Why would you take a person with a college degree and no experience over a person with 5-6 years of experience if all other factors were equal? A college degree can show a persons general aptitude, work ethic, and show a solid grounding in the basics but they have never worked in a professional programming environment. Like I mentioned before you can easily gauge a persons programming and related technical skills just by asking the right questions and questions about their college degree are at the bottom of the list to be asked if you have not exceeded the interview time limit. I have a 1989 CS degree and a 2008 IT MS degree and when I got my first job that CS degree really didn't help all that much. However, the job experience I accrued rapidly diminished the importance of the college degree to where it just became resume fluff.
He should have limited his releases to domestic data but he did not stop there and released information about foreign intelligence. Programs that did not harm any US citizens or break any US laws. And to top things off the domestic related programs were not secret. He could have used the foreign intelligence data as a bargaining chip to cut a deal with the government to drop or greatly reduce the criminal charges related to the domestic data so he could return to the US.
Google and the internet in general is fantastic resource and denigrating those who take advantage of those resources is silly. And college may be heavy on the theory behind computer science concepts it does not put much effort into teaching the intricacies and pros and cons of the various frameworks floating around today. It is also pretty easy to tailor interview questions to get a good understanding of the applicants skillset and knowledge. Judging someone's programming skills is a lot easier than gauging someone's accounting skills or general business administration skills. The tricky part falls on the interviewer to make the questions and topics relevant and fair for both beginners and experts depending on the position. I have found that introducing a general concept and letting the applicant explain their understanding of the concept is better than asking direct questions about things such as language syntax or esoteric discussions on compiler directives. I could probably come up with 5 legitimate questions about C++ or any other related technical area that even a hardcore veteran would be hard pressed to answer correctly. I have conducted technical interviews on and off for almost 20 years and I can't remember a single time where a candidates college degree ever factored prominently in evaluating an applicant. And get real. I will take someone with 10 years of experience over a college graduate with 3 or 4 years every day of the week. Don't get me wrong a college degree is a definite plus but it is not a very good indicator of how well the person will perform on the job.
The statement "If you want peace prepare for war" says it all. Damn near every dispute or argument of any importance over the past 5000 years has been solved by military force. Russia did not bale out the US over Syria it was the lack of domestic US political and military support that nixed any bombing plans. US inaction in this case has emboldened others who no longer need fear US involvement. Without a direct attack on US interests the US public will never support a military action no matter how much suffering takes place. I am not advocating US involvement I am just commenting on the effects of doing nothing. Personally I am glad the US is disengaging from these areas of non-ending conflict. The middle east is already on it's way to a catastrophic and generational war without end, Russia is free to assume control of it's former client states, and China can continue to take over the south pacific oceans and islands. The warlords in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and various African countries have a free hand to commit atrocities of the worst type because they have nothing to fear from their own governments and outside assistance is disappearing.
Without the war mongering Air Force and Navy or the military in general most of the technology you enjoy using today would be non-existent or significantly less advanced. Technology advances in general have been accelerated ever since the Chinese, Persians, Greeks, and Romans began trying to conquer the world. Civilian companies working on space technologies today are all taking advantage of work pioneered by the warmongers to advance science and make profits. They have all benefited from the trillions of dollars spent by governments who put no price tag on one upping their potential adversaries to build the better mousetrap. And while NASA might have budget problems the military sure doesn't which is where new material sciences, advanced computer technologies, and new propulsion systems are being created.
"Google is well on its way to becoming the new MS "
Google has already become just like MS and Apple. They all rank at the top of the most successful companies in the world. These companies have been an integral part of the PC and Internet technical revolution. A revolution that has changed the world of communications and commerce. You can question some of their methods but you should try and balance the good and bad when forming your opinions on their "evilness". None of these companies have ever claimed to be philanthropic organizations.
Secret courts? If you know about them how are they secret? FISA courts have not been secret since it's inception. And why should the US surrender it's capabilities just to give Russia or China an advantage of any type? All this hyperventilating about foreign intelligence gathering is being done without putting the entire matter in it's proper context. Without context all the arguments against the US are hypocritical and meaningless.
Sane people all over the world eh? That's about 10 people tops so they are definitely a minority. If you are upset about the international intelligence operations please keep in mind that spying on foreign competitors and adversaries is a time honored tradition going back to the time of the Pharaohs. It's a time honored rule that countries have no friends they only have interests. And thankfully US interests in other countries are finally taking a backseat to it's own domestic interests. The narrow minded individuals complaining about US foreign intelligence operations should try pulling their heads out of their asses for a few minutes and put any arguments they have in context and that context includes acknowledging that the US does not operate in a vacuum and the US Constitution and Bill of Rights are not international in scope and while some of the domestic ones have taken a beating they are still in place and are being practiced everyday of the week. If you think international espionage should be banned from existence then go get Russia, China, and pretty much every other country on the planet to eliminate all their activities and then you can berate the US if they don't jump on the happy train. Until that magical day arrives you will just need to persevere and stoically face the mighty winds of injustice and unfairness blowing around the world. There are support groups that can help you through times such as these so remember you are not alone!
Alright a show of hands. Who thinks changing telecom providers will keep the NSA or any other international intelligence service from achieving the same level of access they achieved with Verizon? If the Germans are upset about being spied on they should remember what happened the last time the international community took their eye off the ball when keeping tabs on Germanys government and military.
I have made a very good living working with the Wintel platform. I have never been a zealot preaching one platform over another because in the end I really don't give a shit. Software development has provided stable and high paying employment for 28 years. Prior to Wintel I earned my living working on Unix and C so of course I was appalled when trying to make the switch from Unix to Windows. However right about that time for $100 an hour I stopped my bitching and tried to make the best of it.
Software development requires balancing functionality and security with the amount of time and money you are willing to spend. Defining and enforcing internal basic safety related development guidelines on every project can help reduce the risk. Software has a relatively short shelf life. By the time you totally secure something you will be lucky if the software is still relevant. We have operating systems over 25 years old that are no where near 100% secure because the technology environment the software runs on has never stopped changing. Plus you usually start adding new functionality and correct functionality bugs and other short comings immediately after each release. It's not as bad today as it was in the late 80's and 90's when new operating systems, hardware, and development platforms were being rolled out on what seemed like a weekly basis. I think people are trying to do their best today and the security awareness has increased where once upon a time it was almost a non-factor when organizing development projects. Most of todays cyber crime exploits take advantage of atrocious system administration, social engineering, and inside information. Companies that tightly restrict or even forbid internet access from within the corporate network can drastically reduce or even eliminate vulnerabilities if you also tightly restrict the use of external storage devices. Stuxnext is one of the most publicized hacks and it was delivered on a USB drive but it was hardly the first or last example of this type of attack.
There are states where the courts have invalidated or at least stayed the application of a law pending further appeals. The gay rights issue is probably the most recent as well as the immigration laws and statutes passed in Arizona.
Yea I can see exporting bull dozers, cranes, and dump trucks is an ecological disaster just waiting to happen. And rest easy the US never sells the really top of the line weapon systems capable of killing people individually or wholesale when required. And without the US providing the "design phase" none of the other countries would have much to build now would they?
Depending on what metrics you chose to use the US is still at or near the top of international rankings. The U.S. still remains the largest producer of advanced technology products, SO I say the US appears to have some manufacturing capability and that capability is growing stronger because the surge of domestic gas and oil is bringing down energy costs. There are foreign companies that are in the process of moving some of their manufacturing to the US because of the reduced energy costs and reduced shipping costs are balancing the higher labor costs. The only advantage China has had in growing their exports is cheap labor. Their economy was certainly not built on quality and innovation. Their success has resulted in it's workers agitating for more money plus they now have completion from the other emerging South East Asia countries who can match their labor costs. China has had to manipulate it's currency to keep it's export costs down and attract business but there are limits to the manipulation.
In this particular case the treaty is for defining the amount of interference the government will be allowed to inflict on both private and public companies. And the "Peoples Business" is whatever the loudest subgroup of blowhards believe it is at the time. And as the number of people involved in any decision making increases the collective IQ of the group decreases exponentially.
"number of indications ","pretty sure ","unsubstantiated-but-not-inconceivable rumor","rumors flying around about an informant " Sounds like enough proof to me.
Maybe I wasn't clear. Perhaps I should have said aggressive recruiting tailored to the specific profession and skill set. Going after a teaching job is totally different from going after a high end engineering position. And for the record someone's ability to ace technical questions certainly does not mean they automatically get a job. You can gauge a persons technical abilities with only a few non-specific questions. Sorry about the confusion.
For some reason Russia and the US seem to be able to compartmentalize things like cooperation on space projects. The Russian scientists and engineers have to put up with the same amount of bullshit from their politicians that the US does.
There is not a profession out there where employees do not complain about being under paid and overworked. However teachers salaries should fall into the same range as engineers, doctors, lawyers, and other professions sitting at the top of the pay scale. Higher pay scales would attract better teachers who cannot live on a current teachers salary. Teachers should be aggressively recruited the same way Google and other companies attract the best talent.
The problem is that the NSA actions have not been officially ruled unconstitutional. The government has did a pretty good job covering their asses legally using laws enacted by Congress. One example would be Clapper's statement about not spying on US citizens. People say he should be charged with purgery but there are also laws about releasing classified information to the public and an open Senate hearing is pretty damn public. His case would also be bolstered by the legally binding confidentiality agreements and obligations he assumed when taking his position. People seem to think it is enough to just claim something is unconstitutional or illegal using only their opinions as the deciding factor. And those opinions are usually based on staggering hyperbole, exaggeration, weak moral relativism, lies of omission, and out right lies. Both sides of this argument do the same thing to prove they are right like it is some sort of game. It's become more about winning the argument then actually resolving the issue being argued over. And the information released by Ellsberg dealt with an entirely domestic matter. He also made a legitimate effort to get the information into public hands where as Snowden did not. And no, one vague e-mail with no follow-up response by Snowden is not a legitimate effort of trying to get the information through the proper channels.
Snowden made a decision to break the law because he believed his cause was good which justified breaking the law. What if the NSA used the same argument? What if they believe their cause is just as good and justified and more important then adhering to any laws? Snowden sealed his fate the minute he started releasing information on foreign intelligence programs. Programs that have nothing to do violating a US citizen in any way. Ellsberg released documents on actions taken by government prior to and during the Vietnam war. His actions were US domestic in nature and thus the foreign Espionage Act charge could not be prosecuted successfully and that charge was dismissed. Snowden actions far exceeded those of Ellsberg and has guaranteed he will be considered a fugitive from the US for the rest of his life. He has to know that there are only a couple of countries in the world that might not hand him over to the US the minute he exits Russia. And the countries who would protect him have governments that make US government corruption look like little white lies. Countries where free speech and independent media outlets does not exist.
If similar information was turned over to the media in Russia or China that information would never have been published and those supplying the information would be in jail or dead. Snowden sealed his fate when he started releasing information about foreign intelligence programs that had nothing to do with the American public. And he and his journalists helpers have decided they are qualified to determine what information is dangerous and which information is not dangerous.
Slashdot Mirror
Why would you take a person with a college degree and no experience over a person with 5-6 years of experience if all other factors were equal? A college degree can show a persons general aptitude, work ethic, and show a solid grounding in the basics but they have never worked in a professional programming environment. Like I mentioned before you can easily gauge a persons programming and related technical skills just by asking the right questions and questions about their college degree are at the bottom of the list to be asked if you have not exceeded the interview time limit. I have a 1989 CS degree and a 2008 IT MS degree and when I got my first job that CS degree really didn't help all that much. However, the job experience I accrued rapidly diminished the importance of the college degree to where it just became resume fluff.
He should have limited his releases to domestic data but he did not stop there and released information about foreign intelligence. Programs that did not harm any US citizens or break any US laws. And to top things off the domestic related programs were not secret. He could have used the foreign intelligence data as a bargaining chip to cut a deal with the government to drop or greatly reduce the criminal charges related to the domestic data so he could return to the US.
Google and the internet in general is fantastic resource and denigrating those who take advantage of those resources is silly. And college may be heavy on the theory behind computer science concepts it does not put much effort into teaching the intricacies and pros and cons of the various frameworks floating around today. It is also pretty easy to tailor interview questions to get a good understanding of the applicants skillset and knowledge. Judging someone's programming skills is a lot easier than gauging someone's accounting skills or general business administration skills. The tricky part falls on the interviewer to make the questions and topics relevant and fair for both beginners and experts depending on the position. I have found that introducing a general concept and letting the applicant explain their understanding of the concept is better than asking direct questions about things such as language syntax or esoteric discussions on compiler directives. I could probably come up with 5 legitimate questions about C++ or any other related technical area that even a hardcore veteran would be hard pressed to answer correctly. I have conducted technical interviews on and off for almost 20 years and I can't remember a single time where a candidates college degree ever factored prominently in evaluating an applicant. And get real. I will take someone with 10 years of experience over a college graduate with 3 or 4 years every day of the week. Don't get me wrong a college degree is a definite plus but it is not a very good indicator of how well the person will perform on the job.
The statement "If you want peace prepare for war" says it all. Damn near every dispute or argument of any importance over the past 5000 years has been solved by military force. Russia did not bale out the US over Syria it was the lack of domestic US political and military support that nixed any bombing plans. US inaction in this case has emboldened others who no longer need fear US involvement. Without a direct attack on US interests the US public will never support a military action no matter how much suffering takes place. I am not advocating US involvement I am just commenting on the effects of doing nothing. Personally I am glad the US is disengaging from these areas of non-ending conflict. The middle east is already on it's way to a catastrophic and generational war without end, Russia is free to assume control of it's former client states, and China can continue to take over the south pacific oceans and islands. The warlords in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and various African countries have a free hand to commit atrocities of the worst type because they have nothing to fear from their own governments and outside assistance is disappearing.
Without the war mongering Air Force and Navy or the military in general most of the technology you enjoy using today would be non-existent or significantly less advanced. Technology advances in general have been accelerated ever since the Chinese, Persians, Greeks, and Romans began trying to conquer the world. Civilian companies working on space technologies today are all taking advantage of work pioneered by the warmongers to advance science and make profits. They have all benefited from the trillions of dollars spent by governments who put no price tag on one upping their potential adversaries to build the better mousetrap. And while NASA might have budget problems the military sure doesn't which is where new material sciences, advanced computer technologies, and new propulsion systems are being created.
"Google is well on its way to becoming the new MS "
Google has already become just like MS and Apple. They all rank at the top of the most successful companies in the world. These companies have been an integral part of the PC and Internet technical revolution. A revolution that has changed the world of communications and commerce. You can question some of their methods but you should try and balance the good and bad when forming your opinions on their "evilness". None of these companies have ever claimed to be philanthropic organizations.
Secret courts? If you know about them how are they secret? FISA courts have not been secret since it's inception. And why should the US surrender it's capabilities just to give Russia or China an advantage of any type? All this hyperventilating about foreign intelligence gathering is being done without putting the entire matter in it's proper context. Without context all the arguments against the US are hypocritical and meaningless.
Sane people all over the world eh? That's about 10 people tops so they are definitely a minority. If you are upset about the international intelligence operations please keep in mind that spying on foreign competitors and adversaries is a time honored tradition going back to the time of the Pharaohs. It's a time honored rule that countries have no friends they only have interests. And thankfully US interests in other countries are finally taking a backseat to it's own domestic interests. The narrow minded individuals complaining about US foreign intelligence operations should try pulling their heads out of their asses for a few minutes and put any arguments they have in context and that context includes acknowledging that the US does not operate in a vacuum and the US Constitution and Bill of Rights are not international in scope and while some of the domestic ones have taken a beating they are still in place and are being practiced everyday of the week. If you think international espionage should be banned from existence then go get Russia, China, and pretty much every other country on the planet to eliminate all their activities and then you can berate the US if they don't jump on the happy train. Until that magical day arrives you will just need to persevere and stoically face the mighty winds of injustice and unfairness blowing around the world. There are support groups that can help you through times such as these so remember you are not alone!
Alright a show of hands. Who thinks changing telecom providers will keep the NSA or any other international intelligence service from achieving the same level of access they achieved with Verizon? If the Germans are upset about being spied on they should remember what happened the last time the international community took their eye off the ball when keeping tabs on Germanys government and military.
I have made a very good living working with the Wintel platform. I have never been a zealot preaching one platform over another because in the end I really don't give a shit. Software development has provided stable and high paying employment for 28 years. Prior to Wintel I earned my living working on Unix and C so of course I was appalled when trying to make the switch from Unix to Windows. However right about that time for $100 an hour I stopped my bitching and tried to make the best of it.
Software development requires balancing functionality and security with the amount of time and money you are willing to spend. Defining and enforcing internal basic safety related development guidelines on every project can help reduce the risk. Software has a relatively short shelf life. By the time you totally secure something you will be lucky if the software is still relevant. We have operating systems over 25 years old that are no where near 100% secure because the technology environment the software runs on has never stopped changing. Plus you usually start adding new functionality and correct functionality bugs and other short comings immediately after each release. It's not as bad today as it was in the late 80's and 90's when new operating systems, hardware, and development platforms were being rolled out on what seemed like a weekly basis. I think people are trying to do their best today and the security awareness has increased where once upon a time it was almost a non-factor when organizing development projects. Most of todays cyber crime exploits take advantage of atrocious system administration, social engineering, and inside information. Companies that tightly restrict or even forbid internet access from within the corporate network can drastically reduce or even eliminate vulnerabilities if you also tightly restrict the use of external storage devices. Stuxnext is one of the most publicized hacks and it was delivered on a USB drive but it was hardly the first or last example of this type of attack.
There are states where the courts have invalidated or at least stayed the application of a law pending further appeals. The gay rights issue is probably the most recent as well as the immigration laws and statutes passed in Arizona.
Yea I can see exporting bull dozers, cranes, and dump trucks is an ecological disaster just waiting to happen. And rest easy the US never sells the really top of the line weapon systems capable of killing people individually or wholesale when required. And without the US providing the "design phase" none of the other countries would have much to build now would they?
Depending on what metrics you chose to use the US is still at or near the top of international rankings. The U.S. still remains the largest producer of advanced technology products, SO I say the US appears to have some manufacturing capability and that capability is growing stronger because the surge of domestic gas and oil is bringing down energy costs. There are foreign companies that are in the process of moving some of their manufacturing to the US because of the reduced energy costs and reduced shipping costs are balancing the higher labor costs. The only advantage China has had in growing their exports is cheap labor. Their economy was certainly not built on quality and innovation. Their success has resulted in it's workers agitating for more money plus they now have completion from the other emerging South East Asia countries who can match their labor costs. China has had to manipulate it's currency to keep it's export costs down and attract business but there are limits to the manipulation.
In this particular case the treaty is for defining the amount of interference the government will be allowed to inflict on both private and public companies. And the "Peoples Business" is whatever the loudest subgroup of blowhards believe it is at the time. And as the number of people involved in any decision making increases the collective IQ of the group decreases exponentially.
"number of indications " ,"pretty sure ","unsubstantiated-but-not-inconceivable rumor","rumors flying around about an informant "
Sounds like enough proof to me.
He was talking about the US being saddled with paying for the lions share of the post-war recovery efforts.
Maybe I wasn't clear. Perhaps I should have said aggressive recruiting tailored to the specific profession and skill set. Going after a teaching job is totally different from going after a high end engineering position. And for the record someone's ability to ace technical questions certainly does not mean they automatically get a job. You can gauge a persons technical abilities with only a few non-specific questions. Sorry about the confusion.
For some reason Russia and the US seem to be able to compartmentalize things like cooperation on space projects. The Russian scientists and engineers have to put up with the same amount of bullshit from their politicians that the US does.
There is not a profession out there where employees do not complain about being under paid and overworked. However teachers salaries should fall into the same range as engineers, doctors, lawyers, and other professions sitting at the top of the pay scale. Higher pay scales would attract better teachers who cannot live on a current teachers salary. Teachers should be aggressively recruited the same way Google and other companies attract the best talent.
People who buy cars in this price range usually place efficiency and safety down the list of the must haves when buying a new ride.
The problem is that the NSA actions have not been officially ruled unconstitutional. The government has did a pretty good job covering their asses legally using laws enacted by Congress. One example would be Clapper's statement about not spying on US citizens. People say he should be charged with purgery but there are also laws about releasing classified information to the public and an open Senate hearing is pretty damn public. His case would also be bolstered by the legally binding confidentiality agreements and obligations he assumed when taking his position. People seem to think it is enough to just claim something is unconstitutional or illegal using only their opinions as the deciding factor. And those opinions are usually based on staggering hyperbole, exaggeration, weak moral relativism, lies of omission, and out right lies. Both sides of this argument do the same thing to prove they are right like it is some sort of game. It's become more about winning the argument then actually resolving the issue being argued over. And the information released by Ellsberg dealt with an entirely domestic matter. He also made a legitimate effort to get the information into public hands where as Snowden did not. And no, one vague e-mail with no follow-up response by Snowden is not a legitimate effort of trying to get the information through the proper channels.
Snowden made a decision to break the law because he believed his cause was good which justified breaking the law. What if the NSA used the same argument? What if they believe their cause is just as good and justified and more important then adhering to any laws? Snowden sealed his fate the minute he started releasing information on foreign intelligence programs. Programs that have nothing to do violating a US citizen in any way. Ellsberg released documents on actions taken by government prior to and during the Vietnam war. His actions were US domestic in nature and thus the foreign Espionage Act charge could not be prosecuted successfully and that charge was dismissed. Snowden actions far exceeded those of Ellsberg and has guaranteed he will be considered a fugitive from the US for the rest of his life. He has to know that there are only a couple of countries in the world that might not hand him over to the US the minute he exits Russia. And the countries who would protect him have governments that make US government corruption look like little white lies. Countries where free speech and independent media outlets does not exist.
If similar information was turned over to the media in Russia or China that information would never have been published and those supplying the information would be in jail or dead. Snowden sealed his fate when he started releasing information about foreign intelligence programs that had nothing to do with the American public. And he and his journalists helpers have decided they are qualified to determine what information is dangerous and which information is not dangerous.
Now if they could only produce some smart people we might finally be getting somewhere.