Dance Dance.. (INTRICT)

Last Wednesday, we conducted our punishment for our negative points acquired in our activity last last week. There were lots of countless laughters during the dance show down. And believe me, it was very fun and entertaining. We (our group) performed and danced our hearts out with the song Forever by Chris Brown. We thought of the moves of this song inside SPLEX (Sports Complex, galing nuH!) At first, we had a hard time thinking of what the dance moves should be. But because of a very inspiring and overwhelming place we're in (SPLEX), we thought of a unique dance move that'll be very easy to remember. I call it the "Ligo sabay swimming dance move (go figure.) So the day came and we did our dance showdowns. I learned a lot of things with my blockmates because of this activity. First, i didn't expect one of them (name will not be revealed due to privacy) to dance that well. We were really amazed that he (yes, it is a HE) knows how to dance (He wasn't awesomely good like the god of the dance or anything but he performed well and he was named Dance king of the day.) This just proves that no one should judge a book by its cover. Second, I also learned that some of the CCS students can actually dance and roll but sadly most us simply just can't. That session was filled with fun and excitement. Sir Oli even recorded our dances for future references and inspiration (inspiration hahaha.) Those videos will more likely be in youtube or anywhere in the net in the near future for us to either be ashame of or laugh about. What ever it may be, I definitely assure you that none of the students who danced on that fateful day will ever forget the moments of laughter and joviality shared with one another.

What I've learned this week:
1.) about 5% of CCS students actually know how to dance. (Estimated)
2.) CCS students are very imaginative and creative when it comes to dancing (especially the one from the other class. The dance move with the letter K) XD
3.) Sir Oli is a fan of these types of songs.
4.) Never judge a book by its cover. Judge it by its content.
5.) Dancing is the next Nursing.
6.) SPLEX is a very inspiring place.
7.) I am going to be the Filipino Chris Brown.
8.) Becoming the Filipino Chris Brown is impossible.
9.) The lyrics of Forever actually make sense.
10.) We may or may not regret doing these in the near future.

4..8..16.. 32..2048 (INTRICT)

Hello again my avid readers (if there are any.. i guess no one reads this blog.) This week's Intrict class tackled one of the most interesting topic yet. We were discussing about Networks and databases at first but for some reason we end up talking about memory sizes and the importances of continual memory size development and growth. First of all, why are the memory sizes in values of 4,8,16,32,64,128..etc? This is because of the fact that computers can only read 2 characters which are 0 and 1. The 2 are raised into a certain power hence making a value of 4,16,2048, etc (e.g. 2^2=4, 2^5=32, 2^8=256, etc..) I also learned a lot of new information and history about the diskette and flash drives. Would you believe that there was once a diskette that only has a memory of 16KB? Yes, it was quite a shocking revelation (hahahah!) And adding to that, it wasn't the average 3 inch diskette. It was like huge (8+inches... woaaHhh don't be green ok?) Then we've learned that the improvement of memory disks only took place on the year 2000. Before then, the memory disks were small in memory size and were very sh!tty. But why did it take 30 years or so for the people to start improving the sizes of these memory disks? (the very first memory disk was created on 1970.) It was because of the Y2k problem. The Y2k problem was one of the biggest problem before the year 2000. It was detected on 1992 and it took them several years to create a solution for the said problem. (For more information about this please do visit www.wikipedia.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y2K , the home of reliable and unreliable information around the world. So after solving the Y2k problem, people started developing bigger sizes of memory disks in order to store more information and files. Obviously, new files are very huge in memory sizes and need a larger space to occupy. Flash drives or memory disks are continuing to evolve each and every day. From the mere 16kb into the hail 32GB, these devices helped us store and sort our files. So the next time you see a USB, dont be shock just do your math. (labo noH?)

Things i've learned in INTRICT this week:
1.) Never distract a teacher from the topic for it drives him to another.
2.) Dancing is a punishment for CCS students.
3.) Y2k wasn't the end of the world.
4.) Lollipop isn't a candy anymore.
5.) Intrict profs are cool.
6.) Envelopes were highly demanded back in 1970.
7.) There is a thing called double layered CD.
8.) I am going to create the first ever double layered USB.
9.) Creating a double layered USB is impossible.
10.) Lawrence sucks at dancing (and oh you can still visit his all mighty, powerful, poetic, mesmerizing, amusing, fun, fantastic, very entertaining, novel priced, PERFECT, nose bleeding, ear bleeding, eyes sucking, nerve chilling, *put all compliments* blog at http://lawrencecarltan.blogspot.com again that is http://lawrencecarltan.blogspot.com .

Harsh Week in INTRICT (INTRICT)

Harsh? Indeed! This week's INTRICT was quite harsh. We were given the MID TERM PAPER last Monday and were asked to submit it on Wednesday. So what have i learn this week? Believe it or not, I slightly enjoyed making the mid term paper. It's quite fascinating to see a lot of people still online at a time that late (around 3 am.) At first, i didn't actually believe that it was possible to finish such a project (but it is truly possible to finish it in just 3 hours with the cooperation of all members.) Obviously, we were cramming like hell. But that's what i think what we should learn here in DLSU. Yes, this week, i learned the importance of cramming. I believe that we, LaSallians should learn how to face adversity even at the most "harsh" moments. This is what separates us and makes us different (in a better way) from others. We finished the project just in time for us to have a 3 hour sleep. Then the day came. My group member (Lawrence, you can visit his oh bowdown, super, ultra, greatness, superb, novel priced, poetic, awesomeness, *put all compliments* blog at http://lawrencecarltan.blogspot.com) got stuck in a traffic jam in Nagtahan Bridge (ako rin na traffic, unfortunately mas late siya umalis ng bahay.) Due to this incident, Lawrence came to school at 8:30 am so we received a 5 point deduction (Harsh noH?) It wasn't our fault that the bridge was closed. But we just accepted it and moved on. We can't always make reasons and excuses why shit happens. They just simply do. The 5 point deduction was quite hard to digest but rules are rules so we just let it go and thought of the positive side that at least Lawrence was safe (WHAT THE?) and he didn't come to school after 9 where we could have gotten a 10 point deduction. Another harsh moment in INTRICT this week was the activity conducted last Wednesday. This was the activity where we have to add a lot of cars like Toyota, Honda, Cherry (what's cherry?), and etc. None of my blockmates was able to answer the correct answers to Sir Oli's questions. The worse part of it, it was all or nothing. It's either you get the whole 100% of the points or a big fat rotten ZERO. Eventually, we all rejoiced because of the fact that none of us got a single point and we still have a chance to redeem ourselves next meeting and look forward to score some points (we've got a negative 30 on that meeting. HARSH ULE NOH?) This week's INTRICT was truly a harsh one but i guess it's part of college life. Intrict class would be one those classes that would punch us on the head and wake us up to reality and let us say "sh!t! bakit ako nag ICTM." Well at least not as "harsh" as INTRPRG where we would wake up to reality and say "sh!t! bakit pa ako nabuhay!" Joke lang hahahaha.

If you're stuck in a harsh moment just think of this

"The snail crawled inch by inch in order to reach the ark."

Accuracy or Speed (INTRICT)

This week was a busy week for our INTRICT class. This week's topic was quite interesting. We discussed about the possible methods and ways on how the 2010 Philippine Election would be conducted. There are two possible ways. The first one is the DRE (Direct Recording Electronic.) The DRE is the cool looking monitor that has a touch screen on it. If we are going to look at it, it looks very accurate and reliable. Yes, it is! Cheating would more likely be avoided when DRE is used in the 2010 Election. The huge downside of this machine is that it'll take a very long time for an individual to cast their votes. More or less, a person would take about 20-25 minutes to cast their votes. There would only be 1 or 2 DRE machines per voting location. This means that the election would take a very long time. Other negative factor of the DRE is the so called "DUGYOT" factor. Let's face it. Filipinos are very DUGYUTIN people. A lot of people would be voting using their fingers. Now think, wouldn't a lot of bacteria or germs be present on the machine? Another factor that we should look at is that a lot of people would be using the machine and it is not impossible for it to break due to the lack of knowledge of some people who are going to use it. The second machine is the OMR (Optical Mark Recognition.) This is the scanner like machine where you put the ballots. OMR is the direct opposite of a DRE. Each voting individual is given a test like paper where they're going to shade their votes. After each and everyone voted, the person in-charge would place the ballots in the OMR and the OMR would scan and tally the ballots then give the results. The good side of this machine is that it's fast. It only takes about 2 minutes for the machine to get the results. The downside is that it is vulnerable to cheating and errors. OMR has a higher error rate than DRE (DRE has a very low error rate, near impossible.) So after saying all of these, what method would be better? Do we go for the DRE which produces accurate and reliable results but kills the speed and has a DUGYUTING factor or the OMR which produces instant results in matter of minutes but is vulnerable to errors and cheating? Whether it is DRE or OMR, it's the people's voice and choice who they're going to vote. Let's just remember that the machines are merely just bridges. We are the ones who are responsible on who are the ones going to sit in our government. VOTE WISELY

One Intrict-less class (INTRICT)

This week, we only had one intrict class due to Sir Oli getting sick last Wednesday. Monday was a continuation of last week's discussion. We discussed Information System Development this week.
Basically, there are 5 steps in developing a information system. The first step is Planning. Planning is important because this is where everything about the new information system begins. Without it, it is nearly impossible to do the rest of the steps in developing an information system. The next step is Analysis. This is the step where we look and think about how the new information system will be conducted. There are tow steps in analyzing. These are conducting preliminary investigations and performing detailed analysis. The 3rd step is Design. Designing is the creation of the new informations system. This is the step where we actually create and develop the new IS. the 4th step is implementation. Like what it simply says, it is the implementation of the new IS. This is the step where we actually try to use the new IS. The 5th and final step is the support and maintenance. This is the step where we see whether the new IS is a click or not. This step is a life long process and will be done up until that IS dies. These are the 5 steps in developing an Information System.

We were also given a problem at the end of the Monday class of Intrict. The information problems are data collection, information processing and distribution and access to information. Basically, if we look deep enough to these problems, they have one common problem. It is the lack of communication. In order to solve this problem, we have to create an IS that will improve the communication and transaction of the systems in a particular company. I'll suggest an IS that will make communication really fast and stress free.

Always to remember for the rest of ICTM life (according to Sir Oli)

Stages of IS Development
1.) Planning
2.) Analyzing
3.) Designing
4.) Implementation
5.) Support and maintenance

Organizational Knowledge
1.) Sales
2.) Marketing
3.) Accounting
4.) Customer Service
5.) Production
6.) Distribution
7.) Inventory and Purchasing
8.) Human Resource
9.) Product Development

Information Problems
1.) Data Capture
2.) Data Storage
3.) Information Processing
4.) Distribution and Access to Information
5.) Presentation of Information

Information System Elements
1.) hardware
2.) software
3.) people
4.) process
5.) data
6.) network

What would you do? (INTRICT)

This week in Intrict Class, Sir Oli tossed us a problem that puzzled us for at least the whole 1 hour and 30 minutes of the duration of the class. Here's the scenario. Sir Oli is an owner of a big company, a company that makes coconut juice to be exact. He is having problem with his products because he is losing a lot of income due to the spoilage of the coconut juices. If you were the company consultant what questions would you ask him in order to help you solve the problem?


We all thought that the asking part was quite easy. But after asking about 13 questions, he told us that none of them were even close in getting us to solve the problem. Here are some questions we've asked
1.) Where do I get the raw materials?
2.)How do I transport the coconut?
3.)Where do I store the coconut?
4.)How many coconuts do I get? What I order?
5.)How long does it take to transport the coconut?
6.)How long does the process of making coconut juice take?
7.)How many coconuts do I process in a day?
8.)How many coconut juice are being stored?
9.)What do I currently use (equipment) to produce coconut juice?
10.)How long does it take me to deliver?
11.)How much do i buy the coconuts and how much do i sell them as juices?
12.)How much sales do I make in month?
13.)How much do i lose for spoilage?

Well, it's sad that none of our efforts was even close. At least we tried right? :)


In order to solve a problem in a company, we have to stay close in the problem instead of exploring away from it. Questioning is one good method of collecting data in order to solve a problem of a company. So here is a question that was called "perfect question" by Sir Oli. "What day, month, year do the juice usually spoil?" This question is really essential in order to get closer in solving the problem. With this, we would know when do the coconut juices usually spoil and would be able to avoid losing lots of income. It is also our part where we would integrate technology in order to help the company. We also have to learn whether which system or systems does the problem occur. Basically, in this scenario, the problem occurs in the inventory, production and Sales. The problem occurs because of the lack of communication of these systems. Sales doesn't have a clear view and knowledge about the number of products that has been produced and stored. So we have to integrate a technology in these systems in order for them to work together by communicating to each other. This way, we could avoid spoilage and lose of income. This is basically the main solution to this problem. There are other different solutions with different approaches in solving this problem. So if you were one of us, what would you do?

Another week in Intrict (INTRICT)

Last week in Intrict class, we learned the true meaning of what an IS really is. An IS is basically an accurate information acquired anywhere, anytime when needed by people who works for an organization. This is the main reason why people creates an IS. There are also some indirect reasons and effects in creating an IS for an organization. One, it increases productivity. Two, it produces a higher and better quality of products. Three, it looks cool and etc. The demand of an IS in companies is quickly increasing because of the fact that it is really quite essential these days. It gives an internal improvement in the conduct of operation, meaning, it hastens and lessens the process in a given task (Productivity). It also help in internal correction of problems hampering the operations. This means that an IS helps solve our daily problems in work. An example of this is the help of a form of technology that integrates several different system in a company in order to work and communicate together in a better and faster method. It is also essential to have an IS because of the fact that a lot of other competing companies have an IS in their enterprises. No one would like to be left out right? It is also proven that it is strategically determined. Having an IS will definitely save not only money but time as well. After saying all of these, it seems that an IS is too perfect to be true. Well, it is not. (P.S the following information you are about to read is not from INTRICT class. It's just my opinion towards the topic.) An IS may have a lot of beneficial things to give and share to us but it does have some weaknesses. One, having an IS in a company will definitely cut a lot of jobs. Why would you need 5,000 people payed 350++ pesos a day if you can have 100 people or less and an IS? A lot of people will lose their jobs because of the replacement of technology. Looking in the deeper effect, more unemployed Filipinos equals a sucky economy. Two, An IS is really quite expensive. Not all companies can afford one. Lastly, it's against the will of God.. Nah just kidding.. Well basically, an IS is really kick ass and cool but it still have some weaknesses that we should all think about and consider. If it is for the better, then go for it. We'll never know what might happen next. Maybe next time not companies alone would have an IS in their's but also jeepneys running around Metro Manila.

INTRICTview Part 2 (INTRICT)

Last Wednesday, some of the groups in our class did their presentation about their interview with the Operational and tactical managers. We (my group) were lucky enough to not be called by our prof. Sir Oli was really scary during the questioning part. He'll really dig deep down in to your presentation and question it detail by detail. Well, I learned some new information in my block mates' presentation like how the operational manager controls the whole 9 sectors of an enterprise (e.g sales, finance, marketing, etc.)
These presentations are really helpful and essential to us. I think that we should do more of these presentations so that we can improve our communication skills and self-confidence because these two are very important in our profession and will definitely come in handy in the very near future.

Looking forward for presentation #2

INTRICTview (INTRICT)

Last Thursday, June 19, 2008, We had an interview with the manager of KICARCO PHILIPPINES at Starbucks near Araneta. The manager was Mr. Jun Lacson (any relation with Senator Ping?) Jun Lacson is the operational and tactical manager of KICARCO PHILIPPINES. Before the interview, i was worried and nervous because i never interviewed anyone until now. I was the one assigned to do the talking and questioning while my other group mates do the back up and writing (THANKS A LOT!) First of all, i introduced myself (Hi! I'm Kenneth) and thanked him for the time. I asked him the simple questions like what does an operational manager do and what are the differences of an operation and tactical manager. He said that an Operational manager plans and organizes the things that the employees would do. And basically, the differences of an Operation and Tactical is that an Operational plans the day to day activity while the Tactical plans the long term management of the enterprise. He also stated that an Operation Manager is like a parent of a family. He is the one who organize the employees and their budget. Just like a father of the family who organizes the family and supports their financial capabilities. Even though a person with a job of his caliber gets payed a huge amount of money, he said that it is hard because of the bigger pressure and responsibility given to him. It really makes sense because the higher you go in the job pyramid, the bigger the pressure given in to you. At the end of the 20 minute interview, we got to learn some new things about being a manager. Maybe someday I'll be one myself. But until then, I'm just a simple manager of this blog.

ICTM WARRIOR (INTRICT)

Hello reader! Today, I won't be talking about Google (Thank God!) I'll be sharing my thoughts about the different technical and non-technical skills that an ICTM professional should have. So sit tight, relax and read (especially you Mr.Malabanan who's going to check this blog!)

What is an ICTM professional? For me, It is someone who has a broad knowledge and background about technology. One should possess a variety of skills such as basic programming language like JAVA. You will never be labeled as an ICTM professional without a knowhow in computer languages. As i browse to www.jobstreet.com for different job opportunities in the field of computers, i found out one similar requirement. They all need someone who truly understands and can manipulate JAVA/C/C++ which are popular programming languages. Having the ability to understand the software development lifecycle and methodology is also a technical skill needed for most of the ICTM jobs. As seen at the graph, Java is the most essential and required knowledge that someone should acquire in order to become an ICTM professional.

Technical skills aren't the only skills that we should have in order to become a successful ICTM professional. Like I say, "Aanhin ang quad core kapag dial-up ka lang. " ICTM professionals should also have different non-technical skills. One can't survive with Java mastery alone. ICTM professionals should have the ability to communicate and interact to their environment in order to become more productive. Working alone cuts people's productivity (I think.) Being fluent in multiple languages also helps. In this way, they can interact with different kinds of people (Language is Power!) Anyways, one should also have the ability to be organized and disciplined to one's self. This trait goes to any job. And lastly, I believe that the most important non-technical skill that one should acquire in order to become a true ICTM warrior is to see things in a positive way. I think that this is a must. Being positive is an aura that helps not only yourself but also the people around you.



Developing all of this skills will surely take time. All we need is discipline and courage to take that extra step. Push ourselves and break our limits. This way, we can become a true ICTM warrior ^_^

I got most of my research in www.jobstreet.com. I searched for a couple of jobs that have something to do with Computer/IT and pooof!

http://ph.jobstreet.com/jobs/2008/5/s/20/1866549.htm?fr=J
http://ph.jobstreet.com/jobs/2008/5/s/20/1866566.htm?fr=J
http://ph.jobstreet.com/jobs/2008/5/o/60/1321371.htm?fr=J
plus a lot more...
Basically their requirements are all the same XD


BE AN ICTM WARRIOR!

or


an ICTM ARCHER!

hahahaha..

My Google Part 2 (INTRICT)

After introducing some of my backgrounds and knowledge about Google, I am now going to sight more facts and details about its power. Google can really help students to maximize their time especially in Intrict class. For me, it is the stepping stone to our success in this profession. Google will help us evolve and be more aware of the growth of our technology today. Basically, understanding and becoming a good manipulator of Google applications will help us not only solve most of our problems but also maximize and organize our actions and projects in a very easy manner.

Productivity is Google. Google is productivity. It is amazing to think how Google can help us in a lot of ways. Calendars, Blogs, News, In Web hard drives are just some applications why i see Google as a very productive website. Most of our technologies increases productivity. But is Google a technology? A lot of people would only see technology as the hardwares (e.g Cellphones, PC, Laptops, Gaming devices and etc.) But they do not know that things such as Google is a very high class of technology. Technology decreases the amount of time needed to accomplish a certain task while increasing quality. Isn't Google doing this? Yes, it is. Google helps us to become more productive by decreasing the time while increasing the quality of our work. Take Google DOCS as an example. This is a very clever application where 2 or more people from different places can actually work on a single project at the same time.

There are a lot more Google applications that can bring us more productive things. So what can I suggest people do to increase their productivity? Use Google and learn how to maximize each and every of its applications.

HAIL HAIL GOOGLE!

My Google (Intrict class)

Google, a simple yet powerful website that can truly bring comfort to our daily work. I've been a big fan of it since I moved from Internet Explorer to Mozilla Fire Fox (4 or 5 years ago) I remembered the first time i opened a Google search engine. I was amazed and astounded by its simplicity. Its simplicity is one of its attributes why i love using Google compared to Yahoo. But before being in Sir Olive's class (INTRICT), i never got to try any of Google's applications except for its search engine. Gmail before was not as popular as it is today. Some years before, Gmail was not open for everyone to use. I wanted to join Gmail but i didn't know how (It was in Close Beta). And so after a couple of years, i forgot Gmail and didn't bother being part of its mailing community. But everything changed when i entered Intrict class. I saw the wonders and magics of Google and its applications. For instant, Google Docs is one of the most helpful applications of Google. It's like an office which you can access anytime and anywhere (internet access is a must.) Google Calendar is also a pretty useful application to use. Imagine being reminded by Google via text messaging anytime and anywhere FOR FREE! Isn't that amazing? (YEY MAY KATEXT MATE NA AKO :P) There are still a lot of applications that Google has such as TALK, BLOGGER, GROUPS and etc. Definitely all of these are very useful not only for students but for professionals as well. Well for now, I'm still feeling a little bit newbie in using these Google applications. I don't feel like I'm going to use these applications a lot NOW (NOTICE THE EMPHASIS in the word now) but i know someday, maybe a couple of years or months or just even days, I would be using Google APS a lot. Google is evolving in a rapid manner. We'll never know what's in store for us next. Maybe someday, Google would create an application, an application that would not need an INTERNET ACCESS. You'll just need a GOOGLE ACCESS. :)NEAT HUH?

PROS:
-It's Simple and has user friendly applications
-It's very useful and versatile
-Never goes DOWN
-Pretty cool and playable (Google Earth :D)
-Sugar, Spice and everything nice =)

CONS:
-What's not to love? :)

"Dota yan!" or "Dota lang yan!"

HAIL! HAIL! DOTA MATTERS!

Defense of the Ancients also known as the ever popular "DOTA" has been gaining popularity for the past few months. I myself have been an addict to it since the early series of the game (6.09b to be exact) and consider it as one of the best gaming inventions in history. But have you ever ponder and thought of why a lot of people get in to this addictive game? Well first of all, If you haven't played it, DON'T CRITICIZE IT! Way back in 2nd year high school, I remembered that students who played DOTA would get labeled as "DOTA BOY YAN!" hahahahaha and consider that as an insult. But it's funny to think that those people who criticized and laughed at us for playing DOTA, are the ones who are now drowned by it today. So what makes this game so addicting? Two words, It's FUN. Basically it is one of the better strategy games that I've played. It enhances our critical thinking. How? Of course we'll need to use our heads in order to develop our KILLING STRATEGY db? It also helps strengthen the bond of friendship with your friends around you. IF you played DOTA before, you know the experience of playing the so called "sleepless nights with DOTA (iyong tipong maglalaro kayo buong magdamagan hanggang 3am ng umaga)." :) But after saying all of this, I've got to admit. I don't simply play DOTA because it's fun. I don't play DOTA because it helps enhance my so called critical thinking. Neither do I play it to strengthen my bonds with my friends (DOTA is not the key to friendship! XD). I play it for one and one good reason only. I play DOTA because it temporarily fills in the emptiness of myself (EMO HUH?) Yes, Dota helps me a lot to shortly forget my worries and problems in life (More specifically, problems with my love life.) You may ask me how does it fill me? First of all, TRASH TALKING! Yeah trash talking is one of the GOOD parts in DOTA. Trash talking helps me release stress and anger within me (HAHAHAHA). I remembered a time when i was playing with a random pip in GG client. He was an ATENISTA and BOY! I had fun TRASH TALKING with him hahahahahahaha >=) Secondly, Dota is sometimes a source of laughter. You will definitely laugh when you play dota with random pipz. For example, there was a time when i encountered with a stupid noob (SORRY for the term but he was really stupid! Ano magagawa ko?) He was cursing me "A$$ H()L*" but instead of saying with the "H", he said A$$WH()LE with the "W". And boy! That was instant classic! But after finishing the game, after having 10, 20 or even 30 kills, after the temporary fulfillment, What's next? Dota is just a game that lasts for 45 to 120 minutes the most. So after that time span, what do we get? NOTHING! (well except for those who consider DOTA as a sports who would win 500-3,000 php after each and every game XD) So what am i exactly saying in this entry? What I'm saying is yes, DOTA is fun and is highly enjoyable BUT it is just a game. It'll leave you hanging and empty after finally finishing it. So for me, before playing the game "DOTA YAN!" but After playing the game, "DOTA LANG YAN!" Which side are you? You decide.


*SORRY for the typos and XGRAMMAR hahahaha*