Whether it's all crack-pot non-science or not, there are parts of this that are eerily similar to something I wrote in November (minus the techno-bable) here:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=21951148&blogID=333457920
which I also plugged on a post here of which I quickly got knocked down to troll level (for the comment, not the link)
Just sayin'.
Happy New Years.
Let's be clear. What I'm "railing" on is the elitist position that posters take over people beleiving in ID/creationism. "God does not play dice." But you know, all creationists are idiots.
Wow. Some great comments already. It goes to show that geeks can be as intolerant as anybody else. Let's change this story a little:
"Texas' Director of Science Curriculum was 'forced to step down' for favoring inelligent design (ID) over evolution. She apparently circulated an e-mail that was critical of evolution -- although state regulations require her not to have any opinion 'on a subject on which the agency must remain neutral.'
I can hear the cheers already. Some people really need to accept that it's okay for others to beleive in ID, and let them. Should this employee have been sharing opinions on the subject with co-workers? Probably not.
If you want my opinion, and for a shameless plug, I wrote about this subject just yesterday:
when I had my own webpage three years back. I used a free web based counter from company [X]. The counter worked great, but the company wouls spam me everyday, no matter how many times I changed my prefrences to no email.
Finally, I got so frustrated that whenever I was filling out any form online I would use webmaster@[X].com (as this was the email on company [X]'s website.) Three months later the company folded, and can only think that I played some small part. Haha! Albeit I lost my free counter, at least their webmaster had to have felt his own spam fury.
Sorry you took offense, but this question has been troubling me for some weeks now, and I didn't get many responses to the original post, so I felt it needed a little more exposure. Now I can look over all these responses and make a more educated decision. Thanks Slashdot surfers!:)
Before the article was edited, it said 93?, because I couldn't remember the exact score and din't want to look it up. I guess they thought the ? was a typo.
After reading everyone's CCNA/cert stories, I guess I should add mine. Almost three years ago I worked for a systems integration company as a Sr. Network Technician (with the help of an A+ cert.) The real fun and excitement was in the engineering department, and I was told the sure way in was to get my CCNA. Well I got my Sybex book, and with the help of our small lab (two Cisco routers and a catalyst switch) I received my CCNA with a 93?.
Thrilled as I was, the engineering department was taking some hits, and I couldn't get in. Instead of remaining stagnant I took it on myself to get my CCDA, which I got a month later. Engineering department still going down, me still wanting to rise, I looked for something else. At about this time my company was trying to get a contract working with Nortel routers and switches. "This is my chance!" I proclaimed. One and a half months later I was a NNCSS (Nortel Networks Certified Support Specialist.) The contract fell through. The engineering department was taking BIG hits (as the rest of the networking industry was) but I was determined. We only had one CCNP in the company, and my goal was set. With the help of the lab, and some determination, in three months I was/am a CCNP and CCDP. Did I get in the engineering department? Nope. Did I give up? Nope. I got my CCIE study guide, and was all ready to rent time at a MAJOR Cisco lab at The University of Colorado - Boulder (I am not even sure that they have this lab anymore.) A month later there were two people left in the engineering department, and I got layed off. After six months of unemployment checks and sending resumes, I gave up and decided to go back to school and do some independent consulting for some small businesses in the Denver metro area. Now I am again looking for a full time job, and I am dealing with the same problems I dealt with two years ago.
I am happy to admit that all my hands on Cisco experience have not been in a production environment. I understand that the difference between the lab and the real stuff is huge. But the certs didn't, and still don't even get my foot in the door. My resume has been critiqued by many people, and is in tip-top shape. I do have experience on Gateways (Nomadix) and many switches (SMC) and have worked on some MDU engineering projects, but now I am five months away from the expiration of my CCNP/DP and I question whether I should even spend the money to recertify. Any suggestions?
Petition Congress to tax American companies who outsource offshore:
http://www.petitiononline.com/2357850/petition.h tm l
Another problem with boycotting RIAA music is that I think a lot of people (myself included) enjoy popular music. As much as I dislike the RIAA's practices, I still will buy CD's and download music from p2p's. I think a more effective step would to set one day that consumers will not buy any CD's, AND not download from p2p's. This would show the RIAA that the public has the will power to do both, and they need to change there strategy. This would also be a good day to flood your congress man or woman with emails, faxes and telephone calls telling them the RIAA's tactics are having a negative affect on the public. Anyone want to throw up a site to get "Boycott RIAA Day" started?
What about those that pay by check, or 900 numbers, or spammers that just want you to go to there website to get referals, or ad hits. IMHO, I don't think it can be solved by just going after cc transactions.
We have all read about the state of the FBI's hardware, I think this is the way they have decided to upgrade their computers at the cost of the taxpayer. Damn,,I just upgraded my system. i better deadbolt my doors tonight!
Slashdot Mirror
Whether it's all crack-pot non-science or not, there are parts of this that are eerily similar to something I wrote in November (minus the techno-bable) here: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=21951148&blogID=333457920 which I also plugged on a post here of which I quickly got knocked down to troll level (for the comment, not the link) Just sayin'. Happy New Years.
Let's be clear. What I'm "railing" on is the elitist position that posters take over people beleiving in ID/creationism. "God does not play dice." But you know, all creationists are idiots.
Wow. Some great comments already. It goes to show that geeks can be as intolerant as anybody else. Let's change this story a little:
"Texas' Director of Science Curriculum was 'forced to step down' for favoring inelligent design (ID) over evolution. She apparently circulated an e-mail that was critical of evolution -- although state regulations require her not to have any opinion 'on a subject on which the agency must remain neutral.'
I can hear the cheers already. Some people really need to accept that it's okay for others to beleive in ID, and let them. Should this employee have been sharing opinions on the subject with co-workers? Probably not.
If you want my opinion, and for a shameless plug, I wrote about this subject just yesterday:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=21951148&blogID=333457920
when I had my own webpage three years back. I used a free web based counter from company [X]. The counter worked great, but the company wouls spam me everyday, no matter how many times I changed my prefrences to no email. Finally, I got so frustrated that whenever I was filling out any form online I would use webmaster@[X].com (as this was the email on company [X]'s website.) Three months later the company folded, and can only think that I played some small part. Haha! Albeit I lost my free counter, at least their webmaster had to have felt his own spam fury.
Sorry you took offense, but this question has been troubling me for some weeks now, and I didn't get many responses to the original post, so I felt it needed a little more exposure. Now I can look over all these responses and make a more educated decision. Thanks Slashdot surfers! :)
Before the article was edited, it said 93?, because I couldn't remember the exact score and din't want to look it up. I guess they thought the ? was a typo.
After reading everyone's CCNA/cert stories, I guess I should add mine. Almost three years ago I worked for a systems integration company as a Sr. Network Technician (with the help of an A+ cert.) The real fun and excitement was in the engineering department, and I was told the sure way in was to get my CCNA. Well I got my Sybex book, and with the help of our small lab (two Cisco routers and a catalyst switch) I received my CCNA with a 93?.
h tm l
Thrilled as I was, the engineering department was taking some hits, and I couldn't get in. Instead of remaining stagnant I took it on myself to get my CCDA, which I got a month later. Engineering department still going down, me still wanting to rise, I looked for something else.
At about this time my company was trying to get a contract working with Nortel routers and switches. "This is my chance!" I proclaimed. One and a half months later I was a NNCSS (Nortel Networks Certified Support Specialist.) The contract fell through.
The engineering department was taking BIG hits (as the rest of the networking industry was) but I was determined. We only had one CCNP in the company, and my goal was set. With the help of the lab, and some determination, in three months I was/am a CCNP and CCDP. Did I get in the engineering department? Nope. Did I give up? Nope. I got my CCIE study guide, and was all ready to rent time at a MAJOR Cisco lab at The University of Colorado - Boulder (I am not even sure that they have this lab anymore.) A month later there were two people left in the engineering department, and I got layed off. After six months of unemployment checks and sending resumes, I gave up and decided to go back to school and do some independent consulting for some small businesses in the Denver metro area. Now I am again looking for a full time job, and I am dealing with the same problems I dealt with two years ago.
I am happy to admit that all my hands on Cisco experience have not been in a production environment. I understand that the difference between the lab and the real stuff is huge. But the certs didn't, and still don't even get my foot in the door. My resume has been critiqued by many people, and is in tip-top shape. I do have experience on Gateways (Nomadix) and many switches (SMC) and have worked on some MDU engineering projects, but now I am five months away from the expiration of my CCNP/DP and I question whether I should even spend the money to recertify. Any suggestions?
Petition Congress to tax American companies who outsource offshore:
http://www.petitiononline.com/2357850/petition.
Another problem with boycotting RIAA music is that I think a lot of people (myself included) enjoy popular music. As much as I dislike the RIAA's practices, I still will buy CD's and download music from p2p's. I think a more effective step would to set one day that consumers will not buy any CD's, AND not download from p2p's. This would show the RIAA that the public has the will power to do both, and they need to change there strategy. This would also be a good day to flood your congress man or woman with emails, faxes and telephone calls telling them the RIAA's tactics are having a negative affect on the public. Anyone want to throw up a site to get "Boycott RIAA Day" started?
What about those that pay by check, or 900 numbers, or spammers that just want you to go to there website to get referals, or ad hits. IMHO, I don't think it can be solved by just going after cc transactions.
We have all read about the state of the FBI's hardware, I think this is the way they have decided to upgrade their computers at the cost of the taxpayer. Damn, ,I just upgraded my system. i better deadbolt my doors tonight!