Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by T+1

Survery for IT usage in Malaysia law firms

T+1 — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 23:57:23 +0800

According to a survery in 2006 (http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/bar_news/berita_badan_peguam/the_it_and_cyberlaws_committee_it_survey.html), IT usage in small legal firms was lacking then. Any changes in this situation in recent years?

If a small law firm is going to be setup, can a case/matter management system help improve the productivity for a small team (2-5 lawyer and assistants)? There are a few online case/matter management systems in overseas, I am curious whether local law firms are willing to store their data and electronic documents in remote offsite servers (not in their own offices). Although those vendors claim to be very secure, provide automatic backup and the services are offered at inexpensive monthly subscription fee (RM75-RM150 monthly per user), I think the law firms will insist to keep their confidential documents in the office.

Anybody has used of any sort of law office software? Or can provide your point of view in this?

Project bonus in ICT companies

T+1 — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:56:06 +0800

Recently I got a job offer as solution architect in a local company which is a ICT solutions provider. During interview, the interviewer told me that a portion of project profit will be shared among developers as project bonus upon project completion.

My current company also give project bonus -- but only to sales team and those involved in pre-sales (consultants). Instead, developers get nothing directly from implementing and developing the project. I do agree that sales team is entitled for commission as they help bring in sales. But I am upset that developers are not getting any recognition from delivering the project on budget. Most multi-millions RM projects in my company have 30-40% profit margin.

What (kind of) companies in Malaysia that give project bonus to technical staffs?

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Btw, although my current company is growing fast, I can see that there is no suitable career path for me. As analyst programmer/team lead, I will either be promoted to be (assistant) manager or consultant, whereas my career goal is to be hands-on software architect. There are "solution architects" in my company. However their main job are doing pre-sales and preparing proposals, and they have no technical background.
I attended a few interviews (2 of them are large MNC) and I asked the interviewers about their technical career path. Almost all of them have similar hierarchy. So, the cruel reality is that in most companies, what get you promoted is not your technical skills but your people skill, communication skills, management skills and political skills (I know the importance of those skills and I am improving them, but my technical skills are far better)

How to Climb the Corporate Ladder Effectively

T+1 — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:34:06 +0800

How to Climb the Corporate Ladder Effectively
[attachmentid=1046702]
source:http://www.careerhacker.com/2007/10/07/tips-for-climbing-the-corporate-ladder/

in my previous years of working life in small companies, i always focus on my technical competencies- show initiative, take risks & volunteer for difficult assignment and keep learning. dunno it's my luck or some things i miss, even though i am always the key person in the company, my achievement in term of monetary rewards is just average.

after joining my current company (mid-size listed) which is growing, i found a shocking truth. ppl get rewards not bcoz of producing good works but helping the companies in making money. even through many previous projects are in mess (bcoz the lack of technical skills and effective management (my superior admitted this and asked me to help improve it onwards)), those who close the sales, cut off the projects to collect the full payments through negotiations become the heroes and were rewarded handsomely.

will all excellence in technical works be overlooked? should i move to project management & planning in order to climb the corporate ladder (although my passion is in technical)?

my biz plan related to MLM

T+1 — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 20:21:51 +0800

i m considering to develop a CRM system (focus more on sales force automation) for MLM.
i did work in MLM for a few months before, but i dunno whether they have any system for sales force management. even they have a system, are there any limitation or missed features?

i see this as an opportunity bcoz MLM is booming in malaysia . hopefully i can get more feedback from ppl who r familiar in MLM.

Recruitment firms in jobstreet

T+1 — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:29:32 +0800

i find that most jobs i m interested r posted through recruitment firms (headhunter companies) in jobstreet.
the remuneration offered is usually much better than average job postings. just curious that if the job is so darn good, why don't the companies post the job directly instead of through the recruitment firms. at least the job seeks can learn the background of the companies.

How Motivated are You?

T+1 — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 00:19:17 +0800

How Motivated are You?

QUOTE

LEVEL 1 (barely there)

You Work Out Because: You have no particular reason for working out.

Your Motivation Type: Amotivation
No external or internal factors influence your activity, so no activity occurs.

LEVEL 2

You Work Out Because: Other people like you better when you're in shape.

Your Motivation Type: External Regulation
The mind responds to outside stimuli, though no internal motivation exists.

LEVEL 3

You Work Out Because: You would feel bad about yourself if you didn't.

Your Motivation Type: Introjected Regulation
Internal motivations begin to form, but limited positive outcome occurs.

LEVEL 4

You Work Out Because: You believe it's important and beneficial for health and lifestyle.

Your Motivation Type: Identified Regulation
Motivations become more positive, resulting in prolonged positive behavior.

LEVEL 5 (all the way)

You Work Out Because: You simply enjoy it.

Your Motivation Type: Intrinsic Motivation
Positive activity is performed for extended periods because of pleasure response.

QUOTE

In a 2004 study published in the International Journal of Sport and Health Science, researchers classified 486 exercisers on a motivation scale. This included people who were intrinsically motivated to exercise -- they did it because it was fun -- and those given some outside motivation to start moving. The results: Six months into the study, the intrinsically motivated people who were still exercising outnumbered their externally prodded peers three to one.
...
Indeed, the only thing that comes close to matching pure intrinsic motivation when it comes to perseverance is what SDT researchers call "identified" motivation -- that is, people who have come to truly believe exercise is worth doing because it's good for you and the benefits are valuable. "Identified motivation can be nearly as powerful as intrinsic motivation," says Philip Wilson, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology at Canada's Brock University who has researched SDT and exercise.

So if liking exercise is the key to sticking with it, what makes us like it? SDT researchers say you're intrinsically motivated to do an activity if it meets three basic needs. The first is autonomy -- the choice to do it was made by you, not somebody else. The second is competence -- you know what you're doing, or are at least becoming better at it. The third is relatedness -- the activity connects you in some way to other people.

sauce: http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?s...1eac____&page=1

i think most people (including me) start workout because of level 2 motivation- either to lose some weight or gain some weight. after reading this article, i find that it's true that those who r persistent into exercises r people who really enjoy the exercises - breaking PR, new record in running, 6 packs, etc (improving competence).

How many hours per week do you exercise?

T+1 — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 14:00:36 +0800

i read a blog in dailymuscle, more Malaysians are aware of healthy lifestyle but it seems that relatively few ppl who exercise regularly.

so i would like to know how many of u exercise regularly
and if u don't exercise, what is the excuse/reason? (no time, too tired, boring, not necessary, i m fit ...)

Fat Nation: Can Malaysians stomach this?

T+1 — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 23:16:05 +0800

a news in New Straits Time:
Fat Nation: Can Malaysians stomach this?
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Fri...icle/index_html

This is: Malaysia has the most number of fat people in the Asean region. In fact, the number of fat people here exceeds that in many developed countries, including Germany and France.

In the last 10 years, the number of fat people has more than doubled, resulting in more Malaysians falling ill and diseases such as hypertension and diabetes shooting up.

A survey shows that 54 per cent of the adult population is either obese or overweight. Ten years ago, it was only 24.1 per cent.

The MySoN (Malaysian Shape of the Nation) survey also shows that 48 per cent of Malaysian men and 62 per cent of Malaysian women are fat.

...

ur dream physique

T+1 — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 22:30:07 +0800

found this photo of Frank Zane

to me, he got the perfect physique- lean, well-toned and symmetrical

dipping belt

T+1 — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 15:46:42 +0800

anyone know where can i buy a dipping belt in PJ area?
i have asked 3 fitness equipment shops in 1 utama & mid valley, but none of them sell dipping belt. they just sell weight belt.

wanna to boost my lower chest with chest dips

fat or lean!?

T+1 — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 17:54:20 +0800

simple method to check whether we r fat or lean

(adapted from http://www.accumeasurefitness.com/descript.html)

The site you will use for skinfold measurement is the suprailliac (approximately one inch above the right hipbone).
check the thickness of ur skin (at position as shown in the figure)
Repeat three times and use the average as your measurement. Refer to the body fat interpretation chart to determine your body fat percentage and what it means.

i dun have the caliper, so i just estimated with fingers only
hehe, i have about 12.7% body fat, which is considered ideal