Why do you think they push so hard for all the copyright extensions?
Actually, why do they push so hard for copyright extensions? Don't they want some new public domain stuff to ransack? Some of their best work has been based on freely available material.
It seems that P2P apps are legal, and they look likely to stay that way. Therefore, corporate ethics states that there's no reason not to advertise on them since supporting a legal service through legal means is generally considered to be legal. There's not a lot that the various 'AA's can do about it. They're the last organisations that have the right to criticise others for only caring about the bottom line.
On the plus side, it does mean that the P2P companies have some worthwhile income. The record industry would have much more sympathy if it claimed that it had a right to a percentage of that income.
But even here in the UK, where we're a little more more pro-worker and pro-union, there's certainly not a lot of iniertia towards forming a union. A lot of developers seem to be fairly content with these working condiditons.
Those that may be willing (such as myself) have no idea what the process is for forming a union, or how to persuade people to join if I did form one.
For the extreme coders in the audience - remember when you first learned to actually do somethign worthwhile with a PC. Something mathematical and complicated, but looked pretty good?
I rmemeber. Icould spend an entire night fuelled by caffeine and pizza, hacking code, learning, not wanting to sleep.
The problem is that a lot of people expect it to continue that way. They think that because they could do that a few yewars ago, they can be as productive now.
And they're mistaken.
Work longer, productivity plummets. Brains need rest. People need to realise this.
Easy. He opens his mouth and says the words that he thinks will be most beneficial to Microsoft's bottom line. He could just as easily have said he has three heads. Except I think that statement would have been taken a little more seriously on Slasdhdot.
Well, it all depends on definition. Yes, socialism in some people's interpretation does imply a totally government run economy. There are lesser levels though. In the 1940's, Great Britain's Labour government referred to itself as socialist. This is not unreasonable since it did nationalise most of the nation's industry. However, there were relatively few heinous evils committed by that government. I'm not saying it was totally succesful, but it was far from evil.
Personally, I'd encourage everyone to work the time they're contracted for (no clock watching - finish what you're currently doing before leaving 5-20 minutes late).
Then refuse to tolerate any complaints about not staying late. Demand to know if the quality of work is insufficient. Do not let them change the direction of the conversation. If they have a complaint, it should be with the quality of code you're producing. Not some arbitrary time.
Oh, and this is a high risk strategy. Make sure your resume is up to date, and that you have contacts at other companies.
Funny thing is, it's more expensive to do things this way
I don't doubt it. I oftren wonder how much more productive someone is working a 12 hour day over an 8 hour day. I don't think anyone has really worked this out. But I think the mythical man month thing about digging a ditch is relevent here.
There's certainly no question that a tired worker is less productive than one who has had sleep. The question is, how much less productive? I don't know, but I believe that working stupid hours actually results in poorer code written more slowly.
Yes, but there area a lot of comments, and not one has said "I work for EA and it's nothing like that". Some have said "I worked for EA, and it really is that bad".
Really - Hardly anyone genuinely cares about the time it takes to deal with spam, or the nadwdth it takes up. You're not really going to do anything productive with the extra time taken. I mean, come on!
The issue I have, and everyone else has is that it's simpyl really really rude. I have email for a specific purpose. I provide it for people to contact me. Having some jerk take advantage of this to try to sell me something - especially something that I didn't want in the first place - is simply extremely bad manners.
There are way civilised people behave. This is not one of them. If you want to advertise, provide me with something that benefits me.
It's getting a fair amount of publicity. It might be worth vendors pre-installing it simply to add "Firefox browser" to the list of features. (Next to "intel inside", and all the other things they like to hype).
However it was never actually built until a hundred years after his death, as engireeing wasn't of a high enough standard in those days to build the parts he required.
Engineering of the day was perfectly capable of building a difference engine. The science museum proved this by building one to the same tolerances that were avaialable at the time. It's quite likely that the analytical engine would have required the same level of precision.
Then when someone calls you stupid for dressing in the wrong get up point a mirror in their face and tell them their mother did a bad job with the uniform.
You've never been to a Star Trek convention then.
Actually, neither have I, but I have been to a Buffy convention dressed as a Jedi. Nobody seemed to care.
To be honest, it wasn't really a well thought out rant.
I don't think it's a good thing to be too single minded about any subject, whether its a TV show, a sport, a singer, or even non-hobby things, such as a job or a cause. What the measure of "too single minded" is is somewhat subjective.
Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with being very enthusiastic about something. As long as it doesn't overtake your life. Some people simply take all of the above to insane levels.
Slashdot Mirror
Why do you think they push so hard for all the copyright extensions?
Actually, why do they push so hard for copyright extensions? Don't they want some new public domain stuff to ransack? Some of their best work has been based on freely available material.
It seems that P2P apps are legal, and they look likely to stay that way. Therefore, corporate ethics states that there's no reason not to advertise on them since supporting a legal service through legal means is generally considered to be legal. There's not a lot that the various 'AA's can do about it. They're the last organisations that have the right to criticise others for only caring about the bottom line.
On the plus side, it does mean that the P2P companies have some worthwhile income. The record industry would have much more sympathy if it claimed that it had a right to a percentage of that income.
Not sure.
But even here in the UK, where we're a little more more pro-worker and pro-union, there's certainly not a lot of iniertia towards forming a union. A lot of developers seem to be fairly content with these working condiditons.
Those that may be willing (such as myself) have no idea what the process is for forming a union, or how to persuade people to join if I did form one.
They don't have a union.
This is probably the problem.
I suspect you already know though, and that's your point isn't it.
If that's the case, why haven't they done so already?
They aren't earning the required $90000 p.a. to be exempt.
For the extreme coders in the audience - remember when you first learned to actually do somethign worthwhile with a PC. Something mathematical and complicated, but looked pretty good?
I rmemeber. Icould spend an entire night fuelled by caffeine and pizza, hacking code, learning, not wanting to sleep.
The problem is that a lot of people expect it to continue that way. They think that because they could do that a few yewars ago, they can be as productive now.
And they're mistaken.
Work longer, productivity plummets. Brains need rest. People need to realise this.
But surely if the company is breaking the law, they shouldn't be allowed to get away with it.
Easy. He opens his mouth and says the words that he thinks will be most beneficial to Microsoft's bottom line. He could just as easily have said he has three heads. Except I think that statement would have been taken a little more seriously on Slasdhdot.
I thought 1984 was about totalitarianism. Not socialism.
Although there are states that are both socialist and totalitarian, these are not the same thing.
Well, it all depends on definition. Yes, socialism in some people's interpretation does imply a totally government run economy. There are lesser levels though. In the 1940's, Great Britain's Labour government referred to itself as socialist. This is not unreasonable since it did nationalise most of the nation's industry. However, there were relatively few heinous evils committed by that government. I'm not saying it was totally succesful, but it was far from evil.
but not so in the US, unless the individual state has a law about it.
This is California, which by all accounts has some fairly pro-employee overtime laws.
The problem is being the one to actually stick your neck out and file a complaint.
Personally, I'd encourage everyone to work the time they're contracted for (no clock watching - finish what you're currently doing before leaving 5-20 minutes late).
Then refuse to tolerate any complaints about not staying late. Demand to know if the quality of work is insufficient. Do not let them change the direction of the conversation. If they have a complaint, it should be with the quality of code you're producing. Not some arbitrary time.
Oh, and this is a high risk strategy. Make sure your resume is up to date, and that you have contacts at other companies.
Funny thing is, it's more expensive to do things this way
I don't doubt it. I oftren wonder how much more productive someone is working a 12 hour day over an 8 hour day. I don't think anyone has really worked this out. But I think the mythical man month thing about digging a ditch is relevent here.
There's certainly no question that a tired worker is less productive than one who has had sleep. The question is, how much less productive? I don't know, but I believe that working stupid hours actually results in poorer code written more slowly.
Yes, but there area a lot of comments, and not one has said "I work for EA and it's nothing like that". Some have said "I worked for EA, and it really is that bad".
While we're at it, socialism is not a total evil.
Really - Hardly anyone genuinely cares about the time it takes to deal with spam, or the nadwdth it takes up. You're not really going to do anything productive with the extra time taken. I mean, come on!
The issue I have, and everyone else has is that it's simpyl really really rude. I have email for a specific purpose. I provide it for people to contact me. Having some jerk take advantage of this to try to sell me something - especially something that I didn't want in the first place - is simply extremely bad manners.
There are way civilised people behave. This is not one of them. If you want to advertise, provide me with something that benefits me.
1. Get Venders to include with their machines.
It's getting a fair amount of publicity. It might be worth vendors pre-installing it simply to add "Firefox browser" to the list of features. (Next to "intel inside", and all the other things they like to hype).
It might be relevent financial information. Perhaps it suggests that they might be planning to sell of bits of the company or something.
Not quite sure how it's news for news though.
However it was never actually built until a hundred years after his death, as engireeing wasn't of a high enough standard in those days to build the parts he required.
Engineering of the day was perfectly capable of building a difference engine. The science museum proved this by building one to the same tolerances that were avaialable at the time. It's quite likely that the analytical engine would have required the same level of precision.
Then when someone calls you stupid for dressing in the wrong get up point a mirror in their face and tell them their mother did a bad job with the uniform.
You've never been to a Star Trek convention then.
Actually, neither have I, but I have been to a Buffy convention dressed as a Jedi. Nobody seemed to care.
To be honest, it wasn't really a well thought out rant.
I don't think it's a good thing to be too single minded about any subject, whether its a TV show, a sport, a singer, or even non-hobby things, such as a job or a cause. What the measure of "too single minded" is is somewhat subjective.
Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with being very enthusiastic about something. As long as it doesn't overtake your life. Some people simply take all of the above to insane levels.
That's a little harsh isn't it?
European, the African one is non migratory.
Silly question.
Clearly it was Caveman.