Warning: This blog is too geeky, as usual.

There is an ICT exhibition at the Exhibition Center. (what a way to break the news )

I remember an exhibition that I went to when I was in my freshman year. I was so inspired by what I saw and my awe was one of the reasons I chose a career in technology. I can trace back the cause of some of the major events in my tech life to that event. Let us see... I remember these:

• Concepts Data Systems and their impressive PBX software. I didn't know how to develop for Windows then and I was so impressed with some curvy graphic on the titlebar that I asked for the source code. The guy smiled and said that the source code was a secret. I later went home and modified the GUI library I built for Turbo C++ to render a curvy titlebar . Ever since then, even after I learned to program for Windows, I have been obsessed with GUIs that just looked different. It was only this year that I attempted to write a phone application though;)
• Noble Sat with all their games and Maya 4. I remember how badly I wanted Maya when the guy told me it was the software that "The Matrix" was made with. At that time, I was one of those geeks who just loooovvvveeeed The Matrix. Yet, I was fiddling with 3D Max then and I was too reluctant to admit that there could be a better software. I think it is a trait with all computer people to be biased towards the software they use. Anyhoo, another friend brought me Maya 5 a few months later, and because of The Matrix, I decided to try it. I was hooked. A large chunk of my time off classes was spent on this software and I eventually became good at it. Later I had the chance to participate in professional (and rewarding) work with the software.
• AAU Electrical and Computer Eng'g Department with the car game they designed, together with the controller.This was something that I never thought could possibly be done in Ethiopia. My response to the presenter was simple - "See you next year". I joined the ECE department and I guess I defined my life.
• A company introducing Windows .net as the version to replace Windows XP. Instead, it came out as the .net framework and we only have the Release Candidate of the version to replace Windows XP.
• A company showcasing the iMac.
  I still remember the excitement I had when the CD drive popped out of the base of the monitor . That was design for me. I later had the chance to briefly work on a Mac at a graphics studio - beautiful piece of Hardware/Software. At my first real job interview, the interviewer (a Chinese) asked me what I would do first if he gave me a million dollars. I told him I would buy a Mac. He was dumbfounded. They hired me anyways.

That exhibition was a few years ago . This year, I had a lot more ego and considered most of the companies there as competition. I first went to the booth where the company I work for part-time was showcasing our work. After feeling some ego boost, I turned to see one of our most worthy competition (can't say the name;)). Me and a colleague once had to represent my company for a technical abilities test. After two rounds our companies were the only two left. In the final showdown, they beat us.(very unnerving when you find that you have spent 3 hours on an error that shouldn't even be considered as an error! Even more unnerving to find that you were beaten after three days of grueling configurations - without lunch.). I went over their booth and boy I had such an ego deflation. They had their stuff together and their booth looked so pro.
Then I saw a booth for an animation school. I thought, that was one area I could always feel confident in. And yes - more deflation. The teacher knew his stuff and what's more, he was doing stuff with it. Me on the other hand have only been feeding my ego all these years.
Then I came across a really interesting booth specializing in data care. These guys had a tagline "your data paramedics". I loved it. So specialized - so neat. Deflation number 3.
I dragged myself to another booth and there were these young people introducing a software that I once had an idea of building. More deflation.
My severely deflated ego didn't deter me from inspiring others though. My little brother (funny, I typed browser by mistake) and his friend came over to see the show. My colleagues showed them around our booth and I could see that gleam in their eyes. Later my brother told me he was so proud that he couldn't stop saying "my brother did this", "my brother did that" and his friend had decided to learn programming.
After leaving the show, I felt so minuscule and wondered whatever happened to that young ambitious kid who wanted to do everything. Soon I figured out that the problem was the kid tried to do everything - jack-of-all-trades master of none! That was a valuable lesson. I have always known it but I never actually quite felt it till now. We will have to wait and see what this lesson will do to my life .
Bottom Line(s)

1. Everyone, go see the show. You don't have to be a geek to see the show. You might get something.
2. For the ICT companies and budding professionals, please specialize. Find something you can do very well and cultivate it.
3. For the people just getting into the field - ignorance is bliss. Enjoy it while you can.