Another year has gone by ....Though it is a dawn of just another day, conditioning brings in many feelings...
A feeling of nostalgia ...A feeling of satisfaction ...A feeling of lost opportunities ...
Hope of better days ahead ...A resolution to be a better person ...A time to make corrections, A time to surge ahead with renewed energy...
On personal front, my mother's health condition took a turn for worse .... somewhere in the fag end of 2004 but has improved since .... yet that there is much yet to happen, continues to hurt and haunt me
Last year 2004 was officially satisfying to an extent considering that the team has proven itself in the field and on papers, after a long sustained effort over more than a year. It is a proud moment for me, having been able to duplicate success of Rational, in a small company ... with a team of different background
At the State, National, International levels, what has met a mark is a stream of disasters ...Kumbakonam tragedy, tsunami .... More than just the disaster, what was disturbing about the Kumbakonam tragedy (read Black Friday, at Kumbakonam in http://www.saayujyam.com/Musings.htm) was that even education has become a business commodity and profit in business has found priority relegating the concern for quality, basic amenities and security to back seat
While disasters happen, it hurts when we find that many things that could have been done to avert the problem or lessen its impactSame holds true with tsunami ..... Somewhere hidden in the news papers is the message that a working telephone connection in the island of Java could have helped in communicate the world about the impending danger.. and another message that India may have had an early warning had it been a signatory to some association of Nationals for seismic alerts....
What disturbs is when we have very advanced systems like satellites for communiting across the world and even into space, sometime even simple things like telephone line is not yet everywhereRich countries & poor countries, rich gods & poor gods, rich people & poor people ....Are we talking about technology & science for the purpose of technology & science .... or for benefit of mankind ... or a some previleged ones?Yes .... people with money often gets what they want ..... but that should not preclude the basic facilities for everyoneHave we lost somewhere down the line?Are we not any longer human?Have we lost our capability to react?Have we lost our power to make difference?Or is it only for stage shows?
It is all the more significant now that software is playing a crucial role everywhere and software engineering is heading for significant progress in 2005A lot of things were happening behind the screen in companies like IBM & Microsoft .... and open source is, as well, very much around in that spaceA lot of noise is expected in 2005 on the concept of software factories, model driven architecture/development, collaborative development environment etc2005 looks promising from that angle, where many things that were not possible yesterday become possible and for larger massIt provides a new business opportunities and challenges
While negotiate our way into the new world amidst all the din, I hope we will not loose the human touch ... a feeling and caring for another human beingI am not refering to giving alms to the begger around the corner (There are many views on that and I do not want to comment on that ....) But I wish, I pray that we do not loose our compassion for another life, caring for someone struggling .... our ability & willingness to contribute to make the difference
That is what I believe would make all the difference to the individuals and world at largeTechnology, Science & Business has its place ... but we should not forget that we are human in the first place
Wish you all a happy & prosperous new year
