A self interview
0. How did I end up here, I was looking for something else on your blog?
This is the default 404 page for all content that got removed, didn't exist and you also get here when you are looking for Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ).
1. Where do you work ?
I work for myself.
2. What is this blog about ?
Nothing much. Its been long since I wrote anything useful over here. Its mostly ramblings and rantings of an oppressed(by state and society) Indian tech worker.
3. Where are you these days ?
India
4. Weren't you going to do a startup ?
Yes, maybe you'll hear about it sometime.
5. Do you blog about your employers ?
No I don't. I speak for myself. These are solely my opinions and I am responsible for them.
6. Do you live alone ?
Yes I live alone.
7. Do you smoke or drink at all ?
Not that it should matter to you but I don't don't smoke or drink.
8. Passionate about ?
PC Games, I like playing Age of Empires II, Alpha Centauri and Caesar III amongst others.
9. Books ?
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Who moved my cheese, Straight from the Gut, Glimpses of World History, Sack the CEO, Dilbert, Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Monk who sold his Ferrari, Harry Potter: All seven books, Freakonomics, Blink, Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, Merchants of Souls, Tipping Point, The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy, Atlas Shrugged, Time Travelers Wife, Fountain Head
10. Favorite Music ?
Hindi Film Music
11. TV Shows?
What is that?
12. Favorite Movies ?
Hum Aapke Hain Kaun(All-time favorite), Matrix, Lord of the Rings,Life is beautiful, Schindler's List, Golmaal, RHTDM, Omkara, Dhoom, Dhokha
13. Food ?
Home cooked Food, Mediterranean, Ethiopian Vegetarian, North Indian, South Indian, Gujarati cuisine, Italian, Pizza, Mexican.
Though I am a non-vegetarian but most of the time I prefer eating veggies.
14. So what do you do at work ?
I mostly don't talk about work on this blog ;-)
15. What do you think about the future of this world ?
In the long run we are all dead(sic), I do think we should get rid of commute and travel except for fun and enjoyment and lay a fiber connected to the Internet to every home.
16. Do you own a car ?
Not currently, and hopefully I can avoid it.
17. Politico-economic leanings ?
I am all for liberty of individuals and totally opposed to community rights of any sort infringing on rights of the individuals.
I favor free market with just regulation to prevent crony-capitalism and in-alienable right to property. I am generally opposed to the currently broken system of patents, I am not sure if it can be reformed or whether it would just be better to get rid of it altogether.
I am also opposed to pervasive surveillance and believe in citizens right to be able to keep their privacy from the actors of state.
18. Education ?
Computer Engineer from National Institute of Technology(then an REC-Regional Engineering College), Kurukshetra in India. I believe it did me a lot of good to go to the college. I did learn a few things from my teachers and fellow students which I would have taken a long time to figure out all by myself.
19. What languages do you speak, read and write ?
Mostly English with bad musical intonation( mother tongue effect from Hindi ) and equally bad grammar. Sometimes Hindi with a limited vocabulary. I understand Punjabi and can even read it with some effort. Much as I would like to able to understand Marathi or Kannada I haven't been able to bring myself to expend enough effort to learn these fine languages.
20. Which city do you prefer to live in ?
I like New Delhi most, bay area in California is the second best preference. Although I generally get by in any city. Its mostly about people, if I can find enough good people to hangout with in any city then I am fine. Bangalore and Pune qualify thus.
21. Will you fund my startup ?
I have mostly been a salaried technology guy, so though I don't have tonnes of money, I mostly try to micro-invest in startups where other angel investors I know are investing into. But I like the idea of people with good ideas being able to startup and make it big. So if you are around me and are doing an interesting startup feel free to hook up with me, at the worst I'll hook you up with a few more interesting people if nothing else.
22. Do you offer summer training to students ?
No. I don't offer any summer training to students. I only wrote an article on what IT/CS students should do to take control of their own training.
