Anybody remember QWK mail? That was the way it was done back in the BBS days when you wanted to pick up all your mail, but didn't want to sit online for two hours reading.
Last time I did this in X or even in the console, it went like this:
left mouse to select and copy, middle mouse button to paste.
Really? Last time I did it in X, it went like this:
Left mouse to select, hit "Copy" from menu.
Highlight text that I want to overwrite with stuff from the clipboard, and... what? You mean just highlighting text causes it to overwrite what's on the clipboard? You mean I have to do two operations for something that should only take one? Thanks a lot!
Well, as nice as it would be to have them prove the security, it is technically impossible to prove that a system is secure. It is only possible to prove that a system is not secure by exposing a flaw.
You mean, kinda like making the leader of a country prove that he doesn't have weapons of mass destruction?
If the merchant doesn't bother to check ID, it's their own fault. Run the card, get the receipt, check for the buyer's name on the receipt, and ASK FOR ID to verify. Then COMPARE SIGNATURES.
Online business? If you're not verifying CVV, you're asking for it.
Under California law, there are only two exemptions to paying overtime:
Uh... unless the law has changed in the past year, there are several exemptions.
1. You are a manager of at least two people.
More specifically, you have to be a manager of at least two (I thought it was three), and you have to spend at least 75% of your working time doing management-related duties and NOT "line duties." (In my case, I was a "Manager" who answered the tech support calls like everyone else 90% of the time.)
2. You are required, by law, to have a license to work in your profession (e.g. doctor or lawyer). A MSCE does not count since it is not a legal requirement.
My understanding is that there are a couple of other exemptions:
3. Administrative. Don't remember the law for this one, but I believe there were strict guidelines (i.e. admin to an executive) and a minimum salary applied.
4. Sales. This is for commissioned sales employees. Again, certain rules and pay minimums applied.
5. Professional. This is for skilled workers. The minimum equivalent hourly wage has to be ~$41 (6.5 times minimum wage?)
IANAL, and I haven't read the rules in a year or two. I DO know that the professional exemption is still there, and I know several people that were paid back overtime a couple of years ago from a former employer, so it's definitely there.
Oh, and "then don't work there" doesn't apply in California. Accept the job, sign the contract, and then go ahead and track all your time. When you're ready to move on to another employer, go to the labor board and collect your back pay.
California's law is kinda screwy also, since overtime is defined as any hours > 8 in a day. So BofA had to cancel all flex time (work 10 hours M-Th, get half day Friday) and has implimented time logging for all of us. Not quite punch cards, but quite possibly soon.
California specifically has exemptions for the 4-day 10-hour workweek. In your case, 10 hours M-Th and half a day Friday is 44 hours, so no dice.
If you're in California, keep track of your time. Send emails to yourself, use your access card to log in and out of the building--do something. If your company refuses to pay you overtime, you can collect after you leave the company. (I know firsthand--a former co-worker of mine got almost $250,000 in back-overtime from a former employer. He was a "salaried" "exempt" server administrator.)
California law is quite clear. You don't get an exemption for being a "professional" unless you make that minimum $41 an hour, and no employment contract (excluding collective bargaining) can take that "right" away from you.
Best part is, you don't even need a lawyer. Call the Labor Board and present your evidence. They will collect for you for free.
Well, I think it's official now; the letter X has been overused. First, we had X11 and all the things named after that, then Window XP and OS X. Now Xserve?
Well, could be worse--they could go the route of every other company and overuse the word "Extreme"--y'know, instead of Quartz, they would have...
From working with 24 hour nursing staff and call center staffers is that the average nurse can be trained to type so damn fast its impossible to see the screens. A call every 1-2 minutes. Wow.
That was, until we went to a GUI from our venerable VMS and OS/390 systems. Productivity fell so fast it whistled.
Funny, our corporate accounting system where we enter all of our timesheets, expense reports, travel requests, etc. is an IBM that you access through a Java-based 3270 emulator. My co-workers can't stand the system. For me, the fact that I can navigate anywhere and do anything without lifting a finger for the mouse makes this a fantastically productive system. I now do the expense reports for several of my co-workers in exchange for lunch.:-)
I think a lot of this has to do with the elitist mindset of a lot IT workers. They see themselves as the masters, the ones who ought to be in charge because so much of the work is done through systems they built. But really, they should think of themselves as servants, trying to build the best system they can to support the end-users. After all, in a business setting, the end users are the ones who produce the true value of that business. IT people are just there to make it easier.
That's fine and dandy. When I used to get tickets, I did my damndest to make sure things were taken care of quickly and professionally, and if there was a way to train a user to solve or avoid the issues in the future, I would take the time.
Now, we're outsourced. We are paid to solve a finite set of issues quickly and politely. User training is not included, some issues (such as printer problems!) are not included and non-standard software is not included. It pains me to turn down some issues, but it is the nature of the contract.
However, when the user is required to know basic computer skills and how to use Windows and Office as part of their job, I have always not provided training. Why? It's part of the requirements to get any job at that company. I have no patience for someone who is not qualified to work in the position that they're in.
That's up to the folks managing the changeover. Our company switched from Win95/Novell to Win2K/Win2K. We used software from Miramar Systems to migrate data over, and got away with astoundingly few issues.
Of course, Windows 95 was bought, and Windows 2000 is on a site license. No doubt that means we won't be able to hang on to 2000 for 6 years like we did Windows 95 without some kind of contractually-forced upgrade to.NET (or 2003 or whatever it will be called.)
At my employer, we have sales staff rotated in and out quite frequently. I find myself going through the same spiel every day on how to turn on the computer, start Windows, use Outlook, use Word, print, etc.
I'm tired of it. Why? Because the job description for every position in the company specifically requires knowledge of Windows and Office. When somebody starts their new job and doesn't even know how to use a mouse, should I have any sympathy? No, it is part of the skillset they were required to have to get the job!
Better yet, write them a firm letter explaining the problem and demanding a refund. Give them a one week deadline to respond by telephone or email. Send it return receipt requested.
If they don't provide a prompt refund, dispute the charge with your credit card company. Provide a copy of the letter, return receipt and any other correspondence. They will find in your favor and deduct from the merchant's bank account. (If the merchant doesn't have the funds, then the merchant's acquiring bank will be forced to pay.) According to VISA/Mastercard regulations, there is no such thing as "All sales final", especially with deceptive advertising.
Didn't pay with a credit card? D'oh! (ALWAYS use a credit card. It's your only protection.)
Tom's is bragging about their speed at serving "dynamic" content. The only dynamic content I see is the advertisements. If you have data that doesn't change for 10 or 15 minutes, of course you can cache it all on the web server side.
Try to apply that to a site where content has to change constantly (DYNAMIC content, one would say), and see how caching speeds things up.
If the Sun suddenly disappears (hypothetically), would the Earth continue to hold its orbit for 8 or so minutes, or would it go whizzing off into space instantly? Does this new "Speed of Gravity" research change that answer from what it was, say, a year ago?
We use Nextel to get paged when new trouble tickets come in. So far, not a single lost SMS. Nextel stores SMS messages for up to 7 days before discarding.
Prompt delivery is another matter. I come from a non-coverage area and sometimes don't get my messages until an hour or more after I get back in coverage. Also, sometimes during the day I'll get three or four backed up messages, but not one lost.
But to see how airlines ought to work, just look at Southwest Airlines. They're, as far as I know, the only profitable national airline flying today. They fly one plane-- the 737-- on all their routes, and they fly into smaller airports. Rather than flying into JFK they fly into Islip. Rather than flying into DFW they fly into Dallas Love. Their service is impeccable, if not exactly first class, and their ticket prices are low, low.
Southwest has posted 29 years of straight profits, including every quarter since 9/11. They also hold the important (to me) distinction of being the only major national carrier to have never killed anyone.
Southwest just shows that Americans like being treated like cattle.
I fly Southwest all too frequently. Would assigned seats really cut their profit margin? Why am I better than that guy over there just because I got to the check-in counter 5 minutes sooner?
Yeah, the employees are nice, etc. But you can be unprofessional and still have assigned seating...
Personally, I couldn't care less. I get my gas cheaper because I pump it myself; I get my groceries cheaper because I carry them out to my car myself, and I'll pay less to travel because I pick my own seat and bring my own snack.
Air travel has become the last bastion of the "old way" things are done. I can get a motel room or take a bus or train and not expect to be served a meal; why should I expect any more from an air carrier? (My last company-sponsored trip on United came with a nasty excuse for a meal that made me violently ill anyway.)
You can travel 2,000 miles on Southwest at 5 times freeway speeds for less than it costs for gas for the car. Shouldn't that be good enough?
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"He steals from the poor, and gives to the rich. Stupid bitch."
Anybody remember QWK mail? That was the way it was done back in the BBS days when you wanted to pick up all your mail, but didn't want to sit online for two hours reading.
I remember going to computer shows and seeing Yamada computer speakers. Yes, that's "Yamada." Same lettering and everything.
The "Edit" menu. In Netscape. Or do you just copy and paste your text to the desktop?
left mouse to select and copy, middle mouse button to paste.
Really? Last time I did it in X, it went like this:
Left mouse to select, hit "Copy" from menu.
Highlight text that I want to overwrite with stuff from the clipboard, and... what? You mean just highlighting text causes it to overwrite what's on the clipboard? You mean I have to do two operations for something that should only take one? Thanks a lot!
You mean, kinda like making the leader of a country prove that he doesn't have weapons of mass destruction?
(Yeah, kinda offtopic, but it proves the point.)
Hmm... and if it were mailed across state lines, I would expect some kind of trafficking charge as well. :-)
If the merchant doesn't bother to check ID, it's their own fault. Run the card, get the receipt, check for the buyer's name on the receipt, and ASK FOR ID to verify. Then COMPARE SIGNATURES.
Online business? If you're not verifying CVV, you're asking for it.
Now all they need to do is put one on my Powerbook. :-)
Yeah, but remember they still owe you back-overtime for hours worked.
Call the Labor Board. They'll give you free info and even collect for you when you're ready. Just keep some time tracking.
Uh... unless the law has changed in the past year, there are several exemptions.
1. You are a manager of at least two people.
More specifically, you have to be a manager of at least two (I thought it was three), and you have to spend at least 75% of your working time doing management-related duties and NOT "line duties." (In my case, I was a "Manager" who answered the tech support calls like everyone else 90% of the time.)
2. You are required, by law, to have a license to work in your profession (e.g. doctor or lawyer). A MSCE does not count since it is not a legal requirement.
My understanding is that there are a couple of other exemptions:
3. Administrative. Don't remember the law for this one, but I believe there were strict guidelines (i.e. admin to an executive) and a minimum salary applied.
4. Sales. This is for commissioned sales employees. Again, certain rules and pay minimums applied.
5. Professional. This is for skilled workers. The minimum equivalent hourly wage has to be ~$41 (6.5 times minimum wage?)
IANAL, and I haven't read the rules in a year or two. I DO know that the professional exemption is still there, and I know several people that were paid back overtime a couple of years ago from a former employer, so it's definitely there.
Oh, and "then don't work there" doesn't apply in California. Accept the job, sign the contract, and then go ahead and track all your time. When you're ready to move on to another employer, go to the labor board and collect your back pay.
California specifically has exemptions for the 4-day 10-hour workweek. In your case, 10 hours M-Th and half a day Friday is 44 hours, so no dice.
California law is quite clear. You don't get an exemption for being a "professional" unless you make that minimum $41 an hour, and no employment contract (excluding collective bargaining) can take that "right" away from you.
Best part is, you don't even need a lawyer. Call the Labor Board and present your evidence. They will collect for you for free.
The DB-9 connectors allow you to connect to the signaling ports on your UPSs.
Well, could be worse--they could go the route of every other company and overuse the word "Extreme"--y'know, instead of Quartz, they would have...
Oh wait. Never mind.
That was, until we went to a GUI from our venerable VMS and OS/390 systems. Productivity fell so fast it whistled.
Funny, our corporate accounting system where we enter all of our timesheets, expense reports, travel requests, etc. is an IBM that you access through a Java-based 3270 emulator. My co-workers can't stand the system. For me, the fact that I can navigate anywhere and do anything without lifting a finger for the mouse makes this a fantastically productive system. I now do the expense reports for several of my co-workers in exchange for lunch. :-)
That's fine and dandy. When I used to get tickets, I did my damndest to make sure things were taken care of quickly and professionally, and if there was a way to train a user to solve or avoid the issues in the future, I would take the time.
Now, we're outsourced. We are paid to solve a finite set of issues quickly and politely. User training is not included, some issues (such as printer problems!) are not included and non-standard software is not included. It pains me to turn down some issues, but it is the nature of the contract.
However, when the user is required to know basic computer skills and how to use Windows and Office as part of their job, I have always not provided training. Why? It's part of the requirements to get any job at that company. I have no patience for someone who is not qualified to work in the position that they're in.
Of course, Windows 95 was bought, and Windows 2000 is on a site license. No doubt that means we won't be able to hang on to 2000 for 6 years like we did Windows 95 without some kind of contractually-forced upgrade to .NET (or 2003 or whatever it will be called.)
I'm tired of it. Why? Because the job description for every position in the company specifically requires knowledge of Windows and Office. When somebody starts their new job and doesn't even know how to use a mouse, should I have any sympathy? No, it is part of the skillset they were required to have to get the job!
If they don't provide a prompt refund, dispute the charge with your credit card company. Provide a copy of the letter, return receipt and any other correspondence. They will find in your favor and deduct from the merchant's bank account. (If the merchant doesn't have the funds, then the merchant's acquiring bank will be forced to pay.) According to VISA/Mastercard regulations, there is no such thing as "All sales final", especially with deceptive advertising.
Didn't pay with a credit card? D'oh! (ALWAYS use a credit card. It's your only protection.)
Tom's is bragging about their speed at serving "dynamic" content. The only dynamic content I see is the advertisements. If you have data that doesn't change for 10 or 15 minutes, of course you can cache it all on the web server side.
Try to apply that to a site where content has to change constantly (DYNAMIC content, one would say), and see how caching speeds things up.
If the Sun suddenly disappears (hypothetically), would the Earth continue to hold its orbit for 8 or so minutes, or would it go whizzing off into space instantly? Does this new "Speed of Gravity" research change that answer from what it was, say, a year ago?
Prompt delivery is another matter. I come from a non-coverage area and sometimes don't get my messages until an hour or more after I get back in coverage. Also, sometimes during the day I'll get three or four backed up messages, but not one lost.
Southwest has posted 29 years of straight profits, including every quarter since 9/11. They also hold the important (to me) distinction of being the only major national carrier to have never killed anyone.
I fly Southwest all too frequently. Would assigned seats really cut their profit margin? Why am I better than that guy over there just because I got to the check-in counter 5 minutes sooner?
Yeah, the employees are nice, etc. But you can be unprofessional and still have assigned seating...
Personally, I couldn't care less. I get my gas cheaper because I pump it myself; I get my groceries cheaper because I carry them out to my car myself, and I'll pay less to travel because I pick my own seat and bring my own snack.
Air travel has become the last bastion of the "old way" things are done. I can get a motel room or take a bus or train and not expect to be served a meal; why should I expect any more from an air carrier? (My last company-sponsored trip on United came with a nasty excuse for a meal that made me violently ill anyway.)
You can travel 2,000 miles on Southwest at 5 times freeway speeds for less than it costs for gas for the car. Shouldn't that be good enough?