New Student Emails!

Throw some sensible ones!!

Apologies for the promptness in delaying the posts that were not supposed to be delayed but to be prompt! It’s been more than week since I posted anything interesting! May be I was partially motivated and directed towards research and development! Now that the advisor-factor has been negotiated through the scheduled weekly meetings, I can start thinking away from the thermodynamic spectrum with the dell pad thought-production systems! The past week was hectic with cricket tournament followed by the sweet victory and hence the delay is justified!

Anyways, I started to write something on Responsibility and it occurred to me that it would be too heavy a thought to transfer and hence here am with something lighter ….

We have this phenomenal way of trusting our standards and presuming it to be high. I have done this all through my life and failed miserably at times. Especially through electronic communications! Sending emails to someone with subject “check out the attachment” and forgetting to attach it in the first place. Signing “Lots of Love” to a professional email! Things like that pops up every now and then, but the frequency curve hopefully goes down, especially when you claim to have developed the so-called “professionalism” and have that reputation (false) to protect!

If you are a graduate student here in the States, I’m sure you would acknowledge this post! Most of the Indian grad students here would have to contact strangers far across, electronically, to know the status of the assistantships, living style et al. No matter how much time the pre-existing graduate students have already spent on clarifying everything on the association website, it takes lots of courage and little less brains for the new students to ask those questions that would make you ponder, “Did I ask these kinds of questions?” Ironically, I had to be connected through these communications! Here are some of those email communications that I still have in my inbox! I haven’t changed a single word from those emails I received except for those identity revelations!

hi bharat,
u got my VISA today.......

A little less attention to detail changes the whole meaning!, u and I are always closer together in a keypad!! We can always look back as we read again before clicking that send button!

I am a guy from Hyderabad so can you suggest any shops to get the clothing that you suggested in the link of the Indian association.... Please wish me luck as i am going for my VISA on 19th....

I was rolling on the floor for this! This guy assumed that I was from Hyderabad….well I have this weird last name which motivated him… BBrao…does it sound Hyderbadi?! Apparently it did for him!

Dear annaya, (Some start to make relationships!)
I would like to know which of the following I need to buy in INDIA. 1. sweaters 2. wind cheaters 3. blazer/ suit 4. scarf/ muffler 5. woolen gloves 6. monkey cap (ROTFL :)) 7. rugs / blankets 8. comforters 9. umbrella , torch , college bag 10.rice & dals 11.alarm clock 12.razor blades 13.tiffin box And a few more Questions. are pirated CD's like Songs or software written allowed.

To be really frank, my dad was a bit nervous in sending me there since I am his only child (eklautha beta)
My dad says he is happy about someone from India being there he was extremely pleased.

Would it ever occur to them that somneone on the other side is not asking for any details! Unnecessary details are always a turnoff! I used to get emails addressing me …Hello Barath Sir, Hello Prof. Barath, Pranam Barathji assuming that the president of an organization is always an old man like S.D. Sharma. The funny part is that most of the people who email me like this are much older than I was.

Well, everyone makes mistakes. But one should never forget to step ahead and learn something out of it! In one of my early correspondences to a grad student, I signed the email with “Love”. The student was kind enough to thrash me with that “don’t try to act weird/smart” response! From then, I always pay that little more attention when I am finishing up an electronic communication.

The point I am trying to focus was on the assumed standards on standards! Setting high standards is fine, but gauging it is very important. High, low, small, big ...all these terms are relative to something. So it is when it comes to standards. If we assume to have set high standards for ourselves, then justify it! On what basis do we think that our standards are high? On instances when we communicate to a stranger whose standards are of no knowledge to us, it is important that we have to be really careful with the word transfer.

I remember this from one of those Steven Segal movies (guess its Under Siege 2) that I generally hate, “Assumption is the mother of all fuck-ups”. Probably the only saner thing from the martial art master! Absolutely true! Assuming your assumptions to be right is as bad as it can get! So stay away from it and learn the art of electronic communications!