If none of the implementers understand UML, then it would be stupid to present them with a UML-based design and expect them to understand it.
If the coders understand UML, then a simple well-documented class diagram combined with a sequence diagram is a great way to communicate a design. But, this is not really any different than the age-old technique of combining a flow chart with a class diagram. Its just using a standard notation.
As former government contractor that is now a "pseduo-"-dotCommer [we're not a dot com... but we are startup running on venture capital], I have to disagree with several of your reasons.
4) You actually have to work rather than just hype vapor.
Maybe its just my circumstances, but I've seen the exact opposite. When I worked with the gov't, everyone talked hype and no one delivered. At my company now, its all about results.
6) Generally need to have multiple skills in a variety of areas, rather than be _The Wizard_ in only one area.
A good startup employee can (and will) do everything and anything to get the product out the door! We had lots of FORTRAN wizards in the gov't. That's ALL they did (they did know it well though).
In terms of whats best, I think it just depends on your circumstances. Everything has its upsides and downsides and gov't contractor vs..Com is no different.
It was pretty painless so I can't understand a company making a big deal of it unless they are in the habit of hiring non-US citizens or recent immigrants
Its not as painless to the company. It also dependes upon the clearance level. There's usually a 6 month backlog on top secret clearences and it costs a pretty penny to sponser someone. Typically, while you are candidate, you CANNOT work on the project (yes, there are exceptions... it depends on the clearance level) and if the company cannot find something for you to do during that time, well, there goes 6 months of productivity. Remember, not so long ago (3 years), engineers left companies after only a 1-2 years... so its quite a risk for these companies to sponser someone.
"In the final scheme, passengers would use the vandal-proof vehicles as personalised taxis, using a smart card to tap in their destination and pay the fare."
How exactly are these vehicles vandal proof?
What stops me from spray painting "Frodo Lives"
all over on of them?
... except that "boy bands" were in full swing at the peak of Napster's power.
Exactly my point!
Boy bands are great for the record industry when they are coming into popularity. They sell TONS of records. That's when Napster was at its peak (I do not believe the 2 are connected in any way). It's on their downslide (right now) that the record industry feels the pain.
Another alternative is that the recording industry has pretty much burned through most if not all of their consumer goodwill
Maybe to some degree, but I don't think Jane Teenie Booper really thinks this much. My guess is she's bored with the music or her dad lost his job. So, she buys less records.
I believe I read somewhere that during Napster's heyday, cd sales were at an all-time high. After they shut Napster down, I believe I read that cd sales went into the toilet.
Coincidence? I think not.
I think it is a coincidence for the most part.
I would suggest (hey, just one opinion) that the real reason record sales have plunged is the "boy-band" pop phenomenon. As can be expected, sales explode initially with boy bands (think mid/late-80's) and then plunge as the vanilla music gets tiring. Its a fad. Eventually something comes around and sales go up (like Nirvana). Music sells in cycles. Right now, we're on the downside of a cycle. It will pick up again regardless of Napster at some point.
The problem with UML is that it doesn't really help to be pretty good with UML.
If everyone isn't completely proficient, you're back to square one, ambiguity, miscommunication of ideas, all the stuff that you're trying to avoid by using by UML.
Well said! A couple of year ago, one of my company's customers was on a big UML kick. He decreed that everyone would learn UML and all presentations of software design would occur in UML instead of in PowerPoint slides.
Great for me! After all, I always wanted an excuse to learn UML.
However, in the end, it turned out very poorly. Why? Because, the people reviewing our designs that were not employeed or hired by him didn't understand UML. So, we had to duplicate all of our designs! One copy was in Rose... the other in PowerPoint.
As everyone else has said, UML is a modeling language and XML is a meta-language standard. Their are proposals out somewhere (OMG? -- can't remember exactly) to have a standard format for describing UML models between applications (for instance, between Rational Rose and Visual Cafe).
Guess what? The format is in XML.
There also doesn't appear to be much corporate interest - Microsoft has moved its mindshare strategies to web services, leaving the only big backer of LDAP being Novell - not really a key industry player at this point.
I've seen iPlanet directory server (its uses LDAP) used in many shops. Naturally, these shops also use the iPlanet web server. Not as big of a market share as Microsoft or Apache, but there are still thousands of corporations/institutions/agencies using it. While I will agree that directories don't get as much buzz as they used to, they are far from dead in the water.
Microsoft made available on its Web site a free fix for both home and professional editions of Windows XP and forcefully urged consumers to install it immediately.
Eek! Do they force fixes on their consumers like they force competitors out of business?
Some blame the sour economy. Others point to lackluster sales of hotly anticipated new releases from artists like Mariah Carey and Macy Gray, and the glut of look-alike, sound-alike boy bands.
Why don't they just do what every other failure in the past 3 months has done and blame "the tragic events of 9/11"?
One must remember that Tolkien constantly edited the Middle-Earth literature up until his death. My previous post references one of the many scriblings that he wrote, published by his son after his death. Valar or Maia, only Tolkien knew, and most likely changed his mind at one point or another.
You are correct. The Istari were Maiar... there is some doubt about Gandalf the White ("White" after his "death"). One excerpt from Tolkien (very near his death) states that Gandalf the White "may" have been a member of the Valar who took Gandalf the Grey's form to ensure Sauron was defeated.
No definate stature was ever given to Tom Bombadil in any exerpt from Tolkien that I ever read.
I heard on NPR this morning that Tolkien was a philologist and that he first devised the languages used in the trilogy, then built the rest around that.
To a certain extent, that is true.
Tolkien was fascinated by the study of languages (in particular Old English) and indeed the tales of Middle Earth were built around the languages dreamed up by Tolkien. The Silmarillion was Tolkien's life work (started during the first World War and worked on until his death in the early 70's). Languages inspired the tales in the Silmarillian and those tales and the world they occured in were used as the backdrop of both the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings.
IMO, it is the "age" of the languages and the world (30+ years) that give such depth to LOTR.
Similiar thing happened at my company (only 100 employees -- but still funny). The virus in question was the "Anna Kornakova" virus. The CEO sent that puppy to everyone in the company.
At the next all-hands meeting, he explained that the reason he opened it was "because it came from a recruiter and he thought it was a resume". Wink wink... nod nod.
I apologize in advance for my trolling, but anytime we have a server farm article, you can pretty much sum up all the posts as:
40% M$ sucks. Use Linux,BSD for all the servers.
30% Matt McClung [insert name here] is not me and, as such, a moron.
15% First post, Stephen King is dead, grammer cop, and goatsex.
10% Trolls... just like this post:-)
5% Informative posts.
Will the last three Frank Herbert books be squeezed into a miniseries so that they will have a trilogy?
Not likely. Books 5 and 6 are in the way off future (like thousands of years). They would need to be a seperate series on their own with an entirely new cast.
For what its worth, in my opinion (-- just an opinion), books 5 & 6 are complete rubbish.
"Futurama" is the best animated show on television today.
What does everyone think about Family Guy?
In my opinion (I'm not trying to troll), it has replaced the Simpsons as the best cartoon in primetime TV. FOX has graced it with a dreadful timeslot as well (Thursdays at 8) and it seems that the time slot has caused the writers to revolt and push the decency envelope as much as possible (to which I am very happy). I hope FOX doesn't kill it.
Slashdot Mirror
Not if used correctly.
If none of the implementers understand UML, then it would be stupid to present them with a UML-based design and expect them to understand it.
If the coders understand UML, then a simple well-documented class diagram combined with a sequence diagram is a great way to communicate a design. But, this is not really any different than the age-old technique of combining a flow chart with a class diagram. Its just using a standard notation.
As former government contractor that is now a "pseduo-"-dotCommer [we're not a dot com ... but we are startup running on venture capital], I have to disagree with several of your reasons.
.Com is no different.
4) You actually have to work rather than just hype vapor.
Maybe its just my circumstances, but I've seen the exact opposite. When I worked with the gov't, everyone talked hype and no one delivered. At my company now, its all about results.
6) Generally need to have multiple skills in a variety of areas, rather than be _The Wizard_ in only one area.
A good startup employee can (and will) do everything and anything to get the product out the door! We had lots of FORTRAN wizards in the gov't. That's ALL they did (they did know it well though).
In terms of whats best, I think it just depends on your circumstances. Everything has its upsides and downsides and gov't contractor vs.
It was pretty painless so I can't understand a company making a big deal of it unless they are in the habit of hiring non-US citizens or recent immigrants
... it depends on the clearance level) and if the company cannot find something for you to do during that time, well, there goes 6 months of productivity. Remember, not so long ago (3 years), engineers left companies after only a 1-2 years ... so its quite a risk for these companies to sponser someone.
Its not as painless to the company. It also dependes upon the clearance level. There's usually a 6 month backlog on top secret clearences and it costs a pretty penny to sponser someone. Typically, while you are candidate, you CANNOT work on the project (yes, there are exceptions
"In the final scheme, passengers would use the vandal-proof vehicles as personalised taxis, using a smart card to tap in their destination and pay the fare."
How exactly are these vehicles vandal proof?
What stops me from spray painting "Frodo Lives"
all over on of them?
... except that "boy bands" were in full swing at the peak of Napster's power.
Exactly my point!
Boy bands are great for the record industry when they are coming into popularity. They sell TONS of records. That's when Napster was at its peak (I do not believe the 2 are connected in any way). It's on their downslide (right now) that the record industry feels the pain.
Another alternative is that the recording industry has pretty much burned through most if not all of their consumer goodwill
Maybe to some degree, but I don't think Jane Teenie Booper really thinks this much. My guess is she's bored with the music or her dad lost his job. So, she buys less records.
I believe I read somewhere that during Napster's heyday, cd sales were at an all-time high. After they shut Napster down, I believe I read that cd sales went into the toilet.
Coincidence? I think not.
I think it is a coincidence for the most part.
I would suggest (hey, just one opinion) that the real reason record sales have plunged is the "boy-band" pop phenomenon. As can be expected, sales explode initially with boy bands (think mid/late-80's) and then plunge as the vanilla music gets tiring. Its a fad. Eventually something comes around and sales go up (like Nirvana). Music sells in cycles. Right now, we're on the downside of a cycle. It will pick up again regardless of Napster at some point.
The problem with UML is that it doesn't really help to be pretty good with UML.
... the other in PowerPoint.
If everyone isn't completely proficient, you're back to square one, ambiguity, miscommunication of ideas, all the stuff that you're trying to avoid by using by UML.
Well said! A couple of year ago, one of my company's customers was on a big UML kick. He decreed that everyone would learn UML and all presentations of software design would occur in UML instead of in PowerPoint slides.
Great for me! After all, I always wanted an excuse to learn UML.
However, in the end, it turned out very poorly. Why? Because, the people reviewing our designs that were not employeed or hired by him didn't understand UML. So, we had to duplicate all of our designs! One copy was in Rose
As everyone else has said, UML is a modeling language and XML is a meta-language standard. Their are proposals out somewhere (OMG? -- can't remember exactly) to have a standard format for describing UML models between applications (for instance, between Rational Rose and Visual Cafe).
Guess what? The format is in XML.
No. It was their Chief Security Officer who made ...
the 228 duplicate entries
'Ford' from the Hitchhikers Guide. The first series to give dolphins the credit they deserve
There also doesn't appear to be much corporate interest - Microsoft has moved its mindshare strategies to web services, leaving the only big backer of LDAP being Novell - not really a key industry player at this point.
I've seen iPlanet directory server (its uses LDAP) used in many shops. Naturally, these shops also use the iPlanet web server. Not as big of a market share as Microsoft or Apache, but there are still thousands of corporations/institutions/agencies using it. While I will agree that directories don't get as much buzz as they used to, they are far from dead in the water.
Couldn't we just give Sauron the one ring?
...
Then, he could sweep the asteroid away in one fell swoop like he did Elendil.
Of course, there is inevitable enslavement of the earth that would follow
Microsoft made available on its Web site a free fix for both home and professional editions of Windows XP and forcefully urged consumers to install it immediately.
Eek! Do they force fixes on their consumers like they force competitors out of business?
Actually, its surprising enjoying to sit back on a couch or in bed and surf the web.
WebTV -> The greatest porn finding machine ever invented.
Some blame the sour economy. Others point to lackluster sales of hotly anticipated new releases from artists like Mariah Carey and Macy Gray, and the glut of look-alike, sound-alike boy bands.
Why don't they just do what every other failure in the past 3 months has done and blame "the tragic events of 9/11"?
One must remember that Tolkien constantly edited the Middle-Earth literature up until his death. My previous post references one of the many scriblings that he wrote, published by his son after his death. Valar or Maia, only Tolkien knew, and most likely changed his mind at one point or another.
You are correct. The Istari were Maiar ... there is some doubt about Gandalf the White ("White" after his "death"). One excerpt from Tolkien (very near his death) states that Gandalf the White "may" have been a member of the Valar who took Gandalf the Grey's form to ensure Sauron was defeated.
No definate stature was ever given to Tom Bombadil in any exerpt from Tolkien that I ever read.
I heard on NPR this morning that Tolkien was a philologist and that he first devised the languages used in the trilogy, then built the rest around that.
To a certain extent, that is true.
Tolkien was fascinated by the study of languages (in particular Old English) and indeed the tales of Middle Earth were built around the languages dreamed up by Tolkien. The Silmarillion was Tolkien's life work (started during the first World War and worked on until his death in the early 70's). Languages inspired the tales in the Silmarillian and those tales and the world they occured in were used as the backdrop of both the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings.
IMO, it is the "age" of the languages and the world (30+ years) that give such depth to LOTR.
I posted the Cringely article on /. a few weeks back.
Here's the link.
That's funny.
... nod nod.
Similiar thing happened at my company (only 100 employees -- but still funny). The virus in question was the "Anna Kornakova" virus. The CEO sent that puppy to everyone in the company.
At the next all-hands meeting, he explained that the reason he opened it was "because it came from a recruiter and he thought it was a resume". Wink wink
I apologize in advance for my trolling, but anytime we have a server farm article, you can pretty much sum up all the posts as:
... just like this post :-)
40% M$ sucks. Use Linux,BSD for all the servers.
30% Matt McClung [insert name here] is not me and, as such, a moron.
15% First post, Stephen King is dead, grammer cop, and goatsex.
10% Trolls
5% Informative posts.
Will the last three Frank Herbert books be squeezed into a miniseries so that they will have a trilogy?
Not likely. Books 5 and 6 are in the way off future (like thousands of years). They would need to be a seperate series on their own with an entirely new cast.
For what its worth, in my opinion (-- just an opinion), books 5 & 6 are complete rubbish.
"Futurama" is the best animated show on television today.
What does everyone think about Family Guy?
In my opinion (I'm not trying to troll), it has replaced the Simpsons as the best cartoon in primetime TV. FOX has graced it with a dreadful timeslot as well (Thursdays at 8) and it seems that the time slot has caused the writers to revolt and push the decency envelope as much as possible (to which I am very happy). I hope FOX doesn't kill it.
Actually, I hate black backgrounds and like white backgrounds. Much easier on my eyes!
But, I agree with your point. Some users change the color palette in their browsers, a good web site must support this as much as possible.
Not that I'm surprised or anything, but 75% of the serious posts so far dismiss the ideas in the book as common sense.
Have any of you actually read the book?
Come one, people.