Interesting. It seems to me that the computer software industry is being commoditized into basic tools for jobs, and your write up seems to agree with this view.
In other words, companies need X and Y tools, and they need someone to provide them. Anyone will do, and the labor of the installation of X and Y is mainly what is paid over the cost of X and Y. It seems similar to, say, the furniture industry, where you have a Lazy Boy sofa, which you can get from anyone. The difference between the sofa providers is that some will deliver for you, but they charge more for the sofa, while others do not deliver, and they charge less. Etc.
So tell them that any calls they make have an initial cost of $20. What's the best web browser? $20. Want an Outlook alternative? $20. Need someone to come over and look at something? $20 + hourly rate + hardware/software costs.
The thing that I find the most frustrating and tiring is trying to phrase my questions so that they are able to understand them well enough to answer them with just a smidgeon of information that will help me figure out wtf is actually happening.
The problem arrises when they don't have any technical vocabulary at all, and I've got it perminantly ingrained on my subconscious to the point where I don't even raelize I'm using it. Even the simplest terms like "GUI" or "system chasis". The worst thing is when people have the wrong terminology associated with things; for instance, when a monitor is a computer, a server is just a computer, or a router is a server.
Sonofabitch! Anyone that is smart enough to do contractual work is already out here doing it. The last thing we need is all the unemployed folks that are too stupid to figure this out by now, to start contracting.
Not like it was a killing, either. Sure, it's decent, but to make a killing you need huge time investments.
It depends on the gun. A shotgun, for instance, isn't a military weapon my bodern standards, but it would have been 100 years ago, most certainly. My point is, more animals are killed anually than people by guns, largely due to the fact that animals are the intended target for guns. (Thus the plethora of outdoorsman/hunting mags out there.)
A car has no less of an intended purpose to kill people than a gun does. If you want to follow statistics, I'd argue that it's the other way around - guns have less intent in their creation of being used to "hurt people".
- More people die due to cars than by guns - there are more cases of vehicle homicide than gun homicide - gun safety is taught more intensely than vehicle safety - people are more likely to drink and drive without a thought than they are to shoot and drink.
The 'responsibilities' you refer to are the preservation of freedom. That is why firearms were made a civil right - so that in case of a tyrant, we could seperate from the government, or ideally, overthrow them. However, with the large standing gov't and the way things are, that wouldn't really be feasable for someone that wanted to do so and return to the original intent of the constitution.
In any case, i prefer knowing that if anything happens, the current greatest power on Earth has less chances of turning into some sort of dictatorship. Noticed how many of those 'revolutions' were led, in part or fully, by military and police leaders?
When only a few people have better ability to defend themselves and attack others, this is where power truly lies - not in the politicians, but in those who have the right bear arms. This power is dormant and easily forgotten in industrialized countries, since those people themselves seem to forget their own power, and, more importantly, believe in the current system. However, the moment they decide to organize themselves and become the leaders, it surely won't be MADD, or the general unarmed public that will stop them.
Um, buddy, that's the opposite of what Moore said in Bowling for Columbine. Everything he fabricated was pro-Canada, anti-US, which is the exact opposite of the statement.
Yes, it's quite obvious that Bush and his Republican neo-conservative goons are on top of this one, being as they have majority and all. *cough* (In case you couldn't tell, I'm making fun of those that see a political party's ideal as being completely one-sided.)
Wow, I might just go to that. Sounds like a dream come true.:)
That reminds me of something else:
The Blue Man Group http://www.blueman.com/
Basically, it's a group of really cool percussion, all orchestrated in amazingly unique and inventive ways. There's a lot of science in their music, which is quite fantastic - especially if you're into percussion at all.
As far as other things to not miss: the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is a perrenial favorite of mine. If you're in NYC, I really enjoy the Museum of New York City (which chronicles the history of the place as it grew - interesting if you're into futuristic city building schemes such as archologies, etc.).
It's hard to tell what you're after, really. Cool architecture? I really enjoy going through the various tunnels connecting Jersey and Manhattan. I find it fascinating to see the train yards of Detroit from the air, which are right near the airport. There are also sights such as Mount Rushmore, which are traditional tourist sights, but are fairly marvelous in their creation, too.
Needles Highway, in the Black Hills of South Dakota is also an amazing place to drive about.
Then there's Vegas, for the Ricer in you: florescence.
The Golden Gate in San Franscisco is nifty.
Large buildings such as teh Empire State Building might also be nice, who knows.
That's a damn fine idea. Provided it's true, I wonder if/how it would work? Could have some very interesting globalization reprecusions (which would be a godsend for the US/Americans).
Interestingly enough, the per capita number of guns in Canada is a mere fraction of that in the U.S.. Coincidentally, so are violent crimes and home firearms accidents. </I> Interstingly enough, the per capita number of people in Canada is a mere fraction of that in hte U.S.. Coincidentally, so are the number of homes and people living in them that have accidents.
Really now. Using your train of logic (which is to say, one without an engine):
Interestingly enough, I had eggs for breakfast. Coincidentally, I had chicken for dinner. Of course this means that I consumed a hen and her offspring, even though I have nothing more than circumstantial and seemingly mutually supportive facts, they don't necessarily coincide to prove anything.
Go take a college course in symbolic logic, or something. Please. At the very least, before you're old enough to be legally independent.
1) tiki mask 2) hutt overlord 3) mutant tomato with arms 4) bottom of feet w/ weird light blue toe-slippers 5) donald duck in a mirror w/ a berret 6) chick's breasts + arms w/ read bra and grape oven mitts 7) gangster fairy frog 8) lobster and eagle "hands" 9) The Tick 10) a gargoyle or dragon
anyone else see these things? maybe I'm overly imaginitive.
I would never be able to remember the resulting password; the images, sure I could remember them, but I think i'd have an easier time remembering 5k23amZ or such.
I'd have to disagree. Big titles aren't the only ones that survive because they've got high visibility, they're the only ones that survive the pirating, since htere are still a significant number of people that buy them. That, and the inclusion of things like Valve's authentication server for Half-Life requires that they buy the game (essentially) in order to play online.
Then there are things that people used to do for games that they no longer do: include nice things like posters, large color manuals with back story, game description and the like, keyboard shortcut reference cards, and maybe a free/discount tshirt offer. I recall buying SimCity2k Platinum edition (or whatever it was), and it had a massive (1cm thick) guide/manual, and several other nice things, all in a sturdy box. Baldur's Gate was similar: it came with a poster, a large book explaining the world, some back story, and all the game items in extensive detail. I went out and bought SC3k Unlimited about a week ago. Inside the smaller-than-yore box was a CD in a jewel case, a 4-page installation guide, and a registration card. I'm surprised it came with a registration card. Now I'm sitting here wondering whether they removed some of the cooler aspects of SC2k (such as archologies) when they made SC3k, because I'm not seeing them. That, and I don't have anything resembling the Terrain Editor, which I greatly enjoyed. (Removing features in sequel games is a sure way to piss me off, at least.)
When games lose little 'atmosphere' by not including extras in the box, it encourages pirating. People think, "What will I get by buying the boxed game, vs. downloading an ISO/copying the game from a friend?"
Do people who buy and drive cars need to learn that vocabulary in order to use an automobile? No.
If this is truely your opinion, I fear for the safety of those that ride with you.
"Use" of an automobile doesn't simply mean driving. Proper "use" of a vehicle includes: changing your oil every 1000-3000 miles (depending on age of the vehicle, type of oil, etc), keeping fuels topped off, flushing your fluids every year, keeping tire presure at the proper level (depending on tire type/load), fueling your vehicle (with the proper octane... specifics not really that important), making sure your lights, turn signals, etc. all work, and on and on. If you're not doing those things, you aren't using your automobile properly. Your car will eventually stop working.
As far as a mechanic communicating those things to you, I personally like to know what they're doing to my car, so that I can assess whether the mechanic is ripping me off. That requires a basic understanding of the language they use, since most mechanics I know are roughly as articulate as your less intelligent computer geeks; that is, they aren't.
On a related topic, I was at a restraunt the other day and overheard several elderly people talking: 2 men and a woman. They were probably in their late 50s or 60s. Of all things, they were talking about computers. Their conversation ranged from the history of computers - back to mainframes and punch cards - to how DVD/optical disc technology is now evolving to use blue light so as to get a tigher focused beam. Very encouraging to hear elderly folks converse about such things - you'd think they read slashdot or something.:)
I suppose you'd say that the government and general populace of Saudi Arabia isn't representitive of Islam, either, then? Because they supported and share beliefs with those terrorists to a large degree.
Slashdot Mirror
Interesting. It seems to me that the computer software industry is being commoditized into basic tools for jobs, and your write up seems to agree with this view.
In other words, companies need X and Y tools, and they need someone to provide them. Anyone will do, and the labor of the installation of X and Y is mainly what is paid over the cost of X and Y. It seems similar to, say, the furniture industry, where you have a Lazy Boy sofa, which you can get from anyone. The difference between the sofa providers is that some will deliver for you, but they charge more for the sofa, while others do not deliver, and they charge less. Etc.
So tell them that any calls they make have an initial cost of $20. What's the best web browser? $20. Want an Outlook alternative? $20. Need someone to come over and look at something? $20 + hourly rate + hardware/software costs.
The thing that I find the most frustrating and tiring is trying to phrase my questions so that they are able to understand them well enough to answer them with just a smidgeon of information that will help me figure out wtf is actually happening.
The problem arrises when they don't have any technical vocabulary at all, and I've got it perminantly ingrained on my subconscious to the point where I don't even raelize I'm using it. Even the simplest terms like "GUI" or "system chasis". The worst thing is when people have the wrong terminology associated with things; for instance, when a monitor is a computer, a server is just a computer, or a router is a server.
Sonofabitch! Anyone that is smart enough to do contractual work is already out here doing it. The last thing we need is all the unemployed folks that are too stupid to figure this out by now, to start contracting.
Not like it was a killing, either. Sure, it's decent, but to make a killing you need huge time investments.
It depends on the gun. A shotgun, for instance, isn't a military weapon my bodern standards, but it would have been 100 years ago, most certainly. My point is, more animals are killed anually than people by guns, largely due to the fact that animals are the intended target for guns. (Thus the plethora of outdoorsman/hunting mags out there.)
A car has no less of an intended purpose to kill people than a gun does. If you want to follow statistics, I'd argue that it's the other way around - guns have less intent in their creation of being used to "hurt people".
- More people die due to cars than by guns
- there are more cases of vehicle homicide than gun homicide
- gun safety is taught more intensely than vehicle safety
- people are more likely to drink and drive without a thought than they are to shoot and drink.
The 'responsibilities' you refer to are the preservation of freedom. That is why firearms were made a civil right - so that in case of a tyrant, we could seperate from the government, or ideally, overthrow them. However, with the large standing gov't and the way things are, that wouldn't really be feasable for someone that wanted to do so and return to the original intent of the constitution.
Neither were firearms. They were designed as tools. They become weapons when someone misuses them, just like anything else.
In any case, i prefer knowing that if anything happens, the current greatest power on Earth has less chances of turning into some sort of dictatorship. Noticed how many of those 'revolutions' were led, in part or fully, by military and police leaders?
When only a few people have better ability to defend themselves and attack others, this is where power truly lies - not in the politicians, but in those who have the right bear arms. This power is dormant and easily forgotten in industrialized countries, since those people themselves seem to forget their own power, and, more importantly, believe in the current system. However, the moment they decide to organize themselves and become the leaders, it surely won't be MADD, or the general unarmed public that will stop them.
Wisely said and insightful.
Um, buddy, that's the opposite of what Moore said in Bowling for Columbine. Everything he fabricated was pro-Canada, anti-US, which is the exact opposite of the statement.
Yes, it's quite obvious that Bush and his Republican neo-conservative goons are on top of this one, being as they have majority and all. *cough*
(In case you couldn't tell, I'm making fun of those that see a political party's ideal as being completely one-sided.)
Wow, I might just go to that. Sounds like a dream come true. :)
That reminds me of something else:
The Blue Man Group
http://www.blueman.com/
Basically, it's a group of really cool percussion, all orchestrated in amazingly unique and inventive ways. There's a lot of science in their music, which is quite fantastic - especially if you're into percussion at all.
As far as other things to not miss: the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is a perrenial favorite of mine. If you're in NYC, I really enjoy the Museum of New York City (which chronicles the history of the place as it grew - interesting if you're into futuristic city building schemes such as archologies, etc.).
It's hard to tell what you're after, really. Cool architecture? I really enjoy going through the various tunnels connecting Jersey and Manhattan. I find it fascinating to see the train yards of Detroit from the air, which are right near the airport. There are also sights such as Mount Rushmore, which are traditional tourist sights, but are fairly marvelous in their creation, too.
Needles Highway, in the Black Hills of South Dakota is also an amazing place to drive about.
Then there's Vegas, for the Ricer in you: florescence.
The Golden Gate in San Franscisco is nifty.
Large buildings such as teh Empire State Building might also be nice, who knows.
True enough. Not sure why I made such a foolish flub.
Substitute "per mile" and you've got my intent.
That's a damn fine idea. Provided it's true, I wonder if/how it would work? Could have some very interesting globalization reprecusions (which would be a godsend for the US/Americans).
Interestingly enough, the per capita number of guns in Canada is a mere fraction of that in the U.S.. Coincidentally, so are violent crimes and home firearms accidents.
</I>
Interstingly enough, the per capita number of people in Canada is a mere fraction of that in hte U.S.. Coincidentally, so are the number of homes and people living in them that have accidents.
Really now. Using your train of logic (which is to say, one without an engine):
Interestingly enough, I had eggs for breakfast. Coincidentally, I had chicken for dinner. Of course this means that I consumed a hen and her offspring, even though I have nothing more than circumstantial and seemingly mutually supportive facts, they don't necessarily coincide to prove anything.
Go take a college course in symbolic logic, or something. Please. At the very least, before you're old enough to be legally independent.
So what'd you do instead?
Sometimes I wish I'd been thrown out. I got a lot of flak after Columbine.
1) tiki mask
2) hutt overlord
3) mutant tomato with arms
4) bottom of feet w/ weird light blue toe-slippers
5) donald duck in a mirror w/ a berret
6) chick's breasts + arms w/ read bra and grape oven mitts
7) gangster fairy frog
8) lobster and eagle "hands"
9) The Tick
10) a gargoyle or dragon
anyone else see these things? maybe I'm overly imaginitive.
I would never be able to remember the resulting password; the images, sure I could remember them, but I think i'd have an easier time remembering 5k23amZ or such.
so what were you doing that caused them to think you were hacking into banks? :)
You apparently haven't tried running VMWare on a windows host machine lately. It's slow and useless.
Could it be that the AI in the computer jumped out the Window to escape? :P
I'd have to disagree. Big titles aren't the only ones that survive because they've got high visibility, they're the only ones that survive the pirating, since htere are still a significant number of people that buy them. That, and the inclusion of things like Valve's authentication server for Half-Life requires that they buy the game (essentially) in order to play online.
Then there are things that people used to do for games that they no longer do: include nice things like posters, large color manuals with back story, game description and the like, keyboard shortcut reference cards, and maybe a free/discount tshirt offer. I recall buying SimCity2k Platinum edition (or whatever it was), and it had a massive (1cm thick) guide/manual, and several other nice things, all in a sturdy box. Baldur's Gate was similar: it came with a poster, a large book explaining the world, some back story, and all the game items in extensive detail. I went out and bought SC3k Unlimited about a week ago. Inside the smaller-than-yore box was a CD in a jewel case, a 4-page installation guide, and a registration card. I'm surprised it came with a registration card. Now I'm sitting here wondering whether they removed some of the cooler aspects of SC2k (such as archologies) when they made SC3k, because I'm not seeing them. That, and I don't have anything resembling the Terrain Editor, which I greatly enjoyed. (Removing features in sequel games is a sure way to piss me off, at least.)
When games lose little 'atmosphere' by not including extras in the box, it encourages pirating. People think, "What will I get by buying the boxed game, vs. downloading an ISO/copying the game from a friend?"
Do people who buy and drive cars need to learn that vocabulary in order to use an automobile? No.
:)
If this is truely your opinion, I fear for the safety of those that ride with you.
"Use" of an automobile doesn't simply mean driving. Proper "use" of a vehicle includes: changing your oil every 1000-3000 miles (depending on age of the vehicle, type of oil, etc), keeping fuels topped off, flushing your fluids every year, keeping tire presure at the proper level (depending on tire type/load), fueling your vehicle (with the proper octane... specifics not really that important), making sure your lights, turn signals, etc. all work, and on and on. If you're not doing those things, you aren't using your automobile properly. Your car will eventually stop working.
As far as a mechanic communicating those things to you, I personally like to know what they're doing to my car, so that I can assess whether the mechanic is ripping me off. That requires a basic understanding of the language they use, since most mechanics I know are roughly as articulate as your less intelligent computer geeks; that is, they aren't.
On a related topic, I was at a restraunt the other day and overheard several elderly people talking: 2 men and a woman. They were probably in their late 50s or 60s. Of all things, they were talking about computers. Their conversation ranged from the history of computers - back to mainframes and punch cards - to how DVD/optical disc technology is now evolving to use blue light so as to get a tigher focused beam. Very encouraging to hear elderly folks converse about such things - you'd think they read slashdot or something.
I suppose you'd say that the government and general populace of Saudi Arabia isn't representitive of Islam, either, then? Because they supported and share beliefs with those terrorists to a large degree.
It's called a catch-22. Sure, the states -can- exercise certain things, as long as they don't interfere with the fed's "doing what is right".
"If you're crazy, just report it and you'll be taken off flight duty."
;P)
"I'm crazy."
"... But since you know you're crazy, you really must not be crazy. Get back to duty."
(I know it's not exacting