CRS? UIS? You-IS?

Since I have this sudden urge to make some first impressions (after reading numerous RRLs on usability), here’s my opinion on the *new?* eCRS or UIS(?) service. Actually, most of the points were already stated here. But here are some additional things:

The former Computerized Registration System (CRS) service featured a preview of the class sched, a Revert function, and a Save function. Now, are these features still available? It’s nowhere to be found! How about session management?

..or a comparison of their search utilities?

While there might be some who insist that the new search utility’s better (due to the Search Subjects by Department), I doubt if they’re really satisfied in its output. Here are the corresponding outputs of the old and new CRS search:

Notice that the last 2 images (from the new CRS) indicate an output consisting of a 2-step/page process. I think I’d rather use the older one (assuming that the database of scheds is consistent) for its simplicity and better presentation of data. And wow, we’re now using the military time(?) format!

One of my contacts reacted: “at least meron kaysa wala”, but c’mon, where is the convenience of having a preview of conflicting subject scheds? We still need a scratch paper or another application to jot down those entries! So how usable is the system in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, and user satisfaction? What’s actually scary about the new system – it doesn’t state if there’ll still be priority for freshmans and graduating students! Is it a first-come first-served basis? Also, how do we get to enlist “alternate subjects/scheds” if there are limitations?:

It’s obvious that only a certain number of slots can be enlisted/approved but it seems that we need to cross our fingers for the system’s lack of contingency plan in scheduling.

Lastly, I think I know now why it’s called UIS:

NOT!

Well, that’s all folks! I’m just practicing usability evaluation because it will be used in one of my majors. How about you? What do you think of the new(?) CRS/UIS?

Twitter’r Twit!

Yup, you can see me now twitting at nightfox007. I think Twitter is better to use than creating posts in a blog that can be considered as spam right away. (Imagine a blogpost that only contains status messages.) Also, I already have its RSS feed installed on one of my WordPress widgets.

Try it! Don’t forget to add me as well!

Change Logs

The past 10 days were full of changes – too much that at times, you feel like your body and your mind are exploding into dust. So what were the changes?

Obviously, it includes the weather. It’s really irritating to experience a very hot morning, getting wet from rain in the early afternoon, then feeling the extreme heat again afterwards. Maybe it’s one of Mother Nature’s revenge to society’s abuse of the environment. Actually, it is an Inconvenient Truth.

Also, it’s always tedious to work on academic projects where the specifications change through time. Imagine the time wasted (or saved) if the specifications were clearly declared beforehand. On the bright side, it’s over.

There were more changes than just these instances like management, mindset and outlook, responsibilities, and even personal things such as relationships. It was a week where the experience was like a cycle of songs, history repeating itself again. I got a LSS of songs ranging from Sugarfree, Gary V., The Dawn, and Snow Patrol. The last song was played in the opening of the latest episode of Smallville. It was an episode where I was able to relate to right away. Or maybe it’s just a plain coincidence?

I guess it’s better to have a day break from these things.

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(PSHS) Pisay Travel Ban Issue

And so it seemed that the Pisay Travel Ban issue got almost everyone on panic mode especially for my batchmates that will be graduating this year. I guess it’s currently on the verge of circulating the web, specifically in blogs, just like its *previous controversy*. I’m also not even sure if the “Kuya Mike Abundo” that was mentioned pertains to the author of the Mike Abundo Effect. (there’s no hyperlink!)

There were actually a lot of updates posted on Flyingroc’s Web Page. Obviously, it’s better if the information or clarification is posted at the PSHS website instead. In this way, we don’t have to depend on other sources since the PSHS website is a firsthand and official reference.

With regard to the issue, does this mean that there will be a different treatment to us alumni? How about the case of the graduates who weren’t able to continue on a science course? Will the immigration bureau still catch those who had already passed the line? Do they need to defend themselves on their situation (and waste time?) than just letting them go on with the big opportunity that’s waiting for them?

If this is the case, it only means that the BID will also strictly require high school credentials as part of the visa application. Knowing the reality that document processing in the goverment is usually slow, I doubt if this will go on smoothly. Besides, what I think is important is that the alumnus was able to serve or work for the country. Wait, does that include SA (student assistant) work too?

Or maybe there should be a modernized definition of “science” in the statement of the PSHS scholarship contract? What do you think?

Push your development further

For everyone to know about the results of my candidacy for the UP Institute of Library and Information Science Student Council (ILIS SC) Vice-Chairperson position, it was a 64-71 result. A close fight! Hahaha!

I was behind by about 7 votes (actually 5 votes only for I had voted the other party for some reason). Well, I was not actually excited about the results because there was a “conflict of interest” issue that was brought to the light the day before the election. So, I guess the lesson learned here was.. count your blessings? It might be a challenge (to fulfill the tasks) lost but it was an enlightening experience gained. As for the efforts, it was a Friday when I filed for the candidacy and then Monday was already the Meeting de Avance – no time for campaigning whatsoever! The only hard thing about it was the formulation of my platform that was patterned from an org’s set of goals. Guess what org?

Anyway, maybe God has better plans for me. Of course, I would like to thank everyone who had voted and had supported me on the elections. I was actually happy about the results as a whole, may it be a winning or a losing one. In fact, today was the celebration time with my friends (and “Myrna”), a thing that I had promised to be held after the elections. It didn’t matter anymore if it’s a success or not.

At least, one thing’s for sure – I will definitely push my development further, not only in my acads (no, not the different type of “acads”) but also in my academic org. Since I will have more time in UP ACM as a vice-chairperson, it’s obviously a more challenging one because we need to maintain aslot (or more) in the ACM Student Chapter Excellence Awards this year.

So that’s all for now since I still need to push my projects to its final destination. No, not beyond the deadline!

10/90 Principle

What is this principle?

10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react.

The same thing happened to me on my recent chess game:

It was so weird that I miraculously won at the end of the day. Why? I’m usually weak at maintaining my position even though I have an advantage at game start. And because chess is a game of strategy, every player should bear in mind that controlling the board is also a principle. Surprisingly, I was able to maintain my composure towards the ending – and this is the 90% of the situation.

Now, I should do the same in my acads and extra-curricular things: have a plan, play for the initiative, and control the situation.

Meeting de Avance

It was really a blast yesterday! *insert sarcasm* Actually, I’ve just realized that the term “meeting de avance” literally meant “meeting of advance”. For a not-so-politics-oriented person like me, the feeling of delivering a general plans of action is a pretty new experience. It was different from the way we set-up our platforms in one of my organizations, where the nominees submit a candidacy form filled with achievements, somewhat like a cv.

I think the speech I had delivered was okay but only affected by a simple problem – I was so thirsty. When all of the candidates were already on stage, I noticed that most of them were able to bring something to drink (because talking really dries the voice), and I had none on my hands – only my planner. Argh. Add to it the fact that my throat’s a little bit unwell due to stress. So what’s the result? My speech was brief, too brief to even synthesize the details. Also, it was a rapid one. Well, I just hope that my shoes were not that “noisy” enough (just like the comment I got from my LIS 141 report on Ergonomics).

Some say that I talk too fast. Yesterday, I checked my RSS feeds and..jackpot! I had also realized another reason why I love blogging – because I usually talk too fast and have a lot to say. However, a friend of mine told me that geeks or techie people really tend to talk fast. From the technology seminars I had attended, the tendency is for me to imitate their ways of delivering their talks. In fact, I think I was able to present one in my Ergonomics report. I had even included a video ad at the introduction of the topic and I had also used a different, weird(?) accent for it. No, not the call-center-agent type of accent!

Going back, it’s really challenging to create a New Future for a young community. I just hope that I’d be able to get more collaborative work in the futures to come and more publicity and promotion, primarily for my institute, the UP ILIS, and secondly, my organization, the UP ACM.

…For if you can’t be searched, you don’t exist.

Will Online Voting Click in the Philippines?

Whilst Online Voting Clicks in other countries, here are the issues that my friend and I had discussed on the usability of online voting systems a few days ago:

1. Does the system have a documentation?
2. Did the system use a framework? If yes, does it have a documentation as well?
3. Is there session expiry for transactions?
4. If a recount is requested, will it be possible?
5. Is the information encrypted?
6. What is the acceptability rate of the system to its target users?
7. Is there a way for the user to change passwords?
8. How private is the integrity of votes?
9. Is there a way to check that the votes are properly processed?
10. Is the system secure enough to be trusted? How?

In my opinion, the latter issues are the most difficult to achieve or answer, especially the conflicting #8 and #9. How about you? What are your thoughts if online voting systems will be used in the Philippine politics?

CallWave Google Gadget

At last, I can now access CallWave from any platform! No, I don’t prefer using Windows so don’t push me to use its Yahoo Widget because I’m not a Yahoo mail user too. Actually I just use Yahoo Services for chat (and Flickr?) but with its email service, I still prefer GMail over it. Also, I don’t have a Macbook (maybe sometime in the near future) yet, but at least I have a Google Homepage!

Try it, it’s free! It doesn’t even require a cell phone!