tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9776769160946470642024-03-14T01:08:20.922-07:00Learning @ WorkThis is where Clair Ching will be posting her thoughts and whatever she learns at work if internet access is limited. (In short, where places blogging services and blogs are banned, my posts will be here.)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.comBlogger146125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-14208080546923649562009-08-24T02:38:00.000-07:002014-10-13T06:42:46.568-07:00Sugar CRM to manage customers and contacts<div id="__ss_423616" style="text-align: left; width: 425px;">
<a href="http://www.slideshare.net/flatburger/managing-customer-using-sugarcrmppt" style="display: block; font: 14px Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; margin: 12px 0 3px 0; text-decoration: underline;" title="Managing Customer using SugarCRM.ppt">Managing Customer using SugarCRM.ppt</a><object height="355" style="margin: 0px;" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=managing-customer-using-sugarcrm-1211533323389919-8&rel=0&stripped_title=managing-customer-using-sugarcrmppt" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><embed src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=managing-customer-using-sugarcrm-1211533323389919-8&rel=0&stripped_title=managing-customer-using-sugarcrmppt" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br />
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View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" style="text-decoration: underline;">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/flatburger" style="text-decoration: underline;">Frans Thamura</a>.</div>
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With the screenshots on this one I get a general idea of what Sugar CRM does. Hope you'd find it useful too.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-43156667977928655802009-07-09T20:36:00.001-07:002009-07-09T20:36:18.606-07:00FFC2009: Web Standards, Accessibility & UsabilityWeb Standards, Accessibility & Usability: Experience is the Key by Regnard Raquedan<br><br>Evolution<br>• with changes happening, expectations change.<br>• "Authenticity" - Joe Pine & Jim Gilmore<br>∘ successive imperatives and sensibilities<br> <br>Layers of Experience for Web Design<br>• Jesse James Garrett<br>∘ Look and feel -> Way-finding and Navigation -> Information Architecture -> Features and Content -> User Needs and Site Goals<br><br>Qualities of User Experience <br> • Peter Morville<br>∘ UE as honeycomb<br>∘ useful<br>∘ usable<br>∘ valuable<br>∘ findable<br>∘ desirable<br>∘ accessible<br><br>How to Improve Web Experience<br>• Web standards<br>∘ Markup/Structure<br>‣ HTML 4.01<br>‣ XHTML 1.0<br> ∘ Presentation<br>‣ CSS<br>∘ Behavior<br>‣ DOM<br><br>∘ Advantage<br>‣ Ease of Maintenance<br>‣ Accessibility<br>‣ Device Compatibility<br><br>∘ How can I make my site standards compatible?<br>‣ Change your mindset<br>‣ Use the standards<br> ‣ Validate<br>∘ Current Issues Web Standards<br>‣ Browsers<br>• Firefox now has 20% share<br>‣ Legacy Issues<br> <br><br>• Accessibility<br>∘ making your site accessible to people with disabilities<br>∘ Why make your sites accessible?<br> ‣ Give the experience to people with disabilities.<br>‣ Benefits to people with and without disabilities.<br>‣ Socially-responsible thing to do.<br>∘ <a href="http://pwag.org/">http://pwag.org/</a><br><br>• Usability<br>∘ ease of use<br> ∘ What makes websites usable?<br>‣ easy to learn<br>‣ efficient<br>‣ easy to remember<br>• habit forming<br>‣ handle errors properly<br>• give a way out<br>∘ go back<br>∘ go contact support<br>∘ etc<br>‣ satisfying to the senses<br> ∘ How can I make my sites more usable?<br>‣ Get the basics done.<br>‣ Put the user in mind.<br>‣ Remember context.<br>‣ Test.<br>• Local Scene<br>∘ Web standards<br>‣ blogs<br>∘ Accessibility<br>‣ Phil. Web Accessibility Group<br> ∘ Usability<br>‣ World Usability Day Manila<br><br>Put users in mind :)<br> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-86154214520866179182009-07-09T19:51:00.001-07:002009-07-09T19:53:45.588-07:00FFC 2009: Breaking Your InstinctsFFC 2009: Breaking your Instincts<br><br>Breaking your Instincts: Common bad habits and how to fight them <br>by Rico Sta. Cruz<br><br>(There's demo of how to redesign a news site.)<br><br>• How convenience affects our work<br> ∘ Don't just make lemonade from lemons :D<br><br>• Navigation<br>∘ usually we're given a site map given by other people<br>‣ don't just use that; it's not necessarily that, right?<br>∘ example: newspaper site<br> ‣ maybe have a sidebar which has more links especially if it's something from 3 levels deep<br>• Search<br>∘ going with the status quo because of convenience?<br>∘ think first<br>∘ searching is not an auxiliary function anymore<br> • Advertisements<br>∘ intersperse advertisements with content<br>• Articles<br>∘ Headlines<br>‣ what goes after this?<br>‣ Dominant + Recessive = Sweet<br>‣ Importance of articles - could trigger a change in the layout. they don't have to have equal importance.<br> • primary<br>• secondary<br>• tertiary<br>‣ Excelitis - everything looks like a worksheet. eww.<br>• you could present table data in a different way<br>‣ Tendency to use lists<br>• Recap<br>∘ Don't just copy and paste<br> ∘ From blog-like you could have a hierarchy<br>∘ etc.<br><br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-19202841345303463682009-07-09T19:05:00.001-07:002009-07-09T19:06:00.166-07:00FFC 2009: Javascript 101 (Nap Lara)Form, Function & Class: Javascript 101<br><br>Membership <a href="http://webdesigners.com.ph/join">webdesigners.com.ph/join</a><br>Requirements:<br>• membership fee - annual<br>• organize a mini web design conference<br> • submit a portfolio of webdesign work - prove that you made it<br><br>Javascript 101: DOM, Events, and Objects<br>Talk by Nap Lara<br><br>DOM<br>• analogy: family<br>∘ body - father - parent node<br>∘ div - first child - sibling <br> ∘ span - sibling<br>∘ p - last child - sibling<br><br>How do we access elements in the DOM?<br>• getElementByID<br>• getElementsByClassName -- YUI<br>• Selectors -- YUI<br><br>Which one do you use?<br>selectors - not the fastest; generally slower<br> jQuery - with selectors you could say 'every odd row'<br>by Class Name - collection of elements<br>by Class ID - specific<br><br>Creating DOM Elements<br>• inner HTML<br>• DOM<br>• Fragments<br><br>How Events Work<br> • Event Bubbling (usually in IE)<br>∘ from the bottom up<br>∘ IE supports only Event Bubbling<br>∘ user clicks on <p><br>• Adding events<br>∘ inline<br>∘ DOM level 0<br>‣ div.onclick = function<br>‣ this way overrides each other<br> ∘ DOM level 2<br>‣ YUI<br><br>When to use them<br><br>Event delegation<br><br>How to Write Objects<br>• object literal<br>∘ lightest way<br>∘ seen outside, everything could be accessed -- disadvantage<br>• modular pattern<br> ∘ you could hide some things<br>• prototypes<br><br>AJAX<br>• XML<br>• HTML<br>• JSON - native javascript; lighter than XML<br>• Custom Format <br><br>Phases when making an AJAX request<br>• onFailure<br>• onStart - loader<br> <br>AJAX tips<br>• limit your calls<br>• define timeouts<br><br>Best Practices<br>• Compression<br>• Obfuscation<br>• Separate Code from Content<br>∘ reusability<br>• Multiple Domains<br><br>Global Variables and Functions<br> <br>Repaint and Reflow<br>- could happen when working with styles<br><br><br><br> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-16637237430055365992009-04-19T23:50:00.001-07:002009-04-19T23:50:56.281-07:00Thoughts on Agile, Truthfulness and the Filipino CultureI was just reading up about Agile methodologies and the word truthfulness came out. Here's a link to the <a href="http://www.infoq.com">InfoQ</a> article: <a href="http://www.infoq.com/news/2008/10/agile-truthfulness">Agility Means Truthfulness</a>. It quotes a blog entry by Birch a lot. Like this particular set of statements by Birch:<br /><br /><blockquote><br />Agile methods are made of processes, principles and tools. But most importantly they are concerned with people. Therefore, Truthfulness is the foundation of success in an Agile organization.<br /><br />Although Agile cannot force people to be truthful, it reveals the direct consequences of opacity in an organization, confronts it and challenges it to change.</blockquote><br /><br />As people have said time and again, in relationships, people have to be truthful to each other and we owe it to each other to tell the truth. But the thing is, truth hurts sometimes and in our culture, it's not easy to speak the truth immediately. There are levels of comfort and there are ways of saying the truth that might come off as negative. We have the "pakisama" factor in our culture so it makes it even harder. If you notice someone's flaws, how do you say it without looking mean or KJ (kill joy)? The person's code may be quite flawed or his/her analysis lacking, so how do you tell it to your teammate? Sometimes if you're comfortable enough, it gets easier to do that. But how comfortable are you with your teammates? Do you have walls between you?<br /><br />Some teammates might sound like they are always right. Or they'd give you an outright "no" when you're just trying to be honest and truthful about pointing out something. Wouldn't the other person look defensive to you and you're probably thinking of how to get through that person. You know you need to be productive but how could you try to be more subtle about the method of getting your point across? Sometimes you're afraid of coming off as disrespectful and you end up becoming like that in the process. That sucks because if truthfulness is indeed a foundation of Agile, you're stuck.<br /><br />We all have our flaws. Time and again, I show signs of being a PA - Passive-Aggressive person. This is one thing that I know might hinder me from time to time. But if I do have respect for my teammates, I try to give them a heads up. It's just that sometimes maybe I still don't get through them for some reason I have yet to figure out. Is it because I feel the pressure of "pakikisama" and it's deeply ingrained already? Or is it because I am just afraid of speaking out?<br /><br />Another dilemma we have with our culture is that we need to show respect/deference to other people especially to our elders, leaders, etc. If we're so used to that, it gets more difficult to say our thoughts right away. So how are we supposed to get over that immediately? Breaking a mentality is difficult to do after all. But I am not saying that Agile is impossible. It's just that it's going to be difficult sometimes, depending on the composition of your team, especially in our culture. <br /><br />What are possible solutions?<br /><br />Honestly, I don't know. I suppose we just have to see examples of people speaking the truth all the time might help a lot. Truthful but with prudence. I suppose one can be truthful and show it through their humor too. Although that might not work on everyone. I guess it's easier if we could all try harder each day? And just do our best so that we'd all improve. After all, being truthful is not just crucial for an Agile team but for everyone because of our day to day interactions.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-31955687593644595062009-03-17T01:16:00.001-07:002009-03-17T01:16:38.736-07:00Ada Lovelace Day on March 24 :)<div class="gmail_quote">Ada Lovelace day happens on March 24 :)<br><br>What's up with Ada Lovelace day you may ask? It's the day we talk about women in technology who are leaders, who are cutting edge, who inspire others through their works in the community and in the field they belong to. You could talk about women in software development, game development, tech journalism, etc.<br> <br>If you've got women role models you'd want other to know about, it's the chance for you to speak up and be part of the celebration of Ada Lovelace day. For more details, check out <a href="http://findingada.com" target="_blank">findingada.com</a> and make the pledge. I did. I hope you will too :)<br> </div><br><br clear="all"><br><br> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-62985120722429616442009-01-05T00:06:00.001-08:002009-01-05T00:06:38.898-08:00Case Study of Agile TestingGot this presentation from searching about Agile methods and testing. I think it's an interesting material to jumpstart learning about testing within the Agile context.<br /><br />Problem though is downloading. I hope sharing it as slides embedded in the post will suffice!<div style="width:425px;text-align:left" id="__ss_138419"><a style="font:14px Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;display:block;margin:12px 0 3px 0;text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/nashjain/case-study-of-agile-testing?type=powerpoint" title="Case Study of Agile Testing">Case Study of Agile Testing</a><object style="margin:0px" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=case-study-of-agile-testing-1192720225437485-4&stripped_title=case-study-of-agile-testing" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><embed src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=case-study-of-agile-testing-1192720225437485-4&stripped_title=case-study-of-agile-testing" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="font-size:11px;font-family:tahoma,arial;height:26px;padding-top:2px;">View SlideShare <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/nashjain/case-study-of-agile-testing?type=powerpoint" title="View Case Study of Agile Testing on SlideShare">presentation</a> or <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/upload?type=powerpoint">Upload</a> your own. (tags: <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://slideshare.net/tag/naresh">naresh</a> <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://slideshare.net/tag/nareshjain">nareshjain</a>)</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-13309424191479604152008-08-24T09:02:00.001-07:002008-08-24T09:02:22.473-07:00A scrapbook made using Scrapblog<object height='300' width='450'><param value='http://www.scrapblog.com/viewer/viewer_embed.swf?embed=1&scrapblogID=522111' name='movie'/><param value='embed=1&scrapblogID=522111' name='flashvars'/><embed type='application/x-shockwave-flash' flashvars='embed=1&scrapblogID=522111' height='300' width='450' src='http://www.scrapblog.com/viewer/viewer_embed.swf?embed=1&scrapblogID=522111'/></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-75463956684766192442008-07-09T00:44:00.000-07:002008-07-09T00:53:18.286-07:00Random things I am noting for using SeleniumJust started using Selenium and found out some things:<br /><ul><li>Use clickAtAndWait when testing for clicking the login button for logging in. </li></ul><ul><li>Don't use click when you need to verify contents on the page that's supposed to load after clicking. Use clickAndWait for that so that you could run the commands (whether it's assert or verify) after that.</li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">verify</span> would let the tests go on and log the errors, whereas <span style="font-weight: bold;">assert</span> would halt the test case if an error is encountered.</li></ul>It is painful to try learning Selenium when you feel like you have a hangover even if you didn't even go out drinking. It must be heat exhaustion from the weekend as well as a fever that wouldn't seem to decide if it will happen or not. So yeah, drink Gatorade for that if you feel exhausted for some unknown reason.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-37401347946468624072008-04-17T19:58:00.001-07:002008-04-17T19:58:04.563-07:00Links from ChefMust remember this so I am posting the links here:<br><br>Rolan Batungbakal: baka makatulong ito: <a href="http://www.positioniseverything.net/explorer.html">http://www.positioniseverything.net/explorer.html</a><br>Rolan Batungbakal: tapos eto rin ang must-have add-ons for web devs: Firebug: <a href="http://www.getfirebug.com/">http://www.getfirebug.com/</a>, and Wed Dev: <a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/60">https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/60</a><br> <br>I was having a hard time learning CSS again. Especially when dealing with Internet Explorer. Must learn new things, remember old things I used to know efore.<br> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-57783621049586820592008-01-21T02:43:00.001-08:002008-01-21T02:43:41.795-08:00Don't know how I got to the page with this quote but I love it!<span class="huge">Amidst all the clutter, beyond all the obstacles, aside from all the static, are the goals set. Put your head down, do the best job possible, let the flak pass, and work towards those goals.</span> <br> <span class="bodybold"> Donald Rumsfeld<br><br>Sometimes I feel so unfocused.<br><br>Distractions are everywhere. Online, offline. It's up to the person to be distracted, right? So I know it takes a lot of discipline on my part so I won't be too distracted by the fascinating articles online. I should learn from them, yes, but not to the point of getting distracted. I have goals and I want to stick with those goals. This quote is a very good reminder for me that the best thing to do is keep on working towards those goals that I have, no matter what. <br><br>As Dory of "Finding Nemo" says: "Keep swimming, keep swimming."<br></span> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-88203513195467814232008-01-18T04:56:00.001-08:002008-01-18T04:56:17.313-08:00Experimenting on how to deal with RSI-like symptoms1. I follow the breaks in Workrave.<br>2. Been wearing wrist support.<br>3. Trying to keep my hands warm.<br>4. Might buy gloves for number 3.<br>5. Trying to sit properly and type properly. <br>6. Poi practice is not too intense. <br><br>I have more bookmarks on <a href="http://del.icio.us/eclair">http://del.icio.us/eclair</a><br><br>I am planning to go to the doctor some time next week. This weekend is time for visiting my Lolo.<br> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-42499439800164920982008-01-16T18:45:00.001-08:002008-01-16T18:45:52.422-08:00Links re: RSI, keyboard layouts<a href="http://www.powertyping.com/dvorak/typing.html">http://www.powertyping.com/dvorak/typing.html</a> - a Dvorak typing tutor<br><a href="http://www.gigliwood.com/abcd/abcd.html">http://www.gigliwood.com/abcd/abcd.html </a> - Dvorak basics<br><a href="http://dvzine.org/">http://dvzine.org/</a> - Dvorakzine<br><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/enable/training/windowsxp/keyboardlayout.aspx">http://www.microsoft.com/enable/training/windowsxp/keyboardlayout.aspx </a> - how to change your keyboard layout in Windows<br><br> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-57577676651953706612008-01-16T18:32:00.001-08:002008-01-16T18:32:09.123-08:00Considering learning a new keyboard layoutI've read about Dvorak before and I've also considered it before but found it too daunting a task. But this is what an online friend told me this morning:<br><br>bkhl64: My ¢2 on keyboard layouts is that the time it takes to learn a new layout (like Dvorak) is miniscule compared to the amount of time you will use it. <br>bkhl64: So cutting down the learning period a bit should not be a reason to choose one layout over another.<br><br>So yeah, the Dvorak layout is one consideration I have in mind. I also saw that the Colemak layout might be a good option but I am not so certain if Windows will also support it. I am switching OSes every so often (my laptop is still in dual-boot) and I am sure that Dvorak is supported on Windows XP and Ubuntu. I might be slow in typing for the coming weeks but I would hopefully build up speed. <br><br>This learning of a new keyboard layout is in response to the pain in my hands and wrists.<br> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-7560332693088255592008-01-15T11:06:00.001-08:002008-01-15T11:06:48.144-08:00Slightly bangag already but I just need say WHOA!Eco-friendly laptop MacBook Air!<br><br>MacBook Air page <a href="http://www.apple.com/macbookair/">http://www.apple.com/macbookair/</a><br><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacBook_Air">MacBook Air on Wikipedia</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacBook_Air"> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacBook_Air</a><br>Jayvee's reaction to the keynote <a href="http://abuggedlife.com/2008/01/16/jayvees-live-reactions-to-macworld-2008-keynote/">http://abuggedlife.com/2008/01/16/jayvees-live-reactions-to-macworld-2008-keynote/ </a><br><br>Yeah, folks. Drool, topple over with shock or excitement, whatever. What a thing to see before going to sleep!<br> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-87160112368215117992008-01-12T03:32:00.001-08:002014-10-13T06:43:10.802-07:00Wrist hurts :(My wrist hurts periodically. And I get some tingling sensations on my hands every once in a while. I've been borrowing a co-worker's wrist support as well as using Workrave to remind me to take breaks. I am thinking that the position of my hands while I was working on another project made my wrists worse so I am now periodically experiencing weird pains. Some months ago, I'd be consistently typing and drawing and I wasn't conscious of the position of my wrists. I knew that I felt 'ngalay' (I am not sure what the English word is) after a day of working. Back when I was a full-time blogger, typing my blog posts and stuff didn't feel that way probably because the keyboard was lower and also, I was taking breaks a lot, from typing that is. <br />
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Any tips would be welcome. :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-25703684561422571322007-12-13T20:19:00.001-08:002007-12-13T20:19:20.510-08:00On helping users go beyond the super novice levelFrom UX Matters:<br><a href="http://uxmatters.com/MT/archives/000249.php">http://uxmatters.com/MT/archives/000249.php</a><br><br><ul><li><span class="run-in-head">Provide contextual user assistance. </span>Within a system, provide the means for people to explore ways to do new things or to do better things that they're already accomplishing in some way. Consider devoting a portion of each screen or module of an application to providing people with user assistance that has the aim of increasing their acquisition of system knowledge. Update this information frequently and dynamically. This kind of knowledge-acquisition content is distinct from classic procedural Help, which as Mike Hughes has pointed out in his <em>UXmatters</em> column is usually not very helpful anyway.</li><li><span class="run-in-head">Record users' interactions to discover teachable moments.</span> Encourage your interaction and information designers to discover what people need in order to learn—by, among other techniques, measuring what people do in an application and profiling their usage patterns. This will provide you with some insight into where people spend their time and what—as well as where—the teachable moments might be. This could be as simple as building an RSS feed reader directly into your application.</li></ul><br>It reminds me of the fact that I've been using stuff like MS Word and OpenOffice.org and yet I am so not an expert on using them. I am still very much a novice because I just know the things I need to do on a day to day basis. A couple of months ago I learned more about using MS Excel from some of my teammates in a project where we had to use MS Excel and MS Visio a lot for our deliverables. Anyhow, I guess there's a lot of functionality within the apps that I never could find the time to learn and at the same time, I didn't have enough contextual clues so that I could 'figure out' that I could do other things. <br><br>Designing user interfaces seems to be quite challenging because you don't want your app users to get lost in clicking here and there. Because if that happens, their user experience turns out so bad. And now that I am learning more, I am also looking for ways that I could help users understand the app more and my getting lost in certain apps and web services (like Ebay, etc.) are good lessons in what should be considered when designing an interface. <br> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-46103469989542121572007-12-10T21:38:00.001-08:002007-12-10T21:38:31.915-08:00Evenings at the park with the O&B peopleWe've been going to the park more often these days. Owie loves jogging and playing badminton. Chelle likes walking. Martin also plays badminton with Owie and I think that they're really having a lot of fun. :) Often enough, JM and I go to the park and do poi practice. He's good at weaves ( <a href="http://www.homeofpoi.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/105008">http://www.homeofpoi.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/105008</a>) while I am totally hitting myself. The nice thing about being there in the park is that we get to do fun things together which are not related to work. Not in any way. :) Even Butch joins us and he's learning poi faster than I ever did. :) He could do somehow do the butterfly and corkscrew moves. Soon, Owie will pick up how the butterfly works. Next time, maybe we could all make weaves! Hahaha. <br><br>As for badminton, I'd probably try to join them one time, when I am not so traumatized with my badminton PE class anymore :D Well, this and Wii nights make it easy for us to have more bonding sessions. :)<br> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-33023583006041871352007-12-09T22:31:00.000-08:002007-12-09T22:32:06.700-08:00Links on User Interface Design that are worth bookmarkingOn designing forms:<br><a href="http://www.themaninblue.com/writing/perspective/2004/03/24/">http://www.themaninblue.com/writing/perspective/2004/03/24/</a><br><br>On user interface:<br><a href="http://gettingreal.37signals.com/ch09_Epicenter_Design.php"> http://gettingreal.37signals.com/ch09_Epicenter_Design.php</a><br><a href="http://gettingreal.37signals.com/ch09_Context_Over_Consistency.php">http://gettingreal.37signals.com/ch09_Context_Over_Consistency.php</a><br><a href="http://gettingreal.37signals.com/ch09_Copywriting_is_Interface_Design.php"> http://gettingreal.37signals.com/ch09_Copywriting_is_Interface_Design.php</a><br><br>From the Man in Blue, he gives an idea of what those particular form designs have better over each other. Now the difficult thing is to prioritize particular things: Have the users scroll less by making all the fields there? Or present the fields in different columns but it may not really look so appealing but it's not so bas really? <br><br>But I agree with the need for "chunking" various fields together. It's easier to contextualize the data especially when entering the data and trying to remember them or when looking for them. It's more organized that way. <br><br>As for the essays in the book Getting Real (by <a href="http://37signals.com">37 Signals</a>) I am seeing that they also think that designing the user interface is important and there's a need for designers to keep it simple. The entire deal about user experience is that we'd want users to come back to the site and use the app. <br> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-17116279342704500642007-12-06T08:55:00.001-08:002007-12-06T08:55:53.345-08:00Microsoft on the XO laptop? Whaddaheck?Read a blog entry that <a href="http://www.infoweapons.com/blog/?p=100">Microsoft will try to make sure that Windows XP will run on the XO laptop</a>.<br><br><p style="margin-left: 40px;"><i>Some of these users may also find that they can influence the development of software in several ways: </i></p> <ul style="margin-left: 40px;"><li><i>By using what suits their needs instead of using what is given to them;</i></li><li><i>By demanding more features, performance, and cultural/language support byactually interacting with an accessible developer community;</i></li><li><i>By actively contributing to development efforts (through documentation, localization, advocacy, etc.).</i></li></ul> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><i>The bottom line is that free software will help poor people realize that technology empowers them. They become more than individuals in lucrative markets. They become agents of progress and change.</i></p>I agree with the blog's sentiments. Seriously, the entire project will be defeated if they'd have Windows XP running on those laptops. Is Microsoft desperate or what? Whatever~! <br><p><br></p><br> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-11815614284865133832007-12-05T11:40:00.001-08:002007-12-05T11:40:29.469-08:00What's it like to work in O&B?To be honest, I find it fun to work in O&B.:) I get to do all sorts of things like designing web sites, managing small projects, getting assigned to work with clients and so on. I get to learn various aspects of the IT industry and as such, I get an idea of how important each of us is. From our admin staff, to our developers, my fellow business analysts and our graphics designer. And interns. Life is even more interesting with the interns around because from time to time we encounter questions from them that really challenge us to remember some of the things we already know but don't always use, or it stretches our skills as mentors because we have to say things in such a way that they would understand us. <br><br>Sometimes it may seem that we have a lot of work but everyone tries to make it more fun. People don't really stay in the office late for the sake of overtime. There are those who linger just because it's nice to have dinner together. That or there's some impromptu brainstorming. And we have sofa beds! We could take naps when we're tired or really sleepy. And it's better for our productivity too. Especially for people who go on a streak of coding or analysis then suddenly feel the need to nap after it. And when there's a lot of things to be done, people find ways to distribute the workload and it's really great. We get to interact some more and we learn new things about ourselves, what we're capable of, what we have to improve and how we could help each other grow. Another great thing is that Calen, Butch and Chelle all encourage us to enhance our personalities aside from our skills. So we're not just focused on work. That's something that I love about working in O&B. <br><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><br></div>I guess I've become more reflective on this tonight than the other nights I've stayed up late. Maybe it's got something to do with the fact that it's December already, year-end thoughts and all. :D <br> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-119079179356149562007-12-04T00:14:00.001-08:002007-12-04T00:14:01.856-08:00It boils down to three questionsAs I learned from one of the articles on <a href="http://usabilitynews.com">usabilitynews.com</a>, it boils down to <a href="http://www.usabilitynews.com/news/article4344.asp">three questions</a>:<br><br><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Times New Roman" size="2"> <font size="-1">1. What should my deliverables be? <br>2. Will my deliverables provide clarity to me and their audience? <br>3. Where do my deliverables and other efforts fit within the spectrum of UX design? <br><br></font> </font>Without answering those questions, it will be difficult for someone to focus and decide what to do and what to do next. It's going to take a while though, because I am somewhat new to this. I mean, I've been part of blog re-designs and such but a web app is another matter altogether. There are more interactions that I could see and it could be quite overwhelming. Right now, I am trying to focus on familiarizing myself with how the web app works and what could be improved immediately. <br> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-40029849507841242362007-10-26T01:46:00.001-07:002007-10-26T01:46:04.170-07:00Meetings, meetings, meetings<div>One could have too many meetings.</div> <div> </div> <div>Anyhow, here are some things I learned when it comes to meetings:</div> <div>1. If you know you will have a steady set of meetings, make sure you note with your client who are the people you will meet.</div> <div>2. Try to balance the schedule. Too many meetings will be too draining on everyone.</div> <div>3. Not everything could be resolved immediately in a meeting. Maybe you could have separate meetings. An internal one for your team as well as those that will include those from the client's side. If they need to have an internal meeting, suggest it to them. In any case, maybe you could stipulate that as one of the responsibilities of the client's project representatives. After all, they might have to resolve some things among themselves. </div> <div>4. Give everyone a break from meetings whenever you can. They might go insane and emotionally drained if they do it every single day or something like that for almost an entire month.</div> <div>5. Make sure that the project steering committee realizes the importance of meetings and yet not be the only way to communicate with their side.</div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-67885613153313776392007-10-25T21:10:00.001-07:002007-10-25T21:10:31.478-07:00CVS question re: directoriesDo you really have to check out the entire project everytime you have to get a new directory of files?<br><br>I think that I was able to check out particular directories from our svn repo. How come I can't seem to do that in cvs? Does one really have to indicate that these directories are modules so we could check them out individually? <br><br>Rawr.<br> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977676916094647064.post-84565935496671517672007-10-25T21:05:00.001-07:002007-10-25T21:05:07.847-07:00Might use Hg on WindowsThe long weekend is coming up. In order for me to work on my files, I was thinking of using Git. But because I am currently in a Windows environment, I had to look for another option. I think it was Ealden who mentioned that Hg could push to CVS so I will find out for myself soon enough. <br><br>Some references for this experiment:<br><a href="http://wiki.mozilla.org/Using_Mercurial_locally_with_CVS">http://wiki.mozilla.org/Using_Mercurial_locally_with_CVS</a><br><a href="http://wiki.mozilla.org/Mercurial_on_Windows"> http://wiki.mozilla.org/Mercurial_on_Windows</a><br><a href="http://qct.sourceforge.net/Mercurial-BI.html">http://qct.sourceforge.net/Mercurial-BI.html</a><br><a href="http://www.selenic.com/mercurial/wiki/index.cgi/CvsConcepts"> http://www.selenic.com/mercurial/wiki/index.cgi/CvsConcepts</a><br><a href="http://betterexplained.com/articles/intro-to-distributed-version-control-illustrated/">http://betterexplained.com/articles/intro-to-distributed-version-control-illustrated/ </a><br><a href="http://www.selenic.com/mercurial/wiki/index.cgi/MergeProgram">http://www.selenic.com/mercurial/wiki/index.cgi/MergeProgram</a><br><a href="http://www.selenic.com/mercurial/wiki/index.cgi/WindowsInstall">http://www.selenic.com/mercurial/wiki/index.cgi/WindowsInstall </a><br><br><br><br><br> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972134047295067096noreply@blogger.com0