The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I remember the days when new PC's used to come laden with so much junk-ware that you had to format the hard drive just to make it usable. The same thing has happened to Android phones, except that most people can't wipe the slate clean and set up the phone cleanly.
If this becomes as bad as email spam has become, then it will make the US phone system completely useless. People will simply stop answering their phone unless it is a number they know. However, sometimes you do have to take a call from a number you don't recognize, such as for a delivery or a call from a doctor or small business. When people stop taking those calls, then how will these companies reach their customers?
That suggestion is a near impossibility in many large corporations, unless you are talking about moving it to MS Access.
Most large corporations keep their databases, and all access to them, under tight lock and key. In many cases, you are not allowed to even install a copy of their in-house database, or a free database. You are only allowed to use what comes installed on your work machine, which usually is just MS Office. Installing anything you find on the internet is a great way to get fired.
Naturally, people will use the tools given to them, and not those tools denied to them, and since everyone has MS Excel, big corporations become overrun with Excel spreadsheets everywhere. They are used for all sort of things, it is incredible.
I have a lot of respect for it, especially its ability to easily manually manipulate chunks of data. I still do not understand pivot tables though. The fact that it is so ubiquitous in companies says something to its versatility and usefulness.
Maybe Giuliani is right when he says "Truth isn't truth".
When anything and everything, such as photos, videos, audio, facts, etc., become as muddied and confused as a psychotic break, then does "Truth" still matter? When "Truth" becomes unknowable, then it becomes useless. You can only react to what you perceive. Like for a person having a psychotic break, that often means reacting in a chaotic or harmful way.
I can't imagine what this will do to society. Perhaps society will react to things in ways more fitting to ancient times, when people had no idea how nature really worked, and chalked events up to the gods, fate, or the supernatural.
It really depends on the type of programming/systems work that needs to be done. Full stack development is different from back end development, which is different from database development, which is different from business logic development, and so on. Each of these require a different set of knowledge and skills.
Overall, you need the ability to think logically and to be able to understand how the entire system works together.
For some tasks, such as analyzing/implementing business logic, an understanding of the business itself, the ability to manage people, expectations, and timelines, and good communication/documentation skills are paramount. If you're working within a system that is designed to hide away much of the technical cruft, allowing an employee to focus on business logic without the need for so much technical knowledge, then I suggest that a non-stem major, such as an English or Business Management major, can achieve the best results. A CS major might feel out of place, and become frustrated at not being able develop some of the more technical skillsets.
For other tasks, such as those that build up the system that ultimately supports the business, you will need specialized database knowledge, set knowledge, scaling knowledge, systems design knowledge, and so on. For those, a CS, Math, or Systems Architect major can achieve the best results.
One trend I see in corporate CS is the fact that some companies are becoming frustrated with proliferating technical skillset requirements, and are trying to disengage themselves from the tangled technical web many systems become, even going so far as to develop their proprietary own in-house programming languages that require very few industry-standard technical skills to use.
I have been through some extremely difficult cancellation procedures.
Difficult cancellation processes is why I refuse to sign up for most monthly billed services. I once received a complimentary XM Radio service for a few months, as part of an auto dealership service promotion. I liked the service, and wanted to extend it, but once I realized that I would have to be billed month-to-month via credit card, and would have to cancel via phone call, I decided it was not worth it.
It was easier when you had to pay for things by check through the postal service. For example, if you decided to stop taking a magazine, all you had to do was ignore the resubscription mail, and the magazines would stop coming. If you wanted to start it up again, all you had to do was send in a check with one of those "We want you back!" mailings they inevitably sent you.
The consumer had much more control.
I hope this leads to the consumer having more control again.
At work I have to use IE, Chrome and Edge.
Some of our internal sites are designed for Chrome, and require Chrome to function. Others require IE to function. With Win10, we also have Edge.
If only our SharePoint sites would work with Edge, then I would ditch IE all together.
You need to do at least three things. First, you need to provide them with direction. They need assurance that they need to know specific skills and that the time spent learning won't be wasted. Second, they need the time to learn. Perhaps set aside a week or so for classes or self learning. Something structured would give better results. Third, they need the materials, be it machines, books, or classes. For vendor specific skills vendor provided class may be the best choice.
It seems strange that the company has brought in new technologies without IT ever getting involved. Are there some territorial issues at play? Sometimes when new technology is brought in there is resistance to IT getting involved and interfering.
As long as your wireless provider still lets it connect to their network, I would just keep it. If it still does what you need it to do, then why spend $700 on a new phone and a new more expensive wireless plan? I still have mine, a Nokia Lumia. I got it in 2013 and use it every day. I use it to check email, check the news/stocks, check the weather apps, make phone calls, and for web browsing. It can even be used to listen to FM radio broadcasts with a set of headphones.
The browser crashes all the time now, but it did not before. Todays websites load up so much advertising cruft that the phone runs out of memory. Those sites just don't get used now.
I realize that I am missing out on all of those essential apps, but I don't need them. The fact that my companies email admins don't support the phone is actually a bonus.
If you want to remain in the Windows universe, you can get the HP Elite or Alcatel Idol. You should be able to try out the HP at a Microsoft store. Staples also sells HP phones now.
The HP Elite seems like a very good phone, but it's been out for a year now.
This is exactly the kind of thing this would be good for.
From the article, they will not visit unless the customer took the first step by visiting a BestBuy and setting up an appointment.
These visits would be useful to help clinch a sale for things such as home theatres, dish washers, and washing machines, etc.
The buyer might be hesitant to finish the purchase at the store because they can't visualize how the theater might be set up in the living room, or they don't know the dimensions of the dishwasher opening, or they don't the first thing about setting up a network.
I imagine they would limit this to the higher margin purchases.
I would leave the cable in place. If you ever install an outdoor or attic TV antenna, then the coaxial cable will make it easy to get the signal to multiple rooms. Many people still want cable hookup in every room, so it is good for resale value.
Applesoft Basic on the Apple IIe was my first, along with some of the older Integer Basic, which seemed to run faster. Back then, programming for me consisted of typing in programs from magazines and books. I even typed in Apple hexadecimal machine code from magazines.
Next was Basic programming on an IBM PCjr in high school, which was my first exposure to real, proper programming. Look back now, my high school was very forward thinking, and I was lucky to have attended that school.
Pascal was my favorite early language, starting with a Pascal compiler on the Z-80 Softcard, followed by a very good Pascal compiler that ran on the Macintosh. In the late 80's, colleges taught basic principles, such as data structures and algorithms, using Pascal.
No, she did the correct thing by going to HR right away.
It is better to make it known immediately that you will not put up with that kind of garbage. Putting up with it increases the power he will have over you, and can make it more difficult to get him to stop. It's the "show no weakness" rule.
There is no reason not to expect professionalism, even from your boss. If you can't get it, then move on to a more professional setting asap. It's better to leave because unprofessional work places can instill bad habits, expectations and reputations that will follow you around.
How many technologies have died in large part due to security issues?
VB and VB Scripting, ActiveX, Silverlight, Flash, Java, Browser plugins: the list goes on.
So when is JavaScript going to be tossed?
It's frustrating for so many client end technologies to be tossed partly due to the security issues they brought. In a way, I actually miss the days when most applications were written using VB or MFC style interfaces, and GUI widgets were being developed and released by the hundreds.
All big companies do this. I just ignore them. Their interests never align with mine, even though they would like me to think that they do. Perhaps if the ties-that-bind were a little bit more stable, with more common interests between employee-employer, I might feel differently. Otherwise, it's just a waste of money.
One thing all stock market crashes have in common is debt. Stock declines force margin calls, which forces selling, leading to more declines, a vicious cycle.
Margin trading for individual investors is a recent development. Previously, individual investors were not allowed to open margin accounts. As this old article explains, China brokerages became nervous of the margin debt at the peak. As soon as brokerages tightened margin requirements, the selloff began. This article from December 2014 goes into a little more detail on the recent history of margin in the China markets.
There is also Shadow debt in the market, off-balance-sheet debt invested in the market, sometimes at a leverage of 3 to 1. Normal margin accounts are much more restrictive, about 9%. This shadow debt has been around for a few years now, but the latest boom is much more recent.
It should be noted that the China market has had huge booms and busts in the past, without the more recent leverage.
I sometimes wonder if programming in general is in decline. Of course, there are hot spot areas, such as phone apps at the moment.
Based on my own anecdotal observations, there seems to be more demand for System Architects than Programmers. It's a "Software as a service" world now, and companies want people who can choose the correct puzzle pieces to put together into a practical system.
With the advent of "cloud" services, where services are not just shared within an organization, but across the entire world, I can see how actual customized coding may become less necessary for individual companies.
Companies want systems that can be built quickly, without all of the bugs and issues that can come from completely customized systems. They still want some customization, but perhaps not to the extent of a system being built from the ground-up.
I've seen a few of these kiosks in fast food restaurants where I live. They were covered in food and filth. There is no way I am touching those nasty things.
Aside from the lack of sleep and general burnout, working overtime also tends to skew expectations with management.
Upper management is not going to be aware of exactly the amount of effort required complete a project. They are only going to see the results, the number of employees, and the amount of resources it took to achieve those results. So, if everybody gives it 110%, with lots of overtime and everything, that has the effect of raising the expectations of management. This leads management to believe employees can accomplish this great feat as a matter of course, when in fact, that type of effort can't be repeated. It all ends up with management making unrealistic demands while believing it is entirely reasonable.
This story brings a couple of quotes from the movie Enter the Dragon:
1) To a student he's instructing - "Don't think, feel"
2) Holding up his fist - "It hits all by itself"
I've always felt that writing good code is very similar to writing a good essay or research paper. The process is about the same. The thinking is about the same. The ideal steps followed to produce a decent paper are similar to the steps followed to produce decent code.
I've always thought that a good essay writer can make a good programmer. In particular, good essay writers can make good programmer/analysts or project managers. In both worlds, you struggle with scope, organization, and fact finding. Answering the question "What is this paper/program really and truly about?" is the primary task.
This guy was apparently obsessed with video poker. He played constantly and knew the game inside and out. Apparently he stumbled across a bug, and was able to repeat the necessary steps to reproduce it.
I think this is more like an obsessive video game player, who plays the game enough to learn every trick and secret. For example, say there is a particular game boss you wish to defeat. Play enough, and you learn the boss encounter by heart. You will know what the boss will do and when. You will learn where to stand, what abilities to use, how to cheese it, everything. Eventually, you will be able to beat in your sleep. Is that hacking?
To me, hacking would be modifying the software or machine or obtaining the source code to find exploits.
This is stealing, like taking advantage from a malfunctioning ATM machine to obtain lots of cash is stealing. If you take money from a malfunctioning ATM, is that hacking? It is not.
Working from home can be just 2 steps away from a day off. It is useful every once in a while, so employees can wait for the repair man or handle the kids. However, from my experiences, when you work from home, your coworkers treat it as if you were out sick. When you work from home, you miss a lot of scuttlebutt, impromptu meetings, and hallway chats that electronic communications just don't make up for.
I think that some trimming of the fat is long overdue for the military. It will force them to think about what is really necessary, what is "nice to have", and what is obsolete. It might even force the politicians to think a little more carefully about how the military is used and what its role is supposed to be. (Fat chance?)
Slashdot Mirror
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I remember the days when new PC's used to come laden with so much junk-ware that you had to format the hard drive just to make it usable. The same thing has happened to Android phones, except that most people can't wipe the slate clean and set up the phone cleanly.
If this becomes as bad as email spam has become, then it will make the US phone system completely useless. People will simply stop answering their phone unless it is a number they know. However, sometimes you do have to take a call from a number you don't recognize, such as for a delivery or a call from a doctor or small business. When people stop taking those calls, then how will these companies reach their customers?
That suggestion is a near impossibility in many large corporations, unless you are talking about moving it to MS Access.
Most large corporations keep their databases, and all access to them, under tight lock and key. In many cases, you are not allowed to even install a copy of their in-house database, or a free database. You are only allowed to use what comes installed on your work machine, which usually is just MS Office. Installing anything you find on the internet is a great way to get fired.
Naturally, people will use the tools given to them, and not those tools denied to them, and since everyone has MS Excel, big corporations become overrun with Excel spreadsheets everywhere. They are used for all sort of things, it is incredible.
I have a lot of respect for it, especially its ability to easily manually manipulate chunks of data. I still do not understand pivot tables though. The fact that it is so ubiquitous in companies says something to its versatility and usefulness.
Maybe Giuliani is right when he says "Truth isn't truth".
When anything and everything, such as photos, videos, audio, facts, etc., become as muddied and confused as a psychotic break, then does "Truth" still matter? When "Truth" becomes unknowable, then it becomes useless. You can only react to what you perceive. Like for a person having a psychotic break, that often means reacting in a chaotic or harmful way.
I can't imagine what this will do to society. Perhaps society will react to things in ways more fitting to ancient times, when people had no idea how nature really worked, and chalked events up to the gods, fate, or the supernatural.
It really depends on the type of programming/systems work that needs to be done. Full stack development is different from back end development, which is different from database development, which is different from business logic development, and so on. Each of these require a different set of knowledge and skills.
Overall, you need the ability to think logically and to be able to understand how the entire system works together.
For some tasks, such as analyzing/implementing business logic, an understanding of the business itself, the ability to manage people, expectations, and timelines, and good communication/documentation skills are paramount. If you're working within a system that is designed to hide away much of the technical cruft, allowing an employee to focus on business logic without the need for so much technical knowledge, then I suggest that a non-stem major, such as an English or Business Management major, can achieve the best results. A CS major might feel out of place, and become frustrated at not being able develop some of the more technical skillsets.
For other tasks, such as those that build up the system that ultimately supports the business, you will need specialized database knowledge, set knowledge, scaling knowledge, systems design knowledge, and so on. For those, a CS, Math, or Systems Architect major can achieve the best results.
One trend I see in corporate CS is the fact that some companies are becoming frustrated with proliferating technical skillset requirements, and are trying to disengage themselves from the tangled technical web many systems become, even going so far as to develop their proprietary own in-house programming languages that require very few industry-standard technical skills to use.
I have been through some extremely difficult cancellation procedures.
Difficult cancellation processes is why I refuse to sign up for most monthly billed services. I once received a complimentary XM Radio service for a few months, as part of an auto dealership service promotion. I liked the service, and wanted to extend it, but once I realized that I would have to be billed month-to-month via credit card, and would have to cancel via phone call, I decided it was not worth it.
It was easier when you had to pay for things by check through the postal service. For example, if you decided to stop taking a magazine, all you had to do was ignore the resubscription mail, and the magazines would stop coming. If you wanted to start it up again, all you had to do was send in a check with one of those "We want you back!" mailings they inevitably sent you.
The consumer had much more control.
I hope this leads to the consumer having more control again.
At work I have to use IE, Chrome and Edge.
Some of our internal sites are designed for Chrome, and require Chrome to function. Others require IE to function. With Win10, we also have Edge.
If only our SharePoint sites would work with Edge, then I would ditch IE all together.
You need to do at least three things.
First, you need to provide them with direction. They need assurance that they need to know specific skills and that the time spent learning won't be wasted.
Second, they need the time to learn. Perhaps set aside a week or so for classes or self learning. Something structured would give better results.
Third, they need the materials, be it machines, books, or classes. For vendor specific skills vendor provided class may be the best choice.
It seems strange that the company has brought in new technologies without IT ever getting involved. Are there some territorial issues at play? Sometimes when new technology is brought in there is resistance to IT getting involved and interfering.
As long as your wireless provider still lets it connect to their network, I would just keep it. If it still does what you need it to do, then why spend $700 on a new phone and a new more expensive wireless plan?
I still have mine, a Nokia Lumia. I got it in 2013 and use it every day. I use it to check email, check the news/stocks, check the weather apps, make phone calls, and for web browsing. It can even be used to listen to FM radio broadcasts with a set of headphones.
The browser crashes all the time now, but it did not before. Todays websites load up so much advertising cruft that the phone runs out of memory. Those sites just don't get used now.
I realize that I am missing out on all of those essential apps, but I don't need them. The fact that my companies email admins don't support the phone is actually a bonus.
If you want to remain in the Windows universe, you can get the HP Elite or Alcatel Idol. You should be able to try out the HP at a Microsoft store. Staples also sells HP phones now.
The HP Elite seems like a very good phone, but it's been out for a year now.
This is exactly the kind of thing this would be good for.
From the article, they will not visit unless the customer took the first step by visiting a BestBuy and setting up an appointment.
These visits would be useful to help clinch a sale for things such as home theatres, dish washers, and washing machines, etc.
The buyer might be hesitant to finish the purchase at the store because they can't visualize how the theater might be set up in the living room, or they don't know the dimensions of the dishwasher opening, or they don't the first thing about setting up a network.
I imagine they would limit this to the higher margin purchases.
I would leave the cable in place. If you ever install an outdoor or attic TV antenna, then the coaxial cable will make it easy to get the signal to multiple rooms. Many people still want cable hookup in every room, so it is good for resale value.
Applesoft Basic on the Apple IIe was my first, along with some of the older Integer Basic, which seemed to run faster. Back then, programming for me consisted of typing in programs from magazines and books. I even typed in Apple hexadecimal machine code from magazines.
Next was Basic programming on an IBM PCjr in high school, which was my first exposure to real, proper programming. Look back now, my high school was very forward thinking, and I was lucky to have attended that school.
Pascal was my favorite early language, starting with a Pascal compiler on the Z-80 Softcard, followed by a very good Pascal compiler that ran on the Macintosh. In the late 80's, colleges taught basic principles, such as data structures and algorithms, using Pascal.
No, she did the correct thing by going to HR right away.
It is better to make it known immediately that you will not put up with that kind of garbage. Putting up with it increases the power he will have over you, and can make it more difficult to get him to stop. It's the "show no weakness" rule.
There is no reason not to expect professionalism, even from your boss. If you can't get it, then move on to a more professional setting asap. It's better to leave because unprofessional work places can instill bad habits, expectations and reputations that will follow you around.
How many technologies have died in large part due to security issues? VB and VB Scripting, ActiveX, Silverlight, Flash, Java, Browser plugins: the list goes on.
So when is JavaScript going to be tossed?
It's frustrating for so many client end technologies to be tossed partly due to the security issues they brought.
In a way, I actually miss the days when most applications were written using VB or MFC style interfaces, and GUI widgets were being developed and released by the hundreds.
All big companies do this. I just ignore them. Their interests never align with mine, even though they would like me to think that they do. Perhaps if the ties-that-bind were a little bit more stable, with more common interests between employee-employer, I might feel differently. Otherwise, it's just a waste of money.
So Facebook wants to decide what will work on the Internet now? I thought that was Googles job.
One thing all stock market crashes have in common is debt. Stock declines force margin calls, which forces selling, leading to more declines, a vicious cycle.
Margin trading for individual investors is a recent development. Previously, individual investors were not allowed to open margin accounts. As this old article explains, China brokerages became nervous of the margin debt at the peak. As soon as brokerages tightened margin requirements, the selloff began. This article from December 2014 goes into a little more detail on the recent history of margin in the China markets.
There is also Shadow debt in the market, off-balance-sheet debt invested in the market, sometimes at a leverage of 3 to 1. Normal margin accounts are much more restrictive, about 9%. This shadow debt has been around for a few years now, but the latest boom is much more recent.
It should be noted that the China market has had huge booms and busts in the past, without the more recent leverage.
I sometimes wonder if programming in general is in decline. Of course, there are hot spot areas, such as phone apps at the moment. Based on my own anecdotal observations, there seems to be more demand for System Architects than Programmers. It's a "Software as a service" world now, and companies want people who can choose the correct puzzle pieces to put together into a practical system. With the advent of "cloud" services, where services are not just shared within an organization, but across the entire world, I can see how actual customized coding may become less necessary for individual companies. Companies want systems that can be built quickly, without all of the bugs and issues that can come from completely customized systems. They still want some customization, but perhaps not to the extent of a system being built from the ground-up.
I've seen a few of these kiosks in fast food restaurants where I live. They were covered in food and filth. There is no way I am touching those nasty things.
Aside from the lack of sleep and general burnout, working overtime also tends to skew expectations with management. Upper management is not going to be aware of exactly the amount of effort required complete a project. They are only going to see the results, the number of employees, and the amount of resources it took to achieve those results. So, if everybody gives it 110%, with lots of overtime and everything, that has the effect of raising the expectations of management. This leads management to believe employees can accomplish this great feat as a matter of course, when in fact, that type of effort can't be repeated. It all ends up with management making unrealistic demands while believing it is entirely reasonable.
This story brings a couple of quotes from the movie Enter the Dragon: 1) To a student he's instructing - "Don't think, feel" 2) Holding up his fist - "It hits all by itself"
I've always felt that writing good code is very similar to writing a good essay or research paper. The process is about the same. The thinking is about the same. The ideal steps followed to produce a decent paper are similar to the steps followed to produce decent code.
I've always thought that a good essay writer can make a good programmer. In particular, good essay writers can make good programmer/analysts or project managers. In both worlds, you struggle with scope, organization, and fact finding. Answering the question "What is this paper/program really and truly about?" is the primary task.
This guy was apparently obsessed with video poker. He played constantly and knew the game inside and out. Apparently he stumbled across a bug, and was able to repeat the necessary steps to reproduce it.
I think this is more like an obsessive video game player, who plays the game enough to learn every trick and secret. For example, say there is a particular game boss you wish to defeat. Play enough, and you learn the boss encounter by heart. You will know what the boss will do and when. You will learn where to stand, what abilities to use, how to cheese it, everything. Eventually, you will be able to beat in your sleep. Is that hacking?
To me, hacking would be modifying the software or machine or obtaining the source code to find exploits.
This is stealing, like taking advantage from a malfunctioning ATM machine to obtain lots of cash is stealing. If you take money from a malfunctioning ATM, is that hacking? It is not.
Working from home can be just 2 steps away from a day off. It is useful every once in a while, so employees can wait for the repair man or handle the kids. However, from my experiences, when you work from home, your coworkers treat it as if you were out sick. When you work from home, you miss a lot of scuttlebutt, impromptu meetings, and hallway chats that electronic communications just don't make up for.
I think that some trimming of the fat is long overdue for the military. It will force them to think about what is really necessary, what is "nice to have", and what is obsolete. It might even force the politicians to think a little more carefully about how the military is used and what its role is supposed to be. (Fat chance?)