I get five points and they last for a few days. I get them on any day that ends with the letter Y - which includes weekends, oddly enough. I've never looked into the code but I don't think it relies on the day of the week (for starting or expiration). I've also found, just as an aside, that the system gets mad at me when I don't spend them. I don't typically moderate and have found that the system seems to favor me less though my comment's moderation is generally quite positive.
Well, to be fair, wouldn't the remaining 52.6% qualify as "most?" They didn't say things like, "an overwhelming majority." In fact, and not an opinion or belief, your data says exactly what they said. Perhaps you meant to say it is a trivial amount? Of course, how you react to this actual fact is important. > 50% = most. Of course they could have been more articulate - then, you could have too.
Hmm... Hiring women isn't just going to magically make more brains in the field unless you're advocating hiring folks they don't already need to hire for some strange reason.
Once in a while you say something intelligent. That was one of those times. It appears to be more frequent as of late which makes me wonder if you've modified your views (which is perfectly acceptable once one removes ego from the equation), are tempering your speech, or have learned to articulate better. You sure as hell don't need my approval for anything but, suffice to say, I approve.
As an egalitarian, I think the key metric is equal opportunity. Women are vastly over-represented in higher education but opt for different fields than men. While this may seem like a bad thing, I am forced to ask why it is seen as bad? If they opt to not enter the field then who are we to force them? Do they not have enough encouragement already? What problem is being solved by advocating change and how will this negatively impact others or is an ends-justify-the-means situation? How come, for instance, you're not advocating equality in sentencing for criminal convictions?
Given what I've seen, and I could be considered a bit of an outsider looking in, so few have kept their eye on the goal of equality. That is the goal, right?
What do you hope to resolve? What goals do you have? Women aren't some weak construct that need protection. We're generally past the point of having to whack Og over the head lest he drag your woman off using her taint as a one would use a plastic six pack ring. If women are choosing to not get involved in the field then why try to create a false motivation? Let them do what they want and are capable of. If the issue is ignorant people creating an offensive and hostile environment then deal with that but to think this is applicable to a single gender is intellectual dishonesty.
It would still be grown as a mono-culture crop so we'd still hear complaints. The varied definitions people use for 'natural' is just another form of intellectual dishonesty.
I own a significant quantity of land and a good portion of that is land that was once owned by the International Paper Company. Some of that growth is harvested today but it goes to chip or a different paper mill now. At the same time, there's still a lot of unmanaged woodland here though I am learning timber stand improvement and a neighbor deals with most of it.
What I'm curious about, and have never found, was an average. I can't find a table that is applicable to my zone that I can use to find an estimate of how many trees are on the property. Somewhere, I do have those numbers for the replanted trees where harvesting was done.
Many people think that clear cutting is the norm. I used to to think that. In fact, properly managed growth is fantastic for the environment and ecology. Animals hang out where there are breaks (there's another word for it but I've forgotten it). So where you cut a tote road, have a clearing, or things like that? Animals thrive along those breaks be they natural or man made. Where the intersection between one zone and another is is where you find animals and diversity in the flora. It needn't even be a large break - look at all the animals that surround a small stream.
Anyhow, if anyone knows of such a table for an average tree growth in my area (NW Maine, mountains/foothills region - lat 43-47) I'd love to see it. It needn't be exact and won't be but I've smoked a lot of weed and wondered how many trees are here.
There are some cars (trucks often) that have an old bumper sticker. "Question 2" was a ballot question back in the days before I retired here. I don't specifically know the exact question but it involved something to do with hindering logging operations more than they already are around here. We have some pretty good regulations here in Maine but I digress. The bumper sticker says, "If you want to vote yes on Question 2 then try wiping your ass with plastic." That generally makes me chuckle but I'm easily amused. It's pretty typical Maine humor.
Finally, properly managed tree growth is a fantastic renewable resource. This doesn't mean cut it all down and chop up the rain forest. It means managed wood lots are a viable solution. On top of that, you can bring paper back to pulp and reuse it a number of ways and times. I've heard people suggest that all tree harvesting was wrong - yes, all. Fortunately that's not the norm and, I think, most people are more pragmatic than that.
Good point though I wasn't really trying to do that - I was merely pointing out what I'd recalled from their history and certainly would absolutely never judge people by their leadership or even their majority. I judge based on what an individual does or says they will do. I, for example, have an outright loathing for my government. It is run by corrupt individuals. My fellow citizens are fat, lazy, and ignorant. I'd hate to be judged based on them though I can understand some categorization. I am, of course, an American - I think most people on this rock we call home are generally in agreement with me in some of those areas.
Who among us is not abrasive when we know we're right? I'd not take his approach but that's probable because I'm a bit lazy and don't tend to care that much. I've noticed that his comments don't get repeated if nobody mods them down - he seems to repeat them because they are no longer visible by default.
That is absolutely fascinating. I think I will give that some thought and actually implement some of that idea. I'm reasonably good at discussing things with being honest but not saying everything and that's a reasonable compromise, thank you. I'd not thought of that. "Me? No... I don't work now. I'm out looking to see what life has to offer. I used to be in the traffic modeling field but I am currently just looking to see where life's road leads me. How about you? What are your goals?" Something like that really has potential with the bonus that I'd get to be happy because I'm not being dishonest.
I've not found anyone new to truly love and be intimate with, at a real degree, in a long time. I do miss it. I've made new friends whom I truly love and would die for. Well, to be honest, I'd find a corrupt cop and have someone threatened or hire them a lawyer but I suppose I'd die for them if it ever truly came to it but, really, I kind of doubt that situation is going to arise.
As a decent, I think, human we feel obligated to help those around us - especially those who are in need and we are close with. I have neighbors who were reasonably poor. They're your typical older Maine couple on a farm that is not much more than subsistence farming, to be told. They are, well, more content today.
For example, she's my cleaning lady - she makes very good money and works a few hours a day. She does my shopping, she cleans my clothing, and makes me a few meals a week. She checks on me daily which has been her habit since I used to be an abuser of IV opiates. It took me a while to convince her to start picking up other things she might need while on the same trip.
Her husband does a few things but I have him, "Cutting out some of that damned excess wood and thinning it out for the wildlife." (Known as Timber Stand Improvement and is an excellent thing to do.) Why, of course, I don't need that wood and he's encouraged to "just sell it, give it away, keep it." Of course their truck wasn't suited so I bought a "new truck" that he helped me pick out and, again, there's no reason to leave the thing clogging up my driveway - I have enough cars as it is. Seeing as he's using it to do work for me then he might as well have a gas card.
They still farm. I buy a half cow and a couple of pigs from them at a time usually. They've stopped billing me for the milk. I've learned to safely operate a chainsaw, cut down the meat to serviceable cuts, preserve my food, garden, and many more things - I'd say I'm making out better than they are.
Which, by the circular reasoning that is my head, brings me back to my point. Thanks again. I'd somehow overlooked that what we call soft skills or interpersonal skills needn't be deceptive nor done with malice or an attempt to control. I need to be able to justify all of my actions. I'm a Buddhist (not a GOOD Buddhist and surely not a monk) so doing the right thing is important to me. Of course, "because I want to" is a fine justification though, "because I can" is not.
Almost every employee was younger than I and, for a number of them, it was their first real job or job outside of academia. I think there was an anticipation of other things but, by the time we were actually serious about hiring people we made sure that we hired those who knew the culture and would fit in. I think the most "shock" was from interaction with other groups that were heavily bureaucratic. As the industry moved towards automation we managed to poach quite a few people. I have no moral qualms about poaching employees.
For all you or I know, you're doing better than I. I'm sure much has changed and the only things I can say for certain is that it worked for me and that I'd not have wanted it to be any other way. It's great that they retain much of the culture though I understand there was some sort of row over them needing an HR department and mandatory drug screening to the point where some had threatened to tender their resignation. I am, of course, not privy to that information but that is what I have heard through the grapevine.
We did some things that would be taboo today, I expect. We didn't "vote" on hires but interviewing was conducted by anyone who felt they would be working with the coworker enough to justify being able to decide if they would be hired. It was informal and there were candidates who did not make it. You could call it a cabal or something if you wanted to be pejorative but. really, anybody was welcome to opine. So, I think there might have been some discomfort at first as we certainly were not "normal." They got over it.
We ended up with great diversity but that wasn't a goal or anything. We just wanted the best and those who fit in best. We were all smart people and I find that smart people tend to be a little different by default. As an aside, I have finally decided the difference between eccentric and crazy. I've mulled this over for years and only figured it out recently. It's a matter of wealth, not degree. Elton John is eccentric while the guy on the corner screaming about how Jesus is an alien is crazy. Both may be very smart. Being misguided isn't limited to the unintelligent and a curse of being smart seems to be thinking you're always right - which is kind of my point.
Since you didn't ask but alluded to being receptive, to put this in the common tongue, shut the fuck up and listen when one of your employees is telling you that you're doing it wrong - they might be right. If you've created an environment where that doesn't happen due to fear or culture then you've failed. From the way I read your post, you're already doing that. I'm sure it is appreciated. I'm truly sure it is - however, take some employees out for a beer after work (or whatever) and figure out how they really feel and if they're being honest about it. If they don't appear to be being honest - the problem may be you. Make sure to do it with lots of employees and often.
Finally, I think a slide is silly. We did have an awesome break room but we actually insisted that people took breaks. One of our geeks had managed to get Quake to run on some older, by then, 'big iron.' That was fun though I am not much of a gamer. We didn't have slides, we didn't have a daycare center, or anything like that. We paid well enough so that you could easily afford those things. We might have had a semi-stocked bar and a pool table around the back though such would have been technically mine if, you know, it existed. *whistles innocently* It was not in constant use but it did see plenty of use. If such existed then I can say there certainly is nothing left of it today.
Don't strive for perfection - you can't achieve it. Strive to be willing to make mistakes and willing to learn from mistakes.
Nah, you're not the only one who gets along with him. I get along with him and I don't even usually use a host file - however, I articulated my reasoning and know the consequences of my actions and make that choice based on security versus convenience. He might be a bit abrasive but I have a handy wheel on my mouse and don't actually care to silence anybody. Also, he knows some surprisingly esoteric stuff. I approached him much like you did. I enjoy poking the strange things - that's how you learn stuff. He's harmless and seems to be genuinely concerned with keeping folks protected from malware and ads.
I'd like to think so. But... Well, no. Not everything, not even close. Though I learned from mistakes and already knew when to ask for help. I think a big thing is knowing your limits and being honest with yourself where those limits are? I can only guess, really. I also didn't chastise people for making mistakes, for a variety of reasons. What I did do is get a bit unhappy with someone who thought they were capable and then made mistakes instead of asking for help. It was usually a very short and brief problem - we fostered the idea of being able to ask for help.
Nobody knows everything and knowing your limits is essential. I mentioned earlier that employee salaries are actually a really tiny percentage of the expenses. If you worked for me and needed help then we will hire help - we will find the best out there and pay them what they truly are worth. If you really wanted then we'd send you back to school to get additional education - and those percentage points were still fairly trivial. If your boss tells you the business isn't making enough money to give you a raise they're a liar. Or, well, the business should probably be in receivership.
I don't know... I guess I type out these long replies because there's some hope that there are others who can and will do. I also hope that those who are in crappy situations get the hell out. Do you know what I learned? It seems pertinent at this time. If you give a person their desired salary when they start and tell them to just come ask when they feel they deserve a raise - they'll go YEARS without asking for a raise. Sometimes they do crazy stuff like try to decline a raise - you have to convince them to take it. I know it sounds counter-intuitive but it's very true. If they know they're appreciated and they're making enough money they are content. They might even be happy.
Finally, absolutely true. The company would certainly not have survived without the people who worked to make it happen. It was a very successful company, it still is really. The people who were there in the beginning probably don't have to work any more but a number of them still remain with the new parent company. I made sure that each individual was truly aware of how much appreciation I had for their talents, their willingness to work long hours if we got too busy - because I'd screwed up and not properly bid something, and their ability to just be open and honest humans. I asked a lot, was given a lot, and have tried to show how much it mattered.
Maybe someone will see this and a light will click on. There's even a few former co-workers that hang out here and this may make them smile. Too many people have jobs they are not happy with and, really, there's no need of it.
This being/. well, I suppose you never know. However, for the chance to amuse at least one of us, how about if I say, "Why both, of course."
No, not even drunk would I dare touch a database server. There are some things mortal men are not meant to do. I stay out of the way of wizards and they leave me alone. DB admins aren't right in the head and I? Well, I can write an SQL query or something. I am not a DB wizard. Honestly, it's kind of strange how those guys envision data. Have you ever asked one about how they thought? It's a cross between Christopher Walken, the Mad Hatter, and Spock.
I think, before the advent of the modern database, they were probably the guys who did actuarial tables, for fun. I can only assume they'd be rightfully imprisoned in such a society or had some sort of underground cult thing going on. Maybe that's what the Masons really got their start.:/
But no... Now you made me go and ruin my joke. The joke was that it would teach "her" to delete some of our data by pushing the button. The button existed, it takes too long to explain, and the rest of the story is fairly true but not verbatim - except the deleting the database part. The button also never did anything but I had good plans for it at the time. Had she pushed the button and it deleted data I doubt, very much, that it would "teach her" anything.
Then again. I'm kind of expecting that I am missing the joke at this point. On the other hand, I'd have loved Google when I was learning to code. I'd have been happy with anything even like a modern search engine. I am a self-taught coder. I've seen professional code, I don''t do that. Given that I know quality when I see it and I'm pretty damned honest about my own ability, well, trust me when I say that (sadly) I'd have done *better* work with cut and paste. Hmm... I code like I type/. comments except I used to do a lot of drugs and drink.
However, you're safe. I don't think she's a member of the 6 digit UID. I had (have?) a much, much older ID (4 digits maybe 5?) but somewhere along the lines I forgot the nick and never have remembered it. So I was AC for a while and then I grabbed this one which is my usual nick. I have no idea why I didn't use this nick in the first place but it seems likely that drugs or alcohol were involved.
I really need to sleep. I've reached the babble stage. Woohoo! Insomnia!
No freelancer and no contractors. We never needed them or, really, wanted them. I'm sure you're great and all that - that's not the problem. The problem is that it's not a jail and you can leave any time you want. The reason they don't want to leave is because we paid well (I'll touch on that below) and had great benefits.
I think I'll touch on both of those and remember to say thank you for the compliments - I appreciate it. From the sounds of things, you'd have fit right in. I just wouldn't have given you an incentive to leave.
For starters, well, in my industry we paid more for hardware and software than we paid for employees. Yeah, and we paid the best in the industry though I suppose you could say we were, at the time, pretty much the only ones who did what we did. (Traffic modeling, both vehicular and, eventually, pedestrian but "on a computer.") I don't know every industry out there but I can say that labor is absolutely one of the lowest expenses a business has. If your boss says they can't give you a raise call them a liar. We spent more money on Xerox (I kind of hate those pricks) than we spent on a single employee. (We did a lot of printing.)
I wasn't really expecting much of a response so I hadn't thought this through or anything. Hmm...
We weren't a "family." We were all friends. I'll try to give an example? I'm not the most articulate.
The office shut completely down on a number of occasions. At one point we had a guy in the server room who lost a good portion of his family in an accident - a wife and his two kids. The office was a ghost town and stayed that way for a couple of days and was completely closed during the day of their funeral. We did miss a client visit during that time, sort of. They called me on my personal cell phone (they were bigger back then) and I listened politely, explained the situation in some rather vulgar terms, and the rep actually sent flowers and food - lots of food. It turns out that the money was from their own pocket, the client was a state government and would not have paid for it.
Things worked out well. I posted another reply above to another AC.
I guess my point is that you'd probably have hung up your freelancer hat and stuck with us. Well, assuming you fit in and enjoyed the work. I think that pretty much everyone did both the fitting and the enjoying. I'd like to think they did and would actually feel like a bit of a failure if they didn't. My greatest assets were luck and the willingness to shut the hell up and listen.
I don't know everything - not even close. It's up to you to tell me what I need to do and, importantly, why. I'm not an idiot - you needn't explain it like I am five but making it overly complicated isn't going to help you convince me either. I will stop you and ask you very specific questions and we can waste both of our time extracting the information from you or you can just tell me - it would save some effort and time.
Except DB admins, seriously... Have you ever met a DB wizard who was, you know, not just a little odd? I don't know what those guys do, I mean I know what they do but not really, but they make stuff work and when you're crunching a TB or two of data then you REALLY want a good one. I don't care that he was gay, vegan, or had a habit of not talking to anyone for weeks at a time - and then saying something profound. What I care about is that he constantly looked like the guy who was going to snap and bring an AR-15 to work - and we were NICE people. I was more worried he'd use it on the hardware than on a human.
Anyhow, I eventually was offered an absurd amount of money to sell my child. The parent company does almost nothing except niche fields that fill government contracts. You probably know who they are, actually. They do everything from food to security to information services. I do kind of giggle at the idea that they now have a Human Resources department. I think a distinction needs to be made. Humans aren't resources, they're assets and, more importantly, humans.
Eventually... I started off with a contract large enough to support two of us. At the end there were about two hundred with offices in five states - two being "dummy" offices which were used when we needed additional staff in the area as we needed a lot of human interaction and those offices were only partially staffed. We grew and it was never a "family" but it was always "tight knit friends."
I learned a lot from having great people around me. I don't think any of the people who were there the first ten years or so still actually need to work? When I sold the company I made sure they were all well rewarded for having given me the chance to grow. Yet work they do. They're geeks (and a few crazy folks) and I don't think they were ever in it just for money. We paid very well but, more importantly, we had true benefits.
Sure, we had stuff like health care, 401k (eventually) or a pension - up to you, and all that crap.
You get drunk the night before? Yeah... We've been there. You've got choices - just be honest. One of us would probably take the rest of the day off and go out drinking with you so you could finish up your run. If there were no clients expected in the office then there may have been a pool table in the back and probably some alcohol. I'm not admitting to anything but - if that happened - it often resulted in a day off for a few people (including me).
We were a bunch of mathematics geeks, CS geeks, some IT geeks, a strange prick who was a DB admin (those guys are wizards - and freaks), and a half dozen oddball folks who didn't really do much. Oh - and no HR but we did have two secretaries. I eventually decided I needed someone to man the phones full time and I eventually needed one of my own.
The turn over rate was unbelievable. We had one person quit, a couple retire, and a few left when I left. They had the chance to try other things and did so. I still maintain contact with a few of them as well as a number of people who still work there. Once in a while they actually call me up and I go in for some contract work but I've not had to do that in a while and I'm not sure I would again, should they ask.
When I do return it is a little harder to leave every time. Ah well... I'll type some more to the other AC below you.
It was probably due to your education - specifically learning by rote. The person who decided to teach mathematics by rote needs to be assaulted. It was not until higher levels of education where I had someone properly explain the concepts and give me the tools to visualize the maths that I became able to actually understand. After that, honestly? It was kind of easy. I do think that it may have something to do with the way my head works. Let's just say that it is not normal (I don't think - I used to think it was) and you probably would not be comfortable listening to my thought process.
Umm... I have a PhD in Applied Mathematics. I code like a drunken mentally ill person. The worst part is that I wrote a lot of code... *sighs* I redid a lot of code. I eventually hired professionals.
"So, David... What exactly do you mean with the "I'm Too Drunk" button nested in the menu under a mysterious label called "Hide and Seek?" She asks, with a determined look to see if I should be committed.
"Oh that? Yeah. For now it just closes the application. When I get a minute I'm going to tie it into the time clock to punch the user out and send a message to people physically close on the network to have them call a taxi - it will be at company cost." Was the only logical reply. Followed up with, "And this would be done if I had time to learn that API for the time clock."
"You're not serious, right?"
"Oh, but I am. Click the button and see."
Ah, little did she know... The button deleted random database assets. That will teach her to meddle.
Somebody will if this is like very other thread on the subject. It seems to be a matter of pride. Use the OS that suits the task at hand best for you and practice safe hex. I suspect part of the problem has been the goal of making the computer a device for amusement instead of a computational device as its goal. Aiming for the lowest common denominator can not be a good thing in this field. It just can't be - at least not from my perspective. That's not to say it needs to be overly complex. Maybe it is time to go back to dumb terminals.
So who will defend Apple this time or attempt to minimize this or attempt to claim that other OSes are worse so that this is, seemingly, less significant. No OS is secure, it never will be and it only gets worse when you connect it to another device. There will always be security problems.
Not because I care so much but because I am easily amused...
I owned my own company for a long time. Eventually I was kicked out of my own server room by people I paid to do a job. You know, I listened. I could do the job well enough but they could do it so much faster. Eventually I no longer even maintained my own code. "Code comments go in the code and not on a pile of coffee soaked index cards, asshole." Again, I listened. Sure, I could do all those things effectively - efficiently if you don't count my time but I paid experts because, well, they were better at the job than I was.
I suppose you could have called me a CEO, I mean I technically was, but we weren't real big on titles. Hell, my company paid me less than some of my employees made (of course I had the cookie jar).
I guess my point is that not all bosses think they know everything. My understanding is the new parent company has kept the culture much the same. It was not entirely uncommon to see a curious look when I admitted I did not know something and would like to consult with someone who did before making choices. I can only surmise that the behavior is due to ego.
You (or do I say we as I have dual citizenship but only visit) also gave us Young and Rush. And KitH but that's a different form of entertainment. Bieber doesn't quite bring it down in to the negatives but it is close. I'm neutral about Shania Twain (spelling?) but I am not fond of goat roping music in general.
Umm... I have tried to avoid commenting on this but it is time. No, just no. A rotary (or a roundabout, if you prefer) takes up approximately the same area as an intersection with turning lanes. They are beautifully efficient and extremely safe until you add uneducated, egotistical, and hurried into the mix. If you drivers were not so stupid we could actually get rid of almost every single reason to stop your vehicle in the road by using a combination of rotaries and yield signs.
Yes, yes, you are most certainly an above average driver and the problem is not with the drivers but with mythical space constraints. (That is a generic you, not you personally.)
No, I did not generally design roads as a career. Worse, my company modeled traffic and told the designers what to do. You guys suck as drivers. And, use Google maps or something. Check the before and after pictures from when an intersection was converted to rotary. It is intuitive to think they take a bunch more space but they really don't. If it's a large group of intersections then you actually end up saving space in some situations. However, it is not conventional space as it is circular.
You move the crosswalks back to the middle of the block (where applicable) and eliminate the turning lane(s) and all that area that they took up is freed up for use. There are some exceptions where a rotary would take up more space and if those areas are poorly designed then there is no easy solution. Using yield signs and educating drivers to treat them like a four way stop should all but eliminate hassles except in the rarest of circumstances.
We don't just make arbitrary choices willy-nilly and put up signage at random. Well, except for Georgia, I think they're drunk. Intersections are replaced with rotaries quite frequently and, inevitably, accidents increase for a short while and then people figure it out and get with the program. Then efficiency increases, accidents decrease, and we can worry about throughput in other areas.
Slashdot Mirror
I get five points and they last for a few days. I get them on any day that ends with the letter Y - which includes weekends, oddly enough. I've never looked into the code but I don't think it relies on the day of the week (for starting or expiration). I've also found, just as an aside, that the system gets mad at me when I don't spend them. I don't typically moderate and have found that the system seems to favor me less though my comment's moderation is generally quite positive.
Well, to be fair, wouldn't the remaining 52.6% qualify as "most?" They didn't say things like, "an overwhelming majority." In fact, and not an opinion or belief, your data says exactly what they said. Perhaps you meant to say it is a trivial amount? Of course, how you react to this actual fact is important. > 50% = most. Of course they could have been more articulate - then, you could have too.
Hmm... Hiring women isn't just going to magically make more brains in the field unless you're advocating hiring folks they don't already need to hire for some strange reason.
Once in a while you say something intelligent. That was one of those times. It appears to be more frequent as of late which makes me wonder if you've modified your views (which is perfectly acceptable once one removes ego from the equation), are tempering your speech, or have learned to articulate better. You sure as hell don't need my approval for anything but, suffice to say, I approve.
As an egalitarian, I think the key metric is equal opportunity. Women are vastly over-represented in higher education but opt for different fields than men. While this may seem like a bad thing, I am forced to ask why it is seen as bad? If they opt to not enter the field then who are we to force them? Do they not have enough encouragement already? What problem is being solved by advocating change and how will this negatively impact others or is an ends-justify-the-means situation? How come, for instance, you're not advocating equality in sentencing for criminal convictions?
Given what I've seen, and I could be considered a bit of an outsider looking in, so few have kept their eye on the goal of equality. That is the goal, right?
What do you hope to resolve? What goals do you have? Women aren't some weak construct that need protection. We're generally past the point of having to whack Og over the head lest he drag your woman off using her taint as a one would use a plastic six pack ring. If women are choosing to not get involved in the field then why try to create a false motivation? Let them do what they want and are capable of. If the issue is ignorant people creating an offensive and hostile environment then deal with that but to think this is applicable to a single gender is intellectual dishonesty.
It would still be grown as a mono-culture crop so we'd still hear complaints. The varied definitions people use for 'natural' is just another form of intellectual dishonesty.
I own a significant quantity of land and a good portion of that is land that was once owned by the International Paper Company. Some of that growth is harvested today but it goes to chip or a different paper mill now. At the same time, there's still a lot of unmanaged woodland here though I am learning timber stand improvement and a neighbor deals with most of it.
What I'm curious about, and have never found, was an average. I can't find a table that is applicable to my zone that I can use to find an estimate of how many trees are on the property. Somewhere, I do have those numbers for the replanted trees where harvesting was done.
Many people think that clear cutting is the norm. I used to to think that. In fact, properly managed growth is fantastic for the environment and ecology. Animals hang out where there are breaks (there's another word for it but I've forgotten it). So where you cut a tote road, have a clearing, or things like that? Animals thrive along those breaks be they natural or man made. Where the intersection between one zone and another is is where you find animals and diversity in the flora. It needn't even be a large break - look at all the animals that surround a small stream.
Anyhow, if anyone knows of such a table for an average tree growth in my area (NW Maine, mountains/foothills region - lat 43-47) I'd love to see it. It needn't be exact and won't be but I've smoked a lot of weed and wondered how many trees are here.
There are some cars (trucks often) that have an old bumper sticker. "Question 2" was a ballot question back in the days before I retired here. I don't specifically know the exact question but it involved something to do with hindering logging operations more than they already are around here. We have some pretty good regulations here in Maine but I digress. The bumper sticker says, "If you want to vote yes on Question 2 then try wiping your ass with plastic." That generally makes me chuckle but I'm easily amused. It's pretty typical Maine humor.
Finally, properly managed tree growth is a fantastic renewable resource. This doesn't mean cut it all down and chop up the rain forest. It means managed wood lots are a viable solution. On top of that, you can bring paper back to pulp and reuse it a number of ways and times. I've heard people suggest that all tree harvesting was wrong - yes, all. Fortunately that's not the norm and, I think, most people are more pragmatic than that.
Good point though I wasn't really trying to do that - I was merely pointing out what I'd recalled from their history and certainly would absolutely never judge people by their leadership or even their majority. I judge based on what an individual does or says they will do. I, for example, have an outright loathing for my government. It is run by corrupt individuals. My fellow citizens are fat, lazy, and ignorant. I'd hate to be judged based on them though I can understand some categorization. I am, of course, an American - I think most people on this rock we call home are generally in agreement with me in some of those areas.
Who among us is not abrasive when we know we're right? I'd not take his approach but that's probable because I'm a bit lazy and don't tend to care that much. I've noticed that his comments don't get repeated if nobody mods them down - he seems to repeat them because they are no longer visible by default.
That is absolutely fascinating. I think I will give that some thought and actually implement some of that idea. I'm reasonably good at discussing things with being honest but not saying everything and that's a reasonable compromise, thank you. I'd not thought of that. "Me? No... I don't work now. I'm out looking to see what life has to offer. I used to be in the traffic modeling field but I am currently just looking to see where life's road leads me. How about you? What are your goals?" Something like that really has potential with the bonus that I'd get to be happy because I'm not being dishonest.
I've not found anyone new to truly love and be intimate with, at a real degree, in a long time. I do miss it. I've made new friends whom I truly love and would die for. Well, to be honest, I'd find a corrupt cop and have someone threatened or hire them a lawyer but I suppose I'd die for them if it ever truly came to it but, really, I kind of doubt that situation is going to arise.
As a decent, I think, human we feel obligated to help those around us - especially those who are in need and we are close with. I have neighbors who were reasonably poor. They're your typical older Maine couple on a farm that is not much more than subsistence farming, to be told. They are, well, more content today.
For example, she's my cleaning lady - she makes very good money and works a few hours a day. She does my shopping, she cleans my clothing, and makes me a few meals a week. She checks on me daily which has been her habit since I used to be an abuser of IV opiates. It took me a while to convince her to start picking up other things she might need while on the same trip.
Her husband does a few things but I have him, "Cutting out some of that damned excess wood and thinning it out for the wildlife." (Known as Timber Stand Improvement and is an excellent thing to do.) Why, of course, I don't need that wood and he's encouraged to "just sell it, give it away, keep it." Of course their truck wasn't suited so I bought a "new truck" that he helped me pick out and, again, there's no reason to leave the thing clogging up my driveway - I have enough cars as it is. Seeing as he's using it to do work for me then he might as well have a gas card.
They still farm. I buy a half cow and a couple of pigs from them at a time usually. They've stopped billing me for the milk. I've learned to safely operate a chainsaw, cut down the meat to serviceable cuts, preserve my food, garden, and many more things - I'd say I'm making out better than they are.
Which, by the circular reasoning that is my head, brings me back to my point. Thanks again. I'd somehow overlooked that what we call soft skills or interpersonal skills needn't be deceptive nor done with malice or an attempt to control. I need to be able to justify all of my actions. I'm a Buddhist (not a GOOD Buddhist and surely not a monk) so doing the right thing is important to me. Of course, "because I want to" is a fine justification though, "because I can" is not.
Almost every employee was younger than I and, for a number of them, it was their first real job or job outside of academia. I think there was an anticipation of other things but, by the time we were actually serious about hiring people we made sure that we hired those who knew the culture and would fit in. I think the most "shock" was from interaction with other groups that were heavily bureaucratic. As the industry moved towards automation we managed to poach quite a few people. I have no moral qualms about poaching employees.
For all you or I know, you're doing better than I. I'm sure much has changed and the only things I can say for certain is that it worked for me and that I'd not have wanted it to be any other way. It's great that they retain much of the culture though I understand there was some sort of row over them needing an HR department and mandatory drug screening to the point where some had threatened to tender their resignation. I am, of course, not privy to that information but that is what I have heard through the grapevine.
We did some things that would be taboo today, I expect. We didn't "vote" on hires but interviewing was conducted by anyone who felt they would be working with the coworker enough to justify being able to decide if they would be hired. It was informal and there were candidates who did not make it. You could call it a cabal or something if you wanted to be pejorative but. really, anybody was welcome to opine. So, I think there might have been some discomfort at first as we certainly were not "normal." They got over it.
We ended up with great diversity but that wasn't a goal or anything. We just wanted the best and those who fit in best. We were all smart people and I find that smart people tend to be a little different by default. As an aside, I have finally decided the difference between eccentric and crazy. I've mulled this over for years and only figured it out recently. It's a matter of wealth, not degree. Elton John is eccentric while the guy on the corner screaming about how Jesus is an alien is crazy. Both may be very smart. Being misguided isn't limited to the unintelligent and a curse of being smart seems to be thinking you're always right - which is kind of my point.
Since you didn't ask but alluded to being receptive, to put this in the common tongue, shut the fuck up and listen when one of your employees is telling you that you're doing it wrong - they might be right. If you've created an environment where that doesn't happen due to fear or culture then you've failed. From the way I read your post, you're already doing that. I'm sure it is appreciated. I'm truly sure it is - however, take some employees out for a beer after work (or whatever) and figure out how they really feel and if they're being honest about it. If they don't appear to be being honest - the problem may be you. Make sure to do it with lots of employees and often.
Finally, I think a slide is silly. We did have an awesome break room but we actually insisted that people took breaks. One of our geeks had managed to get Quake to run on some older, by then, 'big iron.' That was fun though I am not much of a gamer. We didn't have slides, we didn't have a daycare center, or anything like that. We paid well enough so that you could easily afford those things. We might have had a semi-stocked bar and a pool table around the back though such would have been technically mine if, you know, it existed. *whistles innocently* It was not in constant use but it did see plenty of use. If such existed then I can say there certainly is nothing left of it today.
Don't strive for perfection - you can't achieve it. Strive to be willing to make mistakes and willing to learn from mistakes.
Nah, you're not the only one who gets along with him. I get along with him and I don't even usually use a host file - however, I articulated my reasoning and know the consequences of my actions and make that choice based on security versus convenience. He might be a bit abrasive but I have a handy wheel on my mouse and don't actually care to silence anybody. Also, he knows some surprisingly esoteric stuff. I approached him much like you did. I enjoy poking the strange things - that's how you learn stuff. He's harmless and seems to be genuinely concerned with keeping folks protected from malware and ads.
Then again, I enjoy your comments as well.
I'd like to think so. But... Well, no. Not everything, not even close. Though I learned from mistakes and already knew when to ask for help. I think a big thing is knowing your limits and being honest with yourself where those limits are? I can only guess, really. I also didn't chastise people for making mistakes, for a variety of reasons. What I did do is get a bit unhappy with someone who thought they were capable and then made mistakes instead of asking for help. It was usually a very short and brief problem - we fostered the idea of being able to ask for help.
Nobody knows everything and knowing your limits is essential. I mentioned earlier that employee salaries are actually a really tiny percentage of the expenses. If you worked for me and needed help then we will hire help - we will find the best out there and pay them what they truly are worth. If you really wanted then we'd send you back to school to get additional education - and those percentage points were still fairly trivial. If your boss tells you the business isn't making enough money to give you a raise they're a liar. Or, well, the business should probably be in receivership.
I don't know... I guess I type out these long replies because there's some hope that there are others who can and will do. I also hope that those who are in crappy situations get the hell out. Do you know what I learned? It seems pertinent at this time. If you give a person their desired salary when they start and tell them to just come ask when they feel they deserve a raise - they'll go YEARS without asking for a raise. Sometimes they do crazy stuff like try to decline a raise - you have to convince them to take it. I know it sounds counter-intuitive but it's very true. If they know they're appreciated and they're making enough money they are content. They might even be happy.
Finally, absolutely true. The company would certainly not have survived without the people who worked to make it happen. It was a very successful company, it still is really. The people who were there in the beginning probably don't have to work any more but a number of them still remain with the new parent company. I made sure that each individual was truly aware of how much appreciation I had for their talents, their willingness to work long hours if we got too busy - because I'd screwed up and not properly bid something, and their ability to just be open and honest humans. I asked a lot, was given a lot, and have tried to show how much it mattered.
Maybe someone will see this and a light will click on. There's even a few former co-workers that hang out here and this may make them smile. Too many people have jobs they are not happy with and, really, there's no need of it.
This being /. well, I suppose you never know. However, for the chance to amuse at least one of us, how about if I say, "Why both, of course."
No, not even drunk would I dare touch a database server. There are some things mortal men are not meant to do. I stay out of the way of wizards and they leave me alone. DB admins aren't right in the head and I? Well, I can write an SQL query or something. I am not a DB wizard. Honestly, it's kind of strange how those guys envision data. Have you ever asked one about how they thought? It's a cross between Christopher Walken, the Mad Hatter, and Spock.
I think, before the advent of the modern database, they were probably the guys who did actuarial tables, for fun. I can only assume they'd be rightfully imprisoned in such a society or had some sort of underground cult thing going on. Maybe that's what the Masons really got their start. :/
But no... Now you made me go and ruin my joke. The joke was that it would teach "her" to delete some of our data by pushing the button. The button existed, it takes too long to explain, and the rest of the story is fairly true but not verbatim - except the deleting the database part. The button also never did anything but I had good plans for it at the time. Had she pushed the button and it deleted data I doubt, very much, that it would "teach her" anything.
Then again. I'm kind of expecting that I am missing the joke at this point. On the other hand, I'd have loved Google when I was learning to code. I'd have been happy with anything even like a modern search engine. I am a self-taught coder. I've seen professional code, I don''t do that. Given that I know quality when I see it and I'm pretty damned honest about my own ability, well, trust me when I say that (sadly) I'd have done *better* work with cut and paste. Hmm... I code like I type /. comments except I used to do a lot of drugs and drink.
However, you're safe. I don't think she's a member of the 6 digit UID. I had (have?) a much, much older ID (4 digits maybe 5?) but somewhere along the lines I forgot the nick and never have remembered it. So I was AC for a while and then I grabbed this one which is my usual nick. I have no idea why I didn't use this nick in the first place but it seems likely that drugs or alcohol were involved.
I really need to sleep. I've reached the babble stage. Woohoo! Insomnia!
No freelancer and no contractors. We never needed them or, really, wanted them. I'm sure you're great and all that - that's not the problem. The problem is that it's not a jail and you can leave any time you want. The reason they don't want to leave is because we paid well (I'll touch on that below) and had great benefits.
I think I'll touch on both of those and remember to say thank you for the compliments - I appreciate it. From the sounds of things, you'd have fit right in. I just wouldn't have given you an incentive to leave.
For starters, well, in my industry we paid more for hardware and software than we paid for employees. Yeah, and we paid the best in the industry though I suppose you could say we were, at the time, pretty much the only ones who did what we did. (Traffic modeling, both vehicular and, eventually, pedestrian but "on a computer.") I don't know every industry out there but I can say that labor is absolutely one of the lowest expenses a business has. If your boss says they can't give you a raise call them a liar. We spent more money on Xerox (I kind of hate those pricks) than we spent on a single employee. (We did a lot of printing.)
I wasn't really expecting much of a response so I hadn't thought this through or anything. Hmm...
We weren't a "family." We were all friends. I'll try to give an example? I'm not the most articulate.
The office shut completely down on a number of occasions. At one point we had a guy in the server room who lost a good portion of his family in an accident - a wife and his two kids. The office was a ghost town and stayed that way for a couple of days and was completely closed during the day of their funeral. We did miss a client visit during that time, sort of. They called me on my personal cell phone (they were bigger back then) and I listened politely, explained the situation in some rather vulgar terms, and the rep actually sent flowers and food - lots of food. It turns out that the money was from their own pocket, the client was a state government and would not have paid for it.
Things worked out well. I posted another reply above to another AC.
I guess my point is that you'd probably have hung up your freelancer hat and stuck with us. Well, assuming you fit in and enjoyed the work. I think that pretty much everyone did both the fitting and the enjoying. I'd like to think they did and would actually feel like a bit of a failure if they didn't. My greatest assets were luck and the willingness to shut the hell up and listen.
I don't know everything - not even close. It's up to you to tell me what I need to do and, importantly, why. I'm not an idiot - you needn't explain it like I am five but making it overly complicated isn't going to help you convince me either. I will stop you and ask you very specific questions and we can waste both of our time extracting the information from you or you can just tell me - it would save some effort and time.
Except DB admins, seriously... Have you ever met a DB wizard who was, you know, not just a little odd? I don't know what those guys do, I mean I know what they do but not really, but they make stuff work and when you're crunching a TB or two of data then you REALLY want a good one. I don't care that he was gay, vegan, or had a habit of not talking to anyone for weeks at a time - and then saying something profound. What I care about is that he constantly looked like the guy who was going to snap and bring an AR-15 to work - and we were NICE people. I was more worried he'd use it on the hardware than on a human.
Anyhow, I eventually was offered an absurd amount of money to sell my child. The parent company does almost nothing except niche fields that fill government contracts. You probably know who they are, actually. They do everything from food to security to information services. I do kind of giggle at the idea that they now have a Human Resources department. I think a distinction needs to be made. Humans aren't resources, they're assets and, more importantly, humans.
Eventually... I started off with a contract large enough to support two of us. At the end there were about two hundred with offices in five states - two being "dummy" offices which were used when we needed additional staff in the area as we needed a lot of human interaction and those offices were only partially staffed. We grew and it was never a "family" but it was always "tight knit friends."
I learned a lot from having great people around me. I don't think any of the people who were there the first ten years or so still actually need to work? When I sold the company I made sure they were all well rewarded for having given me the chance to grow. Yet work they do. They're geeks (and a few crazy folks) and I don't think they were ever in it just for money. We paid very well but, more importantly, we had true benefits.
Sure, we had stuff like health care, 401k (eventually) or a pension - up to you, and all that crap.
You get drunk the night before? Yeah... We've been there. You've got choices - just be honest. One of us would probably take the rest of the day off and go out drinking with you so you could finish up your run. If there were no clients expected in the office then there may have been a pool table in the back and probably some alcohol. I'm not admitting to anything but - if that happened - it often resulted in a day off for a few people (including me).
We were a bunch of mathematics geeks, CS geeks, some IT geeks, a strange prick who was a DB admin (those guys are wizards - and freaks), and a half dozen oddball folks who didn't really do much. Oh - and no HR but we did have two secretaries. I eventually decided I needed someone to man the phones full time and I eventually needed one of my own.
The turn over rate was unbelievable. We had one person quit, a couple retire, and a few left when I left. They had the chance to try other things and did so. I still maintain contact with a few of them as well as a number of people who still work there. Once in a while they actually call me up and I go in for some contract work but I've not had to do that in a while and I'm not sure I would again, should they ask.
When I do return it is a little harder to leave every time. Ah well... I'll type some more to the other AC below you.
It was probably due to your education - specifically learning by rote. The person who decided to teach mathematics by rote needs to be assaulted. It was not until higher levels of education where I had someone properly explain the concepts and give me the tools to visualize the maths that I became able to actually understand. After that, honestly? It was kind of easy. I do think that it may have something to do with the way my head works. Let's just say that it is not normal (I don't think - I used to think it was) and you probably would not be comfortable listening to my thought process.
Umm... I have a PhD in Applied Mathematics. I code like a drunken mentally ill person. The worst part is that I wrote a lot of code... *sighs* I redid a lot of code. I eventually hired professionals.
"So, David... What exactly do you mean with the "I'm Too Drunk" button nested in the menu under a mysterious label called "Hide and Seek?" She asks, with a determined look to see if I should be committed.
"Oh that? Yeah. For now it just closes the application. When I get a minute I'm going to tie it into the time clock to punch the user out and send a message to people physically close on the network to have them call a taxi - it will be at company cost." Was the only logical reply. Followed up with, "And this would be done if I had time to learn that API for the time clock."
"You're not serious, right?"
"Oh, but I am. Click the button and see."
Ah, little did she know... The button deleted random database assets. That will teach her to meddle.
Some of that narrative is fiction.
They are reading your comment and Googling "how to be a manager +red -education" right now.
It's gonna be lonely here on Friday.
Somebody will if this is like very other thread on the subject. It seems to be a matter of pride. Use the OS that suits the task at hand best for you and practice safe hex. I suspect part of the problem has been the goal of making the computer a device for amusement instead of a computational device as its goal. Aiming for the lowest common denominator can not be a good thing in this field. It just can't be - at least not from my perspective. That's not to say it needs to be overly complex. Maybe it is time to go back to dumb terminals.
So who will defend Apple this time or attempt to minimize this or attempt to claim that other OSes are worse so that this is, seemingly, less significant. No OS is secure, it never will be and it only gets worse when you connect it to another device. There will always be security problems.
Not because I care so much but because I am easily amused...
If you don't know where that is then, perhaps, this is not the site for you and the communique was not intended for you to be able to understand.
I owned my own company for a long time. Eventually I was kicked out of my own server room by people I paid to do a job. You know, I listened. I could do the job well enough but they could do it so much faster. Eventually I no longer even maintained my own code. "Code comments go in the code and not on a pile of coffee soaked index cards, asshole." Again, I listened. Sure, I could do all those things effectively - efficiently if you don't count my time but I paid experts because, well, they were better at the job than I was.
I suppose you could have called me a CEO, I mean I technically was, but we weren't real big on titles. Hell, my company paid me less than some of my employees made (of course I had the cookie jar).
I guess my point is that not all bosses think they know everything. My understanding is the new parent company has kept the culture much the same. It was not entirely uncommon to see a curious look when I admitted I did not know something and would like to consult with someone who did before making choices. I can only surmise that the behavior is due to ego.
You (or do I say we as I have dual citizenship but only visit) also gave us Young and Rush. And KitH but that's a different form of entertainment. Bieber doesn't quite bring it down in to the negatives but it is close. I'm neutral about Shania Twain (spelling?) but I am not fond of goat roping music in general.
Umm... I have tried to avoid commenting on this but it is time. No, just no. A rotary (or a roundabout, if you prefer) takes up approximately the same area as an intersection with turning lanes. They are beautifully efficient and extremely safe until you add uneducated, egotistical, and hurried into the mix. If you drivers were not so stupid we could actually get rid of almost every single reason to stop your vehicle in the road by using a combination of rotaries and yield signs.
Yes, yes, you are most certainly an above average driver and the problem is not with the drivers but with mythical space constraints. (That is a generic you, not you personally.)
No, I did not generally design roads as a career. Worse, my company modeled traffic and told the designers what to do. You guys suck as drivers. And, use Google maps or something. Check the before and after pictures from when an intersection was converted to rotary. It is intuitive to think they take a bunch more space but they really don't. If it's a large group of intersections then you actually end up saving space in some situations. However, it is not conventional space as it is circular.
You move the crosswalks back to the middle of the block (where applicable) and eliminate the turning lane(s) and all that area that they took up is freed up for use. There are some exceptions where a rotary would take up more space and if those areas are poorly designed then there is no easy solution. Using yield signs and educating drivers to treat them like a four way stop should all but eliminate hassles except in the rarest of circumstances.
We don't just make arbitrary choices willy-nilly and put up signage at random. Well, except for Georgia, I think they're drunk. Intersections are replaced with rotaries quite frequently and, inevitably, accidents increase for a short while and then people figure it out and get with the program. Then efficiency increases, accidents decrease, and we can worry about throughput in other areas.