Because of the inspiration from what Chris Williams started I have decided to start Ten Questions - Filipino Developers Edition. Basically, the idea is to interview well-known Filipino developers and ask them 10 questions that would shed light on their persona and their geekiness!
On this first go around we interview Migz Paraz, a fixture in the Philippine IT industry since the 90s. He is well-known for his involvement with the Filipino Java community and for his thoughts posted on his blog at paraz.com among others.
Ten Questions with Migz Paraz
1.) What's your real name and where are you from?
My real name is Carlos Miguel Alvarez Paraz :D from Mandaluyong City.. all my life!
2.) Who do you work for? Give me a 10 second pitch on them. Why would I want to buy their product or service?
I work for Novare Technologies - http://www.novare.com.hk. From a tech point of view, we design/implement/build/do PM and support telecom applications, mobile and fixed networks. You can buy one of our services in retail - go to any Smart wireless center and get BlackBerry service :) but we have many other projects, most of which you don't know that we are the ones providing :D My own project is for Mobile Instant Messaging - see http://www.neustar.biz/ngm/
Right now you can't buy their service in the Philippines (it's mostly in Europe and other Asian countries) ... but soon you can :D
3.) What brought you to your current employer?
I was brought in by a friend of mine who is now the head of software development, support and PMO. This was back in 2006 when the corporate setup was different from it was now. They were engaged in another business (which is now closed) and they wanted someone to work on and lead the NeuStar account <-- that's me ! :D
Now, what brought me in why did I join / why did they get me? In my previous career, before software dev, I was into ISPs and IP networks so my experience there (dekada 90 pa :D ) is carried over into this job, even now if i do primarily software dev.
4.) A lot of folks known you from the 90s. Can you still remember your call to fame? What was it?
I set up one of the first internet providers - this was before telco's were into the game. my work was mostly Linux, some IP networks, and a little coding - hacking on Perl scripts (custom stuff) and C (open source programs we used for providing the service). Unfortunately this company is gone.
5.) How do you compare IT geeks back then and now. What do you think the new geeks miss by not being an IT hacker back in the 90's?
Oh! Actually I think more of the opposite - if only I were a new geek now, with so much new stuff !!!
So the opportunities are really more on the business side. Stuff you take for granted now were still in their early stages... the Internet, web sites (still Web 1.0) online gaming, etc. Honestly, I think the young geeks have it better now.. not only technologies per se, but the culture of openness (e.g. blogging).. we didn't have it much back then... well, we had more chatrooms :D hehe
6.) Describe a typical Miguel day?
My work day... officially starts at 1PM now since I'm following the Israel time zone. officially ends at 10PM but it rarely finishes on time! So my work has a lot of chat and telecons, since it's offshore.
What I do.. I take part in the requirements/specifications process, up to the system design, coding ... and QA (which is also outsourced to my company). The work itself is all Java.
But there's a lot of interfacing - with both the messaging product systems, and the mobile operators - since my projects are the interconnections between the product core and the customer systems aside from the client, I'm also responsible for internal training, and other technical stuff that can happen in Novare :) aside from that.. well my life is boring ;)
7.) Any non-technical hobbies? What are they and why?
I like the local music scene, but since I'm time-challenged now, I don't get to go out and just collect CDs instead. When my company is no longer in startup phase then I should have more time, to watch and hopefully play again! (I play drums)
I also play dancing games at arcades :D I'm probably the oldest player.. but who cares.
I also like reading non-fiction. I have read a LOT of wikipedia articles :) and i like collecting trivia, well that is non-technical but geeky anyway :D
8.) What do you think you would be doing now if you were not in IT?
I thought I'd like to be a writer, but I have writers block now! I don't get to update my blog. I'd probably be an academic... so in non-IT, I'd be into sociology, history, philosophy, :)
When I was young, I thought I'd be interested in physical sciences (e.g. physics, chemistry) but that didn't happen. I'm not really interested in owning/running my own business, so that doesn't help my plans to have My Own Hot Web Startup. Then of course in the fantasy world I'll have my own band... fantasy because I don't have much talent :(
9.) What's you advice to new geeks? What do you think they need to do to be better in this field?
Practice, practice, practice. for developers, computer science concepts don't get old even when tools, frameworks and even languages get old.
Also to balance out your hardcore geekhood, learn the other parts of software development: project management, business analysis, and other things that will use more of the right side of your brain. That includes skills like writing, reading and listening, and the mysterious "People Skills"
10.) Last question, what's your message to the person who used to sit beside you in your last job?
You rock!!!
Thanks Migs! That was a fun conversation.
Posted
Jun 20 2008, 03:40 PM
by
keithrull