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User: blazer1024

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Comments · 241

  1. Re:Easy on Ask Slashdot: What Asset Tracking Software Do You Recommend? · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I was going to say spend a million or two on a "enterprise solution tailored to fit your needs" that never actually works like you wanted, but middle management loves because the salesman took them out for drinks, then spend another half-million on training so that everybody gets up to speed. Then after wasting time for 6 months, use some wacky combination of access and excel that lives on some shared drive *somewhere*, Finally give up and scrap the whole idea when a new operations director comes in and has a NEW enterprise solution lined up from his good buddy at yet another company.

  2. Re:I'm excited on Fallout 4 Announced · · Score: 2

    "That dog"?!? His NAME is Dogmeat! :D

    Actually, that's probably the grandson of the original Dogmeat.

  3. Re:Not to be the different guy, but... on GameStop Swoops In To Buy ThinkGeek For $140 Million · · Score: 1

    Do you live in the deep south? (If you're outside the US I don't know)

    Seems like the kind of shirt 1/50 people here would recognize... at least I would hope so.

  4. Re:Administrators control on Microsoft Announces Device Guard For Windows 10 · · Score: 1

    In recent versions OSX even goes a step beyond "are you sure you want to run this app?" into "you cannot run this app unless you go into security settings, enter your admin password and then authorize the app to execute"

  5. Re:Yeay! on Briny Water May Pool In Mars' Equatorial Soil · · Score: 1

    It works in Civilization.

  6. Re:~50% have no degree... on For Half, Degrees In Computing, Math, Or Stats Lead To Other Jobs · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I used to be a programmer with no degree. I'd like to think I was pretty darn good at it... I knew several languages (C, C++, Python, Perl, Java, and several more) that I had taught myself. I did this for about 9 years, before I finally got a degree in CS, and then got a Master's in CS shortly afterward.

    One thing this did for me is open up my mind quite a bit. I'm still a good programmer, but I now know programming isn't it. There's a lot more that goes on when it comes to developing good software, and though I could code up some pretty good stuff really quickly, now my code is better, more thought out, and most importantly, I am much more likely to ask the question "Is this really the problem we're trying to solve?" leading to actually useful code instead of neat stuff it turned out really wasn't what was needed.

    In addition, I'm better at interacting with people. I used to have the attitude "This makes no sense to me, therefore it's stupid" and now I realize that maybe I don't have all of the information, there's something I don't know (this is key!) which would help me understand and realize my position isn't exactly right, and so I don't just get mad and storm off anymore when things don't make sense.

    Getting a degree made me a more well rounded person... I found a love for history, music and literature that I didn't quite have before. I can have conversations that don't just involve the latest tech and video games. (though I still love talking about that stuff)

    I guess my point is... a degree doesn't make a great programmer, but a degree can help make a better person (which is the whole point really... it's not to "learn a trade", it's to expand your horizons and explore the world and become a critical thinker) and so given the situation, I would likely lean toward hiring a great programmer with a degree over a great programmer without one.

  7. SC2 on Atari Facing $291 Million Debt Claim From... Atari · · Score: 1

    Someone already rebooted Star Control II. It was called Mass Effect. :)

    I'm kidding, but seriously, go play Mass Effect 1 and compare it to SC2. There are a LOT of similarities there.

    For starters, check this out:

    http://aliens.wikia.com/wiki/Ur-Quan_Kzer-Za
    http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Thorian

    Heck, the thorian's mind controlled minions are even referred to as "thralls"

  8. Re:Just... on Microsoft's Hidden Windows 8 Feature: Ads · · Score: 4, Funny

    You use a finger on your right hand, duh

  9. Re:open source but only for Mac and Win. on MIT Slows Down Speed of Light In New Game · · Score: 1

    Unity 4 (which is now in beta) supports Linux. This might be what they're waiting on as far as open sourcing it.

  10. Hello computer! on Weak Typing — the Lost Art of the Keyboard · · Score: 1

    Keyboard? How quaint.

  11. Re:Apparently Obama knows not Grigsby & Cohen on Obama Says Offshoring Fears Are Unwarranted · · Score: 1

    In my experience, 50-year-olds spend more like 90% of their time on Facebook. Sheesh, mom, we don't care what you ate for lunch!

  12. Re:McDonald's undercuts parental authority? on McDonalds Facing Lawsuit For Happy Meal Toys · · Score: 1

    Yeah, exactly.

    There's this little thing that parents seem to forget these days called "saying no".

    When my daughter would ask to go to McDonald's, I would say no. She may have thrown a fit the first few times, but I didn't let it get to me. Eventually, she stopped asking.

    I see so many parents say something like "Well I don't think that's a good idea..." the kids then throw a fit and they give in to avoid the screaming. All this does is teaches them that screaming gets them what they want. It's bad for you and them in the long run.

    Say no when you mean no, let them have their fits but NEVER give in. In the long run, they'll give up on the fits, and you'll both be happier.

  13. Re:yeah and on Tim Berners-Lee Is Sorry About the Slashes · · Score: 1

    I'd do that, except that it's been my experience that anyone who asks that question doesn't know which is which. So I usually just answer with "the one under the question mark"... it's easier that way.

  14. Re:Saving a few bucks on Microsoft Poland Photoshops Black Guy To White One · · Score: 1

    If they changed it back... how do we know it wasn't a defacement hack intended to get some cheap laughs at the idea that Microsoft is racist in Poland?

    I mean, that photoshop was bad enough that I could expect it from a 14 year old script kiddie... but not even the most rushed "pro" job.

  15. Re:OMG?! How much is that in miles?! on Toyota Reveals A Humanoid Robot That Can Run · · Score: 1

    I will not be impressed until a robot wins "So You Think You Can Dance"

  16. Re:Mouse? on Best Mouse For Programming? · · Score: 1

    Your G5 has two side buttons?

    Yours must be newer.

    Mine only has one.. I keep finding myself wishing it had a forward button. Despite that, this is the best mouse I've ever owned.

  17. Re:Page 1: Find the programming language in Window on Epic's Sweeney On the PC Shareware Revolution · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's not like it's that hard to *get* a programming language for Windows, though.

    Just download a copy of Visual [C++|C#|VB] and you can do all kinds of fun stuff.

    Windows doesn't have a programming language at boot because it's an OS for the masses, and the masses would get confused by a "READY." prompt.

  18. Re:Whoa boy... on Mad Scientist Brings Back Dead With "Deanimation" · · Score: 1

    Haven't you read Heinlein's The Door Into Summer?

    People will do this because their life sucks and they want to marry an 11 year old girl.

    Yeah.. that was a weird book.

  19. Re:Biff McLargehuge? on Ragnar Tornquist On Video Game Storytelling · · Score: 1

    You must be young.

    Star Trek: The Kobayashi Alternative was published WAY before SM64.

    Way back in 1985. Yes, there were games in '85.

    Games never get too old. They just get pushed further down the list... and the list never gets too long.

  20. Re:Get your affairs in order, people on Large Hadron Collider Goes Live September 10th · · Score: 1

    The saddest thing about the NO CARRIER meme is that most kids these days have no idea what it even means.

  21. Re:Gates on the desk on Return of the '70s Microsoft Weirdos · · Score: 1

    Wait a sec.... is that a Mac to the right of his PC behind him in the second picture?

  22. Re:OpenOffice just isn't very good. on Why Google Should Embrace OpenOffice.org · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I hate OpenOffice because of its quality.

    I'm not a heavy office user.. I mainly use it to write an occasional report... maybe draw a diagram.

    But it's SO damn buggy I can barely use it! For example, I was illustrating a graph algorithm with Draw, and it was working quite nicely until I had to undo several levels.. then the alignment of everything went screwy. Nothing that moved during the undoing was anywhere it should have been. A redo didn't fix it either. (Not that alignment is ever quite right in that thing...)

    Writer's a bit better, but I've seen problems with it too... and almost all of my problems involve undos and redos... stuff which I do ALL the time.

    I was quite dissapointed, because overall I like OO.

  23. Re:speedracer vs ninjas? on Speed Racer's Visual FX Uncovered · · Score: 3, Funny

    Come on, we all know all he has to do is wax his car and then he'll be ready for fighting!

  24. Re:Liberal Pace Has Its Place on For CS Majors, How Important Is the "Where?" · · Score: 1

    You said you think degrees are overrated, but you mentioned that of the best people in your field, "most have a BA or MFA" though. Degrees are important, but not in the "I can prove I know X" kind of way. Having a degree shows that you are willing to commit to something and see it through to completion and that you have a willingness to learn new things.

    Skills can be taught. Personal character cannot.

  25. Re:The temptation... on Robotic Presence For a Telecommuter · · Score: 1

    Yeah but that might be a bit redundant...