We were at the Universidad Abierta Iberoamericana, in its Rosario branch, in Santa Fe, Argentina. We have made the trip specially for an event for the MUG (Microsoft Users Group) of Argentina, together with Pablo Fahnle, the leader of msJovenes. We took advantage of this trip to make this interview for Universal Thread Magazine.
Do you want to tell us who is Pablo Fahnle?
Hi, I'm Pablo, and I'm 17 years old, studying the fifth year of high school and I am also the coordinator of MSJovenes (Microsoft's Youngs), a community of Ineta, having as a goal to gather young people, making meetings, forming study groups, and learning together all the stuff about IT, focused in .NET programming.
Can you tell us how the msJovenes idea started?
This idea was born around a talk with Sebastián Lascestremere, Microsoft's strategic alliance and developers Director for South America. He proposed me to make an MSN group for young people, and I offered him a little bit more, building a web site, organizing activities, etc.
Sebastián gave me access to Microsoft Argentina's rooms to host meetings, and that was the start of the idea. We started the site construction, the diffusion -that was the hardest work- and we started the planning of the first event, which happened in December 2003.
Is this is a freely accessible community, or there are some limitations?
There is no limitation and it's freely accesible. There are a lot of people who are wondering if they can belong or not to the group and we named it msJovenes to reach all the young people, but it is not only about the age, althought our main target are High School and University students.
You told me that all this was born talking with Sebastián Lacestremere, how do you knew him?
Sebastián knew about me through an interview in Clarin (the widest distribution newspaper in Argentina) in June 2003, about a web site that I've made, related with web businesses, and the successful of that. The newspaper was interested in me, and once Seabastián read this interview, he invited me to talk.
msJovenes belongs to Ineta. Do you know if you are the youngest group in Latin America?
According to the latest information, msJovenes is the world's youngest group, not only in Ineta Latam.
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Figure 1: Pablo at msJovenes first conference |
The first meeting was in December 4, 2003, with a 60 people assistance. I was the speaker using just PowerPoint, presenting on .NET Programming Introduction and .Net Introduction. At the conference's breaks there was XBoxes to test.
The second one was in April 13,2004. This was a presentation with Angel "Java" López in front of 50 people. This was a little more advanced. I explained VB 6.0 to VB.NET migration, and Angel explained something about ADO.NET and DB. In this opportunity there were less people attending because it was made during class time and this is very important for us, because we have to combine with the student's schedules.
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Figure 2: Angel "Java" López on the 2nd event |
How many members does msJovenes have?
We are about 400 people around the world; about 300 in Argentina, and 250 specifically in Buenos Aires.
Who are the people helping you in this project?
Microsoft helps me very much much and I'm working mostly alone. I've built the web site and made presentations and events alone many times. That's the reason why our movement is a little slower than other communities. Anyway, we are gathering more people to share all the activities. v
In the personal aspect, I have my family helping. My father and my mother support me a lot on all these projects, and my friends help me a lot too. In the professional part, Microsoft's help was invaluable. They had printed brochures, made the rooms available, provided meal services, etc.
Has another entity, college or university helped you?
Out of Microsoft, Ineta and the MUG, I have no contact with other entities; not yet, but I've not problems with that.
I think that colleges must see this project as a good idea.
Yes, I think it's an idea that will grow, soon.
About Universal Thread, how do you see the future of your community once this interview gets published in three languages?
I know this magazine has a lot of readers. I've written an article about ASP.NET and I believe this article will help our regional expansion project. We want to have headquarters in many countries. This is an original idea worldwide and we want to select local coordinators that can head the young community in their area of influence. We're now talking with a boy in Chile, some people in Argentina out of Buenos Aires, and we want to reach the entire world.
Which high school are you attending?
The San Ramón Nonato College. I'm studying for a bachelor on Applied IT. This is a valuable course that helps me very much, because it has technical content, but also marketing, advertising, etc.
Can you tell me what's the feeling at the College, having people like you, with a lot of future? How they express their feelings about having a student with yours skills?
Last year there was some excitement, not only by the Clarín article. I had interviews with CNN, Rock&Pop (radio), Grandiosas (a TV show), Semanario (a magazine), Genios (a children magazine). I was in my fourth year and they demonstrated how they appreciated all that. During a school event, they surprised me by calling me to the stage and telling everybody what had happened. They gave me books to increase my knowledge. This books was handed me by my IT teacher. The college and my friends had supported with me that much.
Having meetings, talks, Microsoft's briefings and the college, force you to be in two places at the same time. How do you resolve that?
Regrettably, I've not discovered yet how to be in two places in the same time, and they force me to be absent from college. That's the reason I had been absent ten times this year, and only two times for illness. It's hard to keep this two activities, but there are just only a few more months to finish college.
Then a job and the University are coming, but this would be another thing. The same way, when I am working, I do it very hard, and when I'm studying, it's the same.
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Figure 3: Some msJovenes members |
In addition to msJovenes, I'am maintaining a web site,www.solotuweb.com and I'm working as a freelance Webmaster. I also have a new project about strategic advertisement over the Internet. It is just a newborn idea, but it is an idea that I want to explore.
Which are your other activities?
I am studying English four times a week, as I think English is the most important language for IT, specially to us. I am trying also to have some social activities, like going anywhere with my family or in my friend's houses, listening to music on saturdays.
What is your advice for something who wants to imitate your work?
At first, feel free to learn, never saying "I can't learn this". Also, choose what you like and follow it with all your forces. Don't listen to negative voices and do listen the positives ones. In msJovenes you will find a place to generate this kind of projects.
Do you have brothers?
Yes, he is 10 years old and he is a very good programmer. He knows VB 6.0 and wants to learn C++ but he's very young for all this!, ha ha ha.
What kind of food are feeding you in your house?!
It's healthy food, but I love fast food: hamburgers and french fries.
Well, I think I have to go for fast food more frequently! Thank you very much, Pablo.
Thank you very much to Universal Thread.