Once they are setup with a linux distro, tell them that they need to obtain an application that will allow them to read and write Microsoft Office format files. "What?" "How much will that cost?". Introduce them to OpenOffice. Require assignments to be submitted in OpenOffice format.
You'll have to upgrade your wardrobe if you're moving from tech support to programming. For example, your tennis shoes need to be thoroughly cleaned. Toss out the ripped AE jeans and get Levis. A little facial hair wouldn't hurt, just make sure it's a little shaggy around the edges. And don't forget to start wearing your hair longer.
You'll also need a trademark, like suspenders or orange sneakers, or maybe chewing tobacco and always walking around with a cup in your hand.
Use one drawer of your desk for late-night snacks. Toss out all the trail mix and stock up on twinkies (Hostess - not the generic ones). Ho-hos are okay on Fridays, but generally stick with the Twinkies.
On a more serious note, don't try to reinvent the wheel. Find some similar code that someone else on the team has written and use that as a starting point. Never start from scratch.
You are 100% correct. A computer scientist can learn any new technology / programming language, because we KNOW what is happening under the covers and behind the scenes.
Oh, what a load of crap-ola. If these things burst into flame, it's because they were covered in grease (an auto shop) and someone spilled gasoline on top of them. Another cause would be that the PC was surrounded by a pile of newspapers from 1971 that the owner was saving in case they are ever worth something.
Can we all say "half a story"?
Try the Buffalo Linkstation NAS device. If you base your backup solution on RAID drives, you are still susceptible to electrical problems within the box, as well as data corruption. RAID only protects against physical errors in the hardware media. If your box gets zapped, all of your RAID drives are probably toast, as well. If your disk is corrupted by Windoze (happened to me last week), the corruption just propagates through your entire RAID chain.
What you need is an external networked solution. Personally, I use the Buffalo Linkstation, but there are others available. Run your weekly full backups and daily incrementals, and turn the device off when it is not in use. Additionally, other family computers can store their backups on the same device in different shares.
I use Acronis True Image Home as my backup solution, FYI.
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Once they are setup with a linux distro, tell them that they need to obtain an application that will allow them to read and write Microsoft Office format files. "What?" "How much will that cost?". Introduce them to OpenOffice. Require assignments to be submitted in OpenOffice format.
You'll have to upgrade your wardrobe if you're moving from tech support to programming. For example, your tennis shoes need to be thoroughly cleaned. Toss out the ripped AE jeans and get Levis. A little facial hair wouldn't hurt, just make sure it's a little shaggy around the edges. And don't forget to start wearing your hair longer. You'll also need a trademark, like suspenders or orange sneakers, or maybe chewing tobacco and always walking around with a cup in your hand. Use one drawer of your desk for late-night snacks. Toss out all the trail mix and stock up on twinkies (Hostess - not the generic ones). Ho-hos are okay on Fridays, but generally stick with the Twinkies. On a more serious note, don't try to reinvent the wheel. Find some similar code that someone else on the team has written and use that as a starting point. Never start from scratch.
You are 100% correct. A computer scientist can learn any new technology / programming language, because we KNOW what is happening under the covers and behind the scenes.
Oh, what a load of crap-ola. If these things burst into flame, it's because they were covered in grease (an auto shop) and someone spilled gasoline on top of them. Another cause would be that the PC was surrounded by a pile of newspapers from 1971 that the owner was saving in case they are ever worth something. Can we all say "half a story"?
Try the Buffalo Linkstation NAS device. If you base your backup solution on RAID drives, you are still susceptible to electrical problems within the box, as well as data corruption. RAID only protects against physical errors in the hardware media. If your box gets zapped, all of your RAID drives are probably toast, as well. If your disk is corrupted by Windoze (happened to me last week), the corruption just propagates through your entire RAID chain. What you need is an external networked solution. Personally, I use the Buffalo Linkstation, but there are others available. Run your weekly full backups and daily incrementals, and turn the device off when it is not in use. Additionally, other family computers can store their backups on the same device in different shares. I use Acronis True Image Home as my backup solution, FYI.