Therein lies one of the problems that some black people feel when they are in the workforce. Some wonder if they are only there because the hiring company needed to fill a quota, which completely negates all the hard work that they did.
Every single thread regarding anything to do with Symantec is flooded with complaints about how bad Symantec products are. That's fine, I respect that opinion.
But what the hell do these complaints actually have to do with the topic at hand? Doesn't it distract from the actual complaint ("Spybot being accused of corrupting Ghost images" instead of "Ghost is crap, and so is NAV, NIS, and any other program with the words Norton and Symantec")?
I'm curious...what do you think about the attempts (in Ontario at least, I can't say for BC) to make engineering look more attractive to women?
For example, the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers has the Go Eng Girl program that is supposed to reach out to girls in grades 7 - 10. One of the big things they want to do is lower math and science requirements because most women don't seem to like math and science (not my words, don't flame). Girls can then swap out a course they don't like for another, more 'softer' course when applying for university.
In my experience (I'm a guy), every girl I've talked to who's applying to university doesn't want to go into engineering. They'd rather save the world by going into life science or take hybrid programs like biomedical computing.
I think you may have missed his point accidentally.
If the general public can take steps to learn how to drive (I know, the amount of actual drivers who obey the commonly accepted rules of the road seems small), then learning how to use Windows/Linux can't be that bad if you learned from absolute scratch.
Hell, in high school we learn about multiplication and exponents, learn dates in modern history, and how to write. What can be so hard about learning about a few key presses and mouse clicks in either OS? Nothing, except patience.
I think the GP really is driving at the fact that if we (as in the average user in the general public) put our minds at it and stayed at it, we could learn ANY operating system like learning how to ride a bike. All it takes is patience.
Considering that the countries you listed before have agreements where a patent in one country is similarly enforceable in another, aside from a few semantics, a patent in the US might as well be a patent in Canada.
Except China. They just don't care. Why would they when they have an economy of 1 billion people that's trying to keep up with the Jones'?
Please don't flame me for using a religious reference, but...
before taking the speck out of ifwm's eye, take the log out of your own.
Once people learn that, be it MS developers, OSS developers, users of all kinds of software, THEN the relationship between developers and users will start to harmonize.
It is not a matter of professionalism. It is a matter of being able to look through someone else's eyes and seeing what they see. I have entered the real world, and believe me when I say that everyone's perspective on the real world, is radically different.
I had a professor tell me recently that education is now a business. Until schools figure that out and make engineering sexy, they're going to see lower enrolment and lack of funding till it implodes.
I used to want to disagree with him - but now I can't help but realise how right he is.
I think we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg. It doesn't help that if you're smart, you're a social outcast, and that money talks, no matter who you are or how good you are.
It's a cheap way of reminding people that it is illegal.
That's exactly my point.
Let's face it - if the feds are having a hard time with organized crime, the RIAA has to find other just as effective means of trying to stop online piracy.
However you have to recognise that the opposition to it is based on its proponents pushing it as science when it doesn't even meet the most basic requirements of a valid (ie. testable) scientifc theory or hypothesis.
You have somewhat missed the point. What does religion/ID have to do with the topic at hand?
I see where you're going - I'm a Catholic scientist of sorts (you can't be an engineer without science) - but I can't see why the foaming at the mouth is so goddamn consistent here.
It's not a knee-jerk or prejudiced reaction against religion or Christianity.
Could have fooled me. Look at the way this thread started - the first posts are just more potshots.
I'm just frustrated. One cannot have a faith and expect some form of moderation here. I'm not blaming you, but there's a reason why I simply don't answer questions about my beliefs. Its not that I'm ashamed of it either, but rather, I'm tired of attempting to justify myself to others.
"It seems to me that lately a lot of comments on slashdot have been trying to start a witch hunt for advocates of ID. Can we please knock it off and stop screaming wolf every time some thing that is related to science is mentioned on slashdot."
I was beginning to worry that I was the only one who thought this as well.
The main reason why I'm not reading/. as much anymore is because I'm fed up with all comments about why religion sucks/creationism and ID is bad/Bush was wrong when they have no real relevance to the topic at hand. If you don't believe it, you still have to respect others for believing what they do. Insulting those who have a faith is just plain disrespectful.
Slashdot needs a "Likely to turn into religious/political flamewar" category so I can ignore those stories./watches Karma disappear...
What?
Dude...its hard even if you are a minority, especially given the amount of applications done online where some parser reads your resume and interviews done over the phone. I'm one of those minorities you mention and it was damn hard. And guess what? I could count the amount of people from my ethnic group on one hand. There was over 2500 people there.
I'll concede that internships are shrinking, but don't make it seem like minorities have it easy. From what I've seen, most who get internships are working three times as hard as the other applicants.
If your school allows it, I'd recommend a 12 or 16 month internship. You won't get tiny jobs or (as much) busy work, and if its in your home town, you can live at home and save tons of money. Some Ontario universities call it a PEY(Professional Experience Year). I did mine at IBM in Markham.
You'll also get a very good idea of if what you're doing is really for you. During my internship, I decided that doing graduate school was better for me right now. This is the most important thing - if you can do it for one year, can you do it for a career? (If you decide its not, don't make my mistake and tell people that it isn't.)
Finally, if you work in a big company, you'll see how politics *really* works. I got handed a hot potato project that caused all kinds of problems for three different teams. It nearly got me fired because of all the power plays (none of which were my fault, if you believe me) and I'm still bitter, but I don't regret my time there.
The football analogy is a decent one, but it could also be applied to hockey as well, and to a certain extent, baseball given recent events in the MLB. The joy of most team sports is that it teaches cooperation and social skills, since a dysfunctional team will lose.
With kids though, the line has to be drawn on how the game is coached. If the emphasis is on strategy and skill, then you'll get players who will sacrifice themselves for the greater good of the team. If the focus is on brute strength, aggression and winning at all costs, then you get aggressive players who don't understand the concept of teamwork. Parents should be able to figure out if the coach is telling kids to literally destroy the other team.
Keep in mind, this is all based on my experience. I coached baseball for a few years and focused more on skill and strategy and playing good baseball than telling kids to hit homers every time they get to bat. The kids' self-esteem improved, and parents seemed to like it.
What goes for sports also goes for video games - if the game is played simply for its fun and entertainment value, then there's little to worry about. If its played because little Timmy enjoys killing people, then there are bigger problems, but that falls to parents to monitor.
Video games also make a great release too. I'd rather see a 16 year old who is pissed off take a Skyline in NFSU and speed around at 200 km/h than do it in real life. I'd rather see a kid on an angry streak play Counter Strike than take a sniper rifle and start picking off people in real life. Let's face it - we all get angry and need to release sometime. Again, parents should keep an eye on this.
Video games and sports are ways to see into a person's mind, not influence them.
Probability that it will hurt somebody times what it will cost us when it does. If that's less than the savings from making an unsafe product, they make the unsafe product.
Spoken English in Jamaica is damned hard to understand sometimes, but the written English is second to none. I think its due to still using the British system and having anal retentive teachers. I prefer their style of writing, and if you have the opportunity to read a Caribbean paper (or a Caribbean community paper outside of the Caribbean), and compare it to the New York Times or The Toronto Star, there are marked differences.
Needless to say, when I came home with a C in English class, my parents freaked out, sought out a tutor (who also happened to be from Jamaica), and my written English improved significantly.
One thing I will say, though, is that you need to practise it. I'm out of practise in my formal writing, and welcome the grammar nazis to pick out the mistakes in my posting, as it keeps me sharp. Nobody is going to correct your spelling on MSN or a forum, and just by reading some 14 year old's papers (and IM messages), I shudder at the future of North American English speakers and writers.
In all honesty, sometimes, the bad writing makes us look as bad as the foreigners (who are learning the bloody language) that Slashdotters love to hate.
I was originally thinking that you were trolling, but there may be some substance to your comment.
I went through the entire list and found only two 'pasty' white people. I thought that was a bit interesting, but I hope nobody is going to extrapolate from this that >90% of sex offenders everywhere are black.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm interested. Let me know at quantum dot skyline at gmail dot com
Therein lies one of the problems that some black people feel when they are in the workforce. Some wonder if they are only there because the hiring company needed to fill a quota, which completely negates all the hard work that they did.
It probably happens more than you think.
I can predict a remote exploit in which advertisers and others will use to get your information for free.
Every single thread regarding anything to do with Symantec is flooded with complaints about how bad Symantec products are. That's fine, I respect that opinion.
But what the hell do these complaints actually have to do with the topic at hand? Doesn't it distract from the actual complaint ("Spybot being accused of corrupting Ghost images" instead of "Ghost is crap, and so is NAV, NIS, and any other program with the words Norton and Symantec")?
Good grief.
Can't the same be said for newspapers with respect to political parties and politicians?
For example, the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers has the Go Eng Girl program that is supposed to reach out to girls in grades 7 - 10. One of the big things they want to do is lower math and science requirements because most women don't seem to like math and science (not my words, don't flame). Girls can then swap out a course they don't like for another, more 'softer' course when applying for university.
In my experience (I'm a guy), every girl I've talked to who's applying to university doesn't want to go into engineering. They'd rather save the world by going into life science or take hybrid programs like biomedical computing.
How the hell is that kind of biased trash modded insightful?
Newsflash: All Muslims are not terrorists.
I think you may have missed his point accidentally.
If the general public can take steps to learn how to drive (I know, the amount of actual drivers who obey the commonly accepted rules of the road seems small), then learning how to use Windows/Linux can't be that bad if you learned from absolute scratch.
Hell, in high school we learn about multiplication and exponents, learn dates in modern history, and how to write. What can be so hard about learning about a few key presses and mouse clicks in either OS? Nothing, except patience.
I think the GP really is driving at the fact that if we (as in the average user in the general public) put our minds at it and stayed at it, we could learn ANY operating system like learning how to ride a bike. All it takes is patience.
I tend to highly disagree.
Considering that the countries you listed before have agreements where a patent in one country is similarly enforceable in another, aside from a few semantics, a patent in the US might as well be a patent in Canada.
Except China. They just don't care. Why would they when they have an economy of 1 billion people that's trying to keep up with the Jones'?
Please don't flame me for using a religious reference, but... before taking the speck out of ifwm's eye, take the log out of your own. Once people learn that, be it MS developers, OSS developers, users of all kinds of software, THEN the relationship between developers and users will start to harmonize. It is not a matter of professionalism. It is a matter of being able to look through someone else's eyes and seeing what they see. I have entered the real world, and believe me when I say that everyone's perspective on the real world, is radically different.
No offense buddy, but I read the thread you linked to.
The KOffice user you refer to wouldn't happen to be...you...would it?
'Nuff said.
I had a professor tell me recently that education is now a business. Until schools figure that out and make engineering sexy, they're going to see lower enrolment and lack of funding till it implodes.
I used to want to disagree with him - but now I can't help but realise how right he is.
I think we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg. It doesn't help that if you're smart, you're a social outcast, and that money talks, no matter who you are or how good you are.
That's exactly my point.
Let's face it - if the feds are having a hard time with organized crime, the RIAA has to find other just as effective means of trying to stop online piracy.
In essence, its easier.
Its been tried. Its failed each time.
Because it is easier.
However you have to recognise that the opposition to it is based on its proponents pushing it as science when it doesn't even meet the most basic requirements of a valid (ie. testable) scientifc theory or hypothesis. You have somewhat missed the point. What does religion/ID have to do with the topic at hand? I see where you're going - I'm a Catholic scientist of sorts (you can't be an engineer without science) - but I can't see why the foaming at the mouth is so goddamn consistent here. It's not a knee-jerk or prejudiced reaction against religion or Christianity. Could have fooled me. Look at the way this thread started - the first posts are just more potshots. I'm just frustrated. One cannot have a faith and expect some form of moderation here. I'm not blaming you, but there's a reason why I simply don't answer questions about my beliefs. Its not that I'm ashamed of it either, but rather, I'm tired of attempting to justify myself to others.
"It seems to me that lately a lot of comments on slashdot have been trying to start a witch hunt for advocates of ID. Can we please knock it off and stop screaming wolf every time some thing that is related to science is mentioned on slashdot."
/. as much anymore is because I'm fed up with all comments about why religion sucks/creationism and ID is bad/Bush was wrong when they have no real relevance to the topic at hand. If you don't believe it, you still have to respect others for believing what they do. Insulting those who have a faith is just plain disrespectful.
/watches Karma disappear...
I was beginning to worry that I was the only one who thought this as well.
The main reason why I'm not reading
Slashdot needs a "Likely to turn into religious/political flamewar" category so I can ignore those stories.
What? Dude...its hard even if you are a minority, especially given the amount of applications done online where some parser reads your resume and interviews done over the phone. I'm one of those minorities you mention and it was damn hard. And guess what? I could count the amount of people from my ethnic group on one hand. There was over 2500 people there. I'll concede that internships are shrinking, but don't make it seem like minorities have it easy. From what I've seen, most who get internships are working three times as hard as the other applicants.
If your school allows it, I'd recommend a 12 or 16 month internship. You won't get tiny jobs or (as much) busy work, and if its in your home town, you can live at home and save tons of money. Some Ontario universities call it a PEY(Professional Experience Year). I did mine at IBM in Markham.
You'll also get a very good idea of if what you're doing is really for you. During my internship, I decided that doing graduate school was better for me right now. This is the most important thing - if you can do it for one year, can you do it for a career? (If you decide its not, don't make my mistake and tell people that it isn't.)
Finally, if you work in a big company, you'll see how politics *really* works. I got handed a hot potato project that caused all kinds of problems for three different teams. It nearly got me fired because of all the power plays (none of which were my fault, if you believe me) and I'm still bitter, but I don't regret my time there.
You call Bush a leader of the Catholic Church?
Last I checked, he was a Christian, but he isn't Catholic.
The football analogy is a decent one, but it could also be applied to hockey as well, and to a certain extent, baseball given recent events in the MLB. The joy of most team sports is that it teaches cooperation and social skills, since a dysfunctional team will lose.
With kids though, the line has to be drawn on how the game is coached. If the emphasis is on strategy and skill, then you'll get players who will sacrifice themselves for the greater good of the team. If the focus is on brute strength, aggression and winning at all costs, then you get aggressive players who don't understand the concept of teamwork. Parents should be able to figure out if the coach is telling kids to literally destroy the other team.
Keep in mind, this is all based on my experience. I coached baseball for a few years and focused more on skill and strategy and playing good baseball than telling kids to hit homers every time they get to bat. The kids' self-esteem improved, and parents seemed to like it.
What goes for sports also goes for video games - if the game is played simply for its fun and entertainment value, then there's little to worry about. If its played because little Timmy enjoys killing people, then there are bigger problems, but that falls to parents to monitor.
Video games also make a great release too. I'd rather see a 16 year old who is pissed off take a Skyline in NFSU and speed around at 200 km/h than do it in real life. I'd rather see a kid on an angry streak play Counter Strike than take a sniper rifle and start picking off people in real life. Let's face it - we all get angry and need to release sometime. Again, parents should keep an eye on this.
Video games and sports are ways to see into a person's mind, not influence them.
Probability that it will hurt somebody times what it will cost us when it does. If that's less than the savings from making an unsafe product, they make the unsafe product.
Isn't there a Fight Club quote for this?
You're probably familiar with Jamaican patois...
Spoken English in Jamaica is damned hard to understand sometimes, but the written English is second to none. I think its due to still using the British system and having anal retentive teachers. I prefer their style of writing, and if you have the opportunity to read a Caribbean paper (or a Caribbean community paper outside of the Caribbean), and compare it to the New York Times or The Toronto Star, there are marked differences.
Needless to say, when I came home with a C in English class, my parents freaked out, sought out a tutor (who also happened to be from Jamaica), and my written English improved significantly.
One thing I will say, though, is that you need to practise it. I'm out of practise in my formal writing, and welcome the grammar nazis to pick out the mistakes in my posting, as it keeps me sharp. Nobody is going to correct your spelling on MSN or a forum, and just by reading some 14 year old's papers (and IM messages), I shudder at the future of North American English speakers and writers.
In all honesty, sometimes, the bad writing makes us look as bad as the foreigners (who are learning the bloody language) that Slashdotters love to hate.
I was originally thinking that you were trolling, but there may be some substance to your comment.
I went through the entire list and found only two 'pasty' white people. I thought that was a bit interesting, but I hope nobody is going to extrapolate from this that >90% of sex offenders everywhere are black.
Hopefully, I'm not asking for too much.