Hmmm, another novel trying to capitalise on the feelings of social isolation and increased powerlessness that the modern world and the rapid changes in technology have bought us. If you've ever read any near-future books, you've probably read all of the themes already.
Not really - did you look at the date of publication? It was among the FIRST of these. It's a great book (and BTW the book that coined the word "worm")
I trust you, and I agree. I also make my living as a developer.
FINAL test (at any level) really does need to be done by a third party.
The QA person should be in on code walk throughs - but at that level, he is more of a "throw questions at the developer", and the developers will be able to tell the QA prson if it will work.
AFTER the developer has run his OWN unit test, you feed the unit to QA, and trust me, unless you're a VERY strange developer, a GOOD QA person will find things that you didn't
Once you are into final test, QA becomes invaluable. Developers just don't have the time to dedicate to things like full regresion testing, and that alone can save your butt.
OK, let's just say your developing Windows Software (Boo, Hiss, I know - it's just easier to give a screwed up example)
Have you:
Installed on Win95 (Base, NO SPs - unless you don't support that)
Win95B?
Win98?
Win98se?
NT4.0?
NT2k?
(and then run a FULL test of everything?)
The have you installed Microsoft Office over you app, and run all the test again? (all OSes please)
The have you done it in opposite order (Base OS + Office) then install your app
If you want a really stable system, you'd better try all of these (Plus different versions of IE etc)
Of course, we have the same problems in Linux - Have you tried it on as many differnt flavors as you support? With other software installed (the worse behaved the better)?
This is where a GOOD QA department makes their living. Gad, I wish me present company had one
First a Disclaimer - I've worked both with and for John over the years.
The H1B visa problem is very real, but there are more than two sides to this issue. Some of the better programmers I've ever worked with were in this country on H1B visas, as were some of the worst.
Often times, the employers who bring in people on H1B visas treat these people as virtual slaves. The worst case of this was a woman who ended up taking here case to court. It seems he employer was sexually harassing her, and she complained. The company ended up shutting down, and she ended up deported.
That said, there are a lot of unscrupulous "Visa Brokers" out there. The promise their future employees "Yeah, the visas are always converted. Here, just study for these certification exams, and we'll get you in". In turn, they promise the companies in the us "I can supply you with experienced workers, cheap." Note: Not all of them do this.
The WORST case of this was AIG with Syntel. AIG decided to fire 4500 of their employees, and "Outsource" all their work to Syntel. Syntel brought in all H1B replacement workers, paying them below prevailing wage (there were fines issued). Further, the 4500 employees were told that they would get no severance pay unless they trained their replacements.
Luckily, I was in a different office (with 11 other people) and we were NOT let go. I had to work with these replacements. Most of these people were promised by Syntel that they would be able to stay. The few who DID have their visas converted to green cards left Syntel within a few weeks! Most of the replacements were horrid, and were being treated horribly.
Now, what should we do about this?
Simple - eliminated the H1B visa, and let a smaller number of these people in on green cards! Unless you are a Native American, you, or one of your ancestors, was an immigrant to this country. It's been one of our strengths. Remember "The Melting Pot"? We have to have it back. The people with these skills would be a terrific addition to our country.
Let's stop dangling a false carrot. Either let them in, or DON'T
Why have a TV? Darned good question! The only reasons we still have ONE are two fold:
My wife like to watch 1-2 shows/week
and
They are cheaper than old video monitors for the few times we rent a movie!
BTW It's funny, because 2 of the shows my wife like to watch come on against each other, at a time when we usually aren't home, so I end up paying for 2 cable boxes. I tell my wife that her 8 hours of TV per month cost us $45
Gee, it's not all parents - as I said over on the HDTV threads, I don't let my daughter watch TV. Guess what? If she shows up at you house and watches TV - No big deal. My wife and I are trying our best to raise a responsible little girl. I don't NEED censorware, as I actually pay attention to what my daughter does.
NOTHING takes the place of a childs parents/guardians. Even our best friends (who I trust totally) aren't US. That said, if my daughter is at one of their houses and does something wrong, they KNOW that they have a permission to tell my daughter "NO"
Gad, I feel like an old foggy - There was a time we would never talk back to our friends parents, because it would be like talking back to our own. THAT is how we try to raise our daughter. It's NOT fear - it's respect - For herself, AND for others, including us
Which is why I don't let my daughter (age 3.5) watch TV! I don't watch TV, and I WORK for one of the networks!!!!
When my wife and I made this decision, we got some flack - NOT from any of my friends and co-workers (they thought it was a great idea), but from people like my parents.
They said things like:
"Do you want her to grow up different" (answer - Hell yes)
or
"She won't understand the other kids, and the kids won't like her"
(Maybe, but she seems to have a lot of friends who like her, because she always has good ideas for new games)
There is nothing like curling up on the couch with your child, and a good book.
Note: I don't speak for my employer - all opinions my own
Ok folks, this USED to me my field of work (and I can't remember some of the source names)
If you can, try making a phone call to an "Environmental Test Lab" - they do shock and vibration testing. I've tested a few HDs over time
Vibration is going to be FAIRLY easy to deal with, IF you get lucky. There are little rubber (actually synthetic) shock mounts made - in fact, you'll see small ones on a lot of drives - the problem is I can't remember the main brand name (I haven't done this in 8 years). Your BIG worry is that the mount (ANY mount) has a resonant frequency, where it will actually amplify the input vibration. What you have to worry about is that the resonant frequency you choose for your mount can't be near any of the resonant frequencies of the drive itself.
The hard problem is SHOCK - this is usually isolated with what looks like a coil of wire (like a spring) laying on its side. This takes some space, but can work well (if you get the response frequencies right).
From watching disk drives being tested in the past (Yes, I've played with mil spec hardened drives - 200g shock? No problems - 30 gs of vibration? Cake), the BIGGEST problem is not shock (or vibration) in the X,Y or Z directions (aka, left/right, front/back,up/down), but it's TORTIONAL shock, aka, rotating about the X,Y or Z, and in particular, rotating around the axis of the spindle - this tends to drive the ends of the head arms into/out of the track.
What's Intel thinking? Simple, they are thinking that the VAST majority of users NEVER UPGRADE their machine! SOME will add more memory or a hard drive, but even that is rare. I saw a report somewhere that said something like 80% of all PCs are never upgraded/repaired
"Catalogue cards are basically "book business cards""
Card catalogs? Yes, but with circulation? Nope. Card catlogs keep one card per TITLE, per branch/location, but the circulation system has to keep track of EACH COPY of the book. One tracks the "Intellectual Asset", the other the "Physical Asset". The rule base for dealing with "Physical Assets" can get fun, particularly when you get into multiple "physical Asset" types, each with their own rules. Get gets particularly fun when you get into non printed assets, some of which may not have a physical asset, and are at the other end of a very thin pipe. I've spent the last 2.5 years working on a system like this (the whole project is about 11 man years in)
I've just spent the last 2.5 years writing a card catalog/circulation control app for my employer. Depending on what details you need, this program can range from simple (Just a card catlog that doesn't change much) to the extreme (Multiple libraries, with different rights to see "stuff" in other libraries, and place orders that have to be shipped to the end users from multiple places)
For a home system, or a 1 or two branch library system where the card catalog doesn't need to deal with interlibrary loans, this isn't hard. When you get into things like "Branch A can borrow Books from branch B, but NOT if they are reference, but can't borrow CDs, "New" books, or videos, But branch B can borrow Books, New Books, and Videos, but Not CDs (Unless the CD is "Private")" is when the system gets complex (The rights management section of the database is fun, so you don't have to recode your app, just put entries into a table).
So, like I said, freeware? Maybe for a simple system. For something complex? I doubt it
The main reason to use near-line and offline were that they were less expensive than online. This is no longer the case unless you plan an online SCSI RAID.
This is only partly true - If you have enough data, nearline/offline still pays.
As for managing what is in the Online, Nearline, and Offline sections of your store, there are a bunch of companies that have data storage solutions out there. Here at work we're studying this right now, as we have a need to store 6-7 thousand 4k images a DAY, along with 40 some odd hours of MPEG2s a week - this being every week. Data storage gets up there fast. (Mind you, we have well over 1.5 million hours of video stored on tape)
You were going through a classic case of burnout, along with other things on your mind. It happens to just about all long time coders (and you are one).
This problem is why the AVERAGE length of a coding career is 5 years. You did the best thing you can do for it. Take a week or 2 off. Read some books (maybe not even on programming). Talk it out with some other programmers. Go out into the big blue room. Take a nap in the afternoon. Play with your cat/dog/other animal. All the while, your subconscious will be working on the problem.
The big warning here however is this. You WILL experience this again, and it WILL come more often, unless you take enough breaks to keep it away. Make sure you walk away from it on weekends etc. There is (trust me) some residual stuff still there, as it takes more than a week to get fully over this. Do you have a hobby (beside computers?). Spend some time doing it (or GET one, if you don't have one).
Me? I just go down the basement to my shop and make something, even if it's just sawdust and/or metal chips.
You don't like it, fine, complain once, get the form letter, use the header, or use something else for your news needs I don't use their newsfeed, but anyone who does sees MY words altered. Why should have to change MY words to not me misquoted?
I can see the day when they put in the wrong hyperlink, and someone sues them for libel/slander, and wins. You don't change other people's writing. You put comments before/after
They really aren't missing the point. If you have to woory about people using Magneto resistive microscopes on you HD, you're not going to worry about reusing the HD. You keep reusing the HD UNTIL the raid, and then, when being raided you DO trigger the thermite/C-4 or whatever. For short term, mid level stuff, you use file wiping.
The hardest part, of course, is figuring out how to deadman the system, so that if the raid comes while your not there, it still goes "Boom", and in the mean time, you're still safe on the day to day level.
This stuff is, of course, only for the seriously paranoid, and/or people who are doing truely high risk stuff.
Let's face it, tradtionally, bookies kept their notes on flash paper. Now days I hear that they DO use thermite charges. If the info on your hard drive is going to put you in jail for years, or cost you your life, nuking the HD is no big deal
I LIKE Habitat, (and have done work for them) but some of their chapters are CLUELESS. About 10 years ago, my church young adult group was looking to donate time and money. The local chapter never called us back. I later heard through the grapevine (from other chapters) that they thought our VERY liberal church had to be kidding! We weren't. We had 15 people aged 20-30 and 150,000 dollars lined up for them. The money went to a different housing charity, and we did other works. Left a bad taste for the LOCAL chapter in my mouth.
I think this is GREAT - I can't wait, maybe I can get into some development on a real platform.
I'm serious!
One of the ways Microsoft got Windows off the ground was to make it EASY for Fortune 500s to write those THOUSANDS of dull, everyday apps (and many INTERESTING apps) that they need to do business (Oh no, not another timesheet app). This has been missing from Linux up to this point. Delphi has always been an "edge of radar" kind of development platform in the F500 world, but didn't offer enough to bump VB (a case of too little, to late - If they had been first....)
Anyway, the idea of cross platform, and Linux, will make Linux (and Delphi) a MUCH more viable solution for a LOT of companies
I guess I was one of the few who saw it in the movies (RKO Keith's in Flushing, NY). I LOVED it then, and still do. I went as far as to say to friends "Better than Star Wars".
Oh well. It was a movie to see on the big screen though.
Slashdot Mirror
Not really - did you look at the date of publication? It was among the FIRST of these. It's a great book (and BTW the book that coined the word "worm")
I trust you, and I agree. I also make my living as a developer.
FINAL test (at any level) really does need to be done by a third party.
The QA person should be in on code walk throughs - but at that level, he is more of a "throw questions at the developer", and the developers will be able to tell the QA prson if it will work.
AFTER the developer has run his OWN unit test, you feed the unit to QA, and trust me, unless you're a VERY strange developer, a GOOD QA person will find things that you didn't
Once you are into final test, QA becomes invaluable. Developers just don't have the time to dedicate to things like full regresion testing, and that alone can save your butt.
OK, let's just say your developing Windows Software (Boo, Hiss, I know - it's just easier to give a screwed up example)
Have you:
Installed on Win95 (Base, NO SPs - unless you don't support that)
Win95B?
Win98?
Win98se?
NT4.0?
NT2k?
(and then run a FULL test of everything?)
The have you installed Microsoft Office over you app, and run all the test again? (all OSes please)
The have you done it in opposite order (Base OS + Office) then install your app
If you want a really stable system, you'd better try all of these (Plus different versions of IE etc)
Of course, we have the same problems in Linux - Have you tried it on as many differnt flavors as you support? With other software installed (the worse behaved the better)?
This is where a GOOD QA department makes their living. Gad, I wish me present company had one
Yes, I checked - Most of his prison time was on Mail fraud - Call the post office (a good froend is a postal inspector)
Actually, If I was DC, I _WOULD_ be scared of this. You DON'T mess with the USPS.
Remember, everyone thinks that Al Capone went to jail for Tax evasion - He didn't he went to jail for MAILING the false return.
The Post office doesn't screw around. This is why it's a BAD idea to vandalize someones mailbox.
BTW The Postal Inspectors are REAL law officers, carry guns (Up to and including MP5s - those are sub-machine guns for those that don't know)
First a Disclaimer - I've worked both with and for John over the years.
The H1B visa problem is very real, but there are more than two sides to this issue. Some of the better programmers I've ever worked with were in this country on H1B visas, as were some of the worst.
Often times, the employers who bring in people on H1B visas treat these people as virtual slaves. The worst case of this was a woman who ended up taking here case to court. It seems he employer was sexually harassing her, and she complained. The company ended up shutting down, and she ended up deported.
That said, there are a lot of unscrupulous "Visa Brokers" out there. The promise their future employees "Yeah, the visas are always converted. Here, just study for these certification exams, and we'll get you in". In turn, they promise the companies in the us "I can supply you with experienced workers, cheap." Note: Not all of them do this.
The WORST case of this was AIG with Syntel. AIG decided to fire 4500 of their employees, and "Outsource" all their work to Syntel. Syntel brought in all H1B replacement workers, paying them below prevailing wage (there were fines issued). Further, the 4500 employees were told that they would get no severance pay unless they trained their replacements.
Luckily, I was in a different office (with 11 other people) and we were NOT let go. I had to work with these replacements. Most of these people were promised by Syntel that they would be able to stay. The few who DID have their visas converted to green cards left Syntel within a few weeks! Most of the replacements were horrid, and were being treated horribly.
Now, what should we do about this?
Simple - eliminated the H1B visa, and let a smaller number of these people in on green cards! Unless you are a Native American, you, or one of your ancestors, was an immigrant to this country. It's been one of our strengths. Remember "The Melting Pot"? We have to have it back. The people with these skills would be a terrific addition to our country.
Let's stop dangling a false carrot. Either let them in, or DON'T
Why have a TV? Darned good question! The only reasons we still have ONE are two fold:
My wife like to watch 1-2 shows/week
and
They are cheaper than old video monitors for the few times we rent a movie!
BTW It's funny, because 2 of the shows my wife like to watch come on against each other, at a time when we usually aren't home, so I end up paying for 2 cable boxes. I tell my wife that her 8 hours of TV per month cost us $45
Gee, it's not all parents - as I said over on the HDTV threads, I don't let my daughter watch TV. Guess what? If she shows up at you house and watches TV - No big deal. My wife and I are trying our best to raise a responsible little girl. I don't NEED censorware, as I actually pay attention to what my daughter does.
NOTHING takes the place of a childs parents/guardians. Even our best friends (who I trust totally) aren't US. That said, if my daughter is at one of their houses and does something wrong, they KNOW that they have a permission to tell my daughter "NO"
Gad, I feel like an old foggy - There was a time we would never talk back to our friends parents, because it would be like talking back to our own. THAT is how we try to raise our daughter. It's NOT fear - it's respect - For herself, AND for others, including us
Which is why I don't let my daughter (age 3.5) watch TV! I don't watch TV, and I WORK for one of the networks!!!!
When my wife and I made this decision, we got some flack - NOT from any of my friends and co-workers (they thought it was a great idea), but from people like my parents.
They said things like:
"Do you want her to grow up different" (answer - Hell yes)
or
"She won't understand the other kids, and the kids won't like her"
(Maybe, but she seems to have a lot of friends who like her, because she always has good ideas for new games)
There is nothing like curling up on the couch with your child, and a good book.
Note: I don't speak for my employer - all opinions my own
Ok folks, this USED to me my field of work (and I can't remember some of the source names)
If you can, try making a phone call to an "Environmental Test Lab" - they do shock and vibration testing. I've tested a few HDs over time
Vibration is going to be FAIRLY easy to deal with, IF you get lucky. There are little rubber (actually synthetic) shock mounts made - in fact, you'll see small ones on a lot of drives - the problem is I can't remember the main brand name (I haven't done this in 8 years). Your BIG worry is that the mount (ANY mount) has a resonant frequency, where it will actually amplify the input vibration. What you have to worry about is that the resonant frequency you choose for your mount can't be near any of the resonant frequencies of the drive itself.
The hard problem is SHOCK - this is usually isolated with what looks like a coil of wire (like a spring) laying on its side. This takes some space, but can work well (if you get the response frequencies right).
From watching disk drives being tested in the past (Yes, I've played with mil spec hardened drives - 200g shock? No problems - 30 gs of vibration? Cake), the BIGGEST problem is not shock (or vibration) in the X,Y or Z directions (aka, left/right, front/back,up/down), but it's TORTIONAL shock, aka, rotating about the X,Y or Z, and in particular, rotating around the axis of the spindle - this tends to drive the ends of the head arms into/out of the track.
I hope this helps
Imagine a Beowolf cluster of them
What's Intel thinking? Simple, they are thinking that the VAST majority of users NEVER UPGRADE their machine! SOME will add more memory or a hard drive, but even that is rare. I saw a report somewhere that said something like 80% of all PCs are never upgraded/repaired
In other words, we are the minority
"Catalogue cards are basically "book business cards""
Card catalogs? Yes, but with circulation? Nope. Card catlogs keep one card per TITLE, per branch/location, but the circulation system has to keep track of EACH COPY of the book. One tracks the "Intellectual Asset", the other the "Physical Asset". The rule base for dealing with "Physical Assets" can get fun, particularly when you get into multiple "physical Asset" types, each with their own rules. Get gets particularly fun when you get into non printed assets, some of which may not have a physical asset, and are at the other end of a very thin pipe. I've spent the last 2.5 years working on a system like this (the whole project is about 11 man years in)
I've just spent the last 2.5 years writing a card catalog/circulation control app for my employer. Depending on what details you need, this program can range from simple (Just a card catlog that doesn't change much) to the extreme (Multiple libraries, with different rights to see "stuff" in other libraries, and place orders that have to be shipped to the end users from multiple places)
For a home system, or a 1 or two branch library system where the card catalog doesn't need to deal with interlibrary loans, this isn't hard. When you get into things like "Branch A can borrow Books from branch B, but NOT if they are reference, but can't borrow CDs, "New" books, or videos, But branch B can borrow Books, New Books, and Videos, but Not CDs (Unless the CD is "Private")" is when the system gets complex (The rights management section of the database is fun, so you don't have to recode your app, just put entries into a table).
So, like I said, freeware? Maybe for a simple system. For something complex? I doubt it
This is only partly true - If you have enough data, nearline/offline still pays.
As for managing what is in the Online, Nearline, and Offline sections of your store, there are a bunch of companies that have data storage solutions out there. Here at work we're studying this right now, as we have a need to store 6-7 thousand 4k images a DAY, along with 40 some odd hours of MPEG2s a week - this being every week. Data storage gets up there fast. (Mind you, we have well over 1.5 million hours of video stored on tape)
First,
Congrats to you and your bride.
You were going through a classic case of burnout, along with other things on your mind. It happens to just about all long time coders (and you are one).
This problem is why the AVERAGE length of a coding career is 5 years. You did the best thing you can do for it. Take a week or 2 off. Read some books (maybe not even on programming). Talk it out with some other programmers. Go out into the big blue room. Take a nap in the afternoon. Play with your cat/dog/other animal. All the while, your subconscious will be working on the problem.
The big warning here however is this. You WILL experience this again, and it WILL come more often, unless you take enough breaks to keep it away. Make sure you walk away from it on weekends etc. There is (trust me) some residual stuff still there, as it takes more than a week to get fully over this. Do you have a hobby (beside computers?). Spend some time doing it (or GET one, if you don't have one).
Me? I just go down the basement to my shop and make something, even if it's just sawdust and/or metal chips.
Charlie
Break a few fingers?
Folks, I know the Urals are in Russia - It was a quick cut and paste job from the MSNBC site. I should have put in the (sic) but I didn't.
Sorry
Charlie
Adding hyperlinks _IS_ adding words.
Copyright, sigh.
It's NOT I don't want to see the silly hyperlinks, it that they are, effectively, misquoting me!
They have changed what I said!, and have put in an implied endorsement.
What if every message on
They really aren't missing the point. If you have to woory about people using Magneto resistive microscopes on you HD, you're not going to worry about reusing the HD. You keep reusing the HD UNTIL the raid, and then, when being raided you DO trigger the thermite/C-4 or whatever. For short term, mid level stuff, you use file wiping.
The hardest part, of course, is figuring out how to deadman the system, so that if the raid comes while your not there, it still goes "Boom", and in the mean time, you're still safe on the day to day level.
This stuff is, of course, only for the seriously paranoid, and/or people who are doing truely high risk stuff.
Let's face it, tradtionally, bookies kept their notes on flash paper. Now days I hear that they DO use thermite charges. If the info on your hard drive is going to put you in jail for years, or cost you your life, nuking the HD is no big deal
They already have. Huh? To quote The Matrix
Why do you think the second amendment is there, and why do you think the government is trying to take it away?
I LIKE Habitat, (and have done work for them) but some of their chapters are CLUELESS. About 10 years ago, my church young adult group was looking to donate time and money. The local chapter never called us back. I later heard through the grapevine (from other chapters) that they thought our VERY liberal church had to be kidding! We weren't. We had 15 people aged 20-30 and 150,000 dollars lined up for them. The money went to a different housing charity, and we did other works. Left a bad taste for the LOCAL chapter in my mouth.
I think this is GREAT - I can't wait, maybe I can get into some development on a real platform.
I'm serious!
One of the ways Microsoft got Windows off the ground was to make it EASY for Fortune 500s to write those THOUSANDS of dull, everyday apps (and many INTERESTING apps) that they need to do business (Oh no, not another timesheet app). This has been missing from Linux up to this point. Delphi has always been an "edge of radar" kind of development platform in the F500 world, but didn't offer enough to bump VB (a case of too little, to late - If they had been first....)
Anyway, the idea of cross platform, and Linux, will make Linux (and Delphi) a MUCH more viable solution for a LOT of companies
I guess I was one of the few who saw it in the movies (RKO Keith's in Flushing, NY). I LOVED it then, and still do. I went as far as to say to friends "Better than Star Wars".
Oh well. It was a movie to see on the big screen though.