One of my favorite questions when I'm interviewing someone is "Tell my about your home computer"
I've met people who didn't know much in the interview and it showed when they couldnt tell me what OS or video card they had (just a name, not a model number) and I've known people that have clusters and a netapp in their basement. Guess who got the job?
It's not important to tell me each and everything about your computer at home, but give me *something* to get a feel for your geek level.
Who ever is interviewing you (or multiple people), ask them how long they've been with the company, why they chose $COMPX over other opportunites, and why they STAY with the company. #3 is the most important of them 3.
Right on. I'm going to school as a Business major (not MBA-type, just love business topics). Everyone told me I should go and "get my CS degree," and that's what I originally signed on for since I've been a sysadmin for the past 6-7 years. Soon thereafter, however, I decided to change majors JUST for the fact that work is fun, computers are fun, and once I HAVE to start learning them, I'm afraid my job won't be an 8-hr hobby anymore. So no, I want it to REMAIN fun for me to go to work. If this means I don't learn each and every byte I'm working on, then so be it. I'll still enjoy my computer at work and at home.
Depends on what you do. I've watched my pay rise 30k in the middle of the economic downturn, and that's after turning down a couple good jobs that would've raised it even more. I've gone into interviews asking 20-30k more then my current [not too shabby] salary and had it offered to me on the spot, just because I'm good and have a high-level clearance.
These are very rough numbers because YMMV on degrees, certs (laugh, but the gov't loves 'em), and overall experience...
Again, the numbers or rough and off the top of my head (at 5AM no less). I fall along the high end of the Tech-4 group without a degree (working on it), a crappy Solaris 8 cert, and 6 years experience.
The key to it, however, is that it's STABLE work. I did the dot com thing, I did the telecom thing. I left both for stable work. I NEVER go into work wondering "is today the day?" like we all did during the dot com fallout.
Do what you can do get a security clearance. I've got one, courtesy of the USAF, but friends of mine with no military background whatsoever left telecom jobs and were able to get a security clearance. You got that, you're gold.
I could quit my job simply because it's Monday and have 5 offers by the time I hit the turnstiles on the way out. The pay is great (contractor, not gov't employee), it can't be outsourced, and as long as I don't lose my clearance for something stupid, I'm all but guaranteed a job.
I too work for a defense contractor and we're moving from Solaris to Linux. My workplace recently certified RHAS 3.0 to be used (ok, we need a waiver still, but it's better then nothing).
The engineers and developers I support love it. They're already asking me to roll out more boxes for them.
Why write? Apart from some rare instances, there is hardly ever a need to use a pen or a pencil. At least this is true for me.
Not just you, probably most of us geeks out here. In fact, discounting 3m sticky notes, the only thing I usually write every month is my rent check. Everything else gets paid online or over the phone. If it's not one of those items, it's probably being typed out. I'm sure that's pretty common around these parts...
It's better then instant and it's better then the crap they serve from corporate coffee machines. You can easily pick up a bag of Starbucks beans (or, for ease of use, already ground) and make what you want right at your desk.
It's not the white collar execs that you're mad at, its the stockholders. It's the folks who demand higher and higher profits every quarter, it's the folks who force the company to layoff workers to reduce overhead, ect.
We can play the blame game all day long, but India simply does the work cheaper.
The US started out as an agriculture based economy. Times have changed, they've evolved, and they'll continue to do so.
I've got one and I love it. Volume goes up to 98db, it vibrates your bed (think "magic fingers" at hotels), and flashes your lights (or leaves them steady on). You can do combinations of all of them too. Trust me, 98db will wake you up.
How I do know? I lost my hearing 3 years ago and bought one for myself!
It depends on your tastes, but the Grateful Dead Movie is good for visual stimulation. Keep in mind that it was originally released in the mid-70's, though don't let that stop you. It can be pretty trippy to watch, especially during the opening scenes.
Incorrect. Gov't employees AREN'T safe. Who's job do you think I "took"? All but a few of the IT staff where I work have been outsourced on the 7 year, 5 billion dollar Groundbreaker contract.
Nobody loses a job where I'm at. If another company wins your contract, you get rolled into that one. It happened to my office this past October. Eagle Alliance bought the contract from HP (I'm a gov't contractor for HP). Within 12 hrs, we became EA sub contractors and still had a job.
Fact is, the gov't is spending money left and right since 9/11, there are no layoffs where I'm at. We're hiring at a clip of over 1,000 people a year with no end is sight.
Or you work as a gov't contractor and NEVER get laid off to foriegn outsourcing. My job's secure until I decide to leave. You either change to meet today's business, or you get left behind.
I suppose it depends where you work. I could care less about fancy titles myself, but like you said, it gives HR the warm and fuzzies. However, dollars give me the warm an fuzzies and for whatever reason, the gov't loves to pay for certs (I'm a gov't contractor).
Yeah, I'm solaris 8 certed. Woopdeefuckingdoo. I was bored and the testing center was there. For $300 out of my pocket (reimbursed by my company), I can make an extra 5k a year. You do the math.
After it's compiled, tar it up, put it where you want, untar it, and make install again. Is it really all that different then scp'ing a binary package someplace and installing it that way? Like you said, a good script can automate even that for you.
I tend to think 'make uninstall' is pretty easy to remove software.
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One of my favorite questions when I'm interviewing someone is "Tell my about your home computer"
I've met people who didn't know much in the interview and it showed when they couldnt tell me what OS or video card they had (just a name, not a model number) and I've known people that have clusters and a netapp in their basement. Guess who got the job?
It's not important to tell me each and everything about your computer at home, but give me *something* to get a feel for your geek level.
Who ever is interviewing you (or multiple people), ask them how long they've been with the company, why they chose $COMPX over other opportunites, and why they STAY with the company. #3 is the most important of them 3.
Right on. I'm going to school as a Business major (not MBA-type, just love business topics). Everyone told me I should go and "get my CS degree," and that's what I originally signed on for since I've been a sysadmin for the past 6-7 years. Soon thereafter, however, I decided to change majors JUST for the fact that work is fun, computers are fun, and once I HAVE to start learning them, I'm afraid my job won't be an 8-hr hobby anymore. So no, I want it to REMAIN fun for me to go to work. If this means I don't learn each and every byte I'm working on, then so be it. I'll still enjoy my computer at work and at home.
Depends on what you do. I've watched my pay rise 30k in the middle of the economic downturn, and that's after turning down a couple good jobs that would've raised it even more. I've gone into interviews asking 20-30k more then my current [not too shabby] salary and had it offered to me on the spot, just because I'm good and have a high-level clearance.
These are very rough numbers because YMMV on degrees, certs (laugh, but the gov't loves 'em), and overall experience...
Tech 1 - 45-58k (help desk)
Tech 2 - 50-68k (low level desktop support)
Tech 3 - 61-75k (mid-level admin)
Tech 4 - 68-99k (little more senior)
Tech 5 - 100-??? (expert)
Again, the numbers or rough and off the top of my head (at 5AM no less). I fall along the high end of the Tech-4 group without a degree (working on it), a crappy Solaris 8 cert, and 6 years experience.
The key to it, however, is that it's STABLE work. I did the dot com thing, I did the telecom thing. I left both for stable work. I NEVER go into work wondering "is today the day?" like we all did during the dot com fallout.
Do what you can do get a security clearance. I've got one, courtesy of the USAF, but friends of mine with no military background whatsoever left telecom jobs and were able to get a security clearance. You got that, you're gold.
I could quit my job simply because it's Monday and have 5 offers by the time I hit the turnstiles on the way out. The pay is great (contractor, not gov't employee), it can't be outsourced, and as long as I don't lose my clearance for something stupid, I'm all but guaranteed a job.
Hard to do? Yes. Impossible to get? No.
Can you ask them if I can have my job back? :)
I too work for a defense contractor and we're moving from Solaris to Linux. My workplace recently certified RHAS 3.0 to be used (ok, we need a waiver still, but it's better then nothing).
The engineers and developers I support love it. They're already asking me to roll out more boxes for them.
That's INSANE!! Why pay $$ to rent a movie when you can just download it?
Because very few movies "released" online have full closed captioning, which is needed for us profoundly deaf geeks out here such as myself.
--Dave
What damage could be done if they were attacked?
If anyone wants to take the chance of finding out how secure they are, can you get rid of those pesky parking tickets in my name?
Keep in mind this little tidbit... You should never live to work, you should work so you can LIVE .
You said yourself there's nothing holding you back. Go. Now.
Why write? Apart from some rare instances, there is hardly ever a need to use a pen or a pencil. At least this is true for me.
Not just you, probably most of us geeks out here. In fact, discounting 3m sticky notes, the only thing I usually write every month is my rent check. Everything else gets paid online or over the phone. If it's not one of those items, it's probably being typed out. I'm sure that's pretty common around these parts...
I turn off my hearing aid! Woohoo! Losing my hearing 3 years ago certainly has it's advantages!
--Dave
Assuming you have your own desk, get a personal coffee maker for when you're in the office:
Coffee pot 1
Coffee pot 2
Coffee pot 3
It's better then instant and it's better then the crap they serve from corporate coffee machines. You can easily pick up a bag of Starbucks beans (or, for ease of use, already ground) and make what you want right at your desk.
--Dave
Why stop there, right?
It's not the white collar execs that you're mad at, its the stockholders. It's the folks who demand higher and higher profits every quarter, it's the folks who force the company to layoff workers to reduce overhead, ect.
We can play the blame game all day long, but India simply does the work cheaper.
The US started out as an agriculture based economy. Times have changed, they've evolved, and they'll continue to do so.
--Dave
http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/facility/medi na.htm
You may or may not know this, but a little timesaver. You don't even need to go to the console and Stop-A the box.
root@clientbox# reboot -- "net - install"
and it'll reboot with those options, starting the jumpstart automatically.
Think about getting this thing.
I've got one and I love it. Volume goes up to 98db, it vibrates your bed (think "magic fingers" at hotels), and flashes your lights (or leaves them steady on). You can do combinations of all of them too. Trust me, 98db will wake you up.
How I do know? I lost my hearing 3 years ago and bought one for myself!
It depends on your tastes, but the Grateful Dead Movie is good for visual stimulation. Keep in mind that it was originally released in the mid-70's, though don't let that stop you. It can be pretty trippy to watch, especially during the opening scenes.
GD Movie *disclaimer: yes, I'm a deadhead.
Bah... one more time: oFace: Doll
oMac, oMan, oRobit, oBeowolf [...] Once again, the porn industry leads innovation. The oFace is already here: Houston porn doll
Incorrect. Gov't employees AREN'T safe. Who's job do you think I "took"? All but a few of the IT staff where I work have been outsourced on the 7 year, 5 billion dollar Groundbreaker contract.
Nobody loses a job where I'm at. If another company wins your contract, you get rolled into that one. It happened to my office this past October. Eagle Alliance bought the contract from HP (I'm a gov't contractor for HP). Within 12 hrs, we became EA sub contractors and still had a job.
Fact is, the gov't is spending money left and right since 9/11, there are no layoffs where I'm at. We're hiring at a clip of over 1,000 people a year with no end is sight.
PC Disposal Dell, HP, and several other big players all offer various PC disposal programs also.
Or you work as a gov't contractor and NEVER get laid off to foriegn outsourcing. My job's secure until I decide to leave. You either change to meet today's business, or you get left behind.
I suppose it depends where you work. I could care less about fancy titles myself, but like you said, it gives HR the warm and fuzzies. However, dollars give me the warm an fuzzies and for whatever reason, the gov't loves to pay for certs (I'm a gov't contractor).
Yeah, I'm solaris 8 certed. Woopdeefuckingdoo. I was bored and the testing center was there. For $300 out of my pocket (reimbursed by my company), I can make an extra 5k a year. You do the math.
After it's compiled, tar it up, put it where you want, untar it, and make install again. Is it really all that different then scp'ing a binary package someplace and installing it that way? Like you said, a good script can automate even that for you.
I tend to think 'make uninstall' is pretty easy to remove software.