I formerly used ebay to find collectible items --> now use rubylane for that, hard to locate books --> abebooks and numerous others, hard to find music --> now use eil and just buy the stuff I want. There are a few other examples like this, but if you dig around enough decent alternatives are available.
It just seems to me that the auction concept doesn't work quite as well in all areas. I still find good numismatics on ebay that can be purchased through auction and sometimes pick up decent refurbished or gently used items that I would rather not pay a new sticker price for --> got a nice digital camera that way. Occasionally, I find some good green coffee beans for auction, but often just use the Buy It Now feature
In general though, ebay has become about like amazon for me: I use it to make outright purchases. I haven't sold anything on ebay in over 3 years and doubt if I will again.
my experience with research was not in the technology field, but it sure was a paper game.
i know for a fact that the folks in Washington, DC did not look at what we put in our quarterly updates. they may as well have used a scale to see if the weight of our submission was increasing at a satisfactory rate.
i much prefer working in the technology field as an installer & trainer for a software package. when i leave a job, i can, and do, document the work i have done. i have, in hand, a series of tests my clients take to show that i accomplished what i set out to do.
since i start an installation by explaining what i intend to accomplish with my clients; then do just that; then show them that in fact they do know how to use our software, everyone gets what they hoped for. it's far more satisfying than research.
i made a similar move from geek to manager at the beginning of 2000 at the suggestion of my manager.
i had a great deal of respect for him and the way our department was run.
i worked in the installations department, so i travelled a lot, putting our systems in clients' businesses. as our company grew, a couple of us were promoted to manage groups of installers.
because i had a such a good example to follow in my boss, i modeled how i worked with my crew as he had done with me: provide all the training & tools needed; when requested/required offer: advice, guidance, discipline; listen to the needs of the on site crew; STAY OUT OF THE WAY because the individuals who make up the team will accomplish well defined objectives in their unique way.
i was worried about losing touch with the accounts i had worked hard to develop and with the problems we typically encountered on installs. the solution? my manager had us continue to do an install every other month with a different crew member. so, once more i learned from my boss to listen to what folks are saying (figure what their wants/needs are) and take the steps to help them realize the wishes they have.
moving into management for me has been a positive experience because i had a great boss who provided a good example to follow... stuff i never could have learned in a book or class.
i don't watch the news for anything other than the ads, so i would like to see more Victoria's Secret and Coors Lite ads (with the twins, of course). the stories just don't do it for me anymore.
MORE FILLER, LESS CONTENT!
and i don't think i've ever heard of a Solaris box dumping on McNeally either.
but when practical matters are taken into consideration, most folks can't even afford the hardware to run these OS'es, much less find the tools and apps they want to. i know Sun is working to make Solaris usable on x86, but that's a long way from being widely usable.
i don't have any difficulty finding several cars that meet my needs. getting the combination of good hardware and software seems darn near impossible.
i don't thing we're near as technically advanced as we would like to believe.
hmm. i must be one of those dumb, blind optimists... or i've just been around lots of intelligent adolescents. i'm thinking the next generation is going to be OK.
i live in a small town with a branch of the state university system as the only thing that makes this town close to tolerable. most of the students i encounter are a decent bunch.
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I formerly used ebay to find collectible items --> now use rubylane for that, hard to locate books --> abebooks and numerous others, hard to find music --> now use eil and just buy the stuff I want. There are a few other examples like this, but if you dig around enough decent alternatives are available. It just seems to me that the auction concept doesn't work quite as well in all areas. I still find good numismatics on ebay that can be purchased through auction and sometimes pick up decent refurbished or gently used items that I would rather not pay a new sticker price for --> got a nice digital camera that way. Occasionally, I find some good green coffee beans for auction, but often just use the Buy It Now feature In general though, ebay has become about like amazon for me: I use it to make outright purchases. I haven't sold anything on ebay in over 3 years and doubt if I will again.
i much prefer working in the technology field as an installer & trainer for a software package. when i leave a job, i can, and do, document the work i have done. i have, in hand, a series of tests my clients take to show that i accomplished what i set out to do.
since i start an installation by explaining what i intend to accomplish with my clients; then do just that; then show them that in fact they do know how to use our software, everyone gets what they hoped for. it's far more satisfying than research.
i worked in the installations department, so i travelled a lot, putting our systems in clients' businesses. as our company grew, a couple of us were promoted to manage groups of installers.
because i had a such a good example to follow in my boss, i modeled how i worked with my crew as he had done with me: provide all the training & tools needed; when requested/required offer: advice, guidance, discipline; listen to the needs of the on site crew; STAY OUT OF THE WAY because the individuals who make up the team will accomplish well defined objectives in their unique way.
i was worried about losing touch with the accounts i had worked hard to develop and with the problems we typically encountered on installs. the solution? my manager had us continue to do an install every other month with a different crew member. so, once more i learned from my boss to listen to what folks are saying (figure what their wants/needs are) and take the steps to help them realize the wishes they have.
moving into management for me has been a positive experience because i had a great boss who provided a good example to follow... stuff i never could have learned in a book or class.
i don't watch the news for anything other than the ads, so i would like to see more Victoria's Secret and Coors Lite ads (with the twins, of course). the stories just don't do it for me anymore. MORE FILLER, LESS CONTENT!
i don't have any difficulty finding several cars that meet my needs. getting the combination of good hardware and software seems darn near impossible.
i don't thing we're near as technically advanced as we would like to believe.
i guess i'm a social sort of geek.
i live in a small town with a branch of the state university system as the only thing that makes this town close to tolerable. most of the students i encounter are a decent bunch.