The thing is, right now, the university isn't really hiring...and with the classwork I am taking, elsewhere is a dealbreaker.
I like the benefits I have earned...the classes I want to take are simply not offered at night / weekends.
I have thought of purely focusing on my consulting side, but at this point in the health care game in the US, I couldn't get insurance as I have an expensive pre-existing condition. I would have to make an extra $20k a year to pay for the meds alone. (funny thing is, I could get the same thing for about $4k from Canada or any other country in the world). I could EASILY do this, but I don't really want to work harder right now:-)
Honestly, I don't hate the job so much as I can't stand working for idiots...if I have to spend the next year with the title of IT Guy, that's what I'm going to give them...I'll have my prereqs readied for my next degree and going to deal with that full time (if I get in! That's the BIG IF!!!)
The funniest thing about all of this is that I got a RAISE.
I didn't want the raise...I have my own private business that pays me far more than the university does, one I can do consulting on my time off and bring in enough to not think about it. Honestly, the fact that I don't have the flexibility in my schedule has kinda ruined that...but I got a 'huge' raise to do less work.
As for the academic work...I'm planning on doing just this. I have my job title and the requirements, and I'm going to do just this. When asked to move beyond this, I tell them, give me the title back (which they aren't going to do now, because that WOULD require giving me another raise) and I'll gladly do it, but as the IT Person, I don't feel it is right making recommendations that may adversely affect others.
Right now, I've been focusing on pre-reqs for my next degree...planning on going to med school and getting away from the psychology / assessment course work I had been focusing on. Academically, it would be advantageous to be laid off. 8 months (at least) of getting paid to go to school? I could get student loans to supplement what I've lost. I've mentioned this to my bosses MANY times if they don't think my services are required, I would be glad to go quietly, but I'm just not going to quit (nor am I going to perform work above my title / pay grade). I'll do exactly what my job requires and nothing more...and I'll do it well (I still have a work ethic even if no one else in my office does).
"So either you are eligible for overtime or HR must admit they are lying about your title."
Oh this is the worst part about all of this...they know this...and my time is now watched like a hawk because there was a major lawsuit because of this.
I work for a major university (idiocy is rampant in places of learning...it seems those that aren't involved in creating knowledge are in contempt of those that are)...and one of my perks is that I can take classes. I have to account for my time, and I do, but it use to be that I could stop by colleagues offices on the way to or from...now, I can't talk to anyone I perform a service for UNTIL I get back to my office and clock in. If something needs to be done and it is after hours, I need to have permission to do my job because there is a shift differential as I am in the IT PISS ON class...not adult enough to manage my own time.
My boss now gets pissed off when tasks that use to be done quickly aren't...I use to be able to take work home, finish it up, and if I spent an extra 8 hours on the project, I was considered trustworthy enough say I Spent 8 Hours On This On My Time, Not Coming in Friday.
The way they watch the time and tie one to their desk, I can't do my job any more...I wish I could...the only thing I can do is pure techie work, of which they think I should be doing IN ADDITION to my other work. I can't do an advanced breakdown of student populations and give remediation recommendations in specific areas when I'm being asked to plug in the same idiots mouse that keeps unplugging it thinking it is her coffee warmer (despite one plugs into the wall and has a different type of cord).
Honestly, I work with idiots that want regression to the mean...they don't want anything to actually be done. They want boring titles because it is easier to keep watch over everyone.
"Frankly, a respectable-sounding title is one very cheap way for employers to compensate their employees that costs the company absolutely nothing yet is of material benefit to the employee."
I'm dealing with something very similar...I have had a decent title for YEARS that accurately described my position, and the HR Fucks decided that they needed to reclassify me. Works with computers? IT Guy. WTF? No no no no no...I have advanced degrees in psychology and statistical knowledge...yes I maintain the servers simply because EVERYONE ELSE GOT LET GO OR DIDN'T REHIRE AFTER THEY LEFT (and honestly, I was much better at this than they were anyways), but my main job is to accurately figure out how to classify and assess situations.
Yet, I'm IT Guy because they needed a hole to fill and other staff members were upset that I was competent enough to do my job and help out with the other.
Simple title would go a long way with motivation...these days when they ask me to do something that requires thinking outside of this, I tell them "My Title Says I'm Paid To Push The Fucking Button And Nothing More"...ego? Yes...but I'm not paid to tell them how much of my ego will be doing as little as posible (regardless of the fact that my actual training means I could write a treatise on this).
"I might still buy the device, because it has direct native support for putting a microSD card in your computer....."
Yeah, I just ordered a Kindle over the weekend, and apparently it is showing up tomorrow. I never planned on buying too many native books for it...maybe something throw away every now or then. Mostly, I wanted to be able to carry all my textbooks in one location.
After downloading my chem book (*) the other day and realizing there was 2GB worth of data (thankfully chunked by chapter), I started thinking the whole kindle thing might not work out. I remembered the first had the memory card, and I thought I might have a few months before I needed to buy one, but did a little more investigation and realized the new ones don't have this. WTF!@!@!
So, the brand new Kindle is going back soon...I have 30 days...that might tide me over until the Nook is released...having a microSD in there is the only real different I see.
(BTW...I own all my books, and I plan on continuing to buy my paper books...and while I believe authors should be paid for their works as well as the companies that support them, I see NOTHING wrong in downloading an electronic copy of something I already paid for in a MUCH better format...paper is superior in all ways except for transportation).
"Almost all of the useful Bluetooth features were disabled - when pushed, Verizon claimed it was "for security purposes"; yet they conveniently offered those same features for an outrageous fee through their own silly program"
I had the EXACT same thing through Sprint just before I canceled and switched to AT&T...but the worst part was, the phone had over the air updates, and while I paid cash for it -- I don't like these subsidized plans -- and I spent 2x what it would have cost in their store as it was unlocked, they were STILL able to disable all the features (and somehow lock the phone to their network), with the exception of bluetooth headsets...which I don't really like anyways (give me wired any day of the week...I like battery life).
The worst part was that I bought this specifically for presentations so I could get a remote screen on the phone with the notes I needed, along with a remote control for the computer. $300 wasted. Sure, I was able to grab the firmware and reflash it, but the company would randomly update the phone again and there was little I could do about it except hope they didn't update it the night before a big presentation.
I get pissy about my iPhone for just this reason, but at the same time, the limits Apple puts on it are FAR FAR FAR less than any company before it. When they make a bonehead moronic fucking move, I have to remind myself of Sprint....
You mean practitioners have the same incentive to upsize a diagnosis as would ANY profession?
Go into a hospital, bring a bottle of aspirin with you and DEMAND not to take the hospitals meds...you can save $500 on your bill almost instantly with that (or at least your insurance won't be charged)...at $5 a pill, these guys are upsizing you on the fact that one rarely ever itemizes their medical bills.
Go into a fast food joint...MickyDs sells 1 Apple Pie for $0.99 or 2 for $1.00.
Go to NASA and ask them what it is going to take to get to Mars, and they are going to give you a few different platforms that will never be used for the mission, but for 'ancillary' studies that may be used elsewhere.
It is rare to find someone without the need to upsize. Me? I tell my clients I'm busy and I really don't have time for them and have a few other consultants I'm willing to push onto for other needs...I've NEVER upsized a client in the last 10 or more years. I have too many things on my plate and I really don't have the economic worries. I live a comfortable middle class lifestyle...I had a career that paid far more than I can make evaluating mental health and the desire for a stable life moved me to getting away from that...the pursuit of money is not the most valued part of a stable individual. I know others in the same boat...I'm not a clinician (I have done it but I prefer my cave) but most of the others I know have to turn away clients because they have enough patients. They generally like to get the clients moving on as soon as possible...so they can get someone else in.
If they could get folks out in just a few sessions, they would. Why? It is in the first few sessions that you get paid the most...it is when one does the BIG assessments. If you are a freudian, you might start off with the Rorshack, Jungian MBTI...others may look at the MMPI...each one of these you get to charge a LOT for both the administration and the scoring...and it is like autopilot because once you know how to give it, it is standardized. Heck, the computerized ones make it dead simple.
I know people that make a KILLING just administering tests...I've thought about doing just this. You do it, analyze the results and pass them along to the next guy.
Again, the stringing someone along part generally actually costs the clinician more money than if they were getting them in and out.
As for actual science, why do you need to be convinced? Most doctors are not engaged in real science either, just a lot of guesswork based on past experience. I know very few physicians that are engaged in the scientific method nor are they doing experimental hypothesis on their patients...they'd be sued for malpractice if they did...along with killing a lot of them in the process. Most look at the presenting issue and try to come up with something reasonable that will work...reasonable being Will This Cure Work Given The Patients Economic And Social Lifestyle? Will It Work Given The Hospitals Resources? Will It Work Given My Expertise? Sure, a lot of it is based off of existing science, but they themselves are not doing much themselves.
Psychology is much the same way. Hell, I'm a student of the Rogerian way with CogBehavioral as a backup, but SCIENTIFICALLY, I know that almost ANY style will work. Freudian seems like caveman psychology to me. Jung seems like a moonbat that wanted to tie spirituality into the mix and occasionally claim it is the universe that is causing all the problems...but statistically, going from any of these perspectives and having at it, I know folks are going to get better on a greater chance than either doing nothing or throwing in a placebo where someone just talks to you.
Scientifically, most of psychology is is telling you what you already know and clarifying the tangle of thoughts in your brain. Helping you figure out what is more important. Scientifically, things like CogBehavioral is just a way or telling you Hey That Doesn't Work, Stop It...Do Something Else...and
There is what is known as test-retest reliability. It says how reliable the test is over multiple sessions...I have one exam that I am working on now where I realized that over a 6 week time frame, the changes weren't going to mean anything have changed in a person, but that they are better at taking the exam (i.e., at getting the result they want).
I want to know what the person is thinking NOW not what they have learned to game the system...luckily, after 6 weeks, most people forget how to game it. I don't know beyond that with further repeated exposure (as with most things, I'm limited by time and resources).
There are ways of making these tests friendly to retests...multiple versions...but then it is very cumbersome to validate the two tests to make certain they are equal. One can look for gaming of the system...the MMPI has a section just for this. In most exams, it is hard to do this. The rorshack has an honesty scale if I recall...certain responses are rarely given except by folks that are trying to get listed as one thing or another...its like What Is The Correlation To What A Sane Person Might Thing An Insane Person Would Say. Or viceversa...the more you put this info out, the less likely these instrument work.
I mean, clinicians ALWAYS have these tricks to see dishonesty...for instance, if someone says they are having hallucinations, are they interacting with them? People trying to prove they are legally insane do things like take about their invisible friend and you ask them to greet them...if they try to shake hands with the guy, they are lying.
So, there are honesty scales in a lot of assessments, and this checks for good faith...it doesn't fix the point about giving accurate exams...
"One who cures people in one visit, or one who puts his patients into never-ending rounds of therapy while convincing them they're "getting better"."
I always love this argument...so if you get into a car accident, break all your bones...who are you going to trust? The physical therapist that says Hey! I know you've been in a hospital bed for 8 weeks, but come by and we will get rid of that wheelchair and get you walking again...next Friday sound good? Bring a pair of running shoes because you are gonna wanna go for a jog afterwards? Or do you go to the guy that says, this is going to take a while, you may never be at 100% again, and it might be a little painful, and its going to take a few months, but I'm committed to helping you get better?
The fact is, psychology is not something that can be done overnight, and no...giving meds and saying See Ya In 6 Months doesn't work either...it is a slow process. There are barriers to be pulled down to become psychologically healthy...if there weren't barriers, you wouldn't be in the office trying to get fixed. There are coping strategies that need to be evaluated and tried out...not everything works for everyone...for instance, if going to work makes you want to blow your brains out, there are strategies that might work...quitting the job is not always possible...finding different more pro-social ways of dealing with co-workers might have to be it (and some people believe almost all of psych is social in nature...you aren't nutso, everyone else is...we might have to teach you how to deal with others perceived crazinesses).
And all in all, people get what they want and leave when they feel better...when I was going to a physical therapist, I could have used another few months of treatments to get everything working right, but economically, it wasn't possible. Same with a mental health therapist...you go until you feel good about yourself, ya run outta money or find the treatment not working / bullshit.
"Incorrect. There actually ARE correct answers to the inkblots"
There are RARELY correct or incorrect answers on ANY psychometric exam.
We take the results and score them...sometimes one answer means one thing, sometimes it means another, sometimes it is there for a baseline, sometimes it is there just to prepare the next version of the exam.
As for projective test, do you understand what a projective test is? It is one where you project your beliefs onto an abstract stimulus and come up with the result on your own as opposed to being told Hey It Might Be One Of These...there are quite a few projective tests out there. It is a common name and not just a single tool.
Whadda I know...I just sit in my office designing / validating psychologically sound tests all day...
There aren't 'correct' answers to the blots, they are images that one uses to project their beliefs and subconscious on.
The idea is that you won't see them in nature, or anywhere else...but being that the test has been studied, validated and correlated across thousands of individuals, there is a LOT of predictive nature to them. Look at it and tell me what you think of it...I think bunny wabits...ok, 90% of the people that saw this and gave that response grew up to be serial killers.
I'm not a Freudian by any means...I have never given this exam and really don't see the point in doing so...but I have a background in psychometrics. Letting folks get access to this stuff means that more people will be exposed and the more exposure, along with people putting out statistics about what things mean lowers the validity of the exam.
But, if ruining a reliable therapeutic technique for others is worth while, by all means, go ahead and publish the images...its not like they are that hard to come by anyways...no one checks licenses these days if you are ordering most exams these days...
"So, unless the iPhone's navigation gives you real time updates of your location..."
I wouldn't say it is useless, I use my 1G iPhone all the time for directions...it gets me 90% of the way and human intelligence gets me the rest.
Real time updates? Yeah...annoying...but when it is getting dicy, I just start jamming on the centering tool...I missed a turn on a tollroad a few weeks ago in a part of the country I'd never been, but even that was only a 5 mile mistake...the fact is, back in the day having to pull out my always out of date US Road Atlas would have gotten me FAR more lost...
I think we are all just at the point in technology where we expect out asses to be wiped for us...
The Messe is in Germany (err...I think)...my general manager usually hits it at least every other year.
Honestly, I don't think it is as good as the NAMM show because *EVERYONE* who is everyone is there...Messe attracts a Eurocentric crowd. NAMM is global. Back when I was helping friends with their software sales, the US accounted for like 80% of the market...paying market. The European and Asian markets are a lost cause for software...statistically, you won't find many people that pay for their software there in a professional sense. The home market in the US will pirate anything too, but it really comes down to comparing markets of those who are actually the target user, not someone in a bedroom studio with garageband.
If you need any names, email me...I might be able to see who I know that's repping software these days.
"Again, sending press releases to sites won't get you anywhere. The same for technical forums. Maybe a 5 percent success rate if you're lucky."
As someone that runs a technical audio forum, yer damn right...with the exception of Hominy Simple who publish any damn press release that is sent their way so long as someone is willing to advertise (or pretend to want to advertise).
Problem with press releases? They are INSULTING. I haven't read a single one in the last year that sounded like it was targeting my audience, or writing to a person. If you want to do a press release, the shotgun approach does not work...write to the editors as a person, get a dialogue going and go with that...I took the stance years ago that I'll never publish another press release and with the rare instance of making fun of some idiots idea of professional, I haven't.
You'll find most forums feel the same..if they have any professionality at all.
If you are serious about selling something like this, hit Winter NAMM.
Don't have to have to have a booth or anything, just bring along a few dozen CDs and give them away to folks you talk to and get the big boys looking at it. While you are there, look for representatives looking for products...I have several friends that do this...generally, there is a honest to goodness analog bulletin board set up that folks leave Looking For Representation or Looking To Represent signs...
I've repped a few products in the past, but I won't do it anymore (I like being an amateur in the industry and not wanting to get sucked back into that hellhole! I like only having to visit lalaland a few times a year!).
Generally NAMM is mid to late Jan...Summer NAMM is probably going on soon, but it is pretty much a geetar show and doesn't geek out like the big one. Save some money and fly out to LA.
"All those are my screwups after we decided not to run notes as planned, due to my inability to find a good citation format for web sources"
Really...because almost every form of writing style has web formats as a cite style these days.
Hell, I use APA style, but it isn't much harder in MLA (the two biggest styles)...and it isn't hard to find even more...
I wouldn't call this plagiarism, just lazy...and honestly, I know I've been lazy myself at times and screwed up (as I double check my thesis before handing it in tonight to make certain this hasn't happened to me!!!)
"if you're not a christian, or willing to become one, you'll probably get nothing out of it."
It is true that AA focuses heavily on Christianity, but one of my favorite psych profs put it this way when dealing with Christian Lit: anytime you hear God or Jesus, replace it with Mohammad or Buddha or simply the universe. If nothing else, the collective wisdom of the universe has enabled it to survive for more years than we will ever be around, sure it doesn't 'think' the way we do, but there is an organization that makes it a higher power never the less.
If God were real, we have a piece of God in us. AA asks us to surrender to God to help kick the habit...and a number of other steps. If God isn't real, we still have a piece of the universe in us, and that itself is the same thing. It is all about looking out and then within.
I've known a number of people that have become spiritual because of AA...not really Christian unless they were already, but there is a large amount of research that shows that with the right attitude, AA works. Oh course, part of these treatments is to put you into the right attitude, and occasionally that takes a little more help than simply a support group...but if you are going to come in with the attitude this is not going to work, you will generally live up to your belief. Learned helplessness is a big part of an alcoholics life, so yeah...mileage may vary...hell, the learned helplessness is most likely a contributing cause to why they are alcoholics in the first place, and you can't change the addiction until you change the social circumstances.
Anyhoo...you should look at these programs a little more closely before having such a negative attitude. My graduate work involved dealing with people like this occasionally, but it isn't my field...I personally like to work on the improvement / prevention side of psychology as opposed to trying to pick up the broken pieces.
I was making a point about ADHD...not about sugar...at that age, ANYTHING will set kids off...including sugar...or lack of sugar...or just enough sugar...
"those with it are, to put it politely, 'socially disfunctional' to the point that if you saw it you'd know something was wrong immediately."
Wow. Really? You mean all the training I've gotten over the last 4 years was wrong...it is something that one can just naturally tell is wrong?
"There are, alas, rather a large number of doctors who use it as a catch all for 'a bit hyperactive'"
And this is where you fail. Very few doctors look at it as 'a bit hyperactive'. For children, there has to be documented proof of hyperactivity or inattention. This proof has to come from at least two settings...this is one of the reasons it is (and should be hard) to diagnose young children and psychiatrists (not some physician / nurse that wasn't trained to diagnose mental disorders) rarely give this recommendation to those under 6. We all know of cases of young'uns that are though. Blame the parents who force their physician to give meds they aren't trained to give.
Beyond that, there has to be 6 clear symptoms of hyperactivity in very specific settings (another 6 if one is speaking about the combined type including inattention).
Beyond this, it has to be inconsistant with others at the same developmental level. Kid running around like a crazed loon? Well...how old is he...and what setting is this in. Oh, he is 7 years old and running around like this after a sugary meal? Yeah...not going to be diagnosed.
The problem is, if one has prescribing rights, they can pretty much give any rx they want. If I want to try something out, I can go talk to my buddy who is a podiatrist and he can give me provigil (I was surprised he actually pulled out the steth and checked my heart rate first...then he said it was my funeral if it didn't work because he knew nothing about it). Much easier than the proper channels.
So back to the point, no...you wouldn't necessarily note that something was wrong. Nor are those with ADHD socially dysfunctional. Hell, I'm not even at the high functioning side of ADHD and I'd hesitate to call myself any more dysfunctional than the average person. I just can't pay attention....where was I going with all of this?
Nevermind...I don't have the attention to dispute this anymore.
"Have you ever worked in the music industry before? Do you know what actually happens when a song is produced? Or the amount of money the artist makes?"
Ummm...yeah. Have you?
I thought I was pretty clear about that in my second sentence. My own band didn't do as well as I would have liked, but I actually made money on it because I read my contracts and negotiated.
Weird thing about these contracts...I was always reminded that it is the music INDUSTRY. I've had the same contract thrown in front of me that friends that were much more successful were given. The difference? I actually read it. And then I gave it to my lawyer who also read it. And I had a lawyer that I selected...not one provided to me. I.e., if you were in a lawsuit with a neighbor, would you act on his suggestion to take a lawyer he picked or would you find one on your own? Simple choice to me.
And funny thing was, I didn't act like a diva, I simply gave back the contract, they came back a few days later saying they would accept some changes and denied others. Decided I was satisfied with this as I asked for far more than I knew I would get...just like they did when they gave me the contract. It was actually pretty clinical...no emotions at all.
Our album pretty much failed...a lot of this fell on me as the label was pressuring the band and I got sick of trying to keep with the original plan and let the rest of the guys take over (except when it affected my credit...things like singer wanted to put his own spin on my lyrics, which I wasn't having). Again, I made some money on this...I don't think the other guys did so well, yet when I've seen them, they are quick to blame the industry as opposed to their need for short term gain over the long term.
Beyond that, I've been a hired gun, a writer, and a reluctant manager (I stood in this role for a former star who I thought could do it again, and he did). Some of these roles, I've taken points...yes, as technical staff, I was paid for performance. I've also done the writing as a 'for-hire' basis where I was paid up front and even signed away attribution. Generally these are the other way around.
Point is, you don't know how people are being paid. You don't know who is owed money for every album sold. You don't know if the artist screaming that they got ripped off spent his advance on blow and didn't realize it was only a loan that was to be repaid (*NEVER NEVER NEVER* take an advance!) Most of what people have to say about the industry is generally one sided from someone who needs to make a point (on either side).
I have no need...these days, I don't care about the industry...I got away because I wanted to see music artistically again, and not something done because of the bank account. Currently, finishing a graduate degree in psychology and studying for the MCAT. The closest I get to the industry now is running a forum for pros (mostly Kurzweil synths and Apple's Logic recording software)...and even that doesn't get the attention I wish I could give.
This is probably more than I really wished to say on Slashdot...
"may have a clause in his contract saying he cannot accept money directly for his music."
Or maybe because he has some integrity?
I know when I was a performing musician, we could buy extremely discounted albums from our label, but it was considered by most to be slimy to go to the local duplicator and get a thousand or two printed up for your tour. Yet, some thought they could be a little cheaper by doing so.
It also means that everyone that worked on the album and were not paid outright get screwed...often times, if you only pay the artist, folks like the songwriters and the producer and even the little guys that did something for substandard pay because they believed the work was good and would eventually get paid for it -- those folks get nothing when you send them the money directly.
Honestly, this would be like stealing a Mac and sending Steve Jobs a check for the price of the machine...he is the one with his name out front, but it takes a LOT of work to bring something to market and with rare exceptions, it is not a one man show.
"Imagine my life another 5 years from now, it'll be even busier. It would be really, REALLY hard to put in that much school work now."
Not really. You learn to adapt to the life and you go on. I'm 37, finishing up my thesis for my Masters in a field COMPLETELY different than the technical crap I started out with, and I still find time.
No, the house isn't as spotless as it could be...I think I mow maybe twice a month in the summer. My side-business is kinda on autopilot (I do consulting only when I need to pay for toys)...and I still work 40 hours a week. I maintain a social life and a 4.0 standing...last semester was a struggle as I upped things to 15 hours of class (in my undergrad, I was lucky to deal with 12 while working full time).
But the thing is, the older you get, the more you know if you really want something and if it is going to help you or not. In my case, it most certainly has helped and has opened possibilities I could never have imagined.
"keywords there "pretty much", without the clutch pedal you loose precision."
Yeah, that's why F1 drivers require their clutch pedal.
Oh wait, they don't....Then again, your misspelling makes it exactly the opposite...with non-computerized clutches, things ARE looser.:-) Loose == opposite of tighten! (You probably knew that, but I'm having fun).
I've driven several 'manual' cars over the last few years that dispensed with the idea of the clutch all the while providing pretty much the same functionality.
That is one less pedal function from a well designed vehicle...when you look at OSs and realize they can be optimized to get rid of unnecessary interactions, you realize you can simplify these too.
Then again, when my clutch went out on my '71 triumph, I learned to match gears too...no need for that there either!
No, no DRM means no sale to tens of ummmm....tens.
The anti-DRM lobby isn't as big as folks like to make it sound. Most pirates aren't going to buy regardless of the DRM status...those that make up the millions. The casual copyright infringers may be annoyed but buy the content begrudgingly.
Personally, I don't like DRM, but so long as there are easy ways around it, I'm not so worried. Every book I found for the Kindle was also easily available online through other sources. I prefer to use my books / music / otherwise how I feel fit, and I respect copyright, so I don't feel bad about finding ways around the DRM...but 99% of the time...I use the content exactly as the publisher expects me to. It is rare that DRM gets in the way of me doing something legitimate....and I'd safely say except for the outliers who choose to use obscure systems or for some religious purpose can't be associated with a product because it isn't F/OSS (then why are you buying copyrighted books!@!!!@!), it is generally a rare event for this to be a problem.
DRM is not going to put a dent in sales what so ever...personally, I wish the day would come that the GIB IT TO ME FREEEHEEE crowd either grow up or die, so that DRM could go away...ironic that the very people that are most vocally yelling against it is pretty much the reason it exists in the first place.
Slashdot Mirror
The thing is, right now, the university isn't really hiring...and with the classwork I am taking, elsewhere is a dealbreaker.
I like the benefits I have earned...the classes I want to take are simply not offered at night / weekends.
I have thought of purely focusing on my consulting side, but at this point in the health care game in the US, I couldn't get insurance as I have an expensive pre-existing condition. I would have to make an extra $20k a year to pay for the meds alone. (funny thing is, I could get the same thing for about $4k from Canada or any other country in the world). I could EASILY do this, but I don't really want to work harder right now :-)
Honestly, I don't hate the job so much as I can't stand working for idiots...if I have to spend the next year with the title of IT Guy, that's what I'm going to give them...I'll have my prereqs readied for my next degree and going to deal with that full time (if I get in! That's the BIG IF!!!)
Anyhoo...
The funniest thing about all of this is that I got a RAISE.
I didn't want the raise...I have my own private business that pays me far more than the university does, one I can do consulting on my time off and bring in enough to not think about it. Honestly, the fact that I don't have the flexibility in my schedule has kinda ruined that...but I got a 'huge' raise to do less work.
As for the academic work...I'm planning on doing just this. I have my job title and the requirements, and I'm going to do just this. When asked to move beyond this, I tell them, give me the title back (which they aren't going to do now, because that WOULD require giving me another raise) and I'll gladly do it, but as the IT Person, I don't feel it is right making recommendations that may adversely affect others.
Right now, I've been focusing on pre-reqs for my next degree...planning on going to med school and getting away from the psychology / assessment course work I had been focusing on. Academically, it would be advantageous to be laid off. 8 months (at least) of getting paid to go to school? I could get student loans to supplement what I've lost. I've mentioned this to my bosses MANY times if they don't think my services are required, I would be glad to go quietly, but I'm just not going to quit (nor am I going to perform work above my title / pay grade). I'll do exactly what my job requires and nothing more...and I'll do it well (I still have a work ethic even if no one else in my office does).
"So either you are eligible for overtime or HR must admit they are lying about your title."
Oh this is the worst part about all of this...they know this...and my time is now watched like a hawk because there was a major lawsuit because of this.
I work for a major university (idiocy is rampant in places of learning...it seems those that aren't involved in creating knowledge are in contempt of those that are)...and one of my perks is that I can take classes. I have to account for my time, and I do, but it use to be that I could stop by colleagues offices on the way to or from...now, I can't talk to anyone I perform a service for UNTIL I get back to my office and clock in. If something needs to be done and it is after hours, I need to have permission to do my job because there is a shift differential as I am in the IT PISS ON class...not adult enough to manage my own time.
My boss now gets pissed off when tasks that use to be done quickly aren't...I use to be able to take work home, finish it up, and if I spent an extra 8 hours on the project, I was considered trustworthy enough say I Spent 8 Hours On This On My Time, Not Coming in Friday.
The way they watch the time and tie one to their desk, I can't do my job any more...I wish I could...the only thing I can do is pure techie work, of which they think I should be doing IN ADDITION to my other work. I can't do an advanced breakdown of student populations and give remediation recommendations in specific areas when I'm being asked to plug in the same idiots mouse that keeps unplugging it thinking it is her coffee warmer (despite one plugs into the wall and has a different type of cord).
Honestly, I work with idiots that want regression to the mean...they don't want anything to actually be done. They want boring titles because it is easier to keep watch over everyone.
"Frankly, a respectable-sounding title is one very cheap way for employers to compensate their employees that costs the company absolutely nothing yet is of material benefit to the employee."
I'm dealing with something very similar...I have had a decent title for YEARS that accurately described my position, and the HR Fucks decided that they needed to reclassify me. Works with computers? IT Guy. WTF? No no no no no...I have advanced degrees in psychology and statistical knowledge...yes I maintain the servers simply because EVERYONE ELSE GOT LET GO OR DIDN'T REHIRE AFTER THEY LEFT (and honestly, I was much better at this than they were anyways), but my main job is to accurately figure out how to classify and assess situations.
Yet, I'm IT Guy because they needed a hole to fill and other staff members were upset that I was competent enough to do my job and help out with the other.
Simple title would go a long way with motivation...these days when they ask me to do something that requires thinking outside of this, I tell them "My Title Says I'm Paid To Push The Fucking Button And Nothing More"...ego? Yes...but I'm not paid to tell them how much of my ego will be doing as little as posible (regardless of the fact that my actual training means I could write a treatise on this).
"I might still buy the device, because it has direct native support for putting a microSD card in your computer....."
Yeah, I just ordered a Kindle over the weekend, and apparently it is showing up tomorrow. I never planned on buying too many native books for it...maybe something throw away every now or then. Mostly, I wanted to be able to carry all my textbooks in one location.
After downloading my chem book (*) the other day and realizing there was 2GB worth of data (thankfully chunked by chapter), I started thinking the whole kindle thing might not work out. I remembered the first had the memory card, and I thought I might have a few months before I needed to buy one, but did a little more investigation and realized the new ones don't have this. WTF!@!@!
So, the brand new Kindle is going back soon...I have 30 days...that might tide me over until the Nook is released...having a microSD in there is the only real different I see.
(BTW...I own all my books, and I plan on continuing to buy my paper books...and while I believe authors should be paid for their works as well as the companies that support them, I see NOTHING wrong in downloading an electronic copy of something I already paid for in a MUCH better format...paper is superior in all ways except for transportation).
"Almost all of the useful Bluetooth features were disabled - when pushed, Verizon claimed it was "for security purposes"; yet they conveniently offered those same features for an outrageous fee through their own silly program"
I had the EXACT same thing through Sprint just before I canceled and switched to AT&T...but the worst part was, the phone had over the air updates, and while I paid cash for it -- I don't like these subsidized plans -- and I spent 2x what it would have cost in their store as it was unlocked, they were STILL able to disable all the features (and somehow lock the phone to their network), with the exception of bluetooth headsets...which I don't really like anyways (give me wired any day of the week...I like battery life).
The worst part was that I bought this specifically for presentations so I could get a remote screen on the phone with the notes I needed, along with a remote control for the computer. $300 wasted. Sure, I was able to grab the firmware and reflash it, but the company would randomly update the phone again and there was little I could do about it except hope they didn't update it the night before a big presentation.
I get pissy about my iPhone for just this reason, but at the same time, the limits Apple puts on it are FAR FAR FAR less than any company before it. When they make a bonehead moronic fucking move, I have to remind myself of Sprint....
You mean practitioners have the same incentive to upsize a diagnosis as would ANY profession?
Go into a hospital, bring a bottle of aspirin with you and DEMAND not to take the hospitals meds...you can save $500 on your bill almost instantly with that (or at least your insurance won't be charged)...at $5 a pill, these guys are upsizing you on the fact that one rarely ever itemizes their medical bills.
Go into a fast food joint...MickyDs sells 1 Apple Pie for $0.99 or 2 for $1.00.
Go to NASA and ask them what it is going to take to get to Mars, and they are going to give you a few different platforms that will never be used for the mission, but for 'ancillary' studies that may be used elsewhere.
It is rare to find someone without the need to upsize. Me? I tell my clients I'm busy and I really don't have time for them and have a few other consultants I'm willing to push onto for other needs...I've NEVER upsized a client in the last 10 or more years. I have too many things on my plate and I really don't have the economic worries. I live a comfortable middle class lifestyle...I had a career that paid far more than I can make evaluating mental health and the desire for a stable life moved me to getting away from that...the pursuit of money is not the most valued part of a stable individual. I know others in the same boat...I'm not a clinician (I have done it but I prefer my cave) but most of the others I know have to turn away clients because they have enough patients. They generally like to get the clients moving on as soon as possible...so they can get someone else in.
If they could get folks out in just a few sessions, they would. Why? It is in the first few sessions that you get paid the most...it is when one does the BIG assessments. If you are a freudian, you might start off with the Rorshack, Jungian MBTI...others may look at the MMPI...each one of these you get to charge a LOT for both the administration and the scoring...and it is like autopilot because once you know how to give it, it is standardized. Heck, the computerized ones make it dead simple.
I know people that make a KILLING just administering tests...I've thought about doing just this. You do it, analyze the results and pass them along to the next guy.
Again, the stringing someone along part generally actually costs the clinician more money than if they were getting them in and out.
As for actual science, why do you need to be convinced? Most doctors are not engaged in real science either, just a lot of guesswork based on past experience. I know very few physicians that are engaged in the scientific method nor are they doing experimental hypothesis on their patients...they'd be sued for malpractice if they did...along with killing a lot of them in the process. Most look at the presenting issue and try to come up with something reasonable that will work...reasonable being Will This Cure Work Given The Patients Economic And Social Lifestyle? Will It Work Given The Hospitals Resources? Will It Work Given My Expertise? Sure, a lot of it is based off of existing science, but they themselves are not doing much themselves.
Psychology is much the same way. Hell, I'm a student of the Rogerian way with CogBehavioral as a backup, but SCIENTIFICALLY, I know that almost ANY style will work. Freudian seems like caveman psychology to me. Jung seems like a moonbat that wanted to tie spirituality into the mix and occasionally claim it is the universe that is causing all the problems...but statistically, going from any of these perspectives and having at it, I know folks are going to get better on a greater chance than either doing nothing or throwing in a placebo where someone just talks to you.
Scientifically, most of psychology is is telling you what you already know and clarifying the tangle of thoughts in your brain. Helping you figure out what is more important. Scientifically, things like CogBehavioral is just a way or telling you Hey That Doesn't Work, Stop It...Do Something Else...and
There is what is known as test-retest reliability. It says how reliable the test is over multiple sessions...I have one exam that I am working on now where I realized that over a 6 week time frame, the changes weren't going to mean anything have changed in a person, but that they are better at taking the exam (i.e., at getting the result they want).
I want to know what the person is thinking NOW not what they have learned to game the system...luckily, after 6 weeks, most people forget how to game it. I don't know beyond that with further repeated exposure (as with most things, I'm limited by time and resources).
There are ways of making these tests friendly to retests...multiple versions...but then it is very cumbersome to validate the two tests to make certain they are equal. One can look for gaming of the system...the MMPI has a section just for this. In most exams, it is hard to do this. The rorshack has an honesty scale if I recall...certain responses are rarely given except by folks that are trying to get listed as one thing or another...its like What Is The Correlation To What A Sane Person Might Thing An Insane Person Would Say. Or viceversa...the more you put this info out, the less likely these instrument work.
I mean, clinicians ALWAYS have these tricks to see dishonesty...for instance, if someone says they are having hallucinations, are they interacting with them? People trying to prove they are legally insane do things like take about their invisible friend and you ask them to greet them...if they try to shake hands with the guy, they are lying.
So, there are honesty scales in a lot of assessments, and this checks for good faith...it doesn't fix the point about giving accurate exams...
"One who cures people in one visit, or one who puts his patients into never-ending rounds of therapy while convincing them they're "getting better"."
I always love this argument...so if you get into a car accident, break all your bones...who are you going to trust? The physical therapist that says Hey! I know you've been in a hospital bed for 8 weeks, but come by and we will get rid of that wheelchair and get you walking again...next Friday sound good? Bring a pair of running shoes because you are gonna wanna go for a jog afterwards? Or do you go to the guy that says, this is going to take a while, you may never be at 100% again, and it might be a little painful, and its going to take a few months, but I'm committed to helping you get better?
The fact is, psychology is not something that can be done overnight, and no...giving meds and saying See Ya In 6 Months doesn't work either...it is a slow process. There are barriers to be pulled down to become psychologically healthy...if there weren't barriers, you wouldn't be in the office trying to get fixed. There are coping strategies that need to be evaluated and tried out...not everything works for everyone...for instance, if going to work makes you want to blow your brains out, there are strategies that might work...quitting the job is not always possible...finding different more pro-social ways of dealing with co-workers might have to be it (and some people believe almost all of psych is social in nature...you aren't nutso, everyone else is...we might have to teach you how to deal with others perceived crazinesses).
And all in all, people get what they want and leave when they feel better...when I was going to a physical therapist, I could have used another few months of treatments to get everything working right, but economically, it wasn't possible. Same with a mental health therapist...you go until you feel good about yourself, ya run outta money or find the treatment not working / bullshit.
Too many misconceptions about the field...
"Incorrect. There actually ARE correct answers to the inkblots"
There are RARELY correct or incorrect answers on ANY psychometric exam.
We take the results and score them...sometimes one answer means one thing, sometimes it means another, sometimes it is there for a baseline, sometimes it is there just to prepare the next version of the exam.
As for projective test, do you understand what a projective test is? It is one where you project your beliefs onto an abstract stimulus and come up with the result on your own as opposed to being told Hey It Might Be One Of These...there are quite a few projective tests out there. It is a common name and not just a single tool.
Whadda I know...I just sit in my office designing / validating psychologically sound tests all day...
There aren't 'correct' answers to the blots, they are images that one uses to project their beliefs and subconscious on.
The idea is that you won't see them in nature, or anywhere else...but being that the test has been studied, validated and correlated across thousands of individuals, there is a LOT of predictive nature to them. Look at it and tell me what you think of it...I think bunny wabits...ok, 90% of the people that saw this and gave that response grew up to be serial killers.
I'm not a Freudian by any means...I have never given this exam and really don't see the point in doing so...but I have a background in psychometrics. Letting folks get access to this stuff means that more people will be exposed and the more exposure, along with people putting out statistics about what things mean lowers the validity of the exam.
But, if ruining a reliable therapeutic technique for others is worth while, by all means, go ahead and publish the images...its not like they are that hard to come by anyways...no one checks licenses these days if you are ordering most exams these days...
"So, unless the iPhone's navigation gives you real time updates of your location..."
I wouldn't say it is useless, I use my 1G iPhone all the time for directions...it gets me 90% of the way and human intelligence gets me the rest.
Real time updates? Yeah...annoying...but when it is getting dicy, I just start jamming on the centering tool...I missed a turn on a tollroad a few weeks ago in a part of the country I'd never been, but even that was only a 5 mile mistake...the fact is, back in the day having to pull out my always out of date US Road Atlas would have gotten me FAR more lost...
I think we are all just at the point in technology where we expect out asses to be wiped for us...
The Messe is in Germany (err...I think)...my general manager usually hits it at least every other year.
Honestly, I don't think it is as good as the NAMM show because *EVERYONE* who is everyone is there...Messe attracts a Eurocentric crowd. NAMM is global. Back when I was helping friends with their software sales, the US accounted for like 80% of the market...paying market. The European and Asian markets are a lost cause for software...statistically, you won't find many people that pay for their software there in a professional sense. The home market in the US will pirate anything too, but it really comes down to comparing markets of those who are actually the target user, not someone in a bedroom studio with garageband.
If you need any names, email me...I might be able to see who I know that's repping software these days.
"Again, sending press releases to sites won't get you anywhere. The same for technical forums. Maybe a 5 percent success rate if you're lucky."
As someone that runs a technical audio forum, yer damn right...with the exception of Hominy Simple who publish any damn press release that is sent their way so long as someone is willing to advertise (or pretend to want to advertise).
Problem with press releases? They are INSULTING. I haven't read a single one in the last year that sounded like it was targeting my audience, or writing to a person. If you want to do a press release, the shotgun approach does not work...write to the editors as a person, get a dialogue going and go with that...I took the stance years ago that I'll never publish another press release and with the rare instance of making fun of some idiots idea of professional, I haven't.
You'll find most forums feel the same..if they have any professionality at all.
If you are serious about selling something like this, hit Winter NAMM.
Don't have to have to have a booth or anything, just bring along a few dozen CDs and give them away to folks you talk to and get the big boys looking at it. While you are there, look for representatives looking for products...I have several friends that do this...generally, there is a honest to goodness analog bulletin board set up that folks leave Looking For Representation or Looking To Represent signs...
I've repped a few products in the past, but I won't do it anymore (I like being an amateur in the industry and not wanting to get sucked back into that hellhole! I like only having to visit lalaland a few times a year!).
Generally NAMM is mid to late Jan...Summer NAMM is probably going on soon, but it is pretty much a geetar show and doesn't geek out like the big one. Save some money and fly out to LA.
"All those are my screwups after we decided not to run notes as planned, due to my inability to find a good citation format for web sources"
Really...because almost every form of writing style has web formats as a cite style these days.
Hell, I use APA style, but it isn't much harder in MLA (the two biggest styles)...and it isn't hard to find even more...
I wouldn't call this plagiarism, just lazy...and honestly, I know I've been lazy myself at times and screwed up (as I double check my thesis before handing it in tonight to make certain this hasn't happened to me!!!)
"if you're not a christian, or willing to become one, you'll probably get nothing out of it."
It is true that AA focuses heavily on Christianity, but one of my favorite psych profs put it this way when dealing with Christian Lit: anytime you hear God or Jesus, replace it with Mohammad or Buddha or simply the universe. If nothing else, the collective wisdom of the universe has enabled it to survive for more years than we will ever be around, sure it doesn't 'think' the way we do, but there is an organization that makes it a higher power never the less.
If God were real, we have a piece of God in us. AA asks us to surrender to God to help kick the habit...and a number of other steps. If God isn't real, we still have a piece of the universe in us, and that itself is the same thing. It is all about looking out and then within.
I've known a number of people that have become spiritual because of AA...not really Christian unless they were already, but there is a large amount of research that shows that with the right attitude, AA works. Oh course, part of these treatments is to put you into the right attitude, and occasionally that takes a little more help than simply a support group...but if you are going to come in with the attitude this is not going to work, you will generally live up to your belief. Learned helplessness is a big part of an alcoholics life, so yeah...mileage may vary...hell, the learned helplessness is most likely a contributing cause to why they are alcoholics in the first place, and you can't change the addiction until you change the social circumstances.
Anyhoo...you should look at these programs a little more closely before having such a negative attitude. My graduate work involved dealing with people like this occasionally, but it isn't my field...I personally like to work on the improvement / prevention side of psychology as opposed to trying to pick up the broken pieces.
I was making a point about ADHD...not about sugar...at that age, ANYTHING will set kids off...including sugar...or lack of sugar...or just enough sugar...
"those with it are, to put it politely, 'socially disfunctional' to the point that if you saw it you'd know something was wrong immediately."
Wow. Really? You mean all the training I've gotten over the last 4 years was wrong...it is something that one can just naturally tell is wrong?
"There are, alas, rather a large number of doctors who use it as a catch all for 'a bit hyperactive'"
And this is where you fail. Very few doctors look at it as 'a bit hyperactive'. For children, there has to be documented proof of hyperactivity or inattention. This proof has to come from at least two settings...this is one of the reasons it is (and should be hard) to diagnose young children and psychiatrists (not some physician / nurse that wasn't trained to diagnose mental disorders) rarely give this recommendation to those under 6. We all know of cases of young'uns that are though. Blame the parents who force their physician to give meds they aren't trained to give.
Beyond that, there has to be 6 clear symptoms of hyperactivity in very specific settings (another 6 if one is speaking about the combined type including inattention).
Beyond this, it has to be inconsistant with others at the same developmental level. Kid running around like a crazed loon? Well...how old is he...and what setting is this in. Oh, he is 7 years old and running around like this after a sugary meal? Yeah...not going to be diagnosed.
The problem is, if one has prescribing rights, they can pretty much give any rx they want. If I want to try something out, I can go talk to my buddy who is a podiatrist and he can give me provigil (I was surprised he actually pulled out the steth and checked my heart rate first...then he said it was my funeral if it didn't work because he knew nothing about it). Much easier than the proper channels.
So back to the point, no...you wouldn't necessarily note that something was wrong. Nor are those with ADHD socially dysfunctional. Hell, I'm not even at the high functioning side of ADHD and I'd hesitate to call myself any more dysfunctional than the average person. I just can't pay attention....where was I going with all of this?
Nevermind...I don't have the attention to dispute this anymore.
"Have you ever worked in the music industry before? Do you know what actually happens when a song is produced? Or the amount of money the artist makes?"
Ummm...yeah. Have you?
I thought I was pretty clear about that in my second sentence. My own band didn't do as well as I would have liked, but I actually made money on it because I read my contracts and negotiated.
Weird thing about these contracts...I was always reminded that it is the music INDUSTRY. I've had the same contract thrown in front of me that friends that were much more successful were given. The difference? I actually read it. And then I gave it to my lawyer who also read it. And I had a lawyer that I selected...not one provided to me. I.e., if you were in a lawsuit with a neighbor, would you act on his suggestion to take a lawyer he picked or would you find one on your own? Simple choice to me.
And funny thing was, I didn't act like a diva, I simply gave back the contract, they came back a few days later saying they would accept some changes and denied others. Decided I was satisfied with this as I asked for far more than I knew I would get...just like they did when they gave me the contract. It was actually pretty clinical...no emotions at all.
Our album pretty much failed...a lot of this fell on me as the label was pressuring the band and I got sick of trying to keep with the original plan and let the rest of the guys take over (except when it affected my credit...things like singer wanted to put his own spin on my lyrics, which I wasn't having). Again, I made some money on this...I don't think the other guys did so well, yet when I've seen them, they are quick to blame the industry as opposed to their need for short term gain over the long term.
Beyond that, I've been a hired gun, a writer, and a reluctant manager (I stood in this role for a former star who I thought could do it again, and he did). Some of these roles, I've taken points...yes, as technical staff, I was paid for performance. I've also done the writing as a 'for-hire' basis where I was paid up front and even signed away attribution. Generally these are the other way around.
Point is, you don't know how people are being paid. You don't know who is owed money for every album sold. You don't know if the artist screaming that they got ripped off spent his advance on blow and didn't realize it was only a loan that was to be repaid (*NEVER NEVER NEVER* take an advance!) Most of what people have to say about the industry is generally one sided from someone who needs to make a point (on either side).
I have no need...these days, I don't care about the industry...I got away because I wanted to see music artistically again, and not something done because of the bank account. Currently, finishing a graduate degree in psychology and studying for the MCAT. The closest I get to the industry now is running a forum for pros (mostly Kurzweil synths and Apple's Logic recording software)...and even that doesn't get the attention I wish I could give.
This is probably more than I really wished to say on Slashdot...
"may have a clause in his contract saying he cannot accept money directly for his music."
Or maybe because he has some integrity?
I know when I was a performing musician, we could buy extremely discounted albums from our label, but it was considered by most to be slimy to go to the local duplicator and get a thousand or two printed up for your tour. Yet, some thought they could be a little cheaper by doing so.
It also means that everyone that worked on the album and were not paid outright get screwed...often times, if you only pay the artist, folks like the songwriters and the producer and even the little guys that did something for substandard pay because they believed the work was good and would eventually get paid for it -- those folks get nothing when you send them the money directly.
Honestly, this would be like stealing a Mac and sending Steve Jobs a check for the price of the machine...he is the one with his name out front, but it takes a LOT of work to bring something to market and with rare exceptions, it is not a one man show.
"Imagine my life another 5 years from now, it'll be even busier. It would be really, REALLY hard to put in that much school work now."
Not really. You learn to adapt to the life and you go on. I'm 37, finishing up my thesis for my Masters in a field COMPLETELY different than the technical crap I started out with, and I still find time.
No, the house isn't as spotless as it could be...I think I mow maybe twice a month in the summer. My side-business is kinda on autopilot (I do consulting only when I need to pay for toys)...and I still work 40 hours a week. I maintain a social life and a 4.0 standing...last semester was a struggle as I upped things to 15 hours of class (in my undergrad, I was lucky to deal with 12 while working full time).
But the thing is, the older you get, the more you know if you really want something and if it is going to help you or not. In my case, it most certainly has helped and has opened possibilities I could never have imagined.
"keywords there "pretty much", without the clutch pedal you loose precision."
Yeah, that's why F1 drivers require their clutch pedal.
Oh wait, they don't. ...Then again, your misspelling makes it exactly the opposite...with non-computerized clutches, things ARE looser. :-) Loose == opposite of tighten! (You probably knew that, but I'm having fun).
I've driven several 'manual' cars over the last few years that dispensed with the idea of the clutch all the while providing pretty much the same functionality.
That is one less pedal function from a well designed vehicle...when you look at OSs and realize they can be optimized to get rid of unnecessary interactions, you realize you can simplify these too.
Then again, when my clutch went out on my '71 triumph, I learned to match gears too...no need for that there either!
"no DRM = (no sale) x millions"
No, no DRM means no sale to tens of ummmm....tens.
The anti-DRM lobby isn't as big as folks like to make it sound. Most pirates aren't going to buy regardless of the DRM status...those that make up the millions. The casual copyright infringers may be annoyed but buy the content begrudgingly.
Personally, I don't like DRM, but so long as there are easy ways around it, I'm not so worried. Every book I found for the Kindle was also easily available online through other sources. I prefer to use my books / music / otherwise how I feel fit, and I respect copyright, so I don't feel bad about finding ways around the DRM...but 99% of the time...I use the content exactly as the publisher expects me to. It is rare that DRM gets in the way of me doing something legitimate....and I'd safely say except for the outliers who choose to use obscure systems or for some religious purpose can't be associated with a product because it isn't F/OSS (then why are you buying copyrighted books!@!!!@!), it is generally a rare event for this to be a problem.
DRM is not going to put a dent in sales what so ever...personally, I wish the day would come that the GIB IT TO ME FREEEHEEE crowd either grow up or die, so that DRM could go away...ironic that the very people that are most vocally yelling against it is pretty much the reason it exists in the first place.