Author Archives: Jan Pool

CT-SPIN #77: Why does enterprise software suck?

Posted on 10 April 2012 by Jan Pool

Event Sponsors: Enterprise software is everywhere, and few would disagree that the majority of the applications we interface with are a huge pain to work with. Annu Augustine (Digiata) will look at “Why does enterprise software suck?” from a user … Continue reading →

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CT-SPIN #67: Learning From Failure Overpowers Fear

Posted on 4 May 2011 by Jan Pool

Event Sponsor: Implementing change is never easy and pain, fear and failure is often part of the process. Samantha Laing will provide some insights on how to use failures to overcome the inherent fears associated with switching to a new … Continue reading →

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CT-SPIN #62: Introduction to Ruby on Rails 3.0

Posted on 10 November 2010 by Jan Pool

Event Sponsor: Version 3 of the popular Ruby on Rails web application framework has been released in late August. Robert Crida and Stuart Corbishley of Clue Technologies will provide an overview of the latest version’s capabilities that makes it a … Continue reading →

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CT-SPIN #61: Declarative UIs – The Promised Land?

Posted on 26 October 2010 by Jan Pool

Event Sponsor: Graphical user interfaces (GUI) form an integral part of a large portion of the programs we write, but GUIs are not always easy or fun to build. Herman Lintvelt, founder of Polymorph Software, will speak about declarative user … Continue reading →

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CT-SPIN #60: Thinking in Patterns

Posted on 9 September 2010 by Jan Pool

Event Sponsor: Pattern thinking is not just for architects. Aslam Khan will present a workshop to demonstrate how to “Thinking in Patterns”. You will walk away with a new skill in your toolbox. Snacks kindly sponsored by Alacrity. Slides: Thinking … Continue reading →

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CT-SPIN #59: Kanban for Software Engineering in a Nutshell

Posted on 12 August 2010 by Jan Pool

The Kanban principles are nothing new, but applying them in software projects is a relatively recent phenomenon. Jaco van der Merwe, from Electromagnetic Software and Systems, will introduce us to the Kanban principles and explain how they fit into the … Continue reading →

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CT-SPIN #58: User Experience Design

Posted on 13 July 2010 by Jan Pool

More and more organisations realise the importance of enlisting user experience professionals early in the product lifecycle to improve usability and user satisfaction. Phil Barrett, a director at Flow Interactive, will provide us with valuable insights into user experience design. … Continue reading →

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CT-SPIN #55: Domain Specific Languages

Posted on 12 March 2010 by Jan Pool

Event Sponsor: Steve van der Merwe, Technical Director at MagmaTec, will introduce Domain Specific Languages languages (DSLs) at this month’s event. A DSL is a special purpose programming language that is designed specifically for a particular problem domain. When used … Continue reading →

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CT-SPIN #54: Agile Business Development

Posted on 12 February 2010 by Jan Pool

Event Sponsor: Why only apply agile principles and practices when developing software? Why not be agile in life and in business as well? We have heard from a number of startups that do apply agile concepts in business. One of … Continue reading →

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CT-SPIN #53: OpenSpaces Workshop

Posted on 13 January 2010 by Jan Pool

Event Sponsor: Hey, it’s 2010 already and to ease everyone into the year, we will try something a little bit different this month. Aslam Khan will host an OpenSpaces workshop for about an hour and a half followed by snacks … Continue reading →

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