Also note that they are all 40-50 years old and employed.
"Modern" IT is all about burn & churn. 60% of Windows & Unix guys are gone from the profession in 5-7 years, 20% in 7-10. Whomever's left works in some big company or government agency and takes up space or gets promoted into management.
The only mainframe shop that I'm familiar with is a Sperry/Univac/Unisys shop working on a codebase that was started in like 1973.
The systems programmers, who are now getting pretty raere as they are starting to retire, actually wrote all sorts of system-level stuff. To meet some federal mandate they wrote and tweaked a TCP/IP stack which eventually became the reference implementation, for example.
Pretty wacky when you consider that these days its rare to find a "systems programmer" who knows much of anything. (some consultants excluded)
The Python system that I posted about has existed for about the same amount of time as Ruby on Rails.
The only difference is that the people behind RoR are really good at building a buzz behind it. They posted frequently on popular websites like Joel on Software and/. and got a bunch of articles published on O'Reilly websites.
I agree that Ruby is a cool language, and that Ruby on Rails is cool. But, there's much more happening in Python and ultimately it will bury Ruby... ruby is just too obscure!
Look at this new project, just announced a few days ago: http://www.djangoproject.com/
Django is basically RoR for Python. When you consider the Java-Python integration options available, plus the larger number of Python devs outside of Japan, I think this is a the way of the future.
Dell is a manufacturer, not a technology company... they assemble boxes cheap. Companies like Compaq, HP & IBM used to actually create new technologies that would either catch on or inspire Taiwanese boardmakers to clone similar features cheap.
The last real PC vendor that actually included new or unique technology into their products was IBM... but of course they're gone now.
We looked into doing something like this a year ago, and determined that with the cost of networking and clusters of cheap computers being the way they are, a centralized solution was far cheaper.
My scenario was a distributed environment with approximately 3,000 remote sites. If you had less remote sites, the distributed processing may be cost effective, but you need to use extreme caution as distributed solutions can escalate in cost quickly.
Apple fanboys defended Apple's right to futz around with "FairPlay" DRM between releases of iTunes, so the door is wide open for Apple to make retroactive changes to all of those songs that suckers... err users bought.
"The fact that a lot of banks used OS/2 for a long time, indicates just how well made OS/2 was at the time when compared to DOS/Win3.1, Win9x and early WinNT."
You're misjudging the purchasing habits of banks. All that the use of OS/2 demonstrates is the quality of meals, free trips and other perks IBM sales offered to big banks.
"Not to mention the paper linked here is talking about space dominance to insure dominance on the ground."
Of course it is!
Q: What is the most powerful energy source within reach of current or near-future technology?
A: The earth's gravity well.
All Air and Naval units devoted to strategic strike missions will be levied obsolete by high-orbit space platforms. Who needs a manned fighter aircraft when a softball-sized metallic mass could deliver the equivilent of a 2,000 lb bomb to any point on or around the earth in minutes.
As an American, I wouldn't want the Chinese or Russians controlling that sort of resource without a deterrent.
There's a few in upstate NY. The state has a few Honda and GM fuel cell vehicles... I actually had the opportunity to ride in one... pretty impressive except for the $200k price tag.
The real conformists were the asshats going out and getting tatoos and bizarro piercings because some singer does it or because or the cool kids at the concerts have one inch cylinders in their earlobes.
When I see people with extensive body modifications, I see people who were so desperate to fit in that they disfigured their bodies. Some of them are really brilliant folks, others not so. They're regular people, except they cannot be employed in most public-facing jobs.
Large GM cars get numbers like that too -- if you are on the highway only.
I have a Cadillac Deville that gets 18-22mpg for typical city/suburban stop and go driving. But on a road trip, I've gotten as high as 32mpg!
My point is, if you are protesting everything and making a stink about teflon spray on pants, you'd better be driving a Civic or Corolla, and "automatic transmission" shouldn't be a part of your vocabulary. (the environmental cost of Prius batteries is too steep)
Without a doubt, DDT saved well-over 500 million lives in the 20th century.
<p>That's the problem -- you're talking about people who are also breathing heavy over the overpopulation menace.</p>
<p>They are pissed off that 500 million were saved, because those 500 million people represent 2 billion people after a couple of generations.</p>
<p>Modern enviromentalists are against everything, unless it is something they want. I once listened to a speech by a guy who was railing against oversized minivans and SUVs. About half an hour later, I saw him in the parking lot cranking up his pimped out Subaru Outback that gets 20mpg.</p>
Yeah, so the senior, elite sysadmin types remain employed. That's why we have 20 guys, the senior guys can setup all of the automation tools for a relatively premium salary.
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Mod this up!
Documentary evidence available at www.joelonsoftware.com
Also note that they are all 40-50 years old and employed.
"Modern" IT is all about burn & churn. 60% of Windows & Unix guys are gone from the profession in 5-7 years, 20% in 7-10. Whomever's left works in some big company or government agency and takes up space or gets promoted into management.
The only mainframe shop that I'm familiar with is a Sperry/Univac/Unisys shop working on a codebase that was started in like 1973.
The systems programmers, who are now getting pretty raere as they are starting to retire, actually wrote all sorts of system-level stuff. To meet some federal mandate they wrote and tweaked a TCP/IP stack which eventually became the reference implementation, for example.
Pretty wacky when you consider that these days its rare to find a "systems programmer" who knows much of anything. (some consultants excluded)
I hope you like buying their software again!
OSX is cool, but having to buy all of the other apps again or run them in emulation is pretty damn lame if you ask me!
The Python system that I posted about has existed for about the same amount of time as Ruby on Rails.
/. and got a bunch of articles published on O'Reilly websites.
The only difference is that the people behind RoR are really good at building a buzz behind it. They posted frequently on popular websites like Joel on Software and
I agree that Ruby is a cool language, and that Ruby on Rails is cool. But, there's much more happening in Python and ultimately it will bury Ruby... ruby is just too obscure!
Look at this new project, just announced a few days ago:
http://www.djangoproject.com/
Django is basically RoR for Python. When you consider the Java-Python integration options available, plus the larger number of Python devs outside of Japan, I think this is a the way of the future.
Why aren't you being specific? What king? What diamond-rich countries? Are you talking about the Sierra Leone intervention by Executive Outcomes?
You obviously care about the subject, but your complete lack of detail destroys your credibility.
The only successful PC vendor these days is Dell.
Dell is a manufacturer, not a technology company... they assemble boxes cheap. Companies like Compaq, HP & IBM used to actually create new technologies that would either catch on or inspire Taiwanese boardmakers to clone similar features cheap.
The last real PC vendor that actually included new or unique technology into their products was IBM... but of course they're gone now.
We looked into doing something like this a year ago, and determined that with the cost of networking and clusters of cheap computers being the way they are, a centralized solution was far cheaper.
My scenario was a distributed environment with approximately 3,000 remote sites. If you had less remote sites, the distributed processing may be cost effective, but you need to use extreme caution as distributed solutions can escalate in cost quickly.
Apple fanboys defended Apple's right to futz around with "FairPlay" DRM between releases of iTunes, so the door is wide open for Apple to make retroactive changes to all of those songs that suckers... err users bought.
"The fact that a lot of banks used OS/2 for a long time, indicates just how well made OS/2 was at the time when compared to DOS/Win3.1, Win9x and early WinNT."
You're misjudging the purchasing habits of banks. All that the use of OS/2 demonstrates is the quality of meals, free trips and other perks IBM sales offered to big banks.
Key points in the article:
-Backups in windows are really hard, but nobody ever wants to do them anyway.
-Project Athena at MIT invented Kerberos
-Sun NIS was originally called "Yellow Pages" in the 80's
-LDAP tools included with linux let you manage users, but you can change them if you want
"Not to mention the paper linked here is talking about space dominance to insure dominance on the ground."
Of course it is!
Q: What is the most powerful energy source within reach of current or near-future technology?
A: The earth's gravity well.
All Air and Naval units devoted to strategic strike missions will be levied obsolete by high-orbit space platforms. Who needs a manned fighter aircraft when a softball-sized metallic mass could deliver the equivilent of a 2,000 lb bomb to any point on or around the earth in minutes.
As an American, I wouldn't want the Chinese or Russians controlling that sort of resource without a deterrent.
There's a few in upstate NY. The state has a few Honda and GM fuel cell vehicles... I actually had the opportunity to ride in one... pretty impressive except for the $200k price tag.
Now I can replace the built-in Mozilla search facility with a new, Google approved model that will "anonymously" monitor my browsing habits.
Great!
Look again:
http://www.apple.com/itunes/volumesongs/
I'd also question the actual value of the gift card for tax purposes... it's probably significantly less than $10k.
This particular PhD builds Air Force and financial simulations, and wrote significant portions of Solaris kernel code for Veritas VxVM.
If you were interviewing Codd for a database gig, would you grill him on manhole covers & mysql syntax?
Mandatory overtime == "Productivity"
More exciting will be pressure groups going after sports cars, which enable and encourage drivers to drive faster than the posted limits.
The real conformists were the asshats going out and getting tatoos and bizarro piercings because some singer does it or because or the cool kids at the concerts have one inch cylinders in their earlobes.
When I see people with extensive body modifications, I see people who were so desperate to fit in that they disfigured their bodies. Some of them are really brilliant folks, others not so. They're regular people, except they cannot be employed in most public-facing jobs.
AJAX is just a catchy name cooked up by a few guys and embraced by O'Reilly, who no doubt are in the works with about 2 dozen books on the topic.
Large GM cars get numbers like that too -- if you are on the highway only.
I have a Cadillac Deville that gets 18-22mpg for typical city/suburban stop and go driving. But on a road trip, I've gotten as high as 32mpg!
My point is, if you are protesting everything and making a stink about teflon spray on pants, you'd better be driving a Civic or Corolla, and "automatic transmission" shouldn't be a part of your vocabulary. (the environmental cost of Prius batteries is too steep)
<p>That's the problem -- you're talking about people who are also breathing heavy over the overpopulation menace.</p>
<p>They are pissed off that 500 million were saved, because those 500 million people represent 2 billion people after a couple of generations.</p>
<p>Modern enviromentalists are against everything, unless it is something they want. I once listened to a speech by a guy who was railing against oversized minivans and SUVs. About half an hour later, I saw him in the parking lot cranking up his pimped out Subaru Outback that gets 20mpg.</p>
Yeah, so the senior, elite sysadmin types remain employed. That's why we have 20 guys, the senior guys can setup all of the automation tools for a relatively premium salary.
Not true for all areas.
Sysadmins are being automated out of existenance... we manage something like 50,000 desktops and 2,000 servers with a staff of 20.
If you're a skilled programmer or network specialist, you can write your ticket.