Finally I resigned as an instructor at JCC. I must admit there's something I miss in teaching at JCC. The curious looks of the participants, the words I blabbered to them, the computers I used to maintain. I don't miss the people in it coz I'm still in the center not as an instructor but as a researcher. Mobile and messaging again. Sounds boring but those research topics are the only topics available for me while I'm finishing the never-ending project. Even though I'm not missing the people of JCC, I definitely gonna miss them if one, or more, of my applications gets accepted which means I must be thousands of miles apart from JCC and the people in it. I don't know why I'm thinking bout those applications now after forgetting them for weeks. I've done enough for those applications. I completed all of their requirements and I already sent them on time so there's no need to keep them in mind. just wait for the surprises.
I'm planning to finish all my researches and the never-ending project while waiting for those applications result. There are two researches I'm working on. Those are from the national education department and research & technology department. These researches make me open my previous knowledge about mobile computing and instant messaging. Although they seem quite similar there is difference between them. The first research I'm working on is about the client side while the other is about the server side.
I already have the prototype for the first research topic, the client. The challenge is to re-design the user interface so it can be more user-friendly and fits the display environment of the cell-phone by any type as many as possible. Integrating the system with the main, m-learning, system would be another challenge too. Some improvements on the engine would be required.
The second topic is to maintain a server application. The application is already provided and available in internet. Yes, it looks lots more simple than the first one but don't get it wrong this could be the most complicated research I've ever worked on. Since there's a huge possibilities to hack the engine of the application so it can handle some features like compression, file sharing, etc. Although documentation is provided but still I didn't write the code and its always painful when u have to read someone else code especially when the writer is not around you. Well for this topic I'd try to make it as simple as possible :)
The progress for the first is that I finished working on the chat room interface. It took me about 3 days to build this interface. I tried to imitate the conventional desktop instant messaging chat room interface but some constraint occurred. My friend built one of this interface, a nice one, I asked him how he built it and he answered "use the Canvas". First stage was learning and using the canvas. I did it, I made the interface but I had no idea how to operate it since several functions must be embedded on that canvas. After hours of browsing and reading I decided to drop canvas off and switch to CustomItem component. This component gives Canvas capabilities and it can be integrated into Form which means some functions that the UI must handle can be obtained from other form-based components such as TextField. The second stage was implementing the Chat room into reality and it cost me entire weekend just to build the UI and implementing it's functions. Nah, I lied, I spent most of the time watching TV and movies. What a lazy boy :D
The progress for the second is that I've downloaded the software and ready to install it in my computer. But first I have to clean my computer after it got struck by a virus two weeks ago. I'm downloading the antivirus now. While waiting the download perhaps I could write a post and if I still have time to kill I'd just watch an anime. Well posting time's up and still I have time to kill so that's all for today. see ya.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Story of a center
First of all I'd like to introduce you guys bout my new blog. Yes, I already have one in the friendster. The reason why I move to this one is because friendster's blog wouldn't allow anyone who doesn't have friendster account or someone who already has account but willingless to login to friendster to give some comments. So I hope that this blog would reach further. OK enough about that. Let the story begin.
This story began when I was at third grade. I was young, strong, rich and charming. Sorry, I lied bout the rich part :D. One of my friend told me that there'll be a center built in campus and I was offered to be one of its components. Truth be told, I was excited at that moment. However, the excitement was gone for few months. No further news about the center. Months after my friend told me I started to forget about it and thought that was just a hoax.
After no-notice months it turned out that I was wrong. The center was for real and I was called by the director about the center's establishment. The center will be called Java Competency Center (JCC). The first step of establishment is to get me and other future-instructor certified. He sent me to take courses for the certification exam. Like good student I took those courses and not forget to ditch during the courses :D There was one thing I like bout taking courses. That was the food. By taking those courses I can had free meal for two weeks. Notice that at that moment I was still a student.
After taking those courses I took the certification exam and achieved success with a minimum score. A week after the exam the D-Day of JCC establishment arrived. It was energy-consume preparation. Booking the hall, preparing the meal, contacting the talks, sending invitations, ordering toolkits, designing brochures and printing them, souvenirs and preparing the lab. At the beginning there were only two people handling this preparation me and my buddy budi. And yet, we also had to prepare for the exam I mentioned earlier. A very rush time. But helps came out of no where for the preparation. Thanks guys. Finally we made it. The JCC was established by having three instructors, I was one of them. The best, or may be the real struggle, started after the launching.
Months after the launching I felt nothing was running. JCC seemed dead. No activities at all. Late june 2005 JCC started to live. Our first training participants were from class of dikmenjur. On the first day it was frustrating, many of the participants is not familiar with Java and solaris environment. Three of the instructors had to participate on that day. There were two casualties. Two of the computers downed. I wasn't familiar with Solaris myself at the moment so we called help from Jakarta. After that I started to learn about Solaris and handling the problems occured myself.
Well long story short, we conducted lots of trainings. Most of them was for postgraduates and one class for doctoral students. Lots thing happened. We taught two classes without getting paid even till now. There were also two other classes which we had to wait for months to get paid. I had to go to Jakarta representing JCC for many events. These tasks was considered quite ambitious because usually at the difficult moments with minimum resources and short preparations. Maintaining the computers so it would be available for trainings and repair them when they got problems. Somehow I could manage all of those tasks.
Wages I got from teaching in the center was so low that if I got no other source fund I would quit right after I finish my degree. I worked on a project and thankfully I got enough payment from there.
Few months after I graduated was the tempting moment in my life. Most of my friends had jobs in jakarta. They had status, career path and excellent salary as well. Somehow I could manage through it with one faith that I'm gonna do great too. Somehow, someway.
Half year passed. Researches and training grow quite fast. The staffs number are also increased. Few men joined us. Most of them are now instructors in the center. The center looks lots more live now then one-half year ago. Incomes for the center is also increased. Somehow I think that it's time for me to go. Me and the other first instructors think the same way. We've brought the center this far. We're very exhausted. Now things are getting better. The environment is much more decent for work. Well, we'll let the new staffs work to continue this task. It's time to leave. Thank you for the opportunities, hopes and hard works for all this time. Although many of them didn't come true I still believe those hopes would come true in the short period. The firsts had done their works. Now it's time for the second generation of JCC take place. Good luck.
This story began when I was at third grade. I was young, strong, rich and charming. Sorry, I lied bout the rich part :D. One of my friend told me that there'll be a center built in campus and I was offered to be one of its components. Truth be told, I was excited at that moment. However, the excitement was gone for few months. No further news about the center. Months after my friend told me I started to forget about it and thought that was just a hoax.
After no-notice months it turned out that I was wrong. The center was for real and I was called by the director about the center's establishment. The center will be called Java Competency Center (JCC). The first step of establishment is to get me and other future-instructor certified. He sent me to take courses for the certification exam. Like good student I took those courses and not forget to ditch during the courses :D There was one thing I like bout taking courses. That was the food. By taking those courses I can had free meal for two weeks. Notice that at that moment I was still a student.
After taking those courses I took the certification exam and achieved success with a minimum score. A week after the exam the D-Day of JCC establishment arrived. It was energy-consume preparation. Booking the hall, preparing the meal, contacting the talks, sending invitations, ordering toolkits, designing brochures and printing them, souvenirs and preparing the lab. At the beginning there were only two people handling this preparation me and my buddy budi. And yet, we also had to prepare for the exam I mentioned earlier. A very rush time. But helps came out of no where for the preparation. Thanks guys. Finally we made it. The JCC was established by having three instructors, I was one of them. The best, or may be the real struggle, started after the launching.
Months after the launching I felt nothing was running. JCC seemed dead. No activities at all. Late june 2005 JCC started to live. Our first training participants were from class of dikmenjur. On the first day it was frustrating, many of the participants is not familiar with Java and solaris environment. Three of the instructors had to participate on that day. There were two casualties. Two of the computers downed. I wasn't familiar with Solaris myself at the moment so we called help from Jakarta. After that I started to learn about Solaris and handling the problems occured myself.
Well long story short, we conducted lots of trainings. Most of them was for postgraduates and one class for doctoral students. Lots thing happened. We taught two classes without getting paid even till now. There were also two other classes which we had to wait for months to get paid. I had to go to Jakarta representing JCC for many events. These tasks was considered quite ambitious because usually at the difficult moments with minimum resources and short preparations. Maintaining the computers so it would be available for trainings and repair them when they got problems. Somehow I could manage all of those tasks.
Wages I got from teaching in the center was so low that if I got no other source fund I would quit right after I finish my degree. I worked on a project and thankfully I got enough payment from there.
Few months after I graduated was the tempting moment in my life. Most of my friends had jobs in jakarta. They had status, career path and excellent salary as well. Somehow I could manage through it with one faith that I'm gonna do great too. Somehow, someway.
Half year passed. Researches and training grow quite fast. The staffs number are also increased. Few men joined us. Most of them are now instructors in the center. The center looks lots more live now then one-half year ago. Incomes for the center is also increased. Somehow I think that it's time for me to go. Me and the other first instructors think the same way. We've brought the center this far. We're very exhausted. Now things are getting better. The environment is much more decent for work. Well, we'll let the new staffs work to continue this task. It's time to leave. Thank you for the opportunities, hopes and hard works for all this time. Although many of them didn't come true I still believe those hopes would come true in the short period. The firsts had done their works. Now it's time for the second generation of JCC take place. Good luck.
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