30 Years of Computing and My Ho-hum Life With It

Chanced upon this article, “The Real History of the GUI“. It’s kinda geeky, but it’s quite a good read to know how your computer came about.

My first computer (it’s my dad’s one, actually) was a whopping 80486 running Windows 3.11 and DOS 6.22 back in 1995 (Primary 4). Instead of perusing textbooks and slaving over assessment books like local school kids do, I read through the entire DOS 6.22 manual, which by the way is thicker than all my Primary 4 and 5 textbooks combined. My repertoire of knowledge in DOS soon grew way beyond my dad’s “dir/w”, “copy ” “mkdir”. The constant experimentation with the PC caused countless of reformats and reinstallation by a 10-year-old, with him getting more proficient each time than the previous.

I only managed to convince my dad to upgrade our Windows 3.11 to Windows 95 after I wrongly bought a game, Cyberstorm (I think), that required DirectX (i.e. Windows 95) to play. I bought myself a book on Windows 95 (can’t exactly remember the title, but it’s some Expert Guide to Win 95), went through it more than once (instead of studying, again) and became Microsoft’s unofficial technical helpdesk for all relatives with their computers woes.

Back in my upper primary school days, when kids play games – board or electronic forms, I wanted to make my own games. I was too poor (read: my parents were too ngiao) then to afford the board game Risk that my spoilt and rich neighbours owned. And so, I combined two drawing boards, traced a world map on it from my encyclopedia, stole dices from my brother’s Monopoly and made my own Risk. My aberrant desires to make games (instead of playing them) was only limited to board games. Making your own computer game sounds unattainable to a 10-year-old then.

When I transferred school in Primary 5, this bloke, Alvin, told me that I can make my own computer games. Although Alvin was a bullshitter most of the time, he was right about that. His words and encouragement had utterly destroyed my life as a normal living teenager for the next 6 years to come. I spent my days slaving in front of the computer instead of having a life. I remembered perusing through the help files of QBasic, the program Alvin touted that could materialise my deviant desires, one afternoon and finally managed to draw a circle on the screen. I literally jumped around the house for a full five minutes before hugging my younger brother for joy. It was not until 2 years later in Secondary 1 that Alvin, myself and two other school mates participated in the Cyberwar Zone ’98 competition that I made the first game, Annihilator, with Visual Basic. We eventually made it into the finals (the only Secondary 1 team out of the 6 finalists) though I can’t exactly remember did we rank 4th or 5th. I have since lost the source code, though.

I became the Vice-Chairman of the school’s computer club by Secondary 2 but was eventually overthrown in a coup d’etat by the teachers-in-charge and IT HOD in Secondary 3 due to my recalcitrant ways and for articulating my disdain for inane school policies.

Alvin, Jeremy and myself (and even Weiming, I think!) eventually formed OmniDesigns and created ONAS, a network administration suite that was to be deployed over school computer labs and marketed to LAN shops for easy administration. However, programmers being programmers, we procrastinated and never managed to deliver a final version of it. We never became rich as a result of that but still managed to clinch monetary prizes for the school’s internal IT competitions. There was this renegade group of non-computer club students that were always trying to rival us though, and the IT HOD was so obsessed with them. They went by the lame name of “TyphoonStorm” if I remembered correctly. Admitedlly, they’ve got better marketing executives than we do.

Addendum God, their website is still around and has not changed a bit since 2001. Now this is nostalgic.

Secondary school passed, I collected my ‘O’ Level results and decided at last minute not to do computer studies at polytechnic but to continue rote-learning at a friendly neighbourhood JC. That was perhaps when I decided I didn’t want to do computers for a living. And that is the end of my geeky story. And that was when I last heard from Alvin, I have no idea why he refuses to contact me now. And you must be really bored to read through all that!

Letter: Should Students’ Privacy Be Given More Respect?

Dear Sir/Mdm,

I refer to the article “Poly students in homemade sex video gets counselling” (ST, Feb 22 06).

I am appalled to read that the discipline teacher of the said junior college was bestowed with the authority to conduct “handphone raiding”, i.e. investigating the contents of mobile phones without the owners’ permission, on 5 students in the last half year.

The article noted that one student was unabashed with the circulation of her photographs as she deemed them artistic. Unlike the possession of lewd and obscene materials such as pornographic magazines and VCDs, artistic nudity does not fall within the same category. The former is an obvious breach of local legislation whereas the latter is not. In fact, many Singaporeans were reported to have paid for artistic nude photographs of themselves taken by professionals for personal keepsake in the wake of Mr Steve Chia’s incident in 2003. Mr Steve Chia was not charged for the possession of the nude photos of his maid and himself.

By conducting unauthorised investigation into the students’ handphones, the teacher concerned had infringed the privacy of these students when the photographs could have been merely artistic nudity meant for personal viewing and keepsake. It could also cause potential embarassment to the students for the photographs were never meant to be shared with a teacher. I would personally cringe at the thought of someone sieving through even my personal messages without my permission.

Handphone raiding is socially unacceptable and generally considered an extremely rude behaviour even amongst friends. It is akin to gaining unauthorised entry into one’s email account and is evidently an infringement of one’s privacy. What is MOE’s stand on such practices and whether educators should be empowered to probe into personal materials of students? Whilst it is imperative that educators inculcate the right moral values in our children, we should be mindful not to overstep the boundaries of our jurisdiction.

Follow your heart, prudently

I read on the forums today, a man found out that his girlfriend of 10 years and buddy of 8 have been seeing each other. And you thought this only happens in TV dramas and soap operas. But trust me that not everyone will sympathise with this poor man.

I recalled once when my better half called me up in tears after watching a drama on an attached woman who fell for another man but never got together. What was aberrant was that my better half was weeping for the wretched couple and not the poor man.

Perhaps, being a man myself, I was inclined to empathise with the poor man more than I could with the new couple. However, being a soap opera, I believe much of the show was focused on how the woman finally realised that the new man is her true love (you know, after all these years).

The sentimental audience would of course be emotionally obligated to support the newfound love of the woman. After all, in the era of individualism and liberalism, we are indoctrinated to follow our heart regardless of its costs. It doesn’t really matter how long or how much you used to love each other for the only thing that matters now is that you have eyes for someone else now.

True, couples who, in the absence of love, remain together for the sake of responsibility are foolish. But couples who went through years of thick and thin and decide that there isn’t any more love are the most abominable.

Here’s a paradox for you: Follow your heart, prudently.

Girls

Another extract of a MSN conversation with my better half. Xemus is her 4-year-old cousin who happens to like to stick to me and not her.

Sharon: but xemus is so cute
Sharon: i jus grab any chance to make him hug me
Sharon: so chubby
Sharon: lol
bAa: lol
Sharon: i used to carry him sleep till my arm numb lo
Sharon: but he like dun like me leh
Sharon: i think its the age gap la
bAa: age gap?!
bAa: we’re same age
bAa: lol
Sharon: no me and him
Sharon: but u boy ma
Sharon: tt age of boys tend to think girls are yucky
Sharon: ur age one think girls are yummy
Sharon: kayz
bAa: LOL
bAa: TT’S DAMN FUNNY
bAa: MUS BLOG TT
Sharon: WAT

Movie Review: I Not Stupid Too

In a society wildly obsessed with foreign brands, foreign artistes, foreign films and even foreign talents, local productions usually take a backseat to Hollywood blockbusters. The writer has to confess that he had been so myopic as to share such a view until he caught Jack Neo’s latest production, “I Not Stupid Too” (INSToo). INSToo is not a film with intricate twists or messages hidden beneath cryptic and arty storylines that requires one to wrack one’s brain over. Instead, INSToo tastefully (proponents of perfect language will disagree for vernaculars and dialects are extensively employed throughout the film) and deftly presented the grim reality plaguing contemporary society that threatens to weaken the very foundation of families and forever sever communication between the young and old.

More than being just a drama/comedy, the film explores pertinent issues extensively in our contemporary society that requires the immediate attention of all children, students, parents and educators. Throughout the film, one (assuming one is local) would find many scenarios extremely and hauntingly familiar. Suddenly, it appears that we are not alone and the disease that inflicts our society, more specifically our families and education system, is pandemic.

INSToo explores the issue of public caning in schools extensively through the public caning of Tom in an incident that is somewhat reminiscent of the Ho Poh Fun (Angry RJC teacher caught on video) incident 3 years ago, albeit on a much more serious scale. Like the students in the film, I too was made to witness public caning at least twice in two different institutions over the past 12 years of education. Desensitisation must have worked wonders. I now wonder why I had, like the students in the film, so docilely sit through the entire gruesome process twice. Should I be coerced into witnessing another of such barbaric act, I would stand up and leave the place.

A major point that Jack Neo tries to put forth is the irony in how acts of love and care by children, parents and educators end up irking each other. The love manifested by parents to children, children to parents and educators to students are unequivocal and clearly manifested throughout the film but always ignored by the receiving party. MOE, for instance, is plagued by exasperated teachers who are extremely dedicated yet at the same time exceedingly inadequate in dissemination.

I teared while watching the prequel during a screening at my alma mater. I teared again while watching the sequel, but I was not alone. Sniffles could be heard from people all around me despite attempts to hold them back. Many heart-wrenching (and warming) moments revolving around the family would inevitably send most to tears.

The soundtrack has an uncanny semblance to Jay Chou’s music, but is in the right direction for the first time ever in a Jack Neo’s production.

Verdict:

Students, parents and educators, do yourselves a favour and catch this movie.

Letter: Reply to “Art of Naming” (TODAY, Nov 8, 2005)

The editors at Today must have went out for breakfast when this letter was published.

Here’s my reply.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I refer to the letter, “Art of naming” (TODAY, Nov 8) by Mr Heng Cho Choon.

While Mr Heng’s idea for better naming within Singapore is noble, has has made a plethora of fallacious assumptions in his letter. “Insipid” as “Bukit View” and “East View” may sound, his presumptions that these schools are “faceless” and “devoid of characer” are not only unfounded but are also extremely superficial.

Contrary to Mr Heng’s belief, naming a school after personalities such as our late President, Mr Ong Teng Cheong, will not allow the school to “immediately take on a new character”. For instance, the name “Yishun” is currently being used by two Secondary Schools and a Junior College. Not many people know that “Yishun” is named after our late forefather, Mr Lim Nee Soon. Being associated with a name with an illustrious history certainly did not seem to propel them into the leagues of “Victoria and Raffles”, at least not academically. Most would consider Yishun JC a neighbourhood Jc simply because Yishun is also the name of the neighbourhood.

Whilst having a branded name can help its students to identify themselves better with the school, the essence and character of a school ultimately depends on its people. I have studied in both so-called branded Secondary School as well as a neighbourhood JC and I fail to comprehend why any school can be “faceless” or “lack of character”. I have many friends who do not hail from branded schools and still thoroughly enjoyed their experience in their “unbranded” Alma Mater.

And why should a bridge not be named after Singapore River if it’s indeed located there? Have we forgotten that our forefathers used to live and work by the river? Indiscriminately adopting names of personalities for our schools, shopping centres or HDB neighbourhood will not infuse any character into them.

Best regards,

Of Love and…

of Indolence

I’ve learnt lately that no matter how slothful one can be, there is always some one in their life that can change that. For instance, there are two colleagues in my office who are infamous for their indomitable indolence and apathy in their undertakings. Not surprisingly, they have recently been handed the pink slip and given up till next June to leave (Yeah, I work in a pretty kind place to have given them 1 whole year to find a new job). Just yesterday, one of them asked me to swap my Friday duty with her. For the record, no one likes to do duty on Friday as non-duty personnel get to go home half-and-hour earlier than usual. I was surprised, and I inquired jokingly if she is going to pah tor (dating) later. She replied that her P2 child is having exams till Thursday and she would like to get home earlier to revise with him.

That, is the kind of sacrifice one is willing to make for someone dear to them, no matter how slothful one can be. Well, I guess so.

of Job Satisfaction

I’m not exactly sure how many of us really enjoy our job. Perhaps in contemporary society and especially so in a merit and cash-driven society like the one yours truly lives in, it can be really difficult to find the elusive perfect job. After all, even the poorest of our society does not have to worry about finding a shelter over his head (“Home, cheap home”, Today, October 14 2005). Ideally, our job should pay well, not too easy but not too challenging either. Such is the conundrum that plagues us relatively affluent citizens of the earth.

I was at the gents a while ago and there were a few foreign workers washing up. We have a lot of them around lately as we enjoy tearing down and rebuilding our offices ad nauseam. Anyway, that’s besides the point. Unlike us, they do not enjoy welfare benefits of 5-day work week (I believe our government is only interested in the procreation of Singapore citizens and the rich and powerful PR foreign talents). In fact, they slog through their weekends to finish their renovation jobs to satiate the insatiable demends of their affluent clients. Job after job, weekends after weekends, they were still in high spirits, singing songs in their native tongue in the gents at 5:30 pm. They weren’t singing because they’re knocking off like most of us do. In fact, for many of them, the work has really just begun. I mean, I don’t really expect the people in my office to tolerate all that drilling and knocking during office hours.

So what keeps them ticking? I would like to think that it must be the images of their wife and children back at home, thousands of miles across the seas – awaiting for a chance for education, awaiting for money to feed the children, perhaps. After all, the only reason why they left their family behind to slog on an alien land could only be in pursuit of one thing – bread. Perhaps, job satisfaction can really only be attained when one truly needs the job to fulfil the needs of one’s loved ones. Perhaps then, any job will do.

For now, looking at Apple’s latest offering (no, not the iPods) is beseeching the devil within to join the white side.

3 Years

3 years ago, I met a girl who carries a haversack not unlike those we see on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; just that hers is brighter and orange in colour. She was, and still is, very pretty. It’s a pity though, she often hung out with a fat buaya then. There were quite a few suitors, of course, but I guess the best always prevails in the end. I had the honour of being pitted against a damn yandao (I still disagree) and enterprising prince charming in his 20s, two ex-schoolmates of hers who were unequivocally obsessed with her, an ex-boyfriend, a classmate of ours that thinks he’s too smart and too yandao for his peers and a schoolmate that seeks to find out when we’ll break up.

The war was soon over and I left 2 of my buddies behind in the Fellowship of Bachelorhood to join my other buddy, Peng, who will be celebrating his 6th (or is it 7th??) year of anniversary real soon. Damn strong, right? The Fellowship soon saw a drop in its membership after my departure when Ming finally settled down with his true love after almost a year of agonising search. Bang, as much as you enjoy chairing the Fellowship, please hurry up and disband it, thank you.

I still remember the stupour I was in when I received her first phone call. Perhaps, it was the first time a girl, pretty one somemore, had initiated a phone call to me. Unfortunately though, that also happened to be the last. Or perhaps, it was the state of chaos over the other end of the phone that shock me. It was only later that I realised I will be dealing with 3 more little girls at her place. Anyway, it was the beginning of the school term and she was enquiring about the Interact Club. Although I was a member then, I was equally clueless about it. However, deep inside my heart, I secretly wished she would join the club, which she never did and I eventually left.

Once, we came across this orange Mambo haversack that she was deeply in love with. I went back a day later to get it for her as a birthday present, only to find out that the last orange piece in the whole world was sold. I was distraught. I bug the salesperson to bring in more stock, I went online to look for it, I pestered friends in Australia to help me keep a lookout, all to no avail. I didn’t know why, but I had never felt so disappointed for not being able to buy something. To date, I still feel a tinge of pity even though she no longer thinks haversacks are pretty. That was perhaps when I knew I wanted to provide her with everything for the rest of my life.

Thanks for putting up with all my nonsense in the past 3 years. And no problem, you’re most welcome if you want to thank me for being such a nice boy too. Happy 3 Years Anniversary.