I disagree. A degree beats certifications, at least in my experience. Annoyingly, the degree is just a tick in the box, but it is pretty much an absolute requirement. Certifications, on the other hand - I have a couple, but I stopped bothering about them because they did not seem to make any noticeable difference.
Basically, I would recommend that you try to work out a way of getting a degree that builds on the courses that you already took, which should save some money, and also features work experience. This can be an excellent way to get good things onto your CV, get hands-on experience in other areas (not just technical areas!) and make useful contacts for later.
Also, something to bear in mind for the future: I find that it pays to look at the career path a job offers, not just the immediate benefits. Make sure that you can go up the ladder, but also sideways in a couple of different directions. After three years of tech support, I went to pre-sales support, which is a whole different kettle of fish, but hugely rewarding in its way.
Try having a C++ course assessed *exclusively* on the basis of a multiple-choice test - in the second year, not some introductory thing. It didn't help that at the first tutorial the instructor was unable to get the compiler to function on my workstation. I worked it out after a while (paths not properly set up, if you really want to know) but he would not accept that I could have done that.
I got disciplined for complaining and never went to any more tutorials. I still don't know any C++.
different emphasis (see: nigga)
on
Geeks vs. Nerds
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· Score: 1
It is the same as with the word nigga. If you calls someone _hey you, nigger!_ that is very insulting - but _how's it going nigga?_ is a perfectly acceptable salutation. Same goes for geeks and nerds - I myself have been known to refer disparagingly to people as nerds or geeks, despite being one myself to many people. It is all a question of attitude and emphasis that determines whether someone is being insulting or not.
But if the comp's obsolete, you're not going to use that copy of windows anyway. Look, I too object to the M$ tax, but this is actually something everybody does. You buy a copy of |insert random software package here| for every machine you're using it on. If we fight that, the whole industry will turn over and squash us.
You got it in one. Sometime soon M$ will put out a study saying in effect "we gave average users fully loaded PIII 450s with linux preinstalled and they said it sucked". Then they start spinning that - "linux not ready for the mainstream", "linux too complex for the average user", maybe even a rehash of the Mindcraft material. Jesse Berst willl pick up on this, and everyone with half a clue will slump back, sigh loudly and go for more coffee.
Did anyone notice that one of the main arguments in both articles is that computer owners are forced to buy a licence for each computer they own, even if they already own a copy of windows on an older machine?
This is standard licensing practice, and while I'm as glad to see M$ get knocked as the rest of you, there's no lack of real, cogent arguments for doing away with them, without warping tha facts. If I use Photoshop on two computers, that's two copies (licences) of Photoshop. Come to that, if I use n of almost any commercial software I am required to have n licences!
The Windows Tax argument is valid, but this is not it. What I (and many others) object to is that it is very difficult to buy a PC without a pre-installed (and paid-for) copy of Windows on it, and next to impossible to get a refund after the fact.
BTW 'fish mangled that pretty badly - even after reading the French some parts were obscure.
Re:Having everyone always moderate is dangerous
on
Moderation Ideas
·
· Score: 1
I really like your system. It's a slow day at work, so I have been pondering it for a while.
What this entire debate boils down to is: can one trust a group of people, or should there be someone in the middle with a large stick? Will an unregulated system automatically degenerate into chaos and then entropy, or will it adjust on its own?
As this particular question has been at the center of the political scene ever since there's *been* one (believe me, I studied classical Greece), I doubt a group of people whose main interest is not social interaction is going to solve it satisfactorily!
Personally, I have all but given up reading comments, as I find I can spend my time much better following up the links in the actual story. Browsing at +x doesn't work for me, as a comment is often not nearly as insightful/interesting/funny outside its thread.
One modification that would convince me to go back to reading the comments more regularly would be if responses were mailed to the author of the parent comment in a thread (and the parent of a "Reply to" comment). Wading through all the other stuff to see if anyone said anything interesting in response to my post is just too much hassle.
Another useful addition: Karma for Grammar! Misspelt words and poor construction greatly detract from a post's readability, and while allowances shopuld be made for non-native speakers, none should be made for sloppiness. I'd appreciate feedback on this, both on/. and to my mailbox.
I myself am a fairly recent convert to Linux (about 8 months), but I came from MacOS and BeOS, so I was used to this sort of stuff. That said, I got much more help from one friend of mine (hey Kosh) than from the whole of the internet put together. I do agree that the help system(s) could be significantly bettered, but I don't think I have the necessary experience yet. If someone wants to collaborate on this however, drop me a mail at dw_wellington@NOSPAM.yahoo.com and at the very least I will try to give you my perspective on this.
Well, KJofol has a function that is unique in my experience. If you click the _dock_ button it turns into a super-compact interface that attaches itself to the outside of the top-right corner of the active window. Now if only someone ported that to linux...
Who worries about MicroSUCK ruling the world? If they go on at this rate, AOL will *own* the world. Already three pieces of software I use every time I boot Windoze (and one I use in linux) are owned by them...
Just as everyone was getting bored of Bill Gates as Satan, here comes AOL.
I doubt anybody here has seen the excellent Italian film "Nirvana", directed (I think) by Gabriele Salvatores. The main character is a game designer who suddenly realises one of his characters is alive. The character has worked out that he is inside a game and asks the protagonist to kill him. Of course the megacorp would rather the game were released...
My point is that while Matrix may well be a good and insightful film, it is hardly unique in discussing these particular questions. Frankly I much preferred Nirvana's baroque, complex atmosphere, reminiscent of Blade Runner in a Neapolitan slum - one that was unaccountably littered with Macs! Maybe the future isn't all bad...
It is possible that one day a massive database system will come to self-awareness - this is also mentioned in Douglas Coupland's excellent book "Microserfs". However its intelligence will almost certainly not be of human type.
This is not a bad thing, I'm not trying to create Frankenstein-panic. Think what we could accomplish, human beings with another intelligence to compare ourselves too. Maybe we would find that these theoretical AI-capable machines were superior intelligences, and they could govern our affairs, preserving us from self-destruction. Also, think what an OS an AI could write!:-)
Very much up in the air, you will agree, but certainly interesting.
Seriously, do you think your children will be better people for being shielded from life in this way? I can appreciate your point of view, but I think it's a cop-out. You're trying to build your family a little cocoon that you can retreat into and hide from the real world in, when you should be trying to make the real world a better place.
I don't know, both sides of the argument have points. As a general rule it depends on the individual. I wear tattered jeans, do drugs, go to all night rave parties, I have three computers, I write c and java, I love my parents and my friends, and I would never harm *anyone*. However i too know people who have taken something a little too seriously and are now in big trouble. As usual when human beings are involved, there is no quick fix that will solve all of everybody's problems.
well at least I've never seen one... though I would like too.
to get back on topic: I don't know much about this, as I went to school in Italy and am now at university in the UK, but i felt the same. I wasn't interested in football, i liked weird music , BOOKS and COMPUTERS. I'm not a goth, but I still didn't look like everyone else, or (thankfully) think like them. fortunately I made some good friends in my years at school, and between us we formed a nice underground culture that ran throughout the school. without these people life at school would have been very hard for me.
basically what I'm trying to say is that, like so many things, this isn't US-specific, but is a problem that must be solved for all human beings everywhere.
As a teenager myself i resent what you're saying here. Parenting, environment and peer pressure have IMHO a limited effect on a person's development, which is influenced far more by the will of the person to develop his/her personality. A destructive person is someone who has deliberately chosen destructiveness; the Trenchcoat Mafia would appear from available news to have been already fascinated with violence, and it is indeed possible that in their hands DOOM, Quake, the 'net and so on were tools for reinforcing these violent tendencies. It is however almost certain that they would have been involved in something like this *even if* their parents/teachers/insert_authority_figure_here had tried to control their activities, online and in RL.
Slashdot Mirror
I disagree. A degree beats certifications, at least in my experience. Annoyingly, the degree is just a tick in the box, but it is pretty much an absolute requirement. Certifications, on the other hand - I have a couple, but I stopped bothering about them because they did not seem to make any noticeable difference.
Basically, I would recommend that you try to work out a way of getting a degree that builds on the courses that you already took, which should save some money, and also features work experience. This can be an excellent way to get good things onto your CV, get hands-on experience in other areas (not just technical areas!) and make useful contacts for later.
Also, something to bear in mind for the future: I find that it pays to look at the career path a job offers, not just the immediate benefits. Make sure that you can go up the ladder, but also sideways in a couple of different directions. After three years of tech support, I went to pre-sales support, which is a whole different kettle of fish, but hugely rewarding in its way.
Try having a C++ course assessed *exclusively* on the basis of a multiple-choice test - in the second year, not some introductory thing. It didn't help that at the first tutorial the instructor was unable to get the compiler to function on my workstation. I worked it out after a while (paths not properly set up, if you really want to know) but he would not accept that I could have done that.
I got disciplined for complaining and never went to any more tutorials. I still don't know any C++.
It is the same as with the word nigga. If you calls someone _hey you, nigger!_ that is very insulting - but _how's it going nigga?_ is a perfectly acceptable salutation. Same goes for geeks and nerds - I myself have been known to refer disparagingly to people as nerds or geeks, despite being one myself to many people. It is all a question of attitude and emphasis that determines whether someone is being insulting or not.
But if the comp's obsolete, you're not going to use that copy of windows anyway. Look, I too object to the M$ tax, but this is actually something everybody does. You buy a copy of |insert random software package here| for every machine you're using it on. If we fight that, the whole industry will turn over and squash us.
You got it in one. Sometime soon M$ will put out a study saying in effect "we gave average users fully loaded PIII 450s with linux preinstalled and they said it sucked". Then they start spinning that - "linux not ready for the mainstream", "linux too complex for the average user", maybe even a rehash of the Mindcraft material. Jesse Berst willl pick up on this, and everyone with half a clue will slump back, sigh loudly and go for more coffee.
Did anyone notice that one of the main arguments in both articles is that computer owners are forced to buy a licence for each computer they own, even if they already own a copy of windows on an older machine?
This is standard licensing practice, and while I'm as glad to see M$ get knocked as the rest of you, there's no lack of real, cogent arguments for doing away with them, without warping tha facts. If I use Photoshop on two computers, that's two copies (licences) of Photoshop. Come to that, if I use n of almost any commercial software I am required to have n licences!
The Windows Tax argument is valid, but this is not it. What I (and many others) object to is that it is very difficult to buy a PC without a pre-installed (and paid-for) copy of Windows on it, and next to impossible to get a refund after the fact.
BTW 'fish mangled that pretty badly - even after reading the French some parts were obscure.
I really like your system. It's a slow day at work, so I have been pondering it for a while.
/. and to my mailbox.
What this entire debate boils down to is: can one trust a group of people, or should there be someone in the middle with a large stick? Will an unregulated system automatically degenerate into chaos and then entropy, or will it adjust on its own?
As this particular question has been at the center of the political scene ever since there's *been* one (believe me, I studied classical Greece), I doubt a group of people whose main interest is not social interaction is going to solve it satisfactorily!
Personally, I have all but given up reading comments, as I find I can spend my time much better following up the links in the actual story. Browsing at +x doesn't work for me, as a comment is often not nearly as insightful/interesting/funny outside its thread.
One modification that would convince me to go back to reading the comments more regularly would be if responses were mailed to the author of the parent comment in a thread (and the parent of a "Reply to" comment). Wading through all the other stuff to see if anyone said anything interesting in response to my post is just too much hassle.
Another useful addition: Karma for Grammar! Misspelt words and poor construction greatly detract from a post's readability, and while allowances shopuld be made for non-native speakers, none should be made for sloppiness. I'd appreciate feedback on this, both on
I myself am a fairly recent convert to Linux (about 8 months), but I came from MacOS and BeOS, so I was used to this sort of stuff. That said, I got much more help from one friend of mine (hey Kosh) than from the whole of the internet put together. I do agree that the help system(s) could be significantly bettered, but I don't think I have the necessary experience yet. If someone wants to collaborate on this however, drop me a mail at dw_wellington@NOSPAM.yahoo.com and at the very least I will try to give you my perspective on this.
Well, KJofol has a function that is unique in my experience. If you click the _dock_ button it turns into a super-compact interface that attaches itself to the outside of the top-right corner of the active window. Now if only someone ported that to linux...
Who worries about MicroSUCK ruling the world? If they go on at this rate, AOL will *own* the world. Already three pieces of software I use every time I boot Windoze (and one I use in linux) are owned by them...
Just as everyone was getting bored of Bill Gates as Satan, here comes AOL.
I doubt anybody here has seen the excellent Italian film "Nirvana", directed (I think) by Gabriele Salvatores. The main character is a game designer who suddenly realises one of his characters is alive. The character has worked out that he is inside a game and asks the protagonist to kill him. Of course the megacorp would rather the game were released...
My point is that while Matrix may well be a good and insightful film, it is hardly unique in discussing these particular questions. Frankly I much preferred Nirvana's baroque, complex atmosphere, reminiscent of Blade Runner in a Neapolitan slum - one that was unaccountably littered with Macs! Maybe the future isn't all bad...
It is possible that one day a massive database system will come to self-awareness - this is also mentioned in Douglas Coupland's excellent book "Microserfs". However its intelligence will almost certainly not be of human type.
:-)
This is not a bad thing, I'm not trying to create Frankenstein-panic. Think what we could accomplish, human beings with another intelligence to compare ourselves too. Maybe we would find that these theoretical AI-capable machines were superior intelligences, and they could govern our affairs, preserving us from self-destruction. Also, think what an OS an AI could write!
Very much up in the air, you will agree, but certainly interesting.
IT'S NED FLANDERS!
Seriously, do you think your children will be better people for being shielded from life in this way? I can appreciate your point of view, but I think it's a cop-out. You're trying to build your family a little cocoon that you can retreat into and hide from the real world in, when you should be trying to make the real world a better place.
I don't know, both sides of the argument have points. As a general rule it depends on the individual. I wear tattered jeans, do drugs, go to all night rave parties, I have three computers, I write c and java, I love my parents and my friends, and I would never harm *anyone*. However i too know people who have taken something a little too seriously and are now in big trouble. As usual when human beings are involved, there is no quick fix that will solve all of everybody's problems.
they're a myth! they must be!
well at least I've never seen one... though I would like too.
to get back on topic: I don't know much about this, as I went to school in Italy and am now at university in the UK, but i felt the same. I wasn't interested in football, i liked weird music , BOOKS and COMPUTERS. I'm not a goth, but I still didn't look like everyone else, or (thankfully) think like them. fortunately I made some good friends in my years at school, and between us we formed a nice underground culture that ran throughout the school. without these people life at school would have been very hard for me.
basically what I'm trying to say is that, like so many things, this isn't US-specific, but is a problem that must be solved for all human beings everywhere.
As a teenager myself i resent what you're saying here. Parenting, environment and peer pressure have IMHO a limited effect on a person's development, which is influenced far more by the will of the person to develop his/her personality. A destructive person is someone who has deliberately chosen destructiveness; the Trenchcoat Mafia would appear from available news to have been already fascinated with violence, and it is indeed possible that in their hands DOOM, Quake, the 'net and so on were tools for reinforcing these violent tendencies. It is however almost certain that they would have been involved in something like this *even if* their parents/teachers/insert_authority_figure_here had tried to control their activities, online and in RL.