As a luser-support martyr (ISP Tech Support, lately in documentation), the going rate seems to be $20-30K to start (with annual / promotional increases, of course), higher in major metropolitan areas (the Valley, SF, NYC, Boston, &c).
Top-notch coders seem to be able to command $80K and up (six figures isn't uncommon. . . makes me wish I knew PERL!)
As with every job, having experience means you can command greater compensation. After two-plus years on the job, I've conditioned my employer to add some intangibles to the job environment: tolerance to eccentricity, a certain level of buy-in to new ideas, &c.
Just remember that the full package isn't just the bottom line on your W-2, there are health insurance, 401(k), profit sharing, and any number of other forms of additional compensation to factor in. Ask at the interview what kind of total compensation the company offers, and what kinf of tenure / vesting structure exists. Some companies give health insurance after 90 days, the potential for 401(k) after 6 months, and start vesting in various things after one, three, or five years, depending. There is so much variance with these that it never hurts to ask.
For example, my company offers discounted memberships (payroll-deductible) to the local health & wellness center and free/discounted service to employees. This doesn't show up on my pay stub every other Friday, but is worth probably $40 a month.
Just remember: no amount of financial compensation will make up for a job you don't enjoy. I can speak from experience that a good job atmosphere with interesting and enjoyable work to do makes a smaller paycheck more attractive than becoming a psychotic stress-monkey at a job that makes your gut clench the instant the alarm clock goes off in the morning.
Anyone looking to hire a slightly freaky tech writer?
As one who rushed out and placed an advance order for the UF book, I was surprised when it arrived. I was expecting (having been conditioned by the various C&H / Bloom County compendiums that populate my bookshelves) for it to be a first-to-Nth collection of the strips chronologically.
The single biggest and most confusing omission was the birth of Dust Puppy, followed by DP's creating Erwin. Such central characters (since they're a bit obtuse for a casual reader) seem to need this germination to be included.
The entry for "Distractions" was close, but it's overly simplistic. People in G7 societies have better things to do than have children, and are educated enough to know that bringing a child into the world has a significant long-term impact on their ability to enjoy themselves. It may be seen by some as a shirking of responsibility, but it can also be seen as a commentary on the state of the society: why waste your time and energy on a child when you can spend it on yourself and your spouse/partner/friends?
I don't want a child (I -abhor- children for reasons both enumerated above and not germane to this inquiry), and most of my partners have been like-minded.
"I may one day have children, but they will be beautiful, intelligent, EVIL little fuckers." This has been the philosophy my partners and I have agreed upon almost without acknowledging it.
Perhaps later in life, the nesting instinct will come into play. There is a small pang when I think the "family name" could die with me (being the only male child in the family). But neither is enough to make me want to give up my autonomy for a small screaming hunk of meat just yet.
On the other hand, sex is awfully enjoyable, but most conventional contraception is a huge detriment to sex (do be blunt, condoms -suck,- so I am personally in favor of RU-486, preventitive pharmaceuticals, or IUD applications). So there is the outside chance I might be a daddy before I want. Hopefully not, but applicants for the *ahem* position of "mate" are being accepted.
Step Thermodynamics makes a couple of very quiet high-capacity coolers. Also of note are Alpha's line of coolers (available and recommended by 3dfxcool.com.)
Having used both of these products, my mid-tower case is both cool and unobtrusive with a PIII 450 running @ 560, with an additional fan keeping the overclocked video card happy.
I know I certainly want one when I upgrade to Athlon from my current PIII 450 @ 560 (courtesy of Step Thermodynamics. ) Their product has performed flawlessly for me, and is definitely recommended if you want to run @ 25%+ over factory spec.
"This may hurt a little, but it's something you get used to." - Tool
Pondering while trying to look busy at the office this morning (while attempting to look busy. . . listening to a CD, checking e-mail, and browsing three different windows). . .
Not necessarily something I agree with 100%, but there are small bits that hook into my psyche in ways that are both familiar and uncomfortable.
I can speak for nobody else, but my life revolves quite literally on the pinion of my electronic information. You people reach me only as electrons the vast majority of the time. Likewise for most of my other friends; both those I grew up with and those I have yet to meet. Entertainment comes piped across the coaxial network and through the television and in through my cablemodem.
Those times when I have no access are, quite literally, withdrawal. Imagine not having the ability to speak with your friends and family, coupled with not having your car (or taxi, or public transit, etc) in order to shop or pick up a newspaper.
Am I advocating prostrating oneself to informational immersion? On many levels, yes. Is getting unplugged occasionally worthwhile? Absolutely. But I -want- to have the ability to bathe myself in information streams and cull what's salient to -me- from the flood. If that choice is made for me, aye or nay, then I get hostile. Choice is engendered by having options, and having this myriad information available at the click of a mouse is the best way of keeping that ability viable.
Personally, I want to bathe myself in information. Exfoliate with electrons. Scan my retinas with so much raw data that the brain almost ceases to function.
Why?
Because that's how you learn what's below the surface of the pixel-deep information universe.
Like the protagonist in William Gibson's Idoru, people with unfettered, un-blindered access to information can make inferences and assumptions about the world around them. You use pattern recognition. Fractal thought. Draw connections and conclusions from your environment.
To make another Gibson reference, with enough information floating about us, we become the robot collector, compiling and assembling small pieces of beauty from the chaos swirling around us.
Chlotho would only let us see a sanitized universe. I for one don't want that.
I will never trade my cleanliness for my godliness.
Many of my most problematic (both their fault and ours)customers (I do tech support) reside in Florida. With the widespread precautionary evacuations, our office has been able to claw out from under a heap of accumulated backwork because the phones have fallen mercifully silent.
I don't suppose Hurricane Gert can be Slashdotted into heading towards Florida and prolong the serenity of the Help Desk floor?
(Disclaimer: Not wishing widspread havoc on anyone except a select few customers who, by their very nature, don't know who I'm referring to *whistles innocently*)
As a low-level manager in a tech support office, I have a large number of people I'm responsible for, and a recent hiring trend was to bring in almost exclusively contractors from [a prominent technical staffing company]. This has had two contradictory effects.
One, they know just slightly more than the untrained people who were brought on as company employees, but often had more relevant experience. This was both a boon and a burden. . . while they took to training slightly better, many had chips on their shoulders and were openly discussing their intentions of moving on after their 90-day period was up. Fine, that's up to them, but not so bright or good for morale.
Two, there is the issue of seniority should they choose to become employed by the company. This has caused no end of headaches.
This isn't an industry-wide sample, of course, but for what is basically entry-level technical staffing, contractors are not the best solution.
I agree with the individual who said that employees are better for long-term projects, since they will have more ultimately invested in the outcome.
What would be superb in a graphical representation is a combination of this data (the supposed "distance" from point to point) combined with last week's graphic on/geographic/ location or top-end domain (.com,.org,.etc).
It would be interesting to see if, for example, internet traffic patterns show any kind of focus or foci about certain domains or sites or even specific boxen, and how those machines are distributed in real space. . . where, essentially, are our eyeballs and electrons going?
As for "dimensions," a 3D rendering would be the easiest to comprehend. Perhaps a sphere representing the globe, with an atmosphere of satellite link channels, and a substrata of bandwidth pipes and routers. Or a flat geometric field with peaks to represent the Big Iron, fractal spires twisting off as homepages and smaller sites. And isolated islands or floating moons of self-contained networks, or pages that go nowhere.
Don't mind me, I just finished reading Snow Crash, Diamond Age, and Idoru, and would enjoy a virtual walk through the data we're all accumulating.
Of course, one of the things I find amusing-yet-scary is how nuts all the little kiddies are going over Darth Maul. Yeah, that's a wonderful role model...;)
Well, let's take a peek, shall we? *grins*
We have a duplicitous sovreign who makes a habit of deceiving their subjects for their own gain. (Amidala/Padme. . . the "Heroine.")
We have an authority figure who disregards the advice and teachings of the governing body that helped give him his status and ability. (Quai-gon Jinn, the "Rebellious Teacher.")
We have a blind follower of the Rebellious Teacher who doesn't question some highly suspect motives. (Obi-Wan Kenobi, the "Aspiring Master.")
We have a kid who is indentured because he was caught stealing. (Anakin Skywalker, the "Child of Destiny.")
We have a power-hungry and manipulative political despot who coerces and tricks others for his advantage. (Senator Palpatine aka Darth Sidious, the "Corrupt Official.")
We have Jar Jar Frigging Binks. 'nuff said.
And then we have a strong, charismatic, self-directed and unambiguously focused Darth Maul. So he happens to play for the "bad guys." He's tough, he's fearless, and he commanded instant respect from everyone he dealt with.
Sounds like a damn fine role model to me.
And that's without even getting into his excellent fashion sense. *grin*
Slashdot Mirror
As a luser-support martyr (ISP Tech Support, lately in documentation), the going rate seems to be $20-30K to start (with annual / promotional increases, of course), higher in major metropolitan areas (the Valley, SF, NYC, Boston, &c).
Top-notch coders seem to be able to command $80K and up (six figures isn't uncommon. . . makes me wish I knew PERL!)
As with every job, having experience means you can command greater compensation. After two-plus years on the job, I've conditioned my employer to add some intangibles to the job environment: tolerance to eccentricity, a certain level of buy-in to new ideas, &c.
Just remember that the full package isn't just the bottom line on your W-2, there are health insurance, 401(k), profit sharing, and any number of other forms of additional compensation to factor in. Ask at the interview what kind of total compensation the company offers, and what kinf of tenure / vesting structure exists. Some companies give health insurance after 90 days, the potential for 401(k) after 6 months, and start vesting in various things after one, three, or five years, depending. There is so much variance with these that it never hurts to ask.
For example, my company offers discounted memberships (payroll-deductible) to the local health & wellness center and free/discounted service to employees. This doesn't show up on my pay stub every other Friday, but is worth probably $40 a month.
Just remember: no amount of financial compensation will make up for a job you don't enjoy. I can speak from experience that a good job atmosphere with interesting and enjoyable work to do makes a smaller paycheck more attractive than becoming a psychotic stress-monkey at a job that makes your gut clench the instant the alarm clock goes off in the morning.
Anyone looking to hire a slightly freaky tech writer?
Rafe
V^^^^V
As one who rushed out and placed an advance order for the UF book, I was surprised when it arrived. I was expecting (having been conditioned by the various C&H / Bloom County compendiums that populate my bookshelves) for it to be a first-to-Nth collection of the strips chronologically.
The single biggest and most confusing omission was the birth of Dust Puppy, followed by DP's creating Erwin. Such central characters (since they're a bit obtuse for a casual reader) seem to need this germination to be included.
Rafe
V^^^^V
The entry for "Distractions" was close, but it's overly simplistic. People in G7 societies have better things to do than have children, and are educated enough to know that bringing a child into the world has a significant long-term impact on their ability to enjoy themselves. It may be seen by some as a shirking of responsibility, but it can also be seen as a commentary on the state of the society: why waste your time and energy on a child when you can spend it on yourself and your spouse/partner/friends?
I don't want a child (I -abhor- children for reasons both enumerated above and not germane to this inquiry), and most of my partners have been like-minded.
"I may one day have children, but they will be beautiful, intelligent, EVIL little fuckers." This has been the philosophy my partners and I have agreed upon almost without acknowledging it.
Perhaps later in life, the nesting instinct will come into play. There is a small pang when I think the "family name" could die with me (being the only male child in the family). But neither is enough to make me want to give up my autonomy for a small screaming hunk of meat just yet.
On the other hand, sex is awfully enjoyable, but most conventional contraception is a huge detriment to sex (do be blunt, condoms -suck,- so I am personally in favor of RU-486, preventitive pharmaceuticals, or IUD applications). So there is the outside chance I might be a daddy before I want. Hopefully not, but applicants for the *ahem* position of "mate" are being accepted.
;-)
Rafe
V^^^^V
Step Thermodynamics makes a couple of very quiet high-capacity coolers. Also of note are Alpha's line of coolers (available and recommended by 3dfxcool.com.)
Having used both of these products, my mid-tower case is both cool and unobtrusive with a PIII 450 running @ 560, with an additional fan keeping the overclocked video card happy.
Rafe
V^^^^V
Overclockers.dk has already done a review of this bit of niftyness. It can be found here.
I know I certainly want one when I upgrade to Athlon from my current PIII 450 @ 560 (courtesy of Step Thermodynamics. ) Their product has performed flawlessly for me, and is definitely recommended if you want to run @ 25%+ over factory spec.
Rafe
V^^^^V
"This may hurt a little, but it's something you get used to." - Tool
Pondering while trying to look busy at the office this morning (while attempting to look busy. . . listening to a CD, checking e-mail, and browsing three different windows). . .
Not necessarily something I agree with 100%, but there are small bits that hook into my psyche in ways that are both familiar and uncomfortable.
I can speak for nobody else, but my life revolves quite literally on the pinion of my electronic information. You people reach me only as electrons the vast majority of the time. Likewise for most of my other friends; both those I grew up with and those I have yet to meet. Entertainment comes piped across the coaxial network and through the television and in through my cablemodem.
Those times when I have no access are, quite literally, withdrawal. Imagine not having the ability to speak with your friends and family, coupled with not having your car (or taxi, or public transit, etc) in order to shop or pick up a newspaper.
Am I advocating prostrating oneself to informational immersion? On many levels, yes. Is getting unplugged occasionally worthwhile? Absolutely. But I -want- to have the ability to bathe myself in information streams and cull what's salient to -me- from the flood. If that choice is made for me, aye or nay, then I get hostile. Choice is engendered by having options, and having this myriad information available at the click of a mouse is the best way of keeping that ability viable.
Rafe
V^^^^V
Personally, I want to bathe myself in information. Exfoliate with electrons. Scan my retinas with so much raw data that the brain almost ceases to function.
Why?
Because that's how you learn what's below the surface of the pixel-deep information universe.
Like the protagonist in William Gibson's Idoru, people with unfettered, un-blindered access to information can make inferences and assumptions about the world around them. You use pattern recognition. Fractal thought. Draw connections and conclusions from your environment.
To make another Gibson reference, with enough information floating about us, we become the robot collector, compiling and assembling small pieces of beauty from the chaos swirling around us.
Chlotho would only let us see a sanitized universe. I for one don't want that.
I will never trade my cleanliness for my godliness.
Rafe
V^^^^V
Speaking from an alternate viewpoint (as always):
Many of my most problematic (both their fault and ours)customers (I do tech support) reside in Florida. With the widespread precautionary evacuations, our office has been able to claw out from under a heap of accumulated backwork because the phones have fallen mercifully silent.
I don't suppose Hurricane Gert can be Slashdotted into heading towards Florida and prolong the serenity of the Help Desk floor?
(Disclaimer: Not wishing widspread havoc on anyone except a select few customers who, by their very nature, don't know who I'm referring to *whistles innocently*)
Rafe
V^^^^V
As a low-level manager in a tech support office, I have a large number of people I'm responsible for, and a recent hiring trend was to bring in almost exclusively contractors from [a prominent technical staffing company]. This has had two contradictory effects.
One, they know just slightly more than the untrained people who were brought on as company employees, but often had more relevant experience. This was both a boon and a burden. . . while they took to training slightly better, many had chips on their shoulders and were openly discussing their intentions of moving on after their 90-day period was up. Fine, that's up to them, but not so bright or good for morale.
Two, there is the issue of seniority should they choose to become employed by the company. This has caused no end of headaches.
This isn't an industry-wide sample, of course, but for what is basically entry-level technical staffing, contractors are not the best solution.
I agree with the individual who said that employees are better for long-term projects, since they will have more ultimately invested in the outcome.
Rafe
V^^^^V
What would be superb in a graphical representation is a combination of this data (the supposed "distance" from point to point) combined with last week's graphic on /geographic/ location or top-end domain (.com, .org, .etc).
It would be interesting to see if, for example, internet traffic patterns show any kind of focus or foci about certain domains or sites or even specific boxen, and how those machines are distributed in real space. . . where, essentially, are our eyeballs and electrons going?
As for "dimensions," a 3D rendering would be the easiest to comprehend. Perhaps a sphere representing the globe, with an atmosphere of satellite link channels, and a substrata of bandwidth pipes and routers. Or a flat geometric field with peaks to represent the Big Iron, fractal spires twisting off as homepages and smaller sites. And isolated islands or floating moons of self-contained networks, or pages that go nowhere.
Don't mind me, I just finished reading Snow Crash, Diamond Age, and Idoru, and would enjoy a virtual walk through the data we're all accumulating.
Rafe
V^^^^V
Of course, one of the things I find amusing-yet-scary is how nuts all the little kiddies are going over Darth Maul. ... ;)
Yeah, that's a wonderful role model
Well, let's take a peek, shall we? *grins*
We have a duplicitous sovreign who makes a habit of deceiving their subjects for their own gain.
(Amidala/Padme. . . the "Heroine.")
We have an authority figure who disregards the advice and teachings of the governing body that helped give him his status and ability.
(Quai-gon Jinn, the "Rebellious Teacher.")
We have a blind follower of the Rebellious Teacher who doesn't question some highly suspect motives.
(Obi-Wan Kenobi, the "Aspiring Master.")
We have a kid who is indentured because he was caught stealing.
(Anakin Skywalker, the "Child of Destiny.")
We have a power-hungry and manipulative political despot who coerces and tricks others for his advantage.
(Senator Palpatine aka Darth Sidious, the "Corrupt Official.")
We have Jar Jar Frigging Binks. 'nuff said.
And then we have a strong, charismatic, self-directed and unambiguously focused Darth Maul. So he happens to play for the "bad guys." He's tough, he's fearless, and he commanded instant respect from everyone he dealt with.
Sounds like a damn fine role model to me.
And that's without even getting into his excellent fashion sense. *grin*
Rafe
V^^^^V