More like...change it so companies are actually paying taxes, rather than get rebates, loop-holes, etc...
Most corporations have a ghost office in Delaware or the Bahamas to avoid paying state and/or federal taxes anyway. Check this out.
If corporations actually paid the taxes that should be levied against them, nobody would care about VoIP... but of course, a few more people would be unemployed.
I once trained two guys to replace me, because I wouldn't take their lowball fulltime offer, and chose to remain on contract. These two combined were fairly incompetent, and that's not just words of a bitter developer. The company managed medical data, and sold nameless statistics as a side gig. But neither of them knew t-SQL other than simple select statements, and often sent data to clients that was totally wrong.
So I spent three months trying to get them up to speed. I wound up just leaving them with a bunch of stored procedures that they could pass parameters to, as they didn't seem to grasp SQL at all.
Once they were "up to speed" this company "no longer needed me." The sad thing is their combined salaries were quite a bit more than the one salary I was asking for (and it wasn't unreasonable at all). So they got less work done, for more $$.
I suppose that's what you get when you don't hire in the 99.999999999999999% of developers:)
Re:Super ultra elite developers
on
The Bionic Office
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
I've heard similar comments in conversation before. Kind of spooky really. When I'm asked to rate myself (typical 1-10 crap) I always give them a disclaimer first. I think a 10 in anything is that guy in the corner office that doesn't shower often, has no social skills at all, nobody likes to visit with, and all he/she does is write code... all.... day... long. I don't ever want to be that person (or deal with them).
The idea of having a rating system is pretty funny though. Maybe we could use a similar function like the AP uses for the top 25 college teams. Your score goes up if the project is run by an incompetent manager, you get one more point for each scope creep that marketing decides to throw in, a bonus for actually having a PHB....
Re:Super ultra elite developers
on
The Bionic Office
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
I see what you're saying, and I agree. But, they could be a little jaded by what kind of software they're working on.
I'm probably an upper tier developer when it comes to RDBMS and reporting programs. But I really don't know much about OpenGL/DirectX, audio, etc... I do, however, know a devloper who writes games, but isn't all to great when it comes to extremely normalized databases. So maybe there are three or four "top 1%" groups.
Of course, that still leaves 96% or more that nobody wants to admit they hired.
You're not at Wal-Mart's home office are you? They had a "policy" of sitting contractors at a teeny desk on an endcap. People literally had to step past them sideways. The message there was "get your code done and go home, we really don't want you here." At least that was the gig until around 1998ish.
Yeah... forget green walls and easy to get to plugs (although the latter is a nice feature, come to think of it). What would make me an even more productive developer would be some sort of coffee tap right here at my desk. Oh, and an ashtray. Oh, and lifting the ban on smoking in the building.
I will read the links you posted shortly, but I feel like I need to reply before I get to them.
Patents work great for innovation when you're talking about concrete elements... the radio... the automobile... steering mechanisms... etc...
But in software, that doesn't hold water. There may be several ways I can hit a DB, but to the user, there isn't a difference at all. And to patent things like "click once to purchase an item" is absurd. Those are the kinds of patents we see only hinder software development. Can you think of any other way to purchase items on a website that won't annoy customers?
The basis of patents is you can't patent ideas. But all software really is to folks that use it is ideas. Software is abstract. How you get to the end of your spec is up to you, but all it is is an idea.
Before anyone mods me as a troll, let me say I prefer Linux to Windows these days. That being said, only one time in the article is Windows mentioned.
It was unclear which computer virus might have affected the system. But a separate message sent to embassies and consular offices late Tuesday warned that the ``Welchia'' virus had been detected in one facility. Welchia is an aggressive infection unleashed last month that exploits a software flaw in recent versions of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows software.
That says they're not sure what virus, and the mention of the other memo really doesn't tie these two together.
So really, nowhere in the article does it say that this was a Windows virus, not even what virus it was.
One could easily assume, of course, that it was a Windows virus on a Windows network, but the text just isn't there.
p.s. HP still sells more desktops than any other computer they make.
And as for your assumptions, I neither have a pavillion, nor use MSN. Actually, I have several PC's at the house, a few I built, and a few I bought. I've been a professional developer for over 12 years, and a programmer in general for over 20. I have supported HP workstations, and they suck to. Mainly because they can't seem to get good BIOS, and replacing hardware that's not the exact spec of the original can be a PITA. Their enterprise level printers are still good, but it's only a matter of time, given their management policy in the last few years of "Make a quick buck because that's what's important to shareholders and earnings reports."
But interesting to note, your comment: that was free with a three year msn subscription don't take it out on a company who's main client share is might hold some water, in that any company that would make crap like that should get bashed, no matter what their other product line is like. You're only as good as your weakest link.
Sorry, for the humor challenged... in the future I'll add tags.
I do know that HP makes some decent hardware, and Compaq makes some outstanding blade servers. However, their general perception lies in their lack of quality in desktops, since they sell more of those than anything else. Plus most of their printers these days seem to have plastic gears and spindles in them, which don't like to last too long. So overall, I would say that MOST of HP's hardware is crap.
In their defense, most people don't hold on to hardware for very long anyway, so why bother making anything but servers that last?
Call me a troll, but I have a huge problem with the problems associated with OO's rough courtship with Relational databases comment. I've worked with OO and RDBMS professionally for the last 12 years, and have never had problems with a rough courtship. Anyone care to elaborate?
I'm with you there. With China playing the military buildup game, stealing missile secrets, and visibly trying to take a chunk out of our economy (which is fair, but doesn't mean I have to like it), I won't buy a thing that has Made In China on it, which makes it difficult to purchase items, actually.
I also spend a lot of conversation with friends about being active politically. Any time there's a strong issue I remind them about how easy it is to contact their local reps, and how easy it is to research the issues and candidates during elections.
The sad truth is less than 20% of the people vote. Even with the sorry excuses for reps we have had for some time in D.C., people still don't get out and vote. Increasing that number would make a huge difference.
I thought you were still talking about Bush, rather than Ashcroft.
It is definitely a system that needs overhauling. The problems in getting that done are immense though.
Nobody wants to vote themselves out of a job, so you have to dig to find candidates that are responsible
Those candidates will be obscure, and have no money behind them, so you'd have to work on getting their name out into the public
Unless you are related to Bill Gates or Ross Perot, you can't afford the advertising campaigns, so even more legwork in getting support or getting the media to host open debates
It seems anyone with the ability to change the system, i.e. the politicians that are in it or trying to get in it, and the corporations/wealthy folk who support them financially, have no vested interest in changing it at all. Hell, maybe getting all the/.ers to vote in a particular direction could sway an election or two.. I dunno. It's a "where to start" problem.
This is a man that his own state elected a dead man instead of
WTF? I live in Texas and have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
I also agree that Bush hasn't been honest. I also said in an earlier post that I'm not a huge fan of his either, but that someone along the way compared Clinton to him and had decided all Clinton was guilty of was lying about Lewinsky.
Looks like we do agree about both Presidents. And if it were up to me, there wouldn't be a party system.. just a bunch of candidates with opinions. And any opportunity to be a career politician would be eliminated.
What about the Earth's natural propensity toward cyclical global climate changes? I'm not saying humans are not contributing to global warming, but we've had several ice ages (and that mini ice age in the 1700's?) followed by globally warm periods. How about this passage from earthsci.org...
Global Warming in the Past
From out study of glaciations in the past we know that climate can change as result of natural processes, both becoming warmer and colder than present. Although these climatic fluctuations appear to be caused by eccentricities in the Earth's orbit, it is interesting to note that during glaciations in the past the concentrations of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere were lower, atmospheric dust was higher, and the Earth's albedo was higher, all of these factors could have contributed to cooler climates. Similarly, during past interglacial episodes, the atmosphere contained less dust, higher concentrations of greenhouse gases, and the Earth had a lower albedo, all of which contribute to warmer climates.
If you need some education regarding Clinton's inability to tell the truth, see this post...
Better yet, do a Google search on Clinton lies... you'll get some Hillary in there as well.
And I am not biased. I never suggested that Bush was honest. RTFP. I'm only pointing out the one sided bashing going on. Bush is evil, but Clinton was ok, couldn't be further from the truth.
Are you suggesting Clinton wasn't like that? The same man who looked straight into the camera and said "I never had sexual relations with that woman." ?
Let's not forget that no Presidential term ever had so many associates and firms connected with the White House plead guilty to so many crimes, nor had so many illegal campaign contributions. Nor had so many witnesses in criminal investigations associated with the White House die under suspicious circumstances.
Clinton lied on TV (60 Minutes) about Gennifer Flowers, then later admitted to his affair in his deposition. Clinton lied about dodging the draft on ABC's Nightline, only to have to admit later that he did get a draft notice in 1969. Currently, Congress is investigating why the President granted waivers for Loral Corporation to assist China in strategically significant missile launches. Clinton announced in his 1991 campaign acceptance speech "When the ripoff artists looted our S&Ls, the President was silent. In a Clinton administration, when people sell their companies and their workers and their country down the river, they'll get called on the carpet." Can you say Whitewater? How about how Clinton firing the Travel Office chief when ol' BIlly was investigated for misuse of the office, then appointing a long time friend to the office instead. After all that, he had the FBI and IRS accuse Billy Dale (former Travel Office chief) of embezzlement and frand. Dale was later acquited.
This is the guy you're suggesting was more honest than Bush is now? Get real...
Yeah, better to get it from CNN, Fox News, or ABC|CBS|NBC.
You could choose from any of these links if you prefer.
I'm not party biased either way, but Clinton was the worst kind of liar... the one that does it and thinks he can get away with it by smiling a lot, and trying to divert attention.
Sure, you can give the SP name in the proc, and pass parameters. But there wouldn't be any DB/security information that way. So if someone were to decompile, they'd get an SP name and parameter names, but that's it. No IUD, no PW, not even a DB name, as long as the UID in LDAP has a default DB set.
Hey, I realize it's a bit inappropriate to post here, but I noticed the hated "Unemployed" in your sig. Are you still?
I know of a company on Long Island that's currently looking... they're in Melville (and in Mahwah, NJ). They're an ASP for the company I work for, and they could seriously use some PL/SQL help.
If you have any interest, ping me at jeffreyhamby@hotmail.com.
Um.. Stored Procedures anyone? LDAP authentication? Connection strings in server side objects? There are TONS of ways to have DB code without stored SQL strings. Plus, you can change SP's without recompiling.
Slashdot Mirror
More like.. .change it so companies are actually paying taxes, rather than get rebates, loop-holes, etc...
Most corporations have a ghost office in Delaware or the Bahamas to avoid paying state and/or federal taxes anyway. Check this out.
If corporations actually paid the taxes that should be levied against them, nobody would care about VoIP... but of course, a few more people would be unemployed.
I once trained two guys to replace me, because I wouldn't take their lowball fulltime offer, and chose to remain on contract. These two combined were fairly incompetent, and that's not just words of a bitter developer. The company managed medical data, and sold nameless statistics as a side gig. But neither of them knew t-SQL other than simple select statements, and often sent data to clients that was totally wrong.
:)
So I spent three months trying to get them up to speed. I wound up just leaving them with a bunch of stored procedures that they could pass parameters to, as they didn't seem to grasp SQL at all.
Once they were "up to speed" this company "no longer needed me." The sad thing is their combined salaries were quite a bit more than the one salary I was asking for (and it wasn't unreasonable at all). So they got less work done, for more $$.
I suppose that's what you get when you don't hire in the 99.999999999999999% of developers
I've heard similar comments in conversation before. Kind of spooky really. When I'm asked to rate myself (typical 1-10 crap) I always give them a disclaimer first. I think a 10 in anything is that guy in the corner office that doesn't shower often, has no social skills at all, nobody likes to visit with, and all he/she does is write code... all.... day... long. I don't ever want to be that person (or deal with them).
The idea of having a rating system is pretty funny though. Maybe we could use a similar function like the AP uses for the top 25 college teams. Your score goes up if the project is run by an incompetent manager, you get one more point for each scope creep that marketing decides to throw in, a bonus for actually having a PHB....
I see what you're saying, and I agree. But, they could be a little jaded by what kind of software they're working on.
I'm probably an upper tier developer when it comes to RDBMS and reporting programs. But I really don't know much about OpenGL/DirectX, audio, etc... I do, however, know a devloper who writes games, but isn't all to great when it comes to extremely normalized databases. So maybe there are three or four "top 1%" groups.
Of course, that still leaves 96% or more that nobody wants to admit they hired.
You're not at Wal-Mart's home office are you? They had a "policy" of sitting contractors at a teeny desk on an endcap. People literally had to step past them sideways. The message there was "get your code done and go home, we really don't want you here." At least that was the gig until around 1998ish.
Yeah... forget green walls and easy to get to plugs (although the latter is a nice feature, come to think of it). What would make me an even more productive developer would be some sort of coffee tap right here at my desk. Oh, and an ashtray. Oh, and lifting the ban on smoking in the building.
I will read the links you posted shortly, but I feel like I need to reply before I get to them.
Patents work great for innovation when you're talking about concrete elements... the radio... the automobile... steering mechanisms... etc...
But in software, that doesn't hold water. There may be several ways I can hit a DB, but to the user, there isn't a difference at all. And to patent things like "click once to purchase an item" is absurd. Those are the kinds of patents we see only hinder software development. Can you think of any other way to purchase items on a website that won't annoy customers?
The basis of patents is you can't patent ideas. But all software really is to folks that use it is ideas. Software is abstract. How you get to the end of your spec is up to you, but all it is is an idea.
Before anyone mods me as a troll, let me say I prefer Linux to Windows these days. That being said, only one time in the article is Windows mentioned.
It was unclear which computer virus might have affected the system. But a separate message sent to embassies and consular offices late Tuesday warned that the ``Welchia'' virus had been detected in one facility. Welchia is an aggressive infection unleashed last month that exploits a software flaw in recent versions of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows software.
That says they're not sure what virus, and the mention of the other memo really doesn't tie these two together.
So really, nowhere in the article does it say that this was a Windows virus, not even what virus it was.
One could easily assume, of course, that it was a Windows virus on a Windows network, but the text just isn't there.
It's not the one who writes the patent who's to blame, but the one who enforces the patent in a way that bars all competition and development.
Forgive my ignorance of legalese, but isn't that how the patents are written? Besides, it's lawyers reading what lawyers wrote.
If it weren't for lawyers, we wouldn't need them. That's where the comments about only lawyers making any money these days comes from.
p.s. HP still sells more desktops than any other computer they make.
And as for your assumptions, I neither have a pavillion, nor use MSN. Actually, I have several PC's at the house, a few I built, and a few I bought. I've been a professional developer for over 12 years, and a programmer in general for over 20. I have supported HP workstations, and they suck to. Mainly because they can't seem to get good BIOS, and replacing hardware that's not the exact spec of the original can be a PITA. Their enterprise level printers are still good, but it's only a matter of time, given their management policy in the last few years of "Make a quick buck because that's what's important to shareholders and earnings reports."
But interesting to note, your comment: that was free with a three year msn subscription don't take it out on a company who's main client share is might hold some water, in that any company that would make crap like that should get bashed, no matter what their other product line is like. You're only as good as your weakest link.
Sorry, for the humor challenged... in the future I'll add tags.
I do know that HP makes some decent hardware, and Compaq makes some outstanding blade servers. However, their general perception lies in their lack of quality in desktops, since they sell more of those than anything else. Plus most of their printers these days seem to have plastic gears and spindles in them, which don't like to last too long. So overall, I would say that MOST of HP's hardware is crap.
In their defense, most people don't hold on to hardware for very long anyway, so why bother making anything but servers that last?
Call me a troll, but I have a huge problem with the problems associated with OO's rough courtship with Relational databases comment. I've worked with OO and RDBMS professionally for the last 12 years, and have never had problems with a rough courtship. Anyone care to elaborate?
I guess the reasoning there is you can't be sued if you can't get the product (HP hardware) to work.
I'm with you there. With China playing the military buildup game, stealing missile secrets, and visibly trying to take a chunk out of our economy (which is fair, but doesn't mean I have to like it), I won't buy a thing that has Made In China on it, which makes it difficult to purchase items, actually.
I also spend a lot of conversation with friends about being active politically. Any time there's a strong issue I remind them about how easy it is to contact their local reps, and how easy it is to research the issues and candidates during elections.
The sad truth is less than 20% of the people vote. Even with the sorry excuses for reps we have had for some time in D.C., people still don't get out and vote. Increasing that number would make a huge difference.
It is definitely a system that needs overhauling. The problems in getting that done are immense though.
- Nobody wants to vote themselves out of a job, so you have to dig to find candidates that are responsible
- Those candidates will be obscure, and have no money behind them, so you'd have to work on getting their name out into the public
- Unless you are related to Bill Gates or Ross Perot, you can't afford the advertising campaigns, so even more legwork in getting support or getting the media to host open debates
It seems anyone with the ability to change the system, i.e. the politicians that are in it or trying to get in it, and the corporations/wealthy folk who support them financially, have no vested interest in changing it at all. Hell, maybe getting all theThis is a man that his own state elected a dead man instead of
WTF? I live in Texas and have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
I also agree that Bush hasn't been honest. I also said in an earlier post that I'm not a huge fan of his either, but that someone along the way compared Clinton to him and had decided all Clinton was guilty of was lying about Lewinsky.
Looks like we do agree about both Presidents. And if it were up to me, there wouldn't be a party system.. just a bunch of candidates with opinions. And any opportunity to be a career politician would be eliminated.
Ummm... you didn't read this post... by I8TheWorm (645702) on Tuesday September 23, @07:41AM (#7032531)
If you think all Clinton lied about was a hummer in the oval office, you've been living under a rock.
What about the Earth's natural propensity toward cyclical global climate changes? I'm not saying humans are not contributing to global warming, but we've had several ice ages (and that mini ice age in the 1700's?) followed by globally warm periods. How about this passage from earthsci.org...
Global Warming in the Past From out study of glaciations in the past we know that climate can change as result of natural processes, both becoming warmer and colder than present. Although these climatic fluctuations appear to be caused by eccentricities in the Earth's orbit, it is interesting to note that during glaciations in the past the concentrations of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere were lower, atmospheric dust was higher, and the Earth's albedo was higher, all of these factors could have contributed to cooler climates. Similarly, during past interglacial episodes, the atmosphere contained less dust, higher concentrations of greenhouse gases, and the Earth had a lower albedo, all of which contribute to warmer climates.
If you need some education regarding Clinton's inability to tell the truth, see this post...
Better yet, do a Google search on Clinton lies... you'll get some Hillary in there as well.
And I am not biased. I never suggested that Bush was honest. RTFP. I'm only pointing out the one sided bashing going on. Bush is evil, but Clinton was ok, couldn't be further from the truth.
Are you suggesting Clinton wasn't like that? The same man who looked straight into the camera and said "I never had sexual relations with that woman." ?
Let's not forget that no Presidential term ever had so many associates and firms connected with the White House plead guilty to so many crimes, nor had so many illegal campaign contributions. Nor had so many witnesses in criminal investigations associated with the White House die under suspicious circumstances.
Clinton lied on TV (60 Minutes) about Gennifer Flowers, then later admitted to his affair in his deposition. Clinton lied about dodging the draft on ABC's Nightline, only to have to admit later that he did get a draft notice in 1969. Currently, Congress is investigating why the President granted waivers for Loral Corporation to assist China in strategically significant missile launches. Clinton announced in his 1991 campaign acceptance speech "When the ripoff artists looted our S&Ls, the President was silent. In a Clinton administration, when people sell their companies and their workers and their country down the river, they'll get called on the carpet." Can you say Whitewater? How about how Clinton firing the Travel Office chief when ol' BIlly was investigated for misuse of the office, then appointing a long time friend to the office instead. After all that, he had the FBI and IRS accuse Billy Dale (former Travel Office chief) of embezzlement and frand. Dale was later acquited.
This is the guy you're suggesting was more honest than Bush is now? Get real...
You mean Uncle Joe?
Yeah, better to get it from CNN, Fox News, or ABC|CBS|NBC.
You could choose from any of these links if you prefer.
I'm not party biased either way, but Clinton was the worst kind of liar... the one that does it and thinks he can get away with it by smiling a lot, and trying to divert attention.
Sure, you can give the SP name in the proc, and pass parameters. But there wouldn't be any DB/security information that way. So if someone were to decompile, they'd get an SP name and parameter names, but that's it. No IUD, no PW, not even a DB name, as long as the UID in LDAP has a default DB set.
Hey, I realize it's a bit inappropriate to post here, but I noticed the hated "Unemployed" in your sig. Are you still?
I know of a company on Long Island that's currently looking... they're in Melville (and in Mahwah, NJ). They're an ASP for the company I work for, and they could seriously use some PL/SQL help.
If you have any interest, ping me at jeffreyhamby@hotmail.com.
Um.. Stored Procedures anyone? LDAP authentication? Connection strings in server side objects? There are TONS of ways to have DB code without stored SQL strings. Plus, you can change SP's without recompiling.