Web Development Training: Joomla!

Monday, August 11, 2008

After a few years of existence of the DOST website the Department decided to refresh its old website and create a new updated version. A call for a webmasters consortium was made and create under the eDOST-Infosys project, which was handled by the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI).

As the meetings progressed, it was set that the new website would be using a Content Management System (CMS) and in this case we used Joomla!, and in order to manage administer the website, a week long training was scheduled on 19-23 May.

Our group was comprised of staffs from the different offices from the Central Office of the Department. I was not very familiar with CMS and was used to static web development and management, but CMS proved to be easy to use and learn as long as you have basic knowledge with HTML or CSS and know how to use and understand basic commands, it's just like editing your profile at your social network website.

The experience wasn't the best with regards to training but it was very memorable and helpful to my job and myself personally. There are a lot of CMS, and based on what I learned I think other CMSs wouldn't be to difficult to handle, with a bit of time of course.

The perfect dream

Monday, August 4, 2008

"You will be different, sometimes you'll feel like an outcast, but you'll never be alone"

Superman Returns

There always comes a time when we feel alone, and it's one of those moments when we just want to disappear, but I guess it's also a good time to see who your real friends are, that is if you have any, for a true friend will never leave you, no matter what you've become. I once thought I had an army of them, but now I'm not so sure.

As superman said, I'll never be alone, and I wasn't. I have my entire family and my Girl Friend who is always there despite the rare occasions of misunderstandings. In that instant, I knew, I'll never be alone. No one is ever alone, only the feeling of being alone,a feeling that can be easily forgotten, you just have know what to look.

Rage of Angels by Sidney Sheldon

Friday, August 1, 2008

I know this novel is a bit old (so was my copy...), but still the angel in the title gave me a feeling that this seemed special. I know Sheldon is a great writer but this is the first time for me to actually like a novel with a sad ending, kinda weird, but hey, its Sidney Sheldon...

Its a story about a lawyer named Jennifer Parker and her struggle for her career and personal life. At first everything seemed well, fresh from college with all the eagerness to be successful until she got entangled in a mafia case. What I liked about the personality that Sheldon gave her, she seemed to be strong and never gave up, she worked her way out with the help of several friends and a special someone in the person of Adam Warner, whose personality was similar to Jennifer only that his situation was a bit complicated.

Jennifer became one of the top lawyers of New York and Adam whose initial case with Jennifer was her disbarment for her being at the wrong place at the wrong time, became lovers, despite the fact that Adam was already married. Life became more complicated as Jennifer got pregnant and so was Adam's wife in a time when Adam was running for a senator. Jennifer went away with her pregnancy and even attempted to abort the child but her love for Adam and her baby prevailed. She raised the child in a bit of secrecy for the benefit of everybody, and everything seemed well when she got involved with the mafia. Soon Jennifer was in the arms of the mafia's top leader Micheal Moretti, and to make matters worse her beloved son died. As Michael new about Jennifer and Adam who is now Senator and is running for President, Michael tried to kill both of them, who only ended up being killed himself by the police.

I think the main characters have similarities to real persons, Jennifer seemed to be a strong person, a very good lawyer who handles her career very well but she's also a weak person, letting herself drown in search for love. Adam being the good person we all love and know but keeps a secret, and Michael whose reason for being in a crime syndicate and worked hard to be in the top was his thirst for money and power.

a very good story indeed.