Slashdot Mirror


Coders Say Yes To Telecommuting, No To Ping Pong

8127972 writes "News.com is has a story on a survey that describes the perks that coders and other IT types want. According to the survey, they want their companies to spring for membership to health clubs, a free car, wireless phone, and anything that aids telecommuting. Foosball, ping-pong, billiards and other rec-room staples ranked at the bottom of the list--even lower than free dance lessons. The full survey is at Techies.com. Maybe this should be sent to the PHB's?"

24 of 181 comments (clear)

  1. All well and good by isorox · · Score: 5

    Telecommuting is all well and good - but do you want to be a hermit?

    Rise at 11AM, slump 5 yards to coffee machine and prss a button. Log in, then while drinking coffee catch up with email, slashdot and other important "cant miss" work things.

    At 1PM, put something in the microwave and think about begining work. Assumung you are self disaplined you are finished by 7PM, just in time to flick on the news.

    If you arent however you'll do 1/2 an hours work before drifting back to a game of quake - you'll put the time in at the end of day/week/month you say.

    Your daily workload is finished by 10PM, and your pizza arrives (please tip the pizza guy - thanks). You watch a pr0n video and have a few hour of counterstrike before slipping back into bed.

    You havent got dressed all day, you havent seen the sun, you've not spoken to another living soul, you've missed buying the paper from Bernie on the street outside, you've missed on the latest gossip.

    Working from home seems idilic, but you dont see anyone, have hundereds of distractions, you think of your apt. as a cell, you might even start to resent your computer!

    It's not all rosy.

    1. Re:All well and good by Mr.+Slippery · · Score: 4
      Telecommuting is all well and good - but do you want to be a hermit?
      There have been days when I've spent eight hours in my office or cube and not spoken to anyone.

      If I want to be social, I'll get together with a friend in the evening, or head down to my favorite bar for a beer or three.

      --
      Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
      You cannot wash away blood with blood
  2. Personal vs. Shared by Coward,+Anonymous · · Score: 3

    Foosball, ping-pong, billiards and other rec-room staples ranked at the bottom of the list

    Hey, don't knock the foosball. Of course they were at the bottom of the list, a foosball table is something which your company lets you occasionally share with the other employees. Naturally a car, or a health club membership, or free computer stuff is going to rank higher since they are used exclusively by the person they're given to. What would you rather have: a porsche which you can use during the lunchbreak and share with six other people, or a Toyota Camry which is yours and yours alone?

  3. I thought concubines would top the list by count0 · · Score: 4

    After all, the perks of telecommuting should be more than working in your jammies.

    cz

    1. Re:I thought concubines would top the list by atrowe · · Score: 3

      Would some one please explain to me why in the hell one would need a car to telecommute?

      --

      -atrowe: Card-carrying Mensa member. I have no toleranse for stupidity.

  4. no kiddin' by Wansu · · Score: 3

    Of course people want to telecommute. Who the hell wants to sit in traffic? I can't believe all the people on the road every day HAVE to be there between 8 and 5 EVERY day. Telecommuting is an inexpensive way to cut our oil consumption and reduce pollution and traffic congestion. But every time these issues come to the fore do we hear anything about telecommuting? No. Instead it's build more roads or commuter trains or bus route expansion.

    The reason is simple. Employers like to be able to pop their heads in your office and demand status updates. They think that if there isn't the constant threat of them walking in, you won't work hard. They don't trust workers. I've thought about this alot. I can't come up with any other compelling reason why telecommuting isn't being more widely adopted.

    --
    Wansu, th' chinese sailor
  5. You pay for the perks by The+Pim · · Score: 5
    I would think techies of all people would realize where their perks are coming from--the same budget that pays their salaries. Most of the top choices in the survey could be as easily obtained if perks were replaced by higher salary--with the bonus of greater choice. Most geeks don't trust the government to choose what's good for them--why do they trust employers?

    The only perks that make sense are those that can't be replaced by cash. Like things that improve the work environment (I'm sure you can find an alternative if you don't like foosball!).

    (Yes, the company may get a better deal on the perks than you would, but I doubt the difference is worth the loss of choice. And yes, an employer has reason to subsidize items that make employees more productive, but I take perks to mean "above what the company should rationally give".)

    --

    The evaluation of an action as 'practical' . . . depends on what it is that one wishes to practice.
    1. Re:You pay for the perks by Lish · · Score: 3
      Absolutely. Furthermore, it's much easier to convince a company to put a foosball table or whatever in the break room, because it's a one-time purchase with a low per-employee cost. Things like cellphones, healthclubs, free home internet access, etc are a long-term committment with a higher per-employee cost. Much less painful for the budget folks.

      --
      "This message is composed of 100% recycled electrons."
  6. Flexible Hours, Telecommuting, and More Vacation by b0z · · Score: 5
    I agree with you completely. For most jobs whether you are a coder, technical writer, analyst, etc. there is a lot of work you can do from home if not all.

    Part of the reason companies won't give you flexible hours is because managers like to see what you are doing and know where you are and how to reach you. It's not enough that they make you carry a pager, but they want to be able to pull you into an emergency meeting at any time of the day. They thrive off of consistency in the schedule, not being consistent with your work as much. I think that the only way that we will get flexible hours is when these businesses wake up and become results based rather than time based. If I tell my manager it will take me two months to finish a project working 9 - 5, for 5 days a week, I should also be permitted to work 16 hour days for a month if I want so I can finish the project, then take the next month off. I would have done all the work in the time period that we had arranged, so my benefit would be that I could have the time left over to relax. The problem from a manager's point of view is that they are not trained very well to know if we would B.S. them or not. Sure, I could say it will take a month, but what if my project really only took a week to finish because I wanted to get extra time off to screw around? That isn't honest, and the manager really wouldn't have any way to know. I think we will start on the right path when businesses care more about the results of our work than how long we are sitting around in the office, but there are still those few issues to be resolved.

    The same goes for telecommuting with one exception. I would think that technically, we would end up getting more work done if we telecommute rather than go into the office. Personally, I live alone, so there would be no distractions other than what I would create for myself. If I were to sit down and start coding, then I would probably end up working more hours at home sitting on the sofa with a laptop than I would if I were stuck in a cubicle being distracted by everyone surrounding me, and all the additional office politics. I think the only disadvantage to telecommuting is that my boss would not know what I am doing very much, so unless he arranged for me to send him status reports or something, he would be completely in the dark and appear stupid to his boss. Also, there is the cost, as a lot of companies that have employees that telecommute pay twice for equipment. Most people will telecommute only part of the time, but also need a desk to sit at for the days they do need to go in to work. I think we are getting closer though, and if the government gives more tax breaks and such for companies that have a lot of telecommuters, businesses will let more of us do it.

    Also, about vacation time. We need more of it. I really don't like how most businesses in the U.S. expect us to work all but 2 weeks out of the year. I heard that in Germany you get 2 months minimum. Why is it that our culture has moved from living life for yourself and family (if you have one) to living to serve a company? I work hard for my employer, and expect them to work hard to make me happy in exchange for it. A lot of what they do is very superficial, and it is much cheaper to spend $200 on a ping pong table than it is to let all the employees have a month of vacation time. They only pay lip service to trying to satisfy the employees, and really just use it as an excuse to try to get us to work longer. We really need some reform in business in general so that the U.S. can rise up to the labor standards of civilized nations.

    Other than that, I do think that there are some things that can be done to make us happier. I would think this applies to all industries, not just information technology. I think that since the I.T. field is supposed to be high tech, our jobs and business processes should be also. We have a lot of stuff on the web already for HR, Purchasing, Help Desks, etc in a lot of companies. Why can't the companies themselves live up to the potential of what we are giving them?

    --
    Mas vale cholo, que mal acompañado.
  7. Telecommuting sucked by waldeaux · · Score: 5
    I used to work for a company where I could make my own hours and could work from home when I wanted. The net result was that my boss would call me almost 24/7 (mostly the "7", including during Thanksgiving dinner, Xmas Eve, etc. --- I did not have a job that required babysitting of important equipment or anything - it could've been a 9-5 job, except that he wanted me constantly available).

    This extended into travel where I was expected to work 24/7 (here, literally 24/7), because it was a "work trip" and (get this) "people in the real world don't get time off during a work trip". (Comp time was also an unknown concept.)

    I'm much happier in my new job. I don't telecommute - ever. I get in before 8 and usually leave before 5 (so I know what evenings are like - and sunsets are so pretty!). I'll work extra hours and some weekends when there is *need* but manager apprehension based upon someone else's inability to set a workable schedule isn't a need - it's a failure in the system that should be held accountable before any cleanup is performed.

    We'd be a LOT better off if we'd adopt this maxim and STICK TO IT: if your job requires more than 1/3rd of your time (i.e., 8 hours a day), then not enough resources are being placed on those tasks, and something needs to be fixed. Or, to put it another way, the company is placing an unfair burden on you (unless there is some kind of compensation to make up for it --- though I would also add unless the situation is clearly temporary).

    If you break it down to 1/3rd sleep (which we need), 1/3rd work (which [most of us] need to get the $$$ for shelter, food, and entertainment) and 1/3rd time for us, it makes sense that our own time should equal or exceed the time we spend at work. I've found my live a LOT more fun and a LOT less stressed once I started guarding my own interests with the same loyalty that I guard my company's.

    Anything less would be uncivilized. :-)

  8. SSSSHHH!!!! by b0z · · Score: 5
    Would some one please explain to me why in the hell one would need a car to telecommute?

    SHHHH!!! Keep it down! We don't want the boss to realize that we are really going to go to Las Vegas for the week, where the concubines are!

    --
    Mas vale cholo, que mal acompañado.
  9. Guess what. I have friends. by codemonkey_uk · · Score: 4
    And I go out. Commuting is ruining my life.

    My girlfriend works, so she'd get me up in the morning with a coffee (like she does anyway, bless her).

    I'd (probably) have to log on to my companies network by a fixed time, so thats not a problem.

    Telecommuting would be the best thing that could happen to my social life.

    Infact, convincing my friends to leave me alone while I'm working would be the most difficult bit.

    Finnally, SHUT THE F*CK UP. Its people like you that scare the PHBs off of telecommuting. They assume whe are all as undisiplined as you, and need watching to make sure we work. Well I don't, I can get my work done on time without micromanagement. Don't ruin it for the rest of us.

    Thad

    --

    Thad

  10. Re:excuse me? by couchslayer · · Score: 4

    There are some disadvantages to telecommuting, though, which people seem to gloss over. To whit:

    - Out of sight, out of mind: I'm not just talking about being able to goof off all day . A lot of places work on the basis of office politics; like every other social situation, it's inevitable. You're not going to be thought of in as good a light if you're never around, and though you may not care right now, you will when the person who doesn't get as much done get the promotion you wanted because they were at the office every day, and stayed in the head of their boss. I'm not saying this is good, or bad, merely that it is.

    - Knowledge sharing: I've found (as someone who is the first to admit that I don't even know a lil' bit of everything) that a good deal of what I've picked up has been odd random geeky junk from being able to wander into the other programmers' cubes and gossipping. Ditto for weird conversations at lunch. And it's a lot easier to help someone out (and, in turn, be helped) when you have a physical presence.

    - Gripability: This is more important than it may seem. If I'm having a tough time with something outside of work, it's a lot easier to get a little sympathy if I'm there to whine in person. Ditto with saying, "well, I've gotta skip out tomorrow afternoon, but I'll make it up during the rest of the week."

    I'm not against the idea of telecommuting, just that it's not a good all-the-time solution. I find that most of the really kick-ass programmers around me show up two days a week; it's enough time to ask and be asked questions, let people know you're alive, transfer all that weird stuff which never gets documented but is vital to getting your product to compile correctly, etc.

    Some of this may not matter to everyone who is expected to work 70+ hours a week anyhow. In this case, the best thing I can say is that you need to show up to work, quit, and find a better job. Never discount the fact that your job/company/chosen locale just sucks, and all the telecommuting in the world isn't going to change what the real problems are.

    --
    If a woodchuck could, would it be too lazy to?
  11. Perks the company wants by maggard · · Score: 4
    Many of the "perks" depreciated by the folks polled are actually management-strategy tools.

    Getting folks to work together smoothly & efficiently is more then sticking them in a series of nearby workspaces and forcing them to attend the same meetings. Rather it involves a series of techniques that include lubricating the social processes that lead to effective group brainstorming, problem-resolution, pride-in-product & esprit de corps. With these in place management can expect greater creativity, less conflict, higher productivity, improved quality and less staff turnover. Without these social underpinnings the opposite occurs.

    Table-Tennis (forbid we ever call it "Ping-Pong"!) , Nerf shoot-outs & the occasionial game of pick-up basketball offer the staff opportunities to interact together in fun ways that both reward them with pleasurable/refreshing breaks from their work & opportunities to improve their interpersonal relationships. Research has consistantly shown that folks who play well together work well together & are happier about it.

    That these are seen as "perks" is interesting but ultimately irrelevant. They're not supplied in order to reward individual employeees but rather to constructively improve the overall work environment. If it wasn't games & toys supplied it would be other team-building activities like shared challenges, unusual situations or other joint social activities (preferably involving groups eating together - shared meals are a powerful bonding activity.)

    If all of this sounds rather calculating and artificial remember it's no more then so then the company evaluating your worth, loyalty, other opportunities, etc. & determining how much of a bonus to give you. It also the same calculation staff use when deciding to jump ship or not.

    Indeed it many cases this engineering should be appreciated. Most folks can recount unpleasent experiences with workplaces where folks didn't function well together & stress became excessive, relationships were unpleasent & the general tenor was not one they enjoyed. If some effort is taken to promote a positive workplace then all benefit from it; employer & employees alike.

    By the way, this isn't all squishy HR-drivel. I'm a Tech Manager who long ago learned that keeping staff happy & productive is more then giving them clear direction & hot toys but also making sure their jobs are rewarding & the environment convivial. If it comes down to my buying a half-dozen folks the latest cellphone-du-jure or a office pinball machine they can all bang on, singly & together then I'm going for the most good (for the company) for the greatest number. The phones would make a few happy for a short while when they're off-site. The pinball gets more of them involved with eachother & out of their cubes for some cobweb-clearing sessions that just might become brainstorming sessions.

    --
    I don't read ACs: If a post isn't worth so much as a nom de plume to its author then I wont bother either.
  12. Work-aholics by Skim123 · · Score: 3

    These people must be workaholics (or those surveys were answered by the higher-ups). The last thing I would ask me employer for are tools so that he can expect me to work every waking hour. Home PCs, home Internet connections, and mobile communication devices seem like a way for companies to say, "Your work day does not end when you go home. You have the tools you need, and we can chat via cell phone."

    --

    I could not justify my existence if I were a turkey farmer. Would I terminate myself? Undoubtably, yes.

  13. Re:The Evolution of a Programmer by Bogdan+Pivovarov · · Score: 3

    High School/Jr.High

    10 PRINT "HELLO WORLD"
    20 END


    First year in College

    program Hello(input, output)
    begin
    writeln('Hello World');
    end.


    Senior year in College

    (defun hello
    (print
    (cons 'Hello (list 'World))))


    New professional

    #include
    void main(void)
    {
    char *message[] = {"Hello ", "World"};
    int i;

    for(i = 0; i &lt 2; ++i)
    printf("%s", message[i]);
    printf("\n");
    }


    Seasoned professional

    #include
    #include

    class string
    {
    private:
    int size;
    char *ptr;

    public:
    string() : size(0), ptr(new char('\0')) {}

    string(const string &s) : size(s.size)
    {
    ptr = new char[size + 1];
    strcpy(ptr, s.ptr);
    }

    ~string()
    {
    delete [] ptr;
    }

    friend ostream &operator &lt&lt (ostream & const string &
    string &operator=(const char *);
    };

    ostream &operator &lt&lt (ostream &stream, const string &s)
    {
    return(stream &lt&lt s.ptr);
    }

    string &string::operator=(const char *chrs)
    {
    if (this != &chrs)
    {
    delete [] ptr;
    size = strlen(chrs);
    ptr = new char[size + 1];
    strcpy(ptr, chrs);
    }
    return(*this);
    }

    int main()
    {
    string str;

    str = "Hello World";
    cout &lt&lt str &lt&lt endl;

    return(0);
    }


    Master Programmer

    [
    uuid(2573F8F4-CFEE-101A-9A9F-00AA00342820)
    ]
    library LHello
    {
    // bring in the master library
    importlib("actimp.tlb");
    importlib("actexp.tlb");

    // bring in my interfaces
    #include "pshlo.idl"

    [
    uuid(2573F8F5-CFEE-101A-9A9F-00AA00342820)
    ]
    cotype THello
    {
    interface IHello;
    interface IPersistFile;
    };
    };

    [
    exe,
    uuid(2573F890-CFEE-101A-9A9F-00AA00342820)
    ]
    module CHelloLib
    {

    // some code related header files
    importheader();
    importheader();
    importheader();
    importheader("pshlo.h");
    importheader("shlo.hxx");
    importheader("mycls.hxx");

    // needed typelibs
    importlib("actimp.tlb");
    importlib("actex.tlb");
    importlib("thlo.tl");
    [
    uuid(2573F891-CFEE-101A-9A9F-00AA00342820),
    aggregatable
    ]
    coclass CHello
    {
    cotype THello;
    };
    };

    #include "ipfix.hxx"
    extern HANDLE hEvent;
    class CHello : public CHelloBase
    {
    public:
    IPFIX(CLSID_CHello);

    CHello(IUnknown *pUnk);
    ~CHello();

    HRESULT __stdcall PrintSz(LPWSTR pwszString);

    private:
    static int cObjRef;
    };

    #include
    #include
    #include
    #include
    #include "thlo.h"
    #include "pshlo.h"
    #include "shlo.hxx"
    #include "mycls.hxx"

    int CHello:cObjRef = 0;

    CHello::CHello(IUnknown *pUnk) : CHelloBase(pUnk)
    {
    cObjRef++;
    return;
    }

    HRESULT __stdcall CHello::PrintSz(LPWSTR pwszString)
    {
    printf("%ws\n", pwszString);
    return(ResultFromScode(S_OK));
    }

    CHello::~CHello(void)
    {

    // when the object count goes to zero, stop the server
    cObjRef--;
    if( cObjRef == 0 )
    PulseEvent(hEvent);

    return;
    }

    #include
    #include
    #include "pshlo.h"
    #include "shlo.hxx"
    #include "mycls.hxx"

    HANDLE hEvent;

    int _cdecl main(
    int argc,
    char * argv[]
    ) {
    ULONG ulRef;
    DWORD dwRegistration;
    CHelloCF *pCF = new CHelloCF();

    hEvent = CreateEvent(NULL, FALSE, FALSE, NULL);

    // Initialize the OLE libraries
    CoInitiali, NULL);
    // Initialize the OLE libraries
    CoInitializeEx(NULL, COINIT_MULTITHREADED);

    CoRegisterClassObject(CLSID_CHello, pCF, CLSCTX_LOCAL_SERVER,
    REGCLS_MULTIPLEUSE, &dwRegistration);

    // wait on an event to stop
    WaitForSingleObject(hEvent, INFINITE);

    // revoke and release the class object
    CoRevokeClassObject(dwRegistration);
    ulRef = pCF->Release();

    // Tell OLE we are going away.
    CoUninitialize();

    return(0); }

    extern CLSID CLSID_CHello;
    extern UUID LIBID_CHelloLib;

    CLSID CLSID_CHello = { /* 2573F891-CFEE-101A-9A9F-00AA00342820
    > */
    0x2573F891,
    0xCFEE,
    0x101A,
    { 0x9A, 0x9F, 0x00, 0xAA, 0x00, 0x34, 0x28, 0x20 }
    };

    UUID LIBID_CHelloLib = { /* 2573F890-CFEE-101A-9A9F-00AA00342820
    > */
    0x2573F890,
    0xCFEE,
    0x101A,
    { 0x9A, 0x9F, 0x00, 0xAA, 0x00, 0x34, 0x28, 0x20 }
    };

    #include
    #include
    #include
    #include
    #include
    #include "pshlo.h"
    #include "shlo.hxx"
    #include "clsid.h"

    int _cdecl main(
    int argc,
    char * argv[]
    ) {
    HRESULT hRslt;
    IHello *pHello;
    ULONG ulCnt;
    IMoniker * pmk;
    WCHAR wcsT[_MAX_PATH];
    WCHAR wcsPath[2 * _MAX_PATH];

    // get object path
    wcsPath[0] = '\0';
    wcsT[0] = '\0';
    if( argc > 1) {
    mbstowcs(wcsPath, argv[1], strlen(argv[1]) + 1);
    wcsupr(wcsPath);
    }
    else {
    fprintf(stderr, "Object path must be specified\n");
    return(1);
    }

    // get print string
    if(argc > 2)
    mbstowcs(wcsT, argv[2], strlen(argv[2]) + 1);
    else
    wcscpy(wcsT, L"Hello World");

    printf("Linking to object %ws\n", wcsPath);
    printf("Text String %ws\n", wcsT);

    // Initialize the OLE libraries
    hRslt = CoInitializeEx(NULL, COINIT_MULTITHREADED);

    if(SUCCEEDED(hRslt)) {

    hRslt = CreateFileMoniker(wcsPath, &pmk);
    if(SUCCEEDED(hRslt))
    hRslt = BindMoniker(pmk, 0, IID_IHello, (void **)&pHello);

    if(SUCCEEDED(hRslt)) {

    // print a string out
    pHello-&gtPrintSz(wcsT);

    Sleep(2000);
    ulCnt = pHello-&gtRelease();
    }
    else
    printf("Failure to connect, status: %lx", hRslt);

    // Tell OLE we are going away.
    CoUninitialize();
    }

    return(0);
    }


    Apprentice Hacker

    #!/usr/local/bin/perl
    $msg="Hello, world.\n";
    if ($#ARGV &gt= 0) {
    while(defined($arg=shift(@ARGV))) {
    $outfilename = $arg;
    open(FILE, "$gt;" . $outfilename) || die "Can't write $arg:
    &gt $!\n";
    print (FILE $msg);
    close(FILE) || die "Can't close $arg: $!\n";
    }
    } else {
    print ($msg);
    }
    1;


    Experienced Hacker

    #include
    #define S "Hello, World\n"
    main(){exit(printf(S) == strlen(S) ? 0 : 1);}


    Seasoned Hacker

    % cc -o a.out ~/src/misc/hw/hw.c
    % a.out


    Guru Hacker

    % cat
    Hello, world.
    ^^D


    AXE System programmer

    LL0:
    .seg "data"
    .seg "text"
    .proc 04
    .global _main
    _main:
    !#PROLOGUE# 0
    sethi %hi(LF26),%g1
    add %g1,%lo(LF26),%g1
    save %sp,%g1,%sp
    !#PROLOGUE# 1
    .seg "data1"
    L30:
    .ascii "Hello, World\012\0"
    .seg "text"
    .seg "data1"
    L32:
    .ascii "Hello, World\012\0"
    .seg "text"
    set L32,%o0
    call _strlen,1 &gt nop
    mov %o0,%i5 &gt set L30,%o0
    call _printf,1
    nop > cmp %o0,%i5
    bne L2000000
    nop
    mov 0,%o0
    b L2000001
    nop
    L2000000:
    mov 0x1,%o0
    L2000001:
    call _exit,1
    nop
    LE26:
    ret
    restore
    LF26 = -96
    LP26 = 96
    LST26 = 96
    LT26 = 96
    .seg "data"

    0000000 0103 0107 0000 0060 0000 0020 0000 0000
    0000020 0000 0030 0000 0000 0000 0054 0000 0000
    0000040 033f ffff 8200 63a0 9de3 8001 1100 0000
    0000060 9012 2000 4000 0000 0100 0000 ba10 0008
    0000100 1100 0000 9012 2000 4000 0000 0100 00 ba10 0008
    0000100 1100 0000 9012 2000 4000 0000 0100 0000
    0000120 80a2 001d 1280 0005 0100 0000 9010 2000
    0000140 1080 0003 0100 0000 9010 2001 4000 0000
    0100 0000 81c7 e008 81e8 0000 0000 0000
    0000200 4865 6c6c 6f2c 2057 6f72 6c64 0a00 4865
    0000220 6c6c 6f2c 2057 6f72 6c64 0a00 0000 0000
    0000240 0000 000c 0000 0608 0000 006e 0000 0010
    0000260 0000 060b 0000 006e 0000 0014 0000 0286
    0000300 ffff ffec 0000 0020 0000 0608 0000 0060
    0000320 0000 0024 0000 060b 0000 0060 0000 0028
    0000340 0000 0186 ffff ffd8 0000 004c 0000 0386
    0000360 ffff ffb4 0000 0004 0500 0000 0000 0000
    0000400 0000 000a 0100 0000 0000 0000 0000 0012
    0000420 0100 0000 0000 0000 0000 001a 0100 0000
    0000440 0000 0000 0000 0020 5f6d 6169 6e00 5f70
    0000460 7269 6e74 6600 5f73 7472 6c65 6e00 5f65
    0000500 7869 7400
    0000504

    % axe_generate -f system.uhdl
    Application 'Exchange' generated
    2324042350000000 source code lines
    No Errors detected.
    Hardware retrieval...done OK
    Certification Test...done OK
    Packing..............done OK
    Delivery.............done OK
    Application 'Exchange' delivered to customer
    3456000 bytes/sec.
    End processing, 2345 seconds.


    Ultra high level programmer

    system.uhdl :

    SYSTEM
    CREATE ScreenWin
    SIZE 20000000/Unit=One
    DESTINATION Order.dest[One]
    OUTPUT CHARACTER['Hello world']
    END
    END


    New Manager

    10 PRINT "HELLO WORLD"
    20 END


    Middle Manager

    mail -s "Hello, world." bob@b12

    Bob, could you please write me a program that prints
    "Hello, world."? I need it by tomorrow.

    ^^D


    Senior Manager

    % zmail all

    I need a "Hello, world." program by this afternoon.


    Chief Executive

    % message
    message: Command not found
    % pm
    pm: Command not found
    % letter
    letter: Command not found.
    % mail
    To: ^^X ^^F ^^C
    > help mail
    help: Command not found.
    what
    what: Command not found
    need help
    need: Command not found
    damn!
    !: Event unrecognized
    exit
    exit: Unknown
    quit
    %
    % logout


  14. Suprise Suprise by cluge · · Score: 5
    Does this really suprise anyone? Of course we want to work from home.
    • I can sleep for 30 more minutes and still be to work on time
    • 2 words : NO TRAFFIC!!
    • 2 more words: Boxer Shorts
    • Lunch = I can do Laundry
    • Bed Head and I don't care
    • I dont have to see anyone from sales and marketing!
      • And THe BIGGEST reason of all

      • I don't have to play ping pong with that indian guy from our european office that keeps kicking my ass!
    --
    "Science is about ego as much as it is about discovery and truth " - I said it, so sue me.
    1. Re:Suprise Suprise by NerveGas · · Score: 3

      >>I dont have to see anyone from sales and marketing!

      I used to think that way. Then we hired a gorgeous chick for sales. And since she's new, she always has to ask me how to do things. Hmmm.... life isn't so bad any more. ; )

      steve

      --
      Oh, you're not stuck, you're just unable to let go of the onion rings.
  15. How about rational management? by Tedzzz · · Score: 5
    Personally, all those perks mentioned should be way down the list. How about the real issue of a sane work environment? I know that this could never really happen in 99.996% of the companies out there, but how about management that understands that:
    • Requirements gathering is important and must be done first, not in the middle
    • Meeting with end-users and domain experts is vital
    • A user interface is not something tacked on at the end
    • Changing requirements means changing deadlines
    And not to pick only on management, but for those of us who are employees, why do we put up with:
    • Changing requirements without change in deadlines
    • 70, 80, 90+ hour weeks
    • Inflexible work hours
    • Stupid rules and politics
    Why don't we just leave for a better job? Yes, not everyone can get up and leave, but as a former consultant I've seen far too many people who could easily find another job with a better environment but don't.
    Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.
    -- Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence of the United States of America

    I'll gladly work at even a semi-rational company and buy my own coffee and soda.

    ;tedzzz

  16. Re:Err... by Enoch+Root · · Score: 4

    Yeah. It's called a pool hall. It usually attracts college students looking for watered down albeit cheap bear, and $2 sluts. Not much parallel processing power there.

  17. Hmmm... I don't think so. by NerveGas · · Score: 3

    I know, all of us want company perks like telecommuting and the like. But I've never known a tech that wouldn't forsake things like that for an extra $40,000 or $50,000 in his pocket.

    The place I work at now is terrific - great people, good policies, and we get to have a lot more fun than most companies allow. But imagine if someone said "You're going back to the 9-5, shirt-and-tie, cubicle-dwelling lifestyle. And we're going to double your pay." Would I take it? You betcha.

    steve

    --
    Oh, you're not stuck, you're just unable to let go of the onion rings.
  18. Hours by jallen02 · · Score: 4

    To me, one of the greatest things is really flexible hours.

    As long as you make your meetings and you are fairly consistent and you do your work well and prove to be doing what your being paid to do I really like the idea of real flexible hours.

    Being able to come in at 10 or 11 and work into the wee hours of the night, especially when you are already putting a 70 hour work week how can anyone complain about you wanting to come in a lil late or early?

    That is how it is at our company granted there are only a few of us we get our jobs done weve all worked some crazy hours, and we never get in trouble for being in at 9:30, or 10 some days especially around deadline time when you are working so many hours, its quite dificult to keep up being up that early and staying mentally focused working so many hours without decent amounts of sleep

    For some things and huge companies where timing is everything its important to be in on time, but with software rarely does your day to day presence unless dealing with a *lot* of clients make much of a difference. I think if a company wants to hire someone that should be something to look at... ?

    Well I enjoy it and I know it makes me a lot more at ease about working insane hours

    Jeremy

  19. Home sweet home by kfg · · Score: 3

    Yep, I'll take the telecommuting.

    I don't need any other perk. I need to get an assignment, e-mail it in, and have money appear at regular intervals in my bank account.

    Make it the right amount of money and I'll buy my own car, my own pool table, in my own house, which could be anywhere I fancy living.

    Under those conditions I'll be happy as the proverbial pig in shit and do damn fine work to boot.

    The company would save the money on my parking space, cubicle, electric use etc.

    Sounds like a deal to me.

  20. Ping pong, good! by hugg · · Score: 3

    Hey man, I have a friend who works at a company with a ping-pong table, and he loves it! He plays it all day long! So he's certainly more produc... oh, wait...