2013 Heba Elshandidy’s blog in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 470 times in 2013. If it were a cable car, it would take about 8 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Business Writing: A Brief Guide

Heba Elshandidy

Sep 2009

The purpose of this guide is to brief the reader about business writing. By the end of this guide, the reader should be able to write a business report/letter, an email, a memo, a complaint, an apology, and professionally delivering negative and positive messages. Subsequent sections will guide the reader through the journey of what to do and what to avoid when writing a professional message regardless of its type.

1 The Business Writing Process

Prior to going through any details, the reader should be get acquainted with the four steps of the business writing process, which are: firstly, planning to write; secondly,organising the writer’s thoughts; thirdly,writing the first draft; and finally, editing the document. The forthcoming subsections will further explain each of these steps.

1.1 Planning to write

A good planning strategy always starts with determining the purpose of the writing, followed by analysing the reader, and ends by choosing the suitable writing style. These three steps will guarantee a successful writing that meets the expectations of both the reader and the writer. More information about these steps are presented respectively.

1.1.1 Determining the purpose of writing

Having a clear purpose helps identifying the information about which the reader want to learn from the message. Before writing, the information the reader already know about the subject should be determined, as the purpose of the message should only cover new or additional information. In order for a document to have a legitimate purpose, that purpose must be:

1. worthwhile,
2. delivered at the correct time, and
3. relevant to the writer’s organisation

1.1.2 Analysing the reader

In order to successfully analyse the reader, the following questions should be answered:

1. How many people are going to read that message?
   When the writing is addressed to a large group of individuals, a common interest should be the focus of that writing not not alienate any of the readers.
2. How will readers react to the provided information?
   Anticipating the possible reactions of the readers helps the writer to address any doubts or fears prior to publishing the work. In such a way, the acceptance of the readers, to the message, will be increased.
3. What is the reader’s level of understanding to the offered information?
   Knowing the readers’ knowledge of the subject helps determining the amount and the type of information to be included in the message.
4. How the information will be used?
   If it is not stated in the message how readers can use and benefit of the presented information, they may and will disregard the entire message.

1.1.3 Choosing the suitable writing style

When writing any piece of information, there are always to styles to do that, the formal method and the informal method.

• The formal style: it is usually used for official document. When using this style, one should refrain from using:
  1. first person pronounces (e.g. as I or you),
  2. contractions (e.g. don’t or it’s), and
  3. colloquialisms (e.g. dead as a doornail) and slang words (e.g. cool).
• The informal style: it is usually used in memos or letter reports addressed to a single individual or a small group of individuals. When using this style, there are no clear line of restrictions; it all depends on the intuition and the common sense of the writer.

1.2 Organising the writer’s thoughts

Writers should divide their thoughts into main- and sub-points using bullets and numbering formatting. For example, they can use integers for numbering the main points and letters for indicating the associated sub-points. To be able to organise a document, the following elements should be considered:

1. the main topic is clearly stated,
2. the way in which the information will be presented is explained, and
3. all the evidences supporting the presented information are included.

1.3 Writing the first draft

After finishing planning and organising, it is the turn of writing the first draft. In order to do that, writers needs to:

1. establish their credibility,
2. avoid comments that could be interpreted as rude or undermining,
3. emphasise the main points of the addressed topic, and
4. project the right image by writing professional and accurate messages.

1.4 Editing the document

The last step that concludes the business writing process is editing the document before distribution. A successful editing need an accurate proof-reading for the contents of the message. It is highly recommended to proof-read the document at least 3 times. To improve the quality and the credibility of a document, asking an impartial person to proof-read it will undoubtedly help accomplishing that. When writing or editing a document, the writer should ensure that the words are: a) concrete with specific and clear meanings; b)familiar, common, and known to readers; c) not gender-specific, and d) not disability-specific. There are basically four main factors that should be checked for correctness in each document, namely:

1. Contents and organisation: to ensure that the information are presented in a logical order.
2. Readability: to ensure the utilisation of direct and concise statements while avoiding factual errors and confusing statements.
3. Formatting: to ensure that margins, fonts, and styles used in the document are as they should be. In addition to ensuring that the used sentences and paragraphs are short.
4. English structure: to ensure that the document is free of any grammatical, spelling, punctuational or typographical errors.

2 Common pitfalls in business writing

• Large or uncommon words that draw the reader’s attention away from the presented information.
• Sexist or derogatory language that would offend the reader.
• Ambiguous expressions that do not convey the message effectively.
• Negative expressions that deter readers from accepting the presented idea.
• Wordiness or redundant language.
• Jargon that could make readers feel that the writing is ”talking over their heads”.
• Clichs that may seem unprofessional.
• Inattention to details.
• Contradicting statement that sends confusing messages.

3 Writing a good business report

A good structure for a paragraph starts with ”topic sentences” stating the subject, to be covered, and how it will be discussed. Followed by ”supporting sentences” to explain the earlier topic sentences. It is important to use transitional words (e.g. however, therefore, and, or, but, etc.) to make the information in paragraphs coherent and to connect one thought/idea to another.

• To create an effective sentence, the writing should
  1. be concise, where most sentences should have no more than 20 words,
  2. avoid unnecessary words or repetitious words,
  3. use active voice; passive voice sentences may be used to soften bad news, and
  4. elimintate run-on sentences – typically contain too many ideas and will often confuse the reader – by breaking them up into two or more sentences.
• To create an effective paragraph, the writer should
  1. concentrate on one idea per paragraph,
  2. keep paragraphs short with at most 10 or 12 lines long, and
  3. vary the length of different paragraphs in order to keep the attention of readers.
• To write a good business report, the writer should
  1. use specific and clear language,
  2. report all relevant facts,
  3. state why information is important,
  4. support ideas with proper evidence, and
  5. limit personal biases.

4 The proper format of a business letter

A good business letter should have seven main components, namely, a heading, a date, an inside address, a salutation, a body, a closing, and a signature. Each of these elements is briefed next.

1. The heading
   • is placed at the left margin,
   • is located 3 lines or 2 inches from top of the page, and
   • includes the name, the full address, and the telephone number of the organisation to which the letter is addressed.
2. The date of the letter
   • is placed two lines below the heading, and
   • has a formal representation (i.e. September 17, 2005).
3. The inside address
   • is placed two lines below the date, and
   • includes the recipient’s name and their position.
4. The salutation
   • is placed two lines below the inside address,
   • is followed by the recipient’s name and a colon (e.g. Dear Mark:), and
   • if the recipient’s name is unknown, then write ”To Whom It may Concern”.
5. The body
   • is placed two lines below the salutation,
   • contains the message to be sent, and
   • in most letters, lines are single spaced paragraphs are double spaced.
6. The closing
   • is placed two lines below the body, and
   • contains one or two words (e.g. Sincerely or Sincerely Yours).
7. The signature block
   • is placed three lines below the closing, and
   • contains, on separate lines, the sender’s name, title, and contacts.

4.1 Special components to business letters

There are other elements that can be used in the writing of a business letter. These elements, however, are not mandatory components to a business letter and are used based on the need.

1. The attention line
   • is used only when the last name of the recipient of the letter is known or when the letter is directed to a position/a title/a department,
   • is placed two lines below the inside address or immediately following the company name, and
   • is followed by a colon, then the recipient’s name.
2. The subject line
   • informs the reader of the subject of the message, and
   • is placed after the salutation, at the very top of the page, or immediately before the salutation.
3. The second page heading
   • is used only when the letter is more than one page long,
   • includes the recipient’s full name, the date, the page number, and it could also include the name of the recipient’s company, and
   • two blank lines are left between the heading and the body of the letter.
4. The reference initials
   • is placed two spaces below the signature block,
   • the sender’s initials are written in upper case letters followed by a back slash, and
   • the typist’s initials, usually the secretary, are written in lower case letters after the back slash.
5. The postscript
   • should be at the end of the letter, and
   • is written as P.S, PS, and PS:.

4.2 Special notation components to business letters

There are some notations that are used only in business letters to provide further details about the nature and the importance of the written information. The four most popular notation components are:

1. Addressee notations
   • is placed 2 lines above the inside address in upper case letters.
   • Examples: PERSONAL, PLEASE FORWARD, or CONFIDENTIAL.
2. Enclosure notations
   • is placed 2 lines below reference initials.
   • Examples: Enclosure, Enclosure(3), Attachment, or Annual Report.
3. Copy notations
   • follow reference initials or enclosure notations.
   • Examples: PC, and C.
4. Mailing notations
   • are used in case of a special delivery or a registered mail,
   • are written upper case letters, and
   • are placed under the copy notation or above the inside address.

5 Guidelines for writing various business documents

Besides business letters and reports, there is a set of other business documents that are used in office to communicate ideas, issues, achievements, results, and many other topics. The following subsection will present the guidelines to write an effective memorandum, emails, transmittal letters, apology letters, complaints, and persuasive messages.

5.1 Memorandum

A memorandum or a memo is a note, a document, or any other communication form that helps the memory by recording events or observations on a specific topic. To write a good memo, the sender should:

1. describe the objective of the memo clearly and upfront,
2. state what should happen, and
3. provide details about the recipient’s responsibilities.

5.2 E-mail messages

Since emails have become a crucial part of our daily communications, knowing how to write an informative non-boring email message has become imperative. An effective email should:

1. address only one topic,
2. include a subject line, in order to give the recipient(s) an idea about the included message in the email,
3. present the most important information firstly followed by information of less importance, and
4. not include confidential messages.

5.3 Transmittal letters

Transmittal or cover letters are usually used with curriculum vitae. They are used to brief the interviewer about the qualifications of the applicant, the job to which they are applying, and a reason for meeting that applicant. A good cover letter should:

1. state the reason(s) of sending this information to the recipient,
2. give a brief summary of the materials, in the C.V., to highlight the importance of that information, and
3. inform the recipient what they should do with that message.

5.4 Apology letters

When committing a mistake, one must immediately apologise once they figure that out. Whether it is a written apology or a face-to-face communication, one should consider the following:

1. apologise immediately – avoid long apologies – and inform the other party that you care about their business/feelings,
2. focus on actions to correct the mistake and help calm the other person,
3. limit recalling the negative details, to keep the tone of the message positive, and bring in any new information that could help further explain your situation,
4. inform the other person how you plan to prevent the problem from reoccurring in the future, and
5. request a feedback from them to collect any additional information on how to solve the problem or prevent it from reoccurring.

5.5 Complaints

Since life is no sunshine rainbow and certainly is not fair, learning how to effectively write a complaint will help people adequately communicate their concerns with their manages about any unresolved issues at work. When someone decide to write a complaint, they should:

1. begin the message with a positive tone – avoid words as problems, wrong, or mixed up – in order to maintain a positive tone,
2. state the reasons for their complaint,
3. suggest an alternative to correct the situation; avoid sounding domineering, and
4. close the complaint confidently.

5.6 Persuasive messages

After submitting a complaint, the manager may be reluctant to investigate it or may be biased against you. In this case, you should follow up by sending another message trying to change the manager’s attitude/opinion/view towards the submitted complaint. Such kind of messages is called persuasive messages. These messages are not only used to follow up on negative requests (e.g. a complaint) but also to follow up on positive one (e.g. a salary increase request). The main characteristics of and the guidelines to write an effective persuasive message are briefed next.

5.6.1 Characteristics of a persuasive message

A good persuasive message should:

• demonstrate the sender’s credibility through testimonials, statistics, research, and other factual evidence,
• be discreet by avoiding pushy or forceful language when writing, and
• be able to make concessions to encourage the reader to cooperate.

5.6.2 Guidelines for writing a persuasive message

To effectively write a persuasive message, the sender should:

1. get the reader’s attention by focusing on the goals of the company/organisation/university, identifying the importance of the sent message,
2. offer ideas for the improving the situation,
3. provide all the supporting evidence, starting with the most convincing ones, and
4. detail the necessary action advised to be taken by the reader in a sense that encourage the reader to accept the suggested ideas.

6 Guidelines for writing a message

In general, there are two types of messages: positive and negative. While the former usually delivers good news, the latter type, on the other hand, always come with the bad ones. Regardless of the type of the message, all the news should be delivered in a positive tone with the focus on the bright side of the story. Further details about each type is explained subsequently.

6.1 Positive messages

Delivering a positive message always bring happiness to the recipient(s). Though it is a happy news, if not written properly, it might not reflect that happiness. Hence, a positive message should:

1. state the good news clearly,
2. provide the recipient with detailed facts, and
3. summarise the main points.

6.2 Negative messages

Sometimes, there are situations where we are obliged to deliver bad news to a peer, a manager, or a subordinate. Though the delivered message is negative, the delivery process itself has to be positive in order to minimise the shock and help the recipient calm down. To write a negative message positively, one should:

1. mix both bad and good news,
2. thoroughly explain the reasons for the bad news,
3. if appropriate, emphasise that you want to maintain your current relation with the reader,
4. if possible, inform the reader how the information you are providing will benefit them, and
5. use positive words and expressions.

For a PDF format of this brief guide, please visit my slideshare account http://www.slideshare.net/helshandidy/business-writing-ettiquate

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,500 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 25 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Geniuses ONLY! Artificial Immune Systems – PART II

Artificial Immune Systems (AIS) are computational systems based upon the metaphors of the vertebrate immune system. AIS algorithms typically adopt the learning and memory properties of the human immune system to solve a problem. A very well defined description for AIS is found in the book of de Castro and J. Timmis [1], “Artificial Immune Systems are adaptive systems, inspired by theoretical immunology and observed immune functions, principles, and models, which are applied to problem solving”.

To be able to apply the principles of AIS in problem solving, AIS algorithms/techniques must be used. There are three major algorithms that have been constantly developed and used by researchers, namely: Negative Selection Algorithm, Clonal Selection Algorithm, and Immune Network Algorithm.

The Negative Selection Algorithm is based on the negative selection mechanism inherited in the immune system to protect the body against self-reactive lymphocytes, where it detects unknown antigens without reacting to the self-cells. It is one of the most popular models that affected the development of many of the existing artificial immune systems. The concept of negative selection describes the process of the T-cell maturation in the immune system, where any self-cell is eliminated, before deployment for the immune system, if that T-cell in the thymus recognised it. The algorithm generates a set of detectors by removing any detector candidate that match elements from a group of self-samples. [2]

The idea of the Clonal Seclection Algorithm goes back to year 1959 when Burnet first proposed the theory of clonal selection; the main concern of that theory is to explain the basic response of the adaptive immune system when provoked by an antigen. It suggests that the only cells that will be proliferates are those that are capable of recognising the antigen, when other cells are selected against. Unlike the negative selection algorithm, the clonal selection algorithm operates on both B and T cells. [3]

Immune Network Algorithm is based on the immune network theory introduced in 1974
by Jerne, where a new perspective of the activities of the lymphocyte was proposed. The theory stated that the immune system consists of a regulated network of molecules and cells with the ability of recognising each other even if no antigens were presented. Those B-cells are interconnected with each other in particular ways to stablilise the network, where each two B-cells has to exceed a certain affinity threshold and the strength of their connection must be directly proportional to that affinity level. [4]

AIS are very promising and have already proven very positive results in the different areas of computer sciences. Many applications have been developed based on AIS; to name few: networking and computer security: virus detection and elimination, and network intrusion detection, optimization: numerical function optimization constrained optimization, inventory optimization, anomaly detection: image inspection, image segmentation and time series data, pattern recognition: the spectra recognition and medical data analysis, robotics: walking robots, and Emergence of collective behaviour, control: sequential control, adaptive control and feedback control, scheduling: adaptive scheduling in computing systems, flow shop scheduling, and machine learning: reinforcement learning, unsupervised learning, concept learning and complexity [1,5].

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REFERENCES

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[1] L. N. de Castro, J. Timmis, “Artificial Immune Systems: A New Computational Intelligence Approach”, Springer, pp. 57 – 58, 2002

[2] J. R. Al-Enezi, M. F. Abbod, and S. Alsharhan, “Artificial Immune Systems – Models, Algorithms, and Applications”, International Journal of Reasearch and Reviews in Applied Sciences: 3 (2), pp. 118 – 131, 2010

[3] L. N. de Castro and J. Timmis, “Artificial Immune Systems as a Novel Soft Computing Paradigm”, Soft Computing Journal: 7(7), pp. 526 – 544, 2003.

[4] F. Varela and A. Coutinho, “Second Generation Immune Networks”, Immunol Today: 12 (5), pp. 159 – 167, 1991 

[5] D. Dipankar, Y. Senhua, and N. Fernando, “Recent Advances in Artificial Immune Systems: Models and Applications”, Review Article, Applied Soft Computing: 11 (2), pp. 1574 – 1587, 2011

Geniuses ONLY! Artificial Immune Systems – PART I

Learn more about genes and be part of the lives of many more happy T cells 🙂

Artificial Immune Systems (AIS) are algorithms that are inspired by the “beautiful” nature of the human Immune System (IS). The vertebrate immune system is responsible for defending the body against almost infinite infectious foreign cells known as non-self elements, and distinguishing them from those native non-infectious cells known as self-molecules; once an infectious non-self element (pathogen) enters the body, it is detected and the appropriate action is triggered. The system is also capable of memorising those attacks, so once the same pathogen attacks the body again, the IS deals with it more effectively [1].

Having all those special properties, the human immune system has brought a great interest for computer scientists and engineers. To better understand and appreciate the different models and applications of AIS, and to better think of new research potential, the vertebrate immune system has to be openly demonstrated. An insight look at the main properties of the system, the main functionalities of its cells, and its general structure are explored in the forthcoming sections.

The human immune system possesses a very unique nature that imposes the following properties i) uniqueness, where the immune system of each individual has its own capabilities and vulnerabilities, like one’s finger print; ii) recognition of outsiders, where malicious molecules are identified and purged; iii) anomaly detection, where pathogens that were never experienced by the body are detected and dealt with according to the case; iv) distributed detection, where the cells of the IS are distributed all over the body and are hence, they are controlled through distributed management; and finally v) the learning and memory nature, where the system is able to learn and memorise any pathogens, so that it can react more efficiently and effectively next time it sees it. [2]

After understanding the main characteristics of the immune system, it would be the time for understanding the cells’ structure of the IS and the associated functionalities. The IS consists of a great variety of cells called leukocytes; one of those most important cells, and the focus of this work, is the lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are small leukocytes that are responsible for a major role in the effectiveness of the IS. They are divided into three main types, B lymphocyte, T lymphocyte, and Natural Killer cells; alternatively they are called B cell, T cell, and NK cells respectively [2].

On one hand, B cells, once triggered, are responsible for producing and secreting antibodies (Ab), Y-shaped specific proteins that identify and neutralise another particular non-self objects through binding with them, in response to malignant proteins like bacteria, viruses, and tumour cells. Each B cell is in charge of the production of a particular Ab. Upon the presence of antibodies, other cells are usually permitted to terminate, ingest, or remove the bound substance. [3]

On the other hand, T cells are responsible for i) activating B cells, macrophages, and NK cells; ii) eliminating microbial invaders, viruses or cancerous cells; and iii) maintaining the immune response and inhibiting the action of other immune cells. Without T cells, the immune system will fail to deliver its functionalities correctly causing autoimmune diseases, reacting to the body’s own genes as adversaries, and allergic reactions. [3]

For a robust protection, NK cells are presented. They contain granules filled with powerful chemicals that are designated to attack mainly tumours and protect against a myriad different infectious microbes. The main difference between NK cells and the T cells is that the latter attack only a specific antigen, which they can clearly recognise, while NK cells do not. [2]

In general the human body is protected by two inter-related systems that work together to help the body identify and recognise pathogens. These systems are called the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system. The innate immune system is capable of evolving to recognise and immediately destroy general pathogens, common molecular patterns found only in microorganisms, even if it is a first time exposure. A crucial component of the innate system is a class of blood proteins called complement; it is the component in charge of assisting or complementing the activity of the antibodies [4]. Besides, the innate system induces the expression of co-stimulatory signals needed to activate the T cells, which in turn promote the start of the adaptive immune response, which is considered the most significant aspect of innate systems [5].  

The adaptive immune system attacks any invader that cannot be handled by the innate system. It is antigen specific in which it is directed against specific antigen that provoked the system, some of with which the system is already acquainted while others are first time on encounter. [6]. The adaptive system consists mainly of lymphocytes, white blood cells and in particular B cells and T cells, and they have the ability to change somatically, change during the lifetime of an individual, unlike the innate system, and hence the system is able to recognise previously unseen pathogen and to remember them for future exposures. Another important difference between the innate system and the adaptive system is the ability of the former to operate only on a small time scale, usually initiating a reaction to an antigen either instantly or within few minutes, while the latter operates over a longer time period (perhaps days to initiate a reaction) [7]. The majority of immunological research has focused on the adaptive immune response. However, there has been a recent focus on the importance of the innate immune system [8].

To this end, a brief background about the main components, functionalities, different types of cells of the vertebrate immune system are covered and a general understanding to the system should be achieved. Part II will provide a comprehensive yet a brief coverage of the models and applications of artificial immune systems will be presented.

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Some may argue that this is an introductory article and is not advanced enough for geniuses. Guess what? You are WRONG! This article is ONLY for geniuses…How? Geniuses were not born masterminds, they were born newcomers just like you. Yes! Just like you. That is why you are a genius 🙂

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REFERENCES

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[1] S. Garrett, “How do we evaluate artificial immune systems?”, Evolutionary Computation, 13(2), pp.145 – 177, 2005

[2] L.N. De Castro, F.J. Von Zuben, “Artificial Immune Systems. Part I. Basic Theory And Applications”, Technical Report No. Rt Dca 01/99, Feec/Unicamp, Brazil, 1999.

[3] R. A. Goldsby, T. J. Kindt, B. A. Osborne, and J. Kuby, “Immunology, 5^th Edition”, W. H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco, 2003

[4] C.A. Janeway Jr., R. Medzhitov, Innate immune recognition, Annual Review of Immunology 20, pp. 197 – 216, 2002.

[5] Bruce, A. Johnson, J. Lewis, M. Raff, K. Roberts, and P. Walers, “Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4^th Edition”, New York and London: Garland Science, 2002

[6] C.A. Janeway, P. Travers, M. Walport, and M.J. Shlomchik, “Immunobiology, 5^th Edition”, New York and London: Garland Science, 2001

[7] J. Timmis, P. Andrews, N. Owens, and E. Clark, “Evolutionary Intelligence”, 1 (1), pp. 5 – 26, 2008

[8] R.N. Germain, “An innately interesting decade of research in immunology”, Nature Medicine, 10 (12), pp. 1307 – 1320, 2004

Master’s Thesis: Enhancing Security Solutions In Mobile Ad Hoc NETworks

ABSTRACT

A Mobile Ad Network (MANET) is a temporary dynamic network that can be formed wherever two or more nodes using the same preferences to communicate are present, provided that they reside in each other’s transmission range. Such a network needs no centralised management organ and is perfectly suited for improvised applications that take place in hostile environments such as disaster scenarios, search and rescue operations; in the last decade, a MANET has been used as well in the entertainment applications, vehicular services and many other civilian applications. This is currently an interesting research area and it is desirable to increase the network’s throughput while decreasing the end-to-end delay especially when real time applications are considered.

The scope of the thesis is to enhance the packet forwarding functionality that resides in the network layer of a MANET. This is performed through merging the Reliable and Efficient Forwarding (REEF) protocol with the Information Dispersal Algorithm (IDA); the result of that merge is called REEF-IDA protocol. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed protocol on the performance of the network, a simulation study has been conducted, in which it compared the results of the REEF-IDA protocol against these of its limited version, the REEF protocol.

The simulation study shows that the REEF-IDA offers higher throughput, lower end-to-end delay and lower packet loss ratio when compared to REEF. What is interesting in the results that REEF-IDA is resilient to the increasing mobility and the increasing number of adversaries, while on the other hand, REEF’s performance dramatically falls down when mobility and/or number of adversaries increase. REEF-IDA achieves up to 114.29% more throughput while decreases both the end-to-end delays and the packet loss ratio up to 100% less than those of REEF.

Please note that all the rights are reserved for the author, Heba Elshandidy, and you are not allowed to use/distribute the ideas/algorithms/results/contents of the thesis without a written permission from the author.

If you are interested in reading more, please post a request in the comments section including your e-mail address, and I will e-mail it to you.

The First Veiled Woman at Agile 2010 Conference

Attending Agile 2010 was an amazing experience. Taking the fact that I was the FIRST head-scarfed Muslim woman since the initial start of this conference in 2000, I think so, was thrilling and enjoyable. I was easily identified among attendees; from any angle, you can easily know it is me and all what is left to be done is to call my name Heba 🙂 In spite of this, I was scared not to leave a very good impression for veiled Muslims. The good news though, by the end of the conference,  I received many complimentary comments on how a determined, strong-character, cooperative, fashionable, wise, and funny woman I am….At this point only, I kissed away all the stress and tension and just felt relieved.

Having the opportunity to be in touch with Agile thought leaders, Mike Cohn, Alistair Cockburn, Scott Ambler, etc, was like a dream for me. Being involved in their discussions and sessions was extremely fruitful; the fact of just being around and observing how things are handled is in itself a learning process.

Truth be told what really made my day was getting to know the thought leaders and active women in Agile, Esther Derby and Linda Rising. Cannot express my happiness and gratitude for the invaluable discussions we had. They are spectacular women and unconditionally offering to help; they invest their time and effort thinking of how to make your life, study and/or work, smoother. Without any hesitation, they provide instant and very genuine recommendations and advise while sharing their personal experience whenever applicable.

Last but not least, I enjoyed very much my first-time volunteer action. It was all new and exciting; to experience working with over 20 different nationality 8 hours a day for 5 days was, on one hand, a lot to process but on the other hand was astonishing. One remarkable person with whom I worked was Joe Chao, a professor at Faculty of Computer Sciences, Bowling Green State University, the co-chair for the research track at the conference. It was a very pleasant occasion not only to co-work with him through 8 different sessions but also to team up with him at workshops. He was very happy about my performance and I was very happy about his remarkable leadership and management.

At last, I would like to reiterate my thanks to Linda Rising, Esther Derbey, and Mouneer Rabie for their support and encouragement during the conference. Thank you 🙂