I am in the last year of an MDiv program and moving towards Ordained Ministry in the United Methodist Church. My undergrad was in Comptuer Science and I was a software engeenier and project manager for almost a decade. For me I just couldn't stand being locked in the office all day and started to explore what I found really interesting and rewarding. I was volunteering at my church at the time and decided that I was feeling called to make it my profession.
I would say find that thing that holds your interest, that you'd get great satisfaction out of, and find a way to make it your job. Careers should be about a lot more than money. They should stir something in you which has its own rewards. Yes, you'll not be able to buy as much. Though, ask yourself, do all the things you buy really make your life better or are they just a means to distract yourself from the job you dislike.
We did have to sell our home and move into a small apartment while at school and their won't be any new cars for a long while, but it was well worth it. I've been busier the last three years than I have ever been, yet at the same time happier and more excited about life.
Ok, so hers the scenario Bill's talking about taken to extreme. I have a great idea for software product X. I then invest a year of my life and some of my friends time to code it. I then sell great idea X for $100. I sell one copy to on individual. That individual likes it so much he starts giving it away. Now 1 million people are using great idea X, but I've only made $100.
Bill argument is that this is wrong. The argument here seems to be the opposite, that this is ok. Someone please tell me how this is ok? And while your at it why I should ever waste my time on great idea Y and Z?
I'm a current net Flix subscriber, and I love. I do wonder though. It takes 3-5 days to turn around a movie in the mail. It would take a little more than a day to download a 5 gig DVD to a hard disk over my DSL line to a Tivo like box.
Basically, the first company to figure that out will get my money.
Just a quick thought. I went to school during the huge napster craze, but I'm not sure what it's usage level was at the time. However, if the school I attended let 70% of it's bandwidth be taken up by it and didn't do anything about it, I'd ask why I was paying tuition to pay for it. Their seems to be this sense of entitlement to high speed access in college, and I'm sorry, but I just don't think that's true.
I don't really have a side job, but I do spend about 15 hours/wk volunteering with the youth program at my church. It doesn't pay, at least not in money form. It's rewarding and I get to do all the fun activities I enjoyed when I was in Mid/Senior High. Plus, as an added bonus, I get to drive the big white van.
I tell ya, a large white van with a cross on the side must be invisible to radar guns;)
The only magazine I've held on to over the years is Car and Driver. The people that write for it really love and understand cars, and they're not afraid to give a bad review with its call for.
I really like the editorials at the beginning where the editors sound off about things that bug them. And the reader feedback section is about 50/50 people criticizing them and praising them. They basically let it all hang out, and I like that.
I, of course, can't afford a nice car (as the aging Ford Taurus in my garage will attest). But I very much enjoy reading about them. It's kinda like playboy for car people. You know that centerfold will never be yours, but you can read through her turn on's and imagine...
Just wanted to point out to all that didn't RTFA, this product is from China. Incase you proof check here.
Now I know slash is full of good 'ol Mickysoft haters, but do we realy want to be celibrating a product from a country that's eyeing our technology jobs probably more so than India? It hasn't started yet, but most people agree that off-shoring develpment jobs to mainland China will happen soon. And this is basicaly their proof of concept that they can do it.
So, maybe its for the best not to give these guys any more publicity then they allready have.
I live in Albuquerque New Mexico. Below is the letter/email I sent to all the state senitors. Thankfully the bill seems dead as there will be no time to vote on it during this session. I recent local TV poll showed people were 85% to 14% against the measure
To Albuquerque Senitors:
I'd like to begin by stating that I do understand we have a large DWI problem in New Mexico. I personally lost my father years ago to a drinking and boating accident. I know the pain families feel when people decide to recklessly endanger themselves and others.
However, I must speak up about the "Ignition Lock" legislation recently passed by the legislature and pending in the Senate. As much as I want our streets to be safer this measure goes way too far in my mind. You're basically asking people to prove they're not committing a crime just to go somewhere.
I'd also like to make sure some possible ramifications to this law have been thought out. People would likely start leaving there cars running when they make quick stops. This could lead to an increase in motor vehicle theft. We are also talking about technology here, which is not always 100% reliable. What if someone gets stranded in the back country because their Interlock malfunctions? Or, if it hinders someone's ability to get moving quickly in an emergency situation? Or even the possibility of spreading disease when several people share a car.
With the projected cost of $600 you are also punishing the underprivileged. For some people they do not have that much to spend on an entire car, let alone a state required accessory. You're raising the cost of entry of vehicle ownership over the $1200 mark. For some people that's too much.
The intentions of this law are good. But monetary and societal cost seems too high. Our civil liberties are vanishing too quickly in this country, and this is a large step in the wrong direction.
It's the end of Flash as we know it... It's the end of CD's as we know it... It's the end of Radhat as we know it... It's the end of CowboyNeal as we know it... and I feel fine.
Strangly even with all the "End of"'s on slash lately, I do feel fine....
" Trakker can record a vehicle's movements and even excessive engine idling -- an indication a driver may be using fuel-guzzling air-conditioning without permission."
I'm going to Phoenix this weekend. Sure hope my friend asked his wife for permission to guzzle some fuel...
From the article: The cost of the five-year project is about $38 million. That leads me to think the cost includes more than just the equipment cost.
If it was just the matieral cost, that would be around $63k per server (given 600 servers costing $38 million). Some how I doubt Dell could build a single server that would cost so much.
I'm gussing there will be alot of man power required to make use of this thing. You'll probably find a lot more of your expense there. Not to mention facility costs to house, power, and cool the thing.
I used to get Basic programs out of the back of 321 contact magazine. I'd spend hours typing it all in, then more hours debuging the typos.
It was my first introduction to programing, and it realy got me hooked. I still remember the gradual process of understanding that happened. At first I was just typeing in characters and symbols I didn't understand. I'd then present the game (or whatever) that I had "Programed" to my friends.
After a while, though, I began to understand what the characters ment, what a loop and an if was. It took a couple years of this, but adventually I began to modify the code, change it to do what I wanted.
It was the feeling of power that programing gives you that drove me to a CS degree and into the field of computers. When I entered school in '96 I didn't even know you could make money at it. All I wanted to do was to make the PC do my bidding.
Most problems I've had with my two cars have all been either sensor or controller issues. Seems the actual physical parts of today's cars work rather well, and don't ware out that fast. However the computer bits seem to be not as reliable.
These parts are expensive because they are proprietary. Only a Ford controller can be fitted to a ford car. Doesn't matter who makes it, it has to be made specific for a given type of car no matter what. Standardizing would help bring these costs down a great deal.
Proprietary hardware and OS's in this day and age are redundant. No longer should this be seen as an advantage, because its not. Commodity hardware and software packages are tested more than an individual vendor could ever dream of doing. They are more reliable and cheaper than anything a small group could build themselves. Not that GM or Ford is a small group, but the more people using it and testing it, the better it will be.
After all, isn't that what made linux what it is today?
None of the article's say for sure that it was a windows viris... It could be anything.
All they do is do some speculation based on another unrelated anouncement.
Geez, if they used that same poor sepculation to link it to Linux every one would be in an up-roar about that.
Geek != MS Hater. Some of use like them and the work they do. I'm constantly amaized that all my software/hardware keeps working dispite upgrades from 95 -> 98 -> 2k -> XP.
If you want to talk about network security and best practices go ahead, but leave the MS bashing behind, you just end up sounding silly.
From the article: "These measures, combined with revenue of $15,530,000 from our SCOsource licensing initiative, have resulted in the first two profitable quarters in our history."
Hmm, dosn't say much for there business model before they became of Tech firm made mostly of lawyers...
I'd say the real issue here is how you are billed for your micropayments. In the case of bitpass, you have to pre-pay with a credit card. Now unto it's self, pre pay isn't a bad idea, however the exicution stinks. The only real insdustry where pre-pay works is the phone card industry. However, if people couldn't pick one up anywhere in exchange for chash, check, or charge that industry wouldn't exisit.
I wouldn't mind if I had $20 in "internet cash" that I could by premium content with, aslong as it was easy to get. Bitpass's system, however, is not easy enough.
The other similar example is pay-per-veiw movies. This works because I can deside at any moment I want to watch something, and in a couple of remote clicks I've got it. I also don't have to worry about paying for it until my cable bill comes. However this only works cause I already have a relationship with the cable company.
I personaly feel micropayments are not doomed to falure, however it's going to take a large company to make it happen. Online money would ahve to be as standard as paper money, all sites accepting the same type. It would also have to be as easy to get as paper money, aka ATM's, and just as easy to spend, aka no slow credit card proccessing.
I'm not sure how many people have tried this, but you really should put your mouse on the left, that's where it belongs.
The number pad on the right of most keyboards puts the mouse to far over to be realy comfortable.
Plus, for you FPS fans, it's very handy to have your right hand on the number pad and the left on the mouse. If you re-map the keys you never have to move to any other section of the keyboard.
I allways laughed at those special keypads for playing games... you've alread got one, just move your mouse over 18 inches.
(for full discloser I am left handed, but it was a righty that showed me the light)
Slashdot Mirror
I am in the last year of an MDiv program and moving towards Ordained Ministry in the United Methodist Church. My undergrad was in Comptuer Science and I was a software engeenier and project manager for almost a decade. For me I just couldn't stand being locked in the office all day and started to explore what I found really interesting and rewarding. I was volunteering at my church at the time and decided that I was feeling called to make it my profession.
I would say find that thing that holds your interest, that you'd get great satisfaction out of, and find a way to make it your job. Careers should be about a lot more than money. They should stir something in you which has its own rewards. Yes, you'll not be able to buy as much. Though, ask yourself, do all the things you buy really make your life better or are they just a means to distract yourself from the job you dislike.
We did have to sell our home and move into a small apartment while at school and their won't be any new cars for a long while, but it was well worth it. I've been busier the last three years than I have ever been, yet at the same time happier and more excited about life.
Ok, so hers the scenario Bill's talking about taken to extreme. I have a great idea for software product X. I then invest a year of my life and some of my friends time to code it. I then sell great idea X for $100. I sell one copy to on individual. That individual likes it so much he starts giving it away. Now 1 million people are using great idea X, but I've only made $100.
Bill argument is that this is wrong. The argument here seems to be the opposite, that this is ok. Someone please tell me how this is ok? And while your at it why I should ever waste my time on great idea Y and Z?
I'm a current net Flix subscriber, and I love. I do wonder though. It takes 3-5 days to turn around a movie in the mail. It would take a little more than a day to download a 5 gig DVD to a hard disk over my DSL line to a Tivo like box.
Basically, the first company to figure that out will get my money.
Just a quick thought. I went to school during the huge napster craze, but I'm not sure what it's usage level was at the time. However, if the school I attended let 70% of it's bandwidth be taken up by it and didn't do anything about it, I'd ask why I was paying tuition to pay for it. Their seems to be this sense of entitlement to high speed access in college, and I'm sorry, but I just don't think that's true.
I don't really have a side job, but I do spend about 15 hours/wk volunteering with the youth program at my church. It doesn't pay, at least not in money form. It's rewarding and I get to do all the fun activities I enjoyed when I was in Mid/Senior High. Plus, as an added bonus, I get to drive the big white van.
;)
I tell ya, a large white van with a cross on the side must be invisible to radar guns
Ok, I can deal with the half-crazed Linux zelots, and overly brainwashed Microsoftieans, but come on!
This is NOT News for Nerds and it sure as hell dosn't Matter!
How do you delete you account, I'm done, I wash my hands of it all!
The only magazine I've held on to over the years is Car and Driver. The people that write for it really love and understand cars, and they're not afraid to give a bad review with its call for.
I really like the editorials at the beginning where the editors sound off about things that bug them. And the reader feedback section is about 50/50 people criticizing them and praising them. They basically let it all hang out, and I like that.
I, of course, can't afford a nice car (as the aging Ford Taurus in my garage will attest). But I very much enjoy reading about them. It's kinda like playboy for car people. You know that centerfold will never be yours, but you can read through her turn on's and imagine...
I'm not saying that at all. I just wanted to make sure in everyone's anti-microsoft merry making that they look at the whole picture.
Just wanted to point out to all that didn't RTFA, this product is from China. Incase you proof check here.
Now I know slash is full of good 'ol Mickysoft haters, but do we realy want to be celibrating a product from a country that's eyeing our technology jobs probably more so than India? It hasn't started yet, but most people agree that off-shoring develpment jobs to mainland China will happen soon. And this is basicaly their proof of concept that they can do it.
So, maybe its for the best not to give these guys any more publicity then they allready have.
I live in Albuquerque New Mexico. Below is the letter/email I sent to all the state senitors. Thankfully the bill seems dead as there will be no time to vote on it during this session. I recent local TV poll showed people were 85% to 14% against the measure
To Albuquerque Senitors:
I'd like to begin by stating that I do understand we have a large DWI problem in New Mexico. I personally lost my father years ago to a drinking and boating accident. I know the pain families feel when people decide to recklessly endanger themselves and others.
However, I must speak up about the "Ignition Lock" legislation recently passed by the legislature and pending in the Senate. As much as I want our streets to be safer this measure goes way too far in my mind. You're basically asking people to prove they're not committing a crime just to go somewhere.
I'd also like to make sure some possible ramifications to this law have been thought out. People would likely start leaving there cars running when they make quick stops. This could lead to an increase in motor vehicle theft. We are also talking about technology here, which is not always 100% reliable. What if someone gets stranded in the back country because their Interlock malfunctions? Or, if it hinders someone's ability to get moving quickly in an emergency situation? Or even the possibility of spreading disease when several people share a car.
With the projected cost of $600 you are also punishing the underprivileged. For some people they do not have that much to spend on an entire car, let alone a state required accessory. You're raising the cost of entry of vehicle ownership over the $1200 mark. For some people that's too much.
The intentions of this law are good. But monetary and societal cost seems too high. Our civil liberties are vanishing too quickly in this country, and this is a large step in the wrong direction.
companies include Intel, Fujitsu, and Maxim
And here I thought it was just a Playboy wanna-be with out the wit or boobs...
Sing with me now....
It's the end of Flash as we know it...
It's the end of CD's as we know it...
It's the end of Radhat as we know it...
It's the end of CowboyNeal as we know it...
and I feel fine.
Strangly even with all the "End of"'s on slash lately, I do feel fine....
"The PSP will feature Dolby 7.1 multi-channel audio, with 3D sound"
7 speakers and a sub-woofer kinda defeats the definition of portable.
The interesting part being that Microsoft is stopping support for Windows 95 and NT. These technologies are old, very old.
OS 10.2 was state-of-the-art just 6 months ago. To drop support already, exspeicaly security, and force users into a $100+ upgrade is horid.
We all want to beleve that Apple is soft, fuzzy, and lovable. But, like Sun, there true colors are sometimes even worse then our friends in Redmond.
" Trakker can record a vehicle's movements and even excessive engine idling -- an indication a driver may be using fuel-guzzling air-conditioning without permission."
I'm going to Phoenix this weekend. Sure hope my friend asked his wife for permission to guzzle some fuel...
Here you can see some sample products made by it.
Think I'll order my up one and start working on filling up the Trophy case.
You may want to read the artical before you comment. The artical states that's exactly what it WILL do.
" It circulates by convection, eliminating pumps and valves that need maintenance and can cause problems"
From the article: The cost of the five-year project is about $38 million. That leads me to think the cost includes more than just the equipment cost.
If it was just the matieral cost, that would be around $63k per server (given 600 servers costing $38 million). Some how I doubt Dell could build a single server that would cost so much.
I'm gussing there will be alot of man power required to make use of this thing. You'll probably find a lot more of your expense there. Not to mention facility costs to house, power, and cool the thing.
I used to get Basic programs out of the back of 321 contact magazine. I'd spend hours typing it all in, then more hours debuging the typos.
It was my first introduction to programing, and it realy got me hooked. I still remember the gradual process of understanding that happened. At first I was just typeing in characters and symbols I didn't understand. I'd then present the game (or whatever) that I had "Programed" to my friends.
After a while, though, I began to understand what the characters ment, what a loop and an if was. It took a couple years of this, but adventually I began to modify the code, change it to do what I wanted.
It was the feeling of power that programing gives you that drove me to a CS degree and into the field of computers. When I entered school in '96 I didn't even know you could make money at it. All I wanted to do was to make the PC do my bidding.
Most problems I've had with my two cars have all been either sensor or controller issues. Seems the actual physical parts of today's cars work rather well, and don't ware out that fast. However the computer bits seem to be not as reliable.
These parts are expensive because they are proprietary. Only a Ford controller can be fitted to a ford car. Doesn't matter who makes it, it has to be made specific for a given type of car no matter what. Standardizing would help bring these costs down a great deal.
Proprietary hardware and OS's in this day and age are redundant. No longer should this be seen as an advantage, because its not. Commodity hardware and software packages are tested more than an individual vendor could ever dream of doing. They are more reliable and cheaper than anything a small group could build themselves. Not that GM or Ford is a small group, but the more people using it and testing it, the better it will be.
After all, isn't that what made linux what it is today?
I've got two monitors running at work. My promary is a 19" and the other is a 17. On the 17 I keep my email open and Toad on top of that.
For some reason I always find myself needing to look at the DB in toad while I right some code. So this setup works great.
The other time is works will is installing tricky software. You can keep the instructions open on one while you do your work on the other.
I'd say 10% is right on the mark too. And sence the monitor was hanging out in the back room, that's 10% for 0 cost, not bad.
None of the article's say for sure that it was a windows viris... It could be anything.
All they do is do some speculation based on another unrelated anouncement.
Geez, if they used that same poor sepculation to link it to Linux every one would be in an up-roar about that.
Geek != MS Hater. Some of use like them and the work they do. I'm constantly amaized that all my software/hardware keeps working dispite upgrades from 95 -> 98 -> 2k -> XP.
If you want to talk about network security and best practices go ahead, but leave the MS bashing behind, you just end up sounding silly.
From the article: "These measures, combined with revenue of $15,530,000 from our SCOsource licensing initiative, have resulted in the first two profitable quarters in our history."
Hmm, dosn't say much for there business model before they became of Tech firm made mostly of lawyers...
I'd say the real issue here is how you are billed for your micropayments. In the case of bitpass, you have to pre-pay with a credit card. Now unto it's self, pre pay isn't a bad idea, however the exicution stinks. The only real insdustry where pre-pay works is the phone card industry. However, if people couldn't pick one up anywhere in exchange for chash, check, or charge that industry wouldn't exisit.
I wouldn't mind if I had $20 in "internet cash" that I could by premium content with, aslong as it was easy to get. Bitpass's system, however, is not easy enough.
The other similar example is pay-per-veiw movies. This works because I can deside at any moment I want to watch something, and in a couple of remote clicks I've got it. I also don't have to worry about paying for it until my cable bill comes. However this only works cause I already have a relationship with the cable company.
I personaly feel micropayments are not doomed to falure, however it's going to take a large company to make it happen. Online money would ahve to be as standard as paper money, all sites accepting the same type. It would also have to be as easy to get as paper money, aka ATM's, and just as easy to spend, aka no slow credit card proccessing.
I'm not sure how many people have tried this, but you really should put your mouse on the left, that's where it belongs.
The number pad on the right of most keyboards puts the mouse to far over to be realy comfortable.
Plus, for you FPS fans, it's very handy to have your right hand on the number pad and the left on the mouse. If you re-map the keys you never have to move to any other section of the keyboard.
I allways laughed at those special keypads for playing games... you've alread got one, just move your mouse over 18 inches.
(for full discloser I am left handed, but it was a righty that showed me the light)