It is possible to get a job in computers without majoring in Computer Science, but you'll have to demonstrate your interest (and competence) through hobby projects or extracurricular activities.
I'd estimate that a fairly large number of people in the computer profession have come out of other disciplines. A co-worker of mine was a physics major. He does networking support and software programming. I majored in History (and took several CS electives) and am doing database and web work. Hobby projects I did while at university, good luck, and connections helped me get the job.
One of the things I didn't like about the engineering disciplines at UWaterloo was their lack of electives. Majoring in something that gives you more electives is one option; another is to take the classes you want, knowing that it will take more than 4 years to graduate.
I also believe that, in the long run, a good worker with many interests is better off in the job market than someone who just concentrated on computers. Your career will demand more flexibility than you think.
I'm working on a project I call openreference. It's basically object-oriented hypertext (sort of like Microsoft's SmartTags idea, but actually open).
Anyway, one of issues I haven't settled is user interface. I imagine openreferences as a sort of graphical version of the Unix pipe. The Windows Send-To menu is one possibile interface and I use it in my examples but I'm not sure it's the best interface.
If you want to find out more about my idea, read my proposal.
It seems to me that one of the major objections Slashdotters have to the WAVE program is that neither the Pickerton Services Group nor the anonymous reporters are subject to any form of accountability. I offer the following suggestions as an attempted remedy:
Accountablity of Pinkerton through appointment of an ombudsperson. Universities like the University of Western Ontario and media groups like Brill's Content appoint an individual to act as a neutral third party to investigate complaints. In Brill's Content's case, the individual is given a multi-year contract with protective clauses to allow him/her to write a monthly column without fear of reprisal. I suggest that Pinkerton do the same.
Acountability of anonymous reporters through transparency According to the WAVE America webpage, care is taken to ensure that reporters remain anonymous by omitting names and identifying details from the WAVE Line reports that are sent to schools. I suggest that these reports be available for scrutiny by outsiders, either through the WAVE America website or though a request of the ombudsperson.
Does anyone read Slashdot after the 731st post?
Correction: Cokie Roberts, not Diane Sawyer
on
Live or Memorex?
·
· Score: 1
I believe your thinking of Cokie Roberts and ABC News, not Diane Sawyer.
"And ABC News apologized a few years ago for a segment in which reporter Cokie Roberts was said to be reporting from Capitol Hill, when she was in fact in the network's Washington bureau in front of a photograph of the Capitol building."
Yes, I do mean the FTC. (I also goofed on the NY Times home page link: http://www.nytimes.com)
But what do you think about the idea of participation in the FTC advisory committee? I think it would be a good thing for slashdotters to get involved.
We can't complain about the committee's finding if we don't participate in the process.
I submitted this story yesterday but it was rejected. Here it is roughly as I remember it:
The Capital Dispatch, part of the New York Times' Cybertimes division reports that the FEC is looking for about 30 volunteers to sit on an advisory committee. The committee will consider proposals to give individuals access to the information that companies obtain from them.
I recommend that slashdot members nominate a representative. Here are a few questions to consider:
What personal and political qualities do we want in a representative?
How will the representative communicate with the community? Perhaps they could be given their own slashdot section.
Should they represent non-American slashdotters? (This is a US committee focusing on a domestic issue)
I visited the FEC web site today. It gives this description of the committee:
"The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to provide advice and recommendations to the Commission regarding implementation of certain fair information practices by domestic commercial Web sites. In particular, the Advisory Committee will address providing online consumers reasonable access to personal information collected from and about them and maintaining adequate security for that information."
Here's a few useful links:
The New York Times' Story written by Jeri Clausing. She may be a good contact on the issue.
The FEC site- includes a link to an acrobat file describing the committee and the nominating process.
Nominations are due by January 5. Nominees must be able to attend meetings on Feb. 4, Feb. 25, March 31, and April 28. The meetings are open to the public. We could see whether C-SPAN will cover them.
--------------
My personal website, openpolitics.com, is offline for the Christmas break.
Slashdot Mirror
It is possible to get a job in computers without majoring in Computer Science, but you'll have to demonstrate your interest (and competence) through hobby projects or extracurricular activities.
I'd estimate that a fairly large number of people in the computer profession have come out of other disciplines. A co-worker of mine was a physics major. He does networking support and software programming. I majored in History (and took several CS electives) and am doing database and web work. Hobby projects I did while at university, good luck, and connections helped me get the job.
One of the things I didn't like about the engineering disciplines at UWaterloo was their lack of electives. Majoring in something that gives you more electives is one option; another is to take the classes you want, knowing that it will take more than 4 years to graduate.
I also believe that, in the long run, a good worker with many interests is better off in the job market than someone who just concentrated on computers. Your career will demand more flexibility than you think.
I'm working on a project I call openreference. It's basically object-oriented hypertext (sort of like Microsoft's SmartTags idea, but actually open).
Anyway, one of issues I haven't settled is user interface. I imagine openreferences as a sort of graphical version of the Unix pipe. The Windows Send-To menu is one possibile interface and I use it in my examples but I'm not sure it's the best interface.
If you want to find out more about my idea, read my proposal.
This looks something like a concept I've been working on for a little over a year. I call it " openreference ".
It's basically just "object-oriented" hypertext.
In the browser the interface could look something like the Windows SendTo menu. (The equivalent of the Unix Pipe.)
I've written up some of my ideas in a proposal . Right now I'm trying to learn perl so I can parse and import IDB data, FIPS Codes, and SEC filings.If anyone has ideas or is interested in helping out, send me an email.
-Tim LangemanI watched quite a bit of the hearing and I remember that one of the panelists said something to the effect that the Senate was breaking its own laws.
Hatch replied that what they were doing was not illegal because it was being doine for educational/government purposes.
It seems to me that one of the major objections Slashdotters have to the WAVE program is that neither the Pickerton Services Group nor the anonymous reporters are subject to any form of accountability. I offer the following suggestions as an attempted remedy:
Accountablity of Pinkerton through appointment of an ombudsperson.
Universities like the University of Western Ontario and media groups like Brill's Content appoint an individual to act as a neutral third party to investigate complaints. In Brill's Content's case, the individual is given a multi-year contract with protective clauses to allow him/her to write a monthly column without fear of reprisal. I suggest that Pinkerton do the same.
Acountability of anonymous reporters through transparency
According to the WAVE America webpage, care is taken to ensure that reporters remain anonymous by omitting names and identifying details from the WAVE Line reports that are sent to schools. I suggest that these reports be available for scrutiny by outsiders, either through the WAVE America website or though a request of the ombudsperson.
Does anyone read Slashdot after the 731st post?
To quote the yahoo article:
Thanks,
Yes, I do mean the FTC. (I also goofed on the NY Times home page link: http://www.nytimes.com)
But what do you think about the idea of participation in the FTC advisory committee? I think it would be a good thing for slashdotters to get involved.
We can't complain about the committee's finding if we don't participate in the process.
I submitted this story yesterday but it was rejected. Here it is roughly as I remember it:
I recommend that slashdot members nominate a representative. Here are a few questions to consider:
I visited the FEC web site today. It gives this description of the committee:
Here's a few useful links:
The New York Times' Story written by Jeri Clausing.
She may be a good contact on the issue.
The FEC site- includes a link to an acrobat file describing the committee and the nominating process.
Nominations are due by January 5. Nominees must be able to attend meetings on
Feb. 4, Feb. 25, March 31, and April 28. The meetings are open to the public. We could see whether C-SPAN will cover them.
--------------
My personal website, openpolitics.com, is offline for the Christmas break.