"Universities seem to push being well-rounded, or knowing a little bit about everything but nothing about anything in particular. They attempt to teach courses that could help you succeed in your lifelong career, whatever it might be.
Well, preparing you to succeed in life is what a univeristy education is all about, or at least that's what it's supposed to be about.
It seems to me that it would be better to teach skills that would help us in the first 10 years of employment.
So, what are you planning to do after 10 years?
Perhaps what you're talking about is trade school. Fine. There's nothing wrong with trade school. We ramrod everyone into college when many do not need to go to college. They would benefit more from trade school. Where I live, you can't hardly get a contractor to answer the phone. Plumbers live better than programmers. If I had a son, I'd encourage him to pursue a trade. Those guys still have good career prospects when they're 50, programmers generally do not.
I hoped for technology that was a bit clunkier than this. The medical technology was interesting but the ship is too advanced. Is the captain the only one who gets to have a dog? and a basket hound at that...
Ok the science officer is hot. That's alright. I never minded Gates Mcfadden or the short skirts, hose and boots they wore on the first series.
And projects like mozilla.org that have sections on "hacking the code" will become villified for contributing to terrorism. Welcome to the witch-hunts; i'm finding a new line of fucking work.
Yep, it looks as though the bean counters, bureaucrats and politicians have finally gotten a hold on the internet and technology. That's a sign that it has matured. It's less fun, less of a frontier and more of an institution. The people pushing this are fearful of change and of uncertainty. They seek to eliminate both at their source. In the short term, that will boost corporate profits. In the long run it will stifle innovation. It's a cheap shot to use the WTC attack as a justification for doing this.
The amazing thing is that companies have switched software before (Visicalc -> 123 -> Excel, Harvard Graphics -> Freelance -> Powerpoint, WordStar -> WordPerfect -> Word, etc.) but this time they seem as stubborn as an ox and much more unwilling to change, perhaps because the number of users to retrain is so much higher than in the "old days".
The number of users is greater. The cluefullness of their users is lower and they've already been there, done that. Many clerical types would rather fight than switch, as the old cigarette commercial goes. I also have to wonder how much they'll pay. At the rate M$ is going, we may soon find out.
This EULA isn't respectable. So, it won't be respected.
Heck, it ain't big deal. Front Page is a layout tool and code generator. The best thing I can say is that it helps you to get the ball rolling in some cases. However, the HTML it produces is chock full of goofy tags. I can't stand to use it. It's ponderous and cumbersome when you try to do simple edits. It's like smashing flies with a sledgehammer. Home site is a better product, if you must use such a thing. This isn't politically correct to say and I'll bet I get flamed but mostIy, these sorts of tools seem to appeal to women more than men. I think these things are OK for creating a template but then just use a decent editor to get it like you want it. You can strip out all that Microsoft header stuff anyway.
"All in all, it just another brick in the wall..."
I'm getting to the point where I think there would be some merit in having to pass a test, like a driving test, before you can connect your computer to the public information infrastructure.
Why aren't the environmentalists promoting telecommuting? It's an obvious, inexpensive way to reduce automobile traffic and associated pollution. They advocate spending big money on public transporatation systems. Perhaps there's something to be said for public transportation but I've yet to hear them promote telecommuting.
Many outfits won't go for it because the boss likes to be able to pop his head into your office and see whether you're working or just to jerk your chain some. Oh yeah, they cook up all sorts of other ostensible reasons but it really boils down to a matter of trust.
There's something else at play here. I have noticed that many secretary types, my wife included, stubbornly cling to Office. There's the perception that other software doesn't work the same and isn't fully compatible. They are afraid their work will somehow be "lost". This isn't just about Office, it applies more broadly to Windows. To sell some other kind of productivity software to my mother-in-law, you have to get past this objection. Many rank and file clerical type employees do not want to learn some new software. This goes beyond familiarity. It's irrational. But that is what Star Office is up against.
Many of us have pointed out problems with web sites but few of us have been keelhauled for it. This is a chilling development to think that FBI agents are so eager to be promoted for appearing to be cyber-savvy with such grandstanding symbolic arrest-like-gestures and ISP managers trying to cover their incompetent butts by crucifying a well intentioned guy like this.
That was Bush's choice. Stem cell research will be done. The question is where will it be done. Outlaw it here? Comapnies will have foreign research labs do it.
The same the thing can be said for clones and other frankenstein technologies. We best make whatever discoveries can be made here. Let some of that franken-stuff be done in zambia on a shoestring budget and they are liable to open pandora's box and turn loose whatever they find.
The consumer loses too much fair use and convenience for the meager gains in search capability. eBooks are a move toward pay-per-veiw, which is a take-away for the consumer.
I used an eBook in a college course. Today, I have no reference for that course. I will avoid courses which rely on ebooks in the future.
It boils down to this. The book business was not broken. This "fixes" it. Most people know a raw deal when they see it.
I saw an NT machine reboot after putting a Palm in the cradle. After seeing that, I would touch on of the screws in the back of the PC first and raise up the sliding cover on the palms connector, touching it to discharge any static build up before I put it in the cradle.
So, I wonder whether they really mean that the cradle causes the PC to be vulnerable to electrostatic discharge.
I don't really see what the big deal is. The tracked him down, and asked him some questions. Identity theft is real people... if he was the deadbeat dad or whatever hiding under a new identy, this would be a good thing. The guy wasn't arrested. The guy wasn't charged. He wasn't even hauled down to the station. Cry me a frickin' river.
An ugly pall of suspicion has been cast over him. He has to explain this to to all who saw it. Whether or not he was arrested or charged, many people will figure he must have done something wrong if the cops want to talk to him. If he has been falsely identified for some offense which evokes a visceral revulsion such as indecent liberties with a minor, it makes little difference whether he's arrested or charged, people will talk.
Eyewitness identification was involved here. That has been shown to be unreliable. Well, here we are relying on it. Twenty years ago, a buddy of mine was falsely accused of robbing a bank. He was fired from his job. He was later cleared and received an undisclosed cash settlement from his former employer but he never worked for them again or any other comapany in the same industry.
Big Deal? It might be. And you might be the next test case.
When these 15 year olds become 20-25 they will be supplanted by fresh, new 15 year olds? So the reject pile grows? That has some interesting social implications. If it's so, that is.
Like many other posters, I think the media has sensationalized the exceptional ones whose talents are amplified by the internet. Most are too busy being kids. And that is as it should be.
I dined with the Dutchess of Lee
who asked, "Do you fart when you pee?"
I replied with quick wit,
"Do you burp when you shit?"
said the Dutchess, chalk one up for me.
I liked DR DOS, and still haven't forgiven M$ for their treatment of it back in the day.
Yeah, I remember that. It was '92 and when MS released Win3.1, it wouldn't start if you were running DR DOS. I still have the patch diskettes from Digital Research. That purdy well sunk them. They became yet another chunk in Microsoft's stool.
If anyone knows for sure of a specific title, I'd like to get a copy just to look at the line output from several different CD players on an oscilloscope and a spectrum analyzer to see whether there indeed is some tweeter poppin' high frequency noise bursts. If they have really done such a thing, it goes way beyond being a mere product defect.
When a divison gets cut or a major project cancelled, EVERYBODY gets the ax.
Amen. Deep job cuts like these mean good people are laid off.
Even worse is the companies KNOW this and can hand pick the person that fits every single one of their requirements where before if a person fit 80% - it was a catch.... During 1999 - there WAS a shortage in certain areas, no question.
Well, I agree with you about the 80% figure and I'll add that if employers are that picky during times when employees are supposedly scarce, they must pretty much want a perfect match now.
I'm also in the RTP area and have been all my life. I've somehow weathered the last 3 recessions. I'm a good engineer and a fair programmer and I'm damned lucky. When there are cuts this deep, sometimes luck is all that's between you and unemployment. My number has come up before twice. In 1986, ITT laid me off. The year before I had gotten a promotion and a 20% pay increase! A year later, I was laid off from RCA after General Electric bought them. All GE wanted was NBC. They quicky sold the consumer electronics divisions. I remember these experiences vividly. I developed a grey streak in my hair during the ITT layoff. That was a shock. I understand how people feel who have been let go in the last year. It can be absolutely devastating, particularly when that job is how many engineers and technical people define themselves. I've read quite a few posts from people who think their skills are so great that they will be spared this life changing trauma. They go on to say that if they are laid off, they will quickly find work. Well, as my old karate instructor used to tell arrogant students who thought their fighting skils were better that he thought, "I hope it all works out for you." That's what I say to the young whipper snappers who think they are safe. I hope it all works out for you because what I've experienced, I wouldn't wish on anyone.
The Internet is a communication medium. It's like the phone system.
Yep, It sure is. And when they try to use it to make money, it commences to suck. Just like when they try to use the telephone to make money. My wife and I don't answer the phone between 5 and 8 pm becasue of telemarketers calling from boiler room operations. They are making our phone suck. The same thing is happening with all these companies cluttering up the 'net with images, popups and other slow-loading crap. One news site after another has been glitzified to the point that you don't want to go there anymore.
Really? You may be right, I have no numbers, but the places in US I have been most of the Ph.D. students have been Asian or European. I sometimes think that the only reason USA hasn't become a third world country is the amazing number of bright minds they import from the rest of the world. They don't seem to produce many of their own.
You're right about most of the PhD students being foreign and it's been that way since the early 70s. This has happened for a number of reasons. First, PhDs are overproduced. There simply isn't very much demand for them. Many take post-doctoral work because they can't find suitable positions. Most US PhDs seem to be underemployed. Second, a PhD is not necessary to do most technical work. Third, grad students typically don't make much money. So there isn't much incentive to get a PhD other than strong personal desire. An experienced plumber can make more money. Many of the foreign students get PhDs to gain a foothold in America.
Anyone who blew $500-odd on Office is going to be really angry at this one.
Yeah, and what, $300 for the OS? Wow. Last Novemeber, I put together a CPU for under $800. It wasn't bare bones, nor was it a gaming rig but somewhere in between. So now M$ wants more for their software than a new machine costs. OK, an OEM bundle will certainly be cheaper but even computer novices will find this a bitter pill to swallow. When the details of what happens when you upgrade or need to restage your machine become widely known, many peple will be put off by such a hassle. For what? To be able to type a letter at home? To be able to surf the web at home? Put your sensitive personal, finacial info on there? C'mon. For many home users, this is more trouble than it's worth.
There are many organizations who haven't yet fully deployed Win2k and have no plans to deploy XP. The 4 year cycle cited in the CNN story sounded typical. The outfit I work for probably won't be in a position to deploy XP for at least a couple more years. The developers despise using NT/2k. A skunkworks development environment already exists using non-MS OSes. If MS turns the thumb screws, things could get interesting.
Slashdot Mirror
"Universities seem to push being well-rounded, or knowing a little bit about everything but nothing about anything in particular. They attempt to teach courses that could help you succeed in your lifelong career, whatever it might be.
Well, preparing you to succeed in life is what a univeristy education is all about, or at least that's what it's supposed to be about.
It seems to me that it would be better to teach skills that would help us in the first 10 years of employment.
So, what are you planning to do after 10 years?
Perhaps what you're talking about is trade school. Fine. There's nothing wrong with trade school. We ramrod everyone into college when many do not need to go to college. They would benefit more from trade school. Where I live, you can't hardly get a contractor to answer the phone. Plumbers live better than programmers. If I had a son, I'd encourage him to pursue a trade. Those guys still have good career prospects when they're 50, programmers generally do not.
I hoped for technology that was a bit clunkier than this. The medical technology was interesting but the ship is too advanced. Is the captain the only one who gets to have a dog? and a basket hound at that ...
Ok the science officer is hot. That's alright. I never minded Gates Mcfadden or the short skirts, hose and boots they wore on the first series.
And projects like mozilla.org that have sections on "hacking the code" will become villified for contributing to terrorism. Welcome to the witch-hunts; i'm finding a new line of fucking work.
Yep, it looks as though the bean counters, bureaucrats and politicians have finally gotten a hold on the internet and technology. That's a sign that it has matured. It's less fun, less of a frontier and more of an institution. The people pushing this are fearful of change and of uncertainty. They seek to eliminate both at their source. In the short term, that will boost corporate profits. In the long run it will stifle innovation. It's a cheap shot to use the WTC attack as a justification for doing this.
The amazing thing is that companies have switched software before (Visicalc -> 123 -> Excel, Harvard Graphics -> Freelance -> Powerpoint, WordStar -> WordPerfect -> Word, etc.) but this time they seem as stubborn as an ox and much more unwilling to change, perhaps because the number of users to retrain is so much higher than in the "old days".
The number of users is greater. The cluefullness of their users is lower and they've already been there, done that. Many clerical types would rather fight than switch, as the old cigarette commercial goes. I also have to wonder how much they'll pay. At the rate M$ is going, we may soon find out.
This EULA isn't respectable. So, it won't be respected.
..."
Heck, it ain't big deal. Front Page is a layout tool and code generator. The best thing I can say is that it helps you to get the ball rolling in some cases. However, the HTML it produces is chock full of goofy tags. I can't stand to use it. It's ponderous and cumbersome when you try to do simple edits. It's like smashing flies with a sledgehammer. Home site is a better product, if you must use such a thing. This isn't politically correct to say and I'll bet I get flamed but mostIy, these sorts of tools seem to appeal to women more than men. I think these things are OK for creating a template but then just use a decent editor to get it like you want it. You can strip out all that Microsoft header stuff anyway.
"All in all, it just another brick in the wall
I'm getting to the point where I think there would be some merit in having to pass a test, like a driving test, before you can connect your computer to the public information infrastructure.
Perhaps with different classes of licenses?
Why aren't the environmentalists promoting telecommuting? It's an obvious, inexpensive way to reduce automobile traffic and associated pollution. They advocate spending big money on public transporatation systems. Perhaps there's something to be said for public transportation but I've yet to hear them promote telecommuting.
Many outfits won't go for it because the boss likes to be able to pop his head into your office and see whether you're working or just to jerk your chain some. Oh yeah, they cook up all sorts of other ostensible reasons but it really boils down to a matter of trust.
There's something else at play here. I have noticed that many secretary types, my wife included, stubbornly cling to Office. There's the perception that other software doesn't work the same and isn't fully compatible. They are afraid their work will somehow be "lost". This isn't just about Office, it applies more broadly to Windows. To sell some other kind of productivity software to my mother-in-law, you have to get past this objection. Many rank and file clerical type employees do not want to learn some new software. This goes beyond familiarity. It's irrational. But that is what Star Office is up against.
If your net connection is worth USD$200,000 to you, you can always move.
Where to? Outta state? A few states over? These big ISPs are regional.
Many of us have pointed out problems with web sites but few of us have been keelhauled for it. This is a chilling development to think that FBI agents are so eager to be promoted for appearing to be cyber-savvy with such grandstanding symbolic arrest-like-gestures and ISP managers trying to cover their incompetent butts by crucifying a well intentioned guy like this.
Moral: Stop reporting security holes!
That was Bush's choice. Stem cell research will be done. The question is where will it be done. Outlaw it here? Comapnies will have foreign research labs do it.
The same the thing can be said for clones and other frankenstein technologies. We best make whatever discoveries can be made here. Let some of that franken-stuff be done in zambia on a shoestring budget and they are liable to open pandora's box and turn loose whatever they find.
The consumer loses too much fair use and convenience for the meager gains in search capability. eBooks are a move toward pay-per-veiw, which is a take-away for the consumer.
I used an eBook in a college course. Today, I have no reference for that course. I will avoid courses which rely on ebooks in the future.
It boils down to this. The book business was not broken. This "fixes" it. Most people know a raw deal when they see it.
I saw an NT machine reboot after putting a Palm in the cradle. After seeing that, I would touch on of the screws in the back of the PC first and raise up the sliding cover on the palms connector, touching it to discharge any static build up before I put it in the cradle.
So, I wonder whether they really mean that the cradle causes the PC to be vulnerable to electrostatic discharge.
I don't really see what the big deal is. The tracked him down, and asked him some questions. Identity theft is real people... if he was the deadbeat dad or whatever hiding under a new identy, this would be a good thing. The guy wasn't arrested. The guy wasn't charged. He wasn't even hauled down to the station. Cry me a frickin' river.
An ugly pall of suspicion has been cast over him. He has to explain this to to all who saw it. Whether or not he was arrested or charged, many people will figure he must have done something wrong if the cops want to talk to him. If he has been falsely identified for some offense which evokes a visceral revulsion such as indecent liberties with a minor, it makes little difference whether he's arrested or charged, people will talk.
Eyewitness identification was involved here. That has been shown to be unreliable. Well, here we are relying on it. Twenty years ago, a buddy of mine was falsely accused of robbing a bank. He was fired from his job. He was later cleared and received an undisclosed cash settlement from his former employer but he never worked for them again or any other comapany in the same industry.
Big Deal? It might be. And you might be the next test case.
When these 15 year olds become 20-25 they will be supplanted by fresh, new 15 year olds? So the reject pile grows? That has some interesting social implications. If it's so, that is.
Like many other posters, I think the media has sensationalized the exceptional ones whose talents are amplified by the internet. Most are too busy being kids. And that is as it should be.
I dined with the Dutchess of Lee
who asked, "Do you fart when you pee?"
I replied with quick wit,
"Do you burp when you shit?"
said the Dutchess, chalk one up for me.
I liked DR DOS, and still haven't forgiven M$ for their treatment of it back in the day.
Yeah, I remember that. It was '92 and when MS released Win3.1, it wouldn't start if you were running DR DOS. I still have the patch diskettes from Digital Research. That purdy well sunk them. They became yet another chunk in Microsoft's stool.
If anyone knows for sure of a specific title, I'd like to get a copy just to look at the line output from several different CD players on an oscilloscope and a spectrum analyzer to see whether there indeed is some tweeter poppin' high frequency noise bursts. If they have really done such a thing, it goes way beyond being a mere product defect.
When a divison gets cut or a major project cancelled, EVERYBODY gets the ax.
... During 1999 - there WAS a shortage in certain areas, no question.
Amen. Deep job cuts like these mean good people are laid off.
Even worse is the companies KNOW this and can hand pick the person that fits every single one of their requirements where before if a person fit 80% - it was a catch.
Well, I agree with you about the 80% figure and I'll add that if employers are that picky during times when employees are supposedly scarce, they must pretty much want a perfect match now.
I'm also in the RTP area and have been all my life. I've somehow weathered the last 3 recessions. I'm a good engineer and a fair programmer and I'm damned lucky. When there are cuts this deep, sometimes luck is all that's between you and unemployment. My number has come up before twice. In 1986, ITT laid me off. The year before I had gotten a promotion and a 20% pay increase! A year later, I was laid off from RCA after General Electric bought them. All GE wanted was NBC. They quicky sold the consumer electronics divisions. I remember these experiences vividly. I developed a grey streak in my hair during the ITT layoff. That was a shock. I understand how people feel who have been let go in the last year. It can be absolutely devastating, particularly when that job is how many engineers and technical people define themselves. I've read quite a few posts from people who think their skills are so great that they will be spared this life changing trauma. They go on to say that if they are laid off, they will quickly find work. Well, as my old karate instructor used to tell arrogant students who thought their fighting skils were better that he thought, "I hope it all works out for you." That's what I say to the young whipper snappers who think they are safe. I hope it all works out for you because what I've experienced, I wouldn't wish on anyone.
The Internet is a communication medium. It's like the phone system.
Yep, It sure is. And when they try to use it to make money, it commences to suck. Just like when they try to use the telephone to make money. My wife and I don't answer the phone between 5 and 8 pm becasue of telemarketers calling from boiler room operations. They are making our phone suck. The same thing is happening with all these companies cluttering up the 'net with images, popups and other slow-loading crap. One news site after another has been glitzified to the point that you don't want to go there anymore.
Really? You may be right, I have no numbers, but the places in US I have been most of the Ph.D. students have been Asian or European. I sometimes think that the only reason USA hasn't become a third world country is the amazing number of bright minds they import from the rest of the world. They don't seem to produce many of their own.
You're right about most of the PhD students being foreign and it's been that way since the early 70s. This has happened for a number of reasons. First, PhDs are overproduced. There simply isn't very much demand for them. Many take post-doctoral work because they can't find suitable positions. Most US PhDs seem to be underemployed. Second, a PhD is not necessary to do most technical work. Third, grad students typically don't make much money. So there isn't much incentive to get a PhD other than strong personal desire. An experienced plumber can make more money. Many of the foreign students get PhDs to gain a foothold in America.
Anyone who blew $500-odd on Office is going to be really angry at this one.
Yeah, and what, $300 for the OS? Wow. Last Novemeber, I put together a CPU for under $800. It wasn't bare bones, nor was it a gaming rig but somewhere in between. So now M$ wants more for their software than a new machine costs. OK, an OEM bundle will certainly be cheaper but even computer novices will find this a bitter pill to swallow. When the details of what happens when you upgrade or need to restage your machine become widely known, many peple will be put off by such a hassle. For what? To be able to type a letter at home? To be able to surf the web at home? Put your sensitive personal, finacial info on there? C'mon. For many home users, this is more trouble than it's worth.
There are many organizations who haven't yet fully deployed Win2k and have no plans to deploy XP. The 4 year cycle cited in the CNN story sounded typical. The outfit I work for probably won't be in a position to deploy XP for at least a couple more years. The developers despise using NT/2k. A skunkworks development environment already exists using non-MS OSes. If MS turns the thumb screws, things could get interesting.
Find a small family run FDIC insured bank, or better yet, a credit union that promises not to do it.
...
Name one.
Oh, too bad, maybe you can't use your credit card now
That will eliminate about 95% of the places you can do business.
Do your research, stop trying to control "big business."
Do your research and stop defending big business.