About BDPA

For those of you interested in knowing more about the BDPA organization, check out this great T.V. interview with its founder.

http://vimeo.com/25390274

Popular Technology TV | 2011 Pilot Episode from bdpatoday on Vimeo.

FYI: The National Convention is coming in August.

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Free Training - Sign Me Up!

BDPA Charlotte had their monthly meeting in a new location last night. We were at Metrotek which is located across from Microsoft. It was one of the best meetings I've ever attended with our group.

A fellow named Larry Edwards gave a presentation on Project Management and Six Sigma. How they are alike, how they are different and how they be leveraged for one another. I thought it was very informative and a good introduction into those two disciplines.

A lot of great folks turned out, we had folks from Wells, Bank of America, AT&T and a few other companies as well.

And then there was the great give-away. Metrotek gave everyone in attendance access to their Microsoft Project Certification Course free of charge. They are also going to do a drawing for all those that attended and give away additional training. If that is not some great ROI on an hour spent mingling with IT folks, I'm not sure what you are looking for.

For those of you who do not know, Charlotte is currently giving away $2,000,000 in training. If you are NOT employed, you need to contact Metrotek today and ask about their program. The training can be done virtually or self paced. The opportunity is knocking at your door.

Oh, and there was free food. (Quizno's...I love a good sandwich).

If you are in Charlotte, look us up, and join us, http://www.bdpacharlotte.org.

Markus Beamer

Building a Pipeline of American Talent

I was sitting with some folks last week, after watching Wayne Hicks recieve recognition at the Microsoft Charlotte campus. We had a very interesting conversation which struck a cord with me. We were talking about the need to create a pipeline, a steady stream, of high quality minority talent. Specifically for companies looking to hire this talent.

Now, this idea is not all mine, so I certainly won't take credit for it, but I thought I'd discuss it a bit.

The realization was that, maybe, just maybe, the BDPA SITES program is allready setup to deliver just such a pipeline.

Think about it from a hiring companies perspective. They need to find top talent for junior level technical positions. Typically they would service this need by going to College Events and other well known HR practices.

But how do they find those really talented kids. The ones that have a 4.0 but also have real world experience. Those talented "Lebrauns", "Kobes" and "Shaqs" of the IT world.

I know that we (BDPA) know who those students are, I personally can tick off 4 in the last two years. It's those students who have gone through our Youth Technology Camp then gone on to our "High School Computer Academy" and then followed up on our collegiate program the "IT Showcase". It's students who have had in-depth conversations and mentorship by real working IT Professionals, year after year.

So when you find one of these students, you know you have found an individual who:

• Excels at technology
• Understands technology
• Is able to develop and deliver real world solutions
• Is capable of functioning appropriately in a company environment
• Has excelled academically and professionally
  

Put simply, these companies would find that they have a student who is ready to work and able to learn how to perform the job quicker and easier than your normal college graduate.

A reliable, flexible and productive employee is a very solid ROI (Return on Investment). One might even say it is the most import measure for an HR department. BDPA has the ability to offer those candidates on a platter.

As a hiring manager, you want to get your new higher to produce as soon as possible and you want your new hire to be flexible to the nuances of your business. BDPA students deliver on both fronts.

So what does BDPA ask in return, just a few things:

First: Cash. It costs to get the right equipment, to market to the right youths, to give the youths experiences that will prepare them for the work force. It simply takes money.

Second: Internships. You can only get experience by working. I've found that most of our students stand out as interns. Even when our high-school students are interning with college students. We encourage companies to setup high-school and college internships, both paid and unpaid, where our students can learn and contribute.

Third: On the job Advancement. Once on the job, evaluate theirperformance, advance them as needed. They will shine, but you must give them opportunity to do so. Doing so will allow them to find other good employees to join your company.

All in all, it was an interesting conversation. It definitely needs some polish. I'd like to put a deck together illustrating this concept in simpler (fewer) words.

But sometimes it's more important to simple capture the thought.

Please keep in mind, these are my personal thoughts and opinions and not necessarily the opinions of BDPA at a national level.

Thoughs? Comments?

Charlotte BDPA - 2011 Kickoff

We had the Charlotte BDPA 2011 kickoff meeting last night. I think it went very well. A little recap of what I remember off the top of my head.:

• Diondre, with IBN Consulting, is interested in teaching folks a number of IT topics, his business has an office downtown and has been training folks for a few months now. Definitely want to keep in touch with this guy.

• Sheila (spl?) - The Urban League has a new program, they are giving CISCO certifications to 11th and 12th graders. The programs are held at Phillip O'Berry. Sounds like there are some nice perks with the program as well. (Laptop, software and such). She needs IT professionals to come by and speak about the career. I told her to count me in. If you know of anyone or are interested, reach out to me.

• 2 BDPA members recently moved to new roles within thier current companies. You know I love to hear news like this.

• The Charlotte BDPA 2011 calendar is full of education and training opportunities for adult professionals. A bit of a change in focus for our chapter but a refreshing one.

• Charles - With APEX has a few development, PM and BA job opportunities for anyone who is looking.
  

All in all, it was a good meeting and better networking. I'm looking forward to our next meeting in Feb.

Hope you are starting the year off right.

Intro to Data Warehouses

This is a recent presentation I gave on data marts and data warehousing techniques. This only scratches the surface and there are a loot of places to dive deeper.


Date Warehousing

What is RAM?

So the Hot One, my wife, comes to me the other day with a flyer in her hand..."Is this laptop a bargin?"

"Sure, but you'll need more Ram", I said.

"Why" says the 10 year old.

"It'll run faster", I answered.

Now, what most people want to know is "How much do I need", here is the short answer: 3GB.

And here is the long answer. Most people may vaguly remember that RAM is memory. However, I like to think of it as the ability for a computer to multi-task.

The more RAM a computer has the better it will be at multi-tasking. You see, each program and application you open will request an amount of RAM for its own exclusive use. This is ok, but at some point the computer has no more to give. Now, being a good tool, the machine does not stop working, but it does start running slower. And as you keep opening windows it will get slower and slower.

So in conclusion, the more RAM you have the "things" you can do with your machine without affecting the speed.

Like all rules, this one has an exception. Some programs when they load, go ahead and take up all available RAM. You know who these greedy beast are before you even fire them up...cause usually they are the only thing you have open. Examples would be: 3D games, Virtual Boxes and Development environments.

The other time that RAM really comes into play is on start up. The computer needs to start a million things at once...to speed this up it constantly swaps part of the programs being started into and out of memory. The more memory you have the more it can switch and swap.

Here's a quiz for you... What can you do to speed up your machine, without spending money on new "hardware"?

By the Way: Join me in Charlotte, Feb 6th for the Annual HSCC Open House. We're teaching kids how to build Java websites this year. More Info at bdpa-charlotte.org

What is a Server?

As a Business Analyst, part of my job is translating technical terms to non-technical folks. The trick is to do it as simply as possible.

So, What is a Server?

A server is a computer that sends and receives data to and from other machines.

A server can send and receive a lot of different types of data. But in some cases the server only handles a certain type of data. Some examples:

• Web Server - Sends web pages
• Media Server - Sends images, videos and mpgs
• Print Server - Sends print jobs
• File Server - Sends any type of file

And the list goes on. Now sometimes one physical computer will have multiple types of servers on it. This is cost effective and a lot of businesses do it. Microsoft even markets a product around it. The"Small Business Server" product does pretty much all of the above.

The most familiar server you will run into is a web server, you will need one of these to have a website. While it's the most familiar, I believe the most popular server is a file server.

What technical topics would you like to see covered next?

Possible BDPA-Charlotte Header

Julius is putting in some hard work over at http://www.bdpa-charlotte.com. I thought I'd take a quick break and throw something his way.

Click to get full view.

Any ideas on how to make this logo/header better? Too dark?

BDPA Charlotte Chapter President Elect

On Tuesday, 11/17, I was elected as Charlotte Chapter’s President Elect for 2010 and 2011. My first thoughts were around the amount of work that needs to get done. And there is a lot of work that needs to get done.

I have been with the Charlotte chapter for upwards of 8 years. Over the years I have meet many good passionate people through BDPA, participated in numerous events and seen many great things come out of the BDPA chapters.

The upcoming Charlotte President, Julius Clark, has a host of great ideas, projects and people that he is bringing with him into his administration. I want the members, both locally and nationally, to be comfortable with sharing their honest opinions and assessments of what we will be putting into motion.

As President Elect my role requires that I keep track and participate in almost every facet of the local chapter. However a few of my personal goals are to ensure the following takes place during my session:

• Focus on the long term viability of each project
• Track the day to day progress of our initiatives
• Ensure that we are receiving feedback on our initiatives
• Foster a sense of membership and family for all members involved

I am very much looking forward to my time in a leadership role with the Charlotte Chapter.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns please reach out to me.

Thank You for your Trust,

Markus Beamer

Java, .NET and PHP Pushers...Who Are They?

I assist in a community program where we introduce and teach high school kids to web development.

We typically teach between 30 and 40 kids each year.

It's always perplexed me why we are not marketed to when in comes to choosing which language to teach. Each year we go through a vote, discussion and rough conversation around teaching Java, PHP or .Net.

Each year the deciding factor is who is going to be conducting the most classes and what is their best language. We then usually go with that person's expertise.

My problem, usually the language you are first taught is the language you "default' to for the rest of your life. (the key word in that sentence is usually)

So if we are introducing these kids to thier first language, why is there not a Java, .NET, or PHP evangelical whispering in my ear...pick me, pick me.

It seems like an excellent way for a particular language to "buy" market share. And the market share would be for life.

Maybe our specific program is not large enough, but this is part of a national organization that teaches more than a few thousand students each year.

For those interested in the program, its called the BDPA HSCC program. It's affiliated with the national BDPA organization. I know of at least 20 different cities with successful programs.

Let me know if you have questions

Charlotte BDPA - President Elect for 2010

Hello, my name is Markus Beamer. I have been nominated for the 2010 President Elect position within the local Charlotte chapter of the BDPA. I look forward to getting your help in securing this position.

A little about my history with BDPA, I have been involved with the Charlotte chapter for the past 8 years, particularly with the High School Computer Competition (HSCC). I have assisted and trained over 200 youths in the Charlotte area during that time. I am extremely happy to say that during each of those years Charlotte has taken at least 5 youths to the National Competition.

During my time with the Charlotte chapter I have always been a confidant for the president and vice president of the organization. This year I took an extended step of becoming the VP of Strategy for the local chapter. Both roles have given me a unique perspective on the workings of the local chapter.

As for my agenda during my presidency, I believe that the local chapter needs to re-solidify its foundation. I have a simple plan to do this.

• First, find the right people. This is where it all starts. My first action will be to setup a process to find passionate people in the area who are willing to contribute to leading people from “the class room to the board room”.

• Second, set standards. Once we have the right people gathered and we decided on a course of action. My job will be to ensure that we setup a “process” for each project we work on. This will ensure that in future years the local chapter can continue on the successes of our prior work.

• Finally, ensure a line of succession. The final item I will focus on is ensuring that the local chapter of BDPA has a viable group of candidates that can provide solid leadership and continuation of our successes.

While doing the 3 actions above, we must keep the mantra of BDPA in mind “From the Classroom to the Boardroom”. My underlying goal is to see that the Charlotte chapter is able to create a systematic process for delivering this chain of movement. Starting with those teenage youths learning new technology and ending with those of you who may be sitting on the edge of boardrooms.

Finally, I leave you with this thought. The Charlotte chapter is in a time of re-birth. We know that rebuilding is needed. The chapter has become a boulder of potential at rest. My only hope is to nudge the boulder. If we can make it move the first foot, the second foot will be easier. If we can get it to roll a mile, it will roll forever.

And why do we do it? Because one day we will want to look back with pride in our hearts and a smile on our face from the good that we caused.

My High School Programmers

On August 7th, 2009, 3 freshman and 2 sophomore students from Charlotte, NC faced a field of programmers. They made up the youngest team of African American students that competed in this years Annual BDPA High School Computer Competition. Regardless of age they had intentions of winning and they represented Charlotte very well, placing in the top 10 teams nation wide.

They had committed the last 8 months worth of Saturdays to training and learning. Some did not now the very basics of web development when they started. On that day they were tasked with building a professional website using only the most basic of tools, but they had their wits about them.

They were asked to build a venture capitalist site, where companies could track monetary request and ROI on the request. And they were asked to build it in 7 hours.

Today, I can say that I am especially proud of these five Charlotte youths. Their accomplishment was no mean feat considering that the field of competition was selected from over 1,000 students and many other teams featured senior high school students.

Every year the BDPA, Black Data Processing Association, holds the national HSCC program in a different city. Every year between 20 and 30 teams come from all over the United States to compete. And every year the local Charlotte BDPA chapter has opened its class to any rising high school student who is willing to listen and learn about technology. From these young students, 5 are selected to compete in the regional or national competition. This years national competition was held in Raleigh North Carolina.

This year the national competition gave out the assignment to the students. It required that they build a venture capital website. On this site a company could request funds and track the requests. In addition to this users of the site could calculate a ROI on the investment. They were allowed no tools other than Notepad and Textpad and their own creative skills.

They were asked to build the site in 7 hours. This is a testament to their talent as I know some professionals who would be hard pressed to provide results in this amount of time.

For those of you who do not know, each year we, the local BDPA chapter, operate a learning class where we teach rising high school students how to build .NET web pages. We have students of all levels walk into our classroom, some having little to no computer experience, some having programmed for years. Regardless of their level of expertise, it is the programs responsibility to see that they walk out having learned a little more about technology.

The BDPA's mantra is "From the Classroom to the Boardroom", the Charlotte chapter strives to provide exactly this.

In previous years multiple HSCC students have gone on to internships within software development groups in the local area WHILE THEY WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL. Winners of the national competition will recieve scholarships to schools of thier choice. And this year BDPA and affiliates provided a full 4 year paid scholarship for an HSCC students from Columbia, SC. We follow through with these students progress as thier professional careers develop.

If you have a student that is interested in the program, we encourage them to come to our classes. They being the weekend after the Superbowl. The sessions are not expensive. Find out more by visiting, http://www.bdpa-charlotte.org

If you are interested in helping this program, in any way, please reach out to me. Someone reached out to you when you were younger, you should be returning the favor. It makes you feel good!