Gone are the days when a "khat" meant "aadhi mulaqat" !

I had  forgotten the traditional style of letter writing as if it never happened to me. I am using the word happened after going through an experience last night. While searching for a lost document I bumped into an old treasure box of letters, paper cards and printed photographs….ahh those good old days.

Those cards reminded me of my childhood, my relationship with my siblings before we all got lost in different corners of this planet. Those lifeless pieces of paper brought so many living friends and memories. Those silent words spoke my friends’ languages with perfection as I could visualize all the golden moments of school and college days. I had a wonderful time with my past going through those cards and letters.

That  love and  closeness and the precious expression is all gone with a single blow of social networking. Now we see each other every day on Facebook and Twitter but the life and soul of those relations is missing. We exchange recent pictures and days to day routines but no longer touch each other’s lives. We never get to sit and talk in peace when we do not have to run for the next task or appointment. Alas! life is more like an job now. Who has the leisure of sitting and writing letters to each other? Typing a few lines in short or broken English serves the purpose of staying in touch…

I wonder do people still write and post letters in this age of email and internet. I did not write a single letter for years and yesterday I realized what I missed in all these years. I received only one or two letters and paper cards in recent past  which made me forget the happiness and bonding attached with this activity of writing and receiving letters and cards. Now eid is coming and I know there won’t be a single door bell to drop an eid card at my door step when my wall on facebook will be flooded with eid wishes!

I haven’t seen a post man in my street for a long time. The courier only delivers bills and magazines now!! Where has the “daakia” disappeared ….

Remeber the childhood rhyme…Daakia aya, daak laaya!

Technorati Tags: facebook, internet, khat, letter writing, old letters, paper cards, postman

google+

Are you a member of Google+? Well I am !

We have a chance to start all over again and complete our circle of friends by becoming a member of Google+. Some of my friends who were hurt by the decisions of the Facebook authorities in the past can join us. People who were scared and felt threatened by the privacy issues on facebook can also join in to enjoy the benfits of “social networking”.

Social networking (Facebook) has brought us all closer in more then one ways. People who do not get to see or meet each other for ages are now closer because they share each others’ day to day life! Every statues or pictures shared makes us all aware of happenings in our friend and family’s lives.

Mark Zuckerberg on Google+

Even  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg joined Google+ in an effort to explain us yet again that we’re all sharing more and more things with more and more people because we need to spread more and more of our love around the world.

And wasn’t it mere days ago that he became the most followed human being on Google+? Now he suddenly seems to have closed off his Google+ account from public eyes and disappeared from the Google+ popularity charts!

Anyway Google+ looks different yet familiar and easy to use. If you are a facebook user you do not have to make an effort to get used to this. Google+ is similar to Facebook, allowing people to add profile pictures and connect with friends, but it also connects with Google staple websites like its search engine and Gmail.

But the main difference is that a user’s friends or contacts are grouped into ‘circles’ – rather than just having a giant pool of friends like on Facebook. The layout of the Circles is pretty cute; removing a contact from a Circle blasts them into a puff of smoke, to which you are free to add your own laser noises.

Google+ is already giving Facebook a run for its money! According to a researcher, Google+ could be on the verge of hitting the 10 million users mark inits first two weeks.Paul Allen, the founder of Ancestry.com, has estimated that Google+ is just a step away from hitting its 10-millionth member, if it hasn’t already, Telegraph reported. However, Google+ has a long way to go to cause any kind of upset to Facebook which has 750 million users and Twitter which has more than 300 million users.

facebook-vs-google-plus

Related Posts:

Google+ iPhone App

Facebook removes Google+ ads

Technorati Tags: circle of friends, facebook, google, privacy facebook

Asim Jofa lawn 2011:

Asim Jofa Lawn 2011 is nice, different and original! This is the first time I have seen Asim Jofa’s lawn. The suits have lovely chiffon dopattas. The price range is from Rs. 2600 to Rs. 3800. As the exhibition is over I do not think its available anywhere in Islamabad. (Correct me if I am wrong)

Sana Safinaz Lawn 2011:

Anyone can fall in love at the first sight with this collection. Unique is the word to describe their summer 2011 lawn ! The price ranges from Rs. 3800 to around Rs 4300. ( I have seen  people are selling them in black market for Rs 5000!!! Amazing )

Sobia Nazir Lawn 2011:

Sobia Nazir has designed yet another amazing summer lawn collection. She has a range of  formal to casual designs and long to short shirts too. Its for the people who are bored of the long A line shirts and those who love to experiment. The price ranges from Rs. 2600 to Rs 4000. You can get it from her outlet in Jinnah Super F-7 and at her house too… Check the complete range on facebook.

Bonanza lawn2011

Bonanza Lawn2011:

This was the first lawn exhibition in Isloo so we all rushed to get a look at the fresh print and what a disappointment it was! Everything from the fabric to prints and colours is not impressive. Price range is around 3600 to 3800 which is quite high for the sort of Quality they are offering. Bonanza lawn is still available at Kapas in F-10 and at their outlet in SuperMarhet f-6.

I missed out on vlawn by Vaneeza but a friend told me it was also around Rs 3000 and she has an impressive collection too.

Me being a loyal Mausummery Lawn customer will wait for the their exhibition in Islamabad. They have displayed their new lawn 2011 prints in their store in Lahore and their suits ranges from Rs 1650 to Rs 1700. If you can then rush to Lahore as today was their first day otherwise lets wait for the Islamabad  Exhibition.

Thanks to Facebook all the above brands have their pages….check out the whole range. Good luck to all the well dressed ladies of Islamabad.

Technorati Tags: address of mausummery shop in lahore, asim jofa lawn 2011, bonanza lawn 2011, facebook, lawn collections 2011, lawn2011 pics, Mausummery lawn 2011, Pakistani fabric, pakistani lawn prints 2011, price of lawn prints, Sana safinaz lawn 2011, sobia nazir lawn2011

Today, I just came across this amazing news about Facebook’s influence globally. The map above is developed by joining connections of each Facebook user with his friends. The brighter lines show maximum connections and nearly a full map of the world becomes visible with some countries and continents boundaries clearly marked! China and Africa are less visible due to lack of facebook users in these areas. More than 500m facebook users contribute to map this world image and as you can see that Pakistan is also clearly marked….

Technorati Tags: facebook, Pakistan, world map

internet privacy

I wish not to share this dreadful story with you all but this is just to inform everyone where and whom to contact for reporting cyber crimes in Pakistan. On one hand it gave me immense pleasure to meet my old friends after decades through facebook, a social networking site known to all. But the  shock and sadness which results in ugly instances like the one reported by ‘The News’ overshadows …..

Kindly note that public can report such cases to the cyber wing through the website: http://www.nr3c.gov.pk/ , fax No. 926666435 and cell number: 0336-6006060.

The News-Islamabad, July 5, 2010: “I can’t face my family,” said Ms. Sana, a newly-wed girl and a victim of internet social networking — Facebook. She had an account on Facebook to share her memories of life and day to day happenings. She had added all family members, within the country and abroad. She had also uploaded her wedding ceremony pictures on her Facebook profile.

One day, while chatting with her sister, the account automatically closed without her signing it out. She tried to sign-in again but could not succeed. Assuming that server might be down she became involved in day-to-day household work.

The very next day, she came to know that her Facebook account had been hacked. That person picked her pictures and some information from it, and made a new account on Facebook using her name, pictures and other information. He threatened her and uploading nude pictures, using her name, on You-Tube — another social networking site.

Her family members — added as friends on her account — saw all that rubbish, making her a stigma for the whole family. This thwarting situation was not only faced by both the family members (parents and in-laws) but also by her sister’s in-laws who broke the engagement as soon as they got to know about it. It was an awful moment for Sana’s sister who is still unable to recover from the shock of his life. Besides, Sana is also striving hard to avoid the divorce stressed hard by her in-laws.

Our society is replete with such incidents, of which, a majority is not reported, at all. The sharing of our beautiful memories through different social networks has now the potential to raze to the ground every possibility of social networking. The way it is affecting the concept of social networking, is going to end all hopes people do have in such sort of websites and community networking groups. Fake identity, blasphemous material and the like are going to kill all the charm people might presently have left with.

“Facebook as a social forum is a very interesting concept, however when it comes to stalking and lifting of information from it, it becomes a very serious issue,” says Ms. Salma Malik, working as assistant professor at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.

In her opinion, the solution is not in the banning of the website, but primarily making the security settings and the administration policies a lot more stringent and better.

To tackle this problem, the government authorities have already established National Response Centre (NR3C) for cyber crimes to curb such crimes of cyber-stalking and criminal access to data. However, only 56 cases have been reported — one year after establishment of this institution. A proper reporting can help to track down such cases. Public can report such cases to the cyber wing through the website: http://www.nr3c.gov.pk/ , fax No. 926666435 and cell number: 0336-6006060.

“Cyber stalking and criminal data access are well defined laws under PECO 2009 and knowing the seriousness of criminal intent and power of cyber stalking; heavy punishment has been kept for this crime,” founder of NR3C Ammar Hussain said.

The state authority, despite using the control mechanisms, seems failing to combat cyber crimes in Pakistan. However, the problem lies at the end of citizens too, who do not dare report it. Media can also play a great role in creating awareness against cyber crimes. — INFN

Technorati Tags: cyber crime, cyber crimes pakistan, facebook, facebook hacking, internet privacy, National Response Center, PECO 2009, privacy, social networking

Privacy on facebook

FACEBOOK AT IT AGAIN- TRAMPLING OUR PRIVACY RIGHTS

By Maryam Qamar (Guest blogger)

I’ve really had it with facebook today. While at my house,When my friend signed in to her FB account, she was surprised to see some guy’s home page open up.When she tried to logout, it wouldnt. And when she hit the refresh page button, to our utter amazement, another person’s page opened up. We tried to reopen FB in another explorer, logout, refresh and what-not. But it was with anger that I watched one after another many people’s accounts open up in front of our eyes. This is our privacy. The end of it all. If I can see so many people’s accouts I wonder how many can see mine. Gone to waste are my customised privacy settings.I do not trust FB any longer. They can and will do whatever they want and whenever they want. Whether you find out or not is a totally different story.They will always be ready to comfort you and tell you that this wont happen again. But I dont think that for a single second more will i give them the key to my account…I really cannot afford to have my privacy compromised time and again. Its high time that we understand what FB is…and what it has the power to do….and let me assure you…NOONE can stop it.I would advise everyone to think twice before handing their personal info to unknown people who have the power of the internet at their disposal. Think about what this can do to you.Before its too late.THINK!!!

Technorati Tags: facebook, facebook privacy, FB, personal information on facebook

no facebook

Many people have started saying that Pakistan should not have banned facebook but I think after  reporting the  page to the Facebook we had no other option left. This will not be a lifetime  ban but was meant to say “we are hurt”.

On the other hand this page may not have got so much publicity in the first place if muslims would not have responded to it. But we made it a point to spread it among us like fire. This is why it is said that publicity of the such things make them common and more acceptable with time. we better be prepared for the such storms in future, emotionally, technically and politically.

Whatever we did benefitted facebook more then anybody else, they had their name splashed over the front pages of every newspaper and that too free of cost! This is why acting in the interest of their business they did to not respond to over 100,000 people protesting and that too according to their own terms and conditions of the “Facebook”. Still I do not think we should be apologetic of our actions like Mr Adil Najam said by “making an international public spectacle of ourselves”.

Reaction of the Pakistani ban:

Even the creator Seattle cartoonist, Molly Norris, whose satirical cartoon calling for an “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day” inspired the Facebook page, said in a post on her website that she meant her work only to be a commentary on the “South Park” controversy. “I made a cartoon about the television show South Park being censored,” she wrote. “I never started a Facebook page. I apologize to people of Muslim faith and ask that this ‘day’ be called off.”

Even the US has deplored blasphemous images of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) on Facebook as “deeply offensive to both Muslims and non-Muslims alike”, saying America does not condone expressions that lead to violence or hatred. The US State Department also expressed respect for any actions that need to be taken under Pakistani law to protect their citizens from offensive speech, but expected a balance between restricting offensive material and ensuring flow of information for the Internet users. Read more.

Now when the page is removed I hope it does not resurface again in future…..I know facebook will be back. Hey I want to know what my friends are doing today, who is posting new pictures and who needs our support to lift their spirits! See you all soon

Related links

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/deannelson/100040563/ill-tell-you-why-pakistan-blocked-facebook-and-youtube/

http://findtut.com/offensive-facebook-page-removed-421498

http://www.todayonline.com/World/EDC100522-0000098/Cartoonist-disavows-controversial-draw-Muhammad-Facebook-page

Technorati Tags: facebook, facebook ban, Islam, molly norris, pakistan and facebook, prophet Muhammad, Seattle cartoonist, US state department

Facebook banned

A timely decision…I am glad that our government took this action to show solidarity with the cause.

Facebook proved to be a wonderful medium for locating people and staying in touch with them regularly but this is how people misuse things and create problems for all.

The News states….

“LAHORE: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked Facebook over a competition encouraging its users to post caricatures of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) on the social networking site.

Earlier in the day, the LHC ordered authorities to block Facebook until May 31..

The depiction of any prophet is strictly prohibited in Islam as blasphemous and Muslims across the world staged angry protests over the publication of satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in European newspapers in 2006.

Controversy erupted in the conservative Muslim country last month when a Facebook user set up a page called “Draw Mohammed Day”, inviting people to send in their caricatures of the Muslim prophet on May 20.

The move angered thousands of young people and Muslim faithful in Pakistan, unleashing an online campaign and isolated protests that grabbed the government’s attention and the controversial page was blocked on Tuesday.

But a group of lawyers went a step further Wednesday and petitioned the court to order a blanket ban on Facebook in Pakistan.

Justice Ejaz Chaudhry of the Lahore High Court directed the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) to block Facebook until May 31, when the court will open a detailed hearing into the case.

The PTA Director told the court the government has already blocked the particular link. About complete ban, he said internet services could face problems if the complete website was banned.

However, the court ordered complete ban till May 31.

A large number of religious clerics, students and lawyers were present in the courtroom.”

Technorati Tags: block facebook, facebook, facebook pakistan, last prophet, may 20, muslims, Pakistan, Prophet Mohammad, PTA, thenews

Farmville

When I first saw my friends playing farmville on facebook  it seemed more like a  joke to me. Maybe the farmer inside me was sleeping then! later a  friend forced me to be her neighbour and thats  how it started. I started planting different crops and watching them grow in hours gave me immense pleasure. When harvesting brought virtual money the sense of fulfillment was very real. My farm crops, sheep, horses and buildings  grew in coming days and weeks.

My husband always wanted to own a farm house and leave the city for simple pleasures of natural life. I prefer enjoying city life with its benefits and playing farmville…. ) Look at my farm, those lovely fruit trees, green fields and farm animals!! They give me a sense of ownership…..I even own a house there.

Amazingly 56 million people play farmville within three months of its launch, making it the fastest-growing social game on the internet. For the company (Zynga) it is generating revenues of more than $150 million (£91.4 million) this year.

According to a report of  Timesonline “Fanatical farmers bought 800,000 new tractors yesterday and today they will buy another 800,000.These may be virtual tractors, bought for FarmVille, a hugely popular online game on Facebook, but the money that the players are spending is real.They hand over millions of pounds every day in hard cash on cows, seeds and farming equipment to make their digital smallholdings bigger.”

Technorati Tags: facebook, farmhouse, farmville revenue, farville, timesonline, tractors, zynga

I think we have become closer to the people who live in far away lands, like I could not have thought of ever meeting or watching my school friends in life again. Facebook and likes have made it possible. I can search the name of my University friends and can find all the outsanding work they are doing anywhere in the world. But the question remains, are we closer to each other than the people of 80′s maybe. People living in the same house at times talk to each other only on the mobile phone let alone sharing some peaceful moments together.

I am comparing today with the time when one household or one neighbourhood used to gather around one tv set for 8 o’clock PTV drama and khabarnama.  Can we extract so much pleasure from watching a simple drama alone in our seperate bed rooms. Ours  houses have TVs in all the rooms plus computers. I think we are missing the happiness they got from each others company.

With our mobile phones ringing all the time, we are not present with the people physically sitting in front of us. Lets try to spend some time with our  family and friends  in a far off village with no mobile phone and electricity. I bet, we will be able to know each other more in 24  hours as compared to  spending a lifetime together. (with all these distractions!)

Technorati Tags: electricity, facebook, happiness, mobile phones, ptv drama, tv