She should be awarded the $100,000 and then declared mentally incompetant and not responsible for her actions. She should be fitted with footy pajamas and a bib, all meals to be pureed and she should not be left unattended. She should become a ward of the state unless there is family willing to assume responsibility for her well being. She should be institutionalized for a period of not less than 2 years for observation and treatment with the aim of returning her to a fully functional state.
This is the only way to ‘entice’ adults to take responsibility for their own actions and to not file these kinds of frivolous lawsuits. This is really embarrasing for the plaintiff, for the court system and for the country as a whole.
Bottom Line: If this woman asserts that she cannot be held responsible for her actions, then remove her from responsibility for ANY of her actions. And in so doing, you MUST remove her authority/ability to make and decisions that could further injure her. This would be a kind and just resolution in this case, whether she is actually incompetant or simply greedy and irresponsible. This verdict would work in either situation.
If the story you tell is true (and I have NO reason to believe it isn't), then you were working with a new/unskilled UNIX/Novell admin. There's nearly nothing you can do with a GUI that you shouldn't be able to do just as easily with the command line. I'd like to know how you change the home directory of 300 user accounts in 20 minutes in a GUI. I can do the same thing in a command line in 10 seconds. How do you de-activate 110 user accounts easily in a GUI? That takes 5 seconds in a command line. Oh, and if you'd like to use a GUI, UNIX/Linux has not one but several to choose from. HP-UX has CDE, Solaris has CDE or Gnome and don't get started on Linux GUI options.
My guess is the UNIX/Novell admin you were working with was a newbie admin or someone not very skilled in scripting. It happens and we've all worked with weak/mediocre admins if you've spent any time in the field at all. I'm a two time MCSE with certs in Solaris, HP-UX, SCO, Linux and Netware. I've worked long enough that I was once a strong DOS guy and deployed/managed hundreds of OS/2 laptops/workstations. My experience tells me that for scripting and command line systems management, UNIX/Linux can't be beat today. Windows Powershell is a decent start but the ease of scripting in UNIX is unrivaled. SED, GREP and AWK together are incredible and come with EVERY UNIX/Linux sold today. PERL or other scripting tools are just the gravy, great additions but just simplify what you already get with standard, built-in UNIX scripting tools.
When Microsoft has the scripting ease and power of the UNIX command line and a GUI flexible enough to easily do the things I mentioned above (multiple account/file/directory/systems modifications) THEN they will have the ultimate systems admin interface. (Think about this: select any number of objects, apply a filter to the selection to further narrow the affected objects, specify a change/addition/deletion, offer the option to schedule the action and include a re-occuring option, send the action log to a file/email/page/website, specify error/alert message condition and action (logfile/email/txt msg/website).
Bottom line: While this guy was an idiot for posting this word twice while on company time on company equipment, it was unfair to be 'fired' for it. Yes, he resigned. Anyone who believe he resigned voluntarily is also an idiot. He was given a choice and chose the lesser of two evils. Call it what it is, he was fired for doing something stupid.
I'm glad I was never fired for doing something stupid. I didn't say criminal or grossly negligent or very costly to the company. I said something stupid. We've all done it and thank god most of us don't get fired for it. Unfortunately, this guy was. And that it was precipitated by a journalist who solicited comments to a humorous article is what really angers people. Kurt went too far in reporting this guy to the school. That's it. End of story. Kurt should acknowlege that he stepped over the line and move on. The fact that he hasn't is also what angers people. I for one don't like the precident this sets and will be very careful in posting to unfamiliar sites in the future, on or off the job.
Kurt, you may have just chilled quite a few readers into silience which, I guarantee, is not good for your column or on-line journalism in general. Congratulations. And good luck getting responses to your article in the future.
Both of these predate the patent in question. And both were early competitors with Quarterdeck's DesqView. I never used either product but there should be ample evidence of their existence besides the Quarterdeck product.
I think GenKreton got it 99% right. Start with Personal Finances. Add humility to the confidence and it's hard to go wrong.
He's right that most graduating students don't know how to budget, plan, save for their toys or balance their checkbook. Learn these BEFORE graduating and practice every month. Keep in mind that budgeting doesn't mean denying yourself. It means making sure that you CAN have the toys/fun you want while staying warm, dry and well fed.
Second is confidence. Be confident that you know what you know. But also keep the willingness to acknowledge what you don't know and then learn it. The phrase "I don't know" is rarely spoken by computer professionals. The phrase "show me how" is even rarer. Keep both handy and you'll be regarded as someone who knows a lot but doesn't seem arrogant. Try not to feel threatened by someone who seems to know more. If they do know more, learn from them. If they really don't know more, others will figure it out around the same time you do.
The only other thing I can suggest in general is to take ownership of your own career. Don't expect your employer to train you or keep your skills fresh and new. That's your job. Also, keep asking yourself "what are you doing this year that warrants a raise from your employer?". If you don't want to pay your cable company more this year for the same service you got last year, your employer feels the same about their developers and administrators. Upgrade the services you provide, then ask for a raise knowing you deserve it.
And lastly, HAVE SOME FUN! LIFE IS TOO SHORT NOT TO.
We are angry, aren't we. The truth is simple. Microsoft MAY have had one or many reasons for creating the registry that didn't involve anti-piracy. We will NEVER know.
The reality is that the implementation of the registry is --BAD-- !!! Why would you give anyone a database to work with and not provide solid tools to manage it?!!???!?! Where's the re-index/reconcile utility or the rebuild utility or the backup utility or the dump (as in flat file backup) utility? Where are the Microsoft utilities to clean up or filter out (SQL select type)? Any real management of the registry has to be done using third party tools and it's been this way for about 12 years (since 1995 when Win95 was released).
Do you have any idea how many corrupted registry databases I've seen in my support lifetime? Or how many times I've wanted to restore a backup only to realize that the user didn't backup the registry? Or how about trying to move a HD to another machine only to realize that you need to merge the newly needed drivers into the registry or the HD won't boot without a bluescreen.
And let's not try to cleanup the system! You can't just delete program, you must uninstall. Oh, that's right, this application was not well written, so you must now search through the registry to find all the places this apps config settings may be.
Is Microsoft to blame for ALL of this? Maybe not, maybe some of the blame should be placed on lazy application developers and cheap vendor execs. But my point is that Microsoft in 1995 was mature enough as a company and as an OS developer to realize that
1) flat file configs work and have worked for a while. Let's not lightly move away from them just becuase.
2) if we move away, let's keep the good stuff - easy to maintain - easy to backup - difficult to corrupt
3) if we take the (then) radical step of using a database, we MUST assume that it can be corrupted and should be handled like any database - backup regularly in a son/father/grandfather style or other sched - provide strong management tools (re-index/rebuild/backup/dump/search/filter/reconc ile)
This WAS Microsoft's fault 12 years ago and it's inexcusable that after 12 years they haven't resolved this. XML is a viable option and one that should be explored. Either a flat file or XML solution CAN'T be any worse that what we have endured as Microsoft support staff for 12 years with the registry alone. Don't get me started on DLL hell, the final apearance of a real scripting environment (BATCH never counted), and the pricing of their OS's that's bordering on criminal.
Microsoft did a passable job, but as a two time MCSE, I'm done with them. Solaris, HP-UX, Linux, BSD and MacOS X all do a better job of providing a manageable, supportable operating system. Some of these were worse at various points than a (any) MS operating system, but now all of them are easier to support, manage and protect than Windows in any form.
P.S. - get some sleep and try decaf.
If anyone out there remembers the original Battlezone game from Activision, then they remember also the great game play, the fantastic plot and the complex, yet elegant interface. The game combined simulation, first person shooter play, strategy and planning all in one great game. I'm still looking for the expansion packs (The Red Odyssey).
A new sequel that faithfully recreates and updates the original Battlezone game would be incredible and would be an instant hit. If that game received half of the exposure of some of the sad games on the market today, we would not be able to keep them on the shelves.
Doesn't anyone remember the remake of the 80's game Battlezone? Activision rewrote it completely and released it in '98. Graphics were awesome, gameplay was incredible and the flexibility in strategy was terrific!!! You got to drive a tank or bomber or scout, you get to shoot in a first-person-shooter style, you also can hop out and snipe the pilot in another vehicle and steal that vehicle. And then you had to also build a base or some other type of facility to complete the mission. Each level required some type of strategy, good coordination and some willingness to get 'dirty'. The plot was interesting and the scenery was engaging. You went from the Moon to Mars and then Mercury and so on. There were earthquakes, storms, rain, alien animals. You also commanded a squad or platoon that you created. Other tanks, bombers, hoverbikes, remote cameras, walkers. You had so much control at your fingertips. And the controls to manage all that was great. It took a little practice to get used to the interface and be comfortable with managing all that, but it was worth it. To command one or five or all your tanks to attack an enemy gun turret or enemy convoy was incredible. To setup your own line of gun turrets to protect your base while you're off destroying the enemy was incredible. Repairing and rearming your turrets and offensive vehicles, who could have come up with that?
I really miss this game. I wish they would either release the code to opensource or continue building on this game model. Still haven't found anything that kept me engaged for so many years. DOOM (1-4), Quake (1-4), Half-Life 2, Wolfenstein RTCW and many others are terrific games and very entertaining to play. SOme are downright addictive. But nothing replaces that first rewrite of Battlezone. I'd pay $80 for a good sequel to that game.
Man, I miss that game and the team that created it!!!
I once worked for 3 straight weeks, 6 days a week, 12 hours a day in a hot trailer, no window and no air conditioning, 98 degrees, 96% humidity with a rescue inhaler on my hip and a hard hat with a little stick-on indicator dot. If this dot turned black, I had exactly 7 seconds to put on the inhaler, after which point, there was no point. The area used a poisonous gas called phosgene, used as a weapon during World War 1. All the while I'm loading apps on Win NT workstations. Oh, and did I mention the alligators sighted earlier that week on the grounds? I did mention this was in Louisiana, right? For lunch, they provided po'boys (big sub sandwiches) and mudbugs (crawfish or prawns).
FUUUUUuuuuuUUUUUUUNNN!!!
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She should be awarded the $100,000 and then declared mentally incompetant and not responsible for her actions. She should be fitted with footy pajamas and a bib, all meals to be pureed and she should not be left unattended. She should become a ward of the state unless there is family willing to assume responsibility for her well being. She should be institutionalized for a period of not less than 2 years for observation and treatment with the aim of returning her to a fully functional state.
This is the only way to ‘entice’ adults to take responsibility for their own actions and to not file these kinds of frivolous lawsuits. This is really embarrasing for the plaintiff, for the court system and for the country as a whole.
Bottom Line: If this woman asserts that she cannot be held responsible for her actions, then remove her from responsibility for ANY of her actions. And in so doing, you MUST remove her authority/ability to make and decisions that could further injure her. This would be a kind and just resolution in this case, whether she is actually incompetant or simply greedy and irresponsible. This verdict would work in either situation.
If the story you tell is true (and I have NO reason to believe it isn't), then you were working with a new/unskilled UNIX/Novell admin. There's nearly nothing you can do with a GUI that you shouldn't be able to do just as easily with the command line. I'd like to know how you change the home directory of 300 user accounts in 20 minutes in a GUI. I can do the same thing in a command line in 10 seconds. How do you de-activate 110 user accounts easily in a GUI? That takes 5 seconds in a command line. Oh, and if you'd like to use a GUI, UNIX/Linux has not one but several to choose from. HP-UX has CDE, Solaris has CDE or Gnome and don't get started on Linux GUI options.
My guess is the UNIX/Novell admin you were working with was a newbie admin or someone not very skilled in scripting. It happens and we've all worked with weak/mediocre admins if you've spent any time in the field at all. I'm a two time MCSE with certs in Solaris, HP-UX, SCO, Linux and Netware. I've worked long enough that I was once a strong DOS guy and deployed/managed hundreds of OS/2 laptops/workstations. My experience tells me that for scripting and command line systems management, UNIX/Linux can't be beat today. Windows Powershell is a decent start but the ease of scripting in UNIX is unrivaled. SED, GREP and AWK together are incredible and come with EVERY UNIX/Linux sold today. PERL or other scripting tools are just the gravy, great additions but just simplify what you already get with standard, built-in UNIX scripting tools.
When Microsoft has the scripting ease and power of the UNIX command line and a GUI flexible enough to easily do the things I mentioned above (multiple account/file/directory/systems modifications) THEN they will have the ultimate systems admin interface. (Think about this: select any number of objects, apply a filter to the selection to further narrow the affected objects, specify a change/addition/deletion, offer the option to schedule the action and include a re-occuring option, send the action log to a file/email/page/website, specify error/alert message condition and action (logfile/email/txt msg/website).
Bottom line: While this guy was an idiot for posting this word twice while on company time on company equipment, it was unfair to be 'fired' for it. Yes, he resigned. Anyone who believe he resigned voluntarily is also an idiot. He was given a choice and chose the lesser of two evils. Call it what it is, he was fired for doing something stupid.
I'm glad I was never fired for doing something stupid. I didn't say criminal or grossly negligent or very costly to the company. I said something stupid. We've all done it and thank god most of us don't get fired for it. Unfortunately, this guy was. And that it was precipitated by a journalist who solicited comments to a humorous article is what really angers people. Kurt went too far in reporting this guy to the school. That's it. End of story. Kurt should acknowlege that he stepped over the line and move on. The fact that he hasn't is also what angers people. I for one don't like the precident this sets and will be very careful in posting to unfamiliar sites in the future, on or off the job.
Kurt, you may have just chilled quite a few readers into silience which, I guarantee, is not good for your column or on-line journalism in general. Congratulations. And good luck getting responses to your article in the future.
Both of these predate the patent in question. And both were early competitors with Quarterdeck's DesqView. I never used either product but there should be ample evidence of their existence besides the Quarterdeck product.
Hope this helps.
He's right that most graduating students don't know how to budget, plan, save for their toys or balance their checkbook. Learn these BEFORE graduating and practice every month. Keep in mind that budgeting doesn't mean denying yourself. It means making sure that you CAN have the toys/fun you want while staying warm, dry and well fed.
Second is confidence. Be confident that you know what you know. But also keep the willingness to acknowledge what you don't know and then learn it. The phrase "I don't know" is rarely spoken by computer professionals. The phrase "show me how" is even rarer. Keep both handy and you'll be regarded as someone who knows a lot but doesn't seem arrogant. Try not to feel threatened by someone who seems to know more. If they do know more, learn from them. If they really don't know more, others will figure it out around the same time you do.
The only other thing I can suggest in general is to take ownership of your own career. Don't expect your employer to train you or keep your skills fresh and new. That's your job. Also, keep asking yourself "what are you doing this year that warrants a raise from your employer?". If you don't want to pay your cable company more this year for the same service you got last year, your employer feels the same about their developers and administrators. Upgrade the services you provide, then ask for a raise knowing you deserve it.
And lastly, HAVE SOME FUN! LIFE IS TOO SHORT NOT TO.
Hope this helps...
We are angry, aren't we. The truth is simple. Microsoft MAY have had one or many reasons for creating the registry that didn't involve anti-piracy. We will NEVER know. The reality is that the implementation of the registry is --BAD-- !!! Why would you give anyone a database to work with and not provide solid tools to manage it?!!???!?! Where's the re-index/reconcile utility or the rebuild utility or the backup utility or the dump (as in flat file backup) utility? Where are the Microsoft utilities to clean up or filter out (SQL select type)? Any real management of the registry has to be done using third party tools and it's been this way for about 12 years (since 1995 when Win95 was released). Do you have any idea how many corrupted registry databases I've seen in my support lifetime? Or how many times I've wanted to restore a backup only to realize that the user didn't backup the registry? Or how about trying to move a HD to another machine only to realize that you need to merge the newly needed drivers into the registry or the HD won't boot without a bluescreen. And let's not try to cleanup the system! You can't just delete program, you must uninstall. Oh, that's right, this application was not well written, so you must now search through the registry to find all the places this apps config settings may be. Is Microsoft to blame for ALL of this? Maybe not, maybe some of the blame should be placed on lazy application developers and cheap vendor execs. But my point is that Microsoft in 1995 was mature enough as a company and as an OS developer to realize that 1) flat file configs work and have worked for a while. Let's not lightly move away from them just becuase. 2) if we move away, let's keep the good stuff - easy to maintain - easy to backup - difficult to corrupt 3) if we take the (then) radical step of using a database, we MUST assume that it can be corrupted and should be handled like any database - backup regularly in a son/father/grandfather style or other sched - provide strong management tools (re-index/rebuild/backup/dump/search/filter/reconc ile)
This WAS Microsoft's fault 12 years ago and it's inexcusable that after 12 years they haven't resolved this. XML is a viable option and one that should be explored. Either a flat file or XML solution CAN'T be any worse that what we have endured as Microsoft support staff for 12 years with the registry alone. Don't get me started on DLL hell, the final apearance of a real scripting environment (BATCH never counted), and the pricing of their OS's that's bordering on criminal.
Microsoft did a passable job, but as a two time MCSE, I'm done with them. Solaris, HP-UX, Linux, BSD and MacOS X all do a better job of providing a manageable, supportable operating system. Some of these were worse at various points than a (any) MS operating system, but now all of them are easier to support, manage and protect than Windows in any form.
P.S. - get some sleep and try decaf.
Absolutely I'm interested. Let me know how much you want for it and we'll work out the details. Thanks.
If anyone out there remembers the original Battlezone game from Activision, then they remember also the great game play, the fantastic plot and the complex, yet elegant interface. The game combined simulation, first person shooter play, strategy and planning all in one great game. I'm still looking for the expansion packs (The Red Odyssey). A new sequel that faithfully recreates and updates the original Battlezone game would be incredible and would be an instant hit. If that game received half of the exposure of some of the sad games on the market today, we would not be able to keep them on the shelves.
I really miss this game. I wish they would either release the code to opensource or continue building on this game model. Still haven't found anything that kept me engaged for so many years. DOOM (1-4), Quake (1-4), Half-Life 2, Wolfenstein RTCW and many others are terrific games and very entertaining to play. SOme are downright addictive. But nothing replaces that first rewrite of Battlezone. I'd pay $80 for a good sequel to that game.
Man, I miss that game and the team that created it!!!
I once worked for 3 straight weeks, 6 days a week, 12 hours a day in a hot trailer, no window and no air conditioning, 98 degrees, 96% humidity with a rescue inhaler on my hip and a hard hat with a little stick-on indicator dot. If this dot turned black, I had exactly 7 seconds to put on the inhaler, after which point, there was no point. The area used a poisonous gas called phosgene, used as a weapon during World War 1. All the while I'm loading apps on Win NT workstations. Oh, and did I mention the alligators sighted earlier that week on the grounds? I did mention this was in Louisiana, right? For lunch, they provided po'boys (big sub sandwiches) and mudbugs (crawfish or prawns). FUUUUUuuuuuUUUUUUUNNN!!!