nixFlors

2009-08-28T00:31:00.000-07:00

It all felt like years!And I do feel sorry for not updating my blog anymore although I wanted to, but I can't. My routine or schedule somehow shifted to a very different one. And I gotta drag myself into still doing something that I usually do before. I turned out to be a nocturnal mammal now and I miss a lot of things that I do and love to do before. I am coping up, and somehow threatened(haha!). I still need to improve myself and have to aim for the best. My life right now is really different. I am now more pressured,more weary and I have to think quicker or decide in a shorter time and at the same time make sure that I'm making the right one. It just make you somehow weak when reality hits you and you were never prepared for it. Anyway, you just have to be armed of determination, grab as many inspirations as you can to motivate you and don't take it too personally. Always think, if you fail, it's not meant for you.

I reward myself by watching the latest movies, and the latest that I've seen was UP by Disney Pixar. Russell was so CUTE!And so was the whole story. It was just so touching and I felt sorry for the old man's life story. He has to grow old by himself and got so stuck with his house, never want to let go of his wife's memories. I had seen Gi JOe (Rise of the Cobra) too, but I was asleep half of the time(haha!). My cousin just drag me from sleep, I couldn't refuse and so I went even though I was damn tired that's why I fell asleep. I went out for the last day of the Kadayawan festival also, by the time pangit and I arrived at Gmall, Marian Rivera already left(haha!). I still have work later that night so I never really got to unwind myself out and the rain didn't cooperate that night. I arrived 1 hour late to work and soaking wet.

I miss my friends, they never text me for the mere reason I am using Globe and they are on Smart. Huh!(Bantay lang ang magpalibre,Joke!) Well, I think that's all for now and hopefully it wouldn't take that long anymore after I could post again or blog again.

Gotta cope up

2009-06-29T04:44:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems I’m back here again after how many weeks. The new schedule of my life totally kept me somehow, not somehow, but really tired, but gotta keep surviving! Lots of news or happenings have ‘happened’ already and I wasn’t able to write some of it because I haven’t had the time yet. To start off, I finally learned how to ride a bike guys! Yes, for those who don’t know yet, I just learned how to ride a bike at 20 and the thing is I’m not still very good at it. I still need to step out of the pedal to balance the thing and hopefully not fall. And if you’re thinking of the real bike thing, the bike that I used to practice with was the one that 6 years old or even younger know how to use yet (hahaha!). I’m really afraid to fall off the bike. That’s why it got me this long to learn how to.

Other thing than learning how to ride a bike, I was still in the process of getting used to with my job and learning new things, which includes not just about technical stuffs but also about all the things under the sun. I received my ever first salary, from a serious job (because I did private tutorials before), and I just don’t wanna talk. But what should I expect, just gotta look at the brighter side and if you can’t see one, look for it harder. Well, as much as I want to buy my mom a Red Ribbon cake for her 50^th birthday, I’m short of budget but I still managed to buy her a cake. As what my aunt said, “First time tam ah!”. And I was glad that they’d still appreciate my little contribution.

Aside from the AH1N1 mania, I’m busy waiting for the upcoming movies! UP, Harry Potter6 and Transformers (Revenge of the Fallen). And finally, yesterday, I got to watch Transformers. It was really hair rising, not because it was scary, but because it was so amazing. The computer graphic effects are just a ‘suntok sa buwan’ thing that I hoped I could create too. The story of the ‘fallen’ and that autobots or deceptecons (I’m not sure how it’s spelled) has long been here on earth living together with the human species. Megan Fox was really beautiful, and here I was fooled that she was really a transgender but got out off it, and Sam’s mom was really funny(haha!). Wholly, it was really entertaining just like the previous one, just more intense and really action packed and elevated cool effects.

And lastly, that I could write on this entry is about the King of Pop. I grew up adoring him, and I bet we’re all shocked hearing the news of his death. All I could say is that nothing could replace him as the only King of Pop that has really shook the world of his talent and I’m just sad that he has to die with all those intrigues he has gone through that made him a very very looked upon icon to a bad one.

my JOB

2009-06-11T04:40:00.000-07:00

It has already been 5 days of work and the experience is still coming. I have mixed feelings about my job, my 1st job, and try to weigh the feelings I have properly to be able to arrive to a best decision. It's fun, tiring, nerve racking and educational. It is fun meeting new people in a new environment and you get to realize that you wont' have a hard time anyway to adjust since they are all so nice. My job is a veryb tiring one, and the only thing you can recover and not drag yourself to misery is to always have fun and be happy with what you have. The first time we did calls is totally scary for me. Everytime I'm going to log in to the phone to start receiving calls, it's as if I'm gonna vomit my heart out in a second. I was REALLY nervous. I dont' know what kind of call will I recieve or what kind of client will be assigned to me that's why I always pray that it must be a ghost call.(hehe). One of my calls that I can't forget is that I had an irate client and he called me 'retarded'. My gosh, that day really started perfectly. Anyway, I got to handle more calls, and I get to realized many things. You can't be really good at something unless you experience it yourself.

As a newbie, I am so pressured knowing that I still had more to learn after being a pro and I hope that I'd be able to master the things in no time. Actually, I think of my job right now as if I'm still going to school and learning new stuffs. It is true that the pay also drives you to go on with your job, but there are also lot if things aside from moey to make you love your work. I now feel that good feeling when you get to reap what you sow. I was happy that Id' get to receive my reward after the training and it was the biggest amount of money that was really my own and that I worked hard for it. Right now, I'm trying my best to perform good or even best and hopefully at the future, reach the goal that I had in mind.

Bloopers

2009-05-26T23:45:00.000-07:00

It got me quite a longer time to have a new post for my blog, although I was online more than once the past few days, because I can’t really think of interesting to write down that has happened to me or whatever that would just popped out in my mind. Well, I’ve been busy the previous weeks continuing with my training basically. And that days including these week was totally a critical one primarily because we are near the end of the training period and judgment day is coming. So the thing that has been bugging me as well as my co-trainees is the word, PRESSURE! I was always nervous and agonizing each day knowing that there is so limited time and you’re still not that confident if you would be able to make it. Because of that too much pressure, it still remained in my sleep. One night, I was partly asleep and I was like texting while asleep and I typed in “ping router” instead of typing in the right reply. Good thing I didn’t send it because I have really fallen asleep and I just realized next day when I saw what I typed in my CP’s drafts. I was just laughing about it and that’s what really happens if you are so preoccupied over a thing. So was one of the terms we use in the training and it is somehow unavoidable to take it out of your system that easy specially when you’re always thinking about it to make yourself master the things that we should learn. Although I was amazed of myself because I was still able to spell it correctly although I was half asleep while typing it, I was totally unconscious of what I’n doing at that time. Just a while ago, when I bought pancit canton at a store near our house, I said, “Pancit canton daw, wirele…chilimansi flavor”, good thing the ‘tindera’ didn’t hear it and I was quick to say the ‘chilimansi’ word after almost saying ‘wireless’. I was not alone experiencing the same thing because one of my co-trainee was drunk and she texted “Happy mother’s day..ipconfig” to one of our co-trainee who’s already a mother and she really sent it.

We already had our two (2) ‘practical exams’ and although it was not perfect, I think it was just fine because I could still come for our last day, because we would be basically eliminated and not finish the days of training if we failed the 2^nd exam. I had another ‘stupid act’ while having our 2^nd call simulation and what makes it more stupid is that I didn’t realize I said the wrong sentence. During the call, my monitor suddenly went black or it turned idle and out of panic, I asked the pretending-as-the-customer/trainer, “is it ok if I hold you?” instead of “Is it okay if I put you on hold?” so that I could fix the monitor before proceeding with the call. I was shocked when he replied, “You want to hold me?!” like in a louder tone and I even said “Yes sir, because my monitor turned off or went idle.” It was just the next day when my trainer assessed me about the call that I realized what I said the other day was totally embarrassing and how it made me sound like a pervert. I was really embarrassed in our class when they heard about it and I can’t even look straight to my trainer. The assessment part was really fun because we get to know our bloopers and just laugh about it. Well, I really hope I could really pull this off and get hired.

To be liberated or not to be...

2009-05-11T05:39:00.000-07:00

Less a month has passed and it was a total dread. I kept asking when and how all of these would actually end and how am I supposed to handle all of these craps until I'm finally relieved. I have been liberated for that long already and the reasons behind are not really closed yet. It means that I am agonizing the time when I would be able to make it really 'close'. A closure is what badly I need, as well as clarity and acceptance. Everything has just been so unfair and I really couldn't fathom no matter how I dig deep within my brain why I had to be in this situation knowing that I just did my part well and got a bunch of trash for an exchange. So hopeless..

Back to Ala

2009-05-04T05:24:00.001-07:00

Thankful that tech-training will resume next week, I could go to Ala (Isulan, Sultan Kudarat) FINALLY. It is where my mom spent her childhood and it is also where the rest of her family resides. I haven’t been back there for 4 years already and the last time I was there was when my uncle, my mother’s brother, died because of high blood attack and after that a lot of reasons kept me from going there mostly because of school stuff reasons. Every time my mom would go home there, she’ll be bring me back messages from my uncles and aunts that I’d be really dead if I wouldn’t go there anymore. And now that I had the chance, I totally grabbed it.
We left at dawn and I still sleepy. We just rode a van in Matina terminal and arrived at around 8 am already. The temperature’s really really hot I could say. I can’t tell the difference here in Davao but it was really more searing in there. As we got out of the jeepney, my cousins welcomed us with a warm greeting. Boy I was really absent there for quite a time, I noticed many changes and my cousins are already grown up compared to the last time I saw them. The reason why we went home is because it’s my uncle Dodong’s birthday (the one who died 4 years ago) and fiesta. The karaoke machine starts to get really loud and I was waiting for my cousins who just live in Davao too to arrive.
There were many people and also food was abundant. I got to eat-all-I-can because my aunt has a store and they sell halo-halo and batchoy and since it’s not always everyday that I get to eat their ‘tinda’, I can just eat for free (haha). Although the temperature’s scorching hot, it was still fun and that fun would have compounded if our trip to the hot spring happened. Unfortunately it was cancelled because the night before, it rained really hard and expectedly the road to the hot spring is already accident prone.
I was really happy that I get to return there after all these years and though I have been absent for that long, I didn’t feel any unwelcome aura from them and it seems though that I was not able to go there for only just a day, nothing really beats family.

Out in the real world

2009-04-22T04:42:00.000-07:00

After graduation, all I could think of is what course should I be taking now that I have finished my studies. I always worry that I would just end up like a potato couch and not get to give back all the hardships or efforts that my parents gave to get me this far. As what I always hear from others, I am still young and I have a long time ahead of me to actually get my dreams into actions, so worry less. Last Monday, I kinda just dragged myself to get up and try to do important things that I should be attending to like with the SITS stuff. Arriving at school, it happened that none of my classmates were there, I text Mark and he replied that I follow him to Victoria Plaza. I decided to have my new ID picture for my resumes. Then April suddenly text that they are in a call center for an application. She was exaggeratively telling us to hurry to go there although it's barely 1pm. We decided to go there to just to give it a shot. The whole application experience was totally memorable, as it was really my first time and I was really nervous as the interviewer called my name. I'm proud to say that I was the only one who qualified for the exam and accepted to proceed for training. Knowing that it was accidental or not really planned that I apply there. The picture shows(from left) Mark, April and me, waiting in the lobby for our turn to be interviewed.

Yesterday, I get to actually experience getting your records as a grown up like NBI clearance, SSS number, tin # and all sorts that you need to comply when applying for a job. The whole NBI experience is totally hope-this-won't-happen-again thing. I was really pressured coz I just got only 1 DAY to comply all my requirements since I would be on training on Wednesday. Well, as this whole experience was happening, I have also done a lot of thinking about it. I got discouraged because my parents kinda don't want me to work in a call center plus some of the hear says that really discourages me. But I was just keep on telling myself that this is actually good, because not all can have the opportunity that I got and that this could actually be my first experience to have a job and have a good pay. Right? I promised myself that I will surely not inclined away from the field where I belong and apply for those that I have studied for 4 years in college.

Today was my first day of training, and still, having second thoughts. But I still came because I gave my word that I would be there. I was really nervous. I felt that I had to really go to the toilet because of what I feel. But to summarize my day in the training, it was fun, I met new people or friends I could say and I also got to learn new things with regards to proper grammar and proper communication skills. On the 4th day would be our 'final exam' , that's the elimination round and getting eliminated at that phase means you can't proceed to the rest of 18 days technical training. So wish me luck guys. Come what may.

Easter Sunday

2009-04-12T03:46:00.000-07:00

I finally left house today with my cousins to watch a movie. I spend 2 amazing(?) days straight only at home this holy week because I don't have a place to go to have fun and not feel the boredom and I don't think dad would allow me to leave house knowing that it is a holy week, although my brother and sister always leave the house. All I did was watch TV, eat, sleep and think about the things that would just came to my mind and those that are actually significant to what I should with my life. After all, holy week is to have yourself a time for some reflections, right? And I totally did a lot of it. Humans are REALLY amazing, they don't run out of problems. Are we all born to face problems? I wonder if there is a planet existent but living the opposite way that we do like instead of problems, they get to experience LUCK things or fortunate things. I would totally go there myself. Watching movies, I realized that I kinda changed in doing it. Aside from focusing on the characters and the story itself, I get to look on the effects that were used, how the movie was edited, why that particular scene was taken and when someone calls an actor in the movie, is someone really calling them or are they just pretending to talk even there's no person in the other line. I watched Lara Croft Tomb Raider yesterday, and a satellite shot is taken and I think you would have to use a helicopter or something you could fly on to get that shot. And I think a helicopter was used because I could hear the wings or the propeller something (sorry, I forgot how it's called). It seems that the music should cover its sound but it kinda had a glitch or I was just talking total nonsense as I watched that movie around 1am alredy..hehe

How devastating

2009-04-04T03:22:00.000-07:00

How come I never run out of worries?After one passes through, another one goes marching in again. I mean, CAN I GET A LIFE?Can I just get a rest after having one finished before facing another one. When I'm totally busy thinking of my problem/s, I get to think some sayings or quotes applicable to what I am actually going through. One that came up to me is, "Romeo save me, I've been feeling so alone. I keep waiting for you but you never come." I wouldn't really elaborate on that but its kind of relative to what I'm experiencing. It would be totally selfish for me to say that my life is the hardest life you could live in, knowing that there are others who suffer more than I do in this society, but that's truly how I feel and what I say would most likely be appropriate to how I feel. I totally sounded messed up right?Because I totally am. Helpless?I could say so.

A Miracle

2009-03-25T21:27:00.000-07:00

Ah..I actually did it! A miracle it is indeed. After 3 LONG agonizing weeks, my suffering had actually come to an end and I couldn’t thank God enough for what He had done for me. Prayer and perseverance is undeniably effective. Starting from the 1^st week of March where everyone got so busy finishing their research, to the 2^nd week where Friday the 13^th would be the last day of passing of grades for graduating students and the week where I was SUSPENDED for not wearing uniform until the third week where I was literally already grabbing myself up to finish what I have started although chances are already so slim. For that whole 3 weeks, I could say that it was totally the worst moment in my life where it lasted quite long and I actually did want to give up. My other classmates, or those that I am always with, were already done with theirs and they could just go around anywhere celebrating every minute knowing that they were already in the safe box of graduates while I was hardly picking up the tiniest bit of hope that has kept me going on, having double thoughts that I could still make it or it is already too late. It wasn’t really easy making yourself get up from bed so early to go to door-to-door to your respondents just so they would be sort of forced to respond to your study, walking the streets of Davao, rain or shine, hoping that you’ll get more responses, accepting rejects and waiting for confirmation, emailing, calling and visiting them each day. Until March 20 came, where I could hardly breathe anymore, Sir RSG agreed that I could have consultation with my documentation already. It gave me hope and the thorn stuck to my heart for how many days has been pulled out on March 21, 1:00pm. I don’t know but I still got the aftershocks of being a paranoid that there’s something that could still go wrong and I wouldn’t really make it to graduation day until today where Sir RSG has checked my hardbound thesis via phone and I had actually received my final grade in all my subjects. All I could really say is I am so thankful that I had passed through it.

I wanted to take this opportunity to really thank everyone, as I haven’t really poured out my real gratitude in my research paper acknowledgement section. To Sir RSG, for the encouragement, advice, considerations, learning and for giving me the chance to actually let my efforts pay off. We couldn’t deny that it was really up to you, aside from me, if I would really make it. A lot of thanks to you Sir.

To Maam Wit and Sir Bert of IDI, and every officers and respondents, I had quite disturbed with their busy schedules for gathering data. My research was all not that great but I hope it could still be good.

To my ABASHAKE friends, especially Madam, for the offered prayer and encouragements and for the acceptance if I could just only be an ‘Octoberian’ (at least Batch 2009 gihapon).

To my classmates in IC (present and evening batch), for the encouragements also, (although you were just waiting na malibre.hehe) that you still got to say that there’s still hope. For the laughter that made me temporarily forget of my agony.

To ‘pangit’, who stood by my side, gone with me while doing door-to-door survey, rain or shine and really know what I felt and had gone through and gave me every support and strength.

To my beloved parents and family, thank you for bringing me up and worked hard to educate me. You were my inspiration really to finish my study despite the slimmest chances.

To everyone, thank you, God will surely take care of the paybacks multiple times.

To my classmates, who decided to finish their studies later, I really hoped we could graduate together so there are more to celebrate with since we had shared lots of fun and pressured times already. But I just want to say that, whoever graduates first is not really the measure if you were really a good IT student in USeP, though it could be one, but it is really how much you have learned with all the IT stuff or technical things that an IT student should be equipped with. You know what I mean.

A step up on UsEP applications

2009-02-24T20:10:00.000-08:00

It is obvious that our university do transactions in the usual way which is manual which invites more negative comments by students, faculties and also with outside individuals that could have a business done with the university. There are already existing automated systems or applications being used into some transactions but there is still a negation present with regards to doing each of those processes. Integrating internet application with the existing applications and data being used by the university would totally take the way transactions are usually done a higher step. It would be really good if all of the transactions done inside or maybe outside the university would be applied in such a way like enrollment, paying all kinds of fees, open discussions between students themselves or important meetings by higher officials. We already have virtual forums that are being used by students and professors as one form of e-learning. There is also doing online quiz but it would be good if the university could have one that is really meant for our school only, in that way, doing long tests or exam online is not that far from doing actual ones like face-to-face. With all of this stated applications integrated into one, as an official use by the university, things could be simpler thinking that we could just go use a single application but with multiple purposes.

USEP security

2009-02-24T20:04:00.000-08:00

Having a much "secured" security within every system is not an easy job, especially nowadays with all the hackers and the likes on the loose busying themselves to make others have a hard time protecting several systems existing. You really need to set concrete security policies and regular maintenance to avoid things such as making those data stay as confidential as they should be. With the USEP's electronic security, I think that it has still improvements to achieve to be able to a certain level of security wherein we could really say that it is enough or more than enough to protect the privacy of faculty, staffs and as well as the students. I could say such statement due to instances that may or can prove it. A group of students of this university has effortlessly hacked into the system in our computer laboratory and the method they use might even reached many others who are still using the laboratory and have ease on using time in accessing the internet or using the units there if they weren’t caught or noticed and placed a corresponding sanction for their actions. So with that, employment of a more solid data management and security must be a matter that the university should greatly consider now and as soon as possible work on.

IC - future tech culmination

2009-02-11T03:07:00.000-08:00

Alas! One of my or our milestones has been reached and it was totally or just half totally relieving that our Future tech presentation was done...finally. Yesterday was indeed the day we have all been waiting for (well, aside from the toga-wearing day) since it has been moved several times already and it was just like prolonging our own agonies to the max since there are still many things that we should be attending too. I really woke up very early because we still have to go to Matina to get our diorama and should make it to school early to help with all the preparationSSSSS that have to be done. I admit that I was really nervous because we may just embarass ourselves and put a stain to our college's name and as well as to our dear RSG's. There were minute imperfections that were really inevitable with how we prepared everything for that day but all in all it was fun. I get to see the creations of my other classmates and many kudos to them for making it to the actual presentation knowing that behind the presentations, were lack of sleep, tons of pressures and other things that could really blow your mind and it was all not really easy. I hope our dear RSG was proud of it, even though we have failed him many times but honestly, though there was so much pressure, thank you RSG for pushing us to be a great IT students and as well as an individual. One project done, 2 more to go. AJA!

My great grandson in-law could be an AI

2009-02-11T02:43:00.000-08:00

"Technology is getting faster and smaller all the time, this we know from Moore’s law. However, life expectancy and quality of life and technology’s ability to alter it, is going to create a number of moral choices for people .."

With the statement above, we were asked to formulate an ethical question with regards to the future technological advancement and my classmate should point out their views about it.There are a lot of things that came into my mind as to be the possible question I would be formulating and I had chosen to talk about human cloning...first. But unfortunately, as I was going to pose it to our forum, my other classmate has already posted something about it. So my topic then shifted to other idea - My topic was inspired by the movie Artificial Intelligence and Bicentennial Man, and it would be great if you have also seen them so we could relate to each other better. Greater advancements is very inevitable and we all know that it keeps on growing more and more powerful and so complex that anything we think impossible would just be a laugh away in the near future. With all these advancements, it is not also impossible that robots or AIs will be mingling with us as someone who is also an individual of a society. They also could talk like us, live the same lifestyle we had, or maybe even eat and have emotions. My question would be, would you agree to the thought of these robots can be 'real humans' such as being registered as one, take part of the important happenings on earth as real humans do, have families and die knowing that they are only machines?

My classmates' answers:

I saw both movies but I had to watch the A.I. again.

The issue here is that is it really good idea to develop AI to the point where it would be like in the movies. There was a moment in the AI movie where the mother is having a big dilemma whether to fully activate the robot child (I forgot his name) and make it her child forever. That moment had her thinking if she can really accept the robot child and use it for her own personal benefit (maybe, therapy from having extreme emotions due to her real living child on the brink of death?). The robot child was used to mediate her feelings and as a distraction for her mind. Later on, the family (especially, the mother) when they were reunited with their true son, had a very complex emotion since the robot was now an obstacle for the reconstruction of their family bond. The mother felt that she had to someway get rid of the robot and concentrate on loving his true son since she thinks that her true son is more important and her son is only one that matters, yet still having the little lingering feeling of warmth she felt with the robot child.

Now this is a critical sample when involved in this issue. Humans are not supposed to create life (I mean artificially, not the other one...). It has been a great issue since Frankenstein and before that time. So if the creation of life is obtained by humans, Chaos is ensured like the sample before. So I personally think that if people want to lead a true and satisfying lives, don't mess with God.
-Michelangelo Macaraeg

Honestly, I have not watched any of the movies you've mentioned by I will try to give my thoughts with regards to the question in general. This issues I believe is still in debate by those who are pro-AI and those who are anti -AI.

For me, there's nothing wrong on having robots lived the way human do as long as they are not created to destroy human. I always believe that robots will never become human. There are human behaviors and characteristics that cannot be done by a programmed machine like common sense.

-Kenneth Roldan M. Tello

i cant imagine AI's do have feelings. it is impossible. only God can give and create emotions to people. But if ever thiis will be possible, i have foresee that the moral issue in here is in the scinetist who created that human. we can question him about his very purpose of creating a technology like that. becasue maybe he was trying to exceed God's power or to be like God.

-Miah Mae C. Bernaldo

Intranet on USEP

2009-02-11T02:42:00.000-08:00

Intranet has its own varieties of benefits that would greatly help the university get enhanced in many ways. The university could use intranet by having a private website or some sort wherein university transactions could be done such as forums like discussing important issues that could make or break things inside the university and as well as collection of data that might be needed by any concerned staff in the university that would be really helpful in performing tasks relevant to the school needs. The use of intranet would greatly improve the university's collaboration aspect that may result to more better ideas and concepts. It will not just be limited to faculty and school staffs but intranet is a good way to bring the Usepians closer as they could discuss and share anything that relates to school or a student's point of view that is really significant just like creating a environment for openness that students can appreciate themselves.

Uncertainty

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

Yesterday, I had my dinner at 12:00 am already for I've waited for my brother to bring food home from the party of my cousin in Panabo. So uncertain on what time kuya will be home, my sister and I can't wait any longer because we're totally starving, so my sister cooked 'adobo' with the meat stored in the fridge for days. It turned out after eating the 'adobo', that the meat was some kind of expired already because of its taste and smell. I thought at first it's a good thing that ate is becoming a nurse and not a cook because the food hardly tastes like 'adobo'. But the thing is, I've already eaten..a lot. I am still alive and not in the hospital today so it was not a big deal anymore. And today, another uncertainty transpired about our FutureTech program. Some groups haven't had their sketch approved yet, no group's video has been checked finally and other details that should be considered. I really don't want this event to get postponed AGAIN, coz it would just be totally be so useless and absurd. Absurd because this is our second chance to make it happen finally, we had already moved it so it should be really happening this time already. Also, my questionnaire still needs to be revised after waiting for it for 1 week and I was so expecting that I would be consulting my questionnaires with RSG today already. A very long deep breath is all I could do right now and just work on things that still needs to be worked on. I know that all of these scrambling would come to an end.

How free is freeware?

2009-01-20T05:05:00.000-08:00

Free, it is just a very nice word to hear. You get something without giving anything first, who wouldn’t want that. Incorporating the ‘free’ word with anything in this world is just what we all may be hoping for. And if that would come true, I couldn’t think of anything else that we might be asking for more. This is totally applicable to the ‘free’ stuff scattered over the Internet that is felt or getting availed by millions of users all over world. Movies, mp3s, books, applications - name it and maybe you’ll have what you want in a matter of time just by downloading all of them for free. There are already hundreds or maybe already millions of site that hosts this kind of action or letting others download stuffs for free. As for now, majority of us has had already freeware games or applications installed on our computers at home or at work. But what is really meant when we say ‘freeware’? How really ‘free’ it could be?

Defining freeware according to Wikipedia site, it is a computer software that is available for use with no cost or for an optional fee. Freeware is often made available in a binary-only, proprietary form, thus making it distinct from free software. Freeware allows authors to contribute something for the benefit of the community, while at the same time allowing them to retain control of the source code, future direction of development and preserve its business potential. Freeware is different from shareware, where the user is obliged to pay (e.g. after some trial period or for additional functionality). The term freeware was said to be thought up by Andrew Fluegelman when he wanted to sell a communications program named PC-Talk that he had created but for which he did not wish to use traditional methods of distribution because of their cost. Fluegelman actually distributed PC-Talk via a process now referred to as shareware. Current use of the term freeware does not necessarily match the original concept by Andrew Fluegelman.

A freeware could only be called as ‘freeware’ if that software is fully functional for an unlimited span of time without cost, monetary or else. The license of the software can inflict restrictions or limitations on how it should be used involving personal use, individual use, non-profit use, non-commercial use, academic use, commercial use or any combinations of the ones mentioned. Anything created with the freeware programs can be distributed at no cost such as graphics, documents, or sounds made by user. It is said that if ever you have played an online Java or Flash based games, you have used a freeware. The internet itself is also thought of as a freeware itself, an enormous collection of scripts, information, tools and resources that are, for the most part, absolutely free.

Open Source and Freeware

As to compare open source with freeware to understand the latter more, the difference between freeware and open source is that you do not have access to the source code legally. Organizationally making a difference, there is no community and no development infrastructure around "freeware" as there is around open source software. So while you can use freeware as it is, there is no possible way to develop it or get hold of sustaining it. Open source means that the source code is available to all potential users, and they are free to use, modify, and re-distribute the source code. Legally, the "free" of open source refers exclusively to the source code, and it is possible to have support, services, documentation, and even binary versions which are not monetarily free.

Shareware and Freeware

Shareware is said to be another concept. You can download and try shareware for free, but if you use it, you are supposed to pay for it. It is developed and released by someone who keeps full control of the intellectual property. The user does not have access to the source code and cannot modify it. There is also no collaboration or community around shareware.

So the only difference between shareware and commercial software is that you can download and try shareware for free. Users are ultimately dependent on the developer of shareware for enhancements and support like other commercial software. Thus, shareware is "free" as in "Free Sample" that we see in malls.

But why does someone wants to work hard of something and just gives it for free? As said, Freeware is about programmers wanting to share what they've created with the world at large, be it a useful tool, a kick-ass game or even a simple script. Those people who create freeware like to share what they've made, and wanted to get some credit from the wider community for making something useful. So if ever you get to use a freeware next time, maybe it would not hurt if we give those ‘generous’ creators of freeware a dose of encouragements by visiting their site and leave them a message like, ‘keep up the good work’ or ‘ you’re doing a great job’. Freeware programs are either distributed for the love of society, for prominence, or as stripped down versions of programs that cost money. For the most part, this is the realm of the independent, or "freelance," developer. Remarkably, some of the very best programs for use on the Internet are completely free. Most freeware, even though it's not commercially sold, is copyrighted by the author.

As to answer the question ‘Is freeware free?’ my answer would be yes. Yes, it is free in terms of we could be able to use it as long as we want without ever paying for it to use it for longer time or like forever. The only thing that makes it not ‘free’ in terms of you could completely own of it, is that is has its own imposed restrictions which controls its usage or how it should be properly used in spite of it being free. It has its other perimeter defined alongside with other stuffs that comes with a ‘free’ feature.

luckier than ever

2009-01-16T05:23:00.000-08:00

Haay..The deadlines are again fast approaching and this is not just any deadline I have been usually cramming about for the past years of my academic life. This is the major deadline I should never just take for granted. The GRADUATION DAY..huhu.. This is the time I would finish studying and finally practice all that I have learned and earn for it. I really don't want to pressure myself because it would all make everything so heavy for me to carry.I have told my mom about me not being sure to graduate this March or April and she said that they'd understand.

Actual dialogue

Me:" Ma, basi dili ko ka graduate sure karon ba kay naa koy di maapas. Pero wala man ko nagbinuang. Lisod lang jud maapas."

Mom:"Edi dili ka graduate.Alangan na man magyaka me muhilak kay dili ka ka graduate."

She understands me right?

And to make everything so "perfect" for me in my already "perfect" life, the new year seems to have brought me many misfortunes. My 2G flash drive which I just owned two months ago was lost, my cell phone has reached its expiration date which is just a hand-me-down from dad four years ago and obviously my parents can't provide financial budget for me to buy new one right away, having a psycho for your other half and can't conduct an org day because the school won't allow it anymore. What more could I wish for?Everything is just so perfect right?!

Good websites to boost e-commerce

2009-01-09T23:12:00.000-08:00

It is very important for those who are engaging in e-business to have a website and not just a website but a well established one. It is the presence of a business, small or big, in the cyberspace that should be significantly considered in such venture for there is lots of benefits one business can get by going online. Knowing that the internet is an environment in such a fast paced mode and nothing seems to be constant for long, everyone should know that already engaging in an e-business does not also means sure success for you. You have to take several precautions and follow important guidelines for your efforts to come into a good fruition. That is you have to be equipped with the best strategies you can conceive alongside with your set goals and mission and also the best solution when problems transpire.

One customary Internet beliefs has been that once people get to know your website, the money rolls in. As many failed entrepreneurs now know, it's barely that simple. Hundreds of thousands of e-commerce enabled websites are already online. Inviting in customer's attention requires plenty of advertising or exposure, even if your website is branded with a name so popular. It’s really not a simple task, so don't expect that your site will surely become the famous of the Internet unless you really work on it. Having said that, you can make money in cyberspace, particularly if you run a lean operation.

An online outpost is one and very important way to build the bridge between a business with its customer and definitely it could help you take your profits to larger values of digits. This website being established by e-business ventures serve as a 24 our convenience store open 7 days a week, always open for conducting business to anyone who access the site through the Internet. The idea of an online store which is open whole day and doesn't need any sales staff has to be appealing to every retailer. In the mid-19 90s, an online store was a costly exercise often running the tens of thousands of dollars. In the last 10 years, the cost of an online store has been steadily falling and is now hundreds of dollars rather than thousands of dollars and once set up is easy to maintain and operate. With proper management and strategy, all of the issues as they shared with trading online can be safely managed and even a small business can have an effective 24-hour online store selling its products and services without any sales staff all day every day. So this one means for your business exposure and money making helps you provide useful information to your customers just as distributing it through papers or with telephone or mobile communications. Useful information refers to a searchable database of retailers who hold your products, maps and directions to your main offices or other branches, business hours, even job postings, brochures and catalogs, answers to frequently asked questions for your business and other important matters of sort.

If a customer gets the feeling of ease by visiting or navigating through your site, then it is good start of making business to a new prospect customer. When customers could know enough facts they need from your business so as to let their selves get comfortable in doing transactions with you, through your online outpost, it would be a lighter load taken from you in inviting customers in. Enough and useful information is also one way of making a first good impressions to prospects customers, that you have definite information for your business and that means it is well established and you mean good business to others. Internet users take 4 to 5 years to make their selves engage in doing online transactions such as shopping or banking and that is because to get their selves familiar and feel at ease in using the internet and doing transactions for another level. Internet users now are getting smarter about their rights, how online transactions work and how to sieve good business from bad ones on the internet. There is also their reluctance of possibly engaging their selves in a bad situation such as mishandling of their information, deceptions or other threats widespread. And that factor should be taken on account by businesses, they should know more about their customers and know the most effective ways to invite them into doing business with you.

The eBizMBA.com has made its list of 25 Top Most Popular Tech Business Websites for December 2008. The websites were ranked by a combination of Inbound Links, Google Page Rank, Alexa Rank, and U.S. traffic data from Compete and Quantcast. The websites included on the list are focused on specific aspects of ebusiness and have been selected to the "eBusiness" list of the said site based on the frequency of general eBusiness news & info that is published. Among the web sites that have made it to the list are: (a) News.com with 9, 460,000 links, (b) ZDNet.com – 12, 500, 000 links, (c) arstechnica.com with 1, 200, 000 links, (d) InformationWeek.com with 1,350,000 - Inbound Links, (e) TechCrunch.com with 2,080,000 - Inbound Links (f) Mashable.com with 842,000 - Inbound Links (g) sitepoint.com with 309,000 - Inbound Links (h) WebmasterWorld.com 211,000 - Inbound Links (i) Digital Point Forums with 119,000 - Inbound Links (j) ValleyWag.com with 2,960,000 - Inbound Links

As to examine or analyze all of the top sites of e-business of the eBizMBA.com, most of the sites have complete sections such as registration, about us for more of their information, downloads for visitors or customers, forums that could really ,make the visitors say what they want or point out their satisfactions and the opposite. The appeals of their web pages also seem to add up to their popularity. The color, font and text size the way the objects in a webpage are arranged in a way that is not confusing for one to navigate through. Just like having tabs to divide out the different sections of a site so as to make it very organized to look at and it would be very easy for a visitor to go through and check out each of your sections that may interest him. In this way, you can measure the satisfaction of a visitor if he likes and understands how your web site works. Otherwise, if you have poor designed web site, it would obviously have a great effect to your visitor’s satisfaction. You yourself don’t really want to waste time in a website and test your patience in checking out a poorly designed web page.

Elements or objects that should be placed in a web site should be properly decided. It’s not just putting everything you want to add and it would just be alright. Each element is taken seriously as they would greatly contribute to how your web site would be popular and to your organization or business as a whole. Put in mind that these elements would just be a ‘mere elements’ but they are indeed very important as they serve as your ‘representors’ in your web page.

Text

Of all the elements in a web page, the text is the most common a visitor would see. Besides the sounds or videos that are incorporated in a site, it is mostly the texts that are read by your visitors. The important information is displayed through text, it is where you say your marketing strategies to invite you customers in to you and you would really want to make sure that they are readable and comfortable to the eyes. The font size, font type and font color will wholly matter to the readable and comfortable to the eyes situation. Choose the font size that would be easy to read, meaning it is not too small and not to big either for the general to read with regards to the size of your whole web page and to other elements or object placed in it, the same goes with the font size. There are font types that are too stylish that make them hard to read and others that are much too simple. Incorporate the right colors with the totality of the theme you wish to employ in your page. It has to jive in with the other colors you’ll use and it soothing to the eyes of the visitors generally.

Graphics

As of today, multimedia is always incorporated with sites that make it much more popular or appealing. Graphics is one important element as it could convey more messages than described using texts and also, visitors of a web site mostly prefers to see pictures or images to really see it for their selves. This is very important for businesses that have online stores. It would help more to display actual images of what you sell to make it easier for it to be purchased as they can be seen by prospect buyers. Use images that have good quality and appropriate size, it would be really useless to display images with poor quality and very small in size as they can’t be seen clearly at all, it is better that sizes are appropriate or balanced to the whole size of the web page.

Sound and Video

Sound and Video is also the same with graphics. The size of the said element should be balanced with the whole page. It is best for organizations to place sounds or videos that are clear. It would be annoying for a visitor to watch a video that is not clear at all and hear sounds or audios that are of poor quality.

One thing that could test a visitor’s patience is the loading of a page to the next or a loading of an image or video you incorporate in your page or site. A very good web page should consider the sizes of the elements they embed in their page. For instance, if an image should appear larger, just place a thumbnail of the image. With this, just small size would be place in the page and could not affect much to the loading of the page. The same goes with the videos, videos used should be compressed to reduce file size, these are techniques to speed transfer time.

To sum it all up, one good factor that a business should consider in putting up a web site is to make it user friendly. It would all be worth it in designing or deciding what the best website is for you since it would be your portal to do good business with almost everyone around the world.

What's next for technology?

2009-01-09T23:05:00.000-08:00

Lots of ideas has already transpired or conceived several years back or some are still fresh on what would be the face of the future technology. Conceiving ideas for the future developments on different technologies and other stuffs is a very interesting thing to be doing maybe that explains why many forms of the coming future emerged, some are certain to be on the coming future and some still remaining as imaginations. For all we know the future technology would bring us to total doom or bring us to total satisfaction and convenience. It just could either be the two options depending on what new technologies we would be embracing not for long that will reshape humanity. Hopefully, all of these would lessen the continuously compounding threats we know and the problems we need to have resolve badly. What could really possibly be the face of the future technology? How advance it would be for the upcoming years? And how greatly would these more advanced technologies in the coming future affect people’s lives? These are just few of the direct questions many are curious about alongside the curiosity of what is next and what is new in terms of technology.

Who knew what would be the exact face of the next technology and what will be the next “in” “techy” device for the “techy” ones but predictions on how advance technology would be could be seen on different web sites over the internet posted by science fiction writers, futurist and technology experts and you could say that one day would not be enough for you to view all of those predicted faces of future technologies if you would really get yourself into it. The predicted technologies are of course sorted out categorically some of which are Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, chemistry, metropolis, communication, computers, environment, electronics, energy, homes, nanotechnology, physics, robotics, space, transportation and society. We all know that these things that are pre conceived are mere fruit of what people really needs. Out of these needs, things are newly developed; some are improved out of its disadvantages and that is to satisfy our never ending needs and to make our life style a whole lot better than it is and to solve problems major ones specifically, hoping that they could make a breakthrough or do something so great that has never been done before to improve how we live. These new technologies does not just pop up directly on the time it was introduced and also have been actually engineered for that same time. New technologies that are to be are actually starting on its way to us. Pre conception of these technologies is already the initial step in creating it. Experts are already doing a research on these various things that may or may not help elevate our life styles. As they say, research today, reality tomorrow and that which could only mean that these predictions will not remain as predictions that long.

I saw a future history timeline on a-jrmooneyham.com-original and it shows the general outline of the possible future and is said to be somewhat conservative and constrained in what it offers the readers. The timeline is meant to be the 'harder' (or more factual/credible) of the two works, in terms of science and predictions. But this also indicates that the said timeline must be more comprehensive, more risk-averse-- and also recede entirely as we speculate into the deep, deep future, where everything must ultimately give way to extreme presumption (partly due to technology advancing to levels indistinguishable from magic, as a famous quote by scientist and author Arthur C. Clarke implies).

2009 AD-2017 AD: The net reshapes the world; 'perfect' organ replacements for the wealthy; contagious insanity; the introduction of 'second skins'; and the rise of the vigilantes
‘The internet seeps into our lives and starts to fundamentally reshaping our institutions, even as breakthroughs in other fields assure fundamental changes in living standards and all future human endeavor; personal computing gets more powerful even as costs drop further; net users in the developed nations are becoming increasingly isolated in terms of typical historical human interaction; the first crude 'second skin' applications arrive; some forms of insanity and other surprising afflictions prove to be literally contagious; the danger of mass effect biochemical weapons use peaks for most developed states; the wealthy enjoy 'perfect' organ replacements; there are significant increases in the numbers of people taking to the sea to live and work; vigilante organizations rise in prominence and influence.’

2018 AD-2025 AD: Consumer robotics and personal virtual realities go mainstream

‘Personal virtual realities are taking marketshare from TV, radio, films, and other media; near paperless offices, wireless appliances becoming the norm; consumer robotics go mainstream; do-it-yourself medical care becoming ever more practical and effective for many ailments; adequate hardware to support human level intelligence at consumer level prices becomes available (but suitable software remains elusive).’

2026 AD-2049 AD: Accelerated environmental decline, increased religious conflict, and a wholesale plunge into VR by citizens in the developed nations (to escape mounting stresses)

‘The emergence of the 'Bounty Economy'; rampant identity theft and other cybercrimes lead to the first and most important privacy vs. security issues being resolved; substantial religion-related conflict erupts; budgetary priorities undergo fierce turf fights in the developed nations, with education and other consumer services usually winning; the human senses are technologically expanded in wondrous new ways; the final elements fall into place to allow software-based human level intelligence to become widely available; 98% of all cancers become curable; mini-subs and STOL/VTOL warplanes (both unmanned) are the cutting edge of warfare; tactical nuclear, biological, and space-based weapons use in conflicts not uncommon; traditional aircraft carriers now obsolete; troops enjoy numerous micromachine-based aids and supplements; environmental decline due to pollution, accidents, terrorism, war, and excessive harvests becomes alarmingly obvious now, but business continues to actively lobby governments for minimal regulatory remedies.’

Other predicted future technologies of all sorts or categories include:
• More intelligent machines
• Computers that predict the future
• Extended/eternal life
• Manipulating DNA
• Growing organs
• Designer babies
• Emotion control devices
• Downloading memories/brain
• Dream control device
• Super lubricant
• Underground cities
• Entire world is one city
• Wireless everything
• Telepathy
• Quantum computers
• Self editing software
• Weather control
• Nano devices

Airgo: Measures The Harmful Particles In The Air That You Breathe

This new concept device is used to create awareness amongst the people regarding the global warming and its effects. The device measures the harmful contents present in the air, thus letting the user know of the air that they breathe and hence leading them to be a responsible citizens. The device can be purchased off the shelf in fashionable stores and the manufacturers have given the universally acceptable white color, thus it can easily go off as a fashion accessory and making a personal statement of its own. Add to that the fact that it has a recyclable consequently completing the cycle.

Photonic computing

It offers many advantages over its electronic counterpart. For one thing, light can be switched on and off much faster than electricity, allowing far higher digital data rates. In addition, light is much more energy efficient and less prone to pulse degradation, especially over long distances. Finally, crosstalk is eliminated because there are no electromagnetic fields arising from different current paths to interact with each other. However, these advantages do not come cheap. Ironically, the lack of interaction between photons means that the technology to manipulate them is more sophisticated than its electronic equivalent. And photonics is in its infancy, with critical breakthroughs appearing only in the last few years.

Controlling Weather Trends

Scientists start to develop better systems to predict and monitor the weather. Some are already discussing attacking them as they form or figuring out ways to steer them to uninhabited or low-density population shorelines to protect from major catastrophes like Super Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Think on this and the future of our civilization; A world safe from Hurricanes. Controlling the weather patterns will require some skill, some talent, large collected databases, supercomputer number crunching and lots of trial and error. We will also need to let lose of some of the current mathematics we use to track weather in trade for multi-stacked equational computational analysis or a different type of math based on a new type of science. As scientists and researchers will learn there will be places where weather is easily studied and relatively easily controllable using very little energy and using the actual wind currents with minor changes in certain situations, which are made possible by the terrain itself.

Future cars

Cars of the future will be intelligent, fuel efficient, zero emission vehicles. Vehicles will communicate with each other, with the road and with traffic signals. Sensors will help you navigate through bad weather and warn you of a possible collision. They will also let you know if you are getting drowsy or straying from your lane.

Based from what I have seen by surfing through the internet about the possible emerging technologies and what face will it have for the next years to come, I could see that each of those technologies will take the humanity life style to another level and which is obviously the primary objectives of the developers. Another level to convenience, more environment-friendly technologies, powerful devices that come in small packages, medical breakthroughs that can cure and prevent disorders that are seem to be a headache for many doctors, controlling the weather are few of those predicted technologies to mention. For me, they are all really amazing and sure thing we would really want those predictions to come to reality. I am not really a “techy” person or the like that really awaits new introduced technologies and avail it for the reasons that I can’t seem to purchase one because of the price and also I don’t want to worry myself to really own one just to be “in” since everyone seems to have it already. As of now, I could say the most “techy” device that I own right now is a Nokia6230 model mobile phone which is just a hand-me-down from my father and we have one desktop computer at home. I am not totally ignorant of the new technologies as they go “in” for the people because I would just happen to know someone who owns one and I can help myself familiarize with it by just borrowing. But there are also negative impacts brought by these future technologies that are also way too scary such as technology over ruling humanity, more radiation emission which is a total threat to every one’s health, destructive devices that could wipe out a whole city in a small amount of time. For the question on how would I prepare myself with the upcoming technologies the amazing and scary ones, as an IT person or a professional someday hopefully, I would opt to support emerging technologies being developed that are less destructive to humanity, although it may bring some convenience and satisfaction to us, the bigger impact should be viewed and prioritized more to prevent further damage. Technology could not always be the direct cause of the either good or bad effects it can give since we made those technologies and we react to those technologies too. It only means that it is also up to the society to bring humanity to its doom-ness or to live in convenience forever. How the technology builds up and needed by the society is dependable to us. As an individual, I will totally be on the good side and not become one of the factors of making technology destructive to humanity possible. And that is not to be total “techy” geek (I hope), I would still attach myself to the norms and values we are all usually covered with and to help the world become the world that it is supposed to be and not the one that is made up of chips, metal and all sorts. It just a matter of choice for the society to make the technology as good as it is or bad as it is.

Internet and E-commerce

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

In a not so long future that will come, e-commerce would undoubtedly be one of the most significant factors in the global economy. The e-commerce technology has made this kind of industry progress at such a fast pace and such an unstable environment. These technologies that will bring the e-commerce industry into a greater space will continue to bring transformation to personal communication and conducting global business world wide. Though the global economy may falter at times or in the past years of crisis, but the advances of the e-commerce would surely be able to help the global market to get back on its track and do well or even greatly. These advances are also significantly related to bringing the whole world online. Its advantages offered will attract lots of newbie or non-newbie on conducting business or just simple transaction online. According to NUA Internet Surveys (http://nua.ie./surveys/), over 620 million people worldwide are linked to the internet or are getting used to the World Wide Web (WWW). And experts predict that the global Internet usage will be growing more and more for the next succeeding years. By 2009, it was even estimated that 47 percent of all business-to-business (B2B) commerce will be done online already.

The rapid growth of the Internet also attracts the increase of organizations opting to use the World Wide Web in conducting business at a greater speed, access and efficiency. This shift is very common in business-to-business (B2B) commerce and trade. Companies now adapt to a system called e-procurement that offers and uses different B2B protocols for interaction with seller system. Examples are Ariba, Commerce One, and mySAP. Many others participate as buyers in e-marketplaces, such as Commerce One MarketSet, Ariba Hosted Market Place, and IBM’s Web Sphere Commerce Suite, Marketplace Edition (WCS MPE, or MPE for short), among others. Many other protocols for B2B methods, many proprietary to procurement and other systems, and others custom-made for specific partners are being defined and implemented. In addition to the procurement systems that usually reside in the firewall of the buying organizations, marketplaces are being situated on the Internet through which buyers can access a large number of suppliers, typically for specific industry divisions. Several of these marketplaces use the same or similar technology to connect to procurement and supplier systems and offer buyers at small and medium-sized businesses access to suppliers.

E-commerce technology will not only become smarter and faster but it can also cast a wider net for companies and organizations globally and renovate their methods of dealing with internal information, customer service and other important business transactions in a whole lot better way. Internet technology has also been used not just for business them selves to cater their business transaction needs but there are also internet portals that provide service for those who do e-commerce, another facet of business-to-business commerce. Some of which are domain name service which includes simple transactions in a business namely, transfer, agreement, domain forwarding and e-mail forwarding. There are also other website services provided like online shopping, website packages, web page, web store, custom design and also other promotion services. These internet technologies that are employed would surely help business get better and for those who are just thinking of transforming theirs to an e-business. An e-commerce business solution can provide an organization’s customers with detailed information of their products and services a year for a fraction of the cost just like having an international sales staff that is really efficient and always available as what is offered in Web Sphere commerce Suite, an IBM’s award winning e-commerce software. The solutions they offer comes in both a B2C and a B2B likes and allowing them to strengthen their relationship with their valued customers by cross selling and up selling products and services, streaming inventory management, returns and refunds, providing live help and online collaboration with suppliers and customers.

E-commerce technology could surely increase one’s company by boosting beyond their physical locations, culture, and time zones. Affordability, scalability, and profitability are a very important terms for e-businesses and they should make sure they could be able to offer these such importance and advances. One of advantage of an internet technology that could offer to any businesses or organizations is that it could bridge the problem of those companies in having limited resources, limited skills and as well as limited budget that growing a business as well as transforming a growing one into an e-business is very daunting. So getting connected to the internet would really help you in building a business and make it grow more by initially building a virtual storefront and creating a global Web presence for the online audience who would be the probable online customers. With e-commerce technology, finding solutions to problems that organizations get to face everyday like customer retention and increasing supply costs are few to mention and with this, a B2B e-commerce could never be that hard as it was and to make an e-business faster and cost efficient with just the appropriate solutions to be implemented.

There are also other suggested ideas to make e-business a success. New features are already starting to emerge from years after years that could bring several technologies apart that could be later on used in e-commerce extensively. A) Collaboration Key - companies set up smart hubs that are not only used by their own customers, but also interact with other companies' sites. Particularly on the business-to-business (B2B) side, this innovation could change the way companies do business with one another, according to Mark Byrd, senior vice president of product management at VerticalNet. B) Breaking Barriers - breaking down barriers between different departments and companies to achieve potential ‘real-time’ future, allowing constant updates of information related to inventory, product availability and shipping status. C) Supercharged Kiosks - consumers could have more direct contact with the next generation of e-commerce technology. Such kiosks will see increased use for actual purchases and financial transactions. D) IM's New Role - transforming instant messaging (IM) from a chat enabler into a serious e-commerce asset. Enable companies more easily create communities of like-minded customers, and will offer more secure ways to vouch for information that is sent back and forth over a network. E) Speeding Things Up - the real-time aspect of future e-commerce technologies will allow users to engage in "threaded discussions" as they negotiate contracts and share data. F) On the Same Page - smart interactive portals, accessible from wired or wireless locations, are the best way to consolidate information in a single place, separate mission-critical functions from other operations and control that has access to specific data.

Although the technology that has been incorporated now in doing e-commerce could provide lots of advances to those who opt to employ them, it is very important for these businesses to be very prepared in engaging to an e-business world. This kind of economy as is situated in the virtual world is running in a fast pace and catching up is one thing that one should never neglect or else. Technology could just be that useless despite its advances offered if one doesn’t know how to be a good player in such an economy.

The dynamic nature of the kind of new economy calls for new challenges to industry and the policymakers, although the internet promises great features for such businesses. The decision makers involved are entitled to develop procedures that would motivate growth and press on consumer interests. To craft groundwork for the fast paced growth of e-commerce appropriately, enterprises must learn to adopt effective e-commerce technology policies and strategies. These strategies involve strong intellectual property protection, online trust, free and open international trade and investing in an e-commerce technology infrastructure. Strong intellectual property protection refers to strong copyrights, patent, rewarding creativity to foster innovation and other forms of intellectual property protection to strengthen the economy. Of course online trust involves the ever important security and privacy, which without consumer’s confidence in security and privacy of their information could mean less growth and weaker e-commerce. So protecting information and interactions on the internet is a total key to ensure success. Closed markets and inequitable management is not very good for e-business. It is said that it should be realized that only in an open and free market will the Internet’s potential be realized. Investing in an e-commerce technology is a very good step and very vital to stimulate technological growth. The future of electronic delivery demands a dramatic evolution of the telecommunications infrastructure in every part of the world. Also, the digital divide is a major concern for organizations who have worked independently to increase access to computer technologies in under served regions. They distinguished that a global e-commerce technology future depends on extensive access to new technologies, mainly by individuals who have accordingly far failed to share in many of the communications and productivity benefits that technology offers. For all these motives, many e-commerce organizations support policies to support broadband deployment in a way that will augment widespread access to technology and, in so doing, lessen or even close the digital divide.

E-commerce and trust

2008-12-23T03:10:00.000-08:00

With the e-commerce world, trust is indeed a very critical element that each e-commerce players should be looking forward to. Every organization, online shoppers and the sort would really be concerned about this issue to whether they are really protected by venturing in such kind of commerce. Trust issues with e-commerce is viewed by others as how protected they truly are with their privacy of information and how they are really defended accompanied with certain rights in times of problems in trading and other transactions they do. There are actually different views on trust depending on the state of an individual and it is becoming different as it travels around the web. According to an article posted over the net by Yinan Yang and colleagues, trust can be viewed as a counter measure for al uncertainties in an E-commerce perspective. E-Commerce trust can be defined as subjective of the web communities and the perception and exception of honesty and law equity by others. It is certainly hard to trust in such an environment where you do everything virtually and you never really get to see or touch elbows with those whom you do businesses with. The increase of Internet users has also increased the internet frauds, hackers and all sorts that contributing to the anti-trust issues and such crimes and this proportionally increased the entire web user’s awareness with the trust issues as being faced by the e-commerce now. The issue of complete trust is becoming a very big problem to both web users and as well as consumer service providers or those businesses that duly engaged their selves with e-commerce. So the big challenge is truly given to those consumer service providers or other businesses venturing in e-commerce to establish their selves as truly worth of the trust that the entire web users can give. We can never really define to which extent a trust of one user or consumer is strongly established in doing e-commerce transactions. These trusts would definitely rely on users experience in using the internet. It was said internet users would opt to indulge themselves in E-commerce after 4 to 5 years of being an Internet user. Surveys even showed that around one third of the chosen respondents were unwilling to engage in e-commerce or purchase an item for one reason of being reluctant is that they worry that they can be exposed to misuse of information. According to a post by Susan Kuchinskas in Small business computing.com, “Thanks to constant phishing expeditions in which evil-doers spoof the e-commerce sites of major retailers, consumers have become much more aware about the dangers of offering up personal information online. That's a good thing for consumers, but it may be bad for online merchants, especially those who haven't become household words.” It seems that consumers are becoming smart and more aware of the risks they could be taking in engaging in e-commerce stuffs but that would really be a bad news for the business ventures as well as in the economic industry.

That is not really an easy task since the trust relationship we are referring to is just merely based with consumers and providers identify each other only with their Websites, email addresses and some electronic mediums like public key or with the digital certificates. Sad to say that this kind of array has brought some changes and as well as a set of new electronic threats and risks like deceptions or frauds, mishandling of personal data (credit card information), intentional misinformation posted on web documents, copy legal businesses as to get over with the consumer’s personal information like their credit card numbers, spying and more negation. These set of threats and risks add up more to the burden of the E-commerce environment in dealing with the trust uncertainty. And to which they are the main stakeholders to receive the negative effects such as, primarily, financial losses and the likes. I don’t’ think that they will surely never let it get to them and start to think counter measures to limit or lessen these kind of uncertainties and further losses for them. To counter these threats they have now established TRUST as their primary element in E-commerce, with which is the most to be prioritized on the first hand. There are already mechanisms done to establish initial trust over the web such as a number of Public Key Infrastructures (PKI) which can identify business parties but these were said to be not enough trust models since there is still a lack of logical assessment of Trust in Web Commerce. There could also be certain ways to which a business could establish their selves with to start gaining every consumer trust.

1.Identify yourself properly

Businesses must appropriately identify or introduce their selves on their site since this is one good preliminary step to create trust relationship with their customers. They must post their complete company name, address and as well as their contact numbers to which they could give their users details and assurance that consumers would have their ways to contact a certain company whenever they want to. It is really important that consumer service providers’ show how trustworthy they could be at first hand or how could they sell their selves as a trust worthy business everyone could surely rely on. Legal companies should always be transparent with the transactions they do in a way that they are doing the right thing, or they are really doing the right ways in the personal data of their customers and that their strategies are always taken care of.

2. Respond to consumer

For instance where transaction is being done or your consumer is just starting to view your site to buy something that interests them, it is normal for a consumer to have many or different additional inquiries. So it would be better to respond to consumers in a short span of time. This way could greatly affect a consumer’s trust. Responding to them right away would make them feel that they are really given a proper service and that you are really doing business seriously. On the other hand, late responses would test consumer’s patience of which are not usually that long and that could give you a very bad impression and another customer loss.

3.Inform Consumers properly

Personal information from consumers is required when a transaction is being done. Consumers find it very fun and convenient to do their shopping online but oblivious to many is the risks they are being faced as their personal information might go to risks as well. Consumers have to become smarter now to avoid themselves with different threats. In asking off personal data from your consumers, you must clearly explain to them why would you ask for such requirements and what are you going to do with those data. In this way, consumer wouldn’t be ignorant to such protocols and that they would still be in the know about their personal data.
In times of delay, businesses have to duly inform their end consumers on what causes the delay and that what would their customers should expect from their orders. Never give them false hopes as to which this could really destroy your image for breaking trusts.

4. Structure website with security

Every player in the E-commerce World should assess the amount of trust present. It is said that one preliminary technique in gaining trust from end consumers is the way their websites are constructed. In establishing their websites, businesses have to see to it that their web contents are 100 % Web trustworthy or there is expected 0% fraud probability present. They must make sure that there website is protected from expected harms and they have to be always on guard. They must always inculcate in their minds that the information they handle in their websites are from their consumers and they are the ones reliable to protect it as strongly as they could. And this method should always be re-assessed to ensure complete security. Also they have to make proper navigation with their sites as well as the web objects they placed as their web contents. Poor downloading for example and poor display could lessen the interest of the end consumers for your services.

5.Always improve service

Businesses must always see to it that they are giving 100% satisfaction service to their end consumers. This could always be the best way wherein they could establish their trust relationship with the consumers they provide with. Good service could always refer to how fast they process everything from the start of the transaction till the end and still providing the security measures appropriate in each process undergone. It is a really good impression that you could give the proper service without any compromised personal data from your end consumers. Also businesses must establish return policies that in times customers have dissatisfaction with their product delivered, they have to stick to policies that gives the consumers right to accommodate the service they really want to have.

Also, businesses have to establish a sense of security among their consumers by allowing them to select the mode of payment they want to choose and the software they are using must verify their consumer’s ability to pay of which of course involves credit cards, electronic cash or purchase orders. The business could also use customer information as a part of their e-commerce operation. More refined packaging retains a great deal of customer information, including where users go in a site, and make this information available in the form of analytical reports.

6. Be always true to what you sell

Different strategies are thought of by these several businesses to sell their selves off over the net particularly their goods and services. This is a very important step they should do to ensure that they gain something after their big investments on such business. They would give off the most indulging messages to attract customer to avail of their service. But they should never forget to only display the messages or information that is really incorporated with them. For instance, a company tells the web users over the web that their product is something so good but is really not and when an end consumer gets fooled but realizes in the end that the product they ordered is really substantial, the business is faced more trouble that they could handle and that puts their business into its image risk and wearing off the trust of their consumers and non-consumers who might have heard their scheme. Also sell your goods and services appropriately.

7. Strictly imposed policy rules

The E-commerce laws have set our rules in which every business should be strictly imposing alongside their business goals and objectives. This method could not only establish their selves with end consumer trust but it could also protect them from oblivious actions inside their premises that could hinder progress and destroy their company name.

I have really understood that trust is a thing that you should always get to be serious with and it should not be one of the things you could just neglect. Especially with the businesses wherein there profits and brand are at stake of taking care with their privacy issues. Along side with the e-commerce law, they should work hand in hand to lessen internet crimes and fraud that just slows down the e-commerce industry. Since the legislation, particularly in our country is not yet that reliable, we should start to make it one. We need more advocates to establish a stronger law incorporated with e -commerce. E-commerce is really a good way of employing ICT with the business industry as its offer many advantages and results to more progress, so let us not be the hinder to this progress but instead help it to become more productive as it would contribute much to our industry. And that is to make everyone believe that only the absence of misuse of personal information of others and other internet crimes could be the way to make the e-commerce industry bloom more and that would eventually lead for more economic progress.

tech vs. nature

2008-12-23T02:59:00.001-08:00

There have been indeed numerous books wherein authors have exerted their much effort in trying to convey an environmental message, not just a mere message but a very significant message that all of us should hear of. Or they have interestingly perceived the future destructions we might be all facing in the very near future. We could either be very alarmed upon hearing such message or just keep our ears and eyes, as well as our mouths closed as if we did not come to perceive such things. Not only books but also movies have been used as a medium to let us hear the most important message that we all should be hearing and that message would be the message of global destruction. Global destruction is such a totally major word and for me, hearing the term ‘global’ would also totally mean big time, and incorporating this big time word with the term ‘destruction’ is very disturbing and frightening since I’m one of the big-time-word’s inhabitant. Destruction to our earth would surely mean destruction of mankind. Obviously, immense actions should now be at mobile to counter act the damages done and prevent further spoiling of our environment. I don’t think I had already read a book that tells about global destruction and the like where the future is the setting but I already have seen a bunch of movies about it, though I guess those movies are still based from published books. The Day after tomorrow, Wall-E, Back to the future, Water world, Ultraviolet and Time Machine are few to mention. As far as I can remember in the movie Time Machine, when the lead actor travelled into the future, there was a scene wherein the moon was gradually tearing into pieces and seems to be falling off from the sky. And another man was shouting something about the plant earth will surely be next. The moon has already been inhabited by the humans, where they locked up prisoners, causing imbalance in the environment of the moon and it started to get destroyed. Since each bodies of the universe are interrelated, the destruction of the moon would surely affect the planet earth as well as other planetary bodies in the outer space. From that instance, the future seems to be nothing but a damaged world. And those damages seem to only source from us. It just appears that every step we make to bring us to the future would also be a step for greater obliteration.

I am only a typical student of one of the known college in the metropolis of Davao and I have my own plate of concerns to attend to as being an Information Technology student. I am already aware that technology is indeed one of the major contributors of environmental problems. Although I am a person I the technology field, I can’t give my side to technology and all I can do is give the help I can to lessen what these technologies has done. These are the little things or ideas I could think of for now as a small and concerned citizen who greatly wants to save our mother earth in an Information technology student way:

1. Yes to Obama’s move

I read over the internet in the BBC news website that the newly elected United States of the America president, Barack Hussein Obama II has assigned his new Department of Energy Secretary Mr. Chu which is a Nobel Prize Award winner for knowing how atoms are trapped or the like. The president wants to give up the addiction of the world or particularly the Americans for gasoline or oil since this is one cause of the environmental problems. He wants to greatly focus, in his term, in taking care of our earth. In line with this, I would really be an advocate to his actions and beliefs. About the oil issue addiction, I really admire him for somehow letting go to the bond of trading oil which is some kind of purposely active for bigger profits in countries. Even our own country, Philippines couldn’t seem to let go of that trade even a Filipino citizen has found a very great solution to lessen pollution and made water as gasoline. If I had a car, I would really opt to use the ‘water gasoline’ than use the typical one everyone uses and flaunt to everyone how I would add up to the pollution day to day. To motorists, they should regulate their use of their cars like if possible they could just find time to walk than use their car; they might as well do that.

2. I am a Green campus Computing advocate

Green Campus Computing is one of the recently formed advocacies in our school particularly by my schoolmates, also Information Technology students. Green Campus Computing yearns to call upon every student, with University of Southeastern Philippines students initially, to reduce technological effects to our nature in our own ways. It wants us to conserve electricity and regulate the use of technological devices that usage of such mostly contributes to radiation emission and some sort. So whenever you don’t use your personal computer at home or even at school, in computer laboratories, might as well just shut it down or turn the power off. That is also the same with conserving electricity at school, at home or wherever we maybe. This advocate has been formed by my schoolmates spear headed by one of the professors we look up to, to inculcate in our minds as Information technology students, that technology is damaging what has to be really taken care of always by us and we must do something to counter these acts and let others know that we are not in this field to contribute more to the damage done but to be a pro-earth despite of the field we are in. I really think that this is a very good advocacy and I really hope that it would reach more schools locally and nationally or even as well as in global terms. Mobiles are not exclusion to this matter and the same with everyone I am a mobile user. Mobiles also emit radiation that is actually bad for our health as well as to the environment too. I am not really sure how exactly it contributes to the damaging of nature but actually it is. Mobile use regulation is completely as hard as telling someone not to breathe specially in a country like ours which has been called as the text capital where millions of text messages are sent a day. But I just hope that we should do something regarding this device usage to somehow lessen its damaging contribution.

3. Pro – Earth Blogger

I am not really a good writer but I think everyone could understand what I would try to convey. I have been a blogger for a year I guess and the realization of what blogging could do has already crept into me. Blog posts can be viewed by the whole world via Internet and your message could be read globally in just an hour I think. It could either make a positive or negative impact, but nevertheless, your message could still be sent out. As an information technology student, I would start to use my personal page of letting everyone be a mother earth hero or heroine. Through my blog posts, hopefully I could influence everyone or make them realize the global problem we are actually facing now and also motivate them to participate in any environment saving activities there are. A result of one or two influenced reader would really mean a lot for me at least someone has actually believed my beliefs and advocacy. I would really want to use this method to reach the whole world in becoming one to make a difference about the global crisis. Although I didn’t have any pro-earth posts on my blog yet, this item would surly be the first. And I would invite every bloggers in the cyber world to do the same.

4. An environmental Org member

I have been a member of the Junior Ecologists Movement (JEM) way back in high school and I am quite sad for the thought that I am not a member of it anymore and I am not currently in an environmental club though I really want to. Looking back with the activities we have done in JEM, I am proud of myself that I did such things. I learned to change my attitude in throwing trash anywhere and had tried to influence others to do the same thing too. I had actually planted a tree or a plant four or five times already in our several escapades. I have read in Global issues about the method being planned to use “Carbon Sink” to drench all the carbon dioxide. And that is to do reforestation or planting of new forests. Planting trees would really help reduce carbon dioxide emissions so it would be really nice and helpful if we could have mini ecosystems in our own homes or even in schools. And what I’m most proud of is when I joined a river trekking once as a charitable act to save the Tamugan watershed in Baguio District somewhere in the ends of Calinan. We trekked over 3 kilometers and met stumbles and other small accidents along the way. My face was really sun burnt and my body is aching all over but it was all nothing compared to the experience that I had actually survived it in the name of saving nature. I had heard of Green Peace which is a global organization, I guess, for pro-environmentalists and I really want to join

5. Regulate businesses with the nature issue

I read from an article in Global Issues site posted by Anup Shah that the first world countries, or particularly United States of America and other few countries are indeed one of the major contributors of global warming as they continued industrializing and giving off the climate change gases around so well. Large corporations within these countries have been always against climate change settlements because they fear the economical effect and to their profits if they would do substantial changes inclined to such settlements and also the fear that they would realize that their means have been contributors of the said problem. Although most of the large and influential corporations have continually destabilize this issue that they are greatly involved, others were good enough to embrace the settlement and involve their company to reversing global warming. I think that is what every companies as well as governments should be doing right now.

Another thing is that impact or the effect emitted by large corporations in first world countries is greatly felt by poor countries. I think that they should stop being so self-centered as to getting focused only in worrying about making their profits bigger. They could just be left out if they really don’t want to join the pro-earth club but the thing is they are greatly affecting others with their methods. What’s good for them is to actively participate in World Conventions about climate change or other protocols organized by some concerned ones and start doing emission reductions.

6. Go with good innovations

We are the makers of technology and obviously we are the main culprit of what we are faced right now. Although technology has really brought us much convenience it has also brought us another side of its effect that we really don’t like and the big one is still to come or actually it is already on its way to us. Putting myself to the makers of technology, or those technological devices, I really could not relate that much yet, but if I were one, I would really opt to make a technology that will have less negative impact to contribute again to the global dilemma or if possible, no negative effect at all. I could not still fathom on how those developers think, why they would neglect the side effects of their technological creations to the real world and just seem to be focused in breaking innovations or making profit. But I guess it is related to the norm of humans that we have still many things to learn and that is hopefully to innovate and climb each level to maximum technology without ever disturbing the natural ecosystem as what has been conceived and placed by God. Would that be even possible? I do really hope so.

Well, those are my ideas and proposal to everyone who wants to get involved but whether you like it or not, as long as you’re an earthling, you are undoubtedly involved, I just came to realize now that the fear I have of technology becoming so advance, that we might get ruled over by it rather us ruling over it, is just a part of what we all should be realizing. That technology would be a way to destroy the world we are living in and would totally change the way of living that we all got used to and loved as humans. I don’t think we will be called as humans then for that matter. All I can say is we need to badly participate in saving the environment and not just pretend to be blind, be deaf or be mute. Our little actions put together would be really powerful against global warming. I know there are already in the move to the saving plan but it seems that it is still not enough and this global problem needs global counteract. And let us change the image of technology that has been established as the destroyer of the environment and make it the technology that is on the environmental side.

Are we e-safe?

2008-12-11T20:17:00.000-08:00

Legislation of e-commerce has been employed so as to protect every aspects or elements that may be included in the e-commerce environment, the consumer and producers as well as any data security and integrity. Every area of businesses nowadays is surrounded with circles of boundaries composed of appropriate rules and regulations. These legislations serve as the transparency of every transaction that is done online or any transactions involved in the e-commerce ‘world’. So that every actions done between any processes or between customers and businesses, shall be appropriately guided and make sure every step will be done accordingly, starting from the consumer moving through the internet into a merchant’s website and see a prospect product to finally exchange of electronic cash for payments. Also will make the players of the e-commerce environment be legal in their every ways and these laws should always be observed and complied.

The Philippine government became the third country in Southeast Asia with legislation to promote and protect electronic transactions when Former Pres. Joseph Estrada signed the e-commerce law and was ratified on June 14, 2000, called as the Philippine Electronic Commerce Act (Republic Act 8792) (Lallana, E. & Quimbo, R., April 2008). This would cover any individual in the Philippines that also includes electronic transactions. The Philippine e-commerce act is based on UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law). The UNCITRAL is a UN organ tasked to plan model laws wherein the member nations may adopt this for them to employ for themselves organized legal administration for businesses and trading, and this was gradually embraced by the Philippine government.

With all these precautions, a set of rules and regulations were laid upon the course and boundaries of e-commerce, national or international, we may all be just relax and believe the rest is assured and we could all just be sound. As for the issue brought up that questions the legislation of satisfying the demands of both the government and consumers, although every defense has already been built-up, there could also be room for breach or area for any not-so-secured transactions and anything could be just as subjective for compromise. With the Internet having the power of reaching across the world, it is inevitable that legal issues would be involved that involves intellectual properties, copyright, trademark, privacy and the like relatively predominantly on the business side. Our technology today is so fast paced, and everyone becomes the player. And the population of these players is really hard to control. A very challenging task is posed for the authorities or for these laws to fully control the e-commerce or harmonize everything as it should be. Even laws that do not concern the e-commerce world even experience breaches and loss of assurance. With regards to the state of our country solely, that we are just starting to adopt these technology, and everyone is not yet acquainted to it, it seems that there’s more to this that we, Filipinos, should understand still. As everything goes entirely electronic, we can’t stop questioning on how such laws could be fully applied to the world of cyberspace. It seems very hard to fathom thinking that cyberspace or the Internet is such another big world that we humans have still yet to learn more, wherein everything seems to be done so freely. For example, purchasing hardware locally could give you bigger chances of retaining your right if ever the hardware does not function well, you could just go to the store where you bought that stuff and complain or charge them. But in the case of purchasing it online, you may have bought it from the other part of the world, and in times of problems that what you bought was defective, you really have little chance to fight for your rights.

I have read many counteracts or precautions taken to ensure the ‘safety’ of all that is involved in the digital world and I hope that these could be taken as universal as in everything is standardized entirely for the whole world so securing might be more efficient as soon as possible. The legal issues imposed could be handled easier in the nearest time we could have. That these governing rules and regulations would be as fast paced as technology is, and that human can still control the ‘wire-ness’ were becoming. And that we could prove that we still have control over the technology and not let it become a tool for more crimes and anomalies but just room for more developments for our kind. To sum all the situation up, the legislation could not yet somehow satisfy the needs of the government because, even the authorities are still having a hard time, incorporating such laws and how it could be applied. It seems that we still need more understanding of applying a ‘cyber law’ to a ‘cyber world’. To my view, although e-commerce or digital cash seems to be already an old stuff, mastering to play in this kind of industry wherein everything would be fully regulated and taken under control, is still needed very essentially knowing that everything is not constant and unpredictable. So for short, we should make everything predictable and keep up with whatever is happening inside the digital world. It would just be a matter of taking control of the things, I mean; we already have other laws aside from these e-commerce laws and we managed to control things with these laws, so it would not be that impossible to also incorporate ourselves with the cyber laws.

Society and Innovation

2008-12-11T20:03:00.000-08:00

The needs of the people are the creation of a new technology or of a new innovation. Several decades or centuries have passed us and we can obviously see the big changes that happened over the technologies or with the things we find useful in our daily lives. The history of mankind has taken its shape along the years that has passed and innovation was always constant, was always there. Countless technologies have been thought of, created, invented and that was all because of the needs of the society that urges them to make something out of things and improve something as well as to improve our lifestyle. I agree with the statement that one of the reasons why we embrace technology that much in our lives is the environment; the people are greatly affected by what the nature would throw at us or shall I say what the environment would exchange us. Since it is not, yet, in our hands the control of Mother Nature or of the environmental turns, we inclined ourselves with the other side of things that would still help us ease with the way we live and in defense or counter of what the environment brings to us.

The significant event I had chosen to be an example of this assignment is the World War II (WWII), wherein no one can deny the events that occurred at that time were indeed unforgettable and we wish would always remain a history. And related to this very significant event was the formulation of a very interesting yet also destructive, the nuclear weapon or the atomic bomb where the nuclear age had seems to start of the use of atomic weapons in wars. The United States of America, together with United Kingdom and Canada, in their secret projects in designing and building the first atomic bomb ever under the so called Manhattan Project, had plotted a plan to make an end to their dispute with Japan. The bombs were named “Little Boy” and “Fat man”, the former was a gun-type bomb made with uranium-25 and which was the one dropped in Hiroshima, and the latter was a synthetic-element made with plutonium-239 that was dropped in Nagasaki on August 6 and followed on August 9 way back 1945.

One instance that I could also cite in relation to this topic, although I’m not really quite sure, was about the creation of the ‘yo-yo’. I heard several years before that yo-yo was conceived by the people during the Great Depression. If I’m right and my memory is still good, it was in a certain TV station or channel that this story was part of their commercial. The Great Depression was an economic slump in North America, Europe, and other industrialized areas of the world that began in 1929 and lasted until about 1939. It was the longest and most severe depression ever experienced by the industrialized Western world.Even yo-yo was existing during 500 BC, the birth of the modern yo-yo was initiated by Mr. Donald Duncan at the depression era in the United States. It was stated that the investment of the said person was a good one since the modern yo-yo became popular in the said country probably because of the negative state they were in and that they really needed something to relieve the circumstances they were entailed.

My own Innovation

2008-12-06T23:30:00.000-08:00

If finally I could see myself as an IT Professional, that is the probability is really unknown, I would want to dwell in busying myself with the innovations or technologies about the biotechnology specifically on medicine. Technologies that are more focused on saving or extending lives of every human. Like creating something that is a sure breakthrough in the word of medicine and IT both. Death shouldn’t be feared as they say because it is inevitable. But I think it is really good to be developing something innovative in taking care of every human’s health. I am not a doctor or an expert of this field as I hadn’t chosen the Nursing course, but it kind of interests me when I came across technologies that deal with curing severe diseases, detecting a disorder that would usually take days to conclude and other stuffs like that.

Biotechnology, as defined in Wikipedia, any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use. Biotechnology has applications in four major industrial areas, including health care (medical), crop production and agriculture, non food (industrial) uses of crops and other products (e.g. biodegradable plastics, vegetable oil, biofuels), and environmental uses.

I think the area I’m most likely describing is on the Red technology which is applied to medical stuffs like genetic engineering and producing antibiotics and the like. Another one was what Sir RSG told us about a chip that once inserted to your body, would help detect any kind of sickness or disorder that is present inside your body. There are really many new inventions posted in the internet already and sure they were really amazing and interesting though difficult to understand myself since again I’m not that expertly inclined with the sort. Hopefully, I want to craft something that would give humans to have less possibility of getting diseases and something that hasn’t been thought of yet, of course. As for my side, hopefully, I can also make a device, a capsule or anything that when I take it in, would grow me up to 5 feet or so in less than a week maybe to cut the whole anticipation stage if you would really gain height. But seriously, I’m more concerned on curing existent diseases, and prevent or totally eradicate the existence of these diseases, if that could be possible, though I would really want to make something that I just mentioned awhile. I am interested with this sort because, I’m not that really afraid to die, but I’m afraid of losing someone. So if saving lives would be a very good calling for me in the future, and I’m currently in the field of IT, hopefully I could integrate all of these and make a technology so great. But to always set my foot on the ground, it wouldn’t be oblivious to me that no one can defy death.

Do I really exist?

2008-12-06T23:27:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday was our continuation for FUTUREtech proposals presentation and I was unfortunately late and I really should have gone faster to school because it didn’t do me any good. I really couldn’t move as breezy as I can because my menstrual cramp is totally killing me for the past few days. I got into the spotlight for being late and unluckily there was another problem on our plate. Our ‘past’ technology presentation should be on Monday, but things were not actually prepared as they should have, making the presentation quite impossible to proceed on the said date. We were again in a tight space, and RSG gave us a quote saying, "I think, therefore I exist". We were asked one-by-one to say something relating the quote to the current situation of our presentation. I really didn’t understand what I should be saying because I was late, but after hearing more talks from my classmate and RSG, it was clear that in relation to our current state wherein we could not be able to do the diorama display on Monday, RSG wanted to point to us, I guess, that are we really existing and are we really thinking, ‘coz if we were, the matter at hand shouldn’t have been there at all. I dread the statement from RSG that honestly, he doesn’t that have much trust on our class anymore. And he is totally right that breaking and earning a trust is not that easy anymore. I have gone through that stage and I can say it is not a good thing to play on someone’s trust. Again, we have been a failure and I can see in RSG, a thread of losing hope for us. I hope not. He gave us one shot to prove ourselves, and move everything for next year. My answer to that quote, as an individual group, is that I am thinking and I do exist, because we have done our diorama as fast as we could to be able to present it on Monday, but as for the whole class, I wasn’t thinking that we should help the assigned group to prepare for the displays and that the whole class should be really helping each other and I partly didn’t exist in the part in making the presentation possible for next week.

Future-Phobia?

2008-12-04T04:22:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday was or continuation for futuretech reporting, after several discussions were done, a certain group from the class was asked if whether they were afraid of the future and it was later addressed to all of us. If I were to ask if I am scared of the future, then I would really say yes. I’m not really afraid of what the future would bring, but what I’m afraid is the minds of the humans could bring. What I mean is we are the humans, and we create these technologies as well as the future technologies. Humans could be really productive yet also very destructive. As what RSG said, technology is useless if it isn’t used well at all. We all know that we can be very abusive and self-conceited and the drawbacks of the technology are somehow related to our human drawbacks. I admit that indeed it is scary of what the future may bring, that we ourselves would deliver to our side. I just hope that it wouldn’t be as scary as I think it would be.

'Ze Twilight

2008-11-30T20:55:00.000-08:00

I thought watching the movie would still give me the feeling just as what I’ve felt when I first read the book. That I would be as astounded as I had before, the ecstatic mood it had effect on me that kept me awake ‘til 3 in the morning because I don’t want to sleep until I can finish the whole story. I guess it’s because I kind of had the feeling of watching a movie for the second time and the first time was while I’m reading the book but only through my imagination, so maybe the frenzy effect had quite melted already. I finished reading the 4 series a month ago and I really anticipated in seeing the movie to know how everything I had imagined would look like in the silver screen. And the verdict is, I really enjoyed it as much as I want to, although the sequence of the events were rearranged for the sake of fitting a 500-page story into a 2-hour movie. But that doesn’t mean I am totally disappointed. Not at all. Disappointment is completely foreign in this case. I still had the appreciation for the book, for the not-your-normal kind of love story. It has really captivated the many, the readers and the non-readers. Aside from the sweet moments of Edward and Bella, that compounded its goodness, is the way the story was conceived. On how the events where connected since Twilight until Breaking dawn. Like ‘bow’ to Stephenie Meyer for creating such interesting story, characters and everything in it. The characters were indeed individually interesting and combined altogether made a tale like never before. My friends and I even had the thought that maybe Stephenie was writing ‘her’ own story, that she was Bella because she was really good in creating it and it seems that she had this thing for ‘vampire’ stuffs. Like where in the corner of the world did she dug all what she wrote in the book ‘coz I would probably go there myself so that I could write something as interesting as Twilight. It was really funny hearing the audience reacted to the romantic scenes of Edward and Bella and the part where Bella is going to be a snack for James. It was really sad for me when I got to read all of the series because it means I would no longer be in the ‘world’ where I had been when I’m so preoccupied with the book. I wished that there were more series so probably at this time I would still be reading it. There is till Midnight sun, but they said that it was unfinished so I’m just going to check it out when it’s already finished. Well as of now, I’m waiting for the sequels, again, to see how it would look like on a movie.

Why use technology?

2008-11-28T16:56:00.000-08:00

Technology is everywhere and it has been a part of us, of our daily lives and we get so dependent with these innovations that without it, we would really find it hard to get used to. And eventually, technology will be literally “US”. There are lots of reasons why we adopt technology and I think the heart of all these is the needs. As the saying goes, “necessity is the mother of all inventions.” The need for the faster, need for more convenience, more learning, more entertainment and so on. Also, others embrace new technologies so as to be updated and would always be in the know with regards to the latest trends. As long as humans have these never-ending needs, technology and further innovations will always be there. We are coming of a more “modernized” age and everything seems to be fast paced. Further changes or innovations resurface among these technologies we embraced for the reasons that we need more and something new.

FUTURE reflecting

2008-11-22T03:21:00.000-08:00

Today, we had our reporting for our subject FUTURETECH. It was supposed to be started on 9am but we moved it to 1pm. Out of 5 units, 2 units are already down, and I'm part of UNIT 4, which obviously means, my agony is extended until next Saturday. Though, I think it's better so I could buy me more time to practice on my presentation. We had our dose of 'wake-up' call and I could say it was just rightly served. It's because I get to see more of my classmates and it made me realize AGAIN that I should still be improving and not degrading. As for the topics or units that has been already presented, I might as well say congrats to my classmates. They presented well despite the 'pressure' and we had a healthy discussion that somehow lessened the tension we felt. The topics discussed were particularly about "Where are we now?" and "How did we get here?". The materials or information presented where likely related. I had some confusions with the other parts of the report, but it was clarified during our 'question-and-answer' portion. There were gadgets or technologies presented that would likely be present in the future and sure they were cool. The historicizing part was also enligtening, wherein history is everything that we could all turn our selves into in times of ground-zero or the time when technology would be eradicated.

and let the class begin

2008-11-08T00:11:00.000-08:00

The classes has already opened though it wasn't that official yet meaning classes are not yet regularly done. My 'sembreak' really left anything for me to be recalling about it with much enthusiasm. I mean, who would want to be bored with my whole sembreak spent at home. This semester happens to be my last and my most pressured pace. Though our instructors had not get to the serious class modes yet, we were already 'warned' about the things we should be busying ourselves already to get to the deadlines and I mean LOADS of things. I'm quite excited about the new things I'll be able to learn this time. But another set of endeavors is already incorporated with these learnings as it always will be. It seems to me, as the deadlines for our projects are set, that we really don't have the time to be unwinding. Well, it will be obviously up to us to handle the pressures and not let it get the best of us. All I could say is good luck to all of you guys. Sure thing we can do this. Hope so..hehe

Research Proposal Finale

2008-10-26T02:38:00.000-07:00

At last! I am finished with my research proposal and already got my grade for CS Research Methods. It wasn't really easy being early everyday just to make sure you're not at the bottom of the list for consultation. I'm really happy with my grade. The only thing to face now is my research implementation and I can only get my fingers crossed hoping I could finish it before the toga smells.
Tomorrow would be our enrollment and I really felt the essence of the SEMBREAK.hahaha..

Research Consultation:Ep2

2008-10-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

I had my 3rd consultation today as what I had said from my last post that consultations will resume this monday. Happily, from 15% status of my paper, it ascended to 60%! It is a very good thing but I won't really get my hopes up, since I only got till friday to be able to get 100% or reach 75% the least. I'll be editing my papers and look forward for another consultation tomorow. Consultations are really helpful when you get advice from you mentor and clear your clogged brains from confusion as well as the path you should continue on to get all your works done.

36 hours of sunrise

2008-10-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

"Coming October 17, 2008 the sun will rise continuously for 36 hrs (1.5 days). During this time the American countries will be dark for 1.5 days. It will convert 3 days into 2 big days. It will happen once in 2400 yrs. We’re very lucky to see this. Forward it to all friends.”

This is a post I got from ankitbhatia.wordpress.com,also from my classmate Mark, who told me first about it then I googled it and found the post I mentioned. It's amazing that days are extending to that particular day, though I don't know the particular reason for this occurence, but I feel both scared and amazed. Scared because the world is starting to behave queerly, maybe because it is starting to end?hehe. I know that the sun will die in the future, the so called "SUPERNOVA" and for sure it would also be the end of the human existence. I don't know if this phenomena is a start of the 'end', we couldn't say right? waiting for October 17,that would already be a day of sem break.I'm not being paranoid here but my interests are quite stimulated when I hear about these kind of things.

EyeBUGS

2008-10-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

My eyes are really tortured now, my eyes can't stand to face the monitor for a long time. It would start to get itchy and I can't help myself rub it. My mom always pestering me about my eye bugs that they are really getting dark and I should eat and sleep more. I know this would get to an end, all this cramming and agonizing everything. It's our fault anyway why were experiencing this. I'm really weak now as I'm doing this post. I have my menstruation and I'm having dysmenorrhea, I'm really bleeding! Our problem now is to be able to pass our documentation in Simulation project. My classmate, Mia, even forgot her ID for hurrying to school ID and the guards won't let her in. She brought her printer, so it won't be onerous for our group anymore in going outside to print our projects. Hope this will end sooner, I really want to have a good rest.

Research Consultation

2008-10-08T18:37:00.000-07:00

Engineering lobby is again full of students waiting for the in-demand instructors waiting for their projects to have some developments. We waited from 9am in the morning until 4pm on October 7, 2008, Tuesday. Sir Gamboa started to 'accomodate' the students at around 2pm I guess. I'm really nervous while waiting for my turn.It would be my 2nd consultation and I was really hoping that I could reach 75% to get a grade of 3 and not get INC. As my turn came, Sir Gamboa started to check my paper, check the indentation and fonts. But the most part of my consultation is really establishing my objectives. My research topic was about to make a survey about the quality and quantity of the ICT workforce in Davao and whether the industry demands are met by the IT practitioners. After Sir studied my analtyical framework, we discussed about making my research a better outcome. My research now would be about Databanking of ICT workforce in Davao. It would be a repository of all the information I will gather in the implementation of my research which is about the current ICT workforce available or offered by the ICT practitioners in Davao. This would concern directly those business ventures who want to know about the ICT human resource availble in Davao. Sir let me choose whether I want to make a system or an online repository of the information I could gather. But considering the time to finish my study and the skills I have, I just opted to make a hardcopy report of my output. I had already edited my documentation and waiting for the next consultation on Monday. Hoping for the luck..hehe

Shield expired

2008-09-25T04:08:00.000-07:00

It was feeling fine for the first days and I thought to myself, it wasn't hard at all that I had usually got scared of dwelling in. I felt fine, somehow in peace and somehow getting my life back on the line. But recently, my shield seems to be wearing out(oh NO!). I knew already it will be really hard to go through and expected the worst. Everyone goes through with it. And I had to also. But with all the academic pressures and burden, why does it have to go with it at the same time? Why not after I finish with my academic obligations and then I can face this after. It starting to get hard to handle now. I'm wearing off and I'm struggling. Needs more control.

The Cramming Episode

2008-09-25T04:02:00.001-07:00

Cramming na naman!

Deadlines are really fast approaching! Gosh. Need more strength and determination to get all things done. All subjects require projects to be passed and there still more to be done. Although we manage to gradually lessen our burdens by starting or finishing few of our requirements, it is still heavy..huhu..Extra curricular activities also make it a lot EASIER for me. Why there seems to be unexpected problems popping up especially when you're running out of time?Punishment?I guess so. Other stuffs also make you tired and weak that makes your everyday life so......still but shaky.

Software Freedom day '08

2008-09-21T01:44:00.000-07:00

It's actually my first time to attend this event event though last year's was just held at our school. Software Freedom day'08 was held at UM Matina Campus, mini auditorium and was attended by many schools in our place. Several topics were presented, of course, which are all related to FOSS and encouragements of the benefits of FOSS. Some of the topics were, Morph CLoud, GIMP, and Mozilla Framework. It was a lot of fun when the students get to have their part in asking questions in having freebies in return.

Creating a research proposal

2008-09-21T00:33:00.000-07:00

Huhu..I know I haven't followed the right steps as what I had scheduled in my gannt chart, due to other important stuffs that I should also attend to. I hope that I could catch up and won't be late for our deadline. Anyay, I'm still on the consultation for my 1st chapter and still composing the rest of the chapters. Reading lots of materials that is critically needed for this research is really mind blowing! And I hope my eyes would cooperate, I promise you eyes that I'll give you the best rest you could have when all of this is done. It seems that my eyes couldn't stand facing the monitor for a very long time and would easily get red and all look wasted. So I have to have visine everytime with me. So much for that, I know that all the readings would help me through in composing this proposal document and as well as for the implementation of my research later on.

The Biggest IT Event of 2008!

2008-09-21T00:09:00.000-07:00

I know it's really late to be posting this event guys. And I apologize for not updating my entries recently. But I would still want to share to you, through my blog ,about the biggest IT event of thg year.

The 6th Philippine Youth Congress in Information Technology was successfully held at the campus of UP Diliman, Quezon City last September 2-5 pioneered by the University of the Philippines Information Technology Training Center (UPITTC), University of the Philippines (UP), JICA, Philippine Society of Information Technology Educators (PSITE) and other cooperating organizations. The success of the event was indeed unquestionable with the big time sponsors or organizations that have willingly took part in the congress and made it a very great accomplishment. Some of these sponsors were Sun Microsystems and JEDI as the Diamond sponsors; others were Microsoft, Acer, Fujitsu Ten, ABS-CBN Interactive, Job-Street.com, and the exhibitors, J-SYS, techFactorsInc and many other companies who eagerly supported this big event.
The IT congress was organized as a 4-day event held at 3 venues namely UP Bahay ng Alumni, UP Film Institute and the UP Theater. The project head, Dr. Jaime D.L. Caro said that they decided to conduct the IT Congress at UP Diliman Campus to have a sense of ‘school air’ for the students and faculty attending and for better employment of security. Also, to prevent having many temptations for the participants not to attend the activities prepared like what happened last IT Congress held at SM North EDSA.
Very interesting topics were presented for the IT Congress which was held simultaneously at the UP Film Institute and at the UP Theater. Several high profile keynote speakers were invited for the event. Some of the Keynote speakers were Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, Sen. Edgardo Angara, Atty. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III and Sen. Dick Gordon. They talked about encouragement for the IT youth, the current ICT state of our country and how we should strive harder to help Philippines become one of the most competent countries in the ICT Industry. Some of those interesting topics presented were Open Solaris, Software as a Service, Java FX, Data Mining, The Internet’s Next Big Star: YOU! and many other great topics that had surely add up to the knowledge of the listeners and hone their interests about the IT field.
As the seminars move along, open forums were set up to allow further discussion and better understanding of the topic and to let the participants take their own part by asking questions. It wasn’t at all a pure serious affair since ‘congress’ seems to be a boring word or event for the youth. Intermission numbers were prepared that made the students as well as the faculty to still have fun. Also, the topics were presented in a way that the listeners wouldn’t be bored and still absorb the talks until they end. And games were inserted between talks that made it a lot more fun. A sense of interacting along with the other participants and have friends who came from different parts of the Philippines was never neglected. A Y4iT 2008 HUMAN BINGO was attached to the IT Congress booklet or guide to make the participants know other participants by letting them sign the matched description in the bingo card. And completing the HUMAN BINGO could help you win great items from the big time sponsors.
The UP Bahay ng Alumni was flooded by exhibits of the exhibitor partners for the event where participants could win freebies, great items, buy souvenirs and also know more about the exhibitors which is open every day of the event. A ‘Pass-by-Me’ card was provided to let the participants visit the booths in the exhibit place and completing signing the card to every booth could have you a chance to win a laptop in the raffle draw.
The event was indeed a haven of knowledge, fun and quite an experience. The hard work poured to put up this big event all together and the effort exerted by all the participants were all worth it. With one goal in mind to prepare and encourage the youth, the educators and every IT inclined people to get united to make Philippines hopefully one of the leading countries in the ICT Industry in the future. The 6th Philippine Youth Congress in Information Technology was certainly the biggest IT event of the year.

Green Campus Computing

2008-09-09T07:04:00.000-07:00

Another campaign purused by my Management Information System school mates. I like this campaign since it promotes and encourages the students in every campus to be active in taking care or conserving our environment through many 'computing ' simple ways.

We all know, that technology seems to contrasting environment because the high technology scratches off every tree from the forest, or it contributes much with the greenhouse effect were experiencing. But with this campaign, computing is giving back what it has taken or damaged to somehow ease everything up.

Proposed ideas from SONA

2008-09-09T06:44:00.000-07:00

Based from the SONA of our President, Ms. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and last July 28, 2008, I have deliberated of the research topics which I have originally thought of and some are those I got from my colleagues’ ideas. Hoping these ideas could possibly help our country improve and our quality of life and also topics that are inclined with our field. Here are the following ideas:

IT Professional Shortage

This research topic would study about the causes and factors that affect such crisis. Its purpose is to investigate thoroughly why we are experiencing shortage of IT professionals in spite the growing rate of undergraduate of the said field.Objectives:

To explicitly determine the factors that could possibly contribute to this problem
To answer the questions about the low percentage of graduates that has added to the problem of our country’s great need for such skills.
To provide answer that could lessen the wrong employment path of every IT or ComSci Filipino graduates.
To provide answer that could help our country regarding its demand for IT professionals.
To disclose the factors that leads to the misconception of many Filipinos of the said field

Green Campus Computing

This research topic shall help our country with the environmental problems we are experiencing that results to a greater environmental problems and calamities and is affecting all Filipinos. We all know that technological advancements has greatly affected and destroyed our environment, with this step, technology inclined students will hopefully lessen the damage it has caused. Objectives:

To promote environmental support in every campus in our country
To inculcate to every Filipino minds that we are all responsible of taking care of our environment starting off with the future of our nation, the youth.
To lessen the damage technology has caused for our environment by helping in promoting green campus computing.
To show that even though technological advancement is believed to be one of the major distributors of devastating our environment, it could also be a contributor for saving it.
To provide another reason for Filipino students to be active in protecting and rehabilitate our environment.

Simulation of Government projects

This one will be helpful in determining whether any future government projects are worth investing for or worth spending for like building infrastructures like bridges, highways or water sewage systems and the like. Objectives:

To know ahead whether future projects of the government will be useful and not worthless by simulating it first.
To prevent wasting government budget for bad investments or projects.
To improve quality of such projects for the betterment of its usage.
To lessen accidents that might occur that are not foreseen like faults done while doing the project.

Free Open Source Software

2008-09-09T06:25:00.000-07:00

This is the FOSS advocacy pioneered by one of our professors in Institute of Computing, RSG. And pursued by my classmates and schoolmates. I support this advocacy as to promote the use of Free Open Source Software in different schools starting off with our campus. I think that this campaign aims to promote better innovations for all of us with the advantages offered by FOSS. The emergence of Open Source Software seems to be unstoppable, they seem to be the future as believed by almost everyone or those that greatly support open software. Although, the wide acceptance of FOSS, may not be that instant for some may still contradict to this emergence. OPEN wins!

Does your name fit you?

2008-08-25T06:34:00.000-07:00

♫ C: good kisser
♫ H: stick to one
♫ A: hot
♫ R: funny
♫ M: Makes dating fun
♫ A: hot
♫ I: is really sweet
♫ N: loves to laugh and smile
♫ E: has gorgeous eyes
___________________________________
♫ A: hot
♫ B: loves people and sex
♫ C: good kisser
♫ D: can kick ur butt
♫ E: has gorgeous eyes
♫ F: loves people wild and crazy adore
♫ you
♫ G: very outgoing
♫ H: stick to one
♫ I: is really sweet
♫ J: is very sexual
♫ K: crazy
♫ L: very good kisser
♫ M: Makes dating fun
♫ N: loves to laugh and smile
♫ O: has one of the best personalities
♫ ever
♫ P: popular with all types of people
♫ Q: a hypocrite
♫ R: funny
♫ S: makes people laugh
♫ T: smile to die for
♫ U: is loved by everyone
♫ V: not judgmental
♫ W: very broad minded
♫ X: never let people tell you what to
do
♫ Y: is loved by everyone
♫ Z: can be funny and dumb at times

Well, I don't know why 'A' appeared twice..accidental?joke..hehe
You'll be the one to attest if my name does really fit me.Try this with yours too.

METHOD and METHODOLOGY

2008-08-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

I referred to Encarta dictionary for a clearer definition, method means way of doing something: a way of doing something or carrying something out, especially according to a plan while methodology means organizing system: the methods or organizing principles underlying a particular art, science, or other area of study After having a deeper thinking about the two terms, I can say that method is under or falls under methodology since they seem to be just the same. And method has appeared to be in a more organize mode in methodology.

Reviewing articles of classmates on various research topics

2008-08-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

With this assignment, I chose to review the work of Ms. Regina Abadilla. The research works or articles she had presented were indeed interesting and all of which are very relevant and beneficial to all concerned. The very article from Ms. Abadilla’s posts that I have chosen is about the: Studying and Treating Schizophrenia Using Virtual Reality: A New Paradigm.From what I have understood in the post, the article is about introducing a new way in treating a mental disorder which is a very serious matter to have one. ‘Schizophrenia, it is a psychotic disorders characterized by distortions of reality and disturbances of thought and language and withdrawal from social contact.’ I am very glad that Computer Science research has shed some light and paid attention to the many of the serious mental illnesses anyone could have. According to the article posted, through Virtual Reality, it would likely bring more chances to treat a schizophrenic with its features and significant factors employed with it. I could define Virtual Reality just basing from my own perception, that it is an imaginary or false reality that is just man-made to develop a new dimension no one can encounter in the real world. So I think, with the Virtual Reality approach be given to help those mentally disabled out there, it will be possible to lessen the percentage of mental disorders our world is experiencing right now. Health is a very important matter we should always consider of importance.

IT Graduates for Call Center Agents?

2008-08-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this research topic is to investigate the skill shortages in the IT profession and would hopefully draw out the primary reasons or factors that brought about this dilemma especially here in our country. To think that there is a large percentage of undergraduates of the IT or Computer Science field but only about 10 percent have been formally awarded of such degree (James H. Morris and Peter Lee), that is such an alarming situation. According to the Philippine Research Education and Government Information Network (PREGINET), an ICT research project of the government, ‘when it comes to IT Technical manpower for the industry, there are not enough qualified entrants. And new graduates are said to be of less skills’. Philippines have a great demand for ICT human resource, but how can we meet these needs if we only have those less skilled graduates that are unlikely for hiring. Our country is not alone in this crisis with regards to the emerging shortage of IT professional. The escalating demand for such profession has been insufficiently met by the supply in employment (Department of Labor, New Zealand, 2005). I think that this is a really critical issue that needs to have actions done as soon as possible.

I myself is not yet sure where to go after I graduate wherein I could apply the things I’ve learned in my course, maybe for one of the reasons that I am not that skilled enough to accept a job as a System Analyst for example. The title enough gives me the nosebleed. This kind of attitude tends to answer why most of the IT graduates sought other jobs than become an IT professional. And I think I share this problem with the other students and even post graduates of the same field. With this research topic, these are some of the things that I would hopefully find answers for:

• Why there is staggering number of IT or CS students but only small percentage really makes it to the real world as an equipped professional?

• Does the IT curriculum/education in our country have a vital contribution to this? Or level of training needs?

• What are the other factors that could have a more contribution that results to the failure of satisfying the demand with the supply of IT professionals?

• Employment rate of IT professionals has grown rapidly for the past years but why it has dropped so?

• What are the most misconceptions about IT professions and how do they contribute to the problem in hand?

With the factors elicited in the future, it would hopefully be a way to find the appropriate solutions why there is an IT professional shortage in our country and also elevate and enhance the level of the ICT facilities and knowledge we have compared to other countries.

Is educational nosebleeding worth it?

2008-08-02T01:21:00.000-07:00

A student like me has worked hard since the day I entered school until now that I'm in my fourth year college. I have done lots of sacrifices, couldn't list it all in just one page, to be a good student and that's because I wanted to be responsible and that's the only gift I can give back to my parents. I never really wanted to be behind on subjects, got a 'ok-na' exam results and never a failing grade. Because if I do so, I would really feel so irresponsible and dwell blaming myself.

One time when I'm on my way home after a very tiring day from school, riding a taxi (joke lang,jeep lang bitaw), I thought to myself , is this all worth it? Do i really get to reap equally what I have been working hard for for my education? I mean, is education really the ONLY way to gain success and live a contented life?

What made me think so, is that there are lots of people I know that really didn't have a degree and didn't even made it to high school who are living luxuriously right now or living a good life abroad. What about celebrities? For example, Avril Lavigne, Kanye West and a lot like them, they are actually high school drop-outs. But look at them, its as if the world is theirs for the taking. The world loves them and the only problem they probably have right now is how to spend all their gains.

Recent graduates for the the past five or six years has experienced the unemployment crisis and I feel sorry for them that they have really worked hard but get no job at all. Especially those who are craving to graduate as early as they can just to be employed and earn for a living. Another thing is, most students nowadays prefer to chose a course instead of the ones they really are interested because the course they reall like would take longer time for them to finish than the courses they chose just to graduate early. Some even decides to quit school to have a job or even go abroad and mostly, it ends up they have actually been successful. I also heard once that the youths nowadays prefer to get a job and earn than finish their studies.

I admit that I feel scared sometimes that all of this wouldn't pay off. I wouldn't get to give my parents the good things we never had. This isn't totally a negative approach for you to think studying is just a waste of time. But hey, I still think the only thing that i could give my parents that would certainly make them happy..is a diploma. The things I've learned since I entered school will be the most treasure I will have for as long as I live. No one can take it, no one can steal it and it will always be with you. Educated persons are well appreciated in this society. And I will never haste myself to quit school and get a job to earn money. I salute those students who are working multiple times harder than anyone else to balance study and at the same time earn for a living. God is in your side.

key factors for publishing research in top-tier journals

2008-08-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

Among the top-tier journals are the ACM, i3E and CSP. The following mentioned, offer to publish different and good research or serve as a repository for best research and could also be available for everyone. From my observations, the factors that would essentially be included to consider a research as a 'publishable' one in such top-tier journals are: it must be of good topic (concerns a big number of audience and interesting), well-developed (proper methods are used and different guidelines in research are followed), research are of high quality, and most especially doesn't support plagiarism.Others could add up or attest my observations for this topic. Thank you!

What do you think is the role of research topic in deciding your future career?

2008-07-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

In my own perception, the role of a research topic for my future career would be very relevant. Just trying very hard to conceive a research topic already hones my thinking and narrows it down to specific things that are of my interests and should necessarily be associated to my field. The research topic that I’ll be focusing on will help me center my thoughts and apply all the knowledge I have into it and would absolutely shape me to be a better IT person. The things that I would be encountering in forming my research proposal and all the activities incorporated with it, I know, will help me out pick my future career.

The plastics..

2008-07-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

They're everywhere.Especially in schools..Elementary,HIGH SCHOOL and getting better in college. Have you seen the 'mean girls' movie? They are better defined in there.Here are some of 'the plastics strategies' to be a more 'plastic' one based on my own observations:

1. Look into her eyes when she smiles at you..you'll know if it's sincere or not.

2. They'll never fail to complement you just out of the blue..again, see to it if it's sincerely done.

3. They'll hug you as if you're the closest friends on earth but on the next day, she'll ignore you as if you've never met.

4. Plastics are usually obvious when they need something from you. Maybe during exams, there's something she wants to borrow or anything she'll benefit.

5. They'll pretend to be close to you, but at your back, stabbing is lurking.

6.They'll tell you nice things when you'r around but when you're away, expect tomorrow that people around will have a new perception about you.

7. They are the godesses of insecurity.

8. They will always find a way you'll never be on top of them.

9. They'll even get to your boyfriend (especially when they like him).

10. They would want to have everything you want, even better than you have.

The new SITS Logo

2008-07-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

The SITS Logo Designing Contest has finally been concluded and the rightful logo has been chosen. On July 23, 2008, Thursday, our respected dean, Engr. Quimno Val has laided his satisfaction for the appropriate logo. The talented IT student who designed the winning entry is MR. ERIC IBASCO, 4th year IT student.

In behalf of the whole SITS organization, I would like to thank the students who have exerted their efforts for the competition namely: Mr. Thomas Tangian, Mr. Jalil Paniam-baan, Mr. Ronic Winmar Concepcion and also to those who have tried to join but didn't have the chance to pass their entries. And also give our congatulations to EKER!

Please don't hesitate to exert and show your talents to the world. There is more to winning the contest than just getting a tangible prize (or free shirt). It's the way you are to be recognized for your talent and skills and how you shared it to the world. Remember, 'our name is our virtue' (J. Mraz).

How do we know if a piece of research work is good or not?

2008-07-20T02:12:00.000-07:00

From my own readings from different sources, these are the things that may determine whether a piece of research work is good or not:

· If it is unique – a research should not just like be the previous studies
· If research is not only for self- enlightenment but would also benefit others.
· Background of the study is properly justified
· Would greatly add to the body of knowledge
· Has valid and reliable data collection
· Doesn’t prove its findings to be final but open for refutation.
· Research procedure should be sufficiently detailed to allow others to repeat the research for further advancements
· Describes flaws, if there is any, and delivers the true findings as it really is
· Greater confidence in research is warranted if the researcher is an experienced or has background in good research.

Sources:
www.yahooanswers.com
www.askjeeves.com

Where should research topics be usually addressed?

2008-07-13T00:34:00.001-07:00

As an IT student, I think that the usual research topics that should be address is about improving education, on how it is delivered to every individual that it may inculcate in them effectively I believe that education is indeed important for every one of us. And more specifically, it should benefit the less fortunate that has been very unprivileged to attend schools or even get primary education. Second is about health, health hazard is totally widespread and we don’t really want to get sick and spend money on medical emergencies especially on a financial crisis. As technology evolves, health risks are doing the same. So it would be really good to produce something that could help our community live so healthy and long. There are really many areas which a computer science research is particularly on. Most that I’ve read is about improvement of learning in some countries, protection of computer system from certain risks, producing new stat e-of-the-art technology that could improve man’s living. Also, I would like to add up about which I think is also important, is how to increase employment rates in the Philippines. Education is really essential, but we all need something that we could apply everything of it into. Right?

SITS Logo Designing Contest

2008-07-03T18:52:00.000-07:00

Guidelines:

1. Should highly symbolize the organizational objectives and motto.

2.Be very creative and unique at the same time simple.

3.Submit it in a jpeg/gif and raw(psd,svg,fla) format

4.Size: 800x600 and 320x240 px.

5.Produce a softcopy and hardcopy upon submission.

6. Softcopy should be in 800x600 and 320x240 sizes.

7. Produce a hardcopy in a short size bondpaper/A4 and layout as shown in the figure.

Logo size: 800x600

8.Print it in a grayscale, half-tones, and color modes.

9.Use only web-standard colors.

10.Entries will be accepted until July 11, 2008.

11.Contestants should be a bonafide SITS member.

12.The entries shall be voted by the IT Faculties and students.

13.The winning entry will get a prize of: 1GB FLASH DISK.

14.Results will be posed a week later.

Organizational Objectives

§ To foster harmonious relationship among the members in the Institute of Computing with the ideals of creating a school environment conducive to the pursuit of knowledge.

§ It shall encourage the establishment of an academic community whereby students commit themselves to serious works and studies.

§ The organization upholds the pursuit of knowledge designed to develop the student’s awareness and competence in the field of Information Technology.
§ To enhance each member’s educational, civic, and social life through relevant programs and activities.

To inculcate to the minds of the Information Technology students refined habit of thought and dignity of actions necessary for creating a disciplined and morally upright environment.

Every Information Technology student member assumes a responsibility towards the organization.

Organizational Motto

“To open the atmosphere of effective information system”

State of Computer Science Research and its Varieties

2008-06-27T21:44:00.000-07:00

Computer Science Research will or could be the very basis of future technological development. The Computer Science Research has touched every single inch of areas they could peer on and apply the corresponding studies and projects they could think of. As what I have read or skimmed from articles through the internet, computer science is all around and in fact has done many great thing to improve lifestyles of men here on earth. The air is becoming so technologically influenced that even you couldn’t avoid the craze it has brought.
Although Computer Science research may have seen to be the “core-foundation” for tomorrow’s basis for development, it is facing certain problems that are oblivious to a person like me who is blinded by the impact it has brought. According to the article published by James H. Morris and Peter Lee, computer science has been thought of as a way of getting rich that’s why many students has enrolled in this field. These are some wrong goals perceived of the computer science which has resulted to computer science degree percentage drop down. Also, the government has over-funded the life science research because computer increases our intelligence, not our life span. I half agree with that, it is because computer science could really go a long way in inventing something that could really improve the way we live. Maybe in the future, computer science research could be one of the ways to grasp immortality. From the article of Morris and Lee, computer science has posed questions that are hard to think through but has impact. These questions are the following:
What is the nature of intelligence, and can we reproduce it in a machine? To explore outer space we must create intelligent robots.
How can we ensure the reliability and security of systems more complex than humans have ever created?
What is the nature of human cognition, and how can this allow us to design machines that help us make sense out of petabytes of unstructured data?
What are the consequences of computation on devices operating at molecular scale, exploiting quantum physical effects?
Even I could really say that some of those questions mentioned are hard to understand but there are some that I could say, really makes sense. Expanded computer Science research will reach great heights and could bring mankind to timeless convenience.
The variety of topics which the Computer Science Research has already been inclined and will be leading off to the next generation (as I’ve read from the certain articles from IBM Almacen Research Center and other sites) are the following:
Information-based computing
User productivity
Healthcare IT
Theoretical foundations of computer science
Robotics

Testing Time for Trojans

2008-06-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

The research paper was about investigating Trojan attacks, its definition, how it functions and effects and how can it be detected or defined as a real Trojan other than a virus, bug or malware. The paper has studied on areas that are most vulnerable to Trojan attacks. The paper also discussed the crimes that could be very widespread if not prevented. The consumers and vendors affected have found time to extensively get rid of Trojan infections. The author of the research paper has arrived to a conclusion that the interest of getting rid of Trojan attacks seem to be decreasing but with the tests done and cited in the paper, anti-Trojan testing can be improved with enhanced test methods.
I found the research paper very useful and informative. The author has really shown a big concern for the computer industry and for the lot in becoming aware on the Trojan attacks that is really widespread nowadays since the boom of internet and ‘individual-causing-virus’. Although I agree to the author when he said that being so alarmed with the Trojan attacks could eventually diminish in the neat future since developments of modern programming languages, that are capable of countering virus or other malicious programs, are ongoing. The information could be of help to simple users/consumer like me that is just concern on how to protect their selves as anyone else. I have learned from the paper some tips to determine a very good anti-virus software, but I also agree in some part of the paper that it is also really hard to determine which of the ‘thing’ has infected your computer or system, resulting to difficulty of eradicating it.

Technologically Enabled Crime: Shifting Paradigms for the Year 2000

2008-06-23T23:45:00.000-07:00

The paper talked about how systems can destroy themselves, the social aspects included in the technological crime epidemic and the appropriate solutions to each crisis. The author has discussed in his paper on how fast virus or malicious programs or hacking tools travel and that the participation of humans plays a big role in its multiplicity since the humans are capable of developing such destructive tools.

I completely agree with the author that the humans are the ones responsible for destroying the system they themselves created. It just really true that we are so capable of building and destroying the world we live in at the same time. It is so scary how the minds of the individuals work nowadays because each action could really make a big effect to everyone of us and that would be either very good or very destructive. I don’t think that the development of more anti virus or counter attacks for computer crimes can STOP them completely. I think that the thoughts of the people should be the first one to be developed especially to those geniuses that are using their talents in a bad way. Technology can bring us to the most convenient spot we could ever have but it could also bring us to the worst hit it could give.

Can Cryptography Prevent Computer Viruses?

2008-06-23T23:38:00.000-07:00

John F. Morar, David M. Chess
IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center

The paper discussed about the advantages and disadvantages of cryptography in protection against viruses and other malicious programs. How can virus use encryption itself to spread faster with more protection and the ways encryption could be very helpful. They have defined in the paper the different modes used in cryptography, how it can be very useful and useless in some cases.

After reading the paper, I could say that although virus can protect itself by using encryption without a decryption key to make it hard for every anti-virus, cryptography has a far more purpose to protect the computer industry or even the entire world. People would just have to be more careful in using some encryption methods to protect their systems. It is agreeable and scary at the same time why can encryption/cryptography be used in computer crimes. I have always seen ‘cryptography’ as very cool method invented since it can really keep or protect a data so good. The case of this kind of problem discussed in the paper is very relative to the book I’ve read by Dan Brown,” Digital Fortress”. The book was also about encryption/program being used in terrorizing the secret division of the US government. There’s a lot more interesting issues mentioned in the book on how amazing encryption could protect or jeopardize ones privacy or how it can either make or break a country.