Bonjour!

I'm an information technology worker based in Sydney, Australia.

This is my personal website where I gather bits and pieces of my digital life. You can navigate said bits and pieces using the navigation bar at the top of the page.

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Portrait by Dustpigeons Art.

Technology

I am a Technical Consultant at IBM Global Business Services. Perhaps you would like to check out my LinkedIn profile for more details.

My key area of interest is dev ops and I'm particularly interested in:

  • Documentation - believe it or not - because I like understanding and explaining complex systems. See techbook as an example of my written work, or motherboard layout mapping and 3971thesis citation analysis as more visual examples.
  • Server systems - I've got a bit of experience and a heap of enthusiasm for the big muscles that power distributed applications - be it at the operating system level (VMware ESXi, Linux), the data level (mySQL, sqlite, Hadoop), or even the application level (Java, PHP, JavaScript).

Research

I wrote an undergraduate thesis and PACIS 2016 paper on the persuasive design of digital entrepreneurial crowdfunding platforms.

PACIS Paper 445 - Abstract

Given its interesting history, dating back to the 18th century, crowdfunding is being recognised as a potential key driver of social impact in the 21st century. However, what we have seen is that even the philanthropic/social-benefit focus may not be sufficient to ensure success. In fact, many projects on crowdfunding platforms fail to persuade enough people to contribute financially. This study seeks to understand how persuasiveness may be enhanced in the digital entrepreneurial crowdfunding context. The adoption of the Persuasive Systems Design (PSD) model aided the development of a framework of distinct features deemed to facilitate persuasion. The proposed “Crowdfunding Platform Design” (CFPD) model is examined through a content analysis of five real-world crowdfunding platforms, resulting in the development of visual representations for each of the CFPD model’s features. The content analysis is then followed up by semi-structured interviews with users of real-world crowdfunding platforms. Given the potential of crowdfunding platforms to drive social impact and change, this research-in-progress seeks to provide a holistic framework to help facilitate persuasiveness and in turn the success of crowdfunding platforms.

PACIS Paper 445 - Poster (click for full size PDF)

Personal Values

1. Enthusiasm

There's nothing wrong with being a nerd. In a world of labour specialisation, enthusiasm for niche interests generates comparative advantage and empowers a person to make a real substantial contribution.

2. Effort

Life can get tough; it is not always fun or exciting. Maturity is about getting through the tough days with minimal negativity. Keep calm and carry on. “The sufferings we have now are nothing compared to the great glory that will be shown to us” (Epistle to the Romans, chapter 8).

3. Empathy

It is difficult to see things from another's perspective, but doing so creates better collaboration. To civilise is to empathise. “Whenever you feel like criticising anyone, just remember all the people in this world that haven't had the advantages that you've had” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 1).

4. Ongoing Edification

I believe in lifelong self-directed learning and continuous change for the better. I know I am still learning when I can look back on my previous work and feel that it is not up to standard - because it means that my standards are now higher than they were before.

Study Notes

I studied a Bachelor of Information Systems (Co-op, Honours) at UNSW. These are some of the study notes that I authored in my time there.

Are you a high school student?

Resources for Australian high-school level Economics, English Literature, History, Information Processes & Technology, and Philosophy can be found at HSC Tools.

Contact

For my consulting work, or to discuss my research:

Blair Wang
Technical Consultant
IBM Global Business Services
Sydney, Australia
+61 466 224 502 / wblair@au1.ibm.com

For all other inquiries, and personal matters:

Blair Wang
Christian & Shameless Nerd
http://blair.wang/
+61 466 224 502
blairwang@outlook.com