Saturday, November 15, 2008

Hacked...



A website owner's biggest nightmare is getting hacked... well last night was no less than a nightmare, it was around 2AM when i thought about checking out one of my blog that i don't use much and i was busy surfing on other tabs there was this loud unknown language song that got started it took me a min to figure out which tab it is,i switched to that tab and there was this word "hacked" written on it, i immediately closed that tab thinking that some damm website i opened got hacked but then i thought lets check it out and when i checked the recently closed tabs i was surprised to see that it was my movies blog only.It took me a min to digest this fact but then it was my movies blog which i was planning to shut down so i was a bit ok but it didn't took me much time to find out that it was not just one blog but my entire domain that got hacked...

OMG!!! even my itsmylife blog whose link was everywhere,my facebook status,gtalk status,twitter,orkut everywhere because of my Goodbye JUIT article... and then for a moment i thought oh my God everything is gone!!! All those articles,those beautiful comments,my technical blog which has more than 500 entries...
Luckily i still had FTP access to my main site and i changed the index page back to original by taking the code from GOOGLE Cache. 

Then i checked out the hackers page again it was in Turkish,i found that from the emotional video that was there on that pagea and that sound was making me even more crazy... i tried to translate that page but for the first time Google was of no help as it doesn't have turkish to english translation yet!

Finally i got the link to hacker's website and OMG it was on on turkish and its look was enough to drive me crazy i somehow managed to find a contact link and requested him to leave my site...

Then i called up My host in USA but damm.. it went on voicemail and i wasted Rs. 6.40/-  then i sent him a mail and thank god after around 10 mins he came online and i told him everything... he said he's working on it and i don't need to worry about it as he has backup of everything. after reading these lines i came back to senses but still stayed awake till 4 but then i went off to sleep but still quite tensed...

As soon as i woke up i got a sms from Google sms channel which sends me updates of my blog... i was happy to see that msg coz i thought everything is back to normal but it wasn't it was still "Ownz! by Cyber Operations Team[Turkish Hackers] - CyberGrup.Org" but one thing was good Lakshman kumar was still online and that means he was still working on it, he told me he's working on it and repeted those golden words that "he has backup of everything"... Finally i got completely relaxed around 2:30PM when i saw all my blogs up and running smoothly...  especially my Goodbye JUIT post and all the comments....

Here's that deadly page that i had to see all night yesterday...

 

[caption id="attachment_1059" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="HACKED"]HACKED[/caption]

I just wrote to my host saying thanks and also that he need to take more security steps...

May God save you from HACKERS!!!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Time to say goodbye, but to whom???

It’s been more than 4 years that I have spent in this place called JUIT… A place I was sure I wanted to get in when I saw the prospectus and luckily I got admission here… Life was full of ups and downs rather more down’s but at the end of it all I have a job in my hand which is enough for me to ignore those bad times…
There a few things I have always been proud of like my association with almost all the clubs and activities especially technical and hospitality… besides the fact that except for my academics I was good at making things happen and that majorly because of my domain, everyone yes everyone in JUIT knows me…
But now when its time to say goodbye to this great university, things are no more the same and not even the feeling…
4-5 months back when it was time for 2008 regular batch to leave it was altogether a different feeling even that time I felt as if I am also about to go but this time when we have just 20 more days here I am not getting that feeling.
We got our farewell, scribling day, documentary, group photo with the 2008 batch and now I guess it’ll be a silent goodbye we’ll just pack our bags and will disappear and no one will feel a difference…
I am no longer proud of my PR and the no. of friends I made here because now when I am leaving I don’t see anyone with me…
Someone who used to call me bhaiya till a few days back doesn’t even want to talk to me for reasons unknown…
The scribbling book that my friends in ‘08 batch filled with colors and emotions is now waiting for an entry. The people who used to run behind me when they had some work either in JYC or in administration or even cafe and mess are no longer the same because they know I won’t be here for long…
yes there are some very sweet friends who still want to see a smile on my face and don’t like me sitting alone outside cafe I am really thankful to them for always being there with me, for all the beautiful memories that I’ll always cherish and I think they are the people I should talk about here and not those who are no longer with me…
There’s one thing for which I’ll always thank JUIT that’s the lessons of life that I learned here like to think twice before trusting anyone because you never know who’s gonna stay with you when you are in difficulty…
But there are a few things that I learned about JUIT and a lesson for all those who are here or the one’s that’ll join in future… always remember “JUIT ko bhi parivartan pasand nhin hai” no one like changes here so think before you look forward to bring a revolution here.. You try to make some big changes here and they’ll change your life and if you know me, you know what I am talking about… So only those who have the courage can try to make things happen, others just stay comfortable with what you get here…
Also don’t get too close and personal with someone that it becomes difficult for you to see that personal-professional line and when it comes to JUIT you never know what act of yours will make you owe an apology!!!
Anyways enough of all this all I know is it was the best time of my life and no other institute can give you what JUIT can!!!
Beautiful surroundings, wonderful friends, some really great faculty members, all those activities…
There’s someone I’ll say JUIT is blessed with, I take him as my Mentor and role model, one person I truly admire and respect from the bottom of my heart and you all know who he is and you all will agree with me that without him JUIT won’t have reached where it is now…
I’ll always cherish the memories that JUIT has given me… all those Geri’s on mall road, access to cafeteria and mess kitchen and all the special food, all those night outs, sharma ji ki chai n maggi, raju bhai ki wai-wai, sneaking out at night to go to anshu dhaba and even those fights…
Thanks to Maala mam for always being there like a mother, thanks to all my wonderful friends in ‘08 batch especially sahil and mou… thanks to my point five batch mates for accepting me and for the last 6 months when I needed you guys the most… thanks to all my wonderful juniors, my tech club people.. My H6 buddies… Thanks to server room for all those special rights on my acc… Thanks to all those who made my stay in JUIT comfortable and worth remembering always…
JUIT ROCKS!!!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Yes we can!

Barack Obama created history on Tuesday when he became the first black man to be elected president of the United States of America and the first person that comes to my mind when i hear about obama is David Palmer who is a fictional President of the United States played by Dennis Haysbert as part of the television series, 24.
Like him obama also represents freedom,truth and a change… Being a geek it was really fascinating to see obama’s online presence he used almost all popular mediums to attract the votors…
His political campaign was like watching a celebrity show and i gues now even politics has a new icon…
Whatever it was it worked!!! He really did it… Congratulations Mr. President , i hope the change you brought by getting elected will be reflected in what you do and the decisions you take..
All the Best!
Will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas put together this amazing representation of Obama’s inspiring “Yes we can” speech.Check it out!

[vid]jjXyqcx-mYY[/vid]

Imputs from:- missmalini

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Lessons from the meltdown

Vineet NayarA few days ago i posted an article by my future boss Vineet Nayar { CEO - HCL Technologies Ltd} where he showed the silver lining of this recession phase and now when every country is working on the bailout packages and there's a bit of stability in the economy here's another great post by him about the Lessons from the meltdown >

· Courage to walk away: The very first learning that emerged from what is now being termed as a financial Armageddon was the need for courage: The courage to carve your own path and walk away from the herd. We in India were born with this lesson as we gained independence with ‘non-violence’ in an era of World Wars. In the US financial world, we saw Warren Buffet display the courage to walk away. Back in 2002, when companies began toying with exotic derivative instruments, Warren Buffet termed derivatives ‘financial weapons of mass destruction.’ Few listened to him then but today he stands out as the voice of sanity.

· Save it for a rainy day: The second lesson is the forgotten power of savings. The ‘savings mentality’ has always been a hallmark of the Asian culture. India, for one, has always had a high rate of savings – a phenomenon that is getting eroded with a new culture of consumerism sweeping across our cities today. Interestingly, America, which is home to 5% of the world’s population, accounted for 30% of global production and 37% of global consumption during boom times! On an individual level in the recent crisis, the ninja loans reflect this mentality, but collectively it made the entire country vulnerable to risk. And there were those who saw the warning signals.

In 2005, when the times were good, economists Paul Volcker and Clyde Prestowitz, pointed out that America was vulnerable due to all the leveraging, and predicted that a financial crisis could soon hit its shores. This has come true and – be it at a macro level or a micro level - it highlights a forgotten lesson on the power of savings and that that we should leverage only to the extent we can afford to service our debt. Its time for a “back to basics” approach, old fashioned as it may seen. Save and plough back in good times, and not fritter liquid assets away.

More...

Monday, November 3, 2008

An Open Letter to Raj Thackeray by Rajdeep Sardesai

Rajdeep Sardesai
My Dear Raj,

My apologies for having to communicate through the editorial pages of a newspaper, but frankly am left with little choice since you seem to have decided to stay away from the so-called ‘national’ non-Marathi media. Let me at the very outset say that I am impressed with the manner you have carved a niche on the political landscape of Maharashtra. I distinctly remember meeting you in February last year soon after the Mumbai municipal corporation elections. It wasn’t the best of times: your party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena had been marginalized while your cousin Udhav Thackeray and the Shiv Sena had captured power in the city. With many of your supporters deserting you, you appeared down, if not quite out. Twenty months later, I see you’ve bounced back: every local and national daily has you on the front page, you are the subject of television debates and your politics has even united Bihar’s warring netas.

And yet, my friend, there is a thin line between fame and notoriety, more so in the fickle world of politics. Bashing north Indian students may grab the headlines, getting arrested may even get you sympathy and strident rhetoric will always have a constituency, but will it be enough to secure your ultimate dream of succeeding your uncle Bal Thackeray as the flagbearer of Marathi asmita (pride)?

If Balasaheb in the 1960s rose to prominence by targeting the south Indian “lungiwala”, you have made the north Indian “bhaiyaa” the new ‘enemy’. In the 1960s, the Maharashtrian middle class in Mumbai was feeling the pressure of job competition for white collar clerical jobs. Today, it seems that there is a similar sense of frustration at losing out economically and culturally to other social groups in Mumbai’s endless battle for scarce resources. With the Congress and the NCP having become the real estate agents of the state’s rural-urban bourgeoise and the Shiv Sena a pale shadow of its original avatar, the space has been created for a charismatic leader to emerge as a rabble-rouser espousing the sons of the soil platform.

But Raj, I must remind you that electoral politics is very different from street agitations. Sure, round the clock coverage of taxis being stoned and buses being burnt will get you instant recognition. Yes, your name may inspire fear like your uncle’s once did. And perhaps there will always be a core group of lumpen youth who will be ready to do your bidding. But how much of this will translate into votes? Identity politics based on hatred and violence is subject to the law of diminishing returns, especially in a city like Mumbai, the ultimate melting pot of commerce. Your cousin Udhav tried a “Mee Mumbaikar” campaign a few years ago that was far more inclusive, but yet was interpreted as being anti-migrant. The result was that the Shiv Sena lost the 2004 elections - Lok Sabha and assembly - in its original citadel of Mumbai. Some statistics suggest that nearly one in every four Mumbaikars is now a migrant from UP or Bihar. Can any political party afford to alienate such a large constituency in highly competitive elections?

Maybe, your not even looking at winning seats at the moment, but simply staking claim to the Sena legacy in a post Bal Thackeray scenario. Perhaps, thats exactly what the ruling Congress-NCP combine in Maharashtra wants: like a market leader who gets competing brands to crush each other, the Congress-NCP leadership seems to be practicing divide and rule politics once again. They did it with Balasaheb and the communists in the 1960s, with Bhindranwale and the Akalis in the 1980s, even with the Kashmir valley politicians in the 1990s. A larger-than-life Raj Thackeray suits the ruling arrangement in Maharashtra because it could erode its principal rival, the Shiv Sena’s voter support. It’s a dangerous game, but often when politicians run out of ideas, they prefer to play with fire. It’s a fire that could leave Mumbai’s cosmopolitanism scarred for life.

Now, before you see my writings as the outpourings of an anglicized non-resident Maharashtrian, let me just say that, like you, I too am proud of my roots. I too, would like to see the cultural identity of Maharashtrians preserved and the economic well-being of our community assured. Where we differ is that I am a citizen of the Republic of India first, a proud Goan Maharashtrian only later. Fourteen years ago, I left Mumbai for Delhi to seek professional growth and was distinctly fortunate to be readily embraced by the national capital. Like millions of Indians, I too am a migrant and a beneficiary of a nation whose borders don’t stop at state checkpoints.

Moreover, I cannot accept that ‘goondaism’ is the way forward to forging a robust Maharashtrian identity. By vandalizing a shop or stoning a taxi, what kind of mindless regional chauvinism are we promoting? Taking away the livelihood of a poor taxi driver or beating up some defenceless students from Bihar reflects a fake machismo that is no answer to what ails Maharashtrian society today. The Maharashtra I once knew was inspired by the progressive ideals of the bhakti movement, by a Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar legacy of social reform. Are we going to dismantle that legacy under the weight of hate politics?

When you started your party a few years ago, it had been pitched as a party committed to a “modern” Maharashtra. If that vision still stands, why don’t you take it forward in real terms? Why don’t you, for example, set up vocational courses and technical institutes for young Maharashtrians to make them competitive in the job market? Why not, for that matter, start English-speaking classes for Maharashtrian students to equip them for the demands of the new economy? If cultural identity is such a concern, why not launch a statewide campaign to promote Marathi art, theatre and cinema by financially supporting such ventures? If Mumbai’s collapsing infrastructure worries you, then target the politician-builder nexus first. And isn’t it also time we realized that Mumbai is not Maharashtra, that the long suffering Vidarbha and Marathwada farmer needs urgent attention? Why not use your political and financial muscle to start projects in rural Maharashtra instead of focusing your energies on Mumbai’s bright lights alone? An employment generation scheme in a Jalna or a Gadchiroli may not make the front pages, but it will have far greater value for securing Maharashtra’s future.

Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra!

P.S:- We all are quite aware of the situation in Maharashtra which is actually a big insult of the constitution of this great nation.The path taken by Raj thackeray shows how much he respects this nation and the citizens and as rajdeep mentions in the last para if he would have been serious about his vision he could have taken these steps instead of taking the path of "gundagardi"...

so all i can say now is "get well soon" Raj!!!

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