Agreed - the vast majority of people who apply for programming posts in the UK are either very optimistic, or simply deluded.
I know of companies which have well paid posts going filled because the only people who apply seem to have learnt all they know about coding from "Java for Dummies".
Doesn't the StellaAdaptor mount as a normal joystick under Windows? If that's the case then you could simply buy two and configure Stella to use Joystick X for player one and Y for player two.
Note that I haven't even tried using one of these things - let alone two. I've got a mint condition 1978 six switcher which negates the need for emulation:)
What's needed is a browser extension (Enigmail style) that can silently handle PGP {de,en}cryption in text fields.
For encryption it could pick up the 'to' address from the relevant field and use it to encrypt the main text box. For decryption it could pickup the 'from' address and the encrypted text from the HTML, then replace the encrypted message with the clear text.
A USB key-drive with a copy of Firebird (+ extension), GnuPG and your keys would allow you to access your mail from pretty much any computer. Though it would be relient on Google not changing their page format too often.
This could be circumvented if consumers in the US boycotted companies that oursourced work. In this situation outsourcing would cost money as no amount of cost cutting can save you if revenue has dropped to near zero.
However the American consumer has decided that they'd rather have cheap goods than protect American jobs. In this situation outsourcing helps a company. So it makes sense that companies will outsource.
This isn't a failure of capitalism or democracy, quite the opposite. It is a demonstration of how consumers are willing to put short term gain (low prices) ahead of long term prosperity. Consumers have made a choice and the market follows that.
If people really cared about outsourcing they wouldn't buy from these firms. They do buy and so it's clear that they don't really care. Maybe when more jobs are lost people will start favouring domestic employeers. But until then people are voting with their wallets that outsourcing isn't that big an issue.
... financial industry, which is not known for paying IT people well
Speak for yourself - I work in the finance industry as a coder and it pays pretty damn well. Not, I hasten to add, that I'd touch COBOL for all the Mountain Dew in America.
Well they should stop doing so - for the good of society. Anyone who can't figure out how to dial 911 on a normal telephone keypad deserves to burn to death for being such a retard.
Remember, everytime a stupid person dies the average intelligence of the world goes up.
Then Joe End-User should pay for an operating system rather than complaining about the work that many people have done for free.
If you don't like an element of Linux you have three options:
Make the change your self
Ask/pay someone to make the change for you
Sod off and buy an operating system that better fulfills your needs
People who contribute nothing to Linux (in terms of money, code, documentation, proper testing, etc...) should have no expectation of it adapting to meet their needs.
Calm down - I wasn't suggesting that Macs aren't fine multipurpose computers. If they weren't I wouldn't own one myself. However their raison d'etre is ease of use and the ratio of non-technical to technical users is far higher than that of Linux desktops.
Honestly, you guys are almost (but not quite) as bad as the Amiga zealots!:)
I believe the ultimate goal of Linux desktops should be to make the computer as easy to use as a Mac.
Why? There's already a computer that is as easy to use as a Mac - it's called the Mac. Why should Linux attempt to solve a problem that already has a pretty optimal solution? I always thought the goal of Linux was to provide a free, open source Unix-like operating system. Which is does very well indeed.
OSX is an operating system aimed at the home and education markets. Linux is an operating system written by hackers for their own use. Two very different goals - hence the two very different approaches that have been taken.
OPEC will never move over to the Euro (or any other currency) as long as the US is the preeminent military force in the world. Any attempt to move away from the US dollar would invite invasion and a 'regime change'. If the two Iraq conflicts have proved anything, it's that Arab militaries are no match for their Western counterparts.
The slashdot password system is not security through obscurity. It's a (hopefully) secure system that relies on a private token. Anyone can download the source code to Slashdot, but knowledge of how it works doesn't allow you to compromise the an given account.
As a more common example, take PGP. PGP uses a well known algorithm, but that does not make PGP insecure. Even if you steal a person's private key - you can only compromise their date, other PGP users are safe.
Security through obscurity is when a system is only secure if its workings/algorithms remain secret. For any system that is to be distributed outside of a controlled environment this is a very bad idea, as it's almost guaranteed that someone will crack it.
OO is not the be all and end all of software design. For very simple (i.e. linear) scripts OO adds unnecessary complexity and distracts the maintainer from the actual purpose of the script. As another poster has pointed out - it is possible to do what you want on one unambiguous line, as either:
$arr[] = 42;
$arr = array ( 42 );
Obviously if you're writing a complex system - use a more sophisticated design method (and another language). But for quick and simple scripts the functional approach both works, and is more obvious to non-expert programmers.
Now, compare with how long it takes to run the scirpt. For extra points, compare and contrast system resources used by the 2 options (running a spreadsheet vs. a shell prompt).
Woah - lots of calculations there. Sounds like a job for a spreadsheet.
I agree. I'd rather carry my GBA and my 8910 (both excellent at what they do) than some machine that isn't a good phone and doesn't play games very well.
I think it says something about the N-Gage that it's the only games machine released since the Dreamcast that I haven't bought. It doesn't have any redeeming features (even the GP32 had the 'easy to code for' argument).
Now, a handheld machine as powerful as a PS2 but with 3G internet access (no phone features!) that was designed soley for mobile online gaming - I'd buy that.
How about learning to communicate effectively with other members of the species. Seriously. All your comments, along with the original post, appear to be condescending in tone. I realise this is probably unintended, but it's something you might want to work on.
You could view it as an anthropological experiment!
The solution is not to back down when faced with those kind of people. Next time he starts shouting across the room - ask him to shut the fuck up. As loudly as possible.
Repeat until he gets the message, or you get fired. In the event of the latter you'll have a very good case for constructive dismissal.
The David Kelly whitewash was a rare glimpse of independence - for which the BBC was slapped back down in to place. This is the same BBC whose war coverage was about as objective as Fox News, and whose stance on the EU exactly tracks that of the government.
No media outlet that relies on the Government for funding will ever be independent. If BBC employees wish to resist state interference, perhaps they could start by refusing its money.
Don't tar all of Britain with Mr Thompson's facist brush. The BBC owes it's existence to Government legislation and taxation so it makes sense that they will employee a technology 'expert' that shares their views. Those of us in Britain who don't depend on the public purse have a rather more sensible view of how the internet should be run. Namely that it shouldn't be run at all - just allowed to exist in whatever form it's users think is best.
As the links you provide show, Bill Thompson is an idiot and clearly has little understanding of information technology. Which is why he is an ideal demagogue for the Blair Broadcasting Corporation.
Too true. This is the same Nintendo who forced out Gumpei Yokoi (after nearly forty years with the firm) because he made one bad product (the Virtual Boy). They did this even though they owed the company's survival to Yokoi's Gameboy. Not to mention that he also designed the Game & Watch range, and had a major hand in the NES/SNES).
Nintendo are just like every other large multi-national (Sony and Microsoft included). They care solely about profits (a sound tactic for a company). It amazes me how people can develop a loyalty towards a large corporation. Even though it's clear that the company concerned only views their 'fans' as walking wallets. Yet another illustration of the power of marketing.
Cats are hunters. They need lots of space for territory and lots of things to hunt. They are not indoor animals. You should only have a cat if they have access to the outside world - making them spend their entire lives inside is cruel beyond belief.
My solution? Give the cat to someone with a garden and get a more docile animal that won't mind living indoors. Chinchillas, hamsters or rabbits are ideal for this. But not a cat.
Slashdot Mirror
Yeah right. As if Dubya can read English - he has a hard enough time speaking it!
In SOVIET BRITAIN, you serve Government.
I know of companies which have well paid posts going filled because the only people who apply seem to have learnt all they know about coding from "Java for Dummies".
As a commited UFO (aka X-Com) fan I can confirm that it runs perfectly under DosBox. Didn't even require any tinkering with the configuration.
Note that I haven't even tried using one of these things - let alone two. I've got a mint condition 1978 six switcher which negates the need for emulation :)
For encryption it could pick up the 'to' address from the relevant field and use it to encrypt the main text box. For decryption it could pickup the 'from' address and the encrypted text from the HTML, then replace the encrypted message with the clear text.
A USB key-drive with a copy of Firebird (+ extension), GnuPG and your keys would allow you to access your mail from pretty much any computer. Though it would be relient on Google not changing their page format too often.
However the American consumer has decided that they'd rather have cheap goods than protect American jobs. In this situation outsourcing helps a company. So it makes sense that companies will outsource.
This isn't a failure of capitalism or democracy, quite the opposite. It is a demonstration of how consumers are willing to put short term gain (low prices) ahead of long term prosperity. Consumers have made a choice and the market follows that.
If people really cared about outsourcing they wouldn't buy from these firms. They do buy and so it's clear that they don't really care. Maybe when more jobs are lost people will start favouring domestic employeers. But until then people are voting with their wallets that outsourcing isn't that big an issue.
Speak for yourself - I work in the finance industry as a coder and it pays pretty damn well. Not, I hasten to add, that I'd touch COBOL for all the Mountain Dew in America.
Remember, everytime a stupid person dies the average intelligence of the world goes up.
If you don't like an element of Linux you have three options:
People who contribute nothing to Linux (in terms of money, code, documentation, proper testing, etc ...) should have no expectation of it adapting to meet their needs.
Honestly, you guys are almost (but not quite) as bad as the Amiga zealots! :)
Why? There's already a computer that is as easy to use as a Mac - it's called the Mac. Why should Linux attempt to solve a problem that already has a pretty optimal solution? I always thought the goal of Linux was to provide a free, open source Unix-like operating system. Which is does very well indeed.
OSX is an operating system aimed at the home and education markets. Linux is an operating system written by hackers for their own use. Two very different goals - hence the two very different approaches that have been taken.
OPEC will never move over to the Euro (or any other currency) as long as the US is the preeminent military force in the world. Any attempt to move away from the US dollar would invite invasion and a 'regime change'. If the two Iraq conflicts have proved anything, it's that Arab militaries are no match for their Western counterparts.
As a more common example, take PGP. PGP uses a well known algorithm, but that does not make PGP insecure. Even if you steal a person's private key - you can only compromise their date, other PGP users are safe.
Security through obscurity is when a system is only secure if its workings/algorithms remain secret. For any system that is to be distributed outside of a controlled environment this is a very bad idea, as it's almost guaranteed that someone will crack it.
OO is not the be all and end all of software design. For very simple (i.e. linear) scripts OO adds unnecessary complexity and distracts the maintainer from the actual purpose of the script. As another poster has pointed out - it is possible to do what you want on one unambiguous line, as either:
Obviously if you're writing a complex system - use a more sophisticated design method (and another language). But for quick and simple scripts the functional approach both works, and is more obvious to non-expert programmers.
I think it says something about the N-Gage that it's the only games machine released since the Dreamcast that I haven't bought. It doesn't have any redeeming features (even the GP32 had the 'easy to code for' argument).
Now, a handheld machine as powerful as a PS2 but with 3G internet access (no phone features!) that was designed soley for mobile online gaming - I'd buy that.
You could view it as an anthropological experiment!
Repeat until he gets the message, or you get fired. In the event of the latter you'll have a very good case for constructive dismissal.
Which model do you have? I was under the impression that all Nokia GSM models use SIMs. Certainly all non-US ones do.
No media outlet that relies on the Government for funding will ever be independent. If BBC employees wish to resist state interference, perhaps they could start by refusing its money.
As the links you provide show, Bill Thompson is an idiot and clearly has little understanding of information technology. Which is why he is an ideal demagogue for the Blair Broadcasting Corporation.
Universal Rule #361,431: Anyone who claims to be a "Marketing Expert" AND goes to business school knows the square-root of fuck all about anything.
You might as well have asked Yippy The Counting Dog for his opinions on Bulgarian economic policy.
Nintendo are just like every other large multi-national (Sony and Microsoft included). They care solely about profits (a sound tactic for a company). It amazes me how people can develop a loyalty towards a large corporation. Even though it's clear that the company concerned only views their 'fans' as walking wallets. Yet another illustration of the power of marketing.
My solution? Give the cat to someone with a garden and get a more docile animal that won't mind living indoors. Chinchillas, hamsters or rabbits are ideal for this. But not a cat.