what is the Cyclomatic complexity of life??

Cyclomatic Complexity - what does this really mean…. here is a definition from wiki:

"Cyclomatic complexity is computed using the control flow graph of the program: the nodes of the graph correspond to indivisible groups of commands of a program, and a directed edge connects two nodes if the second command might be executed immediately after the first command. Cyclomatic complexity may also be applied to individual functions, modules, methods or classes within a program." - grrrrrrrrr I guess that was irritating to understand.. And guess what... Trying to understand might increase the cyclomatic complexity of your life at least by 1 J I hope now you understand what it really means!!!

Just looking at life every day I wonder how to measure the complexity of life. Can’t help it, got used to measure everything, being a software engineer!!! The worst part is, in life the root node for the graph is always you and everything revolves around you, pathetic human life. Like the code, in life too, every – if, for, while- adds up to the complexity

How to reduce the complexity? No conditions – No Control Structures but is that really possible? I am trying to make it easy as possible but still feel the complexity, at least at times.

Why only cheer girls.. why not cheer boys !!!!!!!!!

Was watching IPL last night. RCB vs DD , I have no favorite as such. IPL has made me lose interest in the game. But then was wondering why only "Cheer Girls" in any sport, why not "Cheer Boys" ???

Sridevi - still adorable....

Watched "English Vinglish" over the weekend, what am movie.. Sridevi, is till adorable... invariably better than anyone from current generation.. Mindblowing Sridevi.. it seemed like you have never gone away from movies...  amazing.. wish to see more such classics from you :-)

Talent, Skill and Experience

For having been in software for so long - especially in the Indian environment - I have had lots of experiences in being mentored and mentoring... I would like to share my thoughts....

With years of experience I have had good, bad and worst experiences in Recognizing, Respecting and Retaining talent. Talent is something rare to find, if found, hard to withhold, if withheld, tough to retain. Research says, Skill can be learned but talent cannot. Talent, one should be born with it. I am not sure how apt that research is, but looks true. Maybe, that is right. While skill can be learned, how good you get it, all depends on ones talent again. Experience, on the other other hand, neither needs talent not skill, this just comes by itself. What is important is what one gained with experience. If someone does the the same thing they did the same way in year n the way they did it in year 1, that experience is of no value and unfortunately most of the Indian - so called enterprises - I believe have failed to understand this. Fortunately, the start-up culture seems to be changing it.

I have had enormous opportunities to mentor freshers, what I learnt from experience is that, one cannot induce talent into someone. It is just impossible. I have learnt it from my experience. At least, I failed doing so. We can try inducing skill, but then, how well it is taken has always confused me. At that moment, it seems to be well accepted, but turns out to be an illusion only at later stages. 

While I was pretty excited in mentoring people and honestly put all the efforts whenever there was an opportunity, I now regret for what I have been doing. I only realized it late in my career. It was just a baggage I was carrying all the time without which, I believe, I would have grown faster and better. When I dig back into history and check where I went wrong, this is what I came up with:

• Talent is rare, I failed to realize that point. In fact, I failed understanding what talent really means. I was in a perception that it can be taught, only to realize at later stages, that It cannot be. 
• Not many companies are ready to afford talent, it is expensive. Indian community always has a saying - cheap and best - but never realized that "best never comes cheap", doesn't really mean that something expensive is always bright. Even that fails. 

What would have I done better, for me?

Work at better places, where the real talent is. As I failed to identify talent, I was never right in judging my work place. Whatever I am today, I taught "most of it" myself, the hard way !!! While I honestly respect some people I encountered in life, for my good. Those who have really changed my life. I really do not want to mention about them here.

Maybe this is what I should have done:

"Be Talented" in identifying the right workplace that well recognizes talent

"Be Talented" in evaluating the workplace that respects talent 

"Be Talented" in evaluating the workplace that retains talent

For that to happen, one should be qualified to be a part of that workplace. 

Good Luck !!!!

Inspiring Quotes by Stephen R. Covey

“We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey.”

“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.

“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.”

“We see the world, not as it is, but as we are──or, as we are conditioned to see it.”

“Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly.”

“To know and not to do is really not to know.”

The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.

“Without involvement, there is no commitment. Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it, underline it. No involvement, no commitment.”

“Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.”

“As long as you think the problem is out there, that very thought is the problem”

“Words are like eggs dropped from great heights. You could no more call them back then ignore the mess they left when they fell.”

“It's not what happens to us, but our response to what happens to us that hurts us.”

“If I really want to improve my situation, I can work on the one thing over which I have control - myself.”

“To change ourselves effectively, we first had to change our perceptions.”

“Every human has four endowments- self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom... The power to choose, to respond, to change.”

“It is one thing to make a mistake, and quite another thing not to admit it. People will forgive mistakes, because mistakes are usually of the mind, mistakes of judgment. But people will not easily forgive the mistakes of the heart, the ill intention, the bad motives, the prideful justifying cover-up of the first mistake.”

“There are three constants in life... Change, Choice and Principles.”

1. e People', died on July 16, 2012, due to complications from a bicycle accident he suffered the previous April. His self-help book has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide since its first publication in 1989. Click on NEXT to read the quotes.

2. Here are the key principles, or 'habits' he propagated in his book:

   
   

   Habit 1: Be Proactive

   
   

   Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

   
   

   Habit 3: Put First Things First

   
   

   Habit 4: Think Win/Win

   
   

   Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

   
   

   Habit 6: Synergize

   
   

   Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

   
   

   An inspiring writer, Covey has left behind a treasure of quotes that many management students, budding entrepreneurs, or even professionals could seek inspiration from. Click on NEXT to start your day with renewed enthusiasm:

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3. “We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey.”

   
   

   “Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.

   
   

   “I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.”

   
   

   “We see the world, not as it is, but as we are──or, as we are conditioned to see it.”

4. “Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly.”

   
   

   “To know and not to do is really not to know.”

5. The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.

   
   

   “Without involvement, there is no commitment. Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it, underline it. No involvement, no commitment.”

   
   

   “Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.”

In Pursuit of Happiness

That is the title of one of my favorite movies. I would love to watch that movie any day any time. All the - painful - incidents around Chris Gardner's life are so heart melting that I go into tears each time I watch the movie. I make it a point to watch it when ever I am down with my confidence. Gardner's life gives me a lot of motivation and energy to get back to work. I am very much in a similar situation and unfortunately at work, so cannot watch it at this moment so thought of writing this out.

While incidents in my life are not as painful as Gardner's, I still feel them painful. Sure, my heart is not as strong as his, I wish it was. For me, it is a game between mind and heart. I feel my mind is strong but heart is weak. One thing I have been working on very seriously in the recent years is to keep myself happy, no matter what. It has not been so easy, honestly. For me to be happy, it is not just me. Things and people around me are very much in it and some affect it. So, for me to be happy, all the time, everyone around me and everything around also must be.. but that is not the reality is. Such conditions never prevail for long. It has been very long that I am in the pursuit of one stupid word in life.. Happiness... it comes, remains for a while and goes off.. may be that is when I would know the importance of being happy :(

I am with a heavy heart now, as I am writing this, I am writing this just to make it lighter... once again.. in pursuit of happiness.. :-)

Good Luck, the readers.. hope happiness hosts you for long and not remains as a guest !!! Cheers !!

Tasks for software engineers in 2012 !!

Read More:
Just getting into a job does not end up things - as most of us feel ?? . It is very important for a software engineer, developer or not, to be reading more and reading new. There is a lot that is available on the web, it is just a matter of finding out what is relevant and what is good and read through. How many books have we read this year? Unfortunately, not many of us (Indians??) have a habit of buying technology books, am I wrong? we, however have a habit of collecting some soft copies and never open them up other than having a collection of such ;-)

Eating more, Smoking more or Drinking more might not be good to body.. but reading more is good to brain :-) so, read more.. happy reading !!!

Blog:
Blog Blog Blog.. this is what I have been telling people I meet... this is the way you express yourself.. pre -internet days, it was just a handful of some authors who were able to express their feelings in the book they author and others just read.. web has given everyone a chance to express their feelings and gain larger audiences.. so express.. technical, non-technical whatever.. express... share.. it is very important for every one... you never know, your blog might land you in a new job :-) motivated????


Break the shell:
This is something even more important. Most of us live in a shell - INHIBITION??? break that please... be social.. choose right people, get hooked to a good network(s).. keep and eye on the network members.. as you grow you might be in need of changing nodes in your network and it is obvious.... also be aware if someone - who you admire - is pushing you away from theirs ;-) let there be someone for you to share your ideas, admire your thoughts, respect your actions else you might be in a crowd but still be alone.. :-) even lonely mind is a devil's workshop :P

open up... get going....

Learn something new:
Just don't be happy with what you are doing, may be a programming language you know, tools you work with.. whatever, get to some new things.. new things give new ideas. As someone rightly said, if the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail, add more tools to your tool kit.. they might help you in times of need :-)

For developers, I feel, mobile development is something that one should be on and even QA folks should concentrate on Mobile QA and Android, IOS and WP7 are the ones to look for.. other hot area must be HTML5.. in a way.. building HTML5 UI to scale on multiple devices.

Talk More, Talk Right:
Talking more is as important as talking right. Talking right to the right audience will definitely improve your reputation. If keeping shut lets someone imagine you to be an idiot, NOT talking right can prove it :-) so talk right !!! More good from you can attract people to you.

Live Confident:
CONFIDENCE makes a lot of difference and make sure it is substantiated with some decent and relevant knowledge :-) confidence without ability can put you into embarrassing situation ??

Set Goals:
Set some goals.. say read 2 books, learn 2 design patterns, learn tricks of writing clean code.. it can be anything.. set goals for this new year and may be post it on you desktop.. for reminding you all the time...

Write Code:

As someone said - A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself - or may respected by others.... now.. a programmer must code... write code.... and make sure write clean code.. and good if you have test cases testing it :-) a team lead does not mean one to stop writing code.. you don't have any right to review others code if you are not writing code yourself.. happy coding :-)


Wish you all a very happy new year 2012.. have fun :-)