My Final Year Project Questioner

Hi,

I'm sorry I haven't posted a blog in a quite a while now. Well, now I'm in my final year of my B.Sc Degree in Software Engineering @ IIT which is affiliated with the university of westminster, UK. As for my final year project I have selected to do a project, which will enable the users to identify a lichen by just inserting an image of it on to the software tool. The once the image is processed by the software, the user will be informed about the name of the lichen and some small description about it. It will also have the feature, where users can input data like where the lichen was found and some basic information so that the user can keep track of the lichens that he has identified.

As for the current methods of lichen methods consume a lot of time and effort in identifying a lichen I have thought of automating this process. As at present I'm in the phase where I have to gather user requirements for the project. As there are not many lichenologists here in Sri Lanka, I have already made an online survey. I've already posted this link in a forum called the UBC Botanical Garden and center for plant research where people have started threads where they have posted images of lichens and asking experts in helping them to identify them.

As at now I'm not getting great many responses from it. So I thought of getting your help in this matter.

If you are a lichenologist, a student who is working on lichens, or person who is interested in identifying lichens please take 2 minutes in filling this questioner and help me in making this project a success. Please feel free to forward this link to any person who is interested in lichens so that they also can give feedback to improve this project.

Link to take the survey

I also thought of having a separate blog to keep log of my Final Year Project. I will be posting the link to that once I've created it.

Thanks.

8 Months have gone!

It’s the month of April and the date is 12th Sunday. Yes, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year is around the corner and I’m bored. So I thought of making this time a little productive by writing a status on how my placement @ IFS is going so far.

It’s like yesterday that I joined IFS as a total newbie to the co-operate world. Since that day I have done what I can for the foundation 1 JSF team. I tried my best to utilize every minute that I have for the betterment of the team. I can’t believe myself that it’s almost time to go back to IIT and study for the final year of my degree. 

And recently Nawavi a friend of mine who joined IFS as an employee @ the same time as me said that he patched a bug that I did to a German customer. I hope that particular customer will not send back a mail scolding him that the bug patch doesn’t work. 

It can sometimes be a bore doing the same thing over and over each day. Morning go to work, Work, and then come back home and eat sleep. And when that routine is being broken like today, it gets really bored doing almost nothing @ home. 

I just realized what I’ve just written…. Seems like I’m bored each day of the week! *confused smile* 

Well, these days work a bit hectic since I have come across a problem that is proving hard to solve. And on top of that I have 2 bugs to correct, which I have already corrected but I need to put them in to the code repository. Other than that I’m free as a bird. :)

Working in IFS is very enjoying because there is little or almost no stress (At least for me). And the lunch and tea time gives me the opportunity to ponder about the future and chit chat with friends. :O I'm gonna miss the free lunch! :)

Well, all in all life is going on fine here. Hope yours is too… 

Wishing you all a Happy Sinhala and Tamil New Year,

Mayura “podiman” Wijeyaratne.

Six months have passed @ IFS

I can’t believe that I have already worked for six months @ IFS. It seems like yesterday that I started my placement. I think that I feel like that because I have been working and working and if there isn’t any work I nudge them until they give me work and that maybe why I feel this way.

            Well, to be honest, at the moment I have nothing to do. The bug queue is almost empty and there are a couple cases but all waiting for answers from the customer. I’m in the 7^th floor and in the middle of the floor but a really good place (if you get what I mean ;) ). I have a couple of friends from the training days in my floor so I’m not all lonely J.

            My work isn’t much hard any more, since I know where to look for the files now. I’m working on some GUI enhancement of an installer and waiting for it to get approved by the high ranked people. This is a really negligible little enhancement when you consider the product that we already have but I feel that I have done a good job on it.

            Prof. Alfred is supposed to come to IFS to see if I’m filling in the “log book” properly and to see how good is my work but he has still not come (good that he is late coming cuz if he comes and see me doing nothing and writing this, I might not get the degree ;) ).

            An assignment came today from IIT telling to write an essay on how well I’m following the PDP (personal development plan) I gave before coming for placement! Ya right…. I have followed that to the dot! I can’t even remember the stuff I had written in it! Will have to find it ASAP it should be some where in my comp or one of my pen drives (I have soo many pen drives. xD )

            Good that I bring ayya’s Zune to work because if not I’d be bored to death! Listening to TNL at the moment! TNL rox!

            Well, I dunno what else that I should be including into this note so I’ll stop here.

 Caio.