Shishir Speaks

Bangalore to Coorg - How to Reach?

2009-09-30T02:46:00.000-07:00

Coorg is proudly located at a distance of about 260Kms from Bangalore in South-West direction ie ahead of Mysore and closer to the Kerala border. Before starting for Coorg, one should be aware of the fact that COORG & MADIKERI are SAME place and names are often interchanged. For people who object this blunt fact, Coorg(Kodagu) is the region/district and Madikeri(aka Mercara) is its Head-Quarter.

The Train Connection:

To the disappointment of IRCTC fans (and Railway Free-Pass Holders), there is no direct rail connection to Coorg (as of now). The nearest rail line to Madikeri town is Mangalore-Hassan railway line with Sakleshpur or Subrahmanya as the closest railway stations. This route located north of Coorg along a east-west direction. Sakaleshpur to Madikeri distance is about 90Kms( and Subrahmanya to Madikeri distance is approximately 70Kms.

The Road Rash:

By Road, Madikeri is situated at the distance of 255Kms from Bangalore, well-connected by well-maintained two State Highways SH17(till Mysore, 140Kms from Bangalore) & SH88(115Kms from Mysore onwards,).

GRID #1 Bangalore to Mysore 140Kms:

The normal route from Bangalore to Mysore will be: Bangalore - Bidadi - Ramanagaram - Chennapatna - Maddur - Mandya - Srirangapatna - Mysore. Bangalore-Mysore road journey includes lot of fanfare like fancy eateries, Cafe Coffee Day, Petrol Pumps etc.

Unless Mysore is not too close to your Heart or its not the festival time, visit to Mysore can be bypassed from the plan. Two simple tricks are present to achieve this; take Bypass road after Srirangapatna or take Mysore Ring Road.

1st Option, via Bypass Road:

Bypass road near Srirangapatna will easily save one from devils of Mysore City Traffic. There are two significant bridges at Srirangapatna over River Cauvery. Enter through first bridge and exit Srirangapatna through the second bridge. Take the right turn at the next junction and head towards railway cross. Cross the track and road will make a left turn.

This road is narrow, less crowded and sorrounded by lush stretches of paddy & sugarcane fields. A short detour off towards right from this road will lead to Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary and the Brindavan Gardens (KRS Dam). About 20Kms, without detour, at Yelwal(Ellavala), this Bypass road connects to the Mysore-Mangalore State Highway - SH88.

2nd Option, via Ring Road:

The Ring Road crosses Bangalore-Mysore Road, SH17, at a major junction after 10Kms(approx.) from the Mysore City. Take the right road on this junction, ie road on the right. Soon, after 15-20mins drive, this road meets Hunsur Road SH88. Take the right turn into the Hunsur Road. Though the Ring road is less crowded than the road that crosses right through Mysore city, it is bit longer. Thus, if it is not the peak hours, one can easily glide through the city. The Bangalore-Mysore road eventually leads to the Mysore Bus stand or Railway Station area. Ask for the directions to get to SH88 (Hunsur road, more popular name of SH88).

GRID #2 Mysore to Madikeri 115Kms:

The normal route from Mysore to Madikeri will be: Mysore - Yelwal - Hunsur - Kempalapura - Piriyapatna - Bylakuppe - Kushalnagara - Suntikoppa - Madikeri. Excellent road, except last 25-30Kms before Madikeri. Reasonable restaurants at Hunsur town and some in Kushalnagara.

The highway is 4-lane after Mysore city, and splits into a Y-junction on reaching Hunsur. Take the right fork, or greet the crowded Hunsur town otherwise. After taking right fork, a good vegetarian drive-in restaurant is present, where one can relax and think whether he is on the right fork or not.

After Hunsur town, SH88 makes a right turn. The straight road is SH88A which leads to Gonikoppal and Virajpet. Both the roads, SH88 & SH88A finally leads to Madikeri; SH88 is shorter and better-maintained. Wise drivers prefers SH88 and crosses Piriyapatna after about 20Kms from Hunsur on SH88.

After Piriyapatna a huge arch across the road announces the Tibetan settlement ahead in Bylakuppe. This is one of the largest and oldest settlements of Tibetan settlements in India. As an indication one can see colorful prayer flags flying in the area. The Golden Temple, Namdroling Nyingmapa Monastery and The Sera Monastic University, one of the largest Buddhist universities in the world, is located in Bylakuppe. It's a few kilometers detour towards left from the main highway.

Nisargadama, an island formed by river Cauvery is located on the left as one comes out of Kushalnagar town, ahead of Bylakuppe. Kushalnagar too is a popular tourist destination in Coorg.

The highway passes through a forest. The traffic slows down from here due to pothole ridden road conditions and numerous & frequent bends in the hilly region. This lasts upto 25-30Kms, all the way up to Madikeri town and can waste upto an hour. After entering Madikeri town one can spot several signboards by the State Tourism Department showing directions to various attractions in Coorg.

Attractions in Coorg: Abby falls - 8Kms, Chettalli - 20Kms, Bhagamandala - 40Kms, Talacauvery - 50Kms, Kakkabe - 45Kms, Thadiyandamol - 50Kms.

Beware of the following:

1. Overtaking trucks and buses driving carelessly on Mysore road.

2. Sequence of bad and steep humps/speed breakers on Mysore road, many of them are unmarked and unexpected.

3. Overtaking vehicles on the hilly regions and turns.

4. Be extra cautious on your drive to Abbey falls, road is treacherous.

5. If one is driving in night, Mysore road is to be driven extremely careful.

6. In the night, one might end up meeting some wild friends in the stretch from Kushalnagar to Suntikoppa. Wild elephants roam some time during night through these roads. But nothing in Daytime.

7. Herds of cows and sheep, stray dogs and pigs on Mysore Madikeri stretch.

In an elusive search of Clouds and the place above them, called Skandagiri.

2009-07-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

Skandagiri is a hill, located off Bellary Road (NH-7 Hyderabad-Bangalore Highway), and is very close to Nandi Hills and Chikkaballapura. The peak is every adventurer’s paradise with beautiful night trek, altitude camping, stunning sunrise, and serene and swimming clouds that sometimes limits visibility to just a few meters. The village is called Kandavara Halli and the hill is called Kandavarahalli Betta (aka Skandagiri and Kalwarahalli Betta). It is in the Chikkaballapura district of Karnataka.

Statistics (for nerds):

Altitude: About 1350m above sea level.
Distance: 78 km from Bangalore.
Nearest Town/Medical Help: Chikkaballapura, 5 km.
Co-ordinates: 13°25′3″N 77°40′58″E

Getting There:

There are two routes to Skandagiri:

1. From NH-7, turn towards Nandi Hills. At the base of Nandi Hills turn right and proceed toKalawara village via Muddenahalli (birth place of Bharath Rathna Sir.M.Visweswaraih).

2. From Chikkaballapura proceed directly to Kalawara village.

Plan with the second route, as it will be easy to catch an early bird on this route to guide us if you get lost in Chikkaballapura town.

Directions:

1. Follow the Bangalore International Airport, better known as Bellary Road. After crossing the BIAL, you will be on Chikkaballapura Road. Follow the same road until you find aVisweswaraih statue on to our Left.

2. Take a left at this place and a right turn at the City Municipal Council a little further down. Later this shall directly lead to Papagni Mutt, which is the basement of Skandagiri.

3. At Kalawara village ask for Omkara Jyoti Ashrama / Papagni Mutt (13°25′26.6″N 77°41′28″E for nerds). There is a Shiva temple near the base of the hill, where vehicles can be parked.

- Nandi to Kalawara to Papagni Mutt is 6 km.
- Chikaballapur to Papagni Mutt is 3 km.

Trekking:

Level of Trekking: Moderate, but Exciting.

- It is common to trek in the dark, and it's a fun on a full moon night. Trekkers usually start the climbing around 2:00 AM and aim to reach the top by around 5:30 AM to catch the sunrise. This timing allows viewing of sunrise against the backdrop of golden clouds.

- This is a tedious trek as the hill is precipitous and high. The trek starts from the Papagni Temple at the foot of the hill. The fortress is in full sight throughout the trek uphill. This steep and fantastic trek through a maze of dense shrub is highly intriguing.

- Skandagiri is a teaser. Just as you reach the fort wall content that you have topped the hill, you see another ring of fort. No sooner do you reach there, than you find another majestic fort wall waiting to be conquered. There are six such series of stonewalls protecting an abandoned temple on the hilltop.

- Recently the Karnataka Forest Department has shown interest in Skandagiri due to the frequent visit of people and has established a parking place for all the vehicles visiting there. An Entry Fee of INR 15 is charged for each person visiting the hill.

- For the beginners, trek guides are available on Weekends only. These guides charge INR 200-1000. The exact charges depends on the weather and obviously your negotiation skills. They speak understandable English & Hindi language.

- Local villagers sometimes camp on the peak and sell Omelette and Tea. We can get Maggi also, if lucky. They even gather wood for you in case you want a campfire. They charge for this from INR 50-250.

Must Carry:

- Personal first-aid medication.
- Water bottles (At least 2 liters per head).
- A Torch with new batteries (At least visibility of 75-100 meters).
- Energy Food (Chocolate bars, Flavored Milk, Electrolyte/ Energy drinks - Glucon-D, Red Bull etc).
- Rain Gear (As per weather.com)
- Winter Gear.
- Camera with batteries.
- Cash, as no cards accepted there.

Please note that, temperature is likely to drop enough to make you shiver at the peak.

Feel free to share your confusion/thought/suggestion/information, if any.

Hoping an Excellent and Safe trekking & nature experience in an elusive search of Clouds and the place above them, called Skandagiri!

What will you do if Google enters your market?

2009-07-17T22:20:00.000-07:00

What's the toughest question a venture capitalist can ask? Answer: "What will you do if Google enters your market?" The web has been buzzing with speculation that senior Microsoft executives are now asking that question. The truth is that they have been asking it for quite a while. In an intriguing interview he gave several years ago, Bill Gates observed that the only company out there that reminded him of Microsoft in its early days was Google. He didn't elaborate, but most of the audience knew what he meant: a company that was smart, agile and hell-bent on world domination.

The reason for the excitement last week was Google's announcement that it was developing an operating system - and dominance of the market for operating systems is the source of Microsoft's power. Until now, Google had studiously ignored this part of the market, which seemed like a smart strategy: after all, only a fool attacks on the enemy's strongest front. Instead Google concentrated on picking off other pieces of Microsoft territory, starting with Hotmail (attacked with Gmail), MSN (Google Talk), Microsoft Office (Google Docs and Apps) and, latterly, Internet Explorer (the Google Chrome browser).

With the 20/20 vision of hindsight, this can seem like a purposeful route-march towards the ultimate goal - replacement of Microsoft as the dominant company in the computing universe. In that sense the announcement of an upcoming Google OS can indeed be seen as the opening salvo in the final battle.

But there's another way of looking at it. The intriguing thing about the Google announcement is not that it is developing an OS, but that it is switching tack. For nearly two years the company has been developing a Linux-based OS for mobile phones under the Android label. Most of us who have used Android assumed it was only a matter of time before a version tailored for Netbooks was released.

But that is not what Google announced. There wasn't much technical detail in the company's blog post, but the one thing that is clear is that the new OS will be - in its words - "a natural extension of Google Chrome". It is, they go on to say, "our attempt to rethink what operating systems should be".

If true, we have reached a significant milestone because what the Google guys propose amounts to turning the world upside down. Up to now, the operating system was at the heart of every computing device, transforming the machine from an expensive paperweight into something that could do useful things - running programs, managing displays, handling keyboard and mouse, etc. And because the OS had to be able to do all of this, it was the largest, most complex and most important piece of software of all.

In the old paradigm, the web browser was just another program the OS had to support. When the PC was the platform, that made perfect sense, but that paradigm has been steadily eroding. As broadband penetration increased, more and more people began to get their "computing" services not from their PC but from server farms over the net. Imperceptibly, we have been moving into a world in which, to repeat an old mantra, "the network is the computer".

If the network is indeed the computer, then the browser - our window on to the network - becomes the key piece of software. For many people today, the browser is the only program they really need. So it was only to be expected that somebody would eventually ask why we needed vast, clunky, expensive operating systems (such as Windows Vista, say) when really all that is required is a life-support system for a browser. That's what the Google engineers have asked. Their answer is that only a minimalist OS is now needed, and that is what they are developing - and what millions will be running in the latter part of 2010.

We have been here before. In 1995 the founders of a firm called Netscape had the same idea. If the web was going to be the key application, they reasoned, surely the browser could effectively become the operating system. They were unwise enough to say this in the hearing of Bill Gates, who realised instantly it posed a serious threat to Microsoft's core product. At that moment, Netscape's fate was sealed: careless talk costs companies.

But that was then and this is now. And whatever else it may be, Google ain't Netscape. Ask Mr Gates.

Google throws a challenge to Microsoft

2009-07-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

Windows world The first version of Microsoft’s Windows was launched in 1985. Today, it runs on over 90 per cent of the world’s billion-plus computers Penguin flop The open source Linux operating system, developed in the early 1990s, has failed to challenge Windows and has a meagre 2 per cent market share SEARCH giant Google on Wednesday unveiled a browser-based computer operating system, making by far its most audacious assault on Microsoft’s decades-long Windows monopoly
The Chrome Operating System, based on the eponymous browser launched nine months ago, is Google’s “attempt to re-think what operating systems should be,” Sundar Pichai, VP, product management, who also headed the development of the Chrome browser, wrote announcing the launch on the Google blog
The idea of a browser as the operating system was initially touted as early as 1994 when Marc Andreessen’s Netscape browser hit the market and eventually led to its famous browser war with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer in the late 1990’s. The dizzying rise of Google early this century renewed the possibility that the Web-based company would use the browser, rather than any other piece of software, to take a stab at the world’s biggest technology company, Microsoft
Still, Google’s announcement has caught the tech world by surprise. Most expected its Android operating system — designed initially for mobile phones and now being used on so-called Netbooks (cheaper and smaller laptops which use flash RAM instead of hard drives) — to be its base for an assault on the PC market in which Microsoft holds a market share of over 90 percent
Even though the Chrome OS can run “computers ranging from small Netbooks to full-size desktop systems,” as Pichai said, Google is initially targeting the skyrocketing Netbooks market. Last year, about 14 million Netbooks were sold globally and despite the global slump analysts expect it to rise to 30-35 million
The Chrome OS will bring a number of advantages to users, not least its cost. Google is likely to give it away free or at a nominal charge as Chrome OS is developed from a free and open source kernel, and the larger goal surely would be to shut Microsoft out of the Netbooks market
Qualitatively, too, Chrome will provide a number of benefits, especially for users who tend to do almost everything on the Net. It will run computers faster than Windows-based PCs and run almost all Web applications, eventually perhaps precluding the need for desktop software.

Source: Indian Express, ENS Chennai

Inside Serialization

2009-06-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

Serialization is the process of saving an object's state to a sequence of bytes; deserialization is the process of rebuilding those bytes into a live object. The Java Serialization API provides a standard mechanism for developers to handle object serialization. In this tip, you will see how to serialize an object, and why serialization is sometimes necessary. You'll learn about the serialization algorithm used in Java, and see an example that illustrates the serialized format of an object. By the time you're done, you should have a solid knowledge of how the serialization algorithm works and what entities are serialized as part of the object at a low level.

Why is serialization required?

In today's world, a typical enterprise application will have multiple components and will be distributed across various systems and networks. In Java, everything is represented as objects; if two Java components want to communicate with each other, there needs be a mechanism to exchange data. One way to achieve this is to define your own protocol and transfer an object. This means that the receiving end must know the protocol used by the sender to re-create the object, which would make it very difficult to talk to third-party components. Hence, there needs to be a generic and efficient protocol to transfer the object between components. Serialization is defined for this purpose, and Java components use this protocol to transfer objects.

Figure 1 shows a high-level view of client/server communication, where an object is transferred from the client to the server through serialization.

Figure 1. A high-level view of serialization in action (click to enlarge)

How to serialize an object

In order to serialize an object, you need to ensure that the class of the object implements the java.io.Serializableinterface, as shown in Listing 1.

Listing 1. Implementing Serializable

import java.io.Serializable;

class TestSerial implements Serializable {
public byte version = 100;
public byte count = 0;
}

In Listing 1, the only thing you had to do differently from creating a normal class is implement the java.io.Serializableinterface. The Serializable interface is a marker interface; it declares no methods at all. It tells the serialization mechanism that the class can be serialized.

Now that you have made the class eligible for serialization, the next step is to actually serialize the object. That is done by calling the writeObject() method of the java.io.ObjectOutputStream class, as shown in Listing 2.

Listing 2. Calling writeObject()

public static void main(String args[]) throws IOException {
FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream("temp.out");
ObjectOutputStream oos = new ObjectOutputStream(fos);
TestSerial ts = new TestSerial();
oos.writeObject(ts);
oos.flush();
oos.close();
}

Listing 2 stores the state of the TestSerial object in a file called temp.out. oos.writeObject(ts); actually kicks off the serialization algorithm, which in turn writes the object to temp.out.

To re-create the object from the persistent file, you would employ the code in Listing 3.

Listing 3. Recreating a serialized object

public static void main(String args[]) throws IOException {
FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream("temp.out");
ObjectInputStream oin = new ObjectInputStream(fis);
TestSerial ts = (TestSerial) oin.readObject();
System.out.println("version="+ts.version);
}

In Listing 3, the object's restoration occurs with the oin.readObject() method call. This method call reads in the raw bytes that we previously persisted and creates a live object that is an exact replica of the original object graph. BecausereadObject() can read any serializable object, a cast to the correct type is required.

Executing this code will print version=100 on the standard output.

The serialized format of an object

What does the serialized version of the object look like? Remember, the sample code in the previous section saved the serialized version of the TestSerial object into the file temp.out. Listing 4 shows the contents of temp.out, displayed in hexadecimal. (You need a hexadecimal editor to see the output in hexadecimal format.)

Listing 4. Hexadecimal form of TestSerial

AC ED 00 05 73 72 00 0A 53 65 72 69 61 6C 54 65
73 74 A0 0C 34 00 FE B1 DD F9 02 00 02 42 00 05
63 6F 75 6E 74 42 00 07 76 65 72 73 69 6F 6E 78
70 00 64

If you look again at the actual TestSerial object, you'll see that it has only two byte members, as shown in Listing 5.

Listing 5. TestSerial's byte members

 public byte version = 100;
public byte count = 0;

The size of a byte variable is one byte, and hence the total size of the object (without the header) is two bytes. But if you look at the size of the serialized object in Listing 4, you'll see 51 bytes. Surprise! Where did the extra bytes come from, and what is their significance? They are introduced by the serialization algorithm, and are required in order to to re-create the object. In the next section, you'll explore this algorithm in detail.

Java's serialization algorithm

By now, you should have a pretty good knowledge of how to serialize an object. But how does the process work under the hood? In general the serialization algorithm does the following:

It writes out the metadata of the class associated with an instance.
It recursively writes out the description of the superclass until it finds java.lang.object.
Once it finishes writing the metadata information, it then starts with the actual data associated with the instance. But this time, it starts from the topmost superclass.
It recursively writes the data associated with the instance, starting from the least superclass to the most-derived class.

I've written a different example object for this section that will cover all possible cases. The new sample object to be serialized is shown in Listing 6.

Listing 6. Sample serialized object

class parent implements Serializable {
int parentVersion = 10;
}

class contain implements Serializable{
int containVersion = 11;
}
public class SerialTest extends parent implements Serializable {
int version = 66;
contain con = new contain();

public int getVersion() {
return version;
}
public static void main(String args[]) throws IOException {
FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream("temp.out");
ObjectOutputStream oos = new ObjectOutputStream(fos);
SerialTest st = new SerialTest();
oos.writeObject(st);
oos.flush();
oos.close();
}
}

This example is a straightforward one. It serializes an object of type SerialTest, which is derived from parent and has a container object, contain. The serialized format of this object is shown in Listing 7.

Listing 7. Serialized form of sample object

AC ED 00 05 73 72 00 0A 53 65 72 69 61 6C 54 65
73 74 05 52 81 5A AC 66 02 F6 02 00 02 49 00 07
76 65 72 73 69 6F 6E 4C 00 03 63 6F 6E 74 00 09
4C 63 6F 6E 74 61 69 6E 3B 78 72 00 06 70 61 72
65 6E 74 0E DB D2 BD 85 EE 63 7A 02 00 01 49 00
0D 70 61 72 65 6E 74 56 65 72 73 69 6F 6E 78 70
00 00 00 0A 00 00 00 42 73 72 00 07 63 6F 6E 74
61 69 6E FC BB E6 0E FB CB 60 C7 02 00 01 49 00
0E 63 6F 6E 74 61 69 6E 56 65 72 73 69 6F 6E 78
70 00 00 00 0B

Figure 2 offers a high-level look at the serialization algorithm for this scenario.

Figure 2. An outline of the serialization algorithm

Let's go through the serialized format of the object in detail and see what each byte represents. Begin with the serialization protocol information:

AC ED: STREAM_MAGIC. Specifies that this is a serialization protocol.
00 05: STREAM_VERSION. The serialization version.
0x73: TC_OBJECT. Specifies that this is a new Object.

The first step of the serialization algorithm is to write the description of the class associated with an instance. The example serializes an object of type SerialTest, so the algorithm starts by writing the description of the SerialTest class.

0x72: TC_CLASSDESC. Specifies that this is a new class.
00 0A: Length of the class name.
53 65 72 69 61 6c 54 65 73 74: SerialTest, the name of the class.
05 52 81 5A AC 66 02 F6: SerialVersionUID, the serial version identifier of this class.
0x02: Various flags. This particular flag says that the object supports serialization.
00 02: Number of fields in this class.

Next, the algorithm writes the field int version = 66;.

0x49: Field type code. 49 represents "I", which stands for Int.
00 07: Length of the field name.
76 65 72 73 69 6F 6E: version, the name of the field.

And then the algorithm writes the next field, contain con = new contain();. This is an object, so it will write the canonical JVM signature of this field.

0x74: TC_STRING. Represents a new string.
00 09: Length of the string.
4C 63 6F 6E 74 61 69 6E 3B: Lcontain;, the canonical JVM signature.
0x78: TC_ENDBLOCKDATA, the end of the optional block data for an object.

The next step of the algorithm is to write the description of the parent class, which is the immediate superclass of SerialTest.

0x72: TC_CLASSDESC. Specifies that this is a new class.
00 06: Length of the class name.
70 61 72 65 6E 74: SerialTest, the name of the class
0E DB D2 BD 85 EE 63 7A: SerialVersionUID, the serial version identifier of this class.
0x02: Various flags. This flag notes that the object supports serialization.
00 01: Number of fields in this class.

Now the algorithm will write the field description for the parent class. parent has one field, int parentVersion = 100;.

0x49: Field type code. 49 represents "I", which stands for Int.
00 0D: Length of the field name.
70 61 72 65 6E 74 56 65 72 73 69 6F 6E: parentVersion, the name of the field.
0x78: TC_ENDBLOCKDATA, the end of block data for this object.
0x70: TC_NULL, which represents the fact that there are no more superclasses because we have reached the top of the class hierarchy.

So far, the serialization algorithm has written the description of the class associated with the instance and all its superclasses. Next, it will write the actual data associated with the instance. It writes the parent class members first:

00 00 00 0A: 10, the value of parentVersion.

Then it moves on to SerialTest.

00 00 00 42: 66, the value of version.

The next few bytes are interesting. The algorithm needs to write the information about the contain object, shown in Listing 8.

Listing 8. The contain object

contain con = new contain();

Remember, the serialization algorithm hasn't written the class description for the contain class yet. This is the opportunity to write this description.

0x73: TC_OBJECT, designating a new object.
0x72: TC_CLASSDESC.
00 07: Length of the class name.
63 6F 6E 74 61 69 6E: contain, the name of the class.
FC BB E6 0E FB CB 60 C7: SerialVersionUID, the serial version identifier of this class.
0x02: Various flags. This flag indicates that this class supports serialization.
00 01: Number of fields in this class.

Next, the algorithm must write the description for contain's only field, int containVersion = 11;.

0x49: Field type code. 49 represents "I", which stands for Int.
00 0E: Length of the field name.
63 6F 6E 74 61 69 6E 56 65 72 73 69 6F 6E: containVersion, the name of the field.
0x78: TC_ENDBLOCKDATA.

Next, the serialization algorithm checks to see if contain has any parent classes. If it did, the algorithm would start writing that class; but in this case there is no superclass for contain, so the algorithm writes TC_NULL.

0x70: TC_NULL.

Finally, the algorithm writes the actual data associated with contain.

00 00 00 0B: 11, the value of containVersion.

Conclusion

In this tip, you have seen how to serialize an object, and learned how the serialization algorithm works in detail. I hope this article gives you more detail on what happens when you actually serialize an object.

Resources

Read the Java object serialization specification. (Spec is a PDF.)
"Flatten your objects: Discover the secrets of the Java Serialization API" (Todd M. Greanier, JavaWorld, July 2000) offers a look into the nuts and bolts of the serialization process.
Chapter 10 of Java RMI (William Grosso, O'Reilly, October 2001) is also a useful reference.

5 Types of Posts You Cannot Live Without

2009-06-08T06:35:00.000-07:00

I’ve seen a lot of lists that try to focus bloggers on the types of posts that really attract readers. Some of these lists are as long as 50ish, or even 100ish long, and that seems little extensive to me.

Not to say that the breakdown is not appreciated, but listing sub-categories to some larger overall topics seems little daunting. What I have done here is filter down the list to the Top 5 topics that you absolutely cannot live without.

If your blog is looking for a new lease on life, or perhaps you’re just starting out, take a look at these topics and make sure that your blog has a little bit of eveything peppered throughout!

Post Type #1: Motivational Posts

Do not underestimate the need for positive reinforcement. It may seem odd to you, but readers look for guidance on the blogosphere, especially within similar niches. Finding that post that get you over the hump, or breaks that writer’s block you’ve been going through really does amazing things. Whether it’s blog writing specific or life generalized advice, motivational posts can be a key factor in having readers spread the word about the positivity your blog exudes.

Post Type #2: The List Post

Lists posts are extremely popular with online readers. Why? Consider them short and to the point. When readers want quick information it’s easier to skim the list and find what they need, and it’s also a great way to share a lot of information in a short time. Lists can be Top 10, Top 20, or even Top 5, but they can swing the other way too with topics such as 5 Worst…, 10 Ways To…, etc. Give it a try and watch how many people will skim across the post.

Post Type #3: Trending Topics

Having your finger on the pulse of online media can really be the best thing for your blog. By staying on top of trending topics, readers will find your site with little effort. Not to say you can’t still write about what you’re interested, but in every topic there are trends that are really hot, and will drive a lot of traffic to your site.

Post Type #4: Controversial Post

Everyone has an opinion right? Are you sharing yours? A lot of people are afraid to share their ideas because they are afraid to drive away readers and possibly immerse themselves in controversy. Little do they know that creating buzz is not necessarily a bad thing. By creating healthy debates on your site, readers will flock to your site to chime in. In some cases larger issues can gain mainstream media attention further increasing the awareness of your blog.

Post Type #5: How-To Post

If you’ve got readers looking up how to do something specific, then readers will come to your site if you’ve got that specific they are looking for. Take the topic you’re writing about and craft a post that outline how-to steps from beginning to end. By holding the reader’s hand, and displaying your expertise, you’ve built an online relationship with your reader that will keep them coming back. They’ll also have no problem sharing your site with others to pass the knowledge around.

Page Rank Improvement

2009-05-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

If you are novice in internet marketing, SEO and links generation, you should consider simple technique or writing articles, press releases, blogs and even your product or services news and publish them on media portals. Let's review each genre separate:

1. Internet Blog. This composition seems to be the easiest to write, as here you do not need precise and objective facts, blog allows you to give some room to emotions. However blog doesn't provide you such benefits as syndication, typically available for article

2. Article. This is relatively flexible genre, however you can not allow emotions here, or at least to the same extent as in internet blog. Articles are typically syndicated, again not every submission site is syndicated or exposed for syndication, but if you post your article to top ten, expect syndication percent to be about thousand percent or article placed in ten sites will be published or syndicated on hundred sites

3. Press Release. This genre is more formal and requires even more structured parts than article. And at the same time PR is typically less syndicated than article and you will in some or most cases have to pay for PR to be published

4. News. News are also one-day long considered event, so , even if you publish al lot of local, regional or nationwide news, they are subject to be forgotten in a matter of few weeks

Shishir Kumar