Regression Testing

Well, most of you in IT out there know what we call Regression Testing:
One of the many definitions is here: ( courtesy webopedia.com)
Regression Testing:
The selective retesting of a software system that has been modified to ensure that any bugs have been fixed and that no other previously working functions have failed as a result of the reparations and that newly added features have not created problems with previous versions of the software. Also referred to as verification testing, regression testing is initiated after a programmer has attempted to fix a recognized problem or has added source code to a program that may have inadvertently introduced errors. It is a quality control measure to ensure that the newly modified code still complies with its specified requirements and that unmodified code has not been affected by the maintenance activity.

Lets not get into the technicalities.

I was reminded of this term when I was watching a promo for some soap (which will definitely continue for generations together) to be coming up (or already running?) on a very popular channel.
Here are a few of the promos:

1. A kurta clad grandpa is on the beach with his 2 grandchildren. He pampers his grandson and the granddaughter is shown all crushed, as a pitiful score plays in the background and the lil gal is 'heard' thinking alound something on the lines of '..can't girls also bring pride and fame to the family name ......'

2. A couple with their two daughters is at a Durga-Ma temple praying to be blessed with a son, and the 2 small daughters look on. Again the pitiful score, and the elder of the 2 daughters 'thinks' aloud , 'Why are they praying for a son to you Ma, after all you also are somebody's daughter'

3. A daughter prances into the living room with her result sheet, and announces her plans to study further. Promptly the parents declare their wedding plans for her saying they can't afford spending more on her education. Soon after her brother comes with his results, and he is gifted with bike keys - the pitiful score and a sullen looking daughter.

There are more such gems .. but puhleeez whats going on? Soaps sell and there are buyers for it, but to what extent would one go to churn out forthy stuff like this?

There is one more such outrageous soap where the prim trim and spic n span attired dulhan is unaccepted and toutured at her sasural and not favored by her husband for being.. hold your breath - illiterate! WHOA! Whats that!!!!!!!!

( I mean had she just spent one tenth of her time attending evening schools than doing the rounds at the parlour and spending countless hours day dreaming about her would-be-who-won't-accept-her)

Vampish sis-in-laws and conspiring daughter-in-laws, coy chachijis and orthodox bas almost seem welcome after such regressing themes!

Unable to make out any logic out of such themes ( I know I should not even bother with the 'L' of logic when dealing with these things) - I tag them as a way of regression testing the society.

There were ( and still are) bugs like discrimination and treating women as weaklings in society since a long long time. Even in the 21st century, efforts are still on to fix them as much as possible.
And now we are doing a round of regression testing using these themes as test cases. If people are not getting outraged at it - bug fix failed. If outraged and bewildered - bug fix is a resounding success!!!!
So try and get as many people as possible outraged and that will get you closer to fix the bug somehow.

I know its quite corny a statement and quite poor a comparison- but I just felt hapless looking at the promos!
You can say its an attempt to make sense out of the senseless!

2 of 6 Rule by Scott Adams

I came across a post on another blog, which quoted Scott Adams' observation about comics being funny.

Since it involves both my favourites - Bill Waterson ( C n H) and Scott Adams (Dilbert),
am posting it here as - is, with due credit to Kunal - from whose post I came across this piece by Scott Adams' :

Kunal wrote:

"......And while we are on Calvin & Hobbes, take a look at this post by Dilbert creator Scott Adams in which he disects the humour in C & H. "

And then he put Scott Adams' Quote:
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The core of humor is what I call the 2-of-6 rule. In order for something to be funny, you need at least two of the following elements:
Cute (as in kids and animals)
Naughty
Bizarre
Clever
Recognizable (You’ve been there)
Cruel
I invented this rule, but you can check for yourself that whenever something is funny it follows the rule. And when something isn’t, it doesn’t. One of the reasons comics are such a popular form of humor is that they often get the cute part automatically. Calvin and Hobbes is widely considered the best comic ever, but the few times it featured the parents doing the main action, it fell flat. Whenever it combined Calvin and Hobbes (both exceedingly cute), with some witty dialog (clever), a dangerous wagon ride (cruel), Calvin acting like a typical kid (recognizable), and thinking about adult philosophy (bizarre) it fired on 5-of-6 humor elements, which is virtually unheard of.
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Thinking of it, this is sooooo very true!