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IndicThreads Conference On Java – Version 3.0 – Pune, India

September 24, 2008Harshad Oak

The 3rd edition of the IndicThreads.com Conference On Java Technology will be held at the Hotel Sun n Sand in Pune, India from 25-27 Nov 2008. The conference is I believe the best place in India for Java learning and discussion. However as I am a speaker at the conference and my firm is the host of the conference, don’t take my word for it.

Check out – http://Conference.IndicThreads.com and have a look at the sessions and the speakers who would be presenting at the event. Conference sessions deal with topics like Domain Driven Design, SOA, HTML5 WebSocket, Agile, Lean, Ajax, Web 2, Scripting, Java Persistence and Desktop Java amongst others. The theme for the event this year is “Architect The Future”

If you think the event is worth it, use the discounted rate currently on offer to grab a seat. I look forward to seeing you at the conference.

The Green Pilgrim – Combining spirituality with eco-awareness and conservation

August 2, 2007Harshad Oak

Every year lakhs of pilgrims walk for over 3 weeks to Pandharpur, driven solely by devotion and faith. A mass of humanity at one place at one time, however also offers a unique opportunity for the government as well as non-government organizations to get across social messages to the people at the grass roots, the ones who matter most for any long lasting social impact.

I was fortunate to be part of one such undertaking this year. Hariyali is an NGO that has been working actively in the field of eco-conservation for over a decade. Most of its work has been in the Thane area. However for the past 3 years it has been conducting a novel campaign of seed distribution amongst warkaris on the pilgrimage to Pandharpur.

The modus operandi of the campaign is quite simple. Mobilize school children in the city to collect seeds of various trees and to pack them into small brown paper packets, each packet carrying about a 100 seeds. Next, utilize the services of volunteers and school children in towns on the pilgrimage route, to spread awareness amongst the warkaris and to distribute the seed packets….

(Cont…Click the scanned article image on the left). Published as part of my column for the Maharashtra Herald that’s published on alternate Saturdays.

>> Click here to read all articles published in the column

Call For Speakers For The IndicThreads.com Conference On Java Technology Closes Tomorrow

July 20, 2007Harshad Oak

IndicThreads.com invites submissions for the IndicThreads.com Conference On Java Technology 2007 to be held on 26th and 27th October 2007 at the Symbiosis Infotech Campus, Hinjewadi IT Park, Pune, India. The conference is the premier independent conference on Java technology in Asia and is the place to be, to learn the latest in the Java world while meeting with like-minded individuals from across the industry. You can find details of last year’s conference at http://conference.indicthreads.com

For The Cause Of The Taj

July 20, 2007Harshad Oak

If you are a true Indian patriot, send me a 100 rupees. Sounds ridiculous, right? But
that’s exactly what’s being done by one of the most ingenious yet dubious campaigns
in recent times, The New7Wonders Poll. Every medium around has been campaigning
for Indians to vote for the Taj and ensure that it gets on the list of the New 7 Wonders
of the World. By the time you read this, the Taj might even have got on to the
New7Wonders list and the media would be flashing victory messages and interviewing
all and sundry about how they feel on the Taj being chosen…

(Continued in the scanned article image on the left). Published as part of my column for the Maharashtra Herald that’s published on alternate Saturdays.

India’s first independent conference on Java technology – Pune – 1st & 2nd December 2006

October 29, 2006Harshad Oak

Ever wondered why apart from a handful of open-source events, no learning-oriented technology conferences happen in India?

We are mostly stuck with conferences that are promotional events or marketing shows with free 5-star lunch, goodies and t-shirts in return for spending hours listening to why company X’s product Y is the best and how company X’s products are changing the world.