"My dog has gotten 'someone has a crush on you' e-mail messages -- she's a cute dog, but no one has a crush on her," says Karen Demars, co-founder of eCrush.
Why the hell does her dog have an email address? Why do I suspect that Karen Demars is exaggerating a little bit?
What is "Lisp" based off of? Is it a C++ style code or something else, and why have I not heard of it before?
Lisp is a functional programming language. Since you haven't heard of it, I'm betting you that didn't major in CS at a University. Lisp (along with ML and Scheme) is dearly loved by theoretical computer scientists.
To find sample Lisp code, just do a Google search.
It is very different than procedural languages lilke C, Java, etc.
Prolly the most famous application using Lisp is Emacs. In fact, some people refer to Emacs as nothing more than a Lisp interpreter that includes some macros that are really good for text editing. Most people I know outside of academia that program Lisp do it to customize Emacs.
As someone who just finished his search for a
postgraduation job, here's a bit of advice (forgive me if you already know this):
If you are an expert programmer in some language, you almost certainly have done some projects in that language. (How else could you be considered an expert?) Now, anyone can claim to be an expert
in X, (and a lot of liars do, unfortunately), but if you put down the projects
on your resume rather than just the languages you know, it'll go a lot further in showing your competence (and credibility).
Plus, it'll give you some cool stuff to talk about
when you meet recruiters, since they'll see it right away. Recruiters see lots of resumes littered with languages and/or buzzwords, but showing that you've actually used those technologies to do something useful or cool will help to set you apart. You especially want to put down anything you've done for fun or just for the hell of it or just to see if it would work. A real common question for me in job interviews was
"What's the most interesting programming project
you've done outside of work or school?" If you tell an interviewer that you love to program but
don't have an answer to that question, you're in trouble.
And if you're saying, "But I haven't done any projects in language X!", than you probably aren't an expert in it. If that's the case, now's the time to think up something and do it.
Ok, while the question about the DVD player has been answered by other posts, I feel I should point something out.
Do you really think that when Sony et al talk about piracy that that's what they're concerned about? It's not that at all. Sony doesn't give a crap about legitimate/illegitimate purposes. Right now, a few major record companies have a stranglehold on the music market. That's why most music you hear today sucks... These companies put out watered-down crap that attracts a large market.
New media forms, such as MP3s and CD-R threaten these companies' hold on the market. Now, anyone can put out music, and you can bet that a lot of it's a heck of a lot better than what the major labels are putting out. The possibility that consumers will buy stuff that they think is really good, as opposed to what major labels force feed them, is terrifying to companies like Sony. Sony is a heck of a lot more concerned about musicians like your friends than they are about piracy.
Cannot a person have the same viewpoint as you on
one issue and a different view on another?
Nope. On/., subscribing to the groupthink is mandatory. Either you "get it" or you don't. There is no inbetween. You think you can apply rational thought to each issue and form your own opinions? Fine, but don't expect/. to take you seriously. Either you're with us, or you're against us. Here are some of the views you must hold to be with us:
If you don't think classic works of fiction such as 1984 contain very real warnings about the real world we inhabit, you're a moron.
If you think that just because there were good (or at least not bad) intentions behind a certain piece of legislation, that piece of legislation won't be abused at some point, you are also a moron.
In other words, if you agree with the above post, you are a moron.
You must be a really bad programmer, or really stupid, or both. If you get a smaller raise because of this, leave! If you're any good, you should still have no problem finding a job.
Companies don't give raises because they feel generous. They give them because that's what it takes to hold onto intelligent workers who have already been trained. Seeing as how you've already been trained...
Ok...I promised myself I'd stay out of the Perl/Python flamewars...but...
(1) Python code is more obvious about what's happening. Perl has implied arguments that can make it difficult for
someone else to maintain. Example: "chomp;". I look at this and wonder: "chomp what?" After reading in Perl docs, I find
out that $_ is implied. Not nice.
Well, anyone who knows Perl knows that chomp operates on $_ by default. So, your argument is that Perl is hard to program in unless you know the language...?
Re: 1) A current trend in textbooks is already to include a CD-ROM or companion website to justify a $50 price increase in the book. Publishers have shown that they will be more than happy to maintain a companion CD in order to keep book prices high. Why should this be any different?
Re: 2) Ever see publishers that come out with a new edition of existing textbooks every couple of semesters? They do it to fight used book sales. This is the next logical step.
Re: 3) Ever have a prof who requires the newest edition of a book such as described in my response to 2? Esp. when they're the author of the book? Some profs won't mind changin lesson plans if it means more income.
Re: 4) Good point. Publishers hate used books, univesities love them.
Re: 5) No, but many profs do a good job of requiring students to buy 3 textbooks for a class on their own.
Re: 6) Some of them do. It's just that the site isn't finished.
You make an excellent case for the claim that many profs will not adopt this method. However, you don't provide any real evidence that this is a hoax.
So, the gc could be mark-and-sweep, copying, generational, or reference counted. Heck, it
could even be an incremental collector, in which case overall application timing becomes a moot point.
I haven't read the VM spec. Of course, I don't do much java programming. Anyway, that no gc collection algorithm is specified seems like a big deal. Isn't anyone else bothered by this? GC is a great idea, but when there people stupid enough to use stuff like reference counting (sorry Larry...you're still my hero), the programmer should know so that she can plan accordingly. If you're concerned about leaks, knowing which GC algorithm is used is a really big deal.
That reminds me of something. I'm going to graduate next spring, so I'll be interviewing fairly shortly. Anyway, my question is this: if the company takes you out to dinner, is it appropriate to order a beer?
Oh, yeah. Forgot to mention...all the sites I linked to above feature MP3s. So if you want to support bands that embrace MP3s as a distribution method and a way to get exposure, go there!
Projekt is one of my favourite labels. Most of their bands tend to be of the etereal/darkwave persusasion, but they're more recently signed bands have a little more mainstream sound. Mira, an incredible new band, is a classic example of a band whose success is largely due to MP3s. Also worth checking out are Love Spirals Downwards (is moving in the Drum and Bass direction, although their earlier stuff is closer to shoegazer...kinda a 4AD sound) and Black Tape for a Blue Girl (more traditional ethereal). If you're into that type of music, definitely check them out...even if you're not, they may be worth checking. They're classic examples of bands that would be huge if people actually preferred quality and originality in their music.
Actually, the intstitution of speed limits in the 1970s was based more on a national oil shortage than anything else. It had very little to do with safety.
Here's my theory: speed limits create accidents. For example, if everyone drove at speed infinity, the avg. amount of time a car spent on the road would be 0. Therefore, the average amount of cars on the road at any given time would be 0. Therefore, the number of accidents occurring at any given time would be 0. As the speed decreases, cars spend more time on the road, and there are more accidents. You can call this one Stu's law.
Slashdot Mirror
Keep up the good work. I believe in you.
"My dog has gotten 'someone has a crush on you' e-mail messages -- she's a cute dog, but no one has a crush on her," says Karen Demars, co-founder of eCrush.
Why the hell does her dog have an email address? Why do I suspect that Karen Demars is exaggerating a little bit?
Last time I saw that happen, I buried the survivors in my basement. They stopped screaming eventually.
Had you chosen to work a high-wage job, you probably could have afforded the $12/gig required to keep your site from being shut down.
And when he said "I'm gonna sue you", I really felt for you.
Dude, I think your employer owns your Perlmonks rant, too. I hope they don't change it.
What is "Lisp" based off of? Is it a C++ style code or something else, and why have I not heard of it before?
Lisp is a functional programming language. Since you haven't heard of it, I'm betting you that didn't major in CS at a University. Lisp (along with ML and Scheme) is dearly loved by theoretical computer scientists.
To find sample Lisp code, just do a Google search. It is very different than procedural languages lilke C, Java, etc.
Prolly the most famous application using Lisp is Emacs. In fact, some people refer to Emacs as nothing more than a Lisp interpreter that includes some macros that are really good for text editing. Most people I know outside of academia that program Lisp do it to customize Emacs.
Yeah, I saw that episode of Simpsons, too.
As someone who just finished his search for a postgraduation job, here's a bit of advice (forgive me if you already know this):
If you are an expert programmer in some language, you almost certainly have done some projects in that language. (How else could you be considered an expert?) Now, anyone can claim to be an expert in X, (and a lot of liars do, unfortunately), but if you put down the projects on your resume rather than just the languages you know, it'll go a lot further in showing your competence (and credibility).
Plus, it'll give you some cool stuff to talk about when you meet recruiters, since they'll see it right away. Recruiters see lots of resumes littered with languages and/or buzzwords, but showing that you've actually used those technologies to do something useful or cool will help to set you apart. You especially want to put down anything you've done for fun or just for the hell of it or just to see if it would work. A real common question for me in job interviews was "What's the most interesting programming project you've done outside of work or school?" If you tell an interviewer that you love to program but don't have an answer to that question, you're in trouble.
And if you're saying, "But I haven't done any projects in language X!", than you probably aren't an expert in it. If that's the case, now's the time to think up something and do it.
Ok, while the question about the DVD player has been answered by other posts, I feel I should point something out.
Do you really think that when Sony et al talk about piracy that that's what they're concerned about? It's not that at all. Sony doesn't give a crap about legitimate/illegitimate purposes. Right now, a few major record companies have a stranglehold on the music market. That's why most music you hear today sucks... These companies put out watered-down crap that attracts a large market.
New media forms, such as MP3s and CD-R threaten these companies' hold on the market. Now, anyone can put out music, and you can bet that a lot of it's a heck of a lot better than what the major labels are putting out. The possibility that consumers will buy stuff that they think is really good, as opposed to what major labels force feed them, is terrifying to companies like Sony. Sony is a heck of a lot more concerned about musicians like your friends than they are about piracy.
No, should be
PUSH Linguistic_Aptitude
PUSH Programming_Potential
EQUAL
That's funny. Most of the cell phone conversation's I've heard consist of:
"Hi, I'm on a cell phone"
Except on planes right before takeoff. Then they consist of:
"Hi, my flight's about to takeoff!"
I don't think I've ever met anyone on the right hand side of the bell curve who uses one outside of emergencies.
It means that its semicolons are cancerous.
Nope. On
If you don't think classic works of fiction such as 1984 contain very real warnings about the real world we inhabit, you're a moron.
If you think that just because there were good (or at least not bad) intentions behind a certain piece of legislation, that piece of legislation won't be abused at some point, you are also a moron.
In other words, if you agree with the above post, you are a moron.
Mr. Atrwoe, of course, is a troll, not a moron.
You must be a really bad programmer, or really stupid, or both. If you get a smaller raise because of this, leave! If you're any good, you should still have no problem finding a job.
Companies don't give raises because they feel generous. They give them because that's what it takes to hold onto intelligent workers who have already been trained. Seeing as how you've already been trained...
Ok...I promised myself I'd stay out of the Perl/Python flamewars...but...
(1) Python code is more obvious about what's happening. Perl has implied arguments that can make it difficult for someone else to maintain. Example: "chomp;". I look at this and wonder: "chomp what?" After reading in Perl docs, I find out that $_ is implied. Not nice.
Well, anyone who knows Perl knows that chomp operates on $_ by default. So, your argument is that Perl is hard to program in unless you know the language...?
Re: 1) A current trend in textbooks is already to include a CD-ROM or companion website to justify a $50 price increase in the book. Publishers have shown that they will be more than happy to maintain a companion CD in order to keep book prices high. Why should this be any different?
Re: 2) Ever see publishers that come out with a new edition of existing textbooks every couple of semesters? They do it to fight used book sales. This is the next logical step.
Re: 3) Ever have a prof who requires the newest edition of a book such as described in my response to 2? Esp. when they're the author of the book? Some profs won't mind changin lesson plans if it means more income.
Re: 4) Good point. Publishers hate used books, univesities love them.
Re: 5) No, but many profs do a good job of requiring students to buy 3 textbooks for a class on their own.
Re: 6) Some of them do. It's just that the site isn't finished.
You make an excellent case for the claim that many profs will not adopt this method. However, you don't provide any real evidence that this is a hoax.
Dude...this is the funniest thing I've seen all day. BTW, notice that my original post got modded back up... "insightful"? WTF? It was a troll...
Dude, that guy's totally a troll. Ullman's a genius...everybody knows that, and ML's a perfect language.
So, the gc could be mark-and-sweep, copying, generational, or reference counted. Heck, it could even be an incremental collector, in which case overall application timing becomes a moot point.
I haven't read the VM spec. Of course, I don't do much java programming. Anyway, that no gc collection algorithm is specified seems like a big deal. Isn't anyone else bothered by this? GC is a great idea, but when there people stupid enough to use stuff like reference counting (sorry Larry...you're still my hero), the programmer should know so that she can plan accordingly. If you're concerned about leaks, knowing which GC algorithm is used is a really big deal.
That reminds me of something. I'm going to graduate next spring, so I'll be interviewing fairly shortly. Anyway, my question is this: if the company takes you out to dinner, is it appropriate to order a beer?
Oh, yeah. Forgot to mention...all the sites I linked to above feature MP3s. So if you want to support bands that embrace MP3s as a distribution method and a way to get exposure, go there!
Projekt is one of my favourite labels. Most of their bands tend to be of the etereal/darkwave persusasion, but they're more recently signed bands have a little more mainstream sound. Mira, an incredible new band, is a classic example of a band whose success is largely due to MP3s. Also worth checking out are Love Spirals Downwards (is moving in the Drum and Bass direction, although their earlier stuff is closer to shoegazer...kinda a 4AD sound) and Black Tape for a Blue Girl (more traditional ethereal). If you're into that type of music, definitely check them out...even if you're not, they may be worth checking. They're classic examples of bands that would be huge if people actually preferred quality and originality in their music.
Actually, the intstitution of speed limits in the 1970s was based more on a national oil shortage than anything else. It had very little to do with safety.
Here's my theory: speed limits create accidents. For example, if everyone drove at speed infinity, the avg. amount of time a car spent on the road would be 0. Therefore, the average amount of cars on the road at any given time would be 0. Therefore, the number of accidents occurring at any given time would be 0. As the speed decreases, cars spend more time on the road, and there are more accidents. You can call this one Stu's law.