majill’s blog

The Google site and all Google services were down tonight for around 30 minutes.  It was probably a routing issue for my ISP because friends in Cambodia and Singapore were able to access Google.  It was funny, because as soon as I saw the page cannot be found error, I panicked! 

Almost everything important is forwarded to gmail!  documents, calendar, chat transcripts, files, account information, pictures, etc. Googling was also non-existent for that 30 minutes! 

That 30 minutes was also the only instance I have used Yahoo search again after a long, long time. 

We have become Google-lites.. at the mercy of Google and its many, many, many applications...

I should start backing up my essential files soon.   Offline of course.

The enrollment process in UPD is something we can call our own due to its pecularities, specialized needs, and unique grasp at how technology automates enlistment procedures. Technology was supposed to make lines shorter and the process quicker.  Enrollment happens every semester. Well thought of systems have to be implemented and thought of beforehand. But when I got to the College of Education this afternoon, there was a bit of a chaos. 

Registration at the college had been very efficient ever since I enrolled there for my master's program in 2005.  There are some procedures that could have been streamlined to make everything faster, but I was still able to finish everything in a day. 

But today was different because of a change in the checking system.   We used to have the  issuance of form 5s, checking, library clearance and assessment in the auditorium.  But because checking now involved accessing CRS/UIS to "check" the actual subjects written in the Form 5 versus the subjects listed in CRS/UIS, checking had to be moved to the MITC Lab (for the Diliman Network connection).  That was the problem. 

The MITC Lab has a small door and no waiting area.  So when students brought their form 5 to be checked, they had to wait outside MITC to get their form 5 back.  Do you know how many students there are in the College of Education?  There are a lot.  So imagine all of them waiting outside the doors of MITC.  There were only 2 checkers servicing the student body of the college.  And everyone has to have their form 5 checked.

The registration committee should have foreseen this.  Students waiting in the lobby, sweating, irritated, wondering when they were getting their form 5 back, repeating the name of the student being called, passing form 5s to the registration assistants and just surprised at how a simple process of checking became this chaotic.

Hopefully they learn from today's experience and have a better "system" in the coming days.  They could have just placed DILNET connected computers in the auditorium to keep the old, "working" and efficient system.  There is always the wireless bridge to help them with the connection.  Two cheap access points configured to act as a bridge from point A to point B could easily provide the DILNET link from a room with DILNET to the auditorium.  Then just place a hub and connect the necessary number of computers.

I wonder how this change in the process affected the other colleges?  I will be going back tomorrow to finish my enlistment.  I do hope I finish.

What was the most embarrassing hobby you've ever had? 
Submitted by Billie Fable.

This was when I was very young and did not know any better - I cut out the signatures of famous people I would find in newspapers and magazines and stick them in my "autograph" book.  I think I still have that autograph book somewhere.

Where do you go to get away from it all? 
Submitted by Hops.  

I go to... sleep. :)

Do you have a Flickr account? What uploading software do you use?  I have just recently stumbled upon Flickr Uploadr.  I know this is old technology, but one only appreciates technlogy when you need it.  Well I did.

I had to upload pictures from a recent Baguio trip to the PDBC Flickr account.  Using Flickr Uploadr made the job easier.   Pictures were uploaded in batches, tagged, renamed, described, and organized into photosets.  In a matter of minutes (depending on your Internet connection) I was able to post everything. 

It was also during this "activity" that I found out about the 200 picture limit and the 3 photoset limit for the free account.  Is it worth it to go PRO?

Twitterrific makes twittering much more addictive.  It enables you to send out your twits like instant messages.  No need to refresh your web browser to check on new updates from your friends. User interface is very clean and the sound alerts are very "appropriate".

Not yet in the twitter bandwagon? I think i was once in the top 50 twitterholics.  ranked #12.  enough said.

iGTD is an effective tool for people like me who seem to have so many to-do lists in my head.  The software allows you to list, organize, sort through and get things done.  It uses the Getting Things Done methodology by David Allen. 

I have finally installed and used it this week and I seem to have gotten things done. I have yet to synchronize it with the other applications on the mac. But so far, i have had a lot done. 

How well does your name Google? Who are you up against? (Celebrities, etc.)
Submitted by Matt Blank.

Its the first hit for both majill and my full name.

What's the most famous movie you've never seen? 
Submitted by Mike.

Passion of the Christ is the first movie that came up which I have never seen. =)

So much has happened since my last post. The biggest of course is ASIA SOURCE 2!!

I hope I can get the time to blog about it.  Because of having to leave for two weeks, I have so much work piled up!  Hopefully, everything gets back to normal by next week.

But.... I am so excited to try out the things I learned!  (trixbox, drupal, etc)

The social networks as a result of the event will be a very big stepping stone for FOSS advocacy here in the Philippines.  I felt the support of the online "geek" community which I think has no proprietary counterpart.  Knowing that you have friends all over the planet who can help you when your configuration files don't work or when you need beta testers makes the whole FOSS experience much more "like-able".

I have gained so much from the experience!  Hopefully not weight, but so many new friends and new knowledge which I hope to share also with others.  We will be planning a FOSS advocacy and OpenOffice training here at UPDILC.  As soon as I get the proposal, outline and modules in order, expect more faculty using and even advocating FOSS.

Just yesterday, my teacher in my broadcast communications class was asking me about open source software for the journalism department.  Soon, they will be having a Linux laboratory with FOSS publishing tools.  Sir Jun Austria, the very dynamic head of the department, is very interested in introducing the faculty to FOSS for scriptwriting.  He would very much like them to be exposed to the tools that can make the writing process more dynamic, collaborative and updated.

It just takes one person's interest to get the ball rolling.  That was what AS2 did to me.  Hopefully my ball keeps rolling and rolling and rolling....