10 posts tagged with "community"

Doug Gault had suggested a while ago that I could bring more awareness to the Oracle APEX Challenge Coin project if I had an Oracle APEX application that plots the location of each sponsored coin on a world map. I agree. However, aside from a lack of time, I had also wanted to find interesting ways for awardees to submit their claim of ownership. Over the last week, I had worked on making this dream of a "claims" map a reality with the use of the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Vision AI service, more specifically, its custom model training feature.

Here's an early preview of the claims process in the Claim My Oracle APEX Challenge Coin application.

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate to accompany a group of twenty-four exchange students from a local university. Some of them came from countries as far as Singapore. While up in the North, the Aurora Borealis might be a common sight, for tourists, it is still pretty much a calculated risk that it might be a fruitless journey. The night skies were overcast on the first night that they arrived, and it was bitterly cold for folks used to tropical weather, but they persisted. On their second night, there was a minor emergency that delayed a few of them from heading out to the remote site for viewing the Northern Lights, but again, they were determined. Within minutes of their arrival at the viewing site, there was a sudden break in the cloudy skies that coincided with a display of greens and purples that illuminated in the heavens. What a treat!

As we near the end of 2022, I'd like to reflect on the year's challenges and milestones.

Is this a lasting treasure, or just a moment's pleasure?

~ Will You Love Me Tomorrow. The Shirelles.

As a technologist, we are constantly bombarded with buzzwords and terms like blockchain, IoT, AI, machine learning, quantum computing, and so much more! I love buzzwords, and wholeheartedly enjoy deciphering the future of technology and work. Hence, for the last few years, I have been a proud member of the committee that peruses and selects abstracts for the Kscope Emerging Technology (ET) track. For next year's Kscope22, I am honoured to be leading the team that will help select a series of sessions that are visionary, and hopefully, give us guidance on what to expect in the years ahead.

My personal journey with programming started more than two decades ago. Back then, the one language that I was very passionate and determined to master was Java. Early in my career, I would find any opportunity to attend a Sun Microsystems event like the Sun Tech Days, where I had the opportunity to learn about the constantly evolving platform that went from desktop, to enterprise and then on mobile devices. I can still remember watching the cool things you could do with Lego Mindstorms and an embedded Java runtime, and the vision that JXTA was going to revolutionise the Internet of Things with its state-of-the-art, peer-to-peer technology.

Every Singaporean Son grows up to respond to a codeword alongside an image of a soldier on guard.

When your codeword is flashed on the screen, you wrap up whatever you are doing, head home, pack, bid your goodbyes and then report to camp. Hence, when I heard this call to help, instinct kicked in and I had to respond.

In a blink of an eye, it has been more than four years since I set up the ORCLAPEX-YVR Meetup Group. This is a Meetup group in the beautiful city of Vancouver, British Columbia, that serves as a platform for promoting interest and supporting local Oracle Application Express (APEX) professionals and enthusiasts.

For those unaware, as organisers, we pay a biannual organiser's fee. Thanks to ODTUG's, these fees are kindly sponsored by #GetInolved initiative.

Thank you ODTUG!

Recently, I had an epiphany...

I was glad to be back in Seattle to attend the 2019 edition of ODTUG's famed Kscope conference. This is the second time the event is held this close to home (read my previous recount of the same conference five years ago)! And like every Kscope before, the conference always provides unique experiences, bountiful knowledge and new people to meet! Here's a quick summary and highlights of my week.

That's right! Here's the customary post-Kscope article. This year though, is one Kscope to remember! Along with other Oracle Application Express (APEX) community members, I had the surprise honour of joining the ranks of the Oracle ACE Program. And so I wanted to start off by first thanking newly-minted Oracle ACE Director Opal Alapat. Last year, I had deep suspicions that she was responsible for my ODTUG Volunteer Award. Then came the ACE Associate nomination.

Opal, if you are reading this: THANK YOU!

After reading the article "The R community is one of R's best features" by David Smith, I felt there were a lot of similarities between the R and Oracle APEX communities, and hence, was inspired to pen a copycat post. So here it is:

Yet another Kscope journey has ended. This year's event was held in the beautiful JW Marriott Hill Country Resport and Spa, San Antonio, Texas. This is my fourth Kscope, third as a speaker, second at San Antonio, and first time taking home an award!