Dealing with everyone from the head of dept to undergrads.
Definitely a plus. It has been said that working at a University keeps you young. The average age (when you factor in the thousands of 17-23 year olds) hovers around 26. Every professor that I meet mentions this as one of the reasons they loved working at a Uni. That fresh-faced optimism and idealism (when not clouded by stupid drunken tricks) tends to rub off on you.
Opportunity to lecture (e.g. training first years on college systems).
Which can include supplemental pay. our rate for one class a semester is $2-3K. With three semesters possible, you can help the bottom line considerably.
Wide, welcome use of open source software on cost grounds.
Not at our shop, unfortunately. There are a few evangelists around (like me), but mostly we are an Apple, IBM Mainframe, and Microsoft shop. Our former department head was sold on Microsoft and they are really entrenched right now. Hopefully our state budget crisis will open some eyes and ears for a proposal I am working on.... hmmmmm.
Can reboot servers in middle of day.:-)
Ouch!!! That one hurts! It happens, though. You live through it, but people in academia don't warm up to the concept any more than in industry and students (and the student paper) tend to laugh and point.
When server goes down, people go for a coffee instead of running around like headless chickens and holding up your repair efforts.
Some of our people are the chickens and others grab a donut. It all depends on whether it was your server... or network segment... or classroom full of 30 computers... or exam software application server that went down. I've run with the best of them and my frame (thankfully smaller due to new applications of something called exercise) has been mishappen by the donuts.
Intelligent, vaguely sentient colleagues not averse to reading manuals and learning new things.
I totally agree. My current team is just that. We share knowledge and sick (practical joke based) senses of humor. Most of all, we try to teach and learn stuff to and from one another.
Opportunity to pursue research or higher degree. (Playing with new toys also counts as "research"!)
Show me one support person who has one workstation and I will show you an IT office administrator. Lots of time, encouragement, and opportunity to learn new things.
Live like a student again, but with money.
Sort of... on the money part anyway.
No sales or marketing people spoiling it for everyone.
Just technology committees made up of people who don't know anything about technology. Promises are made that have to be delivered... even if technically impossible.
No open plan offices.
I have my own office which I share with two student helpers. Small, but private. Plus, I only HAVE to see my supervisor (across campus) once a week... though I usually do it more.
Cons
You're unlikely to get your hands on any big iron (but you might be able to justify a Beowulf cluster).
True. There is definitely a show me first, before I will spend the money on it... only you don't have anything to do the show-and-tell with. There is a certain amount of magic involved in this. Prove it with a small system made up of scrap first. Turn it into production and then it becomes a line item. Evangelism is also required in some of the oddest circumstances.
Fixed term job contracts.
Ours are renewable and after so many years you have to be given (after first period) 6 months notice, (second period) 1 year, and (third) 18 months before they can let you go.
Vulnerability to cutbacks.
Depends on where you are and how contracts work (see above). At our Uni, open positions that are not filled go first. IT people, being so integrated into everything, are a little more protected than you think. The university is also aware that any position they let go is going to be harder to fill with incoming talent (willing to work at university rates) in the future.
Lower pay (although in the right place and circumstances, without a family to support, it can be plenty).
No argument.
Every year, many of your friends leave.
This is one of the saddest aspects. Your professional colleagues strike out of more pay and the student help (some of which you get quite attached to... like they are your younger brothers and sisters or children) renews every 4-6 years. By the time they come to work for you, they may only have 1 year or 2 left.
Limited career prospects unless you go full steam on the research.
Also true. But you could work (for a lot less money) towards advanced degrees and join faculty (some of which, depending on academic area, get paid quite nicely). You could also pick up side work like technical consulting and so forth that would not only suppliment your income but your credentials.
Ivory towers.
There can be some big egoes to contend with as well.
Overall though, I think it is a worthy plunge especially if you want to escape from or wait out the dot-com/business crash for a while.
That's assuming he wants to be a prof. Admins are slightly sheltered... at least ours are. Yes, there are definitely politics at play... but within the university IT groups it is usually internal to them.
As others have said, you have to bow to the faculty demands. You definitely have to be more flexible. But the benefits (if the pay isn't) are good (heck I get 24 vacation days a year... renewing every fiscal start... no accrument). You also get the opportunity for side incomes. I teach one class a semester which kicks in about another $6K a year. Others get their names passed around when outside industries call for consultants.
It's not a bad gig, even if it isn't the greatest. It is stable and you can sleep at night; literally because "on call" is loosely defined and figuratively because helping academia is a zero-conscience crusher. Unless your Uni is helping design diseases and/or weapons and other "bad stuff" you are probably helping the greater good more often than the greater bad and that, as Martha Stewart would say, is "A Good Thing."
It is not a Amazon.com site... idiot. Is is made by the proprietors of Humankind Software... idiot. Slashdot uses the online bookseller links for books it reviews and it is not whoring itself for that bookseller; it is called using an affiliate program... check into it, idiot.
Do you people actually read?!? Obviously not! They have links to abebooks.com as well
Your first solution is to have the login script map a drive letter (preferably h: because it is nuemonically easy to associate as the "home drive." to each person's PC as they login. Make this the user's home directory on the server. Bob has his home directory, Alice has her home directory and so forth.
Create a folder named "My Documents" in each server "home" directory (in Alice's and Bob's, etc)Then remove the My Documents folder in the root drive of the Win9x machines (and the c:\documents and settings\[username] directory on NT/2000). Now create a shortcut named "My Documents" in the place of the ones you just removed and have it point to the ones on the server. Make the shortcut "Read Only" (Right Click on the shortcut | choose Poperties | In the resulting dialog, choose the General tab and click the Read Only attribute). This should prevent any software from overwriting it.
The only rule that you have to make then is that users save everything to their "My Documents" folder which will actually force everything to be saved on the server in thier home directories on the server. This shouldn't be too difficult as most software for windows that creates stuff will set "My Documents" as the main save location anyway.
Now... run backups on the server. Relatively little effort is required.
The second, more cumbersome option is to write a script that is loaded onto each machine (grab a copy of Active State Perl for this... it is free). This script would connect to a remote server on a timed basis (once every couple of hours) and upload the contents of specific directories (that the staff would have to be told to use... My Documents comes to mind). You could also search the drive for specific extensions (based on the applications that you use) like.doc and.jpg and back those up for good measure (in case the users are not saving in the proper places). Then back up the server.
The drawback is that you would have to write the script and maintain it (a lot of effort on your part if you don't know Perl already... relatively little if you already know it at least a bit). The benefit is that you can possibly catch files stored in the wrong places.
The third option is to use a 3rd party product like IBM's Tivoli which uses a client side program to back up those systems in its backup routine. The upsides are easier managment and fine grained control of backups. The downsides are increased administration duties, expense, and finding a solution that works for every platform in your organization.
I am sure that Sun will take offense at the term Dumb Terminal....
Scott McNealy:
That's
Java Terminal to you... Bub, and don't you go forgetting it. You see, it has all the power and flexibility of Java. A dumb terminal doesn't have any of that.
Oh, a n d the network is the computer a n d privacy is overrated.
Good example. There are many others. "Right of Way" is such a precious asset, post deregulation, that lots of companies were/are getting into the act. Utility companies acrosss the country are getting into the act of converting "right of way" access to utility poles into conduits for high-speed cable/digital access.
Utilcom Networks (http://www.utilicom.net)is a turn-key network solution provider and consultant to deregulated power companies looking to the precious asset into revenue. One example of their efforts can be found in my home state of Indiana with Vectren Energy Delivery Systems. Vectren, formally SIGECO (Souther Indiana Gas and Electric Company), set up SIGECOM networking in partnership with Utilicom to provide cable, high speed Internet, and competitive local service to people in the Evansville (Vanderburgh County), Indiana. One of its benefits over Insight cable, the local cable company/cable ethernet provider, is that SIGECOM spent the extra money in its service areas and brought fiber to the curb intstead of the common cable provider practice of bringing fiber to the neighborhood. Because there is less contention (getting onto the fatter pipe of fiber without fighting it out with neighborhood traffic), SIGECOM's solution scales a lot better and they can offer nicer/robust packages to businesses... and currently they are doing qute a brisk business doing just that.
For a similar story to that in the article, you can check out RCN Chicago (formaly 21st Century Telecom group which bought "right of way" access to the Loop section of the subway in Chicago and used it offer cheap high speed access alternatives to downtown residents, hotels, and businesses... starting 4 to 5 years ago.
Are you getting tired of being baited by trolls? Think that trolls have nothing to offer to the slashdot community? Well I propose we change that. Let's make a game where posts that are modified to troll -1 are then turned into a Troll Libs.
"What's a Troll Libs?" you ask. Well, I propose that a Troll Libs is a troll -1 post that has been reposted with a lot of the offensive material replaced by blanks to be filled in, in follow up posts, with words and phrases asked for at the end of the blank (in parentheses).
This idea is to do something along the lines of that classic pencil and paper amusement Mad Libs.
As an example, I will post the first one, based on the troll -1 above. Here is the Troll Libs text:
It reminds me of the time I
(verb, past tense) your (adjective)(noun)(nationality)(noun) in (pronoun) turtle-loving (something you own). Notice how I said " (adjective)(Nationality)". I don't deal with these (adjective)(sports team name). Those (noun, plural) are just (adjective). Anyway, no one is (adverb, ending in -ing) forcing (verb, ending in -ing) on the (noun, plural). You are obviously a (adjective)(noun) who didn't (verb, past tense) the (adjective)(verb), you (adjective)(noun) . The (adjective)(noun, plural) weren't (verb, past tense)(relative location, i.e. on top, behind)of the (verb) and (verb, past tense) they had to (verb) it. Like all (adjective)(noun, plural), who should be (verb, past tense), they chose to (verb, past tense) other (noun, posessive)(noun) without any (noun). You are a ( (verb, past tense))(noun) for not (verb, past tense) some (adjective)(skill). Perhaps you should go back to (Location) and (verb, past tense)(noun) with (noun, plural) who have (noun) you (adjective)(noun). (verb)(noun). (verb)(noun) a million times until (noun)(verb)(noun). When (a possesion)(verb, past tense), I will (verb)(a posession) (that (verb)(noun)) to (verb) and (verb). Hey, how's your dad? Still a (prestigious occupation)? That's what I thought. You (activity) from the metaphorical (location) of my (descriptive adjective about size)(body part) . Take that (Name of a Sidekick)! And next time you try to be (adjective) and show that you've (adjective) a (noun), don't choose a (repeat previous noun) that is (desciptive adjective) you (Occupation)! You're a (adverb)(verb, ending in -ing)(Occupation) if you think (Currency) has any worth. All of you (adjective)(group affiliation, i.e. Shriners, Masons, etc.)(noun, plural) think that (literature genre) has some sort of place in the realms of literature. You're (statement of fact). It's (adjective)(noun) for the (Famous family name, plural) who think they want to (verb) the (location), but can't, so settle for (verb, ending in -ing)(garden implement) and/or taking it to the (Customer Service Oriented Business). That is some (adjective)(noun) right there, (Occupational Title). I want to (verb) you the (celestial object), you (verb, ending in -ing)(Occupation). (Famous Person) said to me one time, " (common phrase)" Think about it.
What the heck is wrong with the Founders of this company? The two products of this company are named after their kids?!?!
And I blockquote:
United Virtualities calls the product "Ooqa Ooqa," the nickname of one of the cofounder's daughters. The firm's signature product is the "shoshkeles," named after another daughter of a co-founder.
Maybe they have some meaning (in a foreign language?) that I don't understand, but if not (yes, I know this is off-topic), these guys should have their child-rearing licenses revoked.
At least they didn't have boys. I can see it now...
Co-Founder 1: "Hey, I'd like you to meet my son... Quasimodo come out of the bell tower and meet the nice man!"
Co-Founder 2: "That's great. I'd love to meet him. He should come over and play with Renfield some time."
SuSE's Linux Distribution for 7.2 is almost exactly like this. From the Administration modules, you just choose to check for updates and it surfs their FTP site for available patches. Those patches are categorized based on security and functionality and list whether they are recommended or not. If you have software installed on your system that has a critical security patch available, the software is checked for download by default (though, you can uncheck if necessary). Once you have added or subtracted patches and move on, the software is downloaded and installed. Reboots are warned about if necessary.
This also works with update CDs, I think. Never tried it myself, but it could concievably work.
I don't run a production box, so I pretty much blindly upgrade stuff. If it breaks (none yet), I can always back out pretty easily. The utility also gives the security bulletin from SuSE or detailed descriptions of the packages if you want to look at them before deciding to install. Those that look risky... I generally avoid.
This is one of the best patch utils that I have found because of the advice component. It is similar to M$'s offering, but I think a little better (you don't have to reboot at the very least). I haven't tried Ximian's offerings, but my guess is that they are similar.
Yeah. This is actually south of Vincennes on Highway 41 heading south towards Evansville. It is visible from the the highway (so you don't have to traipse through the guy's yard).
I see it all the time when I travel from East-Central Indiana to Evansville to visit family. The pictures don't do it justice.
I agree in some sense. But I am willing to subscribe to/. for a measely $5... I will be subscribing soon. I could care less about the ads. As it is,/. is one of the few sites that I don't filter at the moment. I even click through some ads that look interesting... at least they are somewhat targeted.
I think they should implement a micro-ad policy as well. The average user buying the smaller banner type ads for whatever purpose for a small payment (heck, the bigger players don't want those ads anymore, might as well release them to the people).
Might this be an opportunity in the making? Instead of paying $1-5 here and there... pay a central authority for access to affiliated sites. I know this has shades of Passport (which I don't support), but it could be great. Pay $5 to OSDN and get access to every OSDN site (I bet they are all going to try out similar policies in the future), not just Slashdot (Linux.com, Newsforge.com, Freshmeat.net). Or pay $3 to NewsFactor Network for access to all of its affiliated sites like OS Opinion and so forth. It should cut down on some of the payments. Then each affiliate would get its cut based on unique page views or some other metric.
I guess I am saying that a network TV or Radio model might work a little better here.
I could be completely off base... but if not and hiring personnel from OSDN, NewsFactor, or some other "web network" are reading, I am willing to entertain consulting or full-time position opportunities =^).
Then you should make the karma discount only apply for karma granted from other subscribers. That way a person could have multiple accounts and do what you describe, but would have to pay for each account... making it a moot point anyway... or at least a profitable one for/.
No friend should recommend debian to a complete unix/linux newbie. It errs on the side of making no decisions for the user... which can be problematic.
I would have recommended something like SuSE or Mandrake which have excellent installs and configure everything for you. However, they also allow you to "mature" into not having to use the configuration tools if you don't want to.
GUI tools in general give me hives, so I can't claim that I'm totally impartial, but that one has always struck me as particularly horrid.
Again, I have to agree. What I like about SuSE, due to its "Standard" compliance, is that you can use the tools or throw them out the window and the system still works. Some systems don't work if you don't use their tools. I have configure things manually under SuSE and then managed them with the GUI and vice versa and it just works.
The one or two times that I have had problems dealt with loading a "REDHAT X RPM" (side note: why don't projects make LSB RPMs that will work with every LSB compliant distribution) and it loads EVERYTHING in/usr. To fix those, I just lndir the directory structure so that other dependencies don't break... and I can still manage that RH RPM with the GUI or CLI tools if I want. That is why I like SuSE.
I have to agree. I have done the same things in SuSE and never had that problem. In fact, since it is one of the most Linux Standards Base compliant distributions (SuSE is an active member), I have less problems with it when I don't want to use the built-in tools than I do with other systems.
In fact, I recently up graded Mozilla (there isn't a new RPM on SuSE's sight yet) and I used the Redhat RPM from from mozilla.org. To fix any dependencies (since Redhat installs EVERYTHING under/usr), I just linked SuSE's path to Redhats... no problems.
Beyond that... it ships with inetd turned off and a nice interface for dealing with configuration and management of network services. Much nicer than linuxconf.
The Alexa toolbar doesn't do summaries and doesn't nest data. It also doesn't break apart the features of the website like links graphics and plugins and give you the option of viewing the page with/without them should you choose to click through. It also doesn't allow you to define session keywords and phrases and then modify its behavior for your personal browsing session.
The things it does do are flawed. First, its rating system is based on site traffic generated by other Alexa users. While it could be argued that it is a random sample and therefore statistically accurate, I doubt it. Google's ranking system is more democratic... and either way it seems to work for the most part.
I think this plugin would have great promise if it used google technology and resources on the backend. I would be excited if they could get it running.
Thanks for your info though. I hadn't been there for a while and didn't know if they were still around. It is sad that they still haven't coded something more interesting than a user-profiler, though. The back-end archive is the only thing that is exciting in my book. Maybe google can by Alexa's archive in the future... they bought Deja after all.
I hope Google reads these pages and gets some free ideas from it. At least take mine! Please. God knows that I don't have the coding chops to do it myself. I sent this same idea to Allaire (remember them) a long time ago and I had a couple of software engineers write me back, but nothing ever came of it. My guess is that this is a hard problem.
I want a browser control/plugin/whatever that harnesses a backend of web information to make my surfing more productive/predictive.
The gist would be to have a hover option for links which would give you information about what is behind the link without having to actually follow it. While browsing, the user would just hover over an link in a page and information pertaining to the page beyond the link would show up in a hovering menu or a sidebar (this would be great with mozilla, but I could see an activex control as well).
The types of information is where it gets useful. Using some of the more advanced summarization algorithms out there, it would pull up the summaries of those pages if they were in the offsite database (Allaire, Google, and the WayBack Machine being possible backends). Based on your preferences a short, medium or long summary would be displayed. If it wasn't in the cache, it could be summarized on the fly and then presented after some delay (the new summary now being cached).
It would also list, in an orderly way and subject to preferences, links from the page on the other side. That way the user could follow one of those if it turns out that she only needed the summary and a link. It would also list the elements of the page, like graphics, and give their specs (i.e. dimensions and estimated download times and ALT tag entries if present) and give the option to display them on a page by page basis. All of this would be nested, of course, so that a user could hover over links in the summary pages and get the same information all over again for that link (which is why I see it more as a "sidebar" feature). Theoretically a user could just surf by these summaries if they wanted.
Now, I realize that this would pose some problems like trusting the summaries and so forth. However, the nice thing about it would be features that could be built into the user's preferences. For instance, you could make it so that the user could have certain words or phrases set that would then be scanned for during the summarization process. You could then either relax the amount of summary for the entire page or, better yet, still pull the cached summary but also pull a user-definable number of lines before and after their keywords (best of both worlds).
Each summary could also list a numeric rank of where that page fits in "status" (like google's ranking system) based on the summary (generically) or the keywords of the user (specifically). Finally, it could pay for itself with text advertising (small and innocuous like the ones seen on Google).
If you start to think about it for a while, there are all sorts of things you could do with this and it would help cut through the "padding" that you usually go through while looking for informaition on a certain subject. I think it would be great! It is kind of based on the idea of the "magic spyglass" that was heralded almost a decade ago, but never implemented in any OS that I know of.
Like I said, I can't code it, but I would love to see it done. So have at it if you think it is good. Google's cache of pages and images and its ranking technology make it perfectly suited for this type of problem and they have enough PHD's that the summarization issue should prove an "interesting" problem to solve.
Then again, it might suck. If you do implement it, let me know. I would love to beta-test it. I called the whole thing the Clairvoyant Browser Plugin... but you could use what you want.
Redmond Linux, now Lycoris, is aiming itself as a desktop only system. I was quite impressed with its focus. Built off of Caldera, it takes a simple install program (allowing the user to play games during it) and then works to make the desktop as easy to use as Windows.
It is not completely there, yet. But my Dad, who hasn't used a computer in 10 years, wouldn't be able to tell the difference. To him it would just work.
If you look at the screenshots, you'll immediately realize what the company is aiming for. They have done something with this distribution that no other Linux company has been willing to do. They have made some decisions for the user. They have decided what is installed and how it will look once finished. They understand their target market and realize that their users don't necessarily care about choice. They just want the thing to be semi-intuitive and work.
The Linux kernel has the work part down, and Lycoris has taken upon itself the task of making it semi-intuitive.
One final note. Any desktop Linux company would do well to take a page from Lycoris' playbook. Take a look at their website. It is clean and non-technical. It is decidedly geared towards the end user and doesn't try to bowl people over with technical data. In essence, it is a marketing tool... and a pretty good one in my opinion
If you can't leave home, but still want to lend a hand in solving the world's problems, the United Nations Volunteer program sponsors the NetAid.org site. It maintains a database of jobs that can be done from your own home or acrosss the Internet, including things like DBAing for a hospital in Kenya, online fundraising for various causes, speech writing for the heads of a non-profits, copy-editing, online technical support, what have you. You can search on criteria based on your skill and interest set, nations that you would like to help, project times, and amount of time that you can commit each week. Check it out and make a difference.
The first one that I would suggest is the Geek Corps. It has been in operation for a few years now and has sent its 3rd group to Africa to help with infrastructure and business development using communications technology. Check it out.
Closer to home is an opportunity to work for your living with an amazing organizaion. While not strictly volunteering, it would definitly be a paycut. Habitat for Humanity does more to promote cross cultural peace than any other organization that I know of. Nothing breaks down barriers more than providing decent living arrangements for total strangers. The Job Opportunities page currently lists these current technical positions:
Youth Programs Coordinator
PS 1415
This position is responsible for assisting the Youth Programs Officer in supporting Habitat for Humanity affiliates and campus chapters in developing age-appropriate activities for youth ages 5-16. It involves developing resources and publications related to youth programs, facilitating workshops at Habitat regional conferences, responding to inquiries related to youth, and contributing to HFHI publications. The qualified applicant must have excellent writing and public speaking skills, be self-directed, Microsoft Office familiarity, strong interpersonal skills, experience with the programmatic aspect of a community service organization, and a Bachelorfs degree in a related field.
Reconstruction Volunteers*
Facilities Management
Basic Volunteer
Under the direction of the Property Manager, work with other volunteers in fixing, restoring, and furnishing HFHI housing to the accepted standard set by Operations. Repair corporate buildings as needed. Responsibilities and duties include: understanding safety precautions and utilizing them at all times; repairing broken plumbing fixtures in bathrooms and kitchens; painting houses, both interior and exterior; repairing/installing floors, walls, windows, hanging doors, and mirrors; light construction duties; and working independently to identify or replace defective mechanical equipment. The qualified applicant should have six months of related maintenance or construction experience, have the ability to work with various tools, both power and hand-held, be able to complete assigned duties in a timely manner, be able to work well with others and able to lift 75 lbs regularly.
*At this time, the Americus/Sumter County Affiliate is no longer in need of Construction Volunteers, until further notice. However, we are very much in need of Reconstruction Volunteers.
Application Technician - Habitrak
PS #184
Basic Volunteer Position
This position is responsible for supporting Affiliate information systems that are sanctioned and distributed by HFHI, e.g., Habitrak and International Mortgage Tracking System. This position provides customer service and technical support for all HFHI Affiliates using these products. As well, this position receives questions and requests via phone and e-mail and responds in appropriate manner; tracks problems and recommends temporary workarounds and long-term fixes; works with customers, Program and Project managers to analyze information needs and existing systems; assists in design, implementation and enhancement of new and existing programs; documents all problems, resolutions and procedures per HFHI guidelines; assists in customer training; and maintains and enhances good customer relations. The position is also responsible for participating in the specifications and scheduling of product enhancements, testing and implementation. This position exercises a leadership role in promoting awareness of Affiliate information product needs. Relevant experience in software development, programming, or as a systems/business analyst; expertise in MS Office products, MS Visual Basic, MS Access; and customer service, training experience, and technical proficiency in SQL or major RDBMS preferred. This position performs other related duties as assigned. The qualified applicant will have strong analytical and technical skills and excellent communication and interpersonal skills. As well, the qualified applicant would have a Bachelorfs degree from an accredited institution. A degree in Business or Computer Science preferred. Qualifying experience may be substituted for the Education requirement on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of two (2) years.
#0974 Client Server Analyst Programmer
Posting Period 11/09/01 - 12/15/01
Projected hire date 01/07/02 or before
Position located in Americus, GA.
This position functions as the primary application support for the International Mortgage Tracking System (IMTS). IMTS is an automated business management application for HFH international affiliates written in Visual Basic using current market tools such as Crystal Reports; ensures efficient information processing, data integrity, and delivery of useful accurate information to the users; Visual Basic programming and development along with clear communication with both technical and business personnel are the key duties for this position along with demonstrating sound knowledge of business processes and systems support requirements. Must have a Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience with at least ten semester hours in any combination of Business, Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Management Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related field and three years relevant work experience. Must also have three years experience in information technologies; practical working knowledge of IBM PC computers, MS Office products, and MS NT workstation; programming and systems analysis experience; business analysis and RDBMS experience; practical working experience with MS Access, FileMaker Pro, Crystal Reports, SQL server, Visual Basic and ASP.
($31,450)
And of course they can always use vulunteers at your local field office. Look them up in your phone book and offer your services.
I think this also underscores the point that many organizations need your help and have a hard time recruiting people at reduced pay. Check out your favorite organization and see what sort of technical positions they have posted. If you want to gain more than a paycheck out of your work, then they may be able to use you.
Here are some other opportunities offered through the United nations:
United Nations Information Technology Services. From thier website: In his Millennium Report, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan stressed the importance for developing countries to benefit from the opportunities emerging from the digital revolution. He proposed the creation of a global volunteer programme aimed at bridging the digital divide between industrialized and developing countries. UNITeS, the United Nations Information Technology Service, is an initiative that channels the creative energies, skills and solidarity of volunteers around the world to collaborate with people in the South to improve their capacity to make practical use of information and communications technologies (ICT). In key fields like health, education, income generation, gender equity, environment or humanitarian aid, volunteers working under the UNITeS programme are striving to bridge the digital divide, one person at a time. The United Nations Volunteers programme is coordinating this new, UN ICT volunteer initiative.
I think the correction is that hundreds and thousands of people use the software and can, usually, easily and openly submit bug-reports (in the least) and patches (at best). Its one of the things that is tangentially mentioned in In the Beginning was the Command Line as a reason for using Open Source tools. Everything's out there for public view, warts and all and generally someone has created a patch or a work-around, or will soon, to get you back on your way to productivity. The Mozilla project, for instance, just wants people to use the damn thing and find out when and how it breaks. Luckily people, myself included, have responded.
While I do have a CS degree, I don't always have enough understanding on how to fix the problem that I have found. However, my discovery of the bug (especially if it is unique) coupled with a detailed and repeatable description and test case can be a boon to developers who will hopefully have enough familiarity with the code to find the problem and correct it.
he absolutely did not have the foresight to anticipate the PC revolution. And Gates did and decided to get rich off of it.
Actually, he did anticipate the PC/software revolution and decided (for himself) that he had moral qualms with charging people outlandish sums of manoey for software. The FSF was created to enable people through technology, no matter what their economic status was.
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Dealing with everyone from the head of dept to undergrads.
Definitely a plus. It has been said that working at a University keeps you young. The average age (when you factor in the thousands of 17-23 year olds) hovers around 26. Every professor that I meet mentions this as one of the reasons they loved working at a Uni. That fresh-faced optimism and idealism (when not clouded by stupid drunken tricks) tends to rub off on you.
Opportunity to lecture (e.g. training first years on college systems).
Which can include supplemental pay. our rate for one class a semester is $2-3K. With three semesters possible, you can help the bottom line considerably.
Wide, welcome use of open source software on cost grounds.
Not at our shop, unfortunately . There are a few evangelists around (like me), but mostly we are an Apple, IBM Mainframe, and Microsoft shop. Our former department head was sold on Microsoft and they are really entrenched right now. Hopefully our state budget crisis will open some eyes and ears for a proposal I am working on.... hmmmmm.
Can reboot servers in middle of day. :-)
Ouch!!! That one hurts! It happens, though. You live through it, but people in academia don't warm up to the concept any more than in industry and students (and the student paper) tend to laugh and point.
When server goes down, people go for a coffee instead of running around like headless chickens and holding up your repair efforts.
Some of our people are the chickens and others grab a donut. It all depends on whether it was your server... or network segment... or classroom full of 30 computers... or exam software application server that went down. I've run with the best of them and my frame (thankfully smaller due to new applications of something called exercise) has been mishappen by the donuts.
Intelligent, vaguely sentient colleagues not averse to reading manuals and learning new things.
I totally agree. My current team is just that. We share knowledge and sick (practical joke based) senses of humor. Most of all, we try to teach and learn stuff to and from one another.
Opportunity to pursue research or higher degree. (Playing with new toys also counts as "research"!)
Show me one support person who has one workstation and I will show you an IT office administrator. Lots of time, encouragement, and opportunity to learn new things.
Live like a student again, but with money.
Sort of... on the money part anyway.
No sales or marketing people spoiling it for everyone.
Just technology committees made up of people who don't know anything about technology. Promises are made that have to be delivered... even if technically impossible.
No open plan offices.
I have my own office which I share with two student helpers. Small, but private. Plus, I only HAVE to see my supervisor (across campus) once a week... though I usually do it more.
Cons
You're unlikely to get your hands on any big iron (but you might be able to justify a Beowulf cluster).
True. There is definitely a show me first, before I will spend the money on it... only you don't have anything to do the show-and-tell with. There is a certain amount of magic involved in this. Prove it with a small system made up of scrap first. Turn it into production and then it becomes a line item. Evangelism is also required in some of the oddest circumstances.
Fixed term job contracts.
Ours are renewable and after so many years you have to be given (after first period) 6 months notice, (second period) 1 year, and (third) 18 months before they can let you go.
Vulnerability to cutbacks.
Depends on where you are and how contracts work (see above). At our Uni, open positions that are not filled go first. IT people, being so integrated into everything, are a little more protected than you think. The university is also aware that any position they let go is going to be harder to fill with incoming talent (willing to work at university rates) in the future.
Lower pay (although in the right place and circumstances, without a family to support, it can be plenty).
No argument.
Every year, many of your friends leave.
This is one of the saddest aspects. Your professional colleagues strike out of more pay and the student help (some of which you get quite attached to... like they are your younger brothers and sisters or children) renews every 4-6 years. By the time they come to work for you, they may only have 1 year or 2 left.
Limited career prospects unless you go full steam on the research.
Also true. But you could work (for a lot less money) towards advanced degrees and join faculty (some of which, depending on academic area, get paid quite nicely). You could also pick up side work like technical consulting and so forth that would not only suppliment your income but your credentials.
Ivory towers.
There can be some big egoes to contend with as well.
Overall though, I think it is a worthy plunge especially if you want to escape from or wait out the dot-com/business crash for a while.
As others have said, you have to bow to the faculty demands. You definitely have to be more flexible. But the benefits (if the pay isn't) are good (heck I get 24 vacation days a year... renewing every fiscal start... no accrument). You also get the opportunity for side incomes. I teach one class a semester which kicks in about another $6K a year. Others get their names passed around when outside industries call for consultants.
It's not a bad gig, even if it isn't the greatest. It is stable and you can sleep at night; literally because "on call" is loosely defined and figuratively because helping academia is a zero-conscience crusher. Unless your Uni is helping design diseases and/or weapons and other "bad stuff" you are probably helping the greater good more often than the greater bad and that, as Martha Stewart would say, is "A Good Thing."
Bill's Switch Commercial
Do you people actually read?!? Obviously not! They have links to abebooks.com as well
Be very careful with poledit. Done improperly, it can lead to more headaches than it cures. A word to the wise from someone who has been there.
Create a folder named "My Documents" in each server "home" directory (in Alice's and Bob's, etc)Then remove the My Documents folder in the root drive of the Win9x machines (and the c:\documents and settings\[username] directory on NT/2000). Now create a shortcut named "My Documents" in the place of the ones you just removed and have it point to the ones on the server. Make the shortcut "Read Only" (Right Click on the shortcut | choose Poperties | In the resulting dialog, choose the General tab and click the Read Only attribute). This should prevent any software from overwriting it.
The only rule that you have to make then is that users save everything to their "My Documents" folder which will actually force everything to be saved on the server in thier home directories on the server. This shouldn't be too difficult as most software for windows that creates stuff will set "My Documents" as the main save location anyway.
Now... run backups on the server. Relatively little effort is required.
The second, more cumbersome option is to write a script that is loaded onto each machine (grab a copy of Active State Perl for this... it is free). This script would connect to a remote server on a timed basis (once every couple of hours) and upload the contents of specific directories (that the staff would have to be told to use... My Documents comes to mind). You could also search the drive for specific extensions (based on the applications that you use) like .doc and .jpg and back those up for good measure (in case the users are not saving in the proper places). Then back up the server.
The drawback is that you would have to write the script and maintain it (a lot of effort on your part if you don't know Perl already... relatively little if you already know it at least a bit). The benefit is that you can possibly catch files stored in the wrong places.
The third option is to use a 3rd party product like IBM's Tivoli which uses a client side program to back up those systems in its backup routine. The upsides are easier managment and fine grained control of backups. The downsides are increased administration duties, expense, and finding a solution that works for every platform in your organization.
Good Luck.
Check out Lost in Space for some of the bizarre goings on. And it wasn't all related to management and space issues.
Scott McNealy:
Utilcom Networks (http://www.utilicom.net)is a turn-key network solution provider and consultant to deregulated power companies looking to the precious asset into revenue. One example of their efforts can be found in my home state of Indiana with Vectren Energy Delivery Systems. Vectren, formally SIGECO (Souther Indiana Gas and Electric Company), set up SIGECOM networking in partnership with Utilicom to provide cable, high speed Internet, and competitive local service to people in the Evansville (Vanderburgh County), Indiana. One of its benefits over Insight cable, the local cable company/cable ethernet provider, is that SIGECOM spent the extra money in its service areas and brought fiber to the curb intstead of the common cable provider practice of bringing fiber to the neighborhood. Because there is less contention (getting onto the fatter pipe of fiber without fighting it out with neighborhood traffic), SIGECOM's solution scales a lot better and they can offer nicer/robust packages to businesses... and currently they are doing qute a brisk business doing just that.
For a similar story to that in the article, you can check out RCN Chicago (formaly 21st Century Telecom group which bought "right of way" access to the Loop section of the subway in Chicago and used it offer cheap high speed access alternatives to downtown residents, hotels, and businesses... starting 4 to 5 years ago.
"What's a Troll Libs?" you ask. Well, I propose that a Troll Libs is a troll -1 post that has been reposted with a lot of the offensive material replaced by blanks to be filled in, in follow up posts, with words and phrases asked for at the end of the blank (in parentheses).
This idea is to do something along the lines of that classic pencil and paper amusement Mad Libs.
As an example, I will post the first one, based on the troll -1 above. Here is the Troll Libs text:
Have at it. I hope you enjoy.And I blockquote:
Maybe they have some meaning (in a foreign language?) that I don't understand, but if not (yes, I know this is off-topic), these guys should have their child-rearing licenses revoked.
At least they didn't have boys. I can see it now...
Co-Founder 1: "Hey, I'd like you to meet my son... Quasimodo come out of the bell tower and meet the nice man!"
Co-Founder 2: "That's great. I'd love to meet him. He should come over and play with Renfield some time."
Sheesh!
This also works with update CDs, I think. Never tried it myself, but it could concievably work.
I don't run a production box, so I pretty much blindly upgrade stuff. If it breaks (none yet), I can always back out pretty easily. The utility also gives the security bulletin from SuSE or detailed descriptions of the packages if you want to look at them before deciding to install. Those that look risky... I generally avoid.
This is one of the best patch utils that I have found because of the advice component. It is similar to M$'s offering, but I think a little better (you don't have to reboot at the very least). I haven't tried Ximian's offerings, but my guess is that they are similar.
Yeah. This is actually south of Vincennes on Highway 41 heading south towards Evansville. It is visible from the the highway (so you don't have to traipse through the guy's yard).
I see it all the time when I travel from East-Central Indiana to Evansville to visit family. The pictures don't do it justice.
I think they should implement a micro-ad policy as well. The average user buying the smaller banner type ads for whatever purpose for a small payment (heck, the bigger players don't want those ads anymore, might as well release them to the people).
Might this be an opportunity in the making? Instead of paying $1-5 here and there... pay a central authority for access to affiliated sites. I know this has shades of Passport (which I don't support), but it could be great. Pay $5 to OSDN and get access to every OSDN site (I bet they are all going to try out similar policies in the future), not just Slashdot (Linux.com, Newsforge.com, Freshmeat.net). Or pay $3 to NewsFactor Network for access to all of its affiliated sites like OS Opinion and so forth. It should cut down on some of the payments. Then each affiliate would get its cut based on unique page views or some other metric.
I guess I am saying that a network TV or Radio model might work a little better here.
I could be completely off base... but if not and hiring personnel from OSDN, NewsFactor, or some other "web network" are reading, I am willing to entertain consulting or full-time position opportunities =^) .
Then you should make the karma discount only apply for karma granted from other subscribers. That way a person could have multiple accounts and do what you describe, but would have to pay for each account... making it a moot point anyway... or at least a profitable one for /.
Not to start a holy ware, but...
No friend should recommend debian to a complete unix/linux newbie. It errs on the side of making no decisions for the user... which can be problematic.
I would have recommended something like SuSE or Mandrake which have excellent installs and configure everything for you. However, they also allow you to "mature" into not having to use the configuration tools if you don't want to.
Again, I have to agree. What I like about SuSE, due to its "Standard" compliance, is that you can use the tools or throw them out the window and the system still works. Some systems don't work if you don't use their tools. I have configure things manually under SuSE and then managed them with the GUI and vice versa and it just works.
The one or two times that I have had problems dealt with loading a "REDHAT X RPM" (side note: why don't projects make LSB RPMs that will work with every LSB compliant distribution) and it loads EVERYTHING in /usr. To fix those, I just lndir the directory structure so that other dependencies don't break... and I can still manage that RH RPM with the GUI or CLI tools if I want. That is why I like SuSE.
In fact, I recently up graded Mozilla (there isn't a new RPM on SuSE's sight yet) and I used the Redhat RPM from from mozilla.org. To fix any dependencies (since Redhat installs EVERYTHING under /usr), I just linked SuSE's path to Redhats... no problems.
Beyond that... it ships with inetd turned off and a nice interface for dealing with configuration and management of network services. Much nicer than linuxconf.
I disagree. Thanks for the link, though.
The Alexa toolbar doesn't do summaries and doesn't nest data. It also doesn't break apart the features of the website like links graphics and plugins and give you the option of viewing the page with/without them should you choose to click through. It also doesn't allow you to define session keywords and phrases and then modify its behavior for your personal browsing session.
The things it does do are flawed. First, its rating system is based on site traffic generated by other Alexa users. While it could be argued that it is a random sample and therefore statistically accurate, I doubt it. Google's ranking system is more democratic... and either way it seems to work for the most part.
I think this plugin would have great promise if it used google technology and resources on the backend. I would be excited if they could get it running.
Thanks for your info though. I hadn't been there for a while and didn't know if they were still around. It is sad that they still haven't coded something more interesting than a user-profiler, though. The back-end archive is the only thing that is exciting in my book. Maybe google can by Alexa's archive in the future... they bought Deja after all.
I hope Google reads these pages and gets some free ideas from it. At least take mine! Please. God knows that I don't have the coding chops to do it myself. I sent this same idea to Allaire (remember them) a long time ago and I had a couple of software engineers write me back, but nothing ever came of it. My guess is that this is a hard problem.
I want a browser control/plugin/whatever that harnesses a backend of web information to make my surfing more productive/predictive.
The gist would be to have a hover option for links which would give you information about what is behind the link without having to actually follow it. While browsing, the user would just hover over an link in a page and information pertaining to the page beyond the link would show up in a hovering menu or a sidebar (this would be great with mozilla, but I could see an activex control as well).
The types of information is where it gets useful. Using some of the more advanced summarization algorithms out there, it would pull up the summaries of those pages if they were in the offsite database (Allaire, Google, and the WayBack Machine being possible backends). Based on your preferences a short, medium or long summary would be displayed. If it wasn't in the cache, it could be summarized on the fly and then presented after some delay (the new summary now being cached).
It would also list, in an orderly way and subject to preferences, links from the page on the other side. That way the user could follow one of those if it turns out that she only needed the summary and a link. It would also list the elements of the page, like graphics, and give their specs (i.e. dimensions and estimated download times and ALT tag entries if present) and give the option to display them on a page by page basis. All of this would be nested, of course, so that a user could hover over links in the summary pages and get the same information all over again for that link (which is why I see it more as a "sidebar" feature). Theoretically a user could just surf by these summaries if they wanted.
Now, I realize that this would pose some problems like trusting the summaries and so forth. However, the nice thing about it would be features that could be built into the user's preferences. For instance, you could make it so that the user could have certain words or phrases set that would then be scanned for during the summarization process. You could then either relax the amount of summary for the entire page or, better yet, still pull the cached summary but also pull a user-definable number of lines before and after their keywords (best of both worlds).
Each summary could also list a numeric rank of where that page fits in "status" (like google's ranking system) based on the summary (generically) or the keywords of the user (specifically). Finally, it could pay for itself with text advertising (small and innocuous like the ones seen on Google).
If you start to think about it for a while, there are all sorts of things you could do with this and it would help cut through the "padding" that you usually go through while looking for informaition on a certain subject. I think it would be great! It is kind of based on the idea of the "magic spyglass" that was heralded almost a decade ago, but never implemented in any OS that I know of.
Like I said, I can't code it, but I would love to see it done. So have at it if you think it is good. Google's cache of pages and images and its ranking technology make it perfectly suited for this type of problem and they have enough PHD's that the summarization issue should prove an "interesting" problem to solve.
Then again, it might suck. If you do implement it, let me know. I would love to beta-test it. I called the whole thing the Clairvoyant Browser Plugin... but you could use what you want.
Redmond Linux, now Lycoris, is aiming itself as a desktop only system. I was quite impressed with its focus. Built off of Caldera, it takes a simple install program (allowing the user to play games during it) and then works to make the desktop as easy to use as Windows.
It is not completely there, yet. But my Dad, who hasn't used a computer in 10 years, wouldn't be able to tell the difference. To him it would just work.
If you look at the screenshots, you'll immediately realize what the company is aiming for. They have done something with this distribution that no other Linux company has been willing to do. They have made some decisions for the user. They have decided what is installed and how it will look once finished. They understand their target market and realize that their users don't necessarily care about choice. They just want the thing to be semi-intuitive and work.
The Linux kernel has the work part down, and Lycoris has taken upon itself the task of making it semi-intuitive.
One final note. Any desktop Linux company would do well to take a page from Lycoris' playbook. Take a look at their website. It is clean and non-technical. It is decidedly geared towards the end user and doesn't try to bowl people over with technical data. In essence, it is a marketing tool... and a pretty good one in my opinion
If you can't leave home, but still want to lend a hand in solving the world's problems, the United Nations Volunteer program sponsors the NetAid.org site. It maintains a database of jobs that can be done from your own home or acrosss the Internet, including things like DBAing for a hospital in Kenya, online fundraising for various causes, speech writing for the heads of a non-profits, copy-editing, online technical support, what have you. You can search on criteria based on your skill and interest set, nations that you would like to help, project times, and amount of time that you can commit each week. Check it out and make a difference.
Closer to home is an opportunity to work for your living with an amazing organizaion. While not strictly volunteering, it would definitly be a paycut. Habitat for Humanity does more to promote cross cultural peace than any other organization that I know of. Nothing breaks down barriers more than providing decent living arrangements for total strangers. The Job Opportunities page currently lists these current technical positions:
PS 1415
This position is responsible for assisting the Youth Programs Officer in supporting Habitat for Humanity affiliates and campus chapters in developing age-appropriate activities for youth ages 5-16. It involves developing resources and publications related to youth programs, facilitating workshops at Habitat regional conferences, responding to inquiries related to youth, and contributing to HFHI publications. The qualified applicant must have excellent writing and public speaking skills, be self-directed, Microsoft Office familiarity, strong interpersonal skills, experience with the programmatic aspect of a community service organization, and a Bachelorfs degree in a related field.
Reconstruction Volunteers*
Facilities Management
Basic Volunteer
Under the direction of the Property Manager, work with other volunteers in fixing, restoring, and furnishing HFHI housing to the accepted standard set by Operations. Repair corporate buildings as needed. Responsibilities and duties include: understanding safety precautions and utilizing them at all times; repairing broken plumbing fixtures in bathrooms and kitchens; painting houses, both interior and exterior; repairing/installing floors, walls, windows, hanging doors, and mirrors; light construction duties; and working independently to identify or replace defective mechanical equipment. The qualified applicant should have six months of related maintenance or construction experience, have the ability to work with various tools, both power and hand-held, be able to complete assigned duties in a timely manner, be able to work well with others and able to lift 75 lbs regularly.
*At this time, the Americus/Sumter County Affiliate is no longer in need of Construction Volunteers, until further notice. However, we are very much in need of Reconstruction Volunteers.
Application Technician - Habitrak
PS #184
Basic Volunteer Position
This position is responsible for supporting Affiliate information systems that are sanctioned and distributed by HFHI, e.g., Habitrak and International Mortgage Tracking System. This position provides customer service and technical support for all HFHI Affiliates using these products. As well, this position receives questions and requests via phone and e-mail and responds in appropriate manner; tracks problems and recommends temporary workarounds and long-term fixes; works with customers, Program and Project managers to analyze information needs and existing systems; assists in design, implementation and enhancement of new and existing programs; documents all problems, resolutions and procedures per HFHI guidelines; assists in customer training; and maintains and enhances good customer relations. The position is also responsible for participating in the specifications and scheduling of product enhancements, testing and implementation. This position exercises a leadership role in promoting awareness of Affiliate information product needs. Relevant experience in software development, programming, or as a systems/business analyst; expertise in MS Office products, MS Visual Basic, MS Access; and customer service, training experience, and technical proficiency in SQL or major RDBMS preferred. This position performs other related duties as assigned. The qualified applicant will have strong analytical and technical skills and excellent communication and interpersonal skills. As well, the qualified applicant would have a Bachelorfs degree from an accredited institution. A degree in Business or Computer Science preferred. Qualifying experience may be substituted for the Education requirement on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of two (2) years.
Posting Period 11/09/01 - 12/15/01
Projected hire date 01/07/02 or before
Position located in Americus, GA.
This position functions as the primary application support for the International Mortgage Tracking System (IMTS). IMTS is an automated business management application for HFH international affiliates written in Visual Basic using current market tools such as Crystal Reports; ensures efficient information processing, data integrity, and delivery of useful accurate information to the users; Visual Basic programming and development along with clear communication with both technical and business personnel are the key duties for this position along with demonstrating sound knowledge of business processes and systems support requirements. Must have a Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience with at least ten semester hours in any combination of Business, Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Management Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related field and three years relevant work experience. Must also have three years experience in information technologies; practical working knowledge of IBM PC computers, MS Office products, and MS NT workstation; programming and systems analysis experience; business analysis and RDBMS experience; practical working experience with MS Access, FileMaker Pro, Crystal Reports, SQL server, Visual Basic and ASP.
($31,450)
I think this also underscores the point that many organizations need your help and have a hard time recruiting people at reduced pay. Check out your favorite organization and see what sort of technical positions they have posted. If you want to gain more than a paycheck out of your work, then they may be able to use you.
Here are some other opportunities offered through the United nations:
United Nations Information Technology Services. From thier website: In his Millennium Report, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan stressed the importance for developing countries to benefit from the opportunities emerging from the digital revolution. He proposed the creation of a global volunteer programme aimed at bridging the digital divide between industrialized and developing countries. UNITeS, the United Nations Information Technology Service, is an initiative that channels the creative energies, skills and solidarity of volunteers around the world to collaborate with people in the South to improve their capacity to make practical use of information and communications technologies (ICT). In key fields like health, education, income generation, gender equity, environment or humanitarian aid, volunteers working under the UNITeS programme are striving to bridge the digital divide, one person at a time. The United Nations Volunteers programme is coordinating this new, UN ICT volunteer initiative.
The United Nations Volunteers offer opportunities locally and abroad.
While I do have a CS degree, I don't always have enough understanding on how to fix the problem that I have found. However, my discovery of the bug (especially if it is unique) coupled with a detailed and repeatable description and test case can be a boon to developers who will hopefully have enough familiarity with the code to find the problem and correct it.
Actually, he did anticipate the PC/software revolution and decided (for himself) that he had moral qualms with charging people outlandish sums of manoey for software. The FSF was created to enable people through technology, no matter what their economic status was.
Just some thoughts