Hey Suj, I wonder, what are you guys going to discuss in a group that you can’t discuss here ? I’m seeing a sudden offshoot of quite a few groups. I have nothing against a group, but is it something you cannot discuss on the forums ?
Hey Suj,
I wonder, what are you guys going to discuss in a group that you can't discuss here ? I'm seeing a sudden offshoot of quite a few groups. I have nothing against a group, but is it something you cannot discuss on the forums ?
OH PG Bhai - I love this forum and personally I check posts in this forum more than I check my yahoo mail. Even I would be happy if all discussions are carried out here.
The creation of the yahoo group is just a formality/ ritual which i guess would have been created anyhow.
On the other hand, with me being a die-hard er ... PGer 
and MrGreen user and also the self-imposed moderator of the mailing group - I assure you that all disclosable/non-private junta-useful emails et al would be shared with PGers.
And the reason I guess others are also creating their own institute-specific mailing lists - pbably follows same reasons and for a wee bit of privacy.
But be rest assured - that I will try my best to convert all XLers into PGers also - but not necessarily offshoot/sway them to other places. I appreciate ur concern PG bhai.
Hi Suj,
I understand the issue of privacy here and I am surely seeing a couple of yahoo groups based on institutes. Its just an offputting feeling, when you get to see that we end up sharing such a tremendous amount of information before the people get in and voila, one fine day it becomes "private" ?
I am not worried about people swaying to other areas etc etc. I'm sure each form of communication has its own merits and demerits.
What irks me, is the main source of information are the guys/gals who make it into those institutes. Now if these people turn private, isn't the community thing just a sham ?
I see the CAT 2003 bunch getting ready now, but without the old guys giving up some time here, its just going to be like raising all issues from day one. Now that's not what I want the forum to look like 2 months from now.
What say people ?
Sighhh...
Been relieved of making a tough decision...
IIM-L is a no go... (IIM-K and I were not an issue after XL sent me the come on)
So XL it is...
(So much for my research to make a decision)
Reuben
hmm, me agrees with PG. guess the guys who r doing their mba this yr will not have as much time to browse thru the forum and participate as much as they did b4.
but guys! u have to give back something! PG alumni can add a completely new dimension to this forum by sharing their experiences during admission stages as well as during the course. it would definitely be a big plus.
BUT no1 can force the matter, it's a personal decision to contribute and help, that's why it's called a community
PG, mebbe you can facilitate this by starting a new section called alumni or somethin. I haven't given it much thought but I'm sure u already have some ideas.
rest assured i'll be around to share my experiencs and provided (misguided) advice
Hi Suj,
Its just an offputting feeling, when you get to see that we end up sharing such a tremendous amount of information before the people get in and voila, one fine day it becomes "private" ?
I see the CAT 2003 bunch getting ready now, but without the old guys giving up some time here, its just going to be like raising all issues from day one. Now that's not what I want the forum to look like 2 months from now.
What say people ?
Another culprit here... I guess I owe an explanation. I dont see an issue of privacy here, coz we have shared a whole lot of info here, even our DOB's , phone numbers etc and where is the problem of sharing any other info?
The formation of groups was just following the usual tradition, and may be of help for some guys who have mail access only, but no web access. Also some ppl who search in yahoogroups gets to join. But surely, none of us are going to leave this place and I will try to get the new members also to join PG. And dont worry that discussions wont happen here and the forums will be devoid of info. Every bit of info will be there in PG except for some specific stuff (Mainly some gossip abt other insti, some self praise about how each ones insti is the best etc etc). Which offcourse if you try out in the forum, you will be thrashed left, right and centre. We don't want to have a L vs XL or a B vs C fight happening here. So offcourse any biased comparative study which you do abt your insti, it is better to be in your own private space. And next years aspirants can see those messages also, if they click on the links.
So let us stop worrying about unwanted things, and keep continuing the PG spirit going. What ya say folks?
Rgds
Philip
I was looking at a couple of other ideas about the Alumni section and I am sure a couple of requests even in terms of privacy and other issues can be tackled incl. other institute bashing
But I would request you guys to gimme a weeks time so that I can scramble and finish my exams and so that we can finally come together and look at how we can take this issue forward. Whatever will happen, will only happen when the members decide to make it happen
I'll start a thread next week as to the Alumni section and we'll trash it out as to what you guys think could be / can be done about this issue and plenty more. I'd like to keep this issue on the backburner for a lil while more before jumping in a taking the plunge as to the next step of the forums.
Philip, I get the idea and there is no way I am against the makings of a group. They've existed for ages and are a way of life for many. But my main fear remains, who'll be back after getting in. The issue being, *force* won't work , so its upto the guys et gals who get into the institutes to have the community feeling in them to get back and contribute.
Um.. and philip a question just popped up in my mind.. are you planning to moderate the guys who get into the groups ? I mean does he/she have to be an IIM A-ian to get access to the group you have planned ? Err.. just thinking aloud as to how it normally goes as I don't have much experience in group related issues.
Um.. and philip a question just popped up in my mind.. are you planning to moderate the guys who get into the groups ? I mean does he/she have to be an IIM A-ian to get access to the group you have planned ? Err.. just thinking aloud as to how it normally goes as I don't have much experience in group related issues.
Absolutely no... Everyone is welcome there. Having a moderated group defeats the purpose of information sharing.
guess the guys who r doing their mba this yr will not have as much time to browse thru the forum and participate as much as they did b4.
I disagree - after all we are not headed for Tihar Jail r8
not as much pbably but usefulparticipation surely is possible
u have to give back something! PG alumni can add a completely new dimension to this forum by sharing their experiences during admission stages as well as during the course.
I absolutely concur on this point
PG, mebbe you can facilitate this by starting a new section called alumni or somethin. I haven't given it much thought but I'm sure u already have some ideas.
well - u snatched my 'born dead' keystrokes
But felt, it was asking too much from PG - considering his past/present efforts
The formation of groups was just following the usual tradition, and may be of help for some guys who have mail access only,
without getting defensive, I wud like to state that I owe my allegiance to both Yahoo guys thru' whom I came to know abt this forum and also to PG Bhai for providing a sense of connectedness and a few friends - some of whom hv become my b-school classmates and also all others who will be part of the B-school community in different places in India and abroad !
So offcourse any biased comparative study which you do abt your insti, it is better to be in your own private space ... So let us stop worrying about unwanted things, and keep continuing the PG spirit going.
Well, philip u r right abt continuing PG spirit flowing
But I feel the word 'biased' is a bit too ambiguous. Every bit of info will be there in PG except for some specific stuff
This is THE problem - one of drawing the line.
I guess all of us can see its effects on coolavenues where every third post contains expletives typically b/w institutes and every
fourth post is - "I dint expect this from top-b-schoolers - u guys hv sold ur souls and ur mom has not taught u proper language stuff" coming from a curious on-looker.
I sincerely hope that PG Forum - will make a proper transition from a B-school Aspirant Forum to also a B-schooler Forum - if it intends to - without going haywire and without replicating other sites - maintaining its present uniqueness and spirit.
Well, as a first step - I plan to include a link to pagalguy forum - in my signature to all mails going to the mailing list.
I am all ears for more comment from others.
Just some random thoughts on this...
I for one, have to agree with pagalguy. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that PG.com has done a huge lot in aiding our efforts. And the main reason we keep coming back is the community feeling and the fact that it is well moderated. No bullshit accepted from anyone.... .
One reason for having seperate yahoo groups is that they have more chance of being seen by others unaware of PG.com, and that we can keep messages that may be superficial to the junta here at PR.com. Who would want to know details of where to meet when going to join and such sundry details better kept away from general threads at PG.
However if the general feeling of the members is that they want to know all this, then so be it. . I just hope the community feeling here isn't lost coz it grows too fast (though maybe that is a good problem to have 
)
philip/suj/coldfusion i see ur points and definitely on-board with them. rather than a matter of dumping irrelevant info on the forum, it's more of protecting some info like meetings etc. of the group.
i also share PG's concern "who'll be back after getting in". personally, one forum is all i can take. there's no way im going to shuttle b/w PG and yahoogroups. infact i've been tryin to register for the iimk yahoogroup for 4 days now! hope i haven't ticked gj off! two yrs is a lotta time on campus
but isn't it possible to have the best of both worlds? guess when PG has the time he can look into it....is it possible to password protect forums? if it is then i guess ur problems are solved?
there are other ways too...am saving up the grey cells for later
Hi PG Bhai
It was actually me who propelled SUJAN to start of this yahoo group thing . I was initially quite hasty in thinking this . For our success , we all owe a great deal to this alma forum and it is payback time . Maybe we all XLers should kick start a thread here itself and post/discuss all our issues here itself like the NMIMS thread. I don't see any issues that couldn't possibly be discussed in the open .
Anyway , lets be open to discussions on this issue . XLers please pour your view here so that we reach a consensus .
Regards
Gaurav
Hi,
I completely agree with Allwin, and he has every right to be upset about some of us forming other groups. We have learnt so many things here, that were not possible or easy elsewhere. Most of the users have been benefited immensely by the free and frank opinion of others. How many of our fears/apprehensions flew out of the window the moment we posted an issue vexing us and someone else advising?
I agree it is tough for those of us starting classes this June/July, to post/browse through this forum. But i do believe that it is possible (and also highly desirable) that most of us post our experiences at the colleges we finally chose to join. Though it is not possible to post on a daily/ weekly basis, but even if it is on a monthly basis starting say July or August, most CAT (and other exams) '03 takers will have a clear idea about what's going on and what they can expect by the time they fill up the forms in say September/October.
Starting a yahoogroup is fine, but I personally dont see a real benefit on an immediate basis. The reason being that such a group becomes significantly important after graduation because most of the students get jobs in different parts of the country. Networking is a highly important activity post MBA, and more so in today's time with so much competition. During studies you are closeby and walking across to the others rooms isnt so big a deal. But thats only a personal opinion, based on what i have seen happening in the hostels.
My suggestion would be to setup an Alumni section where we could post our experiences about each college. And if there are specific questions, users can email or post on the section and have them answered in due course of time. But this is entirely dependant on current users to take the time out to post views/messages/experiences on this forum.
Lets give back to the community in whatever way we can and make it rock like no other.
Manu
Lets give back to the community in whatever way we can and make it rock like no other.
I agree... and I for one hope to be here for a long time to come...
On a different note after a bit of soul-searching and consultation with people in the know, I decided on K. The location - 2 hours from home clinched it. So keep meeting you XL-ers here at PG
--Jassim
Have a good time at Kozhikode - Jassim
Pbably we can get to meet at K-Mark(t) aprt frm here of course ...
Back from my exams
The way the forum started I never in my wildest dream thought we'd have so many active users and most importantly that such a community building exercise would become such a reality. The most important aspect of this community are the members. People who come back and contribute. People who type loooong posts, after taking out from their work and other schedules so that others might benefit. People who truly care about others. Hell, I've made quite a lot of friends too and I hope so have all of you.
The "Alumni" section for me holds high importance for 2 major reasons.
1) Networking - A-la making more friends and remaining that way.
2) Knowledge.
I'll tackle both this aspects below -
1) Networking - Allrighty, this is a professional word and I absolutely hate it. I would like to remain friends with most of the people out here and would like to see how it turns out for everyone.
Looking at the B V/s C thread, I get a feeling that the perspective is wrong, mainly because there are no decent posters from either B or C to help us out in making the decision. I am sure this won't happen next year. We'd already have folks in almost all the BSchools and at that time it won't be too tough to come to a rational decision ( mainly because we would be aware of the posting style/knowledge of the alumni ).
5 years down the line, I would like to know where the guys are working. Possible ? I am sure you guys would love to know too. Wouldn't we all live to share in each others lives/careers etc ?
In 2 years , I believe the forums will become a monolith of information and frankly it would be the first case of people knowing each other from the IIMs and other institutes. Would it be possible for guys in A to catch hold of guys in L who are their pals to get further information ? I think we can do that here.
Foreign placements ? National Placements ? Those questions can be answered in a jiffy. That is because of the immense amount of trust that is held amongst each other. Would people need to rely on Business mags or coolavenues for inflated figures, or would we guys be able to get the information straight from the guys in the institutes ?
5 years hence.. would we hold the feeling to be able to pick up the phone and call up any of the members we know to hold an impromptu meeting ? I think that is possible and I'd personally love to see that. I don't think its impossible.
2) Knowledge - When was the last time we saw a post from an IIM grad on the forums or any other forum ? Possibly we are heading to become the first place to have such information. I'd like to know what is available in IIMC's canteen.. err.. possible ? Would it be possible for us to discuss about professors in the IIMs ? Can I check up with members as to who is the guru prof. of finance in IIM C or the ace prof. for marketing in IIM B ? Can I drop those names in an IIM interview ? Can I tell the IIM guys during the interview.. that I want to do marketing here.. due to this prof.. that prof... his dissertations on this subject etc etc..
A bit farfetched ? May be. But I think that is possible. Given 2/3 years and enough patronage, we can literally change the way the IIM's conduct their interviews. Once they get guys who can actually tell them the name of the profs. and the price of chai in their canteen.. trust me.. they'll have to reevaluate their plans
Boy.. I can type on and on.. But you guys won't read and comment ! !
Implementation of the Alumni forum -
Guys trust me.. I am as hazy as everyone on this issue. I was thinking about the privacy issue pointed out and also felt that if each institute wasn't given their space, it wouldn't be right.
So we have 2 options -
1) A single Alumni Forum -
The easiest way out. All common discussion about institutes etc from guys who have been here and are now "there"
2) Multiple Sub-Forum -
This one was so complex that even I choked on the idea for a while
What if we end up setting up individual forums for IIM A , B, C, L , I , K & ICFAI and other institutes where we have a representation. I have a couple of ideas related to this :
Each sub forum for an insitute will have its own moderator who will an alumni of the institute. A-la Philip can be the moderator for the IIM A discussion forum on the board. This allows us a couple of advantages. Any junk posting will be handled by the guy from IIM A himself. Plus it would be very easy to identity students who might pose as "IIM A" grads.
Also such forums can be given a 'group' control. i.e Individual users on the forum will need to be authorized by philip to the join the IIM A forum. This allows the moderator to have complete access on the people who frequent the specific forum. It would be the moderator's prerogative to decide who to let in and who not to.
This way we can elimate 'junk posters'. Also the forums are completely moderated by the Mod Squad and on top of that by the moderator of the sub forum too.
Phew.. I WANT to hear from you guys
Signing off to rehydrate muhself !
woweeeeee....dat is sum deep thinking mate....
when i had to evaluate B-Schools, when my friends had to do that...all we had were the Biz Mags and the odd name-dropping by coaching centre ppl...we had no one to speak to...no one who'd been there and done all that....
if all of us here maintained propah links with PG, if we got back weekly or even monthly, if that could really happen, (and as u said, it aint impossible)....this site would start getting talked abt in the very Biz Mags i bought for all the gyan...
abt the sub~moderators...absolutely..jus the way a club is sposed to be...with membership rules, pre-reqs n evrything so that the gatecrashers dont get in...all i can think of is....yahoogroups wont have that many new MBA clubs formed nxt year 😃 and apart from competition for Gen.Sec and other posts on campus, i'm sure 5yrs down the line, if the concept really kicks off..ppl will be queueing up to be sub-mods at PG! 😁
ok...i'm just back from a horrendous exam and i've got another on the morrow...so cant think much abt all this...jus posting my initial thots...
but PG man, if you were planning all this, howd u write your exams???
Good idea Allwin...
I guess this would be the only place where you would have some decent interschool communication... And going by our curiosity just before the CAT resuslts and IIM results, I guess the same would be the case of summers/placements etc. More than the ppl inside the IIMs , it mite be the ppl outside who are more interested, due to the lack of info outside.
I am not completely clear about the multiple forum funda. Coz if we end up having multiple forums for each institute with entry restricted, what is the point in discussing here. Or is it just that only very few will have "write" permissions there, but all will have "read" permissions.
I think a single forum would be the best idea. We can have multiple threads like out cat section. One for summer placements, one for placements, one for ur mid terms etc. And now the question of ppl posing as IIM/or other B-School grads. I think that is the one to be tackled.
We need some way to identify the ppl to which institute they belong. May be even catters can post in the Alumni section for gettting any info, but alumni and aspirants shud be easily recognizable. One way is using the avtars like myself and Morpheus is using now. But now anyone can use a IIMA or FMS logo as avtaar. If that can be controlled and access of such avtaars can be left to 2-3 students of that institute, that will do the trick. Otherwise if we can have some field like the rank, which will be displayed and can be controlled by the moderator, that also will do the trick.
Just my thoughts... Guys pour in with ur ideas... Just waiting for the new section ...