William Chang

Commencing Myself As Architect

William Chang — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:41:28 +0000

I’m happy I made the right choice as an application developer. The years of curiosity, creativity, and practice in my profession finally caught up to my expectations. And, I finally see myself as an architect, the creator or inventor, of applications.

The tools to produce and company start-up costs are inexpensive nowadays thanks to open source technologies and the Internet, you can cut out the middleman for product and service distribution. When developing applications for the Internet, personal computers, and smartphones you will find endless opportunities if you just open your eyes to creativity. There is nothing stopping from producing something from an idea to a product or service, but keeping yourself consistent with perseverance.

I find that a lot of people around me don’t see what I see, there are a lot of opportunities being an application developer. They seem to be all caught up with social activities and stopped innovating themselves to be lazy and too comfortable with their repetitive routines.

Ultimately, my number one passion is not about getting rich, but to see my ideas help make people’s lives better. That is my secret that drive me forward and I feel it is a key of success and getting rich is just an undisclosed perk that comes with the package.

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Moved to Baby Blue Box

William Chang — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:59:14 +0000

I decided to switch domains from “diehard.cc” to “babybluebox.com” because of pop culture. The word “diehard” was misunderstood many times and a few people find it as a bad word. I use “diehard” exclusively as my Internet nickname during my teen years, but time has changed and I decided to use my real name on the Internet for formal recognition. Thanks to my work experience in developing web applications and doing personal projects, my real name will help employers track me down as I continue to build cool applications.

It’s been a long time I update this site. I made many changes under the hood and started replacing “diehard” with something else, either my real name or “Baby Blue Box”. The auto renew is off and the “diehard.cc” domain will expire at 2010. I will miss the “diehard.cc” domain because of the popularity among search engines, to help rank linked websites and towards itself.

Off topic, I would like to announce my good old friend, Brad Muirhead, propose to Kellie Feingold and the proof of video is on YouTube: Brad’s Proposal to Kellie. They were together for about half a decade and finally engaged. Congratulation to them!

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Next Couple Months of Perseverance

William Chang — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 14:59:07 +0000

I feel that I need to spend more of my spare time on my hobby projects than playing around. I find productivity is becoming more important than wasting it all on social activities like partying and hanging out. But, I truly believe these daily social activities will always be around. In order to catch my big break (to be a bread winner and guarantee financial security) I have to seed my profession. My spare time has been distorted lately by school, work, friends, and drowsiness. But, it is a good thing I practiced my skills and established my network slowly through the years. Made my own platform, a foundation, to stand on and grow because I know what I need to get there without basing on much luck.

I’m at that point where I pass the basics and I understand how to use the tools, I am ready to develop some good applications. With my spare time, I’m going to continue developing the game engine for Developers Club (aka Creative Crew) and attempt to create an application in the mobile phone market. I decided this week to take a shot at the Google’s Android Developer Challenge with $10 million in awards, so wish me luck!

You know when my site-seeing list gets long, it signals me to update this website. If you notice I’m trying something new with my posts using at least one image to spice up my blog a little. Thanks to “ImageShack Uploader Plugin” and ImageShack to help upload and host images for my posts. DieHard signing out!

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Don’t Be Trapped By Dogma

William Chang — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 00:33:06 +0000

Through my lifetime I observe the hardships and looped relationships people are facing. This is not about minor things, but long term difficulties and well being. I can only give you a small window of a complicated topic of people getting trapped in their superficial beliefs and their experiences from their own superficial community. When dealing with hardships and looped relationships they default to the most comfortable solution. I find it interesting that they try again with another comfortable solution, even though at the end they all failed because it is all technically similar, it is just a matter of time.

I find this group of people share a common attribute is that they can’t exit and choose an uncomfortable solution to a radical journey. Because, fears drive them away and so they end up superficially happy, but constantly complaining to themselves until the day they died. If they share a mutual history with someone or with their superficial community, then they become ignorant and allow themselves to be fooled again by peer-pressure time after time.

The superficial community or relationship with someone that they feel is going back and forth like an endless loop has to stop now. The damage was done and it is a disaster if they act nothing has happen because of their mutual history. They cannot take another comfortable solution and receive more foreseen damages to their well being. They must exit out from their relationship or their superficial community and choose an uncomfortable solution to a radical journey. Thus, they can live happily ever after.

I updated my “About” page with my life’s to-do list because I want to diversify my life with activities and adventures. Recently, I’ve been uploading a lot of photos to Flickr that received from my friends, even though I don’t own a camera yet. DieHard signing out!

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UCF Football Stadium On Campus

William Chang — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 03:52:38 +0000

After years and months watching the old buildings getting renovated and new buildings getting constructed. I’m amazed at the setup they did where the “UCF Arena” lies. The area contain two dorms, two strip malls, and a football stadium. And, there are plenty of space between it, filled with nice grass fields to have activities.

I was invited to participate in a football tailgate party and when I got a ride over there it was impressive. Every part of the campus there were tailgate parties. Everywhere you go people setup their gazebo, drinking alcoholic beverages, and having a good time. Half the time, I was walking around half naked trying to get some tan from the sun. Inside the “UCF Arena” and the football stadium up close was nice.

Our UCF football team played against the Texas Longhorns and the score was 32-35. Even though we lost the football game, I had a good time and the convenience of having our own new football stadium on campus.

Uploaded some photos to Flickr of Romeo, the dog, and the football tailgate party. You can see my skin was not tanned. The next coming weeks I’ll be getting Developers Club active from hibernation for Fall 2007 and Spring 2008. DieHard signing out!

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The End of Summer 2007

William Chang — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:22:10 +0000

Even though I have a few days left before the beginning of Fall 2007 college semester, thus it is the sign of the end. A lot things has happen during the last two months, July and August. I went to Tallahassee, the capitol city of Florida, for the weekend to visit my friend Brad Muirhead and join his VIP barbeque party. After I got home, I spent some time finding a new roommate to replace Corey Snodgrass as he join a band to tour around. A good friend gave away to me a set of black leather couches, very nice. Then, I received a set of washer and dryer machines as backup to my existing set, for twenty-five dollars from another friend. The early weeks of August, I finished my two summer classes successfully and spent my two week break with my job to make money as much as I can. Now, I am on the last weekend of break and I am hoping the time will tick very slowly. Because, I have a lot of work I like to get done.

While I was surfing the internet I stumble upon a cool web service called Anywhere.FM, it allows you to upload your entire music collection, listen to it from anywhere, and share it with friends. While listening to music, I was experimenting using a web application called MediaWiki in my web server, which is used by Wikipedia, a free-content encyclopedia. MediaWiki will be used for documenting some of my projects. DieHard signing out!

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Samsung Blackjack

William Chang — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 09:37:57 +0000

All the communication devices I ever had was basic. My mobile phone was just a phone and nothing more. The last few weeks my wireless service was switched from Sprint to AT&T (formerly Cingular Wireless). It was time for me to get a better mobile phone with an embedded operating system like Microsoft Windows Mobile, Apple OS X, or Open Source Linux (Ubuntu). Having an “actual” operating system enable more freedom of control and information, and the ease of synchronization to your laptop or desktop computer. The one thing that is so troublesome when switching cellular phones is transferring many contacts. The smartphone is a personal data assistant (PDA) and holding more information than just contacts, such as appointments, tasks, notes, emails, addresses, birthdays, photos, music, and so on.

As an application developer point of view, having a standard platform, a popular operating system, to develop and to hack (modify) it makes it so much fun to create small applications. There is a wide range of applications out there to put on your smartphone for getting things done or for leisure. My initial smartphone, to be an all-in-one phone and freedom of information, is the Samsung Blackjack (SGH-i607). One more thing, I have my eyes set on my next ultimate smartphone the Apple iPhone (the second generation) or the alternative, HTC P4550 Kaiser.

My two summer college courses are doing okay. At my job, the UCF Assessment (OEAS) project is taking much of my time and dedication out of the other two projects, FINDER and SCINET. Happy July 4th, Independence Day. DieHard signing out!

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Condolences to Nikki and Fluffy

William Chang — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 19:38:40 +0000

I got a call from my god brother, Timothy Chin, last Friday and got the bad news about two dogs. Fluffy passed away last Tuesday and then later Nikki passed away. What an uncomfortable time for everyone who care about Nikki and Fluffy. Nikki had the lasting hardship of the other because he became blinded and difficulty hearing. We all had fond memories of Nikki and Fluffy. And, they were cared like human children. So, we hope to heal our heart and continue on.

There is nothing “spanking new” to talk about this summer. I want to spend more time on my hobby projects and take dancing lessons: salsa, merengue, and bachata. But, I’m taking two summer classes at UCF instead. Someday, I’ll get through and do my hobby projects and take dancing lessons soon. DieHard signing out!

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My Journal from January 2007 to April 2007

William Chang — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:14:40 +0000

I thought I can stop being social and concentrate on finishing college, accelerate my job as a application developer, and work on my hobbies. But, mysteriously every time I want to put myself on a lock-down, even for a day, I get people (aka friends) inviting themselves to meet me. Oh, it’s not just one or two of the same friends, it’s more than a handful of different friends that surprise me. But, I don’t mind at all and I always look at it as a positive perspective. Deep inside I know some of these people will never get off my tail and to be with me from childhood (since elementary school) and well into the future.

I sometimes put people first before my own priorities, sacrificing my assets (e.g. car) and my quality time. Thus, when I got a call from MaryAnn Yanez wanting an escort to pick up the Miniature Pinscher puppy, which she adore after days of searching for the right chance. So, I said yes to drive for many hours and for the reasons simply the interest in dogs and that she is the only girl that “makes an effort” to talk to me many times.

I’m always receiving money offers from friends for my personal services even though money is not my priority. For MaryAnn Yanez wanting to pay me is not what I want, but for her to be happy, relieved, and comfortable first. What she didn’t know is what I got in return indirectly, she rekindle my love for pets and allow me to discover a new hobby as a basic dog trainer.

When I was pet-sitting a Miniature Pinscher puppy, named Rocky, soon another puppy, named Romeo, to take care from Stephano Joseph. Thus, my plans for this semester to be on a lock-down went out the window. Wow, looking at both puppies are such beautiful animals and full of new life. I spent my whole Spring Break taking care of them and to help Stephano Joseph while he mourn for his younger brother, Ricky, that passed away recently.

My long-time friends came up to Orlando from all the way from Miami to meet-up. All of them, but some are not friends with each other, clashed into one single weekend: Anthony Bitume, Alex Molina, Adrian Molina, Hugo Andre Ortiz, Stephano Joseph, and Timothy Chin. It was unexpected to see all of them at once and putting me at a uncomfortable position to keep them entertained. Thus, I setup a barbeque party at my house for Saturday afternoon and at night we all went to the bar to play Texas hold’em poker tournaments.

I’m glad everybody had a good time, made memories, and for me was a lot of spontaneous tasks to keep my guests entertained. Even though my grades and job suffered a little and my hobbies was missed, thus to be social was unavoidable.

I added a new page called “Comedy” in the main menu, top right corner, of my website. I really love stand-up comedy and I want to shared it to the world. Enjoy! DieHard signing out!

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New Year 2007

William Chang — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 08:34:24 +0000

I don’t have much of a new year resolution compare to what I read from my friend’s blogs. The one thing I want is stay “focus,” so I can be better at managing my time, be ready for exams, and complete my tasks before the deadline come close. I want to reflect my resolution to my organization, Developers Club, and putting positive peer pressure on my good members. My college courses for spring 2007 is starting out good with professors that care about students. This is the year of the boar and I am a boar according Chinese Zodiac. Here is an attribute quote:

“Pure of heart, Boar people are generous and kind. Full of inner strength and courage, they can take on any task. A friend who listens, the Boar is sincere and trustworthy. They are driven by their passion for life.”

I’m very fortunate that people are coming up to me and offering money to help them with their projects. I’m trying to compromise with them because of little spare time I have in the spring semester. Hopefully taking no classes in the summer will give me more time to help them out. I’m very happy ever since I became a developer with UCF’s research projects, my experience and professionalism are strengthening all the time.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs kick-off Macworld Conference & Expo 2007 with a keynote address (video) from San Francisco’s Moscone West. Their newest and greatest product, a leapfrog from competitors, is a revolutionary mobile phone (better than smartphones) called the iPhone.

It would be nice to have a monkey to help you around the house. The monkey I like is the one from the television show “Friends.” They had an episode where Ross’ has a monkey friend named Marcel, a capuchin monkey. Owning one would be pretty expensive and high maintenance, but still I would like to have one with my future pet White Tiger, a bengal tiger. DieHard signing out!

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