Daily Journal

Writting exactly after One Year

Rai Umair — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 18:14:00 GMT

My tudoes to all the new bloggers who have made GeekswithBlogs.net there blogging home on the net. I must add that a lot of people and some very notable names with I share my blog now.

I am writing after a whole year - a very eventful one, indeed! I moved over from Pakistan to Australia, got a new job and also studying for a new degree.

Witnessed the SQL 2005 Beta, BizTalk 2004 launch and now waiting for Whidbey. I have decided to write again because of my new job here - I am a Microsoft Certified Trainer at New Horizons Melbourne and my day revolves around solving the problem of our clients - it’s always a tricky line between training and consultation in the software training domain - I am sort of tip toeing on it at the moment.

From now on the Blog is going to be about my answers to the client problems, some stuff about the Geelong .NET User Group - I can't seem to miss on INETA based Microsoft supported community can I? And some other thoughts from here and there, usually something that I will probably end up writing on my new Notebook - the Toshiba M30 (SE) while traveling on the train from Geelong to Melbourne and back.

It’s nice to come back on - and a real huge gap can be seen from this post and the last in April 2004. Just ignore that. Lastly for the curious types I left the blog scene because of my last two jobs in Pakistan. I was just not getting enough time to think let alone write.

Cheers Mate!

GRE Computer Science Test

Rai Umair — Mon, 26 Apr 2004 15:02:00 GMT

We have a comprehensive examination at the end of our Bachelors degree at SZABIST, almost all the people who don’t study for it passes it at the first attempt. I gave mine as soon as I came back from Dubai in December last year in 2003, not to mention I did not study for it at all. Last night I was working on going aboard for higher studies in 2005 and I came across this sample test from ‘GRE Computer Science’ its different from the general GRE test it consist of questions which computer science students cover in courses such as ADS, discrete mathematics and programming basics. Following is the test I found it very useful resources in evaluating the three years of stuffy I have taken and am now planning to attempt it in the second quarter of this year.

What I have been doing ?

Rai Umair — Wed, 07 Apr 2004 20:14:00 GMT

Two words 'not much'... at least not remotely as much as I would like, lazing most the past week in thoughts I have no control over or watching TV and chatting aimlessly on MSN (something I rarely do). But I still managed to do a few things geeky :).

Introducing GMail

Free email with 1000 MB of email space from Google.com! It's relatively not a new thing for geeks with there own POP accounts or people using Outlook Express or other popular mail readers but for end users stuck up with Hotmail, CoolMail and WhatNotMail offering a meager 4MB (God, a descent attachment today takes a MB or more) for such email users it will mean a lot. It will translate to better email management and sort of bring a revolution when every one saves his mails and some sort of tracking is enabled check GMail.com and read the interesting FAQ page here for more information.

My up with Avalon and Office 2003

I was really impressed updating Office XP to MS Office 11 suite, the most notable application in the package will the the Publisher, maybe because I used it for the first time. Like all office versions learning the basics was easy as sitting for 20 minutes and playing with the controls. I still can’t believe the templates I created for INETA Pakistan from email to letterheads, from newsletters to business cards without much effort at all!!!. I must say the ‘MaterSet’ in Publisher feature rocks!

InfoPath is a cool concept but without SharePoint Portal Server it is almost useless. FrontPage has gained a lot on new features, I liked the IFrame editing feature, Layer support, ASP.NET database forms and views but I am lost why they changed the table creation mechanism, and it basically really sucks for me right now.

Other then working on INETA Pakistan content using MS Office 11. I was also catching up on Longhorn and reading new articles on MSDN. My interest in Avalon (codename given to the preseantion layer of the next windows version) rejuvenated as I prepared a introductory presentation for a whole bunch of my class mates at my university as a Multimedia systems assignment. Avalon is really slick I must say. XAML is a much needed evolution and also matches with the upcoming W3C standard of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) where vector graphics are made based on XML input.

Wow! What a day...

Rai Umair — Fri, 02 Apr 2004 04:04:00 GMT

Well like most week days today started as a usual at day SZABIST but then right around in middle everything changed. I missed my MIS class to enjoy sheesha with my friend Nanuman Sikandar who came in around midday whilke I was busy reading this very recently published and by all standerds, a gem of a book, titled “Software Design: From Programming to Architecture” by Eric J. Braude, in the university's library. That was a bad move, I like sheesha (Hubble bubble) also made available at our university for the past 4 days and not surprisingly like always it turned my mood down.

This happens with me when ever I smoke up something instead of going up I go down in my mood, I don’t know why, but this is the case :-(. I repeated the same mistake again later in the evening with the change of flavout from mint to rose (due learning something new about the mint flavored tobacco) and my feelings went down further the drain, I came home really feeling bad and all dull and hazy. But then all things took a positive note.

Back home the best part of the day started. I sat and planned a great little Birthday surprise for my best friend Nauman Sikandar thanks to Rahim, Raheel, Anis, Rickey, Honey and not to forget Lady X. We fooled Nauman that there was a big fight about to take place at Royal Club near sea view and we need troops. He reached there around 12:00 and then just when the clock stuck 12: we sprang on him with two dozen eggs on the tune of “Happy Birthday to You, Nauman“. That was so very cool. More memories are left to share like having the house to my self for the next 10 days but I am too tired to write about them right now. Cheers.

Microsoft SAT 2004 Karachi, Notes from the Day

Rai Umair — Sun, 28 Mar 2004 09:14:00 GMT

Microsoft Software Architect Tour Karachi went away quite well. Although the event started a little later then 9:30 but the 150 seated auditorium was jam packed as we entered to take to our seats, Gurkan Sulk, Vaqar Khasmani, Haseeb (the Winqual Guys) represented Microsoft from MEA, Pakistan and USA while I from INETA Pakistan and Khurram from Kalsoft were the local speakers there.

I also met Jawad Rehman the Microsoft’s country manager for Pakistan and Dr. Wahab (former IBA chief) and had very interesting conversations on history, Pakistan and their polices and outlooks before the event started and in the lunch break.

The day was long and I got a headache in the end but I am was really pleased to be offered sponsorship of a venue by the kind MAJU people and the general reaction of the 150+ attendees to bring in the developer community revolution in Pakistan. My speech was in fact accepted quite well by all the senior architects and members. In the end 15 lucky people got Microsoft goody bags and all the speakers got bouquets of flowers and table clocks from MAJU as a token of appreciation for being there and all participants got the SAT 2004 trapper keeper with printouts of all the slides.

There was a lot of still photography and also a video recording of the event. I will get some pictures up as soon as I get my hands on them.

The Lahore and Islamabad events to happen on the 3rd and 4th of April are completely booked and Microsoft is planning to fly in speakers from Belgium. While INETA Pakistan is using the services of our User Group Leaders Misbah and Yawar to make there speeches.

Whats better than?

Rai Umair — Sat, 27 Mar 2004 03:33:00 GMT

Live your life better, always ask yourslefd the question: Whats better than?

What's better than focusing on the negative? Focus on the positive. (If you do this you are happy being!)
What's better than working hard? It's working smart. (Oh yes! Learn to beat the system, think different.)
What's better than dreaming? Imagining. (A Disney term combination of Imagining stuff and Engnearing)
What's better than doing something for yourself? Doing something for your country.
What's better than a vision? A cause. (When Vision fights wih cause, Cause always prevails...)
What's better than a long speech? Definitely, a short one. (That's why you read this in a snap!)

(condensed via: Anil, enjoy his full version taken from a speech)

Upcoming Speech at the SAT, 2004

Rai Umair — Wed, 24 Mar 2004 22:35:00 GMT

Ah...I forgot, I'll be speaking in Software Architect Tour, 2004 at the Muhammad Ali Jinnah Untervarsity (MAJU) next week on March the 29th. Its at 22-E Block-6 P.E.C.H.S, Karachi. Damn ! Why do I have to miss an important MMS hourly back here in my university? Bad timing... I guess.

I'll be giving my not so infamous (cos its the fist time):

INETA Pakistan - The Developer Community Revolution Speech

I'll talk about User Groups, INETA, INETA Pakistan, the new User Group Structure for Pakistan and our Vision Forward. My talks are very interactive, much like Ihab's (Microsoft Dubai) so even if you know about INETA Pakistan, you'll still have fun.

Should be fun, please stop by!

INETA Pakistan – A new revolution in the Planning

Rai Umair — Wed, 24 Mar 2004 22:22:00 GMT

Arsalan Minhas the INETA Chair for Pakistan and also my friend has left off to Korea to pursue a master’s degree and I have formally taken over all his responsibilities a few days ago. I have taken on me to bring a developer community revolution in Pakistan.

Right now I am in things way over my head, lots and lots of work do to which I am not deliberately delegating at this stage because I want to keep it all very tightly coupled. I sit here at home waiting for the clock to strike 10 (PST) or GMT 4 for my first weekly INETA–MEA meeting in which all the INETA MEA region chairs and managers participate online.

Wow! MSN messenger is an innovative new global conference room now. (ummm.. without the food though...)

I am very excited about the possibilities we can achieve here together (with you people). I will talk a lot about our work as we progress along our preparations. I am looking out for volunteers to assist us in our job. So if you feel passionate enough , pleae contact me, we will be gald to have your in our team.

The Loss, the Pain the and Anguish

Rai Umair — Sun, 21 Mar 2004 02:13:00 GMT

Of all the recent developments in my life the most painful one just happened, people are changing around me but the fact is I am the same, same from day one, what I mean is I have the same love respect and feelings for the ones I care about in fact no matter what they think. My feelings just seem to grow on.

Just recently I had a silent match of death with my friend and I let him win; if it’s any consolidation to him he must know how I suffer while I seek redemption. No matter what happens I will be patiently waiitng, beacuse I don't belive in miracles only the power of companionship.

But I have always been a free spirit and would remain so for the time to come. Free sprits although hard to break, once broken can never be replaced. I am saving mine for all my sanity, learning lessons of life by falling on the ground, again and again doing mistakes just as a child would do. Blame me.

Microsoft Security Symposium at Karachi Goes Well

Rai Umair — Thu, 18 Mar 2004 06:27:00 GMT

The security symposium today went great we had three speakers from Microsoft operations in Egypt and Redmond. Mr. Zoadain, and two whose names I can not recall. Zoadain was the most interesting of the lot, he talked and showed us how Microsoft was securing its own IT infrastructure and intellectual property using pins, smart cards, polices and what not.

I learned many interesting things today: Security is not only technology put also the people and processes, basically the 4 P’s of security. Almost all solutions come suggested blocking access at all layers and levels. The easiest security measure is to limit the services running when you don’t need them just stop using them and always keep your updates on the toes in terms of patches or virus scanners.

There was also a lot of talk about SUS and SMS both used for patch management and software upgrades. We also looked at the best practice security guides [available at http://msdn.microsoft.com/practices] from the PAG, the best thing to happen at Microsoft for years.

One cool link I would suggest all to visit is the live implementation of ‘Outlooks Web Access’ internally in use by Microsoft employees to manage emails without RAS support at https://mail.microsoft.com.

I observed a lot of potential in the developer community in Karachi while enjoying lunch, around 300 faces emerged some of them I have seen at previous events last year like the Pakistan Developer Conference in May 2003 and MSDN road show in August 2003. Lastly we got the 'IT Showcases' CD, the latest to come this year in our collateral bags. I plan to open up and speed read some case studies when I reach back home.