Raisor's life as a part of Information Technology

More about me ...

... even born in 1962, my live has started in 1998 … no further reasoning on this now (because I’m trying to keep it short at this time!).

Just to let you know, in winter 1994 I’ve first learned about Information Technology at the University of Potsdam and since that time I’m addicted to Information Technology. I’ve continued learning all important about IT Development in 1995 at the Canton of Geneva (where I first met Pierre Hafner!) and continued the educational part of my knowledge (in 1996) at the Canton of Neuenburg (Switzerland). After leaving Switzerland in 1998 and moving (across Amsterdam) to Paris, I was working as an IT Professional for the company “Monde sans Frontiers” (MSF) in Paris.

I’ve returned to Germany in autumn 1998, where I’ve worked as an independent consultant for some small-business inventors and, by hazard, came in touch with a guy named Dr. Alex Sefke (in 1998 still Alex Sefke GmbH Hamburg) who used to be a Principal Consultant at GE Capital IT Solutions Europe. He gave me the chance to join a GE Capital ITS Assessment Center where I was elected with two other participants of about thirty.

After having succeeded two service projects (at Mannesmann Demag Germany and at GE Medical Systems France) for the Hamburg Unit of GE Capital ITS, GE offered me a full time employment.

Being a full time employee at GE Capital ITS I fist took care of Managed Services Projects (Clients: Gruner+Jahr, Tchibo, Baiersdorf AG and many more German Top 100 Industry Clients). My mission was mainly the recovery of already lost development projects. Besides, this being part of my nature, I was developing self-invented system integration solutions for GE and GE’s clients.

Almost in all projects at least meeting (but mostly breaking) the points I’ve ended up being “Manager Processes, Germany” for the Support Services Unit. In that position I’ve reported to the General Manager who (he himself reporting to the CEO) was member of the “Extended European Board”, whilst I, having had a lot of education in ITIL and Six Sigma processes at GE (having a Six Sigma Green Belt), was announced member of the “GE Capital European Leadership Council” in early 2002.

In that position I’ve successfully automated different Support Service Processes to reduce service cost by reducing 450 man-days for a whole year to 125.

In mid-2002 my manager and I ended up in some kind of “discussions” where he would support “People of the Board” but I was concerned about GE’s “Basic Interests” (the so called “steak-holders”) -> looking back on that situation now, I must admit that I was hopelessly “burned-out” at that time!

I’ve left not only GE but also my family in summer 2002 and bought 50% of a Spanish company being Managing Director of an “Internet-Café” … planning to build a chain of internet cafes in Spain (CiberNet C.B.). Because of a reunion with my wife and my kids I’ve sold my shares and returned to Germany … since then I’m doing consulting jobs and am building up content web sites (currently 51 domains and more than 100 sub domains) using Microsoft Technologies (Microsoft .NET and SQL Server environment on a secured [ISA Server] private network and on a Windows 2003 Web Server as presentation interface).

Besides I’m working on Open Source Projects (being a founder of two self-invented projects at www.SourceForge.Net) and if I ever have some minutes of spare time I’m helping other developers (on all kind of technologies) to improve -> you’ll find my profile at http://www.experts-exchange.com/M_786061.html ...

... surely to be precised & continued!

Hej žigani braco moja

Noćas ocu da se napijem, u kafani sve da razbijem, to jedino mogu njima, da se zalim žiganima, jer žigani đusu imaju.

To jedino mogu njima, da se zalim žiganima, jer žigani đusu imaju.

Hej žigani ocu pesme da vas zove niko ne sme, dok ja svoju ljubav zalim, hej žigani braco moja nije ona bilo koja da je lako zaboravim.

Nije dala njena rodbina, da mi bude bolja sudbina, to jedino mogu njima, da se zalim žiganima, jer žigani đusu imaju.

To jedino mogu njima, da se zalim žiganima, jer žigani đusu imaju.

Hej žigani ocu pesme da vas zove niko ne sme, dok ja svoju ljubav zalim, hej žigani braco moja nije ona bilo koja da je lako zaboravim.

Ja sam hteo da je ukradem, il da umrem il da propadnem, to jedino mogu njima, da se zalim žiganima, jer žigani đusu imaju.

To jedino mogu njima, da se zalim žiganima, jer žigani đusu imaju.

Hej žigani ocu pesme da vas zove niko ne sme, dok ja svoju ljubav zalim, hej žigani braco moja nije ona bilo koja da je lako zaboravim.

by Ljuba Alicic

How to Convert C# Code to VB.NET

Today I'd just like to introduce you to the most important website for VB.NET developers. How many times have you found the right sample? ... but it was written in C# ... and you are a VB.NET GURU but just and only a simple C# user ... well, this website provides a translation utility: DeveloperFusion

Seven Month in Potsdam [Germany]

From July 1994 to January 1995 I was living in Potsdam. I'll certainly write more about the time I've spent in Potsdam and surely I'll write about the time I've spent at the Potsdam University (see on the right picture). Wikipedia writes about Potsdam that Potsdam is the capital city of the federal state of Brandenburg in Germany. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin. It is a part of the Metropolitan area Berlin/Brandenburg. Potsdam is known as the former residence of the Prussian kings until 1918. The city features a series of interconnected lakes and unique cultural landscapes, in particular the parks and palaces of Sanssouci, the largest World Heritage Site in Germany. The Potsdam district of Babelsberg also serves as one of the leading centres of European film production. The Filmstudio Babelsberg has significant historical value as the oldest large-scale film studio in the world. The Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg frequently records soundtracks for domestic and foreign-based film productions. The city developed into a centre of science in Germany beginning in the 19th century. Today there are 3 public colleges and more than 30 research-institutes in Potsdam.

Is it true that the winning team players are all team players?

That question was asked in the Dropping Knowledge Group at XING. My answer was that when I was tought to be a project manager, our supervisor built up certain scenarios ... we were all taken beside and we were each given a task to fulfill ... each of the participants was given a special duty on that "virtual project" and we were all confronted with each other ... no matter, the strongest had some kind of success ... but my feeling was that the team's final goal had not been served to at all ... ... looking at todays world and at certain markets I wonder if any issues can be resolved if all managers are tought to only look at their "sub" objective and not at the "global" goal ...

Chess and Checkers : the Way to Mastership

From time to time I'll introduce the books I like. Today I'd like to start with a book about chess by Edward Lasker. this book can be read online as a free eBook at The Gutenberg Project or even be bought at Amazon. The present world war has given great impetus to the game of Chess. In the prison camps, in the field hospitals, in the training camps and even in the trenches Chess has become a favorite occupation in hours of leisure, not only because it offers a most fascinating pastime, but mainly because it serves beyond any doubt to develop what is now the most interesting study for every soldier -- the grasp of the principles underlying military strategy and the ability to conceive and to carry out military operations on a large scale. Frederick the Great, Napoleon and Moltke, the great scientists of war, had a decided liking for the game of Chess and owed to it many an inspiration which helped them in laying out their military plans. Indeed, no other game exists which offers such complete analogies to war. Two armies oppose each other on the Chess board, composed of different units which may well be compared with infantry, cavalry and artillery. The success of the operations on the board, which represents the battlefield, does not depend upon any element of chance, but solely upon the ingenuity and the skill of the players who are the commanders-in-chief of the forces. Although a Chess game differs from a battle in that the material strength of the opponents is equal, the order of events is the same in Chess as in war. The troops are first mobilized and made ready for action with utmost speed, then important positions are occupied which give the troops freedom of action and insure safe lines of retreat and, finally, when the formation of the enemy is known, the strategic plan is made which the generals try to carry out by means of different tactical maneuvers. Considering this similarity of Chess and war it is not surprising that Chess has gained greatly in popularity among all those whose work or thought is more than superficially influenced by the present war. No special inducement, however, would be necessary to learn the game, were it more generally known that great advantage is to be derived from the study of Chess, quite apart from the cultivation of strategic ability. The faculty which is developed by playing Chess is useful wherever logical thinking and concentration are needed, and it cannot be denied that these qualities are most desirable in the every day struggle in which mental work has so largely superseded manual labor. The thoughtful playing of the game not only cultivates the logical quality and imaginative power of the mind but also tends to develop strength of character. It teaches us not to be hasty in our decisions, but to exercise foresight at all times as we must abide by all consequences of our actions. Moreover, we learn from it circumspection which causes us to survey the whole scene of action and does not allow us to lose ourselves in detail; we also learn not to be discouraged by reverses in our affairs but to hold out and always search for fresh resources. Thus, Chess serves a good purpose for young and old. The boy will find it a fascinating pastime and, unconsciously sharpening his wits in playing the game, will acquire a fine preparation for his calling in life, no matter what it may be. For the man, and the woman too, Chess is well worth learning, as it will prove the best companion in hours of leisure. The reason why many people hesitate to learn the game and to teach it to their children is that Chess has been misrepresented as a game which is very difficult to master. This false impression has been created mainly by the wrong methods of teaching usually employed. The majority of writers on Chess deal with a maze of variations and they expect the reader to memorize the moves with which to parry the maneuvers of the opponent, instead of simply developing a few common sense principles which are easy to grasp and perfectly sufficient to make a good player of any one. This is really the great advantage of the game of Chess over any other board game, that it lends itself to the application of general principles, so that any one can grasp and enjoy it without memorizing more than the rules according to which the men move. I have tried to develop these principles in a simple way so that they are sure to be easily understood, and I have been greatly aided in my task by Miss Helen Dvorak and Mr. Eugene Fuller, who, without any previous knowledge of the game, have learned it in reading through the manuscript of this book. They have given me many valuable hints in pointing out all that did not seem readily intelligible to the mind of the beginner. In explaining the game of Checkers, to which the second part of the book is devoted, I have also tried to develop general principles of strategy, rather than to offer a mere classification of analyzed lines of play, which the reader would have to memorize in order to be able to compete with experts. I was fortunate enough to secure the collaboration of the Checker Champion, Alfred Jordan, who enthusiastically adopted the new idea of teaching and furnished most of the material which I have used in illustrating the vital points of the game. This was the preface of the book Chess and Checkers : the Way to Mastership by Edward Lasker.

Six Years in Ingelheim am Rhein [Germany]

From January 2002 to January 2008 I was living in Ingelheim am Rhein. Before I chat a little more about that city, I'd like to introduce you to its history, found at Wikipedia. Some stories and a lot of images from Ingelheim am Rhein will certainly follow! The History of Ingelheim am Rhein The town was settled well before Roman times and reached its greatest importance during the reign of Charlemagne who built a palace there. His son Louis the Pious used the palace frequently and died on an island in the Rhine close by. Several diets of the Holy Roman Empire, as it was known later, were held in Ingelheim by Charlemagne and his successors. Parts of the palace have been excavated and can be viewed. In later medieval times the significance of the palace declined but was briefly revived by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, who greatly admired Charlemagne. An important regional court was located in the town of Ober-Ingelheim throughout the Late Middle Ages and early modern times. Apart from the remnants of the Carolingian palace there are a number of other historical buildings, among them the "Burgkirche" church, whose fortifications protected the townsfolk from marauding troops during many wars over the centuries. The famous red wine festival is held in these picturesque surroundings each year in late September/early October. During the Napoleonic period, the region was under French rule and Ingelheim became an administrative subcenter of the "Departement Mont-Tonnere". Following Napoleon's downfall it was designated part of the Grand Duchy of Hesse. The dialect spoken in the area is quite similar to southern Hessian, with a Palatine influence. The modern town was formed on April 1, 1939, by consolidating the formerly independent small towns of Ober-Ingelheim, Nieder-Ingelheim, Frei-Weinheim and Sporkenheim. In 1972, Groß-Winternheim was added as part of a statewide reform of local governments. During the Nazi period, Ingelheim's development was similar to most other German towns: its small but long-established Jewish minority and local Roma and Sinti were expelled or murdered, proven political leaders incarcerated and a great number of its young men killed in the war. However, the town was spared major destruction and accepted many German refugees expelled from the east. Today it is a thriving small-to-medium town with a newly-built centre, which enjoys a good climate, interesting surroundings, many employment opportunities, a variety of schools and the vicinity of the busy Rhine Main Area with the Frankfurt airport as its hub.

Six Weeks In Saraorci [Serbia]

Saraorci, my new love! From July 2008 to August 2008 I've spent about six weeks in a small Serbian village called "Saraorci". My wife owns a house there so it was kind of easy living. I fell deeply in love with that village as with others I've visited too. The largest city in the near of Saraorci is Smederevo ... so I just collected some facts at Wikipedia before I chat about Saraorci. The history of Smederevo The modern founder of the city was the Serbian prince Đurađ Branković in the 15th century, who built the Smederevo Fortress in 1430 as new Serbian capital. When he became lord of Tokaj in Hungary, he planted vines from Smederevo on his estates there; from these came the famous Tokaji white wine. Smederevo was the residence of Branković and the capital of Serbia from 1430 until 1439, when it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire after a two months siege. In 1444 according to the Peace of Szeged between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Ottoman Empire the Sultan gave back Smederevo to Đurađ Branković, the ally of John Hunyadi. On 22 August 1444 the Serb prince peacefully took possession the evacuated town. After Hunyadi broke the peace treaty Đurađ Branković remained neutral. Serbia became a battleground territory between Kingdom of Hungary and the Ottomans so the angry Branković captured Hunyadi after his defeat at the Second Battle of Kosovo in 1448. Hunyadi was imprisoned in Smederevo fortress for a short time. In 1454 Sultan Mehmed II sieged Smederevo and devastated Serbia. The town was delibareted by Hunyadi. In 1459 Smederevo was captured by the Ottomans after the death of Branković. The town became a Turkish border-fortress, and played an important part in Hungarian-Ottoman wars until 1526. Because of its strategic location, Smederevo was gradually renewed and enlarged. For a long period, the town was the capital of the Sanjak of Smederevo. In autumn 1476 a joint army of Hungarians and Serbs tried to capture the fortress from the Ottomans. They built three wood counter-fortresses, but after months of siege Sultan Mehmed II himself came to drive them away. After fierce fighting the Hungarians agreed to march off. In 1494 Pál Kinizsi tried to capture Smederevo from the Ottomans but he was stricken with palsy and died. In 1512 John Zápolya sieged unsuccessfully the town. During the First Serbian uprising in 1806, the city became a temporary capital of Serbia, as well as the seat of Praviteljstvujušči sovjet, a government headed by Dositej Obradović. The first basic school was founded in 1806. During World War II, the city was occupied by German forces, who placed an arsenal of ammunition in the fortress. On June 5, 1941 a catastrophic explosion severely damaged the fortress and killed thousands of people in the city.

My Vision, My Mission, My Methods

My Mission My mission is to improve my clients' services, by tapping the desire, creativity and dedication of all service staff. Results include an energized workforce, higher quality, higher service automation, lower costs and improved profits. My Vision My vision is to be the consultant consistently chosen by international companies serious about making change ... because my values of integrity, content knowledge, advanced practices and compassion for the workforce match the values of my clients. My Methods I'm a management consultant that introduces new processes and best practices into an organization, through cross functional teams, accountability and change management.