The Oxford team, led by Dr David Deutsch, showed mathematically that the bush-like branching structure created by the universe splitting into parallel versions of itself can explain the probabilistic nature of quantum outcomes.
So what they have done is demonstrate a mathematical framework that can explain the stochastic/quantum nature of our universe in a self-consistent framework that uses multiple parallel universes. But that is not "Proving" it...
But let's not dismiss this so quickly. Recall that good ol' Albert (Einstein) had a quaint theory that altered our perception of the universe when we could start verifying it.
Here are some things I would like to see investigated using this math framework:
Can this explain Quantum Tunneling?
Can this explain Action at a Distance? (Particles separated by meters [of late] behave identically)
Can we create a situation where a quantum particle has to swap universes? That would be the killer proof...
Folks have been working on reducing String Theory from 26 dimension to 11-10 (sorry, I haven't kept up). Could the high-dimensional strings be the manifestation of the "bushes"?
Is it possible to send Gravity into a parallel universe around an object, thereby creating null gravity? Things might get a bit heavier in that universe, but hey, it isn't ours...;-)
Rather than dismissing this as crackpot, consider viewing it as a mathematical attempt to develop a framework to explore the theory and perhaps prove/disprove it sometime in the future.
Of course, Science Fiction has already dealt with this set of scenarios...
Better that you find a "vertical" industry...some business or application field that you want to do (like finance, sales, manufacturing, artist, poly sci, etc.) and take CS/IT in support of that. The hard reality that people don't get is that IT and CS are now generally being treated as commodities, like hard drives and computer parts.
No doubt you have read the threads in Slashdot about H1B visas in the US, Micro$oft and other companies opening R&D centers in Canada, India, and China. The bottom line is that companies are outsourcing all of IT overseas to lower costs. This is also including Technical Project Management and Architect positions. (The only ones not going over yet are Business Analysts and Overall Project Management.) Do you really want to work in a first-world country and be paid third-world wages?
The good news is that if you gain experience in an industry/vertical and then integrate IT/CS into your work, you enhance your skills, career, salary, etc. But note the emphasis: real knowledge about the industry first, not IT/CS first.
Just to cover the 1.2 in a million chance: If you are that hot-shot CS geek who will wants to be a professor and already have your scholarship offers from MIT, Stanford, and those top-tier IT schools, then go for it. Otherwise, you are future laoyff fodder for the corporation.
For those wanting to flame me, I have 30 years experience in IT, having built supercomputers long before they were called that (designed systems that blew past CRAYs in the late 70's and would be in the top 100 or so today, if unclassified--Yep, the 70s!). And I've also got the Math chops to back it up, having designed algorithms so advanced they are still beyond state of the art in the industry even today (and I have a few new ones I'm developing and patenting as we speak).
And I'm moving into Finance out of IT/CS. I got a wife and kids to support and can't tolerate the "income volatility" (read this as: layoffs, sporadic contract work, decreasing rates, bad financial stuff) that CS/IT now offers anybody with experience over 5-10 years. Simply put, creditors don't like hearing "sorry, no income this month for you; I didn't get paid."
Do a Google on Guy Kawasaki and "Ship Crap" to understand how companies feel about software: ship anything first and then maybe you can fix it later. This from that Apple guy, considered a thought leader in the VC world and software.
The belief that learning how to do software correctly is no longer cost-effective in large companies. It is now focused on lowering the cost of errors and fixing them, not preventing them from happening. To paraphrase a great line from the movie Mrs. Robinson: "Two words: Microsoft Vista."
Just for the record: Find an industry/passion you want to do and learn that first. Then add CS/IT to support you in doing that work. Save yourself lots of future pain and make that shift now while you can leverage your education the most.
Interesting that they apparently didn't consult folks at NSA. Their operating hypotheses for any US cryptosystem are:
1. The equipment is known and available for disassembly and testing
2. The algorithm is known or discernable from the equipment and related manuals
3. You have lots of output data from the device (the underlying plain text is properly)
4. You don't have the key...that's what you need
While I will grant that most folks never see any of this (most equipment, algorithm details, and key parts of repair/use manuals are classified), they assume the worst case and still make it secure. In other words, like having open source code and figuring out the key from that and clean output.
While "Security through Restricted Access" is a very good practice, the argument is STUPID at best, and downright biased towards closed, proprietary software vendors. Frankly, these people couldn't encrypt their way out of a wet paper bag with a pen, ruler, and other sharp things like their pointy little heads.
If they think it is "less secure" we can lock them up somewhere with whatever they want to crack an open source cryptosystem used as the jail lock and see how soon they get out. I hope they include a lifetime supply of food, water, toiletries, medicines, etc. I think a simple 1024 bit Elliptical Curve Cryptographic system will keep them safely behind bars for several decades, if not their lives.
Where do they find these bozos to fill these positions? I'd like to know so we can close that source of universal stupidity off and make the world a better place...
I guess these folks will never qualify for one of my D.O. letter...they're either just too stupid or have such low IQs that they need to be institutionalized immediately.
First off, a bank deals with sensitive information (like your account information, transactions, etc.). They have a legal responsibility to verify as reasonably as possible that a person they want to hire doesn't have a criminal record that would impact the bank adversely if they hired them. Normally, that means any fraud, check-kiting, embezzlement,...financial stuff. Of course, some places are very conservative and want to see if there is a criminal record (beyond old speeding/traffic tickets).
I have seen places do fingerprinting (some in-house, some through the local police nearby), background checks (ranging from very limited to-for clearances-all out), drug tests (use the cup). I used to work in government security and they were really concerned about blackmail, bankruptcy, debts, gambling, infidelity/homosexuality, etc.--they didn't want employees to be blackmailed into doing nasty things.
I've recently done some work for a big multinational bank and had to do the fingerprinting (they did it in-house), and take the drug test (outsourced to a lab). I kidded with the person lining up the work that "I'm glad I studied hard for the drug test" (;-).
Typically, access to sensitive information requires more than a simple check of references. But if you are doing straight programming for a dot.com and they want to do stuff that doesn't make sense, don't bother applying.
In this case, the banks have a standard of background/fingerprint checks and drug testing as per Federal Law (US). It also limits their liability a bit if it turns out the employee does something bad. And with the Patriot Act and other laws recently enacted, banks have to screen employees a bit more thoroughly than McDonald's...
Think of it this way: what kind of person do you want handling your accounts? For other lines of work, you can ask a similar question.
I shudder to think about pilots, bus drivers, train operators, etc. operating equipment that I ride in without having drug testing. I'll exclude NYC cabbies because you first have to be crazy to drive in NYC, and you probably need strong medication (licit or otherwise) to do it.
The initial conclusion is truly that: blindingly obvious. But it is the start of the real key to understanding the lower uptake rate of PCs over TVs.
Does anybody recall the fun we had with Vacuum Tube TVs? and doing the Antenna Dance to get the picture? It rapidly went from a novelty to a pain in the 50's and 60's. And then there was Color! The real reason that TVs are so popular is that the technology has matured to the point where you don't have to constantly fiddle with things to keep it working. And with the ready availability of cable in urban/suburban areas and satellite elsewhere, it becomes a plug-n-go event.
The one thing TVs are lacking to be ubiquitous is a voice-activated remote that auto-detects the TV brand and model to translate voice commands to TV remote commands. Seriously.
I have a cell phone that takes voice commands and it has been hitting over 99% accuracy in office environments and over 95% in other environments (okay, when dump trucks and cement trucks are rumbling by me on the street in NYC, I'm more concerned with not being crushed by them than phone accuracy).
Now, let's look at what the computer will have to do to get to this level. First off, the man-machine interface (or woman-machine/child-machine/dog-machine/cat-machin e/etc...) needs to support native voice with at least a 95% accuracy rate and support finger pointing/touch screen. Keyboards and mice are nice but most people want to relax and chat, not be hunched over the computer typing and mousing. Second, the whole upgrade/install/new device dance should be behind the scenes. Third, the OS should be stable and have fall back capabilities to older stable releases; blue screens of death (or whatever color you wish to use) should not occur. Fourth, it should be able to assemble smaller commands into larger commands seamlessly without requiring a programmer. Yep, components and SOA, but done right.
Think of it this way, if HAL couldn't be tricked/lied to, wouldn't you love to have him as your personal computer? You tell HAL what to do and HAL does it or marshals the resources to do it.
Frankly, I don't see this happening for another 5-10 years, but when they get AI working as promised then we will see the quick uptake of PCs.
Of course, our phones or PDAs or Crack-er-BlackBerrys may get there sooner.
Sorry, but the vast majority (super-super-majority, over 95%) of the threads are one of these rants:
1. GW Bush
2. TSA
3. Airlines
Very little content on answering the poster's question: alternative airline travel options and cost-benefits analysis. Quick suggestion on these rants:
1. Work to get GW and the Republican majority out of office (we are still notionally a democracy). Primaries and elections are coming up--VOTE. Don't just whine. Go work for a candidate-they need IT people!
2. Ditto about TSA- GW created it from 21 agencies, and threw in FEMA to boot-remember Katrina this November.
3. Vote with your dollars-if one airline screws you over, check for nearby airports using competitors (I have Southwest now in my area of PA that has broken the monopoly USAir had on air travel-prices are down, service has improved). You'd be surprised how many airports are nearby-within an hour's driving distance.
Enough ranting...it's rather addictive; I think most Americans are getting fed up with the current regime...gotta stop....must remove hands from keyboard...take coffeee......
Okay...better now...
I'm thinking about that myself (but I rarely travel by plane, mostly by train or car within 200 miles of my house) and will investigate it a bit further but my take on it is:
1. Fractional ownership is not cheap...at least for me...$100k and up per year
2. Can use smaller airports for domestic flights...less time in security and most smaller airports have car rental agencies right at the airport or serve them regularly.
3. International flights generally use the same airports as commercial, smaller planes (20-30 passenger) with long range flight capabilities, quicker security (same level, but since you pay more and are more "noticed", less incentive to be a terrorist).
If you are with a large corporation, check and see if they have their own fleet or fractional ownership. You might be able to hitch a ride with an exec. Might want to suggest that to company as way to save cost/time/amortize expense to shareholders (ooohhh! financial talk)/etc. Also keep in mind for medical emergencies or family emergencies, companies might make private jets available to employees or family members for evacuation/airlift use--great for goodwill.
On the flip side of fractional ownership:
1. With cost-cuttings going on today, most companies won't do this
2. If you got money, you get special treatment; otherwise, move along with the cattle...
3.Some companies restrict it only to senior executives as a matter of policy.
If you want to be bleeding-edge, also take the leap and build in some type of callenge-response mechanism with the RFID and make it changeable (through some secure 3rd-party means). Otherwise you are opening yourself and your belongings up to other people.
Perhaps you can build something around the RFID, using the RFID technology as the communications subsystem and have a simple microcomputer setup to do challenge response work.
Remember, keys were not invented to give you something to jingle in your pocket or purse.
The creator of the article is using superficial logic to show that time is invariant. Of course, when that is the driving dimension of the model (t,x(t),y(t),z(t)) it should be obvious to anybody that you can't alter t! Now if we add some more dimensions, life gets interesting: (w,t(w),x(t,w),y(t,w),z(t,w)) can allow for t to change (BASED ON w).
The article creator sould look into string theory-they are cruising at 11 (or 10) dimensions (haven't checked lately, may be out of date but definitely down from 26!) for spacetime, so it is quite possible for time to be a function of other dimensions (or be totally bypassed in one or more dimensions).
This is the kind of nonsensical reasoning that the NeoCon Nazis are using and that we were taught to avoid in elementary philosophy (logic course): remember proving 1 = 2?
Okay...if YOU get married and your wife shows up at 5 PM with the kids and says "Take them. I'm working late.", what are you going to do?
And before you rant off about women again...I am MALE.
Your whole premise is based on your wife staying at home, keeping the home together, paying the bills, doing everything you don't (because you work late), and not having a husband.
Keeping a house takes about 25 hours per week (3 BR/2.5 bath) without kids. Things get exponentially more time-consuming (unless you wish to abandon your kids) with rugrats of any age (newborn to teens in college).
I don't see my fellow male workers volunteering to stay home, or do the housework and chores, and telling their bosses "I've got other stuff to do".
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAW A MAN BOLT AT 5:50 PM TO GET THEIR CHILD OUT OF DAYCARE BEFORE THE 6 PM CLOSING? This doesn't happen two or three times on a week on a regular basis. The old factory whistle just doesn't blow at 5 PM like it used to.
Guys would rather play with computers (aka TOYS) than do housework, dishes, yardwork, home repairs, pick up the kids, go to PTA meetings, watch their kids grow up. Heck, I don't want to clean bathrooms, kitchens, dishes, do yardwork, etc. but I'm not Bill Gates.
And why haven't we heard the L word (LAYOFFS)? The panicked attitude running around in the industry ("don't make waves, do what they ask, don't ask for time off, DO WHATEVER IT TAKES") instead of sticking with 8-hour days that typical project plans are based on is putting more stress on everybody. We all know that if we ask for time off, we risk losing our job. I recently took four days off due to cancer complications (my brother almost died) and received a letter of reprimand for taking the time off.
Please drop the "WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING" attitude--that will look good on your early grave.
Fundamentally, IT folks are being pushed into outrageous (unpaid) overtime out of fear and women , especially married ones, have outside responsibilities that the male spouse won't share. And isn't interested in changing. Back in the 60's and 70's (and even the 50's, which you apparently think you are in), men worked 8-hour days and spent time with their wife and kids. Our fathers were more involved with us than we men are with out children. A telling sign.
If I saw women getting challenging assignments at the start of their careers to help them grow technically, having the same opportunities for advancement, and flexibility in work schedules I would expect that women would not be leaving IT.
Oh, and the drivel about "Family Friendly" is just that. Any employer who tells me that sets off my radar--the odds are they are lying and will lie on many other important things.
when Free/Open Source software gets two pages on the NYT...
I still recall the day when IBM announced the PC and DEC ran the ad "Welcome to the club"...
I expect the rest of my IT career will involve using Free/Open Source software more and more...which is fine with me. I like stuff that works and works well.
(By the way, I am one of those folks who can kill Novell networking software just by logging on...wish I had the same talent for Windows...)
(He was a civil servant in the federal government, so your mileage may vary)
When handed something just before he left, especially on a Friday, he just said "I'll take care of that first thing next business day".
Much hooting and hand-wringing from his boss, but his boss quickly found somebody else to do this nonsense.
Big lesson I learned is pick a schedule and stick to it...if it's really urgent/critical, other folks should be around to back you up...
Had too many times where I got the "Hail Mary Pass" late on the day due and had to make magic happen ALL BY MYSELF (the other folks handing me these messes are snug at home/life/etc.)...Folks now know my schedule, that I track when things are due; and start asking "where is it?" long before the last minute. Now other folks feel the heat long before the due date--they promise it, they gotta deliver.
has given me my weekends and nights back...
They've copyrighted BLANK LINES!!!!
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Oh! My! Gawd!
They're going to go after the federal government next...there go my taxes...
And what about the "This page intentionally left blank" world?
I feel like violating some copyright...
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If SCO wants to collect from me, I have one question: Got change for a penny?
Not SCO behavior...they deserve our utter contempt, spam, and junk mail...
Sequent is being phased out--IBM has stopped shipping them and is telling customers to bail out soon (I believe it was last year, if I recall correctly)...I remember one large financial customer looking to shift from Sequent to IBM or Sun last year and looking for DBAs to help migrate things...
The gist of it is that nobody should be buying new Sequent (dynix/pt) licenses since the hardware is going away...
Been discussing this with fiance....
After we have been laughing and hoping several PMs, execs, developers, etc. we've worked for start having Chronic Brown Underwear Syndrome...
Looks like some old tried-and-true methods for reporting are even more useful today:
1. Be honest...let your boss overrule you, but be honest. Your boss may well be aware of other factors you don't/can't know...valid business reasons.
2. Document up the significant/questionable decisions made in a confirming e-mail (good/bad/who-cares)...to your boss and higher-up, if you believe it opens the company to liability/fraud. The goal here is to have an e-mail path folks can refer to...and make sure everybody agrees on what to do.
3. Save you outgoing e-mail to disk and perodically save it off-site, respecting company confidentiality, privacy, and security restrictions. At a minimum, copy it to another file/system/directory on your network where it will be saved to long-term storage. Lawyers/Government folks can subpoena this stuff and go through it if things get criminal.
4. Don't run out and do something questionable just based on verbal instructions...make sure you send the confirming e-mail...gives folks a chance to change their minds, deal with changing requirements, etc.
This has saved my posterior on many occasions as an architect/dba/designer...
5. If it don't smell ethical, it probably isn't. You definitely want some protection if it comes back to bite you...confirming the order (and put in words like "...unless I hear differently from you in e-mail or writing before X, I will perform these actions you have ordered...") will save you a lot of legal expenses.
6. You can go overboard on everything, but I think most people will know the right balance to document. Think of it (and sell it) as "confirming the tasking resulting from the meeting/decision". Or as "Trust but verify"...
This probably sounds like excerpts from the Big Book of CYA, which it is in part, but also helps your boss keep focused on what you are working on. And if a schedule is revised from higher-ups, it will point up from you...and save you from explaining/defending yourself.
NASTY REALITY ALERT:
What you don't want to do is be told to check something in and have your boss declare it done...with no confirmation or status indicating it was not ready...it then gets into a "you said...I said" situation that sleazoids can weasel out of.
Yes, you can have your career defined somewhat by these actions (certainly has happened to me--had to change jobs) but you're not going to be sued or have trouble sleeping at night because of this...If you can't be (perhaps tactfully) honest as a software professional, you should change careers...that's what's caused this mess...
END NASTY REALITY ALERT
I figure the execs will get hammered and some developers who really lied through their teeth will get slapped.
Big question remaining: If software development gets offshored, who is liable? Will folks have to sue developers or their companies in India/Russia/Phillipines/etc. for recovery? Or will the U.S. executives making these outsourcing decisions and taking delivery of the products be on the hook...?
I don't think the Hogan's Hero's answer by Seargent Shultz ("I know nothing!") will work anymore...
I wonder what is so important about June?
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Today's SCO News
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Why delay things until June...?
If there is something going on beyond the obvious one of trying to enhance their value for buyout or annoyance in general, can any slashdotters see anything else going on in June that may benefit from this FUD fest?
Is M$ planning some major releases?
Are some players looking at some financial stuff (like floating bonds, doing IPOs, etc.)?
Major releases of Linux/UNIX vendors with neat stuff coming out?
Something other than M$ encouraging FUD? I think Cringely is right on the FUD front...kill Linux and you can kill SCO trivially...
Something other than SCO last-ditch valuation enhancement?
Is anybody checking the SCO stock sales for serious insider trading (as in dumping the stock when it is up)?
I think it is great how Novell took the wind out of their sails/sales...even if it was unintentional...
Let's skip the usual answers of blame M$, space aliens (unless she's really, really pretty), etc. I think there is some other "game afoot" we may be missing...and no, Saddam or his WMD are not involved...an no ass-ociated shrubs (think about it) were involved in this, I'm willing to bet...
1. There are no guarantees beyond Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness--not having Happiness guaranteed...that's the dark side of Capitalism/Free Enterprise/America (take your pick)
2. I've lost jobs over the decades to "Minority Filling", "Women", "Under Qualified", "Over Qualified", "Too Expensive", "Too Little Experience", "Too Much Experience (i.e., expected high salary)"...Sounds like you can use some career training...I've done it and continue to do it. The latest set of reasons are "the H1B and L1 visa folks are..." so that just gets tacked onto my list...
3. Get over the fact that IT jobs are leaving the US...I've made a good living at it but I'm also transitioning to other fields/areas. As my fiance asks, "How many 50+ year old Senior Programmers/Developers do you see"? Too *$#(@! few...
4. Busted on Fat...but I've lost 50 lbs and am working out regularly at the gym...besides, what relevance has that got to IT jobs?
5. Far from dumb...during Vietnam time I was working at DOD in one of those areas where brains are prized and silence is golden...true, I didn't slog through the rice paddies but I helped keep your butt alive with intel...
By the way, I am comfortable with weapons of near destruction (father and brother made sure of that) and have no doubt that I can fight in a war, if they really need someone rather mature (and sneaky)...
6. Happy is right! I'm getting out of the S**T work and into something better (having a life), having a fiance, and leaving work at work at the end of the day...I've spent too many years living to work...
7. Notice what I said: I don't want HIBs (or the L1 visa folks) taking my job...I'd rather hold domestic companies to old-time standards of doing it right consistently. Quaint notion, apparently, in Internet-Time...
Strongly suggest you chill out, take a pill, hug your kids, or do whatever non-violent thing you need to do to get this nastiness out of your system...
US companies have to hire us folks; competitive pressures force innovation to stay competitive or they die/merge/go bankrupt...
2. Sun wins suit/has it dismissed...
As more jobs move overseas, domestic markets dry up (who is working? who can buy?). Watching the US market die is not good for a company...will lead to global unemployment...
I have no qualms with new jobs being created overseas (hey, that's capitalism at it's best), but reducing headcount (and hence customers) in your biggest market is not too swift...
My vote: first option for existing jobs and get innovative. The US didn't get this dominant (economically) simply by copying what others do...we figured out how to do it better and new ways to do it (quick nod to Britain and the EC members for various technologies-like radar and jet engines-that we licensed and enhanced)...
And if a company can't innovate, should they be left to die? Maybe...
But one thing that must happen is that company need to focus more on their long-term survival instead of always pushing to improve short-term profits.
This is a major driving force behind this exodus, and it will continue to kill many companies until this unhealthy view stops. Profit is essential for a company, but not at the expense of it's future.
How to change focus, you might ask? More R&D but also have management really monitor it; and have marketing do real market analysis, not sales and sales support.
Look back in the pre-80's business and economics textbooks...they had it right and it still is right...
Just imagine...
Folks talking to the empty air (cell phones users, nowadays)
Folks waving a small box around and looking at it (this peephole viewing technique)
So when somebody is on the cell phone and needs to check out something on his palm pilot, here's what somebody will see...
A person talking to the empty air, waving a small box around, and watching it closely...
Maybe we can change the palm pilot to a wand, have folks wear cloaks and pointy hats...and call themselves Harry P....LOL
Given the time warp you have just exited (centuries in internet time), one of the big changes happening with professional programming is that it is being "commoditized" by business and going to the lowest bidder. Having dealt with the consequences of your actions, what advice or help would you give aspiring software/programming professionals to pursue in their quest to have a career?
Here is what I sent to the lawyer; others might consider taking these actions that I outlined...
Sirs-
Having just read about the Cease and Desist order sent to the above mentioned site, I find it appaling that a non-profit organization would not attempt to resolve the issues more amicably with the site owner.
While you do represent them and ultimately must execute their orders, please pass the following onto your client:
1. Non-profit organizations have typically benefited greatly from such individual efforts to support and inform people. You have significantly closed off a major legitimate source of such information. Unless your organization wishes to maitain such a list for the hobbyist/OSS users, your group has, as I have so eloquently summed things up to management before, "Put a shotgun to your head and started pulling the trigger to see if it works".
2. If the primary reason for the C&D order was the use of the logo, you could have given him a different logo or special permission (with a link to your organization) to use it and created exceptional good will while maintaining suitable copyrights and logo/standards protection.
3. If your organization were a for-profit company, I would be far less interested in this. But a standards organization? Are you going to go after publications which use the abbreviation PCI for your bus architecture next?
As to consequences, I am going to pursue the following:
A. Since I have some influence in buying decisions, I will start having staff investigate choosing bus architectures other than PCI for systems. I won't claim a big success here, but I expect others will also start looking for alternatives.
B. I shall make my Congressional Representatives (House and Senate) aware of this situation and ask them to investigate the matter, especially as it relates to infringing on First Amendment rights and rights of non-profit organizations.
C. I shall ask the IRS to consider reviewing the tax-exempt status of the organization (also through my Congressional Representatives); if they are resorting to actions such as this, I have to think something monopolistic is going on and may require further investigation.
D. I shall advise my technical peers in the Internet of this situation and ask them to have their companies who are members of the organization ask for a better resolution of the matter.
E. I shall post this e-mail and any responses from you or your represented organization on www.slashdot.org for the readership to review and act upon.
I am very disappointed that such an event occurred; I certainly hope that your firm did try and dissuade them from this step and pursue other alternatives. If so, I (and the slashdot community) would like to know that.
Slashdot Mirror
The Oxford team, led by Dr David Deutsch, showed mathematically that the bush-like branching structure created by the universe splitting into parallel versions of itself can explain the probabilistic nature of quantum outcomes.
So what they have done is demonstrate a mathematical framework that can explain the stochastic/quantum nature of our universe in a self-consistent framework that uses multiple parallel universes. But that is not "Proving" it... But let's not dismiss this so quickly. Recall that good ol' Albert (Einstein) had a quaint theory that altered our perception of the universe when we could start verifying it.
Here are some things I would like to see investigated using this math framework:
Can this explain Quantum Tunneling?
Can this explain Action at a Distance? (Particles separated by meters [of late] behave identically)
Can we create a situation where a quantum particle has to swap universes? That would be the killer proof...
Folks have been working on reducing String Theory from 26 dimension to 11-10 (sorry, I haven't kept up). Could the high-dimensional strings be the manifestation of the "bushes"?
Is it possible to send Gravity into a parallel universe around an object, thereby creating null gravity? Things might get a bit heavier in that universe, but hey, it isn't ours...;-)
Rather than dismissing this as crackpot, consider viewing it as a mathematical attempt to develop a framework to explore the theory and perhaps prove/disprove it sometime in the future.
Of course, Science Fiction has already dealt with this set of scenarios...
Better that you find a "vertical" industry...some business or application field that you want to do (like finance, sales, manufacturing, artist, poly sci, etc.) and take CS/IT in support of that. The hard reality that people don't get is that IT and CS are now generally being treated as commodities, like hard drives and computer parts.
No doubt you have read the threads in Slashdot about H1B visas in the US, Micro$oft and other companies opening R&D centers in Canada, India, and China. The bottom line is that companies are outsourcing all of IT overseas to lower costs. This is also including Technical Project Management and Architect positions. (The only ones not going over yet are Business Analysts and Overall Project Management.) Do you really want to work in a first-world country and be paid third-world wages?
The good news is that if you gain experience in an industry/vertical and then integrate IT/CS into your work, you enhance your skills, career, salary, etc. But note the emphasis: real knowledge about the industry first, not IT/CS first.
Just to cover the 1.2 in a million chance: If you are that hot-shot CS geek who will wants to be a professor and already have your scholarship offers from MIT, Stanford, and those top-tier IT schools, then go for it. Otherwise, you are future laoyff fodder for the corporation.
For those wanting to flame me, I have 30 years experience in IT, having built supercomputers long before they were called that (designed systems that blew past CRAYs in the late 70's and would be in the top 100 or so today, if unclassified--Yep, the 70s!). And I've also got the Math chops to back it up, having designed algorithms so advanced they are still beyond state of the art in the industry even today (and I have a few new ones I'm developing and patenting as we speak).
And I'm moving into Finance out of IT/CS. I got a wife and kids to support and can't tolerate the "income volatility" (read this as: layoffs, sporadic contract work, decreasing rates, bad financial stuff) that CS/IT now offers anybody with experience over 5-10 years. Simply put, creditors don't like hearing "sorry, no income this month for you; I didn't get paid."
Do a Google on Guy Kawasaki and "Ship Crap" to understand how companies feel about software: ship anything first and then maybe you can fix it later. This from that Apple guy, considered a thought leader in the VC world and software.
The belief that learning how to do software correctly is no longer cost-effective in large companies. It is now focused on lowering the cost of errors and fixing them, not preventing them from happening. To paraphrase a great line from the movie Mrs. Robinson: "Two words: Microsoft Vista."
Just for the record: Find an industry/passion you want to do and learn that first. Then add CS/IT to support you in doing that work. Save yourself lots of future pain and make that shift now while you can leverage your education the most.
Interesting that they apparently didn't consult folks at NSA. Their operating hypotheses for any US cryptosystem are:
1. The equipment is known and available for disassembly and testing
2. The algorithm is known or discernable from the equipment and related manuals
3. You have lots of output data from the device (the underlying plain text is properly)
4. You don't have the key...that's what you need
While I will grant that most folks never see any of this (most equipment, algorithm details, and key parts of repair/use manuals are classified), they assume the worst case and still make it secure. In other words, like having open source code and figuring out the key from that and clean output.
While "Security through Restricted Access" is a very good practice, the argument is STUPID at best, and downright biased towards closed, proprietary software vendors. Frankly, these people couldn't encrypt their way out of a wet paper bag with a pen, ruler, and other sharp things like their pointy little heads.
If they think it is "less secure" we can lock them up somewhere with whatever they want to crack an open source cryptosystem used as the jail lock and see how soon they get out. I hope they include a lifetime supply of food, water, toiletries, medicines, etc. I think a simple 1024 bit Elliptical Curve Cryptographic system will keep them safely behind bars for several decades, if not their lives.
Where do they find these bozos to fill these positions? I'd like to know so we can close that source of universal stupidity off and make the world a better place...
I guess these folks will never qualify for one of my D.O. letter...they're either just too stupid or have such low IQs that they need to be institutionalized immediately.
First off, a bank deals with sensitive information (like your account information, transactions, etc.). They have a legal responsibility to verify as reasonably as possible that a person they want to hire doesn't have a criminal record that would impact the bank adversely if they hired them. Normally, that means any fraud, check-kiting, embezzlement, ...financial stuff. Of course, some places are very conservative and want to see if there is a criminal record (beyond old speeding/traffic tickets).
I have seen places do fingerprinting (some in-house, some through the local police nearby), background checks (ranging from very limited to-for clearances-all out), drug tests (use the cup). I used to work in government security and they were really concerned about blackmail, bankruptcy, debts, gambling, infidelity/homosexuality, etc.--they didn't want employees to be blackmailed into doing nasty things.
I've recently done some work for a big multinational bank and had to do the fingerprinting (they did it in-house), and take the drug test (outsourced to a lab). I kidded with the person lining up the work that "I'm glad I studied hard for the drug test" (;-).
Typically, access to sensitive information requires more than a simple check of references. But if you are doing straight programming for a dot.com and they want to do stuff that doesn't make sense, don't bother applying.
In this case, the banks have a standard of background/fingerprint checks and drug testing as per Federal Law (US). It also limits their liability a bit if it turns out the employee does something bad. And with the Patriot Act and other laws recently enacted, banks have to screen employees a bit more thoroughly than McDonald's...
Think of it this way: what kind of person do you want handling your accounts? For other lines of work, you can ask a similar question.
I shudder to think about pilots, bus drivers, train operators, etc. operating equipment that I ride in without having drug testing. I'll exclude NYC cabbies because you first have to be crazy to drive in NYC, and you probably need strong medication (licit or otherwise) to do it.
The initial conclusion is truly that: blindingly obvious. But it is the start of the real key to understanding the lower uptake rate of PCs over TVs.
Does anybody recall the fun we had with Vacuum Tube TVs? and doing the Antenna Dance to get the picture? It rapidly went from a novelty to a pain in the 50's and 60's. And then there was Color! The real reason that TVs are so popular is that the technology has matured to the point where you don't have to constantly fiddle with things to keep it working. And with the ready availability of cable in urban/suburban areas and satellite elsewhere, it becomes a plug-n-go event.
The one thing TVs are lacking to be ubiquitous is a voice-activated remote that auto-detects the TV brand and model to translate voice commands to TV remote commands. Seriously.
I have a cell phone that takes voice commands and it has been hitting over 99% accuracy in office environments and over 95% in other environments (okay, when dump trucks and cement trucks are rumbling by me on the street in NYC, I'm more concerned with not being crushed by them than phone accuracy).
Now, let's look at what the computer will have to do to get to this level. First off, the man-machine interface (or woman-machine/child-machine/dog-machine/cat-machin e/etc...) needs to support native voice with at least a 95% accuracy rate and support finger pointing/touch screen. Keyboards and mice are nice but most people want to relax and chat, not be hunched over the computer typing and mousing. Second, the whole upgrade/install/new device dance should be behind the scenes. Third, the OS should be stable and have fall back capabilities to older stable releases; blue screens of death (or whatever color you wish to use) should not occur. Fourth, it should be able to assemble smaller commands into larger commands seamlessly without requiring a programmer. Yep, components and SOA, but done right.
Think of it this way, if HAL couldn't be tricked/lied to, wouldn't you love to have him as your personal computer? You tell HAL what to do and HAL does it or marshals the resources to do it.
Frankly, I don't see this happening for another 5-10 years, but when they get AI working as promised then we will see the quick uptake of PCs.
Of course, our phones or PDAs or Crack-er-BlackBerrys may get there sooner.
1. GW Bush
2. TSA
3. Airlines
Very little content on answering the poster's question: alternative airline travel options and cost-benefits analysis. Quick suggestion on these rants:
1. Work to get GW and the Republican majority out of office (we are still notionally a democracy). Primaries and elections are coming up--VOTE. Don't just whine. Go work for a candidate-they need IT people!
2. Ditto about TSA- GW created it from 21 agencies, and threw in FEMA to boot-remember Katrina this November.
3. Vote with your dollars-if one airline screws you over, check for nearby airports using competitors (I have Southwest now in my area of PA that has broken the monopoly USAir had on air travel-prices are down, service has improved). You'd be surprised how many airports are nearby-within an hour's driving distance.
Enough ranting...it's rather addictive; I think most Americans are getting fed up with the current regime...gotta stop....must remove hands from keyboard...take coffeee......
Okay...better now...
I'm thinking about that myself (but I rarely travel by plane, mostly by train or car within 200 miles of my house) and will investigate it a bit further but my take on it is:
1. Fractional ownership is not cheap...at least for me...$100k and up per year
2. Can use smaller airports for domestic flights...less time in security and most smaller airports have car rental agencies right at the airport or serve them regularly.
3. International flights generally use the same airports as commercial, smaller planes (20-30 passenger) with long range flight capabilities, quicker security (same level, but since you pay more and are more "noticed", less incentive to be a terrorist).
If you are with a large corporation, check and see if they have their own fleet or fractional ownership. You might be able to hitch a ride with an exec. Might want to suggest that to company as way to save cost/time/amortize expense to shareholders (ooohhh! financial talk)/etc. Also keep in mind for medical emergencies or family emergencies, companies might make private jets available to employees or family members for evacuation/airlift use--great for goodwill.
On the flip side of fractional ownership:
1. With cost-cuttings going on today, most companies won't do this
2. If you got money, you get special treatment; otherwise, move along with the cattle...
3.Some companies restrict it only to senior executives as a matter of policy.
Hope this helps...
Perhaps you can build something around the RFID, using the RFID technology as the communications subsystem and have a simple microcomputer setup to do challenge response work.
Remember, keys were not invented to give you something to jingle in your pocket or purse.
The article creator sould look into string theory-they are cruising at 11 (or 10) dimensions (haven't checked lately, may be out of date but definitely down from 26!) for spacetime, so it is quite possible for time to be a function of other dimensions (or be totally bypassed in one or more dimensions).
This is the kind of nonsensical reasoning that the NeoCon Nazis are using and that we were taught to avoid in elementary philosophy (logic course): remember proving 1 = 2?
Much more like real life in the corporate world...Think about it...
And before you rant off about women again...I am MALE.
Your whole premise is based on your wife staying at home, keeping the home together, paying the bills, doing everything you don't (because you work late), and not having a husband.
Keeping a house takes about 25 hours per week (3 BR/2.5 bath) without kids. Things get exponentially more time-consuming (unless you wish to abandon your kids) with rugrats of any age (newborn to teens in college).
I don't see my fellow male workers volunteering to stay home, or do the housework and chores, and telling their bosses "I've got other stuff to do".
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAW A MAN BOLT AT 5:50 PM TO GET THEIR CHILD OUT OF DAYCARE BEFORE THE 6 PM CLOSING? This doesn't happen two or three times on a week on a regular basis. The old factory whistle just doesn't blow at 5 PM like it used to.
Guys would rather play with computers (aka TOYS) than do housework, dishes, yardwork, home repairs, pick up the kids, go to PTA meetings, watch their kids grow up. Heck, I don't want to clean bathrooms, kitchens, dishes, do yardwork, etc. but I'm not Bill Gates.
And why haven't we heard the L word (LAYOFFS)? The panicked attitude running around in the industry ("don't make waves, do what they ask, don't ask for time off, DO WHATEVER IT TAKES") instead of sticking with 8-hour days that typical project plans are based on is putting more stress on everybody. We all know that if we ask for time off, we risk losing our job. I recently took four days off due to cancer complications (my brother almost died) and received a letter of reprimand for taking the time off.
Please drop the "WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING" attitude--that will look good on your early grave.
Fundamentally, IT folks are being pushed into outrageous (unpaid) overtime out of fear and women , especially married ones, have outside responsibilities that the male spouse won't share. And isn't interested in changing. Back in the 60's and 70's (and even the 50's, which you apparently think you are in), men worked 8-hour days and spent time with their wife and kids. Our fathers were more involved with us than we men are with out children. A telling sign.
If I saw women getting challenging assignments at the start of their careers to help them grow technically, having the same opportunities for advancement, and flexibility in work schedules I would expect that women would not be leaving IT.
Oh, and the drivel about "Family Friendly" is just that. Any employer who tells me that sets off my radar--the odds are they are lying and will lie on many other important things.
I still recall the day when IBM announced the PC and DEC ran the ad "Welcome to the club"...
I expect the rest of my IT career will involve using Free/Open Source software more and more...which is fine with me. I like stuff that works and works well.
(By the way, I am one of those folks who can kill Novell networking software just by logging on...wish I had the same talent for Windows...)
You've Got Bill!!! instead of You've Got Mail!!!
(He was a civil servant in the federal government, so your mileage may vary)
When handed something just before he left, especially on a Friday, he just said "I'll take care of that first thing next business day".
Much hooting and hand-wringing from his boss, but his boss quickly found somebody else to do this nonsense.
Big lesson I learned is pick a schedule and stick to it...if it's really urgent/critical, other folks should be around to back you up...
Had too many times where I got the "Hail Mary Pass" late on the day due and had to make magic happen ALL BY MYSELF (the other folks handing me these messes are snug at home/life/etc.)...Folks now know my schedule, that I track when things are due; and start asking "where is it?" long before the last minute. Now other folks feel the heat long before the due date--they promise it, they gotta deliver.
has given me my weekends and nights back...
They're going to go after the federal government next...there go my taxes...
And what about the "This page intentionally left blank" world?
I feel like violating some copyright...
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If SCO wants to collect from me, I have one question: Got change for a penny?
I want my change back...
Not SCO behavior...they deserve our utter contempt, spam, and junk mail...
Sequent is being phased out--IBM has stopped shipping them and is telling customers to bail out soon (I believe it was last year, if I recall correctly)...I remember one large financial customer looking to shift from Sequent to IBM or Sun last year and looking for DBAs to help migrate things...
The gist of it is that nobody should be buying new Sequent (dynix/pt) licenses since the hardware is going away...
or have the drugs kicked in too hard?
I'd rather see IBM send in the attack lawyers in the black limos (their version of the black helicopters)...
That would be like shooting fish in a barrel with a cannon...
and well worth a video copy; would put it right next to my Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons...
Looks like some old tried-and-true methods for reporting are even more useful today:
1. Be honest...let your boss overrule you, but be honest. Your boss may well be aware of other factors you don't/can't know...valid business reasons.
2. Document up the significant/questionable decisions made in a confirming e-mail (good/bad/who-cares)...to your boss and higher-up, if you believe it opens the company to liability/fraud. The goal here is to have an e-mail path folks can refer to...and make sure everybody agrees on what to do.
3. Save you outgoing e-mail to disk and perodically save it off-site, respecting company confidentiality, privacy, and security restrictions. At a minimum, copy it to another file/system/directory on your network where it will be saved to long-term storage. Lawyers/Government folks can subpoena this stuff and go through it if things get criminal.
4. Don't run out and do something questionable just based on verbal instructions...make sure you send the confirming e-mail...gives folks a chance to change their minds, deal with changing requirements, etc. This has saved my posterior on many occasions as an architect/dba/designer...
5. If it don't smell ethical, it probably isn't. You definitely want some protection if it comes back to bite you...confirming the order (and put in words like "...unless I hear differently from you in e-mail or writing before X, I will perform these actions you have ordered...") will save you a lot of legal expenses.
6. You can go overboard on everything, but I think most people will know the right balance to document. Think of it (and sell it) as "confirming the tasking resulting from the meeting/decision". Or as "Trust but verify"...
This probably sounds like excerpts from the Big Book of CYA, which it is in part, but also helps your boss keep focused on what you are working on. And if a schedule is revised from higher-ups, it will point up from you...and save you from explaining/defending yourself.
NASTY REALITY ALERT: What you don't want to do is be told to check something in and have your boss declare it done...with no confirmation or status indicating it was not ready...it then gets into a "you said...I said" situation that sleazoids can weasel out of. Yes, you can have your career defined somewhat by these actions (certainly has happened to me--had to change jobs) but you're not going to be sued or have trouble sleeping at night because of this...If you can't be (perhaps tactfully) honest as a software professional, you should change careers...that's what's caused this mess... END NASTY REALITY ALERT
I figure the execs will get hammered and some developers who really lied through their teeth will get slapped.
Big question remaining: If software development gets offshored, who is liable? Will folks have to sue developers or their companies in India/Russia/Phillipines/etc. for recovery? Or will the U.S. executives making these outsourcing decisions and taking delivery of the products be on the hook...?
I don't think the Hogan's Hero's answer by Seargent Shultz ("I know nothing!") will work anymore...
If there is something going on beyond the obvious one of trying to enhance their value for buyout or annoyance in general, can any slashdotters see anything else going on in June that may benefit from this FUD fest?
Is M$ planning some major releases?
Are some players looking at some financial stuff (like floating bonds, doing IPOs, etc.)?
Major releases of Linux/UNIX vendors with neat stuff coming out?
Something other than M$ encouraging FUD? I think Cringely is right on the FUD front...kill Linux and you can kill SCO trivially...
Something other than SCO last-ditch valuation enhancement?
Is anybody checking the SCO stock sales for serious insider trading (as in dumping the stock when it is up)?
I think it is great how Novell took the wind out of their sails/sales...even if it was unintentional...
Let's skip the usual answers of blame M$, space aliens (unless she's really, really pretty), etc. I think there is some other "game afoot" we may be missing...and no, Saddam or his WMD are not involved...an no ass-ociated shrubs (think about it) were involved in this, I'm willing to bet...
1. There are no guarantees beyond Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness--not having Happiness guaranteed...that's the dark side of Capitalism/Free Enterprise/America (take your pick)
2. I've lost jobs over the decades to "Minority Filling", "Women", "Under Qualified", "Over Qualified", "Too Expensive", "Too Little Experience", "Too Much Experience (i.e., expected high salary)"...Sounds like you can use some career training...I've done it and continue to do it. The latest set of reasons are "the H1B and L1 visa folks are..." so that just gets tacked onto my list...
3. Get over the fact that IT jobs are leaving the US...I've made a good living at it but I'm also transitioning to other fields/areas. As my fiance asks, "How many 50+ year old Senior Programmers/Developers do you see"? Too *$#(@! few...
4. Busted on Fat...but I've lost 50 lbs and am working out regularly at the gym...besides, what relevance has that got to IT jobs?
5. Far from dumb...during Vietnam time I was working at DOD in one of those areas where brains are prized and silence is golden...true, I didn't slog through the rice paddies but I helped keep your butt alive with intel...
By the way, I am comfortable with weapons of near destruction (father and brother made sure of that) and have no doubt that I can fight in a war, if they really need someone rather mature (and sneaky)...
6. Happy is right! I'm getting out of the S**T work and into something better (having a life), having a fiance, and leaving work at work at the end of the day...I've spent too many years living to work...
7. Notice what I said: I don't want HIBs (or the L1 visa folks) taking my job...I'd rather hold domestic companies to old-time standards of doing it right consistently. Quaint notion, apparently, in Internet-Time...
Strongly suggest you chill out, take a pill, hug your kids, or do whatever non-violent thing you need to do to get this nastiness out of your system...
Sounds like the Krelb music they played, except that this must be the amateur section (or instrument tuning)...
Sounds like the swarm bots are not communicating amongst themselves...
1. Sun loses suit...
US companies have to hire us folks; competitive pressures force innovation to stay competitive or they die/merge/go bankrupt...
2. Sun wins suit/has it dismissed...
As more jobs move overseas, domestic markets dry up (who is working? who can buy?). Watching the US market die is not good for a company...will lead to global unemployment...
I have no qualms with new jobs being created overseas (hey, that's capitalism at it's best), but reducing headcount (and hence customers) in your biggest market is not too swift...
My vote: first option for existing jobs and get innovative. The US didn't get this dominant (economically) simply by copying what others do...we figured out how to do it better and new ways to do it (quick nod to Britain and the EC members for various technologies-like radar and jet engines-that we licensed and enhanced)...
And if a company can't innovate, should they be left to die? Maybe...
But one thing that must happen is that company need to focus more on their long-term survival instead of always pushing to improve short-term profits. This is a major driving force behind this exodus, and it will continue to kill many companies until this unhealthy view stops. Profit is essential for a company, but not at the expense of it's future.
How to change focus, you might ask? More R&D but also have management really monitor it; and have marketing do real market analysis, not sales and sales support.
Look back in the pre-80's business and economics textbooks...they had it right and it still is right...
Just imagine... Folks talking to the empty air (cell phones users, nowadays) Folks waving a small box around and looking at it (this peephole viewing technique) So when somebody is on the cell phone and needs to check out something on his palm pilot, here's what somebody will see... A person talking to the empty air, waving a small box around, and watching it closely... Maybe we can change the palm pilot to a wand, have folks wear cloaks and pointy hats...and call themselves Harry P....LOL
Given the time warp you have just exited (centuries in internet time), one of the big changes happening with professional programming is that it is being "commoditized" by business and going to the lowest bidder. Having dealt with the consequences of your actions, what advice or help would you give aspiring software/programming professionals to pursue in their quest to have a career?
Here is what I sent to the lawyer; others might consider taking these actions that I outlined...
Sirs-
Having just read about the Cease and Desist order sent to the above mentioned site, I find it appaling that a non-profit organization would not attempt to resolve the issues more amicably with the site owner.
While you do represent them and ultimately must execute their orders, please pass the following onto your client:
1. Non-profit organizations have typically benefited greatly from such individual efforts to support and inform people. You have significantly closed off a major legitimate source of such information. Unless your organization wishes to maitain such a list for the hobbyist/OSS users, your group has, as I have so eloquently summed things up to management before, "Put a shotgun to your head and started pulling the trigger to see if it works".
2. If the primary reason for the C&D order was the use of the logo, you could have given him a different logo or special permission (with a link to your organization) to use it and created exceptional good will while maintaining suitable copyrights and logo/standards protection.
3. If your organization were a for-profit company, I would be far less interested in this. But a standards organization? Are you going to go after publications which use the abbreviation PCI for your bus architecture next?
As to consequences, I am going to pursue the following:
A. Since I have some influence in buying decisions, I will start having staff investigate choosing bus architectures other than PCI for systems. I won't claim a big success here, but I expect others will also start looking for alternatives.
B. I shall make my Congressional Representatives (House and Senate) aware of this situation and ask them to investigate the matter, especially as it relates to infringing on First Amendment rights and rights of non-profit organizations.
C. I shall ask the IRS to consider reviewing the tax-exempt status of the organization (also through my Congressional Representatives); if they are resorting to actions such as this, I have to think something monopolistic is going on and may require further investigation.
D. I shall advise my technical peers in the Internet of this situation and ask them to have their companies who are members of the organization ask for a better resolution of the matter.
E. I shall post this e-mail and any responses from you or your represented organization on www.slashdot.org for the readership to review and act upon.
I am very disappointed that such an event occurred; I certainly hope that your firm did try and dissuade them from this step and pursue other alternatives. If so, I (and the slashdot community) would like to know that.
Please feel free to e-mail me at this address...