Starting this Thursday and Every Thursday, I’ll be authoring a brand new column that looks into technology with a strong local perspective and a global outlook.
When Leslie D’Monte, the technology Editor invited me to write for the paper, there’s one thing that absolutely caught my attention in his conversation – his emphasis on ‘attitude’. By attitude, he meant being frank and critical. To better explain his stance, he said, “Write like how you spoke on that IAMAI panel”. The memories came back.
“That Panel” that Leslie referred was the Web 2.0 Conference organized by the Internet and Mobile Association of India sometime last year. My co-panelists were Shailesh Rao, MD of Google India and Jaspreet Bindra, Head, MSN India. During the debate about the over dominance of Google’s Adsense, I was against any one company over dominating. I evinced keen interest in MSN’s AdCenter and Yahoo’s Publisher Network while I turned around to face Shailesh Rao and said to his face, “I REALLY hope they kick Google’s butt”. I don’t know if its the choice of words or the conviction in my voice that hushed the packed auditorium of 400 executives for a split second before they broke into rapturous applause.
Leslie happened to be at that conference and said that’s the one panel the he enjoyed and it’s that attitude the he was referring to . I knew that he meant. I couldn’t ask for more. Its the freedom and the confidence that any columnist values foremost.
To say I’m excited, is an under-statement.
