'Face Book' becoming an 'Apple'

I love 'Apple' products and have been an ardent follower since 2007 and user of their products. I love the touch and feel of their products, starting from unpacking as designed by the legendary forward thinker Steve Jobs. I love their intuitive interface. 

As I continued the patronage over the years, I came across their limitations and specifically imposed restrictions and realised that I was missing out on some of the advancements happening else where in the technical world. 

Being resident of Chennai India, I realised that Nokia had a maps application which will never be matched by Apple especially for navigating the local towns and cities.  I therefore used a Nokia phone and found that I had to come back to iPhone for manny of my daily uses. Maps was not my daily need. 

Then as Android developed and Google Now became so user friendly and Samsung introduced new features, which I would love to have in iPhone, but not available, I shifted to Motorola for a season. Here I found the hardware did not support and there was no substitute for the iStore. 

So I have returned to Apple. But to be fair to 'Apple' they have been restrictive and pricy. They do not pretend to offer 'Free' services or 'No cost' and they do not appeal in a disguised manner. They are bold, assertive and very clear that this is what they offer and you are with them knowing that they are restrictive. 

I love Facebook. The platform has helped me connect with my old contacts, reconnect with relatives, and add new contacts. Doing all this I stay connected 'Off Line' while remaining disconnected whenever I choose to. I love the 'Likes' which I receive and am comfortable no body can 'Dis Like' me or my messages. Since 2008, I have been on Facebook and have loved its growth and is a witness to its transformation into a full fledged social platform. 

Unlike Apple, Face Book has chosen the surreptitious path to monetise patronage. So anyone who can understand the basic workings know that there is a cost to using the so called 'Free' services and 'Free' account in Face Book or for that matter your G Mail account. 

So when they offer 'Free Basics' and advertise it as 'Free' I sit up and take notice. And their recent ad blitz bringing 'Ganesha and family' into picture, is highly hypocritical and downright condemnable. If they want to dominate a market, there are other routes. The route chosen by them is  ill advised. 

It may bring them success in the short term. But as an 'Argumentative Indian' I will caution that the path chosen by them is wrong and is bound to bring out an alternative, again from their own silicon valley. They are poor in making choices in India, as is evident when they tied up with a closed opaque organisation like ADAG group in the first place. They invite our Prime Minister host him, and then fly over here to meet him and then offer 'Free Basis'. So their moves are well thought out and one tends to believe that it has the sanction of the government and ruling party. 

Why they are doing all this? It is obvious as they want to ensure that their are relevant in the years to come and ensure the exponential growth which they have shown their share holders. They want to become an 'Apple' in terms of earnings and appeal and believe that this can be done through restrictive access being provided. They want o become an Apple but surreptitiously.  

I do not like that. I do not like a company not accountable to Indian Law advising me and show to be empathising with my citizens, with a motive. I vote against this move and recommend that they withdraw. 

I for one have already seen the growth of LinkedIn network and am spending more time on it than Facebook on a working day. Yes the days when I am off and want to connect with the other network I log on to face book. 

Growth sometime brings with it amazing greed and socio political ambitions. But it also makes them commit errors, which may turn out to be blunders and eventually be responsible for their downfall. 

A seven year old organisation advising us, the Indian Government, and its citizens is very poor in taste and for the first time I feel that the politicians deafening silence, on this move of Facebook   shows their tacit consent and their own personal agenda. 

I wish and prey, - yes only prayer can help - that TRAI rules against such a move. I request everyone to answer the four questions asked by TRAI in its "Consultation paper on Differential Pricing for Data Services" and support net neutrality. TRAI Differential Pricing for Data.pdf

Quitting Facebook makes one Happy

I read with interest the news item that 'Quitting Facebook makes one Happy' as I tend to agree. It is just by chance that I logged out of Facebook from all my devices a couple of days ago ~ just before the ensuing festival of Deepavali.

I felt better. And I didn't miss much.

And why I didn't I miss this. There are four main reasons:

1. I finished a novel in the two days; yes back to my old speed in finishing off a novel. 
2. I felt happy not to see Time, Washington post, The Economist and TED talks. I started feeling the normal person I am instead of what the Facebook posting was trying to turn me to. 
3. I was glad that I didn't have to see and like the cliches for Deepavali from friends, acquaintances and relatives turned Facebook friends.
4. And finally, I spent more time out of the web.

I have still not logged on to my account. Yes I do so once in a day and immediately log out. I like it this way and this is going to be the way here afterward.

Today's Readers Editor column " Journalism is more than algorithms" reinforces my belief that Facebook is increasingly assuming that it knows it all and is loosing its humility, in the chase of ever competitive advertising dollar. This approach may undo all that it is good in it. I wish more sense would prevail on them.