Simply put: when you become a publicly held company you have a responsibility to your shareholders. Until upper management learns this, their stock price is going to continue to decline sharply.
How exactly is it an "evil" thing to be open and honest with your shareholders rather than asking them to trust in your "master plan?" That's like listening to the guy in the back alley who says "trust me, just close your eyes." Shareholders are going to become frustrated and begin to unload their shares as they realize that they own hugely inflated stock with no real idea of how the company intends to achieve that valuation on the books and not just in the eyes of stock market prospectors.
There's no real content to this story; he basically spends 4-5 paragraphs calling the firefox community "immature" (speaking of relying on shaky tactics, can someone get this guy a thesaurus?)
The only legitimate point is:
What I recommend is that the Firefox community doesn't get carried away with the whole "open-source is eternal" argument and its supposed battle against capitalism.
I definitely believe that this argument applies to *any* open source project. Simply put, the Stallman's of the world are not going to be the ones to convince the general public of the joys of open source software. If the world were swayed by these tactics in general, we'd all spend our time watching the evangelical channels on television.
I'm really surprised at the usually-fairly-savvy slashdot crowd for not understanding the way the "antitrust" action against AT&T worked and are crying "monopoly again." I've lived in Georgia for the past 18 years--if I want local phone service, Bellsouth is the company that brings it to my door.
That's because the breakup of AT&T was nothing more than a ruse; instead of a national monopoly it created a host of regional monopolies. But, regardless of the territory in which it operates, a monopoly is still a monopoly. As other commenters have touched upon; the reason no one wants to compete in this space is that it simply does not make sense financially. The natural (financial) barriers to entry in these highly-infrastructure based markets are simply astronomical. The issue is not a matter of whether or not you are allowed to compete; the question is: is that even possible? Given the time and investment required to roll out the infrastructure the Bell System already has in place, it's simply not reasonable.
that's what I get for reading the article at a "leisurely" pace. By the time I'm ready to whip out the flamethrower, this has already been modded to 5...
Well, at least I'm not the only one who was frustrated.
The best thing I've ever done for my eyes and the strain that sitting for 10+ hours a day on a computer puts on them was upgrading to a 20" LCD panel. LCD's provide more "ambient" light whereas a CRT is literally a bulb directed into your eyes for all that time. Leo Laporte and the TWiTs all recommended doing the same on one of their previous shows.
My eyes don't get sore after a long day of working anymore. The best part is, I don't lose concentration or get headaches like I used to.
Of course we're riding on the backs of the older generation; just as the older generation rode on the backs of their elders who designed the technology that made computers possible in the first place. Older generations tend to like to trivialize the accomplishments of the younger generation because "it wouldn't be possible if we hadn't done X" first.
Of course, nothing you did would be possible unless someone decided to create before you. Thus is the cycle of progress and the older generation trying to trivialize the work of the "new generation" is really self-deprecating; they are basically saying that they would have preferred that their work not spur further innovation.
Embrace the innovation cycle; recognize that one day, a new generation of people will come along and build further upon your ideas and enjoy the fact that you helped lay the foundation!
As a developer and / or game designer on an MMORPG, you will always experience an extreme amount of negativity from the very vocal minority of players who seem to be displeased with every decision that is made with regards to the game.
That said, how are decisions made with regards to these "suggestions" from players? How do you decide the difference between "You can't please everybody" and a suggestion with merit?
While it might be an interesting exercise, I think it's well beyond the scope of this article. The focus is clearly on personal computers, and the (by-far) dominant architecture we've had on our desks over the past 10 years.
While the slashdot crowd might find such a benchmark informative, the general Tom's HWG user probably would not.
Unfortunately, while I agree with you on all your well-made points, I don't think your'e gonna be able to convince people who have a long-held hatred of everything to do with Java.
Yes, it's unfortunate, but at the time the mono project started, those statements were true and were good justification. However, as time progressed and java stabilized as a great programming language, different reasons for pressing the mono issue came to the forefront.
Like it or not, this is an MS dominated industry, and they're going to be pressing.NET, not Java. Java's a great tool and I'd love to see more java apps written, but we're never going to keep up with MS if we can't do the.NET thing too.
In the end, it's probably good to have both; more cross-platform implementations are better.:)
A large part of the problem employers have with putting programmers into project management roles is that though programmers do have more experience directly with the types of projects they'd be managing, they don't necessarily have a good familiarity with the responsibilities of managing a project.
Rather then simply suggesting to senior management that it might be a good idea, you need to familiarize yourself with project management skills and requirements. That way, when you approach senior management, you aren't just the employee looking to control his own destiny...you're a guy who took some initiative to prepare himself to take on more responsibility (sounds a lot better, doesn't it?).
Since you mentioned that you're a web developer, I'll give you a place to start. Kelly Goto (http://www.gotomedia.com) is an expert in the field of Web Development project management. Her book, Web Design: Workflow that Works is an excellent starting point and reference for web developers looking to get into project management. I have read her book, and seen her speak at several conferences, she is clearly a person who has made the transition from web developer to project manager.
Hopefully, this info will help you get started on the path to managing your own projects! Good luck!
It certainly isn't worth it. We are currently paying $80 a month for broadband through charter (69.95 for the service, $9.95 for modem rental) and we're getting a maximum of 65k/s downstream, about 30k/s upstream.
Until these cable providers can start providing truely reliable service, they really can't justify these price hikes. With an economy this slow, it's going to do nothing but discouraging potential broadband users from signing up with the service.
My advice to the cable internet providers, fix your networks first, then worry about charging users more for high usage. Hell, with the type of bandwidth we're getting, I don't think it's even possible to GET those higher realms of transfer.
I'm not claiming that Apple invented LCDs...not slightly. All I'm commenting on is that Apple is usually the first major distributor to adopt new technologies as their "standards"
Sure, the main force comes from PC players jumping on board, but that was my point....when the competetors to Coleman jump in the ring on this one, we're gonna see higher distribution and lower prices.
Sure, at the beginning they are $8,000. I can't imagine this price will stay long once competition enters the field. It's similar to the way Apple does technology. Look at the flat-panel monitor for example. Prices have already begun to drop due to their exclusive distribution by Apple.
I'm glad to see that Coleman is entering this market. A bit pricy for most of us now, but at least this will start the ball rolling on clean-fuel generators.
On the one hand, this could provide a huge step in mass-deployment of the Linux operating system among home computers. AOL is the largest ISP in the world, and their support and distribution of Linux would undoubtedly give credibility and power in the desktop market to Linux machines. I think many slashdot readers can agree that this is a good thing.
However, if this happens, are we not trading one monopoly for another? Microsoft is trying to corner the entire market with their.NET initiative. If they are successful, they will control nearly 100% of business online. It is definitely a scary concept. But are we to trust AOL/Time Warner on this issue any further simply because they deploy their system using Linux?
Either way, both companies are currently in very precarious positions. Growing their market share has become nearly impossible, so they have to set their sites on total control of the online market. It seems that both companies have grown to plateaus that leaves each of them with only two choices: down based on distrust of their software; or, they make the leap from their current plateau into the heavens, where they reign as the God of the "new world order" of online home PC's.
The most important thing to remember about getting any of these degrees is that they are just that: degrees. Oftentimes, you'll find that the most important part of having a degree is not what the degree is in, it's that you have one.
As far as the different degrees go, to say that any one of them is better than the others is really only a matter of preference. It mostly depends on what you intend to do. Think about your true goals. If your desire is to be a great programmer, then a CS degree is probably the right choice for you. If, however, you are more the "project management" type who prefers to organize the team and the work on the project rather than doing most of the "down and dirty coding" themselves, then you should look into CIS/MIS.
Take a look through some course outline manuals provided at your college of choice. Check out the curriculum for each of the programs, and read the descriptions of the classes you'll be taking along each of those paths. This can be a great help in deciding what field you're really looking into.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to go for a CS degree when you really don't want to work in a "CS" environment. Make sure you fully understand the term "Computer Science" before seeking a degree in it; otherwise, you're likely to be very unhappy with your college experience.
Just remember, the most important thing is having a degree. Your chosen major often has only minor influence in your chosen profession.
Slashdot Mirror
Simply put: when you become a publicly held company you have a responsibility to your shareholders. Until upper management learns this, their stock price is going to continue to decline sharply.
How exactly is it an "evil" thing to be open and honest with your shareholders rather than asking them to trust in your "master plan?" That's like listening to the guy in the back alley who says "trust me, just close your eyes." Shareholders are going to become frustrated and begin to unload their shares as they realize that they own hugely inflated stock with no real idea of how the company intends to achieve that valuation on the books and not just in the eyes of stock market prospectors.
There's no real content to this story; he basically spends 4-5 paragraphs calling the firefox community "immature" (speaking of relying on shaky tactics, can someone get this guy a thesaurus?)
The only legitimate point is:
What I recommend is that the Firefox community doesn't get carried away with the whole "open-source is eternal" argument and its supposed battle against capitalism.
I definitely believe that this argument applies to *any* open source project. Simply put, the Stallman's of the world are not going to be the ones to convince the general public of the joys of open source software. If the world were swayed by these tactics in general, we'd all spend our time watching the evangelical channels on television.
I'm really surprised at the usually-fairly-savvy slashdot crowd for not understanding the way the "antitrust" action against AT&T worked and are crying "monopoly again." I've lived in Georgia for the past 18 years--if I want local phone service, Bellsouth is the company that brings it to my door.
That's because the breakup of AT&T was nothing more than a ruse; instead of a national monopoly it created a host of regional monopolies. But, regardless of the territory in which it operates, a monopoly is still a monopoly. As other commenters have touched upon; the reason no one wants to compete in this space is that it simply does not make sense financially. The natural (financial) barriers to entry in these highly-infrastructure based markets are simply astronomical. The issue is not a matter of whether or not you are allowed to compete; the question is: is that even possible? Given the time and investment required to roll out the infrastructure the Bell System already has in place, it's simply not reasonable.
that's what I get for reading the article at a "leisurely" pace. By the time I'm ready to whip out the flamethrower, this has already been modded to 5...
Well, at least I'm not the only one who was frustrated.
The best thing I've ever done for my eyes and the strain that sitting for 10+ hours a day on a computer puts on them was upgrading to a 20" LCD panel. LCD's provide more "ambient" light whereas a CRT is literally a bulb directed into your eyes for all that time. Leo Laporte and the TWiTs all recommended doing the same on one of their previous shows.
My eyes don't get sore after a long day of working anymore. The best part is, I don't lose concentration or get headaches like I used to.
To Dinosaur's quote:
Of course we're riding on the backs of the older generation; just as the older generation rode on the backs of their elders who designed the technology that made computers possible in the first place. Older generations tend to like to trivialize the accomplishments of the younger generation because "it wouldn't be possible if we hadn't done X" first.
Of course, nothing you did would be possible unless someone decided to create before you. Thus is the cycle of progress and the older generation trying to trivialize the work of the "new generation" is really self-deprecating; they are basically saying that they would have preferred that their work not spur further innovation.
Embrace the innovation cycle; recognize that one day, a new generation of people will come along and build further upon your ideas and enjoy the fact that you helped lay the foundation!
I must be almost as bad since the first thing I did was go looking for the first "DUPE!" post!
I didn't figure I'd be the only one.
As a developer and / or game designer on an MMORPG, you will always experience an extreme amount of negativity from the very vocal minority of players who seem to be displeased with every decision that is made with regards to the game.
That said, how are decisions made with regards to these "suggestions" from players? How do you decide the difference between "You can't please everybody" and a suggestion with merit?
While it might be an interesting exercise, I think it's well beyond the scope of this article. The focus is clearly on personal computers, and the (by-far) dominant architecture we've had on our desks over the past 10 years.
While the slashdot crowd might find such a benchmark informative, the general Tom's HWG user probably would not.
Unfortunately, while I agree with you on all your well-made points, I don't think your'e gonna be able to convince people who have a long-held hatred of everything to do with Java.
.NET, not Java. Java's a great tool and I'd love to see more java apps written, but we're never going to keep up with MS if we can't do the .NET thing too.
:)
Yes, it's unfortunate, but at the time the mono project started, those statements were true and were good justification. However, as time progressed and java stabilized as a great programming language, different reasons for pressing the mono issue came to the forefront.
Like it or not, this is an MS dominated industry, and they're going to be pressing
In the end, it's probably good to have both; more cross-platform implementations are better.
A large part of the problem employers have with putting programmers into project management roles is that though programmers do have more experience directly with the types of projects they'd be managing, they don't necessarily have a good familiarity with the responsibilities of managing a project.
Rather then simply suggesting to senior management that it might be a good idea, you need to familiarize yourself with project management skills and requirements. That way, when you approach senior management, you aren't just the employee looking to control his own destiny...you're a guy who took some initiative to prepare himself to take on more responsibility (sounds a lot better, doesn't it?).
Since you mentioned that you're a web developer, I'll give you a place to start. Kelly Goto (http://www.gotomedia.com) is an expert in the field of Web Development project management. Her book, Web Design: Workflow that Works is an excellent starting point and reference for web developers looking to get into project management. I have read her book, and seen her speak at several conferences, she is clearly a person who has made the transition from web developer to project manager.
Hopefully, this info will help you get started on the path to managing your own projects! Good luck!
It certainly isn't worth it. We are currently paying $80 a month for broadband through charter (69.95 for the service, $9.95 for modem rental) and we're getting a maximum of 65k/s downstream, about 30k/s upstream.
Until these cable providers can start providing truely reliable service, they really can't justify these price hikes. With an economy this slow, it's going to do nothing but discouraging potential broadband users from signing up with the service.
My advice to the cable internet providers, fix your networks first, then worry about charging users more for high usage. Hell, with the type of bandwidth we're getting, I don't think it's even possible to GET those higher realms of transfer.
I'm not claiming that Apple invented LCDs...not slightly. All I'm commenting on is that Apple is usually the first major distributor to adopt new technologies as their "standards"
Sure, the main force comes from PC players jumping on board, but that was my point....when the competetors to Coleman jump in the ring on this one, we're gonna see higher distribution and lower prices.
Sure, at the beginning they are $8,000. I can't imagine this price will stay long once competition enters the field. It's similar to the way Apple does technology. Look at the flat-panel monitor for example. Prices have already begun to drop due to their exclusive distribution by Apple.
I'm glad to see that Coleman is entering this market. A bit pricy for most of us now, but at least this will start the ball rolling on clean-fuel generators.
I'm not entirely sure my opinion on this matter.
.NET initiative. If they are successful, they will control nearly 100% of business online. It is definitely a scary concept. But are we to trust AOL/Time Warner on this issue any further simply because they deploy their system using Linux?
On the one hand, this could provide a huge step in mass-deployment of the Linux operating system among home computers. AOL is the largest ISP in the world, and their support and distribution of Linux would undoubtedly give credibility and power in the desktop market to Linux machines. I think many slashdot readers can agree that this is a good thing.
However, if this happens, are we not trading one monopoly for another? Microsoft is trying to corner the entire market with their
Either way, both companies are currently in very precarious positions. Growing their market share has become nearly impossible, so they have to set their sites on total control of the online market. It seems that both companies have grown to plateaus that leaves each of them with only two choices: down based on distrust of their software; or, they make the leap from their current plateau into the heavens, where they reign as the God of the "new world order" of online home PC's.
The most important thing to remember about getting any of these degrees is that they are just that: degrees. Oftentimes, you'll find that the most important part of having a degree is not what the degree is in, it's that you have one.
As far as the different degrees go, to say that any one of them is better than the others is really only a matter of preference. It mostly depends on what you intend to do. Think about your true goals. If your desire is to be a great programmer, then a CS degree is probably the right choice for you. If, however, you are more the "project management" type who prefers to organize the team and the work on the project rather than doing most of the "down and dirty coding" themselves, then you should look into CIS/MIS.
Take a look through some course outline manuals provided at your college of choice. Check out the curriculum for each of the programs, and read the descriptions of the classes you'll be taking along each of those paths. This can be a great help in deciding what field you're really looking into.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to go for a CS degree when you really don't want to work in a "CS" environment. Make sure you fully understand the term "Computer Science" before seeking a degree in it; otherwise, you're likely to be very unhappy with your college experience.
Just remember, the most important thing is having a degree. Your chosen major often has only minor influence in your chosen profession.