Articles

This is a first attempt at collecting the articles that I’ve* written and that are available online. It’s not an exhaustive list but a representative one. This, like everything else in life, is a work in progress.

In no particular order, except in the order that they are listed, here goes:

Technology (I.T. Magazine)

I’ve recently started writing articles for I.T. magazine on technology (what else?). These articles are now available online but the formatting in some cases isn’t that great. I did warn you.

• Cryptography: How safe and secure are the underlying algorithms?: This was a tough article to write because crypto is a complex topic. Fortunately, a couple of researchers patiently answered my questions and the article came out pretty well. It did.
• What’s New With Operating Systems?
• Peering Under The Hood Of VoIP Technology
• What’s Nanotechnology got to do with IT?: A look at the small, small, small world of nanotechnology, which actually is a huge field. Very interesting article to write especially because I learned so much about nanotechnology.
• The Changing Face of Human Computer Interaction: This was a an interesting article to write because HCI is a topic that I’m familiar with and enjoy.

Technology (BenefIT Magazine)

I’ve written a series of articles for BenefIT magazine for a section called Exec Brief. The point of the Exec Brief is to explain a concept (800 words or so) for business executives who may not be familiar with said concept. These articles are not yet available online, but maybe in the future.

• Total Cost Of Ownership (Nov 2008)
• Social Bookmarking: Saving and sharing your bookmarks on the Internet (Sep 2008)
• Portable Applications: Applications that you can carry and use whereever you go (Aug 2008)
• Repeated Strain Injuries(Jul 2008)
• VoIP: A cost-effective way to make telephone calls (Jun 2008)
• Web Feeds(May 2008)
• SMS 2.0: SMS that is visually righ, dynamic, and interactive (Apr 2008)
• Linux: The free operating system that could work for you (Mar 2008)
• Mobile Enterprise Dashboards(Feb 2008)
• Wiki: Create and edit the content of your websites easily (Jan 2008)
• Digital Asset Management(Dec 2007)

CharityFocus Profiles

Profiles of a couple of Charity Focus volunteers. This was fun to do and I did the interviews over email.

• Redefining Volunteering
• The road less travelled

Writing-related

• Freelancing in India: My first article related to writing published on a website. This gave me worldwide (read: two people) acclaim.
• How to use Google Effectively: An article about Google with a decided slant towards writers with Lord of the Rings references.
• Seek and Ye Shall Find: About Google for technical writers–a tad dry if you ask me. (This article was the basis for the other article on Google.)
• Technical Writing Unraveled: Article for writers on how to get started in technical writing.

Humour

Warning: Humour is known to be harmful to work environments.

• The curse of Valentine’s day: I wrote the first draft on a beach in Goa. In an unrelated note, thankfully, the curse has been lifted.
• What’s fiction got to do with it?My first humour column for Indus, an Indian magazine about technical communication.
• The God of technical writing: Second humour column for Indus about the religious influences in technical writing.
• I don’t know Frame: And I still don’t know (Adobe) Framemaker.
• A day in the life of a (software) technical writer: Honestly, this never happens.

Non-Fiction (Busted Halo)

I wrote a series of articles for BustedHalo.com and it was a fun experience. I also had a wonderful editor who really made these pieces so much better.

• Begging the question: About begging with a Lenten perspective.
• Conflicts on the clock: About dilemmas of conscience at work.
• Indiana accident: About a car accident and how strangers and friends helped me.
• You are what you don’t eat: About fasting (during Lent) and you have to try the burger at Thurman’s.
• The outsourcing thing: My perspective on the then-hot topic of outsourcing.
• God on the job: Finding the Divine through loving what you do.
• Shrine-Resistant: About prayer and whether it matters where you pray.
• Starry, Starry Night: About midnight mass at St. Mary’s in Hyderabad.
• Busted… in Bangalore:Short interviews with a few people about the tsunami’s effect on their faith in God.
• Dark season: About depression and its bleak perspectives.

Technology (Computers@Home/Living Digital)

I wrote these articles for Living Digital, way back when it was called Computers@Home. Another editor who improved my writing, especially since I was a newbie to the whole “article writing” thingamie.

Updated 04-Sep-2007: The links for this section seems to be broken, so you’ll have to trust me when I tell you that the magazine did publish these articles.

• Speed Demon: Way back when Opera was not that well-known.
• Get listed: About electronic mailing lists.
• PC Tomorrow: A somewhat futuristic look at the PC.
• New age radio: What else but Internet radio?
• The Xbox Uncovered: I wrote about this and I still haven’t touched an X-box. No, haven’t touched it.
• Faster, Better Word: Maybe some of these tips may help some of you.
• Artificial Intelligence: My first article for a magazine was nothing short of a disaster. Except that I had this nice editor who chopped and changed and made it readable.

Th..Th..That’s all folks.

* — Some articles may be written under pseudonyms which may be confusing but that’s me in a nutshell–confusing. They’re my articles though.

PS: If you find any broken links, please let me know.

PPS: If you have come this far, you’re either related to me, or you’re slacking off at work–which in a roundabout way could mean that you’re related to me.

Last Updated: 15-Feb-2009