Actually, skilled windows administrators are harder to find because so many of them, tired of beating down on the "It's not documented, and I can't see the source--what's the command-line option to do foo" song and dance eventually turn away in disgust and start hacking away on an old boxen with a downloaded linux distro.
Then, later, they decide that the ftp server could be linux and no-one in the company would know.
Then, later again, they decide that they're going to invest their precious time in learning linux and python/perl and they slowly migrate from a windows admin to a unix/linux admin.
Also, the fact that if you get out of the loop for two or three years as a windows sysadmin you have to relearn everything from scratch because windows servers will look completely different doesn't help. Some people decide that they've learned enough and don't want to mess with re-learning all the tricks every time MS wants to change its paradigm.
Re:of course 15 coders makes for less bugs
on
Open Source Studies
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
I think that you make a good point:
The microsoft products are more complex.
The open-source products are less complex.
I'll have to agree with you on the complexity level.
However, this is most likely due to the microsoft vs unix way of doing things. In unix, a lot of little programs accomplish a lot together. In the MS world, a few monolithic programs accomplish a lot together.
So, taking program to program, the MS ones would be most complex, since they try to put everything and the kitchen sink in every single one of their flagship products.
And so, consequently, these monolithic multi-million code lines programs are more difficult to design, engineer, maintain, and debug.
But there are fewer of them, so more resources (programmers, program managers) can be assigned to each.
In the unix world, there are many more programs. And while each of these programs individually may be less complex, less encompassing in scope, and have fewer features, as a group they are able to outperform microsoft's systems.
Since each program is smaller and more easily defined in scope and requirements, then each program takes fewer programmers to design, implement, and maintain. As a result, it is possible for a smallish dedicated team to design, implement, and enhance a valuable and usable piece of software.
For example, I was surprised two years ago to find out that the core team of Postgresql is relatively small (currently the steering committee and major developers combine to less than 25 people) and yet it is no small feat.
For the unix world, the difficulty comes when there are a great many programs in use that have been developed over the years by different groups of people with different methodologies. These programs must work with each others, store their files in known locations, etc. This is especially important in linux, because there are so many more programs (including multiple guis) that need to share the same directory tree, and each have varying degrees of dependencies.
So the complexity still exists, it just falls outside of the program itself, and is rather a product of the environment.
Of course, having had my share of windows dll hell, I realize the problem of software dependencies is OS-agnostic.
----
I think I'll get back to work now... Is it lunch yet?
I love it when, failing to see the humor and admittedly off-topic jab at an unpopular US policy, the offended one, unable to deal with a little graffiti (and what is slashdot but one giant New York-style subway car) resorts to vulgarity.
/me breaks off a little more bread off the old baguette to feed the grey winged trolls...
Dang. When will web page designers understand that making interesting pages all text, real html, no javascript, linked css and less than 2K will allow their sites to withstand slashdotting better?
But nooo, instead they have 50K+ pages with a billion font tags and tables within tables within tables writhing tables... And Large, HUGE images (and not even PNGs)...
Someone ought to write a book entitled: "How to build web sites that can handle/."
"but rather that it is a potential risk if the admin is not sufficiently competent."
You see, if the admin is a groking wizard with luser hate-filled eyes, whatever box he installs will be Fort Knox, regardless of the OS.
Take your typical $36k/yr MCSE admin, and any system they setup will be like grated cheese.
It's called experience, savvy, knowledge, tenacity, and not a little geekiness. And it's worth money.
So, if you're a CIO and you don't want your company name to appear on the marketplace section of the Wall Street journal under the heading "Hacker steals 50,000 credit cards from..." then pay your good admins, even if they look like they're sleeping in meetings, even if their tie rotation schedule becomes glaringly apparent.
Security is like seatbelts. The instant you need it it's too late to put it on. You have to put it on before.
Good admins: When it looks like they are not doing anything, that when they've done everything right.
Oh, and that list for windows: If you didn't already know all of that by heart, there's no chance in hell you'd get anywhere near production servers at our company.
And now for something ot: There was a story a few days ago here about what would happen to the DNS system if the root servers for.com etc were misconfigured, replicating the misconfiguration accross all DNS servers... Eerily, see WorldCom's troubles today...
First, visit japan, for about 2 weeks. If you like it, then decide.
Some people love it there, some don't.
I went 2 years ago and had a blast.
am married to japanese so visa not an issue. But I am not sure I would really enjoy living there.
As far as jobs, pick a relatively small town with a US consulate (try Fukuoka) (about 1 million ppl). There are about 45,000 americans living in Fukuoka, so you can get a support network of friends.
Also, I would say that if you can work for a US company in the US by telecommuting then you can get a non-working visa (easier to get). High-speed internet costs about the same as here. Housing much more (think LA). Also, smaller towns might help there too.
Don't worry about a car, you don't need one. Public transportation is world-class. (besides, gas is expensive there, more than in Europe)
If you can get paid in dollars in the US you'll do better tax-wise.
As far as jobs, well, Japan is in a recession. If you can manage to keep rent to $1000/mo with no car, then you can make it on $30K/year (25%tax,35%housing, the rest: bills, communications, food) so you can be competitive here in the US. Also, save up about 2 grand a year for trips back and forth, and administrative crap.
If you want to go to japan and live the high life, you're gonna burn $500 per day easy. If you want to live thrifty, you're still looking at $50/day (including lodging and noodles).
And then email the web sites that use it and send them a very nice business-like letter like this:
----------------
Dear So and So,
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that you now provide streaming audio on your web site, as I am a long time reader, and enjoy your site tremendously.
I am however disconcerted that you do not provide any audio besides RealAudio. As you may be aware, the RealAudio client software is quite unstable and has caused my equipment to fail repeatedly, as well as compromised my privacy. I have uninstalled it and have no plans in the future to install it on my computers. [It's important to say computers, it implies you have more than one and thus have money]
I strongly recommend you provide alternative audio streams, such as mp3 or, even better, ogg vorbis.
I appreciate your taking the time to listen to my suggestion.
Thank you very much
Real Full Name Real Full Email Real Full Phone Number.
[If you put your phone number, they can see where you live, and they won't think you're full of caca]
-----------
This usually works very well, and it does not take that many such emails for them to actually make the change.
And they will lose that spot if they continue acting in such stupid way because potentially bright students will just not go to a school (state funded or otherwise) that does not, as a matter of policy and as a matter of principle, encourage free speech and the free exchange of ideas. They will also lose their best teachers.
As an aside, they are a business. Businesses, when their customers are suffering from vendor lock-in, go after the money.
Also, I contend that the university would violate its own mandate as an establishment of higher learning and should be immediately closed by the state, and all persons responsible for this criminal act (violation of the US Constitution) should be hung for treason (we are at War after all).
"I hereby declare, on oath,......that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic;..." The Oath of Citizenship.
This may be a little OT. But if we don't defend our freedoms, we will only have ourselves to blame when we are slaves.
they would all converge on the package, and a guy walking around would spraypaint the spot, and the demo guys come in after and blow it up, after all the bees are back in the beehive-box (army-green of course)
Essentially, thought, Ballmer says "United, we'll stomp on Linux"
Who was he speaking to? MS MVPs.
So he's saying that MS CORP and the MSMVPs need to unite, and that after they are united they will stomp on linux.
First problem: Uniting the MS MVPs to MS.
Second problem: Getting MS and the MVP to do some stomping (regardless of what is being stomped). That would imply that MS and the MVPs would somehow be "in-step". I wonder how many MVPs will actually dance that dance.
Third problem: Stomp on Linux? Are they going to download distros and pile them in the street and physically stomp on them? Ahh, of course not, it's figurative. They are going to fight them. But how? Are they going to buy them out? Nah. Are they going to try to make their system so much better that linux will seem to be the "worst" alternative? Yes. That's what they meant. But what does that really mean, making their systems so much better? I think it means compete. So microsoft is saying that it will compete against Linux and the developer community behind it. But what does that mean? I mean, Microsoft the monied MNC needs help from MS MVPs to compete against a non-business run by a bunch of volunteers?
This brings me to my point. Ballmer essentially feels directionless. MS is financially directly being impacted by the GNU/Linux operating system and the various distributions. Yet there is no one company to compete against. There is no company to compete against. There is no way to underprice linux until they can't pay their devs and go BK. There is no way to advertise better than linux since MS can't buy word-of-mouth, and word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising. So in effect MS is losing sales and there's nothing they can do about about it. But MVPs can. They can do the word-of-mouth. These people recommend solutions to large and medium customers. MVPs are are consulting comapnies, solutions providers. They can be the MS advocate and Linux bad-mouthers.
Except that there are more Linux Zealots (and I use the term endearingly) than MS MVPs.
So in fact ballmer hit it on the nose. Together they will stomp on Linux.
Of course, Linux will stomp right back... But that's another story altogether. Goodnight children.
I had this conversation this morning with a friend:
Me: Hey, what happens if, on a saturday night, a pipe breaks under your house?
Him: You call the plumber.
Me: But isn't that going to be expensive?
Him: Sure, but you've got to have it fixed. It gets more expensive the longer you wait.
Me: Ok. Now imagine if the computer system is hooked to the TV, DVD, and stereo system, and the PC craps just before the football game. What do you do?
Him: You call the computer tech dude.
Me: But isn't that going to be expensive on a saturday afternoon?
Him: Well, if I really want to watch the game, I'll pay.
Me: Excellent!
You see, as more home machines are really becoming servers, sysadmins will be like TV repairmans. So for a while it will be gravy gravy gravy.
Eventually thought the machines will be so cheap that calling the tech dude will cost more than buying a new system...
Slashdot Mirror
Actually, skilled windows administrators are harder to find because so many of them, tired of beating down on the "It's not documented, and I can't see the source--what's the command-line option to do foo" song and dance eventually turn away in disgust and start hacking away on an old boxen with a downloaded linux distro.
Then, later, they decide that the ftp server could be linux and no-one in the company would know.
Then, later again, they decide that they're going to invest their precious time in learning linux and python/perl and they slowly migrate from a windows admin to a unix/linux admin.
Also, the fact that if you get out of the loop for two or three years as a windows sysadmin you have to relearn everything from scratch because windows servers will look completely different doesn't help. Some people decide that they've learned enough and don't want to mess with re-learning all the tricks every time MS wants to change its paradigm.
I think that you make a good point:
The microsoft products are more complex.
The open-source products are less complex.
I'll have to agree with you on the complexity level.
However, this is most likely due to the microsoft vs unix way of doing things. In unix, a lot of little programs accomplish a lot together. In the MS world, a few monolithic programs accomplish a lot together.
So, taking program to program, the MS ones would be most complex, since they try to put everything and the kitchen sink in every single one of their flagship products.
And so, consequently, these monolithic multi-million code lines programs are more difficult to design, engineer, maintain, and debug.
But there are fewer of them, so more resources (programmers, program managers) can be assigned to each.
In the unix world, there are many more programs. And while each of these programs individually may be less complex, less encompassing in scope, and have fewer features, as a group they are able to outperform microsoft's systems.
Since each program is smaller and more easily defined in scope and requirements, then each program takes fewer programmers to design, implement, and maintain. As a result, it is possible for a smallish dedicated team to design, implement, and enhance a valuable and usable piece of software.
For example, I was surprised two years ago to find out that the core team of Postgresql is relatively small (currently the steering committee and major developers combine to less than 25 people) and yet it is no small feat.
For the unix world, the difficulty comes when there are a great many programs in use that have been developed over the years by different groups of people with different methodologies. These programs must work with each others, store their files in known locations, etc. This is especially important in linux, because there are so many more programs (including multiple guis) that need to share the same directory tree, and each have varying degrees of dependencies.
So the complexity still exists, it just falls outside of the program itself, and is rather a product of the environment.
Of course, having had my share of windows dll hell, I realize the problem of software dependencies is OS-agnostic.
----
I think I'll get back to work now... Is it lunch yet?
Barking? Is that what calling someone a fuck is?
Ise must have had my analogies crossed. I thought for sure you were trying to be insulting...
Eh, barking, whoodathunk?
oh, what a lovely repartee :)
/me breaks off a little more bread off the old baguette to feed the grey winged trolls...
I love it when, failing to see the humor and admittedly off-topic jab at an unpopular US policy, the offended one, unable to deal with a little graffiti (and what is slashdot but one giant New York-style subway car) resorts to vulgarity.
Except of course if they were using only the MTA features in Exchange.
I am sure that if the company had been using some of the other tools, management would have hollerd up a storm within minutes after Monday 8:30.
That's why they're flown into guantanamo bay, Cuba.
Dang. When will web page designers understand that making interesting pages all text, real html, no javascript, linked css and less than 2K will allow their sites to withstand slashdotting better?
/."
But nooo, instead they have 50K+ pages with a billion font tags and tables within tables within tables writhing tables... And Large, HUGE images (and not even PNGs)...
Someone ought to write a book entitled: "How to build web sites that can handle
Anyway...
You've hit the nail on the head:
.com etc were misconfigured, replicating the misconfiguration accross all DNS servers... Eerily, see WorldCom's troubles today...
"but rather that it is a potential risk if the admin is not sufficiently competent."
You see, if the admin is a groking wizard with luser hate-filled eyes, whatever box he installs will be Fort Knox, regardless of the OS.
Take your typical $36k/yr MCSE admin, and any system they setup will be like grated cheese.
It's called experience, savvy, knowledge, tenacity, and not a little geekiness. And it's worth money.
So, if you're a CIO and you don't want your company name to appear on the marketplace section of the Wall Street journal under the heading "Hacker steals 50,000 credit cards from..." then pay your good admins, even if they look like they're sleeping in meetings, even if their tie rotation schedule becomes glaringly apparent.
Security is like seatbelts. The instant you need it it's too late to put it on. You have to put it on before.
Good admins: When it looks like they are not doing anything, that when they've done everything right.
Oh, and that list for windows: If you didn't already know all of that by heart, there's no chance in hell you'd get anywhere near production servers at our company.
And now for something ot: There was a story a few days ago here about what would happen to the DNS system if the root servers for
First, visit japan, for about 2 weeks. If you like it, then decide.
Some people love it there, some don't.
I went 2 years ago and had a blast.
am married to japanese so visa not an issue. But I am not sure I would really enjoy living there.
As far as jobs, pick a relatively small town with a US consulate (try Fukuoka) (about 1 million ppl). There are about 45,000 americans living in Fukuoka, so you can get a support network of friends.
Also, I would say that if you can work for a US company in the US by telecommuting then you can get a non-working visa (easier to get). High-speed internet costs about the same as here. Housing much more (think LA). Also, smaller towns might help there too.
Don't worry about a car, you don't need one. Public transportation is world-class. (besides, gas is expensive there, more than in Europe)
If you can get paid in dollars in the US you'll do better tax-wise.
As far as jobs, well, Japan is in a recession. If you can manage to keep rent to $1000/mo with no car, then you can make it on $30K/year (25%tax,35%housing, the rest: bills, communications, food) so you can be competitive here in the US. Also, save up about 2 grand a year for trips back and forth, and administrative crap.
If you want to go to japan and live the high life, you're gonna burn $500 per day easy. If you want to live thrifty, you're still looking at $50/day (including lodging and noodles).
mmm, not even getting paid much. for free mostly. Effective, however.
From the article: "The lines between home and office are blurring," he says.
Well then install a dsl and vpn and work in the buff at home. That'll go over will with video email.
When I'm not at work, I don't want to still be at work.
And you know why?
(if you really need the answer to this you need to wait about 10 years)
In fact, there was a road ahead for them, since countless had gone before, they had a nice trampled path to follow.
It's when they got in front that they slowed down, wondeering where else to go, while everybody took off in a different direction.
I wonder if Ballmer's book will be entitled: "The Next Road"
Of course, they were never really in front. You can only be in front if people are following, since "front" is relative"
Then uninstall it.
And then email the web sites that use it and send them a very nice business-like letter like this:
----------------
Dear So and So,
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that you now provide streaming audio on your web site, as I am a long time reader, and enjoy your site tremendously.
I am however disconcerted that you do not provide any audio besides RealAudio. As you may be aware, the RealAudio client software is quite unstable and has caused my equipment to fail repeatedly, as well as compromised my privacy. I have uninstalled it and have no plans in the future to install it on my computers. [It's important to say computers, it implies you have more than one and thus have money]
I strongly recommend you provide alternative audio streams, such as mp3 or, even better, ogg vorbis.
I appreciate your taking the time to listen to my suggestion.
Thank you very much
Real Full Name
Real Full Email
Real Full Phone Number.
[If you put your phone number, they can see where you live, and they won't think you're full of caca]
-----------
This usually works very well, and it does not take that many such emails for them to actually make the change.
And they will lose that spot if they continue acting in such stupid way because potentially bright students will just not go to a school (state funded or otherwise) that does not, as a matter of policy and as a matter of principle, encourage free speech and the free exchange of ideas. They will also lose their best teachers.
...that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic;..." The Oath of Citizenship.
As an aside, they are a business. Businesses, when their customers are suffering from vendor lock-in, go after the money.
Also, I contend that the university would violate its own mandate as an establishment of higher learning and should be immediately closed by the state, and all persons responsible for this criminal act (violation of the US Constitution) should be hung for treason (we are at War after all).
"I hereby declare, on oath,...
This may be a little OT. But if we don't defend our freedoms, we will only have ourselves to blame when we are slaves.
Raise the issue in class tomorrow by bringing this book: FARC EP: Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army .
Maybe your university will have a bondfire too...
they would all converge on the package, and a guy walking around would spraypaint the spot, and the demo guys come in after and blow it up, after all the bees are back in the beehive-box (army-green of course)
Yeah, unfortunately.
But at least that will hurt some RIAA people, so others will think twice before doing the same sort of things.
I meant Bankrupt.
You know, I'd rather do without music than pay money to people who pay congressmen to propose legislation that limit our freedom.
:)
That is what they are doing.
I am going to spend less movies on Hollywood movies in the future as well. I can smell it coming.
I think I'll buy more books
But not from patent-crazed ama-zone.
Essentially, thought, Ballmer says "United, we'll stomp on Linux"
Who was he speaking to? MS MVPs.
So he's saying that MS CORP and the MSMVPs need to unite, and that after they are united they will stomp on linux.
First problem: Uniting the MS MVPs to MS.
Second problem: Getting MS and the MVP to do some stomping (regardless of what is being stomped). That would imply that MS and the MVPs would somehow be "in-step". I wonder how many MVPs will actually dance that dance.
Third problem: Stomp on Linux? Are they going to download distros and pile them in the street and physically stomp on them? Ahh, of course not, it's figurative. They are going to fight them. But how? Are they going to buy them out? Nah. Are they going to try to make their system so much better that linux will seem to be the "worst" alternative? Yes. That's what they meant. But what does that really mean, making their systems so much better? I think it means compete. So microsoft is saying that it will compete against Linux and the developer community behind it. But what does that mean? I mean, Microsoft the monied MNC needs help from MS MVPs to compete against a non-business run by a bunch of volunteers?
This brings me to my point. Ballmer essentially feels directionless. MS is financially directly being impacted by the GNU/Linux operating system and the various distributions. Yet there is no one company to compete against. There is no company to compete against. There is no way to underprice linux until they can't pay their devs and go BK. There is no way to advertise better than linux since MS can't buy word-of-mouth, and word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising. So in effect MS is losing sales and there's nothing they can do about about it.
But MVPs can. They can do the word-of-mouth. These people recommend solutions to large and medium customers. MVPs are are consulting comapnies, solutions providers. They can be the MS advocate and Linux bad-mouthers.
Except that there are more Linux Zealots (and I use the term endearingly) than MS MVPs.
So in fact ballmer hit it on the nose. Together they will stomp on Linux.
Of course, Linux will stomp right back... But that's another story altogether. Goodnight children.
Inability to audit the source code.
The inability to conduct a proper audit of the code is a security problem.
An Open-Source system.
Amen.
Same boat, same sinking feeling, same frenetic and generally useless paddling and scooping and paddling and more scooping...
Now: Linux, python, apache, and Postgres. (me happy again)
Yeah, but the UberCool $2000 machine can also compile code, run a database server, and be used to surf for pr0n.
Come to think of it, playstation should have a mature setting where you can download the latest from stileproject and the likes.
hehe
The police cars can exceed the speed limit in an attempt to catch someone who is exceeding the speed limit.
I had this conversation this morning with a friend:
Me:
Hey, what happens if, on a saturday night, a pipe breaks under your house?
Him:
You call the plumber.
Me:
But isn't that going to be expensive?
Him:
Sure, but you've got to have it fixed. It gets more expensive the longer you wait.
Me:
Ok. Now imagine if the computer system is hooked to the TV, DVD, and stereo system, and the PC craps just before the football game. What do you do?
Him:
You call the computer tech dude.
Me:
But isn't that going to be expensive on a saturday afternoon?
Him:
Well, if I really want to watch the game, I'll pay.
Me:
Excellent!
You see, as more home machines are really becoming servers, sysadmins will be like TV repairmans. So for a while it will be gravy gravy gravy.
Eventually thought the machines will be so cheap that calling the tech dude will cost more than buying a new system...