IT Usage Policy

• Create or transmit material that is designed or likely to cause annoyance, inconvenience, anxiety or offence.
• Create or transmit obscene or indecent material.
• Create or transmit defamatory material.
• Create or transmit material that infringes the copyright of another person.
• Gain deliberate unauthorised access to facilities or services available via local or national networks.
• Introduce or cause to be introduced, viruses to computer systems and/or networks.

souce: http://webserver.beacon.e-sussex.sch.uk/beacon/departments/is/it_usage_policy.php
IT Usage Policy Full info: http://www.bethanywv.edu/index.php?cID=1489#A

Are consultants a waste of money?

courtesy of WildRover

I've been an IA consultant for years, and I've often been dismayed at how companies are willing (and eager) to outsource activities that should be core to their company's mission. This isn't just companies where the web aspect is tangential to their biz, but internet-centric companies that will work with external contractors to develop what should be a mission-critical knowledge base within the organization. Consultants come and go, and the biz managers tend to view the product development as secondary to biz positioning, whereas the actual deep knowledge of how their system works (or should work) really should be the crown jewels of the company. This is especially true of companies within competitive spaces where UI / UX is a critical distinguisher. Why farm it out to others when you should be building this expertise in-house? Obviously there are situations where HR issues require short-term fixes, but again and again I've worked with clients where I want to shake them by the shoulders and say "I shouldn't be doing this because at some point I will go away, and you'll have to start from zero again." As iterative development becomes the norm, using consultants becomes less and less rationale for companies that should be thinking of long term product evolution lead by internal teams with deep knowledge of the tech / UX / biz requirements, rather than fiddled with by external consultants who are paid big money for lengthy discovery phases that produce no lasting expertise for the organization as a whole. It's tough enough using a domestic consultant team, and damn near impossible using a foreign team. I'm happy to take the cash, but as someone who has worked on both external and internal teams, I can't help but lament the short-sightedness of my clients who sacrafice short-term expense for long-term success.

source: http://talkback.zdnet.com/5208-9589-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=35377&messageID=651771&start=-1

Bernard Gabon considers himself an IT Professional

An IT Professional must:

1. have a deep understanding and familiarity in all aspects in this field.

In the world of IT, I truly am a jack of all trade, master of few. But I can handle almost any task that my boss throw to me. I love adventures anyway.

2. be a critical thinker.

I solely developed systems my own. It always needs me to think critically.

3. be creative.

I always look for a better and unique concepts even if it would only last until my imagination. I am able to see and make things in a new or different way. Being creative is innovation.

4. able to orally explain goal and visions and being able to describe ideas to another person.

As I always do, the only way to let aliens understand me is to learn their language. It is just presenting a system design using UML, telling the movie sequence using storyboard, presenting chart instead of figures, and writing "Hello World" program to newbies in programming.

But an ABS-CBN Davao crew, endorser of a herbal product personally told me this. Perhaps this is true. "Ipakita daan ang imong kaugalingong gilas ayha pa dayon makasabot ug motoo imong bosing."

5. be a lifelong learner.

This is the very reason why I love IT and I love teaching. Never ending learning! Tiresome but challenging! Hmm.. remember, I love adventures.

6. possess above all.. the so called first grader's GMRC.

Kay naay panultahon nga "Ang brayt nga walay batasan, wala gihapoy pulos!"

Based on that well-written article of Mario, I finally considered myself without a doubt an IT Professional.

Do I Consider Myself as an IT Professional?

courstesy of Mario

Throughout life I have found that there are three types of people in the world. The three types of people are the people who question everything, the people who question some things and the people who accept everything that are told to them.

Do I consider myself as an IT Professional? It is just one of the few questions I am trying to answer since I’ve graduated last March 2007. Having the diplomas in my hand and with the knowledge I have in my head is not enough for me to say that I am proud to be called as an IT Professional.

At some point in my college days, I am one of those students who are just relying to what the professors feed to us. Actually, I have a hard time to weigh things with regards to my studies and personal life. I forgot to prepare myself when I was about to go out in my Beloved Alma Mater and realize that I have built a weak foundation for my upcoming profession. Though I am not that irresponsible, still I haven’t proved to myself and to anyone that I am a competitive in my field. Personally, my knowledge and experiences I’ve earned for four years studying is not enough to be a potential IT Professional. It seems there is something lacking. But I’ve come to realize that it is not too late for me to pursue my dreams to become one of the most competitive IT Professional in my generation. I feel that these goals are very reachable and that I will be able to measure and visualize if I am reaching my goals.

In this kind of profession, one must possess a great understanding of what he is doing as well as on what he is dealing with. An IT Professional must have a deep understanding and familiarity in all aspects in this field. He must be a critical thinker because being able to take a topic and critically think about it is an important skill. Being able to look at the situation and critically evaluate the problem and make a solution. Creativity is also a factor that has a lot of people searching for good workers in this field. I feel that you need creativity to be able to provide something in your society. Another key skill in this field is the ability to orally explain what your goal and visions are and being able to describe your ideas to another person. One must believe in this saying “An educated person is a lifelong learner who has found ways to continue to learn and grow after the end of formal schooling" because in this profession it is a never ending learning because we are dealing technologies and technologies are innovating. More likely, he is ready to go out to his cocoon and to compete with other people in this field.

In this point of time, the word responsible means a lot to me, being responsible for your actions and to your priorities in life. Taking now a Masters Degree is a good start for me. Reaching my goals is not easy for me but I trust myself that five years from now I can be proud to be called as an IT Professional.

source: http://dohnne.blogsome.com/2007/04/24/do-i-consider-myself-as-an-it-professional/



I'd like to thank Mario for sharing this nice article to the world. I have highlighted those essential attributes of a person to be considered professional IT.

Hello World!

As customary in introducing new IT stuff...
I'd like to say "Hello World!"