| A friend of mine said, "I've visited your web sites, | | | | room using overhead monitors, and/or an email |
| viewed your articles, and took a look at your | | | | presentation - Power Point has it all! The user is |
| background." It's apparent to me, you do not have a | | | | empowered with an outline to help organize his/her |
| background in Information Technology (Computer | | | | thoughts, an on-screen slide show with special |
| Science) or Business Intelligence as a field of study | | | | effects such as animated bullet points, speakers |
| acknowledging Computer Science.' | | | | notes, and audience hand-outs. Users of Power Point |
| I wondered, does one have to have a background in | | | | create color schemes, masters, and templates...there |
| IT or BI to qualify as a professional in the industry; or | | | | are ways to create the look you want for your |
| does it take a simple interest? | | | | presentation. |
| AutoCad, C Language, Visual Basic, Power Point, Java | | | | Java Script: |
| Script, Excel, Access, Cobol, Word (Microsoft Suite), | | | | It is supposedly easy according to some Java Script |
| Data Entry/Processing, DOS, Fortran, Lotus Notes, | | | | authors. To start a simple script that makes cool |
| Management Information Systems, HTML, and | | | | things happen on your web page...in addition to more |
| Management cover a broad spectrum within the | | | | complicated stuff, as you need it. |
| beginning or preparation in the world of IT / BI. The | | | | Because the web is a dynamic medium, page |
| eclectic value of the specialization in one or more of | | | | designers want their pages to interact with the user. |
| this study group is the mastery and/or understanding | | | | It soon became obvious that HTML was insufficient |
| of all. | | | | to handle the demand. Java Script was invented by |
| About a week ago, I was contacted, recruited, and | | | | Netscape to control the web browser, and add |
| enrolled in a four-year college program. The recruiter | | | | pizzazz and interactivity to your web pages. |
| was adept at what she was doing and I went along | | | | Excel: |
| with the schedule as presented. I continually asked, | | | | Objectives - to reach the fundamentals of Microsoft |
| "How am I going to pay for these college courses?" | | | | Excel, to expose students to examples of the |
| When the prepared documentation was submitted | | | | computer as a useful tool, to develop an exercise - |
| for the finalization process, it all came down to dollars | | | | oriented approach that will allow students to learn by |
| and cents. The financial aid person finally made | | | | example and to encourage independent study. |
| contact with me assuming that I was a prime | | | | Students are introduced to Excel terminology, the |
| candidate for the 'Stafford Loan!' This is a general | | | | excel window, and basic characteristics of a |
| education loan designed for students to enroll in a | | | | worksheet and workbook. The applications include |
| given college. I explained to the administrator that I | | | | entering text, numbers, selecting a range using the |
| am without money, have no wish to establish a loan | | | | auto sum button, copying using the fill handle, |
| (for anything), unemployed, and not to mention...my | | | | changing font size, bolding, centering across columns |
| age is also a factor. With the ability to complete the | | | | and rows (columns and fields), the auto format |
| required studies, I would be done in less than a year. | | | | command, charting using the chart wizard, and the |
| I have three years of accredited college courses with | | | | auto calculate area through-out the grid of columns |
| an Associate Degree. I estimated that I would be | | | | and rows of the Excel spreadsheet. Any form of |
| paying off on a student loan for more than a few | | | | accounting, be it business, personal, or otherwise, |
| years, if I landed a job. I will soon be sixty years of | | | | Excel is a must study program for recording, charting, |
| age. Burdened with an educational loan that would | | | | and analytics. |
| probably be on my plate well after I'm sixty-five, I | | | | Access: |
| asked the recruiter and financial aid worker, "Do you | | | | Microsoft Access includes two tools that provide |
| really believe that I would take out a loan for an | | | | assistance in helping to refine the design on an |
| extravagant amount of money in the hopes that I | | | | Access database. The GUI (Graphic User Interface) |
| would get hired...at my age?" Even if I were to start | | | | Development Environment of Microsoft Access, with |
| up a new business, a loan would be a bit | | | | menu commands, tool bars, buttons, tool tips, |
| risky...improbable. It would have been a good thing if I | | | | examples and help screens make development easier. |
| were able to get back into the classroom. | | | | Sound, quality relational database design and |
| Whatever happened to the H1-B Program, The | | | | development requires considerable knowledge and |
| NAFTA Treaty, or the "Financial Hardship" Claus with | | | | expertise, no matter what the platform. Access, a |
| the "Obama Letter" and/or ex-workers that are | | | | Relational Data Base Management System, has the |
| forced into the utilization/awarding of UC Benefits? | | | | ability to manage data files from a single database. A |
| I was promptly dropped from the student roles by | | | | must study course for any and all Data Base |
| the four-year college. | | | | Administration, Business Administration, Secretarial |
| Meanwhile, I am offering data that may help anyone | | | | Administration, and Computer Science students. |
| who is interested in the pursuit of computer science | | | | Word (CMOU - Certified Microsoft Office User): |
| knowledge. Should you be attempting to enroll in | | | | Creating and Editing word documents; Wizards and |
| computer science and management courses, this | | | | Templates to create a Cover letter and Resume; |
| information will give you a leg up on what is entailed | | | | creating a Research Paper with a Table; creating |
| in this multi-faceted field of study. Many schools will | | | | Web Pages; creating a document with a Title Page |
| teach these courses as pre-requisite(s) to advanced | | | | and Tables; generating Form Letters, Mailing Labels, |
| courses in a four-year college. Even if you are not | | | | and Envelopes; creating a Professional Newsletter, |
| enrolled or intending to enroll in school but only | | | | and using Word Art to add Special Text Effects to a |
| interested in how it all works, the limited amount of | | | | Word document. |
| information that is detailed in this message will | | | | DOS (Direct Operating System): |
| probably aid you in your preparation and/or research. | | | | Before Windows, there was DOS. With just a few |
| The outlined courses are: | | | | mouse clicks, any Windows PC can revert to the |
| COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language): | | | | original "Disk Operating System." Under DOS, all |
| COBOL was first released in the 1960s as a joint | | | | program files are named with either a COM, and EXE, |
| venture of industry, universities, and the United | | | | or a BAT ending (called a filename extension). The |
| States Government. COBOL's purpose was to | | | | DIR (Directory) Command is used to find files by |
| provide a high-level computer programming language | | | | name as well as to locate files in other Sub |
| for the business world. COBOL directly addresses the | | | | Directories on a disk. The output of the DIR |
| basic needs of information processing while being | | | | command shows a list of files on a disk. The list has |
| easy to use as well. (Take a look at SQL). | | | | five columns: the file's name, the file's extension (part |
| COBOL, BASIC, C, JAVA, and PASCAL are examples | | | | of the name), the file's size (in bytes or characters), |
| of high-end level computer language(s). A low-level | | | | the date the file was created or last modified, and |
| language is a programming language requiring | | | | the time of the last modification (changes). |
| knowledge of a computers' internal components...that | | | | Lotus Notes: |
| are non-transferable. | | | | Lotus Notes is a Document-Centric Database |
| Auto Cad (Computer Assisted Design): | | | | Management System. Lotus Notes is a |
| 2D (Dimensional) drafting tasks, allow you to get | | | | Cross-Platform, Secure, Distributed |
| acquainted with computer assisted designing. Auto | | | | Document-Oriented Database, Messaging Framework |
| Cad is designed to assist you in the creation of | | | | and Rapid Application Development Environment that |
| landscape plans, including setting up layers, adding | | | | includes Per-Built Applications. Lotus Notes is an |
| text and dimensions while making modifications. You | | | | Integrated Desktop Client Option for accessing |
| can create electrical diagrams using symbols and | | | | business email, and Groupware System. Lotus Notes |
| attributes. | | | | operates as the Client Side of a Client - Server |
| You are taught how to extract the attributes into an | | | | Application. |
| Excel Spreadsheet Program. Boolean operations and | | | | Fortran (A Scientific Language): |
| modeling construct and analyze complex 2D shapes | | | | Formula Translation - was designed to allow easy |
| and images for isometric drafting, a method for | | | | translation of math formulas into code of High-End |
| simulating 3D drawings and Lt drawings. Explaining the | | | | Language. Fortran was designed n the 1950s. It used |
| use of Auto Cad, one can learn to embed DWF | | | | the first compiler (A program that translates source |
| (Drawing Web format) files in web pages. An | | | | code into object code) ever developed. Fortran was |
| overview of Auto Cad and progressive projects | | | | designed to be a programming language that would |
| teaches you how to create drawing projects, | | | | be suitable for a wide variety of applications while |
| landscape plans, and/or electrical schematics. The | | | | being easy to learn |
| Internet related topics include direct access to | | | | Fortran expresses mathematical functions as it |
| particular web sites, opening and saving, drawings on | | | | permits severely complex mathematical functions to |
| the web, and embedding DWF files in a web page, | | | | be expressed similarly to regular algebraic notations. |
| C Language: | | | | RDBMS (Relational Database Management Systems): |
| The available text on C Language enables the | | | | RDBMS was designed for the business organization. It |
| student to be taught both a rational approach to | | | | requires extremely careful planning, setting up and |
| program development and an introduction to ANSI C. | | | | maintenance. A database is a collection of information |
| Because the first goal is primary, a disciplined | | | | that's related to a particular subject or purpose, such |
| approach to solving problems and applying widely | | | | as tracking customer orders or maintaining a music |
| accepted software engineering methods to design | | | | collection. If your database isn't stored on a |
| program solutions as cohesive, readable, and reusable | | | | computer, or only parts of it are, you may be |
| modules. ANSI C (American National Standards | | | | tracking information from a variety of sources that |
| Institute), is a standardized, industrial-strength | | | | you have to coordinate or organize yourself. Access |
| programming language known for its power and | | | | can manage all or your information from a single |
| portability. C Language helps the student consolidate | | | | database file, within the file, divide your data into |
| their understanding of pointers as arrays, output | | | | separate storage containers called tables; view, add, |
| parameters, and file accesses. Just prior to their | | | | and update by using forms; find and retrieve just the |
| exploration of the role of the pointer in dynamic | | | | data you want by using queries; and analyze or print |
| memory allocation. | | | | data in specific layout by using reports. RDBMS |
| C Language is widely perceived as a language to be | | | | Systems allow users to view, update, or analyze the |
| tackled only after one has learned the fundamental | | | | database's data from multiple locations. When the |
| of programming in some other friendlier language. | | | | data is updated, it is automatically updated |
| Designers as a vehicle for programming the UNIX | | | | everywhere it appears. |
| operating system, C Language found its original | | | | Information Management Systems (M.I.S.): |
| clientele among programmers who understood the | | | | MIS combines tech with business to get users the |
| complexities of the operating system and the | | | | information they need to do their jobs Better |
| underlying machine concepts that are not in the | | | | Smarter and Faster. MIS Systems are planned |
| syllabus of a standard introductory programming | | | | systems of the collecting, processing, storing, and |
| course. C Language is for computer science majors | | | | disseminating data in the form of information that is |
| and/or students of a wide range of other IT/BI | | | | needed to carry out the functions of management. |
| disciplines. | | | | The system(s) consist of people, equipment, and |
| Visual Basic: | | | | procedures to gather, sort, analyze, evaluate, and |
| The easiest and fastest way to write 32-Bit | | | | distribute needed, timely, and accurate information to |
| Windows-Based programs is the Microsoft Visual | | | | decision makers - "The Right Information to the Right |
| Basic Programming System. One can learn to work | | | | People At The Right Time!" |
| with ActiveX controls, compiler options, and new | | | | MIS is actually Information Technology Management |
| development tools. You can master programming | | | | and arguably not considered to be computer science. |
| fundamentals, including variables, decision structures, | | | | Armed with this information, the contingent, aspiring, |
| loops, and functions. Creating custom dialog boxes, | | | | Computer Science, Business Administration, Secretarial |
| clocks, menus, animation effects, managing text files, | | | | Sciences, Computer Hardware (A plus), and |
| encryption, and sorting algorithms are learned through | | | | Accounting Student(s) will be prepared to face the |
| the utilization of Visual Basic Programming. VB also | | | | challenges the IT/BI industry and the respective |
| adds dimension and automation to integrate Microsoft | | | | colleges have to dish out. |
| Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook, and other | | | | My friend and other cynics have caused me to |
| features into an application. Other examples of the | | | | wonder after comments were made. I wondered, |
| integrational power of Visual Basic include the ability | | | | what does it take...what form of study qualifies as a |
| to explore ActiveX controls that process RTF (Rich | | | | computer science student with a major in IT/BI? |
| Text Format), run videos, display progress | | | | Well, I've studied all of the aforementioned programs |
| information, and play audio compact discs (CDs). You | | | | and/or courses with an acceptable level of |
| can also call the memory management function in the | | | | understanding, study, utilization, and practice...not to |
| Windows API (Application Program Interface), | | | | mention all of the other technological software |
| download FTP (File Transfer Protocol), and HTML | | | | programs, articles, periodical reports, and |
| (Hyper Text Markup Language) files from the | | | | white-papers involved in the learning process? Is it |
| Internet and design DHTML (Dynamic Hyper Text | | | | due to my background and experience in the |
| Markup Language) pages, exploit ActiveX data | | | | Transportation / Hospitality / Customer Service |
| objects (ADO) with learned skills from Visual Basic. | | | | Industry for a good many years? Or was it in fact... |
| Power Point: | | | | IT/BI Study/Research was secondary? "One Never |
| Power Point is a computer presentation graphics | | | | Knows...Do One?" |
| package. It gives you everything you need to | | | | What would it take to qualify as having a background |
| produce a professional-looking presentation, i.e., word | | | | in the field of "IT/BI - Computer Science" after |
| processing, outlining, drawing, graphing, and | | | | studying all of those courses? |
| presentation management tools. A formal | | | | The point is...GAINED KNOWLEDGE! |
| presentation to a large audience using 35mm slides of | | | | Til next time... |
| a more intimate presentation in a small conference | | | | |