As humans, we are only akin to responding in two ways; comply or rebel.
It has been hardwired into our systems for some reason. Perhaps it was something evolutionary, for it meant well to comply with someone you percieved was doing good for you. And in the halcyon days, if you can call them that, of our ancient ancestors, it wasn't a difficult choice. If your tribe is hungry, hunt the mammoth. Blizzard outside? Hide within the hunted mammoth's ribs. Leaders were the ones who could propose these obvious solutions. Genes that felt otherwise were destroyed.
This has led to remarkable actions that have radically changed the face of our race and the face of the planet. It was this instinct that made the Nazis comply when authoritatively ordered to do so. You don't think so? Read about the Milgram Experiments.
When in doubt, there is room for the other instinct, rebellion, to kick in without the threat of extinction. This is what happens when we are still unsure as to whether we should warm the earth or not.
This is what happens when I install software and am imposed to accept a bunch of other stuff that I scarce use. Itunes? Quick time tags along. Windows? IE is now my burden. Yahoo messenger? Here is Yahoo toolbar for good measure. If that isn't enough, it displays the temperature of Delhi in Farenheit! This transgression was enough to inspire this post. Trying to make us Indians learn to accept Farenheit as temperature reference is sacrilage!
I shall now endeavour to rid my browser of this affliction. Here's to rebellion. Here's to rid the disease...
10 comments:
Another mundane case of America being forced on India: All Chevrolet cars have their turning indicators and wiper switches mixed up - to indicate a turn, you need to use the stick on the left side of the steering wheel, and to start the wipers you need to use the right-side stick. Looks like they forgot to switch the sticks after switching the side of the steering wheel! But hey, it's from "Amrika" and should therefore, sell :P
Hehe... And mountain bikes! The imported ones have back brakes on the right. Hope I don't crash somewhere
That sounds stupid and immature to me. Chevrolet cars have indicators mixed up for a reason. Because they take the same steering unit from the western models and dump it in the Indian versions. Because otherwise manufacturing costs will be too high. Interestingly, it's the same with Matiz cars, which aren't American, but Korean. If you didn't like the configuration, don't buy it. If you want a proper version, maybe you should pay up and get a proper one built.
It's a free world, noone asked you to buy a faulty Chevrolet or a "ulta" mountain bike. If it really means that much to you, pay up and get a proper bike. No one is trying make Indians accept Fahrenheit. It's just an engineering pain to make FREE software that you get for FREE read celsius in Delhi, but Fahrenheit in New York. If you think a Celsius version is what you should be getting and anything else is offensive, then you are Nazi.
Hell, you sound like a person who gets offended by Santa Claus hats.
Rebellion is for rights, not comforts.
My god! What I said without any venom about some little inconvenience has been interpreted as an acerbic "Nazi" post.
Please don't spam that term. Use it with utmost caution.
I've a right to point out what is inconvenient and that is exactly what I am doing. The solution is not to "pay extra" and get things favourable, but to wake up people who make these things as to how much inconvenience they are causing to their customers.
Come on! I spelled favourable right and it still gives me a red underline! Be a little more language sensitive. Stop imposing. "It is a free world." I like your products, but I would like them more but for these glitches.
When I buy a mountain bike, I've "rights."
As for free software, I am only providing good feedback to make them better.
I still cannot believe anyone would harbour so much venom and be so protectionist of actions that inconveniences his countrymen.
No, you wanted to start a rebellion. I shall directly quote you: "I shall now endeavour to rid my browser of this affliction. Here's to rebellion. Here's to rid the disease...". If you were pointing out an inconvenience, you would clearly state so. Wouldn't it? heck, even the tag says rebel.
It shows a red line because you've set your language to en_US, if you want British English, then choose en_GB.
You don't make suggestions to free software by cursing them. Free software is NOT a marriage. It's like beggars "suggesting" that you pay them more by cursing you. It's one thing to complain about paid software, entirely another to complain about free software. But then again, Yahoo messenger is commercial software.
I wasn't aware of any rights that people got when they buy mountain bikes. If you bought a mountain bike that you didn't like, that is entirely your fault. Perhaps you can suggest improvements, but it certainly isn't a right.
1) If it can redirect me to google.co.in, it can automatically set itself to Eng_UK or whatever.
2) Nobody makes free software that doesn't benefit them. I am as much a help to them by using yahoo messenger.
3) Free software + Request = Above mentioned symbiotic relationship
Free software + No request = SPAM (Yahoo toolbar qualifies)
4) When I said I've rights, I merely meant I've a right to express my inconvenicence without being adjudged a Nazi.
5) I was merely using rebellion to produce a dramatic ending. Please learn to separate these tools of writing. I've a right to use emotions and not be judged like some compiler analyses a program.
Some unnecessary debate this has turned into!!
Goods should be specific to their market, in the interests of both the consumer and the seller.
Beats me what Layfield is so pissed about!
1) I believe the OS determines localization.
2) 3) Ya ok fine agreed. Yahoo messenger yes. I was thinking about something else.
4) Ofcourse. But you said that your right
5) Dramatic ending it seems. For all we know, nowadays people can fast for a week and wallah, we have "Right to correct driving wheel configuration" as the 7th constitutional right, weeehu!
I am not pissed. I was opposed to the part about trying to start a rebellion about these things.
I said "Here's to rebellion" which is way different from "let's start a rebellion." It was to the human nature to rebel that I was referring, not the noun rebellion.
I guess that has caused all this ballyhoo.
OMG.
"Keep manufacturing costs low" is NOT an excuse to peddle nonsense. If our country (and its people) had an iota of sense, we wouldn't have to put up with hand-me-downs from the first world. And by the way, I have no complaints whatsoever against "the configuration". All I'm asking for is a little respect for the Indian driving style. (and I can't "pay up" for changing the damn thing, because they do not build it any other way) We aren't a place to "dump it", as you very nicely put it. And asking for this sort of thing does not make my picky/fussy/a nazi. Please.
P.S. "Rebellion is for rights, not comforts" - I guess I define simple consumer choice and sensitivity as a "right", but hey, who I am I to argue, when most of us are very willing to be trampled over and ignored?
Post a Comment