partly because there is so much confusion about spectrum and so much jostling. Mobile phones made the son of a (rich) panwallah into one of India's most admired businessmen, and everyone wants a piece of the pie and many people are willing to pay a huge sum for it. I believe it was because a certain nephew didn't like sharing with his uncle that he lost his job. Anyway, whatever happens I'm pretty sure I will be there delivering content from a variety of devices.

Ruining the brand experience!

I’m on my fourth mobile number and umpteenth mobile handset, wee considering that I also test handsets on my day-job I must have gone through at least 50 or 60 of them by now, I’ve honestly lost count. But, that isn’t the story, the story is about how bad customer service has completely ruined one brand experience for me, well after Citibank that is.
I’ve been a fairly loyal Hutch customer. This is my third Hutch number, I had one earlier in Delhi, another for a year in Bombay and now a third when I’ve returned. I came back to Delhi around two months ago and got a new number. Not without screaming and shouting though. First, Hutch promised me I’ll get a triple-digit number on my phone as I previously had. Then, since these numbers are usually taken by jerks who work at the Hutch call centre, they tried to back out, “Can we give you a double-digit combo instead?”
I stuck to my guns and then they screwed p again. I got one number which they had already given someone else, then I got a second number and before you knew it they called to say if they could take it back. But I had already activated it and told them to take a hike.
But, Hutch would have its revenge.
Which was two days ago, when my SIM card started acting up, not because I had fed it alcohol or bunged a handset up, but it just failed to register. I tried on other handsets at home and it still didn’t work. Now I call up customer care, and ask them to send me a new SIM card since this one wasn’t working.
“Sure.”
Nice.
“But you will be charged Rs 250 for it.”
But why? I hadn’t messed around with the SIM card in my underpants after all, they provided me with a bum SIM card.
“No sir, that’s the rule.”
So, the way I see it, these guys screw up by sending faulty hardware and I have to pay to get it replaced. No way.
“I didn’t do anything with the SIM card, why should I pay?”
“It’s the rule.”
What? I don’t mind paying if I physically damage or lose a SIM card, but pay when a service provider screws up, I don’t see the logic.
“Transfer the call to your supervisor.”
Supervisor was a bigger asshole than the first guy. A complete and utter clown, made me lose my cool and I blurted out, “Why are you f***ing up.”
“No, we are not f***ing up.”
Wow, a supervisor with attitude.
Anyway, I could live without a phone for a day or two, even though I really can’t. But, on the other hand, I knew I could short-circuit the system as a journalist, but I really didn’t want to. But the second call was even more idiotic. But, here was the deal, the only way to not pay Rs 250 was to take a one hour detour to find a Hutch shop in a congested parking area and register your complaint in front of a dolt who you can see. Unlike Bombay, where Orange/Hutch had conviniently located shops, the only Hutch shop in South Delhi is in that black hole called Ansal Plaza. In Central Delhi they have one in CP, which is parking hell. And a waste of time and money. So the only way to not spend Rs 250 is to waste an hour in the middle of the day, spend petrol and parking charges to save some bucks. These guys know that most sane people, including me won't do that and would succumb to the charge.
Really, it isn't about 250 bucks, that is barely two bottles of beer, its the principle of the thing. I mean I hadn't done anything with the SIM card and I've paid for SIM cards before when I've lost phones. Even though, you should know that a SIM card, even a 64k SIM costs only 50 cents to produce, with all the features loaded in so a 10x markup is a bit much.
I then called up Hutch’s corporate communications guy in Delhi, who was surprisingly understanding, and said that a new SIM will be dispatched by the evening.
Now, why didn’t I think of this earlier. But another part of my head was thinking, what if this happens on a nationwide basis for guys who don’t have the access I do, the telecom companies get away with murder – Hutch for example has the most godawful coverage in Bandra Reclamation (oh and if you can try and make a call on the WR between Mahalaxmi and Lower Parel without a drop, you’re a blessed being!), how I survived my last month in Bombay running from room to room in Doc’s house so that I could talk on the phone. That was until I got the 6708 from Nokia which has tremendous signal pickup.
Good, I got the SIM some time ago and was told to call up and activate it.
I did.
“Sir, there will be a Rs 250 charge on your next bill!”
Argh!
The hand doesn’t know what the head is doing.
Hutch seems to spend all their money on killer adverts by Ogilvy, they really should spend some of that on the clowns at their call centres. Anyway, about the charge on SIM cards, I still have the SIM which Hutch sent me two months ago, and I believe a trip to the Telecom Regulatory Authority may not be a bad idea.
Anyway, my user experience with this brand has been completely destroyed, and I have become what in marketing they call a ‘brand terrorist’, a person who will go out of his way to talk a brand/service down at any opportunity he/she gets. I hate Hutch right now, and since I’ve switched numbers so frequently before I don’t mind doing it again. Airtel, here I come. Does this mean I will lose objectivity as a journalist, nope, I’m not that unprofessional, but I’m freaking pissed!
That’s why I’m blogging about it!