Google Reader as My Daily Feed Reader

It's been long time i have been using Google Reader :) Now i really love it :) See the Google Reader Introduction video below.



Then here comes a screen shot of my Google Reader page. Lots of Feeds from different places. I don't need and not even forget to see the new updates from other sites /blogs/news :)
It's really easy and fantastic.


Whenever i am free and nothing to do.. then i can go through the old feeds and got an option to share them in a single page called Publicly Shared Items Page :)

Here it is: Tahmid Munaz's shared items (From My Google Reader)

SkypeCast was held for the SQABD Roundtable Meeting - 12th Session

In last 16th June, 2007 - SQABD (www.sqabd.com) has arranged its' 12th Roundtable Meeting on topic of "State of Software Testing in Bangladesh" at Baton Rouge restaurant. Participants in the meeting was near about 20 persons. And there was an option for joining the meeting through SkypeCast. This Skypecast option for joining in SQABD meeting made people even to join from abroad and even for those person who were not able to join the meeting in person.

For a long time SQABD was thinking to come up with an option where our Bangladeshi Technical Experts from abroad can join the Roundtable Meetings and can add value to make it more productive. At last SQABD came up with the idea of using Skypecast at this 12th session in last Saturday so that anyone can join from anywhere.

SkypeCast:
https://skypecasts.skype.com/skypecasts/skypecast/detailed.html?id_talk=3000526&hash=e327899f81a5e8e693f3

Sometimes it becomes even tough for members who are not from Dhaka, and might not be able to attend this short 2/3 hours roundtable meeting coming from a remote area. So from now the SkypeCast will be a good way to join the SQABD Roundtable Meeting for anyone just by using a good broadband connection and Skype for connecting to SQABD Skypecast in time.

This is the 1st time any Technical Community in Bangladesh has arranged such an option for everyone to join through online which is more flexible to join for people who are in abroad or in a different city/remote area.

Bug in SCB (Standard Chartered Bank) ATM Booth

Day before yesterday I went to SCB (Standard Chartered Bank) ATM Booth to draw 20K BDT at a time. The ATM Booth was working fine, it returned my ATM/Debit Card then printed a slip where i got it Updated up to my recent transaction. But suddenly what i saw the money was not coming at all. Then the machine showed me a message "We regret ......" Don't remember the exact line, but the problem seemed to me that the ATM has no more balance to serve my money.

What i tried for 2nd and even 3rd time. And these times the problem showed just after giving getting the PIN numbers from me. Shows that "We regret.... " What the heck? I have to pay cash to my friend while it's about 6:oo pm in Bangladesh Time. Ok! Let's go to the Gulshan-2 Booth from Gulshan-1. We left the Gulshan-1 booth beside the Abacus, and now on our way to Gulshan-2. After reaching there and inserting my card and PIN number is shows the same message again! God! What the prb? Is this booth again empty of Money? Why it's regretting?

OK, now lemme call to the Service Center - then the Call Center Representative said from the Service Center that.. at few of the ATM Booths, it randomly occurs while someone wants to draw 20K BDT at a time. The ATM Network closes the Card Holder's limit for charging his card up to that day 23:59pm!! Why? Were this service we looking for?

He claimed that it was noticed on the Booth's wall. Do we really look at the wall Notice of these ATM Booths? How could we expect for such a valuable notice in the middle of all those Big Advertisement posters? How could we expect these information where there are several leaflets of their Insurance/ Car Loan and blah blah... ?

Can't we except that option shown in the ATM Booth Screen? or disabling the 20K withdrawal facility? So that everyone will always draw maximum of 10K or 15K?

Why Standard Chartered Bank is not even bothered for solving this problem?

Java based Web Application Testing

Today one of my friend emailed me asking a name of a community/group/forum - where he can get the Java based Web Application Testing information. So, here i am sharing a part of my reply:

Here are few communities where you can discuss on Software QA/Testing issues:

1. SQAtester,
2. SQABD and
3. SQAforums

JPGroup is an open community for Java knowledge base.


Here are few links i am sharing in cases helps you anyway.

http://grinder.sourceforge.net/

http://www.fiercedeveloper.com/story/momeunit-a-new-java-test-framework/2007-05-29

http://java-source.net/open-source/web-testing-tools

http://www.clabs.org/wtr/index.cgi?page=/WhatDistinguishesUs

http://community.java.net/java-ws-xml/

http://www.testdriven.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=560

http://safsdev.sourceforge.net/doc/JBrowserTIE.htm

http://jtiger.org/

http://www.froglogic.com/


I could have been the right person for asking something,
but I'm not until there is Google.com :p

Never mind :) Feel free to ask :)
I would love to search.

What are the Best Web Apps? - Pageflakes

Cast your Votes for your favorite best Web Apps. at WebWare.com

Try out Pageflakes if you like Personalized Home pages. Then cast your vote for Pageflakes.
[URL: http://www.webware.com/html/ww/100/2007/browsing.html]

I got Pageflakes featured with different resources, tremendously competent and better then My Yahoo and Google IG? There are no more question to compare with Netvibes or YourMinis. It's a place where i can manage my own pages on my own choice with different flakes and even publish to my selective friends or to public. There are more to explore!

Let's say together - "Eat Cornflakes and use Pageflakes!"

Crisis of IT students

It's been a long time i didn't post cause was busy with work a lot. Hope you are doing fine. Let's think for a moment together and discuss in a new issue.

I have noticed that most of all IT service providing companies in Bangladesh and even in abroad are really worried about the upcoming situation - "LACK of IT professionals or IT Graduates". Even inside the University authorities they are thinking why the enrollment in Computer Science or Computer Science & Engineering is decreasing so rapidly?

There are few points i want to show you could be the reason for this up coming risk.


1. Salary Issue: (Money talks!)

When the IT field just boomed in Bangladesh, new companies came in and hired IT professional in high ranged salaries which are might not that easy to get these days as there are more competition in getting jobs in IT market. So the salary range is decreasing in a way and the new High school passed students don't want to get graduation in CS while they see there are even more smart payments as a Management Trainee in several Banks (as seen in several advertisements) if they get the Business degrees.

Even if i talk about these days.. A newly raised company is being paying so high but there is no assurance that this paying scale will be stable even after 3/4 years. So that's why few of the companies like this had to pack up their business in near future.

A company should have it's own salary structure where there will be no issue for objections. This salary structure could be different then other available companies may be less or may be high. But an individual structure.


2. University Issue: (So commercial to lose their business!)

I don't want to come up with any debate of "Gvt/Public Universities vs Private Universities". It's all about all type of Universities we have in Bangladesh who are building all CS graduates. The issue that i want to focus is most of all Universities are not aware of how to improve the quality of education and keep students motivated and dedicated to new technologies with outdoor works and compete with the market needs. Universities need to change the old course curriculum and make sure they are in collaboration of Industry to get professionals in touch for any updates/guidance/training sessions. According to my knowledge every Universities has their own budgets for their Computer Club in each semesters. These could be used in proper fields. Students will be encouraged and motivated even if they face any frustration of their career path. A proper Career path is not shown to the Students unless they get in touch with that before they pass from Universities.

Commercially most of the Pvt Universities are increasing the Course Fees but they can't assure any proper Career path for Students to do better or be kept confident and motivated into their choice. Thus most of our Universities are loosing their Business in this Commerce.


3. Industry Issue: (Saving their own Ass!)

Our local software Industry has different type of companies who might be providing Outsourcing Services, Offshore Development, Joint Venture, Product development or Serving in Local market etc. I ask forgiveness if i have missed any other type. All these software companies are thinking to enrich their own stocks and how they could provide better service to their clients so that they can confirm for further agreements or sign-up for new contracts. But these companies have to think for hiring better candidates and even ensure that there are people from where they can sort the better engineers for their future challenging projects. If the Universities loose students in Computer degrees then Industry will loose upcoming candidates too. They will have to figure out the better people in between 2/3 candidates only. The quality might decrease if there are no more competition.

Otherwise companies might have to start hiring someone else from other companies and it might cause fight between the companies for highly skilled professionals later on. And they might even close their business just for not getting any skilled professionals.

Industries should have few business plan for Promotional Activities in Universities by Career Guidance, Enhancement of students quality by introducing them new technologies which are rising in the market. Which will help that company to get a quality graduate who has clear basic concepts on Process, Development models, different phases of Development Life Cycle or several Frameworks etc. before they get any mentor or trainer after joining any company. So the company can think to give training that newly hired in other sectors and it will increase the pace of getting a skilled guy.

Ethics needs to be followed in every companies. Few days back i saw few companies were offering Website Developments only for 500Tk or 1000Tk in SoftExpo 2007. These too lower pricing might cause their business loss and destroying the market value of that specific type of products or services. For certain time they might get benefited but when they will not be able to earn even their employee's salary without profit. Then they will have to start firing employees and pack up their business. It will never increase the job market rather decreasing public interest in Software Industry.


4. Government Policy Issue: (Does Govt. feels any interest at all?)

Government can take initiatives by providing these Policies:
1. IT Student Funds for different Research and Development.
2. Modifying and upgrading our Banking Policies by which we can do real time development of E-Governance rather dreaming of it anymore.
3. Monitoring Piracy

We can't even host a Shopping Cart in a website for our Local People in Bangladesh or even for Global access cause we can't have any PayPal Account here in Bangladesh. Money transaction is a big issue from Bangladesh. Even if i want to do Data Center Business. I have no way to pay those bills. Banking Policies are needed to be resolved. Even Inter-Banking Policies could help us developing our E-Governance structure before we connect with the Global market.

I don't know how Government has ever made the policy for IT Development. We always used to shout about Fiber Optics Cable and other dreams. Can we resolve these issues as soon as possible?

If Government can take any good initiative in these Issues, then Local Companies will start competing for several local E-Governance projects and market will be boomed again. People will feel interest to think about this career again. More working environment will be created soon. Otherwise we will loose all these business to India or any other country who will be charging for these Developments even 10 times higher then our Bangaldeshi companies.

Piracy needs to be monitored properly. Otherwise we will loose our market only for 500 or 1000Tk or might be even for only 60Tk. People must know that these software didn't came so easily. They have been developed by the Engineers after huge investment but not in free. Unless we couldn't stop piracy there are more Companies who are thinking twice or more to Outsource any Project in Bangladesh.



Few mis-conception of the Students:
1. Telecommunication is the most booming sector where the IT field will be replaced by Telecom.
2. University courses doesn't learn us how to do programing in ".Net" or "Ajax" or new exciting "Ruby on Rails" or other frameworks.
3. I will earn more graduating from BBA or other degrees but not in IT.
4. IT means only Coding/networking few computers in a LAN/fixing a Canon Printer or PC's.
5. Who are there to hire us? Are there any good companies where i can try my expertise?
6. Every companies are seeking for Experienced people.. so how could i get a chance?
7. I was never better in programming so why should i stick into this career?
8. See at those other Graduates are not getting good job yet!




(To be continued...)

Build Google IG like Ajax Start Page in 7 days using ASP.NET Ajax and .NET 3.0

Omar Al Zabir the Co-founder of Pageflakes recently published a great article on CodeProject.com on how to create a Google IG Personal Homepage in 7 days using ASP.Net, Ajax, and .Net 3.0

I should ask everyone to go through his article. He mentioned few of his past experience and few improvement notes from his fellow friends.

An open source start page project running Live on http://www.dropthings.com/

He said -

"You are welcome to participate in the development and make widgets for the project."

He divided this article on 7 days basis and it's really a great article for anyone to start from his own to create as Google IG like website. Enjoy!

URL: http://www.codeproject.com/Ajax/MakingGoogleIG.asp

[video] Google - The Best Place To Work

[Video] The power of Google - Master Plan

Enjoy this video!

SQABD released the 1st Meet the Mentors session on Khandakar Asif Hasan

Some of us were lucky to have them in our professional career. Others only heard of their deeds from the lucky ones. They touched our career, improved our skills, inspired us to excel, motivated us to thrive, and showed us the path to success. They were our mentors.

Who are these extraordinary people in the Software Industry of Bangladesh? How did they shape the people around them? We need to know. We need to learn from them.

SQABD successfully released the 1st Meet the Mentors session with Khandakar Asif Hasan and introducing such resource podcasting in Bangladesh for the 1st time.

Khandakar Asif Hasan is the Director at Spectrum Engineering Consortium ltd. He has more than 13 years of professional experience. The discussion includes:

• His working experience.
• What it takes to be a Software Architect.
• Training the human resources in a software company.
• Government policies regarding the software industry.
• Comparison with India.
• Automation, tools, risk analysis.
• Collaboration between software companies.
• Internship program.
• and more...
  

URL : http://sqabdmentors.blogspot.com/2007/02/khandakar-asif-hasan-on-meet-mentors-by.html

Please send your feedbacks how was this podcasting and propose your mentors in SQABD community so that SQABD can present them infront of all and know more :)