December reflections

Another year is winding down, and we are in the final stretch of 2024. In just a couple of weeks, this year will be over.

December always feels like the world hits the pause button. The usual hustle and bustle slows to a relaxed rhythm. Offices are quiet, with many employees away on vacation. People are travelling to spend time with family and friends, and life takes on a cosier vibe.

This is also the season of celebrations. Christmas and New Year’s Eve dominate the month. Everywhere you look, from stores to streets (especially in Bengaluru’s Central Business District), there’s a festive sparkle. Soon, carols will fill the air, holiday lights will glow, and Secret Santa gifts will be exchanged.

December is more than just festivities, though. It’s a time for reflection — to look back at the year gone by and think about what lies ahead. It’s a chance to be grateful, forgive, and set goals. It’s also the perfect time to unwind, recharge, and gear up for the new year.

WORK AS USUAL

That said, December doesn’t feel all that different for me. Work continues as usual, maybe even busier than other months because of reduced staff. Not everyone can take leave at the same time, after all.

Sometimes, though, December brings major news events that make it busier.

December 31, 1999, for instance. Remember the Y2K bug? Everyone was worried that computers worldwide would crash because they weren’t programmed to handle the switch from 1999 to 2000. Software engineers worked around the clock to prevent chaos. Thankfully, the world entered the new millennium without disaster.

December 24, 1999, was another when Indian Airlines flight IC 814 was hijacked. The plane landed in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on Christmas Day, and the crisis dragged on until New Year’s Eve. The Indian government had to negotiate with the hijackers and release prisoners to secure the hostages’ freedom. It was a tense, heartbreaking time — one passenger lost her life, and many were injured. Those days were really anxiety-ridden days for everyone following the news.

Another unforgettable moment was December 26, 2004, when a massive tsunami struck the coasts of South Asia following an earthquake near Sumatra. It was devastating, claiming around 228,000 lives across 15 countries. For journalists, it was an all-hands-on-deck situation, with many being called back from holidays to cover the tragedy.

A BIT DIFFERENT THIS TIME

For the first time in a while, I have something big to look forward to in the New Year. In April 2025, I’ll be retiring after 36 and a half years of work. It’s a milestone that feels both exciting and bittersweet. I’ll still keep writing and editing — it’s my passion, after all — but I won’t be clocking in as part of a formal job anymore.

As I look ahead, I feel a mix of nostalgia and anticipation. The journey so far has been rewarding, with its share of challenges and triumphs. 

Retirement will undoubtedly mark a new chapter, one where I can live life at a slower pace, explore new interests, and devote more time to the things I’ve always loved to do but never got the time.

Writing, connecting with this wonderful blogging community, and exploring others’ stories will be at the heart of it all. 

Here’s to savouring the present, cherishing the past, and stepping into the future with hope and excitement. Let’s make the most of what lies ahead, one day at a time!

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I am not sure if you have noticed a couple of changes in the email notifications of comments on Google's Blogger platform. It's a minor change, but it impacts the way the author of a blog post replies to comments.

Notifications of comments of bloggers who had provided their email ID on their profile page used to land in the Primary of tab of my Gmail. These had in the "From" field the email ID of the commenter. 

Notifications of comments of bloggers who hadn't made public their email ID used to land in the Social tab of my Gmail. In the "From" field, instead of the email ID of the commenter, it was <noreply-comment@blogger.com>.

THE FIRST CHANGE 

About a fortnight back, I sensed something was wrong when I found that all the email notifications were landing in the Social tab and none in the Primary tab. 

When I checked carefully, I noticed that Google had removed the email ID from the notification of even commenters who had made public their email ID and replaced it with <noreply-comment@blogger.com>.

The immediate consequence was I could no longer email directly my reply to the commenter. Instead, I had to post the comment on my blog.

Actually, I never knew I could email my reply directly to a commenter until I noticed it on Liz A's blog, Laws of Gravity. 

I realised it was simpler and switched to this method by providing my email ID on the profile page. Ever since I have found this quite a convenient way of interacting with the comments on my blog.

I found the change that Google had effected quite strange and wondered what could have been the trigger.

WHY THE CHANGE

When I went to the Help page, I found that one of the bloggers, Linda, had already flagged this change.

It seems Blogger is now sending my blog's comments via email notifications as no-reply via blogger.com  I used to be able to reply to my commenters through email.  Now, they are all coming in as no-reply.  They do have their email address in their Blogger profiles.

To this, a Google employee, Jonn, replied:

This was an intentional change made for privacy reasons, as there is no verification process for public contact emails on Blogger.

That's a fair observation by Google, but it didn't make sense since the commenters themselves have made public their email ID on the profile. There is no need for a verification process since no one other than the blogger can make their email ID visible on the profile page.

THE SECOND CHANGE

However, Google took note of the point made by Linda and modified the original change. Jonn's reply continued:

That being said, after hearing your feedback I am adding a new (very similar) feature which will set a "reply to" address in the email, so that when you reply to the email it will send it to the commenting user's contact email address.

Incidentally, the restoration of the option for the blogger to email the commenter directly is not easily visible.  

One has to click the drop-down arrow to see: 

from: Name <noreply-comment@blogger.com>

reply-to: Name <email ID>

BLOGGERS UNAWARE

This might have been a small change, but it did impact the way bloggers interacted with commenters. Google should have notified bloggers about these changes. 

However, I am glad that Google listened to the feedback and quickly restored the status quo, albeit with some modifications.

Right, a reality

It's difficult to imagine that the Kamala Harris team didn't see this coming. They were at no point clearly ahead in the run-up to the polls. If at all they were, it was just by a small margin in some regions.

The Trump team had the momentum right from the start. In fact, he was running for 2024 right from the time he was narrowly edged out by Joe Biden in 2020.

The Democrats bungled with the nomination. There was an initial excitement, but that gave way to real issues on the ground.

Inflation, real-estate prices, unemployment, etc., seem to have played a good part and even overridden an issue like abortion.

Kamala Harris made a faux pas when she replied, "There is nothing," when she was asked if she would do anything different from Joe Biden. She made amends subsequently, but the damage seemed to have been done.

It's not that Trump is always correct in replies to questions. But when someone who is trailing makes a mistake, the damage is greater than when someone who is leading makes a mistake.  

IT'S NO LONGER A BACKLASH

The right wing began consolidating its position, and the far right began emerging into the mainstream about 10 to 15 years ago.

It was a backlash against a social, economic and political norm that many people began to feel was unjust. We have seen that in many countries, including India.

Conservatives began to be seen as a group of pro-active, result-oriented people, compared to the liberal and progressive groups who were seen preferring the status quo and merely complaining and not doing anything.

That might be a perception, but in politics, perceptions play a huge role.

Perception or not, it began to settle down in various strata of society, and internet-aided social networks played a huge part in this transformation.

Aspects like globalisation, multilateralism, cultural inclusivity, etc, were seen as a threat to national identity and national prosperity.

Brexit and the ascent of conservatives to power in many countries, including India, was a testament to how the social mosaic was changing.

A decade and a half down the line, it's no longer a backlash. It's a reaffirmation of a reality and, for many, even an aspiration.

This is a reality that has also thrown the liberal camps into confusion and disarray. So much so that many in those groups are switching sides. Otherwise, the sort of gains that conservatives are making won't be possible.

RIGHT AND WRONG

Many years ago, probably in the mid-2000s, I was talking to a professor of physics who is good with computer technology as well. 

Those were the days we were revelling in the excitement of "connections" and "friends" we were making on social media. AI and deepfakes were just restricted to the realms of labs and academic discussions.

I still remember him saying that free access to the internet in general and social media in particular will bring huge changes in society at all levels. At one point, he said it might even "wreak havoc".

I won't get into whether there has been a havoc or not, but definitely, we have seen changes, quite drastic and dramatic.

I asked him, "Are we heading in the right direction?"

He said, "Right or wrong is debatable. What is right for one could be wrong for another. But a clearer way of looking at it is 'for anyone, what works is right and what doesn't work is wrong'."

He just left it at that and set me thinking.

That was about 20 years ago. A good point to ponder over today as well.