Technology As Innovator

Operating System

Linux http://www.linux.org

Linux Ubuntu http://ubuntu.com/download

Office

OpenOffice http://download.openoffice.org/

StarOffice http://pack.google.com/

ThinkFree Viewer Firefox Addon https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/4038

Audio Decoder

K-Lite Codec Mega Pack http://www.free-codecs.com/download/K_Lite_Mega_Codec_Pack.htm

Web tools

Webshot http://www.websitescreenshots.com/

WebRipper http://home.lyse.net/webripper/WebRipper_1.25.exe

Music Player

Winamp http://www.winamp.com/player/

Musicmatch Jukebox 10 http://www.musicmatch.com/download/free/index.cgi?OS=pc&MODE=input

PDF Reader

Adobe Reader http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Foxit Reader http://www.foxitsoftware.com/downloads/

PDF Converter

PrimoPDF http://www.primopdf.com/

Bullship PDF Printer http://www.bullzip.com/downloadmgr.php?download=pdf

novaPDF http://www.novapdf.com/free-download.php

DJVU Reader

Windjvu http://sourceforge.net/projects/windjview/

Vietnamese Typewriter

Unikey http://www.unikey.org/bdownload.php

Security

ZoneAlarm free version http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp

Avast http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html

Comodo Firewall http://www.comodo.com/products/free_products.html

File Compressor

Winrar http://www.rarlab.com/download.htm

Browser

Firefox http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

Maxthon http://www.maxthon.com/download.htm

Instant Messager

Yahoo! Messenger http://messenger.yahoo.com/download.php

Skype http://www.skype.com/download/

MSN Messenger http://messenger.msn.com/

GTalk http://www.google.com/talk/

Image Viewer

Picasa http://picasa.google.com/download/

Faststone Image Viewer http://www.faststone.org/download.htm

CD/DVD Burner

Click ‘N Burn CD & DVD http://www.mp3hitmachine.com/clicknburn/index.htm

ImgBurn http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download

Link Finder

URLSnooper http://www.dirfile.com/freeware/urlsnooper2.htm

MMS Downloader

Streambox VCR http://www.etplanet.com/download/details.php?file=215

Download Manager

FreedownloadManager http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/

FTP Manager

SmartFTP http://www.smartftp.com/

wiki(RSS) Reader

GreatNews http://www.curiostudio.com/download.html

Dictionary

Bien Ngo http://huybien.somee.com/

Calendar

Calendar Magic http://www.download.com/Calendar-Magic/3000-2124_4-10338284.html

Desktop Calendar XP http://www.soft32.com/download_27446.html

Linux / Unix

Putty http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html

Hard Disk Managers

Partition Logic http://partitionlogic.org.uk/download/index.html

CCleaner http://www.ccleaner.com/download

Screen Capture

MWSnap http://www.mirekw.com/winfreeware/mwsnap.html

FastStone Capture http://www.faststone.org/download.htm

Version Control

http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads

POP3 email software

Mozilla Thunderbird http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/

Eureka Email http://www.eureka-email.com

Macro

AutoHotkey http://www.autohotkey.com/download/

The Rename http://www.herve-thouzard.com/therename.zip

Freeware Sites

http://www.filehippo.com/

http://www.freeware-guide.com/

http://www.blaiz.net/

http://www.freewaregenius.com/

http://www.techsupportalert.com/best_shareware_sites.htm

http://www.muftware.com/index.php

http://www.garybeene.com/free/fr-sites.htm

http://www.passtheshareware.com/software_downloads.htm

http://www.freebyte.com/links/software.html

http://www.atlascomm.net/willie/freeware.htm

http://www.tucows.com/

http://www.msu.edu/user/heinric6/soft.htm

http://www.nonags.com

http://www.freewarehome.com

http://www.itsfree4u.com

Source

Binh Tran binhan_tran83@yahoo.de

Bien Ngo bhngo@fcg.com

squallA begau_alex@yahoo.com

happyboy1992 pikachu1786@yahoo.com

flashflare terawolf37@yahoo.com

Tai Tran

Apart from motivationally writing for the web, I have been invited to universities as a motivational speaker to talk about the IT industry and IT occupations with IT students.

What question do you think is most frequently asked?

What programming languages and tools are currently used in your company?

It is not a surprising one because the same question has been asked much more frequently on technical forums and newsgroup and has caused so much debates on T-tool vs. U-tool and more heatedly, X-language vs. Y-language.

And my answer is

“It is nice that you are preparing the knowledge and skills that you think your potential employers will seek. However, skills and experience in a particular programming language is not the only technical skill employers seek in candidates. They’re also looking into the foundation technical knowledge, such as but not limited to: Object Orientation, Design skills, Software Methodologies, Data Structures and Algorithms, Database Design, Architecture, Computing Theory, that empower your programming skills. You may do programming with, let’s say, Java relatively well in some situations without the above knowledge, but if you are thrown into a more complex project to build a huge product, the risk is high.

One example. You spend two to four years in college polishing your skills in X language that you predict will (still) be hot in a few years when you graduate. When you do graduate and apply for jobs, if they say “Sorry, X is old. We’re needing Y people”, what will you do? Spend the same amount of time learning Y? No, it’s not the way it should work. Foundation knowledge is the root, languages and tools are leaves. Equip yourself with the foundation, and when technology changes (is IT a slow changing area that does not change every 6 month or so?), you can adapt more easily.

When you have mastered the foundation knowledge, and possessed significant experience in using programming languages, which IDE is not a bug big issue.

Besides, about recruitment, technical skills are not the only evaluation criterion. Think about soft skills and attitude too.”

I was thinking about my profession

The number of Business Analysts and System Analysts required in software companies is not that many compared to developers; in some smaller companies with less formal process definition, some developers take the Analyst role. If the need for Analysts were higher, this question could have been asked: “What modeling languages and tools are currently used in your company?”

The answer is simple: Unified Modeling Language. UML itself has been a well-established language for modeling. More of a reason why it has become so popular is due to the promotion of UML by RUP.

But once again, UML is a language. The case is not much different from that of programming languages. Knowing UML is not enough to perform all tasks Analysts do, Business Process Modeling for instance - and a new standardized set of notations named BPMN (Business Process Modeling Notation) is being proposed.

Underlying UML skills are Modeling skills. Modeling languages are used to present information in a more visual (and structural?) way. You need to know what model or diagram should be used to present what kind of information at what time in what situation to whom.

Model is one kind of information. In order to develop solid Modeling skills, Information Processing skills and Data Analysis skills need to be developed first or in parallel.

With all those skills at hand, you will be able to guess how shapes are categorized and may quickly locate the right notations you need in Modeling tools, no matter if it’s Rational Rose or Visio or Enterprise Architect or so on.

After you have created a good piece of model, you may want to present it to customers or other teams in your project. Presentation skills may help.

Side discussion: Model vs. Diagram

Throughout this article, I have used Models consistently, without mentioning diagrams. The may raise question since “UML diagram” is a very common terminology. The reason is because Analysts produce visualizations which are not diagrams too. Organization charts, map, prototype are just a few to name. ‘Model’ covers all of these, of course including diagrams. Also, one trivia is that the word may remind the fact that information systems actually model the real world.

Conclusion

So to conclude, foundation knowledge is required in any profession. Technology and tools change so quickly, but concepts do not as quickly. Build your internal strength should be the higher priority.

“I’m above average!”

Definition

The Lake Wobegon effect is the human tendency to overestimate one’s achievements and capabilities in relation to others.

It is named for the fictional town of Lake Wobegon from the radio series A Prairie Home Companion, where, according to Garrison Keillor, “all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average”.

In a similar way, a large majority of people claim to be above average. Experiments and surveys conducted to hundred thousands people from a variety of classes and from many background, have repeatedly shown that most people believe that they possess attributes that are better or more desirable than average.

Statistics

In achivement-driven societies like the US, the percentage of people showing Lake Wobegon effect is 80%. In other countries where people are taught to be humble, the rate is 70%.

The effect is socially conditioned

The effect reflects ingroup bias and wishful thinking. In contrast, people who admit that they are worse than average are considered self-handicapped and their behavior is treated as socially false consensus.

Logical reasoning

Mean of a series

If the GDP per capita of one country is X, anyone who make more than X are above average.

Binary series

10 students take the examination which result is either 1 (pass) or 0 (fail). Assuming 1 student fails, all other 9 are automatically above average.

System contained in a system

It is possible that all MIT students are above the average of a collection of universities.

Attitude

It is easier for people to spot others’ mistakes than their own, and when the experience becomes a reflex, it creates a tendency to perceive one’s self as superior to others.

Lake Wobegon effect shows human attitude toward survival: the stronger live.

Parents can treat their children as “above average” in order to boost their self-esteem.

Last word

Dare to be Wobegonally different by admitting that you’re not above average?