50% or better of MS "piracy" numbers are exactly this thing! People that lost the tag in a move, installed a demo copy for too long, etc.
That MS finds it nit-picking is humorus--except that that nit-picking is exactly what they expect companies, schools, users to do to remain legal. This is the the same laziness they are fighting tooth-n-nail to stop!
It's interesting that MS wants to play fast-n-loose with the rules while turning around and then later holding you to it--this guy's exactly right to make an issue out of it! That is exactly the problem with software licensing-it's become outright draconian! Just because it's MS giving out MS software doesn't mean they shouldn't follow the rules too! The big-wigs want to argue over details like this when it's you or I, but don't want to be bothered themselves if license tracking would cost too much!
Kids are remarkably adaptable, but they lack the handling of highly complicated verbage structures. i.e. most kids can build complex things with blocks and lego bricks, but can't handle the abstract reading, writing required for most comupter languages. As adult programmers we should work to fix that--it will also benifit other older people as well. Kids are resilliant and love to play. That could be used to create all sorts of interfaces and study the effect on the kids-and the kids effect on the interfaces.
after all these years why are we still programming with text files? there are so many other possibilities. Not everything needs to be on a screen! We could use Blocks, music, colors, lights, shapes--with today's tech the possibilities are endless!
Yes, he's the head of the executive branch. He should be held personally responsible for the steps out-of-bounds by all the "police" agencies of the govt--that is his job to control them!
He also has great leway in intrepreting the enforcement of the laws. He does not have to autuorize the FBI, CIA to tap phones, spy on people, etc. or any other extreme action passed! Congress gives him permission, but he is still responsible for ordering the carrying out of actions and the methods! If he is morally opposed to a particluar action being taken that congress has granted, he is responsible to the people to oppose it! [If Congress ordered him to kill 20% of the people--should he just do it?] His moral judgement is the reason for his position of power. In this case, Congress has "granted" considerible power to his branch. They did not order him to presue the use of that power--he ordered that himself! That is why you should be scared!
how different from SSL or GPG?
on
Open Source DRM
·
· Score: 1
This could be extended to source code too!
Much like GPG keys, the source can be in the open because with a big enough pool, you still can't easily break it even knowing the source! From an Open Source business standpoint, that is the final step in creating a fairly secure system end-for-end.
The benefit is that being Open Source it's optional to add. You might need it to aquire content, but that could be a good thing. After all, for Linux to succeed the world must learn to work in pure source! Think of what Nvidia and ATI could do if they knew they could send out encrypted source files and what architecures not yet concieved could be developed. You could retarget to new systems by creating source modifications, but not actually seeing the source! Linux also has all the mechanisms [think gentoo] to verify, and passout the keys via a trusted system.
The best part is that being Open Source there can be multiple trusted authorities online! Each distro could be a trusted source as well as individual vendors online sites. The only thing missing is certified ISPs that can prove you're you connected to their network. The phone Co already does this, it just needs minor work to be useable on such a grand scale. It also cuts the other way in that you personally can choose your own degree of certification and your own vendors to keep the keys! No one vendor can dominate the market as the entry fee is only $50!
...and just like the indians we'll run out of "real" troops to kill, but still not win the war. Then we'll have to fight "terrorism" by the women and children as we squeeze the country harder and harder to "recover" what it cost us to "liberate" them!
You can't fight an Arab war without becoming a monster yourself. It's the nature of the beast, look at 5000 years of recorded history to back it up! Even the brits were cruel and hated during their reign only 50 years ago. We're well on our way to becomming the next Rome--untill China/India decides to whip up on us and complete the circle around the world!
Nevermind that most Federal laws are administrative [think EPA, post, IRS, etc...you can't actuall pick the rules] or are tagged on other laws [patriot? anyone] you are responsible to know and follow them all.
Try asking your local police or congresscritter for a list of all the laws you should be following. You'll find that they are instructed that they cannot offer that advice!!! They cannot tell you how to follow the law--only that they are pretty sure you broke one of them!!
Does anyone else find that wrong? Don't get started on getting laws clarified, simplified, or removed! American Law is a religion-only the priests and their annointed can speak to the laws usefulness. See also how we have to "sacrifice an innocent" before our courts can "protect" us from unfair laws--leading most to acceptance-thru-no-contest!
Fortunately for Billy Clinton, DC has more liberal rules for his Monica fun--in many states that's illegal too.
Why? because you can prosecute "different" people with it! And you can use it to Heap charges on a [rapist for instance] making it more illegal!
is to manufacture and sell just the cases and supporting hardware bits. That way he's not responsible for actually selling apple parts! Just an aftermarket "apple" parts case! That would leave the resellers actually selling parts--they are big enough together that if they all do it, apple can't retaliate.
The only issue I see is apple requiring "Cores" on all repair parts like auto parts-to keep them in the family. That said, IBM tried that with AS400 parts but the courts have ruled that used/spare parts can't be completely controlled. [anti-competitive and all] It's still really hard to find IBM parts because they tie all upgrade sales to "cores" of your previous equipment for a big discount. But if you buy your system outright they can't stop you from reselling it--just try to make it worth your while not too.
If he sold just the case and bits with some "instructions" to build a system he wouldn't get in trouble and dodge the bullet. That would leave apple cracking down on their own channel which I can't see them doing--and getting some cheap marketing out of the deal too. He does need to ditch the name or change the product--way too close to an apple product names. perhaps ibox-computer case would fly though as an after market apple-related part. The courts haven't given them ieverthing yet!
The commmunity needs to get things to be horizontally or vertically compatible but not necessarily both!
In general there are too many choices, and worse combinations of choices, for a newbie user--and before you flame, remember even if you use XXXdistro that they've made a lot of choices for you by removing things they don't agree with. New font systems won't fix the problem, new X won't fix it either!
What's needed is a step back from the problem and address the real issue: DATA! All is data!
The very first thing to determine in any great improvement of Linux is universal data types then implementation takes care of itself! [look at the web for success] Fonts, spreadsheets, documents, and lots of other apps need to be reduced to data types first. As much programming as possible should be reduced to scripting [ala perl, python] or JIT [Java, Basic] that would again, turn programs into data, managed like data, and portable like data.
Untill that happens, things will remain horribly fragmented, but the markets will determine a useable and effective system anyway. It won't be as efficent as it could be though:(
The public already decided once that the "Common Carriers" provided wires not services when they broke up AT&T and deregulated the Baby Bells. Why does it seem that there's a purposefull effort to undo all that effort? Could it be that the media companies that needed deregulation to get off the ground now don't want to play with the same rules that let them get in the game in the first place?
What's needed is a real person in charge of the FCC [Lessing anyone!] To streamline the processes and remove some of the contradictions [i.e. ATT banned from local phone but owning cable w/o sharing, etc.]
visit sfftech.com or mini-itx.com for lots of options! The via eden boards fit the spec you ask for and are fairly cheap (100-170) and ship complete! Just add ram, box, and drives. There's lots of help out there for projects just like yours--take your pick.
If you can wait a while and love Linux, there's even some new SFF boards that have the embedded media players that work seperate from the OS.
Guess how they get those critters on the board? They don't look like bare dies, but they aren't BGA either--CSP [chip scale packaging] uses only the solder bumps, flux, and the tinned board thru an oven.
unfortunately, there ain't no hand reworking them. you gotta get the right tools.
The board skims accross a Flux spray first then rides the Wave which solders the pins! You can even glue small passives [caps and rest] to the bottom and do them too!
Postal junk mail is like television--the advertizers support the system.
In the case of postal mail, the sender pays $.30 and the effiency-of-volume of mail allows the rest of us to send mail for $.37 really a good deal for door-to-door service daily!
Unless someone wants to start charging for spam, then there's no reason for us to accept it--it's a leech. I think general accounts should start being limited--what percent of users has need of more than 25 emails a day? If the whole system was designed to allow single mails to travel quickly, and the time for the sender was to increase with the size and quantity of recipents then spam would be inpracticle on any large scale.
No one likes the new 400MHz XScale--it is just too different from a standard ARM to be really useful to arm programmers, hard to optimize properly--it's good for a first attempt, but they already have another in the works that sacrfices a few nifty things and brings the performance up to what it should be at fewer MHz.
Wierd numbers like this fit statistical formulas--testing for X# of 9's involves like 3, 7, 17, 39... Mil-Specs require lots of statistics for everyting. I'd bet 1/3 of the cost is just the paperwork to prove they really did 54 drops, who did them, how they landed, what was for lunch that day, etc...
having worked at a defence place, the numbers are spookily right most of the time. 99.999% of the time , the systems catch faulty parts [think of the millions of parts in a shuttle 50% or better can cause catistrophic failure--only 2 accidents in 20 years isn't really bad]
If your OS was tested like this it would almost never crash--ask why it's not!
Duh! the Install shield cabs are properitary even Bioware can't use issue a patch to get in without a.) paying another license fee to Install Sheild [who are scrounging for money after msi] or b.) violating DMCA by publishing an installer for their own game!
Emotional Blackmail: Support the boys at war?
on
Strike on Iraq
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
Many people have asked for this not to start in the first place, but George was hell-bent on starting it anyway.
What are you really supposed to do?
Support the troops enthusiatically, and also the bad decision and encourage him to continue it. Believe me this isn't the end, it's only the beginning of a huge mess. [think war with Eurasia type mess]
or.. protest the poor choice to the detriment of the troops & country's morale. That's not fair to the troops either. They didn't choose the battles; they just fight 'um.
Unfortunately, there isn't really a support the troops, but repremand the president option! The first rule of politics is to make sure people emotionally can't hold "you" accountable.
Relize only East Coast/West Coast/ Big city programmers make $50+ yr salaries. Where I live once you get 40-50 miles away from the city wages drop 25-50% for the same job. I get worried about this stuff because it's the internal people that get hit first...after all my boss will get cheap and have the audacity to stop raies or cut pay long before the big city bosses do because he thinks he can get away with it. It think that's true with most small businesses.
I'd venture more programmers are living on 35-45k/yr without all the perks that there are in all the other "hi-tech" jobs.
Maybe compaines will grow up inland rather than in silicon valley. Caifornia is over-rated as a tech area--the main reason is close to the port to catch imports! Personally, I lime in Michigan, and think that the inland states will soon recapture many of the industries that ran away in recent years. If only for skilled people refusing to play the HI pay/stress/real estate game and stay home to work. Wages won't go up, but only a few parts of the US make the big $$$ of SUN or MS, and consumers still live there.
Also, if there's such a lack of US workers, why aren't the companies doing more to educate US youths? Properly Trained US workers still kick the pants off most of the rest of the world in terms of innovation and creativity. What I've seen is that most US kids barely get a chance to explore careers before college. Not all of it has to do with companies, but they could do more to insist on education goals for US students--of course then they would have to hire them! Kinda the point though, educate to get good pay. Local people need to see the need for tech education as well. Most US schools are viewed as "Providers" of education to student "Consumers" rather than as a mutually benifitial environment to learn by both parties in.
Yes the average income may be 54k with two wage earners. That means right off the bat they're paying at least 6-7k for child care! Call it 43k before tax. That means an average worker is only making about 30k per year! That makes a new american car (15k min) is half a yearly income. True, you can buy used, but that doesn't pay an american autoworker. If you buy a cheap Kia, no US worker gets your money.
Houses. I don't know what crack they were smoking in the 50's when they built all those cracker-jack houses! Houses built before the 50's were at least 2 stories 1500 sq ft. again, the beginnings of the incremental consumerism. Build only enough for now so they'll buy later.
My house (70k circa 1920) was about double my wage (30k). And for my area that's really not high--but not 10 years ago (90's when I started shopping) the same house would have been 40k. Did wages double over that time? I think not. In reality the "overpaid" auto workers are the only ones making a real cost-adjusted wage over the last 20-30 years. My mom worked in health care and my step-dad in defence--both of them went years with zero or only 2%-penny raises.
Another myth is overtime. Bosses treat it like you're getting gold when in reality they're getting cheap labor. I think it goes to the predator type mentioned earlier. It's as much about employers acting like victims as workers. They see the big numbers, but aren't around to see the work! My boss routinely mocks workers for not wanting to work OT Yet, when the wife is on the phone, he's running out the door--If he's an hour late he gets yelled at...Like the rest of us don't!
Part of the problem is the double-standard. Office employees (non-IT) rarely work OT as they are hourly. [maybe the office workers shouldn't include cube ville] Management works OT, but only when they want-true Salary postitions. While the rest of us, espically IT, work hourly but get paid salary. I read a news article about a retired Michigan Supreme court judge--The job was the hardest ever because he worked 60 billable hours a week! most lawyers work much less. I find it laughable in a Auto state where 50 hours is the Mfg norm! These are the same Republicans that see the 54k a year and think that's too much--it was paid for with 25%+ (usually ~50%)OT! Managers, owners, lawyers, politicians, etc. refuse to work those hours, so they really don't know what they're talking about!
Our work is directly tied to the health of companies--we are a supplier for the office furniture makers. As the boss roots for CEOs that move job off shore to make his stock increase, he wonders why the market for his goods are so far down! If they move Cubeville oversea, he ain't gonna be making the parts! At the same time, they drive foreign cars (cause they're better) and shop for the absolute cheapest stuff (mail order or internet) and wonder where all their business goes.
$700 for MS win 2k server? what world do you live in?
With the MS Win2k server all you get is the server and 5 accesses! No support [MS phone support is more $$ than phone SE#!], magrinal quality updates, and a system that cuts you off after 5 connections!
The $700 license doesn't include Software Assurance. It dosen't include email or management tools either! For an MS network you will pay another $150 per box just to connect to the server [actual windows licenses not included!] Just posted at HardOCP was MS finally changing their licensing to allow multiple partitions on the same box. Previously, you had to pay "per instance per processor" of Windows on your boxes!
In short, It's a steal. If you can't see that you obviously don't actually work in IT to see how bad MS has gotten! As you learn your way around, you get experience that doesn't go away--then you can fully support you own boxes for real savings. [even after your big raise for saving the Co $$$]
All the bandwidth of all the current crop of wireless devices [2.4 & 5 Ghz] adds up to only 1 maybe 2 standard TV channels! The FCC allocates 84 TV channels! [+ audio on another channel!] Between the Phones, bluetooth, wi-fi you have dozens of usable channels with 100's+ of Mbits combine of thru-put all in the space of several standard TV channels. Also, the TV & FM radio have "prime" real estate. Radios on those frequencies are an order of maginitude easier and cheaper to build and control than your cell phone or wi-fi.
Current broadcast is like using a firehose to water your houseplants! The collateral RF they use up thru brute force is even several times larger than the actual allocated bandwidth! You compare it to a conversation, well they have a giant amplifier turned up to drown everyone else out! They monopolize the entire waveleangth. You'll notice that in the new scheme of things with digital TV, 50 of the channels [they are reducing the number] are crammed into the bandwidth of about a half-dozen current TV channels.
There is a real option open to get the FCC to provide more "Areas" for spread-spectrum instead of specific "channels" when the TV channels give up their space in the next 10 years. That would lead to 100X+ more bandwith for everyone--even if they only allocated a portion of the recovered space!
Slashdot Mirror
That MS finds it nit-picking is humorus--except that that nit-picking is exactly what they expect companies, schools, users to do to remain legal. This is the the same laziness they are fighting tooth-n-nail to stop!
It's interesting that MS wants to play fast-n-loose with the rules while turning around and then later holding you to it--this guy's exactly right to make an issue out of it! That is exactly the problem with software licensing-it's become outright draconian! Just because it's MS giving out MS software doesn't mean they shouldn't follow the rules too! The big-wigs want to argue over details like this when it's you or I, but don't want to be bothered themselves if license tracking would cost too much!
after all these years why are we still programming with text files? there are so many other possibilities. Not everything needs to be on a screen! We could use Blocks, music, colors, lights, shapes--with today's tech the possibilities are endless!
He also has great leway in intrepreting the enforcement of the laws. He does not have to autuorize the FBI, CIA to tap phones, spy on people, etc. or any other extreme action passed! Congress gives him permission, but he is still responsible for ordering the carrying out of actions and the methods! If he is morally opposed to a particluar action being taken that congress has granted, he is responsible to the people to oppose it! [If Congress ordered him to kill 20% of the people--should he just do it?] His moral judgement is the reason for his position of power. In this case, Congress has "granted" considerible power to his branch. They did not order him to presue the use of that power--he ordered that himself! That is why you should be scared!
Much like GPG keys, the source can be in the open because with a big enough pool, you still can't easily break it even knowing the source! From an Open Source business standpoint, that is the final step in creating a fairly secure system end-for-end.
The benefit is that being Open Source it's optional to add. You might need it to aquire content, but that could be a good thing. After all, for Linux to succeed the world must learn to work in pure source! Think of what Nvidia and ATI could do if they knew they could send out encrypted source files and what architecures not yet concieved could be developed. You could retarget to new systems by creating source modifications, but not actually seeing the source! Linux also has all the mechanisms [think gentoo] to verify, and passout the keys via a trusted system.
The best part is that being Open Source there can be multiple trusted authorities online! Each distro could be a trusted source as well as individual vendors online sites. The only thing missing is certified ISPs that can prove you're you connected to their network. The phone Co already does this, it just needs minor work to be useable on such a grand scale. It also cuts the other way in that you personally can choose your own degree of certification and your own vendors to keep the keys! No one vendor can dominate the market as the entry fee is only $50!
You can't fight an Arab war without becoming a monster yourself. It's the nature of the beast, look at 5000 years of recorded history to back it up! Even the brits were cruel and hated during their reign only 50 years ago. We're well on our way to becomming the next Rome--untill China/India decides to whip up on us and complete the circle around the world!
Try asking your local police or congresscritter for a list of all the laws you should be following. You'll find that they are instructed that they cannot offer that advice!!! They cannot tell you how to follow the law--only that they are pretty sure you broke one of them!!
Does anyone else find that wrong? Don't get started on getting laws clarified, simplified, or removed! American Law is a religion-only the priests and their annointed can speak to the laws usefulness. See also how we have to "sacrifice an innocent" before our courts can "protect" us from unfair laws--leading most to acceptance-thru-no-contest!
Fortunately for Billy Clinton, DC has more liberal rules for his Monica fun--in many states that's illegal too. Why? because you can prosecute "different" people with it! And you can use it to Heap charges on a [rapist for instance] making it more illegal!
The only issue I see is apple requiring "Cores" on all repair parts like auto parts-to keep them in the family. That said, IBM tried that with AS400 parts but the courts have ruled that used/spare parts can't be completely controlled. [anti-competitive and all] It's still really hard to find IBM parts because they tie all upgrade sales to "cores" of your previous equipment for a big discount. But if you buy your system outright they can't stop you from reselling it--just try to make it worth your while not too.
If he sold just the case and bits with some "instructions" to build a system he wouldn't get in trouble and dodge the bullet. That would leave apple cracking down on their own channel which I can't see them doing--and getting some cheap marketing out of the deal too. He does need to ditch the name or change the product--way too close to an apple product names. perhaps ibox-computer case would fly though as an after market apple-related part. The courts haven't given them ieverthing yet!
In general there are too many choices, and worse combinations of choices, for a newbie user--and before you flame, remember even if you use XXXdistro that they've made a lot of choices for you by removing things they don't agree with. New font systems won't fix the problem, new X won't fix it either!
What's needed is a step back from the problem and address the real issue: DATA! All is data!
The very first thing to determine in any great improvement of Linux is universal data types then implementation takes care of itself! [look at the web for success] Fonts, spreadsheets, documents, and lots of other apps need to be reduced to data types first. As much programming as possible should be reduced to scripting [ala perl, python] or JIT [Java, Basic] that would again, turn programs into data, managed like data, and portable like data.
Untill that happens, things will remain horribly fragmented, but the markets will determine a useable and effective system anyway. It won't be as efficent as it could be though:(
The public already decided once that the "Common Carriers" provided wires not services when they broke up AT&T and deregulated the Baby Bells. Why does it seem that there's a purposefull effort to undo all that effort? Could it be that the media companies that needed deregulation to get off the ground now don't want to play with the same rules that let them get in the game in the first place?
What's needed is a real person in charge of the FCC [Lessing anyone!] To streamline the processes and remove some of the contradictions [i.e. ATT banned from local phone but owning cable w/o sharing, etc.]
If you can wait a while and love Linux, there's even some new SFF boards that have the embedded media players that work seperate from the OS.
have fun!
unfortunately, there ain't no hand reworking them. you gotta get the right tools.
and port linux to it. After all a Siplace 80f series can be gotten cheap...Except no hardware or software support:P [man, that RMS dude was right!]
a Pace hot air rework station works wonders! Add the paste, and use pin-point hot air jets to melt it. Quicker, neater, safer for moding!
1500lbs of 500 deg F liquid Pb-Sn solder....Ummm!
The board skims accross a Flux spray first then rides the Wave which solders the pins! You can even glue small passives [caps and rest] to the bottom and do them too!
Moreover, if their vendor doesn't patch their system quickly, how are they ever going to stop this guy if he always knows what's broken next?
Catch-22 isn't it!
Postal junk mail is like television--the advertizers support the system. In the case of postal mail, the sender pays $.30 and the effiency-of-volume of mail allows the rest of us to send mail for $.37 really a good deal for door-to-door service daily! Unless someone wants to start charging for spam, then there's no reason for us to accept it--it's a leech. I think general accounts should start being limited--what percent of users has need of more than 25 emails a day? If the whole system was designed to allow single mails to travel quickly, and the time for the sender was to increase with the size and quantity of recipents then spam would be inpracticle on any large scale.
No one likes the new 400MHz XScale--it is just too different from a standard ARM to be really useful to arm programmers, hard to optimize properly--it's good for a first attempt, but they already have another in the works that sacrfices a few nifty things and brings the performance up to what it should be at fewer MHz.
Wierd numbers like this fit statistical formulas--testing for X# of 9's involves like 3, 7, 17, 39... Mil-Specs require lots of statistics for everyting. I'd bet 1/3 of the cost is just the paperwork to prove they really did 54 drops, who did them, how they landed, what was for lunch that day, etc... having worked at a defence place, the numbers are spookily right most of the time. 99.999% of the time , the systems catch faulty parts [think of the millions of parts in a shuttle 50% or better can cause catistrophic failure--only 2 accidents in 20 years isn't really bad] If your OS was tested like this it would almost never crash--ask why it's not!
Duh! the Install shield cabs are properitary even Bioware can't use issue a patch to get in without a.) paying another license fee to Install Sheild [who are scrounging for money after msi] or b.) violating DMCA by publishing an installer for their own game!
Many people have asked for this not to start in the first place, but George was hell-bent on starting it anyway. What are you really supposed to do? Support the troops enthusiatically, and also the bad decision and encourage him to continue it. Believe me this isn't the end, it's only the beginning of a huge mess. [think war with Eurasia type mess] or.. protest the poor choice to the detriment of the troops & country's morale. That's not fair to the troops either. They didn't choose the battles; they just fight 'um. Unfortunately, there isn't really a support the troops, but repremand the president option! The first rule of politics is to make sure people emotionally can't hold "you" accountable.
Relize only East Coast/West Coast/ Big city programmers make $50+ yr salaries. Where I live once you get 40-50 miles away from the city wages drop 25-50% for the same job. I get worried about this stuff because it's the internal people that get hit first...after all my boss will get cheap and have the audacity to stop raies or cut pay long before the big city bosses do because he thinks he can get away with it. It think that's true with most small businesses.
I'd venture more programmers are living on 35-45k/yr without all the perks that there are in all the other "hi-tech" jobs.
Maybe compaines will grow up inland rather than in silicon valley. Caifornia is over-rated as a tech area--the main reason is close to the port to catch imports! Personally, I lime in Michigan, and think that the inland states will soon recapture many of the industries that ran away in recent years. If only for skilled people refusing to play the HI pay/stress/real estate game and stay home to work. Wages won't go up, but only a few parts of the US make the big $$$ of SUN or MS, and consumers still live there.
Also, if there's such a lack of US workers, why aren't the companies doing more to educate US youths? Properly Trained US workers still kick the pants off most of the rest of the world in terms of innovation and creativity. What I've seen is that most US kids barely get a chance to explore careers before college. Not all of it has to do with companies, but they could do more to insist on education goals for US students--of course then they would have to hire them! Kinda the point though, educate to get good pay. Local people need to see the need for tech education as well. Most US schools are viewed as "Providers" of education to student "Consumers" rather than as a mutually benifitial environment to learn by both parties in.
Houses. I don't know what crack they were smoking in the 50's when they built all those cracker-jack houses! Houses built before the 50's were at least 2 stories 1500 sq ft. again, the beginnings of the incremental consumerism. Build only enough for now so they'll buy later.
My house (70k circa 1920) was about double my wage (30k). And for my area that's really not high--but not 10 years ago (90's when I started shopping) the same house would have been 40k. Did wages double over that time? I think not. In reality the "overpaid" auto workers are the only ones making a real cost-adjusted wage over the last 20-30 years. My mom worked in health care and my step-dad in defence--both of them went years with zero or only 2%-penny raises.
Another myth is overtime. Bosses treat it like you're getting gold when in reality they're getting cheap labor. I think it goes to the predator type mentioned earlier. It's as much about employers acting like victims as workers. They see the big numbers, but aren't around to see the work! My boss routinely mocks workers for not wanting to work OT Yet, when the wife is on the phone, he's running out the door--If he's an hour late he gets yelled at...Like the rest of us don't!
Part of the problem is the double-standard. Office employees (non-IT) rarely work OT as they are hourly. [maybe the office workers shouldn't include cube ville] Management works OT, but only when they want-true Salary postitions. While the rest of us, espically IT, work hourly but get paid salary. I read a news article about a retired Michigan Supreme court judge--The job was the hardest ever because he worked 60 billable hours a week! most lawyers work much less. I find it laughable in a Auto state where 50 hours is the Mfg norm! These are the same Republicans that see the 54k a year and think that's too much--it was paid for with 25%+ (usually ~50%)OT! Managers, owners, lawyers, politicians, etc. refuse to work those hours, so they really don't know what they're talking about!
Our work is directly tied to the health of companies--we are a supplier for the office furniture makers. As the boss roots for CEOs that move job off shore to make his stock increase, he wonders why the market for his goods are so far down! If they move Cubeville oversea, he ain't gonna be making the parts! At the same time, they drive foreign cars (cause they're better) and shop for the absolute cheapest stuff (mail order or internet) and wonder where all their business goes.
$700 for MS win 2k server? what world do you live in?
With the MS Win2k server all you get is the server and 5 accesses! No support [MS phone support is more $$ than phone SE#!], magrinal quality updates, and a system that cuts you off after 5 connections!
The $700 license doesn't include Software Assurance. It dosen't include email or management tools either! For an MS network you will pay another $150 per box just to connect to the server [actual windows licenses not included!] Just posted at HardOCP was MS finally changing their licensing to allow multiple partitions on the same box. Previously, you had to pay "per instance per processor" of Windows on your boxes!
In short, It's a steal. If you can't see that you obviously don't actually work in IT to see how bad MS has gotten! As you learn your way around, you get experience that doesn't go away--then you can fully support you own boxes for real savings. [even after your big raise for saving the Co $$$]
All the bandwidth of all the current crop of wireless devices [2.4 & 5 Ghz] adds up to only 1 maybe 2 standard TV channels! The FCC allocates 84 TV channels! [+ audio on another channel!] Between the Phones, bluetooth, wi-fi you have dozens of usable channels with 100's+ of Mbits combine of thru-put all in the space of several standard TV channels. Also, the TV & FM radio have "prime" real estate. Radios on those frequencies are an order of maginitude easier and cheaper to build and control than your cell phone or wi-fi.
Current broadcast is like using a firehose to water your houseplants! The collateral RF they use up thru brute force is even several times larger than the actual allocated bandwidth! You compare it to a conversation, well they have a giant amplifier turned up to drown everyone else out! They monopolize the entire waveleangth. You'll notice that in the new scheme of things with digital TV, 50 of the channels [they are reducing the number] are crammed into the bandwidth of about a half-dozen current TV channels.
There is a real option open to get the FCC to provide more "Areas" for spread-spectrum instead of specific "channels" when the TV channels give up their space in the next 10 years. That would lead to 100X+ more bandwith for everyone--even if they only allocated a portion of the recovered space!