Comment by zakshay | Hacker News Reader

Comment by zakshay | Hacker News Reader

My experiences are unlike the blog says. You've got to know your city and where the services, things are not that organized ofcourse. Also, India is big on Human powered telephony search query based services(see 1). It really really works here. For example, you could ask who runs the nearest color copier via phone, and the answer would be SMSed to you.

Also another thing which is unique in India, is the home delivery & pickup culture. You can get virtually anything home delivered like fresh meat, booze, and ofcourse snacks(see 2) etc. Also pickup services like laundry (one of many), are really popular.

Need a new credit card, or a phone connection ? You can have a representative visit you. These kinda of services are primarily possible to India's abundance human resource (and various other factors of course).

In my opinion, these are more accessible that internet based services are they rely on a phone.

Its a pity that blog posts these get a lot of attention because of their extreme nature. Most of the local media tends to be sensationalistic, for grabbing eye balls I guess

My daily reads of good quality Indian news are

* http://www.thehindu.com/

* http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/

References:

1 Eg. http://justdial.com

2 Eg. http://www.delyver.com/

And my experiences include both:

It IS absurd:

That in a country which is implementing a Universal Identity system for all its citizens, It wants to track:

1) Where and when you use public wifi

2) Where and when you stay at a hotel

3) Where when and what you send in parcels (all countries prevent sending illegal goods)

4) when you apply for gas

5) apply for a mobile phone

and on.

Words cannot express my bewilderment when otherwise intelligent people argue that this is for the benefit for our country.

India's solution to solving problems is to assume that its citizens are criminals, and that more monitoring will help. And the citizens response is to accuse the government of being criminals.

At the same time it doesn't detract from:

1) Great strides and innovation in mobile value added services. Forget SMSes, or calling up toll free numbers for information. You can give a missed call to some numbers and companies will call you back. That blew my mind when you consider the cost is 0.

2) Lots of human advantages as mentioned, delivery systems to your doorstep.

Both co-exist. Yet explaining one doesn't detract from the other.

And of the examples mentioned, the constant growth of India as a police state IS far more important than highlighting the positives of the country.

Agreed,

But given the population its unlikely these changes can happen in a flash.

There is a lot of resistance to automation, computers and technology in general. Because people think(especially policemen) that it will make their jobs difficult, and make a lot of them redundant. Add to this bureaucracy and corruption makes these sort of changes slow and drags them over years.

>Need a new credit card, or a phone connection ? You can have a representative visit you. These kinda of services are primarily possible to India's abundance human resource (and various other factors of course).

Of course, you have to ask why it's often necessary for someone to provide those services. The answer is that oftentimes India's infrastructure is so rickety, it's easier for the corporation to maintain a private courier pool than it is for them to trust the postal service or a private delivery service.

This is nothing new.

For a while talking in English in India was considered a sign of being forward and modern. Parents used to take pride that their folks talk in English, even if all they do is swear. It used to look odd, strange and hilarious at times.

And you see this India bashing not just in blog posts and news. But also in Novels and books, giving a bad perspective of India to a already troubled-by-outsourcing west sells well- Because it gives them 'See, we told you...' moments.

Are there problems in India, sure there are! Like every other country in the world. But NRI's talk about India like its the biggest hell in the world. And how they are totally justified in immigrating to a different country. A friend of mine went to do his MS in the US, when he came back for an yearly vacation all he had to say was was how awesome America is and how horrible India is. He seemed to find every reason under the sun why its worth settling down in India.

Well if you want to go out and settle in the west or where ever. Sure you are in full rights and please do it.

But justifying your personal ambitions by talking low of your country and country men to make your ambitions not look greedy is really a cheap way of doing it.

But these things are problems and need to be fixed. If you are the right kind of Indian, NRI, or foreigner you'd be fleeced of money, time, and happiness, and you'd get the hell out of the situation as soon as you can. If you are, say Muslim or some "wrong" caste/community in the wrong place, say good bye to any sense of dignity or sense of justice/faith in the system as random bureaucrats/cops or even powerful individuals harass you. These are real, important problems that need to be fixed. They won't be fixed by ignoring them.

Yesterday or so, a passenger was actually beheaded in a crowded train in W Bengal. Nobody was apprehended. In every town/village/city you will find people being harassed by babus, and victims of extortion or violence by police and/or criminals.

These responses are yet worse because they just continue a cycle of non information and angst forever.

For those NRIs who complain I can present to you the NRIs who try and recreate India abroad and think everything was better in the motherland.

They force their children to learn to be "Indian" act Indian, and then get married to an Indian.

It's called the perfect minority syndrome if I am not mistaken.

Some moan, others wax eloquent. Neither should get to you. Only valid criticism matter, and lessons we can apply here.

"But justifying your personal ambitions by talking low of your country and country men to make your ambitions not look greedy is really a cheap way of doing it."

Pretty sure the reason why anyone "talks low", is because they are stating facts.

'Facts' are that our country still has a lot to progress. And people need to do something about it.

Those 'Facts' don't give you a free pass to endlessly badmouth your country to justify your immigration needs. While the actual 'Facts' you did it for are totally something else.

The article is not so much about unavailability of services as it is about lack of privacy.

This doesn't sound like a good thing.

This sounds like something one would expect when you combine ridiculous bureaucracy with lots of poverty.

When you can't remove friction from getting things done, you just outsource anything frustrating to someone poorer.

> Its a pity that blog posts these get a lot of attention because of their extreme nature.

Pointing out that you need to show your id to use a cyber cafe or other things in the article are neither false nor extreme.

Are you in Bangalore?

I agree

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