fanny pack is totally the way to go(wife calls it my man-purse, so what...): wallet house keys car keys work keycard badges canon SD1000 LED flash leatherman wave extra bits for leatherman cell phone and bluetooth headset butterfly knife multiple pens spare change(parking meters) business cards signal mirror
If you must bring technology(computer) i would suggest that you buy a netbook, more portable that traditional lappy, and less worries if it's damaged/stolen. Don't forget to buy an adapter from a suitcase/luggage store, they're pretty cheap, unless you buy one at the airport. If you gorget to buy an adapter state-side, most hotels will have them for rent or courtesy loans. Try to do visit/participate in very Londonesque tourist activities, i.e. riding the tube, eating fish and chips, riding a double decker, ordering a pint, taking picts of the beefeaters, walking across london bridge, etc. take lots of photos and post them on flickr/picasa.
sure, it lacks the sexiness of the shivaplug/microclient/terrastation/etc, but you would get much more value for a similar cost by re-using slightly older technology. more than likely you'll have a faster CPU capable of heavy lifting, the choice of boot media (cdrom, floppy, CF, usb, HDD), the ablity to install you favorite distro, and hardware expansion won't be as difficult as it will with these compact systems.
TCO includes service and repair, not just initial purchase and operating expenses.
how easy is it to purchase a replacement PS of a shivaplug?
how quickly can you get that replacement component shipped to you?
build an ulgy box, and hide it in your closet/basement/attic.
great idea for extending the life of a couple of aging apple tech. get a B&W g3 and turn it into a print server, maybe even configuring hot folders for dropping pdf/PS files for printing.
i'm looking to put a linux box in front of my 4MV to act as a print server/RIP for postscript and PDF files via GS.
the marking engine in the older laser printers still seem to be sharper than the LED printers, especially the lasers which are true gas lasers, not diod lasers. slower, hotter, and less energy efficient, but cleaner, crisper and more reproduction accurate.
i still have an HP4MV capable of letter and tabloid(60K plus prints), with postscript level2, but with a pokey 10/T net port. i've replaced the core a couple of times, and replaced all the rollers, and the beast is still running, but has a bit of a tough time with the bigger more complex postscript (and pdf)files these days... also use an HP5MLthat i picked up at a resell shop in perfect working condition for $10, with 6 unopened boxes of toner... some people don't know what they had.
last year my wife asked if we could get a printer that was a little smaller more quite than the either of the HP beasts, and was closer to her home office, so i ended up getting an epson/brother HL2170W. great networking connnectivity capabilities(i like the fact that it's wifi AND wired) the overall printer is cheap, and the consumables are fairly inexpensiïve. the network setup was a little stupid, and it didn't recognize one of my wifi routers(buffalo running ddwrt) but it did connect via linksys wrt54G(running ddwrt, WTF?). other than that, it's been running smoothly with very little intervention other than loading paper.
my criteria for choosing a new printer was multiple network protocols for configuration(http, telnet, ssh, zeroconf), not tied to proprietary net interface(EpsoNet or some such bullshit), allow multiple ingree(lpr, ipp, cups, direct attached, etc). they don't make printers like the old school HP's anymore unless you get into the larger workgroup-and-enterprise level printers.
i still like my old printers, and so long as they make parts, i'll keep using them. go to a resell shop, ask around at office furniture resellers, ebay, craigslist, etc, and get one of the old reliables, or go with one of the newer ultra-cheap-sub$100 printers(remember when laser printers cost $6000+?) that have reasonably priced consumables. B/w printer still a better cost advantage over color, color laser will produce fewer prints per cartridge and have higher rate of mechanical failure...
establish a naming convention. come up with a few simple rules regarding:
file names
directory names
customer names
job/project names
department names
limit the number of total allowable characters in a file name, and publish and distribute your rules in an easy to follow cheatsheet. for example:
all files for client "Smith Inc." reside in a directory named "SI"
all files for Smith Inc for project "Widget X" reside in a subdirectory names "WX"
all files for Smith Inc for project Widget X have a unique number generated by you accounting system
all files generated by the sales department need to have "S" after the project number
enforce using file name extensions for all file types
so a powerpoint deck created by the sales department for a sales pitch to smith inc for Project X with an internal job number of 1234 would be named "SIWX1234_S.ppt".
a well structured naming convention with simple but rigid rules will allow users to navigate a file system to find files and identify wrongly filed assets.
invest in a digital asset management system that with a database backend.
there are many DAM systems available both commercially and opensource.
utilize one that has a web front end, so you can enforce consistancy in end user experience(as opposed to a fat client
embed metadata into the files themselves in XML format thru the DAM if possible.
based on the naming convention you've established and the DAM system you've deployed, you should be able to track when a file was created, modified, and last accessed. establish rules regarding when a file moves from disk to tape, and from online tape(in jukebox) to offline tape(out of jukebox), to cold storage(offsite).
fact is that the components that fail the quickest will be anything that has any kind of mechanical movement, i.e. hard drives, fans, switchs, keyboards. i'm sure he's replaced a few fans, harddrives and keyboards in the last 15 years.
why not upgrade him to a wyse terminal or other thin client, run terminal services, maintain the same software system he currently is using, and upgrade his two system network into a three system network, i.e. a server in a closet, and two wyse terminals.
build/spec the server to include a backup hardware and software, raid 5 in a minimum 3 disk config, and a ups with shutdown software(powerchute).
i use the term "guys" as a gender neutral term, i.e. "hey you guys!"... the gender specific terms are starting to blur and become less distinct, actresses are now actors, waiters and waitresses are now wait staff, fathers call their daughters dude in cell phone commercials... so what if they're originally from India? is there a problem with the fact that we are a nation of diversity and many cultures? I suppose Chu doesn't count either in your book because of his Chinese heritage? and frankly having a perspective derived from another culture is a benefit, the US has been a little too myopic, even though the US is the most influential nation globally.
and lastly, you're just a panty-waste AC anyways, so who care what you have to say? wanna stand for your opinion? login in, sucker.
i actually think either of these guys would be fine. the fact that we are getting a US CTO is a good first step. face facts:the first US CTO will prolly have a hard start until the rest of the government finally step in line and actually realize that a CTO is needed in these times.
there's gonna be some oldtime hardliners who'll remember "a time when there wasn't a fancy-pants US CTO, and don't really see a need for one..." once the prejudice and ignorance are washed away, then the CTO will actually make a difference.
on a side note, what happened with talk of Bill Joy becoming CTO? not to taut nativism, but he is an American(born and bred), author of vi, backbone of the original BSD rollout and co-founder of Sun.
whats up with that?
actually i'm glad that someone is thinking about using non-US channels. you can actually unlock the ability to broadcast on (non-domestic, depending on where your domestic location IS) different channels by using ddwrt using domestically available AP.
IMHO, i would use ddwrt and pick an unused channel, get an external antenna and boost your signal, use mac-based filtering, and disable SSID broadcast.
all the photographers i know have lots of cards, but they usually take the photos off the sd cards right away after the shoot. depending on the shoot, they will cycle cards out so they can develop early shots while taking additional photos. there was a time when a (studio or table top) photographer would call a film house to rush develop sheet or roll film to see how a shoot is going before committing to expending more film. this habit is still prevelent in the form of developing RAW images into jpeg or tiffs for quick proofing to inkjet printers.
i guess the bottomline is that the SD cards are only an intermediate format and aren't considered permanent archive. anyone who keeps files on SD/XD/Flash/CF/fill-in-the-blank is an idiot. copy your file onto harddrive right away, burn them onto cd/dvd for archive(two copies minimum!).
as far as memory card storage? i use an old cedar cigar box. it has a certain retro je ne sais quoi...
sorry to hear about your dad and his physical hardships... my point is that there are trades that allow a person to leave their work at the jobsite and not have to bring them home. masonry is a trade i would choose, i have an afinity for incorporating rocks/stone in my furniture and artwork. but i would be happy with any of the "socratic" trades:carpentry, plumbing, masonry. electrical? i group that in with plumbing(i.e. plumber of electrons)...
with the ubiquity of the 'net via laptop and phone, with connectivity available everywhere, it's hard to escape your job when you're in I.T. shit, i'm at work on a saturday afternoon ass wiping a box that i don't have the time bandwidth to deal with during the week.
thanks the the props, yerktoader... appreciate the mod, i think you just need to be patient, what with all the database transactions required to mod a discussion...
i starting reading your question and was wondering when i penned this question to slashdot... but i realize that there are many of us out there with similar stories.
i too have worked in IT fulltime for 12 years, and i've always been in positions which required working above and beyond the standard 40 hour work week. in the beginning i used to envy my 40 hour co-workers, but then i started putting things into perspective:
+ i don't punch a timeclock.
+ although i am consistent in my arrival and departure time, my time is flexible enough that i can come and go as i please.
+ my lunch hour can be as short as 30 minutes, or as long as a couple of hours.
+ i'm often taken out to lunch by various vendors(existing and potential) to discuss new products, services, etc.
+ the company pays for my cell phone(i know it's a leash, but i'm also not limited in my usage).
+ i get equipment refreshes with a higher frequency then most users(save owners and other bigwigs).
+ i have more technology in my cube/office than several co-workers combined.
+ i can wear what i want.
+ i usually set my own agenda for my work week.
+ i'm often involved in interesting projects, many of the involving exploratory research regarding cost, deployment, etc, stuff that actually is challenging.
+ i'm a techno-god in the eyes of my co-workers.
+ i get a regular paycheck.
+ i have ability to authorize up to $5000 purchases per P.O.(no limit on number of P.O.s... how did that happen?...)
+ i get reimbursed on work related expenses.
+ i get paid vacations and official holidays.
+ i get to go home to my family and leave work behind from time-to-time.
of course on the downside:
- i get stuck holding the bag when technology misbehave.
- i have to work long hours from time to time.
- sometimes there just isn't someone to hand things off to, so i have to see things thru to the end.
- there often isn't anyone else to blame.
- i don't always get compensated for my time appropriately.
etc...
etc...
i can go on and on with the plusses and minusses, but the bottomline for me, i'm better off workin' for the man, and not for myself. you need to run a +/- list for yourself and see how it shakes out.
work less? and you're thinking of going into business for yourself? pull your head out of your ass! your gonna work harder and longer when you work for yourself, for a while(months, maybe even years)... and you bring your work home with you... and you can't take a day off 'cause your sick... and you can't just up and quit cause your boss is an asshole...
why don't you ask for a different compensation schedule? or maybe a flex schedule? track how many hours you work(regular and overtime) and see if you qualify for overtime pay in your state/country. ask your employer to pay for your cell and home internet connection(so it's less money out of your pocket). start becoming creative about how you are compensated for your work, and maybe not just money...
sometimes i wish i was a bricklayer: only responsible for making sure that my shit is level, straight and plumb, and be able to leave all my work behind at the end of the day, but alas, that's not my lot. oh well, maybe the next reincarnation.
i guess it all fucking depends on what kind of freelance web developing you've decided to break into. you don't say what your level of expertise is, but seeing that you're "asking slashdot" some pretty basic freelance questions, i'm going to assume you're fairly new to freelancing, and possibly still have more miles to walk before achieving webdev enlightenment, grasshopper...
"are there any best practices for freelance developers?"
i think best practices should apply to any freelance, not just developers... first and foremost: communication.
i think one of the most important tasks is to make sure your client clearly understands what service you provide(and what you don't provide).
make sure your client clearly explains what they are expecting from you. in writing. don't be afraid to state what you are going to do explicitly. if you are just doing site development, make sure you state that you will not expected to input the actual content. or that you are not a content generator. just be clear in your communications with your client.
"What kind of process should I use when dealing with clients?"
there's nothing wrong with asking your prospective client to describe in writing the scope of a project. if a client has a hard time expressing the nature of their project("you know, kinda like this, but different... it's hard to explain but you know what i mean"), you might think twice before entering into a business agreement with them. have them put something concrete in writing/email. if they can't do it but you really want to work for them, you should put it into writing for them and request that they acknowledge your interpretation as an accurate description of the project scope.
"Should I bill by the hour or provide a fixed quote on a per-project basis?"
this question is open for wide interpretation... it depends on the client and the project. If you have a project that will take 1-2 weeks, you might consider charging a flat project price. if you are going to be engaged in a multi-week (3+ weeks to several months) project, you might consider an hourly rate. you might also consider putting together a rate card for yourself i.e. 1 static html website with 5 pages, hosting setup and domain registration = $500. 1 CMS(joomla, drupal, sugar, dnn) or DHTML website with MySQL/java integration, hosting setup and domain registration = $1500. online store/shopping cart starting @ $1500, depending on merchant solutions, etc,etc... i don't know what your skill set is, but you should be able to quickly answer the question "how much will this cost me?" prepare your rate card in advance of client meetings.
"What kind of assurances should I get from the client before I begin work?"
what the hell kinda question is this? are you asking how should you ask to be paid? since you're a freelancer, you should be bold and ask for payment upfront. in fact most businesses use this as a model:pay us first, then we'll give you a computer. are you afraid to ask for the entire payment up front? how about asking them for 1/3 down before any works starts, 1/3 halfway thru the project, and 1/3 at time of final delivery. or how about half up front and half on delivery. WTF, dude, that really depends on your client, doesn't it? smaller companies will pay cash up front, bigger ones will want to issue a P.O. and pay just one invoice. there's no single rule here.
"What is the best way to create accurate time estimates?"
if you need to provide an accurate time estimate, you'll spend a lot of time tracking what you're doing. you might actually impact your overall output with too much time analysis. make you time estimate in 15-30 minute increments (if necessary), and err in your favor. if you performed a task that only took 5 minutes to do, charge it out as 15 minutes. establish a minimum chargable amount. you don't have to spell out all the details for how you bill, just make sure you establish your own business rules for billing, i.e. minimum bill
but you don't realize your head is firmly planted high up your ass.
wake up and realize that children as young as 2 need to develop various skills:physical, social, metacognition. a computer can capture their attention, and the ability to focus on something is an important step in metacognitive skills, but you're gonna turn your kid into an idiot if his early childhood development is poorly balanced with a computer at it's center...
buy your child toys that require him to exercise his brain and hands, like duplo/lego blocks, wooden stacking blocks, a trainset, or for that matter any early learning toy (there's alot of great early learning toys from germany, why don't you use the intertubes to look them up).
instead of buying him his own computer, let him use your computer TOGETHER WITH YOU, for carefully measured durations of time. in the mean time YOU need to LEARN how to interact with your child in meatspace, man. talk and sing and teach, build legos, take walks, fly a kite, be physically INTERACTIVE, not VIRTUAL.
deeper computer learning, and maybe his own computer might be more appropriate at age 5-7, not 2.
totally awesome, american scientific on milwaukee ave is the bomb!
also, you might consider taking a look for scrap yards in the YP or google. back in my college days, we used to organized groups of students(art/sculpture major, industrial design, architect) to visit lange and epstein scrap yard at the corner or dayton and weed streets... it was a raw material wonderland filled with old phone boxes, core10 steel and other manufactured metal pieces, destined for a trip to the foundry. i would highly recommend visiting a scrap yard from a material source in your project.
eventually you will get the job that you were striving for.
- you'll have more responsibilities...
- work long and late hours...
- get paid less than you expected ('cause you're - gonna get a position that will somehow won't qualify for overtime)...
- spend sleepless nights worrying about some system or code that's been kicking you ass...
and you'll wistfully remember those carefree days shortly after graduation when you had a carefree job that you could leave at the office. all joking aside, you'll find another job with a better opportunity for advancement and better pay. what are you, 22-24? give it another year or two before you panick... you have a scant amount of experience, and in these economically tough times, it's likely that even though an employer says "recent graduates" they have a really high expectation that can only be filled by someone with more experience.
get to know people within the field/market you want to work in... show the person you want to work for that you have a pair of stones and you have the talent to back it up! go to trade shows and press the flesh, email prospective employers and ask if they have an opportunity for you, canvas your friends and family, church, coffeehouse, etc.
did you every take a job hunting/resume writing/interviewing class in college? they used to have these life lesson classes in high school, and i'm sure they have them in colleges as well... IMHO you might need coaching in life skills:
- learn to start and hold conversations with strangers
- learn to speak without using "umms", "aahs" and "you knows"
- learn to read body language
- learn how to take an interview
and quit complaining on slashdot about your career shortcomings, man up and figure it out!
they're $15 for com/net/org domains and offer custom dns and mail hop/relay services at varying prices. dns changes propagate quickly, and their servers are stable and reliable...
at the end of the day, you get what you pay for, so why would anyone be surprised that the street whore of registrars would actually try and fuck over their clientele?
experience is the only way to develop a healthy dose of skepticism. too many kids are graduating and rolling into their first "real" jobs with a healthy serving of entitlement, and what they really need is a swift kick in the ass to bring them down a notch or two in order to adjust their level of expectations to a realistic level.
not everything can be learned from a book or class. a good dose of menial and manual labor is always quick way to teach a young pup simple lessons, including skepticism...
i think you are referring to teaching skepticism with regards to engineering... well, IMHO the best way would be for your students (or perhaps only the best ones) to work as laborer at a construction site. working shoulder to shoulder with some old timers, learning the ropes from the physical side of engineering might impart this elusive skill...
i agree with parent, get the aeron. owning one myself, and working at a company that has nothing but aerons, i can tell you that for long endurance task sitting, it's truly one of the best... make sure you get the right size(there are three) and the highly adjustable version. i realize that if you get the highly adjustable version, with polished aluminum, you're in the $1500.00 category, but is that really expensive compared to the cost of cars, computers, plasma screen tv's not to mention medical/chiropractic bills? don't forget that part of the price of a herman miller chair is the super long(12 year) warranty...
if you think the aeron chair isn't worth the money and is more hype then help, i'm not offended and nobody else here should be. if you're still interested in purchasing a task chair for long endurance sitting, definitely look at the other chairs offered by herman miller, steelcase, knoll or humanscale. expect to pay $500-1200 for a decent chair.
consider the alternative: you get the cheap $100-300 officemax/staples/ikea office chair, but you find yourself replacing it every 12-18 months (busted caster, ripped fabric, broken adjustment arm, crappy foam padding, etc) because of shoddy craftsmanship or low quality components... in the 3-7 years, you would have easily paid for one aeron/mirra/leap/amia chair vs 3-5 el cheapo chairs, not to mention time and effort to purchase said furniture.
lastly, buying a piece of furniture like this is a commitment... you don't spend 600-1500 clams the way you do 100-200. if you/he are not happy with the purchase, it's a bigger hassle getting rid of it/exchanging, selling and re-purchasing alternative choice, etc as opposed to just pitching a $100 chair or giving it away to the neighbors. i liken it to buying underwear: nobody knows the comfort better than the one wearing the underwear. it's kinda hard buying certain things for others.
save yourself the headache of rolling your own design. you're not going to learn graphic design on the job. you might have learned certain design aesthetics(i.e. i know what i like), but don't kid yourself that you can be a graphic designer. graphic design is an art craft, just like painting and sculpture, abeit a more controlled art form. let the pro's do their job, and you do yours.
it sounds to me like you have the ability to code it all, if you choose to go that route. however, at some point in time, you might want to open up the content submission process to someone else, like the boss's secretary or an office administrator. use a CMS that is mature and has plenty of extensions and theming capability, like joomla. buy a professionally designed theme from joomlashack or rockettheme. a theme-capable CMS will allow you to refresh the theme on a regular basis.
this was the mantra that cable-tv-turned-isp has been chanting to the public for years!
now they want to change the billing model because some youngblood-hotshot-harvard-kellogg-MBA didn't realize that preaching faster downloads equates to higher bandwidth usage... or they intentionally planned to entice end users to switch to their network with the express intent of pulling a bait-and-switch on the billing model once the general public has swallowed whole, hook-line-sinker. either way it's stupid or underhanded...
here's an RCN press release claiming speedier download speeds for videos, music, games, etc.
interestingly enough, aol/time-warner/roadrunner have been more discreet regarding claims of faster music and video downloading, perhaps because of their pre-existing media interests.
Slashdot Mirror
don't make fun of chuck norris' fanny pack or he'll kick your ass!
fanny pack is totally the way to go(wife calls it my man-purse, so what...):
wallet
house keys
car keys
work keycard badges
canon SD1000
LED flash
leatherman wave
extra bits for leatherman
cell phone and bluetooth headset
butterfly knife
multiple pens
spare change(parking meters)
business cards
signal mirror
If you must bring technology(computer) i would suggest that you buy a netbook, more portable that traditional lappy, and less worries if it's damaged/stolen. Don't forget to buy an adapter from a suitcase/luggage store, they're pretty cheap, unless you buy one at the airport. If you gorget to buy an adapter state-side, most hotels will have them for rent or courtesy loans. Try to do visit/participate in very Londonesque tourist activities, i.e. riding the tube, eating fish and chips, riding a double decker, ordering a pint, taking picts of the beefeaters, walking across london bridge, etc. take lots of photos and post them on flickr/picasa.
sure, it lacks the sexiness of the shivaplug/microclient/terrastation/etc, but you would get much more value for a similar cost by re-using slightly older technology. more than likely you'll have a faster CPU capable of heavy lifting, the choice of boot media (cdrom, floppy, CF, usb, HDD), the ablity to install you favorite distro, and hardware expansion won't be as difficult as it will with these compact systems.
TCO includes service and repair, not just initial purchase and operating expenses. how easy is it to purchase a replacement PS of a shivaplug? how quickly can you get that replacement component shipped to you?
build an ulgy box, and hide it in your closet/basement/attic.
i'm looking to put a linux box in front of my 4MV to act as a print server/RIP for postscript and PDF files via GS.
the marking engine in the older laser printers still seem to be sharper than the LED printers, especially the lasers which are true gas lasers, not diod lasers. slower, hotter, and less energy efficient, but cleaner, crisper and more reproduction accurate.
last year my wife asked if we could get a printer that was a little smaller more quite than the either of the HP beasts, and was closer to her home office, so i ended up getting an epson/brother HL2170W. great networking connnectivity capabilities(i like the fact that it's wifi AND wired) the overall printer is cheap, and the consumables are fairly inexpensiïve. the network setup was a little stupid, and it didn't recognize one of my wifi routers(buffalo running ddwrt) but it did connect via linksys wrt54G(running ddwrt, WTF?). other than that, it's been running smoothly with very little intervention other than loading paper.
my criteria for choosing a new printer was multiple network protocols for configuration(http, telnet, ssh, zeroconf), not tied to proprietary net interface(EpsoNet or some such bullshit), allow multiple ingree(lpr, ipp, cups, direct attached, etc). they don't make printers like the old school HP's anymore unless you get into the larger workgroup-and-enterprise level printers.
i still like my old printers, and so long as they make parts, i'll keep using them. go to a resell shop, ask around at office furniture resellers, ebay, craigslist, etc, and get one of the old reliables, or go with one of the newer ultra-cheap-sub$100 printers(remember when laser printers cost $6000+?) that have reasonably priced consumables. B/w printer still a better cost advantage over color, color laser will produce fewer prints per cartridge and have higher rate of mechanical failure...
establish a naming convention. come up with a few simple rules regarding:
file names
directory names
customer names
job/project names
department names
limit the number of total allowable characters in a file name, and publish and distribute your rules in an easy to follow cheatsheet. for example:
all files for client "Smith Inc." reside in a directory named "SI"
all files for Smith Inc for project "Widget X" reside in a subdirectory names "WX"
all files for Smith Inc for project Widget X have a unique number generated by you accounting system
all files generated by the sales department need to have "S" after the project number
enforce using file name extensions for all file types
so a powerpoint deck created by the sales department for a sales pitch to smith inc for Project X with an internal job number of 1234 would be named "SIWX1234_S.ppt".
a well structured naming convention with simple but rigid rules will allow users to navigate a file system to find files and identify wrongly filed assets.
invest in a digital asset management system that with a database backend.
there are many DAM systems available both commercially and opensource.
utilize one that has a web front end, so you can enforce consistancy in end user experience(as opposed to a fat client embed metadata into the files themselves in XML format thru the DAM if possible.
based on the naming convention you've established and the DAM system you've deployed, you should be able to track when a file was created, modified, and last accessed. establish rules regarding when a file moves from disk to tape, and from online tape(in jukebox) to offline tape(out of jukebox), to cold storage(offsite).
fact is that the components that fail the quickest will be anything that has any kind of mechanical movement, i.e. hard drives, fans, switchs, keyboards. i'm sure he's replaced a few fans, harddrives and keyboards in the last 15 years. why not upgrade him to a wyse terminal or other thin client, run terminal services, maintain the same software system he currently is using, and upgrade his two system network into a three system network, i.e. a server in a closet, and two wyse terminals. build/spec the server to include a backup hardware and software, raid 5 in a minimum 3 disk config, and a ups with shutdown software(powerchute).
i use the term "guys" as a gender neutral term, i.e. "hey you guys!"... the gender specific terms are starting to blur and become less distinct, actresses are now actors, waiters and waitresses are now wait staff, fathers call their daughters dude in cell phone commercials... so what if they're originally from India? is there a problem with the fact that we are a nation of diversity and many cultures? I suppose Chu doesn't count either in your book because of his Chinese heritage? and frankly having a perspective derived from another culture is a benefit, the US has been a little too myopic, even though the US is the most influential nation globally.
and lastly, you're just a panty-waste AC anyways, so who care what you have to say? wanna stand for your opinion? login in, sucker.
i actually think either of these guys would be fine. the fact that we are getting a US CTO is a good first step. face facts:the first US CTO will prolly have a hard start until the rest of the government finally step in line and actually realize that a CTO is needed in these times.
there's gonna be some oldtime hardliners who'll remember "a time when there wasn't a fancy-pants US CTO, and don't really see a need for one..." once the prejudice and ignorance are washed away, then the CTO will actually make a difference.
on a side note, what happened with talk of Bill Joy becoming CTO? not to taut nativism, but he is an American(born and bred), author of vi, backbone of the original BSD rollout and co-founder of Sun.
whats up with that?
actually i'm glad that someone is thinking about using non-US channels. you can actually unlock the ability to broadcast on (non-domestic, depending on where your domestic location IS) different channels by using ddwrt using domestically available AP.
IMHO, i would use ddwrt and pick an unused channel, get an external antenna and boost your signal, use mac-based filtering, and disable SSID broadcast.
all the photographers i know have lots of cards, but they usually take the photos off the sd cards right away after the shoot. depending on the shoot, they will cycle cards out so they can develop early shots while taking additional photos. there was a time when a (studio or table top) photographer would call a film house to rush develop sheet or roll film to see how a shoot is going before committing to expending more film. this habit is still prevelent in the form of developing RAW images into jpeg or tiffs for quick proofing to inkjet printers.
i guess the bottomline is that the SD cards are only an intermediate format and aren't considered permanent archive. anyone who keeps files on SD/XD/Flash/CF/fill-in-the-blank is an idiot. copy your file onto harddrive right away, burn them onto cd/dvd for archive(two copies minimum!).
as far as memory card storage? i use an old cedar cigar box. it has a certain retro je ne sais quoi...
with the ubiquity of the 'net via laptop and phone, with connectivity available everywhere, it's hard to escape your job when you're in I.T. shit, i'm at work on a saturday afternoon ass wiping a box that i don't have the time bandwidth to deal with during the week.
thanks the the props, yerktoader... appreciate the mod, i think you just need to be patient, what with all the database transactions required to mod a discussion...
i too have worked in IT fulltime for 12 years, and i've always been in positions which required working above and beyond the standard 40 hour work week. in the beginning i used to envy my 40 hour co-workers, but then i started putting things into perspective:
+ i don't punch a timeclock.
+ although i am consistent in my arrival and departure time, my time is flexible enough that i can come and go as i please.
+ my lunch hour can be as short as 30 minutes, or as long as a couple of hours.
+ i'm often taken out to lunch by various vendors(existing and potential) to discuss new products, services, etc.
+ the company pays for my cell phone(i know it's a leash, but i'm also not limited in my usage).
+ i get equipment refreshes with a higher frequency then most users(save owners and other bigwigs).
+ i have more technology in my cube/office than several co-workers combined.
+ i can wear what i want.
+ i usually set my own agenda for my work week.
+ i'm often involved in interesting projects, many of the involving exploratory research regarding cost, deployment, etc, stuff that actually is challenging.
+ i'm a techno-god in the eyes of my co-workers.
+ i get a regular paycheck.
+ i have ability to authorize up to $5000 purchases per P.O.(no limit on number of P.O.s... how did that happen?...)
+ i get reimbursed on work related expenses.
+ i get paid vacations and official holidays.
+ i get to go home to my family and leave work behind from time-to-time.
of course on the downside:
- i get stuck holding the bag when technology misbehave.
- i have to work long hours from time to time.
- sometimes there just isn't someone to hand things off to, so i have to see things thru to the end.
- there often isn't anyone else to blame.
- i don't always get compensated for my time appropriately.
etc...
etc...
i can go on and on with the plusses and minusses, but the bottomline for me, i'm better off workin' for the man, and not for myself. you need to run a +/- list for yourself and see how it shakes out. work less? and you're thinking of going into business for yourself? pull your head out of your ass!
your gonna work harder and longer when you work for yourself, for a while(months, maybe even years)...
and you bring your work home with you...
and you can't take a day off 'cause your sick...
and you can't just up and quit cause your boss is an asshole...
why don't you ask for a different compensation schedule? or maybe a flex schedule? track how many hours you work(regular and overtime) and see if you qualify for overtime pay in your state/country. ask your employer to pay for your cell and home internet connection(so it's less money out of your pocket). start becoming creative about how you are compensated for your work, and maybe not just money...
sometimes i wish i was a bricklayer: only responsible for making sure that my shit is level, straight and plumb, and be able to leave all my work behind at the end of the day, but alas, that's not my lot. oh well, maybe the next reincarnation.
"are there any best practices for freelance developers?"
i think best practices should apply to any freelance, not just developers...
first and foremost: communication.
i think one of the most important tasks is to make sure your client clearly understands what service you provide(and what you don't provide).
make sure your client clearly explains what they are expecting from you. in writing.
don't be afraid to state what you are going to do explicitly. if you are just doing site development, make sure you state that you will not expected to input the actual content. or that you are not a content generator. just be clear in your communications with your client.
"What kind of process should I use when dealing with clients?"
there's nothing wrong with asking your prospective client to describe in writing the scope of a project. if a client has a hard time expressing the nature of their project("you know, kinda like this, but different... it's hard to explain but you know what i mean"), you might think twice before entering into a business agreement with them. have them put something concrete in writing/email. if they can't do it but you really want to work for them, you should put it into writing for them and request that they acknowledge your interpretation as an accurate description of the project scope.
"Should I bill by the hour or provide a fixed quote on a per-project basis?"
this question is open for wide interpretation... it depends on the client and the project. If you have a project that will take 1-2 weeks, you might consider charging a flat project price. if you are going to be engaged in a multi-week (3+ weeks to several months) project, you might consider an hourly rate. you might also consider putting together a rate card for yourself i.e. 1 static html website with 5 pages, hosting setup and domain registration = $500. 1 CMS(joomla, drupal, sugar, dnn) or DHTML website with MySQL/java integration, hosting setup and domain registration = $1500. online store/shopping cart starting @ $1500, depending on merchant solutions, etc,etc... i don't know what your skill set is, but you should be able to quickly answer the question "how much will this cost me?" prepare your rate card in advance of client meetings.
"What kind of assurances should I get from the client before I begin work?"
what the hell kinda question is this? are you asking how should you ask to be paid? since you're a freelancer, you should be bold and ask for payment upfront. in fact most businesses use this as a model:pay us first, then we'll give you a computer. are you afraid to ask for the entire payment up front? how about asking them for 1/3 down before any works starts, 1/3 halfway thru the project, and 1/3 at time of final delivery. or how about half up front and half on delivery. WTF, dude, that really depends on your client, doesn't it? smaller companies will pay cash up front, bigger ones will want to issue a P.O. and pay just one invoice. there's no single rule here.
"What is the best way to create accurate time estimates?"
if you need to provide an accurate time estimate, you'll spend a lot of time tracking what you're doing. you might actually impact your overall output with too much time analysis. make you time estimate in 15-30 minute increments (if necessary), and err in your favor. if you performed a task that only took 5 minutes to do, charge it out as 15 minutes. establish a minimum chargable amount. you don't have to spell out all the details for how you bill, just make sure you establish your own business rules for billing, i.e. minimum bill
wake up and realize that children as young as 2 need to develop various skills:physical, social, metacognition. a computer can capture their attention, and the ability to focus on something is an important step in metacognitive skills, but you're gonna turn your kid into an idiot if his early childhood development is poorly balanced with a computer at it's center...
buy your child toys that require him to exercise his brain and hands, like duplo/lego blocks, wooden stacking blocks, a trainset, or for that matter any early learning toy (there's alot of great early learning toys from germany, why don't you use the intertubes to look them up).
instead of buying him his own computer, let him use your computer TOGETHER WITH YOU, for carefully measured durations of time. in the mean time YOU need to LEARN how to interact with your child in meatspace, man. talk and sing and teach, build legos, take walks, fly a kite, be physically INTERACTIVE, not VIRTUAL.
deeper computer learning, and maybe his own computer might be more appropriate at age 5-7, not 2.
figure it out.
also, you might consider taking a look for scrap yards in the YP or google. back in my college days, we used to organized groups of students(art/sculpture major, industrial design, architect) to visit lange and epstein scrap yard at the corner or dayton and weed streets... it was a raw material wonderland filled with old phone boxes, core10 steel and other manufactured metal pieces, destined for a trip to the foundry. i would highly recommend visiting a scrap yard from a material source in your project.
- you'll have more responsibilities...
- work long and late hours...
- get paid less than you expected ('cause you're - gonna get a position that will somehow won't qualify for overtime)...
- spend sleepless nights worrying about some system or code that's been kicking you ass...
and you'll wistfully remember those carefree days shortly after graduation when you had a carefree job that you could leave at the office. all joking aside, you'll find another job with a better opportunity for advancement and better pay. what are you, 22-24? give it another year or two before you panick... you have a scant amount of experience, and in these economically tough times, it's likely that even though an employer says "recent graduates" they have a really high expectation that can only be filled by someone with more experience.
get to know people within the field/market you want to work in... show the person you want to work for that you have a pair of stones and you have the talent to back it up! go to trade shows and press the flesh, email prospective employers and ask if they have an opportunity for you, canvas your friends and family, church, coffeehouse, etc.
did you every take a job hunting/resume writing/interviewing class in college? they used to have these life lesson classes in high school, and i'm sure they have them in colleges as well... IMHO you might need coaching in life skills:
- learn to start and hold conversations with strangers
- learn to speak without using "umms", "aahs" and "you knows"
- learn to read body language
- learn how to take an interview
and quit complaining on slashdot about your career shortcomings, man up and figure it out!
they're $15 for com/net/org domains and offer custom dns and mail hop/relay services at varying prices. dns changes propagate quickly, and their servers are stable and reliable...
at the end of the day, you get what you pay for, so why would anyone be surprised that the street whore of registrars would actually try and fuck over their clientele?
experience is the only way to develop a healthy dose of skepticism. too many kids are graduating and rolling into their first "real" jobs with a healthy serving of entitlement, and what they really need is a swift kick in the ass to bring them down a notch or two in order to adjust their level of expectations to a realistic level.
not everything can be learned from a book or class. a good dose of menial and manual labor is always quick way to teach a young pup simple lessons, including skepticism...
i think you are referring to teaching skepticism with regards to engineering... well, IMHO the best way would be for your students (or perhaps only the best ones) to work as laborer at a construction site. working shoulder to shoulder with some old timers, learning the ropes from the physical side of engineering might impart this elusive skill...
i agree with parent, get the aeron. owning one myself, and working at a company that has nothing but aerons, i can tell you that for long endurance task sitting, it's truly one of the best... make sure you get the right size(there are three) and the highly adjustable version. i realize that if you get the highly adjustable version, with polished aluminum, you're in the $1500.00 category, but is that really expensive compared to the cost of cars, computers, plasma screen tv's not to mention medical/chiropractic bills? don't forget that part of the price of a herman miller chair is the super long(12 year) warranty...
if you think the aeron chair isn't worth the money and is more hype then help, i'm not offended and nobody else here should be. if you're still interested in purchasing a task chair for long endurance sitting, definitely look at the other chairs offered by herman miller, steelcase, knoll or humanscale. expect to pay $500-1200 for a decent chair.
consider the alternative: you get the cheap $100-300 officemax/staples/ikea office chair, but you find yourself replacing it every 12-18 months (busted caster, ripped fabric, broken adjustment arm, crappy foam padding, etc) because of shoddy craftsmanship or low quality components... in the 3-7 years, you would have easily paid for one aeron/mirra/leap/amia chair vs 3-5 el cheapo chairs, not to mention time and effort to purchase said furniture.
lastly, buying a piece of furniture like this is a commitment... you don't spend 600-1500 clams the way you do 100-200. if you/he are not happy with the purchase, it's a bigger hassle getting rid of it/exchanging, selling and re-purchasing alternative choice, etc as opposed to just pitching a $100 chair or giving it away to the neighbors. i liken it to buying underwear: nobody knows the comfort better than the one wearing the underwear. it's kinda hard buying certain things for others.
ISBN-13: 978-0130206015
forget the others, this is the one to own.
save yourself the headache of rolling your own design. you're not going to learn graphic design on the job. you might have learned certain design aesthetics(i.e. i know what i like), but don't kid yourself that you can be a graphic designer. graphic design is an art craft, just like painting and sculpture, abeit a more controlled art form. let the pro's do their job, and you do yours.
it sounds to me like you have the ability to code it all, if you choose to go that route. however, at some point in time, you might want to open up the content submission process to someone else, like the boss's secretary or an office administrator. use a CMS that is mature and has plenty of extensions and theming capability, like joomla. buy a professionally designed theme from joomlashack or rockettheme. a theme-capable CMS will allow you to refresh the theme on a regular basis.
nuff sed.
download music faster!
download movies faster!
play games faster!
this was the mantra that cable-tv-turned-isp has been chanting to the public for years!
now they want to change the billing model because some youngblood-hotshot-harvard-kellogg-MBA didn't realize that preaching faster downloads equates to higher bandwidth usage... or they intentionally planned to entice end users to switch to their network with the express intent of pulling a bait-and-switch on the billing model once the general public has swallowed whole, hook-line-sinker. either way it's stupid or underhanded...
here's a comcast press release specifically tauting faster mp3 download speeds
here's an RCN press release claiming speedier download speeds for videos, music, games, etc.
interestingly enough, aol/time-warner/roadrunner have been more discreet regarding claims of faster music and video downloading, perhaps because of their pre-existing media interests.