geordee

Evolutionary Architecture

Information and Communications Technology is an engineering discipline. Compared to other engineering disciplines, computer science and software are fairly modern. So, they end up loaning words from the more traditional disciplines. We don’t use the word architecture much in mechanical engineering, or electrical engineering. The most coveted word is design in those fields. But, when it comes to integrated circuits or information technology, we have architectures. The terms are analogous to building structures like buildings or systems like towns.

However, this analogy is a simplification of what happens in reality. While using modern approaches to software development such simplification becomes...

Data Mesh and Data Products

The progression of technology is like the oscillation of a pendulum. We see the trends swaying towards the faster, better, newer aspects of technology. Earlier we had data processing systems in every offices. One of the earlier use cases was to automate spreadsheets. Then the central offices wanted a copy of data from every branches. PCs were and common client-server computing was in vogue. When Internet took over we were back to browser-based thin clients. The branch office servers were eliminated and we have central ERPs now.

Data storage and processing are getting ever cheaper. There was a time, when...

Skills, Endurance & Performance

While starting to learn swimming, I could not even cross the short side of the pool. Once I learned the skills it became easier. Crossing the pool along the length was a distant dream.

As soon as the coach found me cross the short-side with ease, he increased the intensity. I had to return without taking a rest. The next step was to build endurance. I would say I am in this phase now. Swimming along the long side and back with a short rest.

The next phase would be performance. Hopefully, I would be improving my speed along with...

The How and The Why

Relax! the swimming coach shouted. I did not know how. I struggled to breathe, kick, pull and coordinate everything together. It was more difficult when I had to pull. I did not know why!

Then, one day the coach asked me to kick along the long side of the pull, raising my head occasionally to breathe. And I could do it with ease. At the end of the pool I was asking myself, how I crossed the pool with ease. It became clear to me that I don’t need to pull so hard to move in the water. Legs too...

Misconceptions

One day, I asked my friend to take a video of my swimming. Later we analyzed it over a coffee. We found that my right hand was quick to return and not “flying” over the water. So, next day, I fixed it. Consciously, I made my right hand do what my left hand did, except it was wrong. When the swimming coach arrived, he was wondering how I lost the technique so fast.

I was acting based on my misconceptions. It was a self-diagnosis. I was uninformed. It was damaging. Oftentimes, our actions are based on our misconceptions. Well-intentioned, potentially...

In A Familiar Place

It was time to deal with the deep end of the pool as part of my swimming lessons. There was a fear inside, a sinking feeling!

My coach took me to the ladder at the deep end, and asked me to hold my breath and stand on the floor. I had to then bounce back to the surface and tread the water. It took a short while, before I could do it comfortably. Little by little, I was conquering my fears.

After it became easy, I started looking around, under water. I started building a sense of familiarity with the...

Give Time to Time

It took me a couple of weeks and four classes to follow the instructions on swimming techniques. I had to keep these techniques intact while learning something new after that. It was tough. I hadn’t converted the skills into muscle-memory. It was hard to manage two things at a time.

And we went back to the basics. This time the progress was slow. One by one, I acquired the skills into natural movements.

In French there is an expression, “Il faut donner du temps au temps”. It means “give time to time”. Certain things need time to perfect, to mature,...

Relaxed At Work

Further into my swimming lessons, there was another important lesson to learn. It is to relax in the midst of all the pulling, kicking, and treading water.

While we learn swimming, it is natural to panic in the water and stay tensed. This leads us into an endless cycle of sinking and panicking. I told my coach to remind me to relax every now and then. Once I achieve the relaxed state of mind and body, it becomes easy to swim. I get to pay attention to the technique and correct the mistakes made.

It is not easy. As I...

Technique vs. Goal

Recently I started taking swimming lessons. It was about learning something new, and achieving something extraordinary.

The first week in the pool, the struggle was to float in the water. Later it was all about swimming across the pool on the shallow end. The goal was to reach the other end of the pool. I did not know how to breathe while swimming and so it was a great task. I failed often. Because, I was so focussed on the goal, that I almost forgot the means to achieve it.

“Technique is important”. The coach shouts. I have stopped midway...

Identification, Discovery and Distribution of Apps

Sometime back I was building an online service to discover food. As we were on it, we also found many such services springing up all around us. We had a catchy URL using the generic top level domain “menu”. The product is Has.Menu, and in Dubai the URL would be dubai.has.menu.

Soon, it became apparent that everyone is moving to mobile apps, and the fight is on the top spots in mobile app stores. Featured app, recommended app, most downloaded app, top developer, and that competition is tough. I can almost say that I watched the whole thing moving from...