Who gets blamed if a system crashes? Not the programmer who wrote a bad application that systematically allocated every available byte of RAM. Not the dumb-ass manager who opened an email attachment and unleashed a virus on the company. The sysadmin gets blamed.
If your organization operates that way, then you have my sympathies. Just don't assume they all do.
Just like in my world of system administration there are five "paper" MCSEs and CCNAs for every one real system or network admin, there's five dumbshit programmers who only got into the field for the money for every true geek programmer.
Amen. If all the hangers-on would go away, our job market might improve a tick, too.
That's not your C: drive. That's my C: drive.
I beg to differ. It's the company's C: drive. One they assigned me so I could do my job. If I can't use it the way I need to, then that only interferes.
I'll get blamed even if I can prove you intentionally deleted the kernel
Wow. Is this from experience?
The last virus our company got was brought in by the development team, because we trusted them to know how to install virus detection software on their systems and know how to update the.dat files regularly
But assuming the rest of your machines were properly antivirused, only their machines could get infected. Right?
If you can prove your geekdom sufficiently to your local SA, you can usually earn some trust that way.
Exactly what hoops am I supposed to jump through? "Here, watch me manually patch a running kernel while drinking a glass of water"? How about instead the admins just remember who screws things up and who doesn't?
If you can earn our trust we can usually see our way clear to bending the rules for you a few times.
I'm not asking for bending of rules -- I'm asking for different rules for different levels of user competence.
it would be better to run an environment where any user can install unlicenesed software and delete critical system files?
There's a long way between "no one has any access" and "everyone has every access".
if it's not your job to run it, you probably don't know all the rules.
By "rules", do you mean technical requirements (your IP configuration, not deleting user.dll, etc.) or policies (no changing your browser's homepage (much less your browser), no installing your favorite editor, etc. -- whether created by the administration or the IT department)? If the former, fine. Anyone who doesn't know enough to reverse a change that breaks their system deserves to be thwarted. But if the latter, I care not for the rules. They are but impediments.
I just spent 2 weeks screwing with virus damage because certain users have access to things they don't need.
What, they turned off their antivirus software? Or the automatic updates thereof? Or they uninstalled it completely?
At a government office where I worked once (best places to get this kind of story, near as I can tell), one of the techs (who I sat near) came in and told everyone to gather 'round. He said he just got back from a half-hour conversation which consisted of him explaining to a user why the print-screened copy of an application window she had put in Word wouldn't respond to its buttons being clicked. "It's like a calculator and a picture of a calculator. You can't press the buttons in the picture and expect it to work, can you?" A larf was had by all.
Now, being a technically-inclined programmer, I rarely have reason to deal with techs. Most of my problems, I successfully deal with myself. Therefore, unfortunately, most of the interactions tend to be about disruptive hardware upgrades or else special handling for me because I need more access than is standard in the organization. At one place I worked, not only could you not install your own software by default, but in fact had no access at all (much less write access) to most of your own C: drive. They give me more permissions grudgingly and eye me with suspicion, and even then only after being so ordered by a mutual superior. So naturally I tend to see them as fascist policy-drones. Too bad, that; we'd probably be good geeky buddies otherwise.
The funny thing is that killing Napster is where the record companies shot themselves in the foot. This is according to an interesting Dvorak column in the latest PC Magazine, in which he posits that Napster was helping the record companies as a volunteer marketing channel, but then they killed it, and with it, the last hope for them to stay alive. And now they're trying to use the name to prop up a dying industry.
...and shattered store windows will abound in geek-land tonight!
Swamp cooler? Surely you jest.
on
DIY HVAC
·
· Score: 1
UGH. Having grown up with one, I can tell you what these things give you: an exchange of humidity for heat. It may be 10 degrees cooler, but it's also about 80 to 90 percent humidity. Bleah. You can have it.
As far as I can tell, this is the usual state of affairs. Only exception being that if there are car-sensors that trigger the regular lights, which won't go if there's no cars, then the crossing button will trigger a cycle in the absence of cars your direction.
The countdown helps you drive as well -- you can see if there's any chance at all you'll make it before the red, or if you can just relax. This alleviates the normal situation: extra acceleration while saying "stay green, stay green" only to be cut off with an extra-hard braking maneuver while saying "awww!".
Also, I believe the beeps are to assist the blind.
"We always do this: we walk up to an elevator, someone's already there, they're waiting, they've pushed the button, the button is lit. We walk up and push the button, thinking, 'Obviously you didn't push it correctly. I'll have to push it myself. NOW the elevator will come.' Then someone else walks up and they push the button again. Suddenly you're offended. You want to say, 'You idiot, I pushed it, he pushed it.' Then to the original pusher, 'Can you believe people?'"
Some just give "walk" with every cycle (usually these have no buttons), others will never give you a "walk" unless you press the button.
However, it's no mystery why the buttons that do nothing never get discovered. To find out, you'd have watch without pressing (and keeping anyone else from pressing as well) for a complete cycle to see if it gives "walk" anyway. Meanwhile, you're clearly trying to get somewhere (why else wait at a crosswalk?) -- who has the time? Who wants to take the chance? Just press the button already! You're waiting for the signal, you got sup'm better to do?
It's my understanding that the "Close Door" buttons on elevators only exist for the same reason, and they don't do anything.
Use enough elevators and you find every conceivable algorithmic configuration. I've used some where the Close Door doesn't work, and others where it clearly does.
In fact, in the building where I work now, there are two banks of elevators: one for the lower half of the building and another for the upper half (plus ground floor). They all look identical, and so one would think they were. Not so. The lower ones are not only much slower, but also have ineffective Close Door buttons. What possible thinking could be behind this, I don't know.
He always looks comical to me. Like some kind of CEO-bot from the year 4000. I keep expecting his face shield to spring off to reveal metal and LEDs and servomotors. Either that or he gets a scratch on his cheek which reveals that his facial hair is actually painted on.
Slashdot Mirror
That hump is a dead giveaway.
If only it stored and chilled water, it could also bring you a cold drink.
At a government office where I worked once (best places to get this kind of story, near as I can tell), one of the techs (who I sat near) came in and told everyone to gather 'round. He said he just got back from a half-hour conversation which consisted of him explaining to a user why the print-screened copy of an application window she had put in Word wouldn't respond to its buttons being clicked. "It's like a calculator and a picture of a calculator. You can't press the buttons in the picture and expect it to work, can you?" A larf was had by all.
Now, being a technically-inclined programmer, I rarely have reason to deal with techs. Most of my problems, I successfully deal with myself. Therefore, unfortunately, most of the interactions tend to be about disruptive hardware upgrades or else special handling for me because I need more access than is standard in the organization. At one place I worked, not only could you not install your own software by default, but in fact had no access at all (much less write access) to most of your own C: drive. They give me more permissions grudgingly and eye me with suspicion, and even then only after being so ordered by a mutual superior. So naturally I tend to see them as fascist policy-drones. Too bad, that; we'd probably be good geeky buddies otherwise.
...inispired this?
Use a pen. Or a pencil for rewritability.
Including "birdspark.amr" as a choice. Lord knows how many avian pyromaniacs will buy right into this.
You can get fiber you your home for $80 a month?? Where do I sign up?!
IP laws (and the agencies responsible for them) are broken and badly need fixing.
The problem will get worse before it gets better.
Up/downl
Left/right
Forward/backward
Pitch
Rol
Yaw
Could do it, but it doesn't sound like it. Would be pretty neat for 3-D model design work, I'd think.
The funny thing is that killing Napster is where the record companies shot themselves in the foot. This is according to an interesting Dvorak column in the latest PC Magazine, in which he posits that Napster was helping the record companies as a volunteer marketing channel, but then they killed it, and with it, the last hope for them to stay alive. And now they're trying to use the name to prop up a dying industry.
I didn't think it was possible to miss the point by that much. Please go to creativecommons.org and read. And don't just say you did.
...and shattered store windows will abound in geek-land tonight!
UGH. Having grown up with one, I can tell you what these things give you: an exchange of humidity for heat. It may be 10 degrees cooler, but it's also about 80 to 90 percent humidity. Bleah. You can have it.
As far as I can tell, this is the usual state of affairs. Only exception being that if there are car-sensors that trigger the regular lights, which won't go if there's no cars, then the crossing button will trigger a cycle in the absence of cars your direction.
"Philistine."
The countdown helps you drive as well -- you can see if there's any chance at all you'll make it before the red, or if you can just relax. This alleviates the normal situation: extra acceleration while saying "stay green, stay green" only to be cut off with an extra-hard braking maneuver while saying "awww!".
Also, I believe the beeps are to assist the blind.
Some just give "walk" with every cycle (usually these have no buttons), others will never give you a "walk" unless you press the button.
However, it's no mystery why the buttons that do nothing never get discovered. To find out, you'd have watch without pressing (and keeping anyone else from pressing as well) for a complete cycle to see if it gives "walk" anyway. Meanwhile, you're clearly trying to get somewhere (why else wait at a crosswalk?) -- who has the time? Who wants to take the chance? Just press the button already! You're waiting for the signal, you got sup'm better to do?
In fact, in the building where I work now, there are two banks of elevators: one for the lower half of the building and another for the upper half (plus ground floor). They all look identical, and so one would think they were. Not so. The lower ones are not only much slower, but also have ineffective Close Door buttons. What possible thinking could be behind this, I don't know.
How about RIAA dies and goes away, then we can all put our $5 in the online tip-jar of whatever artists we want to encourage?
He always looks comical to me. Like some kind of CEO-bot from the year 4000. I keep expecting his face shield to spring off to reveal metal and LEDs and servomotors. Either that or he gets a scratch on his cheek which reveals that his facial hair is actually painted on.