Brian On Software

I have been an IEEE member and an IEEE Computer Society member since 2003, the year I started my undergraduate studies.  From 2003 to 2007, I have been a Student Member, and since graduating, I have been a Professional Member.  The main reason I decided to join such an organization as a student was simply because I wanted to have one foot in the academic world(what I prefer to call the ‘perfect world’) and another foot in the industrial world (what I prefer to call the ‘real world’).  Being a student member of the IEEE Computer Society also proved itself useful when I was being interviewed for various internships in the course of my studies because it ‘demonstrated’ to potential employers that I had extra interests in the field of software development and technologies.  In a nutshell, the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society is like a sea of information that provides the latest news and information in the field of research, achievements, innovations, inventions, policies, standards that targets both students and professionals alike.

Last week, the IEEE Computer Society’s president sent a newsletter to all the members.  Immediately after reading it, I thought to myself that I should quickly write a post about it to encourage computer science and software engineering students to become members of this fine organization.  <NOTE>: I was not asked neither by the IEEE, nor by the IEEE Computer Society nor by anyone related to the IEEE to write this post.  I believe that every practical student should keep his/her eyes in the “real-world” while having his/her feet grounded in the “perfect world”.  I also believe that the IEEE Computer Society is an excellent medium that delivers high quality information on what’s going on in the industry to students, so that when they graduate, for example, they won’t feel too lost when being interviewed for some position at a company.</NOTE>

For instance, 2008 IEEE Computer Society student members will enjoy a terrific new member benefit: they can access free development software from Microsoft (as long as it is used for research or educational purpose, of course!)  Software includes Vista Business, Visual Studio, Expression Web Designer, and much more.  Student members can also participate in the exclusive annual student competition “The IEEEXtreme 24 Hours Programming Challenge“, which is a worldwide contest in which teams of student members, supported by an IEEE Student Branch, advised and proctored by an IEEE Member, compete in a 24-hour time span against each other to solve a set of programming problems.

There are also other benefits for being a member of the IEEE Computer Society, including:

• FREE access to over 1,300 online courses http://computer.org/elearning
• Cutting edge resources and computing information are available at discounts up to 50% off the non-member rate
• FREE access to 500 IT books and technical articles. http://computer.org/elearning
• Special student benefits. http://computer.org/students
• Free fully portable email alias: You@computer.org http://computer.org/webaccounts/alias.htm
• Generous discounts on registration fees for more than 170 conferences, symposia and workshops. For upcoming events review our online calendar http://computer.org/conferences
• The strength of an organization of nearly 90,000 members and 150 local chapters worldwide…can you say ‘networking’?

So how much does all this cost?  Less than 30$ a year!  If that’s too much money for one year, I suggest that you start selling those chemistry and humanities books laying around on your bookshelf.  The membership fee pays for itself since a single license of Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition is much more expensive than 30$!  No excuse if you’re a .NET developer/student!

I’m such a fan of the IEEE Computer Society, that when I received my IEEE Professional Member sticker, I had to think for a long while where would be a good place to put it on.  A car bumper?  A fridge?  A laptop lid?  Nah.  I decided to stick it somewhere very important to me: the Bible my pastor gave me after graduating from university.  Next time I hear someone telling me that I’m a church fanatic, I can also tell him/her ‘You’re right…and I’m also an engineering fanatic!”

Back in 1997, Steve McConnell wrote an article for IEEE Software called “The Programmer Writing“. At the end of the article, Steve clearly states the reason why you should write or blog about your passion, knowledge and experience in software development:

If you are actively developing software, I urge you to write about your insights. If you have worked on a project that taught you valuable lessons, share them—whether they are coding details, quality assurance practices, more effective project management, or even a software development topic that doesn’t have a name yet. Submit your writing to IEEE Software or some other magazine, or fully develop your ideas into a book. If your insights are stronger than your writing, find a consultant, seminar instructor, university professor, or other skilled writer to be your co-author. You don’t need to worry that what you have learned won’t apply to other people’s projects. As Emerson says, “Success treads on every right step. For the instinct is sure, that prompts him to tell his brother what he thinks. He then learns that in going down into the secrets of his own mind he has descended into the secrets of all minds…. The deeper he dives into his privatest secretest presentiment, to his wonder he finds this is the most acceptable, most public, and universally true.”

That reason is the reason why I blog about software development. It’s more than a career; it’s a passion! What’s your reason?