Pakistan Developer Conference (Microsoft) - Highlights Day 1

* A crowd of around 1500 developers and IT professional from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad gathered in Pearl Continental hotel's Ballroom 1 and 2 to mark the Keynote session of the conference oganized by Microsoft Paksitan for the third consecutive year.

* Presided by chairman NADRA Brig (Retd) Saleem Ahmed Moeen

* Teasing and really annoying were the redundant security checks

* Nice was the kit provided to each conference attendee consisted of a bag, some microsoft CDs and other literature and this month's spider magazine, that I already had bought earlier :(

* Youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (hailing from Multan) was rewarded along with others.

*Disappointing was the presentation (Not content but actual presentation) of the chairman NADRA Brig (Retd) Saleem Ahmed Moeen, I think NADRA being the most hi-tec institution in the country should review thier corporate communication standards as it really portrays the image and of organisation, and in my opinion NADRA is one of the best in the world as far as implementation of technology is concerned.
Future Perspective

* Dynamic Systems Initiative- A concept of sort of smart applications responding and behaving to adapt to new interfaces, changes and other integrating and acting dynamically.

* Domain System Language - Envisioning a new way of developing applications in future, based entirely on analysis and design standards such as UML. Totally integrated development environment in order to develop systems sticking to the business model and logic at each and every stage.

* Web Services Inter-operatibility

* Hosting Models - Con't figure out exactly what they are! Mr Rafal Lukawiecki I think mentioned it briefly but need to take some time to sort it out.

* Info Path .... Services Schema Designer

* Data Driven Caching (Page caching) in .net-This was one of the most informative session for me, Mr Stephen Forte (Regional Manager New York - Microsoft) presented with great enthusiasm and style all the lastest developments and facilities offered by .net.

* XML X-Query and XPath .. again very informative session from Mr. Stephen Forte

* At the end of the day we had around an hour of Q & A session covering all sort of
development questions directed to all the spearker and presenter. All in all at the end it was a great day and quite a learning one indeed. Now it 2 at night . gotta get it early tomorrow.

Tabaiz Feham

Picks from 'The Prophet' - Kahlil Gibran

The book 'The Prophet' by Kahlil Gibran is indeed a fine piece of writing with some great messages, It really is worth reading. Below are some of the picks from different chapters of the books. To me personally the most inspiring chapter is the first one when he talks about 'Love'. Overall he has discussed some of the finest details of our daily life with a touch of beautity and mesmerism of words. Great ineed.

(The book is easily available in Urdu bazar, certainly worth giving as gift :) )

Tabraiz Feham
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Then said Almitra, "Speak to us of Love."

.....When love beckons to you follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you. .....

.....Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed; ......

Then a ploughman said, "Speak to us of Work."

....But I say to you that when you work you fulfil a part of earth's furthest dream, assigned to you when that dream was born, .....

And then a scholar said, "Speak of Talking."
And he answered, saying:

You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts;
And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you live in your lips, and sound is a diversion and a pastime.
And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered.
For thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words many indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly. .....


For online version,
http://www.columbia.edu/~gm84/gibtable.html