The Tragedy of the Commons…

Thanks to Cognizant’s User Community Newsletter, that I have subscribed to. Where I came across this article with a very catchy topic-“Why Warren Buffett Can't Solve Our Tax Problem”, which I couldn’t resist reading. And here I was introduced to an interesting phrase-“The Tragedy of the Commons”. Which is rather a theory, first put forth by Garrett Hardin in 1968.

So, for the busy souls, this blog is the Copy-Paste-Edit of the few excerpts from the related stuffs I read:

To start with a real-time fact: “We too want to solve the energy/global warming crisis as much as anyone else, but then we are going to keep driving, polluting, and draining finite resources because it makes our life convenient. Now, that's the tragedy of the commons.”

The Wikipedia definition says: “The tragedy of the commons is a dilemma arising from the situation in which multiple individuals, acting independently and solely and rationally consulting their own self-interest, will ultimately deplete a shared limited resource even when it is clear that it is not in anyone's long-term interest for this to happen.”

In relevance to this theory and with little statistical data, the writer of the column very well explains how “even one very wealthy man, like Warren Buffet- won’t make a dent in the hole of America’s tax problem!”
For the curious readers, can visit the link " http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2010/10/13/why-warren-buffett-cant-solve-our-tax-problem.aspx "

“Here's another example: No one voluntarily gives up their Social Security or Medicare benefits in the name of fiscal discipline or so to say tax benefits, even though these programs have country's finances hurtling toward misery. Not that anyone should give them up. Cashing those checks as long as they're sent to you is the rational thing to do individually. Collectively, though, it's debilitating.”

In Short, “we often rationally look after our own interests even when doing so ruins society as a whole.”
But then, “Critics ask how can it possibly be rational for a society to engineer its own ruin. Can't we see that everybody would be better off if everybody were to grab less of the common resource? The error in such reasoning is elementary.”

Well, the debate is on, and there gotta be something which we can do about it…

Hope we get into a healthy discussion on this, through comments!

Cognizant interview xperience!!

Placed in Cognizant Technology Solutions(CTS), on 11.01.10..
after d interview, I had no reason y they shld recruit me..but who cares nymore..well, despite al d silly n serious mistakes i made durin d interview, here is d gud part of wat happened...(not goin into details n mentioning d usuals)
:
Interviewer: ur interest, hobbies etc..
myself: readin, solving sudoku n crossword..

Interviewer: wat kind of books??
myself: started wid fictions..currently readin spiritual books.

Interviewer: favourite book??
myself: among fictions, The fountainhead by Ayn Rand..
:
Interviewer: y software industry or CTS?
myself: fast growin n demandin sector..wid everythin gettin digitalised, soon der wil b a gr8 demand of software services in our country as well, other than just outsourcin..

Interviewer: can u giv ny xample??
myself: d unique identification number project for a billion plus crowd in d nation.
:
Interviewer: any control system applicaton in software industry??
myself: controllin d sendin n receivin of message packets through computer networks, by limiting d number of packets as set point..
:
Interviewer:(Situation 1)suppose u hav an imp family function to attend n also a project to b submitted in 2 days..wat u gonna do??
myself: wil attend d function for just an hour or so rather than givin my all day..n work overnight to meet d deadline..but 1st preference to my work..

Interviewer:(situation 2)if ur team member does some serious mistake tat is gonna to cost a lot to ur project n u hav to submit it in 2 days..wil u complain to ur senior??how wil u deal wid ur colleague??
myself: no point of complainin n stuff..no1 does mistake intentionally..wil sit together wid tat colleague to sort out d problem..since he did d mistake so he shld b 1st person to b involved in for correction,rather than sackin hm out..n may b some help n suggestion frm our seniors..
:
Interviewer: i think i m done wid u..do u hav ny question??
myself: yes..since v hav 4-5 months b4 joining d company, wat would u suggest, d kind of activity i shld get involved in which wil help me at my work..

Interviewer: this is a very gud quesiton u hav asked..n if u r really interested in gettin into software industry, u shld hav a basic knowledge of languages n Operatin systems..etc etc..n b in contact wid ur seniors for d kind of work they r involved in..etc etc..
:

(well, this is all i could remember..n it was a short interview, though)