GreeN Pea PrinceSs

UNIISYS Presentation: A Reflection

2010-04-06T03:13:00.000-07:00

The UNIISYS or the University of Integrated System is a web based application that is made of ten subsystems, each varying in function but has the same goal of automating the manual practices and bring solutions to some problems in the University of Southeastern Philippines. It aims to be of use to and provide convenience for USeP students, faculty, staff and visitors.

So aside from their "common goal", what does bring together, a year and a half, three semesters, ten subsystems, eleven teams and forty students? Actually, its not "what" but "who".. and its none other than the man who thought of this all, our professor.[Codename: RSG]

Going back to that night, March 19,2010 at Kuya Ed's Resto,where all of us finally presented each of our subsystems and UNIISYS as a whole in front of our parents, colleagues, guests and Sir RSG, me and my classmates were overflowing with emotions. When I try to look back even a day before that occasion, doubt is still in our minds and standing in front of everyone that night felt like dream.

Standing there, introducing my colleagues and the work they have done for UNIISYS (since I was one of the hosts) is really a defining moment. Sometimes the audience would listen intently and other times they would laugh at the jokes being told by some presenters and what better way to end the night than to ask a few words from the man of made all of this possible.

I thought he was just going to be candid and straight forward about it, but it surprised me a lot when he actually wrote a whole speech about us and UNIISYS. This added more pride for us students since this meant that our professor really gave a lot of time and thoughts over us and UNIISYS.

Some of Sir RSG's lines from his speech.

"I dont have time to learn technology .. I get my students to do it"

"My students know more about technology than I do ... they were the one's who taught me how it works .."

"The technology my students use today will be completely replaced by the time they reach the workplace.. "

Kim Hyun joong (SS501) and Kim Jae Joong (TVXQ) in Canada (Airport Fan Account)

2010-01-15T07:48:00.001-08:00

Kim Hyun joong, is the leader of SS501 and populary known as Yoon Jihoo from the hit Koreanovela, Boys Over Flowers while Kim Jae Joong is the lead singer of Asia's most popular boy group, TVXQ. These two represents the most handsome, famous, talented, popular and 4D men of Korea.

Kim Hyun Joong (SS501)

Kim Jaejoong (TVXQ)

Even if these two men came from rival boy bands and companies their friendship is known to everyone and a lot of fans want to see them work together. As an evidence, the news of them being in a holiday together is enough to make everyone wild. For people who don't know this two guys, just think of having Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise to be best buds and gone out partying together or (for a closer age gap) imagine Robert Pattinson and Zac Efron being best friends and spending holidays together (getting drunk etc). These thoughts are highly scream worthy and heavenly right?

At first, only rumors of them in Canada can be read but in the following days, pictures and fan accounts from the fans who saw them in Canada spread all over the Internet.

The ff links can you give the other pics and fan accounts:

First Week Rumors
New Article from NewSen
Fan Account of seeing Jaejoong and Hyun Joong in HMart (Canada)
Fan Account of seeing Jaejoong and Hyunjoong in Pacific Center

From all the fan accounts, this is my favorite. She was not a die hard fan at first but upon seeing the two boys she falls in love with them. Great descriptions too. ^^

Photo credit: Esther @daum.net/gaia

Credit: Mia Ng + (English translation) Alex Ng + UniNg @ www.onetvxq.com
Please repost with full credit

My friend's aunt was in Canada for a business trip and she met JaeJoong, HyunJoong at the airport. Here is her account.

Original text in French
English translation by Alex Ng.

Well, let see! Where should I begin?
It’s about my experience with meeting two famous Korean celebrities while waiting for my flight at a business launch in Canada Airport.

They are Kim Hyun Joong (Jihoo from BOF) and his friend, Kim JaeJoong. I’m an old chap, not a big fan of anything, but I do watch/listen to Korean drama and music. My two nephews are dedicated fans, so they keep me updated once in a while.

The two young men were sitting right across from my seat. Since I was busy working on my laptop, I didn’t noticed their presence until one of their travel companions dropped something on the floor.

Kim Hyun Joong looks quite young in person. His complexion is amazingly nice. He’s very fair, and very pretty. He looks ethereal, almost like an angel himself. His skin is as nice as a child‘s. Women would go for extreme measures just to have that kind of skin (so unfair).

Kim JaeJoong is also very handsome. He looks a little quirky, but that makes him sexy. I found Jaejoong a little more approachable and down-to-earth, since he does not have that “God” vide look as KHJ does.
[Hana: I love both of them but Hyun joong really has that GOd/Prince type of aura. His smile is soooo manly and pretty.]

Those two seem very close. They didn’t talk much, but the way they exchanged eyes contacts and shared a drink showed their closeness. I watched them from behind my laptop (he he … shame on me, an old lady). At one point, they made some loud noise and looked at me wary. I smiled just to reassure them. Jaejoong nod his head and I thought he said sorry. HyunJoong just smiled and shyly looked down. Right at that moment, I understood why they called him ‘prettier than flower’.
[Hana: LOL. She says she's not a that big time fan but I think after this she is a certified Hyunnie.. She likes Jaejoong too but the way she describes Hyunjoong is amazing. ^^]

If I’m not wrong, Jaejoong is older than HyunJoong right? The younger one leaned on his friend’s shoulder and slept like a baby, while the older one sat till and even tried to put a coat on his young friend. I guess only Asian can show such affection to same-sex friends without the thought of been mistaken as homosexual. I found them really cute, and innocent.
[Hana: True. Other people would easily judge them gay. But in Korea, sunbaes or hyungs should always take care of their younger friends or hoobaes. Both of them, especially Hyunjoong is secure of their manliness that's its okay for them to do that. They are really like brothers. ^^]

I didn’t want to disturb or make them uncomfortable, I planned to wait to right before I leave for the flight to ask for their signatures, and pictures. Those will be great gifts for my two nephews. However, when I came back from the wash room, they were gone.

As a punishment for failing to get their pictures, my two nephews insisted me to write a fan account (?) to share my experience with all the fans. So, here it is, my first ever fan account. I hope you all enjoy it. It was great to feel young, and being a fan girl once again. Thanks to the two gorgeous young men.

To my nephews, Lauren and Alexandra

With love, Mia Ng.

---

Anyways, just today the boys have already arrived in Korea. ^^
Jaejoong in white jacket/blue striped Tshirt and Hyun Joong in black.

pic credits: Sharing Yoochun

Here are their pictures in YVR (Vancouver)Airport taken Jan 14.
Jaejoong in white jacket/blue striped Tshirt and Hyun Joong in black.
At the first picture, they were in a wine shop and the next two pictures they were eating in a restaurant. ^^

Pictures taken from Baidu.
Original credit goes to the shutterbug zz of Fairy~land.

----------
Credits to:

other credits:

http://ss501ufo.blogspot.com/
http://liezle.blogspot.com/

Green Pea Princess

2009-10-19T22:47:00.000-07:00

To my fellow, Triple S - Green Pea Princesses, wear your party hats because today we are officially REBORN.!!!

Triple S - Taipei Chapter
Yesterday was an amazing day because we proved how "ONE" we are. Most of us, if not all had that special agent feeling yesterday as we "hunted" and "told off (kindly if I might add, kekeke)" those disrespecting, illegal uploaders as they not only uploaded the songs from our beloved Rebirth mini-album before the official release date but also as they shamelessly laid the DL links on their sites.

People who do this are either antis or non fans because they did those things without thinking how much our boys have worked hard for it and how much all of us have endured to wait for its release and its success. These people might think of us as selfish fans but I am glad that we proved them wrong. True, not all of us can buy the album because of money problems however, as fans we think of our oppas first before ourselves. Young Saeng oppa already cried when Crazy4U was leaked and Hyun joong oppa invested his own money to buy the songs for this album so let us not let them down. SS501 and Triple S both have suffered greatly because of the changing release dates, leader shii getting swined, and DSP being tricked and almost plagiarized a song and the last thing we need are this ignorant people who tries to mess things up on the day before the official release.

To others, we might seem over the top to create an issue when the official date release is only one day away. They question us why would a day matter. I thank those who raised their voices and said that "True, why waiting for one day should be a big thing". We waited for two years for a new album/mini album, we certainly can wait for one day. I also bow down to those who joined the countdown last night (unfortunately I didn't took part T_T). The two hours before the official release you waited as finally the gift we all wanted now lay available in our midst.

And today, as our Hyunnies hit the 501 page mark on the soompi thread, which is something really amazing since it seems its destiny to have the 501 page on the day of REBIRTH's release and as our Triple S (with hyunnies and joongboers of course)still searching for offenders, we have taken the first step to success.

First step because, buying the album is just an initial step. For international fans buy on online sites that can be counted in the music charts. We need and want them to win on all music stations.

Rebirth Mini-album Song List

Track 1: Wasteland
Track02: Love like this (Title track)
Track03: One Day
Track04: Obsess (written by Baby Joon)
Track05: Green Peas (fan song..ITS FOR TRIPLE S.!!!!!)

SS501 - LOVE LIKE THIS

I LOVE ALL THE SONGS.. Totally new from our boys. As always they never disappointed us. It totally exceeded my expectations. But my favorite song would be, Green Pea/Pea Princess as this song was made for all of us Triple S. I knew that some of you (like me) have shed tears upon hearing the song and cried more upon reading the translations. They sang it full of emotions which really made me feel special. It really made my day.

These are articles from AllKpop.

This one talks about the netizens reactions to the album.

SS501 Rebirth is Explosive

"It didn't take long for the album to be praised and loved, as soon as the album was released, fans and listeners quickly picked it up. The response has been explosive, fans and critics alike were surprised by the artistic quality of the album, re-establishing SS501's image as serious musicians as they come together for their comeback. Already, Netizens have praised the album by saying "The wait was worth every single moment" and that "There isn't a single song on the album that's bad." Currently, the album is on the list for most searched term on portal sites such as Naver and Daum."

SS501 releases “Rebirth” Album

"Due to issues with the title track being a plagiarized song, the album was delayed, but wait no more, it's here! It was unfortunate that the album had been leaked on the 19th but SS501 fans banded together to stamp out the spread very effectively in a short period of time."

Also, thanks to Allkpop for taking down their column on the Rebirth songs yesterday when some Triple S mailed them that its not yet the official day of release.

So to all, Triple S, its gonna be a busy time. Persona concerts here and there, music stations guestings, album promotions, Kyu jong's SETI and CF's to watch and support.!! Fighting.!!!

My Boys Are Back, My Day is Reborn

2009-10-16T01:27:00.000-07:00

Today I was feeling a bit off... well actually its an understatement. I am actually and officially pissed off. Whether it is to a particular person or to a group or to an event, even I don't know for sure. I usually don't mind pressure even if its poking me in the day, but then if other people tries to push me more well, there is always a certain point where I cant pull it off anymore. Deadlines, piles of documents to do and all-nighters is what I am facing right now, and frankly though I am not doing fine with it, I am still keeping the relax vibe.

But then today, a lot of people really tested my patience and for someone like me who doesn't get easily swayed or angry (when not at home kekeke xO xo..) when you have reached your limit your character takes a 180 degrees change. Like being totally mean and shout at anyone even if its some dongsengs (younger) or older than I am. I can't believe that I have been totally mean to someone who I did not really know. Waiting for hours while in hunger tends do to that to people but I didn't know I would be that mean, to actually shout at someone and keep nagging on to people. Usually when I am angry I just keep quite and alone so that I would not shed my anger to anyone within vicinity but today was a different case. Poor little dongseng, her sunbae shouted at her when she was just asking a simple question, pretty much guilty right now for doing that. Sorry.. Gome-ne.!!

Another thing I hate when being angry is that, my anger is hardwired to my tear ducts. Whenever I feel really mad or disappointed tears trickle down my eyes, of which I really despise. I mean, when people get angry they usually have this fierce look and not a pitiful teary face which makes other people think someone bullied her. If that face wasn't a damsel in distress puppy dog kinda look, I wouldn't know what would be. Thinking back how I felt like and was tearing up in front of my professor (while I am trying to mentally say to myself: Dont cry Dont cry.!! but to no avail..) is really hazukashi (embarrassing).!!! Its like a total nightmare, the one where you wish that earth would eat you up kinda feeling.

Other people would eat chocolates to cure from depression or play in the arcade to shed off the anger and that's what I usually do but today I opted to goof around and surf the net for something interesting or funny. And when I was doing this amazing news came out that surely made my day. My boys are back (though only with a minialbum).!!

Not a fan of goth but then these boys can give me anything and surely I will love it. Ever since Leader-shii got H1N1 (but he is cured now), we (Triple S), have experienced news and update drought and finally, they are back and so is the scans, pictures, links, videos and most of all music. Taiwan fans got a blast when the boys landed there yesterday as a preparation to their Taiwan Persona Asia Tour Concert this coming October 17. Omo, they are soo lucky. I cant believe that 600 fans where at the airport to greet them, Chinese fans are really passionate and I love it.

Triple S on Taiwan Airport

Another thing that made me happy... rewatching TVXQ's Banjun Drama: Dangerous Love. Cant help but laugh when I see this show. Yunjae fans like me must have this show as their ultimate favorite mini drama since our fantasy of a Yunjae love is shown here. hahaha

Please watch out for SS501's new minialbum: REBIRTH. The first 30,000 copies are already sold out from the pre-orders so make sure that you order your own copy now before the second batch gets sold. If you're a Triple S who have interest in this album just write to Liezle, she has the ordering details.

Scrapbooks Imagery

2009-10-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

I just found some really cute but pretty limited scrapbook themes from Edison. ^^

This has no actual importance enough to be posted but really love the pics I used in the scrapbooks so I will be posting it here.

So these are for the ones who likes to see the three friends together..
TVXQ Hero, SS501 Hyunjoong and BigBang TOP.!!

my favorite so far.. because my pics are in it.!! nyahaha

Reviews to Two Research Studies

2009-09-23T12:03:00.000-07:00

I am going to review Ms. Adarna’s entry. Ms. Adarna reviewed three research papers and I can say that she did follow the concept of “varying quality” as she also reviewed a sociological paper rather than those focusing on technical matters.

Given that she only given a snapshot of the research studies mentioned above, I skimmed through the whole paper myself to gain more understanding of why it was done, how was it done and what was the outcome. Such action is important not only in reviewing documents but also to gain more knowledge in how to write my own research paper. In fact, its quite obvious that this task was given to us so as to observe and learn the important parts of writing a research paper of which we are to produce this semester.

Going back to Ms. Adarna’s entry, The first topic she assessed was the Faith in treatment influences efficacy among AIDS patients. The study was made determine the extent to which patients' faith in a treatment influences its effectiveness. To get the data needed for the study, one hundred forty men, requesting for an alternative therapy for AIDS, consisting of repeated injections of typhoid vaccine, were enrolled in a treatment program by a San Francisco AIDS Clinic and also agreed to participate in this independent study of other factors which might affect treatment efficacy. Patients were interviewed before entry into the protocol and at intervals of every 2 months for two years while in the protocol. The patient's "faith in treatment" was assessed at each contact. Clinic physicians made weekly ratings of the patients' sense of subjective improvement. CD4 cell count and white blood cell count were measured regularly.

At then end of the observation it was found that faith in treatment was associated with treatment efficiency. A fall in "faith in treatment" among those who initially responded very positively to the vaccine preceded by 4-6 months the development of a life-threatening infection and deterioration in clinical course. The ten patients who continued to respond to the vaccine at the end of one year and two years were those who continued to have a high "faith in treatment."

It was concluded that an effect of faith in treatment upon the course of AIDS was demonstrated. Faith may be important regardless of the efficacy of a treatment and may be the mediating variable which renders statistically ineffective treatments highly effective for those who believe in them.

Since we were asked to review the topics given, I hope my “personal reaction” to the study would be an accepted reply. Well, I believe in the findings of the study. How many people whose lives were endangered or already hung on a balance between life and death due to these chronic illnesses have survived and shared their love for God. God loving and trusting people do get well or feel better after talking to God. People who are suffering from illness renew their connections to God or make their bond with God more closely and this gives them the energy to fight for life that our Mighty Father has endowed all of us. When with God, giving up is visible, hence people tend to fight for life and leave everything to God. In some cases, people can get cured and yet they are ones who let themselves down, thinking that it would be impossible. It is with this kind of people where placebos are an alternative. Placebos are like faith. You give “sick” people faith, and hope and they will fight and positivity will reign. Being positive gives people power to cure themselves and dust themselves off. The study above has a nice topic since it shows results that people/hospitals can use to cure patients. It is very valuable for the people and the environment.

The second topic is, eWatch: A Wearable Sensor and Notification Platform. The idea behind it is already creative and fun since it gives attention to creating wearable computing. The eWatch needs to be small and energy efficient enough to allow for multiple day user studies by non-technical participants. Given these energy and size constraints eWatch should provide the most computation and flexibility to allow an assortment of applications. The goal was to move beyond simple sensor logging and allow for online analysis that could query the user for feedback while collecting data or provide services to showcase context aware applications.

As I read through the paper, I found the features being embed in this device. eWatch can be used for applications such as context aware notification, elderly monitoring and fall detection, wrist PDA, or a universal interface to smart environments. The ability to sense and notify allows for a new variety of enhancements. For instance, much work has been done on fall detection for the elderly. Existing systems do not function appropriately when a patient loses consciousness and cannot press a button. Current automatic systems have a high rate of false positives. An eWatch system could sense if the user was in distress and then query to confirm that it is an emergency. If the user does not respond, then the eWatch could use its networked abilities to call for help. The use of online learning could profile a patient’s daily activity and notify a caretaker if a patient no longer performs their daily routines. The eWatch can also notify a patient when they should take certain medication.

I actually seen infomercials about some products that can be considered as “relatives” to this idea/product such as the bra that can sense if the user is in trouble base on her heart rate and the shoe that can count how far the runner has ran. For the bra, if her heart rate decline or pumps faster than normal then the sensor will send a signal of distress to the phone lines already given by the owner beforehand. All of these technology are pretty useful since its simple and yet very useful for the one who is using it. Its like buyingon object and actually getting two or more objects in return thus investing in these kinds of technology isn’t wasteful.

For both papers, the methodologies they used were correct (if I can say so, basing from the data they gathered from those methodologies), their topic were very interesting and the same time is useful directly to the user and to the environment. As for the paper construction, I can’t find anything wrong. Maybe because I am not really good at reviewing such documents or that these documents are really done well (given that they were published). As for references, I think it was already sufficient (if ten references are already enough for you..^^). Overall, the paper construction to those of these two papers is a bit different from what we were told to do. However, we have a different focus, or target audience that is why ours would be made a bit more detailed and at some parts lacking. Anyways, I hope we can finish our paper on time. ^^

credits:
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/agr/pubpg/eWatch_bsn_06.pdf
Uwe Maurer, Anthony Rowe, Asim Smailagic, Daniel P. Siewiorek

http://www.healing-arts.org/mehl-madrona/mmpapers.htm
Lewis E. Mehl-Madrona, MD, PhD

Difference between Method and Methodology

2009-09-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

Originally, this topic is for my assignment in my research class with required only what "I" thought about the topic but since I am posting it here on my blog wherein I hate to post too short entries, I would add some comments of other people on what the distinction of method from methodology and vice versa.

For me:
Simply, a method refers to steps or processes that are done or required to arrive to a solution of the particular problem. Whereas, a methodology refers to the set of methods or sequence of methods used in a systematic way based from proper analysis.

Thus, we can say that methods are part of the methodology and that methodology is made up of methods.

To define it formally:
A research method refers to a process of creating a random sequence of steps to solve a particular problem. While a methodology refers to a process of acquiring solutions by means of a proven method in which selected cases are considered.

Simply, a method is a means or manner of procedure, especially a regular and systematic way of accomplishing something whereas a methodology refer to the theoretical analysis of the methods appropriate to a field of study or to the body of methods and principles particular to a branch of knowledge.

From Eimonthin

"Method is a particular way of solving a specific problem. it is therefore unlikely that your research will just have 'a method' as the whole research will probably draw on different ways of proving/solving discrete aspects of the research.

Methodology, therefore, means the collection of methods you used in a particular piece of research.

However,The term methodology is confusing, because it can often be used to refer to the underlying 'methodology' (or ideology/principles/set of beliefs) which led you to opt for one set of methods rather than another. E.g. if you believe that number crunching does not come up with worthwhile results, you will go for indepths interviews etc. that is part of your 'methodology' and it's based on your assumptions/mindset "

Method and Methodology as defined by xxxJeffish

Method

1. A means or manner of procedure, especially a regular and systematic way of accomplishing something: a simple method for making a pie crust; mediation as a method of solving disputes. See Usage Note at methodology.
2. Orderly arrangement of parts or steps to accomplish an end: random efforts that lack method.
3. The procedures and techniques characteristic of a particular discipline or field of knowledge: This field course gives an overview of archaeological method.
4. Method A technique of acting in which the actor recalls emotions and reactions from past experience and uses them in identifying with and individualizing the character being portrayed.

Methodology

1. A body of practices, procedures, and rules used by those who work in a discipline or engage in an inquiry; a set of working methods: the methodology of genetic studies; a poll marred by faulty methodology.
2. The study or theoretical analysis of such working methods.
2. The branch of logic that deals with the general principles of the formation of knowledge.
3. Usage Problem. Means, technique, or procedure; method.

Key factors for publishing research in top-tier journals like CSP, ACM, i3E, etc.

2009-08-31T03:30:00.000-07:00

Making a research study is complex. It needs time, proper management, focus, effort and proper funding to succeed. Having a research to be published in top-tier journals such as CSP, ASM and i3E says that, that research has been made with more effort, passion, and dedication and is of high importance to the sector it belongs to and to the community.

From what I read at acm.org, in ACM's Right and Responsibilities in ACM Publishing, a research that wants to recognized/published it has to pass several processes namely; Reviewing, Processing of Accepted Works and Dissemination. In i3e rules, “research must not be submitted twice to another conference”. Considering the originality of your research is not the end of the consideration; novelty, impact to the readers and content of your research must also be considered, because your research will also be categorized. Thus, we can see how tightly these top-tier journals evaluate research works before considering of publishing it.

As to what factors they apply in their decision making, most of it are also the same factors employed in judging a simple research paper.

First and foremost, “Is it original? Is it unique? Is it timely?”. Topic originality and uniqueness are the most important factor. Though it is true that some research works are a bit similar to one another and that is why review of related research is a component of making a research paper but then the present must showcase a new side and solution to that old problem. No two research works can ever be the same. But then if your research paper tackles problems the society is dealing today, which refers to your study being timely then it is much better than a problem tackled more than a decade.

The second concern would be, “Is your study relevant?”. Mostly all research works done are relevant and because of this another question is raised and that is “How relevant is it?”. If the study is believed to be more relevant or beneficial to its appointed audience or to the society as a whole, then it will have higher chances of being chosen to be published in a top-tier journal.

Next, would be the type of research you are doing. If the research your doing is a bit more on the technical side, it has a better chance of being in a top-tier journal than a social one. Another would be research approach. This deals with the citations used in your study. The rate of publication of your work depends upon how you cited other’s work. If your citations are merely on the flaws of the other’s work it has a low rate of publication or may not be published at all. Otherwise, if you improve his work, and given with proper credit the publication’s rate is high.

If the topic you are raising is already deemed valid and valuable, and the methodologies you have used to prove your hypothesis are already tested for and is proved to be accurate then what’s left to be critiqued now is how you wrote it. As a colleague of min said, "You may have to follow a style that would not be pleasing to the English department".”

The journal you made must follow a particular “standard” way of writing a research paper, whether it is by the APA or other commonly used formal writing style. But since its for a top-tier journal, then they must have a particular writing style you are advised to make use of.

Another factor would the packing of your whole paper. This strategy deals with the overall "look" of your paper. It was stated in the paper that you have to make the main point in your study earlier in the body. Compare and explain the result of your work to others with similar studies and state its contribution to other’s work. In short, "try to see them as others might see them, initially with a skeptical eye".

Footnotes are also essential in their consideration. According to the paper I have read footnotes serve us two purposes. Footnotes allow us to not make our paper very long because we may just cite some references so we may not write them in detail.

Though this is not a proper factor, we can say that an author’s track record is also a significant consideration because we can’t deny the fact if the author is already well-known to have produced relevant research works in the past, a level of respect from the board or panel of judges and a level of anticipation to his new research work. That is why it is undeniable that some writers include the names of established scientists even though they just contribute a little in their work.
Experience is one of the factors too. The authors know the pitfalls and obstacles in publishing, more especially in top-tier journals; that is why it could be easier for them for the next paper to be published.

As I mentioned above, all of these criteria are also used in judging a “simple” research paper, so I believe that the only difference is that top-tier journals have only higher standards. Therefore, selecting a work to be published should also be of high quality because it reflects the totality of a company's reputation. Overall, these are some factors in publishing research: originality, uniqueness, timeliness, reliability, coherence, competence, ethics, and credibility.

Evaluating a Good Research Work

2009-08-31T03:21:00.000-07:00

Experts have varying opinions on what are the criteria to define a good research works but over all it points out on the same idea and that is “a research is good if it presents new problems and develops a solution which would be beneficial to all”. The main purpose of research is to distinguish a way or ways to solve a particular problem. And if this condition will be met then we can say that it is a good research work provided also that it is up to date, the complexity of the problem and its solution doesn’t compromise the proper structure of a research paper.

Whatever may be the types of research works and studies, one thing that is important is that they all meet on the common ground of scientific method employed by them. One expects that the purpose of the research should be clearly defined and common concepts be used. The research procedure used should be described in sufficient detail to permit another researcher to repeat the research for further advancement, keeping the continuity of what has already been attained. Also, the procedural design of the research should be carefully planned to yield results that are as objectives as possible.

Also, the researcher should report with complete frankness, flaws in procedural design and estimate their effects upon the findings. The analysis of data should be sufficiently adequate to reveal its significance and the methods of analysis used should be appropriate. The validity and reliability of the data should be checked carefully.
Conclusions should be confined to those justified by the data of the research and limited to those for which the data provide an adequate basis.
And lastly, greater confidence in research is warranted if the researcher is experienced, has a good reputation in research and is a person of integrity.

In other words, we can state the qualities of a good research is that its systematic, logical , empirical and replicable.

By systematic, it means that research is structured with specified steps to be taken in a specified sequence in accordance with the well defined set of rules. Systematic characteristic of the research does not rule out creative thinking but it certainly does reject the use of guessing and intuition arriving at conclusions.

By logical, this implies that research is guided by the rules of logical reasoning and the logical process of induction and deduction are of great value in carrying out research. Induction is the process of reasoning from a part to the whole whereas deduction is the process of reasoning from the premise. In fact, logical reasoning makes research more meaningful in the context of decision making.

As for empirical, it implies that research is related basically to one or more aspects of a real situation and deals with concrete data that provides a basis for external validity to research results.

And lastly, good research work is replicable which refers to the characteristic allows research to be verified by replicating the study and thereby building a sound basis for decisions.

As for evaluation, once the research paper passed the criteria given above what is left is to evaluate how the paper is written.

Most of the time when evaluating, panel is brought in to judge a research work. They test your evidences or results of your study, question on your hypothesis and methodology. All of these are already discussed on the criteria given above. What is left now is judging on how your paper was written. The questions below are likely to be used as criteria in this matter.

• Sources: Does the paper use the right kinds of scholarly or popular-scholarly sources to support its claims?
While no number of sources can be called automatically "enough," the assignment requires that you find sources of sufficient quality to support what you say you know about your topic.

• Is the paper based on at least some recent article-length sources?
Articles are the sources of the most recent and most tightly focused analysis on your topic. Students who rely on books because OLLI is easier to use, or because books appear to have "more on the topic," are still thinking at a pre-college level. They do not understand how quickly book-length manuscripts become outdated, and how books' much larger theses can make it difficult for students to extract useful support from them without misunderstanding what they are borrowing. But then nowadays, student rely so much on the Internet and thus results to what we call “copy and paste technology”. This is now done like a common practice but then it should not be done since this is illegal. Even if you credit the authors whose works you are using, it will still be weighed against you seeing that you have not consider revising terms and phrases. If you want your work to be published in top-tier journals, quoting works of others are almost prohibited.

• Does it use at least one scholarly source, or does it contain a well-written endnote or footnote which explains exactly why there are no scholarly sources available on this topic?
You can use popular-scholarly journals and scholarly reference works to give you a "ladder of expertise" so that you can read professional scholars' work.

• If the topic requires it, are the sources recent enough to be persuasive?
Due to the fast changing things nowadays, books/articles/sources becomes outdated quickly. Conclusions based on out of date evidence fail to persuade. Students who want to succeed in these majors must become persistent enough researchers to seek out the most recent and authoritative sources on their topics.

• Thesis:
Is the paper organized by an independent thesis which at least uses reasoning and/or evidence from one article to contribute substantively to the reasoning and/or evidence in any other article, thus avoiding mere summary of the research? Is the thesis carefully composed to avoid claiming absolute knowledge if its evidence supports only possible or probable conclusions? Is the thesis supported by logically sound reasoning?

These questions are asking whether the author has moved beyond the stage of merely reporting what others say, and into the stage of being able to think creatively about the topic. Early attempts to do this may be tentative and uncertain. To protect your reputation for careful thinking, make sure you distinguish clearly among certain, probable, and possible conclusions. Be content to claim your conclusions are "possibly" correct unless you can eliminate many of the contending conclusions to claim they are "probably' correct. Do not claim your conclusions "certainly" explain the evidence unless you have eliminated all alternative explanations. Logical fallacies often arise because writers unconsciously struggle to force their research to support to their earliest intuitions, guesses, hunches, or hypotheses about what is true. (Think of how often you heard high-school writers say "I'm going to do some research to get sources that support my thesis.") Beware your own prejudices about what you think the evidence will reveal before you've impartially examined it. Let the evidence speak and you can hardly go far wrong.

• Audience:
Does the paper address a scholarly audience and correctly estimate the level of knowledge that audience can be expected to possess? Does it avoid telling experts obvious things, like defining terms of art or basic concepts, providing needless "background," and identifying experts to each other with unnecessary specificity (e.g., "the biologist Lewis Thomas" in a paper addressed to biologists)? Does it always specify the source of generalizations about evidence by correct citations of scholarship?

• Mechanics and Documentation:
Does the paper use standard academic English usage and sentence construction, coherent and well-ordered paragraphs, logical paragraph transition, and a fully functional title, introduction, and conclusion? Does the paper accurately and consistently use a documentation style appropriate to the discipline (MLA, APA, CBE, or U. Chicago), or does it at least use MLA style accurately and consistently? Does it have the proper style, conventions, and organization of words, facts, and subjects? Is too much jargon used that the study can not be understood by its selected audience?

Failure to write grammatically when making a scholarly claim automatically exposes the writer to suspicion that the basic thinking underlying the paper is faulty, too. This is especially difficult for student writers because when the mind must concentrate on difficult, newly learned concepts and methods, grammar and syntax almost always deteriorate. Be especially careful when using terms of art and jargon from the discipline you're just entering. As an "apprentice," you may make mistakes that a more experienced scholar would not make, and they're the kind of mistakes that damage your authority, so you should pay special attention to those peculiar kinds of words and phrases. Double your efforts to proofread your final draft in order to catch these old errors that will come back when you least want them to appear. You can prevent one typical source of dangerous errors if you start your paper's first draft with a list of sources as you accumulate them in your research, properly formatted in the documentation style appropriate for your topic's discipline. This is far to important to leave for the last five minutes of the writing process, and if you develop the habit of doing it early you will save yourself countless disappointments in later papers. Just build the paper on top of that source list, and add to it every time you develop a new source, and you can spend your last hours polishing your prose rather than worrying about documentation format.

One you passed all these criteria then your research work is deemed of praise and recognition.

credits to:
http://faculty.goucher.edu/eng105sanders/research_paper_evaluation_criter.htm
http://www.reportbd.com/articles/57/1/Criteria-Qualities-of-Good-Scientific-Research/Page1.html

The Role of Research in My Future Career

2009-08-29T05:38:00.000-07:00

Every object around us is a result of research. From pillows to non stick fry pans, crayons to drawing tablets, from mouse pads to computers and even barbeque flavored biscuits to chocolate wafer ones, all of these and more are the results of research. Not only tangible things like products spring from research but also in vague things such as marketing strategies, advertising ideas, commercials and many how-to functions.

Research in this age and time means searching for a theory, for testing a theory, or for solving a problem. It means that a problem exists and has been identified and that the solution of the problem is necessary or beneficial. When the police is trying to solve a crime, they need to gather evidences, witnesses and make inductive or deductive reasoning to solve the questions, why was the crime done, who did it and how was it done. All of these strategies speak of research.

Kerlinger defines research as “a systematic controlled, empirical, and critical investigation of hypothetical propositions about the presumed relations among the natural phenomena”. And looking for a research problem with such characteristics and entailed with such limitations is really complex. By limitations, I mean that the scope of the research problem that we need to do have been limited to revolve only to “Green Computing”. Though this topic is something I and my classmates are interested with, yet up to this date, all of us are besieged to think of one worthy research idea.

I have actually delayed replying to this topic since I still have no idea on what my ideal research topic is but the time has finally came that I can’t it delay anymore (te-hee). Providentially, I have an idea or two now to help me in answering the question above. But allow me to tell you about how I arrived to those ideas.

When we were told to think of an idea for a research study, I would admit that there were times that I slacked off. In times that I was trying to focus, I would face the computer and search for topics such as economic and environmental problems that is caused by computers or technology, or “green” products. Virtually, I search and read anything that is related to green IT or green computing since that is the main building block of my research study. But in searching the Internet, even with a thousand hits or topics of varying titles, authors and origins the ideas are a bit similar. E-waste management is the most popular result followed by ‘green’ datacenters or recyclable computer parts and then by computer hazards in the environment through C02 and radiation emissions. Basically, the things I read online revolves around those affairs. I even tired asking opinion from friend of mine but most of them just replied e-waste management and CO2 emissions. A friend of mine already proposed E-waste management and to say it simply, it wasn’t really received warmly by our professor, in fact he even advised that particular friend of mine to forget about E-waste and think of another idea. I can’t really blame my professor, though E-waste is existing in the “present” and interesting, it isn’t worthy to be a research topic if you just want to discuss on what it is and how to do it since it has been discussed many times and its “solution” has been demonstrated loads of times. For me, a proper research topic entails creating solution to something undiscovered and vital. If I foresee that not bring solution to my proposed problem then I would not proceed with it.

Days, turned to weeks and weeks turned to months, when I finally realized that only employing one technique (searching through the Internet) to get an idea isn’t enough. It is funny because when I thought about it, I have to “research” not only about a proper proposal for my research but also I have to “research” a technique on how to arrive to an idea. And in lou of that, I understood that research isn’t easy as it sounds, heck, finding a problem itself needs research. So as another strategy, if you may call it, I went on a Research Field Exposure. I got this idea from a show I was watching wherein the contestants went to different places to get inspiration or more specifically to design and concept for a new phone. Though there were things that they can use inside the office such as sketches of prints, color schemes and palettes of which they can base their new designs from they went outside to research and gather a fresh new perspective. One team went to an art museum and the other team went to the carnival and at the end of the day all of them delivered well, even exceeding the expectations of those who were in that business for years. I wasn’t really thinking of exceeding anyone’s expectations (though that would be nice) but I did the same strategy so as to gain a fresh new perspective and not to mention relieve my back pains and dizziness due to spending hours in front of a computer.

Doing research in that way was actually fun, like a breath fresh air. I went in every stall/store in the mall, ate ice cream and taking pictures of things I thought would bring an idea. By every stall, I meant every and any stall from bookstores wherein I spent two hours in reading computer related books (unfortunately not even one talks about green computing so later on I read astrology books nyahaha), appliance shops (wherein I tried to find features which are eco-friendly), cellphone shops (since I was also considering making a “green” application for mobile/cellphones) and even supermarkets (ideas can spurt anywhere right?!). Going to Internet shops was a must too. Observing what problems might occur in those places is relevant to my study.

At the end of the day, I gather a lot of insights and new ideas (mostly from appliance shops). From Sony’s new line of Bravia LCD HDTV comes there WE5 series and the first ever “green” TV. It has three features that made this a green TV and those are: micro-tubular HCFL backlight, a presence sensor and an energy saving switch. I really want to incorporate those features on a computer but the problem is those are patented technology, very costly and needs years to study and training of which I can’t account for in my 5 month research time limit. But then, if really given the proper funding and knowledge I would really like to research on this topic since it would certainly help the environment because (my hypothesis is) it can cut down PC power consumption to 50% just from the microtubular HCFL backlight feature alone.

From then on, I have been reading about computer backlights and this is the first time I knew that computer and TV’s use CCFL backlights but now are being replaced of LED backlights since its more energy efficient. A normal HCFL backlight is energy efficient too but it has not been tested if its suitable for computers, hopefully with this new micro tubular HCFL backlight, its integration to computers will be studied on.

Hmmm… So obviously I am getting wrapped up on my backlights affair so let us now discuss on what is the role of research topic in deciding my future career.

There’s a saying that in life how you begin or end doesn’t matter but the journey on how you get there, and this saying applies to me. The results of research studies varies, if its hardware based it, something really new, you can apply for patent and sell this technology. If its software, you can also sell it to interested parties but it its pure social research then its implementation would benefit a lot people aside from yourself. But then if in the end my end product would not be that satisfying, I wouldn’t feel down about it since what is important and more useful for myself and for my future career is what I learned and how I applied it. For me, whether or not, I formulate a research study worthy of applause or recognition what matters most is the journey on how I came to that idea and how I did it though I still target to have a significant research study that would benefit me and my environment. Right now, I still have no concrete proposal, I already learned a lot of things. Things that I wouldn’t have the wind of if not for this research study. I got interested in a lot of topics and I am hoping I would get to formally study or work on after I graduate of which may help me on what job I would like to apply for when I graduate (which hopefully would be this year). All the things I learned is essential for my growth as a student who would later on be part of a team of It specialist. Through this, I become conscious of the fact that, true, the school teaches us a lot of things but not all the things that would make us ready when we are on the actual field and thus if we want to “be” ready for it, we must research it on our own. The Internet and the environment gives us a lot of data to work on, a lot of ideas to use, new discoveries and areas in which we can vent out all of these.

Creating a research study builds up interest in a particular field of study, and for me as an IT student it might be on programming, or on analysis or technical implementation and I believe when I graduate the impression that research left on me might direct me to an industry or career that interests me or maybe if I am lucky and my research gets known by such industries they might be the one who gets interested in me to join their team.

My Research Field Exposure

2009-08-24T00:04:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, I went to a “field exposure” on my own. I did this for the purpose of both having my mind refreshed by being away from the teasing EMF emitting computers for awhile and have the possibility of generating an idea for my research proposal.
I have been (or would like to think that I have) trying to think of a research proposal for one of my subjects this semester and unfortunately, I have found nothing good enough. I believe that if ever I was going to look for inspiration for an idea there’s nowhere better to get that from than from the Internet. After spending many hours, days and weeks with this strategy I pretty much believe that it’s a failure now. I mean, how can I get an idea when I don’t even know what to search for. Its not that I haven’t got any ideas from the Internet but then the terms “Green computing” and “technical implementation” got the results of which my expectations can’t reach since its too technical for me. Terms like data centers, hardware manipulation or improvisation for a greener environment are all that came across my readings and let’s face it its too costly and time eating, something that I can not compromise since it would really fit my 5 month plan.
My biggest problem is getting a problem that can satisfy my standards which actually isn’t set really high. Even though our professor already told us to think out of the box and encourage us to set our bars higher, I am honestly not targeting anything beyond my thinking capacity. I research about something I am interested with and within my limits so as to do it efficiently. My limits referring that it focuses more on the social than the technical side of study. The truth of the matter is that I do have some nice ideas for a research study but then I can’t get myself to post it since I always think that the implementation or the technical parts of it would be too hard or even impossible for me, and this “negativity” if you might call it, is my waterloo. As I result, I tend to find new ideas, of which like the first one, proved to be too technical for me. So I decided to go onto field exposure to refresh my mind and so as to block these thoughts or limitations by seeing sceneries and experiencing it first hand than just sitting in front of a desktop computer and have these thoughts eat me. I actually got this idea from a show I was watching, where the participants went to selected places like a carnival or a gallery to come up for a new cell phone design rather than just sitting inside the office and look up patches and color schemes. And so I told myself to forget my other ideas and forget the technical-smickle for a while and just see the world as it is, dissect it into finer blocks so that I can see its drawbacks while eating ice cream (you must admit my idea is cool).

Community is Going Green
I went to SM first, and entered the all shops..whether it be a clothing shop, gamehouse, cellshop, computer shop, music store, or a bookstore. An idea might come up at unexpected places right? I even entered the supermarket and passed by all the aisle look at their products and even bought chopsticks (one of my quirks hahaha). When I was about to pay for the chopsticks I noticed the that SM is now promoting a greener environment by using brown paper bags than plastic bags to put in what their consumers bought. If the customer likes to put it in a sturdier bag, they can purchase the SM green bag made of cloth which costs two for 35 pesos. I was really amazed by this idea since its extra income while promoting a greener environment. Those green bags are cheap but they come as extra income and they came be used over and over again. Plastic bags can be used over and over again too but they would not look that presentable like the green bags would in spite of being used a couple of times of which as a result they wouldn’t be thrown away after use like plastic bags which instantly become part of the garbage after one use. SM even has this sign board in which those who brought green bags can sign on as a proof that they support the advocacy of Bring My Own Bags (but only for Wednesdays). But then even if this practice is done once a week, it’s still a help to make people aware about participating for a greener environment. The green bags have prints on both sides, “SAVE A BAG, SAVE THE WORLD.” on the upper portion, and EXCLUSIVELY FOR SM ADVANTAGE MEMBERS on the lower portion. On the middle portion of the one side, the logo of SM Supermarket Cares, and on the other side, the logo of Unilever Philippines.

That day, I went to a lot of places. Mostly malls like, Gaisano Mall and SM, and internet shops and I also read computer related books in the National bookstore, wherein I spent two hours reading about IT related books, cookbooks, language books and astrology books (love bookstores c: ). I also went in cellphone shops since I was also trying my way in creating a green mobile application and reading the different features from different phones would certainly help. But I gained new ideas in the appliance shops. To what those ideas are, well, I will just present it later when I finished my backup study on it.

All in all, it was a good day. Even if my study would not be approved in the end (hopefully not), it’s still a nice experience for me. Stretching limbs, taking pictures of things that might help you get new ideas and eating ice cream while strolling around (even if I have to soak my feet into hot water when I got home) seems to make new definition of the word “research” for me, than my old closed on the four walled room, sitting infront of a computer and thinking-of-tags-that-would-help days. Being “in” the environment poses a more carefree, relax atmosphere than the radiation filled stiff computer room.

My First Photo Editing Works

2009-08-14T02:10:00.000-07:00

Being a fan if someone is really good. As a positive effect, I tried and learned a lot of things like creating fan videos and editing photos of which I was not interested to do before. But as a downside though, my focus on what my responsibilities are a bit off. nyahaha XoXo

Anyways, I wanted to use Image Ready or Adobe Photoshop 7 but the I am using Gimp instead since I can install it anywhere and its more handy/portable.

The subject of course is my favorite group and my idol. I am still doing basic stuff such as quick masks, logos, and pop arts.

Here are my works.

QuickMasks

Pop Arts

Mixed Effects

Philippines Mourns at the Death of its First Woman President

2009-08-01T03:35:00.001-07:00

Philippine flags in all government offices around the country, including Malacañang and in police and military camps were raised at half-mast Saturday morning as the country mourn the death of former President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino.

At 8 a.m., Philippine flags in Malacañang, military and police camps around the country were simultaneously raised at half-mast.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines also fired volleys at the same time, declaring the day of mourning for the death of the former president.

"We will provide full military honors befitting a former president of the republic and commander in chief," the armed forces said in a statement.

It said the military will go on a vigil and Masses will be held in all military churches during the entire wake of Mrs. Aquino's death.

"Let us continue to pray for her soul and for the entire Filipino nation," it said.

Flags will remain raised at half-mast all over the country during the 10-day mourning declared by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. With a report from Noel Alamar, radio dzMM.

The Aquino family has opted for a private funeral for the late Corazon Aquino instead of a state funeral given to former presidents, according to Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

Aquino said this was because his mother had chosen to be a private citizen when she finished her term in 1992, years after she was installed as the first woman president during the People Power revolution.

The democracy icon succumbed to colon cancer 3:18 am, August 1.

“We want to spend as much time as possible as a family,” said Aquino, as he thanked the public for following their advisories that visitors were not allowed at the Heritage Memorial Park.

He added that a necrology service in Malacanang might not be possible.

“I’m not anticipating an offer, I’m not asking for an offer. There’s a point in time that we would want privacy,” he said.

A public viewing, however, has been scheduled at the La Salle Greenhills gym starting 5 pm Saturday until Monday morning. The former president will then be brought to Manila Cathedral for an overnight vigil, requiem masses and necrological services. Interment will be at the Manila Memorial Park on Wednesday, the Aquino family said.

Aquino said his mother will wear her signature yellow dress and will be buried beside her husband, former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, whose assassination sparked the first EDSA revolution.

Fighting back tears during the press conference, Aquino said his sisters have been very emotional, but the death of their mother brought them closer.

“We draw strength from the five of us,” the senator said in a press conference Saturday.

He said he last talked to his mother days ago, before doctors gave the former president morphine to ease her pain.

“We were told to say everything we want to say because after the morphine she will be sleeping all the time,” he said.

He related that instead of complaining about her illness, the former president would first think about her children’s welfare or check what was on the news.

“Nung first time ko magbantay, she would ask me kung kumain na ako. Other times nagbabasa ako ng diyaryo itatanong niya ano laman niyan. She never demonstrated pain,” he said.

credits to:

Thea Alberto
Yahoo! Philippines

ABS-CBN news

My First Batch of Video Editing Works

2009-07-28T22:52:00.000-07:00

Wait a minute, before you watch the videos.. its not a video where special effects were used to edit the video. Its just simply cutting scenes from a set of videos and creating a new video out of them.

The main videos I used are the SS501 Solo Collection Drama MV. Its a top of the line 20- minute music video by my favorite KPop group. Its a drama styled music video, wherein five songs from the five members are featured.

If you want to see the full MV, just click the links below. Its already English Subbed.
Credits to SuperStarSubbing.

SS501 Drama Part 1
SS501 Drama Part 2
SS501 Drama Part 3

I edited these videos so that each member can have their own MV or FV (fan video) as I call it wherein the fans like me can watch without needing to watch the whole 20 minute music video. Also the scenes from the teaser of each music video were not seen in the actual Drama stlye Mv so I decided to incorporate the teaser and the Drama MV.

My Videos: (click on the song title's to see the videos)

Kim Hyun Joong - PLEASE BE NICE TO ME MV

Kim Kyu Jong - WUSS UP

Kim Hyung Joon (baby) - HEY G

This one's a little rough since HJB has only a few scenes on the Drama MV so I used A Song Calling for You and Ur Man MV's too.

The first video I ever made was Park Jung Min's - ONLY ME.

This song was not included in the Drama MV but in the SS501 Tawain Special Hits Album. I really loved this song so I made an MV of it using the scenes in the SS501 Drama MV. Hope you like it.

Please comment/rate the videos.

Review: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

2009-07-28T04:58:00.000-07:00

I will just keep this short but concise...

I did not like it.. pretty much it won the spot of my least favorite Harry Potter movie (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban rose to second place in "least favorite" category).

Why?

Waiting for it for two years, you'd think that Warner made movie really special since it is the second to the last book in the series and in this series Dumbledore will die so I was thinking of a really grand movie. Yet when I watched it, it just looked like lines and special effects to me. The essence of the book was not captured by the movie.

I have read all Harry Potter books more than five times (each) and so I believe I can pick up what elements this movie were missing. And as I see it, it lost all key elements.

First, having read the book several times I do not reckon that the Burrow was ever destroyed. The fighting scene with Bellatrix in the Burrow was not called for and only caused confusion.

Second, Harry being told by Dumbledore about what are the possible Horcruxes were not included the movie. The question "How will Harry now what these Horcruxes are in the seventh movie?" comes to my mind. What are they going to do about it? Will they make Harry turn into Sherlock Holmes who can solve every problem with that small amount of clues they gave in the movie?

Third, Scrimgeour was not even introduced in the movie. Though this really isn't a major issue since his character isn't really major or central to the story.

Fourth, Albus Dumbledore being the greatest and kindest headmaster of all didn't seem so great in the movie. There was no tribute or grand funeral as it was in the book and it was a major disappointment that they didn't include that in the film.Watching the whole movie and seeing how it failed to capture the book is a real let down and felt like a toothache. I heard that the last book will be divided into two movies and I do hope that they (Warner) will do better if not the best for the last book in the series.

State of Computer Science Reseach

2009-07-21T20:59:00.000-07:00

Last 2005, Mr. Wm. A. Wulf, president of the National Academy of Engineering, and the AT&T Professor of Engineering and Applied Science in the Department of Computer Science at University of Virginia was invited in the House of Science to deliver some points about the current state of Computer science research.

There he delivered four points of interest, the first of which is he took it out from the Science the Endless Frontier, the report that established our system of federal funding of basic research, Vannever Bush advocated a system in which the government funds research, but the research to be done is selected on its merit by the researchers themselves. He said that such a system would pay dividends to the nation in national security, prosperity, and health. It is hard to think of a better “poster child” for the truth of this assertion than Computer Science. Consider the abbreviated list:

• National Security: smart bombs, GPS, unprecedented “information awareness” for the war-fighter, unmanned robotic vehicles for surveillance, enormously enhanced training through use of virtual reality, etc
• Prosperity: a 3% national productivity growth fueled by information technology, dozens of multi-billion dollar per year industries (see Figure 1), internet-enabled business models, a 40-fold reduction in the cost of telephony, a global wireless phone system, etc.
• Health: Medical imagery (CAT scans, etc), cochlear implants, bio-sensors, smart prosthetics, smart defibrillating pacemakers, etc.

All of these were made possible by the federal investment in long-term, basic computing research. Like Mr.Wulf, I believe that it is a mistake to think of such funding as an “expense” and it must be regarded as an investment that demonstrably has had a huge return! Technology such as that listed above is the return on the investments made a decade or more ago. Investments made today in research will have equally large returns for our children and grandchildren; conversely, it is our children and grandchildren that will pay if we do not make them now.

Second, computing and computer science is in the unusual position of being both a challenging intellectual discipline in itself, and providing an infrastructure for other fields of science, engineering, and commerce. While the benefits to society listed above can be directly attributed to computer science, there are also many more benefits that have resulted from the use of computing in everything from cosmology, to weather prediction, and to health care. Across this broad spectrum, computer science has enabled a better quality of life for us all. This simply reinforces the notion that funds expended on computing research are demonstrably investment, not expense. They are, in fact, an investment with an enormous multiplier because advances in computing and information technology have immediate, direct and tangible benefits on virtually all human activities.

Thirdly, the idea that basic research begets applied research begets development begets benefits to society is both wrong and counter-productive when applied to public policy decisions. Instead, there is a marvelously rich and productive interplay between basic scientific discovery and application, between universities and industry, between societal need and technology. The bottom line, however, is that if federally-funded, university-based basic research weren’t “in the loop”, these enormously beneficial technologies would not exist. Basic research may not be the original source for all the benefits we enjoy from technology, but it is a vital and irreplaceable component of the rich system that produces them.

Lastly, computer science research is for and about the people. If computing research has a large multiplier because of its broad application, then the people capable of doing that research are yet another multiplier on top of that! Disinvestment in university-based research is a disinvestment in the production of the next generation of people, with far greater negative impact than simply the loss of the research.

In these points raised by Mr. Wulf we can see that at those times the funding for computer science research was being talked over by the government, specifically the US government. As a summary, the government is still arguing whether continued funding for such researches would be beneficial for both government and people. And as Mr. Wulf pointed out, with the proper research support and funding to universities and colleges across the country or even across the globe is beneficial to all, maybe not today but certainly for tomorrow.

Mr. Wulf also stressed the importance of cybersecurity. At that time, PITAC strongly identified the need for a better funded and stable program of long term basic research. The dominant model of cybersecurity, namely a perimeter defense, is flawed and incremental patches to it will never result in the level of security we need for today’s systems, much less the increased dependence we should expect for future ones. This is an excellent example where boldness and courage are needed, and hence where the perception of excessively low proposal success rates can have severe consequences. He emphasized that the future of researches is greatly affected by the resources available, in the mean point, funding is a great issue. New ideas are needed, just as in cybersecurity research, but instead of temerity, conservatism was imposed. Decline in the success rates of proposals indeed has a significant negative impact, however, we must have the courage to explore things and open for discoveries and innovations. One of the highlights of his words is that the thought of research funding is not merely an expense but instead it is an investment.

But on my research today, the government funding to computer science research now leads to the new trend of studying Green Computing. Go to IT related company webpages, search in the Internet or simply read IT magazines and you can see that the trend is going “green. Computers were and are still aiding people for more comfortable life but we can’t deny the fact that at some point the environment is compromised with these advances. Today, consumers are looking for products with good quality but eco friendly and energy efficient which lead to more research about this topic. Computer science researches are going for greener data centers, monitors, hardware and even researches for green softwares. Also, researches for creating products that might lessen the negative effects of computer radiation is also on going. Computers release electromagnetic field radiation.

This EMF is actually a type of radiation. It isn’t the same type as uranium or plutonium; rather, it is a non-ionizing radiation. This means that the emitted radiation is not strong enough to remove electrons, or ionize the atoms. Instead, it just excites the electrons. It already sounds a little Different devices emit different types and amounts of this EMF radiation. But then past and ongoing researches are trying to prove that these is still harmful since it can also premature cell division. The cells actually divide before the DNA is correctly established, which may possibly lead to mutation or can also bring cancer especially for those who have been in contact with computers in a long time (referring to years).

In past, computer science research tends to focus more on using and improving technology. Making it more flexible for implementation of different purposes, beneficial in different areas such as security, defense, healthcare or medicine, and education but nowadays it leans more on ways to make it more eco friendly but not comprising the quality and services it was built to do.

These are the Technical Topics in which Computer Science Researches are now focused:

<1.>
2. Commerce
3. Electronic Teaching
4. Information Retrieval, Databases, and Data Mining
5. Machine Learning
6. Networking, Distributed Systems, and Security
7. Robotics, Computer Vision, and Graphics
8. Software Systems and Architecture
9. Green Computing

Published Research Papers

2009-07-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF FREE AND OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
Kevin Crowston and James Howison
School of Information Studies, Syracuse University
{crowston,jhowison}@syr.edu

Summary

What do we really know about the communication patterns of FLOSS projects? How generalizable are the projects that have been studied? Is there consistency across FLOSS projects?

These are the questions this paper responds to. Questioning the assumption of distinctiveness is important because practitioner-advocates from within the FLOSS community rely on features of social structure to describe and account for some of the advantages of FLOSS production.

To address these questions, this study examined 120 project teams from SourceForge, representing a wide range of FLOSS project types, for their communications centralization as revealed in the interactions in the bug tracking system. It was found that FLOSS development teams vary widely in their communications centralization, from projects completely centered on one developer to projects that are highly decentralized and exhibit a distributed pattern of conversation between developers and active users.

And therefore, it was suggested that it is wrong to assume that FLOSS projects are distinguished by a particular social structure merely because they are FLOSS. Our findings suggest that FLOSS projects might have to work hard to achieve the expected development advantages which have been assumed to flow from “going open.” In addition, the variation in communications structure across projects means that communications centralization is useful for comparisons between FLOSS teams. The social structure of Free and Open Source software development 2 found that larger FLOSS teams tend to have more decentralized communication patterns, a finding that suggests interesting avenues for further research examining, for example, the relationship between communications structure and code modularity.

Evaluation

The topic being raised is really interesting (since I can relate to it better than the other researches I found). At its conclusion it really did prove the points raised but the downside for me in this study is its methodology. Though indeed the results are gathered with evidence or supporting data this paper mostly is done by researching topics directly and indirectly related to it. The methodology only consists of gathering data and queueing them up and no other strategies were done (as I see it). As Kate quoted it, "The paper was more of a historical type of research rather than a technical research because they did not perform any experimentation and relied majorly on their literature."

With regards to the format, there were only two major parts: related literature and conclusion. The other parts of a “standard” paper were indeed missing and thus it can e understood that the conclusion and recommendation was drawn from the literature review.

However, I think this research still is effective since it provided sufficient data/ literature to support the study.

----------------------------------------------------

OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE: THE USE OF OPEN SOURCE GIS STANDARD AND ITS IMPACT ON ORGANIZATION
by: Mahmoud Refaat Nasr

Summary

This thesis explores the reasons behind the poor level of adoption of open source web GIS software, and whether it is due to poor awareness about open source concepts or due to technical deficiencies in the open source tools. The research was done in 2 major phases; the first phase involved conducting surveys to measure the awareness and attitudes towards open source. The surveys examined three categories of people involved in the IT industry, namely: decision makers, software developers, and end users. The measurement of awareness was done by developing an Awareness Indicator and a Sentiment Indicator for each category. These indicators were developed by the author during the course of the study in order to provide a measurable and descriptive indication of the results. The second phase involved performing a comparative analysis between MapServer a leading open source web GIS tool, and three of the leading proprietary web GIS software, namely: ESRI’s ArcIMS, Intergraph’s GeoMedia WebMap, and MapInfo’s MapXtreme. The results of the research provide an insight on how different categories of people view open source, and demonstrate that lack of awareness about open source concepts and its competencies may be a major reason behind the poor adoption of open source solutions. The results of the comparative analysis also demonstrate that MapServer is technically equivalent to its commercial counter parts.

Evaluation

All I can say is that this is a very good research paper. Maybe its because I'm still inexperienced in judging the research work but I can't find I fault or major ones anyway in this paper. Upon reading this paper, you can see how detailed the framework is, how in depth the research has gone and the structure of the paper is complete and done nicely. Researching histories and related topics were complete with regards to the points the researcher raised in his objectives and also survey done in terms of testing the hypothesis of the study was also shown and detailed in the paper.

Though the survey done was fine as a suggestion, it would be better if he added observation and interview of organizations who were already using open source GIS standards as to support his survey findings. Format wise its done throughly and
But overall, its a pretty much detailed and good research paper.

-------------------------------------------

COORDINATION OF FREE/LIBRE OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
Kevin Crowston, Kangning Wei, Qing Li,
U. Yeliz Eseryel, and James Howison

Summary

The apparent success of free/libre open source software (FLOSS) development projects such as Linux, Apache, and many others has raised the question, what lessons from FLOSS development can be transferred to mainstream software development? In this paper, they used the coordination theory to analyze coordination mechanisms in FLOSS development and compare our analysis with existing literature on coordination in proprietary software development. The researchers examined developer interaction data from three active and successful FLOSS projects and used content analysis to identify the coordination mechanisms used by the participants. The researchers found that there were similarities between the FLOSS groups and the reported practices of the proprietary project in the coordination mechanisms used to manage task-task dependencies. However, it found clear differences in the coordination mechanisms used to manage task-actor dependencies. While published descriptions of proprietary software development involved an elaborate system to locate the developer who owned the relevant piece of code, The researchers found that “self-assignment” was the most common mechanism across three FLOSS projects.

This coordination mechanism is consistent with expectations for distributed and largely volunteer teams. We conclude by discussing whether these emergent practices can be usefully transferred to mainstream practice and indicating directions for future research.

Evaluation

Honestly, reading these research papers was easy but understanding them is a hard so most of the time I just skim through a whole section and judge it by its format and methodology. As I have observed, the drawbacks of the paper is just like the first paper I commented on. Though indeed the results are gathered with evidence or supporting data this paper mostly is done by researching topics directly and indirectly related to it. The methodology only consists of gathering data and queueing them up and no other strategies were done (as I see it). As Kate quoted it, "The paper was more of a historical type of research rather than a technical research because they did not perform any experimentation and relied majorly on their literature."

With regards to the format, there were only two major parts: related literature and conclusion. The other parts of a “standard” paper were indeed missing and thus it can e understood that the conclusion and recommendation was drawn from the literature review.

As a suggestion, using other data collection techniques to combine with the data or literature collected would be better.

Comddap Davao 2009

2009-07-06T05:29:00.000-07:00

"Where the highest mountain in the land rises over the vast rich plains of Davao, where the king of Philippine birds soar over his domain, the giant of all Philippine I.T. shows once more unfolds its latest event. It’s COMDDAP Davao 2009 – the biggest I.T. expo held regularly in the South."

Last July 2, 2009 we attended the Comddap Davao 2009. This is a product exhibit of the Computer Manufacturers, Distributors and Dealers Association of the Philippines.

Admittedly, it is geeky. LOL. But fun and informative at the same time. My friends and I signed up for the seminar to be given in the afternoon but fortunately we arrived there a little earlier and that's why we had a little time on our hands to make rounds on the exhibit area.

As I remember it, companies such as AOC, NEXUS, HEWLETT PACKARD PHILS. CORP., Canon, Dell, EPSON, MSI-ECS PHILIPPINES. INC., WORDTEXT SYSTEMS, INC., SMART, Gigabyte, Envision and other IT related companies where there to show their products on separate booths and stalls.

I was trying to get an idea for my research topic by looking at the products and I have seen a lot of Green IT related products such as a green computing based motherboards (from Gigabyte), laptops (mostly by Dell) and LCD monitors by AoC.

Later in the afternoon we joined in the seminar held by Mr. Celmer Santos of Jupiter System Inc, Nexus group. He introduced us to Jupiter Systems and focused more their Dealer Management System. If you want to outsource software developments especially those which focus more on car dealership and management you can visit to their site: http://www.jupitersystems.com.ph/

Jupiter Systems has a lot of services such as procurement, manufacturing, order management and dealership management system. And the one the Mr. Santos focused more on his talk is their dealership management system. A lot of well known companies such as Volvo, Mazda, Honda, Ford, Mercedes Benz, Toyota and other big car brands purchased their services. The general features of their dealership management systems are the following:
• Monitor Sales Executive Activities,
• Sales lead monitoring from initial inquiry to actual close
• Sales quotation processing
• support sales of new and used vehicles
• vehicle reservation and deposit collection
• vehicle inventory
• customer incident and resolution recording
• interface to manufacturer systems
• reports and queries
• highly graphical technician assignment and loading window
• customer appointment
• repair order and estimates
• customer/vehicle service history
• technician time in and time-out
• parts requisitioning and picking
• control parts and consumables cost

After Mr. Santos, Mr, Leonard Zapa from HP Invent took thestage and introduced us to HP's new product: thin client. It was a really informative topic and a very handy product. By the first three slides he already convinced me to buy the product (but I can't since I don't have dough haha). Thin clients are small and protable CPU like device but with lower memory since it doesn't have a hard drive. It has an IDE flash with a memory of 1-2GB which may seem as a disadvantage but it actually is very beneficial especially to task based users.

Thin clients are computing devices that function as an access device on a network. These solid-state devices connect over a network to a server where the bulk of the processing takes place. Thin clients have no hard drive, allowing for more secure storage of data and applications on the server. Thin clients offer the highest data security, lower total cost of ownership, increased energy efficiency, easier manageability and high reliability with a small chance of downtime to occur in the system or even none at all.

With no hard drive, fan or other moving parts, thin clients have a much longer lifespan than standard computers and use significantly less power. Lower maintenance costs are another benefit as software application updates, virus scanning and patches can be executed on the server. Thin clients offer significant savings in power usage over traditional desktops. This is realized not only in energy costs but reduced air-conditioning costs in some cases. With their long lifecycle thin clients allow companies to achieve energy savings targets and reduce the need for replacement equipment. Deployment costs are also reduced as thin clients can be remotely configured and do not need to be set up individually. Break-fix simply requires replacing the thin client.

In a Thin Client environment you can upgrade users quickly and inexpensively by updating application software hosted on servers, not clients. Not only do you have a more controlled and secure environment, but technical support costs are greatly reduced. These are long-lasting products with no moving parts, to not only reduce noise levels, but also lower maintenance costs. There’s even optional wireless connectivity support on select models.

Total Cost of Ownership*
• 80% less maintenance per year
• 25% capital cost savings
• 34% less in maintenance
• 23% less to operate
• 25% productivity increase

Other advantages of thin clients are:
• Control software, applications and files centrally
• Save up to 80% on maintenance costs
• Deploy out-the-box in under 10 minutes
• Support your legacy mainframe
• Effortlessly manage enterprise IT
• Use fewer support personnel
• Manage remotely with simple problem diagnosis
• Reduce hardware theft

The talk with Mr. Zapa was really fun and all of us were listening closely so that e could answer the questions he will give at the end of his speech. I was called to answer and the question was relatively simple but bad enough it’s not my lucky day and I just blurted out an answer with fully reading all the choices. Maybe and with the highest probability I answered wrong because of excitement. Going back to that experience my head just churns because I should have won a t-shirt from HP and a 2 gigabyte USB if I answered it correctly. What a shame. I became really interested in the product so I will feature it in my upcoming posts.

Going back to the COMDDAP, it was a very geeky but entertaining and time worthy event. It felt like being a small kid again locked up in a room full of candies and toys.

Photo credits to Ms.Kate Mariel Dizon

Motherboard from Gigabyte

LCD Monitors from AOC

Me advertising AOC *tehee*

From left to right (cham2x, dolor, angel,kate, Me (looking sleepy) and Karren)

USEP Enrollment System Diagram

2009-07-04T05:47:00.000-07:00

After the refreshing summer break, I forced myself to have me enrolled back to school. Kidding. Haha.. Honestly, (and I am not saying this because we are talking about the enrollment system tarpaulin) for the four years that I have been enrolled in the university, I still haven’t memorize the enrollment system in the university. If I were asked to do step by step guide on how to enroll I could do it if and when it is not the enrollment period, I have experienced it so I certainly can.

For New Students
1. Go to UGTO and fill up student records
2. Payment of fees (IC Local Council fee, Obrero Campus Student Council fee, collegiate headlight fee and Insurance).
3. (For scholars only) Apply for a scholarship at the Office Student Services.
4. Enroll in ROTC or CWTS.
5. Go to your college adviser, submit or present all necessary documents, and secure a Pre-Registration form.
6. Fill up the Pre-Registration form and have your ad
7. Submit the Pre-Registration form to the encoder and secure Certificate of Registration.
8. (For scholars) Verify student accounts at the bookkeeper. (For non-scholars) Pay tuition fee at the cashier.
9. Submit all necessary documents/requirements and complete enrollment by getting stamped “Officially Enrolled” at the Registrar.
10. Apply for a library card.

For Old Students:
1. Payment of fees (Local Council fee, Obrero Campus Student Council fee, collegiate headlight fee and Insurance).
2. (For scholars only) Validate scholarship at the Office of Student Services
<3. Go to your college adviser, submit or present all necessary documents, and secure a Pre-Registration form.
4. Fill up the Pre-Registration form and have your adviser to sign it.
5. Submit the Pre-Registration form to the encoder and secure Certificate of Registration.
6. (For scholars only) Verify student accounts at the bookkeeper. (For non-scholars) Pay tuition fee at the cashier.
7. Complete enrolment by getting stamped “Officially Enrolled” at the Registrar.
8. Validate library card.
PS: I don’t know about shiftees though. Fortunately, I never needed to shift or transfer or anything.

That sounds weird and stupid but its true that during the enrolment season I don’t know where to go and what to do and as a proof last enrollment I spent a whole hour lining up with the enrolling students for the Registrar to have my OJT clearance signed just to know that I just could go straight to the Registrar since it was a clearance for the summer classes. I don’t know why I tend to forget it, maybe its because of the heat, or because seeing how long the queues of students hat makes me stressed out even before lining up myself or maybe because my anticipation to the coming semester’s line up of classes and….professors. I usually just follow what my classmates do and where they go like a puppy. It’s okay since I am considering myself as a cute Maltese pup. Well, enough of my “funny” side comments.

Lot things have changed in the enrolment season this year. The Cashier and Registrar section are now more in order than ever and big tarpaulins that guides a student whether a new, old or a shiftee to how to enroll. What do I mean by the Cashier and Registrar being more in order? Well, in the past years I have been in the university during the enrollment season students’ crowd over that small place (small considering to the vast amount of students pouring in that area) that when one views the scene from the second floor it looks totally like fishes in a sardines can. Students sweating and elbowing each other, heat builds up due to the “no space to move even for air to pass” situation. I even remember that a line formed by ten students have branched out into two other queues creating two number eleven student thus creating confusion and tension. Another problem is that the Registrar and Cashier are just in the same area having the students lining up for the Registrar and Cashier standing back to back each other. When I was still considered as a scholar (since nowadays GSIS scholars are now told to pay their fees in the Cashier than just pass a green card to the bookkeeper), enrollment was such a breeze since I don’t have to wait long and have varicose veins protruding on my legs due to the amount of time I spend standing up and waiting for my turn at the Cashier. The Registrar isn’t really a problem to us, students from the Institute of Computing since we are only small in number or population that is why our queue time isn’t really that long if not none at all.

But then now, compared to the sardine can situation from before, only one line is being made for each Cashier and Registrar section. Regardless of the number of windows or service sections they have only one line is allowed making the flow of transaction more organized. Students don’t have to suffer smelling each others stench or even feel heat since space is bigger now. Guards are there give the students their numbers in the line and see if everyone is on their right line and that no one is making “singit” (pardon the term I used).

Photo Credits to: Harley Lovitos

In the Cashier area the seats are arranged in a certain fashion that makes the students take turns. If a window/service counter is vacant the student on the first chair would take that counter and so on and so forth. Also believed that due to the new Enrollment System (the computer sense of system) made by two professors from the Institute of Computing the service time was much faster than before, though I also think that the staff’s work ethics also helped in making the transactions move faster.

When I came inside the Engineering building I haven’t really noticed it since it was placed in a manner where the incoming person can’t notice it much but as I was going to the comfort room that was when I saw the Enrollment System Tarpaulin.

Photo Credits to: Kate Dizon

For me, I thought that this was better than what the university did last year to guide the enrolling students. It was much more arranged, detailed and the material used was much better since you can’t easily rip it. Being someone who forgets enrollment procedures it was nice to know that something like this was provided by the university and admittedly I didn’t really use it since just like the past years I just took the role of a puppy dog following where my friends would go and what they would do (this technique is faster and more convenient for me haha). But then I know people like me who have short term memory loss or to the shiftees and new student those tarpaulins would definitely come in handy.

Since the text in the picture above cant be read I just wrote down the contents of the tarpaulin below.

Enrollment Procedure for New students and Transferees

STEP 1 – Go To the University Guidance And Testing Office
o Encoding of Student Information.
o Identification No. Assignment.

STEP 2 – Office Of Student Services ( For Scholars Only)
o Scholarship Application.
o Releasing of Scholarship Card.

STEP 3 – ROTC/CWTS
o Registration and Sectioning of ROTC/CWTS.
o Releasing of ROTC/CWTS slip.

STEP 4 – College
o Present enrollment requirements.
o Advising / Pre-Registration.
o Payment of other fees (Local Council fee, Obrero Campus Student Council fee, collegiate headlight fee and Insurance).
o Encoding - Assessment of fees.
o Temporary Certificate of Registration Printing.

STEP 5 – Student Accounts (For Scholars Only)
o Submit Temporary Certificate of Registration.
o Posting of Accounts.

STEP 5 – Cashier (Paying Students
o Submit Temporary Certificate of Registration.
o Payment of Matriculation.
o Official Receipt Printing.

STEP 6 – Registrar
o Submit enrollment requirements.
Form 138 (High School Card).
Photocopy of NSO Birth Certificate.
USEPAT Entrance Exam Result.
Admission Slip.
Medical Certificate.
Certificate of Good Moral (Original).
2 pcs. 2x2 recent ID picture.
Prospectus of the enrolled course.
1 pc. Long brown envelop.
Official receipt of tuition and other fees.
o Printing of Official Certificate of Registration.

[b]Enrollment Procedure for Old Students[/b]

STEP 1 – Student Accounts
o Check students’ accounts.
o Check balance.
o Clearance signing.

STEP 2 – College
o Advising / Pre- Registration
o Payment of other fees (Local Council fees , Obrero Campus Student Council fees, Collegiate Headlight fee and Insurance).
o Encoding.
o Assessment of fees.
o Temporary Certificate of Registration Printing.

STEP 3 – Student Accounts (For Scholars Only)
o Submit Temporary Certificate of Registration.
o Posting of Accounts.

STEP 3 – Cashier (Paying Students)
o Submit Temporary Certificate of Registration.
o Payment of Matriculation.
o Official Receipt Printing.

STEP 4 – Registrar
o Present Clearance.
o Present Official Receipts (Tuition and other fees).
o Printing of Official Certificate of Registration.

[b]Enrollment Procedure for Shiftees[/b]

STEP 1 – Student Accounts
o Check students’ accounts.
o Check balance.
o Clearance signing.

STEP 2 – Go to Former College
o Request to shift.
o Recommendation to shift.

STEP 3 – Proceed to New College
o Acceptance of Shiftee
o Advising / Pre- Registration.

STEP 4 – Go to University Guidance And Testing Office / Office Of Student Services
o Student Profile Updating

STEP 5 – Go back To New College
o Payment of other fees (Local Council fee , Obrero Campus Student Council fee, Collegiate headlight fee and Insurance).
o Encoding.
o Assessment of fees.
o Temporary Certificate of Registration Printing.

• STEP 6 – Student Accounts (For Scholars Only)
o Submit Temporary Certificate of Registration.
o Posting of Accounts.

• STEP 6 – Cashier (Paying Students)
o Submit Temporary Certificate of Registration.
o Payment of Matriculation.
o Official Receipt Printing.

• STEP 7 – Registrar
o Present Clearance.
o Present Official Receipts (Tuition and other fees).
o Printing of Official Certificate of Registration.

As you can see the description I have given before and what the university wrote in the tarpaulin are just the same only it’s more detailed in the tarpaulin. It’s easy to understand which I think was a major consideration in making the tarpaulin. At first glance and in the eyes of a new student the tarpaulin made must be okay or perfect. It has served its purpose of guiding the students in the enrollment period but if you dissect every detail in the picture you can find inconsistencies or imperfections.

For some one who knows how to create use case diagrams it might occur to you to that it has faults but mostly are just minor faults. As for me, I am not really good in creating a use case diagram but I want to suggest things that would make the diagram on the tarpaulin a little bit better. For one the sizes of arrows should be uniform in size and length. Another would be that the actors in the diagram should also be in uniform form: height and width. Doesn’t it look funny when the other actor which represents the student should be long and thin in one part and stout and chubby in another? Another would be that if one can notice that below an actor a box is there wherein inside it figures such as 1/2, 1/1, and 2/2 are placed. Now, up to this day I don’t know what that means and even if I ask other people they neither not know what it means nor not notice it. If I were to make a guess a meaning out of those figures I would say that it would probably mean that in that service station it accommodates two out of one server, one out of one and two out of two servers respectively. But even that don’t make sense. I have enrolled a couple of times and I was or even observed such instances. Overall, if those figures are not needed then it should just be taken away but if it has significance in the system it should be explain in a legend so as to avoid confusion.

Just like Kate, I find that long arrow the biggest mistake in the diagram. For a newbie it certainly looks like its pointing to nothing. Even to a person who is experienced in making diagrams it still looks like it points to nothing. It gives a feel that a box/comment or maybe an actor is supposed to be there but was just forgotten. Why not connect it to the other arrow and just make one curved arrow? I can’t really see the purpose of making that arrow instead of curved one. Even if its not a use case diagram or lets say it’s a entity relationship diagram it still won’t be acceptable since you must connect it to another object or if you want to say that it will go to the diagram below it needs an object that will say that from that point onwards it is cut from the diagram above. It adds confusion both for those who knows how to create diagrams and for those who don’t.

Now on this picture above, as Kate said only scholars are required to verify their student accounts – so why is it that in the diagram the scholars are told to go to the Cashier? What makes the matters worst, this is the case in all three diagrams therefore every scholar would proceed to the Cashier. Even those who have been student scholars in the university for many years now could be a victim of this since it might occur to them that the university might have changed the enrollment system that now says that they have to go to the Cashier for their student accounts. The scholars then will find it hard to doubt that wrong information since the mistake was inconsistent in all three columns and in every diagram placed in the university. Now if that were the case some scholars (the population who adhere to the enrollment system on the diagram) have lined up in the Cashier wasting their time and efforts just to be told that they weren’t supposed to be there. So I think that next time before finalizing any diagrams or enrollment system it should be double checked so as to become a good reference to the students and not as a liability that spreads confusion.

Though I think that there are still other things other than the Enrollment system diagram needs improvement for the next enrollment like providing more electric fans to the area since heat and long lines still tend to tire out the students making them look sweaty and messy. More chairs should also be placed in the area and that the numbers given by the guards should have more meaning and more use than just that of handing it to the Registrar just to prove that you were in the line. What’s the point of it having a number or text on the paper if that number or text doesn’t mean a thing? True that t has served its purpose, acting like a license for students to prove that they didn’t just pop out of thin air and that fairness would prevail but what I want to say is that since the object is already there why can’t we just use it properly. The guards should give and hand out numbers or papers of which the numbers on the paper are in ascending order or not in random. Like in my experience the guard gave me a paper number 36 while the one ahead of me has a number 6. Since the enrollment system was new to me that to me that time it caused me to be confused. I thought that the Registrar will just call the next number on the list so that made me wonder why my number was so far away to the one before me. The things we need are already here so why not use it properly, right?

Another thought would be that all payment to all fees should be paid only at the Cashier or bookkeeper (if you are a scholar). During enrollment periods, students have to line up and wait at three areas to pay certain fees. These three areas are rather distant from one another: one in the Collegiate Headlight Office near the Social Hall, then to the local council office a student’s college building and lastly to the Cashier located at the College of Arts and Sciences. And one can imagine the toll that this creates to the students because in all three stations they have to line up. In the Collegiate Headlight Office, wherein all students in the university has to pay there are only three to four available service stations and from this information alone one can see how ling the queues might be and how long a person’s queue time is. Even service time in this station is also a bit longer because there is no existing system which means things are done manually. If a certain employee takes a day off it only leaves three or less stations to serve the students. And to the local council office, only one or two people are there to serve all the students in that particular college and this task is also done manually. Now, I don’t know why all fees has to be paid separately from the Cashier. Why issue a Pre-Registration form first then encode it to the Certificate of Registration wherein in this COR all fees are now to be paid in the Cashier. If that would be the case, the students only have to line up in just one area. I think it would make things a lot more convenient for everyone and make the transactions finished faster. Though the heat and queuing up would still be there at least it is now minimize or lessen into one.

I think the things I suggested above can be done in the next semester since it doesn’t really need that much of preparation but the thing that I would like to suggest the most is why not do the enrollment online? If the university has enough resources and money creating and deploying an enrollment system online would be nice. It is convenient, fast and lessen hassle to the students and university employees. Admittedly, this thought needs a lot of analyzing to be done and hammered into a more detailed idea. I am not suggesting to eradicate the personal contact of students and of the university but I want to lessen it while not compromising but improving the enrollment system of the university. But as I said, its still needs time, resources and proper study before implementation.

King of Pop finally took a last bow

2009-06-26T00:22:00.000-07:00

The entertainment world got stunned as officials in Los Angeles confirmed that the "King of Pop" Michael Jackson died after suffering a cardiac arrest. Stars and fans most of which are now flying to and flocking in Los Angeles mourned the death of the beloved King of Pop.
sg
Jackson started to conquer the music screen at a tender age together with his siblings with the support of MoTown Records. Who could forget the young boy in Afro wearing his signiture red jacket.

Though with all his achievements come controversies. At the time he undergone plastic surgery he has been a favorite among gossip columns. The transformation of his nose from "before" and "after" even made number 1 to the list of the Most Sensational Celebrity Secrets. And who could forget (if you read the news) about his sensational child molestation cases in the past years.

But then such controversies can't affect the music and the legend of Michael Jackson. To this day his album "Thriller" which just celebrated its 25 years in the top of the charts deeming it to be the best selling of all time.

This is a saddening news to think that he was already on the verge of making his comeback on the music scene though a concert tour. He was reportedly rehearsing for this said concerts in this last two months.

He has been through a lot from his childhood and till the day he died. He may have took his last bow at the age of 50 but it can be sad that he lived a full life for his accomplishments are tremendous. I offer my condolences to his family, especially to the three children he left behind, to his siblings, friends and fans. I hope that now he is in a happy place. Though the curtain have fallen the legacy of Michael Jackson still remains.

In housing in USEP is Good but is it the BEST?

2009-06-24T22:47:00.000-07:00

What do you think is/are the reasons why the university decided to tapped in-house resources, was it a good decision?

In life all things comes with an opposition or a contrast such as black and white, high and low, poor and rich and in the IT industry maybe the most familiar contrasting words when it comes to software development purchasing is outsourcing and in housing.

In housing refers refers to the production of some commodity or service, using a company's own funds, staff, or resources, whilst, outsourcing refers utilizing outside or external resources. Both, in housing and outsourcing have their own benefits and drawbacks and as I understand it one can't judge on what technique is more advantageous since the effectiveness of such techniques depends on what company, situation, system to be done together with minor yet vital factors. Every factor must be considered, researched and be analyzed well before one can decide whether it is feasible to use in housing or outsourcing in that given situation. In a given situation implementing one technique without careful analysis can create huge problems or drawbacks for the company. For example, implementing in housing without further study on the current company situation and software to be done (which if studied appropriately would tend to use outsourcing) could cause the company to pay more than if they outsourced.

When the university decided to tap in house resources, I have mixed thoughts. In the issue between in house and outsource I have always been vocal about my support in outsource. I have read focused more on knowing what outsource is and I am interested with it which is why I was a bit muddled by such decision of in housing but upon hearing that the professors in our department were the ones who were chosen to do it I was elated. Being a student who was taught by those professors, I have known that they have excellent academic backgrounds which really makes them worth idolizing for me but knowing that the university itself recognized their abilities by choosing them to develop certain systems for the university and its students like me that was a different thing. Though I know that they are also commissioned by other companies it doesn't have the same effect as to when I knew that the university chose them. Maybe because I am now familiar to the system they will be doing or maybe its because I know that its difficult since it will cater all the students and records in the university. I felt really proud that I was a student of these great and skilled professors, it makes me feel like I am as great as they are. But then all of those are my initial reaction to the situation. I am not saying that I don't anymore feel proud of my professors, because actually me response to the people involved is still the same only me thoughts about the situation changed.

I cant really pin down or rank down the reasons why the university did it and I don't even know if a through analysis has been done (since we have different definitions of “through”) when the university decided to do in housing. Maybe its because they recognize that we have highly skilled and capable system developers and not using their talents for the university might be seen as a waste (totally agree in this thought), or they think that it is more convenient since the chosen developers know how the university operates, how things are likely to be done that is why they aimed in housing, or perhaps its because its more cheaper. Or maybe, just maybe no one from the outside would like to do the system with such time constraints. Any of those reasons given above if not all maybe the reason why the university to utilize their ''own” resources.

The university commissioning two highly skilled developers is a GOOD decision but whether in housing was a good choice I am still in doubt since these people had other responsibilities inside the school and for this reason, they cannot function and perform their respective duties well. Though I can't contest to their decision since they probably went through an ordeal of deciding between in housing or outsourcing and might even executed deep feasibility studies and analysis it just might be that they did the right decision. But for me being a third party member in this affair since I am a student in this university and a student of these skilled professors I have experienced the bad effects or to put it lightly the consequences of in housing. My professor who was chosen to be one of the system developers have to drop our class so as to concentrate in making the system in such “tight” time constraints. Such action required hiring a substitute, part time professor for us who like us, the students became confused with the time and scheduling of the class, and pick up where the past lesson left off. Since our past professor have a different teaching style to our new professor all of us where a bit taken back and needed to adapt to it. Aside from the confusion it has given to the students another drawback I noticed was that the cost of hiring a part time teacher must add up to the cost maybe making all the total cost of in housing bigger than if it were outsourcing (not sure though since I haven't done the mathematics and accounting of it all hahaha). Maybe in housing will amount less in the start but at the long run it might cost more and become a hassle not only for the developers maintaining it, or its users but also to the students in the university.

In the end, as I said before I can't contest to the decision of the university because I believe that they must have undergone a deep analysis of all things in consideration before choosing to do in housing so it means that in this case it is THE BEST decision than outsourcing. Though I am leaning more towards outsourcing the university may have found it with beneficial with all things considered even its drawbacks. But then again, whether they have chosen in housing or outsourcing, consequences or drawbacks from each choices will appear and the only thing left to do now is to face all of those.

Sassy Girl wants Blood

2009-06-12T02:23:00.000-07:00

Another vampire movie will be out this year and No, its not New Moon but Blood+. ``Blood" is based on a popular Japanese anime film, series and manga,and I just finished watching the anime version and I actually liked it though I am not really that big of a fan. The animation was great and the plot was also great so that leads us to the question: Will the movie (live) adaptation will level up or exceed the animation?

Hallyu star Jun Ji-hyun, also known as Gianna Jun who was

populary known in the movie Sassy Girl, will play a half-vampire, half-human demon hunter Saya, in her first English-speaking role in the film ``Blood: The Last Vampire."

The story is about a girl named Saya (Jun Ji Hyun) who she tracks down and kills (brutally if I might add)demons in human disguise or Chiropterans throughout Tokyo in 1970. Her main concern is to hunt down the ``oldest and vilest of all demons" Onigen, who she blames for the death of her father.

A lot of critics who saw the 5 minute start of the film gave praises to Jun Ji Hyun for her fluent English but says that the movie is a letdown. I have also seen the 5 minute snippet of the movie and well, the way it was shot was really a bit of a let down. PS. I kind of hated Ji Hyun in Saya's uniform. I dont like seeing her in it and I dont know if its because the uniform looks big on her or she's slouching. Well, got to see the whole movie first before I can actually judge it. Love Jun Ji Hyun though.!!

From Sassy to Vamp..

credits: koreatimes

Happy 4th Anniversary SS501.!!

2009-06-11T02:35:00.000-07:00

Fans of 5-member group SS501 posted up newspaper ad to congratulate the group on their 4th anniversary since their debut.

Their offical fan club Theseus had posted the advertisement posting on 8th June on the daily newspaper – there was congratulation message together with a photo of the SS501 members smiling happily together.

Previously SS501 Kim Hyun Joong fans also posted up advertisement posting for completing his drama ‘Boys Over Flowers’.

Meanwhile, members Kim Kyu Jong and Kim Hyung Joon are promoting for MBC drama, while members Heo Yeong Saeng and Kim Hyung Joon are promoting as DJ on SBS Power FM.

credits to kbites.

Well, as I have seen a lot of fan videos such as that from Quainte are in Youtube now and other video hosting sites to congratulate SS501.

Hey, just wondering whether Theseus is a new ss501 fanclub or was the writer jsut mistook Triple S for Theseus. Triple S is the original fanclub.. I should know since I am a triple. I GOT NO NOTICE.!! hahaha

Happy Anniversary and Good luck to Persona.

Another Contemporary Drama for Lee Min Ho

2009-06-11T02:29:00.000-07:00

That’s what he said in regards to his next project, according to an interview with MBC Section TV. He was asked about what kind of projects he wants to do in the future, and his answer was, “I want to try to do a trendy drama for one more time.” This answer drew a lot of attention from viewers.

Since Lee Min Ho is still young, with his own charm he wants to try again to work in a trendy drama like “Boys Over Flowers.” Lee Min Ho said playfully, that as the successor of “Shinhwa Group”, the conglomerate son, Gu Jun Pyo wishes to venture the business. His witty answer combined with friendly laughter as he looked around shyly.

As Lee Min Ho got a lot of support and love from the audience as Gu Jun Pyo, he realized this kind of role doesn’t come anytime. It’s the kind of role that can turn an actor into stardom quickly.
Yesterday, Lee Min Ho underwent a knee surgery to remove the metal rod in his knee. And according to his management, the surgery went really well and now he’s taking some time off to rest and to stabilize his health.

Then after taking a well-deserved break, Lee Min Ho will celebrate his birthday with fans on June 21 at Seoul’s Grand Park, Dom Art Hall as he resumes his activity in this fanmeeting.

Source: www.jazzholic.com

HaPie BurThdei Shinllang Ji Hoo.!!!!!!!

2009-06-05T06:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to My Shinllang (Kim Hyun Joong).!!

A lot of Hyunnies have their gifts sent, fan vids posted and fan letters mailed as for me I'll just greet my shinllang here in my blog. You are now 23, but 24 in Korean standard of counting a person's age.

I wish him more success (especially with their Persona Asian tour), love and health (especially with all the A(H1n1) around). Thanks for all the Hyunnies and Triple S for the updates and links.

To all those like me who finished BOF already and to those who are still watching it right now, to see Yoon Ji Hoo (Kim Hyun Joong) and Gu Jun Pyo (Lee Min Ho) in action, watch Haptic Mission, a reality show wherein these two guys together with Woo Bin (Kim Jun) and Son Dambi play it all out to be the Next Best Employee.

(Ji hoo looks better the JunPyo ahahaha)

Kim Hyun Joong (Yoon Ji Hoo): Am I alien?

2009-05-31T21:21:00.000-07:00

His near-perfect appearance, coupled with his natural, unassuming and straightforward personality, translates into a boy who embodies the charisma from two polar ends.

He is the leader of the band, SS501, and he’s also the young man who has shone exceptionally through his acting debut in Boys Over Flowers; Kim Hyun Joong who is only 23 years old this year. When we talk about Kim Hyun Joong, there are two main things that people would say about him normally. One is to describe him as the boy with perfect looks, and the other is to call him an ET or 4D (4-dimensional).

Towering at over 180cm, he’s tall and lanky with a near-perfect frame, and his personality is just very interesting, cute and adorable. His thinking and logic are often as hard to read and as unpredictable as aliens. That’s why everyone is used to calling him 4D. This is Kim Hyun Joong whose popularity is near explosive right this moment.

As a singer, he often and quite expectantly gives people the feeling that he’s cool. But when watching him on variety programs, one is often shocked and wonders, “Can he really show others this side of him?”

Kim Hyun Joong is someone who does not hide and is not pretentious. Even the way he wrapped himself in the blanket and just plain refused to get out of bed was a hot talking point, and this alone made him very popular amongst the production team. Because his performance and reactions are so unguarded and natural, and the way he’s not pretentiously coy only serves to make people adore him more.

As the leader of an idol group, he will sometimes show his matured side, and will work hard and not bring trouble to others. But there’re also times when he acts in a self-centred manner. Such a natural and wide-ranging character has also become part of his charm and magic. An influential person in the industry once said, “Although Hyun Joong may look nonchalant and doesn’t care for much, he’s actually full of humanity.”

Although there’re times when his actions baffle everyone around him, and people also worry about his ’sudden outburst or unexpected reaction’, why then does everyone still like him so much? What is Kim Hyun Joong really like as a person? Let us take a real good look at his real self.
Kim Hyun Joong, who is both the leader of SS501 and also an actor…

The up-and-rising star Kim Hyun Joong who has won praises and attention through Boys Over Flower…
Are there worries hidden behind his success?
What, really, is going on?

“Refuse to let anyone look down on me!
I am only focused on acting out the role of Yoon Jihoo…”

In the first half of this year, there’s a drama that every household in Korea knows about, and that’s the drama adapted from the Japanese manga writer Yoko Kamio’s work, Boys Over Flowers that captured the whole of Asia.

Kim Hyun Joong’s role is Rui Hanazawa from F4, Yoon Jihoo (Korean version). His performance won the hearts of the young women of today. But at the beginning when accepting the role, it was really one big challenge, and during that time the majority questioned his ability to handle the role.

So, does Kim Hyun Joong have the determination to really become an actor? This is also one important question.

“Actually I did not have any thoughts (of acting) during that time.” He did not even hesitate to consider when he answered that question.

Then, what was the reason that had caused him to make up his mind, and also to use this acting opportunity to capture the viewers’ eyeballs?

“Actually from the time of my debut, I had never even once thought of acting. It’s just this one lucky chance that made me into (almost) an actor. At that time, I was thinking that since the opportunity is here, so I just decided to show everyone my acting effort that I would try my best to do!”

It was with such a thought that Kim Hyun Joong started his first contact with acting. What’s more his maiden experience in acting had to be this significantly important piece of work (Boys Over Flowers) which had already caused such a storm in Taiwan, Japan and other parts of Asia. For this young man who was first trying his hand at acting, he must have felt a tremendous amount of stress and pressure.

But Kim Hyun Joong said, “I didn’t want people to see the part of me that is not as good, and I ccouldn’t have people look down on me.”

And most importantly, he did not want to see the reputation that SS501 has so painstakingly built up through the years go down the drain just because of his poor acting. At that time, acting was still so unfamiliar to him, he could only digest the script and the lines in the way that he knew best how to, and to give his all to immerse himself into the character.

“I bought two copies of the original manga and placed them in my room; the idea was so that I could read and do research anytime I want. I didn’t want to portray the Rui Hanazawa from the Japanese manga whom everyone is so familiar with. I wanted to add abit of my own magic to create a totally new character.

My thinking was to retain the essence of the original story, but put more heart into showing a Rui Hanazawa who can give up everything and not have a care in the world just because of a woman.

At that time, really, all I wanted was to give it everything I have to do a good job. Although my condition wasn’t very good when we first started filming, but I really didn’t want people to laugh at me, and I was so afraid of being mocked. I was just thinking of all these things during that time, and just didn’t bother about anything else and gave it everything I had and did my best.”

In Boys Over Flowers, Rui (Jihoo) was a quiet man who, at the same time, was so mysterious and hard to comprehend. Whenever his beloved Jandi was in trouble, he would appear right beside her just like the ever-elegant and gallant Prince Charming riding on a white horse, like a prince who would be there just for her. This alone was already enough to capture any woman’s heart. Once they’ve laid eyes on him, it’s not possible to look away, and they would literally suffer from Jihoo-fluenza. ;D ;D ;D

“But in the beginning I was painfully shy and did not dare to act out anything at all. During the first broadcast, I was so shy that I could not watch it with my family. When it was about to air, I hid myself first and watched it on my own (laughs).

At that time, I totally could not grasp and understand the meaning of acting, and I only did it my own way.

Like there was one scene I was supposed to show that I was very angry and had to hit the steering wheel to express my anger. But I did not know how to control my own strength, and ended up using alot of force to hit the steering wheel, so much so that even the the sleeve of my clothes was ripped and torn.”

But it was precisely such training and experience that Kim Hyun Joong slowly developed an interest in acting, and came up with his own style and method in terms of acting.

“This is really a method that I had figured out on my own. At least 20 minutes before the actual acting, I will go and create the space and emotions needed for the character.

And the second thing is that the moment the PD shouts CUT, I have to jump out of the character immediately."

When we’re filming, we don’t always film at the same place all the time, we will move to different places or sets, so this method is very useful when it comes to treating scenes that require different emotions and feelings. And it’s also a very important technique.”
In order to portray the character Jihoo perfectly, his room was full of the manga books. And in order to act out the different feelings required from different scenes, he has also learnt to slip in and out of character… All these are the effort he’s put in so that he could do better.

But his hard work and effort did not go to waste. Yoon Jihoo has become synonymous with the romantic perfect guy. Nowadays, no matter which generation, all women will say that their ideal type of man is Yoon Jihoo.

Regarding this social phenomenon, what are Kim Hyun Joong’s thoughts?

“To be able to be a part of this drama… that’s absolutely and certainly one very fortunate thing in my life. To have received such love as Yoon Jihoo, I feel very happy and blessed.

But to be honest, Yoon Jihoo is completely different from me! (laughs)

Although there’s some similarity from the aspect of our gentle nature, but I’m more like than man than Yoon Jihoo, more masculine! So i think there isn’t much common ground between us.

And more importantly, Yoon Jihoo is someone who will only appear in Boys Over Flowers, while I’m a real person.”

Kim Hyun Joong, he wants to rid himself of Yoon Jihoo. He said this in a very natural and straightforward manner. “If I don’t rid himself of him, then I too will not grow, and there won’t be any improvement.” He smiled as he was saying this.

To continue to charge forward one step at a time after achieving a certain success, that’s his goal in life. Where’s the source of the motivation propelling him to do things like this?

“O… Actually in my mind, there’re three kinds of entertainment work, music, acting and variety shows. I do not wish to just concentrate on one kind, I hope to do well in all!”

His reply surprised the editors. We know he cares a lot for music and acting, but we did not expect that variety programs too have a spot in Kim Hyun Joong’s heart.

“I really love variety programs. Because I think in music, acting and in variety shows, different sides of Kim Hyun Joong are being shown. I really wish that when viewers see variety programs that I appear in, they will immediately think that so long as there’s Kim Hyun Joong, it will be something interesting.

Even if the camera’s following me and filming me really close, I don’t find it annoying (laughs) Coz I think one is not an entertainer if he/she hates having the camera on him/her. And he/she has also lost the right to be an entertainer. I want to do the work that I’m supposed to do with a happy heart.

I really enjoy signing autographs for my fans. And it’s precisely because I’m popular, that’s why there’re people wanting my autographs, so I think signing autographs is great.

No matter when, I hope to be able to enjoy this kind of popularity, and it’s also doing something good for people who like me.”

My goal is not just to penetrate the world,
I want to become the No.1 star in the universe!

Right from his debut, Kim Hyun Joong has already made up his mind to work hard for the fans who like him. But what about Kim Hyun Joong’s inner heart? Aren’t there times when he feels pain or unhappy?

“Of course there will be times like this. When I’m unhappy, I will go to the office to practise my dance. Coz when you’re practising, you will feel that you’re growing and getting better.”

Korean entertainers all like to say this: To work harder and let everyone see a better form.

But these words, when coming out from Kim Hyun Joong’s mouth, come across as unusually real and sincere. Although his expression is still that of nonchalance and looking as though he doesn’t really care, but from his expression, we could see this young man’s true heart. All he wishes for is to make the people who like him, happy.

This Kim Hyun Joong as we know him has already returned to SS501, and they’re planning a series of activities. Not so long ago, they were in Japan to promote the Japanese album All My Love that has just been released in Japan. Next, they will hold a concert in Budokan in Japan, and also to warm up and gear up for their Asian tour.

“Am really looking forward to the performance at Budokan in Japan! Although many people would say it’s still too early for us to go to Budokan, but we absolutely will make this concert a great one, a successful one!

I know we still need to be put in a lot more hard work, like in video, music, stage effects, and also live and stage performance, or even the combination with magic, etc… We wish to hold a very interesting concert.

We want to make it such that friends who come and see us must experience at least one moment that they just can’t take their eyes off the us, or think that the stage effects are really so great… Just one moment of that will be enough.

We will continue to have more exchanges and discussions with the members and the staff to discuss about what we want to present to everyone. But it will definitely be the best…!”

There is no trace of Yoon Jihoo in the Kim Hyun Joong in front of us now; it has been replaced by the leader of SS501. Kim Hyun Joong, his face is full of such confidence. Then, lastly, let us ask him, “What is your goal?”

“Hehe, my goal is not just to become an Asian star. Not even the world. I want to be the No.1 star in the entire universe!!” [biggrin] [biggrin]

This boy… he really is a boy who can make people feel that whatever he says is interesting. What would his next step be?

The man of the universe: Kim Hyun Joong!

Let us wait and watch out for more shiny rays to emit from you!

(No matter if it’s music, acting, or variety programs, I want to do them perfectly!)

Kim Hyun Joong’s 4D Test:
Rui Hanazawa (Yoon Jihoo) vs Kim Hyun Joong

1. Personality

“He’s not at all like Jihoo…” His co-stars all agreed unanimously.

Hyun Joong is different from the calm, steady and quiet Jihoo; he’s always joking at the filming sets, and he’s also the livewire who is the source of laughter and giggles, he’s completely demonstrated his pure and innocent nature.

“I’m a lot more manly than Jihoo..” Hyun Joong himself emphasized this point.

2. Dressing

Jihoo basically dressed in white-coloured clothes that are princely-looking.

But Hyun Joong himself prefers black, and even his bags, etc, are mainly in black as well. Black on him seems to have the effect of letting people know of his existence as a leader.

3. Music

Jihoo is a artsy performer of musical instruments.

Although Hyun Joong too loves music, and can play the guitar, piano, etc, there was once he was supposed to play the guitar in a program, he was perhaps too nervous, so his performance was not really perfect. But everyone still think he’s very cute, ya? That is his charm!

Credits:

original in japanese: ぴあ
reposted by: SS601 / cite
translated into chinese: julieann / hyunjoongchina
translated into english: happiebb / bb’s blog
credit: hyun_ki @ kimhyunjoong.ipbfree.com
Kim Hyun Joong’s Real Self

2NE1 brings in the "Fire" in their debut (finally.!!)

2009-05-06T21:18:00.000-07:00

After the much successful "Lollipop"mv of 2NE1 and their sunbae's Big Bang, the success of 2NE1's debut has been in doubt since most Netizens think that the its only Big Bang's charisma that made "Lollipop" numero uno in the charts. Also, Lollipop being a huge hit, brings more pressure to 2NE1 that their debut single must be hotter than Lollipop, so as to prove that they indeed can stand on their own in the music scene.
As for me, I watched and kept track of 2NE1 primarily because Sandara Park was there, and as we all know she became a celebrity here in the Philippines first than in her own country. I was curious on how can she project a hip and "astig" personality since here in the Philippines she is known as a "krung krung". Secondly because they are dubbed as the female Big Bang. I love Big Bang especially TOP (*swoon*).!!! Coincidentally, Sandara or 'Dara as her fans call her is said to be the TOP in 2NE1 though I can't really understand it.

Now, I think YG Entertainment can finally relax because it seems that 2NE1's debut single "Fire" is successful with only one day from its release 2NE1's Fire MV (space version) in Youtube already received one million hits. It also gathered a lot of attention to the media even here in the Philippines. I loved the Fire Street Version though than the Space version but over all I think they are deserving to be called the female Big Bang. 2Ne1 is really something to watch out for since they serve as a fresh air in KPop scene because honestly speaking, a lot of girl groups are coming out and all of them have the same image and genre (with all the cute dance steps that sometimes make me sick, well depending on the girl group. Kara and Wonder Gilrs fighting.!! SNSD, who??!! hahaha).

To watch the 2Ne1 Fire MV, just click on the links provided below:
Fire (Street Version)

Fire (Space Version)

Lollipop MV

The video beside this post is the 2NE1 Fire Street Version. For Big Bang fans, KPop fans and Sandara Park fans you can comment on these videos and post right now.

Introducing 2NE1:

Stage name: CL (my fave)

Korean name: 이채린 Lee Chae L/Rin
English names: Chae Lee, Faith Lee
Birthdate: 2/26/91
Roles: leader, rapper, vocals
Height: 162 cm
Blood type: A
Religion: Catholicism
Specialties: French, English, Japanese
Hobby: songwriting

Name: Kong Min Ji
Birth date: 1/18/94
Roles: rapper, vocals
Height: 161 cm
Blood type: O
Religion: Christianity
Specialties: Chinese, Japanese
Hobbies: listening to music, songwriting, studying musical composition

Stage name: Park Bom
Korean name: 박봄
English names: Bom Park, Jenny Park
Birth date: 3/24/84
Role: main vocals
Height: 165 cm
Blood type: AB
Religion: Christianity
Specialties: English, Japanese, piano, flute, cello

Hobby: listening to music

Stage name: Sandara Park
Korean name: 박산다라
Birth date: 11/12/84
Role: Vocals
Height: 162 cm
Blood type: A
Specialties: acting, Tagalog, English, Chinese
Hobbies: listening to music, internet

source for the profiles

SS501 Crazy.!!!

2009-04-24T23:13:00.000-07:00

I have been a fan of KPop or korean pop years ago and as for the Kpop boy bands the first ones I loved are Shinhwa and TVXQ (DBSK) . I think I was a Cassiopean (TVXQ fanclub) at those times since I was really into KPop when they debuted and I really loved all their song.

Kim Hyun Joong playing Lei or Ji hoo in Boys over Flowers *faints*

But recently, I have been engrossed into the Kktoba Namja or Boys Over Flowers - the korean version of Meteor Garden and like in the Taiwanese and Japanese version of the show I fell in love with Yoon Ji Hoo (Hua Ze Lei or Hanazawa Rui) character played by Kim Hyun Joong. IT was really love and first sight.!!

I also fell in love with the songs soundtrack especially the ending song "Because I'm Stupid" which was actually sang by Kim Hyun Joong boy group SS501. And now I am here today, blogging about being a TVXQ fan turned into a diehard SS501 fan.

SS501 is composed of leader Kim Hyun Joong *swoon*, seraphic voiced Young Saeng, sexy charsima Jung Min, center and cutie Kyu Jong and baby Kim Hyung Joon. At first, I loved their music which was very much wide ranged : from pop, to soul, to rock etc. Just like their dances with are sometimes cute and sometimes "astig". But the main reason why I loved this group is their leader... joke, I loved their personalities. They have been in a lot of interviews and reality shows (since that the trend in Korea) and they just are really talented, funny, and frank especially leader Kim Hyun Joong.

Member Profiles:

Kim Hyun Joong (Korean: 김현중; Hanja: 金賢重; Japanese: キム･ヒョンジュン)

* Birthday: June 6, 1986 (1986-06-06) (age 22)
* Position: Leader, Rap , Vocal
* Past experience: MC Show Music Core, MC SBS Inki Gayo, MC Mnet Countdown.
* Talents: Singing, Dancing, Piano, Guitar, Acting
* Notes: Kim Hyun Joong had been a host of MBC's music show Show! Music Core, debuting on November 11, 2006, joining Brian from Fly to the Sky. He then left the show in order to make the group's first debut in Japan, at the beginning of 2007. He was also part of the We Got Married cast that shows on MBC. He also got casted on the Korean version of Hana Yori Dango - "Boys Over Flowers", which is currently filming.

Heo Young Saeng

* Birthday: November 3, 1986 (1986-11-03) (age 22)
* Position: Main high vocal
* Past experience: DJ for SBS's "Youngstreet" Radio (from June to August 2006), MC Mnet Countdown.
* Talents: Singing, Dancing, Piano
* Notes: Heo Young Saeng was a former trainee under SM Entertainment, he left to join DSP Entertainment. He is close to many TVXQ and Super Junior members, notably Hero Jaejoong, Yesung, and Choi Siwon[citation needed]. He is a member of SS501 subgroup.

Kim Kyu Jong

* Birthday: February 24, 1986
* Position: high low vocal
* Past experience: Mnet "Drama - Break", DJ for SBS's "Youngstreet" Radio, MC Mnet Countdown.
* Talents: Singing, Dancing, Magic Tricks
o Notes: Kim Kyu Jong, along with Park Jung Min, were DJs for SBS's "Youngstreet" radio. He is a member of SS501 subgroup. He is currently a host of MBC's God of Cookery Expedition.

Park Jung Min

* Birthday: April 3, 1987
* Position: low vocal
* Talents: Singing, Dancing, Acting, Tap Dancing
* Notes: Jung Min is the new MC of a Korean TV Show (MBC) entitled !느낌표: 위대한 유산 74434. This show explores the Korean heritage and its lost treasures. He was also a DJ for "Youngstreet" along with fellow group member Kim Kyu Jong. He was chosen as the lead actor in a musical - Grease.

Kim Hyung Joon

* Birthday: August 3, 1987
* Position: Main vocal, Rap
* Notes: He is a member of SS501 subgroup.

I really had a great time watching "We Got Married: Ssangchu Couple" reality show in Korea where Hyun Joong was "married" to Hwang Bo. His four dimensional personality with his "wife's" personality was really entertaining that they won "Best Couple" in the MBC awards.

I still love TVXQ though, and I am very happy since Cassiopeans did there best and succeed in putting TVXQ name in the Guiness Book of Records but as of now I am a Triple S fan.

Catch Kktoba Namja or Boys Over Flowers soon in ABS-CBN. For me who watched all the three version already specifically Meteor Garden (Taiwan version), Hana Yori Dango (Japanese version) and Boys OVer Flowers ( Korean version), the latter was the best for me. So watch out for it. Double S-501 and Triple S fighting.!!!

Play the video beside this post to watch ss501 "Deja Vu".!!

13 Year Old Alfie is NOT a Dad after all.!! hurray.!!

2009-03-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

When I posted an entry about 13 year old kid, Alfie Patten, who was the alleged father of baby Maisie with his 16 year old girlfriend Chantelle Stedman, I received a lot of comments. It seemed that a lot, if not all who read my post have the same concern as mine which is unbelief and doubt that Alfie, who looks too young for his age and a seraph at that could be a father and pity that he will live from that time on and forward as a father raising a family than a kid who should enjoy his childhood playing and being a kid.

Well, good news guys, as it turned out, from the DNA test that is (thank God for the DNA test), that our young Alfie is NOT the real father of baby Maisie. Even though, Chantelle was Alfie's girlfriend she was sleeping with other boys or men in that matter. The true biological father is still not known at this moment. Thank God that Alfie's mom really insisted on a DNA test or else Chantelle's little secret would have ruined not only Alfie's life but also baby Maisie's as well.

Talk about liberated. Young boys and girls nowadays just think that the birds and the bees as a game. At these times, it really calls for "PARENTAL GUIDANCE IS A MUST.

Is Maintenance Programming Really More Challenging??

2009-03-24T22:04:00.001-07:00

As Dave Thomas would quote it, “All programming is maintenance programming, because you are rarely writing original code.” I have to agree but then in this topic let us refer to the definition of maintenance programming shall we? Maintenance programming is defined as the modification of a software product after delivery to correct faults, to improve performance or other attributes, or to adapt the product to a modified environment.

I think a lot of programmers will agree that creating your own programs or systems are easier and finishes faster than editing programs made by other people. I have already personally dealt with a situation like that and I found out that programmers opt to write their own function because it's easier and more fun than figuring out how the old function works. In the latter, you would have to familiarize if not study the whole code of the old system to know where to change it and add upon it. Familiarizing and making the system adapt to the changes you are about to subject to it are rather troublesome than just starting off from scratch. As Joel Spolsky would quote it, “It's harder to read code than to write it.” This is one of the reasons why a programmer would rather make a new program than do maintenance programming.

Maintenance Programming is intellectually complex, technically difficult, unfair, no-win dirty work and conservative. Thus, a maintenance programmer should be knowledgeable with his trade, patient, disciplined, creative, up to the challenge or willing, conservative and has good communication skills. A maintenance programmer should like what his doing so as to have the will and tenacity that this challenging task requires. As already stressed above, he should have good communication skills since he needs to communicate well with the users of the systems and to the original developers of the system.

Many software developers are introvert persons who prefer to deal with technology rather than with people. However, the software is written for people to use it, and in the case of maintained software, we already have users. It is crucial to find out how they use the software, why they use it, what problems are they trying to solve, what functionality they need. To find that out, don’t wait for them to come to you; be proactive and go to them. If possible, communicate with original developers. If you are lucky, some of the original developers are still with the company, and they can be a tremendous help and save a lot of your time. Don’t expect them to do the actual coding for you, but they can throw you an idea how to accomplish something, explain you why something works the way it works, and provide you with lots of helpful hints.

Developer and User Responsibility

2009-03-15T01:05:00.000-07:00

Question: Developers work together with customers and users to define requirements and specify what the proposed system will do. If, once it is built, the system works according to the specification but harms someone physically or financially, who is responsible?

Software success depends on developing a collaborative partnership between software developers and their customers. In the given situation, where the system works according to the specification given by the customer, we can say that the software done was a success. But then again, does this still stand if the software harms someone physically or financially? The main question that is raised now is whether who is at fault. Is it the customer or the developer? This statement is truly a moot point.

A customer is anyone who reaps benefits from a product and is the one who request, pay for, select, specify or use a software system. It is the customer from which the developer derives the key features and specification of how the system should be done. While, the developer is the one who translates these requirement specifications into code. In this light, it can be easily assumed that the customer should take the blame since the system made was a product of the customer’s choices and preferences and the developer only acts as a medium for the customer to get his product. Therefore, the “harmful” system even though made by the developer is the responsibility of the customer who have requested, gave information/ project requirements and purchased the software.

But in some parts, the developer can be said responsible. Why? The developer being the one more knowledgeable in creating the software should have foreseen if the system being done was harmful in any way and should have informed the customer. It’s true that a developer must follow the specifications set by the customer, following the saying that “the customer is always right” but then the customer being unfamiliar with developing systems may not know that such requirements were harmful. Thus, in light f this event it is the responsibility of the developer to take care of its users, inform the customer and give advice or alternatives that will lessen or eradicate the harmful effects of the system. Failure to do so, then the developer should be the one held responsible for any harm done.

But then again, in the event that the customer was informed before hand and still pursued the original plans even with the knowledge of the harm it would bring, the customer should be the one held responsible for its consequences.

Quality software is the product of a well-executed design based on accurate requirements, which are in turn the result of effective communication and collaboration—a partnership—between developers and customers. Collaborative efforts only work when all parties involved know what they need to be successful, and when they understand and respect what their collaborators need to succeed. Thus, if any failure such as the situation given above we can say that both parties should share the responsibilities so as to ensure business value, user satisfaction, and developer fulfillment in the end.

Pink Dolphin??

2009-03-02T20:12:00.000-08:00

The photograph you see above is a not a photo shop edited image but a real one. Erik Rue, a Charter boat captain, is the one who took the picture of the animal above. The pink dolphin above is actually an albino dolphin which was found in Lake Calcasieu, an inland saltwater estuary, north of the Gulf of Mexico in southwestern USA.

Capt Rue described that the said dolphin is not only pink in color from tip to tail but also has reddish eyes and skin that appears smooth and glossy. He said that he spotted this dolphin 40-50 times already, swimming with a pod of four other dolphins, with one appearing to be its mother which never left its side.

"I had never seen anything like it. It's the same color throughout the whole body and it looks like it just came out of a paint booth.", said Capt Rue.

Well, I think that most of us will agree with that statement. Its a kind of dolphin that Hello Kitty and fans would be proud of. I only see pink colored animals on cartoons and I never dreamed that I would see a pink animal, a dolphin at that. To this dolphins fans there is no need to worry though we can consider this as a sick dolphin since this condition was caused by albinism (which actually made me a bit more puzzled since isn't an albino be abnormally white not pink hahaha), Capt Rue assured that "the dolphin appears to be healthy and normal other than its coloration, which is quite beautiful and stunningly pink".

A close relation of dolphins, the Amazon River Botos, called pink dolphins, live in South America in the Amazon. To the people living near Lake Calcasieu, please take good care of the lake and its inhabitants especially this very special pink dolphin.

SOURCE

Does the number of lines of code a good measure of a programmer's productivity?

2009-02-25T21:56:00.001-08:00

The main concern being brought in is whether then number of lines of code being made by a programmer is the correct method of measuring his productivity. And as a reply, I truly think not. Although there's definitely some relation with productivity and lines of code, but it's far from direct thus source lines of code is the poorest and most ineffective way of measuring one’s productivity.

In Wikipedia, programming productivity is defined as a variety of software development issues and methodologies affecting the quantity and quality of code produced by an individual or team. From this definition alone I can adhere that my opinion is well justified since number of lines only refers on quantity and does not directly relate to quality of coding or work done.

Source lines of code (SLOC) is useless if we use this software metric in programmers doing the same design but different languages since different languages can produce different numbers of lines of code for implementation of the same design. If a same program is to be done in Java and C++, it can be foreseen that Java programmers can create lesser lines of codes than C++ programmers since it has more built in functions and classes than C++ (or vice versa depending on the program to be done). From this example, we can say that even if the quantity of code is lesser but if the quality is the same therefore the programmer is still productive.

Source lines of code (SLOC) is also rendered ineffective when the code is still not complied, tested or implemented, simply stated “Productivity in lines of code cannot be measured until implementation begins.” Why? Basically because a programmer could write hundreds SLOC but then if it is wrong then should one still consider that as productive? This situation is analogous to a question “Would you measure a chef on the volume of spaghetti used per day?” Clearly not.

Furthermore, if one keeps using SLOC as software metric to measure a programmer’s productivity, a programmer may just type away or just may structure code to meet productivity goals. Which in reality it refers that no serious work is done.

From my experience, the trend nowadays is to make your source line of code shorter but still keeping up with the quality of the program. Shorter and more concise programs make it easier for programmers to debug and manage their programs. The best programmer is generally the one who takes the most code away, not the one who adds the most code. A measure of when a product is stabilizing is when it "turns the hump" from growing to shrinking code size.

Registered Nurse na Sila.!!!

2009-02-24T01:12:00.000-08:00

(Pic above: Kyle (my cousin) and Cristal (my ate))

Just want to share to you the happiness that me and the rest of the Hernandez family is feeling at this moment as three of my cousins namely, Kyle, Nick and Richard and my ate Cristal passed the Nursing Licensure Exam at their first take. A shoutout to Jake, my ate's boyfriend, whom we also consider as a part of th family also passed.

As my aunt would describe it, "It was a success". A lot of things have happened to our family last year and we were wondering if that would affect their performance in the exams and we only hoped that God will guide them in this undertaking and fortunately God was kind to our family.

To the now registered nurses of our family, I wish that you keep up all the good work you have been exerting lately since upon passing this exam means more and tougher things are to come to your lives and career. "Paburger naman kayo dyan"

Facebook mishap

2009-02-18T23:32:00.000-08:00

Last February 16,2009, a news leaked that a popular social networking site, Facebook, stated in their terms of service that if you want to be a member of this site then all your pictures, files and personal information that you will post in the site will be legally in their disposal.

The TOS says the following:
"You hereby grant Facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to (a) use, copy, publish, stream, store, retain, publicly perform or display, transmit, scan, reformat, modify, edit, frame, translate, excerpt, adapt, create derivative works and distribute (through multiple tiers), any User Content you (i) Post on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof subject only to your privacy settings or (ii) enable a user to Post, including by offering a Share Link on your website and (b) to use your name, likeness and image for any purpose, including commercial or advertising, each of (a) and (b) on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof."

English translation: "All your stuff will be theirs and at their disposal anytime, anywhere with or without your permission"

People joining such sites never really read the the terms of service that the site offers that is why this information was discovered just recently. Some members of the said site and even non-members are now actually thinking of (or is already) boycotting Facebook.

Howerver, the folks over at Facebook are now working quickly with their legal team to fix their "terms of service"

The following message is the greeting when you now login to Facebook:

Terms of Use Update

Over the past few days, we have received a lot of good feedback about the new terms we posted two weeks ago. Because of this response, we have decided to return to our previous Terms of Use while we resolve the issues that people have raised.

All is well, for now.

Lesson learned: Next time read out the Terms of Service of the site you want to join.. you'll never know what they might want in return.

Source

Deathnote: Kira should be... Zac or Chace??

2009-02-18T01:58:00.000-08:00

Death Note a popular manga, anime series and live action movie in Asia will be seen in a different light. A very different light. Because of the popularity and hype Death note gained in Japan and its neighboring Asian countries, Hollywood now craves for the Deatnote madness as making a Hollywood, American version of the series will be brought in the theaters.

The news is really great for Deathnote fans (like myself) who are still hungry for more of the famous series but after the new development from the Deathnote Hollywood production changed all the excitement to anger. What might this news be that is receiving a lot of hate mails from blogs, forums and other sites?

Guess what Deathnote fans... the lead character of Kira or Light will be played by .... ZAC EFRON.!! Horrific right?? Well, this info actually leaked out before 2008 ended, but I just got the wind of it just recently.. hahaha.. Still, for those who knew this before me or to those who just found out like me, I know we all have the same reaction: "Hell NO.!"

I really wish that Zac isn't the final choice, Chace Crawford looks better for the role. They are both hotties but Chace certainly have the goodish but also devilish looks that Kira has. He also looks more mature than Zac which the role certainly needs. I'm already cringing at the thought that Zac might just do a sing and dance while killing people or while talking to Ryuk. Totally dreadful. Why don't they just call it Deathnote Musical,if that's the case.

The only news I am waiting to hear now is who would play the role of L?? I can't think of anyone yet at the moment though if Robert Pattinson gets the role he wouldn't be new to "ionizing" his face to make it pale white and make his hair untidy (L's hair is untidy right??!!) since he already does that in Twilight. It is a fun idea though, right?? I love Rob but I certainly hope he will not be L, he's too busy in New Moon anyway.

Well, if you read this post please comment on who would be the better Kira: Zac or Chace??And who would be your preferred L..!!

13 year old kid embraces FATHERHOOD

2009-02-16T23:39:00.000-08:00

The picture above is family picture above is not a picture amongst siblings but a family picture consisting of mom Chantelle Steadman (15 years old), dad Alfie Patten (13 years old) and their baby daughter Maisie.

Chantelle and Alfie, who was just 12 at the time, had a single night of unprotected sex which led Chantelle in conceiving baby Maisie.

Alfie said that when his mum found out, he thought he was going to get in trouble. He and Chantelle wanted to have the baby but were worried how people would react. He also adds that even if he doesn’t know how to be a dad, he would try to be a good one. Actually I think that his decision not to resort to abortion already reflects that he maybe a good father, since he wants to be responsible for the consequences of his actions, even though the true weight of fatherhood hasn’t dawned on him yet.

Truth be told, Alfie cried a lot when he told his father that it was the first time he’d had sex, and he didn’t know what he was doing or the complications that will come from it. Alfie’s dad was heartbroken for his son, saying that just a few months ago he and Alfie were playing games and boxing and now his kid is having a kid of his own. He also added that both families — the Steadmans and the Pattens — will help and support in raising the child

Admittedly, Chantelle said that they could be accused of being grossly irresponsible but they will make up for it. She said, “We know we made a mistake but I wouldn’t change it now. We will be good loving parents.”

I first heard this news on a radio station and since it sounded really far fetched, I sought the help of the web to search for the “truth”. About 85,000 hits about Alfie Patten showed up, all referring to the boy who lost his childhood and now faces fatherhood.

My initial reaction as I read the articles and seen the picture was: “Holy crow!! What is the world coming to!! That innocent faced 13 year old boy who looked like he was still 8 (and stands 4ft in height) can’t be the father of that baby.”

I just want to still think of it as an internet news hoax, I mean for crying out loud I already 20 but I don’t see myself having a baby now or in the near future because the complications will be tough so how can this 13 and 15 year old kids handle the pressure, it is just downright horrifying. But it’s the truth and I only hope the best for them.

At these times, parents should orient their sons and daughters about the birds and the bees and the complications that come with it so as to if not eliminate, just lessen the occurrence of this serious case.

SOURCE

Two Major Reasons Why a Project is Late

2009-02-11T00:46:00.000-08:00

Employee turnover refers to a ratio comparison of the number of members that “must be” replaced or left in a given time period to the average number of total members in the team. This raises questions such as “What happens if they leave?”, “How dependent is our schedule on people with these exact skills?”, “Will information be lost with the person?” and “How can we keep them / replace them?”

Huge consideration is given to this idea since it is seen to not only increase cost and expenses but also making a project late. Why? Simply because, if a member left during or halfway through developing a project it will certainly incapacitate the team. Before making a project, the job is divided equally thus if one member will leave it will leave a gap or additional job to another member. This problem also relates to employing another person to balance the tasks again but then we already know (from our Activity 1) that getting a new person to do a project has it own disadvantages and also makes a project late, especially, if that person isn’t familiar with the project at hand. Therefore, employee turnover and the supposedly “solutions” to it creates problems and tends a project to be late.

Changing of requirements or requirements volatility or instability results to certain complications that can really make a project late and even fail. The instability of requirements can be fine if its only changes minor details of the project. Minor adjustments or simple solutions can be enough but then these cannot be if major details are to be changed. It can result to certain degrees of changes such as from changing a whole task, or adding a new task, or having one or more section rendered useless by this new development and the worst of which is to have to do the project again from the top. Sometimes when certain project requirements change it tends to delay, or use up a lot of time in adjusting and mending the project.

New paths and strategies that weren’t considered at the first might be taken and used now thus making study and testing time longer which can lead to making the project late or fail. It can be analogous to cooking, if we cook a dish faster if we stick up to its traditional ingredients but if we were going to use other untraditional ingredients we have to taste and test it before putting it to the pot to be sure that the taste will be the same. Certain details such as the heating the pot more or simmering ingredients linger or shorter can be implemented when such recipe change is done. So it is with requirements volatility or instability.

Expediting IS implementation

2009-02-04T23:58:00.000-08:00

"You were invited by the university president to prepare an IS plan for the university, discuss what are the steps in order to expedite the implementation of the IS Plan."

Honestly, I am a bit of confused by the question above, whether is refers to me having to "sell" my IS plan for it to be implemented or it is already approved, but "expedite" being defined as "speed up the progress of" I would just assume the latter.

Given the question above, I will now assume that the Proposed IS plan is now approved and now subject to implementation. Therefore, all that is left to think about is how to ensure successful and fast IS plan transition from its paper-plan stage to the implement stage.

Key considerations to do:

Project management:

In this step, it refers to considerations such as where would the project/system suitable to be
implemented or placed in, budget on executing and maintaining it, who are going to manage it and are they suitable to handle implementation of the project?

Such inquiries are supposed to be answered even before it was approved and even before the project completion. The answers are going to make implementation faster since all grounds are seemed to be covered already like personnel to be hired, placement of system/project and its needed support and back-up.

Data Conversion:

In this step, questions such as is there data needed to be put into practical terms or layman terms than the technical terms the development team used. Data or the information on how to use the project should be stated in a clear and understandable manner, it must be remembered that the user of the system might not understand the professional jargon used.

Training of personnel:

User of the project are not IT professionals that is why time and training has to done to guide them in how to use and manipulate the project. If the person is knowledgeable or has received appropriate training then implementation if IS plan will be done faster.

Stephen King Says Stephanie Meyer as not so Good of a Writer

2009-02-04T00:04:00.000-08:00

The online battle between Harry Potter and Twilight grew more pronounced as one of most successful novelists, Stephen King ignited the tension more by saying that JK Rowling is a terrific writer while Meyer is not very good or effective as a writer.

Heated online battle between Harry Potter fans and Twilight fans started last year when the two movies were thought to be shown in theaters in the same month and hate mails have been sent from one camp to the other. With these new events, that now is directly targeting the authors of the famous novels, JK Rowling of Harry Potter and Stephanie Meyer of Twilight things sure fired up the debates again.

According to Stephen, “Both Rowling and Meyer, they’re speaking directly to young people… The real difference is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good.”

King well known for his blood and gore, monster filled stories stated that “People are attracted by the stories, by the pace and in the case of Stephenie Meyer, it’s very clear that she’s writing to a whole generation of girls and opening up kind of a safe joining of love and sex in those books. It’s exciting and it’s thrilling and it’s not particularly threatening because it’s not overtly sexual.”

He further explains, “A lot of the physical side of it is conveyed in things like the vampire will touch her forearm or run a hand over skin, and she just flushes all hot and cold. And for girls, that’s a shorthand for all the feelings that they’re not ready to deal with yet.”

My own personal opinion about the matter is that I certainly agree to King in saying that Rowling is a much better writer but with some reservations. Rowling's writing specializes in action and adventure, ingenious plotting and theme that Meyer seems to have a little of but I can say that Rowling lacks an element than Meyer has tons.

Meyer isn't very good in writing a detailed and action paced fight scene but she knows how to make the reader fall in love and be dazzled by it whereas Rowling shies away from this concept. There should be absolutely no competition since these two authors and their books have a different style, theme and target audience. Harry Potter revolves around adventure, bravery and loyalty while Twilight shines in on mystery, sacrifice and love above all things. For the heated bulletins and forum entries about this topic I can only say that I know we love these books and we should just be thankful for their authors for sharing their novels, ideas and passion with us for they are certainly the most fantastic novels of their time.

SOURCE

Are we still friends?

2009-02-02T02:52:00.000-08:00

Getting along with friends are supposed to be easy as air and bright as the brilliant sunshine that warms one's cold heart even in the fiercest of winds and strongest of waves, especially if one's feelings are free from malice and true. There is no sadder man than one without a friend. Unhappiness brought by loss of money or waning of one's health can't be compared to the sorrow one might get without a friend and even in one's most successful times aren't complete with people whom you can share your happiness with.

Friends are supposed to be your pillars of support in times of need and distress but then if a that special person shrugs a comforting shoulder at you during these times does that make that friend a fake one? Is there any limitations to one's support and understanding to a friend? Can you still extend welcoming arms to a friend whose decisions and actions have pained not only both of you but others as well? Is there really a time as such when one realizes that the person she considers a friend is someone who suddenly becomes a stranger?

If one is in a clear state of mind, she would certainly say that to condemn a friend is a from of treachery, unacceptable and against moral obligations to a person. True, and I whole-heartedly accept that even if how badly another person acts one should understand it if she is really true to that other person and any excuse is a poor one. But something in me says that sometimes a friend doesn't have to keep consoling and understanding the one at fault. I believe that sometimes a friend have to abandon another friend so as to let her learn on her own. As Oliver Wendell Holmes stated,"Except in cases of necessity, which are rare, leave your friend to learn unpleasant things from his enemies; they are ready enough to tell them.

Its hard to turn away from a friend in need especially to rub salt into her wounds but I am keeping by decision to stand firm and do it with the only excuse to let her learn her lesson. I have been disappointed by some of my friends actions and decisions many times already and I learned to accept it because I know that though friends, we are different and unique individuals. Her beliefs maybe different or same to mine and I can't put it against her but what I can't readily accept is when my friend does things that will certainly impair her in a lot ways than one and bringing with it other people outside from ourselves.

If you read this, (you know who you are) I just like to say that I know we can't take back anything that happened and I won't say sorry for my rude behavior because I believe that you need a healthy dose of it. I still don't think your repentant yet, no matter how many tears you shed in front of me. Please please try to prove that you are really sorry not only in tears and words but more importantly in actions. Its for you too.

USEP Enrollment Activity Diagram

2009-01-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

This is the USEP Enrollment Activity Diagram which describes the process through which a person is subjected to, to be an official USEP student.

Enrollment System
1. The enrollee is to pay the local fees to their respective college local council's treasurer.
2. Enrollee must go to their respective college advisers for the evaluation of grades and subjects.
3. If enrollee passes evaluation he is to proceed to the next step if not he is to consult the dean.
4. Students must go to the encoder to for encoding of subjects.
5. Non-scholars must proceed to the cashier to pay the tuition fee, while validated scholars are to proceed to the bookkeeper for verification.
6. Enrollee will now proceed to the registrar's office for registration.
7. Enrollee is requested to go to the library for validation of their library ID card
8. Enrollee is now fully and officially enrolled .

Is outsourcing in USEP advisable?

2009-01-28T22:36:00.001-08:00

The question "In-source or Outsource?" has been heard of a lot lately. Such talks became noticeable to me just last semester when a professor asked our opinion about the said issue and I distinctly remember choosing "outsource". As I remembered, that on defense to my answer I have given reasons such as getting higher quality services at a lower cost. But then, I also said that choosing whether using in-source or outsource depends on certain details such as which is more suited for the environment it will be done in or what the system to be done is. It is a fact that sometimes in-house is better or well suited for "this" or "that" type of system than outsource and vice versa.

It feels quite funny that the given question "How can you determine if outsourcing is advantageous to your organization?" is like a question suggested from my past remark (which I restated above for those who haven't read my past post). In the past I have only read about outsource and in-source, thus having no actual personal experience (or proof to support my past answer) to this matter but a certain event happened in the university that I have suddenly realized the advantages of outsource.

Cutting the long story short, two of our professors where commissioned by the university to make/ improve a system in the school. This incident have created an avenue to observe what effects does in-house have and this issue have been subjected to discussion between my classmates, friends and I. In this given situation, I can say that outsourcing would be more advantageous and highly recommended.

Why?

In one of our discussions, we have discussed certain points in which could support this thought. In a university like ours where the professors and staff are just enough to handle all classes it is certainly incapacitating to lose even one professor/staff over a period of time. My classmates and I, though very proud and happy that two of our professors were chosen to develop a system for the school, it can’t be helped that we feel a bit downhill losing two of our great professors (who were supposedly teaching us two major subjects this semester). I think that some believed in source was cheaper and advantageous in this situation since the system is needed very quickly and getting one who knows how the university runs will certainly save time and money.

Well, those maybe true in that perspective but then how about the additional expenses the university have to pay the substitute teachers whom were commissioned to cover the classes left behind by our other professors. Seeing and experiencing how we, my classmates and I were affected by this transition like our classes were held a bit to a stop for a time and the confusion on who will be teaching us and the changing of teaching patterns to which we were subjected were not only inconvenient for our part but also for our college.

Some jobs were left undone, or idle which would not happen if outsource was applied. Some of use even thought that the overall expenses that the university dishes out in this in-house would be equal or maybe a bit greater compared to if they used outsource. Please note that I or we are not questioning the decision of the university for we are only referring to the events we have heard and experienced, it is just our opinion over this matter.

One ought to choose outsource when i such situations:

* The activity isn't central to generating profits or competitive success.
* The job is a routine one that wastes valuable time and energy.
* The task is a need that's only temporary or that recurs in cycles.
* It's less expensive to have someone else do it than to do it in-house.
* The activity can be done cheaper in-house, but drains resources that could be better used elsewhere.
* The skill required is so specialized that it's impractical to have a regular employee do it.
* The activity isn't one that people enjoy doing.

Paradigm Shift: Radical Structural Change

2009-01-27T00:32:00.000-08:00

Being in a business, one of the most thought of question is "What can be done to make the business survive and grow?". In this ever changing world, business processes must also adapt to the changes in the environment to ensure success thus making the business develop.

But how can one adapt? There are a few, if not thousands of techniques, solutions and methods that claim to help business improve productivity, quality and customer satisfaction. And in response to this confusion, one of the choices to consider is to have the company undergo an organizational change.

Typically, the phrase “organizational change” is about any substantive modification to some part of the organization, such as reorganization or adding a major new product or service. In Systems Development, there are four kinds of structural change, specifically: Automation, Rationalization of procedures, Business process reengineering, and Paradigm Shift.

Lets us now be familiar with this four structural changes. Automation refers mechanizing procedures or industrial automation by using of machines or computers to control industrial machinery and processes, reducing the need for human intervention to speed up the performance of existing tasks. Rationalization of procedures means the streamlining of standard operating procedures.

Business process re-engineering is the analysis and redesign of business processes to reorganize work flows and reduce waste and repetitive tasks. It is as described by Hammer and Champy is 'the fundamental reconsideration and the radical redesign of organizational processes, in order to achieve drastic improvement of current performance in cost, services and speed'. One should try to see the firm in a new and fresh perspective that leads to elevating and improving the business processes. While Paradigm shift is the radical reconceptualization of the nature of the business and the nature of the organization.

Which is more radical?? Radical being defined as departing markedly from the usual or customary or extreme I think that amongst the four, Paradigm shift is the most radical. As seen from the image above, a conclusion can be drawn that truthfully enough the return/rewards is highest in the paradigm shift but it has also the biggest risks. When you think about it, automation and rationalization of procedures seems all to normal these days. And that leads us to choose between BPR and paradigm shifts which are both radical in their own ways but paradigm shift is more "revolutionary" than the other. In paradigm shift one really tends to move away from old habits, processes and traditions and seeks to create new and improved processes, tasks and functions.

New Moon Update: Dakota Fanning plays Jane, Who will play Alec??

2009-01-25T00:47:00.000-08:00

After the success of Twilight, its second installation "New Moon" is the being the talk of the town even though its still on its casting stage (filming starts at March). Several controversies were raised during the past few weeks such as the unfortunate sacking of Director Catherine Hardwicke from the series and was replaced by Golden Compass Director Chris Weitz and (on the happier note) the rehiring of the now bulky Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black. Celebs all over Tinseltown have been found auditioning or have expressed intentions of joining the Twilight series bandwagon such as America Ferrera of Ugly Betty vying the role of Emily Young and Vanessa Hudgens for the role of Leah Clearwater (this news about Hudgens isn't confirmed yet haha).

There are still a lot of characters to be filled in the series but one of the most coveted character in New Moon, Jane, the sadistic and powerful vampire is officially given to and accepted by actress Dakota Fanning. I absolutely believe that Dakota being a talented and beautiful young actress as she is can play the beautiful but sadistic Jane. It was really like the role was fitted for her to play.

Now, since Jane role is taken, one of the main concerns left is who will play her twin (not only in physical aspects but also in being a sadist) brother Alec? Tom Felton, best known as Harry Potter's foe Draco Malfoy, High School Musical's Lucas Grabeel, French actor Gaspard Ulliel of Hannibal Rising and Freddie Highmore seen in Willy Wonka and Finding Neverland, are the four actors fighting over the role of Alec (in the net actually). As for me, I already voted for Tom Felton because being a evil warlock in Harry Potter, he can surely pull off an evil vampire (though I don't know if he can still have this in his sched since HP7 is coming out and HP& is already on the making).

Who will win? You can vote at this site: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20254479,00.html to have your opinions heard.

Note: Just click on the links above to read the news about Dakota and Taylor from the source itself.

bubbLeGum PrinCess

2009-01-21T21:45:00.000-08:00

"Bubble gum Princess"

How does this word strike to you? More importantly what does it mean to me (since I renamed my blog header as such hahaha..).?

For my loyal viewers, you would remember that my previous blog name was "Into the Twilight", which was brought by my addiction to the Twilight movie and to the Twilight saga novels (which I would rate/review in my future posts so keep reading my blog fellow Twilighters). But then why the sudden change??

When I first caught up with the noun "bubblegum princess", I imagined a girl with blond curls, twinkling blue eyes, perky expression locked on her face and with her chin raised up like a haughty and proud girl that she is. A girl who when she was still a child dreamt of being a princess or a beauty queen or (worse) a damsel in distress. Irritating, right??

Putting that aside, I would like to describe some of my traits to you first. When I was a kid, I didn't imagine myself to be a princess or fairy like some other girls do but I thought of being a number of things like a ninja, an assassin,a mermaid, an equestrian or a powerful Yuki-onna. Admittedly, I was a bit weird as a child but in my defense I have girlie qualities too like I love ponies (because as I said I want to be an equestrian), rainbows (which signals for hope: the calm after the tempest), and I certainly attracted to flowers of different colors and fragrances (they are after all the symbolism of a woman) and most of all I truly believe in happily never afters.

Imagine my horror when watching a show in which the term "Bubble gum Princess" was being defined and it was said that the term refers to girl with dreams of butterfly, ponies, rainbows, places of grandeur surrounded by colorful flowers and delusions of happy never afters. It was a bit comical because as the actress who described the said traits above wearing a horrified and disgusted expression and I can actually sympathize with her for the reason that one of the words that I dislike the most, sort of describes me too (referring to the definition given by the girl, and not mine. Is that clear? hahaha)

So as a result to this fascinating discovery I fancied the word "BubbleGum Princess" and made it as my new blog name.

Obama: History Amidst Adversities

2009-01-21T20:21:00.000-08:00

At exactly 12:05 pm (1 am in the Philippines) in the United States of America, President Elect Barack Hussein Obama with the palm of his hand placed on the Bible once used by President Lincoln and by all other American presidents after him, has officially pledged to be America's 44th President on the steps of the US Capitol. Not only did he make history being the first African American president but also he renewed history to have a Democratic President again sitting in the White House after a generation reign of the Republicans. It is estimated that a record breaking 2 million people were present in spite of the cold at the National Mall to witness this momentous occasion. Blacks, Americans, Asians, Europeans, people among all culture and races were there and countries like the Philippines and Kenya celebrated with America as the 44th President of the United States finally took his oath.

Celebrities, old and new cabinet officials, even the former Presidents like Jimmy Carter, George Bush Sr, Bill Clinton and the outgoing President George Bush Jr with their wives graced the occasion. Well known singer Aretha Franklin sang a song for the new President while Dr. Rick Warren offered the invocation and well known artist Yo-yo Ma and company played a lovely music for President Obama.

I have stayed up very late last night to watch the live coverage of the inauguration of Barack Obama and be, even in my smallest ways, united with the world as to witness change not only for the most powerful country in Earth but also to the dawn of change for the whole world.

With his wife, Michelle Obama and his two kids and infront of America and the whole world, President Obama delivered his first speech as the President of United States.

CLiCK the ff. link to read President Obama's Inaugural Speech: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/20/obama.politics/index.html

Use Case for USEP Enrollment System??

2009-01-20T01:16:00.000-08:00

This is a brief use case diagram for the USEP enrollment system. This is only applicable for students in their second year and onwards.

As perceived in the figure above, a student has to pass several stages in order to reach the completion of the enrollment process. The first of which is the payment of local fees,of which from my observation is done manually or without the help of any machine or computer for recording the payments. The second step is the evaluation of grades and subjects by an adviser, whom in return will present a PRF to the student. The PRF will then be given to the encoder who will present an official PRF or COR to the student. The student then proceeds to the cashier who will receive the payment (if student is not a scholar) and record it in a financial system. Students who are scholars are referred to the bookkeeper for validation. Then, the student is ushered to the Registrar where the student is to present his/her clearance and necessary receipts so as to mark them as officially enrolled students and have it recorded in a registering system. Lastly, the student is to present the marked/validated COR to the Librarian with his/her library card for validation.

I am not really sure whether what I presented is what was really required. But then since everyone thinks on the same trail as mine this is the diagram that I will present.

Interviewing: My Fave in Data Gathering

2009-01-05T04:17:00.000-08:00

Choosing between techniques such as interviewing, document review, observation, and use of questionnaires in gathering data simply depends on the type of data to be gathered. "How" data should be gathered simply equates to "what" type of data should be gathered. I am not really bragging (because I know my classmates are also the same) but I am comfortable in using any of these techniques. I can apply or use any technique needed. But due to some sometimes subtle and sometimes huge differences of the said technique I have opted on using what I should call as my favorite technique and that is "Interviewing".

On important occasions, such as data gathering I am a bit of a mouthful. True that talking to well of people, most of which is older, smarter and people who have a certain air of power like the ones we interviewed in our past company hunting, I easily get intimated and abashed but then I already proved that I can gather more accurate data in interviewing. Sure that this technique have some downsides like starting off an interview with these people which from my experience is the hardest part in this technique, and when sometimes the interviewee starts talking of things the interviewer isn't familiar with (which really sucks at times) or when the interviewee talks about things that aren't really related with the question but then it has the most advantages than the other techniques.

What are these advantages? For one, when we compare interviewing with observation, we can't really make sure that what we observed is correct because we are basing it from our inept and inexperienced eyes. With questionnaires, we can't be sure that we have exact answers, especially when numbers are involved. And if we use document review, we will just get stuck with their past data. All of these glitches can be prevented through the use of interviewing.

Being a opinionated (I think so) and mouthful person like myself, interviewing is the best match for me. I like to ask questions, and branch out new questions from my interviewees answers or replies, its justlike socializing for me. It also enables me to not only get exact data but also get additional information that can be useful for my study. From my past experiences, I didn't only learned a lot of things about what data I was supposed to gather but I also discovered a lot of new things, things useful not only for my studies but also on my outlook on life. Our mentor in our HRM adopted company taught us a lot more than HRM related studies but also on other things such as goal setting, how to get employed and other useful tips. This is the benefit one can get through interviewing.

My SDLC approach in Reaching My Goal

2008-12-31T01:41:00.000-08:00

Predictive or adaptive? Choosing between these two approaches wouldn't really create an effective output, integration of both approaches is a must to create an efficient foundation in reaching a goal. The "sharers" in this topic that well thought of plans are from a mixture of predictive and adaptive approach but then a variety then shows up when one tends to focus more on one approach and leaning lesser on the other. For me, I would focus more on the adaptive side than the predictive approach upon integration.

Why? Its true that one begins to develop a goal. And in devising such plan, one needs to predict all sorts of actions and the consequences that results from these actions and then create solutions, all of these actions focus on the predictive side than it almost seem that the adaptive side is not much of use anymore but in reality, there are outside or external forces that one doesn't really count on that can change the course of the goal and so adapting to these certain changes are more important than just predicting.

In both predictive and adaptive approach, the same processes make up their SDLC model and these are project planning, analysis, design, implementation and support. And from what the reporters said, there are a wide variety of SDLC models which differs in what they seek to model, how general or broad or specific is the process but the model discussed above is the basis of most of these models. So allow me to create a SDLC model related to the main model above but is designed for describing how I attain my goal in life.

First of which is GOAL SETTING (which is almost a default action in this model). How can we proceed to any other process without this in hand right?

Secondly, PLANNING. I am a bit of a spontaneous person but from our previous discussion I have believed that planning is an essential step. "PLAN TO SUCCEED", is our professor's piece of advice to us.

Thirdly, PREDICTING. Predicting helps in a lot of ways especially in creating a preventive action to a certain decision. In predicting, we can see what things can be done, what options do we have, what are the probable consequences and its probable solutions.

Next would be TESTING. Predicting is not enough to see the flaws of our plans or ways in reaching a goal. We need to learn, gather knowledge and test it into certain situations.

IMPLEMENTATION would be the next process. One of the most important process in the model because without it there can be no output. Forcing or applying action, effort and time makes it possible for us to be a step closer and attain our objectives.

Lastly, view your progress. This step is not really that necessary but will be very helpful for a person to see the rate of his/her improvement and you can easily detect if you have some flaws or part of the plan that is forgotten or not done properly.

PLAN TO SUCCEED. HAPPY HOLIDAYS

SAD1: Is our system worth it??

2008-12-25T19:24:00.000-08:00

Programs. Systems. Databases. And some more.

Over the past years (my college years that is) I have been taught how to design, code, test and maintain such things stated above and quite fortunately I was able to understand what is being taught to us (haha). This semester isn't any different from the rest because we still have to create new systems and strategic plans for our chosen company. Admittedly, my group and I tried to look for a company without an existing IS sector or those who have only have a few existing system so that it will be easier for us to propose a system needed and suited for the company.

We were torn between taking DCPO and make a Human Resource Information System or LDS and make a Record/Document Management system or Applicant-Job Matching system. In the end, being the cowards that we are we chose LDS because the system they need sounds a bit easier to make than if we chose DCPO. But our previous professor, Prof. Tamara beat us to it when she said that it was too simple and easy that it wasn't worth our time and effort. She suggested us to make a Research and Extension system for the university, an idea that we weren't too keen to take because we weren't familiar with such systems. I can say that my classmates and I are more familiar with HRIS, document management systems, heck, even financial systems because we been dealing with such systems all the time.

Actually, even before our professor asked us if the system we will be making is "worth" it, I was already pondering on the same thought. We have been making the same kind of systems in a lot and it seems to be being a bad habit for all of us. Though we are not recycling the same system over and over again because systems do have their differences but the thought of it the distinctly alike in many ways that it makes one feel that you are recycling a system. I share the same argument as my fellow classmate, Jade mentioned in class that, it is the truth that we have been dealing with the same kind of systems but up to this day those systems are still a challenge to us because coding it is really a hard thing to do. Up to this day, we still haven't "perfected" or even reached an 80% efficiency rate on the systems that we make so it means that creating an efficient system is the real challenge, I can't also ignore the truth that there are still a lot of things we haven't learned because we still haven't ventured in creating different and new systems.

No one can really blame us, the students for sticking into HRIS, financial, enrollment systems because even if it is hard we are already comfortable in such systems and venturing to other systems brings fear. Fear that we might not finish it because of the insufficient time to delve into new ideas for these new systems, fear that we will fail and fear that what we understood and learned isn't enough. But then truth remains that if we let ourselves be shaken by such fears, we will never improve, we will never be an IT professional. I have understood that and I am still trying to take that fear away because I want to succeed but honestly it is hard to do so.

Creating a Research and Extension system, a lone system set to be "shared" by two different offices seemed a bit difficult for us. We kinda feared making it, for the fact that it sounds complex (because it should be shared or connected, either using the Internet or not is a factor we were still considering at the moment). But then, I was thinking that making such a system is a challenge, it is "worth it". It has features we haven't encountered in our past systems and even if it is hard my group and I promised to work hard and learn more to do it. Though we are looking for another system (because our professor advised us to do so), to provide us other options, I think we will try to ignore making all too familiar systems because we wouldn't learn at all if we stick to "tradition". Hopefully, our professors and our other, rather gifted friends like Regina will help us in this new venture. If you have any suggestion please contact us right away.. Thank you and happy holidays.

Critical Success Factors

2008-12-18T04:48:00.001-08:00

In today’s environment, with sudden changes in the business climate, competitors growing just about everywhere and changes in the market, business risks are greater than ever. An enterprise must create a certain distinction or a kind of individuality against other companies so as to gain the advantage and obtain more followers or customers than their competitors.

Some experts consider knowledge to be perhaps the only sustainable competitive advantage. With knowledge come better decisions, more efficient teams, and a commitment to learning. In some sources it is reported that having a healthy corporate culture that is conducive to knowledge sharing is perhaps the most important success factor. Unfortunately, changing culture is also one of the single-most difficult things to do. There are many barriers to why staffs are reluctant to share. These include lack of trust, lack of perceived value, or simple knowledge hoarding. Even without these barriers, there is the inertia of instituting any type of change. Companies must have individuals, teams and the organization as a whole believing that sharing knowledge is a healthy and normal way to do business. However, the high risk of failure is well documented which compels us to study why and then define critical success factors that are found within successful implementations.

But is knowledge the only edge one can have? What are these values and critical factors that will ensure success over other organizations especially with all the chaos in the foreign countries, banks and in the stock market itself, all of which are able to pull down a company aside from the company’s competitors?
Why don’t we start the formalities by defining what success is? Success is subject to individual interpretation based on upbringing, past experiences, role models, personal motivations and goals. Accomplishment of a goal (whether is be a long term or short term goal) or dream and the satisfaction one get through this is what success is about. What is Critical Success Factor then? Wikipedia defines Critical Success Factor to be business term for an element which is necessary for an organization or project to achieve its mission. They are the critical factors or activities required for ensuring the success your business. The term was initially used in the world of data analysis, and business analysis. Critical success factors may change over time, and may include items such as product quality, employee attitudes, manufacturing flexibility, and brand awareness. Critical success factors are elements that are vital for a strategy to be successful.

Critical Success Factors are tailored to a firm's or managers particular situation as different lead to different critical success factors. There are five key sources of Critical Success Factors’ namely: the industry, competitive strategy and industry position, environmental factors, temporal factors, and managerial position. Industry is the factor resulted from specific industry characteristics. These are the things that the organization must do to remain competitive. Environmental factors resulted from macro environmental influences on an organization. Things like the business climate, the economy, competitors, and technological advancements are included in this category.

Competitive Strategy results from the specific competitive strategy chosen by the organization. The way in which the company chooses to position themselves, market themselves, whether they are high volume low cost or low volume high cost producers. While temporal factors result from the organization's internal forces. A “good” CSF begins with an action verb and clearly and concisely conveys what is important and should attended to. Verbs that characterize actions: attract, perform, expand, monitor, manage, deploy, etc. After having developed a hierarchy of goals and their success factors, further analysis will lead to concrete requirements at the lowest level of detail. Some CSFs might influence other CSFs or factors such as markets, technologies, etc.
Such CSFs could be rephrased into “key influence factors” For example: “physical size” or “trained staff”.
When asking most business or technical people what Information Technology (IT) means, very likely one will get an answer that only involves technology. Somehow, the information element gets lost or subjugated. While technology is an important element, and arguably a CSF outright, the CSF more emphasized in research is recognizing that there is more to the solution than a technology component. Some of the efforts have learned this lesson the hard way, and it is now widely published that an implementation must involve people and processes. Specific barriers, challenges, directions, and influences will determine these Critical Success Factors.

The following are the steps to achieve Critical Success.
Step One: Establish your businesses or project's mission and strategic goals.
Ask yourself “What matters?” or “What do I want?” remember that nothing is impossible once one is set to the challenge. One should put one’s goals not only into thoughts but also in writing so as to have something tangible to hold on to at the time. Creating goals such as “To be an IT professional” isn’t enough, and it isn’t even right. One should be saying that I will be an IT professional, major in programming and working at Google after 3 years. One should be specific in every goal to avoid confusion and set a straight and certain path.

Step Two: For each strategic goal, ask yourself "what area of business or project activity is essential to achieve this goal?" Find the essence or reason to continue this train of thoughts. Do such actions necessary or not? Polish your goals.

Step Three: Identify essential elements and data.
Evaluate the list of candidate CSFs to find the absolute essential elements for achieving success - these are your Criticial Success Factors.Identify resources, assistance, information or anything else that might be needed to reach the goal. As you identify and evaluate candidate CSFs, you may uncover some new strategic objectives or more detailed objectives. So you may need to define your mission, objectives and CSFs iteratively. Deriving other data or information about the subject of your project or goal is also important.

Step Fourth: Analyzing Data
Extracting data from interviews, papers, reviews and data collected on observation is a must. A document review is a very effective means for obtaining an understanding of the focus and direction of an organization or operational unit. Most organizations document their purpose, vision, and values in a mission statement that is known to all employees. The most important data collection activity is conducting interviews with participants. In this activity, the participants have an opportunity to talk about their management challenges and their contributions to the organization and/or the operational unit’s successes and failures. The interactive nature of the interview process provides opportunities for clarification and for guiding the interview in areas that might expose particular barriers and obstacles to accomplishing the mission.

Step Five: Identify Obstacles and Create Solutions or Preventive Measures
List the obstacles one could face or expect on such goals or actions. Seeing or predicting the consequences of doing certain actions and devising solutions (cure or preventive measures) before facing the actual obstacles can save money, time and effort. Taking each obstacle one at a time, write one or more ways the obstacle could be overcome. These are tasks that will comprise your to-do list. Expect to have several tasks per obstacle. Don’t get discouraged by the obstacles– they’re absolutely necessary to help you with the next step in completing your plan.

Step Six: Assign Deadlines or Timelines
Assign a start and completion date to each task in the plan. It’s ok to be working on several different tasks at the same time, but don’t over do it. Setting time lines can help to monitor progress or inefficiency of the actions taken. Try to stick to the deadline. Be realistic.

Step Seven: Follow the Plan
Stick with what you have proposed unless changes are really inevitable. Trying to have an adaptive perspective might be unnecessary and time consuming. Focus on the plan.

Step Eight: Identify how you will monitor and measure each of the Critical Success Factors.
Identify ways, or devise strategies and plans on how to monitor progress and efficiency before and during the implementation or execution of the goals.

Step Nine: Communicate your Critical Success Factors along with the other important elements of your business or project's strategy.

Step Ten: Keep monitoring and reevaluating your Critical Success Factors to ensure you keep moving towards your aims. Indeed, whilst Critical Success Factors are sometimes less tangible than measurable goals, it is useful to identify as specifically as possible how you can measure or monitor each one.
A critical success factor starts with a vision:
Mission statement
Develop 5-6 high level goals
Develop hierarchy of goals and their success factors
Lists of requirements, problems, and assumptions
Leads to concrete requirements at the lowest level of decomposition (a single, implementable idea) Along the way, identify the problems being solved and the assumptions being made Cross-reference usage scenarios and problems with requirements
Analysis matrices
Problems vs. Requirements matrix
Usage scenarios vs. Requirements matrix
Solid usage scenarios
Relationship to Usage Scenarios
Usage scenarios or "use cases"; provide a means of determining:
Are the requirements aligned and self-consistent?
Are the needs of the user being met as well as those of the enterprise?
Are the requirements complete
Results of the Analysis

Purpose and Challenges of ISP

2008-12-11T01:43:00.000-08:00

Discuss the purpose of IS planning and identify its major challenges?
Throughout the previous questions given, one can pick out S/IS plan or Strategic Information System plan as a common factor. One might think that having it discussed either briefly or deeply, ranging from one to two thousand words that contain ideas about strategic information system planning, that some might be already fed up or burned up and having no other fresh idea to start the topic again. Honestly, I thought of the same idea too when I read the question for this thread. I actually thought of recycling some of my essays but I kinda recoiled at the idea because it would not be very nice to be not original and fresh especially when I put all of my essays on my blog. It just would not feel right to me and to my readers especially to my professor. Hahaha..

But then again, the information society and the web surprised me - again. As I was searching for related topics to help me answer the enigma given above, I found and read quite many yet unique hits about strategic information systems planning. It proved that in the world of Information Technology, and in cyber space, one could not over exploit a topic. New discoveries, different explanations and many sites are there to guide a lost lamb like myself to have a fresh idea and new perspective on a certain issue. I found out that I was not that familiar with information systems planning; as I originally thought (I am kinda embarrassed right now for thinking that I knew a lot when I actually do not. haha). A lot of related or extra stuff worth learning are still there waiting to be read.

From what I have accumulated on my readings, my current definition of strategic information systems planning is that is it the continuous review of computer technology, applications and management structure to ensure that the current and anticipated information and process needs of the organization are met in a way that provides an acceptable return on investment, is sensitive to the dynamic politics and culture of the organization and is aware of the sociological environment within which the organization exists.

Strategic information system plan requires: An understanding of the nature of the organisation, its goals and objectives, where it is going, its culture, and how it ‘thinks’; an understanding of information technology, what is available, how IT is changing, what the potential uses are; an understanding of information needs, what information flows through the organisation; what decisions are made as a result; how information supports business processes; an understanding of people, what their roles are in the organisation, what their objectives and motives are, how they implement business processes; and an understanding of the environment, what influences the organisation - legislation, markets, technology, media.
Planning involves thinking ahead and designing future action. But there are many approaches to this. IS planning tends to think in rational analytical ways: thinking ahead, rational analysis, draughtsmanship, design and logic. Information systems planners may take a classical approach to planning: uses structured planning techniques, formal and rational, hierarchical command and control.

According also to Gorman, there are certain characteristics of an information systems plan that are desirable to produce the optimal performance. These are: 1. Timely, 2. Usable, 3. Maintainable, 4. Quality, and 5. Reproducible. The ISP must be timely. An ISP that is created long after it is needed is useless. In almost all cases, it makes no sense to take longer to plan work than to perform the work planned. The ISP must be useable. It must be so for all the projects as well as for each project. The ISP should exist in sections that once adopted can be parceled out to project managers and immediately started. The ISP must be maintainable. New business opportunities, new computers, business mergers, etc. all affect the ISP. The ISP must support quick changes to the estimates, technologies employed, and possibly even to the fundamental project sequences. While the ISP must be a quality product, no ISP is ever perfect on the first try. As the ISP is executed, the metrics employed to derive the individual project estimates become refined as a consequence of new hardware technologies, code generators, techniques, or faster working staff. The ISP must be reproducible. That is, when its development activities are performed by any other staff, the ISP produced should essentially be the same. The ISP should not significantly vary by staff assigned. Once these changes are accomplished, the new ISP should be just a few computer program executions away.

But what good does it do? What is the behind its creation? Why do companies exert effort and give out funds to do this study? Even though an information system costs a thousand or even millions of pesos and even through most chief information officers can specify exactly how much money is being spent for hardware, software, and staff, CIOs cannot however state with any degree of certainty why one system is being done this year versus next, why it is being done ahead of another, or finally, why it is being done at all. Why oh why indeed?
Well, let us just discuss the purpose for executing information systems planning to enlighten the enigmas just raised.

The main purpose and goal of implementing a strategic information system plan (for me) is to deliver business benefits to an organization. It translates strategic and organizational goals into systems development initiatives. Strategic Information Systems Planning involves understanding what the business goals are and identifying how information systems can support those goals by delivering benefits. Business/IS alignment is a key concept, but perhaps we should talk about integration. The information systems plan project determines the sequence for implementing specific information systems. The goal of the strategy is to deliver the most valuable business information at the earliest time possible in the most cost-effective manner.

The end product of the information systems project is an information systems plan (ISP). Once deployed, the information systems department can implement the plan with confidence that they are doing the correct information systems project at the right time and in the right sequence. The focus of the ISP is not one information system but the entire suite of information systems for the enterprise.

Information System should be an integrated resource within the organization which contributes to the organization’s core competencies which may result in sustainable competitive advantage. Many enterprises do not have model-based information systems development environments that allow system designers to see the benefits of rearranging an information systems development schedule.

The planning of information systems cannot be considered as a one-off or occasional event. It is a continuous sustained process, as we plan and re-plan and respond to changes in the business environment. The prime objective of doing a strategic information system plan is alignment: to ensure that the information system provision matches the business needs in what it does (context), how it does it (process) and when it does it (timing).

Another objective of information systems planning is to discover new technology, strategies and ideas that would help the company, if ever they are qualified to be implemented. Information Systems seeks to provide for operational efficiency, better services and co-ordination between partners. It also plays the role as a business driver whom wields the sense of innovation and change in the enterprise. It is also considered as a business support for it aims and does reduce uncertainty and increase efficiency in business operations and company relations.
Another role of information systems planning is a commodity service provider which calls information technology for its efficiency and seen as an expense to control. Sometimes, SISP takes the role of strategic partner that fuels business growth. Information Technology enables organizational architecture, supports business processes, influences organizational structure and substitute’s organizational structure.

Other purposes or importance of information systems planning is future analysis to predict changes over expected life of portfolio, forecasting horizon and planning horizon. Through strategic information system plan it may determine the company’s position in the marketplace; produce greater productivity through greater efficiency; and provide new products and opportunities.

It involves identifying information needs and process needs, reflecting on the context and culture, examining current IT architecture for match and mismatch, identifying approaches for shifting IT architecture to meet information needs, modifying information needs in the light of IT shift.

Strategic information system plan requires technical and managerial understanding; planning the details and thinking holistically; rational, analytical know-how and political sensitivity to reach its purpose to be beneficial to the company.
It has a good amount of advantages to its account. Strategic Information System Plan has several advantages like identifying most desirable applications in which to invest, help an organisation use its information system to carry out existing business strategy, help it define new business strategy. Failure to do some planning may result in: missed opportunities, duplicated systems, incompatible systems, and wasted resources.

There are several obstacles for strategic management. And they are: security, qualitative analysis, employees, owners, implementation, manager’s selection, investors, “Analysis” versus “Intuition”, “I am the manager” and data.
Let us now talk about each obstacle and let us start with security. Most managers feel that everything is a secret and obviously they think that no one else should know the strategy and thus no one else should make a study for our strategic plan and there is no strategy. Two other obstacles seem closely related to the fist one and they are: manager’s selection and “I am the manager”. In manager’s selection, most company’s managers in developing countries are experts in the technical process of the organization but they are not well educated in management and thus they want to focus on what they know and neglect what they do not know. Accordingly, strategic management does not fall in their area of interest. While on “I am manager”: the strategy shows a guide for decisions, so, an employee may, sometimes, tell the senior manager that his decision is against the company strategy. Thus the manager avoids having a strategy to keep his freedom to decide whatever he likes. From these three closely related challenges; one can notice that the challenges come from the managers who are not technically knowledgeable leading to indecision fueled by ignorance.

Other human related challenges present in executing strategic information systems planning are the employees, owners and investors. Most employees and managers are not aware about the value of strategic planning and they may consider it waste of time and something that is applicable. Many owners of successful companies believe they don’t need to do strategic planning and they do not know that their success will go one day when there are more competitors or there are changes in the market. Investors however looks at the company having a clear strategic plan and clear goals for the future (other than increasing sales of the current products) does not affect the stock price because most of the investors do not care about those issues.
The remaining challenges are not directly human based issues but also contain the same level of risks in ISP and these are; data, qualitative analysis, implementation and, “Analysis” versus “Intuition”. Finding data is a real challenge because there is available statistics is far below those available in developing countries. Most companies try to keep any financial information and consider them secrets. It is not possible to know the demand in last year of a certain product or service. People are not used to market research and they don’t want to talk to the marketing people. In qualitative analysis, strategic planning needs a lot of forecasting and qualitative analysis besides the quantitative analysis. Many technical managers are not used to neither the qualitative analysis nor the forecasting. Analysis versus intuition however as a blend of human related reasons as well as environment based risks. In this idea, most people do not think that a manager should do analysis or have done for him they think that some people are talented to take the right decision without doing many calculations or having subordinates make a study for them.
Once these obstacles are passed on can almost guarantee for a successful strategic information system plan. In light of course that the study is done with enough time, money and with the cooperation of the company and its employees.

Twilight : The Movie Review

2008-12-03T23:27:00.000-08:00

The film adaptation of Stephanie Meyer's best selling novel, Twilight, was released last November 21,2008. Fans all over the world flocked around cinema houses and some even camped outside the cinemas just to be one of the first fans to watch the movie.

Twilight,however hit the Philippine shores last November 26,and as much as I'm a helpless Twilight addict,I decided to see the movie 3 days after the movie was released because that's the only time where my friends and I have the same free schedule. Of course,watching the most awaited movie of the year will be so much fun with a lot of friends with you and share comments and "violent reactions" after the movie, so waiting for three days was essential. Another reason would be because,as I said a while ago,it one of the most awaited movie of the year and I am sure, even if the Philippine moviegoers are not as frenzied as the American fans, there will be a stampede in the theaters,and I surely don't want to undergo such ordeals. But unfortunately, even after 3 days from its release, the cinemas are still jam packed. The stairs and corners are full of people. Even if its kinda annoying at times, I kinda like it that my fave movie has a lot of supporters. Girls, ladies and gays clap, cheer and scream a lot when Edward is on screen or if he is with Bella. It was a lot of fun.

Now, to the review.. It was great.!! It didn't really surpassed my expectations but its okay. As much as I would like to say that it was perfect, I could find myself saying it. If you are a Twilight book reader, you can notice that a lot of events were incorrect, like who-said-this, where-this-happened, who-was-with-who etc. But its acceptable because I didn't really expect them to follow the book religiously in making the movie. I mean, how can anyone fit a 500 paged novel into 2 houred movie right? After many Harry Potter movie disappointments,I finally understood that fact. And to think that Harry Potter is a super budgeted movie and still it lacks a lot of scenes when compared to its novel counterpart, what does a small budgeted Twilight movies' chances to not commit the same problem right. I was amazed how Katherine Hardwicke (director) was able to fit a small budget that seems unfit for a movie like this caliber but she pulled it off, nicely done if I might add. The effects were just the way I imagined it to be, nothing too over the top, it was just right.

If there's any positive side in having a small budget is that the actors were supposed to do the stunts in a real place and not behind the green screen. I distinctly remember that Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan), said in an interview that they can't afford using the green screen so that those tree climbing and fight scenes were done on location, totally cool.

As for the actors, well, Robert Pattinson is totally a hottie and he seems to give justice to Edward Cullen's character, though he seemed portray that Edward was this nervous vampire than a cool, almost indifferent one that you can see in the Twilight novel. But this was later justified when I read the Midnight Sun novel. I heard that Meyer gave Robert a copy of Midnight Sun to help him act as Edward. But the only time I got disappointed was when they were riding Emmett's truck to escape James. That scene should have a lot of fury and shouting for Edward instead of a nervous Edward who just seems to explain that James was a tracker. I would have been a nice scene if he was really shouting with anger and all. But aside from that he's alright, I just hope he can portray anger much better next time. Thumbs up to his accent too, the only time he let his English accent slip was when he said "Its as if you could outrun me.!!".

The cast was really great. I wasn't really familiar with most of the cast but I can say that they did a good job especially the Cullens because they really did look like models. Especially, Carlisle,he was smoking hot. But I was disappointed with Kristen Stewart who played the role of Bella Swan. A lot of people and cast said that she was really a great actress but I didn't approve much of her acting in the movie, she seems to stutter and blink a lot. I might let her pass with her stuttering because it may be needed for a scene but what's with all the blinking.!! I mean, is she sick with a blinking disease or what.!! I hope she stops doing that in the next movie. But she was totally amazing at the fight scene when she was bitten. Alice was the prettiest vampire there, she was really graceful and all even if they were playing baseball. Jasper looked really funny though but when you read Midnight Sun, you can understand why he looked like that. hahaha..

In their lab, I noticed that there was an owl(?) sculpture behind Edward and it made him look like a seraph because only the wings were scene. Edward in the sun was really nice too, just like small diamonds. The meadow though wasn't that much pretty but I just thought that it may have paled in comparison to the shimmering Edward. Charlie was one of the most unexpected character in movie because he was the one who was making me crack up. He was this playful and protective father to Bella. He was one of my favorites too.

For Stephanie Meyer fans, I hope that you also noticed that she did a cameo in the movie. She was at the diner, typing on her laptop. She looked really funny because she looked like she was trying her best not to laugh. hahaha...

Well, anyways, having all things considered I give the movie a 8/10 rating. Hope the "New Moon" would be much much better, even if a lot of the upcoming scenes have Jacob Black in them. Hmpf.!!

For a fan, imperfect or not the fact that the novel has turned into a movie is already a very good reason to watch the movie.

The Relationship between the Business Plan and the IS plan and the Difficulties It Poses

2008-12-03T23:24:00.000-08:00

What should be the nature of the relationship between the business plan and the IS plan?

Before establishing a degree of relationship that exists between the business plan and the Strategic/ Information System Plan in an enterprise or business, there seems to be a need to expound on each areas. Defining each terms, giving relative examples and certain situations where each of the business plan and the strategic/ information system plan is essential in this topic so as to create the needed distinction and derive the level or nature of relationship between the business plan and the information system plan, which is to begin with is the question at hand.

If you were to ask me on what would I say if I were asked what is a business plan, I would have to say that it consist of the present but mostly the future undertakings a company has set to achieve their desired goals. An analogy for this is like building a gantt chart, creating a schedule of future activities, setting time lines and milestones and checking for progress or development. But, I reckon that creating a gantt chart is also involved in making a business plan. That is what I think of when asked about a business plan.

As what I read from Wikipedia, a business plan is a formal statement of a set of business goals, the reasons why they are believed attainable, and the plan for reaching those goals. It may also contain background information about the organization or team attempting to reach those goals. Reading this I can say that I deserve a thumbs up because it sounds fairly the same as what I thought about.
It was also stated that the business goal can be either for for-profit or non-profit reasons. When the plans at hand are focusing on generating income or is made for financial reason it is what we call “For-profit business plan”. While non-profit, from the name itself refers to plans that tend to focus on service goals and doesn't really involve gathering profit or finances. Thou it was said that non-profits may also help on maximizing profit, for the reason that they may create an avenue for the business to be advertised. Business plans also consists if target changes in target changes in perception and branding by the customer, client, tax-payer, or larger community. A business plan having changes in perception and branding as its primary goals is called a marketing plan. Business plans may be internally or externally focused. Externally focused plans target goals that are important to external stakeholders, particularly financial stakeholders. They typically have detailed information about the organization or team attempting to reach the goals. Internally focused business plans target intermediate goals required to reach the external goals. They may cover the development of a new product, a new service, a new IT system, a restructuring of finance, the refurbishing of a factory or a restructuring of the organization. An internal business plan is often developed in conjunction with a balanced score card or a list of critical success factors. This allows success of the plan to be measured using non-financial measures. Business plans that identify and target internal goals, but provide only general guidance on how they will be met are called strategic plans.

Now enough about the business plan, let us now venture into the realms of strategic/ information system planning. I was to be asked about my opinion on strategic/ information system planning, I would say that it deals with creating plans of establishing and maintaining an information system department or implement information system in a company.

I arrived to that trail of thought for my experience in developing a information system plan in the past. Last semester, we were tasked to create an Information System plan for our chosen company. The data we took consists of what were the current facilities being used, what databases or systems that are currently existing and their topology and applications. The aim of that paper was to generate new plans, ideas or solutions from the problems we have seen in their current IS status. We advised our adopted company to procure other facilities that they lack which seemed necessary for their business and we also suggested developing new systems that seemed beneficial for the company. In other words, it deals with setting ideas to “automize” a company in terms of services and taking their facilities a notch higher through the use of technology. It is a technical document intended for staff with implementation responsibility for a company's databases and systems. It describes the analysis of the Strategic Model to develop the SISP; in appendices it documents the Strategic Data Model in detail. The Strategic Plan identifies information needed by goals, objectives and key performance indicators . The SISP reviewed the mission, vision,direction, goals, strengths, weaknesses, objectives and threats that might occur and exist in a business.

From the descriptions above, it can be said that the strategic business plan is a part of the business plan. Business plan is a more general term than strategic/ information planning. Business plan is the over-all “fight plan”, made even before the business was built. Unlike in the Strategic Information Plan, it can be devised before or after establishing the enterprise. A good analogy for this is a program that has threads. A program is the business plan which holds different plans for different sectors of the company to achieve the projected goal or output. Threads (of which I will not explain any further for we are an IT community so I am expecting you are familiar with this ), are plans and one or more of those maybe the Strategic/ Information System plan, which may function differently than others but still stays true to the goal of the main program which is to reach the goals for the continued progress of a business. With all the differences between the two terms being discussed on this topic, we can observe that their main similarity is their main goal and that they are used for the same reason and that is to bring in development.

What are the two most frequently experienced causes of frustration in IS professionals and users while working on an IS plan?

Computer based information systems are becoming not only a trend but also essential to the development, and execution of the over-all business plan or strategy. Business managers, however are too often besieged by the inadequate new systems with the missed target dates and over run budgets. These managers are questioning whether their firms are selecting and developing systems effectively and efficiently. To select and develop computer based information system, firms conventionally follow the systems development life cycle. The mystique that the computer is also challenged – that the computer is incomprehensible to the mortal business managers executive and must therefore be managed by technicians who may have a little understanding of the business organization. Finally these actions that the business managers and information system managers should take to develop more effective computer based systems are identified.

Computer based information systems firms are becoming increasingly vital to business and industry, More and more firms are attempting to use them to compete globally. Large and complex systems are being used to support the delivery of existing products and services to customers and for developing new products and services closely tied to their computers. They are making efforts to eliminate internal inefficiencies. Fierce competition, especially in the global market place and the falling price s of computers technology have and will continue to stimulate these endeavors.

In line with these before doing any implementation an information systems plan is to be made to attain the set goal. An Information system plan is a technical document intended for staff with implementation responsibility for an enterprise' databases and systems. It is a process for developing a strategy and plans for aligning information systems with the business strategies of an organization. Its goal is to help an organization provide business-focused Information Systems that enable and support their mission. It describes the analysis of the Strategic Model to develop the strategic information system plan; in appendices it documents the Strategic Data Model in detail. The Strategic Plan identifies information needed by goals, objectives and key performance indicators. The strategic information system plan reviewed the mission, vision,direction, goals, strengths, weaknesses, objectives and threats that might occur and exist in a business.

Like what I stated in the previous assignment, last semester, we were tasked to create an Information System plan for our chosen company. Looking back now, I tried to vision the difficulties we had encountered in creating the information system plan, and since I don't have any idea what are, specifically, the two most frequently experienced causes of frustration in information systems professionals and users while working on an information systems plan, my reply for the question given above is clearly from my own experience and nothing more. I don't have any other useful reference that would give me an idea whether I am on the right track or not, so forgive me if I got this wrong.

Well, back again to our previous argument, we, stating my group mates and I feeling like we were buried in an inch deep of water when making the IS plan. It was difficult and frustrating for a lot of reasons and if I rate all of it the top two on my list would be: 1. technicality on terms and the job itself 2. time pressure and budget.

IT world, is a whole new, limitless, unending and ever changing dimension. A system or device might be the best today but tomorrow something might surpass it. With this ever changing character, it was hard for us to devise an IS plan that will be suitable for the present status of the economy and the company. In a user's point of view, this degree of technicality, a new whole thing to him, change would be harder to accept.

Time pressure to create an IS plan is another frustrating variable, it not only pressures to the point of emotional stress but it also stresses the wallet or the budget. Lack of budget and if not enough time was given to create an IS plan that would surely be a headache to the IS professionals doing the job.

But I think on more professional level the frustrations would be caused by A: time pressure and B. the uncertainty of doing the job because of top management is not committing to the project or they don't cooperate much with the said project. Doing an information system plan needs help, guidance and assistance from the common employees to the top level management not only in financing the project but also in gathering important information and data to make the IS plan a possible goal. But a business comprises of several people working different tasks and it would be very difficult to get their time and attention, some of them aren't even familiar with the company's ICT aspects.

My future, my fantasy.!!

2008-11-28T23:34:00.000-08:00

Think about yourself worthy to be called as IT professional, how do you see yourself 10 years from now, what are your strategies to get there?

The question stated above can be answered in just a few words, a few sentences or phrases perhaps but before that let us try to dissect the question and layout words and experiences of high importance that will make us understand those words above and thus deriving to a conclusion that the question is seeking.

Future. Tomorrow. Two words that evidently differ in the form they are spelled, in the manner they are used and in the degree or length of the period of time that they refer. But amidst such discernible differences both can be said to share the same essence, An essence that translates a period of time after today, after the present. A time often imagined, tried being oversee, a time of uncertainty. A product of yesterday’s dreams and today’s actions, it is what we call as the CONSEQUENCES of the past and present. It makes one wonder, “What would I be?”, “What would my future would be like?”.

Fate. Destiny. Words of different form and character but carries the same trail of thought. Both terms seems to the order of things predetermined or established by some divine decree. Every person has a different fate, a unique destiny, a different path of life that is determined by his decisions. Should one believe in something like fate or destiny? Thou the point being stressed here is not the destiny of falling in love with someone or any other romantic delusions one has but to the academic point of view. Would one be destined for greatness? More specifically, am I destined to be an IT professional, my services being sought with all those large and well known corporations?

Dreams. Goals. Most of the times these words are used interchangeably. If not, then is used to relate the other word from the other. Both are very much in tune to the same idea when defined, thus making most people confused of the manner of using both words but in reality the execution of both words varies largely, distinguishing their differences more clearly. man was created a dreamer sculpted for towering ambitions and colossal aspiration. He is endowed with the conscience and knowledge of good and evil, equipped with the exceptional artistry, dexterity.

Have you ever dreamed of sailing around the world-alone? Or have dreamed of being an Olympic equestrian, a CSI detective, or win a Nobel Prize? How about being an IT professional or simply finishing college as an IT fourth year regular student?

If you have ever dreamed or aspired to accomplish any of these difficult tasks or any of a thousand others the human mind can dream- then you are alive. You are a thinking, feeling human being that is emotionally, spiritually and physically alive, for dreams are the fire that lights up our human spirit.

Every person within her, her own set of dreams and goals in life, but what is a dream? A dream is an idea that develops within a courageous human mind and it is like a seed. If a seed is carefully planted at the appointed time in fertile soil and matured with the proper amount of water and sunlight, it will spring into life and bloom to full maturity. So is it with the dreams of men. It was one said that,” A man who has a dream is a man with a promise. A man pursuit of a dream a man who is alive. A man who has achieved a dream is a man who has experienced life and conversely, a man who has a cold heart or sterile mind or is engulfed in fear to achieve his dreams is a man who is dead.”

All dreams however, like every great and noble aspiration that has passed in one’s mind, are difficult to achieve, because all dreams are attended with risks. I, for one, is thinking that “Would I really finish my studies at the appointed time? Would I fail again? But if I would I shall rise again. Would I really be a competent and globally competitive IT professional in the future? Am I really destined to be one?” In thoughts like those we can see to opposing but mysteriously interrelated human emotions that exist in all of us and that are, fear and courage. Many people don’t realize (or is it only me) that in order to achieve dreams they need to face the risks positively. How many of us have been swept under by fear only to find within ourselves a source of courage beyond our own comprehension? Is it not the fear of the unknown, of the future, of our ability and competence which creates challenge and willingness to say I can? And is it not that ensuing drive to meet the test that generates our courage, which in turn, is our source of strength to conquer fear and meet the challenge? Fear and courage are always present in our dreams and if, however, fear suffocates our courage, we will fail; if courage sterilizes fear, we will die; but if a proper mixture of both permeates our quest, we will succeed. It therefore takes courage to dream, for successful dreamers are neither weak men or are they fools.

But dreaming isn’t enough. A wise men one said, “Do not live in your dreams and forget to live”. It is wonderful to have a dream. It can also be wonderful to have a goal. They can be useful, or a burden, depending on where you are in your personal growth. Today, though, I am looking at something different. Today I am looking at the difference between having a dream and having a goal.

A dream is a goal without legs. It is a wonderful thing to have, can be the guiding passion of your life, but unless you clarify it and give it the legs to move toward you, getting there is going to be very much a matter of luck.

To transform a dream into a reachable goal you must clarify it, provide the details, and make it so clear that you can see it, feel it, know what you will feel like when you get there. This works for you in many ways. It clarifies what you want to the point that you will always be attuned to anything that is relevant. Opportunities will not pass you by unnoticed. It shows you what you need to do to get there, step by action step. It makes false detours and dead ends less likely to distract you. And perhaps the images you carry in your mind and heart will echo out to the universe for manifestation. The clearer and more vivid the image, the more likely are all of these things to happen.
Goals and dreams complement each other. If you only have dreams without any goals to support them, you can easily feel overwhelmed by the enormity of your dream. The shorter-term goals provide achievable intermediate targets that serve as stepping stones toward your dream.

If you only have goals but no dreams, you can easily fall into the trap of focusing so much on the steps that you lose sight of your destination. You run the risk of forgetting "why" you are pursuing these goals in the first place. Specific short-term goals are not terribly motivating by themselves either; their power comes from their connection to a big inspiring dream.

Looking back when I was still in my preschool days, I used to imagine myself carrying a brief case full of folders and legal papers, my hair pulled back in a tight bun and wearing smart looking glasses to intimidate my opponents in the legal battle that I am going to be in. I dreamed of being a lawyer whether it be for criminal law or tax law. For me, in that early stage of my life and young mind, it seemed really cool to be a lawyer. Later on, I changed my mind and decided to be a teacher instead. I was having a lot of hard time going to school and face the scary teachers scowling at us and giving us all these exams and projects and I thought that if I became a country serving, nationalistic teacher I can make other kids suffer the way I did when I was young. Its a kind of a payback for me. But then I fall out of liking that dream of mine because it really seemed silly and childish not to mention a bit diabolical, to a point of stupidity if I might add.

It was a beginning of another school year, my senior and last year in high school. For three years, I have worked hard to be where I am now, or rather at that time. Finally a senior in high school, a young person on the threshold of adulthood, thinking of important but silly things like, What have I become?“, “What will I take up in college?”, “What do I want to be like?”, and other things concerning m future. I told myself that I have to set my goals, to make plans. I want to look into the distant future and see the things that can be the consequences of my actions or my decisions-to-be. Even though a lot of people expressed their opinions of college being almost hell-like (as some may put it), full of hardships, sleepless nights and torment brought by the monster professors, I cannot seem to imagine myself in such frightening situations. I was always thinking that maybe some people was just exaggerating things. I have no time to ponder on such things because actually I still haven’t chosen, a college I would like to go to, more importantly I still have not decided on a course. All this things like planning and strategizing my way to a college or to find a course just remained as thoughts. Later on, I heard my friends are taking exams in various colleges, so I joined in all those exams without any clear direction. A huge portion of my acquaintances and close friends were stuck between choosing a medical or computer related course, so was I at that point. I passed nearly all college entrance exams I took and since most of my friends tried to enroll as an Information Technology or Computer Science student in the University of South Eastern Philippines where I also passed. And finally I decided, rather abruptly, to go to this university, who is known for being a tough school wherein a huge percentage of the students are not only brilliant but also scholars under various foundations and organizations. I said to myself that since I don’t know what course I would want to be in or I don’t know what university I want to attend, I would just pick a college where a lot of my friends would enroll.

Why? Simply because if I ever feel sad or miserable at least I have a lot of friends to help me and to guide me and well, to cry on. It was kind of cowardly of me, now that I think about it but that was really the main reason why I became an Information Technology student in the University of South Eastern Philippines. (Sir Gamboa may wrung my neck if he reads this. Kidding!!) . Making decisions was the painful part for me, the part I agonized over. But once the decision was made, I simply followed through — usually with relief that the choice was made. Sometimes the relief was tainted by despair, like my decision to come to USEP as an IT student. But it was still better than wrestling with the alternatives. This decision was ridiculously easy to live with, just go with the flow and deal wit all te consequences, that’s what I thought. I tried to think of the positive things rather than pondering on the negative things. For example, instead of fearing that I will be horrible in a computer related course because I have no computer knowledge, I don’t even surf the net that much those days and I would fare better in a science or medical course because (I ‘m not bragging but) I am good in sciences and I totally love Biology and Chemistry, I told myself rather enthusiastically that I must build up my weakness in dealing with computers than strengthen my knowledge on things that I am already good at. My sister thought that I made a brave and right move for the same reason. Sometimes, I get confused n whether I am really saying all those stuff to assure my family that I made the right decision or if I am convincing my own self, but either ways I convinced my sister and a part of myself at that time, and that seems enough. But it also occurred to me that it’s also high time for kids like me living in this digital society to be familiar with computer and the cyber space for it’s the information age.

For these past three years in college, I learned to love my course and my school, not only due to my old and newly acquired friends but also to all the things I learned that made me get excited, ecstatic and sometimes scared. It seems to grow on me with each passing day. I have realized a lot of things, really, like we are in the information age of the digital society and technology it growing more and more everyday through the brilliant minds of the IT professionals like Bill Gates, the creator of Microsoft and Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the founders of Google.

Speaking of Google, one night I saw news about Google. A place where all computer geeks like me considered as a haven. According to that news, Google was ranked as the number ONE office or work haven in the world. It offers not only a place for computer nerds and wizards to serve the masses by providing a well built and maintained search engine but also other websites and services that the cyber space can offer. Google for me, makes the word impossible seem non-existent. This is my new professed dream, to work in Google’s main office and be one of its contributors or partner. In class, I was not the smartest student but I always try to do my best to be one. I listen to the lessons, I do my projects and assignments without crying about the sleepless nights and no-bath-days that I had in a few consecutive days. I did all of these not only to be a good student but also to be a successful IT professional in the future.

One of my subjects required me to adopt an IT related company and do interviews, scrutinize their networks and systems and al that stuff. We were asked to develop a Information System Plan, and upon hearing it I thought it would be easy. Later I found out it wasn’t. Why? Through the interviews, company visits and system observation, what I know at the moment is still insufficient. The IT world is so broad, can not be drawn to a map, it has limitless boundaries and possibilities. I realized that even if I finish four years of college studying about it through the entire lessons given to me, I can not learn all things that an IT professional should know.
And from what I called “NEAR FAILED EXPERIENCED”, I had last semester from my other class, it confirmed my thoughts that I seem to have left a lot of IT rocks unturned. It dawned me that with a pace as slow as I am going now how can I be a Google partner or contributor with such lack of knowledge. I cannot say that it the university’s fault since as I said the IT environment is so broad that they can’t possibly cram them all into the prospectus. It all down to me, I guess.

Going back to the question given above, I like to see myself as a brilliant IT professional who balances her time as a Google contributor, an IT enterprise or IT school owner, and a family woman of course.

Right now, my first strategy to achieve these goals is to do some planning and this time to actually pour some efforts and actions to it. I believe that strategic planning makes false detours and dead ends less likely to distract me. I would try to be specific in creating my plans and goals. Study in school, and do some self study for other things that my classes can not teach me. I think the self study part is the most important; one should not be contented with what other people teach them. Especially, in an environment like IT community and cyber space where it is unending, and ever changing, I should have to keep on studying and researching. True, that even if I have a whole lifetime to study I can not over turn every star of knowledge in a vast IT sky so should be my learning. Doing that shows perseverance to gain success. And lastly open my eyes for any opportunity that may pass my way, and if in a moment that no opportunity is passing my by, I think I could make ways to weave through in and out of place where opportunity lies. There’s no point in just sitting and waiting for it to come. One should not pray for luck instead do anything in one’s power to succeed. At the end of the day, no matter how cheesy must this sound, perseverance and passion for what one does keeps him or in my case, her to succeed in life. PS: Don’t forget to ask guidance from God of course for with Him anything is possible just be sure to combine actions and hard work to one’ prayers.

Rep 2: Problems of Information Systems Planning

2008-11-24T03:19:00.000-08:00

Since the class sharing of the first group was fast and brief, the second group comprised of Jonard, Master Jalil and Riza was called upon to deliver their report.

Their topic was addressing the problems in information systems planning. It was divided onto four subtopics namely;

•Alignment of the IS Plan with the organizational plan
•Design of an information System Architecture
•Allocation of Development Resources
•Completion of Projects on time and according to budget

The first two subtopics was delivered by Jonard Laganson while third was by Master Jalil and the last was by the only girl in the group, Riza Gador.

Actually, just like the first group their report was also delivered to well, fast and brief. But then, comparing the two groups I reckon that the second group did better because all of them gave a lot of examples, comments and "tried" (stressing the word again, TRIED), to have us, the audience to take part in their discussion. haha.!!

Rep 1: Evolution of Information Systems Planning

2008-11-24T02:55:00.000-08:00

After our professor's "homily" and having all the technical glitches being fixed, the reporters finally proceeded to their class "sharing". The first group, whom consisted of Jaymar (hi mine.!!), Melgar (H2x) and Maria Teresa (Matit, as we fondly call her).

There report is about the eras or time in which an important phase in information systems planning might have occurred or to when and how information system has evolved throughout time.

The report was really just so brief that's why I can't really further expound on the topic like I usually do (defensive.?? jejeje). Its the truth actually, haha.. nice work to the reporters.

A Professor's Homily

2008-11-24T02:52:00.001-08:00

Having the reporting finally started today, a lot of technical problems have occurred. While we were waiting for some of our classmates or rather reporters to arrive while fixing some of the technical glitches, our professor started to discuss certain things to us, wherein which we would call it a "homily".

It not about godly things, as one might have derived from our description but its a sort of a review to some items he already discussed to us (of which I wont deny, that I or we forgot already. Talk about short term memory loss).

Just like our last discussion, our professor who was first discussing about where strategic planning started then about the world being flat due to cyber space and later the talks feel on our respective goals and dreams. Its a funny how certain discussion fall into topics that seem poles apart. But I understand that our professor is stating a point in relation to strategic planning not only in one's studies or occupation but also to one's life. He is always keen on asking us about our goals in life, on what do we do to achieve those and are we planning to succeed or not.

Honestly, this topics is one that I try to avoid. Stupid as I may sound but it true. Why? Well, it because our professor is right. I create certain decisions abruptly. I don't spend time to think things over, devise a "bulletproof plan" to make things go the way I wanted smoothly and surely. I guess I am really a spontaneous person in more than one way. I don't want to face the reality that I was planning to fail. Facing such thoughts just tends to freak me out. But then, its now a lesson learned. I should and would plan from now on (I hope).

Also, in this semester, we are to produce a Strategic Plan directed to the Institute of Computing. It aims to devise a plan that will enlighten the faculty, staff and university officials on the problems of the institute and what are the ways that we can address to each problem. He told us to look for the S.W.O.T, which means the Strength, Weakness, Oppurtunities and Threats that the institute and its community is undergoing. Determining such factors can help us to see the things that undermine the growth of the Institute of Computing and create solutions for it.

Also, he discussed the STEEP or PESTE principle to us. This principle refers to Political, Economical, Sociological, Technical and Environmental Issues that we must adhere to in doing our major paper.

It may sound that we really have a serious talk in our class a while a go but actually we were all goofing off since our professor keeps on making jokes that I wouldn't dare to post here (just guess why.. hahaha) and due to some of our comical classmates lead by King George (peace George). To Simon, we may not be that close but condolence on the spermies (joke lang jejeje). All in all, its another fun filled (hmm.. partly) freezing day in school.

..what wiLL I be.???

2008-11-13T23:04:00.000-08:00

Questions tends to boggle the mind of people and one of the questions that bewilders me the most is "What do you see yourself doing a few years from now??"..

Why?? Well, its because its about the future, a time a bit far from where or when I am now. I am still student, struggling at that, who endures sleepless nights and sometimes no bath due to overloading projects from my subjects. I am still having a hard time thinking on how to do certain tasks, prepare for quizzes and projects so thinking about things that would occur in the future seems futile for me at this point. "Concentrate on the present and let tomorrow worry about itself", I always say.

So when someone asks me this question, I get kinda queasy, because I have no straight forward answer. But honestly, I really dreamed of working in Google, not only because its an IT haven but also it is the most ideal enterprise to work in the whole world (according to study and survey).

Google is one of the factors that encouraged me to enroll as a BS in Information Systems student in the University of South Eastern Philippines. I thought that if I be an IT professional, I would have a chance to work in Google or Yahoo or be an animator (I am a huge otaku fan.!! hahaha). Any of those jobs would make me really ecstatic.

As I became a full pledge IT student in USEP, I learned a lot of things about computers and programming yet I don't see myself as an expert or knowledgeable about IT or computer stuff. I just feel as if the computer is just someone I am acquainted with and not a close friend which should be the preferable state. Even with all I learned and I know I am going to learn in the university, I realized that its not right to solely dependent on the university I am attending. Though it teaches me all the basics and more of the things I should know about, the IT world is such as wide scope that the four corners of the classroom and the university lab can never conquer.

To be what I want to be, whether it be a Google contributor, programmer or animator, I would embody certain values such as diligence, hard work and having fun with the learning process. Learning either from the university, seminars, tutorials or self study must be undertaken to cover maybe not all but mostly of the IT knowledge that I could gain. In the end, perseverance and will shall lead me to what I will be 5 years from now and hopefully I can be a full pledged IT professional by that time.

"Change We Need"

2008-11-05T20:21:00.000-08:00

History now unfolds itself as the strongest country in the world have a newly elected President. What separates this man from his predecessors it that of his color, the first black American president of United States of America, Barack Obama. His victory in the race to be the 44^th American Presidents and on one of the most well fought election battle in the USA marks that change has finally come to America.(Surely, Martin Luther King would be proud.!!)

Found below is the speech, President Barack Obama on the announcement of his victory.

"Hello, Chicago.

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

"It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

"It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled, Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

"We are, and always will be, the United States of America.

"It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
"It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment, change has come to America.

"A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain.

"Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.

"I congratulate him; I congratulate Governor (Sarah) Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

"I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

"And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years, the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama.
"Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.

"And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

"To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.

"And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best - the best political campaign, I think, in the history
of the United States of America.

"To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way. To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics, you made this happen and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

"But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.

"I was never the likeliest candidate for this office.

"We didn't start with much money or many endorsements.

"Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

"It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give 5 and 10 and 20 to the cause.

"It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy, who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.

"It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organised and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.

"This is your victory.

"And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.

"You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.

"Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.

"There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.

"There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.

"I promise you, we as a people will get there.

"There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.

"But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

"What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.

"This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.

"It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.

"So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.

"Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.

"In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.

"Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.

"Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

"As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.

"And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.

"And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.

"To those - to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

"That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

"This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

"She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the colour of her skin.

"And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

"At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

"When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

"When the bombs fell on our harbour and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

"She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that 'We Shall Overcome'. Yes we can.

"A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.

"And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.

"Yes we can.

"America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

"This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.

"This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

"Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America."