canada

A Sultry Start To This Summer

June 18, 2018 Happenings

Summer TimeToronto weather never fails to surprise me, not even with its topsy-turvy weather system, possibly since I’ve anticipated nothing short of a spectacle from the skies most of the time. The alerts and heat wave warnings of the past few hours are ample proof of the abnormally balmy summer lying ahead! For a start, it was a particularly hot and humid Father’s Day on Sunday and the sultry wave persisted on Monday as well. When I checked the weather in the morning it was feeling like 39°C, though in a few hours, the complexion of the system changed and there was a thunderstorm with heavy showers. This was as chaotic as a Toronto weather could be. And talking about summer, it might come as a rude shock but the sunlight in this part of the world isn’t the same as in the tropics or India, in fact, it gets brutal due to Canada’s geographical proximity to the north pole.

Put in a nutshell, it’s not about the amount of sunlight you receive but the UV radiation which it transmits that causes skin damage including cancer. So when you move up north and nearer to the Arctic circle, you are closer to the ozone layer which is damaged owing to ‘climate change’ (the same with Antartica). The one way to protect against the Sun’s intense heat in the north pole and the direct exposure to the UV rays is by covering yourself and applying sunscreen generously during summers. This is even more critical for someone close to where I am in comparison to the deserts of UAE, although I wouldn’t dare challenge the Sun anywhere without copious protection. Besides, I learned this frighteningly quickly that I need to check the UV Index before stepping out. I am already sweating thinking about the next few months!

Speak Up For An Open Internet In Canada

February 28, 2018 Happenings

Open Internet - Canada25 Canadian companies led by Bell have formed a coalition called Fairplay Canada and has approached the CRTC to create a non-profit body for blocking any Internet content which it deems to be engaging or facilitating piracy — without judicial oversight. So in response, members of the public, along with 32 companies and organizations from across Canada have come together to mark a National Day of Action on February 28th in opposing this SOPA-styled proposal. If you’re willing to add your voice in support for an open Internet policy you could do so through the DontCensor.ca website, by using the hashtag #DontCensor on social media or just by speaking up directly on the CRTC website.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Website blocking is a direct violation of net neutrality. While the federal government has made its commitment to the open Internet clear, proposals like this one directly undercut one of the central principles of Net Neutrality: No site blocking. Without judicial oversight, the FairPlay Canada proposal also opens the door for censorship in Canada. With the potential for shifting understanding of what content is to be blocked, and a lack of due process, legitimate websites not participating in any illegal activities will inevitably be caught up in this blocking mechanisms, placing a cumbersome burden on sites to prove their innocence after already being blocked — exactly the opposite of how we expect our judicial processes to function.[/perfectpullquote]

Michael Geist wrote a series of thoughtful blog posts on the topic which will give you all the ammo that you need to knock down this unfair proposal by Fairplay Canada. You will also find tons of material to share on social media in this Google Drive folder by primarily using the hashtag #DontCensor or by visiting this Reddit post for more details.

I support the open Internet which has become a medium for innovation and education for our kids and fosters an entrepreneurial spirit, this invaluable choice to learn and create at our own free will cannot be undermined and held hostage through any means by crony capitalists.

 

Canadian Tech and IT Jobs in 2018 from Randstad

January 23, 2018 Happenings

Randstad Canada sent me an email update today titled “Boost your job search in 2018”, in which they included data on Tech and IT related jobs within Canada. Randstad is one of the many staffing agencies in Toronto and they share this data every year, along with the salary range for different roles categorized by Canadian cities which helps job-seekers in tweaking your job search outlook. What surprised me was the absence of any designer/creative role in software development, so where did they go wrong? They have information for UX/UI job seekers on their website which is not part of the 2018 report though, and I have blogged about my hiring methodology to stress upon the importance of getting creative designers onboard for any product development lifecycle.

The UX Design Collective released The State of the UX in 2018 survey in which they have spoken widely about various global UX career trends and one of the key lessons was the rightful transformation of the UX Designer into ‘Product Designer’ in 2018.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]This shift from UX Design to Product Design is only accelerating in 2018. As our role and responsibilities grow inside our companies, understanding more about business and design strategy becomes inevitable.[/perfectpullquote]

Could it be that Randstad ignored this trend of UX Design vs Product Design? If the report mentions tech as “one of Canada’s best job sectors” then digital products could be the driving force behind it and generally, creative design skills should rank higher in demand on par with programmers. I believe it’s a matter of perspectives, and that Randstad got too involved in pursuing “IT/Tech” as an exclusive developer’s domain while keeping the strategic/creative angle outside its purview. Only they could tell why, but 2018 is the time to give the creative (product) designers a fair handshake!

Source: Best Tech and IT Jobs in Canada in 2018 by Randstad Canada

Thank You, Sears.

January 18, 2018 Happenings

Sears shut all its stores in Ontario, and it will subsequently cease operations across Canada later this year. I still recollect, as a newcomer, I was living right across the street to a store and the first items which I selected for my new home came from this iconic brand. I cannot imagine the convenience of a mega-store with its choice of home appliances without Sears in my neighborhood. It was rather distressing to watch that store shut down in November last year which had become a part of my regular shopping jaunts. They were on a rebranding spree and I was expecting a grand revival, but it happened too late, as suggested by the memo on their website.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Over the past 18 months, Sears Canada had embarked on a reinvention plan that had begun to gain traction with customers. Unfortunately, despite the outstanding efforts of dedicated associates across the Company, Sears Canada does not have the financial resources to provide it with the time necessary to complete its reinvention. As a result, Sears Canada is winding down its operations and shopping is no longer available online. Please see below the list of stores currently open for liquidation. We appreciate having had you as a customer, and hope you find some great bargains for you and your family.[/perfectpullquote]

Source: Thank You.

Weather Woes Welcome 2018

January 5, 2018 General

It’s quite natural to speak about weather systems in Canada, and especially about its infamous winters. So at the time of this writing as I welcome 2018, the area of Southern Ontario (including Toronto) is under a spell of extremely cold temperatures with a warning to this effect also being issued by the Environment Canada. With the mercury dipping staggeringly over the past holiday season and moving towards the new year, the temperatures now feel anywhere between -26°C to -30°C. It would come as a surprise that I am writing about the cold temperatures in the middle of the winter season, but trust me when I say this, that the winter hasn’t been so severe over the past 2 seasons. A few layers of warm clothes was all that I needed to step out in the chill which didn’t last long, however, this season has come as a wake-up call in which I have had to even cover my face from getting ‘burned’ by the frigid cold air! For now, I am eager to see some warmth, and even the slightest indication of a rising mercury would make things better.