It seems that if you let the user transmit or receive encrypted data (even if it's just a login!) you need to get a license.
We use the built in iOS classes for HTTP requests that support SSL transparently. The US government still required us to register for export compliance. It's really senseless.
It's a pain in the behind to distribute apps with encryption code (even if all your app does is use SSL!) on the app store.
You need to go through hoops registering with the US government for an export license for every app you publish. When we built our software, we got hit with these requirements and had to go through a bunch of paperwork that really slowed us down and gave us a headache all because we communicate with only communicate with our web service via SSL.
It's ridiculous that there's no exemption for SSL usage on US export controls. It's just a pain in the ass for everyone in the process and you can't honestly claim that it prevents awfully dangerous tech from getting into the enemy's hands.
Reading this piece, I can comfortably say that the author is right on the money with regards to how a focus on being "data driven" is actually slowly running companies into the ground.
I started off my career writing really low level network stack drivers. I got pretty familiar with the windows kernel, became a star in my office and got put on an MBA track because I had demonstrated some aptitude with customers and sales. Fast forward a few years and I've got an MBA under my belt and work for what was formerly a very large provider of consumer SaaS that is now trying to win in what can be loosely described as the call center space.
My days are now spent trying to determine strategic initiatives on the basis of consumer behaviour as represented in a slew of really badly coded Cognos reports. This wouldn't be so bad except for the fact that analytics and data driven decision making is anything but in most companies. Data is used to validate a hypothesis instead of being explored to reveal patterns, associations and trends. Every executive asking a question about customer behviour is secretly asking for validation of their own theory on the business and wants to gloat about it come performance review time. Obviously, in this kind of operating model, data is bastardized to lead to really bad decisions.
I'm all for scientific approaches to management, however they need to be undertaken following a method that is in line with the scientific method to be labelled as such. When I leave this job (which is ridiculously well paying but completely unfulfilling compared to my career in engineering) and run off to create my startup, I will probably hire an MBA at some point. However, I won't hire them to be a bean counter.
What many companies fail to realize is that the key to having a great leader is equal focus on product and market. The MBA that I would hire would be chosen because they've demonstrated an ability to be highly technically proficient but decided to expand their horizons and take on "soft-problems" as well.
Radialpoint actually provides a really good security suite (Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Parental Control + loads of other features) for free through its "user community" program: http://radialpoint.net/home/
This is the same security software that ISPs like Verizon, Rogers, Bell Canada, Virgin, etc... charge their customers anywhere from 8$-12$ a month to use.They give away a limited number of copies for free in order to collect crash data and improve the product that's ultimately delivered to ISPs, kind of like a perpetual beta test. The software itself is powered by the latest BitDefender engine for real-time, on-demand and scheduled scanning. It also lets you use WebSense to do parental controls.
They even have a Mac version that's freely available through their site. Check it out!
Matrox Imaging has been offering a software product known as the Matrox Imaging Library (MIL) for years which provides standard measurement functions and now even a metrology module that measures arcs, tolerances and more.
Honestly though, ASIC's are truly dead but for many applications, and especially consumer applications.
From your post, you seem to be underestimating the amount of effort required to correctly design an ASIC. Verification that your hardware design is correct is an extremely difficult task and the fab costs will mean that you won't often be able to revise your design based on tests of the real world device.
If you choose an FPGA, as others have mentionned, you'll be able to inexpensively implement your logic on the device at a very low cost (for mid-low volumes). In addition, since it is field-programmable, you can revise the design, issue bugfixes, and add features very easily in most cases. If your sales ever end up reaching high volume, you will likely be able to easily transition (mostly) to a custom die ASIC when it becomes economical for you to do that.
To give you an example, the company I work for spent millions of dollars to design a custom processing ASIC for some of our hardware. Our newer boards include a reconfigurable processing FPGA and were developped for a fraction of the cost.
"Google is a not very large company which runs the world's best search/advertising engine and has a number of frankly rather modest beta projects going. And that is all"
You're right, their search engine stinks and their betas are pretty crappy. I'm off to query hotbot. See ya!
I'm sorry, I think my sentence structure was a little off since I posted that message a little past my bedtime.
I meant to say that MCSE's or any other industry sponsored certifications should not use the term engineer since they cannot put their seal on any document and cannot be help accountable for their work.
As a junior engineer, I'm not too happy with the loose use of the word "engineer"
The title of engineer should only be bestowed upon those with enough knowledge, experience, and professional accountability to certify the proper performance of any system whether mission-critical or not.
You don't acquire those skills in a strip mall, and Canadian Law sure as hell doesn't give you any professional accountability.
Anyway, here is the press release that the parent post was referring to:
For immediate release
OIQ advises MCSE holders NOT to use the term engineer
Montreal, August 13, 2002 - Due to Microsoft Canada's recent announcement that the company will continue to use the term engineer as part of its Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) designation, the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ) is advising MCSE holders that they are subject to the laws of Quebec and will be prosecuted should they improperly represent themselves to the public as engineers.
"Microsoft Canada has left us no choice," says OIQ president, Gaétan Lefebvre, Eng. "The term engineer and the engineering profession itself are strictly regulated across Canada - just like the legal and medical professions. Last year, Microsoft agreed to advise their Canadian holders of the MCSE certification not to call themselves engineers or use the full title. Now that they've reversed their decision, we will enforce the Province's Engineers Act and Professional Code. These two laws are very clear and were in force long before Microsoft ever existed. In Québec, the OIQ is responsible for their enforcement."
According to section 22.2 of the Engineers Act (R.S.Q., c. I-9): 22. Any person not a member in good standing of the Order who: (1) [...]; (2) assumes the title of engineer alone or qualified, or makes use of any abbreviation of such title, or of any name, title or designation which might lead to the belief that he is an engineer or a member of the Order, (3) advertises himself as such, (4) acts in such a manner as to lead to the belief that he is authorized to fulfil the office of or to act as an engineer, (5) [...], is guilty of an offence and is liable to the penalties provided in section 188 of the Professional Code (chapter C-26).
And, according to sections 32 and 188 of the Professional Code (c. C-26):
32. No person shall claim in any manner to be an advocate, notary, physician, dentist, pharmacist, optometrist, veterinary surgeon, agrologist, architect, engineer, land-surveyor, forest engineer, chemist, chartered accountant, radiology technologist, denturologist, dispensing optician, chiropractor, hearing-aid acoustician, podiatrist, nurse, acupuncturist, bailiff or midwife, or use one of the above titles or any other title or abbreviation which may lead to the belief that he is one, or initials which may lead to the belief that he is one, or engage in a professional activity reserved to the members of a professional order, claim to have the right to do so or act in such a way as to lead to the belief that he is authorized to do so, unless he holds a valid, appropriate permit and is entered on the roll of the order empowered to issue the permit, unless it is allowed by law.
The prohibition relating to the use of any titles, abbreviations or initials mentioned in the first paragraph or in an Act constituting a professional order extends to the use of such titles, abbreviations and initials in a feminine form.
188.Every person who contravenes a provision of this Code, of the Act or letters patent constituting an order or of an amalgamation or integration order is guilty of an offence and is liable to a fine of not less than $600 nor more than $6 000.
"Engineers have an enormous responsibility to the public" explains Mr Lefebvre. "When engineers create a design and build such things as superstructures, airplanes, computerized control systems and highways, public safety and confidence are at stake. People trust engineers because they have a permit to practice engineering, and such trust is vitally important. The public has a long history of respect for professionals with a reserved title. It's also why governments across Canada have entrusted the responsibility of regulating the practice of the engineering profession to the organizations that govern the profession in each province, and for Québec, that is the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec."
The OIQ President continued: "Becoming an engineer is not just a matter of completing a few days or weeks of studies, as Microsoft suggests when it promotes its MCSE certification. In fact, at a meeting in their offices in Seattle, Microsoft officials openly admitted to officials from the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (CCPE) that their MCSE training program is in no way comparable to an academic engineering program. In Quebec, there are a number of laws and regulations governing the engineering profession. All this extensive legislation is based on the principle of protecting the public. That is the OIQ's principal function, and its primary concern is to verify the skills of those who apply for admission to its ranks."
Only persons who hold a permit to practice issued by OIQ and are registered on its membership roll as engineers can use this strictly reserved title. Once engineers receive their permit to practice and thus the right to use this professional title, they are required to adhere to a professional code of ethics and demonstrate continued competency in their field of expertise.
To date, in all cases where OIQ has taken legal action against the unlawful use of the title of engineer, the individuals charged have been found guilty. The OIQ President concluded: "When the OIQ learns of people violating the Engineers Act by not being registered on the roll of members, we see that they are prosecuted. They are not entitled to use the title of engineer, which has been strictly reserved for the members of OIQ. These violators run the risk of being fined."
The Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ) regulates and governs the practice of engineering in the province in accordance with the Engineers Act. OIQ has over 45,000 members and is affiliated with the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (CCPE,) which represents some 160,000 engineers across Canada.
The full text of the Engineers Act and the Professional Code of Québec can be consulted on the OIQ Web site at www.oiq.qc.ca.
For information: Danielle Frank, ARP Conseiller en communications Direction des affaires corporatives Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec Tel. (514) 845-6141 or 1 800 461-6141, ext. 111
http://www.peo.on.ca/enforcement/OIQ_Aug12_2002. ht ml
Yup, Base 2 does exist outside of the IEEE standards, but how do you store a floating point binary number? You need a standard way to do this or different hardware manufacturers will come up with different implementations and incompatibilities will ensue.
It can store approx 7 places in its 32 bit incarnation, but much more in its 64 bit incarnation.
Still, 64 bits isn't enough for storing a number this large. However, since pi is irrational it is a floating point number so it is conceivable that IEEE 754 can be adapted to a larger memory space in order to store all those digits that the kind professor approximated pi to.
I'm not saying my way is the only way, there are probably better ways, but since pi is a floating point number, any approximation is likely to be stored in some incarnation of IEEE 754.
I guess I should have given my post a little more thought, thanks Uncle Jimmy!
This past summer I spent a few months with a large, evil Canadian telecom company. The system in place to obtain an unlisted number or block unwanted calls is simply twisted.
The telco trained us to only suggest privacy services as a last resort and try to talk a customer out of it if they requested the features.
Our department was responsible for busting fax marketers that peppered our clients with unwanted junk. But whenever a client called to complain about annoying fax or telemarketing calls they receive at all hours of the night, we had to tell the poor sap to either subscribe to caller ID or spend money to *69 the call. If marketer's number was unlisted, we basically said "tough luck", even when we had the number right on our screen.
An open apology goes out from me to any of you that might have called me to complain about tele/fax marketers. Sorry everybody, THEY made me to it!
Actually, I would argue that Colleges and Universities are far from being obsolete. You don't enroll in an institution of higher learning to learn new skills that can directly be applied to your job.
How much does any of the field-specific material you learn during University really get applied on the job. Twenty percent? Maybe 25? A degree is not as much a statement about what you know as it is a statment of your capability for abstract thought and learning skills. Something far more useful than writing a gate arrangement in VHDL ever will be.
Anyone can learn technical skills, but not many people can actually learn THINKING skills... and judging from the posts I've read so far not much of slashdot can.
I think the story was just an urban legend. For a geiger counter to be reading that high from across the street, the radiation near the source would have to be pretty intense.
These kinds of disputes are not what the community needs to stay together! It seems to me that the oss community is filled with more whiny self-righteous pigs than truly stellar and motivated programmers? Am i misguided in this assumption?
Slashdot Mirror
Slackware -> RedHat -> Gentoo -> Suse -> Ubuntu
The order doesn't really make sense, I really like Ubuntu now for its simplicity, but that might also be because I love Macs.
It seems that if you let the user transmit or receive encrypted data (even if it's just a login!) you need to get a license.
We use the built in iOS classes for HTTP requests that support SSL transparently. The US government still required us to register for export compliance. It's really senseless.
It's a pain in the behind to distribute apps with encryption code (even if all your app does is use SSL!) on the app store.
You need to go through hoops registering with the US government for an export license for every app you publish. When we built our software, we got hit with these requirements and had to go through a bunch of paperwork that really slowed us down and gave us a headache all because we communicate with only communicate with our web service via SSL.
It's ridiculous that there's no exemption for SSL usage on US export controls. It's just a pain in the ass for everyone in the process and you can't honestly claim that it prevents awfully dangerous tech from getting into the enemy's hands.
Reading this piece, I can comfortably say that the author is right on the money with regards to how a focus on being "data driven" is actually slowly running companies into the ground.
I started off my career writing really low level network stack drivers. I got pretty familiar with the windows kernel, became a star in my office and got put on an MBA track because I had demonstrated some aptitude with customers and sales. Fast forward a few years and I've got an MBA under my belt and work for what was formerly a very large provider of consumer SaaS that is now trying to win in what can be loosely described as the call center space.
My days are now spent trying to determine strategic initiatives on the basis of consumer behaviour as represented in a slew of really badly coded Cognos reports. This wouldn't be so bad except for the fact that analytics and data driven decision making is anything but in most companies. Data is used to validate a hypothesis instead of being explored to reveal patterns, associations and trends. Every executive asking a question about customer behviour is secretly asking for validation of their own theory on the business and wants to gloat about it come performance review time. Obviously, in this kind of operating model, data is bastardized to lead to really bad decisions.
I'm all for scientific approaches to management, however they need to be undertaken following a method that is in line with the scientific method to be labelled as such. When I leave this job (which is ridiculously well paying but completely unfulfilling compared to my career in engineering) and run off to create my startup, I will probably hire an MBA at some point. However, I won't hire them to be a bean counter.
What many companies fail to realize is that the key to having a great leader is equal focus on product and market. The MBA that I would hire would be chosen because they've demonstrated an ability to be highly technically proficient but decided to expand their horizons and take on "soft-problems" as well.
Radialpoint actually provides a really good security suite (Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Parental Control + loads of other features) for free through its "user community" program: http://radialpoint.net/home/
This is the same security software that ISPs like Verizon, Rogers, Bell Canada, Virgin, etc... charge their customers anywhere from 8$-12$ a month to use.They give away a limited number of copies for free in order to collect crash data and improve the product that's ultimately delivered to ISPs, kind of like a perpetual beta test. The software itself is powered by the latest BitDefender engine for real-time, on-demand and scheduled scanning. It also lets you use WebSense to do parental controls.
They even have a Mac version that's freely available through their site. Check it out!
I was a model in one of the recent Matrox ads. (Hint: I was standing on a ladder)
Matrox Imaging has been offering a software product known as the Matrox Imaging Library (MIL) for years which provides standard measurement functions and now even a metrology module that measures arcs, tolerances and more.
Best of all, it supports Windows AND Linux!
Honestly though, ASIC's are truly dead but for many applications, and especially consumer applications.
From your post, you seem to be underestimating the amount of effort required to correctly design an ASIC. Verification that your hardware design is correct is an extremely difficult task and the fab costs will mean that you won't often be able to revise your design based on tests of the real world device.
If you choose an FPGA, as others have mentionned, you'll be able to inexpensively implement your logic on the device at a very low cost (for mid-low volumes). In addition, since it is field-programmable, you can revise the design, issue bugfixes, and add features very easily in most cases. If your sales ever end up reaching high volume, you will likely be able to easily transition (mostly) to a custom die ASIC when it becomes economical for you to do that.
To give you an example, the company I work for spent millions of dollars to design a custom processing ASIC for some of our hardware. Our newer boards include a reconfigurable processing FPGA and were developped for a fraction of the cost.
At least according to Marcel Duchamps and LHOOQ.
You're right, their search engine stinks and their betas are pretty crappy. I'm off to query hotbot. See ya!
Just be happy that there's no such thing as a pouse...
Although it could spur the adoption of the no-pants work environment.
7)If it's in soviet russia, it's a bad cliche for EVERBODY.
But the real question is... can i use it to turn my Corolla into a DeLorean?
People like this make me realize how lucky I am to have a life.
Thanks guys!
I'm sorry, I think my sentence structure was a little off since I posted that message a little past my bedtime.
I meant to say that MCSE's or any other industry sponsored certifications should not use the term engineer since they cannot put their seal on any document and cannot be help accountable for their work.
Once again, sorry for any misunderstandings...
As a junior engineer, I'm not too happy with the loose use of the word "engineer"
. ht ml
The title of engineer should only be bestowed upon those with enough knowledge, experience, and professional accountability to certify the proper performance of any system whether mission-critical or not.
You don't acquire those skills in a strip mall, and Canadian Law sure as hell doesn't give you any professional accountability.
Anyway, here is the press release that the parent post was referring to:
For immediate release
OIQ advises MCSE holders NOT to use the term engineer
Montreal, August 13, 2002 - Due to Microsoft Canada's recent announcement that the company will continue to use the term engineer as part of its Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) designation, the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ) is advising MCSE holders that they are subject to the laws of Quebec and will be prosecuted should they improperly represent themselves to the public as engineers.
"Microsoft Canada has left us no choice," says OIQ president, Gaétan Lefebvre, Eng. "The term engineer and the engineering profession itself are strictly regulated across Canada - just like the legal and medical professions. Last year, Microsoft agreed to advise their Canadian holders of the MCSE certification not to call themselves engineers or use the full title. Now that they've reversed their decision, we will enforce the Province's Engineers Act and Professional Code. These two laws are very clear and were in force long before Microsoft ever existed. In Québec, the OIQ is responsible for their enforcement."
According to section 22.2 of the Engineers Act (R.S.Q., c. I-9):
22. Any person not a member in good standing of the Order who:
(1) [...];
(2) assumes the title of engineer alone or qualified, or makes use of any abbreviation of such title, or of any name, title or designation which might lead to the belief that he is an engineer or a member of the Order,
(3) advertises himself as such,
(4) acts in such a manner as to lead to the belief that he is authorized to fulfil the office of or to act as an engineer,
(5) [...],
is guilty of an offence and is liable to the penalties provided in section 188 of the Professional Code (chapter C-26).
And, according to sections 32 and 188 of the Professional Code (c. C-26):
32. No person shall claim in any manner to be an advocate, notary, physician, dentist, pharmacist, optometrist, veterinary surgeon, agrologist, architect, engineer, land-surveyor, forest engineer, chemist, chartered accountant, radiology technologist, denturologist, dispensing optician, chiropractor, hearing-aid acoustician, podiatrist, nurse, acupuncturist, bailiff or midwife, or use one of the above titles or any other title or abbreviation which may lead to the belief that he is one, or initials which may lead to the belief that he is one, or engage in a professional activity reserved to the members of a professional order, claim to have the right to do so or act in such a way as to lead to the belief that he is authorized to do so, unless he holds a valid, appropriate permit and is entered on the roll of the order empowered to issue the permit, unless it is allowed by law.
The prohibition relating to the use of any titles, abbreviations or initials mentioned in the first paragraph or in an Act constituting a professional order extends to the use of such titles, abbreviations and initials in a feminine form.
188.Every person who contravenes a provision of this Code, of the Act or letters patent constituting an order or of an amalgamation or integration order is guilty of an offence and is liable to a fine of not less than $600 nor more than $6 000.
"Engineers have an enormous responsibility to the public" explains Mr Lefebvre. "When engineers create a design and build such things as superstructures, airplanes, computerized control systems and highways, public safety and confidence are at stake. People trust engineers because they have a permit to practice engineering, and such trust is vitally important. The public has a long history of respect for professionals with a reserved title. It's also why governments across Canada have entrusted the responsibility of regulating the practice of the engineering profession to the organizations that govern the profession in each province, and for Québec, that is the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec."
The OIQ President continued: "Becoming an engineer is not just a matter of completing a few days or weeks of studies, as Microsoft suggests when it promotes its MCSE certification. In fact, at a meeting in their offices in Seattle, Microsoft officials openly admitted to officials from the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (CCPE) that their MCSE training program is in no way comparable to an academic engineering program. In Quebec, there are a number of laws and regulations governing the engineering profession. All this extensive legislation is based on the principle of protecting the public. That is the OIQ's principal function, and its primary concern is to verify the skills of those who apply for admission to its ranks."
Only persons who hold a permit to practice issued by OIQ and are registered on its membership roll as engineers can use this strictly reserved title. Once engineers receive their permit to practice and thus the right to use this professional title, they are required to adhere to a professional code of ethics and demonstrate continued competency in their field of expertise.
To date, in all cases where OIQ has taken legal action against the unlawful use of the title of engineer, the individuals charged have been found guilty. The OIQ President concluded: "When the OIQ learns of people violating the Engineers Act by not being registered on the roll of members, we see that they are prosecuted. They are not entitled to use the title of engineer, which has been strictly reserved for the members of OIQ. These violators run the risk of being fined."
The Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ) regulates and governs the practice of engineering in the province in accordance with the Engineers Act. OIQ has over 45,000 members and is affiliated with the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (CCPE,) which represents some 160,000 engineers across Canada.
The full text of the Engineers Act and the Professional Code of Québec can be consulted on the OIQ Web site at www.oiq.qc.ca.
For information:
Danielle Frank, ARP
Conseiller en communications
Direction des affaires corporatives
Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec
Tel. (514) 845-6141 or 1 800 461-6141, ext. 111
http://www.peo.on.ca/enforcement/OIQ_Aug12_2002
First MOO3, now a flying car?
Can you hear that? It's hell... freezing over.
And if you don't think that the IEEE has a standard for dealing with these numbers: http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/754/
It can store approx 7 places in its 32 bit incarnation, but much more in its 64 bit incarnation.
Still, 64 bits isn't enough for storing a number this large. However, since pi is irrational it is a floating point number so it is conceivable that IEEE 754 can be adapted to a larger memory space in order to store all those digits that the kind professor approximated pi to.
I'm not saying my way is the only way, there are probably better ways, but since pi is a floating point number, any approximation is likely to be stored in some incarnation of IEEE 754.
I guess I should have given my post a little more thought, thanks Uncle Jimmy!
My Blog: http://gozman.org
Actually, to store a number this large it will have to be stored in IEEE 754 format.
In IEEE 754 a string of either 32 bits is divided into a sign bit, 8 or more bits for the exponent, and 23 or more bits for the mantissa.
You'll probably need a little more than 4119190837661 bits to tell you the truth.
Then again, who cares.
Only on slashdot....
My Blog: http://gozman.org
On 32 bit machines, 4 bytes is needed to represent the ascii value of '.'
You have to rethink your design, your code is far too bloated as it stands.
This past summer I spent a few months with a large, evil Canadian telecom company. The system in place to obtain an unlisted number or block unwanted calls is simply twisted.
The telco trained us to only suggest privacy services as a last resort and try to talk a customer out of it if they requested the features.
Our department was responsible for busting fax marketers that peppered our clients with unwanted junk. But whenever a client called to complain about annoying fax or telemarketing calls they receive at all hours of the night, we had to tell the poor sap to either subscribe to caller ID or spend money to *69 the call. If marketer's number was unlisted, we basically said "tough luck", even when we had the number right on our screen.
An open apology goes out from me to any of you that might have called me to complain about tele/fax marketers. Sorry everybody, THEY made me to it!
Actually, I would argue that Colleges and Universities are far from being obsolete. You don't enroll in an institution of higher learning to learn new skills that can directly be applied to your job.
How much does any of the field-specific material you learn during University really get applied on the job. Twenty percent? Maybe 25? A degree is not as much a statement about what you know as it is a statment of your capability for abstract thought and learning skills. Something far more useful than writing a gate arrangement in VHDL ever will be.
Anyone can learn technical skills, but not many people can actually learn THINKING skills... and judging from the posts I've read so far not much of slashdot can.
I think the story was just an urban legend. For a geiger counter to be reading that high from across the street, the radiation near the source would have to be pretty intense.
My blog: Click here
These kinds of disputes are not what the community needs to stay together! It seems to me that the oss community is filled with more whiny self-righteous pigs than truly stellar and motivated programmers? Am i misguided in this assumption?