So you had no problem with GW Bush spreading rumors of John McCain's illegitimate black child?
So you won't mind if I think your accusation that GW Bush spread those rumors about John McCain is libelous?
Just saying....
You can't have it both ways. The point is, you have a lot more leeway when commenting on a public figure (in the US) than you do Joe Blow down the street. Whether they're elected or public because of the nature of their job (such as a professional football player, hollywood star or even a TV news anchor.) Citizens are expected to be able to scrutinize and even satirize public officials without becoming the object of a lawsuit. These officials forget they're here to serve the PEOPLE, not their own interests. And now they're just drawing even more attention and scrutiny to themselves.
Boy did a lot of people get in their 'whaaaambulance' and try to run little ol' me over.
But in answer to your post (which is a bit mute because I understand this took place about 3-4 years ago):
I seriously DOUBT anyone with a (clean) military background would be doing this. Or someone getting a post-graduate degree unless they'd been cheating their whole way through and just hadn't gotten caught--which is doubtful. And most people returning to school are there to learn something, not just going for instant gratification of fixing their grades.
The serious problem is that there are a lot of people who will feel, so what, the ends justify the means and whatever it takes to get the right grades is okay. Personally when I heard their ages, I was picturing a couple of perpetual students and a basket weaving major. Because MOST long-term or advanced degrees such as that of our disgruntled engineer student (grow a funny bone, you'll need it!) on the thread can not just be skated on by fixing your grade. You're going to have to DO the actual work. And it will become pretty clear, pretty fast, once you get your first job that you don't know what the hell you're doing, grades or not!
I don't know that these clods should get twenty years. Maybe marched out to the school square and have their class rings removed and their diploma ripped up (ala the TV show "Branded"). Not having a college degree is going to screw them for life.
But it was a joke and a few people around here apparently need to get something to take care of that constipation...thanks to those who got it!
I know other people think I was just providing sour grapes, but I'm really glad to hear that they're treating you right and sharing some of the savings you've provided. I wish you well.
While I admire the "making lemonade from lemons" attitude of some here, let me add a little ice to the mix. The problem is not just, "well let's just learn the automation" and make the robot do the crap. It's, "Hey I've got FrontPage and my brother-in-law says he can do my web pages, so why should I pay you?" The problem with a lot of companies are willing to sacrifice some quality (which they don't really notice unless there's a crisis) for cost.
It's very dilbertisque to say you replaced an employee with a simple shell script. And I'm sure you're company is thrilled that you're doing TWO jobs for the same pay. (Although it sounds like they expected you to do that all along, whether you automated it on your own or not.) But how long before they decide their administrative assistant can run the shell script? Or decide to outsource because that means at least one less person toward their HR budget "head count"?
Yes, there will be jobs in some fashion for IT, but perhaps it's time to ask ourselves if we really want to keep clawing our way on the top of the heap or is it time to start exploring other venues. Life shouldn't be about always waiting for the sword of Damocles to fall.
I totally agree--I think the music company is passing the buck. After all, a few months ago, wasn't the music industry pissed that he was giving away his new CD free in the UK Daily Mail? And before that, he once scrawled the word, "slave" on his cheek during a label dispute.
Hardly the action of someone who's scrolling YouTube baby videos for copyright infringements.
You've got to ask yourself, why does a company want to sponsor you--there's got to be something in it for them, after all. Which means you either have to have some qualification they can't find nearby OR something else. Studies have shown that H1-Bs are paid about 20% LESS than the going rate. This is easily enough done by simply re-titling the job. So that you're doing the same work, but your title determines the pay range. (This is a way to under pay non-H1-Bs also--especially women.) If there wasn't a cost advantage, then they'd just hire an American. There are also cases of Americans being replaced by foreign workers because of the pay advantage.
I guess you do realize that your current employer has to allow you to leave...it's not like you can change jobs freely. Once an employer hires someone that person is essentially stuck until their contract is up, unless they're allowed out of it and someone else picks it up.
The other unseen problem is when you bring over more workers of ANY type, the bigger the pool, the lower the overall salaries go. H1-Bs especially occurred during the internet boom. Salaries rose and businesses started to holler--not because there wasn't available workers (although it was an employee market), but because they didn't want to pay the going rate. So the market got flooded with foreign IT workers and then came the bust. And of course, many of those from overseas didn't want to leave. But it's taken almost 10 years for the IT market to start coming out of this and leveling off. Had these businesses not been allowed to flood the market with outside workers, it would have recovered a lot faster. And there is no magic business (except maybe the funeral industry) that has endless growth and steady business. Right now the energy industry is hot. But it won't last either. It was hot before in the late 70s early 80s--then it turned into double digit unemployment by the mid-late 80s. And that was without the addition of thousands of foreign workers. Every industry has a cycle.
Businesses, unfortunately, are often looking for cheap over quality. The trend it toward "fresh-outs" which are new college graduates. It's MUCH harder to get job offers once you're over about 40--even though you now have several years of experience. It doesn't make sense, but that IS very common. It's also common to hire contract or temp workers--they are not counted as part of a department head count. Not to mention they don't have to pay benefits.
I think that MOST of slashdotters working in tech have known this. It's all about the MONEY. Studies have shown time and time again that the reason businesses are bringing H1-Bs over here by the boatload is not about lack of qualified US graduates--it's about $$$. Only a couple of month's back the Programmer's Guild exposed a video that advertised a class on how to weed out qualified Americans so your company can employ cheaper H1-B workers.
Unfortunately, as long as US workers don't see it happening in THEIR field (or are blissfully unaware), they do nothing. I'm afraid when Americans DO stand up, it will be too late.
Don't flame me--I actually own one and trust me they have a LOT of more excess energy to spare compared to a cow! But, of course, that would be mean and if you really want to create a win-win situation, it would be to hook the electrical grid up to the treadmills used on The Biggest Loser and supply the whole damn city!
On the surface this sounds like one great big practical joke of a story. But I don't know if I'm impressed or disappointed at the lack of cow flatulence jokes.
It's called "carry on" learn it, live it, love it.
Seriously--lest some idiot thinks I'm trolling: After seeing so many of my more well traveled friends dealing with lost luggage--not to mention having to put on locks rigged so that baggage people can open and paw through your stuff--I take carry on luggage and haven't had a problem stowing it. You don't need half the things you think you do on trips (and restricted to small amount of carry on liquids now saves space.) And if you forgot or need something, unless you're going to 'outer Mongolia', you can usually purchase it at your destination. I haven't lost a bag yet! And I can just grab my bag and head out of the airport instead of hanging out in baggage claim.
Pirate Bay should just say IFPI stands for the International Federation of the Pornographic Industry
No cybersquatting here!;-)
Seriously though, why should anyone be allowed to run to court and file charges of cybersquatting after letting their domain lapse renewal for so many months? There should be a 60-day statute of limitations on these. No one should own an inherent RIGHT to their domain name after letting it lapse. Otherwise you're opening the door for companies and organizations to come back years after the fact and say, "Thank you, I'll take my domain back now."
The internet is good if you're: An unpublished writer. A copywriter or web content writer--it's a new venue and a new market to make money. A writer, published or not, who doesn't live next door to the library. A writer who works with others in collaboration. A writer who plans to self-publish and promote. Someone who writes for the joy of writing, ("open-source" writing) and if someone notices, that's icing on the cake. A small publisher/printer working with self-publishing authors.
The internet is bad if you're: A large publishing house. A journalist who thinks their degree makes them "special." Yes, there are some bad amateur journalists, but providing you do the research and you can construct a sentence, there is no special anointing from on high that makes one a reporter. (And before anyone starts loading up stones, my degree is in journalism.) Against a diversity of ideas and opinions, whether a government, a news outlet or an individual.
As long as there are readers, writing is good no matter what the venue. But therein lies the question: Will people keep reading as we turn into short-attention span, sound-byte monkeys? A few years ago, I had my doubts. But the Harry Potter, Eragon and other series have left me with some faith that, if you can write it, readers will come.
There's really no downside to having a new venue in this business, unless you choose to create one or are so insecure you're afraid of a little competition.
Sony BMG intends to launch a lawsuit against all independent artists selling their CDs at concerts and over the Internet. Sony claims that such actions are theft.
"The traditional business model had been ruined by the Internet," said Grundy. "The industry is still trying to work out what on earth the new model or models should be and this is just one option."
Sucks when you've become redundant, eh? Authors are self-publishing; musicians can sell their songs on-line. They've found that they're doing most of the promotional work anyway, so why are you getting such a big cut? They've peaked behind the curtain and found there is no wizard. You evolve or you get run over.
I have to admit that when I downloaded my first mp3 in 1996. I did not give it much thought. I could look at it two ways.
One: This is like listening to the radio, it is free. I would download whatever I could get. Much like recording off the radio.
Two: This is preventing me from buying a new album. Thus I am stealing from the artist or publisher.
Or Three: This is the only song I liked--so I wouldn't have bought the album anyway. --There's no option to buy the song by itself (at that time).
In the span of the last 12 years. I have purchased albums of maybe 10 or 11 groups.
I'm not sure how many I have...but that's mostly because most of the (mainstream) music sucks! (IMO). It's all about how good you can dance and lip sync on MTV. One of my rants is that many of the great music makers of the past would have never been heard from if they grew up today because they weren't "pretty" enough. Mick Jagger, Mamas and the Pappas, and good grief Bob Dylan--can you see him auditioning on American Idol!
Also charities AND political fund raisers are exempt (ain't THAT a bitch--the politicos put in a loophole for THEM!)
That's my mom's problem. They keep calling for my dad. Dad passed away earlier this year and understandably mom doesn't want to tell them her husband's dead. They ask for him--she tells them not to call, but they just ignore her and say they'll call later. Obviously they just see mom as being some sort of roadblock to a donation.
ONE of these days I'm going to be there when they call.... I don't think they're going to like that day. Another option is to impersonate my dad and tell them to go f*ck themselves.
In our state you CAN tape the phone call as long as one party (yourself) knows it's being recorded. If it comes to that, I will set that up and take their ass to small claims court. It's one thing to be exempt to DNC, it's another to KEEP calling after repeatedly being told not to call any more.
A couple of questions/ideas. Comcast is cable--don't several people use the same pipeline? If so, then how do they know which customer is doing all the downloading?
Also in occurred to me that if Carreiro, who was cut off, had an insecure wireless network (or if one of his kids passed along the password) he could have set up a free neighborhood server and not known it. Comcast could have alerted him, "Hey you're using 300 GB a month." He says, "There's no way we're downloading that much." "Hmm...let's put a track on things." Then you find out you got some neighbors are hooking their water hose up to your well. Instead, Comcast just shuts them down. The reason he's only getting less than 50 GB a month now may be because whoever was tapping in can't get in now.
I agree that Comcast should be sued for breach of contract. You cannot make up policy as you go along and then cut people off for not following the rules that you never stated in writing (unless, of course, you're the government.;-)
Scientologists aren't crackpots, though. They're a very deliberate scam. The things they teach are a mixture of self-help material and crackpottery, but don't think for a second that the leaders actually believe in any of it.
Slashdot Mirror
And so with voice technology and a new personality to "fit in" with humans, we can look forward to having the following conversation:
"I think you ought to know I'm feeling very depressed," it said. Its voice was low and hopeless.
"Oh God," muttered Zaphod and slumped into a seat.
"Well," said Trillian in a bright compassionate tone, "here's something to occupy you and keep your mind off things."
"It won't work," droned Marvin, "I have an exceptionally large mind."
Shamelessly taken from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams.
So you had no problem with GW Bush spreading rumors of John McCain's illegitimate black child?
So you won't mind if I think your accusation that GW Bush spread those rumors about John McCain is libelous?
Just saying....
You can't have it both ways. The point is, you have a lot more leeway when commenting on a public figure (in the US) than you do Joe Blow down the street. Whether they're elected or public because of the nature of their job (such as a professional football player, hollywood star or even a TV news anchor.) Citizens are expected to be able to scrutinize and even satirize public officials without becoming the object of a lawsuit. These officials forget they're here to serve the PEOPLE, not their own interests. And now they're just drawing even more attention and scrutiny to themselves.
Apparently it does, as she mentions in her blog. Another district blog, FBISD Watchdogs is offering solidairty and help. Feldman & Rogers Lawfirm In Houston Initiates Potential SLAPP-suit Against GISD Taxpayer Apparently Feldman and Rogers are ALSO employed by FBISD (Fort Bend ISD).
Now if someone would explain what a SLAPP suit is or SPLAPP laws....
Boy did a lot of people get in their 'whaaaambulance' and try to run little ol' me over.
But in answer to your post (which is a bit mute because I understand this took place about 3-4 years ago):
I seriously DOUBT anyone with a (clean) military background would be doing this. Or someone getting a post-graduate degree unless they'd been cheating their whole way through and just hadn't gotten caught--which is doubtful. And most people returning to school are there to learn something, not just going for instant gratification of fixing their grades.
The serious problem is that there are a lot of people who will feel, so what, the ends justify the means and whatever it takes to get the right grades is okay. Personally when I heard their ages, I was picturing a couple of perpetual students and a basket weaving major. Because MOST long-term or advanced degrees such as that of our disgruntled engineer student (grow a funny bone, you'll need it!) on the thread can not just be skated on by fixing your grade. You're going to have to DO the actual work. And it will become pretty clear, pretty fast, once you get your first job that you don't know what the hell you're doing, grades or not!
I don't know that these clods should get twenty years. Maybe marched out to the school square and have their class rings removed and their diploma ripped up (ala the TV show "Branded"). Not having a college degree is going to screw them for life.
But it was a joke and a few people around here apparently need to get something to take care of that constipation...thanks to those who got it!
They're 29 and 28 years old and STILL in college!
Link to the full story
I know other people think I was just providing sour grapes, but I'm really glad to hear that they're treating you right and sharing some of the savings you've provided. I wish you well.
While I admire the "making lemonade from lemons" attitude of some here, let me add a little ice to the mix. The problem is not just, "well let's just learn the automation" and make the robot do the crap. It's, "Hey I've got FrontPage and my brother-in-law says he can do my web pages, so why should I pay you?" The problem with a lot of companies are willing to sacrifice some quality (which they don't really notice unless there's a crisis) for cost.
It's very dilbertisque to say you replaced an employee with a simple shell script. And I'm sure you're company is thrilled that you're doing TWO jobs for the same pay. (Although it sounds like they expected you to do that all along, whether you automated it on your own or not.) But how long before they decide their administrative assistant can run the shell script? Or decide to outsource because that means at least one less person toward their HR budget "head count"?
Yes, there will be jobs in some fashion for IT, but perhaps it's time to ask ourselves if we really want to keep clawing our way on the top of the heap or is it time to start exploring other venues. Life shouldn't be about always waiting for the sword of Damocles to fall.
I totally agree--I think the music company is passing the buck. After all, a few months ago, wasn't the music industry pissed that he was giving away his new CD free in the UK Daily Mail? And before that, he once scrawled the word, "slave" on his cheek during a label dispute.
Hardly the action of someone who's scrolling YouTube baby videos for copyright infringements.
You've got to ask yourself, why does a company want to sponsor you--there's got to be something in it for them, after all. Which means you either have to have some qualification they can't find nearby OR something else. Studies have shown that H1-Bs are paid about 20% LESS than the going rate. This is easily enough done by simply re-titling the job. So that you're doing the same work, but your title determines the pay range. (This is a way to under pay non-H1-Bs also--especially women.) If there wasn't a cost advantage, then they'd just hire an American. There are also cases of Americans being replaced by foreign workers because of the pay advantage.
I guess you do realize that your current employer has to allow you to leave...it's not like you can change jobs freely. Once an employer hires someone that person is essentially stuck until their contract is up, unless they're allowed out of it and someone else picks it up.
The other unseen problem is when you bring over more workers of ANY type, the bigger the pool, the lower the overall salaries go. H1-Bs especially occurred during the internet boom. Salaries rose and businesses started to holler--not because there wasn't available workers (although it was an employee market), but because they didn't want to pay the going rate. So the market got flooded with foreign IT workers and then came the bust. And of course, many of those from overseas didn't want to leave. But it's taken almost 10 years for the IT market to start coming out of this and leveling off. Had these businesses not been allowed to flood the market with outside workers, it would have recovered a lot faster. And there is no magic business (except maybe the funeral industry) that has endless growth and steady business. Right now the energy industry is hot. But it won't last either. It was hot before in the late 70s early 80s--then it turned into double digit unemployment by the mid-late 80s. And that was without the addition of thousands of foreign workers. Every industry has a cycle.
Businesses, unfortunately, are often looking for cheap over quality. The trend it toward "fresh-outs" which are new college graduates. It's MUCH harder to get job offers once you're over about 40--even though you now have several years of experience. It doesn't make sense, but that IS very common. It's also common to hire contract or temp workers--they are not counted as part of a department head count. Not to mention they don't have to pay benefits.
Here's a article that explores both sides: Salary concerns renew H-1B visa opposition. I would also check out the Programmer's Guild site I referenced above.
I think that MOST of slashdotters working in tech have known this. It's all about the MONEY. Studies have shown time and time again that the reason businesses are bringing H1-Bs over here by the boatload is not about lack of qualified US graduates--it's about $$$. Only a couple of month's back the Programmer's Guild exposed a video that advertised a class on how to weed out qualified Americans so your company can employ cheaper H1-B workers.
Unfortunately, as long as US workers don't see it happening in THEIR field (or are blissfully unaware), they do nothing. I'm afraid when Americans DO stand up, it will be too late.
To hook up a couple of Labrador retrievers?
Don't flame me--I actually own one and trust me they have a LOT of more excess energy to spare compared to a cow! But, of course, that would be mean and if you really want to create a win-win situation, it would be to hook the electrical grid up to the treadmills used on The Biggest Loser and supply the whole damn city!
On the surface this sounds like one great big practical joke of a story. But I don't know if I'm impressed or disappointed at the lack of cow flatulence jokes.
It's called "carry on" learn it, live it, love it.
Seriously--lest some idiot thinks I'm trolling: After seeing so many of my more well traveled friends dealing with lost luggage--not to mention having to put on locks rigged so that baggage people can open and paw through your stuff--I take carry on luggage and haven't had a problem stowing it. You don't need half the things you think you do on trips (and restricted to small amount of carry on liquids now saves space.) And if you forgot or need something, unless you're going to 'outer Mongolia', you can usually purchase it at your destination. I haven't lost a bag yet! And I can just grab my bag and head out of the airport instead of hanging out in baggage claim.
Pirate Bay should just say IFPI stands for the International Federation of the Pornographic Industry
No cybersquatting here! ;-)
Seriously though, why should anyone be allowed to run to court and file charges of cybersquatting after letting their domain lapse renewal for so many months? There should be a 60-day statute of limitations on these. No one should own an inherent RIGHT to their domain name after letting it lapse. Otherwise you're opening the door for companies and organizations to come back years after the fact and say, "Thank you, I'll take my domain back now."
and YouTube and you get Google Blackmail!
Don't taze me, bro!
Unless the International Court says otherwise....
The internet is good if you're:
An unpublished writer.
A copywriter or web content writer--it's a new venue and a new market to make money.
A writer, published or not, who doesn't live next door to the library.
A writer who works with others in collaboration.
A writer who plans to self-publish and promote.
Someone who writes for the joy of writing, ("open-source" writing) and if someone notices, that's icing on the cake.
A small publisher/printer working with self-publishing authors.
The internet is bad if you're:
A large publishing house.
A journalist who thinks their degree makes them "special." Yes, there are some bad amateur journalists, but providing you do the research and you can construct a sentence, there is no special anointing from on high that makes one a reporter. (And before anyone starts loading up stones, my degree is in journalism.)
Against a diversity of ideas and opinions, whether a government, a news outlet or an individual.
As long as there are readers, writing is good no matter what the venue. But therein lies the question: Will people keep reading as we turn into short-attention span, sound-byte monkeys? A few years ago, I had my doubts. But the Harry Potter, Eragon and other series have left me with some faith that, if you can write it, readers will come.
There's really no downside to having a new venue in this business, unless you choose to create one or are so insecure you're afraid of a little competition.
Sony BMG intends to launch a lawsuit against all independent artists selling their CDs at concerts and over the Internet. Sony claims that such actions are theft.
Said Sony, "All your songs are belong to us...."
"The traditional business model had been ruined by the Internet," said Grundy. "The industry is still trying to work out what on earth the new model or models should be and this is just one option."
Sucks when you've become redundant, eh? Authors are self-publishing; musicians can sell their songs on-line. They've found that they're doing most of the promotional work anyway, so why are you getting such a big cut? They've peaked behind the curtain and found there is no wizard. You evolve or you get run over.
They can see magnetic fields...
But they keep getting whacked by windmills....
Uh, okay.
I have to admit that when I downloaded my first mp3 in 1996. I did not give it much thought. I could look at it two ways.
One: This is like listening to the radio, it is free. I would download whatever I could get. Much like recording off the radio.
Two: This is preventing me from buying a new album. Thus I am stealing from the artist or publisher.
Or Three: This is the only song I liked--so I wouldn't have bought the album anyway. --There's no option to buy the song by itself (at that time).
In the span of the last 12 years. I have purchased albums of maybe 10 or 11 groups.
I'm not sure how many I have...but that's mostly because most of the (mainstream) music sucks! (IMO). It's all about how good you can dance and lip sync on MTV. One of my rants is that many of the great music makers of the past would have never been heard from if they grew up today because they weren't "pretty" enough. Mick Jagger, Mamas and the Pappas, and good grief Bob Dylan--can you see him auditioning on American Idol!
Also charities AND political fund raisers are exempt (ain't THAT a bitch--the politicos put in a loophole for THEM!)
That's my mom's problem. They keep calling for my dad. Dad passed away earlier this year and understandably mom doesn't want to tell them her husband's dead. They ask for him--she tells them not to call, but they just ignore her and say they'll call later. Obviously they just see mom as being some sort of roadblock to a donation.
ONE of these days I'm going to be there when they call.... I don't think they're going to like that day. Another option is to impersonate my dad and tell them to go f*ck themselves.
In our state you CAN tape the phone call as long as one party (yourself) knows it's being recorded. If it comes to that, I will set that up and take their ass to small claims court. It's one thing to be exempt to DNC, it's another to KEEP calling after repeatedly being told not to call any more.
Jeez, if they're going to build a controller with a vibrator in it, can't they at least make the games a little more interesting than Ratchet & Clank?
A couple of questions/ideas. Comcast is cable--don't several people use the same pipeline? If so, then how do they know which customer is doing all the downloading?
;-)
Also in occurred to me that if Carreiro, who was cut off, had an insecure wireless network (or if one of his kids passed along the password) he could have set up a free neighborhood server and not known it. Comcast could have alerted him, "Hey you're using 300 GB a month." He says, "There's no way we're downloading that much." "Hmm...let's put a track on things." Then you find out you got some neighbors are hooking their water hose up to your well. Instead, Comcast just shuts them down. The reason he's only getting less than 50 GB a month now may be because whoever was tapping in can't get in now.
I agree that Comcast should be sued for breach of contract. You cannot make up policy as you go along and then cut people off for not following the rules that you never stated in writing (unless, of course, you're the government.
Scientologists aren't crackpots, though. They're a very deliberate scam. The things they teach are a mixture of self-help material and crackpottery, but don't think for a second that the leaders actually believe in any of it.
Except for the ones jumping on Oprah's couch....