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Caffeine and Donuts

The Blog
Through Caffeine and Donuts, I hope to discuss a whole manner of topics relating to business, IT and life (and any combination thereof), as well as occasional rants on random things (politics comes to mind). I aim for an easy-going, informal blog with active involvement from readers - kind of like the discussions that you'd have with someone over a cup of coffee and a donut.

The Author
I was born in 1988. I matriculated in 2006, after which I started my studies in Information Technology. Among others, I hold a software development diploma from the Computer Training Institute and an honours degree in Business Information Technology from the University of Greenwich in the UK. I am a full-time programmer, and a part-time wannabe business owner. In my spare time, I enjoy golf, reading and writing.

  1. Small Companies vs. Corporates - An Employee's Perspective

    Some of you may know (I posted a thread on the topic) that I changed jobs in April. I used to work for a very small software company (± 10 people), and I now work for a contracting firm (300+ people) which has placed me at a large corporate (28 000+ people).

    Having spent four years in a small company, I found that I had stepped into a whole new world when I started my new job. I wanted to share my thoughts and experiences with the forum. Of course, I can't generalize and say that ...

    Updated 23-Dec-12 at 06:10 PM by rfnel

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  2. The Anatomy of an Information System

    When you hear the term 'information system', what comes to mind? Many people would instantly think about computers and software, but they would only be half-right.

    Google defines a system as 'a set of connected things or parts forming a complex whole' or 'a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized scheme or method'. Therefore, no single entity (a computer or a single program) is an information system in itself. Compared to the human body, ...

    Updated 07-Feb-12 at 10:13 AM by rfnel

    Categories
    Software
  3. The Argument for Custom Software Development

    I'd like to start this post off with a couple of questions.

    1.) Have you changed background image on your computer from the default?
    2.) Have you ever rearranged the icons on your iPhone/Blackberry/Android?
    3.) Have you ever bought any seemingly weird gadgets because you had a specific purpose for them?
    4.) Have you ever set up a macro in Excel?
    5.) Is your desk arranged in a specific manner?
    6.) Have you ever bought a car and a.) ticked ...

    Updated 18-Sep-11 at 07:32 PM by rfnel

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  4. Caffeine and Donuts - The Obligatory Introductory Post

    Ladies and gentlemen; I've finally reached the point where the forum deems me worthy to write a blog.

    This is the obligatory introductory post. In short - my name is Riaan and I'm a full-time programmer and part-time businessman. I enjoy reading, writing, golf and good food. I was born in '88 and I matriculated in 2006. I hold an honours degree in Business Information Technology from the university of Greenwich in the UK. I'm a staunch supporter of open-source software and my ...

    Updated 08-Jan-13 at 02:28 PM by rfnel

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