I find this ironic (but unsurprising). As a former CofS member, I note that their creed states:
"That all men have inalienable rights to think freely, to talk freely, to write freely their own opinions and to counter or utter or write upon the opinions of others;"
Personally, I'm more afraid of a router than a table saw, but table saws do cause their share of injuries (a guy in my area died from a kickback injury last year).
I got the chance to see a SawStop up close and personal last week. I wasn't the one using it, but it sure seemed to be well-designed.
Dang, I wish I wrote this. There was a lot of brilliance at Linuxcare. In many ways, it was like working in an academic environment with some brilliant people. But yeah, those downsides were a killer, as was the million-to-one reverse stock split.
Granted, I do get a lot of non-MSFT OS users to my site, but here's my stats (from mint):
Browser stats and
Platform stats.
As you can see, even most people visiting my site on Windows must be using Firefox.
I hate to admit it, but I had Windows as a desktop machine at work for a year and a half. I only got a virus once (and not through doing anything stupid, since it was a network worm someone brought in on their laptop), and it only crashed a handful of times.
It did better than prior versions I'd seen, not that that was a high bar or anything.
Actually, I'd put Pascal below C at this point. I think teaching OO concepts is important and Pascal falls down on that. I used to like it -- ages ago.
PHP, while similar syntax to C/C++, has the benefit of not having to learn how to compile apps. It's ultimate downfall is it's scoping rules and lack of namespaces. This is stuff an intro programmer should learn about.
I think compiling should be a second year thing, at least for high school.
I also remember learning Logo when I started at high school. That little turtle that pottered about on the floor was really cool, and it had all of the concepts that a programming language needs.... loops and conditionals!
I have to admit that I always envied the people who learned turtle graphics (at the time when it was au courant).
Neither PHP nor Rails are good choices for beginning programmers -- while developing web applications is very simple for advanced and intermediate coders, remember that beginners can get into some serious trouble learning a programming language, a query language, and a markup language all at the same time. Perhaps these would be better for a second course.
While I agree with the statements as posed, I also think that Ruby (as opposed to Ruby + Rails) is an excellent alternative to Python and more generally useful (my experience) than Python.
Python's so quirky with the whitespace (I don't mind the whitespace personally, but I think it's weird to teach it as syntax in a first language).
But then take it with a grain of salt from someone who's moved on from Python to Ruby.
You're right: MSFT has no obligation to use the money they received to do anything. However, if the gesture is self-serving, it's not truly charity. Which, as a friend pointed out many years ago, is the typical sort of MSFT gesture.
Frankly, I'd rather they spent the $ fixing the virus-propagating holes in Outlook and Word, y'know?
On a positive note (see?), this is a landmark in making spam ineffective from a cost perspective.
It works; I stopped using it a long time ago due to size limitations. My guess is our good friend Steve doesn't want to sell it off, and sense some people are willing to pay extra money to have a pretty apple sticker on there they won't get rid of it. But I seriously doubt they are picking up many new customers.
I don't know about the customer base size, but I do love the ability to use my bookmarks anywhere (including the ones I don't want to put in del.icio.us). I do use the backup feature of my.Mac account, but obviously not for my entire home directory. I back up my home directory to my iPod.
We all assume that Lee was actively recruited. What if he "got resigned" from MS, then called up Google and said, "Are you interested?"
I guarantee you that Google had a lawyer vetting Lee's contract. They expected the benefits to exceed the risks -- for reasons we are not yet clear on.
Tortious interference is one thing in the US, but the dude's working in another country -- it's not at all clear to me that the US concept of contract even applies (not knowing Chinese law).
I work for a major university, which does a lot of research, and one of the first pieces of paper they put in front of me was the document that said everything I create while at work was the property of the University. Honestly, I would have been suprised if they hadn't asked me to sign such a document.
Why? By default they already own it. They don't need you to sign anything about who owns what you did at work.
Actually, my prior post wasn't a spelling flame -- it's usage that I found grating. And I'm one of those people who does proofread and use (reasonably) proper words in all online postings and emails. Given that it's not uncommon to search out a person's postings as a part of a hiring process, it seems like a Good Idea to get into habits of good spelling and grammar. Just a thought.
Now, getting to the meat of your post: one of the points of education is to open your mind up to different ways of looking at things. It's letting you try some of the tools, just to know that they're there.
Some people miss the point and memorize, but really memorization is opposed to good school learning (in my opinion).
I do agree with you that knowing a definition doesn't mean that you understand the concept at all. Better schools (or at least better instructors) give more points for things that are experienced vs. memorized.
When I took computer languages in grad school, for example, the prof gave full points to any working example in a new language. He gave extra points if you really appeared to have "gotten" the language.
I'm not especially famous or anything, but there have been times when I was asked to interview and NOT given a quiz because it was a solicited interview. Then again, I do have 25 years of industry experience (writing shipping products).
So, while I wouldn't necessarily be offended at a pop quiz at a solicited interview, I do know some very talented engineers who would be. In fact, I can think of two who walked out on just such occasions.
Most jobs now a days ask you to take an exam or some sort. Just because u got a Bachelors, Masters or Phd doens't mean u know ur stuff. I gradded with a bunch of ppl who got better GPA's than me, but don't really know much at all.
Well, heck, I'd not hire you just for that paragraph. Then again, I not only have a Master's degree in Computer Science, I also have one in Creative Writing, so certain spelling and grammar issues grate.
If I was hiring someone, I'd give them a test cause I've been through the system and I know for a fact that GPA doesn't mean jack, considering the fact that u don't even learn much in school in the first place.
Going to a better school is a solution. You might even learn things, y'know?
Slashdot Mirror
I find this ironic (but unsurprising). As a former CofS member, I note that their creed states:
"That all men have inalienable rights to think freely, to talk freely, to write freely their own opinions and to counter or utter or write upon the opinions of others;"
Naturally, the practice is different.
I posted a link to a three-year old picture of their Houston datacenter in this comment, fyi.
or if it still looks like this.
The rule of threes applies: that said Stephen Norris manages to lose at least three times what he's putting in.
Even more, I hope the judge imposes triple sanctions for this rampant barratry.
Actually, your sentence should have read: "Gone are the days of high school wood-shop teachers."
In many areas, there ARE no wood shops in schools.
Personally, I'm more afraid of a router than a table saw, but table saws do cause their share of injuries (a guy in my area died from a kickback injury last year).
I got the chance to see a SawStop up close and personal last week. I wasn't the one using it, but it sure seemed to be well-designed.
Dang, I wish I wrote this. There was a lot of brilliance at Linuxcare. In many ways, it was like working in an academic environment with some brilliant people. But yeah, those downsides were a killer, as was the million-to-one reverse stock split.
There's a wonderful bit about specs from Jason Fried here. Pretty similar in viewpoint, I think.
Granted, I do get a lot of non-MSFT OS users to my site, but here's my stats (from mint): Browser stats and Platform stats. As you can see, even most people visiting my site on Windows must be using Firefox.
I hate to admit it, but I had Windows as a desktop machine at work for a year and a half. I only got a virus once (and not through doing anything stupid, since it was a network worm someone brought in on their laptop), and it only crashed a handful of times.
It did better than prior versions I'd seen, not that that was a high bar or anything.
I haven't seen that sort of granularity of products since Scully "led" Apple.
Is there some boom in Pepsi consumption in Redmond?
There's even a Schlumberger Spouse's Association: http://www.ssafara.net/
(I have to admit having envy over that concept)
Actually, I'd put Pascal below C at this point. I think teaching OO concepts is important and Pascal falls down on that. I used to like it -- ages ago.
I think compiling should be a second year thing, at least for high school.
My order of preference:
I also remember learning Logo when I started at high school. That little turtle that pottered about on the floor was really cool, and it had all of the concepts that a programming language needs.... loops and conditionals!
I have to admit that I always envied the people who learned turtle graphics (at the time when it was au courant).
Neither PHP nor Rails are good choices for beginning programmers -- while developing web applications is very simple for advanced and intermediate coders, remember that beginners can get into some serious trouble learning a programming language, a query language, and a markup language all at the same time. Perhaps these would be better for a second course.
While I agree with the statements as posed, I also think that Ruby (as opposed to Ruby + Rails) is an excellent alternative to Python and more generally useful (my experience) than Python.
Python's so quirky with the whitespace (I don't mind the whitespace personally, but I think it's weird to teach it as syntax in a first language).
But then take it with a grain of salt from someone who's moved on from Python to Ruby.
The bitterness with Microsoft got old and stale 10 years ago. It's past time you people gave up this hatred and obsession with the 'Borg'.
Maybe if they stopped misbehaving, it'd be easier to like them. I thought it was hilarious when they locked themselves in their building on Windows Refund Day. Oooh, scary!
You're right: MSFT has no obligation to use the money they received to do anything. However, if the gesture is self-serving, it's not truly charity. Which, as a friend pointed out many years ago, is the typical sort of MSFT gesture.
Frankly, I'd rather they spent the $ fixing the virus-propagating holes in Outlook and Word, y'know?
On a positive note (see?), this is a landmark in making spam ineffective from a cost perspective.
It works; I stopped using it a long time ago due to size limitations. My guess is our good friend Steve doesn't want to sell it off, and sense some people are willing to pay extra money to have a pretty apple sticker on there they won't get rid of it. But I seriously doubt they are picking up many new customers.
I don't know about the customer base size, but I do love the ability to use my bookmarks anywhere (including the ones I don't want to put in del.icio.us). I do use the backup feature of my .Mac account, but obviously not for my entire home directory. I back up my home directory to my iPod.
We all assume that Lee was actively recruited. What if he "got resigned" from MS, then called up Google and said, "Are you interested?"
I guarantee you that Google had a lawyer vetting Lee's contract. They expected the benefits to exceed the risks -- for reasons we are not yet clear on.
Tortious interference is one thing in the US, but the dude's working in another country -- it's not at all clear to me that the US concept of contract even applies (not knowing Chinese law).
I work for a major university, which does a lot of research, and one of the first pieces of paper they put in front of me was the document that said everything I create while at work was the property of the University. Honestly, I would have been suprised if they hadn't asked me to sign such a document.
Why? By default they already own it. They don't need you to sign anything about who owns what you did at work.
California permits non-competes as long as the person is a major shareholder or board member. Otherwise, no non-competes. I love California.
Actually, my prior post wasn't a spelling flame -- it's usage that I found grating. And I'm one of those people who does proofread and use (reasonably) proper words in all online postings and emails. Given that it's not uncommon to search out a person's postings as a part of a hiring process, it seems like a Good Idea to get into habits of good spelling and grammar. Just a thought.
Now, getting to the meat of your post: one of the points of education is to open your mind up to different ways of looking at things. It's letting you try some of the tools, just to know that they're there.
Some people miss the point and memorize, but really memorization is opposed to good school learning (in my opinion).
I do agree with you that knowing a definition doesn't mean that you understand the concept at all. Better schools (or at least better instructors) give more points for things that are experienced vs. memorized.
When I took computer languages in grad school, for example, the prof gave full points to any working example in a new language. He gave extra points if you really appeared to have "gotten" the language.
I'm not especially famous or anything, but there have been times when I was asked to interview and NOT given a quiz because it was a solicited interview. Then again, I do have 25 years of industry experience (writing shipping products).
So, while I wouldn't necessarily be offended at a pop quiz at a solicited interview, I do know some very talented engineers who would be. In fact, I can think of two who walked out on just such occasions.
Maybe you can contact one of the smaller presses in CS to see what they have. The other option is two physical volumes.
If you do dead tree publish, though, you'll definitely need an index.
Most jobs now a days ask you to take an exam or some sort. Just because u got a Bachelors, Masters or Phd doens't mean u know ur stuff. I gradded with a bunch of ppl who got better GPA's than me, but don't really know much at all.
Well, heck, I'd not hire you just for that paragraph. Then again, I not only have a Master's degree in Computer Science, I also have one in Creative Writing, so certain spelling and grammar issues grate.
If I was hiring someone, I'd give them a test cause I've been through the system and I know for a fact that GPA doesn't mean jack, considering the fact that u don't even learn much in school in the first place.
Going to a better school is a solution. You might even learn things, y'know?