Ever needed to localize/internationalize an MVC web application but didn’t know how to? Well it’s actually pretty simple with ASP .Net. The first step is to set the page’s UICulture to the language requested by the browser which can be accomplished by adding the following code to the controller.

string lang = Request.UserLanguages[0]; //get the browsers requested language

//set the current threads langauge to the requested one
Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture = new CultureInfo(lang);
Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentUICulture = Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture;

After the thread’s UICulture has been set you need to define resource files (.resx) which will contain the translated words. In the folder containing your view create an Asp.Net folder named App_LocalResources. In this folder create a resource file for languages you’ll be supporting in the following format.

Assuming the view is named index.aspx the resource files should be named:
index.aspx.resx This will be the language neutral resource file
index.aspx.en.resx The English resource file
index.aspx.es.resx The Spanish resource file

In these resource files define name/value pairs for each word which needs to be localized. Each file should contain the same names but the value should be translated for the language the resource file represents.

Then in the view use the following syntax to bind the resources to where they’re needed.

<asp:Label runat="server" Text="<%$ Resources:text1 %>" />

That’s it! When the browser sends a request to the server the following will happen:

1. ASP .Net will pickup the ‘Accept-Language’ HTTP header and set the Page’s thread to that language (the first snippet accomplishes this)
2. When the view is rendered it will run in the context of the appropriate resource file automatically
3. Any references to <%$ Resources:[blah] %>

will be set to that value in the resource file!

Day One

As my two month internship here in Reston draws to a close, I have taken the time to reflect back on the time spent at MetroStar Systems.  The experience has given me a window of perspective into life at one of the most personable, friendly and team-oriented companies I’ve ever had the pleasure to have known. The past nine weeks have provided me with so many minuscule tidbits of information and pieces of knowledge that will surely stay with me throughout my professional career. Some of the things, such as managing social media accounts via HootSuite and social bookmarking, were simple yet useful workplace tools that were unbeknownst to me until my arrival at MetroStar. Other tasks provided me with skills and the preparation for life in the real world of business. Sitting through and watching a business model presentation come together from scratch and watching it progress until just hours before it was to be presented was one of the most useful learning experiences I’ve ever had.

I have yet to take a class that could come close to emphasizing the value of implementing BMG and applying it to all aspects of a project/business/anything in life.

The month of July went by faster than I could have ever expected it to. The World Cup came to a close after a month of random outbursts of cheers, streaming games in minimized boxes in the corner of the screen, and a first WC win for La Furia Roja. Soon after the Cup ended, the marketing squad gained two new members: Monica Huie and Patricia Joo. After the new additions, the team moved forward at a previously unseen pace of speed and multitasking. New projects seemed to come in from all directions and it quickly became clear that this new formidable block would be more than capable of handling its workload.

As I near the end of my last task here at Metrostar Systems (this blog post), I can’t help but to smile when I try to think of any negative aspects of my experience. There was one thing that will always stand out and bug me about this place. Over the course of all of the FIFA 10 soccer matches played by the company B-Team, not ONE of the games ended in our favor. Oh well, I couldn’t have asked for a better duo to pair up with than Daniel and Ethan and I’m sure that one of these days (maybe years from now) we’ll  pull it together and beat a football side a prominent as the KC Wizards or the Colorado Rapids

-Jon Malley

]]> http://blog.metrostarsystems.com/2010/08/06/week-9-at-metrostar-systems/feed/ 0 http://blog.metrostarsystems.com/2010/06/04/week-1-metrostar-systems/ http://blog.metrostarsystems.com/2010/06/04/week-1-metrostar-systems/#comments Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:24:19 +0000 Jon Malley http://blog.metrostarsystems.com/?p=2954 ... ]]>

My first week at MetroStar has been full of new and exciting experiences. Though I have no idea what I’ll be doing by this time next week, it’s been a great start so far. I started my internship here the Tuesday after the Memorial Day weekend. The morning on my first day consisted of a lengthy, though standard, orientation session led by Mo Hessabi and Greg Citizen. Unlike my previous internship last summer in DC, I was immediately welcomed with the cool refreshing breeze of an adequate air conditioning system.   The office itself is also much larger than the cramped, two-room space that was rented out on K Street.  I received a brief tour of the premises and completed the necessary paperwork alongside the other new employees, Lynna Hall and Andrew Cisternino.

A quick lunch with Lynna and Greg was followed by a briefing by Mona Lutnes over our newly issued security cards (lanyard included). I then met Jenni Hubacher, the first of the three people that would be supervising me during my stay at MetroStar. The remaining hours of the workday were spent getting acclimated and setting up the desktop computer that I had been assigned.

Wednesday was my first true day of work and I soon met the second member of the Marketing team, Daniel Nguyen.  Jenni introduced me to Google’s AdWords service and we began working on a campaign advertising 8570.1 certification training sessions at the Stafford office.  Next, we moved on to Google Analytics to chart data pertaining to the MetroStar Systems (new and improved) website. My first real task was to complete a report on the data which included multiple graphs and analysis. On Thursday, I worked with Daniel and researched information about social media to get me up to speed with some of the current projects that are being put together. With the most unfortunate timing, I had to leave work early due to a terrible viral infection in my throat (at least that’s what I hope it is- No Mono please!) that left me unable to complete the full work day.

Nearing the end of my first week, Friday morning consisted of writing up my first MetroStar Systems blog entry on the future of social media. After lunch, I ran an inventory of all of the Marketing and HR collateral. The whole experience so far has been as enjoyable as I could have ever imagined. Everyone I’ve encountered has been friendly and helpful.   With that in mind, I’m elated to have the opportunity to spend the rest of my summer here at MetroStar Systems.

P.S. If anyone wants to play a game of FIFA sometime, just shoot me an e-mail.

-Jon Malley

It is amazing how much one can learn in a month after being immersed in an environment. I’ve learned  that while our SVP of Business Development can salsa, it’s the Bhangra music and rhythms that get my new colleagues on the dance floor at a company party. I’ve learned that, true to its name, if I drink the Midnight Magic coffee after lunch I can’t fall asleep before 1:00 a.m.  I’ve learned that when you get smart people and good technology in a room together, you can play a part to help a poor island nation racked by catastrophe.

My role here at MetroStar Systems is, ultimately, to tell our story. While there is a certain “drinking from a firehose” aspect to the transition of a new executive into a fast growing company – average of 272% in the last three years and 420% growth in the last year – in true MetroStar fashion, I’ve tried to do a lot of listening and observing since arriving earlier this month.

So here’s what I’ve observed:
We are Skywalker Ranch meets the United Nations. Our modern offices are situated on a beautiful pre-Civil War era campus in the heart of what is now bustling, modern, high tech Reston, Virginia. But this exquisite facility is only the shell – the real beauty lies within. At the time of this writing, we have nearly 100 employees with more than 30 different nationalities represented. Walking around the office and meeting my new colleagues has been the absolute highlight of my transition so far. The cultural diversity is a huge strength for a company immersed in using technology in new and innovative ways.  We come from different places with different backgrounds and different ideas. When a customer presents a problem, we can offer several unique perspectives and share among our team to create the ideal solution. Innovative collaboration is at the very heart of MetroStar Systems.

We are a company that uses technology to bridge collaboration between people. Sometimes those people are Marines sharing data around the globe; other times we’re leveraging the best social media technology on a global scale in the interest of the State Department’s public diplomacy campaigns. By doing what we do, we effect change in the world.

MetroStar Systems offers a unique ability to collaborate.  Indeed, we are true to our tagline – we “Advance Technology Daily“. But we also…

Avance la tecnología cada día
每天先进技术
Zaawansowanej technologii na co dzień
پیشرفت تکنولوژی روزانه
передовой технологии с каждым днем
Avançando a tecnologia diariamente
تقدم التكنولوجيا اليومية
अग्रिम प्रौद्योगिकी हर दिन
Progresser les technologies de tous les jours
предварително технология всеки ден
Kuendeleza teknolojia ya kila siku
הטכנולוגיה מראש כל יום
công nghệ tiên tiến mỗi ngày
사전 기술 매일
teknologi maju setiap hari
Teknoloji avanse chak jou

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/noticelj/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Toaster Oven VS Toaster

On an early Thursday morning last August, I walked into the office with a hole in my stomach. Following my regular routine, I went to the kitchen area and tossed two loaves of bread into the great belly of the toaster oven, which boasts a 12 inch pizza capacity. As usual, I waited for the oven to heat up while I planned my day alongside.

Mo, the HR Director of the company, entered the kitchen and proceeded to caution me. Ali, the company CEO, is not in a good mood … so, I should hurry up with my daily ritual. I decided to give the toaster oven one more minute with my breakfast. The next minute, I am meticulously spreading some peanut butter over my toast.

“How long does it take you to make your breakfast every day?”

Lo and behold, it is Ali at the kitchen door. Now, I know that it is a rhetorical question. So, I patiently wait for the follow-up:

“Add up all the time you spend every morning in this kitchen making your breakfast. And when you get the answer, go tell our closest competition how much you have helped them!”

So, I did. (The first part of what he said at least.)

I finished making my breakfast and took it to my desk, where I looked at the following conservative figures:

• Number of work weeks in a year: (N) = 48  [10 days of personal leave; 10 days of holidays]

• Average number of days/week I make my breakfast:     (d) = 4
• Average number of minutes I spend/breakfast session:     (m) = 15
• Total number of minutes that I spend/year on breakfast:     (T) = N*d*m
• (T) = 48*4*15
• (T) = 2880
• Total = 48 hours

Before I made these calculations, I was taken aback by a CEO’s interference in an issue as “minor” as making a simple breakfast. But after these calculations I realize that six working days of a year is a lot of time to lose for a small business!

So, what next? Blame the toaster oven, of course! It dawned on me: A man is only as good as the tool he owns. Every morning I would sit in the kitchen, submissive to the status quo of the slow burning toaster oven. I was using the wrong tool all along – wasting both time and energy. That afternoon, I went to a Target store nearby and bought a real toaster – you know, the one with two slots for the bread. The following morning my new ‘tool’ would help me cut the length of my breakfast ritual about 75%! The following figures would emerge:

• Average number of minutes I spend/breakfast session (m’) = 4
• Total number of minutes that I spend/year on breakfast (T) = N*d*m
• (T) = 48*4*4
• (T) = 768
• Total = 12.8 hours

It is always convincing when numbers tell you a story. To tell a story, however, needs a visionary intervention. At MetroStar Systems, we are a team of visionaries. As such, we keep our eyes on the bigger picture but we don’t let the “minor” details slide. We don’t cry over spilled milk, but make the best of the situation. We think both inside and outside the box, and if the box is not right, we change it. We are an agile team of active learners and proactive workers – we are professionals.

On Friday October 16, 2009, MetroStar Systems hosted a 10 Year Anniversary and Open House event celebrating 10 Years of Dedication and Innovation, and the move into our new world headquarters.

On behalf of MetroStar Systems, I would like to thank everyone for attending and celebrating with us. It was great to see our partners, customers, clients, coworkers, contractors, friends, and families at this special event. MetroStar Systems would not be who we are today without the help and support we have received from you!

Sincerely,

Jenni Hubacher

Video courtesy of Derek Yale.

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Photos courtesy of Clayton Harrison.

Taking IT Global (TIG) is a social networking site that connects cultures based on global issues that affect us all. The issues that are mainly focused on relate to culture, education, environment, health, human rights, media, peace and conflict, technology, and work and economics. TIG is about to reach a quarter of a million members that are located in 261 countries worldwide. All of the current members are people who want to make a difference in the world. TIG Connects people, specifically the youth, around the world to get involved with improving communities.

Each member can choose the involvement level they wish to participate at. There are opportunities for members to contribute to discussion boards on various topics, they can join different groups relating to their interests, they can sign online petitions for issues they support, they can locate upcoming events worldwide, and they can join ongoing projects.

Organizations can also choose to create a TIG page. This enables companies and organizations to connect with different cultural communities that are socially aware of the issues going on around the world and trying to make a difference. TIG can be advantageous, also: “Inspire the youth about your work and key issues you address, inform a global audience on your latest news and activities, and involve a growing network in making a greater difference together.” Organizations are able to create a profile, post events, promote resources on global issues, find qualified applicants, showcase digital videos and photos, and set up blogs.

Educators are now allowed to join TIG. This allows for classrooms to go global while having interactive learning experiences that “improve students’ global citizenship, critical thinking, and leadership skills.” Through educators getting involved with TakingITGlobal, students are prepared for the world and all of the ongoing issues and controversies that are faced daily.

A new tool that TakingITGlobal has adapted is the integration of Twitter. Twitter accounts are now capable of being associated with project pages where the latest tweets will display on the project homepage.  This hopefully will be the first round of new features that are being built into project pages.

It’s funny when you have to worry about growing pains in business.  I compare this phenomenon to a ten year old kid, where it has learned to walk and talk.  Yet, it is still vulnerable to its surroundings = the economy, friends = partnerships, and neighbors = other businesses or competition.

The other day I was told by a large neighbor how would MetroStar manage and survive in this downturn of an economy.  Does MetroStar have the relationships?  And can it continue capturing new business in this ultra competitive market? Well the quick answer is “YES, WE CAN SIR!”.

I did not spend 20 years of my life in the government building relationships. In fact for the past 10 years, since I graduated from George Mason University I have been an entrepreneur not worried about the bottom line, but working hard building our organization brick by brick with knowledge, courage, and determination. In my ten years of being in business we experienced the following: in our second year the DOT COM bubble busted, our third year we coped with 9/11, a tragedy that shook our nation, but at the same time it taught us to unite and be strong.  Finally, the last two years have been compared to the Great Depression of the 30’s and 40’s. With that said, MetroStar has grown at an average of 250% in the past three years. We have been profitable for the past 12 quarters. Every cent of profit has gone back into our organization; to create INNOVATION and JOBS.

Our assets are our people not cash in the bank, our growth is due to our culture not relationships, and our courage is due to the characters of our leadership not our board members.  So, the next time a large firm corner’s you and try’s to overpower you with their large sums of cash and tries to intimidate you with their relationships with government officials; stand strong, be confident, and remember that you are a small business owner not in it for the moment, but for the journey.

You are creating jobs and giving back during this crisis, you are not held accountable by members of the board, Wall Street, or Shareholders.  Stay resilient, give back, and do not let this market and its bullies overwhelm you and your goals, it will turn to your advantage.  Work smart, hard, and efficiently!

For the past few weeks, I have been traveling around two of the most beautiful and dearest countries to me; Argentina (Buenos Aires, El Chaltern) and Chile (Santiago, Vina del Mar). Both countries have great food, great places to visit, but most of all; great people.

Along the way I have met some wonderful individuals, many of which I will never forget and would like to thank for listening and providing a helping hand. Along the way I have seen people wanting to connect to one another, wanting to share their experiences. Along the way I have seen individuals in unthinkable situations that many of us would considered impossible, yet they continue on. Along the way I have seen the resilience of the human spirit, the good in all people, and the beauty of this magnificent world that we live in. Along the way I have been able to reflect on my life and have seen myself grow as a husband, father, friend and individual.

As I get back to business, I can only hope that many of the experiences do not fade away, but become a reminder of how fortunate we are to be where we are.  To treat all individuals that same way we would like to be treated and to always tell your loved ones how you feel about them.

I would like to thank my wife and kids for helping me achieve my goals and for their endless support, with out them I would be an aimless soul in this world.

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• Chile Slide Show
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