The cost in $$ and time of getting a software engineer up to speed and integrated into a company will easily outweigh the cost savings of hiring on the cheap. Companies don't want cheap labor, they want more productivity for their $$. We've hired both local and foreign software engineers and the overiding factor is always the quality of the engineer / the cost. Our highest paid software engineer is local and we consider him to be a bargain even though we pay him very well. Other H1-B workers started at 10k-20k less than prevailing wages but now make comparable salaries because we want to keep them.
One factor that is overlooked is that, stereotypically, we've noticed that H1-B engineers are much harder working and have none of the typical American "you owe it to me" kind of attitude. The H1-Bs we've hired are a joy to work with. I really don't care if "the locals" don't like it. It's not their business that I'm running. There's a lesson in there somewhere...
Back a few years ago when my wife was "between" jobs, I gave her $50 so she could begin her new career in online gambling. We had a laugh about it and I imagined that within an hour it would be gone. Well, she lost it all, then used my credit card to shore up her account, then made it all back, then lost it, eventually to make it all back. She quit this a few days later with a grand total of about $200 in winnings. I told her I'd be surprised if they let her quit that easily. Sure enough, they paid up and I heaved a great sigh of relief. Of course this must be totally against the odds especially when I'd watch her win a big hand, do a little victory dance and then announce that she was "almost" back to even...
the same argument as violence in games
on
Pornified
·
· Score: 1
Sounds familiar doesn't it? Kids going on a rampage due to playing violent video games...Hillary's on top of this one.
Ultimately, we are the product of what we take in. I think obsessing over porn can mess you up but so can obsessing over other things. My wife and I decided a while ago that our kids aren't going to watch TV, play video games or eat a lot of candy. While these are all fun things to do, we feel it would be better for the kids to grow up using their own imagination to form their brains rather than someone else's. When they get older, it's up to them.
I've surfed my share of porn and still do but I have the benefit of years of life behind me to give me some perspective. It's like using drugs. Some people can do it casually, others become addicts. Those with a good foundation in life probably handle it a lot better than those who have a lot of issues to begin with.
One reason porn becomes a problem for some is that like drugs, it gives an immediate reward for usage. What nature instilled in us in order to get people to have sex is being used by the porn business to make money. Everyone likes candy but it can rot your teeth...
The curious thing is that people play in virtual worlds for the very reason that they can do things that are impossible or illegal in the real world. Now when someone gets pked and complains about it, they're just complaining about the rules. It's the same as complaining about telemarketers calling you at dinnertime.
I'm sure that anyone who's played online where pking is possible has fallen victim to gangs who will use whatever method they can to "mug" you. There are plenty of games where "looting" and "pking" are not enabled. Go play those.
It's always going to be a race between the game developer and the inventive cheater. The developer knows that if this gets too out of hand, then they'll lose players. They have to balance this with the costs of policing each player.
This guy should get banned until a law actually exists which prohibits virtual muggings and specifies penalties and damages.
Why not go the extra mile and put RFID tags on cops, judges, politicians, doctors, bankers, pharmacists, etc.
Then publish their whereabouts on a googlized map system. Now when you need a doctor or a cop, you know where to go. When there's an accusation of corruption or impropriety, you can check the map logs and see if Congressman Joe "show me the money" Smith was visiting the local corporate ganstas. I think this idea has merits.
You just know that something would be done to limit sharing of financial and personal information if a bunch of high ranking congresspeople had their identites stolen. Perhaps then they would think of someone other than the corporations who insist on "the right" to share whatever information they want about anybody.
We were using 200gig external USB drives for backup and were wondering why they would all eventually start failing. It turns out the manufacturer (Maxtor) recommended against using these drive for backup??? Sounds like they're saying that the drives aren't reliable so what good are they? We switched to drives that were "certified" for backup/archival purposes.
We used them as processors for about a year. We couldn't get rid of them fast enough. They hid all sorts of fees in our merchant charges and the "great deal" we got from them had so many exceptions that it was worthless. It left a real bas taste in my mouth. I sure hope they get the same treatment in reverse. Ha!
Video games are evil. They are way too easy to get sucked into. It's not an accident, they are designed that way...to be addictive. It's like doing drugs. When you're old enough(and some never are) you can regulate these vices to keep from destroying yourself. A child doesn't have this ability. Think about it, would you put a bag of candy in front of your 5 year old and expect them to eat a few pieces then quit because they know it's bad to eat too much?
It bugs me when adults say that video games are fine for kids as long as it's in moderation. Well you better be pretty vigilant in your moderation efforts.
Kids are naturally creative. They will spend all day making up games, building stuff and socializing. They don't need someone to create their imagination for them. As you can probably guess, I don't let my kids play video games. They get to watch a video once a week but no TV. What do they end up doing? Playing and having fun all day, indoors and outdoors, without needing someone to tell them how to have fun. I wasn't raised this way and I know the attraction there is in watching mindless reality shows, playing video games, eating bags of chips and 64 oz. sodas.
I found that going to college was worth it just for the mere fact that you associate with others who have greater aspirations than pumping gas and getting drunk. (Well we still got drunk) My classmates and I spent a lot of time discussing politics, economics, starting companies, etc. I found myself wanting to be better educated and successful just by being there. In my case, I didn't actually graduate but I did start a business with a couple of my college buddies and we've made millions since then.
It's this environment of learning that can make you want to dream and learn and think. Someday this attitude might make you create something that others value greatly.
The "powers that be" who tried to stop this are only hurting themselves. Publicity will ensure the spread of P2P networks and users(for both legal and illegal activities). Remember when there was a move to stop the showing of Fahrenheit 911? All it did was make sure that everyone knew about it and curiosity did the rest. Didn't matter whether the movie was good, bad or illegal. It was a success.
P2P networks will thrive on this publicity. The Recording industry is shooting itself in the foot.
M
Re:Why are hackers thought of as overweight?
on
Gaming Hacks
·
· Score: 1
I always think of nerdy hackers as the two computer center guys in the movie Wargames with Matthew Broderick. They were perfect. Then there's the actor trying to play a hacker but doesn't fool anyone.
" the private sector, who will probably do a better job over the long term -- at a guaranteed cost of zero to taxpayers"
and how many tax breaks, rezoning exemptions, eminent domain actions and anti-competitive laws will it take to provide this "zero cost" service?
Also, relatively expensive is well...relative. Television and phones were expensive at one time. Now you can buy a decent wi-fi equiped laptop for under a thousand bucks and a wi-fi equipped PDA for a few hundred. They are becoming a commodity.
it sounds like a great idea. However, local governments don't have the same incentives to provide good service at low cost. I would hope that this would still allow private companies to compete.
Long term, it would be nice to have high speed wireless access everywhere and have this be a public services paid for through taxes. Similar to public restrooms, drinking fountains, parks, etc.
Actually it's more like walking in downtown Bagdad with a full backpack with wires sticking out of it. Either way, you're screwed.
On the other hand, I'm much too cynical. That's probably why I don't seem to get virus/spyware infections. The other day, my office manager called and said there was a windows message telling her to click on a button or her computer would be at risk. Of course, I explained that this wasn't a real windows message and I thanked her for calling me and not clicking on it.
Face it folks, the PC running Windows and connected to the internet is way too wide open for abuse. The average user doesn't stand a chance. This provides employment opportunities for IT people and business opportunites for anti-thisware and anti-thatware companies.
Turning around to yell at your kids to STFU is probably more dangerous than any cellphone conversation. Why not ban kids in the car? How about banning talking or radios or those little lights that tell you you need window washer fluid?
Geez people. There's a war on. We've got stuff to bomb and governments to prop up...
I think filing lawsuits against comsumers is bad marketing, period.
The other thing is I'm not sure how this will work out in the long run. Obviously, the parallels between cassette tape, video tape and the consternation that they brought the entertainment industry was vastly overdone and ultimately proved beneficial to the industry. But if it takes virtually no effort to get the song you want, at no cost and right now, then the temptation is too much. It's like the "just say no" campaign against sex and drugs. Most people won't "just say no".
So either there will be a huge fight between the consumer and the entertainment industry/government or a new distribution method will arise that is preferrable to P2P file sharing.
I think that something along the lines of monthly subscriptions would work. NetFlix comes to mind. Say if you could have access to 100 songs at any one time for a reasonable monthly fee. You swap out the ones you don't listen to for new ones (or old ones). If NetFlix, Walmart, etc can make money off it, then it could work. It's better than not making any money.
We didn't have 3.8 GHz machines that could run 200 fps on the latest fully rendered first person shooter.
We didn't have 24 inch LCD monitors with better resolution than you can see.
We didn't have high speed internet connections that make a T1 seem slow.
We didn't have no computers. Heck, electricity was still pretty new.
We did go outside and use our imaginations.
But seriously, watching my kids pick up computer skills is astounding. I have no idea what they'll come up with given the unlimited time and energy they seem to possess.
You can always push this concept to whatever level you want. Should the alcohol companies or firearms manufacturers be considered co-conspirators? Should your ISP be liable? Should the government be liable for information that traverses the ether since they tax it and are therefore "involved"? Should the U.S. military be liable for "incidental deaths" in Iraq?
The reality is that the one with the biggest stick makes the rules. Those of us with the little sticks have to be far more clever which isn't that hard when it comes to competing with governments and large corporations.
Absolutely. I've only used bittorrent to get old reruns of TV shows that I can't find on my satellite box. What's wrong with this? When Apple started making it easy to get music online, I signed up and bought an iPod. When the MPAA makes it possible to get the program you want, when you want it, then they'll have far less piracy worries. It's all about supply and demand IMHO.
I think that a wiretap, outside surveilance, someone following you around in an unmarked van is one thing. The unreasonableness is when you have law enforcement actually in your home via cameras, spyware, etc. The home should be off limits for this kind of thing.
Last night the wife and I watched "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". It was fascinating to see that corporate interests controlling our legislators was something that people were concerned about 70 years ago. Nothing has changed. Those with the money and influence will attempt to control the rest. The constitution is one of our real protections against this. So it's no surprise that the courts are being used to combat a legislature that passes laws contrary to the will of the people.
Slashdot Mirror
"I wish there was some reasonable way to cap the salary of executives"
That's called communism.
The cost in $$ and time of getting a software engineer up to speed and integrated into a company will easily outweigh the cost savings of hiring on the cheap. Companies don't want cheap labor, they want more productivity for their $$. We've hired both local and foreign software engineers and the overiding factor is always the quality of the engineer / the cost. Our highest paid software engineer is local and we consider him to be a bargain even though we pay him very well. Other H1-B workers started at 10k-20k less than prevailing wages but now make comparable salaries because we want to keep them.
One factor that is overlooked is that, stereotypically, we've noticed that H1-B engineers are much harder working and have none of the typical American "you owe it to me" kind of attitude. The H1-Bs we've hired are a joy to work with. I really don't care if "the locals" don't like it. It's not their business that I'm running. There's a lesson in there somewhere...
Back a few years ago when my wife was "between" jobs, I gave her $50 so she could begin her new career in online gambling. We had a laugh about it and I imagined that within an hour it would be gone. Well, she lost it all, then used my credit card to shore up her account, then made it all back, then lost it, eventually to make it all back. She quit this a few days later with a grand total of about $200 in winnings. I told her I'd be surprised if they let her quit that easily. Sure enough, they paid up and I heaved a great sigh of relief. Of course this must be totally against the odds especially when I'd watch her win a big hand, do a little victory dance and then announce that she was "almost" back to even...
Sounds familiar doesn't it? Kids going on a rampage due to playing violent video games...Hillary's on top of this one.
Ultimately, we are the product of what we take in. I think obsessing over porn can mess you up but so can obsessing over other things. My wife and I decided a while ago that our kids aren't going to watch TV, play video games or eat a lot of candy. While these are all fun things to do, we feel it would be better for the kids to grow up using their own imagination to form their brains rather than someone else's. When they get older, it's up to them.
I've surfed my share of porn and still do but I have the benefit of years of life behind me to give me some perspective. It's like using drugs. Some people can do it casually, others become addicts. Those with a good foundation in life probably handle it a lot better than those who have a lot of issues to begin with.
One reason porn becomes a problem for some is that like drugs, it gives an immediate reward for usage. What nature instilled in us in order to get people to have sex is being used by the porn business to make money. Everyone likes candy but it can rot your teeth...
The curious thing is that people play in virtual worlds for the very reason that they can do things that are impossible or illegal in the real world. Now when someone gets pked and complains about it, they're just complaining about the rules. It's the same as complaining about telemarketers calling you at dinnertime.
I'm sure that anyone who's played online where pking is possible has fallen victim to gangs who will use whatever method they can to "mug" you. There are plenty of games where "looting" and "pking" are not enabled. Go play those.
It's always going to be a race between the game developer and the inventive cheater. The developer knows that if this gets too out of hand, then they'll lose players. They have to balance this with the costs of policing each player.
This guy should get banned until a law actually exists which prohibits virtual muggings and specifies penalties and damages.
Why not go the extra mile and put RFID tags on cops, judges, politicians, doctors, bankers, pharmacists, etc.
Then publish their whereabouts on a googlized map system. Now when you need a doctor or a cop, you know where to go. When there's an accusation of corruption or impropriety, you can check the map logs and see if Congressman Joe "show me the money" Smith was visiting the local corporate ganstas. I think this idea has merits.
You just know that something would be done to limit sharing of financial and personal information if a bunch of high ranking congresspeople had their identites stolen. Perhaps then they would think of someone other than the corporations who insist on "the right" to share whatever information they want about anybody.
M
We were using 200gig external USB drives for backup and were wondering why they would all eventually start failing. It turns out the manufacturer (Maxtor) recommended against using these drive for backup??? Sounds like they're saying that the drives aren't reliable so what good are they? We switched to drives that were "certified" for backup/archival purposes.
We used them as processors for about a year. We couldn't get rid of them fast enough. They hid all sorts of fees in our merchant charges and the "great deal" we got from them had so many exceptions that it was worthless. It left a real bas taste in my mouth. I sure hope they get the same treatment in reverse. Ha!
Video games are evil. They are way too easy to get sucked into. It's not an accident, they are designed that way...to be addictive. It's like doing drugs. When you're old enough(and some never are) you can regulate these vices to keep from destroying yourself. A child doesn't have this ability. Think about it, would you put a bag of candy in front of your 5 year old and expect them to eat a few pieces then quit because they know it's bad to eat too much?
It bugs me when adults say that video games are fine for kids as long as it's in moderation. Well you better be pretty vigilant in your moderation efforts.
Kids are naturally creative. They will spend all day making up games, building stuff and socializing. They don't need someone to create their imagination for them. As you can probably guess, I don't let my kids play video games. They get to watch a video once a week but no TV. What do they end up doing? Playing and having fun all day, indoors and outdoors, without needing someone to tell them how to have fun. I wasn't raised this way and I know the attraction there is in watching mindless reality shows, playing video games, eating bags of chips and 64 oz. sodas.
Sigh...
I found that going to college was worth it just for the mere fact that you associate with others who have greater aspirations than pumping gas and getting drunk. (Well we still got drunk) My classmates and I spent a lot of time discussing politics, economics, starting companies, etc. I found myself wanting to be better educated and successful just by being there. In my case, I didn't actually graduate but I did start a business with a couple of my college buddies and we've made millions since then.
It's this environment of learning that can make you want to dream and learn and think. Someday this attitude might make you create something that others value greatly.
The "powers that be" who tried to stop this are only hurting themselves. Publicity will ensure the spread of P2P networks and users(for both legal and illegal activities). Remember when there was a move to stop the showing of Fahrenheit 911? All it did was make sure that everyone knew about it and curiosity did the rest. Didn't matter whether the movie was good, bad or illegal. It was a success.
P2P networks will thrive on this publicity. The Recording industry is shooting itself in the foot.
M
I always think of nerdy hackers as the two computer center guys in the movie Wargames with Matthew Broderick. They were perfect. Then there's the actor trying to play a hacker but doesn't fool anyone.
" the private sector, who will probably do a better job over the long term -- at a guaranteed cost of zero to taxpayers"
and how many tax breaks, rezoning exemptions, eminent domain actions and anti-competitive laws will it take to provide this "zero cost" service?
Also, relatively expensive is well...relative. Television and phones were expensive at one time. Now you can buy a decent wi-fi equiped laptop for under a thousand bucks and a wi-fi equipped PDA for a few hundred. They are becoming a commodity.
it sounds like a great idea. However, local governments don't have the same incentives to provide good service at low cost. I would hope that this would still allow private companies to compete.
Long term, it would be nice to have high speed wireless access everywhere and have this be a public services paid for through taxes. Similar to public restrooms, drinking fountains, parks, etc.
as a massive effort is undertaken to circumvent the new taxation system.
Film at 11
Actually it's more like walking in downtown Bagdad with a full backpack with wires sticking out of it. Either way, you're screwed.
On the other hand, I'm much too cynical. That's probably why I don't seem to get virus/spyware infections. The other day, my office manager called and said there was a windows message telling her to click on a button or her computer would be at risk. Of course, I explained that this wasn't a real windows message and I thanked her for calling me and not clicking on it.
Face it folks, the PC running Windows and connected to the internet is way too wide open for abuse. The average user doesn't stand a chance. This provides employment opportunities for IT people and business opportunites for anti-thisware and anti-thatware companies.
Tell that to my kids!
Turning around to yell at your kids to STFU is probably more dangerous than any cellphone conversation. Why not ban kids in the car? How about banning talking or radios or those little lights that tell you you need window washer fluid?
Geez people. There's a war on. We've got stuff to bomb and governments to prop up...
I think filing lawsuits against comsumers is bad marketing, period.
The other thing is I'm not sure how this will work out in the long run. Obviously, the parallels between cassette tape, video tape and the consternation that they brought the entertainment industry was vastly overdone and ultimately proved beneficial to the industry. But if it takes virtually no effort to get the song you want, at no cost and right now, then the temptation is too much. It's like the "just say no" campaign against sex and drugs. Most people won't "just say no".
So either there will be a huge fight between the consumer and the entertainment industry/government or a new distribution method will arise that is preferrable to P2P file sharing.
I think that something along the lines of monthly subscriptions would work. NetFlix comes to mind. Say if you could have access to 100 songs at any one time for a reasonable monthly fee. You swap out the ones you don't listen to for new ones (or old ones). If NetFlix, Walmart, etc can make money off it, then it could work. It's better than not making any money.
Comments?
We didn't have 3.8 GHz machines that could run 200 fps on the latest fully rendered first person shooter.
We didn't have 24 inch LCD monitors with better resolution than you can see.
We didn't have high speed internet connections that make a T1 seem slow.
We didn't have no computers. Heck, electricity was still pretty new.
We did go outside and use our imaginations.
But seriously, watching my kids pick up computer skills is astounding. I have no idea what they'll come up with given the unlimited time and energy they seem to possess.
You can always push this concept to whatever level you want. Should the alcohol companies or firearms manufacturers be considered co-conspirators? Should your ISP be liable? Should the government be liable for information that traverses the ether since they tax it and are therefore "involved"? Should the U.S. military be liable for "incidental deaths" in Iraq?
The reality is that the one with the biggest stick makes the rules. Those of us with the little sticks have to be far more clever which isn't that hard when it comes to competing with governments and large corporations.
Absolutely. I've only used bittorrent to get old reruns of TV shows that I can't find on my satellite box. What's wrong with this? When Apple started making it easy to get music online, I signed up and bought an iPod. When the MPAA makes it possible to get the program you want, when you want it, then they'll have far less piracy worries. It's all about supply and demand IMHO.
I think that a wiretap, outside surveilance, someone following you around in an unmarked van is one thing. The unreasonableness is when you have law enforcement actually in your home via cameras, spyware, etc. The home should be off limits for this kind of thing.
Last night the wife and I watched "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". It was fascinating to see that corporate interests controlling our legislators was something that people were concerned about 70 years ago. Nothing has changed. Those with the money and influence will attempt to control the rest. The constitution is one of our real protections against this. So it's no surprise that the courts are being used to combat a legislature that passes laws contrary to the will of the people.