Yahoo Messenger nsl school virus

Recently, yahoo messenger is been hit by the W32 Sohanad.B worm. Once it infects a computer, it uses the yahoo messenger of logged in user to send messages to friend list containing a link. Most of these links are for sites nsl-school.org or mytermex.com. If you ever get such a link from any of your friend, don't click on it or your system will be infected too.
As a practice, to safeguard yourself from any of such yahoo messenger viruses, always ask your friend first whether he has sent you any link before clicking on it.
If your system is infected with this virus, you would see frequent sign in/sign off or automatic status change to invisible. I have found few links to help you with removing this.
http://www.geocities.com/avsharath/Removing_W32_Sohana.B_Worm.htm - This seems like the most easy way of removing it. Download and merge the reg file, then delete the offending exe(s).
However, if this does not work for you, you can get a more comprehensive detail for removing it here or here.

P.S. I have found out that these nsl-school links that the virus spreads do not infect your computer if you open them in firefox. Looks like they exploit some IE vulnerability. I have always found it a good idea to make firefox my default browser :-).

Upgraded to Blogger Beta

Blogger recently launched a new beta version with new features like Labels, New Layout etc. As you might have noticed, this blog is now running on it.

The switching process was a breeze. The whole process including updating to a new layout based template took like 30 min, during which I played around with all the new things I could do with it.

The most important feature that compelled me to switch to this beta is the labels support. Now I can label my posts and clicking on a label takes you to all the posts with the same label. There is a labels box in the left hand sidebar which lists all the labels I have created. Hence readers interested in philosophical posts can find all of them together and need not be bothered with the tech posts. This feature was long overdue as most other popular commercial blog services provide it.
This feature also eliminates the need for me to maintain a separate tech blog. Its really difficult for me to maintain a separate tech blog, and hence I would not update the other blog anymore.

There have also been some changes in the template. There is a hierarchical blog archive on the left sidebar which provides much better navigation to the old posts.

Another change is the change in the feed url. In case you use a rss reader, please subscribe to this new feed url. There is also an option to subscribe to all comments on the blog. Or to comments of this individual post.

Overall, I'll give Blogger thumbs up for incorporating some long due changes which brings it at par with the commercial services out there.

Update 2/11/06: Looks like their is some issue with Blogger Beta feeds. The feeds do not show the date and time of the post when it was published. Instead it shows the last updated time of the post. I don't know whether its a feature or a bug but I liked it the earlier way.
Also, I have migrated my feeds to feedburner and updated the feed url links.

The K Types

A friend of mine once classified me as a K type individual rather than an H type. According to him, K type individuals are people who would come up with great ideas to make your life miserable and they will show off their power by telling you these ideas and scare you off. However, K type people rarely implement these ideas. Showing off the power gives them great fun, actually implementing it takes away the fun. The H type people on the other hand may or may not come up with their own ideas, but they have a higher probability of implementing those they have. They are more of the practical jokes variety.

While I tend to agree with this judgement, I begin to think why is it like that. I believe it all started the college ragging days(healthy interaction period :-D). IIT Delhi has a very different kind of ragging culture as compared to other institutes. Here a freshman has to face ragging for only the first 15 days of his college. During this period, seniors never resort to any physically harming activity as they consider it an insult to their mental torture skills. So ragging in IIT Delhi is all of a K thing. As a freshman, I remember how my seniors would try to scare me telling all the bad things they would do to me and make my life a hell in college. Knowing that they would never do any of such things, I always felt like laughing and let me tell you that its really difficult to maintain a frightened face when you are laughing inside.
Then as a senior, I would do the same to freshers. And this kind of thing continues after the interaction period too, but then its an equal oppurtunity on both sides.

I remember that this same friend of mine, who at that time was my junior in college, had understood me very well and would never get scared no matter what I do. I actually had to move towards the H type once to actually get him scared. But that wasn't much fun.
So friends, feign fright, it keeps me away from being a H ;-)

P.S. for people who are wondering about K and H, I'll quote my friend - Shakti Harami nahi hai, Shakti Kameena hai

Sabka Katega

bodhiTree is talked about either because of "XL ki kudiyan" or for the unconventional lyrics in their songs. However, I feel that they have huge potential as a band and they should not restrict themselves to just another college band. I can understand that these people are MBA students from XLRI and a music career might be a huge risk to take. However, I am a big fan of bodhiTree and the only reason why I am not able to discuss their music with many people is their lyrics. Hence I feel that they should create some songs with conventional lyrics too if they want to get into mainstream music.

Here I write the lyrics of one of their song which I like the most and which preaches the eternal truth of life - Sabka Katega.

Din kate na raat kate na subah kate na shaam
dhoop hate na chav hate na gum hate na jaam
Dekho sabka katega, sabka katega raam
yuhin katta rahega, sabka katega raam

teri yaadon main kalki rain bitai thi
meri aankhon main phir se aas bhar aayi thi
shaakon se phoolon toote, raahon main jiske
dil dooba, namm hua pyaar main uske
pyaar ghate na yaad bade, yaad bade har saans
pyas main teri jaane kitne kaat chuka main jaam

jaise sabka katega, sabka katega yaar

phir se subah hogi, kabhi to tere dar par
phir se tere mann main, hum rahe har pal

kya hua jo jhooth kaha ki mujhe na tumse pyar
maan bhi jao kat jayega pyar main jeevan yaar

jaisa sabka katega, sabka katega yaar

So rememeber, you are not alone, sabka katega ;-)

When in doubt, Be Honest

Yup, thats it. Quote of the day(night actually) by Sanjay Goel ;-).
This is what I do, coz this is the safest bet most of the times.
What do you do?

4 years of software engineering

Its that time of the year again when I do a self evaluation on my professional and personal achievements and make goals for ahead. I have been doing it since I completed my 2 years in software engineering.

Last year, I had just landed up in a job where I felt I could get better aligned with the professional goals I have set for myself. Leaving behind the dreaded typical Indian Software Services industry, which I could never thrive on, I went into a product development company, which I always felt was more appropriate for a techy/geeky guy like me.

This year saw a reaffirmation of my beliefs and I have beginning to believe that a complete technical career is possible in India as well if you work for the right company. Which is a good sign as its a must if Indian software industry wants to get out of its coolie valley tag. Also, it gives me a much more clear insight of how I would like to go ahead.

Personally, its been a relatively better year than last one. I have been able to slightly come out of the rat race and able to see things with a broader perspective. That puts me into better control of my life. But trouble with life is that you never get clear insights.

Hence I'll go for a "Not a bad job at all", just need to keep moving ahead.

Rang de Basanti

This one is I-Day Special. It all started quite some time ago when I read this post by greatbong. Do read it first to be in coherence. Since I read this post, I have had some thoughts and I even discussed some of it with few friends. I think its time to put my point of view.

What connects “shooting politicians” with “rubbing against Mallika” is that they are both fantasies. While many a director have realized that the way to make a quick buck is to pander to the second fantasy, there have been comparitively few that have realized the potential of playing up to the first.

I agree. I never thought in these terms before, but yes, movies are about selling emotions and fantasies. And contrary to whatever the elderly has to say about aajkal ke bacche, I believe that patriotism is as strong an emotion as ... say ... love. And solving all problems of India would be a fantasy to a lot of us. No wonder when you see something similar on screen, you are bound to get emotional. So where's the fault in that?

Now for the other part. I ask - What is inspiration? Inspiration is an idea that you see which you never saw before. Its something that makes you start thinking in this new direction. Is there anything I can do to make mine and other lives easier? Its a switch from cribbing about problems to thinking about a solution.

I agree that the movie doesn't provide a solution. It can never, as there is no single problem. There are hundreds of problems, starting from an auto rickshaw driver asking for too much money to bomb blasts in Mumbai. But is there anything I can do about it. Maybe I can't. But atleast I'll think over it.

If a common man watches Rang de Basanti and comes out saying that he'll go and kill all the politicians, I don't think he has been inspired at all. Its just an hysteria that in all probability will die down in a few days. Inspiration would be if he finds out that he might have able to get the road of his colony repaired by filing a Right to Information Application.

When blogspot was blocked in India, I myself consulted a lawyer if there was anything I could do about it. I finally didn't do anything as the ban was lifted in a few days. Even if the ban had not been lifted, I might well have not done anything due to "high lawyer fees, too much trouble, external pressures or whatever excuse". But atleast I took the first step. I became Aware.

Are you aware of your rights? When you crib about a problem, did u ever think if anything can be done? It might well be that there is nothing you can do today, but down the line, there might be a time when you CAN do something, and don't hesitate when that time comes. Be Aware, Be Active. No need to remember how many people died in Jaliawala Bagh, no need to know who Bhagat Singh was, just open your eyes, see around and think if there is anything you can do make your own life easier.

And while the security checks this independence day doesn't make me feel that independent (I know I am cribbing but I know there is nothing I can do about it), I wish you all Happy Independence Day :-)