For the last month, I’ve been using a new browser called Flock!. The browser uses Firefox engine, which is available as an open project thus allowing anyone building their own browser. As a result, Flock! is just a modification of Firefox with several unimportant additions. However, since Flock! is way much faster than IE, I use it neverthless.

But then come the new browser, Google Chrome. As Firefox, Google developed Chrome as an open source project. But unlike Firefox, Chrome was built under an entirely new engine developed by Google teams who have so far delivered you cutting-edge applications such as Google Earth and Google Map. After reading Chrome’s presentation, eloquently delivered in a form of comic strips as to help you who don’t speak computer terms, I decided to give it a try. And it turned out satisfactory. I opened Facebook, Yahoo Mail, Friendster, and You Tube all in one window. Those pages are loaded with images, plug-ins, flash videos and all bandwith guzzling snippets. The result: no more window freezing. 

Tabs Management

Today’s browsers are enabled with multi-tab capability, so users can browse several websites under a single window. To simplify, let’s imagine browser as a bank teller and tabs containing web pages as bank clients. Under IE and Firefox, what happen is that a single bank teller handling multiple clients. If one client has a problem in his transaction, the other clients must wait until the teller clears the problem. That is why when using IE, Firefox, or Flock!, the browser sometimes ‘freeze’ for a second, or a minute for those who are unfortunate, before you are able to navigate from one tab to another.

Chrome takes an entirely different approach. Instead of providing just one teller for multiple clients, Chrome provides one teller for one client. Everytime a client shows up at the door, a new teller is summoned from the back end office and provide the service for the client. Hence, if one client has a problem, other clients will not endure the effect of queuing, but continue to process his transaction. The ‘freezing’ phenomena can be shortened to a split second or even eliminated. Of course this will burden the computer CPU in the end, but that’s your problem, not Google’s problem. If you lack in computing power, purchase another block of memory.

Garbage Collections

Now this is where most of you will get lost, I guess. Arriving back at teller-client example, this time we will add another object: teller’s desk. Teller’s desk is like your CPU. It holds everything from calculator, screens, pens, printers, and all objects required by teller to complete bank’s service. It is true that Chrome summons a brand-new teller for each client. But the desks remain the same. Now, after completing a client’s transaction, the teller will have a document as proof of client’s transaction, let’s say withdrawal of transfer slip. The more clients the bank serve in a day, the more documents will piled up on tellers’ desks.

These documents will add burden for the teller because eventually the desk will be covered up by documents, all scattered in different areas. Some documents might be stored inside the drawer, some will be left stranded on the desk. Any teller who takes a desk that is already scattered with documents might need some time to rearrange the documents so that she will be able to process the next client’s transaction. And what’s worse is that these documents are hardly destroyed. It’s just possible that a document dated from 2005 is still left stranded on the desk.

Chrome, unlike anyone, hired a top end garbage man. The garbage man will move from one desk to another searching for inactive documents which no longer needed by the next teller. The garbage man himself doesn’t care who the teller is, who the client is, or what kind of transaction the client is doing. He only cares for one thing: once the client finished his transaction, the next teller won’t need the documents any more. Once he spotted a desk which is no longer occupied by a teller, he will take away any documents left on the desk or inside the drawer. 

IE, Firefox, and Flock! are all multi-tabbed browser, all lacking a competent garbage man. The reality is, when you close a tab in Firefox, the memory used by CPU to operate the tab is not emptied. Hence, every time you summon a new tab, another memory block is used. The more tabs you open and close, the more memory you use.

Of course, eventually Firefox will clean up unused memories, but most of the time it is too late. Try to imagine hiring a part time garbage man. The poor guy will have no idea which documents are obsolete and which are needed. Since he’s too afraid to dump anything, the only documents he’ll dump are old newspapers. Doesn’t help much, does it? 

Try It !

I have no affiliation with Google, nor with any parties related to Google. But if you grown tired with your old browser, it is time for you to try Google Chrome. I’m done with IE. “Everytime the browser tells me to updgrade my browser version, my surfing experience goes straight down the hill !” - The Born Loser, Jakarta Post.

I cannot stop thinking that Gotham City resembles Indonesia very much. Gotham is decorated with corrupted, deceitful law enforcers added with an ever growing influence from the mob. It is where atrocities are deemed as everyday occasions and police impotence is undeniable. In Indonesia, the mobs don’t shoot and slaughter, that is fortunately the difference between this country and imaginary Gotham City.

But corrupted officials do exist both in Gotham and Indonesia, even worse in Indonesia probably. Not only law enforcers, but also law makers, regulators, to large company’s executives are all entangled one way or another with corruptive actions. Every day, those criminals in Armani suit rob Indonesian people in front of their noses.

An avid newspaper reader might argue that conditions are changing. With so many exposures on several member of the House, at least people can start to hope that we are in track to a clean government. One question lingers in my brain: to what extent the investigation of such officials will carry on? Media exposures are important. They spread the information on how this country is managed for the readers, the stakeholder of Indonesia. But what we really need is much more than just media exposures.

If we compare between petty thief and corruptor, the treatment received by both criminals is totally far fetched. If you get caught stealing somebody else’s purse, then rest assure you’ll have bad bruises all over your body. Sometimes, if you get lucky you will get hospitalized but if not you’ll go straight into police custody with wounds and swollen eye intact. But if you are investigated for corruption case, at least you can be sure that you won’t endure such physical damage. Even better, you can hire the best lawyers in this country to defend you since your crime is so sophisticated it takes not only one or two, but a team with the same size as a basketball team to back you up, something unimaginable for a small-time thief.

I still believe, however, that every person deserves a fair trial, including a proper lawyer. But when I realize that the more money you have, the better lawyers you can afford, the term “fair trial” becomes a blurry concept. Not to mention guilty-until-proven-otherwise approach that sometimes abused by supporters of politicians under investigation. They stubbornly keep the accused on their positions until a final and binding decision given by the court. And I suppose that includes appeal efforts taken afterward.

I can’t even remember how many times I’ve gritted my teeth after reading newspaper articles on alleged member of the House. If those are the people I will vote for the next election, I’d rather not to. Irresponsible as people might say, I firmly believe it’s better than violently protesting over government’s enacted resolutions. After all, civil disobedience is also a form of action, better than violence by far.

We are decent men trying to live in an indecent world, that’s what Harvey Dent said in the end of Dark Night movie. And that statement lingers until now. The people in Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) are indeed decent men. But they submit what they’ve done to the court, I’m afraid all the hours they’ve given for the effort are left with indecent people also deeply entangled with another net of corrupted officials.

It’s too bad that we don’t have a Bruce Wayne; someone who acts outside the system and sometimes against the system but eventually delivers what supposedly delivered by the system. The Dark Night becomes the answer of Harvey Dent’s concern. It is indeed we cannot live with the system as long as people who create the system are deemed indecent.

I’m aware that to improve transportation networks takes a lengthy time as well as sufficient budget, of which you apparently have none. Within these constraints, I don’t think revolutionary steps can be taken. Instead, I’m willing to follow one baby step at a time given that those steps are well timed and coordinated. But so far, timing and coordination are qualities that you and your apparatus have yet to demonstrate.

Recently you’ve planned to increase taxes on new vehicle purchases. I can see where you’re going. By imposing higher tax, you’d expect people to keep their current vehicle or to use public transportation. But do you realize that most workers drive their own vehicle because they are forced to? It’s not that they don’t want to use public transportation, but this city is not well known for its friendly transportation fleet. On the contrary, it is one of the worst nightmares in Jakarta.

And please don’t claim busway as your achievement in solving clogged transportation. Busway itself has been clogged by too many commuters. Sure, you can see it as an achievement, that busway is well promoted and now being used by many people. But put yourself in our shoes. Try queuing in one shelter, without your usual bodyguards of course, and have a first hand experience how waiting for busway is another physically demanding job. And we have to face that every single day after 7 hours of work.

Railway lines are never your priority. Quite a shame, since those steel horses exist long before you rose to the power. The facilities are poor, that’s for sure, owing to the lack of proper maintenance. But if you develop the system, one small improvement followed by others, I don’t think it’ll be useless.

And stop entertaining us with grandiose plans such as monorails and subways; they are too far fetched with our current capacity. It is important to have a plan a system, but maintenances and improvement are other issues to be given a thought. And again, those two requirements are not something your administration can deliver until now.

You, Mr. Governor, of all people chose to avoid taking road networks to go into one particular meeting. While you have the privilege of fore riders, you took a flight instead of driving your car. What about us? How could that be a good example? Are you telling us that if we don’t like the road we shall go up in the air? If so, it’s only a matter of time before the sky is clogged with helicopters, and micro planes.

In the end, I have to admit that being a citizen means that I have very limited, if any, power to influence decisions I deem necessary for my city, for me in particular. It’s a bit unfair, don’t you think? I work 5 days a week, pay taxes on every single purchase I made, but your administration doesn’t have the slightest idea on how to return the favor.

Sir, 5 years might be a long time, but certainly not for an administration. I suggest you and your apparatus move with haste and help your voters with one small step after another.

This conclusion came to me when I came to Indonesian International Motor Show (IIMS) 2008. Have you ever wondered why in almost every automotive expo, not just automotive expo by the way, there are a whole bunch of ladies sporting hot pants, tank tops, and any imaginable clothes designed to show more of the skin? Honestly, I don’t think fewer clothes equal to more sales numbers.

But yet, such marketing approach is being used time and time again. Last December I visited Indonesian Manufacturing Expo 2007. From the title, you’d guess it’s an exhibition filled with latest industrial manufacturing technologies. Minus the latest technologies, the expo was indeed showed manufacturing machineries. Some of the exhibitors, however, also hired ladies who I must say do have an outlook as a model. The question is why would one hire ladies in high heels to promote heavy machineries? Those “glass dolls” couldn’t even understand my questions regarding the products, let alone explaining to me the cutting edge technologies.

My point is, in every expo you need to attract visitors to your stand in order to get the exposure you want and have the opportunity to market your products. That is, after all, the goal of joining exhibition: market. But by attracting here doesn’t mean one has to use the crudest form of attraction for men: foxy ladies.

Of course alternative ways don’t come as easy as hiring good looking ladies. It is easier for much easier for the company compared to creating a very interactive stand which could attract visitors’ attention. So why use the hard way?

I have never worn a high heel, and I must say never in any way imaginable. But from what I heard, high heels are a modern form of physical torment. Just add that with wearing hot pants and tank tops in a fully air-conditioned room; you have a subtle form of Guantanamo. And if you compare the sales promotion girls with their male counterparts, the unmistakable unfair treatment gets plainer as the nose on your face. I never see a male promotion staff showing more skin than fabric during an exhibition. And by the way, if you did happen to see such occasion let me know the name of exhibition so I can avoid it my entire life.

What we see from male promotion staffs are black suit, neat tie, and leather shoes. The attire keeps them warm and comfortable while maintaining a professional image for the visitors. Most of them are even very well spoken. It’s what a reflection of a seasoned sales director, I should say. But when you look at the ladies staff, I don’t suppose you’d see an image of a seasoned sales directress.

So why should the male and female treated differently? A business exhibition is supposed to exhibit a business’ or company’s image and products. In normal condition, when you want to buy a certain product, you’d look for trustworthy, professional, and caring company to be your supplier. By treating their male and female promotion staffs differently, I don’t think that’s an image of a professional company.

I don’t label myself as feminist movement supporter. I’m having this concern because this shows how degraded the visitors are. Instead of demanding a more creative ways from the exhibitors, they fall time and time again with the oldest mean of marketing: sex appeal. And unconsciously, visitors sustain this degraded demand. The sexier the girls, the more visitors they get. Referring to clothes and skin, the title says it all: Less Is Better.

And since this marketing approach is aimed towards men, thus I uphold my conclusion: that most men are no smarter than Paris or Britney. And since I’m the one brought up this issue, I’m automatically signing myself off from the league of Not-So-Extraordinary-Brain. Thank God.

I do have a funny feeling that election is just the same like lousy talent search television shows. How can I don’t have that feeling? The scenes are just alike: waving banners, cheering your candidates in front of the crowd, hearing and watching whatever they want to say or do. No matter they’re lousy or not, you won’t know or care about it. After all, they are your candidates, aren’t they?

Then the votes go in. But instead of voting via sms or phone call, you walk to a designated place, register yourself, receive a piece of paper (a large piece of paper due to numbers of choices available), cast your vote, insert the paper to a box, dip your finger in ink, go home proudly because you have exercised your utmost right as a citizen, and wait for the votes to be counted.

Okay, there’s more to an election than talent search shows. It is advisable to raise protests if your party lost the election. Otherwise you’ll be walking with a big “L” on your forehead. Not to worry, plenty of reasons can be used: money politics, faulty boxes, “pre-voted” paper, miscalculation, and so on. The list could go on indefinitely as long as someone has the creativity to create whatever reason to question the vote result. This cannot be done in Indonesian Idol, for example. Through this mechanism, the outnumbered parties can at least stamp their existence in our political map. Raise my hat, I will, because they fight until the end like a lion. For what reason, that’s something I don’t know. Perhaps they’re fighting for their mortgages which they can’t pay unless they won the election. Just a theory, don’t take it by heart. However, if you do take this statement by heart, let’s do a high five.

Even if your candidate finally lost the protest (not to forget the election, so it’s a double blow), let’s not be downhearted. There are literally hundreds of issues to be argued throughout the next 5 years. And what’s even better it’s that you could team up with your past opponents, which I presume also lost both the election and protest, to nudge any government policies to stamp your existence and says: I am not yet defeated!

Ah, even losing the election (and the protest) has an advantage. Say what you want to say. Since you’re not in the government, at least someone will not condemn you as a non-action-talk-only kind of person. If someone asks you how you will do whatever you’ve just said, just talk around a bit more, create a little confusion, and conclude by saying: that’s why I was against the election result. The objective is to prove that the government is wrong. There’s no need for you to prove that you’re right, let alone proving what you’ve just said might work. And come to think of it, why must you prove what you’ve just said? You’ve confused them, anyway.

But when it comes to the result, election and talent search are slightly different. If I think about Indonesian Idol graduates, all I’m asking is that where are they? What have they done? Of course, they pop up every now and then but nowhere that I can remember. With the “election graduates” at least I know where they are. If they’re not inside the house, then grab a newspaper. And in newspaper also you will know what they’re doing. They seem to appear a lot lately, decorated with headlines that read “graft”, “corruption”, “gratification”, “prosecution”, and numbers of bleak terms. At least those “election graduates” are getting more spotlight than the Idol graduates.

Don’t judge a book by its cover, anyway. One or two crooked persons don’t mean that the rest are just the same. A diamond in the middle of a dung pile is still a diamond. The problem is that there’s just too much dung for the diamond to be notified. If you can’t see the diamond, you won’t pick it up, you can’t sell it, and your total benefit of the diamond is zero. And the diamond is useless.

How hard it is to differentiate between a pile of dung and a diamond? Most kids don’t know what diamond looks like, but they certainly can tell what a pile of dung smells like. The pile will smell nothing less than a pile of, well, dung. Why can’t we? I guess that’s another point from election which talent search shows don’t have: the art of making a pile of dung looks like a diamond, at least during the campaign period. Let’s vote then, shall we?

Tags: politics, election