A solution that always works for incompetent leaders
Dont know the real problem? Know the real problem, but not bold enough to attack it?
As a leader what do you do in such a situation? Well, you cook up lot of non-issues, solve the non-existent problems, and amuse yourself with the idea of having contributed towards a better tomorrow.
The case in point is the recent decision by IIT Bombay authorities to limit the usage of internet and intranet services. Please read the email message at the bottom of this post to get the context.
The authorities find that the student attendance in classes are not as high.. Academic performance is going down.
At the same time they observe that students are spending lot of time on internet.
You see a change, you see an effect. Bang! You label the change as cause of the effect.
Internet is just a medium. Its nothing more than a technology shift. It isnt for the first time that we are seeing a technology change. When newspapers came in, they ate into the time we used to spend on other things. When radio came, samething happened. Then television came. Today internet is here.
As engineers, it is incumbent upon us to embrace the new technology with open arms. We are the creators of these technologies.. if we dont believe in change, why did we come into engineering to begin with?
Take any industry.. First we used to commute by road.. which limited the distances we could travel. Then came the railroads.. And the air travel has made it possible to collaborate and connect with people spread all over the world.
With addition of new technologies, we subsume the possibilities of yesterday.
Now that it is clear that we need to embrace the new technology, the next question is how to make the best use of internet. This medium gives us great power. And together with it comes the great responsibility.
What do you do when you are endowed with a great responsibility?
You rise to the occassion and deliever.
What is being done in IIT is, no.. we cant handle so much responsibility.. Lets reduce the responsibility to the level we know how to handle.
Is this right message for your students? How do you expect we will continue to believe that you can impart in us the qualities that makes a great leader?
I am not saying leaders should not do anything, and let things take their own turn. No.. I agree that a technology shift demands an adaptation. And this adaptation would require several initiativies from the leaders of our institute.
What I am arguing here is that the approach being taken is a very short-sighted one. The right solution requires bold leadership, a visionary who can lead us in this time of change. May be someone with qualities in JFK, or Rajiv Gandhi..
It is a pity that in a country with a population of 1 Billion, we cannot find the right leaders for the nation's best institution. Helplessly, we have left it in the hands of a bunch of incompetent managers ready to compromise the future of next generation of promising citizens with temporary fixes.
Now, I dont have the maturity to lay out a grand plan that can be enacted upon with 100% success rate. Nonetheless, I know a few high level things that needs to be done. You need to teach people, help them imagine the possiblities for creating useful tools using the new technology. You adapt your course structure to the new medium. You show them the vastness of knowledge, far larger than Main Library, that they can now learn to shape up their future. You teach them how to broadcast themselves into the world, as it gets flattened and democratized with the widespread adoption of internet.
On the other hand, it is pretty obvious that the approach being taken is not the right one. If there is a new technology, and we dont know how to make best use of it, lets not allow our students to use it. By restricting its usage, we will be able to minimize its bad effect.
I wonder what happens when students graduate from IITs, and get unlimited access to the internet? Well, who cares? They are not our liability any more.
What did you say? We didnt teach our students how to handle great responsibility?
Give us a break. It was never a part of the IIT's curriculum.
From: General Secretary Academic Affairs < gsecaa@iitb.ac.in >
Date: Jan 19, 2007 6:32 AM
Subject: Minutes of the meeting on Network Usage by IIT Students
To: General Secretary Academic Affairs < gsecaa@iitb.ac.in>
Hi all,
Attached are the minutes of the meeting on Network Usage by IIT
Students. Please go through the mail. In case you have a suggestion
or concern, use the forum iitb.general to share it with students and
faculty, instead of personal mails.
For the unaware, iitb.general is a forum that is accessible to all
students, faculty and alumni and is used for discussions and exchange of
ideas. To access iitb.general , visit http://varta.iitb.ac.in and log in
with your netmon ID and password.
Minutes:
----------------------------------------------------------------
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, BOMBAY
OFFICE OF DEAN STUDENT AFFAIRS
19th January 2007
A meeting of the committee consisting of the following members were
held to discuss matters relating to computer and network usage by
students when the following members were present:
Prof. P. Gopalan, Dean, SA Convener
Prof. Anurag Mehra, Head, Computer Centre Member
Prof. Nand Kishore, Chairman, HWC Member
Prof. G.Sivakumar, Head, CSE Member
Prof. Raghav Varma, Warden, Hostel 10 Member
Prof. C. Amarnath, Ex-Dean, SA Member
Gen.Secretary, Hostel Affairs Member
Gen.Secretary, Academic Affairs Member
Mr. Swapnil S. Sachdev Invitee (MLC)
Mr. Parijat Garg Invitee
Item No 1:
Video streaming :
The committee decided that video streaming in inter and intra hostels
should be disallowed. For using this facility prior permission from
Head, Computer Centre should be obtained.
Item No.2:
Download limit:
The committee put a download limit of 3GB per month.
Item No.3:
Time based ban on internet access in hostels:
The committee had the requested to the students to give their inputs
in September 2006, but no inputs were received at that time, however
during the meeting the students proposed that internet access be
blocked between 2 am and 6 am. However, the committee decided that LAN
access only be available in hostels between 12.30p.m to 11 p.m.
Student dissent was noted. This policy would be effective from 26th
January 2007. It was agreed to review the policy after a period of two
months.
Item No.4:
Illegal Content :
The Head, Computer Centre brought to the notice of the students about
signing of an IT policy of the Institute by every student, which
says that they would use the IIT network to download any illegal
content on any computer connected to the Institute network for which
they are responsible. It was also discussed that the Institute
network is being used to disseminate "illegal materials" like films,
songs etc. by persons running ftp servers on their computers. It was
decided that it will be the task of the elected representatives
(councils) to report this to the Wardens for further action. It was
decided that a poster would be put up by 31st January 2007 after the
same has been vetted by Prof. Sivakumar and Head, CC. The poster
would explicitly spell out the consequences in case of violation
relating to the use of IIT network for the disseminating illegal
contents in any form.
(P.Gopalan )
Dean,SA
----------------------------------------------------------------
As a leader what do you do in such a situation? Well, you cook up lot of non-issues, solve the non-existent problems, and amuse yourself with the idea of having contributed towards a better tomorrow.
The case in point is the recent decision by IIT Bombay authorities to limit the usage of internet and intranet services. Please read the email message at the bottom of this post to get the context.
The authorities find that the student attendance in classes are not as high.. Academic performance is going down.
At the same time they observe that students are spending lot of time on internet.
You see a change, you see an effect. Bang! You label the change as cause of the effect.
Internet is just a medium. Its nothing more than a technology shift. It isnt for the first time that we are seeing a technology change. When newspapers came in, they ate into the time we used to spend on other things. When radio came, samething happened. Then television came. Today internet is here.
As engineers, it is incumbent upon us to embrace the new technology with open arms. We are the creators of these technologies.. if we dont believe in change, why did we come into engineering to begin with?
Take any industry.. First we used to commute by road.. which limited the distances we could travel. Then came the railroads.. And the air travel has made it possible to collaborate and connect with people spread all over the world.
With addition of new technologies, we subsume the possibilities of yesterday.
Now that it is clear that we need to embrace the new technology, the next question is how to make the best use of internet. This medium gives us great power. And together with it comes the great responsibility.
What do you do when you are endowed with a great responsibility?
You rise to the occassion and deliever.
What is being done in IIT is, no.. we cant handle so much responsibility.. Lets reduce the responsibility to the level we know how to handle.
Is this right message for your students? How do you expect we will continue to believe that you can impart in us the qualities that makes a great leader?
I am not saying leaders should not do anything, and let things take their own turn. No.. I agree that a technology shift demands an adaptation. And this adaptation would require several initiativies from the leaders of our institute.
What I am arguing here is that the approach being taken is a very short-sighted one. The right solution requires bold leadership, a visionary who can lead us in this time of change. May be someone with qualities in JFK, or Rajiv Gandhi..
It is a pity that in a country with a population of 1 Billion, we cannot find the right leaders for the nation's best institution. Helplessly, we have left it in the hands of a bunch of incompetent managers ready to compromise the future of next generation of promising citizens with temporary fixes.
Now, I dont have the maturity to lay out a grand plan that can be enacted upon with 100% success rate. Nonetheless, I know a few high level things that needs to be done. You need to teach people, help them imagine the possiblities for creating useful tools using the new technology. You adapt your course structure to the new medium. You show them the vastness of knowledge, far larger than Main Library, that they can now learn to shape up their future. You teach them how to broadcast themselves into the world, as it gets flattened and democratized with the widespread adoption of internet.
On the other hand, it is pretty obvious that the approach being taken is not the right one. If there is a new technology, and we dont know how to make best use of it, lets not allow our students to use it. By restricting its usage, we will be able to minimize its bad effect.
I wonder what happens when students graduate from IITs, and get unlimited access to the internet? Well, who cares? They are not our liability any more.
What did you say? We didnt teach our students how to handle great responsibility?
Give us a break. It was never a part of the IIT's curriculum.
From: General Secretary Academic Affairs < gsecaa@iitb.ac.in >
Date: Jan 19, 2007 6:32 AM
Subject: Minutes of the meeting on Network Usage by IIT Students
To: General Secretary Academic Affairs < gsecaa@iitb.ac.in>
Hi all,
Attached are the minutes of the meeting on Network Usage by IIT
Students. Please go through the mail. In case you have a suggestion
or concern, use the forum iitb.general to share it with students and
faculty, instead of personal mails.
For the unaware, iitb.general is a forum that is accessible to all
students, faculty and alumni and is used for discussions and exchange of
ideas. To access iitb.general , visit http://varta.iitb.ac.in and log in
with your netmon ID and password.
Minutes:
----------------------------------------------------------------
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, BOMBAY
OFFICE OF DEAN STUDENT AFFAIRS
19th January 2007
A meeting of the committee consisting of the following members were
held to discuss matters relating to computer and network usage by
students when the following members were present:
Prof. P. Gopalan, Dean, SA Convener
Prof. Anurag Mehra, Head, Computer Centre Member
Prof. Nand Kishore, Chairman, HWC Member
Prof. G.Sivakumar, Head, CSE Member
Prof. Raghav Varma, Warden, Hostel 10 Member
Prof. C. Amarnath, Ex-Dean, SA Member
Gen.Secretary, Hostel Affairs Member
Gen.Secretary, Academic Affairs Member
Mr. Swapnil S. Sachdev Invitee (MLC)
Mr. Parijat Garg Invitee
Item No 1:
Video streaming :
The committee decided that video streaming in inter and intra hostels
should be disallowed. For using this facility prior permission from
Head, Computer Centre should be obtained.
Item No.2:
Download limit:
The committee put a download limit of 3GB per month.
Item No.3:
Time based ban on internet access in hostels:
The committee had the requested to the students to give their inputs
in September 2006, but no inputs were received at that time, however
during the meeting the students proposed that internet access be
blocked between 2 am and 6 am. However, the committee decided that LAN
access only be available in hostels between 12.30p.m to 11 p.m.
Student dissent was noted. This policy would be effective from 26th
January 2007. It was agreed to review the policy after a period of two
months.
Item No.4:
Illegal Content :
The Head, Computer Centre brought to the notice of the students about
signing of an IT policy of the Institute by every student, which
says that they would use the IIT network to download any illegal
content on any computer connected to the Institute network for which
they are responsible. It was also discussed that the Institute
network is being used to disseminate "illegal materials" like films,
songs etc. by persons running ftp servers on their computers. It was
decided that it will be the task of the elected representatives
(councils) to report this to the Wardens for further action. It was
decided that a poster would be put up by 31st January 2007 after the
same has been vetted by Prof. Sivakumar and Head, CC. The poster
would explicitly spell out the consequences in case of violation
relating to the use of IIT network for the disseminating illegal
contents in any form.
(P.Gopalan )
Dean,SA
----------------------------------------------------------------
posted by Govind Kabra at 4:27 PM
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