Already naptser alternatives are running almost as well as napster was at it's peak. What the hell are the record executives going to do, start chasing around every program that allows you to share . As far as i'm concerned i hope the recored industry looses lots of money chasing after these people. I just feel bad for the folks like napster that have to deal with it.
I'm sorry, "it's not like they are taking any risk nowadays"? When was the last time you strapped yourself into an overgrown firecraker? For something that shoots into the sky (excuse me if i don't have the correct speed) at that rate i wouldn't say it's a walk in the park...just my 2 cents
I know you can get cheap quickcam's which are motion sensitive. Although being on a boat if moving all the time might cause problems if you want it to alert you.
I'm not going to say I love every aspect of the IT field but i do enjoy working with computers and i'm not writing any books yet. From someone like ninenine.org and yourself who said you both don't really enjoy the IT industry yet both have excelled at it, i'd like to hear some of your thoughts regarding excelling in the field..?
Greetings Folks. Welcome to my new ComputerWorld column. My objective is to explore the obligation and responsibilities of the IT department within the context of the organization that pays the bills. I'll focus on management issues relating to technology, policy and our interactions with the rest of the organization and even, from time to time, with society. I'd like the column to be interactive. If you disagree with something I say, speak up and let me know. If you happen to agree on rare occasions, add your voice to mine. And if I'm not addressing a topic you think is crucial then let me know and if I have a strong opinion on the subject I'll write something in response. The e-mail address is easy enough: pdejager@technobility.com.
By Peter de Jager
Let's face the truth. We're in this thing called IT because we get to play with new technology, the gorgeous gizmos and glitzy gadgets. Even better? Someone pays us big bucks to do this, and they buy the toys! Kewl.
When we're opening those boxes filled with plastic that goes p!o!p we're like kids at Christmas. The same smiles and the same childlike glee. Even the same gloating, if we're the first on our block with the latest and greatest.
All this childlike behaviour is not necessarily a bad thing, even in a professional. Years ago when I was an Information Centre Manager I had an unusual "filter" when hiring staff. I'd ask applicants if they owned a PC. If the answer was no, they'd have a tough time convincing me they were right for the job.
Accusations of economic discrimination aside, this question was an extremely good measure of someone's interest in the type of position I was attempting to fill. First, anyone with any work experience in IT could afford some type of personal computer. Secondly, if your computer interest wasn't strong enough to compel you to spend your own money on your toys - sorry, technology - then I didn't believe you were interested enough in technology to succeed.
Playing with something is how we learn how it works and doesn't work, what it can do and might do. It's how children explore the world, and our potential is diminished when we put toys aside.
Think back to the first time you attempted to use a particular technology. You start out by touching this and twirling that. What does this do? How do I? What if I? Oops! I shouldn't have done that! That didn't work, I'll try this! Why did that happen? Oh, a manual? I'll get to that later.
Sound familiar? Now you could, if your ego and pride have become calcified over the years, refer to this as research but what you're doing, by any reasonable definition, is still called playing.
The next step in this process, even in childhood, is a pilot project. Something small enough to be thrown away, yet large enough to explore most of the functionality of the new technology. This doesn't have to look pretty, it need only explore functionality. Children do this with great glee. A child with Lego blocks builds pilot projects, then breaks them apart and builds another one, and another one, until all functionality is explored and boredom sets in.
This isn't the last stage, especially if we're adults being paid to play. Building a pilot is fun, but the real fun is building something bigger, something that'll push the boundaries of functionality. It might even, if we're not careful, produce something useful.
That's ultimately the goal of all our playing with the gizmos and gadgets. How can we get this new opportunity to work to the benefit of our organization? Once you've played with the Internet for awhile, or WAP, or peer-to-peer technologies, then hopefully you can answer the question "How can I use this?" If you can't think of a good application, then toss it aside and open up another shrink-wrapped box and start playing again. Sooner or later you're going to hit pay dirt and find the thing that turns your industry on its ear.
It's important to remember though that the people paying the bills are watching carefully. They'll put up with the playing provided we keep them informed of our progress. They'd also like to have some confidence that the areas we're playing in really could deliver a significant business improvement sooner or later. It's not really an unreasonable position for them to take; after all that's why they hired us.
de Jager is a consultant based in Brampton, Ont. He is at pdejager@technobility.com.
I thought it appropriate for this article to be displayed on the front page. I used an old Jedi mind trick and manipulate the servers from here. May the force be with you!
If i remember correctly. (i don't recall where i saw this) but the guy has had enormous amounts of training. He's been in the program for years and working hard to achieve all he's done. I for one say let him go. What's wrong with having a qualified person in there station. Shit if something goes wrong whether he's there or not won't make too much of a difference will it? My guess would be that he would be asked to 'stand aside' while the real players get busy. Let space travel be attainable if you are up to the challenge; physically, mentally and in the bank account!
this is in intersting point. However in this day in age it wouldn't suprise me if the companies start suying their admins and pointing the finger:'We were paying you to work on the servers and now we're being sued because you didn't do your job properly...'
I'm not even going to pretend i understand everything required in such a task. However why don't they crash the station onto the lunar landscape? At least then future generations can look up and see a spot on the moon and say "see that used to be the old space station" Hell maybe it'll end up as a tourist stop on your way out of the solar system... It would be more interesting than watching such a historic achievement go up in Flames.;-)
"I think it all should boil down to experience.." and i agree with that but it doesn't happen. I work for younger owners/bosses and i have never been able to get them to respect us (younger staff) as opposed to the Mature staff. I've had some of my suggestions dismissed by them. Sometime later an older member of our team brought out the same suggestions i had made and wouldn't you know it...they approved.
How do you think this affects the work environment? Younger, more knowledgeable people have moved on, others have learned to deal with the issue by keeping their mouths shut. Oddly enough the older worker bee's don't seem to understand why all the young people move on after a small period of employment here.
I'd like to know what the ratio of information required by an average person now compared to someone let's say 10 years ago...? Memory loss my ass: it's called selective memorization.
We use free/swan at work and i find it quite suitable for our needs. Available windows client include safenet's safe-pk and the pgpnet vpn software client. There several other clients/solutions out there also.
Slashdot Mirror
Already naptser alternatives are running almost as well as napster was at it's peak. What the hell are the record executives going to do, start chasing around every program that allows you to share . As far as i'm concerned i hope the recored industry looses lots of money chasing after these people. I just feel bad for the folks like napster that have to deal with it.
I'm sorry, "it's not like they are taking any risk nowadays"? When was the last time you strapped yourself into an overgrown firecraker? For something that shoots into the sky (excuse me if i don't have the correct speed) at that rate i wouldn't say it's a walk in the park...just my 2 cents
cheers,
I still just don't understand what people get from bringing down irc servers....
Just set up a liquor store and a Tim horton on the red planet and we'll have Canadians there in no time ;-)
Cheers!
Sounds like a headline their marketing department wishes they had come out with =-)
"Dell Notebooks Catch On Fire!"
I know you can get cheap quickcam's which are motion sensitive. Although being on a boat if moving all the time might cause problems if you want it to alert you.
I'm not going to say I love every aspect of the IT field but i do enjoy working with computers and i'm not writing any books yet. From someone like ninenine.org and yourself who said you both don't really enjoy the IT industry yet both have excelled at it, i'd like to hear some of your thoughts regarding excelling in the field..?
Issue Date: April 20, 2001
Playing with IT
Greetings Folks. Welcome to my new ComputerWorld column. My objective is to explore the obligation and responsibilities of the IT department within the context of the organization that pays the bills. I'll focus on management issues relating to technology, policy and our interactions with the rest of the organization and even, from time to time, with society. I'd like the column to be interactive. If you disagree with something I say, speak up and let me know. If you happen to agree on rare occasions, add your voice to mine. And if I'm not addressing a topic you think is crucial then let me know and if I have a strong opinion on the subject I'll write something in response. The e-mail address is easy enough: pdejager@technobility.com.
By Peter de Jager
Let's face the truth. We're in this thing called IT because we get to play with new technology, the gorgeous gizmos and glitzy gadgets. Even better? Someone pays us big bucks to do this, and they buy the toys! Kewl.
When we're opening those boxes filled with plastic that goes p!o!p we're like kids at Christmas. The same smiles and the same childlike glee. Even the same gloating, if we're the first on our block with the latest and greatest.
All this childlike behaviour is not necessarily a bad thing, even in a professional. Years ago when I was an Information Centre Manager I had an unusual "filter" when hiring staff. I'd ask applicants if they owned a PC. If the answer was no, they'd have a tough time convincing me they were right for the job.
Accusations of economic discrimination aside, this question was an extremely good measure of someone's interest in the type of position I was attempting to fill. First, anyone with any work experience in IT could afford some type of personal computer. Secondly, if your computer interest wasn't strong enough to compel you to spend your own money on your toys - sorry, technology - then I didn't believe you were interested enough in technology to succeed.
Playing with something is how we learn how it works and doesn't work, what it can do and might do. It's how children explore the world, and our potential is diminished when we put toys aside.
Think back to the first time you attempted to use a particular technology. You start out by touching this and twirling that. What does this do? How do I? What if I? Oops! I shouldn't have done that! That didn't work, I'll try this! Why did that happen? Oh, a manual? I'll get to that later.
Sound familiar? Now you could, if your ego and pride have become calcified over the years, refer to this as research but what you're doing, by any reasonable definition, is still called playing.
The next step in this process, even in childhood, is a pilot project. Something small enough to be thrown away, yet large enough to explore most of the functionality of the new technology. This doesn't have to look pretty, it need only explore functionality. Children do this with great glee. A child with Lego blocks builds pilot projects, then breaks them apart and builds another one, and another one, until all functionality is explored and boredom sets in.
This isn't the last stage, especially if we're adults being paid to play. Building a pilot is fun, but the real fun is building something bigger, something that'll push the boundaries of functionality. It might even, if we're not careful, produce something useful.
That's ultimately the goal of all our playing with the gizmos and gadgets. How can we get this new opportunity to work to the benefit of our organization? Once you've played with the Internet for awhile, or WAP, or peer-to-peer technologies, then hopefully you can answer the question "How can I use this?" If you can't think of a good application, then toss it aside and open up another shrink-wrapped box and start playing again. Sooner or later you're going to hit pay dirt and find the thing that turns your industry on its ear.
It's important to remember though that the people paying the bills are watching carefully. They'll put up with the playing provided we keep them informed of our progress. They'd also like to have some confidence that the areas we're playing in really could deliver a significant business improvement sooner or later. It's not really an unreasonable position for them to take; after all that's why they hired us.
de Jager is a consultant based in Brampton, Ont. He is at pdejager@technobility.com.
I thought it appropriate for this article to be displayed on the front page. I used an old Jedi mind trick and manipulate the servers from here. May the force be with you!
Someone bent my wookie =-(
If i remember correctly. (i don't recall where i saw this) but the guy has had enormous amounts of training. He's been in the program for years and working hard to achieve all he's done. I for one say let him go. What's wrong with having a qualified person in there station. Shit if something goes wrong whether he's there or not won't make too much of a difference will it? My guess would be that he would be asked to 'stand aside' while the real players get busy. Let space travel be attainable if you are up to the challenge; physically, mentally and in the bank account!
*laugh* That's all i have to say!
Hey iso,
;-)
Just wanted to say hello from Cowtown to another raver
this is in intersting point. However in this day in age it wouldn't suprise me if the companies start suying their admins and pointing the finger:'We were paying you to work on the servers and now we're being sued because you didn't do your job properly...'
I'm not even going to pretend i understand everything required in such a task. However why don't they crash the station onto the lunar landscape? At least then future generations can look up and see a spot on the moon and say "see that used to be the old space station" Hell maybe it'll end up as a tourist stop on your way out of the solar system... It would be more interesting than watching such a historic achievement go up in Flames. ;-)
"I think it all should boil down to experience.." and i agree with that but it doesn't happen. I work for younger owners/bosses and i have never been able to get them to respect us (younger staff) as opposed to the Mature staff. I've had some of my suggestions dismissed by them. Sometime later an older member of our team brought out the same suggestions i had made and wouldn't you know it...they approved.
How do you think this affects the work environment? Younger, more knowledgeable people have moved on, others have learned to deal with the issue by keeping their mouths shut. Oddly enough the older worker bee's don't seem to understand why all the young people move on after a small period of employment here.
I'd like to know what the ratio of information required by an average person now compared to someone let's say 10 years ago...? Memory loss my ass: it's called selective memorization.
We use free/swan at work and i find it quite suitable for our needs. Available windows client include safenet's safe-pk and the pgpnet vpn software client. There several other clients/solutions out there also.
|Reality is merely an illusion|