If it's something like this (and I'm not familiar with it, but am assuming that ERP apps tend to attract large organizations), it could be that you're getting calls from departments that are far removed from that which made the decision to adopt and have no idea of the arrangements (or lack thereof). So you may be getting calls from a harried operations manager who has no idea who brought your software into their organization, or how that was done - or why.
If you're going to work with large organizations, this is an occupational hazard.
'School' is neither worthless or priceless, but consider your (short term and long term) goals carefully.
Technical schools might get you in the door at a company, but will never, in and of itself, lift you far above that.
I think one (a self starter such as yourself) could do just as well by offering their services for free. Think of it as a series of self styled apprenticeships. Just be honest: "I don't have the resources to get myself a proper degree, but I am passionate about my craft and feel confident that I can help your firm if only I can get some real world experience...."
This will work especially well at a local business (local bank, real estate agency, etc). Preferably one that has not developed an entrenched IT Dept (who will be suspicious of young upstarts).
You may or may not be paid, but at least you won't be paying. And you'll be developing a resume - something virtually no 4 year student has.
And if you do get to join a company as a proper employee, you can avail yourself of their tuition reimbursement program. Then, when you do get your degree there is an inherent expectation that it is valuable and should be rewarded.
I've worked in companies ranging from 5 people to 40,000 (and plenty in between). In the smaller shops I've had to do administration, development, desktop, and customer support. In the larger 'enterprise' shops, I'm constantly amused by the myriad breakdowns in communications caused by folks being incapable of putting themselves in the shoes of their coworkers.
Being a developer made me a better system administrator. Being an admin made me a better developer. Same with operations, support, et. al.
Microsoft isn't in that business. Remember, they're the ones causing a furor by threatening to turn on Do Not Track by default in their browser. MS doesn't track near as much as Google.
That's why it's nice that it's optional. If you don't want a keyboard, you don't have to pay for one. If you want a regular keyboard, just buy your choice of keyboard separately.
When I compare what used to sit on my desktop in the '80s, to a smartphone today, it's really not too much of a leap to imagine a final form factor that will be very much like a credit card. Eventually, this 'CCPC' may have an integrated screen, but interim editions may drive a separate screen you keep in your wallet along with your extra battery capacity.
These screens will only be used to lookup a phone number or to perform other 'console-type' functions. Screens of varying sizes will be everywhere. In your car, at work, at home, in your hotel room (instead of a TV). Likewise, speakers, keyboards and any other peripherals you may need will be everywhere. You'll be able to walk into a client's boardroom, pair your machine with their wall mounted display and give your presentation. Then you can get back in your car and its touch display will be paired with your device so you can use navigation and get reminders.
Most of us will probably have at least two CCPCs. One for personal business and one for company business. We'll just carry them both around as we carry around multiple credit/debit/reward cards (which will all be made redundant). The credit card is already a proven form factor for being small enough to be supremely portable, but not so small that it is easily lost.
Back when the Macintosh was introduced, it was fashionable to use computery MICR fonts to make your company look high tech. But with laser printing and desktop publishing, the last thing you wanted was to produce something that looked like it came out of a computer.
I think a similar thing is about to happen in the next evolution. Right now, the world wants stylish new smartphones. But soon, having a device that's actually visible to others - and especially fiddling around with it - will make you look like a luddite. Instead, we'll conjure images onto the nearest touch display 'ourselves'.
The CCPC will become *more* personal (and ever more powerful), but no longer bound by the desktop. Sure, your desk may have 12 displays that you use during the work day, but when you walk away, you'll take their brains with you. You probably won't even need to log out.
Tracking is not required to serve ads. I don't mind seeing billboards on the side of the road, but if the billboard is photographing my license plate and sending that to a central server, I have a problem with that.
I'm wondering if price might be the point behind Microsoft making it. What I see in the RT model is a reasonable alternative to the iPad but without any compelling advantages. If they could sell it at cost (or even a loss) to dump devices into the market and gain Windows 8 marketshare, they could let other manufacturers compete for the premium market against Apple.
A Microsoft executive recently pointed out that they keep far less personal information than Google. So it seems that MS sees this as a handy hammer to smack Google with.
I don't think MS wants Google's business model (which is probably why they were looking to offload Bing to Facebook or another partner).
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights -
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
More like a carrot and stick approach. "Here's a way we might be able to work together and both make money ina a cooperative way...(and failing that, we'll see your butt in jail)"
Look around at what software, systems and/or online services you're currently using and are well familiar with. Then look for a job at one of these companies doing phone (or other) support. Your psychology degree will help to establish you has someone who can help people. Once you get in the door and can get your hands on the internals, you can use what you learn talking to customers to propose improvements (including offering to develop them yourself).
Insider trading might be enough, but this isn't insider trading. If you are trading on information you're getting from an external source, it is, by definition, outsider trading. Unless they were trading Stratfor shares.
Slashdot Mirror
If it's something like this (and I'm not familiar with it, but am assuming that ERP apps tend to attract large organizations), it could be that you're getting calls from departments that are far removed from that which made the decision to adopt and have no idea of the arrangements (or lack thereof). So you may be getting calls from a harried operations manager who has no idea who brought your software into their organization, or how that was done - or why.
If you're going to work with large organizations, this is an occupational hazard.
I like this paper scanning system. We have the benefits of electronic voting with the auditability of paper.
Yeah, but they're not using *solar* jets.
But if you had a solar powered jet engine you could chase the sun. And you would never need to waste energy on landing lights.
'School' is neither worthless or priceless, but consider your (short term and long term) goals carefully.
Technical schools might get you in the door at a company, but will never, in and of itself, lift you far above that.
I think one (a self starter such as yourself) could do just as well by offering their services for free. Think of it as a series of self styled apprenticeships. Just be honest: "I don't have the resources to get myself a proper degree, but I am passionate about my craft and feel confident that I can help your firm if only I can get some real world experience...."
This will work especially well at a local business (local bank, real estate agency, etc). Preferably one that has not developed an entrenched IT Dept (who will be suspicious of young upstarts).
You may or may not be paid, but at least you won't be paying. And you'll be developing a resume - something virtually no 4 year student has.
And if you do get to join a company as a proper employee, you can avail yourself of their tuition reimbursement program. Then, when you do get your degree there is an inherent expectation that it is valuable and should be rewarded.
I've worked in companies ranging from 5 people to 40,000 (and plenty in between). In the smaller shops I've had to do administration, development, desktop, and customer support. In the larger 'enterprise' shops, I'm constantly amused by the myriad breakdowns in communications caused by folks being incapable of putting themselves in the shoes of their coworkers.
Being a developer made me a better system administrator. Being an admin made me a better developer. Same with operations, support, et. al.
Microsoft isn't in that business. Remember, they're the ones causing a furor by threatening to turn on Do Not Track by default in their browser. MS doesn't track near as much as Google.
Can we at least get past the day of the announcement of pre-order availability before making claims about how well it's doing?
*With free surveillance.
Actally, XBOX Music is the new Zune. And it does everything that iTunes, Pandora, Spotify, et. al. do, while they don't do everything it does.
That's why it's nice that it's optional. If you don't want a keyboard, you don't have to pay for one. If you want a regular keyboard, just buy your choice of keyboard separately.
When I compare what used to sit on my desktop in the '80s, to a smartphone today, it's really not too much of a leap to imagine a final form factor that will be very much like a credit card. Eventually, this 'CCPC' may have an integrated screen, but interim editions may drive a separate screen you keep in your wallet along with your extra battery capacity.
These screens will only be used to lookup a phone number or to perform other 'console-type' functions. Screens of varying sizes will be everywhere. In your car, at work, at home, in your hotel room (instead of a TV). Likewise, speakers, keyboards and any other peripherals you may need will be everywhere. You'll be able to walk into a client's boardroom, pair your machine with their wall mounted display and give your presentation. Then you can get back in your car and its touch display will be paired with your device so you can use navigation and get reminders.
Most of us will probably have at least two CCPCs. One for personal business and one for company business. We'll just carry them both around as we carry around multiple credit/debit/reward cards (which will all be made redundant). The credit card is already a proven form factor for being small enough to be supremely portable, but not so small that it is easily lost.
Back when the Macintosh was introduced, it was fashionable to use computery MICR fonts to make your company look high tech. But with laser printing and desktop publishing, the last thing you wanted was to produce something that looked like it came out of a computer.
I think a similar thing is about to happen in the next evolution. Right now, the world wants stylish new smartphones. But soon, having a device that's actually visible to others - and especially fiddling around with it - will make you look like a luddite. Instead, we'll conjure images onto the nearest touch display 'ourselves'.
The CCPC will become *more* personal (and ever more powerful), but no longer bound by the desktop. Sure, your desk may have 12 displays that you use during the work day, but when you walk away, you'll take their brains with you. You probably won't even need to log out.
Tracking is not required to serve ads. I don't mind seeing billboards on the side of the road, but if the billboard is photographing my license plate and sending that to a central server, I have a problem with that.
But if an app doesn't need the hardware specific features of WP8, it can remain a WP7(.8) app - and will run on all Windows Phones.
I'm wondering if price might be the point behind Microsoft making it. What I see in the RT model is a reasonable alternative to the iPad but without any compelling advantages. If they could sell it at cost (or even a loss) to dump devices into the market and gain Windows 8 marketshare, they could let other manufacturers compete for the premium market against Apple.
It doesn''t matter. The verdict must be unanimous.
Windows was a money pit for several years. But they saw a future for themselves there.
A Microsoft executive recently pointed out that they keep far less personal information than Google. So it seems that MS sees this as a handy hammer to smack Google with.
I don't think MS wants Google's business model (which is probably why they were looking to offload Bing to Facebook or another partner).
Or, pehaps, *any* lawyer. But there was no defense *at all*.
Couldn't we just hide GPS tracking devices in peg legs?
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights -
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
More like a carrot and stick approach. "Here's a way we might be able to work together and both make money ina a cooperative way...(and failing that, we'll see your butt in jail)"
Look around at what software, systems and/or online services you're currently using and are well familiar with. Then look for a job at one of these companies doing phone (or other) support. Your psychology degree will help to establish you has someone who can help people. Once you get in the door and can get your hands on the internals, you can use what you learn talking to customers to propose improvements (including offering to develop them yourself).
Insider trading might be enough, but this isn't insider trading. If you are trading on information you're getting from an external source, it is, by definition, outsider trading. Unless they were trading Stratfor shares.
Maybe my idea of using VR goggles and a dataglove to create a virtual a rolodex wasn't so crazy after all.