It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Umair! He’s a Team Lead on many of Computan’s WordPress development projects. But, as he suggests, don’t let the title fool you into thinking he is that ‘old!’ In this installment of Behind The Coding, Umair explains how he has been Googling his work, why he prefers to eat alone, and what his secret favorite pass time is.
Hi Umair! What are the last three things you Googled?
Hi Sajeel, the first thing I Googled was about Swiss Banks. That was the first two things I Googled!
What specifically about Swiss Banks?
Well, I was trying to figure out how they work and why they are more stable than the US or other banks worldwide.
And you Googled something else about Swiss Banks?
Yeah, exactly; why the Swiss Franc is more stable than the US Dollar.
And what was the final thing you Googled?
We recently stopped indexing a page, and I Googled it to make sure that the page was delisted.
It honestly doesn’t sound like you do a lot of interesting Google.
I am a big user of ChatGPT and YouTube now—more so than Google. I find the information more accurate and valuable to what I need.
How are ChatGPT and YouTube better than Google, in your opinion?
YouTube is great for video, and ChatGPT generates code when needed.
Fair enough! When was the last time you worked after hours to solve a hard problem?
I worked on Memorial Day on a Google Map module. I had to play a jot with Javascript to get it done. We suggested a plugin as our initial approach to solving this problem for a client but ultimately went the custom route.
Interesting Umair! Who are 3 people you'd like to have a dinner (dawaat) with at the same time, and why
I’d like three separate dinners alone, actually, Sajeel.
Hahaha! Why Umair? Why?
You know me. I am a quiet guy and would love to spend that time alone.
OK, if you have to invite three people, who would they be?
One for sure would be MS Dhoni—the former captain of the Indian cricket team.
Why would you choose to have dinner with Dhoni? What do you like about him?
He played cricket like chess and kept himself calm during lots of pressure situations. I want to learn how he does that.
Okay, who else?
My next dinner would be with Vince McMahon, the WWE CEO.
Ah! Are you a fan of wrestling?
Yes, I am. I used to watch it a lot growing up, but as much.
What would you hope to learn from Vince McMahon?
I’d be interested in learning how he and his father built the WWE and how he handled the growth of the business.
These are two exciting guests; who would your third be?
Asif Ali Zardari.
Another interesting choice. Why would you invite the former Prime Minister of Pakistan to dinner? What would you hope to gain? Are you a supporter?
Not at all a supporter!
Then why eat with him?
He’s a genius, and we have to accept that. He’s very resourceful at getting his things done, and I’d want to learn that resourcefulness from him.
When was the last time you cried tears of laughter, Umair?
Probably during Kevin Hart’s standup comedy, watching his facial expressions can make me laugh.
What do you love about coding?
The positive feeling you get when you solve a complex issue.
No doubt.
That’s right. Becoming a developer increased my patience.
When was the first time you saw a laptop/computer?
At home. My father used to talk to people worldwide and send faxes to people, and he was one of the first people in our town to send emails. We had a Pentium 2 with Windows 95 and Solitaire. I got into computers shortly afterward.
What is something your teammates don't know about you?
They don’t know that I am one of the youngest team members on the Niagara Kings Team. Or that I am a huge wrestling fan!
