But outside Slashdot, you have corporate management that isn't tech savvy, they can see Apple and Samsung devices, and can conclude, not unreasonably that what Microsoft is offering them is not as polished as it could/should be.
Most people using Office, and interacting with other people, perhaps outside their own organization, are aware of interoperability/version issues. That, or they are just blissfully ignorant.
I deal with assorted people, who use Office of various versions who blindly send out documents assuming everybody can and will figure out how to open them. Whether it's an Office 97, or Office 2010 (docx), I usually just swear and ask why I can't get this as a PDF or some web friendly format. It's 2014 everyone has Apple or Android devices, get with the program.
The market has changed, and Microsoft is viewed by a lot of people as producing lame and buggy shit, these are the consumers, and it's why Surface hasn't broken beyond the niche of people who recognize it as a solution to their problem. It's priced beyond an impulse purchase, and Apps have redefined the price point for things like Word/Office in the consumer space.
This, and the fact people have seen other devices, using different OS's, that work for them in a very serviceable manner. It's a very hard hill to climb to produce something that isn't markedly better executed than the competition, especially when you've burned the customer before.
Surface's problem from the start is that it's not at the right price point. Microsoft's in a Catch 22, it doesn't have enough touch/tablet apps, the device is not priced compellingly, developers avoid due to lack of a market for their efforts.
Until Microsoft can figure out how to monetize apps, and sell the hardware for a fraction of the current price, they are only going to sell to niche markets that understand, and desire, the function/format currently being offered. Microsoft understand corporate, they don't get consumer.
The current market price in the US for 4G service with reasonably unlimited talk, text and data is about $30 with a bring-your-own-phone plan.
If you're being quoted higher prices you're talking to the wrong people about the wrong plans.
Yeah, you're paying WAY too much. I've got 3 SIMs with unlimited talk/text/data on 4G, $116/month including taxes, fees, everything. No contract. Use these on smart phones, wireless access points, M2M data modems, whatever.
So you pay $2400 over a 2 year contract, get a sparkly smart phone free. My smart phone plan, including phone will be $1260. With a cheaper phone, it would be under a grand.
Seen ads on TV with a guy spending $400/month for this families phones, and seen other coverage of people paying massive overages for text/data, it just beggars belief.
I'm in the Metro Chicago area, good and fast 4G coverage with T-Mobile, on a $40/month plan that gets unlimited talk/text/data, a Galaxy SII that cost $299, with free wifi tethering.
My wife's got a VZ droid, arguably better coverage, 3x more expensive, and voice channel as tinny as shit. I dumped VZ two years ago, and haven't missed them.
Criket has a presence here, presume they are on Sprint, seem to be pandering to the rent-a-center crowd. Would probably choose Republic Wireless over them.
Woosh, his point was that Microsoft pissed in his Corn Flakes on their last visit, and they won't be invited back just because they put some new pants on.
Bravo, to me you are making a whole lot more sense than most of the posters here. You are not alone.
I remember getting a lot of C's too, the fallacy here is that it was not because I was lazy, but because the material was boring or lacking strong practical applicability, and I was frankly not interested. The C's were a result of proving I understood the minimum required to get to something more interesting, or of doing something more interesting instead of the work the teacher actually proposed, or expected. It is ok to rock the boat. Kids should be encouraged to find things they enjoy and excel at, the one-size-fits-all teaching methods are fundamentally flawed and damaging. And the medicate to achieve conformity is nothing short of criminal. ADHD is a symptom of the failure to achieve real engagement.
I have found that the process of taking notes, transcribing white/black board writings, or even retyping someone elses notes is far more effective than just reading them, or reading a text book. It is a function of "crossing the brain", where the information enters, is actually processed, and exits. I can also scan things, but that is more of an immediate operation where the content is mostly discarded, but I know where to go find it later if it becomes important.
This whole expectation that you can spoon feed people, or beat it into them with repetition is what flaws the US and UK systems, and the damage that has been done to them over the last few decades by people that are supposedly qualified and certified to teach, or set teaching environments.
Everyone learns in different ways, but I've always found that reading a book, or multiple books covering a topic from a couple of perspectives, and then applying that information in some practical way, or trial and error, are the best ways to truly understand a topic. Unfortunately most people want to "learn" enough to earn the qualification, and not actually "understand" what they are doing. For it is understanding that permits you to do things that aren't printed in a book, or a Google search away.
Formal education is over-priced and over-lame.
Indeed, and I'd hire someone who had actual demonstrable skills, over someone with a shelf full of supposed certifications.
At what point does all this crap interfere with the media it's being hawked on. Watching TV is painful. I know what McDonalds, Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, etc tastes like.
Instead of coming up with more annoying ways to reach me, perhaps the whole premise needs to be reevaluated at that their end.
AutoZone had some turn signal/brake light bulbs that used a cluster of LED's. Though I suspect this might end up being a tad bright for the application in question.
People who proudly collect qualifications and certifications like medals are usually just fucking idiots. It's the kids in HS and college that already know their shit backward-and-forward that get frustrated and leave. I can recall my HS CS class some 20 years ago where the teacher would let me go and hack around on my own projects if I could summarize the solution to the class he was about to give. I think some jaws droped in the "bubblesort" class, the teacher tried his best but some of the people into the class just don't get it.
Looking back at code I've written over the years, I'm still proud of the quality workmanship.
People who learn to do stuff themselves, be it with computers or cars (or whatever) can almost always run rings around those who have been formally educated, and further if they come across something they don't understand they'll figure it out much quicker.
As for employment, people have always come looking for me. Some might suggest that is luck or lazyness, but I think it's telling on how clued in people hire other clued in people.
People lie on resumes, or at the very least overstate themselves or are economic with the truth. It's not about where you've been, it's about what you saw and understood. Work for people who understand what they are doing and how you fit into the plan. Work for companies where you can be rewarded by people empowered to give pay raises and bonuses when your work has made the company money.
I have NO empathy for the original question poster. Having taxes or levys will solve nothing, I'm sorry your out of a job, but should I have to pay for your poor career and employment choices? A good mechanic will never be without work, if the garage he works for fails, he'll move straight to another or he'll do his own thing in his own time. I can't foresee a time when we'll stop using cars, or when they will stop breaking. The same is true of anyone who is a craftsman. Even if cars suddenly ceased to exist the troubleshooting skills and the ability to make things work is universal. Taxs and Levys only hurt those applying them, take a look at the stupid steel tarrifs, these directly hurt those who have needs which the home producers can't forfill, there are some steel drum manufactures around here who are in a lot of pain. Having a closed and insular market is shortsighted, it merely allows people to continually make the same mistakes again and again without really addressing the underlying failure.
So why do astronomers always compare the size of meteors to Volkswagen bugs?
Because most people on the planet know what a VW Bug/Bettle looks like. A Land Rover might be another good example of an internationally recognized vehicle. Note I didn't say "Universal".
Probably few in Europe known WTF a Ford Pinto is, and equally those in the US probably don't know what a Ford Prefect looks like (beyond the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy angle).
Your assertion that Indian programmers are very smart and the implication that US educated programmers are not is all wrong.
Actually I think that's your assertion. Mine point was that some US technology workers were there for the wrong reasons, and the education system has failed if it can't help people find a niche in which they can excel. And that an adept Indian coder might well outwit a misplaced English major. I'm also going to suggest that many career paths don't properly reward those traveling them, Teachers being a very specific example. It's been my observation that the incompetent can't be fired and that the excellent can't be promoted/paid quickly enough.
Let consumers/businesses pass judgement with their $$$.
They will choose the cheapest path (Wal Mart Syndrome), not usually the best long term path. Once we export all our manufacturing base we'll be truely screwed.
However, H1Bs aren't US citizens, and shouldn't get the same protections as US citizens.
And for that they can't vote, but they still have to pay tax and for social security. They have to leave when their visas expire or the job is eliminated. Their presence is a net gain for the US government.
Bad code is written everywhere and in equally large quantities. Blame corporations for accepting junk code and pushing it out the door...
Indeed, and blame them for not hiring the most competent managers and coders to do the job, wherever they may be located. Using cost as the only or primary measurement is doomed to fail.
Unfortunately a lot of people here in the US pick careers based on how much money they can make, rather than having any aptitude for the given task.
When hiring for technology positions, managers need to hire people that are smarter than they are. Managing talented people is difficult, as is taking credit for there efforts.
Indian programmer are often very smart and well educated. Their education system isn't totally bolloxed up by the focus on sport. Instead they focus on science and math, playing cricket later. That's not to say everyone there is educated, but those that are should not be ignored because they need less money to do the job.
The general blaming H1B visas or offshore labour for the economy or job market is misplaced. It's a failure in the education system (at many levels), and consumers not being willing to pay the frieght on products built at home.
Throwing money at the US education system is not the solution either, it requires a whole change in mindset.
Frankly it's been my general observation that the bottlenecks are usually at either end of the cable. While we can argue the merits on each means of connection, at the end of the day the one which will win will be the one which is cheapest and most prevalent. It's that classic VHS vs BETA battle.
Sure USB2 is going to suck if you try moving data on to a 2.5" laptop hard drive, they are designed for low heat, low power and small form factor, not performance. But if you'd pump it into a 7200/10000/12000 rpm hard drive it's going to fly. If we were to compare truly comparable hard drives, with USB2 and Firewire interfaces plugged into the back they'd perform damn near the same.
The current generation of USB2 PCI implementation can't saturate the bus, but those built on to the chipset start to get a lot faster (ICH4/nForce2).
The Chicago one has been dying for the last few years, most of the vendors got ticked off that the Tribune was giving passes away for free. For the most part the vendors want to see corporate buyers, not Joe Public.
Accoring to the Tribune piece about Comdex not coming to Chicago any more, it also mentioned Comdex Canada/Mexico as well.
As for Vegas Comdex, thats been shrinking for years, but was at least worth going too. I can't see that lasting either. Before the internet/email the were useful for product launches, but now you can get you info to the people who want to know for practically nothing, instead of frieghting a bunch of people/product/booth to the shows.
Comdex is pratically dead in ALL it's forms, suspect CES will assume it's roll as we migrate closer to integrated consumer products.
Couldn't agree more. Real teachers are hard to find.
It's the things "I" think are obvious might well be the thing that "they" might have the most trouble understanding. It's the unwritten, implicit/secret knowlege, which is the glue that holds things together.
One of the most dangerous things is to dumb down the information to the point where anyone with a clue is in a coma. If they need a course in groundwork then offer that, but have some clear progression. Constant repetition of the same material will kill brain cells.
One size does not fit all with education, we all think differently, and I'm not talking about Apple users.
Some people see getting training as some sort of validation of self or point scoring activity, while others I suspect get sent to "training" by their bosses which is neither necessary or appropriate.
I can remember some hideous TQC/TQM (Total Quality) courses I was forced to endure. Something about 12 rules and repeating... stuff of nightmares!
The real reason your school district has too few classrooms, is that you've just spent 20 million turning half of them into damn computer labs. Computer's in labs aren't going to make your kids smarter, it's good teachers, start paying and treating them better.
Target was selling some NEW 40X Memorex this Sunday (25-Aug-2002) which was Taiyo Yuden DX media, 100 disc spindle for $19.77. The spindle was plastic wrapped and the discs had a frosted center hub. Marked "Made in Japan". This is NOT the same stuff that they were selling from CMC Magnetic previously. LiteOn reckons this media is good to 48X.
The ATIP code is 97"24'01, 79"59'72 which is Taiyo Yuden, DX Dye.
Worked flawlessly in the Mitsumi, LiteOn and NEC 40X drives.
Because that's not how I think! You have a valid point of view, and I'm under no illusion that discussions require that things get resolved one way or another. But I don't have to resort to bring crucifixtion or gasing ethnic groups to make my point. You nor I have even come close having "persecution" like that heaped upon us personally.
Yes, the special olympics quote is offensive, I'm not sure I suggested otherwise, and it's a quote from someone else. And you are missing the irony, because clearly I think I'm retarded for arguing with you. Perhaps it's autism, I will never be able to view the world from your own unique perspective.
Training is just overrated. Don't get much of that here either. The expectation is the you know WTF your doing, or figure it out. People can give you pointers and advice, but we all learn and process information differently.
Most of the things I can do well, are things that I've sat down and figured out to do myself. Training doesn't cut it because, as they say "the devil's in the detail". If your willing to describe "training" as an "overview" then Ok, but getting training and certification so you can parrot some textbook word for word isn't anywhere as useful as people think.
Slashdot Mirror
But didn't Hillary Clinton tell us that it takes a Potemkin village to raise our trolls?
But outside Slashdot, you have corporate management that isn't tech savvy, they can see Apple and Samsung devices, and can conclude, not unreasonably that what Microsoft is offering them is not as polished as it could/should be.
Most people using Office, and interacting with other people, perhaps outside their own organization, are aware of interoperability/version issues. That, or they are just blissfully ignorant.
I deal with assorted people, who use Office of various versions who blindly send out documents assuming everybody can and will figure out how to open them. Whether it's an Office 97, or Office 2010 (docx), I usually just swear and ask why I can't get this as a PDF or some web friendly format. It's 2014 everyone has Apple or Android devices, get with the program.
The market has changed, and Microsoft is viewed by a lot of people as producing lame and buggy shit, these are the consumers, and it's why Surface hasn't broken beyond the niche of people who recognize it as a solution to their problem. It's priced beyond an impulse purchase, and Apps have redefined the price point for things like Word/Office in the consumer space.
This, and the fact people have seen other devices, using different OS's, that work for them in a very serviceable manner. It's a very hard hill to climb to produce something that isn't markedly better executed than the competition, especially when you've burned the customer before.
Surface's problem from the start is that it's not at the right price point. Microsoft's in a Catch 22, it doesn't have enough touch/tablet apps, the device is not priced compellingly, developers avoid due to lack of a market for their efforts.
Until Microsoft can figure out how to monetize apps, and sell the hardware for a fraction of the current price, they are only going to sell to niche markets that understand, and desire, the function/format currently being offered. Microsoft understand corporate, they don't get consumer.
The current market price in the US for 4G service with reasonably unlimited talk, text and data is about $30 with a bring-your-own-phone plan. If you're being quoted higher prices you're talking to the wrong people about the wrong plans.
Yeah, you're paying WAY too much. I've got 3 SIMs with unlimited talk/text/data on 4G, $116/month including taxes, fees, everything. No contract. Use these on smart phones, wireless access points, M2M data modems, whatever.
So you pay $2400 over a 2 year contract, get a sparkly smart phone free. My smart phone plan, including phone will be $1260. With a cheaper phone, it would be under a grand.
Seen ads on TV with a guy spending $400/month for this families phones, and seen other coverage of people paying massive overages for text/data, it just beggars belief.
I'm in the Metro Chicago area, good and fast 4G coverage with T-Mobile, on a $40/month plan that gets unlimited talk/text/data, a Galaxy SII that cost $299, with free wifi tethering.
My wife's got a VZ droid, arguably better coverage, 3x more expensive, and voice channel as tinny as shit. I dumped VZ two years ago, and haven't missed them.
Criket has a presence here, presume they are on Sprint, seem to be pandering to the rent-a-center crowd. Would probably choose Republic Wireless over them.
Take the microwaves out of the teacher's lounges.
But Apple seems to have problems whenever Day Light Savings switches in/out, which seems to occurs more regularly than four years.
Woosh, his point was that Microsoft pissed in his Corn Flakes on their last visit, and they won't be invited back just because they put some new pants on.
Bravo, to me you are making a whole lot more sense than most of the posters here. You are not alone.
I remember getting a lot of C's too, the fallacy here is that it was not because I was lazy, but because the material was boring or lacking strong practical applicability, and I was frankly not interested. The C's were a result of proving I understood the minimum required to get to something more interesting, or of doing something more interesting instead of the work the teacher actually proposed, or expected. It is ok to rock the boat. Kids should be encouraged to find things they enjoy and excel at, the one-size-fits-all teaching methods are fundamentally flawed and damaging. And the medicate to achieve conformity is nothing short of criminal. ADHD is a symptom of the failure to achieve real engagement.
I have found that the process of taking notes, transcribing white/black board writings, or even retyping someone elses notes is far more effective than just reading them, or reading a text book. It is a function of "crossing the brain", where the information enters, is actually processed, and exits. I can also scan things, but that is more of an immediate operation where the content is mostly discarded, but I know where to go find it later if it becomes important.
This whole expectation that you can spoon feed people, or beat it into them with repetition is what flaws the US and UK systems, and the damage that has been done to them over the last few decades by people that are supposedly qualified and certified to teach, or set teaching environments.
Everyone learns in different ways, but I've always found that reading a book, or multiple books covering a topic from a couple of perspectives, and then applying that information in some practical way, or trial and error, are the best ways to truly understand a topic. Unfortunately most people want to "learn" enough to earn the qualification, and not actually "understand" what they are doing. For it is understanding that permits you to do things that aren't printed in a book, or a Google search away.
Formal education is over-priced and over-lame.
Indeed, and I'd hire someone who had actual demonstrable skills, over someone with a shelf full of supposed certifications.
Regarding Brief, have you looked at Zeus? http://www.zeusedit.com/index.html
Personally I'm a WordStar luddite who uses Semware's TSE http://www.semware.com/
At what point does all this crap interfere with the media it's being hawked on. Watching TV is painful. I know what McDonalds, Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, etc tastes like.
Instead of coming up with more annoying ways to reach me, perhaps the whole premise needs to be reevaluated at that their end.
See also SuperBrightLeds
People who proudly collect qualifications and certifications like medals are usually just fucking idiots. It's the kids in HS and college that already know their shit backward-and-forward that get frustrated and leave. I can recall my HS CS class some 20 years ago where the teacher would let me go and hack around on my own projects if I could summarize the solution to the class he was about to give. I think some jaws droped in the "bubblesort" class, the teacher tried his best but some of the people into the class just don't get it.
Looking back at code I've written over the years, I'm still proud of the quality workmanship.
People who learn to do stuff themselves, be it with computers or cars (or whatever) can almost always run rings around those who have been formally educated, and further if they come across something they don't understand they'll figure it out much quicker.
As for employment, people have always come looking for me. Some might suggest that is luck or lazyness, but I think it's telling on how clued in people hire other clued in people.
People lie on resumes, or at the very least overstate themselves or are economic with the truth. It's not about where you've been, it's about what you saw and understood. Work for people who understand what they are doing and how you fit into the plan. Work for companies where you can be rewarded by people empowered to give pay raises and bonuses when your work has made the company money.
I have NO empathy for the original question poster. Having taxes or levys will solve nothing, I'm sorry your out of a job, but should I have to pay for your poor career and employment choices? A good mechanic will never be without work, if the garage he works for fails, he'll move straight to another or he'll do his own thing in his own time. I can't foresee a time when we'll stop using cars, or when they will stop breaking. The same is true of anyone who is a craftsman. Even if cars suddenly ceased to exist the troubleshooting skills and the ability to make things work is universal. Taxs and Levys only hurt those applying them, take a look at the stupid steel tarrifs, these directly hurt those who have needs which the home producers can't forfill, there are some steel drum manufactures around here who are in a lot of pain. Having a closed and insular market is shortsighted, it merely allows people to continually make the same mistakes again and again without really addressing the underlying failure.
Because most people on the planet know what a VW Bug/Bettle looks like. A Land Rover might be another good example of an internationally recognized vehicle. Note I didn't say "Universal".
Probably few in Europe known WTF a Ford Pinto is, and equally those in the US probably don't know what a Ford Prefect looks like (beyond the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy angle).
Actually I think that's your assertion. Mine point was that some US technology workers were there for the wrong reasons, and the education system has failed if it can't help people find a niche in which they can excel. And that an adept Indian coder might well outwit a misplaced English major. I'm also going to suggest that many career paths don't properly reward those traveling them, Teachers being a very specific example. It's been my observation that the incompetent can't be fired and that the excellent can't be promoted/paid quickly enough.
Let consumers/businesses pass judgement with their $$$.
They will choose the cheapest path (Wal Mart Syndrome), not usually the best long term path. Once we export all our manufacturing base we'll be truely screwed.
However, H1Bs aren't US citizens, and shouldn't get the same protections as US citizens.
And for that they can't vote, but they still have to pay tax and for social security. They have to leave when their visas expire or the job is eliminated. Their presence is a net gain for the US government.
Bad code is written everywhere and in equally large quantities. Blame corporations for accepting junk code and pushing it out the door...
Indeed, and blame them for not hiring the most competent managers and coders to do the job, wherever they may be located. Using cost as the only or primary measurement is doomed to fail.
Unfortunately a lot of people here in the US pick careers based on how much money they can make, rather than having any aptitude for the given task.
When hiring for technology positions, managers need to hire people that are smarter than they are. Managing talented people is difficult, as is taking credit for there efforts.
Indian programmer are often very smart and well educated. Their education system isn't totally bolloxed up by the focus on sport. Instead they focus on science and math, playing cricket later. That's not to say everyone there is educated, but those that are should not be ignored because they need less money to do the job.
The general blaming H1B visas or offshore labour for the economy or job market is misplaced. It's a failure in the education system (at many levels), and consumers not being willing to pay the frieght on products built at home.
Throwing money at the US education system is not the solution either, it requires a whole change in mindset.
Frankly it's been my general observation that the bottlenecks are usually at either end of the cable. While we can argue the merits on each means of connection, at the end of the day the one which will win will be the one which is cheapest and most prevalent. It's that classic VHS vs BETA battle.
Sure USB2 is going to suck if you try moving data on to a 2.5" laptop hard drive, they are designed for low heat, low power and small form factor, not performance. But if you'd pump it into a 7200/10000/12000 rpm hard drive it's going to fly. If we were to compare truly comparable hard drives, with USB2 and Firewire interfaces plugged into the back they'd perform damn near the same.
The current generation of USB2 PCI implementation can't saturate the bus, but those built on to the chipset start to get a lot faster (ICH4/nForce2).
Yeah, I think there's something wrong with this Microsoft Matrix I'm stuck in!
Accoring to the Tribune piece about Comdex not coming to Chicago any more, it also mentioned Comdex Canada/Mexico as well.
As for Vegas Comdex, thats been shrinking for years, but was at least worth going too. I can't see that lasting either. Before the internet/email the were useful for product launches, but now you can get you info to the people who want to know for practically nothing, instead of frieghting a bunch of people/product/booth to the shows.
Comdex is pratically dead in ALL it's forms, suspect CES will assume it's roll as we migrate closer to integrated consumer products.
It's the things "I" think are obvious might well be the thing that "they" might have the most trouble understanding. It's the unwritten, implicit/secret knowlege, which is the glue that holds things together.
One of the most dangerous things is to dumb down the information to the point where anyone with a clue is in a coma. If they need a course in groundwork then offer that, but have some clear progression. Constant repetition of the same material will kill brain cells.
One size does not fit all with education, we all think differently, and I'm not talking about Apple users.
Some people see getting training as some sort of validation of self or point scoring activity, while others I suspect get sent to "training" by their bosses which is neither necessary or appropriate.
I can remember some hideous TQC/TQM (Total Quality) courses I was forced to endure. Something about 12 rules and repeating... stuff of nightmares!
The real reason your school district has too few classrooms, is that you've just spent 20 million turning half of them into damn computer labs. Computer's in labs aren't going to make your kids smarter, it's good teachers, start paying and treating them better.
The ATIP code is 97"24'01, 79"59'72 which is Taiyo Yuden, DX Dye.
Worked flawlessly in the Mitsumi, LiteOn and NEC 40X drives.
Yes, the special olympics quote is offensive, I'm not sure I suggested otherwise, and it's a quote from someone else. And you are missing the irony, because clearly I think I'm retarded for arguing with you. Perhaps it's autism, I will never be able to view the world from your own unique perspective.
If we really believed in Darwinism we'd stop putting speed limits and roadside barriers in school zones. Dumb and getting Dumber!
Most of the things I can do well, are things that I've sat down and figured out to do myself. Training doesn't cut it because, as they say "the devil's in the detail". If your willing to describe "training" as an "overview" then Ok, but getting training and certification so you can parrot some textbook word for word isn't anywhere as useful as people think.