Reminds me of a teacher at college. Well, not exactly a teacher, mind you. Teachers teach stuff, this guy just stood in front of the class and told us all to go learn ASP.NET from w3schools.com. If the guy was even at college to start with. But I digress. I recently argued with him as to why the hell we were learning ASP.NET while the course read "advanced programming". The moron gave me the following reasons why ASP.NET was to be the "entlösung" to all problems, including war, famine and dropbears*:
Web-based I: Everything will go over "the web" with.NET, ranging from word processors to databases.
Web-based II: Other programming languages like C/C++, Delphi, Java and anything not.NET will die because of this web-based 'paradigm-shift'.
Python: Python (my suggestion) was a joke programming language by amateurs and hobbyists.
That's pretty much when I stopped listening and just started to stare in sheer amazement. The guy seems to be a bit right after all though, considering the possibilities that are now available for XUL regarding web-based applications. But hey, let's be fair;.NET isn't all that bad but riding the.NET car with ASP.NET is like driving a Ferrari with wooden wheels. C# would have been nice enough, instead. But this whole "everything will be web-based" idea was utterly shit and I KNEW there was a better solution than ASP.NET to web-based solutions. Then I saw a site with XUL elements plastered all over it and I was impressed. No more silly tricks with HTML forms and parsing it all through CGI scripts. It seemed like a clean enough solution for lots of things. Think of a small company; Items need to be tracked, clients need to be contacted and managed, rosters needs to be kept up to date and plenty more. Now all that can be done by HTTP with a standard webserver and a Mozilla platform.
The compant where I worked as intern could have used that. Instead they adopted a win2k3 server with office 2k-something premium, using it as a terminal server to log in to single Access database using remote desktop, which would function as a POS system with the aid of heavy VBA scripting. Not exactly an elegant solution, though it sure is a creative way to make an Access database centralized. Now imagine the same trick with a cheapo webserver running Apache 1.3.something, serving XUL documents that read/write data from an MySQL database... ( It WAS a rather small shop, after all... )
Really, Slashdot as of late can easily be described as a "large and unfortunate string of editorial blunders and mismanagement".
Nothing new here. Hey, for a free service it's tolerable. Barely. I'd rate Slashdot on the same level as Fark.com. Except they know at Fark that no one cares about what they say.:)
3 out of 5 things regarding the equasion for Murphy's Law are easily manipulated. Put the right man ( skilled ) with the right experience ( frequency ) on the right job with plenty of time. ( urgency )
Complexity can also be influenced up to a certain level; A large complex task can be broken down into numerous less complex elements. So basically, Murphy's law proves that while heeding common sense, people are less likely to screw up. Well done!
Intel's [chairman] Grove derides such patent holders for showing little interest in producing goods with their inventions in favor of demanding licensing fees from others. "We call them trolls," he said. The Washington Post
As an occasional troll ( Think of it as a hobby ), I am insulted. >:(
Perhaps you do, but I know plenty of people who prefer the cheapest solution possible. peeling away another 20 Euro in base costs would make a small, but notable difference, especially around here where the VAT levels are downright atrocious. ( 19% ) So if I'm able to get 20 euros of with the proc, 20 with the video card, another 20 on memory, another 20 on a cheap drive and another 20 on a HD, all of it using "last release cycle" products, then I still get a very nice PC at about 100 euros cheaper.
... why has there not been a terrible 'accident'* in which a 747 filled with 'people'** gets flown into a military observation post by Al-Qaida***?
* = Accident as in... Remote controlled, no pilot, full speed against military installation.
** = On paper, at least. There might be a small error on the flight manifest... Or 400 small errors.
*** = Play the terrorist card; not only does it draw away suspiscion, it also garners support.
Besides, what's this who deal about spy satelite? Don't they know it's so very dangerous up there, with all the space debris? Especially this 3-stage 'space debris' which is remarkably shaped like a missile, with an explosive warhead... I wonder how that got up there?
How much would it cost me to buy an article which proclaims the Slashdot editors spend most of the day with their pants around their ankles as a bunch of ASTG whipping boys? Seriously, how about some news people care about and less of the cheapo sellout articles and political bullshit?
Last thing I heard this FortKnox persona was coughing up a Slashdot replacement in PHP and (probably) MySQL. Where do I sign up to help him?
That's something I've noticed here in the Netherlands; things look decrepit. I went to a city in the south of this country, which in in the big red blob on the map ( town where I live in just on the edge ) and during the train ride, I couldn't start counting the rusting barges in the water, the abandoned factories and production plants, the run-down warehouses filled with rusting barrels that contain god-knows what and a surprising amount of heavier industry such as steel mills, paper mills and chemical plants.
Been to Belgium a few years ago as well... One of the things I remember most was the state of the houses and roads down there. Everything just seemed undermaintained down to an atrocious level. It's scary to know that south of here in the NL and in Belgium, in the middle of that big red blob, everything seems to be stuck in the 70s in some sort of permanent economic paralysis. I thought both BE and the NL were supposed to be developed countries that were doing pretty decently?
Then again, I might have just seen the worst areas and I would only recognize economic prosperity if it would start buying me beer, porn and other life essentials.
Co-worker: Hey Seth, the other development team managed to convince someone into giving them full access to some of our resources... Seth: Damn! Interceptors up front! FORM UP! Have assault frigates attack the flanks, keep a missile destroyer near the heavy cruisers in case bombers fly by! Protect the mothership! FOR HIGAARA! Co-worker: Once I find the idiot who hired you I'm going to strangle him... Seth: Shut up or I'll TK you.
if libel is not pertinent in this case then what situation does it apply to? please educate me.
This is what libel means. "A false publication, as in writing, print, signs, or pictures, that damages a person's reputation." As the guy proved, it is not so much a false publication, because anyone intelligent would be abide to abide by the rules. Certainly not break the rules as he did and then try to smart-ass his way out of his own stupid breach of conduct.
Also, it can be noted that the undertone of the remark directed at the former employee is not all that serious. To be honest, I don't even think of it as an insult, more as a rather direct and cynical joke. How can a phrase such as the one Mr. Hayes said be taken so seriously anyways?
it is a direct statement against people who think life may be present on other planets
Well, no. Let's disect his remark toward the former employee:
"I understand his desire to search for intelligent life in outer space, because obviously he doesn't find it in the mirror in the morning"
It clearly refers to HIS desire to search and HIS inability to find it in the mirror in the morning. Now, if the guy would have commented on THE desire ( thus, in general ) to search and that THEY would be unable to find it in the mirror, then it would be aimed at all of the SETI@home community, indeed at all who search for life elsewhere in the universe. Such isn't the case though. Of course, it is possible to find offense in just about anything these days...
On a different note, it's saddening to know that a drunk person types better then I do... Want some aspirines for next morning?:)
If the guy makes a mistake, show him how to prevent it.
If the guy breaks a few minor rules, tell him to stop screwing around and act serious.
If the guy breaks a few major rules, fire him/her.
If the guy breaks a few major rules AND tries to weasel his way out of it with various excuses ( Inclding, but not limited to "Only going to run it between 19:00 and 07:00", "Only a minor impact on system resources" and "She looked 19 to me." ) which supposedly should make it right, then you should fire the fucker and publically lash out a bit, both as a way of telling him how much of an idiot he is as well as warning other potential employers about the kind of person they might be dealing with.
This is not a mistake. This moron knew the consequences, knew what he was doing and was careful enough to try and make it look okay. He got sacked for doing it in the first place and he got a well-deserved public humiliation for trying to be self-righteous by trying to be clever with the rules.
As for the insult against all SETI users... What the hell are you thinking? Tom Hayes clearly intended for his remarks to be aimed at the offending ex-employee, not all of the SETI@home project. I don't really think Mr. Hayes could give a damn about SETI@home OR it's users, apart from the bullshit he had to remove from the servers and department he was responsible for.
All these reactions in the article are a clear example of one of the things that is so wrong with the world today. Political correctness these days is more important than common sense or freedom of speech. In this case, some ex-employee gets a public scorning, warning all possible employers that this guy tends to do stupid stuff. And it serves him right, for he most likely knew the consequences of his actions, as evident by his attempts to make it look harmless. Instead, we get a knee-jerk reaction spree here on Slashdot, claiming that the public insults are unjustified and uncivilized. Think about it, that fool would now think TWICE before doing something stupid like this again, as would anyone else who'd try the same thing. Yeah, he might be upset or hurt about this, but he'll get over it. Of course, in the real world he can sue Mr. Hayes for slander and get away with a few hundred thousand dollars worth that he cheated of his former employee because of "emotional damages". Maybe I should sue the people who are going to mod this down because of uhm... Well, let's say "emotional damages".
I will accept my financial reimbursements in euros, thank you!
Face it, the guy fired simply did something utterly stupid. For that, he got fired and a nice kick in the back by mr Hayes. Maybe next time he'll think twice about doing something stupid. Don't give me this bullshit about slander and personal attacks; the damned fool should instead take some responsibility for being a fucking idiot.
Cruel? Yes. Effective? Possibly. Funny as hell, though, hehehe... Actually laughed when I read it!
Poor planning, poor execution and poor leadership are more likely to blame than bad code when it comes to systems that fail.
Suppose I worked at a store where the use a cheap PC based POS ( Point of Sale, not Piece of Shit ) system that uses basic networking, a central database and the basics POS stuff with electronic payments handled externally. Sounds decent you say? The central database was an MS Access 2000 database, the basic networking meant that every cash register would have to use Remote Desktop to get into the "central" database. I doubted the system but because the store was small ( Just 2 POS ) and the Access database itself came across as stable enough. Mind you, we had to log in to Access and use and internally scripted GUI to access stuff. Horrible idea and I never know wether it was a success or not, I worked with that system for just two weeks or so.
However, the point is, that system was also available for larger stores. Now a store with 2 POS I can imagine. I'd guess the system would be decent enough for 5 POS as well, but anything above that would be ASKING for problems. In that case, the software can not be blamed, it is management who should have known better then to use Access related crap.
Never attribute to poor programming what can be attributed to irresponsible users.
My best guess would be that this Roland guy simply pays Slashdot. I'm mean, Slashdot has pretty much gone to the commercial hell (C) in the proverbial handbasket (TM). Look at the people the affiliate themselves with:
Sourceforge... Nothing wrong with the site itself, but Sourceforge's (the product itself) main implementation is to ease, improve and enhance outsourcing. Lost your job to some poor underpaid and undereduquated Indian fellow? Thank Slashdot for being part of the process that makes Outsourcing 'profitable'*
IT Manager Journal... I'm not even going to start on this one, just a whole bunch of articles that contain mostly paradign-shifting buzzwords with a ROI and synergy that extends en interoperated with various value-based precision-engineered web-based solutions, interlaced with a speck of non-buzword nonsense.
Roland Piqqy... Just a random bozo who steal links from various journals, cannibalizes the content, claims it to be his own work and then tricks sites with stupid admins (Yes, Slashdot admins. I'm talking about you idiots.) into proliferating his scam over the internet. I'm not sure wether Roland's continuous bullshit on Slashdot can be attributed to sheer ignorance to their own community (which would explain why the IT section's colour scheme is still painful) or simple greed and a few handy... donations.
So, to any subscribers out there; is the ability to see Taco's atrocious spelling 10 minutes prior to the rest of the world worth your money? If it is, would it make you feel better that part of your money is used to promote outsourcing and to write the software needed for outsourcing? So do yourself a favour, cancel your subscription or do not renew it and help Slashdot. Sometimes, you just have to let go and bury your fallen. It's time we buried Slashdot and tried something new... Heard FortKnow was coding up something...
* == Profitable in short term only. Short term roughly meaning "the average time it takes a CEO to collect a few multi-million dollar bonuses before ruining the next company"
Slashdot Mirror
Reminds me of a teacher at college. Well, not exactly a teacher, mind you. Teachers teach stuff, this guy just stood in front of the class and told us all to go learn ASP.NET from w3schools.com. If the guy was even at college to start with. But I digress. I recently argued with him as to why the hell we were learning ASP.NET while the course read "advanced programming". The moron gave me the following reasons why ASP.NET was to be the "entlösung" to all problems, including war, famine and dropbears*:
That's pretty much when I stopped listening and just started to stare in sheer amazement. The guy seems to be a bit right after all though, considering the possibilities that are now available for XUL regarding web-based applications. But hey, let's be fair; .NET isn't all that bad but riding the .NET car with ASP.NET is like driving a Ferrari with wooden wheels. C# would have been nice enough, instead. But this whole "everything will be web-based" idea was utterly shit and I KNEW there was a better solution than ASP.NET to web-based solutions. Then I saw a site with XUL elements plastered all over it and I was impressed. No more silly tricks with HTML forms and parsing it all through CGI scripts. It seemed like a clean enough solution for lots of things. Think of a small company; Items need to be tracked, clients need to be contacted and managed, rosters needs to be kept up to date and plenty more. Now all that can be done by HTTP with a standard webserver and a Mozilla platform.
The compant where I worked as intern could have used that. Instead they adopted a win2k3 server with office 2k-something premium, using it as a terminal server to log in to single Access database using remote desktop, which would function as a POS system with the aid of heavy VBA scripting. Not exactly an elegant solution, though it sure is a creative way to make an Access database centralized. Now imagine the same trick with a cheapo webserver running Apache 1.3.something, serving XUL documents that read/write data from an MySQL database... ( It WAS a rather small shop, after all... )
Really, Slashdot as of late can easily be described as a "large and unfortunate string of editorial blunders and mismanagement".
Nothing new here. Hey, for a free service it's tolerable. Barely. I'd rate Slashdot on the same level as Fark.com. Except they know at Fark that no one cares about what they say. :)
The same thing that happens to all puppets when the puppeteer lets go of the strings.
I saw the guy selling the Geek Badges to clueless Forbes 500 CEOs after he put on a few "promotional" stickers on them.
I think the CEO of Haliburton is trying to play frisbee with a badge... I don't know, don't DARE to find out.
3 out of 5 things regarding the equasion for Murphy's Law are easily manipulated. Put the right man ( skilled ) with the right experience ( frequency ) on the right job with plenty of time. ( urgency )
Complexity can also be influenced up to a certain level; A large complex task can be broken down into numerous less complex elements. So basically, Murphy's law proves that while heeding common sense, people are less likely to screw up. Well done!
As an occasional troll ( Think of it as a hobby ), I am insulted. >:(
Perhaps you do, but I know plenty of people who prefer the cheapest solution possible. peeling away another 20 Euro in base costs would make a small, but notable difference, especially around here where the VAT levels are downright atrocious. ( 19% ) So if I'm able to get 20 euros of with the proc, 20 with the video card, another 20 on memory, another 20 on a cheap drive and another 20 on a HD, all of it using "last release cycle" products, then I still get a very nice PC at about 100 euros cheaper.
* = Accident as in... Remote controlled, no pilot, full speed against military installation.
** = On paper, at least. There might be a small error on the flight manifest... Or 400 small errors.
*** = Play the terrorist card; not only does it draw away suspiscion, it also garners support.
Besides, what's this who deal about spy satelite? Don't they know it's so very dangerous up there, with all the space debris? Especially this 3-stage 'space debris' which is remarkably shaped like a missile, with an explosive warhead... I wonder how that got up there?
59 km, to be precise.
Article contains the word "synergize" and thus instantly became bullshit.
A South Park episode would be more enlightening then marketing-speak...
In other news, the servers of an online community called Slashdot were bombed by the USAF for "gross violations of goverment regulations"
Film at 11. Stolen Honor at first, Fahrenheit 9/11 after commercial break.
How much would it cost me to buy an article which proclaims the Slashdot editors spend most of the day with their pants around their ankles as a bunch of ASTG whipping boys? Seriously, how about some news people care about and less of the cheapo sellout articles and political bullshit?
Last thing I heard this FortKnox persona was coughing up a Slashdot replacement in PHP and (probably) MySQL. Where do I sign up to help him?
Actually...
That's something I've noticed here in the Netherlands; things look decrepit. I went to a city in the south of this country, which in in the big red blob on the map ( town where I live in just on the edge ) and during the train ride, I couldn't start counting the rusting barges in the water, the abandoned factories and production plants, the run-down warehouses filled with rusting barrels that contain god-knows what and a surprising amount of heavier industry such as steel mills, paper mills and chemical plants.
Been to Belgium a few years ago as well... One of the things I remember most was the state of the houses and roads down there. Everything just seemed undermaintained down to an atrocious level. It's scary to know that south of here in the NL and in Belgium, in the middle of that big red blob, everything seems to be stuck in the 70s in some sort of permanent economic paralysis. I thought both BE and the NL were supposed to be developed countries that were doing pretty decently?
Then again, I might have just seen the worst areas and I would only recognize economic prosperity if it would start buying me beer, porn and other life essentials.
Sounds good enough, cheers! :)
If I print out the Patriot Act and beat someone to death with it...
Seth: Damn! Interceptors up front! FORM UP! Have assault frigates attack the flanks, keep a missile destroyer near the heavy cruisers in case bombers fly by! Protect the mothership! FOR HIGAARA!
Co-worker: Once I find the idiot who hired you I'm going to strangle him...
Seth: Shut up or I'll TK you.
Somehow I doubt that will work...
This is what libel means. "A false publication, as in writing, print, signs, or pictures, that damages a person's reputation." As the guy proved, it is not so much a false publication, because anyone intelligent would be abide to abide by the rules. Certainly not break the rules as he did and then try to smart-ass his way out of his own stupid breach of conduct.
Also, it can be noted that the undertone of the remark directed at the former employee is not all that serious. To be honest, I don't even think of it as an insult, more as a rather direct and cynical joke. How can a phrase such as the one Mr. Hayes said be taken so seriously anyways?
Well, no. Let's disect his remark toward the former employee:
"I understand his desire to search for intelligent life in outer space, because obviously he doesn't find it in the mirror in the morning"
It clearly refers to HIS desire to search and HIS inability to find it in the mirror in the morning. Now, if the guy would have commented on THE desire ( thus, in general ) to search and that THEY would be unable to find it in the mirror, then it would be aimed at all of the SETI@home community, indeed at all who search for life elsewhere in the universe. Such isn't the case though. Of course, it is possible to find offense in just about anything these days...
On a different note, it's saddening to know that a drunk person types better then I do... Want some aspirines for next morning? :)
If the guy makes a mistake, show him how to prevent it.
If the guy breaks a few minor rules, tell him to stop screwing around and act serious.
If the guy breaks a few major rules, fire him/her.
If the guy breaks a few major rules AND tries to weasel his way out of it with various excuses ( Inclding, but not limited to "Only going to run it between 19:00 and 07:00", "Only a minor impact on system resources" and "She looked 19 to me." ) which supposedly should make it right, then you should fire the fucker and publically lash out a bit, both as a way of telling him how much of an idiot he is as well as warning other potential employers about the kind of person they might be dealing with.
No. Just... no.
This is not a mistake. This moron knew the consequences, knew what he was doing and was careful enough to try and make it look okay. He got sacked for doing it in the first place and he got a well-deserved public humiliation for trying to be self-righteous by trying to be clever with the rules.
As for the insult against all SETI users... What the hell are you thinking? Tom Hayes clearly intended for his remarks to be aimed at the offending ex-employee, not all of the SETI@home project. I don't really think Mr. Hayes could give a damn about SETI@home OR it's users, apart from the bullshit he had to remove from the servers and department he was responsible for.
All these reactions in the article are a clear example of one of the things that is so wrong with the world today. Political correctness these days is more important than common sense or freedom of speech. In this case, some ex-employee gets a public scorning, warning all possible employers that this guy tends to do stupid stuff. And it serves him right, for he most likely knew the consequences of his actions, as evident by his attempts to make it look harmless. Instead, we get a knee-jerk reaction spree here on Slashdot, claiming that the public insults are unjustified and uncivilized. Think about it, that fool would now think TWICE before doing something stupid like this again, as would anyone else who'd try the same thing. Yeah, he might be upset or hurt about this, but he'll get over it. Of course, in the real world he can sue Mr. Hayes for slander and get away with a few hundred thousand dollars worth that he cheated of his former employee because of "emotional damages". Maybe I should sue the people who are going to mod this down because of uhm... Well, let's say "emotional damages".
I will accept my financial reimbursements in euros, thank you!
Kudos to Tom Hayes.
Face it, the guy fired simply did something utterly stupid. For that, he got fired and a nice kick in the back by mr Hayes. Maybe next time he'll think twice about doing something stupid. Don't give me this bullshit about slander and personal attacks; the damned fool should instead take some responsibility for being a fucking idiot.
Cruel? Yes. Effective? Possibly. Funny as hell, though, hehehe... Actually laughed when I read it!
This is an astroturfing-free zone, people. Move along, nothing to see here...
Suppose I worked at a store where the use a cheap PC based POS ( Point of Sale, not Piece of Shit ) system that uses basic networking, a central database and the basics POS stuff with electronic payments handled externally. Sounds decent you say? The central database was an MS Access 2000 database, the basic networking meant that every cash register would have to use Remote Desktop to get into the "central" database. I doubted the system but because the store was small ( Just 2 POS ) and the Access database itself came across as stable enough. Mind you, we had to log in to Access and use and internally scripted GUI to access stuff. Horrible idea and I never know wether it was a success or not, I worked with that system for just two weeks or so.
However, the point is, that system was also available for larger stores. Now a store with 2 POS I can imagine. I'd guess the system would be decent enough for 5 POS as well, but anything above that would be ASKING for problems. In that case, the software can not be blamed, it is management who should have known better then to use Access related crap.
Never attribute to poor programming what can be attributed to irresponsible users.
My best guess would be that this Roland guy simply pays Slashdot. I'm mean, Slashdot has pretty much gone to the commercial hell (C) in the proverbial handbasket (TM). Look at the people the affiliate themselves with:
So, to any subscribers out there; is the ability to see Taco's atrocious spelling 10 minutes prior to the rest of the world worth your money? If it is, would it make you feel better that part of your money is used to promote outsourcing and to write the software needed for outsourcing? So do yourself a favour, cancel your subscription or do not renew it and help Slashdot. Sometimes, you just have to let go and bury your fallen. It's time we buried Slashdot and tried something new... Heard FortKnow was coding up something...
* == Profitable in short term only. Short term roughly meaning "the average time it takes a CEO to collect a few multi-million dollar bonuses before ruining the next company"