25 February 2010

My presentation of the fourth MSCOmmunity Istra


Last Tuesday I presented at the fourth Microsoft Community Istra meeting in Pula at the Student MMC club. I was the sole presenter due to the fact that my colleague Hrvoje couldn't make it.
I presented on the topic of UML. The presentation consisted of a short introdcution to UML, its origins and uses and then I covered the basics of Class, Package, Activity and Sequence diagrams.
I think the presentation went rather well. I wasn't nervous, the crowd was developers mostly and the ambient suited me just fine (dark, dunk walls, underground bar on the back and you female students searching for a higher insight in life, back room poker and a whole day on going LAN party in the next room).

12 February 2010

IT Showoff Zagreb

Winter came to Istra. Once again the snow fell and the cold came. In Labin, where I work at six a.m. the temperature was bellow zero. And today is the day I'm travelling to Zagreb to the IT showoff conference.
I took the company car, my trusted GPS, a two cd podcast collection and on I went. In Rijeka I picked my colleague and friend Hrvoje Hudoletnjak, who will sit on the evening panel “Web framework show down” at the conference.
And today we went.
As the trip progressed the temperature got progressively worse. Bellow zero, bellow five – oh my god please do not look at the thermometer. The snow, let me tell you about the snow. The highway was deep covered in it. On some parts only one way was opened on each side. The snow was stacked up taller then me, and I’m tall.
But, thanks to my superb driving skills and to a little bit of help from the window unfreezing spray we made it to FER where the conference is being held.
Luck was still on our side. We found a free parking space really fast and really close to the university.
A small part of the university was reserved for the conference. When Hrvoje and I arrived there we where greeted by a long waiting line of people waiting to be registered.
The registration proceeded pretty smoothly. The conference boast with pretty looking hostesses ( a bit sexist , but you know) and it proved true. The girls were pretty and competent and Hrvoje and I were registered quickly.
I got a cd, a pool and a conference program. Well, so much for smack. But it is a free conference. I’m not going to complain.
The conference is organized in two university auditoriums and a hall. The hall is where to social aspect of the conference is being held. Lost of drinks and pretzels are served there as nourishment which is cool.
Of the two tracks I attended the right , “development” track. And I was astounded by the quality of content and presenters. They were really good, fun, instructive and furthermore they freely gave promotional t-shirts to those who asked questions, which in three instances was me.
Yep, I won three t-shirts which of course I will give to my beautiful wife. She is already an Ubuntu user. She looks really nice in geek-wear.