ClearCase? Perhaps they are the leader in raising TCO in SCM solutions (and no, I meant maximizing TCO, not lowering it) - ClearCase is great if you are a Software Configuration Manager (which I am) and you are trying to build your 'empire'. ClearCase typically requires a full time administrator, and for many shops, and entire team - Compare this to other toolsets (perforce) that are much lower maintenance.
ClearCase requires expensive hardware, fast networks, and bloated clients.
ClearCase does allow some amazing things in the world of branching / merging, but if you are in that 80% of typical CM users, you don't really need all the bells and whistles. Yes, they are nice, but is it really worth the TCO?
Ok, how do you get historical revision history, how do you find who made what change when, and can you rebuild any version of the system at any given point in time?
What about more complex ideas, like change sets? How do you associate a group of changes with a specific bug fix or change request?
These are just a few of the things a good revision control system can help provide. Without this visibility and traceability you are developing in the dark. RCS was invented for a reason.
Nope, most of the older MSDN software requires either no registration key or a generic all-purpose key. It's generally known that all MSDN software that uses a 10-digit key will successfully install using the same generic key. The e-registration is only for newer versions of office applications - even VS.NET uses a generic key.
Because the MAC address is considered one of the few relatively static numbers easily associated with a particular workstation. It is not a normal event for a workstation to have a NIC changed, or for someone to perform a soft-update upon a NIC card, changing the MAC address. Indeed, MS Word used to embed the MAC address into documents as a (secret) form of identification.
You're responsible for making your manager look good to those two levels up, but you're not responsible for making yourself look good to the upper management.
On the contrary - making yourself look good in front of the Boss's boss is incredibly important - It serves two purposes:
1. Makes your boss look good.
2. One day your boss will either move on or get promoted. If you are interested in his job, it's his boss that you'll be 'interviewing' with. Won't things be so much easier if he already knows you, and views you as a 'star' player?
It's all about $$$. I used to work for a company that did third party outsourced support for ISPs. (The ISP would pay our company to 'act' as their tech support desk, we'd answer the phone as them.) The ISPs payed us about $1 per minute to support their users. You can see how even a ten minute phone call severely eats into their profitibility per customer. An ISP will support the absolute minimum required to keep customers. (Notice I said keep customers, and not 'keep customers happy'.)
Also, we had a problem hiring enough people at the rates the company could afford to pay and still turn a profit. After awhile, you end up with a bunch of plain old "customer support" types who can only read from a script. Level Two support would stick around until a better job offered itself, which usually wasn't too long.
Ahh, the good ol' days. Any MultiSoft people out there?
Just because you didn't know what you were doing, doesn't mean that the system sucks. You can indeed boot into DOS with NTFS drivers and run chkdsk. You may also boot into kind of a console / repair mode for NT (This came out in Win2k).
-jerdenn
Actually, MCSE stands for Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer
Talk about the kettle calling the pot black
Exactly.
-jerdenn
Re:Corporate Thinking or Public Service?
on
J#
·
· Score: 2
He wasn't spreading disinformation - the same thing happens to me on IE 5.50.4522.1800 on Win2k. Each time I log out of hotmail, I am re-directed to MSN.com. Perhaps you are using a different version of IE? Or perhaps other things effect the redirect. Please accusing others of spreading disinformation when you clearly do not know what you are talking about.
Actually, I work on a team that is using Open Source (modified GPL) software for our RTOS that does run in a Hospital Point of Care device. The company that manufactures this device is a very big player in this market.
I think there were several concerns about going with Linux as our embedded OS - We were looking for something more along the lines of an RTOS, with guaranteed task handling. There were also concerns about having to GPL our software. While we don't mind giving back to the community any OS changes we make, our application code is what gives us a competitive advantage, and publishing it just doesn't make good business sense.
You've also mentioned that businesses wouldn't want to purchase Open Source software because there is no accountability. Actually, for the our project, we get the best of both worlds. OAR Corp provides support for the RTOS, and we get to look directly at their work, instead of getting a "black box" binary solution. Works very nicely. And we can make any changes we need directly. Very cool.
So, yes, companies are starting to use Open Source in places that you may never hear of, or realize.
Nope, no significant changes scheduled for VisualSourceSafe.NET - I think they've done a few minor bug fixes, but it's still the same old thing. If you want a good source control system, go to a third party.
Ah - it all seems easy and intuitive, doesn't it? Until you find out that it does really crappy things like:
1. Treat file level and 'project' level labels differently.
2. "Lose" certain label types during "Archive / Restore" operations.
3. Actually create a new file revision for multiple labels applied to the same file version.
I could go on for hours about how much VSS really sucks.
Likely the lawyer would take 33% of GROSS, Uncle Sam will take his bite, and you'll be left with cookie crumbs and enough spare change to buy a cup of coffee.
The point is that an Operating System is a collection of software that makes a computer usable. There is a minimum level, and it's more than a kernel. You have to have a text editor. You have to have a compiler collection. Without those you can't do anything at all.
Actually, an operating system does not need a text editor, etc. - spend some time in the embedded world.
Slashdot Mirror
The leader in source control is ClearCase.
ClearCase? Perhaps they are the leader in raising TCO in SCM solutions (and no, I meant maximizing TCO, not lowering it) - ClearCase is great if you are a Software Configuration Manager (which I am) and you are trying to build your 'empire'. ClearCase typically requires a full time administrator, and for many shops, and entire team - Compare this to other toolsets (perforce) that are much lower maintenance. ClearCase requires expensive hardware, fast networks, and bloated clients.
ClearCase does allow some amazing things in the world of branching / merging, but if you are in that 80% of typical CM users, you don't really need all the bells and whistles. Yes, they are nice, but is it really worth the TCO?
-jerdenn
Ok, how do you get historical revision history, how do you find who made what change when, and can you rebuild any version of the system at any given point in time?
What about more complex ideas, like change sets? How do you associate a group of changes with a specific bug fix or change request?
These are just a few of the things a good revision control system can help provide. Without this visibility and traceability you are developing in the dark. RCS was invented for a reason.
-Jerdenn
-jerdenn
The e-registration is only for newer versions of office applications - even VS.NET uses a generic key.
-jerdenn
Because the MAC address is considered one of the few relatively static numbers easily associated with a particular workstation. It is not a normal event for a workstation to have a NIC changed, or for someone to perform a soft-update upon a NIC card, changing the MAC address. Indeed, MS Word used to embed the MAC address into documents as a (secret) form of identification.
-jerdenn
-jerdenn
You're responsible for making your manager look good to those two levels up, but you're not responsible for making yourself look good to the upper management.
On the contrary - making yourself look good in front of the Boss's boss is incredibly important - It serves two purposes:
1. Makes your boss look good.
2. One day your boss will either move on or get promoted. If you are interested in his job, it's his boss that you'll be 'interviewing' with. Won't things be so much easier if he already knows you, and views you as a 'star' player?
-jerdenn
Um, not WINS alias. Try DNS alias. Two different technologies.
-jerdenn
Are you certain that it wouldn't be:
:: open source software
:: Internet
:: RDBMS
Bill Gates
Al Gore
Larry Ellison
-jerdenn
Jeff,
I really think that your story is the most interesting one that I've read here today.
-jerdenn
Yup - apparently he was also so absentminded that he once called is wife and asked her "Where am I and where am I meant to be?"
It's all about $$$. I used to work for a company that did third party outsourced support for ISPs. (The ISP would pay our company to 'act' as their tech support desk, we'd answer the phone as them.) The ISPs payed us about $1 per minute to support their users. You can see how even a ten minute phone call severely eats into their profitibility per customer. An ISP will support the absolute minimum required to keep customers. (Notice I said keep customers, and not 'keep customers happy'.)
Also, we had a problem hiring enough people at the rates the company could afford to pay and still turn a profit. After awhile, you end up with a bunch of plain old "customer support" types who can only read from a script. Level Two support would stick around until a better job offered itself, which usually wasn't too long.
Ahh, the good ol' days. Any MultiSoft people out there?
-jerdenn
Just because you didn't know what you were doing, doesn't mean that the system sucks. You can indeed boot into DOS with NTFS drivers and run chkdsk. You may also boot into kind of a console / repair mode for NT (This came out in Win2k).
-jerdenn
No, it is just tuned for five connections. And it is free (beer) for MSDN users.
MSDE
-jerdenn
It's MCSE for Microsoft Cert Software Engineer.
Actually, MCSE stands for Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer
Talk about the kettle calling the pot black
Exactly.
-jerdenn
He wasn't spreading disinformation - the same thing happens to me on IE 5.50.4522.1800 on Win2k. Each time I log out of hotmail, I am re-directed to MSN.com. Perhaps you are using a different version of IE? Or perhaps other things effect the redirect. Please accusing others of spreading disinformation when you clearly do not know what you are talking about.
-jerdenn
Also, it lets them know that I really DO buy little debbie snack cakes nutty bars, and that they should keep carrying them.
Umm... They know this anyway through inventory management.
-jerdenn
people forget it's still democracy.
Actually, if you are speaking of the U.S. - it isn't a democracy. It's a republic. There are important differences.
-jerdenn
Actually, I work on a team that is using Open Source (modified GPL) software for our RTOS that does run in a Hospital Point of Care device. The company that manufactures this device is a very big player in this market.
I think there were several concerns about going with Linux as our embedded OS - We were looking for something more along the lines of an RTOS, with guaranteed task handling. There were also concerns about having to GPL our software. While we don't mind giving back to the community any OS changes we make, our application code is what gives us a competitive advantage, and publishing it just doesn't make good business sense.
You've also mentioned that businesses wouldn't want to purchase Open Source software because there is no accountability. Actually, for the our project, we get the best of both worlds. OAR Corp provides support for the RTOS, and we get to look directly at their work, instead of getting a "black box" binary solution. Works very nicely. And we can make any changes we need directly. Very cool.
So, yes, companies are starting to use Open Source in places that you may never hear of, or realize.
-jerdenn
My Comment to the www-patentpolicy-comment list
We can sit here and talk about it all day, or we can do something...
-jerdenn
Nope, no significant changes scheduled for VisualSourceSafe.NET - I think they've done a few minor bug fixes, but it's still the same old thing. If you want a good source control system, go to a third party.
Huh? What country are you in?
Ah - it all seems easy and intuitive, doesn't it? Until you find out that it does really crappy things like:
1. Treat file level and 'project' level labels differently.
2. "Lose" certain label types during "Archive / Restore" operations.
3. Actually create a new file revision for multiple labels applied to the same file version.
I could go on for hours about how much VSS really sucks.
-jerdenn
Ah, you forgot taxes...
Likely the lawyer would take 33% of GROSS, Uncle Sam will take his bite, and you'll be left with cookie crumbs and enough spare change to buy a cup of coffee.
-jerdenn
The point is that an Operating System is a collection of software that makes a computer usable. There is a minimum level, and it's more than a kernel. You have to have a text editor. You have to have a compiler collection. Without those you can't do anything at all.
Actually, an operating system does not need a text editor, etc. - spend some time in the embedded world.
-jerdenn