[BlackPearl]

1> Less focus on religion and more focus on healthcare
2> People realising that many things that they think to be critical for day to day life become quite insignificant in times of crisis
3> It once again proves that nature can bounce back pretty quickly if given a chance

[ashokrajagopal]

Originally Posted by am1m

The biggest barrier to this is 'Stereotype-Indian-Manager-Mentality'.

Obviously I'm not talking about non-IT jobs or those IT jobs that require people to work from an office.
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Sadly there will always be idiots like that first guy who need the power trip and think 'managing' means keeping people under your nose and telling people what to do. Naturally those guys will want to safeguard their jobs, since that's all they really do.

Again I want to reiterate (before people whose job requires them to be physically present at a location jump on me!), I'm only talking about IT jobs like mine where it's obvious that work can get done efficiently from anywhere with a fast Internet connection.

It isn't that simple. Think of it this way, if there is no SEZ, there is no tax break, and there is no incentive for MNCs to operate out of Bangalore. Govt gives tax breaks because the company directly employees 1000s and indirectly triggers employment of another 1000. From security to roadside commerce on these zones, to real estate around the place. Of course any company could want some rare talents irrespective of WFH or otherwise, but 90% of those employed now in IT are employed because of other factors. If WFH becomes the norm, the zones go into a commerce deceleration, which means governments pull back of tax holidays, and companies would be forced to close operations.

[Col Mehta]

Well, at least a lot of brain dead zombies have now realized that gaumutra, gobar bath, thaali banging and other bizarre remedies don't work on crises like coronavirus - as I read in one of the tweets. Only science and logic can save us from this disaster. I see this as a big win!

[libranof1987]

While these positives are insignificant compared to the hardships those impacted have to endure, here's my small list anyway:

- Downtime for the digestive systems: no eating out/ordering in. And no adult beverages. I don't do too much or too often of either but this forced abstinence is good!

- Monetary benefit of not going out (although this has been a bane for the hospitality industry)

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

2> People realising that many things that they think to be critical for day to day life become quite insignificant in times of crisis

And of course, the other way around. You realize the importance of everyday things that you deemed too insignificant!

[motorworks]

Personally, spending time at home has been the biggest upside of this whole lock down. I work for the Retail industry, and although I work in the corporate office, my work hours mean that Im not available at home between 8-8 everyday. And there are no work from home options on any given day.

So even though my industry has been hit hard, I absolutely value the time I spend at home, with my wife and 7 year old son. Sometimes we take things for granted at home, and I now begin to realise how much effort my wife puts in on a daily basis to engage with my son and im doing my bit these days!

[Sandeep500]

The biggest upside of the crisis is that it has taught us the value of human life and the fickleness of various worldly things that we run after, underlying the mortality of every living being.

Moreover nature has a way to balance things out and these types of pandemics are the means used by nature for such balancing. This lockdown and shutdown has rejuvinated the environment , reduced the pollution besides other things that we humans have corrupted.It is true that coronna has turned the life upside down, but hopefully we will emerge out of it with a few hard lessons learnt.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by ashokrajagopal

It isn't that simple. Think of it this way, if there is no SEZ, there is no tax break, and there is no incentive for MNCs to operate out of Bangalore.

Fair point. But how many years old is the Bangalore IT industry? 30 years at least? Are tax-breaks the only way we can still make a profit? What happened to all those 'innovation, technology, talent-pool, etc.' buzzwords? And weren't those tax breaks a means to just get the business started? Or were they meant for a company to take advantage of in perpetuity? Also should we be thinking of the associated costs that come with the daily commute? The traffic, the time wasted, the infrastructure costs (flyovers, magic box, etc etc). Not to mention the associated health costs.

[GTO]

Neat thread, Blackwasp. Brings a smile in an otherwise gloomy environment.

- Because of no going out for lunches, dinners & absolutely zero late nights, I have lost a kilo. Without even trying!

- The air is nicer, purer, fresher. Especially here by the seaside.

- Appreciation of freedom, mobility & health.

- Missing my cars & test-drives and now, appreciating them even more.

- Loving how this community comes together to share genuine tips & advice.

- Spending a load more time with the family (although I was always a family-oriented guy). Every other evening, we go up and see this:

[fhdowntheline]

Great picture there, GTO. I personally love landscape/cloudscape snaps a lot.

[su1978]

Without prejudice, as has been mentioned above about many things that hold importance in our culture and our vedas seem very demeaning and it has been looked down upon by the so called intellectual educated masses. Probably they have not been told about its importance or these seem old and outdated to most.

However, i must day that the following are the bright side that i feel
1. Clean air-the AQI is rarely going above 50 in the area that i stay
2. There is a strict police patrolling on the roads leading to less/no crimes
3. We are learning to live by utilizing least resources
4. We are eating healthy due to maximum consumption of home made food
5. We are learning to do all our household chores ourselves
6. We also are beginning to realize how difficult it is for our mothers/sisters/wives to do household chores. Its time they are given their due
7. Unproductive time spent in commuting has been stopped
8. Wasting of resources(electricity/paper/other resources) has been stopped
9. Companies are beginning to realize that what can be done at office can also be done at home. They are also saving on the cost

Yes, the biggest losers are the super lunatic bosses with bludgeoning ego who are not getting to show their Hitler type attitude to the sub-ordinates and their team.

Isn't it the modern day ram-rajya

[Abhinav V]

Recently I had been on a snow trek in Uttarakhand. Happened to pass through Mussorie.
Loved every bit of drive from Jolly Grant Airport to Mussorie but once out of it and on the other side, nightmare.
Thanks to Total Lock down, Nature has got a chance to heal its wounds caused by tourists including us (Though we do not throw garbage, travel responsibly, a tourist is a tourist).
This has made me realize that Every year a break should be given to Nature as well.

[ObsessedByFIAT]

Along with almost all the points listed above, I am sure, many of us will use this opportunity to give up habits like smoking / chewing tobacco. It is said that 21 days is what it takes to form a habit!

Received the below image a s a WhatsApp forward and can completely relate to it!



(Credits to creator / poster)

What it reads is:
For some people it's just about staying at home.
For some it is akin to de-addiction center!

[bimal_67]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Request you all to please add to this list.

Yes, I am relishing the following: -
1. Enough time to organise my e-library especially the comics section with indexing of Asterix and Tintin.
2. Enjoy the pollution free state of Delhi air, with the AQI in two digits of late
3. Call up and speak with friends with whom contact was limited to social media platforms for some time
4. Listen to birds whose sounds are very audible now as background noise is negligible
5. Browse thru various threads of Team BHP. Just realised there is a running related thread also.

[ashokrajagopal]

Originally Posted by am1m

Fair point. But how many years old is the Bangalore IT industry? 30 years at least? Are tax-breaks the only way we can still make a profit? What happened to all those 'innovation, technology, talent-pool, etc.' buzzwords? And weren't those tax breaks a means to just get the business started? Or were they meant for a company to take advantage of in perpetuity? Also should we be thinking of the associated costs that come with the daily commute? The traffic, the time wasted, the infrastructure costs (flyovers, magic box, etc etc). Not to mention the associated health costs.

These are valid points. But,
-- Did Puerto Rico have CD experts so the largest OS company had to move CD packaging and bill all profits there ?
-- Did Bermuda/Bahamas have so many intelligent thinkers that IP of many innovators originated there ?
-- Did Ireland/Netherland have outstanding s/w engineers compared to the rest of the Europe so the designs had to be done there ?

There are two things that make up s/w development in India sweet for MNCs -- the wage arbitrage, and the tax holidays. With wage arbitrage, there is already a plateuing as Indian IT salaries are increasing. As it gets anywhere near the Median US pay (not just IT, all jobs ), it does not make any sense to do it in India other than for the timezone benefits.
Wage arbitrage weaning out and tax holidays being taken away, we are looking at a very different Bangalore/Hyderabad in the next 10 years.

[Beerus]

I think instead of wrecking our brains on finding new ways to save our planet, the first step introduced should be work from home, in countries like India where the infrastructure is crap, it is a must, as in most cities there's no scope of further development, the roads are going to remain this wide as there are housing societies and shops and malls which cannot be demolished to widen the roads.

No one can deny that the air is cleaner, the noise pollution is down and all this brings down the general stress levels too. Most of the traffic in Pune is because of the IT hubs, and they most definitely can work from home. The money that these companies will save can be used to hire more people to reduce individual work loads, salaries can increase. The money that individuals will save, can be invested in the stock market or saved in an account, which will help our economy grow.

And not to forget lesser people on roads = lesser accidents.

I do agree that there are some negatives, but I am sure people more experienced can make policies or find ways to offset them.