scribbles of the perennial debugger…
I.T. / General
Where’s my domain?
Dec 27th
After few months that I have reset my domain and blog. My old blog got banned somehow in Google SERPs. Probably due to numerous spam links, obviously, a result of my own negligence.
Now that I have a new Blog URL, and has actively patrolled by comments for spams, my domain’s back on top of Google SERP when googling my name. Cool!
blog hiatus, yet again
Aug 3rd
It’s been several months (weeks?) now since I last posted an entry. I have so many ideas and note-worthy things in my mind. However, there seems to be no urge in letting it flow through my keyboards. I guess losing the top rank for the my name’s search result in google contributed a bit in me having no interest in posting. Or maybe, I’m just to busy at work that all my technical energy are channeled through it alone.
I am renewing my domain in few weeks time. I am now thinking twice whether I’d like to continue my hosting or park my content somewhere.
I am also quite disappointed that somebody from China has registered rrelos.com. I have checked this domain last April and it was still available. I guess a domain name derived from my full name would not be business savvy. But hey, somebody booked the name. I was planning to register this myself in the future. What on earth are they going to do with this domain, it’s not chinese sounding, it’s not even “businessly”.
O well, life goes on, this is a blog post isn’t it!?
innovation and change
Apr 4th
It has been 6 weeks now since I changed employer… no regrets in letting go. Everyone has to change. Now, I am reaping the rewards. I am enjoying my new employment. Really! I haven’t seen a company that drives innovation to the maximum. It is even part of the core values of the company. I am trilled to learn that we are officially allowed to allot a portion of our paid work time per week to any innovative ideas or projects that we might want to do. Talk about google-style culture. Indeed, it is a haven. Every week, we attend a presentation from a developer who presents his/her share of innovation. All leveraged open source projects as their base, of course. The _fun_ thing is, these personal mini projects gets actually adopted in the medium to long term road plan. This is equivalent to getting a reward and recognition for something you love to do. People innovate in my company because the company rewards them. And the company reaps the rewards for having this brand of culture. It’s awesome I tell you.
Everyone and everything has to change, even yourselves, even the system you work on, and even the society we live in. It is hard to believe that we can survive now without our mobile phones, without the use of our computers. It is even harder to believe that the applications we work with now will still be there tomorrow. Look at DOS.
Innovation performs many roles in change. Innovation plays the cushion for any impact change might bring. Innovation acts as the catalyst for change. Innovation is also a positive and natural reaction to change. If you don’t embrace change, if you don’t innovate, then you’re legacy. Left in the cloud of dust of those who did.
Innovation is not free though especially for those who have long embraced a closed-knit culture or something that is resistant to change. Resistance will be the major obstacle. Also, we should not discount costs and risks. There will always be cost, there will always be risks. But the winners are always those who take the initiative to embrace change, innovate, take risks and lead. It is my personal goal to succeed. And in the future when I, again, decide which way to go on a forked road, I shall bring the culture of innovation from the company I work on.
:::: and some more ::::
I am in one of the best companies to work for. To top it all of, I now train in one of their best offices. Hey, it’s free drinks (alcoholic) at the pantry from 5PM to 7PM on fridays. We can have choices of different brands of wine and beer. I guess the social effect of these non-functional, non-technical activities improves the productivity and morale one way or another.
Piggy on the loose
Nov 24th
Somebody has piggybacked into my WiFi network. I removed security for a while to do some maintenance/admin works. Unfortunately, I forgot to reset it back to its old secure form. And look what I’ve got, a network pilferer. People don’t learn. In Singapore, only publicly advertised accessible WiFi network are available for public use. Not, unsecure private ones. Or, on second thought perhaps this guy doesn’t know.
So Neil (you’re using Windows with a default-named domain name), you should learn, whoever you are. 
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SOA reading…
Oct 6th
In line with my long-overdue plans, I have been doing my long-overdue reading as well. Along with the experience that I already accumulated, insights with client’s requirements and overall technical strategies that I have learned so far, I still feel that I need to validate these with some readings.
I have been doing my rounds on this book: Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) Compass: Business Value, Planning, and Enterprise Roadmap (IBM’s DelevoperWorks Series) by by Norbert Bieberstein, Sanjay Bose, Marc Fiammante, Keith Jones, Rawn Shah.
The book is a good mix of real-life facts, technical facts (for the techies) and sweet-tongue stuff (for sales and marketing people).
My main enemy when I do my readings: procrastination
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work-stress even at home
Sep 8th
During the times when mobile phones were not yet a norm of life, I practically preferred having a pager instead of an analog cellphone. It’s because having a mobile phone will let people ping you wherever you are. Knowing the convenience that mobile phones provide, I was one of the early adopters of GSM and of the new fad; texting.
Fast forward to almost a decade, I bemoan the side-effects of having an everywhere-phone. Yes, the same old reason that I had, people can ping you anytime and there’s no convenient way to hide.
For a long time, I already couldn’t recall , I implicitly carry with me the stress of working back at home. Whenever 6PM strikes, I jitter in the urgency of the need to finish my task at once. I fear of a sudden ad-hoc task or WTF meeting being called like slime molds appearing apparently from nowhere in your bathroom walls.
When I go home, I still fear the existence of my mobile phone. The fear that people from the office, subordinate or superior will call me and takes a slice of my personal time. When I make myself absent due to unavoidable reasons or when I am sick, the single-thing that makes my adrenaline rush and make me want to crumble like a sand castle is the mobile phone. One ring, just one ring, will surely ruin my rest, or my vacation. And when it is weekend, the thought of going to office sickens me. Just why, oh why IT work schedule doesn’t seem to fit a healthy family and social life. I know for sure, if you haven’t experience this yet and you’re in the IT industry, chances are, you’re not in IT at all.
Well, that’s IT life for you. Where seemingly, the word, “I am at home” and “Don’t disturb” is not an option. I feel like a gynecologist, or perhaps a member crack police team, ready to be called at moments’ time. But I do not regret. It is my chosen profession. What I am sad about is that IT life can be improved. Yes, it doesn’t have to be in this kind of pitifull state. It can be person-friendly.
Hoping… dreaming…
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Bluetooth dilemna
Aug 21st
I recently bought a Blackberry Curve (8300) and at the same time, I am still using my HP iPAQ rw6828. For me to enable BT synchronization with my laptop, I have to uninstall third-party BT drivers that came with my laptop. The BT driver required by BB Desktop was the factory-default from Windows XP SP2. All’s well with my BB device…
… but now, my iPAQ’s BT connectivity with ActiveSync does not work anymore. Because…, it requires third-party BT driver that can support ActiveSync BT profile.
Oh well, that’s driver hell for you in Windows…
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Crash proof
May 12th
It has been a long time since I last posted to my blog. I have been pre-occupied with many things, mostly, my aborted resignation. However, this post is not about my blog hiatus. It’s about my laptop.
Since I have bought my ThinkPad T60, my nerves has been put to the test by gravity. My ThinkPad has experienced 3 falls, all at 9.8 m/s^2. Well, the first two were at least re-assuring. My laptop fell when it was inside my laptop bag. But the third-time was the most nerve wracking. My T60 fell from a height of 4ft. With no protection at all. Lucky me! I didn’t expect good news but the magnesium light-weight roll cage (the laptop’s chassis, in fact) has stood its ground. All that happened is a popped-out CD drive. I reinserted it and it looks and boots as if nothing happened.
I think it is a fitting tribute and testimony to the ThinkPad’s more-than-ordinary quality.
But alas, I think, the ThinkPad is a dying breed. Well, at least, the “IBM” part of it. I have seen the latest T60s bearing the branding “ThinkPad” instead of “IBM ThinkPad”. That’s Lenovo branding for you. I just hope the T series is kept alive until the next time I’d upgrade.
Many of my friends convinces me to give Dell or Mac a shot. No, I like being different. I’d stay with quality. I’d stay with ThinkPad.
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What!? No WiFi?
Feb 7th
I went to the airport today for some personal business. Since I had the chance to be early, I opted for several things: (1) bring a book, (2) bring my laptop to hack on to something, (3) or just bring my PDA-Phone and surf the net through WiFi. To my dismay, there is no free WiFi at Changi Airport.
Though Singapore has been embarking on its Wireless@SG programme to cover the whole island with WiFi signal, I was really damned surprised to see only StarHub’s non-free WiFi service at the airport. Yes, it is a known fact that not all part of Singapore will be covered, only high-density population areas will be covered at least in Wireless@SG’s initial infrastructure setup. But I would not have expected that such a high-traffic place such as Changi Airport won’t have Wireless@SG coverage. And heck, I went to McDonald’s to sniff some free SSID. Alas, only StarHub is there for the taking.
I should have opted for option 1 or option 2…
Sun/Java joins the advert bandwagon
Jan 9th
Notice Sun’s WebStart-based new Download Manager, it has an advertising section from the bottom of the dialog box. At least, they’ve learned to monetize leverage on their otherwise free http-based application download.
click to enlarge