The Organic Utopia (Part III)
So far in this series, we have seen why one chooses to buy organic, and reviewed some of the claims that the proponents of organic food make. But this picture is incomplete without perhaps the most important aspect of the practice, from a broader point of view. This is the third of the five-part series on organic food. To jump to any topic on the subject, use the list below:
The Organic Utopia (Part II)
Previously in this series, we looked at the basics of how food works, and what we look for in food. We get an overview of the claims that organic proponents make. In this piece, we look at three of the claims in more depth, and test their validity based on the evidence we have. This is the second of the five-part series on organic food. To jump to any topic on the subject, use the list below:
The Organic Utopia (Part I)
Over the last decade or so, we have seen the buzz about organic food amplify. Hundreds of stores have sprung up in our urban neighbourhoods, which tout the traditionally grown food that is more nutritious, apart from being safer than the “conventional” food. But is organic food more nutritious, tastier and safer than conventionally grown food? As usual, the answer is not binary. A friend of mine texted one evening about the craze about organic food.
Food and Sustainability
About five years ago, we had a little “discussion” at work, in which I basically got trolled for being a vegetarian. I was so angry that I wrote down a post on why I am a vegetarian and why everyone else was wrong in thinking what they were thinking. A day later, I changed the post to a much milder one, because: I felt that the original post may have come across as too strong, seeming a bit too aggressive, bordering on angry.
Dodging phishing attacks
I have worked with Microsoft Exchange for over five years. Handling emails scams like phishing was part of the job. If the term sounds like Greek or Latin to you, no worries. I will explain everything tech in non-tech terms. Those that invented and developed email as a mode of communication, did it keeping in mind the “nice ones”—those who knew not to listen in on others, who respected people’s privacy, and were, in general, civilised.
Are WhatsApp chats private
On the 13th of January, WhatsApp put out a tweet in which they said they wanted to make something “100% clear”. The post said what WhatsApp does not or cannot do: WhatsApp cannot see your private messages or hear your calls and neither can Facebook. WhatsApp does not keep logs of who everyone is messaging or calling. WhatsApp cannot see your shared location and neither can Facebook. WhatsApp does not share your contacts with Facebook.
Privacy and You
Online privacy is like civilisation. It takes time, but when it happens, it happens. The process is slow and arduous. While we do not push ourselves to such drastic changes, some events do push us. One such was that of Facebook deciding to force WhatsApp users to allow sharing data between WhatsApp and Facebook. I have nothing to hide My way is convenient What is the big deal Facebook already knows me WhatsApp was sharing data with Facebook anyway Is it not easier to delete my Facebook account In conclusion I have nothing to hide Bold statement.
Farmer Protests
I have been following the farmer protest for weeks now, but did not pen down anything because I am not one to form opinions on such complex issues without first understanding the different facets of them—I am not that loudest Bollywood actor after all. I have a day job, and my weekends are busy with chores, virtual socialising (which includes reading WhatsApp messages), hobby coding, and experiments in the kitchen. I take my time to understand issues and form lasting opinions about them.
Better Online Privacy (Part Two)
In the previous post, we saw what we mean by privacy, why it matters, and why we say privacy is a myth in today’s world of connected services. We also looked at what methods companies use to track us online. We saw that the conventional methods of protecting our privacy online does not work in cases such as Google and Facebook. In this post, we look at how to handle tracking by large corporations like Google and Facebook, who track you using your browser fingerprint.
Better Online Privacy (Part One)
Privacy is a myth. We have all heard that. Some of us agree, some disagree, most could not care less. The most common response I have gotten to statements about privacy is “Well, not like I have anything to hide.” Yes, you probably do not. But would you be comfortable if your Uber driver or your personal banker could tell the brand of the inners you wear? Yes, we all wear them, they make them in a small set of colours, and a specific set of models, but yet, it makes you uncomfortable—even for a second—when someone points out what you are wearing, even as a guess—unless you’re purposefully showing it as a statement (don’t mean to judge).