In this  hyper-connected digital world of the Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other Internet memes transmitters, it seems people can not describe themselves without being too self-congratulatory or drifting into an exercise of self-aggrandizement. It’s as though we’re all competing in a championship of self-glorification in this virtual place.

 

But don’t get me wrong! On the other hand, I understand that most of us feel like we’re kind of being dragged into this ubiquitous thing we call Internet/Web simply because it’s getting even harder to be heard or seen, or to do anything relevant without it. But wait a minute… isn’t writing a blog an even more sophisticated way of portraying oneself? Yeah, may be….

 

May be not… for me this ain’t about self-promotion. Rather, this blog stems from a burning desire to write mostly about things that I feel passionate about (GIS and Geospatial Technology). As a matter of fact, my desire to write is enduring and the truth is I have been writing lot of things here and there, but I’ve always lacked the discipline to do it in a somewhat structured way. Now I see blogging as a more or less structured way of writing. Furthermore, it’s become crystal clear to me that starting a personal blog is a powerful incentive to write and hopefully it will help quench my thirst… Obviously, my goal here is not « grandiose writing » (far from it), instead my expectations are to use this platform as both an outlet for opinions/ideas on subjects/issues that matter most to me and a tool/exercise to help tighten my writing skills.

 

Since I intend not to let this platform become an outward expression of how I would like to be seen, I won’t indulge in self-voyeurism or diarrhea of the mouth on very personal aspects about myself… Instead, I will write mostly about Geomatics (plus other matters as I see fit) and especially how the geospatial gospel is spreading in Africa.

 

That said, I am sure you won’t mind if I drop here a short bio of myself so you can get a sense of who is hiding behind these pages:

 

I am a Engineer turned Location Tech Geek (like many others on this earth) who grew up and went at school in Senegal before landing in Quebec on a Canadian scholarship more than a decade ago.

 

« On the academic level: I hold an MBA degree with a major in IT Management from Laval University in Quebec city and a M.Sc. degree in Geomatics and Water Sciences from Quebec’s National Institute of Scientific Research (INRS). Prior to my graduate studies, I had earned a Geological Engineering degree from the Earth Sciences Institute of the University of Dakar in Senegal (…just like the new Senegalese President).

 

At the professional level: I have enjoyed 12 years of experience in Quebec and Ontario (Canada), as Geomatics Director (Axsera Inc.), GIS Specialist (Intrado Inc.), Geomatics Research Professional (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada), Resources Manager and then GIS Analyst (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources), and GIS Officer (BBGL-International) in Laos.

 

Throughout my career, I have been involved in activities ranging from projects/programs management and implementation to needs analysis, design and development of geospatial databases, spatial and digital terrain analysis (DTM/DEM) and modeling, multisource data collection (satellite imagery, aerial photos, DEM, 3D data capture, vector data, etc.) using GPS-powered devices, automation of processes, spatial data conversion/migration/editing, mapping and cartography, geolocation (WiFi, Cellular, GPS, and RFID), and Geomatics knowledge transfer to stakeholders.« 

 

Oh well, I know how always boring it is to read someone else’s stuff, unless you are a headhunter, or an HR resource looking to hire… I get that part, and that’s why I won’t go any further than that. However, should anyone wants to know more about me professionally (IT, organizational, social, technical, and miscellaneous skills and competencies, along with the projects/programs I worked on over these years), here’s an out-bound link to a more detailed profile of me: http://en.gravatar.com/barukaah.