Popularism is the worst form of governance ever conceived. It doesn't even work well in a class of Kindergartners, so how in the world can it work for adults? That, and people are stupid.
Oh, really? Every time someone mentions libertarianism, you get some ass hat mentioning Somalia as a libertarian paradise, hardly what I would call pro libertarian.
No, no, no...you got it all wrong. Somalia is becoming a LIBERIAN paradise.
I would suggest we American slashdotters are generally more libertarian, more left than the rest of America because we are intelligent. Of course, slightly left here makes us uptight conservatives everywhere else in the western developed world, but I'll take my progress in small steps...better than none at all.
I would like to know where you live that $400k qualifies as a mansion? I live in a VERY affordable market (Austin, TX), and $400k is just a really nice house. Mansions are millions of dollars, not 4x times my annual income.
You know a lot of millionaires? I know two, and both got rich by, wait for it...making an assload of money in business ripping people off. The only "cheap" thing about them is they have generally cheap tastes (based on their poor judgment), not because they are tight with their money.
I make a lot of money using my computer, but I don't need anywhere near $2k a year to do so. My newest computer is a 2007 Macbook an I only paid $1200 for it. I'm not sure it'll need replaced in the next 2 or 3 years, unless it breaks.
The lesson here it that Apple has become the Microsoft of software and services... If your business model can't withstand Microsoft's requirements, your business will fail.
That's how I would have worded your otherwise apt analogy.
I would say it's hard to find geeks that don't conform to the things that make us geeks.
This reminds me of all my "non-conformist" friends growing up who all skateboarded and wore plaid. All of them. They were so non-conformist that they all dressed the same way, had the same hobbies, and liked the same music.
Well, the two most profitable tech companies in the world are American (Apple, Google), so I'm not sure the giant is falling. I can't speak for Google, but Apple doesn't outsource overseas (operations in Canada, Singapore, Ireland, and others aren't "outsourcing").
A few unscrupulous PC manufacturers outsource their stuff, but the simple solution is not to do business with them. Hell, I live in Austin and I wouldn't TOUCH a Dell. If I call for help, I want somebody local, somebody well trained (which means they are well paid), and somebody who understands my problem. I don't want a call across the globe to somebody working the night shift.
The allure of the HDHP is supposed to be for people who don't use medical that much AND the pre-tax withholding benefit.
A couple problems, though. My HDHP deductible is $5k for a family, my company only contributes $1000. So that means the first $4k worth of doctor visits are on me. EVERY single dollar from EVERY medical bill up to $4,000 is on me. Not many families have that kind of money available (every year it resets, mind you). Sure, I can put away money with the pre-tax benefit, but that's still $4k OF MY MONEY that I wouldn't have spent on a typical PPO/HMO with a $500 deductible.
The ONLY time an HDHP makes sense is for young people who don't go to the doctor for anything for several years, or if your company pays ALL of the deductible, like yours. Otherwise, my $4k a year is better off being put towards investment or debt reduction, or transportation, or mortgage, or...
In addition to the $4k kick in the balls, I also get to pay $250 a month in premiums. Yay, what a bargain.
Here's just a couple examples from two of my first three years in an HDHP:
1st year HDHP: Child birth -- Bill = $15,000, cost to me = $4k + $2500 premiums, cost to employer = $1000 plus premiums (unknown, but must be lower than PPO, since that's the only benefit to the employer I can see). Since I already spent about $1000 on medical bills for miscellaneous visits for my kids, my cost for the birth was $3k
1st year PPO: same bill, cost to me = $500 deductible, plus miscellaneous $20 copays...maybe $100-$200 worth, plus premiums for the year. My cost would be a couple $20 copays, since I already met the deductible
2nd year HDHP: spinal fusion -- bill (no kidding, $183k reduced to $140k for "negotiated rates with HDHP"). My cost, again $4k.
Consider the child birth happened in December, and the spinal fusion happened in February of the next year, I had to fork up $8k in a span of less than three months.
But hey, half of the current political climate right now refuses to admit we have a health care crisis in this country or that health care is the driving factor of our bad economy.
In the US, we have far too many meaningless road signs. So if I don't notice one, it's because I've prioritized and chosen to pay attention to something else in stead. That doesn't make me distracted, it makes me discriminate.
You seriously underestimate the level of background checking most major corporations do. At a minimum, they conduct checks on your criminal past, employment history (to include making sure you don't exaggerate your salary, and education claims. Many do credit checks and personal references as well.
I suppose they could do a plagiarism check on code just like they do with any plagiarism check. It doesn't seem like it would be that difficult. Besides, if you have any doubt if a friend wrote if for them or not, you simply ask them to explain the logic behind it. If they didn't write it, it will be obvious.
Showing samples of your work from your current employer is not "software patent infringement". If anything, it's breaking non-disclosure agreements, but that's probably not true in most cases either. Sure your current employer won't take well to you running around with code during job interviews, but they probably won't take well to you running around for job interviews, period.
Any serious company conducts third-party background checks to verify your credentials, work history, code samples and references.
Or you could move to cities like Austin where there are more dev jobs than can be filled. You can make above average salaries in an incredibly cheap housing market in an area with a high quality of life in one of the consistently top-ranked cities.
Problem is most people don't want to relocate out of their crappy local economy to a better one in their same state, let alone emigrate to another country altogether.
they were sold on the belief that if they attend and complete classes, that they will somehow have ability and knowledge.
As a curriculum developer for technical training, I make a metric shit-ton of money on this simple tautology: ability and knowledge occur when the course objectives are met. You can't know if objectives are met without some sort of measurement, however. Simply "attending and completing classes" does not measure ability or knowledge--it measures attendance and completion.
Of course this requires that the proper objectives were written in the first place and the appropriate measurements were used to determine if the objectives were met.
A certificate is "supposed" to be validation of this. If they didn't gain the ability of knowledge, they shouldn't get the certificate. If the course objectives don't lead to ability and knowledge needed for the certificate, they shouldn't get the certificate (this is actually the bigger problem with professional certs...they don't measure and teach what is is they avow to teach, or employers value certs that aren't relevant).
Companies who think they are only hiring the "elite" are stupid. Most jobs don't require elite, they require a body that can do the work.
I think it's interesting that you said about half of developers will be below average. Isn't that the definition of below average? But it is absolutely correct. We can't all be in the 90th percentile, by definition.
Even worse is putting a 90th percentile person in a 40th percentile job.
Slashdot Mirror
Popularism is the worst form of governance ever conceived. It doesn't even work well in a class of Kindergartners, so how in the world can it work for adults? That, and people are stupid.
Oh, really? Every time someone mentions libertarianism, you get some ass hat mentioning Somalia as a libertarian paradise, hardly what I would call pro libertarian.
No, no, no...you got it all wrong. Somalia is becoming a LIBERIAN paradise.
I would suggest we American slashdotters are generally more libertarian, more left than the rest of America because we are intelligent. Of course, slightly left here makes us uptight conservatives everywhere else in the western developed world, but I'll take my progress in small steps...better than none at all.
I'm curious to know how such algorithms can personalize search results based on the collective use of my Macbook by 5 family members.
I would like to know where you live that $400k qualifies as a mansion? I live in a VERY affordable market (Austin, TX), and $400k is just a really nice house. Mansions are millions of dollars, not 4x times my annual income.
You know a lot of millionaires? I know two, and both got rich by, wait for it...making an assload of money in business ripping people off. The only "cheap" thing about them is they have generally cheap tastes (based on their poor judgment), not because they are tight with their money.
I make a lot of money using my computer, but I don't need anywhere near $2k a year to do so. My newest computer is a 2007 Macbook an I only paid $1200 for it. I'm not sure it'll need replaced in the next 2 or 3 years, unless it breaks.
All else being equal, pay for form AND function, over function alone. Then again, all else wouldn't be equal then, I suppose.
I dunno about this. Anything above 4 GB has limited benefit for most users.
You've never used Windows post WinXP, I take it?
Pay for what you want, not what you don't want.
Why can't people understand that yes, it really is that simple.
You've described "nerds", not geeks.
The lesson here it that Apple has become the Microsoft of software and services ... If your business model can't withstand Microsoft's requirements, your business will fail.
That's how I would have worded your otherwise apt analogy.
I would say it's hard to find geeks that don't conform to the things that make us geeks.
This reminds me of all my "non-conformist" friends growing up who all skateboarded and wore plaid. All of them. They were so non-conformist that they all dressed the same way, had the same hobbies, and liked the same music.
Well, the two most profitable tech companies in the world are American (Apple, Google), so I'm not sure the giant is falling. I can't speak for Google, but Apple doesn't outsource overseas (operations in Canada, Singapore, Ireland, and others aren't "outsourcing").
A few unscrupulous PC manufacturers outsource their stuff, but the simple solution is not to do business with them. Hell, I live in Austin and I wouldn't TOUCH a Dell. If I call for help, I want somebody local, somebody well trained (which means they are well paid), and somebody who understands my problem. I don't want a call across the globe to somebody working the night shift.
The allure of the HDHP is supposed to be for people who don't use medical that much AND the pre-tax withholding benefit.
A couple problems, though. My HDHP deductible is $5k for a family, my company only contributes $1000. So that means the first $4k worth of doctor visits are on me. EVERY single dollar from EVERY medical bill up to $4,000 is on me. Not many families have that kind of money available (every year it resets, mind you). Sure, I can put away money with the pre-tax benefit, but that's still $4k OF MY MONEY that I wouldn't have spent on a typical PPO/HMO with a $500 deductible.
The ONLY time an HDHP makes sense is for young people who don't go to the doctor for anything for several years, or if your company pays ALL of the deductible, like yours. Otherwise, my $4k a year is better off being put towards investment or debt reduction, or transportation, or mortgage, or...
In addition to the $4k kick in the balls, I also get to pay $250 a month in premiums. Yay, what a bargain.
Here's just a couple examples from two of my first three years in an HDHP:
1st year HDHP: Child birth -- Bill = $15,000, cost to me = $4k + $2500 premiums, cost to employer = $1000 plus premiums (unknown, but must be lower than PPO, since that's the only benefit to the employer I can see). Since I already spent about $1000 on medical bills for miscellaneous visits for my kids, my cost for the birth was $3k
1st year PPO: same bill, cost to me = $500 deductible, plus miscellaneous $20 copays...maybe $100-$200 worth, plus premiums for the year. My cost would be a couple $20 copays, since I already met the deductible
2nd year HDHP: spinal fusion -- bill (no kidding, $183k reduced to $140k for "negotiated rates with HDHP"). My cost, again $4k.
Consider the child birth happened in December, and the spinal fusion happened in February of the next year, I had to fork up $8k in a span of less than three months.
But hey, half of the current political climate right now refuses to admit we have a health care crisis in this country or that health care is the driving factor of our bad economy.
In the US, we have far too many meaningless road signs. So if I don't notice one, it's because I've prioritized and chosen to pay attention to something else in stead. That doesn't make me distracted, it makes me discriminate.
You seriously underestimate the level of background checking most major corporations do. At a minimum, they conduct checks on your criminal past, employment history (to include making sure you don't exaggerate your salary, and education claims. Many do credit checks and personal references as well.
I suppose they could do a plagiarism check on code just like they do with any plagiarism check. It doesn't seem like it would be that difficult. Besides, if you have any doubt if a friend wrote if for them or not, you simply ask them to explain the logic behind it. If they didn't write it, it will be obvious.
Well, scope creep is far more expensive than lazy ass slackers developing to the requirements.
Showing samples of your work from your current employer is not "software patent infringement". If anything, it's breaking non-disclosure agreements, but that's probably not true in most cases either. Sure your current employer won't take well to you running around with code during job interviews, but they probably won't take well to you running around for job interviews, period.
Any serious company conducts third-party background checks to verify your credentials, work history, code samples and references.
Or you could move to cities like Austin where there are more dev jobs than can be filled. You can make above average salaries in an incredibly cheap housing market in an area with a high quality of life in one of the consistently top-ranked cities.
Problem is most people don't want to relocate out of their crappy local economy to a better one in their same state, let alone emigrate to another country altogether.
I'm guessing your lack of capitalization and punctuation skills were involved.
they were sold on the belief that if they attend and complete classes, that they will somehow have ability and knowledge.
As a curriculum developer for technical training, I make a metric shit-ton of money on this simple tautology: ability and knowledge occur when the course objectives are met. You can't know if objectives are met without some sort of measurement, however. Simply "attending and completing classes" does not measure ability or knowledge--it measures attendance and completion.
Of course this requires that the proper objectives were written in the first place and the appropriate measurements were used to determine if the objectives were met.
A certificate is "supposed" to be validation of this. If they didn't gain the ability of knowledge, they shouldn't get the certificate. If the course objectives don't lead to ability and knowledge needed for the certificate, they shouldn't get the certificate (this is actually the bigger problem with professional certs...they don't measure and teach what is is they avow to teach, or employers value certs that aren't relevant).
Companies who think they are only hiring the "elite" are stupid. Most jobs don't require elite, they require a body that can do the work.
I think it's interesting that you said about half of developers will be below average. Isn't that the definition of below average? But it is absolutely correct. We can't all be in the 90th percentile, by definition.
Even worse is putting a 90th percentile person in a 40th percentile job.
Or perhaps they just wanted to see how your friend would react to working with a difficult person.
Being a good coder has nothing to do with sex.
Being mature, competent and reliable at age 22, however, does. Females generally have this on us knuckle draggers.