While your remark is pretty much flamebait (and, please...M$?), I'm going to remark anyway.
Microsoft's marketing division only "does something useful" because Microsoft relies on them so heavily. But if Microsoft wants to compete with the likes of Google and Apple, they need to beef up their technical and development teams to produce high quality products.
So, yes. Get rid of the people in marketing (only keep the best around), and bring in the right people for development.
When did all this change? Why did this change? It certainly hasn't been for the better - for the USA used to lead the world in production, in technology and development. People used to matter, now each of us is just a cog in the company machine. We are all expendable, and will be dropped on a whim. I wonder why.
Whether it's been for the better or not, I don't know. I want to comment on your last remark, though, "We are all expendable..."
My response? Well duhhhh...
Your company, any company you work for, exists for only one reason. That reason exists to make money. They are not your friends, they are not your mommy and daddy. No. They are a business. Yeah, a great company will work hard to maintain it's good employees and show those employees that they want them there (good pay raises, benefits, promotions), but only the best companies do that.
And, the funny thing about being expendable is that you decide how expendable you are. At the end of the day, no job is "secure" no matter what anybody may think. You don't know what tomorrow is going to bring. But by being great at your job, getting your name out there and showing that you're worth keeping around, you can make it a lot harder for people who want to put you on the chopping block because you'll have supporters within the company who will back you.
No. It's because this time (bad economy) is a good time for companies to "trim the fat." People who aren't producing, but can't *quite* get fired. People who are paid too much for what they do. Etc. Etc.
With the economy in the state it's in, nobody really questions layoffs. So, if a company wants to tighten their belt a bit, they can do it now.
You're saying (and I'm paraphrasing starting at the first paragraph after your quote), "Obama is just another politician and he's going to mess up...but because he fills us with HOPE, then the rest of you doubters need to STFU and let us be at peace in la-la land."
Obama may or may not do well. That remains to be seen. In fact, I'm somewhat excited to see what he has to offer - he's obviously intelligent, has charisma, and is very well spoken. I also believe he cares about the American people. This is an exciting time for our country.
HOWEVER...by saying, "shut up and let us live in peace" you are ignoring the fact that Obama IS just a man and this country still has issues. Yes, people have hope now. But what happens if Obama can't produce? There's a lot of layers of government (and rightly so) that may hinder his efforts (which is bound to happen). There is nothing wrong with being realistic - you can have hope and still be realistic. There is nothing wrong with talking about it - burying issues does not solve them. If people want to hope, that's great. But if they want to hope AND bury their heads in the sand and say, "La la la la...Obama's got our back..." then they (and you) need to take that hope and turn that hope into action.
You are correct on one point - a company exists to make money, and look after its own interests. Absolutely. However, one thing you seem to be forgetting that it IS in Google's interest to protect your data. Do they have a lot of it? Absolutely. But they're not just going to pass it around willy-nilly unless there is a very good reason for them to.
Of course, you don't actually need to trust Google. You don't have to use their products and you can setup your own tools. But this isn't an option for most people. And Google makes some very excellent products that mesh well together. As a result, they provide a service that people will use. You aren't going to convince people any differently.
I would venture a guess that, while Yahoo's may not be better, their name is much more recognizable and THAT is why Microsoft wanted them. You can't make inroads to a market with a non-recognizable name.
That why if you are doing something that seems ethically questionable make sure there is paper work to back it up. Even an email from your boss saying its OK we will handle it. Prevents you from getting hung out to dry.
Or, ya know, just don't do that thing.
If something seems ethically questionable, there's more than one person out there that will find it wrong. Just don't do it. There are other ways to "get to the top" rather than having to cheat your way up there.
Teetotalers die younger than those who consume moderate amounts of alcohol.
...which may have absolutely nothing to do with alcohol.
People who avoid alcohol completely may also be more uptight, more prone to stress, less able to relax, etc, etc. THAT may be why they die earlier and it has nothing to do with the fact that they didn't do shots with their buddies last Friday.
I have done so for more than 25 years with no hallucinations (as far as I can tell) or baseless paranoia.
1. How are you going to know if you're hallucinating? Unless you are always asking someone, you'll never know for sure.
2. Even better, I like how you said "no...baseless paranoia." Really? And what, exactly, makes your paranoia based in anything? A person's paranoia is absolutely correct according to that person. So, of course your own paranoia isn't baseless.
Maybe you should get a second (or third) opinion from the outside.
This actually sounds like a really cool idea. I'd be up for playing something like this. That's the one thing I can't stand about games like CounterStrike is that people don't *have* to use cover tactics.
You may as well say being dumped in a room with computers qualifies you as a software architect.
Not quite the analogy I was going for. What I was trying to point out is that those early social situations were my classroom. I didn't need to take a class on how to be social - I just went and did it. Sure, you *can* take a class, but, in my life, experience has *always* been better than sitting and learning theory.
Where I work they actually give you two weeks training on dealing with other people when you start. It is quite evident between someone who doesn't have the training/skills and who does. I am not talking about being able to just talk to people. Your trained in dealing with hostile people, picking up on non-verbal cues, personality styles, etc.
"Where I work they actually give you two weeks training on writing code when you start. It is quite evident between someone who doesn't have the training/skills and who does..."
Some people already have the skills, and they are better honed. The people who don't have good social skills aren't going to learn too much more from a class.
Don't worry about the context or voice. I'm not reading into it.
I'm only going to answer your last part (just for brevity).
The rule is: if they've already decided they like you, it doesn't really matter; if they've already decided they don't, anything and everything forms a handy excuse.
I've had people who have met me and liked me right away and people who met me and hated me. I've changed both types of people's opinions. They don't have to last if you don't want.
There are? How did you find your events?
I just looked things up online. Sport and social groups. Events for things I like to do. I joined a gym. My workplace has a group that goes out to the bar every once in awhile. I just did/do all those (or at least what I'm interested in).
Did a friend take you? What if I don't have friends? Or if I live in a small town? Well, I guess I should move, right? So how do I find a job in a city I want to live in? Oh, yes, you need a network... which I don't have.:-/
Nope. No friend took me. Nope. I didn't know anybody. I just went. I forced myself to go. Sounds crazy, right? Oh yeah...it was. Was I freaked out a bit doing it? You better believe it.
That's the other thing. Even if you do get yourself out there, don't expect people to accept you right away. Even at places where I felt comfortable, if I was a new face, I was treated with some distance for the first few times. People need time to warm up. So, if you expect people to warm up to you quickly, drop that expectation. That isn't typical - that's the exceptional case.
You don't necessarily need an existing network to create a new one.
Did you ever join a group or go to some social event, by yourself, where you didn't already know someone there?
All the time - especially when I first started doing it. Forcing myself into situations I didn't feel comfortable helped me become more comfortable in the long run.
Again, what I did may not be for everybody - you have to decide for yourself. But, the only thing I do know is if there is something you want to get better at, you have to practice it - it doesn't matter whether it's computers, math or social skills.
No...I didn't say it was easy. I apologize if I made it seem that way. I had some tough days with certain groups that I eventually just gave up on because it wasn't worth it. However, I kept trying and definitely did not give up until I found groups and things I fit into.
In my experience, it really all does boil down to me just not *knowing* the unspoken boundaries that other people somehow know.
I think, to some extent, you are very right. Some people (I have one individual that I knew in mind) just do not seem to understand certain rules of social etiquette. They just don't seem to understand that you don't say certain things, or you don't touch people (typically), or you stay a certain distance from people when talking to them...very simple things that make sense to many people, but not to everybody.
Honestly, what you can do about this, I'm not sure. I have a couple things I would try (including taking courses in public speaking - Dale Carnegie's courses, while expensive, are fantastic).
Okay, well this post is getting long. I don't know if I'm representative of socially inept people. But please, stop giving trite dismissals of us (I know you weren't specically doing this, but many in the discussion are). This loneliness is starting to really cripple me -- I never realized growing up how important it would be later in life to have friends. While there may be a few nerds that genuinely don't care what others think, I think you're mainly seeing people doing the best they can to cope with a bad situation.
I was most definitely not dismissing you. Heck...I was you. Just, for whatever reason, I picked up the cues a little easier than you did. And, for the record, I don't think there is anybody who doesn't care what others think on some level.
And how painfully I learned this:-(
Please read my revised statement. There are still a ton of opportunities. They're just not presented quite as readily.
You did it, congratulations! You should feel proud of yourself, because you accomplished what many people fail to do and continue to suffer from.
Why, thank you./bow
When you first started meeting people, did you feel inadequate and scared?
It was nerve wracking, I'll admit. And, for quite some time, I wasn't always sure I was really welcome. But, I kept persisting.
For anybody looking to do the same thing, I recommend this advice. Find something you're good at (for me, it was martial arts), and then find something that is similar, but not the exact same thing and do that with a group of people. So, in my case, it was dancing. Still a physical activity, still involved coordination/balance/etc, and gave me a social "in" with a new group of people. From there, I learned about their interests and developed new tastes.
Of course, one size may not fit all...but...it's a good place to start.
The only part of your story that I disagree with is when you say that "you don't necessarily get those types of opportunities once you leave". You will always be a social creature and will always have the opportunity to gain self-esteem. You just probably won't have the free-wheeling, hooking-up party atmosphere of college that really isn't representative of responsible adult life anyway.
Good point. I'll correct myself in saying, "You may get similar opportunities, but they're not as easily accessible and presented to you in such a nice fashion and in a location with so many people of the same age."
Every city and county between new york and san francisco is filled to the ears with "adults" who never grew up. (that's not to say there aren't a fair share IN those cities, but the ratio is far higher in what is colloquially referred to as "middle america".
Ah yes. I can from your stat...wait...oh...wait. No statistics were provided. Hrm...
It's called "parties" and "extracurricular activities" and "sports" and the millions of other opportunities that college provides.
(For the record I'm not trying to troll...just give me a sec.)
My freshman year of college, I spent a lot of time in my dorm room. I played around on my computer, I studied (a lot), and...that's about it. Yeah, I did a little martial arts here and there, but not really. I didn't have any friends to speak of.
Then, after a good kick in the pants by this guy called "Life," I realized I was wasting a very valuable experience. So, I put down the books (sometimes), shut down my computer, and I went out and experienced life. It was, without a doubt, the best decision I ever made. I forced myself into social situations which I was uncomfortable in. I made myself apply for an RA position just so I would be forced into more social situations.
Without going into too much detail, it paid off. For those of you in college, take advantage of everything that it provides. You don't necessarily get those type of opportunities once you leave.
Slashdot Mirror
If it looks like the dock, walks like the dock, and quacks like the dock...you know the rest.
Then you should really be worried about your sanity because docks shouldn't walk or quack?
I really wish I spoke murloc. I'm really curious what you just said that got you modded Interesting.
It's with handling DRM (not specifically Microsoft's implementation). The fact that Microsoft MUST handle DRM is the slowdown.
Take a look at it this way:
Code Execution Path w/out DRM
Run
Function
Function
Function
End
Code Execution Path w/ DRM
Run
DRM Check
Function
DRM Check
Function
DRM Check
Second DRM Check
Function
End
One is obviously taking longer than the other.
While your remark is pretty much flamebait (and, please...M$?), I'm going to remark anyway.
Microsoft's marketing division only "does something useful" because Microsoft relies on them so heavily. But if Microsoft wants to compete with the likes of Google and Apple, they need to beef up their technical and development teams to produce high quality products.
So, yes. Get rid of the people in marketing (only keep the best around), and bring in the right people for development.
I've done the Dollar Dance before. You end up losing, and losing big.
A Slashdotter who is a stripper. Ugh...I'm feeling a little queasy...
When did all this change? Why did this change? It certainly hasn't been for the better - for the USA used to lead the world in production, in technology and development. People used to matter, now each of us is just a cog in the company machine. We are all expendable, and will be dropped on a whim. I wonder why.
Whether it's been for the better or not, I don't know. I want to comment on your last remark, though, "We are all expendable..."
My response? Well duhhhh...
Your company, any company you work for, exists for only one reason. That reason exists to make money. They are not your friends, they are not your mommy and daddy. No. They are a business. Yeah, a great company will work hard to maintain it's good employees and show those employees that they want them there (good pay raises, benefits, promotions), but only the best companies do that.
And, the funny thing about being expendable is that you decide how expendable you are. At the end of the day, no job is "secure" no matter what anybody may think. You don't know what tomorrow is going to bring. But by being great at your job, getting your name out there and showing that you're worth keeping around, you can make it a lot harder for people who want to put you on the chopping block because you'll have supporters within the company who will back you.
No. It's because this time (bad economy) is a good time for companies to "trim the fat." People who aren't producing, but can't *quite* get fired. People who are paid too much for what they do. Etc. Etc.
With the economy in the state it's in, nobody really questions layoffs. So, if a company wants to tighten their belt a bit, they can do it now.
So...wait. Let me get this straight.
You're saying (and I'm paraphrasing starting at the first paragraph after your quote), "Obama is just another politician and he's going to mess up...but because he fills us with HOPE, then the rest of you doubters need to STFU and let us be at peace in la-la land."
Obama may or may not do well. That remains to be seen. In fact, I'm somewhat excited to see what he has to offer - he's obviously intelligent, has charisma, and is very well spoken. I also believe he cares about the American people. This is an exciting time for our country.
HOWEVER...by saying, "shut up and let us live in peace" you are ignoring the fact that Obama IS just a man and this country still has issues. Yes, people have hope now. But what happens if Obama can't produce? There's a lot of layers of government (and rightly so) that may hinder his efforts (which is bound to happen). There is nothing wrong with being realistic - you can have hope and still be realistic. There is nothing wrong with talking about it - burying issues does not solve them. If people want to hope, that's great. But if they want to hope AND bury their heads in the sand and say, "La la la la...Obama's got our back..." then they (and you) need to take that hope and turn that hope into action.
Hope is useless if we do nothing with it.
I think that tinfoil is seeping into your brain.
You are correct on one point - a company exists to make money, and look after its own interests. Absolutely. However, one thing you seem to be forgetting that it IS in Google's interest to protect your data. Do they have a lot of it? Absolutely. But they're not just going to pass it around willy-nilly unless there is a very good reason for them to.
Of course, you don't actually need to trust Google. You don't have to use their products and you can setup your own tools. But this isn't an option for most people. And Google makes some very excellent products that mesh well together. As a result, they provide a service that people will use. You aren't going to convince people any differently.
my notes (Google notebook)
Well...that's one thing you don't have to worry about anymore!
Yahoo is the next best technology to Google's.
Really? I thought Ask's was better.
I would venture a guess that, while Yahoo's may not be better, their name is much more recognizable and THAT is why Microsoft wanted them. You can't make inroads to a market with a non-recognizable name.
That why if you are doing something that seems ethically questionable make sure there is paper work to back it up. Even an email from your boss saying its OK we will handle it. Prevents you from getting hung out to dry.
Or, ya know, just don't do that thing.
If something seems ethically questionable, there's more than one person out there that will find it wrong. Just don't do it. There are other ways to "get to the top" rather than having to cheat your way up there.
PS3 games aren't up on piratebay for a reason, while Xbox games are.
Because nobody plays PS3 games?
Teetotalers die younger than those who consume moderate amounts of alcohol.
...which may have absolutely nothing to do with alcohol.
People who avoid alcohol completely may also be more uptight, more prone to stress, less able to relax, etc, etc. THAT may be why they die earlier and it has nothing to do with the fact that they didn't do shots with their buddies last Friday.
I have done so for more than 25 years with no hallucinations (as far as I can tell) or baseless paranoia.
1. How are you going to know if you're hallucinating? Unless you are always asking someone, you'll never know for sure.
2. Even better, I like how you said "no...baseless paranoia." Really? And what, exactly, makes your paranoia based in anything? A person's paranoia is absolutely correct according to that person. So, of course your own paranoia isn't baseless.
Maybe you should get a second (or third) opinion from the outside.
This actually sounds like a really cool idea. I'd be up for playing something like this. That's the one thing I can't stand about games like CounterStrike is that people don't *have* to use cover tactics.
Nonsense! Why would lunch be for eating?
I know you're joking, but it's kind of amazing how many people think lunch = the extra work hour.
And by amazing, I mean kind of sad.
You may as well say being dumped in a room with computers qualifies you as a software architect.
Not quite the analogy I was going for. What I was trying to point out is that those early social situations were my classroom. I didn't need to take a class on how to be social - I just went and did it. Sure, you *can* take a class, but, in my life, experience has *always* been better than sitting and learning theory.
Where I work they actually give you two weeks training on dealing with other people when you start. It is quite evident between someone who doesn't have the training/skills and who does. I am not talking about being able to just talk to people. Your trained in dealing with hostile people, picking up on non-verbal cues, personality styles, etc.
"Where I work they actually give you two weeks training on writing code when you start. It is quite evident between someone who doesn't have the training/skills and who does..."
Some people already have the skills, and they are better honed. The people who don't have good social skills aren't going to learn too much more from a class.
I would think the achilles heel would be people.
There. Fixed that for you.
Oddly enough, the students' could be heard chanting "Zune for the Moon!" over and over.
I really can't figure out why, though.
Don't worry about the context or voice. I'm not reading into it.
I'm only going to answer your last part (just for brevity).
The rule is: if they've already decided they like you, it doesn't really matter; if they've already decided they don't, anything and everything forms a handy excuse.
I've had people who have met me and liked me right away and people who met me and hated me. I've changed both types of people's opinions. They don't have to last if you don't want.
There are? How did you find your events?
I just looked things up online. Sport and social groups. Events for things I like to do. I joined a gym. My workplace has a group that goes out to the bar every once in awhile. I just did/do all those (or at least what I'm interested in).
Did a friend take you? What if I don't have friends? Or if I live in a small town? Well, I guess I should move, right? So how do I find a job in a city I want to live in? Oh, yes, you need a network ... which I don't have. :-/
Nope. No friend took me. Nope. I didn't know anybody. I just went. I forced myself to go. Sounds crazy, right? Oh yeah...it was. Was I freaked out a bit doing it? You better believe it.
That's the other thing. Even if you do get yourself out there, don't expect people to accept you right away. Even at places where I felt comfortable, if I was a new face, I was treated with some distance for the first few times. People need time to warm up. So, if you expect people to warm up to you quickly, drop that expectation. That isn't typical - that's the exceptional case.
You don't necessarily need an existing network to create a new one.
Did you ever join a group or go to some social event, by yourself, where you didn't already know someone there?
All the time - especially when I first started doing it. Forcing myself into situations I didn't feel comfortable helped me become more comfortable in the long run.
Again, what I did may not be for everybody - you have to decide for yourself. But, the only thing I do know is if there is something you want to get better at, you have to practice it - it doesn't matter whether it's computers, math or social skills.
No...I didn't say it was easy. I apologize if I made it seem that way. I had some tough days with certain groups that I eventually just gave up on because it wasn't worth it. However, I kept trying and definitely did not give up until I found groups and things I fit into.
In my experience, it really all does boil down to me just not *knowing* the unspoken boundaries that other people somehow know.
I think, to some extent, you are very right. Some people (I have one individual that I knew in mind) just do not seem to understand certain rules of social etiquette. They just don't seem to understand that you don't say certain things, or you don't touch people (typically), or you stay a certain distance from people when talking to them...very simple things that make sense to many people, but not to everybody.
Honestly, what you can do about this, I'm not sure. I have a couple things I would try (including taking courses in public speaking - Dale Carnegie's courses, while expensive, are fantastic).
Okay, well this post is getting long. I don't know if I'm representative of socially inept people. But please, stop giving trite dismissals of us (I know you weren't specically doing this, but many in the discussion are). This loneliness is starting to really cripple me -- I never realized growing up how important it would be later in life to have friends. While there may be a few nerds that genuinely don't care what others think, I think you're mainly seeing people doing the best they can to cope with a bad situation.
I was most definitely not dismissing you. Heck...I was you. Just, for whatever reason, I picked up the cues a little easier than you did. And, for the record, I don't think there is anybody who doesn't care what others think on some level.
And how painfully I learned this :-(
Please read my revised statement. There are still a ton of opportunities. They're just not presented quite as readily.
You did it, congratulations! You should feel proud of yourself, because you accomplished what many people fail to do and continue to suffer from.
Why, thank you. /bow
When you first started meeting people, did you feel inadequate and scared?
It was nerve wracking, I'll admit. And, for quite some time, I wasn't always sure I was really welcome. But, I kept persisting.
For anybody looking to do the same thing, I recommend this advice. Find something you're good at (for me, it was martial arts), and then find something that is similar, but not the exact same thing and do that with a group of people. So, in my case, it was dancing. Still a physical activity, still involved coordination/balance/etc, and gave me a social "in" with a new group of people. From there, I learned about their interests and developed new tastes.
Of course, one size may not fit all...but...it's a good place to start.
The only part of your story that I disagree with is when you say that "you don't necessarily get those types of opportunities once you leave". You will always be a social creature and will always have the opportunity to gain self-esteem. You just probably won't have the free-wheeling, hooking-up party atmosphere of college that really isn't representative of responsible adult life anyway.
Good point. I'll correct myself in saying, "You may get similar opportunities, but they're not as easily accessible and presented to you in such a nice fashion and in a location with so many people of the same age."
Every city and county between new york and san francisco is filled to the ears with "adults" who never grew up. (that's not to say there aren't a fair share IN those cities, but the ratio is far higher in what is colloquially referred to as "middle america".
Ah yes. I can from your stat...wait...oh...wait. No statistics were provided. Hrm...
Where was this course when I went to college.
It's called "parties" and "extracurricular activities" and "sports" and the millions of other opportunities that college provides.
(For the record I'm not trying to troll...just give me a sec.)
My freshman year of college, I spent a lot of time in my dorm room. I played around on my computer, I studied (a lot), and...that's about it. Yeah, I did a little martial arts here and there, but not really. I didn't have any friends to speak of.
Then, after a good kick in the pants by this guy called "Life," I realized I was wasting a very valuable experience. So, I put down the books (sometimes), shut down my computer, and I went out and experienced life. It was, without a doubt, the best decision I ever made. I forced myself into social situations which I was uncomfortable in. I made myself apply for an RA position just so I would be forced into more social situations.
Without going into too much detail, it paid off. For those of you in college, take advantage of everything that it provides. You don't necessarily get those type of opportunities once you leave.