"The one negative that hits us big is the fact that this is San Diego. The sun is nice but it cost just as much to live here as in Silicon Valley now. Very little incentive to move here."
I live in the San Diego area as well and I would much rather live here than in Silicon Valley or shoveling snow somewhere else. To each his own I guess.
As I've noted before, the definition of embedded seems to be changing from the traditional meaning of a special purpose computing device to a general purpose computing device with a different form factor.
Given the traditional meaning, there's not much use in supporting a sophisticated driver architecture, dynamic linking or traditional memory allocation.
Usually all functionality has to be available simultaneously so swapping things in and out is dangerous and not particularly useful. Having said that, when developing for some very primitive systems (like the Atari 2600) a programmer might reuse RAM, but it always has to be done on a ad hoc basis to ensure that there isn't a conflict.
"do you really think consoles are going to remain somehow immune from the trends of convergence and virtualisation that characterise other platforms? "
Convergence is the development that has been "just around the corner" for about 20 years. It won't happen until humans are re-engineered to solve the ergonomic problems.
"Behaviour is outside the scope of HTML and HTTP. HTML is meant to form documents into a structure and describe what each part of the structure means. HTTP is meant to transfer resources across a network. Neither of these things includes behaviour or interaction with users. Why do you want to glom it on?"
If behavior was outside the scope of what people attempt with websites, I'd agree with you. The fact is that design of HTML and HTTP didn't anticipate the future uses of websites.
"Believe it or not, it does actually make sense to partition a particular problem space into multiple solutions."
Sure, but that's not what happened in this case. The problem wasn't partitioned into HTML/HTTP and Javascript. Javascript was added later to address the limitations of HTML/HTTP. That's why it's essentially a kludge: slightly ugly engineering that was added to address an unanticipated need.
"Compile vs interpret is an implementation detail, not a property of the language. For example, Python is interpreted when you fire up the Python shell, but is compiled when you run an application from the command-line."
We were talking about Javascript not Python. How many browsers support client-side compiled Javascript?
1. Layoff people that challenge or otherwise annoy management. 2. Layoff people who are expensive 3. Layoff people who are working on poorly performing projects. 4. Layoff people who are weak performers 5. Layoff people who are good performers but not "buddies" of the founders. 6. Layoff the buddies 7. Close the doors.
"From experience, I'm afraid that they're going to train people to be the ReHhat equivalents of an MCSE - and we all know how respected they are in the 'real world.'"
What's the difference between a Windows Administrator and a Windows Administrator with an MCSE? The Admin with the MCSE took a test that proves a certain amount of competency with MS technologies. It's absurd to believe that the average admin without the certification is superior to the average admin with it.
It's the same with a RedHat certification for Linux. The average admin with the certification is going to be more qualified to administer RedHat Linux than the one without it.
If you've written a TCP stack from scratch you're not an average candidate (although I'm not sure how much value that skill is to an adminstrator), but the fact remains that the untested are less likely to be qualified on the average than the tested.
That's also why companies verify that you have received a degree: they believe in testing.
Having said all that I don't think that a university should put all their eggs in one basket. They shouldn't teach RedHat Linux exclusively any more than they should teach Unix exclusively.
Or you could say that network-based applications are kludges to allow applications to run remotely that would run better locally.
But seriously, my point is that it doesn't make sense to write javascript code for nearly every application just because HTML and HTTP don't provide the needed functionality.
Of course if we were going to skip the browser completely (as your comment hints) we'd better off using a compiled language than an interpreted one like Javascript.
"Personally I think we should be rethinking the underlying infrastructure before we build too much on top of it."
I agree. Javascript was the first of many kludges invented to escape the limitations of HTML and HTTP.
It would be much better if a new infrastructure were created that allowed browsers to implicitly handle common tasks that today require javascript programming.
It's very difficult to determine from an interview how well someone will do on the job. The consequence of this is that those who are best at selling themselves are going to be in higher demand.
If you've been trying for months to hire someone for an non-executive position and haven't succeeded, your need must not be very great.
I've worked at companies that had jobs open for years that were never filled because their requirements were out of sync with what they were willing to pay. They had a long list of requirements but then said they needed someone with 0-3 years experience. Translation: they wanted to hire an entry-level software engineer with very specific knowledge. There was no such person, so the job wasn't filled.
"We don't know exactly what we want you to do, so make proposals until we tell you one is adequate. By the way, if you don't come up with a proposal we like by the deadline, we're going to fine you."
"Someone who has been programming in COBOL for 15 years doesn't provide the kind of potential for innovation that a newly graduated CS student does."
You may be underestiming COBOL programmers and overestimating new grads, but in any case this a red herring. Very few people who have a mere 15 years experience are programming in COBOL.
Programmers with 15 years experience probably use the same languages as new grads do. They just have a deeper understanding of how to design and implement a complete project based on their work experience.
"For an example, look at Social Security. The Democrats have locked up the votes of the gimme generation by saying that the evil Republicans are going to take it away from them.The whole basis of welfare is to create an underclass of people dependent on the government."
Wait until you're in your 50's after putting money in Social Security for 35 years and see what you think. Social Security is not welfare.
It's the government that depends on us rather than the other way around. How many wars would Bush be able to fight if he had to raise the money himself instead of using our tax dollars?
If the government returns all my SS contributions (with interest) and returns all my tax dollars spent on undeclared wars (with interest), I'll opt out.
Since plenty of goverment contractors make contributions to Congress (in both parties) in order to maintain defense related welfare payments from the government (i.e. us), I know it will never happen.
Well, there wasn't anything quite like GPL'd code in the distant past. In addition, the idea that all software was "free" in the early days is a myth. Some was and some was not.
Yes, it's called anthropomorphism. But even if you believe that non-sentient objects have desires, the BSD license keeps your code free forever and ever. Only derivative works have the possibility of becoming "non-free".
Slashdot Mirror
"The one negative that hits us big is the fact that this is San Diego. The sun is nice but it cost just as much to live here as in Silicon Valley now. Very little incentive to move here."
I live in the San Diego area as well and I would much rather live here than in Silicon Valley or shoveling snow somewhere else. To each his own I guess.
As I've noted before, the definition of embedded seems to be changing from the traditional meaning of a special purpose computing device to a general purpose computing device with a different form factor.
Given the traditional meaning, there's not much use in supporting a sophisticated driver architecture, dynamic linking or traditional memory allocation.
Usually all functionality has to be available simultaneously so swapping things in and out is dangerous and not particularly useful. Having said that, when developing for some very primitive systems (like the Atari 2600) a programmer might reuse RAM, but it always has to be done on a ad hoc basis to ensure that there isn't a conflict.
"do you really think consoles are going to remain somehow immune from the trends of convergence and virtualisation that characterise other platforms? "
Convergence is the development that has been "just around the corner" for about 20 years. It won't happen until humans are re-engineered to solve the ergonomic problems.
"Does this mean some games would not be made? sure, but i for one can live with less corporate sponsored entertainment thank you."
Sorry to burst your idealistic bubble but any artist in history you've ever heard of had some kind of patron unless they were already wealthy.
"Behaviour is outside the scope of HTML and HTTP. HTML is meant to form documents into a structure and describe what each part of the structure means. HTTP is meant to transfer resources across a network. Neither of these things includes behaviour or interaction with users. Why do you want to glom it on?"
If behavior was outside the scope of what people attempt with websites, I'd agree with you. The fact is that design of HTML and HTTP didn't anticipate the future uses of websites.
"Believe it or not, it does actually make sense to partition a particular problem space into multiple solutions."
Sure, but that's not what happened in this case. The problem wasn't partitioned into HTML/HTTP and Javascript. Javascript was added later to address the limitations of HTML/HTTP. That's why it's essentially a kludge: slightly ugly engineering that was added to address an unanticipated need.
"Compile vs interpret is an implementation detail, not a property of the language. For example, Python is interpreted when you fire up the Python shell, but is compiled when you run an application from the command-line."
We were talking about Javascript not Python. How many browsers support client-side compiled Javascript?
1. Layoff people that challenge or otherwise annoy management.
2. Layoff people who are expensive
3. Layoff people who are working on poorly performing projects.
4. Layoff people who are weak performers
5. Layoff people who are good performers but not "buddies" of the founders.
6. Layoff the buddies
7. Close the doors.
"From experience, I'm afraid that they're going to train people to be the ReHhat equivalents of an MCSE - and we all know how respected they are in the 'real world.'"
What's the difference between a Windows Administrator and a Windows Administrator with an MCSE? The Admin with the MCSE took a test that proves a certain amount of competency with MS technologies. It's absurd to believe that the average admin without the certification is superior to the average admin with it.
It's the same with a RedHat certification for Linux. The average admin with the certification is going to be more qualified to administer RedHat Linux than the one without it.
If you've written a TCP stack from scratch you're not an average candidate (although I'm not sure how much value that skill is to an adminstrator), but the fact remains that the untested are less likely to be qualified on the average than the tested.
That's also why companies verify that you have received a degree: they believe in testing.
Having said all that I don't think that a university should put all their eggs in one basket. They shouldn't teach RedHat Linux exclusively any more than they should teach Unix exclusively.
Or you could say that network-based applications are kludges to allow applications to run remotely that would run better locally.
But seriously, my point is that it doesn't make sense to write javascript code for nearly every application just because HTML and HTTP don't provide the needed functionality.
Of course if we were going to skip the browser completely (as your comment hints) we'd better off using a compiled language than an interpreted one like Javascript.
"Personally I think we should be rethinking the underlying infrastructure before we build too much on top of it."
I agree. Javascript was the first of many kludges invented to escape the limitations of HTML and HTTP.
It would be much better if a new infrastructure were created that allowed browsers to implicitly handle common tasks that today require javascript programming.
It's very difficult to determine from an interview how well someone will do on the job. The consequence of this is that those who are best at selling themselves are going to be in higher demand.
If you've been trying for months to hire someone for an non-executive position and haven't succeeded, your need must not be very great.
I've worked at companies that had jobs open for years that were never filled because their requirements were out of sync with what they were willing to pay. They had a long list of requirements but then said they needed someone with 0-3 years experience. Translation: they wanted to hire an entry-level software engineer with very specific knowledge. There was no such person, so the job wasn't filled.
It sounds like the EU is saying:
"We don't know exactly what we want you to do, so make proposals until we tell you one is adequate. By the way, if you don't come up with a proposal we like by the deadline, we're going to fine you."
"When your main function is to turn out code, all that matters is that you have talented programmers and someone with a direction for the company. "
Perhaps this is true for a non-profit, but in the real world if your main function is "to turn out code" you probably won't be in business very long.
"Receptionist are definitely in that category, especially since they are most easily replaced out of any staff members."
Good receptionists are much harder to replace than good programmers. It's a buyer's market for programmers.
I think you overestimate the logical basis for layoff choices. Office politics are usually a major factor as well.
"Someone who has been programming in COBOL for 15 years doesn't provide the kind of potential for innovation that a newly graduated CS student does."
You may be underestiming COBOL programmers and overestimating new grads, but in any case this a red herring. Very few people who have a mere 15 years experience are programming in COBOL.
Programmers with 15 years experience probably use the same languages as new grads do. They just have a deeper understanding of how to design and implement a complete project based on their work experience.
"You are paying to subsidize the standard of living of the wealthiest generation of Americans ever. "
That will become true if Bush's changes go into effect. Left alone, my contributions will mean that I will get a little money when I retire.
Of course many people who are getting SS now are quite poor.
OK. Almost nobody was in the workforce during the great depression.
I meant that most of the parents of Boomers had not lost their jobs because of the depression because they hadn't entered the workforce yet.
Very funny. But the fact is that most parents of Boomers were not in the workforce during the great depression.
"For an example, look at Social Security. The Democrats have locked up the votes of the gimme generation by saying that the evil Republicans are going to take it away from them.The whole basis of welfare is to create an underclass of people dependent on the government."
Wait until you're in your 50's after putting money in Social Security for 35 years and see what you think. Social Security is not welfare.
It's the government that depends on us rather than the other way around. How many wars would Bush be able to fight if he had to raise the money himself instead of using our tax dollars?
If the government returns all my SS contributions (with interest) and returns all my tax dollars spent on undeclared wars (with interest), I'll opt out.
Since plenty of goverment contractors make contributions to Congress (in both parties) in order to maintain defense related welfare payments from the government (i.e. us), I know it will never happen.
"1. Baby boomers are retiring in mass and the number of retirements will only increase => shrinking experienced labor supply"
Today the age range for Baby boomers is between 41 and 59. Perhaps you're confusing retirement with layoffs.
"I seriously doubt this. "Job Security" is something the Boomers had, and that puppy is dead in the basket."
Actually, job security is something that Boomers's parents had. The puppy is been dead longer than you think.
This claim of a lack of engineers has been around since the late 1950's and has never been true.
When every qualified software engineer who wants a job has one, we can start talking about shortages.
Well, there wasn't anything quite like GPL'd code in the distant past. In addition, the idea that all software was "free" in the early days is a myth. Some was and some was not.
So what? The orginal code would still be available to everyone.
Remember "information wants to be free"?
Yes, it's called anthropomorphism. But even if you believe that non-sentient objects have desires, the BSD license keeps your code free forever and ever. Only derivative works have the possibility of becoming "non-free".
"He like STARTED the whole free software movement, enough said imo"
Only in the sense that he hijacked the word "free" to mean GPL-compliant.
Free (in the conventional sense) software, software with source provided and proprietary software all existed well before RMS learned to program.