From: anajam@athena.mit.edu (ADIL NAJAM)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.pakistan
Subject: ...waqt, parhai, PERT, computer, khuda aur meiN (Was: Adil NAjam's
Date: 8 Apr 92 16:58:28 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

article on Poond, etc.)
Keywords: 

In "Adil Najam's article on Poond, etc."  Imrana Zaheer writes:

|> It was really a terrific article/posting
|> and I could judge from the length of the posting that it must have been 
|> very time consuming. 

Thank you. I am honoured, I am flattered. As for the imbedded pun in the last
part all I can say is "Touche, Madam".........But, NO, it really wasn't that 
time consuming :-)	

|> I understand that I have my limited knowledge in
|> the field of management and hence had to do a lot of study overr the
|> last few days to understand your concept of parallel activities. It
|> would not be fair if I don't accept the fact that I sought the help of
|> my elder sister to help in finding out the appropriate books on the
|> subject. However this posting is strictly my own and has nothing to do
|> with my sister.

	You should be proud, not apologetic on that count. Humm apnay
	buzurgouN say nahiN seekhaiN gay, tou kiss say sekhaiN gay?
	I do feel sad that you had to spend (notice that I am not using the
	word 'waste) so much time in studying management books.......I am 
	sadder since some such books can often be a greater waste of time
	than writing on the net:-) [my views, not necessarily correct]


	[technical details/discussion on CPM, PERT and PDM deleted]

	Back in my happy days at UET (when I still had more respect for
	engineering than I now do) they made us learn about CPM, PERT, PDM etc.
	I learnt the concepts, but did not really believe that they were the
	all-powerful magic tools that would give you all the right answers
	all the time............Last semester MIT tried to re-teach these
	methods to me, once again I humbly went through the routines.....However,
	I am happy to report that my basic views on their efficacy have changed
	little.....while great for project management (specially for drawing
	time management charts for presentations and reports), I would seriously
	advice all against using them as the only device for time management of 
	all daily chores and activities. The more I learn of these and 
	other techno-fixual methods such as computer modelling the more I
	realize how dangerous it can be if we try extending their efficacy in 
	one domain to mean that they are efficient (or even permissable)
	in all others.

|>  Now my questions directed to Mr. Adil are:
|> 
|> 1. What are the  activities you mentioned in your postings and what is the
|>    time duration on average of each?

	The above para would explain why I don't consider my life to be goverened
	(or governable) by PERT/CPM/PDM type "activities"........The reason is
	simple......The two activities that I consider to be the most
	enjoyable as well as most important and productive in my life are 
	thinking and day dreaming.....now you show me a PDM program that
	can effectively and meaningfully optimize such activities and I 
	will answer your question.
|> 
|> 2. Are you using any software to schedule your activities?

	The only software I use, or would like to use, are the soft grey cells
	in my head.........some of which are stationed in my "gittas" :-)
	As for hardware a watch, a calender/diary and a little sense of 
	prioritization is all that is really required.
|> 
|> 3. Which of the above tecniques you are using to come up with the
|>    critical path?

	You defined Critical path as the "longest path duration which is essential
	for the timely completion of the project."
	I would describe it as the most enjoyable/productive/effective path
	necessary for the proper completion of the project....irrespective of
	its "meanderability" or of the time consumed.  Notice that most of these
	methods (certainly CPM and PERT) were essentially evolved for the 
	construction industry....an industry where time is really money, where
	a delay truly increases the costs astronomically.......that is not
	always the case in real life. I would rather put two days (plus two
	all-nighters) into completing a "good" (where good is defined as 
	something I either enjoy or believe in, rather than something that gets 
	me a better grade) assignment than do the same thing in two hours (though
	the 2 hour one often gets the better grades).......the construction
	industry does not enjoy this luxury.........none of the techniques that
	you mention takes into account the "qualitative" aspect of the
	optimization, all they are considering is the "timeliness"......(please
	see the Faiz poem in the appendix (synopsis) to this post).....all of
	these models are totally incapable of incorporating the "iishq" 
	element that must (in my view) be a necessary requisite for everything 
	we do.


|> 4. As I believe everyone related to management knows that Critical
|>    path consists of activities of the longest duaration and all
|>   the activities in the critical path have Free float and total float
|>   equal to zero. One of the repurcussions of C.P. is that it heavily
|>   depends on the duaration of the activities. Just by changing the
|>   duration of one activity the Critical path could change completely.
|> 
|>      My question is that isn't it statistically possible that each
|>      time you sit on the net and Discuss the Baachi, poond etc.
|>      you are on the criitcal path i.e. you are actually extending
|>      your wastage of time and doing your Academic as parallel 
|>      activity?

	It is certainly possible--statistically--but as I pointed out earlier it
	is irrelevant to the discussion.  Unlike what CPM, PERT or PDM will
	have you believe, the purpose of life is NOT to do things on TIME, the
	purpose of life is to do things WELL.  As for the second
	part.....realistically if I weren't "wasting" (your word) time on the
	Net I would probably be "wasting" it somewhere else......the likelihood 
	of spending it on academics is extremely thin.  So the answer is,
	NO, academics is not a "parallel" activity, it is an incidental 
	activity---an activity that I niether desire to perform, nor enjoy....
	just something that "happens" in the passing, a by product of all the
	other more important activities e.g. thinking, day dreaming, 
	arguing, napping, reading....and writing on SCP [believe it or not
	SCP has all so often given me great ideas to work on in my academics].
|>   
|> 
|> 5. Where exactly is the reading of Holy Quaran found in your schedule
|>    of activities?

	In another context I might have liked to go really deep into this
	question....howevr, for berivity, the shortest answer is:

	   na mairi namaaz, namaaz hai; na mairay wuuzzu ko wuuzzu kaho
	   jo meiN jhuk paRouN tou yeh sajda hai, jo meiN na jhukouN to ruku kaho

	Or to elaborate it further:
	   ghar say masjid hai bohat dour, chaloo youN kar laiN
	   kissi rotay hooway baachay ko haNsaa ka daikhaiN
	
	I hope you get the drift.
|>  
|>  I am a great fan of yours and would certainly like to hear from you.
|>  
	Thanks again......well, you have "heard" from me......I hope I did 
	not "waste" too much time on this post........

|>  P.S I feel that I have not provoked anyone on the net by my article.
|>      If so I apologise in advance and to you Ms. Rutgers sincerely :-)	
|>                                              ~~~~~~~~~~~  
	Well, you certainly have'nt provoked me in any manner....It's been
	fun having this discussion, and I look forward to more......as
	for "Ms." Rutgers........maybe we should ask "Mr." Rutgers.....
	....and NO, I am not refering to Amar Mahboob :-)


|>  Imrana[Always hard pressed for time]Zaheer

    ADIL [....waqt baRRa hai, time koee nahiN......] NAJAM
    ------------------------------------------------------
    kitna aasan hai taaeed ki kho bhar laina
    kitna dushwar hai aapni koee raa-aye rakhna
Newsgroups: soc.culture.pakistan